Six new species of ferns (Polypodiopsida) from Ecuador

Moran, R.C. & Øllgaard, B. 1995. Six new species of ferns (Polypodiopsida) from Ecuador. - Nord. J. Bot. 15: 177–185. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107–055X.
The following species of ferns from Ecuador are described as new: Blechnum mono-morphum. Bolbitis riparia, Hecistopteris pinnatifida, Hymenophyllum hemidimorphum, Polypodium latissimum , and Saccoloma laxum .     

Information Structure Influences Depth of Syntactic Processing: Event-Related Potential Evidence for the Chomsky Illusion

Information structure facilitates communication between interlocutors by highlighting relevant information. It has previously been shown that information structure modulates the depth of semantic processing. Here we used event-related potentials to investigate whether information structure can modulate the depth of syntactic processing. In question-answer pairs, subtle (number agreement) or salient (phrase structure) syntactic violations were placed either in focus or out of focus through information structure marking. P600 effects to these violations reflect the depth of syntactic processing. For subtle violations, a P600 effect was observed in the focus condition, but not in the non-focus condition. For salient violations, comparable P600 effects were found in both conditions. These results indicate that information structure can modulate the depth of syntactic processing, but that this effect depends on the salience of the information. When subtle violations are not in focus, they are processed less elaborately. We label this phenomenon the Chomsky illusion.     

Complete genome sequence of the hydrogenotrophic Archaeon Methanobacterium sp. Mb1 isolated from a production-scale biogas plant

Methanobacterium sp. Mb1, a hydrogenotrophic methanogenic Archaeon, was isolated from a rural biogas plant producing methane-rich biogas from maize silage and cattle manure in Germany. Here we report the complete genome sequence of the novel methanogenic isolate Methanobacterium sp. Mb1 harboring a 2,029,766 bp circular chromosome featuring a GC content of 39.74%. The genome encodes two rRNA operons, 41 tRNA genes and 2021 coding sequences and represents the smallest genome currently known within the genus Methanobacterium.     

Fused thiazolyl alkynes as potent mGlu5 receptor positive allosteric modulators

A new series of potent fused thiazole mGlu₅ receptor positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) (10, 11 and 27–31) are disclosed and details of the SAR and optimization are described. Optimization of alkynyl thiazole 9 (Lu AF11205) led to the identification of potent fused thiazole analogs 10b, 27a, 28j and 31d. In general, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl and heteroaryl carboxamides, and carbamate analogs are mGlu₅ PAMs, whereas smaller alkyl carboxamide, sulfonamide and sulfamide analogs tend to be mGlu₅ negative allosteric modulators (NAMs).     

Soil bio- and eco-engineering in China: past experience and future priorities

China has the world's longest history of soil bioengineering, with the first mention of giant fascines to control torrential floodwaters dating from over 2000 BC. However, soil degradation on steep slopes has accelerated hugely over the last 50 years, due to poor farming practice, deforestation, road and dam construction. The central government has therefore devised a series of major programs to reduce the exploitation of forest resources (Natural Forest Protection Program – NFPP) and to rehabilitate steep slopes by encouraging the conversion of cropland to forest and orchards (Sloping Land Conversion Program – SLCP). In this review, we define soil bio- and eco-engineering and examine China's past experience in both domains. We focus on case studies whereby vegetation has been used in conjunction with civil engineering to prevent landslides in Hong Kong and the social and practical aspects of planting on steep slopes to conserve soil on a large-scale in mainland China. The successes and failures of tree planting and forest management in the NFPP and SLCP are discussed along with the priorities for future research and practical applications. This review introduces a special edition of the journal Ecological Engineering, whereby a selection of papers presented at the Second International Conference ‘Ground Bio- and Eco-engineering: The Use of Vegetation to Improve Slope Stability – ICGBE2’ held in Beijing, China, 14–18 July 2008, are published. This congress joined together scientists and practitioners with the aim of discussing new theory, methods and applications for using vegetation to fix soil on steep slopes prone to landslides and erosion. In this review, we consider the key points from the conference and place them in the context of managing and restoring degraded slopes in China, one of the world's most pertinent study sites.     

Dysgonomonas mossii sp. nov., from human sources

Phenotypic and phylogenetic studies were performed on seven unidentified gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, coccobacillus-shaped organisms isolated from human clinical specimens. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that four of the strains corresponded to Dysgonomonas capnocytophagoides whereas the remaining three isolates represent a new sub-line within the genus Dysgonomonas, displaying greater than 5% sequence divergence with Dysgonomonas capnocytophagoides and Dysgonomonas gadei. The three novel isolates were readily distinguished from D.capnocytophagoides and D. gadei by biochemical tests. The DNA base composition of the novel species was consistent with its assignment to the genus Dysgonomonas. Based on phylogenetic and phenotypic evidence it is proposed that the unknown species, be classified as Dysgonomonas mossii sp. nov. The type strain of Dysgonomonas mossii is CCUG 43457T (= CIP 107079T).