Drivers of fine-scale avian functional diversity with changing land use: an assessment of the effects of eco-estate housing development and management

Landscape Ecology - The effects of changing land use, and especially urbanisation, on species and functional diversity are of global concern. Eco-estates are a form of urban housing development...     

Verrucosamide,a Cytotoxic 1,4-Thiazepane-Containing Thiodepsipeptide from a Marine-Derived Actinomycete

A new cytotoxic thiodepsipeptide, verrucosamide (1), was isolated along with the known, related cyclic peptide thiocoraline, from the extract of a marine-derived actinomycete, a Verrucosispora sp., our strain CNX-026. The new peptide, which is composed of two rare seven-membered 1,4-thiazepane rings, was elucidated by a combination of spectral methods and the absolute configuration was determined by a single X-ray diffraction study. Verrucosamide (1) showed moderate cytotoxicity and selectivity in the NCI 60 cell line bioassay. The most susceptible cell lines were MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma with an LD₅₀ of 1.26 µM, and COLO 205 colon adenocarcinoma with an LD₅₀ of 1.4 µM. Also isolated along with verrucosamide were three small 3-hydroxy(alkoxy)-quinaldic acid derivatives that appear to be products of the same biosynthetic pathway.     

捕食线虫性真菌的分离培养及分布规律

对自然界中的捕食线虫性真菌进行了分离和种属区分，并对分布规律进行了研究。从土壤、粪便等材料中获得了2类活性较强的捕食线虫性菌株：即套捕型(hooping)捕食线虫性真菌和粘捕型(sticking)捕食线虫性真菌。主要的代表种类有3种。这些捕食线虫性真菌在捕食性结构分生孢子形态及某些生物学特性上有一定差异。套捕型捕食线虫性真菌代表种为少孢节丛孢菌(Arthrobotrys oligospara)和梨形指环菌(Dactylaria pyriformis)，它们以菌环、菌网作为捕食性结构(器官)，以套捕方式杀灭线虫幼虫。梨形指环菌可产生多量厚垣孢子(chlamyalospore)。粘捕型捕食线虫性真菌代表种为纺锤隔指孢菌(Dactylella ellipsospora)。可形成菌结捕食线虫性结构，以粘捕的方式杀灭线虫幼虫。结果表明：捕食线虫性真菌在土壤和家畜粪便中的分离率是40．41％；此类菌适合于生存在阴暗、潮湿、富含腐植质的环境中。在温暖季节时，采用0．4g／L玉米粉琼脂培养基(CMA)易于对其进行分离培养。     

Cryptococcal osteomyelitis in a dog

Osteomyelitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans was diagnosed in a three-year-old male Irish wolfhound. The case details and radiological findings of radiolucency and periosteal reaction of the left third metatarsal bone had lead to an initial diagnosis of a malignant bone tumour. Biopsy revealed a fungal granuloma and culture identified the causal organism. A four month course of ketaconazole was instigated and the lameness resolved. Twelve months after the end of treatment there was no recurrence of the problem.     

Genotypic Variability in Biomass Protein and Nucleic Acids in Four Linum Species to Sodicity Stress

Differences in gas exchange parameters i.e. carbon exchange rate (CER), transpiration (Tr), water vapor conductance (g) were investigated, under a controlled environment, in a semi-dwarf (SD) Triticum aestivum line, its tall (TL) near isoline and the Payne (PA) variety characterized by small leaves. The plants were maintained in: (a) optimal substrate moisture condition (CTR); (b) salinized by watering with a 0.12 m NaCl solution (SLT); (c) water stressed by withholding waterings during a period of six days (STR); (d) stressed and salinized during the same period and with the same saline solution (S + S). CER and Tr were negatively affected by the stresses; SLT and S + S treatments had a higher WUE compared to their respective controls CTR and STR.
SD line had a better performance in terms of CER and WUE, particularly when water and salt stresses interacted. Leaf anatomy and assimilation/internal CO₂ concentration curves contributed to explaining the SD performance.     

Antibody response to crustacean ectoparasites in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), immunized with Argulus foliaceus L. antigen extract

Abstract. A humoral antibody response was demonstrated by ELISA in rainbow trout immunized intraperitoneally with extracts from the branchiuran ectoparasite Argulus foliaceus. A similar immunization protocol produced a higher titre response in a rabbit. Both trout and rabbit identified several antigenic components on immunoblots. ELISA and immunoblotting indicated that rainbow trout and rabbit anti-A. foliaceus sera identified components from the parasitic copepods Lepeophtheirus salmonis and Caligus elongatus.