The phylogeography of trypanosomes from South American alligatorids and African crocodilids is consistent with the geological history of South American river basins and the transoceanic dispersal of Crocodylus at the Miocene

Background: Little is known about the diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and biogeography of trypanosomes infecting non-mammalian hosts. In this study, we investigated the influence of host species and biogeography on shaping the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationship, and distribution of trypanosomes from South American alligatorids and African crocodilids. Methods: Small Subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) and glycosomal Glyceraldehyde Phosphate Dehydrogenase (gGAPDH) genes were employed for phylogenetic inferences. Trypanosomes from crocodilians were obtained by haemoculturing. Growth behaviour, morphology, and ultrastructural features complement the molecular description of two new species strongly supported by phylogenetic analyses. Results: The inferred phylogenies disclosed a strongly supported crocodilian-restricted clade comprising three subclades. The subclade T. grayi comprised the African Trypanosoma grayi from Crocodylus niloticus and tsetse flies. The subclade T. ralphi comprised alligatorid trypanosomes represented by Trypanosoma ralphi n. sp. From Melanosuchus niger, Caiman crocodilus and Caiman yacare from Brazilian river basins. T. grayi and T. ralphi were sister subclades. The basal subclade T. terena comprised alligatorid trypanosomes represented by Trypanosoma terena n. sp. from Ca. yacare sharing hosts and basins with the distantly genetic related T. ralphi. This subclade also included the trypanosome from Ca. crocodilus from the Orinoco basin in Venezuela and, unexpectedly, a trypanosome from the African crocodilian Osteolaemus tetraspis. Conclusion: The close relationship between South American and African trypanosomes is consistent with paleontological evidence of recent transoceanic dispersal of Crocodylus at the Miocene/Pliocene boundaries (4–5 mya), and host-switching of trypanosomes throughout the geological configuration of South American hydrographical basins shaping the evolutionary histories of the crocodilians and their trypanosomes.

The capability of endophytic fungi for production of hemicellulases and related enzymes

Abstract BACKGROUND: There is an imperative necessity for alternative sources of energy able to reduce the world dependence of fossil oil. One of the most successful options is ethanol obtained mainly from sugarcane and corn fermentation. The foremost residue from sugarcane industry is the bagasse, a rich lignocellulosic raw material uses for the production of ethanol second generation (2G). New cellulolytic and hemicellulytic enzymes are needed, in order to optimize the degradation of bagasse and production of ethanol 2G. RESULTS: The ability to produce hemicellulases and related enzymes, suitable for lignocellulosic biomass deconstruction, was explored using 110 endophytic fungi and 9 fungi isolated from spoiled books in Brazil. Two initial selections were performed, one employing the esculin gel diffusion assay, and the other by culturing on agar plate media with beechwood xylan and liquor from the hydrothermal pretreatment of sugar cane bagasse. A total of 56 isolates were then grown at 29°C on steam-exploded delignified sugar cane bagasse (DEB) plus soybean bran (SB) (3:1), with measurement of the xylanase, pectinase, β-glucosidase, CMCase, and FPase activities. Twelve strains were selected, and their enzyme extracts were assessed using different substrates. Finally, the best six strains were grown under xylan and pectin, and several glycohydrolases activities were also assessed. These strains were identified morphologically and by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and the partial β-tubulin gene (BT2). The best six strains were identified as Aspergillus niger DR02, Trichoderma atroviride DR17 and DR19, Alternaria sp. DR45, Annulohypoxylon stigyum DR47 and Talaromyces wortmannii DR49. These strains produced glycohydrolases with different profiles, and production was highly influenced by the carbon sources in the media. CONCLUSIONS: The selected endophytic fungi Aspergillus niger DR02, Trichoderma atroviride DR17 and DR19, Alternaria sp. DR45, Annulohypoxylon stigyum DR47 and Talaromyces wortmannii DR49 are excellent producers of hydrolytic enzymes to be used as part of blends to decompose sugarcane biomass at industrial level.

Methodologische Untersuchungen zur Veränderung sahelischer Überschwemmungsgebiete mittels Fernerkundung - Fallbeispiel Nigerbinnendelta (Mali) -

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Langzeitbeobachtungsstudien zur Landschaftsdynamik inSahelländern stehen generell einem defizitären Angebot anquantitativen Rauminformationen gegenüber. Der in Malivorgefundene lokal- bis regionalräumliche Datenmangelführte zu einer methodologischen Studie, die die Entwicklungvon Verfahren zur multi-temporalen Erfassung und Analyse vonLandschaftsveränderungsdaten beinhaltet. Für den RaumWestafrika existiert in großer Flächenüberdeckunghistorisches Fernerkundungsmaterial in Form hochauflösenderLuftbilder ab den 50er Jahren und erste erdbeobachtendeSatellitendaten von Landsat-MSS ab den 70er Jahren.Multitemporale Langzeitanalysen verlangen zur digitalenReproduzierbarkeit, zur Datenvergleich- undObjekterfaßbarkeit die a priori-Betrachtung derDatenbeschaffenheit und -qualität. Zwei, ohne verfügbare, noch rekonstruierbareBodenkontrolldaten entwickelte Methodenansätze zeigen nichtnur die Möglichkeiten, sondern auch die Grenzen eindeutigerradiometrischer und morphometrischerBildinformationsgewinnung. Innerhalb desÜberschwemmungsgunstraums des Nigerbinnendeltas im ZentrumMalis stellen sich zwei Teilstudien zur Extraktion vonquantitativen Sahelvegetationsdaten den radiometrischen undatmosphärischen Problemen:1. Präprozessierende Homogenisierung von multitemporalenMSS-Archivdaten mit Simulationen zur Wirksamkeitatmosphärischer und sensorbedingter Effekte2. Entwicklung einer Methode zur semi-automatischenErfassung und Quantifizierung der Dynamik derGehölzbedeckungsdichte auf panchromatischenArchiv-Luftbildern Die erste Teilstudie stellt historischeLandsat-MSS-Satellitenbilddaten für multi-temporale Analysender Landschaftsdynamik als unbrauchbar heraus. In derzweiten Teilstudie wird der eigens, mittelsmorphomathematischer Filteroperationen für die automatischeMusterkennung und Quantifizierung von Sahelgehölzobjektenentwickelte Methodenansatz präsentiert. Abschließend wird die Forderung nach kosten- undzeiteffizienten Methodenstandards hinsichtlich ihrerRepräsentativität für die Langzeitbeobachtung desRessourceninventars semi-arider Räume sowie deroperationellen Transferierbarkeit auf Datenmaterial modernerFernerkundungssensoren diskutiert.

Development Aid to Water Management in Mali: The Actors, ‘Global’ Paradigms, and ‘Local’ Translations

Development aid involves a complex network of numerous and extremely heterogeneous actors. Nevertheless, all actors seem to speak the same ‘development jargon’ and to display a congruence that extends from the donor over the professional consultant to the village chief. And although the ideas about what counts as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ aid have constantly changed over time —with new paradigms and policies sprouting every few years— the apparent congruence between actors more or less remains unchanged. How can this be explained? Is it a strategy of all actors to get into the pocket of the donor, or are the social dynamics in development aid more complex? When a new development paradigm appears, where does it come from and how does it gain support? Is this support really homogeneous? To answer the questions, a multi-sited ethnography was conducted in the sector of water-related development aid, with a focus on 3 paradigms that are currently hegemonic in this sector: Integrated Water Resources Management, Capacity Building, and Adaptation to Climate Change. The sites of inquiry were: the headquarters of a multilateral organization, the headquarters of a development NGO, and the Inner Niger Delta in Mali. The research shows that paradigm shifts do not happen overnight but that new paradigms have long lines of descent. Moreover, they require a lot of work from actors in order to become hegemonic; the actors need to create a tight network of support. Each actor, however, interprets the paradigms in a slightly different way, depending on the position in the network. They implant their own interests in their interpretation of the paradigm (the actors ‘translate’ their interests), regardless of whether they constitute the donor, a mediator, or the aid recipient. These translations are necessary to cement and reproduce the network.

Demography in eusocial Hymenoptera

In my doctoral thesis I investigated the evolution of demographic traits within eusocial Hymenoptera. In the social bees, wasps and ants, eusociality has a unique effect on life span evolution as female larvae with the same genetic background can develop through phenotypic plasticity to a queen or a worker with vastly diverging life-history traits. Ant queens belong to the longest-lived insect species, while workers in most species live only a fraction of the queen’s life span. The average colony size of a species is positively correlated with social complexity, division of labor and diverging morphological female phenotypes all of which also affect life span. Therefore the demographic traits of interest in this thesis were life span and colony size. To understand the evolution of worker life span I applied a trade-off model that includes both hierarchical levels important in eusocial systems, namely the colony- and the individual-level. I showed that the evolution of worker life span may be an adaptive trait on the colony level to optimize resource allocation and therefore fitness in response to different levels of extrinsic mortality. A shorter worker life span as a result of reduced resource investments under high levels of extrinsic mortality increases colony fitness. In a further study I showed that Lasius niger colonies produce different aging phenotypes throughout colony development. Smaller colonies which apply a different foraging strategy than larger colonies produced smaller workers, which in turn have a longer life span as compared to larger workers produced in larger colonies. With the switch to cooperative foraging in growing colonies individual workers become less important for the colony caused by their increasing redundancy. Alternatively a trade of between growth and life span may lead to the results found in this study. A further comparative analysis to study the effect of colony size on life span showed a correlation between queen and worker life span when colony size is taken into account. While neither worker nor queen life span was associated with colony size, the differences between queen and worker life span increase with larger average colony sizes across all eusocial Hymenoptera. As colony size affects both queen and worker life span, I aimed to understand which factors lead to the small colony sizes displayed by some ant species. I therefore analyzed per-capita productivity at different colony sizes of eight cavity dwelling ant species. Most colonies of the study species grew larger than optimal productivity predicted. Larger colony size was shown to increase colony homeostasis, the predictability of future productivity and in turn the survival probability of the colony. I also showed that species that deploy an individual foraging mode may circumvent the density dependent decline in foraging success by splitting the colony to several nest sites.

Woher kommen die Infixe im Isu (Kameruner Grasland)?

Die westliche Ring-Sprache Isu (Süd-Bantoid) des Kameruner Graslands setzt ein palatales Infix zum Ausdruck einer Reihe verwandter verbaler Funktionen – imperfektiver Aspekt, Pluraktional, Kausativ – ein. Damit hebt sie sich deutlich vom engeren Bantu- und weiteren Benue-Kongo-Habitus ab, der sich dadurch auszeichnet, Kategorien dieser Art entweder durch verbale Suffixe oder durch Periphrase mithilfe von Hilfsverben zu kodieren. Morphologische Distributionsanalyse, interne Rekonstruktion und externer Vergleich innerhalb der Ring-Gruppe ermöglichen es, die historischen Ursprünge dieses palatalen Infixes einzukreisen und es als Abbauprodukt einer Hochvokal-Reduplikation (ursprünglich in Progressivfunktion) zu identifizieren, wie sie (a) in anderen Niger-Kongo-Sprachen nicht unüblich ist, und (b) wie sie sogar als kognate Vorläuferkonstruktion in der Süd-Ring-Sprache Babungo nachgewiesen werden kann. Funktional-diachron gesehen, wurde im Isu ein vormaliger Progressiv in zunehmendem Maße als Imperfektiv grammatikalisiert und ist damit in die Domäne der älteren Imperfektiv-Strategie -ə (< *-a) eingedrungen. Auf diese Art fügen sich das Isu und seine nächsten Verwandten trotz dieser eigentümlichen Infix-Phänomene sauber in das Gesamtbild westafrikanischer Sprachen ein.

On genitive linking in Songhay

Die Songhaysprachen verwenden unterschiedliche Konstruktionen, um Genitivbeziehungen auszudrücken. In den hier 'Mainstream' genannten Songhaysprachen findet sich vornehmlich eine Konstruktion ohne weitere Verbindungselemente mit dem Possessor an erster Stellung. In den so genannten nördlichen Songhaysprachen findet sich die gleiche Reihenfolge von Possessor und Possessum, dort werden sie jedoch durch eine Adposition n getrennt. Die Forschung hat bisher meistens die Ansicht vertreten, dieses n sei aus dem Tuareg entlehnt worden, wo man ja eine Genitivpräposition n hat. Diese Ableitung ist jedoch problematisch, da im Tuareg der Possessor dem Possessum folgt, also eine umgekehrte Reihenfolge wie im Songhay vorliegt. In diesem Artikel werde ich versuchen, für eine songhay-interne Ableitung von n zu argumentieren. Zwei verschiedene Lösungen werden vorgeschlagen. Der erste An¬satz geht davon aus, dass es sich um das Relikt einer alten Genitivpartikel, ánè, handelt, die sich noch im Pronomen wane 'der von' finden lässt. Im zweiten Ansatz wird angenommen, dass n ursprünglich die Trennung von zwei NPs markierte. Im Mainstream Songhay hätte sich dieses Element zum Transitivmarkierer im Perfektiv entwickelt, im nördlichen Songhay dagegen zum Markierer von Genetivkonstruktionen haben.

'Balance of Terror' -- Rival Militias and Vigilantes in Nigeria

Militias and vigilantes that assume public authority by fighting crime reject the laws of the state, yet they have no other set of rules to regulate their activities. Many of them claim to be accountable to their ethnic or religious community on whose behalf they operate. But their communities have found no means to institutionalise control over them. Moreover, there are no institutions to settle conflicts between different militias and vigilantes. On a local level, rival groups have reached informal arrangements. However, these compromises are unstable, as they reflect fragile alliances and shifting balances of power. Leaders of militias and other 'self-determination groups' have suggested organising a conference of all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria in order to design a new constitution that would give militias and vigilantes a legal role and define their authority. But the groups compared in this article – Oodua People's Congress, Sharia Vigilantes, Bakassi Boys, MASSOB, and Niger Delta militias – pursue very divergent interests, and they are far from reaching a consensus on how to contain violence between them.

Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Biochemical Engineering Symposium

This report presents the proceedings of the Biochemical Engineering Symposium held at Kansas State University, April 28, 1979. Since a number of the contributions will be published in detail elsewhere, only brief reports of each contribution are included here. Requests for further information on work at Iowa State University should be directed to Dr. Peter J. Reilly; at Colorado State University to Drs. V. G. Murphy and A. R. Moreira, and at Kansas State University to Drs. L. T. Fan and L. E. Erickson. ContentProperties of a Homogeneous Xylobiohydrolase from Aspergillus niger, Mary M. Frederick, Iowa State University Kinetic Studies on the Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Cellulose–Absorption and Desorption of Cellulase onto Cellulose and the Behavior of Absorbed Cellulase, Yong-Hyun Lee and L. T. Fan, Kansas State University Properties of a Homogeneous Endo-Xylanase from Aspergillus niger, Ricardo Fournier A., Iowa State University Solid State Fermentation of Manure Fibers, D. C. Ulmer, Colorado State University Analysis and Consistency of Experimental Data for Microbial Growth on Renewable Resources, B. 0. Solomon, Kansas State University Biochemical Mechanisms of Enzyme Regulation, Frederick A. Blum, Colorado State University An Evaluation of Cellulose Pretreatments for Enzymatic Hydrolysis, David H. Beardmore, Kansas State University Use of Immobilized 8-Amylase/Glucoamylase Mixtures to Produce High Maltose Syrups, Carol G. Bohnenkamp, Iowa State University Effect of Viscosity on Bubble Behavior in an Airlift Fermentor, Vasanti Deshpande, Kansas State University

Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Biochemical Engineering Symposium

Contents"Effects of Swell-Shear Treatment on the Digestibility of Cellulosics", Dou-Houng Hwang, UMC "Application of Material and Energy Balance Regularities to Biomass Production from Cellulosic Substrates", Y.H. Lee, KSU "Immobilization of Aspergillus niger beta-Xylosidase", Gbekeloluwa B. Oguntimein, ISU "The Effect of the Major Structural Parameters of Cellulose on Enzymatic Hydrolysis", David H. Beardmore, Y.H. Lee, and L.T. Fan, KSU "Purification of a High Molecular Weight Hemicellulase", Ricardo A. Fournier, ISU "Aerobic Fermentation of Banana Pulp by Aspergillus Fumigatus", Stephen Lorbert, UMC "Purification and Properties of Two Very Small Xylanases", Chih-hen Kiang, ISU "Testing Theoretical Models for Cellulose Enzymatic Hydrolysis", Lin-Chang Chiang, UMC "Utilization of Material and Energy Balances in Hydrocarbon Fermentation", Alexis Ferrer, KSU "Purification of a Series of Closely Related Xylanases", Mary M. Frederick, ISU

Geochemical and isotopic characterization of the Bodélé Depression dust source and implications for transatlantic dust transport to the Amazon Basin

The Bodélé Depression (Chad) in the central Sahara/Sahel region of Northern Africa is the most important source of mineral dust to the atmosphere globally. The Bodélé Depression is purportedly the largest source of Saharan dust reaching the Amazon Basin by transatlantic transport. Here, we have undertaken a comprehensive study of surface sediments from the Bodélé Depression and dust deposits (Chad, Niger) in order to characterize geochemically and isotopically (Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes) this dust source, and evaluate its importance in present and past African dust records. We similarly analyzed sedimentary deposits from the Amazonian lowlands in order to assess postulated accumulation of African mineral dust in the Amazon Basin, as well as its possible impact in fertilizing the Amazon rainforest. Our results identify distinct sources of different ages and provenance in the Bodélé Depression versus the Amazon Basin, effectively ruling out an origin for the Amazonian deposits, such as the Belterra Clay Layer, by long-term deposition of Bodélé Depression material. Similarly, no evidence for contributions from other potential source areas is provided by existing isotope data (Sr, Nd) on Saharan dusts. Instead, the composition of these Amazonian deposits is entirely consistent with derivation from in-situ weathering and erosion of the Precambrian Amazonian craton, with little, if any, Andean contribution. In the Amazon Basin, the mass accumulation rate of eolian dust is only around one-third of the vertical erosion rate in shield areas, suggesting that Saharan dust is “consumed” by tropical weathering, contributing nutrients and stimulating plant growth, but never accumulates as such in the Amazon Basin. The chemical and isotope compositions found in the Bodélé Depression are varied at the local scale, and have contrasting signatures in the “silica-rich” dry lake-bed sediments and in the “calcium-rich” mixed diatomites and surrounding sand material. This unexpected finding implies that the Bodélé Depression material is not “pre-mixed” at the source to provide a homogeneous source of dust. Rather, different isotope signatures can be emitted depending on subtle vagaries of dust-producing events. Our characterization of the Bodélé Depression components indicate that the Bodélé “calcium-rich” component, identified here, is most likely released via eolian processes of sand grain saltation and abrasion and may be significant in the overall global budget of dusts carried out by the Harmattan low-level jet during the winter.

New copper(II) complexes with isoconazole: Synthesis, structures and biological properties

There is an increasing demand for novel metal-based complexes with biologically relevant molecules in technology and medicine. Three new Cu(II) coordination compounds with antifungal agent isoconazole (L), namely mononuclear complexes CuCl2(L)(2) (1), and Cu(O2CMe)(2)(L)(2)center dot 2H(2)O (2) and coordination polymer Cu(pht)(L)(2)(n) (3) (where H(2)pht - o-phthalic acid) were synthesized and characterized by IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray crystallography. X-ray analysis showed that in all complexes, the isoconazole is coordinated to Cu(II) centres by a N atom of the imidazole fragment. In complex I, the square-planar environment of Cu(II) atoms is completed by two N atoms of isoconazole and two chloride ligands, whereas the Cu(II) atoms are coordinated by two N atoms from two isoconazole ligands and two O atoms from the different carboxylate residues: acetate in 2 and phthalate in 3. The formation of an infinite chain through the bridging phthalate ligand is observed in 3. The biosynthetic ability of micromycetes Aspergillus niger CNMN FD 10 in the presence of the prepared complexes 1-3 as well as the antifungal drug isoconazole were studied. Complexes 2 and 3 accelerate the biosynthesis of enzymes (beta-glucosidase, xylanase and endoglucanase) by this fungus. Moreover, a simplified and improved method for the preparation of isoconazole nitrate was developed.

Shalom ʿAlekhem : zayne ṿikhṭigsṭe ṿerḳ, zayn humor un zayn orṭ in der idisher liṭeraṭur

Sh. Niger