Speciation

Differential absorbance at wavelengths near 272 nm (ÀDA 272 ) has been used to track the halogenation of NOM, but its performance for different drinking water sources before and after water treatment processes has not been thoroughly ascertained. In this study, the behavior of ÀDA 272 during the halogenation process was determined to be strongly correlated with DBPs' concentrations regardless of the NOM properties. However, chlorination of different NOM samples resulted in different patterns when DBP concentrations were plotted vs. ÀDA 272 . In order to quantify the reactivity of NOM in DBPs formation an alternative index, denoted as ÀDA 272 (t ¼ 2 h), that is the differential absorbance at 272 nm obtained at 2 h of reaction time and pH 7.0, was proposed. This parameter was strongly correlated with DBPs' concentrations regardless of the major chlorination conditions (chlorine dose, water temperature) and NOM properties (raw, treated and fractionated samples). Its performance was found better than that of other widely used surrogate parameters (i.e. DOC, SUVA 254 , A 254 , A 272 ) and it presents several options for field applications. (P. Roccaro).

Preference of con- over heterospecific mates leading to assortative mating
can substantially contribute to pre-zygotic reproductive isolation and prevent
fitness losses if post-zygotic hybridization barriers already exist. The
jewel wasp genus Nasonia displays quite strong and well-studied postzygotic
reproductive isolation due to a ubiquitous Wolbachia infection
causing cytoplasmic incompatibility between different species. Pre-zygotic
isolation, however, has received far less research attention in this model
organism, especially concerning the mechanisms and criteria of mate
choice. In the present study, we analysed mate rejection and mate acceptance
rates in cross-comparisons between all four Nasonia species. We put
emphasis on observing which sex is more likely to interrupt interspecific
matings and how discriminatory behaviour varies across the different species
in all possible combinations. We found an asymmetric distribution of
assortative mating among the four Nasonia species that appears to be
highly influenced by the respective combinations of sex and species.
Females appeared to be the main discriminators against heterospecific
mating partners, but interestingly, we could also detect mate discrimination
and rejection behaviour in males, a widely neglected factor in
research on mating behaviour in general and on Nasonia in particular.
Moreover, the asymmetry in the assortative mating behaviour was partially
reflective of sym- or allopatric distributions of natural Nasonia populations.

Fagus (beech) is among the most abundant and economically important genera of broadleaved trees in northern hemisphere temperate forests. The number of modern taxa present in Europe and Asia Minor has long been a matter of debate and up to five species have been recognised. To resolve taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships we conducted morphological and molecular genetic analyses in western Eurasiatic taxa and evaluated palaeontological evidence. To place our findings from western Eurasiatic populations in a broader context additional East Asiatic and North American species of the same subgenus Fagus as well as two species of the subgenus Engleriana were included in our study. The morphological features exhibited in western Eurasiatic populations of Fagus show a westeast gradient that is characterised by strongly overlapping variability between geographical races. Fagus populations from Asia Minor exhibit an even higher variability that is also reflected in their genetic variability of nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. The intraspecific genetic variability recorded here is in conflict with previous ITS studies in Fagus. The high amount of ITS polymorphism within Fagus from western Eurasia along with the clinal variation observed for morphological characters suggest the presence of only a single species, Fagus sylvatica L., in Europe and Asia Minor. Previously recognised taxa such as F. orientalis Lipsky and Fagus moesiaca (Malý) Czeczott should therefore be treated as synonyms of Fagus sylvatica. Although species belonging to the subgenus Engleriana were genetically distinct from species of the subgenus Fagus, relationships within the subgenus Fagus could not be clearly resolved. A reason for this could be the low rate of diversification in Fagus during the early phase of range expansion of the genus in the Oligocene period as indicated by the uniformity of leaf and cupule/nut fossils. This may account for the low overall ITS divergence and the high degree of polymorphism encountered in the subgenus Fagus and points to a late differentiation of western Eurasiatic and eastern Asiatic species. Area disruptions during the Pleistocene and the post-glacial recolonisation of western Europe appear to have caused the west-east gradient that is apparent in modern Fagus of western Eurasia but absent in Late Tertiary ancestors of Fagus sylvatica.

Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taubert (Synonym Butea frondosa; family Fabaceae) is a popular plant used in traditional medicine in the Indian continent. The brightly orange flowers of this plant are described with antioxidant potential. The aim of this study was to develop a bio-guided fractionation methodology in order to identify antioxidant biomarkers from B. monosperma flowers which could be used to ensure quality and efficiency of cosmetic products. The hydro-alcoholic extract of B. monosperma flowers was separated using a double Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) procedure. Presence and/or absence of specific molecule families were evaluated by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). The antioxidant activity was performed on each fraction to guide fractionation step. First CPC step separated the crude extract in three fractions of different polarities. The aqueous antioxidant fraction was then subjected to a second CPC separation leading to five sub-fractions. Butrin and isobutrin were isolated from the antioxidant sub-fraction and were highlighted as potential antioxidant marker in B. monosperma flowers. Their chemical structures were confirmed by UV, MS and NMR analyses.