Whether the radial thickness (RT) of the chloragogenous tissue and intestinal epithelium of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) reflects the bioavailability of metals in soils was investigated in two areas, one with active volcanism (Furnas) and another with no volcanic activity since 3 million years ago (Santa Maria), in the Azores. Metal contents in soil samples and earthworms from the two area...

Previous generations of hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) have been plagued by key biophysical limitations that result in severe side-effects once transfused in vivo, including protein instability, high heme oxidation rates, and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging. All of these problems emerge after mammalian Hbs are removed from red blood cells (RBCs) and used for HBOC synthesis/formulati...

Earthworms (Aporrectodea caliginosa, Lumbricus rubellus, and Octolasion lacteum) obtained from nitrous oxide (N(2)O)-emitting garden soils emitted 0.14 to 0.87 nmol of N(2)O h(-1) g (fresh weight)(-1) under in vivo conditions. L. rubellus obtained from N(2)O-emitting forest soil also emitted N(2)O, which confirmed previous observations (G. R. Karsten and H. L. Drake, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 6...

The present paper describes the effects of Tribulus terrestris, a masculinization agent, on the sex reversal of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus. One-day-old hatchlings were immersed in water containing an extract of T. terrestris at a rate of 0, 3, 6, or 9 g/30 l water for 30 days. The 9 g treatment resulted in 80.42% male populations. Morphological and histological examinations of the gona...

1. In undissected, freely mobile earthworms the sensory input for tactile stimulation to the MGF and LGF shows a region of overlap occupying a number of segments behind the clitellum. The average number of overlapping segments from a sample of 14 worms was 13 (range 0-28). 2. The overlap zone consists of segments from which both LGF and MGF spikes can be elicited. 3. Increasing stimulus intensi...

Abundant and functionally diverse earthworm communities in perennials deliver ecosystem services like increasing nutrient availability by incorporating organic matter. This study aimed to analyse the decomposition of annual perennial energy crop residues, subsequent release, depending on functional diversity. In a laboratory experiment, two ecological groups—anecics (detritivorous Lumbricus ter...

The role of species and functional group diversity of primary producers for decomposers and decomposition processes is little understood. We made use of the "Jena Biodiversity Experiment" and tested the hypothesis that increasing plant species (1, 4, and 16 species) and functional group diversity (1, 2, 3, and 4 groups) beneficially affects decomposer density and activity and therefore the deco...