On dating stages in prebiotic chemical evolution

The notion that RNA must have had a unique and decisive role in the development of life needs hardly be questioned. However, the chemical complexity and other properties of RNA, such as high solubility in water and vulnerability to degradation, make it improbable that RNA could have had an early presence in the development of life on Earth or on any comparable telluric planet. Rather, the task of origin of life research must surely be to identify those chemical processes which could have taken place on Earth that could accumulate the complexity and rich molecular information content needed to sustain primitive life, and ultimately give rise to RNA. A collection of likely chemical precursors to modern biomolecules is listed here together with calculations of their molecular complexity. These complexity scores are then used to propose an ordering, on a timescale, of when they might have appeared on Earth. These pre-RNA living systems would have flourished during the first ~0.3 Gyrs after the start of the Archaean era (~4.2 Gyr ago). If there ever was an “RNA-world” it could have started after that initial period (~3.9 Gyrs ago), later to be complemented with the appearance of duplex DNA at about ~3.6 Gyrs ago, some time before the earliest known stromatolites (~3.4 Gyr).     

Darwin’s warm little pond revisited: from molecules to the origin of life

All known cosmic and geological conditions and laws of chemistry and thermodynamics allow that complex organic matter could have formed spontaneously on pristine planet Earth about 4,000 mya. Simple gasses and minerals on the surface and in oceans of the early Earth reacted and were eventually organized in supramolecular aggregates and enveloped cells that evolved into primitive forms of life. Chemical evolution, which preceded all species of extant organisms, is a fact. In this review, we have concentrated on experimental and theoretical research published over the last two decades, which has added a wealth of new details and helped to close gaps in our previous understanding of this multifaceted field. Recent exciting progress in the molecular and genetic analyses of existing life, in particular microorganisms of ancient origin, even supports the possibility that a cellular, self-reproducing common ancestor might be assembled and resurrected in anaerobic cultures at some time in the future. Charles Darwin did not, and indeed, could not, address and specify the earliest phases of life which preceded the Origin of Species. However, in a famous letter, he sketched “a warm little pond with all sorts of… (chemicals, in which) …a protein was chemically formed.” We try to trace the impact of his charming clear-sighted metaphor up to the present time.     

Xenomict energy in cold solids in space

Minerals on earth whose crystalline order has been reduced by radioactive decay of contained atoms are termed “metamict.” They are rare and few because in most crystalline solids, atoms and vacancies are relatively mobile at terrestrial temperatures, and radiation damage tends to be self-annealing. This is not the case in the extreme cold of deep space. Below roughly 100 K, reduced vacancy mobility allows cosmic ray and solar wind induced lattice defects to endure and accumulate for eons, reaching energy densities of up to MJ kg⁻¹ in some materials. We examine the possible effects of the release of energy stored in cold deep-space materials when solid-state defects recombine upon warming due to impacts, gravitational infall, or perihelion. Dimensional analysis suggests energetic defect recombination in radiation-damaged “xenomict” solids in comets, and planetesimals may, in some circumstances, raise internal temperatures enough to melt ice and volatilize frozen gases. We speculate that this may account for some cometary outbursts and Deep Impact experiment results. Calorimetric experiments on appropriately irradiated natural and synthetic materials are needed to further quantify these mechanisms.     

A possible in situ 3H and 3He source in Earth’s interior: an alternative explanation of origin of 3He in deep Earth

Origin of ³He in the Earth is a mystery. Lacking a production mechanism, scientists assume ³He was trapped in the Earth, when the Earth was formed. In contrast to this assumption, we have found ³He and ³H concentrations in excess of the atmospheric values in the deep waters of the volcanic Lakes Pavin (France), Laacher (Germany) and Nemrut (Turkey). This paper reports the result of finding ³H in these three volcanic lakes that appear to originate from the mantle. Because ³H has a half-life of 12.3 years, this ³H and the resulting ³He must have formed recently in the mantle and not be part of a primordial reservoir. The nuclear reactions that generate tritium might be a source of “missing” energy in the interior of the Earth.     

A review of the contributions of Albert Einstein to Earth Sciences—in commemoration of the World Year of Physics

The World Year of Physics (2005) is an international celebration to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s “Annus Mirabilis.” The United Nations has officially declared 2005 as the International Year of Physics. However, the impact of Einstein’s ideas was not restricted to physics. Among numerous other disciplines, Einstein also made significant and specific contributions to Earth Sciences. His geosciences-related letters, comments, and scientific articles are dispersed, not easily accessible, and are poorly known. The present review attempts to integrate them as a tribute to Einstein in commemoration of this centenary. These contributions can be classified into three basic areas: geodynamics, geological (planetary) catastrophism, and fluvial geomorphology. Regarding geodynamics, Einstein essentially supported Hapgood’s very controversial theory called Earth Crust Displacement. With respect to geological (planetary) catastrophism, it is shown how the ideas of Einstein about Velikovsky’s proposals evolved from 1946 to 1955. Finally, in relation to fluvial geodynamics, the review incorporates the elegant work in which Einstein explains the formation of meandering rivers. A general analysis of his contributions is also carried out from today’s perspective. Given the interdisciplinarity and implications of Einstein’s achievements to multiple fields of knowledge, we propose that the year 2005 serve, rather than to confine his universal figure within a specific scientific area, to broaden it for a better appreciation of this brilliant scientist in all of his dimensions.     

Background complexity affects colour preference in bumblebees

Flowers adapted for hummingbird pollination are typically red. This correlation is usually explained by the assertion that nectar- or pollen-stealing bees are “blind” to red flowers. However, laboratory studies have shown that bees are capable of locating artificial red flowers and often show no innate preference for blue over red. We hypothesised that these findings might be artefacts of the simplified laboratory environment. Using bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) that had been trained to visit red and blue artificial flowers, we tested whether colour preference was influenced by complexity of the background on which they were foraging. Many bees were indifferent to flower colour when tested using a uniform green background like those commonly used in laboratory studies, but all bees showed strong colour preferences (usually for blue) when flowers were presented against a photograph of real foliage. Overall, preference for blue flowers was significantly greater on the more realistic, complex background. These results support the notion that the red of “hummingbird syndrome” flowers can function to reduce bee visits despite the ability of bees to detect red and highlight the need to consider context when drawing inferences about pollinator preferences from laboratory data. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

EBPR中两类细菌PAOs和GAOs竞争的研究进展

强化生物除磷(EBPR)工艺可以获取高效的除磷效果,已在很多污水处理厂得到广泛应用。但是大型污水处理厂在相当多的条件下,EBPR工艺也会出现周期性除磷效果的波动和不充分。针对这一难题,研究者试图采用许多手段来研究工艺中的主要微生物。文章针对典型的EBPR工艺和碳源、pH值、温度等因素对EBPR工艺中两类细菌聚磷菌(PAOs)和聚糖菌(GAOs)竞争的研究进展进行了论述,并展望了未来的研究方向。     

How do water striders, Aquarius paludum, react to brackish water simulated by NaCl solutions?

Several stages, from eggs to adults, of the water strider, Aquarius paludum (Fabricius), inhabiting fresh water are sometimes conveyed by heavy flow in the rainy or typhoon seasons in Japan to lotic brackish water in the mouth of rivers. The water striders might then respond to salinity either by remaining to wait for extensive rainfall to reduce osmotic pressure locally before reproducing (“breed here and later tactic”) or by flying away to reproduce in fresh waters elsewhere (“breed elsewhere and later tactic”). All first instars died before the first molt when they were exposed to 1.75 and 3.5% NaCl solutions in a laboratory experiment. Living on 0.5 and 0.9% solutions through larval and adult stages slowed down larval growth and suppressed female reproduction. When exposed to the 0.5 and 0.9% solutions, 90 and 92% of males, respectively, showed histolysis of their flight muscles. Therefore, in brackish natural habitats, larvae and adults seem to follow the strategy “breed here and later.” When water striders were exposed to 0.9% solution either just after emergence or 20 days later, females showed a higher flight propensity than those kept on fresh waters throughout, and they delayed the deposition of eggs. Therefore, when conveyed to brackish water after emergence by stream flow after heavy rain, adults seem to leave the area by flight, demonstrating the strategy “breed elsewhere and later” tactic. We conclude that water striders use alternative tactics for responding to salinity, depending on the stage of exposure.     

Public acceptance and risk-benefit perception of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> geological storage for global warming mitigation in Japan

CO₂ geological storage will be one of the cost-effective options for global warming mitigation, and this technology is under development widely in the world. However, the technology may face the challenge of public acceptance before its implementation. In order to evaluate the public acceptance, questionnaire surveys were conducted among Japanese university students. A cognitive map of geological storage, together with other major global warming mitigation options, everyday life activities, etc., was constructed by means of a statistical analysis of the responses to the questionnaire. The risk-benefit cognitive map consists of the following factors: “risk perception,” “benefit perception,” and “public acceptance.” The risk perception is further disaggregated into “dread risk” and “unknown risk.” Additionally, a second survey was conducted after providing the students with additional information on global warming and CO₂ geological storage, and the effects of the information on their perceptions were evaluated. The effects of risk and benefit perceptions on public acceptance were evaluated and discussed based on the cognitive maps representing the perceptions before and after providing the information. The analyses revealed that the benefit perception was more influential than the risk perception on the public acceptance of CO₂ geological storage. The benefit perception increased greatly after providing the information; however, the unknown risk remained considerably large. Further, RD&D relating unknown risk, for example, the monitoring technology for stored CO₂ and the risk assessment of CO₂ leakage, and the supply of related information to the public would be beneficial for increasing the public acceptance.     

Enzymatic production of biosilica glass using enzymes from sponges: basic aspects and application in nanobiotechnology (material sciences and medicine)

Biomineralization, biosilicification in particular (i.e. the formation of biogenic silica, SiO₂), has become an exciting source of inspiration for the development of novel bionic approaches following “nature as model”. Siliceous sponges are unique among silica forming organisms in their ability to catalyze silica formation using a specific enzyme termed silicatein. In this study, we review the present state of knowledge on silicatein-mediated “biosilica” formation in marine sponges, the involvement of further molecules in silica metabolism and their potential application in nanobiotechnology and medicine. Werner E. G. Müller dedicated this study to Prof. Vera Gamulin (Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia) in honour of her unique contributions in molecular evolution.     

Geocybernetics: Controlling a Complex Dynamical System Under Uncertainty

   Global change, i.e. the mega-process radically transforming the relationship between nature and human civilization since the end of World War II, is investigated from the point of view of systems analysis. It is argued that this unbridled process should rather be domesticated by planetary control strategies transpiring from a new science called “geocybernetics”. The formal aspects of geocybernetic theory are sketched and illustrated in a tutorial theatre world reflecting the overall environment and development problematic. Within this setting a straightforward operationalization of the sweeping “sustainable development” ideal through a set of concise paradigms can be achieved. Evidence is provided that geocybernetics is actually feasible on the basis of earth system modelling and fuzzy-control techniques.     

Characterization of intersex production in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichogramma kaykai</Emphasis> infected with parthenogenesis-inducing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wolbachia</Emphasis>

Sexually aberrant individuals, displaying both male and female characteristics, are rare in occurrence but are documented throughout the animal kingdom. In parasitoid wasps of the genus Trichogramma, such individuals typically appear as a result of rearing Wolbachia-infected thelytokous wasps at high temperatures. Sexually aberrant Trichogramma have been referred to interchangeably in the literature as gynandromorphs, sexual mosaics and intersexes. However, accurately used, the terms “gynandromorph” and “sexual mosaic” describe an individual composed of a mixture of genetically distinct tissues corresponding to the sexual phenotypes observed, while “intersex” refers to an individual having a uniform genetic constitution but with some tissues exhibiting sexual phenotypes conflicting with the associated genotype. Here, we investigate the heat-induced production of sexually aberrant offspring by thelytokous Trichogramma kaykai. Aberrant individuals were rare, but each was characterized as one of 11 morphotypes ranging from very feminine to very masculine. Overall, the production of aberrant individuals increased with time from the onset of maternal oviposition. However, while the production of males also increased with time, the degree of masculinity of aberrant individuals did not; the different morphotypes appeared to be produced haphazardly. We conclude that the aberrant individuals produced by T. kaykai are actually intersexes and not gynandromorphs. The wasp's close association with Wolbachia and the absence of intersexes in uninfected populations allow us to discuss a possible origin of the condition.     

Magnetoreception in birds: no intensity window in “fixed direction” responses

Under 502 nm turquoise light combined with 590 nm yellow light and in total darkness, European robins, Erithacus rubecula, no longer prefer their migratory direction, but exhibit so-called fixed direction responses that do not show the seasonal change between spring and autumn. We tested robins under these light conditions in the local geomagnetic field of 46 μT, a field of twice this intensity, 92 μT, and a field of three times this intensity, 138 μT. Under all three magnetic conditions, the birds preferred the same easterly direction under turquoise-and-yellow light and the same northwesterly direction under dark, while they were oriented in their seasonally appropriate direction under control conditions. “Fixed direction” responses are thus not limited to a narrow intensity window as has been found for normal compass orientation. This can be attributed to their origin in the magnetite-based receptor in the upper beak, which operates according to fundamentally different principles than the radical pair mechanism in the retina mediating compass orientation. “Fixed direction” responses are possibly a relict of a receptor mechanism that changed its function, now mainly providing information on magnetic intensity.     

Cold winter temperatures condition the egg-hatching dynamics of a grape disease vector

The leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus is the vector of a major phytoplasma grapevine disease, Flavescence dorée. The vector’s distribution is in Eastern and Northern Europe, and its population dynamics varies as a function of vineyard latitude. We tested the hypothesis that hatching dynamics are cued by cold temperatures observed in winter. We exposed eggs from a natural population to simulated “cold” and “mild” winters and varied the exposure time at 5 °C from 0 to 63 days. We show that temperature cooling mainly affected the onset of hatching and is negatively correlated to the cold time exposure. The majority of hatchings occurred more quickly in cold rather than in mild winter simulated conditions, but there was no significant difference between the duration of hatching of eggs whatever the cold time exposure. In agreement with the Northern American origin of the vector, the diapause termination and thus the timing regulation of egg hatching require cold winters.     

Strategies of adaptation to extreme conditions in aquatic microorganisms

Aquatic ecosystems include the two extremes: constant environmental conditions in the main bodies of water, and unstable fluctuating conditions in the shallow margins of the aquatic ecosystems. Aquatic microorganisms living in the main oceans can thus be characterized by a single prototype being moderately halophilic, psychrophilic, to some extreme barophilic and all must be oligotrophs managing to survive and multiply in extremely low nutrient concentrations. On the other hand those populating the shallow margins must be adapted to rapidly fluctuating environments and thus have multipotential metabolic patterns. Oscillatoria limnetica can serve as a model for this being capable of shifts from oxygenic to non-oxygenic photosynthesis, having multiple dark energy generating systems, fixing nitrogen anaerobically and capable of induction of resistance mechanisms to overcome oxygen toxicity.     

Provenancing of archeological pumice finds from North Sinai

Seven pumice samples from excavations in North Sinai have been investigated with respect to their geochemical composition. This type of volcanic rock has been used as an abrasive and thus has been an object of trade since antiquity. With the help of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, six of these Bronze Age samples could be correlated to their volcanic sources on the islands of Santorini, Nisyros and Giali (Greece) using the typical element concentrations (“chemical fingerprint”). The source of one pumice sample remains unidentified excluding, however, the Santorini eruption as a possible source. The concluding section of this article discusses the possible contribution, however indirect, of the pumice from Sinai and elsewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean to the controversial issue of the accurate date of the “Minoan” eruption of Santorini.     

“Winter” aggregations, colony cycle, and seasonal phenotypic change in the paper wasp Polistes versicolor in subtropical Brazil

Social wasps from temperate zones have clear annual colony cycles, and the young queens hibernate during winter. In the subtropics, the only previously reported evidence for the existence of “hibernation” is the facultative winter aggregations of females during harsh climate conditions. As in temperate-zone species analyzed so far, we show in this study that in the paper wasp, Polistes versicolor, a subtropical species, body size increases as an unfavorable season approaches. Our morphological studies indicate that larger females come from winter aggregations—that is, they are new queens. Multivariate analyses indicate that size is the only variable analyzed that shows a relationship to the differences. Given the absence of a harsh climate, we suggest that the occurrence of winter aggregations in tropical P. versicolor functions to allow some females to wait for better environmental conditions to start a new nest, rather than all being obliged to start a new nest as soon as they emerge.     

Biogenic amine levels, reproduction and social dominance in the queenless ant Streblognathus peetersi

Social harmony often relies on ritualised dominance interactions between society members, particularly in queenless ant societies, where colony members do not have developmentally predetermined castes but have to fight for their status in the reproductive and work hierarchy. In this behavioural plasticity, their social organisation resembles more that of vertebrates than that of the “classic” social insects. The present study investigates the neurochemistry of the queenless ant species, Streblognathus peetersi, to better understand the neural basis of the high behavioural plasticity observed in queenless ants. We report measurements of brain biogenic amines [octopamine, dopamine, serotonin] of S. peetersi ants; they reveal a new set of biogenic amine influences on social organisation with no common features with other “primitively organised societies” (bumble bees) and some common features with “highly eusocial” species (honey bees). This similarity to honey bees may either confirm the heritage of queenless species from their probably highly eusocial ancestors or highlight independent patterns of biogenic amine influences on the social organisation of these highly derived species.