Thermal dependency of burrowing in three species within the bivalve genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Laternula</Emphasis>: a latitudinal comparison

The upper thermal limits for burrowing and survival were compared with micro-habitat temperature for anomalodesmatan clams: Laternula elliptica (Antarctica, 67°S); Laternula recta, (temperate Australia, 38°S) and Laternula truncata (tropical Singapore, 1°N). Lethal limits (LT₅₀) were higher than burrowing limits (BT₅₀) in L. elliptica (7.5–9.0 and 2.2°C) and L. recta (winter, 32.8–36.8 and 31.1–32.8°C) but the same range for L. truncata (33.0–35.0 and 33.4–34.9°C). L. elliptica and L. truncata had a BT₅₀ 0.4 and 2.4–3.9°C, respectively, above their maximum experienced temperature. L. recta, which experience solar heating during midday low tides, had a BT₅₀ 0.7–2.4°C below and a range for LT₅₀ that spanned their predicted environmental maximum (33.5°C). L. recta showed no seasonal difference in LT₅₀ or BT₅₀. Our single genus comparisons contrast with macrophysiological studies showing that temperate species cope better with elevated temperatures. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Pheromone-based female mate choice and its effect on reproductive investment in a spitting spider

Numerous studies have focused on whether organisms can signal or perceive pheromones and use chemical signals in species and mate recognition. Recently, there have been an increasing number of studies investigating whether pheromones are used in mate choice. Yet, little attention has been paid in exploring the effects of pheromone-based mate choice on reproductive investment. We first tested this hypothesis by providing virgin Scytodes sp. females with a choice between two virgin males in the presence of chemical signals alone and found strong evidence of an odor-based mate preference. We then examined the consequences of the odor-based mate choice by allowing female Scytodes sp. that had previously made an odor-only mate choice to mate with preferred and non-preferred males, respectively. We measured the success of copulation, mortality of male, pre-oviposition interval, egg-sac weight, egg weight, fecundity, fertility, embryonic period, and size of offspring at hatching. Females that mated with the preferred males produced significantly heavier egg sacs that contained more and larger eggs with a greater fertility. Significantly more non-preferred males than preferred males were killed by spitting. However, pre-oviposition interval, embryonic period, and hatchling size were not affected by female mate choice. This study is the first to demonstrate that female spiders are able to regulate their highly valuable reproductive investment based solely on chemical signals.     

Oxidation of elemental mercury using atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma

The oxidation of gas phase elemental mercury (Hg0) by atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma has been investigated at room temperature, employing both dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) of the gas mixture of Hg0 and injection of ozone (O3) into the gas mixture of Hg0. Results have shown that the oxidative efficiencies of Hg0 by DBD and the injection of O3 are 59% and 93%, respectively, with energy consumption of 23.7 J L(-1). This combined approach has indicated that O3 plays a decisive role in the oxidation of gas phase Hg0. Also the oxidation of Hg0 by injecting O3 into the gas mixture of Hg0 proceeds with better efficiency than DBD of the gas mixture of Hg0. These results have been explained by the incorporation of the competitive reaction pathways between the formation of HgO by O3 and the decomposition of HgO back to Hg0 in the plasma environment.     

The induction of larval settlement and metamorphosis of two sea urchins,Pseudocentrotus depressus and Anthocidaris crassispina,by free fatty acids extracted from the coralline red alga Corallina pilulifera

Lipophilic inducers of larval settlement and metamorphosis of Pseudocentrotus depressus and Anthocidaris crassispina, two commercially important sea urchin species in Japan, were isolated from the foliose coralline red alga Corallina pilulifera (collected in 1990 near Saga, Japan) and identified. Larval assays of the fractions obtained by silica gel column chromatography of the total lipids showed that non-polar groups of lipids were effective at inducing larval settlement and metamorphosis. The effective fractions were further subjected to gel filtration (Sephadex LH-20) and also to silica gel column chromatography, and the effective components isolated as single spots by thin-layer chromatography. The components at a concentration of ca. 0.4 mg paper^-1 (sample was adsorbed on a paper with 20 cm²) induced high rates of larval settlement of both P. depressus and A. crassispina. Chemical analyses of the components revealed a mixture of free fatty acids (FFAs), dominated by eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5, 41 to 50%), palmitic acid (16:0, 11 to 17%), arachidonic acid (20:4, 9 to 15%), and palmitoleic acid (16:1, 4 to 5%). In assays with the four standard FFAs, only 20:4 and 20:5 induced larval settlement and metamorphosis of the two species, while 16:0 and 16:1 were ineffective. The larvae underwent significant rates of settlement and metamorphosis in response to the two former FFAs at levels as low as 0.18 mg paper^-1. Amongst the free fatty acid components of the alga, 20:5 was isolated as the chemical inducer of larval settlement and metamorphosis of the sea urchins in the laboratory.     

Induction of the P450 reporter gene system bioassay by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Ulsan Bay (South Korea) sediments

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and induction of the P450 reporter gene system (RGS) for 6- and 16-h exposure periods were determined in organic extracts of Ulsan Bay (South Korea) sediments to assess the utility of this bioassay as a screening tool for PAH contamination. The sum of the concentrations of 23 individual PAHs in 30 sediment samples (sigma PAH) based on GC-MS analysis ranged from 0.05 to 6.1 micrograms/g dry wt. P450 RGS fold induction ranged from 4.0 to 320 micrograms/g based on benzo[a]pyrene toxic equivalents (BaPEq). P450 RGS BaPEq and the 'chemical BaPEq', defined as the sum of the products of individual PAH concentrations and pre-determined toxic equivalency factors, exhibited very strong positive correlations with sigma PAH (r2 > 0.90; P < 0.001). Fold induction did not increase (and in some cases decreased) after the optimal incubation period (6 h) for PAHs, indicating that other compounds known to induce the P450 RGS (e.g. chlorinated organics) were not present at levels effecting significant induction. This was supported by GC-ECD analysis where non-ortho and mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) known to be strong P450 RGS inducers were found to be at very low or non-detectable levels in samples with the highest P450 RGS responses. The profound difference in PAH profiles for the two most contaminated sites suggested that this assay is especially sensitive for selected PAHs with greater than four rings. Combined with previous results, the P450 RGS shows promise as a useful screening tool for predicting deleterious biological effects resulting from CYP1A1-inducing, sediment-associated chemicals, particularly high molecular weight PAHs.     

Renormalized numerical simulation of flow over planar and non-planar fractal trees

We review the fundamentals of a new numerical modeling technique called Renormalized Numerical Simulation (RNS). The goal of RNS is to model the drag force produced by high Reynolds-number turbulent flow over objects that display scale-invariant properties, objects such as tree-like fractals. The hallmark of RNS in this application is that the drag of the unresolved tree branches is modeled using drag coefficients measured from the resolved branches and unresolved branches (as modeled in previous iterations of the procedure). In the present paper, RNS is used to study the effects of branch orientation on the drag force generated by highly idealized trees in which trunk and branches have square cross-section, and the branches all lie in a plane perpendicular to the incoming flow. Then, the procedure is generalized to the more general case of non-planar branch arrangements. Results illustrate that RNS may enable numerical modeling of environmental flow processes associated with fractal geometries using affordable computational resolution.     

Endogenous circatidal rhythm in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (Bivalvia: Veneridae)

Manila clams, Ruditapes philippinarum, removed from their natural environment and maintained for 9 weeks in continuously immersed conditions exhibited a clear endogenous circatidal rhythm in oxygen consumption. The clams exhibited a semidiurnal rhythmicity in oxygen consumption after showing a diurnal pattern in the first few days (5 to 7 d) of the experiment. The results of the present study indicate that activity rhythms of clams are controlled not only by exogenous factors, but also by an endogenous circatidal periodicity. Received: 8 April 1998 / Accepted: 1 February 1999     

OPERATIONS RESEARCH STUDY OF WATER RESOURCES

Applications of systems methodology to water problems of the Tucson basin are summarized. Natural recharge is estimated by means of a discrete convolution relation in which the unit impulse response of an aquifer is derived from basic hydro-dynamic laws. A temporal model of sequences of wet and dry periods during the summer thunderstorm season is based on a multiple linear regression equation that relates total rainfall amount during the wet period to the duration of the wet period and volume of peak rainfall. A spatial model predicts point rainfall frequency of maximal and minimal amounts of thunderstorm rainfall. A static management model allocates Tucson groundwater, Avra Valley water, Colorado River water, and reclaimed waste water to municipal, industrial, and agricultural users within a pricing framework. For a range of pricing policies the model clearly demonstrates the opportunity costs to the community by use of higher-priced water supplies such as Colorado River water in lieu of Tucson groundwater. The role of worth of data studies in relation to data analysis, model building and management studies is also introduced.     

The effects of transformational leadership on teacher attitudes and student performance in Singapore

Transformational leadership theory was examined in 89 schools in Singapore using a split sample technique (N = 846 teachers). The study sought to examine the influence of transformational leader behavior by school principals as it related to organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, teacher satisfaction with leader, and student academic performance. Attitudinal and behavioral data were collected from both teachers and principals; student academic performance was collected from school records. School level analyses showed that transformational leadership had significant add-on effects to transactional leadership in the prediction of organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, and teacher satisfaction. Moreover, transformational leadership was found to have indirect effects on student academic achievement. Finally, it was found that transactional leadership had little add-on effect on transformational leadership in predicting outcomes. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.