Spermatozoan ultrastructure and spermatogenesis in aplousobranch ascidians,with some phylogenetic considerations

Spermatozoa and some stages of spermatogenesis were studied for four species of aplousobranch ascidians. Spermatozoa of Clavelina lepadiformis (Müller) (family Clavelinidae) are plesiomorphous in that they have apical acrosomal vesicles and a moderately elongated, cylindrical nucleus. The elongated mitochondrion is twisted ea. 11/2 times around the nucleus. In their ultrastructural morphology, C. lepadiformis sperm conform in some respects to the least-derived ascidian sperm, those of the phlebobranch ascidian Ciona intestinalis L.; however, the sperm of Clavelina lepadiformis have two apomorphies not shared with those of Ciona sp.: (1) the mitochondrion of Clavelina lepadiformis is long and spiralled along the entire nucleus rather than being comparatively compact and not at all helical; (2) the mitochondrial cristae are elongated parallel to the long axis of the nucleus, whereas in Ciona sp. sperm the cristae are unmodified. In Distaplia sp., Aplidium sp. and Synoicum pulmonaria (Ellis and Solander) the spermatozoa are more derived and consist of a proximal cylindrical and a distal corkscrew-like part. The mitochondrion in Distaplia sp. and Aplidium sp. contains electron-dense material and extends in a long thread around the nucleus. In S. pulmonaria the mitochondrion surrounds the anterior part of the nucleus in mature spermatozoa, and an elongated, dense structure displaying fine striation is enclosed in the mitochondrion in late spermatids. The sperm ultrastructural morphology observed in this study is consistent with the majority view that clavelinids are closest to the ancestral ascidian but is also consistent with other conclusions, particularly that the Cionidae are closest to the stem ascidian.     

The relationship between bleaching and mortality of common corals

Reef corals are likely to have many subtle but four gross responses to anomalous warm water. These are (1) not bleach and live (mortality <10%), (2) not bleach and die (mortality >20%), (3) bleach and live, and (4) bleach and die. The frequency of these four possible gross responses was determined for 18 common coral taxa over an exceptionally warm 1998 El Niño where intense bleaching was observed, and mortality determined from line transects averaged 41.2±34.7 (±SD). Field studies included (1) recording the loss of color (bleaching) and observing recently dead individuals among 6,803 colonies during five sampling periods and (2) estimating mortality based on 180 m of line-intercept transects completed 4 months before and near the end of the bleaching episode. There was no clear relationship between the loss of color and either direct observation or transect-based estimates of mortality for the 18 taxa. The morphology of the taxa did not influence color loss but branching and encrusting taxa had higher mortality than massive and submassive taxa. Loss of color and mortality are the most common responses to warm water as only Pavona did not lose color or die and only two taxa, Cyphastrea and Millepora, did not significantly lose color but died. Of the 15 taxa that lost color, five taxa, Astreopora, Favia, Favites, Goniopora, and Leptoria, did not die. These taxa are those most likely to have reduced potential mortality by the loss of pigments and associated algal symbionts. Death of the branching taxa was detected reasonably by direct field observation but some taxa were underestimated when compared with mortality estimates based on line transects. Death of encrusting and massive taxa including Echinopora, Galaxea, Hydnophora, Montipora, Platygyra, and massive Porites was poorly detected from direct observations but they proved to have modest to high mortality (20–80%) based on line transects. There was no single response of these common corals to warm water but these data, collected during an extreme warm-water anomaly, indicate that the loss of color is most frequently a sign of morbidity, particularly for branching and encrusting taxa.Communicated by P.W. Sammarco, Chauvin     

Biliary secretion,retention and excretion of five 14C-labelled polychlorinated biphenyls in the rat

Five ¹⁴C-labelled polychlorinated biphenyls: 2,4′,5-trichlorobiphenyl, 2,2′,4,5′-tetrachlorobiphenyl, 2,2′,4,5,5′-pentachlorobiphenyl, 2,2′,3,4,4′-pentachlorobiphenyl and 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl were administered orally to bile-cannulated rats. The activity secreted in the bile, excreted in the feces and the urine was determined. Residues of radioactivity in certain tissues and the carcass were also measured.The trichlorobiphenyl showed the highest absorption (93.8%±5.4) from the gastrointestinal tract and biliary secretion of radioactivity (87.6%±6.1 of the dose). The hexachlorobiphenyl showed the lowest absorption and biliary secretion, 28.2%±1.4 and 18.6%±1.3, respectively. The urinary excretion was low and the radioactive residues in the eviscerated carcasses increased with the chlorine content of the biphenyls.     

Keeping the blood flowing—plasminogen activator genes and feeding behavior in vampire bats

The blood feeding vampire bats emerged from New World leaf-nosed bats that fed on fruit and insects. Plasminogen activator, a serine protease that regulates blood coagulation, is known to be expressed in the saliva of Desmodus rotundus (common vampire bat) and is thought to be a key enzyme for the emergence of blood feeding in vampire bats. To better understand the evolution of this biological function, we studied the plasminogen activator (PA) genes from all vampire bat species in light of their feeding transition to bird and subsequently mammalian blood. We include the rare species Diphylla ecaudata and Diaemus youngi, where plasminogen activator had not previously been studied and demonstrate that PA gene duplication observed in Desmodus is not essential to the vampire phenotype, but relates to the emergence of predominant mammalian blood feeding in this species. Plasminogen activator has evolved through gene duplication, domain loss, and sequence evolution leading to change in fibrin-specificity and susceptibility to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Before undertaking this study, only the four plasminogen activator isoforms from Desmodus were known. The evolution of vampire bat plasminogen activators can now be linked phylogenetically to the transition in feeding behavior among vampire bat species from bird to mammalian blood. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

长江中游近岸表层沉积物重金属污染特征分析及风险评估

为了探究长江中游近岸沉积物中重金属污染情况,2020年6月对长江中游14个采样断面的沉积物进行样品采集并测定沉积物中汞（Hg）、镉（Cd）、砷（As）、铜（Cu）、铅（Pb）、铬（Cr）和锌（Zn）等7种重金属元素的含量.首先分析了长江中游近岸表层沉积物重金属含量的空间分布特征,然后采用相关性分析方法（CA）、主成分分析法（PCA）和正定矩阵因子分解法（PMF）相结合的途径分析表层沉积物中重金属的来源,最后采用地累积指数法（I_geo）、潜在生态风险指数法（RI）和沉积物质量基准法（SQG）对重金属进行了风险评价.结果显示,Hg、Cd、As、Cu、Pb、Cr和Zn的平均含量分别为0.13、0.77、11.20、36.45、36.40、83.99和124.21 mg·kg^-1,其中Cd和Pb的平均含量超过背景值的1.72和1.35倍;PCA提取了前3个主成分（累积贡献率85.16%）,结合CA结果显示重金属Cd、As、Cu、Pb和Zn来源一致,Hg和Cr来源一致;PMF模型将7种重金属元素的污染源分成3个因子并得到因子的贡献率,并且工业和生活废水、煤炭燃烧、采矿业3个因子的综合贡献率为41.96%、32.48%和25.55%;地累积指数法（I_geo）评价结果显示,Cd是主要重金属污染物,处于轻度污染程度等级,Hg、As、Cu、Pb、Cr和Zn等6种重金属元素处于无污染等级;潜在生态风险指数法评价结果显示,Hg的最高风险等级为中等生态风险等级,位于城陵矶和新厂采样点,Cd的最高风险等级为强生态风险等级,位于牯牛沙水道和武汉上采样点,As、Cu、Pb、Cr和Zn在14个采样断面均属于低生态风险等级.综合潜在生态风险指数（RI）为62.59~138.59,其中处于低微和中度风险等级的采样点分别占总采样点的71.43%（10个采样点）和28.57%（4个采样点）,整体上长江中游干流污染不严重;沉积物质量基准法（SQG）评价结果显示,长江中游沉积物等级为Ⅰ级,定性评价为优,显示长江中游14个采样断面的沉积物对底栖生物没有毒性作用.综合以上结果,长江中游重金属污染不严重,Cd为重点防治的重金属元素.     

Tapping practices and SAP yields of the NIPA palm (NIPA Fruticans) in Papua New Guinea

Methods of tapping the nipa palm (Nipa fruticans Wurmb.) were developed in the course of a 3-year study conducted in seven villages in the Baimuru district of the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea. The experimental sites were located about 1.5–23 km from the sea. Their plant density varied from 4700 to 2400 palms per ha and the mean height of the plants was nearly 13 m.Five pre-treatment patterns were tested. Once-a-week treatment, maintained for 12 weeks, yielded an average of 155 ml of sap/24 h/palm for one month, whereas 3–5-times-a-week treatment, for 5–12 weeks, yielded an average of 1300 ml of sap. The duration of treatment depended on the state of development of the flower stalk. The pre-treatment pattern chosen as the standard was to bend the stalk 12 times in one direction, to pat with the hands the length of the stalk backwards and forwards 64 times, and to give the base four kicks; this was repeated four times a week.In the course of the 3-year study it was found that the average sugar content of fresh nipa sap is rather high, about 16.4% w/v, as compared with, for example, about 12% w/v of sugar cane. The results of the present study are discussed with reference to producing fuel alcohol from the Papua New Guinea nipa palm.