STUDIES ON THE CORtICAL MORPHOGENESIS DURINg CELL DIVISION IN HaLTErIA GRANDINELLA(MULLER, 1773)(CILIOPHORA,OLIGOTRICHIDA)

Morphogenesis during cell division was investigated in oligotrichous ciliate,Halteria grandinella utilizing protargol impregnated specimens. The cortical morphogenetical pattern of Hdteria grandinella is generally similar to that given by Faure-Fremiet. The prater inherits the parental adoral zone of membranelles (AZM) appar ently unchanged; in the opisthe the oral primordium develops de novo from a single AZM-anlage; somatic cirri for both the proter and opisthe are separately differentiated from 10 (seldom 9) cirral primordia that originate de novo from 10 latitudinal developmental anlagen. The anlage of paroral membrane of opisthe forms just to the right of the posterior end of the oral primordium. Each streak of cirral primordia develops 4 groups of basal body pairs: both of the anterior two consist of only one pair of basal bodies, on the contrary, each of the last two groups has 2 basal body pairs.     

Morphogenesis of the Euplotid Ciliate Uronychia binucleata Young, 1922(Ciliophora,Hypotrichia)

Morphogenesis of a population of the marine euplotid ciliate, Uronychia binucleata, which was found in Yellow Sea coastal waters next to a sewage outfall at a beach near Zhanqiao Pier, Qingdao, China, was investigated using protargol staining. The main pattern of morphogenesis is typical for the genus and can be summarized as follows: 1) the oral primordium in both proter and opisthe develops de novo in a subcortical pouch. In each daughter cell, the developing adoral zone of membranelles divides into two parts. The new membranelles formed in the proter's oral primordium will replace the leftmost five parental ones; six parental membranelles are retained by the proter; 2) the undulating membranes anlage is formed and develops independently from the oral primordium within the same subcortical pouch; 3) five primary front oventral-transverse cirral anlagen appear de novo on the cell surface; 4) the marginal cirral anlagen are formed de novo; 5) the leftmost frontal cirrus develops de novo on the cell surface; 6) two caudal cirri are formed at the posterior end of the rightmost anlage while the second primordium from the right gives rise to the third caudal cirrus. In contrast to its congeners, the anlage of the leftmost frontal cirrus is formed to the right of the undulating membranes anlage and before the formation of the latter.     

Fractional crystallization processes of magma beneath the Carlsberg Ridge(57°–65°E)

Fractional crystallization of basaltic magma at variable depths in?uences strongly the geochemical compositions of mid-ocean ridge basalts(MORBs), especially at slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges. The Carlsberg Ridge is a typical slow-spreading ridge located in the northwestern Indian Ocean. In this study, we conducted petrological, geochemical and modelling studies of MORBs collected along the Carlsberg Ridge from 57°–65°E to understand the fractional crystallization processes of magma and the controls on variations in MORB geochemistry. Our results show that the mantle sources beneath the Carlsberg Ridge are heterogeneous even on the local scale of a segment; such heterogeneity may be ubiquitous beneath the Carlsberg Ridge. Mantle heterogeneity may be caused by the enriched components resulting in the "DUPAL" anomaly, whereas the ef fect of pyroxenite on mantle heterogeneity is negligible. The parental melts experienced crystallization of olivine, plagioclase and clinopyroxene prior to eruption, which played a signi?cant role in the major and trace element variations in MORBs from the Carlsberg Ridge. The liquid lines of descent(LLDs), deduced from the forward modelling of three parental magma compositions using the Petrolog3 program at pressures between 1 atm and 10 kbar, demonstrate that clinopyroxene joined the olivine and plagioclase cotectic. The over-enrichment in highly incompatible elements relative to LLDs may be caused by the processes of replenishment-tapping-crystallization in magma chambers. The calculated crystallization pressures suggest that parental magmas beneath the Carlsberg Ridge experienced moderateto high-pressure crystallization and that crystallization beneath the slow-spreading Carlsberg Ridge may start at upper mantle depths.     

Geochemistry of the lava and its implications in Musicians Seamounts

Chemical and isotopic data of the lava samples dredged in the southern Bach Ridge and the northern Italian Ridge of the Musicians Seamounts province, northeast of Hawaii. Although most of the samples analyzed are generally altered, a few are fresh. The latter exhibits similar geochemical and isotopic characteristics to normal MORB （Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts）. There are systematic geochemical trends from hotspot to mid-ocean ridge in the province. Incompatible element and isotopic variations suggest that the flow field had at least two distinct parental magmas, one with higher and one with lower MgO concentrations. The two parental magmas could be related by a magma mixing model. The major and trace element modeling shows that the two parental magmas could not have been produced by different degrees of melting of a homogeneous mantle source, but they are consistent with melting of a generally depleted mantle containing variable volumes of embedded enriched heterogeneity enriched interbeds.     

Assessment of parental contribution and effective population size from a 3×3 diallel cross of clam Meretrix meretrix

Unbalanced parental contribution and small effective population size(N e)are common issues during the artifi cial breeding of marine bivalves.The impact of hatchery-spawning practices on parental contribution,effective population size,the N e/N ratio,and genetic diversity are largely unknown.To address this,we conducted a parentage analysis on a complete 3×3 diallel cross of clam M eretrix meretrix using eight microsatellite markers.The genetic diversity of the parents was higher than that of their respective offspring in most crosses(8/9).Sires or dams from the same family contributed unequally to the pool of offspring from a particular cross,and the same parent clam exhibited large variation in parental contribution among different crosses.The variance in male contribution was higher than that of the female contribution in most crosses,suggesting that male contribution was more skewed than for females.The N e/N ratio for nine crosses ranged from 0.58 to 0.86.There was no linear relationship between the sex ratio and the N e/N ratio(P0.05).Moreover,a sex ratio closer to one-to-one does not necessarily mean a larger effective population size.A solution to small effective population size in commercial breeding programs is increasing broodstock numbers and attempting to maintain a balanced sex ratio.     

Reevaluation of cortical developmental patterns in Euplotes(s.l.), including a morphogenetic redescription of E.charon (Protozoa,Ciliophora,Euplotida)

We documented the pattern of cell development in Euplotes charon. The ontogenesis of this species was similar to many of its congeners, except for the formation of the caudal cirri. In E. Charon, a caudal cirrus is formed posterior to each of the rightmost two or three dorsal kinety anlage in the proter, and the second rightmost dorsal kinety in the opisthe. In addition, two caudal cirri are formed posterior to the rightmost dorsal kinety in the opisthe. This pattern of development represents a completely new type. Based on our evaluation, and in comparison with previous studies, we also conclude that the pattern of cell development is variable among species in the Euplotes genera. The variation is particularly evident during the formation of frontoventral and caudal cirri. Based on the segmentation pattern of frontal-midventral transverse cirral anlagen, cirri reduction, and migration of frontoventral cirri, we identified five types: the affinis-type, the eurystomus-type, the charon-type, the raikovi-type and orientalis-type. Euplotes (s. l.) can also be divided into three types based on the formation of caudal cirri: focardii-type, vannus-type and charon-type. Indeed, we conclude that the number (one or two) of marginal cirri should be given as much consideration as the genetic separation. Given this, we reassessed the validity of using genetic separation to classify the group. Generally, the morphogenetic data disagreed with the molecular data (SSrRNA gene sequences). Given these discrepancies, it is too early to draw conclusions on the systematic arrangement of this species-rich taxon.     

Petrogenesis of volcanic rocks from Eastern Manus Basin: indications in mineralogy and geochemistry

To understand the petrogenesis and magma evolution history in the Eastern Manus Basin(EMB),geochemistry of pyroxene and plagioclase mineral phenocrysts in basaltic andesites and dacites were reported.The plagioclase-melt thermometry showed that,plagioclase in dacites crystalized in1 027.2-1 028.5℃ under 3.37-5.08 kbar,whereas in basaltic andesite was 1 181.4-1 187.0℃ under1.79-4.46 kbar.Pyroxene compositions and invariable La/Sm vs La values of whole rock powders indicate that lavas were erupted in rapid cooling rate and mainly controlled by fractional crystallization(FC).In addition,oscillatory zonings in plagioclase and pyroxene phenocrysts indicated small local perturbations and degassing episodes in the magma chamber.Some high Mg# clinopyroxene antecrysts were found in EMB lavas.The highest Mg# of parental EMB melts is 69,which falls into the range of initial partial melts from upper mantle peridotite source(68-75).In terms of isotopic compositions,the EMB lavas most likely originated from Indian-type MORB mantle which was influenced by subduction components.In details,the subduction components are mainly derived from the dehydration of a subducted altered oceanic crust,and the contribution of sediment influence is minor.The Pb isotopic compositions and end member modeling further suggest that the source of subduction components is more likely from the Pacific Plate instead of the Solomon Plate.     

Preliminary study on plasma membrane fluidity of Psychrophilic Yeast Rhodotorula sp.NJ298 in low temperature

The ability of cell to modulate the fluidity of plasma membrane was crucial to the survival of microorganism at low temperature. Plasma membrane proteins, fatty acids and carotenoids profiles of Antarctic psychrophilc yeast Rhodotorula sp. NJ298 were investigated at -3 ℃, 0 ℃ and 8 ℃. The results showed that plasma membrane protein content was greater at -3 ℃ than that at 8 ℃, and a unique membrane polypeptide composition with an apparent molecular mass of 94.7 kDa was newly synthesized with SDS-PAGE analysis; GC analysis showed that the main changes of fatty acids were the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids (C18∶ 1 and C18∶ 2) and shorter chain saturated fatty acid (C10∶ 0) increased along with the decrease of the culture temperature from 8 ℃ to -3 ℃; HPLC analysis indicated that astaxanthin was the major functional carotenoids of the plasma membrane, percentage of which increased from 54.6±1.5% at 8 ℃ to 81.9±2.1% at -3 ℃. However the fluidity of plasma membrane which was determined by measuring fluorescence anisotropy was similar at -3 ℃, 0 ℃ and 8 ℃. Hence these changes in plasma membrane's characteristics were involved in the cellular cold-adaptation by which NJ298 could maintain normal plasma membrane fluidity at near-freezing temperature.     

A quantification of the effects of erosion on the productivity of purple soils

Research on the effects of soil erosion on soil productivity has attracted increasing attention.Purple soil is one of the main soil types in China and plays an important role in the national economy.However,the relationship between erosion and the productivity of purple soils has not been well studied.The purpose of this research was to determine if soil depth,which is dependent on the rate of erosion,has an influence on crop yield and growth.Plot and pot experiments at different soil depths were performed.Results indicate that soils from different parental materials had different growth features and crop yields due to the differential fertility of the derived soils.The yield reduction rate increases exponentially with the depth of eroded soil(level of erosion).The yield reduction rate per unit eroded soil horizon(10 cm) is approximately 10.5% for maize and wheat.     

Is Precipitation the Dominant Controlling Factor of High Inorganic Nitrogen Content in the Changjiang River and Its Mouth？

The main reasons for the high content of inorganic N and its increase by several times in the Changjiang River and its mouth during the last 40 years were analysed in this work. The inorganic N in precipitation in the Changjiang River catchment mainly comes from gaseous loss of fertilizer N, N resulting from the increases of population and livestock, and from high temperature combustions of fossil fuels. N from precipitation is the first N source in the Changjiang River water and the only direct cause of high content of inorganic N in the Changjiang River and its mouth. The lost N in gaseous form and from agriculture non-point sources fertilizer comprised about 60% of annual consumption of fertilizer N in the Changjiang River catchment and were key factors controlling the high content of inorganic N in the Changjiang River mouth. The fate of the N in precipitation and other N sources in the Changjiang River catchment are also discussed in this paper.     

Structure and Function of the Digestive System of Solen Grandis Dunker

Structure and function of the digestive system of a bivalve mollusc, Solen grandis, were studied using light microscopy and histochemical methods. The wall of digestive tube consists of four layers: the mucosal epithelium, connective tissue, muscular and fibrosa or serosa (only in the portion of rectum) from the inner to the outer. The ciliated columnar epithelial cells, dispersed by cup-shaped mucous cells, rest on a thin base membrane. There are abundant blood spaces in connective tissue layer. The digestive diverticula are composed of multi-branched duct and digestive tubules. The digestive tubules are lined with digestive and basophilic secretory cells, and surrounded by a layer of smooth muscle fibers and connective tissues. Activities of acid and alkaline phosphatases, esterase and lipase are detected in the digestive cells, and the epithelia of stomach and intestine, suggesting that these cells are capable of intracellular digesting of food materials and absorbing. Besides, acid phosphatase and e     

High genetic diversity in gametophyte clones of Undaria pinnatifida from Vladivostok, Dalian and Qingdao revealed using microsatellite analysis

Breeding practice for Undaria pinnatifida (Harvey) Suringar requires the screening of a large number of offspring from gametophyte crossings to obtain an elite variety for large-scale cultivation. To better understand the genetic relationships of different gametophyte cultures isolated from different sources, 20 microsatellite loci were screened and 53 gametophyte clone cultures analyzed for U. pinnatifida isolated from wild sporophytes in Vladivostok, Russia and from cultivated sporophytes from Dalian and Qingdao, China. One locus was abandoned because of poor amplification. At the sex-linked locus of Up-AC-2A8, 3 alleles were detected in 25 female gametophyte clones, with sizes ranging from 307 to 316 bp. At other loci, 3 to 7 alleles were detected with an average of 4.5 alleles per locus. The average number of alleles at each locus was 1.3 and 3.7 for Russian and Chinese gametophyte clones, respectively. The average gene diversity for Russian, Chinese, and for the combined total of gametophyte clones was 0.1, 0.4, and 0.5, respectively. Russian gametophyte clones had unique alleles at 7 out of the 19 loci. In cluster analysis, Russian and Chinese gametophyte clones were separated into two different groups according to genetic distance. Overall, high genetic diversity was detected in gametophyte clones isolated from the two countries. These gametophyte cultures were believed to be appropriate parental materials for conducting breeding programs in the future.     

Geochemistry and genesis of magmatic PGE-bearing Cu-Ni sulphide deposit in Wadi Bayhan，southeastern Yemen

The Wadi Bayhan mafic-ultramafic intrusions associated with magmatic PGE-bearing Cu-Ni sulphide deposit are located in the south margin of the Arabian-Nubian Shield,SW Yemen.The intrusions consist of dunite,olivine-pyroxenite,lherzolite,hornblendite,gabbro and gabbronorite.The dunite and lherzolite are the main host rock for the Cu-Ni ores.The new data of the chemical compositions of the rocks have SiO2(50%-53.6%),Al2O3(0-32%) and MgO(4%-28%),and relatively low TiO2(0-3.2%) and K2O+Na2O(0.04%-5.2%).The geochemical characteristics indicate that the parental magma is high-magnesium tholeiitic.Sulfur had reached saturation and immiscible sulfides droplets segregated from silicate magmas before their emplacement.     

Effects of rice straw on the cell viability,photosynthesis, and growth of Microcystis aeruginosa

Rice straw is supposed to be an environment-friendly biomaterial for inhibiting the growth of harmful blooms of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. However, its potential mechanism is not well known. To explore this mechanism, the growth, cell viability （esterase activity, membrane potential, and membrane integrity）, photosynthesis, and cell size ofM. aeruginosa were determined using flow cytometry and Phyto-PAM after exposure to rice straw extracts （RSE）. The results show that doses from 2.0 to 10.0 g/L of RSE efficiently inhibited the alga for 15 days, while the physiologic and morphologic responses of the cyanobacteria were time-dependent. RSE interfered with the cell membrane potential, cell size, and in vivo chlorophyll-a fluorescence on the first day. After 7 days of exposure, RSE was transported into the cytosol, which disrupted enzyme activity and photosynthesis. The cyanobacteria then started to repair its physiology （enzyme activity, photosynthesis） and remained viable, suggesting that rice straw act as an algistatic agent.     

Distribution and ultrastructure of pigment cells in the skins of normal and albino adult turbot, Scophthalmus Maximus

The distribution and ultrastructure of pigment cells in skins of normal and albino adult turbots were examined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Three types of pigment cells of melanophore, iridophore and xanthophore have been recognized in adult turbot skins. The skin color depends mainly on the amount and distribution of melanophore and iridophore, as xanthophore is quite rare. No pigment cells can be found in the epidermis of the skins. In the pigmented ocular skin of the turbot, melanophore and iridophore are usually co-localized in the dermis. This is quite different from the distribution in larvae skin. In albino and white blind skins of adult turbots, however, only iridophore monolayer still exists, while the melanophore monolayer disappears. This cytological evidence explains why the albino adult turbot, unlike its larvae, could never resume its body color no matter what environmental and nutritional conditions were provided. Endocytosis is quite active in the cellular membrane of the iridophore. This might be related to the formation of reflective platelet and stability of the iridophore.     

Peritrophin-like protein from Litopenaeus vannamei(LvPT) involved in white spot syndrome virus(WSSV) infection in digestive tract challenged with reverse gavage

The peritrophic membrane plays an important role in the defense system of the arthropod gut. The digestive tract is considered one of the major tissues targeted by white spot syndrome virus(WSSV) in shrimp. In this study, the nucleotide sequence encoding peritrophin-like protein of L itopenaeus vannamei(Lv PT) was amplified from a yeast two-hybrid library of L. vannamei. The epitope peptide of Lv PT was predicted with the Gen Script Optimum Antigen? design tool. An anti-Lv PT polyclonal antibody was produced and shown to specifically bind a band at ~27 k Da, identified as Lv PT. The Lv PT protein was expressed and its concentration determined. L v PT ds RNA(4 μg per shrimp) was used to inhibit Lv PT expression in shrimp, and a WSSV challenge experiment was then performed with reverse gavage. The pleopods, stomachs, and guts were collected from the shrimp at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h post-infection(hpi). Viral load quantification showed that the levels of WSSV were significantly lower in the pleopods, stomachs, and guts of shrimp after L v PT ds RNA interference than in those of the controls at 48 and 72 hpi. Our results imply that Lv PT plays an important role during WSSV infection of the digestive tract.     

Isolation of immune-relating 185/333-1 gene from Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus intermedius) and Its expression analysis

The 185/333 gene family involved in the immune response of sea urchin.One 185/333 c DNA was isolated from Strongylocentrotus intermedius,and named as Si185/333-1.Its full-length c DNA was 1246 bp in length with a 906 bp open reading frame encoding a protein of 301 aa.The molecular weight of the deduced protein was approximately 33.1 k D with an estimated PI of p H 6.26.Si185/333-1 had high identities(70%–86%) to most of Sp185/333.An extraordinary identity of 92% was found between Si185/333-1 and Sp185/333 C5 alpha(ABR22474).Moderate identities(63%–64%) were displayed between Si185/333-1 and He185/333.Si185/333-1 had similar structure to Sp185/333.A signal-peptide,a gly-rich region and a his-rich region were found in its secondary structure.RGD motif was found in gly-rich region at position 116–118aa.There was no transmembrane region in Si185/333-1.The element pattern of Si185/333-1 is different from any available pattern that identified in Sp185/333.Si185/333-1 clustered together with pattern C Sp185/333 in phylogenetic tree.The Si185/333-1 m RNA could be detected in tissues including peristomial membrane,coelomocytes,muscle of Aristotles lantern,gut and tube feet,with the highest expression level detected in peristomial membrane and a relatively low expression in ovary and testis.The temporal expression of Si185/333-1 in peristomial membrane and coelomocytes were up-regulated after bacterial,β-D-glucan and ds RNA challenges,reaching the maximum at 12 h post-stimulation.The up-regulation was more obvious in coelomocytes,and bacterial challenge triggered the highest response.These results proved that 185/333-1 gene was involved in the immune defense of S.intermedius,while more studies were necessary for its function in S.intermedius immunity.     

Airborne Fungal Spores of Subalpine Zone of the Karkonosze and Izerskie Mountains （Poland）

The incidence of the airborne fungal spores was determined in the air of subalpine zone of the Karkonosze Mountains and of the Izerskie Mountains in the borderland between Poland and the Czech Republic. The experiment was conducted in 2011 and 2012 at three to four week intervals from May to October. Air samples were taken from three locations in the Karkonosze Mts. and one from the Izerskie Mts. To examine the air, the Air Ideal 3P sampler and acidified PDA medium were used. The results show that Cladosporium cladosporioides was the most abundant spore type in all the sampling locations （up to 30%）, followed by Alternaria alternata （16%-20%）, Fusarium （up to 10%） and Sclerotinia sclerotiorium （up to 6%）. The lower spore counts were recorded in May samples, compared to the other months. In this case the snow cover, that was still present in the area at the beginning of May, may be the reason for the lower, compared to June, July and August samplings, CFU （Colony Forming Unit） counts in that month.. The influx of air masses from SE, S and SW sectors in the area under study may affect dissemination of the plant-pathogenic fungi from the Czech Republic and from the South of Europe in general.     

THE TECTONICS BENEATH THE OKINAWA TROUGH

The nature of the crust of the Okinawa Trough is different from that of the continental shelf in the East China Sea. The crust beneath the Trough is in transformation from continental to oceanic and the depth of MOHO in the northern section of the Trough is deeper than in the southern section. Thick sedimentary strata of Neogene and Pleistocene ages are deposited in the Okinawa Trough, and divided into three layers: the upper horizontal layer, the middle layer lightly folded and the lower deformed layer. They were formed in Pleistocene, Pliocene, and Miocene to Paleogene, respectively. The tectonic movement in the southern section is stronger than that in the northern section. Somevolcanic seamounts appear on the bottom of the Trough. On both slopes of the Trough are developed many normal faults and the intrusive igneous rocks. The Okinawa Trough, the back-arc basin,, is an embryonic marginal basin in rifting and spreading. The formation of the Okinawa Trough started in the early Pliocene. The transform     

Application of ICP-AES with microwave digestion to detect trace elements in oysters from Jiaozhou Bay, China

Using ICP-AES with microwave digestion, we determined the concentrations of 16 trace elements in oysters from six sampling points in Jiaozhou Bay.The distributions of the wholesome elements Zn, Fe and Mn, and heavy metals such as As,Cd,Hg and Pb were studied.The oysters collected are all rich in the wholesome trace elements,and the oysters from Licun River have the highest concentrations of the three wholesome trace elements.The concentrations of heavy metals in oysters from Licun River are the highest and those from Hongdao are the lowest. Compared with the domestic and foreign sea-areas,the heavy metal contents in the oysters from Jiaozhou Bay are less in amount than those from some developed countries, and more than those in Southeast China.This implies that the Jiaozhou Bay’s oysters have been polluted by the environment to some extent.