Mass Spawning by Green Algae on Coral Reefs

Predawn episodes of mass spawning by green algae (up to nine species in five genera on a single morning) intermittently cloud Caribbean waters. Species- and sex-specific bouts of anisogamous gamete release occurred synchronously and predictably on a given morning, with closely related species spawning at different times. Algal sexual reproduction was seasonal, but, unlike the mass-spawning behavior of other sessile marine organisms, showed no lunar or tidal cycling. The discovery of mass-spawning behavior by these algae has important implications for future studies of the reproductive ecology and speciation of a vital, yet poorly understood, component of the coral reef community.     

Relationships Between Radionuclide Content and Textural Properties in Irish Sea Intertidal Sediments

Intertidal sediments from a range of depositional environments in the eastern Irish Sea have been analysed with regard to their radionuclide content, particle size distribution and magnetic properties. Concentrations of²⁴¹Am and¹³⁷Cs are highly influenced by the abundance of sediment finer than 32μm in fine-grained sedimentary environments, whilst radionuclide activity in coarser sediments is less dependent on particle size. Investigation of the magnetic properties of these sediments highlights a similar association between this size fraction and magnetic remanence, the latter being shown to offer strong potential as a grain size proxy in monitoring¹³⁷Cs concentrations in fine-grained sediments. Analysis of particle size fractions indicates the extent to which¹³⁷Cs may be enriched in the clay size fractions of both tine and coarse sediments.     

北京黑猪对注射猪生长激素(PST)的效应

已知用生长激素(PST)处理美国的肥育猪可提高饲料报酬、生长速度和胴体的瘦肉率。由于中国猪比美国猪更肥一些,饲料报酬较低和生长较慢,因而设想用生长激素处理中国猪可能更有效。本试验在肥育期28天内用 PST 处理北京黑猪(由中国地方猪,约克夏和巴克夏杂交育成),在每天饲喂4次的个体饲养组(n=12,6头公猪和6头母猪)中,每天注射2毫克和4毫克 PST 的猪,其饲养报酬分别提高22.3%和30.6%(P<0.01),主要是提高了生长速度(分别比对照组快24.4%和30.2%)(P<0.01),而对饲料摄入量没有影响。每天注射 PST 2毫克(28天),群饲猪(6头/圈,4圈/处理组)得到了类似的结果:饲料报酬提高22.7%(P<0.01);生长速度提高25%(P<0.01)。屠宰分析的结果表明,每天注射2和4毫克 PST 的猪,最后肋膘厚率平均降低19.2%(P<0.01)。剥离分析半片胴体的结果表明,PST 处理猪的疫肉总量和瘦肉率分别提高21.4%和13%(P<0.01),而总脂肪量和脂肪率则分别降低16.7%(P<0.05)和22%(P<0.01)。胴体的化学分析获得类似结果。PST 处理猪的背最长肌的 ...     

Comparison of Different Sampling Strategies and Laboratory Methods for the Detection of C. jejuni and C. coli from Broiler Flocks at Primary Production

Summary The objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of different combinations of sample type, transport medium and culture methods for the recovery of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli from broiler flocks at primary production. Boot swabs moistened with one of four different transport media [maximum recovery diluent (n = 120), Exeter broth (EX) (n = 120), buffered peptone water (n = 120) and modified semi‐solid Cary‐Blair (n = 120)], caecal samples (n = 40) and faecal samples (n = 120) from 40 broiler flocks were compared and sensitivity estimates obtained using a Bayesian model. Samples were cultured onto mCCDA before and after enrichment in EX and incubated microaerobically at 41.5°C. Campylobacter suspect colonies were identified to the species level by multiplex PCR. Results from the Bayesian model indicated that boot swabs after enrichment had higher sensitivity (90–94%) than caecal contents before or after enrichment (84% and 89%, respectively) and faecal samples after enrichment (82%) for the detection of Campylobacter spp., although these differences were not statistically significant. Enrichment significantly increased the sensitivity of boot swab and caecal samples for detection of Campylobacter spp. and C. jejuni, respectively. However, the enrichment of caecal samples resulted in a significant decrease in the sensitivity of these samples for detection of C. coli. There was much greater variation in the sensitivity estimates of the methods for detecting C. coli than for C. jejuni, and the ranking of methods was different between the two species. Boot swabs gave the best sensitivity values for detection of C. jejuni, and enrichment culture of faecal samples was the most sensitive method for detection of C. coli.     

Widespread divergence between incipient Anopheles gambiae species revealed by whole genome sequences

The Afrotropical mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, a major vector of malaria, is currently undergoing speciation into the M and S molecular forms. These forms have diverged in larval ecology and reproductive behavior through unknown genetic mechanisms, despite considerable levels of hybridization. Previous genome-wide scans using gene-based microarrays uncovered divergence between M and S that was largely confined to gene-poor pericentromeric regions, prompting a speciation-with-ongoing-gene-flow model that implicated only about 3% of the genome near centromeres in the speciation process. Here, based on the complete M and S genome sequences, we report widespread and heterogeneous genomic divergence inconsistent with appreciable levels of interform gene flow, suggesting a more advanced speciation process and greater challenges to identify genes critical to initiating that process.     

Space plasma physics: atmospheric emissions photometric imaging experiment

The atmospheric emissions photometric imaging experiment was flown on Spacelab 1 to study faint natural and artificial atmospheric emission phenomena. The instrument imaged optical emission in the region 2000 to 7500 angstroms with a television system consisting of two optical channels, one wide-angle and one telephoto. A third optical channel imaged onto the photochathode of a microchannel plate photomultiplier tube that has 100 discrete anodes. A hand-held image intensifier camera with an objective grating permitted spectral analysis of the earth's airglow and the shuttle glow. Preliminary data show magnesium ion emission features in the lower ionosphere as well as the spececraft glow spectrum.     

Fonsecaea pedrosoi skin infection in a dog.

Fonsecaea pedrosoi is the most common fungal agent associated with human chromoblastomycosis. In the current study, a phaeohyphomycotic condition of the skin caused by Fonsecaea pedrosoi is described in a dog.