scholarly journals The megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, is not a luminous species

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242196
Author(s):  
Laurent Duchatelet ◽  
Victoria C. Moris ◽  
Taketeru Tomita ◽  
Jacques Mahillon ◽  
Keiichi Sato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Light Emission ◽  
Histological Study ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
White Band ◽  
Light Organs ◽  
The World ◽  
Megamouth Shark ◽  
Upper Jaw ◽  
Species Specific

Despite its five meters length, the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios Taylor, Compagno & Struhsaker, 1983) is one of the rarest big sharks known in the world (117 specimens observed and documented so far). This filter-feeding shark has been assumed to be a luminous species, using its species-specific white band to produce bioluminescence as a lure trap. Another hypothesis was the use of the white band reflectivity to attract prey or for social recognition purposes. However, no histological study has ever been performed to confirm these assumptions so far. Two hypotheses about the megamouth shark's luminescence arose: firstly, the light emission may be intrinsically or extrinsically produced by specific light organs (photophores) located either on the upper jaw white band or inside the mouth; secondly, the luminous appearance might be a consequence of the reflection of prey luminescence on the white band during feeding events. Aims of the study were to test these hypotheses by highlighting the potential presence of specific photophores responsible for bioluminescence and to reveal and analyze the presence of specialized light-reflective structures in and around the mouth of the shark. By using different histological approaches (histological sections, fluorescent in situ hybridization, scanning electron microscopy) and spectrophotometry, this study allows to unravel these hypotheses and strongly supports that the megamouth shark does not emit bioluminescence, but might rather reflect the light produced by bioluminescent planktonic preys, thanks to the denticles of the white band.

The Vyredox and Nitredox Methods of in situ Treatment of Groundwater

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Braester ◽  
Rudolf Martinell
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Traditional Method ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Nitrate Treatment ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
Nitrate And Nitrite ◽  
Iron And Manganese

Nearly one fifth of all water used in the world is obtained from groundwater. The protection of water has become a high priority goal. During the last decades pollution of water has become more and more severe. Today groundwater is more and more used in comparison with surface water. Recently we have seen accidents, which can pollute nearly all surface water very quickly. Generally the groundwater is easier to protect, as well as cheaper to purify, and above all it is of better quality than the surface water. During the past two decades, alternatives to the traditional method of treating the water in filters have been developed, that is in situ water treatment i.e. the VYREDOX and NITREDOX methods. The most common problem regarding groundwater is too high content of iron and manganese, which can be reduced with the VYREDOX method. In some areas today there are severe problems with pollution by hydrocarbons and nitrate as well, and with modification of the VYREDOX treatment method it is used for hydrocarbon and nitrate treatment as well. The method to reduce the nitrate and nitrite is known as the NITREDOX method.

Species-diagnostic and species-specific DNA sequences evenly distributed throughout pine and spruce chromosomes

Genome ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 769-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Mehes-Smith ◽  
Paul Michael ◽  
Kabwe Nkongolo
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna ◽  
Inter Simple Sequence Repeat ◽  
Issr Markers ◽  
Pinus Monticola ◽  
The Family ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Rapd And Issr ◽  
Specific Sequences

Genome organization in the family Pinaceae is complex and largely unknown. The main purpose of the present study was to develop and physically map species-diagnostic and species-specific molecular markers in pine and spruce. Five RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) and one ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat) species-diagnostic or species-specific markers for Picea mariana , Picea rubens , Pinus strobus , or Pinus monticola were identified, cloned, and sequenced. In situ hybridization of these sequences to spruce and pine chromosomes showed the sequences to be present in high copy number and evenly distributed throughout the genome. The analysis of centromeric and telomeric regions revealed the absence of significant clustering of species-diagnostic and species-specific sequences in all the chromosomes of the four species studied. Both RAPD and ISSR markers showed similar patterns.

scholarly journals Retention of relict satellite DNA sequences in Anemone (Ranunculaceae)

2013 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Višnja Besendorfer ◽  
Jelena Mlinarec
Keyword(s):  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Southern Hybridization ◽  
Repeat Unit ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Genomic Component ◽  
Library Hypothesis ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Eukaryotic Organisms ◽  
Fish Signal

Abstract Satellite DNAis a genomic component present in virtually all eukaryotic organisms. The turnover of highly repetitive satellite DNAis an important element in genome organization and evolution in plants. Here we study the presence, physical distribution and abundance of the satellite DNAfamily AhTR1 in Anemone. Twenty-two Anemone accessions were analyzed by PCR to assess the presence of AhTR1, while fluorescence in situ hybridization and Southern hybridization were used to determine the abundance and genomic distribution of AhTR1. The AhTR1 repeat unit was PCR-amplified only in eight phylogenetically related European Anemone taxa of the Anemone section. FISH signal with AhTR1 probe was visible only in A. hortensis and A. pavonina, showing localization of AhTR1 in the regions of interstitial heterochromatin in both species. The absence of a FISH signal in the six other taxa as well as weak signal after Southern hybridization suggest that in these species AhTR1 family appears as relict sequences. Thus, the data presented here support the »library hypothesis« for AhTR1 satellite evolution in Anemone. Similar species-specific satellite DNAprofiles in A. hortensis and A. pavonina support the treatment of A. hortensis and A. pavonina as one species, i.e. A. hortensis s.l.

On properties of seawater defined by temperature, salinity, and pressure

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 121-147
Author(s):  
George Veronis
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Direction ◽  
Great Depth ◽  
Local Potential ◽  
Potential Density ◽  
Marine Research ◽  
Station Data ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The World ◽  
Gravitational Stability

Hydrographic station data, consisting principally of temperature and salinity determinations, have been used by physical oceanographers to develop a climatological picture of the distribution of these quantities in the oceans of the world. Density as determined by Knudsen's formula, taken together with hydrostatic and geostrophic dynamics, also provides a crude picture of oceanic flow. However, the data probably contain substantially more information than has been derived from them in the past.The quantity that is orthogonal to potential-density curves in the S plane is suggested as a useful variable to complement the information contained in potential density. The derivation of this quantity, denoted by τ in this paper, is straightforward. A polynomial expression for τ that is suitable for computer calculations of τ from hydrographic station data is given. Shown are examples of hydrographic station data from the Atlantic plotted on the τσ diagram. The information contained in the τσ diagram shows many of the features exhibited in the TS plane. Vertical sections of τ appear to provide information about mixing in different parts of the Atlantic. The distribution of τ for abyssal waters at selected stations in the oceans of the world resembles the distribution of abyssal density as plotted by Lynn and Reid (1968). From the data presented, it appears that τ may serve as a good tracer for abyssal water movements.Since τ is defined to be orthogonal to σ, the expectation is that τ is a dynamically passive variable. However, since σ does not correlate with abyssal densities, it appears to lose dynamical significance at great depth, and τ assumes dynamical significance because of its orthogonality to σ. This unexpected feature leads to an exploration of the dynamical significance of σ. A natural starting point is the question of stability of abyssal water.A distinction is made between stability as determined by in situ determinations and as determined by the potential-density (σ) distribution. Simple examples are presented to show that analysis based on σ alone can lead to incorrect conclusions about gravitational stability of the water in the abyssal ocean. The reason is that seawater is a multicomponent thermodynamic system, and the thermodynamic coefficients are functions of pressure, salinity, and temperature. This functional dependence leads to adjustments in density as a water particle moves adiabatically in the vertical direction so that a layer of water that appears to be unstable near the surface may be stable (as determined by in situ determination) at great depth. A local potential density, which is simply the vertical integral of the in situ stability, is derived. This quantity gives a precise picture of gravitational stability in the vertical direction. Some distributions of local potential density are shown.Originally published May 15, 1972, in the Journal of Marine Research 30(2), 227???255.

Experimental analysis of the control of expression of the homeobox-gene Msx-1 in the developing limb and face

Development ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Brown ◽  
S.E. Wedden ◽  
G.H. Millburn ◽  
L.G. Robson ◽  
R.E. Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Homeobox Gene ◽  
Host Tissue ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Limb Mesenchyme ◽  
The Face ◽  
Mesenchyme Cells ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Signalling Systems ◽  
Control Of Expression

Mouse mesenchyme was grafted into chick embryos to investigate the control of mesenchymal expression of Msx-1 in the developing limb and face. In situ hybridization, using species-specific probes, allows a comparison between Msx-1 expression in the graft and the host tissue. The results show that Msx-1 expression in both limb-to-limb and face-to-face grafts corresponds closely with the level of Msx-1 expression in the surrounding chick mesenchyme. Cells in grafts that end up within the host domain of Msx-1 express the gene irrespective of whether they were from normally expressing, or non-expressing, regions. Therefore Msx-1 expression in both the developing limb and the developing face appears to be position-dependent. Mesenchyme from each of the three major facial primordia behaved in the same way when grafted to the chick maxillary primordium. Reciprocal grafts between face and limb gave a different result: Msx-1 expression was activated when facial mesenchyme was grafted to the limb but not when limb mesenchyme was grafted to the face. This suggests either that there are quantitative or qualitative differences in two local signalling systems or that additional factors determine the responsiveness of the mesenchyme cells.

Thinking honeyeater: nectar maps for the Northern Territory, Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Z. Woinarski ◽  
Greg Connors ◽  
Don C. Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Northern Territory ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Nectar Production ◽  
The World ◽  
Eucalypt Forests ◽  
The Times ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Nectar Availability

We create monthly maps of nectar availability for the 1.4 x 106 km2 jurisdiction of the Northern Territory, Australia. These are based on a combination of vegetation mapping and a series of indices of plant species specific nectar scoring. The maps reveal complex spatial and temporal variation in nectar availability, but most notably a greater nectar resource in the monsoon-influenced north than in the arid south, and a peak in nectar availability in the dry season. The latter is associated with the extensive tropical eucalypt forests (especially those co-dominated by Eucalyptus miniata and E. tetrodonta). In contrast, wet season nectar availability in these forests is limited, but riparian and swampland forests, typically dominated by Melaleuca species, provide rich but spatially restricted nectar resources. The extensive and rich nectar resources available in eucalypt forests in the dry season supplement the diets of many species which are not primarily nectarivorous. This resource helps shape the singularity of northern Australian eucalypt forests relative to other extensive forests elsewhere in the world. Nectarivores remain in the system through a combination of movements across a number of scales, habitat shifting, and diet shifting. The latter is aided by the peaking of invertebrate and fruit resources at the times of minimum nectar production; a shuffling in resource availability brought about by the extreme climatic seasonality.

scholarly journals The Role of Gardens in Integrated Conservation Practice

2019 ◽  
pp. 177-188
Author(s):  
Audrey Denvir ◽  
Jeannine Cavender-Bares ◽  
Antonio González-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Plant Conservation ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Integrated Research ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
Conservation Plan ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Integrated Conservation

Gardens and horticulturists play an increasingly important role in plant conservation, both in situ and ex situ. Integrated research and conservation of species intends to work across fields to connect science to conservation practice by engaging actors from different sectors, including gardens. The case of integrated conservation of Quercus brandegeei, a microendemic oak species in Baja California Sur, Mexico, is presented as an example of a collaboration between gardens and academic researchers to create a species-specific conservation plan that incorporates horticultural knowledge.

scholarly journals Species-Specific Knowledge About the Environment: A Biophilosophical View

1969 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo Pereira Junior
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
Animal Brain ◽  
The World ◽  
Von Uexküll ◽  
Species Specific

The biological work of Jacob von Uexkull (1934) raised an hypothesis that different animal species living in the same environment would have different knowledge about it. He suggested that each species perceives the world according to the structure of their effectors. In this essay I discuss mechanisms in the animal brain possibly responsible for the "embodied" or "pragmatic" character of cognition.

scholarly journals In Situ Estimation of Carbon Balance of In Vitro Sweetpotato and Tomato Plantlets Cultured with Varying Initial Sucrose Concentrations in the Medium

2002 ◽  
Vol 127 (6) ◽  
pp. 963-970 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chieri Kubota ◽  
Makiko Ezawa ◽  
Toyoki Kozai ◽  
Sandra B. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Balance ◽  
Ipomoea Batatas ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Photon Flux ◽  
Sugar Uptake ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Carbon Balances ◽  
Species Specific

The effects of initial sucrose (suc) concentrations in the medium (S0) on the carbon balance and growth of sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. `Beniazuma'] and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. `HanaQueen') plantlets were studied under controlled environmental conditions. Plantlets were cultured with 0, 7.5, 15, or 30 g·L-1 of S0 under high photosynthetic photon flux (160 to 200 μmol·m-2·s-1) and CO2 enriched (1400 to 2050 μmol·mol-1) conditions. Net photosynthetic rate per leaf area (Pl) decreased and dry weight per plantlet (Wd) increased with increasing S0, but did not differ significantly between S0 of 7.5 to 30 g·L-1 for sweetpotato or 15 to 30 g·L-1 for tomato. Carbon influxes and effluxes of the plantlets by metabolism of medium suc and/or photosynthesis, and respiration were estimated based on measurements of in situ and steady state CO2 exchange rates and sugar uptake during culture. At S0 from 7.5 to 30 g·L-1, photosynthesis was responsible for 82% to 92% and 60% to 67% of carbohydrate assimilation for sweetpotato and tomato, respectively. Estimated carbon balances of plantlets based on the estimated and actual increases of moles of carbon in plant tissue demonstrated that in situ estimation of carbon balance was reasonably accurate for sweetpotato at S0 of 0 to 15 g·L-1 and for tomato at S0 of 0 g·L-1 and that the actual contribution of photosynthesis for tomato at high S0 might be lower than the values estimated in the present experiment. Results showed that initial suc concentration affected the relative contribution of photosynthesis on their carbon balances and that the responses were species specific. The failure of validation at S0 in a range specific to each species suggested the need for further study on carbon metabolism of in vitro plantlets cultured with sugar in the medium.

scholarly journals A global register of competences for threatened species recovery practitioners: a comprehensive list of skills, knowledge and personal attributes required by practitioners working within threatened species recovery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barney Long ◽  
Richard P. Young
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Capacity Development ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Personal Attributes ◽  
Species Recovery ◽  
Comprehensive List ◽  
The World

Competence frameworks are widely used in many professional sectors, helping to develop capacity by defining and recognising the required skills, knowledge and personal attributes. Registers of competences have been developed within the conservation sector. A global register of competences for threatened species recovery practitioners is a register of competences in the form of a directory of the possible skills, knowledge and personal attributes required by practitioners working in threatened species recovery programmes around the world, in both in-situ and ex-situ contexts. This register has the potential to transform approaches to capacity development within threatened species recovery and help improve the effectiveness of this branch of conservation. Its structure largely follows that of A global register of competences for protected area practitioners (Appleton, 2016).

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