scholarly journals To what extent the size fraction affects an interpretation of planktonic foraminiferal assemblages

2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-40
Author(s):  
Krešimir Markulin ◽  
Vlasta Ćosović

Study of planktonic foraminifera, sampled from two levels of a 26 cm thick core, recovered at 1,200 m water depth, sheds some lights on the composition of foraminiferal assemblages that occur in the Southern Adriatic. Altogether 15 planktonic species (including one referred as undeterminable and two species recorded for the first time in the eastern Adriatic Sea) identified from 0-2 cm and 24-26 cm sediment intervals, were grouped into two assemblages: >63 μm fraction Turborotalita quinqueloba and >125 μm fraction as Globigerina bulloides-Globigerinoides ruber. The differences in core-top and core-bottom assemblages lie in: a) change in the relative proportion of some species; and b) slight differences in diversity indices. The relative proportions of species are strongly controlled by sieve mesh size, whereas the slight increase in diversity follows the increase in sieve mesh size. The benthic foraminifera, although constituting a negligible quantitative factor, show a slight increase in abundance and diversity of species with age.

1993 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 941-946 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. E. Hogans ◽  
Michael J. Dadswell ◽  
Leslie S. Uhazy ◽  
Ralph G. Appy

Parasites belonging to a total of 26 taxa were recovered from 695 American shad (Alosa sapidissima) sampled from six rivers and one marine location (Cumberland Basin, Bay of Fundy) on the east coast of North America. Of these, 23 taxa are reported from American shad for the first time. Species identified were predominantly boreal marine forms that have low host specificities and widespread distributions. Two species, Hysterothylacium aduncum and Scolex pleuronectis, were found in American shad from all localities (> 60% prevalence). Relative abundance and diversity indices of the parasite assemblages varied in relation to geographic location and temporally in Cumberland Basin. These data suggest that there is different timing of arrival and departure of shad from individual river populations in Cumberland Basin. High levels of prevalence and incidence of exotic, southern parasite species, such as Genitocotyle atlantica, in shad from Cumberland Basin and most or all river populations indicate that all individual shad spend some portion of their life at or near the southern extent of their reported range.


Author(s):  
William H. Zucker

Planktonic foraminifera are widely-distributed and abundant zooplankters. They are significant as water mass indicators and provide evidence of paleotemperatures and events which occurred during Pleistocene glaciation. In spite of their ecological and paleological significance, little is known of their cell biology. There are few cytological studies of these organisms at the light microscope level and some recent reports of their ultrastructure.Specimens of Globigerinoides ruber, Globigerina bulloides, Globigerinoides conglobatus and Globigerinita glutinata were collected in Bermuda waters and fixed in a cold cacodylate-buffered 6% glutaraldehyde solution for two hours. They were then rinsed, post-fixed in Palade's fluid, rinsed again and stained with uranyl acetate. This was followed by graded ethanol dehydration, during which they were identified and picked clean of debris. The specimens were finally embedded in Epon 812 by placing each organism in a separate BEEM capsule. After sectioning with a diamond knife, stained sections were viewed in a Philips 200 electron microscope.


Author(s):  
Francisco Javier Avendaño-Gutiérrez ◽  
Salvador Aguirre Paleo ◽  
Alejandro Morales Hernández ◽  
Venecia Quesadas-Béjar

Objective: To calculate the monthly relative abundance of Thysanoptera species, according to the Margalef, Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices. Design / Methodology / Approach: The work was carried out in three geographic units with conventional management, during January-December, 2019 in the Reserva de la Biosfera Zicuirán-Infiernillo (Biosphere Reserve), Michoacán, Mexico. In each unit, 10 trees were selected through simple random sampling. Thrips counts were performed on ten shoots per tree every 15 d, for a total of 7200 shoots in the three geographic units. Thysanoptera individuals were placed in entomological jars. The variables were: number of thrips collected per shoot in sampled tree and geographic unit (orchard). To estimate the specific richness and structure of species, the program "calculation of diversity indices DIVERS" was used. Results: In the three geographical units studied, the recorded presence of Thysanoptera accounted for 12 to 17 species. For Nueva Italia 12 recorded species, two were permanent (16.66%), five abundant (41.66%), one scarce (8.3%) and four rare (33.33%). In Zicuirán, three species were permanent (17.64%), six abundant (35.29%), two scarce (11.76%) and six rare (35.29%). In Los Hoyos, four species were permanent (26.66%), four abundant (26.66%) and seven rare (46.66%). The abundance of species was represented by the genus Frankliniella and the species Scolothrips sexmaculatus and Scirtothrips citri. The highest species richness and abundance was found from January to May. In October and November, the value of the calculated indices was zero, which shows less richness and abundance of individuals. The best species uniformity was recorded during January and December, which meant a more stable and homogeneous relation. Study limitations/Implications. Pest resurgence, presence of Candidatus Liberibacter spp. and its vector Diaphorina citri. Findings / Conclusions: in Nueva Italia, 12 species were taxonomically determined; in Los Hoyos 15, and in Zicuirán 17 species, which are reported for the first time in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. At the geographic unit "Los Hoyos" diversity was higher, uniform and stable.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryuji Kiyama ◽  
Takayuki Nonoyama ◽  
Sedlacik Tomas ◽  
Hiroshi Jinnai ◽  
Jian Ping Gong

Hydrogels are promising materials for several applications, including cell scaffolds and artificial load-bearing substitutes (cartilages, ligaments, tendons, etc.). Direct observation of the nanoscale polymer network of hydrogels is essential in understanding its properties. However, imaging of individual network strands at the molecular level is not achieved yet due to the lack of suitable methods. Herein, for the first time, we developed a novel mineral-staining method and network fixation method for transmission electron microscopy observation to visualize the hydrogel network in its unperturbed conformation with nanometer resolution. Surface network observation indicates that the length of surface dangling chains, which play a major role in friction and wetting, can be estimated from the gel mesh size. Moreover, bulk observations reveals a hierarchical formation mechanism of gel heterogeneity. These observations have the great potential to advance gel science by providing comprehensive perspective that link bulk gel properties with nanoscale.


PeerJ ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. e1301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adiël A. Klompmaker ◽  
Roger W. Portell ◽  
Aaron T. Klier ◽  
Vanessa Prueter ◽  
Alyssa L. Tucker

Spider crabs (Majoidea) are well-known from modern oceans and are also common in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean. When spider crabs appeared in the Western Atlantic in deep time, and when they became diverse, hinges on their fossil record. By reviewing their fossil record, we show that (1) spider crabs first appeared in the Western Atlantic in the Late Cretaceous, (2) they became common since the Miocene, and (3) most species and genera are found in the Caribbean region from the Miocene onwards. Furthermore, taxonomic work on some modern and fossil Mithracidae, a family that might have originated in the Western Atlantic, was conducted. Specifically,Maguimithraxgen. nov. is erected to accommodate the extant speciesDamithrax spinosissimus, whileDamithraxcf.pleuracanthusis recognized for the first time from the fossil record (late Pliocene–early Pleistocene, Florida, USA). Furthermore, two new species are described from the lower Miocene coral-associated limestones of Jamaica (Mithrax arawakumsp. nov. andNemausa windsoraesp. nov.). Spurred by a recent revision of the subfamily, two known species from the same deposits are refigured and transferred to new genera:Mithrax donovanitoNemausa, andMithrax unguistoDamithrax. The diverse assemblage of decapods from these coral-associated limestones underlines the importance of reefs for the abundance and diversity of decapods in deep time. Finally, we quantitatively show that these crabs possess allometric growth in that length/width ratios drop as specimens grow, a factor that is not always taken into account while describing and comparing among taxa.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Henrique Rosa ◽  
Otávio Henrique Bezerra Pinto ◽  
Tina Šantl-Temkiv ◽  
Peter Convey ◽  
Micheline Carvalho-Silva ◽  
...  

AbstractWe assessed fungal diversity present in air and freshly deposited snow samples obtained from Livingston Island, Antarctica, using DNA metabarcoding through high throughput sequencing (HTS). A total of 740 m3 of air were pumped through a 0.22 µm membrane. Snow obtained shortly after deposition was kept at room temperature and yielded 3.760 L of water, which was filtered using Sterivex membranes of 0.22 µm mesh size. The total DNA present was extracted and sequenced. We detected 171 fungal amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), 70 from the air and 142 from the snow. They were dominated by the phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota and Mucoromycota. Pseudogymnoascus, Cladosporium, Mortierella and Penicillium sp. were the most dominant ASVs detected in the air in rank order. In snow, Cladosporium, Pseudogymnoascus, Penicillium, Meyerozyma, Lecidea, Malassezia, Hanseniaspora, Austroplaca, Mortierella, Rhodotorula, Penicillium, Thelebolus, Aspergillus, Poaceicola, Glarea and Lecanora were the dominant ASVs present. In general, the two fungal assemblages displayed high diversity, richness, and dominance indices, with the assemblage found in snow having the highest diversity indices. Of the total fungal ASVs detected, 29 were only present in the air sample and 101 in the snow sample, with only 41 present in both samples; however, when only the dominant taxa from both samples were compared none occurred only in the air and, among the rare portion, 26 taxa occurred in both air and snow. Application of HTS revealed the presence of a more diverse fungal community in the air and snow of Livingston Island in comparison with studies using traditional isolation methods. The assemblages were dominated by cold-adapted and cosmopolitan fungal taxa, including members of the genera Pseudogymnoascus, Malassezia and Rhodotorula, which include some taxa reported as opportunistic. Our results support the hypothesis that the presence of microbiota in the airspora indicates the possibility of dispersal around Antarctica in the air column. However, further aeromycology studies are required to understand the dynamics of fungal dispersal within and beyond Antarctica.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 617-629
Author(s):  
S. Rajendra Prasad ◽  
K. Ravindranath K. Ravindranath ◽  
M.L.S. Devakumar M.L.S. Devakumar

Purpose The choice of best machining parameters is an extremely basic factor in handling of any machined parts. The purpose of this paper is to exhibit a multi-objective optimization technique; in view of weighted aggregate sum product assessment (WASPAS) technique toward upgrade the machining parameters in modified air abrasive jet machining (MAAJM) process: injecting pressure, stand-off distance (SOD), and abrasive mesh size measure with 100 rpm rotatable worktable on Nickel 233 alloy material. Three conflicting destinations, material removal rate (MRR), surface roughness (SR) and taper angles (Ta), respectively, are considered at the same time. The proposed procedure uses WASPAS, which is the examination of parametric optimization of the abrasive jet machining (AJM) process. The results was used any scopes of reactions in MAAJM process is the ideal setting of parameters are resolved through investigations represented. There is wide utilization of Nickel 233 in aviation enterprises; machining information on producing a hole utilizing MAAJM for the first time is given in this work, which will be helpful different industries. Design/methodology/approach This paper exhibits a multi-objective optimization technique; in view of WASPAS technique toward upgrade the machining parameters in MAAJM process: injecting pressure, SOD, and abrasive mesh size measure with 100 rpm rotatable worktable on Nickel 233 alloy material. Findings As an outcome of using the tool in any ranges of responses in the AJM process, the optimal setting of parameters is determined through experiments illustrated. The machining data of generating a hole using AJM are studied for the first time in this work, which will be useful for aerospace industries, where Nickel 233 is used broadly. Originality/value A new material in unconventional machining process and also a multi-objective optimization technique are adopted.


2012 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joachim Schönfeld

Abstract. Benthic foraminifera have proven to be suitable for environmental monitoring because of their high levels of adaptation, small size and high abundance in Recent sediments and the fossil record. Foraminifera are scarcely used in monitoring studies because a standardization of methods has not been achieved to date. When particular methods were introduced and why they were applied is often hidden in the literature. This paper reviews the development of field and laboratory methods, their constraints and consequences for faunal and data analyses. Multiple and box corers and some grab samplers retrieve reliable surface sediment samples provided the bow wave is minimized as the sampler approaches the sea floor. Most disturbances are created during handling of the unit on deck and subsampling. Ethanol for preservation, rose Bengal as vital stain and a mesh size of 63 µm to wash foraminiferal samples are used extensively. Faunal analyses of a larger size fraction are occasionally necessary. The fractions >125 µm and >150 µm are often preferentially chosen even though this may artificially reduce specimen numbers and faunal diversity. Generally, a much lower level of common practice prevails in sample preparation and faunal analyses than in sampling or laboratory procedures. Increasing preference has been given to quantitative methods and the acquisition of independently revisable census data during recent decades.


2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1441-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Maria Cavalcanti Valença ◽  
Paulo Jorge Parreira dos Santos

Macrobenthic data from estuaries along the Pernambuco coast in north-eastern Brazil were analysed to evaluate the effect of sieve mesh size (1.0 mm × 0.5 mm) and sampling depth (0–10 cm × 0–20 cm) on the description of infaunal communities, in an attempt to discuss standardized sampling procedures for different ecological studies objectives in these ecosystems. In general, the difference in sieve retention was less evident for biomass but was important for abundance: the 1.0 mm sieve retained only 27% of total individuals but 77% of total biomass. Regarding sampling depth, the 0–10 cm layer contained most individuals (94%) but contributed just 64% of the overall biomass. Although no strong differences in community structure were observed at most sites with the use of different sieves, the correlations among community dissimilarity using different meshes with environmental parameters (organic matter, total-N and microphytobenthos) indicated that the use of the 0.5 mm sieve will allow a better evaluation of the status of these estuaries. The results also highlight the importance of taking the vertical distribution of tropical macrofauna into account for quantitative estimates: for taxa composition and abundance the top layer is clearly essential, whereas for biomass the deeper layers should also be considered.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaomin Yang ◽  
Hong Zhou ◽  
Ruth Cruz-Cosme ◽  
Mingde Liu ◽  
Jiayu Xu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCircular RNAs (circRNAs) encoded by DNA genomes have been identified across host and pathogen species as parts of the transcriptome. Accumulating evidences indicate that circRNAs play critical roles in autoimmune diseases and viral pathogenesis. Here we report that RNA viruses of the Betacoronavirus genus of Coronaviridae, SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, encode a novel type of circRNAs. Through de novo circRNA analyses of publicly available coronavirus-infection related deep RNA-Sequencing data, we identified 351, 224 and 2,764 circRNAs derived from SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, respectively, and characterized two major back-splice events shared by these viruses. Coronavirus-derived circRNAs are more abundant and longer compared to host genome-derived circRNAs. Using a systematic strategy to amplify and identify back-splice junction sequences, we experimentally identified over 100 viral circRNAs from SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells. This collection of circRNAs provided the first line of evidence for the abundance and diversity of coronavirus-derived circRNAs and suggested possible mechanisms driving circRNA biogenesis from RNA genomes. Our findings highlight circRNAs as an important component of the coronavirus transcriptome.SummaryWe report for the first time that abundant and diverse circRNAs are generated by SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV and represent a novel type of circRNAs that differ from circRNAs encoded by DNA genomes.


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