501 research outputs found
Symbiont diversity is not involved in depth acclimation in the Mediterranean sea whip Eunicella singularis
In symbiotic cnidarians, acclimation to depth and lower irradiance can involve physiological changes in the photosynthetic dinoflagellate endosymbiont, such as increased chlorophyll content, or qualitative modifications in the symbiont population in favour of better adapted strains. It has been argued that a lack of capacity to acquire new symbionts could limit the bathymetric distribution of the host species, or compromise its long-term survival in a changing environment. But is that always true? To address this question, we investigated the symbiont genetic diversity in Eunicella singularis, a Mediterranean sea whip species with a wide bathymetric distribution (10 to 50 m depth), which has recently suffered from mass mortalities after periods of abnormally high sea temperatures. We measured symbiont population densities and chlorophyll content in natural populations, and followed the response of the holobionts after reciprocal transplantations to deep and shallow depths. A total of 161 colonies were sampled at 2 depths (10 and 30 m) at 5 sites in the northwestern Mediterranean. All colonies harboured a single ribosomal Symbiodinium clade (A'), but a relatively high within-clade genetic diversity was found among and within colonies. This diversity was not structured by depth, even though the deeper colonies contained significantly lower population densities of symbionts and less chlorophyll. We did, however, reveal host-symbiont specificity among E. singularis and other Mediterranean cnidarian species. Transplantation experiments revealed a limit of plasticity for symbiont population density and chlorophyll content, which in turn questions the importance of the trophic role of Symbiodinium in E. singularis
Towards improved socio-economic assessments of ocean acidification’s impacts
Ocean acidification is increasingly recognized as a component of global change that could have a wide range of impacts on marine organisms, the ecosystems they live in, and the goods and services they provide humankind. Assessment of these potential socio-economic impacts requires integrated efforts between biologists, chemists, oceanographers, economists and social scientists. But because ocean acidification is a new research area, significant knowledge gaps are preventing economists from estimating its welfare impacts. For instance, economic data on the impact of ocean acidification on significant markets such as fisheries, aquaculture and tourism are very limited (if not non-existent), and non-market valuation studies on this topic are not yet available. Our paper summarizes the current understanding of future OA impacts and sets out what further information is required for economists to assess socio-economic impacts of ocean acidification. Our aim is to provide clear directions for multidisciplinary collaborative research
Flavonoids in phylloclades discriminate endemic Semele androgyna chemotypes from Madeira
Thirty-five randomly-collected Semele androgyna Kunth
samples were screened by RP-HPLC for their phenolic
composition. Fraction analysis allowed the detection of
17 different compounds. According to their retention
times and UV spectra obtained by diode array analysis,
these phenolics represent three classes: phenolic
acids, flavones and flavonols. Co-chromatography with
specific standards enabled identification of quercetin,
rutin and quercitrin in Semele tissues for the first time.
Polymorphism based on phenolic composition was
evaluated using multivariate analysis and showed four
distinct S. androgyna clusters. This polymorphism was
not associated with morphological diversity or different
in ambient light intensities. Biochemical differentiation
is thus present in this species. The application of
multivariate analysis techniques to RP-HPLC data has
allowed the classification of samples into two groups,
previously proposed on the basis of morphological and
cytotaxonomical information. Therefore, the use of
phenolics as chemotaxonomic markers in Semele is
highly recommended because of its diagnostic value,
even at a subspecies level. Discriminant canonical
analysis and Mahalanobis distances confirmed these
clusters as recognisable chemosystematic units.
However, these units do not support the separation of S.
pterygophora.The Portuguese Foundation for Science and
Technology (FCT) funded this work through the Centre of Macaronesian
Studies (CEM). The authors are grateful to the Madeiran Centre of
Science and Technology (CITMA), the Berardo Foundation and
European Social Funding for financial assistance given during execution
of this work. The assistance rendered by Mr Rogério Correia during field
collection is gratefully acknowledged.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Mechanical response of plectonemic DNA: an analytical solution
We consider an elastic rod model for twisted DNA in the plectonemic regime.
The molecule is treated as an impenetrable tube with an effective, adjustable
radius. The model is solved analytically and we derive formulas for the contact
pressure, twisting moment and geometrical parameters of the supercoiled region.
We apply our model to magnetic tweezer experiments of a DNA molecule subjected
to a tensile force and a torque, and extract mechanical and geometrical
quantities from the linear part of the experimental response curve. These
reconstructed values are derived in a self-contained manner, and are found to
be consistent with those available in the literature.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
Live Tissue Imaging Shows Reef Corals Elevate pH under Their Calcifying Tissue Relative to Seawater
The threat posed to coral reefs by changes in seawater pH and carbonate chemistry (ocean acidification) raises the need for a better mechanistic understanding of physiological processes linked to coral calcification. Current models of coral calcification argue that corals elevate extracellular pH under their calcifying tissue relative to seawater to promote skeleton formation, but pH measurements taken from the calcifying tissue of living, intact corals have not been achieved to date. We performed live tissue imaging of the reef coral Stylophora pistillata to determine extracellular pH under the calcifying tissue and intracellular pH in calicoblastic cells. We worked with actively calcifying corals under flowing seawater and show that extracellular pH (pHe) under the calicoblastic epithelium is elevated by ∼0.5 and ∼0.2 pH units relative to the surrounding seawater in light and dark conditions respectively. By contrast, the intracellular pH (pHi) of the calicoblastic epithelium remains stable in the light and dark. Estimates of aragonite saturation states derived from our data indicate the elevation in subcalicoblastic pHe favour calcification and may thus be a critical step in the calcification process. However, the observed close association of the calicoblastic epithelium with the underlying crystals suggests that the calicoblastic cells influence the growth of the coral skeleton by other processes in addition to pHe modification. The procedure used in the current study provides a novel, tangible approach for future investigations into these processes and the impact of environmental change on the cellular mechanisms underpinning coral calcification
Exposure of mediterranean countries to ocean acidification
This study examines the potential effects of ocean acidification on countries and fisheries of the Mediterranean Sea. The implications for seafood security and supply are evaluated by examining the sensitivity of the Mediterranean to ocean acidification at chemical, biological, and macro-economic levels. The limited information available on impacts of ocean acidification on harvested (industrial, recreational, and artisanal fishing) and cultured species (aquaculture) prevents any biological impact assessment. However, it appears that non-developed nations around the Mediterranean, particularly those for which fisheries are increasing, yet rely heavily on artisanal fleets, are most greatly exposed to socioeconomic consequences from ocean acidification. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
Critical exponents at the ferromagnetic transition in tetrakis(diethylamino)ethylene-C (TDAE-C)
Critical exponents at the ferromagnetic transition were measured for the
first time in an organic ferromagnetic material tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene
fullerene[60] (TDAE-C). From a complete magnetization-temperature-field
data set near we determine the susceptibility and
magnetization critical exponents and respectively, and the field vs. magnetization exponent at of
. Hyperscaling is found to be violated by , suggesting that the onset of ferromagnetism can be
related to percolation of a particular contact configuration of C
molecular orientations.Comment: 5 pages, including 3 figures; to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Bending and Base-Stacking Interactions in Double-Stranded Semiflexible Polymer
Simple expressions for the bending and the base-stacking energy of
double-stranded semiflexible biopolymers (such as DNA and actin) are derived.
The distribution of the folding angle between the two strands is obtained by
solving a Schr\"{o}dinger equation variationally. Theoretical results based on
this model on the extension versus force and extension versus degree of
supercoiling relations of DNA chain are in good agreement with the experimental
observations of Cluzel {\it et al.} [Science {\bf 271}, 792 (1996)], Smith {\it
et al.} [{\it ibid.} {\bf 271}, 795 (1996)], and Strick {\it et al.} [{\it
ibid.} {\bf 271}, 1835 (1996)].Comment: 8 pages in Revtex format, with 4 EPS figure
Gate-induced band ferromagnetism in an organic polymer
We propose that a chain of five-membered rings (polyaminotriazole) should be
ferromagnetic with an appropriate doping that is envisaged to be feasible with
an FET structure. The ferromagnetism is confirmed by a spin density functional
calculation, which also shows that ferromagnetism survives the Peierls
instability. We explain the magnetism in terms of Mielke and Tasaki's flat-band
ferromagnetism with the Hubbard model. This opens a new possibility of band
ferromagnetism in purely organic polymers.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure
A DMRG Study of Low-Energy Excitations and Low-Temperature Properties of Alternating Spin Systems
We use the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) method to study the
ground and low-lying excited states of three kinds of uniform and dimerized
alternating spin chains. The DMRG procedure is also employed to obtain
low-temperature thermodynamic properties of these systems. We consider a 2N
site system with spins and alternating from site to site and
interacting via a Heisenberg antiferromagnetic exchange. The three systems
studied correspond to being equal to and
; all of them have very similar properties. The ground state is found
to be ferrimagnetic with total spin . We find that there is
a gapless excitation to a state with spin , and a gapped excitation to
a state with spin . Surprisingly, the correlation length in the ground
state is found to be very small for this gapless system. The DMRG analysis
shows that the chain is susceptible to a conditional spin-Peierls instability.
Furthermore, our studies of the magnetization, magnetic susceptibility
and specific heat show strong magnetic-field dependences. The product
shows a minimum as a function of temperature T at low magnetic fields; the
minimum vanishes at high magnetic fields. This low-field behavior is in
agreement with earlier experimental observations. The specific heat shows a
maximum as a function of temperature, and the height of the maximum increases
sharply at high magnetic fields. Although all the three systems show
qualitatively similar behavior, there are some notable quantitative differences
between the systems in which the site spin difference, , is large
and small respectively.Comment: 16 LaTeX pages, 13 postscript figure
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