Analysis of micro- and nano-structures of the corneal surface of Drosophila and its mutants by atomic force microscopy and optical diffraction.

Drosophila melanogaster is a model organism instrumental for numerous biological studies. The compound eye of this insect consists of some eight hundred individual ommatidia or facets, ca. 15 µm in cross-section. Each ommatidium contains eighteen cells including four cone cells secreting the lens material (cornea). High-resolution imaging of the cornea of different insects has demonstrated that each lens is covered by the nipple arrays--small outgrowths of ca. 200 nm in diameter. Here we for the first time utilize atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate nipple arrays of the Drosophila lens, achieving an unprecedented visualization of the architecture of these nanostructures. We find by Fourier analysis that the nipple arrays of Drosophila are disordered, and that the seemingly ordered appearance is a consequence of dense packing of the nipples. In contrast, Fourier analysis confirms the visibly ordered nature of the eye microstructures--the individual lenses. This is different in the frizzled mutants of Drosophila, where both Fourier analysis and optical imaging detect disorder in lens packing. AFM reveals intercalations of the lens material between individual lenses in frizzled mutants, providing explanation for this disorder. In contrast, nanostructures of the mutant lens show the same organization as in wild-type flies. Thus, frizzled mutants display abnormal organization of the corneal micro-, but not nano-structures. At the same time, nipples of the mutant flies are shorter than those of the wild-type. We also analyze corneal surface of glossy-appearing eyes overexpressing Wingless--the lipoprotein ligand of Frizzled receptors, and find the catastrophic aberration in nipple arrays, providing experimental evidence in favor of the major anti-reflective function of these insect eye nanostructures. The combination of the easily tractable genetic model organism and robust AFM analysis represents a novel methodology to analyze development and architecture of these surface formations

Under- and over-water halves of Gyrinidae beetle eyes harbor different corneal nanocoatings providing adaptation to the water and air environments.

Whirligig beetles (Gyrinidae) inhabit water surfaces and possess unique eyes which are split into the overwater and underwater parts. In this study we analyze the micro- and nanostructure of the split eyes of two Gyrinidae beetles genera, Gyrinus and Orectochilus. We find that corneae of the overwater ommatidia are covered with maze-like nanostructures, while the corneal surface of the underwater eyes is smooth. We further show that the overwater nanostructures possess no anti-wetting, but the anti-reflective properties with the spectral preference in the range of 450-600 nm. These findings illustrate the adaptation of the corneal nanocoating of the two halves of an insect's eye to two different environments. The novel natural anti-reflective nanocoating we describe may find future technological applications

The population dynamics of the bony tongue, Heterotis niloticus (Cuvier, 1829) in the Cross River, Nigeria

The population dynamics of Heterotis niloticus of the Cross River, Nigeria was investigated for 15 months (October 2010 – December 2011) with the aim to determine the population parameters including growth and mortality rates. Time series data on the length - frequency distribution was collected from the artisanal landings using cast nets and gill nets at Ayadehe and Oku Ibuko beaches in Itu L.G.A. of Akwa Ibom State. The length - frequency data were analysed using FiSAT (FAO - ICLARM Stock Assessment tools). Maximum length of H. niloticus obtained from the field was 92.0 cm with a corresponding weight of 6.0 kg. Population parameters from length – frequency analysis were estimated as follows: Asymptotic length (L∞) = 103.87cm total length, growth coefficient (K) = 0.32 per year, amplitude of oscillation (C = 0.5) and winter point (WP) = 0.6. The K value of 0.32 showed that the fish is a slow growing species. The WP of 0.6 suggests that H. niloticus experiences slowest growth rate in the months of June – July possibly associated with spawning activity and low ambient temperature recorded during this period. The longevity was estimated at 9 years 4 months and growth performance index (o’) was 3.54. The fish instantaneous total mortality (Z) was estimated at 1.51 per year; natural mortality (M) was 0.608; fishing mortality (F) was 0.902 and exploitation rate (E) of 0.60. This exploitation rate indicates that fishing mortality is becoming excessive and is therefore being overfished. Possible interventions and recommendations are that the effort be reduced or stabilized. The close of fishery in July - August, the peak of reproduction is recommended and should be implemented. In addition, mesh size be increased to reduce growth overfishing on juveniles and sub adults. Key words: Heterotis niloticus, population dynamics, Cross River, Nigeri

Synthesis and Structural Elucidation of Nanoscale Manganese-Bamboo Composites.

Owing to the unique features inherent in nanomaterials particularly nanocomposites, enormous attention has been directed at their methods of synthesis, functionalization and modification for broader applications. In this study, chemical and biological methods were employed for the synthesis of nanoscale manganese bamboo composite (nMn-bamboo) with subsequent characterisation. The nanomaterials (nMn and nMn-bamboo) were prepared via aqueous phase borohydride reduction and plant mediated method using curry (Murrayakoenigii) leafextracts under ambient conditions. Characterization was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and particle induced x-ray emission (PIXE) analysis. Significant aggregation and morphological variations were observed among the composites from the SEM micrograph. The XRD analysis revealed the existence of two different manganese oxides peaks in the composites while the FTIR spectra showed the presence of bands at 3441.12 cm-1, 1728.28 cm-1, 1639.55 cm-1, 1604.83 cm-1, 1371.43 cm-1 and1332.86 cm-1 on the surface of both composites. The nMn-bamboo (plant) had lower concentration of elements (Mn, Al and Si) than nMn-bamboo (chemical) whereas the elements detected in significant concentrations were Mn, Al, Si, and Cl