A note on the specific cuticle structure of wool hairs in otters (Lutrinae)

The cuticle structure of the wool hairs (secondary hairs) of six otter species was examined by scanning electron microscopy to clarify the specific function of this hair type in the Lutrinae. The species studied were chosen according to the different genera, climatic regions, and degrees of association to water of the Lutrinae. Independent of their preferred habitats, the cuticle of every wool hair examined exhibited in all animals a rather similar shape and arrangement of the scales. This specific adaptive feature allows a flexible interlocking of adjacent wool hairs, which also helps to form thin wool hair bundles that surround small oval shaped spaces. Thus, the trapping of an effective insulating air layer is facilitated and heat loss from the body is reduced.     

Chemical Characterization of Melanins in Sheep Wool and Human Hair

The color of hair and wool in mammals and feathers in birds is mostly determined by the quantity and quality of melanins that are synthesized in follicular melanocytes and transferred to keratinocytes. There are two chemically distinct types of melanin pigments: the black to brown eumelanins and the yellow to reddish pheomelanins. Melanins in sheep wool and human hair of various colors were characterized by HPLC methods to estimate 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA)-derived units in eumelanins and benzothiazine units in pheomelanins. Melanins were also characterized by spectrophotometric methods after differential solubilization in alkalies. It was demonstrated that 1) black wool in Asiatic sheep contains eumelanin with the DHICA content similar to black mouse melanin, while black to brown melanins from human hair contain much lower ratios of DHICA-derived units, comparable to the slaty mutation in mice, 2) dark brown to brown hair in human contains eumelanin whose chemical properties are indistinguishable from those of black hair, 3) dark red wool and red human hair contain pheomelanic pigments whose chemical properties are rather different from those of yellow pheomelanins in mice, and 4) light brown, blonde, and red hairs in human can be differentiated from each other with this methodology.     

Hair density in the Eurasian otter <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lutra lutra</Emphasis> and the Sea otter <Emphasis Type="Italic">Enhydra lutris</Emphasis>

The hair density of adult Eurasian otters Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758) and sea otters Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) was analysed using skin samples taken from frozen carcasses. Lutra lutra exhibited a mean hair density of about 70 000 hairs/cm² (whole body, appendages excepted), the mean individual density ranging from about 60 000 to 80 000 hairs/cm². The dominant hair type were secondary hairs (wool hairs), the hair coat comprising only 1.26% of primary hairs (PH). Secondary hair (SH) density remained constant over the body (appendages excepted), whereas a few variations in PH density were observed. Neither an influence of the sex, nor a seasonal variation of the hair coat was found, moulting seems to be continuous. Enhydra lutris had a hair density between 120 000 and 140 000 hairs/cm², the primary hairs representing less than 1% within the hair coat. Hair density remained quite constant over the regions of the trunk but was lower at the head (about 60 000 hairs/cm² on the cheek). The hair follicles were arranged in specific groups with different bundles of varying size, normally comprising dominant numbers of wool hair (SH) follicles. Invariably there was always a large central primary hair follicle and numerous sebaceous glands between the bundles and principally around the PH follicles. The results are discussed related to possible ecological influences on hair coat density.     

Comparative genomics analyses of alpha-keratins reveal insights into evolutionary adaptation of marine mammals

Background

Diversity of hair in marine mammals was suggested as an evolutionary innovation to adapt aquatic environment, yet its genetic basis remained poorly explored. We scanned α-keratin genes, one major structural components of hair, in 16 genomes of mammalian species, including seven cetaceans, two pinnipeds, polar bear, manatee and five terrestrial species.

Results

Extensive gene loss and high pseudogenization rate of α-keratin genes were identified in cetaceans when compared to terrestrial artiodactylans (average number of α-keratins 37.29 vs. 58.33; pseudogenization rate 29.89% vs. 8.00%), especially of hair follicle-specific keratin genes (average pseudogenization rate in cetaceans of 43.88% relative to 3.80% artiodactylian average). Compared to toothed whale, the much more number of intact functional α-keratin genes was examined in the baleen whale that had specific keratinized baleen. In contrast, the number of keratin genes in pinnipeds, polar bear and manatee were comparable to those of their respective terrestrial relatives. Additionally, four keratin genes (K39, K9, K42, and K74) were found to be pseudogenes or lost uniquely in cetaceans and manatees.

Conclusions

Species-specific evolution of α-keratin gene family identified in the marine mammals might be responsible for their different hair characteristics. Increased gene loss and pseudogenization rate identified in cetacean lineages was likely to contribute to hair-less phenotype to adaptation for complete aquatic environment. However, the fully aquatic manatee still remained the comparable number of intact genes to its terrestrial relative, probably due to its perioral bristles and bristle-like hairs on the oral disk. By contrast, similar evolution pattern of α-keratin gene repertoire in the pinnipeds, polar bear and their terrestrial relatives was likely due to abundant hair to keep warm when they went ashore. Interestingly, some keratin genes were exclusively lost in cetaceans and manatees, likely as a result of convergent hair-loss phenotype to inhabit completely aquatic environment in both groups.

     

Genetic analysis of hair samples attributed to yeti,bigfoot and other anomalous primates

In the first ever systematic genetic survey, we have used rigorous decontamination followed by mitochondrial 12S RNA sequencing to identify the species origin of 30 hair samples attributed to anomalous primates. Two Himalayan samples, one from Ladakh, India, the other from Bhutan, had their closest genetic affinity with a Palaeolithic polar bear, Ursus maritimus. Otherwise the hairs were from a range of known extant mammals.     

Assessing stress in Western Hudson Bay polar bears using hair cortisol concentration as a biomarker

The development of novel biomarkers to help assess whether polar bear (Ursus maritimus) health is impacted by long-term physiological stress associated with climate change represents an emerging area of research. Reductions in sea ice cover and food availability are potentially stressful, and chronic stress can have deleterious effects that may impair individual and population level health. Cortisol is the principal effector hormone of the stress response and has previously been linked to aspects of polar bear life history (e.g., reproduction and growth) known to be negatively influenced by environmental change. Understanding stress is important for polar bears at the southern limit of their range, such as those in Western Hudson Bay (WH), where rapidly changing sea ice phenology threatens population viability. We examined the relationships between age, reproductive status, and body condition (fatness) and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in 729 polar bear hair samples collected in WH from 2004–2013. Overall, there was a negative relationship between fatness and HCC, suggesting that bears in poorer body condition experienced higher levels of stress. However, when reproductive status was included in our analysis, this relationship only held for male and lone female bears. Females with dependent offspring had consistently low fatness and elevated HCC, likely because of the high cost of maternal care. We also found a positive correlation between HCC and age for: (1) bears in poor body condition, possibly due to nutritional stress compounding effects of aging; and (2) male bears, potentially due to stress and injury associated with intrasexual mate competition. These findings support the use of HCC as a biomarker for polar bear health. Furthermore, we have established a HCC benchmark against which future population-level effects of climate change in WH polar bears can be compared.     

Bear-hybrids: behaviour and phenotype

The behaviour of a female and a male bear hybrid (brown bear Ursus arctos x polar bear Ursus maritimus) was studied. Behavioural and morphological comparisons between the hybrids and the two parent-species were made.The observation period covered July to November 2007. Different objects were offered to the bears to evoke new patterns of behaviour. While manipulating the offered objects, both bears showed elements of behaviour also found in polar bears, though the male performed those to a larger extend. Not only in the way of manipulating objects but also in the male's type of stereotype parallels to polar bears can be drawn. Phenotypically both bears possess features of both species, brown bear and polar bear. Concerning it lighter colour of fur and the structure of hair the female hybrid resembles more a polar bear than the male. Summarising, the female appears phenotypically more like a polar bear, the male with respect to the behaviour.     

Application of Plasmonics in Solar Cell Efficiency Improvement: a Brief Review on Recent Progress

We need electrical energy for our various daily life activities, and the existing fossil fuel will serve the purpose for a limited period only. Therefore, we need to look at alternate energy resources for long-term sustainable growth. Solar energy has been considered as one of the potential viable alternate sources of non-conventional energy. Solar photon harvesting is a technique where solar photon energy is being converted to electrical energy using solar cell devices. However, the solar power conversion efficiency is usually seen to be poor limiting the applications to large extent. Improving solar cell efficiency has, thus, been a great challenge to researchers who are actively working in this field. Various technological aspects are being looked at to improve efficiency, and out of them, plasmonic light trapping technique has been considered as one of the promising techniques. In the past years, considerable research efforts are being made towards the design and execution of the solar cell devices and to understand the mechanisms of performance enhancement. The present review outlines briefly the recent progress of plasmonic solar cell efficiency improvement that has happened, especially, for last 5–6 years. Plasmonic solar cells made of Si (silicon), GaAs (gallium arsenide); plasmonic dye-sensitized solar cells; plasmonic polymer (organic) solar cells and perovskite solar cells are mainly discussed along with the critical aspects that may influence the device performance.

     

Cyclic hair-loss and regrowth in transgenic mice overexpressing an intermediate filament gene.

We have produced transgenic mice containing up to 250 copies of a sheep wool intermediate filament keratin gene to study the effect of its expression on hair structure and development. Several transgenic lines expressed the gene and in the one containing 250 transgenes, a pattern of hair-loss and regrowth was stably established. Successive waves of hair growth follow periods of denuding like the natural progression of hairs in the mouse hair cycle. By in situ hybridization we have shown that the sheep transgenes are expressed at the correct stage in mouse hair development and at a high level. The transgenic hairs contain not only an elevated level of intermediate filament keratin protein but also a decreased level of the filament-associated proteins. This imbalance disrupts the normal ordered array of these proteins in the cells of the hair cortex and leads to weakened fibres which are prematurely lost.     

室内养殖雌性松鼠秋季换毛期被毛长度和保温性能变化

为了解松鼠东北亚种(Sciurus vulgaris manchuricus)秋季换毛期的被毛性状与保温性能变化的关系,选取2011年9月25日至12月15日期间采集的在哈尔滨室内人工养殖的27张雌性松鼠东北亚种生皮为材料,对背臀部毛皮样本进行传热性能测试,同时对该部位的披针毛、绒毛的长度和毛根出现无髓样本比例进行测量计算。结果表明:1)随着秋季换毛期的时间后移,新生冬毛长度不断增加,毛皮传热系数不断减小。当被毛生长结束时,保温性能达到恒定。2)披针毛长度、绒毛长度、披针毛毛根无髓段比例、绒毛毛根无髓段比例这4个被毛性状因子两两呈极显著正相关(P<0.01),且此4个性状因子皆与毛皮传热系数呈极显著负相关(P<0.01)。以上反映了在气温渐冷的秋季换毛期每时间阶段被毛的长度、生长程度、保温性能的具体变化及相互关系。     

Hair type,intake, and detection method influence Rhodamine B detectability

Rhodamine B (RB) is a popular bait-marking tool in wildlife research, although its use has required many assumptions about marking reliability. These assumptions have limited dosage ranges and detection methods in research applications. Identification of alternate detection methods, hair types, and dosage rates could create new opportunities for RB use and potentially reduce adverse effects on target animals. We examined the relationship between hair types, dosage rate, and detection method for RB applications using black rats (Rattus rattus) in laboratory settings. We gave study animals varying doses of RB, and examined vibrissae and guard hairs for the detection of RB bands using ambient light, ultraviolet (UV) light, and fluorescence microscopy techniques. Fluorescence microscopy detected more RB marked hairs than UV light or ambient light. Fluorescence microscopy was more sensitive to RB dose rate detection; with receiver operating characteristic curves suggesting that the minimum dose rates at which RB intake can be correctly detected are 3.9 and 33 mg/kg for vibrissae and guard hairs, respectively. Guard hair RB detection was less reliable under ambient light and UV lamps, but equally detectable as vibrissae under fluorescence microscopy. Our results confirmed the interrelationship between dosage and detection methods in the efficacy of bait markers. We demonstrated that guard hairs can be a reliable hair type for the detection of RB. This application is less invasive than sampling animal tissues to detect bait uptake. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.     

Fine structure of tarsal sensilla of Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae)

The tarsi of all three pairs of legs of both sexes of Aedes aegypti (L.) bear spine sensilla, five types of hair sensilla, which are designated A, B, C1, C2 and C3, and campaniform sensilla. Type A and B hairs, spines, and cam-paniform sensilla are innervated by one neuron with a tubular body, a characteristic of cuticular mechanoreceptors. In particular the hairs and spines are tactile receptors and the campaniform sensilla are proprioceptors. The C1, C2, and C3 hair sensilla have the morphological features of contact chemoreceptors. Type C1 and C3 hairs are innervated by five and four neurons, respectively, which extend to the tip of the hair. Type C2 is innervated by five neurons, one of which terminates at the base of the hair in a tubular body while the remaining four extend to the tip of the hair. The role of the type C hairs in oviposition behavior, nectar feeding, and recognition of conspecific females is discussed. Presumed efferent neurosecretory fibers occur near the spine and hair sensilla.     

Receptor-like protein kinases:Key regulators controlling root hair development in Arabidopsis thaliana

Root hairs are tubular outgrowths specifically differentiated from epidermal cells in a differentiation zone. The formation of root hairs greatly increases the surface area of a root and maximizes its ability to absorb water and inorganic nutrients essential for plant growth and development. Root hair development is strictly regulated by intracellular and intercellular signal communications. Cell surface-localized receptor-like protein kinases(RLKs) have been shown to be important components in these cellular processes. In this review,the functions of a number of key RLKs in regulating Arabidopsis root hair development are discussed, especially those involved in root epidermal cell fate determination and root hair tip growth.     

Solar heating of mammals: Observations of hair transmittance

The transmission of solar radiation through animal coats by diffuse scattering is well known, but the part played by hair structure has not been examined. Transmittance of light through single guard hairs of 6 marine and 5 terrestrial mammals was measured through a microscope and values ranging from 0.29 to 0.94 were found. The hair transmittance was negatively correlated with pigmentation and medullation. Stepwise regression analysis indicates that solar heating at skin level is correlated with both hair transmittance and coat reflectance besides being coupled with coat thickness.     

The Arabidopsis Rop2 GTPase is a positive regulator of both root hair initiation and tip growth

Root hairs provide a model system for the study of cell polarity. We examined the possibility that one or more members of the distinct plant subfamily of RHO monomeric GTPases, termed Rop, may function as molecular switches regulating root hair growth. Specific Rops are known to control polar growth in pollen tubes. Overexpressing Rop2 (Rop2 OX) resulted in a strong root hair phenotype, whereas overexpressing Rop7 appeared to inhibit root hair tip growth. Overexpressing Rops from other phylogenetic subgroups of Rop did not give a root hair phenotype. We confirmed that Rop2 was expressed throughout hair development. Rop2 OX and constitutively active GTP-bound rop2 (CA-rop2) led to additional and misplaced hairs on the cell surface as well as longer hairs. Furthermore, CA-rop2 depolarized root hair tip growth, whereas Rop2 OX resulted in hairs with multiple tips. Dominant negative GDP-bound Rop2 reduced the number of hair-forming sites and led to shorter and wavy hairs. Green fluorescent protein-Rop2 localized to the future site of hair formation well before swelling formation and to the tip throughout hair development. We conclude that the Arabidopsis Rop2 GTPase acts as a positive regulatory switch in the earliest visible stage in hair development, swelling formation, and in tip growth.     

不同品种来源广藿香叶表皮毛特征比较分析

叶表皮毛特征作为药用植物的"微性状"特征,被越来越多地应用于植物学分类研究中,表皮毛的生长发育状态可以直接影响药材的整体品质。广藿香主要含有挥发油成分,叶表皮毛中的腺毛是其挥发油的主要合成分泌场所,而非腺毛可以起到保护作用,影响其长势和产量。为了探讨叶表皮毛特征在广藿香品种鉴别方面的意义,该研究以8个不同品种来源以及2个采收期(6月末和10月末)的广藿香的顶叶、第4对生叶及底叶为材料,采用水合氯醛透化法制片,于光学显微镜下观察拍照,使用Microsoft Excel 2019统计数据,采用SPSS 23.0统计学软件对叶表皮毛密度、腺毛直径进行方差分析、主成分分析和聚类分析。结果表明:同一品种来源,不同采收期的广藿香叶表皮毛密度有显著性差异,6月末采收的广藿香叶表皮毛密度显著低于10月末采收的;根据叶表皮毛(非腺毛、头状腺毛、盾状腺毛)密度及腺毛直径,可将相同采收期的8个不同品种来源广藿香分为4类,且可以将已知品种来源的南香、肇香和牌香分开,与传统分类结果有着很好的一致性。叶表皮毛密度和腺毛直径在广藿香的分类中具有一定的参考意义,并为广藿香药材品质形成机制的研究提供参考。     

Polar bear stress hormone cortisol fluctuates with the North Atlantic Oscillation climate index

Polar bears are heavily dependent on sea ice for hunting sufficient prey to meet their energetic needs. When the bears are left fasting, it may cause a rise in the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is the major corticosteroid hormone in most mammals, including polar bears. Production and regulation of this stress hormone are vital for the body as it is part of a myriad of processes, including in relation to metabolism, growth, development, reproduction, and immune function. In the present study, we examined the correlation between East Greenland polar bear hair cortisol concentration (HCC), a matrix that reflects longer-term hormone levels, and the fluctuations of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, a large-scale climate phenomenon applied as a proxy for sea ice extent in the Greenland Sea along the coast of East Greenland. In doing so, a significant positive correlation (r = 0.88; p = 0.0004) was found between polar bear hair cortisol and the NAO, explaining 77 % of the variation in HCC observed between years over the period 1989–2009. This result indicates that interannual fluctuations in climate and ice cover have a substantial influence on longer-term cortisol levels in East Greenland polar bears. Further research into the implications and consequences inherent in this correlation are recommended, preferably across multiple polar bear populations.     

Experimental studies of diaspore attachment to animal coats: predicting epizoochorous dispersal potential

The transport of diaspores on animal hairs depends on the ability of a diaspore to attach to the hair and to be retained in it over longer periods of time. Whereas several studies of diaspore retention on animal hairs have been conducted recently, the process of diaspore attachment to the hair has not yet been studied systematically. We describe a new method to quantify the attachment potential (AtP) of plant diaspores. Attachment potential was measured as the proportion of diaspores of a given species that attached to pieces of an animal coat in a standardised experiment. The experiment was conducted for 58 plant species (herbs and grasses) and three different coat types: sheep wool, cattle and roe deer hair. Attachment potentials differed widely between the three coat types, but also between plant species. We found diaspore surface structure (a quantitative measure of diaspore morphology) and diaspore exposition (describing the morphology of the infructescence) to be the most important plant traits regulating AtP. An influence of seed mass on attachment potential could not be detected. For sheep wool, a general linear model (with diaspore exposure as a factor and diaspore surface structure as covariate) explained 77% of the variation in AtPs. To validate this model, we predicted AtPs for 27 additional species and compared these to the measured Atps; the predicted and measured AtPscorrelated significantly with r _s = 0.68. A comparison of attachment and retention potentials to sheep wool for 127 randomly selected plant species showed that attachment and retention are only very weakly correlated, indicating that both processes act rather independently of each other. Since many diaspores seem to perform well in only one of these processes, attachment can be considered to be as equally as decisive as retention in terms of epizoochorous dispersal. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Small structures fabricated using ash-forming biological materials as templates

Different ash-forming biological materials such as gills of mushrooms, cotton wool, silk fiber, spider silk, dog's hair, and human hair were examined as templates to fabricate small structures. Ashes obtained from gills of mushrooms, silk fiber, and spider silk were miniaturized replicas of the original materials, whereas ashes from dog's hair and human hair were tubes. These materials were successfully coated with different inorganic materials by interface-selective sol-gel polymerization. Calcining coated materials yielded structures composed of ash and coated inorganic materials such as silica, titania, copper oxide, aluminum oxide, and iron oxide. Fully calcined ashes from native materials and materials coated with silica were usually 1/3 and 1/5 as large as their original materials, respectively. Silica-ash hybrid materials were much more rigid than ash materials. Incompletely calcined human hairs formed tubes with thick carbonized walls, and their inside morphologies suggested that medulla in human hairs might be responsible for tube formation. Preparation of complex tubular structures was possible as tied hairs did not break during calcination. Results in this study showed biological materials were useful as templates for fabricating inorganic structures regardless of ash formation.