Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of Arvicanthis: implications for systematics and taxonomy

Arvicanthis is an African murid, found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Sudan and Egypt. Although in the past 10 years several studies have been carried out to assess its systematics, there is still a need for a general revision of the genus. In this study the morphometric relationships between 71 populations throughout the range were investigated. A three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach was used to assess differences in the size and shape of the skull. These were related to the different biogeographical domains characterizing the range of the genus and to molecular and karyotypic phylogenies. Results agree only in part with phylogeny, and show a close relationship with the environmental backgrounds of each species. It is therefore suggested that the adaptation of Arvicanthis to local environment has played an important role in the phenotypic evolution of the skull. This leads to problems in taxonomic definitions based on morphometrics, which should not be used without comparison with other independently derived characters such as the DNA and the karyotype.     

Presence of a drifting algal bed in the Mar Piccolo basin,Taranto (Ionian Sea,Southern Italy)

A survey is reported of the drifting algal community in Mar Piccolo, a polluted basin subject to sewage outlets. The key role was played by a few key species, mainly floridean red algae.     

Age-Related Changes in Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Activity of Rat Brain, Liver, and Heart

Abstract: Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity was measured in brains, livers, and hearts of 23–26-month-old and 3-month-old rats. A significant increase of ALDH activity was found in whole brain of old rats with both acetaldehyde (39%) and propionylaldehyde (15%) used as substrates. In different brain areas of old rats, with acetaldehyde used as substrate, a significant increase of ALDH activity was found in striatum (30–50%) and cerebral cortex (37%). However, no significant difference in ALDH activity was found in livers and hearts of young and old rats. Preliminary experiments showed a significant increase of aldehyde reductase activity (52%) with p -nitrobenzaldehyde used as substrate in whole brain of old rats compared with young rats. The present work indicates that an increase of ALDH activity in brain of old rats may be an adaptive phenomenon.     

Form changes in the sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Moronidae: Teleostei), after acclimation to freshwater: an analysis using shape coordinates

Synopsis Morphological changes in the sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax (Perciformes: Moronidae), were investigated after an experimental acclimation trial to freshwater. The sea bass is an euryhaline species occurring in the Mediterranean and west Atlantic from 30° N to 55° N. Part of the offspring of a pool of breeders was acclimated to freshwater at 9 months of age while maintaining the original stock in marine water. The effect of acclimation to freshwater over the entire form of the fish was studied through geometric morphometrics (shape coordinates). Changes in the form were shown graphically as landmark displacements though age classes 7,12, 15, 19 and 24 months and were discussed in the light of integrated growth. A significantly faster growth in freshwater was detected. Shape coordinates analyzed through multivariate statistics show that significant differences in shape arise after acclimation to freshwater. Moreover, the uniform component of shape change reveals a major effect of stretching or compression perpendicular to the body axis which is common and conservative in both trials. Differences are discussed in terms of selection and ecophenotypism.     

Normal rat intestinal cells IEC-18: characterization and transfection with immortalizing oncogenes

IEC-18 cells, a cell line derived from the ileum of rat intestine, have the characteristics of normal cells since they have a contact inhibited cell growth, do not form colonies in soft agar and are not tumorigenic when injected in nude mice. IEC-18 cells were transfected with nuclear oncogenes, c-myc, v-myc and SV40 T antigen in order to obtain immortal cell lines. Independent clones were isolated and characterized for the growth properties. Expression of v-myc altered the morphology of the cells and shortened the doubling time. A slow growth together with a low cloning efficiency was associated with the expression of SV40 T antigen. No changes either in growth or in morphology were observed in c-myc-expressing IEC-18 cells. Expression of these nuclear oncogenes did not result in the neoplastic transformation of the IEC-18 cells, since none of the clones lost the anchorage dependence or were able to form tumors in vivo. The c-myc-containing IEC-18 cells were unable to secrete in the growth medium TGF and exposure to TGF inhibited the growth rate by 30%. All these observations are consistent with the conclusion that the expression of nuclear oncogenes does not lead to the neoplastic transformation of these cells.     

Changes in drinking water selenium and mortality for coronary disease in a residential cohort

In a part of the municipal territory of Reggio Emilia, northern Italy, selenium in drinking water decreased from 7 μg/L to less than 1 μg/L. In a cohort of 4419 individuals, previously exposed for at least 5 yr to the drinking water with higher selenium content, the 7-yr temporal distribution of deaths for coronary disease and for stroke was analyzed to examine a possible relationship with changes in drinking water selenium. From January 1986 until August 1988, when tap water selenium was 7 μg/L, deaths for coronary disease were one in males and two in females. After the decrease in drinking water selenium, 21 and 10 coronary deaths were observed, respectively, in males and in females from September 1988 to December 1992. No significant difference in the temporal distribution of stroke deaths was observed both in males and in females. Even if an effect of chance and aging in the temporal distribution of coronary deaths may not be excluded, findings of the study seem to be consistent with the hypothesis of a beneficial effect of selenium on coronary disease mortality.     

Vertical thin-layer photoreactor for controlled cultivation of cyanobacteria

Nostoc sp. was cultivated in an air-lift reactor with continuous recirculation of the head gas phase that aerated and agitated the cyanobacterial suspension at regulated flow rates. The supply of inorganic carbon for growth was coupled with pH control, in the range of 7.7 to 8.1, by intermittent sparging of CO₂-head gas mixtures. The formation of irregular bubbles with swirling motion at the photostage of the reactor promoted efficient CO₂ transference in dense populations of Nostoc sp. (1.1 g/l) when bubbling at flow rates of 10 l/min. Biomass productivity was almost six-fold higher in the photoreactor (16.4 mg/l.h) than in a conventional system (2.8 mg/l.h). The exponential growth phase of cultures in the photoreactor amounted to 60% of the total growth period.The authors are with the Laboratorio de Alimentos, Area Microbiologia, Facultad de Quimica Bioquimica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Chacabuco y Pedernera, 5700 San Luis, Argentina