The composition and structure of rotiferan and crustacean communities of the lower rio nhamundá, amazonas,Brazil

The crustaceans and rotifers of 17 samples from the plankton and 3 from the littoral from lakes of the lower Rio Nhamundá, an affluent of the Amazon were studied.

145 taxa of rotifers and 46 of crustaceans were found; two rotifers and three crustaceans are new to science: Keratella americana nhamundaiensis, Euchlanis triquetra var. nhamudaiensis, Echinisca superaculeata, E. sioli, and E. mira. In the taxonomical part 24 rotiferan and 22 crustacean taxa are described in more detail, drawings of them given, and partly remarks made about the geographical distribution.

In the biocenotical part the conditions of dominances were studied: Brachionus zahniseri and Keratella americana within the rotifers and Bosminopsis deitersi and Oithona amazonica within the crustaceans are the dominant species in the pelagial. In the littorial Synchaeta stylata and Stre‐blocerus pygmaeus were found to be dominant.

The species diversity and also the evenness is higher within the rotifers than in the crustaceans. By means of an index of similarity dendrograms were drawn where groups of lakes can be differentiated by using the similarity between the crustaceans. The proportion of neotropical species in relation to pantropical and cosmopolitical species is lowest in the rotifers, higher in the cladocerans and highest in the copepods at 100%.     

The language of systematics,and the philosophy of ‘total evidence’

This contribution analyses the primacy of classification over generalization, and the philosophy of total evidence that emerges from the relation of homology to character statements. Primary conjectures of homology are basic character statements, i.e. statements that predicate properties of organisms, properties that are instantiated by those organisms and/or their parts. Secondary conjectures of homology are embedded in a second‐level (metalinguistic) discourse that turns on the coherence or incoherence of those basic character statements relative to a hierarchy. The coherence or incoherence of character statements is a logical relation between statements, not a causal (historical) relation between organisms. The choice of the hypothesis of relationships that is supported by the largest set of coherent basic character statements is based on the empirical presupposition that the properties referred to by the set of coherent character statements are grounded in causally efficacious relations of inheritance and ontogeny, and co‐instantiated because they are inherited through common ancestry (Hennig's auxiliary principle). Unless that empirical presupposition is causally grounded, phylogeny reconstruction is of an inherently probabilistic nature, whether under parsimony or other models of analysis. The causal grounding of a coherent set of character statements typically seeks a link between character statements and causally efficacious generative mechanisms for morphological characters (as is defeasibly indicated by topology and connectivity), or secondary structure information for molecular characters.     

The Evolution of the idea of homeostasis: Determinism,stochastics, and chaos–self-organization

Homeostasis is a basic concept in investigating all living systems. Homeostasis and life are synonyms to a certain extent. The concept of homeostasis has been studied and developed for more than 150 years; however, only the 21st century brought us close to understanding homeostasis as a state of a biosystem and a continuous process. The chaos and self-organization theory (CSOT) proves that the conventional views based on determinism (functional analysis) or stochastics (when stochastic uncertainty or certainty occurs) cannot describe homeostasis as defined by W.B. Cannon and his followers. The new CSOT shows a clear boundary between determinism, stochastics (and deterministic chaos), and third-type systems, which have five special properties (principles of self-organization) and can be described in terms of quasiattractors. Kinematics is understood as the motion of quasi-attractors in the phase spaces of states. Complexity is introduced as the rate of evolution of complex biological systems, differing from the definition by Prigogine–Glansdorff. At the same time, concepts of uncertainty of the first and second types and an analog of the Heisenberg calculus are introduced for complexity. According to these concepts, complex biosystems are transferred from the area of traditional science to a new area of the theory of chaos and self-organization.     

The yins and yangs of ceramide

Since their discovery over 100 years ago,sphingolipids have caught the eyes and the imagination of scientists.Modern science has made many new insights on the cell biology and day-to-day functions of many integral sphingolipids,especially those of ceramids.Ceramide is recognized as a vital second messenger in the signal transduction process mediated by receptors of many cytokines and growth factors.A great part of our current understanding of ceramide has been achieved from apoptosis-related studies,however recent data in the fields of immunology,endocrinology and neurobiology,also suggest a fundamental involvement of ceramide in the onset of diseases.Therefore,understanding the diology of ceramide could be a key to unraveling many biological mechanisms and provide information for the treatment of some common diseases.     

Jiuzhaigou, The World Natural Heritage and the member of CBRN

For thousands of years, Jiuzhaigou was hidden in the mountain ranges of the plateau northwest of Sichuan. It was left to the hand of nature and human activities seemed insignificant. For a long time, there were only narrow paths for horse travels and the local Tibetans lived a self-sufficient     

An Inordinate Fondness? The Number,Distributions, and Origins of Diatom Species

The number of extant species of diatoms is estimated here to be at least 30,000 and probably ca. 100,000, by extrapolation from an eclectic sample of genera and species complexes. Available data, although few, indicate that the pseudocryptic species being discovered in many genera are not functionally equivalent. Molecular sequence data show that some diatom species are ubiquitously dispersed. A good case can be made that at least some diatom species and even a few genera are endemics, but many such claims are still weak. The combination of very large species numbers and relatively rapid dispersal in diatoms is inconsistent with some versions of the “ubiquity hypothesis” of protist biogeography, and appears paradoxical. However, population genetic data indicate geographical structure in all the (few) marine and freshwater species that have been examined in detail, sometimes over distances of a few tens of kilometres. The mode of speciation may often be parapatric, in the context of a constantly shifting mosaic of temporarily isolated (meta) populations, but if our “intermediate dispersal hypothesis” is true (that long‐distance dispersal is rare, but not extremely rare), allopatric speciation could also be maximized.     

The Lengthening of a Giant Protein: When, How, and Why?

Subcommissural organ (SCO)-spondin is a giant glycoprotein of more than 5000 amino acids found in Vertebrata, expressed in the central nervous system and constitutive of Reissner’s fiber. For the first time, in situ hybridization performed on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos shows that the gene encoding this protein is expressed transitionally in the floor plate, the ventral midline of the neural tube, and later in the diencephalic third ventricle roof, the SCO. The modular organization of the protein in Echinodermata (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), Urochordata (Ciona savignyi and C. intestinalis), and Vertebrata (Teleostei, Amphibia, Aves and Mammalia) is also described. As the thrombospondin type 1 repeat motifs represent an increasingly large part of the protein during Deuterostomia evolution, the duplication mechanisms leading to this complex organization are examined. The functional significance of the particularly well-preserved arrangement of the series of SCO-spondin repeat motifs and thombospondin type 1 repeats is discussed. Electronic Supplementary Material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

The politics of “understanding”: secrecy,language, and Manouche song

This article explores how song operates as a forum through which Alsatian Manouches (a subgroup of Romanies/“Gypsies”) negotiate social relations with non-Manouches and with each other. Two of the most salient identity markers for Manouches are music and language. Whereas Manouches regard instrumental music as a legitimate means of engaging with non-Manouche people, it is often considered inappropriate to share their spoken dialect of Romani with others. As a combination of both, Manouche song represents a complex juncture of volition and apprehension towards their interactions with non-Manouches. Drawing on fieldwork among Manouche and non-Manouche performers, I investigate how public Manouche vocal performance ironically connotes an ambivalence towards cross-cultural sharing, and how power relations unfold through varying degrees of linguistic concealment and openness. This article theorizes the (il-)legibility of the voice in music and illustrates how song reflects Manouche language ideologies in flux.     

The fusion of erythrocytes by fatty acids, esters, retinol and α-tocopherol

1. The ability of a number of carboxylic acids, their esters, retinol and alpha-tocopherol to induce fusion of hen erythrocytes in vitro was investigated. 2. Some 30 different fat-soluble substances (100mug/ml) were found to cause the formation of multinucleated erythrocytes with a suspension of 3x10(8) erythrocytes/ml. The most effective agents induced fusion within 5-10min at 37 degrees C; some substances required about 1h. 3. Inclusion of Dextran 60C in the test medium minimized colloid osmotic lysis caused by exogenous lipids that induce cell fusion. 4. Cell swelling, followed by cell adhesion, was then seen to precede cell fusion. 5. Fusion occurred with C(10)-C(14) saturated carboxylic acids, with unsaturated, longer-chain carboxylic acids and their mono-esters; retinol, and to a lesser extent alpha-tocopherol, also caused cell fusion. 6. C(6)-C(9), C(15), C(16) and C(18) saturated carboxylic acids did not induce fusion within 4h; glyceryl dioleate was only weakly active, and glyceryl trioleate was inactive in the test system. 7. Fusion was facilitated by a high ratio of chemical agents to cell number and by incubation between pH5 and 6. It was inhibited by EDTA and by serum albumin. 8. Glyceryl mono-oleate caused both a similar fusion of several species of mammalian erythrocyte and the interspecific fusion of human and chicken erythrocytes. 9. The term ;fusogenic' is proposed to describe chemical, viral and physical agents that cause membranes to fuse. 10. The biochemical mechanisms involved and the possible biological significance of membrane fusion by fusogenic lipids are discussed.     

The vertical distribution and abundance of gastropods and bivalves from rocky beaches of Cuastecomate Bay, Jalisco, México

The vertical distribution and abundance of conspicuous gastropod and bivalve species were studied at five rocky beaches in Cuastecomate Bay, Jalisco. Sampling was done from September, 1993 through March, 1994 with 0.75 m2 quadrants placed along replicate transect lines (10 m long) in the supralittoral and mesolittoral (upper, middle and lower intertidal) zones. A total of 6,643 mollusks were collected. Gastropods dominated the samples (6,272 individuals, 44 species); the bivalves were less abundant and diverse (371 individuals, five species). Seventeen species comprised 89.8% of all individuals collected. The gastropods Nodilittorina aspera and Nerita scabricosta were the most abundant with 637.8 and 71.43 individuals/m2, respectively. The most abundant bivalves were Brachidontes adamsianus and Chloromytilus palliopunctatus with 60.7 and 61.3 individuals/m2 respectively. The abundance of gastropods decreased from the supralittoral to the lower tidal zones while the number of species increased in the same direction. The number of species of bivalves also increased from the supralittoral to the lower intertidal zone; the abundance of individuals was higher at the middle intertidal zone. Affinities between groups of species among sampling stations were identified by computing Pearson's correlation coefficient using abundance values (ind./m2) and Jaccard's dissimilarity index using species presence or absence in the lower intertidal zone. Affinity among stations was not dependent upon their vicinity but on the high dominance of few species, the occurrence of many secondary species and beach characteristics.     

‘The Mind of Christ’: Financial Success,Born-again Personhood,and the Anthropology of Christianity

In this article, I contribute to the emerging project of the anthropology of Christianity by exploring the subject of born-again personhood. As a nascent field of inquiry, the anthropology of Christianity must delimit what theoretical opportunities exist for comparative research. I argue that a focus on personhood offers a promising series of questions toward this end. To illustrate this claim, I use the case study of one Evangelical Sunday school teacher – Rick Betcher – and his life as a ‘Christian businessman.’ Anthropologists and other scholars have shown great interest in how matters of money figure in the culture of Protestantism. Using Rick's self-designed Sunday school class, The Mind of Christ, I argue that conceptions of personal financial success among born-again Christians are structured by the prevailing model of born-again personhood – the New Mind.     

The phylogeny,evolutionary developmental biology,and paleobiology of the Deuterostomia: 25 years of new techniques,new discoveries,and new ideas

Over the past 25 years, new techniques, new discoveries, and new ideas have profoundly impacted our understanding of deuterostome interrelationships and, ultimately, deuterostome evolution. During the late 1980s and early 1990s morphological cladistic analyses made predictions about both taxonomic history and homology, predictions that would be tested independent of the morphological characters themselves with the advent of molecular systematics, the rise of evolutionary developmental biology, and continued exploration of the fossil record. Thanks to these three areas of inquiry, we have gone from scenarios where animals like mobile enteropneust hemichordates and chordates were derived from sessile filter-feeding animals like modern lophophorates, echinoderms, and pterobranch hemichordates, to a new perspective where hemichordates are recognized as the nearest living relative of the echinoderms, and that vagile gill-bearing animals like Cambrian vetulicolians are seen—at least by some—as close to the deuterostome last common ancestor, with both sessility and filter-feeding convergent features of deuterostomes (e.g., echinoderm) and non-deuterostomes (e.g., lophophorates) alike. Although much of the backbone of the new deuterostome phylogeny is supported by multiple independent data sets, as are statements of homology of several different morphological characters, in particular the homology of gill slits across Deuterostomia, nonetheless, the next quarter century of study on this remarkable group of animals promises to be as equally illuminating and exciting as the past quarter century.