Simulation of oscillating water movement in the laboratory for cultivation of shallow water sedentary organisms

1. Experiments in the natural habitat and under laboratory conditions have been conducted to analyse the factors responsible for the orientation of the fans of the colonial hydroidAglaophenia pluma. These experiments indicate that the prevailing direction of water movement significantly affects fan positioning. 2. Field experiments reveal thatAglaophenia pluma growing onCystoseira sp. orientates the dorsal side of its fans towards the base of this algae. After detaching and turning of substrate piecesA. pluma colonies lose their fans and re-orientate the regenerating fans prevailing to water current. 3. Laboratory experiments in running water onAglaophenia pluma var.teissieri show, as in the field, dorsal fan orientation perpendicular to the water current; however, rate of up growth is much slower than in the field. 4. Simulation of oscillating water movement, characteristic of the natural habitats of the species investigated, was possible via a special, newly designed pump system. The new system is described. 5. TheAglaophenia pluma var.teissieri fans were fixed with their rocky substrate on a turntable and exposed to the oscillating water movement in a current canal. After the fans have been cast off, the oscillating water movement induces a much higher rate of growth than the running water only. The orientation of the fans was strictly perpendicular to the current. 6. On the margins of the substrate exposed to the current, the fans were orientated with their dorsal surface toward the margin; in the centre of the rock fragments the fans are also strictly orientated perpendicular to the current with their dorsal sides showing in either direction. 7. A close study of the flow of current at the edges of the substrate showed that the whirls may diminish or even reverse the current coming from the substrate side. The orientation of the fans with their dorsal side outwards shows that they orientate themselves to the strongest current. 8. The orientation of a developing fan is basically determined by the first polyp. However, by slow, step by step turning of the upgrowing fan, a helically twisted fan could be obtained, indicating that secondary directioning is possible during growth. Twisted fans can also be found occasionally in the field; presumably they grew up under alternating current directions.Aglaophenia pluma var.teissieri exposed to permanent rotation give rise to regenerating fans which are orientated in the same way as the previous set of fans (preceding cast off).     

Peculiarities of adaptive behavior of mangrove molluscs at the Guinea coast

Orientation behavior of two species of littoral molluscs inhabiting mangrove brushwoods at the Guinea coast is studied under field and laboratory conditions. It is shown that Littorina angulifera able to breath air demonstrates a selective movement in the vertical direction upwards from the water surface to the rhizophlora crown. The partial bilateral extirpation of head feelers did not disturb the revealed orientation. The Tympanotus fuscatus inhabiting the slit ground has a tendency for agglomeration. The molluscs transferred at the distance up to 50 cm from the agglomeration try to return to it. The revealed reaction was confirmed by experiments in labyrinth. Extirpation of distal parts of head feelers reduced statistically significantly the orientation ability of the animals. Using video recording, a change of the mollusc movement rate in the labyrinth during orientation towards their conspecific clusters is shown. The biological significance and possible physiological mechanisms of the revealed reactions are discussed.     

Experiments on orientation of the intertidal barnacle Tesseropora rosea (Krauss)

The intertidal barnacle Tesseropora rosea (Krauss) exhibits very marked directionality of orientation on sloping and vertical surfaces. The barnacles are orientated so that their cirral fans face the water current; this pattern was found within 1 wk after settlement. Adults also showed similar orientation to the water current at each site.Three manipulative experiments were done in the field to determine the consequences of incorrect orientation by the barnacles. Correct orientation was necessary for T. rosea to maintain its tissue weight, but experimental rotation of barnacles through 90° or 180° made no difference to rates of shell growth, mortality or weight of egg masses. Furthermore, this species was unable to re-orientate once it had metamorphosed, and orientation of newly-settled barnacles was not influenced by that of adults.     

Quantification of the effect of cross-shear on the wear of conventional and highly cross-linked UHMWPE

A computational model has been developed to quantify the degree of cross-shear of a polyethylene pin articulating against a metallic plate, based on the direct simulation of a multidirectional pin-on-plate wear machine. The principal molecular orientation (PMO) was determined for each polymer site. The frictional work in the direction perpendicular to the PMO was assumed to produce the greatest orientation softening [Wang et al., 1997. Orientation softening in the deformation and wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. Wear 203-204, 230-241]. The cross-shear ratio (CS) was defined as the frictional work perpendicular to the PMO direction, divided by the total frictional work. Cross-shear on the pin contact surface was location specific, and of continuously changing magnitude because the direction of frictional force continuously changed due to pin rotation. The polymer pin motion was varied from a purely linear track (CS=0) up to a maximum rotation of +/-55 degrees (CS=0.254). The relationship between wear factors (K) measured experimentally and theoretically predicted CS was defined using logarithmic functions for both conventional and highly cross-linked ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). Cross-shear increased the apparent wear factor for both polyethylenes by more than fivefold compared to unidirectional wear.     

Migration speeds and orientation of Atlantic salmon and sea trout post-smolts in a Norwegian fjord system

We recorded the observed and actual swimming speeds of Atlantic salmon and sea trout post-smolts in a Norwegian fjord system, and initiated studies on the orientation mechanisms of the post-smolts. We tracked Atlantic salmon and sea trout with acoustic transmitters for up to 14 h after release. The actual swimming speed and direction of a fish relative to the ground is the vector sum of the observed movements of the fish and the movements of the water. We determined actual swimming speeds and directions of the post-smolts, which reflect their real swimming capacities and orientation, by corrections for the speed and direction of the water current. The post-smolts were actively swimming. The observed direction of movement was dependent on the actual movement of the fish and not the water current. Water currents were not systematically used as an orientation cue either in Atlantic salmon or sea trout, as the actual movements were random compared to the direction of the water current. The actual movement of sea trout were in all compass directions, with no systematic pattern. The Atlantic salmon also moved in all compass directions, but with the lowest frequency of actual movement towards the fjord.     

Patch shape and orientation influences on seagrass epifauna are mediated by dispersal abilities

While there have been theoretical arguments supporting the importance of the shape and orientation of habitat patches for determining species abundances, there have been few empirical demonstrations that these processes actually operate. Instead, most field studies have focussed on the importance of patch area, isolation and edge effects. I demonstrate that passively dispersed seagrass epifauna respond to the shape and orientation of artificial seagrass patches when currents, the dispersal mechanism, are strong, but not when they are weak. Orientation is important because animals dispersing via tidally induced water currents move predominantly in a single direction, and thus patches oriented across the current intercept more potential colonists than do those patches oriented perpendicular to the current. Currents less affect taxa that actively disperse, or that are relatively sedentary. Fish species that tend to use intertidal areas at high tide, however, were more abundant in patches perpendicular to shore (and parallel to the current), presumably because these patches offer the greatest amount of edge to animals undergoing tidal migrations.     

Nest orientation of the Spotted Barbtail, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Premnoplex brunnescens</Emphasis>, is strongly correlated with stream flow

The placement and orientation of bird nests may strongly influence reproductive success. For many species, nest orientation is related to the cardinal directions and has to do with prevailing winds or solar exposure. Nest orientation differs among species in different environments, variously cooling or warming nests to maintain a nest microclimate optimal for successful development of eggs and young. The Spotted Barbtail (Premnoplex brunnescens) builds mossy, enclosed nests along shaded streams in Neotropical cloud forests. It shows a unique pattern of nest orientation, whereby nests are oriented in relation to the direction of water flowing below the nest entrance, rather than compass bearing. Nests face in one of three directions in relation to the stream: downstream, upstream, or perpendicular to the flow of the water. I discuss the ability of various hypotheses to explain this pattern in the context of factors affecting nest orientation in other species. While the reasons for this pattern of orientation remain unclear, orientation is likely driven by the need to create and maintain an optimal internal nest microclimate.     

Polarization of fluorescently labeled myosin subfragment-1 fully or partially decorating muscle fibers and myofibrils.

Fluorescently labeled myosin heads (S1) were added to muscle fibers and myofibrils at various concentrations. The orientation of the absorption dipole of the dye with respect to the axis of F-actin was calculated from polarization of fluorescence which was measured by a novel method from video images of muscle. In this method light emitted from muscle was split by a birefringent crystal into two nonoverlapping images: the first image was created with light polarized in the direction parallel to muscle axis, and the second image was created with light polarized in the direction perpendicular to muscle axis. Images were recorded by high-sensitivity video camera and polarization was calculated from the relative intensity of both images. The method allows measurement of the fluorescence polarization from single myofibril irrigated with low concentrations of S1 labeled with dye. Orientation was also measured by fluorescence-detected linear dichroism. The orientation was different when muscle was irrigated with high concentration of S1 (molar ratio S1:actin in the I bands equal to 1) then when it was irrigated with low concentration of S1 (molar ratio S1:actin in the I bands equal to 0.32). The results support our earlier proposal that S1 could form two different rigor complexes with F-actin depending on the molar ratio of S1:actin.     

Orientation of pigments and pigment-protein complexes in the green photosynthetic bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii

The orientation of pigments and pigment-protein complexes of the green photosynthetic bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii was studied by measurement of linear dichroism spectra at 295 and 100 K. Orientation of intact cells and membrane vesicles (Complex I) was obtained by drying on a glass plate. The photochemically active pigment-protein complexes (photosystem-protein complex and reaction center pigment-protein complex) and the antenna bacteriochlorophyll a protein were oriented by pressing a polyacrylamide gel. The data indicate that the near-infrared transitions (Q_y) of bacteriochlorophyll c and most bacteriochlorophyll a molecules have a relatively parallel orientation to the membrane, whereas the Q_y transitions of the bacteriochlorophyll a in the antenna protein are oriented predominantly perpendicularly to the membrane. Carotenoids and the Q_x transitions (590–620 nm) of bacteriochlorophyll a, not belonging to the bacteriochlorophyll a protein, have a relatively perpendicular orientation to the membrane. The absorption and linear dichroism spectra indicate the existence of different pools of bacteriochlorophyll c in the chlorosomes and of carotenoid and bacteriopheophytin c in the cell membrane. The results suggest that the photosystem-protein and reaction center pigment-protein complexes are oriented with their short axes approximately perpendicular to the plane of the membrane. The symmetry axis of the bacteriochlorophyll a protein has an approximately perpendicular orientation.     

Nest orientation patterns in Salaria fluviatilis

The entrances of nests established under small stones by male river blennies Salaria fluviatilis in two rivers of the Ebro Basin in eastern Spain were randomly oriented in slow-flowing sites. In fast-flowing stretches or under large stones, however, nest entrances tended to open at an angle of c . 30° relative to current flow direction, i.e. near a south-east direction. As current velocity increased, males positioned their nest entrance closer and closer to the direction of flow. Selective nest entrance orientation reduced significantly the speed of current reaching the nest entrance such that current velocity was similar (5–7 cm s⁻¹) for all nests, regardless of stone size, prevailing current speed, or study site. Male mating success, measured as egg clutch area, however, was not related to current speed at the nest entrance but instead, it increased with nest stone size and decreased with deviations from a south-east direction. The reasons for female river blenny preference for this specific nest orientation are unknown but may be related to patterns of water flow, and hence oxygenation of the eggs, in the nest.     

Distribution of Clostridium perfringens and Fecal Sterols in a Benthic Coastal Marine Environment Influenced by the Sewage Outfall from McMurdo Station, Antarctica

The spatial distribution, movement, and impact of the untreated wastewater outfall from McMurdo Station, Antarctica, were investigated under early austral summer conditions. The benthic environment was examined to determine the distribution of Clostridium perfringens in sediment cores and the intestinal contents of native invertebrates and fish along a transect of stations. These stations extended ca. 411 m south of the outfall. The findings revealed that the concentration of C. perfringens decreased with depth in the sediment and distance from the outfall. High percentages of tunicates and sea urchins were colonized with this bacterium along the transect. Coprostanol concentrations were also measured in sediment samples taken from each of the transect stations, and a similar trend was observed. These results are in agreement with the findings of previous studies performed with the water column and collectively provide evidence that the disposal of domestic wastes deserves special consideration in polar marine environments.     

Some geometric aspects of house sparrow flocks

We analysed 50 movie films of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) foraging on an experimental grid. The location and orientation of each bird was recorded; sex of the individual was determined in about two of every three cases. Results revealed the following: (1) Flock size exhibited a weak inverse relationship to ambient temperature, though aggression was rare in the experimental patch. (2) The frequency of males in foraging groups exceeded the frequency of males in the local population. (3) Within a given flock size, nearest neighbour distances did not differ significantly between male-male and male-female pairs. However, average nearest neighbour distance was inversely related to flock size. (4) Solitaries oriented away from safety and toward a source of disturbance. Orientation of an individual within a larger group was more variable than that of a solitary, and the orientation of nearest neighbours indicated a significant tendency to keep each other in view.     

Optimal barn characteristics for high-yielding Holstein cows as derived by a new heat-stress model

Meticulous planning is required to minimize heat-stress conditions in barns. The objective of this study was to determine optimum barn characteristics for high-yielding dairy cows under Israeli (Mediterranean) summer ambient conditions, by using a new stress model that takes ambient temperature, relative humidity and wind velocity into account. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, three meteorological stations were alternately installed in 39 barns: two stations inside the barn at the prevailing downwind direction, and a third station outside the upwind end of the barn. Ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction were measured and recorded every 10 min for 3 to 5 consecutive days at each barn in turn. The data were collected at different geographical and climatic conditions. Therefore, the data collected by an outside station were used as covariates. A heat-stress model was used to determine the threshold temperature (THRT) at which a cow begins to increase its respiratory rate; THRT was the response variable in the statistical model. The THRT model takes in account assumed values of a cow's physiological characteristics: daily milk yield of 45 kg, containing 3.5% fat, and 3 mm fur depth. The independent variables were: orientation, barn type, roof slope, roof ridge, marginal height, roof type (fixed or sliding) and barn width. Results showed that the optimal barn for high-yielding cows is the loose-housing type, oriented with its long axis perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Advantageous to the design would be an open ridge or pagoda with marginal height of over 4.7 m for north-south orientation and over 5 m for east-west orientation, roof slope over 11%, and barn width between 43 and 51 m for north-south orientation but lower than 42 m for east-west orientation. A sliding roof was also found to be an excellent solution when outside yards are banned by environmental regulations.     

Orientation of the agarose gel matrix in pulsed electric fields.

The technique of transient electric birefringence was used to investigate the effect of pulsed electric fields on the orientation of the agarose gel matrix. Orientation of the gel was observed at all electric field strengths. Very slow, time-dependent effects were observed when pulses of 10-100 V/cm were applied to 1% gels for 0.5-2 seconds, indicating that domains of the matrix were being oriented by the electric field. The sign of the birefringence reversed when the direction of the applied electric field was reversed, indicating that the domains tend to orient in the perpendicular direction after field reversal. Theories of gel electrophoresis will need to incorporate the orientation of the matrix in order to provide a complete explanation of electrophoresis in agarose gels.     

Pigment organization of the B800–850 antenna complex of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides

The B800–850 antenna complex of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides was studied by comparing the spectral properties of several different types of complexes, isolated from chromatophores by means of the detergents lithium dodecyl sulfate (LDS) or lauryl dimethylamine N-oxide (LDAO). Fluorescence polarization spectra of the BChl 800 emission at 4 K indicated that rapid energy transfer between at least two BChl 800 molecules occurs with a rate constant of energy transfer k_ET > 3 · 10¹² s^?1. The maximal dipole-dipole distance between the two BChl 800 molecules was calculated to be 18–19 Å. The porphyrin rings of the BChl 800 molecules are oriented parallel to each other, while their Q_y transition moments are mutually perpendicular. The energy-transfer efficiency from carotenoid to bacteriochlorophyll measured in different complexes showed that two functionally different carotenoids are present associated with, respectively, BChl 800 and BChl 850. Fluorescence polarization and linear dichroism spectra revealed that these carotenoids have different absorption spectra and a different orientation with respect to the membrane. The carotenoid associated with BChl 800 absorbs some nanometers more to the red and its orientation is approximately parallel to the membrane, while the carotenoid associated with BChl 850 is oriented more or less perpendicular to the membrane. The fluorescence polarization of BChl 850 was the same for the different complexes. This indicates that the observed polarization of the fluorescence is determined by the smallest complex obtained which contains 8–10 BChl 850 molecules. The B800–850 complex isolated with LDAO thus must consist of a highly ordered array of smaller structures. On basis of these results a minimal model is proposed for the basic unit consisting of four BChl 850 and two BChl 800 and three carotenoid molecules.     

沙质海岸黑松分枝格局特征及其抗风折能力分析

沙质海岸空间梯度上环境差异较大, 黑松(Pinus thunbergii)在长期的适应过程中树冠结构变化也很大。为揭示黑松树冠结构与环境间的适应机制, 在山东省胶南市灵山湾国家森林公园距海岸线0-50、200-250和400-450 m梯度内各设置1个样带, 记为带I、带II、带III, 采用枝构型的理论和方法, 对黑松的分枝格局进行了研究, 并采用模拟自然风法测定了黑松枝条的抗风折能力。结果表明: 1)在海岸梯度上黑松分枝格局差异较大, 随着距离海岸越来越远, 黑松各级枝的分枝长度、总体分枝率均逐渐增大, 而枝径比和逐步分枝率逐渐减小, 各级分枝角度表现为带I >带III >带II。2)带I树冠背风面与迎风面相比, 分枝长度、分枝角度、分枝数量、枝条干枯率分别是迎风面的1.62、1.38、2.65和0.59倍, 随着距离海岸越来越远, 这种不对称性逐渐减弱, 至带III树冠基本对称。3)海风是影响带I分枝角度偏转、枝条干枯和冠型不对称现象的主要原因。4)带III枝条的抗风折能力高于带I, 且两个样带模拟风速与枝条所承受的拉力之间的关系均符合逻辑斯蒂方程, 相关系数R²均达0.97以上。该研究揭示了不同海岸梯度上黑松分枝格局的形成机制及其抗风折能力, 可为沿海黑松防护林的合理经营提供科学依据。     

Daily tracking of the locomotion of the nudibranch Tritonia tetraquetra (Pallas 1788 = Tritonia diomedea Bergh 1894) in nature and the influence of water flow on orientation,crawling, and drag

We observed orientation and locomotion of the nudibranch Tritonia tetraquetra in its natural habitat using SCUBA over many sequential days, in three different months. The slugs oriented significantly headfirst to tidal currents. Nevertheless, the direction of locomotion of the slugs over hours was not usually correlated with tidal flow direction (i.e. not indicative of consistent rheotaxis). We did not find evidence of consistent body axis orientation to the geomagnetic field, but the direction of locomotion of some groups of slugs over hours was significantly correlated with geomagnetic direction. Independent of direction, each slug changed position by an average of ～2?m during a single tidal phase (～6?h), and changed position by an average of ～4?m over a full tidal cycle (～25?h). Orientation to flow reduced drag, and reduced the probability that a slug will be dislodged from the soft bottom, in laboratory experiments. Slugs deprived of olfactory and flow cues exhibit a search-like pattern of multiple and frequent turns.     

Neurobiologie und System-Theorie eines visuellen Muster-Erkennungsmechanismus bei Kröten

Quantitative behavioral experiments have shown that the toad uses mainly two types of gestalt information in prey/enemy discrimination: pattern extension in the direction of movement promotes, in general, the signal value prey, while extension perpendicular to the direction of movement promotes that of enemy. Registrations from single fibers and single cells at different stages on the visual path showed that the object extension perpendicular to the direction of movement is chiefly analysed by means of the retinal and thalamus pretectal nerve nets, whereas the extension in the direction of movement is analysed mostly by certain tectal nerve nets. Further neurobiological findings indicated that the prey/enemy discrimination is the result of subtractive interaction between the tectal and thalamus pretectal nerve nets. The system answers given by the retina, the retina-pretectum and the retinatectum to the input patterns used in the neurobiological experiments were determined for relevant space and time parameters on the basis of two dimensional neuron network models. The experimental results agree well with the theoretical ones. If the subtractive interaction between the model networks hypothesized from the neurophysiological results is applied, the resulting system answer describes the behavioral findings very well. So it is shown that the networks investigated would suffice in principle for the behavioral interpretations of the key stimulus prey/enemy — so far as these are known.

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Mit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft Ew 7/6 u. Forsch.-Gr. Az. 741,29.     

Crystallographic orientations of structural elements in skeletons of Syringoporicae (tabulate corals,Carboniferous): implications for biomineralization processes in Palaeozoic corals

The crystallographic orientation of structural elements in skeletons of representatives of Carboniferous Syringoporicae (Auloporida) has been analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), petrographic microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) on specimens from the Iberian Peninsula. The skeletons of the tabulate corals of the Syringoporicae consist of biogenic calcite crystals, and their microstructure is composed of lamellae, fibres and granules, or of a combination of these. Independent of the microstructure, the c‐axis is oriented towards the lumen, quasi‐perpendicular to the growth direction of the skeleton (perpendicular to the morphological axis lamellae, parallel to fibres). Most phaceloid taxa have a turbostratic distribution, as a biogenic response to prevent the cleavage of crystals. Cerioid and some phaceloid corals, whose microstructure is conditioned by wall elements, do not exhibit turbostratic distribution. Wall elements are determined by the biology of each taxon. Holacanth septal spines are composed of fibres arranged in a cone‐shape structure, sometimes clamped to the external part of the corallite and show a complex crystallography. Monacanth septal spines are spindle shaped and composed of bundles of fibres. Tabulae are composed of lamellae. Their development and crystallographic orientation depends on the position of the epithelium in each case. Shared walls are formed by a combination of the walls of two independent corallites with a median lamina, composed of granules; these have a crystallographic orientation between that of the two corallites. The growth of the microstructure is derived by a coordinated stepping mode of growth, similar to other groups of organisms such as molluscs and scleractinians. The nucleation and formation of packages of co‐oriented microcrystals suggest a growth mode similar to mineral bridges with a competitive growth mode between each crystal. The growth pattern of corallites suggests that the growth direction is divided into two main components: a horizontal growth direction towards the lumen and a vertical direction towards the top.     

Behavioural responses of European silver eels(Anguilla anguilla) to the geomagnetic field

Magnetic orientation of European silver eels(Anguilla anguilla) was tested in an octagonal tank. Orientation was determined from photo-registrations of eel positions in tests performed alternately in the natural magnetic field and a field with the horizontal component rotated 180°. Tests were performed in LD 11 : 13. At a daytime light intensity of 100 lux the fish were diurnally active, while at 0.10 lux crepuscular or nocturnal activity dominated. The eels probably differed in preferred orientation, largely depending on the clockwise or anti-clockwise swimming of some of the animals. Therefore there was no preferred direction common to all eels. The orientation of single eels differed, however, significantly between the two magnetic fields, suggesting that the eels responded to the geomagnetic field.