Formation of Basal Bodies in Ciliary Epithelium of Molluscs Buccinum undatum L. and Lymnaea stagnalis L.

Electron microscopic studies of the leg ciliary epithelium was carried out in two mollusks. In the epithelium of the leg of adult animals, the centrioles were mostly formed de novo with participation of deuterosomes during the formation of basal bodies. Transformation of the centriolar cylinder in a mature basal body is accompanied by the cylinder elongation and appearance of pericentriolar structures, such as rootlet system, basal legs, and basal plate. Centriolegenesis proceeds in both ciliate and nonciliate (with microvilli) cells of the epithelium. It has been proposed that the cell with microvilli represent a transitional stage in differentiation of the ciliary cells.     

Data-Limited Population-Status Evaluation of Two Coastal Fishes in Southern Angola Using Recreational Catch Length-Frequency Data

Excessive truncation of a population’s size structure is often identified as an important deleterious effect of exploitation, yet the effect on population persistence of size-structure truncation caused by exploitation is often not quantified due to data limitations. In this study, we estimate changes in eggs per recruit (EPR) using annual length-frequency samples over a 9 year period to assess persistence of the two most important recreational fishes in southern Angola: west coast dusky kob (Argyrosomus coronus) and leerfish (Lichia amia). Using a length- and age-structured model, we improve on an existing method to fit this type of model to length-frequency data and estimate EPR. The objectives of the methodological changes are to add flexibility and robustness to the approach for assessing population status in data-limited situations. Results indicate that dusky kob presents very low levels of EPR (5%-10% of the per recruit reproductive capacity in the absence of fishing) in 2013, whereas large inter-annual variability in leerfish estimates suggest caution must be applied when drawing conclusions about its exploitation status. Using simulated length frequency data with known parameter values, we demonstrate that recruitment decline due to overexploitation leads to overestimation of EPR values. Considering the low levels of EPR estimated for the study species, recruitment limitation is not impossible and true EPR values may be even lower than our estimates. It is, therefore, likely that management action, such as the creation of Marine Protected Areas, is needed to reconstitute the west coast dusky kob population.     

Janospira - an Ordovician microfossil in search of a Phylum

Janospira is described from early Ordovician (Arenig) rocks of northern Spitsbergen. It is a curious microfossil, probably calcareous, about 1 mm in length, made up of an initial coil which expands distally into a straight tube, at the same time as producing a narrower tube almost in line with the first but in the opposite direction. Although showing some similarities to Foraminifera, molluscs and polychaetes, there are objections to its inclusion in any of these groups, and it is equally probable that it belongs to an unknown group with a planktic early growth stage.     

Chemical synthesis of a tetradecamer in the deoxyribonucleic acid series

The chemical synthesis of a tetradecadeoxyribonucleotide, d-EtSp(A-T-G-G-A-A-A-C-T-G-C-G-G-C), is described. This oligomer, designated Fragment 4δ, constitutes the 5′-terminus of the plus strand of a projected duplex coding for S-Peptide_2–14 derived from Ribonuclease A. The Fragment was constructed by block condensation via a phosphorothioate anchor. Complications due to inadvertent phosphotriester condensations are discussed. Arguments justifying the sequence selection are presented.     

Internal Rhythmic Pattern of ECG Signal and the Efficiency of Adaptation to Cyclic Muscular Work

Spectral, coherent, and phase analysis within the low-frequency range of ECG records of athletic runners revealed that oscillations of ECG intervals (PQ-, RT-, P–T-, TP, and PP-intervals) were observed during orthostasis. These data were compared with the results of athletic exercise tests performed after the ECG examination. It was shown that the most effective type of adaptive reaction in these tests corresponds to a phase advance of the PQ-interval oscillations relative to the RT-interval oscillations. In the low-frequency range, the phases of the PQ-, RT-, and (P–T)-interval oscillations were ahead of the TP-interval oscillations, whereas the spectral density of the TP interval oscillations was significantly higher than the spectral density of the oscillations of the PC-, RT-, and (P–T)-intervals measured at the same frequency. The least effective type of adaptive reaction was shown to correlate with the phase advance of the TP-interval oscillations relative to the PQ-, RT-, and (P–T)-interval oscillations within the low-frequency range as well as with the lack of low-frequency modulation of the autospectra of the cardiac intervals of interest.