Effects of starvation on larval growth, survival and metamorphosis of Ivory shell Babylonia formosae habei Altena et al., 1981 (Neogastropoda : Buccinidae)

The impact of starvation on larvae of Ivory shell Babylonia formosae habei was studied in a laboratory experiment. Newly hatched veligers showed considerable tolerance to starvation due to their endogenous yolk material, and time to the point-of-no-return (PNR; the threshold point during starvation after which larvae can longer metamorphose even if food is provided) was calculated to be 104.5 h. However, starvation still affected larval growth, survival, and metamorphosis. Mean shell length of larvae increased 49.77 mum day(-1) for nonstarved, but only 11.13 mum day (-1) for larvae starved for 108 h. After larvae began feeding, their growth rates rapidly recovered to the level of the nonstarved following short periods of starvation (less than 48 h), but were inhibited and unable to ever reach the level of the nonstarved when being starved beyond 48 h. Percent metamorphosis was 53.75% for the nonstarved, but all larvae died before 10 days for those starved for 108 h. Starvation not only affected larval time to reach metamorphosis, but also caused the delay in the time to metamorphosis. For the nonstarved, larvae took only 11.5 days to reach spontaneous metamorphosis, but they took 20 days to reach spontaneous metamorphosis when starved for 96 h, and this duration of delayed metamorphosis reached 8.5 days. Furthermore, the importance of yolk material for maintaining larval survival of B. formosae habei during starvation periods is also discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On the velocity of buckle propagation in a beam on a nonlinear elastic-foundation

The paper revisits a simple beam model used by Chater et al. (1983, Proc. IUTAM Symp. Collapse, Cambridge University Press) to examine the dynamics of propagating buckles on it. It was found that, if a buckle is initiated at a constant pressure higher than the propagation pressure of the model (P-p), the buckle accelerates and gradually reaches a constant velocity which depends upon the pressure, while if it is initiated at P-p, the buckle propagates at a velocity which depends upon the initial imperfection. The causes for the difference are also investigated.

鳞毛蕨科、叉蕨科和藤蕨科的分子系统学研究

利用叶绿体rbcL和atpB基因对鳞毛蕨科、叉蕨科和藤蕨科进行了系统发育重建。对鳞毛蕨科的范畴和科下划分进行了重点研究，同时基于叶绿体rps4-trnS和trnL-F序列对该科三个东亚特有属（玉龙蕨属、柳叶蕨属和鞭叶蕨属）的分类等级进行了研究，基于rbcL、atpB和accD基因重新讨论了拟贯众属的系统位置。主要内容包括： 1.鳞毛蕨科的界定及三个东亚特有属的系统位置 利用rbcL和atpB基因，探讨了鳞毛蕨类及其近缘类群的系统发育关系。取样包括了鳞毛蕨类所有主要的分类群，尤其是增加了中国和东亚地区的类群代表。两个基因片段的联合分析较好地解决了鳞毛蕨类及其近缘类群的系统发育关系。研究结果显示广义鳞毛蕨科是个多系类群，传统上置于鳞毛蕨科中的蹄盖蕨类athyrioid、球子蕨类onocleoid和叉蕨类植物tectarioid均应该从鳞毛蕨科分出而独立成科。我们的研究结果支持Smith et al.（2006）对鳞毛蕨科的重新界定，但被作者暂时置于鳞毛蕨科的三个属：大膜盖蕨属Leucostegia、肿足蕨属Hypodematium和Didymochlaena应该从鳞毛蕨科分立出去;红腺蕨属Diacalpe、毛枝蕨属Leptorumohra和黔蕨属Phanerophlebiopsis应该作为鳞毛蕨科的成员，同时被Smith et al.（2006）保留在叉蕨科的黄腺羽蕨属Pleocnemia也应该作为鳞毛蕨科成员。鳞毛蕨科下分为四个主要的分支：鳞毛蕨支dryopteroids、耳蕨支polystichoids、肋毛蕨支ctenitoids和舌蕨支elaphoglossoids。鳞毛蕨支和耳蕨支互为姐妹群，舌蕨支是其他三个分支的姐妹群。 玉龙蕨属Sorolepidium、柳叶蕨属Cyrtogonellum和鞭叶蕨属Cyrtomidictyum是鳞毛蕨科中的三个东亚特有属，这三个特有属的分类等级和系统位置在不同的分类系统中存在争议。本文对rbcL基因进行分析并结合孢子扫描电镜观察，不支持玉龙蕨属成为一个独立的属，而应该作为耳蕨属的异名。利用rbcL、atpB、trnL-F和rps4-trnS四个DNA片段对柳叶蕨属和鞭叶蕨属进行的系统学分析，支持鞭叶蕨属作为一个独立的属，并且位于整个耳蕨类植物的基部位置。柳叶蕨属同耳蕨属近缘，尤其是同耳蕨属的细裂耳蕨组Sphaenopolystichum、半开羽耳蕨组Haplopolystichum和戟叶耳蕨组Crucifilix关系较近。但是柳叶蕨属的分类等级以及与耳蕨属的属间界限尚需要进一步研究。 2.叉蕨科的分子系统学研究 对rbcL和atpB两个基因片段的单独和联合分析均表明，秦仁昌定义的叉蕨科Tectariaceae不是一个自然的单系类群。在系统发育树上，肋毛蕨属Ctenitis、轴鳞蕨属Dryopsis、节毛蕨属Lastreopsis和黄腺羽蕨属Pleocnemia与鳞毛蕨科聚在一起构成一个强支持的分支。当把上述四个属排除以后，叉蕨属Tectaria、轴鳞蕨属Ctenitopsis、地耳蕨属Quercifilix、牙蕨属Pteridrys和沙皮蕨属Hemigramma形成一个单系类群，并得到很好的支持，该单系类群同条蕨科、骨碎补科和水龙骨科形成姐妹群关系。该单系类群同目前Smith et al.（2006）对叉蕨科的定义一致。在rbcL基因单独分析中，爬树蕨属Arthropteris同叉蕨属－沙皮蕨属聚在一起，但支持率较低。 3.藤蕨科的分子系统学研究及拟贯众属的系统位置 根据对薄囊蕨类114个分类群的rbcL基因和30个代表类群的rbcL、atpB和accD基因的系统发育分析，发现传统的藤蕨科Lomariopsidaceae不是单系类群，除了藤蕨属和Thysanosoria仍然为藤蕨科成员外，藤蕨科的主要成员（实蕨属Bolbitis、网藤蕨属Lomagramma、舌蕨属Elaphoglossum和Teratophyllum）同鳞毛蕨科植物聚在一起，因此应该被归并到鳞毛蕨科。根据Smith et al.（2006）对藤蕨科的最新定义，藤蕨科包括藤蕨属Lomariopsis、肾蕨属Nephrolepis等在内的4个属。但是本文的研究不支持把肾蕨属作为藤蕨科成员，而应该作为一个独立的分类单元，即成立肾蕨科更为合适。根据我们的分析，拟贯众属Cyclopeltis既不是鳞毛蕨科也不是叉蕨科成员，而与藤蕨属Lomariopsis聚成一个强支持的姐妹群。叶片奇数一回羽状、侧生羽片以关节着生于叶轴，叶脉游离等形态特征支持两者的近缘关系。

花岗岩-LiF-NaF-H_2O体系液相不混溶的实验研究

Liquid segregation phenomena have been found and explained in the F(Li)-rich granites in south China by Wang Linakui et al. (1979; 1983). A number of experimental investigations into the liquid immiscibilities in the granites systems have been carried out (Anfilogov et al., 1983; Glyuk et al., 1971; Glyuk et al., 1973a; 1973b; kovalenko, 1978; Wang Liangkui et al., 1987). Nevertheless, the detailed scenarios of the liquid immiscibilities in the granitic magmas are much less understood. This experimental study is amide to get access to this problem. Starting materials are biotite granite +LiF(3-10%)+NaF(3-10%)+H_2O(30%). The experimental results have shown that the liquid immiscibilities of melts of different compositions occur at 1 kbar and 840 ℃ when 5wt% (LiF + NaF) are added to the granite samples. three kinds of glasses indicating of three types of coexisting immiscible melts have been observed: light blue matrix glass, melanocratic glass balls and leucocratic glass balls. It is interesting that we have observed various kinds of textures as follows: spherulitic texture, droplets, flow bands, swirls. All these textures can be comparable to those in the natural granitic bodies. Electron microprobe data suggest that these different kinds of glasses are of different chemical compositions respectively; matrix glasses are F-poor silicate melts; melanocratic balls correspond to F-rich silicate melts; and leucocratic balls are the melts consisting mainly of fluorides. Raman spectrometric data have indicated that different glasses have different melt structures. TFM Diagrams at 1000 * 10~5 Pa have been plotted, in which two miscible gaps are found. One of the two gaps corresponds to the immiscibility between F - poor silicate melt and F-rich silicate melt, another to that between the silicate melt and fluoride melt. The experiments at different pressures have suggested that the decreases in pressures are favorable to the liquid immiscibility. Several reversal experiments have indicated that the equilibria in different runs have been achieved. We have applied the experimental results to explain the field evidence of immiscibilities in some of granites associated with W-Sn-Nb-Ta mineralization. These field phenomena include flow structure, globular structures,mineralized globular patche and glass inclusions in topaz. We believe that the liquid immiscibility (liquid segregation) is a possible way of generation of F(Li)-rich granites. During the evolution of the granitic magmas, the contents of Li, F, H_2O and ore-forming elements in the magmas become higher and higher. The granites formed in the extensional tectonic settings commonly bear higher abundences of the above-mentioned elements. the pressures of the granitic magmas are relatively lower during the processes of their emplacements and cooling. The late-staged magmas will produce liquid immiscibilities, leading to the production of several coexisting immiscible melts with different chemical compositions. The flow of immiscible consisting magmas will produce F(Li)-rich granites. It is also considered that liquid immiscibilities are of great significance in the production of rare metal granites. The ore-forming processes and magmatic crystallization and metasomatic processes can be occur at the same time. The mineralisations of rare metals are related to both magmatic and hydrothermal processes.