Synaptonemal complex analysis in spermatocytes of diploid and triploid Chinese shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis

A modified surface spreading technique for synaptonemal complex (SC) analysis was tested to assess the process of chromosome synapsis in spermatocytes of diploid and induced triploid Fenneropenaeus chinensis. Spermatocytes of diploid shrimp showed typical morphological characteristics of eukaryote SC, with complete synapsis of bivalents. No recognizable bivalent associated with sex chromosomes was observed in spermatocytes of diploid shrimp. However, differences in morphology of SC, including unsynapsed univalents, bivalents, totally paired trivalents with non-homologous synapsis, partnerswitches and triple synapsis were identified at early pachytene stage of triploid spermatocytes. Triple synapsis was especially common at late pachytene stage in spermatocytes of triploid shrimp. The observed abnormal synapsis behavior of chromosomes in spermatocytes indicated that triploid male shrimp may find it difficult to develop normal haploid sperm. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

THE CHROMOSOMES OF TUFTED DEER (ELAPHODUS-CEPHALOPHUS)

Mitotic and meiotic chromosome preparations of the tufted deer (Elaphodus cephalophus) were studied to elucidate the sex-chromosomal polymorphism evidenced by this species. Females had 2n = 46 or 47 chromosomes, whereas males had 2n = 47 or 48 chromosomes. An X;autosome translocation was identified by synaptonemal complex analysis of spermatocytes at pachytene and confirmed by the presence of a trivalent at diakinesis/metaphase I. The present work, in combination with earlier observations by others, indicates that E. cephalophus possesses a varied X-chromosome morphology involving an X;autosome translocation and addition of varying amounts of heterochromatin. It is speculated that sex-chromosome polymorphism may be responsible for the observed differences in diploid chromosome number of tufted deer.

Evolution of the black muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons) karyotype revealed by comparative chromosome painting

The black muntjac (Muntiacus crinifrons) has an unusual karyotype of 2n = 8 in females and 2n = 9 in males. We have studied the evolution of this karyotype by hybridising chromosome-specific paints derived from flow-sorted chromosomes of the Chinese muntjac (M. reevesi, 2n = 46) to chromosomes of the black muntjac. The hybridisation pattern allowed us to infer chromosomal homologies between these two species. Tandem and centromeric fusions, reciprocal translocations, and insertions are involved in the reduction of the diploid number from 2n = 46 to 2n = 8, 9. The painting patterns further show complex chromosomal rearrangements in the male black muntjac which involve more than half the karyotype, including both sex chromosomes. Since early meiosis is reported to be normal without any visible inversion loops of the synaptonemal complex, the observed chromosomal rearrangements would lead to heterosynapsis and, therefore, leave a large fraction of the male black muntjac karyotype balanced between the two sexes.

小麂（Muntiacus reevesi）、黑麂（M.crinifrons）赤麂（M.muntjak）精母细胞联会复合体的比较研究

本工作以界面铺张一硝酸银染色技术，对小麂、黑麂和赤麂的精母细胞联会复合体（Synaptonemal Complex, SC）进行显微及亚显微结构比较研究。结果表明：1. 常染色体联会复合体的形成开始于偶线期，成熟于粗线期，消失于双线期。从早粗线期到晚粗线期，同一细胞内常染色体SC的长度同步缩短。SC的平均对长度和臂比指数同体细胞相应染色体的数值有很好的一致性。根据SC的平均相对长度和臂比指数绘制三种的SC组型模式图。小麂（M.reevesi）组型：2n = 46♀，♂，性别决定为XX/XY。赤麂（M.muntjak）组型：2n = 6♀，7♂；性别决定为XAXA/XAY，在雄性减数分裂前期 形成一个易位三价体，黑麂（M.Criniffrons）组型：2n = 8♀，9♂，性别快定为XAXA/XAY。雄恶性循环 黑麂核型的演化过程涉及两次染色体易位和一次臂间倒位，在减数分裂前期形成一个复杂的易位多价体。2. 在减数分裂前期，常染色体SC侧轴和X染色体轴有时呈双线结构。这表明，SC侧轴与有丝分裂染色体的“轴心”结构有一定的联系。3. 在减数分裂前期，性染色体的行为和形态同常染色体有明显差异，如嗜银性强，配对延迟等。XY的配对起始于早粗线期；在中粗线期，几乎Y染以体的全长均参与和X染色体配对；随着粗线期进一步发展，XY-SC渐渐解体；在双线期，X，Y完全分离。黑麂X、Y之间的配对，包含有Y染有体的着丝粒区域和X染色体的非着丝粒区域。这表明，X与Y的配对至少在局部区域是非同源性的。4. 在粗线期，X染色体未配对区域出现不同程度的自身折叠，形成“发夹”状结构。“发夹”结构的形成，可能是由于在性染色体的进化过程中，X染色体通过不对称易位得到的重复片段，在减分裂前期发生同源配对的一种细胞表现。

Weak Zone Related Seismic Cycles in Progressive Failure Leading to Collapse in Brittle Crust

Until quite recently our understanding of the basic mechanical process responsible for earthquakes and faulting was not well known. It can be argued that this was partly a consequence of the complex nature of fracture in crust and in part because evidence of brittle phenomena in the natural laboratory of the earth is often obliterated or obscured by other geological processes. While it is well understood that the spatial and temporal complexity of earthquakes and the fault structures emerge from geometrical and material built-in heterogeneities, one important open question is how the shearing becomes localized into a band of intense fractures. Here the authors address these questions through a numerical approach of a tectonic plate by considering rockmass heterogeneity both in microscopic scale and in mesoscopic scale. Numerical simulations of the progressive failure leading to collapse under long-range slow driving forces in the far-field show earthquake-like rupture behavior. $En Echelon$ crack-arrays are reproduced in the numerical simulation. It is demonstrated that the underlying fracturing induced acoustic emissions (or seismic events) display self-organized criticality------from disorder to order. The seismic cycles and the geometric structures of the fracture faces, which are found greatly depending on the material heterogeneity (especially on the macroscopic scale), agree with that observed experimentally in real brittle materials. It is concluded that in order to predict a main shock, one must have extremely detailed knowledge on very minor features of the earth's crust far from the place where the earthquake originated. If correct, the model proposed here seemingly provides an explanation as to why earthquakes to date are not predicted so successfully. The reason is not that the authors do not understand earthquake mechanisms very well but that they still know little about our earth's crust.

Multiscale Coupling in Complex Mechanical Systems

Multiscale coupling attracts broad interests from mechanics, physics and chemistry to biology. The diversity and coupling of physics at different scales are two essential features of multiscale problems in far-from-equilibrium systems. The two features present fundamental difficulties and are great challenges to multiscale modeling and simulation. The theory of dynamical system and statistical mechanics provide fundamental tools for the multiscale coupling problems. The paper presents some closed multiscale formulations, e.g., the mapping closure approximation, multiscale large-eddy simulation and statistical mesoscopic damage mechanics, for two typical multiscale coupling problems in mechanics, that is, turbulence in fluids and failure in solids. It is pointed that developing a tractable, closed nonequilibrium statistical theory may be an effective approach to deal with the multiscale coupling problems. Some common characteristics of the statistical theory are discussed.

Relaxation behavior of polymer blends with complex morphologies: Palierne emulsion model for uncompatibilized and compatibilized PP/PA6 blends

This paper deals with the dynamic rheological behavior of polypropylene/polyamide6 (PP/PA6) uncompatibilized blends and those compatibilized with a maleic anhydride grafted PP (PP/PP-g-MAH/PA6). The terminal relaxation times of the blends predicted by the Palierne emulsion model were compared with those obtained from experimental relaxation time spectra. The Palierne model succeeded well in describing PP/PA6 uncompatibilized blends with relatively low dispersed phase contents (10 wt%) and failed doing so for those of which the dispersed contents were high (30 wt%). It also failed for the compatibilized ones, irrespective of the dispersed phase content (10 or 30 wt%) and whether or not interface relaxation was taken into consideration. In the case of the uncompatibilized blend with high dispersed-phase content, interconnections among inclusions of the dispersed phase were responsible for the failure of the Palierne model. As for the compatiblized blends, in addition to particle interconnections, the existence of emulsion-in-emulsion (EE) structures was another factor responsible for the failure of Palieme model.