Host-symbiont coevolution, cryptic structure, and bleaching susceptibility, in a coral species complex (Scleractinia; Poritidae).

The 'species' is a key concept for conservation and evolutionary biology, yet the lines between population and species-level variation are often blurred, especially for corals. The 'Porites lobata species complex' consists of branching and mounding corals that form reefs across the Pacific. We used reduced representation meta-genomic sequencing to examine genetic relationships within this species complex and to identify candidate loci associated with colony morphology, cryptic genetic structure, and apparent bleaching susceptibility. We compared existing Porites data with bleached and unbleached colonies of the branching coral P. compressa collected in Kane'ohe Bay Hawai'i during the 2015 coral bleaching event. Loci that mapped to coral, symbiont, and microbial references revealed genetic structure consistent with recent host-symbiont co-evolution. Cryptic genetic clades were resolved that previous work has associated with distance from shore, but no genetic structure was associated with bleaching. We identified many candidate loci associated with morphospecies, including candidate host and symbiont loci with fixed differences between branching and mounding corals. We also found many loci associated with cryptic genetic structure, yet relatively few loci associated with bleaching. Recent host-symbiont co-evolution and rapid diversification suggests that variation and therefore the capacity of these corals to adapt may be underappreciated.

Thermoelectric performance of a metastable thin-film Heusler alloy.

Thermoelectric materials transform a thermal gradient into electricity. The efficiency of this process relies on three material-dependent parameters: the Seebeck coefficient, the electrical resistivity and the thermal conductivity, summarized in the thermoelectric figure of merit. A large figure of merit is beneficial for potential applications such as thermoelectric generators. Here we report the thermal and electronic properties of thin-film Heusler alloys based on Fe2V0.8W0.2Al prepared by magnetron sputtering. Density functional theory calculations suggest that the thin films are metastable states, and measurements of the power factor-the ratio of the Seebeck coefficient squared divided by the electrical resistivity-suggest a high intrinsic figure of merit for these thin films. This may arise from a large differential density of states at the Fermi level and a Weyl-like electron dispersion close to the Fermi level, which indicates a high mobility of charge carriers owing to linear crossing in the electronic bands.

Coral hybridization or phenotypic variation? Genomic data reveal gene flow between Porites lobata and P. Compressa.

Major gaps remain in our understanding of the ecology, evolution, biodiversity, biogeography, extinction risk, and adaptive potential of reef building corals. One of the central challenges remains that there are few informative genetic markers for studying boundaries between species, and variation within species. Reduced representation sequencing approaches, such as RADseq (Restriction site Associated DNA sequencing) have great potential for resolving such relationships. However, it is necessary to identify loci in order to make inferences for endosymbiotic organisms such as corals. Here, we examined twenty-one coral holobiont ezRAD libraries from Hawai'i, focusing on P. lobata and P. compressa, two species with contrasting morphology and habitat preference that previous studies have not resolved. We used a combination of de novo assembly and reference mapping approaches to identify and compare loci: we used reference mapping to extract and compare nearly complete mitochondrial genomes, ribosomal arrays, and histone genes. We used de novo clustering and phylogenomic methods to compare the complete holobiont data set with coral and symbiont subsets that map to transcriptomic data. In addition, we used reference assemblies to examine genetic structure from SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms). All approaches resolved outgroup taxa but failed to resolve P. lobata and P. compressa as distinct, with mito-nuclear discordance and shared mitochondrial haplotypes within the species complex. The holobiont and 'coral transcriptomic' datasets were highly concordant, revealing stronger genetic structure between sites than between coral morphospecies. These results suggest that either branching morphology is a polymorphic trait, or that these species frequently hybridize. This study provides examples of several approaches to acquire, identify, and compare loci across metagenomic samples such as the coral holobiont while providing insights into the nature of coral variability.

[The value of ultrasound-controlled fine-needle biopsy in the diagnosis of possible neck tumors]. / Stellenwert der ultraschallgesteuerten Feinnadelbiopsie in der Diagnostik unklarer Halstumoren.

From October 1985 to July 1988 we performed a study to examine 106 patients with head and neck tumours, by using ultrasound as a guiding system for fine-needle aspiration biopsy. It could be shown that this method has a high diagnostic significance at the neck with a low rate of risks. In a first step puncture was effected to obtain material for cytology, if necessary also for a bacteriological examination. Normally, in a second step a fine-needle cutting biopsy was done to obtain histological material. The combined use of aspiration and cutting needle biopsy achieved correct tumour status in 91.5%, whereas in 73.6% the correct type of lesion was diagnosed. A false status assessment and errors in identifying the lesions occurred in 2 of 106 cases; there of was one false negative status assessment. In cases of benign neck cysts, neck abscesses and non-specific lymphadenopathy, a cutting neck biopsy is not required, provided the clinical diagnosis is in accordance with the result of aspiration cytology and the further clinical progress. The advantage of the ultrasound-guided puncture compared with palpation-guided puncture is the certainty of locating the region of interest even in deep lesions without an appreciable risk of complications. In our opinion, ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy is indicated in all cases of unclear head and neck tumours which could be treated conservatively if the result of the puncture is non-malignant.

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in leaves of Aloe arborescens mill : Comparative studies of the carbon metabolism of chlorenchym and central hydrenchym.

In the succulent leaves of Aloe arborescens Mill diurnal oscillations of the malic acid content, being indicative of Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), were exhibited only by the green mesophyll. In contrast, the malic acid level of the central chloroplast-free water-storing tissue remained constant throughout the day-night cycle. Apart from malate, the green tissue contained high amounts of isocitrat which was lacking in the water tissue. There was no significant transfer from the green mesophyll to the water tissue of (14)C fixed originally via dark (14)CO2 fixation in the mesophyll. Both isolated mesophyll and water tissue were capable of dark CO2 fixation yielding mainly malate as the first stable product. Both tissues have phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. However, the enzymes derived from the both sources could be distinguished by their molecular weights and by their kinetic properties, suggesting different phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase proteins. The conclusion drawn from the experiments is that in a. arborescens the CAM cycle proceeds exclusively in the green mesophyll and that the water tissue, though capable of malate synthesis via ß-carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate, behaves as an independent metabolic system where CAM is lacking. This view is supported by the finding that the cell walls bordering the green mesophyll from the water tissue lack plasmodesmata, hence conveniant pathways of metabolite transport.