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Chiton (Class Polyplacophora) fossils are rare globally, mostly because they are restricted to hard habitats such as rocky shores that are taphonomically under-represented in the geological record. New Zealand is rich in Cenozoic marine molluscan fossils, but chitons are very uncommon. The earliest New Zealand records of fossil chiton species are all from the Late Oligocene (Duntroonian) Chatton Formation in Southland. They include Callochiton chattonensis Ashby 1929 [New Zealand fossil Polyplacophora (Chitons). Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 60:366–369], Acanthochitona (Notoplax) ashbyi (Laws 1932 [New Tertiary Mollusca from New Zealand. No. 2. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 62:183–199]) and Rhyssoplax allanthomsoni Mestayer 1929 [Notes on New Zealand Mollusca. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 60(4):247–150]. At Cosy Dell farm, Waimumu, New Zealand, the Chatton Formation contains a diverse chiton fauna representing seven families and seven genera, including Callochiton cf. chattonensis, Acanthochitona cf. ashbyi, Ischnochiton sp., Leptochiton cf. inquinatus, Lorica sp., Plaxiphora sp., and Rhyssoplax sp., the highest recorded fossil chiton diversity in New Zealand. All genera described in the fossil assemblage are associated with extant taxa around modern New Zealand rocky intertidal and shallow near shore environments. The study extends the New Zealand stratigraphic range of four genera (Ischnochiton, Plaxiphora, Lorica and Leptochiton) back to the Duntroonian (Late Oligocene), provides the first taxonomic descriptions of each chiton taxon from the site and discusses the paleoecological and biostratigraphic significance of these rarely preserved components of a rocky shore ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports on the two poorly known tintinnid ciliates, Wangiella dicollaria Nie, 1934 and Stenosemella parvicollis (Marshall, 1934) Hada, 1935 from the neritic waters of the Eastern Arabian Sea. Their taxonomic status and morphological features of the lorica are discussed with the aid of scanning electron microscopy. This study envisages that the lorica of Stenosemella parvicollis might be another species of the genus Wangiella Nie, 1934. However, further studies are required for a better understanding of their systematics and classification by integrating morphological, cytological and molecular approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his choral work The Deer’s Cry Estonian composer Arvo Pärt explores contemporary resonances of an ancient existential practice for the protection of the self and the promotion of social cohesion. Through a series of incantations based on a Lorica attributed to the fifth century Irish saint St Patrick, the poetic text explores the human need for protection in the face of danger, and the place of both self- and sacrificial love in the ecology of everyday life. The formal and textural structure of the music hides a performative technique that spreads an enchantment over both performer and listener.

The number of priapulid species occurring in the waters around New Zealand is uncertain, as up to four species were reported and three of them declared as doubtful. Our investigation of 28 specimens from the NIWA collection (Auckland, New Zealand) document three species. Three specimens of Priapulus tuberculatospinosus come from circum-antarctic waters. Around New Zealand, Priapulopsis australis is most abundant, less abundant is Priapulus tuberculatospinosus. Two specimens are described here as a new species, Priapulopsis papillatus sp. nov., as they deviate in several characters from the other species. These characters are the shape of the first ring teeth, presence of large, abundant and regularly arranged trunk papillae, a peculiar surface structure of the trunk and peculiarities in the posterior ringpapillae. All species are described by scanning electron microscopy and several new observations are reported. In addition to postlarval and adult specimens, 15 larval specimens are reported. The larvae resemble very much the previously described larvae of Priapulopsis bicaudatus and therefore likely belong to the genus Priapulopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated larvae, postlarval stages and one adult of the priapulid Priapulopsis bicaudatus (Danielssen, 1869) collected in different locations in the North Atlantic between 300 and 1000 m depth. The superficial sculpture of the lorica of larvae remains unchanged in the stages investigated. We confirm the presence of frontal and laterofrontal lorica plates and the presence of first ring pharyngeal teeth with a distinct bipartition on one side. In postlarval stages, the separation of one first ring tooth into two parts could be demonstrated. All observed teeth possess receptors called tooth receptors. The paired caudal appendage, characteristic for the species, grows asymmetrically during early development. Ringpapillae appear late in development. The scalid arrangement basically corresponds between larvae and postlarval stages and can be generalized for priapulids. Additionally, scalids anterior of the primary scalids are reported in postlarval stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are only five studies on tintinnids of the Philippines. We present a checklist of tintinnids (Ciliophora, Oligotrichea) from Masinloc-Oyon Bay, Province of Zambales, West Philippine Sea. Masinloc-Oyon Bay is a unique in having both marine protected areas and a coal-fired thermal power plant within the same bay. Field sampling was performed in July 2017, which recorded 10 species belonging to one order, six families, and seven genera. Station 1 inside the power plant’s outfall had the lowest diversity, whereas the stations within marine protected areas had a relatively higher species diversity index. Our new data are the first records of tintinnid species in Masinloc-Oyon Bay. These records add to the regional checklist of the Philippine Sea.

Tintinnid ciliates are traditionally identified by their loricae; however, increasing evidence indicates that some lorica features (e.g. its length, spiraled structures) are not reliable. The vast majority of tintinnids inhabit the marine pelagial; merely, about thirty species live in freshwater. In the present study, two morphotypes with similar lorica shapes and opening diameters but deviating lorica lengths were isolated from freshwater samples collected at different water temperatures near Chongming Island in the Yangtze Estuary, China. The specimens were studied in vivo and after protargol staining, and their phylogenetic placement was inferred from three ribosomal RNA markers; further, cell division was investigated in the short morphotype. Based on the original descriptions, the longer morphotype is identified as Tintinnopsis longa nom. corr. Chiang, 1956, and the shorter one as Tintinnopsis tubuformis Chiang, 1956. Despite distinct differences in the lorica lengths, the identity of the three molecular markers in both morphotypes suggests conspecificity, which is supported by overlapping ranges in the lorica opening diameters and the length‐independent features of the somatic ciliary pattern (e.g. number of kineties). Hence, we synonymized T. longa nom. corr. with T. tubuformis and neotypified the later species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The taxonomy of tintinnine ciliates is vastly unresolved because it has traditionally been based on the lorica (a secreted shell) and it has only recently incorporated cytological and molecular information. Tintinnopsis, the most speciose tintinnine genus, is also the most problematic: it is known to be non-monophyletic, but it cannot be revised until more of its species are studied with modern methods. Results Here, T. hemispiralis Yin, 1956, T. kiaochowensis Yin, 1956, and T. uruguayensis Balech, 1948, from coastal waters of China, were studied. Lorica and cell features were morphometrically investigated in living and protargol-stained specimens, and sequences of three ribosomal RNA (rRNA) loci were phylogenetically analyzed. The three species show a complex ciliary pattern (with ventral, dorsal, and posterior kineties and right, left, and lateral ciliary fields), but differ in lorica morphology, details of the somatic ciliature and rRNA gene sequences. Tintinnopsis hemispiralis is further distinguished by a ciliary tuft (a ribbon of very long cilia originated from the middle portion of the ventral kinety and extending out of the lorica) and multiple macronuclear nodules. Both T. kiaochowensis and T. uruguayensis have two macronuclear nodules, but differ in the number of somatic kineties and the position of the posterior kinety. Two neotypes are fixed for T. hemispiralis and T. kiaochowensis to stabilize the species names objectively, mainly because of the previous unavailability of type materials. By phylogenetic analysis and comparison with closely-related species, we infer that the ciliary tuft and details such as the commencement of the rightmost kinety in the lateral ciliary field are synapomorphies that may help clarify the systematics of Tintinnopsis-like taxa. Conclusion The redescriptions of three poorly known Tintinnopsis species, namely T. hemispiralis, T. kiaochowensis, and T. uruguayensis firstly revealed their ciliary patterns and rRNA sequences. This study expands knowledge and database of tintinnines and helps in identifying potential synapomorphies for future taxonomic rearrangements.

Background: As dominant components of planktonic microeukaryotes, the tintinnine ciliates act as a trophic link between microbial food web and traditional planktonic food chain in aquatic ecosystems. However, traditionally the taxonomy and systematics of tintinnines have been based on the lorica. It is now accepted that lorica features alone are insufficient and that cytological and molecular information are also needed. The systematics of the genera Tintinnopsis and Amphorellopsis is ambiguous, mainly due to the lack of ciliary and molecular information on their type species, T. beroidea and A. acuta. Result: In the present study, specimens of both species were collected from coastal waters of Qingdao, China. The morphology of each was investigated based on observations of live and protargol-stained specimens, and their SSU rDNA- and LSU rDNA-based phylogenies were analyzed. Tintinnopsis beroidea presents the genus-typical ciliature. The somatic kineties in Amphorellopsis acuta were found to be evenly distributed without differentiation into distinct ciliary fields. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that Tintinnopsis is non-monophyletic, and that T. beroidea has a close relationship with T. nana and T. baltica. The monophyly of Amphorellopsis is also not supported by SSU rDNA analysis. Conclusion: This study first reveals the ciliary pattern and two nuclear rRNA gene sequences of two tintinnine type species, and thus expands knowledge and database of tintinnines. Amphorellopsis represents an intermediate lineage between tintinnines (loricate form) and aloricate choreotrichids.

The unicellular flagellates of the genus Phacotus, which form a solid calcite lorica by extracellular precipitation of calcium carbonate are some of the nanoplankters quite frequently occurring in hardwater ecosystems of the temperate zone. The aim of this study was to describe seasonal changes of Phacotus lenticularis populations in several types of water bodies (a glacial lake, small and shallow ponds, and a lowland river) in relation to some environmental parameters. All the water bodies are subject to multiple human pressure: recreation, fishing, agriculture, and urbanization. P. lenticularis individuals preserved in Lugol’s solution were counted under an inverted microscope (after sedimentation in 14 or 9 ml chambers), including both empty and filled loricae. Its populations differed both between seasons and between waters. High P. lenticularis abundance was mainly limited to the summer months. It was observed at temperatures above 19°C and pH values above 7.8, in water characterized by quite high electrolytic conductivity (>500 μS cm-1). Statistical analysis reveals two significant relationships between physicochemical parameters and the abundance of P. lenticularis. This suggests that in the investigated waters the biotic factors and processes are probably more important regulators of changes in the density of its population than nutrients.

Background: The taxonomy of tintinnine ciliates is vastly unresolved because it has traditionally been based on the lorica (a secreted shell) and it has only recently incorporated cytological and molecular information. Tintinnopsis, the most speciose tintinnine genus, is also the most problematic: it is known to be non-monophyletic, but it cannot be revised until more of its species are studied with modern methods. Results: Here, T. hemispiralis Yin, 1956, T. kiaochowensis Yin, 1956, and T. uruguayensis Balech, 1948, from coastal waters of China, were studied. Lorica and cell features were morphometrically investigated in living and protargol-stained specimens, and sequences of three ribosomal RNA (rRNA) loci were phylogenetically analyzed. The three species show a complex ciliary pattern (with ventral, dorsal, and posterior kineties and right, left, and lateral ciliary fields), but differ in lorica morphology, details of the somatic ciliature and rRNA gene sequences. Tintinnopsis hemispiralis is further distinguished by a ciliary tuft (a ribbon of very long cilia originated from the middle portion of the ventral kinety and extending out of the lorica) and multiple macronuclear nodules. Both T. kiaochowensis and T. uruguayensis have two macronuclear nodules, but differ in the number of somatic kineties and the position of the posterior kinety. Two neotypes are fixed for T. hemispiralis and T. kiaochowensis to stabilize the species names objectively, mainly because of the previous unavailability of type materials. By phylogenetic analysis and comparison with closely-related species, we infer that the ciliary tuft and details such as the commencement of the rightmost kinety in the lateral ciliary field are synapomorphies that may help clarify the systematics of Tintinnopsis-like taxa. Conclusion: The redescriptions of three poorly known Tintinnopsis species, namely T. hemispiralis, T. kiaochowensis, and T. uruguayensis firstly revealed their ciliary patterns and rRNA sequences. This study expands knowledge and database of tintinnines and helps in identifying potential synapomorphies for future taxonomic rearrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As dominant components of planktonic microeukaryotes, the tintinnine ciliates act as a trophic link between microbial food web and traditional planktonic food chain in aquatic ecosystems. However, traditionally the taxonomy and systematics of tintinnines have been based on the lorica. It is now accepted that lorica features alone are insufficient and that cytological and molecular information are also needed. The systematics of the genera Tintinnopsis and Amphorellopsis is ambiguous, mainly due to the lack of ciliary and molecular information on their type species, T. beroidea and A. acuta. In the present study, specimens of both species were collected from coastal waters of Qingdao, China. The morphology of each was investigated based on observations of live and protargol-stained specimens, and their SSU rDNA- and LSU rDNA-based phylogenies were analyzed. Tintinnopsis beroidea presents the genus-typical ciliature. The somatic kineties in Amphorellopsis acuta were found to be evenly distributed without differentiation into distinct ciliary fields. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that Tintinnopsis is non-monophyletic, and that T. beroidea has a close relationship with T. nana and T. baltica. The monophyly of Amphorellopsis is also not supported by SSU rDNA analysis. This study first reveals the ciliary pattern and two nuclear rRNA gene sequences of two tintinnine type species, and thus expands knowledge and database of tintinnines. Amphorellopsis represents an intermediate lineage between tintinnines (loricate form) and aloricate choreotrichids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hydrobiology / Shuisheng Shengwu Xuebao is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Hydrobiology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Choanoflagellates are unicellular microscopic organisms that are believed to be the closest living relatives of animals. They prey on bacteria through the act of the continuous beating of their flagellum, which generates a current through a crown-like filter. Subsequently, the filter retains bacterial particles from the suspension. The mechanism by which the prey is retained and transported along the filter remains unknown. We report here on the hydrodynamic effects on the transportability of bacterial prey of finite size using computational fluid dynamics. Here, the loricate choanoflagellate Diaphaoneca grandis serves as the model organism. The lorica is a basket-like structure found in only some of the species of choanoflagellates. We find that although transportation does not entirely rely on hydrodynamic forces, such forces positively contribute to the transportation of prey along the collar filter. The aiding effects are most possible in non-loricate choanoflagellate species, as compared to loricate species. As hydrodynamic effects are strongly linked to the beat and shape of the flagellum, our results indicate an alternative mechanism for prey transportation, especially in biological systems where having an active transport mechanism is costly or not feasible. This suggests an additional potential role for flagella in addition to providing propulsion and generating feeding currents.

Abstract: The about 1,000 species of tintinnid ciliates are identified and classified almost exclusively based on their lorica features, although the shortcomings of this structure are well‐known, e.g. causing uncertain species limitations and nonmonophyletic taxa. Hence, the present redescription of Tintinnopsis everta Kofoid and Campbell, 1929 considers not only the lorica characteristics, but focuses on cell and genetic features. The species is redescribed from the North Atlantic and adjacent sea areas, namely the east coast of the USA, using live observation, protargol‐stained material, scanning electron microscopy, and genetic analyses. The main stages of cell division are described, and the species’ phylogenetic relationships are inferred from morphological data and the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence. The estimates of its biogeographical distribution and autecology are based on a literature survey. The species is characterised by a complex somatic ciliary pattern with a unique position of the posterior kinety and a conspicuously large distance between the somatic ciliary fields and the collar membranelles. The phylogenetic relationships of Tintinnopsis everta vary in the molecular trees depending on the algorithms used and are, therefore, regarded as unresolved. Nevertheless, the new kind of complex somatic ciliary pattern distinctly contributes to a better understanding of the tintinnid biodiversity and evolution and provides features for a future split of the nonmonophyletic genus Tintinnopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Ingeniare is the property of Universidad Libre Seccional Barranquilla and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Lo studio è incentrato sul tentativo di comprendere la scena presente sulla lorica di una statua acefala di probabile fine età claudia rinvenuta nell'area archeologica di Rusellae (Roselle, GR) all'interno di un edificio connesso al culto imperiale. La decorazione analizzata è composta da diversi elementi: un trofeo di armi ed un'aquila in posizione pressocchè centrale, ai loro lati si dispongono figure umane interpretabili come barbari e per le quali si propone l'identificazione con il britanno Caratacus accompagnato dai suoi familiari mentre rivolge una supplica di liberazione al Senato ed all'imperatore Claudio, secondo l'episodio riportato negli Annales di Tacito (12.33-40).

Soils and landscapes evolve in tandem. Landscape position is a strong determinant of vertical soil development, which has often been formalized in the catena concept. At the same time, soil properties are strong determinants of geomorphic processes such as overland erosion, landsliding and creep. We present a new soilscape evolution model; LORICA, to study these numerous interactions between soil and landscape development. The model is based on the existing landscape evolution model LAPSUS and the soil formation model MILESD. The model includes similar soil formation processes as MILESD, but the main novelties include the consideration of more layers and the dynamic adaption of the number of layers as a function of the soil profile's heterogeneity. New processes in the landscape evolution component include a negative feedback of vegetation and armouring and particle size selectivity of the erosion–deposition process. In order to quantify these different interactions, we present a full sensitivity analysis of the input parameters. First results show that the model successfully simulates various soil–landscape interactions, leading to outputs where the surface changes in the landscape clearly depend on soil development, and soil changes depend on landscape location. Sensitivity analysis of the model confirms that soil and landscape interact: variables controlling amount and position of fine clay have the largest effect on erosion, and erosion variables control among others the amount of chemical weathering. These results show the importance of particle size distribution, and especially processes controlling the presence of finer clay particles that are easily eroded, both for the resulting landscape form as for the resulting soil profiles. Further research will have to show whether this is specific to the boundary conditions of this study or a general phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documented lorica ultrastructure variation in Corresponding author: and related taxa from natural populations. On that basis, inaccuracies in the taxonomic system of euglenoid Trachelomonas are pointed out. Loricae of T. caudata and taxa very similar to it were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy and by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The latter observations showed similarity of chemical composition between loricae of different putative taxa, with silicon and iron as the main components, and the absence of a chemical element considered to be a very important component of trachelomonad envelopes - manganese. All observed morphotypes were classified in one complex based upon envelope configuration, and the 'caudatae complex' was established. Our morphological analyses led us to conclude that f. pseudocaudata of T. caudata should be subsumed in the typical form or treated as a synonym of T. caudata, as the morphological differences between them are within the typical range of phenotypic variability of species from natural environments. The same view applies to the species T. bernardinensis, T. fusiformis, T. allorgei and T. molesta, which should be considered synonyms of T. caudata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a further re-examination of loricate choanoflagellate species with detailed morphological (SEM/TEM) and molecular data of the SSU and LSU rRNA, the present study aims to give new insights for Stephanoeca cupula. In contrast to the original allocation within the family of tectiform reproducing species, morphological and molecular data of S. cupula sensu Leadbeater, 1972 points towards an affiliation within the nudiform reproducing family. Based on these new data, we here erect the nudiform genus Kalathoeca with its type species K. cupula gen. et comb. nov. Our data challenges morphological species assignments, as K. cupula shares its morphological lorica characteristics with tectiform reproducing species of Stephanoeca sensu stricto. Kalathoeca cupula is an interesting candidate for further investigating and understanding the evolutionary relationship of tectiform and nudiform reproducing species. Stephanoeca cupula sensu Thomsen, 1988 has been morphologically re-examined based on the renewed understanding of the morphological variability associated with S. cupula sensu Leadbeater, 1972 (= K. cupula), allowing us now to distribute the different morphological forms investigated within K. cupula and Pseudostephanoeca quasicupula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colacium minimum Fott & Komárek, known so far from a few localities in Central Europe (Czech Republic), is reported here for the first time from Asia (Thailand). This epiphytic species was found growing on eight taxa of loricated euglenoids. The process of surface colonization of Trachelomonas Ehrenb. and Strombomonas Deflandre taxa by C. minimum in natural populations is briefly discussed and originally documented using LM and SEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Elemental concentrations in micro-PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) maps of elements in biological tissue slices have been determined using auxiliary information on the sample matrix composition from EBS (Elastic Backscattering Spectroscopy) and STIM (Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy). The thin sample approximation may be used for evaluating micro-PIXE data in cases, where X-ray absorption in the sample can be neglected and the mass of elements in a selected area can be estimated. The resulting sensitivity amounts to an impressive 10−12 g of the selected elements. Two cases are presented as examples. In the first, we determined the total mass of gold nanoparticles internalized by human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC). In the second, an inventory of the mass of elements in the micro-particulate material adsorbed at the wall of the lorica of the microzooplankton species Tintinnopsis radix has been created. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fifty-six features of halteriid, oligotrichid, and choreotrichid ciliates are cladistically analysed, including an updated hypothesis about the evolution of the somatic ciliary patterns. Based on its morphology, Lynnella clusters with Parastrombidinopsis, Parastrombidium, and Strombidinopsis, while it is basal to the other choreotrichids in the molecular phylogenies. The two clusters of Favella species in small subunit rRNA gene trees are supported by morphological features, justifying a separation at genus and family level. The genus Favella has a smooth lorica surface and a somatic ciliary pattern comprising a left and lateral ciliary field as well as two dorsal kineties and a monokinetidal ventral kinety abutting on the right ciliary field. The new genus Schmidingerella n. gen., established for the second Favella cluster, groups with Metacylis and Rhabdonella in the molecular trees. It differs from Favella in (i) a lorica wall with reticulate surface ridges and minute openings and (ii) a ventral kinety that is distinctly apart from the right ciliary field and composed of a monokinetidal anterior and a dikinetidal posterior portion. The genera Codonaria, Codonella, and Codonellopsis are affiliated with the family Dictyocystidae, whose diagnosis is improved to include the lorica sac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exeter Riddle 35, a translation of Aldhelm's Enigma 33, 'Lorica,' has attracted much attention from scholars interested in Anglo-Saxon practices of translation. Aldhelm's poem is distinguished by its elegant structure, but also by its debt to Isidore's Etymologies, a debt that has not yet been recognized by the poem's modern readers. The Isidorian conceit is carefully embedded within the structure of the poem, and Aldhelm takes great pains to mirror it on the formal level, using a variety of word-pictures and aural effects to lead the reader to the etymological heart of his riddle. Unraveling these connections vividly demonstrates Aldhelm's skill as a craftsman, but also changes the way we must see Exeter 35 as a translation. The complexity of the Latin poem forces us to recognize the Anglo-Saxon poet's keen appreciation of his source material, which must have been supported by a certain sensitivity to the formal aspects of Latin verse. It also reveals the liberties the translator took in adapting his source; the Old English poet puts much less emphasis on form, relying instead on vivid imagery set against the challenge to the wise reader typical of the Old English riddles. Though Exeter 35 is a translation, it is also an original composition which maintains focus on the central conceit of its source while adapting it to vernacular stylistic norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the volume of tintinnid loricae and protoplasts was studied on the basis of bulk data derived from samples collected in a range of temperate environments: riverine, lacustrine, estuarine, and marine. All organisms were fixed with acid Lugol solution (0.5–1.0%). The dependence was described with the allometric equation: VL=2.74×VP 1.03 , where VL and VP are volumes [μm 3 ] of loricae and protoplasts, respectively. The dependence was highly significant (p<0.001, n=417, R 2 =0.85). On average, protoplasts occupied 31% of the lorica volume. One species, Helicostomella subulata, was omitted from the calculations and treated separately since this ciliate has a relatively large lorica. The relationship identified between lorica and protoplast volumes permits recalculating incomplete data if protoplasts are the only body part measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cephalomonas ( Cp.) granulata N. L. Higinb. (Volvocales, Chlorophyceae), a rare volvocalean phytoflagellate, has recently been isolated from a paddy field in Japan and examined by light and fluorescence microscopy. The vegetative cells of Cp. granulata have granulate loricae and a characteristic mushroom-like shape with a hemispherical to spherical anterior part and narrower posterior part. Cp. granulata has been classified among the Phacotaceae along with other loricated genera. However, its phylogenetic position has not been investigated using molecular phylogeny. To evaluate the phylogenetic position of Cephalomonas, the 18S rRNA gene sequence of the Japanese strain was determined. The phylogenetic analyses revealed that Cp. granulata was not closely related to other loricated taxa with known phylogenetic affinities, such as Phacotaceae sensu stricto ( Phacotus, Pteromonas, and Wislouchiella) and Dysmorphococcus globosus. This indicates at least three independent origins of loricae within the Volvocales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty-eight taxa of the genus Trachelomonas Ehrenberg 1833 sampled in Agneby river and in two little ponds at Adahou-village and Akressi (Ivory Coast) have been examined using scanning electron microscopy. The fine structure of the lorica surface was studied based on one hundred and sixty-four micrographs grouped in twenty-one plates giving general and detailed views of the cells. Among the fifty-eight taxa recorded, twenty-two are new for Africa, twenty-nine for West Africa and thirty-four for the Ivory Coast. Four species and seven varieties new to science are proposed, namely: Trachelomonas akressiensis, T. cornperei, T. diploperforata, T. saccasii, and Trachelomonas armata var. assemienii, T. curta var. longicollis, T. hispida var. spinosa, T Iotharingiae var. adahouensis, T saccasii var. paucigranulata, T scuipta var. africana and T scuipta var. dossahouae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article treats of the most famous sort of Irish protective prayer, which name is lorica (breastplate). The author talks over this kind of prayer and inserts its translation. Next, on the base of article of O'Donoghue, the author analyzes every stanza of S. Patrick's lorica. First and eight stanza tells about Trinity and God, in the second and second the power of Christ is invoked in all its main manifestations: his birth, his baptism, his death and burial, his resurrection and his coming in judgment. The third stanza descends from the sphere of deity to the world of the first creation - angels. The fourth stanza dips down from heavenly host to the visible cosmos in its spheres and elements: sun, moon, and firmament, and the four elements: fire, air, water and earth. In the fifth stanza we are back at the source of creation, a natural progression from the invocation of created nature in the fourth stanza. The sixth stanza tells about spells cast by women and blacksmiths and druids.

The lorica of Savillea spp. (Choanoflagellida) comprises a two layered arrangement of siliceous costae, the inner layer consists of helical costae and the outer layer longitudinal. In Savillea micropora, the helical costae, in a left-handed conformation, undergo 1.5 turns and extend from a short distance above the base of the lorica to the anterior opening. In S. parva the helical costae undergo two turns from base to anterior opening. Ratios of the numbers of helical to longitudinal costae vary from 1:1 in S. parva to 1:1–1:4 in S. micropora. Cell division in Savillea is of the nudiform type, whereby a cell divides to produce a ‘naked’ flagellated juvenile that swims away from the parent lorica, settles on to a surface and produces a complete set of costal strips. The first formed strips are those that will form the longitudinal costae, this is followed by the slightly thicker strips which will form the inner helical costae. Lorica assembly occurs as a single continuous process and is mediated by the forward movement of the collar tentacles and a rotational movement by the cell. The longitudinal and helical costae are thereby moved in this one combined movement to their respective positions. The longitudinal costae must rotate freely during assembly whilst the helical costae are held at their front end by the respective longitudinal costae and their rear end on the surface of the cell sheath. The concluding inference, based on lorica construction, that there must be a rotational as well as the observed forward movement during lorica assembly is of seminal importance to understanding the basic pattern of lorica construction and the mechanism of lorica assembly in all choanoflagellates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ever since its discovery, Pebrilla paguri was considered to be an exclusive epibiont of hermit crabs. In fact, up to now, it has never been recorded on substrata other than the hermit crab exoskeleton. The finding of its loricae on non-consecutive exuviae, released by the same specimen of Calcinus tubularis , suggested that the motile stage may transform into the sessile form and attach itself to the shell occupied by the crab. All the shells occupied by the C. tubularis and Clibanarius erythropus specimens showing the ciliate on the exoskeleton were identified to genus level; for each shell genus a map of the inner morphology was drawn in order to record the position and number of the loricae. The present research showed that P . paguri is not an exclusive hermit crab epibiont: it also attaches itself to shells, and particularly to the three largest whorls, corresponding to the portion occupied by the crab body. The presence of P. paguri in the shell may be determined by the preference for substrata characterized by a particular water stream or light levels. The results obtained show that the P. paguri substrata choice is more similar to that of other folliculinids, and more varied than previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the separation of theTrachelomonasEhrenberg subgroup“Saccatae” into a new genus,Strombomonas, there has been some question as to its validity. Deflandre's separation was based entirely on characteristics of the lorica, including the shape of the lorica, the lack of a distinctive collar, possession of a tailpiece, lack of ornamentation, and the ability ofStrombomonasspecies to aggregate particles on the surface of the lorica. Recent molecular analyses indicated that the loricate taxa (TrachelomonasandStrombomonas) formed a single monophyletic clade; however, the phylogenetic relationship ofStrombomonastoTrachelomonasremains unclear because only twoStrombomonastaxa have been sequenced to date. In this study, we evaluated the monophyly of the loricate genera using two sets of morphological characters, lorica development and pellicle strip reduction. Lorica development inStrombomonasoccurred from the anterior of the cell to the posterior, forming a shroud over the protoplast. InTrachelomonas, a layer of mucilage was excreted over the entire protoplast, followed by creation of the collar at the anterior end. Taxa from both genera underwent exponential strip reduction at the anterior and posterior poles. InStrombomonasonly one reduction was visible in the anterior pole, whereas in mostTrachelomonasspecies two reductions were visible. Likewise,Strombomonasspecies possessed two whorls of strip reduction in the posterior end compared with a single whorl of strip reduction inTrachelomonasspecies. These morphological characters support the separation ofTrachelomonasandStrombomonasas distinct genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary A marine ‘chrysophyte’ species Polypodochrysis teissieri Magne having distinctive lorica was re-examined using both light and electron microscopy. Light microscopic observations were basically identical to Magne’s descriptions (Magne 1975), except that the aplanospore in that paper was shown to be a distinctive uniflagellate zoospore. General ultrastructure of both chloroplast and mitochondria was typical of the photosynthetic stramenopiles (chromophytes). An embedded pyrenoid was found in the center of chloroplast and was penetrated by the chloroplast envelope. Two Golgi bodies were always located adjacent to the nucleus; they were arranged perpendicularly in vegetative cells, but had a parallel arrangement in zoospores. Thin sections of the lorica resembled siliceous structures such as diatom frustules, but energy dispersive X-ray analysis did not show any significant amount of silicon. Naked zoospores have a single emergent flagellum that lacked mastigonemes; a flagellar swelling and an eyespot were also absent. Zoospores showed gliding motion on the surface of substrate. Two different cytoplasmic extensions (pseudopods) were observed in the zoospore. One lingulate pseudopod originated from the base of the flagellum and was always associated with the flagellum, and the second pseudopod formed only when the cell changed direction. Investigations of the flagellar apparatus showed a single transitional plate in the transitional region of the emergent flagellum, a second basal body closely located to the flagellum-bearing basal body, three microtubular roots and a set of cytoskeletal microtubules, and a small rhizoplast that connected the non-flagellum-bearing basal body and the nucleus. Many features of the zoospore of Polypodochrysis show a similarity with that of Glossomastix chrysoplasta (Pinguiophyceae), suggesting that the single emergent flagellum of Polypodochrysis and Glossomastix is homologous. This single flagellum may... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trachelomonas grandis Singh has a mucilaginous, highly porous mineralized lorica (envelope) generally without ornamentation except occasionally for a few short, tapered, anterior or posterior spines. However, as our first cultures of this species aged, rod-shaped structures appeared on the loricas. That these surface projections were bacteria was determined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The bacteria, 2-6 μm Long with rounded apices, were oriented perpendicular to the exterior lorica surface and were attatched on one end by apically produced tie-down fibres. The bacteria also secreted fibers over their entire surface, forming a network between them that collapsed during specimen preparation for scanning electron microscopy. The density of the surface bacteria increased with time until the lorica took on a "spiny" appearance superficially similar to lorica extensions of algal origin. In mature algal specimens, an estimated 1200-1800 bacteria per lorica occurred as a monolayer, the maximum number related to the surface area of the always motionless while attached, showed putative evidence of budding. Fission fomed short chains of up to three cells on the lorica. Our cultures maintained this association for 8 years (1972-1979). However, cultures ordered for further study in the past year have failed to develop loricas with more than just a few bacterial cells, and most have none. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]