Surfperches versus Damselfishes: Trophic Evolution in Closely Related Pharyngognath Fishes with Highly Divergent Reproductive Strategies.

Surfperches and damselfishes are very closely related ovalentarians with large reproductive differences. Damselfishes are typical of most Ovalentaria in that they lay demersal eggs that hatch into small, free-feeding larvae. Surfperches are unusual among ovalentarians and most acanthomorphs in having prolonged internal development. They are born at an advanced stage, some as adults, and bypass the need to actively feed throughout an extended period of ontogeny. Damselfishes and surfperches possess the same modifications of the fifth branchial arch that allow them to perform advanced food processing within the pharynx. This condition (pharyngognathy) has large effects on the evolution of feeding mechanics and trophic ecology. Although the evolution of pharyngognaths has received considerable attention, the effects of different reproductive strategies on their diversification have not been examined. We compared head shape evolution in surfperches and damselfishes using geometric morphometrics, principal component analyses, and multiple phylogenetic-comparative techniques. We found that they have similar mean head shapes, that their primary axes of shape variation are comparable and distinguish benthic-feeding and pelagic-feeding forms in each case, and that, despite large differences in crown divergence times, their head shape disparities are not significantly different. Several lines of evidence suggest that evolution has been more constrained in damselfishes: Head shape is evolving faster in surfperches, more anatomical traits have undergone correlated evolution in damselfishes, there is significant phylogenetic signal in damselfish evolution (but not surfperches), and damselfishes exhibit significant allometry in head shape that is not present in surfperches.

The Evolution of Feeding Mechanics in the Danioninae, or Why Giant Danios Don't Suck Like Zebrafish.

By linking anatomical structure to mechanical performance we can improve our understanding of how selection shapes morphology. Here we examined the functional morphology of feeding in fishes of the subfamily Danioninae (order Cypriniformes) to determine aspects of cranial evolution connected with their trophic diversification. The Danioninae comprise three major lineages and each employs a different feeding strategy. We gathered data on skull form and function from species in each clade, then assessed their evolutionary dynamics using phylogenetic-comparative methods. Differences between clades are strongly associated with differences in jaw protrusion. The paedomorphic Danionella clade does not use jaw protrusion at all, members of the Danio clade use jaw protrusion for suction production and prey capture, and members of the sister clade to Danio (e.g., Devario and Microdevario) use jaw protrusion to retain prey after capture. The shape of the premaxillary bone is a major determinant of protrusion ability, and premaxilla morphology in each of these lineages is consistent with their protrusion strategies. Premaxilla shapes have evolved rapidly, which indicates that they have been subjected to strong selection. We compared premaxilla development in giant danio (Devario aequipinnatus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) and discuss a developmental mechanism that could shift danionine fishes between the feeding strategies employed by these species and their respective clades. We also identified a highly integrated evolutionary module that has been an important factor in the evolution of trophic mechanics within the Danioninae.

Headspace analysis of some typical organic pollutants in drinking water using differential detectors: effects of columns and operational parameters.

Environmental analytical procedures in the United States are largely based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods. Different procedures have been adopted by the European Union (EU). In the United States, the determination of volatile organic compounds in drinking water employs purge and trap sampling followed by gas chromatography with photoionization and electrolytic conductivity detection. European analysts perform an "equivalent" priority pollutant analysis using static headspace injections and electron-capture detection. Some of the compounds included on the EPA list (1) do not appear on the EU lists (2) and vice versa. A distinctive difference is the use of megabore (greater than 0.45-mm i.d.) capillary columns in the EPA methods. European analysts are reluctant to adopt these columns in their methodologies. In this work, several open-tubular column dimensions are investigated and optimized with particular attention given to problems encountered when columns are interfaced to purge and trap or static headspace analyzers. Also, EPA and EU priority pollutant methods are contrasted according to the method of detection.

Denitrification in marl and peat sediments in the Florida everglades.

The potential for denitrification in marl and peat sediments in the Shark River Slough in the Everglades National Park was determined by the acetylene blockage assay. The influence of nitrate concentration on denitrification rate and N(2)O yield from added nitrate was examined. The effects of added glucose and phosphate and of temperature on the denitrification potential were determined. The sediments readily denitrified added nitrate. N(2)O was released from the sediments both with and without added acetylene. The marl sediments had higher rates than the peat on every date sampled. Denitrification was nitrate limited; however, the yields of N(2)O amounted to only 10 to 34% of the added nitrate when 100 muM nitrate was added. On the basis of measured increases in ammonium concentration, it appears that the balance of added nitrate may be converted to ammonium in the marl sediment. The sediment temperature at the time of sampling greatly influenced the denitrification potential (15-fold rate change) at the marl site, indicating that either the number or the specific activity of the denitrifiers changed in response to temperature fluctuations (9 to 25 degrees C) in the sediment. It is apparent from this study that denitrification in Everglades sediments is not an effective means of removing excess nitrogen which may be introduced as nitrate into the ecosystem with supply water from the South Florida watershed and that sporadic addition of nitrate-rich water may lead to nitrous oxide release from these wetlands.

Photochemical formation of hydrogen peroxide in surface and ground waters exposed to sunlight.

A rapid increase in the concentration of hydrogen peroxide was observed when samples of natural surface and ground water from various locations in the United States were exposed to sunlight. The hydrogen peroxide is photochemically generated from organic constituents present in the water; humic materials are believed to be the primary agent producing the peroxide. Studies with superoxide dismutase suggest that the superoxide anion is the precursor of the peroxide.

Kaiser-Permanente's Medicare Plus Project: a successful Medicare prospective payment demonstration.

The Medicare Plus project of the Oregon Region Kaiser-Permanente Medical Care Program was designed as a model for prospective payment to increase Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) participation in the Medicare program. The project demonstrated that it is possible to design a prospective payment system that costs the Medicare program less than services purchased in the community from fee-for-service providers; would provide appropriate payment to the HMO; and in addition, creates a "savings" to return to beneficiaries in the form of comprehensive benefits to motivate them to enroll in the HMO. Medicare Plus was highly successful in recruiting 5,500 new and 1,800 conversion members into the demonstration, through use of a media campaign, a recruitment brochure, and a telephone information center. Members recruited were a representative age and geographic cross section of the senior citizen population in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Utilization of inpatient services by Medicare Plus members in the first full year (1981) was 1679 days per thousand members and decreased to 1607 in the second full year (1982). New members made an average of eight visits per year to ambulatory care facilities.

Isoprenoid acids in recent sediments.

Phytanic acid, pristanic acid, and 4,8,12-trimethyltridecanoic acid have been isolated from three recent marine sediments. The ratio of palmitic to pristanic acid is similar to that encountered in typical marine lipids. This suggests a biochemical origin of these sedimentary acids; phytol is their presumed biochemical precursor. Other isoprenoid acids between C(11) and C(22) which are common in ancient sediments have not been found. They are probably geochemical products formed slowly and at a greater depth.