Making sense of ‘lower’ and ‘upper’ stem‐group Euarthropoda,with comments on the strict use of the name Arthropoda von Siebold, 1848

The ever‐increasing number of studies that address the origin and evolution of Euarthropoda – whose extant representatives include chelicerates, myriapods, crustaceans and hexapods – are gradually reaching a consensus with regard to the overall phylogenetic relationships of some of the earliest representatives of this phylum. The stem‐lineage of Euarthropoda includes numerous forms that reflect the major morphological transition from a lobopodian‐type to a completely arthrodized body organization. Several methods of classification that aim to reflect such a complex evolutionary history have been proposed as a consequence of this taxonomic diversity. Unfortunately, this has also led to a saturation of nomenclatural schemes, often in conflict with each other, some of which are incompatible with cladistic‐based methodologies. Here, I review the convoluted terminology associated with the classification of stem‐group Euarthropoda, and propose a synapomorphy‐based distinction that allows ‘lower stem‐Euarthropoda’ (e.g. lobopodians, radiodontans) to be separated from ‘upper stem‐Euarthropoda’ (e.g. fuxianhuiids, Cambrian bivalved forms) in terms of the structural organization of the head region and other aspects of overall body architecture. The step‐wise acquisition of morphological features associated with the origins of the crown‐group indicate that the node defining upper stem‐Euarthropoda is phylogenetically stable, and supported by numerous synapomorphic characters; these include the presence of a deutocerebral first appendage pair, multisegmented head region with one or more pairs of post‐ocular differentiated limbs, complete body arthrodization, posterior‐facing mouth associated with the hypostome/labrum complex, and post‐oral biramous arthropodized appendages. The name ‘Deuteropoda’ nov. is proposed for the scion (monophyletic group including the crown‐group and an extension of the stem‐group) that comprises upper stem‐Euarthropoda and Euarthropoda. A brief account of common terminological inaccuracies in recent palaeontological studies evinces the utility of Deuteropoda nov. as a reference point for discussing aspects of early euarthropod phylogeny.     

Intraspecific variation in seed dispersal of a Neotropical tree and its relationship to fruit and tree traits

The distribution of wind‐dispersed seeds around a parent tree depends on diaspore and tree traits, as well as wind conditions and surrounding vegetation. This study of a neotropical canopy tree, Platypodium elegans, explored the extent to which parental variation in diaspore and tree traits explained (1) rate of diaspore descent in still air, (2) distributions of diaspores dispersed from a 40‐m tower in the forest, and (3) natural diaspore distributions around the parent tree. The geometric mean rate of descent in still air among 20 parents was highly correlated with geometric mean wing loading^1/2 (r = 0.84). However, diaspore traits and rate of descent predicted less variation in dispersal distance from the tower, although descent rate⁻¹ consistently correlated with dispersal distance. Measured seed shadows, particularly their distribution edges, differed significantly among six parents (DBH range 62–181 cm) and were best fit by six separate anisotropic dispersal kernels and surveyed fecundities. Measured rate of descent and tree traits, combined in a mechanistic seed dispersal model, did not significantly explain variation among parents in natural seed dispersal distances, perhaps due to the limited power to detect effects with only six trees. Seedling and sapling distributions were at a greater mean distance from the parents than seed distributions; saplings were heavily concentrated at far distances. Variation among parents in the distribution tails so critical for recruitment could not be explained by measured diaspore or tree traits with this sample size, and may be determined more by wind patterns and the timing of abscission in relation to wind conditions. Studies of wind dispersal need to devote greater field efforts at recording the “rare” dispersal events that contribute to far dispersal distances, following their consequences, and in understanding the mechanisms that generate them.     

Physiological comparisons of transformed (crown gall) and nontransformedVinca rosea L. Cells

Summary In vitro growth rates of transformed (crown gall) and nontransformed cultures ofVinca rosea L. were greater at 32°C than at 25°C. The growth of transformed cells was significantly inhibited by kanamycin, neomycin, and chloramphenicol but not by cycloheximide. Nontransformed cells were inhibited by all four antibiotics., The relative growth rates of transformed cultures induced by four different strains, ofAgrobacterium tumefaciens did not correspond to the relative rates of tumor weight increase observed in vivo nor with the relative weights of tumor tissue in, plants 8 weeks after inoculation with the corresponding bacterial strains.     

Cytokinin biosynthesis in crown gall tissue of Vinca rosea: Metabolism of isopentenyladenine

When isopentenyl[8-¹⁴C]adenine was incubated with crown gall tumour tissue of Vinca rosea, it was stereospecifically hydroxylated to trans-zeatin and its derivatives, which are the endogenous free cytokinins in this tissue. Adenine, adenosine and adenine nucleotides were the major degradation products.     

Improvement of the production of 5-methoxypodophyllotoxin using a new selected root culture of Linum flavum L.

Differences in transformation of the tomato cultivar (Ohio 7870, Roma, UCD82b) by wild-type Agrobacterium strains (A6, A66, A281) were identified in a leaf disk assay system. Transformation was expressed as the percentage of explants producing callus on hormone-free medium and was confirmed by opine production. Ohio 7870 and Roma were more readily transformed than UCD82b by all three strains of A. tumefaciens. Cotyledons and older true leaves of all three cultivars were more readily transformed than younger leaves. Transformation was biphasic over the bacterial concentrations tested (2×10³–7×10⁹ colony forming units ml^-1; cfu ml^-1) for all cultivars and leaf ages, and was greatest at 5×10⁸ cfu ml^-1. Transformation decreased significantly at levels less than 2×10⁷ cfu ml^-1 and slightly at concentrations higher than 5×10⁸ cfu ml^-1. UCD82b tissue was more necrotic than Ohio 7870 or Roma after incubation with bacteria, which may account for reduced transformation of this cultivar.     

An alternative approach for gene transfer in trees using wild-typeAgrobacterium strains

Micropropagated shoots of three forest tree species, poplar (Populus tremula × P.alba), wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) and walnut (Juglans nigra × J. regia), were inoculated each with six different wild-typeAgrobacterium strains. Poplar and wild cherry developed tumors that grew hormone-independently, whereas on walnut, gall formation was weak. On poplar and wild cherry, tumors induced by nopaline strains developed spontaneously shoots that had a normal phenotype and did not carry oncogenic T-DNA. From these observations, we have established a co-inoculation method to transform plants, using poplar as an experimental model. The method is based on inoculation of stem internodes with anAgrobacterium suspension containing both an oncogenic strain that induces shoot differentiation and a disarmed strain that provides the suitable genes in a binary vector. We used the vector pBI121 carryingneo (kanamycin resistance) anduidA (-glucuronidase) genes to facilitate early selection and screening. Poplar plants derived from kanamycin-resistant shoots that did not carry oncogenic T-DNA, were shown to contain and to expressneo anduidA genes. These results suggest that wild-typeAgrobacterium strains that induce shoot formation directly from tumors can be used as a general tool for gene transfer, avoiding difficult regeneration procedures.This work is dedicated to the late Marie-France Michel who initiated the poplar biotechnology project at INRA.     

Selective determination of lithium in biological fluids using flow injection analysis

The use of flow injection analysis to automated extraction methods for the determination of lithium ion utilizing crown ethers or cryptands is demonstrated. The ion-pair extraction of cryptand 211, lithium, and resazurin exhibits a linear range for lithium ion of 70 ppb to 2.1 ppm. This method could tolerate up to 1000 ppm sodium ion. The chromogenic crown ether, 1-(2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl)-1-aza-4,7,10-trioxacyclododecane, exhibits a linear range for lithium ion of 0.3 to 2 ppm. A sodium ion concentration of 230 ppm can be tolerated. Both extraction systems were used in the automated determination of lithium in blood serum and urine. Both methods agreed well with the known and/or atomic absorption values.     

Photosynthesis in localised regions of oat leaves infected with crown rust (Puccinia coronata): quantitative imaging of chlorophyll fluorescence

Localised changes in photosynthesis in oat leaves infected with the biotrophic rust fungus Puccinia coronata Corda were examined at different stages of disease development by quantitative imaging of chlorophyll fluorescence. Following inoculation of oat leaves with crown rust the rate of whole-leaf gas exchange declined. However, crown rust formed discrete areas of infection which expanded as the disease progressed and these localised regions of infection gave rise to heterogeneous changes in photosynthesis. To quantify these changes, images of chlorophyll fluorescence were taken 5, 8 and 11 d after inoculation and used to calculate images representing two parameters; Φ_II, a measure of PSII photochemical efficiency and ΔFm/Fm′, a measure of non-photochemical energy dissipation (qN). Five days after inoculation, disease symptoms appeared as yellow flecks which were correlated with the extent of the fungal mycelium within the leaf. At this stage, Δ_II was slightly reduced in the infected regions but, in uninfected regions of the leaf, values of Φ_II were similar to those of healthy leaves. In contrast, qN (ΔFm/Fm′) was greatly reduced throughout the infected leaf in comparison to healthy leaves. We suggest that the low value of qN in an infected leaf reflects a high demand for ATP within these leaves. At sporulation, 8 d after inoculation, Φ_II was reduced throughout the infected leaf although the reduction was most marked in areas invaded by fungal mycelium. In the infected leaf the pattern of non-photochemical quenching was complex; qN was low within invaded regions, perhaps reflecting high metabolic activity, but was now much higher in uninfected regions of the infected leaf, in comparison to healthy leaves. Eleven days after inoculation “green islands” formed in regions of the leaf associated with the fungal mycelium. At this stage, photosynthesis was severely inhibited over the entire leaf; however, heterogeneity was still apparent. In the region not invaded by the fungal mycelium, Φ_II and qN were very low and these regions of the leaf were highly fluorescent, indicating that the photosynthetic apparatus was severely damaged. In the greenisland tissue, Φ_II was low but detectable, indicating that some photosynthetic processes were still occurring. Moreover, qN was high and fluorescence low, indicating that the cells in this region were not dead and were capable of significant quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence.     

高嵌体与纤维桩核冠修复对后牙牙体缺损疗效观察及对患者咀嚼能力和牙龈状况的影响

摘要 目的：观察高嵌体修复与纤维桩核冠修复对后牙牙体缺损疗效及对患者咀嚼能力和牙龈状况的影响。方法：选取2020年11月～2021年11月收治的60例牙体缺损患者作为研究对象,根据患者治疗意愿分为对照组和研究组,其中对照组26例、观察组34例。对照组行纤维桩核冠修复治疗,观察组行高嵌体修复治疗,对比两组患者修复效果、咀嚼功能、牙龈指数（GI）和菌斑指数（PLI）评分、并发症发生情况、满意度。结果：经统计发现,观察组邻面接触、表面质地、边缘密合度、舒适度等均优于对照组,两组比较具有明显差异（P<0.05）;修复前,两组患者咀嚼功能评分比较无差异（P>0.05）,修复后,观察组较对照组高（P<0.05）;修复前,两组GI和PLI评分比较无差异（P>0.05）,修复后,两组评分均有所降低,且观察组低于对照组（P<0.05）;观察组并发症发生率为2.94 %,对照组并发症发生率为11.54 %,观察组与对照组比较无差异（P>0.05）;观察组患者满意度为94.12 %,对照组患者满意度为73.08 %,观察组明显高于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：高嵌体修复与纤维桩核冠修复用于治疗牙体缺损,高嵌体修复的临床疗效更佳,患者咀嚼能力和牙龈健康程度明显提升,GI和PLI评分明显降低,有效减少并发症,提高满意度。值得临床推广使用。