The survivance of French Canadians in New England (1865–1930): History,geography and demography as destiny*

This article analyses the Urban Poverty and Family Life Survey of Chicago and an urban subsample of the National Survey of Families and Households to examine race and ethnic variation in the occurrence and consequences of birth versus marriage pathways to family formation. Results based on multiple‐decrement life table analysis and multi‐variate life table regression analysis reveal strong race and poverty effects on pathways to family formation, but Hispanic origin does not systematically influence the odds that women will enter family life via marriage versus birth. We show stronger race effects on pathways to family formation for the Chicago sample owing to the much higher incidence of teen parenting among black inner‐city residents. Results also suggest lasting economic consequences of non‐marital fertility, irrespective of whether women eventually marry or divorce subsequent to a premarital birth.     

Nontemplate Polymerization of Free Nucleotides Into Genetic Elements by Thermophilic DNA Polymerase in vitro

DNA synthesis is the cornerstone of all life forms and is required to replicate and restore the genetic information. Usually, DNA synthesis is carried out only by DNA polymerases semiconservatively to copy preexisting DNA templates. We report here that DNA strands were synthesized ab initio in the absence of any DNA or RNA template by thermophilic DNA polymerases at (a) a constant high temperature (74°C), (b) alternating temperatures (94°C/60°C/74°C), or (c) physiological temperatures (37°C). The majority of the ab initio synthesized DNA represented short sequence blocks, repeated sequences, intergenic spacers, and other unknown genetic elements. These results suggest that novel DNA elements could be synthesized in the absence of a nucleic acid template by thermophilic DNA polymerases in vitro. Biogenesis of genetic information by thermophilic DNA polymerase-mediated nontemplate DNA synthesis may explain the origin of genetic information and could serve as a new way of biosynthesis of genetic information that may have facilitated the evolution of life.

Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Nucleosides, Nucleotides, and Nucleic Acids to view the free supplemental file.     

Effect of anti-mycobacterial antibodies on activation of the alternative pathway of the human complement system

Abstract Genome analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was performed by digestion with rare-cutting restriction endonucleases and subsequent one- and two-dimensional field inversion gel electrophoresis (FIGE). The frequency of chromosomal recognition sites increased in the order Spe I, Dra I, Xba I, Ssp I, Nhe I. The genome size of strain PAO and the 17 IATS strains varied from 4.4 × 10⁶ to 5.4 × 10⁶ base pairs. Double restriction digests and two-dimensional FIGE provide a genome fingerprint which is useful for the identification and typing of the respective strains.     

Morphology and diversity of the forcipules in Strigamia centipedes (Chilopoda,Geophilomorpha)

The morphology of the venomous limbs (forcipules) of 13 species of Strigamia and of six other geophilomorphs was studied with light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and, for a subsample, with confocal laser scanning microscopy. In all Strigamia species a well-distinct denticle is present invariantly on the inner side of the terminal article (tarsungulum), in sub-basal position, just proximal to a faint transverse sulcus and a cuticular introflexion that corresponds to the insertion point of a tendon. Strigamia species differ mainly in size and shape of the denticle and thickness of the distal part of the tarsungulum, suggesting some functional diversity in piercing and handling prey. Anatomical evidence supports the hypothesis that the tarsungulum corresponds to two ancestral articles and a denticle at the basis of the tarsungulum originated multiple times within geophilomorphs, however in different positions corresponding to either the ancestral sub-terminal article (in Strigamia, other Geophiloidea and some Schendylidae) or the ancestral terminal article (in the himantariid Thracophilus).     

Uniclonal Population Structure in the Pentaploid Obligate Agamosperm Taraxacum albidum Dahlst.

Abstract Electrophoretic data were used to assess levels of clonal diversity within and among populations of Taraxacum albidum Dahlst., a pentaploid obligate agamosperm indigenous to Japan. All specimens sampled from the entire distribution range shared the same 19-locus genotypic profile except for one. This single mutant differed in one allele at one locus only. Contrary to this extreme monomorphism, clonally reproducing species usually consist of multiclonal populations. It is hypothesized that T. albidum recently originated through hybridization between a sexual diploid species of the section Mongolica (most likely T. japonicum Koidz.) and an unknown polyploid Mongolica species.     

横断山区蚜虫区系的特异性与历史渊源

文章系统分析了横断山区蚜虫区系的特异性,主要表现在:区系成分的复杂性、古北与东洋成分的交融性、区系组成的特有性和物种分布的间断性.进一步结合地质历史事件对横断山区蚜虫区系的历史渊源及其特异性演化进行了初步讨论.根据蚜虫类分布特点,建议古北区和东洋区在横断山区的分界线南移至丽江一线;横断山区蚜虫和其他地区的间隔分布可能是由地质历史上板块运动和青藏高原的隆升及第四纪冰期-间冰期的循环往复造成的;横断山区蚜虫区系是一个复合区系,同其他动物地理区划如新北区、澳洲区、非洲区等的蚜虫区系都有密切的历史渊源,青藏高原和横断山区的隆起及第四纪冰期-间冰期的循环往复又使得本区蚜虫区系有着独特的演化历程,从而造成了本区蚜虫区系的特有性.     

不同来源和粒径的胶体对光合细菌生长的效应

天然胶体是近岸海域细菌和浮游植物可利用氮的一个重要来源 ,其含量的增加可促进藻类的繁殖和生长 ,有时甚至引发赤潮。研究显示 ,细菌在高分子量胶体存在下的生长和代谢速率比在低分子量中的提高 3～ 6倍 ,暴露在阳光下的胶体有机物可释放生物可利用的富氮组分 ,进而提高细菌对胶体的分解。利用错流超滤技术从河流、河口、海洋水体和微藻培养液中提取胶体 ,研究了胶体来源和粒径对光合细菌 (PSB,沼泽红假单胞菌 Rhodopseudomonaspalustris)生长的影响。结果表明 ,在一定的胶体有机碳浓度范围 ,河流胶体 (0～ 2 81.0μmol/ L )、河口胶体 (0～ 12 1.2μmol/ L )、海洋胶体 (0～ 88.8μmol/ L )和生源胶体 (7.7～5 4 8.6μmol/ L )都能促进 PSB的生长 ,分别使其相对增长率平均提高了 4 7.3%～ 196 .2 % ,3.6 %～ 9.3% ,8.1%～ 10 .4 %和2 .4 %～ 6 .9%。其中 ,PSB在河流胶体中的相对增长率的平均值 (Y)与有机碳浓度 (CDOC)呈对数相关 (Y (% ) =- 193.7 70 .7ln CDOC) ,表明高浓度的河流胶体 ,对 PSB生长的促进效果更显著。两种生源胶体中 ,海水小球藻胶体 (0～ 5 4 8.6μmol/ L )对PSB生长的促进作用大于球等鞭金藻胶体 (7.7～ 384 .4 μmol/ L) ;PSB在粒径为 10 k D～ 0 .2 2 μm的海洋胶体中的生长大于     

The evolution of multicellularity in animals as a shift in biological autonomy

The hypothesis is advanced that major evolutionary innovations are characterized by an increase of organismal autonomy in the sense of an emancipation from the environment. After a brief overview of the literature on this concept, increasing autonomy is defined as the evolutionary shift in the individual system-environment relationship, so that the direct influences of the environment are gradually reduced and a stabilization of self-referential, intrinsic functions within the system is generated. This is described as relative autonomy because numerous interconnections with the environment and dependencies upon it are retained. Elements of an increasing autonomy are spatial separations, an increase in homeostatic functions, internalizations and an increase in physiological and behavioral flexibility. These elements are described by taking the transition from single cells to metazoans as a case study. The principle of increasing autonomy is of central relevance for understanding this transition. The hypothesis does not contradict the principle of adaptation, but rather contributes to a further understanding of its elements as it supplies aspects for a reconsideration of the relationship between the outside and the inside, between organism and environment.     

幽影病毒属病毒的研究现状与展望

幽影病毒是一类较为特殊的植物病毒,其基因组不编码外壳蛋白,因此不形成通常的病毒粒体结构。这类病毒可以通过机械摩擦方式传播,在黄症病毒的帮助下也可以通过蚜虫传播。幽影病毒属病毒由7个确定种和3个暂定成员组成,烟草丛顶病毒是目前国内发现的幽影病毒属唯一成员。幽影病毒的寄主范围较窄,体外抗性也较差。幽影病毒感病组织中含有大量dsRNA。有些病毒还含有卫星RNA。幽影病毒的基因组为单分体的 ssRNA,编码4个非结构蛋白,其中的ORF3蛋白在病毒RNA的稳定性及寄主体内的长距离运输中起到非常重要的作用。文章综述了国内外幽影病毒的研究现状,并对未来的相关研究趋势和研究领域进行了展望。