Speciation in a keystone plant genus is driven by elevation: a case study in New Guinean Ficus

Much of the world's insect and plant biodiversity is found in tropical and subtropical ‘hotspots’, which often include long elevational gradients. These gradients may function as ‘diversity pumps’ and contribute to both regional and local species richness. Climactic conditions on such gradients often change rapidly along short vertical distances and may result in local adaptation and high levels of population genetic structure in plants and insects. We investigated the population genetic structure of two species of Ficus (Moraceae) along a continuously forested elevational gradient in Papua New Guinea. This speciose plant genus is pollinated by tiny, species‐specific and highly coevolved chalcid wasps (Agaonidae) and represented by at least 73 species at our study gradient. We present results from two species of Ficus sampled from six elevations between 200 m and 2700 m a.s.l. (almost the entire elevational range of the genus) and 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci. These results show that strong barriers to gene flow exist between 1200 m and 1700 m a.s.l. Whereas lowland populations are panmictic across distances over 70 km, montane populations can be disjunct over 4 km, despite continuous forest cover. We suggest that the limited gene flow between populations of these two species of montane Ficus may be driven by environmental limitations on pollinator or seed dispersal in combination with local adaptation of Ficus populations. Such a mechanism may have wider implications for plant and pollinator speciation across long and continuously forested elevational gradients if generalist insect pollinators and vertebrate seed dispersers also form populations based on elevation.     

Life history in culture of the obligate epiphyte Porphyra subtumens (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) endemic to New Zealand

This is the first report of the growth in culture of Porphyra subtumens J. Agardh ex Laing (Bangiales, Rhodophyta), an obligate epiphyte of Durvillaea species and endemic to New Zealand waters. Archeospores, previously observed on field material, develop directly into the blade phase. Spores released from field collected blades form conchocelis. Conchospores develop into new blades, completing the life history in culture. Earlier reports of reproduction in P. subtumens gave conflicting accounts with some authors citing this species as having an asexual, monophasic life history with an unusual form of spore production, while others described spermatangia and carposporangia on the blade phase.     

Serratia marcescens forms a new type of cytolysin

Most Serratia marcescens strains produce a new type of cytolysin (hemolysin) which is also found in other Serratia species. The hemolytic polypeptide ShlA (M(r) 162 101) is secreted across the outer membrane through the help of the ShlB protein which also involves conversion of an inactive precursor in an hemolytically active form. Both proteins are synthesized with signal sequences which are released during export across the cytoplasmic membrane. Mutants expressing inactive ShlB derivatives are impaired in activation and secretion suggesting a tight coupling between both processes. The region of ShlA for activation and secretion is confined to the N-terminal 16% of the polypeptide which contains the sequence NPNG which is also found in the Proteus hemolysin, the Bordetella pertussis filamentous hemagglutinin and two highly expressed outer membrane proteins of Haemophilus influenzae. Substitution of the first asparagine (N) residue by isoleucine converts the Serratia hemolysin into an inactive secretion incompetent form. It is concluded that this region is recognized by ShlB for activation and secretion of ShlA. The Serratia hemolysin forms defined pores in erythrocyte membranes.     

Reduced MHC variation in a threatened tuatara species

The relationship between neutral and adaptive genetic diversity is important to understand in assessing the implications of a population bottleneck. Fitness-related genes, such as those of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), may be influenced by selection, and so retain diversity even when it is lost at neutral markers. We measured MHC class I variation in an archaic reptile species Sphenodon guntheri [North Brother Island (NBI) tuatara], which naturally occurs on one 4 ha island in Cook Strait, New Zealand, and has low levels of microsatellite diversity. MHC variation in S. guntheri was compared with microsatellite DNA variation, and with MHC variation in a large population of Sphenodon punctatus (Cook Strait tuatara) on Stephens Island. The NBI population shows significantly decreased levels of genetic diversity compared with the Stephens Island population. Only three different MHC sequences and three genotypes were found on NBI, compared with 15 sequences and 21 genotypes in a similar sample size from Stephens Island. Two sequences appear to be unique to the NBI population. The assortment of sequence variants into genotypes suggests strong gametic disequilibrium between two MHC class I loci in S. guntheri , and only two haplotypes that were present in Hardy–Weinberg proportions were identified. MHC diversity in NBI tuatara appears to be largely influenced by genetic drift, consistent with a recent population bottleneck. This may compromise the ability of this population to respond to novel disease threats.     

Conceptual design and implantation of an external fixator with improved mobility for knee rehabilitation

A hinged external fixator is used to allow early knee rehabilitation in case of injury or trauma, as an alternative approach to immobilization. It is mainly adopted for the treatment of dislocations, which involve tearing of the ligaments, and it basically consists of two links connected to each other by a revolute joint. Each link is fixed to the femur and tibia via pin fixation, and the revolute joint is approximately aligned to the knee flexion-extension (FE) axis. The advantage in its implantation is to protect ligament reconstruction, while allowing for an aggressive rehabilitation. Traditional fixators only accommodate the functional flexion movement in a limited range, i.e. where the anatomical movement is closer to a planar circular trajectory. This paper presents the conceptual design and implantation procedure of a double-axis fixator, which accommodates both FE and longitudinal internal-external rotation. The procedure is based on accurate knee kinematics measurements and on computer-aided multibody simulations to assist clinicians in the implantation. An experimental test is presented using an artificial knee, and guidelines are given for in vitro studies. The proposed technique may allow for a better understanding of knee kinematics and have the potential advantage to increase the range of motion in postoperative rehabilitation.     

2001-2010年疏勒河流域植被净初级生产力时空变化及其与气候因子的关系

通过改进的光能利用率CASA模型估算2001-2010年间疏勒河流域陆地生态系统的净第一性生产力（NPP），采用线性趋势分析、变异系数和Hurst指数等方法，分析了NPP的时空变化特征及其与气候因子的相关性。结果表明：①疏勒河流域NPP的空间分布具有明显差异，空间上呈现西北低、东南高的趋势，且具有较明显的经向"条带"分布特征，2001-2010年，NPP平均值为102.26 gC m^-2 a^-1。②2001-2010年，疏勒河流域NPP总体呈增长趋势，年际波动较大，NPP明显增加的区域占总面积25.15%，明显减小的区域约占11.93%。③Hurst指数分析显示，疏勒河流域NPP变化的同向特征强于反向特征，其中持续改善地区占总面积的78.3%，21.7%的区域将由改善转为退化。④在年尺度上，降水是植被NPP变化的主要影响因素，NPP与降水呈弱的正相关关系，与温度相关性不显著；在月尺度上，温度是NPP变化的主要控制因子。疏勒河流域NPP对气候因子不存在明显的时滞和累积效应。