The Jurassic GenusReinholdella Brotzen (1948) (Foram.)

In this treatise the author describes two species from the Lias, and four from the Dogger. One liassic species is already known (Reinholdella macfadyeni [Ten Dam]) from the Upper Lias (Bifrons-Zone), England, the other one was found by Dr.Bartenstein in Luxemburg, Lias δ Grenze ε, and has been namedReinholdella pachyderma nov. spec. The species from the Dogger areReinholdella dreheri (Bartenstein) and three new species, viz.Reinholdella brandi nov. spec.,Reinholdella ornata nov. spec. andReinholdella epistominoides nov. spec. The genusReinholdella has obviously derived from the genusConorboides Hofker (1951) and the speciesR. epistominoides proves that the genusEpistomina is related withReinholdella. It may be thatReinholdella is related withAsterigerina; but the large gap in the Cretaceous, where noReinholdella is found nor any species ofAsterigerina, contradicts this view.     

Microbial synthesis of riboflavin

This member of the vitamin-B complex is necessary in human diet to prevent soreness of mouth, lips and nose, and inflammation of the cornea. It is commercially produced from the fungi Ashbya gossypiiand Eremothecium ashbyii,and is used to enrich various foods and animal feedstuffs.     

Chromosome number variability in central european members of the<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca ovina</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic">F. pallens</Emphasis> groups (sect.<Emphasis Type="Italic">Festuca</Emphasis>)

Chromosome numbers for 98 plants ofF. pallens, 19 ofF. psammophila, F. belensis andF. vaginata, and 44 ofF. ovina (originating from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Latvia) are given. In addition to theF. ovina andF. pallens groups, chromosome counts for the following taxa are also reported:F. alpestris (2n=14) reported for the first time in this work,F. amethystina subsp.amethystina (2n=28),F. brevipila (2n=42),F. cinerea (2n=28),F. rupicola subsp.rupicola (2n=42) andF. versicolor subsp.versicolor (2n=14).InF. pallens, two ploidy levels (2n=2x=14+0-1B, 2n=4x=28+0-1B) as well as two natural triploid plants (2n=21+0-1B), were found. In addition to the fourF. pallens types that have been distinguished in Austria, one new tetraploid type (F. pallens “scabrifolia”) from the Czech Republic and Germany is reported and its taxonomy is discussed. The distributions of the Oberösterreich-Niederösterreich and Pannonisches-HügellandF. pallens types outside of Austria are documented.Only the diploid chromosome number (2n=14) was found inF. psammophila andF. vaginata. Chromosome numbers forF. psammophila subsp.muellerstollii andF. belensis (both 2n=14) were determined here for the first time. Two ploidy levels, 2n=14+0-5B corresponding toF. ovina subsp.ovina and 2n=28 corresponding toF. ovina subsp.guestphalica andF. cf.duernsteinensis were confirmed inF. ovina. Differences in chromosome structure (simple and multiple secondary constrictions) betweenF. pallens as opposed toF. psammophila andF. vaginata are discussed. A complete survey of published chromosome counts for Central European species from theF. ovina andF. pallens groups is included.     

Statistical distribution of impedance elements in biological systems

Electric impedance measurements on systems consisting of nonuniform elements (e.g. nerve bundles, cell suspensions, imperfect dielectrics)_can be interpreted if the impedance characteristics of the individuals and their impedance distribution are known. Conversely, given the observed overall impedance,z(p), the impedance distribution of the individuals is not uniquely determined in both phase angle and static capacitance. If all individual phase angles are equal, the distribution,D(τ), is the solution of Stieltjes' integral equation

$$F[z(p)] = \int_0^\infty {\frac{{D(\tau )d\tau }}{{1 + p\tau }}} ,$$     

Some new taxa ofPotentilla L.

Five new species and two varieties from the sectionMultifidae are described from the Sino-Himalayan region. They are referred to the affinity ofP. multifida L. andP. griffithii Hook. f.; one of the new species is probably related toP. gerardiana Lindl. and one is intermediate between the species of the sectionsMultifidae andNiveae.     

Phycological notes III. New records of marine algae from the central tropical Pacific Ocean

Taxonomic and distributional notes are given for the following marine algae, which are reported for the first time from the central tropical Pacific Ocean:Dermocorynus occident alis, Ceramium paniculatum, C. hamatis pinum, Spirocladia barodensis, Symphyocladia marchantioides, Lophosiphonia cristata, L. prostrata, Exophyllum wentii. The ranges ofRalfsia pangoensis andMurrayella peridados are extended.Falkenbergiella caespitosa is shown to be referable toPolysiphonia caespitosa (Pocock) comb. nov.     

Muscular dynamics and muscular efficiency: I. The isometric length-tension diagram of striated skeletal muscle

The isometric length-tension diagram for individual fibers and for whole muscle is considered, and it is proposed that the tensionp may be represented for any muscle whose fibers are parallel and not in series, in the form

$$p = f\left( x \right) + \beta \phi \left( {\alpha ,l,x} \right),$$     

A new species of Townsendia (Compositae) from Utah

An endemic, yellow ray-flowered species ofTownsendia is described asT. aprica from Sevier Co., Utah. It is apparently most closely related toT. montana Nutt. of western Montana and Wyoming south to southern Utah andT. mensana M. E. Jones of northern and western Utah and adjacent Nevada.     

Geographical variation of skull characters in pikas (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ochotona</Emphasis>, Lagomorpha) of the<Emphasis Type="Italic">alpina-hyperborea</Emphasis> group

A multivariate analysis of 11 skull measurements, along with evaluation of the shape of maxill-premaxill suture at palatine foramina, was carried out in pikas of thealpina-hyperborea group. The study provided rational for recognition of three distinct species in this group:Ochotona alpina (Pallas, 1773),O. hyperborea (Pallas, 1811), andO. turuchanensis Naumov, 1934.O. turuchanensis is a species from central Siberia differing fromO. hyperborea in the chromosome number and type of palatine foramina and fromO. alpina in size of the skull. This species is allopatric withO. alpina and partly sympatric withO. hyperborea. The subspeciessvatoshi is reportedly allocated toO. hyperborea. The taxonomic status ofmantchurica (now allocated tohyperborea) and scorodumovi (treated at present as an isolated subspecies of O. alpina) needs careful investigation.     

Notes on Bletia (Orchidaceae)

New species ofBletia from Mexico are described and illustrated:B. concolor, B. similis, andB. urbana. The identity ofB. campanulata Llave & Lex. is discussed, andB. reflexa Lindl. is considered to be a distinct species. Several South American epithets are treated as synonyms ofB. campanulata. A key to the recognized species ofBletia is given.     

The genera Amblostoma,Lanium, and Stenoglossum (Orchidaceae)

The generaAmblostoma, Lanium, andStenoglossum are discussed, and it is concluded that all three should be included inEpidendrum.Lanium is treated as a section, and new names are proposed for two species whose epithets are preoccupied inEpidendrum: E. macrum (forAmblostoma gracile) andE. stiliferum (forLanium subulatum).     

The genusCandida berkhout

The authors attempted to classify a group of five strains excluded in typing of the speciesCandida albicans (Robin) Berkhout because they displayed a relationship toCandida tropicalis (Cast.) Berkhout. They were found to include transitional forms showing progressive development to a higher type. Strain 29-3-32 formed a lower stage of transition fromCandida albicans toCandida tropicalis and was more similar toCandida albicans. Strain 29-3-58 formed a higher transitional stage and was more similar toCandida tropicalis. Strain 29-3-5 was similar toCandida albicans and formed the transition from the latter to strain 29-3-100, which was closely related toCandida intermedia andCandida tropicalis. Strain 29-3-68 formed the transition fromCandida guilliermondii toCandida intermedia and was similar toCandida guilliermondii and the related speciesCandida melibiosi.     

An analysis of hybridization in Liatris

Liatris aspera andL. spicata are remotely related species, and rarely have an opportunity to hybridize because of different flowering periods and ecological tolerances. Seasonal and ecological barriers have been surmounted in a population in southern Cook County, Illinois, which has resulted in extensive hybridization. The population was characterized on the basis of morphological and chemical features, pollen fertility, and chromosome pairing relationships. Plants considered to be F₁ hybrids on the basis of morphology typically displayed the phenolic markers of both parental species, reduced fertility, and meiotic irregularities in the form of univalents and translocation figures. Plants judged to be backcrosses toL. aspera contained some of the phenolics ofL. spicata; however, backcrosses toL. spicata invariably lacked the phenolics ofL. aspera. The species-species phenolics ofL. aspera were inherited as a block, i.e., a hybrid had all or none of these compounds. The complex pattern of gene exchange within the population reflects the weakness of crossing and fertility barriers to hybridization.     

Distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Divo</Emphasis> in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coffea</Emphasis> genomes,a poorly described family of angiosperm LTR-Retrotransposons

Coffea arabica (the Arabica coffee) is an allotetraploid species originating from a recent hybridization between two diploid species: C. canephora and C. eugenioides. Transposable elements can drive structural and functional variation during the process of hybridization and allopolyploid formation in plants. To learn more about the evolution of the C. arabica genome, we characterized and studied a new Copia LTR-Retrotransposon (LTR-RT) family in diploid and allotetraploid Coffea genomes called Divo. It is a complete and relatively compact LTR-RT element (~5 kb), carrying typical Gag and Pol Copia type domains. Reverse Trancriptase (RT) domain-based phylogeny demonstrated that Divo is a new and well-supported family in the Bianca lineage, but strictly restricted to dicotyledonous species. In C. canephora, Divo is expressed and showed a genomic distribution along gene rich and gene poor regions. The copy number, the molecular estimation of insertion time and the analysis at orthologous locations of insertions in diploid and allotetraploid coffee genomes suggest that Divo underwent a different and recent transposition activity in C. arabica and C. canephora when compared to C. eugenioides. The analysis of this novel LTR-RT family represents an important step toward uncovering the genome structure and evolution of C. arabica allotetraploid genome.     

Karyo-taxonomic study of the genus<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudolysimachion</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scrophulariaceae</Emphasis>) in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Flow cytometry was used to determine ploidy levels in the Czech and Slovak taxa of the genusPseudolysimachion (W.D.J. Koch)Opiz (=Veronica auct. p.p.,Scrophulariaceae). In total, 123 populations from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine (one locality), Austria (one locality) and Hungary (one locality) were analyzed. InP. maritimum (L.)Á. Löve etD. Löve andP. spicatum (L.)Opiz, two cytotypes were found: diploid (2n=2x=34) and tetraploid (2n=4x=68). In both species the tetraploid cytotype predominated (P. maritimum: 41 tetraploid populations out of 45;P. spicatum: 57 tetraploid populations out of 58). The two cytotypes ofP. maritimum have no taxonomic significance because ploidy level is not obviously correlated with morphology, distribution pattern or ecology. Tetraploid populations ofP. spicatum belong to two morphologically different subspecies, subsp.spicatum and subsp.fischeri Trávní?ek. The diploid cytotype (one population only) should be provisionally classified as a third subspecies ofP. spicatum, which is morphologically similar to the Asian subsp.porphyrianum (Pavlov)Trávní?ek. Only diploid plants (2n=2x=34) ofP. orchideum (Crantz)Wraber were found; all 13 populations that were analyzed belong toP. orchideum s.str. One diploid population sample ofP. spurium subsp.foliosum (Waldst. etKit.)Holub (2n=2x=34) and one tetraploid sample ofP. incanum subsp.pallens (Host)Trávní?ek (2n=4x=68) were also analyzed. In addition, three tetraploid populations of hybrid origin were investigated:P. maritimum ×P. spicatum subsp.spicatum (one population) andP. maritimum ×P. spurium subsp.foliosum (two populations). While hybrid plants ofP. maritimum ×P. spicatum arose from tetraploid parental species, plants ofP. maritimum ×P. spurium probably resulted from a cross between tetraploidP. maritimum and diploidP. spurium. The putative origin and evolutionary importance of polyploids in thePseudolysimachion are discussed.     

Bacteriocin production by members of the genusKlebsiella

Bacteriocin production was tested in 36Klebsiella and 3Enterobacter aerogenes strains. Bacteriocins produced byK. pneumoniae were found to be active on most strains ofK. edwardsi, K. aerogenes, K. rhinoscleromatis andE. aerogenes. The bacteriocin produced byE. aerogenes 37 is also active onK. pneumoniae andK. ozaenae. The bacteriocins produced byK. rhinoscleromatis, K. edwardsi andK. aerogenes are active on only a few strains. The activity spectra of the bacteriocins of a number of strains were similar. The method of classification used for colicins could not be applied to these bacteriocins as mutants resistant to one bacteriocin were nearly always resistant to all other bacteriocins. One mutant, though resistant, still adsorbed the bacteriocin to which it was resistant and it is very likely that the same applies for all other resistant mutants. The hypothesis is made that allKlebsiella bacteriocins have the same biochemical target, or more likely, possess a common transmission mechanism.     

Zur Entwicklung und Taxionomie der Tricornidae (Ostracoda) in Mitteleuropa

This paper is an attempt to summarize the existing knowledge on the Tricornidae Contrary toBlumenstengel (1965) the range of the family is vastly extended and its position as well as the taxonomic significance of its characteristic features are discussed. Several trends as to lateral view, strengthening of sculpture and marginal structures can be discerned within the entire generic group consisting ofOvornina—Tricornina—Bohemina—Saalfeldella. Probably these genera listed constitute a genuine phylogenetic line. The author gives a review on the range and delimitations of the most important genera. As a new genusOvornina (type speciesTricornina ovata Blumenstengel 1962; Ordovician—Devonian) is described; new subgenera of the same genus areOvornina andTricornella.     

Membranes of five-fold alamethicin-resistant<Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus,Enterococcus faecalis</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus cereus</Emphasis> show decreased interactions with alamethicin due to changes in membrane fluidity and surface charge

The aim of this study was to understand development of resistance to alamethicin (a model barrel stave pore forming antimicrobial peptide) by investigating changes in phospholipid profile, fatty acid side chain analysis and extent of alamethicin insertion in biomimetic membrane prepared form wild type strains and five folds alamethicin resistant variants ofStaphylococcus aureus NCDC 110,Enterococcus faecalis NCDC 114 andBacillus cereus NCDC 66. The wild type strains NCDC 110, 114, 66, were sensitive to alamethicin with IC₅₀ 5.5, 3.25 and 2.0 μg/ml respectively. Wild type strains were cultured in the presence of alamethicin to select resistant variants with IC₅₀ 29.0, 17.0 and 9.5 μg/ml respectively. The phospholipid profile analysis revealed increase in amino-group containing phospholipids to amino-group lacking phospholipids ratio between wild-type and resistant variant inS. aureus and B. cereus but decreased inE. faecalis. Predominant fatty acids in all strains were composed of even number of carbons. Linoleic acid was detected only in resistant strain ofB. cereus. As indicated by saturated-to-unsaturated fatty acids ratio, the membrane fromS. aureus andE. faecalis became more rigid, whereas, inB. cereus it became more fluid. Using a colorimetricin vitro assay, a decrease in alamethicin insertion in the biomimetic membrane could be observed upon acquisition of resistance. The membranes of five-fold alamethicin-resistantS. aureus, E. faecalis andB. cereus revealed changes in membrane fluidity and surface charge upon acquisition of resistance to alamethicin.