What about R.A. Fisher's statement of the "too good" data of J.G. Mendel's Pisum paper?

Mendel was accused by Fisher that his observed data, which corresponded to expectations, were too good to be true, and, further, that Mendel, growing only 10 plants per offspring, disregarded in his genotypical analysis the loss of recessives by assuming a ratio of 1:2 instead of 1.1126:1.8874. In contrast, it is proposed here that all chi-square statistics of genetic segregations fall short because the variance of genetic segregations is smaller and not of a binomial type as assumed. Furthermore, this variance and the corresponding chi-square statistics are not homogeneous in different segregation types. Consequently, it is not possible to summarize the different chi-square statistics as Fisher did. It is only in this way that he was able to obtain his unrealistic result (a probability of "seven times in 100,000 cases"). Regarding Fisher's second accusation, it should be taken into account that Mendel selected his 10 plants from offspring with a finite and not an infinite number of entities. Although this number is different from offspring to offspring, the average number is about 30. This means that the loss of recessives must be calculated by using a hypergeometric and not a binomial model as Fisher did. Consequently, the real deviation from the 1:2 ratio can be disregarded.     

Investigations of the validity of e.a. müller's "leistungspulsindex" (author's transl)]

In order to obtain a critical review of E.A. Müller's "Leistungspulsindex", we worked out a functional representation of that index, using a simple physiologic-mathematic model of the oxygen transport system. We found that the LPI is influenced by the economy of the oxygen transport system and that it is inversely proportional to stroke volume, caloric coefficient, and to the efficiency of muscular work. Based on the theoretic analysis we tried to interpret the results of an investigation carried out with pupils of an coeducative intermediate school (years of birth 1964, 1965, 1966). We obtained statistically significant correlations (p less than 0.1%) between LPI and parameters characterizing performance capacity (PWC170, heart rate at 100 W work load) and between LPI and body weight. The results of both the theoretic and experimental investigation indicate a dependence of the LPI on factors influenced by physical training processes, but no evidence was found, however, on an interrelationship between LPI and congenital factors of physical performance.     

Preparation of α and β anomers of various isomeric methyl O-d-galactopyranosyl-d-galactopyranosides. Standards for interpretation of 13C-n.m.r. spectra of d-galactopyranans

The four isomers of methyl O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-β-d-galactopyranoside were prepared by condensation of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-galactopyranosyl bromide with appropriate, partially O-substituted derivatives of methyl β-d-galactopyranoside. Reaction of 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-1,2-O-(1-ethoxyethylidene)-α-d-galactopyranose with the same acceptors, in the presence of mercuric bromide, led to the formation of α and β linkages. Thus, it was possible to assign ¹³C-n.m.r. resonances of α and β anomers of methyl O-d-galactopyranosyl-β-d-galactopyranosides. In terms of application of these shift values and those of related d-galactobioses to the structural analysis of d-galactopyranans by shift comparisons, some generalizations can be made. For β-d-galactopyranans, the resonances of glycosyloxylated carbon atoms of methyl O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-β-d-galactopyranosides are sensitive to structure and appear to have typical values, whereas limited variation was observed with shifts of C-1′ signals. On the other hand, for assigning structures to d-galactopyranans containing α linkages, the C-1′ shifts (at higher field) of methyl O-α-d-galactopyranosyl-β-d-galactopyranosides are sensitive to linkage position, whereas those of glycosyloxylated carbon atoms vary only a little.     

Studies on the Constituents of Typha L.—IV. A Preliminary Study of Chemosystematics of Typha L.

From pollen grains of Typha davidiana, T. latifolia, T. angustata the same eight flavonoids have been isolated. They are identified as naringenin I, isorhamnetin II, quercetin III, isorhamnetin-3-O-(2^G-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-rutioside IV, quercetin-3-O-(2^G-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-rutinosida, V, isorhamnetio-3-O-rutinoside VI, isorhamnetino-3-O-neohesperidoside VII, kampferol-3-O-neohesperidoside VIII. Flavonoids of pollen grains of five species of Typha, including the above three species, were analysed by TLC with the result showing that the constituents in the pollen grains of the five species are very similar. The chemical comparison among Typha and Sparganium and 16 possibly related families shows that Typha is different from Pandanaceae or Pandanales and is similar to Restionaceae, Flagellariaceae, Juncaceae and Cyperaceae in some respects. Typha and Sparganium are very similar in many respects, and they could be treated in the same family, Typhaceae, which merit the rank of order, Typhales.     

Thoughts of a Travelling Ecologist, 2. Does the ecological study of managed habitats constitute "real" ecology?

Ecology is not a very "old" science,with about one hundred years of history.In the early period,the general attitude was that the study of undisturbed ecological systems will provide us with clues of how the world is organised.To understand this world,we should study the     

13C-N.M.R. Spectroscopy of α- and β-anomeric series of alkyl l-arabinopyranosides

Anomeric pairs of l-arabinopyranosides of a variety of aliphatic alcohols were prepared, and their n.m.r. spectroscopy, especially the glycosylation shift of their ¹³C signals, was investigated in comparison with those of d-glucopyranosides, d-mannopyranosides, and l-rhamnopyranosides reported previously. It was found that the glycosylation shift of the l-arabinopyranosides in the present study is almost the same as that of d-glucopyranosides, and the conformational equilibrium of each of these l-arabinopyranosides is very similar to that of the corresponding anomer of methyl l-arabinopyranoside, namely, a preponderance of the ⁴C₁, form, regardless of the structure of the aglycon alcohol. The present results are also useful for structural study of naturally occurring arabinopyranosides.     

Phylogenenetic approach of the section Bulbocodii D.C. of Narcissus based on cpDNA. A case of taxonomic inflation?

In this paper, we analyzed the phylogeny of the section Bulbocodii (genus Narcissus; Amarillydaceae) using the matK and trnL-F fragments of cpDNA in order to review the validity of the recognized taxa. Our results indicate that Narcissus obesus should be considered a valid species, and that N. blancoi is a distinct taxon. In addition, seven previously recognized species, N. juressianus, N. subnivalis, N. graellsii, N. conspicuus, N. citrinus, N. nivalis, and N. quintanilhae, should be assigned to an infraspecific rank under N. bulbocodium, as they are not valid species. In addition, we analyzed the distribution of the three morphological characters widely used in the systematics of this section and found that their variation does not agree with the phylogenetic results, rendering these characters limited taxonomical utility. This result suggests that the section Bulbocodii shows high morphological lability, which can explain the proliferation of nominal species.     

Genetics of esterases in Drosophila. V. Characteristics of the “pupal” esterase in D. virilis

From analysis of the properties of the pupal esterase (p-esterase) in Drosophila virilis, it is concluded that it is heat stable, its electrophoretic detection depends on culture density, its expression is stage specific, and it is not a variant of esterase 2. It was also demonstrated that p-esterase, like esterase 6, is activated by injections of the juvenile hormone into larvae. Heat treatment of heat-resistant D. virilis stocks led to decreased activities of the juvenile hormone dependent esterases but did not affect those of the heat-sensitive stocks. It is suggested that heat resistance in D. virilis is related to some functional features of the system of modifier genes controlling the phenotypic expression of esterases.     

Microbial metabolism of aromatic nitriles. Enzymology of C–N cleavage by Nocardia sp. (Rhodochrous group) N.C.I.B. 11216

1. An organism utilizing benzonitrile as sole carbon and nitrogen source was isolated by the enrichment-culture technique and identified as a Nocardia sp. of the rhodochrous group. 2. Respiration studies indicate that nitrile degradation proceeds through benzoic acid and catechol. 3. Cell-free extracts of benzonitrile-grown cells contain an enzyme that catalyses the conversion of benzonitrile directly into benzoic acid without intermediate formation of benzamide. 4. This nitrilase enzyme was purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 in the presence and absence of substrate. The purity of the enzyme was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel. 5. The enzyme shows a time-dependent substrate-activation process in which the substrate catalyses the association of inactive subunits of mol.wt. 45000 to form the polymeric 12-unit active enzyme of mol.wt. 560000. The time required for complete association is highly dependent on the concentration of the enzyme, temperature and pH. 6. The associated enzyme has a pH optimum of 8.0 and K(m) with benzonitrile as substrate of 4mm. The activation energy of the reaction as deduced from the Arrhenius plot is 51.8kJ/mol. 7. Enzyme activity is inhibited by thiol-specific reagents and several metal ions. 8. Studies with different substrates indicate that the nitrilase is specific for nitrile groups directly attached to the benzene ring. Various substituents in the ring are compatible with activity, though ortho-substitution, except by fluorine, renders the nitrile invulnerable to attack. 9. The environmental implications of these findings and the possible significance of the enzyme in the regulation of metabolism are discussed.