论植物医学的学科与专业

我国大多数农林高校都开设了植物保护专业,但长期以来,“植物保护”和“植物医学”2个概念模糊不清、混为一谈.本文试图从植物保护学科及其专业招生与人才培养存在的问题着手,讨论植物医学与植物保护学科与专业的内涵与外延,深入分析植物保护与植物医学的不同特点及联系,意在强调在我国农林高校设置植物医学专业、建立植物医学学科、最终构建现代化植物医学教育体系的重要性和必要性.     

Anthropometric studies of the long bones of the "shell mound" Indians

The “shell mound” Indians exhibit both sexual and bilateral variations in comparative long bone lengths. Mean long bone lengths are shortest in the Indian group when compared to those reported for both Caucasians and Negroes. The radiohumeral and humero-femoral indices of the “shell mound” Indians are higher than those reported for either Caucasians or Negroes. There is a relatively high degree of anterior-posterior curvature of the femur in the Indian group when compared to the femora of Caucasian and Negroes. There is apparently no correlation between maximum femoral length and trochanter length in comparing right and left sides in either sex. The collo-diaphyseal angles are greater on the average on the left side in both sexes. The femora of male “shell mound” Indians exhibits greater average collo-diaphyseal angles than do the femora of male Caucasians.     

Biotech in India

Cover illustration: The Taj Mahal in Agra is one of the brilliantly outstanding buildings in India. This special issue on “Biotech in India” is edited by Pushpa M. Bhargava and Narayanan Suresh. It features highlights, reviews and research articles on numerous aspects of Indian biotech such as drug development, plant breeding and biotech companies. Image © Corbis Digital Stock     

Comparisons of mescal bean alkaloids with mescaline, delta 9-THC and other psychotogens

Prior to the discovery of peyote, many American Indian tribes of the Southwest apparently used seeds of the Texas Mountain Laurel. The seeds are commonly referred to as “mescal beans,” “red beans,” and “dry whiskey,” and were utilized by the Indians to induce visions and serve as a divinatory medium for various ceremonial purposes. Indications that this material is a part of the modern drug scene prompted studies in which the three major alkaloids from this plant (cytisine, sparteine, and methylcytisine) were compared with a variety of known psychoactive compounds [N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), mescaline, psilocybin, amphetamine, Δ⁹ - tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and pentobarbital] to determine whether similarities in behavioral effects exist. Rats were tested for gross locomotor activity, locomotor activity pattersn (“pauses” and “bursts”), locomotor skill (rotorod testing), and conditioned avoidance response. A Duncan's Multiple Range Comparison of all of the drugs at several dose levels of each revealed that the alkaloids produced responses similar to the responses produced by the known hallucinogenic drugs (mescaline, DMT, psilocybin) and clearly dissimilar to normal saline, amphetamine, pentobarbital, and THC.     

Native American Tattoos: Identity and Spirituality in Contemporary America

Influences from counterculture movements and tattooing traditions from around the world have transformed the North American tattoo experience. Consultants' narratives reveal a desire to align with a primal human essence, seen as somehow lost through the process of civilization. Images are intentionally chosen to seek connection with people considered to embody a simpler, truer form of human life; what scholars routinely refer to as the “primitive,” or the Other. In the cases under consideration, an effort is made to connect to a particular so-called primitive, that is, the American Indian. Thus, the current renaissance of tattoo as fine art provides an occasion to reconsider American fascination with “playing Indian” and all things Indian.     

Sodium—A Functional Plant Nutrient

Plant scientists usually classify plant mineral nutrients based on the concept of “essentiality” defined by Arnon and Stout as those elements necessary to complete the life cycle of a plant. Certain other elements such as Na have a ubiquitous presence in soils and waters and are widely taken up and utilized by plants, but are not considered as plant nutrients because they do not meet the strict definition of “essentiality.” Sodium has a very specific function in the concentration of carbon dioxide in a limited number of C₄ plants and thus is essential to these plants, but this in itself is insufficient to generalize that Na is essential for higher plants. The unique set of roles that Na can play in plant metabolism suggests that the basic concept of what comprises a plant nutrient should be reexamined. We contend that the class of plant mineral nutrients should be comprised not only of those elements necessary for completing the life cycle, but also those elements which promote maximal biomass yield and/or which reduce the requirement (critical level) of an essential element. We suggest that nutrients functioning in this latter manner should be termed “functional nutrients.” Thus plant mineral nutrients would be comprised of two major groups, “essential nutrients” and “functional nutrients.” We present an array of evidence and arguments to support the classification of Na as a “functional nutrient,” including its requirement for maximal biomass growth for many plants and its demonstrated ability to replace K in a number of ways, such as being an osmoticium for cell enlargement and as an accompanying cation for long-distance transport. Although in this paper we have only attempted to make the case for Na being a “functional nutrient,” other elements such as Si and Se may also confirm to the proposed category of “functional nutrients.”     

Multiple alignment and hierachical clustering of conserved amino acid sequences in the replication-associated proteins of plant RNA viruses

We have used multiple alignment computer programs to align and hierarchically cluster the conserved amino acid “signature” sequences found in the replication-associated proteins of all plant RNA viruses sequenced so far. These regions, called “polymerase”, “nucleotide-binding” and “N-terminal” are well conserved even between viruses which are only distantly related, and are thus very well suited for this type of analysis. Our results show that the clusterings obtained using these very short amino acid sequences are very robust to computing parameters and are surprisingly well matched with the taxonomic grouping of RNA plant viruses. The possibility of using this system as a new taxonomic criterion is discussed.     

Protein kinase‐mediated signalling in priming: Immune signal initiation,propagation, and establishment of long‐term pathogen resistance in plants

“Priming” in plant phytopathology describes a phenomenon where the “experience” of primary infection by microbial pathogens leads to enhanced and beneficial protection of the plant against secondary infection. The plant is able to establish an immune memory, a state of systemic acquired resistance (SAR), in which the information of “having been attacked” is integrated with the action of “being prepared to defend when it happens again.” Accordingly, primed plants are often characterized by faster and stronger activation of immune reactions that ultimately result in a reduction of pathogen spread and growth. Prerequisites for SAR are (a) the initiation of immune signalling subsequent to pathogen recognition, (b) a rapid defence signal propagation from a primary infected local site to uninfected distal parts of the plant, and (c) a switch into an immune signal‐dependent establishment and subsequent long‐lasting maintenance of phytohormone salicylic acid‐based systemic immunity. Here, we provide a summary on protein kinases that contribute to these three conceptual aspects of “priming” in plant phytopathology, complemented by data addressing the role of protein kinases crucial for immune signal initiation also for signal propagation and SAR.     

The Identity of La Salle’S Pana Slave

Abstract

In June 1682 Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was presented with a “Pana” boy by the Illinois Michigamea Indians. The boy told La Salle of his history as a captive in four Indian tribes. He described Indian village locations and listed the tribes which had “many” horses. The significance of the information for which he was the source depends on the tribal identity of the captive. It has been suggested in anthropological literature that “Pana” indicated “Pawnee,” Ponca, Arikara, Wichita, even Apache. After examination of evidence-linguistic, cultural, historical - it seems most likely he was a Southern Pawnee, a Wichita. If this was so, then his information substantiates the theory of Kroeber, Brant and others that some Kiowa Apaches were still living in the southern Plains in the late 17th century.     

The Karyotypes of Angelica dahurica and Their Taxonomical Significance (Umbelliferae)

The present paper deals mainly with the karyotype analysis of five materials in Angelica dahurica collected in Yanbian of Jilin, Anguo of Hebei, Yuxian of Henan, Hangzhou of Zhejiang and Suining of Sichuan. They are under the names “Dongbeidahuo”, “Qibaizhi”, “Yubaizhi”, ”Hangbaizhi” and “Chuanbaizhi” respectively. Among then “Dongbeidahuo” is a wild plant, which occurs in northeastern China, and the others are cultivated as important crude drugs in some provinces. “Qi-Baizhi” and “Yubaizhi” have been identified as conspecific with the wild Baizhi-“Do-Ngbeidahuo” (A. dahurica) according to the external morphological features, whereas the other cultivated ones, “Hangbaizhi” and “Chuanbaizhi”, treated as a variety (A. dahurica var. formosana). The results of karyotype analysis are shown in Plate 1, 2, with the formula 2n=22 =12 m+2 m^SAT+4sm+4st. The karyotypes described here are constantly characterized by satellites attached to the fourth pair of metacentric chromosomes and differ from the published reports on the other species of the genus. It is reasonable to say that the five materials collectively named “Baizhi” are taxonomically closely related to each other and could be regarded as conspecific. Since the second chromosome pair is submetacentric in “Dongbeidahuo”, it may be justifiable to separate the wild plant from the cultivated ones and treat them as two separate varieties.     

Pronóstico del paciente tratado de síndrome de Cushing

Cushing syndrome (CS), due to an ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma, adrenal tumors, or ectopic ACTH secretion, causes hypercortisolism. CS is associated with major morbidity, especially metabolic and cardiovascular complications, osteoporosis, psychiatric changes, and cognitive impairment. Despite biochemical “cure” of hypercortisolism and clinical improvement after effective treatment, these complications are only partially reversible. Exacerbation of prior autoimmune diseases is also seen. All of these lead to quality of life impairment and increased mortality. This review addresses the main comorbidities and long-term consequences of CS despite clinical and biochemical “cure”.     

Plant Morphogenesis 123: a renaissance in modern botany?

Plants are a group of multicellular organisms crucial for the biosphere on the Earth. In the 17th century, the founding fathers of modern botany viewed the bud as the basic unit undergoing the plant life cycle. However, for many understandable reasons, the dominant conceptual framework evolved away from the “bud-centered” viewpoint to a “plant-centered” viewpoint that treated the whole plant, consisting of numerous buds, as a unit and considered the entire plant to be the functional equivalent of an animal individual. While this “plant-centered” viewpoint is convenient and great progress has been made using this conceptual framework, some fundamental problems remain logically unsolvable. Previously, I have proposed a new conceptual framework for interpretation of plant morphogenesis, called Plant Morphogenesis 123, which revives a “bud-centered” viewpoint. The perspective of Plant Morphogenesis 123 allows us to address new questions regarding to the mechanisms of plant morphogenesis that are important, and technically accessible, but previously neglected under the “plant-centered” conceptual framework. In addition to describing these questions, I address a more fundamental question for further discussion: why do people study plants?

     

The transnational assemblage of Indian rape culture

We analyse the affective-cultural assemblage of “Indian rape culture” across historical time and social space. We examine news coverage of a highly visible 2012 rape in Delhi in two newspapers, New York Times and Times of India, and the longevity of these articulations through an analysis of online discourses three years later. We further trace colonial-era materializations of Indian rape culture which emerged in the context of the “Indian Mutiny” in contrast to local perspectives, and which were rearticulated by development and human rights organizations. We show that at each moment, Global north voices and institutions dominate. The processes of articulation emanating from Global north institutions serve to realize a racialized transnational assemblage of Indian rape culture. Our framework points to the “soft” power and fluidity of racializing processes, the heterogeneity, and the multiple logics that appear disconnected, but which nonetheless flow and come together to sustain racialized power structures.     

Automatisiertes Laborfermentorsystem mit Mikrorechner „Elektronica-60”︁ gekoppelt

The microprocessor complex “Biotron-M” designed for automation of experiments in microorganisms cultivation carried out simultaneously on no more than 3 fermenters is described. The complex is based on KTS LIUS-2 and microcomputer “Elektronika-60”. Information and control functions as well as the complete system are considered. The operating system “Rafos” with double-task monitor is used as the system software. Special software is represented by a set of program modules performing the functions of the complex. An example is given concerning the operation of “Biotron-M” together with fermentation plant “FU-8”.     

“Ethno-microbiology” of ethnic Indian fermented foods and alcoholic beverages

The concept of “ethno-microbiology” is to understand the indigenous knowledge of the Indian people for production of culturally and organoleptically acceptable fermented foods by natural fermentation. About 1000 types of common, uncommon, rare, exotic and artisan fermented foods and beverages are prepared and consumed in different geographical regions by multi-ethnic communities in India. Indian fermented foods are mostly acidic and some are alkaline, along with various types of alcoholic beverages. A colossal diversity of microorganisms comprising bacteria mostly belongs to phylum Firmicutes, filamentous moulds and enzyme- and alcohol-producing yeasts under phyla Ascomycota and Mucoromycota, and few bacteriophages and archaea have been reported from Indian fermented foods. Some microorganisms associated with fermented foods have functionalities and health promoting benefits. “Ethno-microbiology” of ethnic Indian people has exhibited the proper utilisation of substrates either singly or in combination such as fermented cereal-legume mixture (idli, dosa and dhokla) in South and West India, sticky fermented soybean food (kinema and related foods), fermented perishable leafy vegetable (gundruk and related foods), fermented bamboo shoots (soibum and related foods) and fermented fish (ngari and others) in North East India, and fermented meat and sausage-like products in the Indian Himalayas, fermented coconut beverage (toddy) in coastal regions, and various types of naturally fermented milk products (dahi and related products) in different regions of India. This review has also highlighted the “ethno-microbiology” knowledge of the people involving the consortia of essential microorganisms in traditionally prepared amylolytic starters for production of cereal-based alcoholic beverages. The novelty of this review is the interpretation of ethno-microbiological knowledge innovated by ethnic Indian people on the use of beneficial microorganisms for food fermentation to obtain the desired fermented food products for consumption.     

中国西双版纳傣族与泰国泰族民间植物命名方法与土著名字的相似性探讨

通过对中国西双版纳与泰国都有分布和栽培的641种植物的傣、泰土著名字相似性比较,发现这两个民族具有基本相同的民间植物命名的"双名法"。西双版纳傣族与泰国的兰纳地区、北—东北部和其它地区泰族的植物土著名相同、相似的分别占0.69、0.57和0.37,主要包括药用植物在内的经济植物和与南传上座部佛教文化密切相关的植物。其主要成因包括他们的语言文字、宗教信仰、生活习俗等的傣、泰历史渊源及其所具有的传统文化密切程度相关。其中,兰纳地区地处泰国北部,它不仅邻近西双版纳,而且在历史上,它们曾经同属于"兰纳王国",两地的边界曾是"犬牙交错",成为"曼比勐农"(兄弟之邦)。这样,使包括土著名字在内的佛教植物、野生植物和栽培植物等的交流比泰国其它地区更加密切,相似性便最高。西双版纳傣族和兰纳泰族被视为尚存的标准"Tai"人区。因此,该研究对于中国Dai、泰国Thai、缅甸Siam和老挝Laos等国家民族的科学文化交流及其植物资源的利用和保护等具有重要的意义。     

Zapotec and Mixe use of Tropical Habitats for securing medicinal plants in MéXico

Medicinal plants are essential in the medical systems of the Mixe and Zapotec. In this study ethno-ecological strategies, employed by the two neighboring Indian groups in Mexico, for obtaining medicinal plants are analyzed. The indigenous classification of the environment is notably different from the Western one and distinguishes six dissimilar principal “zones” or land use types. Most ethnomedically important species are cultivated in the “house garden” or gathered in the community or its immediate surroundings. The house garden, for example, contributes 31.8% and 26.2% of all medical taxa for the Mixe and Zapotec, respectively. These ethnobotanical data on the indigenous uses indicate that anthropogenic types of vegetation yield the largest percentage of medicinal taxa.     

The myth of “minima” and “maxima”, the species of Physalis in the Indian Subcontinent

The status of the names, Physalis minima L. and P. maxima Mill. (Solanaceae), and their alleged presence on the Indian subcontinent are discussed. The issues of nativity and identity of Linnaean Physalis minima are long-debated while the use of the name P. maxima Mill. and its report from India are recent. The available evidence indicates that the name “P. minima L.” is misapplied to two different elements, viz., P. angulata L. and P. lagascae Roem. & Schult. The name Physalis minima L. may be rejected as nomen confusum, for which the paper provides the primary information. As on today, it is submerged under the synonymy of P. angulata L. The correct name for the widely known P. minima is P. lagascae. The name “P. maxima Mill.” applied to the escape and naturalized weed in the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere is to be substituted by P. pruinosa L., a name misapplied to P. grisea (Waterf.) M. Martínez.     

Polarographically active carbohydrates in tissues

Polarographically active nitrogen containing carbohydrate (“C_h-” and “C-substances”), present in rapidly proliferating normal and cancerous animal and plant tissues appears to be identical. The same substances were also found in the extracts of “germ cells”.In noncancerous and nonproliferating tissues, with the exception of “germ” cells the “C-substances” appear to be present in polarographically inactive, bound form. Treatment with pepsin liberates the active component.The possible relation of the “C-” and “C_h-substances” to the mitiotic activity of tissues and a relationship between cellular components and regulation of animal and plant cells is discussed.