Heterochrony and heterotopy in the phylogeny of sea urchins

The role of heterochrony is evident in ontogeny and phylogeny of irregular (exocyclic) sea urchins. After metamorphosis, a juvenile passes the stage of regular (endocyclic) sea urchin, in which the periproct is surrounded by plates of the apical system. A shift of the periproct in the area of the fifth interambulacrum occurs in extant taxa at early stages of postlarval development and is accompanied by the reduction of genital plate 5. In some ancient (Jurassic) adult irregular sea urchins, the endocyclic state of the apical system is retained for a long time and the derivative of the fifth genital plate is sometimes observed even in Early Cretaceous species. Considerable transformations in the structure of the lower test surface in members of the order Spatangoida are manifested in changes in the relative positions of plastron plates and ambulacral areas I and V, separation of sternal plates from the labrum, etc. The mechanism of these changes is connected with translocation or “sliding” of sutures of particular plates as a result of nonuniform growth and partial resorption. The study of evolutionary lineages of Cretaceous and Cenozoic sea urchins has shown that the evolution was connected with the directional changes in some morphological characters at late ontogenetic stages. The process was accompanied by either extension, peramorphosis (lineages of the genera Micraster, Infulaster–Hagenowia in the European Province), or the loss of these stages, paedomorphosis (Hemiaster (Bolbaster) lineage, Late Eocene–Middle Miocene of Australia). The phenomena of heterochrony and heterotopy in the development of peripetal, marginal, and lateroanal fascioles in the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene families Hemiasteridae, Schizasteridae, and Paleopneustidae are described. The heterotopy is also illustrated by the example of the development of additional genital pores on ocular plates II and IV of the Middle Jurassic species Pygomalus analis (Disasteroida); its apical system has five pores instead of four. In the Late Cretaceous species Guettaria roccardi (Holasteroida), ocular plates II and IV have two pores each; in the apical system, there are eight genital pores instead of four. In some members of the order Holectypoida, the place of lost genital plate 5 is occupied by a new plate sometimes pierced by a pore, but judging from crystallographic data, it is not homologous to other genital plates. The order Clypeasteroida is characterized by the development of very small pores in both ambulacral and interambulacral fields; they provide passage for numerous accessory tube feet.     

Use of genital inspection and female urine tests to detect oestrus in captive Asian elephants

Captive Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) populations are decreasing due to low birth rates compared to wild elephants. Improving oestrous detection in female elephants is required to ensure successful mating in captive and semi-captive herds. Responsive behaviours of eight semi-captive bull elephants to the uro-genital area (genital inspection test) or urinary pheromones (urine test) of 14 female elephants throughout the oestrous cycle were evaluated. Weekly blood samples were collected for 27 consecutive months (14 months for the genital inspection test and 13 months for the urine test) from female elephants to characterize the patterns of circulating progestagen. Responsive behaviours of bulls were compared between females in the follicular versus the luteal phase of the cycle. The sensitivity and specificity of the genital inspection test were 65% and 68%, while those of the urine test were 52% and 61%, respectively. The bulls showed significantly higher “genital inspection”, “flehmen from genital area” and “trunk on back” behaviours during the genital inspection test, and “flehmen” behaviours during the urine test in oestrous than in non-oestrous females. In sum, this study showed that monitoring sexual behaviours of Asian elephant bulls towards females or their urine can be used to detect the oestrous period. Although the sensitivity and specificity of both tests were not as high as expected, still, these methods appear to be more efficient at detecting oestrous than traditional methods based on mahout estimations of female receptivity. The use of genital inspection and urine tests may lead to more successful matings and thus to creating self-sustaining populations of captive elephants in range countries.     

Information integration of protein–protein interactions as essential tools for immunomics

After a brief introduction to point out the necessity to advance for a global understanding of the macromolecular interactions occurring during the immune system development and responses, Section 2 will be devoted to analyse the current tools for an automatic location of information on these protein–protein interactions in the web. In the next section (Section 3), we will point out different action lines to improve these tools and, consequently, to increase the efficiency to establish (to understand) the “protein network skeleton” that controls our immune responses. Finally, we will briefly present our current strategy and work to advance towards this goal.     

The genus Kepplerites Neumary et Uhlig (Kosmoceratidae,Ammonoidea) in the Bathonian-Callovian beds (Middle Jurassic) of the Russian Platform

The succession of early species of the genus Kepplerites is established in the Upper Bathonian-Lower Callovian beds of Central Russia and compared with the ammonoid succession of East Greenland and Western Europe. Late Bathonian members of the genus Kepplerites from the Middle Volga Region are generally similar, though not identical to those from Greenland, whereas the Early Callovian Kepplerites species and their immediate Bathonian ancestors are represented by species common to all three regions. The analysis of the ammonoid distribution suggests a connection between the East Greenland and Central Russian marine basins in the Early and Middle Bathonian and in the Early Callovian, and their short-term isolation in the Late Bathonian. A new species, Kepplerites (Kepplerites) aigii sp. nov., is described from the Upper Bathonian (keuppi Zone) of the Alatyr River basin (Middle Volga Region).     

A stegosaur vertebra (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Callovian (Middle Jurassic) of Sarthe, western France

A dinosaur vertebra found in the course of road works in the “Chevain Marls” (marine Callovian) of the Vermont outlier, near the village of Béthon (Sarthe, Pays-de-la-Loire, western France) is described and referred to a stegosaur (cf. Lexovisaurus). It is the first record of a dinosaur in the Middle Jurassic of that area. The specimen was probably derived from the floating carcass of an animal that had lived on the emerged areas of the Armorican Massif, near which the Chevain Marls were deposited. This fossil is an addition to the short list of stegosaur remains reported from France.     

西藏北部安多地区中侏罗统(巴通阶-卡洛夫阶)菊石

最近从藏北安多地区中侏罗统发现较丰富的菊石类化石,巴通期的菊石有OxyceritesoppeliElmi,Ho moeoplanulitescf. homoeomorphus(Buckman),H. cf. acuticosta(Roemer), Choffatiacf. vicentiMangold, Siemiradzkiacf. matisconensis(Lissajous), Proceritessp., Neuquenicerascf. yokoyamaiKobayashiandFukada和Indosphinctessp.。卡洛夫期的菊石有Oxyceritescf. subcotarius(Oppel), Macrocephalites? sp., Homoeoplanulitescf. furculus(Neumayr),Indospinctes(Elatmites) cf. reveliMangold和Reineckeitessp.。其中Indosphinctes,Indospinctes(Elatmites),Neu queniceras,Siemiradzkia和Procerites等属(或亚属)在西藏北部地区为首次报道。安多地区中—晚巴通期和早卡洛夫期菊石动物群凸现较强的地方性色彩; 晚巴通期ORBIS菊石带和早卡洛夫期KOENIGI菊石带是藏北地区菊石动物群扩散的重要时期。     

Unique properties of the camel erythrocyte membrane: II. Organization of membrane proteins

Camel erythrocyte membranes are distinguished by some unique properties of stability and composition. Notable is their abundance in proteins (protein: lipid ratio of 3 : 1). Membrane proteins of camel erythrocytes were compared with those of human erythrocytes, which have been intensively investigated. Proteins were extracted with various aqueous media (EDTA, alkaline or high ionic strength) and with ionic and non-ionic detergents and were analyzed by gel electrophoresis. In membranes of camel erythrocytes, the peripheral proteins constitute, proportionally, a much smaller fraction of total proteins than in the human erythrocyte, while their distribution is identical per unit of surface area. The camel erythrocyte membrane is particularly rich in integral proteins and in intramembranous particles. The proteins in this membrane are more closely organized than in the human system, as revealed by crosslinking and freeze-etching studies. It is proposed that protein-protein interaction of integral proteins, presumably constituting an “integral skeleton”, is a dominant structural feature stabilizing the camel erythrocyte membrane.     

Effects of engrailed in the genital disc of Drosophila melanogaster

engrailed has been postulated to be the “selector gene” involved in the establishment of the anterior-posterior compartment border in several imaginal discs and in at least the first two abdominal segments of Drosophila melanogaster. Our study of the effects of different mutant engrailed genotypes on genital disc development provided the following major results: All three terminal primordia (female and male genitalia, and analia) were affected. Different heteroallelic combinations showed different expressivities, and the three terminal primordia were differently affected by the same mutant genotype. The engrailed genotypes deleted specific elements of the adult terminalia without causing associated pattern duplications. The reduced morphology of the male engrailed genital disc was analogous to the pattern deletions observed in the adult terminalia. That the engrailed phenotype is stable was demonstrated by culturing in vivo intact and fragmented engrailed genital discs. Cell death was found in a significant number of mature male en²/en³ genital discs. The results are discussed in terms of the segmental organization of the genital disc and in terms of the “selector gene” function postulated for the engrailed locus. The interpretation that each terminal primordium has an anterior and a posterior compartment is presented and it is assumed that in the genital disc engrailed transforms posterior cells into anterior cells that do not develop, thereby causing the deficiency pattern of the engrailed phenotype.     

Callovian (Middle Jurassic) marine microplankton from southwestern Germany: Biostratigraphy and paleoenvironmental interpretations

Late Middle Jurassic dinoflagellate cyst assemblages are documented from a section in Kandern and in samples from additional localities in southern Germany. The changes in the composition of the marine microfloras through the Callovian sections are related to fluctuations in sea-levels and changes in depositional environments. The Lower Callovian claystones, which represent inner shelf, soft bottom deposits, contain rich, diverse and well preserved dinoflagellate cyst assemblages. In the Kandern section a marked transition from the Lower Callovian claystone facies to the Anceps-oolite occur within the Calloviense zone. This transition was caused by a regression, and coincides with the LZA−3.1/LAZ−3.2 boundary on the cycle chart of Haq et al. (1987). Diverse dinoflagellate cyst assemblages also occur in the Anceps-oolite, but they are not so abundant as the acritarchs which dominate the overall palynofloras. The Anceps-oolite is interpreted as representing an offshore, but shallow marine environment. The transition to the overlying Upper Callovian “Renggeri Clay” is more gradual, but accompanied by marked changes in the overall composition of the marine microfloras. The “Renggeri Clay”, which represent an outer shelf, soft bottom depositional environment, shows a higher species diversity and abundance of dinoflagellate cysts than the underlying sequences. The distribution pattern of selected species through the Kandern section indicates that some species were related to specific environments, i.e. open marine forms, and that others could have been opportunistic forms, tolerating more shallow marine environments.

The distribution of the dinoflagellate cysts from southern Germany is related to the standard Northwest European ammonite zonation. The ranges of selected biostratigraphic key species are compared with ranges previously reported from the British and northwest European Jurassic. There are several discrepancies with respect to the earliest appearance and extinction datums, the only relevant Callovian palynostratigraphic “events” coinciding in southern Germany and Britain being: The extinction of Aldorfia aldorfensis at the top of the Calloviense zone, and the earliest incoming of Belodinium spp. and Liesbergia scarburghensis at the base of the Lamberti zone.     

Quantitative characteristic of the catalytic properties and microstructure of cross-linked enzyme aggregates of penicillin acylase

The microstructure and the catalytic properties of cross-linked enzyme aggregates (CLEA) of penicillin acylase (PA) obtained under different conditions were investigated. The period of time left between the enzyme precipitation and the cross-linking step was found to influence the structural organization of the resulting enzyme preparation. Confocal fluorescent microscopy of the so-called “fresh” and “mature” CLEAs PA allowed to estimate the “characteristic” diameter of CLEA PA particles, which appeared to be about 1.6 μm, and revealed that the “mature” type was composed of relatively big particles as compared to the “fresh” type. Complementary kinetic studies showed that the “mature” CLEA PA were more effective in both hydrolytic and synthetic reactions. It was suggested that the aggregate size might regulate the extent of covalent modification of PA and thereby influence the catalytic properties of CLEA.     

Rethinking ‘style’ for historians and philosophers of science: converging lessons from sexuality, translation, and East Asian studies

Historians and philosophers of science have furnished a wide array of theoretical-historiographical terms to emphasize the discontinuities among different systems of knowledge. Some of the most famous include Thomas Kuhn’s “paradigm”, Michel Foucault’s “episteme”, and the notion of “styles of reasoning” more recently developed by Ian Hacking and Arnold Davidson. This paper takes up this theoretical-historiographical thread by assessing the values and limitations of the notion of “style” for the historical and philosophical study of science. Specifically, reflecting on various methodological and theoretical concerns prompted by sexuality, translation, and East Asian studies, this paper argues that the heretofore ways in which historians and philosophers of science have used the notion of “style” are severely restricted in terms of its mere applicability to the intellectual history of Western science. The particular example of the translation of “homosexuality” into Chinese during the May Fourth era reveals that the notion of “style” has the potential of carrying a much more dynamic conceptual weight, as when used in “styles of argumentation”. The paper also engages briefly with the historiography of scientific “national styles” and ends with some concluding remarks on the limitations of “social histories from below” and the under appreciated importance of “epistemological histories of possibilities”.     

Photosynthetic characteristics of the economic brown seaweed <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Hizikia fusiforme</Emphasis> (Sargassaceae,Phaeophyta), with special reference to its “leaf” and receptacle

Photosynthetic responses to irradiance and temperature of “leaves” and receptacles were compared in February (vegetative stage) and May (reproductive stage) in the seaweed, Hizikia fusiforme (Harvey) Okamura (Sargassaceae, Phaeophyta) from Nanao Island, Shantou, China. Irradiance-saturated photosynthesis (P_max) was significantly higher in receptacles than in “leaves” on a fresh weight basis, and that of “leaves” was greater in May than in February at ambient seawater temperatures. The optimum temperature for P_max was 30^∘C for both “leaves” and receptacles, being 5–10^∘C higher than the ambient seawater temperature. The apparent photosynthetic efficiencies were greater in receptacles than in “leaves” within the tested temperature range of 10–40^∘C. The irradiance for saturating photosynthesis for both “leaves” and receptacles was temperature-dependent, with the highest values (about 200μmolphotonsm⁻²s⁻¹) at 30^∘C.     

Comparison of the Antimicrobial Adhesion Potential of Human Body Fluid Glycoconjugates Using Fucose-Binding Lectin (PA-IIL) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Ulex europaeus Lectin (UEA-I)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces a fucose-binding lectin (PA-IIL) which strongly binds to human cells. This lectin was shown to be highly sensitive to inhibition by fucose-bearing human milk glycoproteins. Since the glycans of these glycoproteins mimic human cell receptors, they may function as decoys in blocking lectin-dependent pathogen adhesion to the host cells. Human saliva and seminal fluid also contain such compounds, and body fluids of individuals who are “secretors” express additional fucosylated (alpha 1,2) residues. The latter are selectively detected by Ulex europaeus lectin UEA-I. The aim of the present research was to compare the PA-IIL and UEA-I interactions with human salivas and seminal fluids of “secretors” and “nonsecretors” with those obtained with the respective milks. Using hemagglutination inhibition and Western blot analyses, we showed that PA-IIL interactions with the saliva and seminal fluid glycoproteins were somewhat weaker than those obtained with the milk and that “nonsecretor” body fluids were not less efficient than those of “secretors” in PA-IIL blocking. UEA-I, which interacted only with the “secretors” glycoproteins, was most sensitive to those of the seminal fluids.     

Phosphorus-containing purines and pyrimidines: A new class of transition state analogs

Synthetic routes to the [1,5,2]-diazaphosphorine (“4-phosphapyrimidine”), imidazo[4,5-e][1,5,2]-diazaphosphorine (“6-phosphapurine”), and imidazo[4,5-d][1,3,2]-diazaphosphorine (“2-phosphapurine”) ring systems have been developed. Appropriately functionalized derivatives of these heterocycles are desired as possible transition state analogs of the nucleoside deaminases.     

Evolution to the extreme: origins of the highly modified apical system in pourtalesiid echinoids

The apical system of the genus Pourtalesia displays a plate architecture that falls so far outside that typical of other echinoids that plate homologies remain problematic. A new approach using the Extraxial–Axial Theory (EAT) that develops homologies for the Echinodermata is proposed. The exploration of apical plate patterns throughout ontogenetic sequences shows that the typical holasteroid pattern found in the youngest specimens undergoes a series of disturbances that result in a multiple disjunction accompanied by isolation or disappearance of certain genital plates. We propose a new interpretation of the apical architecture of the genus that agrees with: (1) the plate addition processes as predicted by the EAT; (2) patterns observed in other genera of the Pourtalesiidae as well as in its sister‐group (plexechinids); and (3) the patterns known from Palaeocene holasteroids. In the context of the EAT, the genus Pourtalesia appears to represent the extreme in a reduction of the extraxial part of the body wall. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 140 , 137–155.     

On the concept of the effective population size

The concept of the effective population size is discussed. It is shown that the “eigenvalue” and the “inbreeding” effective population sizes are in principle different, even though they have been sometimes identified in the literature. On the other hand the “eigenvalue” and “variance” effective sizes are usually both close when the latter exists. Since, however, there are many models for which a variance effective size cannot in principle exist, it seems useful to introduce the eigenvalue effective size and to examine some of its properties.     

Praon Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of Southeastern Europe: key, host range and phylogenetic relationships

A review of species in the genus Praon Haliday, 1833 is presented. Twenty described species are keyed and illustrated with scanning electron micrographs and line drawings. The Praon species presented in this work have been identified from 67 aphid taxa occurring on 120 plant taxa. Furthermore, 87 original parasitoid–aphid–plant associations of the species mentioned in the key are presented. Phylogenetic relationships among Praon species are reconstructed using parsimony and cladistic distance methods. Praon abjectum is the sister taxon to the remaining Praon species. We recognized three species group: “Parapraon”, “dorsale-yomenae” and “rosaecola”. Monophyly is suggested for “Parapraon” species group and paraphyly for “dorsale-yomenae” group. Finally, by phylogenetic reconstruction, a close phylogenetic relationship between “Parapraon” and “dorsale-yomenae” species group was found.     

On necessary and sufficient conditions for group selection efficacy

The statement “group selection predominates over individual selection” is formulated within a class of patch-structured models. Conditions involving both “selfish” and “altruistic” predator characteristics are then shown to be necessary and sufficient for group selection predominance in this class of models. Maynard Smith's criterion M < 1 (Group selection, Quart. Rev. Biol., June 1976, pp. 277–283) is shown to be sufficient but not necessary for group selection predominance.     

Some connections between physiognomic traits and intelligence

A sample of 84 female subjects (students) was taken and split up on the basis of the IST-ratings (“Intelligence Structure Test” by Amthauer) into two extreme groups of “more intelligent” (N = 14) and “less intelligent” (N = 11) subjects with an aim to testing Kozeny's findings. Using his photographic-statistical method, Kozeny had observed that “more intelligent” people have a more open eye, a smaller and straighter mouth, a stronger chin, and—above all in its side dimensions—a better developed forehead. These physiognomic indicators of differences in intelligence were confirmed to a large extent by the measurements taken from the portraits of the subjects.     

Analysis of all stratum corneum lipids by automated multiple development high-performance thin-layer chromatography

An optimized gradient enabling the separation of all stratum corneum lipids by automated multiple development on HPTLC plates is presented. An initial isocratic step separates sebum lipids. This is followed by a 25-step development using a gradient with a polarity range of methanol-water to hexane. Application to in-vivo extracted and isolated stratum corneum lipids demonstrates the possible quantification of the lipid classes with a “one-experiment” separation.