Studies on chlorophyll biosynthesis and other things

Our research on chlorophyll biosynthesis, over a period of approximately twenty years, has been described, emphasizing those areas in which our laboratory made significant and timely contributions. References to some of our most important articles are included. Portions of the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway, in which our own laboratory was not involved, for example, the reduction of protochlorophyllide to chlorophyllide and the phytylation of the latter to yield chlorophyll a, have not been covered in this article. Those events which preceded my involvement with chlorophyll biosynthesis, but which contributed to the formation of my own scientific personality, are mentioned briefly in the Introduction. My non-scientific avocations have been included at the request of the reviewers and Govindjee.     

Revisiting Abbott Thayer: non-scientific reflections about camouflage in art,war and zoology

This paper reviews the achievements of Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), an American painter and naturalist whose pioneering writings on animal camouflage addressed shared concerns among artists, zoologists and military tacticians. It discusses his beliefs about camouflage (both natural and military) in the context of his training as an artist, with particular emphasis on three of his major ideas: countershading, ruptive (or disruptive) coloration and background picturing.     

Taxa, individuals, clusters and a few other things

The recognition of species proceeds by two fairly distinct phases: (1) the sorting of individuals into groups or basic taxa (‘discovery’) (2) the checking of those taxa as candidates for species-hood (‘justification’). The target here is a rational reconstruction of phase 1, beginning with a discussion of key terms. The transmission of ‘meaning’ is regarded as bimodal: definition states the intension of the term, and diagnosis provides a disjunction of criteria for recognition of its extension. The two are connected by a spectrum, with purely theoretical definition at one pole and purely ‘operational’ diagnosis at the other, with the more operational elements explained by the more theoretical. The current plethora of species concepts provides a good example. Accepting the Ghiselin–Hull thesis, that a species is an individual, a basic taxon is therefore also an individual with organisms as its parts. In a generalised synchronic individual its parts are conceptually integrated by an integrating principle (IP), which consists of a relation applying within a plan or rule. Fully developed, such an IP ensures the maximisation of the information content of the individual. A diachronic individual is then the set of its component synchronic parts, and its IP is provided by near-identity in an appropriate space-time (not necessarily physical). The integration of parts of an individual is illuminated by Gasking's concept of a proper group (in this case a chain-group), whose members are related by the relation serially fitting together with, the IP completed by an appropriate plan or rule. Gasking also applied the term cluster to a proper group persisting over a substantial period of time, individuated by any member acting as focus. A basic taxon is therefore a cluster of individuals, integrated by the relation significantly taxonomically similar and the rule in character-space-time. The nature of those concepts is discussed and defended. A species will inherit certain of the attributes of the preceding basic taxon (taxa). In at least the synchronic version its parts (individuals) will resemble each other significantly, providing the intuitive applicability of ‘members of’ and ‘instances of’ a species. Also, the notion that a species’ name is given by pure ostension, via a name-bearer (holotype) is empirically incoherent: the name cannot be applied in practice without an appropriate set of diagnostic traits.     

由结合疫苗产品历史沿革带来的思考

由于优异安全性和有效性数据,结合疫苗已成为细菌性疫苗研制的一个方向,但因不同团体独立研发,产生了不同的结合技术,也带来了一些困惑。通过对几个具有代表性的结合疫苗研发团队的研究历程的回顾,探讨了结合方法、载体蛋白质、剂型等热点话题,以期对结合疫苗的研制有所帮助。     

The Academy of Medicine of France: history and activities. Remarks and reflections

The author presents the Academie de Médecine de France its structure, its history and its fundamental activities. He evokes and proposes some ideas about the medical problems concerning Tunisia and countries of Maghreb.     

Ecuadorian Brownea and Browneopsis (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae): Taxonomy, palynology, and morphology

The neotropical genera Brownea and Browneopsis are understorey trees and shrubs of lowland rain forest comprising twelve and six species, respectively. Four species of Brownea and three of Browneopsis occur in Ecuador. Keys to the genera and species in Ecuador are provided, and Brownea coccinea, B. grandiceps, B. macrophylla, B. multijuga, Browneopsis disepala, B. ucayalina , and B. macrofoliolata are described, the last-named as a new species. Additionally, the intergeneric relationships, and the morphological and the palynological variation in the genera are surveyed.     

Desert pupfishes: reflections on reality,desirability, and conscience

Environmental Biology of Fishes -