La paléoflore du Stéphanien de l'Oued zat(Haut-Atlas de Marrakech — versant nord — Maroc)

The presence of Stephanian was discovered in 1930, on the North side of High Atlas of Marrakesh, while prospecting coal. In this work, we have studied in detail the paleoflora collected in Oued Zat, and for the first time are described and pictured 18 species. The paleofloristic association of seven species leads to an upper Stephanian locality.     

Les sporophylles de Lepidodendron dissitum Sauveur, 1848

One specimen belonging to the arborescent lycopod stem species Lepidodendron dissitum SAUVEUR was found in connection with sporophylls named Lepidophyllum anthemis (KÖNIG) JONGMANS, species of a great stratigraphical and geographical range during the Upper Carboniferous, and specially abundant in the Spanish Stephanian. These two parts from the same plant are described and discussed in detail.     

Les nodules fossilifères de la découverte Saint-Louis à Montceau-les-Mines

The collect of the fossiliferous nodules starts in 1979 in the Saint-Louis opencast mine at Montceau-les-Mines, France. A team of amateur paleontologists excavates more than 100,000 nodules containing very well-preserved fauna and flora from the Late Carboniferous (Stephanian).     

Synthèse sur la flore des nodules du Lagerstätte de Montceau-les-Mines (Carbonifère supérieur,France)

The flora from the Montceau-les-Mines Lagerstätte (Late Pennsylvanian, Stephanian, France) is preserved in small sideritic nodules and was studied in three locations in the (1) Saint-Louis, (2) Saint-François, and (3) Sainte-Hélène opencast mines. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of plant diversity and floristic composition in about 7000 nodules indicate substantial variations in the floral composition of these opencast mines. More than 50 taxa are recognized and belong to groups typical of the Late Carboniferous flora (lycopsids, sphenopsids, tree ferns, and pteridosperms). Arborescent sphenopsids and tree ferns were the major components at Saint-Louis, whereas the flora from Saint-François consisted mainly of pteridosperms; the one from Sainte-Hélène has a more balanced composition. Taphonomic and sedimentological data show that the flora contained in the nodules was hypoautochthonous to parautochthonous. The Montceau Basin displayed a mosaic of paleoenvironments (e.g., deltaic lacustrine, paludal to fluvial) which favored colonization by plants and animals.     

Sur les fougères Anachoropteris et Tubicaulis du Stéphanienfrançais. Description de Tubicaulis grandeuryi nov. sp.

New information is presented on the morphology of leaves and stems of the ferns Anachoropteris and Tubicaulis preserved in silicified material from the Stephanian of Grand'Croix (France). A rachis of Anachoropteris involuta bears laterally, in association with a pinna, an epiphyllous stem, with a vitalized protostele. This stem bears nine petioles and is almost identical in anatomy to the american species, Tubicaulis stewartii. A hand-ground section from the Grand'Eury collection, Paris, is described as Tubicaulis sp. and identified as a more distal region of a similar stem. Tubicaulis grandeuryi nov. sp. is another type, with haplostelic stem and petioles bearing pinna traces near their base. Axillary branching is described in this genus for the first time. The problem of redefining the systematic position of Tubicaulis and its relationship to Anachoropteris is discussed.     

Discovery of an Autunian macroflora and lithostratigraphic re-investigation on the western border of the Lodève Permian basin (Mont Sénégra,Hérault,France). Paleoenvironmental implications

Re-investigation of the western edge of the Lodève basin allows reassignment of one sandstone-conglomerate formation previously identified as “terminal Stephanian” to Early Autunian. The existence of two unconformable (Stephanian and Autunian) megasequences, separated by a sedimentary gap, which had been rejected, is thus re-affirmed. The authors also found, less than 20 m above the basal Autunian conglomerate, a macroflora with taxa characteristic of the famous Tuilières flora from a site, located in the eastern part of the basin near Lodève, in the Grey Autunian group. This confirms that the new Mont Sénégra fossiliferous beds belong to the Lower Autunian. Moreover, the taxonomic differences between these plants and those from the underlying coal-bearing Stephanian beds indicate an important change in the vegetation between the Stephanian and the Autunian. The first Autunian sequences were initially deposited within a distal alluvial fan environment, which developed vertically into a floodplain, within an active volcanic context.     

Réflexion sur la coexistence de flores hygrophile,mésophile et mésoxérophile durant le Paléozoïque Supérieur en Euramérie

At the end of Namurian A, in Eurameria, we see agreat change in the composition of the flora, probably instigated by a great modification in the climatic conditions. This flora adapted to very humid places persist during whole the Westphalian and up to the end of Stephanian where it is relayed by a mesoxerophytic flora of which the most typical elements are the Coniferales of the family Lebachiaceae. This «autunian flora is usualy considered as subsequent to the stephanian hygrophytic flora and as the transition to the permian flora which is determined by a new modification of the general climatic conditions.Some observations about the macroflora and about the microflora lead to prove the coexistence of hygrophytic, mesophytic and mesoxerophytic floras, not only during the upper Stephanian but also during Westphalian and Namurian B and C. So, from Devonian to Permian, in Eurameria, there was probably continuity of a mesoxerophytic and mesophytic type floras on which was superimposed during the upper Carboniferous an hygrophytic flora adapted to the swamps surrounding the coal-lakes and coal-lagoon. The time of the appearance of Coniferales is older as we think usually.     

Climate variability in the Stephanian B based on environmental record of the Mšec Lake deposits (Kladno–Rakovník Basin, Czech Republic)

In the Stephanian B in eastern equatorial Pangaea, a large freshwater lake was formed in the continental basins of the west, central and northeast Bohemia, Czech Republic with a total area estimated at 5000–10,000 km² and a lifetime of 50 to 500 ky. Its size exceeded that of any Permian–Carboniferous lake in the European basins of that period so far described. Continual sedimentation of organic-rich, seasonally laminated clayey–silty lake deposits produced a unique high-resolution record of part of the Stephanian B climate in the studied region. An extraordinarily large trophic web of fish assemblages also proves the temporal stability of this meromictic oligotrophic lake. The lake hydrology was inferred from the chemical and isotopic analyses of the autochthonous carbonates, particularly siderite, and analysis of organic matter. The environmental and weathering conditions in the lake watershed were inferred from analysis of palynospectra and detrital clay minerals. The lake passed through several stages of development including an initial highstand with peak productivity, a stepwise increase in mineralization accompanying gradual lake regression, a lowstand in the middle part of its lifetime, a partial lake recovery, and then a final transition to a shallow lacustrine-deltaic system. Lake regression was triggered by a long-term decrease in the P/E ratio coupled with increasing seasonality and accompanied by a decrease in intensity of chemical weathering in the drainage basin. Considerable vegetation response to fluctuating lake levels suggests complex environmental changes. During the initial lake highstand, abundant and diversified assemblages of xerophilous elements prevailed, spores of ferns prevailed during the regressive episode, and spores of lycopsids abruptly increased at the lowstand and remained dominant in the palynospectra of the second lake highstand. Final transition to a lacustrine-deltaic system was associated with pronounced increase in sphenopsids and ferns. These changes can be attributed to Milankovitch-like climate change from warm–wet to warm–seasonal dry, and may be inferred to have been responsible for Stephanian continental cyclothems. The entire Stephanian B period was more humid than the preceding Barruelian and subsequent Stephanian C in the Czech basins, thus revealing a climate cycle at a timescale of several million years, which is discussed in relation to southern Gondwana ice sheet stability.     

Stratigraphic occurrences and vegetational patterns of Pennsylvanian pteridosperms in Euramerican coal swamps

The vegetation of many Euramerican coal swamps is known from coal-ball peats in the tropical rainy zone across the paleocontinent of Laurussia in the Upper Carboniferous. The stratigraphic occurrences of coal balls in Europe (lower Westphalian) and in North America (upper Westphalian and lower Stephanian) are largely complementary and a revised correlation chart is given. Quantitative analyses of the vegetation from these autochthonous peats are combined with coal palynology to determine on overview of swamp vegetation patterns during the Westphalian and early Stephanian. In comparison to the dominance and great diversity of pteridosperms in the Upper Carboniferous compression floras, seed ferns were minor to subdominant elements in the coal-ball peats. The quantitative composition of organ assemblages of the principal pteridosperms is given with stratigraphic occurrences of Medullosa and Sutcliffia (Medullosaceae), Heterangium, Lyginopteris, Microspermopteris, and Schopfiastrum (Lyginopteridaceaea) and Callistophyton (Callistophytaceae). The major peat contributors among pteridosperms are Lyginopteris (?90%) in the Westphalian A and Medullosa (?95%) in the Westphalian D and Stephanian. Lyginopteris became extinct in the early Westphalian B and Medullosa became abundant during the Westphalian C–D transition and a subdominant in the Stephanian contributing 13–21% of the permineralized peats. Paleoecological interpretations indicate that medullosan trees were most abundant but patchy in distribution in drier swamp stages with enriched nutrients and near major channels in swamps during the Westphalian D. It is suggested that the swamp pteridosperms are probably quite similar to or identical with some of the representatives in the more diverse compression floras. The evolution and diversity noted in swamp pteridosperms are considered principally the product of adjacent lowland communities which repeatedly introduced seeds into the wetlands. The swamp pteridosperms exhibit the greatest fluctuation in abundance (biomass) from site to site in the same coal, probably the highest level of diversity and the only steady pattern of increase in importance during the Late Carboniferous with the possible exception of the Westphalian B–C interval. The close relationships inferred between swamp pteridosperms and their lowland seed sources are also compatible with the frequent association of tree ferns and seed ferns during the Westphalian D and in the Stephanian when these two kinds of frond-bearing trees formed most of the vegetation in both lowland and swamp environments.     

Cytologie du lobe anterieur de l'hypophyse du chien

Summary Detailed histochemical studies have been made on the distribution of various enzymes such as phosphatases, cholinesterases, glycolytic enzymes and respiratory enzymes in various components of the hypothalamus with special reference to the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the Squirrel Monkey. Cytological studies have also been made by the McManus, Einarson, Gomori and Bargmann methods.A few neurons of these nuclei showed scanty Gomori-positive material in the cytoplasm for the Gomori and Bargmann methods. Nissl granules were located in the peripheral cytoplasm of most neurons. No glycogen granules were observed in these neurons. For these reasons, the Squirrel Monkey, like the rat, may not be a suitable species for the study of neurosecretory phenomena.The axons of these neurons were negative for the specific cholinesterase test, though the perikaryon and some parts of the processes gave a moderately positive reaction. These neurons may be non-cholinergic and the cholinergic fibers from an unknown nucleus may end in synapses on their cell bodies. Blood vessels and glial cells in the neurosecretory nuclei showed non-specific cholinesterase activity. This enzyme may hydrolyze the acetylcholine which has escaped splitting by specific cholinesterase. Alkaline phosphatase and acid phosphatase in these neurons may be involved in the metabolism concerned with the production of neurosecretory material. The neurons may be physicochemical receptors and may get enough energy and raw material to synthesize the neurosecretory material from the rich blood supply. Neurons of the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei as well as other hypothalamic neurons, like neurons of other regions of the brain, are well equipped with the enzymes of the glycolytic pathways and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Since the glial cells of these nuclei have amylophosphorylase activity and glycolytic pathways, they may work as energy donators to the neurons of the neurosecretory nuclei. T. R. Shanthaveerappa in previous publications.     

Lusitaneura covensis n. gen., n. sp., first Caloneurodea from the Carboniferous of Portugal (Insecta: Pterygota: Panorthoptera)

Lusitaneura covensis n. gen., n. sp., from the Late Carboniferous (Lower Stephanian C) of the Douro Basin (NW of Portugal), is the first Portuguese representative of the Palaeozoic insect order Caloneurodea.     

The Carboniferous floras of the Iberian Peninsula: A synthesis with geological connotations

A general review is presented of the Carboniferous floral records in the Iberian Peninsula in the context of the geological history and distribution of the different basins. Mississippian floras are found in Sierra Morena, where major strike-slip faults brought in terranes of diverse provenance. Lower Pennsylvanian floras are represented in the Peñarroya-Belmez-Espiel (Córdoba) and Villanueva del Río y Minas (Sevilla) coalfields of SW Spain (also strike-slip controlled), at La Camocha, near Gijón (Asturias), and in other parts of northern Spain. Middle Pennsylvanian is represented near Oporto, but more completely in the Central Asturian Coalfield, as well as other, more limited localities in NW Spain and the Pyrenees. Upper Pennsylvanian (Stephanian Stage-Cantabrian to Stephanian B substages) floras are splendidly represented in NW Spain. Uppermost Pennsylvanian (Stephanian C-Autunian) floras are present in the strike-slip controlled Douro and Buçaco basins of North Portugal, the Pyrenees, Central Spain (Ciudad Real, Guadalajara, Zaragoza), and SW Spain (Guadalcanal and Valdeviar in Sevilla province).A complete succession of megafloral zones is presented. This includes a new Annularia spicata Zone at the top of the Pennsylvanian (equivalent to middle to upper Autunian which has been often attributed to the Lower Permian). The information is summarised in charts compiled from a selection of the most significant species. A number of floral elements are illustrated including the zonal indices. Brief taxonomic comments are provided in the Appendix.     

Les brisures de symetrie du temps

Introduction

Atoms theory and symmetry theory dominated physics. Symmetry propagation and interactions verify the Curie principle. But its violation by symmetry breaking is spontaneous.Fragility is creative. An information breaks a generalized symmetry. Results on symmetry breakings are not valid for fuzzy symmetries. The breaking of a fuzzy symmetry leads only to a pour symmetry (Fig.1). Homogeneity breaking, and atom of time are not usual concepts. We examine in this work symmetry breakings which generate the living time.

Relativistic Time-Space Breaking

1. Medium and environment of living define ordinary referential of space and referential of time. Astronomical phenomena following classical mechanics and microphysical phenomena following quantum mechanics can be written with the same t coordinate.
2. Relativity corrections. Schrödinger's Quantum mechanics (Eq.0) approximately governs molecular systems (Relativity corrections can be expressed as physical effects in the above defined referential).
3. Time reversal symmetry. The well-known Wigner's transformation determines the microscopic reversibility.
4. The three essential particle-vacancy equilibria. This transformation is verified by all particle-vacancy reciprocity. Vacancy moves like particle but with negative moment and positive kinetic energies. Only three biochemical equilibria admit this time reversal symmetry, namely: oxydo-reduction, acido-basicity, fluidity-viscosity. In these case, reacting electron, solvated proton, water molecule are respectively antagonist of the corresponding vacancy.
5. Fuzzy character of time reversal symmetry. Dirac's equation does not admit this symmetry which only appears at the “non relativistic” limit of quantum phenomena. Hence particle-vacancy reciprocity is fuzzy according to the experimental evidence. (Laforgue et al., 1988).

Oriented Time

1. From the universal reversible time, an additional breaking generates the oriented time, both in the astronomical and in the living matter.
2. Irreversibility for the environment. We refer to Prigogine and Stengers (1988).
3. Irreversibility for the living matter. We refer to Lochak (1986). Because equation (0), above discussed, is “microreversible” the second breaking could come from an additional term vanishing in the stationary states but increasing with time in evolutionary processes.
4. Negative times. Taking into account the fuzzy character of the time reversal symmetry, the third breaking cannot suppress completely the occurrence of negative times. Reversed time is controlled by direct time. Except in the three above reported cases, time reversal symmetry is not verified by the medium. Free motion of the particle following eg.(0) or of the vacancy following time reversal reciprocal equation takes place only during short jumps from an interaction site to an other. Fig. 2 schematizes the law of motion of the electric charge corresponding to the transport by proton or by proton vacancy in an unitary field (fluctuations are neglected). The reserved jumps are estimated in the range of 10^?12s. It is not excluded that such a jump can control a direct phenomenon.
5. The living time. Biological phenomenon appears as an oriented set of events. Nevertheless latency or exaltation phases could be perceived. This modulation could be described by positive and negative times additional to the basic time. (Negative can be interpreted as above.)

Living produces Time

1. That were not understandable, if time was only a frame, in which change occurs. Taking change as frame and time as effect, we regard biological activity as integrating reversible and irreversible time. Living synchronizes internal and external time by its own effort as it results (Lestienne, 1990) from Chronobiology.
2. Time modulation. Let us consider the dy₁...dy_i...dy_p changes in the variables of the system, dy={dy_i} has produced dt. We proof (eq.(1) to (4)) that time is modulated by a Φ_(y) speed coefficient depending on the medium. t_modulated=tΦ^-1 _(y)
3. The production of reversible time (e.g.acido-basicity) determines time modulation. As above reported it remains some reversibility effects (jumps of negative time) which modulate time. E.g., if an important amount of reagent is necessary to modify an acid-base equilibrium, Φ_(y) is small.
4. Time modulation and activation-repression reciprocity. As well-known, long t_modulated means repression, short t_modulated means exaltation. Extrema of ? are symmetrical because particle and vacancy are reciprocal. Nevertheless reciprocity is not perfect. E.g., on fig. 3, the wet receptor determines the cell increasing, the dry receptor the cell senescence of a certain alga (Lück, 1962).
5. Irreversible time production. Medium accepts entropy. Hence it acts in the second breaking of time. Living extracts the free energy from the medium, like a dissipative structure. That insures an operative point far from the thermodynamical equilibrium.

Consumption of Time

1. The three followings correspond to the more trivial time consumption.
2. Rhythmical time. Free energy flux is favourable to the arising of order in space or time. This later gives a structure to the living time.
3. Mutual dependence of reversible time and rhythms. Time irreversible structure can be controlled by the above considered particle-vacancy equilibrium. Consequently the living time (modulated and structured) is a chemical time connected to molecular properties and to statistical thermodynamics. Practically, the connection between chronobiology and chemistry is important. The use of drugs could be interpreted as a response to an aggression against biorhythms.
4. Lifetime. The dead-birth rhythm can be broken in two ways: evolution or indefinite life. This later is non exceptional for the living matter, e.g. in the vegetals where it is connected with the chlorophyllic assimilation; the time reversal significance of which is evident.
5. The plan of the alchemist. Indefinitely life has fascinated individuals. Do the human species becomes better adapted by a longer life?

Conclusions

1. Atoms of time could exist.
2. Biological time is defined by the breaking of five generalized symmetries, namely: Minkovski's space symmetry, reversibility, homogeneity, rhythmicity, generations reproduction.
3. Environment and medium determine non relativistic, oriented, structured time.
4. At the microphysical scale, a fuzzy time reversal symmetry takes place, the breaking of which is not complete. Reversible time and dominating irreversible time are integrated in living phenomena.
5. Three fundamental particle-vacancy reciprocities admit a part of reversibility. Irreversibility governs the all others phenomena.
6. Time is produced chemically.
7. A new perspective is the connection between chemical equilibria and rhythms including the time of the life.

     

Les brisures de symetrie du temps

Introduction

Atoms theory and symmetry theory dominated physics. Symmetry propagation and interactions verify the Curie principle. But its violation by symmetry breaking is spontaneous.Fragility is creative. An information breaks a generalized symmetry. Results on symmetry breakings are not valid for fuzzy symmetries. The breaking of a fuzzy symmetry leads only to a pour symmetry (Fig.1). Homogeneity breaking, and atom of time are not usual concepts. We examine in this work symmetry breakings which generate the living time.

Relativistic Time-Space Breaking

1. Medium and environment of living define ordinary referential of space and referential of time. Astronomical phenomena following classical mechanics and microphysical phenomena following quantum mechanics can be written with the same t coordinate.
2. Relativity corrections. Schrödinger's Quantum mechanics (Eq.0) approximately governs molecular systems (Relativity corrections can be expressed as physical effects in the above defined referential).
3. Time reversal symmetry. The well-known Wigner's transformation determines the microscopic reversibility.
4. The three essential particle-vacancy equilibria. This transformation is verified by all particle-vacancy reciprocity. Vacancy moves like particle but with negative moment and positive kinetic energies. Only three biochemical equilibria admit this time reversal symmetry, namely: oxydo-reduction, acido-basicity, fluidity-viscosity. In these case, reacting electron, solvated proton, water molecule are respectively antagonist of the corresponding vacancy.
5. Fuzzy character of time reversal symmetry. Dirac's equation does not admit this symmetry which only appears at the “non relativistic” limit of quantum phenomena. Hence particle-vacancy reciprocity is fuzzy according to the experimental evidence. (Laforgue et al., 1988).

Oriented Time

1. From the universal reversible time, an additional breaking generates the oriented time, both in the astronomical and in the living matter.
2. Irreversibility for the environment. We refer to Prigogine and Stengers (1988).
3. Irreversibility for the living matter. We refer to Lochak (1986). Because equation (0), above discussed, is “microreversible” the second breaking could come from an additional term vanishing in the stationary states but increasing with time in evolutionary processes.
4. Negative times. Taking into account the fuzzy character of the time reversed symmetry, the third breaking cannot suppress completely the occurrence of negative times. Reversed time is controlled by direct time. Except in the three above reported cases, time reversal symmetry is not verified by the medium. Free motion of the particle following eg.(0) or of the vacancy following time reversal reciprocal equation takes place only during short jumps from an interaction site to an other. Fig. 2 schematizes the law of motion of the electric charge corresponding to the transport by proton or by proton vacancy in an unitary field (fluctuations are neglected). The reserved jumps are estimated in the range of 10^?12s. It is not excluded that such a jump can control a direct phenomenon.
5. The living time. Biological phenomenon appears as an oriented set of events. Nevertheless latency or exaltation phases could be perceived. This modulation could be described by positive and negative times additional to the basic time. (Negative can be interpreted as above)

Living produces Time

1. That were not understandable, if time was only a frame, in which change occurs. Taking chance as frame and time as effect, we regard biological activity as integrating reversible and irreversible time. Living synchronizes internal and external time by its own effort as it results (Lestienne, 1990) from Chronobiology.
2. Time modulation. Let us consider the dy₁...dy_i...dy_p changes in the variables of the systems, dy={dy_i} has produced dt. We proof (eq.(1) to (4)) that time is modulated by a φ_(y) speed coefficient depending on the medium. t_modulated=tφ _(y) ^?1
3. The production of reversible time (e.g.acido-basicity) determines time modulation. As above reported it remains some reversibility effects (jumps of negative time) which modulate time. E.G., if an important amount of reagent is necessary to modify an acid-base equilibrium, φ_(y) is small.
4. Time modulation and activation-repression reciprocity. As well-known, long t_modulated means repression, short t_modulated means exaltation. Extrema of ? are symmetrical because particle and vacancy are reciprocal. Nevertheless reciprocity is not perfect. E.g., on fig. 3, the wet receptor determines the cell increasing, the dry receptor the cell senescence of a certain alga (Lück, 1962).
5. Irreversible time production. Medium accepts entropy. Hence it acts in the second breaking of time. Living extracts the free energy from the medium, like a dissipative structure. That insures an operative point far from the thermodynamical equilibrium.

Consumption of Time

1. The three followings correspond to the more trivial time consumption.
2. Rhythmical time. Free energy flux is favourable to the arising of order in space or time. This later gives a structure to the living time.
3. Mutual dependence of reversible time and rhythms. Time irreversible structure can be controlled by the above considered particle-vacancy equilibrium. Consequently the living time (modulated and structured) is a chemical time connected to molecular properties and to statistical thermodynamics. Practically, the connection between chronobiology and chemistry is important. The use of drugs could be interpreted as a response to an aggression against biorhythms.
4. Lifetime. The dead-birth rythm can be broken in two ways: evolution or indefinite life. This later is non exceptional for the living matter, e.g. in the vegetals where it is connected with the chlorophyllic assimilation; the time reversal significance of which is evident.
5. The plan of the alchemist. Indefinitely life has fascinated individuals. Do the human species becomes better adapted by a longer life?

Conclusions

1. Atoms of time could exist.
2. Biological time is defined by the breaking of five generalized symmetries, namely: Minkovski's space symmetry, reversibility, homogeneity, rhythmicity, generations reproduction.
3. Environment and medium determine non relativistic, oriented, structured time.
4. At the microphysical scale, a fuzzy time reversal symmetry takes place, the breaking of which is not complete. Reversible time and dominating irreversible time are integrated in living phenomena.
5. Three fundamental particle-vacancy reciprocities admit a part of reversibity. Irreversibility governs the all others phenomena.
6. Time is produced chemically.
7. A new perspective is the connection between chemical equilibria and rhythms including the time of the life.

     

Histoenzymologie du pancreas endocrine de l'homme

Résumé Des recherches histoenzymatiques sont effectuées sur biopsies de 14 pancréas humains prélevés au cours d'interventions opératoires. Les cellules insulaires présentent une très grande activité pour la G-6-PDH, 6-PGDH, ICDH, Cis-Ac-ase et NADPH-R. Elles montrent une activité plus faible pour la LDH, MDH, 3-PGADH, SDH, ATP'ase, MAO, Sulfatase, Estérase et Leuc. Peptidase. La Lip-DH et la glucuronidase sont faiblement positives. Il existe une différence de l'activité enzymatique entre les cellules A et B; ces dernières montrent une activité plus importante. La G-6-P'ase, la F-1-6-DP'ase sont négatives. Certaines considérations sont faites sur le r?le probable des enzymes étudiées dans la cytophysiologie insulaire.

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Summary Histoenzymatic investigations on 14 normal human biopsies from surgical interventions demonstrate a high activity of G-6-PDH, 6-PGDH, ICDH, Cis-Ac-ase and NADPH-R of the islet cells. The activities of LDH, MDH, 3-PGA-DH, SDH, ATP'ases, MAO, sulfatase, Esterase and Peptidases are considerably less intense. The Lip-DH, the glucuronidase are feebly positive. There exists a difference between the A and the B-cells. These latter shows generally a more considerable activity. Other activities like G-6-P'ase and F-1-6P'ase are negative. Some considerations are drawn on the presumable role of these enzymes in the cytophysiology of the islets of Langerhans.

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Dédié au ProfesseurW. Bargmann à l'occasion de son 60e anniversaire.     

La pensée de Gisela Pankow autour du concept de lois immanentes du corps

Gisela Pankow’s theoretical and clinical research led her to work out an original method of dynamic structuration for the cure of psychosis and serious mental disorders. She distinguishes two fundamental functions in the living body-image, and according to her master’s views, Ernst Kretschmer, who introduced the difference betweenKernpsychose (nuclear psychosis) andRandpsychose (marginal psychosis). These two functions are “symbolizing” and are relying on the “immanent laws” of the body. Such pankowian concepts are an extension of psychiatric, psychoanalytic and philosophical works which are not well known in ordinary medical circles: we must quote those of Kurt Goldstein, Gustav Siewerth, Gaston Fessard, for example. G. Pannkow uses ordinary words, such as form, sign, symbol, but this may be deceiving, for symbolism is not the same when speaking about forms or about language. Reading these authors reveals the background of these terms and enlightens the pankowian original concept of the living bodyimage, based on a realistic anthropology of the body’s immanent laws. This paper is only a basic introduction to Gisela Pankow’s rich and fruitful research.     

Nouvelles espèces subfossiles de rongeurs du Nord-Ouest de Madagascar

Since the mid-19th century, the Malagasy subfossil macrofauna has been the object of numerous studies and publications, contrary to the microfauna. New fieldwork, initiated in 2001, in the North West of Madagascar (Province of Mahajanga) led to the discovery of sites rich in fossiliferous breccias, containing micromammals. In this article, we describe two new subfossil species of rodent: Brachytarsomys mahajambaensis, the smallest within the genus and Nesomys narindaensis, the largest within the genus. Most of the extant species of these two genera live in the tropical rainforests of the eastern and north-eastern areas of Madagascar, far away from the north-western part of the island where a dry deciduous forest occurs. The presence of the two taxa in the subfossil record in the Northwest of the country suggests the occurrence of wetter conditions in the past in this region.     

Analyse des artefacts lithiques du site de Longgupo

Excavation has enabled recovery of 854 artifacts within 30 archaeological levels in the south sector and 11 in the north (chapter 3). These levels are quite probably contemporaneous, or even the same. The quantitative disparity in the number of strata between the two sectors is simply due to the fact that only the lower half of the northern zone was completely investigated. Similarly, the number of artifacts recovered by level varies according to the surface area excavated, although is some cases the density of material is significant despite the small area excavated, for example stratum C IV 5 which contains 174 lithic artifacts in 2 m². Before undertaking the technological analysis of the artifacts, given the preceding polemics provoked by the great age of this site and its implications for the spread of the first populations out of Africa, it was deemed important to carry out a plurifactorial analysis combining all of the data related to: the stratigraphy, taphonomic processes (post-depositional disturbance), analysis of natural processes that may have produced eoliths, experimentation and techno-functional analysis of the material. The stratigraphy shows clear interstratifications of fine and coarse fluviatile levels with often very clear particle size sorting of the coarse fraction. The archaeological material is typically found at the interface of these strata, either at the base of a clayey matrix, overlying a preceding coarse level, or in the superficial part of a sandy-clay deposit underlying coarse deposits. Post-depositional disturbance revealed during the new excavations in 2003–2006 cannot alone be the cause of eoliths. Excavation of a 6 m² zone in the modern river bed, located below the site, has demonstrated that the technological traits of eoliths recovered cannot in any way be confused with the technological traits of the artifacts recovered at the site itself. Similarly, viewed quantitatively, the 6 m² zone excavated in the river bed yielded around 20 eoliths while the 30 m² zone excavated at the site yielded 854 artifacts, one stratum alone yielding 184 artifacts in a 3 m² zone. During the experimental phase, adopting the same conditions of procuring raw material, from the same river bed, we very quickly realized the rarity of types of adequate volume that had been generally used at the site and the need to use certain operational processes to create such a form. In addition, the hardness and presence of several natural fracture planes in the Triassic limestone explain the choice of different operational processes and the very high number of knapping accidents, including those occurring during bipolar percussion. Although 90% of the raw material used was cobbles or broken blocks of local Triassic limestone, 10% of the tools were made on exogenous raw materials – siliceous or gravelly limestone, quartzitic sandstone, chert, volcanic rock – that are absent from the immediate environment of the site. These raw materials were brought to the site in the form of tools: worked cobbles, large retouched flakes, backed double-truncated flakes, a plaquette with a lateral bifacial edge, etc. The 854 artifacts have been classified into six object classes: worked cobbles with transversal edge (39%), worked cobbles with lateral edge (2%), unipolar flakes (27%), bipolar objects (half-blocks, half-cobbles including some flat “split” cobbles, “orange slices”, flakes and diverse fragments) (17%) and fragments resulting from knapping of blocks or cobbles (13%), hammerstone (2%). When the frequencies of these classes are calculated for each of the sectors, percentages are similar, indicating a high degree of homogeneity in the archaeological assemblages at the site. The situation is somewhat different when assemblages are compared within a single sector. Slight differences appear in the percentages of bipolar pieces and unipolar flakes. These differences seem to be random, like the frequency rate of knapping accidents in bipolar reduction, or economic, such as the choice of operational schemes to create worked cobbles based on the availability of suitable raw materials. The technological affinity between each of the archaeological assemblages tends to demonstrate great stability in technological knowledge through time. The class of worked cobbles is by far the most important and, apart from a few flakes produced intentionally, it appears to group all of the tools. To avoid placing these tools in a restrictive, semantically meaningless, class, we prefer the concept of matrix to the term worked cobble. A matrix is a structured arrangement of a series of technological traits, in a form as close as possible to that of the future tool. The matrix phase leads to the tool production phase, which may be unnecessary if the matrix phase includes fictionalization. In other words, the concept of matrix enables separating the phase of preparing a predetermined volume, such as a blade, Levallois flake or bifacial piece, from the tool production phase, consisting in creating the type of transformative edge intended, if necessary. The tool is thus an artifact of a specific form with an integrated edge and an operational scheme both specific to the function attributed to it and means of use associated with the form. Observed variability relates to: the size of the volume ranging from to 20, morphology, the form of the line formed by the edge which can in frontal view be curved, linear, sinuous or denticulated, and in transversal view curved, linear, sinuous or saw-toothed, and the length of the edge ranging from 1 to 10. Matrices with a simple bevel are distinguished from double bevels. In the framework of the technological analysis of production schemes to produce matrices with a simple bevel, a broad range of variability in production schemes can be observed, divided arbitrarily into two stages. The first stage consists in creating as closely as possibly the technological traits of the future matrix due to five general schemes. The first scheme (A) consists in selecting a cobble or block naturally possessing at least some of the technological traits needed. The missing traits are added by various preparations, including bipolar percussion 3 times out of 5. The second scheme (B) consists in knapping a flake from the block with some of the technological traits required for the matrix present on one of its surfaces. The third scheme (C) consists in the choice of a plaquette from which a bipolar shock creates the main traits of the matrix. The fourth scheme (D) consists in choosing a volume very similar to the intended matrix. The fifth and final scheme (E) consists in knapping a flake with technological traits very different from those intended. Depending on the distance between intention and realization, a second stage may be necessary. In general, this second stage perfects or creates the intended active edge, which is rarely obtained in the first stage. To produce a matrix with a double bevel, it is sometimes necessary to add an intermediate stage in order to prepare the second bevel. The first stage remains the same, with the use of the five operational schemes. By contrast, a clear difference exists in the percentages for the use of these schemes. For a matrix with a simple bevel, scheme A is dominant, followed by scheme D, while the situation is reversed for a matrix with a double bevel, where scheme D is dominant. Unipolar flakes, representing 27% of the assemblage, are produced in three different ways. The most important is flakes resulting from matrix production. The two others are flakes produced during different knapping schemes, some flakes in relation to the few cores present, other flakes in exogenous raw materials produced elsewhere and generally much larger. The other classes are dominated by bipolar products resulting essentially from knapping accidents. To summarize, these assemblages are characterized by: the search for tools differentiated by form and active edges; more than 90% of the tools made on two kinds of supports: a matrix with a simple bevel or a double bevel; matrices obtained using different operational schemes successively associating if necessary a knapping stage and a shaping stage. While the Triassic limestone is hard and thus imposes a strong constraint on knapping, the range of operational schemes appears to have been a “cultural” response diversified to this constraint and the presence of tools on exogenous raw materials. At the scale of China, comparison of this industry is impossible since it is the only site of this age and to contain so much material. The site of Majuangou, the only site of similar caliber, is younger by several hundred thousand years and is located several thousand kilometers to the north, making comparisons meaningless. We note only that most of the tool supports at Majuangou are knapped flakes. On an inter-continental scale, the comparison of sites of equal age is more promising. But lithic analyses are based on different methods, preventing comparison of similar data. However, if we make a simple summary of the data available, we can first say that in Africa, during these periods, different development technological stages were present and stages that are considered more evolved are manifestly less common using our approach. While these stages are more or less contemporaneous, which counters the idea of uniqueness, they would more surely be evidence of populations that were not in direct contact and had separate lines of development. In Asia, the Longgupo industry evidences a different technological option than that of contemporaneous populations in Africa. By contrast, when we take into account its developmental stage, we realize that this is an “evolved” stage in which the form of the support of the future tool is predominant. If we compare Africa and Asia in terms of stages, we are a priori at the same stage with different options being selected.     

Stratigraphie et chronologie du site de Gaolingpo dans le bassin de Bose,sud de la Chine

The Bose Paleolithic industry in the Bose Basin, Guangxi, South China is well known in the international scientific community for its bearing handaxes dated back to 803 ka. Seven terraces were developed in the basin and terrace 4 is the most important because handaxes and tektites were recovered from this terrace. Since the first site was discovered in 1973, additional sites of the Bose Paleolithic industry have been investigated and excavated, most of which are located on terrace 4. The previous studies concluded that there is only one phase within this industry and its age is 803 ka. However, before 2013, no attempt had been made to dig down to the basal gravels from the top of terrace 4 in archaeological excavations. Therefore, the stratigraphy and the layers from which the stone artifacts derive of terrace 4 are not clear. In 2013–2014, we conducted an excavation of 200 m² at the Gaolingpo site, which is one of the most important Paleolithic sites in the Bose Basin. We excavated to the basal gravel deposits from the top of this terrace, and a section of more than 7 meters thick deposit was exposed and clearly shows the stratigraphic layers of Pleistocene and Holocene deposits. Furthermore, features and about 800 stone artifacts including choppers, picks, scrapers, etc. were excavated from several stratigraphic layers, which are different in age and other aspects. Based on stratigraphy and the stone artifacts, three stages of Paleolithic cultural remains from the Gaolingpo site can be established. The first stage is in the age of at leat 803 ka. The second stage can be dated to 15 ka and the third stage to about 10 ka.