SEM observation of pollen grains and fruits of the Pieniny Mountains Polish endemic species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taraxacum pieninicum</Emphasis> (Asteraceae)

Taraxacum pieninicum Pawł. (Asteraceae) is an endemic species, growing only in Pieniny Mts. The aim of the presented work was to investigate its pollen morphology as well as its ultrastructural traits of achene pericarp. Pollen grains of this species were of medium size, echino-lophate and 3-zonocolporate. The external surface of the achene body was of scale sculpture, covered with the spikes. Pappus hairs were not branched, built of a few tubular cells, with acute, protruding ends.     

Taxonomic and nomenclatural revision of Sládeček's list of ciliates (Protozoa: Ciliophora) as indicators of water quality

A taxonomic and nomenclatural revision of Sládeek's et al. (1981) and Wegl's (1983) lists of ciliates (Protozoa: Ciliophora) as indicators of water quality has been performed. The original reference, important synonyms, and modern taxonomic literature are provided for each of the 378 taxa recognized. The results of this revision are summarized in a table which shows the correct (modern) name, author, and date of publication of each species as well as its saprobity, its saprobic valency, its indicative weight, and its saprobic index.     

Morphometric analysis of Polish members of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potentilla</Emphasis> subsect. <Emphasis Type="Italic">Collinae</Emphasis> in Poland

Methods of numerical taxonomy, i.e. Cluster Analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Discriminant Function (DF) and Correspondence Analysis (CA), have been used to analyse 132 Operational Taxonomic Units of Potentilla subsect. Collinae. Among 53 morphological characters (20 quantitative and 33 qualitative), the most useful appeared following: bent inflorescence, flower diameter, width of epicalyx segments, length and width of petal, length ratio of calyx to petals, length ratio of calyx to epicalyx segments, shape of carpel style, presence of basal leaves during flowering, number of leaflets on basal leaves, upper and lower surfaces of leaf blades, pattern of pubescence of calyx, nervation of leaves as well as number and size of teeth of the central leaflet. The following taxa were distinguished in the investigated subsection: P. collina Wibel s.str.; P. thyrsiflora Hülsen ex Zimmeter; P. silesiaca R. Uechtr.; P. wimannania Günther et Schummel; P. leucopolitana P.J. Müll.; P. karoi R. Uechtr. ex Zimmeter; P. schultzii P.J. Müll. ex F. W. Schultz; P. koernickei R. Uechtr. ex Zimmeter; P. leucopolitanoides Błocki; P. ×sholziana Callier; P. leucopolitana P.J. Müller × P. incana P. Gaertner, B. Meyer & Scherb.); P. × tynieckii Błocki (P. argentea L. × P. leucopolitana P.J. Müll.).     

Phytosociology of Juniperus excelsa M.Bieb. forests in Alborz mountain range in the north of Iran

Juniperus excelsa is one of the specific tree species in the mountainous areas of Iran. It forms the mountainous forests of Irano-Turanian vegetation region. Despite the considerable spread of J. excelsa in Iran, there is no detailed and valid published study on the phytosociology of Iranian juniper stands. The aim of this research is to identify these associations and their characteristics in Alborz mountains in the north of Iran. To this goal, a set of data including floristic data according to Braun-Blanquet method, and important environmental characteristics, were collected. To classify the vegetation, TWINSPAN was used and phytosociology tables were analysed with JUICE software. Diagnostic species were determined by measuring the degree of fidelity and using statistically meaningful measurements. According to the results, the vegetation was classified into six associations and five subassociations. Among them are Cotoneastro nummulariis-Juniperetum excelsae ass. nov., Lonicero ibericae-Juniperetum excelsae ass. nov., Rhamno pallasii-Juniperetum excelsae ass. nov., Rhamno p.-Juniperetum e. ajugetosum chamaecisti subass. nov., Rhamno p.-Juniperetum excelsae gypsophiletosum aretioidis subass. nov., Amygdalo lycioidis-Pistacietum atlanticae hymenocratretosum bituminosoris Kashipazha et al. 2007, Feruletum ovinae ass. nov., Artemisio aucheri-Astragaletum veri Asri 2004, and Artemisio aucheri-Onobrychidetum cornutae ass. nov. The introduced juniper associations were placed in class Junipero-Pistacietea Zohary 1973 and order Juniperetalia excelsae nov.     

Waist-to-hip ratio versus body mass index as predictors of fitness in women

The claim that men prefer women with low waist-to-hip ratios (WHR) has been vigorously disputed. We examine self-report data from 359 primiparous Polish women (with normal singleton births and healthy infants) and show that WHR correlates with at least one component of a woman’s biological fitness (her first child’s birth weight, a variable that significantly affects infant survival rates). However, a woman’s Body Mass Index (BMI) is a better predictor of her child’s neonatal weight in small-bodied women (<54 kg). The failure to find a preference for low WHR in some traditional populations may thus be a consequence of the fact that, even in western populations, body mass is a better predictor of fitness in those cases characterized by low maternal body weight. Boguslaw Pawłowski Ph.D., D.Sc., is a researcher and lecturer in biological anthropology at the University of Wrocław, Poland. His research interests focus on mechanisms of human evolution (with special attention to the evolution of subcutaneous fat tissue distribution) and human mate choice. Robin Dunbar Ph.D., FBA is British Academy Research Professor of Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Liverpool, England, and co-Director of the British Academy Centenary Research Project. His research interests focus on the evolutionary and environmental determinants of social and reproductive strategies, with particular references to humans, nonhuman primates, and ungulates.     

Mechanisms of age-specific regulation of dopamine metabolism by juvenile hormone and 20-hydroxyecdysone in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis> females

20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and the juvenile hormone (JH) have an age-specific effect on total dopamine (DA) content in Drosophila (Gruntenko and Rauschenbach 2008). Earlier we studied the mechanism of influence of 20E and JH on DA metabolism in young females (Rauschenbach et al. in J Insect Physiol 53:587–591, 2007a: Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 65:95–102, 2008a; Gruntenko et al. in Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 72:263–269, 2009). Here we investigate the effects of 20E and JH on the activities of the alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and DA-dependent arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) in mature females of wild type D. virilis under normal conditions and under heat stress (38°C). 20E feeding of the flies led to a substantial decrease in ALP and TH activities and to an increase in AANAT activity in mature females. JH application resulted in an increasing of ALP and TH activities, but did not influence AANAT activity in mature females. A rise in JH and 20E levels was found to change ALP and TH stress reactivities. Mechanisms of age-specific regulation of DA level by 20E and JH in Drosophila females are discussed.     

Twenty four new microsatellite markers in two invasive pavement ants, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tetramorium</Emphasis> sp.E and <Emphasis Type="Italic">T. tsushimae</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Invasive species trigger biodiversity losses and alter ecosystem functioning, with life history shaping invasiveness (Sakai et al., Annu Rev Ecol Syst 32:305–332, 2001). However, pinpointing the relation of a specific life history to invasion success is difficult. One approach may be comparing congeners. The two Palearctic pavement ants, Tetramorium sp.E (widely known as T. caespitum, Schlick-Steiner et al., Mol Phylogenet Evol 40:259–273, 2006) and T. tsushimae have invaded North America (Steiner et al., Biol Invasions 8:117–123, 2006). Their life histories differ in that T. sp.E has separate single-queened colonies but T. tsushimae multi-queened colonies scattered over large areas (Sanada-Morimura et al., Insect Soc 53:141–148, 2006; Schlick-Steiner et al., Mol Phylogenet Evol 40:259–273, 2006; Steiner et al., Biol Invasions 8:117–123, 2006). Comparison of the genetic diversity in the entire native and non-native ranges will elucidate the invasion histories. Here, we present 13 and 11 microsatellites, developed for T. sp.E and T. tsushimae, respectively, and characterize all for both species. Florian M. Steiner, Wolfgang Arthofer and Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner contributed equally to this work.     

Index of names of syntaxa typified in 1992

Following the “Index of new names” (Theurillat & Moravec 1995), the present work collects the syntaxa (in the sense of the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature,Barkman et al. 1986) above subassociation rank typified in 1992. The list comprises 127 names of syntaxa.     

Subspecies of the Eeuropean beaver<Emphasis Type="Italic">Castor fiber</Emphasis> Linnaeus, 1758

Subspecific relationships of the European beaverCastor fiber have been obscured by failure to follow the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and remain an open issue. Inconsequence in the use of subspecies names caused a nomenclatural as well as a taxonomic confusion. We discuss these controversial and incorrect nomenclatural decisions, and recognize 9 nominal subspecies of European beaver, bearing 9 available names:C. f. fiber Linnaeus, 1758,C. f. galliae Geoffroy, 1803, C. f. albicus Matschie, 1907,C. f. vistulanus Matschie, 1907,C. f. pohlei Serebrennikov, 1929,C. f. birulai Serebrennikov, 1929,C. f. tuvinicus Lavrov, 1969,C. f. belorussicus Lavrov, 1981, andC. f. orientoeuropaeus Lavrov, 1981.     

Non-random association of human acrocentric chromosomes

Summary The association of human acrocentric chromosomes was found to be nonrandom using fluorescence technic.The occurrence of chromosomes D13-15 in Robertsonian rearrangement has been shown to be non-random (Hecht et al., 1968). Ohno et al. (1961) have postulated these rearrangements might be related to acrocentric association. In two studies (Nakagame, 1969; Shaw et al., 1969), however, a random distribution of the D group chromosomes in association was found by autoradiography in lymphocytes. The recently described fluorescence technic (Caspersson et al., 1971) permits a reliable identification of each of the 23 pairs and we would like to report the results of our re-examination of acrocentric association by this method.

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Zusammenfassung Die Assoziation menschlicher akrozentrischer Chromosomen hat sich als nicht zufällig erwiesen. Es wurde die Fluorescenztechnik benutzt.

     

Index of names of syntaxa typified in 1988

Following the “Index of new names” (Theurillat etMoravec 1990a), the present work collects the syntaxa (in the sense of the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature,Barkman et al. 1986) above subassociation rank typified in 1988. The list comprises 27 syntaxa.     

Index of names of syntaxa typified in 1989

Following the “Index of new names” (Theurillat etMoravec 1991a), the present work collects the names of syntaxa (in the sense of the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature,Barkman et al. 1986) above subassociation rank typified in 1989. The list comprises 110 names of syntaxa.     

Index of names of syntaxa typified in 1993

Following the “Index of new names” (Theurillat & Moravec 1996), the present work brings together the names of syntaxa (in the sense of the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature,Barkman et al. 1986) above subassociation rank typified in 1993. The list comprises 218 syntaxa.     

Serum-Cholesterin,ABO-Blutgruppen und Hämoglobintyp

Zusammenfassung Serum-Cholesterin, ABO-Blutgruppen (N=715), Glucose-6-PhosphatDehydrogenase (G-6-PD, Farbstoff-Reduktionstest, N=611) und der Hämoglobintyp (osmotische Resistenz und Cellulose-Acetat-Elektrophorese, N=469) wurden bei anscheinend gesunden, 20 Jahre alten Männern aus 12 Distrikten der Provinz Chiang Mai in Nordthailand bestimmt. Das Körpergewicht hatte keinen Einfluß auf die Cholesterinkonzentration. Probanden der Blutgruppe A hatten signifikant höhere Cholesterinwerte als die der Gruppen 0 und B. Gruppe B hatte höhere Werte als Gruppe 0, aber die Differenz war nur schwach signifikant. Der mittlere Cholesterinwert der Probanden mit -Thalassaemia minor war signifikant niedriger als der der Gruppen mit normalem Hämoglobin und mit -Thalassaemie oder abnormalem Hämoglobin. Zwischen den drei letzteren Gruppen bestand kein signifikanter Unterschied. Diese Befunde bestätigen für eine tropische Bevölkerung mit an Fetten armer Ernährung die Beziehung zwischen -Thalassämie (Fessas et al., 1963; Mayo et al., 1969, Griechenland) und ABO-Blutgruppen (Mayo et al., 1969; Oliver et al., 1969; Langman et al., 1969; Beckman u. Olivecrona, 1970) einerseits und der Serum-Cholesterin-Konzentration.

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Serum-cholesterol, AB0 blood-groups and haemoglobin typeGenetic influences on the serum-cholesterol level

Summary Serum-cholesterol, ABO blood-groups (N=715), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD, dye decolorization test, N=611) and haemoglobin type (osmotic fragility, cellulose acetate electrophoresis, N=469) were determined in apparently health, 20 years old males from 12 districts of the province of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Body weight and G-6-PD deficiency did not seem to influence the serum-cholesterol level. Probands with blood-group A had significantly higher cholesterol concentrations than groups 0 and B. The difference between groups 0 and B, the latter having somewhat higher levels, was only weakly significant. Cholesterol levels were significantly lower in probands with -thalassaemia minor when compared with a normal control group. The difference between the control group and the probands with -thalassaemia and abnormal haemoglobins (mainly HbE trait) was not significant. These findings confirm for a tropical rural population with a diet low in fat the association between -thalassaemia and low cholesterol concentrations previously reported from Greece (Fessas et al., 1963; Mayo et al., 1969) and the association between blood-group A and high cholesterol levels found in several European populations (Mayo et al., 1969; Oliver et al., 1969; Langman et al., 1969; Beckman and Olivecrona, 1970).

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Beurlaubt von der Universitäts-Kinderklinik Bonn.

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Eingerichtet und unterstützt von der Stiftung Volkswagenwerk.     

Index of names of syntaxa typified in 1994

Following the “Index of new names” (Theurillat & Moravec 1998), the present work collects the names of syntaxa (in the sense of the Code of phytosociological nomenclature,Barkman et al. 1986) above subassociation rank typified in 1994. The list comprises 101 names of syntaxa; three names are added to the Index 1992 (Theurillat & Moravec 1995).     

Two new European species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Docosia</Emphasis> (Diptera: Mycetophilidae)

Two new species of Docosia Winnertz, 1863 are described, Docosia chandleri sp. n. from Austria and Italy and Docosia matilei sp. n. from France and Italy. Both species resemble Docosia montana Laštovka et Ševčík, 2006 and they are characterized by bare laterotergites, yellow legs and long flagellomeres.     

Index of names of syntaxa typified in 1991

Following the “Index of new names” (Theurillat & Moravec 1994), the present work collects the names of syntaxa (in the sense of the Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature,Barkman et al. 1986) above subassociation rank typified in 1991. The list comprises 76 names of syntaxa; one name is added to the Index 1989 (Theurillat & Moravec 1992).     

A Computational Analysis of Localized Ca<Superscript>2+</Superscript>-Dynamics Generated by Heterogeneous Release Sites

We investigate the role of heterogeneous expression of IP₃R and RyR in generating diverse elementary Ca²⁺ signals. It has been shown empirically (Wojcikiewicz and Luo in Mol. Pharmacol. 53(4):656–662, 1998; Newton et al. in J. Biol. Chem. 269(46):28613–28619, 1994; Smedt et al. in Biochem. J. 322(Pt. 2):575–583, 1997) that tissues express various proportions of IP₃ and RyR isoforms and this expression is dynamically regulated (Parrington et al. in Dev. Biol. 203(2):451–461, 1998; Fissore et al. in Biol. Reprod. 60(1):49–57, 1999; Tovey et al. in J. Cell Sci. 114(Pt. 22):3979–3989, 2001). Although many previous theoretical studies have investigated the dynamics of localized calcium release sites (Swillens et al. in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 96(24):13750–13755, 1999; Shuai and Jung in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100(2):506–510, 2003a; Shuai and Jung in Phys. Rev. E, Stat. Nonlinear Soft Matter Phys. 67(3 Pt. 1):031905, 2003b; Thul and Falcke in Biophys. J. 86(5):2660–2673, 2004; DeRemigio and Smith in Cell Calcium 38(2):73–86, 2005; Nguyen et al. in Bull. Math. Biol. 67(3):393–432, 2005), so far all such studies focused on release sites consisting of identical channel types. We have extended an existing mathematical model (Nguyen et al. in Bull. Math. Biol. 67(3):393–432, 2005) to release sites with two (or more) receptor types, each with its distinct channel kinetics. Mathematically, the release site is represented by a transition probability matrix for a collection of nonidentical stochastically gating channels coupled through a shared Ca²⁺ domain. We demonstrate that under certain conditions a previously defined mean-field approximation of the coupling strength does not accurately reproduce the release site dynamics. We develop a novel approximation and establish that its performance in these instances is superior. We use this mathematical framework to study the effect of heterogeneity in the Ca²⁺-regulation of two colocalized channel types on the release site dynamics. We consider release sites consisting of channels with both Ca²⁺-activation and inactivation (“four-state channels”) and channels with Ca²⁺-activation only (“two-state channels”) and show that for the appropriate parameter values, synchronous channel openings within a release site with any proportion of two-state to four-state channels are possible, however, the larger the proportion of two-state channels, the more sensitive the dynamics are to the exact spatial positioning of the channels and the distance between channels. Specifically, the clustering of even a small number of two-state channels interferes with puff/spark termination and increases puff durations or leads to a tonic response.     

Purification of xylanase from the wood-rotting fungusTrametes hirsuta

Xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) was purified from a crude extracellular enzyme of the wood-rotting fungusTrametes hirsuta by a four-step procedure involving precipitation with ammonium sulphate, gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-10, column chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and preparative electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gel. The isolated enzyme, electrophoretically homogeneous, was separated from β-xylosidase and other hydrolytic enzymes studied. The analysis of the degradation products of water-soluble (4-0-methylglucurono)-D-xylan from willow by the purified xylanase showed it to be endoxylanase (β-1,4-xylan xylanohydrolase). A sequel to Kubačkováet al., Folia Microbiol.20, 29 (1975).