Taxonomy and nomenclature of five hitherto inadequately-known genera of mealybugs (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae)

Abstract The type-species of four genera of Pseudococcidae are studied. Fonscolombia Lichtenstein is redefined, the type-species, Fonscolombia graminis Lichtenstein is assigned to the Pseudococcidae, redescribed and a lectotype designated. Laboulbenia Lichtenstein is accepted as an objective synonym of Antonina Signoret. Tetrura Lichtenstein ( non : Lesson) is accepted as an objective synonym of Coccura Sulc. The adult female of the material of this species which Lichtenstein misidentified as Tetrura rubi (Schrank) is redescribed and illustrated. Brevennia Goux is redefined, and the type-species Ripersia (Brevennia) tetrapora Goux redescribed. The characteristics of Asphodelococcus Morrison are discussed, the type-species Ripersia asphodeli Bodenheimer redescribed and a neotype designated; A.meoconcitae Tranfaglia & Marotta is a new synonym of A. asphodeli .     

Mind Architecture and Brain Architecture

The use of the computer metaphor has led to the proposal of mind architecture (Pylyshyn 1984; Newell 1990) as a model of the organization of the mind. The dualist computational model, however, has, since the earliest days of psychological functionalism, required that the concepts mind architecture and brain architecture be remote from each other. The development of both connectionism and neurocomputational science, has sought to dispense with this dualism and provide general models of consciousness – a uniform cognitive architecture –, which is in general reductionist, but which retains the computer metaphor. This paper examines, in the first place, the concepts of mind architecture and brain architecture, in order to evaluate the syntheses which have recently been offered. It then moves on to show how modifications which have been made to classical functionalist mind architectures, with the aim of making them compatible with brain architectures, are unable to resolve some of the most serious problems of functionalism. Some suggestions are given as to why it is not possible to relate mind structures and brain structures by using neurocomputational approaches, and finally the question is raised of the validity of reductionism in a theory which sets out to unite mind and brain architectures.     

CO2 balance of boreal, temperate, and tropical forests derived from a global database

Terrestrial ecosystems sequester 2.1 Pg of atmospheric carbon annually. A large amount of the terrestrial sink is realized by forests. However, considerable uncertainties remain regarding the fate of this carbon over both short and long timescales. Relevant data to address these uncertainties are being collected at many sites around the world, but syntheses of these data are still sparse. To facilitate future synthesis activities, we have assembled a comprehensive global database for forest ecosystems, which includes carbon budget variables (fluxes and stocks), ecosystem traits (e.g. leaf area index, age), as well as ancillary site information such as management regime, climate, and soil characteristics. This publicly available database can be used to quantify global, regional or biome‐specific carbon budgets; to re‐examine established relationships; to test emerging hypotheses about ecosystem functioning [e.g. a constant net ecosystem production (NEP) to gross primary production (GPP) ratio]; and as benchmarks for model evaluations. In this paper, we present the first analysis of this database. We discuss the climatic influences on GPP, net primary production (NPP) and NEP and present the CO₂ balances for boreal, temperate, and tropical forest biomes based on micrometeorological, ecophysiological, and biometric flux and inventory estimates. Globally, GPP of forests benefited from higher temperatures and precipitation whereas NPP saturated above either a threshold of 1500 mm precipitation or a mean annual temperature of 10 °C. The global pattern in NEP was insensitive to climate and is hypothesized to be mainly determined by nonclimatic conditions such as successional stage, management, site history, and site disturbance. In all biomes, closing the CO₂ balance required the introduction of substantial biome‐specific closure terms. Nonclosure was taken as an indication that respiratory processes, advection, and non‐CO₂ carbon fluxes are not presently being adequately accounted for.     

IL-1 MODIFIES SYSTEM A TRANSPORT ACTIVITY IN HUMAN RHEUMATOID SYNOVIAL CELLS

Given the importance of interleukin-1 in both rheumatic diseases and the modulation of cell metabolic activities, we studied the action of this cytokine on the neutral amino acid transport A system on rheumatoid synovial cells. In these cells IL-1 (1ng/ml) induced amino transport stimulation from 5min to 5h. This effect was obtained only after a starvation period. No concentration-related effect was found for IL-1-stimulated MeAIB uptake, and the IL-1-mediated MeAIB uptake stimulation is independent of protein synthesis. Neosynthesis or post-translational maturation of protein transport is a prerequisite for obtaining this effect. In conclusion, rheumatoid synovial cells exhibit a higher sensitivity for IL-1 than osteoarthritic ones, probably related to their intense metabolic activity.     

河内蔬菜基地冬季主要蔬菜上昆虫群落组成

应越南国家植物保护研究院的邀请 ,受我国科技部的委派 ,我们于 2 0 0 1年 1 1～ 1 2月赴越进行“小菜蛾化学信息素的分离鉴定及应用研究”。河内地处热带 ,光照充足 ,雨量充沛 ,气候湿润 ,郊区拥有数百平方公里的蔬菜基地 ,种植着各式各样的蔬菜 ,长势旺盛 ,所产各类蔬菜主要用于出口 ,但虫害较重。在进行小菜蛾PlutellaxylostellaL .化学信息素研究[1] 的同时 ,我们对主要蔬菜品种上的昆虫群落的组成及优势种昆虫进行了考查和分析。1　材料与方法选取 1 0多种蔬菜作为调查对象 ,每种蔬菜样地面积≥ 6 6 6× 2m2 ,以五点取样法选取 5个样…