Diversification of subgenus Calathus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the Mediterranean region – glacial refugia and taxon pulses

Aim To investigate the effects of Pleistocene climatic variations on the diversification rate of the subgenus Calathus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), and to estimate the role of vicariance and dispersal for explaining current distributional patterns. Location Western Palaearctic Region, particularly the Mediterranean Basin. Methods Fragments of the mitochondrial cox1–cox2 and the nuclear 28S and EF1α genes were analysed by Bayesian inference. Lineage divergence times were estimated using a Bayesian relaxed molecular clock. Three diversification rate analyses were conducted, namely gamma (γ)‐statistic, birth–death likelihood (BDL) test and survival analyses, in order to test departures from a constant rate model of diversification. A Bayesian approach to dispersal–vicariance analysis was developed to reconstruct the most probable ancestral area of subgenus Calathus and subsequent events of dispersal and colonization. Results A constant rate of speciation events from the late Miocene onwards was found for the subgenus Calathus, whereas recent Pleistocene climatic oscillations played an important role only in shaping intraspecific diversity. Overall diversification patterns for the subgenus are best explained by at least four westward dispersal events from the eastern Mediterranean Basin. Three distinct phylogroups were found for the widely distributed Calathus fuscipes. Incongruence between mitochondrial and nuclear loci was found for a number of species. Main conclusions Diversification analyses suggest either a constant rate of diversification (BDL analysis) or a decrease in diversification rates for the subgenus (survival or γ‐statistics analyses), but not an increase related to the effects of glaciation cycles. Diversification patterns in the subgenus Calathus agree with predictions of the taxon pulse model. From the middle Miocene onwards the Anatolian Peninsula was possibly the main centre of diversification, with successive dispersal events towards the western Mediterranean Basin. Range expansion and secondary contact zones are postulated between members of different phylogroups in C. fuscipes.     

A Nonparametric Test for Random Dropouts

The problem of dropout is a common one in longitudinal studies. One usually assumes for the analysis that dropout is at random. There are some tests to investigate this assumption. But these tests depend on normally distributed data or lack power, cf. Listing and Schlittgen (1998). We here propose an overall test which combines several Wilcoxon rank sum tests. The alternative hypothesis states that there is a tendency for larger (smaller) values of the target variable the last time the probands show up. The test is applicable with many ties also. It proves to perform well, compared to the test developed for normally distributed data, as well as to a test for completely missing at random which is proposed by Little (1988). An application to real data is given too.     

Evolution of human mitochondrial DNA: Evidence for departure from a pure neutral model of populations at equilibrium

Summary Human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data from 18 populations have been carefully reexamined. A phylogeny of 77 mtDNA types found among the 1389 individuals analyzed for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) was established using the parsimony principle and compared to a UPGMA tree of the 18 populations. Both analyses agreed in separating African samples from the other populations, though the mtDNA type phylogeny suggested close relations between Africans and other continental groups. Conformity of observed mtDNA type frequency distributions with the infinite allele model was studied for 31 human populations. Several Oriental and Caucasoid populations were found to be overly homogeneous, generally due to an elevated frequency of one particular type. Contrastingly, all African samples conformed to the neutral model of populations at equilibrium and presented more diversified distributions. This suggested that part of the apparent African divergence was due to heterogeneous evolutionary processes and confirmed that some diversity reducing factors were at work in Caucasoids and Orientals. Several nonexclusive hypotheses accounting for the rejection of the neutrality tests were discussed. Alternative hypotheses concerning modern human emergence were also reviewed in the light of present results.     

Sorption of phosphorus by the iron oxide-impregnated filter paper (Pi soil test) embedded in soils

Incubation experiments were carried out to evaluate the feasibility of extracting phosphorus from soil by embedding iron oxide-impregnanted filter paper strips (P_i strips) in soils having a wide range in pH, texture, and extractable-P contents. Under flooded conditions, the amount of P extracted by the P_i strips increased with the period of submergence and embedding time of the P_i strips. Under unsaturated conditions, the P_i strips were found to extract P from soils over a wide range in moisture conditions; however, keeping the soil at moisture level between saturation and field capacity was found to result in maximal sorption of P by the strips. An embedding time of 16 h was found to be adequate.Phosphorus extracted by embedding P_i strips in soil columns for 16 h at field capacity moisture level correlated significantly with P extracted by shaking the soil with 0.01 M CaCl₂ solution and a P_i strip for 16 h in the laboratory (r=0.94^**). The P extracted by embedding P_i strips correlated best with Bray 1 P in acid soils (r=0.97^**) and with Olsen P in alkaline and calcareous soils (r=0.96^**). The results of the studies demonstrate the feasibility of developing a nondestructive method of monitoring changes in plant-available P in situ under field conditions.     

Fungi pathogenic to ryegrass seedlings

Summary Fungi borne on or in ryegrass (Lolium spp.) seeds or invading ryegrass seedlings grown on field soils were isolated and identified. Selected isolates were tested to determine their pathogenicity to ryegrass seedlings. Seed-borne fungi were generally weakly virulent or non-pathogenic to ryegrass seedlings. Pathogenic seed-borne fungi includedChaetomium globosum Kunze: Fr.,Curvularia trifolii (Kauffm.) Boedijn, and species ofPenicillium Link andAspergillus Mich. ex Link. Species of fungi isolated from seedlings grown on field soils de pended on soil and temperature. Soil-borne fungi pathogenic to seedlings includedFusarium avenaceum (Fr.) Sacc.,F. culmorum (W. G. Smith) Sacc.,F. equiseti (Corda) Sacc.,F. oxysporum Schlecht.: Fr.,F. solani (Mart.) Sacc.,Pythium afertile Kanouse and Humphrey,P. debaryanum auct. non Hesse,P. irregulare Buisman,P. ultimum Trow, a sphaerosporangiatePythium sp.,Chaetomium globosum, Thanatephorus cucumeris (Frank) Donk,Trichoderma koningii Oudem., and aPhomopsis sp. Individual isolates of fungi differed in virulence to ryegrass seedlings, and ryegrass cultivars differed in susceptibility to seedling pathogens.     

The effects of ketamine anesthesia on glucose clearance in African green monkeys

Ketamine hydrochloride's effect on glucose clearance-insulin secretion during intravenous glucose tolerance testing was studied in five African green monkeys. Animals were tested with ketamine anesthesia and then had indwelling cannulas implanted and were retested both in the presence and absence of ketamine anesthesia. Serum glucose and insulin concentrations were determined. There were no significant differences in the glucose clearance rate (K value), basal glucose and insulin concentrations, maximum insulin concentration, and area under the insulin response curve, among the three different conditions.     

Mutagenic activity of copper(II) chromate and dichromate complexes with polypyridines

Copper(II) chromate and dichromate complexes with 2,2'-bipyridyl and 1,10-phenathroline were tested for their mutagenic activity in the standard Ames test. All of six tested complexes exhibited markedly lower mutagenic activity than the reference compounds--potassium dichromate and sodium chromate. The blockage of Cr(VI) reduction capability in the presence of the complex Cu2+ ion and the competition between copper and chromium ions in the interaction with cellular components are discussed in the light of the results of our previous chemical study.     

凤眼莲对无锡电影胶片厂含银废水净化生产性应用实例

 本文报道了凤眼莲对无锡电影胶片厂含银废水的净化生产性应用试验结果：(1)污水停留时间为49h时,氧化沟出水中的银净化率为98.0%到100%(未检出);(2)COD的去除率为54.58%;(3)混浊度的去除率为68.9%;(4)NH4+–N和PO43–的去除率分别为45.55%和34.3%。该法已被该厂采纳应用,并取代了原来的活性炭吸附和O3氧化三级处理,年节约运转费用12.5万元。     

金黄色萄葡球菌L型特异性抗体的免疫组化试验在妇科感染性疾病诊断上的应用

本文对49例慢性子宫内膜炎、慢性宫颈炎等妇科疾病的病理切片,用金黄色葡萄球菌细菌型及L型的特异性杭体作酶免疫组化染色(PAP法)证明在金黄色葡萄球菌引起的各种妇科感染中,细菌型及L型混合感染占60％,单独细菌型感染占28.9％,单独L型感染占11.1％。本研究证明了金葡菌变异为L型后,有特异性杭原出现,并证明细菌L型的特异性抗原有一定的免疫学诊断价值。     

Essential Oil Phenyl Propanoids. Useful as OH Scavengers?

In order to search for radical scavengers which could be used as raw materials for cosmetics, phenyl propanoids (eugenol, isoeugenol, dehydrodieugenol, dehydrodieugenol B and coniferyl aldehyde) were examined for their hydroxyl radical (· OH) scavenging ability. A Fenton system was used to produce -OH. In order to see scavenging by these phenyl propanoids, competition reactions between a spin trap, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO), and these phenyl propanoids for -OH were studied. The relative yield of the spin adduct of -OH (DMPO-OH) was measured by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The approximate rate constants of the reactions between these phenyl propanoids and -OH estimated by measuring the reduced height of the ESR signals of DMPO-OH were found to be at least in the order of 10⁹ M^-1 s^-1 (diffusion-controlled). Also, using the TBA tests, the reactions between ·OH and several compounds reactive with ·OH were investigated in the presence of the phenyl propanoids and it was found that the phenyl propanoids compete with such reactive compounds for ·OH. These results indicate that these phenyl propanoids can be used as antioxidants for skin damage perhaps caused by -OH generated by UV-light.