A new method for assessing the sex of fragmentary skeletal remains: femoral shaft circumference

A simple discriminant function using midshaft femoral circumference for the determination of sex has been tested with 114 skeletons from the Libben Site, Ontario County, Ohio. The results have been shown to be 85% consistent with other, accepted means of determining sex. Femur circumference an be an aid to the sexual identification of poorly preserved and fragmentary skeletal remains.     

Parameter identification of the calvin photosynthesis cycle

Summary This article is concerned with the determination of kinetic parameters of the Calvin photosynthesis cycle which is described by seventeen nonlinear ordinary differential equations. It is shown that the task requires dynamic data for several sets of initial conditions. The numerical technique is based upon an algorithm for non-linear optimization and Gear's numerical integration scheme for stiff systems of differential equations. The sensitivity of the parameters to noise in the data is tested with a method adapted from Rosenbrook and Storey. A preliminary set of parameters has been obtained from a preliminary set of experimental data. The numerical methods are then tested with synthetic data derived from these parameters. The mathematical model and the results obtained in the simulation are used as an aid in designing new experiments.     

cell clones and pattern formation: Studies onsevenless,a mutant ofDrosophila melanogaster

Summary sev ^LY3,the only existing allele at thesev locus (1–33,2±0,2), behaves as strongly hypomorph or even as amorph. Ommatidia in asev compound eye have only seven receptor cells, the position of the R7 pattern element being vacant. Various criteria showing that the missing cell is R7 have been verified. These include (i) anatomical characteristics ofsev ommatidia; (ii) behaviour of central R cells insev rdgB double mutants; (iii) medullary projection of central R cell axons; and (iv) mitotic pattern ofsev imaginal discs. The analysis of morphogeneticsev-sev ⁺ mosaics has shown thatsev is expressed autonomously by R7 cells, indicating that thesev phenotype is not due to asev genotype of ommatidial pattern elements other than R7. The study of third instarsev imaginal discs has not brought any direct evidence for death of clustered presumptive R7 cells; however, clonal analysis of the developingsev compound eye has given evidence of developmental parameters comparable to those ofsev ⁺, therefore favouring the hypothesis that R7 cells die insev mutants. On the other hand,sev ⁺ seems to be required for the determination of the R7 cells, since thesev phenotype cannot be uncovered during the last mitoses of heterozygous mutant cells.     

Xanthones and 4-phenylcoumarins of Mesua thwaitesii

The constituents of the bark, timber and seeds of Mesua thwaitesii were examined by column chromatography and GC-MS. 1,5-Dihydroxyxanthone, 1,7-dihydroxyxanthone (euxanthone), 1,3-dimethoxy-5-hydroxyxanthone, 1,5,6-trihydroxyxanthone, mammeisin, (4-phenylcoumarin) and sitosterol have been characterized. Nine 4-phenylcoumarins including mammeigin, mesuagin, mammeisin, mesuol, or its isomers, have been identified in the seed extract. One coumarin has not been previously reported.     

Ultrastructure of the compound eye of the diploid female beetle,Xyleborus ferrugineus

Summary The compound eye of female (diploid) Xyleborus ferrugineus beetles was examined with scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The eye is emarginate, and externally consists of roughly 70–100 facets. Each ommatidium is composed of a thickly biconvex lenslet with about 50 electron dense and rare layers. The lens facet overlies a crystalline cone of the acone type which is roughly hourglass-shaped. Pigment cells envelop the entire ommatidium, and pigment granules also are abundant throughout the cytoplasm of the 8 retinular cells. The rhabdomeres of 2 centrally situated photoreceptor cells effectively fuse into a rhabdom that extends from the base of the crystalline cone deeply into the ommatidium. Six distal peripheral retinular cells encircle the 2 central cells, and their rhabdomeres join laterally to form a rhabdomeric ring around the central rhabdom. The rhabdom and rhabdomeric ring are effectively separated by the cytoplasm of the two central retinular cells which contains the usual organelles and an abundance of shielding pigment granules. Eight axons per ommatidium gather in a tracheae-less fascicle before exiting the eye through the fenestrate basement membrane. No tracheation was observed among the retinular cells. Each Semper cell of each observed crystalline cone contained an abundance of virus-like particles near the cell nucleus. The insect is laboratory reared, and the visual system seems very amenable to photoreceptor investigations.This research was supported by the Director of the Research Division, C.A.L.S., University of Wisconsin, Madison; and in part by research grant No. RR-00779 from the Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health and by funds from the Schoenleber Foundation, Milwaukee, WI to D.M.N.     

牡丹根部内生细菌的分离鉴定及脂肽类物质的拮抗活性研究

【目的】从牡丹(Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.)根部组织中分离鉴定内生细菌,测定拮抗菌株脂肽类活性物质的体外抑菌活性。【方法】采用平板对峙法筛选出对牡丹灰霉病菌(Botrytis paeoniae Oadem)、牡丹炭疽病菌(Gloeosporium sp.)、牡丹黑斑病菌(Altenaria sp.)、牡丹黄斑病菌(Phyllosticta commonsii)有拮抗作用的内生细菌。基于形态特征、生理生化特性和16S rRNA基因序列同源性鉴定拮抗菌株。根据脂肽类抗菌物质合成相关基因序列对拮抗菌株进行基因扩增检测,采用酸沉淀法提取拮抗菌株的脂肽类物质,平板对峙法测定脂肽类物质的体外抑菌活性。【结果】从牡丹根部组织中共分离获得62株内生细菌,其中菌株Md31和Md33对4种病原菌均有较明显的抑制作用。Md31和Md33被鉴定为解淀粉芽孢杆菌(Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)。通过对菌株Md31和Md33进行5个脂肽类合成功能基因bmyB、fenD、ituC、srfAA和srfAB的检测,序列同源性分析,表明两个菌株具有合成脂肽类物质的能力。菌株Md31和Md33的脂肽类粗提物对所测试的牡丹病原真菌均具有不同程度的抑制作用。【结论】获得了2株对牡丹病原菌有良好抑制效果的解淀粉芽孢杆菌Md31和Md33,两个菌株的脂肽类粗提物也具有较强的体外抑菌活性,该研究为牡丹内生细菌的进一步开发应用奠定了基础。     

抗生素和高脂饮食对大鼠肠道乳杆菌多样性的影响

【目的】对正常、高脂、抗生素处理大鼠肠道内乳杆菌进行定性和定量分析,比较不同处理组大鼠肠道乳杆菌的多样性。【方法】应用纯培养和非培养技术(16S r RNA基因序列分析、变性梯度凝胶电泳、实时荧光定量PCR)对大鼠肠道乳杆菌进行分离鉴定和多样性分析。【结果】16S r RNA基因序列同源性分析结果显示,正常组大鼠肠道内分离出的乳杆菌包括约氏乳杆菌(Lactobacillus johnsonii)、鼠乳杆菌(Lactobacillus murinus)、嗜酸乳杆菌(Lactobacillus acidophilus)、罗伊氏乳杆菌(Lactobacillus reuteri)、植物乳杆菌(Lactobacillus plantarum)、肠道乳杆菌(Lactobacillus intestinals)、动物乳杆菌(Lactobacillus animalis)和阴道乳杆菌(Lactobacillus vaginalis);但L.animalis在高脂处理组大鼠肠道内未分离到,L.intestinals和L.vaginalis在抗生素处理组大鼠中未分离到。DGGE结果显示3个组别大鼠肠道中乳杆菌构成差异明显,同一组内样品间相似性较高;相较于正常组和高脂组,抗生素组的丰度较差;且正常组大鼠肠道内乳杆菌的多样性高于高脂组和抗生素组。q-PCR结果显示正常组大鼠肠道乳杆菌的数量明显高于高脂组和抗生素组,高脂组的数量也明显高于抗生素组,且3个组别之间存在显著差异(P0.01)。【结论】高脂饮食及抗生素的使用会减少肠道内乳杆菌多样性。     

城乡景观中土壤生态系统微塑料的来源、迁移特征及其风险

土壤微塑料污染的持久性、复杂性及其对土壤生态系统的影响受到越来越广泛的关注,但对其来源、迁移过程等仍有许多问题尚未理清。从复合生态系统的角度,通过对城乡景观中土壤微塑料的来源、迁移过程及其风险等相关研究进展进行了系统梳理,分析了城乡不同景观中土壤微塑料的主要来源和特点,讨论了土壤微塑料在城乡景观中的迁移特征及其驱动力,探讨了土壤微塑料在城乡景观中的生态和健康风险。今后需进一步明确城乡景观中土壤微塑料污染的物质流过程与环境归趋特征,加强微塑料对土壤生态系统的作用过程及生态系统服务影响的研究,揭示土壤微塑料对人类健康的直接或间接影响,建立城乡复合生态系统土壤微塑料污染预测模型,以维护土壤生态安全与人居环境健康。     

耐镉促生菌株的分离鉴定及对大豆的促生效应

【背景】华南地区镉（Cd）污染严重,与有益微生物共生能够使作物通过直接或间接的机制解除镉毒,提高抗逆性,进而促进生长。耐镉促生菌剂具有广泛的应用前景。【目的】从华南地区受镉污染植株的根内和根际筛选出耐镉且能促进大豆生长的促生菌,以丰富促进田间大豆生产的优异菌种资源。【方法】采用平板划线法从植株的根内或根际分离菌株,通过生理生化特性和16S rRNA基因序列分析对分离菌株进行初步研究,利用盆栽试验探究镉胁迫下菌株对大豆生长的影响,通过测定丙二醛含量和总抗氧化能力探究菌株的耐镉机制。【结果】分离获得4株菌D1、D2、D3和D4,促生特性试验证明4株菌均具有溶磷、产吲哚乙酸和铁载体的能力。经16S rRNA基因序列分析鉴定,D1、D2、D3和D4菌株分别属于不动杆菌属、微小杆菌属、类芽孢杆菌属和普罗威登斯菌属。用这4株菌进行不同镉处理的大豆（巴西10号）盆栽试验,结果表明,4株菌均具有耐镉和促进大豆生长的作用。不添加镉的条件下,大豆接种D4菌株的地上部干重、根部干重和株高分别增加了28%、35%和31%;在添加20mg/kg-CdCl₂·5/2H₂...