Morphofunctional analysis of Svobodaina species (Brachiopoda,Heterorthidae) from south‐western Europe

Geometric morphometric methods applied to the ventral muscle field outline of the various species of Svobodaina from south‐western Europe identify criteria for discriminating among this key cluster of brachiopod species. These data indicate the close relationship between the patterns of the ventral muscle field in the Svobodaina species and the environmental conditions where each inhabited; the fields are better developed in species related to high‐energy environments. For example, S. armoricana, with the smallest diductor scars, would have inhabited the quiet marine environments of the lower offshore or within protected lagoonal settings. S. feisti would have inhabited the upper offshore, a more energetic environment than S. armoricana. Finally, S. havliceki, with the largest diductor scars, would have thrived in the most energetic environments among all the south‐western European Svobodaina species, living just above the fair‐weather wave base in the lower shoreface. The palaeoecological results suggest a distribution of Svobodaina species during the Late Ordovician along an onshore–offshore transect across the shallow marine platforms of the Mediterranean margin of Gondwana. On the other hand, the occurrence in some localities of several species with overlapping ranges or within the same assemblage indicates that the biostratigraphical efficacy of the genus is restricted. Thus, the previously defined taxon‐range biozones characterized by Svobodaina species of the north Gondwanan margin are in need of reassessment. The morphology of Svobodaina may be a considerable aid to environmental analyses rather than to precise biostratigraphical correlations.     

Plant–arthropod interactions in gymnosperm leaves from the Early Permian of Patagonia,Argentina

Evidence of plant–arthropod interactions in three orders of gymnosperms is documented in at least five localities from Lower Permian strata of the Río Genoa Formation (Patagonia, Argentina). Arthropod damages were identified in Glossopteris, Gangamopteris, Cordaites and Gingkoites leaves, corresponding to four interactive categories: margin feeding, hole feeding, surface feeding, and oviposition. In addition, a Permian insect trace not previously recorded is described on Glossopteris wilsonii leaves. The diversity of arthropod damage is consistent with the diverse flora of the Río Genoa Formation. In turn, the patterns of arthropod and plant–arthropod interaction provide constraints on the ecology and paleoclimate of Western Gondwana during the Early Permian.     

Evidence toward a Dual Phosphatase Mechanism That Restricts Aurora A (Thr-295) Phosphorylation during the Early Embryonic Cell Cycle

The mitotic kinase Aurora A (AurA) is regulated by a complex network of factors that includes co-activator binding, autophosphorylation, and dephosphorylation. Dephosphorylation of AurA by PP2A (human, Ser-51; Xenopus, Ser-53) destabilizes the protein, whereas mitotic dephosphorylation of its T-loop (human, Thr-288; Xenopus, Thr-295) by PP6 represses AurA activity. However, AurA(Thr-295) phosphorylation is restricted throughout the early embryonic cell cycle, not just during M-phase, and how Thr-295 is kept dephosphorylated during interphase and whether or not this mechanism impacts the cell cycle oscillator were unknown. Titration of okadaic acid (OA) or fostriecin into Xenopus early embryonic extract revealed that phosphatase activity other than PP1 continuously suppresses AurA(Thr-295) phosphorylation during the early embryonic cell cycle. Unexpectedly, we observed that inhibiting a phosphatase activity highly sensitive to OA caused an abnormal increase in AurA(Thr-295) phosphorylation late during interphase that corresponded with delayed cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) activation. AurA(Thr-295) phosphorylation indeed influenced this timing, because AurA isoforms retaining an intact Thr-295 residue further delayed M-phase entry. Using mathematical modeling, we determined that one phosphatase would be insufficient to restrict AurA phosphorylation and regulate CDK1 activation, whereas a dual phosphatase topology best recapitulated our experimental observations. We propose that two phosphatases target Thr-295 of AurA to prevent premature AurA activation during interphase and that phosphorylated AurA(Thr-295) acts as a competitor substrate with a CDK1-activating phosphatase in late interphase. These results suggest a novel relationship between AurA and protein phosphatases during progression throughout the early embryonic cell cycle and shed new light on potential defects caused by AurA overexpression.     

塔中16井区晚奥陶世良里塔格组的沉积相

塔里木板块中央隆起区的塔中低隆带上奥陶统凯迪阶良里塔格组礁相群落是晚奥陶世生物礁演化阶段的例证。该组分为5个岩性段。塔中16井区位于塔中Ⅰ号断裂坡折带向台地内部延伸的缓坡区,海水深度和水流能量显著控制碳酸盐岩的岩相分布。良里塔格组所赋存的典型动物格架礁集中于台地边缘的高能区,而塔中16井区不属于大型动物格架礁建造的富集区域,其早期多以低能带沉积为主,特别是塔中16井和塔中166井灰泥坪常见;晚期常见高能滩相和灰泥丘以及近礁沉积,可划归为台缘坡折带大型格架礁建造向台内的延伸区,这里的水深和能量变化更频繁。偏西北的井在良二段沉积之后抬升较早,东南的塔中161井则保存部分良一段沉积。     

河北唐山下奥陶统牙形刺生物地层的新认识

本文作者在安太庠等(1983)研究过的唐山赵各庄剖面,对下奥陶统冶里组和亮甲山组较系统地采集了牙形刺样品,通过对所获牙形刺标本和安太库等(1983)所描述的牙形刺动物群仔细研究后,对包括分带和对比意见有新的认识。安太庠等(1983)把自寒武系凤山组顶部至下奥陶统亮甲山组这段地层,自下而上建立了Cordylodus proavus,Utahconus beimadaoensis-Monocostodus sevierensis,Cordylodus rotundatus-"Acodus"oneotensis,Scolopodus quadraplicatus-S.opimus,Scalpellodus tersus,Serratognathus bilobatus,S.extensus和Paraserratognathus paltodiformis等8带,其中Cordylodus proavus带为寒武系顶,Utahconus beimadaoensis-Monocostodus sevierensis至Scolopodus quadraplicatus-S.opimus等带为下奥陶统冶里组,其余则为下奥陶统亮甲山组,寒武系-奥陶系界线置于Utahconus beimadaoensis-Monocostodus sevierensis带之底。这一牙形刺序列和寒武系-奥陶系界线划分方案在国内被广泛引用至今(王志浩等,2011)。本文通过补充采集到的牙形刺标本和安太庠等(1983)报道的材料,根据一些重要分子在地层中的分布及公认的牙形刺分带原则,对安太庠等(1983)的牙形刺分带方案重新修订,自下而上修订为Cordylodus proavus,C.lindstromi,Iapetognathus jilinensis,Cordylodus angulatus,Chosonodina herfurthi-Rossodus manitouensis,Glyptoconus quadraplicatus,Scalpellodus tersus-Triangulodus aff.bifidus,Serratognathus bilobatus,S.extensus和Paraserratognathus obesus等10带,寒武系-奥陶系界线则置于Iapetognathus jilinensis带之底。根据这一修订后的牙形刺序列,寒武系顶至下奥陶统冶里组部分的牙形刺带可与国内、外相同层位的牙形刺带进行精细对比,而亮甲山组的牙形刺虽有明显的地方性特点,但除其顶部因更具地方性而不能直接对比外,其中下部仍可与华南区下奥陶统红花园组相对比。     

鸭绿江唇仔、稚鱼形态发育与早期生长

通过观察、拍照和测量的方法对鸭绿江唇(Hemibarbus labeo)仔、稚鱼的形态发育和早期生长进行了研究。结果表明:在19.6—25.8℃的试验条件下,唇初孵化仔鱼全长为(7.92±0.29)mm,2日龄头部两侧出现感觉芽;3日龄鳔一室原基形成,5日龄红色的脾出现,且仔鱼开口;7日龄卵黄囊吸收完毕,9日龄脊索末端开始向上弯曲;10日龄鳔二室形成,14日龄脊索弯曲完成,尾鳍边缘开始内凹;32日龄鳞片开始出现在鳃盖后缘的体表,同时各鳍发育完全,个体发育进入稚鱼期,43日龄全身被鳞,个体发育进入幼鱼期。根据卵黄囊、脊索和鳞片的变化,唇胚后发育可细分为卵黄囊期(0—6日龄)、弯曲前期(7—9日龄)、弯曲期(10—14日龄)、弯曲后期(15—32日龄)和稚鱼期(33—43日龄)。试验期间,全长和体质量的特定生长率分别为3.32%和12.16%;卵黄囊体积(V)与日龄(d)的关系为V=0.0048d3–0.0309d2–0.1240d+0.8453(R2=0.8933);全长(LT)、体质量(W)与日龄均为指数函数关系,相关方程分别为:LT=8.3821e0.0329d(R2=0.9586),W=0.0048e0.0969d(R2=0.9463);头长(LH)、体高(HB)的生长方程分别为:LH=–6E–05d3+0.002d2+0.1733d+0.7862(R2=0.9577),HB=–5E–05d3+0.0039d2+0.017d+0.9389(R2=0.9621)。     

TGF-β1和IGF-1mRNA在早期胚胎停育绒毛组织中的表达及意义

目的：通过检测胚胎停育患者绒毛组织中TGF-β1和IGF-1mRNA的表达,探讨其在胚胎停育发病机制中的作用。方法：用半定量逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）技术检测正常人流（20例）,胚胎停育（25例）绒毛组织中TGF-β1和IGF-1基因在转录水平的表达。结果：（1）与对照组相比,实验组绒毛组织中TGF-βmRNA表达量降低（P〈0．05）,（2）胚胎停育患者绒毛中IGF—1mRNA表达量升高（P〈0．05）。（3）绒毛组织中TGF-β1与IGF-1的表达呈负相关（F=-0．793,P〈0．05）。结论：TGF-β1、IGF-1的表达在基因转录水平发生改变,TGF-β1表达的降低可能上调了IGF-1的表达,提示两者可能共同参与了胚胎停育的发生。     

高职高专临床医学教育早期接触临床的途径和方法

随着经济、社会的发展,社会保障制度的完善,基层医院的医疗资源和医疗水平逐渐完善和提高,在基层医院就诊看病的人数也越来越多。因此,大力培养基层医院的临床医学人才是高等医学院校应该担当的责任。本文针对高职高专的短学制临床医学教育,改变传统的教学模式,提出早期接触临床的途径和方法,着力从以下几个方面入手,一是整合基础医学和临床医学的综合课程;二是综合实验项目内容专题化、研究化;三是实行阶段式教学;四是实行临床预见习和观摩手术。因而有效解决了大专层次的临床医学教育学制短、临床技能不足的缺陷。