Osteological and histological comparison of the development of the interphalangeal intercalary skeletal element between hyloid and ranoid anurans

Some frog species have a unique skeletal element, referred to as the intercalary element (IE), in the joints between the terminal and subterminal phalanges of all digits. IEs are composed of cartilage or connective tissue and have a markedly differ shape than the phalanges. IEs are highly related to the arboreal lifestyle and toe pads. The IE is found only in neobatrachian frogs among anurans, suggesting that it is a novelty of Neobatrachia. IEs are widely distributed among multiple neobatrachian lineages and are found in the suborders Hyloides and Ranoides (the two major clades in Neobatrachia). However, it is unclear whether the IEs found in multiple linages resulted from convergent evolution. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine how similar or different the developmental trajectories of the IEs are between Hyloides and Ranoides. To that end, we compared the osteological and histological developmental processes of the IEs of the hyloid frog Dryophytes japonicus and the ranoid frog Zhangixalus schlegelii. Both species shared the same IE-initiation site and level of tissue differentiation around the IE when it began to form in tadpoles, although the IE developments initiated at different stages which were determined by external criteria. These results suggest that similar mechanisms drive IE formation in the digits of both species, supporting the hypothesis that the IEs did not evolve convergently.     

开垦对阿拉善荒漠啮齿动物群落功能多样性的影响

开垦会导致荒漠化的加剧,并对动物群落产生严重的影响。而功能多样性恰恰能体现环境或干扰胁迫导致的群落结构差异。但有关啮齿动物群落功能多样性的研究并不多见,为此,我们在2018至2020年的4月、7月和10月利用铗日法对开垦区和未开垦区的啮齿动物群落进行调查,选择并量化了与其营养、生活史、生理、形态及活动节律等相关的5个功能性状,以探讨开垦对啮齿动物群落组成的影响,以及性状组成和功能多样性变化。研究结果表明：(1)开垦区群落的丰富度指数、多样性指数和均匀度指数均低于未开垦区,开垦改变了啮齿动物群落性状组成;(2)阿拉善荒漠啮齿动物群落组成与蛰眠、繁殖周期和食性等功能性状显著相关;(3)开垦区春、秋季群落功能丰富度和功能均匀度高于未开垦区,各季节群落功能离散度显著高于未开垦区;而未开垦区夏季群落功能丰富度高于开垦区,秋季群落功能均匀度高于开垦区;(4)开垦区和未开垦区群落功能丰富度最高值均出现在夏季,二者在不同季节间差异较大;开垦区群落功能均匀度最高值出现在春季、功能离散度最高值出现在秋季,二者在季节间差异均较小;未开垦群落功能均匀度最高值出现在秋季、功能离散度最高值出现在夏季,二者在季节间差异均较大。上述结果说明,阿拉善荒漠区啮齿动物群落功能多样性变化与土地开垦和季节相关联,开垦会从啮齿动物群落的生态空间利用程度、资源利用、种间竞争及生态位等方面影响群落功能多样性。     

浙江古田山亚热带常绿阔叶林叶衰老物候影响因子研究

该文选取浙江省古田山亚热带常绿阔叶林72种木本植物,探究气候因素、系统发育关系和功能性状对亚热带常绿阔叶林叶衰老物候的影响。结果表明,叶变色期在9—12月,落叶期在10—12月。每月落叶物种数与月均温、月均降水量和月均日照时数没有显著相关性,每月叶变色物种数与月均温和月均日照时数呈弱相关;落叶性对叶变色期和落叶期具有显著影响;植物间系统发育关系对叶变色期和落叶期没有显著影响。因此,生物和非生物因子都会影响常绿阔叶树种的叶衰老,这对于提高秋季物候预测模型具有重要价值。     

小兴安岭兴安落叶松泥炭藓沼泽植物的主要微量元素

小兴安岭兴安落叶松、泥炭藓沼泽是我国典型贫营养型沼泽。沼泽中树木生长发育不良,泥炭藓和常绿小灌木发育十分良好。这与沼泽水文状况和泥炭中营养元素和微量元素有关。各种植物的主要微量元素硼、铜、钴、锰、锌等含量不同,植物的不同器官中的含量亦不同,而且随季节而变化。狭叶杜香和甸杜的主要微量元素含量特点及其季节变化规律基本相似,两种泥炭藓相似,都与兴安落叶松有明显的区别。 本文重点探讨植物体内主要微量元素及其含量变化规律,为揭示贫营养型森林沼泽生态、为合理利用与改造沼泽提供依据。     

Effects of fronto-occipital artificial cranial vault modification on the cranial base and face.

Artificial reshaping of the cranial vault has been practiced by many human groups and provides a natural experiment in which the relationships of neurocranial, cranial base, and facial growth can be investigated. We test the hypothesis that fronto-occipital artificial reshaping of the neurocranial vault results in specific changes in the cranial base and face. Fronto-occipital reshaping results from the application of pads or a cradle board which constrains cranial vault growth, limiting growth between the frontal and occipital and allowing compensatory growth of the parietals in a mediolateral direction. Two skeletal series including both normal and artificially modified crania are analyzed, a prehistoric Peruvian Ancon sample (47 normal, 64 modified crania) and a Songish Indian sample from British Columbia (6 normal, 4 modified). Three-dimensional coordinates of 53 landmarks were measured with a diagraph and used to form 9 finite elements as a prelude to finite element scaling analysis. Finite element scaling was used to compare average normal and modified crania and the results were evaluated for statistical significance using a bootstrap test. Fronto-occipitally reshaped Ancon crania are significantly different from normal in the vault, cranial base, and face. The vault is compressed along an anterior-superior to posterior-inferior axis and expanded along a mediolateral axis in modified individuals. The cranial base is wider and shallower in the modified crania and the face is foreshortened and wider with the anterior orbital rim moving inferior and posterior towards the cranial base. The Songish crania display a different modification of the vault and face, indicating that important differences may exist in the morphological effects of fronto-occipital reshaping from one group to another.     

Evidence for constraint on species coexistence in vegetation of the Park Grass experiment

Repeated patterns, of a type that would be expected to result from limitations to species coexistence (i.e. assembly rules) were sought in the Park Grass experiment. This classical grassland experiment was sampled in two years, using replicated biomass samples. Variance in a number of measures was examined, and compared to the variance expected under appropriate null models, the latter based on assumptions of no interactions between species. In each case, an assembly rule would result in low variance. Examining variance in species richness between quadrats within a treatment, there was no indication of constraint on species co-occurrences; variance in richness was actually greater than expected under the null model, attributable to environmental variation or perhaps positive interactions between species. However, there was control on biomass, evidenced by variance in total biomass (i.e. over all species) within a treatment being significantly lower than expected under the null model. There was no indication of community structure based on guilds (i.e. functional types). Although there was in 1991 some, non-significant, indication of a constant proportion of species from the legume guild, there was no sign of such an effect in 1992. Searches for intrinsic guilds failed to converge. There was no indication at all of constancy in the proportional representation of guilds by biomass. Thus, there is good evidence for competitive control on plant growth, but none for control of species occurrences. There is no convincing evidence for guild structure in this community at the scale sampled. Possible conflict is discussed between the existence of evidence for temporal stability but the absence of evidence for spatial uniformity. It is concluded that most of the mechanisms proposed for temporal stability will not necessarily lead to control on spatial variation. For many mechanisms, this would depend on the spatial scale examined.     

水稻蜡质基因5＇上游区缺失对基因表达的影响

为研究水稻蜡质基因（ｗａｘｙ）５＇上游调控区中存在的顺式作用元件,我们将水稻ｗａｘｙ基因翻译起始声、（ＡＴＧ）５＇上游３．４ｋｂ（－２１１８～＋１２９１ｂＰ）片段经外切核酸酶ＥｘｏⅢ部分酶解,得到一系列５＇端缺失的片段。将这些缺失片段分别与ｇｕｓ基因编码区连接,构建成融合质粒,经ＰＥＧ介导引入水稻原生质体,２６℃培养４８ｈ后,定量测定ＧＵＳ酶活力,并以同时导入的由３５Ｓ启动子指导的荧光素酶（ＬＵＣ）基因表达的酶活力作为内对照。结果表明,ＧＵＳ酶活性随５’上游调控区长度的减少而逐渐减弱。由─８６１ｂｐ缺失至─６４０ｂＰ时,ｇｕｓ基因表达水平有较明显的降低,推测在该区域中可能存在一个顺式作用元件区。     

Exploiting the complete yeast genome sequence

The completion of the genome sequence of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae marks the dawn of an exciting new era in eukaryotic biology that will bring with it a new understanding of yeast, other model organisms, and human beings. This body of sequence data benefits yeast researchers by obviating the need for piecemeal sequencing of genes, and allows researchers working with other organisms to tap into experimental advantages inherent in the yeast system and learn from functionally characterized yeast gene products which are their proteins of interest. In addition, the yeast post-genome sequence era is serving as a testing ground for powerful new technologies, and proven experimental approaches are being applied for the first time in a comprehensive fashion on a complete eukaryotic gene repertoire.     

桃花营养元素的分析与开发探讨

桃花含有较高的蛋白质和人体必需的各种氨基酸、维生素和微量元素。由于桃树在我国分布范围广泛,产花量大且需要人工疏花,使桃花的开发利用具有良好的条件。     

Phosphoryl amino acids: Common origin for nucleic acids and protein

A series of compounds (DAP-AA) composed of an amino acid (AA) and a dialkyl phosphoryl group (DAP) is the basic elements of life chemistry. Self-catalysis of DAP-AA gives the self-assembly oligopeptides, even in aqueous medium at 38°C. The oligo-nucleotides could also be assembled from nucleosides' phosphorylation by DAP-AA. DAP-AA acts as the energy source as well as the phosphoryl donor for the synthesis of nuclic Acids and protein. A general expression for the self assembly system is proposed.