The potential utility of postnatalskeletal developmental patterns in squamate phylogenetics

Postnatal patterns of skeletal development, includingthe sequence of appearance of ossification centres and the distributionof sesamoids, appear to be highly conserved species-level phenomenain squamates. As such, they are a potential source of charactersfor phylogenetic inquiry. These patterns, from 21 species representing14 crown squamate clades, form the basis for two analyses. In thefirst, the sequence of postnatal skeletal events is coded as charactersusing the sequence unit approach. This analysis reveals that thesequence of postnatal skeletal events might be useful for determiningrelationships at or above the level of crown clades, but not amongthem. The second analysis utilizes discrete data from postnatalskeletal development, such as the presence/absence of sesamoidsand the number of secondary centres in epiphyseal cartilages. Thesediscrete data appear capable of recovering the deeper divergenceswithin Squamata, but evolve too slowly to be informative at thelevel of crown clades. Thus, patterns of postnatal skeletal developmenthave the potential to help illuminate relationships throughout thesquamate tree. Further progress in this area will require the examinationof additional squamate species, the exploration of alternative codingschemes for developmental sequences, and comparable postnatal datafor Sphenodon .  © 2002 The Linnean Societyof London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 136 ,277−313.     

The forensic use of luminol chemiluminescence to detect traces of blood inside motor vehicles.

The luminol test for blood was carried out on a set of interior fittings and surfaces inside three different makes of modern motor car. The surfaces and fittings provided little interference with the test for blood, although there was some detectable chemiluminescence when the test was applied to blood-free material from a seatbelt, a boot-lining and a gear-knob. The case with which haemoglobin samples could be washed off interior car surfaces was also examined for seat fabrics, carpets, roof-linings and various other plastic interior surfaces. A standard wash with water alone was not very effective and removed only ca. 50% of the haemoglobin. A standard wash with soapy water or with a proprietary multipurpose car cleaner removed ca. 90% of the haemoglobin from the tested surface. The effect of high car interior temperatures on haemoglobin samples that were subsequently used in the luminol test was also examined. It was shown that the sensitivity of the luminol test was not decreased but was increased by the prior heating of a haemoglobin sample. This effect was attributed to the thermal conversion of haemoglobin to the more brighter catalyst for chemiluminescence, methaemoglobin. The enthalpy of this conversion in the solid state was found to be 14.1 kJ/mol.     

Low night temperatures have a differential effect on the diurnal cycling of gene expression in cold–sensitive and tolerant tomatoes*

Abstract. Comparisons were made between the changes in mRNA levels induced by low night temperatures in the cold–sensitive tomato and two altitudinal ecotypes of the wild species L. hirsutum. Changes in mRNA levels were detected by resolving in vitro translation products of poly(A)⁺ RNA by 2-D PAGE. The treatment was applied by first growing plants in a thermoperiod of 25/18°C and then switching to 25/6°C. All tomatoes displayed a diurnal cycling in which a set of mRNAs accumulated at the end of the 18°C nights, whereas another accumulated at the end of the 25°C days. The accumulation of night specific mRNAs was inhibited by 6°C nights in the cold sensitive tomatoes while that of the tolerant one was only marginally affected. All tomatoes showed a similar reduction in the apparent turnover rate of the day specific mRNAs during the 6°C nights. Finally, low night temperatures induced the accumulation of six to eight mRNAs in all genotypes. This number increased by 15 in L. esculentum after the seventh night and are likely involved in stress response rather than acclimation/tolerance. The tomato is proposed as a genetic model to discriminate genes involved in acclimation/tolerance from those involved in stress response.     

Bayesian Estimation of the Distribution Function of the Poisson Model

This paper presents the Bayes estimators of the Poisson distribution function based on complete and truncated data under a natural conjugate prior. Laplace transform of the incomplete gamma function and the Gauss hypergeometric function have been employed in order to overcome the intractability of the integrals. Numerical examples from biosciences are given to illustrate the results. A Monte Carlo study has been carried out to compare Bayes estimators under complete data with the corresponding maximum liklihood estimators.