<i>Planothidium juandenovense</i> sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) from Juan de Nova (Scattered Islands, Mozambique Channel) and other tropical environments: a new addition to the <i>Planothidium delicatulum</i> complex

Planothidium juandenovense sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) is described from the marine tropical environments of Juan de Nova I. (Mozambique Channel), Rodrigues I. (Mascarene Archipelago) and from Guam (Northern Mariana Is., Pacific). This small and relatively rare taxon has short multiseriate striae on the sternum valve (SV), hooked raphe valve (RV) terminal raphe endings and no SV cavum or hoof–shaped area. This taxon has similarities with Planothidium delicatulum (Kütz.) Round et Bukht. and Planothidium septentrionale (Østrup) Round et Bukht. ex Rumrich et al., but also differences: e.g. a relatively narrow and rhombic SV sternum, void of areolae, with vestigial radiate structures and an uninterrupted marginal SV elevated crest or ‘crista marginalis’. P. juandenovense sp. nov. is compared to some other Achnanthales with short SV striae. Cocconeis quarnerensis var. lanceolata Jurilj and Planothidium quarnerense f. rhombica (Giffen) comb. nov. may be close to our new taxon

The OPERA experiment Target Tracker

The main task of the Target Tracker detector of the long baseline neutrino oscillation OPERA experiment is to locate in which of the target elementary constituents, the lead/emulsion bricks, the neutrino interactions have occurred and also to give calorimetric information about each event. The technology used consists in walls of two planes of plastic scintillator strips, one per transverse direction. Wavelength shifting fibres collect the light signal emitted by the scintillator strips and guide it to both ends where it is read by multi-anode photomultiplier tubes. All the elements used in the construction of this detector and its main characteristics are described.Comment: 25 pages, submitted to Nuclear Instrument and Method

Technical design and performance of the NEMO3 detector

The development of the NEMO3 detector, which is now running in the Frejus Underground Laboratory (L.S.M. Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane), was begun more than ten years ago. The NEMO3 detector uses a tracking-calorimeter technique in order to investigate double beta decay processes for several isotopes. The technical description of the detector is followed by the presentation of its performance.Comment: Preprint submitted to Nucl. Instrum. Methods A Corresponding author: Corinne Augier ([email protected]

Moral Sentiments, Institutions, and Civil Society: Exploiting Family Resemblances between Smith and Hegel to Resolve Some Conceptual Issues in Sen’s Recent Contributions to the Theory of Justice

In his Idea of Justice, Amartya Sen compares the two basic approaches to evaluate institutions, transcendental institutionalism and realization-focused comparisons. Referring to Smith's Impartial Spectator, he argues in favour of the latter and proposes the principle of Open Impartiality. However, this cannot solve the tension between universalism and contextualization of values that Sen therefore inherits from Smith. Based on recent Hegel scholarship, we argue that some of the difficulties can be resolved, considering the role Smith played in the development of Hegel's thinking. Hegel's concept of recognition plays an essential role in establishing the possibility of impartiality both on the level of consciousness and on the level of institutional intersubjectivity. Hegel's critique of Kants formalist ethics (also considered as transcendental institutionalism by Sen), his analysis of the civil society in the Philosophy of Right, especially his focus on associations and estates, can serve as a model for making Sen's focus on public discourse theoretically more concise and pragmatically feasible. Hegel shows that universalistic attitudes can only emerge in specific institutional contexts

The genera Mitchella and Damnacanthus. Evidence for their close alliance; comments on the campylotropy in the Rubiaceae and the circumscription of the Morindeae

The two species of Mitchella (Southeast Asian and North American) and several species of the Southeast Asian genus Damnacanthus are investigated. Vegetative character states (growth form, branching pattern, leaves) of the two genera are described and compared. Damnacanthus always exhibits heterophylly and some species have paired thorns. The latter are interpreted as paired lateral shoots in the proximal part of a sympodial branch unit, and it is speculated that the paired thorns may be modified inflorescence shoots. Detailed information is also given on inflorescence structure and floral morphological and anatomical details of Damnacanthus and Mitchella. Particular emphasis is placed on the ovaries, the structure of which is remarkably similar in the two genera. The uniovulate locules are characterized by having campylotropous ovules which are inserted near the top of the septum; extensive obturator tissue covers part of the horizontally arranged curved ovule in cap-like manner. The micropyle of the ovule, obscured by the obturator, points upwards and to some degree also inwards, while the embryo sac is found in a ± horizontal position. The seeds, however, contain minute embryos, of which the radicles are pointing ± downwards. This apparently contradicting micropyle and radicle position finds its explanation in the unusual ovule structure and orientation and in the subsequent strong growth of the endosperm, through which the embryo is pushed to the position where it is found in mature seeds. The detailed structure of the drupaceous fruits and of the seeds of both genera are compared. Chromosome numbers (x = n = 11, 2n = 22) are presented for Mitchella and Damnacanthus, certain palynological information is added, and literature on reproductive biological aspects is reviewed and supplemented by original observations. While Mitchella had been associated with various different tribes, Damnacanthus was in the past nearly always placed in the Morindeae. The investigated characters overwhelmingly support the close alliance between Mitchella and Damnacanthus. However, according to our present state of knowledge, the Morindeae appear to be a heterogeneous tribe, and at least a group of genera allied to Prismatomeris is probably to be removed. Damnacanthus and Mitchella do show certain agreements with the ‘core’ of the Morindeae, but their definite tribal placement should be withheld until a recircumscription of the Morindeae becomes available

Experimental and Molecular Approaches to Plant Bio-systematics, P. C. Hoch and

Posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) is a nucleotide sequence-specific defense mechanism that can target both cellular and viral mRNAs. Here, three types of transgene-induced PTGS and one example of virus-induced PTGS were analyzed in plants. In each case, antisense RNA complementary to the targeted mRNA was detected. These RNA molecules were of a uniform length, estimated at 25 nucleotides, and their accumulation required either transgene sense transcription or RNA virus replication. Thus, the 25-nucleotide antisense RNA is likely synthesized from an RNA template and may represent the specificity determinant of PTGS. Posttranscriptional gene silencing occurs in plants and fungi transformed with foreign or endogenous DNA and results in the reduced accumulation of RNA molecules with sequence similarity to the introduced nucleic acid (1, 2). Double-stranded RNA induces a similar effect in nematodes (3), insects (4 ), and protozoa (5). PTGS can be suppressed by several virus-encoded proteins (6 ) and is closely related to RNA-mediated virus resistance and cross-protection in plants To account for the sequence specificity and posttranscriptional nature of PTGS, it has been proposed that antisense RNA forms a duplex with the target RNA, thereby promoting its degradation or interfering with its translation (12). If these hypothetical antisense RNA molecules are of a similar size to typical mRNAs, they would have been readily detected by routine RNA analyses. However, there have been no reports of such antisense RNA that is detected exclusively in plants or animals exhibiting PTGS. Nevertheless, PTGS-specific antisense RNA may exist, but may be too short for easy detection. We carried out analyses specifically to detect low molecular weight antisense RNA in four classes of PTGS in plants (13). The first class tested was transgene-induced PTGS of an endogenous gene (&quot;cosuppression&quot;). We used five tomato lines (T1.1, T1.2, T5.1, T5.2, and T5.3), each transformed with a tomato 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (ACO) cDNA sequence placed downstream of the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter (35S). Two lines (T5.2 and T5.3) exhibited PTGS of the endogenous ACO mRNA PTGS induced by transgenes can also occur when a transgene does not have homology to an endogenous gene (1). Therefore, we tested whether this type of PTGS was also associated with small antisense RNA. We analyzed three tobacco lines carrying 35S-␤-glucuronidase (GUS) transgenes. Two of these lines, T4 (15) and 6b5 (16), exhibited PTGS of GUS. The third line (6b5ϫ271) tested was produced by crossing 6b5 with line 271 (17 ), in which there is a transgene suppressor of the 35S promoter in 6b5. There was no PTGS of GUS in 6b5ϫ271 because of the transcriptional suppression of the 35S GUS transgene (18). Hybridization with a GUS-specific probe revealed that low molecular weight GUS antisense RNA was present in T4 and 6b5 Sainsbury Laboratory, John Innes Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK. *To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: [email protected]

Kuenstliches Greifsystem fuer die Rehabilitation (GRIP). Teilprojekt: Entwicklung der Armstruktur und kuenstlichen Muskeln fuer das Greifsystem Abschlussbericht

SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F01B1374 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany)DEGerman