Character Complexes Research Articles

Genetic diversity and breeding value of synthetic hexaploid wheat introduced into the VIR collection

For the successful development of wheat breeding in Russia, a genetically diverse and well-characterized starting material, mainly stored at the VIR collection, is needed. To replenish the collection, 36 lines (accessions) of synthetic hexaploid wheat (SHWs) developed at CIMMYT by crossing Triticum durum with Aegilops tauschii were studied. Our research was aimed at studying the SHWs using a complex of morphological and economically valuable traits in the environments of European Russia’s northwestern part (E30°, N59°), evaluating the reaction of the SHWs to a photoperiod and determining their genetic heterogeneity and similarities by gliadins as biochemical markers. The results showed that the variability of different traits for SHWs fits into the framework of the genus Triticum, and so SHWs can be classified as poorly domesticated forms. Their distinctive feature, valuable for wheat breeding, is a large weight of a thousand grains (up to 60.6 g). This trait was characterized by a low degree of variability and a low correlation with other traits. The reaction of wheat plants to the length of the day is crucial for their transition from vegetative to reproductive development. The SHWs studied differed from common wheat and one another by responses to the short day and by the length of the ‘emergence-heading’ phase if they grew under the conditions of a long day. The delay in the development of plants with a short photoperiod ranged from 5.4 to 53.8 days. On a long day, the duration of the ‘emergence-heading’ phase varied from 39.5 to 53.9 days. A possible genetic basis for the differences identified is discussed. To assess the diversity of SHWs, we also used gliadin proteins as informative biochemical markers. It was revealed that 21 SHWs were homogeneous, and the rest, heterogeneous. Forty-four different biotypes were found for the SHWs studied, from which 36 were unique. Relationships between biotypes have been demonstrated using cluster analysis. It should be noted that 13 SHWs were unstable. In each of them, some plants differed from the others in terms of a complex of morphological characters, reaction to a photoperiod, and gliadin patterns. It is possible that the instability of accessions is the result of genome rearrangement in SHWs. SHW accessions and the forms isolated from them are considered as sources of new genetic variability to improve common wheat.

O close-up e o sujeito reinventado: À procura do personagem de cinema

Este artigo pretende investigar o primeiro cinema em busca de marcas da “invenção” do personagem cinematográfico e, de modo correlato, da “invenção” do ator de cinema. Analisaremos diversas estratégias de enunciação e de figuração que revestem o corpo filmado de sua carga narrativa, tornando significativas suas aparições no decorrer do filme. Dentre essas estratégias, ressaltaremos o plano aproximado do rosto do ator – de Chapeaux à transformations (Lumière, 1895) a Fantômas (Feuillade, 1913), o close-up se mostra a principal ferramenta que permite ao espectador antecipar e projetar na figura humana uma identidade individual dotada de certa consistência psicológica e apta a desempenhar as funções narrativas que passam a ser exigidas pelos filmes. Veremos todavia que, apesar de sua essencial contribuição para o processo de “integração narrativa”, o close-up também preserva o rosto como uma “atração” à parte. Tal força atracional, já presente em obras de Méliès (Le roi du maquillage, 1904) e A. E. Weed (Photographing a female crook e Subject for the rogue’s gallery, 1904), chega renovada ao momento contemporâneo através de filmes que, investindo em metamorfoses e multiplicações dos personagens, complicam a relação entre corpo e identidade. Assim, o retorno ao close-up no primeiro cinema se revela crucial para a compreensão das origens e complexidades do personagem cinematográfico para além das órbitas da literatura e do teatro.

Die Digitalisierung der Bestände des Tiroler Dialektarchivs. Ein Werkstattbericht zum vorläufigen Projektende

This paper presents the the output of the research project “Tiroler Ortsdialekte online” (TiDiOn) that aimed to digitize at least part of the archive collections of the Tyrolean Dialect Archive (University of Innsbruck) for making it accessible to the public via an interactive online linguistic atlas. In doing so we encountered several challenges that had to be dealt with: a) structuring the data with regard to creating a database exactly adapted for our needs as well as with regard to presenting it in a way that made the generated cartographic material intelligible to the layperson, b) abstracting the material for the the sake of public intelligibility by simplifying the original records written in the phonetic alphabet “Teuthonista” and by commenting the maps in an easily understandable way, c) transferring the Teuthonista-records into a unicode-based font that can deal with the complexity of characters and combinations (some of which occurring only in a few cases). The paper presents our approaches and strategies to cope with these challenges. Although the preparation of the material was oriented on non-expert public users the data and its presentation is of course also relevant for linguists. We exemplified that by demonstrating its relevance for questions dealing with language change or for the visualization of language geographic patterns

De la vengeance pathologique : étude sur Titus Andronicus, de Shakespeare

ObjectivesThis article aims to account for the pathological dimension of certain forms of revenge. MethodologyFrom Titus Andronicus, Roman tragedy of W. Shakespeare, it's to highlight the determinants that precede the act of revenge as such, the pathological dimension of violence and revenge at Titus, and the “psychotic” signature of these acts, their unlimited nature, without brake, with the persecutives notes that one perceives in the Titus report to others as in his report to the words. Beforehand, we considered useful to make a brief summary of the literature devoted to this theme of revenge. ResultsWe’ll see how the impulsive reactions, in “mirror”, murderous and cruel of Titus, which grew still more from beginning to the end of the play, can teach us about a revenge described as “paranoïd”. DiscussionThe discussion is — among other things — the report perversion/psychosis, especially because of the cruelty of the acts committed. We’ll see that the approach from the only perspective of revenge, or only from the perspective of the “perversion” of certain acts, cannot account sufficiently the complexity of this Shakespearean character. The paranoid logic of this literary “case” seems to us more a way forward. ConclusionTitus Andronicus is a tragedy of violence and revenge. It's the first tragedy of Shakespeare, with his interests and imperfections, often criticized, little read, little staging, little commented, but interesting and teaching us about a topic revenge little studied too in the field of psychiatry, psychopathology and psychoanalysis.

Dinosaur Fossils from the Upper Cretaceous of Crimea

A new study of the holotype of Riabininohadros weberae from the Upper Cretaceous (upper Maastrichtian) of Crimea (Besh-Kosh) reveals previously unknown fragments of femur, astragalus, and calcaneus. This taxon is characterized by a complex of primitive characters found in Iguanodontia and basal Ornithischia and its phylogenetic position can be defined as Styracosterna indet. The second dinosaur record from Crimea (Aleshino) is represented by a fragmentary skeleton, including cervical and dorsal vertebrae. It may belong to a derived iguanodontian or a primitive hadrosauroid. Thus, at least two species of dinosaurs coexisted in the Maastrichtian of Crimea.

Breeding value of european oat accessions in the environments of Kuban experiment station of VIR

Background. For the present-day oat breeding, the task is to develop adaptive cultivars with high yield potential, high quality of products, fairly early-ripening habit, and resistance to lodging and diseases. Breeding new cultivars with a complex of valuable characters, high yield, and high quality of products under varied environmental conditions requires well-studied source material. Selection of sources according to the basic economically useful traits is one of the main objectives in the study of the global diversity preserved in the oat collection.Results and conclusion. The article presents the results of studying the oat accessions from Western and Central European countries, preserved in the VIR collection, under the conditions of Kuban Experimental Station of VIR (Krasnodar Terr.). Evaluation of the accessions in the field was targeted at such crop characters as the duration of the growing season, resistance to lodging, and field resistance to rust diseases. A structural analysis was performed in the laboratory to measure the weight of 1000 grains, the number of spikelets and grains per panicle, grain weight per panicle and per plant, and percentage of grain hullness. As a result of a three-year comprehensive field study of the newest oat cultivars bred in Western Europe in the environments of Kuban Experimental Station of VIR, sources of traits useful for breeding were identified, such as lodging resistance, field resistance to crown rust, high yield structure components (1000 grain weight, grain weight per panicle, number of grains per panicle, grain productivity). When using source materials in oat breeding practice, in addition to economically important traits, special attention should be paid to grain size, since this character, according to our data, has the most significant correlation with the grain yield of a cultivar. The identified sources of traits valuable for breeding may be included in breeding programs of Krasnodar Territory and other regions of the Russian Federation.

The use of egg characters for the classification of Notodontidae (Lepidoptera), with keys to the common Palaearctic genera and species.

On the basis of comparative-morphological analysis of 43 genera and 92 species of Palaearctic Notodontidae, as well as the study of the eggs of outgroup species, complexes of characters that are diagnostic, taxonomic or phylogenetic are singled out. It is shown that the egg characteristics are of great taxonomic value at species and generic levels. Some characters are useful for grouping genera. In general, a complex of characters should be used, because different species or genera often share the same characters. Possible apomorphic and plesiomorphic states of the different characters are discussed in relation to the different taxa. The results of this study are discussed with reference to recently published classifications of Notodontidae. As a result of the studies, the keys for identification to the eggs of 43 genera and 92 species of notodontid moths from the Palaearctic region are presented. Reliable diagnostic characters that do not disappear with the injury of eggs or with eggs preserved in alcohol were used. Characters including egg shape, egg and chorion colour, the shape of gnawed holes in eggs when caterpillars hatched, chorionic sculpture, the type of oviposition, foodplants, and geographic distribution of the genera and species were applied. Occasionally, characters that are typical for live eggs, which vary during development, were used. These are characters of egg colour and pattern. The keys are illustrated with photographs made using a digital camera and a scanning electron microscope.

THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE BERRIES OF SPECIES AND INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS OF RED CUR-RANT IN CULTURE

Red currant is a valuable food and medicinal plant widely used in industrial and amateur gardening. 
 The aim of this article is a summary of results of a multi-year research of the chemical composition of fruits of red currant wild-growing species and natural interspecific hybrids of different geographical origin and assessment of a possibility of use of the selections to produce interspecific hybrids.
 Biochemical study of dry substance, ascorbic acid, sugars, acids, anthocyans, catechins, pectins and protopectins in red currant berries was carried out. The analyses of the chemical composition were performed by the universally accepted procedures.
 The levels of variability of 8 biochemical characters of red berry fruits depending on conditions of a year were established. It was shown that the most stable biochemical character was content of dry substance in berries and the most variable one – content of catechins. More ascorbic acid accumulates in berries of Ribes atropurpureum from the Salair Ridge in comparison with the amount in berries of R. atropurpureum from the Altai Mountains. By the complex of biochemical characters of prime interest are R. atropurpureum and hybrid R. atropurpureum × R. altissimum, and by the content of dry substance, sugars and catechins – hybrid R. atropurpureum × R. vulgare. The selections are a source of 1-5 outstanding biochemical characters and promising for the use in breeding. The interspecific hybrids of red currant obtained in CSBG by the use of selections testify to the possibility of production of high yield, large-fruited cultivars with a high content of biologically active substances in berries.

Modeling the Evolution of Crocodyliform Cranial Shape Through Time

Crocodyliforms have a rich fossil record, attained global distribution, and filled a wide variety of ecological niches throughout their history. The group has explored a broad range of cranial morphologies through time, particularly in relation to rostral and supratemporal fossa (STF) form. These character complexes are functionally related, with the snout acting as the prey capture apparatus and the STF as the origin for the pseudotemporalis and/or adductor mandibulae externus profundus musculature. A correlation between STF size and snout shape has been previously suggested (e.g. taxa with long slender snouts tend to have larger STF, possibly related to the importance of the aforementioned muscles in their prey capture strategy). To investigate evolutionary patterns of these cranial modules we quantified snout and supratemporal fossa shape using sliding semilandmark‐based geometric morphometric methods. We then modeled the evolution of these modules across a time‐calibrated phylogeny of Crocodyliformes, testing for differences in allometric patterning (using new functions in the R package bayou and phylogenetic ANCOVA as implemented in evomap). Our results indicate a significant shift in the covariation of STF relative to snout length at the origin of Eusuchia. In comparison with non‐eusuchian crocodyliforms, eusuchians exhibit less change in STF size relative to snout length. This shift in phenotypic covariation is potentially related to a change in pattern (but not strength) of developmental integration between these modules.As these modules are related to feeding, this shift in phenotypic covariation may indicate an important transition in the evolution of the crocodyliform feeding apparatus at the origin of Eusuchia. That non‐eusuchian crocodyliforms tend to have a larger STF suggests a reliance on muscles occupying the dorsal temporal fenestra, while the relatively smaller STF of eusuchians may mark a shift to an increased role of the pterydoideus musculature responsible for the extreme bite forces of extant crocodylians. If such a model holds true, it may serve to best explain the observed shift in covariation between these modules. The timing of this transition in our analysis matches closely with a previous study modeling the evolution of bite force in the group based on a different osteological proxy. Collectively this suggests that the modern crocodylian feeding apparatus developed around the origin of the crown group, coincident with the establishment of the eusuchian secondary palate.Support or Funding InformationNational Science Foundation grant NSF‐DEB 1754596This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Writing in the Air with WiFi Signals for Virtual Reality Devices

Recently, handwriting recognition approaches has been widely applied to Human-Computer Interface (HCI) applications. The emergence of the novel mobile terminals urges a more man-machine friendly interface mode. The previous air-writing recognition approaches have been accomplished by virtue of cameras and sensors. However, the vision based approaches are susceptible to the light condition and sensor based methods have disadvantages in deployment and highcost. The latest researches have demonstrated that the pervasive wireless signals can be used to identify different gestures. In this paper, we attempt to utilize channel state information (CSI) derived from wireless signals to realize the device-free air-write recognition called Wri-Fi . Compared to the gesture recognition, the increased diversity and complexity of characters of the alphabet make it challenging. The Principle Component Analysis (PCA) is used for denoising effectively and the energy indicator derived from the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is to detect action continuously. The unique CSI waveform caused by unique writing patterns of 26 letters serve as feature space. Finally, the Hidden Markov model (HMM) is used for character modeling and classification. We conduct experiments in our laboratory and get the average accuracy of the Wri-Fi are 86.75 and 88.74 percent in two writing areas, respectively.

Phylogeny of Paleozoic limbed vertebrates reassessed through revision and expansion of the largest published relevant data matrix.

The largest published phylogenetic analysis of early limbed vertebrates (Ruta M, Coates MI. 2007. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 5:69–122) recovered, for example, Seymouriamorpha, Diadectomorpha and (in some trees) Caudata as paraphyletic and found the “temnospondyl hypothesis” on the origin of Lissamphibia (TH) to be more parsimonious than the “lepospondyl hypothesis” (LH)—though only, as we show, by one step. We report 4,200 misscored cells, over half of them due to typographic and similar accidental errors. Further, some characters were duplicated; some had only one described state; for one, most taxa were scored after presumed relatives. Even potentially continuous characters were unordered, the effects of ontogeny were not sufficiently taken into account, and data published after 2001 were mostly excluded. After these issues are improved—we document and justify all changes to the matrix—but no characters are added, we find (Analysis R1) much longer trees with, for example, monophyletic Caudata, Diadectomorpha and (in some trees) Seymouriamorpha; Ichthyostega either crownward or rootward of Acanthostega; and Anthracosauria either crownward or rootward of Temnospondyli. The LH is nine steps shorter than the TH (R2; constrained) and 12 steps shorter than the “polyphyly hypothesis” (PH—R3; constrained). Brachydectes (Lysorophia) is not found next to Lissamphibia; instead, a large clade that includes the adelogyrinids, urocordylid “nectrideans” and aïstopods occupies that position. As expected from the taxon/character ratio, most bootstrap values are low. Adding 56 terminal taxa to the original 102 increases the resolution (and decreases most bootstrap values). The added taxa range in completeness from complete articulated skeletons to an incomplete lower jaw. Even though the lissamphibian-like temnospondyls Gerobatrachus, Micropholis and Tungussogyrinus and the extremely peramorphic salamander Chelotriton are added, the difference between LH (R4; unconstrained) and TH (R5) rises to 10 steps, that between LH and PH (R6) to 15; the TH also requires several more regains of lost bones than the LH. Casineria, in which we tentatively identify a postbranchial lamina, emerges rather far from amniote origins in a gephyrostegid-chroniosuchian grade. Bayesian inference (Analysis EB, settings as in R4) mostly agrees with R4. High posterior probabilities are found for Lissamphibia (1.00) and the LH (0.92); however, many branches remain weakly supported, and most are short, as expected from the small character sample. We discuss phylogeny, approaches to coding, methods of phylogenetics (Bayesian inference vs. equally weighted vs. reweighted parsimony), some character complexes (e.g. preaxial/postaxial polarity in limb development), and prospects for further improvement of this matrix. Even in its revised state, the matrix cannot provide a robust assessment of the phylogeny of early limbed vertebrates. Sufficient improvement will be laborious—but not difficult.

Review of grapsoid families for the establishment of a new family for Leptograpsodes Montgomery, 1931, and a new genus of Gecarcinidae H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Grapsoidea MacLeay, 1838)

A new family Leptograpsodidae n. fam. is erected to include an unusual genus of grapsoid crabs, LeptograpsodesMontgomery, 1931, represented by a burrowing species from South Australia L. octodentatus (H. Milne Edwards, 1837), with setal pouches on the coxae of pereiopods 2 to 4 that are evidence of a high degree of terrestrial adaptation. With nearly 600 extant species, the superfamily Grapsoidea MacLeay, 1838 encompasses a diverse range of morphologies and ecologies. Genetic data question its monophyly, whereas the inter- and intrarelationships of included taxa have not been recently examined through a morphological review using a reliable complex of characters (primarily, proepistome, thoracic sternum, male pleon, male genital region, male gonopore, and penis). The reevalution of the morphological characters of L. octodentatus in order to reappraise its proper taxonomical status has afforded us the opportunity to review most of grapsoids and, in particular, the Gecarcinidae H. Milne Edwards, 1837 (see Appendix), Grapsidae MacLeay, 1838, Varunidae H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (especially Cyclograpsus H. Milne Edwards, 1837), and Xenograpsidae N. K. Ng, Davie, Schubart & Ng, 2007. The discovery that Leptograpsodes shares some characters with Gecarcinidae, especially a stridulatory apparatus similar to that of Discoplax A. Milne-Edwards, 1867, a feature not previously recorded in either genus, has revealed the need to re-examine the taxonomy of Gecarcinidae. This resulted in an unexpected outcome. Discoplax must be restricted to its three troglobitic species: D. longipes A. Milne-Edwards, 1867 (type species), D. gracilipesNg & Guinot, 2001, and D. michalisNg & Shih, 2015. Cardisoma Latreille, 1828 sensu stricto only accommodates C. guanhumi Latreille, in Latreille, Le Peletier, Serville & Guerin, 1828 (type species), C. armatum Herklots, 1861, C. carnifex (Herbst, 1796), and C. crassum Smith, 1870. A new genus, Tuerkayana n. gen. is hereby established to include two species previously assigned to Cardisoma: T. rotundum (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) n. comb. (type species), T. hirtipes (Dana, 1851) n. comb., plus two others previously regarded as Discoplax: T. celeste (Ng & Davie, 2012) n. comb. and T. magnum (Ng & Shih, 2014) n. comb. Compared to Varunidae, Leptograpsodes bears a superficial resemblance to Cyclograpsus H. Milne Edwards, 1837, a paraphyletic genus that must be restricted to its type species C. punctatus H. Milne Edwards, 1837 and only its closest congeners. The validity of the subfamilial taxon Heliceinae Sakai, Turkay & Yang, 2006 is recognised. The putative sister-group relationship of Leptograpsodes and Xenograpsus supported by molecular analyses of Schubart (2011) and Ip et al. (2015) is not confirmed by morphology, even if the two families share some traits. The synapomorphies of Leptograpsodes justify its separation from all grapsoid lineages as currently conceived. The use of previously overlooked traits, notably related to the thoracic sternum, proves to represent an optimal support for the brachyuran systematics and phylogeny, and presently to redefine the grapsoid taxonomical categories. The complete fusion of thoracic sternites 3 and 4 without any visible suture, even laterally, is proposed as a synapomorphy of Grapsoidea; this character state could be extented to other Thoracotremata in the future. Species of three genera Leptograpsodes, Discoplax and Epigrapsus are reported to exhibit stridulating structures (suborbital pars stridens and plectrum on inner margin of P1 merus). Some nomenclature issues, notably the authorship of the family-group name Gecarcinidae that is here credited to H. Milne Edwards, 1837, are addressed in the Appendix.

Integrating Animations in Chinese Character Writing Based on Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning to Promote Students’ Writing Skills

<p class="0abstract">The complexity of Chinese character caused students facing learning difficulty in mastering the Chinese character writing skills. This study aimed to investigate the effect and students' perception on the implementation of animation in teaching and learning of Chinese character writing based on Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (AniCC Online Learning) via Frog VLE platform. Meanwhile, the relationship of implementation of AniCC Online Learning and pupil's writing performance was also studied to have further insights into the Chinese character teaching and learning situation. Pre-experimental one group pre-test and post-test design were adopted and thirty three Year 1 students were selected as the respondents in this research which involved four types of instruments. There was a significant different (p = 0.013) between the scores of pre-test and post-test for students' writing performance after performing paired samples t-test. The study also showed an increase in the means scores of students' writing skills and an increase in the percentage of students' writing skills ranking at rank 4 or above although no significant different (p = 0.180) was observed between the pre writing assessment and post writing assessment after Wilcoxon Test was performed. The students overall showed high acceptance towards integration of AniCC Online Learning with overall mean score 0.90 (maximum = 1). In sum, the design of AniCC Online Learning via Frog VLE platform is able to improve writing performance as well as to help students in their writing skills.</p>

A Model for the Stochastic Multidimensional Growth of Mizuhopecten yessoensis (Jay, 1857) (Bivalvia: Pectinidae)

A mathematical model that describes the growth of a complex of characters in an organism that inhabits a stochastic environment is discussed. The concepts of noise-induced and structural variability of characters are determined. The model is demonstrated based on the example of the bivalve Mizuhopecten yessoensis.

Internal cranial anatomy of Early Triassic species of \u2020Saurichthys (Actinopterygii: \u2020Saurichthyiformes): implications for the phylogenetic placement of \u2020saurichthyiforms

Background†Saurichthyiformes were a successful group of latest Permian–Middle Jurassic predatory actinopterygian fishes and constituted important, widely-distributed components of Triassic marine and freshwater faunas. Their systematic affinities have long been debated, with †saurichthyiforms often being aligned with chondrosteans, a group today comprising sturgeons and paddlefishes. However, their character-rich endocranial anatomy has not been investigated in detail since the first half of the 20th century. Since then, major advances have occurred in terms of our understanding of early actinopterygian anatomy, as well as techniques for extracting morphological data from fossils.ResultsWe used μCT to study the internal cranial anatomy of two of the stratigraphically oldest representatives of †Saurichthys, from the Early Triassic of East Greenland and Nepal. Our work revealed numerous previously unknown characters (e.g., cryptic oticooccipital fissure; intramural diverticula of braincase; nasobasal canals; lateral cranial canal; fused dermohyal), and permitted the reevalution of features relating to the structure of cranial fossae, basicranial circulation and opercular anatomy of the genus. Critically, we reinterpret the former †saurichthyiform opercle as an expanded subopercle. For comparison, we also produced the first digital models of a braincase and endocast of a sturgeon (A. brevirostrum). New information from these taxa was included in a broad phylogenetic analysis of Actinopterygii. †Saurichthyiforms are resolved as close relatives of †Birgeria, forming a clade that constitutes the immediate sister group of crown actinopterygians. However, these and other divergences near the actinopterygian crown node are weakly supported.ConclusionsOur phylogeny disagrees with the historically prevalent hypothesis favoring the chondrostean affinities of †saurichthyiforms. Previously-proposed synapomorphies uniting the two clades, such as the closure of the oticooccipital fissure, the posterior extension of the parasphenoid, and the absence of an opercular process, are all widespread amongst actinopterygians. Others, like those relating to basicranial circulation, are found to be based on erroneous interpretations. Our work renders the †saurichthyiform character complex adequately understood, and permits detailed comparisons with other stem and crown actinopterygians. Our phylogenetic scheme highlights outstanding questions concerning the affinity of many early actinopterygians, such as the Paleozoic–early Mesozoic deep-bodied forms, which are largely caused by lack of endoskeletal data.

The thoracic morphology of cave-dwelling and free-living ground beetles from China (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Trechinae)

External and internal thoracic structures of two carabid species (Trechini) were examined and documented with different techniques. The study has a main focus on the eyeless cave-dwelling specialist Sinaphaenops wangorum, but detailed information is also provided for a species occurring in cave entrances. The phylogenetic background of the structural features of the thoracic skeletomuscular system was addressed. The thoracic morphology of the examined species was compared to conditions observed in previously studied carabids and non-related subterranean leiodids (Staphylinoidea) in order to identify cave adaptations. Main thoracic character complexes linked with cavernicolous habits in Trechini are elongation of the pro- and mesothorax and the legs, and a complete and irreversible reduction of the flight apparatus. The lost flight capacity is linked with a far reaching modification of skeletal elements of the metathorax including a strongly shortened and simplified metanotum, a shortened metaventrite, and completely reduced wings and sclerites of the wing base. The elongate prothorax together with the long and slender head and elongated legs distinctly increases the activity range in the subterranean lightless environment, which likely facilitates foraging of the carnivorous beetles. Some of the observed features like wing loss and elongation of the anterior thorax and legs are also found in some cave-dwelling Leiodidae (Leptodirini), whereas some other subterranean members of the staphylinoid family have a compact body and legs of normal length. In contrast to the predaceous Trechini, Leptodirini are scavengers.

Developmental studies provide new insights into the evolution of sense organs in Sabellariidae (Annelida)

BackgroundSabellarids, also known as honeycomb or sandcastle worms, when building their tubes, produce chemical signals (free fatty acids) that are responsible for larval settlement and the formation of three-dimensional aggregations. The larval palps and the dorsal hump (becoming the median organ in adults) are presumed to participate in such a substrate selection during settlement. Notably, the sabellariid median organ is an apparently unique organ among annelids that has been attributed with a sensory function and perhaps with some affinities to the nuchal organs of other polychaetes. Nevertheless, detailed investigations of this prominent character complex including ultrastructural examinations are lacking so far.ResultsOur comprehensive investigations provide data about the anterior sensory organs in Sabellariidae and inform about their transformation during pelagic larval development. We used a comparative approach including immunostaining with subsequent confocal laser scanning microscopy (clsm), histological sections as well as electron microscopy in a range of larval and adult stages of two sabellariid species. We find that the neuronal innervation as well as the ultrastructure of the sabellariid ciliary structures along the median organ are highly comparable with that of nuchal organs known from other polychaetes. Furthermore, the myoinhibitory protein (MIP) – a protein known to be also involved into chemo-sensation - was detected in the region of the larval median organ. Moreover, we reveal the presence of an unusual type of photoreceptor as part of the median organ in Idanthyrsus australiensis with a corrugated sensory membrane ultrastructure unlike those observed in the segmental ocelli of other polychaetes.ConclusionsWe are describing for the first time the nuchal organ-like structures in different developmental stages of two species of Sabellariidae. The external morphology, neuronal innervation, developmental fate and ultrastructure of the newly-discovered median organ-based ciliary pits are comparable with the characteristics known for annelid nuchal organs and therefore indicate a homology of both sensory complexes. The presence of myoinhibitory peptide (MIP) in the respective region supports such a hypothesis and exhibits the possibility of an involvement of the entire sabellariid median organ complex, and in particular the prominent ciliated pits, in chemo-sensation.

Literary History Meets the History of Reading

Abstract This article revisits the letters written by readers of the Mercure galant who responded to the “gallant question,” posed by the periodical's editor in an April 1678 issue, regarding a central plot twist of Madame de Lafayette's novel La Princesse de Clèves. Highlighting the expansive, democratic, and participatory nature of this readership that connected with the unprecedented complexity of the novel's characters, scholars have imputed to this public a modernity reflecting that of the novel itself, often considered “the first modern novel” in French. Closely analyzing the letters in light of their arguments and of the novel's editorial history, this essay explores the implications of a disconnect between the work and the readers in question, who had perhaps not read the text and did not, in any case, empathize with its protagonist's dilemma as presented by the Mercure.

The phylogeny of Coleopterida (Hexapoda) – morphological characters and molecular phylogenies

AbstractColeopterida (Coleoptera + Strepsiptera) has been established as the sister group of Neuropterida (Megaloptera + Neuroptera + Raphidioptera) based on recent phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data obtained from genomes and transcriptomes. However, within the resulting clade (Neuropteroidea) the proposed sister‐group relationship between the highly specialized endoparasitic Strepsiptera and the megadiverse Coleoptera still lacks convincing morphological support. Furthermore, relationships among the four suborders of Coleoptera remain controversial, with morphological characters strongly conflicting with results suggested by molecular evidence. A large morphological dataset comprising external and internal features of adults and immature stages is presented here and analysed phylogenetically. Our study is focused on deep splits in Coleopterida and on reconstructing character evolution on the phenotypic level. Parsimony analyses clearly support a sister‐group relationship between Strepsiptera and monophyletic Coleoptera. Presumptive synapomorphies are characters linked with posteromotorism, but also features of the head and prothorax. We recover Archostemata as sister group of the remaining extant Coleoptera, and Polyphaga as sister group of the species‐poor suborder Myxophaga. The most important character complex of Coleoptera is heavy sclerotization without exposed membranes and a simplification of the thoracic muscle apparatus. Non‐archostematan beetles are characterized by further simplifications of the thoracic locomotor apparatus. This trend reaches its peak in Myxophaga and Polyphaga, and these suborders also share apomorphies of the larval legs. A pattern with Polyphaga as sister to all other suborders and a clade Myxophaga + Archostemata (as in recent molecular phylogenetic studies) requires ten additional steps with our dataset. This scenario implies that various simplifications of the thoracic exoskeleton and musculature have taken place several times independently, and also that a complex feeding apparatus suitable for saprophagy and sporophagy was ancestral in Coleoptera, with secondary reduction (or modification) in Archostemata and Adephaga. The coleopteran subordinal relationships remain a challenge, with morphological and molecular data suggesting distinctly different patterns. The earliest evolution of Coleopterida is not documented in the fossil record. The exploration of potential stem‐group fossils is a high priority, as is the study of species from the Permian–Triassic transition zone, which are apparently important in the context of evaluating the relationships among beetle suborders.

Uczony i demon, czyli postać czarownika w polskich bajkach ludowych

The article traces the motif of the magician in Polish magical folk tales and belief tales. The analysis of several dozens of texts from the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century has revealed the complexity of the magician character: on one hand, it is close to demonic creatures (magical abilities including shapeshifting and sorcery); on the other hand, it resembles scholars from the past, that is priests or alchemists (black clothing, the ability to read and use spells from forbidden books).