Embryological evidence for developmental lability during early angiosperm evolution

Recent advances in angiosperm phylogeny reconstruction, palaeobotany and comparative organismic biology have provided the impetus for a major re-evaluation of the earliest phases of the diversification of flowering plants. We now know that within the first fifteen million years of angiosperm history, three major lineages of flowering plants-monocotyledons, eumagnoliids and eudicotyledons-were established, and that within this window of time, tremendous variation in vegetative and floral characteristics evolved. Here I report on a novel type of embryo sac (angiosperm female gametophyte or haploid egg-producing structure) in Amborella trichopoda, the sole member of the most ancient extant angiosperm lineage. This is the first new pattern of embryo sac structure to be discovered among angiosperms in well over half a century. This discovery also supports the emerging view that the earliest phases of angiosperm evolution were characterized by an extensive degree of developmental experimentation and structural lability, and may provide evidence of a critical link to the gymnospermous ancestors of flowering plants.     

GWZ721镁合金型材挤压过程组织演变机制

对固溶处理的GWZ721（Mg-7Gd-2Y-1Zn-0.4Zr）镁合金坯锭在400 ℃进行热挤压变形,获得T型材。采用光学显微镜（optical microscope,OM）、扫描电子显微镜（scanning electron microscope,SEM）和电子背散射衍射仪（electron back scatter diffraction,EBSD）等设备,研究了挤压变形过程中该挤压锭不同部位的金属流变组织特点。结果表明：坯锭在挤压加载时组织发生大量孪生变形,进入模具型腔时发生明显动态再结晶和挤出后发生显著静态再结晶;其平均晶粒尺寸逐渐得到细化,第二相被破碎细化并弥散分布于基体中;形成了基面平行于挤压方向的织构,其最大相对强度先由弱变强然后再变弱;试制得到T型材的横截面显微组织均匀,晶粒尺寸细小,存在较弱的基面织构。     

H型钢矫直过程残余应力演变机制研究

为在矫直过程中对H型钢的残余应力实施有效地主动控制,对H型钢矫直过程中残余应力演变过程的力学机制进行研究。首先运用弹塑性基本理论对具有初始残余应力的H型钢截面弹塑性反弯过程进行解析分析,论证初始残余应力对截面弹塑性反弯过程的影响方式,证明初始残余应力导致截面弯曲中性轴位移的非对称弯曲状态。在此基础上,利用差分方法建立H型钢矫直过程多次连续弹塑性反弯的数值解法,进而详细研究H型钢矫直过程中残余应力的演变机制。结果表明:截面翼缘与腹板整体拉压应力水平的消减主要依赖矫直前期的非对称弹塑性弯曲过程,而矫直后期的对称弯曲过程则进一步改善H型钢翼缘的残余应力状态;矫直过程前期与后期不同的弹塑性弯曲性质造成了其在矫直过程中对于残余应力演变的不同影响作用。     

Independent evolution of structural and coding regions in a Neurospora mitochondrial intron

The discovery of intervening sequences (introns) in eukaryotic genes has raised questions about the origin and evolution of these sequences. Hypotheses concerning these topics usually consider the intron as a unit that could be lost or gained over time, or as a region within which recombination can occur to facilitate the production of new proteins by exon shuffling. Additional complexities are observed in introns of mitochondrial and chloroplast genes which contain secondary structures required for messenger RNA splicing and open-reading frames encoding proteins. Here we describe differences in the organization of protein-coding sequences in the intron of the mitochondrial ND1 gene in two closely related species of Neurospora. These differences show that intron sequences involved in secondary structure formation and in protein coding can evolve as physically distinct elements. Indeed, the secondary structure elements of the ND1 intron can contain two different coding sequences located at two different positions within the intron.     

Independent evolution of bitter-taste sensitivity in humans and chimpanzees

It was reported over 65 years ago that chimpanzees, like humans, vary in taste sensitivity to the bitter compound phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). This was suggested to be the result of a shared balanced polymorphism, defining the first, and now classic, example of the effects of balancing selection in great apes. In humans, variable PTC sensitivity is largely controlled by the segregation of two common alleles at the TAS2R38 locus, which encode receptor variants with different ligand affinities. Here we show that PTC taste sensitivity in chimpanzees is also controlled by two common alleles of TAS2R38; however, neither of these alleles is shared with humans. Instead, a mutation of the initiation codon results in the use of an alternative downstream start codon and production of a truncated receptor variant that fails to respond to PTC in vitro. Association testing of PTC sensitivity in a cohort of captive chimpanzees confirmed that chimpanzee TAS2R38 genotype accurately predicts taster status in vivo. Therefore, although Fisher et al.'s observations were accurate, their explanation was wrong. Humans and chimpanzees share variable taste sensitivity to bitter compounds mediated by PTC receptor variants, but the molecular basis of this variation has arisen twice, independently, in the two species.     

Independent evolution of striated muscles in cnidarians and bilaterians

Striated muscles are present in bilaterian animals (for example, vertebrates, insects and annelids) and some non-bilaterian eumetazoans (that is, cnidarians and ctenophores). The considerable ultrastructural similarity of striated muscles between these animal groups is thought to reflect a common evolutionary origin. Here we show that a muscle protein core set, including a type II myosin heavy chain (MyHC) motor protein characteristic of striated muscles in vertebrates, was already present in unicellular organisms before the origin of multicellular animals. Furthermore, 'striated muscle' and 'non-muscle' myhc orthologues are expressed differentially in two sponges, compatible with a functional diversification before the origin of true muscles and the subsequent use of striated muscle MyHC in fast-contracting smooth and striated muscle. Cnidarians and ctenophores possess striated muscle myhc orthologues but lack crucial components of bilaterian striated muscles, such as genes that code for titin and the troponin complex, suggesting the convergent evolution of striated muscles. Consistently, jellyfish orthologues of a shared set of bilaterian Z-disc proteins are not associated with striated muscles, but are instead expressed elsewhere or ubiquitously. The independent evolution of eumetazoan striated muscles through the addition of new proteins to a pre-existing, ancestral contractile apparatus may serve as a model for the evolution of complex animal cell types.     

Origin of a gene regulatory mechanism in the evolution of echinoderms

A rich diversity of ancient sea urchin lineages survives to the present. These include several advanced orders as well as the cidaroids, which represent the group ancestral to all other sea urchins. Here we show that all advanced groups of sea urchins examined possess in their eggs a class of maternal messenger RNA (mRNA) encoded by the evolutionarily highly conserved alpha-subtype histone genes. The maternal histone mRNAs are unique in their time of accumulation in oogenesis, their localization in the egg nucleus and their delayed timing of translation after fertilization. Cidaroid sea urchins as well as other echinoderm classes, such as starfish and sea cucumbers, possess the genes but do not have maternal alpha-subtype histone mRNAs in their eggs. Thus, although all the echinoderms examined transcribe alpha-subtype histone genes during embryogenesis, the expression of these genes as maternal mRNAs is confined to advanced sea urchins. The fossil record allows us to pinpoint the evolution of this mode of expression of alpha-histone genes to the time of the splitting of advanced sea urchin lineages from the ancestral cidaroids in a radiation which occurred in a relatively brief interval of time approximately 190-200 Myr ago. The origin of a unique gene regulatory mechanism can thus be correlated with a set of macroevolutionary events.     

The rice leaf blast pathogen undergoes developmental processes typical of root-infecting fungi

Pathogens have evolved different strategies to overcome the various barriers that they encounter during infection of their hosts. The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea causes one of the most damaging diseases of cultivated rice and has emerged as a paradigm system for investigation of foliar pathogenicity. This fungus undergoes a series of well-defined developmental steps during leaf infection, including the formation of elaborate penetration structures (appressoria). This process has been studied in great detail, and over thirty M. grisea genes that condition leaf infection have been identified. Here we show a new facet of the M. grisea life cycle: this fungus can undergo a different (and previously uncharacterized) set of programmed developmental events that are typical of root-infecting pathogens. We also show that root colonization can lead to systemic invasion and the development of classical disease symptoms on the aerial parts of the plant. Gene-for-gene type specific disease resistance that is effective against rice blast in leaves also operates in roots. These findings have significant implications for fungal development, epidemiology, plant breeding and disease control.     

Microstructural evolution of a superaustenitic stainless steel during a two-step deformation process

Single- and two-step hot compression experiments were carried out on 16Cr25Ni6Mo superaustenitic stainless steel in the temperature range from 950 to 1150℃ and at a strain rate of 0.1 s-1. In the two-step tests, the first pass was interrupted at a strain of 0.2; after an interpass time of 5, 20, 40, 60, or 80 s, the test was resumed. The progress of dynamic recrystallization at the interruption strain was less than 10%. The static softening in the interpass period increased with increasing deformation temperature and increasing interpass time. The static recrystallization was found to be responsible for fast static softening in the temperature range from 950 to 1050℃. However, the gentle static softening at 1100 and 1150℃ was attributed to the combination of static and metadynamic recrystallizations. The correlation between calculated fractional softening and microstructural observations showed that approximately 30% of interpass softening could be attributed to the static recovery. The microstructural observations illustrated the formation of fine recrystallized grains at the grain boundaries at longer interpass time. The Avrami kinetics equation was used to establish a relationship between the fractional softening and the interpass period. The activation energy for static softening was determined as 276 kJ/mol.     

番茄黄化曲叶病毒自然种群的分子变异和进化研究

研究目的：创新要点：研究方法：重要结论：2006年我国上海首次发现番茄黄化曲叶病毒（TYLCV）,随后TYLCV迅速蔓延至全国13个省份和自治区。本研究分析了2006至2010年期间TYLCV在我国首发地上海市的分子变异规律。本研究持续五年追踪田间TYLCV,分析TYLCV的全长基因组序列、分子变异及种群遗传结构,为防控TYLCV提供理论依据。2006至2010年从上海采集了26个TYLCV的分离物,利用高保真性的滚环扩增技术获得TYLCV分离物的全长基因组。应用MEGA5等生物信息学软件分析TYLCV的分子变异。TYLCV自然种群具有与RNA病毒相似的突变率,以基因间隔区的分子变异最大,平均突变率为4．81×10-3（见图2和表2）。TYLCV的大部分基因都处于负向选择,但包含在c1开放阅读框内的C4,却与c1承受着不同的选择压而处于正向选择（见图3和表6）。     

生命进化的优化选择机制

目的 提出并论证生命进化的优化选择机制。方法以达尔文的自然选择学说为基础，吸收非达尔文主义及广义进化综合理论的思想，提出了生命进化的优化选择机制。结果生物系统的混沌性为优化选择创造了条件，适应性为优化选择确定了方向。在适应环境中，满足阈值共振的基因组中的基因处于活动状态，不满足阈值共振的基因组中的基因处于“沉默”状态，闽值共振可使活动基因和“沉默”基因相互转化。适应是生物与环境之间建立的一种动态和谐机制。优化选择是生物与环境相互作用的结果。结论生命进化的机制是优化选择。在不同尺度上，优化选择的模式不同；生命的进化，是不同尺度上优化选择的综合结果。     

创新机制理论的演变与启示

梳理了创新机制从单因素机制,到多因素机制,再到系统机制的发展过程,从研究方法、研究对象两个维度总结了创新机制理论的发展规律,认为创新机制未来的研究从系统的角度讲,将形成一个从白箱研究到黑箱研究、从微观为主到宏观微观并重、从地理行政区划为界到产业联系为界的发展趋势。     

新型NjCo2O4电极析氧反应机理

在贱金属铁基上表面化学镀Ni Co P ,然后通过化学复合镀制得Ni Co P Al2 O3中间层 ,复合镀层用 5mol·L- 1NaOH溶液浸出 ,可制得新型Ni Co P微孔活性中间层 ,在中间层上再涂覆匹配性较好的NiCo2 O4表面活性层 ,该活性层是由一定Ni(NO3) 2 和Co(NO3) 2 的量配比通过高温热解而成 .为考察该电极在碱性溶液的析氧反应机理 ,通过恒电位阶跃实验I～t曲线求出了不同时间下的电量Q ,由Q对t1 / 2 作图得Q t1 / 2 曲线 .结果证明 ,Q t1 / 2 曲线为不通过坐标原点的直线 ,说明该析氧电极反应为典型的不可逆反应 .通过对析氧电极反应假想模型进行动力学推算及实验 ,初步确定了电极反应的速度控制步骤 .     

煤与瓦斯突出损伤动力演化机理

煤与瓦斯突出中力学性质表现得相当复杂.目前研究很少考虑瓦斯压力梯度对煤的流变破坏作用.本文中基于对煤岩力学性质新的认识,从煤岩损伤破坏的角度出发,综合考虑煤岩的物理力学性质,包括流变性质、地应力和瓦斯压力等因素.根据煤的力学试验结果所表现的非线性弹性性质,在分析瓦斯压力、地应力分别在突出过程中所起的作用基础上,将煤与瓦斯突出具有强烈时间效应的动态力学过程分为准备、发动、发展和终止4个阶段.对瓦斯压力、地应力和重力作用下煤的加速损伤演化所引起的煤与瓦斯突出进行了发生机理的阐述,从而得出煤壁内部瓦斯压力梯度是突出的主要动力源,地应力只是对突出起到辅助作用.对煤岩灾变的延期性、孔洞形状、声发射特征、相对瓦斯涌出量大大超过煤层瓦斯含量、突出煤的分选性、突出的终止过程等现象作新的解释和定性分析.     

自我反问机制下的合作演化行为的研究

提出了一种新的策略演化机制：自我反问机制（SM）,通过比较自己的策略与其反策略的表现,然后在下一次游戏中选择最好的策略．通过模拟反问机制下的合作行为,我们发现在高温和低温时的合作行为呈现不同的变化趋势．另外,我们的模型在r很大时却能提升合作行为．通过分析,我们进一步研究了这些不同行为的形成原因．     

Self-organized evolution of mechanism kinetic scheme based on axiomatic design

The self-organized evolution technology of the mechanism kinetic scheme based on axiomatic design is presented.This technology tries to express the constraints between kinetic mechanisms briefly in a semantic form which is more familiar to the designers.Though the mapping process between the kinetic chain unit and the unit instance,the evolution from abstract unit to concrete engineering instance is achieved.The subdivision of unit coupling semantics is studied.and the evolution of semantics is finished.Also.the semantic constraints evolution of unit coupling semantics is described.The product structure models with function and assembly meanings are constructed based on the kinematic chain unit and unit coupling.It provides a basis to realize the inheritance and transfer of constraint information from conceptual design to design for assembly(DFA).As the engineering practice result shows,the method Can help the engineers express their design intension more clearly and naturally in a high semantic level.And the automation,recursion and visualization of the mechanism kinetic scheme design are realized.     

A critical ligamentous mechanism in the evolution of avian flight

Despite recent advances in aerodynamic, neuromuscular and kinematic aspects of avian flight and dozens of relevant fossil discoveries, the origin of aerial locomotion and the transition from limbs to wings continue to be debated. Interpreting this transition depends on understanding the mechanical interplay of forces in living birds, particularly at the shoulder where most wing motion takes place. Shoulder function depends on a balance of forces from muscles, ligaments and articular cartilages, as well as inertial, gravitational and aerodynamic loads on the wing. Here we show that the force balance system of the shoulder evolved from a primarily muscular mechanism to one in which the acrocoracohumeral ligament has a critical role. Features of the shoulder of Mesozoic birds and closely related theropod dinosaurs indicate that the evolution of flight preceded the acquisition of the ligament-based force balance system and that some basal birds are intermediate in shoulder morphology.