Functional morphology of the raptorial forelegs in Mantispa styriaca (Insecta: Neuroptera)

AbstractThe insect leg is a multifunctional device, varying tremendously in form and function within Insecta: from a common walking leg, to burrowing, swimming or jumping devices, up to spinning apparatuses or tools for prey capturing. Raptorial forelegs, as predatory striking and grasping devices, represent a prominent example for convergent evolution within insects showing strong morphological and behavioural adaptations for a lifestyle as an ambush predator. However, apart from praying mantises (Mantodea)—the most prominent example of this lifestyle—the knowledge on morphology, anatomy, and the functionality of insect raptorial forelegs, in general, is scarce. Here, we show a detailed morphological description of raptorial forelegs ofMantispa styriaca(Neuroptera), including musculature and the material composition in their cuticle; further, we will discuss the mechanism of the predatory strike. We could confirm all 15 muscles previously described for mantis lacewings, regarding extrinsic and intrinsic musculature, expanding it for one important new muscle—M24c. Combining the information from all of our results, we were able to identify a possible catapult mechanism (latch-mediated spring actuation system) as a driving force of the predatory strike, never proposed for mantis lacewings before. Our results lead to a better understanding of the biomechanical aspects of the predatory strike in Mantispidae. This study further represents a starting point for a comprehensive biomechanical investigation of the convergently evolved raptorial forelegs in insects.

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Material approaches to exploring the borders of paratext

Textual Cultures ◽

10.14434/textual.v11i1-2.23302 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (1-2) ◽

pp. 106-129

Author(s):

Sirkku Inkeri Ruokkeinen ◽

Aino Liira

Keyword(s):

Early Modern ◽

Book History ◽

Form And Function ◽

Gray Area ◽

Theoretical Approaches ◽

Starting Point ◽

Good Starting Point ◽

And Function ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

This article examines the relationship of material text (text of the document) and paratext in light of fourteenth to sixteenth century evidence. Despite the wealth of interest generated by paratexts and paratextuality in recent years, especially in the fields of literary studies, book history, and translation studies, theoretical approaches to paratexts and paratextuality remain scarce. The paratextual status of an element is typically determined by its function, in combination with its distance from the material text: elements within the codex which do not share space with the text are part of the paratext. Less studied, however, is the gray area of elements which are located within the codex and share the space with the text. We examine this border between text and paratext through an analysis of late medieval and early modern initials, typeface, script and notes. While the form and function of the element are a good starting point, we propose that gauging the optionality of the element, in relation to the abstract text of the work and the material text of the document, is a better indicator of its paratextual status. Optionality should therefore be taken into consideration as evidence of a type of contemporary paratextual understanding.

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English as a lingua franca: between form and function

English Today ◽

10.1017/s0266078408000163 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 20-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Mario Saraceni

Keyword(s):

Lingua Franca ◽

Form And Function ◽

Starting Point ◽

The World ◽

And Function ◽

Theoretical Considerations

ABSTRACTIn this paper I wish to discuss some aspects of the current debates about the concept of English as a lingua franca. In doing so, I will use a recount of the pre-publication stages of the volume English in the World: Global Rules, Global Roles, co-edited by Rani Rubdy and myself (2006) as a starting point, to set the scene, and will move to more theoretical considerations in the second part of the paper.

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Euroscepticism and Europeanisation at a Margin of Europe

Anthropological Journal of European Cultures ◽

10.3167/ajec.2011.200205 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 87-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Polya Ilieva ◽

Thomas M. Wilson

Keyword(s):

European Integration ◽

Central And Eastern Europe ◽

Socialist Country ◽

Transformative Power ◽

Form And Function ◽

Starting Point ◽

And Function ◽

The Eu

This article examines forms of ideological and political responses to European integration and Europeanisation that are either negative in form and function or that are projected as such for local and national purposes. The concept of 'Euroscepticism' is shown here as a useful linguistic and sociological starting point for examining the transformative power of the EU in the politics of all levels of European societies. The ways in which people express their support, opposition or ennui in regard to the role of 'Europe' in their lives delineates here the instrumentalism in the way they approach advancing European integration. The processes of resisting, negotiating and adapting (and adapting to) European integration are offered here as topics of anthropological significance in their own right. A case study from one former socialist country, Bulgaria, illustrates what may be suggested as a commonplace sentiment throughout the EU - a feeling of marginality due to the disconnection and disaffection that remain at the heart of Euroscepticism in all of its forms. Bulgaria offers a frame through which to reflect on the reformulations in local, regional and national political society as they relate to supranational and transnational forces throughout Europe, and to illustrate how an anthropological attention to the issues of post-socialism in Central and Eastern Europe may bene fit from an examination of the new forces of European integration.

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Molecules into Cells: Specifying Spatial Architecture

Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews ◽

10.1128/mmbr.69.4.544-564.2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 69 (4) ◽

pp. 544-564 ◽

Cited By ~ 100

Author(s):

Franklin M. Harold

Keyword(s):

Structure Form ◽

Stepping Stones ◽

Form And Function ◽

Physiological Processes ◽

Self Organized ◽

Starting Point ◽

Physical Forces ◽

And Function ◽

Spatial Architecture

SUMMARY A living cell is not an aggregate of molecules but an organized pattern, structured in space and in time. This article addresses some conceptual issues in the genesis of spatial architecture, including how molecules find their proper location in cell space, the origins of supramolecular order, the role of the genes, cell morphology, the continuity of cells, and the inheritance of order. The discussion is framed around a hierarchy of physiological processes that bridge the gap between nanometer-sized molecules and cells three to six orders of magnitude larger. Stepping stones include molecular self-organization, directional physiology, spatial markers, gradients, fields, and physical forces. The knowledge at hand leads to an unconventional interpretation of biological order. I have come to think of cells as self-organized systems composed of genetically specified elements plus heritable structures. The smallest self that can be fairly said to organize itself is the whole cell. If structure, form, and function are ever to be computed from data at a lower level, the starting point will be not the genome, but a spatially organized system of molecules. This conclusion invites us to reconsider our understanding of what genes do, what organisms are, and how living systems could have arisen on the early Earth.

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Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) of DNA and RNA

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100152148 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 47 ◽

pp. 34-35

Author(s):

Patricia G. Arscott ◽

Gil Lee ◽

Victor A. Bloomfield ◽

D. Fennell Evans

Keyword(s):

Molecular Structures ◽

Inorganic Materials ◽

Resolving Power ◽

Scanning Tunneling ◽

Tunneling Microscopy ◽

Form And Function ◽

Dna And Rna ◽

Calf Thymus ◽

And Function ◽

The Relationship

STM is one of the most promising techniques available for visualizing the fine details of biomolecular structure. It has been used to map the surface topography of inorganic materials in atomic dimensions, and thus has the resolving power not only to determine the conformation of small molecules but to distinguish site-specific features within a molecule. That level of detail is of critical importance in understanding the relationship between form and function in biological systems. The size, shape, and accessibility of molecular structures can be determined much more accurately by STM than by electron microscopy since no staining, shadowing or labeling with heavy metals is required, and there is no exposure to damaging radiation by electrons. Crystallography and most other physical techniques do not give information about individual molecules.We have obtained striking images of DNA and RNA, using calf thymus DNA and two synthetic polynucleotides, poly(dG-me5dC)·poly(dG-me5dC) and poly(rA)·poly(rU).

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