Corn (Zea mays) as a Nutrient Source and Diet: A Review

Maize is also known as corn; it is a cereal. It is a member of Poaceae family which is a grass family. Maize originated 55 to 70 million year ago in central America. By seeing phylogenetic tree of grass species related to maize, it can be conclude that there is no direct ancestor of maize. The closest ancestor of maize are teosintes. Maize contains many phytochemical-like phystosterols, carotenoids and many other phenolic compounds. Maize also helps while reliving anti-HIV activity; this takes place due to the presence of Galanthus Nivalis Agglutinin (GNA) lectin. Maize is the great source of essential fatty assets. The maize cob and the root leaves of it are used to treat problem related to bladder, Nausea, vomiting. The endosperm of maize contains an alcohol solution prolamine called Zein, Which has a great role in pharmaceutical industry. Maize also contains resistant starch which reduces cancer-cecal, atherosclerosis and obesity related issues.

Cytogenetic evidence supports Avena insularis being closely related to hexaploid oats.

Cytogenetic observations, phylogenetic studies and genome analysis using high-density genetic markers have suggested a tetraploid Avena species carrying the C and D genomes (formerly C and A) to be the donor of all hexaploid oats (AACCDD). However, controversy surrounds which of the three extant CCDD tetraploid species - A. insularis , A. maroccana and A. murphyi - is most closely related to hexaploid oats. The present work describes a comparative karyotype analysis of these three CCDD tetraploid species and two hexaploid species, A. sativa and A. byzantina . This involved the use of FISH with six simple sequence repeats (SSRs) with the motifs CT, AAC, AAG, ACG, ATC and ACT, two repeated ribosomal sequences, and C genome-specific repetitive DNA. The hybridization pattern of A. insularis with oligonucleotide (AC) 10 was also determined and compared with those previously published for A. sativa and A. byzantina . Significant differences in the 5S sites and SSR hybridization patterns of A. murphyi compared to the other CCDD species rule out its being directly involved in the origin of the hexaploids. In contrast, the repetitive and SSR hybridization patterns shown by the D genome chromosomes, and by most of the C genome chromosomes of A. maroccana and A. insularis , can be equated with the corresponding chromosomes of the hexaploids. Several chromosome hybridization signals seen for A. insularis , but not for A. maroccana , were shared with the hexaploid oats species, especially with A. byzantina . These diagnostic signals add weight to the idea that the extant A. insularis , or a direct ancestor of it, is the most closely related progenitor of hexaploid oats. The similarity of the chromosome hybridization patterns of the hexaploids and CCDD tetraploids was taken as being indicative of homology. A common chromosome nomenclature for CCDD species based on that of the hexaploid species is proposed.

Sequence of the Mitochondrial Genome of Lactuca virosa Suggests an Unexpected Role in Lactuca sativa’s Evolution

The involvement of the different Lactuca species in the domestication and diversification of cultivated lettuce is not totally understood. Lactuca serriola is considered as the direct ancestor and the closest relative to Lactuca sativa, while the other wild species that can be crossed with L. sativa, Lactuca virosa, and Lactuca saligna, would have just contributed to the latter diversification of cultivated typologies. To contribute to the study of Lactuca evolution, we assembled the mtDNA genomes of nine Lactuca spp. accessions, among them three from L. virosa, whose mtDNA had not been studied so far. Our results unveiled little to no intraspecies variation among Lactuca species, with the exception of L. serriola where the accessions we sequenced diverge significantly from the mtDNA of a L. serriola accession already reported. Furthermore, we found a remarkable phylogenetic closeness between the mtDNA of L. sativa and the mtDNA of L. virosa, contrasting to the L. serriola origin of the nuclear and plastidial genomes. These results suggest that a cross between L. virosa and the ancestor of cultivated lettuce is at the origin of the actual mitochondrial genome of L. sativa.

Two New Cassis (Gastropoda: Cassidae) and a New Malea (Gastropoda: Tonnidae) from the Pliocene and Pleistocene Beds of Southern Florida

Two new fossil Helmet Shells of the genus Cassis Scopoli, 1777 (Cassidae) and a new fossil Grinning Tun Shell of the genus Malea Valenciennes, 1832 (Tonnidae) are described from the Pliocene and Pleistocene fossil beds of southern Florida. The new Helmet Shells, Cassis rasae n. sp. and Cassis viliusi n. sp., were both collected in the rich fossil beds of the Holey Land Member of the Bermont Formation (Calabrian Stage, Early Pleistocene) and the new Grinning Tun, Malea hyaducki n. sp., was collected in the Fruitville Member (Kissimmee River Valley equivalent beds) of the Tamiami Formation (late Piacenzian Stage of the Pliocene). The discovery of two new large Helmet Shells in the Holey Land Member demonstrates that four species of Cassis are present in the Bermont Formation, making this the single largest fossil Cassis fauna found anywhere on Earth. The new Grinning Tun represents the oldest-known Malea found in Florida, and is the direct ancestor of the Gelasian Pleistocene Malea springi (Caloosahatchee Formation) and the Calabrian Pleistocene Malea petiti (Bermont Formation).

A Marginal Case of Secondary Opening In GƏˁƏZ

In this article, I discuss a feature in the development of Gǝˁǝz that I term ‘secondary opening’ following the grammatical tradition of Masoretic Hebrew. By secondary opening, I refer to the development that produced a form such as bäḥär ‘sea’, which is prominent in EMML 6907 (twelfth cent.?), from *baḥr-, the typical realization of which is baḥr in Standard Gǝˁǝz. While admittedly marginal, forms with secondary opening are, I argue, nonetheless important since they provide a rare glimpse at a variety of Gǝˁǝz that was not the direct ancestor of what would eventually become Standard Gǝˁǝz.

The shadow of peasant past: Seven generations of inequality persistence in Northern Sweden

We use administrative data linked to parish records from Northern Sweden to study how persistent inequality is across multiple generations in education, occupation, and wealth, going from historical to contemporary time. Our data cover seven generations and allows us to follow ancestors of individuals living in Sweden around the new millennium back more than 200 years, covering the mid-18th century to the 21st century. In our sample of around 75,000 traceable descendants, we analyze (a) up to 5th cousin correlations and (b) dynastic correlations over seven generations based on aggregations of ancestors’ social class/status. With both approaches, we find that past generations structure life chances many generations later, even though mobility is very high. The persistence we find using cousin and dynastic correlations is much higher compared to a simple Markov model limited to sequential parent–child transfers, but we also find that direct ancestor associations are very small. This suggests that there is a weak but constant kinship influence that attenuates slowly over generations. Importantly, cousin correlations are much stronger if the ancestor held a high class position, suggesting that closure is more accentuated in top of society.

Learning from beautiful monsters: phylogenetic and morphogenetic implications of left-right asymmetry in ammonoid shells

Background Many pathologies that modify the shell geometry and ornamentation of ammonoids are known from the fossil record. Since they may reflect the developmental response of the organism to a perturbation (usually a sublethal injury), their study is essential for exploring the developmental mechanisms of these extinct animals. Ammonoid pathologies are also useful to assess the value of some morphological characters used in taxonomy, as well as to improve phylogenetic reconstructions and evolutionary scenarios. Results We report on the discovery of an enigmatic pathological middle Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) ammonoid specimen from southern France, characterized by a pronounced left-right asymmetry in both ornamentation and suture lines. For each side independently, the taxonomic interpretations of ornamentation and suture lines are congruent, suggesting a Hildoceras semipolitum species assignment for the left side and a Brodieia primaria species assignment for the right side. The former exhibits a lateral groove whereas the second displays sinuous ribs. This specimen, together with the few analogous cases reported in the literature, lead us to erect a new forma-type pathology herein called “forma janusa” for specimens displaying a left-right asymmetry in the absence of any clear evidence of injury or parasitism, whereby the two sides match with the regular morphology of two distinct, known species. Conclusions Since “forma janusa” specimens reflect the underlying developmental plasticity of the ammonoid taxa, we hypothesize that such specimens may also indicate unsuspected phylogenetic closeness between the two displayed taxa and may even reveal a direct ancestor-descendant relationship. This hypothesis is not, as yet, contradicted by the stratigraphical data at hand: in all studied cases the two distinct taxa correspond to contemporaneous or sub-contemporaneous taxa. More generally, the newly described specimen suggests that a hitherto unidentified developmental link may exist between sinuous ribs and lateral grooves. Overall, we recommend an integrative approach for revisiting aberrant individuals that illustrate the intricate links among shell morphogenesis, developmental plasticity and phylogeny.

A Reconsideration of the Handaxe Similarity in Korea

On the basis of a Eurocentric perspective, handaxes from Korea like others from the east of Movius Line (ML) have been known as non-typical handaxes. These are not usually known as typical Acheulean handaxes, but known as other appellations such as putative handaxes, protohandaxes, or non-classic handaxes. Conversely, various authors have studied the validity of morpho-typological similarities, with those from the west of ML. These efforts have led to various comparative studies between those from the east and west of ML. However a series of results show juxtaposed characteristic features. It means that only partial similarities have been examined. Such juxtaposed similarities lead to another question. It is necessary to determine how the similarity can be interpreted. Causes of the directional process making such similarities must be verified. These similarities can be regarded as the results of the (direct) ancestor-descendant process or the convergence process. In other words, newly formulated cultural entities should come from somewhere else or independently. Updated Korean data show that handaxe assemblage should be perceived as two separate entities. These are chronologically separated indeed. Also, a different lineage process may had occurred. The early phase of handaxes assemblage, might be brought by the convergence process. However, a question to consider is if the later phase of handaxes assemblage should be regarded as the same uniform process. The latter ones are much like recursive and these are normally incorporated with blade and micro-blade assemblages. From this perspective, handaxes assemblage in Korea are not necessarily seen as only one coherent cultural entity.

Revisiting the Origin of the Octoploid Strawberry

The cultivated strawberry, Fragaria ×ananassa, originated in France approximately 270 years ago via hybridization between two wild species introduced from North and South America. Both the cultivated strawberry and its parental species are octoploids with 2n=8x=56 chromosomes. In the recent publication of the genome of the cultivated strawberry, the authors present a novel phylogenetic hypothesis, proposing that each of the four subgenomes originated from a different 2n=2x=14 diploid progenitor. They further suggest that the hexaploid species Fragaria moschata was a direct ancestor of the strawberries. We reanalyzed the four octoploid subgenomes in a phylogenomic context, and found that only two extant diploids were progenitors, a result that is consistent with several previous studies. We also conducted a phylogenetic analysis of genetic linkage-mapped loci in the hexaploid F. moschata, and resolved its origin as independent of the octoploids. We identified assumptions in their tree-searching algorithm that prevented it from accepting extinct or unsampled progenitors, and we argue that this is a critical weakness of their approach. Correctly identifying their diploid progenitors is important for understanding and predicting the responses of polyploid plants to climate change and associated environmental stress.

Marx’s Reading of Spinoza: On the Alleged Influence of Spinoza on Marx

In this article, I investigate a hypothesis concerning the supposed influence of Spinoza on Marx’s works. Setting out from a comment made by Althusser – ‘[Spinoza] is the only direct ancestor of Marx’ – I try to demonstrate that even though the relationship between Spinoza and Marx has limited support at a historiographical level, a determined set of ideas of Spinoza can be connected to some of Marx’s political objectives in the period prior to 1845. This argument is supported through Marx’s notebooks devoted to studying Spinoza’s Theological-Political Treatise, written in 1841, and his refutation of Spinoza in The Holy Family. However, contrary to what could be expected, when Marx abandoned his most pronounced idealistic phase, within which Spinoza played a certain role, he rebelled against Spinozism at the same time. Nonetheless, it is one thing to repudiate Spinoza’s name, and a very different thing to repudiate Spinoza’s ideas.