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The fossil record of gladius-bearing coleoids is scarce and based only on a few localities with geological horizons particularly favourable to their preservation (the so-called Konservat-Lagerstätten), which naturally leads to strongly limited data on geographical distributions. This emphasizes the importance of every new locality providing gladius-bearing coleoids. Here, we assess for the first time the gladius-bearing coleoid taxonomic diversity within the lower Toarcian "Schistes Cartons" of the Causses Basin (southeastern France). The material includes two fragmentary gladii, identified as Paraplesioteuthis sagittata and ? Loligosepi a sp. indet. Just with these two specimens, two (Prototeuthina and Loligosepiina) of the three (Prototeuthina, Loligosepiina and Teudopseina) suborders of Mesozoic gladius-bearing coleoids are represented. Thus, our results hint at a rich early Toarcian gladius-bearing coleoid diversity in the Causses Basin and point out the need for further field investigations in the lower Toarcian "Schistes Cartons" in this area. This new record of Paraplesioteuthis sagittata is only the second one in Europe and the third in the world (western Canada, Germany and now France). Based on these occurrences, we tentatively suggest that P . sagittata originated in the Mediterranean domain and moved to the Arctic realm through the Viking Corridor to eventually move even farther to North America., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2024 Jattiot et al.)

Premise: The conifer Geinitzia reichenbachii was a common member of the Cretaceous Laurasian floras. However, the histology of G. reichenbachii leafy axes was never described in detail, and our knowledge of its paleoecology remains very limited. Using new and exquisitely preserved silicified material from the Upper Cretaceous of western France, we describe G. reichenbachii from the gross morphology to the cellular scale, then discuss paleoecological and taphonomical implications., Methods: We examined specimens from two localities in western France (Claix and Moragne) using propagation phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography., Results: The cuticle and the inner tissues of leafy axes are preserved in three dimensions. Epidermis, hypodermis, palisade parenchyma, spongy parenchyma, transfusion tracheids, and most of tissues of the vascular cylinder are clearly discernible. The numerous resin ducts are sometimes filled by persisting resin. Additionally, surfaces of some leaves preserved drops and flows of resin., Conclusions: Depositional environmental context combined with histological features of G. reichenbachii suggest that this conifer was adapted to a range of marginal-littoral ecosystems including those open to the sea paleoenvironments and innermost ones influenced by strong continental inputs. Geinitzia reichenbachii was adapted to withstand intense sunlight, hot temperatures coupled with salty sea wind, and dry conditions. The frequent amber-bearing beds in the Cretaceous from western France with Geinitzia as a main component of the associated floras raises the possibility of a role for Geinitzia in the production of the "Charentese amber"., (© 2021 Botanical Society of America.)

Background and Aims: Terrestrial plant remains in fossilized tree resin are relatively common. However, histology and preservation of plants entombed in Cretaceous ambers remain poorly known. We report an exquisitely preserved conifer leafy axis from 100-million-year-old opaque amber of western France that is assignable to Glenrosa carentonensis Moreau, Néraudeau, Tafforeau & Dépré. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the taphonomy and the use of microtomography for studies of palaeobotanical remains in amber., Methods: A leafy axis was examined using propagation phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography with voxel sizes of 14·9, 1·4, and 0·7 μm., Key Results: The conifer leafy axis described is preserved in three dimensions. Despite desiccation of the specimen within the surrounding amber, the cuticle, as well as most of inner tissues, is preserved in three dimensions down to the cellular level. Epidermis, palisade parenchyma, spongy parenchyma, transfusion tracheids and vascular bundles are clearly distinguished., Conclusions: Gross morphology and histology of the specimen were revealed using synchrotron microtomography, allowing an unprecedented resolution for the study of soft-bodied plants entombed in amber. The study reveals a peculiar combination of authigenic and duripartic preservation as well as permineralization, and highlights the complexity of taphonomic processes that can occur in amber inclusions. This fossil demonstrates the difficulty of studying amber-preserved plant remains under certain conditions., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We report exceptionally well-preserved plant remains ascribed to the extinct conifer Glenrosa J. Watson et H.L. Fisher emend. V. Srinivasan inside silica-rich nodules from the Cenomanian of the Font-de-Benon quarry, Charente-Maritime, western France. Remains are preserved in three dimensions and mainly consist of fragmented leafy axes. Pollen cones of this conifer are for the first time reported and in some cases remain connected to leafy stems. Histology of Glenrosa has not previously been observed; here, most of internal tissues and cells are well-preserved and allow us to describe a new species, Glenrosa carentonensis sp. nov., using propagation phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography, a non-destructive technique. Leafy axes consist of characteristic helically arranged leaves bearing stomatal crypts. Glenrosa carentonensis sp. nov. differs from the other described species in developing a phyllotaxy 8/21, claw-shaped leaves, a thicker cuticle, a higher number of papillae and stomata per crypt. Pollen cones consist of peltate, helically arranged microsporophylls, each of them bearing 6-7 pollen sacs. The new high resolution tomographic approach tested here allows virtual palaeohistology on plants included inside a dense rock to be made. Most tissues of Glenrosa carentonensis sp. nov. are described. Lithological and palaeontological data combined with xerophytic features of Glenrosa carentonensis sp. nov. suggest that this conifer has been adapted to survive in harsh and instable environments such as coastal area exposed to hot, dry conditions.

A multiscale approach combining phase-contrast X-ray micro- and nanotomography is applied for imaging a Cretaceous fossil inflorescence in the resolution range from 0.75 μm to 50 nm. The wide range of scale views provides three-dimensional reconstructions from the external gross morphology of the inflorescence fragment to the finest exine sculptures of in situ pollen. This approach enables most of the characteristics usually observed under light microscopy, or with low magnification under scanning and transmission electron microscopy, to be obtained nondestructively. In contrast to previous tomography studies of fossil and extant flowers that used resolutions down to the micron range, we used voxels with a 50 nm side in local tomography scans. This high level of resolution enables systematic affinities of fossil flowers to be established without breaking or slicing specimens.

The effects of active immunization against inhibin on production performance in female Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were assessed in two separate trials using an MBP-cINA521 fusion protein as an immunogen. The fusion protein, MBP-cINA521, consisted of the bacterial maltose binding protein (MBP) and a truncated form of the mature alpha-subunit of chicken inhibin (cINA521). MBP-cINA1521 was constructed by: 1) excising a 521-bp PstI fragment from a chicken inhibin alpha-subunit cDNA (cINA6; gift of P. A. Johnson), 2) cloning this fragment, which encodes all but the first 11 amino acid residues of the mature alpha-subunit, into the pMal-c2 vector of the MBP fusion expression system, and 3) expressing the fusion protein (MBP-cINA521) from the Escherichia coli and purifying it using affinity chromatography. In each trial, quail were randomly and equally assigned to one of two injection treatments as follows: 1) MBP-cINA521 in Freund's adjuvant, or 2) Freund's adjuvant (vehicular controls; CON). All immunizations were given subcutaneously and Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvant were used for primary and booster injections, respectively. In Trial 1, birds were given a primary challenge of 0.2 mg MBP-cINA521 per bird at 25 d of age, followed by booster immunizations (0.1 mg MBP-cINA521 per bird) at 33, 40, 47, 54 and 61 d of age and every 35 d thereafter. The CON birds received vehicular immunizations at the same time intervals. In Trial 2, birds treated with MBP-cINA521 received a primary challenge of 0.2 mg MBP-cINA521 per bird at 26 d of age, followed by booster immunizations (0.1 mg MBP-cINA521 per bird) using the same schedule as that used in Trial 1, with the exception that no boosters were given after 61 d of age. The CON birds received vehicular immunizations at the same time intervals. Collection of production performance data was initiated coincident with the laying of the first egg in each trial (i.e., beginning at 41 and 44 d of age for Trials 1 and 2, respectively) and continued for 30 1-wk periods of lay. Combined data from Trials 1 and 2 indicated that the mean +/- SE age at first egg lay was markedly decreased (P < 0.005) in MBP-cINA521-treated quail (53.4 +/- 0.9 d of age) when compared to the CON (57.6 +/- 1.3 d of age). Likewise, the mean +/- SE age at 50% egg production was reduced (P < 0.03) in quail immunized against inhibin (65.4 +/- 2.1 d of age) when compared to the CON (77.6 +/- 4.7 d of age). Total hen-day egg production was also higher (P < 0.05, Trial 1; P < 0.01, Trial 2) in MBP-cINA521-treated quail (88.7 +/- 1.4%, Trial 1; 90.1 +/- 1.2%, Trial 2) than in the CON birds (81.9 +/- 2.9%, Trial 1; 73.6 +/- 6.5%, Trial 2). Collectively, these findings provide evidence that inhibin immunoneutralization accelerated puberty and enhanced hen-day egg production during a 30-wk period of egg lay in Japanese quail.

Control extender was incubated at 4 degrees C for 24 hours. Rubber or plastic syringe plungers were separately incubated in semen extender for 24 hours at 4 degrees C. Following incubation, the extender was stored at -20 degrees C until the time of semen collection. The treatments consisted of the following: Group A = equine semen plus control extender; Group B=equine semen plus extender incubated with rubber plungers and Group C=equine semen plus extender incubated in plastic plungers; Group D=equine semen plus control extended in rubber plunger syringes and Group E=equine semen plus control extender in plastic plunger syringer. Each group contained a 5-ml volume of semen and extender at a concentration of 1.0 x 10(8) sperm/ml. The number of live spermatozoa, percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa and rate of progressive motility were taken following collection and every 15 minutes for 1 hour following application of treatments. In experiment 2, treatments were allowed to incubate with semen for 45 minutes, then the extender was removed and was replaced with fresh extender. The rate of progressive motility and the percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa were taken immediately, at 45 minutes, and then every 15 minutes for 1 hour. In experiment 1, the number of live spermatozoa was not affected among the 5 groups. However, there was a decrease (P<0.01) in the rate of progressive motility and in the percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa in Group B compared with the remaining 4 treatment groups at 30, 45 and 60 minutes, with no differences noted when semen was held in syringes with a rubber or a plastic plunger. In experiment 2, the percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa increased after the addition of the control extender.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of stage of the bovine oestrous cycle on in-vitro morphology, growth and monolayer foundation of uterine and oviductal epithelial cells. Epithelial cells were isolated from the uterus and oviducts collected from cyclic cattle on the day of oestrus (Treatment A), and between days 4 to 6 (Treatment B), days 8 to 10 (Treatment C) and days 14 to 16 (Treatment D) of the oestrous cycle. The morphological development, per cent cell viability and cell attachment were evaluated during primary culture and after the first and third subpassages. The highest per cent cell viability and cell attachment during primary culture, respectively, were noted in Treatment B for both uterine (87.7 and 87.5%) and oviductal (88.4 and 87.2%) cell populations. Uterine epithelial cell populations in Treatments C and D, respectively, had the lowest viability (76.5 and 68.8%) and attachment (10.8 and 10.5%) during primary culture. There were marked improvements in cell viability and cell attachment following the first subpassage (P less than 0.001) compared with primary cultures for both uterine and oviductal cells. These results indicate that the stage of the oestrous cycle has dramatic effects on uterine and oviductal epithelial cell morphology and developmental patterns during primary in-vitro cultures. The stage of the oestrous cycle when cells are collected may be more important than was once realized when culturing early stage embryos in vitro.