Spontaneous expression of magnetic compass orientation in an epigeic rodent: the bank vole,Clethrionomys glareolus

Magnetoreception has been convincingly demonstrated in only a few mammalian species. Among rodents, magnetic compass orientation has been documented in four species of subterranean mole rats and two epigeic (i.e. active above ground) species—the Siberian hamster and the C57BL/6J mouse. The mole rats use the magnetic field azimuth to determine compass heading; their directional preference is spontaneous and unimodal, and their magnetic compass is magnetite-mediated. By contrast, the primary component of orientation response is learned in the hamster and the mouse, but both species also exhibit a weak spontaneous bimodal preference in the natural magnetic field. To determine whether the magnetic compass of wild epigeic rodents features the same functional properties as that of laboratory rodents, we investigated magnetic compass orientation in the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus (Cricetidae, Rodentia). The voles exhibited a robust spontaneous bimodal directional preference, i.e. built nests and slept preferentially along the north-south axis, and deflected their directional preference according to a shift in the direction of magnetic north, clearly indicating that they were deriving directional information from the magnetic field. Thus, bimodal, axially symmetrical directional choice seems to be a common feature shared by epigeic rodents. However, spontaneous directional preference in the bank vole appeared to be more pronounced than that reported in the hamster and the mouse. These findings suggest that bank voles are well suited for future studies investigating the adaptive significance and mechanisms of magnetic orientation in epigeic rodents.     

Navigation mit Duftkarte und Sonnenkompaß: Das Heimfindevermögen der Brieftauben

Pigeon homing, investigated as a paradigmatic example of bird navigation, appears to be based on two mechanisms of orientation whose functions correspond to those of map and compass. Tasks of the latter are usually accomplished by a sun compass, taking into account the sun's movement and time of day. Under overcast skies, the magnetic field of the earth may be used for compass orientation. The "map" part of the system, responsible for site localization, makes use of olfactory perception of atmospheric trace compounds, which must be concluded to contain positional information in unfamiliar areas up to several hundreds of kilometers from home.     

Avian magnetic compass: fast adjustment to intensities outside the normal functional window

To determine how fast birds can adapt to magnetic intensities outside the normal functional window of their magnetic compass, we tested migratory birds in a magnetic field of 92,000 nT, twice the intensity of the local geomagnetic field at the test site in Frankfurt a.M., Germany. In the local field, robins showed a significant preference of their southerly migratory direction, whereas in the 92,000-nT field, they were initially disoriented. However, when the birds were preexposed to 92,000 nT for 1 h before being tested, they were able to orient under this intensity, and their behavior did not differ from that in the geomagnetic field. These data show that birds require only a short time to adjust to magnetic intensities, which they cannot spontaneously use for orientation. Interpreting these findings in view of the radical pair model (Ritz et al. 2000), this means that they can learn rather quickly to interpret novel activation patterns on their retina.     

Light-dependent magnetic compass in Iberian green frog tadpoles

Here, we provide evidence for a wavelength-dependent effect of light on magnetic compass orientation in Pelophylax perezi (order Anura), similar to that observed in Rana catesbeiana (order Anura) and Notophthalmus viridescens (order Urodela), and confirm for the first time in an anuran amphibian that a 90° shift in the direction of magnetic compass orientation under long-wavelength light (≥500 nm) is due to a direct effect of light on the underlying magnetoreception mechanism. Although magnetic compass orientation in other animals (e.g., birds and some insects) has been shown to be influenced by the wavelength and/or intensity of light, these two amphibian orders are the only taxa for which there is direct evidence that the magnetic compass is light-dependent. The remarkable similarities in the light-dependent magnetic compasses of anurans and urodeles, which have evolved as separate clades for at least 250 million years, suggest that the light-dependent magnetoreception mechanism is likely to have evolved in the common ancestor of the Lissamphibia (Early Permian, ~294 million years) and, possibly, much earlier. Also, we discuss a number of similarities between the functional properties of the light-dependent magnetic compass in amphibians and blue light-dependent responses to magnetic stimuli in Drosophila melanogaster, which suggest that the wavelength-dependent 90° shift in amphibians may be due to light activation of different redox forms of a cryptochrome photopigment. Finally, we relate these findings to earlier studies showing that the pineal organ of newts is the site of the light-dependent magnetic compass and recent neurophysiological evidence showing magnetic field sensitivity in the frog frontal organ (an outgrowth of the pineal).     

Magnetic compass orientation of migratory birds in the presence of a 1.315 MHz oscillating field

The radical pair model of magnetoreception predicts that magnetic compass orientation can be disrupted by high frequency magnetic fields in the Megahertz range. European robins, Erithacus rubecula, were tested under monochromatic 565 nm green light in 1.315 MHz fields of 0.48 T during spring and autumn migration, with 1.315 MHz being the frequency that matches the energetic splitting induced by the local geomagnetic field. The birds responses depended on the alignment of the oscillating field with respect to the static geomagnetic field: when the 1.315 MHz field was aligned parallel with the field lines, birds significantly preferred northerly directions in spring and southerly directions in autumn. These preferences reflect normal migratory orientation, with the variance slightly increased compared to control tests in the geomagnetic field alone or to tests in a 7.0 MHz field. However, in the 1.315 MHz field aligned at a 24° angle to the field lines, the birds were disoriented in both seasons, indicating that the high frequency field interfered with magnetoreception. These finding are in agreement with theoretical predictions and support the assumption of a radical-pair mechanism underlying the processes mediating magnetic compass information in birds.     

Seasonal patterns in the orientation system of the migratory ant Pachycondyla marginata

Route directions of migrations by the neotropical termite-hunting ant Pachycondyla marginata at a forest reserve in Southeast Brazil were analysed by circular statistic. Colony movement patterns were compared between the rainy/hot and dry/cold seasons. Migrations during the dry/cold season are significantly oriented 13 degrees with the magnetic North-South axis, while rainy/hot migrations do not exhibit a preferred direction. This result is discussed considering the hypothesis that P. marginata ants may use the geomagnetic field as an orientation cue for migrations in the dry/cold season. The presence of magnetic iron oxides in the head and abdomen of P. marginata is consistent with this suggestion.     

Magnetic and other field effects on prochiral chemical reactions

Experiments are reported in which three prochiral organic reactions were conducted in the presence of a ca. 1T magnetic field which was oriented with reference to the earth's geometric axes. The sign and magnitude of the rotation varied with the macroscopic orientation of the magnetic field and the time that the reaction was performed. Control measurements were in accord with expectations. The fact that the sign of the observed optical rotation of the product was reversed for all three reported reactions when the magnetic field was reversed for reactions conducted on the same day suggests that either the observed asymmetric synthesis was due to the reactions being conducted in a chiral physical field or extremely unusual stochastic processes were involved.     

A time-compressed simulated geomagnetic storm influences the nest-exiting flight angles of the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula

Insects have been used as models for understanding animal orientation. It is well accepted that social insects such as honeybees and ants use different natural cues in their orientation mechanism. A magnetic sensitivity was suggested for the stingless bee Schwarziana quadripunctata, based on the observation of a surprising effect of a geomagnetic storm on the nest-exiting flight angles. Stimulated by this result, in this paper, the effects of a time-compressed simulated geomagnetic storm (TC-SGS) on the nest-exiting flight angles of another stingless bee, Tetragonisca angustula, are presented. Under an applied SGS, either on the horizontal or vertical component of the geomagnetic field, both nest-exiting flight angles, dip and azimuth, are statistically different from those under geomagnetic conditions. The angular dependence of ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra of whole stingless bees shows the presence of organized magnetic nanoparticles in their bodies, which indicates this material as a possible magnetic detector.     

Magnetoreception in birds: no intensity window in “fixed direction” responses

Under 502 nm turquoise light combined with 590 nm yellow light and in total darkness, European robins, Erithacus rubecula, no longer prefer their migratory direction, but exhibit so-called fixed direction responses that do not show the seasonal change between spring and autumn. We tested robins under these light conditions in the local geomagnetic field of 46 μT, a field of twice this intensity, 92 μT, and a field of three times this intensity, 138 μT. Under all three magnetic conditions, the birds preferred the same easterly direction under turquoise-and-yellow light and the same northwesterly direction under dark, while they were oriented in their seasonally appropriate direction under control conditions. “Fixed direction” responses are thus not limited to a narrow intensity window as has been found for normal compass orientation. This can be attributed to their origin in the magnetite-based receptor in the upper beak, which operates according to fundamentally different principles than the radical pair mechanism in the retina mediating compass orientation. “Fixed direction” responses are possibly a relict of a receptor mechanism that changed its function, now mainly providing information on magnetic intensity.     

Magnetic compass orientation of European robins under 565 nm green light

European robins tested under monochromatic green light with a peak wavelength of 565 nm at an intensity of 2.1 mW m^-2 in the local geomagnetic field preferred their migratory direction, heading southward in autumn and northward in spring. Inverting of the vertical component of the magnetic field caused the robins to reverse their headings, indicating that the birds used a magnetic inclination compass to locate their migratory direction. The behavior recorded under green light at an intensity of 2.1 mW m^-2 is thus not different from that previously recorded under "white" light; it represents normal migratory orientation.     

Behavioural evidence of magnetoreception in dolphins: detection of experimental magnetic fields

Magnetoreception, meaning the perception of magnetic fields, is supposed to play an important role for orientation/navigation in some terrestrial and aquatic species. Although some spatial observations of free-ranging cetaceans’ migration routes and stranding sites led to the assumption that cetaceans may be sensitive to the geomagnetic field, experimental evidence is lacking. Here, we tested the spontaneous response of six captive bottlenose dolphins to the presentation of two magnetized and demagnetized controlled devices while they were swimming freely. Dolphins approached the device with shorter latency when it contained a strongly magnetized neodymium block compared to a control demagnetized block that was identical in form and density and therefore undistinguishable with echolocation. We conclude that dolphins are able to discriminate the two stimuli on the basis of their magnetic properties, a prerequisite for magnetoreception-based navigation.     

磁场协同交变脉冲电化学场处理垃圾渗滤液

以自行研制的交变脉冲电源为基础,在自制的磁场-电化学场一体化水处理反应器中,使用铝片为可溶性电极,并同时施加磁场和交变脉冲电解电流,对垃圾渗滤液进行处理.在磁感应强度为0.08 T,脉冲峰值电流密度为5 A/dm2,平均脉冲峰值电压为2.0 V,脉冲电流周期为3 s及处理时间为90 min的工艺条件下,相对于相同电化学条件的单一交变脉冲电絮凝处理,新鲜垃圾渗滤液的COD_Cr与NH₃-N的去除率分别提高了8.41%和6.56%;老龄垃圾渗滤液的COD_Cr与NH₃-N的去除率分别提高了16.01%和7.82%.表明磁场与电化学场的协同作用明显地提高了废水的处理效果.      

磁种和磁处理技术在废水处理中的应用

综述了微细粒磁性颗粒（磁种）在水中对许多污染物具有吸附和絮凝作用，用一些物理和化学方法可使其作用范围扩大。吸附剂与磁咱结合细菌吸附磁性离子等手段可实现加种，磁种作用与磁处理工艺相结合，扩大了磁场处理废水的范围，提高了废水处理的技术经济效益。     

Ecotoxicological effects of waterborne PFOS exposure on swimming performance and energy expenditure in juvenile goldfish (Carassius auratus)

The potential risks of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) are of increasing ecological concern. Swimming performance is linked to the fitness and health of fish. However, the impacts of PFOS on swimming performance remain largely unknown. We investigated the ecotoxicological effects of acute exposure to PFOS on the swimming performance and energy expenditure of juvenile goldfish (Carassius auratus). The fish were exposed to a range of PFOS concentrations (0, 0.5, 2, 8 and 32 mg/L) for 48 hr. The spontaneous swimming activity, fast-start swimming performance, critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and active metabolic rate (AMR) of the goldfish were examined after exposure to PFOS. PFOS exposure resulted in remarkable effects on spontaneous activity. Motion distance was reduced, and the proportion of motionless time increased with increasing concentrations of PFOS. However, no significant alterations in the fast-start performance-related kinematic parameters, such as latency time, maximum linear velocity, maximum linear acceleration or escape distance during the first 120 msec after stimulus, were observed after PFOS exposure. Unexpectedly, although PFOS exposure had marked influences on the swimming oxygen consumption rates and AMR of goldfish, the U crit of the goldfish was not significantly affected by PFOS. This may result in a noteworthy increase in the energetic cost of transport. The overall results indicate that, in contrast to spontaneous activity, underlying swimming capabilities are maintained in goldfish after short-term exposure to PFOS, but energy expenditure during the process of swimming is dramatically aggravated.     

磁场水处理技术中微观电磁感应行为分析

运用电磁学基础知识,引用分子电流模型,通过数学推导,分析得出水系统中微观粒子因受到电磁感应影响,可引发电子云分布改变。同时论证说明各磁场因素对该过程的影响,并通过试验进行了验证。分析表明:在磁场水处理技术中,微观电磁感应现象更具有普遍意义,进一步揭示磁场水处理技术的磁场作用机理,为磁场水处理装置的设计与应用提供了依据。     

磁处理水对蚕豆根尖细胞的遗传学效应

利用蚕豆根尖细胞微核测试技术研究了磁化水（4200GS）对蚕豆根尖细胞的微核率、有丝分裂指数、染色体桥率、不正常细胞率等遗传学指标的影响,目的是探讨磁处理水对生物体的遗传学效应,结果发现上述指标均有所上升,其中微核率和不正常细胞率上升显著,并且其大小与水在磁场中处理的时间长短有关,提示磁处理水（4200GS）有一定的遗传学毒性     

磁法应用于填埋场渗漏检测的可行性论证

针对填埋场防渗膜(高密度聚乙烯,缩写为HDPE)膜上介质含水率不同的特点,提出利用磁法检测填埋场渗漏(简称磁法测漏).通过修正高压直流电法渗漏检测模型,定性分析了填埋场防渗膜漏洞附近磁场的分布情况.结果表明:当检测区域背景磁感应强度波动小于0.5 nT时,利用磁法检测填埋场渗漏有效可行;但当检测区域背景磁感应强度波动大于0.5 nT时,磁法测漏须通过比较固定点处供电电源在通、断电情况下的磁感应强度差异来判断,这在大面积范围内的工程上较难实现,仅可用于局部防渗膜的漏洞检测;由于影响磁场分布的因素较多,提高磁法测漏的抗干扰能力仍需进一步研究.      

镉致金鱼生物标志物形成初探

通过实验室静养金鱼的染毒试验，发现重金属Cd^2 对鱼有突出的损伤作用，实验发现鱼在受到Cd^2 胁迫的时候，出现反应活动异常、组织结构病变，细胞超微结构特异等显著特征，鱼体死亡率对数与受试浓度有较好的相关性，通过实验分析重金属作用于鱼体的过程、途径以及生物吸收的内在机理，有利于从理论上阐释重金属的危害。     

Neurobiology of the homing pigeon—a review

Homing pigeons are well known as good homers, and the knowledge of principal parameters determining their homing behaviour and the neurological basis for this have been elucidated in the last decades. Several orientation mechanisms and parameters—sun compass, earth’s magnetic field, olfactory cues, visual cues—are known to be involved in homing behaviour, whereas there are still controversial discussions about their detailed function and their importance. This paper attempts to review and summarise the present knowledge about pigeon homing by describing the known orientation mechanisms and factors, including their pros and cons. Additionally, behavioural features like motivation, experience, and track preferences are discussed. All behaviour has its origin in the brain and the neuronal basis of homing and the neuroanatomical particularities of homing pigeons are a main topic of this review. Homing pigeons have larger brains in comparison to other non-homing pigeon breeds and particularly show increased size of the hippocampus. This underlines our hypothesis that there is a relationship between hippocampus size and spatial ability. The role of the hippocampus in homing and its plasticity in response to navigational experience are discussed in support of this hypothesis.     

久效磷农药对金鱼肝细胞DNA的损伤及其机制研究

以金鱼(Carassius auratus)为模式生物,研究了久效磷农药暴露导致的DNA损伤类型及其作用机制.结果表明:0.01,0.10,1.00mg/L的久效磷农药暴露24,48,96,168h均导致金鱼肝细胞DNA损伤程度显著升高,48h损伤最严重;暴露48h采用碱性、pH值12.1和中性彗星电泳发现DNA损伤类型主要为碱不稳定位点形成,其次为单/双链断裂;采用Endo Ⅲ酶和FPG酶处理的碱性彗星电泳,发现DNA出现氧化损伤;暴露24h肝脏谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)活性显著降低,丙二醛(MDA)含量显著升高达到峰值,96~168h超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和GSH-Px活性显著升高,MDA含量与24h相比有所降低,表明活性氧自由基(ROS)含量在短期暴露升高(24h)、在96~168h暴露逐渐降低.影响抗氧化酶活性、干扰ROS清除过程是久效磷农药造成DNA损伤的主要机制.