Abundance patterns and foraging activity of ant communities in abandoned,organic and commercial apple orchards in Northern California

The abundance patterns of ant communities were monitored with pitfall traps during 14 weeks in four northern California, dry farmed, apple orchards: an abandoned orchard undisturbed for 25 years, two ‘organically’ managed orchards, one with a cover crop of bell beans (Vicia faba) and grasses and the other kept clean of cover by discing, and a ‘commercial’ clean cultivated orchard sprayed with organophosphate insecticides. Six species of ants coexisted in the abandoned orchard, whereas only two species were found in the managed orchards. In both the organic and sprayed, clean cultivated systems, ants were more abundant in the orchard edges than in the vegetation-free centers. This trend was not apparent in the abandoned or organic cover orchards, where plant diversity in the center was similar to that of the edges. Ant predation on potato tuberworm larvae, Phthorimaea operculella, artificially placed on the orchard floor, declined with the intensity of management and vegetational simplication. A higher incidence of larval removal occurred in the edges than in the centers of the clean cultivated orchards. No noticeable populations of ants were detected on the trees in any of the orchards. Increased vegetational diversity and lack of disturbance appeared to affect ant locomotory activity and foraging efficiency by creating preferred sheltering and feeding sites.     

青、草、鲢、鳙的乳酸脱氢酶同功酶谱及其与毒物作用的关系

本文报道了我国四大家鱼——青、草、鲢、鳙的乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)同功酶电泳图谱及毒物对草鱼血清乳酸脱氢酶(SLDH)同功酶谱的影响。 用聚丙烯酰胺垂直平板电泳,可以测出鲢、鳙血清中各有一条深色的LDH带、背、草鱼血清中含有五条深色的LDH同功酶带。草鱼不同器官组织匀浆中的LDH同功酶相对活性比例不同,与人类相似。 0.1ppm氯化汞、氯化镉、硝酸铅、硫酸铜,0.008ppm滴滴涕和0.84ppm对硫磷分别使草鱼致毒33天,发现氯化镉、硝酸铅使SLDH_5活性升高,氯化汞使SLDH_1升高,而硫酸铜使SLDH_4降低。在这个浓度下,滴滴涕、对硫磷致毒没有使鱼SLDH同功酶在比例上发生显著变化。 农药厂废水污染的Y湖中,肯、草、鲢、鳙SLDH总活性比污染较轻的T湖同种鱼高,特别是青、草鱼的SLDH_5活性明显升高。     

The Nobel Foundation and its role for modern day science

A short account is given of the events leading to the creation, after Alfred Nobel's death 1896, of the Nobel Foundation for the management of the funds, and of the Nobel committees in charge of the selection of the Prize winners in the five areas mentioned in the will. The impact of the various and partly recently added activities of the Nobel organizations on contemporary international scientific and cultural life is briefly discussed.     

兰州市大气飘尘中致突变物变化规律的研究

本研究对兰州市不同污染区(石油化工为主、燃煤、商业及农村)在不同季节时的大气飘尘,作了对比采样.飘尘样品用溶剂抽提法提取后,用化学萃取法分离为五个有机物馏分.用毛细色谱-质谱-计算机联用系统进行了定性分析,并用毛细管色谱法进行了部分定量分析.用Ames试验(用TA1537、TA98和TA100三株菌.加与不加S-1)对其致突变活性进行了研究.并对有机致突变物在不同污染区、不同季节的变化规律及其来源进行了初步探讨.     

Cercaricidal activity of some essential oils of plants from Brazil

Extended screening tests on the cercaricidal activity of various plants from northeast Brazil have shown that the extracts of the leaves and fruits ofPiper marginatum,Protium heptaphyllum, andCapsicum annuum show a remarkable effect on the cercaria ofSchistosoma mansoni. In the case of the oils ofPiper marginatum andCapsicum annuum, 90–96% of the cercaria ofSchistosoma mansoni were killed within 15 min. According to the NMR spectra, the active principles of the extracts seem to be water-soluble unsaturated compounds from the oils or their hydrolysis products. Natural substances provide an attractive alternative for preventive actions against schistosomiasis, as the perturbation of the ecological equilibrium of natural waters can be avoided in this manner.