Predator odour and its impact on male fertility and reproduction in Phodopus campbelli hamsters

 This study investigated the influence of cat urine odour in suppressing development and fertility in Campbell's hamster males. Exposure to this odour from postnatal day 11 until day 45 (sexual maturation) resulted in reduced sex organ weights, reduced testosterone levels and in an increase in abnormalities of the synaptonemal complex in both sex chromosomes and autosomes. Subsequent breeding experiments revealed a significant decrease in litter size. All these data indicate a severe effect of predator odour on the breeding success of potential prey species. It is assumed that these effects are caused by the sulphurous compounds in the urine; however, the underlying mechanisms are not yet known. Received: 31 January 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 6 June 2000     

A new type of infrared organ in the Australian "fire-beetle" Merimna atrata (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

 The Australian buprestid beetle Merimna atrata (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) approaches forest fires because its larvae develop in freshly burnt wood. So far nothing is known about possible sensory systems enabling the beetles to detect fires and to cope with the thermal environment close to the flames. We found that M. atrata has two pairs of infrared (IR) organs on the ventrolateral sides of the abdomen. Each IR organ consists of a specialized IR-absorbing area which is innervated by one thermosensitive multipolar neuron. The primary dendritic branches ramify into more than 800 closely packed terminal endings which contain a large number of mitochondria. We called the special morphology of the dendritic region a terminal dendritic mass. The type of IR receptor found in M. atrata is unique in insects and can best be compared with the IR organs of boid snakes. Received: 14 August 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 18 October 2000     

Gold mining in Siberia and the Far East as a source of mercury contamination of the environment

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＳｉｂｅｒｉａａｎｄｔｈｅＦａｒＥａｓｔａｒｅｔｈｅｏｌｄｅｓｔａｎｄｔｈｅｒｉｃｈｅｓｔｇｏｌｄ ｍｉｎｉｎｇａｒｅａｓｏｆＲｕｓｓｉａ .Ｉｎｔｅｎｓｉｖｅｇｏｌｄ ｍｉｎｉｎｇｈｅｒｅｓｔａｒｔｅｄｉｎｔｈｅｂｅｇｉｎｎｉｎｇｏｆｔｈｅ 19ｔｈｃｅｎｔｕｒｙ(Ｖｙａｚｅｌｓｈｃｈｉｋｏｖ ,1963) .Ｆｏｒｔｈｅｍｏｓｔｐａｒｔｇｏｌｄ ｂｅａｒｉｎｇｏｒｅｓａｎｄｓａｎｄｓｗｅｒｅｐｒｏｃｅｓｓｅｄｗｉｔｈｔｈｅｕｓｅｏｆａｍａｌｇａｍａｔｉｏｎｍｅｔｈｏｄｆｏｒｇｏｌｄｅ…     

纳米材料与TiO_2光催化废水处理技术

结合纳米技术和纳米材料的基本原理和特性 ,介绍了TiO2 光催化氧化处理废水的反应原理、TiO2 的材料使用及主要影响因素 ,指出了今后的研究方向。     

颗粒物悬浮体系中聚合铝凝聚絮凝形态表征 (Ⅰ):Al-Feron法的应用研究

应用Ａｌ－Ｆｅｒｒｏｎ法于悬浮体系中聚合铝的形态分布表征，对其中的主要影响因素进行探讨，就不同碱化度聚合铝的形态分析进行实例研究．结果表明，混合方式对Ａｌ－Ｆｅｒｏｎ法的应用具有一定的影响作用．比色管混合测得Ａｌａ为２１．５４％，低于磁力搅拌方式结果（２４．５２％，２５．２２％，２５．０６％）．应用磁力搅拌方式可以获取较好的重复性与更多初期反应信息．颗粒物的存在对反应的影响主要取决于其浓度与粒度分布，成一定线性关系，可以从中加以扣除．在本实验范围内因其溶解所产生的影响可以忽略不计．对多个碱化度聚合铝的实例研究表明，Ａｌ－Ｆｅｒｏｎ法完全适用于颗粒物悬浮体系中的形态分布表征     

Stadtökologie

Within the cities, natural environmental conditions become manifold modified. Thereby, together with the high density of population, enduring effects upon human feeling results. In order to ensure reasonable conditions of life, in spite of the many effective factors in the cities, enforced interdisciplinary research and teaching will be necessary.