Daytime light intensity affects seasonal timing via changes in the nocturnal melatonin levels

Daytime light intensity can affect the photoperiodic regulation of the reproductive cycle in birds. The actual way by which light intensity information is transduced is, however, unknown. We postulate that transduction of the light intensity information is mediated by changes in the pattern of melatonin secretion. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of high and low daytime light intensities on the daily melatonin rhythm of Afro-tropical stonechats (Saxicola torquata axillaris) in which seasonal changes in daytime light intensity act as a zeitgeber of the circannual rhythms controlling annual reproduction and molt. Stonechats were subjected to light conditions simulated as closely as possible to native conditions near the equator. Photoperiod was held constant at 12.25 h of light and 11.75 h of darkness per day. At intervals of 2.5 to 3.5 weeks, daytime light intensity was changed from bright (12,000 lux at one and 2,000 lux at the other perch) to dim (1,600 lux at one and 250 lux at the other perch) and back to the original bright light. Daily plasma melatonin profiles showed that they were linked with changes in daytime light intensity: Nighttime peak and total nocturnal levels were altered when transitions between light conditions were made, and these changes were significant when light intensity was changed from dim to bright. We suggest that daytime light intensity could affect seasonal timing via changes in melatonin profiles. Professor Dr. E. Gwinner died on 07 September 2004.     

Triterpene saponin hemi-biosynthesis of a leaf beetle’s (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Platyphora kollari</Emphasis>) defensive secretion

The adults of the leaf beetle Platyphora kollari (Chrysomelidae) are able to metabolise the oleanane triterpene β-amyrin (1) into the glycoside 3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-d-glucuronopyranosyl-hederagenin (2) that is stored in their defensive glands. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that oleanolic acid (3) is an intermediate in the conversion of 1 into 2 and to check whether the sequestration of pentacyclic triterpenes is selective in favour of β-amyrin (1). To this end, adults of P. kollari were fed with Ipomoea batatas leaf disks painted with a solution of [2,2,3-²H₃]oleanolic acid or [2,2,3-²H₃]α-amyrin and the secretion of their defensive glands analysed by HPLC–ESIMS. The data presented in this work indicated that the first step of the transformation of β-amyrin (1) into the sequestered glycoside 2 is its oxidation into oleanolic acid (3) and that this conversion is selective but not specific in favour of β-amyrin (1).     

Conditions controlling the onset of breeding migration of the Japanese mountain stream frog, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rana sakuraii</Emphasis>

I studied the conditions controlling the timing of breeding migration of the Japanese mountain stream frog Rana sakuraii, an explosive breeder, over 9 years (1992, 1993 and 1999–2005). I analysed two factors: the daily cumulative temperature (DCT) during hibernation and the triggering temperature on the day of migration onset. Frogs hibernated in shallow running water in streams in December. A total of 53,155 breeding migrating adults were captured by traps. Every year, breeding migration was induced by a rise in daily maximum water temperature to about 5°C. However, its date was limited to 1 February at the earliest, and the onset needed a DCT (from 20 January, using 3°C as the threshold for daily effective temperature) of at least about 15°C. Earlier (e.g. in mid- or late January), even if the maximum temperature rose to 5–8°C, migration did not begin. Moreover, even in early February, if the maximum temperature rose to 5°C, if it had been too cold in January and the DCT was low, migration would not begin until mid- or late February. Thus, the earliest date of readiness for migration varied from 1 February to mid-February, depending on the winter DCT. Logistic regression analyses showed that both factors, the DCT and the daily temperature, were significant. I propose that in temperate-zone amphibian explosive breeders, both the passing of an essential number of days and an essential DCT during hibernation are prerequisites for the onset of breeding migration before the daily temperature rises to the threshold.     

大型社会活动的事故预防与控制

大型社会活动的安全形势非常严峻,本文通过对大型社会活动安全管理中存在的问题和事故影响因素的分析,从事故预防和控制的角度提出几点措施.     

Further evidence of nuclear reactions in the Pd/D lattice: emission of charged particles

Almost two decades ago, Fleischmann and Pons reported excess enthalpy generation in the negatively polarized Pd/D-D₂O system, which they attributed to nuclear reactions. In the months and years that followed, other manifestations of nuclear activities in this system were observed, viz. tritium and helium production and transmutation of elements. In this report, we present additional evidence, namely, the emission of highly energetic charged particles emitted from the Pd/D electrode when this system is placed in either an external electrostatic or magnetostatic field. The density of tracks registered by a CR-39 detector was found to be of a magnitude that provides undisputable evidence of their nuclear origin. The experiments were reproducible. A model based upon electron capture is proposed to explain the reaction products observed in the Pd/D-D₂O system.

Male satin bowerbirds (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ptilonorhynchus violaceus</Emphasis>) compensate for sexual signal loss by enhancing multiple display features

Numerous studies have focussed on the relationship between female choice and the multiple exaggerated sexual traits of males. However, little is known about the ability of males to actively enhance specific components of their display in response to the loss of one component. We investigated the capacity of male satin bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) to respond to the loss of one of their sexual signals by performing an experiment in which we removed decorations at their bowers. We found that males compensated for decoration loss by increasing bower construction behaviour and decreasing their latency to bower painting. These results are novel because they suggest that males can assess the quality of their own display and make decisions about how to augment their displays. We discuss these results in the context of previous studies of mate choice in satin bowerbirds, as both of the supplementary behaviours we observed are known correlates of male mating success.     

Prenatal cannibalism in an insect

Host selection and infection strategies of parasitoids often correlate with high parental investment and low numbers of progeny. In this study, we investigate how additional internal mechanisms might shape brood size and fitness of the offspring. Emblemasoma auditrix is a parasitoid fly in which about 38 larvae hatch simultaneously in utero. After host location, a single larva is deposited into the host, where it rapidly develops and pupates after about 5 days. The search for hosts can take several weeks, and during that time, the larvae arrest their development and remain in the first larval instar. Nevertheless, the larvae increase in weight within the uterus, and this growth correlates to a decrease in the number of larvae, although no larvae are deposited. Thus, our data indicate a first case of prenatal cannibalism in an invertebrate with larvae feeding on each other within the uterus of the adult.     

Experience,but not distance,influences the recruitment precision in the stingless bee <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scaptotrigona mexicana</Emphasis>

Recruitment precision, i.e. the proportion of recruits that reach an advertised food source, is a crucial adaptation of social bees to their environment. Studies with honeybees showed that recruitment precision is not a fixed feature, but it may be enhanced by factors like experience and distance. However, little is known regarding the recruitment precision of stingless bees. Hence, in this study, we examined the effects of experience and spatial distance on the precision of the food communication system of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona mexicana. We conducted the experiments by training bees to a three-dimensional artificial patch at several distances from the colony. We recorded the choices of individual recruited foragers, either being newcomers (foragers without experience with the advertised food source) or experienced (foragers that had previously visited the feeder). We found that the average precision of newcomers (95.6 ± 2.61%) was significantly higher than that of experienced bees (80.2 ± 1.12%). While this might seem counter-intuitive on first sight, this “loss” of precision can be explained by the tendency of experienced recruits to explore nearby areas to find new rewarding food sources after they had initially learned the exact location of the food source. Increasing the distance from the colony had no significant effect on the precision of the foraging bees. Thus, our data show that experience, but not the distance of the food source, affected the patch precision of S. mexicana foragers.     

纳米TiO2催化臭氧化对松花江水中氨氮的影响

研究了以负载于陶粒、硅胶、沸石表面的纳米TiO₂作为催化剂时,催化臭氧化松花江水过程中氨氮浓度的变化.结果表明,在单独臭氧化过程中,氨氮浓度先升高后下降,反应30 min后的氨氮浓度与初始浓度相近.在以TiO₂/陶粒、TiO₂/硅胶为催化剂的催化臭氧化过程中,氨氮浓度也是先升高后下降,但反应过程中氨氮的平均浓度要高于单独臭氧化过程.以TiO₂/沸石为催化剂时,催化臭氧化过程中氨氮浓度先下降,然后略有升高,继而又下降,30 min时对氨氮的去除率接近80%.单独臭氧化和催化臭氧化过程中,增大臭氧投量,氨氮浓度最大值出现的时间提前,并且反应过程中氨氮浓度平均值降低.增大催化剂TiO₂/陶粒、TiO₂/硅胶的投量,催化臭氧化过程中氨氮浓度平均值升高.增大TiO₂/沸石投量,有利于氨氮的去除,但投量增大到50g以上时,对氨氮的去除效果影响很小.温度从10℃升高到30℃,对TiO₂/陶粒、TiO₂/硅胶催化臭氧化过程中氨氮浓度的变化影响不大.而以TiO₂/沸石为催化剂时,温度升高有利于催化臭氧化过程中氨氮的去除.     

沙蚕暴露于石油烃、Cu2+和Cd2+毒性效应及乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的响应

采用浓度梯度污染暴露室内模拟方法,研究了沙蚕（Perinereis aibuhitensis Grube）暴露于不同浓度的石油烃和重金属Cu²⁺、Cd²⁺的毒性效应及乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的响应.结果表明,石油烃和Cd²⁺、Cu²⁺对沙蚕均具有较强的毒性效应.暴露4 d和10 d后,石油烃LC₅₀分别为440和110 μg·L^-1,Cu²⁺分别为1 150和570 μg·L^-1,Cd²⁺分别为5 090和2 500 μg·L^-1,相应的生态毒性大小为：石油烃＞Cu²⁺＞Cd²⁺.在Cd²⁺、Cu²⁺污染暴露条件下,沙蚕体内乙酰胆碱酯酶活性受到一定程度的抑制,但抑制率均低于50％.而在石油烃污染暴露条件下,沙蚕体内乙酰胆碱酯酶活性受到显著抑制,最高抑制率可达90％以上;而且,其乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的变化与石油烃的浓度显著相关.可见,乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的变化可以作为生物标志物,较灵敏地反映出石油烃对沙蚕的污染效应及其毒害作用.