Predatory behavior and chemical communication in two Metapone species (Hymenoptera:Formicidae)

Summary. Colonies of two species of Metapone (M. madagascarica, M. new species.) were collected in Madagascar and established in laboratory nests. It could be demonstrated that both species are specialist predators of termites (Cryptotermes kirbyi). During hunting the ants sting the termites and thereby paralyze and preserve the prey alive. In this way prey can be stored in the ant nest for extended periods. During foraging and colony emigrations the ants lay chemical trails with poison gland secretions. Among the seven compounds identified in the venom only methyl pyrrole-2-carboxylate elicits trail following behavior in both Metapone species. Received 11 February 2002, accepted 23 February 2002.     

The Botanist Effect Revisited: Plant Species Richness, County Area, and Human Population Size in the United States

Abstract:  The "botanist effect" is thought to be the reason for higher plant species richness in areas where botanists are disproportionately present as an artefactual consequence of a more thorough sampling. We examined whether this was the case for U.S. counties. We collated the number of species of vascular plants, human population size, and the area of U.S. counties. Controlling for spatial autocorrelation and county area, plant species richness increased with human population size and density in counties with and without universities and/or botanical gardens, with no significant differences in the relation between the two subsets. This is consistent with previous findings and further evidence of a broad-scale positive correlation between species richness and human population presence, which has important consequences for the experience of nature by inhabitants of densely populated regions. Combined with the many reports of a negative correlation between the two variables at a local scale, the positive relation between plant species richness in U.S. counties and human population presence stresses the need for the conservation of seminatural areas in urbanized ecosystems and for the containment of urban and suburban sprawl.     

镉污染土壤对潜在能源植物生长的影响

利用重金属污染土壤种植能源植物是一种同时解决环境问题和能源问题的新理念,但目前相关研究成果并不多。通过盆栽试验研究人工镉污染土壤中象草Pennisetumpurpureum和亚香茅Cymbopogonnardus两种植物植株的生长状况和两种植物对土壤镉的吸收和富集能力。结果表明,当外源可溶性镉加入到土壤后,其主要是以生物有效性较高的状态存在。土壤镉对象草和亚香茅生长的影响作用有很大的不同,亚香茅比象草具有更强的镉耐受力,其生物量受镉污染影响小。两种植物植株镉含量均随土壤镉添加量的增加而增加。除高镉处理象草外,植物地下部分含镉量比地上部分高很多。高镉处理象草地下部分含镉量比地上部分低的现象可能反映出根系已积累了太多的镉,因而加速了向地上部的转移,从而加剧了植物中毒的程度。赤泥添加剂具有降低土壤酸度,减少植物对镉的吸收和增加象草和亚香茅生物量的作用。     

Flow Dynamics in Eccentrically Rotating Flasks Used for Dispersant Effectiveness Testing

The evaluation of dispersant effectiveness used for oil spills is commonly done using tests conducted in laboratory flasks. We used a Hot Wire Anemometer (HWA) to characterize mixing dynamics in the Swirling Flask (SF) and the Baffled Flask (BF), the latter is being considered by the EPA to replace the prior to test dispersant effectiveness in the laboratory. Five rotation speeds of the orbital shaker carrying the flasks were considered, Ω = 50, 100, 150, 175 and 200 rpm. The radial and azimuthal water speeds were measured for each Ω. It was found that the flow in the SF is, in general, two-dimensional changing from horizontal at low Ω to axi-symmetric at high Ω. The flow in the BF appeared to be three-dimensional at all rotation speeds. This indicates that the BF is more suitable for representing the (inherently) 3-D flow at sea. In the SF, the speeds and energy dissipation rates ɛ increased gradually as the rotation speed increased. Those in the BF increased sharply at rotation speeds greater than 150 rpm. At 200 rpm, the Kolmogorov scale (i.e., size of smallest eddies) was about 250 and 50 μm in the SF and BF, respectively. Noting that the observed droplet sizes of dispersed oils range from 50 to 400 μm (hence most of it is less than 250 μm), one concludes that the mixing in the SF (even at 200 rpm) is not representative of the vigorous mixing occurring at sea.     

能源甘蔗主要经济和光合性状的遗传分析

以 4× 5不完全双列杂交 (NcII)衍生的 2 0个家系实生苗为材料 ,对其主要经济和光合性状的遗传力和配合力进行分析 .结果表明 :(1)锤度、株高和茎径的遗传主要由加性基因效应引起 ,而丛有效茎数、丛重、锤重和地上部鲜重的遗传主要由非加性基因效应引起 ;(2 )配合力分析表明 ,CP84 / 1198、CP74 / 383、崖 90 / 3、桂 73/ 16 7和科 5各性状 gca较大 ,是较好的高生物量高光效亲本 ,CP84 / 1198×Ya 90 / 3、CP85 / 14 32×桂 73/ 16 7、CP74 / 383×桂 73/ 16 7、CP85 /14 32×科 5各性状sca和tca较大 ,为较好的高生物量高光效组合 ;(3)茎径、锤度和丛重母本gca方差大于父本 gca方差 ,丛有效茎数、锤度和地上部鲜重的广义遗传力在 5 0 %以上 .表 7参 16     

九孔鲍摄食江蓠与人工配合饵料的能量收支比较

通过投喂江蓠 (Gracilariaceaelicheniodes)和配合饵料对九孔鲍 (Haliotisdiversicoloraquatilis)的能量收支进行了比较研究 .结果表明 :两种饲料组的九孔鲍耗氧率在昼夜之间均并没有明显差异 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,九孔鲍摄食两种饵料的吸收率也没有显著差异 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,而饵料系数、蛋白质效率、总生长效率则有显著的差异 (P <0 .0 5 ) .配合饵料组的排泄能显著高于江篱组的 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,而代谢能和粘液能却显著低于江篱组的 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,两组饲料的排粪能和壳能没有显著差异 (P >0 .0 5 ) .因壳能很少 ,在测定中可以忽略 .配合饵料组的软体部生长能显著高于江篱组的 (P <0 .0 5 ) .摄食江蓠和配合饵料的九孔鲍能量收支方程分别为 :江蓠组10 0C =(12 .76± 1.2 2 )F (76 .4 7± 5 .33)R (2 .74± 0 .4 0 )U (6 .75± 0 .4 6 )M (2 .78± 0 .4 8)Pg (0 .0 3±0 .0 1)Psh- (1.5 3± 4 .19)配合饵料组10 0C =(12 .15± 1.6 9)F (5 4 .94± 5 .10 )R (4.5 0± 0 .70 )U (3.99± 0 .0 7)M (2 9.79± 4 .77)Pg (0 .0 3±0 .0 1)Psh- (5 .4 0± 7.4 3)     

High-energy milling to decontaminate soils polluted by polychlorobiphenyls and atrazine

Mechanical energy has been used so far for running chemical reactions and for preparing new materials in absence of solvents. Very recently, the technology has been applied to solve environmental problems. In this paper, we describe the application of high-energy milling (HEM) for the remediation of soils contaminated by chlorinated organic compounds such as polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and agrochemicals like atrazine. NaBH₄ and LiAlH₄ have been successfully used for the total dehydrohalogenation of both classes of compounds, leaving a residue lower than 2 ppmw of the starting compound in the treated soil. LiAlH₄ was found to be more active than NaBH₄.     

Secondary metabolism — evolution and function: Products or processes?

Summary The distinguishing characteristics of secondary metabolism and its associated metabolites are outlined. Current theories relating to the function of secondary metabolism in plants and micro-organisms are enumerated and the view that consideration of the processes rather than the products may best explain the origins of secondary metabolism is discussed.     

邻苯二甲酸丁基苄酯对小鼠睾丸能量代谢相关酶的影响

为了从生殖细胞能量代谢角度探讨邻苯二甲酸丁基苄酯(BBP)对雄性小鼠生殖损伤的机制,以昆明系雄性小白鼠为实验对象,研究了BBP对小鼠睾丸组织能量代谢相关酶的影响.实验设0、125、250、500、1000mg·kg-1(质量分数)5组浓度梯度,连续灌胃染毒30d后,采用分光光度法检测小鼠睾丸组织匀浆中乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)、琥珀酸脱氢酶(SDH)、Ca-Mg-ATPase酶的活性以及睾丸脏器系数.结果发现,1)与对照组相比,高浓度染毒组(500、1000mg·kg-1)LDH、SDH和Ca-Mg-ATPase活性均极显著降低(p<0.01);而低浓度染毒组(125mg·kg-1)3种酶活性均无显著变化(p>0.05);中浓度染毒组(250mg·kg-1)LDH没有显著变化(p>0.05),而SDH、Ca-Mg-ATPase均显著降低(p<0.05,p<0.01).2)染毒30d后,各染毒组睾丸脏器系数略有下降,但与对照组相比,差异均未达到显著水平(p>0.05).以上结果表明,较高水平的BBP不仅可以干扰睾丸组织有氧代谢及无氧代谢的产能过程,还可以干扰生殖细胞对能量的利用,提示能量代谢的障碍可能是BBP对雄性生殖细胞产生损伤的原因之一.     

Time course of pyrrolizidine alkaloid sequestration in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Longitarsus</Emphasis> flea beetles (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae)

Summary. Several species of Longitarsus take up, metabolize and store pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) from their host plants. In feeding experiments using radioactively labeled PAs of different types we examined the time course of the sequestration process in L. jacobaeae and L. aeruginosus. We found that adapted species efficiently store PAs for at least two weeks without major losses. During that time, there is virtually no change in the ratio of tertiary alkaloids to stored non-toxic N-oxides, regardless of chemical form fed to the beetles. This implies a transient N-oxidation process where the alkaloids are only temporarily accessible to the enzyme. A dissection experiment with L. aeruginosus six days after uptake of labeled PAs showed that the tertiary alkaloids are not found in the hemolymph but are stored in the elytra and other body compartments. This conforms with earlier experiments that localized the enzymes site of action in the hemolymph. Furthermore we show that different total alkaloid doses in the diet of L. jacobaeae and the potentially less adapted L. succineus do not affect the ratio of recovered N-oxides to tertiary molecules. Thus, the efficiency of the N-oxidizing enzyme is not dependent on the concentration of alkaloids offered.