昆虫数字化博物馆科普功能分析

为了进一步完善昆虫数字化博物馆的建设,我们于2006年至2008年对北京自然博物馆昆虫数字化博物馆的浏览情况进行了调查,并对观众的特点和观众对昆虫数字化博物馆的评价进行了分析。从昆虫数字化博物馆的科普对象、科普手段及功能实现等方面分析了昆虫数字化博物馆的优势和不足,并对不足之处提出改进措施。     

昆虫博物馆介绍

昆虫博物馆介绍史明（西北农业大学陕西杨陵７１２１０２）西北农业大学昆虫博物馆,是我国大陆目前唯一的昆虫博物馆。它是由周尧教授经过５０年的默默筹备,又由他创议申请,政府拨款修建的。博物馆的契机早在１９３８年,周尧放弃意大利拿波里大学助教的职位与安定的研...     

上海昆虫博物馆开馆

上海昆虫博物馆开馆典礼12月6日上午在中国科学院上海生科院植物生理生态所隆重举行,博物馆坐落在中国科学院枫林科学园区,其前身是建于1868年的上海震旦博物院、总面积达2000m^2,收藏昆虫标本100余万号,包括一大批极为稀有的国家保护类昆虫标本及一部分国际、国内的危险性检疫害虫标本。展馆分为“昆虫生命厅”、“昆虫世界厅”、“昆虫与人类厅”、“昆虫文化厅”,     

走进昆虫世界——西北农林科技大学昆虫博物馆

西北农林科技大学昆虫馆是我国第一个国立昆虫博物馆,是我国目前占地面积最大、综合性最高的昆虫博物馆。陕西杨凌一带是中国农业的发祥地,早在4000多年前,农业始祖后稷就在此教民稼穑,后稷也由此被尊为“农神”。汉字中的“农”就是由“捉虫”象形而来,昆虫与农业的关系,由此可见一斑了。所以农神后稷的石像也屹立在昆虫博物馆之前。说起昆虫博物馆,就不能不提我国著名的昆虫学家周尧先生。周尧1912年出生于浙江宁波的一个农民之家,1936年,怀     

西北农林科技大学昆虫博物馆

中国第一个国立昆虫博物馆1987年6月创建于西北农林科技大学，是由前国家计委主任宋平等领导批示，国家拨专款建立的中国第一个昆虫博物馆。杨凌示范区建立后，在前国务院副总理李岚清的关怀下，由国家计委、农业部等单位投资于1999年8月建成二期丁程并正式投入使用。随着博物馆收藏量的不断增加和社会影响的不断扩大，学校和邵逸夫基金会投资2000万元建设新展览馆和蝴蝶网室，于2005年10月向社会开放。昆虫博物馆现在总建筑面积已经达到11000多平方米，成为世界上最大、综合配套性最强、有较高知名度的昆虫专业博物馆，是一个融科学研究、标本收藏、人才培养和科普教育于一体的综合性学科基地。先后荣获“中国青年科技创新行动教育基地”、“全国科普教育基地”、“陕西省科普教育基地”和“陕西省青少年教育基地”等。     

中药博物馆数字化与科普的实践与思考

近年来,随着中医药博物馆数字化的普遍应用,馆藏文物及标本的保护能力得到了有效提高。同时,通过多媒体手段将中药馆藏及展陈标本数字化成果应用到中医药科普实践中,激发了大众对中医药传统文化的兴趣,更好地推动了中医药文化的普及。该研究以重庆市中药博物馆运用数字化开展中药科普为例,阐述了中药博物馆如何利用数字化创新中药科普工作,探讨了中药博物馆的数字化平台建设方向和数字化建设成果的科普应用方式以及中医药科普的后续方向,对促进中医药文化传播及扩大中药文化的普及力与影响力具有重要意义。该研究认为只有不断应用科技手段,逐步推动中药博物馆数字化、网络化,让中医药文化的传播不受空间和时间的限制,真正实现中药资源网络共享,才能促使中药博物馆与时俱进,充分发挥弘扬中医药文化的科普阵地作用。     

公众需求推进博物馆数字化

随着科技的发展和信息社会化的推进,博物馆事业避免不了接触到社会化、人众化的需求,博物馆发展过程中,数字化的需求越来越深入,涉及办叫越来越广泛。为了更好地发展博物销事、也满足公众需求,周口店遗址博物馆近几年来在陈列展览、展示方面重视以观众调查的方式,了解公众需求,举办适合大众口味的科普陈列展览,丰要是演示性的动态陈列,普遍实现了陈列的动静结合。采用多种高新科技在陈列中的运用,动态陈列和当代电化教育的设计和应用,改变了观众和博物馆的关系,观众不冉是陈列的旁观者,而是参与进来的共同实验者。     

昆虫标本馆建设与昆虫系统学的未来

昆虫标本馆是昆虫标本的保藏、研究和科学教育的实体,代表国家或者区域水平,致力于研究昆虫多样性、揭示昆虫进化规律,为国民经济建设持续发展服务。昆虫系统学研究是昆虫标本馆研究人员的主要任务,它的发展与昆虫标本馆的建设唇齿相依。本文阐述了昆虫标本馆的功能与作用,建设昆虫标本馆的重要性和迫切性;展望了昆虫系统学的未来以及昆虫系统学发展的机遇。     

医院数字化建设与医学影像服务流程再造

医院数字化建设是当前医疗信息化的热点,PACS/RIS系统作为推动医院数字化建设的重要组成部分,在医院的日常医疗服务中发挥着非常重要的作用.本文对PACS/RIS系统的概况以及在我院的实施过程和创新之处进行了论述,并对所取得的成效进行了评价.     

Estimation of the stage-specific survival rate in the insect population with overlapping stages

An application ofHokyo andKiritani 's method (1967) was attempted to estimate the stage specific survival rates of the population with overlapping stages. This method can be written as follows assuming a constant daily survival rate (K) throughout the life: where, and F refer respectively to the total incidence of ith instar nymphs and that of individuals after ith instar inclusive, and α_i refers to the developmental period of ith instar. Application of this model to caged and natural populations of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula, was made to test its validity. The estimates of the initial number of successive stages obtained from the present method were compared with those fromRichards andWaloff 's method (1954) for the caged populations of 1st, 2nd and 3rd generations. The superiority of the present method to theRichards andWaloff 's in estimating adult numbers was shown in all the generations examined. When different daily survival rates are involved in the course of population decrease, application of the revised method proposed byHokyo andKiritani (1967), gives much reliable estimate as compared with one before correction. The present method is useful in constructing life table of such species as scale insects which complete their life cycle within a defined space, but their successive stages overlap considerably.     

Design,synthesis and aphicidal activity of N-terminal modified insect kinin analogs

The insect kinins are a class of multifunctional insect neuropeptides present in a diverse variety of insects. Insect kinin analogs showed multiple bioactivities, especially, the aphicidal activity. To find a biostable and bioactive insecticide candidate with simplified structure, a series of N-terminal modified insect kinin analogs was designed and synthesized based on the lead compound [Aib]-Phe-Phe-[Aib]-Trp-Gly-NH₂. Their aphicidal activity against the soybean aphid Aphis glycines was evaluated. The results showed that all the analogs maintained the aphicidal activity. In particular, the aphicidal activity of the pentapeptide analog X Phe-Phe-[Aib]-Trp-Gly-NH₂ (LC₅₀ = 0.045 mmol/L) was similar to the lead compound (LC₅₀ = 0.048 mmol/L). This indicated that the N-terminal protective group may not play an important role in the activity and the analogs structure could be simplified to pentapeptide analogs while retaining good aphicidal activity. The core pentapeptide analog X can be used as the lead compound for further chemical modifications to discover potential insecticides.     

Localization of the pupil trigger in insect superposition eyes

Summary In the superposition eyes of the sphingid moth Deilephila and the neuropteran Ascalaphus, adjustment to different intensities is subserved by longitudinal migrations of screening pigment in specialized pigment cells. Using ophthalmoscopic techniques we have localized the light-sensitive trigger that controls pigment position.In both species, local illumination of a small spot anywhere within the eye glow of a dark-adapted eye evokes local light adaptation in the ommatidia whose facets receive the light. Details of the response pattern demonstrate that a distal light-sensitive trigger is located axially in the ommatidium, just beneath the crystalline cone, and extends with less sensitivity deep into the clear zone. The distal trigger in Deilephila was shown to be predominantly UV sensitive, and a UV-absorbing structure, presumably the distal trigger, was observed near the proximal tip of the crystalline cone.In Ascalaphus we also found another trigger located more proximally, which causes local pigment reaction in the ommatidia whose rhabdoms are illuminated (the centre of the eye glow). The light-sensitive trigger for this response appears to be the rhabdom itself.     

Hysteresis of insect acetylcholinesterase

Pre-steady-state catalytic properties of insect acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7) were studied with the neutral substrate N-methylindoxylacetate. Kinetics of soluble Apis mellifera and Drosophila melanogaster AChE forms showed lags (v(i)=0) before reaching the steady-state. Results were interpreted in terms of slow equilibrium between two conformational states E and E' of insect AChE. Hysteresis of insect AChE has been pointed out for the first time. The hysteretic behaviour was found to depend on the NMIA concentration and the nature of the enzyme. The maximum induction times (tau(max)) to reach the steady-state were 800 and 1000s with soluble AChE from A. mellifera and D.melanogaster, respectively. The orders of magnitude of the tau(max) were high and similar to human AChE and BuChE.     

An enigmatic new stick insect from the Philippine Islands (Insecta: Phasmatodea)

A new genus and species of stick insect is described and figured from Mount Halcon, on the Philippine island of Mindoro. Conlephasma enigma gen. et sp. n. is a stout, flightless, and apparently ground-dwelling species with vivid integumental colors. When disturbed, specimens spray a defensive secretion from the prothoracic exocrine glands. The systematic position of Conlephasma within Euphasmatodea is unclear. The elongated galealobulus and the trichome area located laterally in the galea, represent unusual apomorphic characters of the maxilla that could indicate affinities with Necrosciinae or Pseudophasmatinae. All tibiae exhibit the anareolate condition. Euplantulae are of two types: those of tarsomeres I–IV feature a nubby microstructure, whilst the one on the ventral side of the pretarsus is smooth. Males are characterized by the presence of a well-developed vomer on the tenth abdominal segment. A distinctive and apomorphic trait of female terminalia is represented by the elongated tenth abdominal tergum. Conlephasma can represent an interesting taxon for studies on the evolution of the stick and leaf insects.     

Fluidization in insect constructions in soils

Fluidization, a special case of liquefaction, is a physical process occurring in unconsolidated, water‐saturated, sediments that can be verified in insect constructions in soils. Behavioral analysis of the bees Ptilothrix relata and Diadasina distincta shows that the fine‐grained material of the soil pellets, utilized to construct the chimneys and cells of the nest, have been subjected to fluidization. The increment of pore pressure transmited by the bee's appendages to the moulded soil pellets, produces the outward escape of water, which drags the fine‐grained material. Micro‐morphologically, the fluidization is reflected in the thin layers of clay and organic matter deposited on those surfaces of the constructions exposed to direct contact with the bee's appendages and in the higher content of fine‐grained material close to these layers. Along with the reorientation of the coarser grains of the soil, produced also by the moulding behavior of the bee, these micromorphological features, having high preservational potential, constitute important ichnotaxobases and valuable clues to aid in the recognition of insect trace fossils in paleosols.     

Design of an insect cuticle associated with osmoregulation: the porous plates of chloride cells in a mayfly nymph

In mayfly nymphs of the genus Coloburiscoides, cell complexes with an osmoregulatory function (so-called chloride cells) are found in the integuments of the oral gills, the abdominal gills and gill filaments, the coxae and the thoracic sternites. The cuticle overlying each cell complex is a rigid circular plate which is known to be porous to colloidal lanthanum suspensions. The present study shows that the plate is composed only of the cuticulin and dense layers of the epicuticle. Both layers have substructures built of subunits on almost perfect hexagonal lattices. The lattice spacings are 53 and 9.5 nm for the dense layer and the cuticulin layer respectively. During moulting the apical plasma membrane of the chloride cell remains adpressed to the old porous plate. The new porous plate is formed from a new chloride cell which intrudes from the base of the integument. Throughout the moult small pores persist in the new and otherwise continuous cuticle to allow continuity of the cytoplasm of the apical and basal portions of the old chloride cell. It is thought that this phenomenon allows osmoregulatory function of the chloride cell complex to be maintained during the moult.     

Sclerotin and lipid in the waterproofing of the insect cuticle

In all the cuticles studied waterproofing is effected by extracuticular material, a mixture of sclerotin precursors and lipids, exuded from the tubular filaments of the pore canals. In Rhodnius larval abdomen it is a layer of thickness similar to the outer epicuticle, believed to be composed of 'sclerotin' and wax, in Schistocerca larval sternal cuticle and in Carausius sternal cuticle it is similar. In Tenebrio adult sternal cuticle of the abdomen, in both the extracuticular exudation and the contents of the distal endings of the tubular filaments, the wax component is obscured by hard 'sclerotin'. In Manduca larva a very thin layer of 'sclerotin' and wax is covered by an irregular wax layer, average 0.75 micron, twice the thickness of the inner epicuticle. In Periplaneta and Blattella the abdominal cuticle is covered by a soft waxy layer, often about 1 micron thick, which is mixed with argentaffin material. Below this is a very thin waterproof layer of wax and 'sclerotin' continuous with the contents of the tubular filaments, which is readily removed by adsorptive dusts. In Apis adult abdominal terga free wax plus sclerotin precursors form a thin layer which is known to be removed by adsorptive dusts. In Calliphora larva there is a very thin layer of the usual mixed wax and sclerotin and below this a thick (0.5 micron) layer, lipid staining and strongly osmiophil, likewise extracuticular and exuded from the epicuticular channels. This material (which is often called 'outer epicuticle') has the same staining and resistance properties as the true outer epicuticle on which it rests. In the abdomen of Calliphora adult the waterproofing wax-sclerotin mixture forms a thin layer over the entire cuticle including the surface of the microtrichia. There is also a thin detachable layer of free wax on the surface.     

Analysis of the action of lidocaine on insect sodium channels

A new class of sodium channel blocker insecticides (SCBIs), which include indoxacarb, its active metabolite, DCJW, and metaflumizone, preferably block inactivated states of both insect and mammalian sodium channels in a manner similar to that by which local anesthetic (LA) drugs block mammalian sodium channels. A recent study showed that two residues in the cockroach sodium channel, F1817 and Y1824, corresponding to two key LA-interacting residues identified in mammalian sodium channels are not important for the action of SCBIs on insect sodium channels, suggesting unique interactions of SCBIs with insect sodium channels. However, the mechanism of action of LAs on insect sodium channels has not been investigated. In this study, we examined the effects of lidocaine on a cockroach sodium channel variant, BgNa(v)1-1a, and determined whether F1817 and Y1824 are also critical for the action of LAs on insect sodium channels. Lidocaine blocked BgNa(v)1-1a channels in the resting state with potency similar to that observed in mammalian sodium channels. Lidocaine also stabilized both fast-inactivated and slow-inactivated states of BgNa(v)1-1a channels, and caused a limited degree of use- and frequency-dependent block, major characteristics of LA action on mammalian sodium channels. Alanine substitutions of F1817 and Y1824 reduced the sensitivity of the BgNa(v)1-1a channel to the use-dependent block by lidocaine, but not to tonic blocking and inactivation stabilizing effects of lidocaine. Thus, similar to those on mammalian sodium channels, F1817 and Y1824 are important for the action of lidocaine on cockroach sodium channels. Our results suggest that the receptor sites for lidocaine and SCBIs are different on insect sodium channels.