鼎突多刺蚁热适应及运动行为的热依赖性

将鼎突多刺蚁(Polyrhachis vicina)分别置于15、20、25和30℃的恒温恒湿培养箱内,对其热适应及运动行为的热依赖性进行了研究。驯化2周后,采用温度梯度仪测量其热适应参数,并选用停顿频率(PF)、疾跑速度(SS)和最大持续运动距离(MDCCL)来衡量其运动能力。结果表明,驯化温度对鼎突多刺蚁的热适应和运动行为有极显著影响(P<0.01)。最适温度(PT)、临界低温(CLT)、临界高温(CHT)随驯化温度(AT)的升高而增大,最终适温为30.54℃,临界低温不低于3℃,临界高温不高于45℃;经过高温驯化的鼎突多刺蚁的运动能力显著大于经过低温驯化的个体运动能力,驯化温度与疾跑速度、最大持续运动距离呈显著的正相关,而与停顿频率呈极显著的负相关。     

东方蝾螈幼体热耐受性和游泳表现的热驯化响应

特定物种的热驯化能力决定着其是否能成功耐受环境温度的改变,在应对未来气候变暖的趋势中扮演重要角色。为评估有尾类两栖动物的热驯化反应,在3个恒定水温(15、20℃和25℃)中驯化东方蝾螈(Cynops orientalis)幼体4周,测定驯化后幼体在不同测试温度下的运动(游泳)表现、临界低温(CT_(Min))与临界高温(CT_(Max))。结果显示:驯化与测试温度均显著影响蝾螈的游泳速度;驯化温度亦影响蝾螈的CT_(Min)和CT_(Max),但不影响可耐受温度范围(TRR)。驯化与测试温度的交互作用对蝾螈泳速的影响显著,表明驯化温度可改变其游泳表现的热敏感性。经某一温度驯化后蝾螈泳速似乎在相同测试温度下表现最好,该结果可能支持驯化有益假说。CT_(Min)和CT_(Max)随驯化温度的升高而增加,表明:低温驯化可提高动物抗低温能力,而高温驯化提高其抗高温能力。两栖类动物热耐受性与运动表现热驯化反应的种间变异可能与栖息地热环境的差异有关。     

温度驯化对高体鳑鲏热耐受及低氧耐受能力的影响

为了考察温度驯化对鱼类热耐受及低氧耐受能力的影响,以高体鳑鲏(Rhodeus ocellatus)为对象,分别在15、20和25℃条件下驯化14 d,随后在不同驯化温度下测定其温度和低氧耐受指标。结果表明:高体鳑鲏的临界高温(CTmax)和致死高温(LTmax)随驯化温度的升高而上升,临界低温(CTmin)和致死低温(LTmin)随驯化温度的降低而下降,说明高体鳑鲏的热耐受性具有温度依赖性;高体鳑鲏在各驯化温度下的温度耐受幅分别为29.34、30.18和28.01℃;高体鳑鲏的低温驯化反应率在15~20℃和20~25℃的驯化温度范围分别为0.23和0.87,说明高体鳑鲏的低温耐受能力在高温段具有更高的温度敏感性;而高温驯化反应率在不同温度范围差别不大(0.40和0.44);高体鳑鲏失去平衡氧压则随着驯化温度的升高而上升,表明温度上升降低了高体鳑鲏的低氧耐受能力。     

斑马鱼热耐受性对温度驯化的响应及其性别差异

为了探究斑马鱼(Danio rerio)热耐受性对温度驯化的响应及其性别差异,将性成熟斑马鱼分别于适温(28℃)、低温(20℃)和高温(34℃)下驯化14 d,之后测定不同温度驯化下雌鱼和雄鱼的临界高温(critical thermal maxima,CTmax)、致死高温(lethal thermal maxima,LTmax)、临界低温(critical thermal minima,CTmin)、致死低温(lethal thermal minima,LTmin)等热耐受性参数.结果表明:驯化温度对雄鱼和雌鱼的所有热忍耐参数(CTmax、LTmax、CTmin和LTmin)均影响显著(P<0.05),并且驯化温度和性别对热耐受性参数的影响具有交互作用(P<0.05).适温(28℃)驯化下,雌鱼与雄鱼各个热忍耐参数相比无显著差异(P> 0.05);低温(20℃)驯化下雌鱼的耐高温能力强于雄鱼,而高温(34℃)驯化下雌鱼的耐低温能力弱于雄鱼.结果提示:繁殖适温下雌雄斑马鱼的热耐受性趋于一致,而非繁殖适温下二者的热耐受性出现分化.     

温度驯化对尖头鳉热耐受特征的影响

为了研究不同驯化温度对尖头鰂(Rhynchocypris oxycephalus)热耐受特征的影响, 本研究设置4组水温(14℃、19℃、24℃和29℃), 对尖头鰂驯化两周, 采用临界温度法观察尖头鰂的耐受温度。结果显示: 尖头鰂的热耐受性受到温度驯化的影响, 表现为高温驯化可以升高最大临界温度(CT_max), 4个驯化组的平均CT_max分别为32.29℃、33.23℃、33.40℃和35.71℃; 低温驯化可以降低最小临界温度(CT_min), 平均CT_min分别为0.00、0.10℃、2.10℃和5.27℃; 在适中的温度(19℃)驯化条件下具有最高的温度耐受范围(33.13℃)。在高温条件下的温度驯化具有较高的驯化反应率, 最大值出现在24—29℃内(0.46); 低温驯化反应率最大值出现在29—24℃内, 为0.63。尖头鰂在本研究的驯化区间(14—29℃)内的热耐受区域面积为478.98℃2, 与温水性鱼类的温度耐受性相当, 说明尖头鰂具有较强的温度适应能力。     

升温/降温速率和驯化模式对斑马鱼及孔雀鱼热耐受性测定的影响

为了探究升温/降温速率以及驯化模式对不同鱼类热耐受性测定的影响,本研究将斑马鱼(Danio rerio)和孔雀鱼(Poecilia reticulata)于恒温(28℃)和变温(26~30℃)下驯化2周,之后分别以某一特定的升温/降温速率(0.03、0.1、0.3、1和3℃·min-1)测定其热耐受性参数(临界高温CTmax、临界低温CTmin、致死高温LTmax、致死低温LTmin)。结果表明:升温/降温速率对CTmax、CTmin、LTmax和LTmin的测定结果均影响显著(P0.05),两种实验鱼的CTmin和LTmin均随着降温速率的减小而降低,而CTmax和LTmax在低的升温速率下降低或保持不变;驯化模式显著影响CTmin和LTmax(P0.05),变温驯化有导致两种鱼LTmax增大以及孔雀鱼CTmin降低的趋势;斑马鱼的热耐受幅大于孔雀鱼。结果提示:升温/降温速率对鱼类低温耐受的影响大于高温耐受,并且对热耐受幅窄的鱼类影响更大。     

热耐受性及温度对食物同化的影响

研究变色树蜥(Calotes versicolor)的选择体温、热耐受性、温度对食物同化的影响.结果显示:①幼体的选择体温、临界高温和临界低温的平均值分别为32.6、41.7℃和 7.7℃;成体的选择体温、临界高温和临界低温的平均值分别为33.1、42.0℃和8.2℃.②环境温度在26～34℃时,对变色树蜥食物通过时间和摄入能有显著的影响;对表观消化系数(ADC)和同化效率(AE)无显著的影响;在28～34℃时食物通过时间随温度升高而缩短;在26、28℃和30℃时,摄入能小于更高温度的对应值.     

恒温与变温对不同生活史阶段斑马鱼热耐受性的影响

为了探究恒温与变温以及生活史阶段对斑马鱼(Danio rerio)热耐受性的影响,将新孵出的斑马鱼仔鱼、幼鱼以及性成熟雌鱼与雄鱼分别于恒温(28℃)和变温(26～30℃)条件下驯养2周,之后,采用临界温度法测定不同温度驯化下仔鱼、幼鱼以及雌鱼和雄鱼的临界高温CT_(max)、致死高温LT_(max)、临界低温CTmin、致死低温LTmin等热耐受性参数。结果表明:驯化温度、生活史阶段以及二者交互作用对CT_(max)、LT_(max)、CTmin和LTmin均影响显著(P0.05),驯化温度和性别对斑马鱼成鱼的热忍耐参数无显著性影响(P 0.05);仔鱼的热耐受性较差,低于幼鱼和成鱼,表现为CT_(max)和LT_(max)低而CTmin和LTmin高,这可能主要与不同生活史阶段实验鱼的生活习性及其栖息环境有关;变温对幼鱼和成鱼热耐受性无显著影响,但导致仔鱼体长增加、热忍耐范围变窄,提示仔鱼生长和热耐受性可能存在权衡。     

赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗的生殖隔离研究

赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗是两个同域发生的近缘储粮害虫。为明确它们的生殖隔离程度和机制,本研究比较分析了赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗雄虫对同种和异种雌虫的交配选择;赤拟谷盗与杂拟谷盗交配后,测定了精子在异种雌体内的存活情况;将赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗进行正反杂交,研究其F1代、F2代和回交代杂种是否产生及其雌雄比。结果显示,赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗雄虫对同种雌虫的爬跨率和交配率高于其对异种雌虫的爬跨率和交配率,表明赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗种间性隔离不完全;赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗交配后精子在异种雌体内是存活的,杂交所产的F1代卵为受精卵,说明交配后完成了精子传送和受精过程,表明种间机械隔离和配子隔离不完全;赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗的杂种F1代自交和回交产生了F2代和回交代,表明种间不存在杂种不育;一些杂交组合产生的F2代和回交代数量少且存在雌雄性比偏离,表明种间存在部分杂种不活和杂种衰败。本研究明确了赤拟谷盗和杂拟谷盗的生殖隔离机制,这对于揭示它们的物种进化关系有着重要意义。     

Dual Phase Change Thermal Diodes for Enhanced Rectification Ratios: Theory and Experiment

Thermal diodes are materials that allow for the preferential directional transport of heat and are highly promising devices for energy conservation, energy harvesting, and information processing applications. One form of a thermal diode consists of the junction between a phase change and phase invariant material, with rectification ratios that scale with the square root of the ratio of thermal conductivities of the two phases. In this work, the authors introduce and analyse the concept of a Dual Phase Change Thermal Diode (DPCTD) as the junction of two phase change materials with similar phase boundary temperatures but opposite temperature coefficients of thermal conductivity. Such systems possess a significantly enhanced optimal scaling of the rectification ratio as the square root of the product of the thermal conductivity ratios. Furthermore, the authors experimentally design and fabricate an ambient DPCTD enabled by the junction of an octadecane‐impregnated polystyrene foam, polymerized using a high internal phase emulsion template (PFH‐O) and a poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) aqueous solution. The DPCTD shows a significantly enhanced thermal rectification ratio both experimentally (2.6) and theoretically (2.6) as compared with ideal thermal diodes composed only of the constituent materials.     

Clinal variation in developmental time and viability,and the response to thermal treatments in two species of Drosophila

The present study first addressed the question of whether developmental time (DT) and viability (VT) vary clinally along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients in Drosophila buzzatii, an autochthonous specialist and the generalist invasive Drosophila melanogaster. Coincident and positive altitudinal clines across species and, direct and inverse latitudinal clines were observed for DT in D. melanogaster and D. buzzatii, respectively. Opposing latitudinal and altitudinal clines were detected for VT only in D. melanogaster. The patterns observed along altitudinal gradients prompted us to investigate whether flies living at lowland and highland environments may respond differentially to thermal treatments consisting of regimes of constant and alternating temperatures. Flies reared at higher mean temperature developed faster than at lower mean temperature in both species. By contrast, the response in VT differed greatly between species. Highland D. melanogaster were more viable than lowland regardless the treatment, whereas, in D. buzzatii, highland flies were more viable than lowland in alternating thermal regimes and the reverse was true in treatments of constant temperature. The results obtained suggest that thermal amplitude may be an important factor that should be considered in investigations of thermal adaptation. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 95 , 233–245.     

Analysis of Thermal Diodes Enabled by Junctions of Phase Change Materials

Materials designed to undergo a phase transition at a prescribed temperature have been advanced as elements for controlling thermal flux. Such phase change materials can be used as components of reversible thermal diodes, or materials that favor heat flux in a preferred direction; however, a thorough mathematical analysis of such diodes is thus far absent from the literature. Herein, it is shown mathematically that the interface of a phase change material with a phase invariant one can function as a simple thermal diode. Design equations are derived for such phase change diodes, solving for the limits where the transition temperature falls within or outside of the temperature gradient across the device. Criteria are derived analytically for the choice of thermal conductivity of the invariant phase to maximize the rectification ratio. Finally, the model is applied to several experimental systems in the literature, providing bounds on observed performance. This model should aid in the development of materials capable of controlling heat flux.     

A study on body temperature regulation and residential thermal environments of the elderly—I. whole country survey of residential thermal environment and evaluation methods: RTE-index

1. 1. As part of “research on environmental comfort,” that is, research which aims to make people's living environment more comfortable, we attempted to clarify the relation between the living environment of elderly people and physiological and psychological factors. We carried out a comprehensive study with a view to establishing comfort standards for the residential thermal environment, and for creating evaluation and control systems.

2. 2. The comfort of the living environment is closely related to the thermal environment and the temperature-regulation ability of the human body. This ability of the body to regulate temperature develops during childhood and recedes as the adult ages.

3. 3. We therefore carried out: (a) experiments on body-temperature regulation and on special characteristics of the body-temperature regulation of elderly people, (b) a nationwide survey of the actual residential thermal environments of elderly people and (c) a survey of the daily activities of elderly people, and how elderly people's physiological and psychological conditions change when they are engaged in these activities.

4. 4. As a result of these experiments and surveys, we were able to: (d) formulate standards for evaluation of the residential thermal environment and (e) numerically express the results of systematic evaluation of residential thermal environments of elderly people, by means of a RTE-index.

Lethal temperatures of a Neotropical fish relic in Patagonia, the scale-less characinid Gymnocharacinus bergi

Southern South America has a rather low fish species diversity. Gymnocharacinus bergi, the southernmost characid fish of the world, is the only member of Characoidei in the Argentine Patagonia. The isolation of this species in an endorheic stream has been linked to the thermal conditions of its habitat, the head-waters of the Valcheta Stream, which is the only site where this species occurs. We provide information on the distribution and thermal habitat of this species and other fishes in the Valcheta Stream. The responses of G. bergi to high and low temperatures were assessed in the laboratory under different temperatures and heating and cooling rates. Our results suggest that G. bergi is unable to extend its distribution to the colder waters nearby, as well as to waters with greater temperature fluctuations. We discuss the implications of our experimental data, the habitat of G. bergi, and the known responses of a few other paranensean fishes to temperature, within the framework of the thermal ecology of freshwater fishes.     

Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics study on radial thermal conductivity and thermal rectification of graphene

In the present study, the radial thermal rectification and thermal conductivity of the graphene were investigated by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation and then corrected by quantum correction to make it closer to the fact. The Optimised three-body Tersoff potential is employed in order to simulate the interactions between the carbon atoms in the graphene sheet. A circular region in the centre and the one at the graphene edge are selected as hot and cold bath to generate radial temperature gradient. It is observed that the heat current passes through radially inward direction than outward with the same temperature gradient and hence there is a radial thermal rectification in graphene. Also, temperature distribution and heat flux are theoretically introduced as a function of distance from the graphene centre and then it is confirmed by the molecular dynamics simulation data. Finally, the influence of temperature gradient and size of graphene on radial thermal rectification and the impact of size on the radial thermal conductivity is investigated.     

Fundamental Study of Thermal Treatment of Soil

Morphological and chemical changes exhibited by different types of soils heated to different final temperatures are reported. Beds of soils were heated (in a helium atmosphere) from ～20°C to final temperatures, ranging from between 200 to 900°C, simulating ex situ thermal treatments in a nonoxidizing media. Structural changes exhibited by the soil samples during the treatments were analyzed by SEM, measurement of surface area, and measurement of particle porosity. The soil chemical transformations were quantified by means of soil weight loss, light gases yields, and carbon conversion. Soils with low organic matter content do not undergo important structural and chemical changes during the thermal treatment. On the other hand, soils with high organic carbon content suffer significant chemical modifications and, as a consequence, noticeable structural transformations. Indeed, for thermal treatments of about 900°C, weight losses as high as 22?wt%, final surface area of one order of magnitude higher than its original value (untreated soil), and changes of porosity as high as 27% were found for soils of high organic matter content. Simple mathematical equations are proposed to predict the soil weight loss and particle porosity as a function of the treatment temperature. The models provide a good fit to the experimental data.