The steroidal glycoalkaloid α-tomatine

The literature relating to chemical, biochemical and biological aspects of the steroidal glycoalkaloid, α-tomatine, is reviewed. The alkaloid, which can be used as a starting compound for the synthesis of steroidal hormones, is toxic to a wide range of living organisms. The significance of tomatine to plants which elaborate it is discussed and some possible uses of the compound are mentioned.     

The effect of behavioural and morphological plasticity on foraging efficiency in the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus sp.)

We conducted an experiment to assess the change in foraging efficiency resulting from diet-induced morphological and behavioural plasticity in a species of freshwater, threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus sp.). Different degrees of morphological and behavioural change were induced using two prey items commonly found in the diet of this species, allowing us to estimate the relative importance of each type of plasticity. The purpose of the experiment was twofold. First, earlier work had suggested that diet variability might be an important factor in the evolution of trophic morphological plasticity in sticklebacks. The present results extend this work by revealing the adaptive significance of morphological plasticity. The current experiment also qualitatively assessed the compatibility of the time scale of morphological change with that of the natural resource variability experienced by this species. The results indicate that diet-induced plasticity improves foraging efficiency continuously for up to 72 days of prey exposure. This is probably due in part to plasticity of the external trophic morphology but our results also suggest a complex interplay between morphology and behaviour. The time scale appears to be matched to that of natural diet variability although it is possible that some traits exhibit non-labile plasticity. Our discussion highlights the important distinction between conditions favouring the evolution of labile versus non-labile plasticity. The second objective of the experiment was to determine the relative importance of morphological and behavioural plasticity. Few studies have attempted to quantify the adaptive significance of morphological plasticity and no study to our knowledge has separated the effects of morphological and behavioural plasticity. Our experiment reveals that both behavioural and morphological plasticity are important and it also suggests a dichotomy between the two: behavioural plasticity predominately affects searching efficiency whereas morphological plasticity predominately affects handling efficiency.     

High frequency residues: A new set of signals for detectability studies of an X-ray imaging system

A new set of signals for studying detectability of an X-ray imaging system is presented. The results obtained with these signals are intended to complement the NEQ results.The signals are generated from line spread profiles by progressively removing their lower frequency components and the resulting high frequency residues (HFRs) form the set of signals to be used in detectability studies. Detectability indexes for these HFRs are obtained using a non-prewhitening (NPW) observer and a series of edge images are used to obtain the HFRs, the covariance matrices required by the NPW model and the MTF and NPS used in NEQ calculations. The template used in the model is obtained by simulating the processes of blurring and sampling of the edge images. Comparison between detectability indexes for the HFRs and NEQ are carried out for different acquisition techniques using different beam qualities and doses.The relative sensitivity shown by detectability indexes using HFRs is higher than that of NEQ, especially at lower doses. Also, the different observers produce different results at high doses: while the ideal Bayesian observer used by NEQ distinguishes between beam qualities, the NPW used with the HFRs produces no differences between them.Delta functions used in HFR are the opposite of complex exponential functions in terms of their support in the spatial and frequency domains. Since NEQ can be interpreted as detectability of these complex exponential functions, detectability of HFRs is presented as a natural complement to NEQ in the performance assessment of an imaging system.     

On the origin ofVeronica persica (Scrophulariaceae)—a contribution to the history of a neophytic weed

A character analysis reveals a clearly intermediate position of the tetraploidV. persica (2n = 28) between the two diploid speciesV. polita andV. ceratocarpa (both 2n = 14) which are morphologically rather different and have been placed by several authors in different sections of the genus.V. ceratocarpa is native to subhumid deciduous forests of the Caucasus and of the Elburz mountains (N. Iran);V. polita has its centre of variation in the Elburz range where it grows in therophyte habitats. Three other closely related species,V. bungei, V. siaretensis, andV. francispetae, are endemic to the Elburz range which is the main centre of diversity and variability of theV. agrestis group. This comprises all the above mentioned species and also two more European weeds:V. agrestis andV. opaca. Veronica polita, was probably originally native to open places in deciduous mountain forests, before becoming a weed in neolithic times and migrating to Europe; nowadays it has an almost world-wide distribution. The allotetraploidV. persica combines the ecological characters of its parents, the slightly xerophyticV. polita and the more mesophyticV. ceratocarpa, thus being preadapted to become a highly successful weed with a large ecological range. It has spread rapidly almost all over the world since the early 19th century.Dedicated to Hofrat Univ.-Prof. DrKarl Heinz Rechinger on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of his birthday.     

Morphometric comparison of populations of Orchis sitnia Lam. (Orchidaceae) from Oxfordshire and Kent

BATEMAN, R. M. & FARRINGTON, O. S., 1989. Morphometric comparison of populations of Orchis sitnia Lam. (Orchidaceae) from Oxfordshire and Kent. Univariate and multivariate morphometric analyses of Orchis simia Lam. from its two remaining naturally-founded populations in Britain (Goring, Oxfordshire and Faversham, Kent) reveal only minor morphological differences between the populations and suprisingly low levels of intra-population variation. This probably reflects recent founding from Continental seed at Faversham and penecontemporaneous, human-induced, catastrophic contraction of the gene pool at Goring. The apparently restricted gene pools of these populations may adversely effect their long-term survival.     

A gastric trichobezoar in a chimpanzee

A firm, mobile, oblong mass was discovered as an incidental finding in the stomach of a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) during routine surgery. It was removed and determined to be a trichobezoar.     

西双版纳傣族“龙山”的生态学意义

傣族“龙山”是西双版纳地区傣族的民族植物文化中的一例。其概念是“神居住的地方”,在这个地方的动植物都是神的家园里的生灵,是神的伴侣,是不能砍伐、狩猎和破坏的。人     

长苞铁杉的核型分析及其分类学意义

本文首次分析了特产我国的长苞铁杉亚属(Subgen. Paleotsuga)的代表种长苞铁杉Tsuga longibracteata的核型,它全由中部和近中部着丝粒染色体组成,核型公式为K(2n)=24=22m 2sm,属“lA”类型。第12号染色体具“长着丝点区域”。染色体相对长度组成为2n=12M_2 10M_1 2S。作者发现铁杉亚属(Subgen. Tsuga)植物的核型全为“2A”类型。胞核学资料支持对长苞铁杉亚属和铁杉亚属的划分并表明前者(长苞铁杉)较为原始。长苞铁杉应隶于长苞铁杉亚属、长苞铁杉组。