Group versus population level demographics: An analysis of comparability using long term data on wild white‐faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus imitator)

Primates have long been used as indicator species for assessing overall ecosystem health. However, area‐wide census methods are time consuming, costly, and not always feasible under many field conditions. Therefore, it is important to establish whether monitoring a subset of a population accurately reflects demographic changes occurring in the population at large. Over the past 35 years, we have conducted 15 area‐wide censuses in Sector Santa Rosa, Costa Rica. These efforts have revealed important trends in population growth patterns of capuchin monkeys following the protection and subsequent regeneration of native forests. During this same period, we have also intensively studied a subset of the capuchin groups. Comparing these two datasets, we investigate whether the population structures of the closely monitored groups are reliable indicators of area‐wide demographic patterns. We compare the overall group size and the individual age/sex class compositions of study groups and nonstudy groups (i.e., those contacted during area‐wide censuses only). Our study groups contained more individuals overall with a larger proportion of infants, and there were indications that the proportion of adult and subadult males was lower. These differences can be ascribed either to sampling errors or real differences attributable to human presence and/or better habitat quality for the study groups. No other sex/age classes differed, and major demographic changes were simultaneously evident in both study and nonstudy groups. This study suggests that the Santa Rosa capuchin population is similarly impacted by large‐scale ecological patterns observable within our study groups.     

Micropropagation of Rollinia mucosa (JACQ.) baill

Summary A protocol for in vitro propagation of Rollinia mucosa, an important medicinal plant, was developed. The presence of 500 mg l⁻¹ polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) during explant excision was important to avoid browning. Axillary buds, adventitious buds, and shoot cluster proliferation were achieved from epicotyl and hypocotyl explants from nursery-grown seedlings. The highest direct organogenesis percentage from hypocotyl explants was obtained upon culture of explants on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 2.2 μM benzyladenine (BA) plus 2.32 μM kinetin. Epicotyl explants display highest regeneration frequency on a medium containing 8.8 μM BA and 0.54 μM naphthaleneacetic acid. Gibberellic acid was necessary for shoot elongation. Root induction was observed when shoots were pretreated with activated charcoal for 7 d in the dark before culture on Woody Plant Medium supplemented with 49.21 μM indolebutyric acid for 10 d. Root development was observed when 20 g l⁻¹ sucrose was used. Rooted plantlets were acclimatized and grown in the greenhouse.     

Using FTA® cards to store avian blood samples for genetic studies. Their application in sex determination

FTA® cards were used for long‐term storage of avian blood samples. Blood DNA was extracted by a simple method and used in PCR for sex identification of adult and nestling Great Grey Shrikes Lanius excubitor.     

Demonstrating the Potential for Dynamic Auditory Stimulation to Contribute to Motion Sickness

Auditory cues can create the illusion of self-motion (vection) in the absence of visual or physical stimulation. The present study aimed to determine whether auditory cues alone can also elicit motion sickness and how auditory cues contribute to motion sickness when added to visual motion stimuli. Twenty participants were seated in front of a curved projection display and were exposed to a virtual scene that constantly rotated around the participant''s vertical axis. The virtual scene contained either visual-only, auditory-only, or a combination of corresponding visual and auditory cues. All participants performed all three conditions in a counterbalanced order. Participants tilted their heads alternately towards the right or left shoulder in all conditions during stimulus exposure in order to create pseudo-Coriolis effects and to maximize the likelihood for motion sickness. Measurements of motion sickness (onset, severity), vection (latency, strength, duration), and postural steadiness (center of pressure) were recorded. Results showed that adding auditory cues to the visual stimuli did not, on average, affect motion sickness and postural steadiness, but it did reduce vection onset times and increased vection strength compared to pure visual or pure auditory stimulation. Eighteen of the 20 participants reported at least slight motion sickness in the two conditions including visual stimuli. More interestingly, six participants also reported slight motion sickness during pure auditory stimulation and two of the six participants stopped the pure auditory test session due to motion sickness. The present study is the first to demonstrate that motion sickness may be caused by pure auditory stimulation, which we refer to as “auditorily induced motion sickness”.     

Chrysonila sitophila (TFB-27441): A hyperlignolytic strain

Summary C. sitophila strain TFB-27441 showed 2–3 times higher lignolytic activity thanPhanerochaete chrysosporium (BKM-F-1767 strain). Lignin had a marked effect on the ligninase activity indicating that some induction or activation mechanism is involved in lignin degradation byC. sitophila.     

The complex of poly(dG).poly(dC) with arginine: stabilization of the B form and transition to multistranded structures

We have studied by X-ray diffraction fibers of complexes of poly(dG).poly(dC) with N-alpha-acetyl-L-arginine ethylamide. Although these polynucleotides favour the A form of DNA, in this complex it is never found, thus confirming that arginine prevents the appearance of this form of DNA. At high relative humidity the B form is present. Upon dehydration two new structures appear. One of them is a triple helix, most likely formed by poly(dC+).poly(dG).poly(dC). The other structure found also has features which indicate a multistranded conformation.     

The pattern of proliferation of the neuroblasts in the wild-type embryo of Drosophila melanogaster

Summary The pattern of neuroblast divisions was studied in thoracic and abdominal neuromeres of wild-type Drosophila melanogaster embryos stained with a monoclonal antibody directed against a chromatin-associated antigen. Since fixed material was used, our conclusions are based upon the statistical evaluation of a large number of accurately staged embryos, covering the stages between the formation of the cephalic furrow up to shortened germ band. Our observations point to a rather stereotypic pattern of proliferation, consisting of several parasynchronous cycles of division. The data suggest that all SI neuroblasts divide at least eight times, all SII neuroblasts six or seven times and all SIII neuroblasts at least five times. This conclusion is based on the mapping of mitotic neuroblasts and is supported by the progressive reduction of the neuroblast volume and by the results of cell countings performed on embryos of increasing age. No conclusive evidence was obtained concerning the fate of the neuroblasts after their last mitosis, i.e. it cannot be decided whether the neuroblasts degenerate or become incorporated as inconspicuous cells in the larval ventral cord. The duration of the cycles of division of the neuroblasts was found to be 40–50 min each, while in the case of ganglion mother cells about 100 min are required to complete one cell cycle.     

The cephalic glands of Brazilian reptilia and amphibia. IV. Histology of labial, premaxillary, and Duvernoy's glands in the colubrid snake Oxyrhopus trigeminus

A study of the morphology of the salivary glands of the colubrid snake Oxyrhopus trigeminus showed the following: The acini of supralabial, infralabial, and premaxillary glands are formed by mucous and mucoserous cells; the tubules of Duvernoy's gland are formed by seromucous cells; and mucous cells produce neutral and acid mucosubstances, mucoserous cells secrete neutral and acid mucosubstances and protein, and seromucous cells have neutral mucosubstance and protein secretions.     

Extraction and partial characterization of non-histone nuclear proteins of Schistosoma mansoni.

A pool of nuclear proteins from adult worms of Schistosoma mansoni was analyzed for amino acid composition and found to be compatible with high mobility group (HMG) proteins. One of the schistosome HMG proteins was identified as HMG 2 by one-dimensional and two-dimensional PAGE. Stage-specific differences in the HMG-like protein composition were encountered when adult worms were compared to schistosomula, the larval form. Immobilization of the adult male and female nuclear proteins onto nitrocellulose, followed by hybridization against 32P-F-10, a schistosome sex specific gene encoding a major egg shell protein, revealed distinct banding patterns. On the other hand, a synthetic oligonucleotide, derived from the 3' untranslated end of the F-10 gene and possibly containing one regulatory element of the gene, bound mainly to male low MW proteins.