Diffraction patterns as a tool to recognize copepods

Photographs of three species of calanoid copepods were digitized,binarized and edited to remove the debris present in the imagesand to simulate different degrees of segmentation. Twentyeightsegmented images of the three species were generated after pre-processingto obtain their digital Fourier transform or diffraction pattern.Cluster analysis was carried out for the images of the wpepodsand for their diffraction patterns to determine which set ofimages discriminated genus, species and sex of the selectedorganisms.Ihe dendrograms of the diffraction patterns had morepower of discrimination and 50% less variability. This methodis promising, but more research is necessary in order to implementan automated system for plankton identification in the nearfuture.     

Comparison of pure cultures and natural assemblages of planktonic photosynthetic sulfur bacteria by low molecular mass RNA fingerprinting

Pure cultures of phototrophic sulfur bacteria were compared to natural populations that bloom in karstic lakes by electrophoretic analysis of low molecular mass RNA molecules (lmwRNA) and microscopy. Similarities between dominant community members, field isolates and reference strains were established by comparing the lmwRNA band patterns through dendrograms produced with Euclidean distances and the average linkage clustering method, by a single, quick, one-step method. The fingerprinting analysis had three objectives: (i) to compare microbial assemblages from different geographical locations, (ii) to compare those organisms which grow in pure culture to those forming planktonic blooms and (iii) to give a preliminary view of the identity of the predominant community members. The lmwRNA analysis yielded a number of clusters consistent with the microscopic observations and allowed rapid comparison of the microbial communities without the need to isolate their individual components. The fingerprints of natural communities were different from most of the laboratory strains tested. Purple sulfur bacteria responsible for the blooms analyzed in karstic lakes were more closely related to the Thiocystis group than to the classical strains extensively studied in the laboratory.     

接种叶锈菌的小麦叶片胞间洗脱液对叶肉细胞原生质体微丝骨架的影响

用异硫氰酸 鬼笔环肽 (FITC Ph)标记和共聚焦激光扫描显微镜 (CLSM )观察发现 ,以具有激发子活性的接种叶锈菌的小麦叶片的胞间洗脱液 (IWF)处理叶肉细胞原生质体一定时间后 ,抗病小麦品种洛夫林 10的原生质体内微丝骨架保持完整的网络状结构 ,而感病品种 5 389的大部分微丝骨架处于解聚状态。同时 ,抗病品种因IWF处理诱发的防卫反应———H2 O2 突发和HR反应的程度 (用原生质体活力下降的程度表示 )也大大高于感病品种。用细胞松弛素D(CD)预处理抗病品种原生质体可以明显抑制IWF处理诱发的H2 O2突发和HR反应 ,表明微丝骨架的状态可能与抗病性有密切的关系 ,完整的微丝骨架是H2 O2 突发和HR反应的一个重要条件。     

Überprüfung von Steuerungssystemen zur Strophenanwahl der Amsel durch digitale Simulierung

Output analysis and input-output experiments had given evidence for five sequential effects occuring independently of each other in the singing behavior of blackbirds (Fig.1). Recently these investigations resulted in a model which summarized the interaction of five functional components evaluated from the found effects; thereby the model explained the data processing controlling the sequential patterning of the behavior (Fig. 2) — During the investigations reported here, this model and alternative models were tested by means of computer programs. Main question: Would the models generate sequences of patterns equivalent to the sequence of vocal patterns produced by a blackbrid? Results:

1. Only the original one of the tested models generated sequences of patterns showing the specific regularities and their characteristic variations corresponding to natural blackbird songs. This brought evidence for a multiplicative mode of interaction between the “component of throttling-back” (Drosselungskomponente) and the other four components; furthermore for a terminal functioning of the “extreme-value-passage” (Extremwertdurchlaß) (Figs, 2–4 and 10).
2. Concerning the “component of periodicity” (Periodikkomponente) the mechanism of a “reset of periods” was falsified while the mechanism of a “continued periodicity” could be made evident. This implied: The periodicity of the single pattern (phrase) runs over the course of the whole song: the proceeding of the oscillation takes place with each output realisation (Fig. 5).
3. Variations of values of the particular parameters given to the different components during the testing programs showed that a) extreme values resulted in “unnatural” sequences of patterns; b) only values lying within distinct intervals generated sequences containing the whole set of the postulated effects; c) exactly with those parameter values, with which one of the effects could get produced in a natural form, also the other effects were generated correspondingly optimal (Figs. 6–8).
4. The differential variation of the values of the particular parameters given to the components (during the testing programs) allowed a lot of predictions concerning the consequences of increasings or decreasings in the strength of the different components. These predictions have to be tested by experiments with natural systems (blackbirds) (Fig. 9; Tables 1–3).

     

Der Nucleolus und seine Beziehungen zu den Ribosomen des Cytoplasmas. Eine Untersuchung an den Malpighischen Gefässen von Drosophila melanogaster

Summary The investigation described herein is concerned with the structure and the behavior of the nucleolus of the cells of the Malpighian tubules of Drosophila melanogaster (see Fig. 16).Primarly the nucleolus consists of ribonucleic-acid granules about 150 Å in diameter which, with electron microscope, are not distinguishable from the ribosomes of the cytoplasm; they lie on or within the structural network of the nucleolus (Fig. 9). During the stages of the life history of the insect the nucleolus shows correspondingly characteristic peculiarities in structure which reflect the varying functional stages of the cell: The structure is loose in the cells of the larva (Fig. 2) and imago (Fig. 12), whereas it is compact in the pupa (Fig. 8, 9). In pupa sufficiently mature for emergence, the nucleolus contains a large central vacuole (Fig. 8, 9). The nucleolus of the larva has a similar appearance after a decrease in assimilation induced by starvation (Fig. 10, 11).There are smaller vacuoles in the nucleolus which mostly are filled with parts of the nucleolus-chromosome. In the pupal stage some of the peripheral constituents of the nucleolus separate and move to the nuclear membrane through which they pass via pores into the cytoplasm (Fig. 3, 4).Larger pieces reach the cytoplasm by local dissolution of the nuclear membrane (Fig. 5). During this process the extruded nucleolar material is dispersed into its structural components. Because the cytoplasm becomes richer in ribosomes during the period of nucleolar extrusion (Fig. 1b), it can be assumed, that the nucleolus must be a source of ribosomes, and that through such an extrusion which has been demonstrated to be a natural process (Fig. 7) the cytoplasm can be provided with ribosomes rapidly.The importance of this phenomenon in the synthesis of imaginal body is discussed.In the nucleus there are many vacuoles with a diameter of about 425 Å (Fig. 15a, b) which pass through the pores of membrane in the cytoplasm (Fig. 15c).

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Die Untersuchung wurde mit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft durchgeführt.     

Physiological and pharmacological properties of responses to GABA and ACh by abdominal motor neurons in Manduca sexta

1. GABA, ACh, and other agents were applied by pressure ejection to the neuropil of the third abdominal ganglion in the isolated nerve cord of Manduca sexta. Intersegmental muscle motor neurons with dendritic arborizations in the same hemiganglion were inhibited by GABA (Fig. 2) and excited by ACh (Fig. 5).
2. Picrotoxin was a potent antagonist of GABA (Fig. 4A). Bicuculline reduced GABA responses in some motor neurons (Fig. 4C), but had no effect on many other motor neurons. Curare reduced ACh responses (Fig. 6A). Bicuculline was an effective ACh antagonist in most motor neurons tested (Fig. 6B).
3. Motor neurons with dendrites across the ganglion from the ejection pipette exhibited different responses to GABA and ACh. Contralateral motor neurons often showed smaller, delayed hyperpolarizing GABA responses (Fig. 7). On two occasions, contralateral motor neurons had excitatory responses (Fig. 8). Contralateral motor neurons were hyperpolarized by ACh (Fig. 9). The inhibitory responses had only slightly longer latencies than ipsilateral excitatory ACh responses (Fig. 10A). The contralateral inhibitory ACh responses, but not the ipsilateral excitatory ACh responses, were eliminated by TTX (Fig. 10B).
4. A model, which includes inhibitory interneurons that cross the ganglionic midline to inhibit their contralateral homologs and motor neurons (Fig. 11), is proposed to account for contralateral responses to GABA and ACh and antagonistic patterns of activity of motor neurons during mechanosensory reflex responses.

     

大麦和玉米叶片叶绿体中Rubisco及其活化酶的免疫金标记定位

运用免疫金标记电镜技术研究了禾本科C3植物大麦(Hordeum vulgare L.)和C4植物玉米(Zea mays L.)叶片中Rubisoo及其活化酶(RCA)的细胞定位,结果表明:两种植物叶片解剖结构及叶绿体超微结构差别明显.在大麦叶细胞中,只有一种叶肉细胞叶绿体,Rubisoo和RCA主要分布于叶绿体的间质中.在玉米叶细胞中,存在着维管束鞘细胞和叶肉细胞两种类型叶绿体,Rubisco主要分布于鞘细胞叶绿体的基质中,但在叶肉细胞叶绿体中亦有少量特异性标记;RCA在鞘细胞叶绿体和叶肉细胞叶绿体的基质中都有分布.两种植物叶绿体结构及光合作用关键酶定位的不同,体现了C3植物和C4植物在光合器结构与功能上的差异.     

Comparison of similarity coefficients used for cluster analysis based on RAPD markers in wild olives

Five different similarity coefficients (Jaccard, Sorensen-Dice, simple matching, Rogers and Tanimoto, and Russel and Rao) were evaluated and 10 wild olives analyzed with RAPD markers. The influence of the similarity coefficients on wild olives clustering was investigated. Forty-five primers were used on samples from 10 wild olives (Wild 1 and 2 obtained from Mugla province; Wild 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 from Manisa province and Wild 9 and 10 from Izmir province of Turkey). The similarity matrices obtained from RAPD markers were compared by the Mantel test. Cluster analysis was made with UPGMA dendrograms, and the consensus fork indexes between all pairs of dendrograms were calculated. The Jaccard and Sorensen-Dice coefficients gave the same results, due to the fact that both exclude negative co-occurrences. The dendrograms using the simple matching and Rogers and Tanimoto coefficients were similar; Wild 4 (Akhisar, Manisa) and Wild 9 (Bornova, Izmir) olives had the closest genetic similarities. This occurred because these coefficients include negative co-occurrences. The Russel and Rao coefficients produced different results, because they include negative co-occurrences in the denominator. We concluded that the coefficients that do not include negative co-occurrences are more efficient for studies of wild olives clustering based on RAPD markers.     

Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of some new DNA-targeted alkylating pyrroloquinolines

Two novel DNA-direct alkylating agents, consisting of aniline mustard linked to an angular 3H-pyrrolo[3,2-f]quinoline nucleus, were synthetized and assayed for their in vitro antiproliferative activity. Simple convergent synthesis, consisting of separate preparation of 9-chloro-3H-pyrrolo[3,2-f]quinoline and p-amino-aniline derivatives, and following their linkage by substitution reactions 8a, b and 10, yielded the corresponding diol derivatives 7b and 9. Biological properties were evaluated with respect to cell growth inhibition, ability to form cross-links with DNA, and capacity to give rise to a molecular complex with the macromolecule for 7b, 8b, 9 and 10.     

Morphological and physiological properties of pheromone-triggered flipflopping descending interneurons of the male silkworm moth,Bombyx mori

1. The morphology of descending interneurons (DNs) which have arborizations in the lateral accessory lobe (LAL) of the protocerebrum, the higher order olfactory center, and have an axon in the ventral nerve cord (VNC), were characterized in the male silkworm moth, Bombyx mori.
2. Two clusters (group I, group II) of DNs which have arborizations mainly in the LALs were morphologically characterized. The axons of these DNs are restricted to the dorsal part of the each connective (Figs. 1–5).
3. Pheromonal responses of the group I and group II DNs were characterized. Flipflopping activity patterns, which have two distinct firing frequencies (high and low) in response to sequential pheromonal stimulation, were usually recorded (Figs.6–10).
4. Two types of flipflopping activity patterns were classified into those that had an antiphasic relationship (called the ‘FF’ type) between the left and right connectives and those with a synchronized relationship (‘ff’ type) (Figs. 8–12). We propose that some group II DNs show ‘FF’ flipflopping activity patterns (Fig. 10).
5. A state transition was usually elicited by less than 10 ng bombykol, the principal pheromone component. Extra impulses were elicited during constant light stimulation (Fig. 9).
6. Our results suggest that the LAL olfactory pathways might be important for producing flipflopping activity patterns (Fig. 11).

     

大杜鹃雌鸟鸣声的日节律

本文描述了三个地区大杜鹃(Cuculus canorus)雌鸟鸣声的日节律。通过在北京野鸭湖湿地公园(2017年5月7日至7月8日)、辽宁辽河口自然保护区(2018年6月28日至7月29日)和吉林大岗子林场(2018年5月17日至7月10日)分别布设自动录音机10台、10台和8台,连续记录繁殖季大杜鹃的鸣声。共录到2 777次大杜鹃雌鸟的鸣叫。其中,1 431次来自北京野鸭湖湿地公园,1 222次来自辽宁辽河口自然保护区,124次来自吉林大岗子林场。野鸭湖湿地公园和辽河口自然保护区的大杜鹃雌鸟在日出时段出现鸣叫的高峰,而大岗子林场的大杜鹃在日出和日落时段各有一个鸣叫的高峰。通过比较大杜鹃雌鸟鸣声的日节律和大杜鹃产卵时间的日节律,本研究认为在上述地区大杜鹃雌鸟鸣叫的功能更可能是宣示领域和吸引异性,而非恐吓宿主。本研究有助于进一步了解大杜鹃雌鸟鸣声的功能。     

Spatial eigenfunction analyses in stream networks: do watercourse and overland distances produce different results?

1. The use of spatial variables is a common procedure in ecological studies. The technique is based on the definition of a connectivity/distance matrix that conceptually defines the dispersal of organisms. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Despite the fact that a straight line may not represent the easiest dispersal path for many kinds of organisms, straight‐line distances are often used to detect patterns. We argue that other types of connectivity/distance matrices will better represent dispersal paths, such as the watercourse distance for aquatic organisms (e.g. fish, shrimps). 2. We used empirical and simulated community data to evaluate the usefulness of spatial variables generated from watercourse and overland (straight‐line) distances. 3. Spatial variables based on watercourse distances captured patterns that straight‐line distances did not, and provided better representations of the spatial patterns generated by dispersal along a dendritic network.     

Discoupling of excitation-contraction processes by urea treatment of frog skeletal muscle

On exposure (E) of frog semitendinosus muscle to 400 mmol/l urea (U) in sodium chloride Ringer's solution, the tension development to isoK+ solutions decreased, while in choline chloride Ringer it increased. On quick removal (R) of urea, always a block of excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling occurred accompanied by transient or persistent swelling of fibres and a similar but definite decrease of their resting membrane potential (Fig. 2). Muscle contraction could be elicited by caffeine even after UER-treatment but then only the slow tension increase (second phase of normal caffeine contraction) occurred (Fig. 3a). The fast tension increase to caffeine (first phase) could be restored if after UER-treatment 5 mmol/l mannitol (Fig. 3b), a 20 min treatment with choline chloride (Fig. 4a) or sodium isethionate (Fig. 4b) Ringer's solution of double osmolarity were applied. Caffeine contraction could not be elicited when sodium chloride Ringer's solution of double osmolarity was used under similar conditions (Fig. 5). E-C block to isoK+ solution persisted in all these experiments. E-C coupling could partially be restored by short treatment of muscle with caffeine (Figs 6a, b).     

Different roles of environmental variables and spatial factors in structuring stream benthic diatom and macroinvertebrate in Yangtze River Delta,China

Exploring the relative contribution of spatial factors and environmental variables in shaping communities is of widespread interest in biodiversity conservation and environmental management. Stream communities are hierarchically regulated by environmental variables over multiple spatial scales, and the reaction of different organisms to stressors are still equivocal. We sampled both macroinvertebrates and diatom at 80 sites and additional 10 sites for macroinvertebrates, field measured and laboratory analyzed environmental variables, from the tributaries of Qiantang River, Yangtze River Delta China in 2011. We used PCNM (principal coordinates of neighbor matrices) to generate spatial predictors. We applied redundancy analysis and variation partitioning procedures to identify key spatial and environmental factors, and to quantify their relative roles in shaping diatom and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Our results demonstrated the role of spatial and environmental variables differed in shaping benthic diatom and macroinvertebrate. Diatom assemblage variations were better explained by spatial factors, however macroinvertebrate assemblage variations were better explained by environmental variables. In terms of environmental variables, catchment scale variables (e.g., land use estimators, land use diversity) played the primary role in determining the patterns of both diatom and macroinvertebrate assemblages, whereas the influence of reach-scale variables (e.g., pH, substrates, and nutrients) appeared less. However, nutrients were the stronger factors influencing benthic diatom, whereas physical habitat (e.g., substrates) played more important role than water chemistry in structuring macroinvertebrates. Our results provided more evidence to the incorporation of spatial factors interpreting spatial patterns of stream organisms, and highlighted the useful of multiple organisms and environmental variables at different spatial scales in diagnosing mechanism of stream degradation and in building a sound stream conditions monitoring program for Yangtze River Delta.     

Stability of classification of filamentous fungi under changes in character coding strategy

The characteristics of a number of filamentous fungal cultures were obtained from two previously published numerical taxonomic studies on Penicillium and Phoma. The coding strategies for some of the physiological and morphological properties employed in the original studies were re-examined and the data was re-coded by combining sets of characters into single ordered multistate characters. The different coding procedures were compared by generating average linkage (UPGMA) dendrograms which were in turn compared by calculating correlation coefficients between the final similarity matrices implied by these dendrograms. The character conversions had no significant effect on the final outcome of the clustering.     

Object detection by honeybees: Why do they land on edges?

Behavioural experiments using a variety of experimental situations (Figs. 1, 3, 6, 7, 9) were conducted to investigate the visual cues which bees use in the task of object-ground discrimination. The bees' flight and landing behaviour was video-filmed throughout the experiments. The evaluation of the video data shows that bees trained to find a randomly textured figure raised above a similarly textured ground land mainly on the boundaries of the figure, facing its inner surface (Fig. 2a, b). Bees can also be trained to find a hole, i.e. a low texture viewed through a window cut in a raised texture, but these bees are not attracted to the edges of the hole (Fig. 5a, b). Bees trained to a single edge between a low and a raised random texture land at the edge mainly facing the raised side (Table 1). Bees approaching the edge from the high side cross the edge in most cases without landing on it (Table 1). Bees trained to an edge between 2 striped patterns, one raised above the other, again land on the edge facing the raised pattern, regardless of whether the stripes on the 2 patterns run parallel or perpendicular to each other or to the edge (Fig. 8). In this case, the bees acquire range information by flying in oblique directions with respect to the orientation of the stripes (Fig. 10). All of the results suggest that the edge elicits landings when the bee perceives a local increase in the speed of image motion, signalling an abrupt decrease in range. This is corroborated by the results of further experiments in which artificial motion was used to simulate range differences between the two sides of an edge (Table 2). We conclude that image speed is a powerful cue in range discrimination as well as object detection. Dedicated to G. Adrian Horridge on the occasion of his retirement     

Genetic map-based analysis of genome structure in the homosporous fern Ceratopteris richardii

Homosporous ferns have extremely high chromosome numbers relative to flowering plants, but the species with the lowest chromosome numbers show gene expression patterns typical of diploid organisms, suggesting that they may be diploidized ancient polyploids. To investigate the role of polyploidy in fern genome evolution, and to provide permanent genetic resources for this neglected group, we constructed a high-resolution genetic linkage map of the homosporous fern model species, Ceratopteris richardii (n = 39). Linkage map construction employed 488 doubled haploid lines (DHLs) that were genotyped for 368 RFLP, 358 AFLP, and 3 isozyme markers. Forty-one linkage groups were recovered, with average spacing between markers of 3.18 cM. Most loci (approximately 76%) are duplicated and most duplicates occur on different linkage groups, indicating that as in other eukaryotic genomes, gene duplication plays a prominent role in shaping the architecture of fern genomes. Although past polyploidization is a potential mechanism for the observed abundance of gene duplicates, a wide range in the number of gene duplicates as well as the absence of large syntenic regions consisting of duplicated gene copies implies that small-scale duplications may be the primary mode of gene duplication in C. richardii. Alternatively, evidence of past polyploidization(s) may be masked by extensive chromosomal rearrangements as well as smaller-scale duplications and deletions following polyploidization(s).     

Neuroanatomy of the central nervous system of the wandering spider,Cupiennius salei (Arachnida,Araneida)

Summary In Cupiennius salei (Ctenidae), as in other spiders, the central nervous system is divided into the supraoesophageal ganglion or brain and the suboesophageal ganglia (Fig. 1). The two masses are interconnected by oesophageal connectives. The brain gives off four pairs of optic and one pair of cheliceral nerves. From the suboesophageal ganglia arise a pair of pedipalpal, four pairs of leg, and several pairs of opisthosomal nerves (Fig. 2). 1. Cell types. In the brain a total of 50900 cells were counted, in the suboesophageal ganglia 49000. They are all monopolar cells, found in the ganglion periphery and may be classified into four types: (a) Small globuli cells (nuclear diameter 6–7 m) forming a pair of compact masses in the protocerebrum (Fig. 10b); (b) Small and numerous cells (cell diameter 12–20 m) with processes forming the bulk of the neuropil in the brain and suboesophageal ganglia; (c) Neurosecretory cells (cell diameter ca. 45 m) in the brain and suboesophageal ganglia; (d) Large motor and interneurons (cell daimeter 40–112 m), mostly in the suboesophageal ganglia (Figs. 10a and c). 2. Suboesophageal mass. The cell bodies form a sheet of one to several cell layers on the ventral side of each ganglion and are arranged in groups. Three such groups were identified as motor neurons, four as interneurons. At the dorsal, dorso-lateral, and mid-central parts of the ganglion there are no cell somata. The fibre bundles arising from them form identifiable transverse commissural pathways (Fig. 9b). They form the fibrous mass in the central part of the suboesophageal mass.Neuropil is well-formed in association with the sensory terminations of all major nerves (Fig. 9a). As these proceed centrally they break up into five major sensory tracts forming five layers one above the other. There are six pairs of additional major longitudinal tracts arranged at different levels dorsoventrally (Fig. 8). They ascend into the brain through the oesophageal connectives and terminate mostly in the mushroom bodies and partly in the central body. 3. Protocerebrum. Fine processes of the globuli cells form the most important neuropil mass in the fibrous core, called the mushroom bodies. These consist of well developed glomeruli, hafts, and bridge which are interconnected with the optic masses of the lateral eyes and most fibre tracts from the brain and suboesophageal mass (Fig. 7). The median eye nerves form a small optic lamella and optic ganglia, connected to the central body through an optic tract. Each posterior median and posterior lateral eye nerve ends in large optic lamellae (Fig. 13a). These are connected through chiasmata to a large optic mass where fibres from globuli cells form conspicuous glomeruli. There are 10–12 large fibres (diameter 9 m) of unknown origin on each side, terminating in the optic lambella of the posterior lateral eye.The central body, another neuropil mass (Fig. 13b) in the protocerebrum, is well developed in Cupiennius and located transversely in its postero-dorsal region (Fig. 10d). It consists of two layers and is interconnected with optic masses of the median and lateral eyes through optic tracts. Fibre tracts from the brain and suboesophageal mass join the central body.