Changes in the interpupillary distance (IPD) with ages and its effect on the near convergence/distance (NC/D) ratio

This study aims at determining the mean value of the ophthalmic anthropometrics parametar-IPD (Interpupillary distance) and the mean value of NC/D (Near convergence/distance) in 300 subjects aged 5 to 60 years. The influence of IPD on the NC/D ratio in the same subjects will also be investigated. The investigation showed that the mean value of IPD is 60.5 +/- 2.4 cm, and the mean value of NC/D ratio is 4.95 +/- 2.28 prD. Mean IPD of 5.1 cm in 5-year old children increases to 6.3 cm in adult over 20. In adulthood, IPD remains the same, i.e. 6.3 cm. Our study showed that the NC/D ratio is stable during lifetime. Since NC/D is stabile and IPD changes during lifetime, it is evident that factors other than IPD, such as convergence and accommodation, influence the stability of the NC/D ratio.     

毛茛科升麻族植物药用亲缘学初探

本文总结和归纳了在北美、欧洲以及亚洲广泛应用的毛茛科Ranunculaceae升麻族Cimicifugeae药用植物的系统分类、传统药用价值、现代药理以及化学成分研究结果,并在此基础上初步探讨了该族植物的药用亲缘学关系.升麻族药用植物主要含有9,19-阿尔廷烷三萜皂苷以及肉桂酸衍生物两大类化合物.升麻族植物在传统药用中被用来镇痛、解毒、抗炎,在北美很早就被印第安人用来治疗妇科疾病.现代药理研究发现升麻族植物还具有抗骨质疏松、抗病毒、抗肿瘤、抗过敏、类雌激素样作用等.通过对升麻族植物药用亲缘学的初步研究,我们发现由于类叶升麻属Actaea和升麻属Cimicifuga的疗效和化学成分相近,因此两属的亲缘关系也近.考虑它们果实的形态差异,以及细胞学特征不同,认为这两属为升麻族植物的一个分支,且以类叶升麻属较升麻属更为进化.从化学分类学的角度来看,铁破锣属Beesia含有特殊铁破锣皂苷可以成为一个独立的分支,而黄三七属Souliea既和铁破锣属一样含有五环三萜和铁破锣型环阿尔廷烷三萜类化合物,又和升麻属、类叶升麻属一样含有吲哚生物碱,因此可以认为它是铁破锣属和升麻属、类叶升麻属之间的一个过渡类型.升麻族植物特有的清热解毒功效与其特殊的阿尔廷烷三萜皂苷化学成分密切相关,因此我们认为阿尔廷烷三萜皂苷可以作为抗肿瘤、抗病毒的新药源进一步深入研究.     

A preliminary ultrastructural study of Phragmatopoma (Polychaeta) gametes

Summary

The mature sperm morphology of this sabellariid polychaete most strongly resembles that of certain mussel sperm, with weaker resemblances to other polychaete and mollusc sperms. Sperm-egg binding appears to be aided by a filament, present in the mature unreacted sperm, which lengthens during the acrosome reaction, passes through the egg vitelline envelope, and binds within a few minutes of insemination to the egg plasma membrane.     

荧光假单胞杆菌化感作用的初步研究

The study on the allelopathy of Pseudomonas fluorescens showed that 200 times dilution of its cultured solution could restrain the growth of all test crops,400 times dilution showed a weak restraining effect on most crops,while 600 times dilution had some stimulating effect.The effects differed with crop varieties.     

枸杞属(茄科)新类群杂交起源初探

为探讨枸杞属新类群的起源及国产枸杞属植物的亲缘关系,该文使用核基因颗粒性结合淀粉合成酶基因(GBSSI)片段,对国产7个类群的枸杞属植物进行了分子系统学研究.结果表明:中国分布的枸杞属植物属于旧世界类群并分为4个强烈支持的分支,而新类群的形成与杂交密切相关.此外,初步分析还显示宁夏枸杞有较高的遗传分化.     

Diversity of Alticinae in Oaxaca,Mexico: A preliminary study (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae)

This is a preliminary study of the diversity of the Flea Beetles (Alticinae) of the Mexican state of Oaxaca based on fieldwork by the author in 1991, 1997, and 2010, the literature, and specimens in several institutional collections. The number of genera and species for Mexico as well as for Oaxaca increased significantly from previous studies. There are now 625 species in 90 genera recorded from Mexico with 275 species in 68 genera recorded from Oaxaca. There are 113 species known only from the state of Oaxaca and another 38 species known only from Oaxaca and the surrounding states. Oaxaca has a relatively high diversity as well as a high percentage of endemism. This study also demonstrates the effects of how even a small amount of fieldwork together with extracting specimen data from institutional collections can significantly increase the total faunistic and diversity knowledge of an area. A complete list of the genera and species known from Oaxaca is included.     

The crown-gap ratio (C) and crown cover: The field study

Crown cover can be used to describe or classify woody vegetation. However, current methods for the estimation of crown cover are difficult to apply and are time-consuming. The objective of this work was to present a much easier method of field estimation and to define the limitations of the method. The method uses the crown-gap ratio (C), which is defined as the mean gap between crowns divided by the mean crown diameter. The relationship between values for the crown-gap ratio and crown cover is of the form crown cover = k/(1 + C)², where k is a constant. The overall tasks are first, to develop a methodology to obtain estimates of C and crown openness in the field, and second, to estimate k. In Part 1 we demonstrate that crown cover can be related to C when applied to woody vegetation. In Part 2 we consider a derivation of C, determine a value for k given a set of constraints, and outline some of the sampling implications of applying the method of crown cover estimation using C and k to field situations. The field study provided data from which to plot crown cover against the crown-gap ratio (C). The shape of the curve approximated a rectangular hyperbola. The regression of crown cover against 1/(1 + C)² showed a strong linear relationship (R²= 0.995) and gave an estimate for k of 0.79 for the range of plant communities sampled. The field study suggests that to investigate the effect of different spatial distributions of crowns and mixtures of crown sizes on C, a rigorous derivation of the relationship between crown cover and C is required.     

中国裂隙衣属地衣（文字衣科）的初步研究

在中国文衣科地衣系统研究中,对裂隙衣属Fissurina地衣进行了订正,报道了16种,其中中国新记录种3个,即连绵裂隙衣F. consentanea、球孢裂隙衣F. globulifica和皱体裂隙衣F. insidiosa。建议4个异名,即Fissurina isidiata Z.F. Jia 为Platythecium dimorphodes (Nyl.) Staiger的异名;Fissurina marginata Staiger为Fissurina elaocarpa (A.W. Archer) A.W. Archer的异名;Graphis canlaonensis Vain.为Fissurina consentanea Nyl.的异名;Graphis glauca Müll. Arg.为Fissurina dumastii Müll. Arg.的异名。本文提供了中国裂隙衣属每个种的描述和分布,并提供了鉴定检索表。     

A preliminary study on the phylogenetic relationships of Copelatus Erichson (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Copelatinae) based on larval chaetotaxy and morphology

The phylogenetic relationships of the diving-beetle (Dytiscidae) subfamily Copelatinae are not well known. Some authors postulated a sister-group relationship between Copelatus Erichson and the remaining Dytiscidae, relying mainly on the absence of a mandibular channel in Copelatus. Other authors suggested a more derived position of the genus. Larval characters have been underutilized in phylogenetic studies, mainly because the larvae of many taxa within the family and, in particular, within Copelatinae are unknown. A comprehensive approach aimed to study the phylogenetic placement of a member of this subfamily based on larval characters has not been produced so far. In this study, the phylogenetic relationships of Copelatus are explored based on a cladistic analysis of 24 taxa and 120 chaetotaxic and morphological characters from larvae. For this purpose, larvae of Copelatus longicornis Sharp are described and illustrated in detail for the first time, with particular emphasis on morphometry and chaetotaxy, with the latter being unexplored until now. The results support a derived position of Copelatus within Dytiscidae, with a sister-group relationship between this genus and a clade formed by the subfamilies Lancetinae, Coptotominae, Laccophilinae, Colymbetinae, Matinae, and Dytiscinae, and part of Agabinae. No evidence was found for a sister-group relationship between Copelatus and the remaining Dytiscidae so that the absence of a mandibular channel in this genus is likely a reduction. Copelatus is supported by three apomorphies within Dytiscidae: mandibular channel absent, internal margin of the stipes with three robust spinulae, and seta MX8 inserted subapically on the galea. Handling editor: K. Martens     

福建省双翅目潜蝇科昆虫的初步研究

作于1997－2000年对福建省主要蔬菜和花卉作物上潜蝇科昆虫进行了调查,经研究发现福建省现知潜蝇各类计有12属20种;其中,南美斑潜蝇Liriomyza huidobensis(Blanchard）和蒿萼潜蝇Calycomyza artemisiae(Kalt.）为福建省新记录种。本详细报道福建省潜蝇科昆虫的各类、分布和寄主,并就某些潜蝇害虫在省内的发生危害情况作一简要分析。     

A preliminary and qualitative study of resource ratio theory to nitrifying lab‐scale bioreactors

The incorporation of microbial diversity in design would ideally require predictive theory that would relate operational parameters to the numbers and distribution of taxa. Resource ratio‐theory (RRT) might be one such theory. Based on Monod kinetics, it explains diversity in function of resource‐ratio and richness. However, to be usable in biological engineered system, the growth parameters of all the bacteria under consideration and the resource supply and diffusion parameters for all the relevant nutrients should be determined. This is challenging, but plausible, at least for low diversity groups with simple resource requirements like the ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB). One of the major successes of RRT was its ability to explain the ‘paradox of enrichment’ which states that diversity first increases and then decreases with resource richness. Here, we demonstrate that this pattern can be seen in lab‐scale‐activated sludge reactors and parallel simulations that incorporate the principles of RRT in a floc‐based system. High and low ammonia and oxygen were supplied to continuous flow bioreactors with resource conditions correlating with the composition and diversity of resident AOB communities based on AOB 16S rDNA clone libraries. Neither the experimental work nor the simulations are definitive proof for the application of RRT in this context. However, it is sufficient evidence that such approach might work and justify a more rigorous investigation.     

The crown-gap ratio (C) and crown cover: Derivation and simulation study

The crown-gap ratio C is defined as the mean distance between adjacent crowns divided by the mean crown diameter. Previous field studies have established that for a limited range of vegetation stands crown cover is related to C by a general function, viz. crown cover = k/(1 + C)², where k is a constant. In the present study we investigated the general derivation of the function which relates crown cover to C. The function was then used to determine values for k, a range of point distributions being simulated from semi-regular to clumped, with mixtures of crown sizes. The relationship between crown cover and 1/(1 + C)² was linear in all cases tested (R²= 1.0). The value of k was shown to depend on the sampling technique used, the degree of clumping, and the range in crown sizes permitted. The variation in k was reduced by using a specific sampling method and limiting the range of spatial distributions and crown sizes considered. The constraints imposed were:

• 1 Sampling followed a zig-zag transect (Delaunay two-sided model).
• 2 Point distributions were not overly clumped.
• 3 The range of crown diameters approximated a Gaussian distribution with a relative range of 1–4.

Given these constraints the value of k was determined to be 0.806 with a variance of less than 2%. A table is given to convert values for C into crown cover percentages and, if required, to calculate foliage cover per cent. The constraints imposed are considered to be within conditions normally encountered in the field, making the use of C an accurate and simple method by which to estimate crown or foliage cover per cent.     

A preliminary study of two species of flatfish (family: Bothidae) from the south-west Atlantic

Two species of the family Bothidae (lefteye flounders), Mancopsetta maculata metadata and M. milfordi occur in the south-west Atlantic but are caught rarely by commercial bottom trawlers. Little is therefore known about their general biology from this area. A total of 251 M. maculata and 276 M. milfordi were sampled during deep-water exploratory fishing conducted in November 1994 within the Falkland Islands Interim and Outer Conservation Zones, at depths of 400-1000 m, using standard commercial bottom trawling gear. The two species were found to have similar geographical distributions between 48.30'-53.30'S and 55°-62° W and were often obtained at the same stations in depths of 400-900 m on the continental slope. Mancopsetta maculata maculata showed a uni-modal cohort structure with a modal length at the 29-cm total length size-class. Males of M. m. maculata outnumbered females in a ratio of 3.5 : 1. Mancopsetta milfordi showed a tri-modal length distribution, the main mode at the 37-cm total length size-class, with females outnumbering males in a ratio of 1.1 : 1. Length-weight relationships and length-at-age information are presented for the two species. Diet was determined from the analysis of stomach contents and, although the major prey type for both species consisted of crustaceans, the morid fish Austrophycis marginata also formed an important part of the diet of M. milfordi. Key words: Mancopsetta maculata maculata; Mancopsetta milfordi; distribution; south-west Atlantic; size; diet.     

Insights into the habitat of Middle Permian pareiasaurs (Parareptilia) from preliminary isotopic analyses

Pareiasaurs were an abundant group of large herbivores during Middle and Late Permian times. The habitat of pareiasaurs has proven enigmatic, and ecological interpretations from anatomical and taphonomic data have included aquatic, semi‐aquatic to fully terrestrial lifestyles. Insight into the ecology of extinct taxa can also be gained from stable isotope analyses, and interpretations benefit from studies of multiple, coeval groups. Here, we report the first stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses from the enamel, dentine and bone of pareiasaurs and contemporaneous therapsids (dinocephalians and therocephalians), in specimens recovered from the Permian Tapinocephalus to lower Pristerognathus Assemblage Zones of South Africa. Previous ecological inferences for dinocephalians (riparian to terrestrial) and therocephalians (terrestrial) are less ambiguous than reconstructions for pareiasaurs and provide an independent reference for interpreting stable isotope measurements. Oxygen isotopes of enamel carbonate were indistinguishable between pareiasaurs and therocephalians, which had higher values than dinocephalians. The data suggest that dinocephalians and pareiasaurs (megaherbivores) inhabited different ecological niches and that pareiasaurs may have shared a terrestrial habitat with therocephalians (carnivores). Our results agree with earlier suggestions of a terrestrial lifestyle among pareiasaurs and provide evidence of niche partitioning among large coeval Capitanian herbivores of South Africa.     

Circular dichroism spectra of poly[d(AC):d(GT)], poly[r(AC):r(GU)], and hybrids poly[d(AC):r(GU)] and poly[r(AC):d(GT)] in the presence of ethanol.

Ultraviolet circular dichroism spectra have been obtained in aqueous solutions in the presence and absence of ethanol for a synthetic DNA, poly[d(AC):d(GT)], a synthetic RNA, poly[r(AC):r(GU)], and two DNA:RNA hybrids, poly[d(AC):r(GU)] and poly[r(AC):d(GT)]. In the absence of ethanol, we find that the RNA and DNA spectra are dissimilar, while the spectra of the hybrids show differing degrees of similarity to that of the RNA. In the presence of 60–80% ethanol by weight, the spectra of the DNA and both hybrids become much closer to the spectrum of the RNA, which remains relatively unchanged. We interpret the results as indicating that DNA can undergo a change to an A-type conformation in the presence of ethanol and that the DNA:RNA hybrids are not wholly restricted to an RNA-like conformation in the absence of ethanol.     

Intraaneurysmal flow and aspect ratio (dome/neck)

It recently has been shown that the aspect ratio (dome/neck) of an aneurysm correlates well with intraaneurysmal blood flow, and the aneurysms of aspect ratio larger than 1.6 carry a higher risk of rupture. We examined the effect of aspect ratio (AR) on intra-aneurysmal flow based on flow visualization studies using various aneurysm models. A flow visualization study with the milk tracing method was performed on ten different aneurysm models, and we calculated the mean transit time (MTT) for each aneurysm model at different flow ratios into the branches. The AR and the MTT for each aneurysm were significantly correlated. It was confirmed that the larger the AR was, the longer the MTT became. An asymetric flow ratio induced smooth circulating flow along the aneurysm wall, but a symmetric flow ratio raised complexed vortices at the neck, resulting in longer MTT for the aneurysm model. Aneurysms growing more than AR 2.0 showed very slow flow, and the bleb at the 2.0 AR aneurysm model showed almost stagnant flow, which is considered a characteristic morphology for rupture. Hemodynamics in the aneurysm larger than AR 2.0 and an accompanying daughter aneurysm at the dome definitely contribute to thrombus formation.     

有蹄类昼夜活动时空动态——以岩羊(Pseudois nayaur)为例

调整时间分配和空间利用是有蹄类应对食物资源和环境胁迫周期性波动的常见生存策略。为探索高山有蹄类对这种波动的行为响应和策略,于2018年6月-2019年8月利用红外相机对四川王朗国家级自然保护区内的岩羊（Pseudois nayaur）种群进行了调查,并利用Wilcoxon秩和检验初步分析了它们的昼夜活动时空动态（所涉及分析的数据监测时间为2018年7月底至2019年8月初）。基于前人的研究结论和观点,预测岩羊的昼夜活动在不同季节和不同空间类型将呈现显著差异。结果表明,岩羊的行为基本符合预测：（1）岩羊夏季昼间和冬季夜间较多出现在林缘（夏季昼间：43.64±3.39;冬季夜间：10.00±0.26）和林内（夏季昼间：34.21±3.21,P=0.065;冬季夜间：8.40±0.64,P=0.026）,可能与躲避极端气温有关;（2）岩羊在食物较匮乏的冬季,夜间的活动强度均显著高于其他季节（冬季：23.00±0.73;春季：2.00±0.39;夏季：4.80±1.36;秋季：15.00±1.31）,且在昼间选择易于觅食的草甸生境内活动（林缘：31.79±3.54,草甸：22.79±3.16;P=0.081）。有趣的是,岩羊冬季夜间更多选择林缘（10.00±0.26）,而非预期的林内生境（8.40±0.64,P=0.026）。岩羊在夜宿地附近（林缘）活动强度最大可能是权衡食物和环境胁迫的结果。因为,夜间集中在距离夜宿地和觅食地都比较近的环境中活动,无疑是一种经济的选择。随着近年来气候变化的加剧,高山生态系统受到的威胁越来越明显。基于本研究的发现,建议更多关注高山物种的生存状况和高山生态系统的健康程度,为认识和评价气候变化对生物多样性的影响提供参考。