The impact of kleptoparasitic invasions on the evolution of gall-size in social and solitary Australian Acacia thrips

Many species of gall-inducing Acacia thrips are attacked by kleptoparasitic thrips who enter the gall, destroy the occupants, and then use the gall for producing their own offspring. The hypothesis tested here is that pressure exerted by ldeptoparasites （genus Koptothrips） not only provoked the evolution of soldiers in the gall-inducing clade, but have also influenced the evolution of gall size and morphology. Various size dimensions of invaded galls were compared to those of uninvaded galls using data from six gall-inducing species and their kleptoparasites. For the non-social gall-inducing species （K. ellobus and K. nicholsoni） invaded galls showed no significant size differences from galls that had not been invaded. For the four social gall-inducingspecies （K. habrus, K. intermedius, K. waterhousei and K. morrisi） invaded galls were significantly narrower and/or shorter than uninvaded galls. Galls of social species that had not been invaded and contained adult soldiers were significantly larger than galls where soldiers were still at a larval stage, suggesting that gall size is related to gall age in these species. An hypothesis is proposed that links the timing of invasion by kleptoparasites to size of the host gall： induction of a smaller gall by host founders will reduce the period of vulnerability to invasion （before soldiers become adults） for social thrips by allowing foundresses in these smaller galls to begin laying soldierdestined eggs relatively sooner.     

Permeability to Sugars and Fatty Acids in Polytoma obtusum

SYNOPSIS. Whole cells of Polytoma obtusum do not utilize glucose or other hexoses, but cell-free extracts show glucokinase activity having a pH optimum at 8.5 and a Q₁₀ of 2.4 between 0–20°C. Lack of glucom utilization by whole cells reflects a permeability barrier to all sugars.
To determine whether inability of acetate-grown cells to utilize butyrate also denoted a permeability barrier, permeability to acetate and butyrate was studied in acetate- and butyrate-grown cells However, acetate-grown cells accumulated C-14 labeled butyrate against a concentration gradient. Therefore inability of acetate-grown cells to utilize butyrate does not denote a permeability barrier.
Acetate-kinase activity was consktently demonstrated in cell-free extracts of both acetate- and butyrate-grown cells. Butyrate kinase was consistently found only in butyrate-grown cells. However, the absence of buttymte kinase in acetate-grown cells cannot be claimed since occasionally butyrate kinase activity was demonstrated in extracts of acetate-grown cells.     

The 1952 outbreak of encephalitis in California; long term neurologic and psychiatric studies of sequelae

For fuller understanding of the nature of infectious encephalitis, continuing study must be made of patients with regard to possible neurological sequelae or aberrations in behavior. The large outbreak of encephalitis in California in 1952 having offered opportunity for follow-up observation of a large series of patients, many of them children who had convulsions during the acute phase of the disease, pilot studies already have been started and funds are being sought for extending the scope of the investigation over a period of years. In early observations of patients included in the pilot study, changes in emotional and behavior patterns were noted in some instances. Thus far, with the exception of two infants who had recurrence of convulsions, patients who recovered apparently free of residual effects have remained so. Further neurological and psychiatric investigation should be carried out.     

METHODS OF ASSESSING THE SPORICIDAL EFFICIENCY OF AN ULTRA-HIGH-TEMPERATURE MILK STERILIZING PLANT. II. EXPERIMENTS WITH SUSPENSIONS OF SPORES IN MILK

SUMMARY: The sporicidal efficiency of an ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk processing plant has been tested using spores of a strain of Bacillus subtilis in milk. With the inoculum and volume of milk adjusted to obtain a countable number of survivors by a conventional dilution counting method, a temperature of 130·5° with the minimum time setting of the plant was found necessary to give a destruction of 99·99999%. This temperature was lower than that found previously (135°) for spores suspended in water and evidence is produced to support the suggestion that UHT milk may be inhibitory to the germination and/or subsequent growth of heated spores.     

Plant acids modulate chemosensory responses in Manduca sexta larvae

Abstract.The effects of three plant acids on the gustatory response of Manduca sexta larvae were examined. Two different categories of response were recorded in the styloconic sensilla of different individuals in the presence of salt: the gustatory response to salt was reduced especially at the lower pHs; the deterrent cell fired particularly at the lower pHs. In some individuals neither response was seen except at the lowest pHs. Additional experiments indicated that the effect was due to pH and not to specific effects of any of the acids. Ascorbic acid was tested with the nutrient carbohydrates glucose and inositol, and was found consistently to reduce the gustatory responses to these compounds. The data indicate that plant acids at natural concentrations could influence food acceptability.