Fine structure of the antennal sensilla of the millipede Orthomorphella pekuensis (Polydesmida: Paradoxosomatidae)

The fine structural characteristics of various sensory receptors on the antenna of a millipede, Orthomorphella pekuensis, were observed with field emission scanning electron microscopy. The antenna of this millipede has eight segments, called articles. On the surface of the antenna, there are a variety of sensory receptors, including olfactory and mechanical receptors. According to their morphological and fine structural characteristics, we could identify four basic types of antennal sensillum: chaetiform sensilla (CS), trichoid sensilla (TS), basiconic sensilla (BS) and apical cone sensilla (AS). The BS are divided further into three subtypes: large basiconic sensilla (BS₁) on the 5th and 6th articles; small basiconic sensilla (BS₂) on the 5th article; and a distinct type of basiconic spiniform sensilla (BS₃) on the 7th article. The most prominent sensilla are four large AS on the distal tip of the 8th segment. Based on our results, we conclude that the main function of the CS and TS are related to mechanical reception, and that the BS and AS are likely to function in olfactory reception of volatile odors of plants, as these sensilla have base and apex pores, respectively.     

RELEASE OF ARTIFICIAL CHERRY FLAVOR FROM ICE CREAMS VARYING IN FAT AND FAT REPLACERS

The effect of fat and fat replacers (FR) on the flavor release from cherry ice cream was investigated. Protein based FR, Simplesse ("S") and carbohydrate based FR, Litesse ("L") either partially or completely substituted milk fat in ice cream. Overall and temporal flavor profiles of ice cream during eating were obtained using chemical and sensory analyses. The performance of FR depended on the level of fat it was substituting and the amount of fat present in the ice cream. In the reduced fat ice cream group, both FRs failed to mimic the characteristics of 6% fat ice cream, mainly because of the low retention of cherry flavor. In the full fat ice cream group, the sensory properties of ice cream containing "L" were closer to the full-fat (12%) ice cream than those with "S". The critical flavor volatile compounds that strongly impact the sensory flavor attributes were identified.     

垂枝斑叶兰，中国大陆兰科植物新记录

垂枝斑叶兰(Goodyera pendula Maxim.),先前只报道于日本和中国台湾,在大陆首次发现。这个种的显著特点：植株在树干上附生,花序下垂后再上升,呈“L”型,花序密被腺毛,花朵密集,生于一侧,不完全开张。凭证标本保存在中国科学院华南植物园标本馆（IBSC）。     

Hypertrophic cardiornyopathy: from gene defect to clinical disease

Major advances have been made over the last decade in our understanding of the molecular basis of several cardiac conditions. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) was the first cardiac disorder in which a genetic basis was identified and as such, has acted as a paradigm for the study of an inherited cardiac disorder. HCM can result in clinical symptoms ranging from no symptoms to severe heart failure and premature sudden death. HCM is the commonest cause of sudden death in those aged less than 35 years, including competitive athletes. At least ten genes have now been identified, defects in which cause HCM. All of these genes encode proteins which comprise the basic contractile unit of the heart, i.e. the sarcomere. While much is now known about which genes cause disease and the various clinical presentations, very little is known about how these gene defects cause disease, and what factors modify the expression of the mutant genes. Studies in both cell culture and animal models of HCM are now beginning to     

Characterization of 30 new microsatellite markers,developed from enriched genomic DNA library of zoysiagrass Zoysia japonica Steud.

The present study reports the development of 30 polymorphic microsatellite markers for zoysiagrass Zoysia japonica Steud. The 30 markers produced a total of 125 alleles with an average of 4.2 alleles per locus. Values for observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.10 to 0.95 and from 0.15 to 0.81, respectively. At significance threshold (P < 0.05), 11 loci deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, whereas significant linkage disequilibrium values were observed between 16 pairs of loci. These markers may provide information needed to select genetically diverse parents for developing breeding and mapping populations of zoysiagrass.     

Plasticity of the phonotactic selectiveness of four species of chirping crickets (Gryllidae): Implications for call recognition

Earlier studies of phonotaxis by female crickets describe this selective behavioural response as being important in the females' choices of conspecific males, leading to reproduction. In the present study, moderate (30+) to very large data sets of phonotactic behaviour by female Acheta domesticus L., Gryllus bimaculatus DeGeer, Gryllus pennsylvanicus Burmeister and Gryllus veletis Alexander demonstrate substantially greater plasticity in the behavioural choices, as made by females of each species, for the syllable periods (SP) of model calling songs (CS) than has been previously described. Phonotactic choices by each species range from the very selective (i.e. responding to only one or two SPs) to very unselective (i.e. responding to all SPs presented). Some females that do not respond to all SPs prefer a range that includes either the longest or shortest SP tested, which fall outside the range of SPs produced by conspecific males. Old female A. domesticus and G. pennsylvanicus are more likely to be unselective for SPs than are young females. Each species includes females that do not respond to a particular SP when responding to CSs with longer and shorter SPs. The results suggest that the plasticity of phonotactic behaviour collectively exhibited by the females of each species does not ensure that choices of a male's CS effectively focus the female's phonotactic responses on CSs that represent the conspecific male. The phonotactic behaviour collectively exhibited by females of each species does not readily fit any of the models for selective processing by central auditory neurones that have been proposed to underlie phonotactic choice.     

Contribution of fungal biomass to the growth of the shredder, Pycnopsyche gentilis (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae)

1.  1. It has been accepted that aquatic hyphomycetes colonising submerged leaves increase the nutritional value of leaf detritus and suggested that fungal biomass plays a greater role in the growth of shredders than leaf tissue itself. However, it is not clear what proportion of the nutritional needs of shredders is met by fungal biomass.
2.  We fed Pycnopsyche gentilis larvae with tulip poplar ( Liriodendron tulipifera ) leaf discs colonised by the aquatic hyphomycete, Anguillospora filiformis , which had been radiolabelled to quantify the contribution of fungal carbon to the growth of the shredder at different larval developmental stages. Instantaneous growth rates of larvae on this diet were also estimated.
3.  When provided with fungal-colonised leaves (14–16% fungal biomass), the third and the fifth instar larvae of P. gentilis grew at the rates of 0.061 and 0.034 day⁻¹, respectively, but on a diet of sterile leaves, both larval instars lost weight. The incorporation rates of fungal carbon were 31.6 μg C mg⁻¹ AFDM day⁻¹, accounting for 100% of the daily growth rate of the third instar larvae and 8.6 μg C mg⁻¹ AFDM day⁻¹, accounting for 50% of the daily growth rate of the fifth instar larvae.
4.  These results suggest that leaf material colonised by A. filiformis is a high quality food resource for P. gentilis larvae, and that fungal biomass can contribute significantly to the growth of these larvae. Differences in feeding behaviour and digestive physiology may explain the significantly greater assimilation of fungal biomass by the earlier instar than the final instar. To satisfy their nutritional needs the fifth instar larvae would have to assimilate detrital mass that may have been modified by fungal exoenzymes.