Burrowing beetles of the genus Bledius (Staphylinidae) as agents of bioturbation in the emergent areas and shores of an athalassic inland lake (Fuente de Piedra,southern of Spain)

Bledius (Elbidus) bicornis (Germ.) and B. (Eucerotobledius) furcatus (Oliv.) (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) are the most important burrowing species in the emergent areas and shores in the athalassic lake of Fuente de Piedra (Málaga, S. of Spain). A first estimate of the importance of these organisms in this system is presented. These insects kick out sediment during their burrowing activity, which accumulates on the surface near the burrows as tumuli which can be easily eroded. The lake perimeter (17 km) is densely colonized (usual densities from 1700 to 2500 ind m⁻²). The amount of granulated material that can be potentially kicked out was 46.22 g dry wt m⁻² day⁻¹. At the same time, the material that constitutes the tumuli shows different characteristics from the compact ground below the surface. Thus, it is relatively enriched with organic matter (6.15 g per square meter), soluble phosphate (406.5 μg m⁻²) and ammonium (4856 μg m⁻²), whereas it lacks nitrate. Results of a transect from uninhabited areas to zones of maximum population density also show a similarity between the higher ground level of ammonium and phosphate concentrations and population density.     

Influence of temperature and salinity on carbon and nitrogen content in Dunaliella viridis teodoresco under nitrogen sufficiency

Cell carbon and nitrogen in D. viridis are strongly dependent on the culturing conditions. Both elements increase with increasing salinity. At 31°C cell carbon is maximum and cell nitrogen minimum. This temperature was described previously (Jiménez, C., Niell, F. X. & Fernandez, J. A. (1990). Hydrobiologia, 197, 165-72) as the optimal one for achieving the maximum oxygen evolution. These results point out a possible competence for the reducing power during carbon and nitrogen assimilation processes, and under conditions of high photosynthesis (carbon assimilation) there is a partial inhibition of nitrate reduction, making C:N ratio maximum under conditions of maximum net photosynthesis.The study of cell glycerol, nitrate, structural proteins and free amino acids indicates that all of these solutes accumulate in the cells as a result of the high salinity adaptation.     

Alpha 2 adrenergic control of ventilation in the rat]

In anaesthetized rats, ventilatory stimulation induced by phentolamine, an alpha sympatholytic agent, emphasizes the role of some adrenergic mechanisms in the control of the respiratory centres activity. Phentolamine (5 and 10 mg.kg-1, iv) stimulates ventilation after a 4 s latency, tidal volume and respiratory rate being both increased. A same response can also be provoked 10 min later, by a second identical iv administration, systemic blood pressure remaining then stable at its previous low level. Hyperventilation is also observed when phentolamine is injected in totally denervated rats, without any remaining baro- or chemosensitivity. Stimulation is thus due to a central activity in relation with the release of inhibitory influences. Phentolamine also causes hyperventilation after prazosin pretreatment indicating that the alpha 1 adrenergic blockade is not involved in the post-phentolamine stimulation. This is an alpha 2 adrenergic transmission dependent mechanism. Variation of the systemic blood pressure is not the main mechanism involved in the hyperventilation induced by phentolamine. Meanwhile, baroreceptor activity modulates the central response to the drug, as shown by the negative influence of the post-vasopressin arterial hypertension. Hyperoxia is also a modulating factor acting by two ways: an inhibition of the peripheral chemoreceptors activity is added to an arterial hypertension. On the other side, activation of these chemoreceptors by almitrine bismesilate increases the respiratory responses to phentolamine. As already shown by one of us (Lagneuax, 1986), phentolamine pretreated rats are more responsive to hypoxia and to almitrine. Moreover, these phentolamine pretreated rats are protected against cardiovascular collapses and against apnea, frequently observed during hypoxia without CO2 compensation.     

Tachycardia induced by a hot bath

When immersed in plain water at 40 degrees C, normal young adults experience an important increase in the heart rate. beta adrenergic receptor blockade by propranolol (40 and 80 mg) reduces this tachycardia by 25%. The increase in the heart rate depends on orthosympathetic stimulation, on parasympathetic inhibition and on a Q10 effect related to the blood temperature acting on the sino-auricular node.     

Oxidation-reduction potentials of the hemes in cytochrome C3 from Desulfovibrio gigas in the presence and absence of ferredoxin by EPR spectroscopy.

1. Ferricytochrome c3 from D. gigas exhibits two low-spin ferric heme EPR resonances with gz-values at 2.959 and 2.853. Ferrocytochrome c3 is diamagnetic based on the absence of any EPR signals. 2. EPR potentiometric titrations result in the resolution of the two low-spin ferric heme resonances into two additional heme components representing in total the four hemes of the cytochrome, with EM values of -235 mV and -315 mV at heme resonance I and EM values of -235 mV and -306 mV at heme resonance II. 3. EPR spectroscopy has detected a significant diminution of intensity (approx. 60 p. 100) in the gx amplitude of ferricytochrome c3 in the presence of D. gigas ferredoxin II. The presence of ferredoxin II also causes a more negative shift in the EM of the second components of the signals at heme resonances I and II of cytochrome C3. Both observations suggest that an interaction has occurred between cytochrome C3 and ferredoxin II. 4. The results presented suggest that the heme ligand environment of ferricytochrome c3 from D. gigas is less perturbed and/or less asymmetric than environment for ferricytochrome c3 from D. vulgaris whose EPR behavior indicates the non-equivalence of all four hemes.     

Decrease in maximum consumption of oxygen after blockage of beta-andrenergic receptors]

VO2 max, maximum oxygen uptake, has been measured in 4 normal young men, before and after beta-adrenergic blockade (0.5 to 5 mg Pindolol by mouth). Pindolol induces bradycardia and reduces VO2 max. A statistically significant positive correlation appears between posology of Pindolol and bradycardia, this posology and reduction of VO2 max, and finally between bradycardia and reduction of VO2 max. These correlations indicate that the reduction of VO2 max is best explained by a circulatory limitation of oxygen supply to active muscles.     

Purification,characterization and biological activity of three forms of ferredoxin from the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio gigas

Three forms of ferredoxin FdI, FdI′, and FdII have been isolated from Desulfovibrio gigas, a sulfate reducer. They are separated by a combination of DEAE-cellulose and gel filtration chromatographic procedures. FdI and FdI′ present a slight difference in isoelectric point which enables the separation of the two forms over DEAE-cellulose, while FdII is easily separated from the two other forms by gel filtration. The three forms have the same amino acid composition and are isolated in different aggregation states. Molecular weight determinations by gel filtration gave values of 18 000 for FdI and FdI′ and 24 000 for FdII, whereas a value of 6000 is determined when dissociation is accomplished with sodium dodecyl sulfate. The electronic spectra are different and their ultraviolet-visible absorbance rations are 0.77, 0.87 and 0.68 respectively for FdI, FdI′ and FdII. Despite these differences, the physiological activities of the three forms are similar as far as the reduction of sulfite by molecular hydrogen is concerned.