Sexual and site differences in calcium consumption by the Malabar Giant Squirrel Ratufa indica

Summary The calcium ingestion of Malabar Giant Squirrels Ratufa indica (Sciuridae) was examined at two sites, Magod and Bhimashankar, in western India. In females at Magod a positive correlation was found between rates of calcium ingestion from food resources and the contribution of those resources to the daily diet. This relationship was true for all females at Magod irre-spective of their reproductive condition. This relationship was neither significant for males at the same site nor for both sexes at Bhimashankar. A differential requirement for calcium between the sexes and the occurrence of higher rates of calcium ingestion or the probable presence of more easily digestible calcium at Bhimashankar are postulated to explain the observed phenomenon. Mature leaves and bark appear to be reliable sources of calcium at these sites.     

黄连木五倍子的生态研究与利用

一、产地自然概况黄连木五倍子最早发现于河南省南部信阳市郊贤山脚下(东经114°0′,,北纬32°10′)。该地为低山丘陵,海拔90一320m,南部紧连鸡公山厂傍依南湾水库和狮河。     

Retinoic acid modulates the pattern of cell division in embryos ofLymnaea stagnalis (Mollusca)

All-trans retinoic acid is well known as a modulator of positional specification in vertebrate development. A similar mechanism may operate in molluscan development. Molluscan development is characterized by an invariant pattern of cell divisions, which allows the study of individual cells in the developing organism. Low concentrations of exogenous retinoic acid applied during gastrulation affect the cell division pattern in the early larval stage of the molluscLymnaea stagnalis. A few cells from the apical plate, a larval organ consisting of seven large cleavage-arrested cells, were induced by retinoic acid to resume cell division. They typically formed an area of proliferating small cells that resembles the adjacent areas of precursor cells of adult ectoderm. The identification of individual cells that are transformed by retinoic acid may provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying positional specification within the embryo.     

中国直背蝗属一新种（直翅目：蝗科）

本文记述采自吉林省长白山蝗虫一新种,黄股直背蝗,新种Ｅｕｔｈｙｓｔｉｒａｌｕｔｅｉｆｅｍｏｒａｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．。该新种近似短翅直背蝗Ｅｕｔｈｙｓｔｉｒａｂｒａｃｈｙｐｔｅｒａ（Ｏｃｓｋ．）。     

刺果番荔枝中的番荔枝内酯

从刺果番荔枝（Ａｎｎｏｎａ ｍ ｕｒｉｃａｔａ Ｌ．）的种子中分离到３ 个单四氢呋喃型番荔枝内酯类化合物,用波谱方法鉴定为海南哥纳香甲素（ｈｏｗ ｉｉｃｉｎ Ａ, Ｓ１３）、乙素（ｈｏｗ ｉｉｃｉｎ Ｂ, Ｓ５）和新化合物４－去氧海南哥纳香乙素（４－ｄｅｓｏｘｙｈｏｗ ｉｉｃｉｎ Ｂ, Ｓ２）。     

豇豆单孢锈菌中病毒样颗粒中双链RNA的存在

从北京西郊清华园附近田间豇豆上采集的豇豆单孢锈菌(Uormyces vignal Barcl)夏孢子。萌发后提取双链RNA,电泳分析可测出300—8000碱基对的三组双链RNA。从萌发的孢子中通过差迷离心提取病毒样颗粒,可获得二种类型的病毒样颗粒,一种直径为35—40nm的等轴颗粒。另一种为长短不等的棒状颗粒,用提纯物提取核酸电泳分析与直接从孢子中提取的双链RNA有相同的核酸带,从而证明这些双链RNA存在于病毒样颗粒中。     

Are brood sex ratios adaptive?—The effect of experimentally altered brood sex ratio on nestling growth,mortality and recruitment

Brood sex ratios (BSRs) have often been found to be nonrandom in respect of parental and environmental quality, and many hypotheses suggest that nonrandom sex ratios can be adaptive. To specifically test the adaptive value of biased BSRs, it is crucial to disentangle the consequences of BSR and maternal effects. In multiparous species, this requires cross-fostering experiments where foster parents rear offspring originating from multiple broods, and where the interactive effect of original and manipulated BSR on fitness components is tested. To our knowledge, our study on collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) is the first that meets these requirements. In this species, where BSRs had previously been shown to be related to parental characteristics, we altered the original BSR of the parents shortly after hatching by cross-fostering nestlings among trios of broods and examined the effects on growth, mortality and recruitment of the nestlings. We found that original and experimental BSR, as well as the interaction of the two, were unrelated to the fitness components considered. Nestling growth was related only to background variables, namely brood size and hatching rank. Nestling mortality was related only to hatching asynchrony. Our results therefore do not support that the observed BSRs are adaptive in our study population. However, we cannot exclude the possibility of direct effects of experimentally altered BSRs on parental fitness, which should be evaluated in the future. In addition, studies similar to ours are required on various species to get a clearer picture of the adaptive value of nonrandom BSRs.     

Deciphering RNA m6A regulation in aging: Perspectives on current advances and future directions

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is a dynamic and reversible RNA modification that has emerged as a crucial player in the life cycle of RNA, thus playing a pivotal role in various biological processes. In recent years, the potential involvement of RNA m⁶A modification in aging and age-related diseases has gained increasing attention, making it a promising target for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying aging and developing new therapeutic strategies. This Perspective article will summarize the current advances in aging-related m⁶A regulation, highlighting the most significant findings and their implications for our understanding of cellular senescence and aging, and the potential for targeting RNA m⁶A regulation as a therapeutic strategy. We will also discuss the limitations and challenges in this field and provide insights into future research directions. By providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of the field, this Perspective article aims to facilitate further advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying aging and to identify new therapeutic targets for aging-related diseases.     

Oxide-Based Solid-State Batteries: A Perspective on Composite Cathode Architecture

The garnet-type phase Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZO) attracts significant attention as an oxide solid electrolyte to enable safe and robust solid-state batteries (SSBs) with potentially high energy density. However, while significant progress has been made in demonstrating compatibility with Li metal, integrating LLZO into composite cathodes remains a challenge. The current perspective focuses on the critical issues that need to be addressed to achieve the ultimate goal of an all-solid-state LLZO-based battery that delivers safety, durability, and pack-level performance characteristics that are unobtainable with state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries. This perspective complements existing reviews of solid/solid interfaces with more emphasis on understanding numerous homo- and heteroionic interfaces in a pure oxide-based SSB and the various phenomena that accompany the evolution of the chemical, electrochemical, structural, morphological, and mechanical properties of those interfaces during processing and operation. Finally, the insights gained from a comprehensive literature survey of LLZO–cathode interfaces are used to guide efforts for the development of LLZO-based SSBs.