Behavioural and life history effects of predator diet cues during ontogeny in damselfly larvae

A central issue in predator–prey interactions is how predator associated chemical cues affect the behaviour and life history of prey. In this study, we investigated how growth and behaviour during ontogeny of a damselfly larva (Coenagrion hastulatum) in high and low food environments was affected by the diet of a predator (Aeshna juncea). We reared larvae in three different predator treatments; no predator, predator feeding on conspecifics and predator feeding on heterospecifics. We found that, independent of food availability, larvae displayed the strongest anti-predator behaviours where predators consumed prey conspecifics. Interestingly, the effect of predator diet on prey activity was only present early in ontogeny, whereas late in ontogeny no difference in prey activity between treatments could be found. In contrast, the significant effect of predator diet on prey spatial distribution was unaffected by time. Larval size was affected by both food availability and predator diet. Larvae reared in the high food treatment grew larger than larvae in the low food treatment. Mean larval size was smallest in the treatment where predators consumed prey conspecifics, intermediate where predators consumed heterospecifics and largest in the treatment without predators. The difference in mean larval size between treatments is probably an effect of reduced larval feeding, due to behavioural responses to chemical cues associated with predator diet. Our study suggests that anti-predator responses can be specific for certain stages in ontogeny. This finding shows the importance of considering where in its ontogeny a study organism is before results are interpreted and generalisations are made. Furthermore, this finding accentuates the importance of long-term studies and may have implications for how results generated by short-term studies can be used.     

Raman spectroscopic monitoring of Lactarius latex

Lactarius is a genus of Basidiomycotina with mainly agaricoid representatives, which are characterised by the excretion of a typical milky fluid. In particular, the colour, changes and taste of this latex-like milk are often used as a taxonomically important character. When it is exuded several chemical reactions occur. To date, NMR spectroscopy is generally used for chemical investigation of this latex. However, as a vibrational spectroscopic technique Raman spectroscopy has several advantageous properties for this type of research. The aim of this study is to investigate whether Raman spectroscopy can be used as an alternative analytical technique to monitor the chemical reactions in Lactarius latex. Therefore, this paper presents the first Raman spectra of Lactarius latex and provides an interpretation of the Raman bands that are present. L. lacunarum latex spectra are thoroughly investigated by 2D correlation analysis and are compared with latex spectra of other species (L. chrysorrheus, L. deterrimus, L. fluens, L. glyciosmus and L. salmonicolor).     

Altitudinal variation of secondary metabolite profiles in flowering heads of Arnica montana cv. ARBO

The altitudinal variation on the contents of secondary metabolites in flowering heads of Arnica montana was assessed. Plants of A. montana cultivar ARBO were grown in nine experimental plots at altitudes between 590 and 2230m at Mount Patscherkofel near Innsbruck/Austria. The total contents of sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoids were not positively correlated with the altitude of the growing site. However, the proportion of flavonoids with vicinal free hydroxy groups in ring B to flavonoids lacking this feature significantly increased with elevation. Additionally, the level of caffeic acid derivatives also positively correlated with the altitude of the growing site. In particular amounts of 1-methoxyoxaloyl-3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid significantly increased in higher sites and samples from the summit region contained 85% more of this compound than samples from valley sites. These results are discussed with regards to chemosystematic studies comparing samples collected in different altitudes as well as in the light of a UV-B protective and radical scavenging function of phenolics and their significance for plant life in environments with elevated UV-B radiation.     

New Enzyme-based Process Direction to Prevent Wool Shrinking without Substantial Tensile Strength Loss

In this paper a new enzymatic process direction is described for obtaining machine washable wool with acceptable quality. In general, application of protease enzyme technology in wool processing results in considerable loss of tensile strength by diffusion of the enzyme into the interior of wool fibers. To overcome this disadvantage enzymatic activity has been more targeted to the outer surface of the scales by improving the susceptibility of the outer surface scale protein for proteolytic degradation. This has been realized by a pretreatment of wool with hydrogen peroxide at alkaline pH in the presence of high concentrations of salt.     

金荞麦抗菌活性研究

目的 探讨金荞麦乙醇提取物乙酸乙酯的萃取部分（待测样品）的抑菌作用,并对此部分进行分离纯化以研究其抗菌活性的物质基础。方法 与复方板蓝根颗粒做对比,采用平皿稀释法及动物实验对待测样品进行体外及体内实验,测定其对各试验菌的最小抑菌浓度（MIC）和对肺炎链球菌感染小鼠的体内保护作用.并采用多种色谱方法对此部分进行分离纯化。结果 体外抑菌试验表明,待测样品对乙型溶血性链球菌、肺炎球菌有明显的抑制作用;体内抑菌实验表明此部分对肺炎球菌菌株所致的小鼠感染有保护作用;从该活性部分分离得到8个化合物为：反式对羟基桂皮酸甲酯（trans-p-hydroxy cinnamic methyl ester,Ⅰ）,3,4-二羟基苯甲酰胺（3,4-dihydroxy benzamide,Ⅱ）,原儿茶酸（protocatechuic acid,Ⅲ）,原儿茶酸甲酯（protocatechuic acid methyl ester,Ⅳ）,木犀草素（luteolin,V）,槲皮素（quercitrin,Ⅵ）,芸香苷（rutm,Ⅶ）,（一）-表儿茶素[（一）-epicatechin,Ⅷ]。结论 待测样品在体内及体外均有较强的抑菌活性,而具有抗菌作用的物质基础为酚酸类及黄酮类化合物。     

Sound the alarm: learned association of predation risk with novel auditory stimuli by fathead minnows ( Pimephales promelas ) and glowlight tetras ( Hemigrammus erythrozonus ) after single simultaneous pairings with conspecific chemical alarm cues

Fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, and glowlight tetras, Hemigrammus erythrozonus, were tested for their ability to associate predation risk with novel auditory stimuli after auditory stimuli were presented simultaneously with chemical alarm cues. Minnows and tetras gave a fright response when exposed to skin extract (alarm cue) and an artificial auditory sound stimulus, but no response to water (control) and sound, indicating that they did not have a pre-existing aversion to the auditory stimulus. When retested with sound stimuli alone, minnows and glowlight tetras that had previously been conditioned with water and sound showed no response, but those that had been conditioned with alarm cues and sound exhibited antipredator behaviour (reduced activity) in response to the auditory cue. This is the first known demonstration of learned association of an auditory cue with predation risk, and raises questions about the role of sound in mediating predator-prey interactions in fishes.     

Autogamy is induced in Paramecium bursaria by methyl cellulose

When isolated single cells of Paramecium bursaria were treated with 1.25% methyl cellulose, most of the single cells showed nuclear changes which were substantially similar to those seen in conjugation, suggesting that the cells undergo autogamy. Additional cytological observations indicated that the cells underwent normal nuclear processes during autogamy. The ability to induce autogamy will facilitate genetic studies in P. bursaria.     

Biological Treatment of a Pulp and Paper Industry Effluent by Pleurotus spp.

In this work, the ability of Pleurotus spp.:P. sajor-caju; P. platypus and P. citrinopileatus to treat pulp and paper mill effluent on a laboratory and pilot scale were studied. On the laboratory scale treatment, P. sajor-caju decolorized the effluent by 66.7% on day 6 of incubation. Inorganic chloride liberated by P. sajor-caju was 230.9% (814.0 mg/dl) and the COD was reduced by 61.3% (1302.0 mg/dl) on day 10 of treatment. In the pilot scale treatment maximum decolorization was obtained by P. sajor-caju (60.1%) on day 6 of the incubation. Inorganic chloride content was increased by 524.0 mg/dl (113.0%) and the COD was reduced by 1442.0 mg/dl (57.2%) by P. sajor-caju on day 7 of incubation. These results revealed that the treatment of pulp and paper mill effluent by P. sajor-caju proved as better candidate for the purpose than P. platypus and P. citrinopileatus.     

抗虫转基因水稻和化学杀虫剂对稻田节肢动物群落的影响

从功能团优势度、功能团内科组成及其优势度、功能团个体数量、群落主要参数及群落结构相异性等方面,就含crylAb／crylAc融合基因的Bt水稻和化学杀虫剂对稻田节肢动物群落影响进行比较研究．结果表明,与对照田相比,Bt稻田的节肢动物功能团组成及其优势度、各功能团内科组成及其优势度分布、功能团内个体数量的时间动态、群落参数(物种丰富度、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、均匀性指数、优势集中性指数)及时间动态在大多情况下均无显著差异,两者间群落结构相似性较高．Bt水稻对稻田节肢动物群落基本无明显的负效应、而化防田的功能团优势度等群落特征指标与对照田相比,有时具有明显甚至显著的差异;群落结构相似性也较低．综合分析表明,Bt水稻对稻田节肢动物群落的影响明显弱于化学杀虫剂。