Home range use and the exploitation of gum in the marmosetCallithrix jacchus jacchus

Three wild groups of common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus jacchus,in north-east Brazil, of approximately similar size, had home ranges between 2.5 and 6.5 ha. But their core areas were similar in size between 1.0 and 1.5 ha, with a monthly area of heavy use between 1.1 and 1.6 ha. The groups were selective in the use of their home ranges, even though they were small: they used some areas heavily and others lightly. The core areas had higher densities of trees that produced gum exudates than did other parts of the home ranges. Our data suggest that a group of marmosets in this habitat may require a minimum of about 50 gum trees in its home range at a minimum density of about 50 trees/ha. In addition, the animals require suitable trees in which to sleep. We suggest that patches of forest with these desirable properties remain relatively fixed in size and location over the years and that individual animals are constantly in flux between them.     

白洋淀和太湖地区鸟类绦虫区系的比较研究

本文对白洋淀和太湖地区鸟类绦虫区系进行了比较研究,并对太湖鸟类绦虫区系作了初步分析。结果表明,鸟类绦虫区系分布与宿主区系分布密切相关,亲缘关系相近的宿主有许多相同的或亲缘相近的绦虫,这种现象为研究宿主与寄生虫的演化提供了可靠途径;发现鸟的越冬地绦虫种类比迁徙地种类丰富,分析其原因,除温、湿度、中间宿主等生态条件之外,与鸟的迁徙有一定关系。太湖地区的绦虫具有北方型和随遇型,亦有世界性种类和东半球广布种,提出了两地区家禽和野生鸟类所寄生的共同种类的绦虫。     

Anatomical brain asymmetry in monkeys: frontal, temporoparietal, and limbic cortex in Macaca

Measurements evaluating possible cerebral hemispheric asymmetries were taken by hand on frontal, parietal, and temporal cortex on 60 formalin-fixed Macaca mulatta and Macaca fascicularis brain specimens. No statistically significant (P less than 0.05) right/left side differences in the mean length of four sulci in visual-processing areas of the cortex were found. The sulcus adjacent to the region cytoarchitecturally homologous to the motor speech area in the human brain did not show pronounced asymmetry. In both species, however, a small parietal lobe sulcus showed greater development on the left hemisphere than in the right. In measurements made using digital planimetry, right/left side differences in the area of the dorsal cingulate gyrus were not found. Behavioral evidence suggests that monkeys do not exhibit a consistent pattern of cerebral dominance for functions associated with most of these regions of the brain.     

视前区微量注射吗啡对大鼠丘脑束旁核痛反应神经元电活动的影响

本实验观察了视前区(POA)内微量注入阿片样物质对丘脑束旁核(Pf)痛反应神经元电活动影响。结果如下:(1)POA 内微量注射高浓度吗啡(10μg/μl)能显著抑制 Pf 内大部分(20/26)痛兴奋神经元(PEN)的痛诱发放电,其中3个神经元注药后对伤害性刺激转变成抑制反应;POA 内微量注射低浓度吗啡(1μg/μl)也显著抑制 Pf 内大部分(19/23)PEN 的痛诱发放电。(2) POA 内微量注射两种浓度的吗啡,均使大多数痛抑制神经元(PIN,共27/33)的完全抑制时程缩短。上述结果提示,POA 内阿片样物质对 Pf 内痛反应神经元的电活动可能具有抑制作用。     

大鼠缰核与下丘脑外侧区在调节心血管活动方面的机能联系

电刺激大鼠下丘脑外侧区（LH）,动脉压明显升高,心率加快,在刺激电极同侧缰核（Hb)内微量注射盐酸利多卡因、电刺激LH引起的升压反应可被阻断38.9%,心率增快反应可被阻断44.4%,双侧Hb内微量注射盐酸利多卡因,电刺激LH引起的升压反应可被阻断40.7%,心率增快反应可被阻断41.2% ,单侧或双侧Hb内微量注射人工脑脊液均不能阻断电刺激LH引起的心血管反应。电刺激大鼠Hb,动脉压明显升高,心率无明显改变,在刺激电极同侧LH内微量注射盐酸利多卡因,电刺激Hb引起的升压反应可被阻断63.2%,双侧LH内微量注射盐酸利多卡因,电刺激Hb引起的升压反应可被阻断62.6%,单侧或双侧LH内微量注射人工脑脊液均不能阻断电刺激Hb引起的心血管反应。本实验提示Hb与LH在调节心血管活动方面有协同作用。     

麦田冠层气孔导度的分层研究

小麦灌浆期和乳熟期冠层各层叶片上、下表面的气孔导度之间呈正相关关系;冠层不同层的叶片气孔导度从早到傍晚有平行变化的趋势,数值上存在较大的差异,一般从冠层上到下递减。经分析,这主要与冠层叶片接受的光强自上而下递减有关,且这时所对应的叶片水势自冠层上到下递增的幅度大。测算结果表明,冠层气孔导度白天亦呈明显的日变化,灌浆期的值大于乳熟期的值。     

电刺激兔延髓腹侧化学敏感区和压力敏感区对呼吸、血压,的影响及其中枢递质机制

电刺激麻醉兔延髓腹侧化学敏感区头端区引起潮气量(V_T)增加,呼吸频率(f)增快;电刺激压力敏感区(中间区)则使V_T减小,f亦增快。弱刺激时,两者均产生降压反应;刺激增强可诱发双相或升压反应。在出现周期性呼吸时,电刺激化学敏感区可使呼吸节律正常化、V_T增大,而电刺激压力敏感区则导致呼吸暂停。电刺激压力敏感区时,吸气时间(TI)和呼气时间(T_E)均缩短,以T_E变化更明显;由于V_T减小和T_I缩短,V_T/T_I保持相对不变,提示吸气终止的中枢阈值降低。在准备刺激的相应局部预先应用阿托品,可使电刺激化学敏感区产生的通气增强效应翻转,而对电刺激压力敏感区引起的通气抑制无明显影响;用印防己毒素则可选择性消除电刺激压力敏感区的通气抑制和降压效应。本工作表明延髓腹侧存在两个不同的中枢机制,其中化学敏感区产生的通气增强与胆碱能系统有关;压力敏感区产生的通气减弱效应与GABA系统有关。     

Conopy architecture of Larrea tridentata (DC.) Cov., a desert shrub: foliage orientation and direct beam radiation interception

Summary At sites in the United States, creosote bushes (Larrea tridentata (DC.) Cov.) orient foliage clusters predominantly toward the southeast. Foliage of bushes at the southernmost distribution extreme in Mexico shows no predominant orientation. Clusters at all sites are inclined between 33° and 71° from the horizontal. Inclinations are steeper in the drier and hotter Mojave Desert than in the Chihuahuan Desert. Individual leaflets, though not measured, appear more randomly oriented than foliage clusters. In several populations studied, branches were shorter in the southeastern sectors of the crown, reducing self-shading early in the morning. Measurements of direct beam radiation interception by detached branches, using digital image processing, indicated that foliage clusters oriented toward the southeast exhibited less self-shading during spring mornings than clusters oriented northeast. This effect was not apparent at the summer solstice. This type of canopy architecture may tend to minimize self-shading during the morning hours when conditions are more favorable for photosynthesis, resulting in an improved daily water use efficiency.     

Effect of CO2 enrichment and nitrogen availability on resource acquisition and resource allocation in a grass,Bromus mollis

Summary The effects of CO₂ enrichment on the growth, biomass partitioning, photosynthetic rates, and leaf nitrogen concentration of a grass, Bromus mollis (C₃), were investigated at a favorable and a low level of nitrogen availability. Despite increases in root: shoot ratios, leaf nitrogen concentrations were decreased under CO₂ enrichment at both nitrogen levels. For the low-nitrogen treatment, this resulted in lower photosynthetic rates measured at 650 l/l for the CO₂-enriched plants, compared to photosynthetic rates measured at 350 l/l for the non-enriched plants. At higher nitrogen availability, photosynthetic rates of plants grown and measured at 650 l/l were greater than photosynthetic rates of the non-enriched plants measured at 350 l/l. Water use efficiency, however, was increased in enriched plants at both nitrogen levels. CO₂ enrichment stimulated vegetative growth at both high and low nitrogen during most of the vegetative growth phase but, at the end of the experiment, total biomass of the high and low CO₂ treatments did not differ for plants grown at low nitrogen availability. While not statistically significant, CO₂ tended to stimulate seed production at high nitrogen and to decrease it at low nitrogen.     

Calcium and phytochrome control of leaf unrolling in dark-grown barley seedlings

The red light-stimulated component of unrolling in sections from 7-d-old dark-grown barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) leaves is inhibited by ethyleneglycol-bis-(-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N,N-tetracetic acid (EGTA). A free-Ca²⁺ activity of less than 40 M restores the ability to respond to red light, but only if supplied within 1 h of red light. Magnesium ions are an ineffective substitute. At least two processes in unrolling appear to be Ca²⁺-sensitive.Fluence-response measurements indicate that the levels of the far-red-absorbing from of phytochrome (Pfr) still present 4 h after red-light treatment should be above saturation for the unrolling response; consequently, loss of Pfr does not explain the loss in effectiveness of Ca²⁺ during prolonged EGTA treatment. However, if a further red-light treatment is given simultaneously with Ca²⁺ addition 4 h after the initial light stimulus, then full unrolling occurs in EGTA-treated sections. These data indicate that, under normal circumstances, a functional change in the properties of Pfr must occur, uncoupling it from the transduction chain.Abbreviations EGTA ethyleneglycol-bis-(-aminoethylether)-N,N,N,N,-tetracetic acid - FR far-red light - Mes 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulphonic, acid - Pfr far-red absorbing form of phytochrome - Pr red-absorbing form of phytochrome - R red light