Importance of pause between spider courtship vibrations and general problems using synthetic stimuli in behavioural studies

Effectiveness of natural stimuli (recorded and replayed male vibratory courtship signals) in eliciting a female's vibratory response was compared with that of synthetic stimuli in a plant-dwelling spider (Cupiennius salei). Specifically, the role of interseries (pauses between consecutive male series) was evaluated. Effectiveness was assessed by the number of responding females and the number of responses per female per stimulus. In case of both synthetic and natural stimuli, effectiveness increases with increasing duration of interseries in both measures. Interseries are thus represented in the female's innate releasing mechanism. However, synthetic stimuli are less effective (about 55%) than natural stimuli (set 100%). With decreasing interseries, the number of female responses per unit time sharply increases in case of playback of natural stimuli, but only slightly in case of synthetic stimuli. Since males courting on plants decrease interseries as soon as a female responds, thus facilitating their orientation, the data obtained with natural stimuli much better fit natural male courtship behaviour. This finding brings into question the validity of the synthetic stimulus. In the bioacoustics literature there is neither consensus on the effectiveness of a synthetic stimulus necessary to qualify it for behavioural analysis nor on how to measure effectiveness. We propose three measures : the percentage of responding animals, the action pattern of the response and the number of responses. It may be crucial, particularly when addressing evolutionary questions, to use either natural stimuli or synthetic stimuli (nearly) as effective as natural stimuli to avoid biased sampling of experimental animals and results difficult to interpret in biological terms.     

Effects of natural interferon α, natural tumor necrosis factor α and their combination on human mesothelioma xenografts in nude mice

Effects of human natural interferon (nIFN) alone, human natural tumor necrosis factor (nTNF) alone and their combination (OH-1) were tested on three human mesothelioma lines implanted in nude mice. Tumors were transplanted subcutaneously by trocar on treatment day –12. nIFN was given intraperitoneally (i.p.) at a dose of 2 × 10⁷ or 2 × 10⁸ IU kg^–1 day^–1, 5 days a week for 3 weeks. nTNF was given i.p. at a dose of 2 × 10⁷ or 2 × 10⁸ U kg^–1 day^–1 in the same schedule as that of nIFN. Tumor diameters were serially measured and tumor volumes were calculated. Antitumor effects were assessed by two methods: comparison of final tumor volumes in treated and control groups (T/C), and changes in median average total tumor volume. The treatment produced no clinically discernible toxicities. nIFN had strong inhibitory activity against all three human mesothelioma lines. nTNF alone had modest activity only at the high dose used. The combination of the two produced activity essentially similar to that produced by nIFN alone. High-dose nIFN may have a role as an active agent in the treatment of patients with mesothelioma.     

建立南岭自然保护区的深远而巨大意义

本文从生态学观点,阐述了建立南岭自然保护区的重要意义和依据,并提出了建立南岭国家级自然保护区的建议。     

Host brood traits,independent of adult behaviours,reduce Varroa destructor mite reproduction in resistant honeybee populations

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is an invasive species of Western honey bees (Apis mellifera) and the largest pathogenic threat to their health world-wide. Its successful invasion and expansion is related to its ability to exploit the worker brood for reproduction, which results in an exponential population growth rate in the new host. With invasion of the mite, wild honeybee populations have been nearly eradicated from Europe and North America, and the survival of managed honeybee populations relies on mite population control treatments. However, there are a few documented honeybee populations surviving extended periods without control treatments due to adapted host traits that directly impact Varroa mite fitness. The aim of this study was to investigate if Varroa mite reproductive success was affected by traits of adult bee behaviours or by traits of the worker brood, in three mite-resistant honey bee populations from Sweden, France and Norway. The mite’s reproductive success was measured and compared in broods that were either exposed to, or excluded from, adult bee access. Mite-resistant bee populations were also compared with a local mite-susceptible population, as a control group. Our results show that mite reproductive success rates and mite fecundity in the three mite-resistant populations were significantly different from the control population, with the French and Swedish populations having significantly lower reproductive rates than the Norwegian population. When comparing mite reproduction in exposed or excluded brood treatments, no differences were observed, regardless of population. This result clearly demonstrates that Varroa mite reproductive success can be suppressed by traits of the brood, independent of adult worker bees.     

辽宁省主要农业自然灾害防御对策—林业生态工程建设框架

基于对辽宁省主要农业自然灾害发生与为害的分析和对林业生态工程建设科学积累的归纳总结,论证了防御农业自然灾害的对策——林业生态工程建设,具有防御多种自然灾害、发挥多种效益的功能和持久、稳定而易于建设的特点。以此为基础,根据主要农业自然灾害在辽宁省各地区的分布特点,在宏观上提出了辽宁省防御主要农业自然灾害的林业生态工程建设框架:在已有林业生态工程建设的基础上,继续开展以水土保持林为主的辽西林业生态工程建设,加强以农田防护林为主的辽中和辽北林业生态工程建设,大力开展以海防林为主的沿海地区林业生态工程建设,实施科学的辽东山区多样化森林经营方式,并以科技兴林保证林业生态工程建设这一总体布局的实施。同时简述了各项林业生态工程的具体实施方法。     

米槠次生林和天然林细根养分及化学计量特征

探讨人为干扰对森林养分利用和生物地球化学循环特征的影响,对亚热带米槠(Castanopsis carlesii)次生林和天然林细根化学计量特征及其随土壤深度(0～80cm)的变化趋势进行了研究。结果表明,混合线性模型表明林分和土层深度对细根化学计量特征影响的主效应显著,但是交互作用不显著;米槠次生林细根N和P含量均显著低于天然林,而细根C浓度、C:N、C:P显著高于天然林,天然林1～2mm细根C浓度显著低于次生林;天然林和次生林细根N、P含量均随土层深度增加而呈显著下降趋势,C:N、C:P、N:P均随土层深度增加而呈显著上升趋势,且两林分下降趋势无显著差异;天然林和次生林细根N、P含量及N:P分别与土壤全N、全P含量和N:P存在线性关系,而细根N、P含量和N:P随土层深度变化均与直径显著相关,与细根比根长(SRL)无关。天然林经过人为干扰后,细根化学计量特征随土层深度变化规律虽未发生改变,但细根N和P浓度显著降低。     

Genetic polymorphisms of α- and β-amylase isozymes in wild emmer wheat,Triticum dicoccoides,in Israel

Summary - and -amylase isozyme diversity was studied electrophoretically by thin-layer polyacrylamide gel isoelectrofocusing in the tetraploid wild emmer wheat, Triticum dicoccoides, the progenitor of all cultivated wheats. We analyzed 225 plants from 23 populations encompassing the ecological spectrum of T. dicoccoides in Israel. The results were as follows: (a) Band and multilocus genotype polymorphisms abound and vary within and between the four amylase components: malt, green (-amylases), and dry and germinating seeds (-amylases). (b) The number of bands of malt, green, and dry and germinating seeds were 20, 6, 11 and 13, respectively, generating 40, 6, 51, and 51 patterns or multilocus genotypes (MGP), respectively. The MGPs vary drastically within and between populations, from monomorphic in some populations with a single pattern to highly polymorphic ones, (c) Mean H _e values for malt, green, and germinating and dry seeds are 0.053, 0.055, 0.088, and 0.077, respectively; mean number of bands per individual was 11.8, 4.4, 7.6, and 4.0, respectively, (d) The percentages of 50 bands and 148 multilocus genotype patterns (MGP) (in parenthesis) were classified into widespread, sporadic, and localized: 84.4 (10.8), 8.9 (12.2), 6.7 (77.0), respectively. Notably, 89.2% of the patterns were not widespread, but sporadic and localized, (e) The mean value of genetic distances among populations (Nei's D) for the four amylase groups is D = 0.136, 0.175, 0.288 and 0.307, respectively, not displaying geographical correlates. (f) Most of the - and -amylase diversity is between populations (G _st = 68–75%). (g) Significant environmental correlates occur between either bands or patterns and climatic diversity (water and primarily temperature factors). (h) Significant associations of multilocus amylase bands occur across Israel. Like-wise, significant gametic phase disequilibria, D, occur within populations and are positively correlated with climatic variables, primarily that of temperature, (i) Discriminant analyses correctly classified (95–100%) the 23 wild emmer populations into their ecogeographical region and soil type. (j) Autocorrelation analysis showed that there is no correlation between bands and geographic distance and excluded migration as a major factor of amylase differentiation.These results suggest that diversifying climatic and edaphic natural selection rather than stochastisity or migration is the major evolutionary force driving amylase differentiation at both the single and multilocus levels. Furthermore, wild emmer harbors high levels of - and -amylase diversity both as single bands and as multilocus adaptive genetic patterns. These are exploitable both as genetic markers for quantitative loci (QTLs) and as adaptive genetic resources to improve wheat germination and growth through classical breeding and/or biotechnology.     

The importance of cytoplasmic male killing elements in natural populations of the two spot ladybird, Adalia bipunctata (Linnaeus) (Goleoptera: Goccinellidae)

Adalia bipunctata , the two spot ladybird, is polymorphic for a cytoplasmically inherited element which produces female-biased sex ratios by effecting the death of male offspring during embryogenesis. The levels of this element were assessed in Cambridge populations. Six out of 82 females tested showed both a female-biased sex ratio and low egg hatch rates consistent with the presence of this element. Population sex ratios were assessed by collecting pupae from the Cambridge area. The population sex ratio was found to be 1.15: 1, female biased, significantly different from 1:1, and consistent with predictions based on a model incorporating the observed level of the sex ratio element in the population.     

The repeated procedure of weaning and peer group formation causes accumulation of stress and changes of plasma cortisol level and natural killer activity in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

The psychological stress was evaluated in repeated and unrepeated procedures of weaning as well as forming peer group in squirrel monkeys. The repeated procedure included the process of increasing the period of separation or formation stepwise during four weeks. The plasma cortisol levels and natural killer (NK) activities were monitored during experiment to evaluate the stress in infant monkeys. The plasma cortisol level rapidly increased two to three times as much as basal level and kept high levels throughout experiment in repeated group. In the infants of unrepeated group, significant increase of cortisol level and decrease of NK activity were observed in day-1, but both of them returned to the basal level at day-7. Both cortisol level and NK activity did not show any change with exception of decrease in NK activity at day-7 in infants who were introduced into peer group without repeated procedure. On the other hand, both cortisol level and NK activity increased during the repeated procedure. These results indicate that both weaning and forming peer group induce the psychological stress in infant squirrel monkeys, resulting in changes of plasma cortisol level and NK activity. Repeating the procedure of separation or introduction applied in this study caused the accumulation of stress. Although plasma cortisol level increased in infants exposed to both weaning and forming peer group, the changing pattern of NK activity differed between them. This finding suggests that social or psychological stress show two different effects on immune function, suppression, and enhancement depending on the level of stress.     

Conflicting priorities in site management in England

There are two main designations of protected areas in the UK-nature reserves, of various kinds, and special nature conservation areas, known as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. General approaches to choices of priorities and the resolution of conflict in the management of these areas are described and difficulties identified. Similar problems arise when considering the wider role of protected areas in national nature conservation policies, e.g. biodiversity targets and European Habitats and Species Directive objectives. Because choices and priorities stem from underlying values, the public must be involved in the identification of objectives for both protected areas and the rest of the land surface. The Natural Areas programme being developed by English Nature provides a mechanism whereby people may be involved in characterising the wildlife of their area and in identifying targets for its maintenance and enhancement. The use of land and the management practices associated with it are the major factors influencing the nature conservation value of protected areas and their wider context.English Nature (the Nature Conservancy Council for England) is the statutory advisor to the government on nature conservation in England and promotes the conservation of England's wildlife and natural features.