Quantitative analysis of CL-20 explosive by smartphone-based chemiluminescence method

A new smartphone-based chemiluminescence method has been introduced for the quantitative analysis of CL-20 (Hexanitroazaisowuertzitan) explosive. The solvent mixture, oxidizer agent, and concentration of the reactants were optimized using statistical procedures. CL-20 explosive showed a quenching effect on the chemiluminescence intensity of the luminol−NaClO reaction in the solvent mixture of DMSO/H₂O. A smartphone was used as a detector to record the light intensity of chemiluminescence reaction as a video file. The recorded video file was converted to an analytical signal as intensity luminescence–time curve by a written code in MATLAB software. Dynamic range and limit of detection of the proposed method were obtained 2.0–240.0 and 1.1 mg⋅L⁻¹, respectively, in optimized concentrations 1.5 × 10⁻³ mol⋅L⁻¹ luminol and 1.0 × 10⁻² mol⋅L⁻¹ NaClO. Precursors TADB, HBIW, and TADNIW in CL-20 explosive synthesis did not show interference in measurement the CL-20 purity. The analysis of CL-20 spiked samples of soil and water indicated the satisfactory ability of the method in the analysis of real samples. The interaction of CL-20 molecules and OCl⁻ ions is due to quench of chemiluminescence reaction of the luminol−NaClO.     

Biological removal of explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene byStenotrophomonas sp. OK-5 in bench-scale bioreactors

The biological removal of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was studied in a bench-scale bioreactor using a bacterial culture of strain OK-5 originally isolated from soil samples contaminated with TNT. The TNT was completely removed within 4 days of incubation in a 2.5 L benchscale bioreactor containing a newly developed medium. The TNT was catabolized in the presence of different supplemented carbons. Only minimal growth was observed in the killed controls and cultures that only received TNT during the incubation period. This catabolism was affected by the concentration ratio of the substrate to the biomass. The addition of various nitrogen sources produced a delayed effect for the TNT degradation. Tween 80 enhanced the degradation of TNT under these conditions. Two metabolic intermediates were detected and identified as 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene based on HPLC and GC-MS analyses, respectively. Strain OK-5 was characterized using the BIOLOG system and fatty acid profile produced by a microbial identification system equipped with a Hewlett packard HP 5890 II gas chromatograph. As such, the bacterium was identified as aStenotrophomonas species and designated asStenotrophomonas sp. OK-5.     

北京小龙门自然保护区四种苔藓鸟巢的观察

2004年8月20～22日在北京小龙门自然保护区,分别对宝兴歌鸫（Turdus mupinensis）、黄眉姬鹪（Ficedula narcissina）、白腹蓝鸫（Cyanoptila cyanomelana）和北红尾鸲（Phoenicurusauroreus）4种鸟的鸟巢的结构和巢材进行了观察,发现他们均用藓类植物作为巢材。经过鉴定,这些藓类植物共7种,分属于4科,其中最多是小牛舌藓（Anomodon minor）。该文还对巢材中藓类植物的分布、生物学特性和鸟类取材的行为等进行了初步分析。     

爆发型种群铜锤草增长的密度调节

“生态入侵”已成为国际上生态学领域关心的热点问题之一 ,尤其对引种引起的生态灾难已越来越受到人们的广泛关注。以引进种铜锤草为研究对象 ,通过实验从形态及数量动态、产量等方面考察铜锤草种群调控特点。研究表明 ,铜锤草种群的密度制约主要有以下特点 :①铜锤草单株构件具有随种群密度的增加调节自身数量和生物量的能力 ,以叶构件的数量和生物量对密度的反应最灵敏。②密度对种群数量动态的调节表现在个体和构件两个水平。铜锤草种群叶构件调节表现出各密度种群单株叶密度有如下趋势 :低密度种群 >中等密度种群 >高密度种群 ,而个体数量调节仅出现在高密种群。③密度对单株生物量和小鳞茎产量影响极显著 ;单株生物量与种群密度的关系基本符合 - 3/2幂定律 ,小鳞茎产量与种群密度也表现出近似的幂函数关系。     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in a cooperatively breeding corvid,the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

We describe 11 microsatellite loci isolated from the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), the most wide‐spread cooperatively breeding bird in North America. Polymorphism at these loci ranged from four to 43 alleles, and observed heterozygosities from 0.53 to 0.92. Genetic parentage analyses using these markers will allow us to describe the mating system of this common but socially complex species, and to interpret their behavioural interactions in light of relatedness.     

Ingenious floral structure drives explosive pollination in Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae)

• In explosive pollination, many structures and mechanisms have evolved to achieve high‐speed stamen movement. The male flower of the submerged plant Hydrilla verticillata is reported to be able to release pollen explosively some time after leaving the mother plant time, but the mechanism of stamen movement and the related functional structure in this species are unclear.
• In this study, we observed the male flower structure and pollen dispersal process of H. verticillata. We analysed the stamen movements during the pollen dispersal process and conducted several controlled experiments to study the process of storage and release of elastic potential energy in explosive pollination.
• When the male flower of H. verticillata is bound to the united bracts, the sepals accumulate elastic potential energy through the expansion of basal extensor cells. After the male flower is liberated from the mother plant, the stamens unfold rapidly with the sepals under adhesion and transfer the elastic potential energy to the filament in seconds. Once stamens unfold to a critical angle, at which the elasticity of the filament just exceeds the adhesion between sepals and anthers, the stamens automatically rebound and release pollen in milliseconds.
• These results reveal that Catapult‐like stamens, spoon‐shaped sepals and enclosed united bracts in the spathe together constitute the functional structure in rapid stamen movement of H. verticillata. They ensure that the pollen can be released on the water surface, and thus adapt successfully to the pollen‐epihydrophilous pollination.

     

Seasonality of reproduction in Asian elephants Elephas maximus and African elephants Loxodonta africana: underlying photoperiodic cueing?

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Breeding system and bumblebee drone pollination of an explosively pollen‐releasing plant,Meliosma tenuis (Sabiaceae)

• Explosive pollen release is a mechanism used by some angiosperms that serves to attach pollen to a pollinator's body. It is usually adopted by species with zygomorphic tubular flowers and pollinated by birds and bees. The tree genus Meliosma (Sabiaceae, Proteales) has unique disc‐like flowers that are externally actinomorphic, but internally zygomorphic, and release pollen explosively.
• To elucidate the adaptive significance of explosive pollen release, we observed flowering behaviour, the breeding system and pollinator visits to flowers of the Japanese species Meliosma tenuis in a temperate forest. Flowers bloomed in June and were nectariferous and protandrous. Explosive pollen release was triggered by slight tactile stimuli to anther filaments or staminodes in male‐stage flowers.
• Because pollen cannot come into contact with the pistils enclosed by staminodes, M. tenuis is functionally protandrous. Artificial pollination treatments revealed that M. tenuis is allogamous. The dominant flower visitors were nectar‐seeking drones of the bumblebee species Bombus ardens (Apidae). The drones’ behaviour, pollen attachment on their bodies and fruit set of visit‐restricted flowers suggest that they are the only agent triggering the explosive pollen release mechanism, and are the main pollinator of M. tenuis.
• The finding that bumblebee workers rarely visit these flowers suggests that the explosive pollen release has another function, namely to discourage pollen‐harvesting bumblebee workers.

     

Who can open the flower? Assessment of the flower opening force of mammal‐pollinated Mucuna macrocarpa

Effective pollinators in Fabaceae species with papillionaceous flowers should have sufficient force to open the petals and expose the stamens and pistils from the keel petals. Here, we assessed the force that is required (operative force) to open the petals of the mammal‐pollinated Mucuna macrocarpa, in parallel with estimating the force of bee species. The operative force of M. macrocarpa was quantified by a digital force gauge and the force of three bee species that frequent these flowers was estimated from body mass. The operative force was 1.635 ± 0.146 (mean ± SD) newton (N). This force was far larger than that estimated for the largest bee in the study area. In addition, the operative force of M. macrocarpa was 16–409 times greater than that of bee‐pollinated plants. Our results demonstrate that the operative force of M. macrocarpa flowers is adapted to mammalian openers, preventing potential nectar robbers.