Dream Imagery and Emotion.

The relationship between prominent visual imagery and emotion within dreams was investigated in relation to E. Hartmann's (1996) contextualizing image (CI) theory and M. Seligman and A. Yellen's (1987) dual imagery theory. Fifty-nine students recorded dreams over a 2-week period and submitted 115 dreams for analysis. Participants recorded ratings of emotion type and emotion intensity in each scene. Prominent visual images were identified and scored for intensity and detail by independent judges. As hypothesized from Hartmann's theory, there was a significant positive relationship between CI intensity and emotion intensity in the CI scene, emotion intensity generally peaked in the CI scene, and dreams containing a CI had higher overall ratings of emotion intensity than non-CI dreams. The result for the correlation of detail of prominent imagery with emotion was inconclusive, with a low positive correlation across CI scenes. This raises the possibility that the CI is not a unitary construct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Foraging behaviour influences the outcome of predator–predator interactions

Abstract.  1. Interactions among predators may influence the total efficiency of a predator complex. The effect of intra- and interspecific interactions of the generalist predators Orthotylus marginalis (Heteroptera: Miridae) and Anthocoris nemorum (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) was investigated in a laboratory experiment. Outcomes of the interactions were determined by comparing predation rates on eggs and larvae of the blue willow beetle Phratora vulgatissima of single individuals with those of two individuals of the same or different species.
2. A non-additive, antagonistic effect on predation rates due to intraspecific interactions was found between individuals of A. nemorum . No such effect was found in O. marginalis . These results are as expected as a consequence of differences in behaviour of the two predator species: A. nemorum is a much more active and mobile predator than O. marginalis .
3. Contrary to expectation, interspecific interactions between A. nemorum and O. marginalis did not affect the total predation rate.
4. An observation from the field corroborated the results obtained in the laboratory study; there was no negative relationship between the densities of the two predator species, indicating that the two species do not interact negatively in the field at their natural densities.
5. It is concluded that the additive effect of multiple predator species is of potential value in biological control.     

Location and distribution of symbiotic bacteria during floral development in Ardisia crispa

Abstract. The location and distribution of symbiotic bacteria during floral development in Ardisia crispa (Thunb.) A.DC., a species characterized by bacterial leaf nodules, has been studied using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. During early floral development, bacteria in mucilage derived from host plant trichomes, become enclosed in a small conical chamber on top of the placenta, as a result of the closure and fusion of the carpel initials. The placental epidermal cells, which appear to be secretory in nature, become detached apically in places forming a network of grooves which traverse the placental surface. The symbiotic bacteria are preferentially located in these grooves. As growth and development of the placenta proceed, the grooves widen and deepen to form channels. The cells lining these channels secrete a mucilaginous material. The network of channels covers the entire placental surface and terminates at the placental margins surrounding the ovules. Bacteria are found within the channels, at the ends of the channels near the margin of the placenta, on the surface of the ovules and in the micropyle. It is suggested that these mucilage-filled channels are responsible for, and a prerequisite of, ensuring that the bacterial partner is efficiently transmitted from one host generation to the next by providing a mechanism by which the bacteria arc accurately placed within the developing seed.     

In vitro reactions of sugarcane (Saccharum SP.) plantlets inoculated with 2 strains of Xanthomonas albilineans (Ashby) Dowson

The symptoms of the leaf scald disease can be reproduced in vitro through the inoculation of sugarcane tissue culture plantlets. The pathogen is detected in the inoculated plantlet and is maintained at the surface of the base of the plantlets grown in vitro. Two strains of X. albilineans belonging to different serovars and lysovars reacted like pathotypes. The importance of the plant incubation temperature is clearly demonstrated. Further, in vitro the disease goes through the same phase of latency as in the field.     

Turnover of Brain Monoamine Oxidase Measured In Vivo by Positron Emission Tomography Using l-[11C]Deprenyl

The distribution of carbon-11-labeled L-deprenyl, an irreversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B), was determined in the baboon brain by positron emission tomography. The irreversible blood-to-brain transfer constant (influx constant, K_i) was measured using a complete metabolite-corrected arterial plasma concentration curve. This influx constant was used as a measure of functional enzyme activity for sequential determinations of MAO-B recovery following a single high dose of unlabeled l -deprenyl. The half-life for turnover of MAO-B was thus determined to be 30 days. Using appropriate irreversible inhibitors, this procedure should be generally useful for determining enzyme turnover rates in any organ in vivo and can be applied to some human studies as well.     

Nutrient concentrations in litterfall from some western conifers with special reference to calcium

Foliar litterfall nutrient concentrations were analysed for selected members of Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae families andPseudotsuga menziesii for two arboreta in western Oregon and Washington. Nutrient results between arboreta show similar concentrations with the exception of magnesium, which may be the result of historical land use. Nutrient concentrations between species vary considerably.Pseudotsuga menziesii is particularly distinctive from the Cupressaceae and Taxodiaceae by retaining large amounts of phosphorus and potassium. Taxodiaceae is distinctive by high concentration of Mg while Cupressaceae retains calcium, especiallyChamaecyparis nootkatensis. Results suggest that all members of Taxodiaceae and Cupressaceae retain considerably more Ca than Pinaceae in foliar litter.     

Sources and inheritance of resistance to leaf curl virus in Lycopersicon

Summary One hundred and twenty-two varieties, lines and wild accessions of Lycopersicon were screened under three different regimes during the autumn/winter season of 1982–83 and 1983–84 for resistance to tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV). L. hirsutum f. glabratum (B6013) and L. hirsutum f. typicum (A1904) proved to be highly resistant to TLCV in all three environments. Various accessions of L. peruvianum were also highly resistant. L. pimpinellifolium (A1921) exhibited no TLCV symptoms within 90 days. Of the cultivated varieties, Acc 99 exhibited the minimim score for susceptibility; AC 142, Collection No. 2, Kalyanpur Angurlata and HS 101 had a low rating for virus incidence. The inheritance of resistance was studied in the interspecific crosses between a TLCV resistant line of L. pimpinellifolium (A1921) and five (HS 101, HS 102, HS 110, Pusa Ruby and Punjab Chhuhara) susceptible cultivars of L. esculentum. Parents, F₁, F₂ and backcross progenies were artificially inoculated with local strains of TLCV using vector the viruliferious whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.). Data indicated that the resistance of L. pimpinellifolium (A 1921) is monogenic and incompletely dominant over susceptibility.     

Particulate organic matter in a mountain stream in the south-western Cape,South Africa

The quality and quantity of allochthonous inputs and of benthic organic matter were investigated in a second-order, perennial mountain stream in the south-west Cape, South Africa, between April 1983 and January 1986. Although the endemic, riparian vegetation is sclerophyllous, low and evergreen, inputs of allochthonous detritus to the stream (434 to 500 g m^–2y^–1) were similar to those recorded for riparian communities worldwide, as were calorific values of these inputs (9548 to 10 032 KJ m^–2y^–1). Leaf fall of the riparian vegetation is seasonal, occurring in spring (November) as discharge decreases, resulting in retention of benthic organic matter (BOM) on the stream bed during summer and early autumn (maximum 224 g m^–2). Early winter rains (May) scoured the stream almost clean of benthic detritus (winter minimum 8 g m^–2). Therefore, BOM was predictably plentiful for about half of each year and predictably scarce for the other half. Coarse BOM (CBOM) and fine BOM (FBOM) constituted 46–64% of BOM standing stock, ultra-fine BOM (UBOM) 16–33% and leaf packs 13–24%. The mean annual calorific value of total BOM standing stock was 1709 KJ m^–2. Both standing stocks and total calorific values of BOM were lower than those reported for streams in other biogeographical regions. Values of C:N ratios decreased with decrease in BOM particle size (CBOM 27–100; FBOM 25–27; UBOM 13–19) with no seasonal trends. The stream is erosive with a poor ability to retain organic detritus. Its character appears to be dictated by abiotic factors, the most important of which is winter spates.