Termination of parental care due to small clutch size in the temperate damselfish,Chromis notata

Synopsis Reproductive behavior of the temperate damselfish, Chromis notata, was investigated on the island of Mukaishima, Japan, almost daily during the breeding season in 1982. Both males and females repeated reproductive cycles many times during the breeding season. Females had a strong tendency to spawn a whole clutch on one nest during a few hours. The average number of eggs which a male gained per reproductive cycle was estimated at 38560 (480–131100 eggs). Males ordinarily cared for eggs until just prior to hatching, but abandoned more than half of the nests with the eggs numbering less than 11568. Contribution 207 from the Mukaishima Marine Biological Station.     

Cortical bone growth and dietary stress among subadults from Nubia's Batn el Hajar

Cortical bone growth is analyzed for 174 children from a Medieval Christian population at Kulubnarti in the Batn el Hajar of Sudanese Nubia (550–1450 AD ). Using the tibia as a representative long bone, total subperiosteal area, cortical area, medullary area, and percent cortical area at midshaft were calculated. While growth in total and cortical areas, as well as in length, appear to be fairly well maintained, percent cortical area reveals unusual growth patterns which reflect excessive endosteal resorption. Compared to the relative reduction in bone mass which has been observed in malnourished living children, as well as with previously reported evidence for stress in the Kulubnarti population, the present data support an interpretation of nutritionally related stress and of no major diachronic dietary change.     

Evidence for prehistoric cardiovascular disease of syphilitic origin on the Northern Plains

The identification of the treponemas among prehistoric Amerindian populations is problematic. This paper presents the evidence for the presence of cardiovascular disease of syphilitic origin on the Plains of North America during prehistoric times. Comparative data from modern populations is used to arrive at a diagnosis.     

Specific photoperiodic stimulation of dry matter production in a high-latitude cultivar of Poa pratensis

Vegetative plants of Poa pratensis L. cv. Holt (origin 69°N) raised in short days gave large and significant increases in plant dry weight, plant height and leaf area upon exposure to continuous light, compared with 8-h short days, at essentially identical daily inputs of radiant energy (8-h summer daylight ± low intensity extension). For example, by the fourth harvest (after 26, 34 and 46 days at 21, 15 and 9°C, respectively), the dry weights of plants in long days were 81, 163 and 195% greater than those of the corresponding short-day controls at the respective temperatures. Plant leaf areas in long days were between two and four times as large as control values by the end of the experiment. This was mainly due to increased leaf length caused by long-day stimulation of cell extension and division. However, the photoperiod did not affect the partitioning of assimilates amongst leaves, culms and stolons. Most of these effects could also be brought about by exogenous gibberellin application to plants in short days. However, in contrast to the effect of long days, gibberellin treatment also induced stem internode elongation even in these vegetative plants. Examination by standard growth analysis procedures revealed that the observed increases in relative growth rate were due primarily to increased net assimilation rate followed, several days later, by increases in leaf area ratio when newly-emerged leaves began to constitute a significant proportion of the leaf area. It is concluded that these reactions are of great adaptive significance for growth at the marginal temperatures prevailing at high latitudes.     

Use of Avermectins for the Control of Meloidogyne incognita on tomatoes

The efficacy of avermectins B₁ and B₂ for control of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato was studied in pots and field plots for two seasons. Avermectins were applied as granules and liquid in furrows or by low pressure drip irrigation systems, at rates ranging from 0.093 to 0.34 kg a.i./ha, as single or multiple applications. Levels of control comparable to those obtained by oxamyl and aldicarb at 3.36 kg a.i./ha were achieved by the avermectin with only 1/10 the volume of chemicals applied to the environment. Avermectin protection of the roots remained constant throughout the first 5 weeks giving slightly longer protection than oxamyl or aldicarb.     

Modulation of locomotor activity by substance P in rats

The effects of intraperitoneally or intracerebrally (DA A-10 area) administered substance P (SP) on locomotor activity of rats were studied in an exact 12-h light/12-h dark cycle changing from dark to light at 6 a.m. SP was administered either at 11 a.m. (light phase, minimal locomotor activity) or at 7 p.m. (dark phase, maximal locomotor activity). The effects of 12.5 micrograms/kg SP intracerebral and 125 micrograms/kg SP intraperitoneal were very similar. In the light phase SP produces excitation but inhibition of locomotion in darkness. Hence, the effect of SP depends on the internal mechanisms controlling motor activity and tends to level off the spontaneous circadian oscillation. We found a long lasting SP effect during both the light and dark period. The present experiments led us to the conclusion that SP has a levelling effect on locomotor activity. Probably this effect might be explained as SP's action on the dopaminergic pathway or dopamine metabolism, because the dopamine content in neurons also has a circadian rhythm.     

The hypothalamus of Lacerta sicula R.

Summary An analysis of the preoptic area of the lizard, Lacerta sicula R., with the use of the Golgi method revealed that: 1)in principle, the dendritic pattern of its neurons is relatively simple; 2) the supraoptic nucleus contains large- to medium-sized bipolar or multipolar neurons together with small, usually multipolar nerve cells; 3) the preoptic periventricular gray and the paraventricular nucleus exhibit a varied neuronal typology, including large multipolar or bipolar elements, abundant CSF-contacting neurons, and some tufted elements; and 4) the lateral regions display some conspicuous multipolar neurons.With a financial contribution from Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione     

Response of pondcypress growth rates to sewage effluent application

Cores were collected from dominant pondcypress trees growing in a swamp that had received sewage effluent for 7 yr and a nearby control swamp to determine the combined effects of changes in nutrient supply and hydrologic regime on tree growth. The cores were used to measure two indices of tree growth: basal area increment (BAI) and relative basal area increment (RBAI, which accounts for differences in growth due to the size of teh tree) between 1970–1983 while one swamp remained untreated and the other received weekly additions of sewage effluent from 1974–1981. Throughout the whole period, the mean BAI and RBAI of pond-cypress trees in the untreated swamp remained unchanged, ranging between 5.55–6.38 cm² yr^–1 and 1.09–1.27% yr^–1, respectively. In contrast, trees in the treated swamp increased their BAI approximately two-fold from 7.40 cm² yr^–1 prior to treatment to 14.83 cm² yr^–1 after the onset of treatment and maintained this rate of growth in the 2 yr period after cessation of treatment. Relative basal area increment showed a similar response, but the proportional increase due to treatment was less (1.5-fold factor) than for BAI. The response of pondcypress trees to the sewage effluent differed depending upon whether the trees were located in the deep or shallow water zones. Trees in the deep zone of the treated swamp had lower BAIs and RBAIs than those in the shallow zone during the treatment period, whereas in pre- and post-treatment periods growth indices were equal in both zones. No significant differences in growth between deep and shallow zones were observed during all three time periods in the control swamp.     

一类阔叶树叶面积的通用公式测算法

本文在观察和测算的基础上,提出了一类阔叶树的叶形方程,并对方程进行积分,求出了计算这类阔叶树叶面积的通用公式。从1980年应用至今证明,用这个通用公式计算这类阔叶树的面积,方便、简捷、精度高,现介绍如下。