Thermal acclimation and hardening in tadpoles of the bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana

1. 1.|Critical thermal maxima (CTMax) and minima (CTMin) were measured to evalute thermal hardening in Rana catesbeiana.

2. 2.|Tadpoles show heat hardening and CTMax acclimation, and both responses are influenced by developmental stage.

3. 3.|The first evidence of cold hardening in vertebrates is reported here.

4. 4.|Heat hardening significantly reduces cold tolerance, but there is otherwise no evidence of a cross-hardening effect.

Survival ofPseudomonas solanacearum in soil

Summary Studies on the survival ofPseudomonas solanacearum, the causal agent of bacterial wilt of tomato, under laboratory conditions showed that soil amendments had little effect on the population of the pathogen. When the host plant was grown in amended soil there was a positive influence on growth of the pathogen. The population level of the pathogen incorporated into the soil was reduced to one-half within a period of 46 days. The pathogen survived in the rhizosphere of non-host plants belonging to the families Acanthaceae and Leguminosae even in the absence of the natural hosts, but its incidence in the rhizosphere of plants belonging to Graminae and Cyperaceae was comparatively low indicating possibilities of reducing the inoculum potential of the pathogen in tomato fields by allowing such plants to grow during fallow periods. Part of the thesis of the Senior Author presented to the Kerala Agricultural University, Trichur, Kerala State, India.     

Rate of acclimation of the tropical salt-marsh fish Cyprinodon dearborni to temperature changes

The acclimation rates of temperature changes in Cyprinodon dearborni, collected from Laguna Los Patos, Cumana, Venezuela, were determined by the critical thermal maximum method. At an increase in temperature (from 24 to 31°C) fish started to gain acclimation level after 3 hours and took 3 days to fully get up to a higher level of resistance to heat death; however, at a decrease in temperature (from 3 t to 24°C) fish began to lose its acclimation level after 12 days and required 39 days to reach a lower level of resistance to thermal death.     

Hydroxyurea inhibits ODC induction, but not the G1 to S phase transition.

Chinese hamster ovary cells, selected in mitosis and plated into medium containing hydroxyurea, can progress through G₁ and enter S phase although bulk DNA synthesis is prevented. As the cells progress through G₁ in the presence of hydroxyurea, ornithine decarboxylase activity remains low while general protein synthesis appears unaffected. After hydroxyurea is removed, ornithine decarboxylase activity increases, but only after approximately 20% of the DNA has been replicated. These results suggest that ornithine decarboxylase induction is not essential for cellular progression into S phase but is required for the completion of DNA synthesis.     

遗传绝对距离差异显著性检验方法

G regorius提出的用于比较等位基因差异的遗传绝对距离方法可用来比较两个种群或群落的差异,也可比较两个样地是否来自相同的总体。该方法由于能够给出两个分布的具体差异量而在林分直径分布比较中得到广泛应用。在分析G regorius遗传绝对距离应用于群落结构比较的可能性的基础上,提出了该遗传绝对距离的差异显著判别标准,当两个分布的差异dxy≥dα=dm ax.(1-1/k).-0.2 ln(α/2)时,差异显著。为检验所提出的判别差异显著性方法的有效性,特给出了40个模拟林分的直径分布并用K-S检验进行了验证,结果表明所提出的方法与K-S检验的符合率达100%。研究还指出,遗传绝对距离方法可有效进行群落结构比较,它既可进行直径分布检验也可对物种的相似性做出判定,自然也可以用于等位基因的分析。结合研究提出的差异显著性检验方法,从而使度量结构差异量和判断此差异量显著与否的林分结构分析与比较一体化。     

环青海湖地区天然草地时序光谱特征参量分析

获取了环青海湖地区4类主要天然草地2003年5~10月共16个时相的地面高分辨率光谱数据,并利用植被指数技术、导数光谱技术、植被光谱维特征提取模型及包络线归一化技术提取了多个光谱特征参量,通过对各参量在生育期内分布规律的分析,给出了能较好地表征草地生长发育规律时序特征参量的具体分布;最后计算了4类天然草地各时序特征参量的平均散度,结果表明黄边位置λY、红边位置λV、红边斜率SV、绿峰半高宽wλG、红谷半高宽wλR、去包络红谷净面积AR'和归一化植被指数NDV I对于天然草地分类更有效。     

三种麦蚜在温度梯度中活动行为的临界高温

利用自制的温度梯度产生装置,研究了禾谷缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum padi、麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae和麦二叉蚜Schizaphis graminum在寄主植物叶片温度梯度上栖息、爬行和取食时的躲避临界高温。温度梯度内,麦蚜在小于等于温度T的温度区域内的累积栖息分布量占温度梯度场内蚜虫栖息总量的百分比Pa=90%时,则把T记为栖息躲避临界高温。将蚜虫在温度梯度内从低温端向高温端爬行的过程中,受到热刺激后调转运动方向时的温度定义为蚜虫爬行时的躲避临界高温。将蚜虫在温度逐渐升高的叶片上取食时拔出口针开始挣扎逃跑时的温度定义为蚜虫取食时的躲避临界高温。为研究麦蚜栖息和爬行时的躲避临界高温,在盛有水的搪瓷托盘一端下方置一盏白炽灯加热水温,在漂浮于水面的小麦叶片上产生了叶片温度梯度,用照相机记录蚜虫在温度梯度内栖息时的分布状态。为研究麦蚜取食时的躲避临界高温,在盛有水的塑料培养皿的下方设置一盏白炽灯用于加热水温,在漂浮于水面的小麦叶片上产生逐渐升高的温度。两个装置的温度设置均可通过调节白炽灯泡顶端与托盘或培养皿底部的距离来控制,用红外测温仪测量叶片上的温度。试验明确了3种麦蚜的栖息躲避临界高温,在26-43℃的叶片温度梯度内,禾谷缢管蚜、麦长管蚜和麦二叉蚜成蚜累积栖息分布达90%的临界高温分别为30.2、28.8℃和27.3℃,用Sigmoidal函数模型描述了麦蚜在温度梯度内的累积分布百分率与温度之间的关系。测定了3种麦蚜爬行和取食时的躲避临界高温,禾谷缢管蚜、麦长管蚜和麦二叉蚜爬行时的躲避临界高温分别为42.0、39.1℃和38.5℃;取食时的躲避临界高温分别为39.3、40.2℃和39.0℃。试验表明,3种蚜虫中禾谷缢管蚜较耐高温。讨论了温度梯度本身的设置、湿度控制、供试蚜虫种群的不同对麦蚜在温度梯度内行为可能造成的影响,并指出在温度梯度中,研究麦蚜若蚜蜕皮、成蚜生殖及有翅蚜和无翅蚜对适宜温度的选择将是今后继续开展的工作内容。本研究的结果为提高麦蚜田间调查取样及预测预报的准确度提供了依据,同时也为今后开展其它昆虫对环境高温的行为对策研究提供方法上的参考。     

一类具有垂直传播的SEIRS捕食传染病模型的全局分析

通过假设捕食系统中疾病只在食饵种群中传播,被传染的易惑者经过一段潜伏期后才具有传染性,潜伏者与染病者均具有垂直传播能力,染病者恢复后对该病不具有终身免疫力,建立了一类具有垂直传播的SEIRS捕食传染病模型,运用极限系统理论,分两种情形讨论了系统平衡点的存在性及局部稳定性,利用Lyapunov函数和二次复合矩阵等方法,得到了平衡点全局渐近稳定的条件.