Sexual dimorphism in the pyrgomorphid grasshopper Phymateus morbillosus: from wing morphometry and flight behaviour to flight physiology and endocrinology

Abstract In the field, adult males of the grasshopper Phymateus morbillosus are able to fly for up to 1 min and cover up to c. 100 m, whereas females, although fully winged, are apparently unable to get airborne. Morphometric data indicate that the males are lighter, have longer wings, a higher ratio of flight muscles to body mass, and a lower wing load value than females. It was investigated whether this inability of females to fly is related to fuel storage, flight muscle enzymatic design and/or the presence and quantitative capacity of the endocrine system to mobilize fuels. In both sexes, readily available potential energy substrates are present in the haemolymph in similar concentrations, and the amount of glycogen in flight muscles and fat bodies does not differ significantly between males and females. Mass-specific activities of the enzymes GAPDH (glycolysis), HOAD (fatty acid oxidation) and MDH (citric acid cycle) in flight muscles are significantly lower in females compared with males, and mitochondria are less abundant in the flight muscles of females. There is no significant difference between the ability of the two sexes to oxidize various important substrates. Both sexes contain three adipokinetic peptides in their corpora cardiaca; the amount of each peptide in female grasshoppers is higher than in males.
Thus, despite some differences listed above, both sexes appear to have sufficient substrates and the necessary endocrine complement to engage in flight. It seems more likely, from the morphometric data above, that the chief reason for flightlessness is that P. morbillosus females cannot produce sufficient lift for flight; alternatively, the neuronal functioning associated with the flight muscles may be impaired in females.     

Photoproduction of hydrogen, nitrogenase and hydrogenase activities of free and immobilized whole cells of Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U. 001

Abstract Photoproduction of hydrogen, nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction) and hydrogenase activity (methylene blue dye reduction) were studied in free and alginate immobilized whole cells of a purple non-sulfur photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U. 001. Four-fold increase in hydrogen production, two-fold increase in nitrogenase activity and 1.2-fold increase in the hydrogenase activity were observed in immobilized cells compared to free cells. Effect of various inhibitors (CO and C₂H₂) and electron donor (H₂) on the above three functions by free and immobilized cells has also been studied.     

Resolving the Conflicts Between Biodiversity Conservation and Socioeconomic Development in China: Fuzzy Clustering Approach

Resolving the conflicts between biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic development is a global pursuit for the long-run prospects of the human species. Based on Wenchuan County, a typical county in southwestern China, a group of 20 indicators quantifying regional biodiversity and socioeconomic development was established to classify and evaluate the county area spatially. A fuzzy c-means clustering (FCM) algorithm was used as the classification method. Three indices including BD, DL and DR characterizing the value of biodiversity, the level and rate of socioeconomic development of the delineated regions were formulated. The results indicated that Wenchuan County was optimally classified into 4 types of regions (region I to IV). The area percentages of the regions vary widely from 4.3 to 65.7%. The sequences of the regions on biodiversity, socioeconomic development level, and socioeconomic development rate were, respectively, IV > II > III > I, I > III > II > IV and III >I >II >IV. The spatial strategy on coordinating biodiversity conservation and regional development is to develop mainly from the east(I, II, III) and to conserve mainly in the west(IV). Eco-industry, such as eco-tourism and eco-agriculture, need to be emphasized in the process of regional development. The quantitative methods used here may have a wide applicability.     

NP7 protects from cell death induced by oxidative stress in neuronal and glial midbrain cultures from parkin null mice

Parkin mutations produce Parkinson’s disease (PD) in humans and nigrostriatal dopamine lesions related to increased free radicals in mice. We examined the effects of NP7, a synthetic, marine derived, free radical scavenger which enters the brain, on H₂O₂ toxicity in cultured neurons and glia from wild-type (WT) and parkin null mice (PK-KO).NP7, 5-10 μM, prevented the H₂O₂ induced apoptosis and necrosis of midbrain neuronal and glial cultures from WT and PK-KO mice. NP7 suppressed microglial activation and the H₂O₂ induced drop-out of dopamine neurons_. Furthermore, NP7 prevented the increased phosphorylation of ERK and AKT induced by H₂O₂. NP7 may be a promising neuroprotector against oxidative stress in PD.     

The effect of temperature on reproduction in three species of cyclopoid copepods

Megacyclops viridis (Jurine), Macrocyclops albidus (Jurine), and Acanthocyclops vernalis (Fischer) were raised in the laboratory at six temperatures (5, 8, 10, 12, 15 and 20°) and fed a mixture of ciliates (Paramecium caudatum and Colpidium campylum). Data were taken on clutch size, embryonic development time, interclutch period, time to first clutch, sex ratio and longevity.Clutch size, time to first clutch, embryonic development time, interclutch period and longevity are inversely related to temperature. The ratio of males to females in a cohort is independent of temperature.     

Focal contacts of spreading platelets with the substratum

Contacts with glass substratum formed by the spreading rabbit platelets were examined by an antibody-exclusion method; monoclonal antibodies against 80 kD bovine serum protein were used. It was found that platelets form focal contacts in the course of spreading. The size of the largest focal contacts formed by platelets is smaller than that of the contacts formed by fibroblasts. The antibody-exclusion method revealed focal contacts of platelets much more clearly than interference reflection microscopy (IRM). The similarity of reactions involved in spreading platelets and of large nucleus-containing tissue cells is discussed.     

The art of cobbling a running pump—Will human embryonic stem cells mend broken hearts?

The heart is one of the least regenerative organs in the body, and highly vulnerable to the increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases in an aging world population. Cell-based approaches aimed at cardiac repair have recently caused great public excitement. But clinical trials of patients’ own skeletal myoblasts or bone marrow cells for transplantation have been disappointing. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) form bona fide cardiomyocytes in vitro which are readily generated in mass culture and are being tested in animal models of heart damage. The early results, while encouraging, underscore that much remains to be done. This review focuses on the many challenges that remain before hESCs-mediated repair of the human heart becomes a reality.     

Oxygen: a master regulator of pancreatic development?

Beyond its role as an electron acceptor in aerobic respiration, oxygen is also a key effector of many developmental events. The oxygen‐sensing machinery and the very fabric of cell identity and function have been shown to be deeply intertwined. Here we take a first look at how oxygen might lie at the crossroads of at least two of the major molecular pathways that shape pancreatic development. Based on recent evidence and a thorough review of the literature, we present a theoretical model whereby evolving oxygen tensions might choreograph to a large extent the sequence of molecular events resulting in the development of the organ. In particular, we propose that lower oxygenation prior to the expansion of the vasculature may favour HIF (hypoxia inducible factor)‐mediated activation of Notch and repression of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling, limiting endocrine cell differentiation. With the development of vasculature and improved oxygen delivery to the developing organ, HIF‐mediated support for Notch signalling may decline while the β‐catenin‐directed Wnt signalling is favoured, which would support endocrine cell differentiation and perhaps exocrine cell proliferation/differentiation.     

Temporal and spatial trends in heavy metal concentrations in the marine mussel Mytilus edulis from the Western Scheldt estuary (The Netherlands)

Since the first North Sea Conference (1984, Bremen), all countries bordering the North Sea made commitments to reduce discharge of hazardous substances into the North Sea. From Belgium and The Netherlands, large reductions (upto 90) in heavy metal emissions from land-based sources have been reported between 1985 and 2000. Recently, some studies in the Western Scheldt estuary (WS) have shown that total metal concentration in the water, sediments and suspended particles have decreased compared to levels in the 70s. However, data on aquatic organisms is still very limited and it is therefore difficult to confirm whether the reductions in pollution input and generally improving water quality in the WS have a corresponding impact on the levels of heavy metals in aquatic organisms. The current study measured metal concentrations in the soft tissues of mussels, Mytilus edulis (known to be good indicators of environmental metal pollution) during the period 1996–2002. Spatial (salinity and pollution gradients), temporal and seasonal variations were also studied. Results showed a down-stream decreasing trend for the metals studied (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) during all sampling campaigns. There was also a significant seasonal effect on tissue metal concentrations, with a peak observed around spring in both WS and the nearby less polluted Eastern Scheldt (ES). On temporal trends, a clear drop of metals in mussels was observed in the early 80s coinciding with the start of the efforts to reduce chemical pollution input into the North Sea. Since those early reductions, metal concentrations in mussels generally remained unchanged upto mid 90s. However, in recent times metal concentration in mussels have increased significantly, for example Cd in 2002 was almost 10 times the values in 1983 and similar to levels seen during the peak in the 70s. Other metals also increased in the 90s also reaching levels seen in the 70s. As there is no indication of recent increase in metal input into the estuary, we suggest that increased metal concentrations observed in mussels in recent years especially in the upper estuary are most likely a result of changes in physical and chemical speciation and metal bioavailability. Such changes may be caused by changes in some water quality parameters in the estuary (i.e. increased dissolved oxygen, concentration of organic matter), resulting in conditions that favour releases of sediment-bound metals into the water column. The relationship between metal content and season showed very similar annual profiles in the polluted WS and less polluted ES. Thus, seasonal variations in metal concentrations appear to be largely controlled by biological processes, while total body burdens are dependent on environmental levels and bioavailability.