The Upper Cave at Zhoukoudian and the origins of the Mongoloids

The best evidence for identifying the inhabitants of northeast Asia in the terminal Pleistocene or early Holocene periods is provided by the human burials from the Upper Cave at Zhoukoudian, and in particular the “Old Man”. Apart from the Minatogawa finds on Okinawa, all Late Pleistocene human remains from East Asia that are reasonably well published are poorly preserved and often have equivocal dates. Since the time the Upper Cave was excavated it has been supposed that the human remains were the link between “Peking Man” and the modern Mongoloid complex. We have carried out multivariate analyses of the “Old Man” cranium employing new measurements of Weidenreich's cast of the skull and comparative data from Howells' survey of modern human groups. Despite our expectations the analyses have not shown the “Old Man” to be closely linked with the Mongoloids. Considering all the evidence available we conclude that the common belief of a close biological relationship between the people buried in the Upper Cave and the modern Mongoloids is not yet adequately demonstrated. Of crucial importance in interpreting the Upper Cave burials is their antiquity, which is still commonly thought to be in the order of at least 18 000 years. We believe that recent C-14 dates of about 11 000 years, determined from animal bones, indicate the earliest possible date for the burials. The time span between the Upper Cave burials and the earliest known modern Mongoloids in north China is in the order of about 4–5000 years. It is possible that a major population shift has occurred in north China between the terminal Pleistocene and the mid Holocene, when farming first appears. If this is so, the Upper Cave people may not have been closely allied to the Mongoloid groups that now inhabit East Asia and the Americas.     

Effects of selection criteria on yield stability in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Summary Selection in the F₃ generation for seed yield, fruiting branches/plant, effective pods/plant, and seed index (100-seed weight) was carried out in two chickpea crosses. Sixty F₅ lines (15 lines/selection criterion) along with check variety were evaluated for seed yield in three distinct environments. The effects of selection criteria on yield stability was examined using linear regression approach and genotype-grouping technique. There were no differences between selection criteria for linear yield responses of F₅ lines to different environments. Within all four selection criteria the lines showed similar linear responses. The non-linear component was relatively higher for lines selected for effective pods and seed index than lines selected for yield and fruiting branches. On the basis of mean yield and coefficient of variation across environments, the seed index was the least effective selection criterion for developing high yielding and stable lines. When the results of stability parameters and genotype-grouping technique were considered together, selection for yield and fruiting branches was highly effective for isolating stable and high yielding lines.     

Chromium in plants

Chromium is an essential trace element and is associated with some biological pathways, especially with glucose tolerance. For these reasons, we decided to determine the concentration of chromium in two sets of Brazilian medicinal plants. The first group consisted of plants that are considered as antidiabetic, whereas the second included plants that do not have this therapeutic property. The concentration of chromium was determined by flameless atomic absorption. All the plants analyzed contain chromium in the normal range for this element, but the hypoglycemic plants contain more chromium than the others (1–4 μg/g compared to 0.5–1.5 μg/g).     

Yields and nitrogen nutrition of intercropped maize and ricebean (Vigna umbellata [Thumb.] Ohwi and Ohashi)

Maize (Zea mays L.) and ricebean (Vigna umbellata [Thumb.] Ohwi and Ohashi) were grown in intercrop and monoculture on Tropaqualf soils under rainfed conditions in Northern Thailand yearly from 1983 to 1986. De Wit's replacement design was used to compare intercrops and monocultures with a constant plant density equivalent to 80 000 maize or 160 000 ricebean plants ha⁻¹. Combined nitrogen was applied at varying levels to 200 kg N ha⁻¹. In the final two seasons the intercrop ratio of maize: ricebean was also varied. At the time of maize maturity intercrops yielded upt 49 kg ha⁻¹ more N in the above ground plant parts than the best monoculture. Dry matter, grain and nitrogen yield of maize and ricebean in intercrop relative to their monoculture yields (RY, relative yield) were significantly greater than their respective share of the plant population. Relative yield totals (RYT) for grain, dry matter and nitrogen were always greater than 1. Nitrogen uptake per maize plant increased with progressive replacement of maize by ricebean plants. This increase was similar to that obtained by applying combined N. Available soil nitrogen tended to decrease with increasing maize:ricebean ratio. Increasing the maize:ricebean ratio increased the % of nitrogen derived from fixation in ricebean, the increase being equivalent to that obtained by decreasing combined nitrogen application. Approximately the same amount of fertilizer and soil nitrogen was taken up by maize plus ricebean in intercrop as the maize monoculture. The results suggest that the improved nitrogen economy of the intercrop resulted from the strong competitiveness of maize in the use of mineral nitrogen and the enhancement of nitrogen fixation in intercropped ricebean which made it less dependent on the depleted pool of soil nitrogen.     

Growth and development of maxipak wheat as affected by soil salinity and moisture levels

The effect of soil salinity and soil moisture on the growth and yield of maxipak wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied in a lath-house experiment in whih, chloride-sulphate salt mixtures were used to artificially salinize a sandy loam soil from Al-Jadyriah Baghdad. Five soil salinity levels of ECe's equal to 1.7 (Control) 4.2, 5.8, 8.1, 9.4 and 11.0dSm^–1 were prepared and used at 3 levels of available soil moisture depletion, namely, 25, 50, and 75% as determined by weight. Both growth (vegetative) and yield components were studied throughout the growing season.Results showed that increasing the soil salinity from 1.7 to 11.0 dSm^–1, and decreasing the available soil water from 75 to 25% resulted in independent and significant decreases in Mazipak wheat growth and yield components at different stages of plant development. Root growth showed more sensitivity to both available soil water and soil salinity level than other components. It has been concluded that at soil salinity levels of more than 8.0 dSm^–1, available soil water became a limiting factor on wheat growth and the maintenance of 75% of available soil water during the growth period is recommended to obtain satisfactory grain yield.     

Effect of Rhizobium andAzospirillum lipoferum inoculation on the nodulation,yield and nitrogen uptake of peanut cultivars

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn.) Cvs. Robut 33-1 and JL 24 were inoculated with Rhizobium strain NC 92 and a strain ofAzospirillum lipoferum singly and as mixed inoculum. Seed inoculation with these bacteria enhanced nodulation, N content and yield of these cultivars under field conditions. While a mix inoculation of these two diazotrophic cultures had an adverse effect on these parameters as compare to single inoculation.     

Stability parameters and performance of interregional crosses in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.)

Summary Twelve durum wheat varieties originating from 3 ecologically diverse regions and their 48 intergroup crosses were evaluated for stability of performance with respect to grain yield and certain component traits. The linear component of the genotype-environment interaction was revealed for grain yield, 100-grain weight and plant height, non-linear for tiller number whereas for grains per spike both components were equally important. However, except for tiller number, the linear component appeared to be contributing to a large extent towards the prevalent interactions. NP 404, Bijaga Yellow and Giorgio VZ 331 depicted stable performance for grain yield. However, considering all the attributes, the parents NP 404, Bijaga Yellow, Anhinga s and Mexicali 75 and hybrids NP 401 x Mexicali 75, NP 404 x Anhinga s, NP 412 x Mexicali 75, NP 404 x Gerardo VZ 466 and Anhinga s x Capeiti appeared promising. The Mexican group as a whole exhibited a more stable performance than the other two evaluated groups. Compensating shift among the component characters was evident in the case of parents as well as hybrids and stability of performance appeared to be under genetic control. Effective utilization of these two aspects through introduction in otherwise desirable varieties has been advocated.Part of Ph.D. thesis of senior author submitted to the Punjab Agricultural University     

射击过程中主要生理特征的研究

八名射击运动员(手枪2人,步枪6人),在实弹射击训练中,连续同步地记录了脑电、心电、心率、阻抗呼吸波。同时记录了受试者持枪稳定的程度。 分析表明,射击环数是五项独立无关的指标综合作用的结果。本文首次对射击时生理指标和射击环数进行系统辨识建模分析,求出每个人的系统参数_i值。找出了每人射击时最佳生理参数,为指导射击练习和反馈训练,提供了客观生理依据。 本文设计的激光光点录相方法,可反映持枪稳定的程度,简单、方便,可在射击训练中采用。     

无样地法在暖温带落叶阔叶林群落调查中的应用

本文以秦岭太白山自然保护区内锐齿栎(Quercus atiena var. acuteserrota)为优势的暖温带落叶阔叶林为对象,采用与大样地(0.5公顷)实测结果的比较,研究了无样地法中的中点四分法取样技术在暖温带落叶阔叶林中的应用。认为中点四分法取样技术,具有较高的精度和效率,可适用于暖温带落叶阔叶林。并用种点数曲线确定了暖温带落叶阔叶林的最小点数为15个。     

云南省(虫齿)目二新种和灰背蛇(虫齿)的记述((虫齿)目:厚(虫齿)科、叉(虫齿)科、围(虫齿)科)

本文记述了云南省(虫齿)目二新种,Tapinella bannana sp.n.和Peripsocus plurimaculatus sp.n.及一新种记录种Ophiodopelma semicets Lee and Thornton,其雄虫为首次记载。