Damage and Reproductive Potentials of Pratylenchus brachyurus and P. penetrans on soybean

Damage and reproductive potentials of Pratylenchus brachyurus and P. penetrans on soybean, Glycine max, cvs. Essex, Forrest, and Lee 68, were determined in microplot tests. Cultivar Essex was generally tolerant to P. brachyurus. Yield of Forrest was suppressed linearly with increasing P_i''s in the sandy soil (r = -0.92) and loamy sand soil (r = -0.99). Low to moderate P_i''s in the sandy clay loam gave an increase in yields as compared to plants without nematodes. Yield was not affected by this nematode in muck. Lee 68 was very sensitive to P. penetrans in microplots. Yield vs. P_i was fitted by a quadratic model (r = 0.82) with yield decreasing sharply as P_i''s were increased. The reproduction of both species decreased with increases in P_i. Lee 68 was a good host for P. penetrans, whereas Essex and Forrest were fair to poor hosts for P. brachyurus.     

THE STUDY OF THE ECONOMIC THRESHOLD OF TOMICUS PINIPERDA (COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDEA) ON YUNNAN PINE

Abstract By careful and long period field investigation of the population density of Tomicus piniperda L. and the growth of Yunnan pine ( Pinus yunnanensis French.), and improved regression analysis, the economic threshold of Tomicus piniperda on Yunnan pine is determined: When the death rate of the trees is not more than 0.52%, the natural control factors can prevent the density of the bark beetle from increasing and no control measure is needed. When the death rate of the trees reaches 0.5%, the corresponding rate of shoots attacked is 0.61% and the mean of invading holes per tree 0.66, the cost for control is equal to the economic loss saved. So, considering both the economic justification and the prevention of the pest density from increasing, when the death rate of the trees is more than 0.5%, the corresponding rate of shoots attacked more than 0.61% and the mean of invading holes per tree more than 0.66, control measure should be taken. The paper also gives formulae for different Yunnan pine forest areas to calculate their own economic threshold according to their special situations.     

麦长管蚜对E-β-法尼烯的嗅觉行为反应

【目的】测定麦长管蚜Sitobion avenae Fabricius对E-β-法尼烯(E-β-farnesene,EβF)矿物油溶液反应的最低阈值浓度,为EβF的田间应用提供依据。【方法】观察麦长管蚜3龄若蚜对不同浓度EβF的逃逸行为和"Y"型管嗅觉行为反应。每天定时分5次(9:00,11:30,14:00,16:30和19:00)滴加10μL EβF于滤纸上,滤纸用牙签固定于麦苗盆中心,持续处理5 d。每盆麦苗处理前接1龄若蚜15头。记录成蚜翅型及2周后蚜虫总数量。【结果】随着EβF浓度升高,麦长管蚜3龄若蚜3 min内逃离数显著增加,有翅蚜比例显著增加,种群个体数量显著下降,驱避效果明显增强。EβF浓度为200 ng/μL和≥600 ng/μL使蚜虫逃离数显著增加(P0.05)。"Y"型管选择行为测试结果表明,EβF≥600 ng/μL对3龄若蚜具有极显著的驱避作用(P0.01)。与对照相比,EβF≥600 ng/μL处理极显著提高了有翅蚜比例(P0.01);EβF≥400 ng/μL极显著抑制蚜虫种群个体数量增长(P0.01),但与600 ng/μL处理差异不显著。【结论】600 ng/μL EβF矿物油溶液为麦长管蚜驱避剂的最低阈值浓度。     

Modelling the role of intracolonial genetic diversity on regulation of brood temperature in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies

In polyandrous social insects such as honey bees, a worker’s affinity for a particular task may be genetically infl uenced and so some patrilines may have lower stimulus thresholds for commencing a task than others. We used simulation models to investigate the effects of intracolonial diversity in the task thresholds that stimulate workers to engage in heating and cooling during nest thermoregulation. First, we simulated colonies comprised of one or 15 patrilines that were engaged in heating the brood nest, and observed that single patriline colonies maintained, on average, less stable brood nest temperatures than multiple patriline colonies. Second we simulated colonies with five patrilines that were engaged in cooling their nest, recording the proportions of bees of different patrilines that engaged in nest cooling in response to changing temperatures. Both of our simulations show remarkably similar qualitative patterns to those that we have previously observed empirically. This provides further support for the hypothesis that geneticallybased variability in task thresholds among patrilines within honey bee colonies is an important contributor to the ability of colonies to precisely thermoregulate their nests, and we suggest that diversity is important for optimal expression of a range of other colony-level phenotypes. Received 17 June 2005; revised 27 October 2005; accepted 23 December 2005.     

Blood glucose responses in humans mirror lactate responses for individual anaerobic threshold and for lactate minimum in track tests

The equilibrium point between blood lactate production and removal (La-(min)) and the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) protocols have been used to evaluate exercise. During progressive exercise, blood lactate [La-]b, catecholamine and cortisol concentrations, show exponential increases at upper anaerobic threshold intensities. Since these hormones enhance blood glucose concentrations [Glc]b, this study investigated the [Glc] and [La-]b responses during incremental tests and the possibility of considering the individual glucose threshold (IGT) and glucose minimum (Glc(min)) in addition to IAT and La-(min) in evaluating exercise. A group of 15 male endurance runners ran in four tests on the track 3000 m run (v3km); IAT and IGT - 8 x 800 m runs at velocities between 84% and 102% of v3km; La-(min) and Glc(min) - after lactic acidosis induced by a 500-m sprint, the subjects ran 6 x 800 m at intensities between 87% and 97% of v3km; endurance test (ET) - 30 min at the velocity of IAT. Capillary blood (25 microl) was collected for [La-]b and [Glc]b measurements. The IAT and IGT were determined by [La-]b and [Glc]b kinetics during the second test. The La-(min) and Glc(min) were determined considering the lowest [La-] and [Glc]b during the third test. No differences were observed (P < 0.05) and high correlations were obtained between the velocities at IAT [283 (SD 19) and IGT 281 (SD 21) m. x min(-1); r = 0.096; P < 0.001] and between La-(min) [285 (SD 21)] and Glc(min) [287 (SD 20) m. x min(-1) r = 0.77; P < 0.05]. During ET, the [La-]b reached 5.0 (SD 1.1) and 5.3 (SD 1.0) mmol x l(-1) at 20 and 30 min, respectively (P > 0.05). We concluded that for these subjects it was possible to evaluate the aerobic capacity by IGT and Glc(min) as well as by IAT and La-(min).     

Absolute hearing thresholds and critical masking ratios in the European barn owl: a comparison with other owls

Absolute thresholds and critical masking ratios were determined behaviorally for the European barn owl (Tyto alba guttata). It shows an excellent sensitivity throughout its hearing range with a minimum threshold of −14.2 dB sound pressure level at 6.3 kHz, which is similar to the sensitivity found in the American barn owl (Tyto alba pratincola) and some other owls. Both the European and the American barn owl have a high upper-frequency limit of hearing exceeding that in other bird species. Critical masking ratios, that can provide an estimate for the frequency selectivity in the barn owl's hearing system, were determined with a noise of about 0 dB spectrum level. They increased from 19.1 dB at 2 kHz to 29.2 dB at 8 kHz at a rate of 5.1 dB per octave. The corresponding critical ratio bandwidths were 81, 218, 562 and 831 Hz for test-tone frequencies of 2, 4, 6.3 and 8 kHz, respectively. These values indicate, contrary to expectations based on the spatial representation of frequencies on the basilar papilla, increasing bandwidths of auditory filters in the region of the barn owl's auditory fovea. This increase, however, correlates with the increase in the bandwidths of tuning curves in the barn owl's auditory fovea. Accepted: 27 November 1997     

Modelling the effect of treatment and behavioral change in HIV transmission dynamics

In this paper we analyze a model for the HIV-infection transmission in a male homosexual population. In the model we consider two types of infected individuals. Those that are infected but do not know their serological status and/or are not under any sort of clinical /therapeutical treatment, and those who are. The two groups of infectives differ in their incubation time, contact rate with susceptible individuals, and probability of disease transmission. The aim of this article is to study the roles played by detection and changes in sexual behavior in the incidence and prevalence of HIV. The analytical results show that there exists a unique endemic equilibrium which is globally asymptotically stable under a range of parameter values whenever a detection /treatment rate and an indirect measure of the level of infection risk are sufficiently large. However, any level of detection/ treatment rate coupled with a decrease of the transmission probability lowers the incidence rate and prevalence level in the population. In general, only significant reductions in the transmission probability (achieved through, for example, the adoption of safe sexual practices) can contain effectively the spread of the disease.     

棉田生态系统能流经济阈值的初步研究

系统能流经济阈值（ＥＥＴ）为本项研究提出的新概念。它是指系统的初级生产者－作物向其它亚系统输出能量的允许临界值,由此产生的期望收益最大,系统能流经济阈值是一条仅与作用现丰量相关的动态曲线,与其他亚系统无直接关系,本文以末施药棉田为系统,提出能流经济阈值的研究方法为：建立能流动态模型;确定害虫防治代价,计算期望产出,运用计算机仿真语言对作物的能流输出参数进行优化并建立系统能流经济阈值模型。     

ACCLIMATION OF NITRATE UPTAKE BY PHYTOPLANKTON TO HIGH SUBSTRATE LEVELS1

A literature review of data on nitrate uptake by phytoplankton suggests that nitrate levels above 20 μmol N·L^?1 generally stimulated uptake rates in cultured unicellular algae and natural phytoplankton communities. This phenomenon indicates that phytoplankton cells acclimate to elevated nitrate levels by increasing their uptake capacity in a range of concentrations previously considered to be saturating. Cyanobacteria and flagellates were found to present a considerable capacity for acclimation, with low (0.1–2 μmol N·L^?1) half‐saturation values (K_s) at low (5–20 μmol N·L^?1) substrate levels and high (1–80 μmol N·L^?1) K_s values at high (30–100 μmol N·L^?1) substrate levels. However, some diatom genera (Rhizosolenia, Skeletonema, Thalassiosira) also appeared to possess a low affinity nitrate uptake system (K_s between 18 and 120 μmol N·L^?1), which can help resolve the paradox of their presence in enriched seas. It follows that present models of nitrate uptake can severely underestimate the effects of high nitrate concentrations on phytoplankton dynamics and development. A more adequate approach would be to consider the possibility of multiphasic uptake involving several phase transitions as nitrate concentrations increased. Because it is a nonlinear phenomenon featuring strong thresholds, this effect appears to override that of other variables, such as irradiance, temperature, and cell size. Within the present context of eutrophication and for a range of concentrations that is becoming more and more ecologically relevant, equations are tentatively presented as a first approach to estimate K_s from ambient nitrate concentrations.