Foraging activity and dietary spectrum of wood ants (Formica rufa group) and their role in nutrient fluxes in boreal forests

Abstract 1. We monitored three different‐sized wood ant (Formica aquilonia Yarrow) mounds over a 3‐year period in Finnish boreal forests dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.), to assess the seasonal temperature dependency of ant activity. Additionally, we also monitored Norway spruce trees around the mounds for descending honeydew foragers. 2. The amount of collected honeydew and prey and its composition, as well as the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in honeydew and invertebrate prey was also investigated. 3. The number of warm days (average temperature above 20 °C) and the amount of precipitation differed among the years. Ant activity at the mounds (but not on the trees) was highly correlated with air temperature throughout the ant‐active season (May–September), but ant activity in spring and autumn was lower than in summer at similar temperatures. During all 3 years, honeydew played a major role in wood ant nutrition (78–92% of dry mass). Invertebrate prey was mainly Diptera (on average 26.2%), Coleoptera (12.5%), Aphidina (9.3%), and Arachnoida (8.5%). 4. The total amounts of C, N, and P input brought into the ant mounds in the form of food (both honeydew and prey) on the stand level were 12.6–39.0, 1.6–4.6 and 0.1–0.4 kg ha^?1 year^?1, respectively, which is equivalent to 2–6%, 12–33% and 27–58% of the fluxes in annual needle litterfall in typical boreal Norway spruce forests. Thus, wood ants can play a significant role in short term and local N and P cycling of boreal forest ecosystems.     

Characterization of microsatellite DNA markers in a critically endangered species,Mekong giant catfish,Pangasianodon gigas

Microsatellite DNA markers for a critically endangered Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas Roberts and Vidthayanon, 1991) were developed from fin clips collected from captive fish using (GT)₁₅ probe. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to four. The expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.13 to 0.68. Also, these primers were successfully amplified in four closely related species, Pangasius bocourti, Pangasius conchophilus, Pangasius larnaudii and Pangasius sanitwongsei with the number of alleles per locus ranged from 1 to 13, 1 to 16, 1 to 12 and 1 to 4, respectively. These markers should prove to be very useful for the evaluation of genetic diversity for this species and other related Pangasius species.     

Hylodesmum lancangense（Leguminosae），a new combination from Yunnan，China

Based on Podocarpium lancangense Y.Y.Qian,a new combination,Hylodesmum lan-cangense（Y.Y.Qian）X.Y.Zhu&H.Ohashi,is proposed.     

豆科长柄山蚂蝗属一新组合

Ohashi和Mill提出长柄山蚂蝗属的正确学名是Hylodesmum H.Ohashi&R.R.Mill,用以取代由来已久的属名Podocarpium（Benth.）Y.C.Yang&P.H.Huang。本文根据该属属名的变化,提出并确定澜沧长柄山蚂蝗的新组合名称为Hylodesmum lancangense（Y.Y.Qian X.Y.Zhu&H.Ohashi。     

The inflorescence structure of Kummerowia (Leguminosae)

Inflorescences of Kummerowia are compound and the component axes appear to terminate in a flower. In order to clarify whether or not the flower is truly terminal, inflorescences of Kummerowia were studied organographically, ontogenetically and anatomically. Four inflorescence phyllomes are usually produced immediately below the seemingly terminal flower and appear to be borne on the same axis. The second phyllome subsequent to the lowest one is located at right angles to the lowest one, and the third and fourth ones located opposite each other and at right angles to the second. The lowest phyllome is sometimes undeveloped in K.stipulacea. Ontogenetic observation revealed the presence of two abortive apiceS. Anatomical observation revealed that these two abortive apices remain rudimentary in the flowering stage. On the basis of the arrangement of these phyllomes and the presence of the remnants of apices, the structure of the component inflorescence axis in Kummerowia is interpreted as follows: the component axis branches off a lateral axis, which is reduced entirely in length, from the axil of the lowest phyllome, and terminates in an abortive apex; the lateral axis in turn branches off one lateral axis of the next order, which is also reduced in length, from the axil of the second phyllome and terminates in an abortive apex; the lateral axis of the next order produces the third and fourth phyllomes and is terminated by a flower. The flower, which seems to terminate the component axis, is therefore axillary in origin. The axillary branch of the lowest phyllomes occasionally bears two lateral flowers. The branching system of the inflorescence of Kummerowia is identical with that of an inflorescence of Lespedeza cuneata. Kummerowia and Lespedeza are continuous in characteristics of the inflorescence, indicating the relationship between the inflorescence of Kummerowia and the pseudoraceme of Lespedeza.     

云南汉族HLA-DRB1多态性分析及与9个汉族群体的比较

主要应用聚合酶链反应—微孔板杂交(Polymerase Chain Reaction and Microtitre Plate Hybridization,PCR-MPH)的方法对云南129个无亲缘关系的汉族样品进行了HLA-DRB1的遗传多态性分析,对MPH初分出的DRB1*15组的样品进行了单链构象多态（Single-Strand Conformation Polymorphism, SSCP）检测。共发现36种等位基因,其中等位基因频率大于0.05的有DRB1*1501(0.1240),DRB1*09012(0.0969),DRB1*08032(0.0930),DRB1*1202(0.0891),DRB1*1201(0.0814),DRB1 *1401(0.0775),DRB1 *0701(0.0620)。云南汉族HLA-DRB1等位基因频率与中国其他9个汉族群体进行χ²检验,结果显示与云南汉族比较χ²>10的有西安汉族（DR8,χ²=13.9712）、上海汉族（DR4,χ²=10.1632）、广东汉族（DR9,χ²=12.6121）和南京汉族（DR4,χ²=10.5796）。从遗传距离分析发现,在9个国内汉族群体中云南汉族与辽宁汉族有最近的距离（0.0541）,而与广东汉族最远（0.1851）。云南汉族在构成上可能与辽宁汉族更为接近,尽管地处南方,但已不属典型的南方汉族。这也可能因云南汉族与当地的少数民族存在基因交流,从而形成了一个较为特殊的群体。     

弥散山蚂蝗与大叶拿身草(豆科:蝶形花亚科)的分类学关系

弥散山蚂蝗Desmodium diffusum(新拟)不同于大叶拿身草D. laxiflorum,然而前者在中国却不被承认。弥散山蚂蝗广布于中国,与大叶拿身草相较更为普遍,而大叶拿身草仅分布于中国的广东、广西、台湾及云南南部。崔现举等将弥散山蚂蝗置于单序山蚂蝗D. unibotryosum种中。根据国际命名法规,单序山蚂蝗为一非法名称,属弥散山蚂蝗的异名。本文介绍了弥散山蚂蝗和大叶拿身草的分类历史、种的检索表、种的文献、异名及分布。同时,指定了弥散山蚂蝗的后选模式。     

Studies on the Neutralizing Antibody to Herpes Simplex Virus

The type-specific antibody responses in rabbits immunized with both types of herpes simplex virus (HSV), measured by complement-requiring neutralizing (CRN) and slow-reacting CRN (s-CRN) antibody assays were compared. Titers of type-specific antibody measured by s-CRN antibody assay were always markedly higher than those measured by CRN antibody assay. The s-CRN antibody assay was so sensitive that even an undetectable level of CRN antibody could be readily detected by this method. The detection of type-specific antibody by s-CRN antibody assay may be useful when attempting to analyze human HSV infection.     

SELECTIVE INHIBITION BY APHIDICOLIN OF THE ACTIVITY OF DNA POLYMERASE ALPHA LEADS TO BLOCKADE OF DNA SYNTHESIS AND CELL DIVISION IN SEA URCHIN EMBRYOS

Aphidicolin at 2 μg/ml caused 90% inhibition of mitotic cell division of sea urchin embryos at the I-cell stage. However, at 40 μg/ml it did not affect meiotic maturational divisions of starfish oocytes, which do not involve DNA replication. At 2 μg/ml it caused 90% inhibition of incorporation of tritiated thymidine into DNA of sea urchin embryos but did not affect protein or RNA synthesis even at a higher concentration. At 2 μg/ml it also caused 90% inhibition of the activity of DNA polymerase α, obtained from the nuclear fraction of sea urchin embryos, but did not affect the activity of DNA polymerase β or γ. These findings suggest that DNA polymerase α is responsible for replication of DNA in sea urchin embryos.