A novel mechanism for jumping in the indian ant<Emphasis Type="Italic">Harpegnathos saltator</Emphasis> (Jerdon) (Formicidae,Ponerinae)

The Indian antHarpegnathos saltator may be unique among insects in using its jumping capacity not only as an escape mechanism but also as a normal means of locomotion, and for catching its prey in flight. High-speed cinematography used to analyse the various phases of the jump suggests thatHarpegnathos employs a novel jumping mechanism to mediate these behaviours: namely the synchronous activation of its middle and hindlegs. Electrophysiological recordings from muscles or nerves in pairs of middle and hindlegs show remarkably synchronous activity during fictive jumping, supporting the synchronous activation hypothesis.Harpegnathos is not the only ant to jump, and a cladistic analysis suggests that jumping behaviour evolved independently three times during ant evolutionary history.     

Potentiating action of hexoprenaline on14C-aminopyrine uptake by isolated rat parietal cells

Summary Hexoprenaline potentiated the¹⁴C-aminopyrine uptake (a reliable index of H⁺ generation) of isolated rat gastric cells stimulated by 10^–6–10^–4 mol/l carbachol, and inhibited that in response to 10^–4 mol/l histamine without and in the presence of propranolol. It is concluded that hexoprenaline acts as a partial agonist on parietal cell H₂-receptors and that -adrenoceptor activation may functionally modualte gastric acid secretion.Acknowledgments. S. Maliski, Institute of Rheumatology, Warszawa, held a fellowship of the Alexander v. Humboldt-Foundation. The study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. The skilful technical assistance of Mrs R. Maier and Mr R. Beer is gratefully acknowledged.     

Nuclear lamellae in the germ-line cells of gall midges (Cecidomyiidae,Diptera)

Summary Lamellar structures in oogonial and spermatogonial cells of gall midges were found to form a complicated system of intranuclear compartments inside which all heteropycnotic chromosomes present in the germ-line cells of these insects are located. In this way, the heteropycnotic S-chromosomes are separated by the nuclear lamellae from the remaining, decondensed chromosomes (E-chromosomes) of the interphase germ-line nucleus.This investigation was supported in part under Contract DPKBN/52/76-II.1.3.10. with the Polish Academy of Sciences.     

Presence of natural killer cells in Peyer's patches of the mouse

Summary Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity of normal murine Peyer's patch cells against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma was found in a short-term⁵¹Cr release assay. Peyer's patch and lymph node cells showed natural cytotoxicity at approximately the same level.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by grant No. 10.5 from the Polish Academy of Sciences.     

Down's syndrome: changes in protein fractions of blood plasma

Summary A statistically significant decrease of prealbumin and statistically significant increases of alpha₂-macroglobulin and IgA were found in blood plasma of patients with Down's syndrome using quantitative crossed immunoelectrophoresis.We are indebted to Prof. T.C. Bøg-Hansen, University of Copenhagen, for the helpful discussion of our results.     

Influence of ethanol on thyroxine accumulation in the hypothalamus,pituitary gland and cerebrospinal fluid in the newborn rabbit

Summary The effect of ethanol on thyroxine (T₄) accumulation in the hypothalamus (H), pituitary gland (P) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been investigated in 1–15-day-old rabbits. It has been found that H or CSF serum ratios decreased with age by about 2 in the course of 13 postnatal days. Stable T₄ resulted in an increase of¹²⁵I-T₄ in H, P and CSF. Ethanol per se caused an increase in transfer and accumulation of radiothyroxine or made the changes after loading animals with carrier T₄ more pronounced.     

Lightning activity on the central Tibetan Plateau and its response to convective available potential energy

Lightning flash activities on the central Tibetan Plateau have been studied by using the satellite-based Lightning Imaging Sensor(LIS)database from January 1998 to July 2002.The lightning activity shows a clear diurnal variation on the central Plateau.The peak lightning activity appears at about 17:00 which is 3 h earlier than that in Jingxhou,Hubei in the same latitude belt nearby,indicating that the lightning activity is a sensitive indicator of solar heating on the Plateau.The lightning discharge is weaker on the Plateau than Jingzhou.Hubei and other low-altitude continental regions because of the lower convective available potential energy(CAPE)on the Plateau.The CAPE on the Plateau is 12 times lower than that in Jingzhou,Hubei,and 20 times lower than that in the sea-level region,such as Guangzhou and Florida.However,the sensitivity of lightning activity to CAPE changes on the Plateau is up to 30 times more sensitive than other prominent low-altitude regions.     

C－isotope composition and significance of the Sinian on the Tarim plate

102 samples of limestones,mudrocks shales and tillites from the Sinian in Kuluketage have been analyzed ,Four formations in the Sinian belong to glacial deposits in which the differences in δ^13C are distinct (-14.7‰- 4.2‰),Distinctly negative δ^13C excursions for three times support the viwe of three glacial deposits in this area suggested by previous authors,except for the durations of them ,δ^13C values are generally positive in the Beiyixi Formation of lower part of the Lower Sinian ,representing probably the rock records of a continental rift related to break-up of the Rodinian supercontinent,There are three times of distinct excursions of δ^13C curve in all strata,The first one is from positive values at the bottom to about -5‰ at the top of the Beiyixi Formation ,The second one,from 0‰-3‰ in the Arletonggou Formation of upper part of the Lower Sinian to -3.4‰---14.4‰ in the Teruiaiken Formation.The third one,from positive values in the Zhamoketi Formation of lower part of the Upper Sinian to negative values in glacial varves at the top of the Hankeerqiaoke Formation.     

A new Euprox from the Late Miocene of Yuanmou,Yunnan Province,China,with interpretation of its paleoenvironment

The Yuanmou Basin of Yunnan Province is a hotspot for the research of early homind evolution and its environmental background.During the implementation of the Program“Research of the Origin and Evolution of Early Man and Its Environmental Baqckground” from 1998 to 2001,a huge quantity of hominoid and mammal fossils were collected.The present report systematically describes an Euprox robustus sp.nov.identified during the recent laboratory work on the collected material.Euprox is a group of earliest cervids with true antlers.The new species is the third one of the genus discovered in China.Judged by its morphologic characteristics,the new species feed on juicy and tender leaves of dicotyledon.It implies that the vegetation of its epoch in the Yuanmou Basin is a kind of southern subtropical evergreen forest and the climate is humid and temperate with evident seasonality.The latter is mostly influenced by the monsoon and secondly by the latitude.