Reactivation of juvenile hormone synthesis in adult drones of the honey bee,Apis mellifera carnica

Juvenile hormone synthesis was measured by the corpora allata radiochemical assay in vitro. No hormone was produced during pupal stages, but soon after adult eclosion the corpora allata were reactived. The rate of juvenile hormone III synthesis increased until day 10 after emergence. Possible functions of juvenile hormone in adult drones are discussed.     

Ore-blending optimization model for sintering process based on characteristics of iron ores

An ore-blending optimization model for the sintering process is an intelligent system that includes iron ore characteristics, expert knowledge and material balance. In the present work, 14 indices are proposed to represent chemical composition, granulating properties and high temperature properties of iron ores. After the relationships between iron ore characteristics and sintering performance are established, the "two-step" method and the simplex method are introduced to build the model by distinguishing the calculation of optimized blending proportion of iron ores from that of other sintering materials in order to improve calculation efficiency. The ore-blending optimization model, programmed by Access and Visual Basic, is applied to practical production in steel mills and the results prove that the present model can take advantage of the available iron ore resource with stable sinter yield and quality performance but at a lower cost.     

Multiple ADH genes are associated with upper aerodigestive cancers

Alcohol is an important risk factor for upper aerodigestive cancers and is principally metabolized by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzymes. We have investigated six ADH genetic variants in over 3,800 aerodigestive cancer cases and 5,200 controls from three individual studies. Gene variants rs1229984 (ADH1B) and rs1573496 (ADH7) were significantly protective against aerodigestive cancer in each individual study and overall (P = 10(-10) and 10(-9), respectively). These effects became more apparent with increasing alcohol consumption (P for trend = 0.0002 and 0.065, respectively). Both gene effects were independent of each other, implying that multiple ADH genes may be involved in upper aerodigestive cancer etiology.     

Mutations in SLC20A2 link familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification with phosphate homeostasis

Familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) is a genetic condition with a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including parkinsonism and dementia. Here, we identified mutations in SLC20A2, encoding the type III sodium-dependent phosphate transporter 2 (PiT2), in IBGC-affected families of varied ancestry, and we observed significantly impaired phosphate transport activity for all assayed PiT2 mutants in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Our results implicate altered phosphate homeostasis in the etiology of IBGC.     

Spatial patterns of the semi-aquatic rodent Nectomys squamipes in Atlantic forest streams

Nectomys squamipes is a semi-aquatic rodent with a wide geographic range in Brazilian forests and savannas. This species is a host for several parasites associated with aquatic environments, especially Schistosoma mansoni, and thus its spatial pattern may influence some diseases’ patterns. Here we present important aspects of water rat spatial behaviour, including technical and ecological aspects. Water rats were studied by live trapping in rivers and in gallery forests between January 2005 and August 2008, with a total sampling effort of 9511 trap-nights. We also studied some animals through radio tracking and the spool-and-line technique. Water rat movement was distributed evenly between the terrestrial and aquatic environments. Nectomys squamipes occurrence in small tributaries was higher than in larger and lotic rivers. Both home range, the conventional two-dimensional approach, and home length, a one-dimensional approach, proved to be useful to study N. squamipes, depending on the shape of the water body used by the individual. Although Nectomys squamipes’ home length was positively correlated with body weight, sex was also important to explain home length variation; at similar body weights, males have larger home lengths than females. Males explored larger areas during the rainy season, likely in search of females, as this is the water rat reproductive season in Atlantic forest. In contrast, females explored larger areas during the dry season, likely looking for additional food supplies as a result of deficient water rat food supplies during the Atlantic forest dry season. Females overlapped home lengths with more than one male, and males with more than one female, suggesting a promiscuous mating system for this species.     

Competition and phylogeny determine community structure in Müllerian co-mimics

Until recently, the study of negative and antagonistic interactions (for example, competition and predation) has dominated our understanding of community structure, maintenance and assembly. Nevertheless, a recent theoretical model suggests that positive interactions (for example, mutualisms) may counterbalance competition, facilitating long-term coexistence even among ecologically undifferentiated species. Müllerian mimics are mutualists that share the costs of predator education and are therefore ideally suited for the investigation of positive and negative interactions in community dynamics. The sole empirical test of this model in a Müllerian mimetic community supports the prediction that positive interactions outweigh the negative effects of spatial overlap (without quantifying resource acquisition). Understanding the role of trophic niche partitioning in facilitating the evolution and stability of Müllerian mimetic communities is now of critical importance, but has yet to be formally investigated. Here we show that resource partitioning and phylogeny determine community structure and outweigh the positive effects of Müllerian mimicry in a species-rich group of neotropical catfishes. From multiple, independent reproductively isolated allopatric communities displaying convergently evolved colour patterns, 92% consist of species that do not compete for resources. Significant differences in phylogenetically conserved traits (snout morphology and body size) were consistently linked to trait-specific resource acquisition. Thus, we report the first evidence, to our knowledge, that competition for trophic resources and phylogeny are pivotal factors in the stable evolution of Müllerian mimicry rings. More generally, our work demonstrates that competition for resources is likely to have a dominant role in the structuring of communities that are simultaneously subject to the effects of both positive and negative interactions.     

Melt Infiltration Ability and Microstructural Evolution of Fe40Al/ TiC Composites System

Pressureless melt infiltration is an economic route f or preparation of high-density ceramic/melt composites. In this study, the Fe40 Al iron aluminide intermetallic, a low cost material of excellent oxidation and corrosion resistance, was used as binder for fabricating Fe40Al/TiC composites b y pressureless melt infiltration. The wetting ability of liquid Fe40Al in porous TiC pre-form was studied by in-situ monitoring the melting and infiltration p rocess. The infiltration ability was investigated by ob...     

Plasmodium juxtanucleare: An electron microscopic study of the exoerythrocytic stages

Zusammenfassung Die Feinstruktur vonPlasmodium juxlanucleare wurde im Milzgewebe experimentell infizierter junger Hühnchen untersucht und die verschiedenen Veränderungen im Verlaufe des intrazellulären Entwicklungszyklus beschrieben.

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This work has been partly supported by Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas, Conselho de Ensino para Graduados da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro e Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico, contr. No. FUNTEC-143.

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The autors are indebted to Dr.H. Meyer for her helpful suggestions throughout the course of this investigation. The technical assistance of Mr.A. A. Alves is also gratefully acknowledged.     

Histamine release and mast cell degranulation induced by 2-4 dinitrophenol in rat tissues

Resumen El 2–4-dinitrofenol es capaz de producir degranulación rápida aunque parcial de mastocitos y liberación de histamina de los tejidos de la rata in vitro. Estos efectos solamente pueden ser demostrados en tejidos mantenidos a baja temperatura antes del tratamiento; son inhibidos por glucosa. La estimulación del consumo de oxígeno no parece ser la causa de los efectos del dinitrofenol.