Evolutionary and ecological implications of cardenolide sequestration in the monarch butterfly

Summary Monarch butterflies sequester cardenolides from their larval host plants in the milkweed genusAsclepias for use in defense against predation. Of 108Asclepias species in North America, monarchs are known to feed as larvae on 27. Research on 11 of these has shown that monarchs sequester cardenolides most effectively, to an asymptote of approximately 350 g/0.1 g dry butterfly, from plants with intermediate cardenolide contents rather than from those with very high or very low cardenolide contents. SinceAsclepias host plant species are distributed widely in space and time across the continent, monarchs exploit them by migration between breeding and overwintering areas. After overwintering in central Mexico, spring migrants east of the Rocky Mountains exploit three predominantAsclepias species in the southern USA that have moderately high cardenolide contents. Monarchs sequester cardenolides very effectively from these species. First generation butterflies are thus well protected against predators and continue the migration north. Across the northern USA and southern Canada most summer breeding occurs on a fourthAsclepias species and in autumn most of these monarchs migrate back to Mexican overwintering sites. The ecological implications of this cycle of cardenolide sequestration for the evolution of monarch migration are discussed.     

Storage of irradiated human blood; a source of error in quantitative chromosome analysis

Summary Human whole blood was irradiated with 2.5 Gy of 220 kVp X-rays and stored before culture with 9.7 M BrdU and 19.4 or 38.7 M BrdU for 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. The frequency of dicentrics and ring chromosomes was determined in cells staining as first division (M1) metaphases with the fluorescence plus Giemsa technique. Storage had no influence on the observed aberration yields in 44 h cultures containing 9.7 M BrdU. In 66 h cultures at 19.4 M BrdU the observed yields after 2 and 3 days' storage were significantly lower as compared to cultures from fresh blood. No storage effect was revealed in 66 h cultures containing 38.7 M BrdU. In cases where cytogenetic radiation dosimetry has to be carried out using blood samples which have been in transit for 2–3 days, the findings are of relevance for a correct determination of the chromosome damage in M1 cells.     

油松容器苗和裸根苗生长与造林效果对秋季施肥的响应

【目的】探究不同秋季施肥处理条件下油松容器苗和裸根苗苗期生长、养分积累和造林效果的差异,为生产上培育油松良种壮苗提供理论基础和技术支持。【方法】以大田培育的当年生油松播种容器苗和裸根苗为研究对象,设置0(对照)、12、24、36 mg/株4种秋季施肥水平,于90%以上苗木形成顶芽后进行施肥处理,并于翌年进行雨季造林试验。测定造林前的苗高、地径、生物量、根冠比、养分含量及造林后苗木成活率和苗高、地径相对生长量等指标,分析出圃苗木性状与造林效果之间的相关性。【结果】秋季施肥24 mg/株处理下的油松容器苗苗高、地径、生物量、氮、磷、钾含量均表现最佳,该处理下容器苗整株生物量、氮、磷、钾含量较对照分别增加了41.8%、31.4%、65.6%和48.8%;油松裸根苗受秋季施肥影响较小。容器苗氮含量在各器官中的分布从大到小表现为根>叶>茎,裸根苗氮含量在各器官中的分布从大到小表现为叶>根>茎;磷、钾含量在容器苗和裸根苗各器官中的分布从大到小均表现为叶>根>茎。雨季造林试验结果显示,油松造林效果受苗木类型影响显著,容器苗造林当年和第2年春季的苗高、地径相对生长量...     

蓄电池容量自动测试仪

本文根据国标《CB5008.1～3—85》的规定,设计了一种蓄电池容量自动测试仪.该仪器利用8位单片计算机进行控制,完成测试过程中的自动恒流、自动测量时间和温度、自动进行数据处理、自动停机等功能.它的优点是操作简单,测量精度高,成本低.本文介绍了蓄电池容量的测量原理和计算方法,对单片机的硬件和软件系统都做了全面的叙述.     

浅谈开放教育与图书馆服务

广播电视大学图书馆是电大的文献信息中心,随着开放教育这一新的教育模式的出现,图书馆也应在整体上做出相应的改革,树立“以人为主体”的服务理念。未来图书馆事业发展的核心是信息增值服务和人本服务。     

钟萼木种子贮藏与休眠解除技术的研究

通过对新采集的钟萼木种子进行各种处理后进行发芽试验,结果表明,钟萼木种胚、内种皮及胚乳内均含抑制物质且可引起种子休眠,但引起种子休眠的主要原因是种子内缺乏萌发促进物质和酶活性低所致。用ABT生根粉溶液浸种24h或低温(5℃)层积60d,可解除种子休眠,萌发率由28%可提高到80—90%。低温层积后适宜的萌发温度为30℃、25℃和20℃,其次是变量条件(昼30℃,夜20℃),将种子置于聚乙烯薄膜袋内低温(5℃)干藏85d,也可解除休眠,低温干藏85d后再层积20d,解除休眠的效果最佳,如此处理置床后第5d即开始发芽,15d完成萌发过程,萌发率达85%。     

染料中间体1-氨基-2-羟基-4-萘磺酸的催化合成研究

本文采用催化方法合成得到1-氨基-2-羟基-4-萘磺酸，探讨了硫酸铜、硫酸亚铁催化剂对反应的影响．结果发现．CuSO4比FeSO4催化能力强，催化剂用量增大，产品收率提高．当CuSO4用量为0.2g，反应时间为8h、反应温度为50℃，产品收率为68．4％．     

国有商业银行中间业务发展滞后的分析

通过建立模型，系统分析了国有商业银行产品供求矛盾的原因，以及信息不对称造成中间业务产品风险增大，产品创新动力不足，并对国有商业银行中间业务的发展提出了相应的对策和建议。     

合成新显色剂2-[2′-(5-硝基-吡啶)-偶氮]-1,8-二羟基萘-3,6-二磺酸中间体的选择和改进

合成新吡啶偶氮变色酸试剂-2-[2-(5-硝基-吡啶)-偶氮]-1,8-二羟基萘-3,6二磺酸(简称5-NO 2-PACH)有机分析试剂,通常采用重氮盐和重氮酸盐中间体,实验结果表明:重氮酸盐效果优于重氮盐。本文对重氮酸盐的合成条件进行了改进,较大的提高了产率,为显色剂的合成奠定了良好的基础。     

两种贮藏温度及药剂处理对藏茵陈种子活力的影响

将川西獐牙菜,椭圆叶花锚,抱茎獐牙菜种子贮存在(18±5℃)和(0～4℃)下18个月。用0 2%CaCl2和2%KNO3溶液浸泡24h,进行电导率、TTC还原量及发芽率测定,结果表明:①两种温度下贮存的种子,除电导率差异极显著外(P<0 01),其余各项指标均不显著(P>0 05);②经药剂处理的种子具有较高的发芽率;两种药剂以0 2%CaCl2效果较好,发芽率平均提高20%;③同一温度贮存的川西獐牙菜和椭圆叶花锚种子,经药剂处理后的电导率极显著高于对照(P<0 01),药剂处理后TTC还原量差异不显著(P>0 05)。