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.     

Leakage of mantle helium from the Liaodong Peninsula, China

The isotopic cumpositions of helium have been investigated in hot spring gases sampled from the Liaodong Peninsula. China. The³He/⁴He ratios range from 0.14 Ra (0.14 times the atmospheric³He/⁴He ratio of 1.40 × 10^-6 to 0.72 Ra.³He/⁴He versus⁴He/²⁰Ne ratios and He contents suggest that a small amount of mantle-derived helium reaches the earth’s surface. Helium iwtope ratios of the hot spring gases show a distribution pattern similar to the regional heat flow values, indicating that the positive thermal anomaly occurring in the rtrea is closely associated with the presence of mantle-derived helium. The observations described above provide some significant evidence that the molten magma originating from partial melting of the upper mantle may have intruded into the continental crust along the activity fault. The coupling of the presence of mantle He and heat flow anomalies to seismic activity in studied region seem to imply that there is an internal relationship between mantle degassing and seismic activity.     

Comprehensive evaluation of mechanism of “chimney effect” using principles of magnetism, geochemistry and mineralogy

Study of forming mechanism of "chimney-effect" (CE) has important significance for basic theory and applications of non-seismic geophysical and geochemical methods locating oil/gas reservoirs. The theoretical basis of comprehensive evaluation of mechanism of CE using principles of magnetism, geochemistry and mineralogy has been reviewed, with the problems to be solved: (ⅰ) study for the relationship between process of oil/gas migration and geochemical field; (ⅱ) analysis of genesis of magnetic, geochemical and mineralogical anomaly; (ⅲ) interpretation of surface soil magnetism and geochemical anomaly combined with seismic data.     

影响油气运移的应力场地温场渗流场耦合的双重介质模型

地应力场、地温场和渗流场是影响油气运移的主要因素。以此为基础,研究了含油气盆地双重介质体系内流体与岩体相互的力学作用关系,提出了双重介质体系内渗流场、岩体地应力场和地温场耦合的非线性动力学模型。     

n维空间简谐势阱中理想费米气体的化学势与热容量

采用Ｔｈｏｍａｓ－Ｆｅｒｍｉ的半经典近似方法,得到处于ｎ维空间简谐势阱中的理想费米气体的化学势和热容量等物理量的通用表示式,并讨论了空间维数和外势对这些物理量的影响     

换热器烟气侧传热特性的研究

通过计算和实验,对高温换热器的烟气侧传热特性进行了分析,得出换热器中换热管合理的纵横向间距,证明了用金属辐射网是强化高温烟气传热的有效方法,并用实验数据讨论了烟气流速及温度等对换热器综合传热系数的影响。     

氮气中电晕放电高能电子密度沿反应器分布的光谱研究

利用目前在等离子体特性诊断方面较为先进实用的发射光谱法,在常温常压下测量了正脉冲电晕放电Ｎ２（Ｃ３Πｕ→Ｂ３Πｇ）发射光谱相对强度沿线－筒式反应器的径向分布以及Ｏ２对Ｎ２（Ｃ３Πｕ→Ｂ３Πｇ）发射光谱强度的影响．由此得到了正脉冲电晕放电等离子体中高能电子（≥１１．０３ｅＶ）的电子密度沿线－筒式反应器的径向分布情况．