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.     

真蓝甲藻(Gymnodinium eucyanochroum Tseng Sp.nov.)的亚微结构、色素性质及其在藻类进化中的意义

本文报告了在南京发现的蓝色裸甲藻,测定了它的藻胆色素。证明蓝色藻胆蛋白不是山“胞内蓝藻”(Cyanellen)所提供。电子显微镜的扫描表明细胞表面有众多的突起,不是光滑的;横沟内的鞭毛不是“带状”而是由细纤维丝膜状物拉着的螺旋形。透视电子显微镜观察表明,该藻有两个类型的细胞核,即“甲藻核结构”(Dinocaryotic structure)和“真核结构”,(Eucaryotic Structure),真核与叶绿体有一个共同的膜的包被,有一个与原生动物相近似的伸缩泡系统。叶绿体是分枝状,在细胞的边缘位,但也有其它形态。有淀粉颗粒而无“造粉核”或称”“蛋白核”(Pyrenoid),多数位于叶绿体外或之间,类囊体与一般甲藻不同,不是三个排成一条“带”而是两个排列成“带”。有发达的线粒体,和高尔基体;鞭毛不论纵沟内的或横沟内的,其横切面,均为9+2的形式,其纵切面是由纤维丝成束的结构。蓝色色素提取物,可见光最大吸收峰为456nm,与隐藻藻胆色素十分相似。从细胞亚微结构及其色素性质,作者认为它是藻类演化过程中的一个中间类型的甲藻共生体。     

Misuses of biology in the context of the paranormal

Summary Public suspicion of science stems from science's challenging of perceptions and myths about reality, and a public fear of new technology. The result is a susceptibility to pseudoscience. In claiming that creation science is as valid as evolution the creationists misquote scientists and seek to spread their own scientific myths concerning a young age for the earth, an act of creation based on a particular literalist interpretation of the Christian Bible and a single worldwide flood. They use methods of debate and politics, rather than scientific research. A selection of their arguments is examined and the nature of the evidence for evolution is discussed. Problems with the creation science model are noted. In the myth of the hundredth monkey phenomenon, original research is misquoted to denigrate scientific research and support sentimental ideas of paranormal events. The misuse of science is seen as damaging to society because it reduces the effective gathering and application of scientific information. However, pseudoscience provides a valuable guide to gaps in public scientific education.     

Zinc antagonizes the effect of botulinum type A toxin at the mouse neuromuscular junction

Summary Zn²⁺ (10–100 M) elevated the frequency of miniature end-plate potentials (MEPPs) in the mouse diaphragm. The effect did not depend on external Ca²⁺. Botulinum type A toxin (BTX_A, 50 ng/ml) abolished MEPPs almost completely within 30 min. Zn²⁺ (100 M) restored MEPPs and increased their frequency after they had been abolished by BTX_A in Ca²⁺-free solutions. The antagonistic effect of Zn²⁺ in the Ca²⁺-free solution was reduced by exposing the diaphragm to the toxin in the Ca²⁺-free solutions containing high K⁺. Thus, the action of BTX_A is probably enhanced by depolarization of the motor nerve terminals.     

“变截面管中跨声速气流”一文引理的证明

本文对T·P·Liu教授关于“变截面管中跨声速气流”一文的关键性引理给出一个清楚的证明,以使这篇有影响的开创性论文更加完美。     

Purification of platelet-derived endothelial cell growth inhibitor and its characterization as transforming growth factor-β type 1

In 1986, Brown and Clemmons (Proc. natl Acad. Sci. USA83 (1986) 3321) showed that platelets contain a substance, platelet-derived growth inhibitor (PDGI), that inhibits in vitro endothelial cell replication. Although platelets are rich in transforming grwoth factor (TGF-), PDGI was considered not to be related to TGF-, on the basis of its reported properties (extraction from platelets at neutral pH, binding to heparin-Sepharose). However, we purified PDGI to near homogeneity and showed that on the basis of HPLC retention behavior, in vitro growth inhibitory activities with several cell types, receptor binding, and immunoneutralization of growth inhibitory activity with specific anti-TGF- type 1 antibodies, PDGI is most probably identical with TGF- type 1.     

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...     

雀替型阻尼器加固箍头榫木框架结构的抗震性能

为研究广府古建筑木结构的抗震性能及加固方法,采用菠萝格木材,设计并制作了两榀不同结构形式的典型广府木祠堂箍头榫框架,提出并制作了用于木结构榫卯节点加固的雀替型阻尼器,对雀替型阻尼器加固前后的木框架进行低周往复荷载试验,研究结构的抗震性能及阻尼器的加固效果。研究结果表明：阻尼器可以弥补初次加载产生的损伤,在转角不大时给残损的榫卯节点提供较高的初始刚度,并在榫卯节点自身开始闭合时与之协同受力,提高节点刚度、极限承载能力和耗能能力,使得加固试件的极限承载能力高于未加固试件;未加固试件经过加载,出现了榫卯脱离、榫卯局部压屈现象,加固试件的破坏形式主要为榫卯脱离、榫卯局部压屈和竖向顺纹劈裂裂缝;各节点的滞回曲线呈现明显的“捏缩”现象,榫卯节点强度退化系数均大于0.83,在循环荷载作用下表现出稳定的承载性能,随节点转角的增大,各节点的环线刚度、等效粘滞阻尼系数呈现逐渐减小并趋于稳定的趋势;边跨框架试件节点的等效粘滞阻尼系数逐渐稳定于0.1～0.2,而中跨框架试件节点的等效粘滞阻尼系数逐渐稳定于0.05～0.1,且经过阻尼器加固,边跨框架与中跨框架试件的总滞回耗能分别提高了67%和19%。     

弱左型B半群的真覆盖

弱型B半群是在半富足半群范围内的广义逆半群.该文利用弱左型B半群真覆盖的定义,给出了弱左型B半群真覆盖的相关性质.特别地,得到了相应于弱左型B半群作用在幂单幺半群上的真覆盖的结构定理.     

具有不定位势Kirchhoff型Schrödinger-Bopp-Podolsky系统解的存在性

研究Kirchhoff型Schrödinger-Bopp-Podolsky系统,考虑位势函数V不定的情况。此时Schrödinger算子-Δ+V具有有限维负空间。利用Morse理论,得到Kirchhoff型Schrödinger-Bopp-Podolsky系统非平凡解的存在性。