Flight activity in a pentatomid bug, Graphosoma lineatum, was measured under different photoperiodic conditions. Insects started flying 3 days after adult ecdysis and the percentage of flying adults became highest about 1 week after the ecdysis, regardless of the photoperiod. Under long day (18L : 6D), high flight activity was continued, whereas under short day (12L : 12D), most adults stopped flying when diapause was induced. In both photoperiods, a small number of adults showed flight of a long duration, longer than 30 minutes. Thus, no evidence was found relating the long flight to diapause. It is suggested that diapause adults of G. lineatum do not overwinter far from their breeding sites and thus there is no migration to hibernation sites. Also, the long flight is probably only a foraging flight, enabling the bugs to find their dispersed host plants.
The effect of photoperiod on parasitization of the eggs of the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier, 1789) by Trichogramma principium Sugonyaev & Sorokina, 1976 was investigated under several photoperiodic regimes of L : D = 3 : 21, 6 : 18, 9 : 15, 12 : 12, 15 : 9, 18 : 6 and 21 : 3. In all regimes, certain wasps delayed ovipositing in this non-preferred host. Potential fecundity of T. principium females (the number of mature ovarial eggs at emergence) and subsequent oogenesis (estimated by the number of mature ovarial eggs in non-ovipositing females) was independent of photoperiod. However, the percentage of females that oviposited was higher for females that developed and were kept under 6-12 h long photophase than for those that developed and were kept under ultra short (3L : 21D) and under long (18L : 6D and 21L : 3D) photophases. The average duration of the pre-oviposition (egg retention) period showed the opposite pattern to the photoperiodic response. A possible explanation of this reaction is that the delay in oviposition is adaptive if the probability of finding a better host is high. In autumn, when the last Trichogramma females are still active but their lepidopteran hosts are already much less abundant, then parasitization of any suitable host is the best strategy.
Effect of photoperiod on the duration of summer and winter diapause was investigated in the cabbage butterfly, Pieris melete. By keeping naturally induced aestivating and hibernating pupae under various photoperiods, it was shown that diapause duration of aestivating pupae was significantly longer at long than at short daylengths, whereas diapause duration of hibernating pupae was significantly shorter at long than at short daylengths, suggesting both aestivating and hibernating pupae require opposite photoperiodic signals to promote diapause development. By transferring diapausing pupae, induced under various photoperiods, to 20°C with a naturally changing summer daylength, the diapause induced by short daylengths was easier to terminate than diapause induced by long daylengths. When naturally induced aestivating and hibernating pupae were kept under natural conditions, aestivating pupae had a long diapause (mean 155 days) and wide range of emergence (90 days), whereas hibernating pupae had a short diapause (mean 105 days) and a relatively synchronized emergence (lasted 30 days). Finally, the ecological significance of photoperiodic regulation of diapause duration is discussed.
A series of experiments have been undertaken to determine the effect of water extracts from pine bark (Pinus radiata) on the inhibition of the sporulation of oocysts of three species of avian coccidia. Tubes containing coccidian oocysts isolated from droppings of coccidia-infected chickens were randomly assigned to 0, 250, 500 and 1000 µg/ml pine bark extract (PBE). The tubes were incubated at 25-29 oC for 48 h depending on the species of Eimeria. Sporulation inhibition bioassay was used to evaluate the activity of PBE on the sporulation of coccidian oocysts. The oocysts were gently aerated with an air pump away from sun light. The results show for the first time that water-soluble extracts from pine bark containing 35% condensed tannins have anticoccidial activity as evidenced by their ability to decrease significantly the sporulation of the oocysts of three species of Eimeria, namely Eimeria tenella (Railliet et Lucet, 1891), E. maxima Tyzzer, 1929 and E. acervulina Tyzzer, 1929, under laboratory conditions. Incubation of unsporulated oocysts of these parasites in water containing 500 µg PBE per ml resulted in inhibition of sporulation of these oocysts by about 28-84% relative to the oocysts in the control incubations. In addition, up to 12% of E. maxima oocysts exposed to 500-1000 µg pine bark/ml were containing abnormal sporocysts in terms of size, number and shape.
Soil and changes in vegetation may affect ant assemblages, but the relative importance of each in different habitats is not well characterized. In particular, information on the effects of ecological restoration on arthropods is scarce. It was decided, therefore, to study how reforestation may affect an ant assemblage. Ants were sampled in area that had been reforested and adjacent grassland using pitfall traps. Soil surface and vegetation were characterized. The disturbance of the vegetation caused by reforestation resulted in a decrease in the cover of Stipa tenacissima and Cistaceae and an increase in the cover of pine. The mechanical preparation of the site also resulted in changes in the soil surface, with an increase in the cover of stones and rocks. Ant species richness and abundance were greater at the reforested site than in the grassland and more species showed a positive than a negative response to reforestation. The underlying causes of this pattern are mainly related to changes in vegetation and structure of the soil surface and are associated with the increase in the cover of pine, which most probably provided additional food resources, and the greater cover of stones and rocks that provided more shelter for the ant assemblage., Chema Catarineu, Joaquín Reyes-López, Joan A. Herraiz, Gonzalo G. Barberá., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Soil salinity is one of the most severe factors limiting growth and physiological response in Raphanus sativus. In this study, the possible role of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) in alleviating soil salinity stress during plant growth under greenhouse conditions was investigated. Increasing salinity in the soil decreased plant growth, photosynthetic pigments content, phytohormones contents (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA and gibberellic acid, GA3) and mineral uptake compared to soil without salinity. Seeds inoculated with Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens caused significantly increase in fresh and dry masses of roots and leaves, photosynthetic pigments, proline, total free amino acids and crude protein contents compared to noninoculated ones under salinity. The bacteria also increased phytohormones contents (IAA and GA3) and the contents of N, P, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ but decreased ABA contents and Na+ and Cl- content which may contribute in part to activation of processes involved in the alleviation of the effect of salt., H. I. Mohamed, E. Z. Gomaa., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Field experiments were conducted to explore the relationship between canopy apparent photosynthesis (F’N,can) ^nd grain yield of maize {Zea mays L.) and to determine over two years the effects of plant population density (PPD) on /'N.can- Yedan No. 4 hybrid (vertical leaf type) were grown at fíve PPD in 1989 and 1990. Measurements of /"n can were made throughout the growth period in a large plastic covered chamber put over a segment of the canopy. Maximum values of /^N.can ca. 1500 pmol(photon) m'^ s'* were about 2.8 mg(C02) m‘2(soil area) s'* at the anthesis stage and they decreased with age throughout grain filling. Differences in /^N can between PPD could be attributed to leaf area index (LAI) or radiant energy interception. There was a quadratic regression between and LAI. The critical LAI for Pn can was about 4 to 6 for Shendan No. 7 and Yendan 4, respectively. Grain yield also differed between PPD, the range was 850 to 1140 g m'^ in the two cultivars. Increasing PPD of Yedan No. 4 up to about 9 plants per m^ and decreasing PPD of Shendan No. 7 to about 4 plants per m^ in a non-stressed environment should increase grain yield. Pfj can anthesis was positively correlated with biological {r = 0.8750** to 0.9797**) and grain (r = 0.8932** to 0.9914**) yields.
In the present work the surfaces of the polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fibers were physically treated using cold plasma in argon and oxygen atmospheres, in order to modify and improve the fine mechanical properties of the carbon fibers used in the fiber reinforced polymer composites. The physical and morphological changes of the surfaces were investigated by tensile strength tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was found that the oxygen plasma treatments caused ablation of the carbon fiber surface, removing carbon atoms such as CO and CO2 molecules. In addition, the argon plasma treatment eliminated defects on the fiber surface, reducing the size of critical flaws and thus increasing the fiber’s tensile strength. A comparison of the methods applied provides a largely consistent image of the effect of plasma treatment on the fine mechanical properties. and V této práci jsou fyzikálně zkoušeny povrchy polyakrylonitrilových (PAN) vláken pomocí chladného plazmatu v argonové a kyslíkové atmosféře s cílem modifikovat a zdokonalit mechanické vlastnosti uhlíkových vláken používaných ve zpevněných polymerových kompozitech- Fyzikální a morfologické změny povrchů byly zkoušeny na pevnost v tahu a pomocí rastrovací elektronové mikroskopie (SEM). Bylo zjištěno, že obrábění kyslíkovým plazmatem způsobilo ablaci povrchu uhlíkového vlákna odstraněním uhlíkových atomů v molekulách CO a CO2. Argonové plazma kromě toho eliminovalo defekty na povrchu vlákna snížením velikosti kritických vad a tím způsobilo zvýšení pevnosti v tahu. Srovnání použitých metod poskytuje široce konzistentní obraz vlivu plazmového obrábění na mechanické vlastnosti.
Population density during nymphal development affects body size, developmental rate and wing polymorphism in semiaquatic bugs. Nymphs from crowded habitats grow faster and thus gain an advantage in the later stadia. Rapid development results in smaller body size in several gerrids. Macropterous adults develop more frequently at high population densities in most species, which enables the bugs to leave crowded habitats. Three European widespread species Mesovelia furcata Mulsant & Rey, 1852 (Mesoveliidae), Microvelia reticulata Burmeister, 1835 and Velia caprai Tamanini, 1947 (Veliidae) were reared individually and simultaneously either at a low or high population density. Duration of postembryonic development, wing morph, body size and length of distal oocyte in females were recorded. High population density accelerates development in Mesovelia furcata and Microvelia reticulata. However, there was no trade-off between developmental rate and body size. Accelerated development without a decrease in body size was probably because maturation was delayed. Individually reared nymphs developed faster than nymphs from communal cohorts. No long-winged Microvelia reticulata specimen developed in any treatment. However, more macropterous individuals developed in high-density treatments in Mesovelia furcata (significant) and Velia caprai (not significant). All the nymphs of the species that were reared individually developed into apterous adults. The results suggest that population density strongly influences the life history of semiaquatic bugs. However, the only commonly shared response seems to be an increase in developmental rate when reared at high population densities. Other traits such as wing dimorphism, body size and rate of oogenesis differ at the species level.
Incorporation of labelled thymidine into DNA of different rat brain regions was studied after 30 min of forebrain ischaemia and recirculation periods up to 24 hours. The amount of label incorporated into DNA showed a different pattern in the brain. After 1 hour of recirculation, the incorporation was reduced in the cortex and in the striatum, without any significant change in the hippocampus. After 3 to 9 hours the incorporation remained depressed in the cortex, diminished in the hippocampus, and increased by 2-2.5 fold in the striatum. Later, after 24 hours, the DNA labelling returned to control values in the striatum and in the cortex, but was increased in the hippocampus.