Co-occurrence of species with similar trophic requirements, such as odonates, seems to depend both on them occupying different microhabitats and differing in their life-cycles. The life cycles of the dragonflies Boyeria irene and Onychogomphus uncatus were studied in two consecutive years, mainly by systematic sampling of larvae in seven permanent head courses that constitute the upper basin of the River Águeda, western Spain, in the central part of the ranges of these two species. The size ranges of the last five larval stadia of both species were established based on biometric data. The eggs of the egg-overwintering aeshnid hatched in late spring and early summer and for the gomphid hatching peaked in middle-late summer. Both species showed mixed voltinism with "cohort splitting". B. irene had a dominant three-year development (partivoltinism), with some developing in two years (semivoltinism). O. uncatus requires four, sometimes three years to complete development (all partivoltine). B. irene larvae spent the winter before emergence in the last three, maybe four stadia, as a "summer species". O. uncatus mainly behaved as a "spring species", most larvae spending the last winter in the final larval stadium.
Paola Bertoli, Veronica Grembi., Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy., České resumé, and Vydává: Univerzita Karlova, Centrum pro ekonomický výzkum a doktorské studium, Národohospodářský ústav AV ČR
Two different pathways for protochlorophyllide a (Pchlide) reduction in photosynthetic organisms have been proved: one is strictly light-dependent whereas the second is light-independent. Both pathways occur in all photosynthetic cells except in angiosperms which form chlorophyll only through the light-dependent pathway. Most cells belonging to Eubacteria (i.e., the anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria) synthesize bacteriochlorophyll through the light-independent pathway. This review deals with the physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological features of molecules involved in both pathways of Pchlide reduction.
In slurry transport of settling slurries in Newtonian fluids, it is often stated that one should apply a line speed above a critical velocity, because blow this critical velocity there is the danger of plugging the line. There are many definitions and names for this critical velocity. It is referred to as the velocity where a bed starts sliding or the velocity above which there is no stationary bed or sliding bed. Others use the velocity where the hydraulic gradient is at a minimum, because of the minimum energy consumption. Most models from literature are one term one equation models, based on the idea that the critical velocity can be explained that way. Here the following definition is used: The critical velocity is the line speed below which there may be either a stationary bed or a sliding bed, depending on the particle diameter and the pipe diameter, but above which no bed (stationary or sliding) exists, the Limit Deposit Velocity (LDV). The way of determining the LDV depends on the particle size, where 5 regions are distinguished. These regions for sand and gravel are roughly; very small particles up to 0.014-0.040 mm (d < δv), small particles from δv-0.2 mm, medium particles in a transition region from 0.2-2.00 mm, large particles > 2 mm and very large particles > 0.015·Dp. The lower limit of the LDV is the transition between a sliding bed and heterogeneous transport. The new model is partly based on physics and correlates well with experiments from literature.
A key stage in the design of an effective and efficient genetic algorithm is the utilisation of dornain specific knowledge. Once appropriate features have been identified, genetic operators can then be designed which inanipulate these features in well defined ways. In particular, the crossover operátor is designed so as to preserve in any offspring features cominon to both parental solutions and to guarantee that ordy features that appear in the parents appear in the offspring. Forma analysis [1] provides a well-defined frarnework for such a design process.
In this paper we consider the class of bisection problems. Features proposed for set recombination [2] are shown to be redundant when applied to bisection problems. Despite this inherent redundancy, approaches based on such features háve been successfully applied to graph bisection problems [3].
In order to overcome this redundancy and to obtain performance gains over previous genetic algorithm based approaches to graph bisection a natural choice of features is one based on node pairs. However, such features result in a crossover operator that displays degenerative behaviour and is of no practical use.
Expanding the domain of majority rule is widely seen as desirable for the European Union. But the functioning of majority rule depends on preconditions that are seldom taken into account. The basic precondition is that overruled minorities accept majority decisions instead of exiting the voting unit. The specific problem of applying majority rule in the European Union is that overruled minorities at the European level are majorities at the nation-state level. By distinguishing between three dimensions of conflicts - content, time and space - the article analyses under what conditions it is possible to expect minorities to accept majority decisions, thus enabling the resolution of conflict by majority rule at the European level.
Utilization of a magnetic force can be found in many mechatronic applications, where e.g. a slender beam or plate is subjected to static magnetic force generated by an electromagnetic actuator consisting of a solenoid wound on a ferromagnetic core and a ferromagnetic armature, fixed to the beam. The static magnetic force, acting perpendicularly onto the beam, causes sag (downwards bending) of the beam. If the magnitude of the magnetic force surpasses some threshold value the armature and hence the beam is completely attracted to the core of the solenoid. For small detections the mathematical expression of the magnetic force can be linearised and approximated by a polynomial dependence on the distance to the electromagnet. In practical application, it is important to analyse the nature of the sag and to determine the limits of the linear approxmation, as well as the limits leading to the full attraction to the electromagnet. The mathematical generalisation of the sag is valid for electrostatic force between planar electrodes, too. and Obsahuje seznam literatury
For polyphagous predators, the link between food consumption and reproduction is not always straightforward, and instead may reflect that even predators with very broad diets may have reproductive tactics that are tied to consumption of a restricted range of prey. We studied the consumption and use of two prey species for reproduction by the ladybird, Harmonia axyridis Pallas. This polyphagous predator feeds on both pea aphids [Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)] and larvae of the alfalfa weevil [Hypera postica (Gyllenhal)] that it encounters when foraging in alfalfa fields. When provided a diet of pea aphids or of alfalfa weevils and/or sugar water, females of H. axyridis laid eggs in large numbers only on the diet of aphids. Females laid no eggs on diets of weevils or sugar alone, and laid only small numbers of eggs when the two foods were provided together. When placed on a diet of aphids, females began laying eggs earlier, and laid more eggs altogether, when they had previously fed on weevils versus sugar water. The predators' consumption rates of aphids were greater than their consumption rates of weevils, and they produced less frass per mg of prey consumed on an aphid versus weevil diet. The predators searched more actively when maintained on a weevil versus aphid diet. Hence, lower rates of food intake and assimilation, and greater allocation of nutrients and energy to searching, appear to contribute to the reduced egg production of H. axyridis females that feed on weevils versus aphids. Alfalfa weevils are also less suitable prey than pea aphids for larval survival and development of H. axyridis. Thus, the differing responses of H. axyridis adults to these two prey types may reflect that these predators are well adapted in the linking of their feeding and reproductive behavior.
The effect of normobaric oxygen atmosphere on hypoxia-enhanced lipid peroxidation in the brain cortex, subcortical structures, medulla oblongata and in the cerebellum was observed in 7- and 21-day-old and adult rats. The production of free oxygen radicals causing lipid peroxidation was assessed by the method described by Ohkawa et al. (1979). The rats were exposed for 30 min to 100 % oxygen atmosphere which significantly stimulated the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) in all the studied regions of the brain in 7- and 21-day-old male rats, and in the brain cortex and subcortical structures of adult males. Higher levels of MDA were found in the brain cortex of 7-day-old female rats only. Reoxygenation with pure oxygen after 30 min hypobaric hypoxia corresponding to 9000 m increased MDA production in all studied parts of the brain on both male and female rats 7- and 21-day-old. In adult rats significantly increased MDA production was only found in the brain cortex of male and female rats and in the subcortical structures of males. The exposition to hypobaric hypoxia followed by reoxygenation by atmospheric air enhanced MDA production in all studied regions of the brain in 7-day-old males and in the cerebellum of females; in 21-day-old rats of both sexes a significant increase of MDA was detected in all parts of the brain. In adult rats were found higher MDA levels in the cerebral cortex of both males and females.
The structure of the local interstellar medium is reviewed with emphasis on the new observations of the cold neutral component. The properties of the high latitude molecular clouds are discussed as well as their relationship to the “infrared cirrus” and atomic gas. The molecular clouds are shown to the preferentially along the loops and filaments of local HI gas, but a detailed examination shows the CO and HI peaks are offset from one another. An expansion velocity of 7 km is derived for one of the shells suggesting an expansion energy of - 8 X 10^47 ergs. which is somewhat smaller than that expected for a supernova explosion. If the pressure in the clumps of the high latitude clouds is in equilibrium with the surrounding gas, the pressure in the shells is
10^4-10^5 cm^-3 K, an order of magnitude higher than what is generally argued to exist in the interstellar medium.