bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Discrimination of closed shapes by two species of bee,Apis melliferaandMegachile rotundata
Authors: Campan Raymond , Lehrer Miriam 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYIn the present study, the performance of two bee species, the honeybee Apis mellifera and the leaf-cutter bee Megachile rotundata, in discriminating among various closed (convex) shapes was examined systematically for the first time. Bees were trained to each of five different shapes, a disc, a square, a diamond and two different triangles, all of the same area, using fresh bees in each experiment. In subsequent tests, the trained bees were given a choice between the learned shape and each of the other four shapes. Two sets of experiments were conducted with both species. In the first, solid black shapes were presented against a white background, thus providing a high luminance contrast. In the second, the shapes carried a random black-and-white pattern and were presented 5 cm in front of a similar pattern, thus producing motion contrast, rather than luminance contrast, against the background.The results obtained with the solid shapes reveal that both bee species accomplish the discrimination, although the performance of the honeybee is significantly better than that of the leaf-cutter bee. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the various shapes differs between the two species. However, in neither species is the discrimination performance correlated with the amount of overlap of the black areas contained in the various pairs of shapes, suggesting that, in our experiments, shape discrimination is not based on a template-matching process. We propose that it is based on the use of local parameters situated at the outline of the shape, such as the position of angles or acute points and, in particular, the position and orientation of edges. This conclusion is supported by the finding that bees of both species accomplish the discrimination even with the patterned shapes. These shapes are visible only because of the discontinuity of the speed of image motion perceived at the edge between the shape and the background.
How does a fur seal mother recognize the voice of her pup? An experimental study ofArctocephalus tropicalis
Authors: Charrier Isabelle , Mathevon Nicolas , Jouventin Pierre 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYIn the subantarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis, mothers leave their pups during the rearing period to make long and frequent feeding trips to sea. When a female returns from the ocean, she has to find her pup among several hundred others. Taking into account both spectral and temporal domains, we investigated the individual vocal signature occurring in the ‘female attraction call’ used by pups to attract their mother. We calculated the intra- and inter-individual variability for each measured acoustic cue to isolate those likely to contain information about individual identity. We then tested these cues in playback experiments. Our results show that a female pays particular attention to the lower part of the signal spectrum, the fundamental frequency accompanied by its first two harmonics being sufficient to elicit reliable recognition. The spectral energy distribution is also important for the recognition process. Of the temporal features, frequency modulation appears to be a key component for individual recognition, whereas amplitude modulation is not implicated in the identification of the pup’s voice by its mother. We discuss these results with respect to the constraints imposed on fur seals by a colonial way of life.
Kinematics and hydrodynamics of an invertebrate undulatory swimmer: the damsel-fly larva
Authors: Brackenbury John 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYThe kinematics and hydrodynamics of free-swimming larvae of Enallagma cyathigerum were investigated using videography combined with a simple wake visualisation technique (tracer dyes). Damsel-fly larvae are undulatory swimmers with two distinct styles of movement: ‘slow’ swimming, in which body undulation is assisted by paddling of the legs, and ‘fast’ swimming, in which the legs are inactive. In both cases, the wake consists of discrete ring vortices shed from the caudal fin at the end of each half-stroke. The vortices propagate away from the mid-line, alternately to one side of the body then the other, at an angle of 67° from dead aft. There is no aft-flowing jet such as that observed in the wakes of continuously swimming fish that use caudal fin propulsion. The estimated momentum within the vortices, and the resultant thrust on the body are in tolerable agreement with calculations based on the large-amplitude bulk momentum model of fish locomotion. However, the drag on the body is not known, so it cannot be concluded with certainty that a force balance exists. The agreement between experiment and prediction gives confidence to the idea that most, if not all, of the vorticity generated by the swimming larva is located within the observable wake elements.
Accumulation of ammonia in the body and NH3 volatilization from alkaline regions of the body surface during ammonia loading and exposure to air in the weather loachMisgurnus anguillicaudatus
Authors: Tsui T. K. N. , Randall D. J. , Chew S. F. , Jin Y. , Wilson J. M. , Ip Y. K. 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYThe weather loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus inhabits rice fields that experience drought in summer and ammonia loading during agricultural fertilisation. Exposure of specimens to ammonia led to the accumulation of ammonia in muscle, liver and blood. The level of ammonia reached in the plasma was the highest reported among fishes. Ammonia was not detoxified to urea, and urea excretion rate was unaffected by ammonia exposure. Fish acidified the water to reduce ammonia loading. Ammonia loading, unlike aerial exposure, did not induce glutamine synthesis, and there was no accumulation of glutamine. This is a unique observation different from those reported for other fishes in the literature. An initial switch to partial amino acid catabolism led to the accumulation of alanine and was probably associated with a decreased rate of ammonia production. Aerial exposure led to decreases in rates of ammonia and urea excretion, as well as the accumulation of tissue ammonia. As the internal ammonia levels increased, M. anguillicaudatus was able to excrete some ammonia in the gaseous form (NH3). The percentage of ammonia excreted as NH3 increased with time of exposure and with increasing temperature. It appears that air-breathing through the gut is involved, with the anterior portion of the digestive tract playing a central role: it became significantly more alkaline in fish exposed to air or to environmental ammonia. The skin, which also became more alkaline during air exposure, may also be involved in ammonia volatilization in air-exposed fish. This represents the first report of a fish using volatilization of NH3 as part of a defence against ammonia toxicity. It can be concluded that the main strategy adopted by M. anguillicaudatus confronted with ammonia loading or air exposure is to tolerate high ammonia levels in the tissues. During periods of elevated tissue ammonia levels, some ammonia is lost by volatilization via air-breathing using the gut. In addition, some ammonia may be lost across the skin during air exposure.
Mechanical trade-offs explain how performance increases without increasing cost in rattlesnake tailshaker muscle
Authors: Moon Brad R. , Hopp J. Johanna , Conley Kevin E. 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYRattling by rattlesnakes is one of the fastest vertebrate movements and involves some of the highest contraction frequencies sustained by vertebrate muscle. Rattling requires higher accelerations at higher twitch frequencies, yet a previous study showed that the cost per twitch of rattling is independent of twitch frequency. We used force and video recordings over a range of temperatures to examine how western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) achieve faster movements without increases in metabolic cost. The key findings are (i) that increasing muscle twitch tension trades off with decreasing twitch duration to keep the tension–time integral per twitch nearly constant over a wide range of temperatures and twitch frequencies and (ii) that decreasing lateral displacement of the rattle joint moderates the mechanical work and power required to shake the rattle at higher frequencies. These mechanical trade-offs between twitch tension and duration and between joint force and displacement explain how force, work and power increase without an increase in metabolic cost.
Protein loss during long-distance migratory flight in passerine birds: adaptation and constraint
Authors: Schwilch Regine , Grattarola Alessandra , Spina Fernando , Jenni Lukas 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYDuring long-distance flights, birds catabolize not only fat but also protein. Because there is no storage form of protein, protein catabolism entails a structural or functional loss. In this study, we investigated which organs were most reduced in lean mass during different phases of fat store loss and whether protein loss can be regarded as adaptive or as a constraint. Body and organ composition were analysed both during the autumn migration over continental Europe (sample from Switzerland) and after a long-distance flight over the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea in spring (sample from Ventotene, Italy) in four species of passerine bird: pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus, garden warbler Sylvia borin and barn swallow Hirundo rustica. Large variations in protein mass occurred when long non-stop flights were performed. After a long-distance flight, birds showed a marked increase in net protein loss when fat stores were nearing depletion (analogous to the late phase of endurance fasting when the rate of protein catabolism is increased). When fat reserves were above approximately 5–10 %, protein was derived from all organs, but particularly from the breast muscles. When fat stores diminished further and protein catabolism increased, the mass of the digestive organs was reduced fastest. When the decrease in breast muscle mass during flight was regarded in terms of potential flight performance, it appeared that the use of breast muscle protein with decreasing body mass can be regarded as adaptive as long as fat stores did not reach a critical level. Below approximately 5–10 % body fat, however, protein loss reduced flight performance. This demonstrates that the phase of fasting (the size of the remaining fat stores) is an important condition for understanding the occurrence and effects of protein loss during endurance flights.
Lipophorin-facilitated hydrocarbon uptake by oocytes in the German cockroachBlattella germanica(L.)
Authors: Fan Yongliang , Chase Jody , Sevala Veeresh L. , Schal Coby 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYLarge amounts of hydrocarbons accumulate during vitellogenesis in the developing basal oocytes of the German cockroach Blattella germanica (L.), and all ovarian hydrocarbons are deposited into an egg case (ootheca) during oviposition. Hydrocarbons are not synthesized by the ovaries, but are delivered by hemolymph lipoproteins and accumulate within the basal oocytes. A native B. germanica hydrocarbon, [3H]3,11-dimethylnonacosane, injected into adult females of various ages, was taken up by the ovaries in relation to oocyte growth. Ovarian uptake of the hydrocarbon was low in day 0–1 females, increased dramatically between days 3 and 6 and declined sharply through oviposition on day 8–9; ovarian uptake of the hydrocarbon was low during a 21-day pregnancy that followed. [1-14C]Propionate, which becomes incorporated into methyl-branched hydrocarbons, was injected into 5-day-old vitellogenic females to monitor the de novo biosynthesis of hydrocarbons and the time course of hydrocarbon deposition in the ovary. Propionate was rapidly incorporated into hydrocarbons within 4 h. Hydrocarbon uptake by the ovaries, however, was three times higher 24 h after injection than 4 h after injection, showing that hydrocarbons are slowly and continuously deposited in oocytes. This result was confirmed with topical application of [3H]3,11-dimethylnonacosane: ovarian uptake was three times higher after 24 h than after 4 h. In vitro incubations of sternites, which synthesize hydrocarbons, with [14C]propionate and ovaries, showed that both hemolymph and purified high-density lipophorin facilitated ovarian uptake of newly synthesized hydrocarbons; maximum uptake occurred with 10 % hemolymph or 1 mg ml–1 high-density lipophorin. These results were confirmed with sternites treated with [3H]3,11-dimethylnonacosane and co-incubated with ovaries. This is the first report to show that copious amounts of maternal hydrocarbons are provisioned in oocytes and to demonstrate the existence of a hydrocarbon transport pathway involving hemolymph high-density lipophorin.
Variation in speed, gait characteristics and microhabitat use in lacertid lizards
Authors: Vanhooydonck Bieke , Van Damme Raoul , Aerts Peter 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYWe quantified four gait characteristics (stride length, stride frequency,step length and floating distance) over a range of running speeds in 11 lacertid lizard species known to vary in maximal sprint speed and microhabitat use. For each species, we measured snout—vent length (SVL), body mass and hindlimb length. We tested which variables determine sprint speed, how each species modulates sprint speed and whether species occurring in different microhabitats differ in speed modulation strategy. In doing so, we aimed to test the assumption that sprint speed is correlated with hindlimb length through its effect on stride length. Variation in maximal sprint speed is determined by variation in both stride length and frequency, but those species that modulate their sprint speed mainly by altering stride length appear to attain the highest maximal speeds. At maximal sprint speed, long-limbed species take larger strides because of the positive effect of hindlimb length on step length and floating distance. However, when hindlimb length is statistically controlled for, mass has a negative effect on step length. None of the three morphological variables explained the interspecific variation in stride frequency at maximal sprint speed. Possibly, differences in physiological properties (e.g. muscle contraction speed) underlie the variation in stride frequency. The 11 species modulate their speed in different ways. Lacertids often seen in vertical microhabitats do not seem to be either pronounced stride length or frequency modulators. These species alter their speed by combining the two strategies. However, species occurring mostly in open and vegetated microhabitats are, respectively, stride length and stride frequency modulators. This difference in running style is substantiated by interspecific morphological differences.
K+ transport in the mesonephric collecting duct system of the toadBufo bufo
Authors: Møbjerg Nadja , Larsen Erik Hviid , Novak Ivana 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYWe studied the mechanisms of K+ transport in cells from isolated and perfused collecting tubules and ducts from the mesonephric kidney of the toad Bufo bufo. Cells were impaled with microelectrodes across the basal cell membrane. The basolateral membrane potential(Vbl) depolarized upon change of bath [K+] from 3 to 20 mmol l-1 demonstrating a large K+ conductance in this membrane. In collecting tubules and collecting ducts a Vbl of -66±2 mV and -74±4 mV depolarized by 30±2 mV and 36±3 mV, respectively (N=23; 15). The K+ channel inhibitor Ba2+ (1 mmol l-1)inhibited the basolateral K+ conductance and depolarized a Vbl of -64±4 mV by 30±6 mV (N=8). Luminal K+ steps (3 to 20 mmol l-1) demonstrated a K+ conductance in the apical cell membrane. In collecting tubules and collecting ducts a Vbl of -70±3 mV and-73±3 mV depolarized by 11±3 mV and 16±3 mV, respectively(N=11; 11). This conductance could also be inhibited by Ba2+, which depolarized a Vbl of -71±5 mV by 9±3 mV (N=5). The pump inhibitor ouabain (1 mmol l-1) depolarized Vbl, but addition of furosemide to bath solution did not affect Vbl. The[K+] in urine varied from 1.3 to 22.8 mmol l-1. In conclusion, we propose that the collecting duct system of B. bufosecretes K+ into the urine via luminal K+channels.
Harmonic oscillatory orientation relative to the wind in nocturnal roosting flights of the swift Apus apus
Authors: Bäckman Johan , Alerstam Thomas 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARY
Swifts regularly spend the night flying at high altitude. From previous studies based on tracking radar observations, we know that they stay airborne during the night and prefer to orient themselves into the wind direction with an increased angular concentration with increasing wind speed. In this study,we investigated the orientation relative to the wind of individual swifts by frequency (discrete Fourier transform) and autocorrelation analysis based on time series (10s intervals) of the angle between the swifts' heading and the wind direction for radar trackings of long duration (9-60 min). The swifts often showed a significant harmonic oscillation of their heading direction relative to the wind, with a frequency mostly in the range 1-17 mHz,corresponding to cycle periods of 1-16 min. The swifts also sometimes performed circling flights at low wind speeds. Wind speed ranged from 1.3 to 14.8 m s-1, and we expected to find different patterns of orientation at different wind speeds, assuming that the swifts adapt their orientation to avoid substantial displacement during their nocturnal flights. However, oscillatory orientation was found at all wind speeds with variable frequencies/periods that did not show any consistent relationship with wind speed. It remains to be shown whether cyclic heading changes are a regular feature of bird orientation.
In vivo membrane trafficking role for an insectN-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor which is developmentally regulated in endocrine cells
Authors: Pullikuth Ashok K. , Gill Sarjeet S. 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYThe hexameric ATPase, N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) is implicated in the release of neurotransmitters and in mediating fusion between intracellular membranes. Due to the conservation of proteins in constitutive and regulated membrane fusion reactions, NSF and its downstream targets have been predicted also to participate in fusion reactions underlying endocrine function, but there is little experimental evidence to support such a role for NSF in insect neuroendocrine secretion. Here we have characterized the NSF orthologue (MsNSF) from the endocrine model for development Manduca sexta. MsNSF is developmentally regulated in endocrine organs of the protocerebral complex. Enrichment of MsNSF in corpora cardiaca (CC) and not in corpora allata (CA) indicates that it might play a preferential role in releasing hormones produced in CC. Endocrine/paracrine cells of the enteric system in M. sexta exhibit selective MsNSF enrichment. Together the data point to a more selective participation of MsNSF in development of M. sexta by its involvement in a subset of factors, whereas other as-yet-unidentified homolog(s) might regulate secretion from CA and a large set of endocrine/paracrine cells. We further characterized the in vivo role of MsNSF by heterologous expression. In contrast to vertebrate NSF, MsNSF is functional in yeast membrane fusion in vivo. MsNSF rectifies defects in SEC18 (yeast NSF homologue) at nearly all discernible steps where Sec18p has been implicated in the biosynthetic route. This underscores the utility of our approach to delineate functional roles for proteins from systems that are not currently amenable to in vitroreconstitution.
Modeling an electrosensory landscape
Authors: Brown Brandon R. 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARYMost biological sensory systems benefit from multiple sensors. Elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) possess an array of electroreceptive organs that facilitate prey location, mate location and navigation. Here, the perceived electrosensory landscape for an elasmobranch approaching prey is mathematically modeled. The voltages that develop simultaneously in dozens of separate sensing organs are calculated using electrodynamics. These voltages lead directly to firing rate modifications in the primary afferent nerves. The canals connecting the sense organs to an elasmobranch's surface exhibit great variation of location and orientation. Here, the voltages arising in the sense organs are found to depend strongly on the geometrical distribution of the corresponding canals. Two applications for the modeling technique are explored: an analysis of observed elasmobranch prey-capture behavior and an analysis of morphological optimization. For the former, results in specific predator-prey scenarios are compared with behavioral observations, supporting the approach algorithm suggested by A. Kalmijn. For the latter, electrosensory performance is contrasted for two geometrical models of multiple sense organs,a rounded head and a hammer-shaped head.
Determinants of intracellular pH in gas gland cells of the swimbladder of the European eel Anguilla anguilla
Authors: Sötz E. , Niederstätter H. , Pelster B. 
Published: April 2021

SUMMARY
Gas gland cells of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) were cultured on collagen-coated coverslips, and intracellular pH was measured using the pH-sensitive fluorescent probe 2′,7′-bis-(2-carboxypropyl)-5-(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCPCF). The contributions of various proton-translocating mechanisms to homeostasis of intracellular pH (pHi) were assessed by adding specific inhibitors of the various proton-translocating mechanisms at a constant extracellular pH (pHe)of 7.4 and after artificial acidification of the cells using the ammonium pulse technique. The greatest decrease in pHi was observed after addition of 5-(N-ethyl-N-isobutyl)-amiloride (MIA), an inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchange. Na+/H+ exchange was active under steady-state conditions at an extracellular pH of 7.4, and activity increased after intracellular acidification. Incubation of gas gland cells with 4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulphonic acid(DIDS), an inhibitor of anion exchange, also caused a decrease in pHi, but this decrease was not as pronounced as in the presence of MIA. Furthermore, at low pHi, the effect of DIDS was further reduced, suggesting that bicarbonate-exchanging mechanisms are involved in maintaining a steady-state pHi but that their importance is reduced at low pH. Bafilomycin A1,a specific inhibitor of the V-ATPase, had no effect on steady-state pHi. However, recovery of intracellular pH after an artificial acid load was significantly impaired in the presence of bafilomycin. Our results suggest that Na+/H+ exchange and anion exchange are important for the regulation of pHi at alkaline values of pHe. When pHi is low, a situation probably often encountered by gas gland cells during gas secretion,Na+/H+ exchange continues to play an important role in acid secretion and a V-ATPase appears to contribute to proton secretion.