Metabolism and thermoregulation of individual and clustered long-fingered bats, Miniopterus schreibersii, and the implications for roosting

Oxygen consumption of individual long-fingered bats, Miniopterus schreibersii, was measured at air temperatures (Tr) between 2 and 42°C and that of clusters of four and six bats between 5 and 30°C. BMR of individuals was estimated to be 2.29 ml O2 g-1 h-1 between 34 and about 38°C. M. schreibersii showed two different responses to Ta, either maintaining body temperature (Tb) by increasing metabolic rate, or allowing Tb to fall close to ambient temperature and conserving energy (torpor). Euthermic clusters of four and six bats had lower rates of mass-specific oxygen consumption and lower thermal conductances than individuals at equivalent temperatures and torpid clusters maintained a greater temperature differential between Tb and Ta. Lowest rates of metabolism were measured for euthermic bats at air temperatures higher than those available to them in their natural roost in summer, so typical roost temperatures result in metabolic rates that are about 2 4–3.1 times estimated BMR. Roost temperatures of M. schreibersii in South Africa are substantially higher in winter than are generally accepted as being suitable for hibernation but these do not substantially affect torpid metabolic rates, which are low and independent of ambient temperature below 22°C. Clearly at least some species of insectivorous bats are capable of hibernating at temperatures generally considered to be too warm for this activity

Biodiversity of nematode assemblages from the region of the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, an area of commercial mining interest

BACKGROUND: The possibility for commercial mining of deep-sea manganese nodules is currently under exploration in the abyssal Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone. Nematodes have potential for biomonitoring of the impact of commercial activity but the natural biodiversity is unknown. We investigate the feasibility of nematodes as biomonitoring organisms and give information about their natural biodiversity. RESULTS: The taxonomic composition (at family to genus level) of the nematode fauna in the abyssal Pacific is similar, but not identical to, the North Atlantic. Given the immature state of marine nematode taxonomy, it is not possible to comment on the commonality or otherwise of species between oceans. The between basin differences do not appear to be directly linked to current ecological factors. The abyssal Pacific region (including the Fracture Zone) could be divided into two biodiversity subregions that conform to variations in the linked factors of flux to the benthos and of sedimentary characteristics. Richer biodiversity is associated with areas of known phytodetritus input and higher organic-carbon flux. Despite high reported sample diversity, estimated regional diversity is less than 400 species. CONCLUSION: The estimated regional diversity of the CCFZ is a tractable figure for biomonitoring of commercial activities in this region using marine nematodes, despite the immature taxonomy (i.e. most marine species have not been described) of the group. However, nematode ecology is in dire need of further study

Thermoregulatory capabilities of the woodland dormouse, Graphiurus murinus

The woodland dormouse, Graphiurus murinus, in common with many other small rodents, enters torpor under conditions of food deprivation and low temperatures. Its thermoregulatory capabilities under more favourable conditions, however, have not been investigated. We measured metabolism and thermoregulation in woodland dormice acclimated to long-day length, moderate temperature and abundant food over a temperature range (Ta) of approximately 5–37°C. The thermal neutral zone for this species lay between 29 and 35°C. Estimated resting metabolic rate (RMR) within this range averaged 21.10 ± 3.28 J g-1 h-1. Below 29°C energy expenditure increased with a decrease in Ta, with a maximum value of 90.76 J g-1 h-1 measured at 6°C. Both evaporative water loss (EWL) and thermal conductance (C) were minimal and independent of Tsub>a between 5 and 32°C but increased above the thermal neutral zone, maximum EWL and C being 6.7 mg g-1 h-1 (79% of metabolic heat production) and 19.74 J g-1 h-1 °C-1 respectively, at 37.3°C. Thermal conductance and RMR of G. murinus were approximately 48% and 30% below predicted for rodents of equivalent mass, respectively. This pattern is consistent with that suggested for warm-temperate arboreal rodents. Although body temperature (Tb) was labile and was significantly related to Ta over the temperature range investigated, dormice maintained Tb s between 34 and 38°C using typical thermoregulatory responses that included increased activity at low Ta and postural adjustments and salivating at high Ta. While not as impressive as some rodent species, under favourable conditions G. murinus is a competent thermoregulator and torpor in the species is facultative

Path Integral Solubility of a General Two-Dimensional Model

The solubility of a general two dimensional model, which reduces to various models in different limits, is studied within the path integral formalism. Various subtleties and interesting features are pointed out.Comment: 7 pages, UR1386, ER40685-83

A simple functional form for proton-nucleus total reaction cross sections

A simple functional form has been found that gives a good representation of the total reaction cross sections for the scattering of protons from (15) nuclei spanning the mass range ${}^{9}$Be to ${}^{238}$U and for proton energies ranging from 20 to 300 MeV.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, bib fil

Exact Z2Z^2 scaling of pair production in the high-energy limit of heavy-ion collisions

The two-center Dirac equation for an electron in the external electromagnetic field of two colliding heavy ions in the limit in which the ions are moving at the speed of light is exactly solved and nonperturbative amplitudes for free electron-positron pair production are obtained. We find the condition for the applicability of this solution for large but finite collision energy, and use it to explain recent experimental results. The observed scaling of positron yields as the square of the projectile and target charges is a result of an exact cancellation of a nonperturbative charge dependence and holds as well for large coupling. Other observables would be sensitive to nonperturbative phases.Comment: 4 pages, Revtex, no figures, submitted to PR

The quark mass and μ\mu dependence of the QCD chiral critical point

In order to study the QCD chiral critical point we investigate Binder Cumulants of the chiral condensate. The results were obtained from simulations of 3 and 2+1 flavors of standard staggered fermions and 3 flavors of p4 improved staggered fermions. The quark masses used are close to the physical quark mass. To extract the dependence on quark mass and chemical potential we apply a new reweighting technique based on a Taylor expansion of the action. The reweighting accuracy is ${\cal O}(m)$ for the standard and ${\cal O}(m^2)$, ${\cal O}(\mu^2)$ for the p4 action.Comment: 3 pages, 6 figures, Lattice2002(nonzerot

Modelling the flow of droplets of bio-pesticide on foliage

The flow of droplets of bio-pesticide, liquid laden with entomapathogenic nematodes (EPNs), over foliage approximated as a planar substrate is investigated theoretically via a simple analytical model and computationally by solving a subset of the Navier-Stokes equations arising from application of the long-wave approximation. That the droplets of interest can be represented as a homogeneous liquid is established via complementary experiments revealing the presence of EPNs to have negligible influence on bio-pesticide droplet spray distribution predeposition. Both approaches are used to study key issues affecting the migration of droplets over substrates relevant to pesticide deposition processes, including the effect (i) of droplet size and flow inertia on droplet morphology and coverage and (ii) of adaxial (above the leaf) or abaxial (under the leaf) flow orientations. The computational results obtained when inertia is accounted for are generally found to compare well with those given by the simple analytical model − a droplet's velocity relaxes to its terminal value very quickly, at which point gravitational, viscous, and hysteresis forces are in balance; substrate orientation is found to have only a minor influence on the extent of droplet migration

Book Reviews

Book Review 1Book Title: Atlas of Microscopic Structures of Fur Skins Vol. 1Book Authors: Anton Blažej et al.Elsevier Amsterdam and SNTl, Prague, 1989. 378 pages.Book Review 2Book Title: Ornithology for AfricaBook Author: Gordon L. MacleanUniversity of Natal Press, 1990. 270 pages.Book Review 3Book Title: Biology of the Vespine WaspsBook Authors: Makoto Matsuura & Seiki YamaneSpringer-Verlag, Berlin, 1990. 323 pages, numerous figures, tables and photographs. ISBN 3-540-51900-9Book Review 4Book Title: Horns, Pronghorns, and AntlersBook Authors: Edited by G.A. Bubenik & A.B. BubenikSpringer-Verlag, New York. ISBN 0-387-97176-9. 562 pp.Book Review 5Book Title: Ecophysiology of Desert Arthropods and ReptilesBook Author: J.L. Cloudsley-ThompsonSpringer-Verlag, 1991. 203 pagesBook Review 6Book Title: Practical Taxonomic ComputingBook Author: Richard J. PankhurstCambridge University Press. 202 page

Phase diagram of quarter-filled band organic salts, [EDT-TTF-CONMe2]2X, X = AsF6 and Br

An investigation of the P/T phase diagram of the quarter-filled organic conductors, [EDT-TTF-CONMe2]2X, is reported on the basis of transport and NMR studies of two members, X=AsF6 and Br of the family. The strongly insulating character of these materials in the low pressure regime has been attributed to a remarkably stable charge ordered state confirmed by 13C NMR and the only existence of 1/4 Umklapp e-e scattering favoring a charge ordering instead of the 1D Mott localization seen in (TM)2X which are quarter-filled compounds with dimerization. A non magnetic insulating phase instead of the spin density wave state is stabilized in the deconfined regime of the phase diagram. This sequence of phases observed under pressure may be considered as a generic behavior for 1/4-filled conductors with correlations