Interactions between pheromone traps with different strength lures for the pine beauty moth,Panolis flammea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Catches of malePanolis flammea in traps baited with lures containing 25 g of sex attractant are enhanced when in the proximity of traps baited with 125-g lures. The degree of enhancement is increased as the intertrap distance is decreased, and when the low-dose trap is upwind of the high-dose one. The patterns of alteration in trap catch suggest that moths initially attracted by one lure may divert into other traps, which may be either upwind of the original trap (overshooting), or downwind (undershooting). Overshooting can result in up to fivefold increases in catch and may provide a useful method for estimating the attractant zone of particular lure/trap combinations.     

Use of white irons for lining press molds

Summary In production conditions during the pressing of chrome-magnesite brick KhM-1 it was shown that the wear resistance of white iron with HRC- 51 is 2.5 times higher than plates of 20Kh steel after cementation and hardening with HRC=60–62.Gray and mottled irons are poorly resistant to abrasion.White iron of e composition is recommended, for press plates (see table).Alloying iron with chromium, as in the case of composition e is easily ensured by using naturally alloyed iron mark LKhCh-6 in amounts of 25% of the batch.     

Field test of the pheromone hypothesis for homing by pacific salmon

Experimental groups of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were released to elucidate the relative importance of site-specific (imprinted) odors and intraspecific odors (pheromones) in homing. Adult salmon returned to their release site rather than a hatchery containing both adult and juvenile salmon of their population. Furthermore, salmon sharing the same parents returned to different sites, suggesting that local movements are not strongly influenced by siblings or other conspecifics.     

Role of plant volatiles in resistance of selected rice varieties to brown planthopper,Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidae)

Rice plant volatiles extracted as steam distillates significantly affected the behavior and biology of the brown planthopper,Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). In a multichoice test, more females settled and fed on tillers of a susceptible rice variety Taichung Native 1 (TN1), sprayed with its own extract or acetone than on TN1 tillers sprayed with the extract of the resistant variety ARC6650 or Ptb33. In another test,N. lugens females ingested significantly more of a 10% sucrose solution mixed with TN1 steam distillate extract than of plain sucrose solution or that mixed with extracts of resistant varieties. Topical application of the extracts of resistant varieties Mudgo, ASD7, Rathu Heenati, Babawee, Ptb33, and ARC6650 caused significantly higher mortality of females than did the TN1 extract. Likewise, significantly more first-instar nymphs died when they were caged on susceptible TN1 plants sprayed with the extracts of resistant varieties than on plants sprayed with TN1 extract. The extract of 60-day-old resistant plants was more toxic than the extract of 30-, 45-, or 100-day-old plants. However, toxicity of the extract from susceptible TN1 remained low at all plant growth stages.Principal Research Scientist (ICIPE), based at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), P.O. Box 933, Manila, Philippines.     

Chemoattraction between fry of Arctic char [Salvelinus alpinus (L.)] studied in a Y-maze fluviarium

Attraction of fry of Arctic char [Salvelinus alpinus (L.)] to water conditioned by conspecifics of the same age was studied in a Y-maze fluviarium. Two types of experiments were run. In up-swimming tests (1), starting from the common leg of the Y-maze, a single fish was given the choice of entering one of the two upstream arms. In gradient tests (2), the momentary positions of a single char were time-lapse photographed in a test yard of this common shank. Strong attraction to conditioned water was observed in both types of tests.     

Criteria of excitation of explosive decomposition of silver azide by pulsed radiation

The process of explosive decomposition of silver azide in a pulsed electron radiation field was studied by the method of high-speed time-resolution optical spectroscopy. The criteria of excitation of explosive decomposition were determined. It is shown that in the case of short pulses, the critical parameter is the integral energy of the exciting pulse, whereas with the use of long pulses it is the pulse energy flux density.Published for purposes of discussionKemorovo. Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 28, No. 4, pp. 87–90, July–August, 1992.     

Chemical detection of sex and condition in the crayfishOrconectes virilis

Individual crayfish (Orconectes virilis) were tested for responses to water containing conspecific individuals of several sex-status categories. Isolated males did not react to self water but did show aggressive postures while isolated, nonself male water was introduced. Males' responses to female water was different from responses to male water. Water from aggressing males elicited fewer agonistic postures and more neutral postures. Females showed little difference in response to waters from different categories of conspecifics.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of Separation of Water from Polybenzothiazole Fibres

The kinetics and mechanism of separation of water from polybenzothiazole fibres was investigated by mass spectrometry. It is shown that weakly bound and strongly bound water of different origins is separated from fibres during thermal drawing.     

Sugars in Mediterranean Floral Nectars: An Ecological and Evolutionary Approach

High-pressure liquid chromatography analyses of 73 plant species showed that the nectars of phrygana (East Mediterranean garrigue) mainly contain sucrose, glucose, and fructose, and traces of 10 minor sugars. Although the sucrose/hexose ratio was not related to plant life habit, ecological constraints had a detectable effect in shaping sugar composition. This was detected by distinguishing the phryganic plant species into spring–summer and winter flowering, with the distinction made on the basis of the water deficit in the study area. Plants flowering in spring–summer had a higher rate of high sucrose (i.e., sucrose/hexose ratio 0.5; 60.8% of the plant species) vs. low hexose nectars (i.e., ratio <0.5; 39.2%). The ratio was reversed in winter flowering species (36.4% vs. 63.6% with high sucrose and high hexose, respectively). Sucrose/hexose ratios were associated with plant family. The highest values were those of Lamiaceae, which differed significantly from the low sucrose Liliaceae and Apiaceae. Based on recorded plant–pollinator interactions in the community, the present data provide evidence of a partitioning of nectar resources by the existing pollinator guilds within the community, based on the sugar profiles of nectar (all sucrose/hexose ratios for all interactions). Among all major groups, bees and wasps (aculeates) preferred high sucrose nectars, which differed significantly from syrphids, anthomyid a.o. flies, and beetles that visited low sucrose nectars. Similarly, butterflies visited lower sucrose nectars compared to bees. Within families, only Megachilidae could be clearly characterized as high sucrose consumers, differing in this respect from all the remaining insect groups including most other bee families. This confirms previous findings that Megachilidae have a key position in Mediterranean communities where they probably constitute a selective factor for high sucrose nectars.     

Inter-versus intramolecular oligomerization of nitrile groups in polyacrylonitrile

Summary Experimental evidence is presented indicating that intermolecular oligomerization of CN groups (leading to crosslinked structures) takes place, and possibly has an even greater importance than the intramolecular reaction (leading to ladder polymer), at higher temperatures. The easy, quasi built-in crosslinking upon heat treatment is considered the most significant single feature with regard to making polyacrylonitrile and its copolymers unique among synthetic polymers as a carbon fiber precursor.     

Prediction of Reverse Relaxation and Deformation—Recovery Processes in Synthetic Fibres

Use of force and geometric deformation variants of the nonlinear-hereditary viscoelasticity equation for prediction of complex processes by calculation is examined on the example of deformation-recovery and reverse relaxation processes in Lavsan synthetic fibres. A comparison of the calculated and measured values allows recommending the method of calculated prediction in which an elementary function — the normalized arctangent of the logarithm of the reduced time serves as the normalized relaxation or creep function.     

Formation of a phase structure of the “fibrils in matrix” type in a composite fibre based on high-density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate

Conclusions Regions of component ratio and conditions for obtaining a composite fibre of the fibrils in matrix type have been determined for the HDPE-PET system.At an HDPE-PET ratio of 60:40, phase inversion takes place and a structure of the interpenetration networks type is realized.Under identical fibre spinning conditions, the formation of a phase structure of the fibrils in matrix type can be regulated by varying the temperature.Translated from Khimicheskie Volokna, No. 4, pp. 38–40, July–August, 1987.     

Development of engineering chemistry in Ukraine

On November 1–3, 1995, an international scientific and engineering conference Development of Engineering Chemistry in Ukraine took place in Kharkov. The reports of the plenary meeting were devoted to the main directions of progress in the chemical industry and to the colloidal chemistry of building materials. The participants worked in nine sections. The recommendations developed by the section Superhard materials and refractories are presented.Translated from Ogneupory, No. 2, pp. 30 – 31, February, 1996.     

Poly(β-malic acid) : a new polymeric drug-carrier

Summary Poly(-malic acid) is a new synthetic functional polyester of the poly(-hydroxy-acid)-type whose properties are investigated in regard to possible uses as bioresorbable polyvalent drug-carrier. Degradation of polymer chains in 0.15 N phosphate buffer at pH=7.5 is monitored by aqueous GPC on SEPHADEX gels and by enzymatic titration of ultimate degradation products. It is shown that the rate of degradation obeys first order kinetics at the begining and that poly(-malic acid) degrades to malic acid at last.Presented at the 26th IUPAC Microsymposium on Macromolecules: Polymers in Medicine and Biology, Prague, July 9–12, 1984     

13C- and 23Na-NMR investigations on alkali cellulose

Summary Solid state ²³Na- and ¹³C-NMR spectra of alkali cellulose are presented as a function of NaOH-concentration of the steeping lye, steeping temperature and amount of adhering lye (press factor). Results are discussed with regard to chemical binding of NaOH to the cellulose chain in the system cellulose/ NaOH/H₂O.Presented at the 22nd Microsymposium, Characterization of Structure and Dynamics of Macromolecular Systems by NMR Methods, Prague, CSSR, July 20–23,1981     

Light-induced variation in phenolic levels in foliage of rain-forest plants

Levels of phenolic secondary metabolites in the leaves of four west African rain-forest plants,Acacia pennata, Cynometra leonensis, Diopyros thomasii, andTrema guineensis, were correlated with incident light intensity at both the inter- and intraindividual level. Enhanced phenolic levels under high light intensity appeared to be due to production of both polyphenolics (condensed and hydrolyzable tannins) and simple phenolics. InTrema guineensis, where it is possible to separate leaves in terms of both their age and the light incident upon them, condensed tannin production progressed differently during the development of sun and shade leaves, suggesting continuing production of new oligomers in the former but not in the latter. The results of this study suggest that the production of phenolics in relation to variation in incident light is a finely tuned process, which must be explained in terms of plant physiology and intermediate metabolism rather than in terms of resource allocation or a direct response to herbivory.     

Responses of reindeer to interdigital secretions of conspecifics

Adult captive European forest reindeer,Rangifer tarandus L., were exposed to hindfoot interdigital (ID) secretion placed on the ground. The animals were tested with blanks and interdigital secretion from themselves and male and female group members, and secretion from excised glands of male and female mountain reindeer. Responses to the stimuli consisted of sniffing, licking, and olfactory searching on the ground. With forest reindeer secretions, each sex responded more to its own ID secretion than to that of the opposite sex. Of the mountain reindeer samples, male ID secretion released stronger responses. The responses did not vary systematically from June to October. The functional significance of the ID secretion in free-ranging reindeer is discussed.     

Preparation of crimped synthetic fibres directly in the spinning process

Conclusions In the preparation of crimped polyamide yarns without the use of texturing devices, it has been found that in yarns of complex profile, of the head-tail type, the two parts of the yarn cross-section interact in accordance with the bimetallic plate rule. The crimp can be described satisfactorily by the Brand-Backer equation.Dependences of the degree of crimp on the ratio of the head and tail lengths, birefringence, and spinning speed have been obtained for selected variants of yarn profile; this makes it possible to find an optimum regime for yarn preparation.Translated from Khimicheskie Volokna, No. 3, pp. 32–33, May–June, 1985.     

The role of Ni2+ diffusion on the reducibility of NiO/MgO system: A combined TRP-XPS study

The progressive dissolution of nickel ions in the lattice of MgO matrix, promoted by the calcination temperature, has been monitored using XPS. The reducibility of Ni/MgO catalysts is affected by the modification of the surface chemical composition. TPR peaks have been correlated with several NiO forms. Both XPS and TPR results indicate a different behaviour pattern for the supported and physically mixed NiO/MgO systems, and this has been attributed to the different available contact area between NiO and MgO. The formation of both NiO rich and MgO rich NiO-MgO solid solutions, with the tendency to evolve towards the bulk solid solution, has been invoked to explain the substantial changes in the TPR pattern of the different air calcined systems.     

Bending behavior of an electrically activated complex forming hydrogel

Summary The complex forming poly[(ethylene glycol-co-proplene glycol)-g-acrylamide]: polyacrylic acid interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel is able to bend under electric field stimuli. pH, ionic strength gradients and voltage can influence it's bending degree. So we may improve the sample' responsive speed through manipulating those factor in the further study in order to put it into the biomedical application.