Sex Pheromone Components in Defense of Melon Fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae Against Asian House Gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus

The Asian house gecko, Hemidactylus frenatus, after being acclimatized to feeding on the melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae, consumed fewer numbers of 15-day-old (DO) and older male melon flies compared to sexually immature flies 10 DO and younger. The first male melon fly that performed mating did so on the 10th day after eclosion (DAE), but >80% of the males performed their first mating between 10 and 15 DAE. This confirmed that between 10 and 15 DAE most male melon flies are already sexually mature and producing sex pheromone. Synthetic 1,3-nonanediol, a component of male melon fly sex pheromone produced endogenously, when topically applied onto the thorax of housefly Musca domestica at ca. 80 or 320 ng/fly, reduced consumption by geckos compared with untreated flies in subsequent days after the first day in a four-day feeding test. Raspberry ketone (RK) is consumed and sequestered into the pheromonal gland and later released as a pheromonal component of male melon fly. Houseflies topically treated with 2.6 g RK/fly did not deter predation by geckos. However, houseflies treated with 5.1 g RK/fly caused geckos to consume fewer flies, especially on the third and fourth days during a four-day feeding test, compared with the period when they were offered untreated flies.     

Effects of octadecanoid metabolites and inhibitors on induced nicotine accumulation inNicotiana sylvestris

We examined the effects of inhibitors of the octadecanoid pathway (n-propyl gallate, acetosalicylic acid, salicylhydroxamic acid, methyl salicylate, and antipyrine) on wound- and jasmonate-induced nicotine accumulation and compared the nicotine-inducing ability of exogeneous additions of linolenic acid (18:3) and its methyl ester, linoleic acid (18:2), abscisic acid, traumatic acid, and methyl dihydrojasmonate to the nicotine-inducing ability of exogenous additions of methyl jasmonate (MJ). The first four of these inhibitors significantly reduced wound-induced nicotine accumulation when applied in a lanolin paste to wounded tissues immediately after wounding at concentrations of 89–90µg/plant. When methyl salicylate and propyl gallate were mixed individually with MJ, neither inhibited MJ-induced nicotine synthesis, which suggests that the inhibitors block jasmonate synthesis or release from stored pools and not its effects. Linolenic acid or its methyl ester applied to undamaged plants or damaged plants (to either damaged or undamaged leaves) or to the roots of hydroponically growing plants did not induce nicotine accumulation or increase nicotine accumulation above levels found in damaged plants. Similarly, traumatic acid, linoleic acid, and abscisic acid did not induce nicotine accumulations. Methyl dihydrojasmonate, which is biosynthetically derived from linoleic acid, had 12–56% of the nicotine-inducing acitivity of MJ when added to the roots of hydroponically grown plants. The signal transduction pathway mediating wound-induced nicotine production therefore shares many features of the pathway eliciting wound-induced proteinase inhibitor production but differs in not being regulated at the lipase step in jasmonic acid production and not being responsive to abscisic acid.     

Defensive role ofAllium sulfur compounds for leek mothAcrolepiopsis assectella Z. (Lepidoptera) against generalist predators

It has been shown previously that sulfur volatiles produced byAllium plants affect the behavior of their specialist phytophages and of their specialist entomophages. The action of these compounds in protecting the leek mothAcrolepiopsis assectella against generalist entomophages was studied in comparison to the proposed original defensive role of these compounds against generalist herbivorous insects. Two ants species,Formica selysi andF. fusca, were used as generalist predators. Six behavioral criteria of the predatory behavior of the ants were studied in presence of the last-instar caterpillars (C₅). C₅ reared on artificial diets with or without leek components were tested, as well as C₅ soaked in frass of leek-reared caterpillars or disulfide solutions. In addition, the response of the ants to pure chemicals found in leek was studied using honey solutions with or without sulfur compounds. The sulfur allelochemicals ofAllium plants have a negative action on predatory ants. Interestingly, the nonvolatile precursors of sulfur volatiles ofAllium plants seem to have a protective role for their phytophagous insects against generalist entomophages.     

Within-plant variation in concentrations of amino acids,sugar, and sinigrin in phloem sap of black mustard,Brassica nigra (L.) Koch (Cruciferae)

Although within-plant variation in the nutrient and allelochemical composition of phloem sap has been invoked to explain patterns of host use by phloem-feeding insects, little is known about within-plant variation in phloem chemistry. Here I describe a new technique in which I use the green peach aphid,Myzus persicae Sulz., to investigate within-plant variation in the concentrations of chemicals in the phloem sap of black mustard,Brassica nigra (L.) Koch (Cruciferae). Relationships between the concentrations of chemicals in aphid diets and honeydew were established using honeydew from aphids fed on artificial diets with known concentrations of amino acids, sucrose, and sinigrin. These relationships were applied to honeydew from aphids fed on different aged leaves of black mustard to estimate the concentrations of the chemicals in phloem sap. Sinigrin concentration was estimated to be high (>10 mM) in phloem sap in young leaves, calling into question the prevailing opinion that phloem sap contains only low concentrations of allelochemicals. High concentrations may function as defenses against sap-feeding herbivores. Within-plant variation in phloem sap composition was high: (1) young leaves had high concentrations of nutrients (216 mM amino acids, 26% sugar) and sinigrin (>10 mM); (2) mature and presenescent leaves had lower concentrations of nutrients (77–83 mM amino acids, 19–20% sugar) and low concentrations of sinigrin (1–2 mM); and (3) senescing leaves had high concentrations of nutrients (199 mM amino acids, 25% sugar) and low concentrations of sinigrin (3 mM).     

隐目标回归算法设计研究

对常用的回归方法进行研究.此类方法虽然几何解释明确、易于求解,但均须事先确定(或假定)变量间的因果关系,再考虑建模,在实际应用中,对于很难确定变量的因果关系的问题,如物联网数据分析,上述方法就会失效.为此,提出一种无需假定因变量的隐目标回归方法.该方法易于核化,可以推广到非线性回归问题.通过人工数据和国际标准数据集上的实验验证了所提算法的有效性.     

低成本制导火箭弹飞行控制系统设计与仿真

为提高火箭弹的打击精度,设计了一套低成本制导火箭弹飞行控制系统。该系统结合GPS/INS组合导航技术,能够按照目标弹道对火箭弹的实际飞行弹道进行修正控制,以提高落点精度。为验证系统性能,还建立了制导火箭弹的实时仿真模型,控制算法可以加载到实物中进行半实物仿真实验,以优化控制参数,完善控制算法。经试验检验,该系统运行稳定可靠,控制精度高,具有工程应用价值。     

基于射频隐身的相控阵雷达搜索控制参量优化设计

机载雷达射频隐身技术对提高飞行器生存能力具有重要意义。 本文研究了机载相控阵雷达基于射频隐身的搜索控制参量优化设计。通过分析截获概率原理 ,给出了目标特征和雷达系统性能对驻留时间和波位间隔等搜索控制参量的影响关系,构建 了目标探测性能与隐身性能约束下的优化模型。仿真获得了满足隐身要求下相控阵雷达的最 优搜索控制参数。     

What defense doesSchouwia purpurea (Cruciferae) have against the desert locust?

A field study of the food eaten by solitary desert locusts was carried out in a winter breeding area in Mauritania. The food eaten, determined by the plant epidermis found in fecal pellets, was compared to the plant's availability in the habitat.Schouwia purpurea, well represented in the diets, was dominant at the study site. Adults had a preference forTribulus terrester. Growth and feeding on these two plants were compared. The high water content ofS. purpurea leaves limited the dry matter eaten and slowed down growth. Glucosinolates were separated and quantified by gas chromatography. There are 132mol/g dry matter in green leaves. In multiple choice tests, with paper disks, glucosinolate extracts were phagostimulant at a low concentration (21mol/g dry matter) and repulsive at a higher one (214mol/ g dry matter). Biting behavior onS. purpurea was recorded and analyzed on video. The importance ofSchouwia purpurea in desert locust habitats and its defenses is discussed.     

催化剂烧炭再生模拟和分析

催化剂烧炭再生是非定态过程。本文建立了绝热反应器内催化剂烧炭模型,利用移动边界正交配置法求解。以结炭的BO2催化剂再生为工作反应,模拟预测与实验值吻合良好。模拟计算表明,用递升进口温度序列烧炭,使再生时间明显缩短。