Sleeping sites, sleeping trees, and sleep-related behaviors of black crested gibbons (Nomascus concolor jingdongensis) at Mt. Wuliang, central Yunnan, China

Data on sleep-related behaviors were collected for a group of central Yunnan black crested gibbons (Nomascus concolor jingdongensis) at Mt. Wuliang, Yunnan, China from March 2005 to April 2006. Members of the group usually formed four sleeping units (adult male and juvenile, adult female with one semi-dependent black infant, adult female with one dependent yellow infant, and subadult male) spread over different sleeping trees. Individuals or units preferred specific areas to sleep; all sleeping sites were situated in primary forest, mostly (77%) between 2,200 and 2,400 m in elevation. They tended to sleep in the tallest and thickest trees with large crowns on steep slopes and near important food patches. Factors influencing sleeping site selection were (1) tree characteristics, (2) accessibility, and (3) easy escape. Few sleeping trees were used repeatedly by the same or other members of the group. The gibbons entered the sleeping trees on average 128 min before sunset and left the sleeping trees on average 33 min after sunrise. The lag between the first and last individual entering the trees was on average 17.8 min. We suggest that sleep-related behaviors are primarily adaptations to minimize the risk of being detected by predators. Sleeping trees may be chosen to make approach and attack difficult for the predator, and to provide an easy escape route in the dark. In response to cold temperatures in a higher habitat, gibbons usually sit and huddle together during the night, and in the cold season they tend to sleep on ferns and/or orchids.

Phylogenetic relationships among Rhacophorinae (Rhacophoridae, Anura, Amphibia), with an emphasis on the Chinese species

The partial nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes was determined for 23 Chinese species of Rhaeophoridae (Amphibia: Anura), representing four of the eight recognized genera. Using Buergeriinae as the outgroup, phylogenetic analyses (

神经束路电镜追踪中影响HRP-TMB反应产物因素的分析

采用HRP-TMB-ST法对小鼠延髓下橄榄核下端外侧网状核细胞的HRP-TMB反应产物影响因素分析表明: (1)较高的pH值(7.0以上)是反应产物消失的关键因素; 02mol/L PB, pH5.0-6.0 对HRP-TMB反应灵敏度、反应产物的稳定性及组织超微结构的保存是适宜的; 当pH值相 同时, 缓冲液浓度不同, 反应产物消失的程度和速度也不相同。(2)酒精有稳定产物的作用 。(3)反应前的预浸、灌注液的成分、浓度和固定时间等则与反应产物的丢失无关。此外, 用pH5.5和pH7.0的缓冲液处理的切片经DAB强化、锇化后, 组织的超微结构无明显的差异。 图2表3参18

笼养大紫胸鹦鹉取食活动

笼养大紫胸鹦鹉取食活动占观察时间的14.51%，是其主要行为活动之一。日取食活动呈现早（7：00#approx#10：00）、晚（15：00#approx#19：00）2个明显的高峰。每日取食（32.12+ -14.28）次，累计日取食时间（153.23+ -73.11）min。每次取食的时间平均为（5.29+ -1.06）min。两性和成幼间以及不同时期的取食活动有一定的差异。在整个取食过程中，除拾取（45.47%）和咀嚼（46.49%）两种取食行为外，还有身体护理（2.51%）、运动（3.59%）、静栖（1.72%）、攻击（0.12%）、求偶（0.1%）等活动出现。逐步回归分析表明：影响大紫胸鹦鹉成鸟取食活动的主要因素是生物学因素；5月龄以前幼鸟的取食行为除受生物学因素的影响外，还与温度有一定的关系。

表皮生长因子对猕猴胚胎角膜上皮组织增殖效应的研究

离体培养试验表明，小鼠颌下腺表皮生长因子对离体培养猕猴胚胎眼角膜上皮组织具有显著促进细胞增殖和分化的效应。培养4d的实验组角膜上皮的厚度，上皮细胞增殖层数以及上皮组织中基底层细胞核与表层细胞核两者的比率均较正常猴胚角膜增长3倍。与此同时培养4d的实验组角膜上皮厚度和上皮细胞的层数，都达到成年猴正常角膜上皮的结构水平。

小分子对大分子反应的控制作用

生物体系中各种大分子的反应无一例外地都涉及多种小分子的参与. 这些小分子, 如小肽、有机小分子和无机离子等, 在大分子的反应中是不可缺的, 有些对反应的进程起着关键性作用. 小分子究竟从哪些方面影响或控制大分子的反应进程?

Habitat degradation of Rhinopithecus bieti in Yunnan, China

Black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) are endemic to the Trans-Himalayas in Northwest Yunnan and Southeast Tibet between the upper Yangtze and Mekong Rivers. Based on field surveys and previous reports, we identified the dark-coniferous forest, the mixed coniferous and broadleaf forest, and oak patches as suitable habitats (SH) for the monkeys. Summer grazing lands (SGL), which were made by local people cutting and burning the dark-coniferous forest at the high altitude belt, replaced SH. To have a general view of the status of the SH in Yunnan, we estimated the areas of SH and SGL from satellite images in 1997, and compared with areas estimated from aerial photo-based maps (ca. 1958). The work resulted in: 1) the area of SH was 4,169 km(2) in 1997; 2) SGL was 1,923 km(2); 3) during the past 40 years, the area of SH decreased by 31% (1,887 km(2)), and SGL increased by 204% (1,291 km(2)); and 4) the mean size of forest patches decreased from 15.6 to 5.4 km(2). In addition, the area of SGL is positively correlated to local human population (R-2 greater than or equal to0.53), implying that the reduction and fragmentation of habitat for Rhinopithecus bieti is a result of population growth of humans, who mostly employ traditional modes of production. Only 11 monkey groups remained in the changing habitat. Considering that forests at lower elevation were also encroached upon by farmlands in a similar way, the forest ecosystem is highly threatened. The destruction will continue unless there is a change in the mode of production in the region.

The in vivo synaptic plasticity mechanism of EGb 761-induced enhancement of spatial learning and memory in aged rats

1 It has not been uniform to date that the Ginkgo biloba extracts enhance cognitive function in aged animals, and the mechanisms of action remain difficult to elucidate. In this study, the Morris water maze task and electrophysiological methods were used