Population fluctuations of light-attracted chrysomelid beetles in relation to supra-annual environmental changes in a Bornean rainforest.

In Southeast Asian tropical rainforests, two events, severe droughts associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation and general flowering, a type of community-wide mass flowering, occur at irregular, supra-annual intervals. The relationship between these two supra-annual events and patterns of insect population fluctuations has yet to be clearly elucidated. Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) are major herbivores and flower-visitors of canopy trees, affecting their growth and reproduction and, in turn, affected by tree phenology; but their population fluctuations in the Southeast Asian tropics have not been extensively investigated. We examined population fluctuation patterns of the 34 most dominant chrysomelid species in relation to the two supra-annual events by conducting monthly light-trapping over seven years in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Borneo. Our results showed large community variation in population fluctuation patterns and a supra-annual (between-year) variation in abundance for most of the dominant chrysomelids that was significantly larger than the annual (within-year) variation. Specifically, in response to a severe drought in 1998, chrysomelid species exhibited different population responses. These results show that population fluctuations of individual species, rather than the entire assemblage, must be analyzed to determine the effects of changes in environmental conditions on the structure of insect assemblages in the tropics, especially in regions where supra-annual environmental changes are relatively more important than seasonal changes.

Development of 17 microsatellite markers for Ceratosolen constrictus, the pollinating fig wasp of Ficus fistulosa.

The obligate mutualism between figs (Ficus) and fig pollinating wasps (Agaonidae) is regarded as a classic example of mutualism. Seventeen polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed for Ceratosolen constrictus, the pollinating wasp of the dioecious fig Ficus fistulosa. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 15 and the observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.040 to 0.846 and from 0.040 to 0.916, respectively. These microsatellite loci offer a powerful tool for evolutionary and population genetic studies in C. constrictus, and gene flow of F. fistulosa.

Variation in pollen dispersal between years with different pollination conditions in a tropical emergent tree.

We examined differences in pollen dispersal efficiency between 2 years in terms of both spatial dispersal range and genetic relatedness of pollen in a tropical emergent tree, Dipterocarpus tempehes. The species was pollinated by the giant honeybee (Apis dorsata) in a year of intensive community-level mass-flowering or general flowering (1996), but by several species of moths in a year of less-intensive general flowering (1998). We carried out paternity analysis based on six DNA microsatellite markers on a total of 277 mature trees forming four spatially distinct subpopulations in a 70 ha area, and 147 and 188 2-year-old seedlings originating from seeds produced in 1996 and 1998 (cohorts 96 and 98, respectively). Outcrossing rates (0.93 and 0.96 for cohorts 96 and 98, respectively) did not differ between years. Mean dispersal distances (222 and 192 m) were not significantly different between the 2 years but marginally more biased to long distance in 1996. The mean relatedness among cross-pollinated seedlings sharing the same mothers in cohort 96 was lower than that in cohort 98. This can be attributed to the two facts that the proportion of intersubpopulations pollen flow among cross-pollination events was marginally higher in cohort 96 (44%) than in cohort 98 (33%), and that mature trees within the same subpopulations are genetically more related to each other than those between different subpopulations. We conclude that D. tempehes maintained effective pollen dispersal in terms of outcrossing rate and pollen dispersal distance in spite of the large difference in foraging characteristics between two types of pollinators. In terms of pollen relatedness, however, a slight difference was suggested between years in the level of biparental inbreeding.

Resource use of insect seed predators during general flowering and seeding events in a Bornean dipterocarp rain forest.

Insect seed predators of 24 dipterocarp species (including the genera ot Dipterocarpus, Dryobalanops and Shorea) and five species belonging to the Moraceae, Myrtaceae, Celastraceae and Sapotaceae were investigated. In a tropical lowland dipterocarp forest in Sarawak, Malaysia, these trees produces seeds irregularly by intensely during general flowering and seeding events in 1996 and/or 1998. Dipterocarp seeds were preyed on by 51 insect species (11 families), which were roughly classified into three taxonomic groups: smaller moths (Trotricidae, Pyralidae, Crambidae, Immidae, Sesiidae, and Cosmopterigidae), scolytids (Scolydae) and weevils (Curdulionidae, Apionidae, Anthribidae, and Attelabidae). Although the host-specificity of invertebrate seed predators has been assumed to be high in tropical forests, it was found that the diet ranges of some insect predators were relatively wide and overlapped one another. Most seed predators that were collected in both study years changes their diets between general flowering and seeding events. The results of cluster analyses based on the number of adult of each predator species that emerged from 100 seeds of each tree species, suggested that the dominant species was not consistent, alternating between the two years.

Biodiversity meets the atmosphere: a global view of forest canopies.

The forest canopy is the functional interface between 90% of Earth's terrestrial biomass and the atmosphere. Multidisciplinary research in the canopy has expanded concepts of global species richness, physiological processes, and the provision of ecosystem services. Trees respond in a species-specific manner to elevated carbon dioxide levels, while climate change threatens plant-animal interactions in the canopy and will likely alter the production of biogenic aerosols that affect cloud formation and atmospheric chemistry.

Retreatment effect of NPe6 photodynamic therapy on the normal primate macula.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of repeated photodynamic therapy (PDT) with mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6 (NPe6) on normal primate fovea and choroid. METHODS: Macaca fuscata monkeys were used as experimental subjects. Mono-L-aspartyl chlorin e6 at a dose of 2 mg/kg was administered by intravenous infusion. Laser irradiation was applied within 5 minutes using a 664-nm diode laser at a power output of 5.9 mW (750 mW/cm2), spot size of 1,000 microm, and time of 10 seconds. This resulted in a fluence of 7.5 J/cm2. Three consecutive PDT treatments at 2-week intervals were applied over the center of the fovea and posterior fundus near the arcade vessels of each eye. The animals were killed and the eyes were enucleated for histologic study 2 weeks after the last treatment. RESULTS: Limited changes could be observed in the sensory retina under light microscopy. Photoreceptor cells and outer segments were not damaged, even after repeated PDT. Proliferation and duplication of the retinal pigment epithelial cells were common findings. A plaque of fibrous tissue was present, interwoven with retinal pigment epithelial cells in eyes that received repeated PDT. The retinal vessels remained patent even after three sessions of PDT. However, occlusion of the choriocapillaris and the large choroidal vessels was observed after repeated PDT treatment. CONCLUSION: Repeated PDT of healthy nonhuman primate fundi using a hydrophilic photosensitizer (NPe6) shows preservation of the neurosensory retina components and architecture with damage confined to the retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillaris.

Species coexistence in temperate, mixed deciduous forests.

The response of tree life-history traits to community profiles (horizontal and vertical heterogeneity, disturbances and biotic interactions) determines community assembly rules, which are currently a hot issue in community ecology. Important mechanisms of coexistence differ throughout the developing stages of tree life history. Many processes of niche partitioning and tradeoffs that potentially enable tree coexistence have been reported to be present in temperate forests, although some of these life-history traits are either correlated with each other or are not independent. Not all of the proposed mechanisms explain coexistence equally well; some could predominate in determining the community organization of forest communities. Population studies need to concentrate more on the component species of a target community to detect the ecological assembly rule. These approaches can also address how chance factors contribute to the composition of temperate tree communities, which might be less dependent on chance than are tropical ones.

An international biodiversity observation year.

The International Geophysical Year (IGY), which took place between July 1957 and December 1958, helped us to rethink the world. At a time when there was a major paradigm shift in our understanding of the physical world, the international collaboration of the IGY helped to reset the discipline. The International Biodiversity Observation Year (IBOY) is now occurring at a time when our dependence on, and understanding of, biodiversity is being acknowledged as a paradigm shift in our present view of the world. Although the benefits of IGY were initially intellectual with practical effects remaining unknown until many years later, the benefits of greater knowledge of biodiversity will support efforts towards sustainability and affect the quality of life, both now and in the future. By providing the framework for international collaborations between scientists involved in every aspect of life on Earth, IBOY has the potential to redefine our current understanding of biodiversity in a manner similar to how IGY helped redefine the geophysical world.

Plant reproductive phenology over four years including an episode of general flowering in a lowland dipterocarp forest,Sarawak, Malaysia.

The first systematic observation of a general flowering, a phenomenon unique to lowland mixed-dipterocarp forests in Southeast Asia, is presented. During general flowering, which occurs at irregular intervals of 3-10 yr, nearly all dipterocarp species together with species of other families come heavily into flower. We monitored reproductive phenology of 576 individual plants representing 305 species in 56 families in Sarawak, Malaysia. Observations continued for 53 mo from August 1992 and covered one episode of a general flowering cycle. Among 527 effective reproductive events during 43 mo, 57% were concentrated in the general flowering period (GFP) of 10 mo in 1996. We classified 257 species into flowering types based on timing and frequency of flowering. The most abundant type was "general flowering" (35%), which flowered only during GFP. The others were "supra-annual" (19%), "annual" (13%), and "sub-annual" (5%) types. General flowering type and temporal aggregation in reproductive events were commonly found among species in various categories of taxonomic groups, life forms, pollination systems, and fruit types. Possible causes for general flowering, such as promotion of pollination brought about by interspecific synchronization and paucity of climatic cues suitable for flowering trigger, are proposed, in addition to the predator satiation hypothesis of Janzen (1974).

Production-dependent reproductive allocation of a tall tree speciesQuercus serrata.

The reproductive allocation (allocation of net production to acorns) of a tall tree speciesQuercus serrata was estimated by a method combining branch diameter distribution and the sampling of acorns per branch. Acorn production per branch of 0.5-cm diameter significantly varied among individuals and years, but not significantly across tree size. Leaf production per branch of 0.5-cm diameter had little annual fluctuation, while that of acorns fluctuated about 6 times between the maximum and minimum. The reproductive allocation was regressed against vegetative allocation, following the general model of klinkhameret al. (1992); the reproduction had a beginning threshold and reproductive allocation increased drastically at relatively young stage after the tree began reproduction. With its small threshold production, coppicing traits and large maximum size,Q. serrata seemed adaptive to infrequent but large-scale disturbances like fires.

Treatment of anterior vitreous before suturing and intraocular lens to the ciliary sulcus.

PURPOSE: To clarify the relationship between suturing an intraocular lens (IOL) and residual vitreous after vitrectomy and transscleral IOL suturing. SETTING: Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. METHODS: Enucleated pigs' eyes were fixed to the observation device. Three methods for removing the crystalline lens and the vitreous were tested; and IOL was then sutured to the ciliary sulcus. Miyake's posterior approach and an endoscope were used to observe the movement of fluorescein-stained residual vitreous during these procedures. RESULTS: Considerable residual vitreous and extensive vitreous entwinement with the IOL were seen when IOL suturing followed anterior vitrectomy through a limbal incision. These were absent when IOL suturing followed careful pars plana vitrectomy and capsulectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that suturing the IOL to the ciliary sulcus should be followed by the removal of as much anterior vitreous and lens capsule as possible to prevent such postoperative complications as tractional retinal detachment and cystoid macular edema.

[Successful treatment with continuous intravenous theophylline therapy at home for a patient with problems of oral theophylline absorption].

A 56-year-old male with non-atopic bronchial asthma was admitted to our hospital due to status asthmaticus. His asthma attacks could not be controlled by oral and/or inhalation therapy, but only by intravenous theophylline therapy with corticosteroid. A theophylline absorption test was performed on him after over night fasting. 500 mg of theophylline was administered. The maximum serum theophylline concentration was only 4.0 micrograms/ml at 30 minutes and the urinary one was 13.0 micrograms/ml at 360 minutes after starting the test. The threshold level of absorption from the intestinal tract was higher than the usual level in this patient. We conclude that among patients with intractable bronchial asthma there may be some who have problems with orally administered theophylline. Continuous theophylline therapy at home is recommended for such intractable asthmatics.

Collagenase activity in human saliva.

Fairly high collagenase activity was initially demonstrated in human whole saliva, and the activity from patients with periodontal diseases was statistically higher than that from healthy subjects. Based on some characteristic properties, the collagenase in whole saliva appeared to be of tissue, rather than bacterial, origin.