No straight path: roaming in both ground- and excited-state photolytic channels of NO3 → NO + O2

Roaming mechanisms have recently been observed in several chemical reactions alongside trajectories that pass through a traditional transition state. Here, we demonstrate that the visible light-induced reaction NO(3) → NO + O(2) proceeds exclusively by roaming. High-level ab initio calculations predict specific NO Λ doublet propensities (orientations of the unpaired electron with respect to the molecular rotation plane) for this mechanism, which we discern experimentally by ion imaging. The data provide direct evidence for roaming pathways in two different electronic states, corresponding to both previously documented photolysis channels that produce NO + O(2). More broadly, the results raise intriguing questions about the overall prevalence of this unusual reaction mechanism.     

Impact features on Stardust: implications for comet 81P/Wild 2 dust

Particles emanating from comet 81P/Wild 2 collided with the Stardust spacecraft at 6.1 kilometers per second, producing hypervelocity impact features on the collector surfaces that were returned to Earth. The morphologies of these surprisingly diverse features were created by particles varying from dense mineral grains to loosely bound, polymineralic aggregates ranging from tens of nanometers to hundreds of micrometers in size. The cumulative size distribution of Wild 2 dust is shallower than that of comet Halley, yet steeper than that of comet Grigg-Skjellerup.     

Organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite: remnants of the protosolar disk

Coordinated transmission electron microscopy and isotopic measurements of organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite shows that they have elevated ratios of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 (1.2 to 2 times terrestrial) and of deuterium to hydrogen (2.5 to 9 times terrestrial). These isotopic anomalies are indicative of mass fractionation during chemical reactions at extremely low temperatures (10 to 20 kelvin), characteristic of cold molecular clouds and the outer protosolar disk. The globules probably originated as organic ice coatings on preexisting grains that were photochemically processed into refractory organic matter. The globules resemble cometary carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON) particles, suggesting that such grains were important constituents of the solar system starting materials.     

Taxonomy and evolution of cultivated plants: Literature review 1980/1981

Summary Important papers on taxonomy and evolution of cultivated plants published in 1980 and 1981 were compiled and briefly discussed.

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Taxonomie und Evolution der Kulturpflanzen: Literaturübersicht 1980/1981

Zusammenfassung Wichtige Arbeiten über Taxonomie und Evolution der Kulturpflanzen aus den Jahren 1980 und 1981 wurden zusammengestellt und kurz kommentiert.

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: 1980–1981 .

, 1980 1981 . .

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Herrn Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. mult. H.Stubbe aus Anlaß der 80. Wiederkehr seines Geburtstages gewidmet.     

Test von Monoterpenen als Zusatz zu Pheroprax® bzw. Chalcoprax® in Pheromonfallen zum Fang des Buchdruckers,Ips typographus L. bzw. des Kupferstechers,Pityogenes chalcographus L. (Col., Scolytidae)

Experiments on monoterpenes in combination with Pheroprax^® and Chalcoprax^® in pheromone traps for catching the bark beetlesIps typographus L. andPityogenes chalcographus L. (Col., Scolytidae) It is highly evident that monoterpenes of the host tree serve as olfactory stimulants for “pioneer-beetles” colonizing first a tree before any bark-beetle-produced aggregation pheromones can lure those beetles to the host. The findings ofRedemann (1993) about a significant increase of spruce engraver catches by addition of both (?)-alpha-pinen and (+)-limonen simultaneously to pheroprax-baited bark beetle traps (Pheroprax^R being the aggregation pheromone ofIps typographus) induced us to conduct field experiments testing the same host volatiles in comparable bark beetle traps baited with either Pheroprax^® or Chalcoprax^® (aggregation pheromone ofPityogenes chalcographus). Despite we used methods considering the influence of place and time on the bark beetle flight activities, in 3 experiments with 30 repetitions in total no monoterpene-induced enhancement oftypographus-catches could be found; the same was true withP. chalcographus (2 experiments, 18 repetitions in total). With respect to the important role of host volatiles also from a practical point of view, it is strongly recommended to repeat experiments like these under different conditions to reveal the reasons of the different findings.     

Methods of assessing extinction risk in marine fishes

The decline and disappearance of species from large parts of their former geographical range has become an important issue in fisheries ecology. There is a need to identify which species are at risk of extinction. The available approaches have been subject to considerable debate – particularly when applied to commercially exploited species. Here we have compiled methods that have been used or may be used for assessing threat status of marine organisms. We organize the methods according to the availability of data on the natural history, ecology and population biology of species. There are three general approaches to inferring or assessing extinction risk: (i) correlative approaches based on knowledge of life histories and ecology; (ii) time‐series approaches that examine changes in abundance; and (iii) demographic approaches based on age‐ or stage‐based schedules of vital rates and fisheries reference points. Many methods are well suited to species that are highly catchable and/or have relatively low productivity, but theory is less well developed for assessing extinction risk in species exhibiting narrow geographical distributions or ecological specialization. There is considerable variation in both definitions of extinction risk and the precision and defensibility of the available risk assessment methods, so we suggest a two‐tiered approach for defining and assessing extinction risk. First, simple methods requiring a few easily estimated parameters are used to triage or rapidly assess large numbers of populations and species to identify potentially vulnerable populations or species. Second, the populations and species identified as vulnerable by this process can then be subject to more detailed and rigorous population analysis explicitly considering sources of error and uncertainty.     

Presence and ontogeny of intestinal and pancreatic phospholipase A2-like proteins in the Red Sea bream,Pagrus major. An immunocytochemical study

We have studied the location and the ontogeny of the digestive enzyme, phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) immunohistochemically in the adult and larvae/juvenile of the red sea breamPagrus major by using an antiserum against theNaja naja venom PLA₂. The antiserum reacts with at least one enzyme among the PLA₂s purified from the fish hepatopancreas or intestine. Although the reactivities were comparatively low, it labelled zymogen granules of the pancreatic acinar cells and secretory materials of certain epithelial cells in the depths of epithelial crypts in the pyloric caeca of the adult. The immunoreactivities of PLA₂s were investigated in the viscera of larvae and juveniles of the 0 to 85^th day after hatch. In the larvae of the 13^th day, accumulation of PLA₂-positive zymogen granules in the pancreatic acinar cells were first recognized by the immunostaining. The intensity of the labelling subsequently became stronger and dramatically increased between the 20^th and 30^th day. This increase appeared to be one of the physiological changes associated with the transition to a new benthic life as juveniles. Lack of PLA₂ in the pancreas before the 13^th day may suggest the possibility that larvae utilized exogenous PLA₂, inherent in their prey, to digest the phospholipids. On the other hand, no reactivity was found in the intestine until the 85^th day.     

Littoral spawning habitats of three southern Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) populations

Abstract Arctic charr populations in southern latitudes are nonmigratory, with all life‐stages limited to freshwater lakes and in‐ or out‐flowing tributaries. Although many of these populations are reported to also spawn in lake littorals, little is known about the physical characteristics of putative spawning grounds. A total of 23 discrete spawning sites within three Irish lakes were located by fyke netting of spawning adults and snorkelling in littoral habitats. Spawning sites were found to be long, narrow strips running parallel to the shore at a maximum depth of 124 cm. Spawning sites were limited to areas of coarse mineral substrate with an adequate (c. 8 cm) depth of clean interstitial spaces. In individual lakes, combined areas of spawning sites made up 0.4–0.7% of available littoral. Egg densities varied considerably between sites (33–900·eggs m^?2) and were significantly correlated with gradient and width of spawning sites. No evidence of redd digging was found. The shallow, localised and restricted nature of spawning grounds makes such populations vulnerable to anthropogenically induced postoviposition changes in surface water level, eutrophication processes such as increased lake sedimentation and elevated nutrient status.