Effects of Solar Radiation Pressure on Earth Satellite Orbits

Calculations show that, at a mean altitude of 1000 miles, radiation pressure can displace the orbit of the 100-foot Echo balloon at rates up to 3.7 miles per day, the orbit of the 12-foot Beacon satellite at 0.7 mile per day. For certain resonant conditions this effect accumulates, drastically affecting the satellite's lifetime.     

Subsistence economy of el paraiso, an early peruvian site

Studies of food remains from the Preceramic monumental site of E1 Paraíso, Peru (1800 to 1500 B.C.), have shed new light on a debate regarding the relative importance of seafood versus terrestrial resources and the role of cultigens in subsistence economies during the early development of Peruvian civilization. Fish was the primary animal food at the site whereas plant foods consisted of a mixture of cultivated resources (squashes, beans, peppers, and jicama) with an additional reliance on fruits (guava, lucuma, and pacae). Wild plants, especially the roots of sedges and cat-tail, also may have accounted for a substantial part of the diet. Cotton was a chief crop, used in making fishing tackle and the textiles that served as clothing and items of high value and status. As an example of the beginnings of civilization, El Paraíso is a case in which impressive architecture was built on a relatively simple subsistence economy and energy was expended in the production of resources useful in local and regional exchange systems.     

Evaluation of the Rate of Evolution in Natural Populations of Guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

Natural populations of guppies were subjected to an episode of directional selection that mimicked natural processes. The resulting rate of evolution of age and size at maturity was similar to rates typically obtained for traits subjected to artificial selection in laboratory settings and up to seven orders of magnitude greater than rates inferred from the paleontological record. Male traits evolved more rapidly than female traits largely because males had more genetic variation upon which natural selection could act. These results are considered in light of the ongoing debate about the importance of natural selection versus other processes in the paleontological record of evolution.     

Hemoglobin Sphakiá: a delta-chain variant of hemoglobin A2 from Crete

A new variant of the normal minor component Hb A(2) has been detected in a family that lives in Sphakiá, Crete. Chemical studies of this abnormal hemoglobin, designated Hb A(2) delta Sphakiá, indicates a substitution of the histidyl residue number two of the delta-chain by an arginyl residue.     

Protection of cattle against rinderpest with vaccinia virus recombinants expressing the HA or F gene

Rinderpest is a highly contagious ruminant viral disease manifested by a rapid course and greater than 90% mortality. Infectious vaccinia virus recombinants were constructed that express either the hemagglutinin or the fusion gene of rinderpest virus. All cattle vaccinated with either recombinant or with the combined recombinants produced neutralizing antibodies against rinderpest virus and were protected against the disease when challenged with more than 1000 times the lethal dose of the virus.     

Host-seeking stimulant for parasite of corn earworm: isolation, identification, and synthesis

13-Methylhentriacontane has been identified in the feces and larvae of the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), as the major constituent that triggers the short-range host-seeking response of the parasite Microplitis croceipes (Cresson). This chemical, the first found that mediates the complex host-parasite relation, could upgrade present efforts to use parasites for insect control. Bioassay of closely related compounds indicated that the structural requirements for activity are remarkably specific.     

The highland mangabey Lophocebus kipunji: a new species of African monkey

A distinct species of mangabey was independently found at two sites 370 kilometers apart in southern Tanzania (Mount Rungwe and Livingstone in the Southern Highlands and Ndundulu in the Udzungwa Mountains). This new species is described here and given the name "highland mangabey" Lophocebus kipunji sp. nov. We place this monkey in Lophocebus, because it possesses noncontrasting black eyelids and is arboreal. L. kipunji is distinguished from other mangabeys by the color of its pelage; long, upright crest; off-white tail and ventrum; and loud call. This find has implications for primate evolution, African biogeography, and forest conservation.