Article history: Received on: 24/04/2015 Revised on: 14/05/2015 Accepted on: 04/06/2015 Available online: 20/06/2015 Ageing is a natural life process whose manifestations are familiar and unambiguous. Oxidative modification of cellular molecules by reactive oxygen species and impaired antioxidant mechanism play unique role in a variety of age-associated degenerations. As a defence, cells have d...

We investigated divalent cation and anaerobic end-product concentrations and the interactive effects of these substances and pH on haemocyanin oxygen-binding (Hc-O(2)) in the New Zealand abalone Haliotis iris. During 24 h of environmental hypoxia (emersion), D-lactate and tauropine accumulated in the foot and shell adductor muscles and in the haemolymph of the aorta, the pedal sinus and adducto...

Strong tolerance of freezing is an important strategy for insects living in extremely cold regions. They produce highly effective cryoprotectant systems consisting of ice-nucleating proteins and polyols, which enables tolerable freezing of the body fl uid. Therefore, the measurement of the concentrations of polyols and the activity of ice nucleators in the haemolymph is an essential tool for de...

It is well known that application of L-glutamic acid to insect excitatory neuromuscular synapses leads to the production of depolarizing postsynaptic potentials, and this, with other evidence, has led to the belief that L-glutamic acid may be the chemical transmitter at these synapses (Pitman, 1971). It is also known that the haemolymph that bathes insect muscles contains L-glutamate at concent...

Air-breathing Cardisoma carnifex, collected in Moorea, French Polynesia, were held in fresh water similar in chemical composition to that in their burrows. Under control conditions, which allowed branchial chamber flushing but not ventilation of the medium, crabs demonstrated net Na and Cl~ uptake, and ammonia, urea and base excretion (= acidic equivalent uptake). Throughout 192 h of water depr...

Bees provide vital pollination services to the majority of flowering plants in both natural and agricultural systems. Unfortunately, both native and managed bee populations are experiencing declines, threatening the persistence of these plants and crops. Agricultural chemicals are one possible culprit contributing to bee declines. Even fungicides, generally considered safe for bees, have been s...

In urban landscapes, gardens provide refuges for bee diversity, but conservation potential may depend on local and landscape features. Foraging and population persistence of bee species, as well as overall pollinator community structure, may be supported by the abundance, richness, and spatial distribution of floral resources. Floral resources strongly differ in urban gardens. Using hand nettin...

Bee venom therapy has been used to treat immune-related diseases such as arthritis for a long time. Recently, it has revealed that group III secretory phospholipase A2 from bee venom (bee venom group III sPLA2) has in vitro and in vivo immunomodulatory effects. A growing number of reports have demonstrated the therapeutic effects of bee venom group III sPLA2. Notably, new experimental data have...

Given bees' central effect on vegetation communities, it is important to understand how and why bee distributions vary across ecological gradients. We examined how plant community composition, plant diversity, nesting suitability, canopy cover, land use, and fire history affected bee distribution across an open-forest gradient in northwest Indiana, USA, a gradient similar to the historic Midwes...

Evidence for declining populations of both wild and managed bees has raised concern about a potential global pollination crisis. Strategies to mitigate bee loss generally aim to enhance floral resources. However, we do not really know whether loss of preferred floral resources is the key driver of bee decline because accurate assessment of host plant preferences is difficult, particularly for s...