Fertilization Following Pollination Predominantly Decreases Phytocannabinoids Accumulation and Alters the Accumulation of Terpenoids in Cannabis Inflorescences

In the last decades, growing evidence showed the therapeutic capabilities of Cannabis plants. These capabilities were attributed to the specialized secondary metabolites stored in the glandular trichomes of female inflorescences, mainly phytocannabinoids and terpenoids. The accumulation of the metabolites in the flower is versatile and influenced by a largely unknown regulation system, attributed to genetic, developmental and environmental factors. As Cannabis is a dioecious plant, one main factor is fertilization after successful pollination. Fertilized flowers are considerably less potent, likely due to changes in the contents of phytocannabinoids and terpenoids; therefore, this study examined the effect of fertilization on metabolite composition by crossbreeding (-)-Δ9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)- or cannabidiol (CBD)-rich female plants with different male plants: THC-rich, CBD-rich, or the original female plant induced to develop male pollen sacs. We used advanced analytical methods to assess the phytocannabinoids and terpenoids content, including a newly developed semi-quantitative analysis for terpenoids without analytical standards. We found that fertilization significantly decreased phytocannabinoids content. For terpenoids, the subgroup of monoterpenoids had similar trends to the phytocannabinoids, proposing both are commonly regulated in the plant. The sesquiterpenoids remained unchanged in the THC-rich female and had a trend of decrease in the CBD-rich female. Additionally, specific phytocannabinoids and terpenoids showed an uncommon increase in concentration followed by fertilization with particular male plants. Our results demonstrate that although the profile of phytocannabinoids and their relative ratios were kept, fertilization substantially decreased the concentration of nearly all phytocannabinoids in the plant regardless of the type of fertilizing male. Our findings may point to the functional roles of secondary metabolites in Cannabis.

Experimental tail shortening affects feeding rate depending on original tail length in female barn swallows Hirundo rustica gutturalis

Long tail feathers of the barn swallow Hirundo rustica are a classic example of an intersexually selected trait, but previous aerodynamic analyses indicate that the tail feather is only 10–12 mm longer than the aerodynamic optimum even in the nominate subspecies with long tails. Here, by experimentally shortening female tail length, we studied the feeding cost of long tail feathers in Japanese barn swallows, Hirundo rustica gutturalis, which have ca. 10 mm shorter tails than the nominate subspecies. Female feeding rate was explained by the interaction between treatment and original female tail length: feeding rate decreased with decreasing original female tail length in control, but not in tail-shortened females. Because the interaction term was far from significant in the analysis of female incubation investment, the observed pattern would be specific to feeding rate, which is greatly affected by the aerodynamic properties associated with tail length. Differential allocation of paternal feeding investment was not observed in the current data set. Long tails would be costly at least in short-tailed females, supporting differential costs of ornamentation as predicted by sexual selection theory. Female outermost tail feathers are costly ornamentation in short-tailed Japanese barn swallows.

The Image of a Woman in Everyday Works of E. Kontratovych

In the works of E. Kontratovych in the early period and the period of heyday, there are the everyday works, the main character of which is a woman. In the early period (1930–1943), the image of woman plays in the main theme of begging – disadvantaged women, suffered beggars. This is connected with the showing the fate of the Verkhovyna population, which suffered because of the World Economic Crisis of the 1930s. At that time, the artist was also interested in the folklore and mysterious world of the legends and myths of the Carpathians, embodied in the original female types. The works of the early period are executed mainly in the expressionist style, which are characterized by roughness and deformation of the form, dramatic, contrasting colors. A special role was assigned to the landscape, which the artist used as a means of enhancing of the emotional color. In some of the works, the main characters are depicted against the background of ruined houses, bare trees, which increases the sense of tragedy, drama. In others, the landscape is neutral or conditional, which suggests the indifference to the fate of the depicted women. With the beginning of the period of heyday (1944–1990), the range of topics devoted to the life of the Transcarpathian peasantry is expanding considerably. In works, the woman acts in the characted of a mother ("Transcarpathian Madonna"), a reaper, a laundress, a harvester. Launched in the 1930s, a series devoted to the fate of women, became more significant in the 1960s–1970s. The works of the period of heyday are mainly executed in the style of "Carpathian" expressionism. Forms of objects are molded with a soft brush stroke, the rhythm of the composition is built on the motion of brushwork, rounded lines. The artist prefers rich, vivid color that enhances the life-affirming emotions. The landscape also takes on an uplifting mood. Regardless of color, stylistic preferences and compositional changes, E. Kontratovych's works, devoted to the image of women are designed to glorify a woman as a mother and a worker, to create her idealized image for inspiration and admiration.

THE FEMINISTIC COMPONENT IN THEFEMALE DETECTIVE NOVEL: THE COMPARATIVE ASPECT (ON THE BASIS OF WORKS BY IRENE ROZDOBUDKO “THE DOUBLE GAME IN FOUR HANDS” AND “GAUDY NIGHT”BY DOROTHY SAYERS)

The article deals with the feminist component in the detective novels «The Double Game in Four Hands» by I. Rozdobudko and «Gaudy Night» by D. Sayers. Its dominant features are distinguished: original female images and women's writing which is manifested through the detailing and usage of parenthetical constructions. The common and distinctive features of the use of the feminist component in the Ukrainian and English female detective discourse are described. The similarity and difference in the images of Musya Gurchyk and Harriet Vane who are the expressions of the creative method of detective writers are analyzed. The emotional and detailing functions of the parenthetical constructions are described. It is emphasized that the feminist component plays an important role in the creation of the genre of the female detective novel.

Generality of the Memory Advantage for Vocal Melodies

Children and adults, with or without music training, exhibit better memory for vocal melodies (without lyrics) than for instrumental melodies (Weiss, Schellenberg, Trehub, & Dawber, 2015; Weiss, Trehub, & Schellenberg, 2012; Weiss, Trehub, Schellenberg, & Habashi, 2016; Weiss, Vanzella, Schellenberg, & Trehub, 2015). In the present study, we compared adults’ memory for vocal and instrumental melodies, as before, but with two additional singers, one female (same pitch level as the original female) and one male (7 semitones lower). In an exposure phase, 90 participants (M = 4.1 years training, SD = 3.9) rated their liking of 24 melodies—6 each in voice, piano, banjo, and marimba. After a short break, they heard the same melodies plus 24 timbre-matched foils (6 per timbre) and rated their recognition of each melody. Recognition was better for vocal melodies than for melodies in every other timbre, replicating previous findings. Importantly, the memory advantage was comparable across voices, despite the fact that liking ratings for vocal melodies differed by singer. Our results provide support for the notion that the vocal advantage in memory for melodies is independent of the idiosyncrasies of specific singers or of vocal attractiveness, arising instead from enhanced processing of a biologically significant timbre.

A revision of the genus Tamgrinia (Araneae : Amaurobiidae), with notes on amaurobiid spinnerets, tracheae and trichobothria

The spider genus Tamgrinia Lehtinen, 1967 currently includes three species from western China and the East Sikkim region of India: T. alveolifer (Schenkel, 1936), T. laticeps (Schenkel, 1936), and T. chhanguensis (Tikader, 1970). In this paper, two additional species are recognised: T. coelotiformis (Schenkel, 1963), which is removed from the synonymy of T. laticeps, and T. tulugouensis, sp. nov. The species Amaurobius potanini Schenkel, 1963 is newly synonymised with T. laticeps rather than with T. alveolifer. Both males and females of T. laticeps are described. The original female of T. laticeps described by Schenkel in 1963 is shown to be a species of the coelotine genus Paracoelotes Brignoli, 1982. A key to the species is provided. The spinneret, tracheae, and trichobothria morphology of the family Amaurobiidae are also described using representatives of eight genera from four of the five amaurobiid subfamilies. The sister-group relationship between Tamgrinia and Taira Lehtinen, 1967, and the subfamilial placement of the genus Tamgrinia are questioned.

Re-establishment of an endangered subspecies: the Norfolk Island Boobook Owl Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata

SummaryThe Norfolk Island Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae undulata is confined to the small, isolated Norfolk Island group, an Australian territory. On morphological and biogeographical grounds, it is here classified as a large, distinctive subspecies of the New Zealand Morepork N. novaeseelandiae. In 1986 only one specimen, a female, survived. A shortage of large trees with suitable nesting holes appeared to be the immediate problem. The Australian Nature Conservation Agency, islanders and New Zealand wildlife authorities have cooperated in an attempt to re-establish an owl population in situ. Nest-boxes were erected in trees in the area frequented by the female and were used readily as roosts. In September 1987, two male New Zealand Moreporks were introduced. The female paired with one male and produced four hybrid F offspring (in 1989 and 1990). Two of these paired in mid-1991 and have since produced five F offspring (two in 1993 and three in 1994). The original female remains paired but now appears to be reproductively senile. At present there seems to be a shortage of mature males, since two female offspring are paired and both lay eggs and attempt to incubate them in the same nest; and a lone female has established a territory. In early 1995 all eleven owls appeared to be alive in the wild. The effort is low-cost, requires relatively little manpower, is carried out with minimal disturbance to the owls, and goes hand in hand with other conservation programmes.

Evidence of polygyny from spatial patterns of hooded seals (Cystophora cristata)

Based on scant empirical data, the mating system of the hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) has been variously characterized as monogamous or polygynous. To evaluate the hypothesis that female hooded seals are clustered to a degree that would facilitate polygyny, we collected data on the spatial dispersion of female and male seals on the ice floes off the Labrador coast. While flying from a ship at the edge of the seal herd to a study site within the herd, we recorded each sighting of female seals as a "solitary female" or a "cluster of females" (using an approximate 10 body length radius to differentiate these conditions). The numbers of males near females were also recorded. Nearest-neighbor distances were obtained during on-ice transects. The frequency of nearest-female-neighbor distance classes peaked at 6–10 seal body lengths (one body length = 1.9–2.6 m) and then declined to distances of greater than 25 body lengths. About 40% of 357 females with pups (or 22% of 279 sightings of seals) were in clusters consisting of two or more mother–pup pairs; the maximal cluster size observed was five. The majority of females or clusters of females had a single male in attendance (54% of 245 sightings). Females in the central part of the herd were both clustered and attended by males more often than were females at the periphery. Observations of a few marked males suggested that some took up positions near additional females when their original female companions departed. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the spatial pattern of hooded seals should facilitate polygyny.

Four-year height growth variation among and within S0, S1 × S1, S1 open-pollinated, and S2 inbred jack pine families

After 4 years, inbreeding depression in tree height of jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) was from 18 to 24% in S2 (second selfed generation) progenies compared with S0 (original female parents) open-pollinated progenies. This indicates a high degree of dominance for height growth. Crosses between S1 (first selfed generation) lines and open-pollinated progenies from S1 trees showed heterosis and relief from inbreeding depression so that vigor was restored to at least the level of the ancestral S0 parents. Genetic variance among S2 progenies was greatly increased indicating that inbreeding increased heritability of height growth.