RESUMEN

Diameter fluctuations of branches, shoots, or fruits are related to plant transpiration and water potential. In the past, several models have related dendrometric variables and evapotranspiration on a daily scale. However, trunk-branch shrinkage occurs only between dawn and midday, while evapotranspiration occurs most of the day from sunrise to sunset. Previous models have failed to incorporate this key fact. The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship of hourly daily shrinkage (HDS) between dawn and the next 4 h to the hourly reference evapotranspiration (EToh) of the same period in walnut trees and pomegranate plants under different irrigation regimes. Our data show that the relationship between EToh and HDS is much better than several previous models that included maximum daily shrinkage (MDS) and reference evapotranspiration (ETo). The novel slope analysis of the relationship between HDS versus time used here corresponds to the velocity at which the HDS occurs, which depends on the ETo intensity at that moment. This new method of analyzing this type of data calls for a revision of these models and sets a new baseline for future analysis.

RESUMEN

Dietary tannins can affect protein digestion and absorption, be toxic, and influence food selection by being astringent and bitter tasting. Animals that usually ingest tannins may regularly secrete tannin-binding salivary proteins (TBSPs) to counteract the negative effects of tannins or TBSPs production can be induced by a tannin-rich diet. In the wild, many primates regularly eat a diet that contains tannin-rich leaves and unripe fruit and it has been speculated that they have the physiological ability to cope with dietary tannins; however, details of their strategy remains unclear. Our research details the salivary protein composition of wild and zoo-living black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) feeding on natural versus manufactured low-tannin diets, and examines differences in TBSPs, mainly proline-rich proteins (PRPs), to determine whether production of these proteins is dependent on the tannin content of their food. We measured the pH, flow rate, and concentration of total protein and trichloroacetic acid soluble proteins (an index of PRPs) in saliva. Howler monkeys produced slightly alkaline saliva that may aid in the binding interaction between tannin and salivary proteins. We used gel electrophoresis to describe the salivary protein profile and this analysis along with a tannin-binding assay allowed us to detect several TBSPs in all individuals. We found no differences in the characteristics of saliva between wild and zoo-living monkeys. Our results suggest that black howler monkeys always secrete TBSPs even when fed on foods low in tannins. This strategy of constantly using this salivary anti-tannin defense enables them to obtain nutrients from plants that sometimes contain high levels of tannins and may help immediately to overcome the astringent sensation of their food allowing howler monkeys to eat tanniferous plants.

Asunto(s)

Alouatta/metabolismo , Proteínas y Péptidos Salivales/análisis , Taninos/metabolismo , Alimentación Animal/análisis , Animales , Animales Salvajes , Animales de Zoológico , Proteínas Portadoras/análisis , Dieta/veterinaria , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , Saliva/química , Proteínas Salivales Ricas en Prolina/análisis , Taninos/análisis

RESUMEN

A review is presented of the dynamic behavior of confined fluid systems with interfaces under monochromatic mechanical forcing, emphasizing the associated spatio-temporal structure of the fluid response. At low viscosity, vibrations significantly affect dynamics and always produce viscous mean flows, which are coupled to the primary oscillating flow and evolve on a very slow timescale. Thus, unlike the primary oscillating flow, mean flows may easily interact with the surface rheology, which generates dynamics that usually exhibit a much slower timescale than that of typical gravity-capillary waves. The review is made with an eye to the typical experimental devices used to measure surface properties, which usually consist of periodically forced, symmetric fluid systems with interfaces. The current theoretical description of these systems ignores the fluid mechanics, which could play a larger role than presently assumed.