Bücher der Reihe Rheinisch-Westfalische Akademie Der Wissenschaften

"253. Sitzung am 17. Dezember 1980 in D'usseldorf"--T.p. verso.

Text of a lecture given Jan. 20, 1982, in D'usseldorf at the Rheinisch-Westf'alische Akademie der Wissenschaften; it is the enlargement of the lecture originally given Nov. 11, 1981, in Berlin at the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz.

"314. Sitzung am 21. Oktober 1987 in D'usseldorf"--T.p. verso.

1. Our understanding of the localization, formation, and arousal of memory traces, of the process of abstraction and generalization and of the psychophysical relations of all these processes is still very unsatisfactory in spite of thousands of relevant investigations. The author comments several findings of different researchers, gives a summary of his and his coworkers' relevant investigations and discusses briefly some possible hypothetical conceptions. 2. Up to now the extension of nervous structures which are involved in the formation of engrams is not sufficiently known. It is also not clear whether or not brain regions of sensations and regions of corresponding mental images are identical (Fig. 1). During learning processes excitations in relatively extensive brain regions occur (Fig. 2). In mammals the brainstem and the midbrain and especially the hippocampus formation can be involved. These statements strengthen the opinion that the formation of a simple memory trace takes place in a network which comprises very many neurones.

In order to give, in terms of physical chemistry, an explanation of the so specific behavior of living systems it is necessary, if not sufficient, to analyse the mechanisms which are acting inside the living cell. These mecanisms involve the actions of fundamental macromolecules, the proteins and the nucleic acids, which are universal constituents of living matter. The structure of these chain molecules is described and it is shown that they behave like small molecular machines, which can play the role of constituents in a cybernetic assembly. Despite the progress of our knowledge in this field, it is concluded that we are still very far away from even an elementary knowledge of Life but that, nevertheless, the study of the biomacromolecules considerably enriches our views on macromolecular physicochemical systems. Resume Afin de pouvoir interpreter les caracteres des systemes vivants en termes de physicochimie, ilest necessaire - sinon suffisant - de connahre les meca­ nismes eIementaires dont la cellule vivante est le siege. Ces mecanismes eIementaires sont portes par des macromolecules, les proteines et les acides nucleiques, constituants universels de la matiere vi­ vante. On decrit la structure de ces chaines moleculaires si speciales et on montre qu'elles se conduisent comme de petites machines elementaires, pouvant agir comme des composants dans une cybernetique d'ensemble.

This lecture was intended to give an idea of causal ethological methods used to analyse the functional organisation of the causal machinery underly­ ing the behaviour of an animal. This approach is sketched on the basis of a special case: a study of the causal factors involved in the occurrence of different behaviour patterns in a herring gull incubating its eggs. It is shown how the concept of a functional organisation underlying behaviour makes it possible to interprete: 1. the apparently irrelevant occurrence of behaviour (re-settling, nest­ building, preening) interrupting the principal, functionally relevant, behav­ iour (incubation) which is going on; 2. variations in the values attributed by an animal under different circumstances to characteristics of objects releasing and directing certain behaviour patterns (e.g. a shift of the size of the egg models optimal in evoking a retrieval response when placed on the nest rim); 3. the evolution of behaviour elements serving a signal function. The further development of adequate methods for the causal study of the functional organisation of the behaviour of a species as well as of an indi­ vidual, is considered to be one of the most important tasks for ethology in the near future, particularly with respect to the contribution of ethology in understanding human behaviour. Resume Par cette conference l'auteur a l'intention de presenter les methodes ethologiques, appliquees pour analyser l'organisation fonctionnelle du me­ canisme causal, qui est a la base du comportement d'un animal.

Discussions and analyses now have tended to become more moderate, and deal with not only one but all feasible power sources, as well as the costs and benefits associated with fuel production, the operation of such sources, fuel transportation and waste disposal.

The slowly acting amatoxins bind to the DNA dependent nucleoplas­ mic RNA polymerase B (II) which is responsible for the transscription of m-RNA. This enables one to discriminate between form Band polymerase A (I), the enzyme catalyzing r-RNA synthesis, and to recognize all bio­ logical events depending on m-RNA synthesis (protein synthesis after hormonal stimulation, growth of certain virus species etc.). Also with the amatoxins is the affinity for the receptor dependent on the conformation, visible by ORD and CD. All of the toxic derivatives are inhibitory, whereas not all of the inhibitory ones are toxic. This descrepancy is, in part, resolved by the observation of nontoxic "amanullins" dissociating more than ten times fast er from the enzyme than toxic ones. The quickly acting phallotoxins bind to a protein closely associated with the cytoplasmic membrane of the liver cell so causing the formation of microfilaments, the nature of which as actin has been proven by deco­ ration with heavy meromyosin. Accordingly phallotoxins also bind to muscle actin which in presence of ADP and Mg++ immediately polym­ erizes to a phallotoxin containing F -actin (Ph-actin). Ph-actin is also formed from F -actin by re action with phallotoxins. It differs from F -actin by its resistance against 0.6 M KI. Responsible for its toxic properties is the conformation of the molecule as can be followed by ORD and CD spectroscopy and the presence of a special methyl and hydroxyl group.

The nutrition of the world population in future needs an increase of plant production at locations of increasing requirements. For this, soil organic matter carries out very important contributions. Nitrogen supply for the plant is closely connected with the dynamics of the organic con­ stituents in soil. Formation, transformation and degradation of soil organic matter occur mainly by biochemical reactions, which have to be known to find out the causal connections with plant production. The processes that occur during formation of the fractions of humic sub­ stances in soil organic matter can be followed by labelling with radioactive or heavy isotopes. Schematically we differentiate between direct and indirect effects of constituents of soil organic matter which improve the formation of yield depending on the existing conditions. On the one side the conditions are changed in the root area, on the other the possibility exists, that sub­ stances change metabolic pathways after uptake through the roots. As an example for the second case the uptake, transport and the transformation of phenolic compounds in the plant are mentioned. It is known, that those substances are formed during humification and can be isolated from soils. Some relations between chemical constitution and reactivity are more easily studied by plant cell suspension cultures.

In the highly industrialized countries about 20% of all workers have to do shiftwork including nightshifts. Furthermore about half of the shift­ workers also have to work at weekends (so-called continuous shiftwork). There are social, economic or technological reasons for shiftwork. Many shiftworkers complain of disturbances of wellbeing, sleep, appetite and performance whereas only a few persons have to expect special illnesses like ulcera of the gastric intestinal system. The main problem of shiftwork is the question of adaptation of the circa­ dian rhythms of physiological functions to the phase-shifting of work and sleep. Factors concerning social situation and personality as well as other social interactions are important as intervening variables. The best way to cope with the practical problems of shiftwork is a liberal management allowing the worker to choose the form of work he prefers (day­ shift, shiftwork, continuous work). Thus people who are not able to adapt to shiftwork (about 10-20% of the shiftworkers) may leave shiftwork in time to prevent the occurence of illnesses.

The majority of flowering plants (angiosperms) make use, mostly in a strictly defined way, of animal pollen carriers which on their part depend on floral nourishment. Floral ecology distinguishes between several classes of flower adaptations with different geographic and historic dimensions. The nature of these mutual relations permits in certain cases to infer from the evolutionary level and the spatial distribution of one partner the history and paleogeography of the other. Thus, substantial indications may result which help to reconstruct the past of involved biota and communities. Parallel to other features of flowering plants, and arising from a minor degree of interrelation, zoophily (pollination by animals) has increasingly been perfected, specialised, and varied. Accordingly, higher developed pollinator groups evolved. Both processes interfered with the continental drift in the middle of the c. retaceous period. Primitive levels of adaptation, i. e. relations to early flower insects, were already present in the floras of the connected continental plates of the mesozoic (Gondwanaland), and widely scattered relics still exist, even dominating in some insular communities. In general, the evolution of higher elevated blossom types started only after the splitting of Gondwanaland and the isolation of the present continents. Thereby some peculiar traits of the interrelations emerged in the different geofloral regions, but also independent convergencies, part of which can only be explained by a certain preadaptation of a common ancestral group.

The growth of primary power consumption in Western Europe during the 1970s will once more be met mainly by increased production of mineral oil and natural gas. The high forecast for the developing use of natural gas is noteworthy, the figure suggested for natural gas consumption in 1980 being 13 Ofo to 14 Ofo of the total power consumption of Western Europe. This per­ 3 centage is equivalent to about 250 Mrd. m of natural gas, of which only 3 about 160-200 Mrd. m will be available from domestic deposits on current estimates. On this basis, a gap between supply and demand will occur in the Western European gas producing industry. The available reserves in Western Europe are estimated on present information to be approximately 3 4,000 Mrd. m ; they will therefore be out of all proportion to increasing demand already by the 1980s. At this stage, indications of a shortfall in natural gas production are already evident in the U. S. A. , and the Americans have al ready taken energetic measures to assure their power supply for the future. They see the increased exploitation of their abundant coal reserves as the possible solution to their problem. Backed by massive U. S. Government aid, research and development in the production of gaseous and liquid fuels from coal have been pressed for­ ward since the beginning of the 1960s.

As far as is known today, only fish, in the entire animal kingdom, possess special organs which produce an electric field. For several dozens of years now, many scientists have been interested in the biological significance of th is electric field. Particularly important was Lissrnann's discovery of the fact that the socalIed "weakly" electric fish, the discharges of which are not sensitive to man and were therefore unknown until now, use the electric field to locate objects in their environment. Many questions arose which had their origins in this discovery. What are the biological basis for a sensory system which allows for such a particular perception? It will be shown by morphological and physiological experiments that the aforementioned elec­ tro-sensory system works by autostimulation of the fish and that the rhythm of the pacemaker of the biological generator (the electric organ) is influenced by distortions which occur in the electric field. The biological significance of the electric organ discharges as signal for communication between specimens wiU also be discussed. Résumé D'après nos connaissances actuelles, certains poissons possèdent seuls de tout Ie règne anima I des organes spéciaux qui créent un champ électrique rythmique dans Ie milieu aqueux environnant. Depuis plusieurs années, de nombreux biologistes s'attachent à rechercher la signification biologiquc de ce champ.

The forces of the plough - from the drive unit to the picks - have been discussed. Exampies have been shown to reduce the forces of cutting and the forces unusable (forces of friction), to aminimum. Furthermore it was ensured, that the plough remains in the horizon of the sceam. An exampie shows, that the production increases by enlarging the depth of the cut of 150 Ofo. By this the force of the ca in could be reduced by 40 Ofo at the same time. Resume Les forces provenant du rabot, allant depuis la t~te motrice jusqu'aux pies, ont ete discutees. I1 s'est trouve des possibilites, de reduire au minimum Ies forces de coupe et les forces inutiles (forces de friction) et par la m~me occasion, de veiller a ce que Ia tenue du rabot dans I'horizont de couche, soit assuree. I1 est possible de prouver l'augmentation de la quantite productive grice a un agrandissement de 150 % de Ia profondeur de coupe, ce qui entraine egalement une reduction d'environ 40 % de la force de traction au tourteau d'entrainement. Möglichkeiten der Verwirklichung von Forschungs- und Versuchsergebnissen in der Konstruktion von Maschinen für die schälende Kohlengewinnung Von Lothar Freytag, Westfalia Lünen Es ist mir eine besondere Freude, in Ihrem Kreis ein Korreferat zu dem von Herrn Professor Sann behandelten Themenkreis halten zu dürfen.

Dieser Untersuchung ist ein doppelter Zweck gesetzt: Sie soil zunachst an das vie1schichtige Material heranfiihren. Dabei wird es lohnen, weit iiber das Gebiet der Altertumswissenschaft hinauszugreifen. Die vielfache Ver­ aste1ung, die das Motiv von Pygmalion in vielen Kunstgattungen erfahren hat, solI wenigstens teilweise nachgezeichnet werden. Hinter der bunten und oft erheiternden Fiiile, die somit auszubreiten ist, zeichnet sich alsdann eine Frage ab, die etwa so formuliert werden muB: Trifft das Postulat der Psychologen und der modernen Mythenforscher zu, daB sich in Marchen-Erzahlungen, in My then und Legenden Ur­ Erfahrungen oder Ur-Erlebnisse niederschlagen? GewiB wird in mythen­ artigen Erzahlungen oft genug etwas wie durch eine Chiffre ausgedriickt, und diese Chiffre kann aufgegriffen und wieder verwendet werden. Trifft es aber zu, daB der Sinn dieser Chiffren, wenn nicht objektiv, so doch mit feststellbarer Determination feststeht? Mit anderen Worten: Haben wir es mit Archetypen zu tun, durch die sich regelmaBig, und bei im Ganzen geringer Variations-Breite, Gleiches ausdriickt? Wenn das zu bejahen ist, dann miiBte ein erfahrener Fachmann aIle M ythen entschliisseln, also mit Eindeutigkeit in die Ebene mitteilbarer Rationalitat iibersetzen konnen. 1 Und es ist wohl bekannt, daB dieser Anspruch mit Ernst und Zuversicht erhoben wird. 1 Es muG daran erinnert werden, daG Plutarch den gleichen Anspruch mit gleichem Ernst geltend machte, so besonders im Prooimion zu seiner Schrift De Iside et Osiride.