Correction to: Out‑of‑field effects: lessons learned from partial body exposure

Radiation and Environmental Biophysics -     

Kinesins in the Arabidopsis genome: A comparative analysis among eukaryotes

Background  

Receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase rho (RPTPρ, gene symbol PTPRT) is a member of the type IIB RPTP family. These transmembrane molecules have been linked to signal transduction, cell adhesion and neurite extension. The extracellular segment contains MAM, Ig-like and fibronectin type III domains, and the intracellular segment contains two phosphatase domains. The human RPTPρ gene is located on chromosome 20q12-13.1, and the mouse gene is located on a syntenic region of chromosome 2. RPTPρ expression is restricted to the central nervous system.     

Survivorship,potential, and realized fecundity ofBiosteres tryoni [Hymenoptera: Braconidae], a larval parasitoid ofCeratitis capitata [Diptera: Tephritidae]

Laboratory-rearedBiosteres tryoni (Cameron) reached peak ovarian maturation on the 5^th and 7^th days after emergence in unmated and mated ♀♀, respectively. When ♀♀ were not allowed to oviposit, contents of the oocytes were hydrolyzed and reabsorbed. However, when hosts were available for oviposition a significant increase of egg maturation rate was noticed. Mean realized fecundity during the life span was 71.7±8.1 and 69.0±6.7, and mean longevity was 13.5±0.9 and 15.1±0.6 days for mated and unmated ♀♀ respectively.      

Phytoseiid mites from tropical fruit trees in Bahia State,Brazil (Acari,Phytoseiidae)

The cultivation of tropical fruit trees has grown considerably in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. Some of these have been severely attacked by phytophagous mites, which are usually controlled by the use of chemical pesticides. However, there is today a growing interest for the adoption of less aggressive measures of pest control, as for example the use of predatory mites. Most of the plant-inhabiting predatory mites belong to the family Phytoseiidae. The objective of this paper is to report the phytoseiid species found in an intensive survey conducted on cultivated tropical fruit trees in fifteen localities of the southern coast of Bahia. Measurements of relevant morphological characters are provided for each species, to complement the understanding of the morphological variation of these species. Twenty-nine species of sixteen genera were identified. A key was elaborated to assist in the separation of these species. Fifteen species are reported for the first time in the state, raising to sixty-six the number of species of this family now known from Bahia. Seventy-two percent of the species collected belong to Amblyseiinae, followed by Typhlodrominae (21%) and Phytoseiinae (7%). The most diverse genus was Amblyseius. Amblyseius operculatus De Leon was the most frequent and abundant species. Studies should be conducted to evaluate the possible role of the most common predators as control agents of the phytophagous mites co-occurring with them.     

Bacteriological Examination of Unbottled Soft Drinks

A study of 300 samples, representing 14 different unbottled drinks, indicated that there are three vitally important criteria pertaining to their bacteriological examination. First, the total viable counts may be better accomplished by the pour-plate method, using enriched media, with incubation at either 30 or 37 C. Second, a comparative study of the coliaerogenes group and the enterococci as indices of pollution unquestionably favors the latter as the reliable indicator, owing to false interpretations of the presumptive test and to lack of accurate definition of fecal and nonfecal coliforms recovered from positive cases. The use of enterococci, however, did not provide as reliable an indicator as the pour-plate method. Third, the results with enterococci, in defining the probable source of pollution, are more precise. Experiments judiciously selected and simultaneously conducted revealed that the heat and heat-tellurite resistance tests, and the tetrazolium-reduction test, matched in relating 98.9% of available enterococci to an animal source. Negligible but vital discrepancies were obtained with the two odd strains which qualified as human-derived according to the heat and heat-tellurite resistance tests. The differential criterion of Skadhauge and Barnes, based on the failure of animal-derived enterococci to grow in the presence of a low concentration of potassium tellurite, did not apply to the other two methods, since 99.5% of the recovered strains were found tolerant to the specified tellurite concentration.     

Characterization of oxidative stress in blood from diabetic vs. hypercholesterolaemic patients, using a novel synthesized marker

In the present study, we extend our novel concept of designing and using exogenous markers for the characterization of oxidative stress (OS) and OS-associated diseases. The aim was to use such a synthetic compound as a tool for studying OS in blood from diabetic and hypercholesterolaemic (Hc) patients. The marker used N-linoleoyl tyrosine (LT) was constructed from tyrosine and linoleic acid (LA); both components are known to be easily oxidized upon exposure to different types of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS), and to generate specific oxidized products, depending on the type of oxidants present in vivo. Using the LT probe, we showed that the ratios of oxidized LT to total LT (Ox-LT/LT) is significantly higher in blood samples obtained from diabetic patients, than in Hc patients or healthy control subjects. LC/MS analysis revealed that blood from diabetic patients oxidizes the marker with predominant formation of Ox-LT hydroperoxide (LT-OOH) and epoxide (epoxy-LT), where the LA moiety is oxidized to hydroperoxide and to epoxide, respectively. Analysis of oxysterol levels in these samples (GC/MS) revealed that the blood of both diabetic and Hc patients contained significantly more oxysterols than blood of control subjects. Consumption of pomegranate juice by diabetic patients for 3 months suppressed their blood capacity to oxidize the LT and similarly also reduced their blood oxysterol/total cholesterol ratio by 93%. The use of an exogenous marker to characterize OS in blood samples yields important information on the extent of OS, and can provide a fingerprint for the early identification of different pathological conditions associated with OS.