Evaluation of window flight traps for effectiveness at monitoring dead wood-associated beetles: the effect of ethanol lure under contrasting environmental conditions

1 Subsequent to the diversity of saproxylic beetles being proposed as a management tool in forestry, more explicit knowledge about the efficiency and selective properties of beetle sampling methods is needed.
2 We compared saproxylic beetle assemblages caught by alcohol-baited or unbaited window traps in different forest contexts. Considering that trap attractiveness depends on kairomone concentrations, we appraised whether the trap efficiency was influenced by trap environment (openness and local supply of fresh dead wood).
3 Saproxylic beetles were sampled using 48 cross-vane window flight traps, arranged in paired designs (alcohol-baited/unbaited), in eight ancient and eight recent gaps (open stands), and eight closed-canopy control stands in an upland beech forest in the French Pyrenees.
4 Baited traps were more efficient than unbaited traps in terms of abundance and richness in our deciduous forests. The ethanol lure did not have any repellent effect on the individual response of saproxylic taxa.
5 The influence of local environmental conditions on trap attractiveness was observed. Openness had a significant moderate effect on species richness. Trap attractiveness was slightly reduced in the alcohol-saturated environment of recent gaps probably due to a disruption by local fresh dead-wood concentrations of the kairomonal response of saproxylic beetles to baited traps ('alcohol disruption').
6 Because the ethanol lure enhanced the probability of species detection, it may be useful in early-warning surveillance, monitoring and control of wood borers, despite slight influences of local conditions on baited trap efficiency.     

Confirmation studies of Soviet research on immunological effects of microwaves: Russian immunology results

This paper presents the results of a replication study performed to investigate earlier Soviet studies conducted between 1974 and 1991 that showed immunological and reproductive effects of long‐term low‐level exposure of rats to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. The early studies were used, in part, for developing exposure standards for the USSR population and thus it was necessary to confirm the Russian findings. In the present study, the conditions of RF exposure were made as similar as possible to those in the earlier experiments: Wistar rats were exposed in the far field to 2450 MHz continuous wave RF fields with an incident power density in the cages of 5 W/m² for 7 h/day, 5 days/week for a total of 30 days, resulting in a whole‐body SAR of 0.16 W/kg. Effects of the exposure on immunological parameters in the brain and liver of rats were evaluated using the complement fixation test (CFT), as in the original studies, and an additional test, the more modern ELISA test. Our results, using CFT and ELISA, partly confirmed the findings of the early studies and indicated possible effects from non‐thermal RF exposure on autoimmune processes. The RF exposure resulted in minor increases in formation of antibodies in brain tissue extract and the exposure did not appear to be pathological. In addition, a study was conducted to replicate a previous Soviet study on effects from the injection of blood serum from RF‐exposed rats on pregnancy and foetal and offspring development of rats, using a similar animal model and protocol. Our results showed the same general trends as the earlier study, suggesting possible adverse effects of the blood serum from exposed rats on pregnancy and foetal development of intact rats, however, application of these results in developing exposure standards is limited. Bioelectromagnetics 31:589–602, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The ethnobotany and pharmacognosy of Olea europaea subsp. africana (Oleaceae)

The ethnobotanical uses of wild olive, O. europaea subsp. africana (sometimes referred to as subsp. cuspidata) in southern Africa and in other parts of Africa are reviewed. Chromatographic analyses of secoiridoids (oleuropein and other oleuropeosides) in 25 wild olive leaf samples from 10 localities in South Africa showed substantial amounts of oleuropein (up to 110 mg/g dry weight) and not trace amounts as reported in the literature. Oleuropein is the main active compound in olive leaf, with demonstrated anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, hypolipidemic and hypotensive activities. A comparison with nine cultivated olive leaf samples (subsp. europaea) from six cultivars and two localities showed that commercial olive leaf can be distinguished by the presence of verbascoside, which is absent in wild olive. Extraction methods and solvent systems (TLC and HPLC) were compared, using pure oleuropein (isolated from wild olive leaf and identified by NMR) as an authentic reference sample. The unique peltate scales on the leaves are useful to identify olive leaf raw material (but are the same in both subspecies). The main conclusion is that wild olive leaf is chemically closely similar to cultivated olive leaf and therefore suitable as an alternative source of raw material for olive leaf extract.     

An in vitro reconstitution system for the assessment of chromatin protein fluidity during Xenopus development

Chromatin fluidity, which is one of the indicators of higher-order structures in chromatin, is associated with cell differentiation. However, little is known about the relationships between chromatin fluidity and cell differentiation status in embryonic development. We established an in vitro reconstitution system that uses isolated nuclei and cytoplasmic extracts of Xenopus embryos and a fluorescence recovery after photobleaching assay to measure the fluidities of heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) and histone H1 during development. The HP1 and H1 fluidities of nuclei isolated from the tailbuds of early tadpole stage (stage 32) embryos in the cytoplasmic extracts of eggs and of late blastula stage (stage 9) embryos were higher than those in the cytoplasmic extracts of mid-neurula stage (stage 15) embryos. The HP1 fluidities of nuclei isolated from animal cap cells of early gastrula stage (stage 10) embryos and from the neural plates of neural stage (stage 20) embryos were higher than those isolated from the tailbuds of stage 32 embryos in egg extracts, whereas the HP1 fluidities of these nuclei were the same in the cytoplasmic extracts of stage 15 embryos. These results suggest that chromatin fluidity is dependent upon both cytoplasmic and nuclear factors and decreases during development.     

刺五加提取物对早期断奶仔猪生长性能和抗氧化能力的影响(英文)

为了研究刺五加提取物(ASE)替代抗生素降低仔猪早期断奶应激的效果及其作用机制.刺五加提取物多糖、黄酮和有机酸含量分别为2.94,0.19和1.04%;试验选用96头体重相近的21日龄杜×长×大断奶仔猪,按体重和性别随机分为3个处理,每个处理4个重复,分别饲喂基础日粮、添加ASE日粮(1 g/kg)和添加抗生素日粮(0.04%杆菌肽锌+0.03%咔吧氧).试验期为14 d,观察仔猪生长性能,测定7和14 d血清抗氧化指标等的变化.与基础日粮组相比,ASE和抗生素分别提高了仔猪日增重(ADG)16.81(P＞0.05)和24.66%(P＜0.05),均显著降低了料肉比(F/G)(P＜0.05);与抗生素组差异不显著.ASE和抗生素均可提高血清SOD水平;但是,在抗生素组中,第14 d仔猪血清SOD有降低的趋势(从147.96±15.88 U/mL降低至125.68±14.26U/mL).ASE有提高断奶后第7和14 d血清GSH含量的趋势(P=0.235和0.211),并极显著降低了7和14 d血清MDA水平(P＜0.05).结果表明,ASE可促进仔猪生长,提高机体抗氧化能力,在一定程度上可以替代抗生素.     

野菊花60%乙醇提取物的酚类成分组成及其清除自由基和防霉变能力分析

对野菊[Dendranthema indicum (L. ) Des Moul. ]花的60%乙醇提取物中酚类成分的组成与含量进行了分析,并研究了该提取物对· O2-、· OH和DPPH自由基的清除能力以及防牛奶霉变的能力.结果表明,野菊花60%乙醇提取物主要含有黄酮类成分和一定量的酚酸类成分;酚酸类成分中绿原酸和咖啡酸的含量分别为20.74 mg·g-1和1 420.57 μg·g-1;总黄酮含量为490.50 mg·g-1,其中槲皮素、木犀草素、芹菜素、刺槐素和蒙花苷的含量分别为31.05、22.67、23.09、30.71和107.23 mg·g-1,分别占总黄酮含量的6.33%、4.62%、4.71%、6.26%和21.86%.该提取物对· O2-、· OH和DPPH自由基均有一定的清除能力,在实验设置的浓度范围内,对3种自由基的清除率与该提取物浓度基本呈正相关关系,回归方程分别为y=0.273x+38.540、y=1.208x+2.761和y=2.032x+45.330,IC50分别为41.98 μg·mL-1、39.11 mg·mL-1和2.30 mg·mL-1,其中对DPPH自由基的清除能力最强,且其IC50略高于VC.在牛奶中添加一定量的野菊花60%乙醇提取物(质量体积分数0.012 5%～0.2%),牛奶中的各级霉斑数量、病情指数以及霉菌孢子数均低于空白处理组,且该提取物的这种防霉变能力与其浓度呈一定的正相关关系;其中0.2%的野菊花60%乙醇提取物的防霉变能力高于质量体积分数0.01%山梨酸钾.实验结果显示,野菊花60%乙醇提取物具有较高的抗氧化能力和显著的防霉变能力,可作为食品防腐剂进行开发利用.     

乌梅酸枣仁提取物对人工感染鸡大肠杆菌病的防治效果

目的实验室评价乌梅酸枣仁提取物对鸡致病性大肠杆菌病的疗效。方法根据前期研究自拟乌梅酸枣仁提取物配方,以体外试管二倍稀释法测定其最小抑菌浓度（minimal inhibitory concentration,MIC）,建立鸡致病性大肠杆菌病模型,评价其预防和治疗鸡大肠杆菌病疗效。结果体外试验显示其最小抑菌浓度为12.5 mg/mL;人工感染鸡大肠杆菌病模型显示预防试验中乌梅酸枣仁提取物高、中、低剂量组、利好对照组、感染对照组的成活率分别为50%、70%、50%、60%、10%;肝脏细菌检出率均为100%。治疗试验中上述各组成活率分别为62.5%、50%、37.5%、62.5%、25%;肝脏细菌检出率均为100%。结论体外、体内试验结果表明,乌梅酸枣仁提取物能有效减少人工感染后的临床症状,保护率为50%～70%,推荐使用剂量为200 mg/kg体重,可以替代部分抗生素防治此病。     

Comparison between multiple behavioral effects of peripheral ethanol administration in rats: sedation, ataxia, and bradykinesia

Although low doses of systemic ethanol stimulate locomotion in mice, in rats the typical response to peripheral ethanol administration is a dose-dependent suppression of motor activity. In the present study, male rats received acute doses of ethanol IP (0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg) and were tested on several behavioral tasks related to the motor suppressive or sedative effects of the drug. This research design allowed for comparisons between the effects of ethanol on different behavioral tasks in order to determine which tasks were most sensitive to the drug (i.e., which tasks would yield deficits that appear at lower doses). In the first two experiments, rats were evaluated on a sedation rating scale, and ataxia/motor incoordination was assessed using the rotarod apparatus. Administration of 2.0 g/kg ethanol produced sedation as measured by the sedation scale, and also impaired performance on the rotarod. In a third experiment, ethanol reduced locomotion in the stabilimeter at several doses and times after IP injection, with 0.25 g/kg being the lowest dose that produced a significant decrease in locomotion. Finally, experiment four studied the effects of ethanol on operant lever pressing reinforced on a fixed ratio 5 (FR5) schedule for food reinforcement. Data showed suppressive effects on lever pressing at doses of 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg ethanol. Analysis of the interresponse time distribution showed that ethanol produced a modest slowing of operant responding, as well as fragmentation of the temporal pattern of responding and increases in pausing. Taken together, these results indicate that rats can demonstrate reduced locomotion and slowing of operant responding at doses lower than those that result in sedation or ataxia as measured by the rotarod. The detection of subtle changes in different motor test across a broad range of ethanol doses is important for understanding ethanol effects in other cognitive, motivational or sensory processes.     

Two highly divergent alcohol dehydrogenases of melon exhibit fruit ripening-specific expression and distinct biochemical characteristics

Alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) participate in the biosynthetic pathway of aroma volatiles in fruit by interconverting aldehydes to alcohols and providing substrates for the formation of esters. Two highly divergent ADH genes (15% identity at the amino acid level) of Cantaloupe Charentais melon (Cucumis melo var. Cantalupensis) have been isolated. Cm-ADH1 belongs to the medium-chain zinc-binding type of ADHs and is highly similar to all ADH genes expressed in fruit isolated so far. Cm-ADH2 belongs to the short-chain type of ADHs. The two encoded proteins are enzymatically active upon expression in yeast. Cm-ADH1 has strong preference for NAPDH as a co-factor, whereas Cm-ADH2 preferentially uses NADH. Both Cm-ADH proteins are much more active as reductases with K _ms 10–20 times lower for the conversion of aldehydes to alcohols than for the dehydrogenation of alcohols to aldehydes. They both show strong preference for aliphatic aldehydes but Cm-ADH1 is capable of reducing branched aldehydes such as 3-methylbutyraldehyde, whereas Cm-ADH2 cannot. Both Cm-ADH genes are expressed specifically in fruit and up-regulated during ripening. Gene expression as well as total ADH activity are strongly inhibited in antisense ACC oxidase melons and in melon fruit treated with the ethylene antagonist 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), indicating a positive regulation by ethylene. These data suggest that each of the Cm-ADH protein plays a specific role in the regulation of aroma biosynthesis in melon fruit. Daniel Manríquez and Islam El-Sharkawy contributed equally to the work. Accession numbers for Cm-ADH1 (ABC02081), and Cm-ADH2 (ABC02082).