The ineffectiveness of insecticide seed coatings and planting-time soil insecticides as Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte population suppressors

Abstract:  The effect of any management strategy on pest population levels must be researched and determinations need to be made as to how that strategy might work based on the control objectives. In certain areas of Europe, the objective is to contain or eradicate the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, population. In order to evaluate the impact of insecticide seed coatings and/or planting-time applications of insecticides as WCR population suppressors, plot trials and large field observations were carried out in Italy over a 5-year period. Larval, pupal and adult densities, along with root damage ratings, were estimated at different locations. Data from these studies revealed that the number of WCR adults emerging from untreated plots did not differ from the number of beetles emerging from those treated with insecticides, whether as seed coating or in-furrow applications. Both seed insecticide coatings (imidacloprid, fipronil, thiamethoxam, tefluthrin) and soil insecticides applied in-furrow (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, tefluthrin) did not reduce the number of beetles emerging from monoculture fields, either in plot trials or large field observations. Observations in the USA had previously shown that soil insecticides applied at planting time partially protected basal roots from economic damage, but did not reduce corn rootworm populations. Similarly, in Europe, it has been demonstrated that not only the application of soil insecticides at planting time but also insecticide seed coatings have no role in the containment and/or eradication of WCR. Although insecticide seed coatings and soil insecticides applied in-furrow may provide protection against economic damage to roots, these management strategies do not have an impact on WCR populations and therefore are useless in WCR containment and eradication programmes.     

生物净化废气技术的进展

生物技术以其能在常温常压下将污染物降解为无毒无害的简单物质、无二次污染、运行费用低等优点,目前已应用于许多废气处理,并已经形成了一套关于可生化气体的净化原理和工业应用经验的重要体系。文中介绍了生物技术处理污水处理厂、养殖场排放的恶臭气体、工厂排放的硫化物的发展,并分析了解决生物膜堵塞的途径,以及分子生物学在废气生物处理中的应用研究,提出生物净化废气技术的发展方向,期待该技术在国内能得到更广泛的应用。     

生物净化废气技术的进展

生物技术以其能在常温常压下将污染物降解为无毒无害的简单物质、无二次污染、运行费用低等优点,目前已应用于许多废气处理,并已经形成了一套关于可生化气体的净化原理和工业应用经验的重要体系。文中介绍了生物技术处理污水处理厂、养殖场排放的恶臭气体、工厂排放的硫化物的发展,并分析了解决生物膜堵塞的途径,以及分子生物学在废气生物处理中的应用研究,提出生物净化废气技术的发展方向,期待该技术在国内能得到更广泛的应用。     

Imidazo[1,2-α]pyridines possess adenosine A1 receptor affinity for the potential treatment of cognition in neurological disorders

Previous research has shown that bicyclic 6:5-fused heteroaromatic compounds with two N-atoms have variable degrees of adenosine A₁ receptor antagonistic activity. Prompted by this imidazo[1,2-α]pyridine analogues were synthesized and evaluated for their adenosine A₁ and A_2A receptor affinity via radioligand binding studies and subjected to a GTP shift assay to determine its adenosine A₁ receptor agonistic or antagonistic functionality. Imidazo[1,2-α]pyridine, the parent scaffold, was found devoid of affinity for the adenosine A₁ and A_2A receptors. The influence of substitution on position C2 showed no improvement for either adenosine A₁ or A_2A receptor affinity. The addition of an amino or a cyclohexylamino group to position C3 also showed no improvement of adenosine A₁ or A_2A receptor affinity. Surprisingly para-substitution on the phenyl ring at position C2 in combination with a cyclohexylamino group at position C3 led to adenosine A₁ receptor affinity in the low micromolar range with compound 4d showing: (1) the highest affinity for the adenosine A₁ receptor with a K_i value of 2.06 µM and (2) adenosine A₁ receptor antagonistic properties. This pilot study concludes that para-substituted 3-cyclohexylamino-2-phenyl-imidazo[1,2-α]pyridine analogues represent an interesting scaffold to investigate further structure-activity relationships in the design of novel imidazo[1,2-α]pyridine-based adenosine A₁ receptor antagonists for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.     

Understanding the Organization of Industrial Ecosystems

Industrial symbiosis (IS) has been used to describe the physical exchange and shared management of input and output materials by geographically proximate firms. Firms that engage in IS are said to belong to an industrial ecosystem. Symbiosis has been found to be motivated by economic considerations, such as lowering costs for waste disposal, as well as by environmental ones, such as accessing limited water supplies. Communication and trust among managers are thought to play important roles in exchanges; however, empirical studies have not been previously conducted. This study used social network analysis (SNA) to identify the prevalence of industrial symbiosis linkages in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. The study quantified patterns in various relationships among firms and managers, including formal relations through supply chains, and informal ones through interpersonal interactions. SNA and statistical methods were used to explore how these ties correlate with observed industrial symbiosis activities. IS linkages were found to be less prevalent than product sales among firms and were concentrated among pharmaceutical firms at the core of the regional network. Trust among managers and position in the social hierarchy were found to be correlated with IS but not supply chain links. SNA was useful for examining the organization of different relationships in the industrial ecosystem, but contextual information is still needed to add meaning to its findings.     

卡马西平降解菌的筛选及降解特性研究

药品和个人护理品类污染物日益成为新兴污染物研究的重点, 药品卡马西平因具有多种药效被广泛使用, 在环境中频繁被检出, 且浓度较高, 不易去除, 通常作为环境中药品和个人护理品污染状况的指示化合物。本研究从某制药厂的污水处理厂中分离到一株细菌HY-7, 能以卡马西平为唯一碳源、氮源和能源生长, 通过生理生化以及16S rDNA、gyrB基因序列分析鉴定并命名为Acinetobacter sp. HY-7。该菌株生长和降解卡马西平的最适条件为25°C和pH 6.0, 经HPLC分析10 d内能将初始浓度为20 mg/L的卡马西平降解48%。菌株HY-7还能以邻苯二酚、吲哚、萘、蒽等芳香族化合物为唯一碳源生长。     

紫茎泽兰茎和叶片色素及叶绿素荧光相关参数对不同温度处理的响应差异

通过人工模拟低温(12 ℃)、常温(25 ℃)、高温(35 ℃)生境,对紫茎泽兰茎和叶片色素(叶绿素a,b,类胡萝卜素,花青素)含量和组成、叶绿素荧光参数包括最大荧光效率Fv/Fm、光系统II效率ФpsⅡ、光化学淬灭系数qP、非光化学淬灭系数NPQ、热耗散速率HDR进行了动态测定.结果表明:在低温和高温胁迫处理过程中,茎和叶片的色素含量和组成随时间变化趋势基本一致,但茎的变化幅度明显低于叶片.与此类似,茎和叶片叶绿素荧光参数在不同温度处理过程中的变化趋势一致,但是茎各指标的变化幅度普遍小于相应叶片的变化幅度:低温下,茎的ФpsⅡ和ETR较对照最大降低44%,而叶片降低超过60%;高温下,茎的ФpsⅡ和ETR较对照下降16%～57%;而叶片则下降50%～80%.其产生原因在于:在温度胁迫条件下,叶片获取光能用于光化学过程的份额(qP)大幅下降,用于热耗散的份额(NPQ)大幅上升,茎的情况相反,所获取光能用于光化学电子传递的份额较常温下更多、用于热耗散的减少,这使得茎的耗散速率(HDR)升高的幅度显著低于叶片的升高幅度(p<0 05).综合3个温度的测定结果,茎的叶绿素含量相当于叶片的1/3～1/6,茎的叶绿素a/b较叶片低20%左右,但是光合电子传导速率ETR与叶片相当,这使得茎的光合色素利用效率ETR/Chl远高于叶片.叶片和茎叶绿素荧光参数在不同温度处理下变化趋势一致、但叶片的变化幅度远大于茎的这一响应差异,使得在适宜温度下紫茎泽兰叶片光合对整体光合贡献增大,而在温度胁迫条件下茎的光合贡献增大,这种策略使得这一植物在适宜生境下通过叶片光合、快速生长迅速占据生境,而在逆境条件下茎等非同化器官光合贡献增加,有利于其在逆境中的保存.     

微透析技术在脑靶向中应用

微透析技术作为一门新兴的技术,近年来多用于靶向分布和体内代谢等方面,尤其是在药物的脑部研究方面,该技术显得尤为重要。如今,随着新型探针的不断出现,以及微量、快速、灵敏的分析检测手段的发展,微透析技术已日益成为药物脑部研究的重要工具。现通过检索近十年来的相关文献,对脑微透析技术的概况、原理、脑微透析探针以及其应用作一综述,希望能为从事该方面研究的药学工作者提供相关参考。     

Advances in carbon nanotube based electrochemical sensors for bioanalytical applications

Electrochemical (EC) sensing approaches have exploited the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as electrode materials owing to their unique structures and properties to provide strong electrocatalytic activity with minimal surface fouling. Nanofabrication and device integration technologies have emerged along with significant advances in the synthesis, purification, conjugation and biofunctionalization of CNTs. Such combined efforts have contributed towards the rapid development of CNT-based sensors for a plethora of important analytes with improved detection sensitivity and selectivity. The use of CNTs opens an opportunity for the direct electron transfer between the enzyme and the active electrode area. Of particular interest are also excellent electrocatalytic activities of CNTs on the redox reaction of hydrogen peroxide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, two major by-products of enzymatic reactions. This excellent electrocatalysis holds a promising future for the simple design and implementation of on-site biosensors for oxidases and dehydrogenases with enhanced selectivity. To date, the use of an anti-interference layer or an artificial electron mediator is critically needed to circumvent unwanted endogenous electroactive species. Such interfering species are effectively suppressed by using CNT based electrodes since the oxidation of NADH, thiols, hydrogen peroxide, etc. by CNTs can be performed at low potentials. Nevertheless, the major future challenges for the development of CNT-EC sensors include miniaturization, optimization and simplification of the procedure for fabricating CNT based electrodes with minimal non-specific binding, high sensitivity and rapid response followed by their extensive validation using “real world” samples. A high resistance to electrode fouling and selectivity are the two key pending issues for the application of CNT-based biosensors in clinical chemistry, food quality and control, waste water treatment and bioprocessing.