The type locality of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pan troglodytes vellerosus</Emphasis> (Gray, 1862), and implications for the nomenclature of West African chimpanzees

We show that, in 1862, Richard Burton collected the type specimen of Pan troglodytes vellerosus not on Mount Cameroon, as has been generally assumed, but in Gabon. Therefore, P. t. vellerosus is not the correct name for the chimpanzee population of western Cameroon and southern Nigeria, if that population is taxonomically distinct. As First Reviser, we choose the name Pan troglodytes ellioti for this population of chimpanzees, based on Anthropopithecus ellioti named by Matschie [Matschie P (1914) Neue Affen aus Mittelafrika. Sitzungsber Ges Naturforsch Freunde Berlin 1914:323–342] from a specimen in the Humboldt Museum, Berlin, collected in Bascho (=Basho), Cameroon, and given to the museum in 1905.     

Fine structure of the abdominal neural fat-body sheath in the stick insect (Carausius morosus,Br.)

The neural fat-body sheath surrounding the abdominal ventral nerve cord of Carausius morosus has been examined by light and electron microscopy. A perineural chamber between the ventral nerve cord and the sheath is present in the ganglionic regions, but in the interconnective regions the sheath directly covers the neural lamella. The sheath is differentiated into secretory cells with abundant granular endoplasmic reticulum and many mitochondria and storage cells with lipid droplets and granules presumed to be glycogen. The whole sheath is pervaded with tracheoblast cells and associated tracheal and tracheolar tubules. Recent evidence suggests that this sheath may have little power of ionic regulation. The function of the sheath, deduced from the fine structure described here, appears to be to serve the nutritional needs of the central nervous system. Why a sheath of this type appears to be confined to herbivorous insects with unusual haemolymph cationic balance is still unexplained.     

Metabolism of leukotriene B4 in the monkey. Identification of the principal nonvolatile metabolite in the urine

Five milligrams of [5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15-³H₈]-leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄) (1.68 Ci/mmol) were infused into a monkey over a three hour period. Twenty-five per cent of the infused ³H-activity was recovered in the urine during the twenty hours of collection. Plasma and urinary metabolite volatility studies revealed that in contrast to previously studied eicosanoids, more than 70% per cent of the infused LTB₄³H-label was converted to tritiated water. The major nonvolatile urinary metabolite of LTB₄ representing 0.8% of the infused material was identified as 20-OH-LTB₄. LTB₄ was not excreted in the urine. Other nonvolatile metabolites of LTB₄ representing less than 0.4% each of the infused material were isolated from the urine. While there was an adequate quantity of some of these metabolites for partial characterization, there was insufficient material for structural elucidation. Further studies were performed in rabbits in which either LTB₄ or the structurally related compound 8,15-dihydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (8,15-diHETE) were infused intravenously. In these rabbits the metabolism of LTB₄ and 8,15-diHETE was similar to that in the monkey with greater than 80% of the infused ³H-activity converted to tritiated water. These studies suggest that leukotriene B₄ and structurally related compounds undergo extensive degradation in vivo via the β-oxidation system.     

Environmental factors function as constraints on soil nitrous oxide fluxes in bioenergy feedstock cropping systems

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a potent greenhouse gas and major component of the net global warming potential of bioenergy feedstock cropping systems. Numerous environmental factors influence soil N₂O production, making direct correlation difficult to any one factor of N₂O fluxes under field conditions. We instead employed quantile regression to evaluate whether soil temperature, water‐filled pore space (WFPS), and concentrations of soil nitrate () and ammonium () determined upper bounds for soil N₂O flux magnitudes. We collected data over 6 years from a range of bioenergy feedstock cropping systems including no‐till grain crops, perennial warm‐season grasses, hybrid poplar, and polycultures of tallgrass prairie species each with and without nitrogen (N) addition grown at two sites. The upper bounds for soil N₂O fluxes had a significant and positive correlation with all four environmental factors, although relatively large fluxes were still possible at minimal values for nearly all factors. The correlation with was generally weaker, suggesting it is less important than in driving large fluxes. Quantile regression slopes were generally lower for unfertilized perennials than for other systems, but this may have resulted from a perpetual state of nitrogen limitation, which prevented other factors from being clear constraints. This framework suggests efforts to reduce concentrations of in the soil may be effective at reducing high‐intensity periods—”hot moments”—of N₂O production.     

Modification of platelet proteins by malondialdehyde: prevention by dicarbonyl scavengers

The thromboxane synthase converts prostaglandin H₂ to thromboxane A₂ and malondialdehyde (MDA) in approximately equimolar amounts. A reactive dicarbonyl, MDA forms covalent adducts of amino groups, including the ε-amine of lysine, but the importance of this reaction in platelets was unknown. Utilizing a novel LC/MS/MS method for analysis of one of the MDA adducts, the dilysyl-MDA cross-link, we demonstrated that dilysyl-MDA cross-links in human platelets are formed following platelet activation via the cyclooxygenase (COX)-1/thromboxane synthase pathway. Salicylamine and analogs of salicylamine were shown to react with MDA preferentially, thereby preventing formation of lysine adducts. Dilysyl-MDA cross-links were measured in two diseases known to be associated with increased platelet activation. Levels of platelet dilysyl-MDA cross-links were increased by 2-fold in metabolic syndrome relative to healthy subjects, and by 1.9-fold in sickle cell disease (SCD). In patients with SCD, the reduction of platelet dilysyl-MDA cross-links following administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug provided evidence that MDA modifications of platelet proteins in this disease are derived from the COX pathway. In summary, MDA adducts of platelet proteins that cross-link lysines are formed on platelet activation and are increased in diseases associated with platelet activation. These protein modifications can be prevented by salicylamine-related scavengers.     

An overview of malaria transmission from the perspective of Amazon Anopheles vectors

In the Americas, areas with a high risk of malaria transmission are mainly located in the Amazon Forest, which extends across nine countries. One keystone step to understanding the Plasmodium life cycle in Anopheles species from the Amazon Region is to obtain experimentally infected mosquito vectors. Several attempts to colonise Ano- pheles species have been conducted, but with only short-lived success or no success at all. In this review, we review the literature on malaria transmission from the perspective of its Amazon vectors. Currently, it is possible to develop experimental Plasmodium vivax infection of the colonised and field-captured vectors in laboratories located close to Amazonian endemic areas. We are also reviewing studies related to the immune response to P. vivax infection of Anopheles aquasalis, a coastal mosquito species. Finally, we discuss the importance of the modulation of Plasmodium infection by the vector microbiota and also consider the anopheline genomes. The establishment of experimental mosquito infections with Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium yoelii and Plasmodium berghei parasites that could provide interesting models for studying malaria in the Amazonian scenario is important. Understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of the parasites in New World vectors is crucial in order to better determine the interaction process and vectorial competence.     

Biocontrol evaluation of extracts and a major component,clusianone, from Clusia fluminensis Planch. & Triana against Aedes aegypti

Studies evaluated the effects of hexanic extracts from the fruits and flowers ofClusia fluminensis and the main component of the flower extract, a purified benzophenone (clusianone), against Aedes aegypti. The treatment of larvae with the crude fruit or flower extracts from C. fluminensis did not affect the survival ofAe. aegypti (50 mg/L), however, the flower extracts significantly delayed development of Ae. aegypti. In contrast, the clusianone (50 mg/L) isolate from the flower extract, representing 54.85% of this sample composition, showed a highly significant inhibition of survival, killing 93.3% of the larvae and completely blocking development of Ae. aegypti. The results showed, for the first time, high activity of clusianone against Ae. aegypti that both killed and inhibited mosquito development. Therefore, clusianone has potential for development as a biopesticide for controlling insect vectors of tropical diseases. Future work will elucidate the mode of action of clusianone isolated from C. fluminensis.