SALMFamide neuropeptides cause relaxation and eversion of the cardiac stomach in starfish

Feeding in starfish of the species Asterias rubens involves eversion of the cardiac stomach over prey such as mussels and oysters. For eversion to be accomplished the cardiac stomach must be relaxed. Here we show that two neuropeptides (S1 and S2) belonging to a family of echinoderm neuropeptides called SALMFamides cause concentration-dependent relaxation of the cardiac stomach in vitro, with S2 being 10 to 20 times more potent than S1. Previously, we have obtained evidence that nitric oxide mediates neural control of cardiac stomach relaxation in Asterias. However, S2-induced relaxation of the cardiac stomach is not affected by an inhibitor of the nitric oxide ''receptor'' soluble guanylyl cyclase. Therefore, cardiac stomach relaxation in starfish appears to be controlled by at least two neural signalling pathways acting in parallel. To assess the involvement of the SALMFamides in mediating cardiac stomach eversion in Asterias, experiments were performed in which water (control) or S1 or S2 was injected into the perivisceral coelom. Cardiac stomach eversion was observed after 5 min in 3% of tests with water, in 11% of tests with S1 and in 57% of tests with S2. Importantly, the effectiveness of S1 and S2 in promoting eversion corresponds with their relative potency as cardiac stomach relaxants in vitro. Collectively, these data indicate that SALMFamide neuropeptides may be involved in regulating the process of cardiac stomach eversion in starfish.     

Structure-Activity Studies on Nematicidal Activity of Dialkyl Carbamates and Thiocarbamates

In laboratory tests, 129 dialkyl carbamates of types ROC(O)NHR'', RSC(O)NHR'', and ROC(S)NHR'' were tested in a screening bioassay against Panagrellus redivivus. The 10 most active were lethal at concentrations from 5 ppm down to ca. 1 ppm. Eight of these (the only ones active below 2.5 ppm) were thiolcarbamates (RSC(O)NHR''). Decyl N-methyhhiolcarbamate was also lethal to Meloidogyne incognita at approximately 1 ppm in direct contact tests.     

A Note Concerning “Some Nonparametric Tests of Predicted Order”

SARRIS and WILKENING (1977) have recently proposed some non-parametric trend tests, which they view as extensions of MOSTELLER 'S test of predicted order. The present paper notes some errors in SARRIS and WILKENING 's determination of significance levels for these tests, and describes how these errors may be corrected.     

Presencia de Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834) en el Uruguay (Chondrichthyes,Sphyrnidae)

Presence of Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith, 1834) in Uruguay (Chondrichthyes, Sphyrnidae)

Sphyrna lewini (Griffith it Smith, 1834) is reported from La Paloma, Uruguay (34° 39'S, 54° 09'W) being the southern record of the species. First morphometrical data about argentine's specimens of S. zygaena (Linné, 1758) are added.     

Chemical composition and immunological properties of glycoproteins of Sporothrix species

Glycoproteins of 11Sporothrix species were purified from their respective culture filtrates by use of DEAE-Sephadex A-50 and QAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography and investigated for their chemical and immunological properties. On the basis of sugar composition, the glycoproteins of the 11Sporothrix species could be divided into two groups, i.e., rhamnose containing (i.e., Rha⁺), and non rhamnose containing (i.e., Rha^?) groups. The species in the former group wereS. curviconia, S. inflata, S. schenckii andS. schenckii var. luriei, and those in the latter group wereS. cyanescens, S. foliorum, S. fungorum, S. ghanensis, S. imectorum, S. luteoalba andS. ramosissima. The glycoproteins of four of the (Rha⁺) species were relatively similar in elution patterns of DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatograms, sugar and amino acid compositions, serological reactivity with rabbit andS. schenckii serum and rabbit antiKlebsiella pneumoniae K47 serum, and cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity. In the case of the (Rha^?) species, the glycoproteins of five species cross-reacted with rabbit antiS. schenckii serum and all, but theS. cyanescens, glycoprotein were reactive to some degree in skin tests in sporotrichotic patients. These results strongly suggest that the chemical and immunological properties of these glycoproteins correspond with the morphological observations amongSporothrix species.     

Effect of Criconemella onoensis on Potato

Criconemella onoensis (Luc) Luc and Raski increased to high (458-1,290/100 cm³) soil population densities in four fields planted to cover crops of sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench × S. arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf var. sudanense (Stapf) Hitchc. ''Funk FP-4'') during the summer of 1984 in southeastern Florida. Three pathogenicity tests conducted in the greenhouse with C. onoensis on potato (Solanum tuberosum L. ''La Rouge'') using three different methods (inoculation, chemical treatment of infested soil, or pasteurization of infested soil) revealed no significant (P = 0.10) differences in plant growth, despite significant (P = 0.05) differences in population densities of C. onoensis between treated and control pots in each test. In these three tests, the maximum initial density of C. onoensis used was 720/100 cm³ soil and the maximum final density was 686/100 cm³ soil. Application of 933 liters/ha of Vapam to a field site with a pretreatment density of 1,120 C. onoensis/100 cm³ soil significantly (P = 0.05) reduced populations compared with untreated control plots, but yields remained higher in control plots. Apparently C. onoensis has no significant effect on potato growth at the population densities tested.     

Evaluation of juvenile drought stress tolerance and genotyping by sequencing with wild barley introgression lines

Drought is a major stress which can seriously limit yield in many crops including barley. Wild barley introgression lines (ILs) like the S42IL library may enhance drought stress tolerance of barley cultivars through the introduction of exotic alleles. The S42IL library was already characterized with 636 Illumina SNPs. New approaches like genotyping by sequencing (GBS) are available for barley to enhance the characterization of ILs. We generated an improved genetic map of the S42IL library, consisting of 4,201 SNPs by adding GBS data. The new map with a total length of 989.2 cM confirmed the extent of wild barley introgressions. Adding GBS data increased the resolution of the S42IL map tenfold from 0.4 to 4.2 markers/cM. This may assist to select possible candidate genes that improve drought tolerance. In four greenhouse experiments, juvenile drought stress response of 52 barley S42ILs was tested to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL). Thirteen S42ILs showed effects for plant biomass and leaf senescence. Subsequently, two verification experiments were conducted with these S42ILs. Nine out of eleven QTL were verified, and 22 additional QTL were detected. For 21 QTL, the Hsp allele increased trait performance, indicating the value of wild barley introgressions. For example, S42IL-107 and S42IL-123 produced more biomass under drought. Two different water-saving strategies were observed. S42IL-143 and S42IL-129 both revealed increased relative water content under drought. While S42IL-143 reduced biomass under drought, S42IL-129 maintained a high biomass production. We recommend using S42IL-107, S42IL-123 and S42IL-129 in barley breeding programs to enhance drought tolerance.     

Paleotemperatures of La Malinche: a palynological hypothesis

Paleotemperatures of the last 10,000 years at 3,100 m elevation on La Malinche volcano (Mexico) were reconstructed by treating pollen analytic data by Ohngemach and Straka with numerical techniques. Pollen data from 104 modern and 97 fossil samples were analyzed in order to: (1) calibrate transfer functions linking modern pollen data to climate and vegetation data from available maps (and cross-validate the predictive model of temperature on modern data sets), and (2) reconstruct paleotemperature for the last 10,000 years from fossil pollen data. A paleotemperature curve was obtained, that ranges between 7°C in the glacial period and 12.5°C at 8,000 years BP. It matches glacial stratigraphy. Temperature is described as follows: Section S1 (from the deposit's bottom to 8,500 years BP) from 7 to 8°C. S2 from 9.0 to 11°C. S3 (around 8,000 years BP) 11.5–12.5°C. S4 from 12 to 9°C. S5 (2,700 years BP) has poor pollen concentration and estimates are unreliable. S6 from 9 to 5.5°C. S7 (around 1,550 years BP) from 6.5 to 7.5°C; S8 (ending 1.000 years BP), from 7.5 to 9.5°C and includes anthropogenic influences. S6 is given a new interpretation: open vegetation with low local pollen production and greater influence of long distance components.     

青藏高原地区山生柳遗传多样性研究

利用叶绿体非编码区片段研究分布于青藏高原地区的山生柳居群遗传多样性,对未来山生柳生态环境和青藏高原地区物种丰富度的保护具有指导意义。该研究设计并筛选出cpDNA引物5'trnG2G-3'trnG(UUC)和5'rpS12-rpL20,用扩增出的片段和对应的联合片段进行后续的遗传多样性分析。结果表明:通过山生柳的联合片段检测到35种单倍型,单倍型多态性0.626,核苷酸多态性0.000 85。中性检验Tajima’s D(-2.286 70,P0.01)和Fu’s Fs(-5.298 05,P0.02)都是显著负值,推测山生柳个体数近期经历过扩张。AMOVA分析显示,居群内和居群间遗传变异分别为93.70%和6.30%,表明居群内的变异是山生柳遗传变异的主要来源。居群间遗传分化程度中等偏低(FST=0.063),基因流(N_m)为7.439,说明山生柳各居群的基因交流非常频繁,不同地理居群间存在一定的基因流动。遗传分化系数N_(ST)(0.075)大于GST(0.068)和基于遗传距离和单倍型的UPGMA聚类分析,表明山生柳12个居群分为4组且与居群的地理分布没有明显相关性。山生柳是进行有性繁殖还是无性繁殖主要受环境因素的影响,居群内变异是山生柳遗传变异性的主要来源,居群间基因交流频繁。     

Ribosomal DNA Comparisons of Globodera from Two Continents

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence data were compared for five species of Globodera, including G. rostochiensis, G. pallida, G. virginiae, and two undescribed Globodera isolates from Mexico collected from weed species and maintained on Solanum dulcamara. The rDNA comparisons included both internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2), the 5.8S rRNA gene, and small portions of the 3'' end of the 18S gene and the 5'' end of the 28S gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the rDNA sequence data indicated that the two potato cyst nematodes, G. pallida and especially G. rostochiensis, are closely related to the Mexican isolates, whereas G. virginiae is relatively dissimilar to the others and more distantly related. The data are consistent with the thesis that Mexico is the center of origin for the potato cyst nematodes.     

Nonparametric Multiple Comparisons in Repeated Measures Designs for Data with Ties

We consider some multiple comparison problems in repeated measures designs for data with ties, particularly ordinal data; the methods are also applicable to continuous data, with or without ties. A unified asymptotic theory of rank tests of Brunner , Puri and Sen (1995) and Akritas and Brunner (1997) is utilized to derive large sample multiple comparison procedures (MCP's). First, we consider a single treatment and address the problem of comparing its time effects with respect to the baseline. Multiple sign tests and rank tests (and the corresponding simultaneous confidence intervals) are derived for this problem. Next, we consider two treatments and address the problem of testing for treatment × time interactions by comparing their time effects with respect to the baseline. Simulation studies are conducted to study the type I familywise error rates and powers of competing procedures under different distributional models. The data from a psychiatric study are analyzed using the above MCP's to answer the clinicians' questions.     

Using the eye-movement system to control the head.

We tested the hypothesis that A.I., a subject who has total ophthalmoplegia, resulting in a lack of eye movements, used her head to orientate in a qualitatively similar way to eye-based orientating of control subjects. We used four classic eye-movement paradigms and measured A.I.''s head movements while she performed the tasks. These paradigms were (i) the gap paradigm, (ii) the remote-distractor effect, (iii) the anti-saccade paradigm, and (iv) tests of saccadic suppression. In all cases, A.I.''s head saccades were qualitatively similar to previously reported eye-movement data. We conclude that A.I.''s head movements are probably controlled by the same neural mechanisms that control eye movements in unimpaired subjects.     

A review of safety tests on baculoviruses

In the late 1960's the degree of safety testing required of new candidate pesticides reached a climax. During this period, the nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) ofHeliothis zea (Boddie) underwent a series of tests as thorough as those required for chemicals by the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) in the U.S.A. and by guidelines recommended by W.H.O. These included long term carcinogenicity and teratogenicity tests, tests on primates and tests on man. Indeed, the tests were far more demanding than the tests for chemicals because they examined the possibility of infection of test animals by the insect viruses. They led to the registration of a pioneer viral insecticide containing this NPV produced in caterpillars. Two other products from Lepidoptera, containing NPVs ofOrgyia pseudotsugata (McDunn) andLymantria dispar L. have satisfied the E.P.A. registration requirements. The NPV ofNeodiprion sertifer (Geoffr.) (Hym.) has proved harmless in extensive tests, including long term tests. Another 3 NPVs, those ofAutographa californica (Speyer)Spodoptera littoralis Boisd. andS. exempta (Walk.) passed tests not including the long term tests. Also a non-occluded baculovirus of a coleopteran,Oryctes rhinoceros L., has passed extensive pathogenicity tests and tests in cell lines. A number of other NPVs have been partially tested and limited tests have been made on 2 granulosis viruses (GV). The NPVs proved harmless to—and unable to replicate in—microorganisms, non-insect invertebrate cell lines vertebrate cell lines, vertebrates, plants and non-arthropod invertebrates. Replication was unusual in insects outside the insect family in which the virus was first found. GVs occur only in Lepidoptera, most are believed to be very specific and none have replicated in cell lines from insects or other animals. In addition, the rapidly expanding discipline of Invertebrate Pathology has failed to find incidence of NPVs and GVs infecting hosts outside the above stated host ranges. This is in reality a vast body of evidence matched only in extent by the absence of incidence of NPVs and GVs from the publications of medical, veterinary and phytopathology science. This evidence, and the accrued data from specific safety testing, gives increasing confidence that individual NPVs and GVs of Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera are very specific. This confidence suggests that new NPVs and GVs in these orders need be subjected only to a reduced range of the more challenging tests and to tests designed to reveal harm originating from the insect species used for virus production and from contaminants.     

Intra-individual variability in Alzheimer's disease and cognitive aging: definitions, context, and effect sizes

Background/Aims

To explore different definitions of intra-individual variability (IIV) to summarize performance on commonly utilized cognitive tests (Mini Mental State Exam; Clock Drawing Test); compare them and their potential to differentiate clinically-defined populations; and to examine their utility in predicting clinical change in individuals from the Alzheimer''s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).

Methods

Sample statistics were computed from ADNI cohorts with no cognitive diagnosis, a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and a diagnosis of possible or probable Alzheimer''s disease (AD). Nine different definitions of IIV were computed for each sample, and standardized effect sizes (Cohen''s d) were computed for each of these definitions in 500 simulated replicates using scores on the Mini Mental State Exam and Clock Drawing Test. IIV was computed based on test items separately (‘within test’ IIV) and the two tests together (‘across test’ IIV). The best performing definition was then used to compute IIV for a third test, the Alzheimer''s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive, and the simulations and effect sizes were again computed. All effect size estimates based on simulated data were compared to those computed based on the total scores in the observed data. Association between total score and IIV summaries of the tests and the Clinician''s Dementia Rating were estimated to test the utility of IIV in predicting clinically meaningful changes in the cohorts over 12- and 24-month intervals.

Results

ES estimates differed substantially depending on the definition of IIV and the test(s) on which IIV was based. IIV (coefficient of variation) summaries of MMSE and Clock-Drawing performed similarly to their total scores, the ADAS total performed better than its IIV summary.

Conclusion

IIV can be computed within (items) or across (totals) items on commonly-utilized cognitive tests, and may provide a useful additional summary measure of neuropsychological test performance.     

Phylogenetic Relationships Based on Ribosomal DNA Data for Four Species of Cyst Nematodes from Italy and One from Syria

Phylogenetic analysis of new ribosomal DNA (rDNA) data for Heterodera mediterranea, H. hordecalis, H. carotae, and H. fici from Italy and H. ciceri from Syria, along with published data for other species, showed high bootstrap support for the following relationships: (((((H. carotae H. cruciferae) H. goettingiana) (((H. trifolii H. ciceri) H. mediterranea) ((H. avenae H. latipons) H. fici))) (Cactodera betulae H. hordecalis)) (Globodera rostochiensis G. pallida)). The rDNA sequence data were for the two internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) plus the 5.8S gene between them. These inferred relationships support the classic ''''Goettingiana Group'''' of H. carotae, H. cruciferae, and H. goettingiana. A clade comprised of Cactodera betulae and H. hordecalis is only distantly related to the other species in the analysis.     

A Novel Test for Independence Derived from an Exact Distribution of ith Nearest Neighbours

Dependence measures and tests for independence have recently attracted a lot of attention, because they are the cornerstone of algorithms for network inference in probabilistic graphical models. Pearson''s product moment correlation coefficient is still by far the most widely used statistic yet it is largely constrained to detecting linear relationships. In this work we provide an exact formula for the th nearest neighbor distance distribution of rank-transformed data. Based on that, we propose two novel tests for independence. An implementation of these tests, together with a general benchmark framework for independence testing, are freely available as a CRAN software package (http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/knnIndep). In this paper we have benchmarked Pearson''s correlation, Hoeffding''s , dcor, Kraskov''s estimator for mutual information, maximal information criterion and our two tests. We conclude that no particular method is generally superior to all other methods. However, dcor and Hoeffding''s are the most powerful tests for many different types of dependence.     

Occurrence of Aphelenchoides besseyi in Louisiana Rice Seed and Its Interaction with Sclerotium oryzae in Selected Cultivars

Aphelenchoides besseyi, the nematode causal agent of white-tip disease of rice, was recovered from 5.5% of 474 seed samples obtained from rice seed warehouses in Louisiana. Laboratory tests in which A. besseyi-infested rice seed was treated with Phostoxin®, a compound used for control of insects in stored grain, indicate that it also has nematicidal properties. In 18-week-duration greenhouse tests, populations of A. besseyi increased 4-5-fold on the cultivars Saturn and Melrose and 3-fold on Nova ''76. Green weights of Nova ''76 plants inoculated with A. besseyi and Sclerotium oryzae, the causal agent of rice stem rot, were significantly reduced below those of plants inoculated with either organism alone or with distilled water. Weights of Melrose plants were reduced significantly by treatments with A. besseyi alone and A. besseyi plus S. oryzae, but not by S. oryzae alone. Saturn plant weights were not reduced significantly by either organism alone or by the two in combination.