On the Knowledge of Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) pennifer (Motschulsky, 1845) and Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) marginalis (Reitter, 1894) (Coleoptera,Staphylinidae)

Entomological Review - The type and other extensive material of Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) pennifer (Motschulsky, 1845) and some of its synonyms was examined. Coprophilus (Zonyptilus) marginalis...     

Electronic structures of collagen model polymers: (Gly-Pro)n, (Gly-Hyp)n, (Ala-Pro)n, (Ala-Hyp)n, (Gly-Pro-Gly)n, (Gly-Hyp-Gly)n, (Gly-Pro-Pro)n, and (Gly-Pro-Hyp)n

In order to investigate the relationship existing between the electronic structures of collagen and its biochemical functions in vivo, the semiempirical CNDO/2 SCF MO calculations were carried out on several model polymers of collagen, (Gly-Pro)_n, (Gly-Hyp)_n, (Ala-Pro)_n, (Ala-Hyp)_n, (Gly-Pro-Gly)_n, (Gly-Hyp-Gly)_n, (Gly-Pro-Pro)_n and (Gly-Pro-Hyp)_n. Geometries of the skeleton of these polymers were assumed to be the same as those of poly(l-proline) I (cis) and II (trans) and the calculations were performed only on infinite polymers in a single chain. The results show that the cis form is always more stable than the trans form for all the polymers treated. This energy difference between the cis and trans forms depends, for example, on the kind of amino acid residue, Gly or Ala, but this could not be seen in the Pro or Hyp residue. The flexibility or mobility of the collagen structure was explained using the energy difference between the cis and trans forms of the polymers, i.e. the cis-trans conversion of the collagen was discussed in connection with the energy difference. The reason why the collagen has the constitution of (Gly-Pro-Hyp)_n is briefly discussed.     

Ecomorphology ofCrassostrea cucullata (Born, 1778) (Ostreidae) in a mangrove creek (Gazi,Kenya)

Variations of shell form and shell length were studied for oysters growing in the mangroves of Gazi Creek, Kenya, and related to different environmental factors.For the study of the form, Fourier analysis was performed on the circumference of 85 oysters. The resulting coefficients were compared among specimens using cluster analysis. The correspondence between this classification and substrate diameter is virtually perfect (only one misclassification out of 85 oysters). For the clusters based on height above chart datum, 9 specimens, all on intermediate height levels, were misclassified. Orientation with respect to tidal current had 13 misclassifications. Mangrove species seemed to influence form only marginally, if at all.In the study of the size ofCrassostrea cucullata, the length of 956 oysters, growing along two transects were measured, and correlated with several environmental factors. Oyster length was not related to substrate diameter or its orientation with respect to the main current. Length was not influenced by density up to a cover of 70%. For densities higher than 70%, there was a fairly strong negative correlation (r ² = 0.634,n = 217). Length was not correlated with height above bottom (base of the tree) for heights lower than 20 cm, while oysters growing closer to the bottom were smaller. The correlation with height above chart datum was negative but very low (r ² = 0.060,n = 957). However, if all measurements of oysters closer than 20 cm to the bottom, and all from a density of more than 70% cover are deleted from the data set, the correlation with height increased dramatically, the slope still being negative (r ² = 0.859,n = 543).     

Structural characterization, kinetic studies, and in vitro biological activity of new cis-diamminebis-cholylglycinate(O,O') Pt(II) and cis-diamminebis-ursodeoxycholate(O,O') Pt(II) complexes

The complexes cis-diamminebis-cholylglycinate (O,O') [Pt(II) C(52)H(90)N(4)O(12)Pt, for convenience referred to as Bamet-R1] and cis-diamminebis-ursodeoxycholate (O,O') Pt(II) (C(48)H(84)N(2)O(8)Pt, Bamet-UD2) were prepared. The structural integrity of the compounds was confirmed by elemental analysis, FT-IR, NMR, FAB-MS, and UV spectroscopies. The kinetic study of both compounds was accomplished by combining the conductivity measurement and those of the analysis of the electronic spectra in aqueous solution for NaCl concentrations of 4 mM (similar to cytoplasmatic concentration), 150 mM (similar to plasmatic concentration), and 500 mM. In water, the compound Bamet-R1 showed a half-life, t(1/2), of 3.0 h. This compound forms the chelate species through loss of a ligand, and the other one acts as a bidentate ligand. Ring opening in the presence of chloride ion was produced with a k(Cl)()-of 0.25 M(-)(1) h(-)(1). The half-life of Bamet-UD2 in aqueous solution was 3.2 h. However, since this species is not able to chelate and has a lower degree of solubility in the presence of chloride ion, its kinetic behavior was very different from that of the other compound. We consider this to be of great interest with regards to its cytostatic activity. All kinetic measurements were performed under pseudo-first-order conditions, and a pseudo-first-order behavior was found. The antitumoral effect of Bamet-UD2 on several cell lines derived from rat hepatoma, human hepatoma, mouse leukemia, and human colon carcinoma was found to be, in general, similar to that of cisplatin, but higher than that observed for Bamet-R1.     

Polyphenism ofHalictus (Seladonia) tumulorum (L.) (Hymenoptera,Halictinae)

Summary A population ofHalictus (S.) tumulorum, a species whose biology is poorly known, was studied in eastern France. The polyphenism was evaluated by comparing a sample of foundresses (1991) with two samples of summer females (1991 and 1992).H. tumulorum is a primitively eusocial species with castes differing only slightly in size, but more in function, and producing numerous males in the first brood. The social level of the species appears rather low.     

Distribution of Boros schneideri (Panzer, 1796) (Coleoptera, Boridae) in Lithuania

The distribution of the endangered species Boros schneideri was studied by checking the presence of larvae and adults under the bark of dead Pinus sylvestris trees in 13 pine forests in Lithuania. B. schneideri was found in 10 biggest pine forests, the area of which exceeded 20,000 ha. However, it was not detected in smaller isolated forests. In Kazlų Rūda, Šimonys, Pabradė and Rūdiškės forests this species was recorded for the first time. The part of localities in which B. schneideri was found and the percentage of trees with B. schneideri were significantly higher in the main parts of the biggest forests than in satellite or smaller forests. Both these parameters were significantly lower in forests located in the close vicinity of urban territories than in forests further from them. Consequently, the forest size and the distance of the forest from urban territories were found to be of critical importance for the survival and density of the B. schneideri population. These distribution regularities are important for the establishment of protected areas for this species conservation.     

Tachinid (Diptera, Tachinidae) parasitoids of sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta)

A list of 31 genera of tachinid parasitoids of sawflies is given. Despite the ecological and habitual similarity of sawflies and Lepidoptera, utilization of sawflies by tachinids was not as successful from the evolutionary point of view as utilization of Lepidoptera. Parasitism of tachinids in sawflies is evidently secondary; it appeared repeatedly and originates from parasitism in Lepidoptera. Most genera of tachinids are polyphagous. Endoparasitic Hymenoptera are koinobionts similarly to tachinids. The direct contact of the parasitoid with active mobile host larva not only results in complication of behavior and its specialization, but also promotes formation of different morphological innovations faster than that in idiobionts.     

Population dynamics of Stylaria lacustris (Linnaeus, 1767) (Oligochaeta,Naididae) in Los Talas,Argentina

Population dynamics of Stylaria lacustris were analyzed over 2 years in a pond located at Los Talas, Argentina. In both years, the peak in abundance, due to intense asexual reproduction, fell at the end of winter, and was followed by mature individuals. The species was not collected during summer. Temperature was the main factor regulating the population through both sexual and asexual reproduction. In the second year, density was lower and correlated with a lower water level and a reduced vegetation development. Individuals were randomly distributed in periods of high abundance and contagious when density was low. Generation time was 15 days.     

Diamminetetrakis(carboxylato)platinum(IV) Complexes - Synthesis, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity

A series of eight novel diamminetetrakis(carboxylato)platinum(IV) complexes was synthesized and characterized by multinuclear (1) H-, (13) C-, (15) N-, and (195) Pt-NMR spectroscopy. Their antiproliferative potency was evaluated in three human cancer cell lines representing ovarian (CH1), lung (A549), and colon carcinoma (SW480). In cisplatin-sensitive CH1 cancer cells, cytotoxicity was found in the low micromolar range, whereas, in inherently cisplatin-resistant A549 and SW480 cells, the activity was very low or negligible. Astonishingly, raise in lipophilicity of the complexes, as found in the case of cisplatin analogs, did not result in a significant enhancement of the cytotoxic effect.     

Production of recombinant great sturgeon (Huso huso,Linnaeus, 1758) growth hormone (GH) by Pichia pastoris (Guillierm, 1956)

In this research, the encoding cDNA of growth hormone (GH) was cloned from the pituitary gland of great sturgeon Huso huso (three adults: two females and one male, 7–9 years old, 70–90 kg, reared in concrete ponds). In order to obtain the great sturgeon recombinant GH expression in Pichia pastoris, the mature encoding cDNA was first cloned in TA vector PTZ57R and then sequenced. After confirmation of the correct GH sequence, the GH coding sequence was subcloned into pHILS1 expression vector. The yeast Pichia pastoris GS115 strain was transformed with the expression plasmid. Results obtained from this study showed that great sturgeon GH recombinants were expressed upon induction with methanol and exported into the medium. The level of expression was examined using RNA analysis, SDS‐PAGE, and western blot analysis. RNA analysis of the recombinant strains showed a sharp, specific band in 800 bp. The specific band in transformants indicated the presence of GH RNA in the yeast. SDS‐PAGE and western blot analysis showed a specific 21 kDa band for the growth hormone. Culture conditions were optimized for pH = 6 and incubation time (after 24 h induction, peaking at 72 h) for maximal protein production. The results provide useful information for the future production of recombinant growth hormones in other sturgeon species.     

Spermiogenesis in Anaspides tasmaniae (Thomson) (Crustacea,Malacostraca, Syncarida)

Spermiogenesis of the syncarid Anaspides tasmaniae (subclass Eumalacostraca) was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The spermatozoan of Anaspides is an ovoid cell with an acrosome covering the anterior pole and a lobulated nucleus and mitochondria occupying the rest of the cell. A long subacrosomal filament bypasses the nucleus and forms a spiral that supports a thin extension of the posterior cytoplasm, giving the spermatozoan a bell-shaped appearance. No flagellum is present at any stage. The immobile spermatozoans are embedded in a hard capsule, secreted by the cells of the wall of the vas deferens.     

寡毛金花天牛的新异名

奥地利天牛分类学家Holzschuh(1993)根据四川标本描述了C.anrotes(Carilia)glabricollis Holzschuh,1993.因该学名已被光胸金花天牛Gaurotes (Neogaurotes )glabricollis Pu,1992占用,Holzschuh(1998)为其拟定了替换学名Gaurotes (Carilia )glabratula Holzschuh,1998.后来,蒋书楠、陈力(2001)也为这个异物同名拟定了一个不必要的替换学名寡毛金花天牛Gaurotes(Carilia)oligothrix Chiang,2001.根据<国际动物命名法规>(第4版),Gaurotes (Carilia)glabratula Holzschuh,1998享有优先权,因此Gaurotes(Carilia)oligothrix Chiang,2001成为客观次异名.     

First record of Synidotea laevidorsalis (Miers, 1881) (Crustacea: Isopoda) in Europe (Gironde estuary,France)

This note reports on the presence of a well established population of the isopod Synidotea laevidorsalis (Miers) in the Gironde estuary (southwestern France). This species is new for the European fauna. S. laevidorsalis is a nonendemic cool-temperate to subtropical, shallow-water species which was probably introduced into the study area from Asia. In the salinity range of 1 to 10 g 1^-1 of the Gironde the species constitutes an important component of the brackish-water hyperbenthic community. The population was already present in 1975 when it was misidentified as the native species Idotea emarginata (Fabricius).     

Phylogeography of Iurus dufoureius (Brullé, 1832) (Scorpiones, Iuridae)

Aim  This study uses molecular data in conjunction with palaeogeography to infer the most plausible biogeographical scenario accounting for the current distributional pattern of Iurus dufoureius .
Location  North-eastern Mediterranean region.
Methods  Sequencing of a 441-bp segment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene in seven populations covering the whole distributional range of the species. Phylogenetic analyses performed included neighbour joining, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference.
Results  The molecular phylogeny showed that two Iurus clades are strongly supported. These clades correspond to the two subspecies Iurus dufoureius dufoureius and Iurus dufoureius asiaticus , currently recognized within the genus. The assumption of a clock-like evolution could not be rejected, and this enabled us to estimate an approximation of the local rate of evolution for the I. dufoureius lineages. Based on the estimated evolutionary rate (0.79 ± 0.17 Myr⁻¹), the split between the two Iurus clades occurred c. 8 Ma.
Main conclusions  Contrary to what was believed in the past, the genus Iurus is an old north-eastern Mediterranean genus that has been differentiating in southern Greece and south-west Turkey at least from the middle Miocene. According to the phylogenetic trees obtained and the dating of the divergence times of lineages, the genus dispersed into the Aegean Archipelago when the Aegean was still a uniform land mass. Although the phylogenetic relationships of I. d. dufoureius populations have been shaped by the most recent vicariant events, the phylogenetic relationships of I. d. asiaticus populations are mostly attributable to older palaeoevents occurring in the area.     

Plant-feeding dipterans (Diptera,Chloropidae, Agromyzidae) from Wrangel Island (the Chukchi Sea)

Flies of the family Chloropidae were found in the arctic tundra for the first time. Oscinella frit L. was collected in several areas of the mountainous part of Wrangel Island, occurring mainly in the ground layer. Among three species of Agromyzidae, Napomyza mimula Spencer was the most numerous; it was found both in the mountains and on the coastal plain. Two other species, Phytomyza cineracea Hendel and Chromatomyia sp., were rare. The only biotope where all the four species were collected simultaneously was a zoogenic forb-grass meadow patch which developed around the arctic fox burrow.     

Nymphal biology of Ephoron virgo (Olivier, 1791) (Ephemeroptera,Polymitarcyidae) in an Apenninic river (NW Italy)

Life cycle, feeding habits and nymphal density of a population of Ephoron virgo from the Bormida river (Northwestern Italy) were studied. Nymphs were present in the river from the beginning of May until August, with the highest density of nymphs recorded at the end of May–beginning of June. The life cycle was univoltine and the nymphal growth was fast. During the life cycle, an obligatory egg diapause occurs and individuals remain in this stage for up to nine months. Nymphs fed mainly on detritus, although mineral matter constituted a considerable percentage of the gut contents, predominantly in smaller nymphs.     

New species of Haplometroides (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae) from Phalotris nasutus (Gomes, 1915) (Serpentes, Colubridae)

A new species of Haplometroides (Digenea, Plagiorchiidae) is described from a specimen of Phalotris nasutus (Gomes, 1915) (Serpentes, Colubridae). The host snake was obtained in the municipality of Corumbd, Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Trematodes were recovered from esophagus, stomach, and small intestine of the host. The main characteristic of the new species is the vitellaria, which is intercecal, cecal, and extracecal in the preacetabular region. A key for identification of the species in Haplometroides is proposed.