Predation of potential insect pests in oil palm plantations,rubber tree plantations,and fruit orchards

In human‐modified landscapes, important ecological functions such as predation are negatively affected by anthropogenic activities, including the use of pesticides and habitat degradation. Predation of insect pests is an indicator of healthy ecosystem functioning, which provides important ecosystem services, especially for agricultural systems. In this study, we compare predation attempts from arthropods, mammals, and birds on artificial caterpillars in the understory, between three tropical agricultural land‐use types: oil palm plantations, rubber tree plantations, and fruit orchards. We collected a range of local and landscape‐scale data including undergrowth vegetation structure; elevation; proximity to forest; and canopy cover in order to understand how environmental variables can affect predation. In all three land‐use types, our results showed that arthropods and mammals were important predators of artificial caterpillars and there was little predation by birds. We did not find any effect of the environmental variables on predation. There was an interactive effect between land‐use type and predator type. Predation by mammals was considerably higher in fruit orchards and rubber tree than in oil palm plantations, likely due to their ability to support higher abundances of insectivorous mammals. In order to maintain or enhance natural pest control in these common tropical agricultural land‐use types, management practices that benefit insectivorous animals should be introduced, such as the reduction of pesticides, improvement of understory vegetation, and local and landscape heterogeneity.     

Repeated oral administration of capsaicin increases anxiety-like behaviours with prolonged stress-response in rats

This study was conducted to examine the psycho-emotional effects of repeated oral exposure to capsaicin, the principal active component of chili peppers. Each rat received 1 mL of 0.02% capsaicin into its oral cavity daily, and was subjected to behavioural tests following 10 daily administrations of capsaicin. Stereotypy counts and rostral grooming were significantly increased, and caudal grooming decreased, in capsaicin-treated rats during the ambulatory activity test. In elevated plus maze test, not only the time spent in open arms but also the percent arm entry into open arms was reduced in capsaicin-treated rats compared with control rats. In forced swim test, although swimming duration was decreased, struggling increased in the capsaicin group, immobility duration did not differ between the groups. Repeated oral capsaicin did not affect the basal levels of plasma corticosterone; however, the stress-induced elevation of plasma corticosterone was prolonged in capsaicin treated rats. Oral capsaicin exposure significantly increased c-Fos expression not only in the nucleus tractus of solitarius but also in the paraventricular nucleus. Results suggest that repeated oral exposure to capsaicin increases anxiety-like behaviours in rats, and dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis may play a role in its pathophysiology.     

Effect of weight loss and exercise on angiogenic factors in the circulation and in adipose tissue in obese subjects

Background:

Vascular growth is a prerequisite for adipose tissue (AT) development and expansion. Some AT cytokines and hormones have effects on vascular development, like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF‐A), angiopoietin (ANG‐1), ANG‐2 and angiopoietin‐like protein‐4 (ANGPTL‐4).

Methods:

In this study, the independent and combined effects of diet‐induced weight loss and exercise on AT gene expression and proteins levels of those angiogenic factors were investigated. Seventy‐nine obese males and females were randomized to: 1. Exercise‐only (EXO; 12‐weeks exercise without diet‐restriction), 2. Hypocaloric diet (DIO; 8‐weeks very low energy diet (VLED) + 4‐weeks weight maintenance diet) and 3. Hypocaloric diet and exercise (DEX; 8‐weeks VLED + 4‐weeks weight maintenance diet combined with exercise throughout the 12 weeks). Blood samples and fat biopsies were taken before and after the intervention.

Results:

Weight loss was 3.5 kg in the EXO group and 12.3 kg in the DIO and DEX groups. VEGF‐A protein was non‐significantly reduced in the weight loss groups. ANG‐1 protein levels were significantly reduced 22‐25% after all three interventions (P < 0.01). The ANG‐1/ANG‐2 ratio was also decreased in all three groups (P < 0.05) by 27‐38%. ANGPTL‐4 was increased in the EXO group (15%, P < 0.05) and 9% (P < 0.05) in the DIO group. VEGF‐A, ANG‐1, and ANGPTL‐4 were all expressed in human AT, but only ANGPTL‐4 was influenced by the interventions.

Conclusions:

Our data show that serum VEGF‐A, ANG‐1, ANG‐2, and ANGPTL‐4 levels are influenced by weight changes, indicating the involvement of these factors in the obese state. Moreover, it was found that weight loss generally was associated with a reduced angiogenic activity in the circulation.     

Crystal structures and enzymatic properties of three formyltransferases from archaea: environmental adaptation and evolutionary relationship

Formyltransferase catalyzes the reversible formation of formylmethanofuran from N(5)-formyltetrahydromethanopterin and methanofuran, a reaction involved in the C1 metabolism of methanogenic and sulfate-reducing archaea. The crystal structure of the homotetrameric enzyme from Methanopyrus kandleri (growth temperature optimum 98 degrees C) has recently been solved at 1.65 A resolution. We report here the crystal structures of the formyltransferase from Methanosarcina barkeri (growth temperature optimum 37 degrees C) and from Archaeoglobus fulgidus (growth temperature optimum 83 degrees C) at 1.9 A and 2.0 A resolution, respectively. Comparison of the structures of the three enzymes revealed very similar folds. The most striking difference found was the negative surface charge, which was -32 for the M. kandleri enzyme, only -8 for the M. barkeri enzyme, and -11 for the A. fulgidus enzyme. The hydrophobic surface fraction was 50% for the M. kandleri enzyme, 56% for the M. barkeri enzyme, and 57% for the A. fulgidus enzyme. These differences most likely reflect the adaptation of the enzyme to different cytoplasmic concentrations of potassium cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, which are very high in M. kandleri (>1 M) and relatively low in M. barkeri and A. fulgidus. Formyltransferase is in a monomer/dimer/tetramer equilibrium that is dependent on the salt concentration. Only the dimers and tetramers are active, and only the tetramers are thermostable. The enzyme from M. kandleri is a tetramer, which is active and thermostable only at high concentrations of potassium phosphate (>1 M) or potassium cyclic 2,3-diphosphoglycerate. Conversely, the enzyme from M. barkeri and A. fulgidus already showed these properties, activity and stability, at much lower concentrations of these strong salting-out salts.     

High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Morphology-Controllable Synthesis of ZnO–ZnS Heterostructure Nanocone Photoanodes

High-density and well-aligned ZnO–ZnS core–shell nanocone arrays were synthesized on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate using a facile and cost-effective two-step approach. In this synthetic process, the ZnO nanocones act as the template and provide Zn²⁺ ions for the ZnS shell formation. The photoluminescence spectrum indicates remarkably enhanced luminescence intensity and a small redshift in the UV region, which can be associated with the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between ZnO and ZnS. The obtained diffuse reflectance spectra show that the nanocone-based heterostructure reduces the light reflection in a broad spectral range and is much more effective than the bare ZnO nanocone and nanorod structures. Dye-sensitized solar cells based on the heterostructure ZnO–ZnS nanocones are assembled, and high conversion efficiency (η) of approximately 4.07% is obtained. The η improvement can be attributed primarily to the morphology effect of ZnO nanocones on light-trapping and effectively passivating the interface surface recombination sites of ZnO nanocones by coating with a ZnS shell layer.     

Effect of chronic treatment with Rosiglitazone on Leydig cell steroidogenesis in rats: <Emphasis Type="Italic">In vivo</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">ex vivo</Emphasis> studies

Background  

The present study was designed to examine the effect of chronic treatment with rosiglitazone - thiazolidinedione used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus for its insulin sensitizing effects - on the Leydig cell steroidogenic capacity and expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc) in normal adult rats.     

Evidence for a two-metal-ion mechanism in the cytidyltransferase KdsB, an enzyme involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is located on the surface of Gram-negative bacteria and is responsible for maintaining outer membrane stability, which is a prerequisite for cell survival. Furthermore, it represents an important barrier against hostile environmental factors such as antimicrobial peptides and the complement cascade during Gram-negative infections. The sugar 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) is an integral part of LPS and plays a key role in LPS functionality. Prior to its incorporation into the LPS molecule, Kdo has to be activated by the CMP-Kdo synthetase (CKS). Based on the presence of a single Mg²⁺ ion in the active site, detailed models of the reaction mechanism of CKS have been developed previously. Recently, a two-metal-ion hypothesis suggested the involvement of two Mg²⁺ ions in Kdo activation. To further investigate the mechanistic aspects of Kdo activation, we kinetically characterized the CKS from the hyperthermophilic organism Aquifex aeolicus. In addition, we determined the crystal structure of this enzyme at a resolution of 2.10 Å and provide evidence that two Mg²⁺ ions are part of the active site of the enzyme.     

新疆小白杏在护手霜中的应用

目的:将新疆南疆地区栽种的主要经济作物之一小白杏应用于化妆品领域,发挥其保持皮肤弹性、柔软和透明的功效。方法:以小白杏杏仁油为原料,运用正交实验设计,加入一定量的乳化剂,通过改变乳化温度、时间、转速,使油相与水相搅拌均匀。结果:最佳配方为:杏仁油13%,羊毛脂4%,蜂蜡3%,尿素3%,乳化剂1.5%,温度85℃,时间7 min,转速140 r/min。结论:以新疆小白杏杏仁油为主要原料,可研制适合于干性皮肤的防皲裂护手霜。