Fitness of Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) reared in an artificial diet

The Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an economically important pest of corn. Finding simple, cheap, and suitable rearing techniques of O. furnacalis is an urgent need to support research for management of this insect. This research aimed to determine the suitability of a read bean and rice bran-based artificial diet used for mass rearing of this insect since 2009.The tested artificial diet was compared with the natural diet (sweet corn kernel) and each diet was tested in individual rearing method (one larva in each vial). The criteria used to justify the quality of diet and mass rearing procedure were based on the fitness of O. furnacalis. The degree of fitness was based on life history, growth, and development. In general, the fitness parameteres observed from O. furnacalis reared in the artificial diet at 25.7?±?1.6?°C with 57.7?±?3.8% RH, and L12:D12 were similar than those in the natural diet.Therefore, the existing artificial diet and rearing procedure were considered suitable and qualified for O. furnacalis. It is important to periodically check the laboratory colony to ensure that they have similar fitness to those found in the natural population.     

Studies on the salinity and desiccation tolerances of Helice tridens and Helice japonica (Decapoda: Grapsidae)

In the Shigenobu River Estuary (33 ° 48′ 18″ N, 132 ° 41′ 10″ E), Matsuyama (Japan), Helice tridens inhabits the mid-intertidal zone to the limit of the high tide, while H. japonica is found around the mid-intertidal zone. In addition, H. japonica is distributed further downstream than H. tridens. These differences suggest that H. japonica has a lower salinity and desiccation tolerance than H. tridens. Laboratory experiments on salinity tolerance confirmed the higher tolerance of H. tridens compared to H. japonica. Helice tridens survived at least a week under fresh water conditions, whereas most of the H. japonica died. Helice tridens was shown to be more able to tolerate desiccation than H. japonica, through behavioral, not physiological, adaptation to dry conditions. The present results demonstrate a stronger adaptation of H. tridens to semi-terrestrial and/or freshwater environments than H. japonica. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A new species, Trichiurus australis (Perciformes: Trichiuridae), from Australia

Trichiurus australis, a new trichiurid fish, is described on the basis of four specimens collected off Burnett River mouth, Pialba and Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia. The new species strongly resembles Trichiurus brevis Wang and You, 1992 (distributed in the South China Sea), T. russelli Dutt and Thankam, 1967 (the northwestern Bay of Bengal and the northern Gulf of Thailand), and T. nickolensis Burhanuddin and Iwatsuki, 2003 (northwestern Australia) in having the highest point of the supraoccipital crest situated directly above the posterior margin of the eye and being relatively small in size (less than ca. 700mm in total length: TL). It differs from those three species in having spinescent gill rakers almost with 2 equally long cusps [vs. (1, rarely 2 but 1 of them clearly shorter than another)], posterior caudal peduncle vertebrae bearing neural spines (vs. neural spines absent), longer caudal peduncle length (mean 16% TL vs. 6% in T. brevis, 8% in T. nickolensis, and 8% in T. russelli), and shorter precaudal length (83% vs. 93%, 91%, and 91%), preanal length (26% vs. 33%, 31%, and 35%), and head length (9% vs. 12%, 11%, and 13%). We have tentatively classified this new species under the Trichiurus russelli complex because the foregoing diagnostic characters are identical to this species complex except for the presence of neural spines in the posterior caudal vertebrae.     

Cellular cardiomyoplasty: development of a technique to culture human myoblasts for clinical transplantation

Some recent studies have demonstrated that epicardial injection of autologous myoblasts, obtained from satellite cells of skeletal muscle, in association to coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) in patients with decreased left ventricular function secondary to ischaemic disease could be of some utility to get a better recovery of ventricular function due to the ability of these cells to grow and generate new muscle fibers over the previous fibrotic scar. The aims are the setting up of a process for the collection of the cellular cardiomyoplasty in samples of multiorganic donations and to carry out this technique in the same surgical moment as the revascularisation is performed in two patients. For this purpose we obtained muscle through biopsy of 15 human multiorgan donors and of two patients. Separation of fatty tissue, minced, and further digestion with collagenase type I (1.5 mgr/ml/2 gr by weight) and trypsin 1 ×. Filtration of the cellular suspension, centrifugation and sowing of this suspension in culture medium, with 20% of human serum. Culture for three weeks until obtainment of between 200–300 million cells. Inmunohistochemistry and flow cytometry for the identification of the myoblasts was carried out. The results were obtained through flow cytometry, using CD56 as an indicator of the presence of myoblasts, between 70 and 80% of these types of cells were obtained after three weeks of culture. By inmunohistochemistry analyses, different markers were analyzed: desmin and myogenin. The results indicated the presence of a great number of positive cells with these markers, possibly myoblasts. Skeletal myoblast implant was not associated with adverse effects. The culture of autologous myoblasts is a rapid and simple technique where after three weeks of culture a great number of cells for implantation are obtained. In patients with old myocardial infarction, treatment with skeletal myoblast in conjunction with coronary artery bypass is safe and feasible. and it is easy to obtain myoblasts from muscle tissue for transplant into patients.     

Regulatory mechanism of histidine-tagged homocitrate synthase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. II. Theory

In this study, rate equations that predict the regulatory kinetic behavior of homocitrate synthase were derived, and simulation of the predicted behavior was carried out over a range of values for the kinetic parameters. The data obtained allow application of the resulting expressions to enzyme systems that exhibit activation and inhibition as a result of the interaction of effectors at multiple sites in the free enzyme. Homocitrate synthase was used as an example in terms of its activation by Na+ binding to the active enzyme conformer at an allosteric site, inhibition by binding to the active site, and inhibition by lysine binding to the less active enzyme conformer.     

Functional assessment of human femoral arteries after cryopreservation

An established method for the cryopreservation of human femoral arteries for subsequent transplantation as allografts has been studied with particular attention to preservation of smooth muscle and endothelium. Human femoral arteries (HFAs) were harvested from multi-organ donors. Two groups were established; a control group of unfrozen HFAs and a group of cryopreserved HFAs. Cryopreservation was performed using RPMI solution containing dimethyl sulfoxide and the rate of cooling was 1 degrees C/min to -40 degrees C and faster thereafter until -150 degrees C was reached. The contraction and relaxation responses of unfrozen and frozen/thawed arteries were assessed by measurement of the isometric force generated by the HFAs in an organ bath. After thawing (warming was at 15 degrees C/min) the maximal contractile response to noradrenaline was 43% of the response of unfrozen HFAs. The endothelium-independent response to sodium nitroprusside was not altered, whereas the endothelium-dependent relaxation response to acetylcholine was slightly altered. The cryopreservation method used provided limited preservation of the contractility of human femoral arteries, and good preservation of both endothelium-independent and endothelium-dependent relaxation responses.     

Behavioral risk factors and prevalence of HIV and other STIs among female sex workers in Tirana, Albania

The paper presents the results of the research and a comparative analysis of findings on key indicators for the study population. The study instrument was a standardized behavior study questionnaire provided in the Family Health International published manual (Family Health International, 2000). The target group was female sex workers working in Tirana. The prevalence of biological infections was low. HIV was detected in one case. Syphilis and Hepatitis B rates resulted to be respectively 6.5% and 7.6%. The median age of the study participants is 28 years. Almost 38% of the participants were illiterate, and more than half belong to the Roma community. Almost 50% of the respondents had received money in exchange of sex for the first time 18 years earlier. Almost 65% of respondents reported two or more different sex partners in the last seven days, while almost 30% referred five or more. Condom use at last sex with a paying client was reported by almost 68%. Consistent condom use with paying clients in the last month was reported by almost 35% of the respondents.     

Stylissamide X, a new proline-rich cyclic octapeptide as an inhibitor of cell migration, from an Indonesian marine sponge of Stylissa sp

A new proline-rich cyclic octapeptide named stylissamide X (1) was isolated from an Indonesian marine sponge of Stylissa sp. as an inhibitor of cell migration from the guidance of wound-healing assay. The chemical structure of stylissamide X (1) was determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, and stereostructure of the amino acids were deduced by Marfey's method. Compound 1 showed inhibitory activity against migration of HeLa cells in the ranges of 0.1-10 μM concentration through both wound-healing assay and chemotaxicell chamber assay, while the cell viability was maintained more than 75% up to 10 μM concentration of 1.