取食和交配对苹小吉丁飞行能力的影响

【目的】苹小吉丁Agrilus mali是一种严重危害苹果树的钻蛀性害虫。本研究旨在明确苹小吉丁的飞行扩散能力及对其飞行能力产生影响的关键因子。【方法】以SUN-FL型智能飞行磨系统对苹小吉丁不同日龄雌雄成虫的飞行能力进行了测定,同时评价了取食和交配情况对其飞行能力的影响。【结果】苹小吉丁飞行能力均随日龄的增加先增强后逐渐降低,初羽化的成虫飞行能力最低,11日龄成虫的飞行能力最强。雌成虫飞行能力强于雄成虫。在24 h内雌雄成虫的最长飞行距离分别为0.4165和0.3559 km;最长飞行时间分别为0.4582和0.4873 h;最大飞行速度分别为2.4639和1.8561 km/h。取食的3日龄雌成虫的平均飞行距离和平均飞行时间分别为0.047 km和0.048 h,雄成虫的分别为0.044 km和0.042 h;而未取食的雌成虫平均飞行距离和平均飞行时间仅分别为0.016 km和0.013 h,雄成虫的仅分别为0.013 km和0.012 h。交配对飞行能力的影响存在性别差异,已交配雌成虫的飞行能力要强于未交配雌成虫的,而已交配雄成虫的飞行能力却低于未交配雄成虫的。【结论】日龄对苹小吉丁成虫的飞行能力影响作用显著。取食显著提高苹小吉丁雌雄成虫的飞行能力,交配显著提高雌成虫飞行能力。     

Evidence of hepatitis E virus replication on cell cultures.

Several human and animal cell lines have been used to grow hepatitis E virus. The strain SAR-55 was adapted only on PLF/PLC/5 cell line without any visible cytopathic effect. The growth of the SAR-55 was monitored by examining the positive and the negative strands of HEV-RNA. Stool samples, obtained from hospitalised acute hepatitis patients at the Fever Hospital of Alexandria (Egypt), were used to confirm the susceptibility of PLF/PLC/5 cells. After more than one-week's cultivation, three stool samples out of 17 IgM anti-HEV positive and 1 from 52 IgG anti-HEV positive patients showed a specific RT-PCR amplification product. The nucleotide sequences of the methyltransferase region of the genome in the isolates revealed the maximum homology with Burma strain with several point mutations.     

Effect of catalyst additives on the production of biofuels from palm oil cracking in a transport riser reactor

Catalytic cracking of crude palm oil (CPO) and used palm oil (UPO) were studied in a transport riser reactor for the production of biofuels at a reaction temperature of 450 °C, with residence time of 20 s and catalyst-to-oil ratio (CTO) of 5 g g^?1. The effect of HZSM-5 (differrent Si/Al ratios), beta zeolite, SBA-15 and AlSBA-15 were studied as physically mixed additives with cracking catalyst Rare earth-Y (REY). REY catalyst alone gave 75.8 wt% conversion with 34.5 wt% of gasoline fraction yield using CPO, whereas with UPO, the conversion was 70.9 wt% with gasoline fraction yield of 33.0 wt%. HZSM-5, beta zeolite, SBA-15 and AlSBA-15 as additives with REY increased the conversion and the yield of organic liquid product. The transport riser reactor can be used for the continuous production of biofuels from cracking of CPO and UPO over REY catalyst.     

Transgenic mouse line overexpressing the cancer-specific tNOX protein has an enhanced growth and acquired drug-response phenotype

tNOX, a novel cell surface protein related to unregulated growth and drug response of cancer cells, has been proposed as the cellular target for the anticancer action of various quinone site inhibitors with anticancer activity including the polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCg). A transgenic mouse line overexpressing tNOX was generated to determine its overall growth phenotype and susceptibility to EGCg. Cultured noncancer cells lack tNOX and are unresponsive to EGCg. Overexpression of tNOX in cultured noncancer cells through transfection resulted in both enhanced growth and an acquired inhibitory response to EGCg. The tNOX transgenic mouse line was developed using a phCMV2 vector with the hemagglutinin (HA) tag. Transgenic mice exhibited both an enhanced growth rate and a response to EGCg not observed with wild-type mice. Female transgenic mice grew twice as fast as wild type, and growth was reflected in an overall increased carcass weight. Administration of EGCg in the drinking water [500 mg/kg body weight (BW)] reduced the growth rate of the transgenic mice to that of wild-type mice. The findings provide in situ validation of the hypothesis that tNOX represents a necessary and sufficient molecular target as the basis for the protective and potential cancer therapeutic benefits of EGCg.     

Human Flt3L Generates Dendritic Cells from Canine Peripheral Blood Precursors: Implications for a Dog Glioma Clinical Trial

Background

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults and carries a dismal prognosis. We have developed a conditional cytotoxic/immunotherapeutic approach using adenoviral vectors (Ads) encoding the immunostimulatory cytokine, human soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (hsFlt3L) and the conditional cytotoxic molecule, i.e., Herpes Simplex Type 1- thymide kinase (TK). This therapy triggers an anti-tumor immune response that leads to tumor regression and anti-tumor immunological memory in intracranial rodent cancer models. We aim to test the efficacy of this immunotherapy in dogs bearing spontaneous GBM. In view of the controversy regarding the effect of human cytokines on dog immune cells, and considering that the efficacy of this treatment depends on hsFlt3L-stimulated dendritic cells (DCs), in the present work we tested the ability of Ad-encoded hsFlt3L to generate DCs from dog peripheral blood and compared its effects with canine IL-4 and GM-CSF.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Our results demonstrate that hsFlT3L expressed form an Ad vector, generated DCs from peripheral blood cultures with very similar morphological and phenotypic characteristics to canine IL-4 and GM-CSF-cultured DCs. These include phagocytic activity and expression of CD11c, MHCII, CD80 and CD14. Maturation of DCs cultured under both conditions resulted in increased secretion of IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ. Importantly, hsFlt3L-derived antigen presenting cells showed allostimulatory potential highlighting their ability to present antigen to T cells and elicit their proliferation.

Conclusions/Significance

These results demonstrate that hsFlt3L induces the proliferation of canine DCs and support its use in upcoming clinical trials for canine GBM. Our data further support the translation of hsFlt3L to be used for dendritic cells'' vaccination and gene therapeutic approaches from rodent models to canine patients and its future implementation in human clinical trials.     

Plasma selenium levels in rheumatoid arthritis

The plasma selenium (Se) levels were determined in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy controls. Plasma Se levels in 60 patients were found to be significantly lower than those in 60 normal, healthy controls (p<0.001). Similar significant differences were determined in sex-matched comparisons between patients and controls (p<0.001) but there was no significant difference in plasma Se levels in sex-matched comparisons in both groups (p>0.05). Our results suggest that Se is an important factor in RA.     

Synergism of cellulase enzymes in mixed culture solid substrate fermentation

Sugar cane bagasse was subjected to a mixed culture, solid substrate fermentation with Trichoderma reesei QM9414 and Aspergillus terreus SUK-1 to produce cellulase and reducing sugars. The highest cellulase activity and reducing sugar amount were obtained in mixed culture. The percentage of substrate degradation achieved employing mixed culture was 26% compared to 50% using separate cultures of the two molds. This suggests that the synergism of enzymes in mixed culture solid substrate fermentation have lower synergism than in pure culture.     

Purification and characterization of a novel phospholipid transfer protein from filamentous fungi

1. We have isolated from mycelia of Mucor mucedo, a filamentous fungus, a phospholipid transfer protein. 2. The purification steps were gel filtration, hydroxyapatite chromatography, blue affinity column and fast protein liquid chromatography on anion exchanger. 3. A purified protein was obtained with a molecular mass of 24 kDa and a pI of 5.05 and its N-terminal sequence was established. 4. This protein transfers phosphatidylinositol, as well as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine.     

Rhesus monkeys as a translational model for late‐onset Alzheimer's disease

Age is a major risk factor for late‐onset Alzheimer''s disease (AD) but seldom features in laboratory models of the disease. Furthermore, heterogeneity in size and density of AD plaques observed in individuals are not recapitulated in transgenic mouse models, presenting an incomplete picture. We show that the amyloid plaque microenvironment is not equivalent between rodent and primate species, and that differences in the impact of AD pathology on local metabolism and inflammation might explain established differences in neurodegeneration and functional decline. Using brain tissue from transgenic APP/PSEN1 mice, rhesus monkeys with age‐related amyloid plaques, and human subjects with confirmed AD, we report altered energetics in the plaque microenvironment. Metabolic features included changes in mitochondrial distribution and enzymatic activity, and changes in redox cofactors NAD(P)H that were shared among species. A greater burden of lipofuscin was detected in the brains from monkeys and humans of advanced age compared to transgenic mice. Local inflammatory signatures indexed by astrogliosis and microglial activation were detected in each species; however, the inflamed zone was considerably larger for monkeys and humans. These data demonstrate the advantage of nonhuman primates in modeling the plaque microenvironment, and provide a new framework to investigate how AD pathology might contribute to functional loss.