Laboratory testing of a mycopesticide on non‐target organisms: The effects of an oil formulation of Metarhizium flavoviride applied to Apis mellifera

A technique was developed to allow ultra‐low volume (ULV) application of an oil formulation of the deuteromycete, Metarhizium flavoviride Gams & Rozsypal, to Apis mellifera (Linnaeus). In the first experiment, application of a dose equivalent to twice the expected field application rate killed 30% of the bees and a twenty‐fold dose killed 87%. In a second experiment, a realistic field dose formulated in oil killed 11% of the bees and a similar dose formulated in water killed 8%. The dose applied effectively killed the target host, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål). Application of a chemical pesticide comprising an organophosphate and two pyrethroids at a dose that was just sub‐lethal to locusts, killed all treated bees. Very few untreated bees died. The results demonstrated the feasibility of safety testing a mycopesticide with bees as a non‐target organism. In addition, it was demonstrated that the mycopesticide currently under development for the control of locusts and grasshoppers was quantifiably less hazardous to bees than the chemical pesticide.     

Crystal Structures of α-Crystallin Domain Dimers of αB-Crystallin and Hsp20

Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are a family of large and dynamic oligomers highly expressed in long-lived cells of muscle, lens and brain. Several family members are upregulated during stress, and some are strongly cytoprotective. Their polydispersity has hindered high-resolution structure analyses, particularly for vertebrate sHsps. Here, crystal structures of excised α-crystallin domain from rat Hsp20 and that from human αB-crystallin show that they form homodimers with a shared groove at the interface by extending a β sheet. However, the two dimers differ in the register of their interfaces. The dimers have empty pockets that in large assemblies will likely be filled by hydrophobic sequence motifs from partner chains. In the Hsp20 dimer, the shared groove is partially filled by peptide in polyproline II conformation. Structural homology with other sHsp crystal structures indicates that in full-length chains the groove is likely filled by an N-terminal extension. Inside the groove is a symmetry-related functionally important arginine that is mutated, or its equivalent, in family members in a range of neuromuscular diseases and cataract. Analyses of residues within the groove of the αB-crystallin interface show that it has a high density of positive charges. The disease mutant R120G α-crystallin domain dimer was found to be more stable at acidic pH, suggesting that the mutation affects the normal dynamics of sHsp assembly. The structures provide a starting point for modelling higher assembly by defining the spatial locations of grooves and pockets in a basic dimeric assembly unit. The structures provide a high-resolution view of a candidate functional state of an sHsp that could bind non-native client proteins or specific components from cytoprotective pathways. The empty pockets and groove provide a starting model for designing drugs to inhibit those sHsps that have a negative effect on cancer treatment.     

Effects of chemical and botanical insecticides used for locust control on Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum conidia after short- to medium-term storage at 30°C

The short- to medium-term viability and growth of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum conidia were investigated when combined with six insecticides, at three different concentrations. All of the insecticides used in this study were suitable for immediate spraying with M. anisopliae var. acridum conidia except for fenitrothion. Fipronil, teflubenzuron, and fenitrothion formulations significantly reduced conidial viability over time. The 10% teflubenzuron treatment caused loss of viability relatively quickly with 9.9% germination after 28 days. Mycelial growth was affected by all the treatments except fenitrothion.     

Scat DNA provides important data for effective monitoring of mammal and bird biodiversity

Despite the roles they play in ecosystem function, animals have have long been neglected in the monitoring of ecological restoration. Vertebrate surveys can be time consuming and costly, often requiring multiple methodologies and taxonomic expertise, making comprehensive monitoring cost prohibitive. Here, we evaluate a new method of assessing mammal and bird diversity through the genetic identification of scat collections. Using DNA metabarcoding of scat collections from three bioregions, we generated bird and mammalian assemblage data and distinguished between sites with different restoration histories. However, scat detectability was affected by environmental conditions (e.g. rainfall and vegetative cover), suggesting that our approach is most applicable at certain times of year or in arid (or semi-arid) environments with rocky soils, where conditions are favourable for scat preservation. Taken together these data provide a pathway to: plan, monitor and establish best-practice when restoring landscapes and add to the growing body of literature on the value of DNA metabarcoding in biomonitoring applications.

     

What Are the Health Benefits of Active Travel? A Systematic Review of Trials and Cohort Studies

Background

Increasing active travel (primarily walking and cycling) has been widely advocated for reducing obesity levels and achieving other population health benefits. However, the strength of evidence underpinning this strategy is unclear. This study aimed to assess the evidence that active travel has significant health benefits.

Methods

The study design was a systematic review of (i) non-randomised and randomised controlled trials, and (ii) prospective observational studies examining either (a) the effects of interventions to promote active travel or (b) the association between active travel and health outcomes. Reports of studies were identified by searching 11 electronic databases, websites, reference lists and papers identified by experts in the field. Prospective observational and intervention studies measuring any health outcome of active travel in the general population were included. Studies of patient groups were excluded.

Results

Twenty-four studies from 12 countries were included, of which six were studies conducted with children. Five studies evaluated active travel interventions. Nineteen were prospective cohort studies which did not evaluate the impact of a specific intervention. No studies were identified with obesity as an outcome in adults; one of five prospective cohort studies in children found an association between obesity and active travel. Small positive effects on other health outcomes were found in five intervention studies, but these were all at risk of selection bias. Modest benefits for other health outcomes were identified in five prospective studies. There is suggestive evidence that active travel may have a positive effect on diabetes prevention, which may be an important area for future research.

Conclusions

Active travel may have positive effects on health outcomes, but there is little robust evidence to date of the effectiveness of active transport interventions for reducing obesity. Future evaluations of such interventions should include an assessment of their impacts on obesity and other health outcomes.     

Cauli: A Mouse Strain with an Ift140 Mutation That Results in a Skeletal Ciliopathy Modelling Jeune Syndrome

Cilia are architecturally complex organelles that protrude from the cell membrane and have signalling, sensory and motility functions that are central to normal tissue development and homeostasis. There are two broad categories of cilia; motile and non-motile, or primary, cilia. The central role of primary cilia in health and disease has become prominent in the past decade with the recognition of a number of human syndromes that result from defects in the formation or function of primary cilia. This rapidly growing class of conditions, now known as ciliopathies, impact the development of a diverse range of tissues including the neural axis, craniofacial structures, skeleton, kidneys, eyes and lungs. The broad impact of cilia dysfunction on development reflects the pivotal position of the primary cilia within a signalling nexus involving a growing number of growth factor systems including Hedgehog, Pdgf, Fgf, Hippo, Notch and both canonical Wnt and planar cell polarity. We have identified a novel ENU mutant allele of Ift140, which causes a mid-gestation embryonic lethal phenotype in homozygous mutant mice. Mutant embryos exhibit a range of phenotypes including exencephaly and spina bifida, craniofacial dysmorphism, digit anomalies, cardiac anomalies and somite patterning defects. A number of these phenotypes can be attributed to alterations in Hedgehog signalling, although additional signalling systems are also likely to be involved. We also report the identification of a homozygous recessive mutation in IFT140 in a Jeune syndrome patient. This ENU-induced Jeune syndrome model will be useful in delineating the origins of dysmorphology in human ciliopathies.     

Signaling or Not-Signaling: Variation in Vulnerability and Defense Tactics of Armored Ground Crickets (Acanthoplus Speiseri: Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Hetrodinae)

Male Orthoptera singing from exposed perches are at risk from acoustically- and visually-hunting predators. The defensive reactions of armored ground crickets (Acanthoplus speiseri) include falling silent, dropping from their perch, alarm stridulation and autohaemorrhaging. Male and female ground crickets show different reactivity (i.e. the number or intensity of defense tactics used) to predation, depending on level of exposure: calling males were more reactive when approached during daylight, compared with in the dark. During daylight, calling males were more reactive than silent, cryptic, males and females. The level of response presumably reflected the riskiness of the individual’s behavior and situation at that time. Plasticity of response to predation allows individuals to balance risky behavior (i.e. acoustic signaling from exposed perches) by being more reactive to potential threats.     

Patterns of minority and majority identification in a multicultural society

There has been increasing investigation of the national and ethnic identification of minority populations in Western societies and how far they raise questions about the success or failure of multicultural societies. Much of the political and academic discussion has, however, been premised on two assumptions. First, that ethnic minority and national identification are mutually exclusive, and, second, that national identification forms an overarching majority identity that represents consensus values. In this paper, using a large-scale nationally representative UK survey with a varied set of identity questions, and drawing on an extension of Berry's acculturation framework, we empirically test these two assumptions. We find that, among minorities, strong British national and minority identities often coincide and are not on an opposing axis. We also find that adherence to a British national identity shows cleavages within the white majority population. We further identify variation in these patterns by generation and political orientation.