Macrophages expressing arginase 1 and nitric oxide synthase 2 accumulate in the small intestine during Giardia lamblia infection

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to inhibit Giardia lamblia in vitro and in vivo. This study sought to determine if Giardia infection induces arginase 1 (ARG1) expression in host macrophages to reduce NO production. Stimulations of RAW 264.7 macrophage-like cells with Giardia extract induced arginase activity. Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry showed increased ARG1 and nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) expression in mouse intestine following infection. Flow cytometry demonstrated increased numbers of macrophages positive for both ARG1 and NOS2 in lamina propria following infection, but there was no evidence of increased expression of ARG1 in these cells.     

达标污水离岸排海末端处置技术研究综述

达标污水离岸排海处置具有低成本、高处理率等优点,是国内外沿海港口和临港工业园区进行污水处置的重要选择。介绍了国内外达标污水离岸排海末端处置技术的发展情况,分析了排污口位置选划、扩散器射流参数及水力结构优化等研究技术上存在的问题。认为排污口位置选划应在水动力、污染物扩散、泥沙冲淤及工程经济因素分析的基础上,还需要重点考虑污水排放对区域生态要素长期的影响;排海末端扩散器射流参数及水力结构优化也尤为关键,不仅直接影响稀释扩散效果,而且涉及到主管、上升管、喷口等多个可控因子,可以采用建立物理模型、数值模型及量纲分析等方法,合理优化扩散器的结构参数和扩散器的型式,对提高达标污水离岸处置的效果具有重要意义。     

Organization and chromosomal localization ofβ-tubulin genes inLeishmania donovani

The genomic organization and chromosomal location of theβ-tubulin isogenes inLeishmania donovani promastigotes has been studied by nucleic acid hybridization techniques using a cloned β-tubulin gene. We have cloned aβ-tubulin gene fragment, 3.3 kbp long, from genomic DNA ofLeishmania donovani using a heterologousβ-tubulin DNA as probe. Restriction maps of this clone have been prepared. It has been estimated that there are approximately 11–15 copies of theβ-tubulin genes per haploid genome. The majority of these isogenes are arranged in a tandem repeat with a length of 3.5 kbp on a single chromosome. In addition a few dispersed gene copies at different chromosomal loci were detected by pulse field gradient gel electrophoresis. Part of the internal coding region of the gene has been sequenced to confirm the identity of theβ-tubulin clone and is found to be nearly identical to that ofLeishmania mexicana amazonensis.     

Phosphogluco mutase — a biochemical marker for group 4 chromosomes in the Triticinae

Summary Structural genes for the isozymes of phosphogluco mutase (PGM) (EC 2.7.5.1) have been located on chromosome arms 4A, 4BL and 4DS of hexaploid wheat. These results support the homoeologies observed among these chromosome arms and also support the notion of conservation of gene synteny groups within the Triticinae.     

近年来中国热带地区外来有害昆虫的种类特征及入侵分析

我国热带地区是外来入侵物种发生与危害的重灾区,近年来外来有害昆虫入侵所引发的生物灾害及生态安全问题日趋严峻。在海南省、广东省、广西壮族自治区、云南省、福建省外来入侵昆虫的调查结果及文献资料的基础上,整理分析了中国热带地区外来入侵昆虫的种类构成、分布、原产地及首次发现地。据统计,2000-2014年我国热带地区的外来入侵昆虫种类共计23种,隶属于6目11科,数量最多的为半翅目(13种,56.52%),其中以粉蚧科和粉虱科居多;热带地区的外来入侵昆虫在不同地区之间的物种数量差异较大,其中海南省最多(19种,82.61%),其后依次为广东省(16种,69.57%)、云南省(14种,60.87%)、广西壮族自治区(12种,52.17%),而福建省最少(9种,占39.13%);在入侵我国热带地区的外来有害昆虫中,原产于亚洲、北美洲的种类最多均为6种,占26.09%,南美洲占21.74%,而从非洲、大洋洲、欧洲传入的分别占8.70%、4.35%、4.35%;外来入侵昆虫的首次发现地位于广东省的有9种,占39.13%,出现在海南省和云南省的各占30.43%、21.74%,出现在广西壮族自治区的为8.70%。阐明我国热带地区外来有害昆虫的种类特征及入侵现状,可为该地区外来入侵昆虫的监测与防控提供一定的依据。     

Divergent responses of two cereal aphids to previous infestation of their host plant

The role of pollen odour in resource location by the pollen beetle, Meligethes aeneus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), a pollen-feeding insect regarded as a pest of oilseed rape, Brassica napus L., (Brassicaceae) crops, was investigated in a linear track olfactometer. Both male and female beetles were attracted to the odour of whole oilseed rape flowers, indicating that these insects can locate their host plants using floral odours as cues. The attractive odour of flowers was found to emanate from all floral parts tested: the petals/sepals, the anthers, and from pollen itself. Therefore, at least part of the attractive odour of oilseed rape flowers emanates from pollen. Beetles were more attracted to floral samples containing anthers than those without anthers when these odours were directly compared in a choice-test, and this indicates that there were detectable differences between them. Anthers and pollen may therefore release distinctive odours that are quantitatively and/or qualitatively different from the odour of the rest of the flower. These experiments support the hypothesis that pollen-seeking insects use pollen odour cues to locate this food source.     

Field test of an automated radio‐telemetry system: tracking local space use of aerial insectivores

Documenting local space use of birds that move rapidly, but are too small to carry GPS tags, such as swallows and swifts, can be challenging. For these species, tracking methods such as manual radio‐telemetry and visual observation are either inadequate or labor‐ and time‐intensive. Another option is use of an automated telemetry system, but equipment for such systems can be costly when many receivers are used. Our objective, therefore, was to determine if an automated radio‐telemetry system, consisting of just two receivers, could provide an alternative to manual tracking for gathering data on local space use of six individuals of three species of aerial insectivores, including one Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), one Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), and four Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica). We established automated radio‐telemetry systems at three sites near the city of Peterborough in eastern Ontario, Canada, from May to August 2015. We evaluated the location error of our two‐receiver system using data from moving and stationary test transmitters at known locations, and used telemetry data from the aerial insectivores as a test of the system's ability to track rapidly moving birds under field conditions. Median location error was ~250 m for automated telemetry test locations after filtering. More than 90% of estimated locations had large location errors and were removed from analysis, including all locations > 1 km from receiver stations. Our automated telemetry receivers recorded 17,634 detections of the six radio‐tagged birds. However, filtering removed an average of 89% of bird location estimates, leaving only the Cliff Swallow with enough locations for analysis of space use. Our results demonstrate that a minimal automated radio‐telemetry system can be used to assess local space use by small, highly mobile birds, but the resolution of the data collected using only two receiver stations was coarse and had a limited range. To improve both location accuracy and increase the percentage of usable location estimates collected, we suggest that, in future studies, investigators use receivers that simultaneously record signals detected by all antennas, and use of a minimum of three receiver stations with more antennas at each station.     

Cellular location,activity states,and macromolecular organization of glucoamylase in Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum

By application of immunocytochemical techniques at the electron microscope level, glucoamylase was localized to the cell periphery in Clostridium thermosaccharolyticum during and following growth on starch, sucrose or glucose. Levels of immunolabelling were found to be relatively independent of growth substrate and of phase of growth, whereas previous studies had demonstrated strong dependence of glucoamylase activity on growth conditions; previously high levels of glucoamylase activity had been detected after growth on starch (i.e. during the stationary phase after growth) and only very low activities detected during exponential growth and following growth on glucose. The results presented demonstrate that levels of the glucoamylase protein are independent of measurable enzyme activity, and imply that the protein is constitutive. This indicates that the protein can exist in active and inactive states in the cell. By analogy with similar systems, we consider it likely that maturation or activation of newly synthesized glucoamylase occurs during (or following) transport through the cytoplasmic membrane. Electron microscopy of individual protein molecules which had been subjected to negative staining revealed that the enzyme consists of two domains of approximately equal size which are linked by a hinge region.     

Trap colour,size, and borders alter catches of Bactericera cockerelli in a potato crop

Visual cues play a key role in host finding in many phytophagous insects, including the tomato potato psyllid (TPP), Bactericera cockerelli (?ulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), a serious pest of solanaceous crops. This study evaluated the response of TPP to sticky traps of one of three colours, up to four sizes, and with or without green borders in an organic potato crop in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. On average, large traps caught a higher density of TPP than small traps (with or without border; 25 and 14 TPP per 100 cm², respectively). Tomato potato psyllid density on the green border was affected by the colour of the centre trap; a blue centre resulted in substantially fewer TPP on the green border than a yellow centre (9.0 vs. 69.6 TPP per 100 cm²). Trap catches in early summer were male biased, whereas catches of male and female TPP in late summer were approximately equal.