Evidence for ecological speciation via a host shift in the holly leaf miner,Phytomyza glabricola (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

Evolutionary radiations have been well documented in plants and insects, and natural selection may often underly these radiations. If radiations are adaptive, the diversity of species could be due to ecological speciation in these lineages. Agromyzid flies exhibit patterns of repeated host‐associated radiations. We investigated whether host‐associated population divergence and evidence of divergent selection exist in the leaf miner Phytomyza glabricola on its sympatric host plants, the holly species, Ilex coriacea and I. glabra. Using AFLPs and nuclear sequence data, we found substantial genetic divergence between host‐associated populations of these flies throughout their geographic range. Genome scans using the AFLP data identified 13 loci under divergent selection, consistent with processes of ecological speciation. EF‐1α data suggest that I. glabra is the original host of P. glabricola and that I. coriacea is the novel host, but the AFLP data are ambiguous with regard to directionality of the host shift.     

Spectrofluorimetric determination of thioridazine and flupentixol in dosage forms; application to content uniformity test

A reliable, sensitive, cheap and non‐extractive spectrofluorimetric method has been developed and validated for determination of thioridazine and flupentixol based on ternary complex formation with eosin and lead(II) in the presence of methylcellulose as surfactant at pH 3.2. Under the optimum conditions, the quantitative quenching effect of investigated drugs on the native fluorescence of eosin has been investigated. The quenching of the eosin fluorescence was measured at 517 nm after excitation at 462 nm. The different experimental parameters affecting the development and stability of the reaction products were carefully studied and optimized, and the results were satisfactory. The calibration plots were constructed over the range of 0.5–3.0 µg mL^?1. The developed method was successfully applied for determination of investigated drugs in commercial tablets without interference from common excipients. It was further applied for content uniformity testing of flupentixol in its tablets. Statistical comparisons of the results with those of the reference methods revealed excellent agreement and indicated no significant difference in accuracy and precision. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Intense Chiral Optical Phenomena in Racemic Polymers by Cocrystallization With Chiral Guest Molecules: A Brief Overview

This review is devoted to the chiral optical behavior of films of racemic polymers whose chirality is induced by cocrystallization with nonracemic (also temporary) guest molecules. We provide examples of macromolecular amplification of chirality, produced by molecular and supramolecular mechanisms, on industrially relevant polymers like poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene)oxide (PPO) and syndiotactic polystyrene (s‐PS). Chirality 28:29–38, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

肝硬化失代偿期患者并发解没食子酸链球菌血流感染1例

解没食子酸链球菌是革兰阳性D族链球菌,属牛链球菌/马链球菌复合群。该菌为机会性致病菌,可引起多部位、多脏器感染,但肝硬化失代偿期患者并发解没食子酸链球菌血流感染的报道较为少见。本例患者因食入不洁食物后出现腹泻伴发热,在寒战、高热时留取血液培养,检出一株革兰阳性菌,经生化实验分析和16S rRNA基因测序,确认为解没食子酸链球菌解没食子酸亚种。根据药敏试验结果,调整抗感染方案,给予美罗培南0.5 g q8h 静脉滴注7 d后,序贯左氧氟沙星0.5 g qd巩固治疗7 d,患者体温恢复正常后出院,随访无复发。     

Subcellular distribution,chemical forms,and physiological response to cadmium stress in Hydrilla verticillata

This study investigated the subcellular distribution and chemical forms of cadmium (Cd) in Hydrilla verticillata and the physiological mechanism underlying H. verticillata responses to Cd stress. Hydrilla verticillata was grown in a hydroponic system and was treated with various Cd concentrations (0, 10, 50, 100, 125, and 150?µM) for 7?days. Cadmium analysis of the leaves at the subcellular level showed that Cd was mainly stored in the soluble fraction (77.98–83.62%) and in smaller quantities in the cell wall fraction (11.99–17.30%) and the cell organelles (4.30–4.88%). The Cd taken up by H. verticillata was in different chemical forms. In the leaves and stems, the Cd was mostly extracted using 1?M NaCl and smaller amounts of Cd were extracted using 2% acetic acid. The malondialdehyde content significantly increased at all Cd concentrations, which indicated oxidative stress. The superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase, and catalase activities were enhanced. The proline, ascorbate, and glutathione contents increased at lower Cd concentrations, but decreased consistently as the Cd concentration rose. These results suggest that H. verticillata can be successfully used in the phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated water.     

Acetylcholinesterase of Schistosoma mansoni--functional correlates. Contributed in honor of Professor Hans Neurath's 90th birthday

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is an enzyme broadly distributed in many species, including parasites. It occurs in multiple molecular forms that differ in their quaternary structure and mode of anchoring to the cell surface. This review summarizes biochemical and immunological investigations carried out in our laboratories on AChE of the helmint, Schistosoma mansoni. AChE appears in S. mansoni in two principal molecular forms, both globular, with sedimentation coefficients of approximately 6.5 and 8 S. On the basis of their substrate specificity and sensitivity to inhibitors, both are "true" acetylcholinesterases. Approximately half of the AChE activity of S. mansoni is located on the outer surface of the parasite, attached to the tegumental membrane via a covalently attached glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. The remainder is located within the parasite, mainly associated with muscle tissue. Whereas the internal enzyme is most likely involved in termination of neurotransmission at cholinergic synapses, the role of the surface enzyme remains to be established; there are, however, indications that it is involved in signal transduction. The two forms of AChE differ in their heparin-binding properties, only the internal 8 S form of the AChE being retained on a heparin column. The two forms differ also in their immunological specificity, since they are selectively recognized by different monoclonal antibodies. Polyclonal antibodies raised against S. mansoni AChE purified by affinity chromatography are specific for the parasite AChE, reacting with both molecular forms, but do not recognize AChE from other species. They interact with the surface-localized enzyme on the intact organism, and produce almost total complement-dependent killing of the parasite. S. mansoni AChE is thus demonstrated to be a functional protein, involved in multifaceted activities, which can serve as a suitable candidate for diagnostic purposes, vaccine development, and drug design.     

Aryl Acylamidase Activity on Acetylcholinesterase Is High During Early Chicken Brain Development

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are known to exhibit aryl acylamidase activities (here called AAA(AChe) and AAA(BChe), respectively), which have been suggested to be involved in developmental and pathological processes. We here have investigated the developmental profiles of both AAA(AChe) and AAA(BChe) activities along with their AChE and BChE activities from embryonic days E3 to hatching (E21) in Triton-extracted homogenates from chicken embryonic brains. AAA(AChe) follows continuously an increase that is typical for AChE expression itself, whereas AAA(BChe) was relatively high before E10 to then become negligible toward hatching. Sucrose gradient centrifugation of both homogenized and immunopurified samples from E6-E18 brains showed that all globular forms (G1, G2, G4) of AChE present AAA(AChe) activity. Interestingly, the ratio of AAA(AChe) to AChE is highest at E6, and here again higher on G1/G2- over the G4-form. Noticeably, the sensitivity of AAA(AChe) toward the specific AChE inhibitor BW284c51 at all stages is higher than that of AChE itself. These data of high ratios of AAA associated at young stages with cholinesterases strongly indicate a role of AAA in early brain development.     

Differential pulse anodic voltammetric determination of pantoprazole in pharmaceutical dosage forms and human plasma using glassy carbon electrode

Pantoprazole is used as an anti-ulcer drug through inhibition of H(+), K(+)-adenosine 5(')-triphosphatase in gastric parietal cells. It reduces the gastric acid secretion regardless of the nature of stimulation. The use of differential pulse voltammetry for the determination of pantoprazole in pharmaceutical dosage forms and human plasma using a glassy carbon electrode has been examined. The best voltammetric response was reached for a glassy carbon electrode in Britton-Robinson buffer solution of pH 5.0 submitted to a scan rate of 20.0 mVs(-1) and a pulse amplitude of 50.0 mV. This electroanalytical procedure was able to determine pantoprazole in the concentration range 6.0 x 10(-6)-8.0 x 10(-4)M. Precision and accuracy of the developed method was checked with recovery studies. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were found to be 4.0 x 10(-7) and 9.0 x 10(-7)M, respectively. Rapidity, precision, and good selectivity were also found for the determination of pantoprazole in pharmaceutical dosage forms and human plasma. For comparative purposes high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode array and UV/VIS detection at 290.0 nm determination also was developed.