Isoprene emissions influence herbivore feeding decisions

Isoprene (C(5)H(8), 2-methyl 1,3-butadiene) is synthesized and emitted by many, but not all, plants. Unlike other related volatile organic compounds (monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes), isoprene has not been shown to mediate plant-herbivore interactions. Here, for the first time, we show, in feeding choice tests using isoprene-emitting transgenic tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsun) and non-emitting azygous control plants, that isoprene deters Manduca sexta caterpillars from feeding. This avoidance behaviour was confirmed using an artificial (isoprene-emitting and non-emitting control) diet. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that isoprene can activate feeding avoidance behaviour in this system with a dose-response effect on caterpillar behaviour and an isoprene emission threshold level of <6 nmol m(-2) s(-1).     

An amino acid map of inter-residue contact energies using metric multi-dimensional scaling

We present an amino map based on their inter-residue contact energies using the Miyazawa-Jernigan matrix. This work is based on the method of metric multi-dimensional scaling (MMDS). The MMDS map shows, among other things, that the MJ contact energies imply the hydrophobic-hydrophilic nature of the amino acid residues. With the help of the map we are able to compare and draw inferences from uncorrelated data sets such as BLOSUM and PAM with MJ methods. We also use a hierarchical clustering method on our MMDS distance matrix to group the amino acids and arrive at an optimum number of groups for simplifying the amino acid set.     

Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics of Sugar Beet Plants Grown at an Increased Carbon Dioxide Concentration and at Various Nitrate Doses

Three-week-old sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) seedlings were grown for an additional four weeks under controlled conditions: in river sand watered with a modified Knop mixture containing one half-fold (0.5N), standard (1N), and or threefold (3N) nitrate amount, at the irradiance of 90 W/m² PAR, and at the carbon dioxide concentrations of 0.035% (1C treatment) or 0.07% (2C treatment). The increase in the carbon dioxide concentration and in the nitrogen dose resulted in an increase in the leaf area and the leaf and root dry weight per plant. With the increase in the nitrogen dose, morphological indices characterizing leaf growth increased more noticeably in 1C plants than in 2C plants. And vice versa, the effects of increased CO₂ concentration were reduced with the increase in the nitrogen dose. Roots responded to the changes in the CO₂ and nitrate concentrations otherwise than leaves. At a standard nitrate dose (1N), the contents of proteins and nonstructural carbohydrates (sucrose and starch) in leaves depended little on the CO₂ concentration. At a double CO₂ concentration, the content of chlorophyll somewhat decreased, and the net photosynthesis rate (P _n) calculated per leaf area unit increased. An increase in the nitrogen dose did not affect the leaf carbohydrate content of the 1C and 2C plants except the leaves of the 2C-3N plants, where the carbohydrate content decreased. In 1C and 2C plants, an increase in the nitrogen dose caused an increase in the protein and chlorophyll content. Specific P _n values somewhat decreased in 1C-0.5N plants and had hardly any dependence on the nitrate dose in the 2C plants. The carbohydrate content in roots did not depend on the CO₂ concentration, and the content was the highest at 0.5N. Characteristic nitrogen dose-independent acclimation of photosynthesis to an increased carbon dioxide concentration, which was postulated previously [1], was not observed in our experiments with sugar beet grown at doubled carbon dioxide concentration.     

Issues in Exposure and Dose Assessment for Epidemiology and Risk Assessment

Epidemiologic studies have been effective in identifying human environmental and occupational hazards. However, most epidemiologic data has been difficult to use in quantitative risk assessments because of the vague specification of exposure and dose. Toxicologic animal studies have used applied doses (quantities administered, or exposures with fixed duration) and well characterized end points to determine effects. However, direct use of animal data in human risk assessment has been limited by uncertainties in the extrapolation. The applied dose paradigm of toxicology is not suited for cross species extrapolation, nor for use in epidemiology as a dose metric because of the complexity of human exposures. Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling can estimate the time course of tissue concentrations in humans, given an exposure-time profile, and it has been used for extrapolating findings from animals to humans. It is proposed that human PBPK modeling can be used in appropriately designed epidemiologic studies to estimate tissue concentrations. Secondly, tissue time courses can be used to form dose metrics based on the type and time course of adverse effects. These dose metrics will strengthen the determination of epidemiologic dose-response relationships by reducing misclassification. Findings from this approach can be readily integrated into quantitative risk assessment.     

320排动态容积CT冠脉成像双低扫描的可行性研究

目的:通过与常规冠脉造影(Digital Signature Algorithm,DSA)对比评估双低扫描(低放射剂量,低造影剂量)方案在320排动态容积CT冠脉成像(coronary angiography with CT,CCTA)中应用的可行性。方法:选取2014年5月2015年8月完成CCTA双低扫描30例患者为双低组,双低组根据患者体重指数采取相应的管电压(BMI重指数采取相应的管电压(BMI≤25 kg/m~2:80 kv,25 kg/m~2BMI≤28 kg/m~2:100 kv,BMI〉28 kg/m~2:120 kv),造影剂浓度选用320 mg I/m L,接受0.6 m L/kg的对比剂;完成双低扫描的30例患者并在CCTA检查的前后两周内同时完成了DSA检查为对照组,另外完成CCTA常规扫描检查的30例患者为常规组,电压设置为常规使用的120 kv管电压,造影剂浓度选用370 mg I/m L,以及均接受造影剂的量为65 m L。结果:与DSA比较,CCTA对诊断冠脉狭窄的敏感性、特异性、阳性预测值、阴性预测值分别为91%、94%、92%、93%,在诊断冠脉狭窄方面没有明显统计差异;与常规扫描比较,CCTA有效辐射剂量降低了约62%。结论:应用双低扫描的CCTA检查具有与DSA几乎同样的图像诊断质量,有效辐射剂量有了大幅度减低。     

Beam and tissue factors affecting Cherenkov image intensity for quantitative entrance and exit dosimetry on human tissue

This study's goal was to determine how Cherenkov radiation emission observed in radiotherapy is affected by predictable factors expected in patient imaging. Factors such as tissue optical properties, radiation beam properties, thickness of tissues, entrance/exit geometry, curved surface effects, curvature and imaging angles were investigated through Monte Carlo simulations. The largest physical cause of variation of the correlation ratio between of Cherenkov emission and dose was the entrance/exit geometry (?50%). The largest human tissue effect was from different optical properties (?45%). Beyond these, clinical beam energy varies the correlation ratio significantly (?20% for X‐ray beams), followed by curved surfaces (?15% for X‐ray beams and ?8% for electron beams), and finally, the effect of field size (?5% for X‐ray beams). Other investigated factors which caused variations less than 5% were tissue thicknesses and source to surface distance. The effect of non‐Lambertian emission was negligible for imaging angles smaller than 60 degrees. The spectrum of Cherenkov emission tends to blue‐shift along the curved surface. A simple normalization approach based on the reflectance image was experimentally validated by imaging a range of tissue phantoms, as a first order correction for different tissue optical properties.

     

Synthesis and characterization of [Co(NO2)2(acac)(IMH2py)] with one-electron-reduced imino nitroxide radical associated with unusual displacement of acetylacetonate in the starting complex trans-Na[Co(NO2)2(acac)2]

A reaction of trans-Na[Co(NO₂)₂(acac)₂] with IM2py(2(2^′-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-1-oxyl) in methanol afforded trans-[Co(NO₂)₂(acac)(IMH2py)](IMH2py=1-hydroxyl-2(2^′-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole); one-electron reduction of the N-O radical moiety in IM2py and displacement of one of the two acac ligands with retention of two nitrito ligands in the starting complex during the reaction. This new complex was characterized by UV-Vis, ¹H NMR spectra and X-ray analysis.     

Variation of the prescription dose using the analytical anisotropic algorithm in lung stereotactic body radiation therapy

PurposeThe aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the dosimetric variation regarding the analytical anisotropic algorithm (AAA) relative to other algorithms in lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We conducted a multi-institutional study involving six institutions using a secondary check program and compared the AAA to the Acuros XB (AXB) in two institutions.MethodsAll lung SBRT plans (128 patients) were generated using the AAA, pencil beam convolution with the Batho (PBC-B) and adaptive convolve (AC). All institutions used the same secondary check program (simple MU analysis [SMU]) implemented by a Clarkson-based dose calculation algorithm. Measurement was performed in a heterogeneous phantom to compare doses using the three different algorithms and the SMU for the measurements. A retrospective analysis was performed to compute the confidence limit (CL; mean ± 2SD) for the dose deviation between the AAA, PBC, AC and SMU. The variations between the AAA and AXB were evaluated in two institutions, then the CL was acquired.ResultsIn comparing the measurements, the AAA showed the largest systematic dose error (3%). In calculation comparisons, the CLs of the dose deviation were 8.7 ± 9.9% (AAA), 4.2 ± 3.9% (PBC-B) and 5.7 ± 4.9% (AC). The CLs of the dose deviation between the AXB and the AAA were 1.8 ± 1.5% and −0.1 ± 4.4%, respectively, in the two institutions.ConclusionsThe CL of the AAA showed much larger variation than the other algorithms. Relative to the AXB, larger systematic and random deviations still appeared. Thus, care should be taken in the use of AAA for lung SBRT.