Sex pheromone components of female Cornutiplusia circumflexa

Capillary gas chromatography indicated the presence of (Z)-7-dodecenyl alcohol and (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate in the abdominal tip extracts of female Cornutiplusia circumflexa (L.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Plusiinae) moths. Gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry and dimethyl disulfide derivatization confirmed the structure of these two principal pheromone components. In a flight-tunnel bioassay, a 5:1 blend of alcohol and acetate elicited the complete courtship sequence by males. The response was comparable to that evoked by a live virgin female, but males spent significantly longer time at calling females than at the synthetic source. The 5:1 blend was also attractive to male C. circumflexa in the field, as indicated by catches in traps baited with this mixture. (Z)-7-dodecenyl alcohol alone was slightly attractive whereas (Z)-7-dodecenyl acetate alone was completely inactive. C. circumflexa is the first reported Plusiinae species which utilizes (Z)-7-dodecenyl alcohol as the major pheromone component.     

应用明胶凝集颗粒试验检测人群中T细胞白血病病毒抗体

曾毅等报道,应用间接免疫荧光法(IIF)检测了8,279份正常成年人血清标本,发现3例T细胞白血病病毒(HTLV)抗体阳性:一例马杨氏,丈夫是日本人(HTLV抗体也阳性),侨居南京46年;第二例是台湾籍妇女;第三例是位侨居北京的日本人。650份各类白血病病人血清中,一例成人T细胞白血病患者HTLV抗体阳性,此人是船员,常去日本。     

Evaluation of nongenotoxic and genotoxic factors modulating the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes in the peripheral blood of mice

The hematological micronucleus test is regarded as an indicator of the clastogenic effect of chemicals and acute cytogenetic damage. The test can be carried out in red blood cells of the bone marrow and of the spleen, as well as in peripheral erythrocytes. We have determined the precise background values of micronucleated red blood cells for the peripheral blood of BALB/c, DBA/2, and NMRI mice. Bleeding, phenylhydrazine-induced hemolysis, and splenectomy generated an increase of micronucleated erythrocytes in the peripheral blood of mice. Our data thus demonstrate that such factors should be taken into consideration when the micronucleus test is used for screening the genotoxic potential of chemicals. Furthermore, the micronucleus-inducing effect of cyclophosphamide was studied in normal and splenectomized mice and, in addition, a comparison of the sensitivity of the micronucleus test was carried out in peripheral blood and bone marrow after cyclophosphamide treatment. Our data demonstrate that the kinetics of micronucleus formation were similar in normal and in splenectomized mice in which the micronucleus levels had returned to normal. The comparison of micronucleus formation in bone marrow and peripheral blood after cyclophosphamide treatment revealed the generation of similar quantities of micronucleated red blood cells in both tissues. The physiological mechanisms of micronucleus formation and removal and the potential role of chemically induced spleen damage during this process are discussed; the usefulness of the peripheral micronucleus test as a simple, rapid, and animal-saving modification of the standard bone marrow test is evaluated.Abbreviations CP cyclophosphamide - MN micronuclei - MNCE micronucleated normochromatic erythrocytes - MNPCE micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes - MNRBC micronucleated red blood cells - NCE normochromatic erythrocytes - PCE polychromatic erythrocytes     

The prognostic value of the furosemide stress test in predicting delayed graft function following deceased donor kidney transplantation

Objectives and methods: The Furosemide Stress Test (FST) is a novel dynamic assessment of tubular function that has been shown in preliminary studies to predict patients who will progress to advanced stage acute kidney injury, including those who receive renal replacement therapy (RRT). The aim of this study is to investigate if the urinary response to a single intraoperative dose of intravenous furosemide predicts delayed graft function (DGF) in patients undergoing deceased donor kidney transplant.

Results: On an adjusted multiple logistic regression, a single 100?mg dose of intraoperative furosemide after the anastomosis of the renal vessels (FST) predicted the need for RRT at 2 and 6?h post kidney transplantation (KT). Recipient urinary output was measured at 2 and 6?h post furosemide administration. In receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the FST predicted DGF with an area-under-the curve of 0.85 at an optimal urinary output cut-off of <600 mls at 6?h with a sensitivity of and a specificity of 83% and 74%, respectively.

Conclusions: The FST is a predictor of DGF post kidney transplant and has the potential to identify patients requiring RRT early after KT.     

Sources of spontaneous mutagenesis in bacteria

Mutations in an organism’s genome can arise spontaneously, that is, in the absence of exogenous stress and prior to selection. Mutations are often neutral or deleterious to individual fitness but can also provide genetic diversity driving evolution. Mutagenesis in bacteria contributes to the already serious and growing problem of antibiotic resistance. However, the negative impacts of spontaneous mutagenesis on human health are not limited to bacterial antibiotic resistance. Spontaneous mutations also underlie tumorigenesis and evolution of drug resistance. To better understand the causes of genetic change and how they may be manipulated in order to curb antibiotic resistance or the development of cancer, we must acquire a mechanistic understanding of the major sources of mutagenesis. Bacterial systems are particularly well-suited to studying mutagenesis because of their fast growth rate and the panoply of available experimental tools, but efforts to understand mutagenic mechanisms can be complicated by the experimental system employed. Here, we review our current understanding of mutagenic mechanisms in bacteria and describe the methods used to study mutagenesis in bacterial systems.     

Prevalence of Helicobacter pylori among Alaskans: Factors associated with infection and comparison of urea breath test and anti‐Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies

Background

Helicobacter pylori is one of the most common human infections in the world, and studies in Alaska Native people, as well as other Indigenous peoples, have shown a high prevalence of this gastric infection. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of H. pylori infection by urea breath test (UBT) and anti‐ H. pylori IgG among Alaskans living in four regions of the state and to identify factors associated with infection.

Methods

A convenience sample of persons > 6 months old living in five rural and one urban Alaskan community were recruited from 1996 to 1997. Participants were asked about factors possibly associated with infection. Sera were collected and tested for anti‐ H. pylori IgG antibodies; a UBT was administered to participants > 5 years old.

Results

We recruited 710 people of whom 571 (80%) were Alaska Native and 467 (66%) were from rural communities. Rural residents were more likely to be Alaska Native compared with urban residents (P < .001). Of the 710 people, 699 (98%) had a serum sample analyzed, and 634 (97%) persons > 5 years old had a UBT performed. H. pylori prevalence was 69% by UBT and 68% by anti‐ H. pylori IgG. Among those with a result for both tests, there was 94% concordance. Factors associated with H. pylori positivity were Alaska Native racial status, age ≥ 20 years, rural region of residence, living in a crowded home, and drinking water that was not piped or delivered.

Conclusions

Helicobacter pylori prevalence is high in Alaska, especially in Alaska Native persons and rural residents. Concordance between UBT and serology was also high in this group. Two socioeconomic factors, crowding and drinking water that was not piped or delivered, were found to be associated with H. pylori positivity.     

Fluid-structure interaction simulation of artificial textile reinforced aortic heart valve: Validation with an in-vitro test

Prosthetic heart valves deployed in the left heart (aortic and mitral) are subjected to harsh hemodynamical conditions. Most of the tissue engineered heart valves have been developed for the low pressure pulmonary position because of the difficulties in fabricating a mechanically strong valve, able to withstand the systemic circulation. This necessitates the use of reinforcing scaffolds, resulting in a tissue-engineered textile reinforced tubular aortic heart valve. Therefore, to better design these implants, material behaviour of the composite, valve kinematics and its hemodynamical response need to be evaluated. Experimental assessment can be immensely time consuming and expensive, paving way for numerical studies. In this work, the material properties obtained using the previously proposed multi-scale numerical method for textile composites was evaluated for its accuracy. An in silico immersed boundary (IB) fluid structure interaction (FSI) simulation emulating the in vitro experiment was set-up to evaluate and compare the geometric orifice area and flow rate for one beat cycle. Results from the in silico FSI simulation were found to be in good coherence with the in vitro test during the systolic phase, while mean deviation of approximately 9% was observed during the diastolic phase of a beat cycle. Merits and demerits of the in silico IB-FSI method for the presented case study has been discussed with the advantages outweighing the drawbacks, indicating the potential towards an effective use of this framework in the development and analysis of heart valves.