Effect of trichome density on soybean pod feeding by adult bean leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

The role of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, pod trichomes on feeding by adult bean leaf beetles. Cerotoma trifurcata (Forster), was evaluated under laboratory and field conditions during 1997 and 1998. Three Clark isolines and 'Corsoy 79' were used to compare the feeding preference of the beetle on pods with different trichome densities. The three Clark isolines, including densely pubescent, sparsely pubescent, and glabrous, were isogenic except for trichome density. The trichome densities on the pods of Clark densely pubescent, Clark sparsely pubescent, and Corsoy 79 were significantly different. In no-choice tests, under both laboratory and field conditions, the feeding on pods of Clark densely pubescent was significantly lower than that on the other isolines. In the choice test of Corsoy 79 conducted in the laboratory and field, when the trichomes on one of the two pods were shaven off, the feeding on the shaven pods was significantly higher than that of the intact ones. In the choice test among Clark isolines under laboratory condition, the result was significant, with the lowest feeding on the densely pubescent pods. This study demonstrates that densely pubescent soybean has the potential to resist bean leaf beetle feeding on pods.     

Discrimination of Multiple [3H]5-Hydroxytryptamine Binding Sites by the Neuroleptic Spiperone in Rat Brain

Certain neuroleptic drugs, such as spiperone and (+) butaclamol, can discriminate between two populations of [³H]5-hydroxytryptamine ([³H]5-HT) binding sites in rat brain. The butyrophenone neuroleptic spiperone shows the greatest selectivity for these two binding sites, having at least a 3000-fold difference between its dissociation constants (2-12 nM versus 35,000 nM) for the high- and low-affinity sites, respectively. Inhibition of [³H]5-HT binding by spiperone in rat frontal cortex and corpus striatum yields distinctly biphasic inhibition curves with Hill slopes significantly less than unity. Results from nonlinear regression analysis of these inhibition studies were consistent with a two-site model in each brain region. In the frontal cortex the high-affinity neuroleptic sites comprised about 60% of the total [^3/H]5-HT binding sites whereas in the corpus striatum they accounted for only 20% of the sites. Furthermore, saturation studies of [³H]5-HT binding assayed in the absence or presence of 1 μM-spiperone (a concentration that completely blocks the high-affinity site while having minimal activity at the low-affinity site) reveal a parallel shift in the Scatchard plot with no change in the dissociation constant of [³H]5-HT, but a significant decrease (64% in frontal cortex or 28% in corpus striatum) in the number of specific binding sites. These observations are consistent with the existence of at least two populations of [³H]5-HT binding sites having a differential regional distribution in rat brain.     

Elevated oxidative stress in models of normal brain aging and Alzheimer's disease

Age-associated neurodegenerative disorders are becoming more prevalent as the mean age of the population increases in the United States over the next few decades. Both normal brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are associated with oxidative stress. Our laboratory has used a wide variety of physical and biochemical methods to investigate free radical oxidative stress in several models of aging and AD. Beta-amyloid (A beta), the peptide that constitutes the central core of senile plaques in AD brain, is associated with free radical oxidative stress and is toxic to neurons. This review summarizes some of our studies in aging and A beta-associated free radical oxidative stress and on the modulating effects of free radical scavengers on neocortical synaptosomal membrane damage found in aging and A beta-treated systems.     

Suitability of transgenic glyphosate-resistant soybeans to green cloverworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Host plant suitability to green cloverworm, Hypena scabra (F.), was evaluated on two conventional soybean varieties (Stine 2499-0 and 2972-2) and two RoundUp Ready Soybeans (Stine 2506-4 and 2892-4) with and without exposure to glyphosate. No differences among treatments were detected on developmental time and survivorship. Developmental time from first instar to adult ranged from 24.7 to 25.5 d, and survivorship ranged from 86 to 96%. No sex bias was observed among treatments (proportion of females ranged from 0.41 to 0.50). Morphological differences were observed between sexes; males had a longer and wider thorax, longer wings, and longer body. Females had longer and wider abdomens. Although treatments did not affect size (calculated with principal component analyses), significant differences were observed between males and females. These results suggest that soybean genetic differences (between conventional varieties and analogous transgenic varieties) or plant stress (induced by glyphosate metabolization) do not affect the plant suitability to H. scabra.     

Effects of weed management systems on canopy insects in herbicide-resistant soybeans

The effects of transgenic herbicide-resistant soybean varieties and their corresponding weed management strategies on canopy insects were examined in studies at two locations in Iowa in 1997 and 1998. Weed management systems that allowed more weed escapes typically had higher insect population densities. However, systems with fewer weeds seemingly were preferred by potato leafhoppers. Bean leaf beetles and potato leafhoppers showed preferences for certain soybean varieties, but these effects were attributed to soybean plant height. These findings indicate that although the transgenic soybean varieties did not strongly affect insect populations, weed management systems can affect insect populations in soybean. However, this impact is likely related more to weed suppression effectiveness than to a direct effect of the herbicides on the insects.     

Control of stem cell fate by engineering their micro and nanoenvironment

Stem cells are capable of long-term self-renewal and differentiation into specialised cell types, making them an ideal candidate for a cell source for regenerative medicine. The control of stem cell fate has become a major area of interest in the field of regenerative medicine and therapeutic intervention. Conventional methods of chemically inducing stem cells into specific lineages is being challenged by the advances in biomaterial technology, with evidence highlighting that material properties are capable of driving stem cell fate. Materials are being designed to mimic the clues stem cells receive in their in vivo stem cell niche including topographical and chemical instructions. Nanotopographical clues that mimic the extracellular matrix(ECM) in vivo have shown to regulate stem cell differentiation. The delivery of ECM components on biomaterials in the form of short peptides sequences has also proved successful in directing stem cell lineage. Growth factors responsible for controlling stem cell fate in vivo have also been delivered via biomaterials to provide clues to determine stem cell differentiation. An alternative approach to guide stem cells fate is to provide genetic clues including delivering DNA plasmids and small interfering RNAs via scaffolds. This review, aims to provide an overview of the topographical, chemical and molecular clues that biomaterials can provide to guide stem cell fate. The promising features and challenges of such approaches will be highlighted, to provide directions for future advancements in this exciting area of stem cell translation for regenerative medicine.     

Level of daily physical activity in individuals with COPD compared with healthy controls

Background

Persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), performing some level of regular physical activity, have a lower risk of both COPD-related hospital admissions and mortality. COPD patients of all stages seem to benefit from exercise training programs, thereby improving with respect to both exercise tolerance and symptoms of dyspnea and fatigue. Physical inactivity, which becomes more severe with increasing age, is a point of concern in healthy older adults. COPD might worsen this scenario, but it is unclear to what degree. This literature review aims to present the extent of the impact of COPD on objectively-measured daily physical activity (DPA). The focus is on the extent of the impact that COPD has on duration, intensity, and counts of DPA, as well as whether the severity of the disease has an additional influence on DPA.

Results

A literature review was performed in the databases PubMed [MEDLINE], Picarta, PEDRO, ISI Web of Knowledge and Google scholar. After screening, 11 studies were identified as being relevant for comparison between COPD patients and healthy controls with respect to duration, intensity, and counts of DPA. Four more studies were found to be relevant to address the subject of the influence the severity of the disease may have on DPA. The average percentage of DPA of COPD patients vs. healthy control subjects for duration was 57%, for intensity 75%, and for activity counts 56%. Correlations of DPA and severity of the disease were low and/or not significant.

Conclusions

From the results of this review, it appears that patients with COPD have a significantly reduced duration, intensity, and counts of DPA when compared to healthy control subjects. The intensity of DPA seems to be less affected by COPD than duration and counts. Judging from the results, it seems that severity of COPD is not strongly correlated with level of DPA. Future research should focus in more detail on the relation between COPD and duration, intensity, and counts of DPA, as well as the effect of disease severity on DPA, so that these relations become more understandable.