Terpenoid precursors of strigol as seed germination stimulants of broomrape (Orobanche ramosa) and witchweed (Striga asiatica)

Strigol and some of its synthetic precursors and analogs are known to be germination stimulants for broomrape (Orobanche ramosa) and witchweed (Striga asiatica). Fifteen synthetic terpenoids, similar in structure to one of the four rings of the strigol molecule, were evaluated in two bioassays as seed germination stimulants with broomrape, and nine were found to be active. Five of the more active compounds contained ester groups. Whereas the study was intended primarily to evaluate forced germination of broomrape by aqueous solutions, the results are almost qualitatively identical for broomrape and witchweed. Monocyclic compounds with chemical structures similar to two of the rings of strigol have now been shown to possess significant bioactivity as germination stimulants.Mention of a trademark, proprietary product, or vendor does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products or vendors that may also be suitable.     

Effect of oral contraceptives and some psychological factors on the menstrual experience

This study attempts to clarify the etiology of menstrual distress by using objective measures of menstration, enlightened statistical treatment and standardized measures of psychological factors. In addition to observing the traditionally associated psychological factors, measures of health locus of control, preventive health behavior and menstrual socialization (e,g., age at menarche) are included in order to assess the relevance of attitudes towards health. 57 women (mean age=23.5 years), 1/2 of whom (29) used an oral contraceptive, completed Moos' menstrual distress questionnaire at each of the 3 menstrual phases. In addition they kept menstrual diary cards for 50 days, recording days on which menstrual blood loss occurred. During an intermenstrual phase, they completed a general information questionnaire with questions on menstrual socialization and demographic variables; Eysenck's personality inventory; the multidimensional health locus of control scale; the Bem sex role inventory; and a measure of preventive health behavior. Analyses investigating the effects of pill use and psychological factors on the incidence and intensity of menstrual distress found few significant associations between these measures, especially when symptom changes over the menstrual cycle were the dependent variables. The results generally support the notion that menstruation is a negative event for most women (2/3 of the sample). Neuroticism was found to correlate with all the premenstrual MDQ scores except the positive aspect of increased arousal, with negative affect at both menstrual and intermenstrual phases, with menstrual pain and with intermenstrual concentration. The regression analyses indicate that changes in symptoms of menstrual distress over the menstrual cycle are not well predicted by the measures investigated in this study. Of the few significant associations noted, most are explicable in common sense terms. The more objective approach adopted in this study gives little support for a psychological etiology of distres. However, it also queries the appropriateness of a physiological explanation because of the limited differences found between pill users and nonusers. The inability of locus of control scores, menstrual socialization measures and a preventive health behavior measure to contribute to the definition of a woman at risk, suggests that distress is not related to an individual's general health concepts nor perceived control. 1 aspect not investigated in this study and a topic for future research is the role of a woman's expectations on her experience.     

Billingen (Lower Arenig/Lower Ordovician) acritarchs from the East European Platform and their palaeobiogeographic significance

Billingen (Lower Arenig/Lower Ordovician) sediments of the St. Petersburg region, northwest Russia and the Leba area, northern Poland of the East European Craton yield acritarch assemblages, which are largely homogenous though displaying minor compositional differences that probably reflect a gradient from inner to outer shelf environments. Comparison with coeval acritarch microflora from the Yangtze Platform, South China, shows an overall similarity between Baltoscandian and South Chinese phytoplankton. The widespread uniformity in the fossil microphytoplankton may be related to the extensive global 'evae' sea-level transgression, which characterized the Billingen time. This suggests that during the Tremadoc through early Arenig times, acritarch assemblages displayed essentially an undifferentiated cold-water and oceanic character along the whole margin of Perigondwana in the South, as well as on the South Chinese and Baltic platforms, at middle latitudes (Mediterranean oceanic Realm). Despite this overall similarity, however, some typical taxa of the high-latitude Mediterranean Province (Arbusculidium, Coryphidium and Striatotheca) occur in South China, but are absent in Baltica. This discrepancy is explained as caused by differences in climatic and physiographic conditions that prevailed at the two palaeocontinents at this time. The inferred pattern of oceanic circulation during the Lower Ordovician is consistent with the palynological evidence of a prevailing warmer climate in Baltica than in South China, although the two palaeocontinents occupied the same palaeolatitudinal position.     

Comparative activity of baculoviruses against the codling moth Cydia pomonella and three other tortricid pests of tree fruit

The granulovirus of Cydia pomonella (L.) (CpGV) offers potential for selective control of codling moth. Two major limitations of CpGV are its narrow host range and lack of persistence in the orchard agroecosystem. The nucleopolyhedroviruses of the alfalfa looper Autographa californica (Speyer) (AcMNPV) and those of the celery looper Anagrapha falcifera (Kirby) (AfMNPV) have broad host ranges. Comparative assays of CpGV, AcMNPV, and AfMNPV against codling moth neonate larvae revealed a 54-93-fold greater susceptibility of codling moth to the granulovirus than to the two nucleopolyhedroviruses based on the LC(50) values for each virus. The LC(50)s for CpGV, AfMNPV, and AcMNPV were 32.7 capsules/mm(2), 1.77 x 10(3) occlusion bodies (OBs)/mm(2), and 3.05 x 10(3)OBs/mm(2), respectively. The LT(50) determined for AfMNPV using an approximate LC(95) of the virus against neonate larvae was 3.6 days. Histological examination of tissues in moribund codling moth larvae that had been treated with AfMNPV revealed the presence of nonoccluded and unenveloped virus rods in midgut tissue. Neither OBs nor signs of infection were detected in other tissues. The activity of AfMNPV was also evaluated in three other tortricid apple pests (obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris); Pandemis leafroller, Pandemis pyrusana Kearfott; and the oriental fruit moth, Grapholitha molesta (Busck)). Codling and Oriental fruit moths were significantly more susceptible to AfMNPV than were the two leafroller species.     

Developmental implications of differential effects of calcium in tail and body skin of Anuran tadpoles

The effects of external Ca(++) on metamorphosis of Rana catesbeiana tadpoles were assessed. Treatment of tadpoles with Ca(++) (0.05 mM) during early prometamorphic stages induced precocious metamorphic events such as tail regression, shortening of the intestine, forelimb emergence, and keratinization of body epidermis within 23 days of treatment compared to control tadpoles still in mid-prometamorphic stages. These effects of Ca(++) are probably mediated by the thyroid gland, as indicated by histological features of the gland at the light and electron microscopic levels. Calcium levels of tail and body skin were measured at various stages of development by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In control and experimental groups, body skin had significantly higher Ca(++) concentrations than tail skin. There were no statistically significant effects of developmental stage on Ca(++) levels of tail or body skin. Experimental Ca(++) treatment significantly increased Ca(++) concentration in tail but not body skin. Ultrastructure studies and gel electrophoresis indicated that calcium induced keratinization of body skin, but not tail epidermis. Ca(++)-treated tail epidermis showed various autolysing figures in apoptotic cells. In summary, calcium treatment accelerated metamorphosis and induced the following region-dependent cellular events: keratinization of body skin-a characteristic of adult epidermis-and programmed cell death in the tail. Whatever signal elicited by calcium in this experimentally induced accelerated metamorphosis is probably mediated via the thyroid gland.     

Moving Toward Patient-Centered Care in Africa: A Discrete Choice Experiment of Preferences for Delivery Care among 3,003 Tanzanian Women

Objective

In order to develop patient-centered care we need to know what patients want and how changing socio-demographic factors shape their preferences.

Methods

We fielded a structured questionnaire that included a discrete choice experiment to investigate women’s preferences for place of delivery care in four rural districts of Pwani Region, Tanzania. The discrete choice experiment consisted of six attributes: kind treatment by the health worker, health worker medical knowledge, modern equipment and medicines, facility privacy, facility cleanliness, and cost of visit. Each woman received eight choice questions. The influence of potential supply- and demand- side factors on patient preferences was evaluated using mixed logit models.

Results

3,003 women participated in the discrete choice experiment (93% response rate) completing 23,947 choice tasks. The greatest predictor of health facility preference was kind treatment by doctor (β = 1.13, p<0.001), followed by having a doctor with excellent medical knowledge (β = 0.89 p<0.001) and modern medical equipment and drugs (β = 0.66 p<0.001). Preferences for all attributes except kindness and cost were changed with changes to education, primiparity, media exposure and distance to nearest hospital.

Conclusions

Care quality, both technical and interpersonal, was more important than clinic inputs such as equipment and cleanliness. These results suggest that while basic clinic infrastructure is necessary, it is not sufficient for provision of high quality, patient-centered care. There is an urgent need to build an adequate, competent, and kind health workforce to raise facility delivery and promote patient-centered care.     

Cyrtocrinids (Echinodermata,Crinoidea) from Upper Jurassic Štramberk‐type limestones in southern Poland

Abstract: A systematic account of highly diverse cyrtocrinid faunules from Upper Jurassic strata of ?tramberk type (Oxfordian–Tithonian) in southern Poland (Polish Carpathians) is presented. Fourteen taxa (Phyllocrinus malbosianus, Ph. stellaris, Ph. sp., Psalidocrinus armatus, Sclerocrinus compressus, S. polonicus sp. nov., Hemicrinus aff. kabanovi, Ancepsicrinus parvus gen. et sp. nov., Tetracrinus baumilleri sp. nov., Eugeniacrinites alexandrowiczi, E. cf. moravicus, E. sp., Eudesicrinus gluchowskii sp. nov. and Hemibrachiocrinus tithonicus sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Representatives of the genus Eudesicrinus, previously recorded only from the Lower Jurassic, are here shown to extend into the uppermost Jurassic. Other cyrtocrinids considered are common in Jurassic/Cretaceous strata across Europe. In the present faunules, isocrinid (Isocrinida), comatulid (Comatulida) and roveacrinid (Roveacrinida sensu Rasmussen, inclusive of Saccocoma) crinoids are associated.