Japanese barberry seed predation by Rhagoletis meigenii fruit flies harboring Wolbachia endosymbionts

The phytophagous fruit fly Rhagoletis meigenii harbors the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis and, together with Japanese barberry, form a tri-partite symbiosis. R. meigenii is a seed predator of invasive Japanese barberry plants and is dependent on this insect-plant interaction for reproductive success. The endosymbiotic bacterium W. pipientis is a reproductive parasite known to alter the sex ratios of offspring and the fitness of infected host insects. We investigated Japanese barberry fruit for the degree of infestation by R. meigenii and characterized the Wolbachia strain infecting R. meigenii. Densities of R. meigenii in four naturalized stands of Japanese barberry revealed low numbers of fruit flies with high variability in the population densities observed among individual plants. Overall, R. meigenii infested roughly 10–20 % of the Japanese barberry fruits analyzed; fruit with two seeds (vs. one seed) were the most frequently infested. Approximately, 90 % of the R. meigenii tested positive for Wolbachia infection via PCR amplification of the Wolbachia surface protein (wsp) gene. No bacterial strain diversity was observed when comparing multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) profiles within or among five R. meigenii populations in Maine, although the MLST profile obtained from R. meigenii differed from three co-occurring Rhagoletis. The Wolbachia endosymbiont of R. meigenii is a member of the Wolbachia supergroup A and the ST-13 cluster complex.     

Chlorobium limicola forma thiosulfatophilum: Biocatalyst in the Production of Sulfur and Organic Carbon from a Gas Stream Containing H2S and CO2

Chlorobium limicola forma thiosulfatophilum (ATCC 17092) was grown in a 1-liter continuously stirred tank reactor (800-ml liquid volume) at pH 6.8, 30°C, saturated light intensity, and a gas flow rate of 23.6 ml/min from a gas cylinder blend consisting of 3.9 mol% H₂S, 9.2 mol% CO₂, 86.4 mol% N₂, and 0.5 mol% H₂. This is the first demonstration of photoautotrophic growth of a Chlorobium sp. on a continuous inorganic gas feed. A significant potential exists for applying this photoautotrophic process to desulfurization and CO₂ fixation of gases containing acidic components (H₂S and CO₂).     

Interference by Trypsin in the Interaction of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B and Cell Cultures of Human Embryonic Intestine

The inhibitory effect of trypsin on the cytotoxicity of staphylococcal enterotoxin B acting with human embryonic intestine cell cultures was examined. Trypsin treatment of the cells rendered them resistant to enterotoxin for a period of 48 hr. The resistance increased proportionally with increased time of exposure of the cells to trypsin. Neither ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid nor scraping, which were used as alternate means of cell suspension, caused any resistance to the toxin. The effect is enzymatic and appears to be similar to the inhibitory action of trypsin and chymotrypsin on the attachment of polioviruses and coxsackieviruses to HeLa cells.     

SSCP analysis of the tyrosine kinase domain of the insulin receptor gene: Polymorphisms detected in South African black and white subjects

The frequency of DNA polymorphisms in the tyrosine kinase domain (exons 17–21) of the insulin receptor gene was assessed in 30 black and 30 white South Africans, using single-stranded conformation polymorphism and direct sequencing analysis. A comparison of the frequencies of the normal versus the combined polymorphic alleles, found only in exon 17, showed a significant difference between black and white groups (P = 0.037). Received: 25 May 1995 / Revised: 1 September 1995     

Combining industrial ecology tools to assess potential greenhouse gas reductions of a circular economy: Method development and application to Switzerland

Industrial ecology (IE) methodologies, such as input/output or material flow analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA), are often used for the environmental evaluation of circular economy strategies. Up to now, an approach that utilizes these methods in a systematic, integrated framework for a holistic assessment of a geographic region's sustainable circular economy potential has been lacking. The approach developed in this study (IE4CE approach) combines IE methodologies to determine the environmental impact mitigation potential of circular economy strategies for a defined geographic region. The approach foresees five steps. First, input/output analysis helps identify sectors with high environmental impacts. Second, a refined analysis is conducted using material flow and LCA. In step 3, circular strategies are used for scenario design and evaluated in step 4. In step 5, the assessment results are compiled and compared across sectors. The approach was applied to a case study of Switzerland, analyzing 8 sectors and more than 30 scenarios in depth. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) from waste incineration, biogas and cement production, food waste prevention in households, hospitality and production, and the increased recycling of plastics had the highest mitigation potential. Most of the scenarios do not influence each other. One exception is the CCS scenarios: waste avoidance scenarios decrease the reduction potential of CCS. A combination of scenarios from different sectors, including their impact on the CCS scenario potential, led to an environmental impact mitigation potential of 11.9 Mt CO₂-eq for 2050, which equals 14% of Switzerland's current consumption-based impacts.     

The SF36 health survey questionnaire: an outcome measure suitable for routine use within the NHS?

OBJECTIVE--To assess the validity, reliability, and acceptability of the short form 36 (SF 36) health survey questionnaire (a shortened version of a battery of 149 health status questions) as a measure of patient outcome in a broad sample of patients suffering from four common clinical conditions. DESIGN--Postal questionnaire, followed up by two reminders at two week intervals. SETTING--Clinics and four training practices in north east Scotland. SUBJECTS--Over 1700 patients aged 16-86 with one of four conditions--low back pain, menorrhagia, suspected peptic ulcer, or varicose veins--and a comparison sample of 900 members of the general population. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--The eight scales within the SF36 health profile. RESULTS--The response rate exceeded 75% in the patient population (1310 respondents). The SF36 satisfied rigorous psychometric criteria for validity and internal consistency. Clinical validity was shown by the distinctive profiles generated for each condition, each of which differed from that in the general population in a predictable manner. Furthermore, SF36 scores were lower in referred patients than in patients not referred and were closely related to general practitioners'' perceptions of severity. CONCLUSIONS--These results provide support for the SF36 as a potential measure of patient outcome within the NHS. The SF36 seems acceptable to patients, internally consistent, and a valid measure of the health status of a wide range of patients. Before it can be used in the new health service, however, its sensitivity to changes in health status over time must also be tested.     

Antiproliferative Activity and Ultrastructural Changes in Promastigote and Amastigote forms of Leishmania amazonensis Caused by Limonene-Acylthiosemicarbazide Hybrids

Leishmaniasis is a tropical zoonotic disease. It is found in 98 countries, with an estimated 1.3 million people being affected annually. During the life cycle, the Leishmania parasite alternates between promastigote and amastigote forms. The first line treatment for leishmaniasis are the pentavalent antimonials, such as N-methylglucamine antimoniate (Glucantime®) and sodium stibogluconate (Pentostam®). These drugs are commonly related to be associated with dangerous side effects such as cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, and pancreatitis. Considering these aspects, this work aimed to obtain a new series of limonene-acylthiosemicarbazides hybrids as an alternative for the treatment of leishmaniasis. For this, promastigotes, axenic amastigotes, and intracellular amastigotes of Leishmania amazonensis were used in the antiproliferative assay; J774-A1 macrophages for the cytotoxicity assay; and electron microscopy techniques were performed to analyze the morphology and ultrastructure of parasites. ATZ−S-04 compound showed the best result in both tests. Its IC₅₀, in promastigotes, axenic amastigotes and intracellular amastigotes was 0.35±0.08 μM, 0.49±0.06 μM, and 15.90±2.88 μM, respectively. Cytotoxicity assay determined a CC₅₀ of 16.10±1.76 μM for the same compound. By electron microscopy, it was observed that ATZ−S-04 affected mainly the Golgi complex, in addition to morphological changes in promastigote forms of L. amazonensis.