Sky compass orientation in desert locusts – evidence from field and laboratory studies

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Uwe eHomberg

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Locusts are long-range migratory insects. At high population density, immature animals form marching hopper bands while adults take off and form huge swarms of millions of animals. At low population densities animals are solitarious, but likewise migrate, mostly during the night. Numerous studies aimed at predicting locust infestations showed that migrations both as hopper bands and as adults are largely downwind following seasonal shifts of the tropical convergence zone taking the animals to areas of rainfall. Only a few studies provided evidence for active orientation mechanisms, including the involvement of a sun compass. This scarcity of evidence stands in contrast to recent neurobiological data showing sophisticated neuronal adaptations suited for sky compass navigation. These include a special dorsal eye region with photoreceptors suited to analyze the polarization pattern of the sky and a system of topographically arranged sky compass neurons in the central complex of the brain. Laboratory experiments, moreover, demonstrated polarotaxis in tethered flying animals. The discrepancy of these findings call for more rigorous field studies on active orientation mechanisms in locusts. It remains to be shown how locusts use their internal sky compass during mass migrations and what role it plays to guide solitarious locusts in their natural habitat.

De novo analysis of transcriptome dynamics in the migratory locust during the development of phase traits.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuang Chen

Full Text Available Locusts exhibit remarkable density-dependent phenotype (phase changes from the solitary to the gregarious, making them one of the most destructive agricultural pests. This phenotype polyphenism arises from a single genome and diverse transcriptomes in different conditions. Here we report a de novo transcriptome for the migratory locust and a comprehensive, representative core gene set. We carried out assembly of 21.5 Gb Illumina reads, generated 72,977 transcripts with N50 2,275 bp and identified 11,490 locust protein-coding genes. Comparative genomics analysis with eight other sequenced insects was carried out to identify the genomic divergence between hemimetabolous and holometabolous insects for the first time and 18 genes relevant to development was found. We further utilized the quantitative feature of RNA-seq to measure and compare gene expression among libraries. We first discovered how divergence in gene expression between two phases progresses as locusts develop and identified 242 transcripts as candidates for phase marker genes. Together with the detailed analysis of deep sequencing data of the 4(th instar, we discovered a phase-dependent divergence of biological investment in the molecular level. Solitary locusts have higher activity in biosynthetic pathways while gregarious locusts show higher activity in environmental interaction, in which genes and pathways associated with regulation of neurotransmitter activities, such as neurotransmitter receptors, synthetase, transporters, and GPCR signaling pathways, are strongly involved. Our study, as the largest de novo transcriptome to date, with optimization of sequencing and assembly strategy, can further facilitate the application of de novo transcriptome. The locust transcriptome enriches genetic resources for hemimetabolous insects and our understanding of the origin of insect metamorphosis. Most importantly, we identified genes and pathways that might be involved in locust development

Comparison the biodiversity of hardwood floodplain forests and black locust forests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazalova, D.

2015-01-01

The introduction of non-native species starts in the context of global changes in the world. These nonnative species, that have come to our country, whether intentionally or unintentionally, are responsible for the loss of biodiversity, changes in trophic levels and in nutrient cycle, hydrology, hybridizations, and at last could have an impact on the economy. The species black locust (Robinia pseudoaccacia) was introduced to Europe in 1601, first for horticultural purposes, and later broke into forestry. However, due to its ability to effectively spread the vegetative and generative root sprouts seeds and without the presence of natural pest may be occurrence of black locust in European forests highly questionable. Primarily we tried to identify differences in species composition and biodiversity among indigenous hardwood floodplain forest and non-native black locust forest based on numerical methods. In the results we were able to demonstrate more biodiversity in hardwood floodplain forests. (authors)

Time-varying span efficiency through the wingbeat of desert locusts.

Science.gov (United States)

Henningsson, Per; Bomphrey, Richard J

2012-06-07

The flight performance of animals depends greatly on the efficacy with which they generate aerodynamic forces. Accordingly, maximum range, load-lifting capacity and peak accelerations during manoeuvres are all constrained by the efficiency of momentum transfer to the wake. Here, we use high-speed particle image velocimetry (1 kHz) to record flow velocities in the near wake of desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria, Forskål). We use the measured flow fields to calculate time-varying span efficiency throughout the wing stroke cycle. The locusts are found to operate at a maximum span efficiency of 79 per cent, typically at a plateau of about 60 per cent for the majority of the downstroke, but at lower values during the upstroke. Moreover, the calculated span efficiencies are highest when the largest lift forces are being generated (90% of the total lift is generated during the plateau of span efficiency) suggesting that the combination of wing kinematics and morphology in locust flight perform most efficiently when doing the most work.

Acute and chronic gregarisation are associated with distinct DNA methylation fingerprints in desert locusts.

Science.gov (United States)

Mallon, Eamonn B; Amarasinghe, Harindra E; Ott, Swidbert R

2016-10-18

Desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) show a dramatic form of socially induced phenotypic plasticity known as phase polyphenism. In the absence of conspecifics, locusts occur in a shy and cryptic solitarious phase. Crowding with conspecifics drives a behavioural transformation towards gregariousness that occurs within hours and is followed by changes in physiology, colouration and morphology, resulting in the full gregarious phase syndrome. We analysed methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphisms (MS-AFLP) to compare the effect of acute and chronic crowding on DNA methylation in the central nervous system. We find that crowd-reared and solitary-reared locusts show markedly different neural MS-AFLP fingerprints. However, crowding for a day resulted in neural MS-AFLP fingerprints that were clearly distinct from both crowd-reared and uncrowded solitary-reared locusts. Our results indicate that changes in DNA methylation associated with behavioural gregarisation proceed through intermediate states that are not simply partial realisations of the endpoint states.

A locust-inspired miniature jumping robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaitsev, Valentin; Gvirsman, Omer; Ben Hanan, Uri; Weiss, Avi; Ayali, Amir; Kosa, Gabor

2015-11-25

Unmanned ground vehicles are mostly wheeled, tracked, or legged. These locomotion mechanisms have a limited ability to traverse rough terrain and obstacles that are higher than the robot's center of mass. In order to improve the mobility of small robots it is necessary to expand the variety of their motion gaits. Jumping is one of nature's solutions to the challenge of mobility in difficult terrain. The desert locust is the model for the presented bio-inspired design of a jumping mechanism for a small mobile robot. The basic mechanism is similar to that of the semilunar process in the hind legs of the locust, and is based on the cocking of a torsional spring by wrapping a tendon-like wire around the shaft of a miniature motor. In this study we present the jumping mechanism design, and the manufacturing and performance analysis of two demonstrator prototypes. The most advanced jumping robot demonstrator is power autonomous, weighs 23 gr, and is capable of jumping to a height of 3.35 m, covering a distance of 1.37 m.

Preventing desert locust plagues: optimizing management interventions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huis, van A.; Cressman, K.; Magor, J.I.

2007-01-01

Solitarious desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), inhabit the central, arid, and semi-arid parts of the species¿ invasion area in Africa, the Middle East, and South-West Asia. Their annual migration circuit takes them downwind to breed sequentially where winter,

A case study of the Australian Plague Locust Commission and environmental due diligence: why mere legislative compliance is no longer sufficient for environmentally responsible locust control in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Story, Paul G; Walker, Paul W; McRae, Heath; Hamilton, John G

2005-07-01

The Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC) manages locust populations across 2 million square kilometers of eastern Australia using the aerial application of chemical and biological control agents to protect agricultural production. This occurs via a preventative control strategy involving ultralow-volume spray equipment to distribute small droplets of control agent over a target area. The economic costs of, and potential gains stemming from, locust control are well documented. The application of insecticides, however, to fragile arid and semiarid ecosystems is a task that brings with it both real and perceived environmental issues. The APLC is proactive in addressing these issues through a combination of targeted environmental operational research, an ISO-14001-aligned Environmental Management System (EMS), and links with environmental regulatory and research institutions. Increasing due diligence components within Australian environmental legislation dictate that mere legislative compliance is no longer sufficient for industries to ensure that they meet their environmental obligations. The development of external research links and the formulation of an EMS for locust control have enabled the APLC to identify environmental issues and trends, quantify objective environmental targets and strategies, and facilitate continuous improvement in its environmental performance, while maintaining stakeholder support. This article outlines the environmental issues faced by the APLC, the research programs in place to address these issues, and the procedures in place to incorporate research findings into the organization's operational structure.

Discontinuous gas-exchange cycle characteristics are differentially affected by hydration state and energy metabolism in gregarious and solitary desert locusts.

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Talal, Stav; Ayali, Amir; Gefen, Eran

2015-12-01

The termination of discontinuous gas exchange cycles (DGCs) in severely dehydrated insects casts doubt on the generality of the hygric hypothesis, which posits that DGCs evolved as a water conservation mechanism. We followed DGC characteristics in the two density-dependent phases of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria throughout exposure to an experimental treatment of combined dehydration and starvation stress, and subsequent rehydration. We hypothesized that, under stressful conditions, the more stress-resistant gregarious locusts would maintain DGCs longer than solitary locusts. However, we found no phase-specific variations in body water content, water loss rates (total and respiratory) or timing of stress-induced abolishment of DGCs. Likewise, locusts of both phases re-employed DGCs after ingesting comparable volumes of water when rehydrated. Despite comparable water management performances, the effect of exposure to stressful experimental conditions on DGC characteristics varied significantly between gregarious and solitary locusts. Interburst duration, which is affected by the ability to buffer CO2, was significantly reduced in dehydrated solitary locusts compared with gregarious locusts. Moreover, despite similar rehydration levels, only gregarious locusts recovered their initial CO2 accumulation capacity, indicating that cycle characteristics are affected by factors other than haemolymph volume. Haemolymph protein measurements and calculated respiratory exchange ratios suggest that catabolism of haemolymph proteins may contribute to a reduced haemolymph buffering capacity, and thus a compromised ability for CO2 accumulation, in solitary locusts. Nevertheless, DGC was lost at similar hydration states in the two phases, suggesting that DGCs are terminated as a result of inadequate oxygen supply to the tissues. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Environmental controls on sap flow in black locust forest in Loess Plateau, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Changkun; Luo, Yi; Shao, Mingan; Li, Xiangdong; Sun, Lin; Jia, Xiaoxu

2017-10-13

Black locust accounts for over 90% of artificial forests in China's Loess Plateau region. However, water use of black locust is an uphill challenge for this semi-arid region. To accurately quantify tree water use and to explain the related hydrological processes, it is important to collect reliable data for application in the estimation of sap flow and its response to environmental factors. This study measured sap flow in black locust in the 2015 and 2016 growth seasons using the thermal dissipation probes technique and laboratory-calibrated Granier's equation. The study showed that the laboratory calibrated coefficient α was much larger than the original value presented by Granier, while the coefficient β was similar to the original one. The average daily transpiration was 2.1 mm day -1 for 2015 and 1.6 mm day -1 for 2016. Net solar radiation (Rn) was the key meteorological factor controlling sap flow, followed by vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and then temperature (T). VPD had a threshold control on sap flow at threshold values of 1.9 kPa for 2015 and 1.6 kPa for 2016. The effects of diurnal hysteresis of Rn, VPD and T on sap flow were evident, indicating that black locust water use was conservative.

An experimental evolution study confirms that discontinuous gas exchange does not contribute to body water conservation in locusts.

Science.gov (United States)

Talal, Stav; Ayali, Amir; Gefen, Eran

2016-12-01

The adaptive nature of discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) in insects is contentious. The classic 'hygric hypothesis', which posits that DGE serves to reduce respiratory water loss (RWL), is still the best supported. We thus focused on the hygric hypothesis in this first-ever experimental evolution study of any of the competing adaptive hypotheses. We compared populations of the migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) that underwent 10 consecutive generations of selection for desiccation resistance with control populations. Selected locusts survived 36% longer under desiccation stress but DGE prevalence did not differ between these and control populations (approx. 75%). Evolved changes in DGE properties in the selected locusts included longer cycle and interburst durations. However, in contrast with predictions of the hygric hypothesis, these changes were not associated with reduced RWL rates. Other responses observed in the selected locusts were higher body water content when hydrated and lower total evaporative water loss rates. Hence, our data suggest that DGE cycle properties in selected locusts are a consequence of an evolved increased ability to store water, and thus an improved capacity to buffer accumulated CO 2 , rather than an adaptive response to desiccation. We conclude that DGE is unlikely to be an evolutionary response to dehydration challenge in locusts. © 2016 The Author(s).

Rapid behavioural gregarization in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria entails synchronous changes in both activity and attraction to conspecifics.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Stephen M; Cullen, Darron A; Anstey, Michael L; Burrows, Malcolm; Despland, Emma; Dodgson, Tim; Matheson, Tom; Ott, Swidbert R; Stettin, Katja; Sword, Gregory A; Simpson, Stephen J

2014-06-01

Desert Locusts can change reversibly between solitarious and gregarious phases, which differ considerably in behaviour, morphology and physiology. The two phases show many behavioural differences including both overall levels of activity and the degree to which they are attracted or repulsed by conspecifics. Solitarious locusts perform infrequent bouts of locomotion characterised by a slow walking pace, groom infrequently and actively avoid other locusts. Gregarious locusts are highly active with a rapid walking pace, groom frequently and are attracted to conspecifics forming cohesive migratory bands as nymphs and/or flying swarms as adults. The sole factor driving the onset of gregarization is the presence of conspecifics. In several previous studies concerned with the mechanism underlying this transformation we have used an aggregate measure of behavioural phase state, Pgreg, derived from logistic regression analysis, which combines and weights several behavioural variables to characterise solitarious and gregarious behaviour. Using this approach we have analysed the time course of behavioural change, the stimuli that induce gregarization and the key role of serotonin in mediating the transformation. Following a recent critique that suggested that using Pgreg may confound changes in general activity with genuine gregarization we have performed a meta-analysis examining the time course of change in the individual behaviours that we use to generate Pgreg. We show that the forced crowding of solitarious locusts, tactile stimulation of the hind femora, and the short-term application of serotonin each induce concerted changes in not only locomotion-related variables but also grooming frequency and attraction to other locusts towards those characteristic of long-term gregarious locusts. This extensive meta-analysis supports and extends our previous conclusions that solitarious locusts undergo a rapid behavioural gregarization upon receiving appropriate stimulation for

Hydroponic screening of black locust families for heavy metal tolerance and accumulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Župunski, Milan; Borišev, Milan; Orlović, Saša; Arsenov, Danijela; Nikolić, Nataša; Pilipović, Andrej; Pajević, Slobodanka

2016-01-01

Present work examines phytoextraction potential of four black locust families (half-sibs 54, 56, 115, and 135) grown hydroponically. Plants were treated with 6 ppm of cadmium (Cd), 100 ppm of nickel (Ni), and 40 ppm of lead (Pb) added in Hoagland nutrient solution, accompanying with simultaneously applied all three metals. Responses to metals exposure among families were different, ranging from severe to slight reduction of root and shoot biomass production of treated plants. Calculated tolerance indices are indicating tested families as highly tolerant (Ti > 60). Family 135 had the lowest tolerance index, pointing that it was highly susceptible to applied metals. Comparing photosynthetic activities of tested families it has been noticed that they were highly sensitive to stress induced by heavy metals. Net photosynthetic rate of nickel treated plants was the most affected by applied concentration. Cadmium and nickel concentrations in stems and leaves of black locust families exceeded 100 mg Cd kg(-1) and 1000 mg Ni kg(-1), in both single and multipollution context. On the contrary, accumulation of lead in above ground biomass was highly affected by multipollution treatment. Tf and BCF significantly varied between investigated treatments and families of black locust. Concerning obtained results of heavy metals accumulation and tolerance of black locust families can be concluded that tested families might be a promising tool for phytoextraction purposes, but it takes to be further confirmed in field trials.

Biological half-life of radiophosphorus in desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal (orthoptera:acrididae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulagaraj, S.M.; Singh, K.M.; Sethi, G.R.

1975-01-01

Adult desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal were fed with cabbage leaves, painted with carrier free 32 P 1mCi/ml. Radioactivity of five adults of both sexes and of feces was measured daily for 28 days. The amount of radioactivity appearing in the feces of males was consistently below that found in female locusts. The mean biological half-life of 32 P for males and females were 35.04 and 15.01 days, respectively. (author)

Improved Water Consumption Estimates of Black Locust Plantations in China’s Loess Plateau

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Kai Schwärzel

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L. is a major tree species in China’s large-scale afforestation. Despite its significance, black locust is underrepresented in sap flow literature; moreover, the published water consumption data might be biased. We applied two field methods to estimate water consumption of black locust during the growing seasons in 2012 and 2013. The application of Granier’s original sap flow method produced a very low transpiration rate (0.08 mm d−1 while the soil water balance method yielded a much higher rate (1.4 mm d−1. A dye experiment to determine the active sapwood area showed that only the outermost annual ring is responsible for conducting water, which was not considered in many previous studies. Moreover, an in situ calibration experiment was conducted to improve the reliability of Granier’s method. Validation showed a good agreement in estimates of the transpiration rate between the different methods. It is known from many studies that black locust plantations contribute to the significant decline of discharge in the Yellow River basin. Our estimate of tree transpiration at stand scale confirms these results. This study provides a basis for and advances the argument for the development of more sustainable forest management strategies, which better balance forest-related ecosystem services such as soil conservation and water supply.

Dynamics of penetration of 14C-labelled parathion in desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garg, A.K.; Bhatia, Parvathy; Sethi, G.R.

1991-01-01

Studies on the rate of disappearance of 14 C ring labelled parathion, after topical application on the mesosternum of desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal, indicated that penetration of the toxicant was linear and followed first order kinetics. The first order constant (k) for parathion on desert locust was 18.42x10 -2 per hr and half-life (Tsub(0.5)) was about 226 min. (author). 26 refs ., 1 fig

Comparative Evaluation of Nutritional Composition of African Locust ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The most logical approach towards the improvement and efficient use of indigenous fruits to supply nutritional requirement for human diet is through the investigation of their nutritional values. This study was carried out to investigate the nutritional value of African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) fruit collected from two ...

Locust Control in Transition: The Loss and Reinvention of Collective Action in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan

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Kazbek Toleubayev

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The inability to organize collective action for pest control can lead to severe problems. This paper focuses on the locust management system in Kazakhstan since the formation of the Soviet State. During the Transition Period after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Plant Protection Service disintegrated. The principles of central planning were replaced with individualistic approaches with little state involvement in pest control activities or pesticide regulation. The financial and ideological reasons for dismantling the existing pest control system did not recognize the potential impact that policy-induced changes in agro-ecological conditions and control practices would have on pest development. Nature hit back at the induced institutional change that occurred in the Kazakh pest control system: an extremely harmful locust plague took the country by surprise between 1998 and 2001. This paper examines from an interdisciplinary perspective the co-evolution of locust populations, land use systems, knowledge about locusts, campaigns against them, and institutions in Soviet times and in the Transition Period. It argues the need for collective action theory to extend its present focus from local level institutions for resource management to higher level social-technical systems.

Transcriptome analysis of the desert locust central nervous system: production and annotation of a Schistocerca gregaria EST database.

Science.gov (United States)

Badisco, Liesbeth; Huybrechts, Jurgen; Simonet, Gert; Verlinden, Heleen; Marchal, Elisabeth; Huybrechts, Roger; Schoofs, Liliane; De Loof, Arnold; Vanden Broeck, Jozef

2011-03-21

The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) displays a fascinating type of phenotypic plasticity, designated as 'phase polyphenism'. Depending on environmental conditions, one genome can be translated into two highly divergent phenotypes, termed the solitarious and gregarious (swarming) phase. Although many of the underlying molecular events remain elusive, the central nervous system (CNS) is expected to play a crucial role in the phase transition process. Locusts have also proven to be interesting model organisms in a physiological and neurobiological research context. However, molecular studies in locusts are hampered by the fact that genome/transcriptome sequence information available for this branch of insects is still limited. We have generated 34,672 raw expressed sequence tags (EST) from the CNS of desert locusts in both phases. These ESTs were assembled in 12,709 unique transcript sequences and nearly 4,000 sequences were functionally annotated. Moreover, the obtained S. gregaria EST information is highly complementary to the existing orthopteran transcriptomic data. Since many novel transcripts encode neuronal signaling and signal transduction components, this paper includes an overview of these sequences. Furthermore, several transcripts being differentially represented in solitarious and gregarious locusts were retrieved from this EST database. The findings highlight the involvement of the CNS in the phase transition process and indicate that this novel annotated database may also add to the emerging knowledge of concomitant neuronal signaling and neuroplasticity events. In summary, we met the need for novel sequence data from desert locust CNS. To our knowledge, we hereby also present the first insect EST database that is derived from the complete CNS. The obtained S. gregaria EST data constitute an important new source of information that will be instrumental in further unraveling the molecular principles of phase polyphenism, in further establishing

Transcriptome analysis of the desert locust central nervous system: production and annotation of a Schistocerca gregaria EST database.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liesbeth Badisco

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria displays a fascinating type of phenotypic plasticity, designated as 'phase polyphenism'. Depending on environmental conditions, one genome can be translated into two highly divergent phenotypes, termed the solitarious and gregarious (swarming phase. Although many of the underlying molecular events remain elusive, the central nervous system (CNS is expected to play a crucial role in the phase transition process. Locusts have also proven to be interesting model organisms in a physiological and neurobiological research context. However, molecular studies in locusts are hampered by the fact that genome/transcriptome sequence information available for this branch of insects is still limited. METHODOLOGY: We have generated 34,672 raw expressed sequence tags (EST from the CNS of desert locusts in both phases. These ESTs were assembled in 12,709 unique transcript sequences and nearly 4,000 sequences were functionally annotated. Moreover, the obtained S. gregaria EST information is highly complementary to the existing orthopteran transcriptomic data. Since many novel transcripts encode neuronal signaling and signal transduction components, this paper includes an overview of these sequences. Furthermore, several transcripts being differentially represented in solitarious and gregarious locusts were retrieved from this EST database. The findings highlight the involvement of the CNS in the phase transition process and indicate that this novel annotated database may also add to the emerging knowledge of concomitant neuronal signaling and neuroplasticity events. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we met the need for novel sequence data from desert locust CNS. To our knowledge, we hereby also present the first insect EST database that is derived from the complete CNS. The obtained S. gregaria EST data constitute an important new source of information that will be instrumental in further unraveling the molecular

Effectiveness of Locust Bean Pod Solution (LBPS) in the Production ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Akorede

KEYWORDS: Cement, compressive strength, locust bean, sandcrete blocks, building. [Received ... necessitates the need for alternative low cost walling material. (Aguwa, 2010) ... of 1920 to 2080 kg/m2 and may be solid or hollow. Dense solid.

Economic analysis of locust bean processing and marketing in Iwo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Economic analysis of locust bean processing and marketing in Iwo local government, Osun state. ... Majority (78.3%) of the processors and marketers were making profit; 95.0% operate ... EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT

Monitoring grasshopper and locust habitats in Sahelian Africa using GIS and remote sensing technology

Science.gov (United States)

Tappan, G. Gray; Moore, Donald G.; Knauseberger, Walter I.

1991-01-01

Development programmes in Sahelian Africa are beginning to use geographic information system (GIS) technology. One of the GIS and remote sensing programmes introduced to the region in the late 1980s was the use of seasonal vegetation maps made from satellite data to support grasshopper and locust control. Following serious outbreaks of these pests in 1987, the programme addressed a critical need, by national and international crop protection organizations, to monitor site-specific dynamic vegetation conditions associated with grasshopper and locust breeding. The primary products used in assessing vegetation conditions were vegetation index (greenness) image maps derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite imagery. Vegetation index data were integrated in a GIS with digital cartographic data of individual Sahelian countries. These near-real-time image maps were used regularly in 10 countries for locating potential grasshopper and locust habitats. The programme to monitor vegetation conditions is currently being institutionalized in the Sahel.

Lipase Activity in Fermented Oil Seeds of Africa Locust Bean ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

acer

was determined. The peak lipase activity for fermented Africa locust bean, Castor seed, and African ..... Lipase by Penicillium restrictum in solid state ... sp. Rev. Microbiol. 28(2): 90-95. Martinek, G.H. (1969). Microbiology and amino acid ...

Nutritional composition of the African locust bean ( Parkia biglobosa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nutritional and anti-nutritional composition of the African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) fruit pulp were determined using standard methods. Results showed a moisture content of 8.41%, protein 6.56%, fat 1.80%, crude fibre 11.75%, ash. 4.18% and carbohydrate of 67.30%. Sugar content was found to be 9.00 °Brix; total ...

Regulation of glycogenolysis in the locust fat body during flight

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marrewijk, W.J.A. van; Broek, A.Th.M. van den; Beenakkers, A.M.Th.

1980-01-01

Glycogen reserves in the fat body of Locusta migratoria decrease dramatically during the first two hours of flight. In fat body of rested locusts only 10% of glycogen phosphorylase occurs in the active form. The enzyme is activated significantly during flight, when up to one-third of the total

Radiotracer technique for studying the fate of methyl parathion in desert locust

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garg, A.K.; Sethi, G.R.; Bhatia, Parvathy

1988-01-01

The present study, using 14 C-labelled methyl parathion was intended for standardising the procedure of analysis of the insecticide and its metabolites in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal. (author). 5 refs

Effect of Cement–Locust Bean Waste Ash Blend on the Gradation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

OPC) and up to 8% locust bean waste ash (LBWA) by dry weight of soil to investigate its effect on the gradation and plasticity characteristics of the modified soil. Test results generally show that the gradation and plasticity characteristics of the ...

The analysis of large-scale gene expression correlated to the phase changes of the migratory locust

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kang, Le; Chen, Xiangyong; Zhou, Yan

2004-01-01

The migratory locust is one of the most notorious agricultural pests that undergo a well known reversible, density-dependent phase transition from the solitary to the gregarious. To demonstrate the underlying molecular mechanisms of the phase change, we generated 76,012 ESTs from the whole body...... functional implications that numerous molecular activities are involved in phase plasticity. This study provides ample molecular markers and genomic information on hemimetabolous insects and insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms of phase changes in locusts. Udgivelsesdato: 2004-Dec-21...

Research Concerning the Shearing Strength of Black Locust Wood

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Mihaela POROJAN

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the experimental resultsobtained for the shearing strength of black locustwood (Robinia pseudacacia L. harvested from twogeographical areas (North and South of Romania.Wood is subjected to shearing stress when usedwithin different fields, and especially inconstructions. Tangential stresses are produced inthe shearing sections and they are influenced by thestructure of wood through the position of theshearing plane and of the force direction towards thegrain. Accordingly, several shearing types arepossible. The shearing strengths for the three mainshearing types, both on radial and tangentialdirection were determined within the present study.The evaluation of data was achieved by using theANOVA analysis, in order to test the level ofsignificance depending on the shearing planeorientation and the harvesting area. The obtainedresults were compared to the values mentionedwithin reference literature for this wood species andtwo other hardwood species with similar density. It isworth to be mentioned that the shearing strengths ofblack locust wood from Romania (both from Northand South are generally higher than those indicatedby reference literature for oak and beech. Thisrecommends black locust wood as constructionwood and for other applications where wood issubjected to shearing stress.

Yield prediction of young black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L. plantations for woody biomass production using allometric relations

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Christian Böhm

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L. is an increasingly popular tree species for the production of woody biomass for bioenergy generation with short rotation coppices. Due to its potential to produce large amounts of biomass yields even under unfavourable growth conditions, this tree species is especially suitable for marginal sites, such as can be found in the post mining area of NE-Germany. Current research aims to reliably predict the yield potential of black locust short rotation coppices, but suffers from a lack of sufficient exact allometric functions until recently. This is especially true for the early growth years, which are of special importance for short rotation coppices. The objective of this study was to develop allometric equations based on tree height and shoot basal diameter (SBD for estimating yields of young black locust plantations. Therefore, dendrometric data were collected in a two, three, four and fourteen years old black locust short rotation forest located in the reclamation area of an opencast-lignite mining area in the Lower Lusatian region (Germany and used for equation developing. Until measurement, none of the plantations had been harvested. Closed correlations between SBD and tree height were observed, as well as between these parameters and single tree mass. The scattering of single tree masses could be explained slightly better by the SBD than by the tree height. In the year before a harvest an even better prediction probability of woody biomass was obtainable when both parameters were simultaneously interrelated with the single tree mass. The results illustrate that the woody above ground biomass of young black locust plantations can be estimated sufficiently precisely based on the easy determinable parameters tree height and particularly SBD.

Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos l. (Fabaceae)) invasion effect on temperature, light and metabolism of a Pampean Stream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giorgi, Adonis David; Vilches, Carolina; Rodriguez Castro, Maria Carolina; Zunino, Eduardo; Debandi, Juan; Kravetz, Sebastian; Torremorell, Ana

2014-01-01

The establishment of invader species in a region generally modifies the ecosystems where they are introduced. In this study we analyze the effect produced by a gleditsia triacanthos (Honey locust) invasion on a Pampean Stream. This organism modifies the temperature and the light reaching the stream. Thermal range shows significant differences between reaches but mean tem between 85 and 95 % down the trees. These modifications reduce the primary gross production of 2.7 to 1.7 g 02. M"2 at spring and of 25 to 20 g 02. M"2 at summer. Respiration in spring and summer is halved at invaded reaches, but net ecosystem metabolism is similar in both reach and seasons. Moreover, the reach invaded by honey locust show scarce macrophytes. We argue that the honey locust reduces the diversity by reduction of macrophytes and their associated organisms but also reduce the primary production causing changes in the food web

DETERMINATION OF THE SEEDLINGS QUALITY CLASSES OF BLACK LOCUST (Robinia pseudoacacia L. ORIGINS

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İbrahim Turna

2000-04-01

Full Text Available classification criteria is the assesment of height and root-colar diameter together. newly seedling quality classification (YS have highly first grade seedlings. The most important According to the results of this study, all the origins determined with respect to either TSE or determined by using factor analysis. Furthermore the morphological characteristics that affect the seedling quality classification were diameter. The resulting seedling quality classification were controlled by using discriminant analysis. determined according to height, root-colar diameter and combination of both height and root-colar provenances were soved in KTÜ Nursery. One year later, these seedlings were lifted. Quality norms in KTÜ Nursery were used. Eighteen different origin seeds of Black locust of which eleven are egzotic In this present study, 1+0 Black Locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia L. seedlings grown

Black locust - successful invader of a wide range of soil conditions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vítková, Michaela; Tonika, J.; Müllerová, Jana

2015-01-01

Roč. 505, FEB 1 (2015), s. 315-328 ISSN 0048-9697 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) AP1002 Program:Akademická prémie - Praemium Academiae Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : plant invasion * black-locust * physical-chemical sdoil characteristic Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 3.976, year: 2015

Cold acclimation improves chill tolerance in the migratory locust through preservation of ion balance and membrane potential

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Mads; Folkersen, Rasmus; MacMillan, Heath Andrew

2017-01-01

potential (Vm). Several studies have therefore suggested a link between preservation of Vm and cellular survival after cold stress, but none has measured Vm in this context. We tested this hypothesis by acclimating locusts (Locusta migratoria) to high (31°C) and low temperature (11°C) for 4 days before...... revealed that cellular injury during cold exposure occurs when Vm becomes severely depolarized. Interestingly, we found that cellular sensitivity to hypothermic hyperkalaemia was lower in cold-acclimated locusts that were better able to defend Vm whilst exposed to high extracellular [K+]. Together...

Performance Evaluation Of Africa Elemi Melon And Africa Locust Bean Oil As Potential Quenchants For Medium Carbon Steel

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C. S. Ibeh

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A qualitative and comparative study was carried out on some locally sourced oils melon oil Africa elemi oil and Africa locust bean oil to evaluate suitability as substitute quenching media to mineral-based oil. The cooling ability of the oils was investigated using AISI 1034 medium carbon steel. The effect of heat transfer coefficient on quench severity mechanical properties of the quenched specimens were investigated in the course of the study. Results showed that the peak rate of heat extraction of melon oil Africa locust bean and Africa elemi oil were higher than that of mineral oil. Higher heat transfer coefficient of 1463 1023 Wm2k were obtained for melon oil and Africa locust bean Africa elemi and SAE 40 oil have heat transfer coefficient of 982 and 469 Wm2k respectively. The selected oils can be used as quenchants for medium carbon steel since the oils exhibits better cooling properties and mechanical properties than mineral-based oil.

Effects of diet on the chemical composition of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oonincx, D.G.A.B.; Poel, van der A.F.B.

2011-01-01

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of diet on the chemical composition of migratory locusts (Locusta migratoria L.). Fresh and dry weight and the contents of dry matter, ash, lipid, protein, Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Cu, Fe, Zn, retinol, lutein, zeaxanthine, cryptoxanthin, carotenes,

Plant communities can predict the distribution of solitarious desert locust Schistocerca gregaria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Werf, van der W.; Woldewahid, G.; Huis, van A.; Butrous, M.; Sykora, K.V.

2005-01-01

1. The desert locust is a migratory pest whose population development in remote areas must be monitored to prevent outbreaks, upsurges and plagues. Monitoring would be very much facilitated if the area of search could be restricted to sites of likely population increase. 2. The spatial distribution

Relationships between food quality and fitness in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, and its distribution over habitats on the Red Sea coastal plain of Sudan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Huis, van A.; Woldewahid, G.; Toleubayev, K.; Werf, van der W.

2008-01-01

The effect of millet, Pennisetum typhoideum Rich. (Poaceae), leaf nitrogen content on fitness parameters of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forsk. (Orthoptera: Acrididae), was studied under laboratory conditions. Locusts reared on high-nitrogen leaves were larger, developed faster, had

Stress preconditioning of spreading depression in the locust CNS.

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Corinne I Rodgers

Full Text Available Cortical spreading depression (CSD is closely associated with important pathologies including stroke, seizures and migraine. The mechanisms underlying SD in its various forms are still incompletely understood. Here we describe SD-like events in an invertebrate model, the ventilatory central pattern generator (CPG of locusts. Using K(+ -sensitive microelectrodes, we measured extracellular K(+ concentration ([K(+](o in the metathoracic neuropile of the CPG while monitoring CPG output electromyographically from muscle 161 in the second abdominal segment to investigate the role K(+ in failure of neural circuit operation induced by various stressors. Failure of ventilation in response to different stressors (hyperthermia, anoxia, ATP depletion, Na(+/K(+ ATPase impairment, K(+ injection was associated with a disturbance of CNS ion homeostasis that shares the characteristics of CSD and SD-like events in vertebrates. Hyperthermic failure was preconditioned by prior heat shock (3 h, 45 degrees C and induced-thermotolerance was associated with an increase in the rate of clearance of extracellular K(+ that was not linked to changes in ATP levels or total Na(+/K(+ ATPase activity. Our findings suggest that SD-like events in locusts are adaptive to terminate neural network operation and conserve energy during stress and that they can be preconditioned by experience. We propose that they share mechanisms with CSD in mammals suggesting a common evolutionary origin.

CRF-like diuretic hormone negatively affects both feeding and reproduction in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria.

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Pieter Van Wielendaele

Full Text Available Diuretic hormones (DH related to the vertebrate Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF have been identified in diverse insect species. In the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, the CRF-like DH (CRF/DH is localized in the same neurosecretory cells as the Ovary Maturating Parsin (OMP, a neurohormone that stimulates oocyte growth, vitellogenesis and hemolymph ecdysteroid levels in adult female locusts. In this study, we investigated whether CRF-like DH can influence feeding and reproduction in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. We identified two highly similar S. gregaria CRF-like DH precursor cDNAs, each of which also encodes an OMP isoform. Alignment with other insect CRF-like DH precursors shows relatively high conservation of the CRF/DH sequence while the precursor region corresponding to OMP is not well conserved. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR revealed that the precursor transcripts mainly occur in the central nervous system and their highest expression level was observed in the brain. Injection of locust CRF/DH caused a significantly reduced food intake, while RNAi knockdown stimulated food intake. Therefore, our data indicate that CRF-like DH induces satiety. Furthermore, injection of CRF/DH in adult females retarded oocyte growth and caused lower ecdysteroid titers in hemolymph and ovaries, while RNAi knockdown resulted in opposite effects. The observed effects of CRF/DH may be part of a wider repertoire of neurohormonal activities, constituting an integrating control system that affects food intake and excretion, as well as anabolic processes like oocyte growth and ecdysteroidogenesis, following a meal. Our discussion about the functional relationship between CRF/DH and OMP led to the hypothesis that OMP may possibly act as a monitoring peptide that can elicit negative feedback effects.

Formation of cereulide and enterotoxins by Bacillus cereus in fermented African locust beans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorsen, Line; Azokpota, Paulin; Munk Hansen, Bjarne

2011-01-01

Afitin, iru and sonru are three spontaneously fermented African locust bean Benin condiments. The fermentation processes are exothermic, with temperatures mostly being above 40 °C. A total of 19 predominant Bacillus cereus isolates from afitin, iru and sonru, were investigated. The enterotoxin...... genes nhe (A, B, C) were present in all 19 isolates, the hbl (A, C, D) in one (afitin), and the cytK gene in three isolates (afitin). Levels of cytotoxicity to Vero cells and NheA production in BHI-broth was within the range of known diarrheal outbreak strains. Autoclaved cooked African locust beans...... inoculated with emetic (cereulide producing) B. cereus Ba18H2/RIF supported growth at 25, 30 and 40 °C with highly different maximum cereulide productions of 6 ± 5, 97 ± 3 and 0.04 ± 0.02 μg/g beans, respectively (48 h). For non-autoclaved cooked beans inoculated with 2, 4 and 6 log10 B. cereus Ba18H2/RIF...

The role of Staphylococcus species in the production of iru during the fermentation of African locust beans (Parkia biglobosa

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Amao, J.A.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Staphylococcus spp. are regularly isolated from iru, but the role(s they play in the fermentation process has not yet been determined; this work thus seeks to determine if Staphylococcus spp. isolated from iru play any role in the fermentation of African locust bean. Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. isolated from spontaneously fermented African locust bean (iru were used to ferment African locust beans. The temperature, pH and moisture content were determined as fermentation progress while the total soluble sugar and total free amino acid were determined after fermentation. The microbial load for the three iru products increased gradually until the end of fermentation. The total free amino acids increased in all three iru (1.10, 1.51 and 2.35 mg leucine ml-1 for Staphylococcus spp. iru, Bacillus spp. iru and iru produced with combination of the two species of bacteria when compared with that of the unfermented bean, while the total soluble sugars reduced after fermentation with Staphylococcus spp. iru having 3.84, Bacillus spp. iru has 3.60, and the unfermented bean has 5.30 mg glucose ml-1 total soluble sugar. The increased free amino acids in the iru fermented with Staphylococcus spp. and the ability of the Staphylococcus spp. to produce lipase showed that Staphylococcus spp. isolated from iru has the ability to ferment African locust bean and carry out the lipolytic activity during the fermentation.

A bait for locust (Locusta migratoria migratorioides) suitable for oral application of juvenile hormone analogues

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Němec, Václav

2003-01-01

Roč. 58, č. 1 (2003), s. 287-290 ISSN 0006-3088 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5007907 Keywords : locust control * bait * oral application Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 0.183, year: 2003

The effect of microbial inocula on the growth of black locust, Siberian elm and silver maple seedlings

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Hajnal-Jafari Timea

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Growth and development of forest plants depend mostly on the soil microbial activity since no mineral or organic fertilizers are applied. Microbial processes can be activated and conditions for plants development improved with the introduction of selected microorganisms in the soil. With the aim of obtaining quality planting material in a shorter period of time, the effects of Azotobacter chroococcum and Streptomyces sp. on the early growth of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia, Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila and silver-leaf maple (Acer dasycarpum were investigated in this study. Microorganisms were applied individually and in a mixture (1:1. Plant height was measured on the 90th, 120th and 180th day after planting. Plant diameter, as well as the number of actinomycetes and azotobacters was measured at the end of the vegetation period (180 days after planting. Applied microorganisms had a positive effect on the seedling height in all three plant species, with the best effect found in the black locust. Effectiveness of applied microorganisms on seedling diameter was the highest in the silver-leaf maple. The largest number of azotobacters was found in the rhizosphere of black locust. Number of microorganisms from both groups was increased in the inoculated variants. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 43002

Identification of a functional homolog of the mammalian CYP3A4 in locusts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Line Rørbæk; Gabel-Jensen, Charlotte; Nielsen, Peter Aadal

2014-01-01

is specific to the cytochrome P450 enzyme 3A4. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled to ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, we have detected metabolites identical to human metabolites of terfenadine. The formation of human metabolites in locusts was inhibited by ketoconazole, a mammalian...

Eggs and hatchlings variations in desert locusts: phase related characteristics and starvation tolerance

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Koutaro Ould Maeno

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Locusts are grasshopper species that express phase polyphenism: modifying their behavior, morphology, coloration, life history and physiology in response to crowding. Desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, epigenetically modify progeny quality and quantity in response to crowding. Gregarious (crowded females produce larger but fewer progeny than do solitarious (isolated ones. The variability of progeny quality within single egg pod and the reasons why gregarious progeny have a better survival than solitarious ones remains unclear. This study investigated 1 the effects of rearing density on the variation in egg size within single egg pods 2 the starvation tolerance of hatchlings from mothers with different phases and 3 the physiological differences in hatchling energy reserve. Isolated females produced smaller but more eggs than did crowded ones. The variation in egg size within egg pods was greater in the latter than in the former. A negative relationship between egg size and number of eggs per egg pod was observed for both groups. Under starvation conditions, gregarious hatchlings survived significantly longer than solitarious ones. Among the solitarious hatchlings, the survival time was longer as hatchling body size increased. However, small individuals survived as long as large ones among the gregarious hatchlings. The percentage of water content per fresh body weight was almost equal between the two phases, before and after starvation. In contrast, the percentage of lipid content per dry body weight was significantly higher in gregarious hatchlings than in solitarious ones before starvation, but became almost equal after starvation. These results demonstrated that female locusts not only trade-off to modify their progeny size and number, but also vary progenies’ energy reserves. We hypothesized that gregarious females enhance their fitness by producing progeny differently adapted to high environmental variability and particularly to

Economic analysis of locust beans processing and marketing in ilorin, kwara state, Nigeria

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C.O. Farayola

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This study was designed to estimate the economic analysis of locust bean processing and marketing in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Primary data was used and purposive sampling technique was adopted to select the respondents used for the study. A total number of 60 respondents were interviewed. The data collected were analyzed using inferential statistical tool such as regression analysis. Budgetary analysis technique was also used to analyze the profitability of locust bean processing and marketing in the study area. Majority of the processors and marketers are making profits; 68.3% operate above breakeven point while 26.7% operate at breakeven point and the rest 5% was below the breakeven point, this indicates that they neither profit nor lost. The regression analysis result shows that quantity processed, family size and years of experience in processing are significant at 1%, 5% and 10% respectively while education level and stall rent is negative and significant at 1% and 5% respectively. F- Test also explained that independent variables are jointly significant at 1% probability level with an adjusted R2 of 78.9%. The overall rate of return on investment indicates that average rate of return is 0.5 (50%, which is positive. It is therefore concluded that profit made by the processors and marketers can be improved on by increasing the quantity of locust bean being processed through adoption of newly discovered method of processing and improved method of preservation, packaging and marketing of the product to international standard by reducing the odour of the product without the loss of essential nutrients and palability in order to generate foreign exchange. Also, rules and regulations against cutting of economic trees for alternative uses should be enforced to maximize their values.

Annotation of novel neuropeptide precursors in the migratory locust based on transcript screening of a public EST database and mass spectrometry

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De Loof Arnold

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background For holometabolous insects there has been an explosion of proteomic and peptidomic information thanks to large genome sequencing projects. Heterometabolous insects, although comprising many important species, have been far less studied. The migratory locust Locusta migratoria, a heterometabolous insect, is one of the most infamous agricultural pests. They undergo a well-known and profound phase transition from the relatively harmless solitary form to a ferocious gregarious form. The underlying regulatory mechanisms of this phase transition are not fully understood, but it is undoubtedly that neuropeptides are involved. However, neuropeptide research in locusts is hampered by the absence of genomic information. Results Recently, EST (Expressed Sequence Tag databases from Locusta migratoria were constructed. Using bioinformatical tools, we searched these EST databases specifically for neuropeptide precursors. Based on known locust neuropeptide sequences, we confirmed the sequence of several previously identified neuropeptide precursors (i.e. pacifastin-related peptides, which consolidated our method. In addition, we found two novel neuroparsin precursors and annotated the hitherto unknown tachykinin precursor. Besides one of the known tachykinin peptides, this EST contained an additional tachykinin-like sequence. Using neuropeptide precursors from Drosophila melanogaster as a query, we succeeded in annotating the Locusta neuropeptide F, allatostatin-C and ecdysis-triggering hormone precursor, which until now had not been identified in locusts or in any other heterometabolous insect. For the tachykinin precursor, the ecdysis-triggering hormone precursor and the allatostatin-C precursor, translation of the predicted neuropeptides in neural tissues was confirmed with mass spectrometric techniques. Conclusion In this study we describe the annotation of 6 novel neuropeptide precursors and the neuropeptides they encode from the

Extra Molting and Selection on Nymphal Growth in the Desert Locust.

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Benjamin Pélissié

Full Text Available In insects, extra-molting has been viewed as a compensatory mechanism for nymphal growth that contributes to optimize body weight for successful reproduction. However, little is known on the capacity of extra-molting to evolve in natural populations, which limits our understanding of how selection acts on nymphal growth. We used a multi-generational pedigree, individual monitoring and quantitative genetics models to investigate the evolution of extra-molting and its impact on nymphal growth in a solitarious population of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Growth compensation via extra-molting was observed for 46% of the females, whose adult weight exceeded by 4% that of other females, at a cost of a 22% longer development time. We found a null heritability for body weight threshold only, and the highest and a strongly female-biased heritability for extra molting. Our genetic estimates show that (1 directional selection can act on growth rate, development time and extra-molting to optimize body weight threshold, the target of stabilizing selection, (2 extra-molting can evolve in natural populations, and (3 a genetic conflict, due to sexually antagonistic selection on extra-molting, might prevent its fixation. Finally, we discuss how antagonistic selection between solitarious and gregarious environments and/or genetic correlations between growth and phase traits might also impact the evolution of extra-molting in locusts.

Multithreshold Segmentation by Using an Algorithm Based on the Behavior of Locust Swarms

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Erik Cuevas

2015-01-01

Full Text Available As an alternative to classical techniques, the problem of image segmentation has also been handled through evolutionary methods. Recently, several algorithms based on evolutionary principles have been successfully applied to image segmentation with interesting performances. However, most of them maintain two important limitations: (1 they frequently obtain suboptimal results (misclassifications as a consequence of an inappropriate balance between exploration and exploitation in their search strategies; (2 the number of classes is fixed and known in advance. This paper presents an algorithm for the automatic selection of pixel classes for image segmentation. The proposed method combines a novel evolutionary method with the definition of a new objective function that appropriately evaluates the segmentation quality with respect to the number of classes. The new evolutionary algorithm, called Locust Search (LS, is based on the behavior of swarms of locusts. Different to the most of existent evolutionary algorithms, it explicitly avoids the concentration of individuals in the best positions, avoiding critical flaws such as the premature convergence to suboptimal solutions and the limited exploration-exploitation balance. Experimental tests over several benchmark functions and images validate the efficiency of the proposed technique with regard to accuracy and robustness.

Area-wide pest management of locusts and grasshoppers: The striking similarities of problems and solutions in Africa and the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lockwood, Jeffrey A.

2000-01-01

Grasshoppers and locusts are among the most devastating pests of human agriculture. These insects cause serious damage to crops and forage on every arable continent, and their depredations have become the basis for legends, myths, and (in recent times) complex political and economic programmes. No pest problem spans such immense areas, with up to 8 million ha treated for rangeland grasshoppers during outbreaks in the US and 16 million km 2 prone to outbreaks of the Desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal, alone. The traditional management approach has involved extensive, regionalised control programmes, but recent trends suggest a decentralised future for grasshopper and locust management. Hence, we have a dynamic situation that presents the opportunity for a comparative analysis of the costs and benefits of an area-wide approach to pest management at different scales. As political, cultural, and communication barriers between scientists dissolve, the possibility of learning from one another's experiences (both failures and successes) promises to dramatically accelerate the rate of innovation, progress and discovery in pest management. For example, the recent advances in Reduced Agent-Area Treatments (RAAT, in which insecticide is applied to swaths, separated by untreated swaths or buffers) for management of rangeland grasshoppers in the US (Lockwood and Schell 1997) are based on the adaptation of tactics developed by African, Australian, Asian, and European scientists (Rachadi and Foucart 1996, Musuna and Mugisha 1997, Scherer and Celestin 1997, Wilps and Diop 1997, Launois and Rachadi 1997). The key to successful adaptation of management methods must begin with intellectual modesty and nationalistic humility so that the insights of non-scientists and experts from outside one's country are given respect and serious consideration. It is subsequently necessary to recognise the essential similarities and differences between land use systems and understand the

Aspects of cuticular sclerotization in the locust, Scistocerca gregaria, and the beetle, Tenebrio molitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Svend Olav; Roepstorff, Peter

2007-03-01

The number of reactive amino groups in cuticular proteins decreases during the early period of insect cuticular sclerotization, presumably due to reaction with oxidation products of N-acetyldopamine (NADA) and N-beta-alanyldopamine (NBAD). We have quantitated the decrease in cuticular N-terminal amino groups and lysine epsilon-amino groups during the first 24h of sclerotization in adult locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, and in larval and adult beetles, Tenebrio molitor, as well as the increase in beta-alanine amino groups in Tenebrio cuticle. The results indicate that nearly all glycine N-terminal groups and a significant part of the epsilon-amino groups from lysine residues are involved in the sclerotization process in both locusts and Tenebrio. A pronounced increase in the amount of free beta-alanine amino groups was observed in cuticle from adult Tenebrio and to a lesser extent also in Tenebrio larval cuticle, but from locust cuticle no beta-alanine was obtained. Hydrolysis of sclerotized cuticles from locusts and Tenebrio by dilute hydrochloric acid released a large number of compounds containing amino acids linked to catecholic moieties. Products have been identified which contain histidine residues linked via their imidazole group to the beta-position of various catechols, such as dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-ethanol (DOPET), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-acetaldehyde (DOPALD), and a ketocatecholic compound has also been identified composed of lysine linked via its epsilon-amino group to the alpha-carbon atom of 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone. Some of the hydrolysis products have previously been obtained from sclerotized pupal cuticle of Manduca sexta [Xu, R., Huang, X., Hopkins, T.L., Kramer, K.J., 1997. Catecholamine and histidyl protein cross-linked structures in sclerotized insect cuticle. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 27, 101-108; Kerwin, J.L., Turecek, F., Xu, R., Kramer, K.J., Hopkins, T.L., Gatlin, C.L., Yates, J.R., 1999. Mass spectrometric analysis

Characterization of k-carrageenan/Locust bean gumbased films with b-carotene emulsion

OpenAIRE

Martins, Joana; Silva, H. D.; Rojas, R.; Aguilar, Cristóbal N.; Vicente, A. A.

2014-01-01

New bio-based materials have been exploited to develop biodegradable and edible films as an effort to extend shelf life and improve quality of food while reducing packaging waste. The objective of this study was to investigate physicochemical properties of k-carrageenan/locust bean gum (k-car/LBG) films with different bcarotene emulsion concentrations. To prepare oil-in-water emulsions, b-carotene (0.03% v/v) was dissolved in mediumchain triglycerides (MCTs), and the solution was mixed ...

Mapping the Global Potential Geographical Distribution of Black Locust (Robinia Pseudoacacia L. Using Herbarium Data and a Maximum Entropy Model

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Guoqing Li

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L. is a tree species of high economic and ecological value, but is also considered to be highly invasive. Understanding the global potential distribution and ecological characteristics of this species is a prerequisite for its practical exploitation as a resource. Here, a maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt was used to simulate the potential distribution of this species around the world, and the dominant climatic factors affecting its distribution were selected by using a jackknife test and the regularized gain change during each iteration of the training algorithm. The results show that the MaxEnt model performs better than random, with an average test AUC value of 0.9165 (±0.0088. The coldness index, annual mean temperature and warmth index were the most important climatic factors affecting the species distribution, explaining 65.79% of the variability in the geographical distribution. Species response curves showed unimodal relationships with the annual mean temperature and warmth index, whereas there was a linear relationship with the coldness index. The dominant climatic conditions in the core of the black locust distribution are a coldness index of −9.8 °C–0 °C, an annual mean temperature of 5.8 °C–14.5 °C, a warmth index of 66 °C–168 °C and an annual precipitation of 508–1867 mm. The potential distribution of black locust is located mainly in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Chile and Argentina. The predictive map of black locust, climatic thresholds and species response curves can provide globally applicable guidelines and valuable information for policymakers and planners involved in the introduction, planting and invasion control of this species around the world.

Heat-induced chemical and color changes of extractive-free Black Locust (Rosinia Pseudoacacia) wood

Science.gov (United States)

Yao Chen; Jianmin Gao; Yongming Fan; Mandla A. Tshabalala; Nicole M. Stark

2012-01-01

To investigate chemical and color changes of the polymeric constituents of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) wood during heat treatment, extractive-free wood flour was conditioned to 30% initial moisture content (MC) and heated for 24 h at 120 °C in either an oxygen or nitrogen atmosphere. The color change was measured using the CIELAB color system. Chemical changes...

Obolodiplosis robiniae (Haldeman (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: A new invasive insect pest on black locust in Serbia

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Mihajlović Ljubodrag

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Locust gall midge Obolodiplosis robiniae (Haldeman originates from Pennsylvania, USA. It was introduced to Europe in 2003, to Italy, Veneto. Its spreading was very fast and in the following year it was identified from the Check Republic and Slovenia. In 2005, it was recorded from South Tyrol and in 2006 from Hungary, south Slovakia, Germany, Croatia, Ukraine and Serbia. During 2007 it was identified from Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, France, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Russia and UK. The expansion of locust gall midge was also recorded in Japan, South Korea, where it was identified for the first time in 2002, and in 2005 it was identified from China. The first finding from Serbia was recorded in the autumn 2006 in the surroundings of Šabac. During 2007, it was identified from Belgrade, and in the same year and the following year (2008 it was found at numerous sites in Serbia, the Republic of Srpska and Montenegro. This study presents O. robiniae biology, method of distribution, natural enemies and the ecological significance.

Predicted buffer zones to protect temporary pond invertebrates from ground-based insecticide applications against desert locusts.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lahr, J.; Gadji, B.; Dia, D.

2000-01-01

To estimate safe downwind distances (i.e. buffer zone widths) for temporary ponds from ULV-treatments with current locust insecticides, experimental trials with two ground-based sprayers, the hand-held Micro-Ulva® and the vehicle-mounted Ulva-Mast® X15 Mark I, were conducted with fenitrothion

Kinetics of penetration of methyl parthion in desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sethi, G.R.; Garg, A.K.; Bhatia, P.; Mehrotra, K.N.; Bigley, W.S.

1985-01-01

Studies on the rate of disappearance of 14 C-methyl parathion, applied topically on the mesonotum of desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal revealed that the penetration of this insecticide did not follow the first order kinetics and showed a biphasic pattern. The faster phase of penetration lasted upto 120 min from the time of application (half-life 74+-18 min) whereas, the slower phase which was observed from 120 min to 24 hr had a half-life of 338+-130 min. (author)

Paternal epigenetic effects of population density on locust phase-related characteristics associated with heat-shock protein expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bing; Li, Shaoqin; Ren, Qiang; Tong, Xiwen; Zhang, Xia; Kang, Le

2015-02-01

Many species exhibit transgenerational plasticity by which environmental cues experienced by either parent can be transmitted to their offspring, resulting in phenotypic variants in offspring to match ancestral environments. However, the manner by which paternal experiences affect offspring plasticity through epigenetic inheritance in animals generally remains unclear. In this study, we examined the transgenerational effects of population density on phase-related traits in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. Using an experimental design that explicitly controls genetic background, we found that the effects of crowd or isolation rearing on phase plasticity could be inherited to the offspring. The isolation of gregarious locusts resulted in reduced weight in offspring eggs and altered morphometric traits in hatchlings, whereas crowding of solitarious locusts exhibited opposite effects. The consequences of density changes were transmitted by both maternal and paternal inheritance, although the expression of paternal effects was not as pronounced as that of maternal effects. Prominent expression of heat-shock proteins (Hsps), such as Hsp90, Hsp70 and Hsp20.6, could be triggered by density changes. Hsps were significantly upregulated upon crowding but downregulated upon isolation. The variation in parental Hsp expression was also transmitted to the offspring, in which the pattern of inheritance was consistent with that of phase characteristics. These results revealed a paternal effect on phase polyphenism and Hsp expression induced by population density, and defined a model system that could be used to study the paternal epigenetic inheritance of environmental changes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of xanthan, guar, carrageenan and locust bean gum addition on physical, chemical and sensory properties of meatballs.

Science.gov (United States)

Demirci, Zeynep Ozben; Yılmaz, Ismail; Demirci, Ahmet Şukru

2014-05-01

This study evaluated the effects of xanthan gum, guar gum, carrageenan and locust bean gum on physical, chemical and sensory properties of meatballs. Meatball samples were produced with three different formulations including of 0.5, 1, and 1.5% each gum addition and gum added samples were compared with the control meatballs. Physical and chemical analyses were carried out on raw and cooked samples separately. Moisture contents of raw samples decreased by addition of gums. There were significant decreases (p meatball samples formulated with gum when compared with control. Ash contents and texture values increased with gum addition to meatballs. Meatball redness decreased with more gum addition in raw and cooked meatball samples, which means that addition of gums resulted in a lighter-coloured product. According to sensory analysis results, locust bean gum added (1%) samples were much preferred by the panelists.

Spectroscopic analysis of the role of extractives on heat-induced discoloration of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)

Science.gov (United States)

Yao Chen; Yongming Fan; Jianmin Gao; Mandla A. Tshabalala; Nicole M. Stark

2012-01-01

To investigate the role of extractives on heat-induced discoloration of wood, samples of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) wood flour were extracted with various solvents prior to heat-treatment. Analysis of their color parameters and chromophoric structures showed that the chroma value of the unextracted sample decreased while that of the...

Interactive Sonification of Weather Data for The Locust Wrath, a Multimedia Dance Performance

OpenAIRE

Lindborg, PerMagnus

2016-01-01

To work flexibly with the sound design for The Locust Wrath, a multimedia dance performance on the topic of climate change, we developed a software for interactive sonification of climate data. An open-ended approach to parameter mapping allowed tweaking and improvisation during rehearsals, resulting in a large range of musical expression. The sonifications represented weather systems pushing through South-East Asia in complex patterns. The climate was rendered as a piece of electroacoustic m...

Tuning of the Preferred Optic Flow Axes of Locust and Blowfly Visual Interneurons to Their Preferred Modes of Flight Behaviour

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Krapp, Holger G; Bomphrey, R. J; Laughlin, S. B; Taylor, G. K; Wuestenberg, D. G

2008-01-01

This report results from a contract tasking Imperial College London as follows: The grantee will investigate the sensory mechanisms of gaze stabilization and flight control on insects (flies and locusts...

Toxin profiles of Bacillus cereus occurring in high numbers in spontaneously fermented African locust beans (Parkia biglobosa)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorsen, Line; Azokpota, Paulin; Hansen, Bjarne Munk

The microbiology of the naturally fermented African condiments Afiitin, iru and sonru produced in Benin from locust beans, has recently been studied showing high Bacillus cereus counts of log7CFU/g (Azokpota, 2005). A total of 19 B. cereus strains isolated from the three condiments showed...

Distribution of ectomycorrhizal and pathogenic fungi in soil along a vegetational change from Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) to black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia).

Science.gov (United States)

Taniguchi, Takeshi; Kataoka, Ryota; Tamai, Shigenobu; Yamanaka, Norikazu; Futai, Kazuyoshi

2009-04-01

The nitrogen-fixing tree black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) seems to affect ectomycorrhizal (ECM) colonization and disease severity of Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii Parl.) seedlings. We examined the effect of black locust on the distribution of ECM and pathogenic fungi in soil. DNA was extracted from soil at depths of 0-5 and 5-10 cm, collected from the border between a Japanese black pine- and a black locust-dominated forest, and the distribution of these fungi was investigated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. The effect of soil nutrition and pH on fungal distribution was also examined. Tomentella sp. 1 and Tomentella sp. 2 were not detected from some subplots in the Japanese black pine-dominated forest. Ectomycorrhizas formed by Tomentella spp. were dominant in black locust-dominated subplots and very little in the Japanese black pine-dominated forest. Therefore, the distribution may be influenced by the distribution of inoculum potential, although we could not detect significant relationships between the distribution of Tomentella spp. on pine seedlings and in soils. The other ECM fungi were detected in soils in subplots where the ECM fungi was not detected on pine seedlings, and there was no significant correlation between the distribution of the ECM fungi on pine seedlings and in soils. Therefore, inoculum potential seemed to not always influence the ECM community on roots. The distribution of Lactarius quieticolor and Tomentella sp. 2 in soil at a depth of 0-5 cm positively correlated with soil phosphate (soil P) and that of Tomentella sp. 2 also positively correlated with soil nitrogen (soil N). These results suggest the possibility that the distribution of inoculum potential of the ECM fungi was affected by soil N and soil P. Although the mortality of the pine seedlings was higher in the black locust-dominated area than in the Japanese black pine-dominated area, a pathogenic fungus of pine seedlings, Cylindrocladium pacificum, was

Receptive fields of locust brain neurons are matched to polarization patterns of the sky.

Science.gov (United States)

Bech, Miklós; Homberg, Uwe; Pfeiffer, Keram

2014-09-22

Many animals, including insects, are able to use celestial cues as a reference for spatial orientation and long-distance navigation [1]. In addition to direct sunlight, the chromatic gradient of the sky and its polarization pattern are suited to serve as orientation cues [2-5]. Atmospheric scattering of sunlight causes a regular pattern of E vectors in the sky, which are arranged along concentric circles around the sun [5, 6]. Although certain insects rely predominantly on sky polarization for spatial orientation [7], it has been argued that detection of celestial E vector orientation may not suffice to differentiate between solar and antisolar directions [8, 9]. We show here that polarization-sensitive (POL) neurons in the brain of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria can overcome this ambiguity. Extracellular recordings from POL units in the central complex and lateral accessory lobes revealed E vector tunings arranged in concentric circles within large receptive fields, matching the sky polarization pattern at certain solar positions. Modeling of neuronal responses under an idealized sky polarization pattern (Rayleigh sky) suggests that these "matched filter" properties allow locusts to unambiguously determine the solar azimuth by relying solely on the sky polarization pattern for compass navigation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The addition of locust bean gum but not water delayed the gastric emptying rate of a nutrient semisolid meal in healthy subjects

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Björgell Ola

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Most of the previous studies regarding the effects of gel-forming fibres have considered the gastric emptying of liquid or solid meals after the addition of pectin or guar gum. The influence of locust bean gum, on gastric emptying of nutrient semisolid meals in humans has been less well studied, despite its common occurrence in foods. Using a standardised ultrasound method, this study was aimed at investigating if the gastric emptying in healthy subjects could be influenced by adding locust been gum, a widely used thickening agent, or water directly into a nutrient semisolid test meal. Methods The viscosity of a basic test meal (300 g rice pudding, 330 kcal was increased by adding Nestargel (6 g, 2.4 kcal, containing viscous dietary fibres (96.5% provided as seed flour of locust bean gum, and decreased by adding 100 ml of water. Gastric emptying of these three test meals were evaluated in fifteen healthy non-smoking volunteers, using ultrasound measurements of the gastric antral area to estimate the gastric emptying rate (GER. Results The median value of GER with the basic test meal (rice pudding was estimated at 63 %, (range 47 to 84 %, (the first quartile = 61 %, the third quartile = 69 %. Increasing the viscosity of the rice pudding by adding Nestargel, resulted in significantly lower gastric emptying rates (p p = 0.28 compared to the GER of the basic test meal. Conclusions We conclude that the addition of locust bean gum to a nutrient semisolid meal has a major impact on gastric emptying by delaying the emptying rate, but that the addition of water to this test meal has no influence on gastric emptying in healthy subjects.

The effects of temperature and body mass on jump performance of the locust Locusta migratoria.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward P Snelling

Full Text Available Locusts jump by rapidly releasing energy from cuticular springs built into the hind femur that deform when the femur muscle contracts. This study is the first to examine the effect of temperature on jump energy at each life stage of any orthopteran. Ballistics and high-speed cinematography were used to quantify the energy, distance, and take-off angle of the jump at 15, 25, and 35°C in the locust Locusta migratoria. Allometric analysis across the five juvenile stages at 35°C reveals that jump distance (D; m scales with body mass (M; g according to the power equation D = 0.35M (0.17±0.08 (95% CI, jump take-off angle (A; degrees scales as A = 52.5M (0.00±0.06, and jump energy (E; mJ per jump scales as E = 1.91M (1.14±0.09. Temperature has no significant effect on the exponent of these relationships, and only a modest effect on the elevation, with an overall Q10 of 1.08 for jump distance and 1.09 for jump energy. On average, adults jump 87% farther and with 74% more energy than predicted based on juvenile scaling data. The positive allometric scaling of jump distance and jump energy across the juvenile life stages is likely facilitated by the concomitant relative increase in the total length (L f+t; mm of the femur and tibia of the hind leg, L f+t = 34.9M (0.37±0.02. The weak temperature-dependence of jump performance can be traced to the maximum tension of the hind femur muscle and the energy storage capacity of the femur's cuticular springs. The disproportionately greater jump energy and jump distance of adults is associated with relatively longer (12% legs and a relatively larger (11% femur muscle cross-sectional area, which could allow more strain loading into the femur's cuticular springs. Augmented jump performance in volant adult locusts achieves the take-off velocity required to initiate flight.

Desert locust populations, rainfall and climate change: insights from phenomenological models using gridded monthly data

OpenAIRE

Tratalos, Jamie A.; Cheke, Robert A.; Healey, Richard G.; Stenseth, Nils Chr.

2010-01-01

Using autocorrelation analysis and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA)modelling, we analysed a time series of the monthly number of 1° grid squares infested with desert locust Schistocerca gregaria swarms throughout the geographical range of the species from 1930–1987. Statistically significant first- and higher-order autocorrelations were found in the series. Although endogenous components captured much of the variance, adding rainfall data improved endogenous ARIMA models and r...

Productivity of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L. stands on chernozem in Vojvodina

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Andrašev Siniša

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the elements of growth of black locust trees and stands in 15 sample plots in Vojvodina, at the age of 21-68 years. In each sample plot, based on soil profile horizons the determined soil type was chernozem as well as its lower systematic units (subtype, variety and form, according to the Škorić et al. (1985 classification. On the basis of the mean stand heights (hL, the stands on the subtype of chernozem on loess and loesslike sediments belong to height classes I-IV, and stands on calcareous aeolian sand to classes II-V (according to R e d e i et al. 2014, which indicates their considerable variability with respect to productivity within the determined subtypes of chernozem. Significant differences at the level of chernozem subtypes were found between the mean heights (p = 0.032, but not between the mean diameters (p = 0.083. The mean diameters at breast height in the studied black locust stands were on average lower than the models of diameter growth for the appropriate height classes and determined by a larger number of trees per hectare than in the tables (R e d e i et al, 2014. The volume per hectare is higher than in the tables also being conditioned by the large number of trees per hectare. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III43007: Istraživanje klimatskih promena na životnu sredinu: praćenje uticaja, adaptacija i ublažavanje

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) beloved and despised: a story of an invasive tree in Central Europe

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vítková, Michaela; Müllerová, Jana; Sádlo, Jiří; Pergl, Jan; Pyšek, Petr

2017-01-01

Roč. 384, JAN 15 (2017), s. 287-302 ISSN 0378-1127 R&D Projects: GA ČR GB14-36079G EU Projects: European Commission(XE) 278065 - LONGWOOD Grant - others:COST(XE) FP1301; AV ČR(CZ) AP1002 Program:FP; Akademická prémie - Praemium Academiae Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : black locust * Central Europe * plant invasion Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour OBOR OECD: Ecology Impact factor: 3.064, year: 2016

Assessment of an in-channel redistribution technique for large woody debris management in Locust Creek, Linn County, Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

Heimann, David C.

2017-10-24

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Department of Natural Resources, completed a study to assess a mechanical redistribution technique used for the management of large woody debris (LWD) jams in Locust Creek within Pershing State Park and Fountain Grove Conservation Area, Linn County, Missouri. Extensive LWD jams were treated from 1996 to 2009 using a low-impact technique in which LWD from the jams was redistributed to reopen the channel and to mimic the natural geomorphic process of channel migration and adjustment to an obstruction. The scope of the study included the comparison of selected channel geometry characteristics and bed material particle-size distribution in seven LWD treatment reaches with that of adjacent untreated reaches (unaffected by LWD accumulations) of Locust Creek. A comparison of 1996 and 2015 survey cross sections in treated and untreated reaches and photograph documentation were used to assess channel geomorphic change and the stability of redistributed LWD. The physical characteristics of LWD within jams present in the study reach during 2015–16 also were documented.Based on the general lack of differences in channel metrics between treated and untreated reaches, it can be concluded that the mechanical redistribution technique has been an effective treatment of extensive LWD jams in Locust Creek. Channel alterations, including aggradation, streamflow piracy, and diversions, have resulted in temporal and spatial changes in the Locust Creek channel that may affect future applications of the redistribution technique in Pershing State Park. The redistribution technique was used to effectively manage LWD in Locust Creek at a potentially lower financial cost and reduced environmental disturbance than the complete removal of LWD.A comparison of four channel metrics (bankfull cross-sectional area, channel width, streamflow capacity, and width-depth ratio) for individual treatment

Primary structure of a 14 kDa basic structural protein (Lm-76) from the cuticle of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jens S.; Andersen, S O; Højrup, P

1993-01-01

The complete amino acid sequence of a 14 kDa structural protein (LM-76) isolated from pharate cuticle of the locust, Locusta migratoria, was determined by Edman degradation of the intact protein and enzymatically derived peptides. Plasma desorption and electrospray mass spectrometry was used as a...

EFFECT OF SOAKED AND FERMENTED AFRICAN LOCUST BEAN (Parkia biglobosa SEED MEAL ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, HAEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE AND NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY OF BROILER CHICKENS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.S. Tamburawa

2017-04-01

Full Text Available African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa seed is rich in protein and has recently found its way into the feed industry. This research was conducted to determine the growth performance, haematological profile and nutrient digestibility by broiler chickens fed diets containing soaked and fermented African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa seed meal (SFALBSM. Five diets were formulated in which SFALSBM was included at graded levels of 0, 7.5, 15, 22.5 and 30% designated as T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 respectively. Two hundred and twenty five (225 day old broiler chickens (Marshall Strain were fed these diets in a completely randomized design and each treatment was replicated three times with 15 birds per replicate. The experiment lasted 8 weeks (4week starter phase and 4week finisher phase. The results of performance of broiler chicks at starter phase showed there were differences (P0.05 on digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and ash. The crude fibre, ether extract and nitrogen free extract digestibility were affected by treatments (P<0.05. Birds fed T3 had highest crude fibre digestibility value (P<0.05. It was concluded that soaked and fermented African locust bean seed meal can be included in broiler chickens diets up to 15% dietary level at the starter phase and 22.5% at the finisher phase without any adverse effect on performance, haematological profile and nutrient digestibility.

The Effect of Heat Treatment on the chemical and color change of Black Locust (Robinia Pseudoacacia) wood flour

Science.gov (United States)

Yao Chen; Yongming Fan; Jianmin Gao; Nicole M. Stark

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oxygen and moisture content (MC) on the chemical and color changes of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) wood during heat treatment. The wood flour was conditioned to different initial MCs and heated for 24 h at a constant temperature of 120°C in either oxygen or nitrogen atmosphere. The pH values and...

Autoradiographic study of nuclear protein acetylation during Locust spermiogenesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouvier, D.; Chevaillier, P.

1975-01-01

Autoradiographic studies, at the light and electron microscope level, demonstrate that spermatid nuclei of the Locust Locusta migratoria incorporate 3 H-acetate, especially during the first stages of spermiogenesis. The highest level of acetate incorporation is observed during stage II of spermiogenesis. During this stage and the following, the spermatid nucleus undergoes a number of structural and chemical modifications: chromatin decondenses and somatic histones are progressively replaced by newly synthesized arginine-rich proteins. Therefore, the higher degree of acetylation of nuclear components coincides with chromatin decondensation and precedes the protein transition occurring in later stages. Cytochemical and autoradiographic tests have been realized so as to localize 3 H-acetate in the nuclear components. Trichloracetic acid was used at various concentrations: the action of hydrochloric acid, pronase and DNase was also tested. The results support the idea that proteins, and among them histones, are the only nuclear components to be acetylated during spermiogenesis. Thus, histone acetylation seems to play an important role in modulating histone-DNA interactions and allowing histone replacement [fr

Preparation of a specifically tritiated locust adipokinetic hormone analog with full biological potency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muramoto, K; Ramachandran, J; Moshitzky, P; Applebaum, S W [Hormone Research Laboratory and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA and Department of Entomology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel

1984-01-01

A synthetic peptide related to locus adipokinetic hormone (AKH) and shrimp red pigment concentrating hormone (RPCH) containing a tyrosine residue in place of phenylalanine was iodinated and the 3,5-diiodotyrosyl derivative was isolated by reverse phase HPLC. Catalytic dehalogenation of the diiodo derivative in the presence of tritium yielded the tritiated AKH analog which was isolated by gel filtration on Sephadex LH-20 and reverse phase HPLC. The tritiated peptide was formed to be identical to AKH in its ability to stimulate lipid release into the hemolymph of locusts in vivo where the diiodotryrosyl derivative was inactive. The specific radioactivity of the tritiated peptide was 57.2 Ci/mmol, or 99% of the theoretical value.

Ultrastructure of GABA- and tachykinin-immunoreactive neurons in the lower division of the central body of the desert locust

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uwe Homberg

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The central complex, a group of neuropils spanning the midline of the insect brain, plays a key role in spatial orientation and navigation. In the desert locust and other species, many neurons of the central complex are sensitive to the oscillation plane of polarized light above the animal and are likely involved in the coding of compass directions derived from the polarization pattern of the sky. Polarized light signals enter the locust central complex primarily through two types of -aminobutyric acid (GABA-immunoreactive tangential neurons, termed TL2 and TL3 that innervate specific layers of the lower division of the central body (CBL. Candidate postsynaptic partners are columnar neurons (CL1 connecting the CBL to the protocerebral bridge. Subsets of CL1 neurons are immunoreactive to antisera against locustatachykinin (LomTK. To better understand the synaptic connectivities of tangential and columnar neurons in the CBL, we studied its ultrastructural organization in the desert locust, both with conventional electron microscopy and in preparations immunolabeled for GABA or LomTK. Neuronal profiles in the CBL were rich in mitochondria and vesicles. Three types of vesicles were distinguished: small clear vesicles with diameters of 20-40 nm, dark dense-core vesicles (diameter 70-120 nm, and granular dense-core vesicles (diameter 70-80 nm. Neurons were connected via divergent dyads and, less frequently, through convergent dyads. GABA-immunoreactive neurons contained small clear vesicles and small numbers of dark dense core vesicles. They had both pre- and postsynaptic contacts but output synapses were observed more frequently than input synapses. LomTK immunostaining was concentrated on large granular vesicles; neurons had pre- and postsynaptic connections often with neurons assumed to be GABAergic. The data suggest that GABA-immunoreactive tangential neurons provide signals to postsynaptic neurons in the CBL, including LomTK-immunolabeled CL1

Intracisternal granules in the adipokinetic cells of locusts are not degraded and apparently function as supplementary stores of secretory material.

Science.gov (United States)

Harthoorn, L F; Diederen, J H; Oudejans, R C; Verstegen, M M; Vullings, H G; Van der Horst, D J

2000-01-01

The intracisternal granules in locust adipokinetic cells appear to represent accumulations of secretory material within cisternae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. An important question is whether these granules are destined for degradation or represent stores of (pro)hormones. Two strategies were used to answer this question. First, cytochemistry was applied to elucidate the properties of intracisternal granules. The endocytic tracers horseradish peroxidase and wheat-germ agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase were used to facilitate the identification of endocytic, autophagic, and lysosomal organelles, which may be involved in the degradation of intracisternal granules. No intracisternal granules could be found within autophagosomes, and granules fused with endocytic and lysosomal organelles were not observed, nor could tracer be found within the granules. The lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase was absent from the granules. Second, biochemical analysis of the content of intracisternal granules revealed that these granules contain prohormones as well as hormones. Prohormones were present in relatively higher amounts compared with ordinary secretory granules. Since the intracisternal granules in locust adipokinetic cells are not degraded and contain intact (pro)hormones it is concluded that they function as supplementary stores of secretory material.

Canopy transpiration of two black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) plantations with different ages in semi-arid Loess Plateau, China

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, L.

2015-12-01

Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) was widely planted to control soil erosion and restore degraded ecosystem in Loess Plateau. The water use of the plantations was concerned due to its potential effects on hydrological cycle and regional water resource. Although some studies estimated canopy transpiration (Ec) of the mature black locust plantation, variation in Ec in plantations with different ages was not clear. In this study, we selected two plantations with different ages (12 years and 27 years, denoted as young stand and mature stand, respectively) in similar topographical conditions in Yangjuangou catchment in the central of Loess Plateau. Sap flux density (Fd) and tree biometrics were measured in each stand during the growing season in 2014. Soil water content (SWC) in each plot and meteorological variables in the catchment were simultaneously monitored. Tree transpiration (Et) was derived from Fd and tree sapwood area (As). Canopy transpiration (Ec) was estimated by a product of mean stand sap flux density (Js) and stand total sapwood area (AST). The mean Fd of mature trees was 2-fold larger than that of young trees.However, tree-to-tree variation in Fd among sampled trees within mature stand was evident compared to that within young stand. Mean Et in mature stand was higher than that in young stand. Ec in mature stand was significant higher than that in young stand,with cumulative value of 54 mm and 27 mm respectively. This is attributed to higher Js in mature stand although AST in young is slightly higher than that in mature stand. The patterns of daily Ec during the growing season were similar in both stands during the study period. A exponential saturation model can explain the responses of Ec to vapor deficit pressure (VPD) and solar radiation (Rs) in both stands.The relationship between Ec and SWC was not detected. Our finding suggested that stand age should be taken into consideration when estimated vegetation water use in this region. Further

Multilocus sequence typing of Metarhizium anisopliae var acridum isolates as microbial agents for locust and grasshopper control. Genbank Accession numbers FJ787311 to FJ787325

Science.gov (United States)

A growing interest in the biological control of locusts and grasshoppers (Acrididae) has led to the development of biopesticides based on naturally occurring pathogens which offers an environmentally safe alternative to chemical pesticides. However, the fungal strains which are being sought for biop...

Effect of ionizing radiation on tissue proteins of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, P.J.; Singh, Y.; Mehrotra, K.N.

1981-01-01

Effect of gamma radiation on the protein concentration of thoracic and mandibular muscles and midgut of adult male desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal at 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 Krad doses was studied. The protein concentration of thoracic muscles was the highest on a μg/mg wet tissue basis, followed by the mandibular muscles and midgut. Considerable increase in protein concentration of the tissues on 5th and 9th day and depletion on 7th day suggests the existence of a circadian rhythm like phenomenon in tissue proteins. The effect of radiation on protein concentration of thoracic and mandibular muscles was comparatively more pronounced than midgut tissue and was generally dose dependent. (author)

Intricate but tight coupling of spiracular activity and abdominal ventilation during locust discontinuous gas exchange cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

Talal, Stav; Gefen, Eran; Ayali, Amir

2018-03-15

Discontinuous gas exchange (DGE) is the best studied among insect gas exchange patterns. DGE cycles comprise three phases, which are defined by their spiracular state: closed, flutter and open. However, spiracle status has rarely been monitored directly; rather, it is often assumed based on CO 2 emission traces. In this study, we directly recorded electromyogram (EMG) signals from the closer muscle of the second thoracic spiracle and from abdominal ventilation muscles in a fully intact locust during DGE. Muscular activity was monitored simultaneously with CO 2 emission, under normoxia and under various experimental oxic conditions. Our findings indicate that locust DGE does not correspond well with the commonly described three-phase cycle. We describe unique DGE-related ventilation motor patterns, coupled to spiracular activity. During the open phase, when CO 2 emission rate is highest, the thoracic spiracles do not remain open; rather, they open and close rapidly. This fast spiracle activity coincides with in-phase abdominal ventilation, while alternating with the abdominal spiracle and thus facilitating a unidirectional air flow along the main trachea. A change in the frequency of rhythmic ventilation during the open phase suggests modulation by intra-tracheal CO 2 levels. A second, slow ventilatory movement pattern probably serves to facilitate gas diffusion during spiracle closure. Two flutter-like patterns are described in association with the different types of ventilatory activity. We offer a modified mechanistic model for DGE in actively ventilating insects, incorporating ventilatory behavior and changes in spiracle state. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Preparation and characterization of tragacanth-locust bean gum edible blend films.

Science.gov (United States)

Mostafavi, Fatemeh Sadat; Kadkhodaee, Rassoul; Emadzadeh, Bahareh; Koocheki, Arash

2016-03-30

The present work introduces the structure and physicomechanical properties of a novel blend film made from binary solutions of gum tragacanth (GT) and locust bean gum (LBG) at different mixing ratios. Apparent viscosities and surface tensions of individual and blend gum solutions were also investigated. The viscosity data indicated that there was a distinct synergism between the two gums at all mixing ratios. FTIR spectra showed the existence of noncovalent intermolecular interactions between gums. The surface tensions of binary solutions were significantly lower than those of individual gums which is advantageous for coating applications. All films had homogenous and smooth surface morphology and their transparency, water vapour barrier and mechanical properties were improved by incorporating LBG in blend. The results of this study suggest that GT-LBG blend film, owing to its desirable properties, has the potential to be used as a new degradable food packaging material. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth and Nutrient Status of Introduced Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) Afforestation in Arid and Semi Arid Areas of Iran

OpenAIRE

Moshki, A.; Lamersdorf, N. P.

2011-01-01

Under global climate change it is expected that many arid regions in the world will experience enhanced desertification in the next decades. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is a one commonly used species for afforestation projects in arid regions of Iran due to its soil rehabilitation capabilities. This study aims to characterize how Robinia growth parameters and nutrient status interacted and were influenced soil properties. The experiment was conducted at three Robinia plantations in...

Evaluation of a Novel, Natural Locust Bean Gum as a Sustained Release and Mucoadhesive Component of Tizanidine Hcl Buccal Tablets

OpenAIRE

Harikrishnan.V

2015-01-01

Mucoadhesive polymers that bind to the gastric mucin or epithelial cell surface are useful in drug delivery for the purpose of increasing the intimacy and duration of contact of drug with the absorbing membrane. Mainly synthetic polymers are in use for this purpose. Probably the biodegradability of the synthetic polymers are questionable, In the present work mucoadhesive buccal tablets of Tizanidine hydrochloride (TZD HCl) were prepared by using locust bean gum that have better mucoadhesive p...

Characterization of midazolam metabolism in locusts: The role of CYP3A4-like enzyme in the formation of 1'-OH and 4-OH midazolam

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Line Rørbæk; Gabel-Jensen, Charlotte; Wubshet, Sileshi Gizachew

2016-01-01

) were in the same range as reported in humans (in locusts: 7-23 and 33-85 µM for the formation of the 1'-OH and 4-OH metabolites, respectively). 3. The formation of hydroxylated metabolites could successfully be inhibited by co-administration of ketoconazole, a known CYP3A4/5 inhibitor. 4. Besides phase...

From individual to collective behaviour of coupled velocity jump processes: A locust example

KAUST Repository

Erban, Radek; Haskovec, Jan

2012-01-01

A class of stochastic individual-based models, written in terms of coupled velocity jump processes, is presented and analysed. This modelling approach incorporates recent experimental findings on the behaviour of locusts. It exhibits nontrivial dynamics with a pitchfork bifurcation and recovers the observed group directional switching. Estimates of the expected switching times, in terms of the number of individuals and values of the model coefi-cients, are obtained using the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation. In the limit of large populations, a system of two kinetic equations (with nonlocal and nonlinear right hand side) is derived and analyzed. The existence of its solutions is proven and the system's long-time behaviour is investigated. Finally, a first step towards the mean field limit of topological interactions is made by studying the efiect of shrinking the interaction radius in the individual-based model. © American Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

From individual to collective behaviour of coupled velocity jump processes: A locust example

KAUST Repository

Erban, Radek

2012-11-01

A class of stochastic individual-based models, written in terms of coupled velocity jump processes, is presented and analysed. This modelling approach incorporates recent experimental findings on the behaviour of locusts. It exhibits nontrivial dynamics with a pitchfork bifurcation and recovers the observed group directional switching. Estimates of the expected switching times, in terms of the number of individuals and values of the model coefi-cients, are obtained using the corresponding Fokker-Planck equation. In the limit of large populations, a system of two kinetic equations (with nonlocal and nonlinear right hand side) is derived and analyzed. The existence of its solutions is proven and the system\\'s long-time behaviour is investigated. Finally, a first step towards the mean field limit of topological interactions is made by studying the efiect of shrinking the interaction radius in the individual-based model. © American Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

Emulsifying properties of maillard conjugates produced from sodium caseinate and locust bean gum

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F. A. Perrechil

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Emulsifying properties of sodium caseinate -locust bean gum Maillard conjugates produced at different temperatures (54 - 96 ºC, protein/polysaccharide ratios (0.3 - 1.0 and reaction times (1 - 24 hours were evaluated. Conjugate formation was confirmed by formation of color and high molecular weight fractions and the decrease of the αs- and β-casein bands. The emulsions stabilized by Maillard conjugates showed good stability. The mean droplet diameter (d32 tended to decrease with the increase of incubation time and temperature, except at extreme conditions (24 hours and 90 ºC or 96 ºC when the partial degradation of the conjugates was probably favored, resulting in phase separation of emulsions. The emulsion viscosity decreased with the increase in the protein/polysaccharide ratio and with the degradation of the conjugates. The conditions used in the experimental design made the optimization of the conjugate production viable, which showed greater emulsifier properties than the pure protein under acid conditions.

Allometric Models to Predict Aboveground Woody Biomass of Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L. in Short Rotation Coppice in Previous Mining and Agricultural Areas in Germany

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Christin Carl

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Black locust is a drought-resistant tree species with high biomass productivity during juvenility; it is able to thrive on wastelands, such as former brown coal fields and dry agricultural areas. However, research conducted on this species in such areas is limited. This paper aims to provide a basis for predicting tree woody biomass for black locust based on tree, competition, and site variables at 14 sites in northeast Germany that were previously utilized for mining or agriculture. The study areas, which are located in an area covering 320 km × 280 km, are characterized by a variety of climatic and soil conditions. Influential variables, including tree parameters, competition, and climatic parameters were considered. Allometric biomass models were employed. The findings show that the most important parameters are tree and competition variables. Different former land utilizations, such as mining or agriculture, as well as growth by cores or stumps, significantly influenced aboveground woody biomass production. The new biomass models developed as part of this study can be applied to calculate woody biomass production and carbon sequestration of Robinia pseudoacacia L. in short rotation coppices in previous mining and agricultural areas.

Food deprivation and prior anoxic coma have opposite effects on the activity of a visual interneuron in the locust.

Science.gov (United States)

Cross, Kevin P; Britton, Samantha; Mangulins, Rebecca; Money, Tomas G A; Robertson, R Meldrum

2017-04-01

We compared how different metabolic stressors, anoxic coma and food deprivation, affected signaling in neural tissue. We used the locust's Descending Contralateral Movement Detector (DCMD) interneuron because its large axon, high firing frequencies, and rapid conduction velocity make it energetically expensive. We exposed locusts to a 30min anoxic coma or 1day of food deprivation and found contrasting effects on signaling within the axon. After a prior anoxic coma, the DCMD fired fewer high-frequency (>200Hz) action potentials (APs) (Control: 12.4±1.6; Coma: 6.3±0.9) with a reduction in axonal conduction velocity (CV) at all frequencies (∼4-8%) when presented with a standard looming visual stimulus. Prior anoxic coma was also associated with a loss of supernormal conduction by reducing both the number of supernormal APs and the firing frequency with the highest CV. Initially, food deprivation caused a significant increase in the number of low- and high-frequency APs with no differences observed in CV. After controlling for isolation, food deprivation resulted in an increase in high-frequency APs (>200Hz: Control: 17.1±1.7; Food-deprived: 19.9±1.3) and an increase in relative conduction velocity for frequencies >150Hz (∼2%). Action potentials of food-deprived animals had a smaller half-width (Control: 0.45±0.02ms; Food-deprived: 0.40±0.01ms) and decay time (Control: 0.62±0.03ms; Food-deprived: 0.54±0.02ms). Our data indicate that the effects of metabolic stress on neural signaling can be stressor-dependent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlled release of Lactobacillus rhamnosus biofilm probiotics from alginate-locust bean gum microcapsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheow, Wean Sin; Kiew, Tie Yi; Hadinoto, Kunn

2014-03-15

Chitosan-coated alginate microcapsules containing high-density biofilm Lactobacillus rhamnosus have been previously shown to exhibit higher freeze drying- and thermal-tolerance than their planktonic counterparts. However, their cell release profile remains poor due to the capsules' susceptibility to the gastric environment. Herein the effects of adding locust bean (LB) and xanthan (XT) gums to alginate (AGN) capsules on the stress tolerance and cell release profiles in simulated gastrointestinal fluids are investigated. Compared to the AGN-only capsules, the AGN-LB capsules exhibit improved stress tolerance (i.e. ≈ 6x for freeze drying, 100x for thermotolerance, 10x for acid), whereas the AGN-XT capsules only improve the acid tolerance. Importantly, the AGN-LB capsules possess the optimal cell release profile with a majority of cells released in the simulated intestinal juice than in the gastric juice. The AGN-LB capsules' superiority is attributed to their stronger interaction with the chitosan coating and high swelling capacity, thus delaying their bulk dissolution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water adsorption isotherms of carboxymethyl cellulose, guar, locust bean, tragacanth and xanthan gums.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, María D; Moreira, Ramón; Chenlo, Francisco; Vázquez, María J

2012-06-20

Water adsorption isotherms of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), guar gum (GG), locust bean gum (LBG), tragacanth gum (TG) and xanthan gum (XG) were determined at different temperatures (20, 35, 50, and 65°C) using a gravimetric method. Several saturated salt solutions were selected to obtain different water activities in the range from 0.09 to 0.91. Water adsorption isotherms of tested hydrocolloids were classified like type II isotherms. In all cases, equilibrium moisture content decreased with increasing temperature at each water activity value. Three-parameter Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) model was employed to fit the experimental data in the water activity range and statistical analysis indicated that this model gave satisfactory results. CMC and GG were the most and the least hygroscopic gums, respectively. Sorption heats decreased with increasing moisture content. Monolayer moisture content evaluated with GAB model was consistent with equilibrium conditions of maximum stability calculated from thermodynamic analysis of net integral entropy. Values of equilibrium relative humidity at 20°C are proposed to storage adequately the tested gums. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of xanthan and locust bean gum synergistic interaction on characteristics of biodegradable edible film.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt, Abdullah; Toker, Omer Said; Tornuk, Fatih

2017-09-01

The present study was aimed to use different combinations of xanthan (XG) and locust bean gum (LBG) in the biodegradable edible film preparation by benefitting from their synergistic interactions for the first time. Concentrations of LBG, XG and glycerol of the optimized film sample were found to be 89.6%, 10.4% and 20%, respectively. At the optimum point the WVP, TS, E% and EM values of film were found 0.22gmmh -1 m 2 kPa, 86.97MPa, 33.34% and 177.25MPa, respectively. The optimized film was characterized for its physical, thermal and structural behavior. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses exhibited miscibility and presence of interaction between polymers. In conclusion, XG and LBG interaction was used successfully to get biodegradable films and coatings with improved characteristics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Alleviates Salt Stress in Black Locust through Improved Photosynthesis, Water Status, and K+/Na+ Homeostasis

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jie; Zhang, Haoqiang; Zhang, Xinlu; Tang, Ming

2017-01-01

Soil salinization and the associated land degradation are major and growing ecological problems. Excess salt in soil impedes plant photosynthetic processes and root uptake of water and nutrients such as K+. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can mitigate salt stress in host plants. Although, numerous studies demonstrate that photosynthesis and water status are improved by mycorrhizae, the molecular mechanisms involved have received little research attention. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of AM symbiosis and salt stress on photosynthesis, water status, concentrations of Na+ and K+, and the expression of several genes associated with photosynthesis (RppsbA, RppsbD, RprbcL, and RprbcS) and genes coding for aquaporins or membrane transport proteins involved in K+ and/or Na+ uptake, translocation, or compartmentalization homeostasis (RpSOS1, RpHKT1, RpNHX1, and RpSKOR) in black locust. The results showed that salinity reduced the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and relative water content in both non-mycorrhizal (NM) and AM plants; the reductions of these three parameters were less in AM plants compared with NM plants. Under saline conditions, AM fungi significantly improved the net photosynthetic rate, quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry, and K+ content in plants, but evidently reduced the Na+ content. AM plants also displayed a significant increase in the relative water content and an evident decrease in the shoot/root ratio of Na+ in the presence of 200 mM NaCl compared with NM plants. Additionally, mycorrhizal colonization upregulated the expression of three chloroplast genes (RppsbA, RppsbD, and RprbcL) in leaves, and three genes (RpSOS1, RpHKT1, and RpSKOR) encoding membrane transport proteins involved in K+/Na+ homeostasis in roots. Expression of several aquaporin genes was regulated by AM symbiosis in both leaves and roots depending on soil salinity. This study suggests that the beneficial effects of AM symbiosis on

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Alleviates Salt Stress in Black Locust through Improved Photosynthesis, Water Status, and K+/Na+ Homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jie; Zhang, Haoqiang; Zhang, Xinlu; Tang, Ming

2017-01-01

Soil salinization and the associated land degradation are major and growing ecological problems. Excess salt in soil impedes plant photosynthetic processes and root uptake of water and nutrients such as K + . Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can mitigate salt stress in host plants. Although, numerous studies demonstrate that photosynthesis and water status are improved by mycorrhizae, the molecular mechanisms involved have received little research attention. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of AM symbiosis and salt stress on photosynthesis, water status, concentrations of Na + and K + , and the expression of several genes associated with photosynthesis ( RppsbA, RppsbD, RprbcL , and RprbcS ) and genes coding for aquaporins or membrane transport proteins involved in K + and/or Na + uptake, translocation, or compartmentalization homeostasis ( RpSOS1, RpHKT1, RpNHX1 , and RpSKOR ) in black locust. The results showed that salinity reduced the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and relative water content in both non-mycorrhizal (NM) and AM plants; the reductions of these three parameters were less in AM plants compared with NM plants. Under saline conditions, AM fungi significantly improved the net photosynthetic rate, quantum efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry, and K + content in plants, but evidently reduced the Na + content. AM plants also displayed a significant increase in the relative water content and an evident decrease in the shoot/root ratio of Na + in the presence of 200 mM NaCl compared with NM plants. Additionally, mycorrhizal colonization upregulated the expression of three chloroplast genes ( RppsbA, RppsbD , and RprbcL ) in leaves, and three genes ( RpSOS1, RpHKT1 , and RpSKOR ) encoding membrane transport proteins involved in K + /Na + homeostasis in roots. Expression of several aquaporin genes was regulated by AM symbiosis in both leaves and roots depending on soil salinity. This study suggests that the beneficial

Study of the biological impact of Pseudomonas spp.fluoresents on hemolyphatic metabolites and histology of the digestive tract of larvae 15 migratory locust Locusta migratoria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oulebsir- Mohan, H.; Doumandji-Mitiche, B.

2012-01-01

This study allows to test the effect of entomopathogenic bacteria of Pseudomonas fluorescens bv III and Pseudomonas fluorescence bv V on the haemolymph of Locusta migratoria metabolites, namely proteins and carbohydrates as well as on the histology of the digestive system of fifth stage larvae of migratory locust Locusta migratoria. The results show an important decrease of haemolymph protein concentration compared to controls with an increase in carbohydrate concentration. Examination of histological sections of various parts of the digestive tract showed some changes in treated. (author)

Challenges to assessing connectivity between massive populations of the Australian plague locust

Science.gov (United States)

Chapuis, Marie-Pierre; Popple, Julie-Anne M.; Berthier, Karine; Simpson, Stephen J.; Deveson, Edward; Spurgin, Peter; Steinbauer, Martin J.; Sword, Gregory A.

2011-01-01

Linking demographic and genetic dispersal measures is of fundamental importance for movement ecology and evolution. However, such integration can be difficult, particularly for highly fecund species that are often the target of management decisions guided by an understanding of population movement. Here, we present an example of how the influence of large population sizes can preclude genetic approaches from assessing demographic population structuring, even at a continental scale. The Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera, is a significant pest, with populations on the eastern and western sides of Australia having been monitored and managed independently to date. We used microsatellites to assess genetic variation in 12 C. terminifera population samples separated by up to 3000 km. Traditional summary statistics indicated high levels of genetic diversity and a surprising lack of population structure across the entire range. An approximate Bayesian computation treatment indicated that levels of genetic diversity in C. terminifera corresponded to effective population sizes conservatively composed of tens of thousands to several million individuals. We used these estimates and computer simulations to estimate the minimum rate of dispersal, m, that could account for the observed range-wide genetic homogeneity. The rate of dispersal between both sides of the Australian continent could be several orders of magnitude lower than that typically considered as required for the demographic connectivity of populations. PMID:21389030

Determination of locust bean gum and guar gum by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, K; Rosa, C; Hischenhuber, C; Meyer, R

2001-01-01

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was developed to differentiate the thickening agents locust bean gum (LBG) and the cheaper guar gum in finished food products. Universal primers for amplification of the intergenic spacer region between trnL 3' (UAA) exon and trnF (GAA) gene in the chloroplast (cp) genome and subsequent restriction analysis were applied to differentiate guar gum and LBG. The presence of guar gum powder added to LBG powder was detectable. Based on data obtained from sequencing this intergenic spacer region, a second PCR method for the specific detection of guar gum DNA was also developed. This assay detected guar gum powder in LBG in amounts as low as 1% (w/w). Both methods successfully detected guar gum and/or LBG in ice cream stabilizers and in foodstuffs, such as dairy products, ice cream, dry seasoning mixes, a finished roasting sauce, and a fruit jelly product, but not in products with highly degraded DNA, such as tomato ketchup and sterilized chocolate cream. Both methods detected guar gum and LBG in ice cream and fresh cheese at levels <0.1%.

Black locus (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos L.): technological aspects in relation with the use in solid wood products; Acaia blanca (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) y acacia negra (Gleditsia triacanthos L.): aspectos tecnologicos y relacionados al empleo en productos de madera maciza

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keil, G.; Spavento, E.; Murace, M.; Millanes, A.

2011-07-01

Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Gleditsia triacanthos L, are tree species from USA and both was introduced in Europe. In the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, plantations of these species are scattered, whose wood hasn't been characterized technologically by standardized tests. The objective of this job was to characterize technologically Black locus and Honey locust woods, both implanted in the province of Buenos Aires for its inclusion in the timber market. The physical and mechanical properties determined were: content humidity, apparent densities, dimensional changes, Janka hardness, static bending, cut parallel to fibers,compression perpendicular and parallel to fibers. Natural durability was estimated. Black locus and Honey locust woods were medium density and medium stability, hard, resistant to the cut and the compression perpendicular to fibers and showed values medium to low in parameters of static bending and compression parallel to fibers, values to take into account when designing structural elements. Black locus was the most resistant to fungal degradation. Both woods can be considered suitable for high-value uses in the construction and furniture industries (interior and exterior). (Author) 29 refs.

Outbreaks, gene flow and effective population size in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria: a regional-scale comparative survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapuis, Marie-Pierre; Loiseau, Anne; Michalakis, Yannis; Lecoq, Michel; Franc, Alex; Estoup, Arnaud

2009-03-01

The potential effect of population outbreaks on within and between genetic variation of populations in pest species has rarely been assessed. In this study, we compare patterns of genetic variation in different sets of historically frequently outbreaking and rarely outbreaking populations of an agricultural pest of major importance, the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria. We analyse genetic variation within and between 24 populations at 14 microsatellites in Western Europe, where only ancient and low-intensity outbreaks have been reported (non-outbreaking populations), and in Madagascar and Northern China, where frequent and intense outbreak events have been recorded over the last century (outbreaking populations). Our comparative survey shows that (i) the long-term effective population size is similar in outbreaking and non-outbreaking populations, as evidenced by similar estimates of genetic diversity, and (ii) gene flow is substantially larger among outbreaking populations than among non-outbreaking populations, as evidenced by a fourfold to 30-fold difference in FST values. We discuss the implications for population dynamics and the consequences for management strategies of the observed patterns of genetic variation in L. migratoria populations with contrasting historical outbreak frequency and extent.

Spatial variation in the storages and age-related dynamics of forest carbon sequestration in different climate zones-evidence from black locust plantations on the Loess Plateau of China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Taijun; Ren, Bowen; Wang, Dahui; Liu, Guobin

2015-01-01

Knowledge about the long-term influences of climate change on the amount of potential carbon (C) sequestration in forest ecosystems, including age-related dynamics, remains unclear. This study used two similar age-sequences of black locust forests (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in the semi-arid and semi-humid zones of China's Loess Plateau to assess the variation in C stocks and age-related dynamics. Our results demonstrated that black locust forests of the semi-humid zone stored significantly more C than did forests in the semi-arid zone, across the chronosequence (p zone, while the semi-arid zone had a capacity of only 79.4 Mg C ha-1. Soil organic C (SOC) increased continuously with stand age in the semi-arid zone (R2 = 0.84, p = 0.010). However, in the semi-humid zone, SOC declined sharply by 47.8% after the initial stage (5 to 10 y). The C stock in trees increased continuously with stand age in the semi-humid zone (R2 = 0.83, p = 0.011), yet in the semi-arid zone, it decreased dramatically from 43.0 Mg C ha-1 to 28.4 Mg C ha-1 during the old forest stage (38 to 56 y). The shift from being a net C sink to a net C source occurred at the initial stage in the semi-humid zone versus at the old forest stage in the semi-arid zone after reforestation. Surprisingly, with the exception of the initial and later stages (55 y), the patterns of C allocation among trees, soils, understory and litter were not statistically different between the two climate zones. Our results suggest that climate factors can alter the potential amount and age-related dynamics of forest C sequestration.

Spatial Variation in the Storages and Age-Related Dynamics of Forest Carbon Sequestration in Different Climate Zones—Evidence from Black Locust Plantations on the Loess Plateau of China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Taijun; Ren, Bowen; Wang, Dahui; Liu, Guobin

2015-01-01

Knowledge about the long-term influences of climate change on the amount of potential carbon (C) sequestration in forest ecosystems, including age-related dynamics, remains unclear. This study used two similar age-sequences of black locust forests (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in the semi-arid and semi-humid zones of China’s Loess Plateau to assess the variation in C stocks and age-related dynamics. Our results demonstrated that black locust forests of the semi-humid zone stored significantly more C than did forests in the semi-arid zone, across the chronosequence (p zone, while the semi-arid zone had a capacity of only 79.4 Mg C ha−1. Soil organic C (SOC) increased continuously with stand age in the semi-arid zone (R2 = 0.84, p = 0.010). However, in the semi-humid zone, SOC declined sharply by 47.8% after the initial stage (5 to 10 y). The C stock in trees increased continuously with stand age in the semi-humid zone (R2 = 0.83, p = 0.011), yet in the semi-arid zone, it decreased dramatically from 43.0 Mg C ha−1 to 28.4 Mg C ha−1 during the old forest stage (38 to 56 y). The shift from being a net C sink to a net C source occurred at the initial stage in the semi-humid zone versus at the old forest stage in the semi-arid zone after reforestation. Surprisingly, with the exception of the initial and later stages (55 y), the patterns of C allocation among trees, soils, understory and litter were not statistically different between the two climate zones. Our results suggest that climate factors can alter the potential amount and age-related dynamics of forest C sequestration. PMID:25799100

Degradation of proteins during the fermentation of African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) by strains of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus pumilus for production of Soumbala

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ouoba, L.I.I.; Rechinger, K.B.; Barkholt, Vibeke

2003-01-01

Aims: To examine isolates of Bacillus subtilis and B. pumilus predominant in Soumbala for their ability to degrade African locust bean proteins (ALBP).Methods and Results: Agar diffusion test in casein and ALBP agar was used for screening of isolates. The profiles of water-soluble proteins and free...... amino acids (FAA) during the fermentation of ALBP by the Bacillus isolates were studied by SDS-PAGE and cation exchange chromatography. The profile of soluble proteins changed with the fermentation time and varied depending on the isolate. The quantity of total FAA and essential FAA such as lysine...... was increased sharply between 24 and 48 h of fermentation and differed among the isolates. Simultaneously, a pH increase was observed. Cysteine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, tyrosine and phenylalaline appeared during fermentation.Conclusion: The Bacillus isolates studied degraded ALBP leading to a profile...

THE EFFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT ON THE CHEMICAL AND COLOR CHANGE OF BLACK LOCUST (ROBINIA PSEUDOACACIA WOOD FLOUR

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Yao Chen,

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oxygen and moisture content (MC on the chemical and color changes of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia wood during heat treatment. The wood flour was conditioned to different initial MCs and heated for 24 h at a constant temperature of 120ºC in either oxygen or nitrogen atmosphere. The pH values and chromaticity indexes were examined. Diffuse reflectance UV-Vis (DRUV and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR spectra were used to characterize the changes of chromophores upon heating. The study demonstrated that the pH values decreased after heat treatment, and it was lower when the heat treated was in oxygen than in nitrogen. The L* decreased significantly, while a* and b* increased. The total color difference ΔE* increased with increasing initial MC until a plateau was reached after 30% MC. The color change was greater in oxygen than in nitrogen. The hydroxyl groups decreased after heat treatment. The releases of acid and formation of quinoid compounds and carboxylic groups during heat treatment were confirmed. Discoloration of wood is due mainly to the condensation and oxidation reactions, which are accelerated by oxygen. Higher MCs are required to obtain the greatest color change of wood in inert atmosphere.

Population explosion in the yellow-spined bamboo locust Ceracris kiangsu and inferences for the impact of human activity.

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Zhou Fan

Full Text Available Geographic distance and geographical barriers likely play a considerable role in structuring genetic variation in species, although some migratory species may have less phylogeographic structure on a smaller spatial scale. Here, genetic diversity and the phylogenetic structure among geographical populations of the yellow-spined bamboo locust, Ceracris kiangsu, were examined with 16S rDNA and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs. In this study, no conspicuous phylogeographical structure was discovered from either Maximum parsimony (MP and Neighbor-joining (NJ phylogenetic analyses. The effect of geographical isolation was not conspicuous on a large spatial scale.At smaller spatial scales local diversity of some populations within mountainous areas were detected using Nei's genetic distance and AMOVA. There is a high level of genetic diversity and a low genetic differentiation among populations in the C. kiangsu of South and Southeast China. Our analyses indicate that C. kiangsu is a monophyletic group. Our results also support the hypothesis that the C. kiangsu population is in a primary differentiation stage. Given the mismatch distribution, it is likely that a population expansion in C. kiangsu occurred about 0.242 Ma during the Quaternary interglaciation. Based on historical reports, we conjecture that human activities had significant impacts on the C. kiangsu gene flow.

Microrheology and microstructure of water-in-water emulsions containing sodium caseinate and locust bean gum.

Science.gov (United States)

Moschakis, Thomas; Chantzos, Nikos; Biliaderis, Costas G; Dickinson, Eric

2018-05-23

The mechanical response on the microscale of phase-separated water-in-water emulsions containing sodium caseinate (SCN) and locust bean gum (LBG) has been monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy and particle tracking microrheology. Mixed biopolymer systems exhibiting phase-separated micro-regions were enriched in either protein or polysaccharide in the continuous or dispersed phase, depending on the weight ratio of the two biopolymers. Measurements of the tracking of charged probe particles revealed that the local rheological properties of protein-rich regions were considerably lower than that of LBG-rich domains for all the biopolymer ratios examined. At pH 7 in the absence of added salt, the viscosity of the protein-rich regions was little affected by an increase in overall LBG concentration, which is consistent with the phase separation mechanism in the mixed solution of charged (SCN) and uncharged (LBG) biopolymers being dominated by the relative entropy of the counter-ions associated with the charged protein molecules. Addition of salt was found to produce an enhancement in the level of thermodynamic incompatibility, leading to faster and more pronounced phase separation, and altering the micro-viscosity of protein-rich regions. At high ionic strength, it was also noted that there was a pronounced accumulation of incorporated probe particles at the liquid-liquid interface. The microrheological properties of the SCN-rich regions were found to be substantially pH-dependent in the range 7 > pH > 5.4. By adjusting the acidification conditions and the biopolymer ratio, discrete protein-based microspheres were generated with potential applications as a functional food ingredient.

Development and optimization of locust bean gum and sodium alginate interpenetrating polymeric network of capecitabine.

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Mansi; Adena, Sandeep Kumar Reddy; Vardhan, Harsh; Pandey, Sureshwar; Mishra, Brahmeshwar

2018-03-01

The objective of the study was to develop interpenetrating polymeric network (IPN) of capecitabine (CAP) using natural polymers locust bean gum (LBG) and sodium alginate (NaAlg). The IPN microbeads were optimized by Box-Behnken Design (BBD) to provide anticipated particle size with good drug entrapment efficiency. The comparative dissolution profile of IPN microbeads of CAP with the marketed preparation proved an excellent sustained drug delivery vehicle. Ionotropic gelation method utilizing metal ion calcium (Ca 2+ ) as a cross-linker was used to prepare IPN microbeads. The optimization study was done by response surface methodology based Box-Behnken Design. The effect of the factors on the responses of optimized batch was exhibited through response surface and contour plots. The optimized batch was analyzed for particle size, % drug entrapment, pharmacokinetic study, in vitro drug release study and further characterized by FTIR, XRD, and SEM. To study the water uptake capacity and hydrodynamic activity of the polymers, swelling studies and viscosity measurement were performed, respectively. The particle size and % drug entrapment of the optimized batch was 494.37 ± 1.4 µm and 81.39 ± 2.9%, respectively, closer to the value predicted by Minitab 17 software. The in vitro drug release study showed sustained release of 92% for 12 h and followed anomalous drug release pattern. The derived pharmacokinetic parameters of optimized batch showed improved results than pure CAP. Thus, the formed IPN microbeads of CAP proved to be an effective extended drug delivery vehicle for the water soluble antineoplastic drug.

The effect of gamma irradiation on guar gum, locust bean gum, gum tragacanth and gum karaya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, Karen; Gray, Richard

1993-01-01

Changes in rheological properties, as measured by viscosity, of two galactomannans (guar gum and locust beam gum) and two acidic polysaccharides (gumtragacanth and gum karaya) were studied at a range of irradiation doses o C for 1 h was determined over a wide shear rate range. All samples showed pseudoplastic behaviour which approached Newtonian with increasing irradiation dose. Viscosities were calculated at a shear rate of 54 sec -1 to enable comparison across the samples. Both galactomannans showed a decrease in viscosity with increasing γ irradiation independent of temperature and a hypothesis is proposed that at low γ irradiation doses (<2 kGy) there is a reduction in polymer aggregation in solution, whereas at higher doses polymer hydrolysis occurs. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy data supports this hypothesis, with the detection of different free radicals at low and high irradiation doses. The viscosity of the acidic polysaccharides, gum karaya and gum tragacanth, following γ irradiation at low doses (<1 kGy) was unchanged or slightly higher when compared to the unirradiated control samples. Above 1 kGy dispersion viscosity decreased with increasing dose. For these polysaccharides chain hydrolysis seems to occur during irradiation at all doses resulting in an increase in the amount of soluble polymer and hence increased viscosity at low doses, whilst at high doses viscosity decreases due to extensive polymer hydrolysis. Similar electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra were obtained at low and high doses with a stronger signal at the higher dose. (Author)

Sistemas de Información Geográfica y Teledetección en Entomología: Aplicación en tucuras y langostas (Orthoptera: Acridoidea Geographic Information Systems (GIS and remote sensing in Entomology: studies in grasshoppers and locusts (Orthoptera: Acridoidea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Marta Cigliano

2003-07-01

Full Text Available El desarrollo, relativamente reciente, de dos tecnologías de análisis de patrones espaciales, como son los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG y la teledetección, ha abierto nuevos caminos en estudios sobre entomología aplicada. Los SIG han facilitado a entomólogos y ecólogos el análisis de aquellos patrones espaciales complejos que presentan una variación temporal. Tal vez uno de los principales usos de los SIG dentro de la entomología aplicada está vinculado con el estudio de las relaciones entre las explosiones poblacionales de insectos ("outbreaks" y las variables ambientales. Las explosiones poblacionales de acridios, tanto de especies de langostas como de tucuras, son ejemplos típicos de la dinámica espacial de insectos que ocurre a gran escala y que se ve afectada por condiciones locales que varían en el tiempo. Debido a estas características este grupo de insectos plaga ha sido objeto de análisis y aplicación de estas nuevas herramientas. En este trabajo se brindan los conceptos básicos de los SIG y la teledetección y se lleva a cabo una revisión de su utilidad en entomología aplicada, utilizando los estudios de su aplicación en acridios como ejemplo.The advent of Geographic Information Systems (GIS and remote sensing has made the analysis of complex spatial patterns an attainable reality for entomologists and ecologists. Within the general area of applied insect entomology, perhaps one of the major uses of GIS is the one that relates insect outbreaks to environmental features of the landscape. Outbreaks of grasshoppers and locusts are typical examples of large-scale spatial dynamics that are affected by local conditions that fluctuate with time. Factors affecting the numerical fluctuations in grasshopper and locust populations are usually variables that have both spatial and temporal characteristics and thus can be mapped and incorporated into a GIS. Following a brief introduction to GIS and remote sensing, a

Spatial variation in the storages and age-related dynamics of forest carbon sequestration in different climate zones-evidence from black locust plantations on the Loess Plateau of China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taijun Li

Full Text Available Knowledge about the long-term influences of climate change on the amount of potential carbon (C sequestration in forest ecosystems, including age-related dynamics, remains unclear. This study used two similar age-sequences of black locust forests (Robinia pseudoacacia L. in the semi-arid and semi-humid zones of China's Loess Plateau to assess the variation in C stocks and age-related dynamics. Our results demonstrated that black locust forests of the semi-humid zone stored significantly more C than did forests in the semi-arid zone, across the chronosequence (p < 0.001. The C carrying capacity of the plantations was measured at 166.4 Mg C ha-1 (1 Mg = 106 g in the semi-humid zone, while the semi-arid zone had a capacity of only 79.4 Mg C ha-1. Soil organic C (SOC increased continuously with stand age in the semi-arid zone (R2 = 0.84, p = 0.010. However, in the semi-humid zone, SOC declined sharply by 47.8% after the initial stage (5 to 10 y. The C stock in trees increased continuously with stand age in the semi-humid zone (R2 = 0.83, p = 0.011, yet in the semi-arid zone, it decreased dramatically from 43.0 Mg C ha-1 to 28.4 Mg C ha-1 during the old forest stage (38 to 56 y. The shift from being a net C sink to a net C source occurred at the initial stage in the semi-humid zone versus at the old forest stage in the semi-arid zone after reforestation. Surprisingly, with the exception of the initial and later stages (55 y, the patterns of C allocation among trees, soils, understory and litter were not statistically different between the two climate zones. Our results suggest that climate factors can alter the potential amount and age-related dynamics of forest C sequestration.

Effects of locust bean gum and mono- and diglyceride concentrations on particle size and melting rates of ice cream.

Science.gov (United States)

Cropper, S L; Kocaoglu-Vurma, N A; Tharp, B W; Harper, W J

2013-06-01

The objective of this study was to determine how varying concentrations of the stabilizer, locust bean gum (LBG), and different levels of the emulsifier, mono- and diglycerides (MDGs), influenced fat aggregation and melting characteristics of ice cream. Ice creams were made containing MDGs and LBG singly and in combination at concentrations ranging between 0.0% to 0.14% and 0.0% to 0.23%, respectively. Particle size analysis, conducted on both the mixes and ice cream, and melting rate testing on the ice cream were used to determine fat aggregation. No significant differences (P ice cream mixes. However, higher concentrations of both LBG and MDG in the ice creams resulted in values that were larger than the control. This study also found an increase in the particle size values when MDG levels were held constant and LBG amounts were increased in the ice cream. Ice creams with higher concentrations of MDG and LBG together had the greatest difference in the rate of melting than the control. The melting rate decreased with increasing LBG concentrations at constant MDG levels. These results illustrated that fat aggregation may not only be affected by emulsifiers, but that stabilizers may play a role in contributing to the destabilization of fat globules. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

The PM1 neurons, movement sensitive centrifugal visual brain neurons in the locust: anatomy, physiology, and modulation by identified octopaminergic neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Stern, Michael

2009-02-01

The locust's optic lobe contains a system of wide-field, multimodal, centrifugal neurons. Two of these cells, the protocerebrum-medulla-neurons PM4a and b, are octopaminergic. This paper describes a second pair of large centrifugal neurons (the protocerebrum-medulla-neurons PM1a and PM1b) from the brain of Locusta migratoria based on intracellular cobalt fills, electrophysiology, and immunocytochemistry. They originate and arborise in the central brain and send processes into the medulla of the optic lobe. Double intracellular recording from the same cell suggests input in the central brain and output in the optic lobe. The neurons show immunoreactivity to gamma-amino-butyric acid and its synthesising enzyme, glutamate decarboxylase. The PM1 cells are movement sensitive and show habituation to repeated visual stimulation. Bath application of octopamine causes the response to dishabituate. A very similar effect is produced by electrical stimulation of one of an octopaminergic PM4 neuron. This effect can be blocked by application of the octopamine antagonists, mianserin and phentolamine. This readily accessible system of four wide-field neurons provides a system suitable for the investigation of octopaminergic effects on the visual system at the cellular level.

Isoprene emission and photosynthesis during heatwaves and drought in black locust

Science.gov (United States)

Bamberger, Ines; Ruehr, Nadine K.; Schmitt, Michael; Gast, Andreas; Wohlfahrt, Georg; Arneth, Almut

2017-08-01

Extreme weather conditions like heatwaves and drought can substantially affect tree physiology and the emissions of isoprene. To date, however, there is only limited understanding of isoprene emission patterns during prolonged heat stress and next to no data on emission patterns during coupled heat-drought stress or during post-stress recovery. We studied gas exchange and isoprene emissions of black locust trees under episodic heat stress and in combination with drought. Heatwaves were simulated in a controlled greenhouse facility by exposing trees to outside temperatures +10 °C, and trees in the heat-drought treatment were supplied with half of the irrigation water given to heat and control trees. Leaf gas exchange of isoprene, CO2 and H2O was quantified using self-constructed, automatically operating chambers, which were permanently installed on leaves (n = 3 per treatment). Heat and combined heat-drought stress resulted in a sharp decline of net photosynthesis (Anet) and stomatal conductance. Simultaneously, isoprene emissions increased 6- to 8-fold in the heat and heat-drought treatment, which resulted in a carbon loss that was equivalent to 12 and 20 % of assimilated carbon at the time of measurement. Once temperature stress was released at the end of two 15-day-long heatwaves, stomatal conductance remained reduced, while isoprene emissions and Anet recovered quickly to values of the control trees. Further, we found that isoprene emissions covaried with Anet during nonstress conditions, while during the heatwaves, isoprene emissions were not related to Anet but to light and temperature. Under standard air temperature and light conditions (here 30 °C and photosynthetically active radiation of 500 µmol m-2 s-1), isoprene emissions of the heat trees were by 45 % and the heat-drought trees were by 27 % lower than in control trees. Moreover, temperature response curves showed that not only the isoprene emission factor changed during both heat and heat

Isoprene emission and photosynthesis during heatwaves and drought in black locust

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Bamberger

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Extreme weather conditions like heatwaves and drought can substantially affect tree physiology and the emissions of isoprene. To date, however, there is only limited understanding of isoprene emission patterns during prolonged heat stress and next to no data on emission patterns during coupled heat–drought stress or during post-stress recovery. We studied gas exchange and isoprene emissions of black locust trees under episodic heat stress and in combination with drought. Heatwaves were simulated in a controlled greenhouse facility by exposing trees to outside temperatures +10 °C, and trees in the heat–drought treatment were supplied with half of the irrigation water given to heat and control trees. Leaf gas exchange of isoprene, CO2 and H2O was quantified using self-constructed, automatically operating chambers, which were permanently installed on leaves (n = 3 per treatment. Heat and combined heat–drought stress resulted in a sharp decline of net photosynthesis (Anet and stomatal conductance. Simultaneously, isoprene emissions increased 6- to 8-fold in the heat and heat–drought treatment, which resulted in a carbon loss that was equivalent to 12 and 20 % of assimilated carbon at the time of measurement. Once temperature stress was released at the end of two 15-day-long heatwaves, stomatal conductance remained reduced, while isoprene emissions and Anet recovered quickly to values of the control trees. Further, we found that isoprene emissions covaried with Anet during nonstress conditions, while during the heatwaves, isoprene emissions were not related to Anet but to light and temperature. Under standard air temperature and light conditions (here 30 °C and photosynthetically active radiation of 500 µmol m−2 s−1, isoprene emissions of the heat trees were by 45 % and the heat–drought trees were by 27 % lower than in control trees. Moreover, temperature response curves showed that not only the isoprene emission

Lower Mississippi River Environmental Program. Report 3. Bird and Mammal Use of Main Stem Levee Borrow Pits Along the Lower Mississippi River.

Science.gov (United States)

1986-02-01

overcup oak, tupelo gum, Nuttall oak, American elm , slippery elm , i , hickories, persimmon, silver maple, deciduous holly, swamp privet, and rose mallows...cottonwood, green ash, sugarberry, box elder, deciduous holly, osage orange, swamp privet, hickories, overcup oak, water locust, honey locust, slippery elm ...wood, box elder, osage orange, hickories, honey locust, water locust, slippery elm , swamp privet, sugarberry, persimmon, and rose mallows. Where

The effect of gamma irradiation on guar gum, locust bean gum, gum tragacanth and gum karaya

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, Karen (Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Belfast (United Kingdom) Queen' s Univ., Belfast, Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)); Gray, Richard (Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Belfast (United Kingdom))

1993-02-01

Changes in rheological properties, as measured by viscosity, of two galactomannans (guar gum and locust beam gum) and two acidic polysaccharides (gumtragacanth and gum karaya) were studied at a range of irradiation doses < 10 kGy. Powdered samples were irradiated, and the viscosity of a 1% dispersion prepared at room temperature or by heating to 80[sup o]C for 1 h was determined over a wide shear rate range. All samples showed pseudoplastic behaviour which approached Newtonian with increasing irradiation dose. Viscosities were calculated at a shear rate of 54 sec[sup -1] to enable comparison across the samples. Both galactomannans showed a decrease in viscosity with increasing [gamma] irradiation independent of temperature and a hypothesis is proposed that at low [gamma] irradiation doses (<2 kGy) there is a reduction in polymer aggregation in solution, whereas at higher doses polymer hydrolysis occurs. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy data supports this hypothesis, with the detection of different free radicals at low and high irradiation doses. The viscosity of the acidic polysaccharides, gum karaya and gum tragacanth, following [gamma] irradiation at low doses (<1 kGy) was unchanged or slightly higher when compared to the unirradiated control samples. Above 1 kGy dispersion viscosity decreased with increasing dose. For these polysaccharides chain hydrolysis seems to occur during irradiation at all doses resulting in an increase in the amount of soluble polymer and hence increased viscosity at low doses, whilst at high doses viscosity decreases due to extensive polymer hydrolysis. Similar electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra were obtained at low and high doses with a stronger signal at the higher dose. (Author).

Indication of bioactive candidates among body volatiles of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Gregarious adult locusts are believed to release many bioactive volatiles from their bodies for the mediation of their biological characteristics. The determination of these bioactive body volatiles can contribute to the development of new, environmentally benign methods of locust control. An important locust, Locusta ...

The Urban Environment Can Modify Drought Stress of Small-Leaved Lime (Tilia cordata Mill. and Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Astrid Moser

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The urban environment characterized by various stresses poses challenges to trees. In particular, water deficits and high temperatures can cause immense drought stress to urban trees, resulting in reduced growth and die-off. Drought-tolerant species are expected to be resilient to these conditions and are therefore advantageous over other, more susceptible species. However, the drought tolerance of urban trees in relation to the specific growth conditions in urban areas remains poorly researched. This study aimed to analyze the annual growth and drought tolerance of two common urban tree species, namely small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill. (T. cordata and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L. (R. pseudoacacia, in two cities in southern Germany in relation to their urban growing conditions. Marked growth reductions during drought periods and subsequent fast recovery were found for R. pseudoacacia, whereas T. cordata exhibited continued reduced growth after a drought event, although these results were highly specific to the analyzed city. We further show that individual tree characteristics and environmental conditions significantly influence the growth of urban trees. Canopy openness and other aspects of the surrounding environment (water supply and open surface area of the tree pit, tree size, and tree species significantly affect urban tree growth and can modify the ability of trees to tolerate the drought stress in urban areas. Sustainable tree planting of well adapted tree species to their urban environment ensures healthy trees providing ecosystem services for a high quality of life in cities.

RNAi-mediated knockdown of SPOOK reduces ecdysteroid titers and causes precocious metamorphosis in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugahara, Ryohei; Tanaka, Seiji; Shiotsuki, Takahiro

2017-09-01

The Halloween gene SPOOK (SPO) is involved in the production of the active metabolite of ecdysteroid, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), in insects. A previous study showed that RNAi-mediated knockdown of SPO in Schistocerca gregaria last instar nymphs markedly reduced the hemolymph 20E titer, but did not affect metamorphosis. In the present study, the effects of SPO interference on development were re-examined in this locust. Injections of SPO double-stranded RNA (dsSPO) into nymphs at mid and late instars significantly delayed nymphal development and interfered with molting. The 20E levels of dsSPO-treated nymphs were generally low, with a delayed, small peak, suggesting that disturbance of the 20E levels caused the above developmental abnormalities. A small proportion of the dsSPO-injected nymphs metamorphosed precociously, producing adults and adultoids. Precocious adults were characterized by small body size, short wings with abbreviated venation, and normal reproductive activity. Fourth instar nymphs that precociously metamorphosed at the following instar exhibited temporal expression patterns of ecdysone-induced protein 93F and the juvenile hormone (JH) early-inducible gene Krüppel homolog 1 similar to those observed at the last instar in normal nymphs. Adultoids displayed mating behavior and adultoid females developed eggs, but never laid eggs. JH injection around the expected time of the 20E peak in the dsSPO-injected nymphs completely inhibited the appearance of adultoids, suggesting that appearance of adultoids might be due to a reduced titer of JH rather than of 20E. These results suggest that SPO plays an important role in controlling morphogenesis, metamorphosis, and reproduction in S. gregaria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and Evaluation of a Novel Set of EST-SSR Markers Based on Transcriptome Sequences of Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Qi; Wang, Jin-Xing; Su, Li-Zhuo; Lv, Wei; Sun, Yu-Han; Li, Yun

2017-07-07

Black locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia L. of the family Fabaceae) is an ecologically and economically important deciduous tree. However, few genomic resources are available for this forest species, and few effective expressed sequence tag-derived simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers have been developed to date. In this study, paired-end sequencing was used to sequence transcriptomes of R. pseudoacacia by the Illumina HiSeq TM2000 platform, and EST-SSR loci were identified by de novo assembly. Furthermore, a total of 1697 primer pairs were successfully designed, from which 286 primers met the selection screening criteria; 94 pairs were randomly selected and tested for validation using polymerase chain reaction amplification. Forty-five primers were verified as polymorphic, with clear bands. The polymorphism information content values were 0.033-0.765, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 10, and the observed and expected heterozygosities were 0.000-0.931 and 0.035-0.810, respectively, indicating a high level of informativeness. Subsequently, 45 polymorphic EST-SSR loci were tested for amplification efficiency, using the verified primers, in an additional nine species of Leguminosae, 23 loci were amplified in more than three species, of which two loci were amplified successfully in all species. These EST-SSR markers provide a valuable tool for investigating the genetic diversity and population structure of R . pseudoacacia , constructing a DNA fingerprint database, performing quantitative trait locus mapping, and preserving genetic information.

Locust bean gum as an alternative polymeric coating for embryonic stem cell culture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perestrelo, Ana Rubina [Regenerative Medicine Program, Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); IBB - Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine (CBME), Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences, Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); Grenha, Ana [IBB - Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine (CBME), Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); Rosa da Costa, Ana M. [Centro de Investigação em Química do Algarve (CIQA) and Departamento de Química e Farmácia, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); Belo, José António, E-mail: jose.belo@fcm.unl.pt [Regenerative Medicine Program, Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); IBB - Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centre for Molecular and Structural Biomedicine (CBME), Universidade do Algarve (Portugal); Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Campo Mártires da Pátria 130, 1169-056 Lisboa (Portugal)

2014-07-01

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have self-renewal capacity and the potential to differentiate into any cellular type depending on specific cues (pluripotency) and, therefore, have become a vibrant research area in the biomedical field. ESCs are usually cultured in gelatin or on top of a monolayer of feeder cells such as mitotically inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFsi). The latter is the gold standard support to maintain the ESCs in the pluripotent state. Examples of versatile, non-animal derived and inexpensive materials that are able to support pluripotent ESCs are limited. Therefore, our aim was to find a biomaterial able to support ESC growth in a pluripotent state avoiding laborious and time consuming parallel culture of MEFsi and as simple to handle as gelatin. Many of the new biomaterials used to develop stem cell microenvironments are using natural polymers adsorbed or covalently attached to the surface to improve the biocompatibility of synthetic polymers. Locust beam gum (LBG) is a natural, edible polymer, which has a wide range of potential applications in different fields, such as food and pharmaceutical industry, due to its biocompatibility, adhesiveness and thickening properties. The present work brings a natural system based on the use of LBG as a coating for ESC culture. Undifferentiated mouse ESCs were cultured on commercially available LBG to evaluate its potential in maintaining pluripotent ESCs. In terms of morphology, ESC colonies in LBG presented the regular dome shape with bright borders, similar to the colonies obtained in co-cultures with MEFsi and characteristic of pluripotent ESC colonies. In short-term cultures, ESC proliferation in LBG coating was similar to ESC cultured in gelatin and the cells maintained their viability. The activity of alkaline phosphatase and Nanog, Sox2 and Oct4 expression of mouse ESCs cultured in LBG were comparable or in some cases higher than in ESCs cultured in gelatin. An in vitro

Locust bean gum as an alternative polymeric coating for embryonic stem cell culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perestrelo, Ana Rubina; Grenha, Ana; Rosa da Costa, Ana M.; Belo, José António

2014-01-01

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have self-renewal capacity and the potential to differentiate into any cellular type depending on specific cues (pluripotency) and, therefore, have become a vibrant research area in the biomedical field. ESCs are usually cultured in gelatin or on top of a monolayer of feeder cells such as mitotically inactivated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFsi). The latter is the gold standard support to maintain the ESCs in the pluripotent state. Examples of versatile, non-animal derived and inexpensive materials that are able to support pluripotent ESCs are limited. Therefore, our aim was to find a biomaterial able to support ESC growth in a pluripotent state avoiding laborious and time consuming parallel culture of MEFsi and as simple to handle as gelatin. Many of the new biomaterials used to develop stem cell microenvironments are using natural polymers adsorbed or covalently attached to the surface to improve the biocompatibility of synthetic polymers. Locust beam gum (LBG) is a natural, edible polymer, which has a wide range of potential applications in different fields, such as food and pharmaceutical industry, due to its biocompatibility, adhesiveness and thickening properties. The present work brings a natural system based on the use of LBG as a coating for ESC culture. Undifferentiated mouse ESCs were cultured on commercially available LBG to evaluate its potential in maintaining pluripotent ESCs. In terms of morphology, ESC colonies in LBG presented the regular dome shape with bright borders, similar to the colonies obtained in co-cultures with MEFsi and characteristic of pluripotent ESC colonies. In short-term cultures, ESC proliferation in LBG coating was similar to ESC cultured in gelatin and the cells maintained their viability. The activity of alkaline phosphatase and Nanog, Sox2 and Oct4 expression of mouse ESCs cultured in LBG were comparable or in some cases higher than in ESCs cultured in gelatin. An in vitro

76 FR 3854 - Airworthiness Directives; REIMS AVIATION S.A. Model F406 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-21

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301... Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri...

Potential of Extracted Locusta Migratoria Protein Fractions as Value-Added Ingredients.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarkson, Claudia; Mirosa, Miranda; Birch, John

2018-02-09

Although locusts can be sustainably produced and are nutrient rich, the thought of eating them can be hard to swallow for many consumers. This paper aims to investigate the nutritional composition of Locusta migratoria , including the properties of extracted locust protein, contributing to limited literature and product development opportunities for industry. Locusts sourced from Dunedin, New Zealand, contained a high amount of protein (50.79% dry weight) and fat (34.93%), which contained high amounts of omega-3 (15.64%), creating a desirably low omega-3/omega-6 ratio of 0.57. Three protein fractions including; insoluble locust fraction, soluble locust fraction, and a supernatant fraction were recovered following alkali isoelectric precipitation methodology. Initially, proteins were solubilised at pH 10 then precipitated out at the isoelectric point (pH 4). All fractions had significantly higher protein contents compared with the whole locust. The insoluble protein fraction represented 37.76% of the dry weight of protein recovered and was much lighter in colour and greener compared to other fractions. It also had the highest water and oil holding capacity of 5.17 mL/g and 7.31 mL/g, possibly due to larger particle size. The high supernatant yield (56.60%) and low soluble protein yield (9.83%) was unexpected and could be a result of experimental pH conditions chosen.

Potential of Extracted Locusta Migratoria Protein Fractions as Value-Added Ingredients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Clarkson

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Although locusts can be sustainably produced and are nutrient rich, the thought of eating them can be hard to swallow for many consumers. This paper aims to investigate the nutritional composition of Locusta migratoria, including the properties of extracted locust protein, contributing to limited literature and product development opportunities for industry. Locusts sourced from Dunedin, New Zealand, contained a high amount of protein (50.79% dry weight and fat (34.93%, which contained high amounts of omega-3 (15.64%, creating a desirably low omega-3/omega-6 ratio of 0.57. Three protein fractions including; insoluble locust fraction, soluble locust fraction, and a supernatant fraction were recovered following alkali isoelectric precipitation methodology. Initially, proteins were solubilised at pH 10 then precipitated out at the isoelectric point (pH 4. All fractions had significantly higher protein contents compared with the whole locust. The insoluble protein fraction represented 37.76% of the dry weight of protein recovered and was much lighter in colour and greener compared to other fractions. It also had the highest water and oil holding capacity of 5.17 mL/g and 7.31 mL/g, possibly due to larger particle size. The high supernatant yield (56.60% and low soluble protein yield (9.83% was unexpected and could be a result of experimental pH conditions chosen.

Réduction des doses efficaces d'insecticides contre les larves de criquet pèlerin (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål, 1775 : Orthoptera, Acrididae par utilisation de quantités réduites de phénylacétonitrile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bocar Bal, A.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Reduction of effective doses of insecticide against desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål, 1775: Orthoptera, Acrididae nymphs using phenylacetonitrile. In order to reduce the amount of insecticides used during a locust upsurge, phenylacetonitrile (PAN was tested in 2007 and 2008, in the Niamey area (Niger. PAN was used, on the one hand, in topical applications on third stage nymphs (L3 of the desert locust, alone or in combination with reduced amounts of various insecticides (lambda-cyhalothrin, malathion, chlorpyrifos-ethyl. In addition, experiments were carried out in semi-natural conditions, in field enclosures, and also on third stage nymphs of the desert locust. Insecticides were each applied at the recommended dose and at half of that dose with the addition or not of phenylacetonitrile. All topical applications of insecticides led to the total mortality of the nymphs within 1 to 24 h; the use of PAN alone caused a mortality rate of no higher than 18% within 120 h. In the field enclosures, mortality rates for the desert locust nymphs were the same both with the recommended doses and with half of the dose with the addition of 10 ml of PAN·ha-1. Results indicate that the addition of small quantities of phenylacetonitrile could make it possible to decrease by half the quantities of insecticides used in the control of desert locust nymphs, while preserving the same effectiveness.

76 FR 60732 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Navesink (Swimming) River, NJ

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-30

... Operation Regulations; Navesink (Swimming) River, NJ AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of temporary... (Swimming) River between Oceanic and Locust Point, New Jersey. The deviation is necessary to facilitate...: The Oceanic Bridge, across the Navesink (Swimming) River, mile 4.5, between Oceanic and Locust Point...

76 FR 50706 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-16

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090; e-mail: albert.mercado@faa... Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri...

76 FR 67341 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-01

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: albert.mercado@faa...: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City...

78 FR 40642 - Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-08

... landing gear attachment lever causes the rod end to bend at each gear retraction sequence. We are issuing... Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this... Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone...

78 FR 59223 - Airworthiness Directives; Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-26

... safety washer and the nose landing gear attachment lever causes the rod end to bend at each gear... information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information...: Mike Kiesov, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City...

Microbiological evaluation of shelflife indices of fermented African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Microbiological evaluation of shelflife indices of fermented African locust bean cake stored under different preservative treatments. ... The growing interest in use of natural products of plant origin therefore gives Ginger extract an advantage in developing a practical approach for the preservation of African locust bean cake.

78 FR 14729 - Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-07

... inspect and maintain stabilizer-trim attachment components and the flap actuator could result in loss of... Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA... Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090...

Description of plant communities on the Red Sea costal plain of Sudan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Woldewahid, G.; Werf, van der W.; Sykora, K.V.; Abate, T.; Mostofa, B.; Huis, van A.

2007-01-01

The coastal plains of the Red Sea constitute an important breeding area for the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Vegetation analysis was undertaken in the coastal plain of Sudan to provide a frame of reference for studies on desert locust ecology and distribution. Vegetation relevés (>60 in

Laying performance, haematology and serum biochemical profile of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was carried out to compare the effects of unfermented and fermented African locust bean on laying performance, haematology and serum biochemical profile of hens in a twelve week feeding trial. The unfermented African locust bean (UALB) contained seeds that were dehulled and boiled in water, without going ...

Effect of fermentation and malting on some cereal weaning foods ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of fermentation and malting on some cereal weaning foods enriched with African locust beans were carried out. Cereals (wheat and millet) were malted for the period of 144 hours and further fermented for 48 hours by natural fermentation. The millet, wheat and locust bean flours were mixed together in the ratio ...

Inherent noise can facilitate coherence in collective swarm motion

KAUST Repository

Yates, C. A.; Erban, R.; Escudero, C.; Couzin, I. D.; Buhl, J.; Kevrekidis, I. G.; Maini, P. K.; Sumpter, D. J. T.

2009-01-01

Among the most striking aspects of the movement of many animal groups are their sudden coherent changes in direction. Recent observations of locusts and starlings have shown that this directional switching is an intrinsic property of their motion. Similar direction switches are seen in self-propelled particle and other models of group motion. Comprehending the factors that determine such switches is key to understanding the movement of these groups. Here, we adopt a coarse-grained approach to the study of directional switching in a self-propelled particle model assuming an underlying one-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation for the mean velocity of the particles. We continue with this assumption in analyzing experimental data on locusts and use a similar systematic Fokker-Planck equation coefficient estimation approach to extract the relevant information for the assumed Fokker-Planck equation underlying that experimental data. In the experiment itself the motion of groups of 5 to 100 locust nymphs was investigated in a homogeneous laboratory environment, helping us to establish the intrinsic dynamics of locust marching bands. We determine the mean time between direction switches as a function of group density for the experimental data and the self-propelled particle model. This systematic approach allows us to identify key differences between the experimental data and the model, revealing that individual locusts appear to increase the randomness of their movements in response to a loss of alignment by the group. We give a quantitative description of how locusts use noise to maintain swarm alignment. We discuss further how properties of individual animal behavior, inferred by using the Fokker-Planck equation coefficient estimation approach, can be implemented in the self-propelled particle model to replicate qualitatively the group level dynamics seen in the experimental data.

Inherent noise can facilitate coherence in collective swarm motion

KAUST Repository

Yates, C. A.

2009-03-31

Among the most striking aspects of the movement of many animal groups are their sudden coherent changes in direction. Recent observations of locusts and starlings have shown that this directional switching is an intrinsic property of their motion. Similar direction switches are seen in self-propelled particle and other models of group motion. Comprehending the factors that determine such switches is key to understanding the movement of these groups. Here, we adopt a coarse-grained approach to the study of directional switching in a self-propelled particle model assuming an underlying one-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation for the mean velocity of the particles. We continue with this assumption in analyzing experimental data on locusts and use a similar systematic Fokker-Planck equation coefficient estimation approach to extract the relevant information for the assumed Fokker-Planck equation underlying that experimental data. In the experiment itself the motion of groups of 5 to 100 locust nymphs was investigated in a homogeneous laboratory environment, helping us to establish the intrinsic dynamics of locust marching bands. We determine the mean time between direction switches as a function of group density for the experimental data and the self-propelled particle model. This systematic approach allows us to identify key differences between the experimental data and the model, revealing that individual locusts appear to increase the randomness of their movements in response to a loss of alignment by the group. We give a quantitative description of how locusts use noise to maintain swarm alignment. We discuss further how properties of individual animal behavior, inferred by using the Fokker-Planck equation coefficient estimation approach, can be implemented in the self-propelled particle model to replicate qualitatively the group level dynamics seen in the experimental data.

Scavenger

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2009-01-01

Scavenger is one of the cyber foraging frameworks developed in the Locusts project. It has been released as open source software at http://code.google.com/p/scavenger-cf/......Scavenger is one of the cyber foraging frameworks developed in the Locusts project. It has been released as open source software at http://code.google.com/p/scavenger-cf/...

Water Resources Development Miami River, Little Miami River, and Mill Creek Basins, Southwest Ohio. Volume 2. Appendices A-G.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-10-01

the area. Common species include boxelder, black locust, hackberry, tree of heaven, sycamore, Osage orange, black willow, mulberry, slippery elm ...and maple include tulip poplar, white ash, red elm , American elm , black cherry, hackberry, walnut, basswood, buckeye, white oak, shagbark hickory, and...willow. Other canopy species in these communities include buckeye, elm , beech, black locust, hackberry, walnut, and silver maple. The most prevalent

Potential tree species for use in the restoration of unsanitary landfills.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kee Dae; Lee, Eun Ju

2005-07-01

Given that they represent the most economical option for disposing of refuse, waste landfills are widespread in urban areas. However, landfills generate air and water pollution and require restoration for landscape development. A number of unsanitary waste landfills have caused severe environmental problems in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the colonization status of different tree species on waste landfills to assess their potential for restoring unsanitary landfills in South Korea. Plot surveys were conducted using 10 x 10-m quadrats at seven waste landfill sites: Bunsuri, Dugiri, Hasanundong, Gomaeri, Kyongseodong, Mojeonri, and Shindaedong. We determined the height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and number of tree species in the plots, and enumerated all saplings landfills, we measured the distance from the presumed mother plant (i.e., the tallest black locust in a patch), height, and DBH of all individuals in black locust patches to determine patch structure. Robinia pseudoacacia, Salix koreensis, and Populus sieboldii formed canopy layers in the waste landfills. The basal area of black locust was 1.51 m(2)/ha, and this species had the highest number of saplings among all tree species. The diameter of the black locust patches ranged from 3.71 to 11.29 m. As the patch diameter increased, the number of regenerated saplings also tended to increase, albeit not significantly. Black locust invaded via bud banks and spread clonally in a concentric pattern across the landfills. This species grew well in the dry habitat of the landfills, and its growth rate was very high. Furthermore, black locust has the ability to fix nitrogen symbiotically; it is therefore considered a well-adapted species for waste landfills. Eleven woody species were selected for screening: Acer palmatum, Albizzia julibrissin, Buxus microphylla var. koreana, Ginkgo biloba, Hibiscus syriacus, Koelreuteria paniculata, Ligustrum obtusifolium, Liriodendron tulipifera, Pinus

Interaction of the wood surface with metal ions. Part 3: The effects of light on chromium impregnated wood surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stipta, J.; Németh, K.; Molnárné Hamvas, L.

2004-01-01

UV-light changes of untreated and chromium impregnated wood surface were investigated by absorption spectrophotometric methods. The properties of indifferent silicagel and celulose layers were to the behaviour of poplar and black locust surface. Chromic-ion-impregnation had no significant effect on the absorption spectra of these layers. On the other hand, hexavalent chromium was reduced and UV-light caused irreversible wood degradation. Surface treatment caused considerable modification in black locust

Comparison of Different Wood Species as Raw Materials for Bioenergy

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Bojana Klašnja

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Most projections of the global energy use predict that biomass will be an important component of primary energy sources in the coming decades. Short rotation plantations have the potential to become an important source of renewable energy in Europe because of the high biomass yields, a good combustion quality as solid fuel, ecological advantages and comparatively low biomass production costs. Materials and Methods: In this study, the wood of black locust Robinia pseudoacacia, white willow Salix alba L., poplars Populus deltoides and Populus x euramericana cl.I-214, aged eight years were examined. Immediately after the felling, sample discs were taken to assess moisture content, ash content, the width of growth rings, wood densities and calorific values, according to the standard methodology. Results:The mean values of willow, poplar and black locust wood density were 341 kg/m3, 336 kg/m3 and 602 kg/m3,respectively. The average heating values of willow poplar and black locust wood were 18.599 MJ/kg, 18.564 MJ/kg and 21.196 MJ/kg, respectively. The FVI index (average values was higher for black locust (17.186 than for poplar and willow clones, which were similar: 11.312 and 11.422 respectively. Conclusions: Black locust wood with a higher density, calorific value and ash content compared to poplar and willow wood proved to be a more suitable raw material as RES. However, it is very important, from the aspect of the application of wood of these tree species as RES, to also consider the influence of the biomass yield per unit area of the plantations established as “energy plantations”.

Rapid Retort Processing of Eggs

Science.gov (United States)

2006-12-04

cyclodextrin, xanthan gum , ι-carrageenan, λ-carrageenan, κ-carrageenan, guar gum , locust bean gum , xanthan gum and starch. To improve the flavor of the...Cyclodextrin and κ-carrageenan were not effective in preventing synerisis. Guar gum and locust bean gum , and λ-carrageenan resulted in products with a slimy...Laboratory batches were prepared by hydrating the xanthan gum and pregelatinized starch in water which contained the salt and citric acid. The powdered

Laboratory Trials of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (Green Muscle® Against the Saxaul Locust, Dericorys albidula Serville (Orthoptera: Dericorythidae Ensayos de Laboratorio de Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (Green muscle® contra la Langosta de Saxaul, Dericorys albidula Serville (Orthoptera: Dericorythidae

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Heydar Valizadeh

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The saxaul locust, Dericorys albidula Serville (Orthoptera: Dericorythidae is a major pest of saxaul plants in Qom province of Iran. During 2005-2006, different nymphal instars of bands of D. albidula were treated by aerial spraying of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (Green Muscle®. The gasoline formulation of M. anisopliae var. acridum isolate IMI 330189 was applied in different conidial concentrations (10(6, 10(7, 10(8, 10(9, 10(10 and 10(13 spores mL-1 that were prepared in sterile distilled gasoline. Results showed that various concentrations significantly affected the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th nymphal instars of D. albidula compared to control. In addition, there were no differences in the effects of the different concentrations in 2005, but the differences were significant in 2006. Concentration 10(10 killed 100% of tested insects 15 d after treatment. Comparing the results of the two years showed that the susceptibility of nymphs in the second year (2006 was higher than in the first year (2005. In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that the fungal insecticide M. anisopliae var. acridum, diluted in gasoline, was efficacious with the nymphal instars of locust D. albidula in 2005 and 2006.La langosta del saxaul, Dericorys albidula Serville (Orthoptera: Dericorythidae, es la principal plaga de plantas de saxaul de las provincias Qom, Irán. Durante 2005-2006, diferentes instars ninfales de D. albidula se asperjaron con Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (Green Muscle®. La formulación de gasolina de M. anisopliae var. acridum aislamiento IMI 330189 se aplicó en diferentes concentraciones conidiales (10(6, 10(7, 10(8, 10(9, 10(10 and 10(13 esporas mL-1 preparadas en gasolina destilada estéril. Los resultados demostraron que varias concentraciones afectaron significativamente los nstars ninfales de D. albidula comparado con el control. Además el efecto de concentraciones no fue diferente en 2005 pero sí significativamente en

African Locust Bean

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Erah

2010-09-09

Sep 9, 2010 ... Lower levels of low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (91± 36 vs. ... 6 mg/dL, p = 0.028), and higher levels of high density lipoprotein- .... Total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) ... mg/dL, p < 0.001) and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio.

General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement for the Blanchard River, Ottawa, Ohio Flood Protection Project

Science.gov (United States)

1987-04-01

Black locust Black willow Honey locust Mulberry Slippery elm Box elder Cottonwood Multiflora rose Green ash Hackberry The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...flows in the Blanchard River at Ottawa. The Perry Street bridge was removed in 1951 and replaced by a new bridge at Elm Street that is less restrictive...flood plain. The present tree growth commonly consists of a second growth of spe- cies of elm , maple, and oak. All of the Blanchard River basin lies

Analysis of the energy efficiency of short rotation woody crops biomass as affected by different methods of soil enrichment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stolarski, Mariusz J.; Krzyżaniak, Michał; Tworkowski, Józef; Szczukowski, Stefan; Niksa, Dariusz

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the energy input and energy efficiency of the production of willow, poplar and black locust chips in four-year harvest rotation. The highest energy input was made in poplar production when soil was enriched with lignin and by mineral fertilisation (33.02 GJ ha −1 ). For willow production it was 30.76 GJ ha −1 when lignin, mycorrhiza and mineral fertilisation were used. The energy input in the production of black locust was much lower. The largest energy gain was obtained in the production of poplar when soil was enriched with lignin and mineral fertilisation (673.7 GJ ha −1 ). A similar level of this parameter (669.7 GJ ha −1 ) was achieved in the production of willow when lignin, mycorrhiza and mineral fertilisation was used. In general, a higher energy gain was obtained in the production of willow and poplar than in the production of black locust. On the other hand, the best energy efficiency ratio was achieved for willow (28.9) in the option with lignin. The ratio for poplar production ranged from 19.7 to 25.9. On the other hand, the energy efficiency ratio for black locust ranged from 10.6 to 21.7. - Highlights: • The energy input ranged from 6.69 GJ ha −1 to 33.02 GJ ha −1 . • The largest energy gain was obtained for poplar (673.7 GJ ha −1 ). • The best energy efficiency ratio was achieved for willow (28.9). • The energy efficiency ratio for poplar ranged from 19.7 to 25.9. • The energy efficiency ratio for black locust ranged from 10.6 to 21.7.

Genetic variation for parental effects on the propensity to gregarise in Locusta migratoria

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Foucart Antoine

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Environmental parental effects can have important ecological and evolutionary consequences, yet little is known about genetic variation among populations in the plastic responses of offspring phenotypes to parental environmental conditions. This type of variation may lead to rapid phenotypic divergence among populations and facilitate speciation. With respect to density-dependent phenotypic plasticity, locust species (Orthoptera: family Acrididae, exhibit spectacular developmental and behavioural shifts in response to population density, called phase change. Given the significance of phase change in locust outbreaks and control, its triggering processes have been widely investigated. Whereas crowding within the lifetime of both offspring and parents has emerged as a primary causal factor of phase change, less is known about intraspecific genetic variation in the expression of phase change, and in particular in response to the parental environment. We conducted a laboratory experiment that explicitly controlled for the environmental effects of parental rearing density. This design enabled us to compare the parental effects on offspring expression of phase-related traits between two naturally-occurring, genetically distinct populations of Locusta migratoria that differed in their historical patterns of high population density outbreak events. Results We found that locusts from a historically outbreaking population of L. migratoria expressed parentally-inherited density-dependent phase changes to a greater degree than those from a historically non-outbreaking population. Conclusion Because locusts from both populations were raised in a common environment during our experiment, a genetically-based process must be responsible for the observed variation in the propensity to express phase change. This result emphasizes the importance of genetic factors in the expression of phase traits and calls for further investigations on density

Improving the degree-day model for forecasting Locusta migratoria manilensis (Meyen (Orthoptera: Acridoidea.

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Xiongbing Tu

Full Text Available The degree-day (DD model is an important tool for forecasting pest phenology and voltinism. Unfortunately, the DD model is inaccurate, as is the case for the Oriental migratory locust. To improve the existing DD model for this pest, we first studied locust development in seven growth chambers, each of which simulated the complete growing-season climate of a specific region in China (Baiquan, Chengde, Tumotezuoqi, Wenan, Rongan, Qiongzhong, or Qiongshan. In these seven treatments, locusts completed 0.95, 1, 1.1, 2.2, 2.95, 3.95, and 4.95 generations, respectively. Hence, in the Baiquan (700, Rongan (2400, Qiongzhong (3200, and Qiongshan (2400 treatments, the final generation were unable to lay eggs. In a second experiment, we reared locusts for a full generation in growth chambers, at different constant temperatures. This experiment provided two important findings. First, temperatures between 32 and 42°C did not influence locust development rate. Hence, the additional heat provided by temperatures above 32°C did not add to the total heat units acquired by the insects, according to the traditional DD model. Instead, temperatures above 32°C represent overflow heat, and can not be included when calculating total heat acquired during development. We also noted that females raised at constant 21°C failed to oviposit. Hence, temperatures lower than 21°C should be deducted when calculating total heat acquired during adult development. Using our experimental findings, we next micmiked 24-h temperature curve and constructed a new DD model based on a 24-h temperature integral calculation. We then compared our new model with the traditional DD model, results showed the DD deviation was 166 heat units in Langfang during 2011. At last we recalculated the heat by our new DD model, which better predicted the results from our first growth chamber experiment.

[Soil organic carbon mineralization of Black Locust forest in the deep soil layer of the hilly region of the Loess Plateau, China].

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xin-Xin; Xu, Ming-Xiang; Yang, Kai

2012-11-01

The deep soil layer (below 100 cm) stores considerable soil organic carbon (SOC). We can reveal its stability and provide the basis for certification of the deep soil carbon sinks by studying the SOC mineralization in the deep soil layer. With the shallow soil layer (0-100 cm) as control, the SOC mineralization under the condition (temperature 15 degrees C, the soil water content 8%) of Black Locust forest in the deep soil layer (100-400 cm) of the hilly region of the Loess Plateau was studied. The results showed that: (1) There was a downward trend in the total SOC mineralization with the increase of soil depth. The total SOC mineralization in the sub-deep soil (100-200 cm) and deep soil (200-400 cm) were equivalent to approximately 88.1% and 67.8% of that in the shallow layer (0-100 cm). (2) Throughout the carbon mineralization process, the same as the shallow soil, the sub-deep and deep soil can be divided into 3 stages. In the rapid decomposition phase, the ratio of the mineralization or organic carbon to the total mineralization in the sub-deep and deep layer (0-10 d) was approximately 50% of that in the shallow layer (0-17 d). In the slow decomposition phase, the ratio of organic carbon mineralization to total mineralization in the sub-deep, deep layer (11-45 d) was 150% of that in the shallow layer (18-45 d). There was no significant difference in this ratio among these three layers (46-62 d) in the relatively stable stage. (3) There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the mineralization rate of SOC among the shallow, sub-deep, deep layers. The stability of SOC in the deep soil layer (100-400 cm) was similar to that in the shallow soil layer and the SOC in the deep soil layer was also involved in the global carbon cycle. The change of SOC in the deep soil layer should be taken into account when estimating the effects of soil carbon sequestration in the Hilly Region of the Loess Plateau, China.

Short rotation woody biomass production as option for the restoration of post-mining areas in lower Lusatia, Germany

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bohm, C.; Quinkenstein, A.; Freese, D. [Brandenburg Univ. of Technology, Cottbus (Germany). Soil Protection and Recultivation; Huttl, R.R. [Brandenburg Univ. of Technology, Cottbus (Germany). Soil Protection and Recultivation; GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam (Germany)

2010-07-01

Reclaimed mine sites in the Lusatian lignite-mining district in Germany are characterized by low annual precipitation and marginal soils. As such, crop yield is typically low and conventional land use systems fail in terms of reliable and efficient crop production. The production of woody biomass for bioenergy may be a promising alternative to improve soil fertility and also to enhance the economic value of these post-mining areas. Previous studies have shown that black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) may be a suitable tree species for this purpose. This paper evaluated the ecological and economic benefits of producing woody biomass in short rotation coppices (SRC) and alley cropping systems (ACS) with black locust. The results showed that compared to conventional agriculture, such land use is not very profitable due to high establishment and harvesting costs and the comparatively low prices for wood energy. However, because of the improved microclimate, the crop yield in ACS is higher than in conventional agriculture. The cultivation of black locust resulted in a higher humus accumulation and in a lower harvest-related nutrient export than the cultivation of alfalfa as a typical recultivation crop in this region. It was concluded SRC with black locust is more beneficial than conventional agriculture in terms of improving soil fertility in the degraded post-mining areas of Lower Lusatia.

ECOLOGICAL MODELING OF LOCUSTA MIGRATORIA L. BREEDING CONDITIONS IN SOUTH-EASTERN KAZAKHSTAN

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D. V. Malakhov

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background. The method of ecological niche modeling (ENM was applied to reconstruct the nesting conditions of one of the most widely-known pest species, Locusta migratoria asiatica, with a focus of nesting in Balkhash-Alakol basin. The ENM uses a set of input environmental variables to analyze and select the key factors from the entire input set. The key factors are the climatic variables which define the wellbeing of an organism; and the range of these variables may be calculated with statistical and GIS approaches. Materials and methods. The method of ENM used in current paper is referred to as “presence-only” since it utilizes the known localities of the animal (in our study, egg-clutches to develop a model. The model outlines the area where the successful development of locust egg-boxes is most probable, rather than the actual nesting area. Further analysis of the identified key variables allows definition of the most vulnerable stages of the locust life-cycle. Results. The most important factors, influencing the development of the locust over its life-cycle, are: the ambient air temperature; the temperature of the soil during the cold season of the year; and soil moisture. The locust is an ectotherm organism, which has a restricted ability to regulate its body temperature; and the ambient temperature thus serves as a major factor affecting the animal’s behavior. Wintering egg-boxes are immobile and face even more environmental challenges than nymphs or adults do. The soil temperature may not depend upon a single variable, like the air temperature, but is a function of the complex relationship between the thermal properties of the air and soil. The process of the energy flux between soil and atmosphere incudes many factors, particularly related to soil-moisture content and the physical properties of the soil. The analysis of key variables should not be performed without an understanding of the complex relationships between the abiotic

Remediation Potential of Forest Forming Tree Species Within Northern Steppe Reclamation Stands

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Zverkovskyy Vasiliy M.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of the research was to study the features of accumulation of heavy metals by assimilation apparatus of coniferous and deciduous arboreous plants. The research identified excess of factual concentrations for Arsenic in mining rock in relation to values stated in IPC (indicative permissible concentrations. It is stated that the metals can be divided into three groups according to their absolute content in unit of foliage biomass. The element of excessive concentration is Mn, medium concentration is characteristic for Pb and Zn and low concentration is observed for Sb, Cr, As, Cu, Ni and Sn. Calculation of coefficient of biological accumulation of the metals under research has shown its high values for Crimean pine. The data presented for Black locust indicate low values of coefficient of biological accumulation, which is best noticeable for Chromium, Antimony and Tin. It is determined that a small amount of Sb and Sn are a subject to uptake by Black locust leaves, whilst for Crimean pine needles, Sb and As are characterised by the lowest inflow. The average content of lead is 209.11 kg·ha−1 for Crimean pine in all age groups of trees, whilst for Black locust, this index is only 15.52 kg·ha−1, which is 13.5 times less. Zinc accumulation is better performed by Black locust leaves, and it gradually decreases with increasing age. No definite trend of redistribution and subsequent accumulation of copper depending on tree species and age was found.

The symbiotic relationship between dominant canopy trees and soil microbes affects the nitrogen source utilization of co-existing understory trees

Science.gov (United States)

Iwaoka, C.; Hyodo, F.; Taniguchi, T.; Shi, W.; Du, S.; Yamanaka, N.; Tateno, R.

2017-12-01

The symbiotic relationship between dominant canopy trees and soil microbes such as mycorrhiza or nitrogen (N) fixer are important determinants of soil N dynamics of a forest. However, it is not known how and to what extent the symbiotic relationship of dominant canopy trees with soil microbes affect the N source of co-existing trees in forest. We measured the δ15N of surface soils (0-10 cm), leaves, and roots of the dominant canopy trees and common understory trees in an arbuscular mycorrhizal N-fixing black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) plantation and an ectomycorrhizal oak (Quercus liaotungensis) natural forest in a China dryland. We also analyzed the soil dissolved N content in soil extracts and absorbed by ion exchange resin, and soil ammonia-oxidizer abundance using real-time PCR. The δ15N of soil and leaves were higher in the black locust forest than in the oak forest, although the δ15N of fine roots was similar in the two forests, in co-existing understory trees as well as dominant canopy trees. Accordingly, the δ15N of leaves was similar to or higher than that of fine roots in the black locust forest, whereas it was consistently lower than that of fine roots in the oak forest. In the black locust forest, the soil dissolved organic N and ammonium N contents were less abundant but the nitrate N contents in soils and absorbed by the ion exchange resin and ammonia-oxidizer abundance were greater, due to N fixation or less uptake of organic N from arbuscular mycorrhiza. In contrast, the soil dissolved organic N and ammonium N contents were more abundant in the oak forest, whereas the N content featured very low nitrate, due to ectomycorrhizal ability to access organic N. These results suggest that the main N source is nitrate N in the black locust forest, but dissolved organic N or ammonium N in the oak forest. N fixation or high N loss due to high N availability would cause high δ15N in soil and leaves in black locust forest. On the other hand, low soil N

Deposition pattern and throughfall fluxes in secondary cool temperate forest, South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar Gautam, Mukesh; Lee, Kwang-Sik; Song, Byeong-Yeol

2017-07-01

Chemistry and deposition fluxes in the rainfall and throughfall of red pine (Pinus densiflora), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and chestnut (Castanea crenata) monocultures, and mixed red pine-black locust-chestnut stands were examined in a nutrient-limited cool temperate forest of central South Korea. Throughfall was enriched in both basic and acidic constituents relative to rainfall, suggesting that both dry deposition and canopy leaching are important sources of throughfall constituents. Net throughfall fluxes (NTFs) of cations and anions significantly differed among four different stands as well as seasonally. Red pine exhibited highest fluxes (TF and NTF) for Ca2+, black locust for K+, mixed stands for Mg2+, and chestnut for Na+. In contrast, NTF of SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+was highest in the red pine, intermediate in the chestnut and mixed stands, and lowest in the black locust. In general, canopy uptake of H+ and NH4+ for all stands was higher in summer than in winter. Dry deposition appears to play a major role in atmospheric deposition to this cool temperate forest, especially in summer. Dry deposition for both cations and anions displayed high spatial variability, even though stands were adjacent to one another and experienced identical atmospheric deposition loads. Canopy leaching of K+ (95-78% of NTF), Mg2+ (92-23% of NTF), and Ca2+ (91-12% of NTF) was highest for the black locust, lowest for chestnut, and intermediate for the red pine and mixed stands. The present study documented significant changes in throughfall chemistry and NTF among different forest stands, which presumably be related with the differences in the canopy characteristics and differences in their scavenging capacity for dry deposition and canopy exchange. Difference in the canopy retention of H+ and base cation leaching suggests that canopy exchange was mainly driven by weak acid excretion and lesser by H+ exchange reaction. Our results indicate that despite a high base cation

Dietary fibre supplementation of a 'normal' breakfast administered to diabetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, D R; James, W P; Evans, I E

1980-05-01

The supplementation of a breakfast by 10 g of guar, pectin, agar or locust bean gum in powder form in 13 maturity onset, non-insulin dependent diabetics failed to decrease significantly the post-prandial rise in plasma glucose and insulin seen after a similar meal without the supplement. The values of one hour post-prandial increment in blood glucose seen with guar powder were, for control meal (mean +/- SEM) 5.8 %/- 0.4 mmol/l, for test, 5.7 +/- 0.5; with pectin powder, control 6.4 +/- 0.8 mmol/l, test 5.0 +/- 1.2 mmol/l; with agar powder, control 7.5 +/- 1.0, test 7.0 +/- 0.5; with locust bean gum powder, control 5.9 +/- 1.0, test 5.0 +/- 0.7. The equivalent values for one hour insulin (microU/ml, mean +/- SEM) were, for guar powder, 51 +/0 21 and 51 +/- 16; for pectin powder 60 +/- 24 and 63 +/- 17; for agar powder, 27 +/- 9 and 36 +/- 11 and, for locust bean gum powder 53 +/- 26 and 62 +/- 18. The guar, pectin and locust gum tended to form lumps, and all the substances tested were unpalatable in powder form producing feelings of abdominal discomfort and abnormal fullness. Administering the same quantity of guar or pectin in a well hydrated form (but not premixed with the carbohydrate portion of the food) to the same people under identical conditions did not enhance its effectiveness. Supplementing diets with any of these sources of dietary fibre in either of these forms and in these amounts is unlikely to be beneficial in the management of non-insulin dependent diabetes.

How ecosystems change following invasion by Robinia pseudoacacia: Insights from soil chemical properties and soil microbial, nematode, microarthropod and plant communities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazzaro, Lorenzo; Mazza, Giuseppe; d'Errico, Giada; Fabiani, Arturo; Giuliani, Claudia; Inghilesi, Alberto F; Lagomarsino, Alessandra; Landi, Silvia; Lastrucci, Lorenzo; Pastorelli, Roberta; Roversi, Pio Federico; Torrini, Giulia; Tricarico, Elena; Foggi, Bruno

2018-05-01

Biological invasions are a global threat to biodiversity. Since the spread of invasive alien plants may have many impacts, an integrated approach, assessing effects across various ecosystem components, is needed for a correct understanding of the invasion process and its consequences. The nitrogen-fixing tree Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) is a major invasive species worldwide and is used in forestry production. While its effects on plant communities and soils are well known, there have been few studies on soil fauna and microbes. We investigated the impacts of the tree on several ecosystem components, using a multi-trophic approach to combine evidence of soil chemical properties and soil microbial, nematode, microarthropod and plant communities. We sampled soil and vegetation in managed forests, comparing those dominated by black locust with native deciduous oak stands. We found qualitative and quantitative changes in all components analysed, such as the well-known soil nitrification and acidification in stands invaded by black locust. Bacterial richness was the only component favoured by the invasion. On the contrary, abundance and richness of microarthropods, richness of nematodes, and richness and diversity of plant communities decreased significantly in invaded stands. The invasion process caused a compositional shift in all studied biotic communities and in relationships between the different ecosystem components. We obtained clear insights into the effects of invasion of managed native forests by black locust. Our data confirms that the alien species transforms several ecosystem components, modifying the plant-soil community and affecting biodiversity at different levels. Correct management of this aggressive invader in temperate forests is urgently required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of biomass quality of selected woody species depending on the soil enrichment practice

Science.gov (United States)

Stolarski, Mariusz J.; Krzyżaniak, Michał; Załuski, Dariusz; Niksa, Dariusz

2018-01-01

Perennial energy crops are a source of the bio-mass used to generate energy. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical and thermophysical parameters of short rotation woody crops (black locust, poplar and willow), depending on soil enrichment practice (mineral fertilisation, lignin and mycorrhiza), in three- and four-year harvest cycles. In the study, the thermophysical properties and elemental composition of the biomass were determined. All analyses were performed in trip-licate according to the standards. The fresh black locust biomass had the lowest moisture content, which resulted in the best lower heating value (10.16 MJ kg-1, on average) in the four-year harvest cycle. The poplar biomass had the greatest higher heating value, fixed carbon, carbon and ash content, the highest concentrations of which were found in the biomass in which lignin was applied (2.00% d.m.). On the other hand, the willow biomass contained the lowest concentrations of ash and fixed carbon. Soil enrichment significantly differentiated the quality parameters of black locust, poplar and willow. This effect is of particular importance to those who grow and use biomass as a fuel.

Drought, ecological crisis and famine in late nineteenth century south-eastern Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Pribyl, Kathleen; Nash, David J.; Klein, Jørgen; Endfield, Georgina H.

2017-04-01

In the second half of the 1890s a drought-driven ecological crisis took hold in the region of modern-day Botswana, Zimbabwe and northern, central and eastern South Africa. A number of years of very late rainy seasons had severe repercussions for the rain-fed agriculture. Sowing was delayed and the young crops suffered from below average summer rainfall levels. Drawing on a wide variety of documentary sources - administrative records, writings by members of missionary societies and local newspapers - this paper outlines how the drought drove the ecological crisis and aggravated a locust infestation and the cattle plague (rinderpest). Whereas the locusts found better breeding conditions in areas that were normally too humid for them, the drought also facilitated the spread of rinderpest by reducing the number of watering holes and by forcing the cattle into an immunodepressed state due to malnutrition. The locusts contributed to the loss of grain crops, and the rinderpest decimated cattle herds by more than 90 per cent in areas where the disease coincided with the drought. As agriculture as well as the pastoral sector were hit hard, famine conditions developed in the interior of the region.

Immunolocalization of a tachykinin-receptor-like protein in the central nervous system of Locusta migratoria migratorioides and neobellieria bullata.

Science.gov (United States)

Veelaert, D; Oonk, H B; Vanden Eynde, G; Torfs, H; Meloen, R H; Schoofs, L; Parmentier, M; De Loof, A; Vanden Broeck, J

1999-05-10

Antisera raised against two distinct peptide regions of the Drosophila neurokinin-like receptor NKD were used to immunolocalize tachykinin-receptor-like proteins in the central nervous system of two insect species: the African migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, and the gray fleshfly, Neobellieria bullata. The resulting immunopositive staining patterns were identical for both antisera. Moreover, a very similar distribution of the immunoreactive material was observed in fleshflies and locusts. Immunoreactivity was found in nerve terminals of the retrocerebral complex, suggesting a presynaptic localization of the receptor in this part of the brain. Cell bodies were stained in the subesophageal ganglion: an anterior group of four larger cells and a posterior group of about 20 cells. These cells have axons projecting into the contralateral nervus corporis allati (NCA) II, bypassing the corpus allatum and projecting through the NCA I into the storage part of the corpus cardiacum. In the glandular part of the corpus cardiacum, the glandular adipokinetic hormone-producing cells did not show any immunopositive staining. In the locust, additional immunopositive staining was observed in internolaterally located neurons of the tritocerebrum and in important integrative parts of the neuropil such as the central body and the mushroom bodies.

Aplikasi Campuran Alginat Dari Sargassum Crassifolium Dan Gum Sebagai Pengental Textile Printing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subaryono Subaryono

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Penelitian aplikasi campuran alginat dari Sargassum crassifolium dan gum untuk meningkatkan viskositas alginat sebagai pengental pada textile printing telah dilakukan. Viskositas campuran alginat dengan guar gum, gum arab, dan locust bean gum diamati pada penyimpanan selama 8 jam. Produk terbaik diujikan sebagai pengental pada textile printing. Campuran alginat dengan guar gum pada perbandingan 90:10 dan 80:20 meningkatkan viskositas dan stabilitas alginat selama penyimpanan. Campuran alginat dengan gum arab dan locust bean gum akan menurunkan viskositas alginat sehingga tidak sesuai untuk aplikasi textile printing. Aplikasi campuran alginat dengan guar gum 90:10 dan 80:20 sebagai pengental pada tekstil printing menghasilkan produk akhir yang setara dengan pengental komersial manutex.

75 FR 16660 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Model TBM 700 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-02

...., Washington, DC 20590. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small...: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City...

75 FR 11175 - Pesticide Products; Registration Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-10

... be affected. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) codes have been provided to... hoppers, plant bugs, weevils, grasshoppers, mormon crickets, locust, and beetles on all greenhouse and...

75 FR 52480 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Model TBM 700 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-26

... Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri... the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send information to ATTN: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer...

75 FR 71536 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Model TBM 700 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-24

... of this material at the FAA, call 816-329-4148. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado... Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri...

Preliminary results for X-ray phase contrast micro-tomography on the biomedical imaging beamline at SSRF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Rongchang; Du Guohao; Xie Honglan; Deng Biao; Tong Yajun; Hu Wen; Xue Yanling; Chen Can; Ren Yuqi; Zhou Guangzhao; Wang Yudan; Xiao Tiqiao; Xu Hongjie; Zhu Peiping

2009-01-01

With X-ray phase contrast micro-tomography(CT), one is able to obtain edge-enhanced image of internal structure of the samples. This allows visualization of the fine internal features for biology tissues, which is not able to resolve by conventional absorption CT. After preliminary modulation, monochromatic X-rays (8-72.5 keV) are available for experiments on the experimental station of the biomedical imaging beamline at Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility(SSRF). In this paper, we report the in line phase contrast micro-tomography(IL-XPCT) of biology sample (locust) on the beamline. The reconstruct slice images and three dimensional rendering images of the locust were obtained, with clearly visible images of locus's wing, surface texture and internal tissue distribution. (authors)

75 FR 59658 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Model TBM 700 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-28

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301... found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send information to ATTN: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane...

76 FR 30295 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Model TBM 700 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-25

... Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri... procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send information to ATTN: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small...

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A DRYER FOR PROCESSED ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

thinkexploitsint'l

Drying of fresh fermented locust beans condiments is highly important in marketing strategy. .... Pete), Electricity, mercury-in-bulb thermometer, digital anemometer, thermo ... rates at the three drying temperatures follow the same trend.

Veins improve fracture toughness of insect wings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan-Henning Dirks

Full Text Available During the lifetime of a flying insect, its wings are subjected to mechanical forces and deformations for millions of cycles. Defects in the micrometre thin membranes or veins may reduce the insect's flight performance. How do insects prevent crack related material failure in their wings and what role does the characteristic vein pattern play? Fracture toughness is a parameter, which characterises a material's resistance to crack propagation. Our results show that, compared to other body parts, the hind wing membrane of the migratory locust S. gregaria itself is not exceptionally tough (1.04±0.25 MPa√m. However, the cross veins increase the wing's toughness by 50% by acting as barriers to crack propagation. Using fracture mechanics, we show that the morphological spacing of most wing veins matches the critical crack length of the material (1132 µm. This finding directly demonstrates how the biomechanical properties and the morphology of locust wings are functionally correlated in locusts, providing a mechanically 'optimal' solution with high toughness and low weight. The vein pattern found in insect wings thus might inspire the design of more durable and lightweight artificial 'venous' wings for micro-air-vehicles. Using the vein spacing as indicator, our approach might also provide a basis to estimate the wing properties of endangered or extinct insect species.

In search for a common denominator for the diverse functions of arthropod corazonin: a role in the physiology of stress?

Science.gov (United States)

Boerjan, Bart; Verleyen, Peter; Huybrechts, Jurgen; Schoofs, Liliane; De Loof, Arnold

2010-04-01

Corazonin (Crz) is an 11 amino acid C-terminally amidated neuropeptide that has been identified in most arthropods examined with the notable exception of beetles and an aphid. The Crz-receptor shares sequence similarity to the GnRH-AKH receptor family thus suggesting an ancestral function related to the control of reproduction and metabolism. In 1989, Crz was purified and identified as a potent cardioaccelerating agent in cockroaches (hence the Crz name based on "corazon", the Spanish word for "heart"). Since the initial assignment as a cardioacceleratory peptide, additional functions have been discovered, ranging from pigment migration in the integument of crustaceans and in the eye of locusts, melanization of the locust cuticle, ecdysis initiation and in various aspects of gregarization in locusts. The high degree of structural conservation of Crz, its well-conserved (immuno)-localization, mainly in specific neurosecretory cells in the pars lateralis, and its many functions, suggest that Crz is vital. Yet, Crz-deficient insects develop normally. Upon reexamining all known effects of Crz, a hypothesis was developed that the evolutionary ancient function of Crz may have been "to prepare animals for coping with the environmental stressors of the day". This function would then complement the role of pigment-dispersing factor (PDF), the prime hormonal effector of the clock, which is thought "to set a coping mechanism for the night". (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insect neuropeptides regulating substrate mobilisation

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1997-09-25

Sep 25, 1997 ... Insect flight muscles perform their work completely aerobically, and working flight musdes are ... locusts where they are involved in the control of carbohydrate ... the vertebrate hypothalamo/hypophyseal system, and it can.

Details of insect wing design and deformation enhance aerodynamic function and flight efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, John; Walker, Simon M; Bomphrey, Richard J; Taylor, Graham K; Thomas, Adrian L R

2009-09-18

Insect wings are complex structures that deform dramatically in flight. We analyzed the aerodynamic consequences of wing deformation in locusts using a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation based on detailed wing kinematics. We validated the simulation against smoke visualizations and digital particle image velocimetry on real locusts. We then used the validated model to explore the effects of wing topography and deformation, first by removing camber while keeping the same time-varying twist distribution, and second by removing camber and spanwise twist. The full-fidelity model achieved greater power economy than the uncambered model, which performed better than the untwisted model, showing that the details of insect wing topography and deformation are important aerodynamically. Such details are likely to be important in engineering applications of flapping flight.

Agronomic evaluation and quality characteristics of three ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr ADJOU

2016-11-02

Nov 2, 2016 ... known to be essential for human health (Schippers,. 2004). All parts of the .... Agronomic characteristic of three species of Cucurbitaceae cultivated. Species .... those reported in locust bean pulp (Dahouenon-. Ahoussi et al.

Isolation and structure elucidation of a neuropeptide from three ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1993-03-03

Mar 3, 1993 ... determination of the primary structure by pulsed·liquid phase sequencing employing Edman chemistry .... in cockroaches and haemo1ymph lipids in locusts (Glide ..... 15 ()()() described species), and higher classification is still.

Molt disruption and mortality of Locusta migratoria var. manilensis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

IGRs) on the oriental migratory locust Locusta migratoria var. manilensis were assessed. Under laboratory conditions, at the highest tested dose rate of 300 ppm, the percent mortality and molt inhibition after two weeks for the five tested ...

AFRREV IJAH, Vol.2 (4) September, 2013

African Journals Online (AJOL)

First Lady

2013-09-08

Sep 8, 2013 ... Williams‟ The Year of the Locusts explores the issues of under- development ... The state is grotesquely corrupt and inefficient that its moral authority over ..... campus is a business concern jointly owned by a grave, eminent.

IJAAAR 2011 VOL 7

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences Lautech Ogbomoso

It was therefore concluded that locust bean enterprise is profitable and attention should be focused on boosting quantity ... “Fabaceae” sub family “Mimosoidea” and ... a lot of challenges despite the dawn of ... by women; the production has not.

An ex Vivo Model for Evaluating Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability, Efflux, and Drug Metabolism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hellman, Karin; Aadal Nielsen, Peter; Ek, Fredrik

2016-01-01

, risperidone, citalopram, fluoxetine, and haloperidol were studied, and one preselected metabolite for each drug was analyzed, identified, and quantified. Metabolite identification studies of clozapine and midazolam showed that the locust brain was highly metabolically active, and 18 and 14 metabolites...

125 Situation du criquet marocain "Dociostaurus maroccanusThunb ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AKA BOKO

grasshoppers. Dociostaurus maroccanus appears able to move important distances, but it cannot be a migratory species as Locusta migratoria. Keywords : Morphometry, capacities of displacements, morphological features,. Moroccan Locust, migratory species. 1. Introduction. Contrairement à des espèces migratrices, ...

A Regional Guidebook for Conducting Functional Assessments of Forested Wetlands in the Arkansas Valley Region of Arkansas

Science.gov (United States)

2008-08-01

the Piedmont of the Carolinas and Georgia. EPA/600/R-96/057, U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency National Health and Environmental Effects...Cornus florida green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica hawthorn Crataegus spp. hibiscus Hibiscus spp. highbush blueberry Vaccinium arboreum honey locust

77 FR 1996 - National Organic Program (NOP); Sunset Review (2012)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-12

........ Renew. 9000-70- 8). Gums (Arabic; April 2010 *...... October 21, 2017.. Renew. Guar; Locust bean; Carob..., 2017.. Renew. Tocopherols....... April 2011........ October 21, 2017.. Renew. Xanthan gum....... April... intestines. April 2010 *...... June 27, 2017..... Renew. processed products labeled as Celery powder...

Eudragit E100 and Polysaccharide Polymer Blends as Matrices for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

aqueous/lyophilized) of locust bean gum with Eudragit® E100 and sodium carboxymethylcellulose on swelling and ... Xanthan gum [2,3], guar gum [4,5], gum. Arabic [6,7] ..... tablets based on low density foam powder: effects of formulation and ...

Browse Title Index

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Items 51 - 100 of 187 ... Vol 27, No 2 (2009), Evaluation Of Oxidative Stress And Apoptosis In Breast ... and blood lipid profile of rats administered Trona; a natural food additive. ... profile in the haemolymph of desert locust, schistocerca gregaria, ...

Amoebiasis and its effect on cell division in the midgut of the African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

cells was noted in the nidi of the ventricular regions of locusts in- fected with parasites. ... migratoria and as these tissues undergo cell division the. R eprod u ced ..... repair or possibly could have completed DNA synthesis, divi- sion and ...

78 FR 72834 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-04

... Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of... airworthiness directive (AD) for SOCATA Model TBM 700 airplanes. This proposed AD results from mandatory... review this referenced service information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas...

76 FR 70042 - Airworthiness Directives; Pacific Aerospace Limited Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-10

... Airworthiness Directives; Pacific Aerospace Limited Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA... directive (AD) for Pacific Aerospace Limited Model FU24 Airplanes. This AD results from mandatory continuing... Schletzbaum, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri...

Locust adipokinetic hormone mobilizes diacylglycerols selectively

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tomčala, Aleš; Bártů, Iva; Šimek, Petr; Kodrík, Dalibor

2010-01-01

Roč. 156, č. 1 (2010), s. 26-32 ISSN 1096-4959 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA522/07/0788; GA ČR GAP501/10/1215 Grant - others:University of South Bohemia(CZ) 58/2006/P-BF; University of South Bohemia(CZ) 56/2006/P-BF Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50070508; CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : AKH * lipid * diacylglycerol Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.989, year: 2010

Department o/Zoology, University 0/ Rhodesia

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STUDIES ON THE WATER RELATIONS OF ADULT LOCUSTS - III ... The object of this work was to draw up a balance sheet of water gains and 10IIIaI in DOn- ...... water during the adult life of female Locusta was associated with sexual ...

75 FR 7949 - Airworthiness Directives; Extra Flugzeugproduktions- und Vertriebs- GmbH Models EA-300/200 and EA...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-23

..., Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106... the tail spring support structure as instructed in PART II of Extra Flugzeugproduktions- und Vertriebs... tail spring support structure terminates the repetitive inspections required in paragraph (f)(1) of...

Environmental Assessment: Tailwater West Trail and Frisbee Golf Course at Coralville Reservoir, Johnson County, Iowa.

Science.gov (United States)

1986-08-01

Cirsium sp.), goldenrod (Sol4dago sp.), and blackberry (Rubus sp.). Immature honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), red cedar (Juniperus virginiana ...cherry ( Prunus sp.), elm, silver maple, and box elder are widely scattered throughout the meadow. V. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE PREFERRED ACTION

Blond Psyllium

Science.gov (United States)

... 3 grams of pectin, 1.1 grams of guar gum and 0.5 grams of locust bean gum has been used three times daily. A combination of 2.5 grams of blond psyllium powder (Metamucil) with 2.5 grams of colestipol, taken ...

77 FR 66417 - Airworthiness Directives; Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam srl Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-05

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 [[Page 66418...: albert.mercado@faa.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments Invited We invite you to send any written... Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri...

76 FR 50405 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-15

...) 329-4148. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane...; e-mail: albert.mercado@faa.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Discussion We issued a notice of... information to ATTN: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301...

Developing Cyber Foraging Applications for Portable Devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Mads Darø; Bouvin, Niels Olof

2008-01-01

This paper presents the Locusts cyber foraging framework. Cyber foraging is the opportunistic use of computing resources available in the nearby environment, and using such resources thus fall into the category of distributed computing. Furthermore, for the resources to be used efficiently, paral...

IDENTIFICATION AND OCCURRENCE OF FUSARIUM SPECIES ON SEEDS OF COMMON WETCH, WHITE LUPINE AND SOME WILD LEGUMES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tihomir Miličević

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The presence and occurrence of Fusarium species was examined on the seeds of cultivated legumes – common vetch (Vicia sativa, white lupine (Lupinus albus, and wild legumes: bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus, wild alfalfa (Medicago sativa, black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia, honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos, sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis, bird vetch (Vicia cracca and meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis. Thirteen Fusarium species were identified - F. verticillioides, F. acuminatum, F. avenaceum, F. tricinctum F. oxysporum, F. scirpi, F. semitectum, F. culmorum, F. proliferatum, F. pseudograminearum, F. sporotrichioides, F. sambucinum and F. heterosporum. Species F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum were determined on seeds of the cultivated legumes (common vetch and white lupine. Other 11 Fusarium species were determined on seeds of wild legumes (bird’s-foot trefoil, wild alfalfa, sweet clover and bird vetch among which the most prevalent were species F. avenaceum and F. acuminatum.

[Effect of Biochar on Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Semi-arid Region].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yan-liang; Wang, Dan-dan; Zheng, Ji-yong; Zhao, Shi-wei; Zhang, Xing-chang

2015-09-01

This study aimed to investigate the effects of biochar addition on the emission of greenhouse gases from farmland soil in semi-arid region. Through an in-situ experiments, the influence of sawdust biochar(J) and locust tree skin biochar (H) at three doses (1%, 3%, and 5% of quality percentage) on C2, CH4 and N2O emissions were studied within the six months in the south of Ningxiaprovince. The results indicated that soil CO2 emission flux was slightly increased with the addition doses for both biochars, and the averaged CO2 emission flux for sawdust and locust tree skin biochar was enhanced by 1. 89% and 3. 34% compared to the control, but the difference between treatments was not statistically significant. The soil CH4 emission was decreased with the increasing of biochar doses, by 1. 17%, 2. 55%, 4. 32% for J1, J3, J5 and 2. 35%, 5. 83%, 7. 32% for H1, H3, H5, respectively. However, the difference was statistically significant only for J5, H3 and H5 treatments (P effect on soil N2O emission. Our study indicated that the biochar has no significant influence on soil CO2 and N2O emissions within six months in semi-arid region and can significantly influence soil CH4 emissions (P < 0. 05). As for biochar type, the locust tree skin biochar is significantly better than the sawdust biochar in terms of restraining CH4 emission(P = 0. 048).

Author Details

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus isolated from kindrimo (locally fermented milk) in Kano State, Nigeria Abstract PDF · Vol 10, No 1 (2017): Special Conference Edition - Articles Microbiological evaluation of shelflife indices of fermented African locust bean cake ...

Enterotoxins and emetic toxins production by Bacillus cereus and other species of Bacillus isolated from Soumbala and Bikalga, African alkaline fermentedfood condiments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ouoba, Labia Irene I.; Thorsen, Line; Varnam, Alan H.

2008-01-01

The ability of various species of Bacillus from fermented seeds of Parkia biglobosa known as African locust bean(Soumbala) and fermented seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Bikalga) was investigated. The study included screening of the isolates by haemolysis on blood agar, detection of toxins in broth...

Parkia biglobosa (Leguminosae) en Afrique de l'Ouest : biosystematique et amelioration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ouedraogo, A.S.

1995-01-01

The purpose of the research presented here is to strengthen the scientific and technical basis of biodiversity conservation, and use of Parkia biglobosa (African locust bean, néré ). The approach to this research included the gathering of technical

77 FR 49389 - Airworthiness Directives; Revo, Incorporated Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-16

... attachment fitting and repetitive visual inspections of the fitting for any evidence of fretting, cracking... informed the FAA that while the drawing numbers are different, the attachment fittings on the Model..., Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust St., Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the...

78 FR 27005 - Airworthiness Directives; Revo, Incorporated Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-09

.... That AD currently requires a one-time, dye-penetrant inspection of the horizontal stabilizer attachment... from Revo, Incorporated that, while the drawing numbers are different, the attachment fittings on the... FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust St., Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the...

77 FR 16135 - Airworthiness Directives; Mooney Aviation Company, Inc. (Mooney) Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-20

... assembly for correct positioning and proper attachment and inspecting the Huck Bolt fasteners for proper... Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this... trim assembly for correct positioning and proper attachment and inspecting the Huck Bolt fasteners for...

75 FR 23577 - Airworthiness Directives; GA 8 Airvan (Pty) Ltd Models GA8 and GA8-TC320 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-04

... and inboard main ribs around the area of the Horizontal Stabiliser rear pivot attachment. Additionally... INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Rudolph, Aerospace Engineer, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106... attachment. Additionally, failure of some attach bolts in service may be due to improper assembly. This...

Formulation of Sustained-Release Diltiazem Matrix Tablets Using ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Formulation of Sustained-Release Diltiazem Matrix Tablets Using Hydrophilic Gum Blends. A Moin, H.G Shivakumar. Abstract. Purpose: To develop sustained release matrix tablets of diltiazem hydrochloride (DTZ) using karaya gum (K) alone or in combination with locust bean gum (LB) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ...

Controlling rheology and structure of sweet potato starch noodles with high broccoli powder content by hydrocolloids

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Silva, E.; Birkenhake, M.; Scholten, E.; Sagis, L.M.C.; Linden, van der E.

2013-01-01

Incorporating high volume fractions of broccoli powder in starch noodle dough has a major effect on its shear modulus, as a result of significant swelling of the broccoli particles. Several hydrocolloids with distinct water binding capacity (locust bean gum (LBG), guar gum, konjac glucomannan (KG),

Discrimination of Polish unifloral honeys using overall PTR-MS and HPLC fingerprints combined with chemometrics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kus, P.M.; Ruth, van S.M.

2015-01-01

A total of 62 honey samples of six floral origins (rapeseed, lime, heather, cornflower, buckwheat and black locust) were analysed by means of proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and HPLC-DAD. The data were evaluated by principal component analysis and k-nearest neighbours

Spreading Depression, Spreading Depolarizations, and the Cerebral Vasculature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ayata, Cenk; Lauritzen, Martin

2015-01-01

Spreading depression (SD) is a transient wave of near-complete neuronal and glial depolarization associated with massive transmembrane ionic and water shifts. It is evolutionarily conserved in the central nervous systems of a wide variety of species from locust to human. The depolarization spreads...

77 FR 36125 - Airworthiness Directives; SOCATA Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-18

... FAA, call (816) 329-4148. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA...; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: albert.mercado@faa.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Discussion We issued a... information to ATTN: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301...

Rocket and Missile Container Engineering Guide

Science.gov (United States)

1982-01-01

provide the required rigidity. TABLE 9-4. GROUP IV WOODS Ash Beech Birch Elm, hard Hackberry Hickory Locust Maple, hard Oak Pecan Stacking...SWEDEN ·., FRANCE SWITZERLAND GREECE NETHERLANDS HUNGARY ITALY LUXEMBOURG GERMANY POLAND NORWAY ROMANIA YUGOSLAVIA FLAT CAR ITEM LENGTH 32’ 10

Pathogenicity of local Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum strains ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Locusts and grasshoppers are the most important economical threat in the sahelian agricultural system. Principal control strategies of these pests are synthetic chemicals which are, however, harmful to the environment and human health. Metarhizium anisopliae based biopesticide Green Muscle IMI330189 has been ...

Seasonal and annual dietary changes in Lesser Kestrels Falco ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The proportion of pellets containing scarabaeid and carabid beetles, as well as those containing locusts and crickets, increased as the wintering season progressed, while the proportion of pellets containing solifugids decreased during the same period. Significant differences in diet composition were recorded between the ...

Condensed tannin in Eragrostis chloromelas leaves deters feeding ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We investigated the feeding responses of a generalist grasshopper, the brown locust(Locusta pardalina), to leaves of the grass Eragrostis chloromelas differing in polyphenol content. For three specimens of E. chloromelas, the presence of condensed tannin in epidermal cells was confirmed by histochemical staining, while ...

Production of peptone from soya beans (Glycine max L merr) and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJB SERVER

2006-09-18

Sep 18, 2006 ... Peptone was produced from soya beans and African locust beans. The produced peptones were evaluated as component of microbiological media for the growth of some bacteria and compared with some commercial peptones. Some of the tested bacteria are Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ...

78 FR 64894 - Airworthiness Directives; B-N Group Ltd. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-30

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Taylor Martin, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4138; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: taylor[email protected] reduced engine control with consequent loss of control. (f) Actions and Compliance Unless already done, do...

Purification and characterization of phenoloxidase from immunized ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The present study has been conducted to purify and characterize the PO from the haemolymph of desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal) following activation of immune system by invasion of bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Bt). PO is purified by a combination of ammonium sulfate precipitation, blue sepharose ...

77 FR 12179 - Airworthiness Directives; Mooney Aviation Company, Inc. (Mooney) Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-29

... inspecting the tail pitch trim assembly for correct positioning and proper attachment and inspecting the Huck... the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the... attachment and inspecting the Huck Bolt fasteners for proper security on certain Mooney Aviation Company, Inc...

78 FR 17865 - Airworthiness Directives; PILATUS AIRCRAFT LTD. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-25

... limits for the pitch trim actuator and pitch trim actuator attachment parts. If these new limitations... Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090... the pitch trim actuator attachment had been established. These new limitations were incorporated into...

78 FR 11978 - Airworthiness Directives; Reims Aviation S.A. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-21

... used in nose landing gear (NLG) attachment brackets could lead to failure of the NLG bracket with... referenced service information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri..., Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: [email protected]..

78 FR 69785 - Airworthiness Directives; Slingsby Aviation Ltd. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-21

... cracked horizontal stabilizer attachment brackets, which could lead to separation of the [[Page 69786... Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at..., Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4144; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: [email protected

75 FR 34953 - Airworthiness Directives; GA 8 Airvan (Pty) Ltd Models GA8 and GA8-TC320 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-21

... Stabilizer rear pivot attachment. Additionally, failure of some attach bolts in service may be due to..., 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090... and inboard main ribs around the area of the Horizontal Stabilizer rear pivot attachment. Additionally...

78 FR 275 - Airworthiness Directives; REIMS Aviation S.A. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-03

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: albert.mercado@faa... requested using the procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send information to ATTN: Albert Mercado, Aerospace...

78 FR 70209 - Airworthiness Directives; XtremeAir GmbH Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-25

... Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA... INFORMATION: Discussion The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent [[Page 70210...-2013-008, Ausgabe (English translation: Version) A.03, dated October 25, 2013. The replacement required...

21 CFR 150.141 - Artificially sweetened fruit jelly.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Artificially sweetened fruit jelly. 150.141 Section 150.141 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... locust bean gum), guar gum, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, algin (sodium alginate), sodium...

Contribution à l'étude de l'activité biologique d'extraits de feuilles de Cestrum parqui L'Herit.(Solanaceae sur le criquet pélerin Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbouche N.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Contribution to the study of the biological activity of Cestrum parqui L'Herit. extracts against the locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk. The leaves of Cestrum parqui L'Herit. (Solanaceae, a common ornamental shrub in North Africa showed strong insecticide activity against the locust Schistocerca gregaria. The first part of this paper deals with a phytochemical survey of C. parqui. The second one reports on the toxicity of methanolic extracts (EB of leaves and fractions thereof. The mortality in treated insects (at the 5th instar injected with aqueous solutions of EB or fractions reached 100/ within a period of 2 to 4 days. The bioassays undertaken with two fractions F37 (recovered from EB by solid phase extraction and ESB (resulting from the diethylether precipitation from EB methanolic solution exhibited a similar toxicity. The n-hexane extracts obtained after F37 and ESB acidic hydrolysis showed the same TLC patterns. The toxicity of C. parqui is related to the occurrence of saponins.

Effect of added ingredients on water status and physico-chemical properties of tomato sauce.

Science.gov (United States)

Diantom, Agoura; Curti, Elena; Carini, Eleonora; Vittadini, Elena

2017-12-01

Different ingredients (guar, xanthan, carboxy methyl cellulose, locust bean gums, potato fiber, milk, potato and soy proteins) were added to tomato sauce to investigate their effect on its physico-chemical properties. The products were characterized in terms of colour, rheological properties (Bostwick consistency, flow behavior and consistency coefficient), water status (water activity, moisture content) and molecular mobility by 1 H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Water activity was significantly decreased only by the addition of potato fiber. Xanthan, locust bean, guar and carboxy methyl cellulose significantly enhanced Bostwick consistency and consistency coefficient. Type of ingredient and concentration significantly affected 1 H NMR mobility indicators. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that only 1 H NMR mobility parameters were able to differentiate the effect of milk protein, xanthan and potato fiber on tomato sauce properties. The information collected in this work provides information to intelligently modulate tomato sauce attributes and tailor its properties for specific applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 2238 - Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-17

... attachment. If not corrected, this failure could result in loss of control of the airplane. We are issuing... the referenced service information at the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City..., Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090; email: [email protected

76 FR 53308 - Airworthiness Directives; Cessna Aircraft Company Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-26

... bumper, and the attachment hardware with a rudder stop modification kit. This new AD requires a change to..., Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability... acrobatic maneuvers in the airplane or replacement of the rudder stop, rudder stop bumper, and attachment...

The grasshopper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Olga; Hansen, Steen Honore; Hellman, Karin

2013-01-01

drug discovery phase, does not yet exist. A new refined ex vivo insect based BBB screening model that uses an intact, viable whole brain under controlled 'in vitro' like exposure conditions is presented. This model uses intact brains from dessert locusts, which are placed in a well containing...

Environmental Assessment and FONSI for the Joint United States/Republic of Korea Research and Development Study for Improved Underground Ammunition Storage Technologies Tests, Magdalena, New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

1994-09-01

pine (Pinus edulis) on the south-facing slopes and New Mexico locust (Robina neomexicana) and scrub oak ( Quercus gambelii) on the north facing slopes...condition of the area. The disturbed area would be reseeded with a mixture of native species such as Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica ), squirrel-tail

7 CFR 205.606 - Nonorganically produced agricultural products allowed as ingredients in or on processed products...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

.... (a) Casings, from processed intestines. (b) Celery powder. (c) Chia (Salvia hispanica L.). (d) Colors...) Fructooligosaccharides (CAS # 308066-66-2). (h) Galangal, frozen. (i) Gelatin (CAS # 9000-70-8). (j) Gums—water extracted only (Arabic; Guar; Locust bean; and Carob bean). (k) Hops (Humulus luplus). (l) Inulin-oligofructose...

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-03-20

Mar 20, 2009 ... the condiment in culinary preparations suggests that the flavourant could ... supply of gaseous atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitro- ... Traditional method of production of locust bean condiment (Iru) as reported by ..... to 45°C. Moreover, microorganisms source for energy by releasing ...

Wood-plastic composites utilizing wood flours derived from fast- growing trees common to the midwest

Science.gov (United States)

There are several non- or under-utilized hardwood trees common to the Midwestern states. Wood flour (WF) derived from fast-growing Midwest trees (Osage orange, Black Locust and Red Mulberry) were evaluated as a source of bio-based fiber reinforcements. Wood plastic composites (WPC) of high density p...

Esterase and protease activities of Bacillus spp. from afitin, iru and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The electrophoretic profiles of fermented African locust bean protein (ALBP), using strains presenting the highest protease activities in casein agar, were analyzed by SDS-PAGE to select strains with good ability to be used as starter cultures. All the Bacillus spp. tested showed esterase activity against tributyrin with high ...

Eudragit E100 and Polysaccharide Polymer Blends as Matrices for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To compare the effects of two states of polymer/polymer blending (dry and aqueous/lyophilized) on the physicomechanical properties of tablets, containing blends of locust bean gum (LB) with Eudragit® E100 (E100) and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (SCMC) as matrices. Methods: LB, SCMC and E100 were ...

75 FR 34953 - Existence of Proposed Airworthiness Design Standards for Acceptance Under the Primary Category...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-21

... Locust Street, Room 301, Kansas City, MO 64106. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Leslie B. Taylor..., FAA; telephone number (816) 329-4134, fax number (816) 329-4090, e-mail at leslie.b.taylor@faa.gov..., low performance personal aircraft. Section 21.17(f) provides a means for applicants to propose...

Browse Title Index

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Items 151 - 161 of 161 ... Vol 31, No 2 (2010), Quality Evaluation of Cookies Produced from Composite Blends of Wheat Flour and African LocustBean (Parkia biglobosa) ... Vol 32, No 1 (2011), The Determination of Lead, Arsenic, Mercury, Cadmium Contents in Some Edible Fish Species Retailed in Ibadan, Nigeria, Abstract.

77 FR 19061 - Airworthiness Directives; Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-30

... attachment. We are issuing this AD to require actions to address the unsafe condition on these products... City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (816) 329... Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4059; fax: (816) 329-4090...

77 FR 72252 - Airworthiness Directives; Reims Aviation S.A. Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-12-05

... material used in nose landing gear (NLG) attachment brackets which could lead to failure of the NLG bracket..., Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call (816..., 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329-4119; fax: (816) 329-4090...

76 FR 48045 - Airworthiness Directives; Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecnam srl Model P2006T Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-08

... material at the FAA, call (816) 329-4148; e-mail: albert.mercado@faa.gov . Examining the AD Docket You may... Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri... procedures found in 14 CFR 39.19. Send information to ATTN: Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, FAA, Small...

76 FR 76330 - Airworthiness Directives; DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Sailplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-07

... Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at... proposed AD. Discussion The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which is the Technical Agent for the... 13 September 2011, for the English language version and in issue 2, dated 22 October 2008, for the...

75 FR 57194 - Meeting of the National Organic Standards Board

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-20

... Gelatin (CAS --9000-70- June 27, 2012. 8). Arabic gum October 21, 2012. Guar gum October 21, 2012. Locust... hydroxide October 21, 2012. Potassium phosphate October 21, 2012. Xanthan gum October 21, 2012. [[Page 57197... allowed as intestines. June 27, 2012. ingredients in or on processed products Celery powder June 27, 2012...

A Cultural Resources Survey of Steele, New Franklin, and Main Ditches, and National Register of Historic Places Significance Testing of Sites 2PM574, 575, 577, and 23PM578, Pemiscot County Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

1990-07-15

White (Quercus alba) 1 1 Pecan ( Carya illinoensis ) 1 1 Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) T 2 2 Plum (Prunus sp.) T Red Haw (Crataegus sp.) T 1 11 Red... Carya sp.) 5 4 Shellbark (Car.ya laciniosa) T Hornbeam ( Ostrya virgin/iana) 2 Kentucky Coffee Tree(Gymnocladus dioica)T "Locust, ? T Black (Robinia

JMBR VOLUME 15 Number 2 Decemebr 2016 - correction.cdr

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fine Print

contains modest amount of salt and zinc tablets, use of anti-infective agents and. 3 non- antimicrobial anti diarrhea agents . It has also been documented that ... spreading crown, it can grow up to 30 m tall, popularly known as the African locust bean, called Ogiri amongst the. Ibos, Dawadawa (Hausa) and Iru (Yoruba).

77 FR 21400 - Airworthiness Directives; DG Flugzeugbau GmbH Sailplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-10

... Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at...: Discussion We issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) to amend 14 CFR part 39 to include... in issue 3, dated 13 September 2011, for the English language version and in issue 2, dated 22...

PROCESSING AND UTILIZATION OF AFRICAN LOCUST BEAN ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

(2012) P. biglobosa has important socio-economic and cultural values .... It is a common knowledge that Parkia bean processing is a chain activity which is ... that P. biglobosa trees are not productive even when found in the study area.

microbiological eva fermented african locust bea preservativ

African Journals Online (AJOL)

userpc

They are also important prote supplement (Omafuvbe, 2002). Shelf life is th period of time during which the food produc was remain safe , be certain to retain desire microbiology, physical, chemical and senso characteristics and comply the nutritional dat when stored under conditions (temperature o handling) Kolapo et al., ...

Burst firing in a motion-sensitive neural pathway correlates with expansion properties of looming objects that evoke avoidance behaviours

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glyn Allan McMillan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The locust visual system contains a well-defined motion-sensitive pathway that transfers visual input to motor centers involved in predator evasion and collision avoidance. One interneuron in this pathway, the descending contralateral movement detector (DCMD, is typically described as using rate coding; edge expansion of approaching objects causes an increased rate of neuronal firing that peaks after a certain retinal threshold angle is exceeded. However, evidence of intrinsic DCMD bursting properties combined with observable oscillations in mean firing rates and tight clustering of spikes in raw traces, suggest that bursting may be important for motion detection. Sensory neuron bursting provides important timing information about dynamic stimuli in many model systems, yet no studies have rigorously investigated if bursting occurs in the locust DCMD during object approach. We presented repetitions of 30 looming stimuli known to generate behavioural responses to each of 20 locusts in order to identify and quantify putative bursting activity in the DCMD. Overall, we found a bimodal distribution of inter-spike intervals (ISI with peaks of more frequent and shorter ISIs occurring from 1-8 ms and longer less frequent ISIs occurring from 40-50 ms. Subsequent analysis identified bursts and isolated single spikes from the responses. Bursting frequency increased in the latter phase of an approach and peaked at the time of collision, while isolated spiking was predominant during the beginning of stimulus approach. We also found that the majority of inter-burst intervals occurred at 40-50 ms (or 20-25 bursts/s. Bursting also occurred across varied stimulus parameters and suggests that burst timing may be a key component of looming detection. Our findings suggest that the DCMD uses two modes of coding to transmit information about looming stimuli and that these modes change dynamically with a changing stimulus at a behaviourally-relevant time.

Community development on 35-year-old planted minespoil banks in Pennsylvania

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schuster, W S; Hutnik, R J

1987-07-01

Invading plant communities were studied in 1982 on a series of 35-year old strip-mine test plantings in the main bituminous region of Pennsylvania. Ten of the original 22 sites were evaluated; the others had been significantly disturbed or destroyed. The sites varied in mean pH, in survival and basal area of the planted trees and in the species planted. The study involved 24 plots of the following species: eastern white pine (Pine strobus), red pine (Pinus resinosa), Japanese larch (Laprix leptolepis), red oak (Quercus rubra), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), white ash (Fraxinus americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and hybrid poplar (Populus hyb.) and seven plots where plantings were unsuccessful (control plots). In the cluster analysis of invading communities described by a modified Braun-Blanquet scale, strong clustering trends were evident by both site and planted species. Clustering by sites was most pronounced for those sites with extremes of soil pH. There was also strong clustering among pine plots and among some hardwood plots. Species richness was higher on white ash, red oak, Japanese larch and control plots than on white pine plots. Black cherry (Prunus serotina) was the most common of the 169 invading species and was especially numerous on black locust plots. Aspens (Populus sp.) were also common invaders, especially on pine and ash plots. These species, along with pin cherry (Prunus Pennsylvanica) and the planted black locust are declining in importance, whereas black cherry, red maple (Acer rubrum) and slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) are increasing. Invading oaks (Quercus sp.), hickories (Carya sp.) and a few sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia) suggest future successional changes. 26 refs., 2 figs., 4 tabs.

See Art History in a New Light: Have an Art Auction

Science.gov (United States)

Benter, Doris J.

2008-01-01

At Portledge School in Locust Valley, New York, ninth graders in their upper school study art history for one semester. The visual arts department has created a vigorous new syllabus culminating in an hour-long mock art auction. The department selects several art movements (e.g., Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, Social Realism,…

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African Journals Online (AJOL)

2004-02-20

Feb 20, 2004 ... The pulp waste was used wholly and partially to replace corn starch (yellow maize) as a binder in the preparation of the diet of ... Keywords: Chemical composition, binding power, locust bean, fish diets. 1. Introduction ..... A critical look at the demand for livestock feedstuffs, such as cereals by man for his ...

Esca eius erant locustae. The origin and meaning of the imaginary quadruped locusta

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šedinová, Hana

2015-01-01

Roč. 138, 3/4 (2015), s. 231-268 ISSN 0024-4457 Institutional support: RVO:67985955 Keywords : medieval latin lexicography * ancient zoology * medieval zoology * quadrupeds * locust * lobster * locusta * Thomas of Cantimpré * Jacques de Vitry * Bartholomaeus de Solencia * Claretus * Albert the Great * diet of John the Baptist * lepusculus * Aristoteles Latinus Subject RIV: AI - Linguistics

THE TRANSPORT GLIDER

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Page 1 ... powered aircraft landing on captured airfields. Since the end of that war airborne forces have continued to play a considerable role in the various smaller military clashes .... Tetrach Mark IVand Locust tanks onto Landing Zones in support of Airborne Troops. --". -~-~-~~. Fig 3. The Waco CG-13A was an American ...

Callus induction from epicotyl and hypocotyl explants of Parkia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Epicotyl and hypocotyl explants of Parkia biglobosa (Locust bean) were cultured in vitro to investigate their callogenic capacity. Established cultures were obtained and maintained on MS medium supplemented with either 2,4-D or NAA, each of concentration range of 0.4 – 1.0 mg/L. In general, while higher concentrations of ...

76 FR 75442 - Airworthiness Directives; Quest Aircraft Design, LLC Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-02

... right-hand side of the engine bypass door attachment. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to an... Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106. For information on the availability of this material at... where a loose IPS bolt was found on the right-hand side of the engine bypass door attachment on Quest...

International Wildfire Emergencies: Management in the 21st Century

Science.gov (United States)

Julia V. Taft; Robert W. Mutch

1987-01-01

The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), responds to a wide variety of disasters throughout the world every year. These disasters range from "slow-moving" events like prolonged drought or plagues of grasshoppers and locusts to "fast-moving" threats to human...

31 CFR 100.17 - Location of Federal Reserve banks and branches.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Location of Federal Reserve banks and branches. 100.17 Section 100.17 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance... Locust Street (P.O. Box 442), St. Louis, MO 63166 Little Rock Branch—325 West Capitol Avenue (P.O. Box...

Hydrocolloids Decrease the Digestibility of Corn Starch, Soy Protein, and Skim Milk and the Antioxidant Capacity of Grape Juice.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Yue; Jeon, Hyeong-Ju; Yoon, Sun; Lee, Seung-Min

2015-12-01

Hydrocolloids have many applications in foods including their use in dysphagia diets. We aimed to evaluate whether hydrocolloids in foods affect the digestibility of starch and protein, and their effects on antioxidant capacity. The thickening hydrocolloids: locust bean gum and carboxymethyl cellulose, and the gel-forming agents: agar agar, konjac-glucomannan, and Hot & Soft Plus were blended with corn starch and soy protein, skim milk, or grape juice and were examined for their in vitro-digestability by comparing the reducing sugar and trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-soluble peptide, for antioxidant capacity by total polyphenol contents and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity. The hydrocolloids resulted in a decrease in starch digestibility with the gel-forming agents. Hydrocolloids diminished TCA-soluble peptides in skim milk compared to soy protein with the exception of locust bean gum and decreased free radical scavenging capacities and total phenolic contents in grape juice. Our findings may provide evidence for the use of hydro-colloids for people at risk of nutritional deficiencies such as dysphagia patients.

Scale-dependent climatic drivers of human epidemics in ancient China.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Huidong; Yan, Chuan; Xu, Lei; Büntgen, Ulf; Stenseth, Nils C; Zhang, Zhibin

2017-12-05

A wide range of climate change-induced effects have been implicated in the prevalence of infectious diseases. Disentangling causes and consequences, however, remains particularly challenging at historical time scales, for which the quality and quantity of most of the available natural proxy archives and written documentary sources often decline. Here, we reconstruct the spatiotemporal occurrence patterns of human epidemics for large parts of China and most of the last two millennia. Cold and dry climate conditions indirectly increased the prevalence of epidemics through the influences of locusts and famines. Our results further reveal that low-frequency, long-term temperature trends mainly contributed to negative associations with epidemics, while positive associations of epidemics with droughts, floods, locusts, and famines mainly coincided with both higher and lower frequency temperature variations. Nevertheless, unstable relationships between human epidemics and temperature changes were observed on relatively smaller time scales. Our study suggests that an intertwined, direct, and indirect array of biological, ecological, and societal responses to different aspects of past climatic changes strongly depended on the frequency domain and study period chosen.

Étude de la toxicité des extraits foliaires d’Euphorbia guyoniana Boiss. et Reut. (Euphorbiaceae chez Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål, 1775 (Orthoptera-Acrididea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. KEMASSI

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Study of the toxicity of the crude acetone leaf extract of Euphorbia guyoniana Boiss. and Reut. (Euphorbiaceae in Schistocerca gregaria (Forskål, 1775 (Orthoptera-Acrididea Abstract-This study examines the effect by ingestion of leaf cabbage sprayed with crude acetone extract of Euphorbia guyoniana leaves harvested in the Algerian Sahara on some biological parameters of larvae L5 and adult of desert locusts. The ingestion of cabbage leaves soaked in acetone extract of this Saharan plant generates a 100% mortality in larvae L5 and 66,67% for adult. A significant reduction in food intake was observed in the treated population compared to the control population. It results in a loss of exceptional weight ranging from 26,93% in larvae L5 to 33,09% in adults. Difficulties and anomalies are observed in moulting 16,66% of larvae L5 fed with cabbage leaves soaked in leaf extract of E. guyoniana. Dissection of adult females of the lot processing allows the observation of body regression demonstrating the depressant action of this extract on ovocyte cycle in the desert locust.

Dairy-Based Emulsions: Viscosity Affects Fat Difference Thresholds and Sweetness Perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahn, Susann; Hoppert, Karin; Ullrich, Franziska; Rohm, Harald

2013-11-27

In complex emulsions, viscosity or viscosity-associated sensory attributes such as creaminess are important for quality assessment and product differentiation. Two sets of emulsions with fat or locust bean gum content being varied at seven levels were developed; the two emulsions at each level had similar apparent viscosity. Additionally, sugar concentration was kept constant either with respect to total emulsion, or with respect to the aqueous phase. Series of two-alternative forced choice tests were performed with one constant stimulus, and just noticeable differences were calculated using probability regression. The results show that, when viscosity was not compensated, it was easy for the subjects to (a) distinguish emulsions with different fat content when the fat content was addressed in the question, and to (b) distinguish emulsions with different fat or locust bean gum content when creaminess was addressed. For the latter descriptor, it is of minor importance whether viscosity is altered by fat content or a thickener. Weber fractions that were calculated for viscosity were approximately 0.20. The quantitative effects of viscosity on sweetness, however, depend on how product rheology was modified.

Turnover of body water in relation to the hydric diet studied with tritiated water in Locusta migratoria migratorioides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buscarlet, L.A.; Proux, Jacques

1975-01-01

The elimination of triated water injected in a locust Locusta migratoria migratorioides is described by an exponential function of the cumulative water diet and fits a one-compartment model. This result shows that body water occupies a single pool the mass of which is kept constant by an equilibrium between the water diet and the water elimination rate [fr

Validating the Operational Draft Regional Guidebook for the Functional Assessment of High-Gradient Ephemeral and Intermittent Headwater Streams in Western West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky

Science.gov (United States)

2014-04-01

blackgum, wild black cherry (Prunus serotina), sweet cherry (Prunus avium), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra), sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), red maple, and...virginiana), American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), and slippery elm . Buffalo nut (Pyrularia pubera), wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens...Pinus strobus), wild black cherry, boxelder (Acer negundo), sycamore, black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia), slippery elm , and white ash. The shrub

Contribution of flowering trees to urban atmospheric biogenic volatile organic compound emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Baghi, R.; Helmig, D.; Guenther, A.; Duhl, T.; Daly, R.

2012-10-01

Emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) from urban trees during and after blooming were measured during spring and early summer 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. Air samples were collected onto solid adsorbent cartridges from branch enclosures on the tree species crabapple (Malus sp.), horse chestnut (Aesculus carnea, "Ft. McNair"), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos, "Sunburst"), and hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata, "Pauls Scarlet"). These species constitute ~ 65% of the insect-pollinated fraction of the flowering tree canopy (excluding catkin-producing trees) from the street area managed by the City of Boulder. Samples were analyzed for C10-C15 BVOC by thermal desorption and gas chromatography coupled to a flame ionization detector and a mass spectrometer (GC/FID/MS). Identified emissions and emission rates from these four tree species during the flowering phase were found to vary over a wide range. Monoterpene emissions were identified for honey locust, horse chestnut and hawthorn. Sesquiterpene emissions were observed in horse chestnut and hawthorn samples. Crabapple flowers were found to emit significant amounts of benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde. Floral BVOC emissions increased with temperature, generally exhibiting exponential temperature dependence. Changes in BVOC speciation during and after the flowering period were observed for every tree studied. Emission rates were significantly higher during the blooming compared to the post-blooming state for crabapple and honey locust. The results were scaled to the dry mass of leaves and flowers contained in the enclosure. Only flower dry mass was accounted for crabapple emission rates as leaves appeared at the end of the flowering period. Total normalized (30 °C) monoterpene emissions from honey locust were higher during flowering (5.3 μgC g-1 h-1) than after flowering (1.2 μgC g-1 h-1). The total normalized BVOC emission rate from crabapple (93 μgC g-1 h-1) during the flowering period is of the same

What's Hot, What's Not 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Raths, David

2013-01-01

With the exception of a plague of locusts, it seems as if the past five years have thrown every imaginable challenge at IT--from the incredible shrinking budget to BYOD and now the MOOC monster. For those of a superstitious bent, these were probably just appetizers to the crises that will inevitably accompany a year featuring the number 13 (cue…

Efficacy of Ethiopian Beauveria bassiana and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ferdu

were sealed with parafilm and small holes were created on the lid with a hot needle for .... flower thrips, sorghum chafer, leaf miners, desert locust, and root mealy bugs (Sinishaw, .... Slope (±SE). X2. P- value. 9609. 2.29×105. 1.04×105- 4.19 ×105. 0.62±0.07 .... integrated pest management in the Ethiopian rose sector.

Lower Mississippi River Environmental Program. Report 2. A Physical Description of Main Stem Levee Borrow Pits along the Lower Mississippi River

Science.gov (United States)

1988-02-01

Eastern cottonwood, green ash, sugarberry. box elder, bald cypress, willow honey locust, slippery elm , overcup oak and bitter pecan. Principle...vines and understory. Woody vegetation surrounds the borrow pit and consists of American and slippery elms , silver maple, black willow, cottonwood, pin...aquatica Water elm Ulmus rubra Slippery elm Urtica dioica Stinging nettle Vaccinium sp. Blueberry Vaccinium spp. Vaccinum Vernonia altissima Ironweed

Germanna's Treasure Trove of History: A Journey of Discovery

Science.gov (United States)

Sherwood, Rob

2008-01-01

At the time the author began working as an English instructor at Germanna Community College (GCC)'s Locust Grove Campus in the fall of 1993, like almost all the faculty, staff, and students, he had no idea of the rich and fascinating local history of their campus--or that it would soon become his overriding passion, lead to many student…

Involvement of tyrosine residues, N-terminal amino acids, and beta-alanine in insect cuticular sclerotization.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Svend Olav

2007-09-01

During sclerotization of insect cuticle the acyldopamines, N-acetyldopamine (NADA) and N-beta-alanyldopamine (NBAD), are oxidatively incorporated into the cuticular matrix, thereby hardening and stabilizing the material by forming crosslinks between the proteins in the cuticular matrix and by forming polymers filling the intermolecular spaces in the cuticle. Sclerotized cuticle from the locust, Schistocerca gregaria, and the beetle, Tenebrio molitor, was hydrolyzed in dilute hydrochloric acid, and from the hydrolysates some components presumably degradation products of cuticular crosslinks were isolated. In two of the components, the sidechain of 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone was linked to the amino groups of glycine and beta-alanine, respectively, and in the third component to the phenolic group of tyrosine. These three compounds, glycino-dihydroxyacetophenone, beta-alanino-dihydroxyacetophenone, and O-tyrosino-dihydroxyacetophenone, as well as the previously reported compound, lysino-dihydroxyacetophenone [Andersen, S.O., Roepstorff, P., 2007. Aspects of cuticular sclerotization in the locust, Schistocerca gregaria, and the beetle, Tenebrio molitor. Insect Biochem. Mol. Biol. 37, 223-234], are suggested to be degradation products of cuticular crosslinks, in which amino acid residues formed linkages to both the alpha- and beta-positions of the sidechain of acyldopamines.

Impaired odour discrimination on desynchronization of odour-encoding neural assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Stopfer, Mark; Bhagavan, Seetha; Smith, Brian H.; Laurent, Gilles

1997-11-01

Stimulus-evoked oscillatory synchronization of neural assemblies has been described in the olfactory and visual systems of several vertebrates and invertebrates. In locusts, information about odour identity is contained in the timing of action potentials in an oscillatory population response, suggesting that oscillations may reflect a common reference for messages encoded in time. Although the stimulus-evoked oscillatory phenomenon is reliable, its roles in sensation, perception, memory formation and pattern recognition remain to be demonstrated - a task requiring a behavioural paradigm. Using honeybees, we now demonstrate that odour encoding involves, as it does in locusts, the oscillatory synchronization of assemblies of projection neurons and that this synchronization is also selectively abolished by picrotoxin, an antagonist of the GABAA (γ-aminobutyric acid) receptor. By using a behavioural learning paradigm, we show that picrotoxin-induced desynchronization impairs the discrimination of molecularly similar odorants, but not that of dissimilar odorants. It appears, therefore, that oscillatory synchronization of neuronal assemblies is functionally relevant, and essential for fine sensory discrimination. This suggests that oscillatory synchronization and the kind of temporal encoding it affords provide an additional dimension by which the brain could segment spatially overlapping stimulus representations.

Dairy-Based Emulsions: Viscosity Affects Fat Difference Thresholds and Sweetness Perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susann Zahn

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In complex emulsions, viscosity or viscosity-associated sensory attributes such as creaminess are important for quality assessment and product differentiation. Two sets of emulsions with fat or locust bean gum content being varied at seven levels were developed; the two emulsions at each level had similar apparent viscosity. Additionally, sugar concentration was kept constant either with respect to total emulsion, or with respect to the aqueous phase. Series of two-alternative forced choice tests were performed with one constant stimulus, and just noticeable differences were calculated using probability regression. The results show that, when viscosity was not compensated, it was easy for the subjects to (a distinguish emulsions with different fat content when the fat content was addressed in the question, and to (b distinguish emulsions with different fat or locust bean gum content when creaminess was addressed. For the latter descriptor, it is of minor importance whether viscosity is altered by fat content or a thickener. Weber fractions that were calculated for viscosity were approximately 0.20. The quantitative effects of viscosity on sweetness, however, depend on how product rheology was modified.

Comparative Evaluation of Nutritional Composition of African Locust ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

all the vitamin variables except vitamin E (18.07 µg/100g) and β–carotene (11.34 µg/100g). The result of mineral ... fruit collected from derived savannah had the highest proportion of vitamins. The study has ..... Vitamin excess and toxicity: In ...

Proposed Bak Stabilization Tennessee River, River Mile 466.2 - 466.5 Hamilton County, Tennessee

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-01

aegyptium ). Vegetation along the bank consists of honey locust (Gleditsia tricanthos), sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), kudzu (Pueraria lobata...Adverse effects comprise, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: (a) death or injury to one or more individuals that results from activities...exclusive privileges, nor does it authorize any injury to private property or any invasion of personal rights, nor any infringement of federal, State

World Epidemiology Review, Number 103.

Science.gov (United States)

1978-08-30

meeting. One of the papers dealt with a special research done on gastro- intestinal parasites on Speaking about other issues discussed...Reported (EL DIA, 28 Jul 78) 32 DENMARK Government To Tighten Control Over Use of Animal Medicines (POLITIKEN, 21 Jul 78) 34 ETHIOPIA ... ETHIOPIA Briefs Locust Invasion 44 GHANA FRG To Finance Tsetse Fly Control Program (Clement Asante; GHANAIAN TIMES, 2 Aug 78) 45 HUNGARY Briefs

CNT Based Artificial Hair Sensors for Predictable Boundary Layer Air Flow Sensing (Postscript)

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-07

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES PA Case Number: 88ABW-2016-3588; Clearance Date: 22 July 2016. This document contains color . Journal article published in Advanced...ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) While numerous flow sensor architectures mimic the natural cilia of crickets, locusts, bats, and fish , the prediction...strain-based sensors can present additional difficulty in interpreting their response over long timescales or under varying conditions. Schemes may

The GH5 1,4-β-mannanase from Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bl-04 possesses a low-affinity mannan-binding module and highlights the diversity of mannanolytic enzymes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morrill, Johan; Kulcinskaja, Evelina; Sulewska, Anna Maria

2015-01-01

and displays the highest catalytic efficiency reported to date for a GH5 mannanase owing to a very high kcat (1828 ± 87 s-1) and a low Km (1.58 ± 0.23 g · L-1) using locust bean galactomannan as substrate. The novel CBM of BlMan5_8 mediates increased binding to soluble mannan based on affinity electrophoresis...

Volatile compounds profile and sensory evaluation of Beninese condiments produced by inocula of Bacillus subtilis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Azokpota, Paulin; Hounhouigan, Joseph D.; Annan, Nana T.

2010-01-01

in high number and in concentrations which varied according to the inoculum of B. subtilis used. The condiments produced with starter cultures scored significantly (P ... was similar.   CONCLUSION: The investigated B. subtilis, BS1, BS2 and BS3 can be considered as potential starter cultures for the fermentation of African locust beans to produce good quality of Beninese food condiments. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry...

Identification and Quantification of the Major Constituents in Egyptian Carob Extract by Liquid Chromatography?Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

OpenAIRE

Owis, Asmaa Ibrahim; El-Naggar, El-Motaz Bellah

2016-01-01

Background: Carob - Ceratonia siliqua L., commonly known as St John's-bread or locust bean, family Fabaceae - is one of the most useful native Mediterranean trees. There is no data about the chromatography methods performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for determining polyphenols in Egyptian carob pods. Objective: To establish a sensitive and specific liquid chromatography?electrospray ionization (ESI)-tandem mass spectrometry (MSn) methodology for the identification of th...

Partial Purification Characterization and Application of Bacteriocin from Bacteria Isolated Parkia biglobosa Seeds

OpenAIRE

Olorunjuwon, O. Bello; Olubukola, O. Babalola; Mobolaji, Adegboye; Muibat, O. Fashola; Temitope, K. Bello

2018-01-01

Bacteriocins are proteinaceous toxins produced by bacteria to inhibit the growth of similar or closely related bacterial strains. Fermented Parkia biglobosa seeds (African locust bean) were screened for bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with the characterization of putative bacteriocins. Bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were identified by 16s rDNA sequencing. Molecular sizes of the bacteriocins were determined using the tricine-sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacryla...

Flood Tolerance in Plants: A State-of-the-Art Review

Science.gov (United States)

1979-08-01

Q imbriraria Black walnut Juaus nigra Bitternut hickory Carya cordiformi. Red bud Cerc:i n e adensis Box el.der Accr n,ýgundo Slippery elm Jlmus rubra...Liriodendron tl__ipifera), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), white oak (Quercus alba), honey-locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), and Amterican elm (Ulmus americana...only American elm developed adventitious roots (YClcnouky 1964). 37. Accumulation of C02 . Next to lowered 0 concentration,:; the accumulation of toxic

Successful range-expanding plants experience less above-ground and below-ground enemy impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Engelkes, Tim; Morriën, Elly; Verhoeven, Koen J F; Bezemer, T Martijn; Biere, Arjen; Harvey, Jeffrey A; McIntyre, Lauren M; Tamis, Wil L M; van der Putten, Wim H

2008-12-18

Many species are currently moving to higher latitudes and altitudes. However, little is known about the factors that influence the future performance of range-expanding species in their new habitats. Here we show that range-expanding plant species from a riverine area were better defended against shoot and root enemies than were related native plant species growing in the same area. We grew fifteen plant species with and without non-coevolved polyphagous locusts and cosmopolitan, polyphagous aphids. Contrary to our expectations, the locusts performed more poorly on the range-expanding plant species than on the congeneric native plant species, whereas the aphids showed no difference. The shoot herbivores reduced the biomass of the native plants more than they did that of the congeneric range expanders. Also, the range-expanding plants developed fewer pathogenic effects in their root-zone soil than did the related native species. Current predictions forecast biodiversity loss due to limitations in the ability of species to adjust to climate warming conditions in their range. Our results strongly suggest that the plants that shift ranges towards higher latitudes and altitudes may include potential invaders, as the successful range expanders may experience less control by above-ground or below-ground enemies than the natives.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Hydrolysates and Peptide Fractions Obtained by Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Selected Heat-Treated Edible Insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Zielińska, Ewelina; Baraniak, Barbara; Karaś, Monika

2017-09-02

This study investigated the effect of heat treatment of edible insects on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of peptides obtained by in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and absorption process thereof. The antioxidant potential of edible insect hydrolysates was determined as free radical-scavenging activity, ion chelating activity, and reducing power, whereas the anti-inflammatory activity was expressed as lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory activity. The highest antiradical activity against DPPH • (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical) was noted for a peptide fraction from baked cricket Gryllodes sigillatus hydrolysate (IC 50 value 10.9 µg/mL) and that against ABTS •+ (2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical) was the highest for raw mealworm Tenebrio molitor hydrolysate (inhibitory concentration (IC 50 value) 5.3 µg/mL). The peptides obtained from boiled locust Schistocerca gregaria hydrolysate showed the highest Fe 2+ chelation ability (IC 50 value 2.57 µg/mL); furthermore, the highest reducing power was observed for raw G. sigillatus hydrolysate (0.771). The peptide fraction from a protein preparation from the locust S. gregaria exhibited the most significant lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory activity (IC 50 value 3.13 µg/mL and 5.05 µg/mL, respectively).

Rheological characterization of gel-in-oil-in-gel type structured emulsions

OpenAIRE

Patel, Ashok; Dumlu, Pinar; Vermeir, Lien; Lewille, Benny; Lesaffer, Ans; Dewettinck, Koen

2015-01-01

We report the fabrication of multiple emulsions where both the enclosed and the external water phases are structured using a combination of two non-gelling biopolymers. Emulsions (with gelled inner water droplets and gelled water continuous phase) were created using a simple 'one-step' process where the oil phase (triglyceride oil and polyglycerol polyricinoleate) and the water phase (containing a combination of locust bean gum and carrageenan) were emulsified at an elevated temperature (70 d...

Studies on taxonomy and distribution of Acridoidea (Orthoptera of Bihar, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.K. Usmani

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Thirty seven species of locusts and grasshoppers representing 26 genera, four tribes and 12 subfamilies belonging to the families Pyrgomorphidae, Catantopidae and Acrididae are reported from different localities of Bihar. Their distinguishing characters and bio-ecological data are provided along with keys to tribes and subfamilies. This paper comprising of distribution and field observation along with taxonomy of Acridoid fauna is the first of its kind from the state.

Cultural Resources Survey and Testing Along Ditch 19 and Extensive Testing of 23DU289, Dunklin and Stoddard Counties, Missouri.

Science.gov (United States)

1988-06-30

Carya illinoensis ) 1 1 Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) T 2 2 Pl.um (Prunus sp.) T Red Haw (Crataegus sp.) T 1 11 Red Mulberry (Morus rubra) T...2 Cherry (Prunus sp.) T Cottonwood (Populus sp.) 1 3 Dogwood (Cornus sp.) 1 Hackberry (Celtus occidentalis) 12 9 Hickory, ( Carya sp.) 5 4 Shellhark... Carya laciniosa) T Hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) 2 Kentucky Coffee Tree( Gymnoeladus dioica)T Locust, T Black (Robinia pseudo-acacia) T Honey

Involvement of cyclic nucleotides in locust flight muscle metabolism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Worm, R.A.A.

1980-01-01

1. Flight had no significant effect on the levels of c-AMP of c-GMP in the flight muscles of Locusta migratoria. 2. Injections of 0.01 or 0.1 corpus cardiacum equivalents into the abdominal cavity did not elicit any effect on cyclic nucleotide levels either. 3. Injection of A23187 resulted in

Effect of Food, Diet and Nutrition on Military Readiness and Preparedness of Army Personnel and Dependents in a Peacetime Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

1991-08-15

fatty pectin, guar gum , locust bean gum , oat gum , or psyllium acids. mucilloid may reduce serum total cholesterol and LDL- The omega-3 fatty acids...made by the participants, Food samples: Dash, Salt Substitutes, Small bottle garlic powder or other seasoning can substitute for salt. Dining Out...Juice; Fresh Fruit Fresh Fruit; Sugar-Free Gum Rem It ft 1n iry i lortant: try not to *at foods that contain lard, animal fat, iyona ’ efat, or Valem oi

U. S. Pacific Fleet. Central Pacific Force. Operation Plan Number Cen 1-43

Science.gov (United States)

1943-10-25

Wareagle Snowflake Stork Beagle v Jocko Bagdad Frolic Locust Tycoon Vulture Dodger Husky Trojan Harpoon Designation or Commander A-II-2 COMM. A...Tiptop Killnrney Saskatoon Dodger Boar lake Titvdllow Beagle Huniboldt Moonglow Raiiisgate COIJ2!. A-II GOMI. A-II OPERATIONfPI^M No. Cen 1-43 ANNEX A...Daytona Decatur Delaware Denmark Del Rio Democrat DeSoto Dingbct Dodger Dogwood Dolores Ship or Unit TG 54.1 CTG 54.6 CTF 51 LST 78 Hq

The Evolution of the FT/TFL1 Genes in Amaranthaceae and Their Expression Patterns in the Course of Vegetative Growth and Flowering in Chenopodium rubrum

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Drabešová, Jana; Černá, Lucie; Mašterová, Helena; Koloušková, Pavla; Potocký, Martin; Štorchová, Helena

2016-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 10 (2016), s. 3065-3076 ISSN 2160-1836 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP506/12/1359; GA ČR GA13-02290S Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : rna-seq data * locus-t * ft homologs * functional evolution * floral initiation * reference genome * arabidopsis * protein * quantification * activation * transcriptome * flowering locus t * TERMINAL FLOWER1 gene family * evolution * flowering * gene rearrangement * Amaranthaceae * Chenopodium rubrum Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 2.861, year: 2016

Effects of prey macronutrient content on body composition and nutrient intake in a web-building spider.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesse Hawley

Full Text Available The nutritional composition of diets can vary widely in nature and have large effects on the growth, reproduction and survival of animals. Many animals, especially herbivores, will tightly regulate the nutritional composition of their body, which has been referred to as nutritional homeostasis. We tested how experimental manipulation of the lipid and protein content of live prey affected the nutrient reserves and subsequent diet regulation of web-building spiders, Argiope keyserlingi. Live locusts were injected with experimental solutions containing specific amounts of lipid and protein and then fed to spiders. The nutrient composition of the spiders' bodies was directly related to the nutrient composition of the prey on which they fed. We then conducted an experiment where spiders were fed either high lipid or high protein prey and subsequently provided with two large unmanipulated locusts. Prior diet did not affect the amount or ratio of lipid and protein ingested by spiders when feeding on unmanipulated prey. Argiope keyserlingi were flexible in the storage of lipid and protein in their bodies and did not bias their extraction of nutrients from prey to compensate for previously biased diets. Some carnivores, especially those that experience frequent food limitation, may be less likely to strictly regulate their body composition than herbivores because food limitation may encourage opportunistic ingestion and assimilation of nutrients.

Effect of taurine on calcium accumulation in resting and depolarised insect synaptosomes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whitton, P.S.; Nicholson, R.A.; Strang, R.H.

1988-06-01

The effect of taurine (2-aminoethanesulphonic acid) on /sup 45/Ca/sup 2 +/ accumulation in resting and depolarised synaptosomes obtained from the locust Schistocerca americana gregaria was studied. Taurine reduced /sup 45/Ca/sup 2 +/ accumulation in resting synaptosomes, and this effect was more pronounced when synaptosomes were depolarized with either high (K+) or veratridine. Veratridine-induced /sup 45/Ca/sup 2 +/ accumulation was not affected by either gamma-aminobutyric acid or leucine, but was reduced by both verapamil and tetrodotoxin.

Reduced Solubility of Polymer-Oriented Water for Sodium Salts, Sugars, Amino Acids, and other Solutes Normally Maintained at Low Levels in Living Cells,

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

following were obtained: gum arabic (64C-0252; gum ghatti (42C-2380; gum guar (32C1930); gum Karaya (103C-0720); gum locust bean (42C-2900); gum ...plotted against time of incubation. In the efflux method, usually the dry polymer powder was dissolved 22 + 35 in water containing the radioactive label...tragacanth (74C-0207); and gum xantham (888-0200); corn starch (6813-0216); potato starch (65B-2060); pectin (107B-0090); alginic acid (766-818); also

Neurophysiological Study of Vector Responses to Repellents.

Science.gov (United States)

1980-08-01

hexanoic acid by the migratory locust and the honey bee . J. Comp. Physiol. 87, 277-284 (1973). Mctver, S. B.: Fine structure of antennal grooved pegs of the...and replace those receptor proteins undergoing normal or accelerated turnover. Half-times of 10 to 30 hr are associated with these processes. In the... Substitution for the a-hydroxyl of lactic acid by -SH, -Br, -NH2, =0, -CU13, or -H produced responses of varying degrees of effectiveness from strong (-SH, =0

Thermal sensitivity of excitation-contraction-coupling in a chill susceptible insect, Locusta migratoria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Findsen, Anders; Pedersen, Thomas Holm; Overgaard, Johannes

Many insect species enter a state of neuromuscular paralysis when their body temperature is lowered to a critical limit but the physiological and cellular processes underlying this chill coma are largely unknown. Previous studies on locusts show that muscle force production is highly depressed...... at low temperature implicating impairment in cellular mechanism in the muscle per se. Aiming to determine these mechanisms we examined the thermal sensitivity of several events in the excitation-contraction-coupling process including: i) Passive membrane properties and propagation of electrical signals...

Apuntes sobre la lucha contra la plaga de langosta en los escritos de los siglos modernos

OpenAIRE

Peris Felipo, Francisco Javier

2008-01-01

La inquietud suscitada por los efectos de las plagas de langosta, más allá del ámbito estrictamente campesino, históricamente ha transcendido a reyes, legistas, médicos o historiadores, que dejaron constancia de ella en sus obras o en la legislación. El presente estudio recopila información sobre el impacto que estas plagas causaron sobre todos los estamentos de la sociedad durante los siglos modernos. The concern about the effects of locust plagues, beyond the rural sphere, has historical...

Economic analysis of locust bean processing and marketing in Iwo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

International Journal of Applied Agriculture and Apiculture Research. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 7, No 1 (2011) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Instantly Basing Locust Swarms: New Options for Future Air Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-01

such as the MQ-1 Predator cost $3.2 million and were vastly cheaper than the $100+ million dollar F-117, B-2, and RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft...and Electrical Engineers, C-band is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between 4.0 and 8.0 gigahertz. Ku-band resides between 10.95 and...27 Although electromagnetic signals travel at the speed of light, it often takes a few seconds for signals to travel the intercontinental distances

Effects of mixture and thinning in a tree farming valuable broadleaves plantation more than 20 years after the establishment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessio Corazzesi

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The results of peduncolate Oak plantation trials where the Oak is mixed to wild Cherry and narrow-leaf Ash per line and per close mixture with different proportions (25% and 50% of N-fixing species (Black Locust and Italian Alder are described in the paper. The plantation, carried out in winter 1988-89, was framed into a reafforestation plan for spoil banks restoration. On a share of the plantation area, free thinnings foreseeing the release of about 70 target trees per hectare, were undertaken in 2001 and 2003; 21% and 27% of basal area were removed, respectively. In the latter trial, the crowns of target trees were completely isolated by felling all the surrounding trees. The performances of valuable timber broadleaves, the effects of intercropping and thinning on the growth of Oak target trees were analysed. Three inventories (2001, 2004 and 2008 and the annual monitoring of target trees growth were performed at the purpose. The two peduncolate Oak and narrow-leaf Ash trees showed the best performances among the set of valuable broadleaves, whilst wild cherry resulted not suited to local site conditions. A higher tree mortality occurred in the mixture with Black Locust. The mixture with both Nfixing species provided a stimulus to the Oak growth both in terms of dbh and tree height. Italian Alder resulted anyway less competitive and easy to manage, considering its progressive self-thinning, while Black Locust was aggressive enough to necessitate the control of its development by pollarding 7 years after the plantation. In the thinned plots, target trees showed significant diameter increments in comparison with control plots; maintaining year by year constant dbh increments of about 1 cm and crown’s diameter increment of about 50 cm. Intercropping with Italian Alder showed to be more effective than thinning on growth of the target trees. st1\\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso

Functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and their dietetic correction in infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.O. Yefanova

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background. In 60–70 % of cases of visiting a doctor, the leading complaints from parents, who have children of the first months of life, are symptoms of discomfort from the infant’s gastrointestinal tract: regurgitation, intestinal colic, diarrhea, constipation, which in most cases are not associated with organic changes and arise in apparently healthy children, without causing significant changes in their health status. The most frequent manifestations of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract include regurgitation — passive reflux of a small amount of gastric contents into the pharynx, the oral cavity and outwards. The tendency to regurgitation, accor-ding to various authors, is observed in 20–85 % of apparently healthy infants, and in 47 % of them, it has a persistent nature. The aim of the study: to evaluate the clinical efficiency of antireflux mixture, in which non-digestible polysaccharides — locust bean gum are used as a thickening agent. Materials and methods. The study group consisted of 32 children aged 1 to 12 months with regurgitation. The intensity of regurgitation was assessed in points according to a specially developed and mo-dified scale (G. Vandenplas icnibali, 1993; Shadryn O., 2010. The main group included 20 children, who received antireflux mixture, as a thickening agent, locust bean gum was used; the comparison group — 12 infants, who received antireflux mixture, as a thickening agent, starch was used. Attention was also paid to the “therapeutic position” during feeding: the child’s semi-vertical position during feeding, keeping the child in a vertical position after feeding for at least 10 minutes. Results. The control of the efficiency of the resulting mixtures was monitored by a comparative analysis of the dynamics of complaints and objective data. After 10 days of “treatment” by nutrition and position, in the main group 5 children (25 % did not have regurgitations; in 13 children (65

BREEDING BIOLOGY OF ROOK (CORVUS FRUGILEGUS IN THE HUMAN TRANSFORMED STEPPE ECOSYSTEMS (THE CASE OF BOTIEVO WIND FARM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. O. Dranga

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article gives a space-structural characteristic of rook (Corvus frugilegus nesting places in the territory of Botievo wind farm (Zaporizhzhia region. The distribution of the rook colonies around the territory, the structure of the colonies, the dependence of the location of the nests on the height, diameter, condition and species composition of tree and shrub plantings are analyzed and studied. The types and methods of the localization of nests in the trees and their quantitative characteristics are highlighted. The consortium relations of the rook and the risks associated with living near existing wind turbines are described. In 2015 some eight colonies were found: 2 medium (51-100 nests and 6 large (101-500 nests ones. All the colonies were located in the forest belts, mainly represented by locust trees Gleditsia triacanthos (7 colonies and in the mixed forest consisting of the mulberry Morus sp., maple Acer, black locust Robinia pseudoacacia, and locust trees (1 colony. The area occupied by colonies had a four-fold difference between 977-3994 m2, while the number of the rook nests fluctuated in a seven-fold range - 52-343 nests. Analysis of different indicators describing the structure of the rook colonies revealed certain dependence between the breeding area and the number of the occupied trees (r = 0.97; the breeding area and the number of nests (r = 0.60; the number of nests in the colony and the closeness of the trees in the forest belts (r = 0.91; the number of nests and the number of the occupied trees (r = 0.74, the height of the tree and the nest on it (r = 0.64. The characteristic of the location of nests in different rows of the forest belt revealed the shift of the density of the occupation of trees in large colonies to one of the outer rows, where there were 26.0-27.5 percent of all the nests. Typology and localization of rook nests in the trees has 11 options of the location. The type of the location of nests near the trunk

DSC and TMA studies on freezing and thawing gelation of galactomannan polysaccharide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iijima, Mika; Hatakeyama, Tatsuko; Hatakeyama, Hyoe

2012-01-01

Research highlights: ► Locust bean gum forms hydrogels by freezing and thawing. ► Syneresis was observed when freezing and thawing cycle (n) increased. ► Dynamic Young's modulus increased with increasing n. ► Non-freezing water content restrained by hydrogels decreased with increasing n. ► Strong gel with densely packed network structure formed with increasing n. - Abstract: Among various kinds of polysaccharides known to form hydrogels, locust bean gum (LBG) consisting of a mannose backbone and galactose side chains has unique characteristics, since LBG forms hydrogels by freezing and thawing. In this study, effect of thermal history on gelation was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA). Gel/sol ratio calculated by weighing method was found to be affected by sol concentration, freezing rate and the number of freezing and thawing cycle (n). Once LBG hydrogels are formed, they are thermally stable, although syneresis was observed when n increased. Dynamic Young's modulus (E′) of hydrogels measured by TMA in water increased with increasing n and decreasing freezing rate. Non-freezing water calculated from DSC melting peak of ice in the gel decreased with increasing n and decreasing freezing rate. Morphological observation of freeze-dried gels was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The above results indicate that weak hydrogel having large molecular network structure transformed into strong gel with densely packed network structure by increasing n and decreasing freezing rate.

Flight-induced inhibition of the cerebral median peptidergic neurosecretory system in Locusta migratoria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diederen, J.H.; van Etten, E.W.; Biegstraaten, A.I.; Terlou, M.; Vullings, H.G.; Jansen, W.F.

1988-01-01

This study discusses the effects of a 1-hr period of flight on the peptidergic pars intercerebralis (PI)-corpus cardiacum storage part (CCS) system in male Locusta migratoria, particularly the effect on material in this system stained by a histochemical method for peptidergic neurosecretory material (NSM) or labeled by in vivo incorporation of radioactive amino acid molecules. By use of an automatic image analysis system a number of parameters of the stained or radioactively labeled substances were measured to quantify the flight-induced effects and to get information on the manner in which the neurosecretory cell bodies in the PI and their axonal endings in the CCS accommodate changing amounts of NSM. The CCS of flown locusts contained distinctly more stained and radioactively labeled substances than the CCS of unflown locusts. A tendency to similar differences was observed in the cluster of neurosecretory cell bodies in the PI. The results indicate that 1 hr flight inhibited the release of NSM by the PI-CCS system. After the onset of reduced release activity by flight, some NSM continued to be synthesized and transported from the PI to the CCS, gradually filling up and expanding the entire PI-CCS system, the NSM at the same time becoming more and more densely packed. It is concluded that the peptidergic PI-CCS system is not actively involved in the control of flight metabolism or flight behavior

Feed-Forward versus Feedback Inhibition in a Basic Olfactory Circuit.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiffany Kee

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Inhibitory interneurons play critical roles in shaping the firing patterns of principal neurons in many brain systems. Despite difference in the anatomy or functions of neuronal circuits containing inhibition, two basic motifs repeatedly emerge: feed-forward and feedback. In the locust, it was proposed that a subset of lateral horn interneurons (LHNs, provide feed-forward inhibition onto Kenyon cells (KCs to maintain their sparse firing--a property critical for olfactory learning and memory. But recently it was established that a single inhibitory cell, the giant GABAergic neuron (GGN, is the main and perhaps sole source of inhibition in the mushroom body, and that inhibition from this cell is mediated by a feedback (FB loop including KCs and the GGN. To clarify basic differences in the effects of feedback vs. feed-forward inhibition in circuit dynamics we here use a model of the locust olfactory system. We found both inhibitory motifs were able to maintain sparse KCs responses and provide optimal odor discrimination. However, we further found that only FB inhibition could create a phase response consistent with data recorded in vivo. These findings describe general rules for feed-forward versus feedback inhibition and suggest GGN is potentially capable of providing the primary source of inhibition to the KCs. A better understanding of how inhibitory motifs impact post-synaptic neuronal activity could be used to reveal unknown inhibitory structures within biological networks.

Effects of elevated carbon dioxide concentration on growth and N2 fixation of young Robinia pseudoacacia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, Z; Flessa, H.; Dyckmans, J.

2004-01-01

The effects of elevated carbon dioxide concentration on carbon and nitrogen uptake and nitrogen source partitioning were determined in one year-old locust trees using a dual 13 C and 15 N continuous labelling experiment. Elevated carbon dioxide increased the fraction of new carbon in total carbon, but it did not alter carbon partitioning among plant compartments. Elevated carbon dioxide also increased the fraction of new nitrogen in total nitrogen. This was coupled with a shift in nitrogen source partitioning toward nitrogen fixation. Soil nitrogen uptake was not affected, but nitrogen fixation was markedly increased by elevated carbon dioxide treatment. The increased nitrogen fixation tended to decrease the C/N ratio in the presence of elevated carbon dioxide. Total dry mass of root nodules doubled in response to elevated carbon dioxide, however, this effect was not considered significant because of the great variability in root nodule formation. Overall, it was concluded that the growth of locust trees in an elevated carbon dioxide environment will not primarily be limited by nitrogen availability, giving the R. pseudoacacia species a competitive advantage over non-nitrogen-fixing tree species. It was also suggested that the increase in nitrogen fixation observed in response to elevated carbon dioxide treatment may play a key role in the growth response of forest ecosystems to elevated carbon dioxide by improving nitrogen availability for non-nitrogen-fixing trees. 51 refs., 1 tab., 4 figs

Gene cloning and enzymatic characterization of an alkali-tolerant endo-1,4-β-mannanase from Rhizomucor miehei.

Science.gov (United States)

Katrolia, Priti; Yan, Qiaojuan; Zhang, Pan; Zhou, Peng; Yang, Shaoqing; Jiang, Zhengqiang

2013-01-16

An endo-1,4-β-mannanase gene (RmMan5A) was cloned from the thermophilic fungus Rhizomucor miehei for the first time and expressed in Escherichia coli . The gene had an open reading frame of 1330 bp encoding 378 amino acids and contained four introns. It displayed the highest amino acid sequence identity (42%) with the endo-1,4-β-mannanases from glycoside hydrolase family 5. The purified enzyme was a monomer of 43 kDa. RmMan5A displayed maximum activity at 55 °C and an optimal pH of 7.0. It was thermostable up to 55 °C and alkali-tolerant, displaying excellent stability over a broad pH range of 4.0-10.0, when incubated for 30 min without substrate. The enzyme displayed the highest specificity for locust bean gum (K(m) = 3.78 mg mL⁻¹), followed by guar gum (K(m) = 7.75 mg mL⁻¹) and konjac powder (K(m) = 22.7 mg mL⁻¹). RmMan5A hydrolyzed locust bean gum and konjac powder yielding mannobiose, mannotriose, and a mixture of various mannose-linked oligosaccharides. It was confirmed to be a true endo-acting β-1,4-mannanase, which showed requirement of four mannose residues for hydrolysis, and was also capable of catalyzing transglycosylation reactions. These properties make RmMan5A highly useful in the food/feed, paper and pulp, and detergent industries.

Life on the edge: vulnerability in the Sahel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rubin, Vanessa [Africa Hunger Advisor, Care International UK (United Kingdom)

2007-07-15

Locusts, drought, crops crumbling into dust: in 2005, the Sahel was hit by a catastrophic food crisis. Eight million people were affected. Two years on, drought has eased in this arid strip south of the Sahara, but its people still live in the grip of extreme vulnerability. Their condition is a crisis in itself and a near-guarantee of more humanitarian disasters in the region, whatever the force or frequency of future shocks. Aid donors need to recognise this vulnerability as the root cause of the Sahel's rolling crises.

Patterns in Orthoptera biodiversity. II. The cultural dimension

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Claudio J. Bidau

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The relationship between orthopterans and humanity has multiple faces. They are excellent subjects of research in all areas of biology, but they may be from a mild nuisance to formidable enemies as in the case of plague locusts. However, many species have been since long ago, providers of aesthetic pleasure, nutrition and folk medicine practices. In this review, I explore three subjects that fall within the fields of ethnoentomology and cultural entomology namely, the use of orthopterans as food, their medicinal utilisation, and their role as pets and entertainment.

La langosta, los mayas y el colonialismo en Yucatán, México, 1883

OpenAIRE

García Quintanilla, Alejandra

2012-01-01

En 1883 se produjo una gran plaga de langosta que afectó a diversos estados de la República Mexicana. Tuvo su origen en Yucatán. Aquí se analizan las respuestas sociales de la sociedad civil integrada mayoritariamente por personas mayas, la de los hacendados henequeneros y también la del gobierno de Yucatán en lo que fue el inicio del llamado Auge Henequenero. In the year 1883, an enormous plague of locusts emerged in Yucatán and then spread out to raze several states in the Mexican Republ...

Chlorinated tyrosine derivatives in insect cuticle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Svend Olav

2004-01-01

A method for quantitative measurement of 3-monochlorotyrosine and 3,5-dichlorotyrosine in insect cuticles is described, and it is used for determination of their distribution in various cuticular regions in nymphs and adults of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. The two chlorinated tyrosine......, not-yet sclerotized cuticle of adult femur and tibia, the amounts increased rapidly during the first 24 h after ecdysis and more slowly during the next two weeks. Control analyses using stable isotope dilution mass spectrometry have confirmed that the chlorinated tyrosines are not artifacts formed...

Woody vegetation and succession on the Fonde surface mine demonstration area, Bell County, Kentucky

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wade, G.L.; Thompson, R.L.

1999-01-01

The long term impact of surface mining on vegetation and plant succession has always been of concern to environmentalists and residents of Appalachia. The Fonde Surface Mine Demonstration Area is a 7.3-ha, NE-NW-aspect contour coal mine at an elevation of 562 m. It was reclaimed in 1965 to show state-of-the-art surface mine reclamation techniques consistent with then-current law and regulations after coal mining in 1959 and 1963. The mine spoils were lightly graded to control erosion and crates a bench with water control and two sediment ponds. Soil pH ranged from 2.8 to 5.9. About 80 percent of the mine was planted with 18 tree and shrub species including plantations of mixed pine, mixed hardwoods, black locust, and shrubs for wildlife. In a complete floristic inventory conducted 25 years later, the authors found the woody flora consisted of 34 families, 53 genera, and 70 species including 7 exotics. This inventory of the Fonde mine shows that a diverse forest vegetation can be reestablished after extreme disturbances in Appalachia. Black locust, yellow poplar, and Virginia pine reproduction varied significantly among plantation types. Canopy tree species significantly affected ground layer cover, total species richness, number of tree seedling species, and total number of tree seedlings present. Mine soil type affected ground layer percent cover and total species richness. Pre-SMCRA (Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977) reclaimed and inventoried mines can be used to evaluate biodiversity on post-SMCRA mines

Woody vegetation and succession on the Fonde surface mine demonstration area, Bell County, Kentucky

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wade, G.L.; Thompson, R.L.

1999-07-01

The long term impact of surface mining on vegetation and plant succession has always been of concern to environmentalists and residents of Appalachia. The Fonde Surface Mine Demonstration Area is a 7.3-ha, NE-NW-aspect contour coal mine at an elevation of 562 m. It was reclaimed in 1965 to show state-of-the-art surface mine reclamation techniques consistent with then-current law and regulations after coal mining in 1959 and 1963. The mine spoils were lightly graded to control erosion and crates a bench with water control and two sediment ponds. Soil pH ranged from 2.8 to 5.9. About 80 percent of the mine was planted with 18 tree and shrub species including plantations of mixed pine, mixed hardwoods, black locust, and shrubs for wildlife. In a complete floristic inventory conducted 25 years later, the authors found the woody flora consisted of 34 families, 53 genera, and 70 species including 7 exotics. This inventory of the Fonde mine shows that a diverse forest vegetation can be reestablished after extreme disturbances in Appalachia. Black locust, yellow poplar, and Virginia pine reproduction varied significantly among plantation types. Canopy tree species significantly affected ground layer cover, total species richness, number of tree seedling species, and total number of tree seedlings present. Mine soil type affected ground layer percent cover and total species richness. Pre-SMCRA (Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977) reclaimed and inventoried mines can be used to evaluate biodiversity on post-SMCRA mines.

Effect of saccharide additives on response of ferrous-agarose-xylenol orange radiotherapy gel dosimeters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Healy, B.J.; Zahmatkesh, M.H.; Nitschke, K.N.; Baldock, C.

2003-01-01

Glucose, sucrose, starch, and locust bean gum have been used as additives to the ferrous-agarose-xylenol orange (FAX) gel dosimeter. The saccharide enhanced dosimeters were found to have a higher dose sensitivity over a standard FAX gel as measured by both optical density change and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). With optical density measurement, OD-dose sensitivity increases were up to 55% for glucose, 122% for sucrose and 43% for starch, while locust bean gum did not give a consistent response. With MRI, R 1 -dose sensitivity increases were up to 178% with sucrose addition. The FAX gel with sucrose was studied in greatest detail. The OD-dose sensitivity dependence on cooling rate was reduced for the sucrose FAX gel over the standard FAX gel, which has significant implications for uniform dose sensitivity in large gel phantoms. The thermal oxidation rate in the sucrose FAX gel was up to 2.3 times higher than in the standard gel. The OD-dose sensitivity of oxygenated sucrose FAX gels was 4.3 times greater than standard FAX gels, while continued enhancement in OD-dose sensitivity with increased sucrose concentrations beyond 2.0 g/l was found only for the oxygenated sucrose FAX gels. Both the molar absorption coefficient of the ferric ion-xylenol orange complex at 543 nm and gel pH were not affected by the presence of sucrose, with the implication that the higher OD-dose sensitivity of gels with saccharides is due to increased chain reaction production of ferric ions

Radio-telemetric evidence of migration in the gregarious but not the solitary morph of the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex: Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

Science.gov (United States)

Lorch, Patrick D.; Gwynne, D. T.

The Mormon cricket, Anabrus simplex, is one of just a few species of katydids (or bushcrickets, Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) that, like migratory locusts, appear to have solitary and migratory morphs. Using radio telemetry we studied movements of individuals of two morphs of this flightless species. Individuals within each migratory band had similar rates of movements along similar directional headings whereas solitary individuals moved little and showed little evidence of directionality in movement. Our results also add to other recent radio-telemetry studies showing that flightless insects of 1-2g in mass can be tracked successfully using these methods.

Low-calorie marmalades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlović Saša R.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The number of people suffering from insulin-dependent (Diabetes Melitus type I and insulin-independent (Diabetes Melitus type II is huge, and the number of potential diseased is in permanent rise. For that reason products with reduced amount of sugar have become very popular. Factory "Srbijanka" Valjevo manufactures reduced–sugar marmalades from apricot peach, strawberry, apple and orange. Low–metoxyl pectins and high-grade locust bean gum were used as gelation agents. Sensory evaluation and energy value of these marmalades were determined and all samples were highly graded. All marmalades belonged to the group of low-calorie (dietetic products.

Fermentation of mucins and plant polysaccharides by anaerobic bacteria from the human colon.

Science.gov (United States)

Salyers, A A; West, S E; Vercellotti, J R; Wilkins, T D

1977-01-01

A total of 154 strains from 22 species of Bifidobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, Coprococcus, Eubacterium, and Fusobacterium, which are present in high concentrations in the human colon, were surveyed for their ability to ferment 21 different complex carbohydrates. Plant polysaccharides, including amylose, amylopectin, pectin, polygalacturonate, xylan, laminarin, guar gum, locust bean gum, gum ghatti, gum arabic, and gum tragacanth, were fermented by some strains from Bifidobacterium, Peptostreptococcus, Ruminococcus, and Eubacterium species. Porcine gastric mucin, which was fermented by some strains of Ruminococcus torques and Bifidobacterium bifidum, was the only mucin utilized by any of the strains tested. PMID:563214

Landform affects on profile distribution of soil properties in black locust

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-07-06

Jul 6, 2009 ... Wei Xiao-rong1, Shao Ming-an1*, Zhang Xing-chang1 and Shao Hong-bo1,2,3*. 1State Key Laboratory of Soil ... temperature regime, plant structure and erosion and sedi- .... The soil in the area is fine silt in texture and.

Radiation synthesis and characterisation of the network structure of natural/synthetic double-network superabsorbent polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Şen, Murat; Hayrabolulu, Hande

2012-01-01

In this study radiation synthesis and characterisation of the network structure of acrylic acid sodium salt/locust bean gum, (AAcNa/LBG) natural/synthetic double-network super absorbent polymers were investigated. Quartet systems composed of acrylic acid sodium salt/locust bean gum/N,N methylene bis acrylamide/water (AAcNa/LBG/MBAAm/water) were prepared at varying degree of neutralisations (DN) by controlling the DN value of AAc and irradiated with gamma rays at ambient temperature at a very low dose rate. The influences of the DN on the swelling and network properties were examined. It was observed that the DN strongly affected the gelation and super absorption properties of the gels. Molecular weight between crosslinks (M ¯ c ), effective crosslink density (ν e ) and mesh size (ξ) of SAPs were calculated from swelling and shear modules data obtained from compression and oscillatory frequency sweep tests. M ¯ c values obtained from the uniaxial deformation experiments were very close to those obtained from the oscillatory shear experiments excluding the completely neutralised gel system. It was concluded that the uniaxial compression technique could be used for the characterisation of the network structure of a hydrogel as along with the rheological analyses; however, a very precise control of the gel size was also needed. - Highlights: ► Radiation synthesis and characterisation of AAcNa/LBG super absorbent polymers described. ► Influences of the DN on the swelling and network properties were examined. ► Molecular weight between crosslinks and effective crosslink density of SAPs were calculated. ► Suitability of rheology technique for the characterisation of hydrogels were demonstrated.

Selective comparison of gelling agents as neural cell culture matrices for long-term microelectrode array electrophysiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilk Nicolai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In classic monolayer cell culture, the world is flat. In contrast, tissue-embedded cells experience a three-dimensional context to interact with. We assessed a selection of natural gelling agents of non-animal origin (ι- and κ-carrageenan, gellan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, sodium alginate, tragacanth and xanthan gum in serum-free medium at 1–4% (w/v concentration for their suitability as a more natural 3D culture environment for brain-derived cells. Their biophysical properties (viscosity, texture, transparency, gelling propensity resemble those of the extracellular matrix (ECM. Gels provide the neurons with a 3D scaffold to interact with and allow for an increase of the overall cell density compared to classical monolayer 2D culture. They not only protect neurons in cell culture from shear forces and medium evaporation, but stabilize the microenvironment around them for efficient glial proliferation, tissue-analog neural differentiation and neural communication. We report on their properties (viscosity, transparency, their ease of handling in a cell culture context and their possible use modalities (cell embedment, as a cell cover or as a cell culture substrate. Among the selected gels, guar gum and locust bean gum with intercalated laminin allowed for cortical cell embedment. Neurons plated on and migrating into gellan gum survived and differentiated even without the addition of laminin. Sodium alginate with laminin was a suitable cell cover. Finally, we exemplarily demonstrate how guar gum supported the functional survival of a cortical culture over a period of 79 days in a proof-of-concept long-term microelectrode array (MEA electrophysiology study.

Radiation-induced degradation of galactomannan polysaccharides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, Murat; Yolacan, Burcu; Gueven, Olgun

2007-01-01

In this study, guar gum, tara gum and locust bean gum were irradiated in a gamma cell in the solid state. The change in their molecular weights were determined by size exclusion chromatography analysis and the change in their viscosity values with change of temperature and irradiation dose were determined. Chain scission yield, G(s), and degradation rate values were calculated. The calculated G(s) values is 1.09 ± 0.16, 1.07 ± 0.06, 0.85 ± 0.10 for GG, TG and LBG, respectively. The effect of mannose-galactose ratio and initial molecular weight of these gums on the degradation behavior were discussed

USING BIOPOLYMERS TO STABILIZE THE PROTEIN OXYGEN FOAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. V. Nepovinnyh

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The cottage cheese whey as an oxygen cocktail foaming base and natural juices as a flavoring ingredient are analyzed. The lifetime of foam generated by the serum proteins is not long: foam falls off rapidly; because from the foam liquid is released (syneresis. The effects of plant polysaccharides on the stabilization of the protein foam oxygen cocktail is studied. It was shown that the use of plant polysaccharides (guar gum, high methoxyl citrus pectin, locust been gum prolong the life of the foam up to 20 times, compared with conventional blowing agents. It was found that oxygen foam properties depend on the molecular weight of guar gum.

Normalization for sparse encoding of odors by a wide-field interneuron.

Science.gov (United States)

Papadopoulou, Maria; Cassenaer, Stijn; Nowotny, Thomas; Laurent, Gilles

2011-05-06

Sparse coding presents practical advantages for sensory representations and memory storage. In the insect olfactory system, the representation of general odors is dense in the antennal lobes but sparse in the mushroom bodies, only one synapse downstream. In locusts, this transformation relies on the oscillatory structure of antennal lobe output, feed-forward inhibitory circuits, intrinsic properties of mushroom body neurons, and connectivity between antennal lobe and mushroom bodies. Here we show the existence of a normalizing negative-feedback loop within the mushroom body to maintain sparse output over a wide range of input conditions. This loop consists of an identifiable "giant" nonspiking inhibitory interneuron with ubiquitous connectivity and graded release properties.

Advances of evolutionary computation methods and operators

CERN Document Server

Cuevas, Erik; Oliva Navarro, Diego Alberto

2016-01-01

The goal of this book is to present advances that discuss alternative Evolutionary Computation (EC) developments and non-conventional operators which have proved to be effective in the solution of several complex problems. The book has been structured so that each chapter can be read independently from the others. The book contains nine chapters with the following themes: 1) Introduction, 2) the Social Spider Optimization (SSO), 3) the States of Matter Search (SMS), 4) the collective animal behavior (CAB) algorithm, 5) the Allostatic Optimization (AO) method, 6) the Locust Search (LS) algorithm, 7) the Adaptive Population with Reduced Evaluations (APRE) method, 8) the multimodal CAB, 9) the constrained SSO method.

Sex-related differences in the concentration of Met-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in the nervous system of an insect, Schistocerca gregaria, revealed by radioimmunoassay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davenport, A.P.; Evans, P.D.

1986-01-01

A radioimmunoassay has been used to measure Met-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in tissue from male and female locusts, Schistocerca gregaria. The pattern of distribution within the two sexes was similar with about equal amounts present in the suboesophageal and 3 thoracic ganglia and a lower concentration in the cerebral ganglion. Female nervous tissue contained more than twice the amount of Met-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity than did that of males. No consistent immunoreactivity could be detected in the abdominal ganglia or non-neural tissues. The results are discussed in relation to recent evidence that peptides related or identical to enkephalins are present in vertebrates as well as higher organisms. (Auth.)

Neuromodulation during motor development and behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Pflüger, H J

1999-12-01

Important recent advances have been made in understanding the role of aminergic modulation during the maturation of Xenopus larvae swimming rhythms, including effects on particular ion channel types of component neurons, and the role of peptidergic modulation during development of adult central patterns generators in the stomatogastric ganglion of crustaceans. By recording from octopaminergic neuromodulatory neurons during ongoing motor behavior in the locust, new insights into the role of this peripheral neuromodulatory mechanism have been gained. In particular, it is now clear that the octopaminergic neuromodulatory system is automatically activated in parallel to the motor systems, and that both excitation and inhibition play important functional roles.

Limestone Creek, Local Flood Protection, Fayetteville, New York

Science.gov (United States)

1990-08-01

maple, slippery elm , syca- more, black locust, dogwood, sumac, choke cherry, creeping cucumber, goldenrod and teasel. Wooded areas on the surrounding...CIRCLE C. -AkA- BARKER t LANE IVIALL KEN 4A AVE 2 7rflEE EEOER r ’A CHANIC S ENWOOD LANE Shcoping cc a ttev Center RNE -V ELM STREET GENES STREET...0~i r; 0 i cyO n 0 00.- w ~ 0vwf N - N 9 00 0 , - 00 -l N NO w IV a,0 200 000 -0 a, r. elm ID MW PN0NIN MOJn 0m M e. 0’iamo 0 q0 ON T0 Fw% N..NV

Forestación de un terreno decapitado con Robinia pseudoacacia inoculada con Rhizobium spp. y Glomus deserticola Afforestation of a desurfaced field with Robinia pseudoacacia inoculated with Rhizobium spp. and Glomus deserticola

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro E Ferrari

2010-07-01

soils represent an extreme situation of degradation, having severe consequences for the environment. The purpose of this work was to assay the effects of inoculation of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L. with Rhizobium and with a mycorrhizal strain on the survival and early growth of plants in a desurfaced field at the location of Balcarce (37º 45´ S, 58º 18´ O, in Buenos Aires Province (Argentina. The development of inoculated black locust was compared with non-inoculated (control black locust and with the non-fixing green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.. Survival after two months was very good (>77%, especially for Fraxinus and for inoculated plants. Furthermore, inoculated plants also showed a significantly higher survival rate under drought stress than the control plants. The three kinds of plants showed high tolerance to hare attack and to late frost stress. During the first year, inoculated plants grew more rapidly than non-inoculated controls. During the second year the height of the two treatments was quite similar, probably because of the nodulation of control plants with soil-borne rhizobial or mycorrhizal strains. However, inoculated plants always showed higher development than the control plants according to three growth parameters (total height, canopy diameter and amount of side branches, both in the intact parts of the field and in the most severely extracted sectors. In conclusion, prior inoculation of black locust with effective strains of Rhizobium and mycorrhizal fungi was able to improve initial survival, tolerance to drought and early growth. This management practice is highly recommended to reduce the greenhouse period in the production of trees, and to produce plants more resistant and better adapted to use in reclamation projects of degraded areas.

Variability of anatomical-physiological traits in black locust clones - Robinia pseudoacacia L

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orlović Saša S.

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Variability within R. pseudoacacia species represents an important factor in selection of fast-growing genotypes. Therefore, it is important to identify superior individuals according to their anatomical and physiological traits. This paper presents the results of a study of genotype variability of the main leaf anatomical (frequency, length and width of stomata, leaflet thickness among veins, leaflet thickness on the main vein, mesophyll thickness, length and width of vascular bundle of main vein and physiological (leaf area, photosynthetic pigments content and content of N P, K, Ca, Na parameters among five clones of Robinia pseudoacacia L. Significant interclonal variations were observed in the investigated parameters. Clone R-56 had the highest N, P, and K concentrations, the largest mesophyll volume and the highest pigment concentration. We concluded that the clone R-56, although without a remarkable leaf area, possesses the ability for high photosynthetic production. The results are going to be used in further work on selection.

Monitoring the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a co-contaminated soil using stable isotope labeling

Science.gov (United States)

Wawra, Anna; Friesl-Hanl, Wolfgang; Watzinger, Andrea; Soja, Gerhard; Puschenreiter, Markus

2016-04-01

Conventional remediation techniques like "dig and dump" are costly and limited in scale. Plant- and microbe-based alternatives, e.g. phytoremediation options, offer a cheap and environmentally friendly approach that can be applied on larger areas. However, the application of phytoremediation techniques to co-contaminated sites may be hindered due to a potential inhibition of biodegradation processes by the presence of heavy metals in soil. Therefore, the objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that the degradation of organic pollutants can be enhanced by immobilising potentially toxic heavy metals. This study aims to identify the influence of heavy metal immobilisation on the degradation of organic pollutants, and to determine chemical, physical and biological measures further accelerating these processes. The influence of heavy metals on organic pollutant degradation dynamics is assessed using 13C-phospholipid fatty acid analysis (13C-PLFA). Application of 13C-labeled phenanthrene allows the identification of microbial groups responsible for the degradation process. For metal immobilisation and enhanced biodegradation, distinct mineral and organic soil amendments (iron oxides, gravel sludge, biochar) are deployed, partly in combination with fast-growing and pollution-tolerant woody plants (willow, black locust and alder). Results of an incubation batch experiment show a fast degradation of the phenanthrene label within the first two weeks by various microbial groups (gram negative bacteria as indicated by the cy17:0 peak) resulting in a decrease by up to 80% of the total PAH concentration (Σ 16 EPA PAHs) measured in soil. A similar trend was observed in the greenhouse pot experiment, whereby heavy metal accumulation in the woody plants growing on the co-contaminated soil significantly varied with plant species (willow > black locust, alder).

Physicochemical properties of exopolysaccharide produced by Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens ZW3 isolated from Tibet kefir.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanping; Ahmed, Zaheer; Feng, Wu; Li, Chao; Song, Shiying

2008-10-01

An exopolysaccharide (EPS) producing strain, ZW3, was isolated from Tibet kefir grain and was identified as Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens. FT-IR spectroscopy revealed the presence of carboxyl, hydroxyl, and amide groups, which correspond to a typical heteropolymeric polysaccharide. The GC analysis of ZW3 EPS revealed that it was glucogalactan in nature. Exopolymer showed similar flocculation stability like xanthan gum but better than guar gum with a melting point of 93.38 degrees C which is lower than xanthan gum (153.4 degrees C) and guar gum (490.11 degrees C). Compared with other commercially available hydrocolloids like xanthan gum, guar gum and locust gum ZW3 EPS showed much better emulsifying capability.

Restriction analysis of genetic variability of Polish isolates of Tomato black ring virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Jończyk, Magdalena; Borodynko, Natasza; Pospieszny, Henryk

2004-01-01

Several different isolates of Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) have been collected in Poland from cucumber, tomato, potato and black locust plants. Biological tests showed some differences in the range of infected plants and the type of symptoms, which was the basis for selection of seven the most biologically different TBRV isolates. According to the sequence of TBRV-MJ, several primer pairs were designed and almost the entire sequence of both genomic RNAs was amplified. The RT-PCR products derived from all tested TBRV isolates were digested by restriction enzymes. On the basis of the restriction patterns, the variable and the conserved regions of the TBRV genome were defined and the relationships between the Polish TBRV isolates established.

An intracellular study on low-frequency acoustic signal processing in locust——Structure and function of the cercus-to-giant interneuron system

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

沈钧贤; 徐智敏

1995-01-01

The structure and function of the cercus-to-giant interneuron system,relevant to the receptionof low-frequency sound,within the terminal abdominal ganglion of the locust Locusta migratoria were revealedby using intracellular electrophysiological recording and dye labeling technique.This system consists of 4 bilater-al pairs of the giant interneurons(GIs 1—4).Each GI has distinct dendritic branching fields,position of thesoma,and location and orientation of its major axon.The characteristics of the system in responseto low-frequency sound,such as discharge patterns,the relationships between response threshold-frequency,in-tensity curves,and encoding of stimulus frequency,were also studied.The role of the system in low-frequencysound communication was discussed.

Past locust outbreaks in the Czech Lands: do they indicate particular climatic patterns?

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Brázdil, Rudolf; Řezníčková, Ladislava; Valášek, H.; Kiss, A.; Kotyza, O.

2014-01-01

Roč. 116, 1-2 (2014), s. 343-357 ISSN 0177-798X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0073 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : Europe * China * extremes Subject RIV: DG - Athmosphere Sciences, Meteorology Impact factor: 2.015, year: 2014

Arthropods and their products as aphrodisiacs--review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Pajovic, B; Radosavljevic, M; Radunovic, M; Radojevic, N; Bjelogrlic, B

2012-04-01

After a short review of impotence, the definitions of erectants and aphrodisiacs are presented. The Authors propose division of arthropods according to the places of effect. The description of particular arthropods with their pictures and nomenclature, is followed by certain or probable mechanisms of achieving the aphrodisiac and sometimes toxic effect, that were available in the literature since 1929 till nowadays. We mention the most usual locations, mainly in Asia, where they are found and consumed, but also, we describe the manner of preparing and intake. The review includes the following arthropods: lobster, Arizona bark scorpion, deathstalker, banana spider, Mediterranean black widow, Burmeister's triatoma, giant water bug, diving-beetle, Korean bug, diaclina, flannel moth, Spanish fly, migratory locust, red wood ant and honeybee.

تفسير الصحافة الشيوعية وصحافة الحركة الوطنية لدور المجاعة ضمن أسباب انتفاضة 08 ماي 1945

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عبد السلام عكاش

2015-12-01

Full Text Available During the Second World War Algeria experienced very difficult circumstances generated, essentially, by the lack of food due to many years of dryness and waves of locust as well as the drawbacks of the disastrous colonialist food supplies administration. In this regard, the issue of famine drew the attention of both communist and nationalist newspapers despite their few numbers and the fact that they were under a rigorous control. Communist press stressed the lack of food during 1944 and 1945 and held accountable the colonialist authority for the hunger revolution. On the opposite side, this thesis was denied by the nationalist press, which considered the insurrection of the 8th of May 1945 as a colonialist plot and a revolution that went to failure.

Methods and compositions for treating low temperature subterranean well formations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatterji, J.

1979-08-21

An aqueous composition is described for treating subterranean formations having temperatures of up to 120 F. The aqueous composition consists of water, a water-soluble organic gelling agent, an oxidizing agent to supply free radicals, and a reducing agent to accelerate the generation of free radicals. Reducing agents are water-soluble metal salts of the halides, sulfates, nitrates or mixtures thereof. Oxidizing agents are water-soluble peroxides, persulfates or mixtures thereof. Gelling agents may be sodium polyacrylate, polyacrylic acid, polysodium-2-acrylamide-3-propylsulfonate polyacrylamides or polymetharylamides that have been hydrolyzed from 0 to 70% and neturalized with ammonium or alkali metal hydroxides; or gums such as guar, locust bean, taaga tragacanth, hydroxyethyl guar, hydroxy-propyl guar, carboxymethyl guar or mixtures thereof. 22 claims.

Patterns in Orthoptera biodiversity. I. Adaptations in ecological and evolutionary contexts

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Claudio J. Bidau

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The Orthoptera have inhabited the Earth for ca 300 million years and today include about 25,000 described species. Although orthopterans are mainly known to the general public by their most conspicuous species such as rangeland grasshoppers, locusts, katydids and crickets, they include an amazing diversity of forms and life-styles. In this review, I bring together a series of facts about orthopteran biology that demonstrate their enormous biodiversity, concentrating on ecological and evolutionary characteristics such as habitat variation, modes of feeding, defense mechanisms and phase transformation. In a second part of this review I will consider subjects of more direct human interest as their use as food, their importance in folk medicine and their role as entertainment.

Northern long-eared bat day-roosting and prescribed fire in the central Appalachians

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, W. Mark; Silvis, Alexander; Johnson, Joshua B.; Edwards, John W.; Karp, Milu

2016-01-01

The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis Trovessart) is a cavity-roosting species that forages in cluttered upland and riparian forests throughout the oak-dominated Appalachian and Central Hardwoods regions. Common prior to white-nose syndrome, the population of this bat species has declined to functional extirpation in some regions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, including portions of the central Appalachians. Our long-term research in the central Appalachians has shown that maternity colonies of this species form non-random assorting networks in patches of suitable trees that result from long- and short-term forest disturbance processes, and that roost loss can occur with these disturbances. Following two consecutive prescribed burns on the Fernow Experimental Forest in the central Appalachians, West Virginia, USA, in 2007 to 2008, post-fire counts of suitable black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.; the most selected species for roosting) slightly decreased by 2012. Conversely, post-fire numbers of suitable maple (Acer spp. L.), primarily red maple (Acer rubrum L.), increased by a factor of three, thereby ameliorating black locust reduction. Maternity colony network metrics such as roost degree (use) and network density for two networks in the burned compartment were similar to the single network observed in unburned forest. However, roost clustering and degree of roost centralization was greater for the networks in the burned forest area. Accordingly, the short-term effects of prescribed fire are slightly or moderately positive in impact to day-roost habitat for the northern long-eared bat in the central Appalachians from a social dynamic perspective. Listing of northern long-eared bats as federally threatened will bring increased scrutiny of immediate fire impacts from direct take as well as indirect impacts from long-term changes to roosting and foraging habitat in stands being returned to historic fire-return conditions. Unfortunately, definitive

Uptake of [N-Me-3H]-choline by synaptosomes from the central nervous system of Locusta migratoria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breer, H.

1982-01-01

The accumulation of 3H-choline by isolated synaptosomes from the central nervous system of locust was studied at concentrations varying from 0.05 to 40 microM. Kinetic analysis of the saturable process revealed a high-affinity and a low-affinity system. The high-affinity uptake was competitively inhibited by hemicholinium-3 and was absolutely dependent on external sodium. Elevated potassium concentrations inhibited choline uptake. The choline uptake by insect synaptosomes was found to be remarkably resistant to a variety of metabolic inhibitors. The reduced choline uptake under depolarizing conditions (high potassium concentration or veratridine) in the absence of calcium implies that electrochemical gradients are important for high-affinity choline uptake. Depolarization of preloaded synaptosomes under appropriate conditions resulted in a significant release of newly accumulated choline radioactivity

Sulfakinin is an important regulator of digestive processes in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria

Science.gov (United States)

Sulfakinin (SK) is a sulfated insect neuropeptide that is best known for its function as a satiety factor. It displays structural and functional similarities with the vertebrate peptides gastrin and cholecystokinin. Peptidomic studies in multiple insects, crustaceans and arachnids have revealed th...

Ergodic directional switching in mobile insect groups

KAUST Repository

Escudero, Carlos; Yates, Christian A.; Buhl, Jerome; Couzin, Iain D.; Erban, Radek; Kevrekidis, Ioannis G.; Maini, Philip K.

2010-01-01

We obtain a Fokker-Planck equation describing experimental data on the collective motion of locusts. The noise is of internal origin and due to the discrete character and finite number of constituents of the swarm. The stationary probability distribution shows a rich phenomenology including nonmonotonic behavior of several order and disorder transition indicators in noise intensity. This complex behavior arises naturally as a result of the randomness in the system. Its counterintuitive character challenges standard interpretations of noise induced transitions and calls for an extension of this theory in order to capture the behavior of certain classes of biologically motivated models. Our results suggest that the collective switches of the group's direction of motion might be due to a random ergodic effect and, as such, they are inherent to group formation. © 2010 The American Physical Society.

An Algorithm for Global Optimization Inspired by Collective Animal Behavior

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Erik Cuevas

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A metaheuristic algorithm for global optimization called the collective animal behavior (CAB is introduced. Animal groups, such as schools of fish, flocks of birds, swarms of locusts, and herds of wildebeest, exhibit a variety of behaviors including swarming about a food source, milling around a central locations, or migrating over large distances in aligned groups. These collective behaviors are often advantageous to groups, allowing them to increase their harvesting efficiency, to follow better migration routes, to improve their aerodynamic, and to avoid predation. In the proposed algorithm, the searcher agents emulate a group of animals which interact with each other based on the biological laws of collective motion. The proposed method has been compared to other well-known optimization algorithms. The results show good performance of the proposed method when searching for a global optimum of several benchmark functions.

Insects - a natural nutrient source for poultry - a review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Józefiak, D; Josefiak, A; Kieronczyk, B

2016-01-01

, such as fishmeal. With estimated 1.5 to 3 million species, the class of insects harbours the largest species variety in the world including species providing a high protein and sulphur amino acids content, which can be successfully exploited as feed for poultry. The aim of this paper is to review the present state...... of knowledge concerning the use of insect protein in poultry nutrition and the possibilities of mass production of insects for the feed industry. There is no doubt that insects have an enormous potential as a source of nutrients (protein) and active substances (polyunsaturated fatty acids, antimicrobial...... peptides) for poultry. It can be concluded, based on many experimental results, that meals from insects being members of the orders Diptera (black soldier fly, housefly), Coleoptera (mealworms) and Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locust, crickets and katylids), may be successfully used as feed material...

Ergodic directional switching in mobile insect groups

KAUST Repository

Escudero, Carlos

2010-07-29

We obtain a Fokker-Planck equation describing experimental data on the collective motion of locusts. The noise is of internal origin and due to the discrete character and finite number of constituents of the swarm. The stationary probability distribution shows a rich phenomenology including nonmonotonic behavior of several order and disorder transition indicators in noise intensity. This complex behavior arises naturally as a result of the randomness in the system. Its counterintuitive character challenges standard interpretations of noise induced transitions and calls for an extension of this theory in order to capture the behavior of certain classes of biologically motivated models. Our results suggest that the collective switches of the group\\'s direction of motion might be due to a random ergodic effect and, as such, they are inherent to group formation. © 2010 The American Physical Society.

THE ROLE OF GHEORGHE POPOVICI IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF SADOVA CROWN DOMAIN (1898-1942

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Narcisa Maria MITU

2016-10-01

Full Text Available For 44 years, Gheorghe Popovici, manged Sadova Crown Domain, a period in which he was preoccupied with the development of Sadova Domain, from all the points of view: organisational, economic and cultural. During the entire period of time, his main purpose was to stop the phenomenon of desertification, by fixing the sand with locust trees and vineyards, in order to make useful as much farm land as possible. So that to successfully accomplish this desire, he gathered around him a collective of young people, chief farmers and sylviculturists, graduates of the higher, prestigious agriculture schools, from Romania and from abroad. He did not neglect either the relations with the villagers, the main manpower from the Domain. For his activity, he was rewarded by the Kings of Romania with plenty of gratitude and honours.

Sex Ratio Bias Leads to the Evolution of Sex Role Reversal in Honey Locust Beetles.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritzsche, Karoline; Booksmythe, Isobel; Arnqvist, Göran

2016-09-26

The reversal of conventional sex roles was enigmatic to Darwin, who suggested that it may evolve when sex ratios are female biased [1]. Here we present direct evidence confirming Darwin's hypothesis. We investigated mating system evolution in a sex-role-reversed beetle (Megabruchidius dorsalis) using experimental evolution under manipulated sex ratios and food regimes. In female-biased populations, where reproductive competition among females was intensified, females evolved to be more attractive and the sex roles became more reversed. Interestingly, female-specific mating behavior evolved more rapidly than male-specific mating behavior. We show that sexual selection due to reproductive competition can be strong in females and can target much the same traits as in males of species with conventional mating systems. Our study highlights two central points: the role of ecology in directing sexual selection and the role that females play in mating system evolution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Speed over efficiency: locusts select body temperatures that favour growth rate over efficient nutrient utilization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miller, Gabriel A; Clissold, Fiona J; Mayntz, David

2009-01-01

to investigate relationships between growth/development and macronutrient utilization (conversion of ingesta to body mass) as a function of temperature. A range of macronutrient intake values for insects at 26, 32 and 38°C was achieved by offering individuals high-protein diets, high-carbohydrate diets......, but once digested both macronutrients were converted to growth most efficiently at the intermediate temperature (32°C). Body temperature preference thus yielded maximal growth rates at the expense of efficient nutrient utilization...

Analysis of correlation structure in Lymantria dispar L. larvae from locally adapted populations

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Mrdaković Marija

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The influence of allelochemical stress and population origin on the patterns of phenotypic and genetic correlations among life history traits and digestive enzyme activities were investigated in larvae of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.; Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae. Thirty-two full-sib families from oak (suitable host plant, Quercus population, and twenty-six full-sib families from locust-tree (unsuitable host plant, Robinia population forests were reared on an artificial diet, with or without a 5% tannic acid supplement. Comparison of correlation matrices revealed significant similarity between the two populations in the structure of phenotypic and genetic correlations of life history traits and of digestive enzyme activities. The patterns of correlations of the examined traits, within each of the two locally adapted populations and in the presence of allelochemical stress, remained stabile despite the different selection pressures that mold these traits. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173027

Additions and corrections to the cadastre of Orthoptera insects of Samarskaya Luka, on the basis of analysis of acoustic signals of males

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Alexander А. Benediktov

2017-08-01

Full Text Available For the territory of Samarskaya Luka, at the village Bakhilova Polyana (I.I. Sprygin Zhiguli State Natural Biosphere Reserve, 25 species of Orthoptera were found in mid-July 2016. These species were identified basically by the analysis of male acoustic signals. This is 44% of the total species composition of Samarskaya Luka Orthoptera, specified in the Cadastre of invertebrates of Samarskaya Luka. The specimens belonging to the grasshopper Platychleis albopunctata (= P. intermedia auct. are clarified. The cricket Melanogryllus desertus and the locust Chorthippus dorsatus were found for the first time in the Samarskaya Luka. The species composition of the cryptic taxa of the «Chorthippus biguttulus group» of the Middle Volga region is discussed. Based on the unstable amplitude-time structure of the signals of the supposed Ch. biguttulus males from Malaya Bahilova Mountain, it is assumed that they may have a hybrid origin.

Why do insects enter and recover from chill coma? Low temperature and high extracellular potassium compromises muscle function in Locusta migratoria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Findsen, Anders; Pedersen, Thomas Holm; Petersen, Asbjørn G

2014-01-01

When exposed to low temperatures, many insect species enter a reversible comatose state (chill coma), which is driven by a failure of neuromuscular function. Chill coma and chill coma recovery have been associated with a loss and recovery of ion-homeostasis (particularly extracellular [K......+]) and accordingly onset of chill coma has been hypothesised to result from depolarization of membrane potential caused by loss of ion-homeostasis. Here we examined whether onset of chill coma is associated with a disturbance in ion balance by examining the correlation between disruption of ion homeostasis and onset...... of chill coma in locusts exposed to cold at varying rates of cooling. Chill coma onset temperature changed maximally 1°C under different cooling rates and marked disturbances of ion homeostasis were not observed at any of the cooling rates. In a second set of experiments we used isolated tibial muscle...

Effects of different hydrocolloids on properties of gluten-free bread based on small broken rice berry flour.

Science.gov (United States)

Numfon, Rakkhumkaew

2017-06-01

Gluten-free bread formulations based on small broken rice berry using various types of hydrocolloids (xanthan gum, guar gum, and locust bean gum) at different concentrations (0, 1, 1.5, and 2 g/100 g) were tested in this study. The effects of hydrocolloid addition on the pasting properties of flour were also investigated, including the quality parameters of the breads. The pasting properties of small broken rice berry flour incorporated with guar gum were most affected. Gluten-free bread containing hydrocolloid showed improved qualities in terms of loaf specific volume, texture, sensory values, and microstructure. A 1 g/100 g of hydrocolloid addition was sufficient to improve the physical and chemical qualities of bread. The highest score of all attributes from the sensory evaluation was obtained by gluten-free bread containing 1 g/100 g guar gum.

DNA-assisted swarm control in a biomolecular motor system.

Science.gov (United States)

Keya, Jakia Jannat; Suzuki, Ryuhei; Kabir, Arif Md Rashedul; Inoue, Daisuke; Asanuma, Hiroyuki; Sada, Kazuki; Hess, Henry; Kuzuya, Akinori; Kakugo, Akira

2018-01-31

In nature, swarming behavior has evolved repeatedly among motile organisms because it confers a variety of beneficial emergent properties. These include improved information gathering, protection from predators, and resource utilization. Some organisms, e.g., locusts, switch between solitary and swarm behavior in response to external stimuli. Aspects of swarming behavior have been demonstrated for motile supramolecular systems composed of biomolecular motors and cytoskeletal filaments, where cross-linkers induce large scale organization. The capabilities of such supramolecular systems may be further extended if the swarming behavior can be programmed and controlled. Here, we demonstrate that the swarming of DNA-functionalized microtubules (MTs) propelled by surface-adhered kinesin motors can be programmed and reversibly regulated by DNA signals. Emergent swarm behavior, such as translational and circular motion, can be selected by tuning the MT stiffness. Photoresponsive DNA containing azobenzene groups enables switching between solitary and swarm behavior in response to stimulation with visible or ultraviolet light.

Color evaluation of seventeen European unifloral honey types by means of spectrophotometrically determined CIE L*Cab*h(ab)° chromaticity coordinates.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuberoso, Carlo Ignazio Giovanni; Jerković, Igor; Sarais, Giorgia; Congiu, Francesca; Marijanović, Zvonimir; Kuś, Piotr Marek

2014-02-15

CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) L(*)Cab(*)h(ab)° color coordinates for 305 samples of 17 unifloral honeys types (asphodel, buckwheat, black locust, sweet chestnut, citrus, eucalyptus, Garland thorn, honeydew, heather, lime, mint, rapeseed, sage, strawberry tree, sulla flower, savory and thistle) from different geographic locations in Europe were spectrophotometrically assessed and statistically evaluated. Preliminary separation of unifloral honeys was obtained by means of L(*)-C(ab)(*) color coordination correlation. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) revealed an expected segregation of the honeys types according to their chromatic characteristics. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) allowed to obtain a more defined distinction of the 17 unifloral honey types, particularly when using 3D graphics. CIE L(*)C(ab)(*)hab(*) color coordinates were useful for the identification of several honey types. The proposed method represents a simple and efficient procedure that can be used as a basis for the authentication of unifloral honeys worldwide. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oscillatory integration windows in neurons

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Nitin; Singh, Swikriti Saran; Stopfer, Mark

2016-01-01

Oscillatory synchrony among neurons occurs in many species and brain areas, and has been proposed to help neural circuits process information. One hypothesis states that oscillatory input creates cyclic integration windows: specific times in each oscillatory cycle when postsynaptic neurons become especially responsive to inputs. With paired local field potential (LFP) and intracellular recordings and controlled stimulus manipulations we directly test this idea in the locust olfactory system. We find that inputs arriving in Kenyon cells (KCs) sum most effectively in a preferred window of the oscillation cycle. With a computational model, we show that the non-uniform structure of noise in the membrane potential helps mediate this process. Further experiments performed in vivo demonstrate that integration windows can form in the absence of inhibition and at a broad range of oscillation frequencies. Our results reveal how a fundamental coincidence-detection mechanism in a neural circuit functions to decode temporally organized spiking. PMID:27976720

Sweetness and other sensory properties of model fruit drinks: Does viscosity have an impact?

Science.gov (United States)

Brandenstein, Cai V S; Busch-Stockfisch, Mechthild; Fischer, Markus

2015-03-15

The impact of thickening agents and viscosity levels on sensory perception was studied in model fruit drinks. Four formulations were prepared that varied in the sweetener blend (erythritol, maltitol and/or steviol glycosides). Locust bean gum and its blends with either xanthan or carrageenan were used to adjust viscosity levels (20, 40, and 70 mPa s). The ranges of viscosity and sweetness level were selected to represent a typical concentration range in commercially available beverages. An increase in viscosity resulted in significant increases in pulpiness, sliminess and perceived viscosity (P-values ≤ 0.001), which were not dependent on sweeteners or hydrocolloid type. Taste perception remained largely unchanged irrespective of the hydrocolloid used. The impact of viscosity on sweetness and taste perception was much smaller in the concentrations used than has been generally reported. The effect of the type of hydrocolloid on the perception of taste attributes was greater than that of viscosity. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Characterization of ceramic ornaments of a theatre-like incense burner

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez-Valenzuela, R.; Lopez-Palacios, J.A.; Jimenez-Reyes, M.; Tenorio, D.; Catano, G.

2010-01-01

Thirteen Teotihuacan-style ornaments of an incense burner were studied. Ceramic pastes, pigments and mica were analyzed by neutron activation, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Elemental (Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Rb, Cs, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu, Hf, Th and U) and statistical analyses of ceramic-body data showed that these pieces were made from the same raw material, which is chemically different from the fine orange ceramic of Teotihuacan. Montmorillonite and the classical components of sand were the minerals identified in the ceramic pastes. The white pigment contained calcium, titanium and aluminium, the yellow pigment was ocher, and the red pigment was a mixture of red ocher and cinnabar, the binder of the pigments being clay. Exoskeletons of diatoms and locust ootecs were found in the pigments. Mica was identified as biotite, identical with that coming from Monte Alban Oaxaca. We wish to undertake a historical reconstruction of these ornaments based on archaeometric and literature data. (author)

Shear and extensional properties of kefiran.

Science.gov (United States)

Piermaría, Judith; Bengoechea, Carlos; Abraham, Analía Graciela; Guerrero, Antonio

2016-11-05

Kefiran is a neutral polysaccharide constituted by glucose and galactose produced by Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens. It is included into kefir grains and has several health promoting properties. In the present work, shear and extensional properties of different kefiran aqueous dispersions (0.5, 1 and 2% wt.) were assessed and compared to other neutral gums commonly used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutics industries (methylcellulose, locust bean gum and guar gum). Kefiran showed shear flow characteristics similar to that displayed by other representative neutral gums, although it always yielded lower viscosities at a given concentration. For each gum system it was possible to find a correlation between dynamic and steady shear properties by a master curve including both the apparent and complex viscosities. When studying extensional properties of selected gums at 2% wt. by means of a capillary break-up rheometer, kefiran solutions did not show important extensional properties, displaying a behaviour close the Newtonian. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Land use reconversion in the drought-and aridity-affected areas in SW Romania (Bechet, Dolj County

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IULIANA VIJULIE

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In the terms of current climate change, reconversion of land use in the drought-and aridityaffected south-western Romania, is an issue of utmost priority. Thus, the present study aim represents a diachronic analysis of the land use within the Bechet town area and proposes viable solutions for soil drought and aridity mitigation. Since 1989, uncontrolled and abusive logging affected the black locust forest areas, enabling the sand dunes expansion and causing ecological disturbance. The main research methods were: field observation, statistical-mathematical methods and GIS mapping. The analysis of topographic maps and orthophotographs in 1970 to 2008 revealed a very low spatial distribution of both the forest shelterbelts and shelterwoods. We proposed a reconstruction of these forest areas, which today can no longer perform their fundamental function of land protection, because of intensive degradation. The positive consequences on long term would be the mitigation of climate change impact and prevention of further land degradation.

Monitoring of wood photodegradation by DRIFT-spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faix, O.; Németh, K.

1988-01-01

Wood of locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and poplar (Populus tremoloides) tree has been irradiated with 830 W/m 2 energy up to 60 hrs and extracted with water in order to simulate outdoor weathering. The progress of weathering was monitored by DRIFT spectroscopy. The spectra were baseline corrected and normalized. Spectral differences with regard to wood species, irradiation time, and water extraction were clearly seen. Very pronounced is the intensity decrease of the bands of aromatic skeletal vibrations at 1510 and 1600 cm −1 and the increase of the band at 17.4 cm −1 (C=O stretching). These changes can be quantified and described by exponential equations. The degradation products of weathering are of low molecular weight and can be eliminated from the wood surface by water extraction. The differences between the DRIFT and KBr-TR spectra as well as the quantitative results of the artifical weathering are discussed. (author) [de

Getting insight into the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in specimens of marketed edible insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Milanović, Vesna; Osimani, Andrea; Pasquini, Marina; Aquilanti, Lucia; Garofalo, Cristiana; Taccari, Manuela; Cardinali, Federica; Riolo, Paola; Clementi, Francesca

2016-06-16

This study was aimed at investigating the occurrence of 11 transferable antibiotic resistance (AR) genes [erm(A), erm(B), erm(C), vanA, vanB, tet(M), tet(O), tet(S), tet(K), mecA, blaZ] in 11 species of marketed edible insects (small crickets powder, small crickets, locusts, mealworm larvae, giant waterbugs, black ants, winged termite alates, rhino beetles, mole crickets, silkworm pupae, and black scorpions) in order to provide a first baseline for risk assessment. Among the AR genes under study, tet(K) occurred with the highest frequency, followed by erm(B), tet(S) and blaZ. A high variability was seen among the samples, in terms of occurrence of different AR determinants. Cluster Analysis and Principal Coordinates Analysis allowed the 11 samples to be grouped in two main clusters, one including all but one samples produced in Thailand and the other including those produced in the Netherlands. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methods for Rapid Screening in Woody Plant Herbicide Development

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William Stanley

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Methods for woody plant herbicide screening were assayed with the goal of reducing resources and time required to conduct preliminary screenings for new products. Rapid screening methods tested included greenhouse seedling screening, germinal screening, and seed screening. Triclopyr and eight experimental herbicides from Dow AgroSciences (DAS 313, 402, 534, 548, 602, 729, 779, and 896 were tested on black locust, loblolly pine, red maple, sweetgum, and water oak. Screening results detected differences in herbicide and species in all experiments in much less time (days to weeks than traditional field screenings and consumed significantly less resources (<500 mg acid equivalent per herbicide per screening. Using regression analysis, various rapid screening methods were linked into a system capable of rapidly and inexpensively assessing herbicide efficacy and spectrum of activity. Implementation of such a system could streamline early-stage herbicide development leading to field trials, potentially freeing resources for use in development of beneficial new herbicide products.

Strategies to improve the mechanical strength and water resistance of agar films for food packaging applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Ana M M; Gonçalves, Maria P

2015-11-05

Agar films possess several properties adequate for food packaging applications. However, their high cost-production and quality variations caused by physiological and environmental factors affecting wild seaweeds make them less attractive for industries. In this work, native (NA) and alkali-modified (AA) agars obtained from sustainably grown seaweeds (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture) were mixed with locust bean gum (LBG) to make 'knife-coated' films with fixed final concentration (1 wt%) and variable agar/LBG ratios. Agar films were easier to process upon LBG addition (viscosity increase and gelling character decrease of the film-forming solutions observed by dynamic oscillatory and steady shear measurements). The mechanical properties and water resistance were optimal for films with 50 and/or 75% LBG contents and best in the case of NA (cheaper to extract). These findings can help reduce the cost-production of agar packaging films. Moreover, the controlled cultivation of seaweeds can provide continuous and reliable feedstock for transformation industries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of streptomycin residues in honey

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Monica Cristina Cara,

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Honey was the first sweet substance used in human food as a precursor sugar cane or beet. Honey production by bees is a complex process of transformation, from harvesting and ending with a striking honeycomb cells. Immediately after extraction, honey is always clear and liquid. This is due to the high content of fructose, which makes some items, such as locust always remain liquid. If the glucose is higher than that of fructose, honey will crystallize at temperatures below 18°C. Honey is easily susceptible to heat, so they should be stored at room temperature. Bees, like all living organisms, can become ill with various diseases. These, by mortality that occur among individuals of the colony, thereby reducing the number of bees and beefamilies are emptied and become unproductive. In many cases, it appears significant damage resulting in large losses for beekeepers. Prevention, detection and treatment of diseases with antibiotics is an extremely important factor in ensuring the health of bee.

Flowering plants of Hedera helix L. in the Grunwald district of the city of Poznań

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Stanisława Korszun

2012-12-01

Full Text Available In the period from September 2008 to July 2009 in the Grunwald district in the city of Poznań, Poland, a total of 609 localities of flowering English ivy were recorded, for which 769 plants were described. These plants were found in different localities, most of them euhemerobic. The biggest number of flowering specimens was recorded in home gardens. Support for climbing plants was mainly provided by trees and shrubs, including fruit trees – pear and apple trees. Among the other tree species, the biggest group comprises Scots pine, common birch, European larch and common locust. Other types of supports included fences, buildings and elements of small architecture. A very high number of specimens in the generative stage in the Grunwald district indicates considerable popularity and at the same time very good adaptation of ivy not only to the climatic conditions of the city of Poznań, but also to anthropogenic changes in the habitat.

Regional distribution of native and exotic species in levees of the lower delta of the Paraná river - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v30i4.5869

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Pablo Aceñolaza

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The distribution and abundance of exotic and native species in levee neo-ecosystems were analyzed. No invasive species were found in unit A; their absence could be explained by the fluvial action of the Paraná river, extraordinary flood episodes and anthropic disturbances. Invasive species associated with the tidal regimen of the de la Plata river were present in units B and C, particularly Chinese privet (L. sinense, green ash (F. pennsylvanica, honey locust (G. triacanthos, Japanese honeysuckle (L. Japonica, blackberry ( Rubus spp., box elder (A. Negundo and glossy privet (L. Lucidum.Native species showed low recovery values, both at a regional level and within each unit, with the exception of A. The neo-ecosystems with the greater degree of abandonment of units B and C exhibited dominance of exotic tree species and, to a lesser extent, recovery of native species of the original gallery forest (seibo, Erythrina crista galli; laurel, Nectandra falcifolia; canelón, Rapanea spp. and arrayán, Blepharocalyx tweediei.

Allelopathic potential of Robinia pseudo-acacia L.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasir, Habib; Iqbal, Zahida; Hiradate, Syuntaro; Fujii, Yoshiharu

2005-09-01

Robinia pseudo-acacia L. (black locust) is a nonindigenous species currently invading the central part of Japanese grasslands. Several allelochemicals were identified and characterized from the leaf tissue. The growth of both radicle and hypocotyl in the tested species (barnyard grass, white clover, lettuce, and Chinese cabbage) was reduced when grown in soil mixed with the leaves of R. pseudo-acacia at various concentrations. Aqueous leaf extracts, when bioassayed, exhibited a significant suppression of radicle growth. Chromatographic separation of an ethanolic extract of R. pseudo-acacia leaves resulted in isolation of three compounds, identified as robinetin (1), myricetin (2), and quercetin (3) by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. All inhibited root and shoot growth of lettuce. Robinetin, found in a large amount, caused 50% suppression of the root and shoot growth of lettuce at 100 ppm. The presence of these bioactive substances in leaf tissue suggests a potential role for flavonoids in R. pseudo-acacia invasion in introduced habitats.

77 FR 66541 - Safety Zone; Alliance Road Bridge Demolition; Black Warrior River, Locust Fork; Birmingham, AL

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-06

... authority under section 4(a) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553(b)). This provision... Department of Homeland Security Management Directive 023-01 and Commandant Instruction M16475.lD, which guide...

Soil organic carbon dynamics of black locust plantations in the middle Loess Plateau area of China

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, N.; Liski, J.; Chang, R. Y.; Akujärvi, A.; Wu, X.; Jin, T. T.; Wang, Y. F.; Fu, B. J.

2013-11-01

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the largest terrestrial carbon pool and sensitive to land use and cover change; its dynamics are critical for carbon cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. In this study, we combined a modeling approach and field measurements to examine the temporal dynamics of SOC following afforestation (Robinia pseudoacacia) of former arable land at six sites under different climatic conditions in the Loess Plateau during 1980-2010, where the annual mean precipitation ranging from 450 mm to 600 mm. The results showed that the measured mean SOC increased to levels higher than before afforestation when taking the last measurements (i.e., at age 25 to 30 yr) at all the sites, although it decreased at the wetter sites in the first few years. The accumulation rates of SOC were 1.58 to 6.22% yr-1 in the upper 20 cm and 1.62 to 5.15% yr-1in the upper 40 cm of soil. The simulations reproduced the basic characteristics of measured SOC dynamics, suggesting that litter input and climatic factors (temperature and precipitation) were the major causes for SOC dynamics and the differences among the sites. They explained 88-96, 48-86 and 57-74% of the variations in annual SOC changes at the soil depths of 0-20, 0-40, and 0-100 cm, respectively. Notably, the simulated SOC decreased during the first few years at all the sites, although the magnitudes of decreases were smaller at the drier sites. This suggested that the modeling may be advantageous in capturing SOC changes at finer timescale. The discrepancy between the simulation and measurement was a result of uncertainties in model structure, data input, and sampling design. Our findings indicated that afforestation promoted soil carbon sequestration at the study sites during 1980-2010. Afforestation activities should decrease soil disturbances to reduce carbon release in the early stage. The long-term strategy for carbon fixation capability of the plantations should also consider the climate and site conditions, species adaptability, and successional stage of recovery.

Litter decomposition in southern Appalachian black locust and pine-hardwood stands: litter quality and nitrogen dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

David L. White; Bruce L. Haines

1988-01-01

The chemical quality of litter, through its interaction with macroclimate and the litter biota, largely regulates the rate of organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (N) turnover in the forest floor (Cromack 1973; Fogel and Cromack 1977; Meentemeyer 1978; Aber and Melillo 1982; Melillo et al. 1982). Litter quality is thought to be related to the N require-ment and...

Analysis of chemical profiles of insect adhesion secretions by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reitz, Manuela [Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany); Gerhardt, Heike [Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany); Schmitt, Christian; Betz, Oliver [Institute of Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen (Germany); Albert, Klaus, E-mail: klaus.albert@uni-tuebingen.de [Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany); Lämmerhofer, Michael, E-mail: michael.laemmerhofer@uni-tuebingen.de [Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen (Germany)

2015-01-07

Highlights: • Adhesion secretions of desert locust analyzed by GC–MS. • Insect secretions are composed of apolar and polar constituents. • Sampling simplified with contact SPME as compared to solvent sampling. • Thin-film SPME-GC–MS revealed complex alkane patterns for insect secretions. • Differences in tarsal (feet) secretions and samples from tibiae (upper legs) identified. - Abstract: This article reports on the chemical analysis of molecular profiles of tarsal secretions of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forsskål, 1775) by gas chromatography hyphenated with quadrupol mass spectrometry (GC–MS) as well as {sup 1}H-nuclear magnetic resonance ({sup 1}H NMR) spectroscopy. Special focus of this study was to elaborate on sampling methods which enable selective microscale extraction of insect secretions in a spatially controlled manner, in particular tarsal adhesive secretions and secretions located on cuticle surfaces at the tibia. Various solvent sampling procedures and contact solid-phase microextraction (SPME) methods were compared in terms of comprehensiveness and extraction efficiencies as measured by signal intensities in GC–MS. Solvent sampling with water as extraction solvent gave access to the elucidation of chemical profiles of polar compound classes such as amino acids and carbohydrates, but is extremely tedious. Contact SPME on the other hand can be regarded as a simplified and more elegant alternative, in particular for the lipophilic compound fraction. Many proteinogenic amino acids and ornithine as well as carbohydrate monomers arabinose, xylose, glucose, and galactose were detected in tarsal secretions after acid hydrolysis of aqueous extracts. Qualitatively similar but quantitatively significantly different molecular profiles were found for the lipid fraction which contained mainly n-alkanes and internally branched monomethyl-, dimethyl-, and trimethyl-alkanes in the C23–C49 range as well as long chain fatty acids and

Toward a predictive model for water and carbon fluxes of non-native trees in urban habitats

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, H. R.; Jenerette, G. D.; Pataki, D. E.

2008-12-01

There is considerable interest in estimating uptake of water and carbon by urban trees, in order to assess some of the major costs and benefits associated with maintaining or expanding urban tree cover. However, making large-scale estimates of water and carbon fluxes is challenging in urban ecosystems, where community composition and environmental conditions are highly altered and experimental data is sparse. This is particularly true in regions such as southern California, where few trees are native, yet many species can flourish given supplemental irrigation. In such scenarios one practical way to scale water and carbon fluxes may be to identify reliable traits which can be used to predict gas exchange when trees are transplanted to a new environment. To test this approach, leaf level gas exchange measurements were conducted on eight common urban tree species within the Los Angeles basin. The objective was to determine how well gas exchange parameters, including maximum photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, sensitivity of stomatal conductance to vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and water use efficiency (WUE), can be predicted based on the native habitat and climate (temperature and precipitation) of each study species. All of the species studied naturally occur in humid tropical or subtropical climate zones where precipitation varies widely from ~400 - 3000 mm per year. We found Jacaranda (Jacaranda chelonia) and honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) to have the highest photosynthesis and reference (at VPD=1 kPa) conductance, and to be most sensitive to VPD. WUE was found to be greatest in Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa), rose gum (Eucalyptus grandis) and Queensland lacebark (Brachychiton discolor). The relative ordering of maximum photosynthesis and conductance across species was not entirely predictable based on our current knowledge of the native habitats of each species: several other species had similar native climates to Jacaranda and honey locust, yet

Analysis of chemical profiles of insect adhesion secretions by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reitz, Manuela; Gerhardt, Heike; Schmitt, Christian; Betz, Oliver; Albert, Klaus; Lämmerhofer, Michael

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Adhesion secretions of desert locust analyzed by GC–MS. • Insect secretions are composed of apolar and polar constituents. • Sampling simplified with contact SPME as compared to solvent sampling. • Thin-film SPME-GC–MS revealed complex alkane patterns for insect secretions. • Differences in tarsal (feet) secretions and samples from tibiae (upper legs) identified. - Abstract: This article reports on the chemical analysis of molecular profiles of tarsal secretions of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forsskål, 1775) by gas chromatography hyphenated with quadrupol mass spectrometry (GC–MS) as well as 1 H-nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) spectroscopy. Special focus of this study was to elaborate on sampling methods which enable selective microscale extraction of insect secretions in a spatially controlled manner, in particular tarsal adhesive secretions and secretions located on cuticle surfaces at the tibia. Various solvent sampling procedures and contact solid-phase microextraction (SPME) methods were compared in terms of comprehensiveness and extraction efficiencies as measured by signal intensities in GC–MS. Solvent sampling with water as extraction solvent gave access to the elucidation of chemical profiles of polar compound classes such as amino acids and carbohydrates, but is extremely tedious. Contact SPME on the other hand can be regarded as a simplified and more elegant alternative, in particular for the lipophilic compound fraction. Many proteinogenic amino acids and ornithine as well as carbohydrate monomers arabinose, xylose, glucose, and galactose were detected in tarsal secretions after acid hydrolysis of aqueous extracts. Qualitatively similar but quantitatively significantly different molecular profiles were found for the lipid fraction which contained mainly n-alkanes and internally branched monomethyl-, dimethyl-, and trimethyl-alkanes in the C23–C49 range as well as long chain fatty acids and aldehydes

Thin layer chromatographic analysis of pteridine-like pigments in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria migratorioides (Orthoptera: Oedipodidae)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Němec, Václav; Breuer, M.; De Loof, A.

2003-01-01

Roč. 19, - (2003), s. 19-23 ISSN 1210-5759 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5007907 Keywords : Pterines * phase-transition * juvenile hormone Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 0.741, year: 2003

Biosorption of Acid Dye in Single and Multidye Systems onto Sawdust of Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa Tree

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Abdur-Rahim Adebisi Giwa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Properties of raw sawdust of Parkia biglobosa, as a biosorbent for the removal of Acid Blue 161 dye in single, binary, and ternary dye systems with Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue dyes in aqueous solution, were investigated. The sawdust was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, and pH point of zero charge. Batch adsorption experiments were carried out to determine the equilibrium characteristics, thermodynamics, and kinetics of the sorption processes. The data obtained were subjected to various isotherm and kinetics equations. The results showed that the adsorption processes were described by different isotherm models depending on the composition of the system; they were all spontaneous (ΔG ranges from −0.72 to −5.36 kJ/mol and endothermic (range of ΔH is 11.37–26.31 kJ/mol and with increased randomness with ΔS values of 55.55 and 98.78 J·mol/K for single and ternary systems, respectively. Pseudo-second-order kinetics model gave better fit for all the sorption systems studied irrespective of the differences in composition, with the initial and overall rate constants higher for the mixtures than for the single system (6.76 g·mg−1min−1. The presence of Rhodamine B and Methylene Blue had a synergetic effect on the maximum monolayer capacity of the adsorbent for Acid Blue 161 dye.

Insertion of an esterase gene into a specific locust pathogen (Metarhizium acridum enables it to infect caterpillars.

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Sibao Wang

2011-06-01

Full Text Available An enduring theme in pathogenic microbiology is poor understanding of the mechanisms of host specificity. Metarhizium is a cosmopolitan genus of invertebrate pathogens that contains generalist species with broad host ranges such as M. robertsii (formerly known as M. anisopliae var. anisopliae as well as specialists such as the acridid-specific grasshopper pathogen M. acridum. During growth on caterpillar (Manduca sexta cuticle, M. robertsii up-regulates a gene (Mest1 that is absent in M. acridum and most other fungi. Disrupting M. robertsii Mest1 reduced virulence and overexpression increased virulence to caterpillars (Galleria mellonella and M. sexta, while virulence to grasshoppers (Melanoplus femurrubrum was unaffected. When Mest1 was transferred to M. acridum under control of its native M. robertsii promoter, the transformants killed and colonized caterpillars in a similar fashion to M. robertsii. MEST1 localized exclusively to lipid droplets in M. robertsii conidia and infection structures was up-regulated during nutrient deprivation and had esterase activity against lipids with short chain fatty acids. The mobilization of stored lipids was delayed in the Mest1 disruptant mutant. Overall, our results suggest that expression of Mest1 allows rapid hydrolysis of stored lipids, and promotes germination and infection structure formation by M. robertsii during nutrient deprivation and invasion, while Mest1 expression in M. acridum broadens its host range by bypassing the regulatory signals found on natural hosts that trigger the mobilization of endogenous nutrient reserves. This study suggests that speciation in an insect pathogen could potentially be driven by host shifts resulting from changes in a single gene.

Foraging opportunism and feeding frequency in the red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus in Slovakia: case study from 2017

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Chavko Jozef

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Foraging opportunism and feeding frequency are less studied parameters of behaviour in insectivorous falcons, many of which are endangered bird species. In this short study, prey composition and feeding frequency of red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus nestlings were studied using the method of camera recordings during seven days in July 2017 in southwestern Slovakia. Camera recording analyses of 2–3 chicks (14–26 days old in three nests revealed a significant preference for insects (97%, n = 305 prey items, of which the Italian locust (Calliptamus italicus was highly predominant (54%. We also found very high average chick feeding frequency (9.9 feedings per hour, n = 29 hours 22 min of regular observations, whereby the females fed their young ones more frequently (64.9%, n = 305 feedings than the males (35.1%. Analyses of food composition in adverse weather conditions showed that unfavourable weather had a negative effect on chick feeding frequency, and in rainy weather the males fed significantly less than the females.

Tamanho e Número Ideal de Amostras para Coleta de Gafanhotos na Região Depressão Central do Rio Grande do Sul

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Nathália Carvalho

2013-07-01

Abstract. Aiming to observe the viability of a new method for sampling acridoideos (by commonly known locusts and the ideal distance and number of samples for the study sample was proposed. The surveys were conducted in two areas of native grassland in Sao Sepe, in Central Depression, Rio Grande do Sul State. Samples were collected during the summer of 2009 with the help of a network of collection adapted. The distances were measured 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25m, with eight repetitions each, of which 40 samples per area, sampling was random. The response variables were: adults, nymphs, and total number of species of insects. Descriptive statistics were calculated, Chi-square test and used the median ratio/pseudo-sigma methodology combined with Jackknife resampling. We collected 969 specimens representing 22 species, 17 Genres and three distinct families Acrididae, Proscopiidae and Romaleidae, and also two Superfamilies (Acridoidea and Eumastacoidea. It was evident relative efficiency of the proposed method. The distance traveled of 25 m coupled with the number seven samples proved to be ideal for collecting of grasshoppers.

Oral contrast agents for small bowel MRI: comparison of different additives to optimize bowel distension

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ajaj, Waleed; Goehde, Susanne C.; Ruehm, Stefan G.; Debatin, Joerg F.; Lauenstein, Thomas C. [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122, Essen (Germany); Schneemann, Hubert [Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Hospital Essen, Essen (Germany)

2004-03-01

The purpose of this study was to compare two osmotic carbohydrate sugar alcohols (mannitol 2.5% and sorbitol 2.5%, 2.0%, and 1.5% watery solutions) in combination with 0.2% locust bean gum (LBG) for small bowel distension for MR imaging. Small bowel distension was quantified on coronal 2D TrueFISP images by measuring the diameters of 16 small bowel loops in each of 12 healthy subjects (age range 31-55 years). Additionally, the grade of small bowel distension was rated qualitatively. Patient acceptance concerning nausea, vomiting, flatulence, and diarrhea was noted for each solution, and all results were compared by a Wilcoxon test or t test, respectively. The ingestion of water combined with LBG and either 2.5% mannitol or 2.0% sorbitol showed the best distension of the small bowel. The lowest side effect rate was observed following ingestion of sorbitol in a concentration of 2.0 and 1.5%. Based on these data, we recommend a combination of LBG and 2% sorbitol use for optimal bowel distension and minimal side effects resulting in enhanced patient acceptance. (orig.)

Plagas de la agricultura en Mendoza: la langosta en los comienzos de la vitivinicultura moderna (1890-1900

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Eduardo Pérez Romagnoli

2011-12-01

Full Text Available El trabajo se refiere a la presencia de la langosta en Mendoza en los comienzos de la especialización vitivinícola, en la década de 1890. Comprende aspectos sobre su biogeografía, antecedentes del insecto en nuestro país, los primeros inventos nacionales para enfrentar sus ataques. Con relación a las invasiones de la Schistocerca americana en Mendoza, se indaga sobre la organización estatal y la participación de la sociedad para combatirla, incluyendo algunos problemas y daños causados en la agricultura.The study refers to the presence of locust in Mendoza at the beginning of wine specialization, in the decade of 1890. It includes aspects on biogeography, precedents of the insect in our country, and first national inventions to face its assaults. In relation to invasions of Schistocercaamericana in Mendoza, the study researches on state organization and social participation to attack the plague, including some problems and damages caused in agriculture.

Production of high activity Aspergillus niger BCC4525 β-mannanase in Pichia pastoris and its application for mannooligosaccharides production from biomass hydrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Harnpicharnchai, Piyanun; Pinngoen, Waraporn; Teanngam, Wanwisa; Sornlake, Warasirin; Sae-Tang, Kittapong; Manitchotpisit, Pennapa; Tanapongpipat, Sutipa

2016-12-01

A cDNA encoding β-mannanase was cloned from Aspergillus niger BCC4525 and expressed in Pichia pastoris KM71. The secreted enzyme hydrolyzed locust bean gum substrate with very high activity (1625 U/mL) and a relatively high k cat /K m (461 mg -1 s -1  mL). The enzyme is thermophilic and thermostable with an optimal temperature of 70 °C and 40% retention of endo-β-1,4-mannanase activity after preincubation at 70 °C. In addition, the enzyme exhibited broad pH stability with an optimal pH of 5.5. The recombinant enzyme hydrolyzes low-cost biomass, including palm kernel meal (PKM) and copra meal, to produce mannooligosaccharides, which is used as prebiotics to promote the growth of beneficial microflora in animals. An in vitro digestibility test simulating the gastrointestinal tract system of broilers suggested that the recombinant β-mannanase could effectively liberate reducing sugars from PKM-containing diet. These characteristics render this enzyme suitable for utilization as a feed additive to improve animal performance.

Water-equivalent oral contrast agents in dual-modality PET/computed tomography scanning: does a little barium make the difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Kinner, Sonja; Veit-Haibach, Patrick; Lauenstein, Thomas C; Bockisch, Andreas; Antoch, Gerald

2009-03-01

To retrospectively evaluate the performance of two water-equivalent oral contrast agents [locust bean gum (LBG)-mannitol and VoLumen] concerning their potential to distend the bowel while avoiding contrast-associated artifacts in PET/computed tomography. PET/computed tomography examinations of 30 patients with two different oral contrast agents were reviewed. Bowel distension, intraluminal density, and potential contrast-associated artifacts were assessed for stomach, jejunum, and ileum. Statistical significance was tested by Student's t-test. Distension was slightly better in the stomach with VoLumen as compared with LBG-mannitol whereas LBG-mannitol was found to slightly better distend the small bowel. This difference proved to be statistically significant for the jejunum. A statistically significant difference was detected for intraluminal density with higher densities for VoLumen. This difference, however, did not result in a higher incidence of PET artifacts with VoLumen. LBG-mannitol provides excellent bowel distension, thereby avoiding contrast-associated PET artifacts. If this solution is not available, VoLumen provides a satisfactory alternative for bowel distension without relevant PET artifacts.

From Flower to Honey Bouquet: Possible Markers for the Botanical Origin of Robinia Honey

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Giovanna Aronne

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Flowers are complex structures devoted to pollinator attraction, through visual as well as chemical signals. As bees collect nectar on flowers to produce honey, some aspects of floral chemistry are transferred to honey, making chemical markers an important technique to identify the botanical and geographical origins of honey. We applied a new approach that considers the simultaneous analysis of different floral parts (petals, stamens + pistils, calyxes + nectarines, and nectar and the corresponding unifloral honey. We collected fresh flowers of Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust, selected five samples of Robinia honey from different geographical origins, applied SPME-GC/MS for volatile analyses, and defined the chemical contribution added by different floral parts to the honey final bouquet. Our results show that honey blends products from nectar as well as other flower parts. Comparing honey and flower profiles, we detected compounds coming directly from flower parts but not present in the nectar, such as hotrienol and β-pinene. These may turn out to be of special interest when selecting floral markers for the botanical origin of honey.

From flower to honey bouquet: possible markers for the botanical origin of Robinia honey.

Science.gov (United States)

Aronne, Giovanna; Giovanetti, Manuela; Sacchi, Raffaele; De Micco, Veronica

2014-01-01

Flowers are complex structures devoted to pollinator attraction, through visual as well as chemical signals. As bees collect nectar on flowers to produce honey, some aspects of floral chemistry are transferred to honey, making chemical markers an important technique to identify the botanical and geographical origins of honey. We applied a new approach that considers the simultaneous analysis of different floral parts (petals, stamens + pistils, calyxes + nectarines, and nectar) and the corresponding unifloral honey. We collected fresh flowers of Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust), selected five samples of Robinia honey from different geographical origins, applied SPME-GC/MS for volatile analyses, and defined the chemical contribution added by different floral parts to the honey final bouquet. Our results show that honey blends products from nectar as well as other flower parts. Comparing honey and flower profiles, we detected compounds coming directly from flower parts but not present in the nectar, such as hotrienol and β-pinene. These may turn out to be of special interest when selecting floral markers for the botanical origin of honey.

Foliage biomass qualitative indices of selected forest forming tree species in Ukrainian Steppe

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Sytnyk Svitlana

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Our study objective was research on the assimilation component of aboveground biomass of trees and its correlation with mensurational indices of trees (age, diameter and height in stands of the main forest forming species in the Ukrainian Northern Steppe zone - Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine and Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Black locust. The research was carried out in forest stands subordinated to the State Agency of Forest Resources of Ukraine. We used experimental data collected on sample plots established during years 2014-2016. The main research results prove that the foliage share in the tree greenery biomass structure had a wide range of values. For both investigated species, a positive correlation was found between the dry matter content in the tree foliage and the tree age, height and diameter. The foliage share in tree greenery biomass decreased with increasing mensurational index values. Correlation analysis revealed linear relationships between the mensurational indices and the discussed aboveground live biomass parameters. The closest correlation was observed between the stand age, mean stand diameter, mean stand height and dry matter content in the foliage.

Oral contrast agents for small bowel MRI: comparison of different additives to optimize bowel distension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajaj, Waleed; Goehde, Susanne C.; Ruehm, Stefan G.; Debatin, Joerg F.; Lauenstein, Thomas C.; Schneemann, Hubert

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare two osmotic carbohydrate sugar alcohols (mannitol 2.5% and sorbitol 2.5%, 2.0%, and 1.5% watery solutions) in combination with 0.2% locust bean gum (LBG) for small bowel distension for MR imaging. Small bowel distension was quantified on coronal 2D TrueFISP images by measuring the diameters of 16 small bowel loops in each of 12 healthy subjects (age range 31-55 years). Additionally, the grade of small bowel distension was rated qualitatively. Patient acceptance concerning nausea, vomiting, flatulence, and diarrhea was noted for each solution, and all results were compared by a Wilcoxon test or t test, respectively. The ingestion of water combined with LBG and either 2.5% mannitol or 2.0% sorbitol showed the best distension of the small bowel. The lowest side effect rate was observed following ingestion of sorbitol in a concentration of 2.0 and 1.5%. Based on these data, we recommend a combination of LBG and 2% sorbitol use for optimal bowel distension and minimal side effects resulting in enhanced patient acceptance. (orig.)

Micronised bran-enriched fresh egg tagliatelle: Significance of gums addition on pasta technological features.

Science.gov (United States)

Martín-Esparza, M E; Raga, A; González-Martínez, C; Albors, A

2018-06-01

The aim of the work was to produce fibre-enriched fresh pasta based on micronised wheat bran and durum wheat semolina with appropriate techno-functional properties. Wheat semolina was replaced with fine particle size (50% below 75 µm) wheat bran - up to 11.54% (w/w). A Box-Behnken design with randomised response surface methodology was used to determine a suitable combination of carboxymethylcellulose, xanthan gum and locust bean gum to improve pasta attributes: minimum cooking loss, maximum values for water gain and swelling index, as well as better colour and texture characteristics before and after cooking. The proximate chemical composition of wheat semolina and bran was determined and the microstructure of uncooked pasta was observed as well. From the response surface methodology analysis, it is recommended to use: (i) xanthan gum over 0.6% w/w as it led to bran-enriched pasta with a better developed structure and superior cooking behaviour, (ii) a combination of xanthan gum (0.8% w/w) and carboxymethylcellulose (over 0.6% w/w) to enhance uncooked pasta yellowness.

Photoacoustically-guided photothermal killing of mosquitoes targeted by nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Stephen R; Galanzha, Ekaterina I; Totten, Daniel C; Beneš, Helen; Shmookler Reis, Robert J; Zharov, Vladimir P

2014-07-01

In biomedical applications, nanoparticles have demonstrated the potential to eradicate abnormal cells in small localized pathological zones associated with cancer or infections. Here, we introduce a method for nanotechnology-based photothermal (PT) killing of whole organisms considered harmful to humans or the environment. We demonstrate that laser-induced thermal, and accompanying nano- and microbubble phenomena, can injure or kill C. elegans and mosquitoes fed carbon nanotubes, gold nanospheres, gold nanoshells, or magnetic nanoparticles at laser energies that are safe for humans. In addition, a photoacoustic (PA) effect was used to control nanoparticle delivery. Through the integration of this technique with molecular targeting, nanoparticle clustering, magnetic capturing and spectral sharpening of PA and PT plasmonic resonances, our laser-based PA-PT nano-theranostic platform can be applied to detection and the physical destruction of small organisms and carriers of pathogens, such as malaria vectors, spiders, bed bugs, fleas, ants, locusts, grasshoppers, phytophagous mites, or other arthropod pests, irrespective of their resistance to conventional treatments. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Purification and characterization of endo-beta-1,4 mannanase from Aspergillus niger gr for application in food processing industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Naganagouda, K; Salimath, P V; Mulimani, V H

2009-10-01

A thermostable extracellular beta-mannanase from the culture supernatant of a fungus Aspergillus niger gr was purified to homogeneity. SDS-PAGE of the purified enzyme showed a single protein band of molecular mass 66 kDa. The beta- mannanase exhibited optimum catalytic activity at pH 5.5 and 55 degrees C. It was thermostable at 55 degrees C, and retained 50% activity after 6 h at 55 degrees C. The enzyme was stable at a pH range of 3.0 to 7.0. The metal ions Hg(2+), Cu(2+), and Ag(2+) inhibited complete enzyme activity. The inhibitors tested, EDTA, PMSF, and 1,10-phenanthroline, did not inhibit the enzyme activity. N-Bromosuccinimide completely inhibited enzyme activity. The relative substrate specificity of enzyme towards the various mannans is in the order of locust bean gum>guar gum>copra mannan, with K(m) of 0.11, 0.28, and 0.33 mg/ml, respectively. Since the enzyme is active over a wide range of pH and temperature, it could find potential use in the food-processing industry.

The Protective Effect of Whole Honey and Phenolic Extract on Oxidative DNA Damage in Mice Lymphocytes Using Comet Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Ni; Wang, Yuan; Cao, Wei

2017-12-01

In this study, the antioxidant activity and the protective effect against hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage were assessed for five honeys of different botanical origin. Seven phenolic acids were detected in the honey samples. Ferulic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid detected in longan honey, jujube honey and buckwheat honey. Ellagic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and protocatechuic acid were the main phenolic acids detected in vitex honey. Of all honey samples tested, the highest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in buckwheat honey, whereas the lowest total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were found in locust honey. Treatment with hydrogen peroxide induced a 62% increase in tail DNA in mice lymphocytes, and all studied honeys significantly inhibited this effect (P Phenolic extracts of honey displayed greater protective effects than whole honey in comet assay. The hydrogen peroxide-generated increase in 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was effectively inhibited by the honeys studied (P phenolic acids of honey can penetrate into lymphocytes and protect DNA from oxidative damage by scavenging hydrogen peroxide and/or chelating ferrous ions.

Spectral Reflectance and Vegetation Index Changes in Deciduous Forest Foliage Following Tree Removal: Potential for Deforestation Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, D.; Hu, Y.; Li, Z.

2016-05-01

It is important to detect and quantify deforestation to guide strategic decisions regarding environment, socioeconomic development, and climate change. In the present study, we conducted a field experiment to examine spectral reflectance and vegetation index changes in poplar and locust tree foliage with different leaf area indices over the course of three sunny days, following tree removal from the canopy. The spectral reflectance of foliage from harvested trees was measured using an ASD FieldSpec Prospectroradiometer; synchronous meteorological data were also obtained. We found that reflectance in short-wave infrared and red-edge reflectance was more time sensitive after tree removal than reflectance in other spectral regions, and that the normalized difference water index (NDWI) and the red-edge chlorophyll index (CIRE) were the preferred indicators of these changes from several indices evaluated. Synthesized meteorological environments were found to influence water and chlorophyll contents after tree removal, and this subsequently changed the spectral canopy reflectance. Our results indicate the potential for such tree removal to be detected with NDWI or CIRE from the second day of a deforestation event.

Sensing the water content of honey from temperature-dependent electrical conductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, Wenchuan; Liu, Yi; Zhu, Xinhua; Zhuang, Hong

2011-01-01

In order to predict the water content in honey, electrical conductivity was measured on blossom honey types milk-vetch, jujube and yellow-locust with the water content of 18–37% between 5 and 40 °C. The regression models of electrical conductivity were developed as functions of water content and temperature. The results showed that increases in either water content or temperature resulted in an increase in the electrical conductivity of honey with greater changes at higher water content and/or higher temperature. The linear terms of water content and temperature, a quadratic term of water content, and the interaction effect of water content and temperature had significant influence on the electrical conductivity of honey (p < 0.0001). Regardless of blossom honey type, the linear coefficient of the determination of measured and calculated electrical conductivities was 0.998 and the range error ratio was larger than 100. These results suggest that the electrical conductivity of honey might be used to develop a detector for rapidly predicting the water content in blossom honey

Caracterização física, química, microbiológica e sensorial de geléias light de abacaxi Physical, chemical, microbiological and sensory characterization of light jellies of pineapple

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Graziele Guimaraes Granada

2005-12-01

Full Text Available O trabalho objetivou elaborar geléias com reduzido teor calórico, utilizando como agentes de corpo diferentes combinações dos hidrocolóides xantana, carragena e locusta. Como comparativo utilizou-se uma formulação padrão de geléia de abacaxi (controle, elaborada com sacarose e xarope de glicose na proporção de 4:1 (p/p, e com teor final de sólidos solúveis de 65ºBrix. As quatro formulações light foram preparadas pela substituição de 50% da quantidade de açúcar da formulação controle, sendo que para equiparar a doçura, adicionou-se o edulcorante sucralose. Foram avaliadas as características químicas, físicas, microbiológicas e sensoriais, além do valor calórico total das geléias. Os resultados mostraram que as geléias apresentaram características químicas e físicas semelhantes às descritas na literatura e enquadraram-se na categoria de produtos light, segundo a legislação vigente. Quanto às características microbiológicas, todas as formulações enquadraram-se nos padrões microbiológicos estabelecidos pela legislação brasileira. Em termos sensoriais a formulação com a combinação das gomas carragena:xantana:locusta (1:1:1, p/p/p foi a que apresentou melhores características de geléia.The objective of the work was to elaborate jellies with reduced caloric content, by using as body replacers a combination of the hydrocolloids xanthan, carrageenan and locust. The pineapple jelly was used as control formulation, and it was made with sucrose and glucose in the proportion of 4:1 p/p, and soluble solid content of 65ºBrix. The four light formulations were prepared by substitution of 50% of the amount of sugar of the control formulation and, to compensate the sweetness, the low-calorie sweetener sucralose was used. The chemical, physical, microbiological, sensory and the total caloric content of the jellies were evaluated. The results showed that the jellies presented chemical and physical characteristics

Motivational differences in food orientation and the choice of snacks made from lentils, locusts, seaweed or "hybrid" meat

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Boer, J.; Schösler, H.; Boersema, J.J.

2013-01-01

The recently developed Food Choice Motives (FCMs) questionnaire was used in a survey among a sample from the general population in the Netherlands (n= 1083) to examine the relationship between motivational differences in food orientation and the choice of snacks made from environmentally-friendly

Adaptive properties of Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab) & Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. (African Locust Bean) to drought stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bouda, Zoewinde Henri-Noel

been suggested as a strategy to improve local population livelihoods. The present thesis studies the adaptive properties to drought stress of A. digitata and P. biglobosa at nursery level, two species native to African savannas. Nursery trials were established with seeds of seven provenances of each...... of the two species. Three water regimes were applied, corresponding to 100%, 75% and 50% of field capacity. The effects of drought stress on the seedling survival, growth and dry matter partitioning was investigated on both species, and for A. digitata the experiment also included seedling morphology...... and physiology. A. digitata had a much higher survival rate than P. biglobosa. However, both species showed a strong reduction of the relative growth rate (diameter and height) and the total dry weight under the effect of applied water stress. Despite differences between provenances of P. biglobosa...

Actions of insecticides on the insect GABA receptor complex

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bermudez, I.; Hawkins, C.A.; Taylor, A.M.; Beadle, D.J.

1991-01-01

The actions of insecticides on the insect gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor were investigated using [35S]t-butylbicyclophosphorothionate [( 35S]TBPS) binding and voltage-clamp techniques. Specific binding of [35S]TBPS to a membrane homogenate derived from the brain of Locusta migratoria locusts is characterised by a Kd value of 79.3 ± 2.9 nM and a Bmax value of 1770 ± 40 fmol/mg protein. [35S]TBPS binding is inhibited by mM concentrations of barbiturates and benzodiazepines. In contrast dieldrin, ivermectin, lindane, picrotoxin and TBPS are inhibitors of [35S]TBPS binding at the nanomolar range. Bicuculline, baclofen and pyrethroid insecticides have no effect on [35S]TBPS binding. These results are similar to those obtained in electrophysiological studies of the current elicited by GABA in both Locusta and Periplaneta americana central neurones. Noise analysis of the effects of lindane, TBPS, dieldrin and picrotoxin on the cockroach GABA responses reveals that these compounds decrease the variance of the GABA-induced current but have no effect on its mean open time. All these compounds, with the exception of dieldrin, significantly decrease the conductance of GABA-evoked single current

Novel odorant-binding proteins and their expression patterns in grasshopper, Oedaleus asiaticus.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Shuo; Pang, Baoping; Zhang, Long

2015-05-01

Insects use olfaction to detect exogenous odors and adapt to environments. In their olfaction systems, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are believed to be a key component. The unique OBP system of each species reflects the evolution of chemosensation of insects with habits. Here, we for the first time identified 15 OBPs, OasiOBP1-15, of a grasshopper, Oedaleus asiaticus, that lives in the grasslands of Northern China and is closely related to the locust, Locusta migratoria. OasiOBP9 and OasiOBP10 are specifically expressed in the antennae. Other OBPs are expressed in the antennae as well as other chemosensory organs, such as the mouthparts and wings. Significantly more OasiOBP7 was detected in male than female antennae, but there are 9 OBPs that were more expressed in female than male antennae by quantitative real-time PCR. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that most of the O. asiaticus OBPs are similar to those of L. migratoria, but some are substantially different. This indicates that the OBPs originally evolved in a common ancestor, but their unique chemosensory systems are adapted to different ecosystems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Production of mannanase from Bacillus Subtilis LBF-005 and its potential for manno-oligosaccharides production

Science.gov (United States)

Yopi, Rahmani, Nanik; Jannah, Alifah Mafatikhul; Nugraha, Irfan Pebi; Ramadana, Roni Masri

2017-11-01

Endo-β-1, 4-mannanase is the key enzymes for randomly hydrolyzing the β-1,4-linkages within the mannan backbone releasing manno-oligosaccharides (MOS). A marine bacterium of Bacillus subtilis LBF-005 was reported have ability to produce endo-type mannanase. The aims of this research were to compare commercial biomass Locust Bean Gum (LBG) and raw biomass contaning mannan as carbon source for mannanase production from Bacillus subtilis LBF-005, to analyze the optimum condition of mannanase production, and to find out the potential of the mannanase for MOS production. Bacillus subtilis LBF-005 was cultivated in Artificial Sea Water (ASW) medium contain NaCl and various mannan biomass as carbon source for mannanase production. The cells were grown in submerged fermentation. The maximum enzyme activity was obtained with porang potato as a substrate with concentration 1%, pH medium 8, and incubation temperature 50°C with an enzyme activity of 37.7 U/mL. The mainly MOS product released by crude mannanase produced by Bacillus subtilis LBF-005 were mannobiose (M2), mannotriose (M3), mannotetraose (M4), and mannopentaose (M5).

A novel framework for feature extraction in multi-sensor action potential sorting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shun-Chi; Swindlehurst, A Lee; Nenadic, Zoran

2015-09-30

Extracellular recordings of multi-unit neural activity have become indispensable in neuroscience research. The analysis of the recordings begins with the detection of the action potentials (APs), followed by a classification step where each AP is associated with a given neural source. A feature extraction step is required prior to classification in order to reduce the dimensionality of the data and the impact of noise, allowing source clustering algorithms to work more efficiently. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for multi-sensor AP feature extraction based on the so-called Matched Subspace Detector (MSD), which is shown to be a natural generalization of standard single-sensor algorithms. Clustering using both simulated data and real AP recordings taken in the locust antennal lobe demonstrates that the proposed approach yields features that are discriminatory and lead to promising results. Unlike existing methods, the proposed algorithm finds joint spatio-temporal feature vectors that match the dominant subspace observed in the two-dimensional data without needs for a forward propagation model and AP templates. The proposed MSD approach provides more discriminatory features for unsupervised AP sorting applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Symbiosis of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Robinia pseudoacacia L. Improves Root Tensile Strength and Soil Aggregate Stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Haoqiang; Liu, Zhenkun; Chen, Hui; Tang, Ming

2016-01-01

Robinia pseudoacacia L. (black locust) is a widely planted tree species on Loess Plateau for revegetation. Due to its symbiosis forming capability with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, we explored the influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on plant biomass, root morphology, root tensile strength and soil aggregate stability in a pot experiment. We inoculated R. pseudoacacia with/without AM fungus (Rhizophagus irregularis or Glomus versiforme), and measured root colonization, plant growth, root morphological characters, root tensile force and tensile strength, and parameters for soil aggregate stability at twelve weeks after inoculation. AM fungi colonized more than 70% plant root, significantly improved plant growth. Meanwhile, AM fungi elevated root morphological parameters, root tensile force, root tensile strength, Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) content in soil, and parameters for soil aggregate stability such as water stable aggregate (WSA), mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD). Root length was highly correlated with WSA, MWD and GMD, while hyphae length was highly correlated with GRSP content. The improved R. pseudoacacia growth, root tensile strength and soil aggregate stability indicated that AM fungi could accelerate soil fixation and stabilization with R. pseudoacacia, and its function in revegetation on Loess Plateau deserves more attention.

Comparison of dietary fiber methods for foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Heckman, M M; Lane, S A

1981-11-01

In order to evaluate several proposed dietary fiber methods, 12 food samples, representing different food classes, were analyzed by (1) neutral and acid detergent fiber methods (NDF, ADF); (2) NDF with enzyme modification (ENDF); (3) a 2-fraction enzyme method for soluble, insoluble, and total dietary fiber, proposed by Furda (SDF, IDF, TDF); (+) a 1-fraction enzyme method for total dietary fiber proposed by Hellendoorn (TDF). Foods included cereals, fruits, vegetables, pectin, locust bean gum, and soybean polysaccharides. Results show that TDF by Furda and Hellendoorn methods agree reasonably well with literature values by the Southgate method, but ENDF is consistently lower; that ENDF and IDF (Furda method) agree reasonably well; that except for corn corn bran fiber (insoluble) and pectin and locus bean fiber (soluble), all materials have significant fractions of both soluble and insoluble fiber. The Furda method was used on numerous food and ingredient samples and was found to be practical and informative and to have acceptable precision (RSD values of 2.65-7.05%). It is suggested that the Furda (or similar) method be given consideration for the analysis of foods for dietary fiber.

Thermo-mechanical and hydrophilic properties of polysaccharide/gluten-based bioplastics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zárate-Ramírez, L S; Romero, A; Bengoechea, C; Partal, P; Guerrero, A

2014-11-04

The influence of adding different polysaccharides (locust bean gum, LBG; methyl cellulose, MC; and carboxymethyl cellulose, CMC) to gluten-based biodegradable polymeric materials was assessed in this work. Gluten/polysaccharide/plasticiser bioplastics were prepared at different polysaccharide concentrations (0-4.5%) and pH values by mixing in a two-blade counter-rotating batch mixer (at 25 °C under adiabatic conditions) and thermomoulding at 9MPa and 130 °C. Bioplastic probes were evaluated through dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, tensile strength and water absorption capacity tests. Results pointed out that a moderate enhancement of the network structure may be achieved by adding polysaccharide at a pH close to the protein isoelectric point (pH 6), which also conferred a further thermosetting capacity to the system. Moreover, the addition of MC and CMC was found to significantly enhance material elongation properties. However, the presence of charges induced by pH leaded to a higher incompatibility between the polysaccharide and protein domains forming the composite. The pH value played a relevant role in the material water absorption, which significantly increased under acidic or basic conditions (particularly at pH 3). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biochemical changes in cuttings of Robinia pseudoacacia after treatment with naphthenate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SLAVKO KEVRESAN

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Naphthenic acids were isolated from gas oil fractions (distillation interval 168–290 °C of Vojvodina crude oil “Velebit”, characterized and their biological ac­tivity evaluated by the biochemical changes in cuttings of Robinia pseudoacacia after treatment with naphthenate. The activities of IAA peroxidase, total peroxi­da­ses and amylase, as well as the contents of reducing sugars and total proteins, were determined in the basal parts of soft wood cuttings of black locust after treat­ment with sodium naphthenate or the sodium salt of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA, con­­centration 10-7 mol dm-3 for 3 or 6 h. High activities of IAA oxidase and amy­lase, together with a low activity of peroxidase (which is known as being stimula­tory for the initiation and activation of primordia were obtained after the three-hour treatment with sodium naphthenate. Six-hour treatment had an inhibitory effect on the examined biochemical markers. The effects of three- and six-hour treatments with NAA were between those of the corresponding treatment with naphthenic acids.

Preliminary studies on allelopatic effect of some woody plants on seed germination of rye-grass and tall fescue.

Science.gov (United States)

Arouiee, H; Nazdar, T; Mousavi, A

2010-11-01

In order to investigation of allelopathic effects of some ornamental trees on seed germination of rye-grass (Lolium prenne) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae), this experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates at the laboratory of Horticultural Sciences Department of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, during 2008. In this research, we studied the effect of aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of Afghanistan pine (Pinus eldarica), arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica), black locust (Robinia psedue acacia) and box elder (Acer negundo) leaves that prepared in 1:5 ratio on seed germination percent and rate for two grasses. The results showed that all extracts decreased statistically seed germination in compared to control treatment. The highest germination percentage and germination rate of tested grass detected in control treatment. Hydro-alcoholic extracts of all woody plants (15, 30%) were completely inhibited seed germination of rye-grass and tall fescue. Also aqueous extract of arizona cypress was completely inhibited seed germination of tall fescue and had more inhibitory activity than other aqueous extracts on rye-grass. Between aqueous extracts, the highest and lowest seed germination of rye-grass was found in Afghanistan pine and arizona cypress, respectively.

Spatial variability in oviposition damage by periodical cicadas in a fragmented landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, William M; Holt, Robert D; Yao, Jin

2001-03-01

Effects of the periodical cicada (Magicicada spp.) on forest dynamics are poorly documented. A 1998 emergence of M. cassini in eastern Kansas led to colonization of a fragmented experimental landscape undergoing secondary succession. We hypothesized that per-tree rates of oviposition damage by cicadas would reflect: (1) distance from the source of the emergence, (2) patch size, and (3) local tree density. Ovipositing females displayed clear preferences for host species and damage incidence showed predictable spatial patterns. Two species (smooth sumac, Rhus glabra, and eastern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana) were rarely attacked, whereas others (rough-leaved dogwood, Cornus drummondii; slippery elm, Ulmus rubra; box elder, Acer negundo, and honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos) were strongly attacked. The dominant early successional tree, dogwood, received on average the most attacks. As predicted, attacks per stem declined strongly with distance from the emergence source, and with local stem density (a "dilution" effect). Contrary to expectations, there were more attacks per stem on larger patches. Because ovipositing cicadas cut damaging slits in host tree branches, potentially affecting tree growth rate, competitive ability, and capacity to reproduce, cicada damage could potentially influence spatial variation in secondary succession.

Use of Extracted Green Inhibitors as a Friendly Choice in Corrosion Protection of Low Alloy Carbon Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jano, A.

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Mitigation of corrosion impact on environment is an important step in environmental protection. Use of environmentally friendly corrosion protection methods is very important. It is smart to choose cheap and safe to handle compounds as corrosion inhibitors. The use of green inhibitors (extracted inexpensively, from the seed endosperm of some Leguminosae plants, and investigation of their efficiency in corrosion protection is the aim of this study. As green inhibitor one kind of polysaccharides (galactomannan from locust bean gum (also known as carob gum, carob bean gum extracted from the seed of carob tree is used. Corrosion protection efficiency of these extracted green inhibitors was tested for carbon steel marked as: steel 39, steel 44, and iron B 500 (usually applied as reinforcing bars to concrete. Sulfuric acid solution in the presence of chloride ions was used as corrosion media. The composition of corrosion acid media used was 1 mol L-1 H2SO4 and 10-3 mol L-1 Cl- (in the form of NaCl. Electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic polarization methods were used for inhibitor efficiency testing.

Cloning, expression in Pichia pastoris, and characterization of a thermostable GH5 mannan endo-1,4-beta-mannosidase from Aspergillus niger BK01.

Science.gov (United States)

Do, Bien-Cuong; Dang, Thi-Thu; Berrin, Jean-Guy; Haltrich, Dietmar; To, Kim-Anh; Sigoillot, Jean-Claude; Yamabhai, Montarop

2009-11-13

Mannans are key components of lignocellulose present in the hemicellulosic fraction of plant primary cell walls. Mannan endo-1,4-beta-mannosidases (1,4-beta-D-mannanases) catalyze the random hydrolysis of beta-1,4-mannosidic linkages in the main chain of beta-mannans. Biodegradation of beta-mannans by the action of thermostable mannan endo-1,4-beta-mannosidase offers significant technical advantages in biotechnological industrial applications, i.e. delignification of kraft pulps or the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass rich in mannan for the production of second generation biofuels, as well as for applications in oil and gas well stimulation, extraction of vegetable oils and coffee beans, and the production of value-added products such as prebiotic manno-oligosaccharides (MOS). A gene encoding mannan endo-1,4-beta-mannosidase or 1,4-beta-D-mannan mannanohydrolase (E.C. 3.2.1.78), commonly termed beta-mannanase, from Aspergillus niger BK01, which belongs to glycosyl hydrolase family 5 (GH5), was cloned and successfully expressed heterologously (up to 243 microg of active recombinant protein per mL) in Pichia pastoris. The enzyme was secreted by P. pastoris and could be collected from the culture supernatant. The purified enzyme appeared glycosylated as a single band on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of approximately 53 kDa. The recombinant beta-mannanase is highly thermostable with a half-life time of approximately 56 h at 70 degrees C and pH 4.0. The optimal temperature (10-min assay) and pH value for activity are 80 degrees C and pH 4.5, respectively. The enzyme is not only active towards structurally different mannans but also exhibits low activity towards birchwood xylan. Apparent Km values of the enzyme for konjac glucomannan (low viscosity), locust bean gum galactomannan, carob galactomannan (low viscosity), and 1,4-beta-D-mannan (from carob) are 0.6 mg mL-1, 2.0 mg mL-1, 2.2 mg mL-1 and 1.5 mg mL-1, respectively, while the kcat values for these

A Noncellulosomal Mannanase26E Contains a CBM59 in Clostridium cellulovorans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kosuke Yamamoto

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A multicomponent enzyme-complex prevents efficient degradation of the plant cell wall for biorefinery. In this study, the method of identifying glycoside hydrolases (GHs to degrade hemicelluloses was demonstrated. The competence of C. cellulovorans, which changes to be suitable for degradation of each carbon source, was used for the method. C. cellulovorans was cultivated into locust bean gum (LBG that is composed of galactomannan. The proteins produced by C. cellulovorans were separated into either fractions binding to crystalline cellulose or not. Proteins obtained from each fraction were further separated by SDS-PAGE and were stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue and were detected for mannanase activity. The proteins having the enzymatic activity for LBG were cut out and were identified by mass spectrometry. As a result, four protein bands were classified into glycosyl hydrolase family 26 (GH26 mannanases. One of the identified mannanases, Man26E, contains a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM family 59, which binds to xylan, mannan, and Avicel. Although mannose and galactose are the same as a hexose, the expression patterns of the proteins from C. cellulovorans were quite different. More interestingly, zymogram for mannanase activity showed that Man26E was detected in only LBG medium.

FDA-Approved Natural Polymers for Fast Dissolving Tablets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md Tausif Alam

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Oral route is the most preferred route for administration of different drugs because it is regarded as safest, most convenient, and economical route. Fast disintegrating tablets are very popular nowadays as they get dissolved or facilely disintegrated in mouth within few seconds of administration without the need of water. The disadvantages of conventional dosage form, especially dysphagia (arduousness in swallowing, in pediatric and geriatric patients have been overcome by fast dissolving tablets. Natural materials have advantages over synthetic ones since they are chemically inert, non-toxic, less expensive, biodegradable and widely available. Natural polymers like locust bean gum, banana powder, mango peel pectin, Mangifera indica gum, and Hibiscus rosa-sinenses mucilage ameliorate the properties of tablet and utilized as binder, diluent, and superdisintegrants increase the solubility of poorly water soluble drug, decrease the disintegration time, and provide nutritional supplement. Natural polymers are obtained from the natural origin and they are cost efficacious, nontoxic, biodegradable, eco-friendly, devoid of any side effect, renewable, and provide nutritional supplement. It is proved from the studies that natural polymers are more safe and efficacious than the synthetic polymers. The aim of the present article is to study the FDA-approved natural polymers utilized in fast dissolving tablets.

Development of radio-labeling method for natural juvenile hormone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurata, Keiji; Shiozuki, Takahiro; Kotaki, Toyomi

1997-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a new method for quantitative determination of juvenile hormone (JH) based on the principle for radioimmuno assay. Using JH-binding protein (JHBP), the discrimination of the L-form of JH from D-form not occurring naturally was attempted to establish a measuring method for JH. First, the corpus allatum, the JH-producing endocrine organ was cultured and both L-form JH and 3 H or 14 C-labelled JH could be obtained easily. There are several homologs of JH and it is necessary to establish the respective labelling methods for the homologues. Since different species of insects produce JH with its specific structure, each homologue could be produced by selecting an appropriate species. The capacity of JH production was compared among five insects. The biosynthetic ability by the corpus allatum from migratory locust was highest among them and 1 μg of labelled JH type 3 could be obtained from the culture with about 50 corpus allata for 3 hrs. Since other materials than JH were also released into the culture medium, establishment of the effective method for isolation and purification of JH is necessary to use it for bioassay. (M.N.)

Development of Carrageenan Hydrogel as a Sustained Release Matrix Containing Tocotrienol-Rich Palm-Based Vitamin E

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yee, C.M.; Zafarizal Aldrin Azizul Hasan; Norashikin Ahmad; Hazimah, A.H.

2016-01-01

Topically applied hydrogel system as a general therapeutic mask for transdermal delivery of hydrophobic actives is not efficient due to the differences in polarity between the actives and the polymer network. This work presents a study on developing hydrogels based on carrageenan as a matrix for the delivery of a hydrophobic type of active, i.e. tocotrienol-rich palm-based vitamin E (TRPE) into the skin. The strength and flexibility of the hydrogel were increased by the inclusion of guar gum, potassium citrate and glycerine. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) results indicated a higher quantity of water in the hydrogel with glycerine while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed three types of water molecules existed in the hydrogel. The hydrogel was non-irritating according to OECD Test Guideline No. 439 for in vitro skin irritation test. The hydrogel with TRPE fluids was able to permeate the polysulfone membrane and bioavailability of TRPE improved with the inclusion of PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil mixture. Therefore, a carrageenan-based hydrogel with locust bean, guar gum, glycerine, potassium citrate and TRPE was successfully developed with good strength and flexibility and without any potential irritancy. The good bioavailability of TRPE-loaded in the hydrogel can be used for skin care application. (author)

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure and high dynamic pressure on stability and rheological properties of model oil-in-water emulsions

Science.gov (United States)

Bigikocin, Erman; Mert, Behic; Alpas, Hami

2011-09-01

Both static and dynamic high pressure applications provide interesting modifications in food structures which lead to new product formulations. In this study, the effects of two different treatments, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and high dynamic pressure (HDP), on oil-in-water emulsions were identified and compared. Microfluidization was selected from among the HDP homogenization techniques. The performance of each process was analyzed in terms of rheological modifications and emulsion stability improvements compared with the coarse emulsions. The stability of the emulsions was determined comparatively by using an analytical photo-centrifuge device employing novel analysis technology. Whey protein isolate (WPI) in combination with a food polysaccharide (xanthan gum, guar gum or locust bean gum) were used as emulsifying and stabilizing ingredients. The effective disruption of oil droplets and the degradation of polysaccharides by the shear forces under high pressure in HDP microfluidization yielded finer emulsions with lower viscosities, leading to distinctive improvements in emulsion stability. On the other hand, improvements in stability obtained with HHP treatment were due to the thickening of the emulsions mainly induced by protein unfolding. The corresponding increases in viscosity were intensified in emulsion formulations containing higher oil content. Apart from these, HHP treatment was found to be relatively more contributive to the enhancements in viscoelastic properties.

Flying Drosophila orient to sky polarization.

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Weir, Peter T; Dickinson, Michael H

2012-01-10

Insects maintain a constant bearing across a wide range of spatial scales. Monarch butterflies and locusts traverse continents [1, 2], and foraging bees and ants travel hundreds of meters to return to their nests [1, 3, 4], whereas many other insects fly straight for only a few centimeters before changing direction. Despite this variation in spatial scale, the brain region thought to underlie long-distance navigation is remarkably conserved [5, 6], suggesting that the use of a celestial compass is a general and perhaps ancient capability of insects. Laboratory studies of Drosophila have identified a local search mode in which short, straight segments are interspersed with rapid turns [7, 8]. However, this flight mode is inconsistent with measured gene flow between geographically separated populations [9-11], and individual Drosophila can travel 10 km across desert terrain in a single night [9, 12, 13]-a feat that would be impossible without prolonged periods of straight flight. To directly examine orientation behavior under outdoor conditions, we built a portable flight arena in which a fly viewed the natural sky through a liquid crystal device that could experimentally rotate the polarization angle. Our findings indicate that Drosophila actively orient using the sky's natural polarization pattern. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Swarm Optimization Algorithm for Multimodal Functions and Its Application in Multicircle Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Cuevas

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In engineering problems due to physical and cost constraints, the best results, obtained by a global optimization algorithm, cannot be realized always. Under such conditions, if multiple solutions (local and global are known, the implementation can be quickly switched to another solution without much interrupting the design process. This paper presents a new swarm multimodal optimization algorithm named as the collective animal behavior (CAB. Animal groups, such as schools of fish, flocks of birds, swarms of locusts, and herds of wildebeest, exhibit a variety of behaviors including swarming about a food source, milling around a central location, or migrating over large distances in aligned groups. These collective behaviors are often advantageous to groups, allowing them to increase their harvesting efficiency to follow better migration routes, to improve their aerodynamic, and to avoid predation. In the proposed algorithm, searcher agents emulate a group of animals which interact with each other based on simple biological laws that are modeled as evolutionary operators. Numerical experiments are conducted to compare the proposed method with the state-of-the-art methods on benchmark functions. The proposed algorithm has been also applied to the engineering problem of multi-circle detection, achieving satisfactory results.

Short-term memory in olfactory network dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Stopfer, Mark; Laurent, Gilles

1999-12-01

Neural assemblies in a number of animal species display self-organized, synchronized oscillations in response to sensory stimuli in a variety of brain areas.. In the olfactory system of insects, odour-evoked oscillatory synchronization of antennal lobe projection neurons (PNs) is superimposed on slower and stimulus-specific temporal activity patterns. Hence, each odour activates a specific and dynamic projection neuron assembly whose evolution during a stimulus is locked to the oscillation clock. Here we examine, using locusts, the changes in population dynamics of projection-neuron assemblies over repeated odour stimulations, as would occur when an animal first encounters and then repeatedly samples an odour for identification or localization. We find that the responses of these assemblies rapidly decrease in intensity, while they show a marked increase in spike time precision and inter-neuronal oscillatory coherence. Once established, this enhanced precision in the representation endures for several minutes. This change is stimulus-specific, and depends on events within the antennal lobe circuits, independent of olfactory receptor adaptation: it may thus constitute a form of sensory memory. Our results suggest that this progressive change in olfactory network dynamics serves to converge, over repeated odour samplings, on a more precise and readily classifiable odour representation, using relational information contained across neural assemblies.

The drought of the 1890s in south-eastern Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Pribyl, Kathleen; Nash, David; Klein, Jorgen; Endfield, Georgina

2016-04-01

During the second half of the 1890s south-eastern Africa, from modern day Zimbabwe and Botswana down to South Africa, was hit by a drought driven ecological crisis. Using instrumental observations and previously unexploited documentary records in the form of British administrative sources, reports and letters by various Protestant mission societies and newspapers, the extent, duration and severity of the drought are explored. Generally the period was marked by a delayed onset of the rainy season of several months; rainfall totals dropped and perennial rivers such as the Limpopo dried up. The delay of the rainy season negatively impacted the rain-fed agriculture. Recurrent drought conditions during the rainy season frequently withered the young crops. In the interior of southern Africa, on the border of the Kalahari desert, the drought was more severe and continuous than towards the coast of the Indian Ocean. The prolonged dry conditions furthered the outbreak of locust plagues and cattle disease, which in the 1890s took the disastrous form of Rinderpest. A model is established showing how the drought as the original driver of the crisis, triggered a cascade of responses from harvest failure to famine and finally leading to profound socio-economic change.

Awareness and Prevalence of Mycotoxin Contamination in Selected Nigerian Fermented Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Njobeh, Patrick; Obadina, Adewale

2017-01-01

Fermented food samples (n = 191) including maize gruel (ogi), sorghum gruel (ogi-baba), melon seed (ogiri), locust bean (iru) and African oil bean seed (ugba) from Southwest Nigeria were quantified for 23 mycotoxins, including aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), fumonisin B1 (FB1), and sterigmatocystin (STE) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The practices, perceived understanding and health risks related to fungal and mycotoxin contamination amongst fermented food sellers was also established. Data obtained revealed that 82% of the samples had mycotoxins occurring singly or in combination. FB1 was present in 83% of ogi-baba samples, whereas 20% of ugba samples contained AFB1 (range: 3 to 36 µg/kg) and STE was present in 29% of the ogi samples. In terms of multi-mycotoxin contamination, FB1 + FB2 + FB3 + STE + AFB1 + alternariol + HT-2 co-occurred within one sample. The awareness study revealed that 98% of respondents were unaware of mycotoxin contamination, and their education level slightly correlated with their level of awareness (p contaminated these food commodities, coupled with the poor perception of the population under study on fungi and mycotoxins, justifies the need to enact fungal and mycotoxin mitigation strategies along the food chain. PMID:29117141

A Novel GH7 Endo-β-1,4-Glucanase from Neosartorya fischeri P1 with Good Thermostability, Broad Substrate Specificity and Potential Application in the Brewing Industry.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yun Liu

Full Text Available An endo-β-1,4-glucanase gene, cel7A, was cloned from the thermophilic cellulase-producing fungus Neosartorya fischeri P1 and expressed in Pichia pastoris. The 1,410-bp full-length gene encodes a polypeptide of 469 amino acids consisting of a putative signal peptide at residues 1-20, a catalytic domain of glycoside hydrolase family 7 (GH7, a short Thr/Ser-rich linker and a family 1 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM 1. The purified recombinant Cel7A had pH and temperature optima of pH 5.0 and 60°C, respectively, and showed broad pH adaptability (pH 3.0-6.0 and excellent stability at pH3.0-8.0 and 60°C. Belonging to the group of nonspecific endoglucanases, Cel7A exhibited the highest activity on barley β-glucan (2020 ± 9 U mg-1, moderate on lichenan and CMC-Na, and weak on laminarin, locust bean galactomannan, Avicel, and filter paper. Under simulated mashing conditions, addition of Cel7A (99 μg reduced the mash viscosity by 9.1% and filtration time by 24.6%. These favorable enzymatic properties make Cel7A as a good candidate for applications in the brewing industry.

Integration of polarization and chromatic cues in the insect sky compass.

Science.gov (United States)

el Jundi, Basil; Pfeiffer, Keram; Heinze, Stanley; Homberg, Uwe

2014-06-01

Animals relying on a celestial compass for spatial orientation may use the position of the sun, the chromatic or intensity gradient of the sky, the polarization pattern of the sky, or a combination of these cues as compass signals. Behavioral experiments in bees and ants, indeed, showed that direct sunlight and sky polarization play a role in sky compass orientation, but the relative importance of these cues are species-specific. Intracellular recordings from polarization-sensitive interneurons in the desert locust and monarch butterfly suggest that inputs from different eye regions, including polarized-light input through the dorsal rim area of the eye and chromatic/intensity gradient input from the main eye, are combined at the level of the medulla to create a robust compass signal. Conflicting input from the polarization and chromatic/intensity channel, resulting from eccentric receptive fields, is eliminated at the level of the anterior optic tubercle and central complex through internal compensation for changing solar elevations, which requires input from a circadian clock. Across several species, the central complex likely serves as an internal sky compass, combining E-vector information with other celestial cues. Descending neurons, likewise, respond both to zenithal polarization and to unpolarized cues in an azimuth-dependent way.

Mechanosensation and Adaptive Motor Control in Insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuthill, John C; Wilson, Rachel I

2016-10-24

The ability of animals to flexibly navigate through complex environments depends on the integration of sensory information with motor commands. The sensory modality most tightly linked to motor control is mechanosensation. Adaptive motor control depends critically on an animal's ability to respond to mechanical forces generated both within and outside the body. The compact neural circuits of insects provide appealing systems to investigate how mechanical cues guide locomotion in rugged environments. Here, we review our current understanding of mechanosensation in insects and its role in adaptive motor control. We first examine the detection and encoding of mechanical forces by primary mechanoreceptor neurons. We then discuss how central circuits integrate and transform mechanosensory information to guide locomotion. Because most studies in this field have been performed in locusts, cockroaches, crickets, and stick insects, the examples we cite here are drawn mainly from these 'big insects'. However, we also pay particular attention to the tiny fruit fly, Drosophila, where new tools are creating new opportunities, particularly for understanding central circuits. Our aim is to show how studies of big insects have yielded fundamental insights relevant to mechanosensation in all animals, and also to point out how the Drosophila toolkit can contribute to future progress in understanding mechanosensory processing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GoQBot: a caterpillar-inspired soft-bodied rolling robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Huai-Ti; Trimmer, Barry; Leisk, Gary G

2011-01-01

Rolling locomotion using an external force such as gravity has evolved many times. However, some caterpillars can curl into a wheel and generate their own rolling momentum as part of an escape repertoire. This change in body conformation occurs well within 100 ms and generates a linear velocity over 0.2 m s -1 , making it one of the fastest self-propelled wheeling behaviors in nature. Inspired by this behavior, we construct a soft-bodied robot to explore the dynamics and control issues of ballistic rolling. This robot, called GoQBot, closely mimics caterpillar rolling. Analyzing the whole body kinematics and 2D ground reaction forces at the robot ground anchor reveals about 1G of acceleration and more than 200 rpm of angular velocity. As a novel rolling robot, GoQBot demonstrates how morphing can produce new modes of locomotion. Furthermore, mechanical coupling of the actuators improves body coordination without sensory feedback. Such coupling is intrinsic to soft-bodied animals because there are no joints to isolate muscle-generated movements. Finally, GoQBot provides an estimate of the mechanical power for caterpillar rolling that is comparable to that of a locust jump. How caterpillar musculature produces such power in such a short time is yet to be discovered.

GoQBot: a caterpillar-inspired soft-bodied rolling robot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Huai-Ti; Trimmer, Barry [Department of Biology, Tufts University, 163 Packard Avenue, Medford, MA 02155 (United States); Leisk, Gary G, E-mail: huaiti.lin@gmail.com, E-mail: gary.leisk@tufts.edu, E-mail: barry.trimmer@tufts.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA 02155 (United States)

2011-06-15

Rolling locomotion using an external force such as gravity has evolved many times. However, some caterpillars can curl into a wheel and generate their own rolling momentum as part of an escape repertoire. This change in body conformation occurs well within 100 ms and generates a linear velocity over 0.2 m s{sup -1}, making it one of the fastest self-propelled wheeling behaviors in nature. Inspired by this behavior, we construct a soft-bodied robot to explore the dynamics and control issues of ballistic rolling. This robot, called GoQBot, closely mimics caterpillar rolling. Analyzing the whole body kinematics and 2D ground reaction forces at the robot ground anchor reveals about 1G of acceleration and more than 200 rpm of angular velocity. As a novel rolling robot, GoQBot demonstrates how morphing can produce new modes of locomotion. Furthermore, mechanical coupling of the actuators improves body coordination without sensory feedback. Such coupling is intrinsic to soft-bodied animals because there are no joints to isolate muscle-generated movements. Finally, GoQBot provides an estimate of the mechanical power for caterpillar rolling that is comparable to that of a locust jump. How caterpillar musculature produces such power in such a short time is yet to be discovered.

Immunocytochemical distribution of locustamyoinhibiting peptide (Lom-MIP) in the nervous system of Locusta migratoria.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoofs, L; Veelaert, D; Broeck, J V; De Loof, A

1996-07-05

Locustamyoinhibiting peptide (Lom-MIP) is one of the 4 identified myoinhibiting neuropeptides, isolated from brain-corpora cardiaca-corpora allata-suboesophageal ganglion complexes of the locust, Locusta migratoria. An antiserum was raised against Lom-MIP for use in immunohistochemistry. Locustamyoinhibiting peptide-like immunoreactivity (Lom-MIP-LI) was visualized in the nervous system and peripheral organs of Locusta migratoria by means of the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. A total of 12 specific immunoreactive neurons was found in the brain. Processes of these neurons innervate the protocerebral bridge the central body complex and distinct neuropil areas in the proto- and tritocerebrum but not in the deuterocerebrum nor in the optic lobes. The glandular cells of the corpora cardiaca, known to produce adipokinetic hormones, are contacted by Lom-MIP-LI fibers. The corpora allata were innervated by the nervus corporis allati I containing immunoreactive fibers. Lom-MIP-LI cell bodies were also found in the subesophageal ganglion, the metathoracic ganglion and the abdominal ganglia I-IV. In peripheral muscles, Lom-MIP-LI fibers innervate the heart, the oviduct, and the hindgut. In the salivary glands, Lom-MIP-LI was detected in the intracellular ductule of the parietal cells. Possible functions of Lom-MIP are discussed.

The effect of acacia gum and a water-soluble dietary fiber mixture on blood lipids in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, C D; Spiller, G A; Gates, J E; Miller, A F; Whittam, J H

1993-04-01

Water-soluble dietary fibers (WSDF) are generally thought to lower cholesterol. This study compared the cholesterol-lowering effects of a medium viscosity WSDF mixture (psyllium, pectin, guar gum and locust bean gum) with an equal amount of WSDF from acacia gum, which has a lower viscosity. Hypercholesterolemic males (n = 13) and females (n = 16) were randomly assigned to one of two WSDF treatments provided in a low-calorie powder form for mixing into beverages (powders into their usual beverages and to consume them three times daily (5 g WSDF/serving) for 4 weeks while consuming their typical fat-modified diets. Exercise and body weights were also held constant. The WSDF mixture yielded a 10% decrease in plasma total cholesterol (from 251 +/- 20 to 225 +/- 19 mg/dL; p gum-treated group showed no change in any plasma lipid parameters. The WSDF treatments did not produce significant changes in mean dietary intakes within or between treatment groups. These data support previous findings that a diet rich in select WSDF can be a useful cholesterol-lowering adjunct to a fat-modified diet, but that caution should be exercised in ascribing cholesterol-lowering efficacy to dietary fibers based solely on their WSDF classification. Finally, WSDF viscosity is a potential cholesterol-lowering factor to be explored further.

Ice recrystallization inhibition in ice cream as affected by ice structuring proteins from winter wheat grass.

Science.gov (United States)

Regand, A; Goff, H D

2006-01-01

Ice recrystallization in quiescently frozen sucrose solutions that contained some of the ingredients commonly found in ice cream and in ice cream manufactured under commercial conditions, with or without ice structuring proteins (ISP) from cold-acclimated winter wheat grass extract (AWWE), was assessed by bright field microscopy. In sucrose solutions, critical differences in moisture content, viscosity, ionic strength, and other properties derived from the presence of other ingredients (skim milk powder, corn syrup solids, locust bean gum) caused a reduction in ice crystal growth. Significant ISP activity in retarding ice crystal growth was observed in all solutions (44% for the most complex mix) containing 0.13% total protein from AWWE. In heat-shocked ice cream, ice recrystallization rates were significantly reduced 40 and 46% with the addition of 0.0025 and 0.0037% total protein from AWWE. The ISP activity in ice cream was not hindered by its inclusion in mix prior to pasteurization. A synergistic effect between ISP and stabilizer was observed, as ISP activity was reduced in the absence of stabilizer in ice cream formulations. A remarkably smoother texture for ice creams containing ISP after heat-shock storage was evident by sensory evaluation. The efficiency of ISP from AWWE in controlling ice crystal growth in ice cream has been demonstrated.

Degree of roasting of carob flour affecting the properties of gluten-free cakes and cookies.

Science.gov (United States)

Román, Laura; González, Ana; Espina, Teresa; Gómez, Manuel

2017-06-01

Carob flour is a product rich in fibre obtained from by-products of the locust bean gum extraction processing. The flour is commercialised with different degrees of roasting in order to improve its organoleptic characteristics. In this study, carob flour with three different roasting degrees was used to replace rice flour (15%) in gluten-free cakes and cookies. The influence of this replacement was studied on the psychochemical characteristics and acceptability of the final products. The incorporation of carob flour increased the viscosity of cake batters and increased the solid elastic-like behaviour of the cookie doughs, indicating a stronger interaction among the formula ingredients. The inclusion of carob flour, with a low time of roasting, did not lead to any significant differences in the specific volume and hardness of the cakes, but reduced cake staling and the thickness and width of the cookies. Darker colours were obtained when carob flour was incorporated into the product. The acceptability of cakes was only reduced with the addition of highly roasted carob flour, while in the case of cookies there was a decline in the acceptability of all carob flour cookies, which was mostly perceived with the highest roasting degree, something mainly attributed to the bitter taste of the products.

Long-range seasonal migration in insects: mechanisms, evolutionary drivers and ecological consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Jason W; Reynolds, Don R; Wilson, Kenneth

2015-03-01

Myriad tiny insect species take to the air to engage in windborne migration, but entomology also has its 'charismatic megafauna' of butterflies, large moths, dragonflies and locusts. The spectacular migrations of large day-flying insects have long fascinated humankind, and since the advent of radar entomology much has been revealed about high-altitude night-time insect migrations. Over the last decade, there have been significant advances in insect migration research, which we review here. In particular, we highlight: (1) notable improvements in our understanding of lepidopteran navigation strategies, including the hitherto unsuspected capabilities of high-altitude migrants to select favourable winds and orientate adaptively, (2) progress in unravelling the neuronal mechanisms underlying sun compass orientation and in identifying the genetic complex underpinning key traits associated with migration behaviour and performance in the monarch butterfly, and (3) improvements in our knowledge of the multifaceted interactions between disease agents and insect migrants, in terms of direct effects on migration success and pathogen spread, and indirect effects on the evolution of migratory systems. We conclude by highlighting the progress that can be made through inter-phyla comparisons, and identify future research areas that will enhance our understanding of insect migration strategies within an eco-evolutionary perspective. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Radiation Synthesis of Superabsorbent Polymers Based on Natural Polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, Murat; Hayrabolulu, Hande

2010-01-01

The objectives of proposed research contract were first synthesize superabsorbent polymers based on natural polymers to be used as disposable diapers and soil conditioning materials in agriculture, horticulture and other super adsorbent using industries. We have planned to use the natural polymers; locust beam gum, tara gum, guar gum and sodium alginate on the preparation of natural superabsorbent polymers(SAP). The aqueous solution of natural polymers and their blends with trace amount of monomer and cross-linking agents will be irradiated in paste like conditions by gamma rays for the preparation of cross-linked superabsorbent systems. The water absorption and deswellling capacity of prepared super adsorbents and retention capacity, absorbency under load, suction power, swelling pressure and pet-rewet properties will be determined. Use of these materials instead of synthetic super absorbents will be examined by comparing the performance of finished products. The experimental studies achieved in the second year of project mainly on the effect of radiation on the chemistry of sodium alginate polymers in different irradiation conditions and structure-property relationship particularly with respect to radiation induced changes on the molecular weight of natural polymers and preliminary studies on the synthesis of natural-synthetic hydride super adsorbent polymers were given in details

The Influence of pH on the Scleroglucan and Scleroglucan/Borax Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazzuca, Claudia; Bocchinfuso, Gianfranco; Palleschi, Antonio; Conflitti, Paolo; Grassi, Mario; Di Meo, Chiara; Alhaique, Franco; Coviello, Tommasina

2017-03-09

The effects that an increase of environmental pH has on the triple helix of scleroglucan (Sclg) and on the Sclg/borax hydrogel are reported. Rheological experiments show that the hydrogel is less sensitive to pH increase than Sclg alone, while at pH = 14 a dramatic viscosity decrease takes place for both systems. This effect is evidenced also by the reduced water uptake and anisotropic elongation detected, at pH = 14, by the swelling behaviour of tablets prepared with the Sclg/borax system. On the opposite, a different behaviour was observed with guar gum and locust bean gum tablets, tested as reference polysaccharides. The effect of pH on the structure of Sclg and Sclg/borax was investigated also by means of spectroscopic approaches based on the interaction between Congo red (CR) and the Sclg triple helix. Obtained results indicated that the CR absorbance maximum is shifted as a function of pH and by the presence of borax. Principal component analysis allowed very precise identification of the pH value at which the Sclg helix collapses. Molecular dynamics simulations of the Sclg/borax-CR complex indicated that, at physiological pH, only a few ordered configurations are populated, according to the induced circular dichroism (CD) spectrum evidence.

Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric characterisation of plant gums in samples from painted works of art.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonaduce, Ilaria; Brecoulaki, Hariclia; Colombini, Maria Perla; Lluveras, Anna; Restivo, Vincenzo; Ribechini, Erika

2007-12-21

This paper presents an analytical GC-MS procedure to study the chemical composition of plant gums, determining aldoses and uronic acids in one step. The procedure is based on the silylation of aldoses and uronic acids, released from plant gums by microwave assisted hydrolysis, and previously converted into the corresponding diethyl-dithioacetals and diethyl-dithioacetal lactones. Using this method only one peak for each compound is obtained, thus providing simple and highly reproducible chromatograms. The analytical procedure was optimised using reference samples of raw plant gums (arabic, karaya, ghatti, guar, locust bean and tragacanth, cherry, plum and peach gums), commercial watercolours and paint layers prepared according to ancient recipes at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence (Italy). To identify gum media in samples of unknown composition, a decisional schema for the gum identification and the principal component analysis of the relative sugar percentage contents were employed. The procedure was used to study samples collected from wall paintings from Macedonian tombs (4th-3rd centuries bc) and from the Mycenaean "Palace of Nestor" (13th century bc) in Pylos, Greece. The presence of carbohydrates was ascertained and plant gum binders (fruit and a mixture of tragacanth and fruit tree gums) were identified in some of the samples.

Production of the biopesticide azadirachtin by hairy root cultivation of Azadirachta indica in liquid-phase bioreactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Srivastava, Smita; Srivastava, Ashok K

2013-11-01

Batch cultivation of Azadirachta indica hairy roots was carried out in different liquid-phase bioreactor configurations (stirred-tank, bubble column, bubble column with polypropylene basket, and polyurethane foam disc as root supports) to investigate possible scale-up of the A. indica hairy root culture for in vitro production of the biopesticide azadirachtin. The hairy roots failed to grow in the conventional bioreactor designs (stirred tank and bubble column). However, modified bubble column reactor (with polyurethane foam as root support) configuration facilitated high-density culture of A. indica hairy roots with a biomass production of 9.2 g l(-1)dry weight and azadirachtin yield of 3.2 mg g(-1) leading to a volumetric productivity of azadirachtin as 1.14 mg l(-1) day(-1). The antifeedant activity in the hairy roots was also evaluated by no choice feeding tests with known concentrations of the hairy root powder and its solvent extract separately on the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. The hairy root powder and its solvent extract demonstrated a high level of antifeedant activity (with an antifeedant index of 97 % at a concentration of 2 % w/v and 83 % at a concentration of 0.05 % (w/v), respectively, in ethanol).

The Influence of pH on the Scleroglucan and Scleroglucan/Borax Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Mazzuca

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The effects that an increase of environmental pH has on the triple helix of scleroglucan (Sclg and on the Sclg/borax hydrogel are reported. Rheological experiments show that the hydrogel is less sensitive to pH increase than Sclg alone, while at pH = 14 a dramatic viscosity decrease takes place for both systems. This effect is evidenced also by the reduced water uptake and anisotropic elongation detected, at pH = 14, by the swelling behaviour of tablets prepared with the Sclg/borax system. On the opposite, a different behaviour was observed with guar gum and locust bean gum tablets, tested as reference polysaccharides. The effect of pH on the structure of Sclg and Sclg/borax was investigated also by means of spectroscopic approaches based on the interaction between Congo red (CR and the Sclg triple helix. Obtained results indicated that the CR absorbance maximum is shifted as a function of pH and by the presence of borax. Principal component analysis allowed very precise identification of the pH value at which the Sclg helix collapses. Molecular dynamics simulations of the Sclg/borax–CR complex indicated that, at physiological pH, only a few ordered configurations are populated, according to the induced circular dichroism (CD spectrum evidence.

Genome mining and motif truncation of glycoside hydrolase family 5 endo-β-1,4-mannanase encoded by Aspergillus oryzae RIB40 for potential konjac flour hydrolysis or feed additive.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Cun-Duo; Shi, Hong-Ling; Tang, Qing-Hai; Zhou, Jun-Shi; Yao, Lun-Guang; Jiao, Zhu-Jin; Kan, Yun-Chao

2016-11-01

Two novel glycosyl hydrolase family 5 (GH5) β-mannanases (AoMan5A and AoMan5B) were identified from Aspergillus oryzae RIB40 by genome mining. The AoMan5A contains a predicted family 1 carbohydrate binding module (CBM-1), located at its N-terminal. The AoMan5A, AoMan5B and truncated mutant AoMan5AΔCL (truncating the N-terminal CBM and linker of AoMan5A) were expressed retaining the N-terminus of the native protein in Pichia pastoris GS115 by pPIC9K M . The specific enzyme activity of the purified reAoMan5A, reAoMan5B and reAoMan5AΔCL towards locust bean gum at pH 3.6 and 40°C for 10min, was 8.3, 104.2 and 15.8U/mg, respectively. The temperature properties of the reAoMan5AΔCL were improved by truncating CBM. They can degrade the pretreated konjac flour and produce prebiotics. In addition, they had excellent stability under simulative gastric fluid and simulative prilling process. All these properties make these recombinant β-mannanases potential additives for use in the food and feed industries. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

First-Year Vitality of Reforestation Plantings in Response to Herbivore Exclusion on Reclaimed Appalachian Surface-Mined Land

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Zachary J. Hackworth

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Conventional Appalachian surface-mine reclamation techniques repress natural forest regeneration, and tree plantings are often necessary for reforestation. Reclaimed Appalachian surface mines harbor a suite of mammal herbivores that forage on recently planted seedlings. Anecdotal reports across Appalachia have implicated herbivory in the hindrance and failure of reforestation efforts, yet empirical evaluation of herbivory impacts on planted seedling vitality in this region remains relatively uninitiated. First growing-season survival, height growth, and mammal herbivory damage of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L., shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill., and white oak (Quercus alba L. are presented in response to varying intensities of herbivore exclusion. Seedling survival was generally high, and height growth was positive for all species. The highest herbivory incidence of all tree species was observed in treatments offering no herbivore exclusion. While seedling protectors lowered herbivory incidence compared with no exclusion, full exclusion treatments resulted in the greatest reduction of herbivore damage. Although herbivory from rabbits, small mammals, and domestic animals was observed, cervids (deer and elk were responsible for 95.8% of all damaged seedlings. This study indicates that cervids forage heavily on planted seedlings during the first growing-season, but exclusion is effective at reducing herbivory.

Cloning, expression in Pichia pastoris, and characterization of a thermostable GH5 mannan endo-1,4-β-mannosidase from Aspergillus niger BK01

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Sigoillot Jean-Claude

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mannans are key components of lignocellulose present in the hemicellulosic fraction of plant primary cell walls. Mannan endo-1,4-β-mannosidases (1,4-β-D-mannanases catalyze the random hydrolysis of β-1,4-mannosidic linkages in the main chain of β-mannans. Biodegradation of β-mannans by the action of thermostable mannan endo-1,4-β-mannosidase offers significant technical advantages in biotechnological industrial applications, i.e. delignification of kraft pulps or the pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass rich in mannan for the production of second generation biofuels, as well as for applications in oil and gas well stimulation, extraction of vegetable oils and coffee beans, and the production of value-added products such as prebiotic manno-oligosaccharides (MOS. Results A gene encoding mannan endo-1,4-β-mannosidase or 1,4-β-D-mannan mannanohydrolase (E.C. 3.2.1.78, commonly termed β-mannanase, from Aspergillus niger BK01, which belongs to glycosyl hydrolase family 5 (GH5, was cloned and successfully expressed heterologously (up to 243 μg of active recombinant protein per mL in Pichia pastoris. The enzyme was secreted by P. pastoris and could be collected from the culture supernatant. The purified enzyme appeared glycosylated as a single band on SDS-PAGE with a molecular mass of approximately 53 kDa. The recombinant β-mannanase is highly thermostable with a half-life time of approximately 56 h at 70°C and pH 4.0. The optimal temperature (10-min assay and pH value for activity are 80°C and pH 4.5, respectively. The enzyme is not only active towards structurally different mannans but also exhibits low activity towards birchwood xylan. Apparent Km values of the enzyme for konjac glucomannan (low viscosity, locust bean gum galactomannan, carob galactomannan (low viscosity, and 1,4-β-D-mannan (from carob are 0.6 mg mL-1, 2.0 mg mL-1, 2.2 mg mL-1 and 1.5 mg mL-1, respectively, while the kcat values for these

Histological study on the effect of He-Ne laser on the compound eyes of the locust Schistocerca Gregaria Forsk (Orthoptera-Acridiidae)

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Abd El-Meguid, A.; El-Gundi, A.M.; Osiris, W.G.; El-Kes, N.

1996-01-01

In the present study, the effect of the He-Ne laser beam at different exposure periods (10,30 and 60 minutes) on the histological structure of the compound eyes of Schistocerca Gregaria Forsk is investigated. This study shows that various remarkable changes occurred in the histological structure of the right exposed eye (R) as in the left eye (L) (unexposed eye of the same insect), which may be due to a change in the micro-environment of the compound eyes, affected by the laser beam, furthermore, damage in the photoreceptors of the compound eyes of the insect was observed. 23 figs

Comparison of reproductive traits of regular and irradiated male desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Evidence of last-male sperm precedence

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Severin Dushimirimana

2012-02-01

The sterile insect technique (SIT is increasingly used to control pest insect populations. The success of SIT control programs depends on the ability to release sterile males and on the capacity of sterile males to compete with wild males to inseminate wild females. In this study, we evaluated the mating performance of Schistocerca gregaria (Försk. males irradiated with 4 Gray. We compared reproductive traits, such as duration of precopulation time, mating duration, quantity of sperm stored by females after copulation, number of females mated successively and postmating competition of irradiated males with non-irradiated males. Irradiated males were able to mate but the resulting number of offspring was dramatically reduced compared to the average number of offspring observed during a regular mating. During a single copulation, irradiated males transferred fewer sperm than regular males but, theoretically, this quantity is enough to fertilize all the eggs produced by a female during its reproductive life. Irradiated males also had the ability to remove sperm from a previous mating with unirraditated males. This new information on the mating strategies helps explain the post-copulation guarding behaviour of S. gregaria.

Effects of tannic acid on trypsin and leucine aminopeptidase activities in gypsy moth larval midgut

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Mrdaković Marija

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of allelochemical stress on genetic variations in the specific activities of gypsy moth digestive enzymes (trypsin and leucine aminopeptidase and relative midgut mass (indirect measure of food consumption, as well as variability in their plasticity, were investigated in fifth instar gypsy moths originating from two populations with different trophic adaptations (oak and locust-tree forests. Thirty-two full-sib families from the Quercus population and twenty-six full-sib families from the Robinia population were reared on an artificial diet with or without supplementation with tannic acid. Between population differences were observed as higher average specific activity of trypsin and relative midgut mass in larvae from the Robinia population. Significant broad-sense heritabilities were observed for the specific activity of trypsin in the control state, and for specific activity of leucine aminopeptidase in a stressful environment. Significantly lower heritability for relative midgut mass was recorded in larvae from the Robinia population reared under stressful conditions. Significant variability of trypsin plasticity in larvae from both populations and significant variability of leucine aminopeptidase plasticity in larvae from the Robinia population point to the potential for the evolution of enzyme adaptive plastic responses to the presence of stressor. Non-significant across-environment genetic correlations do not represent a constraint for the evolution of enzyme plasticity. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 173027

Left-right asymmetries of behaviour and nervous system in invertebrates.

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Frasnelli, Elisa; Vallortigara, Giorgio; Rogers, Lesley J

2012-04-01

Evidence of left-right asymmetries in invertebrates has begun to emerge, suggesting that lateralization of the nervous system may be a feature of simpler brains as well as more complex ones. A variety of studies have revealed sensory and motor asymmetries in behaviour, as well as asymmetries in the nervous system, in invertebrates. Asymmetries in behaviour are apparent in olfaction (antennal asymmetries) and in vision (preferential use of the left or right visual hemifield during activities such as foraging or escape from predators) in animals as different as bees, fruitflies, cockroaches, octopuses, locusts, ants, spiders, crabs, snails, water bugs and cuttlefish. Asymmetries of the nervous system include lateralized position of specific brain structures (e.g., in fruitflies and snails) and of specific neurons (e.g., in nematodes). As in vertebrates, lateralization can occur both at the individual and at the population-level in invertebrates. Theoretical models have been developed supporting the hypothesis that the alignment of the direction of behavioural and brain asymmetries at the population-level could have arisen as a result of social selective pressures, when individually asymmetrical organisms had to coordinate with each other. The evidence reviewed suggests that lateralization at the population-level may be more likely to occur in social species among invertebrates, as well as vertebrates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined small and large bowel MR imaging in patients with Crohn's disease: a feasibility study

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Narin, Burcu; Ajaj, Waleed; Goehde, Susanne; Lauenstein, Thomas C.; Langhorst, Jost; Gerken, Guido; Akgoez, Haldun; Ruehm, Stefan G.

2004-01-01

MRI of the small bowel is a new method for the assessment of inflammatory bowel diseases. However, inflammatory bowel disease can affect both the small and large bowel. Therefore, our goal was to assess the feasibility of displaying the small bowel and colon simultaneously by MR imaging. Eighteen patients with inflammatory bowel disease were studied. For small bowel distension, patients ingested a solution containing mannitol and locust bean gum. Furthermore, the colon was rectally filled with water. MR examinations were performed on a 1.5-T system. Before and after intravenous gadolinium administration, a T1w data set was collected. All patients underwent conventional colonoscopy as a standard of reference. The oral ingestion and the rectal application of water allowed an assessment of the small bowel and colon in all patients. By means of MRI (endoscopy), 19 (13) inflamed bowel segments in the colon and terminal ileum were detected. Furthermore, eight additional inflammatory lesions in the jejunum and proximal ileum that had not been endoscopically accessible were found by MRI. The simultaneous display of the small and large bowel by MRI is feasible. Major advantages of the proposed MR concept are related to its non-invasive character as well as to the potential to visualize parts of the small bowel that cannot be reached by endoscopy. (orig.)

Wild North Island Robins (Petroica longipes respond to Prey Animacy

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Alexis Garland

2014-08-01

Full Text Available North Island robins of New Zealand are a food hoarding species, which is unique in that they almost exclusively cache highly perishable hunted insects for later retrieval. In order to do so, they either kill and dismember or paralyze their prey for caching, depending on the prey size and kind. The present study comprises two experiments, using a Violation of Expectancy (VoE paradigm to examine variation in search behavior response to different prey conditions. The first experiment presents three different types of prey (mealworms, earthworms and locusts in expected (present and unexpected (absent conditions. The second experiment presents prey in varying states of animacy (alive and whole, dead and whole, dead and halved, and an inanimate stick and reveals prey in expected (same state or unexpected (differing state conditions. While robins did not respond with differential search times to different types of unexpectedly missing prey in Experiment 1, in Experiment 2 robins searched longer in conditions where prey was found in a differing state of animacy than initially shown. Robins also searched longer for prey when immediately consuming retrieved prey than when caching retrieved prey. Results indicate that North Island robins may be sensitive to prey animacy upon storage and retrieval of insect prey; such information could play a role in storage, pilfering and retrieval strategies of such a perishable food source.

Assessment of open-field PV systems using methodologies from the field of nature conservation. Final report as of January 2006; Naturschutzfachliche Bewertungsmethoden von Freilandphotovoltaikanlagen. Endbericht - Stand Januar 2006

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Herden, Christoph; Rassmus, Joerg [GFN - Gesellschaft fuer Freilandoekologie und Naturschutzplanung mbH, Kiel (Germany); Gharadjedaghi, Bahram [GFN-Umweltplanung, Bayreuth (Germany)

2009-07-01

The environmental impacts of ground-mounted solar plants were investigated, using the following criteria: state of vegetation (effects of shadow and different land use); habitat use of medium and lare sized mammals (effect of fencing, avoidance behaviour); habitat use of breeding and resting birds; reactions and movements of approaching migrating birds; habitat use of selected invertebrates, e.g. locusts; attraction of water insects caused by possible resemblance between modules and water surfaces; changes of landscape. It was found that the transformation of formerly intensively used croplands into extensively used green areas may lead to a considerable improvement of habitats, especially for many plant and invertebrate species. The following aspects may be problematic: construction work (ground sealing and compression, traffic noise); change of habitat due to shading and coverage by modules; fencing of the site (loss of habitat, segmentation and isolation of large species habitats); modified land use and changes in vegetation structure; visual effects that may devaluate habitats in neighbouring areas for open-land bird communities; reflection of horizontally polarized light which resembles that of water surfaces. The degree of conflict is greatly determined by the environmental value of the designated project areas, and consequently conflicts can be significantly reduced by a careful choice of location. There are still knowledge gaps concerning the long-term effects of single impacts, and further research will be required. (orig./AKB)

Caution: Reptile pets shuttle grasshopper allergy and asthma into homes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen-Jarolim, Erika; Pali-Schöll, Isabella; Jensen, Sebastian A F; Robibaro, Bruno; Kinaciyan, Tamar

2015-01-01

The numbers of reptiles in homes has at least doubled in the last decade in Europe and the USA. Reptile purchases are increasingly triggered by the attempt to avoid potentially allergenic fur pets like dogs and cats. Consequently, reptiles are today regarded as surrogate pets initiating a closer relationship with the owner than ever previously observed. Reptile pets are mostly fed with insects, especially grasshoppers and/or locusts, which are sources for aggressive airborne allergens, best known from occupational insect breeder allergies. Exposure in homes thus introduces a new form of domestic allergy to grasshoppers and related insects. Accordingly, an 8-year old boy developed severe bronchial hypersensitivity and asthma within 4 months after purchase of a bearded dragon. The reptile was held in the living room and regularly fed with living grasshoppers. In the absence of a serological allergy diagnosis test, an IgE immunoblot on grasshopper extract and prick-to-prick test confirmed specific sensitization to grasshoppers. After 4 years of allergen avoidance, a single respiratory exposure was sufficient to trigger a severe asthma attack again in the patient. Based on literature review and the clinical example we conclude that reptile keeping is associated with introducing potent insect allergens into home environments. Patient interviews during diagnostic procedure should therefore by default include the question about reptile pets in homes.

Characterisation and solution properties of a galactomannan from Bauhinia monandra seeds.

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Nwokocha, Louis M; Senan, Chandra; Williams, Peter A; Yadav, Madhav P

2017-08-01

This study reports on the chemical and physicochemical properties of the polysaccharide isolated from Bauhinia monandra seeds. The seeds were found to contain 17.8% polysaccharide which consisted predominantly of galactose and mannose. The Man/Gal ratio was found to be approximately 4:1and the average molar mass was 2.54×10 5 g/mol. The extracted material was also found to contain a small amount of protein (5.35%). The galactomannan produced highly viscous solution; the viscosity-shear rate profile was best described by the Williamson model. The mechanical spectrum of a 0.5wt% solution showed that G″ was greater than G' over the frequency range employed while at higher concentrations G' became greater than G″ above a critical frequency. The solutions obeyed the Cox-Merz rule at low concentrations, but there was some deviation at higher concentrations. Viscosity measurements were undertaken over a range of temperatures and the activation energy of viscous flow was found to be 20.75kJ/mol. The rheological properties of solutions of B. monandra galactomannan indicate that it has comparable characteristics to other commercially important galactomannans such as guar gum and locust bean gum and hence has potential as a thickener in the formulation of food and other related products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biolistic co-transformation of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum strain CG423 with green fluorescent protein and resistance to glufosinate ammonium.

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Inglis, P W; Aragão, F J; Frazão, H; Magalhães, B P; Valadares-Inglis, M C

2000-10-15

Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (syn. M. flavoviride) is recognized as a highly specific and virulent mycopathogen of locusts and grasshoppers and is currently being developed as a biological control agent for this group of insects in Brazil. Intact conidia of M. anisopliae var. acridum strain CG423 were transformed using microparticle bombardment. Plasmids used were: (1) pBARKS1 carrying the bar gene of Streptomyces hygroscopicus fused to the Aspergillus nidulans trpC promoter, encoding resistance to glufosinate ammonium (or phosphinothricin) and modified by addition of the telomeric repeat (TTAGGG)(18) of Fusarium oxysporum and 2.pEGFP/gpd/tel carrying a red-shifted variant gene for Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (EGFP) which we have fused to the A. nidulans gpd promoter and trpC terminator. Highly fluorescent co-transformants were selected on solid minimal medium containing 100 microg ml(-1) glufosinate ammonium using an inverted microscope with 450-490 nm excitation/510 nm emission filter set. Southern blot analysis of co-transformants revealed varying multiple chromosomal integrations of both bar and egfp genes at both telomeric and non-telomeric loci. Transformants retained pathogenicity in bioassays against Rhammatocerus schistocercoides and showed unaltered lack of pathogenicity against larvae of the non-target insect Anticarsia gemmatalis. One co-transformant from four tested, however, showed a significant, but non-dose-dependent, elevation in virulence against Tenebrio molitor.

Swarming and pattern formation due to selective attraction and repulsion.

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Romanczuk, Pawel; Schimansky-Geier, Lutz

2012-12-06

We discuss the collective dynamics of self-propelled particles with selective attraction and repulsion interactions. Each particle, or individual, may respond differently to its neighbours depending on the sign of their relative velocity. Thus, it is able to distinguish approaching (coming closer) and retreating (moving away) individuals. This differentiation of the social response is motivated by the response to looming visual stimuli and may be seen as a generalization of the previously proposed escape and pursuit interactions motivated by empirical evidence for cannibalism as a driving force of collective migration in locusts and Mormon crickets. The model can account for different types of behaviour such as pure attraction, pure repulsion or escape and pursuit, depending on the values (signs) of the different response strengths. It provides, in the light of recent experimental results, an interesting alternative to previously proposed models of collective motion with an explicit velocity-alignment interaction. We discuss the derivation of a coarse-grained description of the system dynamics, which allows us to derive analytically the necessary condition for emergence of collective motion. Furthermore, we analyse systematically the onset of collective motion and clustering in numerical simulations of the model for varying interaction strengths. We show that collective motion arises only in a subregion of the parameter space, which is consistent with the analytical prediction and corresponds to an effective escape and/or pursuit response.

Regulation of cuticle-degrading subtilisin proteases from the entomopathogenic fungi, Lecanicillium spp: implications for host specificity.

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Bye, Natasha J; Charnley, A Keith

2008-01-01

The ability to produce cuticle-degrading proteases to facilitate host penetration does not distinguish per se entomopathogenic fungi from saprophytes. However, adapted pathogens may produce host-protein specific enzymes in response to cues. This possibility prompted an investigation of the regulation of isoforms of the subtilisin Pr1-like proteases from five aphid-pathogenic isolates of Lecanicillium spp. Significant differences were found in substrate specificity and regulation of Pr1-like proteases between isoforms of the same isolate and between different isolates. For example, the pI 8.6 isoform from KV71 was considerably more active against aphid than locust cuticle and was induced specifically by N-acetylglucosamine (NAG). Isoform pI 9.1 from the same isolate was only produced on insect cuticle while most other isoforms were more prominent on chitin containing substrates but not induced by NAG. The ability to regulate isoforms independently may allow production at critical points in host penetration. Appearance of proteases (not subtilisins) with pI 4.2 and 4.4 only on aphid cuticle was a possible link with host specificity of KV71. The absence of C or N metabolite repression in subtilisins from KV42 is unusual for pathogen proteases and may help to account for differences in virulence strategy between aphid-pathogenic isolates of Lecanicillium longisporum (unpublished data).

The information value of non-genetic inheritance in plants and animals.

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Sinead English

Full Text Available Parents influence the development of their offspring in many ways beyond the transmission of DNA. This includes transfer of epigenetic states, nutrients, antibodies and hormones, and behavioural interactions after birth. While the evolutionary consequences of such non-genetic inheritance are increasingly well understood, less is known about how inheritance mechanisms evolve. Here, we present a simple but versatile model to explore the adaptive evolution of non-genetic inheritance. Our model is based on a switch mechanism that produces alternative phenotypes in response to different inputs, including genes and non-genetic factors transmitted from parents and the environment experienced during development. This framework shows how genetic and non-genetic inheritance mechanisms and environmental conditions can act as cues by carrying correlational information about future selective conditions. Differential use of these cues is manifested as different degrees of genetic, parental or environmental morph determination. We use this framework to evaluate the conditions favouring non-genetic inheritance, as opposed to genetic determination of phenotype or within-generation plasticity, by applying it to two putative examples of adaptive non-genetic inheritance: maternal effects on seed germination in plants and transgenerational phase shift in desert locusts. Our simulation models show how the adaptive value of non-genetic inheritance depends on its mechanism, the pace of environmental change, and life history characteristics.

A RP-HPLC method for quantification of diclofenac sodium released from biological macromolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Shiv Sankar; Banerjee, Subham; Ghosh, Ashoke Kumar; Chattopadhyay, Pronobesh; Verma, Anurag; Ghosh, Amitava

2013-07-01

Interpenetrating network (IPN) microbeads of sodium carboxymethyl locust bean gum (SCMLBG) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) containing diclofenac sodium (DS), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, were prepared by single water-in-water (w/w) emulsion gelation process using AlCl3 as cross-linking agent in a complete aqueous environment. Pharmacokinetic study of these IPN microbeads was then carried out by a simple and feasible high-performance liquid chromatographic method with UV detection which was developed and validated for the quantification of diclofenac sodium in rabbit plasma. The chromatographic separation was carried out in a Hypersil BDS, C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm; 5 m). The mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile and methanol (70:30, v/v) at a flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The UV detection was set at 276 nm. The extraction recovery of diclofenac sodium in plasma of three quality control (QC) samples was ranged from 81.52% to 95.29%. The calibration curve was linear in the concentration range of 20-1000 ng/ml with the correlation coefficient (r(2)) above 0.9951. The method was specific and sensitive with the limit of quantification of 20 ng/ml. In stability tests, diclofenac sodium in rabbit plasma was stable during storage and assay procedure. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Isolation and structure elucidation of neuropeptides of the AKH/RPCH family in long-horned grasshoppers (Ensifera).

Science.gov (United States)

Gäde, G

1992-11-01

An identical neuropeptide was isolated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography from the corpora cardiaca of the king cricket, Libanasidus vittatus, and the two armoured ground crickets, Heterodes namaqua and Acanthoproctus cervinus. The crude gland extracts had adipokinetic activity in migratory locusts, hypertrehalosaemic activity in American cockroaches and a slight hypertrehalosaemic, but no adipokinetic, effect in armoured ground crickets. The primary structure of this neuropeptide was determined by pulsed-liquid phase sequencing employing Edman chemistry after enzymically deblocking the N-terminal 5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid residue. The C-terminus was also blocked, as indicated by the lack of digestion by carboxypeptidase A. The peptide was assigned the structure [symbol: see text]Glu-Leu-Asn-Phe-Ser-Thr-Gly-TrpNH2, previously designated Scg-AKH-II. The corpora cardiaca of the cricket Gryllodes sigillatus contained a neuropeptide which differed in retention time from the one isolated from the king and armoured ground crickets. The structure was assigned as [symbol: see text]Glu-Val-Asn-Phe-Ser-Thr-Gly-TrpNH2, previously designated Grb-AKH. This octapeptide caused hyperlipaemia in its donor species. The presence of the same peptide, Scg-AKH-II, in the two primitive infraorders of Ensifera, and the different peptide, Grb-AKH, in the most advanced infraorder of Ensifera, supports the evolutionary trends assigned formerly from morphological and physiological evidence.

Increasing the biomass production level of dedicated or semi-dedicated woody crops. Mains lessons learned from the SYLVABIOM project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastien, Jean-Charles; Bodineau, Guillaume; Gauvin, Jean; Berthelot, Alain; Maine, Patrice; Brignolas, Franck; Maury, Stephane; Le Jan, Isabelle; Delaunay, Alain; Charnet, Francois; Merzeau, Dominique; Marron, Nicolas; Dalle, Erwin; Toillon, Julien

2015-01-01

For three species (poplar, black locust and willow) cultivated as short or very short rotation coppices (SRC/ VSRC), the project relied on monitoring growth and efficiency with which trees use water and nitrogen in a network of four experimental sites, located in contrasting stations. The relevance of DNA methylation levels as an early marker of the level of productivity was also evaluated. For short-rotation plantations (SRP), the project was based on the collection of growth and biomass data in experimental networks, to build compartmented biomass yield tables (trunk, bark, branches and leaves) for forest species for which the literature is scarce. Significant differences appear, both in SRC and VSRC, between the three species, and between intraspecific genotypes for biomass production, its phenology, architecture, leaf structure, and resource use efficiency. The pedo-climatic conditions and the planting density modulated the complex relationships between these traits. Measurement of apex or leaf DNA methylation rate may be a good predictor for the growth potential in poplar. Mean annual biomass production ranging from 7 to 13 dry tons/ha can be expected at age 20 years with fast-growing conifers grown in SRP on site types other than those used for SRC and VSRC. Moreover, very significant genetic gains on biomass production in SRP are also offered by selection of efficient genotypes. (authors)

Ethanol production by immobilized cells with forced substrate supply

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitani, Y.; Nishizawa, Y.; Nagai, S.

1984-01-01

Ethanol fermentation by a forced substrate supply into an immobilized cell layer was carried out to increase the ethanol production rate and to eliminate the diffusion dependency of substrate supply in an ordinary immobilized cell reaction. Saccharomyces cerevisiae IFO 2347 was immobilized in a mixture of k-carrageenan, locust bean gum, and celite (2: 0.5: 40 wt/vol %). A glucose minimal medium was fed into the immobilized cell layer (5 to 22 mm in thickness) at retention times between 0.6 and 2.8 h under pressure. The stable ethanol fermentation could be maintained for more than 3 weeks with an ethanol yield of 0.48 g ethanol/g glucose and ethanol productivity of 63 g.(l gel)/sup -1/.h/sup -1/ at a retention time of 1.5 h. The yeast cells were well distributed through the gel layer with a vertical gradient, and an average cell density was ca. 8.0 X 10/sup 9/ cells/ml gel, 4-fold higher than that of ordinary immobilized cells. A small filter press reactor was constructed to examine the applicability of ethanol fermentation with this forced substrate supply. The operation could be continued for a month at a retention time of 2 h yielding 96 g/l of ethanol from 200 g/l of glucose. 6 references, 5 figures, 3 tables.

Reconsidering the Freedom Charter, the black theology of liberation and the African proverb about the locust’s head in the context of poverty in South Africa

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Ndikho Mtshiselwa

2016-07-01

Full Text Available While South Africa attained liberation from the apartheid rule in 1994, the legacy of colonialism and apartheid – in the form of poverty and economic inequality – continues to haunt black South Africans. The aim of this article is to make a case for the equitable sharing of South Africa’s mineral wealth amongst all its citizens with the view to alleviate poverty. Firstly, this article provides a reflection on the Freedom Charter and suggests that the values of the Charter, for instance, the sharing of resources and wealth, are relevant in South Africa today. Secondly, it is argued in the present article that the preferential option for the poor which is upheld in the black theology of liberation is equally relevant in post-apartheid South Africa where many black South Africans remain poor. Thirdly, this article argues that the African proverb, Bana ba motho ba ngwathelana hlogo ya tšie [The siblings share the head of a locust], also echoes the idea of equitable sharing of resources with a view to alleviate poverty. Lastly, the author submits that the idea of equitable sharing of resources and wealth that is echoed in the Freedom Charter, the black theology of liberation and the African wise saying support the equitable redistribution of the mineral wealth to the benefit of all South Africans.

Natural regeneration of trees in three types of afforested stands in the Taihang Mountains, China.

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Xitian Yang

Full Text Available Natural regeneration is the natural process by which plants replace themselves. It is a cost-effective way to re-establish vegetation, and it helps to preserve genetic identity and diversity. In this study, we investigated the natural regeneration of trees in three types of afforested stands in the Taihang Mountains, China, which were dominated by Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust, Quercus variabilis (Chinese cork oak and Platycladus orientalis (Chinese arborvitae respectively. A consistent pattern was found among the three types of stands, being that the density of seedlings was positively correlated with the overstory canopy cover and negatively correlated with the covers of shrub, herb and litter layers. While a positive correlation between the density of seedlings and stand age was found for the conifer stands, negative correlations were found for the two types of broadleaf stands. Correlations between the density of saplings and the stand attributes were not consistent among the three types of stands. The two types of broadleaf stands had higher densities of seedlings and saplings than the conifer stands. While the broadleaf stands had adequate recruits for regeneration, the conifer stands did not have enough recruits. Our findings suggest that the overstory canopy should be prevented from being disturbed, any reduction of the canopy cover will decrease the recruits and affect the regeneration.

The social context of cannibalism in migratory bands of the Mormon cricket.

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Sepideh Bazazi

Full Text Available Cannibalism has been shown to be important to the collective motion of mass migratory bands of insects, such as locusts and Mormon crickets. These mobile groups consist of millions of individuals and are highly destructive to vegetation. Individuals move in response to attacks from approaching conspecifics and bite those ahead, resulting in further movement and encounters with others. Despite the importance of cannibalism, the way in which individuals make attack decisions and how the social context affects these cannibalistic interactions is unknown. This can be understood by examining the decisions made by individuals in response to others. We performed a field investigation which shows that adult Mormon crickets were more likely to approach and attack a stationary cricket that was side-on to the flow than either head- or abdomen-on, suggesting that individuals could reduce their risk of an attack by aligning with neighbours. We found strong social effects on cannibalistic behaviour: encounters lasted longer, were more likely to result in an attack, and attacks were more likely to be successful if other individuals were present around a stationary individual. This local aggregation appears to be driven by positive feedback whereby the presence of individuals attracts others, which can lead to further crowding. This work improves our understanding of the local social dynamics driving migratory band formation, maintenance and movement at the population level.

Assessment of changes in the aroma and sensory profile of dawadawa due to modification in fermentation conditions

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Agyei-Baoteng, R.

2013-07-01

Dawadawa is the most popular traditional condiment in West Africa and is produced by the fermentation of African locust bean seeds. Though the alkaline fermentation results in the production of a tasty condiment, it has a strong ammoniacal odour which some consumers find unattractive and offensive. This work was carried out to develop procedures for reducing the pungent odour of dawadawa in order to increase its popularity and market value especially amongst non-traditional users. Various treatments were applied to the fermenting locust bean seeds 15 hours into the fermentation which lasted for a total of 96 hours. Some treatments were also tested on the beans after fermentation. Treatments which were applied during fementation were fementation under conditions of limited oxygen, low temperature fermentation, irradiation by gamma radiation and steaming. Post-fermentation treatments were partial frying and roasting after fermentation. Samples were taken during fermentation and analyzed for Bacillus count on Nutrient Agar, pH, percentage titratable acidity, moisture content by the oven dry method, crude protein content by the kjeldhal method and texture by the texture analyzer. The final product was analyzed for aroma profile by GC-MS analysis using the Dynamic Headspace Sampling (DHS) method and also by descriptive sensory analysis by a semi-trained panel. Application of all the treatments applied during fermentation resulted in a ten to a hundredfold lower Bacillus counts compared to the control sample at various stages of fermentation. The reduction in the Bacillus activities resulted in a lower rise in pH giving final pH values of 6.8 to 7.53 compared to 8.37 in the control. The rise in pH was due to the proteolytic activity of the Bacillus species which break down the proteins into peptides and amino acids and subsequently utilize the amino acids to produce ammonia leading to the rise in pH. All the samples recorded a simultaneous increase in titratable acidity

Morphological analysis of the cellular interactions between the eugregarine Gregarina garnhami (Apicomplexa) and the epithelium of its host, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Valigurová, A.; Koudela, Břetislav

2008-01-01

Roč. 44, č. 3 (2008), s. 197-207 ISSN 0932-4739 R&D Projects: GA ČR GD524/03/H133 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : Gragarina garnhami * Schistocerca gregaria * epimerite * detachment of trophozoite * cellular interactions Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.000, year: 2008

Spatial autocorrelation in farmland grasshopper assemblages (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in western France.

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Badenhausser, I; Gouat, M; Goarant, A; Cornulier, T; Bretagnolle, V

2012-10-01

Agricultural intensification in western Europe has caused a dramatic loss of grassland surfaces in farmlands, which have resulted in strong declines in grassland invertebrates, leading to cascade effects at higher trophic levels among consumers of invertebrates. Grasshoppers are important components of grassland invertebrate assemblages in European agricultural ecosystems, particularly as prey for bird species. Understanding how grasshopper populations are distributed in fragmented landscapes with low grassland availability is critical for both studies in biodiversity conservation and insect management. We assessed the range and strength of spatial autocorrelation for two grasshopper taxa (Gomphocerinae subfamily and Calliptamus italicus L.) across an intensive farmland in western France. Data from surveys carried out over 8 yr in 1,715 grassland fields were analyzed using geostatistics. Weak spatial patterns were observed at small spatial scales, suggesting important local effects of management practices on grasshopper densities. Spatial autocorrelation patterns for both grasshopper taxa were only detected at intermediate scales. For Gomphocerinae, the range of spatial autocorrelation varied from 802 to 2,613 m according to the year, depending both on grasshopper density and on grassland surfaces in the study site, whereas spatial patterns for the Italian locust were more variable and not related to grasshopper density or grassland surfaces. Spatial patterns in the distribution of Gomphocerinae supported our hypothesis that habitat availability was a major driver of grasshopper distribution in the landscape, and suggested it was related to density-dependent processes such as dispersal.

Molecular Characterization of FT and FD homologs from Eriobotrya deflexa Nakai forma koshunensis

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Ling eZhang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In angiosperms, regulation of flowering is a vital process for successful reproduction. To date, the molecular mechanism of flowering is well studied in the model plant, Arabidopsis, in which key genes such as FLOWERING LOCUST (FTor FD have been identified to regulate flowering. However, the flowering mechanisms are still largely unknown in fruit trees like loquat. To this end, we first cloned one FT- and two FD-like genes from the loquat (E. deflexa Nakai f. koshunensis and referred to as EdFT, EdFD1 and EdFD2, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that EdFT, EdFD1 and EdFD2 are conserved during the evolution process. EdFT is mainly expressed in reproductive tissues (e.g. flower buds, flowers and fruits, while EdFD1 and EdFD2 are mainly expressed in apical buds including leaf buds and flower buds. EdFT is localized in the whole cell, while EdFD1 or EdFD2 is localized in the nucleus. Ectopic expression of EdFT, EdFD1 and EdFD2 in Arabidopsis results in early flowering. In addition, we have also revealed that the EdFT interacts with both EdFD1 and EdFD2. Overall, these data suggest that the EdFT, EdFD1 and EdFD2 are the functional homologs of FT and FD, respectively, which might act together to regulate loquat flowering through a similar mechanism found in Arabidopsis.

Synaptic learning rules and sparse coding in a model sensory system.

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Luca A Finelli

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Neural circuits exploit numerous strategies for encoding information. Although the functional significance of individual coding mechanisms has been investigated, ways in which multiple mechanisms interact and integrate are not well understood. The locust olfactory system, in which dense, transiently synchronized spike trains across ensembles of antenna lobe (AL neurons are transformed into a sparse representation in the mushroom body (MB; a region associated with memory, provides a well-studied preparation for investigating the interaction of multiple coding mechanisms. Recordings made in vivo from the insect MB demonstrated highly specific responses to odors in Kenyon cells (KCs. Typically, only a few KCs from the recorded population of neurons responded reliably when a specific odor was presented. Different odors induced responses in different KCs. Here, we explored with a biologically plausible model the possibility that a form of plasticity may control and tune synaptic weights of inputs to the mushroom body to ensure the specificity of KCs' responses to familiar or meaningful odors. We found that plasticity at the synapses between the AL and the MB efficiently regulated the delicate tuning necessary to selectively filter the intense AL oscillatory output and condense it to a sparse representation in the MB. Activity-dependent plasticity drove the observed specificity, reliability, and expected persistence of odor representations, suggesting a role for plasticity in information processing and making a testable prediction about synaptic plasticity at AL-MB synapses.

Efecto de las arañas (Arachnida: Araneae como depredadoras de insectos plaga en cultivos de alfalfa (Medicago sativa (Fabaceae en Argentina

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Andrea Armendano

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Effect of spiders (Arachnida: Araneae as predators of insect pest in alfalfa crops (Medicago sativa (Fabaceae in Argentina. Spiders are predators that reduce insect pest populations in agroecosystems. Trials were conducted to measure the selectivity against different insect preys, the daily consumption, effect of predators alone and together with a known number of preys, and the indirect effect of predators on vegetation. For this, experimental units (1x1m were used covered with a fine plastic mesh. Misumenops pallidus, Oxyopes salticus and Araneus sp. were used as generalist predators, and aphids, weevils, locusts, chrysomelids and Lepidoptera larvae as their potential preys. Among the preys offered, the spiders preferred Lepidoptera larvae compared to the other two pests groups (weevils and aphids. The maximum consumption rate was of 93.33% for Lepidoptera larvae, 25.33% for aphids and 11.67% for weevils. The Q Index values for the three species of spiders showed a positive selectivity only for defoliating larvae. O. salticus showed the highest values of consumption rates while Rachiplusia nu was the most consumed. The maximum value of consumption in 24 hours was showed by O. salticus on R. nu (C=2.8. The association of several species of predatory spiders increased the total number of insects captured, and also showed that the addition of spiders caused a decrease in the number of leaves damaged by the effect of lepidopterous larvae. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (4: 1651-1662. Epub 2011 December 01

Impacts of sand and dust storms on agriculture and potential agricultural applications of a SDSWS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefanski, R; Sivakumar, M V K

2009-01-01

This paper will give an overview of the various impacts of sand and dust storms on agriculture and then address the potential applications of a Sand and Dust Storm Warning System (SDSWS) for agricultural users. Sand and dust storms have many negative impacts on the agricultural sector including: reducing crop yields by burial of seedlings under sand deposits, the loss of plant tissue and reduced photosynthetic activity as a result of sandblasting, delaying plant development, increasing end-of-season drought risk, causing injury and reduced productivity of livestock, increasing soil erosion and accelerating the process of land degradation and desertification, filling up irrigation canals with sediments, covering transportation routes, affecting water quality of rivers and streams, and affecting air quality. One positive impact is the fertilization of soil minerals to terrestrial ecosystems. There are several potential agricultural applications of a SDSWS. The first is to alert agricultural communities farmers to take preventive action in the near-term such as harvesting maturing crops (vegetables, grain), sheltering livestock, and strengthening infrastructure (houses, roads, grain storage) for the storm. Also, the products of a SDSWS could be used in for monitoring potential locust movement and post-storm crop damage assessments. An archive of SDSWS products (movement, amount of sand and dust) could be used in researching plant and animal pathogen movement and the relationship of sand and dust storms to disease outbreaks and in developing improved soil erosion and land degradation models.

Silvicultural and agronomic practices for improving Tuber magnatum habitat in natural woodlands

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Tagliaferro F

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Since 2003 IPLA is taking part, in the project “Innovative interventions for the natural habitat protection and connection in order to create an ecological network” promoted by GAL Alta Langa. The final aim of the project, that has finished at the end of 2006, is to realize an ecological network where the elements are also truffi�res in which management practices are carried out in order to improve the Tuber magnatum Pico habitat. Using two SIR (Site of regional interest, located in Langa, as core areas three truffi�res have been selected; since spring 2004, the experimental activities have been carried out. The first truffi�res (Barbaresco, CN is located in a mixed white poplar wood with black locust. The first practices were the trees and shrubs thinning in order to increase the light and water availability and improve the organic matter cycle. The second one (Monchiero-CN is an oak (Quercus robur and black poplar wood of limited extension (less than 1000 square meters. Here the first practices were the shrubs thinning and the digging of narrow channels in contour in order to make easier the soil wetting. The last truffi�res (Murazzano-CN is a young black poplar wood grown after the cutting of some big trees; here at first Rubus sp., that covers a great part of the undergrowth, has been cut. This first management practices gave good results and the experimental activities will be carried on.

Partial Purification and Characterization of a Thermostable β-Mannanase from Aspergillus foetidus

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Juliana da Conceição Infante de Marco

2015-10-01

Full Text Available An extracellular β-mannanase was isolated from samples of crude extract of the mesophilic fungus Aspergillus foetidus grown on soybean husk as a carbon source. The induction profile showed that β-mannanase reached a maximum activity level (2.0 IU/mL on the 15th day of cultivation. The enzyme was partially purified by ultrafiltration and gel filtration chromatography procedures and was named Man 58. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrilamide electrophoresis and zymogram analysis of Man 58 showed two bands of approximately 43 and 45 kDa with β-mannanase activity. Ultrafiltration showed that β-mannanase activity was only detected in the concentrated sample. Man 58 was most active at 60 °C and at pH 4.0. It was thermostable in the temperature range of 40–60 °C for eleven days, and the half-life at 70 °C was ten days. Man 58 showed Km and Vmax values of 3.29 mg/mL and 1.76 IU/mL respectively, with locust bean gum as a substrate. It was mostly activated by FeSO4 and CoCl2 and inhibited by MgSO4, FeCl3, CuSO4, MgCl2, ZnCl2, ZnSO4, CaCl2, CuCl2, KCl and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA. Phenolic compounds did not inhibit the enzyme. On the other hand, auto-hydrolysis liquor showed an inhibitory effect on Man 58 activity.

Effects of a Major Tree Invader on Urban Woodland Arthropods

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity; however, the degree of impact can vary depending on the ecosystem and taxa. Here, we test whether a top invader at a global scale, the tree Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust or false acacia), which is known to profoundly change site conditions, significantly affects urban animal diversity. As a first multi-taxon study of this kind, we analyzed the effects of Robinia dominance on 18 arthropod taxa by pairwise comparisons of woodlands in Berlin, Germany, that were dominated by R. pseudoacacia or the native pioneer tree Betula pendula. As a negative effect, abundances of five arthropod taxa decreased (Chilopoda, Formicidae, Diptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera); 13 others were not affected. Woodland type affected species composition of carabids and functional groups in spiders, but surprisingly did not decrease alpha and beta diversity of carabid and spider assemblages or the number of endangered species. Tree invasion thus did not induce biotic homogenization at the habitat scale. We detected no positive effects of alien dominance. Our results illustrate that invasions by a major tree invader can induce species turnover in ground-dwelling arthropods, but do not necessarily reduce arthropod species abundances or diversity and might thus contribute to the conservation of epigeal invertebrates in urban settings. Considering the context of invasion impacts thus helps to set priorities in managing biological invasions and can illustrate the potential of novel ecosystems to maintain urban biodiversity. PMID:26359665

Population ecology, nonlinear dynamics, and social evolution. I. Associations among nonrelatives.

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Avilés, Leticia; Abbot, Patrick; Cutter, Asher D

2002-02-01

Using an individual-based and genetically explicit simulation model, we explore the evolution of sociality within a population-ecology and nonlinear-dynamics framework. Assuming that individual fitness is a unimodal function of group size and that cooperation may carry a relative fitness cost, we consider the evolution of one-generation breeding associations among nonrelatives. We explore how parameters such as the intrinsic rate of growth and group and global carrying capacities may influence social evolution and how social evolution may, in turn, influence and be influenced by emerging group-level and population-wide dynamics. We find that group living and cooperation evolve under a wide range of parameter values, even when cooperation is costly and the interactions can be defined as altruistic. Greater levels of cooperation, however, did evolve when cooperation carried a low or no relative fitness cost. Larger group carrying capacities allowed the evolution of larger groups but also resulted in lower cooperative tendencies. When the intrinsic rate of growth was not too small and control of the global population size was density dependent, the evolution of large cooperative tendencies resulted in dynamically unstable groups and populations. These results are consistent with the existence and typical group sizes of organisms ranging from the pleometrotic ants to the colonial birds and the global population outbreaks and crashes characteristic of organisms such as the migratory locusts and the tree-killing bark beetles.

Make your trappings count: The mathematics of pest insect monitoring. Comment on “Multiscale approach to pest insect monitoring: Random walks, pattern formation, synchronization, and networks” by Petrovskii et al.

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Blasius, Bernd

2014-09-01

Since the beginnings of agriculture the production of crops is characterized by an ongoing battle between farmers and pests [1]. Already during biblical times swarms of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, were known as major pest that can devour a field of corn within an hour. Even today, harmful organisms have the potential to threaten food production worldwide. It is estimated that about 37% of all potential crops are destroyed by pests. Harmful insects alone destroy 13%, causing financial losses in the agricultural industry of millions of dollars each year [2-4]. These numbers emphasize the importance of pest insect monitoring as a crucial step of integrated pest management [1]. The main approach to gain information about infestation levels is based on trapping, which leads to the question of how to extrapolate the sparse population counts at singularly disposed traps to a spatial representation of the pest species distribution. In their review Petrovskii et al. provide a mathematical framework to tackle this problem [5]. Their analysis reveals that this seemingly inconspicuous problem gives rise to surprisingly deep mathematical challenges that touch several modern contemporary concepts of statistical physics and complex systems theory. The review does not aim for a collection of numerical recipes to support crop growers in the analysis of their trapping data. Instead the review identifies the relevant biological and physical processes that are involved in pest insect monitoring and it presents the mathematical techniques that are required to capture these processes.

Effects of a Major Tree Invader on Urban Woodland Arthropods.

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Sascha Buchholz

Full Text Available Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity; however, the degree of impact can vary depending on the ecosystem and taxa. Here, we test whether a top invader at a global scale, the tree Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust or false acacia, which is known to profoundly change site conditions, significantly affects urban animal diversity. As a first multi-taxon study of this kind, we analyzed the effects of Robinia dominance on 18 arthropod taxa by pairwise comparisons of woodlands in Berlin, Germany, that were dominated by R. pseudoacacia or the native pioneer tree Betula pendula. As a negative effect, abundances of five arthropod taxa decreased (Chilopoda, Formicidae, Diptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera; 13 others were not affected. Woodland type affected species composition of carabids and functional groups in spiders, but surprisingly did not decrease alpha and beta diversity of carabid and spider assemblages or the number of endangered species. Tree invasion thus did not induce biotic homogenization at the habitat scale. We detected no positive effects of alien dominance. Our results illustrate that invasions by a major tree invader can induce species turnover in ground-dwelling arthropods, but do not necessarily reduce arthropod species abundances or diversity and might thus contribute to the conservation of epigeal invertebrates in urban settings. Considering the context of invasion impacts thus helps to set priorities in managing biological invasions and can illustrate the potential of novel ecosystems to maintain urban biodiversity.

Effects of a Major Tree Invader on Urban Woodland Arthropods.

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Buchholz, Sascha; Tietze, Hedwig; Kowarik, Ingo; Schirmel, Jens

2015-01-01

Biological invasions are a major threat to biodiversity; however, the degree of impact can vary depending on the ecosystem and taxa. Here, we test whether a top invader at a global scale, the tree Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust or false acacia), which is known to profoundly change site conditions, significantly affects urban animal diversity. As a first multi-taxon study of this kind, we analyzed the effects of Robinia dominance on 18 arthropod taxa by pairwise comparisons of woodlands in Berlin, Germany, that were dominated by R. pseudoacacia or the native pioneer tree Betula pendula. As a negative effect, abundances of five arthropod taxa decreased (Chilopoda, Formicidae, Diptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera); 13 others were not affected. Woodland type affected species composition of carabids and functional groups in spiders, but surprisingly did not decrease alpha and beta diversity of carabid and spider assemblages or the number of endangered species. Tree invasion thus did not induce biotic homogenization at the habitat scale. We detected no positive effects of alien dominance. Our results illustrate that invasions by a major tree invader can induce species turnover in ground-dwelling arthropods, but do not necessarily reduce arthropod species abundances or diversity and might thus contribute to the conservation of epigeal invertebrates in urban settings. Considering the context of invasion impacts thus helps to set priorities in managing biological invasions and can illustrate the potential of novel ecosystems to maintain urban biodiversity.

Does the Data Resolution/origin Matter? Satellite, Airborne and Uav Imagery to Tackle Plant Invasions

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Müllerová, Jana; Brůna, Josef; Dvořák, Petr; Bartaloš, Tomáš; Vítková, Michaela

2016-06-01

Invasive plant species represent a serious threat to biodiversity and landscape as well as human health and socio-economy. To successfully fight plant invasions, new methods enabling fast and efficient monitoring, such as remote sensing, are needed. In an ongoing project, optical remote sensing (RS) data of different origin (satellite, aerial and UAV), spectral (panchromatic, multispectral and color), spatial (very high to medium) and temporal resolution, and various technical approaches (object-, pixelbased and combined) are tested to choose the best strategies for monitoring of four invasive plant species (giant hogweed, black locust, tree of heaven and exotic knotweeds). In our study, we address trade-offs between spectral, spatial and temporal resolutions required for balance between the precision of detection and economic feasibility. For the best results, it is necessary to choose best combination of spatial and spectral resolution and phenological stage of the plant in focus. For species forming distinct inflorescences such as giant hogweed iterative semi-automated object-oriented approach was successfully applied even for low spectral resolution data (if pixel size was sufficient) whereas for lower spatial resolution satellite imagery or less distinct species with complicated architecture such as knotweed, combination of pixel and object based approaches was used. High accuracies achieved for very high resolution data indicate the possible application of described methodology for monitoring invasions and their long-term dynamics elsewhere, making management measures comparably precise, fast and efficient. This knowledge serves as a basis for prediction, monitoring and prioritization of management targets.

The microbiota of marketed processed edible insects as revealed by high-throughput sequencing.

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Garofalo, Cristiana; Osimani, Andrea; Milanović, Vesna; Taccari, Manuela; Cardinali, Federica; Aquilanti, Lucia; Riolo, Paola; Ruschioni, Sara; Isidoro, Nunzio; Clementi, Francesca

2017-04-01

Entomophagy has been linked to nutritional, economic, social and ecological benefits. However, scientific studies on the potential safety risks in eating edible insects need to be carried out for legislators, markets and consumers. In this context, the microbiota of edible insects deserves to be deeply investigated. The aim of this study was to elucidate the microbial species occurring in some processed marketed edible insects, namely powdered small crickets, whole dried small crickets (Acheta domesticus), whole dried locusts (Locusta migratoria), and whole dried mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor), through culture-dependent (classical microbiological analyses) and -independent methods (pyrosequencing). A great bacterial diversity and variation among insects was seen. Relatively low counts of total mesophilic aerobes, Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria, Clostridium perfringens spores, yeasts and moulds in all of the studied insect batches were found. Furthermore, the presence of several gut-associated bacteria, some of which may act as opportunistic pathogens in humans, were found through pyrosequencing. Food spoilage bacteria were also identified, as well as Spiroplasma spp. in mealworm larvae, which has been found to be related to neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. Although viable pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected, the presence of Listeria spp., Staphylococcus spp., Clostridium spp. and Bacillus spp. (with low abundance) was also found through pyrosequencing. The results of this study contribute to the elucidation of the microbiota associated with edible insects and encourage further studies aimed to evaluate the influence of rearing and processing conditions on that microbiota. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethnic differences in use values and use patterns of Parkia biglobosa in Northern Benin

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Koura Kourouma

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background African locust bean tree (Parkia biglobosa is a multipurpose species used widely in arid Africa by local communities. The present study focused on ethnic differences in use values and use patterns of P. biglobosa in Northern Benin, where the species widely grows. The use values according to the various ethnic groups in the study area have been evaluated in detail for P. biglobosa. Methods From 13 ethnic groups, 1587 people were interviewed in the study area using semi-structured questionnaires. Principal Component Analysis was applied to analyze the use value and the use patterns of P. biglobosa for the different ethnic groups. Results All interviewees in the study area knew at least one use of P. biglobosa. The various uses identified were medicinal (47%, handicraft and domestic (3%, medico-magic (1%, veterinary (1%, cultural (1%, food (25% and commercial (22%. The various parts involved in these types of uses were: fruits [shell (2%, pulp (22% and seeds (36%], bark (17%, leaves (9%, roots (3%, flowers (1% and branches (10%. The ethnic group consensus values for P. biglobosa parts showed that the seeds are used the most. The interviewees diversity value (ID and equitability value (IE indicated that knowledge concerning P. biglobosa use was distributed homogeneously among the ethnic groups. Conclusions P. biglobosa is well-known and used in different ways by the local populations in the study area. Local knowledge on the species is diversified and influenced by ethnic group. Ethnic differences in use values and use patterns of the species were evident in this study.

Phytotoxic cyanamide affects maize (Zea mays) root growth and root tip function: from structure to gene expression.

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Soltys, Dorota; Rudzińska-Langwald, Anna; Kurek, Wojciech; Szajko, Katarzyna; Sliwinska, Elwira; Bogatek, Renata; Gniazdowska, Agnieszka

2014-05-01

Cyanamide (CA) is a phytotoxic compound produced by four Fabaceae species: hairy vetch, bird vetch, purple vetch and black locust. Its toxicity is due to complex activity that involves the modification of both cellular structures and physiological processes. To date, CA has been investigated mainly in dicot plants. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of CA in the restriction of the root growth of maize (Zea mays), representing the monocot species. CA (3mM) reduced the number of border cells in the root tips of maize seedlings and degraded their protoplasts. However, CA did not induce any significant changes in the organelle structure of other root cells, apart from increased vacuolization. CA toxicity was also demonstrated by its effect on cell cycle activity, endoreduplication intensity, and modifications of cyclins CycA2, CycD2, and histone HisH3 gene expression. In contrast, the arrangement of microtubules was not altered by CA. Treatment of maize seedlings with CA did not completely arrest mitotic activity, although the frequency of dividing cells was reduced. Furthermore, prolonged CA treatment increased the proportion of endopolyploid cells in the root tip. Cytological malformations were accompanied by an induction of oxidative stress in root cells, which manifested as enhanced accumulation of H2O2. Exposure of maize seedlings to CA resulted in an increased concentration of auxin and stimulated ethylene emission. Taken together, these findings suggested that the inhibition of root growth by CA may be a consequence of stress-induced morphogenic responses. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Optimizing the 3D-reconstruction technique for serial block-face scanning electron microscopy.

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Wernitznig, Stefan; Sele, Mariella; Urschler, Martin; Zankel, Armin; Pölt, Peter; Rind, F Claire; Leitinger, Gerd

2016-05-01

Elucidating the anatomy of neuronal circuits and localizing the synaptic connections between neurons, can give us important insights in how the neuronal circuits work. We are using serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBEM) to investigate the anatomy of a collision detection circuit including the Lobula Giant Movement Detector (LGMD) neuron in the locust, Locusta migratoria. For this, thousands of serial electron micrographs are produced that allow us to trace the neuronal branching pattern. The reconstruction of neurons was previously done manually by drawing cell outlines of each cell in each image separately. This approach was very time consuming and troublesome. To make the process more efficient a new interactive software was developed. It uses the contrast between the neuron under investigation and its surrounding for semi-automatic segmentation. For segmentation the user sets starting regions manually and the algorithm automatically selects a volume within the neuron until the edges corresponding to the neuronal outline are reached. Internally the algorithm optimizes a 3D active contour segmentation model formulated as a cost function taking the SEM image edges into account. This reduced the reconstruction time, while staying close to the manual reference segmentation result. Our algorithm is easy to use for a fast segmentation process, unlike previous methods it does not require image training nor an extended computing capacity. Our semi-automatic segmentation algorithm led to a dramatic reduction in processing time for the 3D-reconstruction of identified neurons. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Fat Structures and Ice Cream Mix Viscosity on Physical and Sensory Properties of Ice Cream.

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Amador, Julia; Hartel, Rich; Rankin, Scott

2017-08-01

The purpose of this work was to investigate iciness perception and other sensory textural attributes of ice cream due to ice and fat structures and mix viscosity. Two studies were carried out varying processing conditions and mix formulation. In the 1st study, ice creams were collected at -3, -5, and -7.5 °C draw temperatures. These ice creams contained 0%, 0.1%, or 0.2% emulsifier, an 80:20 blend of mono- and diglycerides: polysorbate 80. In the 2nd study, ice creams were collected at -3 °C draw temperature and contained 0%, 0.2%, or 0.4% stabilizer, a blend of guar gum, locust bean gum, and carrageenan. Multiple linear regressions were used to determine relationships between ice crystal size, destabilized fat, and sensory iciness. In the ice and fat structure study, an inverse correlation was found between fat destabilization and sensory iciness. Ice creams with no difference in ice crystal size were perceived to be less icy with increasing amounts of destabilized fat. Destabilized fat correlated inversely with drip-through rate and sensory greasiness. In the ice cream mix viscosity study, an inverse correlation was found between mix viscosity and sensory iciness. Ice creams with no difference in ice crystal size were perceived to be less icy when formulated with higher mix viscosity. A positive correlation was found between mix viscosity and sensory greasiness. These results indicate that fat structures and mix viscosity have significant effects on ice cream microstructure and sensory texture including the reduction of iciness perception. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Radiation synthesis and characterization of network structure of natural/synthetic double-network superabsorbent polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, M.; Hayrabolulu, H.

2011-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are moderately cross linked, 3-D, hydrophilic network polymers that can absorb and conserve considerable amounts of aqueous fluids even under certain heat or pressure. Because of the unique properties superior to conventional absorbents, SAPs have found potential application in many fields such as hygienic products, disposable diapers, horticulture, gel actuators, drug-delivery systems, as well as water-blocking tapes coal dewatering, water managing materials for the renewal of arid and desert environment, etc. In recent years, naturally available resources, such as polysaccharides have drawn considerable attention for the preparation of SAPs. Since the mechanical properties of polysaccharide based natural polymers are low, researchers have mostly focused on natural/synthetic polymer/monomer mixtures to obtain novel SAPs. The aim of this study is to synthesize and characterization of network structure of novel double-network (DN) hydrogels as a SAP. Hydrogels with high mechanical strength have been prepared by radiation induced polymerization and crosslink of acrylic acid sodium salt in the presence of natural polymer locust bean gum. Liquid retention capacities and absorbency under load (AUL) analysis of synthesized SAPs was performed at different temperatures in water and synthetic urine solution, in order to determine their SAP character. For the characterization of network structure of the semi-IPN hydrogels, the average molecular weight between cross links (M c ) were evaluated by using uniaxial compression and oscillatory dynamical mechanical analyses and the advantage and disadvantage of these two technique for the characterization of network structures were compared.

Ion chromatography characterization of polysaccharides in ancient wall paintings.

Science.gov (United States)

Colombin, Maria Perla; Ceccarini, Alessio; Carmignani, Alessia

2002-08-30

An analytical procedure for the characterisation of polysaccharides and the identification of plant gums in old polychrome samples is described. The procedure is based on hydrolysis with 2 M trifluoroacetic acid assisted by microwaves (20 min, 120 degrees C, 500 W), clean-up of the hydrolysate by an ion-exchange resin, and analysis by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. Using this method the hydrolysis time was reduced to 20 min and the chromatographic separation of seven monosaccharides (fucose, rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose) and two uronic acids (galacturonic and glucuronic) was achieved in 40 min. The whole analytical procedure allows sugar determination in plant gums at picomole levels, with an average recovery of 72% with an RSD of 8% as tested on arabic gum. The analytical procedure was tested with several raw gums, watercolour samples and reference painting specimens prepared according to old recipes at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure of Florence (Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Italy). All the data collected expressed in relative sugar percentage contents were submitted to principal components analysis for gum identification: five groups were spatially separated and this enabled the identification of arabic, tragacanth, karaya, cherry+ghatty, and guar+locust bean gum. Wall painting samples from Macedonian tombs (Greece) of the 4th-3rd Centuries B.C., processed by the suggested method, showed the presence of a complex paint media mainly consisting of tragacanth and fruit tree gums. Moreover, starch had probably been added to plaster as highlighted by the presence of a huge amount of glucose.

Enabling Data Access for Environmental Monitoring: SERVIR West Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Yetman, G.; de Sherbinin, A. M.

2017-12-01

SERVIR is a join effort between NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development to form regional partnerships and bring satellite-based earth monitoring and geographic information technologies to bear on environmental issues. The recently established SERVIR node for West Africa aims to "connect space to villages" and enable response to environmental change at the national and local level through partnering with a network of organizations in the region. Comprehensive services—data streams, analysis methods and algorithms, and information products for decision making—to support environmental monitoring of five critical issues identified by West African network members are being designed and developed: ephemeral water, charcoal production, locusts, groundwater, and land use/land cover change. Additionally, climate change information is critical for planning and context in each of these issues. The selection of data and methods is a collaborative effort, with experts in the region working with experts at NASA and the scientific community to best meet information monitoring requirements. Design and delivery of these services requires capacity development in a number of areas, including best practices in data management, analysis methods for combining multiple data streams, and information technology infrastructure. Two research centers at Columbia University are implementing partners for SERVIR West Africa, acting to support capacity development in network members through a combination of workshops, training, and implementation of technologies in the region. The presentation will focus on efforts by these centers to assess current capabilities and improve capacity through gathering requirements, system design, technology selection, technology deployment, training, and workshops.