Engineered expression of the invertebrate‐specific scorpion toxin AaHIT reduces adult longevity and female fecundity in the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella

Background: Previous Genetic Pest Management (GPM) systems in diamondback moth (DBM) have relied on expressing lethal proteins (‘effectors’) that are ‘cell‐autonomous’ i.e. do not leave the cell they are expressed in. To increase the flexibility of future GPM systems in DBM, we aimed to assess the use of a non cell‐autonomous, invertebrate‐specific, neurotoxic effector – the scorpion toxin AaHIT. This AaHIT effector was designed to be secreted by expressing cells, potentially leading to effects on distant cells, specifically neuromuscular junctions. Results: Expression of AaHIT caused a ‘shaking/quivering’ phenotype which could be repressed by provision of an antidote (tetracycline); a phenotype consistent with the AaHIT mode‐of‐action. This effect was more pronounced when AaHIT expression was driven by the Hr5/ie1 promoter (82.44% of males, 65.14% of females) rather than Op/ie2 (57.35% of males, 48.39% of females). Contrary to expectations, the shaking phenotype and observed fitness costs were limited to adults where they caused severe reductions in mean longevity (‐81%) and median female fecundity (‐93%). qPCR of AaHIT expression patterns and analysis of piggyBac‐mediated transgene insertion sites suggest that restriction of observed effects to the adult stages may be due to influence of local genomic environment on the tetO‐AaHIT transgene. Conclusion: We have demonstrated the feasibility of using non cell‐autonomous effectors within a GPM context for the first time in the Lepidoptera, one of the most economically damaging orders of insects. These findings provide a framework for extending this system to other pest Lepidoptera and to other secreted effectors

Synthesis and spectral studies of macrocyclic mono- and binuclear gadolinium(III)complexes derived from schiffs bases

363-366A series of mono- and binuclear Gadolinium(III) macrocyclic complexes have been prepared by the condensation of schiff's bases with the precursor compound 4,4'-dimethyl(2,2' -diformyl-6,6' -piperazine-1,4-di-ylmethylene) bis phenol in template method. All the binuclear complexes 'have been prepared in situ from their corresponding mononuclear complexes without isolation. The phenolate oxygen atom of the binucleating ligands behaves as a bridging group between two metals. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR, NMR, UV spectra. The ESR spectral study was carried out for some complexes. The results of elemental analysis of the complexes are in good agreement with the theoretical value. Conductivity studies reveal that all the complexes are neutral

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Synthesis and characterization of <img src='/image/spc_char/micro.gif' border=0>-phenoxo-bridged binuclear copper(II) complexes derived from binucleating ligands

29-34The new pentadentate binucleating symmetrical ligand 2,6-bis [N-(3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzyl)-N-cyclohexylamino-methyl]-4-methylphenol (H3L1) has been prepared and its binuclear copper(II) complexes of the general formula [Cu2L(X)], where X = OH (perchlorato counter ion complexes), OAc, NO3 have been prepared. Their spectral properties and catecholase activities were studied. New unsymmetrical ligands and their complexes have also been synthesized. The phenolate oxygen atom of the binucleating ligands behaves as a bridging group. Conductivity studies showed that all the complexes are neutral. ESR spectra of the complexes show a broad band centred at 3500 G with no hyperfine splittings. The observed room temperature magnetic studies were found to be less than spin only value for d9 system. The rate constants of the complexes for the oxidation of catechol to o-quinone were in the range of 0.7210-3 to 15.010-3 min-1

4-Methylanilinium 2-carboxyacetate

In the crystal of the title salt, C7H10N+·C3H3O4−, the cations are linked to the anions via N—H...O and trifurcated N—H...(O,O,O) hydrogen bonds. The anions are linked into [010] chains by O—H...O hydrogen bonds. Taken together, these interactions generate (100) sheets

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT AND GEOMETRIC CALIBRATION OF RESOURCESAT-2

Resourcesat-2 (RS-2) has successfully completed five years of operations in its orbit. This satellite has multi-resolution and multi-spectral capabilities in a single platform. A continuous and autonomous co-registration, geo-location and radiometric calibration of image data from different sensors with widely varying view angles and resolution was one of the challenges of RS-2 data processing. On-orbit geometric performance of RS-2 sensors has been widely assessed and calibrated during the initial phase operations. Since then, as an ongoing activity, various geometric performance data are being generated periodically. This is performed with sites of dense ground control points (GCPs). These parameters are correlated to the direct geo-location accuracy of the RS-2 sensors and are monitored and validated to maintain the performance. This paper brings out the geometric accuracy assessment, calibration and validation done for about 500 datasets of RS-2. The objectives of this study are to ensure the best absolute and relative location accuracy of different cameras, location performance with payload steering and co-registration of multiple bands. This is done using a viewing geometry model, given ephemeris and attitude data, precise camera geometry and datum transformation. In the model, the forward and reverse transformations between the coordinate systems associated with the focal plane, payload, body, orbit and ground are rigorously and explicitly defined. System level tests using comparisons to ground check points have validated the operational geo-location accuracy performance and the stability of the calibration parameters