Carabid Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as Prey of North American Frogs

In this paper, 62 species of carabid beetles are listed as prey of frogs. Records are from the literature and a stomach contents study. During the period May to October 1973, I collected and examined the stomach contents of 2 bullfrogs, 45 green frogs, 504 northern leopard frogs and 7 wood frogs from southern Quebec in order to learn whether carabid beetles are major or minor prey of frogs

Wing-Dimorphism in Cymindis Cribricollis Dejean and C. Neglecta Haldeman (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

(excerpt) One hundred and forty-nine specimens of Cymindis cribricollis Dejean and fifteen specimens of C. neglecta Haldeman from Quebec were examined for wingdimorphism

Notes on the Food of Cychrini (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

In this paper, the food of nineteen species of Cychrini is given, for three genera: Cychrus, Scaphinotus and Sphaeroderus. The beetles of this tribe seem to be nearly exclusively carnivorous, feeding principally on snails and slugs, exceptionally on insects and vegetable matter. The head is narrow and prolonged; the mandibles are elongate and prominent, with two acute median teeth in outer half, apparently well adapted for entering the opening of a snail shell. The beetles may be useful in keeping down harmful molluscs. The purpose of this study was to compile a list of data on the food of some Cychrini, from the literature and observations in the field. Almost all species live in forest country and appear to be nocturnal. Cychrus caraboides Linne, Cychrus dufouri Chaudoir, Scaphinotus bilobus Say and Sphaeroderus lecontei Dejean have been noted searching for food on rainy days

A World List of Prey of \u3ci\u3eChlaenius\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

(excerpt) Being predaceous insects, the carabid beetles are believed to play an important role in the control of insect pests (Scherney 1957 and 1959, Hughes 1959, Wright, Hughes and Worral 1960, Mitchell 1963). The currant interest in biological control against noxious insects requires a complete understanding of the organisms being used. The aim of this paper was to compile a list of data on the food of the genus Chlaenius, from the literature and observations in the laboratory

Winter Habits of Carabid Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

(excerpt) In this paper, the winter habits of 123 species of Carabidae from southern Quebec are given. from 1961 to 1973, I have studied in the field the winter habits of many species of carabid beetles from southern Quebec. All insects were represented in the adult stage and were motionless. Some species of the genera Agonum, Brachinus, Calathus, Chlaenius, and Pterostichus appeared to be gregarious in hibernation. In one instance, I was surprised to observe different species congregated even with wood-lice in a living ball . Small carabid beetles prefer hibernating at the surface of the soil while larger ones may burrow down to twenty inches. According to my experience, these insects quit their summer habitats for winter quarters situated at a few feet to a hundred feet away. Then, they often choose higher, dryer and preferably sandy areas. In fact, any mound near their summer habitats is a favorite shelter

A study of the palaeomagnetism of rocks from Yamaska and Brome Mountains, Quebec.

Reverse magnetic polarization of rocks "in situ" is a phenomenon which has been observed and reported by several workers since its discovery by Brunhes (1906) in baked clays and adjacent basalts of Miocene age in Central France. Earlier, Folgheraiter (1899) had noticed the reverse polarization of fragments of ancient pottery discovered in Central Italy and he had concluded from this observation that the earth’s magnetic field was probably temporarily reversed from its present direction in this part of the world during Recent times

Advances and Obstacles in Homology-Mediated Gene Editing of Hematopoietic Stem Cells

Homology-directed gene editing of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is a promising strategy for the treatment of inherited blood disorders, obviating many of the limitations associated with viral vector-mediated gene therapies. The use of CRISPR/Cas9 or other programmable nucleases and improved methods of homology template delivery have enabled precise ex vivo gene editing. These transformative advances have also highlighted technical challenges to achieve high-efficiency gene editing in HSPCs for therapeutic applications. In this review, we discuss recent pre-clinical investigations utilizing homology-mediated gene editing in HSPCs and highlight various strategies to improve editing efficiency in these cells

De Novo Generation of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Pluripotent Stem Cells for Cellular Therapy

The ability to manufacture human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the laboratory holds enormous promise for cellular therapy of human blood diseases. Several differentiation protocols have been developed to facilitate the emergence of HSCs from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). Most approaches employ a stepwise addition of cytokines and morphogens to recapitulate the natural developmental process. However, these protocols globally lack clinical relevance and uniformly induce PSCs to produce hematopoietic progenitors with embryonic features and limited engraftment and differentiation capabilities. This review examines how key intrinsic cues and extrinsic environmental inputs have been integrated within human PSC differentiation protocols to enhance the emergence of definitive hematopoiesis and how advances in genomics set the stage for imminent breakthroughs in this field