Survey of Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Utilization of Temperate Forests

Both native and invasive subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), including the Formosan subterranean termite, are well known pests of urban areas, but little is known about their distribution or impact in forest ecosystems of the southeastern United States. Recently harvested timber stumps were mechanically inspected for the presence of subterranean termites in multiple locations across southern Mississippi and eastern Louisiana. A systematic line plot cruise with 100 x 200m spacing and1/20thha plots was implemented, and all stumps with a diameter greater than 7.6cm were inspected. In total, 7,413 stumps were inspected for the presence of subterranean termites, and 406 of those contained native subterranean termite (Reticulitermes spp) infestations. Light traps were also placed at 8 sites to detect the presence of subterranean termite alates. While no invasive Formosan subterranean termites were found during mechanical inspection of tree stumps, alates were captured in light traps at three sites. The proportion of stumps infested with subterranean termites was negatively correlated with the number of stumps in each plot. Although 6.27% of pine stumps and 1.86% of hardwood stumps were infested, no correlation was found between subterranean termite presence and type of stump (pine or hardwood). Infestations of stumps by subterranean termites ranged from 0.94% to 14.97% depending on site

Inflammation and NO(x)-induced nitration: Assay for 3-nitrotyrosine by HPLC with electrochemical detection

The identification of (15)N-labeled 3-nitrotyrosine (NTyr) by gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy in protein hydrolyzates from activated RAW 264.7 macrophages incubated with (15)N-l-arginine confirms that nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is involved in the nitration of protein-bound tyrosine (Tyr). An assay is presented for NTyr that employs HPLC with tandem electrochemical and UV detection. The assay involves enzymatic hydrolysis of protein, acetylation, solvent extraction, O-deacetylation, and dithionite reduction to produce an analyte containing N-acetyl-3-aminotyrosine, an electrochemically active derivative of NTyr. We estimate the level of protein-bound NTyr in normal rat plasma to be ≈0–1 residues per 10(6) Tyr with a detection limit of 0.5 per 10(7) Tyr when ≥100 nmol of Tyr is analyzed and when precautions are taken to limit nitration artifacts. Zymosan-treated RAW 264.7 cells were shown to have an ≈6-fold higher level of protein-bound NTyr compared with control cells and cells treated with N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine, an inhibitor of NOS. Intraperitoneal injection of F344 rats with zymosan led to a marked elevation in protein-bound NTyr to ≈13 residues per 10(6) Tyr, an ≈40-fold elevation compared with plasma protein of untreated rats; cotreatment with N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine inhibited the formation of NTyr in plasma protein from blood and peritoneal exudate by 69% and 53%, respectively. This assay offers a highly sensitive and quantitative approach for investigating the role of reactive byproducts of nitric oxide in the many pathological conditions and disease states associated with NO(x) exposure such as inflammation and smoking

Land or sea? Foraging area choice during breeding by an omnivorous gull

Background:Generalist predators may vary their diet and use of habitat according to both internal state (e.g. breeding stage) and external (e.g. weather) factors. Lesser black-backed gulls Larus fuscus (Linnaeus 1758) are dietary generalists, foraging in both terrestrial and marine habitats during breeding. We investigate what affects the gulls’ propensity to forage at sea or on land. We assess the importance of terrestrial foraging to gulls in the Baltic Sea (sub. sp. L. f. fuscus), looking especially at their use of agricultural fields.Results:Through the GPS tracking of 19 individuals across 3 years we tracked 1038 foraging trips and found that 21.2 % of foraging trips were predominantly terrestrial, 9.0 % were a mix of terrestrial and marine, and 68.5 % were exclusively marine. Terrestrial trips were (1) more frequent when departing around sunrise, whereas marine trips occurred throughout the day. Additionally, trips with mostly land-based foraging decreased as the breeding season progressed, suggesting dietary switching coincident with the onset of chick provisioning. (2) During cloudy and cold conditions terrestrial foraging trips were more likely. (3) We found no differences between sexes in their land-based foraging strategy. (4) Gull individuals showed great variation in foraging strategy. Using observations of agricultural fields, carried out for one year, we found that (5) gulls preferentially foraged on fields with short vegetation, and there was a positive association with occurrence of waders and other species of gulls. (6) The availability and use of these preferred fields decreased through the breeding period.Conclusions:This study found high prevalence of terrestrial foraging during early breeding as well as support for dietary switching early in the breeding season. The overall tendency for marine or terrestrial foraging was consistent within individuals, with gull identity accounting for much of the variation observed in foraging trips. Our results suggest that anthropogenic terrestrial food sources may play a role in the low breeding success of these gulls through either variation in quantity and/or quality. Finally, our study demonstrates the potential of combining data from GPS-tracking of individual animals with the ‘ground-truthing’ of habitat visited to elucidate the otherwise nebulous behavior of a generalist predator

Do vardenafil and tadalafil have advantages over sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects up to 50% of men between the ages of 40 and 70 years of age. Sildenafil, vardenafil and tadalafil have all been shown to be similarly effective in the treatment of men with ED of vary etiologies, to have similar adverse effects profiles, and to improve quality-of-life by similar amounts. As these phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors all increase the hypotensive effects of nitrates, they are not suitable for use in patients taking nitrates for the treatment of ischaemic heart disease. All three inhibitors must be used with caution in patients taking alpha(1)-adrenoceptors antagonists for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Although nonarteritic anterior ischaemic neuropathy has been reported in some users of the PDE5 inhibitors, there is no conclusive evidence that PDE5 inhibitors cause this rare effect. Tadalafil has a longer half-life than sildenafil or vardenafil, and a longer duration of action than sildenafil and vardenafil. Most preference studies have shown tadalafil to be preferred, but there are serious limitations to some of these studies. One approach to treatment is to give each patient a short- and long-acting agent, and for individuals to decide their preference