An Array of Spatulate Sensilla on Antennae of Male \u3ci\u3eBrachymeria Lasus\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae)

An array of spatulate sensilla on the ventral flagellar surface of each antenna of male Brachymeria lasus occurs only on segments IV-VII and is absent on female antennae. Most such sensilla are on segment VI. Each spatulate sensillum was 15 p, by 16.7 p with a stalk extending 17 p, from the antennal base. Pores were not apparent, but the sensillum surface was imbricated. The sensilla are speculated to have a role in the courtship sequence of this chalcid by functioning both as chemoreceptors of the female-produced sex pheromone and as mechanoreceptors to indicate female receptivity, as female B. lasus typically raise the abdomen to expose the genital pocket

Mass Rearing the Gypsy Moth Pupal Parasitoids \u3ci\u3eBrachymeria Lasus\u3c/i\u3e and \u3ci\u3eBrachymeria Intermedia\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) for Small-Scale Laboratory Studies

An economical technique was developed for mass rearing the gypsy moth para- sitoids Brachymeria lasus and B. intermedia using a factitious host, the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: pyralidae). Percentages of host pupae producing adult B. lusus and B. intermedia were 72.2 and 67.5, respectively. Percentages of adult wax moths emerging from groups of pupae exposed to populations of B. lasus and B. intermedia were 3.4 and 9.8, respectively. Mean emergence times of males and females from parasitized pupae incubated at 29° C. were 12.1 days and 13.8 days for B. lasus and 11.9 days and 13.5 days for B. intermedia. This procedure provides a low-maintenance laboratory culture with high yields from host pupae

Mass Rearing of the Greater Wax Moth, \u3ci\u3eGalleria Mellonella\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), for Small-Scale Laboratory Studies

A technique was developed to mass rear the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, economically (ca. 0.2 cents per larva exclusive of 3-5 h of labor costs per week). Mortality in the egg and early larval stages was ca. 48% whereas in later larval and pupal stages it was ca. 10% and 27% respectively. With a fecundity of 650-1120 eggs per female, and notwithstanding the high egg and early larval mortality, the procedure easily provides a self-sustaining culture with high yields of all stages

Temperature and Crowding Effects on Virus Manifestation in Neodiprion Sertifer (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) Larvae

Temperature and (or) crowding (larval density) functioned as stressors in the induction of symptoms associated with the nucleopolyhedrosis virus of the European pine sawfly, Neodiprion sertifer, Subsamptes of larvae maintained at 30 and 35°C, with three levels of larval density each (20, 60, and 100/shoot) which had died under these conditions, revealed the presence of polyhedral inclusion bodies under microscopic examination. In contrast, larvae maintained at 25°C with the same three larval density levels experienced no symptoms of virus infection or mortality, The latter was consistent with field observations when temperatures during larval development ranged from 14°C to 27°C and larval densities were in the same general range

Bioassay of the Nucleopolyhedrosis Virus of \u3ci\u3eNeodiprion Sertifer\u3c/i\u3e (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae)

Linear regression analysis of probit mortality versus several concentrations of nucleo- polyhedrosis virus of Neodiprion sertifer resulted in the equation Y = 2.170 + 0.872X. An LC50 was calculated at 1758 PIB/mL Also, the incubation time of the virus was dependent on Its concentration

Field Release of Virus-Sprayed Adult Parasitoids of the European Pine Sawfly (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) in Wisconsin

Rapid field release of adult parasitoids sprayed with the nucleopolyhedrosis virus of the European pine sawfly successfully transferred the virus to feeding larval colonies

Changes in labial capillary density on ascent to and descent from high altitude.

Present knowledge of how the microcirculation is altered by prolonged exposure to hypoxia at high altitude is incomplete and modification of existing analytical techniques may improve our knowledge considerably. We set out to use a novel simplified method of measuring in vivo capillary density during an expedition to high altitude using a CytoCam incident dark field imaging video-microscope. The simplified method of data capture involved recording one-second images of the mucosal surface of the inner lip to reveal data about microvasculature density in ten individuals. This was done on ascent to, and descent from, high altitude. Analysis was conducted offline by two independent investigators blinded to the participant identity, testing conditions and the imaging site.  Additionally we monitored haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit data to see if we could support or refute mechanisms of altered density relating to vessel recruitment. Repeated sets of paired values were compared using Kruskall Wallis Analysis of Variance tests, whilst comparisons of values between sites was by related samples Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Correlation between different variables was performed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and concordance between analysing investigators using intra-class correlation coefficient. There was a significant increase in capillary density from London on ascent to high altitude; median capillaries per field of view area increased from 22.8 to 25.3 (p=0.021). There was a further increase in vessel density during the six weeks spent at altitude (25.3 to 32.5, p=0.017). Moreover, vessel density remained high on descent to Kathmandu (31.0 capillaries per field of view area), despite a significant decrease in haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit. Using a simplified technique, we have demonstrated an increase in capillary density on early and sustained exposure to hypobaric hypoxia at thigh altitude, and that this remains elevated on descent to normoxia. The technique is simple, reliable and reproducible

Initial evidence for the criterion-related and structural validity of the long versions of the direct and meta-perspectives of the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2010 Taylor & Francis.The aim of the present study was to develop and initially validate a longer version of the direct (Jowett & Ntoumanis, 2004) and meta-perspectives (Jowett, 2009a, 2009b) of the Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q). In Study 1, instruments (e.g. questionnaires, scales, and inventories) that have been used to assess relationship quality in the broader psychological literature were examined and items potentially relevant to the coach-athlete relationship were identified. The content validity of the identified items was then assessed using expert panels. A final questionnaire was subsequently prepared and administered to 693 participants (310 coaches and 383 athletes). Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to assess the multidimensional nature of the questionnaire based on the 3Cs (i.e. closeness, commitment, and complementarity) model of the coach-athlete relationship. The findings indicated that the direct and meta-perspective items of the long versions of the CART-Q approached an adequate data fit. Moreover, evidence for the internal consistency and criterion validity of the new instruments was also obtained. In Study 2, the newly developed measure was administered to an independent sample of 251 individuals (145 athletes and 106 coaches). Further statistical support was gained for the factorial validity and reliability of the longer version of the CART-Q

A Nonperturbative Eliasson's Reducibility Theorem

This paper is concerned with discrete, one-dimensional Schr\"odinger operators with real analytic potentials and one Diophantine frequency. Using localization and duality we show that almost every point in the spectrum admits a quasi-periodic Bloch wave if the potential is smaller than a certain constant which does not depend on the precise Diophantine conditions. The associated first-order system, a quasi-periodic skew-product, is shown to be reducible for almost all values of the energy. This is a partial nonperturbative generalization of a reducibility theorem by Eliasson. We also extend nonperturbatively the genericity of Cantor spectrum for these Schr\"odinger operators. Finally we prove that in our setting, Cantor spectrum implies the existence of a $G_\delta$-set of energies whose Schr\"odinger cocycle is not reducible to constant coefficients

The antibody response to Plasmodium falciparum Merozoite Surface Protein 4: comparative assessment of specificity and growth inhibitory antibody activity to infection-acquired and immunization-induced epitopes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria remains a global public health challenge. It is widely believed that an effective vaccine against malaria will need to incorporate multiple antigens from the various stages of the parasite's complex life cycle. <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>Merozoite Surface Protein 4 (MSP4) is a vaccine candidate that has been selected for development for inclusion in an asexual stage subunit vaccine against malaria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nine monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were produced against <it>Escherichia coli</it>-expressed recombinant MSP4 protein and characterized. These Mabs were used to develop an MSP4-specific competition ELISA to test the binding specificity of antibodies present in sera from naturally <it>P. falciparum</it>-infected individuals from a malaria endemic region of Vietnam. The Mabs were also tested for their capacity to induce <it>P. falciparum </it>growth inhibition <it>in vitro </it>and compared against polyclonal rabbit serum raised against recombinant MSP4</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All Mabs reacted with native parasite protein and collectively recognized at least six epitopes. Four of these Mabs recognize reduction-sensitive epitopes within the epidermal growth factor-like domain found near the C-terminus of MSP4. These sera were shown to contain antibodies capable of inhibiting the binding of the six Mabs indicating infection-acquired responses to the six different epitopes of MSP4. All of the six epitopes were readily recognized by human immune sera. Competition ELISA titres varied from 20 to 640, reflecting heterogeneity in the intensity of the humoral response against the protein among different individuals. The IgG responses during acute and convalescent phases of infection were higher to epitopes in the central region than to other parts of MSP4. Immunization with full length MSP4 in Freund's adjuvant induced rabbit polyclonal antisera able to inhibit parasite growth <it>in vitro </it>in a manner proportionate to the antibody titre. By contrast, polyclonal antisera raised to individual recombinant fragments rMSP4A, rMSP4B, rMSP4C and rMSP4D gave negligible inhibition. Similarly, murine Mabs alone or in combination did not inhibit parasite growth.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The panel of MSP4-specific Mabs produced were found to recognize six distinct epitopes that are also targeted by human antibodies during natural malaria infection. Antibodies directed to more than three epitope regions spread across MSP4 are likely to be required for <it>P. falciparum </it>growth inhibition <it>in vitro</it>.</p