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

The autoepitope of the 74-kD mitochondrial autoantigen of primary biliary cirrhosis corresponds to the functional site of dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase.

Autoantibodies to mitochondrial antigens are characteristic of the autoimmune liver disease primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), but the precise antigenic determinants recognized by these antibodies have not been defined. Recently, our laboratory identified a 1,370-bp rat liver cDNA clone that coded for a polypeptide recognized specifically by sera from patients with PBC but not by sera from patients with other forms of liver disease. This recombinant protein was identified as the 74-kD M2 mitochondrial inner membrane autoantigen, now known to be dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase. In the present study, we have identified a 603-bp fragment that codes for a polypeptide containing all of the autoreactivity of the original clone. In addition, based on hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity plots of the amino acid sequence of this polypeptide segment, several peptides were synthesized and tested for reactivity by an inhibition assay using sera from patients with PBC. One peptide, defined by the amino acids AEIETDKATIGFEVQEEGYL, absorbed serum reactivity to the protein product of the original clone. Of particular interest was the finding that this peptide contains the lipoic acid binding site KATIGF of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase found in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Thus, it appears that for this autoantigen, the target of the autoantibodies corresponds to a functional site of the dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase

Wave Packet Pseudomodes of Variable Coefficient Differential Operators

The pseudospectra of nonselfadjoint linear ordinary differential operators with variable coefficients are considered. It is shown that when a certain winding number or twist condition is satisfied, closely related to Hörmander's commutator condition for partial differential equations, \varepsilon-pseudoeigenfunctions of such operators for exponentially small values of \varepsilon exist in the form of localized wave packets. In contrast to related results of Davies and of Dencker, Sjöstrand, and Zworski, the symbol need not be smooth

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

Heterogeneity of autoreactive T cell clones specific for the E2 component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in primary biliary cirrhosis.

The extraordinary specificity of bile duct destruction in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and the presence of T cell infiltrates in the portal tracts have suggested that biliary epithelial cells are the targets of an autoimmune response. The immunodominant antimitochondrial response in patients with PBC is directed against the E2 component of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDC-E2). Hitherto, there have only been limited reports on the characterization and V beta usage of PDC-E2-specific cloned T cell lines. In this study, we examined peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) for their reactivity to the entire PDC complex as well as to the E1- and E2-specific components. We also examined the phenotype, lymphokine profile, and V beta usage of PDC-specific T cell clones isolated from cellular infiltrates from the livers of PBC patients. We report that PBMC from 16/19 patients with PBC, but not 12 control patients, respond to the PDC-E2 subunit. Interestingly, this response was directed to the inner and/or the outer lipoyl domains, despite the serologic observation that the autoantibody response is directed predominantly to the inner lipoyl domain. Additionally, lymphokine analysis of interleukin (IL) 2/IL-4/interferon gamma production from individual liver-derived autoantigen-specific T cell clones suggests that both T helper cell Th1- and Th2-like clones are present in the liver. Moreover, there was considerable heterogeneity in the T cell receptor for antigen (TCR) V beta usage of these antigen-specific autoreactive T cell clones. This is in contrast to murine studies in which animals are induced to develop autoimmunity by specific immunization and have an extremely limited T cell V beta repertoire. Thus, our data suggest that in human organ-specific autoimmune diseases, such as PBC, the TCR V beta repertoire is heterogenous

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

Potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for the classification of natural resins

This study reports evidence on the feasibility of a classification of natural resins by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy based on specific absorbance band positions. A set of twelve selected resins were used to assess band position variability and this vibrational data was put in relationship with the chemical composition of the resins. As a result, a classification of resins into the following four main families is proposed: 1) those correlated with communic acids (sandarac, black copal, pine pitch and amber); 2) those associated with abietic acid (rosin and mastic); 3) those with ketone groups (white copal, tragacanth and frankincense); and 4) those with ester groups (myrrh, shellac and propolis). This classification system may find application not only in facile quality control of natural products, but also for rapid characterization of cultural heritage material