Distribution and biological notes for some Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) occurring in the southeastern United States

New distribution records and new host records are provided for 33 species of Cerambycidae in Florida and Georgia

Description of a new Crossidius LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini) from southern Georgia with comments on its biology and unusual distribution

Crossidius grahami Morris and Wappes new species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is described from the Ohoopee Dunes of southern Georgia. Comments are included on the new species’ biology and disjunct distribution compared to other species of Crossidius LeConte. Illustrations include: dorsal and lateral views of the primary types of C. grahami, its natural habitat, the known host plant (Chrysoma pauciflosculosa (Michx.) Greene (Asteraceae)), pupal chamber, and dorsal views of both sexes of Crossidius humeralis quadrivittata Penrose, 1974, considered its closest anatomical counterpart and nearest geographical relative

First experiences with a new anti-hypertensive agent darenthin

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Analysis of Wine for Penicillin

This study addresses the question of whether the antibiotic Penicillin, which is produced by the common mold Penicillium notatum, could possibly become a contaminate of wine during the fermentation process. The significance of this study is related to the potential health effects this agent might produce in those consumers who have an allergic response to Penicillin. It has been estimated that between 6% and 8% of the American population is subject to this type of allergic response. A method is developed for the detection of penicillin in wines using high-pressure liquid chromatography. We demonstrate that penicillin G hydrolyzes rapidly in wine with first-order kinetics, and the half-life of this antibiotic is 147 min in a typical commercial wine. An analysis of a number of commercial wines shows no evidence of the presence of penicillin, which should negate the question of any allergic response associated with this potential contaminate

Description of a new \u3ci\u3eCrossidius\u3c/i\u3e LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Trachyderini) from southern Georgia with comments on its biology and unusual distribution

Abstract. Crossidius grahami Morris and Wappes new species (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is described from the Ohoopee Dunes of southern Georgia. Comments are included on the new species’ biology and disjunct distribution compared to other species of Crossidius LeConte. Illustrations include: dorsal and lateral views of the primary types of C. grahami, its natural habitat, the known host plant (Chrysoma pauciflosculosa (Michx.) Greene (Asteraceae)), pupal chamber, and dorsal views of both sexes of Crossidius humeralis quadrivittata Penrose, 1974, considered its closest anatomical counterpart and nearest geographical relative. Resumen. Se describe Crossidius grahami Morris and Wappes, especie nueve (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) de la Dunas Ohoopee del sur de Georgia. Se incluyen comentarios sobre la biología de la nueva especie y sobre su distribución dispersa en comparación con las otras especies de Crossidius LeConte

Effect of alcohol addition on the movement of petroleum hydrocarbon fuels in soil

Groundwater contamination by fuel spills from aboveground and underground storage tanks has been of growing concern in recent years. This problem has been magnified by the addition of oxygenates, such as ethanol and methyl-tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) to fuels to reduce vehicular emissions to the atmosphere. These additives, although beneficial in reducing atmospheric pollution, may, however, increase groundwater contamination due to the co-solvency of petroleum hydrocarbons and by the provision of a preferential substrate for microbial utilisation. With the introduction of ethanol to diesel fuel imminent and the move away from MTBE use in many states of the USA, the environmental implications associated with ethanol additive fuels must be thoroughly investigated. Diesel fuel movement was followed in a 1-m soil column and the effect of ethanol addition to diesel fuel on this movement determined. The addition of 51% ethanol to diesel fuel was found to enhance the downward migration of the diesel fuel components, thus increasing the risk of groundwater contamination. A novel method using soil packcd HPLC columns allowed the influence of ethanol on individual aromatic hydrocarbon movement to be studied. The levels of ethanol addition investigated were at the current additive level (approx. 25%) for ethanol additive fuels in Brazil and values above (50%) and below (10%) this level. An aqueous ethanol concentration above 10% was required for any movement to occur. At 25% aqueous ethanol, the majority of hydrocarbons were mobilised and the retention behaviour of the soil column lessened. At 50% aqueous ethanol, all the hydrocarbons were found to move unimpeded through the columns. The retention behaviour of the soil was found to change significantly when both organic matter content and silt/clay content was reduced. Unexpectedly, sandy soil with low organic matter and low silt/clay was found to have a retentive behaviour similar to sandy subsoil with moderate silt/clay, but little organic matter. It was concluded that sand grains might have a more important role in the adsorption of petroleum hydrocarbons than first realised. This method has shown that soil packed HPLC columns can be used to provide a quick estimate of petroleum hydrocarbon, and possibly other organic contaminant, movement in a variety of different soil types

Using a Flipped Classroom Approach to Supplement a Shared Syllabus

This paper is a report on action research involving integrating a flipped classroom approach into a larger syllabus of English instruction taught by several different teachers at a Japanese university. Flipped classroom study, which integrates preparatory study online at home with more practical and output-based study within the classroom, has become popular within the last few years. The paper introduces key aspects of flipped classrooms (Bergmann and Sams, 2013; Moore, 2017; Hirsch, 2015), and then outlines some of the benefits of its application in EFL education and specifically within the author’s teaching situation, in respect to whether the lessons can be integrated into a syllabus shared by ten different teachers, and whether students and teachers will continue to interact with the lessons across a semester. Finally, it reports on the progress made, including successes and failures of the system so far, and contends that the lessons have been consistently utilized by a proportion of the students and teachers involved, and are therefore seen as useful to them

The open reading frame 5A of foxtail mosaic virus is expressed in vivo and is dispensable for systemic infection

Infectious transcripts were successfully derived from full-length cDNA clones of foxtail mosaic potexvirus (FoMV). Full-length clones were constructed by RT-PCR whereby 50 and 30 genomic segments of 2.7 and 3.4 kb, respectively, were ligated into Bluescript II KS. The in vitro RNA transcripts were infectious to moncotyledonous (barley) and dicotyledonous (Chenopodium amaranticolor) plant species. Individual mutation studies on clones of each of the five major ORFs confirmed predicted gene function for the polymerase, TGB (triple gene block), and coat protein (CP) genes. Protoplast studies on expression of a unique open reading frame, ORF 5A, which initiates 143 nts upstream of the CP before it “reads through” the CP, revealed that the 5A protein was produced in vivo. Mutation analysis of the 5A ORF indicated, however, that it was not required for either replication or for productive infection of plants. However, the nucleic acid sequences encoding the extended CP segment were shown to be important for CP expression. Additional mutations in 5A had no effect on FoMV replication in protoplasts but rendered the virus noninfectious to plants. A correlation with diminished CP production from both mutant clones implies that synthesis of subgenomic CP mRNA was compromised, and this limited systemic infection

The Effects of β-Adrenergic Stimulation on Post-Tetanic Potentiation of Concentric Force in Fast Skeletal Muscle From Wildtype and skMLCK Devoid Mice.

Stimulation induced myosin RLC phosphorylation, catalyzed by the skeletal myosin light chain kinase (skMLCK) is known as the primary mechanism for twitch force potentiation (PTP). We assessed concentric PTP in the absence and presence of epinephrine (1 μM). To this end, extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from wildtype (WT) and skMLCK-/- (KO) mice were incubated for 30-minutes in normal (CON) or epinephrine containing (EPI) Tyrode’s solution (in vitro, 25°C); undergoing a series of twitches before and after a standard conditioning stimulus (CS; 4x100 Hz) to determine PTP (post-CS/pre-CS). Epinephrine initially enhanced PTP compared to the WT and KO control values, respectively; peaking at 19.3 ± 1.6% and 15.7 ± 10.2% by the 8-minute mark (P < 0.0001) without altering myosin phosphorylation (P = 0.503). WT muscles were significantly elevated above KO values at all time points (P < 0.05); with the exception of the final 8-minute value (P = 0.172). However, both genotypes showed similar responses to epinephrine (r2 = 0.895), demonstrating that epinephrine may primarily act on a pathway independent of myosin phosphorylation

\u3ci\u3eTriticum mosaic poacevirus\u3c/i\u3e enlists P1 rather than HC-Pro to suppress RNA silencing-mediated host defense

Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) is the type species of the newly established Poacevirus genus in the family Potyviridae. In this study, we demonstrate that in contrast to the helper component- proteinase (HC-Pro) of Potyvirus species, the P1 proteins of TriMV and Sugarcane steak mosaic poacevirus function in suppression of RNA silencing (SRS). TriMV P1 effectively suppressed silencing induced by single- or double-stranded RNAs (ss/ds RNAs), and disrupted the systemic spread of silencing signals at a step after silencing signal production. Interestingly, contrary to enhanced SRS activity of potyviral HC-Pro by co-expression with P1, the presence of TriMV HC-Pro reduced SRS activity of TriMV P1. Furthermore, TriMV P1 suppressed systemic silencing triggered by dsRNA more efficiently than the HC-Proof Turnip mosaic potyvirus. Furthermore, TriMV P1 enhanced the pathogenicity of a heterologous virus. Our results established poaceviral P1 as a potent RNA silencing suppressor that probably employs a novel mechanism to suppress RNA silencing-based antiviral defense