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Increasing evidence has demonstrated that excessive fructose intake induces liver fibrosis. Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) driven by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (Smad) signaling activation promotes the occurrence and development of liver fibrosis. Magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate is clinically used as a hepatoprotective agent to treat liver fibrosis, but its underlying molecular mechanism has not been identified. Using a rat model, we found that high fructose intake reduced microRNA (miR)-375-3p expression and activated the janus-activating kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) cascade and TGF-β1/Smad signaling, which is consistent with the EMT and liver fibrosis. To further verify these observations, BRL-3A cells and/or primary rat hepatocytes were exposed to high fructose and/or transfected with a miR-375-3p mimic or inhibitor or treated with a JAK2 inhibitor, and we found that the low expression of miR-375-3p could induce the JAK2/STAT3 pathway to activate TGF-β1/Smad signaling and promote the EMT. Magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate was found to ameliorate high fructose-induced EMT and liver fibrosis in rats. More importantly, magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate increased miR-375-3p expression to suppress the JAK2/STAT3 pathway and TGF-β1/Smad signaling in these animal and cell models. This study provides evidence showing that magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate attenuates liver fibrosis associated with a high fructose diet.

Prostate cancer is a major cause of death in males. Cyproterone acetate (CPA), the steroidal anti-androgen for part of androgen deprivation therapy, may block the androgen-receptor interaction and then reduce serum testosterone through its weak anti-gonadotropic action. In addition to CPA inducing hepatitis, CPA is known to cause liver tumors in rats also. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a cytoplasmic receptor and regulates multiple physiological functions. CYP1A1 is an AhR-targeted gene. We found that CPA induced CYP1A1 expression, transcriptional activity of the aryl hydrocarbon response element (AHRE), and the nuclear localization of AhR in mouse Hepa-1c1c7 cells. However, CPA suppressed CYP1A1 mRNA expression and the transcriptional activity of AHRE in human HepG2 and MCF7 cells, and also decreased AhR ligand-induced CYP1A1 protein expression and transcriptional activity of AHRE in HepG2 cells. In summary, CPA is an AhR agonist in mouse cells, but an AhR antagonist in human cells. Accordingly, CPA potentially plays a role as an endocrine disruptor of the AhR. This study helps us to understand why CPA induces acute hepatitis, gene mutation, and many other side effects. In addition, it may trigger further studies investigating the relationships between CPA, glucocorticoid receptor and castration-resistant prostate cancer in the future.

Graphical abstract, The fungi kingdom is composed of eukaryotic heterotrophs, which are responsible for balancing the ecosystem and play a major role as decomposers. They also produce a vast diversity of secondary metabolites, which have antibiotic or pharmacological properties. However, our lack of knowledge of gene function in fungi precludes us from tailoring them to our needs and tapping into their metabolic diversity. To help remedy this, we gathered genomic and gene expression data of 19 most widely-researched fungi to build an online tool, fungi.guru, which contains tools for cross-species identification of conserved pathways, functional gene modules, and gene families. We exemplify how our tool can elucidate the molecular function, biological process and cellular component of genes involved in various biological processes, by identifying a secondary metabolite pathway producing gliotoxin in Aspergillus fumigatus, the catabolic pathway of cellulose in Coprinopsis cinerea and the conserved DNA replication pathway in Fusarium graminearum and Pyricularia oryzae. The tool is available at www.fungi.guru.

The fungi kingdom is composed of eukaryotic heterotrophs, which are responsible for balancing the ecosystem and play a major role as decomposers. They also produce a vast diversity of secondary metabolites, which have antibiotic or pharmacological properties. However, our lack of knowledge of gene function in fungi precludes us from tailoring them to our needs and tapping into their metabolic diversity. To remedy this, we gathered genomic and gene expression data of 19 most widely-researched fungi to build a database, fungi.guru, which contains tools for cross-species identification of conserved pathways, functional gene modules, and gene families. We exemplify how our database can elucidate the molecular function, biological process and cellular component of genes involved in various biological processes, by identifying a secondary metabolite pathway producing gliotoxin in Aspergillus fumigatus, the catabolic pathway of cellulose in Coprinopsis cinerea and the conserved DNA replication pathway in Fusarium graminearum and Pyricularia oryzae. The database is available at www.fungi.guru.

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a growing problem that is projected to cause more deaths than cancer in 2050. Consequently, novel antibiotics are urgently needed. Since more than half of the available antibiotics target the bacterial ribosomes, proteins that are involved in protein synthesis are thus prime targets for the development of novel antibiotics. However, experimental identification of these potential antibiotic target proteins can be labor-intensive and challenging, as these proteins are likely to be poorly characterized and specific to few bacteria. In order to identify these novel proteins, we established a Large-Scale Transcriptomic Analysis Pipeline in Crowd (LSTrAP-Crowd), where 285 individuals processed 26 terabytes of RNA-sequencing data of the 17 most notorious bacterial pathogens. In total, the crowd processed 26,269 RNA-seq experiments and used the data to construct gene co-expression networks, which were used to identify more than a hundred uncharacterized genes that were transcriptionally associated with protein synthesis. We provide the identity of these genes together with the processed gene expression data. The data can be used to identify other vulnerabilities or bacteria, while our approach demonstrates how the processing of gene expression data can be easily crowdsourced.

The sensitive olfactory system is necessary for survival of insects. Odorant receptors (ORs) are located on the dendrites of olfactory receptor neurons and play a critical role in odor detection. Insect ORs are functionally analyzed via heterologous expression in a Xenopus oocyte system using a two-electrode voltage-clamp (TEVC) electrophysiological recording. Here, we have identified a novel OR in the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, then we cloned and named it ApisOR4. We analyzed the ApisOR4 tissue expression patterns and found expression only in antennae tissues. Further functional analysis using TEVC revealed that ApisOR4 is broadly tuned to eight volatiles, which elicit electrophysiological response in pea aphid antennae. This study provides an initial functional analysis of aphid ORs and identifies candidate volatiles to be used in developing new strategies for aphid control.

Summary The sesquiterpene ( E )-β-farnesene (EBF) is the alarm pheromone for many species of aphids [1]. When released from aphids attacked by parasitoids or predators, it alerts nearby conspecifics to escape by walking away and dropping off the host plant [2, 3]. The reception of alarm pheromone in aphids is accomplished through a highly sensitive chemosensory system. Although olfaction-related gene families including odorant receptors (ORs) and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) have recently been identified from aphid genomes [4–6], the cellular and molecular mechanisms of EBF reception are still largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that ApisOR5, a member of the large superfamily of odorant receptors, is expressed in large placoid sensillum neurons on the sixth antennal segment and confers response to EBF when co-expressed with Orco, an obligate odorant receptor co-receptor, in parallel heterologous expression systems. In addition, the repellent behavior of Acyrthosiphon pisum to EBF disappears after knocking down ApisOR5 by RNAi as well as two A. pisum odorant-binding proteins known to bind EBF (ApisOBP3 and ApisOBP7). Furthermore, other odorants that can also activate ApisOR5, such as geranyl acetate, significantly repel A. pisum , as does EBF. Taken together, these data allow us to conclude that ApisOR5 is essential to EBF reception in A. pisum . The characterization of the EBF receptor allows high-throughput screening of aphid repellents, providing the necessary information to develop new strategies for aphid control.

For investigating the physiological responses of herbivores to the heavy metal-stressed woody host plants, the activities of antioxidant, detoxifying, and digestive enzymes in the gypsy moth larvae, Lymantria dispar, that were fed with different heavy metal-stressed poplar seedling (Populus alba berolinensis) leaves were studied. The heavy metal treatments included Cd-treated pot soil (1.5 mg/kg), Zn-treated pot soil (500 mg/kg), and Pb-treated pot soil (500 mg/kg), plus an untreated pot soil as the control. Our results showed that compared with the untreated control, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in Cd or Zn treatment group were gradually suppressed with the increases of larval ages, but Pb treatment had no significant effects on SOD activities and significantly increased the CAT activities in both fourth and fifth instar larvae; acid phosphatase (ACP) activities were gradually activated and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activities were gradually inhibited with the increases of larval ages in Cd or Pb treatment group, but Zn treatment significantly increased the activities of ACP and AKP both in fourth and in fifth instar larvae. All three heavy metals tested did not show any significant effects on the amylase and protease activity in the fourth instar larvae but increased their activities in fifth instar larvae. These results suggest that antioxidant, detoxifying, and digestive enzymes constituted the basic defense system for gypsy moth larvae to resist the toxicity originated from the accumulated Cd, Zn, or Pb in poplar leaves, but their defense level varied with metals investigated and larval developmental stages.

Heavy metal contaminations have attracted increasing concern worldwide due to their potential damages to the whole ecosystem. This study investigated the heavy metal-accumulation and excretion in, and food utilization of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) larvae that were fed with leaves plucked from poplar seedlings (Populus alba berolinensis) grown in either noncontaminated soil (control), Zn-contaminated soil (500mg/kg), or Pb-contaminated soil (500mg/kg). Our results showed that excretion of heavy metals via insect feces and exuvia is an effective approach to reduce the internal Zn and Pb concentrations, and result in the decrease of Zn and Pb concentrations in the gypsy moth larvae with the increased larval age. In addition, the gypsy moth larvae seemed to have a strong homeostatic adjustment mechanism [between approximate digestibility (AD) and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD)] that maintains a stable level of "efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI)" regardless of heavy metal (Zn or Pb) contaminations or not, except the fifth instar larvae in which the increase in AD was insufficient to compensate for the decrease of ECD. These results suggest that heavy metal excretions could help the gypsy moth larvae cope with Zn or Pb stress, and the increased digestion of food could meet their energy requirements for both detoxification and growth. However, further increase in Zn or Pb exposure time seemed to inhibit the larval food utilization.

International audience; Plant volatiles are vital cues in the location of hosts for feeding and oviposition for Lepidoptera moths. The noctuid Helicoverpa assulta is a typical polyphagous moth, regarded as a good model for studying the olfactory reception of plant volatiles. In this study, four full-length genes encoding odorant receptors HassOR24, HassOR40, HassOR41, and HassOR55 expressed in antenna in H. assulta were functionally characterized. The highly expressed HassOR40 was narrowly tuned to a few structurally-related plant volatiles: geranyl acetate, geraniol and nerolidol. By systematically analyzing responses of single neuron in both trichoid sensilla and basiconic sensilla using single sensillum recording, the specific neuron B in one type of short trichoid sensilla was found to be mainly activated by the same chemicals as HassOR40 with high sensitivity, and with no significant difference between male and female neurons. Thus, a clear “receptor-neuron” relationship in H. assulta was demonstrated here, suggesting that HassOR40/HassOrco are expressed in neuron B of short trichoid sensilla. The active tobacco volatile nerolidol, recognized by this receptor-neuron line, elicits significant behavioral attraction of both sexes in H. assulta adults. The results indicate that we identified a receptor-neuron route for the peripheral coding of a behaviorally relevant host volatile in H. assulta.

International audience; The Leopard whipray (Himantura leoparda) and Blue-spotted stingray (Neotrygon kuhlii) are distributed in the Indian and West Pacific Ocean and considered as species complexes based on morphological and molecular evidence. In this study, we used the next-generation sequencing method to decipher the two complete mitogenomes of H. leoparda and N. kuhlii. The assembled mitogenomes had a length of 17,690 bp in H. leoparda and 17,974 bp in N. kuhlii, and showed 78% identity to each other. Both mitogenomes had the typical vertebrate arrangement, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs genes and the non-coding control region. The control region, which was 1931-bp long in H. leoparda and 2243-bp long in N. kuhlii was located between the tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe loci. The overall GC content was 40.3% in H. leoparda and 39.8% in N. kuhlii. The complete mitogenome sequences of H. leoparda and N. kuhlii provide important molecular data for further phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses of these two stingray species complexes.

Aphis glycines were collected in primary grain crop production region of Hei long jiang province in 2010.The resistance of Aphis glycines to ten commonly used insecticides was tested by immension method.The LC50 and relative toxicity ratio of Aphis glycines were gotten. it could be used as a reference for resistance monitoring or other related researches. The results showed that Aphis glycines had light resistance to organophosphorus pesticide, and it was sensitive to avermectins and cypermethrin.

In plants, phenyalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) has been related to defense mechanisms against insect feeding and wounding, and its role was investigated in poplar (Populus simonii × P. nigra) regarding induction by third-instar Lymantria dispar larvae feeding and punching mechanical wounding. The activity and mRNA expression level of PAL was evaluated during time courses in relation to L. dispar feeding and mechanical wounding. The constitutive levels of PAL activity in healthy poplar showed no significant differences during 72 h. L. dispar feeding and mechanical wounding caused different responses of protein and transcript levels of PAL. PAL was obviously induced by L. dispar feeding during a 24-72 h period. For mechanical wounding, activity and mRNA expression level of PAL were not significant induced but were mostly inhibited. The results suggested PAL gene may be significantly related to poplar defense against L. dispar attack.

Antioxidant defense enzymes are important components in induced defense responses of plants. Activities of the antioxidant defense enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) in Larix gmelinii Rupr. seedlings stressed by needle cutting or feeding by Dendrolimus superans Butler larvae (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) were compared. Both cutting needles and larval feeding increased antioxidant defense enzyme activities. The maximum activities of antioxidant defense enzymes induced by the two treatments appeared after similar time lags following cutting or feeding, but the intensity and duration of enzyme activities in needles differed. D. superans feeding caused higher SOD, CAT, and POD activity than did cutting. Elevated CAT activity tended to remain longer while POD activity rapidly declined after reaching peaks induced by larval feeding. The rapid increase of antioxidant defense enzyme began only after the degree of tissue damage exceeded certain threshold levels, and t...

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a plant hormone that plays a key role in the interactions between plants, herbivores and herbivore parasitoids. To determine the effect of JA-induced larch defence, two-year-old seedlings of Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. (LG) and Larix olgensis Herry (LO) were sprayed with different concentrations of JA. The effects of these treatments on behavioural responses of the moth, Dendrolimus superans Butler (DS), and its egg parasitoid Anastatus japonicus Ashmead (AJ) were tested by using cages and Y-tube olfactometers. The results showed that the numbers of DS eggs laid on JA-treated seedlings were lower than on control seedlings. The moth (DS) displayed a negative approach response to JA-treated seedlings (P

In this study, we used the next-generation sequencing method to determine the complete mitogenome of Japanese swallow angelfish (Genicanthus semifasciatus) and Ornate angelfish (Genicanthus bellus) for the first time. The assembled mitogenome, 16,722 bp and 16,734 bp in length, shows 95% identity to each other. Both mitogenomes follow the typical vertebrate arrangement, including 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs genes and a non-coding control region of D-loop. D-loop contains length of 1013 bp in G. semifasciatus and 1030 bp in G. bellus, and is located between tRNA-Pro and tRNA-Phe. The overall GC content is 46.4% for G. semifasciatus and 46.6% for G. bellus. The complete mitogenome of Japanese swallow angelfish and Ornate angelfish determined in this study provides essential and important DNA molecular data for further phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses for marine angelfish.

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) receptor (IGF-IR)-mediated signals are known to be involved in cell growth and transformation and prevention of apoptosis. In this study, we demonstrated the coexpression of IGF-I and IGF-IR in human esophageal carcinoma tissues. We also demonstrated the IGF-I autocrine system in esophageal carcinoma cell lines. Both the CE48T/VGH and CE81T/VGH cell lines showed proliferative responses to IGF-I stimulation. Autokinase activity of IGF-IR in these cells can be triggered by the exogenous addition of IGF-I. In addition, an IGF-I peptide antagonist, JB1, specifically inhibited ligand-induced receptor autophosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner. Under serum-free conditions, JB1 also reduced the degree of IGF-IR phosphorylation and cell numbers. Furthermore, the addition of JB1 decreased the number of CE81T/VGH colonies formed in methyl cellulose agar and the size and the incidence of tumors which grew in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency. These results imply that an IGF-I autocrine system in human esophageal carcinoma cells could stimulate tumor growth. Finally, we found that IGF-I prevented the apoptosis of CE81T/VGH cells induced by chemotherapeutic drugs, such as cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and camptothecin. Thus, interruption of IGF-IR function may provide a way to retard tumor growth and increase the sensitivity of esophageal carcinoma to chemotherapy.

Native to China and Korea, the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), is a polyphagous wood-boring pest for which a trapping system would greatly benefit eradication and management programs in both the introduced and native ranges. Over two field seasons, a total of 160 flight intercept panel traps were deployed in Harbin, China, which trapped a total of 65 beetles. In 2012, traps using lures with a 1:1 ratio of the male-produced pheromone components (4-(n-heptyloxy)butanal and 4-(n-heptyloxy)butan-1-ol) designed to release at a rate of 1 or 4 milligram per day per component in conjunction with the plant volatiles (-)-linalool, trans-caryophyllene, and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol caught significantly more A. glabripennis females than other pheromone release rates, other pheromone ratios, plant volatiles only, and no lure controls. Males were caught primarily in traps baited with plant volatiles only. In 2013, 10× higher release rates of these plant volatiles were tested, and linalool oxide was evaluated as a fourth plant volatile in combination with a 1:1 ratio of the male-produced pheromone components emitted at a rate of 2 milligram per day per component. Significantly more females were trapped using the pheromone with the 10-fold higher three or four plant volatile release rates compared with the plant volatiles only, low four plant volatile + pheromone, and control. Our findings show that the male-produced pheromone in combination with plant volatiles can be used to detect A. glabripennis. Results also indicate that emitters should be monitored during the field season, as release rates fluctuate with environmental conditions and can be strongly influenced by formulation additives.

Several main monoterpenes and their combinations from Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii Rupr.) cones were used as odor sources in olfactory experiment to test the responses of larch cone flies (Strobilomyia spp.) in 1998. The results revealed that blend of α -pinene, β -pinene, laurene and β -ocimene in a ratio close to its volatile profile of damaged cones achieved the best response while certain odors showed repellent tendency to cone flies. Field spraying Dahurian larch cones with some of its volatile components had mixed results but support the olfactory testing results. The role of monoterpenes in cone fly host location and oviposition in terms of attractive signals or repellent is discussed.

In this study, the complete mitogenome sequence of the cryptic “lineage A” big-fin reef squid, Sepioteuthis lessoniana (Cephalopoda: Loliginidae) has been sequenced by the next-generation sequencing method. The assembled mitogenome consists of 16,605 bp, which includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and 2 ribosomal RNAs genes. The overall base composition of “lineage A” S. lessoniana is 37.5% for A, 17.4% for C, 9.1% for G, and 35.9% for T and shows 87% identities to “lineage C” S. lessoniana. It is also noticed by its high T + A content (73.4%), two non-coding regions with TA tandem repeats. The complete mitogenome of the cryptic “lineage A” S. lessoniana provides essential and important DNA molecular data for further phylogeography and evolutionary analysis for big-fin reef squid species complex.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an ubiquitous pathogen which causes significant illness in immunocompromised individuals. The immediate-early gene 2 (IE2) protein of HCMV plays an important role in the regulation of virus replication. Previous studies have shown that the IE2 protein is able to interact with several cellular proteins, but many of the IE2 interacting partners remain unidentified. By utilizing the yeast two-hybrid system, the heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1) was identified as an IE2 interacting protein. The interaction was confirmed via thein vitrobinding of bacterial expressed glutathioneS-transferase (GST) IE2 fusion protein with thein vitrotranslated hnRNP A1. The mutational analysis showed that both the N-terminal half (1-290 residues) and C-terminal half (291-579 residues) of IE2 protein can interact with the hnRNP A1, indicating that more than one region of IE2 protein are involved in the binding with hnRNP A1.

The IE2 gene of human cytomegalovirus has been implicated in the development of coronary restenosis, and the gene product appears to inhibit p53-dependent transactivation. Here we describe an analysis of the IE2-p53 interaction. Repression of p53 function by IE2 requires two separable domains of IE2. The N terminus of IE2 interacts with p53. IE2 has little effect on the ability of p53 to bind specific DNA sequences. Reduction of the transactivation activity of p53 is caused by a transcriptional repression function contributed by the C-terminal domain of IE2. These findings suggest that IE2 may function as a transcriptional repressor, which is recruited to p53's target genes by interacting with p53.

Jasmonates (JAs) are plant signal compounds and can induce many biochemical responses. In the current study, the effects of three concentrations of exogenous JAs plus control on the free amino acid (FAA) contentsin needles of Larix olgensis Herry seedlings were investigated. Our results showed that the proportions of nineessential FAAs detected/identified in all treatments varied with concentrations of JAs. Total FAA contents in control needles fluctuated in an increasing-decreasing-increasing pattern within a 20-day period; however, a decreasing-increasing-decreasing pattern was observed in JAs-treated needles compared to their controls.They were significantly affected by the interactions of time, JAs type and JAs concentration. Furthermore,methyl jasmonate (MeJA) showed stronger treatment effect on total FAA contents than did cis-jasmone (cisJ)or jasmonic acid (JA). While total FAA contents were significantly influenced by 0.01 mM JA, 0.1 mM cisJ and 0.1 and 1 mM MeJA treatments compared to their corresponding controls. The results indicated that exogenous JAs might induce significant changes of the individual FAA ratios and total FAA contents in larch needles. This could be a potential factor influencing the preference and performance of pest insects that utilizeL. olgensis as a host. Key words: Larix olgensis, jasmonic acid, methyl jasmonate, cis-jasmone, induce function.

The Spring and Autumn Period is a special phase of Social Chaos in Ancient China. Li (Rule of Rite) was then the governmental rule of the Zhou Dynasty, into which Confucius introduced Xiao (filial piety), Zhong (loyalty), and Y, (righteousness or cosmopolitan commitment) as governmental constituents at family, dukedom, and universe levels respectively. The governmental rule of Confucian investigation has its focus on the right to live as human beings and family ethos. In the constitutional structure of families, dukedoms, and the universe the power and right, responsibility and obligation, have been balanced between father and his sons, duke and his subjects, as well as emperor and his dukes. The power of father over sons, duke over subjects, and emperor over dukes is held in check by being morally obliged to be a kind father for sons, benevolent duke for subjects, and generous emperor for dukes, constituting a universally harmonious polity. By this investigation Confucius ushered into Chinese political and legal traditions a Rule of Virtue, paving the base of governmental rule with L, as its mainstay and Xing (Rule of Punishment) as its subordinate and establishing the principles for peaceful international relations featured as Unified Humanity for Diversified Worlds (tianxia ruiren).

Anastatus japonicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is an important egg parasitoid of several major insect pests. To better understand its host finding mechanisms, the antennal sensilla of female wasp were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Sensilla chaetica were found mainly on radicle and pedicel segments of the antennae. i-Type sensilla, s. campaniformia, and corneous sensilla were detected on the leeward side, while s. coeloconica and lance sensilla were presented on the windward side of the antennae. S. trichodea and s. basiconica were more abundant on the leeward side than on the windward side of the antennae. More s. placodea were found on the windward side than on the leeward side of the right antenna, while the opposite results were observed on the left antenna. Overall, more s. placodea were found on the right antenna than that on the left antenna. The numbers of s. trichodea and s. basiconica on the clava or the third flagellum antennomere of the right antenna were more than those of the left antenna, whereas their distribution patterns on the other corresponding antennomeres were reverse. Our results showed that there is a strong asymmetrical antennal sensilla distribution quantitatively and spatially between the left and right antennae. Placoid sensilla are present more on the right antenna than on the left antenna. S. campaniformia, corneous sensilla, and i-type sensilla were found only on the leeward side of the antennal clava, while their external morphology and potential functions were described and discussed in detail for the first time.

Prediction models for estimating infestations by Nantucket pine tip moth (NPTM), Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock) in young loblolly pine plantations in East Texas were developed using multivariate regression analysis based on selected soil and tree factors. Results of regression models show that foliage nutrients, tree water potential and tree height play important roles in NPTM infestation. Overall, these factors predict whole tree infestation better than top two whorls infestation. The importance and correlation of the factors differed for the prediction model of top two whorl and whole tree infestations.

In hyperlipidemia rats fed the purified oil of Anguilla japonica (POAJ, 127.7–510.8 mg/kg), we have shown that serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) decreasing percentages were 13.3–48.7, 9.5–25.2, and 5.1–62.2%, respectively, high density lipoprotein (HDL) incrasing percentage was 8.2–67.3%, and the POAJ (255.4–510.8 mg/kg) significantly reduced whole blood and plasma viscosity. The POAJ had marked increasing effect on some immunological indices, such as transferable function of T lymphocyte, in mice. In this paper, we show that the POAJ (1.8 g, 3 times a day, for 30 days) significantly lowered plasma lipids in 50 hyperlipidemia patients. The percentages of cases with marked efficiency for TC and TG decreasing were 92.0 and 88.0%, and those of cases with effectiveness (marked efficiency and efficiency) were 98.0 and 96.0%. In comparison with before-treatment values, the decreasing percentages of TC, TG, LDL, and VLDL levels were 28.6, 54.3, 27.3, and 50.0%, and the increasing percentage of HDL was 70.0%, At the same time, the POAJ dramatically changed some immunological indices in which IgG and IgM levels increased by 25.0 and 36.8%, but C4 levels were lowered by 33.3%, respectively. Drug Dev. Res. 39:135–137. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Diets containing egg white, casein, menhaden fish meal, soy protein or wheat gluten were fed to rats to assess the impact of dietary protein (and other nutrients) on gastric functions. The menhaden fish meal group exhibited increases in stomach histidine decarboxylase (HDC) activity, histamine concentration, as well as acid secretion when compared with the control, casein group. When rats were fed amino acid-supplemented casein or fish meal diets to simulate each other's amino acid profile, a small increase in gastric HDC activity, histamine content and acid secretion was observed in comparison with the unsupplemented casein or fish meal groups. The high mineral content of menhaden fish meal (15%) was thought to be a potential inducing factor for gastric histamine metabolism and acid secretion. Adding fish meal ash to the casein diet or to a cod fillet diet elevated stomach HDC activity and histamine concentration significantly. Furthermore, when calcium (Ca) was added to the casein diet to simulate its high content in menhaden fish meal (7.8%), similar elevated levels of gastric histamine were obtained for the Ca-supplemented casein group as for the fish meal group. The role of Ca could be due to release of gastrin, which results in release of stomach histamine, or by facilitating mast cell histidine incorporation with subsequent histamine synthesis.