bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fermented milk improves glucose metabolism in exercise-induced muscle damage in young healthy men
Authors: Iwasa Masayo , Aoi Wataru , Mune Keitaro , Yamauchi Haruka , Furuta Kaori , Sasaki Shota , Takeda Kazuya , Harada Kiyomi , Wada Sayori , Nakamura Yasushi , Sato Kenji , Higashi Akane
Published: June 2013

Background

This study investigated the effect of fermented milk supplementation on glucose metabolism associated with muscle damage after acute exercise in humans.

Methods

Eighteen healthy young men participated in each of the three trials of the study: rest, exercise with placebo, and exercise with fermented milk. In the exercise trials, subjects carried out resistance exercise consisting of five sets of leg and bench presses at 70–100% 12 repetition maximum. Examination beverage (fermented milk or placebo) was taken before and after exercise in double-blind method. On the following day, we conducted an analysis of respiratory metabolic performance, blood collection, and evaluation of muscle soreness.

Results

Muscle soreness was significantly suppressed by the consumption of fermented milk compared with placebo (placebo, 14.2 ± 1.2 score vs. fermented milk, 12.6 ± 1.1 score, p < 0.05). Serum creatine phosphokinase was significantly increased by exercise, but this increase showed a tendency of suppression after the consumption of fermented milk. Exercise significantly decreased the respiratory quotient (rest, 0.88 ± 0.01 vs. placebo, 0.84 ± 0.02, p < 0.05), although this decrease was negated by the consumption of fermented milk (0.88 ± 0.01, p < 0.05). Furthermore, exercise significantly reduced the absorption capacity of serum oxygen radical (rest, 6.9 ± 0.4 μmol TE/g vs. placebo, 6.0 ± 0.3 μmol TE/g, p < 0.05), although this reduction was not observed with the consumption of fermented milk (6.2 ± 0.3 μmol TE/g).

Conclusion

These results suggest that fermented milk supplementation improves glucose metabolism and alleviates the effects of muscle soreness after high-intensity exercise, possibly associated with the regulation of antioxidant capacity.
Regulation of protumorigenic pathways by Insulin like growth factor binding protein2 and its association along with β-catenin in breast cancer lymph node metastasis
Authors: Sehgal Priyanka , Kumar Neeraj , Praveen Kumar Varuvar Rajesh , Patil Shilpa , Bhattacharya Animesh , Vijaya Kumar Manavalan , Mukherjee Geetashree , Kondaiah Paturu
Published: June 2013

Background

Insulin like growth factor binding proteins modulate the mitogenic and pro survival effects of IGF. Elevated expression of IGFBP2 is associated with progression of tumors that include prostate, ovarian, glioma among others. Though implicated in the progression of breast cancer, the molecular mechanisms involved in IGFBP2 actions are not well defined. This study investigates the molecular targets and biological pathways targeted by IGFBP2 in breast cancer.

Methods

Transcriptome analysis of breast tumor cells (BT474) with stable knockdown of IGFBP2 and breast tumors having differential expression of IGFBP2 by immunohistochemistry was performed using microarray. Differential gene expression was established using R-Bioconductor package. For validation, gene expression was determined by qPCR. Inhibitors of IGF1R and integrin pathway were utilized to study the mechanism of regulation of β-catenin. Immunohistochemical and immunocytochemical staining was performed on breast tumors and experimental cells, respectively for β-catenin and IGFBP2 expression.

Results

Knockdown of IGFBP2 resulted in differential expression of 2067 up regulated and 2002 down regulated genes in breast cancer cells. Down regulated genes principally belong to cell cycle, DNA replication, repair, p53 signaling, oxidative phosphorylation, Wnt signaling. Whole genome expression analysis of breast tumors with or without IGFBP2 expression indicated changes in genes belonging to Focal adhesion, Map kinase and Wnt signaling pathways. Interestingly, IGFBP2 knockdown clones showed reduced expression of β- catenin compared to control cells which was restored upon IGFBP2 re-expression. The regulation of β-catenin by IGFBP2 was found to be IGF1R and integrin pathway dependent. Furthermore, IGFBP2 and β-catenin are co-ordinately overexpressed in breast tumors and correlate with lymph node metastasis.

Conclusion

This study highlights regulation of β-catenin by IGFBP2 in breast cancer cells and most importantly, combined expression of IGFBP2 and β-catenin is associated with lymph node metastasis of breast tumors.
High levels of anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediators lipoxins and resolvins and declining docosahexaenoic acid levels in human milk during the first month of lactation
Authors: Weiss Gisela Adrienne , Troxler Heinz , Klinke Glynis , Rogler Daniela , Braegger Christian , Hersberger Martin
Published: June 2013

Background

The fatty acid mixture of human milk is ideal for the newborn but little is known about its composition in the first few weeks of lactation. Of special interest are the levels of long-chain PUFAs (LCPUFAs), since these are essential for the newborn’s development. Additionally, the LCPUFAs arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are precursors for lipid mediators which regulate inflammation.

Methods

We determined the composition of 94 human milk samples from 30 mothers over the first month of lactation for fatty acids using GC-MS and quantified lipid mediators using HPLC-MS/MS.

Results

Over the four weeks period, DHA levels decreased, while levels of γC18:3 and αC18:3 steadily increased. Intriguingly, we found high concentrations of lipid mediators and their hydroxy fatty acid precursors in human milk, including pro-inflammatory leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipoxin A4 (LXA4), resolvin D1 (RvD1) and resolvin E1 (RvE1). Lipid mediator levels were stable with the exception of two direct precursors.

Conclusions

Elevated levels of DHA right after birth might represent higher requirements of the newborn and the high content of anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediators and their precursors may indicate their role in neonatal immunity and may be one of the reasons for the advantage of human milk over infant formula.
A neutralization assay for respiratory syncytial virus using a quantitative PCR-based endpoint assessment
Authors: Varada Jan C , Teferedegne Belete , Crim R Lynne , Mdluli Thembi , Audet Susette , Peden Keith , Beeler Judy , Murata Haruhiko
Published: June 2013

Background

Few studies have used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as an approach to measure virus neutralization assay endpoints. Its lack of use may not be surprising considering that sample nucleic acid extraction and purification can be expensive, labor-intensive, and rate-limiting.

Methods

Virus/antibody mixtures were incubated for one hour at 37°C and then transferred to Vero cell monolayers in a 96-well plate format. At 24 (or 48) hours post-infection, we used a commercially available reagent to prepare cell lysates amenable to direct analysis by one-step SYBR Green quantitative reverse transcription PCR using primers specific for the RSV-N gene, thereby obviating the need for cumbersome RNA extraction and purification. The neutralization titer was defined as the reciprocal of the highest dilution needed to inhibit the PCR signal by 90% when compared with the mean value observed in virus control wells in the absence of neutralizing antibodies.

Results

We have developed a qPCR-based neutralization assay for human respiratory syncytial virus. Due to the sensitivity of qPCR in detecting virus replication, endpoints may be assessed as early as 24 hours post-infection. In addition, the dynamic range of qPCR provides a basis for the assay to be relatively robust to perturbations in input virus dose (i.e., the assay is in compliance with the Percentage Law).

Conclusions

This qPCR-based neutralization assay is suitable for automated high-throughput applications. In addition, our experimental approach may be generalizable for the rapid development of neutralization assays for other virus families.
Changes in male rat urinary protein profile during puberty: a pilot study
Authors: Vettorazzi Ariane , Wait Robin , Nagy Judit , Monreal Jose Ignacio , Mantle Peter
Published: June 2013

Background

Androgen-dependent proteins (lipocalins) circulate in blood of male rats and mice and, being small (~ 18 kDa), pass freely into glomerular filtrate. Some are salvaged in proximal nephrons but some escape in urine. Several organic molecules can bind to these proteins causing, where salvage occurs, nephropathy including malignancy in renal cortex. In urine, both free lipocalins and ligands contribute to an increasingly-recognised vital biological role in social communication between adults, especially in the dark where reliance is on smell and taste. Crystal structure of the first-characterised lipocalin of male rats, α2u-globulin, has been determined and peptide sequences for others are available, but no study of occurrence during early puberty has been made. We have followed temporal occurrence in urine of juveniles (n = 3) for non-invasive pilot study by high resolution gradient mini-gel electrophoresis, tryptic digest of excised protein bands, and LC-MS/MS of digest to identify peptide fragments and assign to specific lipocalins. Study objective refers directly to external availability for social communication but also indirectly to indicate kinetics of circulating lipocalins to which some xenobiotics may bind and constitute determinants of renal disease.

Results

Mini-gels revealed greater lipocalin complexity than hitherto recognised, possibly reflecting post-translational modifications. Earliest patterns comprised rat urinary protein 1, already evident in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar strains at 36 and 52 days, respectively. By 44 and 57 days major rat protein (α2u-globulin) occurred as the progressively more dominant protein, though as two forms with different electrophoretic mobility, characterised by seven peptide sequences. No significant change in urinary testosterone had occurred in Wistars when major rat protein became evident, but testosterone surged by 107 days concomitant with the marked abundance of excreted lipocalins.

Conclusions

Qualitative temporal changes in the composition of excreted lipocalins early in puberty, and apparent increase in major urinary protein as two resolvable forms, should catalyse systematic non-invasive study of urinary lipocalin and testosterone dynamics from early age, to illuminate this aspect of laboratory rodent social physiology. It could also define the potential temporal onset of nephrotoxic ligand risk, applicable to young animals used as toxicological models.
Collective intelligence within web video
Authors: Chorianopoulos Konstantinos
Published: June 2013

We present a user-based approach for detecting interesting video segments through simple signal processing of users’ collective interactions with the video player (e.g., seek/scrub, play, pause). Previous research has focused on content-based systems that have the benefit of analyzing a video without user interactions, but they are monolithic, because the resulting key-frames are the same regardless of the user preferences. We developed the open-source SocialSkip system on a modular cloud-based architecture and analyzed hundreds of user interactions within difficult video genres (lecture, how-to, documentary) by modeling them as user interest time series. We found that the replaying activity is better than the skipping forward one in matching the semantics of a video, and that all interesting video segments can be found within a factor of two times the average user skipping step from the local maximums of the replay time series. The concept of simple signal processing of implicit user interactions within video could be applied to any type of Web video system (e.g., TV, desktop, tablet), in order to improve the user navigation experience with dynamic and personalized key-frames.
"Intelligent Environments: a manifesto"
Authors: Augusto Juan C , Callaghan Vic , Cook Diane , Kameas Achilles , Satoh Ichiro
Published: June 2013

We explain basic features of an emerging area called Intelligent Environments. We give a short overview on how it has developed, what is the current state of the art and what are the challenges laying ahead. The aim of the article is to make aware the Computer Science community of this new development, the differences with previous dominant paradigms and the opportunities that this area offers to the scientific community and society.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 23, Bone Mineral Density, and Risk of Hip Fracture Among Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study
Authors: Jovanovich Anna , Bùžková Petra , Chonchol Michel , Robbins John , Fink Howard A. , de Boer Ian H. , Kestenbaum Bryan , Katz Ronit , Carbone Laura , Lee Jennifer , Laughlin Gail A. , Mukamal Kenneth J. , Fried Linda F. , Shlipak Michael G. , Ix Joachim H.
Published: June 2013

Context:

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a phosphaturic hormone that also inhibits calcitriol synthesis.

Objective:

Our objective was to evaluate the relationships of plasma FGF23 concentrations with bone mineral density (BMD) and hip fracture in community-dwelling older adults.

Design and Setting:

Linear regression and Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the associations of plasma FGF23 concentrations with BMD and incident hip fracture, respectively. Analyses were also stratified by chronic kidney disease.

Participants:

Participants included 2008 women and 1329 men ≥65 years from the 1996 to 1997 Cardiovascular Health Study visit.

Main Outcome Measures:

Dual x-ray absorptiometry measured total hip (TH) and lumbar spine (LS) BMD in 1291 participants. Hip fracture incidence was assessed prospectively through June 30, 2008 by hospitalization records in all participants.

Results:

Women had higher plasma FGF23 concentrations than men (75 [56–107] vs 66 [interquartile range = 52–92] relative units/mL; P < .001). After adjustment, higher FGF23 concentrations were associated with greater total hip and lumbar spine BMD in men only (β per doubling of FGF23 = 0.02, with 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.001–0.04 g/cm2, and 0.03 with 95% CI = 0.01–0.06 g/cm2). During 9.6 ± 5.1–11.0 years of follow-up, 328 hip fractures occurred. Higher FGF23 concentrations were not associated with hip fracture risk in women or men (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.95, with 95% CI = 0.78–1.15, and 1.09 with 95% CI = 0.82–1.46 per doubling of FGF23). Results did not differ by chronic kidney disease status (P > .4 for interactions).

Conclusions:

In this large prospective cohort of community-dwelling older adults, higher FGF23 concentrations were weakly associated with greater lumbar spine and total hip BMD but not with hip fracture risk.
Formulations and Branch-and-Cut Algorithms for Multivehicle Production and Inventory Routing Problems
Authors: Adulyasak Yossiri , Cordeau Jean-François , Jans Raf
Published: June 2013

The inventory routing problem (IRP) and the production routing problem (PRP) are two difficult problems arising in the planning of integrated supply chains. These problems are solved in an attempt to jointly optimize production, inventory, distribution, and routing decisions. Although several studies have proposed exact algorithms to solve the single-vehicle problems, the multivehicle aspect is often neglected because of its complexity. We introduce multivehicle PRP and IRP formulations, with and without a vehicle index, to solve the problems under both the maximum level (ML) and order-up-to level (OU) inventory replenishment policies. The vehicle index formulations are further improved using symmetry breaking constraints; the nonvehicle index formulations are strengthened by several cuts. A heuristic based on an adaptive large neighborhood search technique is also developed to determine initial solutions, and branch-and-cut algorithms are proposed to solve the different formulations. The results show that the vehicle index formulations are superior in finding optimal solutions, whereas the nonvehicle index formulations are generally better at providing good lower bounds on larger instances. IRP and PRP instances with up to 35 customers, three periods, and three vehicles can be solved to optimality within two hours for the ML policy. By using parallel computing, the algorithms could solve the instances for the same policy with up to 45 and 50 customers, three periods, and three vehicles for the IRP and PRP, respectively. For the more difficult IRP (PRP) under the OU policy, the algorithms could handle instances with up to 30 customers, three (six) periods, and three vehicles on a single core machine, and up to 45 (35) customers, three (six) periods, and three vehicles on a multicore machine.
“Nursevendor Problem”: Personnel Staffing in the Presence of Endogenous Absenteeism
Authors: Green Linda V. , Savin Sergei , Savva Nicos
Published: June 2013

The problem of determining nurse staffing levels in a hospital environment is a complex task because of variable patient census levels and uncertain service capacity caused by nurse absenteeism. In this paper, we combine an empirical investigation of the factors affecting nurse absenteeism rates with an analytical treatment of nurse staffing decisions using a novel variant of the newsvendor model. Using data from the emergency department of a large urban hospital, we find that absenteeism rates are consistent with nurses exhibiting an aversion to higher levels of anticipated workload. Using our empirical findings, we analyze a single-period nurse staffing problem considering both the case of constant absenteeism rate (exogenous absenteeism) as well as an absenteeism rate that is a function of the number of nurses scheduled (endogenous absenteeism). We provide characterizations of the optimal staffing levels in both situations and show that the failure to incorporate absenteeism as an endogenous effect results in understaffing.

This paper was accepted by Yossi Aviv, operations management.
A Review of the Biology, Ecology and Behavior of Velvety Tree Ants of North America
Authors: Hoey-Chamberlain Rochelle , Rust Michael K , Klotz John H
Published: June 2013

Ants belonging to the genus Liometopum are regionally distributed across North America, Europe and Asia. L. apiculatum Mayr, L. luctuosum Wheeler, and L. occidentale Emery are found in western North America and are referred to as velvety tree ants. Very little is known about the biology of these species, but they are similar. They are typically associated with trees and shrubs and are frequently found tending hemipterans. All three species are are easily disturbed and and resort to highly aggressive behaviors including the use of strong alarm odors. The following review is intended to summarize the literature regarding the biology and control of these species. Special emphasis has been given to factors that might be important in their control and gaps in our current knowledge.
Checklist of Social (Polistinae) and Solitary (Eumeninae) Wasps from a Fragment of Cerrado “Campo Sujo” in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Authors: Grandinete Yuri Campanholo , Noll Fernando Barbosa
Published: June 2013

Cerrado is one of the richest biomes in the world but it is still very threatened by human actions that affect not only the flora, but also the fauna, and certainly the largest known group, the insects. We present here a list of species of Polistinae and Eumeninae wasps, based on three different methodologies in a fragment of Cerrado “campo sujo”, very affected by livestock raising, in Paranaíba, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. We recorded 22 species of Polistinae within 8 genera, with Polybia and Agelaia as the most representative. For Eumeninae, 21 species within 10 genera were recorded, with Montezumia and Pachodynerus as the most representative. Furthermore, this work shows the first records of Eumeninae in Mato Grosso do Sul and some new of Polistinae, compared to the literature.
Temporal Polyethism and Life Expectancy of Workers in the Eusocial Wasp Polistes canadensis canadensis Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Authors: Torres Viviana de Oliveira , Gianotti Edilberto , Antonialli-Jr. Willian Fernando
Published: June 2013

The division of tasks among nestmates is one of the most important traits of the social Hymenoptera, and is responsible for their evolutionary success. This division of labor, which occurs among workers throughout their lives, is called temporal polyethism. This study investigated how temporal polyethism occurs, and its effects on the life expectancy of the eusocial wasp Polistes canadensis canadensis Linnaeus. To evaluate the different activities and determine longevity, newly emerged females were individually marked with colored dots on the mesosome. During their lives, workers perform 22 behavioral acts, and the Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling analysis revealed a variation in the pattern of behaviors performed until the fifth week of life, i.e., close to their mean longevity. The mean life expectancy was 37.06 ± 29.07 days, with a mortality rate of 24.14% in the first week, coinciding with the onset of foraging activity. In other, less-derived species this began early in the life of the workers. The high entropy value (H = 0.750) reflects the high mortality rate in the first weeks of life.
Tending-Ants Increase Survivorship and Reproductive Success of Calloconophora pugionata Drietch (Hemiptera, Membracidae), a Trophobiont Herbivore of Myrcia obovata O.Berg (Myrtales, Myrtaceae)
Authors: Fagundes Roberth , Ribeiro Sérvio Pontes , Del-Claro Kleber
Published: June 2013

The trophic relations between ants and hemipterans are very common in the Neotropical Region, but rarely explored in dry montane ecosystems. Given the diversity of outcomes of this type of interactions influenced by variation in biotic conditions (i.e. seasonality, spatial distribution, identity of species involved), new examples in different ecosystems can provide important data for a more general understanding of their impact in communities. We investigated the outcomes (direct benefits: survivorship and reproduction) of the relationship between the trophobiont herbivore Calloconophora pugionata (Membracidae) and its tending ants. The interaction occurs on Myrcia obovata (Myrtaceae), a common tree in montane forests and rupestrian fields ofsoutheastern Brazil, and has never been studied before. Between 2008 and 2009, we selected and manipulated (ant-exclusion) trees in a pairwise experiment performed on plant branches infested by C. pugionata. This membracidae laid its eggs peculiarly on the leaf margins, a behaviour that increased egg survival even when ants were absent. All life stages of the hemipteran exhibited higher survival rates (two-fold) and increased fecundity (four-fold higher oviposition rates) when attended by ants. This study shows that this ant-hemipteran interaction occurs in dry montane biomes in a way that is similar to other tropical ecosystems in which ants protect the hemipterans against predators, thus increasing their survival and reproductive fitness.
Division of labor in stable social hierarchy of the independent-founding wasp Mischocyttarus (Monocyttarus) cassununga, Von Ihering (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)
Authors: Murakami André Sunao Nishiuchi , Desuó Ivan C , Shima Sulene N
Published: June 2013

In colonies of independent-founding wasps, social organization is characterized by a division of labor wherein the most dominant female (the queen) spends more time on the nest comb during its development, while the subordinates (workers) perform most of the foraging. The present study aimed at describing how tasks are assigned among the members of colonies of Mischocyttarus cassununga (Von Ihering) during the post-emergence phase. For this, we daily tape recorded the behavioral repertoire of thirteen colonies in the field, later analyzing the results of each colonial subphase with Statistic analysis (Principal Component Analysis, Clustering Analysis and ANOVA - Tukey-Kramer t-test p<0.05). Our results showed that the assignment of tasks in M. cassununga generally reflects the dominance hierarchy. Despite of the behavioral flexibility of basal eusocial wasps, it was possible to identify different groups of subordinate females (workers) in the colony. The division of labor during the pre-male subphase was delineated with four defined groups whereas the post-male subphase with three groups. Pre-male: G1 - a dominant group of reproductive females, G2 - a group of higher hierarchically subordinate females (these can sometimes perform tasks very similar to the queens), G3 - a subordinate group of forager females, and G4 - a subordinate group of inactive and principally young wasps. Post-male: G1, G2 and G3 (similar groups during pre-male subphase, but without G4. We think these analyses suggest a novel view of the importance of the behavioral repertoire of higher hierarchically subordinate females in wasp nests, at least in the genus Mischocyttarus.
Biological Notes on the Parasitism of Apoica flavissima Van der Vecht (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) by Seminota marginata (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Trigonalidae): Are Social Paper Wasps Primary or Secundary Hosts of Trigonalidae?
Authors: Santos Eduardo Fernando dos , Noll Fernando Barbosa
Published: June 2013

Hosts of Trigonalidae include larvae of social paper wasps, which have been considered secondary hosts, supposedly following predation of the primary host (usually caterpillars) by adult wasps. This study provides observations on biological aspects of the parasitism of Apoica flavissima Van der Vecht by Seminota marginata (Westwood), and suggests that social wasps may be both primary and secondary host, whereas they extract and chew vegetable fiber.
Karyotype description of Cephalotrigona femorata Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and the C-banding pattern as a specific marker for Cephalotrigona
Authors: Miranda Rodrigo Vieira , Fernandes Anderson , Lopes Denilce Meneses
Published: June 2013

Cephalotrigona femorata (Smith, 1854) was submitted to cytogenetic techniques to study and describe its karyotype. Conventional staining allowed the counting (2n=34) and observation of chromosome morphology. The amount and distribution of heterochromatin in this species was different from Cephalotrigona capitata (Smith, 1854), another species of the genus already analyzed. Our results indicate that heterochromatin a potential marker for the genus, at least for the species found in Brazil. This region was marked by DAPI, revealing a high content of A:T. The CMA3 marked two pairs, and it seems to be  polymorphic in one pair.
Spatial Distribution and Architecture of Acromyrmex landolti Forel (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) Nests in Pastures of Southwestern Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Silva Júnior Milton Rodrigues da , Castellani Maria Aparecida , Moreira Aldenise Alves , D'Esquivel Michele Silva , Forti Luiz Carlos , Lacau Sébastien
Published: June 2013

Ants of the genera Atta and Acromyrmex (Myrmicinae: Attini) are in general pests for agricultural and pasture areas. In southwestern Bahia pastures, in Brazil, Acromyrmex landolti Forel occurs at intermediate densities of 260 nests ha-1. In spite of its economic importance, there is not enough research on the bioecological aspects of such species. This paper aims to study the spatial distribution and the architectural pattern of A. landolti nests, as well as to establish the foundations for the improvement of strategies for controlling the pest. The research was carried out during the period of June 2011 and May 2012, in an area of pastures measuring 2.7 ha, in Itapetinga, in Bahia. Twenty five nests were selected. The external mound area, height of the tower, distance between the tower and the external mound area, as well as the tower diameter were all registered. In order to describe the internal architecture, the same nests were completely excavated and five were molded in cement. The spatial distribution of the nests is of aggregated type. The towers height is 2.1 cm and the average diameter is 1.2 cm. The amount of loose soil is of about 8.0 cm from the tower, with an average area of 472.9±312.5 cm² and average volume of 1.4 L±0.9. The depth of the nests varies between 7.0 and 78.0 cm, with an average of 33.2±21.29 cm. The nests have, in average, 4.4±2.0 chambers, being two nests with just one chamber (8%) and another nest (4%) with 11 chambers.
Influence of Camponotus blandus (Formicinae) and flower buds on the occurrence of Parrhasius polibetes (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in Banisteriopsis malifolia (Malpighiaceae)
Authors: Alves-Silva Estevão , Bächtold Alexandra , Barônio Gudryan J. , Del-Claro Kleber
Published: June 2013

In the Brazilian savanna, myrmecophilous lycaenids are often found in many shrubs feeding on plant reproductive structures while are tended by ants, but only recently the role of both ants and food on the occurrence of lycaenids have received attention. In this study, we investigated the influence of Camponotus blandus (Formicinae) and flower bud abundance on the occurrence of Parrhasius polibetes, a florivorous lycaenid species that occurs in Banisteriopsis malifolia(Malpighiaceae). We also examined to what extent larval florivory was deleterious to plant reproductive outputs. Ant-exclusion experiments revealed that most P. polibetes individuals were found on branches with free C. blandus access. Nonetheless, the occurrence of larvae was not related to the abundance of these ants and flower buds, indicating that the presence, rather than the abundance of mutualistic ants and food, influenced the occurrence of P. polibetes. Larvae were attended by C. blandus, which antennated frequently the dorsal nectary organ of larvae. Larval florivory was not deleterious to the plant. Banisteriopsis malifolia produces thousands of buds simultaneously and larvae feed only on a small portion of flower buds. The occurrence of P. polibetes inB. malifolia is advantageous for the larvae, since this plant supports mutualistic ants and plenty of food resources.
Fumigant Activity of Eight Plant Essential Oils Against Workers of Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis invicta
Authors: Tang Liang , Sun Yong-Yan , Zhang Qing-Peng , Zhou You , Zhang Ning , Zhang Zhi-Xiang
Published: June 2013

Plant essential oils from eight plant species were tested for their insecticidal activities against the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invcita, by using a fumigation bioassay. This study reveals that the mortalities after treatment of the workers of red imported fire ants varied according to the classification of workers, oil type, dosage, and exposure time. Among the essential oils tested, strong insecticidal activity was observed with the essential oils of camphor (Cinnamomum camphora), artemisia annua (Artemisia annua), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), mugwort (Artemisia argyi), and wintergreen (Ilex chinensis). Ant mortalities from chrysanthemum oil (Dendranthema indicum), turpentine oil (Pinus massoniana), and forsythia oil (Forsythia suspense) treatments were significantly lower than those from the previously mentioned five essential oil treatments. This study showed that camphor, artemisia annua, eucalyptus, mugwort, and wintergreen oils may have potential to be used as substitutes for chemical insecticides.
Spatial connectivity of aquatic macrophytes and flood cycle influence species richness of an ant community of a Brazilian floodplain
Authors: Pereira Marlon C. , Delabie Jacques H. C. , Súarez Yzel Rondon , Antonialli-Jr. William Fernando
Published: June 2013

Despite the environmental and economic importance of Pantanal, there are few studies quantifying the influence of sazonality and spatial variation on biological diversity in this ecosystem. In this context, the present work aimed to study the assemblage of ants associated with macrophytes during the flood and dry period of Paraguay river, in marginal environments in the Pantanal of Porto Murtinho, Mato Grosso do Sul. We observed a wide variation in the temporal distribution of the diversity of the assemblages of ants, since from 37 species, 36 occurred in the dry and 20 in the flood period. Of the total of macrophyte species observed, in only 12.5% we found a more specific correlation with ants that were nesting in spaces provided by plants representing a total of 10.52% of the species analized.
Exotic spread of Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) beyond North America
Authors: Wetterer James Kelly
Published: June 2013

The South America fire ant Solenopsis invicta Buren arrived in Mobile, Alabama by ship sometime before 1945. Since then, S. invicta has spread in North America across the southern US and northeastern Mexico. More recently, it has invaded the West Indies and parts of the Old World. Here, I examine this more recent exotic spread of S. invictabeyond North America, reporting new West Indian records and questioning some Asian records. In 1981, S. invicta was first found in the West Indies, on Puerto Rico. With my new records from Vieques, Aruba, and Jamaica, S. invicta is now known from 28 West Indian islands. In 2001, the first Old World populations of S. invicta were discovered in New Zealand and Australia. Nascent populations of S. invicta in New Zealand have been exterminated and Australia populations have been kept in check through intensive control efforts. Populations of S. invicta in Taiwan and China first found in 2003-2004, however, have spread broadly. Published reports of S. invicta from Malaysia and Singapore were based on misidentifications, presumably of the more widespread Neotropical fire ant, Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius). Reports of S. invicta from India and the Philippines seem questionable and need confirmation. Where S. invicta has invaded, it has displaced S. geminata in open habitats, leaving remnant S. geminata populations, primarily in forested areas. In working to limit the spread and impacts of fire ants, it will be important to differentiate among the species, and recognize their similarities and their differences.
The botanical profiles of dried bee pollen loads collected by Apis mellifera (Linnaeus) in Brazil
Authors: Freitas Alex , Arruda Vanilda Aparecida Soares de , Almeida-Muradian Ligia Bicudo de , Barth Ortrud Monika
Published: June 2013

A total of 61 dried bee pollen samples collected in four Brazilian macro-regions within 19 municipalities were analyzed to identify the sources used by Apis mellifera (L.) for pollen production and to enable a more accurate product certification. Sample preparation followed the standard methodology, including washing the pollen grains with ethanol and then with water and homogenising the sediment in a water/glycerine solution for microscopic observation. Pollen counts included at least 500 pollen grains per sample. Only six samples, presenting a unique species or pollen type comprising more than 90% of the pollen sum, were considered monofloral, including Ambrosia sp., Cecropia sp.,Eucalyptus sp., Fabaceae, Mimosa scabrella (Benth.) spp. and Schinus sp. pollen types. The most frequent pollen types of the heterofloral pollen batches, based on a counting limit of 45%, included Anadenanthera sp., Asteraceae,Brassica sp., Caesalpiniaceae, Cocos nucifera (L.) sp., Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia (Benth.) sp., Mimosa verrucosa(Benth.) sp., and Myrcia sp. pollen types. This result may be related to the great diversity of the Brazilian flora contributing to heterofloral pollen loads and honeys.
The Unusual Neotenic System of the Asian Dry Wood Termite, Neotermes koshunensis (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae)
Authors: Miyaguni Yasushi , Sugio Koji , Tsuji Kazuki
Published: June 2013

In most lower termites, colonies are headed by neotenic reproductives of both sexes after the primary reproductives (i.e., the queen and king) are lost. The production of a neotenic sexual is inhibited by the presence of a primary reproductive of the same sex. We found an exception in the caste system of the dry wood termite Neotermes koshunensis (Kalotermitidae). The neotenic caste is exclusively male. Moreover, production of male neotenics is completely inhibited not only by the presence of a king but also by the presence of a queen. Therefore, it is likely to be difficult for N. koshunensis colonies to recover their reproductive pairs.
Utility of Acoustical Detection of Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
Authors: Osbrink Weste , Cornelius Mary
Published: June 2013

The AED 2000 and 2010 are extremely sensitive listening devices which can effectively detect and monitor termite activity through a wave guide (e.g. bolt) both qualitatively and quantitatively.  Experiments conducted with one to ten thousand termites from differing colonies infesting wood in buckets demonstrated that acoustical emission detector readings significantly increased when number of termites increased.  Termites were also detected in infested trees with the installation of several wave guides into their trunks.  These devices can detect termites and changes in termite activity caused by changes in termite numbers, making it an effective pest management professional and research tool for finding and evaluating termite infestations and efficacy of treatments in specific locations.
Acoustic Evaluation of Trees for Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Treated with Imidacloprid and Noviflumuron in Historic Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana
Authors: Osbrink Weste , Cornelius Mary
Published: June 2013

Nine years of periodic acoustical monitoring of 93 trees active with Formosan subterranean termite,Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were evaluated for imidacloprid tree foam and noviflumuron bait to reduce termite activity in trees.  Long term, imidacloprid suppressed but did not eliminate termite activity in treated trees.  Noviflumuron bait did not significantly reduce the proportion of trees with high termite activity but significantly increased the number of trees with no termite activity.  Noviflumuron changed termite distribution by possibly eliminating only some fraction of numerous colonies whereby surviving colonies avoided trees containing dead termites.
Effect of Habitat Disturbance on Colony Productivity of the Social Wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)
Authors: Michelutti Kamylla Balbuena , Montagna Thiago Santos , Antonialli-Jr. William Fernando
Published: June 2013

Social wasps are important elements of the fauna in a variety of environments, including human-modified environments. Evidence indicates that habitat quality affects the growth of  colonies of social wasps in urban environments. This study investigated whether the colony productivity of the social wasp Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) is affected by loss habitat quality in human-occupied environment. Nests of M. consimilis were collected in forest and urban environment between January 2010 and June 2011. Only nests that reached the decline stage were sampled. As productivity parameters, we measured the total number of cells constructed, total number of adults produced and dry mass of the nests. Productivity was significantly lower in urban than in forest environment for all parameters analyzed. Habitat quality is probably the principal factor that contributed to the lower productivity in urban environment. In this type of environment, particularly where the study was conducted, the vegetation adjacent to the nesting sites was composed predominantly of grasses. Such habitats may have limited resources available, especially those resources used by the wasps for feeding the immature, such as larvae of other insects. That result suggests that human degradation of habitats negatively affects the final productivity of colonies of social wasps.
Logophoric Discourse and First Person Reporting in Wan (West Africa)
Authors: Nikitina Tatiana
Published: June 2013

The distinction between direct and indirect reporting is commonly assumed to be a universal underlying principle of discourse representation. This article surveys a system of reporting that is based on an alternative principle. It argues that the choice of a reporting strategy in Wan (Mande, Côte d'Ivoire) depends not on the information properties of the report (form vs. content, de re vs. de dicto ), but rather on discourse properties of the participants involved. The difference between discourse reporting in Wan and in European languages is related to a difference in the dominant means of transmitting knowledge (oral vs. written).
The Historical Linguistics of Uto-Aztecan Agriculture
Authors: Merrill William L.
Published: June 2013

The Uto-Aztecan language family figures prominently in research on early agriculture in western North America. A central issue is the role that the members of the Proto-Uto-Aztecan speech community might have played in the diffusion of maize agriculture from Mesoamerica to the southwestern United States. Key to addressing this issue is determining whether an agricultural lexicon can be reconstructed for Proto-Uto-Aztecan, but despite several comparative studies of the agricultural lexica of the Uto-Aztecan languages, consensus remains elusive. A detailed reanalysis of these lexica indicates that an agriculture-related vocabulary can be reconstructed only for Proto-Southern Uto-Aztecan, supporting the conclusion that maize agriculture entered the Uto-Aztecan world after the division of the Proto-Uto-Aztecan speech community into southern and northern branches. Additional lexical and biogeographical data suggest that the Proto-Southern Uto-Aztecan speech community was located near the modern Arizona-Sonora border when its members began cultivating maize, a development that may have occurred around four thousand years ago, when the earliest evidence of maize agriculture appears in the archaeological record of the North American Southwest.
Sociocultural Identity and Arab Women's and Men's Code-Choice in the Context of Patriarchy
Authors: Ismail Manal A.
Published: June 2013

This article investigates young women's and men's speech in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during a formal interview. Women frequently employed vernacular pronunciation and showed greater use of dialectal Arabic lexicon, often distinctively more localized. Men, on the other hand, approximated more closely to Standard Arabic speech. In the context of Arab patriarchy, it is argued that each gender's preference for code choice can be explained by social and cultural norms that impose differential entitlements to the public sphere. Social meaning conveyed by speakers' code choices is described in relation to the social indexical effect of each variety.
Intensive Archaeological Survey in Southeast Asia: Methodological and Metallurgical Insights from Khao Sai On, Central Thailand
Authors: Pryce T. O. , Bevan A. H. , Ciarla R. , Rispoli F. , Castillo C. , Hassett B. , Malakie J. L.
Published: June 2013

Intensive surface surveys are a well-established method in the landscape archaeology of many parts of the world, but have remained relatively rare in Southeast Asian research. This article summarizes the contribution of existing surveys in the latter region and offers results from a short but informative survey of a metal-producing landscape in central Thailand. We argue that there is much to be gained from a fuller integration of systematic landscape reconnaissance into wider Southeast Asian research agendas and consider some of the strengths and weaknesses of such an approach in this cultural and physical environment.
Commentary: A Critical Review of Environmental Archaeology in Northeast China
Authors: Jia Peter Weiming
Published: June 2013

Environmental archaeology in northeastern China has reached a critical period of development, although the state of progress varies across this large geographical region. The lack of collaboration between archaeologists and associated scientists remains the main obstacle in current research. Almost exclusively conducted by dedicated scientists, research in the field is often ignored by archaeologists because it is not presented within an archaeological context. Furthermore, the research is not of a high spatial and temporal resolution: there is the tendency to make broad generalizations about large regions over long periods of time and to disregard areas that do not fit their general climatic models. Another problem is the misguided borrowing of concepts developed in other parts of the world, for example, the Holocene Climate Optimum (HCO), which is well defined in prehistoric Europe but is still being developed in China. Many researchers have simply applied this term to the same period in China and assumed that the climate around that period resembled that of prehistoric Europe, despite the fact that this is currently unsupported by local palaeo-environmental evidence. Other obstacles to the development of environmental archaeology include deterministic approaches and oversimplistic research procedures. To address these problems, a conversion of qualitative data to quantitative data on temperature and precipitation is required. Future research should be conducted by teams of scientists and archaeologists working collaboratively on both natural and archaeological deposits, in order to establish a strong foundation for further environmental reconstruction research.
The Bronze Age Mortuary Vessels of Ban Non Wat
Authors: Barribeau Tim
Published: June 2013

This article analyzes the evidence for the beginnings of social differentiation in the Bronze Age site of Ban Non Wat in Northeast Thailand through the analysis of Bronze Age burials and the artifacts associated with those interments, with special emphasis paid to ceramic vessels. Vessel form, decoration, location, and associated artifacts were the primary bases for the analyses. Statistical, numerical, and spatial analyses were performed to gain a fuller understanding of the social basis for burial practices and to examine the implications of interment practices for inferring social structures at Ban Non Wat. A seriation chronology was developed based on vessel forms and their relative frequencies in various burial contexts in order to determine the temporal implications of various patterns of interments. The results showed that there were distinct changes in the mortuary practices across the Bronze Age, with early burials being spread around the site and having a large number and wide variety of artifacts, which then slowly developed into a tradition of burials with fewer artifacts in more localized areas. Over this time period, the occurrences of bronze artifacts decreased, and there was a change in the forms of associated pottery found. There also appear to have been specific forms of pots that are associated with burials that had large numbers of interred artifacts, or are found with bronze goods.
Interpreting Social Differentiation by Examining the House and Settlement Patterns and the Flow of Resources: A Case Study of Pai-wan Slate House Settlements in Southern Taiwan
Authors: Chen Maa-Ling
Published: June 2013

Archaeologists have recently suggested that the practice of daily and social life is the prime aspect by which social rules, meanings, and relations of power are embedded for social control. A high degree of system (either political or economic) integration indicates a strong, centralizing, and coordinating control and constraint on practice of mundane life and the flow of resources that eventually will shape the development of settlement patterns as well as house structure and size, and the flow of resources. This study focuses on analyzing evidence, such as the settlement configuration, house shape and size, and distribution of imported or prestige goods, to detect the existence of social differentiation in aboriginal settlements of Taiwan during the Protohistoric period.