bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Defective insulin signaling in placenta from pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Colomiere Michelle , Permezel Michael , Riley Clyde , Desoye Gernot , Lappas Martha 
Published: January 2009

ObjectiveStudies in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle suggest that impaired insulin action is due to defects in the insulin signaling pathway and may play a role in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and obesity. The present study tested the hypothesis that endogenous expression levels in the human term placenta of insulin signaling components are altered in placental tissue from GDM women in comparison with normal controls and maternal obesity.Design and methodsPlacental tissue was collected from normal, diet-controlled GDM, and insulin-controlled GDM in both non-obese and obese women (n=6–7 per group). Western blotting and quantitative RT-PCR was performed to determine the level of expression in the insulin signaling pathway.ResultsThere was a significant increase in insulin receptor (IR) substrate (IRS)-1 protein expression with a concurrent decrease in IRS-2 protein expression in non-obese women with insulin-controlled GDM compared with diet-controlled GDM and normal controls. Furthermore, a decrease in both protein and mRNA expression of phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3-K) p85α and glucose transporter (GLUT)-4 was observed in non-obese and obese women with insulin controlled GDM compared with normal controls. When comparing non-obese to obese patients, significant decreases in mRNA expression of IR-β, PI3K p85α and GLUT-4 was found in obese patients.ConclusionOur results suggest that post receptor defects are present in the insulin signaling pathway in placenta of women with pregnancies complicated by diabetes and obesity. In addition, expression studies demonstrate post receptor alterations in insulin signaling possibly under selective maternal regulation and not fetal regulation.
A New Species of Trissolcus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) Parasitizing Eggs of Halyomorpha Halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in China with Comments on its Biology
Authors: Yang Zhong-Qi , Yao Yan-Xia , Qiu Lan-Fen , Li Zhong-Xin 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
A new species of Trissolcus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), Trissolcus halyomorphae Yang, sp. nov., is described from China. It is a solitary parasitoid in eggs of Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), an economic pest that causes severe damage to pear, apple and other fruit and that also feeds on the leaves and stems of ornamental and forest trees. The new species is the principal natural enemy of the stink bug, with parasitism rates up to 70% and an average annual rate of 50%. Because of its high parasitism rates and other biological features, it has good potential as a biocontrol agent of the pest. Type specimens are deposited in Insect Museum, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China.
Differentiation and Range Expansion of North American Squash Bee, Peponapis Pruinosa (Apidae: Apiformes) Populations Assessed by Geometric Wing Morphometry
Authors: Bischoff Inge , Schröder Stefan , Misof Bernhard 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
We studied the differentiation of North American squash bee (Apidae: Apiformes) populations by using geometric wing morphometry to evaluate hypotheses for the origin and possible expansion route of bees after the dispersal of their Cucurbita floral hosts. Two hypotheses consider the possible impact of early human cultures on the distribution of this mutualistic species complex: 1) the geographic range of the bees naturally expanded after the hypsithermal range expansion of the wild buffalo gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima Kunth; or 2) the bees shifted to mesophytic gourds of the C. pepo group at the Mexican Gulf coast and tracked the cultivation and/or trade by early human hunter-gatherer societies in the context of fishing technology along stream valleys to northeastern America. We morphometrically measured 228 specimens of Peponapis pruinosa (Say) collected at 15 sites between Mississippi and Ontario, Canada. Twenty-three landmarks were taken from the right forewings. The resulting measurements were analyzed by multivariate statistics. Our results support the first hypothesis of a western origin of North American squash bee populations and a mainly natural range expansion during the hypsithermal range expansion of the buffalo gourd.
Effect of Relative Humidity on Longevity, Ovarian Maturation, and Egg Production in the Olive Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Authors: Broufas G D , Pappas M L , Koveos D S 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
The effect of five constant relative humidity (RH) regimes (12, 33, 55, 75, and 94%) on ovarian maturation, adult longevity, and egg production of Bactrocera (Dacus) oleae (Gmelin) (Diptera: Tephritidae) was studied at 25 ± 1°C and a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h under laboratory conditions. The experimental insects developed in the preimaginal stages at 16:8 (L:D) h and 25 ± 1°C, and the adults were maintained in plastic cages in sealed plastic containers with saturated water salt solutions in their base to control RH. In the experiments concerning longevity and egg production, the adults were maintained individually, whereas in those concerning ovarian maturation they were in groups of 10 females and 10 males. Ovarian maturation was much reduced and the number of mature oocytes in the ovaries was very low in 7-d-old females maintained at 12 and 33% RH. By contrast, a high percentage of females of that age maintained at 55, 75, and 94% RHs had mature oocytes in their ovaries. Longevity of adult females, egg production and egg hatch were low at 12% RH. They were significantly higher at 33% RH, and even more so at 55 and 75% RHs but declined at 94% RH. These results could be useful for the mass rearing of B. oleae and for better understanding its population dynamics under field conditions.
Establishment and Vertical Passage of Enterobacter (Pantoea) Agglomerans and Klebsiella pneumoniae through All Life Stages of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)
Authors: Lauzon C R , Mccombs S D , Potter S E , Peabody N C 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
We investigated the fate of ingested Enterobacter (Pantoea) agglomerans and Klebsiella pneumoniae within adult Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), in a mass rearing facility. This examination revealed the establishment of both bacterial strains as biofilms within the adult intestines, on the apical end of developing and developed eggs, and throughout all subsequent life stages. The bacteria were detected in adults through two generations. Irradiation treatment for the sterile insect technique did not disrupt the vertical transmission of E. (P.) agglomerans or K. pneumoniae. This is the first demonstration of maternal spread of Enterobacter/ Pantoea spp. and Klebsiella spp. through populations of C. capitata. A mixed pattern of vertical and horizontal transmission of symbionts associated with tephritids may be one explanation for the difficulty in defining the symbiotic associations of tephritids.
Morphology and Development of the Immature Stages ofBrachyufens Osborni(Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an Egg Parasitoid of Broad-Nosed Weevil Species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
Authors: Jacas Josep-Anton , Peña Jorge E , Duncan Rita E 
Published: January 2009

AbstractThe external morphology and development of the immature stages of Brachyufens osborni (Dozier) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), a Nearctic solitary endoparasitoid of the eggs of Pachnaeus spp. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), are reported. Under our laboratory conditions (25°C and a photoperiod of 12:12 [L:D] h), B. osborni reared in eggs of Pachnaeus litus (Germar) (Entiminae) had a developmental time of 14.7 d. Egg hatching occurred within 15 h from oviposition and mandible measurements indicated the existence of two instars. First instars were mymariform, whereas second instars were sacciform. Pupation occurred 5–6 d after egg hatching and adults emerged 8 d later. On completion of the preimaginal development, the meconium was expelled and emergence took place by biting a hole in the chorion of the host egg. Both sexes emerged at the same time, and the sex ratio was female biased (3:1).
Ultrastructure of the Digestive Cells in the Midgut of the PredatorBrontocoris Tabidus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) After Different Feeding Periods on Prey and Plants
Authors: Fialho Maria Do Carmo Q , Zanuncio José C , Neves Clóvis A , Ramalho Francisco S , Serrão José Eduardo 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
Brontocoris tabidus (Signoret) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is an obligate zoophytophagous predator because its population can be maintained in the laboratory when fed on both prey and plants. We evaluated ultrastructural changes in the midgut digestive cells of adult B. tabidus, subjected to different treatments (starvation or feeding on plant material and prey) for different periods. Their midguts were dissected, divided into anterior, medium and posterior sections, processed, and analyzed with light and transmission electron microscopy. The anterior region of the midgut of B. tabidus, starved or fed on eucalyptus leaves, contained no glycogen. B. tabidus fed on plant material showed multivesicular bodies in this region, and spherocrystals after 6 h of feeding on prey. The microvilli of the medium midgut were longer than those of the anterior and posterior midgut. The posterior midgut differed from the other two regions by an abundance of mitochondria, rough endoplasmatic reticulum and double membrane vesicles in the apical region, 6 h after feeding. The ultrastructural features of the digestive cells in the anterior, medium and posterior regions of the midgut suggest that they play a role in digestive enzyme synthesis, ion and nutrient absorption, and storage and excretion of substances.
Morphology of the Head Salivary and Intramandibular Glands of the Stingless BeePlebeia Emerina(Hymenoptera: Meliponini) Workers Associated with Propolis
Authors: Santos Camila Gonçalves Dos , Megiolaro Fernanda Leggerini , Serrão José Eduardo , Blochtein Betina 
Published: January 2009

AbstractPlebeia emerina (Friese) (Hymenoptera: Meliponini), like other stingless bees, collect large amounts of vegetal resin and store these materials, called propolis, in individualized clusters inside the nest that remain in a viscous state. The development of intramandibular and head salivary glands in P. emerina workers was studied in different life stages, aiming to relate gland functionality with the age in which they work at propolis maceration, biting the propolis clusters with the mandibles. The morphology of intramandibular and head salivary glands from newly emerged, 20–30 d old, and forager bees was analyzed. The greatest size of the head salivary glands occurred in 20–30-d-old worker bees, and the ultrastructure of this gland showed the presence of rough endoplasmic reticulum and lipid droplets. The intramandibular glands were of two types: glandular units (class 3 glands), present throughout the worker bee life span, and the secretory epithelium (class 1 glands), which hypertrophies in 20–30-d-old and forager bees. The development of the head salivary glands and the mandibular epithelium suggest that their products are added to the propolis clusters, supporting the hypothesis that they may serve in maintaining its viscous state.
Population Genetics of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Invading Populations, Using Mitochondrial nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Dehydrogenase Subunit 5 Sequences
Authors: Usmani-Brown Sahar , Cohnstaedt Lee , Munstermann Leonard E 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), the Asian tiger mosquito indigenous to Asia, now an invasive species worldwide, is an important vector for several arboviruses. Genetic analysis using the mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 5 (ND5) gene was carried out in populations from Cameroon (n = 50), Hawaii (n = 38), Italy (n = 20), the continental United States, Brazil, and its native range. Data for Brazil, the continental United States, and the native range was obtained from Birungi and Munstermann (2002). Direct sequencing was used to identity unique haplotypes. The limited phylogeographic partitioning of haplotypes with low levels of sequence divergence in both Cameroon and Hawaii was consistent with the population structure of Ae. albopictus in the United States and Brazil. Four new haplotypes were identified from the samples from Cameroon and Hawaii, adding to previously described haplotypes. Hawaii shared a haplotype with Cameroon that was unique to these two regions. Hawaii also had higher overall haplotype diversity than seen in previous continental United States, Brazil, or native range populations. Hawaiian, Cameroon, and Italian populations did not share haplotypes with Brazil, which validates the earlier mitochondrial DNA studies indicating a separate introduction of this species into Brazil.
Distinguishing Between Laboratory-Reared and Greenhouse- and Field-Collected Trichoplusia Ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Using the Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism Method
Authors: Franklin Michelle T , Myers Judith H , Ritland Carol E 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
Frequent use of the microbial insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Berliner) (Bt), in commercial vegetable greenhouses has led to the evolution of resistance in cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), populations. Spatial patterns of Bt resistance suggest that resistant moths disperse from greenhouses selected with Bt to neighboring untreated greenhouses. To quantify dispersal patterns in greenhouse and field populations, molecular markers are desired. We developed a DNA isolation procedure and evaluated the utility of the molecular fingerprinting technique, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), to analyze the possible population structure of T. ni by using laboratory-reared populations. We also assessed the ability of AFLP markers to distinguish between laboratory and wild T. ni populations collected from a greenhouse and field in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Due to the complexity of the T. ni genome, primer combinations of E+3 and M+4 were required to unambiguously score polymorphic loci. Three of the primer combinations that were examined produced &gt;65 polymorphic bands in laboratory-reared populations, and &gt;90 bands in greenhouse- and field-collected populations. Levels of heterozygosity were higher in wild populations compared with those reared in the laboratory, and AFLP markers reliably distinguished between laboratory and wild populations.
Attraction of Prorops Nasuta (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), a Parasitoid of the Coffee Berry Borer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), to Host-Associated Olfactory Cues
Authors: Chiu-Alvarado Pilar , Barrera Juan F , Rojas Julio C 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
The parasitoid Prorops nasuta Waterston (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is a wasp of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). In this study, the attractiveness of different volatiles to P. nasuta was studied in the laboratory using a Y-tube olfactometer. Female wasps were attracted to coffee berry borer-infested coffee berries but not to uninfested or artificially damaged berries. Full-grown larvae and pupae, and dust/frass of H. hampei isolated from infested berries, were attractive to parasitoid females, whereas immature coffee berry borer and dust/frass originating from coffee berry borer reared on an artificial diet were not. Adult coffee berry borer, derived from both infested berries or artificial diet, were not attractive to parasitoids. Females of P. nasuta did not show a preference for volatiles released from unparasitized versus parasitized hosts independent of the time since parasitization. Wasp attraction was influenced by the amount and age of dust/frass but not by the density of immature larvae. These findings show that host searching behavior of P. nasuta is mediated by chemical cues emitted from the coffee berry-H. hampei complex.
Genetic Modification of Host Acceptance by a Seed Beetle, Callosobruchus Maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)
Authors: Messina Frank J , Jones Jake C , Mendenhall Michelle , Muller Amberleigh 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
Successful host shifts by herbivorous insects may require the modification of multiple larval and adult traits. The seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) rarely attacks lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus), which is distantly related to its typical hosts. In a previous study, larval survival in lentil seeds increased from &lt;2 to &gt;85% in fewer than 20 generations of laboratory selection. However, lentil is also a poor oviposition host; lifetime fecundity on lentil was initially less than a third of that on the ancestral host [ mung bean, Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek ] and one fourth of females did not even recognize lentil as a potential host. This study examined the genetic lability of host acceptance. We performed both quasi-natural selection, in which replicate lines switched to lentil were compared with those remaining on mung bean, and artificial selection, in which lines were established using females from the base population that exhibited especially low or high acceptance of lentil during a short-term assay. After only five to eight generations of quasi-natural selection, lifetime fecundity on lentil was 2 to 3 times higher in the lentil lines than in the mung bean lines. Lentil-line females also accepted the novel host sooner after adult emergence. Similarly, a single generation of artificial selection was sufficient to increase oviposition on lentil in the acceptance line. Host acceptance was not genetically correlated with larval survival, which remained &lt;2% in lines artificially selected for either high or low acceptance of lentil seeds. Although modification of oviposition behavior in this study was not nearly as striking as the increase in larval survival reported previously, the C. maculatus population possessed enough standing genetic variation in both larval physiology and adult behavior to permit rapid adaptation to a very poor host.
Identification of nonregulated pollutants in north sea-produced water discharges
Authors: Balaam Jan L. , Chan-Man Yin , Roberts Paul H. , Thomas Kevin V. 
Published: January 2009

Abstract
Produced water collected from oil and gas platforms on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf was characterized for nonregulated pollutants through an effects-directed analysis procedure. Produced water samples were characterized for the presence of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and estrogen receptor (ER) agonists using the dioxin-responsive, chemical-activated luciferase gene expression assay (DR-CALUX®) and yeast estrogen screen (YES) bioassays. The AhR and ER agonists were then isolated by normal-phase, high-performance liquid chromatography and identified using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry in a number of formats. The identified compounds were cross-referenced with those compounds routinely analyzed and regarded by the Oslo and Paris (OSPAR) Commission for the North East Atlantic as priority hazardous substances. The occurrence in produced water of a number of nonregulated compounds with demonstrable potential environmental effects is presented, to our knowledge for the first time. These include persistent organic contaminants, such as hexachlorobenzene, decachlorobiphenyl, and octachlorodibenzofuran.
Actin regulators take the reins in Drosophila myoblast fusion
Authors: Önel Susanne-Filiz 
Published: January 2009

AbstractSkeletal muscle formation, growth and repair depend on myoblast fusion events. Therefore, in-depth understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms controlling these events that ultimately lead to skeletal muscle formation may be fundamental for developing new therapies for tissue repair. To this end, the greatest advances in furthering understanding myoblast fusion has been made in Drosophila. Recent studies have shown that transient F-actin structures, so-called actin plugs or foci, are known to form at the site of contacting myoblasts. Indeed, actin regulators of the WASP family that control the activation of the Arp2/3 complex and thereby branched F-actin formation have been demonstrated to be crucial for myoblast fusion. Myoblast-specific cell adhesion molecules seem to be involved in the recruitment of WASP family members to the site of myoblast fusion and form a Fusion-Restricted Myogenic-Adhesive Structure (FuRMAS). Currently, the exact role of the FuRMAS is not completely understood. However, recent studies indicate that WASP-dependent F-actin regulation is required for fusion pore formation as well as for the correct integration of fusing myoblasts into the growing muscle. In this review, I discuss latest cellular studies, and recent genetic and biochemical analyses on actin regulation during myoblast fusion.
Functional discrimination of sea anemone neurotoxins using 3D-plotting
Authors: Morales Ludis , Acevedo Orlando , Martínez María , Gokhman Dmitry , Corredor Carlos 
Published: January 2009

AbstractOne of the most important goals in structural biology is the identification of functional relationships among the structure of proteins and peptides. The purpose of this study was to (1) generate a model based on theoretical and computational considerations among amino acid sequences within select neurotoxin peptides, and (2) compare the relationship these values have to the various toxins tested. We employed isolated neurotoxins from sea anemones with established specific potential to act on voltage-dependent sodium and potassium channel activity as our model. Values were assigned to each amino acid in the peptide sequence of the neurotoxins tested using the Number of Lareo and Acevedo algorithm (NULA). Once the NULA number was obtained, it was then plotted using three dimensional space coordinates. The results of this study allow us to report, for the first time, that there is a different numerical and functional relationship between the sequences of amino acids from sea anemone neurotoxins, and the resulting numerical relationship for each peptide, or NULA number, has a unique location in three-dimensional space.