bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Population ecology of Heteronyx piceus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a peanut/maize cropping system
Authors: Ward A.L. , Rogers D.J. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractLarge larval populations of the scarabaeid beetle Heteronyx piceus Blanchard that occur under peanuts, but not maize, in the South Burnett region of Australia are the result of a high rate and prolonged period of egg production by females feeding on peanut foliage. Heteronyx piceus is a relatively sedentary species and movement of females between adjacent fields is low. Populations of H. piceus varied markedly with landscape position. High larval populations are more likely (1 in 4 chance) to be encountered on the ‘scrub’ soils in the upper parts of the landscape than in the ‘forest’ soils in the lower half (1 in 20 chance), indicating that soil type/landscape position is a key risk factor in assessing the need for management intervention. The studies indicate that, because of the species' sedentary nature, the most meaningful population entity for management of H. piceus is the individual field, rather than the whole-farm or the region. The implications of this population ecology for management of the pest are discussed in relation to control strategies.
Population regulation of a classical biological control agent larval density dependence in Neochetina eichhorniae Coleoptera Curculionidae, a biological control agent of water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes
Authors: Wilson J.R.U. , Rees M. , Ajuonu O. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThe release of classical biological control agents has reduced the economic, environmental and social problems caused by water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes; however, additional control measures are needed in some locations. Water hyacinth plants were treated with different densities of eggs of the weevil Neochetina eichhorniae Warner, one of the main control agents, under different nutrient regimes in a controlled experiment. Plants were destructively sampled and the development of N. eichhorniae was assessed. The survival of first and second instars declined as larval density increased. Plant nutrient status did not directly affect the mortality rate of larvae, but at higher nutrient concentrations larvae developed faster and were larger at a given developmental stage. It is argued that the density dependence operating in N. eichhorniae occurs through an interaction between young larvae and leaf longevity. Consequently, events which disrupt water hyacinth leaf dynamics, e.g. frost or foliar herbicides, will have a disproportionately large effect on the control agents and may reduce the level of control of the host.
Genetic differentiation among various populations of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella Lepidoptera Yponomeutidae
Authors: Pichon A. , Arvanitakis L. , Roux O. , Kirk A.A. , Alauzet C. , Bordat D. , Legal L. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractGenetic variation among 14 populations of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) from USA (Geneva, New York), Brazil (Brasilia), Japan (Okayama), The Philippines (Caragan de Oyo), Uzbekistan (Tashkent), France (Montpellier), Benin (Cotonou), South Africa (Johannesburg), Réunion Island (Montvert), and five localities in Australia (Adelaide, Brisbane, Mareeba, Melbourne, Sydney) were assessed by analysis of allozyme frequencies at seven polymorphic loci. Most of the populations were not in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and had a deficit in heterozygotes. The global differentiation among populations was estimated by the fixation index (Fst) at 0.103 for the 14 populations and at 0.047 when populations from Australia and Japan, which differed most and had a strong genetic structure, were excluded from the analysis. By contrast, the populations from Benin (West Africa) and Brazil (South America) were very similar to each other. Genetic differentiation among the populations was not correlated with geographical distance.
Morphological discrimination of Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae) populations feeding on Compositae
Authors: Margaritopoulos J.T. , Tzortzi M. , Zarpas K.D. , Tsitsipis J.A. , Blackman R.L. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractAphis gossypii Glover is a polyphagous aphid pest with a worldwide distribution. However, there is evidence that on a global scale the name A. gossypii is being applied to a number of forms with different life cycles and/or host-plant associations. Morphometric variation of A. gossypii samples from crops and non-cultivated plants in many parts of the world was examined, to determine whether this variation is correlated with the hosts from which the aphids originated. Samples of A. gossypii were collected from Cucurbitaceae and Malvaceae in Europe, and from Compositae in various parts of the world. Morphometric data for 13 parameters measured from 97 clonal lineages (728 specimens) and 27 field-collected samples (313 specimens) were analysed by a series of canonical variates analyses, using the field sample/clonal lineage as grouping factor. Clonal lineages were reared on a common host in controlled conditions to standardize the effect of host and environment on morphology. The analyses provided a clear morphometric separation of the aphids originating from Compositae and those collected on Cucurbitaceae and Malvaceae, regardless of the geographical origin of the aphids and the host plant on which they were reared. This indicates that within A. gossypii there are two widely distributed host races or subspecies with different plant family associations. The taxonomic implications are discussed.
Mark–recapture without estimating population sizes: a tool to evaluate termite baits
Authors: Crosland M.W.J. , Su N.-Y. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThe mark–recapture technique is currently being used by many termite researchers. Here it's two uses are explained and disentangled. Use 1 is mapping the geographical location of the colony and use 2 is estimating the number of termites in the colony. Use 2 is controversial because the accuracy of the estimates has been widely questioned. In this article, it is explained that use 1 is not controversial and that use 1 (not use 2) is the criterion that is currently being used for evaluating the efficacy of termite baits.
Tomato fruit size, maturity and α-tomatine content influence the performance of larvae of potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
Authors: Mulatu B. , Applebaum S.W. , Kerem Z. , Coll M. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractVarious physical and chemical properties of host plants influence insect larval performance and subsequent adult fitness. Tomato plants are relatively new hosts to the potato tuber moth, Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller), with the fruit being its preferred feeding site. However, it is unclear how the biochemical and physical properties of tomato fruits relate to potato tuber moth performance. Significant amounts of α-tomatine were detected in maturing green and ripening fruits of cherry (cv. Ceres) and processing (cv. Serio) types of tomatoes whereas none was detected in a fresh market variety (cv. Marglobe), at comparable stages. α-Tomatine is negatively and significantly correlated with development rate (head capsule size) of larvae reared in the fruits of the cherry and processing type tomatoes. Generally, survival, growth and development were significantly superior for larvae reared in the ripening fruits of the fresh market cultivar. At this stage, the fruits of this cultivar are also the largest. Based on these results it is concluded that fruit α-tomatine content, as wellas fruit size and maturity, all affect performance of P. operculella larvae in the fruits of cultivated tomatoes.
Digestive proteinases of the larger black flour beetle, Cynaeus angustus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Authors: Oppert B. , Walters P. , Zuercher M. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractDigestion in the larger black flour beetle, Cynaeus angustus (LeConte), was studied to identify new control methods for this pest of stored grains and grain products. The physiological pH of the larval gut, as measured with extracts in water, was approximately 6.1, and the pH for optimal hydrolysis of casein by gut extracts was 6.2 when buffers were reducing. However, under non-reducing conditions, hydrolysis of casein and synthetic serine proteinase substrates was optimal in alkaline buffer. Three major proteinase activities were observed in zymograms using casein or gelatin. Caseinolytic activity of C. angustus gut extracts was inhibited by inhibitors that target aspartic and serine proteinase classes, with minor inhibition by a cysteine proteinase inhibitor. In particular, soybean trypsin and trypsin/chymotrypsin inhibitors were most effective in reducing the in vitro caseinolytic activity of gut extracts. Based on these data, further studies are suggested on the effects of dietary soybean inhibitors of serine proteinases, singly and in combination with aspartic and cysteine proteinase inhibitors, on C. angustus larvae. Results from these studies can be used to develop new control strategies to prevent damage to grains and stored products by C. angustus and similar coleopteran pests.
ControllingLygusplant bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae) with EuropeanPeristenus relictus(Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Canada – risky or not?
Authors: Haye T. , Kuhlmann U. , Goulet H. , Mason P.G. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThe EuropeanPeristenus relictusLoan (syn.P. stygicus) has been considered for biological control ofLygusplant bugs native to Canada. Laboratory and field studies were conducted in the area of origin to evaluate the host specificity ofP. relictus. Laboratory choice and no-choice tests demonstrated thatP. relictusattacked all non-target species offered (fundamental host range). However, closely related non-target mirids (tribe Mirini) were generally well accepted byP. relictus, while hosts from the tribe Stenodemini were less frequently attacked and less suitable for parasitoid development. To validate the laboratory results, a thorough examination of the parasitoid complex of common mirids in Europe was conducted to determine which non-target species may serve as alternative hosts forP. relictusin a natural situation (ecological host range). When comparing both approaches, the fundamental host range ofP. relictusmatched its ecological host range. In addition to threeLygusspecies, the ecological host range ofP. relictusin the area of Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, contains at least 16 non-target species, including hosts belonging to the subfamilies Mirinae, Phylinae and Bryocorinae. A broad ecological and fundamental host range suggests thatP. relictusis a generalist; however,P. relictuswas not the primary contributor to parasitism of most non-target hosts studied. AlthoughP. relictusis assumed to be of minor importance for regulating non-target populations in the area of investigation, the results of the present study indicate thatP. relictushas the potential to use non-target host populations for reproduction.
A common mode of attraction of larvae and adults of insect predators to the sex pheromone of their prey (Hemiptera: Matsucoccidae)
Authors: Branco M. , Franco J.C. , Dunkelblum E. , Assael F. , Protasov A. , Ofer D. , Mendel Z. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThe attraction of several adult predators, genera Elatophilus, Hemerobius and Sympherobius, to the sex pheromones of pine bast scales, Matsucoccus Cockerell, has already been demonstrated. Here, the hypothesis that the larvae of these predators are similarly attracted to the host prey sex pheromone is tested. The response of predators was tested in field trials using pine tree arenas baited with the sex pheromones of M. josephi Bodenheimer & Harpaz, M. feytaudi Ducasse and M. matsumurae Kuwana. Experiments were conducted in Israel in stands of Pinus halepensis infested by M. josephi and in Portugal in stands of P. pinaster infested by M. feytaudi, respectively. The selectivity of larvae for the three sex pheromones was tested in Petri dish arenas in the laboratory. In the field, the larval stages exhibited similar modes of attraction to those of the conspecific adults: Elatophilus hebraicus Pericart in Aleppo pine forest, E. crassicornis Reuter and Hemerobius stigma Stephens in the maritime pine forests. Laboratory choice tests confirmed the kairomonal selectivity of larvae. Both forest and laboratory tests demonstrated the response of a coccinellid of the genus Rhyzobius to the sex pheromones of M. feytaudi and M. matsumurae. A unique chemical communication system among several taxa of predators of Matsucoccus spp. was highlighted that may be attributed to their coevolution on a geological time scale.
Ovipositional preferences, damage thresholds, and detection of the tomato–potato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Homoptera: Psyllidae) on selected tomato accessions
Authors: Liu D. , Trumble J.T. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractThe tomato–potato psyllid Bactericera [Paratrioza] cockerelli (Sulc) has recently caused losses exceeding 50% on fresh market tomatoes in California and Baja, Mexico by injecting a toxin that results in a condition known as ‘psyllid yellows’. The objectives of this study were to: (i) document oviposition preferences on a range of tomato cultivars; (ii) determine threshold levels for psyllid densities that would cause psyllid yellows on tomatoes within the first three weeks following transplanting; and (iii) identify the most important ‘psyllid yellows’ symptoms that might be used in surveying and monitoring for this pest. Plant lines tested included the commonly-planted commercial cultivars ‘Shady Lady’ and ‘QualiT 21’, an older, previously commercial cultivar ‘7718 VFN’, a common cultivar planted by consumers ‘Yellow Pear’, and a wild type plant accession, PI 134417. When given a choice, psyllids significantly preferred ‘Yellow Pear’ and avoided PI 134417 for oviposition. Under no-choice conditions psyllids laid significantly fewer eggs on PI 134417, but all the other plant lines were equally good substrates for laying eggs. Thus, oviposition preference is not likely to provide a functional management strategy in large plantings. On ‘Shady Lady’, psyllids preferred to oviposit on plants already infested with adults. On both ‘Shady Lady’ and ‘7718 VFN’ oviposition was significantly greater on plants previously infested by nymphs as compared to uninfested control plants. This suggests that, at least for some cultivars, there is a physiological change in plant attractiveness following psyllid feeding. ‘Yellow Pear’ and ‘QualiT 21’ were relatively tolerant of psyllids, requiring 18 nymphs per plant to produce the disease symptoms. Only eight nymphs per plant were needed on ‘Shady Lady’ and ‘7718 VFN’. For all cultivars, the pest density showed strong correlations with measurements such as the number of yellowing leaves and leaflets and distorted leaves, which were as good as or better than the first factor extracted from principal component analysis. Therefore, such measurements have the potential to simplify field surveys.
Grape variety affects larval performance and also female reproductive performance of the European grapevine mothLobesia botrana(Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Moreau J. , Benrey B. , Thiéry D. 
Published: March 2006

AbstractFor insect herbivores, the quality of the larval host plant is a key determinant of fitness. Therefore, insect populations are supposed to be positively correlated with the nutritional quality of their host plant. This study aimed to determine if and how different varieties of grapes (including the wild grape Lambrusque) affect both larval and adult performance of the polyphagous European grapevine mothLobesia botrana(Denis & Schiffermüller). Significant differences were found in larval development time, but not in pupal mass, adult emergence rate, or sex ratio. Although the fecundity of females is not different among varieties, females fed on some varieties produced eggs of different sizes which are correlated to their fertility. Thus, females adapt resource allocation to eggs depending on their diet as larvae. Using a fitness index, the average reproductive output was found to be highest for females reared on cv. Chardonnay. Females reared on wild grape produced a fitness index identical to the cultivated grapes. However, Lambrusque and Gewurztraminer separate themselves from the cultivated varieties according to our discriminant analyses. It is emphasized, through this study, that cultivars fed on by larvae should be considered in the population dynamics ofL. botranaand that egg number is insufficient to determine host plant quality.
NSAID-Induced Acute Phase Response is Due to Increased Intestinal Permeability and Characterized by Early and Consistent Alterations in Hepatic Gene Expression
Authors: Tugendreich Stuart , Pearson Cecelia I. , Sagartz John , Jarnagin Kurt , Kolaja Kyle 
Published: March 2006

Toxicogenomics using a reference database can provide a better understanding and prediction of toxicity, largely by creating biomarkers that tie gene expression to actual pathology events. During the course of building a toxicogenomic database, an observation was made that a number of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds (NSAIDs) at supra-pharmacologic doses induced an acute phase response (APR) and displayed hepatic gene expression patterns similar to that of intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Since NSAIDs are known to cause injury along the gastrointestinal tract, it has been suggested that NSAIDs increase intestinal permeability, allowing LPS and/or bacteria into the systemic circulation and stimulating an APR detectable in the liver. A short term study was subsequently conducted examining the effects of aspirin, indomethacin, ibuprofen, and rofecoxib to rats and a variety of endpoints were examined that included serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, histologic evaluation, and hepatic gene expression. Both indomethacin and ibuprofen injured the gastrointestinal tract, induced an APR, and increased serum levels of LPS, while rofecoxib and aspirin did not affect the GI tract or induce an APR. In treatments that eventually showed a systemic inflammatory response, hepatic expression of many inflammatory genes was noted as early as 6 hours after treatment well before alterations in traditional clinical pathology markers were detected. This finding led to the creation of a hepatic gene expression biomarker of APR that was effectively shown to be an early identifier of imminent inflammatory injury. In terms of the relative gastrointestinal safety and the NSAIDs studied, an important safety distinction can be made between the presumptive efficacious dose and the APR-inducing dose for indomethacin (1—2-fold), ibuprofen (5-fold), and rofecoxib (~250-fold). Our data support the notion that NSAID-induced intestinal injury results in leakage of commensural bacteria and/or LPS into the circulation, provoking a systemic inflammatory response and that hepatic gene expression-based biomarkers can be used as early and sensitive biomarkers of APR onset.[The table referenced in this paper is not printed in this issue of Toxicologic Pathology. It is available as a downloadable text file in the online edition of Toxicologic Pathology, 34(2). In order to access the full article online, you must have either an individual subscription or a member subscription accessed through www.toxpath.org .]
A machine learning information retrieval approach to protein fold recognition
Authors: Cheng Jianlin , Baldi Pierre 
Published: March 2006

Abstract
Motivation: Recognizing proteins that have similar tertiary structure is the key step of template-based protein structure prediction methods. Traditionally, a variety of alignment methods are used to identify similar folds, based on sequence similarity and sequence-structure compatibility. Although these methods are complementary, their integration has not been thoroughly exploited. Statistical machine learning methods provide tools for integrating multiple features, but so far these methods have been used primarily for protein and fold classification, rather than addressing the retrieval problem of fold recognition-finding a proper template for a given query protein.
Results: Here we present a two-stage machine learning, information retrieval, approach to fold recognition. First, we use alignment methods to derive pairwise similarity features for query-template protein pairs. We also use global profile–profile alignments in combination with predicted secondary structure, relative solvent accessibility, contact map and beta-strand pairing to extract pairwise structural compatibility features. Second, we apply support vector machines to these features to predict the structural relevance (i.e. in the same fold or not) of the query-template pairs. For each query, the continuous relevance scores are used to rank the templates. The FOLDpro approach is modular, scalable and effective. Compared with 11 other fold recognition methods, FOLDpro yields the best results in almost all standard categories on a comprehensive benchmark dataset. Using predictions of the top-ranked template, the sensitivity is ∼85, 56, and 27% at the family, superfamily and fold levels respectively. Using the 5 top-ranked templates, the sensitivity increases to 90, 70, and 48%.
Availability: The FOLDpro server is available with the SCRATCH suite through .
Contact: pfbaldi@ics.uci.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at
Reversal of asymptomatic over‐anticoagulation by orally administered vitamin K
Authors: Baker Peter , Gleghorn Ana , Tripp Teresa , Paddon Kevin , Eagleton Helen , Keeling David 
Published: March 2006

SummaryOver‐anticoagulation with warfarin is common. There is good reason to reverse significantly high international normalised ratios (INRs), however, in practice, there is wide variation in the means to achieve this. Randomised controlled trials have provided evidence for using low dose orally administered phytomenadione for the reversal of asymptomatic over‐anticoagulation. We devised an oral regimen using the intravenous preparation of phytomenadione (vitamin K1). Patients with an asymptomatic INR between 8·0 and 11·9 (n = 166) received 2·5 mg and those with an INR of 12·0–20·0 (n = 36) or >20 (n = 21) received 5 mg. Median INRs for the three groups of patients on day 1 (approximately 14 h) after vitamin K administration were 3·5, 3·0 and 2·9 respectively. In the patients given 2·5 mg, 77% had INRs between 2·0 and 4·9 on day 1. In the patients given 5 mg, 52% of those presenting with INRs of 12·0–20·0 returned between 2·0 and 4·9 1 d after administration of vitamin K. In the INR >20 group 44% returned with an INR between 2·0 and 4·9. Warfarin was reintroduced once the INR was <5 and the majority of patients remained stable for the following 14 d. This regimen for non‐urgent correction is therefore effective and returns patients to a safe INR level without over‐reversing anticoagulation.
Ex vivo modulation of response to prednisolone in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Authors: Styczynski Jan , Wysocki Mariusz 
Published: March 2006

SummaryWe hypothesised that the intensity of mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia might be decreased by concurrent ex vivo use of compounds with specific blocking or activating properties at different steps of the glucocorticoid intracellular pathway. The following modifiers were used: ciclosporin A, rifampicin, doxycycline, meta‐iodobenzylguanidine, buthionine sulfoximine, ethacrinic acid, pentoxifylline, indomethacin, rotenone, forskolin, olomoucin, 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine, 3‐aminobenzamide, O6‐benzylguanidine and nitroprusside sodium. All modulators sensitised lymphoblasts and potentiated prednisolone cytotoxicity in most cases indicating that various compounds, which can influence the antileukaemic effect of prednisolone during anticancer therapy, might modulate some mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance.