创造性地铺装——转变传统观念，在您的庭院铺装中注入设计元素

铺装是庭院里最实用的元素之一,若是能在铺装中注入设计元素,您的庭院将会别具一格。     

Attraction and antennal response of the common wasp,Vespula vulgaris (L.), to selected synthetic chemicals in New Zealand beech forests

BACKGROUND: The common wasp, Vespula vulgaris (L.), and the German wasp, Vespula germanica (F.), are significant problems in New Zealand beech forests (Nothofagus spp.), adversely affecting native birds and invertebrate biodiversity. This work was undertaken to develop synthetic attractants for these species to enable more efficient monitoring and management. RESULTS: Seven known wasp attractants (acetic acid, butyl butyrate, isobutanol, heptyl butyrate, octyl butyrate and 2,4‐hexadienyl butyrate) were field tested, and only heptyl butyrate and octyl butyrate attracted significantly higher numbers of wasps than a non‐baited trap. Accordingly, a series of straight‐chain esters from methyl to decyl butyrate were prepared and field tested for attraction of social wasps. Peak biological activity occurred with hexyl butyrate, heptyl butyrate, octyl butyrate and nonyl butyrate. Polyethylene bags emitting approximately 18.4–22.6 mg day^?1 of heptyl butyrate were more attractive than polyethylene bags emitting approximately 14.7–16.8 mg day^?1 of heptyl butyrate in the field. Electroantennogram (EAG) studies indicated that queens and workers of V. vulgaris had olfactory receptor neurons responding to various aliphatic butyrates. CONCLUSION: These results are the first to be reported on the EAG response and the attraction of social wasps to synthetic chemicals in New Zealand beech forests and will enable monitoring of social wasp activity in beech forests. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Classification of Dry-Milled Maize Grit Yield Groups Using Quadratic Discriminant Analysis and Decision Tree Algorithm

A genetically and environmentally diverse collection of maize (Zea maize L.) samples was evaluated for physical properties and grit yield to help develop a standard set of criteria to identify grain best suited for dry-milling. Application of principal component analysis (PCA) reduced a set of approximately 500 samples collected from six states to 154 maize hybrids. Selected maize hybrids were placed into seven groups according to their dry-milled grit yields. Regression analysis explained only 50% of the variability in dry-milling grit yield. Patterns of differences in the physical properties for the seven grit yield groups implied that the seven yield groups could be placed into two or three groups. Using two pattern recognition techniques for improving classification accuracy, quadratic discriminant analysis and the classification and regression tree (CART) model, dry-milled grit yield groups were predicted. The estimated correct classification rates were 69–80% when the samples were divided into three yield groups and 81–90% when samples were divided into two yield groups. The results indicated the comparable success of both techniques and the superiority of the decision tree algorithm to quadratic discriminant analysis by offering higher accuracy and clearer classification rules in differentiating among dry-milled grit yield groups.     

Induction, Regulation, and Role in Pathogenesis of Appressoria in Monilinia fructicola

ABSTRACT Monilinia fructicola, which causes brown rot in stone fruit, forms appressoria on plant and artificial surfaces. On nectarine, the frequency of appressoria produced by conidial germlings depends to a large degree on the stage of fruit development, with numerous appressoria formed on immature (stage II) nectarine fruit, and no appressoria observed on fully mature fruit (late stage III). On polystyrene surfaces, appressorium formation was increased from <10% of germinated conidia to >95% of germinated conidia when the conidia were washed to remove residual nutrients and self-inhibitors. M. fructicola appressorium formation also appears to be regulated by the topography of the plant surface. On fruit, appressoria formed on stomatal guard cell lips, on the grooves of lateral cells adjacent to stomata or between two epidermal cells, and on the convex surfaces of epidermal cells. Pharmacological effectors indicate that cyclic AMP-, MAP kinase-, and calcium/calmodulin-dependent signaling pathways are involved in the induction and development of appressoria. KN-93, an inhibitor of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, did not inhibit conidial germination but did inhibit appressorium formation and brown rot development on flower petals, suggesting that appressoria are required for full symptom development on Prunus spp. petals.     

Repellency of Cinnamomum cassia bark compounds and cream containing cassia oil to Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory and indoor conditions

Patch and skin bioassays were used in laboratory and indoor tests to evaluate the repellency of (E)-cinnamaldehyde, identified in Cinnamomum cassia Blume bark and essential oil, and a cream containing 5% (w/w) cassia oil against Aedes aegypti (L.) females. Results were compared with those of a known C. cassia compound cinnamyl alcohol, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) and two commercial repellents: MeiMei cream containing citronella and geranium oils and Repellan S aerosol containing 19% DEET. In patch bioassay tests with A. aegypti females, (E)-cinnamaldehyde at 0.153 mg cm(-2) and DEET at 0.051 mg cm(-2) provided 93 and 89% protection at 40 min after exposure. In skin bioassay tests, (E)-cinnamaldehyde at 0.051 mg cm(-2) and DEET at 0.025 mg cm(-2) provided 87 and 95% protection at 30 min after application. (E)-Cinnamaldehyde was significantly more effective than cinnamyl alcohol in both bioassays. In indoor tests with four human volunteers, 5% cassia oil cream provided 94, 83 and 61% protection against A. aegypti females exposed for 30, 50 and 70 min after application respectively. Cassia oil cream was a slightly less effective repellent than MeiMei cream. Repellan S aerosol provided 91% repellency at 120 min after application. Products containing cassia oil merit further study as potential repellents for the protection of humans and domestic animals from blood-feeding vectors and the diseases they transmit.     

Overview of a Passive Tracking Index for Monitoring Wild Canids and Associated Species

Population density estimates for many animal species are often difficult or expensive to obtain, and they rely on assumptions that, if violated, result in unmeasurable estimation errors. Density estimates also may be unnecessary for research or management purposes, because an index that tracks changes in a population within appropriate time and geographic constraints could provide the information necessary to make management decisions or to evaluate the impact of a control program. We review research on a passive tracking index where observations are made on a series of tracking plots placed on lightly used dirt roads. The number of sets of tracks (individual intrusions) are recorded for each species of interest on each plot on consecutive days. The mean number of intrusions over the plots is calculated for each day for each species. The index is the mean of the daily means. These design and measurement methods present valuable advantages over most traditional tracking plot methods. Because no scents or baits are used as attractants, no conditioning of animals to the plots biases the results. This also permits multiple species, predator and prey alike, to be simultaneously monitored. Using the number of animal intrusions as observations produces results that are far more sensitive to change than tracking surveys where only presence or absence of spoor are recorded for each plot. Of particular importance, the statistical properties inherent to this data structure permit calculation of standard errors, confidence intervals and statistical tests, without subjectively subdividing the data.     

CANALOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE EXTERNAL EAR CANAL IN DOGS

Canalography was performed to measure the diameter of the horizontal ear canal and to assess the clinical relevance of the measurements in identifying abnormalities of the ear canal. The diameter of the proximal and distal end of the annular cartilage in the horizontal ear canal was measured using canalography in 222 ears. The tympanic membrane could not be visualized with otoscopic examination in 70 ears even after ear cleansing. These canals were classified as being stenotic. The diameter of the proximal annular cartilage in the stenotic canals ranged from 0.8 to 3.1 mm (mean = 2.6 +/- 0.8 mm). The proximal annular cartilage was consistently smaller in diameter than the distal annular cartilage. The ratio between the diameter of the proximal and distal annular cartilage varied between dogs. In stenotic ear canals (70 ears) the ratio was less than 0.65. Total ear canal ablations and histopathological analysis were performed in 70 ear canals classified as stenotic after canalography. Hyperplasia of the epidermal layer was found in 56 stenotic canals. Stenosis of the canal due to otitis externa was found in the other 14 canals. Three canals with severe otitis externa were also diagnosed with canalography as having a ruptured tympanic membrane. The results suggest that canalography can be used to measure the diameter of the horizontal ear canal and to assess whether or not the tympanic membrane is ruptured prior to conservative or surgical therapy.     

马立克病病毒疫苗株CVI988的38kd磷蛋白基因双氨基酸突变株

利用单克隆抗体H19及间接免疫荧光抗体反应(IFA),从经马立克病病毒(MDV)强毒株Mdll的38kd磷蛋白(pp38)基因克隆质粒DNA转染的MDV疫苗毒CVl988株感染的鸡胚成纤维细胞中。筛选到一个点突变株CVI／rpp38(AA)。DNA序列测定结果表明,该点突变株pp38基因ORF的第320位和326位碱基均已从亲本CVl988株的“G”突变为“A”,导致第107和109位氨基酸分别从精氨酸和甘氨酸转变为谷氨酰胺和谷氨酸。这个双氨基酸点突变株在IFA和免疫沉淀反应中与pp38特异性单抗H19都呈现阳性反应。但与另一个pp38特异性单抗T65都完全不反应,表现出与亲本病毒完全相反的结果。本研究发现了MDV的pp38上二个特异性不同的抗原表位,并以确凿的证据证明了第107及109位的谷氨酰胺和甘氨酸分别在这二个抗原表位形成中的关键作用。     

Potential Anti-Aging Substances Derived from Seaweeds

Aging is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The exact mechanisms underlying the aging process are not fully elucidated. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that several pathways, such as sirtuin, AMP-activated protein kinase, insulin-like growth factor, autophagy, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 play critical roles in regulating aging. Furthermore, genetic or dietary interventions of these pathways can extend lifespan by delaying the aging process. Seaweeds are a food source rich in many nutrients, including fibers, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds. The health benefits of seaweeds include, but are not limited to, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obese activities. Interestingly, a body of studies shows that some seaweed-derived extracts or isolated compounds, can modulate these aging-regulating pathways or even extend lifespans of various animal models. However, few such studies have been conducted on higher animals or even humans. In this review, we focused on potential anti-aging bioactive substances in seaweeds that have been studied in cells and animals mainly based on their anti-aging cellular and molecular mechanisms.