Cytotoxic activity of Origanum dictamnus

Several extracts of Origanum dictamnus, an endemic plant of Greece growing only in the island of Crete and the bioassay-directed isolated ursolic acid, were tested in vitro against the P388 (murine leukemia) and the human bronchial epidermoid cancer NSCLC-N6 (non small cell lung cancer) cell lines. Both the initial dichloromethane extract and the isolated from it ursolic acid exhibited cytotoxic activity. Ursolic acid was also tested in vivo, on murine ascite leukemia P388, where it exhibited at a dose of 50 mg/kg a marginal antileukemic activity.     

Hematologic and serum biochemistry values in two species of free-ranging porcupines (Coendou prehensilis, Coendou melanurus) in French Guiana.

Individuals of two porcupine species (Coendou prehensilis and Coendou melanurus) were translocated during the flooding of a forest at a hydroelectric dam site in French Guiana. Blood samples were collected for 11 mo to determine hematologic and serum chemistry reference mean values and ranges and to look for blood parasites. Male C. prehensilis had significantly higher hemoglobin levels, packed cell volumes, and creatinine and potassium values than did females of the same species. Coendou prehensilis had significantly lower amylase levels but higher creatinine, calcium, lactate dehydrogenase, and gamma glutamyl transferase levels than C. melanurus.     

转型中的亚洲林业(续二)

在过去的20年里,亚洲林业经历了引人注目的转型,包括从计划经济到市场经济的转变,从天然林供给木材到人工林供给木材的转变,木材替代品与非木质林产品的增加,地方分权与当地群众的参与,生态时代的发展与生态系统管理。在促进亚洲可持续森林资源管理中,市场工具、社区参与和环境服务都得到了应用。亚洲林业的转型表现出多样化,其森林、社会与环境之间的联系是丰富多彩的。     

橡胶树树皮坏死:症状学、病原学、流行病学方面的发展和树干生理病症的发因

橡胶树排胶障碍是制约全球橡胶种植园发展的主要因素,它是由以下两个不同病症导致的:(1)割面干涸(TPD)-过度割胶引起的可逆生理反应,(2)割面树皮坏死(BN)-由橡胶树根颈韧皮部扩展的不可逆病变。树皮坏死(BN)目前危害了世界大部分胶园,胶园受害严重度取决于橡胶品种、树龄、种植地和种植地区。橡胶树树皮病的多态性一直是一个有争议的问题,通过对许多胶园的调研,该问题最近得到了解决。虽然前期和最近的病原分析不具决定性,但是环境因素却显示出同树皮坏死有联系。在对近期开割的胶园进行流行病调查,发现早期患病胶树地点呈非随机性。这些易发病区主要靠近沼泽地、路旁、风干行、原推土机过道、树林树桩残余地和斜坡缓冲地段的附近区域。在树皮坏死发生区,虽然没有发现与土壤化学因素有明显的关系,但是,土壤物理分析(如透度法)却表明,土壤的较高紧实度常同患病胶树的根系生长较弱有关联。另外,通常在芽接点接合处可以很好地观察到树皮坏死早期症状。通过PMS压力室获得的大量可比生态生理的测量数据显示,患病胶树呈现水分协迫特征,意味着病树树干同其根系存在着一种非理想的维管关系。因此,同土壤紧实度相关的土壤缺水状况、旱季不能满足胶树水分需求的脆弱根系、被扰乱的树液流动和土壤排水等因素的共同作用,被怀疑是诱导树干接芽区树皮坏死(坏死向上扩展到割面) 生理的一个主要外部诱因。在这些协迫的作用下,细胞与分子研究显示,橡胶树生理失调是导致树皮坏死迅速扩展的原因。在这些协迫的作用下,在胶树芽接部位的细胞破裂,释放极具扩散性的高浓度氰化物。在患病胶树的韧皮部生氰和解氰活动的极不协调,以及氰化物的释放,导致其周围的细胞受到毒害。最后, 这样一种多学科的研究方法为由协迫诱导的多因素生理病害研究提供了一个完整的新模式。     

Phylogeny of the ants: diversification in the age of angiosperms

We present a large-scale molecular phylogeny of the ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), based on 4.5 kilobases of sequence data from six gene regions extracted from 139 of the 288 described extant genera, representing 19 of the 20 subfamilies. All but two subfamilies are recovered as monophyletic. Divergence time estimates calibrated by minimum age constraints from 43 fossils indicate that most of the subfamilies representing extant ants arose much earlier than previously proposed but only began to diversify during the Late Cretaceous to Early Eocene. This period also witnessed the rise of angiosperms and most herbivorous insects.     

Humoral and cellular immune responses to Fasciola gigantica experimental infection in buffaloes

Humoral and cellular immune responses to Fasciola gigantica experimental infection in buffaloes were studied. The results showed that 33.4+/-9.1% of the infection dose was recovered as adult flukes from infected animals at necropsy. Significant differences of weight gain between infected and non-infected buffaloes was observed at 4 MPI (months post-infection). Anti F. gigantica excretory-secretory products (FgESP)-IgG levels increased significantly from 3 WPI (weeks post-infection) and displayed a peak at 13 WPI. Western blot indicated that in FgESP six major bands of 11.5, 19.0, 23.4, 29.8, 47.5 and 53.2kDa were recognized by F. gigantica-infected buffaloes sera after 0 WPI. Eosinophil numbers increased significantly from 3 WPI in F. gigantica-infected buffaloes and displayed a peak at 8 WPI. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) proliferation induced by FgESP increased from 2 WPI with a peak at 5 WPI. IFNgamma secretion by FgESP-stimulated PBMC appeared early from 1 WPI with three peaks at 2, 5 and 8 WPI, respectively. IL-10 production was observed from 2 WPI with two peaks at 4 and 9 WPI, respectively. Our results suggested that buffaloes were highly susceptible to F. gigantica infection, and this susceptibility could be associated with the late and weak cellular immune response in the early phase of infection and the Th0-like response throughout the infection.     

The role of driving energy and delocalized States for charge separation in organic semiconductors

The electron-hole pair created via photon absorption in organic photoconversion systems must overcome the Coulomb attraction to achieve long-range charge separation. We show that this process is facilitated through the formation of excited, delocalized band states. In our experiments on organic photovoltaic cells, these states were accessed for a short time (<1 picosecond) via infrared (IR) optical excitation of electron-hole pairs bound at the heterojunction. Atomistic modeling showed that the IR photons promote bound charge pairs to delocalized band states, similar to those formed just after singlet exciton dissociation, which indicates that such states act as the gateway for charge separation. Our results suggest that charge separation in efficient organic photoconversion systems occurs through hot-state charge delocalization rather than energy-gradient-driven intermolecular hopping.