Olfactory responses of Stegobium paniceum to different Chinese medicinal plant materials and component analysis of volatiles

Stegobium paniceum (L.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) is among the major pests of stored products, causing great damage to stored Chinese medicinal plant materials (CMPMs) in China. Effective control strategies are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to explore the role of volatile organic compounds in the host preference of S. paniceum. First, the olfactory behavioral responses of S. paniceum adults to volatiles from four CMPMs (Panax notoginseng, Angelica sinensis, Gastrodia elata, and Peucedanum praeruptorum) were tested in Y-tube olfactometer experiments. Then, the volatile composition of these plant materials were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). S. paniceum showed significant preferences for volatiles from the four CMPMs, compared with clean air (CA). When S. paniceum was presented with choices among different CMPMs, it showed the strongest preference for P. notoginseng, followed by A. sinensis, then G. elata, and P. praeruptorum. GC-MS analysis identified 43, 34, 28 and 60 components in the volatile profiles of P. notoginseng, A. sinensis, G. elata, and P. praeruptorum, respectively. Falcarinol (14.4%), 3-n-butyl phthalide (78.7%), p-cresol (40.1%), and β-pinene (29.1%) were the most abundant components of the volatiles of P. notoginseng, A. sinensis, G. elata, and P. praeruptorum, respectively. The olfactory responses of S. paniceum to the four CMPMs demonstrated that host-related volatiles play an important role in the host-searching process by adult beetles. This information will be useful for the development of safe and effective trapping strategies for this pest.     

Human responses to high levels of carbon dioxide and air temperature

In this study, 30 subjects were exposed to different combinations of air temperature (T_a: 24, 27, and 30°C) and CO₂ level (8000, 10 000, and 12 000 ppm) in a high-humidity (RH: 85%) underground climate chamber. Subjective assessments, physiological responses, and cognitive performance were investigated. The results showed that as compared with exposure to T_a = 24°C, exposure to 30°C at all CO₂ levels caused subjects to feel uncomfortably warm and experience stronger odor intensity, while increased mental effort and greater intensity of acute health symptoms were reported. However, no significant effects of T_a on task performance or physiological responses were found. This indicated that subjects had to exert more effort to maintain their performance in an uncomfortably warm environment. Increasing CO₂ from 8000 to 12 000 ppm at all T_a caused subjects to report higher rates of headache, fatigue, agitation, and feeling depressed, although the results were statistically significant only at 24 and 27°C. The text typing performance and systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased significantly at this exposure, whereas diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and thermal discomfort increased significantly. These effects suggest higher arousal/stress. No significant interaction effect of T_a and CO₂ concentration on human responses was identified.     

Planktonic response to light as a pollution indicator

Ecological monitoring requires sensitive and effective approaches to detecting polluting substances. One such approach involves tracking the behavioral responses of plankton that is initially adapted to normal habitat conditions. Zooplankton such as Daphnia are filter feeders that are highly sensitive to pollution. We describe how a submersible holographic camera with additional attracting lighting (at a wavelength of 532 nm) can be used to track changes of Daphnia response to light for a number of pollutants, including potassium dichromate and crude oil. Our laboratory experiments showed that the sensitivity of this method of bioanalysis is comparable to standard laboratory methods, but has the additional advantage that it can be used in real time in lakes and other water areas, and hence is more versatile than standard methods.     

Male-Dependent Promotion of Colitis in 129 Rag2−/− Mice Co-Infected with Helicobacter pylori and Helicobacter hepaticus

The prevalence of gastric Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection is ~50% of the world population. However, how Hp infection influences inflammatory bowel disease in humans is not fully defined. In this study, we examined whether co-infection with Hp influenced Helicobacter hepaticus (Hh)–induced intestinal pathology in Rag2^−/− mice. Rag2^−/− mice of both sexes were infected with Hh, of which a subgroup was followed by infection with Hp two weeks later. Co-infected males, but not females, had significantly higher total colitis index scores in the colon at both 10 and 21 weeks post-Hh infection (WPI) and developed more severe dysplasia at 21 WPI compared with mono-Hh males. There were no significant differences in colonization levels of gastric Hp and colonic Hh between sexes or time-points. In addition, mRNA levels of colonic Il-1β, Ifnγ, Tnfα, Il-17A, Il-17F, Il-18, and Il-23, which play important roles in the development and function of proinflammatory innate lymphoid cell groups 1 and 3, were significantly up-regulated in the dually infected males compared with mono-Hh males at 21 WPI. These data suggest that concomitant Hp infection enhances the inflammatory responses in the colon of-Hh-infected Rag2^−/− males, which results in more severe colitis and dysplasia.     

关于消防行政复议中常见问题的探讨

随着我国法治进程的不断推进,群众的维权意识进一步提高.随着消防体制改革,消防救援机构不再具备军队、公安的双重身份,消防执法部门面临的复议、诉讼风险空前加大.文章将结合作者实践经验,探讨行政复议中的常见问题和应对措施.     

中国金融大厦模型试验研究

本文对位于上海外高桥保税区的中国金融大厦的模型进行了模拟风载静力试验和模拟地震振动台试验，得到了结构的动力特性、地震反映及结构的薄弱部位，为类似结构的工程设计提供了设计依据。     

二沉池的数学模型及瞬变响应特性模拟研究——瞬变响应特性

采用描述浓缩过程的动态模型，对二次沉淀池在几种典型输入条件下瞬变过程的特性进行了模拟研究，结果表明，输入的变化幅度，方式和过程都可能影响瞬态响应的特性，并对达到稳态后的工况造成极大影响，模拟结果证实了模型能够描述污泥沿沉淀深的分布下，预测污泥浓缩性能和有关参数的变化，从而显示了它在活性污泥系统的工艺设计和运行控制中研究中的应用价值。     

索桁架结构的风振响应

本文采用离散理论求得索桁架的振动方程,进一步可求得在随机风荷载作用下索桁架结构的振动频率及其位移响应。