Effect of iridoid glycoside content on oviposition host plant choice and parasitism in a specialist herbivore

The Glanville fritillary butterfly Melitaea cinxia feeds upon two host plant species in Å land, Finland, Plantago lanceolataand Veronica spicata, both of which produce iridoid glycosides. Iridoids are known to deter feeding or decrease the growth rate of many generalist insect herbivores, but they often act as oviposition cues to specialist butterflies and are feeding stimulants to their larvae. In this study, two iridoid glycosides (aucubin and catalpol) were analyzed by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. We measured the spatial and temporal variation of iridoid glycosides in natural populations of the host plants of M. cinxia. We also analyzed the aucubin and catalpol content in plants in relation to their use by ovipositing females, and in relation to the incidence of parasitism of M. cinxia larvae in natural populations. The mean concentrations of aucubin and catalpol were higher in P. lanceolata than in V. spicata, and catalpol concentrations were higher than aucubin concentrations in both host species. Plantago lanceolata individuals that were used for oviposition by M. cinxia had higher aucubin concentrations than random plants and neighboring plants. Additionally, oviposition and random plants had higher catalpol concentrations than neighboring plants, indicating that ovipositing females select for high iridoid glycoside plants or that oviposition induces iridoid glycoside production in P. lanceolata. Parasitism by the specialist parasitoid wasp Cotesia melitaearum occurred most frequently in larval groups that were feeding on plants with low concentrations of catalpol, irrespective of year, population, and host plant species. Therefore, parasitoids appear to avoid or perform poorly in host larvae with high catalpol content.     

Biological effects of casein-derived tripeptide powders are not affected by fermentation process

Milk casein-derived biologically active tripeptides isoleucine–proline–proline and valine–proline–proline have shown antihypertensive effects both in animal and clinical studies. Contradictory findings from clinical intervention studies may be related to different manufacturing processes. The present study aimed to compare cardiovascular effects of two different tripeptide powders in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Rats received tripeptide powders produced either by Lactobacillus helveticus fermentation (A) or Lb. helveticus plus proline specific endoprotease (B) in drinking fluid for 8 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was recorded weekly. At the end, blood and tissue samples were collected and arterial responses studied. Blood pressure was 13.6 and 14.2 mmHg lower in the groups A and B, respectively, versus the water group (P < 0.01). Vascular responses of aorta and mesenteric artery did not differ between the groups. Both tripeptide products increased urinary cGMP (P < 0.001) and decreased albumin (P < 0.05). The fermentation process did not influence the cardiovascular effects of the tripeptide powders.     

The effect of intravenous and oral fluconazole on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intravenous alfentanil

The growth-promoting activity of PDGF-BB was studied on the adult osteoclasts in the present study. The PDGF receptor beta was detected on the osteoclast membrane through immunohistochemistry (LSAB method) and immunomicroscopy. The PDGF-BB was exerted on the osteoclasts that adhered to the bone slice at concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 ng/ml. The volume of Howship's lacuna augmented significantly and the number of resorption pits also increased with its dose (p < 0.01). The activity of both total acid phosphatase (ACP) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) increased significantly. These results suggest that PDGF-BB promotes adult osteoclastic bone resorption directly through PDGF receptor beta and is believed to play important roles in the bone healing process and reconstruction.     

Casein-derived bioactive tripeptides Ile-Pro-Pro and Val-Pro-Pro attenuate the development of hypertension and improve endothelial function in salt-loaded Goto–Kakizaki rats

Increased blood pressure and plasma cholesterol concentration are the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. We have previously shown that fermented milk products containing casein-derived bioactive tripeptides, isoleucine-proline-proline (Ile-Pro-Pro) and valine-proline-proline (Val-Pro-Pro) partly inhibit the blood pressure increase in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). In the present study, we investigated the effect of bioactive tripeptide-containing fermented milk products (with or without plant sterols) on blood pressure and vascular function in salt-loaded type 2 diabetic Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rats after 8 weeks’ treatment. The development of blood pressure was attenuated in the groups receiving tripeptide-containing products (?10 to ?12 mmHg vs. the control product group, P < 0.01). Tripeptide-containing products enhanced the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation of mesenteric arteries. Also the role of endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) was demonstrated. Interestingly, pretreatment of arterial rings with verapamil normalized the impaired endothelial function. Endothelium-independent relaxations were similar between the groups. Furthermore, tripeptides had positive effects on renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system.     

Functional fluid jetting performance optimization

The manufacturing method utilizing digital printing technology offers alternatives to create electronic structures to be used even in microelectronic applications. Material deposition based on digital inkjet technology offers advantages over both traditional mask-etch technologies and other printing methods. Inkjet technology works in an additive manner, reducing material consumption and the amount of created waste. Additionally, the digital nature of the process allows flexible production, e.g., rapid design changes, quick prototyping, and small, customized series. This research paper introduces ink jetting performance optimization utilized in a concept where discrete components and bare silicon chips were integrated in a single module with ink jetted interconnections. Jetting optimization of fluids enhances the droplet placement and volume accuracy that is a critical issue when forming interconnections for dense IC circuits. The overall drop placement error in jet printing is a combination of several error sources such as mechanical, dynamical and material related issues. However, the largest error portion is induced by a single printhead. The printhead related errors can be detected by observing the flight behavior after firing from the printhead nozzle. This paper focuses on optimizing the performance of ejected droplets during flight, i.e., drop formation sequence and minimum flight time variance. The average drop velocities of drops fired from separate printhead nozzles can be used to evaluate the difference in placement on substrate, which in worse case may lead to electrical wiring failures. The performance optimization was done by analyzing the initial state, modeling the drop velocity during flight, optimizing the process parameters to satisfy the model, and accepting the model after verification. Two inks, conductive and dielectric, were evaluated and improvement in placement accuracy was achieved through enhanced uniformity in drop average velocities, a dimensionless number, coefficient of variation was enhanced from 0.051 to 0.040,with conductive ink and from 0.111 to 0.049 with dielectric ink, thus decreasing the velocity related drop placement error.     

Communication Gaps in Disaster Management: Perceptions by Experts from Governmental and Non‐Governmental Organizations

The complexity of current disasters creates a challenge for crisis communication. This paper aims at identifying gaps in communication in disaster management experienced in practice in order to facilitate learning from those situations. The research was conducted using a qualitative online open‐ended questionnaire. It shows that despite the developments in the discipline, communication as an integral part of decision making in disaster management needs to be further developed. The paper provides a practical‐oriented overview of the communication constraints in complex crisis situations, which has not been provided so far. This research is part of an international project developing performance indicators for a quality measurement system for crisis communication.     

Milk protein-derived bioactive tripeptides Ile-Pro-Pro and Val-Pro-Pro protect endothelial function in vitro in hypertensive rats

Milk products containing casein-derived bioactive tripeptides Ile-Pro-Pro (isoleucine-proline-proline) and Val-Pro-Pro (valine-proline-proline) have been shown to lower blood pressure in animal models and clinical studies. In vitro experiments were performed to elucidate the effects of Ile-Pro-Pro, Val-Pro-Pro and Leu-Pro-Pro (leucine-proline-proline) on vascular function. Isolated spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) mesenteric arteries were stored in Krebs solution containing 1 mM of tripeptides at +4 °C for 1, 12 or 24 h. Thereafter, arteries were mounted in an organ bath chamber (+37 °C) for vascular reactivity measurements. Endothelium-dependent relaxation was better preserved (P < 0.05) in mesenteric arteries stored with tripeptides versus the control. Endothelium-independent relaxation remained unaltered. Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF)-related relaxation was more pronounced in arteries stored with Ile-Pro-Pro. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity of tripeptides was demonstrated after 24 h storage suggesting its role in improved relaxation. Thus, tripeptides do not affect smooth muscle but they protect endothelium in cold storage.     

Interactive visual tools as triggers of collaborative reasoning in entry-level pathology

The growing importance of medical imaging in everyday diagnostic practices poses challenges for medical education. While the emergence of novel imaging technologies offers new opportunities, many pedagogical questions remain. In the present study, we explore the use of a new tool, a virtual microscope, for the instruction and the collaborative learning of pathology. Fifteen pairs of medical students were asked to solve diagnostic tasks in a virtual microscopy learning environment. The students?? collaborative efforts were analysed on the basis of approximately 20 hours of video recordings. Our analyses show how students use the technology as a mediating tool to organize, manipulate and construct a shared visual field, and later, shared understanding of the problem and solutions. Organization of the visual field is done through multimodal referential practices: gestures, three dimensional manipulation of the image and paced inspection of the specimen. Furthermore, we analyse and describe how the aforementioned practices coincide with students?? medical reasoning in this particular learning context. The analysis of medical students?? diagnostic work illustrates the collaborative potential of the virtual microscopy environment and how such interactive tools render the traditional distinction between collaborating around or through computers irrelevant, as even face to face collaboration becomes enacted through technology. Finally, we argue that as technologies develop, understanding the technical side of image production, or any representation, becomes an integral part of the interpretative process. How this knowledge is communicated to the students may play a substantive role in how students learn to interpret medical images.