Changes in the Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profile of the Slave-Maker Ant Queen, Polyergus breviceps Emery, After Killing a Formica Host Queen (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Queens of the slave-maker ant, Polyergus breviceps, take over nests of their Formica host species by fatally attacking the resident queen. As workers only begin grooming the P. breviceps queen once she has ceased her attack, we investigated whether a change in parasite queen chemistry may account for the change in worker behavior. Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of newly mated P. breviceps queens and of queens of their two Formica host species were found to be species-specific. Profiles of newly mated P. breviceps queens that had attacked a Formica queen, however, were virtually identical to the queen profile of the species killed. Mass spectral analysis revealed that the hydrocarbons on the cuticles of newly mated P. breviceps changed from primarily normal alkanes to methyl and di-methyl branched alkanes after attacks. The results suggest that cuticular compounds from the host queen were transferred to the parasite queen during their aggressive interaction.     

Determination of peroxide value by fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy

A Fourier transform-near infrared (FT-NIR) method originally designed to determine the peroxide value (PV) of triacylglycerols at levels of 10–100 PV was improved upon to allow for the analysis of PV between 0 and 10 PV, a range of interest to the edible oil industry. The FT-NIR method uses convenient disposable glass vials for sample handling, and PV is determined by spectroscopically measuring the conversion of triphenylphosphine (TPP) to triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) when reacted with hydroperoxides. A partial-leastsquares calibration was developed for 8 mm o.d. vials by preparing randomized mixtures of TPP and TPPO in a zero-PV oil. The method was validated with samples prepared by gravimetric dilution of oxidized oil with a zero-PV oil. It was shown that the American Oil Chemists’ Society primary reference method was quite reproducible (±0.5 PV), but relatively insensitive to PV differences at lower (0–2) PV. The FT-NIR method on the other hand was shown to be more accurate overall in tracking PV, but slightly less reproducible (0.9 PV) due to working close to the limit of detection. The sensitivity and reproducibility of the FT-NIR method could be improved upon through the use of larger-diameter vials combined with a detector having a wider dynamic range. The proposed FT-NIR PV method is simple to calibrate and implement and can be automated to allow for routine quality control analysis of edible fats and oils.     

Isolation of a Pyrazine Alarm Pheromone Component from the Fire Ant, <Emphasis Type=Italic>Solenopsis invicta</Emphasis>

Alarm pheromones in social insects are an essential part of a complex of pheromone interactions that contribute to the maintenance of colony integrity and sociality. The alarm pheromones of ants were among the first examples of animal pheromones identified, primarily because of the large amount of chemical produced and the distinctive responses of ants to the pheromone. However, the alarm pheromone of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, eluded identification for over four decades. We identified 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine as an alarm pheromone component of S. invicta. Worker fire ants detect the pyrazine alarm pheromone at 30 pg/ml, which is comparable to alarm pheromone sensitivities reported for other ant species. The source of this alarm pheromone are the mandibular glands, which, in fire ants, are not well developed and contain only about 300 pg of the compound, much less than the microgram quantities of alarm pheromones reported for several other ant species. Female and male sexuals and workers produce the pyrazine, which suggests that it may be involved in fire ant mating flight initiation, as well as the typical worker alarm response. This is the first report of 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine from a Solenopsis species and the first example of this alkaloid functioning as an alarm pheromone.     

硅烷偶联剂对白炭黑胶料性能的影响

数十年来,当配合矿物类填料时,采用烷氧基硅烷双(三乙氧基硅丙基)四硫化物(TESPT)和双(三乙氧基硅丙基)二硫化物(TESPD)改进胶料性能获得了重大的商业利益。目前这一领域的研究仍然十分活跃。2004年美国专利局公布了66个有关TESPT和22个有关TESPD的专利申请。Rauline成功研究出的采用溶聚聚合物的三段混炼胶现已成为制造高动态性能轿车轮胎胎面胶的经典。有人开发了在白炭黑与硅烷初始反应期内氧化锌之类的碱性氧化物被抑制住的混炼程序。据认为,锌元素与白炭黑表面反应,降低了硅烷醇的疏水作用。这些工作的重点是硅烷和硅烷醇的反…     

Fourier fringe analysis with improved spatial resolution

The spatial resolution of the phase image derived from the interferogram by Fourier fringe analysis is limited by the necessity to isolate a first order in the Fourier plane. By use of the two complementary outputs of the interferometer, it is possible to eliminate the zero order and thus to improve the spatial resolution by a factor of approximately 2. The theory of this improvement is presented and confirmed experimentally.     

Deuterium NMR study of the MP-2269: albumin interaction — a step forward to the dynamics of non-covalent binding

MP-2269, the Gd(III) complex of 4-pcntylbicyclo[2.2.2] octane-l-carboxyl-di-L-aspartyl-lysinc-derived-DTPA, is a small Gd-agent that binds non-covalently to scrum albumin in vivo to assume the enhanced relaxivities associated with macromolecular agents, (due in part to increased rotational correlation time, τ_R). To further explore the fundamental parameters that govern the dynamics of water proton relaxation enhancement by this prototypical albumin-binding agent, the rotational correlation time (τ_R) for the deuterated La(III) analog of MP-2269 has been independently measured in the presence and absence of 4% albumin using²H-NMR approaches. The diamagnetic La(III) analog of MP-2269 was deuterated at the α-position of the carbonyl groups.²H-NMR studies were conducted at 7.05T (46 MHz) and 310°K on a Bruker NMR spectrometer. Spectral deconvolution permitted calculation of transverse relaxation rates, 1/T₂, from the NMR linewidths and subsequently, τ_R. The results yielded a τ_R of the albumin bound complex of ∼ 8 ns. This value is intermediate between those earlier estimated by¹⁷O-NMR (∼ 1 ns) and¹H-NMRD (∼ 20–50 ns) and significantly shorter than that of albumin. The²H-NMR study results also indicate that the exchange between free and albumin-bound forms of the La(III) analog is slow (exchange lifetimes > 1 ms). This slow exchange does not affect the water residence lifetimes (τ_M 140-280 ns).