Abdominal sensory equipment involved in external host discrimination in a solitary parasitoid wasp

Already parasitized hosts are often of poorer quality than healthy hosts. It is therefore usually advantageous for parasitoid females to recognize and reject them. Parasitized hosts can be identified on the basis of various physical or chemical marks present on the surface or inside the hosts or their surroundings in the case of concealed host. Here we studied host discrimination behaviors of females of a certain population of Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae, a solitary ectoparasitoid, which are known to reject large-sized parasitized hosts after an abdominal examination of their surface. We first investigated females' recognition behaviors of host parasitism status when confronted to small-sized hosts (Drosophila melanogaster pupae) as host size may influence the use of different cues for host selection. We showed that, in such a situation, females also discriminate parasitized hosts after an external host exploration with the tip of their ovipositor sheath (third valvulae). We then described the sense organs present on the different parts of the ovipositor by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy analysis. As the extremity of the third valvulae bears only one type of sensilla that appears to be chemoreceptors, we considered these sensilla as highly likely to be involved in host discrimination in P. vindemmiae. To our knowledge, this is the first time that receptors located on the ovipositor sheath are described as implicated in host discrimination in parasitoid wasps. We discuss potential chemical markers that might be detected by these receptors.     

Extraction of polymer stress–strain behavior in the presence of self‐heating by the use of a simple model for the elastic–plastic deformation

Polymer materials are well known to be sensitive to strain rate and temperature. Self‐heating and friction effects also play an important role in the mechanical response of these materials. Numerous constitutive laws and phenomenological models have been developed to take into account these dependencies. This article proposes a simplified phenomenological model based on a mapping technique for the strain rate and temperature dependence. The effects of friction and adiabatic heating are also analyzed in this work. Relatively good results are obtained compared to experimental results for polypropylene and polychlorotrifluoroethylene. A parametric investigation of the effects of the interfacial equivalent stress (between the specimen and the compressive bars) and the fraction of plastic work converted into heat was performed. This parametric study allowed for a good approximation of these two parameters for the two studied polymers. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2474–2481, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Natural Ligands of Porcine Olfactory Binding Proteins

Knowledge of endogenous ligands of olfactory binding proteins is a prerequisite for studying their role in odor and pheromone transduction. Here, we report the extraction, derivatization, and characterization by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of the natural ligands of pig, Sus scrofa (L.), Von Ebner’s Gland protein (VEG) and odorant binding protein (OBP). We identified two isoforms (VEG1 and VEG2), which differed only by the linkage of an O-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNac) group on VEG1. The natural ligands of VEG1 were characterized as two isomers of testosterone, whereas ligands of VEG2 and OBP were fatty acids or their derivatives. Our findings suggest that the binding specificity of VEG1 for steroids is governed by the presence of an O-GlcNac moiety on the protein. This specificity was confirmed by the binding of radiolabeled testosterone only by VEG1 in an in-gel binding assay. This is the first evidence for a post-translational modification in the process of odorant discrimination by olfactory binding proteins.     

Characterization of metal hydrides using pneumato-chemical impedance spectroscopy

Pneumato-chemical impedance spectroscopy (PIS) is a tool derived from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). PIS can be used to analyze the kinetics of various solid-gas reactions, such as the hydriding kinetics of metals in the presence of hysteresis. Pneumato-chemical impedance diagrams are obtained from simple gas transfer experiments, using non-harmonic pressure perturbations. In single-phase domains, the global sorption mechanism consists of mainly two steps, a surface chemisorption step and a bulk hydrogen transport step, controlled by diffusion. In two-phase domains, an additional phase transformation step must be considered. Model impedances are obtained by interconnecting microscopic impedances associated with each reaction step. By fitting model impedances to the experimental ones, microscopic rate parameters such as the surface dissociation resistance, the bulk hydrogen diffusion coefficient and the phase transformation resistance can be obtained. Different results obtained on palladium, palladium–silver and LaNi₅ samples (foils and powder) are presented to illustrate the potentialities of this spectroscopy.     

Phosphorylation of Native Porcine Olfactory Binding Proteins

The identification of various isoforms of olfactory binding proteins is of major importance to elucidate their involvement in detection of pheromones and other odors. Here, we report the characterization of the phosphorylation of OBP (odorant binding protein) and Von Ebner’s gland protein (VEG) from the pig, Sus scrofa. After labeling with specific antibodies raised against the three types of phosphorylation (Ser, Thr, Tyr), the phosphate-modified residues were mapped by using the beta-elimination followed by Michael addition of dithiothreitol (BEMAD) method. Eleven phosphorylation sites were localized in the pOBP sequence and nine sites in the VEG sequence. OBPs are secreted by Bowman’s gland cells in the extracellular mucus lining the nasal cavity. After tracking the secretion pathway in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of these cells, we hypothesize that these proteins may be phosphorylated by ectokinases that remain to be characterized. The existence of such a regulatory mechanism theoretically increases the number of OBP variants, and it suggests a more specific role for OBPs in odorant coding than the one of odorant solubilizer and transporter. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Chrystelle Le Danvic and Fanny Brimau contributed equally to the work.     

Postoperative plasma metabolic consequences of an osseous substitute implantation: analysis by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

In this study, we have investigated the postoperative plasma consequences of coral implantation into femoral condyle of rabbits. Analyses were performed using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, a sensitive and nondestructive method, to evaluate plasma modifications one day, one week, one month, and three months after surgery. This technique showed that both surgery and implantation induced important changes of lipidic compounds one day after surgery, with a body lipolysis. Major modifications appeared one week after surgery, with a decrease of protein and saccharide contents, and an increase of amino acids accompanied by a noticeable inflammatory process. These last changes were revealed by a hierarchical classification in the 1430-1295 and 1137-1092 cm(-1) spectral regions, leading to two well-separated groups, before and one week after surgery. After a delayed time of three months and despite a substantial recovery for biomolecules such as proteins and fatty acids, some alterations are always observed, such as for amino acids, triglycerides, and glycerol. Moreover, molecules implicated in the inflammatory process had not reached their initial level.     

UV-curable inorganic precursors enable direct 3D printing of SiOC ceramics

3D ceramic parts are of great interest for various applications including aerospace, defense, electronics, photonics, and biomedical. Yet, additive manufacturing of ceramics is challenging due to their poor machinability. Herein, two approaches based on the chemical modification of silicon resins to obtain UV-curable preceramic precursors of SiOC are described. The dual functionality of the synthesized resins acting both as preceramic precursor and as photopolymerizable entity under UV light is exploited. A set of characterization techniques has allowed the investigation of the mechanisms involved in the synthesis of the inorganic SiOC precursors according to the following approaches: (1) blend of the silicon resin with photoactive monomers and (2) synthesis of a single source UV-curable preceramic silicon resin. A correlation between the nature of the precursor and the properties of the derived SiOC is analyzed. From a technological point of view, the materials can be fabricated as dense or crack-free porous customized objects with low mass loss and optimal surface quality.     

Making geriatric assessment an asset to your primary care practice

Geriatric assessment provides the physician with an individualized care plan for at-risk older patients with complex health problems. Its four basic components are physical, mental, functional, and social/economic health. Although the ideal assessment is performed by a team from a variety of disciplines, primary care physicians may perform a limited version in the office and then make appropriate referrals for further evaluation. Various screening instruments are helpful, but they have their limitations. Results provide you with a blueprint that aims to restore function, lower costs, and improve the patient's quality of life.