The term cellular immune response refers to haemocyte-mediated responses, including phagocytosis, nodulation, and encapsulation. In the present study, we identified five types of circulating haemocytes in larvae of the haemolymph of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée), including granulocytes, oenocytoids, plasmatocytes, prohaemocytes, and spherulocytes. The relative number of total free haemocytes per larva decreased significantly 0.5, 24, and 36 h after the injection of Beauveria bassiana conidia. Upon conidia challenge, both phagocytosis and nodulation were observed in the collected haemolymph from O. furnacalis larvae. In addition, plasma was found to be necessary for both phagocytosis and nodulation. Therefore, we here confirm that phagocytosis and nodulation are involved in O. funacalis larvae during their fight against infection by B. bassiana, and further, that the cellular immune response of O. furnacalis helps eliminate the invading organisms despite the fact that not all the fungal conidia are killed., Dongxu Shen, Miao Li, Yuan Chu, Minglin Lang, Chunju An., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The aim of the study was to translate the Intrapersonal Curiosity Scale (InC) into the Czech language and to verify its factor structure and psychometric properties on the sample of grammar school students in the Czech Republic. The Intrapersonal Curiosity Scale InC is a 12-item tool that measures the tendency to inquisitively explore own identity and inner experience in order to better understand own inner self. The sample consisted of 1020 participants, of which 353 (34.6%) were boys, 665 (65.2%) were girls, and two participants (0.2%) did not state their sex or age. The authors compared several considered models using CFA. The results suggest that the original theoretical model, which calculates the total InC score as the sum of three mutually correlated subscales EPI, ROP and UEM, is still uncertain in the Czech version verified on a group of adolescents. In the authorsʼ opinion, the version with three factors with minor corrections fits to the data best of all compared models, although with a lack of evidence for the unidimensionality of the overall InC scale. In this model, verification of the weak invariance of the measurements was achieved when comparing girls and boys using MGCFA. Significant correlations of latent scores of EPI, ROP and UEM subscales with other assessed constructs were found., Cílem studie bylo adaptovat Škálu intrapersonální zvídavosti (Intrapersonal Curiosity, InC) do českého jazyka a ověřit její faktorovou struk-turu a psychometrické vlastnosti na souboru studentů gymnázií v České republice. Škála intrapersonální zvídavosti InC je 12položkovým nástrojem, který zachycuje tendenci zvídavě zkoumat svoji identitu a vlastní prožívání s cílem lépe porozumět vlastnímu nitru. Výběrový soubor tvořilo celkem 1020 participantů, z toho bylo 353 chlapců (34,6 %), 665 dívek (65,2 %) a dva participanti (0,2 %) svůj gender ani věk neuvedli. V rámci analýz autoři pomocí CFA porovnávali několik uvažovaných modelů. Výsledky naznačují, že původní teoretický model, který počítá celkový skór InC jakou součet tří vzájemně korelovaných subškál EPI, ROP a UEM, je u české verze ověřované na souboru adolescentů nejistý. Verze se třemi faktory dle názoru autorů odpovídá s drobnými korekcemi datům nejlépe ze všech porovnávaných modelů, byť s nedostatkem důkazů pro unidimenzionalitu celkové škály InC. Na tomto modelu bylo dosaženo ověření slabé invariance měření při porovnávání dívek a chlapců pomocí MGCFA. Byly nalezeny významné korelace latentních skórů subškál EPI, ROP a UEM s ostatními posuzovanými konstrukty., Martina Friedlová, Zuzana Vaculčíková Sedláčková, Miroslav Charvát., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
Peripheral blood monocytes, which serve as precursors for tissue macrophages and dendritic cells (DC), play a key role in the immune response to kidney allograft, reparation processes and homeostasis regulation. In this prospective study, we used multicolor flow cytometry to monitor the phenotypic patterns of peripheral monocytes in subjects with uncomplicated outcomes and those with acute rejection. We found a reciprocal increase in the proportion of "classical monocytes" (CD14+CD16-) along with a decline in pro-inflammatory "intermediary" (CD14+CD16+) and "non-classical" (CD14lowCD16+) monocytes in subjects with normal outcomes. In subjects with acute rejection, we observed no reduction in "intermediary" monocytes and no increase in "classical" monocytes. Patients with uncomplicated outcomes exhibited downregulated HLA-DR in all three monocyte subpopulations. However, non-classical monocytes were unaffected in subjects with acute rejection. Expression of CD47 was downregulated after transplantation, while patients with antibody-mediated rejection and donor-specific antibodies showed higher pre-transplant values. In monocytes isolated at the time of biopsy, CD47 expression was higher in individuals with acute rejection compared to patients with normal outcomes one year post-transplant. Expression of CD209 (DC-SIGN) and the proportion of CD163+CD206+ subpopulations were upregulated during the first week after kidney transplantation. CD209 was also upregulated in samples taken on the day of biopsy confirming acute rejection. Our data demonstrate that kidney allograft transplantation is associated with phenotypic changes in peripheral blood monocytes during acute rejection., Veronika Švachová, Lenka Krupičková, Marek Novotný, Martina Fialová, Kristýna Mezerová, Eva Čečrdlova, Věra Lánská, Antonij Slavčev, Ondřej Viklický, Ilja Stříž., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The main target of the present study is to investigate the foundation layers and the subsurface structures in an Egyptian solar plant site using geophysical techniques including the seismic refraction and Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW). The studied solar park is situated at about 40 km to the north of Aswan city on the Aswan-Cairo highway road and is classified as the largest solar plant in Africa and worldwide. Due to its location in the vicinity of the most prone earthquake area in Egypt (Aswan seismic zone); it is imperative to mitigate the earthquake hazard in this region. The geophysical results show that the subsurface foundation in this site is primarily composed of two layers. The upper one is loose and incompetent soil sediments that extend down to about 10 m depth with P-wave velocity ranging from 400 to 1000 m/s and shear-wave velocity ranging from 260 to 550 m/s. The deeper section is considered the main foundation layer with velocities ranging between 650 and 1900 m/s and from 350 to 950 m/s for P-wave and shear-wave, respectively. The average shear-wave velocities calculated for the topmost 30 m (Vs30) vary almost between 319 and 834 m/s; thereby the studied site is primarily ranked into classes C&D (180-360 m/s & 360-760 m/s, respectively) according to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) soil classification. Additionally, the southwestern and southeastern zones of the site area are characterized by maximum velocity values, relative high values of rock densities, rigidity or shear modulus “μ”, Standard Penetration Test (N-Value), ultimate bearing capacity and allowable bearing capacity, while the low values are observed through the northern and middle sectors across the area. This study an integral part of many works being carried out delineating the subsurface foundation structures around the solar plant and allows the most appropriate sites for constructing the renewable energy plants to be sited away from the highly hazards prone areas.
Serpin is a broadly distributed superfamily of proteins that have a crucial role in regulating various immune reactions. Herein we identified a serpin-10 gene from Antheraea pernyi that encodes a 1557 amino acid residue protein with a predicted molecular weight of 58.76 kDa. Recombinant Apserpin-10 protein was expressed in a prokaryotic expression system (Escherichia coli) and the purified protein was used to prepare rabbit anti-Apserpin-10 polyclonal antibodies. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis indicate that Apserpin-10 was transcribed in all the tissues examined, including haemolymph, malpighian tubules, fat body, silk gland, integument and mid gut; the greatest expression level of Apserpin-10 was recorded in the fat body and haemocytes. The comparison of different developmental stages showed that Apserpin-10 transcript level was highest in 5th instar larvae, while the lowest expression was recorded at the egg stage. We also investigated the expression patterns of Apserpin-10 in fat body and haemocyte samples, following administration of heat-inactivated gram-positive bacteria (Micrococcus luteus), gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), a fungus (Beauveria bassiana) and virus (nuclear polyhedrosis virus, NPV). A substantial up-regulation of Apserpin-10 expression was recorded following pathogen challenge in both the tissues tested. Further the knock down of Apserpin-10 led to down regulation of antimicrobial peptide genes. Altogether, our results indicate that Apserpin-10 is involved in the innate immunity of A. pernyi., Saima Kausar, Cen Qian, Muhammad Nadeem Abbas, Bao-Jian Zhu, Ya Liu, Lei Wang, Guo-Qing Wei, Yu Sun, Chao-Liang Liu., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Satellite DNAs are the major repetitive DNA components in eukaryotic genomes. Although satellite DNA has long been called "parasite DNA" there is substantial evidence that it could be associated with some functions of chromosome biology. Ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae) are one of the largest and most important groups of beetles. Many ladybirds are of economic interest as biological control agents because they eat some agricultural pests such as aphids and scale insects. However, other species are phytophagous and can damage crops. Despite the ecological importance of the latter group there are no studies on their satellite DNA. A satellite DNA family was isolated and characterized in the ladybird Henosepilachna argus. This satellite DNA is organized in tandem repeats of 658 bp and is A + T rich (67.3%). The recorded high sequence conservation of the monomers together with the detection of putative gene conversion processes indicate concerted evolution. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that this satellite DNA is transcribed and in situ hybridization its location in the subtelomeric regions of all chromosomes except the long arm of the X chromosome. The presence of this satellite DNA in other species of the genus Henosepilachna and Epilachna was also tested using PCR. The results indicate that this satellite DNA sequence is so far specific to H. argus., Pablo Mora, Jesús Vela, Areli Ruiz-Mena, Teresa Palomeque, Pedro Lorite., and Obsahuje bibliografii
A novel panel of 16 microsatellite markers, obtained by pyrosequencing of enriched genomic libraries, is reported for the flightless European bushcricket Ephippiger diurnus (Dufour) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae). Five multiplex and one simplex PCR protocols were optimized, and the polymorphism at the 16 loci was assessed in two natural populations from southern France. The mean allele number and (expected mean heterozygosity) were 8.94 (0.71) and 6.57 (0.70), respectively, in each population. Several loci were at Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium (HWD), possibly due to the incidence of null alleles. The occurrence of null alleles has been previously reported for this species, and it is a common feature of microsatellite loci in Orthoptera. Cross-amplification tests demonstrated the transferability of some of these loci to other ephippigerine species. The microsatellite loci reported here substantially increase the number of available loci for this species and will afford an accurate picture of E. diurnus phylogeography, the genetic structure of its populations, and an improved understanding of the evolution of male song and other sexually-selected traits in this highly variable species., Yareli Esquer-Garrigos, Michael D. Greenfield, Virginie Party, Réjane Streiff., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Spilarctia robusta (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Erebidae) was sequenced and analyzed. The circular mitogenome is made up of 15,447 base pairs (bp). It contains a set of 37 genes, with the gene complement and order similar to that of other lepidopterans. The 12 protein coding genes (PCGs) have a typical mitochondrial start codon (ATN codons), whereas cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene utilizes unusually the CAG codon as documented for other lepidopteran mitogenomes. Four of the 13 PCGs have incomplete termination codons, the cox1, nad4 and nad6 with a single T, but cox2 has TA. It comprises six major intergenic spacers, with the exception of the A+T-rich region, spanning at least 10 bp in the mitogenome. The nucleotide composition of the genome is greatly A+T biased (81.09%), with a negative AT skewness (-0.007), indicating the presence of fewer As than Ts, similar to other Noctuoidea. The A+T-rich region is 343 bp long, and contains some conserved regions, including an "ATAGA" motif followed by a 19 bp poly-T stretch, a microsatellite-like (AT)9 and a poly-A element, a characteristic shared with other lepidopteran mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 13 PCGs using Maximum likelihood methods revealed that S. robusta belongs to the superfamily Noctuoidea., Yu Sun, Sen Tian, Cen Qian, Yu-Xuan Sun, Muhammad N. Abbas, Saima Kausar, Lei Wang, Guoqing Wei, Bao-Jian Zhu, Chao-Liang Liu., and Obsahuje bibliografii