The role of larval nutrition in pre-imaginal biasing of caste in the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)

1. When freshly eclosed females of the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata (Lep.) are isolated, only about 50% of them build nests and lay eggs thereby suggesting a pre-imaginal biasing of caste. 2. Wasps that lay eggs take a very variable amount of time after eclosion to start doing so. 3. Females eclosing from nests where larvae are fed at a relatively higher rate are more likely to become egg-layers and are likely to take less time after eclosion to begin to lay eggs. 4. Thus, both forms of pre-imaginal biasing of caste, namely, differences in egg laying capacity and differences in the time taken to attain reproductive maturity, appear to be influenced by larval nutrition.

Effect of lipopolysaccharide on alteration of phospholipids and their fatty acid composition in spleen and thymus by in vitro metabolic labeling

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an endotoxin, a potent stimulator of immune response and induction of LPS leads to acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is a life-threatening disease worldwide with a high mortality rate. The immunological effect of LPS with spleen and thymus is well documented; however the impact on membrane phospholipid during endotoxemia has not yet been studied. Hence we aimed to investigate the influence of LPS on spleen and thymus phospholipid and fatty acid composition by 32P]orthophosphate labeling in rats. The in vitro labeling was carried out with phosphate-free medium (saline). Time course, LPS concentration-dependent, pre- and post-labeling with LPS and fatty acid analysis of phospholipid were performed. Labeling studies showed that 50 mu g LPS specifically altered the major phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol in spleen and phosphatidylcholine in thymus. Fatty acid analysis showed a marked alteration of unsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids in spleen and thymus leading to immune impairment via the fatty acid remodeling pathway. Our present in vitro lipid metabolic labeling study could open up new vistas for exploring LPS-induced immune impairment in spleen and thymus, as well as the underlying mechanism.

Cluster labeling for multilingual scatter/gather using comparable corpora

Scatter/Gather systems are increasingly becoming useful in browsing document corpora. Usability of the present-day systems are restricted to monolingual corpora, and their methods for clustering and labeling do not easily extend to the multilingual setting, especially in the absence of dictionaries/machine translation. In this paper, we study the cluster labeling problem for multilingual corpora in the absence of machine translation, but using comparable corpora. Using a variational approach, we show that multilingual topic models can effectively handle the cluster labeling problem, which in turn allows us to design a novel Scatter/Gather system ShoBha. Experimental results on three datasets, namely the Canadian Hansards corpus, the entire overlapping Wikipedia of English, Hindi and Bengali articles, and a trilingual news corpus containing 41,000 articles, confirm the utility of the proposed system.

Differential binding of ppGpp and pppGpp to E-coli RNA polymerase: photo-labeling and mass spectral studies

(p) ppGpp, a secondary messenger, is induced under stress and shows pleiotropic response. It binds to RNA polymerase and regulates transcription in Escherichia coli. More than 25 years have passed since the first discovery was made on the direct interaction of ppGpp with E. coli RNA polymerase. Several lines of evidence suggest different modes of ppGpp binding to the enzyme. Earlier cross-linking experiments suggested that the beta-subunit of RNA polymerase is the preferred site for ppGpp, whereas recent crystallographic studies pinpoint the interface of beta'/omega-subunits as the site of action. With an aim to validate the binding domain and to follow whether tetra-and pentaphosphate guanosines have different location on RNA polymerase, this work was initiated. RNA polymerase was photo-labeled with 8-azido-ppGpp/8-azido-pppGpp, and the product was digested with trypsin and subjected to mass spectrometry analysis. We observed three new peptides in the trypsin digest of the RNA polymerase labeled with 8-azido-ppGpp, of which two peptides correspond to the same pocket on beta'-subunit as predicted by X-ray structural analysis, whereas the third peptide was mapped on the beta-subunit. In the case of 8-azido-pppGpp-labeled RNA polymerase, we have found only one cross-linked peptide from the beta'-subunit. However, we were unable to identify any binding site of pppGpp on the beta-subunit. Interestingly, we observed that pppGpp at high concentration competes out ppGpp bound to RNA polymerase more efficiently, whereas ppGpp cannot titrate out pppGpp. The competition between tetraphosphate guanosine and pentaphosphate guanosine for E. coli RNA polymerase was followed by gel-based assay as well as by a new method known as DRaCALA assay.

Studies on the nutrition of brackish water catfish - Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus . 1. Preliminary investigations on the probable use of vegetable oil in catfish feeds

Four groups of brackishwater catfish were fed four diets: N.F. (NIOMR formula 1 feed), A. B. and C. for seven weeks. Feeds N.F., A., B and C. contained 1.21% fish oil + 5.59% vegetable oil; 1.21% fish oil + 7.39% vegetable oil; 1.21% fish oil + 9.09% vegetable oil; 1.21% fish oil + 10.89% vegetable oil respectively. Results of feeding trial showed that growth was best in the group fed diets containing 10.89% vegetable oil and least in those containing 9.09% vegetable oil

The contribution of fish intake, aquaculture, and small-scale fisheries to improving nutrition security: a literature review

Much of fish consumed by the poor are caught by household members and traded in local markets. These fish are rarely or poorly included in national statistics, and it is therefore difficult to estimate precisely the real contribution of fish to the rural poor households. This report is the first global overview of the role played by fish in improving nutrition. Fish consumption patterns of the poor, the nutritional value of fish, and small-scale fisheries and aquaculture activities are considered. It also highlights the gap in knowledge where more research is needed.

Cooperative learning strategies to teach nutrition to geriatric nursing staff

[EN] The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that cooperative learning strategies will help to increase nutrition knowledge of nurses and nursing assistants caring for the elderly in different institutional communities of the Basque Country, Spain. The target population was a sample of volunteers, 16 nurses and 28 nursing assistants. Training consisted of 12 nutrition education sessions using cooperative strategies conducted over a period of 3 consecutive weeks. The assessment instruments included two pretest and two posttest questionnaires with questions selected in multiplechoice format. The first questionnaire was about general knowledge of applied nutrition (0-88 point scale) and the second one on geriatric nutrition knowledge (0-18 point scale). Data were analyzed using SPSS vs. 11.0. The outcomes indicated a significant increase in general nutrition knowledge (difference between the pre- and posttest mean score: 14.5±10.1; P<0.001) and in geriatric nutrition knowledge for all participants (difference between the pre- and post-test mean score: 4.6±4.6; P<0.001). So the results indicated that cooperative learning strategies could improve the nutrition knowledge of nursing staff. Additionally, the results of this study provide direction to continuing nutrition education program planners regarding appropriate content and methodology for programs.

On the nutrition of the predatory cladocerans Leptodora and Bythotrephes. [Translation of: Byulleten' Institute Biologii Vodokhranilishch 6, pp. 21-22, 1960]

Results of the investigation on certain problems of the nutrition of Leptodora and Bythotrephes in Rybinsk Reservoir (Russia) are reviewed. To clarify the composition of the food of Leptodora and Bythotrephes in this period, experiments were provided on their nutrition by cyclopids and rotifers.

On the nutrition of Polyphemus pediculus (L.). [Translation from: Trudy Instituta Biologii Vnutrennykh Vodnany 12(15) 170-174, 1966.]

Many sides of the biology of Polyphemus pediculus are adequately studied at the present time. Most complicated is the question of its feeding. Dissection does not give an idea of the composition of the food, since Polyphemus strongly grinds its food with its mandibles. For clarification of the composition of the food of Polyphemus pediculus, the authors carried out in July and August 1962 a series of experiments with the application of radio-carbon methods in order to judge the degree of utilization of one or other foods by the quantity of C14, accumulated in the body of the crustacean after feeding. Particular attention in these experiments was given to the question of the possibility of the utilization by polyphemus of plant food - bacteria, algae and detritus.

Tests of some specific effect substances in duck nutrition. Translation from: Biologisace a chemisaze vyzivy svirat 5, 43-48, 1969.]

There is a constantly increasing collection of manufactured substances, whose effectiveness in the sustenance of ducks is under investigation. The author examines the effects of some substances already previously tested and also there were examined substances which had not hitherto been studied. The use of different supplements for late autumn fattening is studied through various experiments.

A study of the nutrition of the Rotifer Asplanchna, with the help of Carbon 14 [Translation from: Byulleten ' Instituta Biologii Vodokhranilishch, No. 12, pp.17-20, 1962]

Laboratory research was done in order to study the feeding of larval Cricotopus silvestris F. in relation to characters of structure of oral apparatus. Results of the experiments are summarised and the oral apparatus morhologically described.

Fisheries production in Asia: its role in food security and nutrition

This paper reviews the status and some management issues of fisheries production in Asia, as well as the supply and demand situation. Its food security and nutritional roles and opportunities for value addition are also discussed.

The role of small indigenous fish species in food and nutrition security in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, only 6% of the daily food intake is animal food of which fish accounts for 50%. Rice is the mainstay, making up 60% of the daily food intake. However, many nutrients such as vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, zinc and iodine are not found in rice and have to be obtained from other sources. Small indigenous fish are a vital contribution to the diet of the rural poor in Bangladesh, where more than 30,000 children go blind every year from vitamin A deficiency and 70% of women and children are iron-deficient. Small fish, which are less than 10 cm in length and usually eaten whole with the organs and bones, contain large amount of calcium and possibly iron and zinc. The largest fish promoted in aquaculture do not contribute significantly to calcium intake. Some species also contain large amount of vitamin A. Much of the small indigenous fish (SIS) of Bangladesh are caught in floodplains and natural waterbodies. Small fish are eaten frequently in small amounts and are more equally distributed among family members than big fish of which men get the larger share. Unfortunately, overfishing and the deterioration of natural habitats have resulted in a decline in SIS. When measures are taken to improve food and nutrition security, there should be a focus on production of small fish so that greater quantities are accessible for consumption by the rural poor.