Heterozigosidade e assimetria do número de hâmulos em operárias adultas de Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Heterozygosity and hammuli number asymmetry in adult workers of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Relationship between individual heterozygosity at particular loci (Mdh-1, Hk-1 ou Pgm-1) or average heterozygosity of the colony and asymmetry of the hammuli number of right and left wings was verified on adult workers of five Africanized and five European colonies of Apis mellifera. Our results demonstrated the importance of statistical tests to verify the type of asymmetry of the character studied and they did not validate the assumption that uni or multiloci heterozygosity has a positive effect on developmental stability.

DETECÇÃO DE SUBPRODUTOS DA DESINFECÇÃO COM CLORO EM ÁGUA DESSALINIZADA

A dessalinização da água do mar é um método usado para obter água potável. Na dessalinização da água também é necessária a desinfecção de água com o cloro. Esta desinfecção garante à água condições seguras em termos microbiológicos mas promove a formação de novas substâncias consideradas tóxicas, resultantes da reacção do cloro com a matéria orgânica presente na água. Essas substâncias são designados por subprodutos de desinfecção de água com o cloro (DBP) dos quais destacam-se os trihalometanos (THM), os ácidos haloacéticos (HAA), os haloacetonitrilos (HAN), as haloacetonas (HK). A concentração dessas substâncias em águas para consumo humano é muito baixa e constitui sempre um desafio a sua detecção e quantificação. Neste trabalho desenvolveu-se e optimizou-se métodos de análises de DBP em água para consumo humano. Os DBP voláteis foram analisados por headspace e cromatografia gasosa com detecção por captura electrónica (HS-GC-ECD) e por microextracção em fase sólida no headspace e cromatografia gasosa com detecção por captura electrónica (SPME-HS-GC-ECD). Para os DBP não voláteis (HAA) aplicou-se a extracção em fase sólida e cromatografia líquida com detector de fila de diodos (SPE-RPHPLC- DAD). Foram analisados os DBP na água dessalinizada por osmose inversa proveniente de Cabo Verde e na água da cidade de Porto, de forma a verificar as diferenças em termos qualitativos e quantitativos. Usou-se um planeamento factorial de Box-Behnken para a optimização de métodos analíticos. Este modelo foi igualmente aplicado na simulação laboratorial de dessalinização da água do mar por osmose inversa e desinfecção com o cloro, tendo como objectivo identificar os factores mais significativos na formação de DBP em água dessalinizada (pH, temperatura e tempo de desinfecção).

Changes in activity of the regulatory glycolytic enzymes and of the pyruvate-dehydrogenase complex during the development of Xenopus laevis.

In this study we investigated the variations of the maximal activities of the rate-controlling glycolytic enzymes (i.e., hexokinase, HK; phosphofructokinase, PFK; pyruvate kinase, PK) and of the pyruvate-dehydrogenase complex (PDHc) during the early embryogenesis of Xenopus laevis (from cleavage through hatching). All the enzymatic assays, using different coupled reactions, were performed spectrophotometrically on cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions. The maximal HK activity increases markedly from neurulation onwards, PFK activity presents a peak around gastrulation, PK activity remains relatively constant throughout the period studied and the highest PDHc activity is observed during cleavage. The specific activities display the same temporal pattern. Furthermore, in the sequence of reactions by which glucose is degraded to form acetyl-CoA, the maximal activities of PFK and PK are not limiting while those of HK and PDHc could be rate-limiting at relatively late developmental stages (hatching).

Comparative transcriptomics of early dipteran development

BACKGROUND: Modern sequencing technologies have massively increased the amount of data available for comparative genomics. Whole-transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq) provides a powerful basis for comparative studies. In particular, this approach holds great promise for emerging model species in fields such as evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). RESULTS: We have sequenced early embryonic transcriptomes of two non-drosophilid dipteran species: the moth midge Clogmia albipunctata, and the scuttle fly Megaselia abdita. Our analysis includes a third, published, transcriptome for the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. These emerging models for comparative developmental studies close an important phylogenetic gap between Drosophila melanogaster and other insect model systems. In this paper, we provide a comparative analysis of early embryonic transcriptomes across species, and use our data for a phylogenomic re-evaluation of dipteran phylogenetic relationships. CONCLUSIONS: We show how comparative transcriptomics can be used to create useful resources for evo-devo, and to investigate phylogenetic relationships. Our results demonstrate that de novo assembly of short (Illumina) reads yields high-quality, high-coverage transcriptomic data sets. We use these data to investigate deep dipteran phylogenetic relationships. Our results, based on a concatenation of 160 orthologous genes, provide support for the traditional view of Clogmia being the sister group of Brachycera (Megaselia, Episyrphus, Drosophila), rather than that of Culicomorpha (which includes mosquitoes and blackflies).

Ympäristöjärjestelmän laatimisen opas kuljetusyhtiöille

Food Kuljetus Oy hankki sertifioidun ympäristöjärjestelmän HK Ruokatalo-konsernin esittämien toivomusten mukaisesti. Sertifioidun ympäristöjärjestelmän laadinnassa kerääntyneen kokemuksen myötä kirjoitin Opas ympäristöjärjestelmän laatimiseen kuljetusyhtiölle julkaistavaksi tarkoitetun oppaan. Opas on tarkoitettu pienten ja keskisuurten kuljetusyhtiöiden henkilöstöille, jotka haluavat laatia ympäristöjärjestelmän itsenäisesti ilman konsulttien apua. Oppaassa käsitellään ympäristöjärjestelmän laatiminen kokonaisuudessaan, yhtiön ympäristönäkökohtien tunnistaminen, ympäristöpäämäärien ja -tavoitteiden asettaminen, ympäristöasioiden hallintaohjelmien luominen ja ympäristöjärjestelmän sertifiointi.

Response of hexokinase enzymes and the insulin system to dietary carbohydrates in the common carp, Cyprinus carpio.

The response of the common carp to diets with varying amounts of digestible starch, provided either as pea meal (LP, HP, 30 and 46% peas, respectively) or as cereal (LW, HW, 30 and 46% wheat, respectively), was studied and compared with the response to a carbohydrate-free protein-rich diet (CF). Here we focused on the utilisation of dietary carbohydrates by examining the relationship between dietary starch intake, hepatic hexokinase activities, circulating insulin and muscle insulin receptor system. Plasma glucose concentration and hepatic high Km hexokinase (glucokinase, GK) activity were not affected by the content of digestible starch, but 6 h after feeding enzyme activity was higher in the fish fed carbohydrate diets. Similarly, low Km hexokinase (HK) activity was also higher in the fish 24 h after feeding. Fat gain and protein retention were significantly improved by increased digestible starch intake, especially in the HP group, which in turn, presented the highest plasma insulin levels. Glycogen stores were moderately increased by the ingestion of digestible starch. The number of insulin receptors was greater in the CF group than in fish on carbohydrates, except the HP group. Our results confirmed that the common carp uses dietary carbohydrates efficiently, especially when there are provided by peas. This efficiency might be related to the enhanced response of postprandial insulin observed in the HP group.

In tota rerum natura

Invocatio: KREIKKAA Alpha, omega.

De temperamento

Invocatio: KREIKKAA Alpha, omega.

De columbis

Invocatio: KREIKKAA Alpha [et] omega.

De calido innato

Invocatio: KREIKKAA Sun to Theo meno athanato.

De psychologia

Dedicatio: Samuel Wiraenus, Enevaldus Widbecchius, Andreas Hornaeus, Zacharias Hornaeus, Wilhelm Granberg, Jonas Hagelin.

De cygno ejusque cantione

Invocatio: I.N.J.

Cataractae aquarum

Invocatio: Summo maximo auxilium viresq[ue] subministrante.

De Helsingforsia

Osa 1 ilm. 1755, prees. A. Scarin

Imperium monarchicum absolutum scientiis oeconomicis minus amicum

Painovuosi nimekkeestä.