Stored alcohol and fatty acid intermediates and the biosynthesis of sex pheromone aldehyde in the moth Chloridea virescens.

In most species of moths, the female produces and releases a volatile sex pheromone from a specific gland to attract a mate. Biosynthesis of the most common type of moth sex pheromone component (Type 1) involves de novo synthesis of hexadecanoate (16:Acyl), followed by modification to various fatty acyl intermediates, then reduction to a primary alcohol, which may be acetylated or oxidized to produce an acetate ester or aldehyde, respectively. Our previous work on the moth Chloridea virescens (Noctuidae) showed that females produce 90% of the major pheromone component, (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald), via a direct and rapid route of de novo biosynthesis with highly labile intermediates, and ca. 10% from an indirect route that likely mobilizes a pre-synthesized 16-carbon skeleton, possibly, (Z)-11-hexadecenoate (Z11-16:Acyl) or hexadecanoate (16:Acyl). In this paper, we use stable isotope tracer/tracee techniques to study the dynamics of the precursor alcohol (Z)-11-hexadecenol (Z11-16:OH) and stores of Z11-16:Acyl and 16:Acyl to determine their roles in biosynthesis of Z11-16:Ald. We found: (i) that intracellular Z11-16:OH is synthesized at roughly the same rate as Z11-16:Ald, indicating that translocation and oxidation of this moiety does not rate limit biosynthesis of Z11-16:Ald, (ii) intracellular Z11-16:OH consists of two pools, a highly labile one rapidly translocated out of the cell and converted to Z11-16:Ald, and a less labile one that mostly remains in gland cells, (iii) during pheromone biosynthesis, net stores of Z11-16:Acyl increase, suggesting it is not the source of Z11-16:Ald produced by the indirect route, and (iv) no evidence for the gland synthesizing stored 16:Acyl prior to (up to 2 days before eclosion), or after, synthesis of pheromone commenced, suggesting the bulk of this stored moiety is synthesized elsewhere and transported to the gland prior to gland maturation. Thus, the pheromone gland of C. virescens produces very little stored fat over its functional lifetime, being optimized to produce sex pheromone.

The seeds of change: Antecedent variables and their impact in building grit and resilience through outdoor adventure education.

INTRODUCTION: This study examines the impact of Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) on developing grit and resilience in adolescents. Focusing on a United States-based sample collected in 2015, it explores how antecedent variables such as age and gender influence these outcomes, integrating the PERMA model of well-being to investigate underlying mechanisms. METHODS: The research employed a cross-sectional design with 350 participants aged 14-18 from various OAE courses. Data collection involved pre/post surveys assessing grit and resilience as experiences through mastery, relatedness, and emotional reactivity. The study utilized established inventories for grit and the Resilience Scales for Children and Adolescents. RESULTS: Findings revealed significant grit, mastery, and relatedness increases following the OAE program. Participants demonstrated enhanced perseverance and passion toward goals, increased sense of mastery, and better relational dynamics. However, emotional reactivity scores remained largely unchanged. Notably, the impact of these programs varied based on participants' gender and socioeconomic status, indicating differential effects across demographic groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that OAE programs effectively foster grit and resilience in adolescents, with varying impacts based on demographic factors. It highlights the necessity for inclusive and adaptive program designs that cater to diverse participant needs. The results contribute valuable insights to the field of youth development, emphasizing the role of OAE in enhancing key psychological traits essential for adolescents' growth and adaptation.

Invincible honor: masculine honor, perceived invulnerability, and risky decision-making.

Masculine honor ideology is characterized by the cultivation, maintenance, and defense of reputations for toughness, bravery, and strength. The link between masculine honor endorsement and increased risk-taking - especially an increased tolerance for and even expectation of violence - is well-established in the literature. However, little empirical research has examined what factors might explain this relationship. This study investigates perceived invulnerability, the cognitive bias that one is immune to threats, as a mediator in the relationship between masculine honor ideology and risky decision-making. Results show moderate support for this relationship's existence. These findings elaborate on previous research between honor and specific risky decisions by demonstrating honor to instill cognitive biases in its adherents that make them more tolerant of risk, and thus more likely to decide to engage in risky behaviors. The implications of these findings for interpreting previous research, guiding future research, and pursuing specific educational and policy-based efforts are discussed.

Some Factors Influencing Calling Behavior and Mass Emission Rate of Sex Pheromone from the Gland of the Moth Chloridea virescens.

To attract a mate, females of most moth species synthesize and emit sex pheromone from a specific gland in a behavior termed "calling". In a broad temporal sense, calling behavior and pheromone synthesis are synchronized through the overlap of their circadian rhythms. However, the limited amount of pheromone a female produces each day must be managed so that pheromone is emitted at a sufficient (to attract males) mass emission rate (MER) over the entire calling period, typically many hours. We are studying pheromone synthesis and emission in the moth Chloridea (formerly Heliothis) virescens (family Noctuidae). One way that female C. virescens manage pheromone over their calling period is by calling intermittently; the period between calling bouts allows females to replenish pheromone, and resume calling at high MERs. However, militating against replenishment is loss of pheromone through putative catabolism. In this paper, we examined three aspects pertaining to pheromone MER in C. virescens: (i) the effect of adult feeding on calling behavior, (ii) the effect of certain behavioral/physical parameters on MER, and (iii) the relative loss (putative catabolism) of pheromone in retracted (non-calling) and everted (calling) glands. We found that (i) adult feeding increases calling duration, consistent with the known concomitant increase in pheromone production, (ii) various physical factors relating to the gland, including degree of eversion (surface area), orientation to airstream, and air velocity over the gland influence MER, and (iii) putative catabolism occurs in both retracted and everted glands, but substantially less pheromone is lost in the everted gland primarily because of the high MER when the gland is first everted. Together, these data demonstrate that, over the calling period, the efficient use of pheromone for emission by female C. virescens is dependent on the interaction among synthesis, storage, catabolism, and calling behavior.

Feminine honor endorsement and young women's STI screenings.

Research has identified stigma as a significant barrier to seeking out STI screenings. Such stigma for women typically includes perceptions of sexual promiscuity or lack of loyalty to one's partner, which may ultimately lead women to be reluctant to receive an actual screening. The current study analyzed whether feminine honor endorsement, which is centered around maintaining a reputation of sexual chastity, might decrease women's likelihood to seek out an STI screening. Using a sample of 228 college women in the Southern United States, the researchers assessed levels of feminine honor endorsement, likelihood to seek out an STI screening, STI screening stigma, and STI screening shame. Results indicate that feminine honor endorsement does decrease the likelihood to seek out STI screenings for young women, and that this association is mediated by sexual purity stigma and shame (Mediated Effect-ME = -.02, SE = .01, 95% CI [-.045, -.003], p < .05). These findings reveal a culturally specific barrier for women who are soon to be in an age group where STIs occur most frequently, perhaps making this cultural mindset particularly problematic for this population. Implications for programs to increase STI screening rates in higher-risk populations are discussed.

Socioeconomic status and mental illness stigma: the impact of mental illness controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments.

BACKGROUND: Prior research has suggested that higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES) may be linked with heightened mental illness stigma (MIS). It has been posited that this link is due to the resource-rich environment high-SES individuals live in, which predisposes them to seeing the certain phenomena as being more controllable in nature than low-SES individuals. AIMS: The current study intended to address the attributional mechanisms behind the SES-MIS link. METHODS: In a sample of 932 participants, we collected self-reported SES along with the controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments participants make for individuals with mental illnesses. RESULTS: Analyses indicated that SES was significantly associated with greater MIS levels, and that this link was significantly mediated by controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that high-SES individuals are more likely to see mental illness as due to internal, controllable factors, which leads to blaming the individual for mental illness onset and, ultimately, greater mental illness stigma. These results provide support for more socioeconomically diverse committees and panels where mental health funding decisions are made due to inherent attributional biases which may be present along the SES spectrum.

Sex pheromone biosynthesis, storage and release in a female moth: making a little go a long way.

Moth pheromone research has pioneered much of our understanding of long-distance chemical communication. Two important characteristics of this communication have, however, remained largely unaddressed: the release of small quantities of pheromone by most moth species, despite potential advantages of releasing greater amounts, and the intermittency of release in some species, limiting the time of mate attraction. We addressed the proximate mechanisms underlying these characteristics by manipulating biosynthesis, storage and release of pheromone in females of the noctuid moth Chloridea virescens. We found that (i) mass release is determined by pheromone mass on the gland surface; (ii) amounts synthesized are limited by pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide concentration, not precursor availability; (iii) some gland structural feature limits mass release rate; (iv) intermittent calling enables release at a mass rate greater than biosynthetic rate; and (v) at typical mass release rates, the periodicity of pheromone availability on the gland surface roughly matches the periodicity (intermittency) of calling. We conclude that mass release in C. virescens and possibly many other species is low because of constraints on biosynthesis, storage and gland structure. Further, it appears the behaviour of intermittent calling in C. virescens may have evolved as a co-adaptation with pheromone availability, allowing females to release pheromone intermittently at higher mass rates than the biosynthesis rate.

Regulation of S1PR2 by the EBV oncogene LMP1 in aggressive ABC-subtype diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is found almost exclusively in the activated B-cell (ABC) subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), yet its contribution to this tumour remains poorly understood. We have focused on the EBV-encoded latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1), a constitutively activated CD40 homologue expressed in almost all EBV-positive DLBCLs and which can disrupt germinal centre (GC) formation and drive lymphomagenesis in mice. Comparison of the transcriptional changes that follow LMP1 expression with those that follow transient CD40 signalling in human GC B cells enabled us to define pathogenic targets of LMP1 aberrantly expressed in ABC-DLBCL. These included the down-regulation of S1PR2, a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor that is transcriptionally down-regulated in ABC-DLBCL, and when genetically ablated leads to DLBCL in mice. Consistent with this, we found that LMP1-expressing primary ABC-DLBCLs were significantly more likely to lack S1PR2 expression than were LMP1-negative tumours. Furthermore, we showed that the down-regulation of S1PR2 by LMP1 drives a signalling loop leading to constitutive activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-K) pathway. Finally, core LMP1-PI3-K targets were enriched for lymphoma-related transcription factors and genes associated with shorter overall survival in patients with ABC-DLBCL. Our data identify a novel function for LMP1 in aggressive DLBCL. Copyright © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Effect of Pheromone Synthesis and Gland Retraction on Translocation and Dynamics of Pheromone Release in the Moth Chloridea virescens.

Most species of moths use a female-produced sex pheromone to bring mates together. Typically, sex pheromone is synthesized in a specialized gland and released during the behavior of "calling", in which the ovipositor and gland are extruded, allowing pheromone to evaporate. Although there has been much study on how a gland makes specific pheromone components, we know relatively little about how it actually functions with regard to synthesis, storage and release. In this paper, we investigated three aspects of gland function in the noctuid moth Chloridea virescens (Fabricius): (i) whether translocation of pheromone from site of synthesis to release is dependent on calling or ovipositor movement, (ii) whether pheromone synthesis rate limits release and (iii) how intermittent calling (observed in this and other species) might affect the dynamics of release rate. Firstly, by manipulating the gland to simulate calling (extruded) or non-calling (retracted), we showed that pheromone translocation occurred regardless of whether the gland was retracted or extruded. Secondly, by manipulating pheromone production, we found that females that produced more pheromone had higher release rates. It was especially noticeable that females had a higher release rate at the start of calling, which dropped rapidly and leveled off over time. Together, these data suggest that intermittent calling in C. virescens (and other species) may function to allow females to replenish pheromone stores on the gland surface between calling bouts, so that brief, high release rates occur at the start of a calling bout; thus, potentially increasing a female's chances of attracting a mate.

Calling Behavior and Sex Pheromone Release and Storage in the Moth Chloridea virescens.

Female moths release sex pheromone to attract mates. In most species, sex pheromone is produced in, and released from, a specific gland. In a previous study, we used empirical data and compartmental modeling to account for the major pheromone gland processes of female Chloridea virescens: synthesis, storage, catabolism and release; we found that females released little (20-30%) of their pheromone, with most catabolized. The recent publication of a new pheromone collection method led us to reinvestigate pheromone release and catabolism in C. virescens on the basis that our original study might have underestimated release rate (thereby overestimating catabolism) due to methodology and females not calling (releasing) continuously. Further we wished to compare pheromone storage/catabolism between calling and non-calling females. First, we observed calling intermittency of females. Then, using decapitated females, we used the new collection method, along with compartmental modeling, gland sampling and stable isotope labeling, to determine differences in pheromone release, catabolism and storage between (forced) simulated calling and non-calling females. We found, (i) intact 1 d females call intermittently; (ii) pheromone is released at a higher rate than previously determined, with simulations estimating that continuously calling females release ca. 70% of their pheromone (only 30% catabolized); (iii) extension (calling)/retraction of the ovipositor is a highly effective "on/off' mechanism for release; (iv) both calling and non-calling females store most pheromone on or near the gland surface, but calling females catabolize less pheromone; (v) females are capable of producing and releasing pheromone very rapidly. Thus, not only is the moth pheromone gland efficient, in terms of the proportion of pheromone released Vs. catabolized, but it is highly effective at shutting on/off a high flux of pheromone for release.

Investigating the status of pyrethroid resistance in UK populations of the cabbage stem flea beetle (Psylliodes chrysocephala).

The cabbage stem flea beetle, Psylliodes chrysocephala L. is a major pest of winter oilseed rape in several European countries. Traditionally, neonicotinoid and pyrethroid insecticides have been widely used for control of P. chrysocephala, but in recent years, following the withdrawal of neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments, control failures have occurred due to an over reliance on pyrethroids. In line with previous surveys, UK populations of P. chrysocephala were found to exhibit high levels of resistance to the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin. This resistance was suppressed by pre-treatment with the cytochrome P450 inhibitor PBO under laboratory conditions, suggesting that the resistance has a strong metabolic component. The L1014F (kdr) mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel, which confers relatively low levels (10-20 fold) of resistance to pyrethroids, was also found to be widespread across the UK regions sampled, whereas the L925I (s-kdr) mutation was much less common. The current survey also suggests that higher levels of pyrethroid resistance have spread to the North and West of England, and that resistance levels continue to remain high in the South East.

Production and Distribution of Aldehyde and Alcohol Sex Pheromone Components in the Pheromone Gland of Females of the Moth Chloridea virescens.

Aldehydes are components of many moth sex pheromones, and are thought to be produced from analogous alcohols by oxidase(s) in the cell membrane or the gland cuticle. This implies that the two types of components are produced and/or stored in different parts of the gland: alcohols in cells and aldehydes in cuticle. Few studies have investigated the distribution of components in moth pheromone glands. Using rinse/extract sampling, stable isotope tracer/tracee methods, and decapitation/ pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide stimulation, we studied production and distribution of (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald) and (Z)-hexadecenol (Z11-16:OH) in the gland of Chloridea virescens (formerly Heliothis virescens). The rinse, which likely sampled the surface and outer cuticle, contained large amounts of aldehyde and small amounts of alcohol. By contrast, the residual extract, which likely sampled cells and less solvent-accessible (inner) cuticle, had large amounts of alcohol and small amounts of aldehyde. When a tracer (U-13C-glucose) was fed to females, the aldehyde had higher isotopic enrichment than the alcohol in the rinse, but not in the residual extract, showing that in the rinse pool, Z11-16:Ald was, on average, synthesized before Z11-16:OH. This is consistent with greater aldehyde than alcohol flux through the cuticle. While our results are consistent with cell/cuticle synthesis sites for alcohol/aldehyde components, we cannot rule out both being synthesized in gland cells. We propose two alternative conceptual models for how site of production, cuticular transport and catabolism/metabolism might explain the relative masses of Z11-16:Ald and Z11-16:OH translocated to the pheromone gland surface in female C. virescens.

Differential Pheromone Sampling of the Gland of Female Heliothis Virescens Moths Reveals Glandular Differences in Composition and Quantity.

By differentially sampling the pheromone gland of females of the moth Heliothis virescens, we explored differences in pheromone on the surface, or outer distal layer(s) of the gland, and that located more proximally. For this, we used two sampling approaches, (i) a solid phase microextraction fiber rub followed by solvent extraction of residual pheromone (SPME rub/extract), and (ii) rapid solvent rinsing followed by solvent extraction of residual pheromone (rinse/extract). The SPME rub showed differences in component ratio between the dorsal and ventral gland surfaces. The rinse sampled a greater amount of pheromone than the SPME rub, sampling the whole gland surface as well as likely deeper into the gland. Compared to the other samplings, pheromone in the rinse was depleted in the minor component; consequently, the corresponding residual extract was highly enriched in the minor component. Further rinses of the gland yielded only small amounts of pheromone, with a similar component ratio as the first rinse, suggesting that the residual pheromone was less accessible and required extraction in solvent to be liberated. Sampling over the photoperiod showed that the more volatile minor component was depleted (relative to the major component) on the surface/outer cuticle over the period when females called. Together, these data suggest that the pheromone is stored, at least in part, on and in the gland cuticle and that distinct pools may be transported to different topographic regions. Females fed with a stable isotope tracer, incorporated label into pheromone in the gland very rapidly, with the labeled pheromone appearing on the gland surface ca. 1 min later.

The Dynamics of Pheromone Gland Synthesis and Release: a Paradigm Shift for Understanding Sex Pheromone Quantity in Female Moths.

Moths are exemplars of chemical communication, especially with regard to specificity and the minute amounts they use. Yet, little is known about how females manage synthesis and storage of pheromone to maintain release rates attractive to conspecific males and why such small amounts are used. We developed, for the first time, a quantitative model, based on an extensive empirical data set, describing the dynamical relationship among synthesis, storage (titer) and release of pheromone over time in a moth (Heliothis virescens). The model is compartmental, with one major state variable (titer), one time-varying (synthesis), and two constant (catabolism and release) rates. The model was a good fit, suggesting it accounted for the major processes. Overall, we found the relatively small amounts of pheromone stored and released were largely a function of high catabolism rather than a low rate of synthesis. A paradigm shift may be necessary to understand the low amounts released by female moths, away from the small quantities synthesized to the (relatively) large amounts catabolized. Future research on pheromone quantity should focus on structural and physicochemical processes that limit storage and release rate quantities. To our knowledge, this is the first time that pheromone gland function has been modeled for any animal.

The non-visualized appendix and secondary signs on ultrasound for pediatric appendicitis in the community hospital setting.

BACKGROUND: Secondary signs of appendicitis on ultrasound may aid with diagnosis in the setting of a non-visualized appendix (NVA). This role has not been shown in the community hospital setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All right lower quadrant ultrasounds performed in children for clinical suspicion of appendicitis over a 5-year period in a single community hospital were evaluated. Secondary signs of inflammation including free fluid, ileus, fat stranding, abscess, and lymphadenopathy were documented. Patients were followed for 1 year for the primary outcome of appendicitis. These data were analyzed to determine the utility of secondary signs in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis when an NVA is reported. RESULTS: Six hundred and seventeen ultrasounds were reviewed; 470 of these had an NVA. Of NVAs, 47 (10%) of patients were diagnosed with appendicitis. Sensitivity and specificity of having at least one secondary were 38.3% and 80%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values of having at least one secondary sign were 17.3% and 92%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the absence of secondary signs has a strong negative predictive value for appendicitis in the community hospital setting; however, the full utility of secondary signs may be limited in this setting.

Photothermal confocal multicolor microscopy of nanoparticles and nanodrugs in live cells.

Growing biomedical applications of non-fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs) for molecular imaging, disease diagnosis, drug delivery, and theranostics require new tools for real-time detection of nanomaterials, drug nano-carriers, and NP-drug conjugates (nanodrugs) in complex biological environments without additional labeling. Photothermal (PT) microscopy (PTM) has enormous potential for absorption-based identification and quantification of non-fluorescent molecules and NPs at a single molecule and 1.4 nm gold NP level. Recently, we have developed confocal PTM providing three-dimensional (3D) mapping and spectral identification of multiple chromophores and fluorophores in live cells. Here, we summarize recent advances in the application of confocal multicolor PTM for 3D visualization of single and clustered NPs, alone and in individual cells. In particular, we demonstrate identification of functionalized magnetic and gold-silver NPs, as well as graphene and carbon nanotubes in cancer cells and among blood cells. The potential to use PTM for super-resolution imaging (down to 50 nm), real-time NP tracking, guidance of PT nanotherapy, and multiplex cancer markers targeting, as well as analysis of non-linear PT phenomena and amplification of nanodrug efficacy through NP clustering and nano-bubble formation are also discussed.

Sex pheromones in mate assessment: analysis of nutrient cost of sex pheromone production by females of the moth Heliothis virescens.

It has been postulated that sex pheromones, in addition to their role in mate recognition and/or finding, may also serve a role in assessment of mate quality. For this, a sex pheromone must give honest information about a signaler's quality, with honesty ensured by a direct metabolic or indirect fitness cost to the signaler. Using a stable isotope tracer-tracee method, we characterized the nutrient pools that fuel sex pheromone production in females of the moth Heliothis virescens, as well as the relative importance of larval- and adult-acquired nutrients to this process. Females used three pools for de novo biosynthesis of sex pheromone, hemolymph trehalose, glycogen (via trehalose) and fat, and produced ca. 25% of pheromone directly from stored (previously synthesized) precursor fatty acids. Pheromone was produced roughly equally from carbohydrate and fat. Adult feeding was very important for pheromone biosynthesis, with a maximum of 65% of de novo biosynthesized pheromone produced from a single adult feed (carbohydrate). Although these nutrient pools are shared with other reproductive physiologies, notably oocyte production, it is unlikely that pheromone production imposes a significant metabolic cost on females, because (i) the amount of nutrients used for pheromone production is negligible compared with that available, (ii) the hemolymph trehalose pool is readily replaceable throughout the adult life, and (iii) in mated females, carbohydrate shortages result in reduced allocation to pheromone.

Overexpression of p49/STRAP alters cellular cytoskeletal structure and gross anatomy in mice.

BACKGROUND: The protein p49/STRAP (SRFBP1) is a transcription cofactor of serum response factor (SRF) which regulates cytoskeletal and muscle-specific genes. RESULTS: Two conserved domains were found in the p49/STRAP protein. The SRF-binding domain was at its N-terminus and was highly conserved among mammalian species, xenopus and zebrafish. A BUD22 domain was found at its C-terminus in three sequence databases. The BUD22 domain was conserved among mammalian p49/STRAP proteins, and yeast cellular morphogenesis proteins, which is involved in ribosome biogenesis that affects growth rate and cell size. The endogenous p49/SRAP protein was localized mainly in the nucleus but also widely distributed in the cytoplasm, and was in close proximity to the actin. Transfected GFP-p49/STRAP protein co-localized with nucleolin within the nucleolus. Overexpression of p49/STRAP reduced actin content in cultured cells and resulted in smaller cell size versus control cells. Increased expression of p49/STRAP in transgenic mice resulted in newborns with malformations, which included asymmetric abdominal and thoracic cavities, and substantial changes in cardiac morphology. p49/STRAP altered the expression of certain muscle-specific genes, including that of the SRF gene, which is a key regulator of cardiac genes at the developmental, structural and maintenance level and has two SRE binding sites. CONCLUSIONS: Since p49/STRAP is a co-factor of SRF, our data suggest that p49/STRAP likely regulates cell size and morphology through SRF target genes. The function of its BUD22 domain warrants further investigation. The observed increase in p49/STRAP expression during cellular aging may contribute to observed morphological changes in senescence.

Light trapping design for low band-gap polymer solar cells.

We demonstrate numerically a 2-D nanostructured design for light trapping in a low band-gap polymer solar cell. Finite element method simulations are used to study the effect of varying nanostructure periodicity, height, and shape on active layer absorption. Maintaining a constant active layer thickness of 100 nm we observe an enhancement in solar absorption of almost 40% relative to a planar cell. Improvements of this magnitude enable single-junction, low-band-gap cells to achieve power conversion efficiencies of 11.2% and perform competitively with even state-of-the-art tandem cells. Our design is also shown to significantly outperform tandem cells at off-normal angles of incidence.

Increased allocation of adult-acquired carbohydrate to egg production results in its decreased allocation to sex pheromone production in mated females of the moth Heliothis virescens.

Females of most species of moths produce a volatile sex pheromone that attracts conspecific males over distance. In females of the polyandrous moth Heliothis virescens, feeding on carbohydrate (e.g. nectar) supplies precursor, via hemolymph trehalose, for both sex pheromone and egg production. With limited carbohydrate acquisition these two reproductive physiologies might compete for hemolymph trehalose, resulting in an allocation deficit to either sex pheromone or egg production. Using virgin and mated females, which have low and high egg maturation rates, respectively, we fed females a limited diet of (13)C-labeled glucose daily and, using mass isotopomer distribution analysis, determined allocations of adult-acquired carbohydrate (AAC) to newly synthesized pheromone and ovarian and egg fats, our proxies for allocation to egg production. With increased number of feeds, AAC enrichment of hemolymph trehalose increased, as expected. This led to mated females increasing their proportional allocation of AAC to ovarian and egg fats, but decreasing their proportional allocation of AAC to pheromone production. By contrast, virgins increased their proportional allocation of AAC to pheromone production with increased feeds, consistent with increasing AAC enrichment of hemolymph trehalose. These results show that with limited AAC intake, enhanced egg maturation in mated females results in reduced AAC allocation to pheromone production; this does not occur in virgins because of their lower egg maturation rate. This physiological competition for AAC corresponded with decreased pheromone production in mated moths to levels unlikely to attract mates. Therefore, the availability and/or allocation of AAC may be a proximate mechanism underlying the incidence of polyandry in this and other species of moths.