Infection by the castrating parasitic nematode Sphaerularia bombi changes gene expression in Bombus terrestris bumblebee queens.

Parasitism can result in dramatic changes in host phenotype, which are themselves underpinned by genes and their expression. Understanding how hosts respond at the molecular level to parasites can therefore reveal the molecular architecture of an altered host phenotype. The entomoparasitic nematode Sphaerularia bombi is a parasite of bumblebee (Bombus) hosts where it induces complex behavioural changes and host castration. To examine this interaction at the molecular level, we performed genome-wide transcriptional profiling using RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) of S. bombi-infected Bombus terrestris queens at two critical time-points: during and just after overwintering diapause. We found that infection by S. bombi affects the transcription of genes underlying host biological processes associated with energy usage, translation, and circadian rhythm. We also found that the parasite affects the expression of immune genes, including members of the Toll signalling pathway providing evidence for a novel interaction between the parasite and the host immune response. Taken together, our results identify host biological processes and genes affected by an entomoparasitic nematode providing the first steps towards a molecular understanding of this ecologically important host-parasite interaction.

Studies on the novel effects of electron beam treated pollen on colony reproductive output in commercially-reared bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) for mass pollination applications.

Commercially-reared bumblebees provide an important pollinator service that helps support food production and security. The deployment of an appropriate non-thermal disinfection technology for the bulk treatment of pollen collected from honeybees for the feeding of commercial bumblebees is important in order to mitigate against complex diseases and unwanted pathogen spillover to native bees. High level disinfection of pollen was achieved using an electron (e)-beam dose of 100 kGy that corresponded to 78 % loss of cellular viability of bee pathogens before feeding to bumblebees as measured by the novel in vitro use of flow cytometry (FCM). Novel findings showed that e-beam treated-pollen that was fed to bumblebees produced fewer females, gynes and exhibited an absence of males when compared to control bumblebee colonies that were fed untreated commercial pollen. A similar trend emerged in bumblebee colony reproductive outputs when using membrane filtered washed pollen. Proteomic analysis of bumblebees from individual colonies fed with treated-pollen revealed a differential abundance of proteins associated with stress, immunity and metabolism when compared to the untreated pollen control group. Microbiome analysis of the bumblebee gut content revealed differences in microbiota between treated and untreated pollen in bumblebee colony studies. This novel study evaluated the impact of industrial e-beam treated-pollen on complex bee disease mitigation where physically treated-pollen fed to bumblebees was shown to substantially affect colony reproductive outputs.

Effective Am(III)/Eu(III) separations using 2,6-bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine (BTP) functionalised titania particles and hierarchically porous beads.

Hybrid materials which selectively extract Am(III) over Eu(III) from 0.01 M nitric acid solutions with fast kinetics and separation factors up to 160 have been synthesised. The materials consist of titania functionalised with a modified organic 2,6-bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine (BTP) derivative. Both particles and hierarchically porous beads have been prepared and provide advantages over conventional solvent extraction separations.

Correction: Effective Am(III)/Eu(III) separations using 2,6-bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine (BTP) functionalised titania particles and hierarchically porous beads.

Correction for 'Effective Am(III)/Eu(III) separations using 2,6-bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine (BTP) functionalised titania particles and hierarchically porous beads' by J. Veliscek-Carolan et al., Chem. Commun., 2015, DOI: 10.1039/c5cc03957f.

Immunohistochemical analysis of coeliac mucosa following ingestion of oats.

There is now considerable clinical evidence that oats do not activate coeliac disease. Nonetheless, a reluctance to include oats in the gluten-free diet remains. Because gluten-induced damage is accompanied by activation of the gastrointestinal immune system, the purpose of this study was to investigate if similar changes were induced by oats ingestion. Small intestinal histological sections from 10 patients who ingested 50 g of oats daily for 3 months were investigated for possible evidence of immune activation. Tissue obtained before and after oats challenge was stained with a series of antibodies directed against the following molecules: human leucocyte antigen D-related (HLA-DR), Ki-67, CD25, CD54 [intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1)] and mast cell tryptase. None of the patients developed clinical or laboratory evidence of adverse effects. The distribution of intestinal HLA-DR expression was not affected by oats ingestion and the crypt epithelium remained unstained. In the pre-oats biopsies, the percentage of Ki-67 positive enterocytes, 29.5 +/- 6.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 13.9-45.0] did not differ significantly from that found in post-oats biopsies, 41.2 +/- 3.7 (95% CI, 32.8-49.6), P = 0.19, not significant. Furthermore, oats ingestion did not alter the number of CD25 positive and tryptase positive cells. Finally, the distribution and intensity of ICAM-1 staining was unchanged by dietary oats. In summary, detailed immunohistological studies of biopsies from patients ingesting oats for 3 months did not reveal evidence of immune activation. Together with other reported findings, this study strengthens the view that oats can be included safely in the diet of gluten sensitive patients.

A comparison of inverse-detected heteronuclear NMR performance: conventional vs cryogenic microprobe performance.

We report a comparison of the results obtained at 500 MHz for heteronuclear shift correlation (HSQC) experiments with very small natural product samples using conventional and cryogenically cooled 3 mm NMR probes. The cryo probe affords a 12- to 16-fold reduction in data acquisition time for a comparable signal-to-noise ratio.

The use of infrared laser therapy in the treatment of venous ulceration.

Management of intractable venous ulceration remains an unrewarding task which is increasingly delegated to the realm of the vascular surgeon. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the ulcer-healing effects of the newest form of biostimulation--the low power laser. Twelve patients with chronic venous ulcers unresponsive to conservative measures were treated with infrared laser irradiation for twelve weeks. Two ulcers healed completely and there was a 27% (p less than 0.01) reduction in size of the remaining ulcers. Treatment resulted in a 44% (p less than 0.01) increase in ulcer floor area occupied by healthy granulation tissue. The most dramatic effect of laser treatment was the reduction in ulcer pain, from 7.5 to 3.5 (linear analogue scale) (p less than 0.001). Laser irradiation had no effect on TcPO2, number of skin capillaries or pericapillary fibrin deposition in the lipodermatosclerotic area around the ulcer. The results of this pilot study are encouraging and a carefully controlled randomized study is indicated to compare low power laser irradiation to conventional treatment in the management of venous ulcers.