Could the Presence of Thrips AFFECT the Yield Potential of Genetically Modified and Conventional Maize?

Maize pests like Ostrinia nubilalis and Diabrotica virgifera virgifera are eradicated using genetically modified maize. This study’s goal was to see if the genetically modified maize MON810 is also toxic to thrips communities on maize. The impact of Bt maize on thrips diversity and abundance, as well as yield losses, was studied in the field in Borovce for three years (Slovakia). The study used 10 Bt and 10 non-Bt maize cultivars. Thrips were monitored every two weeks during the season using transparent sticky traps installed on the experimental plots (one per plot, 20 per year). In total, 3426 thrips were caught. Thrips populations usually peak around the end of July at BBCH55. Among the species identified were Limothrips denticornis, Limothrips cerealium, Haplothrips aculeatus, Frankliniella schultzei, Frankliniella occidentalis, Thrips tabaci, Aeolothrips fasciatus, Frankliniella tenuicornis, and Chirothrips spp. We found that MON810 maize had no effect on the occurrence or composition of thrips. Their presence was affected by the maize growth phase and growing seasons and partially by the weather. The direct effect on the grain yield was not confirmed. Our research contributed to scientific knowledge of thrips communities found on maize plants in Central Europe, including Bt maize.     

生玉米淀粉治疗肝糖原累积病的临床观察

生玉米淀粉悬液治疗肝糖累积症３例均取得满足疗效，用法是每次１．７５ｇ／ｋｇ，分次口服，其结果表明：服生玉米淀粉后低血糖症状很快控制，空腹血糖治疗前后治疗后相比较平均增加２．０ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ，肝脏缩小，半年－一年后随访，肝脏平均缩小１－３ｃｍ，身高增加，半年内平均增加３－５ｃｍ，提示生玉米淀粉治疗本病有特殊的疗效，并应特别强调的治疗越早，效果越好，并要坚持长期服用。     

Risk of dietary exposure to aflatoxins and fumonisins in infants less than 6 months of age in Rombo,Northern Tanzania

Infants less than 6 months of age receiving foods other than breast milk are at a high risk of exposure to mycotoxins. We surveyed food intake and estimated the risk of exposures to aflatoxin and fumonisin mycotoxins for infants less than 6 months of age in Northern Tanzania. A total of 143 infants were progressively recruited and three follow‐up visits were made at 1, 3 and 5 months of age. A 24‐h dietary recall technique was used to estimate flour intake of infants who had been introduced to maize foods. Aflatoxins and fumonisins in the flours were analysed using high‐performance liquid chromatography technique. Exposure to aflatoxins or fumonisins was estimated using the deterministic approach. By the age of 3 months, 98 infants had started taking food; 67 of them, maize flours at levels ranging from 0.57 to 37.50 g per infant per day (average 8 g per infant per day). Fifty‐eight per cent of 67 maize flour samples contained detectable aflatoxins (range 0.33–69.47 μg kg^?1; median 6 μg kg^?1) and 31% contained detectable fumonisins (range 48–1224 μg kg^?1; median 124 μg kg^?1). For infants who consumed contaminated flours, aflatoxin exposure ranged from 0.14 to 120 ng kg^?1 body weight (BW) per day (all above the health concern level of 0.017 ng kg^?1 BW per day as recommended by the European Food Safety Agency) and fumonisin exposure ranged from 0.005 to 0.88 μg kg^?1 BW per day. Insignificant association was observed between exposure to fumonisins or aflatoxins and stunting or underweight. Reducing aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination of maize and dietary diversification can prevent infants and the public, in general, from exposure to the toxins.     

不同耕作覆盖措施下延收对春玉米产量及籽粒品质的影响

选用5种耕作覆盖方式和7个采收时期研究延收对籽粒产量、千粒重、籽粒蛋白质、脂肪、淀粉含量及其对应的产出量的影响，为玉米获得高产优质提供依据。结果表明：适时延收可使玉米产量及主要营养成分产出量明显增加，延收15 d，产量增幅为10.19%～15.62%，千粒重增幅为14.70%～20.39%；籽粒蛋白质含量增加0.26%～1.29%，产出量增加117～230 kg·hm^-2；脂肪含量增加0.05%～0.40%，产出量增加54～78 kg·hm^-2；淀粉含量虽然降低0.5%～4.9%，但产出量仍然增加340～773 kg·hm^-2。黄土高原地区春玉米延收15 d具有明显的增产和提高籽粒品质产量的效果，但增幅因耕作和覆盖方式不同而存在差异。     

Occupational Rhinoconjunctivitis due to Maize in a Snack Processor: A Cross-Reactivity Study Between Lipid Transfer Proteins From Different Cereals and Peach

We report the case of a snack processor who developed occupational rhinoconjunctivitis due to maize brand exposure during the extrusion process, and who experienced abdominal pain upon drinking beer. The allergens implicated and the cross-reactivity between non-specific lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) from different cereals and peach were investigated. Skin prick tests and specific IgE to cereal flours, pulmonary functions tests and specific conjunctival and inhalation challenges to maize extract were performed. In vitro studies included IgE immunoblotting and ELISA inhibition assays. Skin prick tests with maize flour, maize brand and wheat flour extracts were positive, whereas serum specific IgE was positive only to maize flour. Specific inhalation challenge (SIC) to maize flour did not elicit an asthmatic reaction; however, conjunctival challenge test with the same extract was positive. Patient''s serum recognized IgE-binding bands in the maize and beer extracts corresponding to LTPs. In the ELISA inhibition assays, a significant degree of allergenic cross-reactivity was found between maize and beer LTPs, whereas no cross-reactivity was observed between maize LTP and wheat and peach LTPs.     

The Recombinant Maize Ribosome-Inactivating Protein Transiently Reduces Viral Load in SHIV89.6 Infected Chinese Rhesus Macaques

Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) inhibit protein synthesis by depurinating the large ribosomal RNA and some are found to possess anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) activity. Maize ribosome inactivating protein (RIP) has an internal inactivation loop which is proteolytically removed for full catalytic activity. Here, we showed that the recombinant active maize RIP protected chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) 89.6-infected macaque peripheral blood mononuclear cells from lysis ex vivo and transiently reduced plasma viral load in SHIV89.6-infected rhesus macaque model. No evidence of immune dysregulation and other obvious side-effects was found in the treated macaques. Our work demonstrates the potential development of maize RIP as an anti-HIV agent without impeding systemic immune functions.     

新型秸秆微贮饲料育肥牛的效果研究

在饲草资源十分短缺的宁南偏旱区,利用当地收获籽实后的玉米秸秆微贮后育肥牛,试期60d。结果表明,试验组平均日增重为1．193kg/头,对照组为0．912kg/头,试验组比对照组提高30．81％,差异极显著（P＜0．01）。试验组牛每增重1kg比对照组少消耗精料0．93kg,降低成本0．59元,试验组每头牛比对照组多收益99．48元／头。这不但有效解决了当地饲草资源的紧缺问题,而且提高了养牛业的经济效益。     

Occurrence of Pre- and Post-Harvest Mycotoxins and Other Secondary Metabolites in Danish Maize Silage

Maize silage is a widely used feed product for cattle worldwide, which may be contaminated with mycotoxins, pre- and post-harvest. This concerns both farmers and consumers. To assess the exposure of Danish cattle to mycotoxins from maize silage, 99 samples of whole-crop maize (ensiled and un-ensiled) were analyzed for their contents of 27 mycotoxins and other secondary fungal metabolites by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method specifically targets the majority of common pre- and post-harvest fungi associated with maize silage in Denmark. Sixty-one samples contained one or more of the 27 analytes in detectable concentrations. The most common mycotoxins were zearalenone, enniatin B nivalenol and andrastin A, found in 34%, 28%, 16% and 15% of the samples, respectively. None of the samples contained mycotoxins above the EU recommended maximum concentrations for Fusarium toxins in cereal-based roughage. Thus, the present study does not indicate that Danish maize silage in general is a cause of acute single mycotoxin intoxications in cattle. However, 31 of the samples contained multiple analytes; two samples as much as seven different fungal metabolites. Feed rations with maize silage may therefore contain complex mixtures of fungal secondary metabolites with unknown biological activity. This emphasizes the need for a thorough examination of the effects of chronic exposure and possible synergistic effects.     

Evaluating the Farming/Language Dispersal Hypothesis with genetic variation exhibited by populations in the Southwest and Mesoamerica

The Farming/Language Dispersal Hypothesis posits that prehistoric population expansions, precipitated by the innovation or early adop-tion of agriculture, played an important role in the uneven distribution of language families recorded across the world. In this case, the most widely spread language families today came to be distributed at the expense of those that have more restricted distributions. In the Americas, Uto-Aztecan is one such language family that may have been spread across Mesoamerica and the American Southwest by ancient farmers. We evaluated this hypothesis with a large-scale study of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosomal DNA vari-ation in indigenous populations from these regions. Partial correlation coefficients, determined with Mantel tests, show that Y-chromosome variation in indigenous populations from the American Southwest and Mesoamerica correlates significantly with linguistic distances (r = 0.33–0.384; P < 0.02), whereas mtDNA diversity correlates significantly with only geographic distance (r = 0.619; P = 0.002). The lack of correlation between mtDNA and Y-chromosome diversity is consistent with differing population histories of males and females in these regions. Although unlikely, if groups of Uto-Aztecan speakers were responsible for the northward spread of agriculture and their languages from Mesoamerica to the Southwest, this migration was possibly biased to males. However, a recent in situ population expansion within the American Southwest (2,105 years before present; 99.5% confidence interval = 1,273–3,773 YBP), one that probably followed the introduction and intensification of maize agriculture in the region, may have blurred ancient mtDNA patterns, which might otherwise have revealed a closer genetic relationship between females in the Southwest and Mesoamerica.     

Acceptability of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) among Ghanaian infants and pregnant or lactating women

Inadequate micronutrient intake during pregnancy, lactation and infancy is a major problem in many developing countries. Lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) can improve micronutrient status, growth and development of infants, and also have potential to improve nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women. The objective of the study was to test the acceptability of LNS designed for infants (LNS-20gM) and pregnant or lactating women (LNS-P&L). Participants were infants (n = 22, mean age = 8 months) and pregnant or lactating women (n = 24) attending routine services at a hospital in Ghana. Infants consumed 45 g of a test meal consisting of one part LNS-20gM and three parts fermented maize porridge, while women consumed 50 g of a similar test meal containing LNS-P&L instead. Participants also used their respective LNS at home for 14 days. Primary outcome was the proportion of the test meal consumed. On average, infants consumed 76.2% of the test meal [95% (confidence interval) CI: 65.7, 86.7], while women consumed 87.1% (95% CI: 82.6, 91.6). During the 14-day period, median daily consumption of LNS-20gM was 19.3 g, very close to the recommended 20 g d(-1), while that of LNS-P&L was one sachet, as recommended. We conclude that LNS-20gM and LNS-P&L were well accepted.