Determination of diel periodicity of sex pheromone release in three species of Lepidoptera by ‘closed-loop-stripping’

Summary By means of closed-loop-stripping and subsequent GC analyses the diel periodicity of release of (Z)-11-hexadecenyl acetate, (E)-8-dodecenyl acetate, and (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate, the main constituents of the respective sex pheromone blends ofMamestra brassicae, Cryptophlebia leucotreta andSpodoptera sunia females, was determined.Pheromones, 64. For the 63rd contribution we have taken from: Szöcs, G., Toth, M., Bestmann, H. J., Vostrowsky, O., Heath, R. R., and Tumlinson, J. H., Z. Naturforsch.42c (1987) 165; Pheromones, 62: Bestmann et al.¹³.     

Lysyl oxidase is essential for hypoxia-induced metastasis

Metastasis is a multistep process responsible for most cancer deaths, and it can be influenced by both the immediate microenvironment (cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions) and the extended tumour microenvironment (for example vascularization). Hypoxia (low oxygen) is clinically associated with metastasis and poor patient outcome, although the underlying processes remain unclear. Microarray studies have shown the expression of lysyl oxidase (LOX) to be elevated in hypoxic human tumour cells. Paradoxically, LOX expression is associated with both tumour suppression and tumour progression, and its role in tumorigenesis seems dependent on cellular location, cell type and transformation status. Here we show that LOX expression is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and is associated with hypoxia in human breast and head and neck tumours. Patients with high LOX-expressing tumours have poor distant metastasis-free and overall survivals. Inhibition of LOX eliminates metastasis in mice with orthotopically grown breast cancer tumours. Mechanistically, secreted LOX is responsible for the invasive properties of hypoxic human cancer cells through focal adhesion kinase activity and cell to matrix adhesion. Furthermore, LOX may be required to create a niche permissive for metastatic growth. Our findings indicate that LOX is essential for hypoxia-induced metastasis and is a good therapeutic target for preventing and treating metastases.     

The limits of the nuclear landscape

In 2011, 100 new nuclides were discovered. They joined the approximately 3,000 stable and radioactive nuclides that either occur naturally on Earth or are synthesized in the laboratory. Every atomic nucleus, characterized by a specific number of protons and neutrons, occupies a spot on the chart of nuclides, which is bounded by 'drip lines' indicating the values of neutron and proton number at which nuclear binding ends. The placement of the neutron drip line for the heavier elements is based on theoretical predictions using extreme extrapolations, and so is uncertain. However, it is not known how uncertain it is or how many protons and neutrons can be bound in a nucleus. Here we estimate these limits of the nuclear 'landscape' and provide statistical and systematic uncertainties for our predictions. We use nuclear density functional theory, several Skyrme interactions and high-performance computing, and find that the number of bound nuclides with between 2 and 120 protons is around 7,000. We find that extrapolations for drip-line positions and selected nuclear properties, including neutron separation energies relevant to astrophysical processes, are very consistent between the models used.     

Pheromone components of the female elephant hawk-moth,Deilephila elpenor,and the silver-striped hawk-moth,Hippotion celerio

By means of gas chromatographic and mass spectroscopic methods, and combined GC-electroantennogram and electrosensillogram techniques, (E)-11-hexadecenal and (10E, 12E)-10,12-hexadecadienal [(E,E)-bombykal is also the main constituent of the pheromone of the silver-striped hawk-mothHippotion celerio. The biological activity of the substances was demonstrated with electroantennogram and single cell recording, and the physiological efficacy of the different hexadecadienal isomers compared.Pheromones, 79; as Pheromones, 78 is taken: Wu, Cai-Hong, and Bestmann, H. J., Chinese Science Bulletin34 (1989) 1475; pheromones, 77: Attygalle, A. B., Steghaus0Kovac, S., Ahmed, V. U., Maschwitz, U., Vostrowsky, Ol, and Bestmann, H. J., Naturwissen-schaften78 (1991) 90.