Genetic background of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a systemic disorder of decreased skeletal mass as measured by bone mineral density (BMD), and disturbed skeletal architecture and function which results in an increased risk for bone fractures with consecutively increased morbidity and mortality. Twin and family studies have shown an important genetic component of BMD of about 40-60%. This exceeds other well known factors influencing BMD such as environmental factors like dietary calcium, physical activity or several drugs and diseases.

Application of response surface methodology to evaluation of bioconversion experimental conditions.

Using Candida tenuis, a yeast isolated from the digestive tube of the larva of Phoracantha semipunctata (Cerambycidae, Coleoptera), we were able to demonstrate the bioconversion of citronellal to citronellol. Response surface methodology was used to achieve the optimization of the experimental conditions for that bioconversion process. To study the proposed second-order polynomial model, we used a central composite experimental design with multiple linear regression to estimate the model coefficients of the five selected factors believed to influence the bioconversion process.

Preference of certain scolytidae for different conifers : A statistical approach.

Nine Scolytidae (Cryphalus piceae, Cryphalus abietis, Pityokteines curvidens, Dendroctonus micans, Ips sexdentatus, Ips typographus,Orthotomicus erosus, Tomicus piniperda, andPhloeosinus bicolor) were subjected to olfaction tests on ten conifer species taken two by two. These conifers wereAbies cephalonica, Abies nordmanniana, Picea abies, Picea orientalis, Pinus pinaster, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus brutia, Pinus laricio,Cupressus atlantica, andCupressus sempervirens. A statistical study of the results, by means of the factorial analysis of correspondence completed by the duo preference test, commonly used in sensory analysis, revealed a taxonomic clustering by genus of the plant species and analogous specific attraction behavior for the insects.

[Comparative study of the glycosidases of 2 Lepidoptera wood-eating Cossidae (Cossus cossus L., and Zeuzera pyrina L.) and various wood-eating Coleoptera].

The authors present here the results of their research concerning the study of the osidases of the caterpillars Cossus cossus L. and Zeuzera pyrina L. (Lepidoptera Cossidae).

[Specificity of the response of monogamous and polygamous Scolytidae to the attraction exerted by digestive residues (feces)].

This paper will emphasize studies of sex attractant in the polygamus species of Scolytidae genus (Phloeosinus, Pityogenes, Pityophthorus) and monogamus species genus Cryphalus, Blastophagus. The secondary attractant or "sex pheromone" was localized in the frass material produced by male beetle in polygamus bark beetles and by female in monogamus species; pheromone specificity has been studied in differents species Phloeosinus, Pityogenes, Pityophthorus, etc. This specificity was evaluated by exposing groups of female beetles to comparable quantities of frass from male polygamus bark beetles.