Dispersal and field progeny production of Trichogramma species released in an olive orchard in Egypt

Dispersal ability and field progeny production of augmentative released biological control agents depend on ecological adaptations of the particular species or strains used. Four species of the egg parasitoid genus Trichogramma were compared aiming to select suitable candidates for control of lepidopteran olive pests. Three of them (T. bourarachae Pintureau and Babault, T. cordubensis Vargas and Cabello, T. euproctidis Girault) had been previously collected from olive groves, whereas the commercially available strain used (T. evanescens Westwood) was originally isolated from sugarcane fields. During five consecutive field releases in an olive orchard near Cairo, dispersal and/or progeny production of these species was monitored using sentinel eggs placed at different heights in the release tree canopies as well as in neighboring trees (“distance effect”). The cardinal direction of dispersal was random for T. euproctidis and T. evanescens. Significant higher parasitism occurred on sentinel eggs placed on the middle part of tree canopy and highest parasitism was observed in trees where wasps had been released. Field progeny production was highest for T. bourarachae, followed by T. euproctidis and T. cordubensis. T. evanescens propagated less under field conditions. Inter-tree dispersal of all species except T. bourarachae was limited and, for biological control, releasing material should therefore be distributed on each olive tree, preferably also at different levels of the canopy.     

CeO2 nanoparticles synthesized through green chemistry are biocompatible: In vitro and in vivo assessment

Widespread use of cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) is found in almost all areas of research due to their distinctive properties. CeO₂ NPs synthesized via green chemistry have been characterized for antioxidant, phytochemical, and biological potential. Physical characterization through scanning electron microscopy, XRD, and TGA showed that the NPs are circular in shape, 20‐25 nm in size, and stable in a wide range of temperature. NPs display significant antioxidant (32.7% free radical scavenging activity) and antileishmanial (IC₅₀ 48 µg mL^?1) properties. In vitro toxicity tested against lymphocytes verified that NPs are biocompatible (99.38% viability of lymphocytes at 2.5 μg mL^?1). In vivo toxicity experiments showed no harmful effects on rat serum chemistry and histology of various organs and did not even change the concentration of antioxidative enzymes, total protein contents, lipid peroxidation, and nitrosative stress. These observations are in line with the statement that plant‐based synthesis of CeO₂ NPs lessens or nullifies in vitro and in vivo toxicity and hence CeO₂ NPs are regarded as a safe and biocompatible material to be used in drug delivery.     

Aqueous Fraction of Beta vulgaris Ameliorates Hyperglycemia in Diabetic Mice due to Enhanced Glucose Stimulated Insulin Secretion,Mediated by Acetylcholine and GLP-1, and Elevated Glucose Uptake via Increased Membrane Bound GLUT4 Transporters

BackgroundThe study was designed to investigate the probable mechanisms of anti-hyperglycemic activity of B. Vulgaris.ConclusionFindings of the present study clearly prove the role of Acetylcholine and GLP-1 in the Insulin secreting activity of B. Vulgaris. Increased glucose uptake in the skeletal muscles and subsequent glycogen synthesis may also play a part in the anti-hyperglycemic activity of B. Vulgaris.     

Seasonality in the occurrence of two lepidopterous olive pests in Egypt

Abstract Prays oleae Bern, (OM) and Palpita unionalis Hüb., (JM) are two of the most important pests in olive groves in Egypt. A 3‐year monitoring study using sex pheromone traps in semi‐arid and arid olive groves was performed. In the semi‐arid grove, flight pattern of the OM was the same as in other Mediterranean countries, but in dates concordating plant phenology. The moth completes three generations annually: the first flight is in March to April, the second is in May to June and the third occurs in August to October. In the arid olive grove, an interesting flight pattern was observed. First flight was always very close or overlapped with the second one with no male catches during August to October. However, eggs were present most of the season, indicating unusually high female presence and oviposition activity of the OM during the absence of males in the traps. Generally, moth densities were significantly lower in low fruiting years than in higher ones and were also lower in the arid olive grove than in the semi‐arid one. In contrast, JM males were present all season, exhibiting six to seven and three to four overlapping flight peaks in arid and semi‐arid olive groves, respectively. Moth densities were significantly higher in the arid olive grove than those in the semi‐arid one. This study shows that trapping location and fruit bearing year are characteristics that strongly affect the grove‐specific information needed to estimate correctly adult emergence and thus the timing of control measures.     

Spectral lights trigger biomass accumulation and production of antioxidant secondary metabolites in adventitious root cultures of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.)

Stevia rebaudiana (S. rebaudiana) is the most important therapeutic plant species and has been accepted as such worldwide. It has a tendency to accumulate steviol glycosides, which are 300 times sweeter than marketable sugar. Recently, diabetic patients commonly use this plant as a sugar substitute for sweet taste. In the present study, the effects of different spectral lights were investigated on biomass accumulation and production of secondary metabolites in adventitious root cultures of S. rebaudiana. For callus development, leaf explants were excised from seed-derived plantlets and inoculated on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing the combination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D, 2.0 mg/l) and 6-benzyladenine (BA, 2.0 mg/l), while 0.5 mg/l naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) was used for adventitious root culture. Adventitious root cultures were exposed to different spectral lights (blue, green, violet, red and yellow) for a 30-day period. White light was used as control. The growth kinetics was studied for 30 days with 3-day intervals. In this study, the violet light showed the maximum accumulation of fresh biomass (2.495 g/flask) as compared to control (1.63 g/flask), while red light showed growth inhibition (1.025 g/flask) as compared to control. The blue light enhanced the highest accumulation of phenolic content (TPC; 6.56 mg GAE/g DW), total phenolic production (TPP; 101 mg/flask) as compared to control (5.44 mg GAE/g DW; 82.2 mg GAE/g DW), and exhibited a strong correlation with dry biomass. Blue light also improved the accumulation of total flavonoid content (TFC; 4.33 mg RE/g DW) and total flavonoid production (TFP; 65 mg/flask) as compared to control. The violet light showed the highest DPPH inhibition (79.72%), while the lowest antioxidant activity was observed for control roots (73.81%). Hence, we concluded that the application of spectral lights is an auspicious strategy for the enhancement of the required antioxidant secondary metabolites in adventitious root cultures of S. rebaudiana and of other medicinal plants.     

Structure and stability of the spinach aquaporin SoPIP2;1 in detergent micelles and lipid membranes

Background

SoPIP2;1 constitutes one of the major integral proteins in spinach leaf plasma membranes and belongs to the aquaporin family. SoPIP2;1 is a highly permeable and selective water channel that has been successfully overexpressed and purified with high yields. In order to optimize reconstitution of the purified protein into biomimetic systems, we have here for the first time characterized the structural stability of SoPIP2;1.

Methodology/Principal Finding

We have characterized the protein structural stability after purification and after reconstitution into detergent micelles and proteoliposomes using circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy techniques. The structure of SoPIP2;1 was analyzed either with the protein solubilized with octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (OG) or reconstituted into lipid membranes formed by E. coli lipids, diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine (DPhPC), or reconstituted into lipid membranes formed from mixtures of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPE), 1-palmitoyl-2oleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (POPE), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylserine (POPS), and ergosterol. Generally, SoPIP2;1 secondary structure was found to be predominantly α-helical in accordance with crystallographic data. The protein has a high thermal structural stability in detergent solutions, with an irreversible thermal unfolding occurring at a melting temperature of 58°C. Incorporation of the protein into lipid membranes increases the structural stability as evidenced by an increased melting temperature of up to 70°C.

Conclusion/Significance

The results of this study provide insights into SoPIP2;1 stability in various host membranes and suggest suitable choices of detergent and lipid composition for reconstitution of SoPIP2;1 into biomimetic membranes for biotechnological applications.     

Dual Solutions for Nonlinear Flow Using Lie Group Analysis

`The aim of this analysis is to investigate the existence of the dual solutions for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of an upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) fluid over a porous shrinking wall. We have employed the Lie group analysis for the simplification of the nonlinear differential system and computed the absolute invariants explicitly. An efficient numerical technique namely the shooting method has been employed for the constructions of solutions. Dual solutions are computed for velocity profile of an upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) fluid flow. Plots reflecting the impact of dual solutions for the variations of Deborah number, Hartman number, wall mass transfer are presented and analyzed. Streamlines are also plotted for the wall mass transfer effects when suction and blowing situations are considered.     

Heat Generation/Absorption Effects in a Boundary Layer Stretched Flow of Maxwell Nanofluid: Analytic and Numeric Solutions

Analysis has been done to investigate the heat generation/absorption effects in a steady flow of non-Newtonian nanofluid over a surface which is stretching linearly in its own plane. An upper convected Maxwell model (UCM) has been utilized as the non-Newtonian fluid model in view of the fact that it can predict relaxation time phenomenon which the Newtonian model cannot. Behavior of the relaxations phenomenon has been presented in terms of Deborah number. Transport phenomenon with convective cooling process has been analyzed. Brownian motion “D_b” and thermophoresis effects “D_t” occur in the transport equations. The momentum, energy and nanoparticle concentration profiles are examined with respect to the involved rheological parameters namely the Deborah number, source/sink parameter, the Brownian motion parameters, thermophoresis parameter and Biot number. Both numerical and analytic solutions are presented and found in nice agreement. Comparison with the published data is also made to ensure the validity. Stream lines for Maxwell and Newtonian fluid models are presented in the analysis.     

Serum biomarkers differentiating Kawasaki disease from febrile infections: A pilot case-control study

Although some serum biomarkers are elevated in both Kawasaki disease (KD) and infections, these conditions have not been compared by individual or combined biomarkers. The aim of this study, undertaken between January 2016 and May 2018 in a large teaching hospital, was to compare the serum concentration of cytokines, metalloproteinases (MMP) and heat shock protein (HSP) between cases defined as children with Kawasaki disease (KD) and those with febrile infections (controls). Serum concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukins (IL 1beta, 6, and 8), heat shock proteins (HSP 60 and 70) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP 9) were measured on admission in 17 children under six years of age with a temperature >38.5 °C for ≥five days, and compared between the two groups. The median age was 25 months and the median duration of fever eight days. Seven children were diagnosed with KD and ten had a febrile infection. Only the serum concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-alpha were significantly higher in the former than in the latter group (P = 0.01 and 0.04 respectively). To differentiate between the two groups with the best sensitivity and specificity, the optimal cut-off value for IL-6 was 12.6 pg/mL, and for TNF-alpha 47.9 pg/mL. Their combined increase, however, outperformed their individual concentrations. The characteristic diagnostic “signature” of the combined elevation of IL-6 and TNF-alpha serum levels has the potential, in febrile children, to differentiate early KD from febrile infections, allowing the institution of appropriate therapy.     

Organocatalyzed Solvent Free and Efficient Synthesis of 2,4,5‐Trisubstituted Imidazoles as Potential Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors for Alzheimer's Disease

The catalytic potential of pyridine‐2‐carboxlic acid has been evaluated for efficient, green and solvent free synthesis of 2,4,5‐trisubstituted imidazole derivatives 3a – 3m . The compounds 3a – 3m were synthesized by one pot condensation reaction of substituted aromatic aldehydes, benzil, and ammonium acetate in good to excellent yields (74–96 %). To explore the potential of these compounds against Alzheimer's disease, their inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were evaluated. In this series of compounds, compound 3m , bearing one ethoxy and a hydroxy group on the phenyl ring on 2,4,5‐trisubstituted imidazoles, proved to be a potent AChE inhibitor (102.56±0.14). Structure–activity relationship (SAR) of these compounds was developed. Molecular dockings were carried out for the compounds 3m , 3e , 3k , 3c , 3a , 3d , 3j , and 3f in order to further investigate the binding mechanism. The inhibitor molecule was molecularly docked with acetylcholinesterase to further study its binding mechanism. The amino group of the compound 3m forms an H‐bond with the oxygen atom of the residue (i. e., THR121) which has a bond length of 3.051 Å.