Demography of greenbug,Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on six barley cultivars

The greenbugs, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) were collected from the barley fields in Isfahan region of Iran. The aphid colonies were maintained on each of six barley cultivars including Karoon, Kavir, Zarjoo, Nosrat, Afzal and Rihane. All the experiments were done on the mentioned barley varieties at 26 ± 1°C, 60 ± 5% relative humidity (RH) and at a photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h. The shortest and longest developmental times were obtained on Nosrat 6.35 ± 0.11 and Rihane 6.75 ± 0.07 days, respectively. The survivorship of immature stages varied from 71.95% on Nosrat to 82.14% on Zarjoo. The total number of offsprings were 71.05 and 63.22 nymphs per female on Kavir and Karoon. The highest and lowest r _m values were observed on Kavir (0.336 ± 0.005) and Rihane (0.299 ± 0.008), respectively. The statistical analysis of jackknife did not show a significant influence of the tested barley varieties for the mean generation time and a similar procedure of difference for λ and r _m was estimated.     

Two new species of Chrysis Linnaeus (Hymenoptera,Chrysididae) from Iran

The Iranian species in the Chrysis pulchella and C. varidens species groups are investigated. Six species are recognized, two of which are described for the first time: Chrysis gamberoonensis Farhad, Rosa and Talebi sp. nov. and Chrysis brunneamarginata Farhad, Rosa and Talebi sp. nov.. Chrysis gamberoonensis Farhad, Rosa and Talebi sp. nov. belongs to the C. pulchella group and is recognizable within this species group by its unique blue body coloration, scattered mesosoma punctures, polished pit row with elongated pits, and a small median tooth on the lateral edge of metasomal tergum 3. Chrysis brunneamarginata Farhad, Rosa and Talebi sp. nov. belongs to the C. varidens group and is recognizable by the usually colorless apical rim of metasomal tergum 3, and the unique shape of the anterior corners of the scutellum which are enlarged, thickened and directed backward covering the axillary trough. Dichotomous keys and distributional data for Iranian species included in these species groups are provided. Chrysis schwarzi Linsenmaier, 1968 is raised to species rank. The number of Iranian Chrysis species and subspecies is raised to 122.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F419F860-3B90-4679-9A19-2CF5C255AE6B     

Characterization of genetic diversity in chickpea using SSR markers,Start Codon Targeted Polymorphism (SCoT) and Conserved DNA-Derived Polymorphism (CDDP)

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants - To evaluate the genetic diversity among 48 genotypes of chickpea comprising cultivars, landraces and internationally developed improved lines genetic...     

Reviewing the role of cardiac exosomes in myocardial repair at a glance

Exosome-based therapy is an emerging novel approach for myocardial infarction (MI) treatment. Exosomes are identified as extracellular vesicles that are produced within multivesicular bodies in the cells' cytosols and then are secreted from the cells. Exosomes are 30–100 nm in diameter that are released from viable cells and are different from other secreted vesicles such as apoptotic bodies and microvesicles in their origin and contents such as RNAs, proteins, and nucleic acid. The recent advances in exosome research have demonstrated the role of these bionanovesicles in the physiological, pathological, and molecular aspects of the heart. The results of in vitro and preclinical models have shown that exosomes from different cardiac cells can improve cardiac function following MI. For example, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) containing exosomes can affect the proliferation, survival, and differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes. Moreover, MSCs- and CPCs-derived exosomes can enhance the migration of endothelial cells. Exosome-based therapy approaches augment the cardiac function by multiple means, such as reducing fibrosis, stimulation of vascular angiogenesis, and proliferation of cardiomyocytes that result in replacing damaged heart tissue with newly generated functional myocytes. This review article aims to briefly discuss the recent advancements in the role of secreted exosomes in myocardial repair by focusing on cardiac cells-derived exosomes.     

Enantiomeric impurities in chiral catalysts,auxiliaries, and synthons used in enantioselective syntheses. Part 5

The enantiomeric excess of chiral starting materials is one of the important factors determining the enantiopurity of products in asymmetric synthesis. Fifty‐one commercially available chiral reagents used as building blocks, catalysts, and auxiliaries in various enantioselective syntheses were assayed for their enantiomeric purity. The test results were classified within five impurities level (ie, <0.01%, 0.01%‐0.1%, 0.1%‐1%, 1%‐10%, >10%). Previously from 1998 to 2013, several reports have been published on the enantiomeric composition of more than 300 chiral reagents. This series of papers is necessitated by the fact that new reagents are forthcoming and that the enantiomeric purity of the same reagent can vary from batch to batch and/or from supplier to supplier. This report presents chiral liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) methods to separate enantiomers of chiral compounds and evaluate their enantiomeric purities. The accurate and efficient LC analysis was done using newly introduced superficially porous particle (SPP 2.7 μm) based chiral stationary phases (TeicoShell, VancoShell, LarihcShell‐P, and NicoShell).     

Resveratrol potentially increased the tumoricidal effect of doxorubicin on SKOV3 cancer stem cells in vitro

Ovarian cancer is associated with a high percentage of recurrence of tumor and resistance to chemotherapy. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) form a rare population with a significant capacity to begin and expand malignant diseases. Eliminating the drug resistance of CSCs by factors that have fewer side effects to the patient is vital. To investigate the effect of resveratrol (RES) and doxorubicin (DOX) on drug resistance and apoptosis of CSCs; at the first, isolation of CSCs from SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma cells and their dosage adjustment (IC₅₀) with RES and DOX was performed. Then, isolated CSCs were treated with RES and DOX IC ₅₀ of 55 and 250 nM, respectively. Subsequently, their effects on drug resistance and cell death were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction, rhodamine 123 uptakes. The results of the present study demonstrated that treatment of SKOV3 with 55 μM of RES and 250 nM of DOX simultaneously increased cell viability in CSCs to DOX after 24 and 48 hours by increasing the expression of Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) and caspase-3 genes, and decreased the expression and function of multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) genes indicated by intracellular the rhodamine 123 content. Treatment of RES could increase the activity of DOX cell viability in CSCs originated from SKOV3 ovarian carcinoma and decrease drug resistance capacity to DOX.     

Dorsipes caspius n. sp. (Acari: Podapolipidae), a subelytral parasite of Pterostichus caspius (Menetries) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) with notes on host range of the genus and the distribution of the platysmae group

The ectoparasitic mite Dorsipes caspius n. sp. (Heterostigmata: Podapolipidae) belonging to the platysmae species group collected from the beneath elytra of Pterostichus (Lyrothorax) caspius (Menetries) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in northern Iran, is described. This is the first record of species of the platysmae group from the Middle East. Keys to adult and larval female stages of world species of the platysmae group are provided. The host range of all species of the genus and the distribution of all representatives of the group are discussed.