Relationship between environmental variables and surface activity of scorpions in the Arid Chaco ecoregion of Argentina

Many environmental factors may influence the activity of scorpions in arid ecosystems. In this study, we examined the effects of such factors on scorpion activity at a mature and a secondary forest site in the Chancaní Reserve (Arid Chaco ecoregion in Córdoba, Argentina). Scorpions were collected using pitfall traps, and their nocturnal activity was observed by means of UV light during 14 nights. Temperature, air humidity, atmospheric pressure, and wind velocity were measured, and the percentage of visible moon was estimated. A total of 440 scorpions, representing seven species belonging to two families (Bothriuridae and Buthidae), were observed in the study area. Brachistosternus ferrugineus was the species most commonly observed using both methods. Mature and secondary forest shared slightly more than 50% of species. Surface activity of scorpions observed with the two methods differed significantly between the two areas. Surface activity of all scorpions and of B. ferrugineus were negatively related to the phase of the moon and positively related to air temperature. Physical factors thus have important effects on scorpion activity.     

Renoprotection by α-mangostin is related to the attenuation in renal oxidative/nitrosative stress induced by cisplatin nephrotoxicity

Cisplatin (CDDP) is a chemotherapeutic agent that produces nephrotoxicity associated with oxidative/nitrosative stress. α-Mangostin (α-M) is a xanthone extracted from mangosteen with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the renoprotective effect of α-M on the CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity. α-M was administered (12.5 mg/kg/day, i.g.) for 10 days (7 days before and 3 days after CDDP injection). On day 7, rats were treated with a single injection of CDDP (7.5 mg/Kg, i.p.); 3 days after the rats were killed. α-M attenuated renal dysfunction, structural damage, oxidative/nitrosative stress, decrease in catalase expression and increase in mRNA levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha and transforming growth factor beta. In conclusion the renoprotective effect of α-M on CDDP-induced nephrotoxicity was associated with the attenuation in oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory and fibrotic markers and preservation of catalase activity.     

Estimating Ecosystem Metabolism to Entire River Networks

Ecosystems - River ecosystem metabolism (REM) is a promising cost-effective measure of ecosystem functioning, as it integrates many different ecosystem processes and is affected by both rapid...     

Corticosterone Assimilation by a Voluntary Oral Administration in Palatable Food to Rats

Drug delivery in research on nonhuman animals in the laboratory is still challenging because it is usually invasive and stressful. Stress-free voluntary oral drug administration in water lacks precise control of dose and timing of substance ingestion. Voluntary oral consumption of corticosterone has been previously successfully applied in mice using oat flakes, but protocols for oral corticosterone administration in rats remain unavailable. This study assessed the effectiveness of voluntary oral administration to rats of a palatable piece of bread soaked with corticosterone that can be rapidly prepared and is reliably dose- and timing-controllable. After three familiarization days, all rats ate the bread within 120 seconds of presentation, irrespective of the presence or absence of corticosterone or vehicle. Corticosterone plasma levels remained at basal levels with consumption of vehicle-containing bread, and they were significantly increased with corticosterone-containing bread. Hence, the method enabled corticosterone bodily assimilation while avoiding stress, making it a possible alternative for invasive and stressful procedures. This article includes a methodological refinement that lessens unnecessary discomfort to laboratory animals and is potentially suitable for acute and chronic protocol studies.     

Effect of Temperature on 3D Printing of Commercial Potato Puree

The temperature and composition of food, during the printing process, maybe a key factor impacting on rheological properties. Currently, there is no evidence of authors analysing the effect of printing temperature on the characteristics of final products. The aim of this paper was to study the printability of potato puree when affected by printing variables, such as printing temperature and the composition of the potato puree. The printing temperature was studied at 10 °C, 20 °C and 30 °C, and the effect of the product composition on the printability was studied by analysing the rheological and textural properties. Viscosity-temperature profiles, flow curves and dynamic oscillation frequency analysis of potato puree were some of the techniques used in rheology analysis. Forward extrusion assays of formulated potato puree were used to study the compression force in the 3D printer. Results showed the formulation with higher content of dehydrated potato puree (38 g of dehydrated potato puree in 250 mL of whole milk) at a temperature of 30 °C were the most stable. The printability increase with the amount of the consistency index and the reduction of behaviour index. The mean force from extrusion test was correlated with printability but the effect of temperature did not help define this parameter.

     

Comprehensive review of antimicrobial activities of plant flavonoids

Flavonoids are one of the largest classes of small molecular secondary metabolites produced in different parts of the plant. They display a wide range of pharmacological and beneficial health effects for humans, which include, among others, antioxidative activity, free radical scavenging capacity, coronary heart disease prevention and antiatherosclerotic, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Hence, flavonoids are gaining high attention from the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Notably, plants synthesize flavonoids in response to microbial infection, and these compounds have been found to be a potent antimicrobial agent against a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms in vitro. Antimicrobial action of flavonoids results from their various biological activities, which may not seem very specific at first. There are, however, promising antibacterial flavonoids that are able not only to selectively target bacterial cells, but also to inhibit virulence factors, as well as other forms of microbial threats, e.g. biofilm formation. Moreover, some plant flavonoids manifest ability to reverse the antibiotic resistance and enhance action of the current antibiotic drugs. Hence, the development and application of flavonoid-based drugs could be a promising approach for antibiotic-resistant infections. This review aims to improve our understanding of the biological and molecular roles of plant flavonoids, focusing mostly on their antimicrobial activities.

     

SOD-Like Activity of Copper(II) Containing Metallopeptides Branched By 2,3-Diaminopropionic Acid: What the N-Termini Elevate,the C-Terminus Ruins

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Relations between structural modifiactions and SOD-like activity of four branched CuII-metallopeptides based on l-2,3-diaminopropionic...     

Manipulation of oxidative stress responses as a strategy to generate stress-tolerant crops. From damage to signaling to tolerance

Plants exposed to hostile environmental conditions such as drought or extreme temperatures usually undergo oxidative stress, which has long been assumed to significantly contribute to the damage suffered by the organism. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduced under stress conditions were proposed to destroy membrane lipids and to inactivate proteins and photosystems, ultimately leading to cell death. Accordingly, considerable effort has been devoted, over the years, to improve stress tolerance by strengthening antioxidant and dissipative mechanisms. Although the notion that ROS cause indiscriminate damage in vivo has been progressively replaced by the alternate concept that they act as signaling molecules directing critical plant developmental and environmental responses including cell death, the induction of genes encoding antioxidant activities is commonplace under many environmental stresses, suggesting that their manipulation still offers promise. The features and consequences of ROS effects depend on the balance between various interacting pathways including ROS synthesis and scavenging, energy dissipation, conjugative reactions, and eventually reductive repair. They represent many possibilities for genetic manipulation. We report, herein, a comprehensive survey of transgenic plants in which components of the ROS-associated pathways were overexpressed, and of the stress phenotypes displayed by the corresponding transformants. Genetic engineering of different stages of ROS metabolism such as synthesis, scavenging, and reductive repair revealed a strong correlation between down-regulation of ROS levels and increased stress tolerance in plants grown under controlled conditions. Field assays are scarce, and are eagerly required to assess the possible application of this strategy to agriculture.