Resistance of phenolic-treated oil palm stem plywood against subterranean termites and white rot decay

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effectiveness of phenolic resin in protecting oil palm stem (OPS) plywood against both subterranean termites (Coptotermes curvignathus) and white rot fungi (Pycnoporous sanguineus). Specially cooked, Low molecular weight phenol formaldehyde (LMW PF) resin was used to treat the OPS veneer whilst commercial urea formaldehyde (UF) resin was used to bond the phenolic-treated veneer. OPS plywood were produced using two types of lay-up (100% outer veneer type and 100% inner veneer type) with adhesive spread rate of 200 g/m². The results show that treatment of OPS veneer with LMW PF has significantly enhanced the resistance of OPS plywood against both termites and white rot fungi. In the termites resistance test, the percentage of weight loss for untreated samples were 19.2% (outer veneer) and 23.9% (inner veneer), while for phenolic treated samples were only 10.7% and 15.8%, respectively. The phenolic treatment was able to enhance the resistance towards termites by 38% and towards white rot fungi by 62%. The study has shown LMW PF resin can be used to protect OPS plywood from termites and white rot fungi.     

Verification of phylogenetic inference programs using metamorphic testing

Many phylogenetic inference programs are available to infer evolutionary relationships among taxa using aligned sequences of characters, typically DNA or amino acids. These programs are often used to infer the evolutionary history of species. However, in most cases it is impossible to systematically verify the correctness of the tree returned by these programs, as the correct evolutionary history is generally unknown and unknowable. In addition, it is nearly impossible to verify whether any non-trivial tree is correct in accordance to the specification of the often complicated search and scoring algorithms. This difficulty is known as the oracle problem of software testing: there is no oracle that we can use to verify the correctness of the returned tree. This makes it very challenging to test the correctness of any phylogenetic inference programs. Here, we demonstrate how to apply a simple software testing technique, called Metamorphic Testing, to alleviate the oracle problem in testing phylogenetic inference programs. We have used both real and randomly generated test inputs to evaluate the effectiveness of metamorphic testing, and found that metamorphic testing can detect failures effectively in faulty phylogenetic inference programs with both types of test inputs.     

Characterization of three IGFBP mRNAs in Atlantic croaker and their regulation during hypoxic stress: potential mechanisms of their upregulation by hypoxia

Insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) play important roles in downregulating IGF activity and growth and development in vertebrates under hypoxic stress. However, the mechanisms of hypoxia regulation of IGFBPs in teleost fishes are unknown. The involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) in hypoxia upregulation of IGFBPs in Atlantic croaker were investigated. Three croaker IGFBPs, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-5, were cloned and characterized. Chronic hypoxia exposure [dissolved oxygen (DO): 1.7 mg/l for 2-4 wk] caused significant increases in hepatic and neural IGFBP-1 mRNA expression compared with tissue mRNA levels in fish held under normoxic conditions (6.5 mg DO/l). Moreover, longer-term chronic hypoxia exposure (2-2.7 mg DO/l for 15-20 wk) caused significant increases in mRNA levels of all three IGFBPs in both liver and brain tissues. Hypoxia exposure also markedly increased superoxide radical (O(2)(·-), an index of ROS) production and HIF-1α mRNA and HIF-2α protein expression in croaker livers. Pharmacological treatment with an antioxidant attenuated the hypoxia-induced increases in O(2)(·-) production and HIFα mRNA and protein expression as well as the elevation of IGFBP-1 mRNA levels. These results suggest that the upregulation of IGFBP expression under hypoxia stress is due, in part, to alterations in the antioxidant status, which may involve ROS and HIFs.     

Castration inhibits biliary proliferation induced by bile duct obstruction: novel role for the autocrine trophic effect of testosterone

Increased cholangiocyte growth is critical for the maintenance of biliary mass during liver injury by bile duct ligation (BDL). Circulating levels of testosterone decline following castration and during cholestasis. Cholangiocytes secrete sex hormones sustaining cholangiocyte growth by autocrine mechanisms. We tested the hypothesis that testosterone is an autocrine trophic factor stimulating biliary growth. The expression of androgen receptor (AR) was determined in liver sections, male cholangiocytes, and cholangiocyte cultures [normal rat intrahepatic cholangiocyte cultures (NRICC)]. Normal or BDL (immediately after surgery) rats were treated with testosterone or antitestosterone antibody or underwent surgical castration (followed by administration of testosterone) for 1 wk. We evaluated testosterone serum levels; intrahepatic bile duct mass (IBDM) in liver sections of female and male rats following the administration of testosterone; and secretin-stimulated cAMP levels and bile secretion. We evaluated the expression of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 (17β-HSD3, the enzyme regulating testosterone synthesis) in cholangiocytes. We evaluated the effect of testosterone on the proliferation of NRICC in the absence/presence of flutamide (AR antagonist) and antitestosterone antibody and the expression of 17β-HSD3. Proliferation of NRICC was evaluated following stable knock down of 17β-HSD3. We found that cholangiocytes and NRICC expressed AR. Testosterone serum levels decreased in castrated rats (prevented by the administration of testosterone) and rats receiving antitestosterone antibody. Castration decreased IBDM and secretin-stimulated cAMP levels and ductal secretion of BDL rats. Testosterone increased 17β-HSD3 expression and proliferation in NRICC that was blocked by flutamide and antitestosterone antibody. Knock down of 17β-HSD3 blocks the proliferation of NRICC. Drug targeting of 17β-HSD3 may be important for managing cholangiopathies.     

Use of bottom ash of waste coal as an effective microbial carrier

An experiment was done to determine the efficacy of waste bottom ash as an effective microbial carrier. Bottom ash found to be a suitable microbial carrier. The average of viable cells of Paenibacillus polymyxa GS01 (as a test biocontrol agent) in bottom ash samples was about 10(8) cfu/10 ± 2 mg. The surface of bottom ash coated with 5% PVA w/v was most effective for improvement of cell viability. TSB medium containing 50 mg/L of MnSO(4) · H(2)O was the best for spore production of P. polymyxa GS01. Thus waste bottom ash coating with 5% PVA is likely to be suitable for use as a microbial carrier.     

Analysis of proteins in aerenchymatous seminal roots of wheat grown in hypoxic soils under waterlogged conditions

Hypoxia caused by waterlogging results in a severe loss of crop production. At the primary stage of wheat development, the seminal roots have strategies to survive under hypoxia through alternative metabolism coupling root anatomical modification. The present study used a model system of lysigenous aerenchymatous seminal roots from a representative seedling stage of wheat to elucidate the root physiology in response to soil hypoxia. Seminal roots characteristic with lysigenous aerenchyma tissues were developed in pot cultures for 7 days under two hypoxic conditions, water depths of 15 cm below and 3 cm above the soil surface. Proteins from the roots were separated using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identified using mass spectrometry. The results showed that approximately 345 distinct protein spots were detected by 2-DE, 29 spots changed in the expression levels between the control and two hypoxic plants, and 10 spots exhibited a reproducible up- or down regulated fluctuation. The up-regulated proteins were thought to be involved in alteration in energy and redox status, defense responses and cell wall turnover. These results suggest the effects of soil hypoxia on the activity of the identified up-regulated proteins and their roles in alternative respiration and cell degeneration in wheat in order to gain metabolic adjustment under hypoxia stress.     

Interspecific larval competition between two egg parasitoids in refrigerated host eggs of Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae)

In a previous study, we found that soybean fields could be supplemented with refrigerated eggs of Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Alydidae) to enhance parasitism. As a part of a study to evaluate the effect of host egg refrigeration on parasitism, host acceptance behavior and interspecific larval competition between Gryon japonicum (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Ooencyrtus nezarae Ishii (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) were studied in multiparasitized unrefrigerated and refrigerated eggs. O. nezarae showed complete host acceptance behavior when offered refrigerated host eggs that were preparasitized by G. japonicum. Adult emergence rate of O. nezarae was 43 and 74% when the interval between the first and second oviposition was 0 and 4 days, respectively, and was not different between refrigerated and unrefrigerated eggs. Refrigeration did not change host acceptance behavior of G. japonicum, but adult emergence declined from 80% in unrefrigerated eggs to 37% in refrigerated eggs that were pre-parasitized by O. nezarae on the same day. No negative effects of refrigeration on sex ratio, adult longevity, and adult size of the both parasitoids were found. Generally host egg refrigeration did not negatively affect host acceptance behavior of the both parasitoids on preparasitized eggs or larval competition between the two parasitoids in multiparasitized host eggs with exceptions in the development time and emergence rate of G. japonicum. Therefore, host egg refrigeration may not interrupt interactions between the parasitoid populations in the field.     

Electrochemical cell-based chip for the detection of toxic effects of bisphenol-A on neuroblastoma cells

A cell-based chip was fabricated for the electrochemical detection of the dose-dependent effects of bisphenol-A (BPA) on neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y), which showed dual-mode correlation as a standard curve. Toxicity assessment of BPA became very important in environmental toxicants detection since BPA can be reached out easily from various common plastic-based product and give negative cellular effects on living organism. Cell chip was fabricated by immobilizing cells on C(RGD)(4) peptide coated electrode to detect the cytotoxicity of BPA electrochemically. Redox properties in living cells were determined by cyclic voltammetry using a home-made three-electrode system, and the cathodic peak current (I(pc)) was used as a parameter for measurement of the effect of BPA on cell viability. The peak current, I(pc) value increased with the concentration of BPA up to 300 nM and then decreased because of the stimulation of cancer cell activity at the concentration of BPA below 300nM and cytotoxicity at the concentration of BPA above 300 nM, respectively. MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and optical microscopy-based morphological analysis confirmed the results of electrochemical study. This dual-mode correlation between the concentration of BPA and voltammetric signal intensity should be firstly considered to analyze its dose-dependent stimulus and cytotoxic effects on neuroblastoma cells by cell chip.     

Ag(I)-cysteamine complex based electrochemical stripping immunoassay: ultrasensitive human IgG detection

An ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor for a protein using a Ag (I)-cysteamine complex (Ag-Cys) as a label was fabricated. The low detection of a protein was based on the electrochemical stripping of Ag from the adsorbed Ag-Cys complex on the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) conjugated human immunoglobulin G (anti-IgG) antibody (AuNPs-anti-IgG). The electrochemical immunosensor was fabricated by immobilizing anti-IgG antibody on a poly-5,2':5',2'-terthiophene-3'-carboxylic acid (polyTTCA) film grown on the glassy carbon electrode through the covalent bond formation between amine groups of anti-IgG and carboxylic acid groups of polyTTCA. The target protein, IgG was sandwiched between the anti-IgG antibody that covalently attached onto the polyTTCA layer and AuNPs-anti-IgG. Using square wave voltammetry, well defined Ag stripping voltammograms were obtained for the each target concentration. Various experimental parameters were optimized and interference effects from other proteins were checked out. The immunosensor exhibited a wide dynamic range with the detection limit of 0.4 ± 0.05 fg/mL. To evaluate the analytical reliability, the proposed immunosensor was applied to human IgG spiked serum samples and acceptable results were obtained indicating that the method can be readily extended to other bioaffinity assays of clinical or environmental significance.