Insecticidal efficacy of botanical food by-products against selected stored-grain beetles by the combined action with modified diatomaceous earth

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Farmers in Africa in general have repeatedly prioritized the urgent need for improved methods of storage pest control. Laboratory studies were evaluated...     

Antibacterial compounds from marine Vibrionaceae isolated on a global expedition

On a global research expedition, over 500 bacterial strains inhibitory towards pathogenic bacteria were isolated. Three hundred of the antibacterial strains were assigned to the Vibrionaceae family. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the phylogeny and bioactivity of five Vibrionaceae strains with pronounced antibacterial activity. These were identified as Vibrio coralliilyticus (two strains), V. neptunius (two strains), and Photobacterium halotolerans (one strain) on the basis of housekeeping gene sequences. The two related V. coralliilyticus and V. neptunius strains were isolated from distant oceanic regions. Chemotyping by LC-UV/MS underlined genetic relationships by showing highly similar metabolite profiles for each of the two V. coralliilyticus and V. neptunius strains, respectively, but a unique profile for P. halotolerans. Bioassay-guided fractionation identified two known antibiotics as being responsible for the antibacterial activity; andrimid (from V. coralliilyticus) and holomycin (from P. halotolerans). Despite the isolation of already known antibiotics, our findings show that marine Vibrionaceae are a resource of antibacterial compounds and may have potential for future natural product discovery.     

Statistical methods for detecting and comparing periodic data and their application to the nycthemeral rhythm of bodily harm: A population based study

Background  

Animals, including humans, exhibit a variety of biological rhythms. This article describes a method for the detection and simultaneous comparison of multiple nycthemeral rhythms.     

Mikro- und makroskopische Untersuchungen an Straßenbaumveredelungen im Hinblick auf die Beeinflussung ihrer Bruchsicherheit

Aim of the study was to identify changes within xylem structure of grafted trees which could possibly lead to a higher risk of breakage. Therefore, 83 trees from the genera Prunus, Sorbus, Carpinus, Quercus, Robinia and Crateagus were examined at the macro- and microscopic level. All wood samples showed changes in their xylem structure in the areas at or around the contact zone of stock and scion. Cells were deviated in different angles from the stem axis in the tangential direction. Furthermore, whirled grain areas were found adjacent to the contact zone. Abnormal xylem structures could be found in various quantum's. Despite the observed changes in the xylem structure, the risk of breakage is not significantly increased. An e-mail based survey among 496 administrations of rural districts in Germany and bigger towns all over Germany including 64 botanical gardens and arboretum, revealed only nine cases of stem breakage at the contact zone of grafted trees. These breaks were found in the genera Tilia, Fagus and Robinia. Further studies are recommended to gain more knowledge about how xylem structure develops during the lifespan of a tree under stress conditions, especially in urban environments.     

Prevalence and risk factors for Maedi-Visna in sheep farms in Mecklenburg-Western-Pomerania

Despite indications of a considerable spread of Maedi-Visna among sheep flocks in Germany, prevalence studies of this important infection are hardly available. Prior to any health schemes and guidelines, knowledge about regional disease distribution is essential. Depending upon herd size, 70 farms were randomly selected, of which 41 cooperated. A total of 2229 blood samples were taken at random and serologically examined. For assessment of selected farm characteristics a questionnaire exercise was conducted at all farms involved. The average herd prevalence is 51.2%, the within-herd prevalence is 28,8%. In the unvariate analysis of risk factors, small (10-100 sheep) and large (> 250 sheep) farms are more MVV-affected than medium sized farms. The average stable and pasture space per sheep is larger at non-infected- compared to infected farms. Owners judgement on general herd health turns out to be better at non-infected compared to infected farms. Taking infected farms only, the risk of within-herd prevalence above 20% is significant higher in crossbred than in purebred flocks.     

Alphaherpesvirus use and misuse of cellular actin and cholesterol

Two major structural elements of a cell are the cytoskeleton and the lipid membranes. Actin and cholesterol are key components of the cytoskeleton and membranes, respectively, and are involved in a plethora of different cellular processes. This review summarizes and discusses the interaction of alphaherpesviruses with actin and cholesterol during different stages of the replication cycle: virus entry, replication and assembly in the nucleus, and virus egress. Elucidating these interactions not only yields novel insights into the biology of these important pathogens, but may also shed new light on cell biological aspects of actin and cholesterol, and lead to novel avenues in the design of antiviral strategies.     

Lineage relationship analysis of RORgammat+ innate lymphoid cells

Lymphoid tissue-inducer (LTi) cells initiate the development of lymphoid tissues through the activation of local stromal cells in a process similar to inflammation. LTi cells express the nuclear hormone receptor RORγt, which also directs the expression of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-17 in T cells. We show here that LTi cells are part of a larger family of proinflammatory RORγt(+) innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) that differentiate from distinct fetal liver RORγt(+) precursors. The fate of RORγt(+) ILCs is determined by mouse age, and after birth, favors the generation of cells involved in intestinal homeostasis and defense. Contrary to RORγt(+) T cells, however, RORγt(+) ILCs develop in the absence of microbiota. Our study indicates that RORγt(+) ILCs evolve to preempt intestinal colonization by microbial symbionts.     

Particle acceleration on megaparsec scales in a merging galaxy cluster

Galaxy clusters form through a sequence of mergers of smaller galaxy clusters and groups. Models of diffusive shock acceleration suggest that in shocks that occur during cluster mergers, particles are accelerated to relativistic energies, similar to conditions within supernova remnants. In the presence of magnetic fields, these particles emit synchrotron radiation and may form so-called radio relics. We detected a radio relic that displays highly aligned magnetic fields, a strong spectral index gradient, and a narrow relic width, giving a measure of the magnetic field in an unexplored site of the universe. Our observations show that diffusive shock acceleration also operates on scales much larger than in supernova remnants and that shocks in galaxy clusters are capable of producing extremely energetic cosmic rays.     

Characterization and quantitation of low and high molecular weight phenolic compounds in apple seeds

The phenolic constituents of seeds of 12 different apple cultivars were fractionated by sequential extraction with aqueous acetone (30:70, v/v) and ethyl acetate after hexane extraction of the lipids. Low molecular weight phenolic compounds were individually quantitated by RP-HPLC-DAD. The contents of extractable and nonextractable procyanidins were determined by applying RP-HPLC following thiolysis and n-butanol/HCl hydrolysis, respectively. As expected, the results revealed marked differences of the ethyl acetate extracts, aqueous acetone extracts, and insoluble residues with regard to contents and mean degrees of polymerization of procyanidins. Total phenolic contents in the defatted apple seed residues ranged between 18.4 and 99.8 mg/g. Phloridzin was the most abundant phenolic compound, representing 79-92% of monomeric polyphenols. Yields of phenolic compounds significantly differed among the cultivars under study, with seeds of cider apples generally being richer in phloridzin and catechins than seeds of dessert apple cultivars. This is the first study presenting comprehensive data on the contents of phenolic compounds in apple seeds comprising extractable and nonextractable procyanidins. Furthermore, the present work points out a strategy for the sustainable and complete exploitation of apple seeds as valuable agro-industrial byproducts, in particular as a rich source of phloridzin and antioxidant flavanols.     

Arbuscular mycorrhiza and soil nitrogen cycling

Nitrogen is a major nutrient that frequently limits primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, the physiological responses of plants to soil nitrogen (N) availability have been extensively investigated, and the study of the soil N-cycle has become an important component of ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry. The bulk of the literature in these areas has, however, overlooked the fact that most plants form mycorrhizal associations, and that nutrient uptake is therefore mediated by mycorrhizal fungi. It is well established that ecto- and ericoid mycorrhizas influence N nutrition of plants, but roles of arbuscular mycorrhizas in N nutrition are less well established; perhaps even more importantly, current conceptual models ignore possible influences of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on N-cycling processes. We review evidence for the interaction between the AM symbiosis with microbes and processes involved in soil N-cycling. We show that to date investigations have rather poorly addressed such interactions and discuss possible reasons for this. We outline mechanisms that could potentially operate with regards to AM fungal – N-cycling interactions, discuss experimental designs aimed at studying these, and conclude by pointing out priorities for future research.