Comparison of two swine Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detection of antibodies from vaccinated pigs and field serum samples.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyo) causes mycoplasmal pneumonia, an economically important disease of swine. Serodiagnosis of Mhyo is based on the current available commercial enzyme immunoassays for detection of swine antibodies against Mhyo, which are the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the blocking ELISA (B-ELISA). Because of the limited information available for these ELISAs, these 2 assays were compared by testing 347 serum samples collected from vaccinated pigs at 0, 13, 28, 43, and 62 days postimmunization (DPI), 50 samples from nonvaccinated pigs, and 1,013 field serum samples. The results of comparison study showed that the specificity for both ELISAs was 99.2% generated from 139 non-vaccinated negative samples. The sensitivities for indirect ELISA generated from samples collected from animals that received the vaccine at DPI 13, 28, 43, and 62 were 0%, 95.7%, 88.4%, and 92.6%, respectively, whereas the sensitivities for B-ELISA were 0%, 98%, 100%, and 97%, respectively. The overall agreement of 96.7% and 80.3% was generated between 2 ELISAs from negative and vaccinated pigs and from field samples, respectively.     

Linagliptin Protects Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells against Amyloid-β Cytotoxicity via the Activation of Wnt1 and Suppression of IL-6 Release

Background:Alzheimer’s disease is one of the neurodegenerative disorders typified by the aggregate of Aβ and phosphorylated tau protein. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, because of Aβ peptides, are strongly involved in the pathophysiology of AD. Linagliptin shows neuroprotective properties against AD pathological processes through alleviation of neural inflammation and AMPK activation. Methods:We assessed the benefits of linagliptin pretreatment (at 10, 20, and 50 nM concentrations), against Aβ1-42 toxicity (20 μM) in SH-SY5Y cells. The concentrations of secreted cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, and signaling proteins, including pCREB, Wnt1, and PKCε, were quantified by ELISA. Results:We observed that Aβ led to cellular inflammation, which was assessed by measuring inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6). Moreover, Aβ1-42 treatment impaired pCREB, PKCε, and Wnt1 signaling in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Addition of Linagliptin significantly reduced IL-6 levels in the lysates of cells, treated with Aβ1-42. Furthermore, linagliptin prevented the downregulation of Wnt1 in Aβ1-42-treated cells exposed. Conclusion: The current findings reveal that linagliptin alleviates Aβ1-42-induced inflammation in SH-SY5Y cells, probably through the suppression of IL-6 release, and some of its benefits are mediated through the activation of the Wnt1 signaling pathway. Key Words: Alzheimer disease, Interleukin-6, Linagliptin, Wnt1 protein     

Investigating the cytotoxic and apoptosis inducing effects of monoterpenoid stylosin in vitro

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic and anticancer activities of stylosin, a monoterpene extracted from an edible plant, Ferula ovina, on 5637 and HFF3 cells using MTT and comet assays and DAPI staining.To assess stylosin effects, cells were cultured in the presence of various concentrations of stylosin during three days; the IC₅₀ of stylosin on cancerous 5637 cells was less than its value on HFF3 normal cells, indicating that it might have anticancer properties. Investigating the mechanism of stylosin action revealed that it quickly induced DNA lesions and increased the number of apoptotic cells.     

Time consumption, productivity, and cost analysis of the motor manual tree felling and processing in the Hyrcanian Forest in Iran

An empirical time study was conducted to evaluate the per- formance of the current felling and tree processing methods used in Northern Iran’s Hyrcanian forest. Motor-manual felling is done mostly in winter, while tree processing starts when the felling season ends. We identified the elements of felling and processing work phases, and 142 cycles and 110 cycles were respectively recorded for felling and proc- essing. On the basis of data analysis (time study), we developed statisti- cal models of effective time consumption in the respective work phase and for its total productivity. The production rate of felling with and without delay time was 9.7 and 11.65 trees per hour (0.17 USD·m -3 and 0.21 USD·m -3 ), and the average production cost with and without delay was 1.21 USD and 1.45 USD per tree, respectively. The average produc- tivity of processing was 35 m 3 per effective hour and the average unit cost of processing was 0.22 USD·m -3 .     

Hsp90 gene, an additional target for discrimination between the potato cyst nematodes, Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida, and the related species, G. tabacum tabacum

The heat-shock gene, Hsp90, was targeted as a new variable genomic region to supplement other DNA-based tests for identification and discrimination of Globodera pallida, G. rostochiensis and G. tabacum tabacum. Populations of the potato cyst nematodes, G. pallida and G. rostochiensis (PCN), originating from Canada, France, Belgium and USA, together with two populations of G. tabacum tabacum from the USA and France were used for the amplification of a fragment of the Hsp90 gene. General and specific primers and probes for each species were derived from the consensus and non-consensus regions of the aligned sequences, respectively. A triplex conventional PCR assay, using a general forward and reverse or three specific reverse primers, as well as a real-time PCR using general primers and specific TaqMan probes, were developed. Melting curve analysis and restriction fragment polymorphisms using high resolution electrophoresis were explored for identifying PCR amplicons that characterized and discriminated the three Globodera species in both pure and mixed samples. Results from the different molecular assay strategies confirmed the usefulness of Hsp90 as a new additional gene target and showed that several different test options could be used for discrimination of PCN.     

Comparison between artificial neural network and response surface methodology in the prediction of the production rate of polyacrylonitrile electrospun nanofibers

This paper focused on using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) to analyze production rate of electrospun nanofibers. The three important electrospinning factors were studied including polymer concentration (wt %), applied voltage (kV) and the nozzle-collector distance (cm). The predicted production rates were in agreement with the experimental results in both ANN and RSM techniques. High regression coefficient between the variables and the response (R ²=0.975) indicates excellent evaluation of experimental data by second-order polynomial regression model. The regression coefficient was 0.988, which indicates that the ANN model was shows good fitting with experimental data. The obtained results indicate that the performance of ANN was better than RSM. It was concluded that applied voltage plays an important role (relative importance of 42.8 %) against production rate of electrospun nanofibers. The RSM model predicted the 2802.3 m/min value of the highest production rate at conditions of 15 wt % polymer concentration, 16 kV of the applied voltage, and 15 cm of nozzle-collector distance. The predicted value showed only 4.4 % difference with experimental results in which 2931.0 m/min at the same setting was observed.     

Lipophilic extractives in different tree fractions and forestry assortments of Pinus sylvestris due for thinning or final cutting

The objectives were to determine the content and composition of lipophilic extractives, particularly fatty and resin acids, in three Scots pine trees from each of two stands in northern Sweden, one that was due for thinning and one due for final cutting. Extractives content of branches, needles, barks, stem discs from branch whorls, and sapwood and heartwood samples from various heights was measured. Fractions had very different concentrations and distributions of extractives due to differences in the composition of tissues. The needles had the highest total extractive concentration (around 150?kg/ton d.w.), followed by the branches, bark, timber from the final cut stand, and then the pulpwood and timber from the thinning stand. The final cut stand generally provided higher yields of extractives in assortments per hectare than the thinning stand; the difference was five-fold for timber, three-fold for whole trees, two-fold for branches, needles and bark and similar for pulpwood. This information on the content and composition of extractives in different tissues, and the dependence of these quantities on tree age could be used together with information on conventional stand data such as tree numbers and dimensions to guide the selection and management of feedstocks for biorefineries.     

Combined effects of soil texture and machine operating trail gradient on changes in forest soil physical properties during ground-based skidding

Wood extraction by heavy machinery has always been associated with soil disturbance in mountain forests,and the degree of soil degradation is influenced by several factors,including site and soil characteristics,soil moisture,type of equipment used,and number of machine passes.The effects of ground-based skidding operations on the physical properties of soils with different texture were evaluated at different levels of traffic frequency and trail gradient at two sites in an Iranian temperate forest.The treatments included combinations of three different traffic frequencies(3,8,and 14 passes of a rubber-tired cable skidder),three levels of trail gradient(10%,10%–20%,and20%) and two soil texture classes,clay loam(Site 1) and sandy loam(Site 2).The average gravimetric soil moisture at the time of skidding was 23%(Site 1) and 20%(Site 2).The average dry bulk density and total porosity of the undisturbed soil(control) were0.71 g cm~(-3) and 73.3% at Site 1(clay loam) and 0.86 g cm~(-3)and 59.1% at Site 2(sandy loam),respectively.At site 1(fine-textured soil),rutting began after three passes of the skidder,whereas at site 2(coarse-textured soil),rutting occurred only after eight passes.Independent of the traffic frequency and trail gradient,machine impact on the fine-textured soil caused greater increases in bulk density and rut depth compared to that on the coarse-textured soil.After three skidder passes and independent from trail gradients,dry bulk density at Site 1 increased by 54.8% compared to that of the undisturbed control,and the increase was 45.5% at Site 2.Therefore,medium to fine-textured soils are more susceptible to compaction than coarse-textured soils.Such soils,especially when moist,should be protected using brush mats created from harvesting residues during the forest processing phase.