Hybrid Variability and Effect of Growth Location on Corn Fiber Yields and Corn Fiber Oil Composition

The variability in commercial corn hybrids for corn fiber yields, amounts of extractable oil, and levels of individual and total phytosterol components in corn fiber oil was determined. Also, the effect of growth location on fiber yields, fiber oil content, and the levels of individual and total phytosterol compounds was determined. Significant variation was observed in the commercial hybrids for fiber yield (13.2–16.6%) and fiber oil yield (0.9–2.4%). No significant correlation was observed between fiber and oil yields. Significant variations in the commercial corn hybrids were also observed in the individual phytosterol compounds in corn fiber oil: 2.9–9.2% for ferulate phytosterol esters (FPE); 1.9–4.3% for free phytosterols (St); and 6.5–9.5% for phytosterol fatty acyl esters (St:E). Positive correlations were observed among the three phytosterol compounds in the corn fiber oil (R = 0.75 for FPE and St:E; 0.48 for St:E and St; and 0.68 for FPE and St). The effect of location on dependent variables was also significant. The same hybrids grown at different locations showed a variation (range) of 4.0–17.5% for FPE, 4.9–12.2% for St:E, and 1.95–4.45% for St. Relative ranking of hybrids with respect to phytosterol composition was consistent for almost all of the growth locations.     

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity of Rhamnan Sulfate from Monostroma nitidum

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major human health concern. The pathogen responsible for COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), invades its host through the interaction of its spike (S) protein with a host cell receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In addition to ACE2, heparan sulfate (HS) on the surface of host cells also plays a significant role as a co-receptor. Our previous studies demonstrated that sulfated glycans, such as heparin and fucoidans, show anti-COVID-19 activities. In the current study, rhamnan sulfate (RS), a polysaccharide with a rhamnose backbone from a green seaweed, Monostroma nitidum, was evaluated for binding to the S-protein from SARS-CoV-2 and inhibition of viral infectivity in vitro. The structural characteristics of RS were investigated by determining its monosaccharide composition and performing two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. RS inhibition of the interaction of heparin, a highly sulfated HS, with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (from wild type and different mutant variants) was studied using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). In competitive binding studies, the IC₅₀ of RS against the S-protein receptor binding domain (RBD) binding to immobilized heparin was 1.6 ng/mL, which is much lower than the IC₅₀ for heparin (~750 ng/mL). RS showed stronger inhibition than heparin on the S-protein RBD or pseudoviral particles binding to immobilized heparin. Finally, in an in vitro cell-based assay, RS showed strong antiviral activities against wild type SARS-CoV-2 and the delta variant.     

Updated distribution and host records for the argasid tick Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) zumpti: A potential vector of African swine fever virus in South Africa

African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a lethal and contagious disease of domestic pigs. In South Africa, the virus historically circulated in warthogs and ornithodorid ticks that were only found in warthog burrows in the north of the country. Regulations implemented in 1935 to prevent transfer of infected animals or products to the south initially proved effective but from 2016 there have been outbreaks of disease in the south that cannot be traced to transfer of infection from the north. From 1963 there were widespread translocations of warthogs to the south, initially from a source considered to be free of ornithodorid ticks. We undertook to determine whether sylvatic circulation of ASFV occurs in the south, including identification of potential new vectors, through testing extralimital warthogs for antibody and ticks for virus. Results of testing warthogs for antibody and other species of ticks for virus will be presented separately. Here we report finding Ornithodoros (Pavlovskyella) zumpti ticks in warthog burrows for the first time. This occurred in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) in 2019. Since African swine fever was recognised in the ECP for the first time in 2020 and outbreaks of the disease in domestic pigs continue to occur there, priority should be given to determining the distribution range and vector potential of O. (P.) zumpti for ASFV.     

Communication to the Editor Insecticide Resistance in a Strain of Aphis gossypii from Southern France

A strain (R) of Aphis gossypii from Southern France was found to be resistant to several insecticides, particularly to pirimicarb, as compared to a susceptible strain (S). Resistance levels were determined by biological tests, and the highest resistance factor (1350) was for pirimicarb. Resistance was mainly restricted to anticholinesterase inhibitors. Use of synergists, DEF and PB, suggested that resistance mechanisms based on detoxification were involved to a minor extent, since a good correlation was observed between I₅₀ values and k_i values of AChE and in-vivo bioassay data. The two strains differed in esterase activity, with a 27·7-fold increase in the R strain. Resolution of esterases by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed different patterns in the S and R strains, and two isozymes were less sensitive to pirimicarb in the S strain; however, no in-vitro degradation of [¹⁴C]pirimicarb was observed. These data suggest that the main mechanism of resistance was through a decrease in the sensitivity of the target, AChE, to the insecticides. © 1997 SCI.     

Engineered baculoviruses for pest control

The present situation with regard to the use of baculoviruses in insect control is outlined. By virtue of their high degree of host specificity, they offer considerable advantages over chemical insecticides, but their practical use is limited by a number of factors, particularly their slow speed of action. Various approaches to the genetic modification of baculoviruses to overcome these problems are described. These have resulted in improvements in insecticidal activity in laboratory trials which are now being confirmed in the field. Thus, genetically modified baculoviruses have a promising future in pest-control programmes. Our increasing knowledge of the genetic factors which regulate their behaviour is showing how other aspects of their performance may be controlled and exploited. ©1997 SCI     

Effect of Barley β-Glucan in Durum Wheat Pasta on Human Glycemic Response

High-fiber, high-carbohydrate diets, including foods with low glycemic index, have been associated with prevention and treatment of diseases such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. β-glucan, a soluble, viscous polymer found in oat and barley endosperm cell wall, was incorporated into pasta test meals. Five fasted adult subjects were fed test meals of a barley and durum wheat blend pasta containing 100 g of available carbohydrate, 30 g of total dietary fiber (TDF) and 12 g of β-glucan, or an all durum wheat pasta containing the same amount of available carbohydrate, 5 g of TDF, and negligible β-glucan. The β-glucan and durum wheat pasta resulted in a lower glycemic response as measured by average total area and maximum increment of the blood glucose curves. Lower insulin response to the β-glucan and durum wheat pasta was also indicated by lower average area and increment characteristics of the insulin curves. Barley β-glucans may be an economical and palatable ingredient for processed food products formulated to modify glycemic and insulin response.     

Modelling selective breeding in protandrous,batch‐reared Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer,Bloch) using walkback selection

A bioeconomic simulation model for Lates calcarifer predicted that a strategy involving crossing current generation males with previous generation females would be a practical, effective and profitable way of dealing with protandry when batch rearing for selective breeding to improve the growth rate. The strategy allowed earlier initialization and more frequent ongoing rounds of selection, and resulted in a 16–19% higher overall response, than an alternative where each generation's males were crossed with the same generation's females. The strategy also yielded the highest short‐term benefit–cost ratio (13:1 versus 7:1 after 8 years of selective breeding) and the highest short‐ and long‐term value for participants in a breeding cooperative (a net present value of AU$28 million and an internal rate of return of 144% over 10 years), due to higher yields per fixed costs of production per unit area and due to savings in feed costs per kilogram of production. Breeding facilities of scale producing 50 full‐sibling families per generation were found to be more profitable than those producing 100 families.     

Measuring fish catch and consumption: Practical methods for small‐scale fisheries based on length as an alternative to weight‐based approaches

Small‐scale fisheries are recognised as making important contributions to nutrition and economic development despite a lack of accurate quantitative information on catches and consumption. While direct measurement remains the most appropriate way of collecting such data, it is impractical at large scales. Instead, household surveys based upon informant recall of fish caught and/or consumed are frequently used. However, the accuracy of weight recall by informants (even over short recall periods) has not been established. Using data from household surveys, the accuracy and precision of catch and consumption estimates derived from: (a) asking informants to recall weights of fish caught and (b) asking respondents to recall lengths of fish caught and converting to weight were tested. Length‐based methods, using visual aids to assist recall, were more accurate, precise and correctable. These methods could be useful for catch estimation, especially where fish are processed, sold or consumed shortly after capture.     

Multi‐decadal climate and fishing predictors of abundance for U.S. South Atlantic coastal fishes and invertebrates

Abundance of marine stocks fluctuates in response to both internal processes (e.g., density dependence) and exogenous drivers, including the physical environment, fishing, and trophodynamic interactions. In the United States, research investigating ecosystem drivers has been focused in data‐rich systems, primarily in the North Atlantic and North Pacific. To develop a more holistic understanding of important ecosystem drivers in the Southeast U.S. continental shelf Large Marine Ecosystem, we applied generalized linear and dynamic linear modeling to investigate the effects of climate and fishing covariates on the relative abundance trends of 71 demersal fish and invertebrate species sampled by a coastal trawl survey during 1990–2013. For the assemblage as a whole, fishing effects predominated over climate effects. In particular, changes in trawling effort within the penaeid shrimp fishery governed abundance trends of bony fishes, invertebrates, and elasmobranchs, a likely result of temporal changes in bycatch mortality. Changes in trawling intensity induced changes in overall community composition and appear to have altered trophic interactions among particular species. Among climate indices investigated, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the Western Bermuda High Index were most prevalent in well‐supported dynamic linear models. Observed annual abundance trends were synchronous among some taxonomically related species, highlighting similar responses to exogenous influences based on life history. This study strengthens the foundation for generating hypotheses and advancing ecosystem‐based fisheries research within the region.     

Soil physical characteristics of peat soils

Drainage and intensive use of fens lead to alterations in the physical characteristics of peat soils. This was demonstrated using parameters of water balance (available water capacity) and the evaluated unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Deriving the distribution of the pore size from the water retention curve was flawed because of shrinkage due to drainage, especially at high soil water potentials. These errors became greater as the peat was less influenced by soil‐genetic processes. The water retention curves (desorption) evaluated in the field and the laboratory satisfactorily corresponded. However, the wetting‐ and drainage‐curves obtained in the field differed up to 30 vol.‐% water content at same soil water potentials. These differences were largely due to a wetting inhibition.