Report of one genus and species of Ascidae (Acari) from Iran

During 1995-1997, a faunistic survey was carried out on spider mites and their predacious mites in Urmieh region, Iran. A total of 15 species belonging to 7 families and 13 genera were collected and identified, of which one genus and species is a new record for Iran (marked by two asterisks), and 6 species are new records for West Azerbaijan province (marked one asterisks)

Biology and demography of the dubas bug, Ommatissus lybicus (Hem.: Tropiduchidae), at three constant temperatures

Biology and demography of Ommatissus lybicus de Bergevin was studied under controlled conditions at 25 ± 1, 30 ± 1 and 35 ± 1ËC and 60 ± 5% RH and 16: 8 L: D. Forty eggs of the pest (0-24 h old) were used in each temperature treatment. Developmental time was obtained 82.48 ± 0.72, 75.79 ± 0.55 and 89.85 ± 0.71 days at 25, 30 and 35ËC, respectively. Moreover, at 35ËC, most of the biological activities of the dubas bug were disrupted and individuals, especially females, incurred relatively high mortalities. Female life span was significantly higher at 25ËC (108.21 ± 1.33 days) comparing to that of the other temperatures. The net reproductive rate (R0) was 45.93 and 52.31 at 25 and 30ËC; however, it extremely decreased at 35ËC (5.82). The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was 0.054, 0.062 and 0.029 at 25, 30 and 35ËC, respectively. Similarly, doubling time (DT) was also close at 25 and 30ËC (14.2 vs 12.3 days) but it increased dramatically at 35ËC (29.27 days). Based on life table parameters observed, it was concluded that 30ËC could be an optimum temperature for the biological activities of O. lybicus

Report of four hymenopteran species of Eulophidae, parasitoids of Liriomyza trifolii (Dip.:Agromyzidae) in Shiraz, Iran

A survey was conducted to identify parasitoids of vegetable leafminer, Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess), in Shiraz region from April 2004 to September 2005. A total of eight eulophid species, viz. Baryscapus impeditus Nees*, Closterocerus formosus Westwood, Diaulinopsis arenaria Erdos*, Diglyphus crassinervis Erdos, Diglyphus isaea Walker, Diglyphus pulchripes Crawford*, Hemiptarsenus zilahisebessi Eros and Ratzeburgiola cristatus Ratzeburg* were collected, of which the four species marked with an asterisk are new records for Iran

Effects of gluten powder on the quality of wheat flour spaghetti cooked in distilled or salted water

To improve the quality of spaghetti produced from low protein wheat flour, gluten powder was added at 0.5, 1.5 and 3% (w/w). These samples were cooked in distilled or salted water (2% NaCl). The results showed that addition of gluten reduced cooking loss and increased water absorption. These parameters increased further when salt was added to the cooking water. With increasing the gluten powder, the color of the dried and cooked samples became darker and more yellow. Addition of salt reduced the lightness, while it increased the yellowness of the samples. Increasing the gluten level decreased the adhesiveness, while it increased the cohesiveness, elasticity and breaking strength of the cooked samples. A positive correlation between adhesiveness and cooking loss was found (R2=0.94) while other textural parameters had negative correlation with cooking loss (R2=0.99). According to the taste panel, a sample containing 3% gluten powder cooked in salted water was recognized as the best. Practical Applications: This study shows an easy and applicable method of improving the quality of pasta made from low protein wheat flour using gluten powder. Different aspects of pasta quality including cooking, textural and sensory attributes were considered in this study. Hence, the findings may be useful for pasta producers in some parts of the world where ordinary wheat flour is the most available type of flour for pasta production

Protective Properties of Rydingia Persica in Reproductive Complications Induced by Diabetes in Male Rats: an Experimental Study

Background: In Iranian traditional medicine, Rydingia persica (R.P) is commonly used to treat diabetes mellitus (DM). Objective: We assessed the protective effects of R.P against testis and epididymis oxidative stress and the hormonal changes induced by DM. Materials and Methods: Forty male Wistar rats (12 wk old) weighing 230-270 gr were divided into five groups (n = 8/each): 1. Control (C); 2. diabetic (D); 3. diabetic + R.P200 (D+R200); 4. diabetic + R.P400 (D+R400); and 5. diabetic + R.P600 (D+R600). Groups C and D received 2 ml of normal saline orally daily for two wk and groups D+R200, D+R400, and D+R600 received 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg body weight of R.P powder, respectively, orally daily for two wk. DM was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at 60 mg/kg body weight. We assessed malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, hydrogen peroxide, and glutathione in both the testis and epididymis and also the histological changes of the testis. Results: Diabetic rats showed a significantly increased and decreased level of oxidant and antioxidant factors, respectively, and a significantly lower level of serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone than the control group. In the histological study of the testis, deteriorations were observed. Treatment with R.P reversed these changes toward the state of the control group with the highest effectiveness shown by group D+R600. Conclusion: The data obtained suggest that R.P powder has antioxidant effects on testis and epididymis tissues in diabetic rats and that it improves histological testicular structure in diabetics. It can also correct testosterone and luteinizing hormone changes induced by DM. Key words: Diabetes mellitus, Rydingia persica, Oxidative stress, Reproductive, Testosterone

Khanjani, M., Yazyanpanah, S., Ostovan, H. & Fayaz, B.A. (2012) Three new species of the genus Tycherobius Bolland (Acari: Camerobiidae) from Iran. Zootaxa 3266: 23-40

KHANJANI, M., YAZYANPANAH, S., OSTOVAN, H., FAYAZ, B. A. (2012): Khanjani, M., Yazyanpanah, S., Ostovan, H. & Fayaz, B.A. (2012) Three new species of the genus Tycherobius Bolland (Acari: Camerobiidae) from Iran. Zootaxa 3266: 23-40. Zootaxa 3302 (1): 68, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3302.1.6, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3302.1.

Synthesis of lab-in-a-pipette-tip extraction using hydrophilic nano-sized dummy molecularly imprinted polymer for purification and analysis of prednisolone.

A novel pipette-tip based on nano-sized dummy molecularly imprinted polymer (PT-DMIP) assisted by ultrasonication for the effective enrichment and analysis of prednisolone from urine samples was developed. The PT-DMIP cartridge was prepared by packing the dummy molecularly imprinted polymer at the tip of the micropipette. The polymerization used betamethasone (BM) as the dummy template, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (APTMS) as the functionalized monomer, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as the cross-linker and aluminum ion (Al(3+)) as a dopant to produce Lewis acid sites in the silica matrix for metal coordinative interactions with the analyte. Compared to conventional solid phase extraction (SPE), the PT-DMIP is cost-effective, fast, and easy to handle, while the system is very approachable and reduces the consumption of toxic organic solvent. HPLC-UV analysis revealed successful applicability of the sorbent for highly efficient extraction of perdnisolone from urine matrices. The extraction recovery was investigated and optimum conditions were obtained using central composite design. Good linearity for prednisolone in the range of 0.22-220µgL(-1) with regression coefficients of 0.99 reveals high applicability of the method for trace analysis. Under the optimized conditions, the recoveries are 89.0-96.1 with relative standard deviations (RSD) of less than 9.0%