Biological activity of Bacillus spp. evaluated on eggs and larvae of red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

This study was conducted to characterize the Bacillus populations associated with dead Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, to develop a biological control for the red palm weevil. Dead adult beetles, collected throughout Sicily, were used for isolating internal and external spore forming bacteria (SFB) microbiota. The isolates, preliminarily allotted to the Bacillaceae family, were tested at 4 concentrations (103 to 106 CFU/mL) for their ability to inhibit hatching of eggs of R. ferrugineus and were used at 106 CFU/mL to monitor their insecticidal activity against 10 day-old larvae. Total amounts of SFB measured outside the skeleton and in the inners part of the beetles were 5.59-6.94 and 5.17-7.05 Log CFU/g, respectively. Hatching was inhibited markedly by 9 isolates, representing 9 distinct strains of 7 species (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, and Lysinibacillus sphaericus), especially by the strains B. pumilus GC43 and GC51, which exhibited lethal concentrations 50 (LC50) values of 1.60 × 103 and 9.84 × 103 CFU/mL, respectively. Among all the strains tested, only B. licheniformis CG62 exhibited significant insecticidal activity against red palm weevil larvae. The Bacillus isolates characterized and tested in this study inhibited the hatching of red palm weevils in a contact-dependent manner. Thus, these isolates can be used as a preventive rather than as a curative treatment. Keywords Bacillus, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, hatching assays, larvae, Pal

The migratory birds: novel ecological niche of fungal diversity?

Francesca et al (2010) studied the ecology of wine yeasts associated to birds caught in vineyards. The same authors were able to prove that migratory birds might carry living pro-technological yeasts for about 12 hours from the ingestion of inoculated feed (Francesca et al 2012). In subsequent studies, they tried to demonstrate that microorganisms are not only transported for a short period by birds, but microorganisms might be adapted to the specific conditions (body temperature about 42 °C and low pH) of the intestinal tract of birds. Hence, it was demonstrated that the majority of isolates carried by birds are thermotolerant. The most interesting results were the isolation of two new species of thermotolerant yeasts, isolated from birds (Francesca et al 2013, 2014). Presently, the main scope of this work is to investigate an additional number of seven new species of thermotolerant yeasts isolated from migratory birds. Bird’s cloacae were analyzed for the presence of yeasts (Francesca et al 2012). All isolates were subjected to phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses as reported by Francesca et al (2014). Twenty four cultures belonging to the genera Candida and Aureobasidium were isolated from birds. The phylogenetic analysis of D1/D2 domain of 26S and ITS region of 5.8S rRNA genes placed the cultures of Candida and Aureobasidium in new lineages that differed conspicuously from their closest relatives, C. verbasci and A. pullulans, respectively. For our Candida isolates the phenotypic analyses showed several discrepancies in assimilation tests between our cultures and C. verbasci, as well as represent a novel ecological niche of new species of thermotolerant yeasts gathered

Efficacy and safety of dolutegravir and doravirine dual therapy in the context of antiretroviral therapy switch: 48 weeks analysis.

Dual therapy in HIV represents an attractive opportunity for HIV infected people in virologic suppression Dual therapy regimens should achieve and maintain viral suppression and immunologic control while minimizing short and long term AEs, improve adherence and convenience and reduce drug drug interactions and costs To date, there are few clinical data to support a dual regimen with dolutegravir and doravirine 1 The individual efficacy of both doravirine and dolutegravir suggests that concomitant administration of these two molecules as part of an NRTI sparing regimen could be a viable option, although to date there are no studies in the HIV infected population The aim of our study is to investigate whether a dual therapy regimen containing dolutegravir and doravirine is effective and saf

Exploring the Viability of Augmented Reality as a Supplementary Material for Learning Cell Biology and Photosynthesis for Grade 12 Students

Augmented reality (AR) is one of the many emerging digital technologies that specializes in gaming, medicine, entertainment, and education. AR-assisted technologies have undergone studies and were claimed to provide a better learning experience for students and lecturers who integrate its features in modern-day classrooms. An example is Google Expeditions, a cost-effective and accessible alternative; however, further research may be needed on such applications, especially when used solely as a supplement. This study assesses AR\u27s effects on Grade 12 students\u27 academic performance and motivation when used as a supplemental learning material for cell biology and photosynthesis. Assessment scores between those who used augmented reality and those who did not reveal a greater improvement in academic performance of the former group. Furthermore, students reported through the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) that they were motivated by the AR tours used during the experiment. These findings point to the potential benefit of integrating AR-based supplementary materials to promote student learning and motivation

Improving the Aromatic Profiles of Catarratto Wines: Impact of Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Glutathione-Rich Inactivated Yeasts

Catarratto is one of the most widely cultivated grape varieties in Sicily. It is an indigenous non-aromatic white grape variety. Despite its widespread use in winemaking, knowledge of the aroma and chemical and microbiological properties of Catarratto wines is quite limited. The influence of Metschnikowia pulcherrima combined with Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the aromatic expression of Catarratto wines was investigated with and without the addition of glutathione-rich inactivated yeast. The substance is a natural specific inactivated yeast with a guaranteed glutathione level used to limit oxidative processes. The aromatic profiles of the final wines were determined through analysis of the volatile organic compounds using a solid-phase microextraction technique that identified 26 aromatic compounds. The addition of M. pulcherrima in combination with the natural antioxidant undoubtedly increased the aromatic complexity of the wines. Dodecanal was exclusively detected in the wines processed with glutathione-rich inactivated yeasts. Furthermore, the presence of this natural antioxidant increased the concentration of six esters above the perception threshold. Sensory analysis was also performed with a panel of trained judges who confirmed the aromatic differences among the wines. These results suggest the suitability of glutathione-rich inactivated yeasts for determining the oxidative stability of Catarratto wines, thus preserving its aromatic compounds and colour

Relationship between physical attributes and heat stress in dairy cattle from different genetic groups.

Dairy cattle raised under harsh conditions have to adapt and prevent heat stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate physical characteristics and their association with heat tolerance in different genetic groups of dairy cattle. Thickness of the skin and coat, length and number of hairs, body measurements, as well as physiological parameters and body temperatures by infrared thermography were determined in 19 Holstein and 19 Girolando (½ and ¾ Holstein) cows. The Holstein cattle were less tolerant to heat stress than Girolando (GH50 and GH75 Holstein), because of the difficulty in dissipating heat due to the larger body size, as well as thicker and longer hairs. The correlations between physical characteristics, physiological parameters, and thermographic measurements prove to be inconsistent among genetic groups and therefore are not predictive of heat tolerance, while the regressions of morphometric characteristics on physiological and thermographic measures were not significant. Thus, the physical characteristics were not good predictors of physiological indices and thermographic temperature and so should not be used

Relationship between physical attributes and heat stress in dairy cattle from different genetic groups.

Dairy cattle raised under harsh conditions have to adapt and prevent heat stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate physical characteristics and their association with heat tolerance in different genetic groups of dairy cattle. Thickness of the skin and coat, length and number of hairs, body measurements, as well as physiological parameters and body temperatures by infrared thermography were determined in 19 Holstein and 19 Girolando (½ and ¾ Holstein) cows. The Holstein cattle were less tolerant to heat stress than Girolando (GH50 and GH75 Holstein), because of the difficulty in dissipating heat due to the larger body size, as well as thicker and longer hairs. The correlations between physical characteristics, physiological parameters, and thermographic measurements prove to be inconsistent among genetic groups and therefore are not predictive of heat tolerance, while the regressions of morphometric characteristics on physiological and thermographic measures were not significant. Thus, the physical characteristics were not good predictors of physiological indices and thermographic temperature and so should not be used

Neutrinos Angra experiment: commissioning and first operational measurements

The Neutrinos Angra Experiment has completed a major step by finishing the comissioning of the detector and the data acquisition system at the experimental site located in the Angra dos Reis nuclear power plant. The experiment consists of a water-based detector and associated electronics, both designed with the goal of detecting the electron antineutrinos produced by the nuclear reactor. The detection is possible due to the Inverse Beta Decay, where the final products in the water are photons in the UV-to-visible range of the spectrum. The assembled detector comprises three active volumes filled with water: (i) a cubic target detector for electron antineutrinos, covered by 32 8-inches PMTs, (ii) a lateral layer surrounding the target (veto) equipped with 4 PMTs and (iii) a third volume covering the top of both, also equipped with 4~PMTs. In the present document the main features of the detector assembly as well as the integration of the readout electronics on-site are reported. Finally, some operational characteristics are shown based on straightforward analysis of the first measurements performed during the last months with the fully working detector