Thrips-tospovirus interactions: biological and molecular implications

The occurrence of thrips vectors in considerable numbers enables their functioning in a dual role as vectors and as direct crop pests. The resistance of thrips to pesticides has enabled quick transmission of viruses, the transient nature of their populations being essentially responsible for the infection. The feeding behaviour of thrips contributes in a large measure towards their ability to act as vectors, enabling leaf-to-leaf transmission of the tospoviruses. The specific association of the tospoviruses and thrips vectors, particularly relating to the molecular profiles, needs increasing scrutiny to come to proper conclusions. A better understanding of the nature of virus multiplication and the pathways leading to their entry into the salivary glands and the ability of the second instar larvae to inoculate plants need further inputs. The intraspecific diversity of thrips vectors as a result of population studies from various parts of the country, would further enable a better understanding of the ability of each species to transfer the virus, besides better appreciation of the chemical ecology of thrips-host-plant interaction, not to mention the relevance of serodiagnosis in detecting disease or health

Kairomones of Heliothis armigera and Corcyra cephalonica and their influence on the parasitic potential of Trichogramma chilonis (Trichogrammatidae: Hymenoptera)

Kairomones from moth scales tend to influence the parasitic potential byTrichogramma chilonis Ishii. Hexatriacontane, pentacosane, heptadecane, docosane and 2, 6, l0-dodecatrienal-3, 7, 11-trimethyl were identified from the active moth scale extract ofHeliothis armigera Hubner (its natural host) andCorcyra cephalonica Stainton (a laboratory host). The significance of an array of compounds from moth scales with kairomonal activity for manipulating entomophagous insects in biological control programmes is discussed

Character and spatial distribution of OH/H<SUB>2</SUB>O on the surface of the moon seen by M<SUP>3</SUP> on Chandrayaan-1

The search for water on the surface of the anhydrous Moon had remained an unfulfilled quest for 40 years. However, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) on Chandrayaan-1 has recently detected absorption features near 2.8 to 3.0 micrometers on the surface of the Moon. For silicate bodies, such features are typically attributed to hydroxyl- and/or water-bearing materials. On the Moon, the feature is seen as a widely distributed absorption that appears strongest at cooler high latitudes and at several fresh feldspathic craters. The general lack of correlation of this feature in sunlit M3 data with neutron spectrometer hydrogen abundance data suggests that the formation and retention of hydroxyl and water are ongoing surficial processes. Hydroxyl/water production processes may feed polar cold traps and make the lunar regolith a candidate source of volatiles for human exploration

Towards a Rosetta Stone for translating data between information systems

This article was accepted for publication in the journal, Business Information Review [Sage Publications / © The Authors]. The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0266382115616235Information systems are an important organizational asset and offer numerous benefits. However, organizations face continued challenges when upgrading ageing information systems, and the data contained within, to newer platforms. This article explores, through conversations with information systems professionals in four organizations, the potential development of a ‘Rosetta Stone’, which can translate data between systems and be used to help overcome various challenges associated with their modernization. Despitemixed feedback regarding theRosetta Stone concept from interviewees, solutions highlighted in literature combinedwith participant feedback presented theories for its development, primarily as a tool to enable meaningful interpretation of data, rather than direct translation. The conclusion reflects on data collected to recommend a framework for how the tool might be developed and has the potential to be of significant interest to practitioners, open-source communities and organizations

Alternative low-cost adsorbent for water and wastewater decontamination derived from eggshellwaste: an overview

As the current global trend towards more stringent environmental standards, technical applicability and cost-effectiveness became key factors in the selection of adsorbents for water and wastewater treatment. Recently, various low-cost adsorbents derived from agricultural waste, industrial by-products or natural materials, have been intensively investigated. In this respect, the eggshells from egg-breaking operations constitute significant waste disposal problems for the food industry, so the development of value-added by-products from this waste is to be welcomed. The egg processing industry is very competitive, with low profit margins due to global competition and cheap imports. Additionally, the costs associated with the egg shell disposal (mainly on landfill sites) are significant, and expected to continue increasing as landfill taxes increase. The aim of the present review is to provide an overview on the development of low-cost adsorbents derived from eggshell by-products

Inhibition of protein ubiquitination by paraquat and 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium impairs ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation pathways

Intracytoplasmic inclusions of protein aggregates in dopaminergic cells (Lewy bodies) are the pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Ubiquitin (Ub), alpha [α]-synuclein, p62/sequestosome 1 and oxidized proteins are major components of Lewy bodies. However, the mechanisms involved in the impairment of misfolded/oxidized protein degradation pathways in PD are still unclear. PD is linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and environmental pesticide exposure. In this work, we evaluated the effect of the pesticide paraquat (PQ) and the mitochondrial toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) on Ub-dependent protein degradation pathways. No increase in the accumulation of Ub-bound proteins or aggregates was observed in dopaminergic cells (SK-N-SH) treated with PQ or MPP+, or in mice chronically exposed to PQ. PQ decreased Ub protein content, but not its mRNA transcription. Protein synthesis inhibition with cycloheximide depleted Ub levels and potentiated PQ–induced cell death. Inhibition of proteasomal activity by PQ was found to be a late event in cell death progression, and had no effect on either the toxicity of MPP+ or PQ, or the accumulation of oxidized sulfenylated, sulfonylated (DJ-1/PARK7 and peroxiredoxins) and carbonylated proteins induced by PQ. PQ- and MPP+-induced Ub protein depletion prompted the dimerization/inactivation of the Ub-binding protein p62 that regulates the clearance of ubiquitinated proteins by autophagic. We confirmed that PQ and MPP+ impaired autophagy flux, and that the blockage of autophagy by the overexpression of a dominant-negative form of the autophagy protein 5 (dnAtg5) stimulated their toxicity, but there was no additional effect upon inhibition of the proteasome. PQ induced an increase in the accumulation of α-synuclein in dopaminergic cells and membrane associated foci in yeast cells. Our results demonstrate that inhibition of protein ubiquitination by PQ and MPP+ is involved in the dysfunction of Ub-dependent protein degradation pathways