Insect assemblages and their preference for Lupinus albus and L. luteus

peer-reviewedWhile lupin has undergone extensive research to ascertain its suitability for growth as forage or grain legume crop, the present trend is for research to be centered on its applicability in the seed protein and oil industry. Study of the literature showed that no intensive study of the lupin insect fauna had been carried out in Bulgaria. The purpose of this study was to identify the insect assemblages associated with Lupinus albus and L. luteus, as well as the insect preference for them. Thrips sampling was made by the tapping-method, aphids were directly counted on the plants and the composition and population density of other species were recorded by sweepings. Insect fauna was studied for the first time in Bulgaria. The fauna was represented on L. albus by 64 species, belonging to eight orders, 28 families and 57 genera, including 23 beetles, 25 hemipteras, five thrips, three butterflies, three bees, one leaf aphid, two grasshoppers, one leafminer and one green lacewing. L. luteus had similar species composition but was less preferred by insects. The use of lupin cultivars with shorter and intense reproductive periods, with a lower content of crude protein and phosphorus, would give an environmentally friendly protection against insect pests, which would be suitable for an organic production system

INVESTIGATION OF NOOTROPIC DRUGS (PYRAMEM AND OROCETAM) FOR THEIR TERATOGENIC EFFECT

The teratogenic effect of the nootropic drugs Pyramem and Orocetam on the skeleton and internal organs of rats was investigated. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated orally by 200 mg/kg b. m. Pyramem and 200 mg/kg b. m. Orocetam during the period of organogenesis since the 7th until 15th day of pregnancy. The effect of these preparations on the fetuses in terms of malformations, skeletal fragility and abnormalities in the internal organs (lungs, liver, spleen and kidneys) close to delivery (day 20-21) was analyzed. The nootropics Orocetam and Pyramem failed to prove to be embryotoxic agents at all

The Annelid Community of a Natural Deep-sea Whale Fall off Eastern Australia

In the deep ocean, whale falls (deceased whales that sink to the seafloor) act as a boost of productivity in this otherwise generally food-limited setting, nourishing organisms from sharks to microbes during the various stages of their decomposition. Annelid worms are habitual colonizers of whale falls, with new species regularly reported from these settings and their systematics helping to resolve biogeographic patterns among deep-sea organic fall environments. During a 2017 expedition of the Australian research vessel RV Investigator to sample bathyal to abyssal communities off Australia’s east coast, a natural whale fall was opportunistically trawled at ~1000 m depth. In this study, we provide detailed taxonomic descriptions of the annelids associated with this whale-fall community, using both morphological and molecular techniques. From this material we describe nine new species from five families (Dorvilleidae: Ophryotrocha dahlgreni sp. nov. Ophryotrocha hanneloreae sp. nov., Ophryotrocha ravarae sp. nov.; Hesionidae: Vrijenhoekia timoharai sp. nov.; Nereididae: Neanthes adriangloveri sp. nov., Neanthes visicete sp. nov.; Orbiniidae: Orbiniella jamesi sp. nov.), including two belonging to the bone-eating genus Osedax (Siboglinidae: Osedax waadjum sp. nov., Osedax byronbayensis sp. nov.) that are the first to be described from Australian waters. We further provide systematic accounts for 10 taxa within the Ampharetidae, Amphinomidae, Microphthalmidae, Nereididae, Orbiniidae, Phyllodocidae, Protodrilidae, Sphaerodoridae and Phascolosomatidae. Our investigations uncover unique occurrences and for the first time enable the evaluation of biogeographic links between Australian whale falls and others in the western Pacific as well as worldwide.Marine Biodiversity Hub, supported through the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program (NESP)UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) NE/R000670/1Ifremer Postdoctoral FellowshipChadwick Biodiversity Fellowship from the Australian MuseumAustralian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) RG18-2

Immobilization of Trichosporon cutaneum R 57 Cells onto Methylcellulose/SiO2 Hybrids and Biosorption of Cadmium and Copper Ions

Methylcellulose/Silica (MC/SiO2) hybrids were synthesized via poly step sol-gel method. SiO2 was included into the hybrids from two silica precursors - methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and ethyltrimethoxysilane (ETMS) with different quantity of organic part-5, 20 and 50 wt.%. The filamentous yeasts Trichosporon cutaneum strain R 57 was immobilized onto the synthesized MC/SiO2 hybrids. After immobilization the hybrid materials were used in the processes of sorption of cadmium and copper ions. The obtained results of protein content analysis indicated that the amount of protein increased with increasing of MC in the hybrids. It was established that the maximal efficiency of copper and cadmium removal were observed for hybrid materials containing MTES and 50 wt.% MC - 66% and 26% respectively. For ETMS and 50 wt.% MC a high value of copper removal was 56% and for cadmium - 45% removal, respectively. FTIR analysis of free and immobilized cells with metal ions was conducted. SEM images showed successful immobilization of the yeasts cells. Second order model was employed in order to investigate the kinetics of copper and cadmium biosorption

EFFECTS OF NEONATAL THYMECTOMY ON ERYTHROPOIESIS AND PLASMA ERYTHROPOIETIN IN PHENYLHYDRAZINE ANAEMIA IN RATS

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Fatty Liver Degeneration In Children: Association With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Fatty liver degeneration, also termed hepatic steatosis, is a condition in which lipids accumulate in the hepatocytes causing cellular dysfunction and eventually cell death. Hepatic steatosis is diagnosed histologically when liver fat exceeds more than 5% of the liver weight. In adults, fatty liver degeneration is typically associated with excessive alcohol intake as in alcoholic fatty liver disease or with sedentary lifestyle and high-calorie diet as in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). With the rise of obesity in recent decades, fatty liver disease has become the leading cause of chronic liver disease, not only in adults but in children as well. Besides liver disease, obesity is associated with several conditions among which is obstructive sleep apnea.The aim of this article is to review the pathogenesis of fatty liver degeneration focusing on NAFLD and its relationship with obstructive sleep apnea in children

Staggering behavior of the low lying excited states of even-even nuclei in a Sp(4,R) classification scheme

We implement a high order discrete derivative analysis of the low lying collective energies of even-even nuclei with respect to the total number of valence nucleon pairs N in the framework of F- spin multiplets appearing in a symplectic sp(4,R) classification scheme. We find that for the nuclei of any given F- multiplet the respective experimental energies exhibit a Delta N=2 staggering behavior and for the nuclei of two united neighboring F- multiplets well pronounced Delta N=1 staggering patterns are observed. Those effects have been reproduced successfully through a generalized sp(4,R) model energy expression and explained in terms of the step-like changes in collective modes within the F- multiplets and the alternation of the F-spin projection in the united neighboring multiplets. On this basis we suggest that the observed Delta N=2 and Delta N=1 staggering effects carry detailed information about the respective systematic manifestation of both high order alpha - particle like quartetting of nucleons and proton (neutron) pairing interaction in nuclei.PACS number(s):21.10.Re, 21.60.FwComment: 22 pages and 6 figures changes in the figure caption

CFTR Modulator Therapy For Cystic Fibrosis

IntroductionCystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting autosomal recessive condition in Caucasians, affecting the respiratory system, digestive tract and all exocrine glands. It is caused by a mutation in the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. The genetic analysis, in addition to diagnosis, serves to create a modern individual CFTR modulator therapy.Aim: The aim of this article is to do a presentation of products for CFTR modulator therapy, which are available worldwide; introduction to their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties; evaluation of the effect of their application.Materials: We have conducted a study of medical literature related to the products for CFTR modulator therapy and review of information on the topic.Results: The use of approved CFTR modulator therapy products in patients suitable for their use (specific genotype) results in an improvement in FEV1 values and body mass index and a reduction in the incidence of exacerbations in these patients.Conclusion: CFTR modulator therapy significantly improves the prognosis and quality of life of cystic fibrosis patients as a result of certain mutations in the CFTR gene. Quality care for other patients with other mutations is especially important so that they can benefit from personalized treatment in the future