Effectiveness of GF-120 NF Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait Spray against Different Ages of Melon Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Females When Applied to Border Crops of Various Widths

GF-120 NF Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait was evaluated for its effectiveness to prevent melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett), females of various ages from ovipositing in cucumber patches with border crops of different widths. Cohorts of color-marked, protein-fed females, eclosed after 1, 2, or 4 weeks, were released from sites outside sorghum, (Sudax bicolor x S. bicolor var. sudanense) borders 1, 2, or 4 rows deep (30, 90, and 135 cm in width, respectively). Capture rates of female B. cucurbitae were higher for 2- and 4-week-old than for 1-week-old females. Borders sprayed with GF-120 NF Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait were effective at preventing released sexually- mature 4-wk-old females from reaching the cucumber patches only when in association with the widest border (135 cm) treatment. Our findings suggest that for maximum effectiveness against host-seeking female B. cucurbitae, GF-120 NF Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait should be applied to broader swaths of sorghum planted as a border crop

Terrain surfaces and 3-D landcover classification from small footprint full-waveform lidar data: application to badlands

This article presents the use of new remote sensing data acquired from airborne fullwaveform lidar systems. They are active sensors which record altimeter profiles. This paper introduces a set of methodologies for processing these data. These techniques 5 are then applied to a particular landscape, the badlands, but the methodologies are designed to be applied to any other landscape. Indeed, the knowledge of an accurate topography and a landcover classification is a prior knowledge for any hydrological and erosion model. Badlands tend to be the most significant areas of erosion in the world with the highest erosion rate values. Monitoring and predicting erosion within 10 badland mountainous catchments is highly strategic due to the arising downstream consequences and the need for natural hazard mitigation engineering. Additionaly, beyond the altimeter information, full-waveform lidar data are processed to extract intensity and width of echoes. They are related to the target reflectance and geometry. Wa will investigate the relevancy of using lidar-derived Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) and 15 to investigate the potentiality of the intensity and width information for 3-D landcover classification. Considering the novelty and the complexity of such data, they are presented in details as well as guidelines to process them. DTMs are then validated with field measurements. The morphological validation of DTMs is then performed via the computation of hydrological indexes and photo-interpretation. Finally, a 3-D landcover classification is performed using a Support Vector Machine classifier. The introduction of an ortho-rectified optical image in the classification process as well as full-waveform lidar data for hydrological purposes is then discussed

Estudo morfoanatômico comparativo entre a poaia (Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) Stokes - Rubiaceae) obtida da região Amazônica (habitat original) e proveniente de processo biotecnológico submetida a diferentes tratamentos de interceptação da radiação solar.

A poaia ou ipeca (Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) Stokes.-Rubiaceae) apesar de seu valor farmacológico e sócio-econômico é cada vez menos freqüente no seu habitat. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar o estudo comparativo dos aspectos morfoanatômicos entre a espécie originária da Amazônia Brasileira e a obtida in vitro submetidas a diferentes tratamentos de interceptação de radiação solar, visando, desta forma, dar suporte a estudos com fins de preservação, cultivo, validação farmacognóstica/farmacopéica e ampliar o conhecimento biotecnológico desta espécie. A espécie nativa foi obtida de fragmento de mata (fase vegetativa) e empregada para micropropagação através do cultivo in vitro de fragmentos de segmentos internodais sobre meio de cultivo Murashige & Skoog com o regulador de crescimento BAP (2,0 mg/l de meio). Obtiveram-se plântulas que foram transferidas para casa de vegetação por 2 anos sob dois tipos de ambiente e três diferentes tratamentos de interceptação da radiação solar. Foi feito o estudo morfoanatômico, analisado estatisticamente. Verifica-se que as plantas originadas por processo biotecnológico e submetidas aos diferentes tratamentos apresentam morfologia semelhante à planta nativa, no entanto constatou-se um maior número de raízes secundárias, não há diferença significativa entre larguras e comprimentos de folhas, comprimento de raízes, estípulas, peso de raízes e rizomas. Mas, observou-se diferença estatística no comprimento do caule em relação à nativa

Increased hypolipidemic benefits of cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid in combination with trans-11 vaccenic acid in a rodent model of the metabolic syndrome, the JCR:LA-cp rat

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Conjugated linoleic acid (<it>cis</it>-9, <it>trans</it>-11 CLA) and <it>trans</it>-11 vaccenic acid (VA) are found naturally in ruminant-derived foods. CLA has been shown to have numerous potential health related effects and has been extensively investigated. More recently, we have shown that VA has lipid-lowering properties associated with reduced hepatic lipidogenesis and chylomicron secretion in the JCR:LA<it>-cp </it>rat. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential additional hypolipidemic effects of purified forms of CLA and VA in an animal model of the metabolic syndrome (the JCR:LA-<it>cp </it>rat).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Twenty four obese JCR:LA-<it>cp </it>rats were randomized and assigned to one of three nutritionally adequate iso-caloric diets containing 1% w/w cholesterol and 15% w/w fat for 16 wk: 1) control diet (CD), 2) 1.0% w/w <it>cis</it>-9, <it>trans</it>-11 CLA (CLA), 3) 1.0% w/w VA and 1% w/w <it>cis</it>-9, <it>trans</it>-11 CLA (VA+CLA). Lean rats were fed the CD to represent normolipidemic conditions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fasting plasma triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were reduced in obese rats fed either the CLA diet or the VA+CLA diet as compared to the obese control group (p < 0.05, p < 0.001; p < 0.001, p < 0.01; p < 0.01, p < 0.001, respectively). The VA+CLA diet reduced plasma TG and LDL-cholesterol to the level of the normolipidemic lean rats and further decreased nonesterified fatty acids compared to the CLA diet alone. Interestingly, rats fed the VA+CLA diet had a higher food intake but lower body weight than the CLA fed group (P < 0.05). Liver weight and TG content were lower in rats fed either CLA (p < 0.05) or VA+CLA diets (p < 0.001) compared to obese control, consistent with a decreased relative protein abundance of hepatic acetyl-CoA carboxylase in both treatment groups (P < 0.01). The activity of citrate synthase was increased in liver and adipose tissue of rats fed, CLA and VA+CLA diets (p < 0.001) compared to obese control, suggesting increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidative capacity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We demonstrate that the hypolipidemic effects of chronic <it>cis</it>-9, <it>trans</it>-11 CLA supplementation on circulating dyslipidemia and hepatic steatosis are enhanced by the addition of VA in the JCR:LA-<it>cp </it>rat.</p

Endothelial cell CD36 regulates membrane ceramide formation, exosome fatty acid transfer and circulating fatty acid levels

Endothelial cell (EC) CD36 controls tissue fatty acid (FA) uptake. Here we examine how ECs transfer FAs. FA interaction with apical membrane CD36 induces Src phosphorylation of caveolin-1 tyrosine-14 (Cav-1Y14) and ceramide generation in caveolae. Ensuing fission of caveolae yields vesicles containing FAs, CD36 and ceramide that are secreted basolaterally as small (80-100 nm) exosome-like extracellular vesicles (sEVs). We visualize in transwells EC transfer of FAs in sEVs to underlying myotubes. In mice with EC-expression of the exosome marker emeraldGFP-CD63, muscle fibers accumulate circulating FAs in emGFP-labeled puncta. The FA-sEV pathway is mapped through its suppression by CD36 depletion, blocking actin-remodeling, Src inhibition, Cav-1Y14 mutation, and neutral sphingomyelinase 2 inhibition. Suppression of sEV formation in mice reduces muscle FA uptake, raises circulating FAs, which remain in blood vessels, and lowers glucose, mimicking prominent Cd3

Altered pathways in methylome and transcriptome longitudinal analysis of normal weight and bariatric surgery women

DNA methylation could provide a link between environmental, genetic factors and weight control and can modify gene expression pattern. This study aimed to identify genes, which are differentially expressed and methylated depending on adiposity state by evaluating normal weight women and obese women before and after bariatric surgery (BS). We enrolled 24 normal weight (BMI: 22.5 +/- 1.6 kg/m(2)) and 24 obese women (BMI: 43.3 +/- 5.7 kg/m(2)) submitted to BS. Genome-wide methylation analysis was conducted using Infinium Human Methylation 450 BeadChip (threshold for significant CpG sites based on delta methylation level with a minimum value of 5%, a false discovery rate correction (FDR) of q /=2.0 was used to detect differentially expressed probes). The integrative analysis of both array data identified four genes (i.e. TPP2, PSMG6, ARL6IP1 and FAM49B) with higher methylation and lower expression level in pre-surgery women compared to normal weight women: and two genes (i.e. ZFP36L1 and USP32) that were differentially methylated after BS. These methylation changes were in promoter region and gene body. All genes are related to MAPK cascade, NIK/NF-kappaB signaling, cellular response to insulin stimulus, proteolysis and others. Integrating analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression evidenced that there is a set of genes relevant to obesity that changed after BS. A gene ontology analysis showed that these genes were enriched in biological functions related to adipogenesis, orexigenic, oxidative stress and insulin metabolism pathways. Also, our results suggest that although methylation plays a role in gene silencing, the majority of effects were not correlated

Engineering rotating apical-out airway organoid for assessing respiratory cilia motility

Motile cilia project from the airway apical surface and directly interface with inhaled external environment. Owing to cilia\u27s nanoscale dimension and high beating frequency, quantitative assessment of their motility remains a sophisticated task. Here we described a robust approach for reproducible engineering of apical-out airway organoid (AOAO) from a defined number of cells. Propelled by exterior-facing cilia beating, the mature AOAO exhibited stable rotational motion when surrounded by Matrigel. We developed a computational framework leveraging computer vision algorithms to quantify AOAO rotation and correlated it with the direct measurement of cilia motility. We further established the feasibility of using AOAO rotation to recapitulate and measure defective cilia motility caused by chemotherapy-induced toxicity and by CCDC39 mutations in cells from patients with primary ciliary dyskinesia. We expect our rotating AOAO model and the associated computational pipeline to offer a generalizable framework to expedite the modeling of and therapeutic development for genetic and environmental ciliopathies

Vaccenic acid suppresses intestinal inflammation by increasing anandamide and related N-acylethanolamines in the JCR:LA-cp rat

Vaccenic acid (VA), the predominant ruminantderived trans fat in the food chain, ameliorates hyperlipidemia, yet mechanisms remain elusive. We investigated whether VA could influence tissue endocannabinoids (ECs) by altering the availability of their biosynthetic precursor, arachidonic acid (AA), in membrane phospholipids (PLs). JCR:LA-cp rats were assigned to a control diet with or without VA (1% w/w), cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (1% w/w) or VA+CLA (1% + 0.5% w/w) for 8 weeks. VA reduced the EC, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), in the liver and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) relative to control diet (P 0.05). Interestingly, VA increased jejunal concentrations of anandamide and those of the noncannabinoid signaling molecules, oleoylethanolamide and palmitoylethanolamide, relative to control diet (P < 0.05). This was consistent with a lower jejunal protein abundance (but not activity) of their degrading enzyme, fatty acid amide hydrolase, as well as the mRNA expression of TNFα and interleukin 1β (P < 0.05). The ability of VA to reduce 2-AG in the liver and VAT provides a potential mechanistic explanation to alleviate ectopic lipid accumulation. The opposing regulation of ECs and other noncannabinoid lipid signaling molecules by VA suggests an activation of benefit via the EC system in the intestine