Combined effect of local isolate Spodoptera littoralis nucleopolyhedrosis virus and Bacillus thuringiensis on Culex pipiens L. larvae (Culicidae: Diptera)

AbstractA local isolate of Spodoptera littoralis nucleopolyhedrosis virus (SlNPV) showed pathogenicity against Culex pipiens larvae, its long incubation period was broken using a combination between SlNPV and Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Btk). Laboratory bioassay tests revealed that Culex pipiens 3rd larval instars were susceptible to the applied combination. Data revealed that the addition of Btk generally increased the toxic effect of SlNPV since LC50 decreased from 1.3×103PIB/ml (for SlNPV alone) to 3.6×102 mixed polyhedra and spores/ml (SlNPV-Btk combination), indicating a synergistic ratio of 3.6. LC95 was surprisingly 137-folds dropped as well. The addition of SlNPV generally increased the toxic effect of Btk at a low concentration, where the LC50 outstandingly decreased from 2.5×105spores/ml (for Btk) to 3.6×102 mixed polyhedra and spores/ml (for SlNPV-Btk combination), indicating a synergistic ratio of 6.9×102

Larrea tridentata Extract Mitigates Oxidative Stress-Induced Cytotoxicity in Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells

Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata; LT) leaves extracts were tested for their potential efficacy to mitigate cellular oxidative stress on human SH-SY5Y cells. Here, the differential nuclear staining assay, a bioimager system, and flow cytometric protocols, concurrently with several specific chemicals, were used to measure the percentage of cell viability and several facets implicated in the cytoprotective mechanism of LT extracts. Initially, three LT extracts, prepared with different solvents, ethanol, ethanol:water (e/w), and water, were tested for their capacity to rescue the viability of cells undergoing aggressive H2O2-induced oxidative stress. Results indicate that the LT extract prepared with a mixture of ethanol:water (LT-e/w; 60:40% v/v) displayed the most effective cytoprotection rescue activity. Interestingly, by investigating the LT-e/w mechanism of action, it was found that LT-e/w extract decreases the levels of H2O2-provoked reactive oxidative species (ROS) accumulation, mitochondrial depolarization, phosphatidylserine externalization, caspase-3/7 activation, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage significantly, which are hallmarks of apoptosis. Thus, out of the three LT extracts tested, our findings highlight that the LT-e/w extract was the most effective protective reagent on SH-SY5Y cells undergoing oxidative stress in vitro, functioning as a natural anti-apoptotic extract. These findings warrant further LT-e/w extract examination in a holistic context

Application de la technique de 137Cs à l'estimation de l'érosion hydrique dans le bassin versant de Moulay Bouchta, Rif occidental, Maroc

Au Maroc, l’érosion hydrique est un processus majeur de dégradation des sols, en particulier dans la zone rifaine, où l’érosion engendre des dégâts importants en amont et en aval des structures hydrauliques, remettant en cause la durabilité de l’exploitation de ces dernières. De même, l’évaluation quantitative de ce processus reste difficile à mettre en oeuvre du fait de la complexité du comportement des particules du sol, aussi bien dans l’espace que dans le temps, en réponse à la diversité et l’interaction des facteurs naturels et anthropiques. C’est ainsi qu’on propose d’évaluer les sédiments déplacés qui sont l’élément perceptible de ce phénomène à travers le suivi du traceur radioactif le Césium 137 (137Cs) caractérisé par son affinité aux particules fines du sol (argile et matière organique). La méthodologie adoptée combine l’utilisation de la technique du 137Cs et les Systèmes d’Information Géographique (SIG), ainsi, on a défini une trentaine d’unités fonctionnelles combinant trois paramètres agro-environnementaux « l’occupation du sol, le type de sol et l’inclinaison de la pente ». Jusqu’à présent, on a échantillonné 9 unités, représentant 68% du bassin versant, deux sites de référence et un prélèvement au niveau de la retenue du barrage pour évaluer le taux de sédimentation. Ensuite, les échantillons ont été analysés par spectrométrie gamma, les activités du 137Cs (Bq/kg), ainsi obtenues, sont converties en taux de perte ou de gain du sol (t/ha/an) à l’aide du modèle masse balance 2 (MBM2) pour les sites perturbés (terrains cultivés) et le modèle de diffusion et migration (DMM) pour les sites non perturbés (forêts et matorrals). Les résultats des pertes en sol à long terme (~ 50 ans) montrent que la majorité des sédiments arrachés (98%) proviennent des terrains cultivés. Ces terrains présentent des taux d’érosion variant de 18 à 36 (t/ha/an), alors que les sites du matorral et de la forêt présentent des taux d’érosion nettement plus faibles, ne dépassant pas 4,5 (t/ha/an). Ainsi, l’érosion globale calculée par pondération des surfaces de production de chaque unité de même sensibilité à l’érosion est estimée à 23 (t/ha/an). D’un autre coté, le taux de sédimentation mesuré dans la retenue du barrage montre que 0,34 cm de sédiments sont déposés chaque année, soit une dégradation spécifique de 50 (t/ha/an)

Acute Effects of Exogenous Hormone Administration on Postprandial Acylation Stimulating Protein Levels in Ovariectomized Rats after a Fat Load

Background. ASP, a potent lipogenic factor, was linked to female fat metabolism in association studies. Aim. To investigate acute effects of sex hormone treatment on postprandial ASP levels in vivo. Methods. 24 female rats were randomly divided into 4 groups including controls. The rats were ovariectomized and injected with progesterone, estrogen, or testosterone. An hour later, olive oil was administered orally. Plasma ASP and triglycerides were measured at several postprandial time points. Area under the curve (TG-AUC) represented TG clearance. Results. Only the progesterone treated group had a significant postprandial ASP increase at two hours compared to basal levels (439.8 ± 62.4 versus 253.4 ± 59.03 μg/mL, P=0.04). Interestingly, increased ASP levels coordinated negatively with corresponding TG levels and TG-AUC postprandially, mostly evident in the opposite effects in the progesterone and testosterone treated groups. ASP levels increased 3-fold in the progesterone versus testosterone treated groups, whereas TG-AUC was significantly lower. Conclusion. These findings suggest that progesterone enhances ASP production and TG clearance simultaneously, supporting the notion of a stimulatory role for progesterone on ASP-mediated TG clearance. This is the first functional study demonstrating a cause-effect relationship between hormone treatment and ASP levels in vivo and may contribute to understanding the mechanism of progesterone function as a female lipogenic hormone

Classifications of Pineapple using Deep Learning

A pineapple is a tropical plant with eatable leafy foods most monetarily critical plant in the family Bromeliaceous. The pineapple is native to South America, where it has been developed for a long time. The acquaintance of the pineapple with Europe in the seventeenth century made it a critical social symbol of extravagance. Since the 1820s, pineapple has been industrially filled in nurseries and numerous tropical manors. Further, it is the third most significant tropical natural product in world creation. In the twentieth century, Hawaii was a prevailing maker of pineapples, particularly for the US, be that as it may, by 2016, Costa Rica, Brazil, and the Philippines represented almost 33% of the world's creation of pineapples. In this paper, machine learning based approach is presented for identifying type pineapple with a dataset that contains 1,311images use 946 images for training, 197 images for validation and 168 images for testing. A deep learning technique that extensively applied to image recognition was used. use 70% from image for training and 30% from image for validation. Our trained model achieved an accuracy of 100% on a heldout test set

Papaya Maturity Classifications using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Papaya is a tropical fruit with a green cover, yellow pulp, and a taste between mango and cantaloupe, having commercial importance because of its high nutritive and medicinal value. The process of sorting papaya fruit based on maturely is one of the processes that greatly determine the mature of papaya fruit that will be sold to consumers. The manual grading of papaya fruit based on human visual perception is time-consuming and destructive. The objective of this paper is to the status classification of papaya fruits if it's mature or partially matured or unmatured. A deep learning technique that was extensively applied to image recognition was used. The trained model achieved an accuracy of 100% on a held-out test set, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach. Classification model of VGG16 achieved a 100% accuracy and 112 seconds of training time

Improved flat mobile core network architecture for 5G mobile communication systems

The current mobile network core is built based on a centralized architecture, including the S-GW and P-GW entities to serve as mobility anchors. Nevertheless, this architecture causes non-optimal routing and latency for control messages. In contrast, the fifth generation (5G) network will redesign the network service architecture to improve changeover management and deliver clients a better Quality-of-Experience (QoE). To enhance the design of the existing network, a distributed 5G core architecture is introduced in this study. The control and data planes are distinct, and the core network also combines IP functionality anchored in a multi-session gateway design. We also suggest a control node that will fully implement the control plane and result in a flat network design. Its architecture, therefore, improves data delivery, mobility, and attachment speed. The performance of the proposed architecture is validated by improved NS3 simulation to run several simulations, including attachment and inter- and intra-handover. According to experimental data, the suggested network is superior in terms of initial attachment, network delay, and changeover management

Characteristics of post hoc subgroup analyses of oncology clinical trials: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: Subgroup analyses in clinical trials assess intervention effects on specific patient subgroups, ensuring generalizability. However, they are usually only able to generate hypotheses rather than definitive conclusions. This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of post hoc subgroup analysis in oncology. METHODS: We systematically reviewed published subgroup analyses from 2000 to 2022. We included articles presenting secondary, post hoc, or subgroup analyses of interventional clinical trials in oncology, cancer survivorship, or cancer screening, published separately from the original clinical trial publication. We collected cancer type, year of publication, where and how subgroup analyses were reported, and funding. RESULTS: Out of 16 487 screened publications, 1612 studies were included, primarily subgroup analyses of treatment trials for solid tumors (82%). Medical writers contributed to 31% of articles, and 58% of articles reported conflicts of interest. Subgroup analyses increased significantly over time, with 695 published between 2019 and 2022, compared to 384 from 2000 to 2014. Gastrointestinal tumors (25%) and lymphoid lineage tumors (39%) were the most frequently studied solid and hematological malignancies, respectively. Industry funding and reporting of conflicts of interest increased over time. Subgroup analyses often neglected to indicate their secondary nature in the title. Most authors were from high-income countries, most commonly North America (45%). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the rapidly growing use of post hoc subgroup analysis of oncology clinical trials, revealing that the majority are supported by pharmaceutical companies, and they frequently fail to indicate their secondary nature in the title. Given the known methodological limitations of subgroup analyses, caution is recommended among authors, readers, and reviewers when conducting and interpreting these studies