Changes of supercooling point and cold tolerance in diapausing pupae of sugar beet moth, Scrobipalpa ocellatella (Lepidoptera; Gelechiidae)

Sugar beet moth (SBM) Scrobipalpa ocellatella (Boyd) is one of the important pests of sugar beet that causes quantitative and qualitative yield loss late in the season. Pest damage is occurred in the central buds and the root of the sugar beet plant. The last instar larvae enter the soil and pupate for overwintering at harvest time of sugar beet in Karaj, Iran in November. The younger larvae having suitable habitat and enough food for development may have chance to pupate in soil gradually whenever weather permit. In order to study the overwintering potential of the pest, pupae were collected monthly from November 2015 to April 2016. Seasonal changes in cold hardiness indices such as supercooling point and lower lethal temperature of the beet moth were studied. The mean supercooling points of field collected pupae varied from –13.2 ± 0.33 to –18.2 ± 0.23 °C. The highest cold hardiness of diapausing pupae was found in November, December and January, and the lowest in April. The cold hardiness of diapausing pupae was higher than that of nondiapausing pupae at -10, -15 and -20 °C. Lethal temperature for 50% of population (LT50) changed from -13.99 ºC in November to -5.5 ºC in April. In spite of the fact that the supercooling point of the diapause pupae did not exceed -15 °C in the late-winter and April, the pupae could not withstand temperatures below zero under a supercooling point. However, the findings show that the ability of pupae to tolerate in the diapause stage is more than the capacity of cold and frost environment, and therefore, temperatures below zero in winter cannot be considered as a significant risk for the survival of sugar beet moth

Effect of cold acclimation and rapid cold hardiness on cold tolerance and cryoprotectants of the greenbug Schizaphis graminum (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Insects can increase their survival at subzero temperatures, prior to long or short term exposure, to non-lethal cold temperatures by cold acclimation (ACC) or rapid cold hardiness (RCH). In this research, the effect of rapid or gradual decrease in temperatureon cold tolerance of adults of the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) was investigated. LT50 (lower lethal temperature for 50% mortality) of aphids acclimated at 10 °C for one week showed no significant differences with control (aphids reared at 20 °C). In addition to the cold acclimation, adults of S. graminum showed RCH response too.When the rearing aphids at 20 °C were transferred directlyto a range of sub-zero temperatures for 2 h, LT80 (lower lethal temperature for 80% mortality) was -11.6 °C, but acclimation at 0 °C for 5 h before transfer to -11.6 °C, induced maximum RCH, led to increase of survival to 73%. RCH was induced by cooling of the insects at 0 °C for different rates.Maximum survival (66%) was achieved by cooling at 0.05 °C/min. Accumulationof sugars and polyols is one of the major mechanismsunderlying ACC and RCH. In this study, trehalose and glucose increased considerably through ACC and RCH treatments, suggesting the role of these compounds in increasing cold tolerance of S. graminum

Effect of Silybum marianum methanolic extract on nutritional indices, crustacean cardioactive peptide, α-amylase and protease activities of Helicoverpa armigera (Lep.: Noctuidae)

The efficacy of milk thistle, Silybum  marianum methanolic extract was investigated on the third instar larvae of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner). The experiments were done at 25±1 °C, 65±5 RH and photoperiod of 16:8 (L: D) h. The LC50 and LC20 values were estimated 10449 and 5654 ppm, respectively. One hundred microliters of the plant extract at 5654 ppm was added to 0.9 grs of artificial diet. Nutritional indices, crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) content and digestive enzymatic (α-amylase and protease) activities were measured after 72 h. Plant extract decreased nutritional indices including approximate digestibility (AD), relative growth rate (RGR), relative consumption rate (RCR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and efficiency of digested food (ECD). Methanolic extract of S. marianum decreased α-amylase and protease activities in the midgut of H. armigera. The activity of α-amylase from 194 mU in control decreased to 86.8 mU in treatment. It also decreased protease activity from 108.2 mU in control to 60.6 mU in treatment. Incubation of dissected midgut with CCAP increased α-amylase and protease activities in H. armigera whereas the buffer alone had no effect. Feeding on artificial diet containing methanolic extract of S. marianum caused CCAP level in the midgut of the insect to decrease. Feeding on artificial diet containing methanolic extract of  S. marianum inhibits release of CCAP in the midgut and leads to reduction of α-amylase and protease activities

Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarcinoma: report of two cases

BACKGROUND: Retroperitoneal cystadenocarcinomas are rare lesions, the majority of cases presented as one-patient reports. METHODS: We present two cases of retroperitoneal cystadenocarcinoma, both in women of reproductive age: one with aggressive behavior, and the remaining case, with a more indolent clinical evolution. RESULTS: One case presented as pelvic tumor, was treated with surgical resection of the disease, but manifested with recurrent disease a few months later despite use of chemotherapy. The second case involved a patient with diagnosis of abdominal tumor; during laparotomy, a retroperitoneal tumor was found and was totally removed. At follow-up, the patient is disease-free with no other treatment. CONCLUSION: The behavior and treatment of retroperitoneal cystadenocarcinoma are controversial. We suggest aggressive surgery including radical hysterectomy and bilateral salpingoopherectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy in these cases

Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma of borderline malignancy in a male patient. Case report and review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma of borderline malignancy represents a rare tumor, with unclear histogenesis, concerning almost exclusively women. Only two cases concerning male patients have been reported.</p> <p>Case report</p> <p>We herein report a case of a 37 year old man undergone laparotomy for a sizable retroperitoneal tumor resulting after the histological examination to a primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma of borderline malignancy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the third case of primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenoma of borderline malignancy in a male patient reported in the literature. The preoperative diagnosis is impossible. Laparotomy constitutes the only diagnostic and curative approach.</p

Tachykinin stimulates α-amylase, protease and lipase activities in the midgut of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (Blattodea: Blattidae)

The effect of a neuropeptide, the tachykinin on α-amylase, protease and lipase activities in the midgut of American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus) is evaluated . Immunohistochemical reactivities against tachykinin (tachykinin- ir) were detected in the midgut. Tachykinin-ir cells in three regions (anterior, median and posterior) of the midgut were counted in normally fed, starved for four weeks and refed cockroaches. The number of tachykinin-ir cells decreased during 4 weeks of starvation and increased 3 h after refeeding. The results of the competitive ELISA were consistent with the profile of immunohistochemical reactivity. Incubation of the dissected midgut with tachykinin led to an increase in α-amylase, protease and lipase activities while the buffer remained ineffective. Tachykinin injection into the hemocoel increased α-amylase, protease and lipase activities, but PBS injection showed no sign of effectiveness. The results seggest that nutrients upregulate midgut cells secreting tachykinin causing further activities of digestive enzymes