Chemical ecology of moths:Role of semiochemicals in host location by <i>Ectomyelois ceratoniae</i> and mate guarding by <i>Heliothis virescens</i>

Semiochemical-based behavioral manipulation has been increasingly implemented in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as an environmentally friendly strategy. For many pest species, however, efficient methods have yet to be developed. An efficient sex pheromone attractant is missing in management of the carob moth, Ectomyelois ceratoniae, a devastating fruit pest, because the major pheromone component is unstable. To explore the use of host-plant volatiles to attract carob moths, the pomegranate-carob moth interaction was investigated in field and wind tunnel experiments. Cracked pomegranates and cracking-susceptible cultivars were most susceptible to E. ceratoniae infestation. Male and female moths were attracted by mature pomegranates, but not by unripe pomegranates and flowers. The combination of pomegranate with virgin females was most attractive to carob moths and enhanced the attraction of virgin females. β-Caryophyllene was identified as the volatile of pomegranate that elicited the strongest antennal responses from female moths. In the wind tunnel, moth attraction was negatively correlated with the amount of β-caryophyllene in different fruit stages. These findings can be used to attract/trap carob moths and/or disrupt their host finding. In the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens, the role of male sex pheromone in male-male competition was investigated. Virgin females perfumed with male pheromone or with the main pheromone component mated less than control virgin females, indicating that male pheromone on females inhibits the approach of other males. Male pheromone may be thus used to suppress mating in H. virescens. Together, pomegranate volatiles and male pheromone of H. virescens show great potential for application in IPM

The simultaneous effect of valproic acid and gamma radiation on telomerase activity and bax and Bcl-2 protein levels in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer. Factors such as ionizing radiation and chemotherapeutic agents can trigger apoptosis and cancer cell death. An anticonvulsant drug named Valproic acid is a histone deacetylase inhibitor that shows promising anti-tumor effects in a variety of cancers. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that activated in cancer cells and lead to telomeres shortening inhibition and triggering the apoptosis. Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate the simultaneously effect of Valproic acid and gamma radiation on telomerase activity and bax and Bcl-2 protein level in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: MCF-7 cells was treated with different dose of Valproic acid (0, 2, 8 and 16 mM/l) and single dose of gamma radiation (4 Gy/min. (cell toxicity was determined using neutral uptake test. Telomerase activity was determined using TRAP assay (PCR-ELISA) method. Bax and Bcl-2 protein level was determined by ELISA method, as well. Results: Combination of Valproic acid and gamma radiation increased significantly cell toxicity in a time and dose dependent manner compared with control (P < 0.0001). The ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 was increased in a dose dependent manner at 48 and 72 hour treatment (P < 0.0001). There was a decrease in Telomerase activity after 24, 48 and 72 hours treatment in a dose dependent manner (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: The increasing cell toxicity, apoptosis-inducing effects and decreasing telomerase activity may play an important role in the Valproic acid and radiation mechanism. The current survey suggested that it is likely beneficial to combine Valproic acid and gamma radiation to treat breast cancer. © 2015, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Effect of partial replacement of dietary fish meal with soybean meal on some hematological and serum biochemical parameters of juvenile Beluga, Huso huso

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of partial replacement of dietary fish meal with soybean meal (SBM) on some blood and serum parameters of Beluga (Huso huso) juveniles. Three isonitrogenic and isoenergetic diets, as SBM1 (Soybean meal protein (SBP):Fishmeal Protein (FP) = 1:3), SBM2 (SBP:FP = 2:3) and SBM3 (SBP:FP = 1:1) were fed to triplicate groups of fish. After 8 weeks feeding on the experimental diets, blood parameters were measured. The results revealed that of partial replacement of dietary fish meal with soybean meal had no effect on, leukocyte (WBC) levels, red blood cell counts (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean cellular hemoglobin (MCH) or mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (P>0.05). However, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and hematocrit (Hct) values were significantly decreased by increasing dietary soybean meal (P<0.05). Serum glucose had significantly affected by increasing soybean meal. While total protein, phosphorus or calcium remained unaffected between groups. These results indicated that partial replacement of dietary fish meal with soybean meal could affect on some haematological and biochemical parameters in beluga which should be studied in future

An investigation of reactive behavior of yellowfin tuna schools to the purse seining process

The movement parameters of yellow fin tuna schools were analyzed by means of scanning sonar in tuna purse seine capture situations in the Oman Sea in June 2010. There was significant difference in swimming speed and radial swimming direction between the escaped and captured schools. In escaped cases, the fish schools swam faster with mostly horizontal avoidance behavior to the sound stimuli from the surrounding vessel and escaped capture under the sinking net at last. The swimming speed of the schools in two occasions was correlated to the vessel’s speed. Some alternatives of new constructions of the nets with regard to the sinking speed are discussed that may reduce the potential problem of escape capture during purse seining process

Distribution and abundance of high aquatic plants in the Gorganroud River, the Caspian Sea basin, Iran

The distribution and abundance of high aquatic plants in the Gorganroud River was examined at five stations in four seasons (20 samples) over one year period during 2009-2010. We identified 21 species of aquatic plants from 21 genera, belonging to 9 families. These species were determined as 3 halophytic species (14.2%) and 18 high aquatic plants (85.7%).The highest species diversity was observed at Khajenafas, Aq qala and Chargoli stations(17, 13 and 11 species) respectively, The highest biomass of high aquatic plants were recorded in summer (for Inspection and Chargoli stations 11.5 and 10.1 g.m-2, respectively) and autumn (for the station of Inspection was 8.5 g.m-2 dry weight). The most dominant species were different in the investigated stations. At station 1 species Tamarix kotschyi, at station 2 species Juncus acutiflorus, at station 3 species Hordeum murinum hudson, at station 4 species Salicornia europaea L and at station 5 Juncus acutiflorus species were dominated

Study on monthly variation of phytoplankton in the coastal waters of Lavan Island

Samples for monthly variation of phytoplankton species were collected in two stations from October 1996 till September 1997. In this study 65 species of phytoplankton related to diatoms, dinoflagellates and blue-green algae were identified. Diatoms represent 44 species (67%) related to 25 genera, followed by 18 species (26%) related to 7 genera dinoflagellates and only 3 genus (7%) belong to the blue-green algae. The diversity of diatoms species mainly composed of Rhizosolenia (12 species) and (6 species) were markedly greater than the diversity of dinoflagellates which were composed Ceratium (11 species). The diversity of both groups were significantly greater than the blue-green algae. Diatoms and dinoflagellates were abundant during periods of low salinity and temperature, meanwhile this situation was vise-versa for blue-green algae with high abundance in warm months

Correlation between changes of Chlorophyll-a and transparency in the Southern Caspian Sea

Chlorophyll-a is a main pigment for photosynthetic process in marine phytoplankton and by it either amount of biomass can be estimated or can be considered as an index for trophic level of aquatic ecosystem. In year 1996, 81 secchi disc depth were measured and 1601 samples of chlorophyll-a were collected seasonaly from the southern Caspian Sea. The results showed that average chlorophyll-a in seasonals of spring, summer, autumn and winter were 1.072, 0.550, 1.848, 0.966 mg/m3 and depth of transparency were 6.42, 8.86, 5.62 and 5.22m, respectively. The statistical analysis showed a significant correlation (P<0.01) between these two parameters in the southern Caspian Sea. More studies are needed to find out higher precise correlation

In vitro studies on growth and reproduction of artemia in Incheh Lake

In this study some cysts of Artemia were collected from Incheh lake in Golestan province and then were incubated to obtain nauplii. These hatched nauplii were fed by Chlorella sp., and synechococcus sp., in three different treatments and three replicates with densities of 20, 40 and 60 specimen/lit and were reared up to adult stage. The period of rearing for above mentioned densities of two different algae were 15, 17 and 20 days; and in 16, 19 and, 23 days respectively. The average fecundity and mean length of Artemia fed on Chlorella sp. were 83.E 69.8 and 34.5 cysts/individual and 104, 10.1, and 9.1mm length; and for the Artemia fed on Synechococcus sp. were 54.1, 36.8 and 19.3, cysts per individual and 10.0, 9.0 and 8.8mm length, respectively. There were significant difference in growth rate and fecundity among the traetments of each group of Artemia (P<0.05)

Enrichment of Artemia nauplii with essential fatty acids and vitamin C: effect on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) larvae performance

The effect of essential fatty acids (EFA) and vitamin C-enriched Artemia nauplii on growth, survival, and resistance to temperature (high) stress in rainbow trout larvae reared in tanks were investigated. The larvae (average weight 120.43mg±13.5) were fed 6 times daily starting at the onset of exogenous feeding for 1 week. Triplicate groups of fish were offered one of four treatments (1) commercial starter food for rainbow trout, (2) newly hatched Artemia nauplii (unenriched), (3) highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) + vitamin C-enriched Artemia nauplii and (4) combination of 10% HUFA + vitamin C enriched nauplii and commercial starter food. After 1 week, all groups of fish were switched to the commercial diet for an additional period of 3 weeks. Statistical analysis of growth after the first week and at the end of the experiment, showed that growth of larvae in various treatments was significantly different (P<0.05). After 4 weeks, the larvae in treatment 3 with the average weight of 657.50 ± 57.93 mg had the highest body weight (P<0.05). The highest percentage of survival (96%) was observed in treatment 3 (P<0.05). Proximate compositions of trout larvae after one week feeding with experimental diets showed that the protein in the larvae of treatments 3 and 4 was significantly different compared to other treatments (P<0.05). The best result of resistance to temperature (up to 24ºC) was observed in larvae reared on treatment 3 with 91.34 ± 1.52 percent (P<0.05)