Living Bacterial Sacrificial Porogens to Engineer Decellularized Porous Scaffolds

Decellularization and cellularization of organs have emerged as disruptive methods in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Porous hydrogel scaffolds have widespread applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and drug discovery as viable tissue mimics. However, the existing hydrogel fabrication techniques suffer from limited control over pore interconnectivity, density and size, which leads to inefficient nutrient and oxygen transport to cells embedded in the scaffolds. Here, we demonstrated an innovative approach to develop a new platform for tissue engineered constructs using live bacteria as sacrificial porogens. E.coli were patterned and cultured in an interconnected three-dimensional (3D) hydrogel network. The growing bacteria created interconnected micropores and microchannels. Then, the scafold was decellularized, and bacteria were eliminated from the scaffold through lysing and washing steps. This 3D porous network method combined with bioprinting has the potential to be broadly applicable and compatible with tissue specific applications allowing seeding of stem cells and other cell types

GABA Receptors and the Pharmacology of Sleep

Current GABAergic sleep-promoting medications were developed pragmatically, without making use of the immense diversity of GABAA receptors. Pharmacogenetic experiments are leading to an understanding of the circuit mechanisms in the hypothalamus by which zolpidem and similar compounds induce sleep at α2βγ2-type GABAA receptors. Drugs acting at more selective receptor types, for example, at receptors containing the α2 and/or α3 subunits expressed in hypothalamic and brain stem areas, could in principle be useful as hypnotics/anxiolytics. A highly promising sleep-promoting drug, gaboxadol, which activates αβδ-type receptors failed in clinical trials. Thus, for the time being, drugs such as zolpidem, which work as positive allosteric modulators at GABAA receptors, continue to be some of the most effective compounds to treat primary insomnia

Ladybird beetles (coleoptera: coccinellidae) from northern cyprus, including six new records

During 2000–2001, 21 species of ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae) in 12 genera were recorded in northern Cyprus. Six species are new records for the island of Cyprus, namely: Cheilomenes propinqua, Diomus rubidus, Nephus hiekei, Nephus nigricans, Scymnus pallipediformis and Scymnus rubromaculatus. A noticeably higher number of coccinellid specimens was collected in non-agricultural areas (765 specimens) compared to agricultural areas with only 194 specimens. This difference was mainly caused by the dominance of two abundant species, C. septempunctata and H. variegata, in non-agricultural areas. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

NATURAL ENEMIES OF CICADELLIDAE IN THE SOUTH-EAST MEDITERRANEAN REGION OF TURKEY

3rd Turkish National Congress of Biological Control -- JAN 25-28, 1994 -- IZMIR, TURKEYWOS: A1994BC56P00039

Development and fecundity of Aphis gossypii glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) on three Malvaceae hosts

Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera, Aphididae) obtained from cotton fields near Adana in the east Mediterranean region of Turkey were colonized on Gossypium hirsutum L. 'Cukurova 1518' in a climatic room. The effect of host transfer from cotton to common mallow, Malva sylvestris L., and okra, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench 'Bamya 501', on performance of A. gossypii was studied at constant 25 ± 1°C, 60 ± 5% relative humidity and 16 h of artificial light (5000 lux) in temperature cabinets. Three subsequent generations of A. gossypii from cotton were additionally tested on okra. Fecundity tables were constructed to compare the performance of the cotton aphid on the three different Malvaceae hosts. Developmental time (6.0 days) was longer and fecundity reduced (4.5 nymphs/aphid) on okra compared to common mallow (5.6 days and 62.8 nymphs/aphid) and cotton (5.5 days and 37.9 nymphs/aphid). The highest age-specific number of nymphs (m(x)) occured on common mallow at an age of nine days with 6.8 nymphs/aphid, and the lowest on okra with only 1.2 nymphs/aphid at the ninth day. A. gossypii on cotton produced a maximum age-specific number of nymphs at day ten with 3.4 nymphs/aphid. Generation times (T(O)) were similar for all three host plants, however, the mean number of aphids laid during an individual's lifetime (Ro) varied largely between 4.2 aphids/aphid on okra to 65.7 nymphs/aphid on common mallow. The significantly lowest intrinsic rate of increase (r(m)) (0.129 aphids/aphid/day) was calculated for A. gossypii on okra. Even after three susequent generations on okra, the performance did not improve, indicating that genetically distinct host races exist in A. gossypii. On common mallow an r(m) - value of 0.397 aphids/aphid/day occurred, whilst on cotton the intrinsic rate of increase was significantly lower with 0.338 aphids/aphid/day