Ultrastructural description of the corpora allata of Pimpla turionellae L. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

The corpora allata, are endocrine glands which produced juvenile hormone. In this study, corpora allata of adult females of Pimpla turionellae were examined ultrastructurally by using the transmission electron microscopy. The gland is surrounded with thick fibrous capsule that penetrates into the gland as a stromatal ramification. The ultrastructure of gland cells had the same characteristic of proteinsecreting cells. These cells had oval shaped nuclei, numerous granules, lysosomes, mitochondria and vacuoles. There are granules of electron-dense, electron-modarate and electron-lucent. These granules are actually membrane-limited secretory vesicles which are filled with the proteinaceous hormone produced by the gland cells. Microtubules and mitochondria were observed in the cytoplasm of axons of neurosecretory cells found among the gland cells.Key words: Hymenoptera, Pimpla turionellae, corpora allata, ultrastructure, transmission electron microscopy

On the effects of viscoelasticity in stirred tanks

Mixing viscoelastic fluids is common to many chemical and biochemical process industries where the rheological properties of the bulk change considerably over the time course. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of viscoelasticity in mechanically agitated vessels (on: i- the power consumption and flow patterns in single phase and gassed systems, ii- mixing time under unaerated conditions and iii- cavities in the presence of gas) and to study the performance of InterMIGs in comparison to the classical six bladed disc turbines. Model viscoelastic fluids prepared exhibited only slight shear thinning properties (Boger fluid type), hence the effects of viscoelasticity could be studied in the absence of other rheological properties. Results obtained with these fluids were compared to those with viscous Newtonian glycerol covering the transitional flow regime (50< Re< 1000). Additionally, some work was also conducted in water for a preliminary characterisation of InterMIGs. In the relatively low range of Elasticity numbers (El < 3.5 x 10$^-$$^3$) covered, secondary flow patterns were not reversed. The power drawn under unaerated conditions was higher in viscoelastic fluids (at a given Reynolds number) for both impeller types that had to compete with mutually opposing viscoelastic forces. An experimental set-up to measure mixing times in viscous fluids (using the fluorescent dye-fibre optic technique) was installed. Reduced secondary circulations in viscoelastic fluids resulted in longer mixing times. Power consumption under aeration was also higher in viscoelastic fluids than that in Newtonian glycerol. Different from the findings under unaerated conditions, this enhancement was independent of the level of viscoelasticity. Cavities, hence the power drawn under aeration, were in general stable with respect to the variations in the gas flow rate in viscous fluids. This stability was found to be accentuated by viscoelasticity. InterMIGs underwent viscoelastic effects more severely on account of the complicated interaction of the viscoelastically driven flows with the flows associated with the inner and outer blades of these impellers. They presented a better choice in low and high viscosity Newtonian fluids and their performance was comparable to that of a single Rushton turbine in viscoelastic fluids

Time-Kill Kinetics and In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility of Non-fumigatus Aspergillus Species Isolated from Patients with Ocular Mycoses

Aspergillus species can cause ocular morbidity and blindness, and thus, appropriate antifungal therapy is needed. We investigated the in vitro activity of itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, anidulafungin, and amphotericin B against 14 Aspergillus isolates obtained from patients with ocular mycoses, using the CLSI reference broth microdilution methodology. In addition, time-kill assays were performed, exposing each isolate separately to 1-, 4-, and 16-fold concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each antifungal agent. A sigmoid maximum-effect (Emax) model was used to fit the time-kill curve data. The drug effect was further evaluated by measuring an increase/decrease in the killing rate of the tested isolates. The MICs of amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole were 0.5–1.0, 1.0, 0.5–1.0, and 0.25 µg/ml for A. brasiliensis, A. niger, and A. tubingensis isolates, respectively, and 2.0–4.0, 0.5, 1.0 for A. flavus, and 0.12–0.25 µg/ml for A. nomius isolates, respectively. A. calidoustus had the highest MIC range for the azoles (4.0–16.0 µg/ml) among all isolates tested. The minimum effective concentrations of caspofungin and anidulafungin were ≤0.03–0.5 µg/ml and ≤0.03 µg/ml for all isolates, respectively. Posaconazole demonstrated maximal killing rates (Emax = 0.63 h−1, r2 = 0.71) against 14 ocular Aspergillus isolates, followed by amphotericin B (Emax = 0.39 h−1, r2 = 0.87), voriconazole (Emax = 0.35 h−1, r2 = 0.098), and itraconazole (Emax = 0.01 h−1, r2 = 0.98). Overall, the antifungal susceptibility of the non-fumigatusAspergillus isolates tested was species and antifungal agent dependent. Analysis of the kinetic growth assays, along with consideration of the killing rates, revealed that posaconazole was the most effective antifungal against all of the isolates

Turner syndrome and associated problems in turkish children: A multicenter study

Objective: Turner syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder caused by complete or partial X chromosome monosomy that manifests various clinical features depending on the karyotype and on the genetic background of affected girls. This study aimed to systematically investigate the key clinical features of TS in relationship to karyotype in a large pediatric Turkish patient population. Methods: Our retrospective study included 842 karyotype-proven TS patients aged 0-18 years who were evaluated in 35 different centers in Turkey in the years 2013-2014. Results: The most common karyotype was 45,X (50.7%), followed by 45,X/46,XX (10.8%), 46,X,i(Xq) (10.1%) and 45,X/46,X,i(Xq) (9.5%). Mean age at diagnosis was 10.2±4.4 years. The most common presenting complaints were short stature and delayed puberty. Among patients diagnosed before age one year, the ratio of karyotype 45,X was significantly higher than that of other karyotype groups. Cardiac defects (bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta and aortic stenosi) were the most common congenital anomalies, occurring in 25% of the TS cases. This was followed by urinary system anomalies (horseshoe kidney, double collector duct system and renal rotation) detected in 16.3%. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was found in 11.1% of patients, gastrointestinal abnormalities in 8.9%, ear nose and throat problems in 22.6%, dermatologic problems in 21.8% and osteoporosis in 15.3%. Learning difficulties and/or psychosocial problems were encountered in 39.1%. Insulin resistance and impaired fasting glucose were detected in 3.4% and 2.2%, respectively. Dyslipidemia prevalence was 11.4%. Conclusion: This comprehensive study systematically evaluated the largest group of karyotype-proven TS girls to date. The karyotype distribution, congenital anomaly and comorbidity profile closely parallel that from other countries and support the need for close medical surveillance of these complex patients throughout their lifespan. © Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology

Low disorder and high valley splitting in silicon

The electrical characterisation of classical and quantum devices is a critical step in the development cycle of heterogeneous material stacks for semiconductor spin qubits. In the case of silicon, properties such as disorder and energy separation of conduction band valleys are commonly investigated individually upon modifications in selected parameters of the material stack. However, this reductionist approach fails to consider the interdependence between different structural and electronic properties at the danger of optimising one metric at the expense of the others. Here, we achieve a significant improvement in both disorder and valley splitting by taking a co-design approach to the material stack. We demonstrate isotopically-purified, strained quantum wells with high mobility of 3.14(8)$\times$10$^5$ cm$^2$/Vs and low percolation density of 6.9(1)$\times$10$^{10}$ cm$^{-2}$. These low disorder quantum wells support quantum dots with low charge noise of 0.9(3) $\mu$eV/Hz$^{1/2}$ and large mean valley splitting energy of 0.24(7) meV, measured in qubit devices. By striking the delicate balance between disorder, charge noise, and valley splitting, these findings provide a benchmark for silicon as a host semiconductor for quantum dot qubits. We foresee the application of these heterostructures in larger, high-performance quantum processors