Interactions of dietary selenium and fat on fatty acid compositions of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) tissues

The main objective of this study was to determine the interactive effects of dietary selenium and fat on fatty acid compositions of rainbow trout tissues. We formulated six experimental diets by addition of two fat levels (15 and 30%) and three selenium levels (0.1, 0.15 and 0.2mg/kg) to a basal diet, according to a 3x2 factorial design. Juvenile rainbow trout with initial weights of 6.99g were assigned to 18 tanks with 300L capacity each containing 25 fish, with three replicates for each diet. The result showed that unsaturated fatty acid and tissue oxidation rate increased with an increase in fat content of the diets. Addition of dietary selenium increased enzyme of Glutathione (GSH-Px) activity and at high-fat diet (30% fat), selenium addition improved polyunsaturated fatty acid compositions by depression of oxidation rate. However, inclusion of high dose of selenium (0.2mg/kg) had a negative impact on the Arachidonic and Eicosapentaenoic acids. In conclusion, dietary selenium supplementation can preserve fatty acid quality by controlling fatty acid oxidation at high-fat diet. The results obtained from the current study suggest that rainbow trout at high-fat diet requires 0.15mg/kg selenium to reduce oxidation level

Differentiation of two closely related species of the genus Empoasca (Hem.: Cicadellidae)

پیش‌تر، گونه‌ای زنجرک از مزارع چغندرقند استان اصفهان به اشتباه به نام Empoasca decipiens (Paoli) گزارش شده است که در این نوشتار نام صحیح آن به‌صورت Empoasca meridiana Zachvatkin اعلام می‌گردد. گونه‌ی اخیر دارای سینونیم شناخته‌تری به نام Empoasca punjabensis Singh-Pruthi می‌باشد. گونه‌های آسیایی خویشاوند گونه‌ی E. decipiens، براساس شکل پیگوفر (pygofer) ژنیتالیای نر ازهم تفکیک می‌گردند، به‌طوری‌که پیگوفر در گونه‌یE. meridiana دوکی‌شکل ولی در گونه‌ی E. decipiens عدسی‌شکل می‌باشد

Amendment to \"report of the parasitoid wasp, Diadegma anurum (Hym.: Ichneumonidae), from Iran\"

The previous record of Diadegma anurum (Thomson) as a parasitoid of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lep.: Plutellidae), from Iran has just been a misidentification of Diadegma semiclausum (Hellen)

Immune system challenge in a host-parasitoid-pathogen system: interaction between Cotesia plutellae (Hym.: Braconidae) and Bacillus thuringiensis influences parasitism and phenoloxidase cascade of Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae)

We investigated the effects of interaction between Cotesia plutellae (Kurdjumov) and Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner on parasitism and an immune effector (phenoloxidase activity) of a Bt-susceptible and a Bt-resistant population of Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) in laboratory. Parasitism success of C. plutellae varied depending on the use of B. thuringiensis or its toxin, and the timing of application. Percentage parasitism was significantly greater on Cry1Ac-treated hosts than B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki-treated hosts (the susceptible population), and greater when hosts were treated with B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki before parasitism compared to that after parasitism (the resistant population). Specific phenoloxidase activity was significantly reduced in Cry1Ac-treated or parasitized hosts, but combined effect of the toxin and the parasitoid caused a greater reduction in phenoloxidase activity. The lower phenoloxidase activity in unparasitized resistant population of P. xylostella compared with the susceptible one is likely to be due to fitness costs, manifesting a possible trade-off between pathogen resistance and parasitoid resistance. However, C. plutellae overwhelmingly suppressed phenoloxidase activity of both the susceptible and resistant populations of P. xylostella. We found that the interaction between B. thuringiensis and C. plutellae was synergistic, which is promising for integration of the pathogen and the parasitoid in management of P. xylostella populations

Laboratory Evaluation of Five Chitin Synthesis Inhibitors Against the Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata

Results of laboratory experiments are reported that tested the effects of five chitin synthesis inhibitors, diflubenzuron, cyromazine, lufenuron, hexaflumuron and triflumuron. on second instars of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Crysomelidae), originally collected from potato fields of Bostanabaad, a town 66 km southeast of Tabriz, Iran. In bioassays, the larvae were fed potato leaves dipped in aqueous solutions containing chitin synthesis inhibitors. The mortalities and abnormalities of the treated larvae were recorded 72 hours after treatments. LC50 values were 58.6, 69.6, 27.3, 0.79 and 81.4 mg ai/ L for diflubenzuron, cyromazine, lufenuron, hexaflumuron and triflumuron, respectively. Compared with phosalone, which is one of the common insecticides used for controlling this pest in Iran, lufenuron and hexaflumuron seem to be much more potent, and if they perform equally well in the field, they would be suitable candidates to be considered as reduced risk insecticides in management programs for L. decemlineata due to much wider margin of safety for mammals and considerably fewer undesirable environmental side effects

Mokrzeckia obscura (Hym.: Pteromalidae), a hyperparasitoid of diamondback moth and a new record from Iran

در بررسی‌های مربوط به شناسایی پارازیتوئیدهای مراحل نابالغ بید کلم، Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lep.: Plutellidae)، در مزارع کلم و کلم گل استان اصفهان، یک گونه پارازیتوئید ثانویه به نام Mokrzeckia obscura Graham از خانواده‌ی Pteromalidae جمع‌آوری و شناسایی شد که برای اولین‌بار از ایران گزارش می‌شود. این گونه از پرورش لاروهای بید کلم که توسط Cotesia plutellae (Kurdjumov) (Hym.: Braconidae) پارازیته شده بودند، به‌دست آمد

Studies on the stability of population equilibrium of the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae)) using perturbation method

Nowadays, a basic understanding of population biology is necessary to establish ecological strategies of pest management. In the present study, the population behavior of the diamondback moth after a perturbation was examined. For this purpose, a long-term experiment with three treatments (control, a perturbation using density reduction and a perturbation using density increase) was performed. The experiment was started with 10 pairs of adult moths in ventilated cages under the standard constant environment. The experiment was continued for 10 generations. After five generations, the perturbation was applied and each treatment was replicated 10 times. Adults and larvae were fed with honey solution (20%) and Chinese cabbage, respectively. The population trend and stability were monitored by weekly census counts of live adults, and the data used as a measure of abundance for the population dynamics. The results showed that the populations of the diamondback moth persisted at equilibrial levels when there was no perturbation. On the contrary, when the populations were perturbed using density reduction, the population equilibrium was shifted to a lower level; in this situation perturbations using sustainable strategies, such as the release of natural enemies or the application of microbial insecticides, may set the equilibrium beneath economic injury threshold. While, a perturbation using density increase can cause instability of population equilibrium toward a decreasing trend that may drive the population to extinction. The causes and effects of the findings in relation with the moth life history, resource competition and its ecological consequences on the population behavior were discussed

A new record for Iran of Dolichogenidea appellator (Hym.: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), a larval endoparasitoid of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae)

طی مطالعاتی که در سال 1390 روی بید کلم، Plutella xylostella (L.)، در استان اصفهان انجام شد، یک گونه زنبور پارازیتوئید به نام Dolichogenidea appellator (Telenga) از پرورش لاروهای بید کلم جمع‌آوری‌شده از مزارع کلم‌پیچ، واقع در مرکز تحقیقات کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی استان اصفهان به‌دست آمد که برای فون ایران جدید است. این زنبور، علاوه‌بر بید کلم، بال‌پولک‌داران دیگری از خانواده Gelechiidae، نظیر Scrobipalpa salinella (Zeller) و Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller)، را نیز پارازیته می‌کند

To Transformers and Beyond: Large Language Models for the Genome

In the rapidly evolving landscape of genomics, deep learning has emerged as a useful tool for tackling complex computational challenges. This review focuses on the transformative role of Large Language Models (LLMs), which are mostly based on the transformer architecture, in genomics. Building on the foundation of traditional convolutional neural networks and recurrent neural networks, we explore both the strengths and limitations of transformers and other LLMs for genomics. Additionally, we contemplate the future of genomic modeling beyond the transformer architecture based on current trends in research. The paper aims to serve as a guide for computational biologists and computer scientists interested in LLMs for genomic data. We hope the paper can also serve as an educational introduction and discussion for biologists to a fundamental shift in how we will be analyzing genomic data in the future