Visual ecology of aphids – a critical review on the role of colours in host finding

We review the rich literature on behavioural responses of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to stimuli of different colours. Only in one species there are adequate physiological data on spectral sensitivity to explain behaviour crisply in mechanistic terms. Because of the great interest in aphid responses to coloured targets from an evolutionary, ecological and applied perspective, there is a substantial need to expand these studies to more species of aphids, and to quantify spectral properties of stimuli rigorously. We show that aphid responses to colours, at least for some species, are likely based on a specific colour opponency mechanism, with positive input from the green domain of the spectrum and negative input from the blue and/or UV region. We further demonstrate that the usual yellow preference of aphids encountered in field experiments is not a true colour preference but involves additional brightness effects. We discuss the implications for agriculture and sensory ecology, with special respect to the recent debate on autumn leaf colouration. We illustrate that recent evolutionary theories concerning aphid–tree interactions imply far-reaching assumptions on aphid responses to colours that are not likely to hold. Finally we also discuss the implications for developing and optimising strategies of aphid control and monitoring

Isolation and identification of entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria Bassiana from Turkey

The control of the agricultural pests is crucial for commercial products. There is a growing interest for biological control of these pests and one of the most effective and safe biocontrol agents is Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin, which is an entomopathogenic fungus. The soil environment is a significant resource for entomopathogenic fungi. In this study the diversity and distribution of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. was assessed throughout an extensive soil survey in Turkey carried out during 2013 and 2014. Soil samples from the seven regions of Turkey were taken and Beauveria spp. isolates were obtained from six of these regions, with 32 positive sites out of 150 sites sampled. The isolates were identified as Beauveria bassiana based on phenotypic and molecular data. Beauveria bassiana was isolated from the European (Marmara) as well as the Asiatic peninsula (Anatolia) of Turkey

Airborne microfungus flora determined in the different units of the department of Tulay Aktas Oncology Hospital, Ege University

Recently, there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of nosocomial fungal infections. Especially with the increase in the number of immunosuppressed patients, rare fungal pathogens which were difficult to detect in the past are now frequently isolated. In this study, the level of endogenous airborne fungal concentrations and the types of fungi were determined at Ege University, Faculty of Medicine, Tulay Aktas Oncology Hospital. For this purpose, air samples were collected at 34 different locations monthly during six months with the Merck MAS 100 air sampler. As a result, a total of 5590 fungal colonies in 204 petri dishes were counted. Thirty-two fungal species belonging to 10 genera were identified. The most prevalent genera were the common moulds; Aspergillus (3.91±1.01), Penicillium (16.08±3.10), Cladosporium (40.82±4.15) and Altemaria (7.51±1.82). The results revealed that the most common genus was Cladosporium. Fungal concentration levels in different parts of the stem cell transplantation department ranged from 0 to 340 cfu/m3. In other units of the hospital, fungal load was found to be between 0 and 45600 cfu/m3. When the fungal density of the stem cell transplantation department and that of the other units were compared, fungal density of the stem cell transplantation department was found to be significantly lower (p = 0.000 <0.05). The highest values in our study were determined during the 5th month of this study, because natural gas pipelines were installed around the hospital in this month. In this study, we aimed to emphasize the importance of monitoring the presence of airborne fungal flora, particularly Aspergillus spp, in the departments of a hospital where patients of high-risk groups are hospitalized

Wound healing effects of methanol extract of Laurocerasus officinalis roem

###EgeUn###Laurocerasus officinalis Roem. (syn: Prunus laurocerasus L.) is a member of Rosaceae family. We investigated the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of L. officinalis Roem in wound healing both in vivo and in vitro using an excisional wound model model in mice. We used four groups of eight mice as follows: untreated (control), empty gel, extract +gel (L. officinalis +gel), and Madecassol (R) groups. All treatments were applied topically once daily. The scar area, percentage wound closure and epithelization time were measured. L. officinalis promoted wound healing and increased granulation tissue, epidermal regeneration and angiogenesis. L. officinalis extract, which is known for its antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, may be useful for promoting wound healing

Indoor airborne fungal pollution in newborn units in Turkey

WOS: 000404652900059PubMed ID: 28667414Pathogenic and/or opportunistic fungal species are major causes of nosocomial infections, especially in controlled environments where immunocompromised patients are hospitalized. Indoor fungal contamination in hospital air is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Regular determination of fungal spore counts in controlled hospital environments may help reduce the risk of fungal infections. Because infants have inchoate immune systems, they are given immunocompromised patient status. The aim of the present study was to evaluate culturable airborne fungi in the air of hospital newborn units in the Thrace, Marmara, Aegean, and Central Anatolia regions of Turkey. A total of 108 air samples were collected seasonally from newborn units in July 2012, October 2012, January 2013, and April 2013 by using an air sampler and dichloran 18% glycerol agar (DG18) as isolation media. We obtained 2593 fungal colonies comprising 370 fungal isolates representing 109 species of 28 genera, which were identified through multi-loci gene sequencing. Penicillium, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Talaromyces, and Alternaria were the most abundant genera identified (35.14, 25.40, 17.57, 2.70, and 6.22% of the total, respectively).The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey-TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [111T925]; Management of CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre (Utrecht-The Netherlands)We are very grateful to the "The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey-TUBITAK" for financially supporting our study, Project Number: 111T925. Also special thanks to the Management of CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre (Utrecht-The Netherlands) and Prof. Dr. Robert A. SAMSON for their support in molecular studies in their laboratory for some problematic fungal species from our project and for their kind permission for some of our project staff for working there for certain periods. We wish to thanks Neonatal Managers of Trakya University Medical Faculty, Istanbul University Istanbul Medical Faculty, Eskisehir Osmangazi University Medical Faculty, Ege University Medical Faculty, and Celal Bayar University Medical Faculty for allow our study in mentioned units