Flat-footed Females and Missing Males:A New Genus and Species of Pleciofungivoridae(Diptera:Bibionomorpha)Represents the First Record of the Family from Mid-Cretaceous Kachin Amber

A new genus and species,Cretopleciofungivora simpsoni gen.et sp.nov.,from the extinct family Pleciofungivoridae(Diptera:Bibionomorpha),is discovered in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber.Previously,this family was known only from imprints in sedimentary rocks of the Jurassic and the Lower Cretaceous.Discovery of a representative of Pleciofungivoridae in Kachin amber confirms the presence of the family in the Upper Cretaceous.The new species has a unique structure of fore tarsus,with lobed and extended tarsal segments Ⅱ to Ⅳ,a feature hitherto known only in a few species of extant Sciaroidea.Although not particularly rare,the new species is currently known only from female specimens.Possible reasons for this phenomenon,very unusual in Sciaroidea,are briefly discussed,including parthenogenesis as a potentially plausible hypothesis.

Microbial Biocontrol of Post-harvest Fungal Rot in Apples:Current State of the Science

Our study consists of a careful literature review carried out with the aim of better understanding the models developed in the field of biocontrol of postharvest fungal rot in apples(PHFRA)over the past two decades.It aims,more specifically,to shed light on the progress made by examining the products developed,their nature,their target pathogens,their effectiveness,theirs modes of action and the stage of their development.The post-harvest biocontrol of apples has made remarkable progress during the last twenty years of research.Several products(yeasts,bacteria,filamentous fungi and actinomycetes)have been selected.Some,are already marketed,others are at different stages of development.However,several points limit the optimal use of microbial antagonists in the bio-management of post-harvest apple rots as an alternative to chemicals.It is,in fact,still necessary to develop appropriate formulations of these microbial biocontrol agents,to better study their mechanisms of action,to test them under commercial conditions and against a broad spectrum of pathogens and hosts.However,although sometimes considered less effective than chemical treatments,biocontrol products based on microorganisms have major advantages for an application in an integrated post-harvest apple protection strategy.

Identification and preliminary characterization of non-polyene antibiotics secreted by new strain of actinomycete isolated from sebkha of Kenadsa, Algeria

Objective: To study the antimicrobial activity of actinomycetes isolated from sabkha of Kenadsa and identification of the isolate interesting. Methods: Eighteen strains were isolated, using four culture media from sebkha of Kenadsa(Bechar, Southwestern Algeria). Screening of antimicrobial activity consisted of two steps: in primary screening, antibacterial activity was determined by using the agar plug method against test strains; in secondary screening, better isolate which showed a good activity in the first screening was selected to extract antimicrobial substances. The antimicrobial activities of extracts were evaluated by using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Partial characterization of antimicrobial products was performed on the basis of chemical revelations, UV-vis spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. The identification of isolate interesting was performed through morphological, chemical, biochemical and physiological characteristics. Results: All isolates showed antimicrobial activity against at least one microorganism test. One isolate, LAM143 cG 3, was selected for its broad spectrum and high antimicrobial activity. The isolate LAM143 c G3 was identified as Spirillospora sp. The comparison between the species of this genus(Spirillospora rubra and Spirillospora albida) and our isolate indicated the existence of several physiological and biochemical differences which led us to suppose that this was a new member of this genus. Primary characterization of antimicrobial substances produced by the isolate LAM143 c G3 indicated the presence of amines and phenols. The UV–vis spectrum suggested a non-polyenic nature of substances secreted by our isolate, while infrared confirmed the presence of amine groups.Conclusions: The result of the present study revealed that sebkha of Kenadsa was rich in rare actinomycetes, that secreted interesting antimicrobial substance.

Growth and ecophysiology of seedlings of Podocarpus falcatus in plantations of exotic species and in a natural montane forest in Ethiopia

The potential role of exotic tree plantations in facilitating successional processes on degraded areas was evaluated in southern Ethiopia by comparing seedling characteristics, transpiration and photosynthetic performance of Podocarpus falcatus seedlings in Eucalyptus plantation, Pinus plantation, adjacent natural forest and clear-felled plantation site. P. falcatus seedlings exhibited differences in architecture between Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations. They had higher leaf area, shorter internode length and greater number of lateral branches in Eucalyptus plantation. At similar vapor pressure deficit （VPD）, P. falcatus transpired much less than E. saligna, especially at higher VPDs. Analysis of fluorescence parameters in the leaves showed no significant differences in the level of dark-adapted and light-adapted fluorescence yield （Fv/Fm and ΔF/Fm′, respectively）, electron transport rate （ETR） and nonphotochemical quenching （NPQ） among seedlings grown inside plantations and adjacent natural forest, indicating similar photosynthetic performance. Nevertheless, there was evidence of photoinhibition in P. falcatus in the clear-felled site which had low fluorescence yield but high values of NPQ as protection from photoamage. The light response curves of ETR, NPQ and ΔF/Fm′ showed similar light saturation behavior among the seedlings grown inside plantations and natural forest and suggested a sequence of light-adapted to shade-adapted behavior in Natural forest 〉 Eucalyptus plantation 〉 Pinus plantation. The results show the structural flexibility, better water-use and adaptability of P. falcatus in its use of the understory environment of plantation species.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity of Moroccan Cultivated Almond(Prunus dulcis Mill.DA Webb)in Its Area of Extreme Diffusion,Using Nuclear Microsatellites

Assessment of genetic diversity of Moroccan cultivated almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) grown from seed and cultivated at four eco-geographical regions was performed using 16 nuclear SSRs. 238 alleles were detected with an average of 14.88 alleles per locus, ranging from 4 (locus BPPCT027) to 24 (locus CPSCT018). The size of alleles ranged from 84 bp (locus UDP96-003) to 253 bp (locus UDP96-018). A high genetic diversity of the local almonds is apparent and structured into three major clusters (Oasis cluster, High and Anti Atlas cluster, and Middle Atlas cluster). Compared to the Mediterranean genetic pools, from the East to West, the genetic diversity tends to be limited in Morocco which is the area of its extreme diffusion.

Comparative study of epiphytic algal communities on Typha latifolia L.and Phragmites australis(Cav.)Trin.ex Steud in the shallow Gala Lake(European Part of Turkey)

The aim of this study was to determine the species composition, biodiversity and, relative abundance of epiphytic algae and their relationship with environmental variables on Typha latifolia and Phragmites australis at Lake Gala(National Park). Epiphytic algae were gathered monthly by collecting aquatic plants between March 2014 and November 2014. In the epiphytic flora were a total of 133 taxa were identified, 107 taxa were identified on T. latifolia and 96 were discovered on P. australis. While the mean species richness, species diversity and evenness values of the algae identified on T. latifolia were 46, 1.85 and 0.51 respectively, these values were respectively 43, 1.51 and 0.43 on P. australis. While diatoms were generally dominant, other dominant groups in the epiphytic flora included green algae and blue-green algae. The algae that had the highest relative biovolume on T. latifolia were Spirogyra affinis, Oscillatoria sancta and Gomphonema acuminatum, while the algae that had the highest relative biovolume on P. australis were E pithemia adnata, Oscillatoria sancta and R hopalodia gibba. Results show that species composition of epiphytic algae was different, but diversity values were similar on all the macrophytes. The hydrological pulse is one of the most important factors determining the physical and chemical environment of the epiphytic algal community. It was found that some environmental factors were highly eff ective on community distribution in the epiphyton. Additionally, it was observed that some epiphytic algae species had a substrate preference between T. latifolia and P. australis.

Larvicidal activity of Cyclamen(Myrsinaceae) extracts against the larvae of West Nile virus vector Culex pipiens L.(Diptera:Culicidae)

Objeclive:To evaluate the larvicidal activity of the tuber extracts isolated from two species of Cyclamen（Cyxltimen mimbile Hildebr.and Cyclamen alpinum Dammann ex.Sprcnger） against Culex pipiens L.（Diptera:Culicidae）.Methods:Twenty young（first-second） or older（third- fourth） instars of tile Culex pipiens were exposed to various concentrations（100 to I 000 ppm） of the extracts.Mortality was recorded after 12-,24-,48-.72- and 96-h of exposure.Results:We determined that the young larval stages were more susceptible to the extracts in comparison with the older larval stages.A comparison of LC90 and LC90 values has shown that Cyclamen mimbile was more active than Cyclamen alpinum.Conclusions:This study is the first to report on the larvicidal activity of the extracts of Cyclamen species against Culex pipiens.More studies are needed to isolate and identify the active components involved,their mode of action,and effects on other mosquito and pest species.

Dithiothreitol and PEG Induced Combined Stress May Affect the Expressions of ABA Aldehyde Oxidase, Sucrose Synthase and Proline Metabolic Genes in Maize Seedlings

The endoplasmic reticulum(ER)is an organelle in the cell where proteins are created and folded.Folding is a very elaborate process that is often interrupted by various biotic and abiotic stresses,leading to the formation of unfolded and misfolded proteins called ER stress.Dithiothreitol(DTT)-induced unfolded protein response(UPR)in endoplasmic reticulum(ER)has been recently reported in plants.Also,previous studies demonstrated that treatment with polyethylene glycol(PEG 6000)could stimulate water deficit in crops.However,further researches should be conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanism of ER stress response and the relationship between water deficiency and ER.In this study,we examined the expressions of sucrose synthase(SuS)gene,proline metabolic genes and abscisic aldehyde oxidase(AAO3)gene in maize seedlings that were subjected to DTT and PEG induced combined stresses by using quantitative real-time RT-PCR.Three weeks old detached maize seedlings were treated with or without DTT and PEG 6000 for 12 h.The treatment with DTT increased about 2-fold the expression of gene encoding proline synthesis enzyme,pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase(P5CS)but no statistically affected the proline catabolism enzyme,proline dehydrogenase(ProDH)in comparison with un-treated seedlings.PEG treatment was also up-regulated P5CS while it was down-regulated ProDH.The relative expression levels of SuS and AAO3 genes statistically enhanced about 2.5 fold under the DTT-induced ER stress.Likewise,the expression levels of SuS and AAO3 genes were up-regulated in the detached seedlings exposed to PEG-induced water deficit.Conversely,the induced gene expressions were down-regulated under the combined stress,the DTT-induced ER stress and PEG-induced water deficit in comparison with the singular stress responses(DTT or PEG).The results indicated that the expressions of genes,related to the synthesis of some signal osmolyte compounds such as proline and sucrose can be suppressed when ER stress occurred under water deficiency in maize seedlings.The changes in the expressions of genes involved in osmolyte and ABA metabolism can be related to ER stress response as well as variations in water status.

Anti-tumor effects and cellular mechanisms of Pistacia atlantica methanolic extract against Ehrlich solid tumor in mice

Objective:To assess the anti-tumor effects of Pistacia atlantica methanolic extract(PAME)compared with cyclophosphamide against Ehrlich solid tumors in mice.Methods:Swiss albino mice(n=40)were divided into five groups:normal control mice,mice with Ehrlich solid tumors treated with normal saline,mice with Ehrlich solid tumors treated with cyclophosphamide intraperitoneally once a day for 14 d,or 50mg/kg or 100 mg/kg PAME orally once a day for 14 d.Tumor growth inhibition,body weight,tumor markers,liver and kidney enzymes,oxidative stress markers,antioxidant enzymes,tumor necrosis factor-alpha level(TNF-α),and apoptosis-regulatory gene expression were evaluated.Results:Treatment of mice bearing Ehrlich solid tumors with PAME at 50 and 100 mg/kg orally significantly decreased tumor volume,body weight,tumor markers,liver and kidney enzymes,oxidative stress markers and TNF-αlevel in comparison with mice with Ehrlich solid tumors receiving normal saline.whereas PAME at 50 and 100 mg/kg/day significantly elevated the level of antioxidant enzymes(P<0.05).Conclusions:Pistacia atlantica methanolic extract has potent antitumor activity in mice.Therefore,the extract might be considered as an alternative anticancer agent against tumors,however,additional studies especially in the clinical setting are required to confirm this finding.

Evaluating the Role of Governance in the Management of Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon

One of the problems at the root of the poor management of forest resources in Cameroon is the lack of good governance. This study aims to evaluate the governance put in place by the government of Cameroon to ensure better management of Prunus africana. It takes a critical look at the three pillars of forest governance in relation to the management of the resource, which are: policy, legal, institutional and regulatory frameworks (1);planning and decision-making process (2);and finally the implementation, enforcement and compliance of regulations (3). The assessment was conducted using the guide recommended by FAO-PROFOR. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted with stakeholders involved in the P. africana management process. The results in the form of assessment scores revealed poor governance in the management of the resource. This is due to non-compliance with Pillars 2 and 3 on the planning and decision-making process as well as the implementation and enforcement of regulations through weaknesses in the principles of transparency, accountability, the effectiveness of management measures and stakeholder participation. These are the points on which management strategies should be based for better management of P. africana in the production forests of the Adamawa region.

Road Kills of Bufotes viridis(Laurenti,1768):A Case Study from Konya Province of Turkey

The present study reports vehicle collisions of Bufotes viridis(The green toad)in Konya province from Turkey.Our study was performed in more than fifty localities on Yunak-Akşehir highway(D-695).The records were taken in a short time;it is important and remarkable to come across a large number of dead individuals of an amphibian species in a short time.Among all recorded mortalities(n=246),the highest value belonged to subadults(45%of the cases),followed by juveniles(35%of the cases).The lowest rate among the carcasses was belonged to the adult individuals(20%of the cases).There can be many factors that cause the road kills:These factors are grouped according to the literature under the headings of“direct causes”,“indirect causes”and“potential causes”for the road kills.In this study,we evaluated the effects of some factors for Bufotes viridis.In general,all terrestrial and semi-aquatic amphibian species,which populations are located the roadsides,suffer from road kills.Because of this situation,there is a need for both further studies and habitat restorations for amphibians.

Risk assessment for the daily intake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the ingestion of cockle (Anadara granosa) and exposure to contaminated water and sediments along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia

The concentration of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （c-PAHs） present in the sediment and water of Peninsular Malaysia as well as in the cockle Anadara granosa was investigated. Samples were extracted and analysed with gas chromatographymass spectrometry. The concentrations of total carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （t-PAHs） were measured between 0.80±0.04 to 162.96 ±14.74 ng/g wet weight （ww） in sediment, between 21.85± 2.18 to 76.2± 10.82 ng/L in water samples and between 3.34 ±0.77 to 46.85 ± 5.50 ng/g ww in the cockle tissue. The risk assessment of probable human carcinogens in the Group B2 PAHs was calculated and assessed in accordance with the standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency （US EPA）. Case I in the toxicity assessment analysed the cancer risk to consumers of Malaysian blood cockle. Case II assessed the risk of cancer from exposure to PAHs from multiple pathways. The average cancer risk of case I and case II were found to be classifiable as unsafe according to the US EPA standard. The cancer risk due to c-PAHs acquired by the ingestion of blood cockle was （8.82 ± 0.54） × 10^ 6 to （2.67 ± 0.06） × 10^-2, higher than the US EPA risk management criterion. The non-cancer risks associated with multiple pathways in Kuala Gula, Kuala Juru and Kuala Perlis were higher than the US EPA safe level, but the non-cancer risk for eating blood cockle was below the level of US EPA concern.

Effects of Gibberellic Acid on Primary Terpenoids and △^9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol in Cannabis sativa at Flowering Stage

Plants synthesize an astonishing diversity of isoprenoids, some of which play essential roles in photosynthesis, respiration, and the regulation of growth and development. Two independent pathways for the biosynthesis of isoprenoid precursors coexist within the plant cell： the cytosolic mevalonic acid （MVA） pathway and the plastidial methylerythritol phosphate （MEP） pathway. However, little is known about the effects of plant hormones on the regulation of these pathways. In the present study we investigated the effect of gibberellic acid （GA3） on changes in the amounts of many produced terpenoids and the activity of the key enzymes, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase （DXS） and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase （HMGR）, in these pathways. Our results showed GA3 caused a decrease in DXS activity in both sexes that it was accompanied by a decrease in chlorophylls, carotenoids and Ag-tetrahydrocannabinol （THC） contents and an increase in α-tocopherol content. The treated plants with GA3 showed an increase in HMGR activity. This increase in HMGR activity was followed by accumulation of stigmasterol and β-sitosterol in male and female plants and campestrol in male plants. The pattern of the changes in the amounts of sterols was exactly similar to the changes in the HMGR activity. These data suggest that GA3 can probably influence the MEP and MVA pathways oppositely, with stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the produced primary terpenoids in MVA and DXS pathways, respectively.

Ecological Niche Divergence between Trapelus ruderatus(Olivier,1807)and T.persicus(Blanford,1881)(Sauria:Agamidae)in the Middle East

Modeling the potential distribution areas for a given species is important in understanding the relationship between the actual distribution and the most suitable habitat for a species. In this study, we obtained all available records of Trapelus ruderatus and Trapelus persicus from museums, literature and fieldwork and used them with environmental layers in the Maximum Entropy algorithm to predict highly suitable habitat areas. The distribution model of T. ruderatus and T. persicus showed excellent performance for both models （T. ruderatus AUC = 0.964 ± 0.001 and T. persicus AUC = 0.996 ± 0.003）, and predicted suitable regions in Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Niche overlap was measured between the two groups by ENMtools and 13% overlapped. We used a niche identity test to determine differences between the niches of the two species. Finally, by comparing our null hypothesis to the true niche overlap of the two species, we were able to reject our null hypothesis of no difference between the niches. Due to the sympatric distribution pattern of these species, we do not need a background test for niche divergence.

Effects of cadmium and copper on sialic acid levels in blood and brain tissues of Cyprinus carpio L.

Objective:To investigate the effects of cadmium(Cd)and copper(Cu)on sialic acid levels of brain and blood tissues of Cyprinus carpio.Methods:Adult carps were exposed to 0.1,0.5 mg/L Cu,0.1,0.5 and 1.0 mg/L Cd and 0.1 mg/L Cu+0.1 mg/L Cd under static experiment conditions for 1 week.At the end of exposure period,heavy metal accumulations and sialic acid levels in blood and brain tissues of the test animals were analyzed.Results:Cu and Cd accumulated in tissues in a dramatically increasing dose-dependent manner.Sialic acids level of the fish exposed to 0.1,0.5 and 1.0 mg/L Cu and Cd and control grups for 1 week were 0.834,1.427,0.672,0.934,2.968,4.714 mg/mL respectively.The results also showed that Cu has an antagonistic effect on tissue sialic acid level.Conclusions:We propose that Cd and Cu make a complex with sialic acids of membranes in the tissues researched.This complex between metal ions and sialic acid migth account for the cellular toxicity based on Cu and Cd.

根除幽门螺杆菌对胃组织学严重程度的影响:一项随访研究

Helicobacter pylori genetic diversity and geographic distribution affect the severity of gastric histology; while eradication heals gastritis, the improvement of atrophy and intestinal metaplasia (IM) is still controversial. We investigated whether H. pylori infection and genotypes (cagA- vacA) influence the histological changes and whether eradication resolves these changes. Twenty- one patients (11 duodenal ulcer, 2 gastric ulcer, 8 gastritis) received treatment. Biopsies for CLO, PCR, histology, and culture were collected before and at 1 and 12 months after treatment, and serum samples at 0, 1, 2, 6, and 12 months. H. pylori eradication was achieved in 71% of the patients. Histological scores for H. pylori densities were significantly higher in the antrum and incisura angularis. Scores for mononuclear cell and neutrophil infiltration were significantly higher in regions with a high H. pylori density and improved progressively after eradication. Eight patients with atrophy including five with IM showed no significant changes 12 months after eradication. The cagA gene, detected in 13 (62% ), the vacA- s1a gene, in 20 (95% ), and the vacA- m1 gene, in 12 (57% ) of 21 patients were significantly associated with duodenal ulcer. A gradual decline in antibody titer reached an average of 67% 12 months after eradication. H. pylori infection and the associated genotypes (cagA of Western type) affect the severity of the gastric histology (mild forms of atrophy and IM) and the disease outcome. Eradication of H. pyloriresulted in healing of gastritis, but with no significant improvement in atrophy or IM.

Bacterial diversity in Fez tanneries and Morocco's Binlamdoune River,using 16S RNA gene based fingerprinting

Tannery wastewater causes serious ecological and sanitary damage. Chemical analysis of water from Binlamdoune River of the medina of Fez was conducted and the results revealed the presence of toxic elements from tanneries and other industrial activities, which strongly affected water quality. To determine the effectiveness of bioremediation for depollution, we studied the abundance and diversity of bacteria residing in these polluted environments. Conducting denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （PCR-DGGE） of the 16S rDNA area using primers related to bacteria showed a bacterial community belonging to eubacterial groups, that is, Epsilonproteobacteria, Clostridia, Lactobacillales, Bacteroidetes, Gammaproteobacteria, and Alphaproteobacteria. In addition, cloning displayed the presence of clones belonging to the Firmicutes group. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy revealed a significant heterogeneity of microorganism forms and structures. These endogenous microbes could have a significant role in the purification of Binlamdoune River and Fez tannery wastewater.