Novel report on soil infection with Metarhizium rileyi against soil-dwelling life stages of insect pests.

Entomopathogenic fungi are the most effective control remedy against a wide range of medical and agricultural important pests. The present study aimed to isolate, identify, and assess the virulence of Metarhizium rileyi against Spodoptera litura and Spodoptera frugiperda pupae under soil conditions. The biotechnological methods were used to identify the isolate as M. rileyi. The fungal conidial pathogenicity (2.0 × 107, 2.0 × 108, 2.0 × 109, 2.0 × 1010, and 2.0 × 1011 conidia/mL-1) was tested against prepupae of S. litura and S. frugiperda at 3, 6, 9, and 12 days after treatments. Additionally, the artificial soil-conidial assay was performed on a nontarget species earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae, using M. rileyi conidia. The present results showed that the M. rileyi caused significant mortality rates in S. litura pupae (61-90%), and S. litura pupae were more susceptible than S. frugiperda pupae (46%-73%) at 12 day posttreatment. The LC50 and LC90 of M. rileyi against S. litura, were 3.4 × 1014-9.9 × 1017 conidia/mL-1 and 6.6 × 105-4.6 × 1014 conidia/mL-1 in S. frugiperda, respectively. The conidia of M. rileyi did not exhibit any sublethal effect on the adult stage of E. eugeniae, and Artemia salina following a 12-day treatment period. Moreover, in the histopathological evaluation no discernible harm was observed in the gut tissues of E. eugeniae, including the lumen and epithelial cells, as well as the muscles, setae, nucleus, mitochondria, and coelom. The present findings provide clear evidence that M. rileyi fungal conidia can be used as the foundation for the development of effective bio-insecticides to combat the pupae of S. litura and S. frugiperda agricultural pests.

Pathogenicity of Metarhizium rileyi (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) against Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae).

Tenebrio molitor L., also known as the mealworm, is a polyphagous insect pest that infests various stored grains worldwide. Both the adult and larval stages can cause significant damage to stored grains. The present study focused on isolating entomopathogenic fungi from an infected larval cadaver under environmental conditions. Fungal pathogenicity was tested on T. molitor larvae and pupae for 12 days. Entomopathogenic fungi were identified using biotechnological methods based on their morphology and the sequence of their nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS). The results of the insecticidal activity indicate that the virulence of fungi varies between the larval and pupal stages. In comparison to the larval stage, the pupal stage is highly susceptible to Metarhizium rileyi, exhibiting 100% mortality rates after 12 days (lethal concentration 50 [LC50] = 7.8 × 106 and lethal concentration 90 (LC90) = 2.1 × 1013 conidia/mL), whereas larvae showed 92% mortality rates at 12 days posttreatment (LC50 = 1.0 × 106 and LC90 = 3.0 × 109 conidia/mL). The enzymatic analyses revealed a significant increase in the levels of the insect enzymes superoxide dismutase (4.76-10.5 mg-1) and glutathione S-transferase (0.46-6.53 mg-1) 3 days after exposure to M. rileyi conidia (1.5 × 105 conidia/mL) compared to the control group. The findings clearly show that M. rileyi is an environmentally friendly and effective microbial agent for controlling the larvae and pupae of T. molitor.

Impact of Perioperative Dexamethasone on Hospital Length of Stay and Glycemic Control in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate effects of perioperative dexamethasone on hospital length of stay (LOS) and glycemic control for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods: We performed retrospective case review of THA performed in adults (≥18 years old) with type 2 diabetes at Springfield Memorial Hospital (Springfield, IL) immediately before (2013), during (2014), and after (2015) publication of consensus guidelines for use of perioperative dexamethasone. Hospital LOS was the primary endpoint. Capillary blood glucose by hospital day, proportion of patients treated with insulin, and median insulin dose by hospital day were secondary endpoints. Results: A total of 209 patients were included: 109 not dosed with dexamethasone ("no dexamethasone"), and 100 treated with perioperative dexamethasone. The most common dose of dexamethasone was 4 mg (63% of patients). Mean (95% CI) reduction in adjusted hospital LOS for dexamethasone-treated patients, compared to controls, was -2.8 (-3.7 to -1.9) days for all patients, -1.6 (-2.7 to -0.5) days for those with arthritis as the indication for THA, and -4.0 (-5.9 to -2.1) days for those with fracture as indication for THA (P<0.001 for all). Glycemic control measured by median capillary blood glucose was no different or slightly better in the dexamethasone group than the no dexamethasone group, except for postoperative day 1 among patients treated with insulin prior to surgery. Conclusions: Perioperative dexamethasone significantly reduces hospital LOS for patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing THA, with modest effects on hyperglycemia.

Modeling the Invasion of the Large Hive Beetle, Oplostomusfuligineus, into North Africa and South Europe under a Changing Climate.

Some beetle species can attack honeybee colonies, causing severe damage to beekeeping. These pests include Oplostomus fuligineus, which is also known as the Large Hive Beetle (LHB). This beetle is native to Sub-Saharan Africa and has recently also been recorded in some parts of North Africa. It feeds mainly on young bee larvae and stored food within the colonies, causing severe damage to weak colonies. The present work sheds light on the current and future distribution (from 2050 to 2070) of this beetle in Africa and South Europe using species distribution modeling. Maxent was used to model the invasion of LHB. The Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) 126 and 585 were used to model the future distribution of LHB. The Maxent models showed satisfactory results with a high Area Under Curve (AUC) value (0.85 ± 0.02). Furthermore, the True Skill Statistics (TSS) value was equal to 0.87. The current and future maps showed a high risk of invasion because of temperature variation in most of the parts of North Africa and South Europe. The maps also predicted the future invasion of LHB into other countries, mainly through southern Europe. These predictive risk maps will help quarantine authorities in highly relevant countries to prevent the expansion of this pest outside of its natural range.

Role of stent oversizing in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. An open-labeled randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is the treatment of choice. Stent undersizing might occur due to catecholamine release and coronary spasm. Although routine oversizing has been promising in several investigations, it has never been tested in randomized clinical trials. In this single-center open-label randomized clinical trial, we evaluated the role of stent oversizing in PPCI. METHODS: Candidates for PPCI were randomly divided into oversized and non-oversized groups. In the oversized group, the stent was oversized by 10% according to the mean lumen diameter, retrieved from the quantitative coronary analysis. Primary composite endpoints were defined as the occurrence of complete total ST-segment (STR)resolution and postprocedural thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade III. RESULTS: The study population was comprised of 122 patients, allocated to the oversized group (N.=61) and the non-oversized group (N.=61). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding the final TIMI flow grade. Complete STR was marginally more favorable in the non-oversized group (56.05±55.12 vs. 64.64±23.28; P=0.056). The troponin ratio, CK-MB ratio, and 6-month follow-up outcome - defined as target lesion revascularization, heart failure, and cardiovascular death - were comparable between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that routine oversizing in patients undergoing PPCI had no benefit regarding ST-segment resolution and the final TIMI flow, as well as hard cardiac events, during the follow-up.

Comparative analysis of profitability of honey production using traditional and box hives.

Information on the profitability and productivity of box hives is important to encourage beekeepers to adopt the technology. However, comparative analysis of profitability and productivity of box and traditional hives is not adequately available. The study was carried out on 182 beekeepers using cross sectional survey and employing a random sampling technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), the Cobb-Douglas (CD) production function and partial budgeting. The CD production function revealed that supplementary bee feeds, labor and medication were statistically significant for both box and traditional hives. Generally, labor for bee management, supplementary feeding, and medication led to productivity differences of approximately 42.83%, 7.52%, and 5.34%, respectively, between box and traditional hives. The study indicated that productivity of box hives were 72% higher than traditional hives. The average net incomes of beekeepers using box and traditional hives were 33,699.7 SR/annum and 16,461.4 SR/annum respectively. The incremental net benefit of box hives over traditional hives was nearly double. Our study results clearly showed the importance of adoption of box hives for better productivity of the beekeeping subsector.

Wound healing effects of nanoemulsion containing clove essential oil.

The aim of this study was to investigate the wound healing effects of clove oil (CO) via its encapsulation into nanoemulsion. Optimized nanoemulsion (droplet size of 29.10 nm) was selected for wound healing investigation, collagen determination, and histopathological examination in rats. Optimized nanoemulsion presented significant would healing effects in rats as compared to pure CO. Nanoemulsion also presented significant enhancement in leucine content (0.61 mg/g) as compared to pure CO (0.50 mg/g) and negative control (0.31 mg/g). Histopathology of nanoemulsion treated rats showed no signs of inflammatory cells. These results suggested that nanoemulsion of CO was safe and nontoxic.

Nectar secretion dynamics and honey production potentials of some major honey plants in Saudi Arabia.

The contribution of a bee plant species to honey production depends on the plant's nectar secretion quality and quantity, which is mainly governed by biotic and abiotic factors. The aim of the current study, was to investigate the nectar secretion dynamics and honey production potential of 14 major bee plant species of the target area. We examined the quantity and dynamics of nectar sugar per flower five times a day using a nectar sugar washing technique and direct measuring of nectar with calibrated capillary tubes. The average nectar sugar amount of the species varied from 0.41 mg/flower to 7.7 mg/flower (P < 0.0001). The honey sugar per flower was used to extrapolate the honey production potential per plant and per hectare of land. Accordingly the honey production potential of the species observed to vary from 14 kg/hectare in Otostegia fruticosa to 829 kg/hectare in Ziziphus spina-christi. The nectar secretion dynamics of the species generally showed an increasing trend early in the morning, peaking toward midday, followed by a decline but different species observed to have different peak nectar secretion times. Generally, the tree species secreted more nectar sugar/flower than the herbs. The nectar secretion amount of the species was positively correlated with the ambient temperature, indicating the adaptation of the species to hot climatic conditions. However, different species were observed to have a different optimum temperature for peak nectar secretion. Despite the limited rainfall and high temperature of the area, many plants were found to have good potential for honey production. The monetary value of honey per hectare of the studied honeybee plant species can be of equal or greater than the per-hectare monetary value of some cultivated crops that require numerous inputs. In addition, the information generated is believed to be useful in apiary site selection and to estimate the honey bee colony carrying capacity of an area.

Protective Effect of Morocco Carob Honey Against Lead-Induced Anemia and Hepato-Renal Toxicity.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Natural honey has many biological activities including protective effect against toxic materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of carob honey against lead-induced hepato-renal toxicity and lead-induced anemia in rabbits. METHODS: Twenty four male rabbits were allocated into four groups six rabbits each; group 1: control group, received distilled water (0.1 ml / kg.b.wt /daily); group 2: received oral lead acetate (2 g/kg.b.wt/daily); group 3: treated with oral honey (1g /kg.b.wt/daily) and oral lead (2 g/kg.b.wt/daily), and group 4: received oral honey (1 g/kg.b.wt/daily). Honey and lead were given daily during 24 days of experimentation. Laboratory tests and histopathological evaluations of kidneys were done. RESULTS: Oral administration of lead induced hepatic and kidney injury and caused anemia during three weeks of the exposure. Treatment with honey prevented hepato-renal lead toxicity and ameliorated lead-induced anemia when honey was given to animals during lead exposure. CONCLUSION: It might be concluded that honey has a protective effect against lead-induced blood, hepatic and renal toxic effects.

An experiment on comb orientation by honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in traditional hives.

The orientation of combs in traditional beehives is extremely important for obtaining a marketable honey product. However, the factors that could determine comb orientation in traditional hives and the possibilities of inducing honey bees, Apis mellifera (L.), to construct more desirable combs have not been investigated. The goal of this experiment was to determine whether guide marks in traditional hives can induce bees to build combs of a desired orientation. Thirty-two traditional hives of uniform dimensions were used in the experiment. In 24 hives, ridges were formed on the inner surfaces of the hives with fermented mud to obtain different orientations, circular, horizontal, and spiral, with eight replicates of each treatment. In the remaining eight control hives, the inner surface was left smooth. Thirty-two well-established honey bee colonies from other traditional hives were transferred to the prepared hives. The colonies were randomly assigned to the four treatment groups. The manner of comb construction in the donor and experimental hives was recorded. The results showed that 22 (91.66%) of the 24 colonies in the treated groups built combs along the ridges provided, whereas only 2 (8.33%) did not. Comb orientation was strongly associated with the type of guide marks provided. Moreover, of the 18 colonies that randomly fell to patterns different from those of their previous nests, 17 (94.4%) followed the guide marks provided, irrespective of the comb orientation type in their previous nest. Thus, comb orientation appears to be governed by the inner surface pattern of the nest cavity. The results suggest that even in fixed-comb hives, honey bees can be guided to build combs with orientations suitable to honey harvesting, without affecting the colonies.