scholarly journals Zoonotic Abbreviata caucasica in Wild Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) from Senegal

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Younes Laidoudi ◽  
Hacène Medkour ◽  
Maria Stefania Latrofa ◽  
Bernard Davoust ◽  
Georges Diatta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Environmental Samples ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Verus ◽  
Fecal Matter ◽  
Molecular Tool ◽  
Routine Diagnosis ◽  
First Time

Abbreviata caucasica (syn. Physaloptera mordens) has been reported in human and various non-human primates including great apes. The identification of this nematode is seldom performed and relies on egg characterization at the coproscopy, in the absence of any molecular tool. Following the recovery of two adult females of A. caucasica from the feces of wild Senegalese chimpanzees, morphometric characteristics were reported and new data on the width of the esophagus (0.268–0.287 mm) and on the cuticle structure (0.70–0.122 mm) were provided. The molecular characterization of a set of mitochondrial (cox1, 16S rRNA, 12S rRNA) and nuclear (18S rRNA and ITS2) partial genes was performed. Our phylogenetic analysis indicates for the first time that A. caucasica is monophyletic with Physaloptera species. A novel molecular tool was developed for the routine diagnosis of A. caucasica and the surveillance of Nematoda infestations. An A. caucasica-specific qPCR targeting the 12S gene was assessed. The assay was able to detect up to 1.13 × 10−3 eggs/g of fecal matter irrespective of its consistency, with an efficiency of 101.8% and a perfect adjustment (R2 = 0.99). The infection rate by A. caucasica in the chimpanzee fecal samples was 52.08%. Only 6.19% of the environmental samples were positive for nematode DNA and any for A. caucasica. Our findings indicate the need for further studies to clarify the epidemiology, circulation, life cycle, and possible pathological effects of this infestation using the molecular tool herein developed.

scholarly journals Sex Bias and Social Influences on Savanna Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) Nest Building Behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 849-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona A. Stewart ◽  
Jill D. Pruetz
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Tool Use ◽  
Great Apes ◽  
Nest Building ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Verus ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Extractive Foraging ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Adult Females

AbstractMany primates show sex differences in behavior, particularly social behavior, but also tool use for extractive foraging. All great apes learn to build a supportive structure for sleep. Whether sex differences exist in building, as in extractive foraging, is unknown, and little is known about how building skills develop and vary between individuals in the wild. We therefore aimed to describe the nesting behavior of savanna chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Fongoli, Senegal to provide comparative data and to investigate possible sex or age differences in nest building behaviors and nest characteristics. We followed chimpanzee groups to their night nesting sites to record group (55 nights) and individual level data (17 individuals) on nest building initiation and duration (57 nests) during the dry season between October 2007 and March 2008. We returned the following morning to record nest and tree characteristics (71 nests built by 25 individuals). Fongoli chimpanzees nested later than reported for other great apes, but no sex differences in initiating building emerged. Observations were limited but suggest adult females and immature males to nest higher, in larger trees than adult males, and adult females to take longer to build than either adult or immature males. Smaller females and immature males may avoid predation or access thinner, malleable branches, by nesting higher than adult males. These differences suggest that sex differences described for chimpanzee tool use may extend to nest building, with females investing more time and effort in constructing a safe, warm structure for sleep than males do.

TBE in Sweden

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Characterization ◽  
Immunoglobulin M ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Tick Borne Encephalitis ◽  
Specific Immunoglobulin ◽  
Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus ◽  
First Time

Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) was isolated for the first time in Sweden in 1958 (from ticks and from 1 tick-borne encephalitis [TBE] patient).1 In 2003, Haglund and colleagues reported the isolation and antigenic and genetic characterization of 14 TBEV strains from Swedish patients (samples collected 1991–1994).2 The first serum sample, from which TBEV was isolated, was obtained 2–10 days after onset of disease and found to be negative for anti-TBEV immunoglobulin M (IgM) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), whereas TBEV-specific IgM (and TBEV-specific immunoglobulin G/cerebrospinal fluid [IgG/CSF] activity) was demonstrated in later serum samples taken during the second phase of the disease.

Chemical Constituents and Antibacterial Activity of Cissus Aralioides.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balogun Olaoye Solomon ◽  
Ajayi Olukayode Solomon ◽  
Owolabi Temitayo Abidemi ◽  
Oladimeji Abdulkarbir Oladele ◽  
Liu Zhiqiang
Keyword(s):  
Plant Extract ◽  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Ethyl Acetate Fraction ◽  
Antibacterial Activities ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Chromatographic Purification ◽  
Whole Plant ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
First Time

: Cissus aralioides is a medicinal plant used in sub-Saharan Africa for treatment of infectious diseases; however the chemical constituents of the plant have not been investigated. Thus, in this study, attempt was made at identifying predominant phytochemical constituents of the plant through chromatographic purification and silylation of the plant extract, and subsequent characterization using spectroscopic and GC-MS techniques. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) for the antibacterial activities of the plant extract, chromatographic fractions and isolated compounds were also examined. Chromatographic purification of the ethyl acetate fraction from the whole plant afforded three compounds: β-sitosterol (1), stigmasterol (2) and friedelin (3). The phytosterols (1 and 2) were obtained together as a mixture. The GC-MS analysis of silylated extract indicated alcohols, fatty acids and sugars as predominant classes, with composition of 24.62, 36.90 and 26.52% respectively. Results of MICs indicated that friedelin and other chromatographic fractions had values (0.0626-1.0 mg/mL) comparable with the standard antibiotics used. Characterization of natural products from C. aralioides is being reported for the first time in this study.

Green Synthesis and Spectroscopic Studies of Ag-rGO Nanocomposites for Highly Selective Mercury (II) Sensing

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shubhangi J. Mane-Gavade ◽  
Sandip R. Sabale ◽  
Xiao-Ying Yu ◽  
Gurunath H. Nikam ◽  
Bhaskar V. Tamhankar
Keyword(s):  
Green Synthesis ◽  
Color Change ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Aqueous Media ◽  
Suitable Condition ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Spectroscopic Studies ◽  
Calibration Plot ◽  
First Time

Introduction: Herein we report the green synthesis and characterization of silverreduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (Ag-rGO) using Acacia nilotica gum for the first time. Experimental: We demonstrate the Hg2+ ions sensing ability of the Ag-rGO nanocomposites form aqueous medium. The developed colorimetric sensor method is simple, fast and selective for the detection of Hg2+ ions in aqueous media in presence of other associated ions. A significant color change was noticed with naked eye upon Hg2+ addition. The color change was not observed for cations including Sr2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, Pb2+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Fe2+, Ba2+ and Mn2+indicating that only Hg2+ shows a strong interaction with Ag-rGO nanocomposites. Under the most suitable condition, the calibration plot (A0-A) against concentration of Hg2+ was linear in the range of 0.1-1.0 ppm with a correlation coefficient (R2) value 0.9998. Results & Conclusion The concentration of Hg2+ was quantitatively determined with the Limit of Detection (LOD) of 0.85 ppm. Also, this method shows excellent selectivity towards Hg2+ over nine other cations tested. Moreover, the method offers a new cost effective, rapid and simple approach for the detection of Hg2+ in water samples.

scholarly journals Waste-Based One-Part Alkali Activated Materials

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 2911
Author(s):  
Margarida Gonçalves ◽  
Inês Silveirinha Vilarinho ◽  
Marinélia Capela ◽  
Ana Caetano ◽  
Rui Miguel Novais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Compressive Strength ◽  
Microstructural Analysis ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Sodium Metasilicate ◽  
High Compressive Strength ◽  
Hardened State ◽  
First Time ◽  
Furnace Slag ◽  
Alkali Activated

Ordinary Portland Cement is the most widely used binder in the construction sector; however, a very high carbon footprint is associated with its production process. Consequently, more sustainable alternative construction materials are being investigated, namely, one-part alkali activated materials (AAMs). In this work, waste-based one-part AAMs binders were developed using only a blast furnace slag, as the solid precursor, and sodium metasilicate, as the solid activator. For the first time, mortars in which the commercial sand was replaced by two exhausted sands from biomass boilers (CA and CT) were developed. Firstly, the characterization of the slag and sands (aggregates) was performed. After, the AAMs fresh and hardened state properties were evaluated, being the characterization complemented by FTIR and microstructural analysis. The binder and the mortars prepared with commercial sand presented high compressive strength values after 28 days of curing-56 MPa and 79 MPa, respectively. The mortars developed with exhausted sands exhibit outstanding compressive strength values, 86 and 70 MPa for CT and CA, respectively, and the other material’s properties were not affected. Consequently, this work proved that high compressive strength waste-based one-part AAMs mortars can be produced and that it is feasible to use another waste as aggregate in the mortar’s formulations: the exhausted sands from biomass boilers.

scholarly journals Isolation and characterization of a new cold-active protease from psychrotrophic bacteria of Western Himalayan glacial soil

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleem Farooq ◽  
Ruqeya Nazir ◽  
Shabir Ahmad Ganai ◽  
Bashir Ahmad Ganai
Keyword(s):  
Specific Activity ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Psychrotrophic Bacteria ◽  
Isolation And Characterization ◽  
Cold Active ◽  
Active Protease ◽  
Quantitative Screening ◽  
First Time ◽  
Low K

AbstractAs an approach to the exploration of cold-active enzymes, in this study, we isolated a cold-active protease produced by psychrotrophic bacteria from glacial soils of Thajwas Glacier, Himalayas. The isolated strain BO1, identified as Bacillus pumilus, grew well within a temperature range of 4–30 °C. After its qualitative and quantitative screening, the cold-active protease (Apr-BO1) was purified. The Apr-BO1 had a molecular mass of 38 kDa and showed maximum (37.02 U/mg) specific activity at 20 °C, with casein as substrate. It was stable and active between the temperature range of 5–35 °C and pH 6.0–12.0, with an optimum temperature of 20 °C at pH 9.0. The Apr-BO1 had low Km value of 1.0 mg/ml and Vmax 10.0 µmol/ml/min. Moreover, it displayed better tolerance to organic solvents, surfactants, metal ions and reducing agents than most alkaline proteases. The results exhibited that it effectively removed the stains even in a cold wash and could be considered a decent detergent additive. Furthermore, through protein modelling, the structure of this protease was generated from template, subtilisin E of Bacillus subtilis (PDB ID: 3WHI), and different methods checked its quality. For the first time, this study reported the protein sequence for psychrotrophic Apr-BO1 and brought forth its novelty among other cold-active proteases.

scholarly journals Synthesis and Characterization of Exopolysaccharide Encapsulated PCL/Gelatin Skin Substitute for Full-Thickness Wound Regeneration

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 854
Author(s):  
Ahmad Hivechi ◽  
Peiman Brouki Milan ◽  
Khashayar Modabberi ◽  
Moein Amoupour ◽  
Kaveh Ebrahimzadeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Activity ◽  
Average Diameter ◽  
Skin Substitute ◽  
Full Thickness ◽  
Skin Integrity ◽  
Hematoxylin And Eosin ◽  
First Time ◽  
Full Thickness Wound

Loss of skin integrity can lead to serious problems and even death. In this study, for the first time, the effect of exopolysaccharide (EPS) produced by cold-adapted yeast R. mucilaginosa sp. GUMS16 on a full-thickness wound in rats was evaluated. The GUMS16 strain’s EPS was precipitated by adding cold ethanol and then lyophilized. Afterward, the EPS with polycaprolactone (PCL) and gelatin was fabricated into nanofibers with two single-needle and double-needle procedures. The rats’ full-thickness wounds were treated with nanofibers and Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson’s Trichrome staining was done for studying the wound healing in rats. Obtained results from SEM, DLS, FTIR, and TGA showed that EPS has a carbohydrate chemical structure with an average diameter of 40 nm. Cell viability assessments showed that the 2% EPS loaded sample exhibits the highest cell activity. Moreover, in vivo implantation of nanofiber webs on the full-thickness wound on rat models displayed a faster healing rate when EPS was loaded into a nanofiber. These results suggest that the produced EPS can be used for skin tissue engineering applications.

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