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Abstract Background Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are important arthropod vectors that are responsible for transmitting numerous pathogens of major diseases. Adult mosquito traps help in effective surveillance. In this study, we compared the efficacy of the Biogents® Sentinel (BGS) traps and CO2-baited CDC traps for adult mosquito collection within four sites in India. Results We found that BGS traps collected significantly more Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (85.8% of the total catch) than CDC traps (14.9% of the total catch). We also conducted a follow-up experiment to study the effect of adding CO2 as bait along with the BG lure to determine if it increases the number of mosquitoes collected. The results showed that BGS traps with BG lure + CO2 collected significantly more mosquitoes (69.5% of the total catch) than BGS traps with BG lure only (30.5% of the total catch). Although BGS traps were developed for surveillance of Ae. albopictus (Skuse) and Ae. aegypti (L.), the traps collected more Cx. quinquefasciatus (Say.) than any other mosquito species. Conclusion BGS trap is an efficient surveillance tool, and it can be used as part of an integrated mosquito management program by public health officials in order to combat mosquito-borne diseases.

The present study was aimed to analysis and characterizes the biochemical elements of Strobilanthes ciliatus Nees leaf extract. The healthy leaves of S. ciliatus were collected and the plant extracts were prepared as dried powder. Biochemical analysis was conducted using standard procedures for the leaf extracts. The various analysis and charecterization of S.ciliatus was determined via total chlorophyll content. The results have envisaged that plant extract have significantly with a presence of bio compounds. The present study shows S. ciliatus to be an important medicinal plant, since the leaves showed good biochemical activity. Thus, it may use in the treatment of diseases and may also use in the preparation of natural or herbal drugs due to the presence of biochemical.

Abstract Background In the present era of scientific and technological advancements, the use of smartphones among people has witnessed a large-scale progression. The camera serves as an important tool on smartphones, and the quality of the built-in camera varies with megapixels. The quality of photography and videography can be enhanced by employing macro lenses that can provide precise and high-quality photographs for the documentation and monitoring of macroorganisms, particularly insects. We used a smartphone-macro lens setup (SPMLS), comprising a Redmi Note 8 Pro and Skyvik Signi-20 mm lens, along with Snapseed for image processing. The SPMLS, costing USD 217, was employed in the Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary, Kashmir, during May to October 2021 for insect diversity documentation. The aim of this study is to introduce and demonstrate the utility of SPMLS as an affordable and portable photography solution for enhancing image quality in biodiversity documentation, making it accessible to a wide range of users. Results In this study, we report a device that uses a smartphone and macro lens (SPMLS), which is a portable and low-cost photography gear for researchers, photographers, citizen enthusiasts, and the general public who are not able to buy high-end and costly photography equipment for field-based biodiversity studies. The utilization of SPMLS has significantly augmented the image resolution and pixel density, thereby substantially enhancing the overall photographic quality, demonstrating its substantial scientific utility. Conclusions The SPMLS device presented in this study can be useful for researchers, scientists, students, citizen enthusiasts, and common people that are engaged in the biodiversity monitoring and conservation of animal and plant species across the globe. In addition, the post-photography part of this paper provides users with an outlook on image editing, processing, uploading, and marketing of photographs on different platforms.

The impact of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is very high; its mutant variants provide a higher transmission rate. Due to many mutations in the omicron-variant, it can evade previously available neutralizing antibodies. The inhibitory effect of the novel compound “Ignaciomycin” was investigated using various computational analyses against the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 wild-type, Delta, and omicron-variants. Molecular docking revealed the potentially stable interaction of Ignaciomycin with an energy value of −8.65 kcal/mol for the omicron-variant. DFT and Hirshfeld surface calculations showed higher efficiency and reactivity with strong electrostatic potential values. In-silico toxicity studies revealed a significant drug-likeness score (7.5912) with non-toxic properties. MD simulation studies confirmed the stability of Ignaciomycin during ∼ 100 ns simulation. Covariance, PCA, and FEL analyses revealed significant fluctuations in residues and atom mobility in all variants based on the strong interaction of Ignaciomycin. Mutations in the Delta and omicron-variants increased the binding efficiency of the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 S-glycoprotein with human ACE2. Ignaciomycin had high efficiency in interacting with mutated sites in the RBD, thereby blocking the interaction of the RBD with ACE2. Our findings provide a strong hypothesis for preclinical validation of Ignaciomycin as a potential drug against SARS-CoV-2 and its mutant variants.

Abstract In the present study, the newly sequenced mitogenomes of three Noctuoid and one Hyblaeoid (Insecta: Lepidoptera) species were annotated based on next-generation sequence data. The complete mitogenome lengths of Oraesia emarginata, Actinotia polyodon, Odontodes seranensis, and Hyblaea puera were 16,668 bp, 15,347 bp, 15,419 bp, and 15,350 bp, respectively. These mitogenomes were found to encode 37 typical mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNA, 2 ribosomal RNA) and a control region, similar to most Lepidoptera species. Maximum likelihood (ML) methods and Bayesian inference (BI) were used to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of the moths. This study showed the relationships of Noctuoid families as follows: (Notodontidae + (Erebidae + (Nolidae + (Euteliidae + Noctuidae)))). Furthermore, the species H. puera was separately clustered from the Noctuoidea member groups. Till now, the species from the superfamily Hyblaeoidea have not been discussed for their phylogenetic relationships. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of one species from the superfamily Hyblaeoidea was analysed.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) is one of the most important cereal crops for people in Asia and Africa. It supplies energy and nutrients for all people, particularly poor people in these continents. Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and grain quality, so an adequate amount of P is required for healthy plant life. There is considerable evidence that P deficiency affects the growths and yields of all cereals, including finger millet. The present study aimed at identifying the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for various agro-morphological and P-content traits under low P (LP) and high P (HP) conditions through linkage mapping. Two cultivars, IE-2606 (low-P-susceptible) and PR-202 (low-P-tolerant) were used to develop 100 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). In total, 55 QTL, associated with various agro-morphological (primary root length (PRL), shoot fresh weight (SFW), root fresh weight (RFW), shoot dry weight (SDW), root dry weight (RDW), and root hair density (RHD)) and P-content traits (inorganic phosphate content in shoots (PiS), inorganic phosphate content in roots (PiR), and total P content in shoots (TPS)) were detected under LP conditions. Similarly, 37 QTL for various agro-morphological (PRL, RFW, SDW, and root hair length (RHL)) and P-content traits (PiS, PiR, TPS, and total P content in roots (TPR)) were detected under HP conditions. Biotic and abiotic stress-responsive candidate genes linked to a few QTL were also identified. The identified QTL associated with agro-morphological and P-content traits in finger millet under P deficiency could be used in breeding programs to develop finger millet with better P use efficiency (PUE). Furthermore, improving finger millet growth and yield under LP soil will help to reduce Pi application and eutrophication, which may help to improve the lives of poor farmers and maintain sustainable environments in Asia and African countries.

The current research focuses on the fabrication of water-soluble, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) employing thiourea (T) using a simple cost-effective method, and subsequently examining its anticancer characteristics. The cytotoxicity caused by graphene oxide (GO) and T-rGO is investigated in detail. Biological results reveal a concentration-dependent toxicity of GO and T-rGO in human colon cancer cells HT-29. A decrease in cell viability alongside DNA fragmentation is observed. Flow cytometry analysis confirms the cytotoxic effects. The novelty in this work is the use of raw graphite powder, and oxidants such as KMNO4, NaNO3, and 98 percent H2SO4 to produce graphene oxide by a modified Hummers method. This study demonstrates a simple and affordable procedure for utilising thiourea to fabricate a water-soluble reduced graphene oxide, which will be useful in a variety of biomedical applications.

To analyse the phylogenetic relationships of members of the family Erebidae, the mitogenomes of two species namely, Hypospila bolinoides Guenée, 1852 and Lygephila dorsigera (Walker, 1865) were sequenced. H. bolinoides and L. dorsigera have circular genomes that are 15,640 bp and 15,567 bp long, respectively. Despite their different lengths, both genomes contain an identical gene order, which includes 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and an A+T-rich region. The nucleotide composition of the H. bolinoides mitogenome vis-à-vis the A+T rich region was 80.08%, which is higher than that of L. dorsigera (78.03%). The AT skew and GC skew were mostly negative for both species. The A+T-rich regions of H. bolinoides and L. dorsigera were 287 bp and 383 bp long, respectively, and confined to common characteristics of Noctuoidea. Concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs from 170 taxa belonging to the five families of the superfamily Noctuoidea and two butterfly mitogenomes used as outgroups were utilized for Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) analyses. The first-ever comprehensive analysis of the mitogenomes of the genera Lygephila (Billberg, 1820) and Hypospila (Guenée, 1852) revealed that the superfamily Noctuoidea has a well supported monophyletic relationship with (Notodontidae + (Erebidae + (Nolidae + (Euteliidae + Noctuidae))). In support of previous partial genome analyses, the present study provides phylogenomic evidence that L. dorsigera, hitherto classified as a member of the subfamily Erebinae, can be placed within the subfamily Toxocampinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]