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Origin and evolution of cannibalism in the animal populations: why to eat conspecific? The term «Cannibalism» is a linguistic distortion resulting from Arawak terminology (Amerindians in the Antilles) caribal that means courageous. Columbus uses it to describe Caribbean Indians identified as eaters of human flesh. Cannibalism behavior is widespread in the animal kingdom. It has occurred in human society since the paleolithic and many typologies of cannibalism have recently been described. Identifying the evolutionary causes and benefits of cannibalism in animal populations may provide information about its taxonomic diversity. In general cannibalism is favored by ecological factors related to the low availability of alternative food. It may also depend to varying degrees upon population density. Social factors, like competition for mates and offspring parental care when food is scare may also promote cannibalism behavior. Significant nutritional and energy benefits combined to a territorial advantage were provided by cannibalism. For many species cannibalism can strongly affect population dynamics and mortality rates with enhancing the risk of infection from parasites and viruses.

Toyin Dorcas Alabi,1 Charon de Villiers,2 Stephan S du Plessis,3 Thomas K Monsees,4 Nicole L Brooks,5 Oluwafemi Omoniyi Oguntibeju1 1Phytomedicine & Phytochemistry Group, Oxidative Stress Research Centre, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Bellville, South Africa; 2PUDAC-Delft Animal Facility, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town 7505, South Africa; 3Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa; 4Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa; 5Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South AfricaCorrespondence: Oluwafemi Omoniyi Oguntibeju Tel +27 219538495Email oguntibejuo@cput.ac.zaBackground: Progression of diabetes mellitus has increasingly led to several diabetic complications. Diabetes is one of the major factors implicated in male reproductive system damage. Recent approaches such as the use of medicinal plants have been explored in the management of diabetes and associated complications. Anchomanes difformis (common name: children’s umbrella) has been shown to possess anti-diabetic ability in animal model. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the potency of Achomanes difformis in ameliorating diabetes-induced reproductive dysfunction.Methods: Type 2 diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats with 10% fructose administration for 2 weeks and an intraperitoneal injection of 40mg/kgBW of streptozotocin. Aqueous extract (200mg and 400mg/kgBW) of Anchomanes difformis leaves was administered daily for 6 weeks. The rats were randomly divided into 7 groups with a minimum of eight rats in each (8 rats in normal groups and 10 in diabetic groups). The impact of diabetes and treatment was investigated by estimating sperm concentration, motility indices, viability and morphological parameters in the normal, treatment controls and diabetic rats using CASA-SCA system. Histological examination of the testes and epididymis was performed.Results: Diabetes induction resulted in significant decrease in sperm concentration, viability and some motility parameters with 40% abnormalities in sperm morphology. The administration of Anchomanes difformis significantly increased sperm concentration and sperm viability, while it significantly improved the percentage of morphologically normal sperm in diabetic rats. Anchomanes difformis ameliorated testicular damage such as vacuolization and loss of germinal epithelium in the diabetic-treated rats when compared to the diabetic controls.Conclusion: The potency Anchomanes difformis displayed against diabetic-induced damage in the reproductive system might be a new and promising tool in the management of male reproductive dysfunctions and associated complications in diabetes mellitus.Keywords: Anchomanes difformis, diabetes mellitus, male fertility, sperm function

Introduction: The liver is involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics and their metabolites and it is vulnerable to oxidative damage. Hyperglycaemia is highly implicated in the progression of diabetes mellitus, and adversely affects the liver. Though, conventional hypoglycaemic drugs may be effective in reducing blood glucose, they do not appear to be effective in attenuating the progression of diabetes and its complications.

Dietary factors do not only contribute to remission of diseases but also play important roles in the progression of medical conditions. We investigated the effect of different formulations of maize diets on the healing of experimental acetic acid-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) in male rats. Thirty-five (35) male Wistar rats (150–170 g) were randomly divided into control (CTR), UC, UC + high maize diet (HMD), UC + low maize diet (LMD), and UC + maize-free diet (MFD) groups. CTR, UC, UC + HMD, UC + LMD, and UC + MFD groups were administered different formulations of dietary maize ranging from 0% to 70%. Body weight change (BWC), colon weight, macroscopic ulcer score, catalase, glutathione (GSH), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), myeloperoxidase, diarrhea score, superoxide dismutase (SOD), Ki-67 expression, and histological studies were done. Results were analyzed using SPSS 23. UC + LMD and UC + MFD groups showed a duration-dependent reduction in negative BWC, respectively. When compared with UC group, UC + LMD and UC + MFD significantly increased (P < 0.05) GSH and SOD respectively but had no effect on TNF-α and diarrhea score. UC + HMD increased diarrhea and macroscopic ulcer scores with Ki-67 expression highest in UC + MFD. The study indicated that consumption of either LMD or maize-free diet by colitic rats relatively enhanced healing of UC.

This study analyzed the protein content of ten edible insect species (using the Dumas method), then focused on the amino acid (AA) profiles of the six major commercially relevant species using HPLC (high-pressure (or performance) liquid chromatography). The protein contents varied significantly from 46.1% to 52.9% (dry matter); the Orthoptera representative yielding both the highest protein content and the highest values in three essential amino acids (EAAs). Regarding Lepidoptera species, the protein content of Saturniidae varied more than for Notodontidae. Imbrasia ertli gave the best example of a species that could be suggested for dietary supplementation of cereal-based diets, as the sample contained the highest values in five EAAs and for the EAA index. Furthermore, first-limiting AAs in the selected insects have also been pointed out (based on a species-specific AA score), supporting that the real benefit from eating insects is correlated to a varied diet. Additionally, preliminary insights into AA distribution patterns according to taxa provided three clusters based on protein quality and should be completed further to help tailor prescriptions of dietary diets. Since the AA composition of the selected insects was close to the FAO/WHO EAA requirement pattern for preschool children and met the requirements of 40% EAAs with high ratio EAAs/NEAAs, the current study endorses reports of edible insects as nutrient-rich and sustainable protein sources.

The article focuses on a research conducted in order to investigate the role of cuticular hydrocarbons in Tribolium brevicornis (T. brevicornis) as feeding deterrents that function to prevent pupal cannibalism and predation. It discusses the characterization of the cuticular hydrocarbons of T. brevicornis pupae using flour disk bioassays. The study revealed the role of cuticular chemistry of T. brevicornis pupae in deterring predation by conspecific and congeneric beetles.

Pesticidal plants and vegetable crop protection in West Africa. A review. Introduction. Vegetable crops play a leading role in human nutrition and contribute significantly to the incomes of families in West Africa. However, their production is hampered by pressure from pests, which limits their productivity. Literature. This review, based on scientific publications, aims to evaluate the potential of pesticidal plants as an alternative to the use of synthetic pesticides to control vegetable crop pests in West Africa. It shows that the primary current method used to control these pests is mainly based on synthetic pesticides. However, in view of their harmful effects on humans and the environment, in addition to the range of resistant pest populations, the search for alternative approaches is needed. Pesticidal plants are a promising alternative in the West African context. Indeed, various species of pesticidal plant can be used as plant extracts or in association with other crops in pest management. These plants are presented in this review article. Conclusions. Pesticidal plants can be a promising alternative for the pest management of vegetable crops. However, most of these pesticidal plants are uncultivated. Exploring the biocidal capacities of these interesting plants, such as the genus Ocimum, known for its therapeutic, medicinal and food uses, could be of interest for farmers. However, populations need to be made informed of the long-term benefits of products treated with pesticidal plant extract, in order to facilitate their use.

Cashew apple bagasse (CAB) constituting about 20 % of the cashew apple's (CA) weight, is often overlooked and considered a waste product. This study aims to valorize CAB by extracting and studying a nutritional and functional compounds from CAB, particularly proteins. Response surface methodology (RSM) design and ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) are employed to optimize a protein-enriched fraction extraction process. Analysis of CAB-Protein-Pellet composition reveals that its main constituents are sugars (42.49 %) and proteins (22.10 %). HPSEC analysis confirmed the existence of a new natural protein-polysaccharide complex (PPC), an high level of Ara (11.85 g/100 g) and Gal (17.45 g/100 g) indicating the presence of polysaccharides rich in arabinose and galactose (PRAG) with the main class of polymers in the CAB-PPC being AGPs. MIR-FTIR and 1 H NMR spectra allowed new insights into the structural features of the PPC derived from CA. The effects of protein-polysaccharide interactions within CAB-PPC on structure and functionality were investigated, revealing interesting functional properties and their correlation relationship. The findings highlight some similarities between CAB-PPC and gum Arabic with minor differences. The interfacial tension of CAB-PPC (21.32 mN/m) was lower than that of gum Arabic (23.71 mN/m). Therefore, CAB-PPC could be suitable for a range of food applications including thickening, stabilization, gelling, water retention, emulsification, and foaming., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: The shea tree is a well-known carbon sink in Africa that requires a sustainable conservation of its gene pool. However, the genetic structure of its population is not well studied, especially in Côte d'Ivoire. In this study, 333 superior shea tree genotypes conserved in situ in Côte d'Ivoire were collected and genotyped with the aim of investigating its genetic diversity and population structure to facilitate suitable conservation and support future breeding efforts to adapt to climate change effects., Results: A total of 7,559 filtered high-quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified using the genotyping by sequencing technology. The gene diversity (HE) ranged between 0.1 to 0.5 with an average of 0.26, while the polymorphism information content (PIC) value ranged between 0.1 to 0.5 with an average of 0.24, indicating a moderate genetic diversity among the studied genotypes. The population structure model classified the 333 genotypes into three genetic groups (GP1, GP2, and GP3). GP1 contained shea trees that mainly originated from the Poro, Tchologo, and Hambol districts, while GP2 and GP3 contained shea trees collected from the Bagoué district. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) identified 55% variance within populations and 45% variance within individuals, indicating a very low genetic differentiation (or very high gene exchange) between these three groups (F ST  = 0.004, gene flow Nm = 59.02). Morphologically, GP1 displayed spreading tree growth habit, oval nut shape, higher mean nut weight (10.62 g), wide leaf (limb width = 4.63 cm), and small trunk size (trunk circumference = 133.4 cm). Meanwhile, GP2 and GP3 showed similar morphological characteristics: erect and spreading tree growth habit, ovoid nut shape, lower mean nut weight (GP2: 8.89 g; GP3: 8.36 g), thin leaf (limb width = 4.45 cm), and large trunk size ( GP2: 160.5 cm, GP3: 149.1 cm). A core set of 100 superior shea trees, representing 30% of the original population size and including individuals from all four study districts, was proposed using the "maximum length sub-tree function" in DARwin v. 6.0.21., Conclusion: These findings provide new knowledge of the genetic diversity and population structure of Ivorian shea tree genetic resources for the design of effective collection and conservation strategies for the efficient use of inbreeding., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Genotype × environment interaction (GEI) poses a critical challenge to plant breeders by complicating the identification of stable variety (ies) for performance across diverse environments. GGE biplot and AMMI analyses have been identified as the most effective and appropriate statistical techniques for identifying stable and high-performing genotypes across diverse environments. The objective of this study was to identify widely adapted and high-yielding soybean genotypes from Multi-Locational Trials (MLTs) using GGE and AMMI biplot analyses. Fifteen IITA-bred elite soybean lines and three standard checks were evaluated for stability of performance in a 3 × 6 alpha lattice design with three replications across seven locations in Nigeria. Significant (p < 0.001) differences were detected among genotypes, environments, and GEI for grain yield, which ranged between 979.8 kg ha -1 and 3645 kg ha -1 with a mean of 2324 kg ha -1 . To assess the stability of genotypes, analyses were conducted using the general linear method, GGE, and the Additive Main Effect and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) approach, as well as WAAS and ASV rank indices. In the GGE biplot model, the first two principal components accounted for 67.4 % of the total variation, while in the AMMI model, the first two Interaction Principal Component Axes (IPCA1 and IPCA2) explained 73.20 % and 11.40 % of the variation attributed to genotype by environment interaction, respectively. GGE biplot identified G10 and G16 as the most stable and productive genotypes, while WAASB index revealed G16, G10, G9, G4 and G2 as the most adaptive, stable and productive genotypes across locations, and ASV identified G9, G13, G4, G14 and G10 as the most stable and productive. Consequently, genotypes G2, G4, G9, G10 and G16 displayed outstanding and stable grain yield performance across the test locations and are, therefore, recommended for release as new soybean varieties suitable for cultivation in the respective mega environment where they performed best. More importantly, the two genotypes are recommended for recycling as sources of high-yield and yield stability genes, and as parental lines for high-yield and stable performance for future breeding and genomic selection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: It is not always easy to find a universal protocol for the extraction of genomic DNA (gDNA) from plants. Extraction of gDNA from plants such as shea with a lot of polysaccharides in their leaves is done in two steps: a first step to remove the polysaccharides and a second step for the extraction of the gDNA. In this work, we designed a protocol for extracting high-quality gDNA from shea tree and demonstrate its suitability for downstream molecular applications., Methods: Fifty milligrams of leaf and root tissues were used to test the efficiency of our protocol. The quantity of gDNA was measured with the NanoDrop spectrometer and the quality was checked on agarose gel. Its suitability for use in downstream applications was tested with restriction enzymes, SSRs and RAPD polymerase chain reactions and Sanger sequencing., Results: The average yield of gDNA was 5.17; 3.96; 2.71 and 2.41 µg for dry leaves, dry roots, fresh leaves and fresh roots respectively per 100 mg of tissue. Variance analysis of the yield showed significant difference between all tissue types. Leaf gDNA quality was better compared to root gDNA at the absorbance ratio A 260/280 and A 260/230 . The minimum amplifiable concentration of leaf gDNA was 1 pg/µl while root gDNA remained amplifiable at 10 pg/µl. Genomic DNA obtained was also suitable for sequencing., Conclusion: This protocol provides an efficient, convenient and cost effective DNA extraction method suitable for use in various vitellaria paradoxa genomic studies., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

The production of common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is adversely affected by virus-like diseases globally, but little is known about the occurrence, distribution, and diversity of common bean-infecting viruses in Zambia. Consequently, field surveys were conducted during the 2018 season in 128 fields across six provinces of Zambia and 640 common bean leaf tissue samples were collected with ( n = 585) or without ( n = 55) symptoms. The prevalence of symptomatic fields was 100%, but incidence of symptomatic plants ranged from 32 to 67.5%. Metagenomic analyses of nine composite samples and a single plant sample of interest revealed the occurrence of isolates of Bean common mosaic necrosis virus , Bean common mosaic virus , Cowpea aphid - borne mosaic virus , Peanut mottle virus , Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV), Cucumber mosaic virus , Phaseolus vulgaris alphaendornavirus 1 (PvEV-1), PvEV-2, Ethiopian tobacco bushy top virus (ETBTV), and a novel strain of Cowpea polerovirus 1 (CPPV1-Pv) of 5,902 nt in length. While CPPV1-Pv was consistently detected in mixed infection with ETBTV and its satellite RNA molecule, based on results of mechanical transmission assays it does not appear to be involved in disease etiology, suggesting that its role may be limited to being a helper virus for the umbravirus. Screening of the survey samples by real-time PCR for the viruses detected by high-throughput sequencing revealed the prevalence of single (65.2% or 417/640) over mixed (1.9% or 12/640) infections in the samples. SBMV was the most frequently detected virus, occurring in ∼29.4% (188/640) of the samples and at a prevalence rate of 58.6% (75/128) across fields. The results showed that diverse virus species are present in Zambian common bean fields and the information will be useful for the management of common bean viral diseases.

Major problems associated with the study of mushrooms in Nigeria are inaccuracy in identification, low bio-efficiency of commonly used substrate and difficulty in composting of substrates. The current study attempts the identification and characterization of Pleurotus species commonly cultivated in Western region of Nigeria, and evaluates the effectiveness of agricultural wastes in mushrooms cultivation. Molecular characterization was carried out for species identification. Different substrates combinations at ratio 1:1 were used. Molecular characterization revealed that the Pleurotus species grown in most farms and research institutes in South-western Nigeria are predominantly P. ostreatus and P. pulminarius. Palm bunch + Rice bran (8.24 ± 0.16) ramified almost twice faster than sawdust alone (4.98 ± 0.31) or any of the other substrates containing it. Fermented bunch (7.36 ± 0.19), the only substrate not sterilized also ramified faster than sawdust alone. All the other substrates compounded with palm bunch and shaft ramified faster than sawdust as lone substrate. In terms of yield, Palm bunch + Rice bran gave the highest (1774.75 g), followed by shaft + rice bran (1483.70 g), while the least value of 326. 94 g was obtained from sawdust. The highest value of biological efficient (BE) (100.57 g) and productivity (PT) (17.46 g) were obtained from shaft + Wheat bran and Palm bunch + Rice bran respectively, while sawdust gave lowest values of 13.08% and 3.23% for BE and PT respectively. Results obtained have shown that bunch and shaft supplemented with wheat and rice bran gave better yields and can be recommended for commercial mushrooms cultivation., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

RNA quality (purity and integrity) and quantity are of critical importance to ensure reliable gene expression analysis, reproducibility of RNA sequencing and microarray data and validation by RT-PCR. Currently available methods for isolating RNA either are labor intensive (requiring the use of toxic organic solvents and separate DNase treatment) or require automation (with extensive setup and startup costs). To optimize both the quality and quantity of RNA from bone marrow, we recommend stabilization and storage of bone marrow mononuclear cells in RNAprotect ® Cell Reagent, followed by extraction using the RNeasy ® Protect Cell Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). This method achieves optimal quantity and high-quality RNA for sequencing and RT-PCR while remaining efficient and cost effective.

Purpose: The majority of women managed for breast cancer in Nigeria are relatively young, many in their forties. Mastectomy, the most common surgical treatment, raises psychosocial concerns. Understanding these concerns may help address the fears of women who refuse treatment and aid in the care of those who have had mastectomy., Methods: Using qualitative methods, we purposively sampled women 45 years of age and younger who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer at a Nigerian teaching hospital. One-on-one in-depth interviews were conducted using an unstructured interview guide. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed to identify themes and subthemes., Results: The study identified six major themes on the impact of mastectomy on psychosocial lives of women, namely decision for mastectomy, postmastectomy transition, body image changes, relationship with husband and sexual life, coping with life postmastectomy, and social support., Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of addressing individual patient's psychosocial needs and preferences when discussing breast cancer treatment with young women. The experiences of women described in this study reveal several useful themes for planning treatment protocols and postmastectomy care.

The N-terminally myristoylated matrix (MA) domain of the HIV-1 Gag polyprotein promotes virus assembly by targeting Gag to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Recent studies indicate that, prior to membrane binding, MA associates with cytoplasmic tRNAs (including tRNA Lys3 ), and in vitro studies of tRNA-dependent MA interactions with model membranes have led to proposals that competitive tRNA interactions contribute to membrane discrimination. We have characterized interactions between native, mutant, and unmyristylated (myr-) MA proteins and recombinant tRNA Lys3 by NMR spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. NMR experiments confirm that tRNA Lys3 interacts with a patch of basic residues that are also important for binding to the plasma membrane marker, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P 2 ]. Unexpectedly, the affinity of MA for tRNA Lys3 (K d = 0.63 ± 0.03 μM) is approximately 1 order of magnitude greater than its affinity for PI(4,5)P 2 -enriched liposomes (K d(apparent) = 10.2 ± 2.1 μM), and NMR studies indicate that tRNA Lys3 binding blocks MA association with liposomes, including those enriched with PI(4,5)P 2 , phosphatidylserine, and cholesterol. However, the affinity of MA for tRNA Lys3 is diminished by mutations or sample conditions that promote myristate exposure. Since Gag-Gag interactions are known to promote myristate exposure, our findings support virus assembly models in which membrane targeting and genome binding are mechanistically coupled., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Mealworms are new food products in Europe, but consumers do not know how to cook them. Although cooking could increase the safety, acceptability, palatability, and digestibility of insects, the heating process could have deleterious effects on protein and lipid quality. Therefore, this study characterized the effects of different household cooking methods (boiling, pan-frying, vacuum cooking, and oven cooking) on the microbial load and nutritive value of mealworms, with a focus on protein digestibility and fatty acid composition. Boiling and cooking under vacuum were the most efficient techniques to reduce microbial load while maintaining the high levels of protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids of mealworms. Cooking method-related changes were very low on macronutrients content except for pan-fried mealworms which exhibited the highest lipid content. Cooking slightly changed fatty acid composition of mealworms by principally decreasing their level of saturated fatty acids but also increased the in vitro crude protein digestibility of mealworms., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Edible insects are gaining more and more attention as a sustainable source of animal protein for food and feed in the future. In Belgium, some insect products can be found on the market, and consumers are sourcing fresh insects from fishing stores or towards traditional markets to find exotic insects that are illegal and not sanitarily controlled. From this perspective, this study aims to characterize the microbial load of edible insects found in Belgium (i.e., fresh mealworms and house crickets from European farms and smoked termites and caterpillars from a traditional Congolese market) and to evaluate the efficiency of different processing methods (blanching for all species and freeze-drying and sterilization for European species) in reducing microorganism counts. All untreated insect samples had a total aerobic count higher than the limit for fresh minced meat (6.7 log cfu/g). Nevertheless, a species-dependent blanching step has led to a reduction of the total aerobic count under this limit, except for one caterpillar species. Freeze-drying and sterilization treatments on European species were also effective in reducing the total aerobic count. Yeast and mold counts for untreated insects were above the Good Manufacturing Practice limits for raw meat, but all treatments attained a reduction of these microorganisms under this limit. These results confirmed that fresh insects, but also smoked insects from non-European trades, need a cooking step (at least composed of a first blanching step) before consumption. Therefore, blanching timing for each studied insect species is proposed and discussed.

Dryland cereals and legumes  are important crops in farming systems across the world.  Yet they are frequently neglected among the priorities for international agricultural research and development, often due to lack of information on their magnitude and extent. Given what we know about the global distribution of dryland cereals and legumes, what regions should be high priority for research and development to improve livelihoods and food security? This research evaluated the geographic dimensions of these crops and the farming systems where they are found worldwide. The study employed geographic information science and data to assess the key farming systems and regions for these crops. Dryland cereal and legume crops should be given high priority in 18 farming systems worldwide, where their cultivated area comprises more than 160 million ha. These regions include the dryer areas of South Asia, West and East Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Central America and other parts of Asia. These regions are prone to drought and heat stress, have limiting soil constraints, make up half of the global population and account for 60 percent of the global poor and malnourished. The dryland cereal and legume crops and farming systems merit more research and development attention to improve productivity and address development problems. This project developed an open access dataset and information resource that provides the basis for future analysis of the geographic dimensions of dryland cereals and legumes.

Background: The health status of the indigenous people of Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, is significantly lower compared with that of the rest of the nation. The domestication and mass production of insects may represent a sustainable, cost effective and high quality alternative source of protein to traditional livestock. This study aimed to optimise a cheap and residential cricket breeding system based on unused wild resources. The development of crickets, Teleogryllus testaceus (Walker), under seven diets composed of taro aerial parts, young cassava leaves, young cashew leaves and brown rice flour (with or without banana slices), versus a traditionally used broiler feed diet was studied., Results: Cricket mortality was low in all diets, except the two cashew-based diets. Total biomass was significantly higher under the broiler feed, in addition to the two diets containing a combination of cassava leaf powder and brown rice. Yet, crickets fed with the taro diet had the highest percentage of protein. Concerning the breeding system cost, units using cassava leaves were the cheapest., Conclusion: Diets based on cassava leaves seem to be the most promising. Nevertheless, to produce crickets with a high body mass and a high protein level, a new experiments must be devised in which cassava leaf maturity will be adapted to fit with the cricket growth stage. Moreover, to reduce the cost of the breeding units, handmade local products should be used instead of purchased components., (© 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.)

The doubly labeled water (DLW) method is used to measure free-living energy expenditure in humans. Inherent to this technique is the assumption that natural abundances of stable isotopes (2)H and (18)O in body water remain constant over the course of the measurement period and after elimination of the loading dose of DLW will return to the same predose level. To determine variability in the natural abundances of (2)H and (18)O in humans living in a region with seasonal shifts in rain patterns and sources of drinking water, over the course of 12 mo we collected weekly urine samples from four individuals living in southwest Nigeria as well as samples of their drinking water. From ongoing regional studies of hypertension, obesity, and energy expenditure, we estimated average water turnover rate, urine volumes, and sodium and potassium excretion. Results suggest that (2)H and (18)O in urine, mean concentrations of urinary sodium and potassium, urine volume, and total body turnover differed significantly from dry to rainy season. Additionally, seasonal weather variables (mean monthly maximum temperatures, total monthly rainfall, and minimum relative humidity) were all significantly associated with natural abundances in urine. No seasonal difference was observed in drinking water samples. Findings suggest that natural abundances in urine may not remain constant as assumed, and studies incorporating DLW measurements across the transition of seasons should interpret results with caution unless appropriate doses of the tracers are used., (Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.)

Background: Cardiovascular diseases presently rank high as leading causes of death globally. The increasing acceptability of phytomedicine is due to the increasing inefficacy of many modern drugs used for the control of many diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effects of β-sitosterol (BSS) in comparison with lisinopril, a standard antihypertensive drug, on certain biochemical hypertensive parameters in rats., Methods: Hypertension was induced with cadmium chloride and biochemical analysis of serum was carried out following treatment with BSS and lisinopril. Serum urea, creatinine and electrolytes were assayed using standard kit as tests for renal function, while alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) served as enzyme indices of the liver function. The effect on the serum lipid profile was assessed and histological examination performed on tissues of the liver and kidney., Results: The rats treated with BSS showed a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the serum creatinine concentration when compared with the hypertensive rats. Treatment with lisinopril showed a significant increase (p<0.05) in the activity of AST and ALP when compared with the normal rats. There were slight variations in the concentration of serum electrolytes of rats treated with BSS and lisinopril respectively when compared with normal and hypertensive rats. BSS significantly reduced calcium levels when compared with the hypertensive group. The histopathological examination of the liver and kidney of animals treated with BSS was not different from the control which showed normal histological structure, while the liver of the hypertensive animals showed scanty inflamed cells., Conclusion: The study shows that BSS is effective in restoring basal liver and kidney functions in hypertensive rats.

Chemoreception plays an important role in mediating a diverse range of behaviours, including predation and food selection. In the present study, we combined anatomical observations, electrophysiology and proteomics to investigate sensilla that mediate chemoreception on the antenna and the legs of Tribolium. Scanning electron microscopy was used to differentiate the coxal and trochanteral segments of the pro-, meso- and metathoracic legs by the presence of sensilla trichoidea and chaetica, while the antennae were covered with five types of sensilla (chaetica, basiconica, trichoidea, squamiformia and coeloconica). Antenna morphology and ultrastructure were similar in both sexes. Electrophysiological recordings allowed us to characterize a row of small sensilla basiconica on the terminal segment of the antenna as taste receptors, responding to sucrose and NaCl. Proteomics investigations of antennae and legs yielded several proteins with specific interest for those involved in chemoreception. Odorant-binding proteins were antenna-specific, while chemosensory proteins were detected in both tissues., (© 2013 The Royal Entomological Society.)