Mg Of Dry Weight Research Articles

Auricular Chondrocytes as a Cell Source for Scaffold-Free Elastic Cartilage Tissue Engineering.

Current tissue engineering (TE) methods utilize chondrocytes primarily from costal or articular sources. Despite the robust mechanical properties of neocartilages sourced from these cells, the lack of elasticity and invasiveness of cell collection from these sources negatively impact clinical translation. These limitations invited the exploration of naturally elastic auricular cartilage as an alternative cell source. This study aimed to determine if auricular chondrocytes (AuCs) can be used for TE scaffold-free neocartilage constructs and assess their biomechanical properties. Neocartilages were successfully generated from a small quantity of primary neonatal AuCs of three minipig donors (n = 3). Neocartilage constructs had instantaneous moduli of 200.5 kPa ± 43.34 and 471.9 ± 92.8 kPa at 10% and 20% strain, respectively. TE constructs' relaxation moduli (Er) were 36.99 ± 6.47 kPa Er and 110.3 ± 16.99 kPa at 10% and 20% strain, respectively. The Young's modulus was 2.0 MPa ± 0.63, and the ultimate tensile strength was 0.619 ± 0.177 MPa. AuC-derived neocartilages contained 0.144 ± 0.011 µg collagen, 0.185 µg ± 0.002 glycosaminoglycans per µg dry weight, and 1.7e-3 µg elastin per µg dry weight. In conclusion, this study shows that AuCs can be used as a reliable and easily accessible cell source for TE of biomimetic and mechanically robust elastic neocartilage implants.

A Study of the Effect of Specific Antibacterial Therapy on the Course of Tuberculous Spondylitis in an Experiment

A Study of the Effect of Specific Antibacterial Therapy on the Course of Tuberculous Spondylitis in an Experiment

Simultaneous Analysis of Cyanotoxins β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and Microcystins-RR, -LR, and -YR Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) and its isomers, 2,4-diaminobutyric acid (2,4-DAB) and N-(2-aminoethyl)-glycine (AEG), along with microcystins (MCs)-RR, -LR, and -YR (the major MC congeners), are cyanotoxins that can cause detrimental health and environmental impacts during toxic blooms. Currently, there are no reverse-phase (RP) LC-MS/MS methods for the simultaneous detection and quantification of BMAA, its isomers, and the major MCs in a single analysis; therefore, multiple analyses are required to assess the toxic load of a sample. Here, we present a newly developed and validated method for the detection and quantification of BMAA, 2,4-DAB, AEG, MC-LR, MC-RR, and MC-YR using RP LC-MS/MS. Method validation was performed, assessing linearity (r2 > 0.996), accuracy (>90% recovery for spiked samples), precision (7% relative standard deviation), and limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) (ranging from 0.13 to 1.38 ng mL-1). The application of this combined cyanotoxin analysis on a culture of Microcystis aeruginosa resulted in the simultaneous detection of 2,4-DAB (0.249 ng mg-1 dry weight (DW)) and MC-YR (4828 ng mg-1 DW). This study provides a unified method for the quantitative analysis of BMAA, its isomers, and three MC congeners in natural environmental samples.

Effect of Tryptophan and Glutamic Acid on Morphological Traits of Iranian and Afghan Saffron

In order to investigate the effect of amino acids tryptophan and glutamic acid on the morphological traits of saffron medicinal plant, a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design in three replications in 2018 in the research farm of Zanjan University. Experimental treatments include three genotypes (Iranian, Afghani 1 and Afghani 2) as the main treatment and amino acid tryptophan at two levels (1 and 2 mM) and glutamic acid at two levels (1 and 2 mM) as secondary treatments. They were considered as witnesses. The results showed that tryptophan and glutamic acid treatments had a significant effect (P ≤ 0.01) on most of the investigated traits including number of flowers, dry weight of flowers, vegetative body. The highest content of number of flowers and dry weight of flowers were observed, respectively, 34.6 and 37.36 mg of dry weight. Also, the performance traits of flower fresh weight, stigma dry weight, showed significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) under the treatment of two amino acids. The maximum yield of phenol and flavonoid in 2 mM tryptophan concentration was 0.35 and 0.026 mg/g/ha, respectively, and the lowest yield in 1 mM glutamic treatment was 0.34 and 0.02 mg/g/ha, respectively.
 In total, different levels of tryptophan and glutamic acid can have an effective role in improving the morphological traits and production of this product. The use of 1 mM glutamic acid to produce the maximum vegetative body of the plant, the treatment of 1 and 2 mM of both amino acids to improve physiological indicators and 1 mM of glutamic acid for the performance of secondary metabolites is desirable and recommended for the purpose.

Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory potential of Solanum pubescens fruit extract

Introduction and Aim: Solanum pubescens is one of the very well-known traditional medicinal plants it has been widely used in the treatment of many inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory property of S. pubescens fruit. Materials and Methods: Anti-inflammatory activities of S. pubescens fruit extracts at different concentrations (100-200 mg/kg) were carried out using carrageenan-induced and cotton implant-induced granuloma methods. Results: The results of the carrageenan-induced paw edema study reveals the highest activity of fruit upper ethanolic (FUEE) extract at 200 mg/kg, with 64.84% followed by water (FEW), and fruit lower ethanolic extracts (FLEE). The protein and IL-6 evaluation in this experiment showed very promising results. Whereas the cellular toxicity was evaluated in terms of LPO, MPO and nitric oxide analysis which in turn showed harmless nature of extracts. Furthermore, assessment of proliferative phase of inflammation was done in rats using a cotton pellet-induced granuloma model, where FUEE at 100 mg/kg showed 32.5±2.73 mg, 200 mg/kg 25.3±2.36 mg of dry weight of granuloma, compared to the standard indomethacin activity 1.4±3.45 mg. Moreover, the hematological parameters of treated animals reveals that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of FUEE 4.88± 0.18 mm/hr at 200 mg/kg was the least and almost equal to the standard. Conclusion: It can be said that S. pubescens is no doubt a very good source of phytomedicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, with most of the valuable phytoconstituents concerned with the anti-inflammation assembled in the fruit upper ethanolic extracts as this extract showed excellent activity in both the carrageenan and cotton pellet models.

Effect of tryptophan and glutamic acid on morphological traits of Iranian and Afghan saffron

In order to investigate the effect of amino acids tryptophan and glutamic acid on the morphological traits of the saffron medicinal plant, a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design in three replications in 2018 in the research farm of Zanjan University. The experimental treatments include three genotypes (Iranian, Afghani 1, and Afghani 2) as the main treatment and tryptophan amino acid at two levels (1 and 2 mM) and glutamic acid at two levels (1 and 2 mM) as secondary treatments. They were considered as testify. The results showed that tryptophan and glutamic acid treatments had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.01) on most of the studied traits including the number of flowers, dry weight of flowers, and vegetative body. The highest content of the number of flowers and dry weight of flowers were observed, respectively, 34.6 and 37.36 mg of dry weight. Also, the performance characteristics of the fresh weight of the flower and the dry weight of the stigma showed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) under the treatment of two amino acids. In total, different levels of tryptophan and glutamic acid can have an effective role in improving the morphological traits and production of this product. The use of 1 mM glutamic acid to produce the maximum vegetative body of the plant, the treatment of 1 and 2 mM of both amino acids to improve morphological indicators, and 1 mM of glutamic acid for the performance of secondary metabolites is desirable and recommended for the purpose.

Some aspects of physiological studies of two reef building corals in the red sea

Some aspects of the physiology of the corals Seriatopora hystrix and Lobophyllia corymbosa described in this paper. At the study site, the lowest mean of seawater temperature is 27.42 °C and 27.17 °C at 5m and 10m depths respectively during winter, while the maximum mean of seawater temperature was 32.67 °C and 31.17 °C in 5 m and 10 m depths respectively during summer. L. corymbosa, had a lower number of zooxanthellae 0.05×105 , 0.43×105 , 0.06×105 and 0.46×105 mg-1 dry tissue weight than S. hystrix 0.19 ×105 , 5.1 ×105 , 0.27×105 and 9.59×105 mg-1 dry tissue weight in two season and two depths respectively. The mean respiration rate of whole colonies of S. hystrix was higher than that of L. corymbosa at the same depths both in summer and winter. The mean dark respiration rate decreases with increasing depths. The mean photosynthesis vs irradiance curves of S. hystrix and L. corymbosa were plotted to the hyperbolic tangent function (Chalker,1981) for summer and winter season. The growth rate was linear during each period of measurement during summer, the highest mean daily skeletal growth rate of S. hystrix was 2.3 ± 1.3 (20) mg.skel.d-1 in 10m depth and it was 1.6 ± 0.5 (21) mg .skel.d-1 at 5m depth. Whilst during winter, the lowest was 1.9 ± 0.96 (20) mg .skel. d-1 at 10m and also lowest (1.5 ± 0.7 (20) mg .skel. d-1) at 5m depth. The growth rate of the two species was lower in the winter than in summer.

Effect of tryptophan and glutamic acid on morphological traits of Iranian and Afghan saffron

In order to investigate the effect of amino acids tryptophan and glutamic acid on the morphological traits of the saffron medicinal plant, a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design in three replications in 2018 in the research farm of Zanjan University. The experimental treatments include three genotypes (Iranian, Afghani 1, and Afghani 2) as the main treatment and tryptophan amino acid at two levels (1 and 2 mM) and glutamic acid at two levels (1 and 2 mM) as secondary treatments. They were considered as testify. The results showed that tryptophan and glutamic acid treatments had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.01) on most of the studied traits including the number of flowers, dry weight of flowers, and vegetative body. The highest content of the number of flowers and dry weight of flowers were observed, respectively, 34.6 and 37.36 mg of dry weight. Also, the performance characteristics of the fresh weight of the flower and the dry weight of the stigma showed a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) under the treatment of two amino acids. In total, different levels of tryptophan and glutamic acid can have an effective role in improving the morphological traits and production of this product. The use of 1 mM glutamic acid to produce the maximum vegetative body of the plant, the treatment of 1 and 2 mM of both amino acids to improve morphological indicators, and 1 mM of glutamic acid for the performance of secondary metabolites is desirable and recommended for the purpose.

Antifungal activity of chili pepper extract with potential for the control of some major pathogens in grapevine.

In recent years, biofungicides have drawn increasing interest in vineyards for a more sustainable integrated and copper-limited pest management. Among alternatives, botanicals could represent valuable tools, being rich sources of biologically active compounds. Conversely to the well-known antioxidant and biological properties in relation to health benefits, investigation on bioactivity of hot pungent Capsicum sp. products against fungal phytopathogens in vineyards is still scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed at exploring the biologically active compounds profile of a chili pepper (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) pod extract and its antimicrobial properties against some of the major fungal and Oomycetes pathogens of grapevine, including Botrytis cinerea Pers., Guignardia bidwellii (Ellis) Viala & Ravaz and Plasmopara viticola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Berl. & De Toni. The ethyl acetate-extracted oleoresin from the most pungent varieties was rich in capsaicinoids and polyphenols (371.09 and 268.5μg mg-1 dry weight, respectively). Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids and quercetin derivatives were the most abundant, while carotenoids represented only a minor fraction. The oleoresin was efficient to inhibit all three pathogenic fungi and ED50 values were determined, evidencing that G. bidwellii was the more sensitive (0.233 ± 0.034 mg mL-1 ). The results suggested a potentiality of chili pepper extract for the control of some important grapevine pathogens, their possible application being helpful for the recommended limitation in extensive use of copper in vineyard. The complex mixture of high amounts of capsaicinoids, associated to specific phenolic acids and other minor bioactive components might contribute to the observed antimicrobial action of chili pepper extract. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Infaunal community structure, diversity, and function in Pacific-Arctic shelf sediments: a comparison of meiofaunal- and macrofaunal-sized nematodes

Meiofauna, and nematodes in particular, perform essential roles in benthic ecosystems and serve as bioindicators of disturbance and environmental change. In the Pacific Arctic, a region experiencing rapid environmental change, this component of the fauna has received little attention, and the role of meiofauna in ecosystem processes is poorly understood. We collected multi-core samples at 10 stations in the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Seas in June 2018 and characterized the sedimentary environment. We also assessed meiofauna community structure and abundance at higher taxonomic levels and evaluated genus-level nematode composition in meiofaunal (63-500 µm) and macrofaunal (>500 µm) size fractions. Nematodes were classified by feeding type and life-history strategies. Total meiofauna abundance and biomass varied greatly, with 1449-12875 ind. 10 cm-2 and 373-2325 µg dry weight 10 cm-2 for the upper 5 cm of sediment. Estimated production of meiofaunal-sized nematodes was 5-28 g C m-2 yr-1. Four distinct communities of meiofaunal-sized nematodes were identified in different sub-regions reflecting food availability and substrate type. The meiofaunal- and macrofaunal-sized nematodes represented 2 distinct communities. The unique taxonomic composition and large standing stock of the macrofaunal-sized nematodes (22 ± 15% of total nematode biomass) suggest they are critical components of the infauna and merit further research to assess their role in critical ecosystem functions. This study provides the first genus-level characterization of nematodes and some of the first measurements of meiofauna standing stock in the region, contributing important data for assessing ecosystem function in a rapidly changing Arctic.

Effects of methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid and phenylalanine on aloe emodin and aloin in diploid and tetraploid Aloe barbadensis

Aloe vera is one of the most famous medicinal plants. Aloin and aloe emodin are the most important active compounds in this plant. The purpose of this research was the comparison of aloin and aloe emodin production after the elicitation by methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, and phenylalanine in diploid and tetraploid Aloe vera plants in greenhouse conditions. The plants were treated with the concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 µM. The amounts of aloin and aloe emodin were determined 24 and 48 hours after application of the treatment. HPLC analysis showed that the leaves of the control diploid plants (without applying elicitors) had more aloin (1.20 fold) and aloe emodin (1.14 fold) than the control tetraploid plants. The maximum concentration of aloin (1.15 ± 0.07 µg mg-1 dry weight) was obtained after the elicitation by 25 µM methyl jasmonate, 24 hours after treatment, in diploid plants) 6.36 fold compared to the control (0.18 µg mg-1 dry weight (. In addition, the maximum concentration of aloe emodin (0.28 µg mg-1 dry weight) was obtained after the elicitation by 25 µM salicylic acid, 24 hours after treatment, in diploid plants) 6.18 fold compared to the control (0.04 µg mg-1 dry weight)). The long-term effect of three studied elicitors (after 240 days) on plant health and survival was also studied. This investigation showed that only methyl jasmonate at a concentration of 100 µM was resulted in the death of Aloe vera plants.

Proximal and fatty acid analysis in Ostrea chilensis, Crassostrea gigas and Mytilus chilensis (Bivalvia: Mollusca) from southern Chile.

Oysters and blue mussels are important hydrobiological resources for aquaculture. In Chile, they are farming on the Chiloé island, where around 18% of the world's mussels are produced, however, their nutritional dynamics are largely unknown. For this reason, the objective of this study was to determine the proximal biochemical composition and the fatty acid profile in the Chilean oyster (Ostrea chilensis), the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) and the Chilean mussel (Mytilus chilensis), to perform an intra and interspecific comparison. Shellfish sampled in winter were characterized by a high protein content, followed by medium values for lipid content and a low carbohydrate content compared to similar species in Europe. Also, oysters and mussels were found to be rich in omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LC-PUFA), so they can be considered excellent functional food option for a healthy human diet. Their high contribution of n-3 LC-PUFA ranged between 5.2-12.9 μg FA mg-1 dry weight with high n-3/n-6 ratios, which depends on both the species and the on-growing location. Both taxa can be considered a plausible option to promote a healthy diet of marine origin in future generations. Also, these results could benefit the projection and development of aquaculture of these mollusks.

Resistance and Application of the Biomass from Fusarium solani in the Removal of Pentachlorophenol in Aqueous Solution

Recently, the removal and degradation capacity of different environmental contaminants such as heavy metals, organic solvents, oils, plastics, pesticides and herbicides, from sites contaminated by low-cost materials has been studied, with promising results. These adsorbents include agricultural and industrial waste, clay minerals, live and dead microorganismos, and others materials. The objective of this investigation was study the tolerance and removal capacity of pentachlorophenol by the environmental polluting fungus Fusarium solani, by UV-visible spectrophotometry method. The fungal strain grew on LMM supplemented with 80 mg/L of PCP about 6% of growth relative to control (118 mg of dry weight without of pesticide) was obtained. The highest adsorption was obtained at pH 5.0, at 28oC after 24 hours of incubation with 1 g of fungal biomass, and 100 rpm. If we increase the PCP concentration, the removal capacity decrease, and if the biomass concentration is increase, the removal is most efficient, and the laccase activity is increase in presence of 10 mg/L of PCP, with a degradation of 63% at 15 days of incubation.

Mapping Atmospheric Mercury in Lampung Province, Indonesia Using Bark of Multipurpose Tree Species

The use of mercury in gold refining causes air pollution and results in the contamination of multipurpose tree species (MPTS). Tree bark has properties that cause it to store mercury for quite a long time. The purpose of this study was to determine mercury contamination of MPTS and map the mercury contamination distribution in the atmosphere using tree barks as bioindicators. Sampling was performed using purposive sampling. The mercury concentration was obtained by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the highest THg contents were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The analysis was carried out by gauging total mercury (THg), distance, elevation to THg, and interpolation of THg at the research site. The results showed that there were 10 types of MPTS trees whose bark could accumulate mercury. The bark of the Tamarindus indica tree stored the greatest amount of THg (74.4 µg dry weight (DW)), followed by Persea americana (58.7 µg DW), and Annona muricata (44.2 µg DW), respectively. This result was influenced by the roughness of the bark and the location of the plants. No correlation was found between distance and elevation to THg on tree bark. The mercury interpolation in the atmosphere showed that mercury moves from the purification point to the southeast of the purification location.

Evaluation of the Total Mercury Weight Exposure Distribution Using Tree Bark Analysis in an Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Area, North Gorontalo Regency, Gorontalo Province, Indonesia.

It is well known that atmospheric mercury (Hg) contaminates air, water, soil, and living organisms, including trees. Therefore, tree bark can be used for the environmental assessment of atmospheric contamination because it absorbs heavy metals. This study aimed to establish a new biomonitoring for the assessment of atmospheric Hg pollution. Reporting on atmospheric Hg contamination in an artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) area in North Gorontalo, Indonesia, we calculated the total weight of Hg (THg) and quantitatively measured the concentrations of Hg in the tree bark of Mangifera indica, Syzygium aromaticum, Terminalia catappa, and Lansium domesticum. The THg of Hg in the M. indica tree bark samples ranged from not detected (ND) to 74.6 μg dry weight (DW) per sample. The total Hg in the tree bark of S. aromaticum, T. catappa, and L. domesticum ranged from ND to 156.8, ND to 180, and ND to 63.4 μg DW, respectively. We concluded that topography significantly influences the accumulation of Hg together with local weather conditions. A mapped distribution of the THg suggested that the distribution of THg in the tree bark was not affected by the distance to the amalgamation site. Therefore, tree bark can be used as biomonitoring of atmospheric Hg contamination for the assessment of ASGM areas.

Effect of light intensity on steviol glycosides production in leaves of Stevia rebaudiana plants

Stevia rebaudiana leaf extracts contain stevioside and rebaudioside A, two steviol glycosides (SGs) used as natural sweeteners because of their non-toxic, thermally stable and non-caloric properties. Indeed, leaf extracts can be up to 300 times sweeter than sucrose. Stevioside and rebaudioside A have organoleptic differences, the first one having an undesirable bitterness and the second one a higher sweetener capacity. Selection of the S. rebaudiana varieties and the best environmental conditions that elicit higher SGs content and the appropriate composition is an important goal. In this study we quantified and compared the amount of stevioside and rebaudioside A in two of the most used S. rebaudiana cultivars, Morita II and Criolla. Our results show a strong differential ratio of stevioside and rebaudioside A accumulated in the leaf between these cultivars. The Criolla cultivar showed about 3 times more stevioside per mg of dry weight than Morita II, whereas the Morita II accumulated almost 10 times more rebaudioside A than that produced in Criolla. We observed an enhanced expression in Morita II of three genes (SrKA13H, SrUGT74G1 and SrUGT76G1) known to encode three enzymes that participate in SGs biosynthesis, likely contributing to the differences in the stevioside and rebaudioside A accumulation. Not only genetic variation can affect SGs composition, but also environmental factors and crop management. Numerous studies have shown that the light regime in which S. rebaudiana cultivars grow can affect SGs accumulation. However, the optimal light regime to increase total SGs content is currently controversial. By applying various light intensities, we detected an increase of expression of these three biosynthetic genes at higher light intensity, accompanied by higher levels of stevioside and rebaudioside A, demonstrating that light intensity influences the synthesis of SGs.

Decellularised human bone allograft from different anatomical sites as a basis for functionally stratified repair material for bone defects

Tissue engineered bone solutions aim to overcome the limitations of autologous and allogeneic grafts. Decellularised tissues are produced by washing cellular components from human or animal tissue to produce an immunologically safe and biocompatible scaffold, capable of integration following implantation. A decellularisation procedure utilising low concentration sodium dodecyl sulphate (0.1% w/v) was applied to trabecular bone from human femoral heads (FH) and tibial plateaus (TP). Biological (histology, DNA quantification), biomechanical (compression testing) and structural (μCT) comparisons were made between decellularised and unprocessed cellular tissue. Total DNA levels of decellularised FH and TP bone were below 50 ng·mg-1 dry tissue weight and nuclear material was removed. No differences were found between cellular and decellularised bone, from each anatomical region, for all the biomechanical and structural parameters investigated. Differences were found between cellular FH and TP and between decellularised FH and TP. Decellularised FH had a higher ultimate compressive stress, Young's modulus and 0.2% proof stress than decellularised TP (p = 0.001, 0.002, 0.001, Mann Whitney U test, MWU). The mineral density of cellular and decellularised TP bone was significantly greater than cellular and decellularised FH bone respectively (cellular: p = 0.001, decellularised: p < 0.001, MWU). The bone volume fraction and trabecular thickness of cellular and decellularised FH bone were significantly greater than cellular and decellularised TP bone respectively (cellular: p = 0.001, 0.005; decellularised: p < 0.001, <0.001, MWU). Characterisation of decellularised trabecular bone from different anatomical regions offers the possibility of product stratification, allowing selection of biomechanical properties to match particular anatomical regions undergoing bone graft procedures.

Експериментальне моделювання туберкульозного спондиліту

Актуальність. Туберкульозний спондиліт (ТС) в структурі кістково­суглобового туберкульозу у дорослих займає провідне місце і досягає 40–61,5 %. Метою даної публікації є висвітлення процесу моделювання туберкульозного спондиліту і його особливостей у морських свинок для подальшого використання результатів експерименту у лікувальній та науковій практиці. Матеріали та методи. Експеримент ставився на 40 статевозрілих морських свинках. Моделювання туберкульозного спондиліту проводилось на основі розробленого нами способу (патент № 112423 (UА) Україна). Усі тварини були розподілені на чотири рівні групи: 1­ша — 3­тя групи (основні) — виконувалась ін’єкція 0,5 мл суспензії М.tuberculosis (0,1 мг сухої маси в 1 мл) в тіло хребця згідно з методикою; 4­та група — контрольна. Тваринам робилась ін’єкція стерильного фізіологічного розчину (0,9% — 0,5 мл) в тіло хребця. Група 1 (10 свинок) — лікування специфічними антибактеріальними препаратами (АБП) першого ряду (ізоніазид, стрептоміцин, рифампіцин). Група 2 (10 свинок) — лікування специфічними антибактеріальними препаратами другого ряду (амікацин, рифабутин, офлоксацин). Група 3 (10 свинок) — не проводилося лікування. За всіма тваринами проводилося динамічне спостереження з клінічними, рентгенологічними, патоморфологічними і лабораторними дослідженнями. Виведення ­експериментальних тварин з досліду проходило за раніше розробленим графіком — при виявленні ознак досліджуваних стадій туберкульозного процесу. Всім виведеним з експерименту тваринам проводилося патоморфологічне дослідження. При цьому основна увага приділялася вивченню патоморфології уражених специфічним процесом хребців. Результати. У результаті морфологічного дослідження встановлено наявність активного туберкульозного процесу в тілах хребців і паравертебральних тканинах у тварин із модельованим туберкульозом і лікуванням специфічним АБП першого ряду, а також у тварин, які не приймали специфічного лікування. Важливо зазначити, що ступінь вираженості деструктивних змін у вражених хребцях у тварин нелікованих і тих, які приймали АБП першого ряду, практично однаковий. У тварин, яким моделювали туберкульоз і лікували специфічним АБП другого ряду, виявлено пригнічення патологічного процесу з утворенням молодої кісткової та сполучної тканини різного ступеня зрілості та наявністю зони, що відмежовує вогнище запалення від здорової тканини в ранні терміни захворювання (один місяць). В результаті виконаної роботи вдалося простежити стадійність розвитку туберкульозного спондиліту у морської свинки та сучасні особливості клінічного, рентгенологічного та патоморфологічного перебігу. Виявлена ідентичність моделі основних клінічних форм туберкульозного спондиліту у морської свинки та людини. Висновки. Дане дослідження показало, що проведення сучасної інтенсивної специфічної антибактеріальної терапії в умовах експерименту дозволяє досягти відмежування деструктивного процесу в порівняно ранні терміни розвитку захворювання (4–5 тижнів). Отримані нові знання про патоморфологічні особливості перебігу туберкульозного спондиліту дозволяють проводити радикальні оперативні втручання на хребті без ризику генералізації туберкульозного процесу в більш ранні терміни.

A new approach to assessing the space use behavior of macroinvertebrates by automated video tracking.

Individual space and resource use are central issues in ecology and conservation. Recent technological advances such as automated tracking techniques are boosting ecological research in this field. However, the development of a robust method to track space and resource use is still challenging for at least one important ecosystem component: motile aquatic macroinvertebrates. The challenges are mostly related to the small body size and rapid movement of many macroinvertebrate species and to light scattering and wave signal interference in aquatic habitats.We developed a video tracking method designed to reliably assess space use behavior among individual aquatic macroinvertebrates under laboratory (microcosm) conditions. The approach involves the use of experimental apparatus integrating a near infrared backlight source, a Plexiglas multi‐patch maze, multiple infrared cameras, and automated video analysis. It allows detection of the position of fast‐moving (~ 3 cm/s) and translucent individuals of small size (~ 5 mm in length, ~1 mg in dry weight) on simulated resource patches distributed over an experimental microcosm (0.08 m2).To illustrate the adequacy of the proposed method, we present a case study regarding the size dependency of space use behavior in the model organism Gammarus insensibilis, focusing on individual patch selection, giving‐up times, and cumulative space used.In the case study, primary data were collected on individual body size and individual locomotory behavior, for example, mean speed, acceleration, and step length. Individual entrance and departure times were recorded for each simulated resource patch in the experimental maze. Individual giving‐up times were found to be characterized by negative size dependency, with patch departure occurring sooner in larger individuals than smaller ones, and individual cumulative space used (treated as the overall surface area of resource patches that individuals visited) was found to scale positively with body size.This approach to studying space use behavior can deepen our understanding of species coexistence, yielding insights into mechanistic models on larger spatial scales, for example, home range, with implications for ecological and evolutionary processes, as well as for the management and conservation of populations and ecosystems. Despite being specifically developed for aquatic macroinvertebrates, this method can also be applied to other small aquatic organisms such as juvenile fish and amphibians.

Detection of Alternaria alternata in tomato juice and fresh fruit by the production of its biomass, respiration, and volatile compounds

Tomato is widely consumed and marketed as juice, puree, or fresh product. Nevertheless, 30% of its harvest volume is lost because of the fungus Alternaria alternata. This research aimed to provide early detection methods for this fungal decay on tomato juice and fresh fruit. Biomass content, CO2, O2 and volatile compounds (VOCs) during A. alternata growth in tomato juice and fruit at two ripening stages (breaker and red colour) were evaluated. Additionally, CO2 and VOCs data set were analysed with a hierarchical cluster technique (HCA) to explore the differences between inoculated and non-inoculated samples. Biomass was determined by gravimetry, CO2 and O2 by gas chromatography (GC), and VOCs by GC-mass spectrometry. Biomass content was not drastically modified by tomato's ripening stage (3–6 mg of dry weight). CO2 in tomato juice was considerably higher in the inoculated samples with A. alternata (27–63%) than in the non-inoculated ones (2.8–6.6%), regardless of the ripeness stage; while in tomato fruit CO2 was higher at breaker stage and inoculated with A. alternata (33–41%) than the remaining treatments (9–23%). It was also observed that, except for limonene, trans-sabinene hydrate, and rhodovibrin, VOCs' release during the interaction between tomato juice and A. alternata was different from the fresh tomato and A. alternata interaction. Only the HCA based on CO2 data showed clear differences between the inoculated and non-inoculated tomato juice and fruit at both ripening stages.