Mammalian Frugivores With Different Foraging Behavior Can Show Similar Seed Dispersal Effectiveness

Frugivores with disparate foraging behavior are considered to vary in their seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE). Measured SDEs for gibbons and macaques for a primate-fruit' were comparable despite the different foraging and movement behavior of the primates. This could help facilitate fruit trait convergence in diverse fruit-frugivore networks.

Lipid coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles as an oral delivery system for targeting and treatment of intravacuolar Salmonella infections

Lipid coated mesoporous silica nanoparticle (L-MSN) were synthesized for oral delivery of ciprofloxacin for intracellular elimination of Salmonella pathogen. The particle size was found to be between 50-100 nm with a lipid coat of approximately 5 nm thickness. The lipid coating was achieved by sonication of liposomes with the MSN particles and evaluated by CLSMand FTIR studies. The L-MSN particles exhibited lower cytotoxicity compared to bare MSN particles. Ciprofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, loaded into the L-MSN particles showed enhanced antibacterial activity against free drug in in vitro assays. The lipid coat was found to aid in intravacuolar targeting of the drug cargo as observed by confocal microscopy studies. We also observed that a lower dose of antibiotic was sufficient to clear the pathogen from mice and increase their survivability using the L-MSN oral delivery system.

Development, in vitro and in vivo characterization of zoledronic acid functionalized hydroxyapatite nanoparticle based formulation for treatment of osteoporosis in animal model

We investigated the potential of using novel zoledronic acid (ZOL)-hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticle based drug formulation in a rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. By a classical adsorption method, nanoparticles of HA loaded with ZOL (HNLZ) drug formulation with a size range of 100-130 nm were prepared. 56 female Wistar rats were ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated at 3 months of age. Twelve weeks post surgery, rats were randomized into seven groups and treated with various doses of HNLZ (100, 50 and 25 mu g/kg, intravenous single dose), ZOL (100 mu g/kg, intravenous single dose) and HA nanoparticle (100 mu g/kg, intravenous single dose). Untreated OVX and sham OVX served as controls. After three months treatment period, we evaluated the mechanical properties of the lumbar vertebra and femoral mid-shaft. Femurs were also tested for trabecular microarchitecture. Sensitive biochemical markers of bone formation and bone resorption in serum were also determined. With respect to improvement in the mechanical strength of the lumbar spine and the femoral mid-shaft, the therapy with HNLZ drug formulation was more effective than ZOL therapy in OVX rats. Moreover, HNLZ drug therapy preserved the trabecular microarchitecture better than ZOL therapy in OVX rats. Furthermore, the HNLZ drug formulation corrected increase in serum levels of bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide, osteocalcin, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b and C-telopeptide of type 1 collagen better than ZOL therapy in OVX rats. The results strongly suggest that HNLZ novel drug formulation appears to be more effective approach for treating severe osteoporosis in humans. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fruit and Seed Volatiles: Multiple Stage Settings, Actors and Props in an Evolutionary Play

Plants emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from most parts of their anatomy. Conventionally, the volatiles of leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds have been investigated separately. This review presents an integrated perspective of volatiles produced by fruits and seeds in the context of selection on the whole plant. It suggests that fruit and seed volatiles may only be understood in the light of the chemistry of the whole plant. Fleshy fruit may be viewed as an ecological arena within which several evolutionary games are being played involving fruit VOCs. Fruit odour and colour may be correlated and interact via multimodal signalling in influencing visits by frugivores. The hypothesis of volatile crypsis in the evolution of hard seeds as protection against volatile diffusion and perception by seed predators is reviewed. Current views on the role of volatiles in ant dispersal of seeds or myrmecochory are summarised, especially the suggestion that ants are being manipulated by plants in the form of a sensory trap while providing this service. Plant VOC production is presented as an emergent phenotype that could result from multiple selection pressures acting on various plant parts; the ``plant'' phenotype and VOC profile may receive significant contributions from symbionts within the plant. Viewing the plant as a holobiont would benefit an understanding of the emergent plant phenotype.

Novel multimeric IL-1 receptor antagonist for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Protein therapeutics targeting inflammatory mediators have shown great promise for the treatment of autoimmunities such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, a significant challenge in this area has been their low in vivo stability and consequently their severely compromised therapeutic efficacy. One such therapeutic molecule IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, has displayed only modest efficacy in human clinical trials owing to its short biological half-life. Herein, we report a novel approach to conglomerate individual protein entities into a drug depot by incorporation of an amyloidogenic motif Lys-Phe-Phe-Glu (KFFE) thereby dramatically improving their systemic persistence and in turn their therapeutic efficacy in a mice model of autoimmune arthritis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Absence of systemic toxicity in mouse model towards BaTiO3 nanoparticulate based eluate treatment

One of the existing issues in implant failure of orthopedic biomaterials is the toxicity induced by the fine particles released during long term use in vivo, leading to acute inflammatory response. In developing a new class of piezobiocomposite to mimic the integrated electrical and mechanical properties of bone, bone-mimicking physical properties as well as in vitro cytocompatibility properties have been achieved with spark plasma sintered hydroxyapatite (HA)-barium titanate (BaTiO3) composites. However, the presence of BaTiO3 remains a concern towards the potential toxicity effect. To address this issue, present work reports the first result to conclusively confirm the non-toxic effect of HA-BaTiO3 piezobiocomposite nanoparticulates, in vivo. Twenty BALB/c mice were intraarticularly injected at their right knee joints with different concentrations of HA-BaTiO3 composite of up to 25 mg/ml. The histopathological examination confirmed the absence of any trace of injected particles or any sign of inflammatory reaction in the vital organs, such as heart, spleen, kidney and liver at 7 days post-exposure period. Rather, the injected nanoparticulates were found to be agglomerated in the vicinity of the knee joint, surrounded by macrophages. Importantly, the absence of any systemic toxicity response in any of the vital organs in the treated mouse model, other than a mild local response at the site of delivery, was recorded. The serum biochemical analyses using proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta) also complimented to the non-immunogenic response to injected particulates. Altogether, the absence of any inflammatory/ adverse reaction will open up myriad of opportunities for BaTiO3 based piezoelectric implantable devices in biomedical applications.

A Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor from Butea monosperma seed and its influence on developmental physiology of Helicoverpa armigera

A protease inhibitor from the seeds of Butea monosperma (BmPI) was purified, characterized and studied for its influence on developmental physiology of Helicover-pa armigera. BmPI on two-dimensional separations indicated the presence of a 14 kDa protein with an isoelectric point in the acidic region (pl 5.6). Multiple Sequence Analysis data suggested that the BmPI contains a sequence motif which is conserved in various trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors of Kunitz-type. The inhibitor exhibited trypsin inhibitory activity in a broad range of pH (4-10) and temperature (10-80 degrees C). The enzyme kinetic studies revealed BmPI as a competitive inhibitor with a K-i value of 1.2 x 10(-9) M. In vitro studies with BmPI indicated measurable inhibitory activity on total gut proteolytic enzymes of H. armigera (IC(50)2.0 mu g/ml) and bovine trypsin. BmPI supplemented artificial diet caused dose dependent mortality and reduction in growth and weight. The fertility and fecundity of H. armigera, declined whereas the larval-pupal duration of the insect life cycle extended. These detrimental effects on H. armigera suggest the usefulness of BmPl in insect pest management of food crops. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compressive flow behavior of Al-Si based alloy: Role of heat treatment

The flow characteristics of a near eutectic Al-Si based cast alloy have been examined in compression at strain rates varying from 3 x 10(-4) to 10(2) s(-1) and at three different temperatures, i.e., room temperature (RT), 100 degrees C and 200 degrees C. The dependence of the flow behavior on heat treatment is studied by testing the alloy in non-heat treated (NHT) and heat treated (HT) conditions. The heat treatment has strong influence on strain rate sensitivity (SRS), strength and work hardening behavior of the alloy. It is observed that the strength of the alloy increases with increase in strain rate and it increases more rapidly above the strain rate of 10(-1) s(-1) in HT condition at all the temperatures, and at 100 degrees C and 200 degrees C in NHT condition. The thermally dependent process taking place in the HT matrix is responsible for the observed greater SRS in HT condition. The alloy in HT condition exhibits a larger work hardening rate than in NHT condition during initial stages of straining. However, the hardening rate decreases more sharply at higher strains in HT condition due to precipitate shearing and higher rate of Si particle fracture. Thermal hardening is observed at 200 degrees C in NHT condition due to precipitate formation, which results in increased SRS at higher temperatures. Thermal softening is observed in HT condition at 200 C due to precipitate coarsening, which leads to a decrease in SRS at higher temperatures. Stress simulations by a finite element method support the experimentally observed particle and matrix fracture behavior. A negative SRS and serrated flow are observed in the lower strain rate regime (3 x 10(-4)-10(-2) s(-1)) at RT and 100 degrees C, in both NHT and HT conditions. The observations show that both dynamic strain aging (DSA) and precipitate shearing play a role in serrated flow. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reduced Hornbill Abundance Associated with Low Seed Arrival and Altered Recruitment in a Hunted and Logged Tropical Forest

Logging and hunting are two key direct threats to the survival of wildlife in the tropics, and also disrupt important ecosystem processes. We investigated the impacts of these two factors on the different stages of the seed dispersal cycle, including abundance of plants and their dispersers and dispersal of seeds and recruitment, in a tropical forest in north-east India. We focused on hornbills, which are important seed dispersers in these forests, and their food tree species. We compared abundances of hornbill food tree species in a site with high logging and hunting pressures (heavily disturbed) with a site that had no logging and relatively low levels of hunting (less disturbed) to understand logging impacts on hornbill food tree abundance. We compared hornbill abundances across these two sites. We, then, compared the scatter-dispersed seed arrival of five large-seeded tree species and the recruitment of four of those species. Abundances of hornbill food trees that are preferentially targeted by logging were two times higher in the less disturbed site as compared to the heavily disturbed site while that of hornbills was 22 times higher. The arrival of scatter-dispersed seeds was seven times higher in the less disturbed site. Abundances of recruits of two tree species were significantly higher in the less disturbed site. For another species, abundances of younger recruits were significantly lower while that of older recruits were higher in the heavily disturbed site. Our findings suggest that logging reduces food plant abundance for an important frugivore-seed disperser group, while hunting diminishes disperser abundances, with an associated reduction in seed arrival and altered recruitment of animal-dispersed tree species in the disturbed site. Based on our results, we present a conceptual model depicting the relationships and pathways between vertebrate-dispersed trees, their dispersers, and the impacts of hunting and logging on these pathways.

Impacts of climate change and management responses in tropical forests depend on complex frugivore-mediated seed dispersal

AimBiodiversity outcomes under global change will be influenced by a range of ecological processes, and these processes are increasingly being considered in models of biodiversity change. However, the level of model complexity required to adequately account for important ecological processes often remains unclear. Here we assess how considering realistically complex frugivore-mediated seed dispersal influences the projected climate change outcomes for plant diversity in the Australian Wet Tropics (all 4313 species). LocationThe Australian Wet Tropics, Queensland, Australia. MethodsWe applied a metacommunity model (M-SET) to project biodiversity outcomes using seed dispersal models that varied in complexity, combined with alternative climate change scenarios and habitat restoration scenarios. ResultsWe found that the complexity of the dispersal model had a larger effect on projected biodiversity outcomes than did dramatically different climate change scenarios. Applying a simple dispersal model that ignored spatial, temporal and taxonomic variation due to frugivore-mediated seed dispersal underestimated the reduction in the area of occurrence of plant species under climate change and overestimated the loss of diversity in fragmented tropical forest remnants. The complexity of the dispersal model also changed the habitat restoration approach identified as the best for promoting persistence of biodiversity under climate change. Main conclusionsThe consideration of complex processes such as frugivore-mediated seed dispersal can make an important difference in how we understand and respond to the influence of climate change on biodiversity.

Effects of Interface Treatment on the Fatigue Behavior of Shape Memory Alloy Reinforced Polymer Composites

Interfacial properties of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) reinforced polymer matrix composites can be enhanced by improving the interfacial bonding. This paper focuses on studying the interfacial stresses developed in the SMA-epoxy interface due to various laser shot penning conditions. Fiber-pull test-setup is designed to understand the role of mechanical bias stress cycling and thermal actuation cycling. Phase transformation is tracked over mechanical and thermal fatigue cycles. A micromechanics based model developed earlier based on shear lag in SMA and energy based consistent homogenization is extended here to incorporate the stress-temperature phase diagram parameters for modeling fatigue.

Additive effect of zoledronic acid and alfacalcidol in the treatment of disuse osteoporosis in rats

Objectives: Disuse by bed rest, limb immobilization or space flight causes rapid bone loss. We conducted the present study to investigate the therapeutic effects of zoledronic acid (ZOL), alone and in combination with alfacalcidol (ALP) in a rat model of disuse osteoporosis. Methods: In the present study, 3-month-old male Wistar rats had their right hind-limb immobilized (RHLI) for 10 weeks to induce osteopenia, then were divided into four groups: 1 - RHLI positive control; 2 - RHLI plus ZOL (50 mu g/kg, i.v. single dose); 3 - RHLI plus ALP (0.5 mu g/kg, oral gauge daily); 4- RHLI plus ALP (0.5 mu g/kg, oral gauge daily) plus ZOL (50 mu g/kg, i.v. single dose) for another 10 weeks. One group of non-immobilized rats was used as negative control. At the end of the treatment, the femurs were removed and tested for bone porosity, bone mechanical properties, and bone dry and ash weight. Results: Combination therapy with ZOL plus ALP was more effective in decreasing bone porosity than each drug administered as monotherapy in RHLI rats. With respect to improvement in the mechanical strength of the femoral mid-shaft, the combination treatment of ZOL plus ALP was more effective than each drug administered as a monotherapy. Moreover, combination therapy using ZOL plus ALF was more effective in improving dry bone and ash weight, than single-drug therapy using ZOL or ALP in RHLI rats. Conclusions: These data suggest that combination therapy with ZOL plus ALP represents a potentially useful therapeutic option for the treatment of disuse osteoporosis. (C) 2014 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

In the elephant's seed shadow: the prospects of domestic bovids as replacement dispersers of three tropical Asian trees

As populations of the world's largest animal species decline, it is unclear how ecosystems will react to their local extirpation. Due to the unique ecological characteristics of megaherbivores such as elephants, seed dispersal is one ecosystem process that may be affected as populations of large animals are decimated. In typically disturbed South Asian ecosystems, domestic bovids (cattle, Bos primigenius, and buffalo, Bubalus bubalis) may often be the species most available to replace Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) as endozoochorous dispersers of large-fruited mammal-dispersed species. We use feeding trials, germination trials, and movement data from the tropical moist forests of Buxa Tiger Reserve (India) to examine whether domestic bovids are viable replacements for elephants in the dispersal of three largefruited species: Dillenia indica, Artocarpus chaplasha, and Careya arborea. We find that (1) once consumed, seeds are between 2.5 (C. arborea) and 26.5 (D. indica) times more likely to pass undigested into elephant dung than domestic bovid dung; and (2) seeds from elephant dung germinated as well as or better than seeds taken from bovid dung for all plant species, with D. indica seeds from elephant dung 1.5 times more likely to germinate. Furthermore, since wild elephants have less constrained movements than even free-roaming domestic bovids, we calculate that maximum dispersal by elephants is between 9.5 and 11.2 times farther than that of domestic bovids, with about 20% of elephant-dispersed seeds being moved farther than the maximum distance seeds are moved by bovids. Our findings suggest that, while bovids are able to disperse substantial numbers of seeds over moderate distances for two of the three study species, domestic bovids will be unable to routinely emulate the reliable, long-distance dispersal of seeds executed by elephants in this tropical moist forest. Thus while domestic bovids can attenuate the effects of losing elephants as dispersers, they may not be able to prevent the decline of various mammal-dispersed fruiting species in the face of overhunting, habitat fragmentation, and climate change.