Plastid Transformation of Micro-Tom Tomato with a Hemipteran Double-Stranded RNA Results in RNA Interference in Multiple Insect Species

Plant-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) holds great promise for insect pest control, as plants can be transformed to produce double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) to selectively down-regulate insect genes essential for survival. For optimum potency, dsRNA can be produced in plant plastids, enabling the accumulation of unprocessed dsRNAs. However, the relative effectiveness of this strategy in inducing an RNAi response in insects using different feeding mechanisms is understudied. To investigate this, we first tested an in vitro-synthesized 189 bp dsRNA matching a highly conserved region of the v-ATPaseA gene from cotton mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis) on three insect species from two different orders that use leaf-chewing, lacerate-and-flush, or sap-sucking mechanisms to feed, and showed that the dsRNA significantly down-regulated the target gene. We then developed transplastomic Micro-tom tomato plants to produce the dsRNA in plant plastids and showed that the dsRNA is produced in leaf, flower, green fruit, red fruit, and roots, with the highest dsRNA levels found in the leaf. The plastid-produced dsRNA induced a significant gene down-regulation in insects using leaf-chewing and lacerate-and-flush feeding mechanisms, while sap-sucking insects were unaffected. Our results suggest that plastid-produced dsRNA can be used to control leaf-chewing and lacerate-and-flush feeding insects, but may not be useful for sap-sucking insects.     

Multifunctional iron-carbon nanocomposites through an aerosol-based process for the in situ remediation of chlorinated hydrocarbons

Spherical iron-carbon nanocomposites were developed through a facile aerosol-based process with sucrose and iron chloride as starting materials. These composites exhibit multiple functionalities relevant to the in situ remediation of chlorinated hydrocarbons such as trichloroethylene (TCE). The distribution and immobilization of iron nanoparticles on the surface of carbon spheres prevents zerovalent nanoiron aggregation with maintenance of reactivity. The aerosol-based carbon microspheres allow adsorption of TCE, thus removing dissolved TCE rapidly and facilitating reaction by increasing the local concentration of TCE in the vicinity of iron nanoparticles. The strongly adsorptive property of the composites may also prevent release of any toxic chlorinated intermediate products. The composite particles are in the optimal range for transport through groundwater saturated sediments. Furthermore, those iron-carbon composites can be designed at low cost, the process is amenable to scale-up for in situ application, and the materials are intrinsically benign to the environment.     

Formation of pesticide nonextractable (bound) residues in soil: magnitude, controlling factors and reversibility

The analysis of the coherent data on nonextractable (bound) residues (NER) from the literature and EU pesticide registration dossiers allows the identification of general trends, in spite of the large variability and heterogeneity of data. About 50% of the pesticides reviewed exhibit a low proportion of NER (less than 30% of the initial amount) while only 12% of pesticides have a proportion of NER exceeding 70%. The lowest proportion of NER was found for dinitroanilines (<20%), and the largest value was obtained for carbamates, and in particular dithiocarbamates. The presence of chemical reactive groups, such as aniline or phenol, tends to yield a larger proportion of NER. NER originating from N-heteroatomic ring were found to be lower than those from phenyl-ring structures. Among the environmental factors affecting the formation of NER, microbial activity has a direct and significant effect. Concerning the NER uptake or their bioavailability, consistent data suggest that only a small percentage of the total amounts of NER can be released. The analysis of NER formation kinetics showed that incubation experiments are often stopped too early to allow a correct evaluation of the NER maturation phase. Therefore, there is a need for longer term experiments to evaluate the tail of the NER formation kinetics. Still, the heterogeneity of the NER data between pesticides and for specific pesticides calls for great care in the interpretation of the data and their generalization.     

A decade of sulphite control in Serbian meat industry and the effect of HACCP

In total 7351 meat preparations and fresh processed meat products were analysed from 555 different Serbian meat producers over a 10-year period, 4.5 years before and 5.5 years after mandatory Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) implementation. From the obtained results, it could be concluded that HACCP has contributed to a better alignment of practices with the legal provisions. The share of non-compliant samples dropped from 18.6% before HACCP to 8.3% after its mandatory implementation. Average sulphite concentrations for all categories of meat preparations and fresh processed meat products decreased by 43%, declining from 33.6 to 19.3 mg kg^?1. Typical misuse and frequent abuse of sulphites was independent of a season. Application of HACCP principles in the Serbian meat industry raised awareness about the misuse of sulphites and contributed to a better control, minimising exposure to sulphites.     

Nitrogen cycling in tropical grass-legume pastures managed under canopy light interception

Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems - In grass-legume pastures, grazing management strategies are an essential factor affecting nitrogen (N) cycling. This study assessed the impact of grazing...     

Composite Electrodes for Electrochemical Supercapacitors

Manganese dioxide nanofibers with length ranged from 0.1 to 1 μm and a diameter of about 4–6 nm were prepared by a chemical precipitation method. Composite electrodes for electrochemical supercapacitors were fabricated by impregnation of the manganese dioxide nanofibers and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) into porous Ni plaque current collectors. Obtained composite electrodes, containing 85% of manganese dioxide and 15 mass% of MWCNT, as a conductive additive, with total mass loading of 7–15 mg cm⁻², showed a capacitive behavior in 0.5-M Na₂SO₄ solutions. The decrease in stirring time during precipitation of the nanofibers resulted in reduced agglomeration and higher specific capacitance (SC). The highest SC of 185 F g⁻¹ was obtained at a scan rate of 2 mV s⁻¹ for mass loading of 7 mg cm⁻². The SC decreased with increasing scan rate and increasing electrode mass.     

New approach to metamerism measurement on halftone color images

There is often a phenomenon depending on dominant tones which results in the end users dissatisfaction with halftone color reproduction. This phenomenon is known as “metamerism” and it is the subject of research for many scientists.The metamerism on halftone color images with different dominant tones (blue, red, green and yellow) was researched in this paper, at the light sources D₅₀, D₆₅ and daylight. The results of the objective and visual evaluation were presented on the basis of colorimetric measurement of the grey balance patch, by the means of MacAdam ellipsoids in three dimension CIE L^*a^*b^* system. Both the metamerism index MI and the ellipsoid volume have also been calculated.This paper confirms that the metamerism of the halftone color images can be estimated by measuring CIE L^*a^*b^* values of the grey balance patch and by calculating MacAdam ellipsoids.     

Simplified soft value extraction for M-PPM-modulated signals in FSO systems

In the following paper we propose a new approach for extracting soft values from Mth order pulse position modulation (M-PPM). A new low-complexity algorithm is developed, where soft information for each data bit is calculated based on the power received within the PPM time slots. In order to decrease the computational complexity we simplify the calculation of the conditional probability of data vector a given that PPM symbol Y is received. The Monte Carlo simulations applied to analyze the properties of the algorithm for turbo-coded M-PPM transmission in free space optic communication systems show acceptable degradation of system performance with regard to system simplification.     

Oil and the political economy of energy

The key issues concerning oil exploitation are still open for discussion: there is no agreement about where we presently stand in the world oil extraction curve, what is its exact shape, and how far can oil price grow before it changes irreversibly the world economy and consumer behavior. The paper proposes an alternative scenario to the Hubbert's bell-shaped model of oil exploitation, based on more realistic assumptions regarding political agendas in oil-exporting countries and consumer behavior dynamics in oil-importing countries. Under this scenario, the joint impact of markets and public policy in oil importing countries together with “resource pragmatism” policy in oil-exporting countries allows for a less steep oil supply curve with a much fatter tail compared to the Hubbert's model.