How many begomovirus copies are acquired and inoculated by its vector, whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) during feeding?

Begomoviruses are transmitted by whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in a persistent-circulative way. Once B. tabaci becomes viruliferous, it remains so throughout its life span. Not much is known about the copies of begomoviruses ingested and/or released by B. tabaci during the process of feeding. The present study reports the absolute quantification of two different begomoviruses viz. tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV, bipartite) and chilli leaf curl virus (ChiLCV, monopartite) at different exposure of active acquisition and inoculation feeding using a detached leaf assay. A million copies of both the begomoviruses were acquired by a single B. tabaci with only 5 min of active feeding and virus copy number increased in a logarithmic model with feeding exposure. Whereas, a single B. tabaci could inoculate 8.21E+09 and 4.19E+11 copies of ToLCNDV and ChiLCV, respectively in detached leaves by 5 min of active feeding. Virus copies in inoculated leaves increased with an increase in feeding duration. Comparative dynamics of these two begomoviruses indicated that B. tabaci adult acquired around 14-fold higher copies of ChiLCV than ToLCNDV 24 hrs post feeding. Whereas, the rate of inoculation of ToLCNDV by individual B. tabaci was significantly higher than ChiLCV. The study provides a better understanding of begomovirus acquisition and inoculation dynamics by individual B. tabaci and would facilitate research on virus-vector epidemiology and screening host resistance.

ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF STP ON KNOWLEDGE OF MOTHERS REGARDING WEANING AND RESPONSIVE FEEDING AMONG INFANTS IN SELECTED VILLAGES OF HIMACHAL PRADESH

Background:Weaning means introducing a wide range of foods gradually until the baby is eating the same food as the rest of the family. Until six months, the baby needs only breast milk or infant formula milk. Around six months of age, the baby needs initially semisolid foods and later on gradually solid foods are introduced in addition to breast or formula milk. Responsive feeding is a component of active feeding that provides complementary foods in an active manner. Active feeding is when the parent or caregiver engages in positive behaviour with the child, while encouraging and bearing in mind the interests of the child during mealtimes. Aim:The aim of this study conducted was to increase the knowledge of mothersregarding weaning and responsive feeding for infants. Methodology: A quantitative approach withpreexperimental, one group pretest post test design was used. Sample And Sampling Technique:This study include 40 samples of mothers. Sample was selected using purposive sampling technique. Setting:The research setting was selected community area of Solan, H.P. i.e. Noun, Dhar ki baid, Sihardimusalmana, Sukhhijhodi. Tools:The Socio Demographic Performa and structured knowledge questionnaires was used to collect the data. After assessing the preexisting knowledge of the sample, (STP) on weaning and responsive feeding was administered to the selected mothers at community area Solan. At the end post test was conducted. Result:In analysis both descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used. The pre-test mean score was 13.03. The post test mean score was26.08. The difference in mean % was 32.63. The result of post test depicted that, (87.5%) mothers had very good knowledge, and (12.5%) had excellent knowledge and none of the mother had average and poor knowledge. The conclusion of the study revealed that there was significant improvement in the knowledge on the weaning and responsive feeding.

Impact of the Duration of Larval Yolk Sac Absorption on the Development of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792) Fry

Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792) larvae that first started active feeding were separated into 3 replicate batches (1A, 1B, 1C) with 100 individuals each, while four days later, the fry that last started active feeding were also distributed in 3 replicate batches (2A, 2B, 2C) with 100 individuals. Four measurements were performed with an interval of four days between the first and second measurements, as well as between the third and fourth measurements, to compare the initial masses of individuals by groups (1ABC and 2ABC) on the same day from the beginning of active feeding. The average initial body weight of the fry per batch in each measurement was generally higher in the first group (1ABC) than in the second group (2ABC). However, when comparing the weight of both groups for the same number of days from the beginning of active feeding, it is noticed that the second group (2ABC) has a higher average individual weight than the first group (1ABC). There was no statistically significant difference (one-way ANOVA, p>0.05) in SGRw between the groups in the first three measurements, while there is a statistically significant difference (one-way ANOVA, p<0.05) in SGRw in the fourth measurement. Group 2ABC has a significantly higher SGRw (5.0064%day−1±0.05394) than group 1ABC (4.7711%day−1±0.01715). This leads to the conclusion that in the second group 2ABC, the backlog of 4 days in mass was compensated. It is also noted that mortality in the first group (1ABC) was only 1%, while in the second group (2ABC) it was 3.7%. Consequently, a higher density of the fry in the first group (1ABC) could have an impact on a lower growth rate.

Uncovering Active Bacterial Symbionts in Pollen-Feeding Beetles

Microbial symbionts enable many phytophagous insects to specialize on plant-based diets through a range of metabolic services. Pollen comprises one plant tissue consumed by such herbivores. While rich in lipids and protein, its nutrient content is often imbalanced and difficult-to-access due to a digestibly recalcitrant cell wall. Pollen quality can be further degraded by harmful allelochemicals. To identify microbes that may aid in palynivory, we performed cDNA-based 16S rRNA metabarcoding on three related pollen beetles (Nitidulidae: Meligethinae) exhibiting different dietary breadths: Brassicogethes aeneus, B. matronalis, and Meligethes atratus. Nine bacterial symbionts (i.e. 97% OTUs) exhibited high metabolic activity during active feeding. Subsequent PCR surveys revealed varying prevalence of those from three Rickettsialles genera - Lariskella, Rickettsia and Wolbachia - within beetle populations. Our findings lay the groundwork for future studies on the influence of phylogeny and diet on palynivorous insect microbiomes, and roles of symbionts in the use of challenging diets.

АБІОТИЧНІ ТА БІОТИЧНІ ЧИННИКИ ВПЛИВУ НА ЩІЛЬНІСТЬ ПОПУЛЯЦІЇ ВЕЛИКОЇ ЗЛАКОВОЇ ПОПЕЛИЦІ (SITOBION AVENAE F.) У ПРАВОБЕРЕЖНОМУ ЛІСОСТЕПУ УКРАЇНИ

Species composition of aphids on winter wheat was determined in the right- bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine during 2017–2018. Interspecies population was formed on wheat. It consisted of three species: S. avenae, Sch. graminum and D. noxia. S. avenae dominated and the other two species were found in small numbers. The abundance of S. avenae was determined by abiotic and biotic factors. The main factors influencing the density of the phytophage population were the meteorological conditions in April, May and June. Low spring temperatures and summer drought have hampered the development and spread of the pest. The influence of the genotype on the abundance of S. avenae is proved. Aphidophages effectively reduced the number of aphids during their active feeding. Aphidophages effectively reduced the number of aphids during their active feeding. Four species of Coccinellidae were identified, of which only one was dominated (Coccinella septempunctata L.).

The Daily Activities of Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus, Ursidae) in Bali Animal Rescue Center

Sun Bear (Helarctos malayanus) is found in Indonesia such as in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Helarctos malayanus is the smallest bear in the world and listed as vulnerable animal. Baloo is a sun bear that is rescued and raised at Bali Animal Rescue Centre located in Tabanan Bali. Before it will be released to the natural habitat, it is important to understand its behaviour, so it will be survived in their natural habitat. This study aimed to investigate the daily activity of sun bear rais at Bali Animal Rescue Centre. Research has been conducted at Bali Animal Rescue Centre from 2nd – 26th January 2019. Observation o daily activities of sun bear was conducted from 08.00 – 16.00 local time. It has been found that most of daily time was spent on grooming (35%), followed by feeding/eating (27%), moving (26%), and stationary (24%). Baloo has hardly found vocalized or defacate/urinate. Baloo was resting around 11.00 am and active feeding/eating along the day as well as moving. She moved a lot at 08.00 am, as she was provisioned by the carer, less moving in the middle of the day (12.00 am) and before resting at 17.00 pm. The variation of time spent on the daily activities of the sun bear at the rescue center can be used as reference before she will be release to its natural habitat.

Urban plums and toads: do fleshy fruits affect the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians?

Background The main aim of the study was to analyse the influence of fleshy fruits (plums) on the post-metamorphic growth and feeding behaviour of the green toad Bufotes viridis. We tested the following two hypotheses: (1) juveniles of the green toad are characterised by faster growth in conditions involving fallen plums Prunus cerasifera due to the associated presence of more varied food such as invertebrates; (2) green toads exhibit more active feeding behaviour in the presence of fleshy fruits. Methods A total of 120 fresh metamorphs of the green toad were randomly assigned to one of four groups: two experimental groups with fleshy plums and two other groups as controls (without fruits). Each group was kept in an enclosure to which wild invertebrates had free access. Each individual toad was measured for snout-vent length (mm) and body mass (g) every other day for 30 days. In order to determine whether fallen plums influence the feeding behaviour of toads, the number of active and hidden (under an artificial shelter) individuals was also noted. Results The results showed that green toads from both enclosures with plums were characterised by more rapid growth than individuals from the control treatments. Simultaneously, in the enclosure with fleshy fruits, greater species richness of wild invertebrates was observed. No differences in active feeding behaviour were noted between control groups and groups with plums. Discussion Fleshy fruits, upon falling, attract many types of invertebrates; thus they may represent good dietary supplements for fresh amphibian metamorphs. Therefore, the presence of fruit trees close to a breeding site might influences the post-metamorphic growth of amphibians, but not their feeding behaviour. The presence of insects associated with fallen fruit seems to favour the occurrence of amphibian populations, which is particularly important, since, due to political and social pressure, numbers of fruit trees are currently being reduced. To our knowledge, no previous study has investigated the potential influence of the presence of fruit trees on the growth and behaviour of anurans.

The Effect of Wheatgrass Juice Administration on Physiological State and Oxidative Stress in Carp

The present paper systematizes the results of the research on the effect of wheatgrass juice administration on some important indicators in assessing the physiological state of two summer-old Cyprinus carpio individuals coming from a recirculating system, as well as on some biochemical parameters with role in the antioxidant defensive. For this, an experiment was carried out over a period of 56 days, which consist in growth of 200 carp specimens, with an initial average weight of 72.85�1.79 g/specimen. Observations carried out during the entire monitoring period of the experimental variants emphasized a good sanitary status of the studied specimens, accompanied by an active feeding behavior. The results on the activity of oxidative stress enzymes and malon-dialdehyde concentration emphasized significant differences between the treated variants with wheatgrass juice and the control variant, closely related to the wheat juice concentration with which the food ration was supplemented.

The Plasticity and Morphofunctional Organization of the Digestive System of Waders (Charadrii) as Migrants

The results of the macro-micromorphological structure of the digestive system of the waders and comparative analysis with the migrants of the Aves are presented. It was revealed that the digestive system of waders at the anatomical level has a universal structure typical for representatives of class Aves. As a result of histological studies of the structure of the digestive tract, it was found that the feature of the wall of the waders small intestine is the dense location of the crypt in its own plate of the mucous membrane throughout its length. High proliferative capacity of cambial crypt cells and their multilayered location provide high secretory and regenerative activity of enterocytes, which helps to restore the mucous membrane and intensify the digestive processes, especially during the active feeding of the waders at the migration stopover points. At this time, the length and mass of the intestine, the mass of the stomach and the liver increase, what is considered as a reaction to a large number of feeds in the intensive feeding of birds and indicates the plasticity of their digestive system. It is shown that the change in the morphometric parameters of the waders digestive system organs depending on the migration situation is an integral part of the adaptive mechanism of the migratory birds, which provides the basic need of the organism - fat accumulation. Th e content of general liver lipids, abdominal fat and thoracic muscles in 6 species of tundra warblers with varying degrees of fat accumulation at the migration stopover points in the Azov-Black Sea region was studied.