Abstract

Seven male specimens (one immature and six adults) of a rare species of Loureedia jerbae (El-Hennawy, 2005), are recorded for the first time in Libya, representing the first record of this species outside of Tunisia. Illustrations and a description are provided. Only the most recent adult of the specimens captured in October/November of 2019 to 2022 was examined, identified and described. Although Libya has one of the least recorded spider species in the Mediterranean region, it is promising to reveal more undiscovered and undocumented species through extensive research in this large country

Seven male specimens (one immature and six adults) of a rare species of Loureedia jerbae (El-Hennawy, 2005), are recorded for the first time in Libya, representing the first record of this species outside of Tunisia. Illustrations and a description are provided. Only the most recent adult of the specimens captured in October/November of 2019 to 2022 was examined, identified and described. Although Libya has one of the least recorded spider species in the Mediterranean region, it is promising to reveal more undiscovered and undocumented species through extensive research in this large country.

Keywords: Araneae, North Africa, Joker Spiders, Libya, Rare Species.

The genus Segestria Latreille, 1804 and the species Segestria florentina (Rossi, 1790) are recorded in Libya for the first time, based on a single adult female specimen

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Using macroinvertebrate-based biotic indices and diversity indices to assess water quality: A case study on the Karasu Stream (Kastamonu, Türkiye)

İbrahim Küçükbasmacı, Abdulhamed M Omar Etriieki

Biomonitoring is an approach that uses indicators or sentinel species to assess the health or pollution of an environment, combining diversity based on specific taxonomic groups with the taxa’s indicator of pollution into a single index or score. Benthic macroinvertebrates are among the most preferred and valuable indicators of the biotic index. Our study aims to evaluate water quality and ecological status using biotic and diversity indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates. The macroinvertebrate samples used in this study were collected seasonally from 16 stations determined in Karasu Stream. These samples consist of 14747 specimens belonging to 9 orders and 40 families of Insecta, Malacostraca, Hirudinea and Oligochaeta. In addition, some physicochemical parameters were measured at the stations. The data obtained were analyzed using the Turkey-Biological Monitoring Working Group (TR-BMWP), Average Score per Taxon (ASPT), Family Biotic Index (FBI), Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxon richness index, and Shannon-Wiener (SWDI), Simpson (SDI) and Hill’s diversity indices. Our results showed that the last six stations of Karasu Stream were under pressure due to various anthropogenic effects. According to biotic indexes, the ecological quality status of the water in the stations was determined to be High or Good in the first ten stations and Average, Poor, or Bad in the last six stations. The results of our study showed that TR-BMWP, FBI, and EPT indices are more reliable in determining water quality than the ASPT index and reflect the environmental situation better. Since the TR-BMWP index is adapted to macroinvertebrate taxa distributed in Türkiye, it can be used as a suitable tool for evaluating other rivers’ water quality in Türkiye.

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Using macroinvertebrate‐based biotic indices and diversity indices to assess water quality: A case study on the Karasu Stream (Kastamonu, Türkiye)

Abdulhamed M Omar Etriieki, İbrahim Küçükbasmacı

Ecohydrology, e2627, 2024

Biomonitoring is an approach that uses indicators or sentinel species to assess the health or pollution of an environment, combining diversity based on specific taxonomic groups with the taxa's indicator of pollution into a single index or score. Benthic macroinvertebrates are among the most preferred and valuable indicators of the biotic index. Our study aims to evaluate water quality and ecological status using biotic and diversity indices based on benthic macroinvertebrates. The macroinvertebrate samples used in this study were collected seasonally from 16 stations determined in Karasu Stream. These samples consist of 14,747 specimens belonging to 9 orders and 40 families of Insecta, Malacostraca, Hirudinea and Oligochaeta. In addition, some physicochemical parameters were measured at the stations. The data obtained were analysed using the Turkey‐Biological Monitoring Working Group (TR‐BMWP), Average Score per Taxon (ASPT), Family Biotic Index (FBI), Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) taxon richness index, and Shannon–Wiener, Simpson and Hill's diversity indices. Our results showed that the last six stations of Karasu Stream were under pressure due to various anthropogenic effects. According to biotic indexes, the ecological quality status of the water in the stations was determined to be high or good in the first 10 stations and average, poor or bad in the last 6 stations. The results of our study showed that TR‐BMWP, FBI and EPT indices are more reliable in determining water quality than the ASPT index and reflect the environmental situation better. Since the TR‐BMWP index is adapted to macroinvertebrate taxa distributed in Türkiye, it can be used as a suitable tool for evaluating other rivers' water quality in Türkiye.

Description

Background and aims

The physical parameters and the occurrence and abundance of zooplankton in Ain-Zayanah lagoon, Benghazi, Libya, were studied from August, 2005–July, 2006, as a part of detailed investigation on the feasibility of converting the lagoon into an aquaculture farm for captive breeding and culturing of different economically important edible fish, fish fry, molluscan and crustacean animals, and for culturing the zooplankton which form the food of these organisms.

Methods

Five different sites located near to the shore were selected in the lagoon for water and zooplankton monthly sampling and analyses. The physical parameters of the water included air and water temperatures, transparency, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, pH, dissolved oxygen and total hardness; they were analysed using standard methods. Various differences were revealed in the relationships of these parameters in and between sites, months and seasons.

Results

Seven major groups of zooplankton inhabited Ain-Zayanah lagoon; rotifers formed the dominant one (40.50%), followed by rhabtida (21.61%), crustacean larva (14.55%), foraminifera (13.23%), ostracoda (5.97%), copepoda (4.13%) and cladocera (0.01%). Air and water temperatures, pH, DO, electrical conductivity, TDS and hardness had different relationships with the seven zooplankton groups in Ain-Zayanah lagoon.

Conclusion

The results obtained were discussed extensively in the light of available literature in the fields, and suitable conclusions, suggestions and precautions to be taken were given in connection with the establishment of Aquaculture farm in Ain-Zayanah lagoon

 Human milk contains an abundant supply and diverse array of oligosaccharides that are known to impart significant health benefits to the nursing infant including establishment and maintenance of a healthy gut microflora, immune development and protection against gastro intestinal infections. When breastfeeding is not possible or insufficient, infant formulas are commonly used as an alternative. However, limited information is available about the presence of naturally occurring oligosaccharides in these infant formulas and their likely health benefits. The present study examined the presence of naturally occurring oligosaccharides in commercial goats’ milk-based stage 1 and stage 2 infant formulas and their prebiotic and anti-infection properties. LC/MS was used to detect and quantify oligosaccharides and their prebiotic potential was assessed by their ability, at concentrations present in reconstituted ready-to-use infant formula, to promote the growth of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB12, B. longum BB536, Lactobacillus acidophilus 4461 and L. casei 2607 in vitro. For anti-infection properties, the ability of goat milk oligosaccharides to prevent the adhesion of Escherichia coli NCTC 10418 and a Salmonella typhimurium isolate to Caco-2 cells was investigated. The results showed the presence off ourteen quantifiable oligosaccharides instage1andstage2goats’milk-basedinfantformula.Thiswassimilartothenumberofoligosaccharidesdetectedinthefreshgoats’milk.Of these, five were structurally similar to those foundinhumanmilk.Theseoligosaccharideswereshowntosignificantlyenhancethegrowthof bifidobacteria and lactobacilli and reduce the adhesion of E. coli NCTC 10418 and S. typhimurium to Caco-2 cells. Together, these results suggest that oligosaccharides naturally present in goats’ milk-based infant formula exhibit strong prebiotic and anti-pathogen adhesion properties and may confer gut health benefits to infants.

Structural changes affecting cardiomyocyte function may contribute to the pathophysiological

remodeling underlying cardiac function impairment. Recent reports have shown that

endogenous nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in this process. In order to examine the role

of NO in cardiomyocyte remodeling, male rats were acclimated to room temperature (22± 1
C) or

cold (4 ± 1
C) and treated with 2.25% L-arginine
HCl or 0.01% L-NAME (Nx-nitro-L-arginine

methyl ester)
HCl for 45 days. Untreated groups served as controls. Right heart ventricles were routinely

prepared for light microscopic examination. Stereological estimations of volume densities of

cardiomyocytes, surrounding blood vessels and connective tissue, as well as the morphometric measurements

of cardiomyocyte diameters were performed. Tissue sections were also analyzed for

structural alterations. We observed that both L-arginine and L-NAME supplementation induced

cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, regardless of ambient temperature. However, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy

was associated with fibrosis and extra collagen deposition only in the L-NAME treated group.

Taken together, our results suggest that NO has a modulatory role in right heart ventricle remodeling

by coordinating hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes and fibrous tissue preventing cardiac fibrosis.

Leishmania pyrimidine salvage is replete with opportunities for therapeutic intervention with enzyme inhibitors or antimetabolites. Their uptake into cells depends upon specific transporters; therefore it is essential to establish whether various Leishmania species possess similar pyrimidine transporters capable of drug uptake. Here, we report a comprehensive characterization of pyrimidine transport in L. major and L. mexicana. In both species, two transporters for uridine/adenosine were detected, one of which also transported uracil and the antimetabolites 5-fluoruracil (5-FU) and 5F,2'deoxyuridine (5F,2'dUrd), and was designated uridine-uracil transporter 1 (UUT1); the other transporter mediated uptake of adenosine, uridine, 5F,2'dUrd and thymidine and was designated Nucleoside Transporter 1 (NT1). To verify the reported L. donovani model of two NT1-like genes encoding uridine/adenosine transporters, and an NT2 gene encoding an inosine transporter, we cloned the corresponding L. major and L. mexicana genes, expressing each in T. brucei. Consistent with the L. donovani reports, the NT1-like genes of either species mediated the adenosine-sensitive uptake of [3H]-uridine but not of [3H]-inosine. Conversely, the NT2-like genes mediated uptake of [3H]-inosine but not [3H]-uridine. Among pyrimidine antimetabolites tested, 5-FU and 5F,2'dUrd were the most effective antileishmanials; resistance to both analogs was induced in L. major and L. mexicana. In each case it was found that the resistant cells had lost the transport capacity for the inducing drug. Metabolomics analysis found that the mechanism of action of 5-FU and 5F-2'dUrd was similar in both Leishmania species, with major changes in deoxynucleotide metabolism. We conclude that the pyrimidine salvage system is highly conserved in Leishmania species - essential information for the development of pyrimidine-based chemotherapy.

 The tetracycline promoter (tet) has been manipulated in several systems as an inducible regulator of gene expression. In this study the effect of doxycycline on C. glabrata viability has been examined in water and according to CLSI standard method. In addition, flow cytometry analysis was performed to detect SLT2 protein activation by sub-inhibitory concentrations of doxycycline. Our findings show that 100 µg/ml of doxycycline is the maximum tolerated dosage in media; however, C. glabrata was sensitive to 40-50µg/ml in water. 50 µg/ml of doxycycline induced SLT2p phosphorylation and our results support the idea of involvement of doxycycline in alteration of C. glabrata oxidative status. These results should be considered when the tet promoter system is used in yeast molecular studies

The antifungal effect of thymoquinone, a component of black seed essential oil, has been studied on different types of fungi. Its mechanism of action as an antifungal has not been described yet. This study demonstrates the fungicidal effect of thymoquinone on different Candida species with particular emphasis on C. glabrata planktonic cells and biofilms. Since cell death was induced via the generation of oxidative stress as evidenced by the abrogation of thymoquinone toxicity in cells incubated with antioxidants, a part of thymoquinone’s mechanism of action includes a direct involvement as a pro-oxidant. This was further confirmed by measuring the generation of reactive oxygen species, glutathione level reduction and decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. The oxidative stress caused by thymoquinone was confirmed to be the cause of death and not a result of cell death.