Selectivity of Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana to adults of Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

The selectivity of entomopathogenic fungi to non-target organisms needs to be considered in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), because even though they are biological control agents, if used incorrectly, they can negatively alter the functioning of agroecosystems. Therefore, studies that assess the selectivity of these fungi to beneficial organisms are extremely important. The objective of this work was to evaluate the selectivity of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metarril®) and Beauveria bassiana (Boveril®) to adults of Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), under laboratory conditions. The products were evaluated on adult females of T. podisi, at the concentrations recommended by the manufacturer. To this, 0.2 mL of suspensions of each product and control (treatments) were applied to the inner surface of glass tubes, and then a female T. podisi was placed in it (≤ 48 h of emergence). After 24 h of contact, cards with 25 eggs of Euschistus heros Fabricius (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were offered for 24 h (COF24). After this period, the COF24 were withdrawn. After 72 h of contact of the female with the tube surface, new E. heros egg cards were made available (COF72) for 24 h for T. podisi ovipositioning. The mortality of T. podisi females was evaluated daily to determine longevity, percentage of parasitism and emergence, sex ratio, and egg-adult period of the T. podisi offspring. Metarril® and Boveril®, considered selective for adult females of T. podisi, did not negatively affect most of the parameters evaluated.

A simple setup miniaturization with multiple benefits for Green Chemistry in nanoparticle synthesis

The development of nanomaterials often relies on wet-chemical syntheses performed in reflux-setups using round-bottom-flasks. An alternative approach to synthesize nanomaterials is here presented that uses glass tubes designed for NMR analysis as reactors. This approach uses less solvent, uses less energy, generates less waste, provides safer conditions, is less prone to contamination and is compatible with high throughput screening. The benefits of this approach are illustrated by an in breadth study with the synthesis of gold, iridium, osmium and copper sulfide nanoparticles.

Water Absorption Enhancement of Sodium Poly Acrylate and Poly(2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) Based Hydrogel Mixtures

Introduction: Hydrogels are hydrophilic polymers which are cross-linked to form three-dimensional structures, which can absorb, swell and retain huge amounts of water or aqueous fluids. Objective: This paper reports the preparation and characterisation of Poly(2-Acrylamido-2-Methylpropane Sulphonic Acid) (PAMPS) hydrogel with different crosslinking intensities. Methodology: 2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) monomer was purchased from Alfa Aesar Company as reagent grade. It was used as received (>98% purity) without any further purification. PAMPS hydrogel was prepared by free radical crosslinking solution polymerization of AMPS in water at room temperature under a nitrogen blanket in cylindrical glass tubes. The characteristics of the obtained PAMPS hydrogel were compared with those of commercial sodium polyacrylates hydrogel. Results: It was found that decreasing the crosslinker weight improved the absorbance capacity but to a limit. The suggested reasons were discussed. The mixture showed higher absorbance rate than PAMPS, and bigger absorbance capacity than sodium polyacrylates. Conclusion: This paper investigates the effect of crosslinker ratio on the swelling capacity of PAMPS. It was found that as the crosslinking ratio decreases, the porosity of the hydrogel increases, thus improving the swelling capacity.

Reproduction of Ooencyrtus submetallicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in egg densities of Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Knowledge about the ideal host ratio per female parasitoid reared in glass tubes is important for obtaining descendants with better biological quality. The study aimed to evaluate the reproduction of Ooencyrtus submetallicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) females in egg densities of Euschistus heros (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) to find the most adequate relationship between parasitoids and hosts aiming at the parasitoid multiplication. The experiment was conducted with E. heros eggs at densities (parasitoid:host) of 1:3, 1:6, 1:9, 1:12, 1:15, or 1:18 with 24 hours of parasitism by O. submetallicus. The parasitoid females and the egg carton were placed in glass tubes and kept in a climate-controlled chamber. The percentage of parasitism was affected by the nonparasitised eggs. The emergence of adult parasitoids, number of parasitised eggs, number of individual parasitoids emerging per egg, the length of the parasitoids’ posterior tibiae, and the parasitoids’ longevity, life cycle, and sex ratio were not affected by the different densities of nonparasitised eggs subjected to treatments. Ooencyrtus submetallicus parasitised and developed in E. heros eggs in all evaluated densities, with 1:6 presenting the best combination of parasitoid and host.

A Simple and Affordable Biofilm Assay for the Undergraduate Microbiology Classroom

Through experience and surveying undergraduate microbiology curriculum, we found that most schools discuss biofilms in lecture classes but not laboratory courses. Biofilms are a concern for both industry and the medical field and should be studied in student laboratories. To study this at an institution, there would need to be an affordable method to assay them. As a sample specimen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa was used as it proliferates into biofilms when it is starved for nutrients, which can be easily simulated in a laboratory environment. Known assays for studying biofilms are expensive, and most departments do not have the materials. In Trypticase Soy Broth (TSB), P. aeruginosa can also be induced to form a biofilm, but the technique is not seen very often because it has not been sufficiently standardized for undergraduate microbiology education laboratories. To account for the absence of specialized reagents, we incubated bacteria for longer periods of time as a means to diminish nutrients or starve the specimen. Using a two-tailed t-test, we were able to show that glass tubes inoculated with P. aeruginosa in TSB for 48 hours were forming distinct biofilms on the glass surface, which is appropriate for undergraduate microbiology laboratory studies.

GLASS TUBE CLEAVING WITH PHASE-CORRECTED NON-DIFFRACTING LASER PULSES

Ultrashort laser pulses are used to modify complex inner and outer contours from glass tubes. The processing optics is designed to shape non-diffracting beams and to apply a sensitive phase correction for the processing behind curved interfaces. This enables single-pass, full-thickness modifications with feed rates in the order of 100 mm/s are demonstrated. Final article separation is performed by thermal stress or via chemical etching.

Parametric Effects of Heater Size, Contact Angle, and Surrounding Vessel Size On Pool Boiling Critical Heat Flux From Horizontal Surfaces

Saturated water at one atmosphere pressure was boiled on horizontal copper discs of diameters 1.0,1.5 and 2.0 cm. respectively. The contact angle was varied from 10 to 80 degrees by controlling thermal oxidation of the discs, while the surrounding vessel size was changed by placing glass tubes of different inner diameters around the discs. Nucleate boiling heat transfer data were obtained up to critical heat flux (CHF), where vapor removal patterns were photographed. Dominant wavelengths at vapor jet interface and vapor jet diameters were measured from the photographs of the well wetted discs. For a well wetted surface, the magnitude of CHF increased when the heater size was reduced from 2.0 to 1.0 cm. Improving the wettability enhanced the CHF substantially, whereas the increased size of the liquid holding vessel had a smaller effect. The highest measured CHF is 233 W/cm2 or 2.11 times Zuber's CHF prediction for infinite horizontal flat plates. It was obtained on a 1.0 cm. disc of contact angle about 10 degrees surrounded by a large vessel. The CHF for this surface was increased from 201 to 233 W/cm2 when the ratio of heater size to surrounding vessel size was reduced from 1 to about 0.

A simple setup miniaturisation with multiple benefits for Green Chemistry in nanoparticle synthesis

The development of nanomaterials often relies on wet-chemical syntheses performed in reflux setups using round-bottom-flasks. An alternative approach to synthesise nanomaterials is presented that uses glass tubes designed for NMR analysis as reactors. It uses less solvent, generates less waste, provides safer conditions, is less prone to contamination and is compatible with high throughput screening.

Robotized complex control system with a modernized electric drive for calibration and transportation of glass tubes for medical and veterinary purposes

The paper considers the process of automating calibration steklomramor for medical and veterinary industry, with the introduction of the functions of vision and of methods of intellectualization of process technology for control of electrical drives for transportation and the management of mechanical parts, with the purpose of increase of efficiency of functioning of the complex.