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Biomedical subjects

A Acra

Publications and source records attributed to A Acra.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

Amplification and sequencing of DNA from a 120-135-million-year-old weevil.

DNA has been successfully isolated from both fossilized plant and animal tissues. The oldest material, dated as 25-40 million years old (Tertiary), was obtained from amber-entombed bees and termites. Tissues from both these insects yielded DNA of good quality, which could be amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and subsequently sequenced, including the genes encoding 18S ribosomal RNA and 16S rRNA. We report here the extraction of DNA from a 120-135-million-year-old weevil (Nemonychidae, Coleoptera) found in Lebanese amber, PCR amplification of segments of the 18S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer, and the corresponding nucleotide sequences of their 315- and 226-base-pair fragments, respectively. These sequences were used for preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the nemonychid's sequence with three extant coleopterans: Lecontellus pinicola (Nemonychidae), Hypera brunneipennis (Curculionidae) and the mealworm Tenebrio molitor (Tenebrionidae), and two extant dipterans: the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster (Drosophilidae) and mosquito Aedes albopictus (Culicidae) for the purpose of ascertaining the origin of the extracted and amplified DNA. The results revealed that the PCR-amplified material is that of the extinct nemonychid weevil. This represents the oldest fossil DNA ever extracted and sequenced, extending by 80 million years the age of any previously reported DNA.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

The concurrent growth of plants and chemical purification of wastewater used as a hydroponic unit.

In this study the seedling of a variety of plants were successfully grown hydroponically on raw wastewater obtained from one of the main sewer outfalls in Beirut. In the first phase, a series of experiments was run on a batch system in glass or plastic containers provided with aeration facilities. A continuous-flow system with recirculation was adopted in the second phase. Iron supplementation was applied in all cases to compensate for its deficiency in the raw wastewater used. The immediate and ultimate objectives of the project were threefold: (a) to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing as a hydroponic medium untreated municipal wastewater having relatively high mean values for BOD and mineral content; (b) to achieve the growth of useful plants on such readily available hydroponic media, thereby saving on fertilizers and scarce water resources; and (c) reclamation of the wastewater through biological purification leading to the gradual depletion of the nutritive constituents. Experimental conditions are described, and the data presented leads to the conclusion that the system is practicable on a laboratory scale. It has great potential for trial on a pilot scale prior to field applications in developing countries suffering from water shortage and hard currency expended on imported fertilizers and wastewater purification facilities.

Plant Development↗
PubMed1986

Laboratory evaluation of Gambusia affinis fish as predators of the schistosome-bearing snails Bulinus truncatus.

In this laboratory-based study involving numerous experiments, it was demonstrated that the mosquito fish Gambusia affinis preys effectively upon the schistosome-bearing snail Bulinus truncatus, even in the presence of an alternative source of food. Egg masses and juvenile snails less than or equal to 2 mm in size are preferred. Individual eggs are nibbled, and the tiny snails with fragile shells are swallowed and digested. In the absence of other foods, the fish consume the flesh of snails 3 to 6 mm in size, leaving their empty shells intact. The larger snails are unharmed, but their offspring could be eradicated by the fish under favourable conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Lead-glazed pottery: a potential health hazard in the Middle East.

Lead-glazed pottery produced by obsolete methods in Lebanon and other countries in the Middle East is potentially hazardous when used in contact with acidic foods. This conclusion was deduced from the testing of 423 glazed utensils for the amount of lead leached by 4% acetic acid. Control measures, surveillance, and regulations are therefore warranted.

Cooking and Eating Utensils↗