Highly Sensitive Lateral Flow Immunodetection of the Insecticide Imidacloprid in Fruits and Berries Reached by Indirect Antibody-Label Coupling.

A highly sensitive lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) for imidacloprid, a widely used neonicotinoid insecticide, has been developed. The LFIA realizes the indirect coupling of anti-imidacloprid antibodies and gold nanoparticle (GNP) labels directly in the course of the assay. For this purpose, the common GNPs conjugate with anti-imidacloprid antibodies and are changed into a combination of non-modified, anti-imidacloprid antibodies, and the GNPs conjugate with anti-species antibodies.

Ultrasensitive Lateral Flow Immunoassay of Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic Gatifloxacin Using Au@Ag Nanoparticles as a Signal-Enhancing Label.

Gatifloxacin (GAT), an antibiotic belonging to the fluoroquinolone (FQ) class, is a toxicant that may contaminate food products. In this study, a method of ultrasensitive immunochromatographic detection of GAT was developed for the first time. An indirect format of the lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) was performed.

Comparative Characteristics of Immunochromatographic Test Systems for Tylosin Antibiotic in Meat Products.

Tylosin (TYL) is a macrolide antibiotic widely used in animal husbandry. Due to associated health risks, there is a demand for sensitive methods for mass screening of TYL in products of animal origin. This article describes the development of lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) for TYL detection using direct (anti-TYL antibodies conjugated with nanoparticles) and indirect antibody labeling (anti-species antibodies conjugated with nanoparticles and combined with native anti-TYL antibodies).

Does spatial variation in insect herbivory match variations in plant quality? A meta-analysis.

Variation in herbivore pressure has often been predicted from patterns in plant traits considered as antiherbivore defences. Here, we tested whether spatial variation in field insect herbivory is associated with the variation in plant quality by conducting a meta-analysis of 223 correlation coefficients between herbivory levels and the expression of selected plant traits. We found no overall correlation between herbivory and either concentrations of plant secondary metabolites or values of physical leaf traits.

Double lateral flow immunosensing of undeclared pork and chicken components of meat products.

Unlabelled: Adulteration of meat products is a serious problem in the modern society. Consumption of falsified meat products can be hazardous to health and/or lead to violating religious dietary principles. To identify such products, rapid and simple test systems for point-of-need detection are in demand along with complex laboratory methods.

Comparison of competitive and sandwich immunochromatographic analysis in the authentication of chicken in meat products.

Cheap chicken meat is often used as an undeclared substitute in meat products. In this study, two formats of the immunochromatographic assay (ICA) of immunoglobulins of class Y (IgY) as a biomarker for chicken authentication were developed. In both competitive ICA (cICA) and sandwich ICA (sICA), gold nanoparticles (GNP) were conjugated with anti-species antibodies.

Highly Sensitive Immunochromatographic Detection of Porcine Myoglobin as Biomarker for Meat Authentication Using Prussian Blue Nanozyme.

This study was aimed at the sensitive immunodetection of porcine myoglobin (MG) as a species-specific biomarker in meat products. The enhanced lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) was created in the sandwich format using monoclonal antibodies (Mab) with specificity to porcine MG and labeled by Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) as peroxidase-mimicking nanozymes. Signal amplification was provided by the colored product of oxidation catalyzed by the PBNPs.

A Sensitive Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay for the Rapid Detection of Okadaic Acid in Environmental Waters.

In this study, a homogeneous fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) for the detection of hazardous aquatic toxin okadaic acid (OA) contaminating environmental waters was for the first time developed. A conjugate of the analyte with a fluorophore based on a fluorescein derivative (tracer) was synthesized, and its interaction with specific anti-OA monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) was tested. A MAbs-tracer pair demonstrated highly affine immune binding ( = 0.

Lateral Flow Test System to Control Total Content of Muscle Tissues in Raw Meat Products.

Assessment of the composition of meat-containing products is the task in demand due to their frequent deviations from declared recipes. The paper presents the developed test system for immunochromatographic determination of total meat content. The assay is based on the simultaneous use of monoclonal antibodies, which specifically interacts with mammalian skeletal troponin I, and polyclonal antibodies, which specifically detect bird immunoglobulin Y.

Diversity but Not Overall Abundance of Moths and Butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera) Decreases around Two Arctic Polluters.

Alarming reports on the rapid decline of insects during the past decades call for the exploration of potential drivers of this process. Here, we test the hypothesis that the overall abundance and diversity of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) decrease under the impact of industrial pollution in the fragile arctic environment. For this purpose, experienced collectors netted adult Lepidoptera at five tundra sites located 0.

Application of Au@Pt Nanozyme as Enhancing Label for the Sensitive Lateral Flow Immunoassay of Okadaic Acid.

In this study, a lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) was developed to detect okadaic acid (OA) belonging to the diarrheic shellfish poisoning group of aquatic toxins. Newly obtained anti-OA monoclonal antibodies and bimetallic core@shell Au@Pt nanoparticles were used in the indirect format of the LFIA. Peroxidase-mimicking nanozyme properties of Au@Pt enabled using them to enhance band coloration on the test strips and, consequently, for increasing the LFIA sensitivity.

Predation risk estimated on live and artificial insect prey follows different patterns.

Models mimicking prey organisms are increasingly used in ecological studies, including testing fundamental ecological and evolutionary theories. The general consensus is that predation risk estimated on artificial models may not quantitatively correspond to predation pressure on live prey, but it still can be used in various comparisons. We tested whether the use of live and artificial prey reveals the same patterns of variation in predation risk.

Elevational changes in insect herbivory on woody plants in six mountain ranges of temperate Eurasia: Sources of variation.

Current theory predicts that the intensity of biotic interactions, particularly herbivory, decreases with increasing latitude and elevation. However, recent studies have revealed substantial variation in both the latitudinal and elevational patterns of herbivory. This variation is often attributed to differences in study design and the type of data collected by different researchers.

Poleward increase in feeding efficiency of leafminer Stigmella lapponica (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae) in a latitudinal gradient crossing a boreal forest zone.

Damage to plant communities imposed by insect herbivores generally decreases from low to high latitudes. This decrease is routinely attributed to declines in herbivore abundance and/or diversity, whereas latitudinal changes in per capita food consumption remain virtually unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the lifetime food consumption by a herbivore individual decreases from low to high latitudes due to a temperature-driven decrease in metabolic expenses.

Double Immunochromatographic Test System for Sensitive Detection of Phycotoxins Domoic Acid and Okadaic Acid in Seawater and Seafood.

In this investigation, a double immunochromatographic analysis (ICA) of two relevant phycotoxins, domoic acid (DA) and okadaic acid (OA), was developed for the first time. The ICA was performed in the indirect competitive format using gold nanoparticles conjugated with anti-species antibodies. Under optimal conditions, the instrumental detection limits/cutoffs for simultaneous detection of DA and OA were 1.

Triple immunochromatographic test system for detection of priority aquatic toxins in water and fish.

Aquatic toxins are a group of toxic compounds produced by several types of freshwater and marine algae and cyanobacteria and transported through the food chains of water bodies. Potential contamination of aquaculture products (raw and processed fish and seafood) with aquatic toxins requires the use of efficient screening methods for their control. In this study, a multiplex immunochromatographic test system for the simultaneous detection of three aquatic toxins-phycotoxins domoic acid (DA) and okadaic acid (OA), and cyanotoxin microcystin-LR (MC-LR)-is for the first time developed.

Meta-analysis of elevational changes in the intensity of trophic interactions: Similarities and dissimilarities with latitudinal patterns.

The premise that the intensity of biotic interactions decreases with increasing latitudes and elevations is broadly accepted; however, whether these geographical patterns can be explained within a common theoretical framework remains unclear. Our goal was to identify the general pattern of elevational changes in trophic interactions and to explore the sources of variation among the outcomes of individual studies. Meta-analysis of 226 effect sizes calculated from 134 publications demonstrated a significant but interaction-specific decrease in the intensity of herbivory, carnivory and parasitism with increasing elevation.

Cascade-Enhanced Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Sensitive Detection of Okadaic Acid in Seawater, Fish, and Seafood.

In this investigation, a new approach for developing a sensitive lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) was proposed for the detection of the hazardous marine toxin okadaic acid (OA). It is based on the indirect format with anti-species antibodies labeled by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and cascade signal amplification. The latter is performed by first passing a mixture of anti-OA antibodies and a tested sample along the immunochromatographic test strip and then performing several cycles of the interaction of anti-species antibodies conjugated with AuNPs with free antibodies, which bind to anti-species antibodies but are not specific to the target analyte.

Rapid detection of phycotoxin domoic acid in seawater and seafood based on the developed lateral flow immunoassay.

A lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) of phycotoxin domoic acid (DA) contaminating seawater and marine organisms was developed in this investigation. Nine clones of monoclonal antibodies against DA were produced and characterized. The test system was implemented in the indirect competitive format, where gold nanoparticles as a marker were conjugated with secondary antibodies.

Recovery of moth and butterfly (Lepidoptera) communities in a polluted region following emission decline.

Environmental pollution is one of the major drivers of the present-day decline in global biodiversity. However, the links between the effects of industrial pollution on insect communities and the underlying species-specific responses remain poorly understood. We explored the spatial pattern in insect communities by analysing 581 samples of moths and butterflies (containing 25,628 individuals of 345 species) collected along a strong pollution gradient in subarctic Russia, and we recorded temporal changes in these communities during the pollution decline that occurred from 1992 to 2006.

What quantum chemical simulations tell us about the infrared spectra, structure and interionic interactions of a bulk ionic liquid.

The recently developed efficient protocol to explicit quantum mechanical modeling of the structure and IR spectra of liquids and solutions [Katsyuba , , 2020, , 6664-6670] is applied to ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate [Emim][BF], and its C2-deuterated analog [Emim-d][BF]. It is shown that the solvation strongly modifies the frequencies and IR intensities of both cationic and anionic components of the ionic liquids. The main features of the bulk spectra are reproduced by the simulations for cluster ([Emim][BF]), representing an ion pair solvated by the first solvation shell.

Insect herbivory increases from forest to alpine tundra in Arctic mountains.

Current theory holds that the intensity of biotic interactions decreases with increases in latitude and elevation; however, empirical data demonstrate great variation in the direction, strength, and shape of elevational changes in herbivory. The latitudinal position of mountains may be one important source of this variation, but the acute shortage of data from polar mountains hampers exploration of latitude effects on elevational changes in herbivory. Here, we reduce this knowledge gap by exploring six elevation gradients located in three Arctic mountain ranges to test the prediction that a decrease in herbivory occurs with increasing elevation from forest to alpine tundra.

Changes in Biomass and Diversity of Soil Macrofauna along a Climatic Gradient in European Boreal Forests.

Latitudinal gradients allow insights into the factors that shape ecosystem structure and delimit ecosystem processes, particularly climate. We asked whether the biomass and diversity of soil macrofauna in boreal forests change systematically along a latitudinal gradient spanning from 60° N to 69° N. Invertebrates (3697 individuals) were extracted from 400 soil samples (20 × 20 cm, 30 cm depth) collected at ten sites in 2015-2016 and then weighed and identified.

Rapid Full-Cycle Technique to Control Adulteration of Meat Products: Integration of Accelerated Sample Preparation, Recombinase Polymerase Amplification, and Test-Strip Detection.

Verifying the authenticity of food products is essential due to the recent increase in counterfeit meat-containing food products. The existing methods of detection have a number of disadvantages. Therefore, simple, cheap, and sensitive methods for detecting various types of meat are required.

Effects of Non-Stoichiometry on the Ground State of the Frustrated System LiNiSbO.

The non-stoichiometric system LiNiSbO is a Li-deficient derivative of the zigzag honeycomb antiferromagnet LiNiSbO. Structural and magnetic properties of LiNiSbO were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. Powder X-ray diffraction data shows the formation of a new phase, which is Sb-enriched and Li-deficient with respect to the structurally honeycomb-ordered LiNiSbO.