Explore the vast range of titles available.

An arboreal ant species by nature, the Asian weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina F., (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) colony’s social structure composition was investigated in depth. Brood and barrack nests were collected from the African oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis ) canopies and Limau kasturi ( Citrus microcarpa ) orchards, and dissected. All caste’s morphological traits were examined stereo-microscopically. The workers’ width and length measurements of the separately dissected head, thorax, frontal view, abdomen, and body full side view sizes were recorded. All colonies comprise a founding queen laying thousands of eggs stored in a protective yellowish, unknown sticky substance (shining reflection), with reproductive winged green and newly emerged yellow queens, adult drone males, and wingless workers along their immature pupae and larvae arranged in woven, solid silken chambers (brood nests exclusively). Besides the traditionally known caste of minor and major workers, five polymorphic individuals comprising two unidentified novel sub-castes of intermediate workers and one sub-caste of major workers were described. The full body and abdomen lengths are proposed as dominant predicting factors differentiating among the five sub-castes. The discovery of a multimodal size frequency distribution model contrasts with the classical archetypical bimodal systems in ants. Intermediate workers foraging outside the nest revealed reconnaissance autonomy and aggressive behaviors that aided larger workers in securing the territorial perimeter. Bigger workers occupied the first defensive layers of the colony’s territorial frontier, while the intermediate workers maintained their stance at a closer nest distance. Major workers systematically acted as leaders-supervisors by removing individuals of smaller size during overheating exposure. Due to their short lifespan and segregated nests, it is difficult to collect adult males in wide plantations. A stable and average mature three-year-old colony produces several reproductive individuals monthly. The mean number of emerging queens is higher in older colonies (scarcity of males) and lower for younger colonies (queens-males averages are correlated). The queen production increases with higher rainfall and relative humidity. This study identified three novel worker sub-castes: one major intermediate, two intermediate in size. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the overall worker’s functional activity. The Asian weaver ant demonstrates adaptive measures in response to challenging abiotic factors (temperature), defying classical labor division rules.

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is the most important pest of cruciferous vegetables worldwide. In this study, we evaluated the properties of selected farnesyl derivative compounds against P. xylostella. The toxicity and sublethal concentration (LC50) of farnesyl acetate, farnesyl acetone, farnesyl bromide, farnesyl chloride, and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone were investigated for 96 h. The leaf-dip bioassays showed that farnesyl acetate had a high level of toxicity against P. xylostella compared to other tested farnesyl derivatives. The LC50 value was 56.41 mg/L on the second-instar larvae of P. xylostella. Then, the sublethal effects of farnesyl acetate on biological parameters of P. xylostella were assessed. Compared to the control group, the sublethal concentration of farnesyl acetate decreased pupation and emergence rates, pupal weight, fecundity, egg hatching rate, female ratio, and oviposition period. Furthermore, the developmental time of P. xylostella was extended after being exposed to farnesyl acetate. Moreover, the application of farnesyl acetate on P. xylostella induced morphogenetic abnormalities in larval–pupal intermediates, adults that emerged with twisted wings, or complete adults that could not emerge from the cocoon. These results suggested that farnesyl acetate was highly effective against P. xylostella. The sublethal concentration of farnesyl acetate could reduce the population of P. xylostella by increasing abnormal pupal and adults, and by delaying its development period.

The salivary gland of the black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus Walker changed size between being starved and fed. Crickets without access to food for 72 h showed a reduction in both wet and dry mass of the glands compared with the glands from continuously fed animals at 72 h. Glands returned to size following ingestion within 10 min. Salivary glands of starved crickets (72 h) were incubated in saline containing either serotonin (5-HT) or dopamine (DA). Glands increased to pre-starvation size after 1 h incubation in situ with either 10−4 moles L−1 5-HT or 10−4 moles L−1 DA, although lower concentrations (10−5 moles L−1) did not affect gland size. From immunohistochemistry, amines appeared to shift from zymogen cells during starvation to parietal cells following feeding. High-performance liquid chromatography showed that serotonin concentration is higher than dopamine in the salivary gland removed from starved and fed crickets, but the quantity of these compounds was not dependent upon feeding state; the amine quantities increased as gland size increased. Further work is necessary to determine what might be the stimulus for gland growth and if dopamine and serotonin play a role in the stimulation of salivary gland growth after a period of starvation.

Molecular clock analysis on the oil palm weevil has separated the Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and Asiatic palm weevil, Rhynchophorus vulneratus as two sympatric species. Calibration was performed using the fossil of R. cruentatus which had evolved approximately 1 mya using sequences data of combined COI and Cytb. Divergence time indicated that R. cruentatus, the outgroup species evolved around 80.598±10 mya and finally speciated to form R. ferrugineus (≈1.926±10 mya) and R. vulneratus (≈4.857±10 mya). Additionally, the construction of Neighbour Joining (NJ) and Maximum Parsimony (MP) trees showed distinct separation using COI, Cytb and combination of COI and Cytb. These findings were highly supported by genetic distance analysis. Although a limited number of individuals from the small geographical area was used in this study, the genetic molecular clock analysis of mitochondrial data was able to effectively differentiate both species. These results reveal the first analysis to use the molecular clock to confirm the separation of these two sympatric species.

Biting and chewing insects, such as crickets, may not have regular meals. They have a foregut with a crop that permits food to be stored, and also for further processing of previously ingested food if they cannot find food. Does this short period of starvation cause any further changes in other parts of the digestive system? We found that the salivary glands of crickets decreased in size as a result of a decrease in the size of one type of salivary cell, the zymogen cell. Amines (serotonin and dopamine) that stimulate gland secretion appeared to be stored with those cells, rather than in the parietal cells that are involved in salivation. Upon feeding, the glands immediately increase in size and the amines are then found in the parietal cells. This work appears to show that feeding and starving can affect parts of the digestive system as shown in animals such as snakes that can go long periods without feeding. The salivary glands of insects may have several different control mechanisms that require further work. The salivary gland of the black field cricket, Teleogryllus commodus Walker changed size between being starved and fed. Crickets without access to food for 72 h showed a reduction in both wet and dry mass of the glands compared with the glands from continuously fed animals at 72 h. Glands returned to size following ingestion within 10 min. Salivary glands of starved crickets (72 h) were incubated in saline containing either serotonin (5-HT) or dopamine (DA). Glands increased to pre-starvation size after 1 h incubation in situ with either 10[sup.−4] moles L[sup.−1] 5-HT or 10[sup.−4] moles L[sup.−1] DA, although lower concentrations (10[sup.−5] moles L[sup.−1]) did not affect gland size. From immunohistochemistry, amines appeared to shift from zymogen cells during starvation to parietal cells following feeding. High-performance liquid chromatography showed that serotonin concentration is higher than dopamine in the salivary gland removed from starved and fed crickets, but the quantity of these compounds was not dependent upon feeding state; the amine quantities increased as gland size increased. Further work is necessary to determine what might be the stimulus for gland growth and if dopamine and serotonin play a role in the stimulation of salivary gland growth after a period of starvation.

Ceramic materials based on cerate-zirconates have potential application as a solid electrolyte in electrochemical devices such as fuel cells and hydrogen sensors. To become a good electrolyte, the material must exhibits high density sample with homogenize grain size. In this study, we systematically investigated the microstructure of Ba (Ce,Zr)O3 pellet as a function of sintering temperature. The calcined powder was compressed to become a pellet using hydraulic press with pressure of 5 tons for 5 min. Two-step sintering (TSS) process was applied for the densification of Ba (Ce,Zr)O3 pellet. The first temperature profile was fixed at T1 = 1400°C and the second temperature profile was varied from T2 = 1150°C, 1200°C, 1250°C, 1300°C and 1350°C, respectively. The sintered sample at T2 = 1350°C showed the highest density compared to others. Its relative density was 82.50%. The lowest density was 64.38% for the sintered sample at T2 = 1150°C. However, the densification of pellet showed an irregular behavior at T2 = 1300°C. It might be related to the de-densification phenomenon due to the presence of carbonate species in the calcined powder. Microstructure of the fracture sintered pellet as observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed the grain size of the samples was in the range of 149.2–336.4 nm. For a comparison, green pellet and pellet prepared with conventional sintering step (CSS) were also discussed in this study.

Fertilizer plays a crucial role in the field of plantation industries. In pursuit of the sustainable development goals, the objective of this study is to analyse and compare the specific physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of peat soils found in oil palm between biofertilizer and chemical fertilizer treated plot. This study involved approximately 40 soil samples at Ladang Amanah Saham Pahang Berhad (ASPA), located in Sg. Miang, Pekan, Pahang, Malaysia. Block E and Block F were chosen to represent the biofertilizer (Plot E3) and chemical fertilizer (Plot F4). The samples were collected during Mid-June 2023 using random sampling techniques and prepared for soil chemical and biological analysis. Based on the findings, there were significant differences in soil pH, exchangeable phosphorus (P), ammonium-N (NH4+) and nitrate-N (NO3-) between chemical fertilizer and biofertilizer treated plot. Biofertilizer treated plot showed higher levels of total nitrogen (N), total carbon, exchangeable calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) compared to chemical fertilizer treated plot. Chemical fertilizer treated plot showed lower cation exchange capacity (CEC) compared to biofertilizer treated plot Accordingly, this research suggested that peat soils' pH, available P, ammonium, and nitrate content were significantly affected by the long-term use of biofertilizer for oil palm plantations.

The increase in the number of Tahfiz schools in Malaysia indicates a high demand from the community for Tahfiz education. Tahfiz schools provide a Quran memorization syllabus as the main part of the curriculum at the primary and secondary levels. There is no holistic module that combines learning and health for Tahfiz students in Malaysia. Huffaz ProHealth 1.0© Module is a health intervention module developed explicitly for Tahfiz students by a group of researchers from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Kuala Lumpur (UKMKL). The module encompasses educational and motivational components for the Tahfiz students, and acts as a guide for their teachers and staff to improve the students’ health and quality of life. The module consists of three components: physical health, nutritional and psychological well-being. Each component is divided into several units with specific activities. The Sidek Module Development Model (SDMM) was used as a reference model. The study involved two phases: the development (Phase I) and evaluation (Phase II). In Phase I, a needs assessment was conducted among students and teachers from Tahfiz schools to evaluate their knowledge, attitude, and practice on the related topics. Meanwhile, the module’s validity and feasibility were assessed by healthcare experts and Tahfiz teachers in Phase II. The item–content validity index (I–CVI), content validity value, Tool to Evaluate Materials used in Patient Education (TEMPtEd) score, and expert feedback were evaluated. In conclusion, the Huffaz ProHealth 1.0© module was successfully developed and evaluated. Strong validity values were observed in all components, indicating high suitability to be employed at Tahfiz schools.