Adverse effects of agrochemicals on earthworms' burrowing behaviour can have crucial impacts on the entire ecosystem. In the present study, we have therefore assessed short- and long-term effects on burrowing behaviour in the earthworm species Aporrectodea caliginosa and Lumbricus terrestris after exposure to a range of imidacloprid concentrations (0.2-4 mg kg(-1) dry weight (DW)) for different...

The aim of this study was to find out the nutritional value of some selected plants of family Zygophyllaceae and Euphorbiaceae which are traditionally used in different parts of Pakistan. The five plants Fagonia cretica L., Peganum harmala L., Tribulus terrestris L., Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) Raf. and Ricinus communis L., were collected from Peshawar and Attock Hills during winter, 2009. In th...

BACKGROUND Foraging bumblebees are normally associated with spring and summer in northern Europe. However, there have been sightings of the bumblebee Bombus terrestris during the warmer winters in recent years in southern England. But what floral resources are they relying upon during winter and how much winter forage can they collect? METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS To test if urban areas in ...

fections has greatly increased in patients who are severely immunocompromised due to cancer chemotherapy, organ or bone marrow transplantation, and human immunodeficiency virus infection. Candida albicans (C. albicans) is an organism that is most often associated with serious fungal infections, and can cause fungal diseases in immunocompromised patients, including cancer patients, organ transpl...

Bumblebees have been the focus of a broad range of scientific research due to their behavior, social life, and a number of other intriguing traits. Current methods for examining their nest structure, such as natal cells and contents of storage cells, are destructive in nature because the cells need to be opened for physical inspections. This research describes how the internal structures of the...

Pollinating insects are an inherent part of most terrestrial ecosystems as they provide a crucial service for angiosperms, including numerous important crops. A decrease in pollinator populations can therefore have severe consequences both natural and agricultural yields. Pesticide usage has been pointed out one the drivers behind declines. Globally, neonicotinoids commonly used insecticides st...

Four British bumblebee species (Bombus terrestris, Bombus hortorum, Bombus ruderatus and Bombus subterraneus) became established in New Zealand following their introduction at the turn of the last century. Of these, two remain common in the United Kingdom (B. terrestris and B. hortorum), whilst two (B. ruderatus and B. subterraneus) have undergone marked declines, the latter being declared exti...

Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae) is an annual plant commonly known as Puncture vine. It is dramatically gaining interest as a rich source of saponins. T. terrestris is a promising ingredient for many industries and recent patents on dermatological applications support the use of this plant for cosmetics and hygiene. Nonetheless problems arise in the selection of the material to be used. ...

Tribulus terrestris extract has an ancient tradition in folk medicine and in ayurveda as a diuretic, mood enhancer, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent. Six populations of Tribulus terrestris were studied in North India at different ecological habitats. Populations have different phenotypes and chemotypes. We detected two main and other flavonoid components of this plant by TLC and HPLC in d...

While many blood substitutes are based on mammalian hemoglobins (e.g., human hemoglobin, HbA), the naturally extracellular hemoglobins of invertebrates (a.k.a. erythrocruorins, Ecs) are intriguing alternative oxygen carriers. Specifically, the erythrocruorin of Lumbricus terrestris has been shown to effectively deliver oxygen in mice and rats without the negative side effects observed with HbA....