bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mulching as a cultural control strategy for Drosophila suzukii in blueberry
Authors: Rendon Dalila , Hamby Kelly A , Arsenault‐Benoit Arielle L , Taylor Christopher M , Evans Richard K , Roubos Craig R , Sial Ashfaq A , Rogers Mary , Petran Andrew , Van Timmeren Steven , Fanning Philip , Isaacs Rufus , Walton Vaughn 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDFruit growers largely depend on chemical control to reduce populations of the economically damaging invasive fly, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura). Drosophila suzukii is susceptible to high temperatures and low humidity; therefore, it may be possible to implement cultural control practices that create microclimates unfavorable for its development and survival. In addition to other fruit production benefits, in‐row mulches may impede the development of D. suzukii immatures when larvae leave the fruit to pupate in the soil. This study compared the effects of different mulches (black polypropylene fabric weedmats, sawdust, and wood chips) on temperature and relative humidity (RH), and on adult emergence of D. suzukii from larvae in blueberries and pupae, both above and below the ground surface in blueberry plantings (Vaccinium corymbosum L.).RESULTSAcross regions, both lower larval survival and longer periods with high suboptimal temperatures occurred above the ground in comparison to buried below the ground, regardless of mulch type. Fewer D. suzukii adults emerged from larvae on weedmat mulch at one site, but there was no effect of mulch type on temperature, RH, or D. suzukii emergence at most sites. The relationships between temperature, RH, and the emergence of adults from larvae and pupae varied by region. Natural infestation by D. suzukii in blueberries was lower over weedmat compared to wood‐based mulches at one site. Greenhouse experiments showed that larvae burrowed to pupate underneath sawdust mulch, but were unable to pupate underneath a weedmat mulch.CONCLUSIONSAlthough weedmats may not modify temperatures or RH enough to consistently affect D. suzukii emergence, they can reduce field suitability for D. suzukii by providing a barrier that prevents larvae from reaching favorable pupation microhabitats underground. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Gene silencing by RNAi via oral delivery of dsRNA by bacteria in the South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta
Authors: Bento Flavia MM , Marques Rodrigo N , Campana Felippe B , Demétrio Clarice GB , Leandro Roseli A , Parra José Roberto P , Figueira Antonio 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDRNA interference (RNAi) has been evaluated in several insect pests as a novel strategy to be included in integrated pest management. Lepidopterans are recognized to be recalcitrant to gene silencing by RNAi. As such, double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery needs to be adjusted to assure its stability until it reaches the target gene transcript for silencing. Gene silencing by RNAi offers the potential to be used in the control of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), one of the main insect pests of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) worldwide. Here, we tested the delivery of dsRNA expressed in Escherichia coli HT115(DE3) and supplied to larvae in an artificial diet by screening target genes for silencing. We tested six target genes: juvenile hormone inducible protein (JHP); juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase protein (JHEH); ecdysteroid 25‐hydroxylase (PHM); chitin synthase A (CHI); carboxylesterase (COE); and arginine kinase (AK).RESULTSBased on larval mortality, the duration of the larval stage in days, pupal weight, and the accumulation of the target gene transcript, we demonstrated the efficacy of bacterial dsRNA delivery for the functional effects on larval development. Providing dsRNA targeted to JHP, CHI, COE and AK by bacteria led to a significant decrease in transcript accumulation and an increase in larval mortality.CONCLUSIONBacteria expressing dsRNA targeting essential T. absoluta genes supplied in artificial diet are efficient to screen RNAi target‐genes. The oral delivery of dsRNA by bacteria is a novel potential alternative for the control of T. absoluta based on RNAi. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Targeting the potassium ion channel genes SK and SH as a novel approach for control of insect pests: efficacy and biosafety
Authors: Alshukri Baida , Astarita Federica , Al‐Esawy Mushtaq , El Halim Hesham Mohamed El Sayed Abd , Pennacchio Francesco , Gatehouse Angharad Margaret Roscoe , Edwards Martin Gethin 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDPotassium ion channels play a critical role in the generation of electrical signals and thus provide potential targets for control of insect pests by RNA interference.RESULTSGenes encoding the small conductance calcium‐activated potassium channel (SK) and the voltage‐gated potassium channel (SH) were knocked down in Tribolium castaneum by injection and oral delivery of dsRNA (dsTcSK and dsTcSH, respectively). Irrespective of the delivery mechanism a dose‐dependent effect was observed for knockdown (KD) of gene expression and insect mortality for both genes. Larvae fed a 400 ng dsRNA mg–1 diet showed significant gene (P < 0.05) knockdown (98% and 83%) for SK and SH, respectively, with corresponding mortalities of 100% and 98% after 7 days. When injected (248.4 ng larva–1), gene KD was 99% and 98% for SK and SH, causing 100% and 73.4% mortality, respectively. All developmental stages tested (larvae, early‐ and late‐stage pupae and adults) showed an RNAi‐sensitive response for both genes. LC50 values were lower for SK than SH, irrespective of delivery method, demonstrating that the knockdown of SK had a greater effect on larval mortality. Biosafety studies using adult honeybee Apis mellifera showed that there were no significant differences either in expression levels or mortality of honeybees orally dosed with dsTcSK and dsTcSH compared to control‐fed bees. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the titre of deformed wing virus, used as a measure of immune suppression, between experimental and control bees.CONCLUSIONThis study demonstrates the potential of using RNAi targeting neural receptors as a technology for the control of T. castaneum. © 2019 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Effect of synthetic amorphous silica powder on the cuticle of Tribolium castaneum and Sitophilus oryzae using hyperspectral imaging technique
Authors: Li Yanyu , Agarwal Manjree , Cao Yang , Ren Yonglin 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDSynthetic amorphous silica (SAS) is safe for human consumption. SAS damages insect cuticles. Qualitative measurement of cuticle properties of insects affected by SAS is essential to understand the mode of action and develop new pesticides. A hyperspectral reflectance imaging approach was used to directly indicate the impact of SAS on the insect cuticle.RESULTSThere were significant differences in the LT95 values of hydrophobic and hydrophilic SAS against Tribolium castaneum and Sitophilus oryzae (P < 0.01). T. castaneum was more susceptible to hydrophobic SAS while no difference was found for S. oryzae exposed to both SAS types. In a hyperspectral study, the ventral reflectance of control groups was higher than that of SAS‐treated groups in both visible and short‐wave near‐infrared wavelength ranges. The SAS‐treated groups showed much higher dorsal reflectance. The differences in absorption characteristics of cuticular fat and protein may contribute to the varied performance. The effects of both SASs on insect cuticles was significant, as the 100% recognition rate of the back propagation neural network models suggested. Consistent with the assumption that the efficacy was different between the two SAS types, the lowest rates of the model for two treatment groups were 62.2 and 73.3% in the target and output class.CONCLUSIONThe efficacy varied considerably between the two insect species and the two SASs. Hyperspectral image analyzing coupled with back propagation artificial neural network accurately recorded how SAS impacts the insect cuticle via the effective wavelengths. These findings showed that SAS is a promising candidate for new pesticide products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Stereoselective bioactivity, toxicity and degradation of the chiral triazole fungicide bitertanol
Authors: Li Lianshan , Gao Beibei , Wen Yong , Zhang Zhaoxian , Chen Rou , He Zongzhe , Kaziem Amir E , Shi Haiyan , Wang Minghua 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe chiral pesticide bitertanol has been widely used in the prevention and treatment of fungal diseases on many crops. However, research on bitertanol at the stereoisomer level has not been reported. Here, we study the stereoselective bioactivity, toxicity, and degradation of this pesticide under laboratory and field conditions.RESULT(1S,2R)‐Bitertanol was the most effective stereoisomer, showing 4.3–314.7 times more potent bioactivity than other stereoisomers against eight target pathogenic fungi. (1S,2R)‐Bitertanol showed 10.2 times greater inhibition of Botrytis cinerea spore germination than (1R,2S)‐bitertanol. According to the receptor‐drug docking results, the distances from the nitrogen atom in the heterocycle of (1S,2R)‐, (1R,2S)‐, (1R,2R)‐, and (1S,2S)‐bitertanol to the central Fe + atoms in the ferriporphyrin were 2.5, 3.8, 2.6, and 3.8 Å, respectively. (1S,2S)‐Bitertanol was 1.6–2.7 times more toxic than (1R,2R)‐bitertanol to Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The half‐lives of (1R,2S)‐, (1S,2R)‐, (1R,2R)‐, and (1S,2S)‐bitertanol were 3.7, 4.1, 4.1, and 4.8 d, respectively, in tomato.CONCLUSIONThe stereoselective bioactivity, toxicity, and degradation for bitertanol were first studied here. (1S,2R)‐Bitertanol was a high efficiency and low toxicity stereoisomer. Moreover, the stereoselective bioactivity among all stereoisomers correlated with the binding distances and calculated energy differences between stereoisomers and the target protein. This study also provides a foundation for a systematic evaluation of bitertanol at the stereoisomer level. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Physiological function of seminal vesicle secretions on male fecundity
Authors: Noda Taichi , Ikawa Masahito 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBackgroundA mixture of spermatozoa and accessory gland secretions (from seminal vesicles, prostates, and coagulating glands) is ejaculated into the female reproductive tract at copulation. However, the physiological function of accessory glands on male fecundity remains unclear.MethodsPublications regarding the physiological functions of male accessory glands were summarized.Main findings (Results)The functions of accessory glands have been studied using male rodents surgically removed coagulating glands (CG), prostates (PR), or seminal vesicles (SV). CG‐removed males are fertile or subfertile, while the fecundity of PR‐removed males is controversial. SV‐removed males show copulatory plug defects, leading to fewer sperm in the uterus and severe subfertility. TGM4, SVS2, and PATE4 were identified as essential factors for copulatory plug formation. When the sufficient number of epididymal spermatozoa was artificially injected into a uterus (AI method), they could efficiently fertilize oocytes, implicating that accessory gland secretions are not essential. Seminal vesicle secretions (SVSs) improved fertilization rates only when low numbers of spermatozoa were used for AI. The changes of uterine environment by SVSs could not improve the pregnancy rate.ConclusionAccessory gland factors are critical for copulatory plug formation and support sperm fertilizing ability.
Using a Digital Spelling Game for Promoting Alphabetic Knowledge of Preschoolers: The Contribution of Auditory and Visual Supports
Authors: Elimelech Adi , Aram Dorit 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThe authors developed a digital spelling game to promote children's early literacy skills. Based on the dual‐coding theory, the authors studied the benefits of auditory support alone versus auditory+visual support. Children played the game in three conditions: no support, hearing the whole word; auditory‐only support, hearing a word segmented; and auditory+visual support, hearing the word segmented together with seeing the highlighted position of the letters. The participants were 129 Hebrew‐speaking children (mean age = 5.7 years) from five preschools located in low–socioeconomic status neighborhoods. Children were randomly divided into one of the four groups (the three intervention conditions and a comparison group that did not play the game but watched electronic books). Children in each of the four groups participated in eight 20‐minute sessions over the course of one month (two sessions per week). Children's letter knowledge (letter names and sounds), phonological awareness (word segmentation), word spelling, and word decoding were assessed before and after the intervention. Children's visuomotor and oral skills were assessed and controlled for in the analyses. Generalized estimating equations regressions showed that the auditory+visual support and auditory‐only support groups scored higher on the posttest than the no‐support and comparison groups in letter knowledge, phonological awareness, word spelling, and word decoding. The no‐support group scored higher than the comparison group only in letter knowledge. The authors highlight ways for promoting children's understanding of the writing system and demonstrate the effectiveness of a computerized game adapted to the orthography in promoting basic early literacy skills.
Zwitterion‐Functionalized Detonation Nanodiamond with Superior Protein Repulsion and Colloidal Stability in Physiological Media
Authors: Merz Viktor , Lenhart Julian , Vonhausen Yvonne , Ortiz‐Soto Maria E. , Seibel Jürgen , Krueger Anke 
Published: June 2019

AbstractNanodiamond (ND) is a versatile and promising material for bioapplications. Despite many efforts, agglomeration of nanodiamond and the nonspecific adsorption of proteins on the ND surface when exposed to biofluids remains a major obstacle for biomedical applications. Here, the functionalization of detonation nanodiamond with zwitterionic moieties in combination with tetraethylene glycol (TEG) moieties immobilized by click chemistry to improve the colloidal dispersion in physiological media with strong ion background and for the simultaneous prevention of nonspecific interactions with proteins is reported. Based on five building blocks, a series of ND conjugates is synthesized and their performance is compared in biofluids, such as fetal bovine serum (FBS) and Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM). The adsorption of proteins is investigated via dynamic light scattering (DLS) and thermogravimetric analysis. The colloidal stability is tested with DLS monitoring over prolonged periods of time in various ratios of water/FBS/DMEM and at different pH values. The results show that zwitterions efficiently promote the anti‐fouling properties, whereas the TEG linker is essential for the enhanced colloidal stability of the particles.
Plusenergiegebäude 2.0 in Stahlleichtbauweise
Authors: Reger Vitali , Kuhnhenne Markus , Hachul Helmut , Döring Bernd , Ebbert Thiemo , Blanke Tobias , Göttsche Joachim 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAb dem Jahr 2020 soll die Versorgung von Neubauten möglichst weitgehend unabhängig von fossilen Energieträgern erfolgen. Bei der Konzeption und Realisierung zukünftiger Neubauten werden neben der Senkung des Heizwärmebedarfs auch die Anlagentechnik und Beleuchtung sowie die Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien miteinbezogen werden müssen. Außerdem wird eine ganzheitliche Betrachtung, Bewertung und Optimierung hinsichtlich Energiebedarf und Energiebereitstellung notwendig. Sogenannte Plusenergiegebäude erzeugen dabei mehr Energie, als sie für ihren eigenen Bedarf im Jahresmittel benötigen. Durch Energiemanagement und ‐speicherung im Gebäude wird dabei zusätzlich eine weitere Entlastung der Energieversorgungsinfrastruktur angestrebt (Plusenergie 2.0).Im Rahmen eines Forschungsprojekts, in einer Kooperation aus dem Lehr‐ und Forschungsgebiet Nachhaltigkeit im Metallleichtbau der RWTH Aachen, des Lehrgebiets Gebäudetechnik der FH Aachen sowie des Lehr‐ und Forschungsgebiets Architektur und Metallbau der FH Dortmund, sollen Lösungen für Plusenergiegebäude in Stahlleichtbauweise wissenschaftlich untersucht, erprobt und optimiert sowie Handlungsempfehlungen für zukunftsfähige Gebäudekonzepte abgeleitet werden. Neben der Optimierung der Gebäudehülle wird der Einsatz von einzelnen Stahllösungen, wie gebäudeintegrierter PV bzw. Solarthermie, stahlpfahlbasierter Geothermie sowie neuartiger Flächenheiz‐ und Kühlelemente aus Stahl, anhand konkreter architektonischer Entwürfe betrachtet und in experimentellen Untersuchungen sowie anhand eines parametrisierten Mustergebäudes erprobt. Als Projektergebnis entstehen ganzheitliche Plusenergiekonzepte für energetisch optimierte Gebäude in Stahlleichtbauweise.
On the Impossibility and Dispensability of Defining ‘‘Biodiversity’’
Authors: Toepfer Georg 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThe impressive success of the concept ‘biodiversity’ in the last decades, in particular in the arena of politics, is in a large part due to its power to amalgamate facts and values: the fact that living beings show variety on every level of their existence, and the assumed values that are associated with this variety. These values are far from obvious or objective, they are rather normatively prescribed. They are already at work in the process of selecting the level of analysis, e.g. the level of genes, species, or ecosystems. The concept thus ties together many different discourses from the fields of biology and bioethics, aesthetics and economy, law and global justice. One important consequence of the concept’s integrative power is the impossibility of its general definition. Just as ‘life’, ‘time’ or ‘world’ the word is an “absolute metaphor” or “non-concept” in the sense of Hans Blumenberg: it cannot have a fixed meaning just because it mediates between various contexts and disciplines. Any attempt to define ‘biodiversity’ in general terms is thus futile and does not capture the role it fulfills in contemporary discourse. Rather than trying to define the concept, reconstructing the interaction of its various contexts is a more promising approach. These include, besides the obvious reference to biology and nature conservation, ancient narratives about divine creation, paradise and Noah’s ark as well as political ideas of pluralism, egalitarianism and non-hierarchical representation of individuals, or the values of market economy. In order to understand the current success and discursive role of the concept, I will analyze some of the underlying ideas, especially with respect to the representation of biodiversity in images.
The Vagueness of “Biodiversity” and Its Implications in Conservation Practice
Authors: Meinard Yves , Coq Sylvain , Schmid Bernhard 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThe vagueness of the notion of biodiversity is discussed in the philosophical literature but most ecologists admit that it is unproblematic in practice. We analyze a series of case studies to argue that this denial of the importance of clarifying the definition of biodiversity has worrying implications in practice, at three levels: it can impair the coordination of conservation actions, hide the need to improve management knowledge and cover up incompatibilities between disciplinary assumptions. This is because the formal agreement on the term “biodiversity” can hide profound disagreements on the nature of conservation issues. We then explore avenues to unlock this situation, using the literature in decision analysis. Decision analysts claim that decision-makers requesting decision-support often do not precisely know for what problem they request support. Clarifying a better formulation, eliminating vagueness, is therefore a critical step for decision analysis. We explain how this logic can be implemented in our case studies and similar situations, where various interacting actors face complex, multifaceted problems that they have to solve collectively. To sum up, although “biodiversity” has long been considered a flagship to galvanize conservation action, the vagueness of the term actually complicates this perennial task of conservation practitioners. As conservation scientists, we have a duty to stop promoting a term whose vagueness impairs conservation practice. This approach allows introducing a dynamic definition of “biodiversity practices”, designed to play the integrating role that the term “biodiversity” cannot achieve, due to the ambiguity of its general definition.
What Should “Biodiversity” Be?
Authors: Sarkar Sahotra 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThis paper argues that biodiversity should be understood as a normative concept constrained by a set of adequacy conditions that reflect scientific explications of diversity. That there is a normative aspect to biodiversity has long been recognized by environmental philosophers though there is no consensus on the question of what, precisely, biodiversity is supposed to be. There is also disagreement amongst these philosophers as well as amongst conservationists about whether the operative norms should view biodiversity as a global heritage or as embodying local values. After critically analyzing and rejecting the first alternative, this paper gives precedence to local values in defining biodiversity but then notes many problems associated with this move. The adequacy conditions to constrain all natural features from being dubbed as biodiversity include a restriction to biotic elements, attention to variability, and to taxonomic spread, as well as measurability. The biotic elements could be taxa, community types, or even non-standard land cover units such as sacred groves. This approach to biodiversity is intended to explicate its use within the conservation sciences which is the context in which the concept (and term) was first introduced in the late 1980s. It differs from approaches that also attempt to capture the co-option of the term in other fields such as systematics.
Problems and Questions Posed by Cryptic Species. A Framework to Guide Future Studies
Authors: Chenuil Anne , Cahill Abigail E. , Délémontey Numa , Du Salliant du Luc Elrick , Fanton Hadrien 
Published: June 2019

AbstractSpecies are the currency of biology and important units of biodiversity, thus errors in species delimitations potentially have important consequences. During the last decades, owing to the use of genetic markers, many nominal species appeared to consist of several reproductively isolated entities calledcryptic species(hereafter CS). In this chapter we explain why CS are important for practical reasons related to community and ecosystem monitoring, and for biological knowledge, particularly for understanding ecological and evolutionary processes. To find solutions to practical problems and to correct biological errors, a thorough analysis of the distinct types of CS reported in the literature is necessary and some general rules have to be identified. Here we explain how to identify CS, and we propose a rational and practical classification of CS (and putative CS), based on the crossing of distinct levels of genetic isolation with distinct levels of morphological differentiation. We also explain how to identify likely explanations for a given CS (either inherent to taxonomic processes or related to taxon biology, ecology and geography) and how to build a comprehensive database aimed at answering these practical and theoretical questions. Our pilot review of the literature in marine animals established that half of the reported cases are not CSsensu stricto(i.e. where morphology cannot distinguish the entities) and just need taxonomic revision. It also revealed significant associations between CS features, such as a higher proportion of diagnostic morphological differences in sympatric than in allopatric CS and more frequent ecological differentiation between sympatric than allopatric CS, both observations supporting the competitive exclusion theory, thus suggesting that ignoring CS causes not only species diversity but also functional diversity underestimation.