bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A weed resistance management game: a teaching tool
Authors: Frisvold George B 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDThis article provides instructions and materials to moderate an interactive resistance management game. The game is designed to generate discussion about the challenges and possibilities of coordinating resistance management activities among groups of farmers. The game has been successfully applied in classroom settings, extension workshops, and at professional weed science meetings. Research has found farmers often perceive the success of their own resistance management may be thwarted if their neighbors are not adequately managing resistance as well. This can lead to negative ‘tragedy of the commons’ outcomes.RESULTSIn past applications of the game exercise, participants have often responded in ways consistent with similar studies in experimental and behavioral economics. This includes dividing benefits evenly (even though this is not a requirement of the game) or treating one‐time transactions as potentially repeated exchanges. Player behavior may also be greatly influenced by their attitudes toward monetary risks.CONCLUSIONThe game allows participants to explore ways to overcome the tragedy of the commons and illustrates the roles of information sharing and economic incentives in finding solutions. It also allows participants to experiment with bottom‐up voluntary approaches toward resistance management as an alternative to top‐down regulatory approaches. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Juvenile hormone mediates the positive effects of nitrogen fertilization on weight and reproduction in pea aphid
Authors: Gao Jing , Guo Hui Juan , Sun Yu Cheng , Ge Feng 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe positive effects of nitrogen fertilization on the performance of phytophagous insects have been reported extensively; the physiological and molecular basis involved, however, is largely unclear. Here, we test experimentally whether enhancement of juvenile hormone (JH) is responsible for the increased weight and fecundity of pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) under nitrogen fertilization.RESULTSAphids fed on Medicago truncatula with nitrogen fertilization have a greater amino acid content, higher weight at the fourth instar and adult stage, and produce more offspring than those without nitrogen fertilization. Furthermore, nitrogen fertilization upregulates the transcripts of JH biosynthesis‐related genes and increases JH titre at the fourth instar and adult stage, suggesting that JH is involved in the positive responses of aphids to nitrogen fertilization. Application of 100 ng JH increases adult weight and fecundity in aphids fed on M. truncatula without nitrogen fertilization. Conversely, impairing JH signalling by pharmacologically inhibiting the target of rapamycin pathway or by knocking down JH biosynthetic gene decreases adult weight and fecundity in aphids fed on M. truncatula with nitrogen fertilization, whereas application of JH rescued the phenotype.CONCLUSIONThe increased JH titre at the fourth instar and adult stage is required for the increases of weight and fecundity of A. pisum under nitrogen fertilization. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Efficacy of three different steamers for control of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L.)
Authors: Wang Desen , Wang Changlu , Wang Guohong , Zha Chen , Eiden Amanda L , Cooper Richard 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDBed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., have become one of the most difficult urban pests to control. Steam treatment is reported to be an effective method to kill bed bugs and is considered to be an important component of bed bug integrated pest management (IPM). We evaluated and compared the efficacies of two affordable consumer‐grade commercial steamers and a commonly used professional‐grade steamer for killing bed bugs.RESULTSIn laboratory experiments, the consumer‐grade steamers at affordable prices achieved the same high control efficacy as the professional‐grade steamer for treating bed bugs exposed on mattresses (100% bed bug mortality for all steamers), located beneath a fabric cover (>89% bed bug mortality for all steamers), or hiding in cracks (100% bed bug mortality for all steamers). Bed bugs located behind a leather cover did not suffer significant mortality from steam treatment regardless of the type of steamers used and the treatment duration.CONCLUSIONProper use of steamers can kill all life stages of bed bugs. Affordable consumer‐grade steamers are as effective as professional‐grade steam machines for eliminating bed bugs resting on mattresses and hiding behind fabric materials or in cracks. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Improvement and application of the PCPF‐1@SWAT2012 model for predicting pesticide transport: a case study of the Sakura River watershed
Authors: Tu Le Hoang , Boulange Julien , Iwafune Takashi , Yadav Ishwar Chandra , Watanabe Hirozumi 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe Soil and Water Assessment Tool combined with Pesticide Concentration in Paddy Field (PCPF‐1@SWAT) model was previously developed to simulate the fate and transport of rice pesticides in watersheds. However, the current model is deficient in characterizing the rice paddy area and is incompatible with the ArcSWAT2012 program. In this study, we modified the original PCPF‐1@SWAT model to develop a new PCPF‐1@SWAT2012 model to address the deficiency in the rice paddy area and utilizing the ArcSWAT2012 program. Next, the new model was applied to the Sakura River watershed, Ibaraki, Japan in order to simulate the transport of four herbicides: mefenacet, pretilachlor, bensulfuron‐methyl and imazosulfuron.RESULTSThe results showed that the water flow rate simulated by PCPF1@SWAT2012 was similar with the observed data. The calculated Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) (0.73) and percent bias (PBIAS) (–20.38) suggested satisfactory performance of the model. In addition, the concentrations of herbicides simulated by the PCPF‐1@SWAT2012 model were in good agreement with the observed data. The statistical indices NSE and root mean square error (RMSE) estimated for mefenacet (0.69 and 0.18, respectively), pretilachlor (0.86 and 0.18, respectively), bensulfuronmethyl (0.46 and 0.21, respectively) and imazosulfuron (0.64 and 0.28, respectively) indicated satisfactory predictions.CONCLUSIONThe PCPF‐1@SWAT2012 model is capable of simulating well the water flow rate and transport of herbicides in this watershed, comprising different land use types, including a rice paddy area. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Comparative CYP‐omic analysis between the DDT‐susceptible and ‐resistant Drosophila melanogaster strains 91‐C and 91‐R
Authors: Seong Keon Mook , Coates Brad S , Berenbaum May R , Clark John M , Pittendrigh Barry R 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBACKGROUNDCytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are involved in the biosynthesis of endogenous intracellular compounds and the metabolism of xenobiotics, including chemical insecticides. We investigated the structural and expression level variance across all P450 genes with respect to the evolution of insecticide resistance under multigenerational dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) selection.RESULTSRNA‐sequencing (RNA‐seq) and reverse transcriptase–quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) indicated that the transcript levels of seven P450 genes were significantly up‐regulated and three P450 genes were down‐regulated in the DDT‐resistant strain 91‐R, as compared to the control strain 91‐C. The overexpression of Cyp6g1 was associated with the presence of an Accord and an HMS‐Beagle element insertion in the 5′ upstream region in conjunction with copy number variation in the 91‐R strain, but not in the 91‐C strain. A total of 122 (50.2%) fixed nonsynonymous (amino acid‐changing) mutations were found between 91‐C and 91‐R, and 20 (8.2%) resulted in amino acid changes within functional domains. Three P450 proteins were truncated as a result of premature stop codons and fixed between strains.CONCLUSIONOur results demonstrate that a combination of changes in P450 protein‐coding regions and transcript levels are possibly associated with DDT resistance, and thereby suggest that selection for variant function may occur within this gene family in response to chronic DDT exposure. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
In vitro and in vivo characterization of an interleukin‐15 antagonist peptide by metabolic stability, 99mTc‐labeling, and biological activity assays
Authors: Rodríguez‐Álvarez Yunier , Cabrales‐Rico Ania , Perera‐Pintado Alejandro , Prats‐Capote Anais , Garay‐Pérez Hilda E. , Reyes‐Acosta Osvaldo , Pérez‐García Erik , Chico‐Capote Araceli , Santos‐Savio Alicia 
Published: April 2018

Interleukin (IL)–15 is an inflammatory cytokine that constitutes a validated therapeutic target in some immunopathologies, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previously, we identified an IL‐15 antagonist peptide named [K6T]P8, with potential therapeutic application in RA. In the current work, the metabolic stability of this peptide in synovial fluids from RA patients was studied. Moreover, [K6T]P8 peptide was labeled with 99mTc to investigate its stability in human plasma and its biodistribution pattern in healthy rats. The biological activity of [K6T]P8 peptide and its dimer was evaluated in CTLL‐2 cells, using 3 different additives to improve the solubility of these peptides. The half‐life of [K6T]P8 in human synovial fluid was 5.88 ± 1.73 minutes, and the major chemical modifications included peptide dimerization, cysteinylation, and methionine oxidation. Radiolabeling of [K6T]P8 with 99mTc showed a yield of approximately 99.8%. The 99mTc‐labeled peptide was stable in a 30‐fold molar excess of cysteine and in human plasma, displaying a low affinity to plasma proteins. Preliminary biodistribution studies in healthy Wistar rats suggested a slow elimination of the peptide through the renal and hepatic pathways. Although citric acid, sucrose, and Tween 80 enhanced the solubility of [K6T]P8 peptide and its dimer, only the sucrose did not interfere with the in vitro proliferation assay used to assess their biological activity. The results here presented, reinforce nonclinical characterization of the [K6T]P8 peptide, a potential agent for the treatment of RA and other diseases associated with IL‐15 overexpression.
Combination of artemisinin‐based natural compounds from Artemisia annua L. for the treatment of malaria: Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic studies
Authors: Li Jing , Zhang Chao , Gong Muxin , Wang Manyuan 
Published: April 2018

Currently, the most effective antimalarial is artemisinin, which is extracted from the leaves of medicinal herb Artemisia annua L. (A. annua). Previous studies showed that the complex chemical matrix of A. annua could enhance both the bioavailability and efficacy of artemisinin. The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy and pharmacokinetic properties of a combination therapy based on artemisinin and 3 components from A. annua with high content (arteannuin B, arteannuic acid, and scopoletin). In vivo antimalarial activity was assessed following a 4‐day treatment in murine malaria models (Plasmodium yoelii and Plasmodium berghei). Results showed that a much sharper reduction in parasitemia (~93%) was found in combination therapy compared with pure artemisinin (~31%), indicating pharmacodynamic synergism occurring between artemisinin and arteannuin B, arteannuic acid, and scopoletin. Multiple‐dose pharmacokinetics further demonstrated that combination therapy results in increased area under the curve (AUC0→∞), Cmax, and t1/2 by 3.78‐, 3.47‐, and 1.13‐fold in healthy mice, respectively, and by 2.62‐, 1.82‐, and 1.22‐fold in P. yoelii‐infected mice, respectively. The calculated oral clearance of combination therapy in healthy and P. yoelii‐infected mice was also reduced. These findings imply that specific components in A. annua might offer a possibility to develop new artemisinin‐based natural combination therapy for malaria treatment.
Evaluation of antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and gastroprotective properties of Rubus fruticosus L. fruit juice
Authors: Monforte Maria Teresa , Smeriglio Antonella , Germanò Maria Paola , Pergolizzi Simona , Circosta Clara , Galati Enza Maria 
Published: April 2018

The juice of R. fruticosus (RFJ) fruits grown in Sicily was analysed for polyphenol compounds and tested to evaluate in vitro antioxidant and in vivo antiinflammatory and gastroprotective effects. RFJ, containing mainly anthocyanins, such as cyanidin derivatives, significant amounts of phenolic acids, and smaller amounts of flavonoids, showed significant antioxidant activity in DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical) (4,147.194 ± 17.199 mg trolox equivalent [TE]/100 ml), TE antioxidant capacity (8,312.444 ± 43.055 mg TE/100 ml), ferric reducing antioxidant power (2,177.830 ± 21.015 mg TE/100 ml), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (95,377.674 ± 616.194 μmol TE/100 ml juice), and β‐carotene bleaching (72% ± 4.58) assay. In vivo studies showed that RFJ inhibit significantly the carrageenan‐induced paw oedema (63–71%) in rats and possess antiinflammatory effects particularly significant in association with phenylbutazone (94–96%). In addition, RFJ pretreatment was able to prevent the ethanol‐induced ulcerogenic effect in rats. All in vivo results were corroborated by histopathological observations and are in good agreement with antioxidant activity, confirming the relationships between biological effects observed and radical scavenging properties of RFJ.
Experimental and clinical antihypertensive activity of Matricaria chamomilla extracts and their angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitory activity
Authors: Awaad Amani A. , El‐Meligy Reham M. , Zain Ghada M. , Safhi Amal A. , AL Qurain Noura A. , Almoqren Shekhah S. , Zain Yara M. , Sesh Adri Vidya D. , Al‐Saikhan Fahad I. 
Published: April 2018

Three different extracts of Matricaria chamomilla L. were evaluated for their antihypertensive activity, these extracts were total alcohol extract (Extract 1), oil extracted (Extract 2), and water lifted after oil extraction (Extract 3). Quantitative and Qualitative analyses were carried out for all extracts. The 3 extracts were proved to be safe for human use. A single oral administration of the plant extracts (200 mg/kg) decreases both systolic and diastolic blood pressure of normotensive rats after 1, 1.5, and 2 hr. Furthermore, groups treated with the evaluated extracts (100 & 200 mg/kg) or Captopril (20 mg/kg) showed a significant reduction in the elevated blood pressure and heart rate. Extract 3 showed the most antihypertensive activity. Serum biochemical parameters and lipid profile levels of treated groups were improved in comparison with induced‐hypertensive untreated rats. In evaluation of oxidative damage parameters Glutathione and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in some organs, the investigated extracts or captopril restored the amount of reduced Glutathione in tissues in addition to an increase in the activity of the SOD after a significant depletion of SOD activity. In the clinical study, there was a significant dose dependent decrease in Systolic blood pressure, Diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate compared with their basal values in both normotensive and hypertensive human volunteers after oral administration of Matricaria chamomilla beverages.
A review on current status of antiviral siRNA
Authors: Qureshi Abid , Tantray Vaqar Gani , Kirmani Altaf Rehman , Ahangar Abdul Ghani 
Published: April 2018

SummaryViral diseases like influenza, AIDS, hepatitis, and Ebola cause severe epidemics worldwide. Along with their resistant strains, new pathogenic viruses continue to be discovered so creating an ongoing need for new antiviral treatments. RNA interference is a cellular gene‐silencing phenomenon in which sequence‐specific degradation of target mRNA is achieved by means of complementary short interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules. Short interfering RNA technology affords a potential tractable strategy to combat viral pathogenesis because siRNAs are specific, easy to design, and can be directed against multiple strains of a virus by targeting their conserved gene regions. In this review, we briefly summarize the current status of siRNA therapy for representative examples from different virus families. In addition, other aspects like their design, delivery, medical significance, bioinformatics resources, and limitations are also discussed.
Competition in growth and urns
Authors: Ahlberg Daniel , Griffiths Simon , Janson Svante , Morris Robert 
Published: April 2018

AbstractWe study survival among two competing types in two settings: a planar growth model related to two‐neighbor bootstrap percolation, and a system of urns with graph‐based interactions. In the planar growth model, uncolored sites are given a color at rate 0, 1 or , depending on whether they have zero, one, or at least two neighbors of that color. In the urn scheme, each vertex of a graph G has an associated urn containing some number of either blue or red balls (but not both). At each time step, a ball is chosen uniformly at random from all those currently present in the system, a ball of the same color is added to each neighboring urn, and balls in the same urn but of different colors annihilate on a one‐for‐one basis. We show that, for every connected graph G and every initial configuration, only one color survives almost surely. As a corollary, we deduce that in the two‐type growth model on , one of the colors only infects a finite number of sites with probability one. We also discuss generalizations to higher dimensions and multi‐type processes, and list a number of open problems and conjectures.
MMR Deficiency Does Not Sensitize or Compromise the Function of Hematopoietic Stem Cells to Low and High LET Radiation
Authors: Patel Rutulkumar , Qing Yulan , Kennedy Lucy , Yan Yan , Pink John , Aguila Brittany , Desai Amar , Gerson Stanton L. , Welford Scott M. 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
One of the major health concerns on long-duration space missions will be radiation exposure to the astronauts. Outside the earth's magnetosphere, astronauts will be exposed to galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar particle events that are principally composed of protons and He, Ca, O, Ne, Si, Ca, and Fe nuclei. Protons are by far the most common species, but the higher atomic number particles are thought to be more damaging to biological systems. Evaluation and amelioration of risks from GCR exposure will be important for deep space travel. The hematopoietic system is one of the most radiation-sensitive organ systems, and is highly dependent on functional DNA repair pathways for survival. Recent results from our group have demonstrated an acquired deficiency in mismatch repair (MMR) in human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with age due to functional loss of the MLH1 protein, suggesting an additional risk to astronauts who may have significant numbers of MMR deficient HSCs at the time of space travel. In the present study, we investigated the effects gamma radiation, proton radiation, and 56Fe radiation on HSC function in Mlh1+/+ and Mlh1−/− marrow from mice in a variety of assays and have determined that while cosmic radiation is a major risk to the hematopoietic system, there is no dependence on MMR capacity.
Post‐traumatic stress disorder and risk of osteoporosis: A nationwide longitudinal study
Authors: Huang Wei‐Sheng , Hsu Ju‐Wei , Huang Kai‐Lin , Bai Ya‐Mei , Su Tung‐Ping , Li Cheng‐Ta , Lin Wei‐Chen , Chen Tzeng‐Ji , Tsai Shih‐Jen , Liou Ying‐Jay , Chen Mu‐Hong 
Published: April 2018

AbstractSeveral studies suggested a relationship between stress and related mental illnesses, such as depression and osteoporosis. However, it was unclear whether patients with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were at risk of developing osteoporosis in later life. In this study, 6,041 patients with PTSD and 24,164 age‐ or sex‐matched controls were enrolled between 2002 and 2009 in our study and followed up to the end of 2011. Cases of osteoporosis were identified during the follow‐up. Patients with PTSD had an elevated likelihood of developing osteoporosis (HR: 2.66, 95% CI [1.91, 3.71]) in later life compared with the controls. Sensitivity tests after excluding the first year observation (HR: 2.46, 95% CI [1.72, 3.53]) and the first 3‐year observation (HR: 1.88, 95% CI [1.18, 3.01]) were consistent. Patients with PTSD had a higher risk of developing osteoporosis at an earlier age compared with those without PTSD. Further studies would be necessary to clarify the pathophysiology between PTSD and osteoporosis.
Transplantation of Neural Progenitor Cells Expressing Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor into the Motor Cortex as a Strategy to Treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Thomsen Gretchen M. , Avalos Pablo , Ma Annie A. , Alkaslasi Mor , Cho Noell , Wyss Livia , Vit Jean-Philippe , Godoy Marlesa , Suezaki Patrick , Shelest Oksana , Bankiewicz Krystof S. , Svendsen Clive N. 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
Early dysfunction of cortical motor neurons may underlie the initiation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As such, the cortex represents a critical area of ALS research and a promising therapeutic target. In the current study, human cortical-derived neural progenitor cells engineered to secrete glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were transplanted into the SOD1G93A ALS rat cortex, where they migrated, matured into astrocytes, and released GDNF. This protected motor neurons, delayed disease pathology and extended survival of the animals. These same cells injected into the cortex of cynomolgus macaques survived and showed robust GDNF expression without adverse effects. Together this data suggests that introducing cortical astrocytes releasing GDNF represents a novel promising approach to treating ALS.
Effect of Hypoxia on Diet of Atlantic Bumpers in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Glaspie Cassandra N. , Clouse Melissa A. , Adamack Aaron T. , Cha YoonKyung , Ludsin Stuart A. , Mason Doran M. , Roman Michael R. , Stow Craig A. , Brandt Stephen B. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractCultural eutrophication is a global problem that often leads to hypoxic conditions in coastal systems. Although improving, our understanding of the impacts of hypoxia on trophic interactions in pelagic and benthopelagic food webs is limited. Toward this end, we evaluated diet composition of and mass‐specific consumption by the Atlantic Bumper Chloroscombrus chrysurus, a numerically dominant planktivorous fish in the northern Gulf of Mexico, relative to dissolved oxygen concentration and fish size. Atlantic Bumper CPUE was similar in hypoxic and normoxic areas. Mean mass‐specific consumption by small Atlantic Bumpers in hypoxic areas was greater than that of both small and large individuals in normoxic areas. The most commonly ingested prey type for both large and small Atlantic Bumpers was shrimp larvae. Large quantities of fish larvae were consumed by adult Atlantic Bumpers in hypoxic regions. These findings demonstrate that hypoxic conditions can alter feeding of dominant fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico, which may influence energy flow in the region.