Injury by herbivores is a major biotic stress that limits soybean Glycine max (L.) Merrill crop production. Among the main soybean insect pests, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner is responsible for ...causing significant economic damage in soybean. The primary management strategy for this insect is chemical control and use of Bt transgenic soybean. Alternative strategies, such as host plant resistance, are considered an efficient and less-aggressive method, especially in association with other strategies as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach. In this study, we evaluated 30 soybean genotypes to verify antixenosis expression through oviposition, attractiveness, and food consumption tests. From this, we selected 13 promising genotypes to verify the possible presence of antibiosis. Our results suggest that antixenosis was found in genotypes ‘TMG 133' RR, ‘TMG 1179' RR, ‘IAC 19’, ‘IAC 17’, ‘IAC 100’, D75-10169, and IAC 78-2318. By influence on behavior and negative impact on larval viability, antixenosis and antibiosis were indicated for the genotypes IAC 74-2832, ‘IAC 19’, ‘IAC 17’, ‘IAC 100’, and PI 274454. ‘TMG 7062’ IPRO was found to provide antibiosis resistance by negatively affecting larval development and viability. Because of reduced food consumption by larvae, antixenosis was indicated for ‘IAC 24’. These genotypes should be considered in soybean breeding programs focusing on soybean resistance to A. gemmatalis.
We report the results of a study of the sulphurization time effects on Cu2ZnSnS4 absorbers and thin film solar cells prepared from dc-sputtered stacked metallic precursors. Three different time ...intervals, 10min, 30min and 60min, at maximum sulphurization temperature were considered. The effects of this parameter' change were studied both on the absorber layer properties and on the final solar cell performance. The composition, structure, morphology and thicknesses of the CZTS layers were analyzed. The electrical characterization of the absorber layer was carried out by measuring the transversal electrical resistance of the samples as a function of temperature. This study shows an increase of the conductivity activation energy from 10meV to 54meV for increasing sulphurization time from 10min to 60min. The solar cells were built with the following structure: SLG/Mo/CZTS/CdS/i-ZnO/ZnO:Al/Ni:Al grid. Several ac response equivalent circuit models were tested to fit impedance measurements. The best results were used to extract the device series and shunt resistances and capacitances. Absorber layer's electronic properties were also determined using the Mott–Schottky method. The results show a decrease of the average acceptor doping density and built-in voltage, from 2.0×1017cm−3 to 6.5×1015cm−3 and from 0.71V to 0.51V, respectively, with increasing sulphurization time. These results also show an increase of the depletion region width from approximately 90nm–250nm.
•Study of the effects of the sulphurization time on CZTS thin films.•Residual presence of metallic phases was detected for longer sulphurization times.•Absorber layer increasing conductivity activation energy was observed for longer sulphurization time.•Impedance measurements allowed the estimation of the devices' electrical properties.
During a Brazilian multicentric antimicrobial resistance surveillance study, colistin resistance was investigated in 4,620 Enterobacteriaceae isolated from human, animal, food and environmental ...samples collected from 2000 to 2016. We present evidence that mcr-1-positive Escherichia coli has been emerging in South America since at least 2012, supporting a previous report on the possible acquisition of mcr-1-harbouring E. coli by European travellers visiting Latin American countries.
Poor oral hygiene has been proposed to contribute to head and neck cancer (HNC) risk, although causality and independency of some indicators are uncertain. This study investigates the relationship of ...five oral hygiene indicators with incident HNCs.
In a pooled analysis of 8925 HNC cases and 12 527 controls from 13 studies participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium, comparable data on good oral hygiene indicators were harmonized. These included: no denture wear, no gum disease (or bleeding), <5 missing teeth, tooth brushing at least daily, and visiting a dentist ≥once a year. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effects of each oral hygiene indicator and cumulative score on HNC risk, adjusting for tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption.
Inverse associations with any HNC, in the hypothesized direction, were observed for <5 missing teeth odds ratio (OR) = 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.74, 0.82, annual dentist visit (OR = 0.82; 95% CI 0.78, 0.87), daily tooth brushing (OR = 0.83, 95% CI 0.79, 0.88), and no gum disease (OR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.89, 0.99), and no association was observed for wearing dentures. These associations were relatively consistent across specific cancer sites, especially for tooth brushing and dentist visits. The population attributable fraction for ≤ 2 out of 5 good oral hygiene indicators was 8.9% (95% CI 3.3%, 14%) for oral cavity cancer.
Good oral hygiene, as characterized by few missing teeth, annual dentist visits, and daily tooth brushing, may modestly reduce the risk of HNC.
Phosphorus (P) is an essential mineral for the development and maintenance of the vertebrate skeletal system. Modulation of P levels is believed to influence metabolism and the physiological ...responses of gene expression. In this study, we investigated the influence of dietary P on skeletal deformities and osteocalcin gene expression in zebrafish (
), and sought to determine appropriate levels in a diet. We analyzed a total of 450 zebrafish within 31 days of hatching. Animals were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design that consisted of five replications. After an eight-week experiment, fish were diaphanized to evaluate cranial and spinal bone deformities. Increases in dietary phosphorus were inversely proportional to the occurrence of partial spine fusions, the absence of spine fusions, absence of parallelism between spines, intervertebral spacing, vertebral compression, scoliosis, lordosis, ankylosis, fin caudal insertion, and craniofacial deformities. Additionally, osteocalcin expression was inversely correlated to P levels, suggesting a physiological recovery response for bone mineralization deficiency. Our data showed that dietary P concentration was a critical factor in the occurrence of zebrafish skeletal abnormalities. We concluded that 1.55% P in the diet significantly reduces the appearance of skeletal deformities and favors adequate bone mineralization through the adjustment of osteocalcin expression.
1. This study investigated the effects of hydroxy trace minerals (HTM) compared to sulphate trace minerals (STM) supplementation on growth performance, carcase parameters and mineral retention in ...broilers.
2. A total of 1792 male Cobb 500 d-old were allocated in a completely randomised trial design to one of eight dietary treatments with eight replicates per treatment. The HTM sources used were two levels of Cu hydroxychloride (CHC) (low and high), combined with three levels of Zn hydroxychloride (ZHC) (low, med and high) and two additional treatments STM; Cu sulphate monohydrate (CSM) (low and high) combined with high Zn sulphate monohydrate (ZSM). At 21 and 42 d-old growth performance was evaluated. Additionally, at 42 d-old the carcase traits, meat quality, apparent ileal absorption and activity of antioxidant enzymes were accessed.
3. A data showed that broilers receiving high-CHC had higher body weight, weight gain and better feed conversion ratio as compared to low-CHC at 21 d-old. On day 42, the feed conversion ratio was improved for birds supplemented with high-CHC in diets containing med-ZHC, as compared to low-CHC.
4. Dietary Cu increased the redness of breast colour at the level of high-CHC compared to low-CHC. Greater results were observed on carcase traits for the med-ZHC group as compared to low- or high-ZHC. The ceruloplasmin activity in serum increased in the high-CSM diets containing high-ZSM as compared to low-CSM. The AIA of Cu was higher in broilers supplemented with high-CHC containing med-ZHC as compared to low-CHC. Otherwise, the AIA of Zn increased in broilers fed low-CHC containing low- or med-ZHC as compared to high-CHC.
5. The trial showed that mineral trace supplementation of broilers diets with high-CHC (150 mg/kg) and low-ZHC (80 mg/kg) was a good alternative to replace sulphate mineral sources in diets.
Background and purpose
There is debate as to whether the apparent rebound after fingolimod discontinuation is related to the discontinuation itself or whether it is due to the natural course of ...highly active multiple sclerosis (MS). Our aim was to survey the prevalence of severe reactivation and rebound after discontinuation of fingolimod in a cohort of Italian patients with MS.
Methods
Patients with relapsing–remitting MS who were treated with fingolimod for at least 6 months and who stopped treatment for reasons that were unrelated to inefficacy were included in the analysis.
Results
A total of 100 patients who had discontinued fingolimod were included in the study. Fourteen patients (14%) had a relapse within 3 months after fingolimod discontinuation, and an additional 12 (12%) had a relapse within 6 months. According to this study's criteria, 10 patients (10%) had a severe reactivation. Amongst these patients, five (5%) had a reactivation that was considered to be a rebound.
Conclusions
The present study showed that more than 26% of patients are at risk of having a relapse within 6 months after fingolimod discontinuation. Nevertheless, the risk of severe reactivations and rebound is lower than has been previously described.
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This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of supplementation with different levels of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), using two mineral sources (sulphate and hydroxy forms), on the bone ...characteristics, skin strength/elasticity, and haematological parameters of broilers. A total of 1792 1-day-old male Cobb-500 broiler chickens were randomly distributed among eight dietary treatments, using Cu sulphate (CSM) or hydroxychloride (CHC), and Zn sulphate (ZSM) or hydroxychloride (ZHC). The dietary treatments were as follows: (1) low-CSM/high-ZSM, (2) high-CSM/high-ZSM, (3) low-CHC/low-ZHC, (4) low-CHC/medium-ZHC, (5) low-CHC/high-ZHC, (6) high-CHC/low-ZHC, (7) high-CHC/medium-ZHC, and (8) high-CHC/high-ZHC. On Day 42, blood samples were collected from one bird/pen to analyze the haematological parameters. Finally, two birds/pen were slaughtered, and the tibia and femur were collected to analyze the quality of bone and skin. The means were subjected to ANOVA and, when significant, compared by Tukey's test (p < 0.05) or Dunnett's (p < 0.05) test. The haematological parameters were not influenced by mineral supplementation. However, the inclusion of low ZHC enhanced the skin strength compared to high ZHC (p = 0.046). Furthermore, the bone mineral density of the tibia proximal epiphysis, tibia ash and tibia mineral content were positively improved with supplementation of low-CHC/medium-ZHC compared to high-CHC/medium-ZHC. This study demonstrated that hydroxy compounds are potential alternatives for replacing sulphate supplements in broiler diets. Moreover, among the Cu and Zn levels, the low CHC (15 mg/kg) and medium ZHC (100 mg/kg) improved bone development and skin integrity, suggesting that the combination of Cu and Zn can be a nutritional strategy to prevent the incidence of leg disorders in broilers.
Weeds are important alternative hosts of pathogens, responsible for the survival and spread of phytopathogenic bacteria. Our study evaluated the potential of weeds as hosts of Curtobacterium ...flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens (Cff), causal agent of bacterial wilt, one of the main diseases of common beans. Cff survival was evaluated in the phyllosphere and in the rhizosphere of 21 weeds, in four experiments under field conditions, during the years 2018 and 2019. The aerial part of the plant was inoculated by spraying bacterial suspension (107 cfu/ml) of Cff, while the soil of the growing pots was infested with the same suspension. Cff survival was evaluated every 7 days, for 70 days. The identity of the bacterium was confirmed by PCR with the specific primers CffFOR2 and CffREV4, from strains recovered from all samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that high temperatures and rainfall reduced Cff survival in the phyllosphere, while high temperatures reduced the survival of the bacterium in the rhizosphere. Our results demonstrated that Amaranthus viridis (family Amaranthaceae), Conyza bonariensis, Emilia fosbergii, Galinsoga parviflora, Gnaphalium purpureum (Asteraceae), Raphanus sativus, Lepidium virginicum (Brassicaceae), Commelina benghalensis (Commelinaceae), Ipomoea triloba (Convolvulaceae), Cyperus rotundus (Cyperaceae), Senna obtusifolia (Fabaceae), Digitaria insularis (Poaceae), Nicandra physalodes, and Solanum americanum (Solanaceae) are potential hosts for Cff. Their eradication in common bean fields is recommended, especially in fields with a history of bacterial wilt occurrence.
Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens, causal agent of bacterial wilt in beans, can survive in the weeds phyllosphere and rhizosphere. Weeds can be considered as potential hosts and therefore possible inoculum sources.
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