Bidens pilosa L. (Asteraceae) control in sunflower with residual herbicides.

Abstract One of the most damaging species in sunflower crops in Brazil is the hairy beggartick (Bidens pilosa L). The large number of seeds, the various vegetative cycles during the year, the staggered germination and the scarcity of selective and effective herbicides to control this weed in sunflower are some of attributes that hinder the control of hairy beggartick populations. Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the control of hairy beggarticks, as well as sunflower tolerance to herbicides. The treatments were as follows: S-metolachlor (1,200 and 2,400 g ai ha-1), flumioxazin (60 and 120 g ai ha-1), and sulfentrazone (150 and 300 g ai ha-1) and two controls (weedy and weed-free check). The selectivity of the herbicides was higher at low doses. Flumioxazin and sulfentrazone caused injury to sunflowers at the highest doses and mainly in sandy soils. Although S-metolachlor did not cause visual symptoms of injury, the higher dose reduced sunflower yield. The herbicides sulfentrazone and flumioxazin provided satisfactory control of hairy beggartick plants in both types of soils. S-metolachlor presented medium control of hairy beggarticks in clay soil; however, its efficiency was slightly higher when applied in sandy soil. The most efficient herbicide for controlling hairy beggartick plants was flumioxazin, followed by sulfentrazone

Special issue on “Anatomical radiology and morphological studies applied to radiological and palaeoradiological contexts”

a special monographic issue dedicated to the intersection between the fi eld of morphological studies and that of radiology.

Cyclopes and giants: ancient mythological figures through an anatomical and palæopathological lens

This paper examines the origin of the myths about giants and cyclopes from the palæontological and palæopathological perspectives, highlighting how much more attention should be devoted to the possibility that a pituitary condition may have indeed played a role in the mythopoietic process

Transcriptional regulation of MdmiR285N microRNA in apple (Malus x domestica) and the heterologous plant system Arabidopsis thaliana

Malus x domestica microRNA MdmiR285N is a potential key regulator of plant immunity, as it has been predicted to target 35 RNA transcripts coding for different disease resistance proteins involved in plant defense to pathogens. In this study, the promoter region of MdmiR285N was isolated from the apple genome and analyzed in silico to detect potential regulatory regions controlling its transcription. A complex network of putative regulatory elements involved in plant growth and development, and in response to different hormones and stress conditions, was identified. Activity of the \u3b2-Glucoronidase (GUS) reporter gene driven by the promoter of MdmiR285N was examined in transgenic apple, demonstrating that MdmiR285N was expressed during the vegetative growth phase. Similarly, in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana, spatial and temporal patterns of GUS expression revealed that MdmiR285N was differentially regulated during seed germination, vegetative phase change, and reproductive development. To elucidate the role of MdmiR285N in plant immunity, MdmiR285N expression in wild-type apple plants and GUS activity in transgenic apple and Arabidopsis thaliana plants were monitored in response to Erwinia amylovora and Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato DC3000. A significant decrease of MdmiR285N levels and GUS expression was observed during host-pathogen infections. Overall, these data suggest that MdmiR285N is involved in the biotic stress response, plant growth, and reproductive development

The Evolution of Diagnostic Techniques in the Paleopathology of Tuberculosis: A Scoping Review

Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient chronic infectious disease that remains a global health concern. In human remains, the most common and characteristic clinical signs are the skeletal modifications involving the spine, such as in Pott’s disease. Diagnosing TB in ancient human remains is challenging. Therefore, in this systematic review, the authors investigated the studies assessing molecular diagnosis of Pott’s disease in ancient human remains with the intention to survey the literature, map the evidence, and identify gaps and future perspectives on TB in paleopathology. Our systematic review offers a full contextualization of the history of Pott’s disease in ancient times. Our search strategy was performed between August 2022 and March 2023. The authors initially identified 340 records, and 74 studies were finally included and assessed for qualitative analysis. Due to non-specific clinical signs associated with TB, how best to diagnose tuberculosis in human remains still represents a central point. Nevertheless, ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis, lipid biomarkers, and spoligotyping might be extremely useful tools in the study of TB in human remains. Moreover, we propose the extraction and study of immune response genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity versus Mycobacterium spp. as an innovative and vastly overlooked approach in TB paleopathology. Complementary methodologies should be integrated to provide the best approach to the study of TB in human remains

A two-step, user-centered approach to personalized tourist recommendations

Geo-localized, mobile applications can simplify a tourist visit, making the relevant Point of Interests more easily and promptly discernible to users. At the same time, such solutions must avoid creating unfitting or rigid user profiles that impoverish the users' options instead of refining them. Currently, user profiles in recommender systems rely on dimensions whose relevance to the user is more often presumed than empirically defined. To avoid this drawback, we build our recommendation system in a two-step process, where profile parameters are evaluated preliminarily and separately from the recommendations themselves. We describe this two-step evaluation process including an initial survey (N=206), and a subsequent controlled study (N=24). We conclude by emphasizing the benefit and generalizability of the approach

HPPD-Inhibiting herbicides alone or in tank-mix with Atrazine in elephant grass.

The interference imposed by weeds is one of the most important factors limiting elephant grass forage yield. Two experiments were carried out in 2015/2016 and 2017 to evaluate the selectivity and weed control of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD)-inhibiting herbicides applied alone or in combination with atrazine in elephant grass. The treatments applied in the experiment conducted in Valença, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, were as follows: two rates of mesotrione (0.072 and 0.144 kg ha-1 + 0.5% v/v mineral oil - Assist®), two rates of tembotrione (0.075 and 0.100 kg ha-1 + 0.5% v/v mineral oil - Aureo®), atrazine + mesotrione (1.25 + 0.072 kg ha-1 + 0.5% v/v mineral oil - Assist®), atrazine + tembotrione (1.25 + 0.100 kg ha-1 + 0.5% v/v mineral oil - Aureo®), atrazine + mesotrione (1.25 + 0.072 kg ha-1), atrazine + tembotrione (1.25 + 0.100 kg ha-1) and two checks (weed-free check and weedy check). The same herbicide treatments and a check without application were applied in an experiment conducted in Coronel Pacheco, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Two application rates of mesotrione with the addition of mineral oil or the tank mixture of atrazine plus mesotrione, with or without the addition of mineral oil, did not provide injuries capable to reduce elephant grass forage yield. Tembotrione was phytotoxic to elephant grass when applied with mineral oil. Atrazine plus tembotrione in a tank-mix, with or without mineral oil, were also phytotoxic to elephant grass. All treatments provided satisfactory weed control