The role of ascorbate redox turnover in iron toxicity tolerance.

Iron (Fe) toxicity is a major abiotic stress in lowland rice production. Breeding tolerant varieties has proven challenging due to the complex genetic architecture of Fe toxicity tolerance and the strong genotype-by-environment interactions. Additionally, conventional methods for phenotyping visible stress symptoms are often inaccurate, inconsistent, and lack reproducibility.

Fusarium graminearum DICER-like-dependent sRNAs are required for the suppression of host immune genes and full virulence.

In filamentous fungi, gene silencing by RNA interference (RNAi) shapes many biological processes, including pathogenicity. Recently, fungal small RNAs (sRNAs) have been shown to act as effectors that disrupt gene activity in interacting plant hosts, thereby undermining their defence responses. We show here that the devastating mycotoxin-producing ascomycete Fusarium graminearum (Fg) utilizes DICER-like (DCL)-dependent sRNAs to target defence genes in two Poaceae hosts, barley (Hordeum vulgare, Hv) and Brachypodium distachyon (Bd).

Digital support principles for sustained mathematics learning in disadvantaged students.

This study addresses the pressing issue of how to raise the performance of disadvantaged students in mathematics. We combined established findings on effective instruction with emerging research addressing the specific needs of disadvantaged students. A sample of N = 260 disadvantaged 6th-graders received 4 weeks (15 lessons) of fraction instruction either as usual or evidence-based instruction, with and without digital learning support (i.

RNA-Spray-Mediated Silencing of and Genes Improve Barley Disease Resistance.

Over the last decade, several studies have revealed the enormous potential of RNA-silencing strategies as a potential alternative to conventional pesticides for plant protection. We have previously shown that targeted gene silencing mediated by an expression of non-coding inhibitory double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) can protect host plants against various diseases with unprecedented efficiency. In addition to the generation of RNA-silencing (RNAi) signals , plants can be protected from pathogens, and pests by spray-applied RNA-based biopesticides.

SIGS vs HIGS: a study on the efficacy of two dsRNA delivery strategies to silence Fusarium FgCYP51 genes in infected host and non-host plants.

CYP3RNA, a double-stranded (ds)RNA designed to concomitantly target the two sterol 14α-demethylase genes FgCYP51A and FgCYP51B and the fungal virulence factor FgCYP51C, inhibits the growth of the ascomycete fungus Fusarium graminearum (Fg) in vitro and in planta. Here we compare two different methods (setups) of dsRNA delivery, viz. transgene expression (host-induced gene silencing, HIGS) and spray application (spray-induced gene silencing, SIGS), to assess the activity of CYP3RNA and novel dsRNA species designed to target one or two FgCYP51 genes.

Scheduling of new psychoactive substance the Swiss way: A review and critical analysis.

Since the introduction of the European Early Warning System in 2005, >700 new psychoactive substances (NPS) have been listed. This review article presents for the first time the Swiss narcotic law in perspective of scheduling of NPS, and compares it to the regulations of the German speaking neighbours Austria and Germany. The Swiss way is a fast and effective way for scheduling NPS, with the purpose to restrict drug trafficking and for controlling the NPS drug market: the legal basis for scheduling substances of abuse is the "Law about narcotics and psychotropic substances" (BetmG, SR 812.

Minimal Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Intravenously and Orally Administered Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Healthy Volunteers.

Background And Objectives: Lack of information on the pharmacokinetics of the active moiety of Cannabis or the metabolites of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) does not seem to be discouraging medical or recreational use. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C9, the primary enzyme responsible for THC metabolism, has two single nucleotide polymorphisms-Arg144Cys (*2) and Ile359Leu (*3). In the Caucasian population, allelic frequency is between 0.

Simultaneous quantification of delta-9-THC, THC-acid A, CBN and CBD in seized drugs using HPLC-DAD.

An HPLC-DAD method for the quantitative analysis of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-A (THCA-A), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN) in confiscated cannabis products has been developed, fully validated and applied to analyse seized cannabis products. For determination of the THC content of plant material, this method combines quantitation of THCA-A, which is the inactive precursor of THC, and free THC. Plant material was dried, homogenized and extracted with methanol by ultrasonication.

Quantification of anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol plasma levels to examine potential influences of tetrahydrocannabinol application on the endocannabinoid system in humans.

The effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids, ECs) are both mediated by activation of the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Exogenous activation of these receptors by THC could therefore alter EC levels. We tested this hypothesis in healthy volunteers (n = 25) who received a large intravenous dose of THC (0.

Detection of smuggled cocaine in cargo using MDCT.

Objective: Smuggling dissolved drugs, especially cocaine, in bottled liquids is an ongoing problem at borders. Common fluoroscopy of packages at the border cannot detect contaminated liquids. The objective of our study was to develop an MDCT screening method to detect cocaine-containing vessels that are hidden between uncontaminated ones in a shipment.

Application of headspace solid phase microextraction to qualitative and quantitative analysis of tobacco additives in cigarettes.

Cigarettes may contain up to 10% by weight additives which are intended to make them more attractive. A fast and rugged method for a cigarette-screening for additives with medium volatility was developed using automatic headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with a 65 microm carbowax-divinylbenzene fiber and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with standard electron impact ionisation. In three runs, each cigarette sample was extracted in closed headspace vials using basic, acidic and neutral medium containing 0.

Detection of cannabis use in drivers with the drugwipe device and by GC-MS after Intercept device collection.

Saliva or "oral fluid" has been presented as an alternative matrix in the establishment of drug exposure. The noninvasive collection of a saliva sample, which is relatively easy to perform and can be achieved under close supervision, is one of the most important benefits in a driving under the influence situation. Moreover, the presence of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in oral fluid is a better indication of recent use than when the drug is detected in urine, so there is a higher probability that the subject is experiencing pharmacological effects at the time of sampling.

Autoerotic accident by inhalation of propane-butane gas mixture.

We present a case of an accidental autoerotic death involving the inhalation of a propane-butane gas mixture, also known as LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). A 19-year-old male was found dead in supine position in his bed in a residential accommodation one day after he was last seen alive. On a personal computer at the end of the bed, a pornographic movie was still running.

Microsatellite analysis of pleural supernatants could increase sensitivity of pleural fluid cytology.

Pleural effusions may result from various inflammatory, hemodynamic, or neoplastic conditions. A common diagnostic problem lies in distinguishing malignant from benign pleural effusions using routine cytological evaluation. We studied pleural fluid samples obtained from 14 patients with histologically confirmed malignancy and from 6 patients with benign pleural effusions using 12 microsatellite markers from 8 different chromosomal regions.

[Telecare of patients with chronic obstructive airway diseases].

In view of the limited resources of health systems, telemedicine offers possibilities to supplement the known forms of care and supervision of patients and to intensify them on the side of patients as well as of medical care. Telemonitoring adds to but does not replace traditional home visits or the medical consultations. It is clearly structured, reproducible, and based on modern technology for communication between patients and doctors.

Advances in the use of mass spectral libraries for forensic toxicology.

Gas chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) plays an important role in the field of analytical toxicology. The identification of unknown compounds is very frequently undertaken with GC-MS and utilizing mass spectral libraries. Currently available libraries for analytical toxicology were compared for overlapping and uniqueness of their entries.