The area devoted to growing transgenic plants expressing insecticidal Cry proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is increasing worldwide. A major concern with the adoption of Bt crops is their potential impact on nontarget organisms including biological control organisms. Regulatory frameworks should advocate a step-wise (tiered) approach to assess possible nontarget effects of Bt crops. Laboratory and glasshouse studies have revealed effects on natural enemies only when Bt-susceptible, sublethally damaged herbivores were used as prey or host, with no indication of direct toxic effects. Field studies have confirmed that the abundance and activity of parasitoids and predators are similar in Bt and non-Bt crops. In contrast, applications of conventional insecticides have usually resulted in negative impacts on biological control organisms. Because Bt-transgenic varieties can lead to substantial reductions in insecticide use in some crops, they can contribute to integrated pest management systems with a strong biological control component.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nbt1180 | DOI Listing |
Malays J Pathol
December 2024
Universiti Sains Malaysia, School of Dental Sciences, Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Introduction: Oral cancer is considered the sixth most common form of cancer worldwide. It causes significant morbidity and mortality, especially in low socioeconomic status groups. However, Cancer chemoprevention encompasses the use of specific compounds to suppress the growth of tumours or inhibit carcinogenesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova
December 2024
Research Center of Neurology, Moscow, Russia.
At the present stage, great progress has been achieved in understanding the mechanisms of the development of cerebral ischemia. This became possible due to the achievements of theoretical disciplines, in connection with which the general biological approach was formed in the study of pathogenesis of acute and chronic cerebrovascular disorders (CVD). The discovery of pathways of free radical oxidation in cerebral ischemia made it possible to substantiate and develop therapeutic strategies using drugs with antioxidant and neuroprotective activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study compares and evaluates the parameters of iridotrabecular contact (ITC) in patients with primary angle closure disease (PACD) with natural lenses and pseudophakia based on anterior segment imaging data from swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).
Material And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 92 patients aged 32 to 89 years, and included 56 patients with PACD (43 with natural lenses and 13 with pseudophakia) and 36 in the control group (21 with natural lenses and 15 with pseudophakia). All participants underwent SS-OCT (CASIA2; Tomey Corporation, Japan), which included an assessment of the ITC Index and ITC Area.
BMC Plant Biol
December 2024
Henan Province Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Utilization of Eco- economic Woody Plant, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, Henan, 467000, China.
Background: Fruit size is a crucial economic trait that impacts the quality of jujube (Ziziphus jujuba), however, research in this area remains limited. This study utilized two jujube cultivars with similar genetic backgrounds but differing fruit sizes to investigate the regulatory mechanisms affecting fruit size through cytological observations, transcriptome sequencing, and heterologous overexpression.
Results: The findings reveal that variations in mesocarp cell numbers during early fruit development significantly influence final fruit size.
BMC Genomics
December 2024
Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, 02-106, Poland.
Low Complexity Regions (LCRs) are segments of proteins with a low diversity of amino acid composition. These regions play important roles in proteins. However, annotations describing these functions are dispersed across databases and scientific literature.
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