Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging cause of viral hepatitis worldwide. Recently, HEV-7 has been shown to infect camels and humans. We studied HEV seroprevalence in dromedary camels and among Bedouins, Arabs (Muslims, none-Bedouins) and Jews and assessed factors associated with anti-HEV seropositivity. Serum samples from dromedary camels (n = 86) were used to determine camel anti-HEV IgG and HEV RNA positivity. Human samples collected between 2009 and 2016 from >20 years old Bedouins (n = 305), non-Bedouin Arabs (n = 320) and Jews (n = 195), were randomly selected using an age-stratified sampling design. Human HEV IgG levels were determined using Wantai IgG ELISA assay. Of the samples obtained from camels, 68.6% were anti-HEV positive. Among the human populations, Bedouins and non-Bedouin Arabs had a significantly higher prevalence of HEV antibodies (21.6% and 15.0%, respectively) compared with the Jewish population (3.1%). Seropositivity increased significantly with age in all human populations, reaching 47.6% and 34.8% among ⩾40 years old, in Bedouins and non-Bedouin Arabs, respectively. The high seropositivity in camels and in ⩾40 years old Bedouins and non-Bedouin Arabs suggests that HEV is endemic in Israel. The low HEV seroprevalence in Jews could be attributed to higher socio-economic status.

Field studies using area-of-influence techniques were conducted in 1987 and 1988 to evaluate soybean growth and yield, and to predict soybean yield losses from photographs of jimsonweed and common cocklebur canopies. Differences in weed competitiveness within the 100-cm area of influence were induced by dates of soybean planting, locations, weed species, and years. Soybean yield losses within the first 20-cm interval from weeds correlated well with yield of all soybean plants within 100 cm of weeds (r2 = 0.86). Soybean growth responses as a function of distance from weeds were best described by complex polynomials, but simple linear functions, based on a data point from soybean plants nearest a weed and from the average of plants 60 to 100 cm from a weed, closely approximately actual yield losses (r2 = 0.96). Soybean yield losses were highly correlated (r2 = 0.84) with leaf area of weeds as viewed from directly above the weed-crop canopy. Weed canopy diameter, measured from overhead photographs 8 weeks after soybean emergence, also correlated well with soybean yield losses (r2= 0.82), but correlation with actual weed leaf area was not significant (r2 = 0.31).

A survey determined the views of individuals in seven groups comprising the weed science community in the corn belt (primarily in Illinois) for importance of 8 environmental and 14 crop production issues and 16 weed species in setting weed science research priorities for the next 3 to 5 yr. The survey also considered if funding of research to solve these environmental and production issues should be from the private or public sector. Velvetleaf, foxtail species, and common lambsquarters were considered the top three weed species by all respondents, and each of these weeds was among the five most important weeds within each of the seven survey groups. Improving ground and surface water quality were the foremost environmental issues for all respondents, but soybean growers listed herbicide carryover as their top environmental concern. Reducing herbicide residues in food and developing sustainable practices were given low preference by all groups. Sustainable growers rated reducing herbicide carryover and minimizing applicator exposure as their lowest priorities. Among all respondents, the top three production issues were improved weed control in conservation tillage, more economical weed control, and improved integrated control strategies. Studying the biology/life cycles of weeds was the third highest production priority of University and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) weed scientists, but was the last choice when averaged over the aggregate survey group. Developing strategies for resistant weeds and herbicide-resistant crops were chemical dealers top two priorities. Industry representatives gave the former subject their highest rating and the latter their lowest rating. Crop consultants seemed to want decision aids, as they chose assessing weed loss/thresholds and developing weed control/economic models among their top three production issues. Both corn and soybean growers desired more economical weed control as a first choice, while sustainable growers wanted improved cultural control strategies. Corn and soybean growers ranked developing new herbicides among their top three choices, but this issue was the lowest choice of the sustainable growers. University, USDA, and industrial weed scientists suggested that their own organizations conduct the research on their highest priorities issues.

We present a germination and emergence model that can be used as a sub-model in an individual-based model of population dynamics. Seed germination and seedling elongation rates were measured in petri dishes in the laboratory for ivyleaf morningglory, velvetleaf, corn, and soybean seeds, as functions of temperature and water potential. The analysis yielded a set of indices: the germination temperature index (GTI), the germination water index (GWI), the emergence temperature index (ETI), and the emergence water index (EWI). The seed populations were divided into 100 discrete cohorts, with each cohort (i), having its own germination rate (GR) as the product of a reference rate and the germination indices, or GRi = GRiREF × GTI × GWI. After germination, the emergence rate (ER) was the product of a reference rate and emergence indices, or ERi = ERREF × ETI × EWI. The model was tested against the timing of emergence in the field for seeds planted 1, 2, 4, and 8 cm deep in natural or rain-excluded environments. The predictions were more accurate for all depths combined than for any particular depth.

An in vivo ALS assay was used to differentiate between susceptible and resistant kochia biotypes from Idaho and Montana. Experiments were also conducted using this assay to determine the effect of the timing of herbicide application on ALS activity in resistant and susceptible cocklebur biotypes from Mississippi. When treated with chlorsulfuron, resistant kochia biotypes demonstrated 160-and 170-fold resistance at the whole plant level for the Idaho and Montana biotypes, respectively, compared to susceptible biotypes. Using the in vivo ALS assay, the Idaho and Montana biotypes showed 70- and 490-fold resistance, respectively, based on I50 values. The biotypes also demonstrated a low level of cross-resistance to imazethapyr using the in vivo technique. Resistant cocklebur biotypes showed approximately 200-fold resistance to imazaquin compared with susceptible biotypes. This research demonstrated that the in vivo assay can be used effectively to identify resistant biotypes 6 and 24 h after treatment, and to determine the extent of cross-resistance.

A method was developed and tested for in vivo assay of acetolactate synthase (ALS). The method used foliar application of 1,1-cyclopropanedicarboxylic acid (CPCA) to inhibit ketol-acid reductoisomerase, the enzyme immediately following ALS in biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids, thereby causing accumulation of acetolactate. Since the amount of acetolactate accumulation is a function of carbon flux through ALS, quantification of acetolactate accumulation determined ALS activity. Accumulation of acetolactate in soybean leaves resulted from CPCA rates as low as 15 g/ha and occurred within 1.5 h. Accumulation rates in soybean leaflets declined with leaf age from 84 μg/h/g tissue at 3 d to 17 μg/h/g tissue at 7 d. Foliar application of CPCA also caused acetolactate accumulation in corn, grain sorghum, velvetleaf, common cocklebur, and smooth pigweed. The ability of the in vivo assay to quantify the reduction in ALS activity following applications of ALS-inhibiting herbicides was validated by comparing ALS activity following thifensulfuron application to ‘Williams 82’ soybean, which has a sulfonylurea-sensitive ALS, and ‘Asgrow 3200’ soybean, which has a sulfonylurea-insensitive ALS. Thifensulfuron reduced ALS activity in Williams 82 soybean to 0, 0.8, 3.3, and 15.6% of the CPCA control at 6, 12, 24, and 48 HAT, but ALS activity in Asgrow 3200 soybean was reduced only to 34, 40, 57, and 88% of the CPCA control.

Reduced herbicide inputs can diminish pesticide movement into water supplies, enhancing environmental quality. A 3-yr study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and economic viability of reducing herbicide inputs by using ultra-low rates (ULRs), consisting of one-eighth the normal use rates of nicosulfuron plus thifensulfuron, delayed planting (DP), or both in corn and soybean. We compared the ULR treatment at the assigned cost of $12.35/ha with three other traditional types of weed management systems in both chisel plow and no-till production schemes. The ULR weed management system suppressed weeds enough to allow economical soybean production all 3 yr of the study, but this system proved viable only during the wettest year for corn. DP was economically competitive with the best systems in both crops under chisel-plowed tillage only in the driest year of the study.

We previously reported that translocation of mitochondria from the oocyte cortex to the perinuclear area indicates positive developmental potential that was reduced in porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos compared to in vitro–fertilized (IVF) embryos (Katayama, M., Zhong, Z.-S., Lai, L., Sutovsky, P., Prather, R.S. & Schatten, H. (2006). Dev Biol299, 206–220.). The present study is focused on distribution of donor cell mitochondria in intraspecies (pig oocytes; pig fetal fibroblast cells) and interspecies (pig oocytes; mouse fibroblast cells) reconstructed embryos by using either pig fibroblasts with mitochondria-stained MitoTracker CMXRos or YFP-mitochondria 3T3 cells (pPhi-Yellow-mito) as donor cells. Transmission electron microscopy was employed for ultrastructural analysis of pig oocyte and donor cell mitochondria. Our results revealed donor cell mitochondrial clusters around the donor nucleus that gradually dispersed into the ooplasm at 3 h after SCNT. Donor-derived mitochondria distributed into daughter blastomeres equally (82.8%) or unequally (17.2%) at first cleavage. Mitochondrial morphology was clearly different between donor cells and oocytes in which various complex shapes and configurations were seen. These data indicate that (1) unequal donor cell mitochondria distribution is observed in 17.2% of embryos, which may negatively influence development; and (2) complex mitochondrial morphologies are observed in IVF and SCNT embryos, which may influence mitochondrial translocation and affect development.

Background: Elevation of cardiac troponin I in the serum is a specific marker for myocardial injury. We measured levels of troponin I in the serum in children before and after cardiac catheterization to determine if this procedure was associated with an increase in levels of troponin. Methods: We enrolled patients under 21 years of age undergoing cardiac catheterization at our institution. A baseline sample of serum was drawn at the start of the procedure. Repeat samples were obtained immediately after, and six hours subsequent to the procedure. All samples were analyzed for cardiac troponin I using the Abbott AxSYM microparticle immunoassay system. Levels were considered normal (0–0.4 ng/ml) or elevated (>0.4ng/ml). Patients were excluded if the baseline level was elevated. Results: Levels of cardiac troponin I were elevated in the serum from 11 of 14 (79%) cases immediately after the procedure (p < 0.0001), and in 12 of 14 (86%) six hours later (p < 0.0001). Only 2 patients had recognized complications potentially causing myocardial injury. Conclusion: Levels of cardiac troponin I increase in the serum in a high proportion of children after cardiac catheterization. These elevations can be observed immediately, and are maintained for at least six hours. Our study suggests that cardiac catheterization, predominantly intervention, is associated with myocardial injury, even in the absence of complications.