Preemergence applications of mesotrione, an herbicide that inhibits 4-hydroxyphenolpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), have recently gained regulatory approval in soybean varieties with appropriate traits. Giant ragweed is an extremely competitive broadleaf weed, and biotypes resistant to acetolactate synthase inhibitors (ALS-R) can be particularly difficult to manage with soil-residual herbicides in soybean production. This study investigated control of giant ragweed from preemergence applications of cloransulam (32 g ai ha–1), metribuzin (315 g ai ha–1), and S-metolachlor (1,600 g ai ha–1) in a factorial design with and without mesotrione (177 g ai ha–1) at two different sites over 2 yr. Treatments with mesotrione were also compared with two commercial premix products: sulfentrazone (283 g ai ha–1) and cloransulam (37 g ai ha–1), and chlorimuron (19 g ai ha–1), flumioxazin (69 g ai ha–1), and pyroxasulfone (87 g ai ha–1). At 42 d after planting, control and biomass reduction of giant ragweed were greater in treatments with mesotrione than any treatment without mesotrione. Giant ragweed biomass was reduced by 84% in treatments with mesotrione, whereas treatments without mesotrione did not reduce biomass relative to the nontreated. Following these preemergence applications, sequential herbicide treatments utilizing postemergence applications of glufosinate (655 g ai ha–1) plus fomesafen (266 g ai ha–1) and S-metolachlor (1,217 g ai ha–1) resulted in at least 97% control of giant ragweed at 42 d after planting, which was greater than sequential applications of glufosinate alone in 3 of 4 site-years. Preemergence applications of mesotrione can be an impactful addition to soybean herbicide programs designed to manage giant ragweed, with the potential to improve weed control and delay the onset of herbicide resistance by providing an additional effective herbicide site of action.

Interest in hydrotalcite-like compounds has grown due to their role in controlling the mobility of aqueous metals in the environment as well as their use as catalysts, catalyst precursors and specialty chemicals. Although these materials have been studied in a number of contexts, little is known of their thermodynamic properties. High-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry was used to measure the standard enthalpy of formation for compounds M(II)1−xAlx(OH)2(CO3)x/2·mH2O (0.2 < x < 0.4, M(II) = Mg, Co, Ni and Zn). The enthalpy of formation of these compounds from the relevant single cation phases was also determined. The formation of HTLCs results in a 5–20 kJ/mol enthalpy stabilization from the single cation hydroxides and carbonates and water. The data are correlated to two variables: the ratio of divalent to trivalent cation in the solid (M(II)/Al) and the identity of the divalent cation. It was observed that the M(II)/Al ratio exerts a minor influence on the enthalpy of formation from single-cation phases, while greater differences in stabilization resulted from changes in the chemical nature of the divalent cation. However, the data do not support any statistically significant correlation between the composition of HTLCs and their heats of formation. Equilibrium geochemical calculations based upon the thermodynamic data illustrate the effect of HTLCs on the speciation of metals in natural waters. These calculations show that, in many cases, HTLCs form even in waters that are undersaturated with respect to the individual divalent metal hydroxides and carbonates. Phase diagrams and stability diagrams involving Ni-bearing HTLCs and the single-cation components are presented. The Ni(II) concentration as a function of pH as well as the stability diagram for the equilibrium among minerals in the CaO-NiO-Al2O3-SiO2-CO2-H2O system at 298 K are plotted.

State Medical Boards (SMBs) can take severe disciplinary actions (e.g., license revocation or suspension) against physicians who commit egregious wrongdoing in order to protect the public. However, there is noteworthy variability in the extent to which SMBs impose severe disciplinary action. In this manuscript, we present and synthesize a subset of 11 recommendations based on findings from our team’s larger consensus-building project that identified a list of 56 policies and legal provisions SMBs can use to better protect patients from egregious wrongdoing by physicians.

As part of surveillance of snail-borne trematodiasis in Knowsley Safari (KS), Prescot, United Kingdom, a collection was made in July 2021 of various planorbid (n = 173) and lymnaeid (n = 218) snails. These were taken from 15 purposely selected freshwater habitats. In the laboratory emergent trematode cercariae, often from single snails, were identified by morphology with a sub-set, of those most accessible, later characterized by cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) DNA barcoding. Two schistosomatid cercariae were of special note in the context of human cercarial dermatitis (HCD), Bilharziella polonica emergent from Planorbarius corneus and Trichobilharzia spp. emergent from Ampullacaena balthica. The former schistosomatid was last reported in the United Kingdom over 50 years ago. From cox1 analyses, the latter likely consisted of two taxa, Trichobilharzia anseri, a first report in the United Kingdom, and a hitherto unnamed genetic lineage having some affiliation with Trichobilharzia longicauda. The chronobiology of emergent cercariae from P. corneus was assessed, with the vertical swimming rate of B. polonica measured. We provide a brief risk appraisal of HCD for public activities typically undertaken within KS educational and recreational programmes.

Although we find Gangestad & Simpson's argument intriguing, we question some of its underlying assumptions, including: (1) that fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is consistently heritable; (2) that symmetry is driving the effects; (3) that use of parametric tests with FA is appropriate; and (4) that a short-term mating strategy produces more offspring than a long-term strategy.

Pollen, spores, phytoliths, and microscopic charcoal from a sedimentary column in Hall's Cave, south-central Texas, provide information for local and regional vegetation change during the last deglaciation and the Holocene in the context of broader regional and global climatic changes. The combination of paleoenvironmental proxy data from the cave indicates that between about 18,000 and 16,500 cal yr BP the cave area was dominated by an open plant community consisting of herbaceous vegetation, dominated by C3 grasses, and scattered trees, primarily Quercus and Pinus species. After about 16,500 cal yr BP, the arboreal component fluctuated, attaining a peak between 14,000 and 13,000 cal yr BP with relatively equal proportions of C3 and C4 grasses, including a sizable proportion of Panicoideae grasses. The Younger Dryas is marked by a conspicuous decrease in arboreal pollen with an apparent increase of C4 grasses toward its termination. Early Holocene recovery of arboreal vegetation is followed by a drying trend marked by the increasing dominance of C4 drought-tolerant Chloridoideae grasses. Increasing human use of the cave in middle to late Holocene times creates noise in the climatic significance of pollen, phytolith, and other proxies, a factor to consider when interpreting paleoenvironmental proxies in other cave sedimentary records.

Knowledge of the effects of burial depth and burial duration on seed viability and, consequently, seedbank persistence of Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) and waterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer] ecotypes can be used for the development of efficient weed management programs. This is of particular interest, given the great fecundity of both species and, consequently, their high seedbank replenishment potential. Seeds of both species collected from five different locations across the United States were investigated in seven states (sites) with different soil and climatic conditions. Seeds were placed at two depths (0 and 15 cm) for 3 yr. Each year, seeds were retrieved, and seed damage (shrunken, malformed, or broken) plus losses (deteriorated and futile germination) and viability were evaluated. Greater seed damage plus loss averaged across seed origin, burial depth, and year was recorded for lots tested at Illinois (51.3% and 51.8%) followed by Tennessee (40.5% and 45.1%) and Missouri (39.2% and 42%) for A. palmeri and A. tuberculatus, respectively. The site differences for seed persistence were probably due to higher volumetric water content at these sites. Rates of seed demise were directly proportional to burial depth (α=0.001), whereas the percentage of viable seeds recovered after 36 mo on the soil surface ranged from 4.1% to 4.3% compared with 5% to 5.3% at the 15-cm depth for A. palmeri and A. tuberculatus, respectively. Seed viability loss was greater in the seeds placed on the soil surface compared with the buried seeds. The greatest influences on seed viability were burial conditions and time and site-specific soil conditions, more so than geographical location. Thus, management of these weed species should focus on reducing seed shattering, enhancing seed removal from the soil surface, or adjusting tillage systems.

Giant ragweed is a highly competitive weed that continually threatens crop production systems due to evolved resistance to acetolactate synthase–inhibiting herbicides (ALS-R) and glyphosate (GR). Two biotypes of GR giant ragweed exist and are differentiated by their response to glyphosate, termed here as rapid response (RR) and non–rapid response (NRR). A comparison of data from surveys of Indiana crop fields done in 2006 and 2014 showed that GR giant ragweed has spread from 15% to 39% of Indiana counties and the NRR biotype is the most prevalent. A TaqMan® single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping assay was developed to identify ALS-R populations and revealed 47% of GR populations to be ALS-R as well. The magnitude of glyphosate resistance for NRR populations was 4.6 and 5.9 based on GR50 and LD50 estimates, respectively. For RR populations, these values were 7.8 to 9.2 for GR50 estimates and 19.3 to 22.3 for LD50 estimates. A novel use of the Imaging-PAM fluorometer was developed to discriminate RR plants by assessing photosystem II quantum yield across the entire leaf surface. H2O2 generation in leaves of glyphosate-treated plants was also measured by 3,3′-diaminobenzidine staining and quantified using imagery analysis software. Results show photo-oxidative stress of mature leaves is far greater and occurs more rapidly following glyphosate treatment in RR plants compared with NRR and glyphosate-susceptible plants and is positively associated with glyphosate dose. These results suggest that under continued glyphosate selection pressure, the RR biotype may surpass the NRR biotype as the predominant form of GR giant ragweed in Indiana due to a higher level of glyphosate resistance. Moreover, the differential photo-oxidative stress patterns in response to glyphosate provide evidence of different mechanisms of resistance present in RR and NRR biotypes.

Introduction: This study evaluates the association of baseline e-cigarette use with smoking cessation in a sample of 2-year college student smokers.

Methods: Participants were 1,400 students from over 60 2-year colleges across 25 states who were current smokers enrolled in a web-assisted tobacco intervention (WATI) trial. Survey data at baseline, 1-, and 6-months, were evaluated.

Results: At 6-months, baseline e-cigarette users were more likely to report cessation of traditional cigarettes compared to non-users (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.002–1.92). Cessation was also associated with higher baseline confidence in quitting and greater time to first cigarette after awakening. Baseline e-cigarette use was not associated with self-reported cessation of all nicotine/tobacco products (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.75–1.58) nor biochemically verified cessation of all nicotine/tobacco products (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.47–1.47). Higher confidence was again associated with both self-reported and biochemically verified cessation of all nicotines.

Various mechanical plus chemical weed control systems for dry bean production were evaluated at Carrington, ND and Crookston and Staples, MN during 1991 and 1992. A dozen tillage plus herbicide weed control systems are available to growers that can provide selective and effective weed control in dry beans without reliance on chloramben—a standard herbicide on dry beans that has been lost. Dry bean yields were similar with low or high level tillage treatments because most of the herbicide treatments with one cultivation gave adequate weed control and any additional tillage did not improve weed control. Kidney bean yields and prices were greater than either pinto or navy beans so the net returns (bean market value minus production costs) were much greater for kidney bean production. Dry bean producers in the North Central part of the U.S. have at their disposal dependable mechanical plus chemical weed control systems, and their market value has been sufficient to make dry bean production very economical in this region.

Yellow nutsedge control with rust (Puccinia canaliculata (Schw.) Lagerh.) collected in Salisbury, MD., was evaluated alone or in combination with pebulate at 1.7 or 3.3 kg ai ha-1 in transplanted tomato. Foliar applications of urediniospores in mid-June did not affect the yellow nutsedge population; however, tuber biomass was reduced 32%. In July, yellow nutsedge infection was manifest as an increase of phytotoxicity from 2.3 to 4.1 (0 to 10) and of disease incidence increase from 3 to 37%. Pebulate, 3.3 kg ha-1 reduced the yellow nutsedge population and ground cover by 79 and 90%, respectively, in June, with a 48% reduction of both tuber population and biomass in September. Tomato yields were not increased by rust or pebulate treatments. Marketable tomato yield was increased 46% by handweeding. Yellow nutsedge control was not enhanced by the combination treatments of pebulate followed by rust inoculation.

Although high dose n-3 PUFA supplementation reduces exercise- and hyperpnoea-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB/HIB), there are concurrent issues with cost, compliance and gastrointestinal discomfort. It is thus pertinent to establish the efficacy of lower n-3 PUFA doses. Eight male adults with asthma and HIB and eight controls without asthma were randomly supplemented with two n-3 PUFA doses (6·2 g/d (3·7 g EPA and 2·5 g DHA) and 3·1 g/d (1·8 g EPA and 1·3 g DHA)) and a placebo, each for 21 d followed by 14 d washout. A eucapnic voluntary hyperpnoea (EVH) challenge was performed before and after treatments. Outcome measures remained unchanged in the control group. In the HIB group, the peak fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) after EVH at day 0 (−1005 (sd 520) ml, −30 (sd 18) %) was unchanged after placebo. The peak fall in FEV1 was similarly reduced from day 0 to day 21 of 6·2 g/d n-3 PUFA (−1000 (sd 460) ml, −29 (sd 17) % v. −690 (sd 460) ml, −20 (sd 15) %) and 3·1 g/d n-3 PUFA (−970 (sd 480) ml, −28 (sd 18) % v. −700 (sd 420) ml, −21 (sd 15) %) (P<0·001). Baseline fraction of exhaled nitric oxide was reduced by 24 % (P=0·020) and 31 % (P=0·018) after 6·2 and 3·1 g/d n-3 PUFA, respectively. Peak increases in 9α, 11β PGF2 after EVH were reduced by 65 % (P=0·009) and 56 % (P=0·041) after 6·2 and 3·1 g/d n-3 PUFA, respectively. In conclusion, 3·1 g/d n-3 PUFA supplementation attenuated HIB and markers of airway inflammation to a similar extent as a higher dose. Lower doses of n-3 PUFA thus represent a potentially beneficial adjunct treatment for adults with asthma and EIB.

The growth regulator herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba are used to control glyphosate-resistant horseweed before crops are planted. With the impending release of 2,4-D–resistant and dicamba-resistant crops, use of these growth regulator herbicides postemergence will likely increase. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various growth regulators on Indiana horseweed populations. A greenhouse dose–response study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of 2,4-D ester, diglycolamine salt of dicamba, and dimethylamine salt of dicamba on control of four populations of horseweed in the greenhouse. Population 66 expressed twofold levels of tolerance to 2,4-D ester and diglycolamine salt of dicamba. Population 43 expressed an enhanced level of tolerance to diglycolamine salt of dicamba but not to the other herbicides. Diglycolamine salt of dicamba provided the best overall control of populations 3 and 34. Additionally, a field study was conducted to evaluate standard use rates of 2,4-D amine, 2,4-D ester, diglycolamine salt of dicamba, and dimethylamine salt of dicamba on control of various sized glyphosate-resistant horseweed plants. Control of plants 30 cm or less in height was 90% or greater for all four herbicides. On plants greater than 30 cm tall, diglycolamine salt of dicamba provided 97% control while 2,4-D amine provided 81% control. Diglycolamine salt of dicamba provided the highest level of control of glyphosate-resistant horseweed, followed by dimethylamine salt of dicamba, 2,4-D ester and 2,4-D amine, respectively. This research demonstrates that horseweed populations respond differently to the various salts of 2,4-D and dicamba, and it will be important to determine the appropriate use rates of each salt to control glyphosate-resistant horseweed.

The middle Wisconsinan Gilman Canyon Formation at the Buzzard's Roost type locality in southwestern Nebraska was investigated to document the stratigraphy and to reconstruct the environmental and climate record. The Gilman Canyon Formation was subdivided into three loess units and three soils, with radiocarbon ages constraining it between about 40 ka and 25 ka. Stable carbon isotope ratios, magnetic susceptibility, and carbon content were used to define and characterize soils within both the Gilman Canyon Formation and underlying Illinoian Loveland Loess. At the height of soil development within the Gilman Canyon Formation, climate was supporting C4-dominated grassland, with July temperatures equal to or exceeding those of today. Soil-forming intervals within the Loveland Loess, including the Sangamon Soil, also exhibited relative increases in C4 biomass. Climate, as recorded in the Gilman Canyon Formation, is corroborated by regional proxy data. The formation accumulated during MIS 3, and concurrent soil formation coincided with a summer insolation maximum.

Weed seedbanks have been studied intensively at local scales, but to date, there have been no regional-scale studies of weed seedbank persistence. Empirical and modeling studies indicate that reducing weed seedbank persistence can play an important role in integrated weed management. Annual seedbank persistence of 13 summer annual weed species was studied from 2001 through 2003 at eight locations in the north central United States and one location in the northwestern United States. Effects of seed depth placement, tillage, and abiotic environmental factors on seedbank persistence were examined through regression and multivariate ordinations. All species examined showed a negative relationship between hydrothermal time and seedbank persistence. Seedbank persistence was very similar between the two years of the study for common lambsquarters, giant foxtail, and velvetleaf when data were pooled over location, depth, and tillage. Seedbank persistence of common lambsquarters, giant foxtail, and velvetleaf from October 2001 through 2002 and October 2002 through 2003 was, respectively, 52.3% and 60.0%, 21.3% and 21.8%, and 57.5% and 57.2%. These results demonstrate that robust estimates of seedbank persistence are possible when many observations are averaged over numerous locations. Future studies are needed to develop methods of reducing seedbank persistence, especially for weed species with particularly long-lived seeds.

Horseweed can be a problematic weed in no-till soybean fields and populations can vary in their response to 2,4-D. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and seed production of four horseweed populations after exposure to 2,4-D. 2,4-D amine was applied at 0, 140, 280, and 560 g ae ha−1 to 5- to 10-cm-tall horseweed plants. An additional treatment of 280 g ha−1 of 2,4-D + 840 g ae ha−1 of glyphosate was included in the study. At 2 wk after treatment (WAT), injury ranged from 47 to 98%, but by 6 WAT the injury ranged from 89 to 100% for all four populations. Between 6 and 12 WAT some individual horseweed plants started to recover. No differences in dry weights were observed between the four populations in the untreated checks at 0, 2, 6, and 12 WAT. At 280 g ha−1 of 2,4-D amine, seed production was reduced by greater than 95%. However, three of the four horseweed populations had plants that survived and produced seed after exposure to 840 g ha−1 of glyphosate + 280 g ha−1 of 2,4-D. One plant produced seed after exposure to 560 g ha−1 of 2,4-D. These results suggest that horseweed can evolve resistance to 2,4-D and no fitness penalities were observed in populations that had higher levels of tolerance to 2,4-D.