Tuta absoluta has evolved resistance to many biological insecticides, resulting in significant annual agricultural and economic losses. Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are one of the major insect detoxification enzyme systems. However, the detoxification metabolism of GSTs in T. absoluta against biological insecticides remains poorly understood. In this study, We identified five key GST genes (TaGSTs1, TaGSTs2, TaGSTe1, TaGSTe3, and TaGSTd1) by screening from the comparative transcriptomes of two regional populations of T. absoluta in Xinjiang, China. Among the five GSTs, TaGSTs1 exhibited a significantly high expression level during the larval stage of T. absoluta following exposure to the LC50 dose of spinetoram. This gene was subsequently cloned, and its expression was knocked down using RNA interference to further analyse its role in the detoxification of spinetoram, as well as in the growth and development of T. absoluta. The results showed that TaGSTs1 contains a typical GST gene domain and was highly conserved within the Lepidoptera clade. Silencing of the TaGSTs1 gene led to a significant increase in the susceptibility of T. absoluta to spinetoram, as evidenced by an extension in the duration of leaf-mining and in the development time from the 2nd to the 4th instar larval stage, which were 35.7% and 19.6% longer, respectively, than those of ddH2O and dsGFP controls. Furthermore, the mortality rate of larvae treated with dsTaGSTs1 reached 57.3% by the 7th day. These findings indicate that TaGSTs1 plays a crucial role in the detoxification of spinetoram and in the growth and development of T. absoluta larvae.

Autocrats frequently appeal to socially conservative values, but little is known about how or even whether such strategies are actually paying political dividends. To address important issues of causality, this study exploits Russian president Vladimir Putin’s 2020 bid to gain a popular mandate for contravening presidential term limits in part by bundling this constitutional change with a raft of amendments that would enshrine traditional morality (including heteronormativity and anti-secularism) in Russia’s basic law. Drawing on an original experiment-bearing survey of the Russian population, it finds that Putin’s appeal to these values generated substantial new support for Putin’s reform package, primarily from social conservatives who did not support him politically. These findings expand our understanding of authoritarian practices and policy making by revealing one way in which core political values are leveraged to facilitate autocracy-enabling institutional changes and potentially other ends that autocrats might pursue.

Voter turnout has declined across established democracies, which has been accompanied by an increase in turnout disparities along class lines. In contrast to most advanced democracies, class voting has largely been neglected in Canada. Using the entire series of the Canadian Election Study (1965–2021), this article examines the turnout gap in Canada over time by class, education, and income, and whether the offerings of political parties impact these relationships. Results find major class-based participatory inequalities, which have worsened over time. The magnitude of the turnout gap between lower and higher socio-economic status (SES) individuals has mainly been driven by the demobilization of lower-SES individuals and a significant factor is the reduced saliency of economic issues in the party system. The findings contribute to our understanding of how economic inequalities translate into political inequalities and show that rising turnout inequality between politically relevant cleavages, represents a deterioration of democratic representation.

What are the consequences of selective emigration from a closed regime? To answer this question, I focus on socialist East Germany and leverage an emigration reform in 1983 that led to the departure of about 65,200 citizens. Analyzing panel data on criminal activity in a difference-in-differences framework, I demonstrate that emigration can be a double-edged sword in contexts where it is restricted. Emigration after the reform had benefits in the short run and came with an initial decline in crime. However, it created new challenges for the regime as time passed. Although the number of ordinary crimes remained lower, border-related political crimes rose sharply in later years. Analysis of emigration-related petitioning links this result to a rise in demand for emigration after the initial emigration wave. These findings highlight the complexities of managing migration flows in autocracies and reveal a key repercussion of using emigration as a safety valve.

Eclipta [Eclipta prostrata (L.) L.] is an important tropical weed that has recently emerged as a problematic weed in dry direct-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) (DSR) fields in China. Understanding its seed germination biology and ecology is crucial for developing integrated weed management strategies in the DSR system. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate seed germination of E. prostrata seeds under varying environmental conditions. Germination was greatest under alternating temperature regimes of 25/15 to 40/30 C, whereas it was significantly reduced at 20/10 C and completely inhibited at 15/5 C. Germination was also fully suppressed under continuous darkness, indicating strong light dependency. Eclipta prostrata seeds tolerated a broad range of pH values (4 to 10) with germination rates consistently greater than 95%. However, germination declined sharply under osmotic potentials, falling below 2% at −0.6 MPa, and being completely inhibited at −0.7 MPa. Seeds also showed moderate salt tolerance, with 50% inhibition at 150 mM NaCl and no germination at 300 mM NaCl. Exposure to radiant heat (>90 C for 5 min) prevented germination, suggesting residue burning may be an effective control measure. Seedling emergence was highest (100%) on the soil surface but declined steeply with increasing burial depth, with no emergence observed beyond 0.5 cm. Similarly, surface application of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw residue (2,000 to 6,000 kg ha−1) significantly reduced seedling emergence and biomass. These findings provide essential insights into E. prostrata germination ecology and offer practical implications for its integrated management in DSR systems.

The Omega-3 Index has been proposed as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease endpoints. However, the association of the O3I defined with different cutoffs and cardiometabolic risk factors has been less studied. This study aimed to investigate the association between two cutoff points of the O3I and cardiometabolic risk factors in Brazilian and Puerto Rican adults. This cross-sectional analysis included 249 Brazilians and 1,261 Puerto Ricans, aged 45-75 years. Fatty acids composition was quantified in erythrocyte membranes using gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The O3I was categorized as ≤ 4% (low), > 4-8% (intermediate), and ≥ 8% (desirable), and as ≤ 4% (very low), > 4-6% (low), > 6-8% (moderate), and > 8% (high)) in the second cutoff classification. Serum lipids, waist circumference, and insulin resistance were measured from standardized protocols. Multivariable-adjusted linear models tested the association between the O3I and cardiometabolic factors. Brazilians had a mean (SD) O3I of 4.65% (1.19%) versus 4.43% (1.14%) in Puerto Ricans (P=0.033), with only 1.6% of Brazilians and 1.2% of Puerto Ricans presenting a desirable/high O3I. The O3I, as continuous or for > 4% (vs. ≤ 4%), was inversely associated with triglycerides, VLDL, and TG/HDL-c ratio in Puerto Ricans. In Brazilians, an O3I > 6% (vs. ≤ 6%) was associated with higher total cholesterol, LDL-c, and non-HDL-c. Both populations presented O3I below the desirable levels, and the magnitude and direction of associations with cardiometabolic factors varied by study and cutoffs, reinforcing the importance of expanding these investigations to more diverse populations.