Aquatic weeds such as muskgrass (Chara spp.), water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes), hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillate), filamentous algae (Lyngbya wollei), and duckweed (Lemna minor) thrive in farm canals within the Everglades Agricultural Area of South Florida. Their presence, particularly during the summer months is an environmental concern with regards to water quality, in addition to being a nuisance because of their ability to multiply and spread rapidly in open waters causing restricted drainage/irrigation flow and low dissolved oxygen levels. Chemical control is effective but can have undesirable off-target effects, so reduced herbicide use is desirable. Hence, need exists to discover ways in which these weeds could be best managed or utilized. The objective of this research was to evaluate the allelopathic effect of these weeds to determine their use as potential biopesticides. Six aqueous extracts were tested against 100 bacterial strains isolated from plants and soi in development of new soil amendments or biopesticides.[This corrects the article DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0234036.].Careful design of experiments using living organisms (e.g. mice) is of critical importance from both an ethical and a scientific standpoint. Randomization should, whenever possible, be an integral part of such experimental design to reduce bias thereby increasing its reliability and reproducibility. To keep the sample size as low as possible, one might take randomization one step further by controlling for baseline variations in the dependent variable(s) and/or certain known covariates. To give an example, in animal experiments aimed to study atherosclerosis development, one would want to control for baseline characteristics such as plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels and body weight. This can be done by first defining blocks to create balance among groups in terms of group size and baseline characteristics, followed by random assignment of the blocks to the various control and intervention groups. In the current study we developed a novel, user-friendly tool that allows users to easily randomize animals into blocks and identify random block divisions that are well-balanced based on given baseline characteristics, making randomization time-efficient and easy-to-use. Here, we present the resulting software tool that we have named RandoMice.

The global pandemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) has resulted in unprecedented challenges for healthcare systems. One barrier to widespread testing has been a paucity of traditional respiratory viral swab collection kits relative to the demand. Whether other sample collection kits, such as widely available MRSA nasal swabs can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2 is unknown.

We compared simultaneous nasal MRSA swabs (COPAN ESwabs ® 480C flocked nasal swab in 1mL of liquid Amies medium) and virals wabs (BD H192(07) flexible mini-tip flocked nasopharyngeal swabs in 3mL Universal Transport Medium) for SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing using Simplexa COVID-19 Direct assay on patients over a 4-day period. When the results were discordant, the viral swab sample was run again on the Cepheid Xpert Xpress ® SARS-CoV-2 assay.

Of the 81 included samples, there were 19 positives and 62 negatives in viral media and 18 positives and 63 negative in the MRSA swabs. Amongst all included samples, there was concordance between the COPAN ESwabs ® 480C and the viral swabs in 78 (96.3%).

We found a high rate of concordance in test results between COPAN ESwabs ® 480C in Amies solution and BD H192(07) nasopharyngeal swabs in in 3 mL of Universal Viral Transport medium viral media. Clinicians and laboratories should feel better informed and assured using COPAN ESwabs ® 480C to help in the diagnosis of COVID-19.

We found a high rate of concordance in test results between COPAN ESwabs ® 480C in Amies solution and BD H192(07) nasopharyngeal swabs in in 3 mL of Universal Viral Transport medium viral media. Clinicians and laboratories should feel better informed and assured using COPAN ESwabs ® 480C to help in the diagnosis of COVID-19.In Sub-Saharan Africa cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the most important food crops where more than 40% of the population relies on it as their staple carbohydrate source. Biotic constraints such as viral diseases, mainly Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD), and arthropod pests, particularly Cassava Green Mite (CGM), are major constraints to the realization of cassava’s full production potential in Africa. To address these problems, we aimed to map the quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with resistance to CBSD foliar and root necrosis symptoms, foliar CMD and CGM symptoms in a full-sib mapping population derived from the genotypes AR40-6 and Albert. A high-density linkage map was constructed with 2,125 SNP markers using a genotyping-by-sequencing approach. selleck For phenotyping, clonal evaluation trials were conducted with 120 F1 individuals for two consecutive field seasons using an alpha-lattice design at Chambezi and Naliendele, Tanzania. Previously identified QTL for resistance to CBSD foliar symptoms were corroborated, and a new putative QTL for CBSD root necrosis identified (qCBSDRNc14AR) from AR40-6. Two QTL were identified within the region of the previously recognized CMD2 locus from this population in which both parents are thought to possess the CMD2 locus. Interestingly, a minor but consistent QTL, qCGM18AR, for CGM resistance at 3 months after planting stage was also detected and co-localized with a previously identified SSR marker, NS346, linked with CGM resistance. Markers underlying these QTL may be used to increase efficiencies in cassava breeding programs.Regular exercise is an effective strategy that is used to prevent and treat obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. Exercise-induced myokine secretion is considered a mechanism that coordinates communication between muscles and other organs. In order to examine the possibility of novel communications from muscle to adipose tissue mediated by myokines, we treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes with C2C12 myotube electrical pulse stimulation-conditioned media (EPS-CM), using a C2C12 myotube contraction system stimulated by an electrical pulse. Continuous treatment with myotube EPS-CM promoted adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes via the upregulation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) 2 and PPARγ-regulated gene expression. Furthermore, our results revealed that myotube EPS-CM induces lipolysis and secretion of adiponectin in mature adipocytes. EPS-CM obtained from a C2C12 myoblast culture did not induce such changes in these genes, suggesting that contraction-induced myokine(s) secretion occurs particularly in differentiated myotubes.