1,720,965 research outputs found
Semiochemicals in integrated pest management: Molecular chemistry, biosynthesis mechanisms, and application in sustainable agricultural systems
No full textBackground: Semiochemicals, including volatile and non-volatile organic compounds used in insect communication, offer environmentally friendly alternatives to broad-spectrum pesticides. In particular, sex pheromones have gained prominence in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) due to their species-specific action and reduced ecological impact. Understanding their chemical structures, biosynthetic pathways, and olfactory mechanisms is essential to optimize their application across diverse crop systems. Methods: This study presents a comprehensive review of 15 peer-reviewed publications (2010–2025). It synthesizes findings on pheromone chemistry, enzymatic biosynthesis pathways, olfactory reception mechanisms, and field-level applications. The analysis integrates molecular characterization, biochemical pathways, and empirical performance data from 35 major agricultural pests to evaluate efficacy and economic impact. Findings: Lepidopteran sex pheromones primarily consist of Type I (C₁₀–C₁₈ unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetate esters; ~75%) and Type II (C₁₇–C₂₃ polyunsaturated hydrocarbons; ~15%) compounds. Biosynthesis involves key enzymes such as ACC, FAS, Δ12-desaturase, and FAR. Olfactory detection occurs via GPCR-mediated signal transduction in antennal sensilla. Field evidence shows pheromone-based strategies—monitoring, mass trapping, mating disruption, and attract-and-kill—achieve 60–95% pest suppression while reducing pesticide costs by an average of 59%. Controlled-release formulations enable sustained delivery for 30–120 days. Conclusion: Semiochemical-based IPM represents a scientifically validated, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable pest control strategy. By targeting species-specific communication systems, it reduces chemical dependency while maintaining high suppression efficiency. Novelty/Originality of this Article: This review integrates molecular chemistry, enzymatic biosynthesis, neuro-olfactory mechanisms, and large-scale field validation into a unified analytical framework. By linking mechanistic biochemical insights with applied agricultural performance data, it strengthens the scientific foundation and practical justification for semiochemical-driven IPM as a sustainable alternative to conventional pesticide regimes
Semiochemicals in integrated pest management: Molecular chemistry, biosynthesis mechanisms, and application in sustainable agricultural systems
No full textBackground: Semiochemicals, including volatile and non-volatile organic compounds used in insect communication, offer environmentally friendly alternatives to broad-spectrum pesticides. In particular, sex pheromones have gained prominence in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) due to their species-specific action and reduced ecological impact. Understanding their chemical structures, biosynthetic pathways, and olfactory mechanisms is essential to optimize their application across diverse crop systems. Methods: This study presents a comprehensive review of 15 peer-reviewed publications (2010–2025). It synthesizes findings on pheromone chemistry, enzymatic biosynthesis pathways, olfactory reception mechanisms, and field-level applications. The analysis integrates molecular characterization, biochemical pathways, and empirical performance data from 35 major agricultural pests to evaluate efficacy and economic impact. Findings: Lepidopteran sex pheromones primarily consist of Type I (C₁₀–C₁₈ unsaturated alcohols, aldehydes, acetate esters; ~75%) and Type II (C₁₇–C₂₃ polyunsaturated hydrocarbons; ~15%) compounds. Biosynthesis involves key enzymes such as ACC, FAS, Δ12-desaturase, and FAR. Olfactory detection occurs via GPCR-mediated signal transduction in antennal sensilla. Field evidence shows pheromone-based strategies—monitoring, mass trapping, mating disruption, and attract-and-kill—achieve 60–95% pest suppression while reducing pesticide costs by an average of 59%. Controlled-release formulations enable sustained delivery for 30–120 days. Conclusion: Semiochemical-based IPM represents a scientifically validated, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable pest control strategy. By targeting species-specific communication systems, it reduces chemical dependency while maintaining high suppression efficiency. Novelty/Originality of this Article: This review integrates molecular chemistry, enzymatic biosynthesis, neuro-olfactory mechanisms, and large-scale field validation into a unified analytical framework. By linking mechanistic biochemical insights with applied agricultural performance data, it strengthens the scientific foundation and practical justification for semiochemical-driven IPM as a sustainable alternative to conventional pesticide regimes
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Aspartame: Should Individuals with Type II Diabetes be Taking it?
Get PDFBACKGROUND : Individuals with Type II Diabetes (T2D) have to manage blood glucose levels to sustain health and longevity. Artificial sweeteners (including aspartame) are suggested sugar alternatives for these individuals. The safety of aspartame in particular, has long been the centre of debate. Although it is such a controversial product, many clinicians recommend its use to T2D patients, during a controlled diet and as part of an intervention strategy. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar and has a negligible effect on blood glucose levels, and it is suggested for use so that T2D can control carbohydrate intake and blood glucose levels. However, research suggests that aspartame intake may lead to an increased risk of weight gain rather than weight loss, and cause impaired blood glucose tolerance in T2D.
OBJECTIVE : This review consolidates knowledge gained from studies that link aspartame consumption to the various mechanisms associated with T2D.
METHOD : We review literature that provides evidence that raise concerns that aspartame may exacerbate T2D and add to the global burden of disease.
RESULTS : Aspartame may act as a chemical stressor by increasing cortisol levels, and may induce systemic oxidative stress by producing excess free radicals, and it may also alter gut microbial activity and interfere with the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, resulting in insulin deficiency or resistance.
CONCLUSION : Aspartame and its metabolites are safe for T2D is still debatable due to a lack of consistent data. More research is required that provides evidence and raise concerns that aspartame may exacerbate prevalence of pathological physiology in the already stressed physiology of T2D.The University of Pretoria Post-Doctoral Fellowshiphttps://benthamscience.com/journals/current-diabetes-reviews2019-07-01hj2018Physiolog
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
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