kava

The Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a crop pest of global economic importance because of its wide range of hosts and its invasiveness capacities. To develop a novel integrated and sustainable crop protection, we have investigated the insecticidal properties of different varieties of kava (Piper methysticum [Frost]) extracted by two methods and the attractive effects of six plant volatiles identified from B. tryoni host plants to female, mated or not. We did not identify any significant insecticidal effect of the traditional Pacific kava plant at the tested concentrations...

BACKGROUND: Much evidence-based physical activity (PA) interventions have been tested and implemented in urban contexts. However, studies that adapt, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in micropolitan rural contexts are needed. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Active Ottumwa intervention to promote PA in a micropolitan community. METHODS: Between 2013 - 2019, we implemented Active Ottumwa in a micropolitan setting, and subsequently implemented and evaluated its effectiveness using a Hybrid Type I design...

The GATA transcription factors (TFs) have been extensively studied for its regulatory role in various biological processes in many plant species. The functional and molecular mechanism of GATA TFs in regulating tolerance to abiotic stress has not yet been studied in the common bean. This study analyzed the functional identity of the GATA gene family in the P. vulgaris genome under different abiotic and phytohormonal stress. The GATA gene family was systematically investigated in the P. vulgaris genome, and 31 PvGATA TFs were identified...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Background: Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide and continues to disproportionately impact certain populations. Several frameworks have been developed that illustrate the multiple determinants of cancer. Expanding upon the work of others, we present an applied framework for cancer prevention and control designed to help clinicians, as well as public health practitioners and researchers, better address differences in cancer outcomes. Methods: The framework was developed by the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network's Health Behaviors Workgroup...

BACKGROUND: Dietary supplements derived from botanicals are commonly consumed and investigated in biomedical studies for their potential health benefits. Accurate identification and quantification of key chemical constituents from botanical ingredients is necessary for consistent product preparations and reproducible research results. Manufacturers need quantitative reference materials of the chemical constituents of interest to verify the content of ingredients and products. The rigor and reproducibility of biomedical research is enhanced through thorough characterization of the interventions used in mechanistic, clinical, and safety investigations...

PURPOSE: This study investigated the potential applicability and the underlying mechanisms of flavokawain C, a natural compound derived from kava extracts, in liver cancer treatment. METHODS: Drug distribution experiment used to demonstrate the preferential tissues enrichment of flavokawain C. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration effect of flavokawain C were determined by MTT, colony formation, EdU staining, cell adhesion, transwell, flow cytometry and western blot assay...

BACKGROUND: Flavokawain B is one of the naturally occurring chalcones in the kava plant (Piper methysticum). It exhibits anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimalarial properties. Due to its therapeutic potential, flavokawain B holds promise for the treatment of many diseases. However, due to its poor bioavailability and low aqueous solubility, its application remains limited. The attachment of a sugar unit impacts the stability and solubility of flavonoids and often determines their bioavailability and bioactivity...

The Golgi Reassembly and Stacking Proteins (GRASPs) are engaged in various functions within the cell, both in unconventional secretion mechanisms and structuring and organizing the Golgi apparatus. Understanding their specific role in each situation still requires more structural and functional data at the molecular level. GRASP55 is one of the GRASP members in mammals, anchored to the membrane via the myristoylation of a Gly residue at its N-terminus. Therefore, co-translational modifications, such as myristoylation, are fundamental when considering a strategy to obtain detailed information on the interactions between GRASP55 and membranes...

Changing climatic conditions with rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns pose significant challenges to agricultural productivity, particularly for common bean crops. Transcription factors (TFs) are crucial regulators that can mitigate the impact of biotic and abiotic stresses on crop production. The MADS-box TFs family has been implicated in various plant physiological processes, including stress-responsive mechanisms. However, their role in common bean and their response to stressful conditions remain poorly understood...

The fungal order Entomophthorales in the Zoopagomycota includes many fungal pathogens of arthropods. This review explores six genera in the subfamily Erynioideae within the family Entomophthoraceae , namely, Erynia , Furia , Orthomyces , Pandora , Strongwellsea , and Zoophthora . This is the largest subfamily in the Entomophthorales , including 126 described species. The species diversity, global distribution, and host range of this subfamily are summarized. Relatively few taxa are geographically widespread, and few have broad host ranges, which contrasts with many species with single reports from one location and one host species...

BACKGROUND: Effective and safe antiviral treatments are required to refrain the COVID-19. OBJECTIVES: Investigate the efficacy and safety of interferon in the treatment of COVID-19. METHODS: The inclusion criteria were patients who gave their signed consent, with detection confirmed by RT-PCR of SARS-CoV-2, 18 years and older. Patients received therapy as per the Guinea COVID-19 protocol in the group B; the group A received the same treatment including administration of interferon...

Toxicity testing of botanicals is challenging because of their chemical complexity and variability. Since botanicals may affect many different modes of action involved in neuronal function, we used microelectrode array (MEA) recordings of primary rat cortical cultures to screen 16 different botanical extracts for their effects on cell viability and neuronal network function in vitro. Our results demonstrate that extract materials (50 μg/mL) derived from goldenseal, milk thistle, tripterygium, and yohimbe decrease mitochondrial activity following 7 days exposure, indicative of cytotoxicity...

OBJECTIVE: The older adult population in Türkiye has increased by 22.6% in the last 5 years, and the characteristics of such patients with asthma remain uninvestigated. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the characteristics of older adults with asthma according to sex and asthma control status to provide an in-depth overview of asthma in this population in Türkiye. METHODS: The data of older adults (age 65 years and over) with asthma were obtained from a multicenter, cross-sectional asthma database registry (Turkish Adult Asthma Registry, TAAR) funded by the Turkish Thoracic Society...

Background : The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) originated from the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drugs act aimed to rein in the long-standing abuse in the consumer product marketplace. The act was passed to prohibit interstate commerce of misbranded and adulterated foods, drinks, drugs. Thus, promoting the FDA's mission to protect the public health by regulating human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, food supply, cosmetics, and tobacco to ensure safety, efficacy, and security...

Crop cultivars in commercial use have often been selected because they show high levels of resistance to pathogens. However, widespread cultivation of these crops for many years in the environments favorable to a pathogen requires durable forms of resistance to maintain "healthy crops". Breeding of new varieties tolerant/resistant to biotic stresses by incorporating genetic components related to durable resistance, developing new breeding methods and new active molecules, and improving the Integrated Pest Management strategies have been of great value, but their effectiveness is being challenged by the newly emerging diseases and the rapid change of pathogens due to climatic changes...

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a prevalent, chronic mental health disorder. The measurement of regional brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) offers insight into its role in anxiety and is a potential biomarker for treatment response. Research literature suggests Piper methysticum (Kava) is efficacious as an anxiety treatment, but no study has assessed its effects on central GABA levels. This study investigated dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) GABA levels in 37 adult participants with GAD. GABA was measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1 H-MRS) at baseline and following an eight-week administration of Kava (standardised to 120 mg kavalactones twice daily) ( n = 20) or placebo ( n = 17)...

Background: Studies of cold-induced urticaria (ColdU) in pediatric patients are limited and not well characterized. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the characteristics of ColdU in children. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective chart review was performed in children ages ≤18 years diagnosed with ColdU at 11 pediatric allergy and immunology centers in Turkey between September 1, 2010, and August 31, 2022. Results: A total of 83 children with ColdU were included, 54.2% were girls, and the mean age of symptom onset was 8...

In this paper, a comprehensive deterministic Eco-Driving strategy for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) is presented. In this setup, multiple driving modes calculate speed profiles that are ideal for their own set of constraints simultaneously to save fuel as much as possible, while a High-Level (HL) controller ensures smooth and safe transitions between the driving modes for Eco-Driving. This Eco-Driving deterministic controller for an ego CAV was equipped with Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) and Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) algorithms...

INTRODUCTION: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals and Veterans are more likely to report current smoking than the general adult population in the United States. The Minority Stress Model may explain the high prevalence of cigarette smoking among LGB individuals, who experience unique interpersonal (e.g., discrimination) and intrapersonal (e.g., identity concealment) stressors related to their minoritized sexual orientation. This study assessed whether three types of stressors (interpersonal, intrapersonal, and LGB-specific military) were associated with past-year smoking among LGB Veterans...