Switzerland

Despite providing important ecosystem services, termites are also serious pests of wooden structures. Termites are highly adaptive organisms that cause concern as an invasive species. Predictions of the future spread of their distribution range due to factors such as climate change, urban growth, and global trade present new challenges to our capacity to protect our wood and wood-based materials and structures effectively. Reticulitermes grassei Clément, 1978 (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) is a subterranean termite native to the Iberian Peninsula and France, whose global distribution has widened over recent years...

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, as it can lead to cognitive and functional impairment and premature mortality. The first episode of BD is usually a depressive episode and is often misdiagnosed as major depressive disorder (MDD). Growing evidence indicates that peripheral immune activation and inflammation are involved in the pathophysiology of BD and MDD. Recently, by developing a panel of RNA editing-based blood biomarkers able to discriminate MDD from depressive BD, we have provided clinicians a new tool to reduce the misdiagnosis delay observed in patients suffering from BD...

Growing public awareness of the negative effects of pesticides on the environment, ecosystems, and human health has led governments to set targets for reducing pesticide risk. Switzerland introduced in 2023 two new policy measures to reduce pesticide risk by 50 % by 2027: (1) voluntary direct payment programs supporting pesticide-reduced and pesticide-free but non-organic cropping systems for most crops on arable land, and (2) restrictions of harmful pesticides for farmers managing under Swiss cross-compliance standards...

INTRODUCTION: In response to the critical need for enhancing breast cancer screening for women with dense breasts, this study explored the understanding of challenges and requirements for implementing supplementary breast cancer screening for such women among clinical radiographers and radiologists in Europe. METHOD: Fourteen (14) semi-structured online interviews were conducted with European clinical radiologists (n = 5) and radiographers (n = 9) specializing in breast cancer screening from 8 different countries: Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom...

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: This survey explores Swiss mental health professionals', users', and relatives' opinions on re-naming schizophrenia exploiting Switzerland's specific multilingualism to examine possible effects of linguistic and microcultural differences on the issue. STUDY DESIGN: Opinions on 'schizophrenia' were collected using a self-rated online questionnaire incl. Freetext answers available in the three main Swiss languages, German, French and Italian...

The development of novel anticoagulants requires a comprehensive investigational approach that is capable of characterizing different aspects of antithrombotic activity. The necessary experiments include both in vitro assays and studies on animal models. The required in vivo approaches include the assessment of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles and studies of hemorrhagic and antithrombotic effects. Comparison of anticoagulants with different mechanisms of action and administration types requires unification of the experiment scheme and its adaptation to existing laboratory conditions...

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The assessment of constructed wetlands (CWs) has gained interest in the last 20 years for wastewater treatment in Latin American regions. However, the effects of culture systems with different ornamental species in CWs for phytoremediation are little known. In this study, some chemical parameters such as total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), phosphate (PO4 -P), and ammonium (NH4 -N) were analyzed in order to prove the removal of pollutants by phytoremediation in CWs. The environmental impact index based on eutrophication reduction (EI-E) was also calculated to estimate the cause-effect relationship using CWs in different culture conditions...

In order to determine the distribution area and amount of Artemisia annua Linn. ( A. annua ) in China, this study estimated the current amount of A. annua specimens based on the field survey sample data obtained from the Fourth National Census of Chinese Medicinal Resources. The amount was calculated using the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt model) and spatio-temporal kriging interpolation. The influencing factors affecting spatial variations in the amount were studied using geographic probes. The results indicated that the amount of A...

A limited number of studies have examined how drying conditions affect the cannabinoid and terpene content in cannabis inflorescences. In the present study, we evaluated the potential of controlled atmosphere drying chambers for drying medicinal cannabis inflorescence. Controlled atmosphere drying chambers were found to reduce the drying and curing time by at least 60% compared to traditional drying methods, while preserving the volatile terpene content. On the other hand, inflorescences subjected to traditional drying were highly infested by Alternaria alternata and also revealed low infestation of Botrytis cinerea ...

Plant foraging is a millennia-old activity still practiced by many people in the Middle East, particularly in the Fertile Crescent region, where several socioeconomic, ecological, and cultural factors shape this practice. This study seeks to understand the drivers of plant foraging in this complex region characterized by highly diverse linguistic, religious, and cultural groups. Our study aims to document the wild plants used by Kurds in Western Iran, identify similarities and differences among Hawraman and Mukriyan Kurdish groups in Iran, and compare our findings with a previous study on the Hawramani in Iraq...

The effects of NaCl-induced salinity on biomass allocation, anatomical characteristics of leaves, ion accumulation, salt repellency, and salt secretion ability were investigated in two apple rootstock cultivars ( Malus halliana '9-1-6' and Malus baccata ), which revealed the physiological adaptive mechanisms of M. halliana '9-1-6' in response to salt stress factors. This experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a nutrient solution pot. Salt stress was simulated by treating the plants with a 100 mM NaCl solution, while 1/2 Hoagland nutrient solution was used as a control (CK) instead of the NaCl solution...

Cancers of the reproductive organs, including prostate, bladder, ovarian, and cervical cancers, are considered the most common causes of death in both sexes worldwide. The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) comprises fleshy berry crop species, including cranberries, blueberries, lingonberries, bilberries, and bog bilberries, and are widely distributed in many countries. Flavonols, anthocyanins (ACNs), proanthocyanidins (PACs), and phenolic acids are the most bioactive compounds naturally found in Vaccinium berries and have been extensively used as anticancer agents...

Stem rust, caused by Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici , is one of the most dangerous rust diseases on wheat. Through physiological, biochemical, and molecular analysis, the relationship between the change in resistance of 15 wheat cultivars to stem rust disease and the response of 41 stem rust resistance genes ( Sr,s ) as well as TTKSK, TTKST, and TTTSK races was explained. Some cultivars and Sr genes, such as Gemmeiza-9, Gemmeiza-11, Sids-13, Sakha-94, Misr-1, Misr-2, Sr31, and Sr38, became susceptible to infection...

Solanum bulbocastanum is a wild diploid tuber-bearing plant. We here demonstrate transgene-free genome editing of S. bulbocastanum protoplasts and regeneration of gene-edited plants. We use ribonucleoproteins, consisting of Cas9 and sgRNA, assembled in vitro, to target a gene belonging to the nitrate and peptide transporter family. Four different sgRNAs were designed and we observed efficiency in gene-editing in the protoplast pool between 8.5% and 12.4%. Twenty-one plants were re-generated from microcalli developed from individual protoplasts...

Achillea millefolium L., commonly known as yarrow, is a versatile and widely distributed plant species with a rich history of ethnopharmacological significance. This study aimed to evaluate the comparative differences of A. millefolium inflorescence morphotypes. The phytochemical profile of white and pink inflorescence morphotypes was characterised by a complex of thirty-four phenolic and triterpene compounds. The species has distinct morphotypes of white and pink inflorescence. Phenolic and triterpenic profiles were determined, and individual compounds were quantified in inflorescence, leaf, and stem samples of two morphotypes tested...

The remediation of copper and nickel-afflicted sites is challenged by the different physiological effects imposed by each metal on a given plant system. Pinus banksiana is resilient against copper and nickel, providing an opportunity to build a valuable resource to investigate the responding gene expression toward each metal. The objectives of this study were to (1) extend the analysis of the Pinus banksiana transcriptome exposed to nickel and copper, (2) assess the differential gene expression in nickel-resistant compared to copper-resistant genotypes, and (3) identify mechanisms specific to each metal...

Ginseng ( Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) is a perennial plant with a long dormancy period. While some researchers employ gibberellin and other substances to stimulate premature germination, this method is limited to laboratory settings and cannot be applied to the field cultivation of ginseng. The mechanism underlying the germination of ginseng overwintering buds remains largely unexplored. Understanding the internal changes during the dormancy release process in the overwintering buds would facilitate the discovery of potential genes, metabolites, or regulatory pathways associated with it...

Challenges of climate change and growth population are exacerbated by noticeable environmental changes, which can increase the range of plant diseases, for instance, net blotch (NB), a foliar disease which significantly decreases barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) grain yield and quality. A resistant germplasm is usually identified through visual observation and the scoring of disease symptoms; however, this is subjective and time-consuming. Thus, automated, non-destructive, and low-cost disease-scoring approaches are highly relevant to barley breeding...

Chitosan is a derivative of chitin that is one of the most abundant biopolymers in nature, found in crustacean shells as well as in fungi cell walls. Most of the commercially available chitosans are produced from the exoskeletons of crustaceans. The extraction process involves harsh chemicals, has limited potential due to the seasonal and limited supply and could cause allergic reactions. However, chitosan has been shown to alleviate the negative effect of environmental stressors in plants, but there is sparse evidence of how chitosan source affects this bioactivity...