Peer Review History
| Original SubmissionFebruary 14, 2025 |
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Dear Dr. Paleolog, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by Apr 25 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.
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Please be assured that, once you have provided your new statement, the assessment of your exemption will not hold up the peer review process. 4. Please include captions for your Supporting Information files at the end of your manuscript, and update any in-text citations to match accordingly. Please see our Supporting Information guidelines for more information: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/supporting-information. [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] Reviewers' comments: Reviewer's Responses to Questions Comments to the Author 1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions? Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ********** 2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?> Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ********** 3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??> The PLOS Data policy Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ********** 4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??> Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #2: Yes ********** Reviewer #1: Reviewer Recommendation and Comments for Manuscript Number PONE-D-25-08140 Imidacloprid decreases the total energy production in western honeybees even though, in sublethal doses, it increased the values of six of the nine compounds in the respiratory and citric cycle Please see the attachment. Reviewer #2: This is an interesting article on a topical and important subject, leading to increased understanding of the effects of imidacloprid on the honey bee by using a novel approach studying the levels of various respiratory and citric cycle compounds in hemolymph and fat body tissue. It is mostly clearly presented and readable. In some places abbreviations are inconsistent and some of the figures need corrections to the labelling. The text is mostly clear. I have marked any typos that I noticed, and have also suggested some rewording in places, including a few places where the meaning of the text is not clear to me and needs reworded to make the meaning clear for the reader. Some of the text needs to be corrected. Main changes requested are: Abstract L28: ID has not been defined. L32-33: the notation changes here and needs made consistent with the rest and the main text. L113: reword (see the text). L116: can you add some references here, possibly some already cited in the text? Methods L127: indicate the timing of the experiment. L181: where do the numbers 10 and 185 come from? They seem inconsistent with the 9 compounds and 180 samples mentioned earlier. Results L187: I suggest mentioning the control groups here, for clarity- see the text. L192: Note that in Fig S1 and S2 legends, the letters above the bars need explained. In Fig S1, some of the vertical axes say "Concetration" not "Concentration". Also in the legend "the pots" should say "the plots". L201-202: reword for clarity. L205-206: you refer to “compounds located in the quarter of negative values in PC1”. In fact from Fig 3 they are in the quadrant of negative values of PC1 and positive values of PC2- but the y-axis is mislabelled as PC1 and should say PC2. Also see comment at line 311. L207: you refer to NDPH and IMH-2. It seems that IMH-2 should be IDH-2, and it is unclear what NDPH is - do you mean COX or CoC? There is no NDPH in Fig 3. Also note that in Fig 1 and 2, you use the abbreviation CcO and in Fig 3 you use CoC. This is confusing. L209: you refer to “the quarter of the positive values in PC1” but from Figure 3 they are in the quadrant of negative values for PC1 and negative values for PC2. L234 and 247: As what follows is a series of notes, rather than sentences, maybe say here "The abbreviations used are as follows:" (and do the same for the Figure 2 legend) – see the text. L236 and 249: you refer to CoC. The plot actually says CcO. L256 and 262: note that Fig 3 vertical axis is mislabelled as PC1 and should be PC2. Discussion L279-280: unclear what “about 1.0” means here. L284-289: after this can you say what you conclude from this? L394-400: this sentence is long and unclear. Can you break it up and reword it? L408: can you reword here? See text. See other small points and suggestions marked on the text. References See a few small minor issues marked on the article. Figure 1 and 2: need to change CcO to CoC. Figure 3 and 4: need to correct vertical axis labelling. For these and other, minor, points including rewording, please see the annotated article. Supplementary figures As noted above: in Fig S1 and S2 legends, the letters above the bars need explained. In Fig S1, some of the vertical axes say "Concetration" not "Concentration". Also in the legend "the pots" should say "the plots". ********** what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files. If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public. Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy Reviewer #1: No Reviewer #2: No ********** [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org . Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step.
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| Revision 1 |
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Dear Dr. Paleolog, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by Jun 19 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.
If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols . Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols . We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript. Kind regards, Yahya Al Naggar Academic Editor PLOS ONE Journal Requirements: Please review your reference list to ensure that it is complete and correct. If you have cited papers that have been retracted, please include the rationale for doing so in the manuscript text, or remove these references and replace them with relevant current references. Any changes to the reference list should be mentioned in the rebuttal letter that accompanies your revised manuscript. If you need to cite a retracted article, indicate the article’s retracted status in the References list and also include a citation and full reference for the retraction notice. [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] Reviewers' comments: Reviewer's Responses to Questions Comments to the Author Reviewer #1: All comments have been addressed Reviewer #3: (No Response) ********** 2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions??> Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #3: Yes ********** 3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->?> Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #3: Yes ********** 4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available??> The PLOS Data policy Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #3: Yes ********** 5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English??> Reviewer #1: Yes Reviewer #3: Yes ********** Reviewer #1: The authors have revised the manuscript in great detail, and the quality of the article has been greatly improved.Therefore, I suggest that the editor may now publish the paper in PLOS ONE. Reviewer #3: General Comments: The premise of the study seems solid, and the methods and analysis seem fine, from my knowledge of this area. The authors have correctly identified the importance of this study - adding to existing information on an important topic (imadacloprid effects on bees), while also providing a valuable example on the more general principle of hormesis. Further, the suggestions of the original reviewers appear to have been addressed - either the manuscript was changed as requested (usually), or the authors responded with justification for their approach. On that basis, the manuscript meets the requirements outlined by the original reviewers. I believe the main area of weakness is in some of the communication - the writing is awkward in many places. Some corrections were pointed out by the original reviewers and corrected. However, there is still significant text that would benefit greatly from rewording. For instance, iL101-3 “Hence, more studies are necessary to answer whether the energy supply decreased by the sublethal doses of the pesticide or just hormesis may occur in this case?” is grammatically difficult to understand. There are many instances like this. It was not possible as a reviewer to suggest corrections for all of these, I suggest engaging a writing editor who can dedicate some time to making those corrections. Specific comments L30-31. Example of awkward wording here. Stating “The goal of the study…” rather than just bringing up a question, would help in the comprehension of the study. L70-76. This can be shortened, the first two sentences for instance are very general statements that we should assume the reader knows already. L84. The paragraph starting here is very long, and in fact is addressing two separate questions or points. The first has to do with conflicting results or responses when low doses of IM are used, and the second is how the response is measured (transcriptosome, in most cases). Split up these paragraphs. In the first paragraph, be clear the purpose in mentioning these various studies - that there are variable results that point towards a complicated response to IM. L150 There are two terms used here that are slightly different - sublethal and adverse - not mutually exclusive. Is the 5ppb adverse in some way, even though sublethal? And is the 200 ppb concentration also sublethal? It would be clearer to refine that terminology. L227. This is, I Assume, subtext for the table, and the paragraph after this then continues the main text of the results. Fig 1,2 . In both of these, it seems like showing some measure of variability and statistical significance on the graph is needed. As I interpret it currently, it only shows the mean difference (as a ratio), and does not indicate on the graph which are statistically significant. L297. This would seem to be better placed in the introduction of the article. At the least, it would read better to make the main justification (which is valid) for using field experiments earlier, and then more shortly reiterate it in the discussion. L315. This paragraph could be shifted later. If it is necessary to defend the accuracy of the data in this way, that reads more smoothly if mentioned later, after the main result of the study is discussed (which starts in the next paragraph, L342) L448. Leave “Adaptive” off the list here. It’s not clear that hormesis is definitely found to be adaptive in all instances where it is studied. It could be a nonadaptive byproduct of other processes. L477. It seems like the “biphasic” response is a major and obvious finding of the study, but is not mentioned in the conclusions. ********** what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files. If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public. Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy Reviewer #1: No Reviewer #3: No ********** [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org |
| Revision 2 |
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<p>Imidacloprid decreases energy production in the hemolymph and fat body of western honeybees even though, in sublethal doses, it increased the values of six of the nine compounds in the respiratory and citric cycle PONE-D-25-08140R2 Dear Dr. Paleolog, We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements. Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter, and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication. An invoice will be generated when your article is formally accepted. Please note, if your institution has a publishing partnership with PLOS and your article meets the relevant criteria, all or part of your publication costs will be covered. Please make sure your user information is up-to-date by logging into Editorial Manager at Editorial Manager® and clicking the ‘Update My Information' link at the top of the page. If you have any questions relating to publication charges, please contact our Author Billing department directly at authorbilling@plos.org. If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. Kind regards, Yahya Al Naggar Academic Editor PLOS ONE Additional Editor Comments (optional): Reviewers' comments: |
| Formally Accepted |
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PONE-D-25-08140R2 PLOS ONE Dear Dr. Paleolog, I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now being handed over to our production team. At this stage, our production department will prepare your paper for publication. This includes ensuring the following: * All references, tables, and figures are properly cited * All relevant supporting information is included in the manuscript submission, * There are no issues that prevent the paper from being properly typeset You will receive further instructions from the production team, including instructions on how to review your proof when it is ready. Please keep in mind that we are working through a large volume of accepted articles, so please give us a few days to review your paper and let you know the next and final steps. Lastly, if your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. If we can help with anything else, please email us at customercare@plos.org. Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access. Kind regards, PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff on behalf of Dr. Yahya Al Naggar Academic Editor PLOS ONE |
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