The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive plant-feeding insect native to eastern Asia. This herbivore is highly polyphagous, feeding on and ...damaging diverse plants, including field crops, vegetables, tree fruits, and ornamentals. Woody ornamental plants provide early- and late-season resources for adults emerging from and returning to overwintering sites, as well as feeding and breeding sites for H. halys throughout the growing season. In this study, we quantify the use of diverse plants by H. halys in two commercial nurseries in Maryland, recording data on the abundance of egg masses, early and late instar nymphs, and adults over a three-year study period. Our specific goals were to provide a quantitative comparison of the use of diverse plant species and cultivated varieties, identify non-hosts that could be used to create landscapes refractory to H. halys, and determine whether the use of plants varied across life stages of H. halys or the taxonomic status of plants. We found broad use of diverse plants in this study, identifying 88 host plants used by all life stages of H. halys. We also highlight the 43 plant taxa that did not support any life stage of H. halys and are thus classified as non-hosts. Interestingly, some of these plants were congeners of highly-used plants, underscoring high intrageneric and intraspecific variation in the use of plants by this polyphagous herbivore. We discuss how the selective planting of non-hosts, especially gymnosperms, may aid in reducing the agricultural and nuisance pest status of this invasive insect.
The local dispersal of polyphagous, mobile insects within agricultural systems impacts pest management. In the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, stink bugs, especially the invasive ...Halyomorpha halys (Stal 1855), contribute to economic losses across a range of cropping systems. Here, we characterized the density of stink bugs along the field edges of field corn and soybean at different study sites. Specifically, we examined the influence of adjacent managed and natural habitats on the density of stink bugs in corn and soybean fields at different distances along transects from the field edge. We also quantified damage to corn grain, and to soybean pods and seeds, and measured yield in relation to the observed stink bug densities at different distances from field edge. Highest density of stink bugs was limited to the edge of both corn and soybean fields. Fields adjacent to wooded, crop and building habitats harbored higher densities of stink bugs than those adjacent to open habitats. Damage to corn kernels and to soybean pods and seeds increased with stink bug density in plots and was highest at the field edges. Stink bug density was also negatively associated with yield per plant in soybean. The spatial pattern of stink bugs in both corn and soybeans, with significant edge effects, suggests the use of pest management strategies for crop placement in the landscape, as well as spatially targeted pest suppression within fields.
This data set reports woody plant species abundances in a network of 96 sampling sites spread across 22 000 km² in the central Western Ghats region, Karnataka, India (74°15′-75°40′ E; 15°15′-13°30′ ...N). Due to its varied climate and diverse topography, the study area, which is part of the Western Ghats—Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot, supports a wide array of non-equatorial tropical habitats including wet evergreen, moist and dry deciduous, and intact as well as degraded forests and scrublands. These formations, floristically moderately rich and diversified, are characterized by a lower rate of endemism than in the southern part of the Western Ghats. This data paper provides abundance and girth data for 76 813 trees and lianas of 446 species collected in 96 sampling sites during 1996-1997. A total of 61 965 individuals ≥ 10-cm girth at breast height (gbh) were recorded in 96 1-ha macroplots, while 14 848 individuals < 10 cm gbh, but > 1 m height, were sampled in three 0.1-ha microplots located within each macroplot. Additional data regarding the stand structure (average canopy height, percent canopy cover, number of strata) and the level of degradation are available for the macroplots, along with environmental data derived from other sources and analyses, such as soil types, rainfall, length of the dry season, and altitude. These data have been used to produce ecological research papers, as well as to elaborate conservation value maps and recommendations toward sustainable management of the forests of the central Western Ghats region.
This data set reports woody plant species abundances in a network of 96 sampling sites spread across 22â000 km² in the central Western Ghats region, Karnataka, India (74°15â²â75°40â² E; ...15°15â²â13°30â² N). Due to its varied climate and diverse topography, the study area, which is part of the Western GhatsâSri Lanka biodiversity hotspot, supports a wide array of nonâequatorial tropical habitats including wet evergreen, moist and dry deciduous, and intact as well as degraded forests and scrublands. These formations, floristically moderately rich and diversified, are characterized by a lower rate of endemism than in the southern part of the Western Ghats. This data paper provides abundance and girth data for 76â813 trees and lianas of 446 species collected in 96 sampling sites during 1996â1997. A total of 61â965 individuals â¥10âcm girth at breast height (gbh) were recorded in 96 1âha macroplots, while 14â848 individuals <10 cm gbh, but >1 m height, were sampled in three 0.1âha microplots located within each macroplot. Additional data regarding the stand structure (average canopy height, percent canopy cover, number of strata) and the level of degradation are available for the macroplots, along with environmental data derived from other sources and analyses, such as soil types, rainfall, length of the dry season, and altitude. These data have been used to produce ecological research papers, as well as to elaborate conservation value maps and recommendations toward sustainable management of the forests of the central Western Ghats region. The complete data sets corresponding to abstracts published in the Data Papers section of the journal are published electronically in Ecological Archives at ãhttp://esapubs.org/archiveã. (The accession number for each Data Paper is given directly beneath the title.)
The role of calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channels is well characterized and is of particular importance in T-cell function. CRAC channels are involved in the pathogenesis of several ...autoimmune diseases, making it an attractive therapeutic target for treating inflammatory diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A systematic structure–activity relationship study with the goal of optimizing lipophilicity successfully yielded two lead compounds, 36 and 37. Both compounds showed decent potency and selectivity and a remarkable pharmacokinetic profile. Further characterization in in vivo RA models and subsequent histopathological evaluation of tissues led to the identification of 36 as a clinical candidate. Compound 36 displayed an excellent safety profile and had a sufficient safety margin to qualify it for use in human testing. Oral administration of 36 in Phase 1 clinical study in healthy volunteers established favorable safety, tolerability, and good target engagement as measured by levels of IL-2 and TNF-α.
Purpose
The clinical course of COVID-19 has been complicated by secondary infections, including bacterial and fungal infections. The rapid rise in the incidence of invasive mucormycosis in these ...patients is very much concerning. COVID-19-associated mucormycosis was detected in huge numbers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, with several predisposing factors indicated in its pathogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology, predisposing factor, cumulative mortality and factors affecting outcomes among the coronavirus disease COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM).
Methods
A multicenter retrospective study across three tertiary health care centers in Southern part of India was conducted during April-June 2021.
Results
Among the 217 cases of CAM, mucormycosis affecting the nasal sinuses was the commonest, affecting 95 (44%) of the patients, orbital extension seen in 84 (38%), pulmonary (
n
= 25, 12%), gastrointestinal (
n
= 6, 3%), isolated cerebral (
n
= 2) and disseminated mucormycosis (
n
= 2). Diabetes mellitus, high-dose systemic steroids were the most common underlying disease among CAM patients. The mucormycosis-associated case-fatality at 6 weeks was 14%, cerebral or GI or disseminated mucormycosis had 9 times higher risk of death compared to other locations. Extensive surgical debridement along with sequential antifungal drug treatment improved the survival in mucormycosis patients.
Conclusion
Judicious and appropriate management of the predisposing factor and factors affecting mortality associated with CAM with multi-disciplinary approach and timely surgical and medical management can be much helpful in achieving a successful outcome.
;Heart failure (HF) is a huge global public health task due to morbidity, mortality, disturbed quality of life, and major economic burden. It is an area of active research and newer treatment ...strategies are evolving. Recently angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI), a class of drugs (the first agent in this class, Sacubitril-Valsartan), reduces cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in chronic HF patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Positive therapeutic effects have led to a decrease in cardiovascular mortality and HF hospitalizations (HFH), with a favorable safety profile, and have been documented in several clinical studies with an unquestionable survival benefit with ARNI, Sacubitril-Valsartan. This consensus statement of the Indian group of experts in cardiology, nephrology, and diabetes provides a comprehensive review of the power and promise of ARNI in HF management and an evidence-based appraisal of the use of ARNI as an essential treatment strategy for HF patients in clinical practice. Consensus in this review favors an early utility of Sacubitril-Valsartan in patients with HF with reduced EF (HFrEF), regardless of the previous therapy being given. A lower rate of hospitalizations for HF with Sacubitril-Valsartan in HF patients with preserved EF who are phenotypically heterogeneous suggests possible benefits of ARNI in patients having 40-50% of LVEF, frequent subtle systolic dysfunction, and higher hospitalization risk.
Genetic parameters were estimated for growth and pond survival of
Penaeus monodon using full-sib families from wild brood females collected from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh of the Indian coastline. ...The post larvae were reared, tagged, and thereafter communal-reared in two ponds. There was a moderate phenotypic correlation between stocking weight and harvest weight (0.39). A linear mixed model, when fitted to the harvest weight, revealed significant sex and pond effects and a heritability estimate of 0.27
±
0.07. This estimate is likely to over-estimate the true heritability, as full-sib families were initially reared in separate tanks, although tagging weight was fitted as a covariate in an attempt to remove this effect. Correlation of family breeding values for harvest weight between the two ponds suggested little genotype
×
environment interaction. Heritability of pond survival was 0.21
±
0.06, with unusually low levels of survival in the experiment, likely contributing to the high level of genetic variance observed. The correlation between family breeding values for harvest weight and pond survival was low (0.05) and not significantly different from zero. However, the correlation was not antagonistic, suggesting that
P.
monodon broodstock with high breeding values for both traits could be selected.
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