Host plant resistance for fall armyworm management in maize: relevance, status and prospects in Africa and Asia

The fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith); FAW] has emerged as a serious pest since 2016 in Africa, and since 2018 in Asia, affecting the food security and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers, especially those growing maize. Sustainable control of FAW requires implementation of integrated pest management strategies, in which host plant resistance is one of the key components. Significant strides have been made in breeding elite maize lines and hybrids with native genetic resistance to FAW in Africa, based on the strong foundation of insect-resistant tropical germplasm developed at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico. These efforts are further intensified to develop and deploy elite maize cultivars with native FAW tolerance/resistance and farmer-preferred traits suitable for diverse agro-ecologies in Africa and Asia. Independently, genetically modified Bt maize with resistance to FAW is already commercialized in South Africa, and in a few countries in Asia (Philippines and Vietnam), while efforts are being made to commercialize Bt maize events in additional countries in both Africa and Asia. In countries where Bt maize is commercialized, it is important to implement a robust insect resistance management strategy. Combinations of native genetic resistance and Bt maize also need to be explored as a path to more effective and sustainable host plant resistance options. We also highlight the critical gaps and priorities for host plant resistance research and development in maize, particularly in the context of sustainable FAW management in Africa and Asia

Distribution of crustal melt bodies at the hot spot-influenced section of the Galápagos Spreading Centre from seismic reflection images

Accretion of the lower crust at mid-ocean ridges is a debated topic, with modern seismic observations pointing to a complex magmatic system that includes an axial multisill system of middle- and lower-crustal melt lenses and near- and off-axis melt bodies. Here we revisit the hot spot-influenced section of the western Galápagos Spreading Centre and reprocess multichannel seismic reflection data using a wide-angle seismic tomography model. Our new images show that the magma reservoir in the lower crust at this ridge section is intruded with partially molten melt lenses. The images also show evidence for off-axis melt lenses, magmatic-hydrothermal interactions and Moho reflections in this region. We conclude that the similarities between the axial crustal structure of this hot spot-influenced mid-ocean ridge and the multisill magmatic structure imaged at the East Pacific Rise indicate that these features are common along the global mid-ocean ridge system where seafloor spreading is dominated by magmatic accretion.</p

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Group Music Intervention in Memory Care Communities

Music-based interventions have been shown to reduce behavioral expressions among persons with dementia. The goal of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a group music intervention to reduce agitation. Two memory care communities were recruited to participate in this single-arm mixed-methods study. The group music intervention program included a total of 12 sessions delivered over 4 weeks. Agitation was assessed quantitatively at weeks 0, 2, and 4. Qualitative interviews of memory care staff were conducted post-intervention. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models and qualitative content analysis. The study sample (N = 19) had a mean age of 82.74, and 73.7% were female. The great majority of participants completed the intervention and 63.2% experienced a reduction in agitation, suggesting that the intervention is feasible and acceptable in memory care and may be efficacious. Future research should evaluate the efficacy of the intervention in a randomized controlled trial