Exploring natural resources for sustainable management of ecosystems future challenges for control and management of Xyleborus fornicatus eichh. (Coleoptera Scolytidae), the shot-hole borer of tea in Sri Lanka

In view of the highly diverse genetic base of the seedling tea plants, though cultivated as a monocrop,along with shade trees and surrounding forests, provided a reasonably stable ecosystem then. Withthe introduction of high yielding vegetatively propagated tea during 1950's, a significant change in thedistribution and population densities of pests has been taken place. Shot-hole borer is one such pestand since then it has become the most serious and damaging pest of tea in Sri Lanka. Control hasbeen a difficult task as a result of its' wide distribution from near sea level up to 1500m amsl and theconcealed habit virtually protected from parasites and predators. Biological control usingentomopathogenic fungus, Beauvaria bassiana Vuillemin (Balsomo ) is being viewed as anenvironmentally friendly alternative to chemical control in the light of growing concern on the usage of pesticides and since oflate, the detection of pesticide residues in made tea. Preliminary investigationswere carried out with a view to find out a suitable local strain/s of the fungus for use against this pest.Laboratory studies have shown that strains of this fungus isolated from a tea garden in Talawakelle(Nuwera Eliya District) and a home garden in Welimada (Badulla District) are highly pathogenic toshot-hole borer imparting more than 90% mortality. A potential exists for using the locally availablenatural resources like entomopathogenic fungi for the management of key pests in a compatible andecologically acceptable manner. This forms the basis for Integrated Pest Management (lPM) approachof key pests. These efforts will promote and ensure the sustainable development of the tea ccosyst;m

Survey of endoscopic skull base surgery practice patterns among otolaryngologists

Background Endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS) is a rapidly expanding field. Despite divergent reported preferences for reconstructive techniques and perioperative management, limited data exist regarding contemporary practice patterns among otolaryngologists performing ESBS. This study aims to elucidate current practice patterns, primarily the volumes of cases performed and secondarily a variety of other perioperative preferences. Methods An anonymous 32-item electronic survey examining perioperative ESBS preferences was distributed to the American Rhinologic Society membership. Statistical significance between variables was determined utilizing Student t, chi-square, and Fisher exact tests. Results Seventy otolaryngologists completed the survey. The effective response rate was approximately 22.5%. Sixty percent of respondents were in full-time academic practice and 70% had completed rhinology/skull base fellowships. Annually, 43.3 mean ESBS cases were performed (29.1 private practice vs. 52.9 academic practice, P = .009). Academic practice averaged 24.1 expanded cases versus only 11 in private practice (P = .01). Of respondents, 55.7% stood on the same side as the neurosurgeon and 72.9% remained present for the entire case. Current procedural terminology coding and antibiotic regimens were widely divergent; 31.4% never placed lumbar drains preoperatively, while 41.4% did so for anticipated high-flow cerebrospinal fluid leaks. While considerable variation in reconstructive techniques were noted, intradural defect repairs utilized vascularized flaps 86.3% of the time versus only 51.3% for extradural repairs (P < 0.001). Major complications were rare. Postoperative restrictions varied considerably, with most activity limitations between 2–8 weeks and positive airway pressure use for 2–6 weeks. Most respondents started saline irrigations 0–2 weeks postoperatively. Conclusions Based on responses from fellowship- and non-fellowship-trained otolaryngologists in various practice settings, there remains considerable variation in the perioperative management of patients undergoing ESBS. Level of Evidence

Parametrization of linear controller for bumpless switching in multi-controller schemes

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Neck failure following pathologically node-negative neck dissection (pN0) in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Due to the risk of occult cervical metastasis, elective neck dissection (END) is recommended in the management of patients with early oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and a clinically node-negative (cN0) neck. This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that recorded isolated regional recurrence (RR) in the pathologically node-negative neck dissection (pN0) neck following END in order to quantify the failure rate. Pubmed and Ovid databases were systematically searched for relevant articles published between January 2009 and January 2019. Studies reporting RR following END in patients with OSCC who had no pathological evidence of lymph node metastasis were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. In addition, a selection of large head and neck units were invited to submit unpublished data. Search criteria produced a list of 5448 papers, of which 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. Three institutions contributed unpublished data. This included a total of 4824 patients with median follow-up of 34 months (2.8 years). Eight datasets included patients staged T1-T4 with RR 17.3% (469/2711), 13 datasets included patients staged T1-T2 with RR 7.5% (158/2113). Overall across all 21 studies, isolated neck recurrence was identified in 627 cases giving a RR of 13.0% (627/4824) on meta-analysis. Understanding the therapeutic effectiveness of END provides context for evaluation of clinical management of the cN0 in these patients. A pathologically negative neck does not guarantee against future recurrence