A new species of Heterotrissocladius Sparck, 1923 (Diptera: Chironomidae: Orthocladiinae) from Georgia, USA

A new species of Heterotrissocladius is described from headwaters of two small Georgia streams, below the Fall Line in the Coastal Plain Physiologic Province, Atlantic Slope drainage.  One stream is near the coast (Lower Coastal Plain) and characterized as a "blackwater" stream due to high tannin concentrations.  The other stream is inland (Upper Coastal Plain), clear and not noticeably affected by tannins.  The description is based on adult males, pharate male pupae and one attached larval skin.  The new species is assignable to the H. marcidus species group with some exceptions.  Males differ from the previous group by a reduced number of rather weak, short acrostichal setae (0-3, previously considered as typical of the subpilosus group) as well as by a very recuded wing squamal fringe compared to most members of the H. marcidus group.  Males are recognizable by an elongate, thin virga, distinctive anal point and inflated/triangular gonostylus.  The female is not described; the immature stages are very similar in some features to H. boltoni Saether.  At the inland stream, an adult male of the new species was found together with pharate male pupae (one with larval skin) of another, as yet undetermnined species of Heterotrissocladius (marcidus group) also known from elsewhere in the state.  Female adults and a pharate female pupa collected at the blackwater stream site are noted but not included in the description or type series as the association with the males is not established by rearing in isolation.  

Search for high-mass new phenomena in the dilepton final state using proton–proton collisions at View the MathML sources=13TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is conducted for both resonant and non-resonant high-mass new phenomena in dielectron and dimuon final states. The search uses View the MathML source3.2fb−1 of proton–proton collision data, collected at View the MathML sources=13TeV by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2015. The dilepton invariant mass is used as the discriminating variable. No significant deviation from the Standard Model prediction is observed; therefore limits are set on the signal model parameters of interest at 95% credibility level. Upper limits are set on the cross-section times branching ratio for resonances decaying to dileptons, and the limits are converted into lower limits on the resonance mass, ranging between 2.74 TeV and 3.36 TeV, depending on the model. Lower limits on the ℓℓqqℓℓqq contact interaction scale are set between 16.7 TeV and 25.2 TeV, also depending on the mode

Convalescent plasma in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised controlled, open-label, platform trial

Background: Many patients with COVID-19 have been treated with plasma containing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma therapy in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Methods: This randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]) is assessing several possible treatments in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 177 NHS hospitals from across the UK. Eligible and consenting patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either usual care alone (usual care group) or usual care plus high-titre convalescent plasma (convalescent plasma group). The primary outcome was 28-day mortality, analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936. Findings: Between May 28, 2020, and Jan 15, 2021, 11558 (71%) of 16287 patients enrolled in RECOVERY were eligible to receive convalescent plasma and were assigned to either the convalescent plasma group or the usual care group. There was no significant difference in 28-day mortality between the two groups: 1399 (24%) of 5795 patients in the convalescent plasma group and 1408 (24%) of 5763 patients in the usual care group died within 28 days (rate ratio 1·00, 95% CI 0·93–1·07; p=0·95). The 28-day mortality rate ratio was similar in all prespecified subgroups of patients, including in those patients without detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at randomisation. Allocation to convalescent plasma had no significant effect on the proportion of patients discharged from hospital within 28 days (3832 [66%] patients in the convalescent plasma group vs 3822 [66%] patients in the usual care group; rate ratio 0·99, 95% CI 0·94–1·03; p=0·57). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at randomisation, there was no significant difference in the proportion of patients meeting the composite endpoint of progression to invasive mechanical ventilation or death (1568 [29%] of 5493 patients in the convalescent plasma group vs 1568 [29%] of 5448 patients in the usual care group; rate ratio 0·99, 95% CI 0·93–1·05; p=0·79). Interpretation: In patients hospitalised with COVID-19, high-titre convalescent plasma did not improve survival or other prespecified clinical outcomes. Funding: UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and National Institute of Health Research

First Nearctic record of Neostempellina Reiss, with description of a new species (Insecta, Diptera, Chironomidae)

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Chironomidae of the Southeastern United States: A Checklist of Species and Notes on Biology, Distribution, and Habitat

We provide a current listing of the species of midges (Diptera:Chironomidae) in the southeastern United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). This checklist should aid in research on this group of insects, which have often proved useful in the assessment of water quality. We document each species\u27 distribution and general habitat and provide the best taxonomic reference to facilitate the identification or description of species in that genus. Changes in nomenclature, unique ecological traits, bibliographic sources, or other items of information are summarized in a paragraph on each genus. Of the 10 subfamilies currently recognized in the Chironomidae, 7 occur in the Southeast. The chironomid fauna of the six southeastern States now consists of 164 described genera and 479 described species. In addition we have listed 14 genera and 245 species that are tentatively noted as undescribed or that have been illustrated but not officially described. Regional distribution of the principal subfamilies indicated that the species of Chironominae and Tanypodinae were concentrated in the coastal region, whereas the Orthocladiinae were evenly distributed from the coast to the mountains. Considering the major habitats (lakes, rivers, and streams), Tanypodinae were about evenly distributed; Orthocladiinae were more predominant in streams and Chironominae in lakes

A new species of Smittia Holmgren, 1869 (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Georgia, USA

Smittia denotata sp. nov. is described from adult males collected during winter months from two Georgia locations. The immature stages and female are unknown. The species is readily recognizable by the distinctive long, basally microtrichose, tapered anal point with rounded apex, virga consisting of two separate spine clusters, and gonostylus with crista dorsalis and curved outer thorn-like projection