Acaricides for eradication of the tick Amblyomma variegatum in the Caribbean

Le succés d'une campagne d'éradication de la tique Amblyomma variegatum dans les Caraïbes impose l'utilisation d'acaricides efficaces, si possible rémanents, faciles d'emploi, ne necessitant pas le recours à de l'eau pour la préparation de liquides dilués, ni à des équipements coûteux pour le transport et l'application. Des test de sensibilité in vitro conduits sur des souches de Porto Rico et de Guadeloupe ainsi que l'observation de l'impact des campagnes de détiquage conduites dans les Caraïbes semblent indiquer qu'il n'y a pas dans la région de problèmes de résistance aux acaricide

Evaluation of three tractor-guidance methods for parallel swathing at two field speeds

This study compared the accuracy (mean error and rms error) and precision (standard deviation of error) of three tractor-guidance methods (foam-marker, light-bar, and assisted-steering systems) at two field speeds (5.6 – and 11.5 km/h) for parallel swathing operations. Eighty-four replications of each combination of guidance method and field speed were conducted between 15 October and 22 December 2006 (504 total field passes). The foam-marker system was found to be significantly less accurate [larger mean error (p \u3c .0001) and had a larger rms error (p \u3c .0001)] than either the light-bar or the assisted-steering system. There was no significant difference in mean error (p = .6718) or rms error (p = .8841) by field speed. There was a significant interaction between guidance method and field speed for both mean error (p = .0009) and rms error (p = .003). Mean and rms errors for the foam-marker and the assisted-steering systems increased at higher field speed, while the mean and rms errors for the light-bar system decreased at higher speed. The assisted-steering system had a significantly lower (p = .0164) standard deviation of error (higher precision) than the foam-marker or the light-bar systems. There was no significant difference in the standard deviation of error by field speed (p = .6258) or by the interaction of guidance method and field speed (p = .2748)

Progress towards a program for the eradication of Amblyomma variegatum from the Caribbean

Amblyomma variegatum (Fabricius), la tique tropicale bigarrée, est maintenant largement répartie dans les Caraïbes. Dix-huit îles sont actuellement infestées ou l'étaient récemment. Afin d'arrêter la propagation de cette tique vers d'autres îles non infestées et vers le continent d'Amérique du Sud, Centrale et du Nord, un programme régional d'éradication a été proposé et approuvé par les gouvernements de toutes les îles infestées, y compris les îles françaises et les pays membres ou membres associés de CARICOM. Au nom de ces derniers, CARICOM a demandé à l'Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO) : de développer des propositions d'éradication; d'assister les membres de CARICOM à maintenir les programmes existants de lutte contre Amblyomma; de conseiller et assister pour la rédaction de la législation nécessaire à la réalisation d'un programme d'éradication; d'aider à identifier les fonds pour exécuter ce programme d'éradication et, si les fonds sont obtenus, de coordonner la campagne d'éradication contre la tique sur toutes les îles infestées. La répartition actuelle de cette tique et la situation concernant le programme d'éradication proposé sont examinée

Three geographically separate domestications of Asian rice

Domesticated rice (Oryza sativa L.) accompanied the dawn of Asian civilization(1) and has become one of world's staple crops. From archaeological and genetic evidence various contradictory scenarios for the origin of different varieties of cultivated rice have been proposed, the most recent based on a single domestication(2,3). By examining the footprints of selection in the genomes of different cultivated rice types, we show that there were three independent domestications in different parts of Asia. We identify wild populations in southern China and the Yangtze valley as the source of the japonica gene pool, and populations in Indochina and the Brahmaputra valley as the source of the indica gene pool. We reveal a hitherto unrecognized origin for the aus variety in central India or Bangladesh. We also conclude that aromatic rice is a result of a hybridization between japonica and aus, and that the tropical and temperate versions of japonica are later adaptations of one crop. Our conclusions are in accord with archaeological evidence that suggests widespread origins of rice cultivation(1,4). We therefore anticipate that our results will stimulate a more productive collaboration between genetic and archaeological studies of rice domestication, and guide utilization of genetic resources in breeding programmes aimed at crop improvement.European Research Council [339941]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phase II Trial of IL-12 Plasmid Transfection and PD-1 Blockade in Immunologically Quiescent Melanoma.

PurposeTumors with low frequencies of checkpoint positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (cpTIL) have a low likelihood of response to PD-1 blockade. We conducted a prospective multicenter phase II trial of intratumoral plasmid IL-12 (tavokinogene telseplasmid; "tavo") electroporation combined with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma with low frequencies of checkpoint positive cytotoxic lymphocytes (cpCTL).Patients and methodsTavo was administered intratumorally days 1, 5, and 8 every 6 weeks while pembrolizumab (200 mg, i.v.) was administered every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) by RECIST, secondary endpoints included duration of response, overall survival and progression-free survival. Toxicity was evaluated by the CTCAE v4. Extensive correlative analysis was done.ResultsThe combination of tavo and pembrolizumab was well tolerated with adverse events similar to those previously reported with pembrolizumab alone. Patients had a 41% ORR (n = 22, RECIST 1.1) with 36% complete responses. Correlative analysis showed that the combination enhanced immune infiltration and sustained the IL-12/IFNγ feed-forward cycle, driving intratumoral cross-presenting dendritic cell subsets with increased TILs, emerging T cell receptor clones and, ultimately, systemic cellular immune responses.ConclusionsThe combination of tavo and pembrolizumab was associated with a higher than expected response rate in this poorly immunogenic population. No new or unexpected toxicities were observed. Correlative analysis showed T cell infiltration with enhanced immunity paralleling the clinical activity in low cpCTL tumors

Influences of obese (ob/ob) and diabetes (db/db) genotype mutations on lumber vertebral radiological and morphometric indices: Skeletal deformation associated with dysregulated systemic glucometabolism

BACKGROUND: Both diabetes and obesity syndromes are recognized to promote lumbar vertebral instability, premature osteodegeneration, exacerbate progressive osteoporosis and increase the propensity towards vertebral degeneration, instability and deformation in humans. METHODS: The influences of single-gene missense mutations, expressing either diabetes (db/db) or obese (ob/ob) metabolic syndromes on vertebral maturation and development in C57BL/KsJ mice were evaluated by radiological and macro-morphometric analysis of the resulting variances in osteodevelopment indices relative to control parameters between 8 and 16 weeks of age (syndrome onset @ 4 weeks), and the influences of low-dose 17-B-estradiol therapy on vertebral growth expression evaluated. RESULTS: Associated with the indicative genotypic obesity and hyper-glycemic/-insulinemic states, both db/db and ob/ob mutants demonstrated a significant (P ≤ 0.05) elongation of total lumbar vertebrae column (VC) regional length, and individual lumbar vertebrae (LV1-5) lengths, relative to control VC and LV parameters. In contrast, LV1-5 width indices were suppressed in db/db and ob/ob mutants relative to control LV growth rates. Between 8 and 16 weeks of age, the suppressed LV1-5 width indices were sustained in both genotype mutant groups relative to control osteomaturation rates. The severity of LV1-5 width osteosuppression correlated with the severe systemic hyperglycemic and hypertriglyceridemic conditions sustained in ob/ob and db/db mutants. Low-dose 17-B-estradiol therapy (E2-HRx: 1.0 ug/ 0.1 ml oil s.c/3.5 days), initiated at 4 weeks of age (i.e., initial onset phase of db/db and ob/ob expressions) re-established control LV 1–5 width indices without influencing VC or LV lengths in db/db groups. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that the abnormal systemic endometabolic states associated with the expression of db/db and ob/ob genomutation syndromes suppress LV 1–5 width osteomaturation rates, but enhanced development related VC and LV length expression, relative to control indices in a progressive manner similar to recognized human metabolic syndrome conditions. Therapeutic E2 modulation of the hyperglycemic component of diabetes-obesity syndrome protected the regional LV from the mutation-induced osteopenic width-growth suppression. These data suggest that these genotype mutation models may prove valuable for the evaluation of therapeutic methodologies suitable for the treatment of human diabetes- or obesity-influenced, LV degeneration-linked human conditions, which demonstrate amelioration from conventional replacement therapies following diagnosis of systemic syndrome-induced LV osteomaturation-associated deformations

Utilization of ambulatory physician encounters, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations by systemic lupus erythematosus patients: A 13-year population health study

Objective: To determine total physician encounters, emergency room (ER) visits and hospitalizations in an incident cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cases and matched control patients over 13 years. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed utilizing administrative health care data from approximately 1 million people with access to universal healthcare. Using ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnostic codes, 7 SLE case definitions were used. Each case was matched by age and gender to 4 randomly selected controls. Data included physician billings, ER visits and hospital discharges over 13 years. Results: The number of incident SLE cases varied from 564 to 4,494 depending up the case definition. The mean age varied from 47.7 to 50.6 years and the proportion of females from 78.0 to 85.1%. SLE utilization of physicians was highest in the index year, declining significantly thereafter for all case definitions. By the fourth year, encounters with subspecialty physicians fell by 60% (Rheumatologists), 50% (Internal medicine) and 31% (other physicians). In contrast, visits to family physicians fell by only 9%. Visits to the ER and hospital admissions for SLE cases were also more frequent early in the disease and fell significantly over the study for both ER visits (all case definitions) and hospitalizations (2 of 7 case definitions). Conclusion: In SLE patients, health care utilization is highest in the first few years following the diagnosis which is also the time of maximal involvement by rheumatologists. Utilization declines over time and encounters with patient's family physicians predominate over other physician groups. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved