Impact of Ragl Aphid Resistant Soybeans on Binodoxys communis (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Parasitoid of Soybean Aphid Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae )

After its discovery in North America during the summer of 2000, the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae) became a major pest of the soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., in most soybean growing regions of the United States. The use of insect-resistant plant varieties and natural enemies, important components of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), when applied solely have the potential to be effective measures for controlling soybean aphids. However, resistant host plants may influence natural enemies in beneficial or detrimental ways, thereby altering their effectiveness when the two strategies are combined. Therefore, we investigated how a resistant variety impacts fitness of a biological control agent to understand its compatibility for pest management of the soybean aphid. A near isogenic susceptible soybean variety without the Ragl gene and a resistant variety with the Ragl gene were used to determine the effect of the Ragl on the development and fitness of the soybean aphid parasitoid, Binodoxys communis Gahan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Before testing for effects of the Ragl gene on the parasitoid, we first validated the expression of the Ragl gene and confirmed that these plants were resistant to soybean aphids by determining the growth rate of soybean aphids on both resistant and susceptible plants. The soybean aphid population and per capita growth rate were significantly higher when reared on susceptible soybean plants compared to resistant plants. In addition, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to verify the genotypes and the presence of the Ragl gene in some of the plants used in the growth rate experiment. Results of the soybean aphid growth rate experiment combined with the results of the PCR helped to validate the expression of the Raglin the resistant plants used in our experiments. To determine the impact of these resistant plants on parasitoids, the total numbers of mummies (parasitized soybean aphids) produced and adult parasitoid emergence were compared for parasitoids that were given aphid hosts from either susceptible or resistant plants. Parasitoid fitness was measured in terms of parasitoid development time, their body length, and their metatibiae length. We found a higher number of mummies in susceptible soybean plants than in the resistant plants as well as a higher emergence rate of adult parasitoids from the mummies reared on susceptible plants. The development time from mummy to adult parasitoid emergence was only one day longer with aphid hosts from resistant plants compared to susceptible plants. Despite some difference in the size of parasitoids from resistant and susceptible plants, very few parasitoids completed development on resistant plants. In summary, our results indicate poorer establishment and reproductive performance of B. communis from soybean aphids on resistant plants compared to soybean aphids on susceptible plants. This suggests that widespread adoption of resistant soybean plants might be detrimental to the overall sustainability of this parasitoid and its ability to help control soybean aphids. We did, however, find that at least some B. communis could successfully develop and emerge on soybean aphids from resistant plants, suggesting that there is at least some possibility that the parasitoid could survive and assist in aphid management even if the Rag 1 resistant plants become commonplace. The parasitoid's relative fitness and reproductive output will likely play important roles in ultimately determining the short- and long-term compatibility of utilizing both B. communis and resistant soybean plants for soybean aphid control

Hepatic responses to chronic exposure to hydrogen sulfide in post-smolt Atlantic salmon

The research was performed in the liver of post-smolt Atlantic salmon with three concentrations of hydrogen sulphide i.e., 0 μg (control), 1 μg (low( and 5 μg H2S/L (high) where the samples were taken when exposed for 2 week, exposed for 4 week and after the removal of hydrogen sulphide (6week). The expression of most gene markers was significantly upregulated in the low H2S concentration group at week 2 followed by downregulation at week 4. Further biochemical marker test shows very prominent recovery in high doses of H2S after the removal of H2S

Awareness and attitude towards modes of delivery among pregnant women attending at teaching hospital bharatpur

For a healthy women population, the choice of delivery option is an important decision. Expectant parents make many choices which usually include the site for delivery (hospital, birth centre, or home), and the choice between spontaneous vaginal delivery and caesarean section. The main objective of this study was to assess awareness and attitude towards the modes of delivery among pregnant women attending teaching hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken in ANC OPD of Chitwan Medical College Teaching Hospital, Bharatpur. A total of 106 pregnant women attending ANC OPD who were at 28 weeks and above gestation at the time of data collection were selected by using the convenience sampling technique and were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. A questionnaire consists 17 questions for knowledge assessment and 20 questions for attitude assessment. Obtained data were entered into SPSS version 20 for window and analysed using descriptive statistics. The finding of the study revealed that among 106 pregnant women, 67.9% were aware of modes of delivery and more than half (52.8%) had a positive attitude towards modes of delivery. There was a significant association between pregnant women’s awareness and education status (p<0.012). The attitude of pregnant women is significantly associated with age (p<0.017) and previous mode of delivery of first child (p<0.000). This study also showed statistically significant relationship between the total score of awareness and attitude towards modes of delivery (p<0.001). The study concluded that a considerable proportion of pregnant women are not aware and have a negative attitude towards modes of delivery. So there is a need to organize the program for pregnant women to enhance further awareness and attitude towards modes of delivery along in safe motherhood program

Color vision defects in school going children.

INTRODUCTION: Color vision defect can be observed in various diseases of optic nerve and retina and also a significant number of people suffer from the inherited condition of red and green color defect. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed with purposive sampling of students from various schools of Kathmandu Valley. All children were subjected to color vision evaluation using Ishihara Isochromatic color plates along with other examination to rule out any other causes for color deficiency. RESULTS: A total of 2001 students were examined, 1050 male students and 951 females with mean age of 10.35 (+/- 2.75) and 10.54 (+/- 2.72) respectively. Among the total students examined, 2.1% had some form of color vision defects. Of the male population, 3.9% had color vision defects while none of the female was found with the deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of color vision defect in Nepal is significant and comparable with the prevalence quoted in studies from different countries

Ocular morbidity among children attending government and private schools of Kathmandu valley.

INTRODUCTION: Children from the developing world are more prone to going blind from avoidable and preventable causes. In Nepal, children in private schools are reported to have a higher ocular morbidity than those in government schools, with myopia being the major cause of the morbidity. This study was designed to evaluate ocular morbidity in students from both types of school. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional, comparative study among students from government and private schools of Kathmandu. Eye examination was carried out evaluating visual acuity, color vision, refractive status, binocular vision status, and anterior and posterior segment findings. RESULTS: A total of 4,228 students from government and private schools were evaluated. The prevalence of ocular morbidity was 19.56 % with refractive error (11.9 %) being the major cause of the morbidity, followed by strabismus and infective disorders. No significant difference in the prevalence of ocular morbidity and refractive status was found in the students from government and private schools. CONCLUSION: A significant number of children of school-going age have ocular morbidity with no significant difference in the prevalence in the students from government and private schools. Research exploring the effect of various risk factors in the progression of myopia would be helpful to investigate the refractive status in children from these different types of schools

Bhutanese Refugee Students: Their Perceptions Of High School And Challenges Of Accessing A Four-Year College Degree In The U.s.

The recent trend of refugee resettlement in the U.S. has presumably shifted to a new and more hopeful life for refugees. However, refugees experience another phase of challenges once they resettle in the U.S. Their transition from a life of statelessness to that of the citizen in a developed country is a painful experience, yet life has improved economically, especially after years of living in poverty in a refugee camp. The fact that Bhutanese refugee parents choose to resettle in the U.S. is primarily motivated by their hopes for a better education for their children. The following qualitative research study strives to understand both the opportunity gaps and the challenges that Bhutanese refugee students experience. This study also helps to shift the narrative from the student being the problem to the school systems in place that maintains or ameliorate the gaps in opportunities for refugee students in higher education

Ferromagnetism and Metal-Insulator transition in F-doped LaMnO3

We present our studies on polycrystalline samples of fluorine doped LaMnO3 (LaMnO3-yFy). LaMnO2.5F0.5 exhibits remarkable magnetic and electrical properties. It shows ferromagnetic and metallic behavior with a high Curie temperature of ~ 239 K and a high magnetoresistance of -64. This drastic change in magnetic properties in comparison to pure LaMnO3 is ascribed to the presence of mixed-valence Mn ions driven by the F-doping at the O-sites, which enables double exchange (DE) in LMOF. Furthermore, the resistivity data exhibits two resistivity peaks at 239 K and 213 K, respectively. Our results point towards the possibility of multiple double exchange hopping paths of two distinct resistances existing simultaneously in the sample below 213 K

Ocular morbidity among children studying in private schools of Kathmandu valley: A prospective cross sectional study.

A prospective cross sectional study of students of two private schools was done and students were screened in detail. A total of 1816 students aged 5 to 16 years were evaluated, out of which 52.8% were males and 47.2 % were females. Among the total, 65.8% had no ocular abnormalities and 34.2% had some form of ocular disorders. Refractive error was the commonest problem seen accounting for 21.9% out of total, followed by infective disorders, which accounted for 7.2%, 3.5% of them were noted to have Orthoptic problem including various types of strabismus, 2.2% were color blind, 2.6% were found to have various other disorders. The prevalence of refractive error among private school children seems to be higher. Color blindness also seems to be prevalent among these children. This kind of school screening would help in detecting the eye problems timely and thus would reduce the ocular morbidity as well as prevent children from going blind unnecessarily