Phenology and Infestation Patterns of the Cottonwood Twig Borer (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Iowa

Cottonwood twig borer, Gypsonoma haimbachiana (Lepidoptera: Totricidae), phenology and infestation patterns on Populus spp. were examined over a 2-year period in Iowa. Weekly sampling of infested shoots during the host growing season verified the existence of five instars. Head capsule size increased nonlinearly from the first to the fifth instar and corresponded to a concomitant geometric increase in the volume of larval feeding galleries. The sampling indicated that the cottonwood twig borer had two generations per year in Iowa. Corresponding with the two generations, two peaks of larval abundance were observed; one in the second week of June and the other in the first week of August. Greater volume of feeding galleries occurred in the early season generation compared with the late season generation. Sampling of infested shoots revealed that more than 80% of infested terminals contained only one active attack (freshly bored hole in tree terminal with frass present); more than 88% of feeding galleries contained only one larva; and more than 80% of the larvae were found in the first active attack nearest the terminal apex. These data were compared with results published on the phenology and attack patterns of the cottonwood twig borer in the southern United States

Ethanol’s Affect on Basis in the Corn Belt

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Phenology and Infestation Patterns of the Cottonwood Twig Borer (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in Iowa

Cottonwood twig borer, Gypsonoma haimbachiana (Lepidoptera: Totricidae), phenology and infestation patterns on Populus spp. were examined over a 2-year period in Iowa. Weekly sampling of infested shoots during the host growing season verified the existence of five instars. Head capsule size increased nonlinearly from the first to the fifth instar and corresponded to a concomitant geometric increase in the volume of larval feeding galleries. The sampling indicated that the cottonwood twig borer had two generations per year in Iowa. Corresponding with the two generations, two peaks of larval abundance were observed; one in the second week of June and the other in the first week of August. Greater volume of feeding galleries occurred in the early season generation compared with the late season generation. Sampling of infested shoots revealed that more than 80% of infested terminals contained only one active attack (freshly bored hole in tree terminal with frass present); more than 88% of feeding galleries contained only one larva; and more than 80% of the larvae were found in the first active attack nearest the terminal apex. These data were compared with results published on the phenology and attack patterns of the cottonwood twig borer in the southern United States

Binaural summation of amplitude modulation involves weak interaural suppression

The brain combines sounds from the two ears, but what is the algorithm used to achieve this summation of signals? Here we combine psychophysical amplitude modulation discrimination and steady-state electroencephalography (EEG) data to investigate the architecture of binaural combination for amplitude-modulated tones. Discrimination thresholds followed a ‘dipper’ shaped function of pedestal modulation depth, and were consistently lower for binaural than monaural presentation of modulated tones. The EEG responses were greater for binaural than monaural presentation of modulated tones, and when a masker was presented to one ear, it produced only weak suppression of the response to a signal presented to the other ear. Both data sets were well-fit by a computational model originally derived for visual signal combination, but with suppression between the two channels (ears) being much weaker than in binocular vision. We suggest that the distinct ecological constraints on vision and hearing can explain this difference, if it is assumed that the brain avoids over-representing sensory signals originating from a single object. These findings position our understanding of binaural summation in a broader context of work on sensory signal combination in the brain, and delineate the similarities and differences between vision and hearing

In vitro biomarker discovery in the parasitic flatworm Fasciola hepatica for monitoring chemotherapeutic treatment

The parasitic flatworm Fasciola hepatica is a global food security risk. With no vaccines, the sustainability of triclabendazole (TCBZ) is threatened by emerging resistance. F. hepatica excretory/secretory (ES) products can be detected in host faeces and used to estimate TCBZ success and failure. However, there are no faecal based molecular diagnostics dedicated to assessing drug failure or resistance to TCBZ in the field. Utilising in vitro maintenance and sub-proteomic approaches two TCBZ stress ES protein response fingerprints were identified: markers of non-killing and lethal doses. This study provides candidate protein/peptide biomarkers to validate for detection of TCBZ failure and resistance

Iatrogenic Spinal Cord Injury Resulting From Cervical Spine Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data. OBJECTIVE: To examine the incidence of iatrogenic spinal cord injury following elective cervical spine surgery. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter case series study involving 21 high-volume surgical centers from the AOSpine North America Clinical Research Network was conducted. Medical records for 17 625 patients who received cervical spine surgery (levels from C2 to C7) between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2011, were reviewed to identify occurrence of iatrogenic spinal cord injury. RESULTS: In total, 3 cases of iatrogenic spinal cord injury following cervical spine surgery were identified. Institutional incidence rates ranged from 0.0% to 0.24%. Of the 3 patients with quadriplegia, one underwent anterior-only surgery with 2-level cervical corpectomy, one underwent anterior surgery with corpectomy in addition to posterior surgery, and one underwent posterior decompression and fusion surgery alone. One patient had complete neurologic recovery, one partially recovered, and one did not recover motor function. CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic spinal cord injury following cervical spine surgery is a rare and devastating adverse event. No standard protocol exists that can guarantee prevention of this complication, and there is a lack of consensus regarding evaluation and treatment when it does occur. Emergent imaging with magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography myelography to evaluate for compressive etiology or malpositioned instrumentation and avoidance of hypotension should be performed in cases of intraoperative and postoperative spinal cord injury

A randomised controlled trial of a care home rehabilitation service to reduce long-term institutionalisation for elderly people

Objectives: to evaluate the effect of a care home rehabilitation service on institutionalisation, health outcomes and service use. Design: randomised controlled trial, stratified by Barthel ADL index, social service sector and whether living alone. The intervention was a rehabilitation service based in Social Services old people's homes in Nottingham, UK. The control group received usual health and social care. Participants: 165 elderly and disabled hospitalised patients who wished to go home but were at high risk of institutionalisation (81 intervention, 84 control). Main outcome measures: institutionalisation rates, Barthel ADL index, Nottingham Extended ADL score, General Health Questionnaire (12 item version) at 3 and 12 months, Health and Social Service resource use. Results: the number of participants institutionalised was similar at 3 months (relative risk 1.04, 95% confidence intervals 0.65–1.65) and 12 months (relative risk 1.23, 95% confidence intervals 0.75–2.02). Barthel ADL Index, Nottingham Extended ADL score and General Health Questionnaire scores were similar at 3 and 12 months. The intervention group spent significantly fewer days in hospital over 3 and 12 months (mean reduction 12.1 and 27.6 days respectively, P < 0.01), but spent a mean of 36 days in a care home rehabilitation service facility. Conclusions: this service did not reduce institutionalisation, but diverted patients from the hospital to social services sector without major effects on activity levels or well-being

Non-participation during azithromycin mass treatment for trachoma in The Gambia: heterogeneity and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: There is concern that untreated individuals in mass drug administration (MDA) programs for neglected tropical diseases can reduce the impact of elimination efforts by maintaining a source of transmission and re-infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Treatment receipt was recorded against the community census during three MDAs with azithromycin for trachoma in The Gambia, a hypo-endemic setting. Predictors of non-participation were investigated in 1-9 year olds using random effects logistic regression of cross-sectional data for each MDA. Two types of non-participators were identified: present during MDA but not treated (PNT) and eligible for treatment but absent during MDA (EBA). PNT and EBA children were compared to treated children separately. Multivariable models were developed using baseline data and validated using year one and two data, with a priori adjustment for previous treatment status. Analyses included approximately 10000 children at baseline and 5000 children subsequently. There was strong evidence of spatial heterogeneity, and persistent non-participation within households and individuals. By year two, non-participation increased significantly to 10.4% overall from 6.2% at baseline, with more, smaller geographical clusters of non-participating households. Multivariable models suggested household level predictors of non-participation (increased time to water and household head non-participation for both PNT and EBA; increased household size for PNT status only; non-inclusion in a previous trachoma examination survey and younger age for EBA only). Enhanced coverage efforts did not decrease non-participation. Few infected children were detected at year three and only one infected child was EBA previously. Infected children were in communities close to untreated endemic areas with higher rates of EBA non-participation during MDA. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In hypo-endemic settings, with good coverage and no association between non-participation and infection, efforts to improve participation during MDA may not be required. Further research could investigate spatial hotspots of infection and non-participation in other low and medium prevalence settings before allocating resources to increase participation

Exposure to Traffic Pollution and Increased Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that affects approximately 1% of the adult population, and to date, genetic factors explain < 50% of the risk. Particulate air pollution, especially of traffic origin, has been linked to systemic inflammation in many studies. Objectives: We examined the association of distance to road, a marker of traffic pollution exposure, and incidence of RA in a prospective cohort study.Methods We studied 90,297 U.S. women in the Nurses’ Health Study. We used a geographic information system to determine distance to road at the residence in 2000 as a measure of traffic exposure. Using Cox proportional hazard models, we examined the association of distance to road and incident RA (1976–2004) with adjustment for a large number of potential confounders. Results: In models adjusted for age, calendar year, race, cigarette smoking, parity, lactation, menopausal status and hormone use, oral contraceptive use, body mass index, physical activity, and census-tract-level median income and house value, we observed an elevated risk of RA [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.98–1.74] in women living within 50 m of a road, compared with those women living 200 m or farther away. We also observed this association in analyses among nonsmokers (HR = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.04–2.52), nonsmokers with rheumatoid factor (RF)-negative RA (HR = 1.77; 95% CI, 0.93–3.38), and nonsmokers with RF-positive RA (HR = 1.51; 95% CI, 0.82–2.77). We saw no elevations in risk in women living 50–200 m from the road. Conclusions: The observed association between exposure to traffic pollution and RA suggests that pollution from traffic in adulthood may be a newly identified environmental risk factor for RA

Cerebrovascular Variants and the Role of the Selfish Brain in Young-Onset Hypertension

Background: Variants in the posterior anatomy of the cerebral circulation are associated with hypertension and lower cerebral blood flow in midlife (age ≈55 years); however, whether these variants are a result of aging or long-term exposure to high blood pressure is unclear. Additionally, the role these variants play in early onset of hypertension (<40 years) and poor cerebral perfusion in this population is unknown. Methods: We retrospectively examined whether specific cerebrovascular variants (vertebral artery hypoplasia and absent/hypoplastic posterior communicating arteries (an incomplete posterior circle of Willis) measured via magnetic resonance angiography) were associated with a diagnosis of hypertension in 220 young adults (<40 years; n=164 primary hypertensive [mean age±SD, 32±6 years] and n=56 [30±6 years] normotensive adults). Whether cerebrovascular variants were associated with lower cerebral blood flow (phase-contrast angiography) was measured in the hypertensive group only (n=146). Results: Binary logistic regression (adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index) showed that vertebral artery hypoplasia with an incomplete posterior circle of Willis was associated with hypertension diagnosis (P<0.001, odds ratio; 11.79 [95% CI, 3.34–41.58]). Vertebral artery hypoplasia plus an incomplete circle of Willis was associated with lower cerebral blood flow in young adults with hypertension (P=0.0172). Conclusions: Vertebral artery hypoplasia plus an incomplete posterior circle of Willis independently predicts hypertension in young adults suggesting that this variant is not acquired with aging into midlife. Importantly this variant combination was associated with lower cerebral perfusion, which may have long-term consequences on cerebrovascular health in young adults with hypertension