Entomopathogenic fungi – Potential candidates for biocontrol of Helopeltis antonii Signoret in cashew

Evaluation of fungal entomopathogens, viz., Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Lecanicillium lecanii against tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis antonii Signoret), an insect pest of cashew revealed that these fungi are pathogenic to H. antonii. Mortality of H. antonii commenced after three days of inoculation, increased gradually with time and became evident at fifth day with 82.5 per cent, 85 per cent and 65 per cent respectively with B. bassiana, M. anisopliae and L. lecanii @109 spores mL-1. B. bassiana and M. anisopliae shown complete mortality at sixth day, whereas mortality rate with L. lecanii was 85 per cent. A field experiment was conducted in randomized block design for two consecutive years with these three entomopathogenic fungi @108 spores mL-1. Two rounds of spray were given by targeting flowering and nut set stage in the first year, instead of the routine three spray schedule on flushing, flowering and nut set; while routine three sprays were given in the second year. In the first year of field evaluation, least damage was observed in Kerala Agricultural University package of practices (KAU POP) with quinalphos, targeting both flowering and nut set stage. However, both B. bassiana and L. lecanii also recorded less tea mosquito bug damage and were comparable with KAU POP. In the second year, B. bassiana was on par with KAU POP and L. lecanii was superior to control. Highest nut yield was recorded in trees treated with B. bassiana followed by KAU POP

Global online trade in primates for pets

The trade in primates as pets is a global enterprise and as access to the Internet has increased, so too has the trade of live primates online. While quantifying primate trade in physical markets is relatively straightforward, limited insights have been made into trade via the Internet. Here we followed a three-pronged approach to estimate the prevalence and ease of purchasing primates online in countries with different socioeconomic characteristics. We first conducted a literature review, in which we found that Malaysia, Thailand, the USA, Ukraine, South Africa, and Russia stood out in terms of the number of primate individuals being offered for sale as pets in the online trade. Then, we assessed the perceived ease of purchasing pet primates online in 77 countries, for which we found a positive relationship with the Internet Penetration Rate, total human population and Human Development Index, but not to Gross Domestic Product per capita or corruption levels of the countries. Using these results, we then predicted the levels of online primate trade in countries for which we did not have first-hand data. From this we created a global map of potential prevalence of primate trade online. Finally, we analysed price data of the two primate taxa most consistently offered for sale, marmosets and capuchins. We found that prices increased with the ease of purchasing primates online and the Gross Domestic Product per capita. This overview provides insight into the nature and intricacies of the online primate pet trade and advocates for increased trade regulation and monitoring in both primate range and non-range countries where trade has been substantially reported. © 2023 The Author

Birth Outcomes in a Prospective Pregnancy-Birth Cohort Study of Environmental Risk Factors in Kuwait: The TRACER Study

Background—Rapid development and westernisation in Kuwait and other Gulf states have been accompanied by rising rates of obesity, diabetes, asthma, and other chronic conditions. Prenatal experiences and exposures may be important targets for intervention. We undertook a prospective pregnancy–birth cohort study in Kuwait, the TRansgenerational Assessment of Children’s Environmental Risk (TRACER) Study, to examine prenatal risk factors for early childhood obesity. This article describes the methodology and results of follow-up through birth. Methods—Women were recruited at antenatal clinical visits. Interviewers administered questionnaires during the pregnancy and collected and banked biological samples. Children are being followed up with quarterly maternal interviews, annual anthropometric measurements, and periodic collection of biosamples. Frequencies of birth outcomes (i.e. stillbirth, preterm birth, small and large for gestational age, and macrosomia) were calculated as a function of maternal characteristics and behaviours. Results—Two thousand four hundred seventy-eight women were enrolled, and 2254 women were followed to delivery. Overall, frequencies of stillbirth (0.6%), preterm birth (9.3%), and small for gestational age (7.4%) were comparable to other developed countries, but not strongly associated with maternal characteristics or behaviours. Macrosomia (6.1%) and large for gestational age (23.0%) were higher than expected and positively associated with pre-pregnancy maternal overweight/obesity. Conclusions—A large birth cohort has been established in Kuwait. The collected risk factors and banked biosamples will allow examination of the effects of prenatal exposures on the development of chronic disease in children. Initial results suggest that maternal overweight/obesity before pregnancy should be targeted to prevent macrosomia and its associated sequelae of childhood overweight/obesity

Global online trade in primates for pets

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe