Commemorating 50 Years (1967-2017) 50th Anniversary Celebratory Volume, Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS); Indian Society of Weed Science (ISWS), India and The Weed Science Society of Japan (WSSJ)

The impetus for this 50th Anniversary Celebratory Volume of the Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS) came from our firm conviction of the immense effort by the Society’s founding fathers, and those who followed in their footsteps, to nurture the discipline in a way beneficial to the people and cultures in the Asian-Pacific region. After 50 years of existence, there is reason for the success of this ‘interchange’ of knowledge and association of like-minded people, to be celebrated. In this Celebratory Volume, with contributions from several members, we have attempted to contextualize the contributions of the APWSS, in terms of its origin and development, as well as its activities, which are firmly rooted in promoting the understanding of weeds and responsibly managing weed impacts with appropriate methods..

Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society: A Glimpse of the Past 50 Years and Perspectives

Since the mid-1940s, exciting discoveries of new herbicides led to noticeable improvements in weed control in many crops over the following two decades, leading to yield increases. However, the optimism of achieving weed control through herbicides alone was short-lived. The harmful effects caused by an overuse of chemicals were felt through the 1950s, igniting the need for ecological thinking to understand weeds prior to their control. This is why Weed Science took an important change in direction in the late-1950s to encompass studies of weed biology and, ecology - to anchor the evolving discipline in a broader agro-ecological context. As the World’s population increased dramatically in the 1960s, in the Asian-Pacific region, there was a deeply-felt need to improve weed control to increase food production. In 1967, the Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS) was born to promote an exchange of ideas on weed control across the region, including the use of herbicides. The period of ecological enlightenment (1960 to 1975) led to weeds being understood as ‘colonizing species’. Colonizing species opportunistically capture resources created by habitat disturbances caused naturally, or by human activities. The placement of weed studies within this ecological framework broadened the discipline to include sustainable weed control practices promoted through the vehicle of Integrated Weed Management (IWM). As a result, discourses in Weed Science, including those at the APWSS, from around the late-1980s, expanded to cover biological and ecological aspects of weeds, as well as mechanisms of crop-weed interactions (i.e. competition, allelopathy, and critical weed-free periods). This trend has continued in recent decades, causing a paradigm shift - from herbicide dominated weed control to Weed Science. In more recent times, research in the Asian-Pacific region has focused on reducing a dependence on herbicides, in favour of integrated weed management (IWM). Management of herbicide resistance in weeds; understanding the potential impacts of climate change and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture; and special weed problems, such as weedy rice, dominate the APWSS research agenda. Reducing conflicts between weeds and men, through a recognition of the redeeming value of weeds and utilization of weeds as bio-resources are also emerging as topics of interest. In our time, when the need to increase the output of food for the rising population of the world is acutely felt, and interlinked human impacts on the globe are accelerating, the scope of Weed Science cannot but expand. The major challenges humans face in this second decade of the 21st Century will encourage us to deeply reflect on our relationship with weeds. We hope that Weed Science will help us learn from weeds that ‘co-existence’ and austerity are virtues for the future survival of our species

Rice Weed Management in the Asian-Pacific Region: An Overview

Rice yields increased several folds in many areas of the Asian-Pacific region, since the mid-1960s, due to introduction and adoption of new rice cultivars and associated improved production methods including weed management. The most commonly used weed control methods in rice include manual weeding, land preparation, cultural methods, such as manipulating the cultivar grown and planting density, water level management, herbicide application, crop rotations, crop residues use and management. Over the years, these methods have been integrated with preventative weed control (such as clean seeds and clean equipment) and where possible, biological control. Herbicide resistance in rice weeds, shifts in weed floras and climate change pose new and major challenges in the Asian-Pacific region for increasing rice productivity further in a sustainable manner. Despite the research, allelopathic rice accessions or cultivars are yet to make a major impact in rice weed management in on-farm situations. Over the past 50-60 years, a large corpus of knowledge has been developed in Asian-Pacific region on both constraints and opportunities in rice cultivation, including those posed by weeds. Direct-seeding of rice is now favoured over transplanting by farmers in many countries. To sustain productivity and increase rice yields, weed scientists in the region must build on the existing knowledge of ecological and biological attributes of rice weeds and apply well established principles of weed management. Whilst herbicides may continue to play an important role, particularly, in managing specific and serious problems, such as ‘weedy rice’, over-reliance on herbicides is not likely to be beneficial to the Asian-Pacific region in the long run. Instead, attention should be on developing holistic, country-specific, or region-specific rice weed management packages, integrated with cultivar-specific recommendations. The success of better management of weeds in rice-field will depend on recognizing that weeds are but only one major constraint to increasing rice yields and on applying natural resource management principles, with appreciation of the broader socio-economic factors that influence farmers decision making

EQ-5D-3L Derived Population Norms for Health Related Quality of Life in Sri Lanka

Background Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is an important outcome measure in health economic evaluation that guides health resource allocations. Population norms for HRQoL are an essential ingredient in health economics and in the evaluation of population health. The aim of this study was to produce EQ-5D-3L-derived population norms for Sri Lanka. Method A population sample (n =  780) was selected from four districts of Sri Lanka. A stratified cluster sampling approach with probability proportionate to size was employed. Twenty six clusters of 30 participants each were selected; each participant completed the EQ-5D-3L in a face-to-face interview. Utility weights for their EQ-5D-3L health states were assigned using the Sri Lankan EQ-5D-3L algorithm. The population norms are reported by age and socio-economic variables. Results The EQ-5D-3L was completed by 736 people, representing a 94% response rate. Sixty per cent of the sample reported being in full health. The percentage of people responding to any problems in the five EQ-5D-3L dimensions increased with age. The mean EQ-5D-3L weight was 0.85 (SD 0.008; 95%CI 0.84-0.87). The mean EQ-5D-3L weight was significantly associated with age, housing type, disease experience and religiosity. People above 70 years of age were 7.5 times more likely to report mobility problems and 3.7 times more likely to report pain/discomfort than those aged 18-29 years. Those with a tertiary education were five times less likely to report any HRQoL problems than those without a tertiary education. A person living in a shanty was 4.3 more likely to have problems in usual activities than a person living in a single house. Conclusion The population norms in Sri Lanka vary with socio-demographic characteristics. The socioeconomically disadvantaged have a lower HRQoL. The trends of population norms observed in this lower middle income country were generally similar to those previously reported in high income countries

Evaluation of pigeonpea accessions and selected lines for reaction to Maruca

Maruca vitrata (Geyer) is a serious insect pest of tropical legumes. In Sri Lanka, yield losses due to Maruca damage in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] range up to 100%. The development of resistant cultivars and germplasm is one of the best means of control. The objectives of this study were to screen 271 accessions for resistance to M. vitrata and evaluate reaction of lines selected from the promising accessions. The high level of natural incidence of Maruca in Sri Lanka provided an opportunity for evaluation of germplasm at Field Crops Research and Development Institute, Maha Illuppallama. Screening of the germplasm accessions revealed large variation in Maruca damage to flowers and pods. On average, the Maruca damage in determinate accessions (66–75%) was higher than that of nondeterminate accessions (41–50%). Resistant plants from four determinate and 12 nondeterminate accessions were selected. Further selection for resistance to Maruca damage among and within lines derived from the resistant plants was exercised for six generations under nonsprayed field conditions. Under insecticide-free conditions, the selections from two accessions showed significant yield advantages over controls. Data on pod damage and larval counts indicated that the resistance was conditioned through yield compensation mechanisms. In pigeonpea, this is the first report of the selection of Maruca resistant lines. Further studies showed that by using the resistant genotypes it is possible to reduce the number of insecticide sprays for economic yields

Under-reporting of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders: an analysis of hospital episode statistics

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Internationally, 0.97 per 1,000 live births are affected by foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). However, prevalence intelligence has been limited in the UK, hindering the development of appropriate services. This analysis compares hospital admissions over time, between regions and with alcohol-related admissions for adult females to assess whether established patterns (such as the North experiencing elevated harms) can be identified.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective analysis of hospital admissions data (April 2002 to March 2008) for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)-related conditions: foetal alcohol syndrome (dysmorphic) (n = 457); foetus and newborn affected by maternal use of alcohol (n = 157); maternal care for (suspected) damage to foetus from alcohol (n = 285); and 322,161 women admitted due to alcohol-related conditions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Whilst the rate of admission for alcohol-related conditions in women aged 15-44 years increased significantly by 41% between 2002/03 and 2007/08 (p < 0.0001), no such increases were seen in the numbers of FASD-related conditions (all p < 0.05). Established regional rates of admission for alcohol-related conditions in women aged 15-44 years old were not associated with admission for FASD-related conditions.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It would be expected that the North West and North East regions, known to have higher levels of alcohol harm would have higher levels of FASD-related conditions. However, this was not reflected in the incidence of such conditions, suggesting under-reporting. With incomplete datasets, intelligence systems are severely limited, hampering efforts to develop targeted interventions. Improvements to intelligence systems, practitioner awareness and screening are essential in tackling this.</p

Clinical utility of combinatorial pharmacogenomic testing in depression: A Canadian patient- and rater-blinded, randomized, controlled trial

The pharmacological treatment of depression consists of stages of trial and error, with less than 40% of patients achieving remission during first medication trial. However, in a large, randomized-controlled trial (RCT) in the U.S. (“GUIDED”), significant improvements in response and remission rates were observed in patients who received treatment guided by combinatorial pharmacogenomic testing, compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU). Here we present results from the Canadian “GAPP-MDD” RCT. This 52-week, 3-arm, multi-center, participant- and rater-blinded RCT evaluated clinical outcomes among patients with depression whose treatment was guided by combinatorial pharmacogenomic testing compared to TAU. The primary outcome was symptom improvement (change in 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, HAM-D17) at week 8. Secondary outcomes included response (≥50% decrease in HAM-D17) and remission (HAM-D17 ≤ 7) at week 8. Numerically, patients in the guided-care arm had greater symptom improvement (27.6% versus 22.7%), response (30.3% versus 22.7%), and remission rates (15.7% versus 8.3%) compared to TAU, although these differences were not statistically significant. Given that the GAPP-MDD trial was ultimately underpowered to detect statistically significant differences in patient outcomes, it was assessed in parallel with the larger GUIDED RCT. We observed that relative improvements in response and remission rates were consistent between the GAPP-MDD (33.0% response, 89.0% remission) and GUIDED (31.0% response, 51.0% remission) trials. Together with GUIDED, the results from the GAPP-MDD trial indicate that combinatorial pharmacogenomic testing can be an effective tool to help guide depression treatment in the context of the Canadian healthcare setting (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02466477)

The catatonic dilemma expanded

Catatonia is a common syndrome that was first described in the literature by Karl Kahlbaum in 1874. The literature is still developing and remains unclear on many issues, especially classification, diagnosis, and pathophysiology. Clinicians caring for psychiatric patients with catatonic syndromes continue to face many dilemmas in diagnosis and treatment. We discuss many of the common problems encountered in the care of a catatonic patient, and discuss each problem with a review of the literature. Focus is on practical aspects of classification, epidemiology, differential diagnosis, treatment, medical comorbidity, cognition, emotion, prognosis, and areas for future research in catatonic syndromes