Pollination and protection against herbivory of Nepalese Coelogyninae (Orchidaceae)

• Premise of the Study: Although many species in the orchid genus Coelogyne are horticulturally popular, hardly anything is known about their pollination. Pollinators of three species were observed in the fi eld in Nepal. This information is urgently needed because many orchid species in Nepal are endangered. Whether the exudates produced by extrafl oral nectaries played a role in protection against herbivory was also investigated. • Methods: Pollinators of C. fl accida , C. nitida , and Otochilus albus were filmed, captured, and identifi ed. Ant surveys and exclusion experiments were carried out. To investigate whether pollinators are needed for fruit set, plants were wrapped in mesh wire bags. Infl orescence stems were examined with microscopy. Fehling ’ s reagent was used to detect sugars in extrafl oral exudates. • Key Results: Coelogyne fl accida and C. nitida need pollinators to set fruit and are pollinated by wild bees identifi ed as Apiscerana . Otochilus albus was found to be pollinated by Bombus kashmirensis. Extrafl oral nectar was found to be exuded by nectary-modifi ed stomata and contained high amounts of sugars. Different species of ants were observed collecting these exudates. A signifi cant difference was found in damage infl icted by fl ower and leaf-eating beetles between C. nitida plants living in trees with ant nests and those in ant-free trees. • Conclusions: Floral syndromes include scented and colored trap fl owers without reward to their pollinators. All orchids investigated exude extrafl oral nectar by nectary-modifi ed stomata. This nectar was found to fl ow from the phloem to the stomata through intercellular spaces in the outer parenchymatous layer of the inflorescence

Pollination and protection against herbivory of Nepalese Coelogyninae (Orchydaceae).

• Premise of the Study: Although many species in the orchid genus Coelogyne are horticulturally popular, hardly anything is known about their pollination. Pollinators of three species were observed in the field in Nepal. This information is urgently needed because many orchid species in Nepal are endangered. Whether the exudates produced by extrafloral nectaries played a role in protection against herbivory was also investigated. • Methods: Pollinators of C. flaccida, C. nitida, and Otochilus albus were filmed, captured, and identified. Ant surveys and exclusion experiments were carried out. To investigate whether pollinators are needed for fruit set, plants were wrapped in mesh wire bags. Inflorescence stems were examined with microscopy. Fehling’s reagent was used to detect sugars in extrafloral exudates. • Key Results: Coelogyne flaccida and C. nitida need pollinators to set fruit and are pollinated by wild bees identified as Apis cerana. Otochilus albus was found to be pollinated by Bombus kashmirensis. Extrafloral nectar was found to be exuded by nectary-modified stomata and contained high amounts of sugars. Different species of ants were observed collecting these exudates. A significant difference was found in damage inflicted by flower and leaf-eating beetles between C. nitida plants living in trees with ant nests and those in ant-free trees. • Conclusions: Floral syndromes include scented and colored trap flowers without reward to their pollinators. All orchids investigated exude extrafloral nectar by nectary-modified stomata. This nectar was found to flow from the phloem to the stomata through intercellular spaces in the outer parenchymatous layer of the inflorescence

Podridão por Fusicoccum em mangas submetidas a baixas doses de radiação gama Fusicoccum rot in mangoes submitted to low doses of gamma irradiation

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da radiação gama em doses baixas no controle pós-colheita da podridão por Fusicoccum em manga 'Tommy Atkins', bem como avaliar o efeito desse método sobre as características físico-químicas da fruta. Frutos aparentemente livres de doenças no estádio de maturação 1,5 foram inoculados com 10 &#956;L de suspensão de Fusicoccum parvum a 10(6) conídios mL-1. Após a inoculação, os frutos foram irradiados com as doses de 0,24, 0,35 e 0,45 kGy e armazenados a 13ºC, durante 15 dias, seguidos de mais seis dias em temperatura ambiente, a 25ºC. A dose mais alta de radiação gama foi eficiente em retardar o desenvolvimento da doença em razão do atraso causado na maturação das frutas. Não houve efeito significativo da radiação sobre as características físico-químicas das frutas. Os frutos mantiveram características ideais para comercialização, mesmo após o armazenamento refrigerado, com a presença de filme plástico, por 15 dias.<br>This study aimed to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation in low doses on the postharvest control of 'Tommy Atkins' mango rot caused by Fusicoccum, and to evaluate the effect of this method on the physicochemical characteristics of the fruit. Fruits in ripening stage 1,5 and apparently free of disease were inoculated with 10 &#956;L of a Fusicoccum parvum suspension at 10(6) conidia mL-1. They were gamma irradiated with the doses 0.24, 0.35 and 0.45 kGy, and stored under 13°C for 15 days, followed by a further six days at room temperature, 25°C. The higher dose of gamma radiation was effective in delaying the disease development due to fruit delayed maturation. No significant effect of radiation was observed on fruit physicochemical characteristics. Fruit maintained ideal commercialization features even after cold storage, in the presence of plastic film, for 15 days

Ultrafast optical spectroscopy of strongly correlated materials and high-temperature superconductors: a non-equilibrium approach

In the last two decades non-equilibrium spectroscopies have evolved from avant-garde studies to crucial tools for expanding our understanding of the physics of strongly correlated materials. The possibility of obtaining simultaneously spectroscopic and temporal information has led to insights that are complementary to (and in several cases beyond) those attainable by studying the matter at equilibrium. From this perspective, multiple phase transitions and new orders arising from competing interactions are benchmark examples where the interplay among electrons, lattice and spin dynamics can be disentangled because of the different timescales that characterize the recovery of the initial ground state. For example, the nature of the broken-symmetry phases and of the bosonic excitations that mediate the electronic interactions, eventually leading to superconductivity or other exotic states, can be revealed by observing the sub-picosecond dynamics of impulsively excited states. Furthermore, recent experimental and theoretical developments have made it possible to monitor the time-evolution of both the single-particle and collective excitations under extreme conditions, such as those arising from strong and selective photo-stimulation. These developments are opening the way for new, non-equilibrium phenomena that can eventually be induced and manipulated by short laser pulses. Here, we review the most recent achievements in the experimental and theoretical studies of the non-equilibrium electronic, optical, structural and magnetic properties of correlated materials. The focus will be mainly on the prototypical case of correlated oxides that exhibit unconventional superconductivity or other exotic phases. The discussion will also extend to other topical systems, such as iron-based and organic superconductors, (Formula presented.) and charge-transfer insulators. With this review, the dramatically growing demand for novel experimental tools and theoretical methods, models and concepts, will clearly emerge. In particular, the necessity of extending the actual experimental capabilities and the numerical and analytic tools to microscopically treat the non-equilibrium phenomena beyond the simple phenomenological approaches represents one of the most challenging new frontiers in physics

Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived with Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for 29 Cancer Groups from 2010 to 2019: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Importance: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden. Objective: To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019. Evidence Review: The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 and over the past decade. Estimates are also provided by quintiles of the SDI, a composite measure of educational attainment, income per capita, and total fertility rate for those younger than 25 years. Estimates include 95 uncertainty intervals (UIs). Findings: In 2019, there were an estimated 23.6 million (95 UI, 22.2-24.9 million) new cancer cases (17.2 million when excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 10.0 million (95 UI, 9.36-10.6 million) cancer deaths globally, with an estimated 250 million (235-264 million) DALYs due to cancer. Since 2010, these represented a 26.3 (95 UI, 20.3-32.3) increase in new cases, a 20.9 (95 UI, 14.2-27.6) increase in deaths, and a 16.0 (95 UI, 9.3-22.8) increase in DALYs. Among 22 groups of diseases and injuries in the GBD 2019 study, cancer was second only to cardiovascular diseases for the number of deaths, years of life lost, and DALYs globally in 2019. Cancer burden differed across SDI quintiles. The proportion of years lived with disability that contributed to DALYs increased with SDI, ranging from 1.4 (1.1-1.8) in the low SDI quintile to 5.7 (4.2-7.1) in the high SDI quintile. While the high SDI quintile had the highest number of new cases in 2019, the middle SDI quintile had the highest number of cancer deaths and DALYs. From 2010 to 2019, the largest percentage increase in the numbers of cases and deaths occurred in the low and low-middle SDI quintiles. Conclusions and Relevance: The results of this systematic analysis suggest that the global burden of cancer is substantial and growing, with burden differing by SDI. These results provide comprehensive and comparable estimates that can potentially inform efforts toward equitable cancer control around the world.. © 2021 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Impact of COVID-19 on Cardiovascular Testing in the United States Versus the Rest of the World

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-U.S. institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p &lt; 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection