Odour-mediated orientation of beetles is influenced by age, sex and morph

The behaviour of insects is dictated by a combination of factors and may vary considerably between individuals, but small insects are often considered en masse and thus these differences can be overlooked. For example, the cowpea bruchid Callosobruchus maculatus F. exists naturally in two adult forms: the active (flight) form for dispersal, and the inactive (flightless), more fecund but shorter-lived form. Given that these morphs show dissimilar biology, it is possible that they differ in odour-mediated orientation and yet studies of this species frequently neglect to distinguish morph type, or are carried out only on the inactive morph. Along with sex and age of individual, adult morph could be an important variable determining the biology of this and similar species, informing studies on evolution, ecology and pest management. We used an olfactometer with motion-tracking to investigate whether the olfactory behaviour and orientation of C. maculatus towards infested and uninfested cowpeas and a plant-derived repellent compound, methyl salicylate, differed between morphs or sexes. We found significant differences between the behaviour of male and female beetles and beetles of different ages, as well as interactive effects of sex, morph and age, in response to both host and repellent odours. This study demonstrates that behavioural experiments on insects should control for sex and age, while also considering differences between adult morphs where present in insect species. This finding has broad implications for fundamental entomological research, particularly when exploring the relationships between physiology, behaviour and evolutionary biology, and the application of crop protection strategies

Descriptive analysis of epidemiological, clinical, biochemical and radiological data in a cohort of urinary tract infection in adult patients

Objectives: Research of Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) has often been limited to not giving comprehensive associations. Documenting the renal outcomes is important in management of UTIs. To describe and analyze of relationships in epidemiological, clinical, biochemical and radiological data in a cohort of urinary tract infection in adult patients and their renal outcomes Method: Analysis was carried out among 356 patients who were admitted to base hospital, Elpitiya during the period of 1/1/2011 – 31/12/2011.  We documented histories, QHT charts, biochemical report such as FBC, UFR, BU, Serum Creatinine (S.Cr) and Ultra sound scan reports reported by radiologist used in the study. Data were tabulated and analyzed using a statistical package. Results: Among 356 patients, 74.4% were females and 25.6% were males and 70.7% of them were above 40 years. In the sample, 39.53% (n=136) did not have fever as their presenting complaint on admission. There were 58 patients with pyelonephrittis, who were diagnosed clinically, biochemically and radiologically (16.3%) from all UTI.other patients had cystitis. Among pyelonephrittis patients, 20.1%   of patients (n=12) were found to have elevated S.Cr (3.4% from whole sample). There were 102 NCD (28.6%) patients with commonly diabetic and 10 Chronic Kidney Disease patients. Surprisingly, 8 patients among cystitis group were found to have elevated S.Cr in the background of not having any clinical or radiological evidence of pyelinephrittis and history of diagnosed CKD. Conclusions: We found that high prevalence of UTI patients presented without fever and there were high probability in both pyelonephrittis and cystitis patients to develop AKI.

Melanoma Epidemiology and Prevention.

The epidemiology of melanoma is complex, and individual risk depends on sun exposure, host factors, and genetic factors, and in their interactions as well. Sun exposure can be classified as intermittent, chronic, or cumulative (overall) exposure, and each appears to have a different effect on type of melanoma. Other environmental factors, such as chemical exposures-either through occupation, atmosphere, or food-may increase risk for melanoma, and this area warrants further study. Host factors that are well known to be important are the numbers and types of nevi and the skin phenotype. Genetic factors are classified as high-penetrant genes, moderate-risk genes, or low-risk genetic polymorphisms. Subtypes of tumors, such as BRAF-mutated tumors, have different risk factors as well as different therapies. Prevention of melanoma has been attempted using various strategies in specific subpopulations, but to date optimal interventions to reduce incidence have not emerged