Varietal Preferences of Erythroneura Leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) Feeding on Grapes in New York

Species composition of Erythroneura leafhoppers infesting the 3 major classes of grapes grown in New York was investigated. Eastern grape leafhopper, E. comes (Say), comprised 74-100% of populations collected on the native American (Vitis labrusca Bailey) cultivars ‘Concord', ‘Niagara', ‘Catawba' and ‘Delaware'. On interspecific hybrid (Vitis sp.) and Vitis vinifera L. cultivars, E. comes was largely absent, and 97-100% of leafhoppers collected were 2 cryptic species, E. bistrata McAtee and E. vitifex Fitch. On the native American variety ‘Elvira', a V. labrusca X V riparia Michaux hybrid, field populations were 24% E. comes and 74% the E. bistrata/vitifex complex. E. vitis (Harris), E. tricinta Fitch, and E. vulnerata Fitch were also present in commercial grapes, but never exceeded 20% of the populations sampled. Populations on wild V. riparia adjacent to vineyards were comprised of 24% E. comes, 47% E. histrata/vitifex, 19% E. vitis, and 10% E. tricinta. Dissection revealed that proportions of E. bistrata and E. vitifex in field collections, varied from 97% E. bistrata to 61% E. vitifex. Oviposition of E. comes and E. bistrata on V. vinifera, interspecific hybrid, and native American cultivars was compared in greenhouse choice tests and field no-choice tests. In choice tests, E. comes laid more eggs on Concord and Elvira than on the interspecific hybrid ‘Seyval blanc', or the V. vinifera cultivar ‘White Riesling'. E. bistrata did not oviposit on Concord when paired with either Elvira, Seyval blanc or White Riesling. When caged to grape leaves in no-choice tests, E. comes laid the most eggs on native American cultivars and the fewest on V. vinifera and interspecific hybrids; E. bistrata laid the most eggs on hybrid and V. vinifera cultivars, and very few eggs on three native American cultivars. These results show that E. bistrata and E. vitifex are the principal pest species on V. vinifera and many interspecific hybrid cultivars in New York, and that E. comes is the principal leafhopper pest on native American V. labrusca cultivar

Influence of Temperature-Driven Phenology and Photoperiodic Induction of Reproductive Diapause on Population Dynamics of Erythroneura comes (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

The influence of degree-day accumulations and photoperiodic induction of diapause on the phenology of Erythroneura Comes (Say) was investigated. In growth chamber experiments, nymphs reared at photoperiods of 710 degree days (DD) before 1 August are required to produce a 2nd generation of E. comes under climatic conditions in New York.Variationsin temperature-driven development are hypothesized to strongly influence year-to-year variability in leafhopper abundance. Degree-day accumulations by 30 June correlated well with degree-days by 1 August and may provide a useful early-warningsystem for predicting years in which leafhopper population densities are above averag

Phenology, Within-Vineyard Distribution, and Seasonal Movement of Eastern Grape Leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in New York Vineyards

Seasonal changes in within-vineyard distribution and abundance of Erythroneura comes (Say) adults and nymphs were investigated from 1989 to 1992. Trap catches of adults were highest in May and were concentrated in wooded areas next to vineyards. In 1989 and 1990 surveys, nymphal densities did not decline as distance from the vineyard edge increased. In 1991, however, nymphal densities were significantly higher at vineyard edges than in vineyard interiors in July, suggesting that oviposition initially was aggregated at vineyard edges. Subsequently, nymphal densities at vineyard edges and interiors were similar. Cumulative degree days (DD) for mean observation of first nymphs, first-generation, and second-generation peak populations, sampled at 14 vineyards in 1989, 1990, and 1991, were 390 ± 71, 648 ± 86, and 1,190 ± 154 DD (mean ± SD; base 10°C), respectively. Nymphal densities exceeded a provisional threshold of five per leaf in only 2, 25, 13, and 8% of vineyards untreated with insecticides in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992, respectively. These results show that leafhoppers do not cause economic injury in most New York vineyards in most years. Reduced insecticide strategies recently implemented for grape berry moth control will not greatly increase the need for insecticide applications directed at leafhoppers in New Yor

A stratigraphically controlled multi-proxy chronostratigraphy for the Eastern Mediterranean

An Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) 14C dated multiparameter event stratigraphy is developed for the Aegean Sea on the basis of highly resolved (centimeter to subcentimeter) multiproxy data collected from four late glacial to Holocene sediment cores. We quantify the degree of proportionality and synchroneity of sediment accumulation in these cores and use this framework to optimize the confidence levels in regional marine, radiocarbon-based chronostratigraphies. The applicability of the framework to published, lower-resolution records from the Aegean Sea is assessed. Next this is extended into the wider eastern Mediterranean, using new and previously published high-resolution data from the northern Levantine and Adriatic cores. We determine that the magnitude of uncertainties in the intercore comparison of AMS 14C datings based on planktonic foraminifera in the eastern Mediterranean is of the order of ±240 years (2 SE). These uncertainties are attributed to synsedimentary and postsedimentary processes that affect the materials dated. This study also offers a background age control that allows for vital refinements to radiocarbon-based chronostratigraphy in the eastern Mediterranean, with the potential for similar frameworks to be developed for any other well-studied region

Host-Directed Therapies for tackling Multi-Drug Resistant TB – learning from the Pasteur-Bechamp debates

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global emergency causing an estimated 1.5 million deaths annually. For several decades the major focus of TB treatment has been on antibiotic development targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). The lengthy TB treatment duration and poor treatment outcomes associated with multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) are of major concern. The sparse new TB drug pipeline and widespread emergence of MDR-TB signal an urgent need for more innovative interventions to improve treatment outcomes. Building on the historical Pasteur-Bechamp debates on the role of the ‘microbe’ versus the ‘host internal milieu’ in disease causation, we make the case for parallel investments into host-directed therapies (HDTs). A range of potential HDTs are now available which require evaluation in randomized controlled clinical trials as adjunct therapies for shortening the duration of TB therapy and improving treatment outcomes for drug-susceptible TB and MDR-TB. Funder initiatives that may enable further research into HDTs are described

Towards host-directed therapies for tuberculosis

The treatment of tuberculosis is based on combinations of drugs that directly target Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A new global initiative is now focusing on a complementary approach of developing adjunct host-directed therapies. Despite the availability of effective antibiotics for tuberculosis (TB) for the past half century, it remains an important global health problem; there are ~9 million active TB cases and ~1.5 million TB-induced deaths per year (see the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Report in Further information). Health services around the world face major barriers to achieving optimal outcomes from current TB treatment regimens. These barriers include: the spread of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB); complex and toxic treatment regimens for MDR-TB; HIV co-infection; pharmacokinetic interactions between TB drugs and antiretroviral drugs; relapse; permanent damage to lung and other tissues; long-term functional disability; immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS); and co-morbidity with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and chronic obstructive airway diseases. Another fundamental problem is the long duration of TB drug treatment (6 months for drug-sensitive TB and at least 18 months for drug-resistant TB) to achieve a cure, owing to the presence of dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli that are phenotypically resistant to current classes of anti-TB drugs, which can only target bacterial replication. There is therefore an urgent need for new TB treatments. However, the TB drug pipeline is thin1, 2. For the past 60 years, efforts to develop new treatments have focused on compounds and regimens that target M. tuberculosis directly. Recently, however, attention has focused on investigating a range of adjunct treatment interventions known as host-directed therapies (HDTs) that instead target the host response to infection. Here, we highlight the rationale for HDTs, the current portfolio of HDTs and their mechanisms of action, and a consortium-based approach to drive forward their evaluation in clinical trials

Hepatitis Vaccination of Men Who Have Sex with Men at Gay Pride Events

Prevention researchers have advocated primary prevention such as vaccination in alternative venues. However, there have been major questions about both the attendance of, and the ability to, vaccinate high-risk individuals in such settings. The current study seeks to assess the feasibility of vaccinating high-risk men who have sex with men (MSM) at Gay Pride events. The research questions are: Do gay men who are sampled at Gay Pride events engage in more or less risky behavior than gay men sampled at other venues? Do the gay men who receive hepatitis vaccinations at Gay Pride engage in more or less risky behavior than gay men at Gay Pride who do not receive hepatitis vaccination? Of the 3689 MSM that completed the Field Risk Assessment (FRA), 1095/3689 = 29.68% were recruited at either the 2006 or 2007 Long Beach, California Gay Pride events. The remaining, 2594/3689 = 70.32% were recruited at Long Beach gay bars, gay community organizations and institutions, and through street recruitment in various gay enclaves in the Long Beach area. Logistic regression analysis yielded eight factors that were associated with non-attendance of Gay Pride: Age, had sex while high in the last 12 months, had unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) in the last 12 months, had sex for drugs/money in the last 12 months, been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the last 12 months, used nitrites (poppers) in the last 12 months, and used methamphetamine in the last 12 months. Identifying as White, Asian, or African American compared to Hispanic was also associated with non-attendance. Bivariate analysis indicated that, of the MSM sampled at Gay Pride, 280/1095 = 25.57% received a hepatitis vaccination there. The MSM sampled at Gay Pride who reported engaging in UAI or having used any stimulant (cocaine, crack-cocaine, or methamphetamine) in the last 12 months were more likely to receive hepatitis vaccination on-site. The results provide evidence for the viability of successfully vaccinating high-risk MSM at Gay Pride events. However, it is vital that no-cost vaccinations are also funded in other community settings such as STI clinics, drug treatment programs, prisons, universities, and other community resource centers in order to reach those additional high-risk MSM who do not attend Gay Pride

Crop pests and predators exhibit inconsistent responses to surrounding landscape composition

The idea that noncrop habitat enhances pest control and represents a win–win opportunity to conserve biodiversity and bolster yields has emerged as an agroecological paradigm. However, while noncrop habitat in landscapes surrounding farms sometimes benefits pest predators, natural enemy responses remain heterogeneous across studies and effects on pests are inconclusive. The observed heterogeneity in species responses to noncrop habitat may be biological in origin or could result from variation in how habitat and biocontrol are measured. Here, we use a pest-control database encompassing 132 studies and 6,759 sites worldwide to model natural enemy and pest abundances, predation rates, and crop damage as a function of landscape composition. Our results showed that although landscape composition explained significant variation within studies, pest and enemy abundances, predation rates, crop damage, and yields each exhibited different responses across studies, sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing in landscapes with more noncrop habitat but overall showing no consistent trend. Thus, models that used landscape-composition variables to predict pest-control dynamics demonstrated little potential to explain variation across studies, though prediction did improve when comparing studies with similar crop and landscape features. Overall, our work shows that surrounding noncrop habitat does not consistently improve pest management, meaning habitat conservation may bolster production in some systems and depress yields in others. Future efforts to develop tools that inform farmers when habitat conservation truly represents a win–win would benefit from increased understanding of how landscape effects are modulated by local farm management and the biology of pests and their enemies

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

Finger lakes vineyard notes. Newsletter. 1999:no.14 [corrected numbering: no.2]

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