Oesophago-pericardial fistula after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: a case report.

Background: Oesophageal fistula is a rare complication of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation with most fistulas being atrio-oesophageal fistulas, but oesophageal-pericardial fistula can also happen in the absence of atrial perforation. Case summary: A 68-year-old male patient presented with chest pain 10 days after catheter ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. He was discharged after an initial negative workup that included a CT chest without contrast. He later presented again with severe chest pain and fever and was found to have an oesophageal-pericardial fistula. He underwent surgical and endoscopic treatment with good recovery. Discussion: Patients with oesophago-pericardial fistulas often have delayed presentation 1-4 weeks after the ablation procedure. Early diagnosis can be challenging. CT with oral and intravenous contrast is often used for diagnosis. Treatment often includes antibiotics, surgical or interventional drainage of infected spaces with oesophageal repair, clipping or stenting. In contrast to atrio-oesophageal fistulas that carry a high mortality rate, mortality for oesophago-pericardial fistulas appears to be much lower.

Adjunctive Right Atrial Ablation for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation With Right Atrial Enlargement: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF) is often associated with right atrial (RA) enlargement. We investigated the efficacy of RA intervention in patients with PerAF and RA enlargement. METHODS: Patients with PerAF and RA enlargement were randomised (1:1) to receive adjunctive RA ablation (left atrial [LA] + RA group; n = 60) or to receive LA ablation alone (LA-only group; n = 60). In the LA + RA group, RA ablation was performed if LA ablation failed to terminate AF. The primary end point was freedom from AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) recurrence at 12 months after a single ablation procedure without antiarrhythmic drug therapy. RESULTS: In the LA + RA group, 40 patients (67%) required RA ablation. The LA + RA group had a higher rate of acute AF termination than the LA-only group (63.3% vs 36.7%; P = 0.003). At the end of 12-month follow-up, 42 patients (70%) in the LA + RA group were free of AF/AT recurrence, compared with 31 (51.7%) in the LA-only group (log rank P = 0.034; hazard ratio 0.549, 95% confidence interval 0.310-0.974). The rate of freedom from AF recurrence was also higher in the LA + RA group than in the LA-only group (81.7% vs 63.3%; log rank P = 0.019). The 2 groups had similar rates of adverse events (5% vs 3.3%; P = 0.648). CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive RA ablation increased the success rate of a single ablation in patients with PerAF and RA enlargement. CHINESE CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR220056844.

Effects of Interaction of Protein Hydrolysate and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Effects on Citrus Growth and Expressions of Stress-Responsive Genes (Aquaporins and SOSs) under Salt Stress.

Protein hydrolysates (PHs) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are environmentally friendly biostimulants that effectively promote crop growth and alleviate the damage from abiotic stress. However, the physiological and molecular regulatory mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of PHs and AMF on growth, mineral nutrient absorption, and expression of Aquaporins and SOSs in Goutoucheng (Citrus aurantium) under salt stress. Results showed that PH application and AMF inoculation significantly promoted plant growth and enhanced mineral element absorption and sodium effluxion in citrus under salt stress. The biomass, root activity, leaves mineral nutrition contents in PHs, AMF, and combined (PHs and AMF) treatments were significantly higher than those of control. Leaves sodium content in three treatments was significantly lower than in the control. AMF and combined treatments showed dominant effects than PHs alone. Besides, PHs interacted with AMF on growth, nutrient absorption, and sodium effluxion. Importantly, AMF and PHs induced stress-responsive genes. PIP1, PIP3, SOS1, and SOS3 expression in PHs and AMF treatments was significantly higher than control. Thus, it was concluded that AMF and PHs enhanced the salt tolerance of citrus by promoting nutrient absorption and sodium effluxion via up-regulating the expression of PIPs and SOSs. The mixed application of PHs and AMF had a better effect.

[Effects of different fertilizer applications on citrus rhizosphere soil quality and arbuscular mycorrhizae colonization]. / ä¸åŒæ–½è‚¥å¤„ç†å¯¹æŸ‘æ©˜æ ¹å›´åœŸå£¤è´¨é‡åŠä¸›æžèŒæ ¹å®šæ®–çš„å½±å“.

To understand the effects of different fertilizer applications on soil quality and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization, we examined the changes in soil physical and chemical properties, mycorrhizal colonization and propagules, and their relationships in citrus under inorganic fertilization (IF), organic fertilization (OF), combined organic and inorganic fertilization (CF), and no fertilization (CK) treatments. Results showed that all fertilization treatments improved the content of rhizospheric soil organic carbon (SOC), nutrient contents, and electrical conductivity (EC). Both CF and OF significantly increased soil pH, soil aggregate stability, activities of urease, catalase, and sucrase, and the colonization and reproduction of arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) in citrus rhizosphere. However, IF treatment significantly decreased soil pH and the colonization and reproduction of AMF in citrus rhizosphere. The number of mycorrhizal colonization and propagation was positively correlated with soil aggregate stability, SOC content, total nitrogen content, total phosphorus content, urease activity, and soil pH. Combined with the principal component analysis, we concluded that application of inorganic fertilizer alone could cause soil acidification and inhibit AMF colonization in citrus orchards. In contrast, organic fertilizer combined with inorganic fertilizer in citrus could improve the soil quality and AMF colonization.

Discovery of TBX20 as a Novel Gene Underlying Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most prevalent type of sustained cardiac dysrhythmia globally, confers strikingly enhanced risks for cognitive dysfunction, stroke, chronic cardiac failure, and sudden cardiovascular demise. Aggregating studies underscore the crucial roles of inherited determinants in the occurrence and perpetuation of AF. However, due to conspicuous genetic heterogeneity, the inherited defects accounting for AF remain largely indefinite. Here, via whole-genome genotyping with genetic markers and a linkage assay in a family suffering from AF, a new AF-causative locus was located at human chromosome 7p14.2-p14.3, a ~4.89 cM (~4.43-Mb) interval between the markers D7S526 and D7S2250. An exome-wide sequencing assay unveiled that, at the defined locus, the mutation in the TBX20 gene, NM_001077653.2: c.695A>G; p.(His232Arg), was solely co-segregated with AF in the family. Additionally, a Sanger sequencing assay of TBX20 in another family suffering from AF uncovered a novel mutation, NM_001077653.2: c.862G>C; p.(Asp288His). Neither of the two mutations were observed in 600 unrelated control individuals. Functional investigations demonstrated that the two mutations both significantly reduced the transactivation of the target gene KCNH2 (a well-established AF-causing gene) and the ability to bind the promoter of KCNH2, while they had no effect on the nuclear distribution of TBX20. Conclusively, these findings reveal a new AF-causative locus at human chromosome 7p14.2-p14.3 and strongly indicate TBX20 as a novel AF-predisposing gene, shedding light on the mechanism underlying AF and suggesting clinical significance for the allele-specific treatment of AF patients.

Post-Application Field Persistence and Efficacy of Cordyceps javanica against Bemisia tabaci.

Previously, Cordyceps javanica Wf GA17, a causing agent of whitefly epizootics in southern Georgia, demonstrated superior temperature tolerance and higher virulence against the whitefly Bemisia tabaci than commercial strains in the laboratory. The post-application persistence and efficacy of this fungus against B. tabaci were compared with that of the commercially available C. javanica Apopka97 strain over a two-year field study in cotton and vegetable crops. When blastospores of both strains were applied alone, whitefly populations were not effectively suppressed. Thus, JMS stylet oil was added to fungal treatments for enhancing efficacy and persistence. For 0-day samples, all fungal treatments caused similar but significant levels of immature mortality regardless of fungal strain, propagule form (conidia vs. blastospores), and application method (alone or mixed with JMS). In follow-up samplings, Wf GA17 blastospores + JMS achieved higher control levels than other treatments in some trials, but the efficacy did not last long. The JMS oil alone caused significant mortality and suppressed whiteflies. Over 90% of spores lost viability 24 h after treatment in all fungal treatments. Across evaluation times, there was no difference between the two fungal strains (conidia or blastospores, alone or combined with JMS), but conidia persisted better than blastospores for both strains. Overall, the field persistence and efficacy of C. javanica did not last long; therefore, improved delivery methods and formulations are needed for enhancement.

Methylome and transcriptome analysis of flowering branches building of Citrus plants induced by drought stress.

Citrus plants exhibit positive floral response under water stress conditions, however, the mechanistic understanding of floral induction remains largely unexplored in water deficit. In this study, DNA methylomic and transcriptomic analyses were integrated to explore the flowering bud formation as well as branches building after light drought stress. While comparing with the conventional watering group (CK), the light drought group treated with five months (LD) showed a significant increase in the flowering branches, whereas an apparent decrease in vegetative branches. Global DNA methylation analysis showed that the LD Group acquired DNA methylation in more than 70,090 genomic regions and lost DNA methylation in about 18,421 genomic regions compared with normal watering group, this indicates that water deficiency leads to a global increase in the expression of DNA methylation in citrus. In the same time, we verified that the increase of DNA methylation level in LD group was correlated with the decrease of DNA demethylase related gene expression. Interestingly, in transcription analysis, it was found that the promoting flower genes of the LD group did not increase but decreased similarly with repressing genes, which is contrary to the intended result. Thus, we thought the lower expression of suppressors FLC and BFT were the key influencing factor to stimulate the flowering branches formation after LD treatment. Moreover, there was a strong negative correlation between the genes expression level and methylation level of the flowering induction/flower development genes. In general, we thought high global DNA methylation level induced by water deficit regulate the flowering branches building by reducing FLC and BFT genes expression.

Temporal Dynamic Alterations of Regional Homogeneity in Parkinson's Disease: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Brain activity is time varying and dynamic, even in the resting state. However, little attention has been paid to the dynamic alterations in regional brain activity in Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed to test for differences in dynamic regional homogeneity (dReHo) between PD patients and healthy controls (HCs) and to further investigate the pathophysiological meaning of this altered dReHo in PD. We included 57 PD patients and 31 HCs with rs-fMRI scans and neuropsychological examinations. Then, ReHo and dReHo were calculated for all subjects. We compared ReHo and dReHo between PD patients and HCs and then analyzed the associations between altered dReHo variability and clinical/neuropsychological measurements. Support vector machines (SVMs) were also used to assist in differentiating PD patients from HCs using the classification values of dReHo. The results showed that PD patients had increased ReHo in the bilateral medial temporal lobe and decreased ReHo in the right posterior cerebellar lobe, right precentral gyrus, and supplementary motor area, compared with controls. The coefficient of variation (CV) of dReHo was considerably higher in the precuneus in PD patients compared with HCs, and the CV of dReHo in the precuneus was found to be highly associated with HAMD, HAMA, and NMSQ scores. Multiple linear regression analysis controlling for demographic, clinical, and neuropsychiatric variables confirmed the association between altered dReHo and HAMD. Using the leave-one-out cross validation procedure, 98% (p < 0.001) of individuals were properly identified using the SVM classifier. These results provide new evidence for the aberrant resting-state brain activity in the precuneus of PD patients and its role in neuropsychiatric symptoms in PD.

Optimizing Sampling Technique Parameters for Increased Precision and Practicality in Annual Bluegrass Weevil Population Monitoring.

The annual bluegrass weevil (ABW), Listronotus maculicollis (Kirby), a significant pest of short-mown turfgrass in eastern North America, has developed widespread insecticide resistance because of excessive synthetic insecticide use. The proper monitoring of this pest may reduce insecticide applications in time and space. This study evaluated three sampling methods (soap flushing, vacuuming, and mowing) in golf course greens and fairways for monitoring adult ABW. Soap flushing was the most efficient method, especially with an 0.8% solution in two portions of 500 mL, extracting over 75% of the adults, and the extraction efficiency was not affected by the temperature or time of day. Vacuuming was more effective for recovering adult ABWs on greens (4-29% extracted) than on fairways (2-4%) but was not affected by the time of day. The extraction of adult ABWs in mower clippings was significantly affected by mowing height (higher recovery from greens versus fairways), and the efficiency decreased with the temperature. Adding a brush to the mower increased adult removal (from 15% to 24%) in greens at higher temperatures (18-25 °C); 70% of adults recovered in the clippings were unharmed. Overall, our findings suggest that soap flushing should be the preferred method for monitoring adult ABWs, and vacuuming might be a viable alternative for greens.

Multi-centre, prospective randomized comparison of three different substrate ablation strategies for persistent atrial fibrillation.

AIMS: The optimal strategy for persistent atrial fibrillation (PerAF) is poorly defined. We conducted a multicentre, randomized, prospective trial to compare the outcomes of different ablation strategies for PerAF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We enrolled 450 patients and randomly assigned them in a 1:1:1 ratio to undergo pulmonary vein isolation and subsequently undergo the following three different ablation strategies: anatomical guided ablation (ANAT group, n = 150), electrogram guided ablation (EGM group, n = 150), and extensive electro-anatomical guided ablation (EXT group, n = 150). The primary endpoint was freedom from atrial fibrillation (AF) lasting longer than 30 s at 12 months after a single ablation procedure. After 12 months of follow-up, 72% (108) of patients in the EXT group were free from AF recurrence, as compared with the 64% (96) in the EGM group (P = 0.116), and 54% (81) in the ANAT group (P = 0.002). The EXT group showed less AF/atrial tachycardia recurrence than the EGM group (60% vs. 50%, P = 0.064) and the ANAT group (60% vs. 37.3%, P < 0.001). The EXT group showed the highest rate of AF termination (66.7%), followed by 56.7% in the EGM group, and 20.7% in the ANAT group. The AF termination signified less AF recurrence at 12 months compared to patients without AF termination (30.1% vs. 42.7%, P = 0.008). Safety endpoints did not differ significantly between the three groups (P = 0.924). CONCLUSIONS: Electro-anatomical guided ablation achieved the most favourable outcomes among the three ablation strategies. The AF termination is a reliable ablation endpoint.

Development of Insecticide Resistance in Field Populations of Onion Thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae).

The present study evaluated insecticide resistance in field populations of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), collected from eight different onion-growing regions of Punjab, Pakistan. These field-collected populations were assessed for resistance development against eight commonly used active ingredients including deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, spinosad, spinetoram, cypermethrin, and abamectin. In leaf dip bioassays, T. tabaci adults showed varied levels of resistance towards different insecticides. Moderate or high levels of resistance to deltamethrin (58-86 fold), lambda-cyhalothrin (20-63 fold), and cypermethrin (22-54 fold) were observed in T. tabaci field populations. There were very low to moderate resistance levels to imidacloprid (10-38 fold), acetamiprid (5-29 fold), and abamectin (10-30 fold). The lowest levels of resistance were detected in thrips exposed to spinosad (3-13 fold) and spinetoram (3-8 fold). Insecticide resistance levels varied among populations collected from various geographic locations, but all populations exhibited elevated levels of resistance to deltamethrin. Thrips tabaci populations with higher resistance levels were most commonly found from the southern part of Punjab, Pakistan. Our findings revealed that spinosyns could be used as alternatives to conventional insecticides for the successful management of T. tabaci in onion fields.

Temporal and Spatial Changes of Proarrhythmic Substrate in Premature Ventricular Contraction-Induced Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: The changes in proarrhythmic substrates and malignant ventricular arrhythmia mechanisms caused by premature ventricular contraction-induced cardiomyopathy (PVCCM) remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to establish the electrophysiological mechanism of how high-load PVC causes malignant arrhythmia. METHODS: Thirteen swine were exposed to 50% paced PVC from the right ventricular apex for 12 weeks (PVCCM, n = 6) and no pacing for 12 weeks (control, n = 7). Cardiac function was quantified biweekly with echocardiography. Computed tomography scans and electrophysiological examinations were performed monthly to dynamically evaluate the changes in the cardiac structure and the arrhythmogenic substrate. RESULTS: The decreases in the cardiac function and ventricular enlargement in the PVCCM group were significant after 12 weeks of PVC stimulation compared with the control group (P < 0.001). Electrophysiological examination found that the ventricular effective refractory period dispersion (0.071 ± 0.008), area of the low-voltage zone (9.41 ± 1.55 cm2), and malignant ventricular arrhythmia inducibility (33.3%) of the PVCCM group increased significantly at week 8 after pacing (P < 0.001 vs the control group); these changes slowed down after 8 weeks. Moreover, the distribution of the low-voltage zone presented obvious spatial heterogeneity, especially in the anterior wall of the right ventricle, accompanied by delayed activation in the sinus rhythm (67 ± 13 milliseconds). Consistently, the proportion of ventricular fibrosis- and expression-related proteins were significantly increased in the PVCCM group (P < 0.001), especially in the right ventricle. Moreover, proteomic analysis confirmed the spatial profile of these fibrotic changes in the PVCCM group. CONCLUSIONS: High-burden PVC can cause significant temporal and spatial heterogeneity changes in proarrhythmic substrates, which are potentially related to the upregulation of calcium signaling caused by asynchronous activation.

Tolerance of Steinernema carpocapsae infective juveniles in novel nanoparticle formulations to ultraviolet radiation.

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are susceptible to abiotic environmental factors including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which affects the survival and efficacy. This study evaluated nanoparticle (NP) formulations for protecting Steinernema carpocapsae infective juveniles (IJs) from UV radiation. First, silica-NH2 NPs at oil-to-water ratios of 2:8, 3:7 and 4:6 were compared with Barricade Fire Gel (1 % and 2 %) and a water control (aqueous IJs) by exposing IJs to UV light (254 nm) for 0, 10 and 20 min. Barricade gel (especially 2 % Barricade) significantly improved IJs viability after UV treatment, while all three NPs had adverse effects on IJ viability after UV radiation. Subsequently, two silica (SiO2 basic and advanced) and one titania (TiO2) based formulations were tested with Barricade (1 % and 2 %) and a water control. The titania-NH2 NPs provided the highest UV protection, and IJ viability and virulence were not reduced even after 20-min UV. Except TiO2, only 2 % Barricade at 10-min UV and SiO2 basic at 20-min UV had lower IJ mortality than the water control. Only TiO2 formulated IJs caused higher insect mortality and infection levels than aqueous IJs after UV treatment. The UV tolerance of TiO2 was further examined by assessing the number of nematodes invading the hosts. Consistent with virulence tests, the number of invading nematodes in titania-NH2 NPs did not decrease after UV radiation for 10 or 20 min compared with the no-UV control. The anti-UV capability of titania-NH2 NPs has promise as a tool to enhance biocontrol efficacy of EPNs under field conditions.

Value of estimated glucose disposal rate to detect prevalent left ventricular hypertrophy: implications from a general population.

BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance plays a pivotal role in developing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Researchers have identified the estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) as a simple and cost-effective surrogate of insulin resistance. Our work aims to investigate the association between eGDR and the prevalent LVH and explore the incremental value of eGDR to detect prevalent LVH. METHODS: The present work enrolled 3839 subjects from a cross-sectional survey conducted between October 2019 to April 2020 in the rural areas of southeastern China. eGDR was calculated based on waist-to-hip circumference ratio, hypertension, and glycated hemoglobin. RESULTS: The prevalence of LVH was 17.30%. After adjusting demographic, anthropometric, laboratory, and medical history co-variates, each standard deviation increase of eGDR decreased a 29.6% risk of prevalent LVH. When dividing eGDR into quartiles, the top quartile had a 38.4% risk compared to the bottom quartile. Moreover, smooth curve fitting revealed that the association between eGDR and prevalent LVH was linear in the whole range of eGDR. Additionally, subgroup analysis demonstrated that our main finding was robust to age, sex, BMI, hypertension, and diabetes subgroups. Finally, ROC analysis exhibited a significant improvement by adding eGDR into LVH risk factors (0.780 vs. 0.803, P < 0.001), and category-free net reclassification index (0.702, P < 0.001) and integrated discrimination index (0.027, P < 0.001) also confirmed the improvement from eGDR to detect prevalent LVH. CONCLUSION: Our analysis revealed a linear, robust association between eGDR and prevalent LVH and demonstrated the incremental value of eGDR to optimize the detection of prevalent LVH.

A novel approach for quantitative electrogram analysis for driver identification: Implications for ablation in persistent atrial fibrillation.

Objective: This study sought to study the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of using multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis to guide catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (PsAF) and predict ablation outcomes. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 108 patients undergoing initial ablation for PsAF. MSE was calculated based on bipolar intracardiac electrograms (iEGMs) to measure the dynamical complexity of biological signals. The iEGMs data were exported after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), then calculated in a customed platform, and finally re-annotated into the CARTO system. After PVI, regions of the highest mean MSE (mMSE) values were ablated in descending order until AF termination, or three areas had been ablated. Results: Baseline characteristics were evenly distributed between the AF termination (n = 38, 35.19%) and the non-termination group. The RA-to-LA mean MSE (mMSE) gradient demonstrated a positive gradient in the non-termination group and a negative gradient in the termination group (0.105 ± 0.180 vs. -0.235 ± 0.256, P < 0.001). During a 12-month follow-up, 29 patients (26.9%) had arrhythmia recurrence after single ablation, and 18 of them had AF (62.1%). The termination group had lower rates of arrhythmia recurrence (15.79 vs. 32.86%, Log-Rank P = 0.053) and AF recurrence (10.53 vs. 20%, Log-Rank P = 0.173) after single ablation and a lower rate of arrhythmia recurrence (7.89 vs. 27.14%, Log-Rank P = 0.018) after repeated ablation. Correspondingly, subjects with negative RA-to-LA mMSE gradient had lower incidences of arrhythmia (16.67 vs. 35%, Log-Rank P = 0.028) and AF (16.67 vs. 35%, Log-Rank P = 0.032) recurrence after single ablation and arrhythmia recurrence after repeated ablation (12.5 vs. 26.67%, Log-Rank P = 0.062). Marginal peri-procedural safety outcomes were observed. Conclusion: MSE analysis-guided driver ablation in addition to PVI for PsAF could be feasible, efficient, and safe. An RA < LA mMSE gradient before ablation could predict freedom from arrhythmia. The RA-LA MSE gradient could be useful for guiding ablation strategy selection.

Differentiation of Developmental Pathways Results in Different Life-History Patterns between the High and Low Latitudinal Populations in the Asian Corn Borer.

Individual insects often exhibit two alternative pathways of non-diapausing and diapausing developments. Yet, most studies have focused on the latitudinal variation in life-history traits for non-diapausing individuals. No study has examined the differences in life history traits between non-diapausing and diapausing individuals along a latitudinal gradient. We used six different geographical populations of Ostrinia furnacalis to examine the latitudinal variation in life-history traits between non-diapausing and diapausing individuals in terms of their sex ratio, larval and pupal developmental times, pupal weight, growth rate, adult weight and weight loss, and sexual size dimorphism. The results showed that latitudinal variation in life-history traits for both non-diapausing and diapausing individuals exhibited a sawtooth pattern, but the life-history pattern of the two alternative developmental pathways was significantly different between the high and low latitudes. For the non-diapausing pathway, the high-latitudinal populations showed a significantly shorter larval developmental time, higher growth rate and greater body weight than the low-latitudinal populations, suggesting countergradient variation. Conversely, in the diapausing pathway, the high-latitudinal populations had longer larval developmental times, lower growth rates and relatively smaller body weights than the low-latitudinal populations, suggesting cogradient variation. We also found that in the high-latitudinal populations, larvae in the non-diapausing pathway had shorter developmental time and higher body weight, whereas larval developmental time of the low-latitudinal populations was longer and the body weight was smaller. The relationship between larval developmental time and pupal weight was also different between the two developmental pathways. These results provide new insights into the evolution of life-history traits in this moth.

Insecticidal Activity of a Petroleum-Derived Spray Oil and an Organosilicone Surfactant on Listronotus maculicollis (Kirby) Adults in Laboratory and Greenhouse Bioassays.

The annual bluegrass weevil (ABW), Listronotus maculicollis (Kirby), is a severe pest of golf course turf in eastern North America. The development of pyrethroid- and multiple-resistant populations has created a dire need for novel tactics to control adults. We examined the insecticidal properties of a petroleum-derived spray oil (PDSO; Civitas Turf Defense™.) and an organosilicone, nonionic soil surfactant (Silwet L-77®) in laboratory and greenhouse bioassays. Civitas and Silwet killed > 75% of ABW adults in multiple assays. The level of control was positively affected by increased rate, spray application volume, and soil moisture levels. Dissections of weevils treated with Civitas revealed material entering the insect's hemocoel after 15−30 min, though most mortality occurred between the 3 and 24 h observation periods. Reducing rates while increasing carrier volume or soil moisture levels through irrigation applied prior to or after application also provided excellent control of adults in the same observation periods. Silwet provided comparable, yet less consistent levels of control in the laboratory studies but was excluded from further tests after treated plants demonstrated phytotoxicity in greenhouse studies. Neither Silwet nor Civitas efficacy was affected by pyrethroid resistance levels in the ABW populations tested.

Individual Coating of Entomopathogenic Nematodes with Titania (TiO2) Nanoparticles Based on Oil-in-Water Pickering Emulsion: A New Formulation for Biopesticides.

This study presents a new eco-friendly formulation of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) based on individual coating of EPNs with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) and mineral oil via oil-in-water Pickering emulsions. Mineral oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by amine-functionalized titanium dioxide (TiO2-NH2) particles were prepared. 40:60 and 50:50 oil-water volume ratios using 2 wt % TiO2-NH2 particles were found to be the most stable emulsions with a droplet size suitable for the formulation and were further studied for their toxicity against the incorporated EPNs. Carboxyfluorescein was covalently bonded to TiO2-NH2 NPs, and the resulting composite was observed via fluorescence confocal microscopy. The dry coating was evaluated using SEM and confocal microscopy, which showed significant nematode coverage by the particles and oil. The final formulation was biocompatible with the studied EPNs, where the viability of the EPNs in the formulation was equivalent to control aqueous suspension after 120 days. Finally, yields of nematodes from infected Galleria mellonella cadavers collected for 150 days showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) using the tested emulsions compared to the control containing nematodes in water.

Usefulness of Triglyceride-glucose index for detecting prevalent atrial fibrillation in a type 2 diabetic population.

OBJECTIVES: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmias, which significantly jeopardizes global cardiovascular health through the complicated heart failure and stroke. Published studies have demonstrated the impact of insulin resistance on the genesis of AF. Hence, monitoring insulin resistance may be a possible way to improve the detection of early-stage AF. Accordingly, our work aimed to investigate the association between TyG, a surrogate of insulin resistance, and the prevalent AF, and to evaluate the potential of TyG to refine the detection of prevalent AF in a diabetic population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was derived from the National Metabolic Management Center Program and included 3244 diabetic patients between September 2017 and December 2020. TyG was calculated as ln[fasting TG (mg/ dL)× FPG (mg/dL)/2]. AF was diagnosed according to electrocardiography and subjects' self-reports. RESULTS: The prevalence of AF was 6.57%. In the fully adjusted model, each SD elevation of TyG cast a 40.6% additional risk for prevalent AF. In the quartile analysis, the top quartile showed a 2.120 times risk of prevalent AF compared with the bottom quartile. Smooth curve fitting demonstrated that the association was linear in the full range of TyG, and subgroup analysis suggested that the association was robust in several common subpopulations of AF. Furthermore, ROC results displayed an improvement for the detection of prevalent AF when adding TyG into conventional cardiovascular risk factors (0.812vs.0.825, P = 0.019), and continuous net reclassification index (0.227, 95% CI: 0.088-0.365, P = 0.001) and integrated discrimination index (0.007, 95% CI: 0.001-0.012, P = 0.026) also showed the improvement achieved by TyG. CONCLUSION: Our data supported a linear and robust correlation between TyG and the prevalent AF in a diabetic population. Moreover, our results implicated the potential usefulness of TyG to refine the detection of prevalent AF in a diabetic population.