Degree-day models for predicting adult Delia platura (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) spring flight and first emergence in New York State.

The seedcorn maggot, Delia platura (Meigen), is a pest affecting many crops, including corn. The early spring emergence of adults and belowground seed damage by maggots leave no room for rescue treatments during the short growing season in New York State. Degree-day (DD) models play a crucial role in predicting insect emergence and adult peak activity and are essential for effective pest management. The current D. platura DD model was launched on the Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA) in 2022, using existing scientific literature from other North American regions. The NEWA model predicted adult D. platura first emergence at an average of 471 (39°F) DD in 2022. To gain an accurate and precise understanding of D. platura adult spring emergence and activity, we used interpolated temperature data to calculate the DD for each specific location where adults were captured in the field. DD calculations were performed using the average method, setting a biofix on January 1st and a base temperature of 39°F. In 2023, overwintering adults emerged at an average of 68 DD, and in 2022, adult activity was registered at an average of 282 DD. Accurately predicting the emergence of D. platura could contribute to informing integrated pest management strategies that incorporate timing and cultural practices over chemical solutions to protect crops and the environment.

Statins and Gliomas: A Systematic Review of the Preclinical Studies and Meta-Analysis of the Clinical Literature.

BACKGROUND: Gliomas represent most common primary brain tumors. Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common subtype and carries a poor prognosis. There is growing interest in the anti-glioma properties of statins. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the preclinical literature and to meta-analyze existing clinical studies to determine what benefit, if any, statins may confer in the context of glioma. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science libraries were queried in May 2021. Preclinical studies were included if they investigated the anti-cancer effects of statins in glioma in vitro and in vivo. Clinical studies were included if they reported incidence rates of glioma by statin use, or mortality outcomes among GBM patients by statin use. Pooled point estimates were calculated using a random-effects model. RESULTS: In total, 64 publications, 51 preclinical and 13 clinical, were included. Preclinical studies indicated that statins inhibited glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. These effects were time- and concentration-dependent. Synergistic anti-glioma effects were observed when statins were combined with other anti-cancer therapies. Clinical observational studies showed an inverse, albeit non-statistically significant, association between statin use and incidence rate of glioma (HR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.62-1.13, I2 = 72%, p-heterogeneity = 0.003, 6 studies). Statin use was not associated with better overall survival following GBM surgery (HR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.85-1.30, I2 = 30%, p-heterogeneity = 0.23, 4 studies). CONCLUSION: Statins were potent anti-cancer drugs that suppressed glioma growth through various mechanisms in vitro; these effects have translated into the clinical realm, clinically but not statistically, in terms of glioma incidence but not GBM survival.

Professional failure to thrive: a threat to high-quality care?

The term professional failure to thrive arose from descriptions of non-organic failure to thrive in infants and observations of nurses' behaviours. First coined by Stamler in 1997, subsequent unrelated research results have supported the theoretical construct. In an era when patient safety and high-quality care have never been more important, and nursing retention has reached heretofore unknown levels of global concern, critical examination of factors that may alleviate professional issues and support high-quality healthcare is especially useful. In this paper, we suggest theoretical causes for professional failure to thrive (PFTT) and associated behaviours exhibited by nurses, and draw links to current research to support the theory. Given the theoretical support, PFTT represents an additional avenue that should be considered and explored through research studies.