Multiyear Regional Evaluation of Foliar Fungicide Applications for Cotton Target Spot Management in the Southeastern United States.

Fungicide programs for managing target spot of cotton caused by Corynespora cassiicola were evaluated over 15 site-years in the southeastern United States between 2014 and 2016. Two cultivars, hypothesized to vary in target spot susceptibility, PhytoGen 499WRF (PHY499) and Deltapine 1137B2RF (DPL1137), and four fungicides (azoxystrobin, flutriafol, pyraclostrobin, pyraclostrobin + fluxapyroxad) plus nontreated control, were compared. Fungicide programs consisted of 1) a single application at first flower or disease onset and 2) the first application followed by a second 14 days later. Treatments were applied in a factorial, randomized complete block design. Target spot onset and severity varied among site-years. Except when severity was low, target spot-associated defoliation was greater on PHY499 than on DP1137. Fungicides delayed disease development and defoliation, but application number had little impact. Based on a meta-analysis of 15 site-years, pyraclostrobin-based applications resulted in a 4 to 6% yield preservation, and yield preservation was greater at site-years with early disease onset and >40% target spot associated defoliation. Results suggest a single well-timed application of a pyraclostrobin-based fungicide reduces defoliation and protects cotton yield at locations with high target spot severity. Additional research is needed to identify risk factors for target spot-associated yield losses in cotton production systems.

Decomposition, nitrogen and carbon mineralization from food and cover crop residues in the central plateau of Haiti.

Cover crops are a major focus of conservation agriculture efforts because they can provide soil cover and increase nutrient availability after their mineralization in cropping systems. To evaluate the effect of residue type and placement on rate of decomposition and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization, residues from two food crops, maize (Zea mays L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and two promising cover crops, sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) and sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench x S. bicolor var. Sudanese [Piper] Stapf) were used in a litterbag study in the Central Plateau region of Haiti from May to September, 2013. Residues were placed in litterbags at a rate equivalent to 3.25 Mg residue ha(-1) either on the soil surface or buried at 15 cm to represent a tilled and no-tillage system, respectively. Initial C:N ratios were: maize > common bean > sorghum sudangrass > sunn hemp. Highest residue mass loss rates and C and N mineralization generally occurred in the reverse order. Overall, surface-placed residues decomposed more slowly with 40 and 17 % of initial residue mass of surface and buried residues, respectively, remaining at 112 days. Carbon and N mineralization was higher when residues were buried. Net N mineralization of buried residues was 0.12, 0.07, 0.06, and 0.03 g N g residue(-1) for sunn hemp, sorghum sudangrass, maize, and common bean, respectively over 112 days. To achieve the goal of increasing nutrient supply while maintaining year-round cover, a combination of grass and legume cover crops may be required with benefits increasing over multiple seasons.

Modified Bernard-Burow cheek advancement and cross-lip flap for total lip reconstruction.

Subtotal lip reconstruction can be performed using local flaps such as the cross-lip flap or fan flap. Total lip reconstructive efforts usually are suboptimal in providing an adequate oral sphincter, an acceptable aesthetic result, or both. For total upper, lower, or extensive combined soft-tissue defects that include both lips, traditional methods of reconstruction include the use of regional flaps. More contemporary reconstructive efforts emphasize staged reconstruction with local tissue flaps using "like" tissue in a sequential fashion to achieve a successful outcome. We describe the reconstruction of total upper, lower, or extensive combined defects and report on 7 cases using a 2-staged method of reconstruction based on the modifications of the Bernard-Burow and Abbe flaps. The principle of esthetic units an intact modiolus and oral sphincter are emphasized to ensure excellent aesthetic and functional results.

Thin tangential excision of tattoos.

BACKGROUND: There are many techniques used to remove professional tattoos. Each method can be complicated by hypertrophic scarring, pigmentary changes, and/or insufficient pigment removal. OBJECTIVE: To study the results of precise, thin, tangential excisions of professional tattoos. The posttreatment migration of dermal tattoo pigment was also evaluated. METHODS: Five healthy white males had their professionally placed tattoos excised at a depth of 0.008 in (0.2 mm) using a Brown dermatome. Pre- and posttreatment biopsies were used to measure the depth of the tattoo pigment. RESULTS: At 3 months posttreatment, four patients had no significant scarring and three patients retained only scattered flecks of tattoo pigment. Each patients demonstrated migration of the deeper dermal pigment to a more superficial level. CONCLUSION: A superficial, tangential excision of a professional tattoo by a Brown dermatome is a viable, low-risk, inexpensive procedure.

Razor-blade surgery.

The razor blade can be a valuable tool in the performance of many minor surgical procedures. It is extremely sharp, flexible, inexpensive, readily available, and easy to use. The technique and specific applications are reviewed and discussed.

Delayed grafting of midline forehead flap donor defect: utilization of residual flap tissue.

The use of a midline forehead flap often creates a secondary defect that is difficult to close primarily. When the pedicle is detached, the residual flap tissue can be utilized as a delayed full-thickness skin graft. This technique combines two surgical principles: delayed grafting and the use of adjacent residual flap pedicle skin that would normally be discarded.

Evaluating blood flow in full-thickness skin grafts utilizing the laser Doppler.

Full-thickness skin grafts follow a consistent clinical pattern of color and textural changes. Measurements with the Laser Doppler Velocimeter correlate with these observed changes, yielding reproducible temporally associated blood flow rates. Previous physiologic and histologic studies for skin grafts are discussed.