Impact of IVIG therapy on serologic testing for infectious diseases.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is used to treat an increasing number of conditions. The anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of IVIG can be life-saving; however, recent administration may complicate evaluation for infection. To assess the impact of IVIG therapy on a variety of common viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic serologies we prospectively evaluated serologic changes pre- and post-IVIG infusion in 7 participants. The number of new antibody detections ranging from 2 to 5. New detections included positivity for Epstein-Barr virus early D antigen, herpes simplex virus, West Nile virus, cytomegalovirus, and the endemic mycoses Histoplasma and Coccidioides. The greatest number of newly positive serologies was observed in subjects receiving cumulative doses of IVIG in excess of 100 g. Our results illustrate the difficulty in serologic interpretation following IVIG therapy and suggest a dose-response to new positive results. These findings may be a helpful resource to clinicians facing similar circumstances.

Western corn rootworm pyrethroid resistance confirmed by aerial application simulations of commercial insecticides.

The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) (WCR) is a major insect pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in the United States (US) and is highly adaptable to multiple management tactics. A low level of WCR field-evolved resistance to pyrethroid insecticides has been confirmed in the US western Corn Belt by laboratory dose-response bioassays. Further investigation has identified detoxification enzymes as a potential part of the WCR resistance mechanism, which could affect the performance of insecticides that are structurally related to pyrethroids, such as organophosphates. Thus, the responses of pyrethroid-resistant and -susceptible WCR populations to the commonly used pyrethroid bifenthrin and organophosphate dimethoate were compared in active ingredient bioassays. Results revealed a relatively low level of WCR resistance to both active ingredients. Therefore, a simulated aerial application bioassay technique was developed to evaluate how the estimated resistance levels would affect performance of registered rates of formulated products. The simulated aerial application technique confirmed pyrethroid resistance to formulated rates of bifenthrin whereas formulated dimethoate provided optimal control. Results suggest that the relationship between levels of resistance observed in dose-response bioassays and actual efficacy of formulated product needs to be further explored to understand the practical implications of resistance.

Spray droplet size and carrier volume effect on dicamba and glufosinate efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Pesticide applications using a specific droplet size and carrier volume could maximize herbicide efficacy while mitigating particle drift in a precise and efficient manner. The objectives of this study were to investigate the influence of spray droplet size and carrier volume on dicamba and glufosinate efficacy, and to determine the plausibility of droplet-size based site-specific weed management strategies. RESULTS: Generally, across herbicides and carrier volumes, as droplet size increased, weed control decreased. Increased carrier volume (187 L ha-1 ) buffered this droplet size effect, thus greater droplet sizes could be used to mitigate drift potential while maintaining sufficient levels of weed control. To mitigate drift potential and achieve satisfactory weed control (≥ 90% of maximum observed control), a 900 µm (Ultra Coarse) droplet size paired with 187 L ha-1 carrier volume is recommended for dicamba applications and a 605 µm (Extremely Coarse) droplet size across carrier volumes is recommended for glufosinate applications. Although general droplet size recommendations were created, optimum droplet sizes for weed control varied significantly across site-years. CONCLUSION: Convoluted interactions occur between droplet size, carrier volume, and other application parameters. Recommendations for optimizing herbicide applications based on droplet size should be based on a site-specific management approach to better account for these interactions. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Itraconazole induced hypertension and hypokalemia: Mechanistic evaluation.

We describe a case of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (hypertension, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis and low plasma renin activity) secondary to itraconazole therapy. Inhibition of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 was demonstrated, and withholding itraconazole led to resolution of adverse effects that did not recur with voriconazole. This report adds to a growing body of evidence linking apparent mineralocorticoid excess with certain triazoles.

Monitoring cotton root rot by synthetic Sentinel-2 NDVI time series using improved spatial and temporal data fusion.

To better understand the progression of cotton root rot within the season, time series monitoring is required. In this study, an improved spatial and temporal data fusion approach (ISTDFA) was employed to combine 250-m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI) and 10-m Sentinetl-2 NDVI data to generate a synthetic Sentinel-2 NDVI time series for monitoring this disease. Then, the phenology of healthy cotton and infected cotton was modeled using a logistic model. Finally, several phenology parameters, including the onset day of greenness minimum (OGM), growing season length (GLS), onset of greenness increase (OGI), max NDVI value, and integral area of the phenology curve, were calculated. The results showed that ISTDFA could be used to combine time series MODIS and Sentinel-2 NDVI data with a correlation coefficient of 0.893. The logistic model could describe the phenology curves with R-squared values from 0.791 to 0.969. Moreover, the phenology curve of infected cotton showed a significant difference from that of healthy cotton. The max NDVI value, OGM, GSL and the integral area of the phenology curve for infected cotton were reduced by 0.045, 30 days, 22 days, and 18.54%, respectively, compared with those for healthy cotton.

Mortality and reproductive effects of ingested spinosad on adult bollworms.

BACKGROUND: Upon emergence from their pupal cells, bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), adults actively seek and feed on plant exudates before they disperse and reproduce on suitable host plants. This nocturnal behavior of the bollworm may be exploited as a pest management strategy for suppression of the insect by using an attractant/stimulant mixed with an insecticide to induce feeding to cause adult mortality or reproductive reduction/inhibition. This study aimed to determine in the laboratory whether or not spinosad when mixed with sucrose solution as a feeding stimulant and ingested by bollworm could influence mortality and reproduction of the insect. RESULTS: Sublethal concentrations of spinosad fed to laboratory-reared females confined with males significantly reduced percentage hatch of eggs at 0.1 mg L(-1), and it was reduced to near zero at 2.5 mg L(-1) when compared with females fed 2.5 M sucrose solutions only. The lethal concentration (LC(99)) for males captured from the field in sex-pheromone-baited traps was 73 mg L(-1) for 24 h response. Proboscis extension response was not inhibited significantly even at 10 g L(-1). In spite of a 137-fold increase in lethal dose concentration, spinosad did not inhibit feeding. CONCLUSION: A detailed study of laboratory-reared and field-collected bollworm adults relative to mortality and reproduction after ingestion of spinosad indicates that spinosad would be useful in an attract-and-kill strategy to control the insect when mixed with a feeding attractant/stimulant. Field validation of the data is warranted.

Quantifying the movement of multiple insects using an optical insect counter.

An optical insect counter (OIC) was designed and tested. The new system integrated a line-scan camera and a vertical light sheet along with data collection and image-processing software to count flying insects crossing a vertical plane defined by the light sheet. The system also discriminates each insect by its position along the horizontal length defined by the light sheet. The system was successfully tested with a preliminary experimental protocol for determining whether groups of flying mosquitoes preferred or avoided attractants and repellents in a flight tunnel. The OIC counted the number of mosquitoes that crossed the light sheet and recorded the horizontal position and time each insect passed through the light sheet. The system provides a straightforward and reliable method for measuring and recording spatial and temporal information for insects that pass through an established plane.

Impact of electrostatic and conventional sprayers characteristics on dispersion of barrier spray.

A study was conducted to analyze the performance of 3 electrostatic (Electrolon BP-2.5, Spectrum Electrostatic 4010, and Spectrum Electrostatic head on a Stihl 420) and 2 conventional (Buffalo Turbine CSM2 and Stihl 420) sprayers for barrier sprays to suppress an adult mosquito population in an enclosed area. Sprayer characteristics such as charge-mass ratio, air velocity, flow rate, and droplet spectra were measured while spraying water. Dispersion of the spray cloud from these sprayers was determined using coverage on water-sensitive cards at various heights (0.5 m, 1.0 m, 1.5 m, 2.0 m, 2.5 m, and 3.0 m) and depths (1 m, 3 m, and 5 m) into the under-forest vegetation while spraying bifenthrin (Talstar 7.9% AI; FMC Corporation, Philadelphia, PA) at the rate of 21.8 ml/300 m of treated row. The charge-mass ratio data show that Electrostatic head on a Stihl 420 did not impart enough charge to the droplets to be considered as an electrostatic sprayer. In general, the charged spray cloud moved down toward the ground. The Electrolon BP 2.5 had significantly lower spray coverage on cards, indicating lack of spray dispersion. This sprayer had the lowest air velocity and did not have the air capacity needed to deliver droplets close to the target for electrostatic force to affect deposition. The analysis shows that these 2 sprayers are not a suitable choice for barrier sprays on vegetation. The results indicate that the Buffalo Turbine is suitable for barriers wider than 3 m, and the Spectrum 4010 and Stihl 420 are suitable for 1-3-m-wide barriers.