scholarly journals Evaluation of Ash Tree Symptoms Associated with Emerald Ash Borer Infestation in Urban Forests

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anand Persad ◽  
Patrick Tobin

The emerald ash borer (EAB), first discovered in North America in Michigan in 2002, continues to expand its distributional range. Early detection of EAB remains a major caveat in efforts to implement proactive management strategies. Past reports have shown that ash trees infested with EAB have an increased risk of branch failure and other symptoms associated with tree decline. Therefore, early detection efforts could be improved if a suite of tree symptoms—prior to visible signs of EAB infestation—can be identified. Researchers initiated a four-year study in Ohio, U.S. (2009– 2012) to investigate and document symptoms associated with the EAB–ash tree complex in urban sites. The prior history of EAB at the study sites ranged from ash trees with no visible evidence of infestation to those that were infested for more than two years. In trees shown to be recently colonized by EAB, visible signs of infestation, such as adult emergence holes, presence of EAB galleries, bark loss, and canopy loss were not always apparent. However, in EAB-positive trees, there was a significant tendency for the presence of cracks in scaffold branches, branch fractures within the upper canopy, and branch fractures specifically located closer to the union with the stem as opposed to at the branch tip or at the branch’s center of gravity. This study highlights tree symptoms associated with the initial colonization of EAB when host trees are still apparently healthy, which could greatly facilitate future detection efforts for EAB.

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Gilman ◽  
Maria Paz ◽  
Chris Harchick

The emerald ash borer (EAB), first discovered in North America in Michigan in 2002, continues to expand its distributional range. Early detection of EAB remains a major caveat in efforts to implement proactive management strategies. Past reports have shown that ash trees infested with EAB have an increased risk of branch failure and other symptoms associated with tree decline. Therefore, early detection efforts could be improved if a suite of tree symptoms—prior to visible signs of EAB infestation—can be identified. Researchers initiated a four-year study in Ohio, U.S. (2009– 2012) to investigate and document symptoms associated with the EAB–ash tree complex in urban sites. The prior history of EAB at the study sites ranged from ash trees with no visible evidence of infestation to those that were infested for more than two years. In trees shown to be recently colonized by EAB, visible signs of infestation, such as adult emergence holes, presence of EAB galleries, bark loss, and canopy loss were not always apparent. However, in EAB-positive trees, there was a significant tendency for the presence of cracks in scaffold branches, branch fractures within the upper canopy, and branch fractures specifically located closer to the union with the stem as opposed to at the branch tip or at the branch’s center of gravity. This study highlights tree symptoms associated with the initial colonization of EAB when host trees are still apparently healthy, which could greatly facilitate future detection efforts for EAB.


Author(s):  
Wesley T O’Neal ◽  
J’Neka Claxton ◽  
Richard MacLehose ◽  
Lin Chen ◽  
Lindsay G Bengtson ◽  
...  

Background: Early cardiology involvement within 90 days of atrial fibrillation (AF) diagnosis is associated with greater likelihood of oral anticoagulant use and a reduced risk of stroke. Due to variation in cardiovascular care for patients with cancer, it is possible that a similar association does not exist for AF patients with cancer. Methods: We examined the association of early cardiology involvement with oral anticoagulation use among non-valvular AF patients with history of cancer (past or active), using data from 388,045 patients (mean age=68±15 years; 59% male) from the MarketScan database (2009-2014). ICD-9 codes in any position were used to identify cancer diagnosis prior to AF diagnosis. Provider specialty and filled anticoagulant prescriptions 3 months prior to and 6 months after AF diagnosis were obtained. Poisson regression models were used to compute the probability of an oral anticoagulant prescription fill and Cox regression was used to estimate the risk of stroke and major bleeding. Results: A total of 64,016 (17%) AF patients had a prior history of cancer. Cardiology involvement was less likely to occur among patients with history of cancer than those without (relative risk=0.92, 95% confidence interval (0.91, 0.93)). Similar differences were observed for cancers of the colon (0.90 (0.88, 0.92)), lung (0.76 (0.74, 0.78)), pancreas (0.74 (0.69, 0.80)), and hematologic system (0.88 (0.87, 0.90)), while no differences were observed for breast or prostate cancers. Patients with cancer were less likely to fill prescriptions for anticoagulants (0.89 (0.88, 0.90)) than those without cancer, and similar results were observed for cancers of the colon, lung, prostate, pancreas, and hematologic system. However, patients with cancer were more likely to fill prescriptions for anticoagulants (1.48 (1.45, 1.52)) if seen by a cardiology provider, regardless of cancer type. A reduced risk of stroke (hazard ratio=0.89 (0.81, 0.99)) was observed among all cancer patients who were seen by a cardiology provider than among those who were not, without an increased risk of bleeding (1.04 (0.95, 1.13)). Conclusion: AF patients with cancer were less likely to see a cardiologist, and less likely to fill an anticoagulant prescription than AF patients without cancer. However, cardiology involvement was associated with increased anticoagulant prescription fills and reduced risk of stroke, suggesting a beneficial role for cardiology providers to improve outcomes in AF patients with history of cancer.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 129 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Salmoirago-Blotcher ◽  
Kathleen M Hovey ◽  
Judith K Ockene ◽  
Chris A Andrews ◽  
Jennifer Robinson ◽  
...  

Background: Statin therapy is recommended for treatment of hypercholesterolemia and prevention of cardiovascular events. Concerns have been raised about a potentially higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke in statin users; however, there is limited information in women and in older populations. We evaluated whether statin treatment was associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke among women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). Methods: This secondary data analysis was conducted among 68,132 women enrolled in the WHI Clinical Trials (CTs). Participants were 50 to 79 yrs old; postmenopausal; and were followed through 2005 (parent study) and for an additional 5 yrs (through September 30, 2010) in the WHI extension study. Statin use was assessed at baseline and at follow-up (FU) visits at 1, 3, 6, and 9 years. Women brought all medications in original containers for inventory. Strokes were self-reported annually and adjudicated by medical record review. Risk of hemorrhagic stroke by statin use (modeled as a time-varying covariate, with the “no use” category as the referent) was estimated from Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for age (model 1); risk factors for hemorrhagic stroke (model 2); and possible confounders by indication (model 3). All models adjusted for enrollment in the different CTs and in the extension study. Participants were censored at the date of last contact or loss to FU. Pre-specified subgroup analyses were conducted according to use or non-use of antiplatelet medications (including aspirin) or anticoagulants, and prior history of stroke. Results: Final models included 67,882 women (mean age at baseline 63 ± 7 yrs). Over a mean FU of 12 yrs, incidence rates of hemorrhagic stroke were 6.4/10,000 person-years among women on statins and 5.0/10,000 person-years among women not taking statins. The unadjusted risk of hemorrhagic stroke in statin users vs. non-users was 1.21 (CI: 0.96, 1.53). The HR was attenuated to 0.98 (CI: 0.76, 1.26) after adjusting for age, hypertension, and other risk factors for hemorrhagic stroke. Planned subgroups analyses showed that women taking both statins and antiplatelet agents had a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke than women taking antiplatelet medications without statins (HR: 1.59; CI: 1.02, 2.46), whereas women not taking antiplatelet medications had no risk elevation with statins (HR=0.79; CI: 0.58-1.08); P for interaction = .01. No significant interactions were found for anticoagulant use or prior history of stroke, but the statistical power for these analyses was low. Conclusion: Statin use was not associated with an overall increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke among older community-dwelling women. However, women taking statins in conjunction with antiplatelet medications had elevated risk; a finding that warrants further study and potential incorporation into clinical decision making.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah A Alissa ◽  
Yuko Inoue ◽  
Jochen Cammin ◽  
Qiulin Tang ◽  
Elliot Fishman ◽  
...  

Background: Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of cardioembolic stroke. Previous studies demonstrate that the Left atrial appendage (LAA) is the most common site of intracardiac thrombus, and the LAA morphology alone may determine the risk of stroke. We aimed to determine the association between LAA regional dysfunction using novel, noninvasive, image-based motion-estimation CT (iME) and prior history of stroke in patients with AF. Methods: Among the patients with history of AF referred for ablation who underwent pre-ablation CT with retrospective ECG gating, we identified 18 patients with a prior history of stroke or TIA, and 18 age- and gender-matched controls. The patients in AF at the time of CT were excluded. Four-dimensional motion vector field was estimated from reconstructed CT images using iME at every 5% RR interval. To assess myocardial deformation, area change ratio and area change rate were calculated over the endocardial surface of the LA and LAA. Univariate and multivariate comparisons were made by using binary logistic regression model. Results: A total of 36 patients (mean age 67.6 ± 8.1 years, 66.7% male, 16.7% persistent AF) were included in the study. Univariate analysis showed that the LA pre-atrial contraction area change ratio and LAA maximum area change ratio were significantly lower (P= 0.02 and 0.04, respectively) in the stroke/TIA group compared to the control group. These changes remained statistically significant in multivariate analysis (P=0.03 and 0.04, respectively) after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, LV ejection fraction, type of AF, and CHADS score. Conclusions: LAA regional dysfunction is associated with stroke/TIA in patients with AF. LAA regional dysfunction detected by iME could represent a marker for stroke and a possible therapeutic target.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamal S Rana ◽  
Heather Greenlee ◽  
Richard Cheng ◽  
Cecile A Laurent ◽  
Hanjie Shen ◽  
...  

Introduction: Incidence of heart failure (HF), specifically with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), is rising in the general population, yet is understudied. To provide a population-based estimate of HF in breast cancer (BC) survivors, we compared risk of HF in women with and without BC history in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) integrated health system. Methods: Data were extracted from KPNC electronic health records. All invasive BC cases diagnosed from 2005-2013 were identified and matched 1:5 with non-BC controls on birth year, race/ethnicity, and KPNC membership at BC diagnosis. Cox regression models assessed the hazard of HF by EF status: HFpEF (EF ≥ 45%), HF with reduced EF (HFrEF; EF < 45%), and unknown EF. Women with prior history of HF were excluded. Models were adjusted for factors known to affect BC risk or CVD and for prevalent CVD at BC diagnosis. We also examined case subgroups who received cardiotoxic chemotherapy, left-sided radiation therapy, and/or endocrine therapy, versus their controls. Results: A total of 14,804 women diagnosed with invasive BC and with no history of HF were identified and matched to 74,034 women without BC history. Women were on average 61 years at BC diagnosis and 65% white. Women with HFpEF were older and more likely to have hypertension (p<0.05). Among all cases vs. controls, there was increased risk of HFrEF (HR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.98) but not HFpEF or unknown EF (figure). Compared to their controls, women treated with chemotherapy were more than 3-times likely to develop HFrEF (HR: 3.26, 95% CI: 2.2, 4.8) and more than 1.5-times likely to develop HFpEF (HR=1.61, 95% CI: 1.15, 2.24). Women who received left-sided radiation therapy had nearly double the risk of developing HFrEF (HR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.20, 2.84). No associations were found among women who received endocrine therapy. Conclusions: Increased surveillance is warranted for women with BC receiving cardiotoxic chemotherapy for development of both HFrEF and HFpEF.


Aorta ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 08 (02) ◽  
pp. 038-040
Author(s):  
Alexander M. Schurman ◽  
David Mendoza ◽  
Chris K. Rokkas

AbstractSmall lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) is rarely associated with thoracic aortic aneurysms. Aneurysm of the ascending aorta associated with SLL has never been reported before. We describe the case of an asymptomatic 68-year-old woman who presented with a 5.5-cm aneurysm of the ascending aorta and no prior history of hematological disorders. Following excision and repair, the surgical specimen showed infiltration of the aortic wall by lymphocytes, expressing markers consistent with SLL. While symptomatic SLL carries a poor prognosis, risk stratification tools are applied to guide management strategies in asymptomatic patients.


Author(s):  
Erik J. Garcia ◽  
Warren J. Ferguson

Traditionally the domain of consultation/ liaison psychiatry, the challenge of recognizing and then appropriately treating the psychiatric complications of general medical disorders requires thoughtful planning and attention in corrections. Medical conditions that have psychiatric symptoms represent a significant diagnostic dilemma, particularly in the correctional health setting. Over half of the inmates in the United States have symptoms of a major mental illness, but the pervasiveness of substance use disorders, the increasing prevalence of elderly inmates, and limited access to a patient’s past medical and psychiatric records all contribute to the challenge of discerning when a psychiatric presentation results from an underlying medical condition. One early study underscored this challenge, noting that 46% of the patients admitted to community psychiatric wards had an unrecognized medical illness that either caused or exacerbated their psychiatric illness. A more recent study observed that 2.8% of admissions to inpatient psychiatry were due to unrecognized medical conditions. Emergency room medical clearance of patients presenting for psychiatric admission has revealed an increased risk for such underlying medical conditions among patients with any of five characteristics: elderly, a history of substance abuse, no prior history of mental illness, lower socioeconomic status, or significant preexisting medical illnesses. This chapter examines several of these risk groups and focuses on the presenting symptoms of delirium, mood disorders, and psychosis and the underlying medical conditions that can mimic or exacerbate them.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 685-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abraham Morgentaler

There has been a recent dramatic shift in our understanding of the relationship between androgens and prostate cancer (PCa). Whereas for several decades it had been assumed that higher serum testosterone (T) concentrations would lead to ever-greater PCa growth, current literature indicates that PCa growth is unaffected by changes in serum T throughout most of the naturally occurring range. A Saturation Model has been proposed to explain how prostate tissue can be exquisitely sensitive to changes in serum T at the very low end of the concentration range, but appears indifferent to such changes above the near-castrate range. This has special applicability to T-deficient men, since this means that T therapy may not be nearly as risky as once assumed. Indeed, one of the more interesting changes over the last several years has been the growing acceptance of the use of T therapy in men with a prior history of PCa, with early data indicating minimal risk of cancer recurrence or progression. Provocative new evidence suggests that it is not high serum T that is problematic for PCa, butlowserum T that is associated with worrisome cancer features and outcomes, such as high Gleason score, advanced stage of presentation, and increased risk of biochemical recurrence after surgery. It will be interesting to see what changes will occur in this rapidly changing field over the next several years.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (158) ◽  
pp. 200131
Author(s):  
Maria Eugenia Laucho-Contreras ◽  
Mark Cohen-Todd

The early stages of COPD have recently become a hot topic as many new risk factors have been proposed, but substantial knowledge gaps remain in explaining the natural history of the disease. If we are to modify the outcomes of COPD, early detection needs to play a critical role. However, we need to sort out the barriers to early detection and have a better understanding of the definition of COPD and its diagnosis and therapeutic strategies to identify and treat patients with COPD before structural changes progress. In this review, we aim to clarify the differences between early COPD, mild COPD and early detection of COPD, with an emphasis on the clinical burden and how different outcomes (quality of life, exacerbation, cost and mortality) are modified depending on which definition is used. We will summarise the evidence for the new multidimensional diagnostic approaches to detecting early pathophysiologic changes that potentially allow for future studies on COPD management strategies to halt or prevent disease development.


Author(s):  
Deborah G McCullough

Abstract Emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire), discovered in southeastern Michigan, USA in 2002, has become the most destructive and costly invasive forest insect in North America. This phloem-boring beetle has also invaded Moscow, Russia and continued spread of EAB potentially threatens European ash (Fraxinus spp.) species. This review summarizes EAB life history, including interspecific variation in host preference, invasion impacts and challenges of detecting new infestations and provides an overview of available management tactics. Advances in systemic insecticides, particularly emamectin benzoate products applied via trunk injection, have yielded effective and practical options both to protect individual trees and to slow EAB population growth and ash decline on an area-wide basis without disrupting natural enemies. Economic costs of treating ash are substantially lower than removal costs, retain ecosystem services provided by the trees, reduce sociocultural impacts and conserve genetic diversity in areas invaded by EAB. Girdled ash trees are highly attractive to EAB adults in low-density populations and debarking small girdled trees to locate larval galleries is the most effective EAB detection method. An array of woodpeckers, native larval parasitoids and introduced parasitoids attack EAB life stages but mortality is highly variable. Area-wide management strategies that integrate insecticide-treated trees, girdled ash trap trees and biological control can be adapted for local conditions to slow and reduce EAB impacts.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document