Effective control of two genotypes of Phytophthora infestans in the field by three oxathiapiprolin fungicidal mixtures

In two field experiments, performed in 2020 and 2021, potato Nicola plants were sprayed once with three (Exp. 1) or two (Exp. 2) doses of Zorvec Vinabel (oxathiapiprolin+ zoxamide = ZZ), Zorvec Encantia (oxathiapiprolin+ famoxadone = ZF), Zorvec Endavia (oxathiapiprolin+ benthiavalicarb = ZE), Infinito (= INF) or Mefenoxam (= MFX) and thereafter inoculated with genotype 23A1 or 36A2 of Phytophthora infestans. Disease development was recorded at periodic intervals for a month. In both experiments, Zorvec mixtures were significantly more effective in suppressing the disease than INF or MFX. They delayed the onset of the disease and its progress, regardless the genotype used for inoculation. Among the three Zorvec mixtures, ZZ was least effective and ZE most effective. Sensitivity monitoring assays revealed zero mutants of P. infestans resistant to oxathiapiprolin. The data confirmed good efficacy of Zorvec mixtures, especially ZE, in field-grown potato crops as evident by the very effective control of late blight for one month.

Efficacy of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Brazil

Several COVID-19 vaccines have shown good efficacy in clinical trials, but there remains uncertainty about the efficacy of vaccines against different variants. Here, we investigate the efficacy of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) against symptomatic COVID-19 in a post-hoc exploratory analysis of a Phase 3 randomised trial in Brazil (trial registration ISRCTN89951424). Nose and throat swabs were tested by PCR in symptomatic participants. Sequencing and genotyping of swabs were performed to determine the lineages of SARS-CoV-2 circulating during the study. Protection against any symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the Zeta (P.2) variant was assessed in 153 cases with vaccine efficacy (VE) of 69% (95% CI 55, 78). 49 cases of B.1.1.28 occurred and VE was 73% (46, 86). The Gamma (P.1) variant arose later in the trial and fewer cases (N = 18) were available for analysis. VE was 64% (−2, 87). ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 provided 95% protection (95% CI 61%, 99%) against hospitalisation due to COVID-19. In summary, we report that ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 protects against emerging variants in Brazil despite the presence of the spike protein mutation E484K.

Future of Insecticide Seed Treatment

Seed treatment as a method of local application of pesticides in precise agriculture reduces the amount of pesticides used per unit area and is considered to be the safest, cheapest and most ecologically acceptable method of protecting seeds and young plants from pests in the early stages of their development. With the introduction of insecticides from the neonicotinoid group in the mid-1990s, the frequency of seed treatment increased. Due to suspected negative effects on pollinators, most of these insecticides are banned in the European Union. The ban has therefore led to a reduction in the number of active substances approved for seed treatment and to an increased re-use of active substances from the group of pyrethroids as well as other organophosphorus insecticides, which pose potentially very serious risks, perhaps even greater than those of the banned neonicotinoids. The objective of this review is to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of seed treatment and the potential role of insecticide seed treatment in reducing the negative impact of pesticides on the environment. The main disadvantage of this method is that it has been widely accepted and has become a prophylactic protective measure applied to almost all fields. This is contrary to the principles of integrated pest management and leads to an increased input of insecticides into the environment, by treating a larger number of hectares with a lower amount of active ingredient, and a negative impact on beneficial entomofauna. In addition, studies show that due to the prophylactic approach, the economic and technical justification of this method is often questionable. Extremely important for a quality implementation are the correct processing and implementation of the treatment procedure as well as the selection of appropriate insecticides, which have proven to be problematic in the case of neonicotinoids. The ban on neonicotinoids and the withdrawal of seed treatments in oilseed rape and sugar beet has led to increased problems with a range of pests affecting these crops at an early stage of growth. The results of the present studies indicate good efficacy of active ingredients belonging to the group of anthranilic diamides, cyantraniliprole and chlorantraniliprole in the treatment of maize, soybean, sugar beet and rice seeds on pests of the above-ground part of the plant, but not on wireworms. Good efficacy in controlling wireworms in maize is shown by an insecticide in the naturalites group, spinosad, but it is currently used to treat seeds of vegetable crops, mainly onions, to control onion flies and flies on other vegetable crops. Seed treatment as a method only fits in with the principles of integrated pest management when treated seeds are sown on land where there is a positive prognosis for pest infestation.

Case Report: Long-Term Survival With Anlotinib in a Patient With Advanced Undifferentiated Large-Cell Lung Cancer and Rare Tonsillar Metastasis

Undifferentiated large-cell lung cancer is a rare type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a poor prognosis. It is insensitive to chemotherapy and easily develops drug resistance. Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database showed that patients with stage IV undifferentiated large-cell lung cancer had a median overall survival (OS) of only 4 months and that those who received chemotherapy had a median OS of only 5 months longer than those who did not. For the first time, we report a case of advanced large-cell undifferentiated lung cancer with rare tonsil metastasis. The patient developed resistance after 3 months of platinum-based systemic chemotherapy and local treatment. Antiangiogenic therapy has been continuously progressing and has shown certain efficacy in treating many malignant tumors, such as lung cancer. However, there are no relevant studies or case reports on antiangiogenic therapy in the treatment of undifferentiated large-cell lung cancer. Anlotinib, an orally delivered small-molecule antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), was administered to this patient after chemotherapy resistance occurred, and the outcome was assessed as continued stable disease (SD). As of the last follow-up evaluation, the progression-free survival (PFS) of the patient was 21.5 months, and the OS was 27.5 months. Retrospective immunohistochemical analysis showed that the patient was positive for one of the targets of anlotinib (PDGFR). In general, the findings in this case suggest that anlotinib may be an option with good efficacy for patients with large-cell undifferentiated lung cancer after chemotherapy resistance that may have good efficacy and also suggest that PDGFR may be the target underlying this effect.

Cutaneous hyperalgesia in the setting of COVID-19 infection: reporting 2 cases from North India

<p>COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease) infection can manifest with a variety of dermatological and neurological symptoms which might have similar underlying patho-mechanisms. Here we report 2 cases of rt-PCR (Real time PCR) positive COVID infection who developed cutaneous hyperalgesia during the illness and review the case reports, case series, and other literature available on this symptom. We found that out of the total 13 reported cases (including the two cases reported here), most common onset of this symptom was within the first 3 days of illness (median duration ten days). Common sites of involvement included abdomen and back, but chest, arms and legs could also be involved. Warm baths, gabapentin and pregabalin showed good efficacy in relieving the symptom. The exact pathogenesis remains unclear but is hypothesised to be due to the neurotrophic properties of the virus and/or the inflammatory cytokines released during the illness. Further studies are necessary to expand the scope of knowledge in this regard.</p>

Synthesis and Characterization of Wound Dressing Material from Bio-Wastes Impregnated with the Spider Web and the Ethanolic Weaves Extract of Mangifera indica (L.)

Substantial progress in wound therapy has not snuffed out the passion in search of innovative wound dressing materials. This work is to analyze the physiochemical characterizations and biological evaluation of a wound dressing material. A wound dressing material had been synthesized from Physiologically Clotted Fibrin (PCF), Fish Scale Collagen (FSC). Also, the wound dressing material had impregnated with the folklore medicinal impact of the Spider Web (SW) and the Ethanolic Extract of Mangifera indica (L.)(EEMI). Infrared spectroscopic techniques confirmed the presence of Type I collagen. Surface morphology established the smooth, uniform, porous, biocompatible surface of the material. Water absorption studies, porosity measurements showed the required characteristics, the antibacterial activity favored the resistance, and the ash test supported the eco-friendly environment of the wound dressing material. Human erythrocytes had reviewed biocompatibility. The supernatant of the wound dressing material at different concentrations and incubation times had determined for percent hemolysis. Plots between percent hemolysis and concentration showed the non-hemolytic behavior of the wound dressing material. The synthesized biomaterial could propose as a wound dressing material with good efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendly. The synthesized biomaterial could have been a better wound dressing material with good efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and eco-friendly.

Effect of Biologically Active Hydrogen-Generating Powder Mixed with Food in a Model of Liver Injury in Rats

ABSTRACTBackgroundHydrogen was determined to have good efficacy for reducing key blood level biomarkers associated with liver injury suggesting the compound may provide novel option for the treatment of several liver diseases by decreasing of accumulation of toxins and reduction of levels of serum liver enzymes.Materials and methodsThe present pharmacological study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a gastric hydrogen generating powder called “AquaActive” (AA) in a rat model of liver injury, the partial bile duct ligation (pBDL), following administration of 0.2% AA formulated in rat pellets food for 14 days.ResultsThe data indicate that treatment with AA at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day can effectively slow the progression of liver injury that is triggered by bile duct ligation in rats. At both 7 and 14 days post-pBDL surgery, treatment with AA exhibited reductions in ALT, AST, ALP, GGT and total bilirubin, most of which were statistically significant. At 7 days, the compound showed statistically significant decreases in ALP, GGT and total bilirubin levels. Although the values of some parameters decreased in the vehicle group by 14 days, additional reductions due to AA treatment were sustained for ALP, AST and for GGT and total bilirubin. GGT and total bilirubin level after 14 days of treatment compared to the vehicle-treated control group were observed to be highly significant (p<0.05).ConclusionThus AA, gastric hydrogen generating powder demonstrated a good efficacy for reducing key parameters associated with liver function in the pBDL model.

Analisis Komparasi Performa Bohlam LED Berbagai Merk

LED bulb are increasingly being adopted not only because of their good efficacy, but also because they are known to have high controllability. LED lighting has developed rapidly in recent years to achieve more efficient and reliable LED performance. Several studies have conducted experiments to obtain the characteristics and performance of LED lamps. However, study comparing the performance of LED bulbs with various manufacturer and considering the price factor has not been found. In this study, the performance comparison of six LED bulb manufacturers that are commonly found in the Indonesian market were conducted. Each brand is sampled from three rated powers. The results of this study show a weak correlation between the price and performance. Nonetheless, the performance of LED bulb from different manufacturers were observed.

Efficacy of agrochemicals against Phyllobius oblongus

The contact, residual, and ingestion efficacy of two conventional insecticides was compared with that of another five environmentally friendly agrochemicals in a laboratory for the control of the European snout beetle. Very good efficacy was observed for the conventional product Reldan 22^® after all types of exposures. The conventional Mospilan^® 20 SP showed good efficacy after ingestion. SpinTor^® was very effective 72 h after ingestion and contact, and Siltac^® EC showed comparable efficacy with conventional insecticides 72 h after ingestion and residual contact. SpinTor^® and Siltac^® conform to the principles of organic farming and integrated pest management (IPM) and are able to replace both the tested conventional products in young fruit plantations and nurseries. Pyrethrum PNC – 17, FerrumOil, and Boundary SW did not sufficiently control the beetle.