Great Discrepancy Research Articles

Evaluation the role of the nephrology team in the specific vascular access outpatient clinic. What can we contribute new?

The key points of a monographic vascular access (VA) consultation are an adequate preoperative assessment, as well as a correct management and optimization of waiting lists. Our main objective of present study was to evaluate the degree of exploratory-dependent concordance in outpatient clinics regarding implanted VA, between nephrology and vascular surgery. We analyzed VA created or surgically repaired between 2021 and 2022. We compared the differences in the preoperative variables between the groups in which the assessments between the two teams were coincident and non-coincident, and the primary (PP) and secondary (PS) patencies during the follow-up period (Kapplan-Meier curves and Log-rank test, and Cox regression analysis). Significant P ≤ 0.05. A total of 605 VA creations or repairs were analyzed: 74 ligations (12.2%), 207 distal arterio-venous fistulaes (AVF) (34.3%), 237 proximal AVF (39.2%), 35 repairs (5.7%), 41 grafts (6.7%) and 11 others (1.9%). After an average waiting list time of 16.5 ± 11.6 days, excluding ligations, adequate 1-month maturation was observed in 87.6% of cases. A total of 158 endovascular procedures and 17 surgical repairs were performed during postoperative follow-up. Primary (PP) and secondary (PS) patencies at 6, 12 and 24 months were PP: 76.2%, 64.9%, 57.5% and PS: 86.4%, 81.2%, 74.7%, respectively. Of the total number of procedures, nephrology obtained an adequate degree of agreement in 93.6% of the cases (kappa index: 0.886). The preoperative factors associated with greater discrepancies in assessments were age (P = 0.022) and arterial diameter (P = 0.032). The subgroup of non-matched assessments between nephrology and vascular surgery (39 cases) presented a similar PP (at 2 years: 59.2% vs 41.3%, P = 0.099) but worse PS (at 2 years: 76.6% vs 55.4%, P = 0.005). No significant observer-dependent differences (nephrologist vs. vascular surgeon) were observed in decision-making regarding the surgical procedure to be performed (93.6% agreement), and discordant cases presented worse secondary patency. After specific training, the nephrology coordination team can make a proper optimisation of social and health resources by reserving referrals to vascular surgery for those cases of greater complexity.

Factor VIII Antibodies Demonstrate Type I or Type II Kinetics in Acquired Haemophilia A.

Acquired haemophilia A (AHA) is an acquired bleeding disorder resulting from autoantibodies against Factor VIII (FVIII). Previous studies have reported differences in FVIII inhibitor kinetics (type I or type II) in AHA compared to severe haemophilia A. To characterise inhibitor kinetics in AHA and evaluate the proportions displaying type I, II or indeterminate kinetics. Single-centre retrospective study of inhibitor kinetics in adults with AHA. Type I kinetics were defined as linear FVIII inhibition with ≥ 97% FVIII inactivation. Type II kinetics were defined as non-linear kinetics and inability to completely neutralise FVIII. Inhibitor titres were calculated using two methods outlined by the International Council for Standardisation in Haematology. Baseline samples from 34 patients were included. Fifteen samples (44.1%) exhibited type I kinetics, 16 samples (47.1%) exhibited type II kinetics and 3 (8.8%) were indeterminate. Plateau mean residual FVIII:C was higher for inhibitors displaying type II compared to type I kinetics (18.6vs. 2.9IU/dL, p < 0.0001). Non-linear regression using a dose-response curve without categorisation for kinetics type yielded a poor fit (R2 = 38%), which improved with refitting using categories of type I or II kinetics that explained 87% and 85% of the variability. The median difference in inhibitor titre between the two reporting methods was 5% and 15% in the type I and II kinetics groups, respectively. FVIII autoantibodies demonstrate either type I or type II kinetics. Greater discrepancy in reported inhibitor titres depending on the method used is seen for inhibitors with type II kinetics.

Evaluating the Nolla Method for Dental Age Estimation in Children from Northwestern Romania.

Dental age estimation plays a critical role in pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, and forensic medicine. The Nolla method, widely applied globally, has shown variable accuracy across different populations. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability and accuracy of the Nolla method in estimating the dental age of Romanian children and to identify potential discrepancies between dental and chronological ages. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 860 panoramic radiographs from pediatric patients aged 3-15.9 years in Oradea, Romania. The Nolla method was applied to estimate dental age, and the results were compared with chronological age. Statistical analyses, including Wilcoxon signed-rank and Mann-Whitney U tests, were performed to evaluate the accuracy and consistency of the Nolla method. The study analyzed 860 panoramic radiographs (356 boys and 504 girls). The average chronological age was 9.95 ± 2.48 years, while the average dental age, as estimated using the Nolla method, was 8.43 ± 2.13 years. Dental age was consistently lower than chronological age, with a median difference of 1.5 years (IQR: 0.9-2.2 years). Among the 13 age groups, the highest representation was found in the 8-8.9-year (14.7%) and 9-9.9-year (13.3%) groups. Gender differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001); girls demonstrated a larger median discrepancy of 1.7 years (IQR: 1.1-2.3 years) compared to boys at 1.15 years (IQR: 0.6-1.8 years). Notably, discrepancies increased with age, peaking at 2.6 years in the 14-14.9-year group (4.7% of the sample). The youngest group (3-3.9 years) showed the smallest difference of 0.3 years. Significant differences between chronological and dental ages were observed in 87.5% of the sample. The Nolla method consistently underestimated dental age in Romanian children, with greater discrepancies in older age groups and among girls. These findings highlight the need for the population-specific calibration of the method to improve its accuracy in both clinical and forensic contexts.

Comparison of synthetic unit hydrograph methods for flood assessment in a dryland, poorly gauged basin (Napostá Grande, Argentina)

&lt;p&gt;This paper examined and compared the reliability of two popular unit hydrograph methods for flood assessment in a dryland, poorly gauged basin: the Soil Conservation Service (NRCS-UH) method and the geomorphologic instantaneous unit hydrograph (GIUH) model. In addition, two different estimates of the basin's time of concentration were compared, along with varying values of the runoff curve number, to compute the watershed lag. Simulations were performed for the upper Napostá Grande (SW Buenos Aires, Argentina), using eight historic rainfall-runoff events to validate the resulting hydrograph at the basin outlet. Validation used runoff volume, peak flow, and recession time as an alternative to time to peak, for which only mean daily data were available. Results revealed great discrepancies in unit hydrograph parameters for varying determination methods, time of concentration estimates, and basin lag factors, as well as lower-than-standard peak rate factors for GIUH hydrographs. The comparison of simulated with observed hydrographs suggested a better agreement of GIUH for the highest retardance factor, as it produced the smaller peaks with the longer recession. This study informs on the complex relationships involved in unit hydrograph (UH) determination for the studied basin and warns about the variability of obtained results depending on the applied methodology, the caution needed in the systematic use of standard parameters, and the importance of verifying the accuracy of results. This provides a valuable framework for flood assessment within regional, ungauged basins with similar characteristics, which may exhibit comparable total runoff volumes for the same rainfall event but not necessarily equivalent flood hydrographs.&lt;/p&gt;

What goals do people have for who they want to be emotionally? Exploring long-term emotional goals.

The goals that people have for their emotions are crucial for whether emotion regulation is pursued, as well as the regulation strategies people select. However, emotional goals may extend beyond the emotions people want to feel to include long-term goals for how people want to be emotionally in the future. In two studies, we qualitatively explored people's long-term emotional goals (i.e., desired emotional self; Study 1, n = 157, October 2023) and then quantitatively confirmed the association between well-being and current emotional attributes, desired emotional self, intention to work toward long-term goals, and belief in goal malleability (Study 2, n = 244, November 2023). Study 1 used qualitative coding to identify 13 long-term emotional goals, including hedonic goals (e.g., experience more pleasure, experience less negative affect) as well as goals to allow emotions, better understand emotions, have more emotional confidence, reduce emotion-driven behavior, increase regulation, increase cognitive control, and several goals related to interpersonal functioning (e.g., increase emotional connections, empathy, expressiveness, emotional boundaries). In Study 2, we confirmed the desirability of the long-term emotional goals, and we found that for many of the goals, greater discrepancies between desired and current emotional selves were associated with decreased well-being. In Study 2, we also explored self-reported attention to short-term versus long-term emotional goals. We found that greater emphasis on long-term emotional goals in emotional situations was associated with enhanced well-being. Exploratory analyses examined gender differences and the role of belief in goal malleability in intention to pursue long-term emotional change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Analyzing the SERVQUAL Method for Senior High School Education's Gaps and Factors

The research's aim is to assess the services offered by Greek public secondary education schools, with the intention of identifying any discrepancies between students' expectations and their perceptions of the final services provided. The gaps discovered indicate that the school's educational services are not meeting student expectations in the five quality dimensions of the SERVQUAL model. To be specific, the average expectations are 4.44, perceptions are 3.11, and gaps are -1.33. The schools examined had a greater discrepancy in the dimensions measuring safety and emotional understanding, which was observed. The fact that the 5 factors are correlated with each other indicates the model's reliability. However, in relation to the independent variables of gender, age, and class, there appears to be a positive correlation across all factors, which is very weak and not statistically significant. In contrast, a low negative correlation appears to be present between only the demographics being considered. Therefore, demographic characteristics do not affect the quality of education in secondary schools. Our findings benefit decision-makers by assisting them in taking corrective actions necessary to enhance the quality of services provided by schools as part of a continuous improvement process in order to achieve a higher level of excellence.

Effect of the illuminance meter used on the results of color light pollution measurements

The paper presents the results of measurements of illuminance. Twenty-two types of illuminance meter with known spectral sensitivity curves of photometric heads and eleven lamps emitting colored light were used. Laboratory measurements were conducted at a characteristic point, with a focus on assessing intrusive light, with a value of 3 lx. The considerations were supplemented with simulated illuminance calculations. For most illuminance meters, correlations were observed between the measurement results and the calculations. This allows the conclusion that, especially in the case of colored light, one of the main factors affecting the measurement result is the spectral sensitivity curve of the photometric head. The greatest discrepancies in the obtained illuminance values were found in the case of lamps emitting blue light. The paper highlights the fact that measuring low illuminance values produced by lamps emitting colored light is not an easy task. Depending on the illuminance meter used, conclusions regarding the assessment of intrusive light may vary. The aim of the paper is to indicate that not all calibrated illuminance meters are suitable for this assessment.

Discrepancy between Mexican paediatricians and ESPGHAN experts regarding cow's milk allergy

AbstractObjectivesCow's milk allergy (CMA) is a common food allergy in infants. Guidelines and recommendations for the diagnosis and management of CMA are based on scientific review of the available evidence. However, real‐world situations may oblige clinicians to adapt a different attitude.MethodsThis paper evaluated the opinion of 42 Mexican paediatricians on the 73 statements presented in the recent position paper of the European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN). Voting on the statements and their interpretation were identical for both groups (online and anonymous). Both groups were unaware of the other's outcome at the moment of the voting.ResultsWhile the ESPGHAN group accepted all 73 statements, the Mexican group rejected 19 statements. Two rejections were due to the mean and median being below the predefined and agreed‐upon cut‐off, and 17 were due to over 75% of participants disagreeing with the statements. The greatest discrepancy was observed regarding the role of vitamin D in preventing CMA.ConclusionWhile opinions on the prevalence, diagnosis and management of CMA were comparable between European paediatric gastroenterologists and Mexican general paediatricians for the majority of statements, significant differences were observed. It is essential to gather information from various regions and healthcare levels to enhance the impact of recommendations.

Critical Analysis of Rio de Janeiro’s Compulsory Audit Reports

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze compulsory environmental audit reports, with the aim of finding common points and divergences in the Audit Evidence, Environmental Performance Analysis and Action Plan Sections of each report. Theoretical Framework: In this topic, discussions on mandatory environmental audits, conceptualization of environmental performance and its analysis are presented, providing a solid basis for understanding the context of the analysis. Method: The methodology adopted for this research comprised the exploratory analysis of 14 compulsory audit reports to identify common points between them. The reports were collected from those available for public access in the Inea Central Library, under the criterion of homogeneity regarding the description of each company's activities. Results and Discussion: The study pointed out that there is a great discrepancy between the approaches of audit teams, especially regarding methodologies for analyzing environmental performance in the context of audits. Such findings indicate the need for alignment, performance analysis approaches and standardization of environmental indicators. Research Implications: The present study brings implications to the field of Environmental Performance Audits, guided by changes in field practices and the theoretical approach to the topic, in order to bring reflections on the improvements necessary to provide greater potential and alignment of the instrument with the current context of Sustainability of the state productive sector. Originality/Value: There are few studies on the subject of compulsory environmental audits in the State of Rio de Janeiro and, therefore, this study expands the reflections on the use and role of this instrument as part of the State Environmental Policy.

Examining perspectives on fatal use of force: A comparative analysis of police and social sciences students’ views

Citizen views are, at times, in opposition to professional expertise. When it comes to policing, discussions surrounding the use of force often indicate a lack of understanding from the general population. In this study, police ( n = 1609) and social sciences ( n = 688) students were shown a video vignette of a fatal police shooting. Findings show that police students’ attitudes towards the use of force face a significant shift during training, leading to stronger support for lethal force and greater discrepancy in opinions compared to the other students. Our results also show that non-expert adults want police officers to be sanctioned severely.

An Economic Analysis of Maize Production across Major Producing States of India

National Food Security Mission has been taken by Government of India to increase coarse cereal Maize production in the country to meet food, feed for livestock and poultry and industrial raw material, domestic as well as global demand. The traditional and modern industrial uses have made it one of the fastest growing cash crops in the world. Considering its global as well as national importance, In this article, we have analysed the relative change, growth rate and CDVI (cuddy-della valle-index) in cost, returns, profitability and break-even production of maize during the study period 2000-01 to 2018-19 of Maize across major Maize growing states of India. The study found that Cost A1, cost A2, cost B1, cost B2, cost C1 and cost C2 of maize was found to be increased higher in Madhya Pradesh with highly significant annual growth rate during the study period than other states. These cost concepts showed low to medium instability for almost all the leading states. The findings revealed that maize was more profitable in Bihar, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, owing to higher net income and B:C ratios than in other states. Bihar states had higher differential yield and a greater discrepancy between the cost of production and the minimum support price. In some states, actual yields were lower than break-even, and production costs were greater than the minimum support price, resulting in losses for maize growers. The study's findings would help policymakers and governments devise appropriate development strategies and effective policies for less lucrative states.

Dynamic Intelligent Analysis of Single-Column Pier Bridges Considering Vehicle–Bridge Interaction

With its advantages of low engineering cost, minimal space occupancy, and aesthetically pleasing shape, the single-column pier bridge is frequently utilized in urban viaducts and interchange ramps. Due to structural peculiarities, the bridge subjected to eccentric loading, flexural and torsional interaction, and centrifugal force may undergo tipping accidents. To better comprehend the overturning resistance of the bridge, the vibration governing equation of the bridge (idealized as an orthotropic thin plate with point supports in the domain model) is established considering vehicle–bridge interaction. An approximate dynamic analysis formula is subsequently derived via a hybrid method using the grey wolf optimizer. Compared with the outcomes of finite element analysis, the maximal deviation arising from this derived analytical formula is approximately [Formula: see text]% with the greater discrepancy being observed in scenarios featuring minimal support reactions. Compared with the finite element method, the proposed method in this study has higher computational efficiency with precision. This analytical solution is then utilized in the parametric study to scrutinize the influences of span, road surface roughness, and vehicle velocity on a single-column pier bridge under four vehicles. The analysis findings indicate that the proposed approach is reasonably precise, remarkably efficient, and efficacious.

A Simplified Model for Propeller Thrust in Oblique Flow

New aircraft architectures are being proposed for unmanned aerial vehicles and air taxis, which include tilt-able motor and propellers. These propulsive units operate with a propeller axis at an angle oblique to the flight direction, and thus it is important to understand and model how thrust is produced by a propeller operating under these conditions. Propellers in oblique flow have been modeled using Blade Element Momentum Theory coupled to an inflow model, and the Vortex Lattice Method. In the present work, we develop a much simpler approach that neglects the crossflow component of the incoming air velocity. An advance ratio is developed based on the parallel inflow component, and is coupled to existing propeller data collected in axial flow conditions. The proposed model is evaluated using existing experimental data collected under oblique flow conditions, and is predicts thrust to within \(5\,\%\) of experimental values for most conditions. The greatest discrepancy between the model and experiments occurs in the pure crossflow case, which is of lesser importance in the application to unmanned aerial vehicles and air taxis.

Spatiotemporal analysis of aerosol dynamics in bismuth nucleation using multivariate Monte Carlo simulation

Aerosol evolution is a sensitive process which strongly depends on the spatiotemporal environment, especially for the nucleation serving as the source term. Challenges and interests are rising when insights are needed to evaluate the dynamic events within the process. In our recent study, a multivariate population balance Monte Carlo (PBMC) simulation coupled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was verified with experimental results measured in the homogenous nucleation from bismuth vapor. Therefore, a further analyze relating the main mechanisms is established, which covers the nucleation, condensation, coagulation and wall deposition. The nucleation is found the most significant and great discrepancies in aerosol parameters are contributed by different theories. Competition of vapor consumption between the nucleation and condensation determines the concentration of primary particles and following aggregate growth. The coagulation dominates the evolution after the nucleation, while the radial migration leading to wall deposition helps in averaging the spatiotemporal aerosol concentration.

Prescribed burning alters soil microbial community structure by changing soil physicochemical properties in temperate forests of northern China

Prescribed burning is commonly used to maintain forest ecosystem functions and reduce the risk of future wildfires. Although many studies have investigated the response of microbial community to wildfires in forest ecosystems, the effects of prescribed burnings on soil microbial community structure are less studied. It is also unclear that how post-fire soil physiochemical properties changes affected soil microbial communities. Here, we studied the impacts of prescribed burning on soil microbiome in three typical temperate forests of northern China by collecting soil physicochemical and high-throughput sequencing for 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA was applied to analyze the diversity and community composition of soil microbes (bacteria and fungi). Compared with pre-fire condition, prescribed burning significantly decreased Chao1 index and altered soil bacterial communities (P < 0.05), whereas it had no significant effect on fungal diversity and community structure of the (P > 0.05). Planctomycetes and Actinobacteria made the greatest contributions to the bacterial community dissimilarity between the pre-fire and post-fire conditions. The main variables influencing the post-fire soil microbial community structure are soil pH, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, and the ratio of soil total carbon to soil total nitrogen, which could account for 73.5% of the variation in the microbial community structure in these stands. Our findings demonstrated a great discrepancy in the responses of bacteria and fungi to prescribed burning. Prescribed burning altered the soil microbial structure by modifying the physicochemical properties. Our results pointed that it is essential to evaluate the impact of prescribed burnings on forest ecosystem functions. These findings provide an important baseline for assessing post-fire microbial recovery in the region and offer critical guidance for restoration efforts.

Application of Community Detection Methods to Identify Emergency General Surgery–Specific Regional Networks

There is growing interest in developing coordinated regional systems for nontraumatic surgical emergencies; however, our understanding of existing emergency general surgery (EGS) care communities is limited. To apply network analysis methods to delineate EGS care regions and compare the performance of this method with the Dartmouth Health Referral Regions (HRRs). This cross-sectional study was conducted using the 2019 California and New York state emergency department and inpatient databases. Eligible participants included all adult patients with a nonelective admission for common EGS conditions. Interhospital transfers (IHTs) were identified by transfer indicators or temporally adjacent hospitalizations at 2 different facilities. Data analysis was conducted from January to May 2024. Admission for primary EGS diagnosis. Regional EGS networks (RENs) were delineated by modularity optimization (MO), a community detection method, and compared with the plurality-based Dartmouth HRRs. Geographic boundaries were compared through visualization of patient flows and associated health care regions. Spatial accuracy of the 2 methods was compared using 6 common network analysis measures: localization index (LI), market share index (MSI), net patient flow, connectivity, compactness, and modularity. A total of 1 244 868 participants (median [IQR] age, 55 [37-70 years]; 776 725 male [62.40%]) were admitted with a primary EGS diagnosis. In New York, there were 405 493 EGS encounters with 3212 IHTs (0.79%), and 9 RENs were detected using MO compared with 10 Dartmouth HRRs. In California, there were 839 375 encounters with 10 037 IHTs (1.20%), and 14 RENs were detected compared with 24 HRRs. The greatest discrepancy between REN and HRR boundaries was in rural regions where one REN often encompassed multiple HRRs. The MO method was significantly better than HRRs in identifying care networks that accurately captured patients living within the geographic region as indicated by the LI and MSI for New York (mean [SD] LI, 0.86 [1.00] for REN vs 0.74 [1.00] for HRR; mean [SD] MSI, 0.16 [0.13] for REN vs 0.32 [0.21] for HRR) and California (mean [SD] LI, 0.83 [1.00] for REN vs 0.74 [1.00] for HRR; mean [SD] MSI, 0.19 [0.14] for REN vs 0.39 [0.43] for HRR). Nearly 27% of New York hospitals (37 of 139 hospitals [26.62%]) and 15% of California hospitals (48 of 336 hospitals [14.29%]) were reclassified into a different community with the MO method. Development of optimal health delivery systems for EGS patients will require knowledge of care patterns specific to this population. The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that network science methods, such as MO, offer opportunities to identify empirical EGS care regions that outperform HRRs and can be applied in the development of coordinated regional systems of care.

A Cross-Sectional Analysis of American Insurance Coverage of Upper and Lower Lid Blepharoplasty.

Dermatochalasis is a common condition that can cause obstruction of peripheral visual fields and impairment of daily activities. These effects can be addressed with a blepharoplasty, which may be considered a cosmetic procedure by American health insurers. The authors assessed insurance coverage of all indications of blepharoplasty and their medical necessity criteria. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 70 insurance policies for blepharoplasty. The insurance companies were selected based on their state enrollment and market share. A web-based search and telephone interviews were utilized to identify the policies. Medically necessary criteria were extracted from the publicly available policies. Of the 70 insurance policies assessed, 67 (96%) provide coverage for blepharoplasty. There were 7 indications for coverage, the most common being dermatochalasis causing functional visual impairment (n = 56, 80%), prosthesis difficulties in an anophthalmic socket (n = 44, 63%), and congenital ptosis (n = 38, 54%). Of companies that indicated coverage for dermatochalasis, 95% required visual field loss testing to qualify for coverage. Significantly more companies required a 30% loss in the superior visual field for coverage versus the literature-recommended amount of 24% loss (n = 14 versus n = 3, 26% versus 6%, P = 0.0067). There is a great discrepancy in insurance policy criteria for coverage of blepharoplasty, especially regarding requirements for visual field testing. Unfortunately, this disparity does not reflect the current literature as to whom may gain significant functional benefit from blepharoplasty.

An in-situ three-dimensional study of the dynamic and mechanism during spark plasma sintering of aluminum alloys

An in-situ plasma spark sintering (SPS) apparatus, coupled with laboratory X-ray microscopy, was utilized to three-dimensionally investigate the dynamic evolution process of 7055 aluminum alloy during SPS process. The influences of sintering temperatures and particle morphology on the sintering kinetics were discussed in detail. It was observed that elevating the sintering temperatures enhanced both the rate of densification and the final compactness of the alloy. Furthermore, three-dimensional quantitative analysis of pore evolution indicated that greater discrepancies in powder size between neighboring particles facilitated pore elimination during sintering by increasing available interstitial spaces. Mechanistic analysis rationalized these observations by attributing the enhanced sintering kinetics to the greater particle size disparity, which resulted in higher necking curvature and accelerated densification. The present study therefore provides a comprehensive three-dimensional in-situ quantitative analysis on the dynamic SPS process, and is expected to advance the current comprehension of sintering mechanisms at the micron scale.

Leptodelphax maculigera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) Harbors the Corn Stunt Complex Pathogens.

The African planthopper Leptodelphax maculigera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) has been recently reported in many places in Brazil in association with maize. Its occurrence in maize production fields in Brazil has brought concerns to the corn production chain regarding the possibility of this planthopper to be a vector for maize bushy stunt phytoplasma (MBSP), corn stunt spiroplasma (Spiroplasma kunkelii), maize rayado fino virus (MRFV), and maize striate mosaic virus (MSMV). The phytoplasma and spiroplasma, which are bacteria belonging to the class Mollicutes, and the two viruses are associated with the corn stunt disease complex. Given the presence of the African planthopper species and the corn stunt complex in Brazil, we further investigated the abundance of this planthopper species in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, and whether the planthopper can carry the four pathogens. We inspected 12 maize production fields in different municipalities in the state for 20 weeks, using two yellow sticky traps for each maize field. The sticky traps were replaced weekly. A total of 130 specimens of L. maculigera were captured, with a great discrepancy in quantity among locations and weeks. We detected the mollicute MBSP and the viruses MRFV and MSMV in L. maculigera, whereas S. kunkelii was absent in the assessed African planthopper samples. The molecular detection of the phytoplasma and the viruses in field-collected African planthoppers is strong evidence that this insect species has the ability to acquire those pathogens through feeding from the phloem of diseased maize plants. Nonetheless, transmission capacity needs to be experimentally proven to assert L. maculigera as a vector for the corn-stunting pathogens.

A comparison of global and regional ocean tide models with tide gauges in the East Asian marginal seas

To enhance storm surge forecasting and establish open boundary conditions for sophistical numerical simulation of tides and tidal currents in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea, this study evaluated the accuracy of eight global and regional tide models (EOT20, FES2014, NAO.99Jb, TPXO9, DTU16, HAMTIDE12, OSU12, and GOT4.10c) based on 41 tide gauges in the region. The differences between tide models and 8 offshore tide gauges were notable, with the root mean square (RMS) values ranging from 12.67 to 25.97 cm for M2, 6.09–13.73 cm for S2, 2.96–6.56 cm for K1, and 2.50–4.20 cm for O1. For the offshore stations, the NAO.99Jb model demonstrated superior performance with the root square sum (RSS) value of 12.63 cm among the eight tide models. For the island and coastal stations, the EOT20 model performed the best for M2 (RMS 13.03 cm), the FES2014 model for S2 (RMS 6.26 cm), and the DTU16 model for K1 and O1 (RMS 2.73 cm and 2.26 cm, respectively). Overall, the EOT20 model also exhibited the lowest RSS value (15.22 cm) among the eight models for 24 island and coastal stations. The EOT20 model slightly outperformed others with the RSS of 14.88 cm across all 32 tide gauges. Regarding the Sa tidal component, great discrepancies were found between TIDAL CONSTANTS (TICON) harmonic constant data and tide gauges. The reason for this is that the Doodson number for the Sa tidal component derived from tide gauge data, which is influenced by meteorological factors, should be (0,0,1,0,0,0), while the TICON harmonic constant data employed the Doodson number of (0,0,1,0,0,−1) corresponding to the basic astronomical variables. A correction method was proposed to adjust tidal constants from inconsistent Doodson numbers. Comparing with the harmonic constants of the Sa tidal component at 28 coastal tide stations revealed large errors in the NAO.99b, FES2014, and EOT20 models, with RMS values of 19.03, 22.08, and 13.61 cm, respectively. Consequently, caution should be taken when using the Sa results from these ocean tide models.