Last Week Of October Research Articles

AN INVESTIGATION TO ASSESS THE WATER AND FRTILIZERS PRODUCTIVITY OF FABA BEANS UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION USING MONOTORING BY SMART CONTROL SYSTEM AND HUMIC COMPOUNDS

The objective of this study is to assess the impact of a smart and modern controller system for drip irrigation, as well as two critical elements related to humic compost and various treatments for field capabilities, on the yield of Faba beans, as well as the productivity of water and fertilizers (WP, FP). The Agricultural Research Station, National Research Centre, El-Nubaria district, Egypt, conducted field experiments during the winter season of 2022 and 2023. The experiments took place in sandy soil and focused on the cultivation of the Faba bean (Vica Faba. L). Faba bean seeds were planted in the last week of October, and the growing season lasted for 135 days. The smart controller drip irrigation system utilizes three different irrigation rates with corresponding field capacities of 35, 65, and 100. Additionally, two different amounts of humic compost, 100 kg/fed and 35 kg/fed, can be added. The highest Faba bean yield, water productivity (WP), and fertilizer productivity (FP) were achieved while applying 100 kg/fed of humic compost with a field capacity of 100%. Conversely, the lowest results were obtained when utilizing 35 kg/fed of humic compost with a field capacity of 35%. The application of 100 kg/fed of humic compost had a significant favorable effect on faba bean plants. This is attributed to the increased levels of macro and micronutrients present in the compost, which also aids in water conservation in sandy soil. Consequently, the plants were able to avoid water stress. Insufficient water supply in drip irrigation causes increased water stress, which negatively impacts plants and crop productivity. Faba bean plants can tolerate water stress when provided with 100% field capacity (FC) but are negatively affected by water stress at FC levels of 35% and 65%.

Impact of Weather Parameters on Population Dynamics of Tobacco Leaf Eating Caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (F.) Infesting Groundnut

Investigations on impact of weather parameters on population dynamics of tobacco leaf eating caterpillar, Spodoptera litura (F.) infesting groundnut was carried out at regional research station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand during kharif 2021. Infestation of the S. litura on groundnut was observed from July to October. The infestation of S. litura started from third week of July (29th SMW) during kharif 2021. Thereafter, population and per cent damaged plants were gradually decreased toward the maturity of the crop up to last week of October (44th SMW). The maximum larval population of S. litura as well as per cent damaged plants were observed during the month of September (35th SMW to 39th SMW). S. litura larvae showed significantly positive correlation with rainfall, morning and evening relative humidity as well as morning and evening vapor pressure. Morning relative humidity contributed 44.5% variation in the larval population of S. litura.

Investigation of hospital-acquired infections prevalence and analysis of influencing factors: a case study of a specialized infectious disease hospital in Chongqing, 2017-2023.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and their main influencing factors in a specialized infectious disease hospital in Chongqing from 2017 to 2023, providing reference for the formulation of precise infection control measures. A retrospective cross-sectional survey method was employed, combining bedside investigations with medical record reviews. Surveys were conducted on all hospitalized patients on a certain day of the last week of October each year from 2017 to 2023. Data collected included patients' basic information, diagnosis, and hospital infection status. Statistical analysis, including retrospective case-control and multivariable logistic regression analysis, was performed to identify the risk factors for hospital infections. The investigation compliance rate for the prevalence of HAIs in the specialized infectious disease hospital in Chongqing from 2017 to 2023 was greater than 96% each year. The prevalence rate of HAIs ranged from 0.89 to 2.52%. Hospital infection departments were mainly concentrated in general internal medicine, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS departments, accounting for 31.25, 26.25, and 23.75%, respectively. The most common infection site was the lower respiratory tract (54.22%), followed by bloodstream and urinary tract infections, each accounting for 9.64%. The predominant pathogens of hospital infections were Klebsiella pneumoniae and fungi. The utilization rate of antimicrobial drugs ranged from 20.75 to 33.25%, primarily for monotherapy. The rate of pathogen testing for therapeutic antimicrobial drug use was 82.84%, meeting national requirements. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the use of antibiotic (OR = 7.46, 95%CI 2.54-21.89, p < 0.001) and the presence of cardiovascular diseases (OR = 26.69, 95%CI 6.69-106.54, p < 0.001) increased the risk of HAIs. The prevalence of HAIs in specialized infectious disease hospitals remains stable, primarily concentrated in departments such as general internal medicine, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. The lower respiratory tract is the main infection site, and comorbid cardiovascular diseases and antibiotic use are risk factors for HAIs. Therefore, to reduce the risk of hospital infections, it is necessary to strengthen the daily monitoring of key departments and the care of key patients. Further implementation of precise and effective infection control measures, including rational antibiotic use, regular infection monitoring and pathogen culture is warranted.

Decarbonizing Conference Travel: Testing a Multi-Hub Approach

Abstract As the global research enterprise grapples with the challenge of a low-carbon future, a key challenge is the future of international conferences. An emerging initiative that combines elements of the traditional in-person conference and a virtual conference is a multi-hub approach. Here we report on a real-world trial of a multi-hub approach, the World Climate Research Programme/Stratosphere-Troposphere Processes and their Role in Climate (WCRP/SPARC) General Assembly held in Qingdao–Reading–Boulder during the last week of October 2022 with more than 400 participants. While there are other examples of conferences run in dual-hub or hybrid online and in-person formats, we are not aware of other large atmospheric science conferences held in this format. Based on travel surveys of participants, we estimate that the multi-hub approach reduced the carbon footprint from travel by between a factor of 2.3 and 4.1 times the footprint when hosting the conference in a single location. This resulted in a saving of at least 288 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2eq) and perhaps as much as 683 tCO2eq, compared to having the conference in one location only. Feedback from participants, collected immediately after the conference, showed that the majority would again attend another conference in a similar format. There are many ways that the format of the SPARC General Assembly could have been improved, but this proof of concept provides an inspiration to other groups to give the multi-hub format a try.

Cold-Tolerant and Short-Duration Rice (Oryza sativa L.) for Sustainable Food Security of the Flash Flood-Prone Haor Wetlands of Bangladesh

Rice cultivation in the low-lying basin-like wetlands, known as the Haor, is often affected by early flash floods during the first two weeks of April. The flooding is mainly caused by heavy rainfall and water surging downstream from the Meghalaya hills in India. This flash flood poses a significant threat to rice production, risking the country’s food security. Dry winter (Boro) rice is the primary food source throughout the year in the Haor region. Flash floods are the most catastrophic, affecting about 80% or even the entire rice yield. In 2017, a loss of 0.88 million metric tons of Boro rice in Haor regions cost the nation USD 450 million. To escape flash floods, it is recommended to sow Boro rice earlier, between the last week of October and the first week of November, instead of around 15 November so rice may be harvested by the last week of March before the onset of flash floods. However, early sowing has a possibility of causing grain sterility due to cold spells when the booting and heading stages of rice inevitably coincide with the cold period between 15 January and 7 February. The minimum temperature in the Haor regions ranges from 11 to 15 °C during this time. Rice is especially susceptible to low average temperatures (&lt;20 °C) during the reproductive stage, leading to pollen abortion and the malformation of immature microspores. Low temperatures mainly impact rice cultivation in Haor regions during the reproductive phase, resulting in the degeneration of the spikelets, partial panicle exertion, and increased spikelet sterility, leading to a decrease in grain yield. Over two million hectares of Boro rice have been damaged by extreme cold spells in recent years, resulting in partial or total yield loss. To overcome the threats of flash floods and cold injury, breeding short-duration and cold-tolerant rice varieties is crucial. We assume that an economic benefit of USD 230 million per year could be achieved through the development and adoption of short-duration and cold-tolerant high-yielding rice varieties in the Haor regions of the country. In this review article, the authors summarized the problems and outline a way forward to overcome the flash flood and cold injury of Boro rice cultivation in the Haor districts of the country. Furthermore, the authors discussed the various forms and scenarios of cold damage and the global existence of cold-tolerant rice cultivars. Based on the available data from earlier research, a potential way of mitigating flash floods and cold devastation was suggested.

Population Dynamics of Major Insect Pests Associated with Karanja (Pongomia pinnata L.) Pierre Based Agroforestry System

A study was carried out at Jabalpur (M.P.), India on the population dynamics of the major inspect pests in Karanja (Pongomia pinnata L.) Pierre in 40 provenances intercropped with soybean. Three major insect pests namely leafminer (Liriomyza trifolii), white fly (Bemissia tabaci) and and stemfly (Melanagromyza sojae (Zehntner)) were found infesting the karanja trees well as soybean crop A girdle beetle (Obereopsis bravis) and cow bug were also observed. Incidence of cow bug started in the first week of July and continued up to last of September. The population of cow bug attained its peak. by the middle of August at minimum and maximum temperature of 23.5℃ and 31.5℃ respectively, minimum and maximum relative humidity of 75% and 88% respectively and rainfall of 122 mm. The incidence of stem fly appeared from second week of august and continued up to last week of October and its highest population synchronized with adequate number of leaves of tree. The correlation studies a significant and positive correlation and did not differ significant between the insect population of white fly, girdle beetle and bark cater pillar between The population dynamics of Jassid. stem fly girdle, and bark eating caterpillar was not affected by average relative humidity.

Effect of Different Sowing Dates and Row Spacing on Growth and Yield of Faba Bean under Khumaltar Environment

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an annual minor grain legume locally known as Bakulla. An experiment on sowing dates and different row spacing was conducted at the National Agronomy Research Centre (NARC) Khumaltar from 2019/20 to 2021/22 to identify suitable sowing dates and row spacing. Three sowing dates (October 24, November 7, and November 21), row spacings (30 cm, 45 cm, and 60 cm), and plant-to-plant spacing of 10 cm were evaluated in a split plot with four replications. Plot size was maintained at 7.2 m2 (2 m x 3.6 m), the variety used was local, and the fertilizer dose applied was 20:40:20 N: P2O5:K2O kg ha-1. At physiological maturity, five plants per plot were sampled randomly for measurements of plant height, number of pods per plant, unfilled pods/plant, and 100 seed weight. Data on 50% flowering, days to 90% maturity, plant height, number of pods per plant, green pod yield, biological yield, and hundred seed weight were recorded. Combined analysis showed that sowing dates significantly influenced days to 50% flowering, final stand/m2, plant height, number of branches per plant, and number of pods per plant. The final stand/m2, plant height, straw dry matter, seed yield, and hundred seed weight were affected significantly by various row spacing. There was no significant interaction effect between sowing dates x row spacing, and all three factors (sowing dates x spacing x year) also had no significant interaction. The year they have significantly influenced all the parameters except 90% maturity and number of pods per plant. Sowing dates x year and spacing x year did not significantly influence all the parameters. Crop sown on October 24 produced the highest grain yield (1571 kg ha-1), followed by November 21 (1354 kg ha-1). Grain yields were significantly higher in 30 cm row spacing (1825 kg ha-1), mainly due to higher plant population per m2 than in 60 cm row spacing. It was concluded that the last week of October and 30 cm row spacing is suitable for faba bean production.

Effect of conserved soil moisture on growth and yield attributes of Taramira (Eruca sativa Mill.) in hot arid zone of Rajasthan

A study on the utilisation of conserved soil moisture and the effect of sowing time on the productivity of taramira (Eruca sativa Mill.) was conducted during rabi 2021-22 at ICAR-CAZRI-RRS Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The three treatments, i.e. T1 (sown in the last week of September) utilized conserved soil moisture with one irrigation, T2 (sown in the last week of October) and T3 (sown in the last week of November)- with two irrigations, was taken in this study. Yield attributes i.e. silique/branch, seed/siliqua and seed yield were significantly influenced by different treatments. The maximum silique/branch, seed/siliqua and seed yield was recorded in T1 (34.92; 20.35; 0.95 t/ha), followed by T2 (23.92; 17.52; 0.84 t/ha). The growth attributes like plant height, primary branches and pod length were not significantly affected by different treatments.

Performance of tall wheat under different sowing times and methods using various nutrient sources in western Haryana

To study the effect of different sowing times, methods and nutrient sources on the growth and productivity of tall wheat, a field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with three replications. The analysis of data revealed that tall wheat crop sown in the last week of October on FIRBS recorded significantly higher plant height, dry matter accumulation (at different growth stages), yield attributes, grain yield (2599 kg ha-1) and biological yield (7212 kg ha-1) as compared to conventionally sown wheat crop in 1st and 2nd week of November. Among the different nutrient sources, the recommended doses of chemical fertilizers provided significantly higher values of growth parameters, yield attributes, grain yield (2658 kg ha-1) and biological yield (7426 kg ha-1) compared to organic fertilizers/ biofertilizers. Maximum temperature showed a significant and positive correlation with yield and yield attributes. In light of the results to maximize the productivity of tall wheat, it may be sown in the last week of October on FIRBS supplied with recommended doses of fertilizers on the basis of soil test.

Relationship of weather parameters and date of showing on vector-borne disease, stem necrosis of potato

Stem necrosis is a hot spot disease caused by Tospovirus, a groundnut bud necrosis virus strain for Rajasthan. The minimum per cent incidence (5.56%) of stem necrosis was recorded with the variety Kufri Sindhuri and Kufri Pushkar (7.69%), while the maximum per cent incidence (24.87%) in Kufri Pukhraj and Kufri Bahar (23.75%). Out of three sowing dates, minimum disease incidence was recorded on 3rd planting date. The maximum and minimum temperature was highly significant, with a positive correlation against stem necrosis on the first planting date. A highly significant positive correlation between stem necrosis and the thrips population was detected. The maximum area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) value was found on 1st date of sowing. The 3rd date of sowing produced the maximum number of tubers per plot, marketable yield and total tuber yield (q/ha). However, the maximum per cent dry matter was recorded in K. Sindhuri (22.27%) and K. Pushkar (21.01%). Thus, the experiment results suggested that the variety of Kufri Sindhuri and Kufri Pushkar with planting in the last week of October caused a significant reduction in stem necrosis disease leading to a corresponding increase in tuber yield of potato.

Mpact of Chickpea Varieties and Sowing Dates on Pod Borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner)

Background: Global warming and climate change will have a major bearing on population and incidence of insect-pests and their associated yield and quality losses in different crops. In chickpea, a number of insect-pests are observed which mainly limit its production and productivity. Among these, gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a major and prominent pest in different chickpea growing areas of the country. The increased demand of residue free crop produce will definitely motivate farmers to select alternative management strategies instead of insecticides for management of insect-pests. Therefore, the current study aimed to determine the effect of different chickpea varieties at different dates of sowing on the population and incidence of gram pod borer. Methods: The present study was conducted at Regional Research Station, PAU-Gurdaspur during Rabi seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21 to determine the effect of chickpea varieties (PBG 7 and PBG 8) and different sowing dates viz. 25thOctober, 05, 15 and 25thNovember on the larval population and per cent pod borer infestation of Helicoverpa armigera. Result: It was concluded that both the tested chickpea varieties had non-significant effect on population of pod borer, pod damage and gram yield. However, the pod borer’s larval population and pod infestation decreased across sowing dates from last week of October to last week of November. The mean larval population and incidence of H. armigera decreased with a delay in time of sowing i.e. 7.88 and 5.29 larvae/3 rows and 62.96 and 42.27% pod damage in the 25thOctober and 25thNovember sown crop, respectively. The maximum grain yield (17.45 q/ha) was obtained from 15th November sown crop.

Predictors and mediators of pressure/tension in university students’ distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: A self-determination theory perspective

ABSTRACT Due to the global restrictions to decrease the risk of infection in classrooms, the transition from face-to-face education to distance learning was a necessity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, the present research sought to explore how the pandemic affects university students during distance learning. Specifically, the study examined the predictors of pressure/tension and attempted to identify the unique and mediator roles of correlates of pressure/tension of university students. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 432 university students from different departments of different universities in Turkey. The online survey was administered between the last week of October and the second week of December 2020. Our findings revealed that there is a positive association between pressure/tension and Covid-specific worry. Also, there is a negative association between learning climate and pressure/tension and between perceived competence and pressure/tension. Further, learning climate mediated the link between Covid-specific worry and pressure/tension. The data of the present study depends on students’ academic (learning climate) and also non-academic (Covid worry) experiences during the pandemic. Methodological limitations concerning the research design are discussed.

Reproduction and Post-Natal Development of Hipposideros pomona Andersen, (1918) in Kyan Taing Aung Cave of Sagaing Hill Range within Myanmar

Studies on sizes of animal at birth and on subsequent post-natal growth are important for understanding the aspects of their life history and for understanding a wide range of ecological, behavioural and developmental patterns. The study was conducted on a colony of Hipposideros pomona comprising approximately 700 individuals. The colony was located at Kyan Taing Aung Cave, a renovated seminatural structure situated at 21° 53.9' N, 95° 59.959' E and at an elevation of 165m above sea level on the Saging Hill Range, Myanmar and conducted from January 2005 to December 2006. Mating of H. pomona occured in the last week of October and parturition occurred during April and May. The gestation period was 180 days and the reproductive activity is associated with rainfall rather than the temperature. The pup appeared to be heavy with approximately 29.1 % of the adult female weight. The pups are assumed intermediate between precocial and altricial types. At birth the young bat was found to be already provided with canine teeth to grip not only the breast nipple but also the pubic nipple. The pattern of post-natal growth and development followed the basic trend of a linear growth of forearm and body mass during the preflight period. Linear regression conducted between the mean forearm length and mean body weight of both male and female growing pups was found to be highly significant. However, positive correlation was not established between the forearm length and the nature of the epiphyseal gap in the third metacarpal-phalangeal joint of the third digit. Hipposideros pomona attained sexual maturity at approximately seven months (210 days) from the time of birth, whence the forearm length had grown to approximately 40mm and the body mass attained approximately seven grammes.

Field Evaluation of In2Care Mosquito Traps to Control Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Hawai'i Island.

Aedes aegypti Linnaeus and Aedes albopictus Skuse are vectors of dengue virus and responsible for multiple autochthonous dengue outbreaks in Big Island, Hawai'i. Control of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus has been achieved in In2Care trap trials, which motivated us to investigate this potential control approach in the Big Island. Our In2Care trial was performed in the coastal settlement of Miloli'i in the southwest of Big Island where both Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus are found. This trial starting in the second week of July and ending in the last week of October 2019 fell within the traditional wet season in Miloli'i. No significant reduction in egg or adult counts in our treatment areas following 12 wk of two In2Care trap placements per participating household were observed. In fact, an increase in numbers of adults during the trial reached levels that required the local mosquito abatement program to stop the In2Care trap trial and institute a thorough source reduction and treatment campaign. The source reduction campaign revealed a large variety and quantity of water sources competed with the oviposition cups we had placed, which likely lowered the chances of our oviposition cups being visited by pyriproxyfen-contaminated Aedes adults exiting the In2Care traps.

Ingression of the hydromedusa Neotima lucullana (delle chiaje, 1822) into the ecosystem of the Neretva river estuary (south-eastern Adriatic, Croatia

Hydromedusa Neotima lucullana is an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea. In this study we document the first numerous and permanent occurrence of N. lucullana in the estuary of the Neretva River, an unusual habitat for this typical marine species. We provide COI barcode sequence of this species, which is also first genetic sequence ever published of N. lucullana. Weekly data on the occurrence and abundance of N. lucullana were obtained from reports and records of autonomous divers and local fishermen in the area from Opuzen to Metković from mid-June to the end of October 2021. The individuals were always located in the layer above the bottom with salinity between 35.2 and 38.2. The diameters of the jellyfish bells ranged from 15 mm to 72 mm, most of them between 40 mm and 58 mm. Differential development of the gonads was observed in all specimens larger than 25 mm. In mid-June, the specimens were common but solitary. A week later, the jellyfish were more frequent and in smaller aggregations. From late June to mid-September, the jellyfish were constantly observed in larger aggregations. Toward the autumn, the number of individuals gradually decreased, and by the last week of October, only single individuals were observed. Our results indicate significant changes in the ecosystem of the Neretva estuary and confirm the observed composition of zooplankton communities dominated by marine species in summer and autumn.

Comparative growth analysis of cumin plants (Cuminum cyminum L.) treated with glycerol and talc based phosphate solubilizing bacterial consortia

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is a versatile annual herb cultivated in the Middle East, India, China, and Tunisia. The seeds of this plant are primarily used in cooking as common food additives and traditional medicines to treat hypolipidemia, cancer and diabetes. However, cumin plants have poor germination and weak establishment rate, particularly under drought stress. The present study aimed to examine the growth promotion potential of cumin plants treated with talc and glycerol-based phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) consortia. Four efficient PSB were isolated from the rhizosphere of Calotropis procera and Solanum lycopersicum and identified through 16S rRNA sequencing as Pseudomonas nitritireducens MF351819, Klebsiella pneumoniae MF351845, Erwinia sp. MF351846 and Pantoea dispersa MF351847. In a nursery experiment on cumin (Cuminum cyminum) plants, 15 treatments of single, dual, triple and quadruple combinations of four PSB isolates were formulated on glycerol and talcum powder-based bacteriological carriers. The 100-day pot experiment was initiated during the winter of 2016 (the last week of October) containing loamy sand soil of Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat. The formulations were applied to pot soil containing seven-day-old cumin seedlings. With glycerol-based PSB inoculations, the P14 treatment containing a consortium of K. pneumoniae MF351845, Erwinia sp. MF351846, and P. dispersa MF351847 provided the highest per plant seed yield of 0.19 g. With talc-based PSB inoculations, the P11 treatment containing a consortium of K. pneumoniae MF351845, Erwinia sp. MF351846, and P. nitritireducens MF351919 produced the highest per-plant cumin seed yield of 0.42 g. Overall, talc-based PSB consortial treatments improved height, dry weight, 100 seed weight and yield of the cumin plant.

A Complete Meteo/Hydro/Hydraulic Chain Application to Support Early Warning and Monitoring Systems: The Apollo Medicane Use Case

Because of the ongoing changing climate, extreme rainfall events’ frequency at the global scale is expected to increase, thus resulting in high social and economic impacts. A Meteo/Hydro/Hydraulic forecasting chain combining heterogeneous observational data sources is a crucial component for an Early Warning System and is a fundamental asset for Civil Protection Authorities to correctly predict these events, their effects, and put in place anticipatory actions. During the last week of October 2021 an intense Mediterranean hurricane (Apollo) affected many Mediterranean countries (Tunisia, Algeria, Malta, and Italy) with a death toll of seven people. The CIMA Meteo/Hydro/Hydraulic forecasting chain, including the WRF model, the hydrological model Continuum, the automatic system for water detection (AUTOWADE), and the hydraulic model TELEMAC-2D, was operated in real-time to predict the Apollo weather evolution as well as its hydrological and hydraulic impacts, in support of the early warning activities of the Italian Civil Protection Department. The WRF model assimilating radar data and in situ weather stations showed very good predictive capability for rainfall timing and location over eastern Sicily, thus supporting accurate river flow peak forecasting with the hydrological model Continuum. Based on WRF predictions, the daily automatic system for water detection (AUTOWADE) run using Sentinel 1 data was anticipated with respect to the scheduled timing to quickly produce a flood monitoring map. Ad hoc tasking of the COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation was also performed to overcome the S1 data latency in eastern Sicily. The resulting automated operational mapping of floods and inland waters was integrated with the subsequent execution of the hydraulic model TELEMAC-2D to have a complete representation of the flooded area with water depth and water velocity.

Pumpkin carving knife injuries: National incidence and trends of hand injury

IntroductionSeasonal media reports often describe the dangers of pumpkin carving, yet little data exists regarding the actual incidence of hand injuries resulting from pumpkin carving. The purpose of this study is to describe, quantify, and trend ED encounters associated with pumpkin-related knife injuries. MethodsThe National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for pumpkin-related knife injuries from 2012 to 2021. Patient demographic and injury data was collected and analyzed to describe trends in incidence, patient demographics, and injury patterns associated with an ED encounter for a pumpkin-related knife injury. ResultsThere were an estimated 20,579 (95% CI: 17,738–23,420) pumpkin-related knife injuries from 2012 to 2021. The incidence of pumpkin-related knife injuries remained stable over time (R2 = 0.195, P = 0.201). Hand injuries comprised 87.6% of all injuries, with the thumb (33.5%) and index finger (25.0%) most commonly affected. Men and women were injured at similar rates (51.6% vs 48.4%). The most common demographic injured were 10 to 19-year olds (31.5%) followed by children <10-years old (19.5%). Women ages 10 to 19-years old were the most commonly injured subgroup (10.0% of all injuries). Most ED presentations occurred on Saturdays (16.5%) or Sundays (23.3%). The large majority occurred during the months of October (83.5%) followed by November (11.2%), with almost half of all cases (45.6%) occurring in the last week of October. Peak incidence of injury occurred on October 30th. ConclusionPumpkin-related knife injuries are a preventable cause of hand injury with predictably high-incidence in fall months. Additionally, our data suggests further precautions should be taken to prevent injury in pediatric patients. Understanding at-risk populations in addition to implementing public safety initiatives and education on safe pumpkin-carving techniques could prevent serious injuries in the future.

Effect of plant growth regulator (PGR) and cultural practices on supression of post monsoon vegetative flush in relation to physiological and yield parameters of alphonso mango (Mangifera indica L.)

This experimental work was performed on Alphonso mango treeat Centre of Excellence for Mango, Department of Horticulture, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan KrishiVidyapeeth, Dapoli, during mango growing season summer-winter 2016 -2017 and 2017-2018. It is observed that the post- monsoon vegetative flush in mango trees affects reproductive phase that ultimately cause huge economic loss and so the study aimed at the effect of plant growth regulator (PGR) and cultural practices on supression of post monsoon vegetative flush in relation to physiological and yield parameters. The experiment laid out in ten treatments viz,. T1_ control,T2_ CCC-1500 ppm,T3_CCC-2500 ppm,T4_foliar spray of diammonium phosphate 3%,T5_PBZ-500 ppm,T6_PBZ-1000 ppm,T7_ PBZ- 2000 ppm,T8_ Soil opening upto the depth of 4-5 inch at tree basin region once in last week of September,T9_ Soil opening upto the depth of 4-5 inch at tree basin region once in last week of October and T10_Soil opening upto the depth of 4-5 inch at tree region twice in last week of September and last week of October. Among physiological parameters considered, the rate of photosynthesis was maintained at significantly highest rate (7.44 μmol CO2 m-2s-1) by treatment T10. The rate of respiration was found to be increased from before bud break stage to bud break stage and then declines towards flower initiation stage. In case of rate of transpiration, treatment T10 maintained significantly highest rate of respiration from before bud break stage to flower initiation stage and recorded highest rate of respiration at bud break stage (-6.03 μmol CO2 m-2s-1). In case of yield, treatment T10 recorded significantly minimum days required for harvesting (102.16 days) from flowering among all treatments. Significantly maximum days required for harvesting (129.83 days) was recorded by T1.The treatment T10 recorded significantly maximum number of fruits per plant (188.50) followed by treatment T3 (184.16), significantly minimum fruits per tree (89.50) was recorded by T1.The fruits per tree (kg) was found to be significantly higher (48.96 kg) in T10.

Biology of the Cereal Ground Beetle Zabrus tenebrioides Goeze (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Cereal Fields of Southeastern Anatolia Region, Turkey

The cereal ground beetle,Zabrus tenebrioides Goeze (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is one of the most important pests of wheat in the southeastern region of Turkey. The larval stage lives in the soil and may cause severe damage to wheat crops. Damage by this pest is favored by a wheat monoculture or the use of untreated seeds. High soil moisture and moderate temperatures are favorable conditions for the development and attack of Z. tenebrioides larvae. The southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey is a hub of cereal production and Z. tenebrioides can attack the seedling stage of cereals in this region, resulting in heavy economic losses. This study was carried out during the years 2015 and 2017 to determine the biology of Z. tenebrioides in the southeastern Anatolia region. Surveys could not be carried out in 2016 as the climatic conditions were not suitable. Adults of this pest were monitored and data on the biology, aestivation and hibernation periods of Z. tenebrioides were recorded. Results indicated that aestivation (the last week of October) and hibernation (at the end of November and most of December) times, and the duration of egg, larval, pupal and adult stages are closely associated with soil temperature and moisture, followed by temperature and humidity of food and air. It was further observed that pest populations increased when the temperature was low and humidity was high, especially in the years receiving high precipitation during early spring and late autumn.