Middle Of May Research Articles

Chaos Theory of 0-1 Test and Logistic Map in New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

This study aims to forecast the new number of positive cases of COVID-19 using the logistic map, where the presence of chaos is determined using the 0-1 Test. There are a small number of investigations on chaos utilizing the 0-1 Test and logistic map in the literature. This study provides a straightforward technique of forecasting and a current way of determining chaos. Information on new confirmed COVID-19 cases and population of ten countries involving China, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, India, USA, Brazil, and Mexico for six months from January 20 to June 15, 2020, are selected as samples. The logistic map runs through three stages: data training, forecasting, and validation using the Mean Absolute Error method (MAE). The data training procedure is critical for determining the best growth rate, r, for the logistic map. In chaotic investigations of the 0-1 Test, there appears to be an inverse expectation toward a logistic map. The 0-1 Test in the data of new confirmed COVID-19 cases in all the selected countries reveals the presence of non-chaotic. This contrasts with the existence of chaos in the logistic map forecasts for the USA, Brazil, and Mexico. Regardless, the logistic map was found to be capable of forecasting new COVID-19 positive cases with low error instances. Beginning in the middle of May 2020, new COVID-19 positive cases are forecasted to be on the rise in the USA, Brazil, and Mexico.

Bioecological features of Nigella sativa L. in different conditions of Uzbekistan

The article is devoted to the study of bio-ecological features of black caraway (kalonji) in different conditions of introduction. The analysis of the periods of ontogenesis, the biology of flowering, fruiting (seed productivity) in different conditions of Uzbekistan was carried out. By results of phenological researches the differences of terms of phases of the vegetative period and its turn, by morphometric parameters are revealed. Emergence of buds in Nigella sativa under conditions of introduction is observed in the first decade of May, sometimes in the middle of May, depending on weather conditions of the year. The earliest flowering was on 18.05, the latest on 29.05. Fruiting takes place in early June to late June. The end of the growing season is observed in late June-early July. The duration of vegetation in Malguzar is 130-35 days, while in Botanical Garden it is 135-145 days. The real seed production per plant averages 51.9±3.94 in Botanical Garden conditions and 42.5±2.10 in Malguzar.

The potential role of the combined PARP-1 and VEGF inhibition in severe SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection.

During the evolution of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, several drug candidates have been proposed for repositioning towards a quest for more effective treatments. We reviewed recent literature (Pubmed, Google, Clinicaltrials.gov), as of the middle of May 2021, for evidence regarding the potential benefit from poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase inhibitors and vascular endothelial growth factor blockade in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerase inhibitors have been suggested as potential agents against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by a variety of mechanisms. vascular endothelial growth factor-associated vascular permeability is implicated with increased vascular leakage and pulmonary oedema. Thus, anti-angiogenesis factors, such as bevacizumab are being investigated in critically ill COVID-19 patients. The synergistic potential of these two classes of inhibitors in severe COVID-19 management could be beneficial. Further research should be carried out in order to support this hypothesis.

Formation of Sorghum vulgare and Sorghum orysoidum productivity as affected by sowing dates in the conditions of the eastern part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Purpose. To investigate the influence of varietal characteristics and terms of sowing seeds on the productivity of Sorghum vulgare and Sorghum orysoidum in the conditions of the Eastern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine.
 Methods. The following methods were used in the research: field – study of biological, ecological features of growth and development of productivity and quality of the crop; mathematical and statistical – used to process experimental data.
 Results. On average, over the years of research, the highest field germination of Sorghum vulgare and Sorghum orysoidum seeds was observed at the optimal sowing dates, i.e. early to middle May: and in ‘Dniprovskyi 39’ variety of Sorghum vulgare it was 88.1 and 87.3%, while in Sorghum orysoidum variety ‘Samaran 6’ 87.6 and 87.1%. In the early sowing dares, the field germination of seeds was lower on average in the experiment by 11.0–12.3%. Tillering of the plants depended on the studied varieties and averaged 1.1–1.2 shoots/plant in ‘Dniprovskyi 39’ and 1.0–1.3 shoots/plant in ‘Samaran 6’. The height of plants in the experiment was 118.2–122.3 cm in ‘Dniprovskyi 39’ and 112.8–116.2 cm in ‘Samaran 6’. The diameter of the stem of sorghum plants on average in the experiment ranged from 1.5 to 1.6 cm. The leaf area during the stages throwing of panicle – flowering reached a maximum for sowing seeds in the early and middle May and amounted to 37.4 and 36.7 thousand m2/ha in ‘Dniprovskyi 39’ and 36.8 and 35.9 thousand m2/ha in ‘Samaran 6’. Optimal sowing of sorghum seeds contributed to the formation of high crop productivity: in ‘Dniprovskyi 39’, grain yield was 7.1 and 6.8 t/ha, biomass yield 37.4 and 35.6 t/ha; in ‘Samaran 6’, grain yield was 6.4 and 6.1 t/ha, biomass yield 35.9 and 33.6 t/ha.
 Conclusions. It was found that the field germination of seeds mostly depends on weather conditions in the research years (32.1%) and sowing dates 23.4%. Varietal characteristics influenced much less, with the share of influence of 8.4%. Early sowing dates (late April), in comparison with the optimal terms (early to middle May) reduced the grain yield of ‘Dniprovskyi 39’ by 4.2–12.6% and ‘Samaran 6’ by 4.7–9.4%; biomass yield by 4.8–9.6% and 6.4–10.6%, respectively. Biometric indicators of plant growth and development were also higher. As a result of correlation-regression analysis, a close relationship was found between grain yield and leaf area. The correlation coefficient was R = 0.9454 ± 0.163 and 0.997 ± 0.037, and the coefficient of determination was R² = 0.8939 and 0.9946. According to Student criteria, tf = 5.81 > t0.05 = 2.78 and tf = 27.14 > t0.05 = 2.78. A strong correlation was observed between grain yield and plant height with a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.842 and a correlation coefficient R = 0.918 ± 0.199 and between biomass yield and plant height, respectively R2 = 0.7065 and R = 0.841 ± 0.271. According to Student criteria, tf = 3.10 > t0.05 = 2.78 and tf = 4.62 > t0.05 = 2.78.

EMPOWERING THE COMMUNITY TO OVERCOME COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN TAIWAN AND THE SCIENCE - AN EXAMPLE OF ELECTROLYZED WATER

Serve Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) outbreak from the December 2019 in China has brought over 220 million infected cases and caused over 4.55 million of death. COVID-19 pandemic till now destroy the human health, communication and economics, uncountable loss and huge influence greatly impact this world. In the past period, many cities were locked down in most countries. The status significantly change the life style and business condition. Available alert systems for the prevention of COVID-19 infection are very critical for a country, and reduce the threat to life. Fortunately, Taiwan empowers the management and control of immigration to stop the outbreak of COVID-19 effectively. No lock down or any influence for this society until the middle of May 2021. A missing point from the flight crews brought a wave of local transmission on 15th May. The highest infected cases were 550 per day (total population of Taiwan is 23 million). Fortunately, this outbreak is well controlled under the self-awareness of all citizens, wearing face mask, sanitary behavior promotion (proper cleaning and washing hands), vaccination, and quick and correct pandemic investigation and proper isolation successfully reduce the infected cases to 1-3 per day in two months. Till today, 16103 infected cases and 839 cases are found (15th September). From the past experience, community empowering is very important to prevent the outbreak and continuous transmission of COVID-19. From the science view point, except vaccine, some technology materials could show great potential on this pandemic. Electrolyzed water (EW) is a new type of cleaning and disinfecting agent obtained by electrolysis with dilute sodium chloride solution, it has low cost and harm to the human body and is also environmentally friendly. The anode produces acid electrolyzed water (AEW) and is mainly used to inhibit bacterial growth and disinfect. The cathode provides basic electrolyzed water (BEW), which is implemented to clean the surface of objects. EW is a powerful multifunctional antibacterial agent with a wide range of applications in the medicine, agriculture, and food industry. Studies in vitro and in vivo show that it has an inhibitory effect on pathogenic bacteria and viruses. Therefore, EW is used for the prevention of chronic diseases, and in recent years it has been discovered can be used to against infectious viruses. Not only animal experiments, but also clinical trials have also obtained more and more relevant research results, such as accelerating wound healing, oral health care, anti-obesity, lowering blood sugar, anti-cancer and anti-infectious viral diseases, etc. This chapter will summarize the application of EW in treating bacteria, viruses and the prevention of infectious and chronic diseases.

Intra-annual radial growth of Garuga floribunda in tropical seasonal rain forest and its response to environmental factors in Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

We examined the seasonal growth dynamics of a deciduous tree species Garuga floribunda in the tropical seasonal rain forest in Xishuangbanna and monitored the stem radial growth with both high resolution dendrometer and microcoring methods. Combining with the monitoring of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) in stem and environmental factors, we analyzed the eco-physiological drivers underlying the seasonal cambial activity and radial growth dynamics. The results of high reso-lution dendrometer method showed that the growth of G. floribunda began at the end of May (day of year, DOY: 149.3±7.2) and ended at the end of August (DOY: 241.0±14.7) in 2020, the annual total radial growth was 3.12 mm, and the maximum growth rate was 0.04 mm·d-1. Based on the microcoring methods, we found that xylem cell enlarging started from March 9th (69.2±6.2) and cell wall thickening ended on September 19th (DOY: 262.8±2.8). The cumulative xylem radial growth was 1.76 mm, and the maximum growth rate was 0.009 mm·d-1. The daily radial growth rate of G. floribunda was significantly and positively correlated with precipitation, relative humidity, daily minimum air temperature, soil moisture and temperature at the depth of 20 cm, and was negatively correlated with daily maximum air temperature, vapor pressure deficit, maximum wind speed, and water vapor pressure. The starch and soluble sugar contents in the sapwood of G. floribunda were relatively higher before the growing season. The starch content was lowest in the end of March, while the content of soluble sugars was lowest in middle of May. At the end of the growing season, the contents of starch and soluble sugar in G. floribunda peaked in the middle of October and the end of December, respectively.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ФЛУКТУАЦИЙ ЭФЕМЕРОВО-ЭФЕМЕРОИДОВОЙ СИНУЗИИ В ПОЛУПУСТЫННЫХ ФИТОЦЕНОЗАХ КУРА-АРАЗСКОЙ НИЗМЕННОСТИ В СВЯЗИ С КЛИМАТИЧЕСКИМИ ИЗМЕНЕНИЯМИ

The dynamics of semi-desert herbaceous phytocenoses was studied under the conditions of the Kura-Araz lowland on permanent model sites (10×10 m). Based on seven-year (2014–2020) stationary observations, regularities of seasonal and annual fluctuations of cereal-forb and legume-forb phytocenoses were revealed in connection with weather conditions. The analysis of data on the long- term dynamics of their species composition, structure, stock of the raw above-ground part is carried out. The α-diversity is estimated by generally accepted indices, the results of phenological observations are given. It was found that in the seasonal dynamics of plants, the beginning of the growing season depends on the air temperature in March, and the end of the cycle depends on the air temperature in May-early June. The optimal dates for the mass development of grasses are the beginning and the middle of May. In the case of an increased norm of atmospheric precipitation and a late onset of summer heat, this pattern may be violated, and the dates are shifted to the end of May – beginning of June. Over the years of observations in the cereal-forb phytocenosis of 19 species, 9, and in the legume-forb phytocenosis of 17 species, 5 turned out to be constant. The total projective cover ranged from 50 (dry years) to 100 % (wet years). The assessment of α-diversity showed that the species diversity of phytocenoses increased in years with a high amount of atmospheric precipitation in May. A linear dependence of phytomass on the total amount of atmospheric precipitation for March-June was revealed. It was found that the best accumulation of herbal phytomass is influenced by the amount of precipitation in late spring. The most resistant to warming plant species have been identified. These are mainly cereals with an average feed value: Avena eriantha, Bromus japonicus, Bromus rubens, Eremopyrum orientale, Lolium rigidum and weed herbs – Capsella bursa- pastoris, Carduus pycnocephalus, Convolvulus arvensis, Erodium cicutarium, Lepidium draba, Xanthium strumarium, the last species is an invasive plant. Among the representatives of legumes, only one species, Medicago minima, turned out to be relatively resistant to high air temperatures. It was found that of the total herbage, only 35.5 % of species can withstand a warming of 1.5–2 °C.

Seasonal Appearance, Abundance, and Host Preference of Philaenus spumarius and Neophilaenus campestris (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) in Olive Groves in Greece.

Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae) is a xylem inhabiting bacterium which is exclusively transmitted by xylem sap feeding insects. Among them, Philaenus spumarius Linnaeus and Neophilaenus campestris Fallén are the most abundant species in Europe. During 2018 and 2019 a survey was conducted in olive groves in Greece aimed to improve the knowledge about the biology and ecology of those spittlebugs in areas with Mediterranean climate. Moreover, the host preference of the nymphs was studied. The nymphs of P. spumarius and N. campestris were observed between early March and middle May depending on geographic location and year. The spittlebug adults were present during two periods every year, one in spring and another one in autumn and early winter. During summer months the spittlebugs were totally absent from olive groves. Our observation on host plant selection revealed that there was a strong preference of N. campestris nymphs for plants belonging to the family Poaceae. On the contrary, P. spumarius nymphs were polyphagous. The most preferable plants for the nymphs of this species belonged to the families Asteraceae and Fabaceae. The importance of these findings for control measures for these spittlebugs is discussed.

COVID-19 Communication From Seven Health Care Institutions in North Texas for English- and Spanish-Speaking Cancer Patients: Mixed Method Website Study.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need to rapidly disseminate health information, especially to those with cancer, because they face higher morbidity and mortality rates. At the same time, the pandemic’s disproportionate impact on Latinx populations underscores the need for information to reach Spanish speakers. However, the equity of COVID-19 information communicated through institutions’ online media to Spanish-speaking cancer patients is unknown.ObjectiveWe conducted a multimodal, mixed method document review study to evaluate the equity of online information about COVID-19 and cancer available to English- and Spanish-speaking populations from seven health care institutions in North Texas, where one in five adults is Spanish-speaking. Our focus was less on the “digital divide,” which conveys disparities in access to computers and the internet based on the race/ethnicity, education, and income of at-risk populations; rather, our study asks the following question: to what extent is online content useful and culturally appropriate in meeting Spanish speakers’ information needs?MethodsWe reviewed 50 websites (33 English and 17 Spanish) over a period of 1 week in the middle of May 2020. We sampled seven institutions’ main oncology and COVID web pages, and both internal (institutional) and external (noninstitutional) linked content. We conducted several analyses for each sampled page, including (1) thematic content analysis, (2) literacy level analysis using Readability Studio software, (3) coding using the Patient Education and Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), and (4) descriptive analysis of video and diversity content.ResultsThe themes most frequently addressed on English and Spanish websites differed. While “resources/FAQs” were frequently cited themes on both websites, English websites more frequently addressed “news/updates” and “cancer+COVID,” and Spanish websites addressed “protection” and “COVID data.” Spanish websites had on average a lower literacy level (11th grade) than English websites (13th grade), although still far above the recommended guideline of 6th to 8th grade. The PEMAT’s overall average accessibility score was the same for English (n=33 pages) and Spanish pages (n=17 pages) at 82%. Among the Dallas-Fort Worth organizations, the average accessibility of Spanish pages (n=7) was slightly lower than that of English pages (n=19) (77% vs 81%), due mostly to the discrepancy in English-only videos and visual aids. Of the 50 websites, 12 (24%) had embedded videos; however, 100% of videos were in English, including one on a Spanish website.ConclusionsWe identified an uneven response among the seven health care institutions for providing equitable information to Spanish-speaking Dallas-Fort Worth residents concerned about COVID and cancer. Spanish speakers lack equal access in both diversity of content about COVID-19 and access to other websites, leaving an already vulnerable cancer patient population at greater risk. We recommend several specific actions to enhance content and navigability for Spanish speakers.

The study of growth of blue honeysuckle sprouts (Lonicera caeruleae L.) in the conditions of North-East of the European Russia

The aim of the research is to study characteristics of sprout growth of 13 blue honeysuckle variety samples for evaluation of their viability in the conditions of Kirov region. Recordings and observations were carried out since 2018 to 2020 on the collection area (2017 year of planting). The length of a one-year growth was measured on three even-aged plants of each variety sample ten days after the moment of sprout growing till the end of growth. The length of 20 sprouts of the first-order renewal located according to four corners of the earth, was recorded on one plant. The sprout growth began from the 2nd to the 11th of May. Over the studied time an average duration of a growing period was 49.0 days. The variety Masha was distinguished for maximum duration in 2018 (55 days), the varieties Omega, Lenarola, Goluboy Desert (Blue Dessert), Laura and Dark-Blue № form had the minimal one in 2019 (42 days). Maximum length of the one-year growth was observed for the variety Renata (20.6±4.1 cm), Goluboy Desert (Blue Dessert) (20.8±5.2 cm) and Malvina (25.6±5.7 cm). The analysis of the dynamic of sprout growth showed that in the conditions of the studied period the maximum growth was observed in the first (33.8 %) and in the second (35.3 %) decades of growth – approximately, from the middle of May till the first decade of June. The decrease in intensity of sprout growth was noticed in the third decade – an average growth was 21.2 % (from 14.2 % in 2018 to 28.8 % in 2020). The fourth and fifth decades were characterised by fading of growth processes – intensity of growth was 5.9 % and 3.9 %, respectively. The contribution of the secondary growth to an annual growth did not exceed 26 % for Lenarola variety and 20 % for Goluboy Desert (Blue Dessert). The varieties, which had Turchaninov honeysuckle (Lonicera turczaninowii Pojark.) in their breeding record, did not differ in intensity and duration of sprout growth from the descendants of Kamchatka honeysuckle (Lonicera kamtscatica (Sevast.) Pojark.). An obconical shape of the bush prevailed among the studied variety samples (6 varieties or 46.2 %). All the studied variety samples of honeysuckle showed high viability in the conditions of the Kirov region.

Картографирование и верификация сроков залегания снежного покрова Прибайкалья по дистанционным данным MODIS «снежный покров»

The mapping and analysis of the dates of onset and melting the snow cover in the Baikal region for 2000–2010 based on eight-day MODIS “snow cover” composites with a spatial resolution of 500 m, as well as their verification based on the data of 17 meteorological stations was carried out. For each year of the decennary under study, for each meteorological station, the difference in dates determined from the MODIS data and that of weather stations was calculated. Modulus of deviations vary from 0 to 36 days for onset dates and from 0 to 47 days – for those of stable snow cover melting, the average of the deviation modules for all meteorological stations and years is 9–10 days. It is assumed that 83 % of the cases for the onset dates can be considered admissible (with deviations up to 16 days), and 79 % of them for the end dates. Possible causes of deviations are analyzed. It was revealed that the largest deviations correspond to coastal meteorological stations and are associated with the inhomogeneity of the characteristics of the snow cover inside the pixels containing water and land. The dates of onset and melting of a stable snow cover from the images turned out to be later than those of weather stations for about 10 days. First of all (from the end of August to the middle of September), the snow is established on the tops of the ranges Barguzinsky, Baikalsky, Khamar-Daban, and later (in late November–December) a stable cover appears in the Barguzin valley, in the Selenga lowland, and in Priolkhonye. The predominant part of the Baikal region territory is covered with snow in October, and is released from it in the end of April till the middle of May.

Field-Grown Rice Plants Become More Productive When Exposed to Artificially Damaged Weed Volatiles at the Seedling Stage.

It is known that undamaged plants that have been exposed to volatiles from damaged con- or heterospecific plants become more resistant against herbivores. This is one of the plants’ induced resistant responses against herbivores. To test whether this response can be used for rice production, we conducted the following experiments over 2 years (2012 and 2013). Rice seedlings were first planted in the rice seedling bed for 2 weeks in early May. There, half of the rice seedlings were exposed to artificially damaged weed volatiles three times for 12 days (treated plants). Weeds were randomly collected from the areas that were >100 m away from the seedling bed and the rice paddy fields. The remaining seedlings were not exposed (control plants). In the middle of May, bunches (ca. three seedlings per bunch) were transplanted to the rice paddy field. In July, leaf damage was observed. The total number of leaves in the treated and control plants was not significantly different. In contrast, the total number of damaged leaves in the treated plants was significantly lower than that in the control plants. In September, rice grains were harvested. The average weight of a rice grain from the treated and control plants was not significantly different. However, the weight of grains per bunch of treated plants was significantly higher than that of control plants; this indicated a significant increase of the number of grains by 23% in 2012 and by 18% in 2013 in the treated plants compared to that in the control plants. The volatiles emitted from the weeds included monoterpenoids (40.4% in total), green leaf volatiles (46.5%), short-chain alcohols (5.3%), short-chain ketone (5.4%), short-chain acetate (0.5%), short-chain aldehyde (1.1%), and hydrocarbon (0.7%). These results suggest that exposure of volatiles from artificially damaged weeds to rice seedlings has the potential to increase rice production.

A novel approach for high-performance heat index forecasting for the hottest region in Thailand

In Thailand, the hottest area is the northern inland plains located in the Northern Thailand. In summer, from the middle of February to the middle of May, the temperature may rises up to 40◦ or above due to the changing of northeast monsoon to southwest monsoon and the impact of relative humidity. Relative humidity is the major factor that makes people feel hotter than the actual temperature. If only the air temperature was noticed, it is possible to take risk of overheating and heat illness, especially heat stroke that can be deadly. The heat index has used as an effective warning measurement, this calculated by Steadman’s equation and yields the real feel of body. In order to prevent the heat illness, the predictive analytics such as time series forecasting should be applied. The regular series was constructed by several time points in consecutive daily heat index, the seasonal and cycle effects will be analyzed simultaneously. This scenario leads to the complicated time series model and may cause inaccuracy of forecasting. The proposed study modify the data structure as the series of specific date and time for thirty years, i.e., 1-April to 30-April at time 4.00 p.m., this reveals distinguished increasing trend from year by year. Three trend-focused forecasting model be applied, the two benchmarking models are Holt’s linear trend model and time series regression model, being compared with the proposed model called autocorelated-based decomposition. The forecasting results of Uttaradit and Chiang Mai provinces heat index in recent thirty years show that the proposed approach yields more accuracy than the benchmarks. For Uttaradit, the MAPE of the proposed model less than the others from 26.8% to 36.9%, and less than the others from 48.9% to 55.9% in RMSE. For Chiang Mai, the MAPE of the proposed model less than the others from 16.9% to 36.9%, and less than the others from 27.5% to 61.6% in RMSE.

DAFNE-Light INFN

Concerning the DAFNE-Light INFN facility after a 2-month shutdown, in March and April 2020, by the middle of May 2020 the operation with users slowly restarted. Due to travel restrictions, the Main...

Population dynamics of Frankliniella occidentalis Pergrande and its predator Orius similis Zheng on common crops and surrounding plants

• Plants surrounding Capsicum annuum fields can provide habitat for predator Orius similis . • Hypericum beanii and Trifolium repens are the important sources of Frankliniella occidentalis on C. annuum . • Zea mays is the potential banker plant of O. similis in C. annuum planting. Frankliniella occidentalis Pergrande is important invasive pests in China, causing damage to agricultural production, and Orius similis Zheng is the dominant predator species of F. occidentalis . A two-year survey was conducted to determine the population density of F. occidentalis and O. similis , on chili ( Capsicum annuum L.) and maize ( Zea mays L.) crops and surrounding weed species, which included white clover ( Trifolium repens L.), St. John's wort ( Hypericum beanii N. Robson), alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) and beggarticks ( Bidens pilosa L.) in Kunming, southern China. The activity of F. occidentalis on these 6 host plant species was determined using the quartile method. F. occidentalis mainly damaged plants during their flowering stage. The main activity period of F. occidentalis occurred earlier on H. beanii and T. repens than on C. annuum . The peak activity of F. occidentali s occurred in the middle of May (on T. repens ). During the whole activity period, the highest thrips densities were recorded on H. beanii among all of the sampled host plant species, followed by C. annuum . The lowest density was recorded on B. pilosa . Dynamics of immature F. occidentali s were more irregular than that of adults. The highest density of O. similis was recorded on Z. mays . It was 2.27–26.43-fold (2017) and 2.01–19.09-fold (2018) higher than that on other host plant species. This study showed that F. occidentali s could migrate between C. annuum and surrounding weeds. The weeds were the main source of thrips on C. annuum . The results indicated that Z. mays can be planted around C. annuum fields as a potential banker plant, to attract O. similis to control F. occidentalis on C. annuum , T. repens and B. pilosa . The flowering period of plants and surrounding plant species has a great effect to the population activities of F. occidentalis and predator O. similis on crops.

Investigation of the 2018 Shiraz dust event: Potential sources of metals, rare earth elements, and radionuclides; health assessment

In the middle of May 2018, an unprecedented dust storm occurred in the Shiraz metropolis. After the storm, several samples were collected from dust that settled around the city. These dust samples were analysed for potentially toxic elements (PTEs), rare earth elements (REEs), and radionuclides. This work is the first study that considered rare earth elements (REEs) for source identification and radionuclide contamination of Shiraz dust event. Hysplit model analysis and NASA and NOAA satellite maps illustrated that the air mass affecting Shiraz was moving mainly through the Saudi Arabian deserts. In addition, REE results of the dust that settled in Shiraz showed a trend similar to shale, sandstone, and especially Saudi Arabian soils. Ti/Al (0.01), Fe/Al (0.92), and Mg/Al (0.55) ratios and the values of LaN/SmN (0.91–0.98), GdN/YbN (1.8–2), LaN/YbN (1.7–1.9), HREE/LREE (0.52–0.6), Ce/Ce∗ (1.09–1.13), Eu/Eu∗ (1.03–1.18), Pr/Pr∗ (0.85–0.87), Gd/Gd∗ (1.1–1.15), and MREEs/MREE∗ (4.3–4.5) ratios provided insights into dust sources. These values indicated that Shiraz dust was affected by Asaluyeh and Iraq soils during transport and the main source of the dust that settled in Shiraz on the May 13, 2018 was Saudi Arabian soil. The concentrations of Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Mn, As, Cd, Ti, Al, Sc, and Fe in the settled dust were 0.24, 47.67, 67.33, 244, 70.27, 19.33, 664, 8.39, 0.65, 537.33, 40933.33, 11.54, and 37800 mg/kg, respectively. According to the enrichment factor (EF), coefficient variation, and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model the Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd mainly originated from exhaust emissions and industrial activities. The activity concentrations of the radionuclides 7Be, 4 K, 137Cs, and 235U in the Shiraz-settled dust were 814, 421, 14, and 5.4 Bq kg−1, respectively and the activity concentration of 4 K was higher than the crustal average. Health risk assessment indices for the elements considering all three pathways revealed the following trend: dermal contact (HQderm)< inhalation (HQinh)< ingestion (HQing). The values of HQinh and HQing for children were higher than adults, while the values for the skin adsorption pathway for adults were higher than for children.

Effect of spraying some plant oils and green tea extracts on fruit setting, yield and fruit quality of Barhee date palms grown under Aswan region conditions.

The present investigation was carried out during 2017 and 2018 seasons. Barhee date palms grown under Aswan region conditions and produced via tissue culture received three sprays of four plant extracts namely oils of moringa, garlic and onion and extract of green tea each at 0.05 to 0.2%. The merit was elucidating the effect of these plant extracts on fruiting setting, yield and fruit quality. Carrying out three sprays of moringa oil, garlic oil, onion oil and green tea extract each 0.05 to 0.2% had an announced promotion on fruiting setting, yield and fruit quality relative to the control treatment. Using plant extracts of green tea extract, moringa, onion oil and garlic oil in ascending order was very effective in promoting fruiting setting, yield and fruit quality. Meaningless stimulation on these characteristics were observed among the higher two concentrations of each plant extracts namely 0.1 and 0.2% for promoting on fruiting setting, yield and fruit quality of Barhee date palms, it is suggested to spray garlic oil at 0.1% three times (first week of March, just after fruit setting (middle of April) and one month later (middle of May).

Effect of spraying some plant oils and green tea extracts on growth and nutritional status of Barhee date palms grown under Aswan region conditions

The present investigation was carried out during 2017 and 2018 seasons. Barhee date palms grown under Aswan region conditions, produced via tissue culture received three sprays of four plant extracts namely oils of moringa, garlic and onion and extract of green tea each at 0.05 to 0.2%. The merit was elucidating the effect of these plant extracts on all growth aspects and palm nutritional status. Carrying out three sprays of moringa oil, garlic oil, onion oil and green tea extract each 0.05 to 0.2% had an announced promotion on all growth aspects and palm nutritional status relative to the control treatment. Using plant extracts of green tea extract, moringa oil, onion oil and garlic oil in ascending order was very effective in promoting growth and palm nutritional status. Meaningless stimulation on these characteristics were observed among the higher two concentrations of each plant extracts namely 0.1 and 0.2% for promoting some growth aspects and palm nutritional status of Barhee date palms, it is suggested to spray garlic oil at 0.1% three times (first week of March, just after fruit setting (middle of April) and one month later (middle of May).

Outbreak of gill henneguyosis in pond-cultured Oxyeleotris spp. (Eleotridae, Perciformes) caused by Henneguya shaharini Shariff, 1982 (Myxosporea: Bivalvulida) in south China

Henneguya shaharini Shariff is reported for the first time and found to be the possible cause of high rates of mortality in pond-reared marble goby, Oxyeleotris marmoratus Bleeker and Oxyeleotris lineolata Steindachner and the hybrid species of O. marmoratus (♀) ˟ O. lineolata (♂) in multiple major production areas of south China which expands the geographical distribution and host range of this parasite. This episode of epizootic gill henneguyosis had a distinct seasonal pattern which generally occurred from late December to middle May when water temperature ranged from 13 to 22 °C, but no significantly geographical bias was found. No remarkable clinical symptoms were found in affected fish with the early onset of disease. The severely infected fish, however, swam lonely and listlessly at the water surface and the gill filaments of moribund fish had much smudge attached. Upon necropsy, large amounts of myxosporean plasmodia of variable size could be found in the gill filaments. Histopathological investigations showed that the plasmodia were generally intralamellar, but rarely interlamellar and no distinct inflammatory responses surrounding the intact plasmodia were observed. The high infection intensity causing the displacement of gill filament by plasmodia and respiratory failure was possibly the main cause of fish mortality. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that H. shaharini clustered with two gill-infecting congeners to form an independent Gobioidei-infecting branch in a freshwater Henneguya cluster within a marine Henneguya-Myxobolus clade. The possible source of H. shaharini in China is discussed.

Swarming and mating behavior in Ephemera orientalis Mclachlan, 1875 (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) with morphological analyses

• Swarming and mating behaviors of a mayfly species, Ephemera orientalis Mclachlan, 1875 were observed in 2015, 2016, and 2018 at a river bank of the Asahi River, Japan. • Males started to make swarms between late April and middle May in 2016 and 2018. • Swarms were formed during a limited period at dusk most probably because that interval is free from natural enemies, and males competed with each other to copulate with females in swarms. • We also clarified the function of the forelegs of males, which are significantly longer than those of females. • Males used their forelegs to hold up a female from below. • Besides forelegs, males have longer tails than females. • Our results represent the first observation of swarm mating behavior in E. orientalis . Swarming and mating behaviors of a mayfly species, Ephemera orientalis Mclachlan, 1875 were observed in 2015, 2016, and 2018 at a river bank of the Asahi River, Japan. Males started to make swarms between late April and middle May in 2016 and 2018. The numbers of mated pairs in a swarm correlated with the numbers of flying males in a swarm in 2016 and 2018. Swarms were formed during a limited period at dusk most probably because that interval is free from natural enemies. Males competed with each other to copulate with females in swarms. We clarified the function of the forelegs of males, which are significantly longer than those of females. Males used their forelegs to hold up a female from below. Besides forelegs, males have longer tails than females. We will discuss why sexual differences are found in these traits. Our results represent the first observation of swarm mating behavior in E. orientalis .