Minimum Mortality Research Articles

Data-limited stock assessment of red mullet (Mullus barbatus) from the Iskenderun Bay, the north-eastern Mediterranean Sea

Stock size and status of red mullet Mullus barbatus were assessed via virtual population analysis and yield prediction analysis using on-board observed length-frequency catch data from the north-eastern Mediterranean Sea. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters obtained were L∞ = 35.4 cm, k = 0.42, t0 = 0.64, tanc = 0.59 and Φ′ = 2.72. Trawl-type selectivity ogive was calculated as 1.57 years corresponding to 17.1 cm TL. The virtual population analysis of M. barbatus indicated that the minimum and maximum fishing mortalities were 0.01 yr–1 and 11.1 yr–1 for the mid-length groups for 8.5 cm and 21.5 cm respectively. The estimated lowest mean biomass and yield were 3.541 t and 31 t at length 8.5, and the highest mean biomass and yield were 13.880 t at length 22.5 cm and 46.086 t at length 21.5 cm respectively. Biological reference points were FMSY = 5.85, F0.5 = 2.3, EMSY = 0.89, E0.5 = 0.77. The values for the current fishing mortality coefficient (Fcur) and the current exploitation rate (Ecur) calculated were 5.3 and 0.89 respectively. The present biological reference points indicate that the stock of M. barbatus in the investigated area is overexploited status and needs urgent management considerations.

Small-area assessment of temperature-related mortality risks in England and Wales: a case time series analysis

Epidemiological literature on the health risks associated with non-optimal temperature has mostly reported average estimates across large areas or specific population groups. However, the heterogeneous distribution of drivers of vulnerability can result in local differences in health risks associated with heat and cold. We aimed to analyse the association between ambient air temperature and all-cause mortality across England and Wales and characterise small scale patterns in temperature-related mortality risks and impacts. We performed a country-wide small-area analysis using data on all-cause mortality and air temperature for 34 753 lower super output areas (LSOAs) within 348 local authority districts (LADs) across England and Wales between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec 31, 2019. We first performed a case time series analysis of LSOA-specific and age-specific mortality series matched with 1 × 1 km gridded temperature data using distributed lag non-linear models, and then a repeated-measure multivariate meta-regression to pool LAD-specific estimates using area-level climatological, socioeconomic, and topographical predictors. The final analysis included 10 716 879 deaths from all causes. The small-area assessment estimated that each year in England and Wales, there was on average 791 excess deaths (empirical 95% CI 611-957) attributable to heat and 60 573 (55 796-65 145) attributable to cold, corresponding to standardised excess mortality rates of 1·57 deaths (empirical 95% CI 1·21-1·90) per 100 000 person-years for heat and 122·34 deaths (112·90-131·52) per 100 000 person-years for cold. The risks increased with age and were highly heterogeneous geographically, with the minimum mortality temperature ranging from 14·9°C to 22·6°C. Heat-related mortality was higher in urban areas, whereas cold-related mortality showed a more nuanced geographical pattern and increased risk in areas with greater socioeconomic deprivation. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of excess mortality related to non-optimal outdoor temperature, with several risk indicators reported by age and multiple geographical levels. The analysis provides detailed risk maps that are useful for designing effective public health and climate policies at both local and national levels. Medical Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, EU Horizon 2020 Programme, National Institute of Health Research.

Short-Term Effects of Apparent Temperature on Cause-Specific Mortality in the Urban Area of Thessaloniki, Greece

Although there is a growing interest in the association between ambient temperatures and mortality, little evidence is available for Thessaloniki, the second largest city of Greece. In this study, we present an assessment of the effects of temperature on daily mortality from 2006 to 2016 in the urban area of Thessaloniki, by describing the exposure-lag-response association between temperature and cause-specific mortality with the use of a distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM). A J-shaped relationship was found between temperature and mortality. The highest values of risk were evident for respiratory (RR > 10) and cardiovascular causes (RR > 3), probably due to the fact that health status of individuals with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases rapidly deteriorates during hot periods. Cold effects had longer lags of up to 15 days, whereas heat effects were short-lived, up to 4 days. Percentage change in all- and cause-specific mortality per 1 °C change above and below Minimum Mortality Temperature showed a larger increase for all-cause mortality in heat (1.95%, 95% CI: 1.07–2.84), in contrast to a smaller increase in cold (0.54%, 95% CI: 0, 1.09). Overall, 3.51% of all-cause deaths were attributable to temperature, whereas deaths attributed to heat (2.34%) were more than deaths attributed to cold (1.34%). The findings of this study present important evidence for planning public-health interventions, to reduce the health impact of extreme temperatures.

RESPONSE OF BELL PEPPER GERMPLASM, PHYTOEXTRACTS AND SYNTHETIC CHEMICALS TOWARDS SOUTHERN BLIGHT CAUSED BY Sclerotium rolfsii UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS

Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) is prone to attack by a number of diseases, but Southern blight is the most destructive disease caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. For selection of resistant source, ten varieties of bell pepper were screened out against southern blight in the research area, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad under Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Results demonstrated that two varieties (TSP-041 and Corral F1) exhibited resistance response, three varieties (Freedom F1, Super Globe F1 and SP-042) expressed moderately resistant, two varieties (Asha, Extra-2) showed moderately susceptible response and the remaining three (SP-041, Aleena F1 and Sayio F1) showed susceptible response against southern blight. For management, four fungicides namely (Cymoxanil+Mancozeb, Systhane, Matalaxyl+Mancozeb, Rescue) @ 0.05, 0.1 and 0.25 and four phytoextracts (Cassia fistula, Allium sativa, Azadirachta indica and Allium cepa) at three concentrations (S/50, S/25, S/15) were evaluated against southern blight of bell pepper on susceptible variety, Savio F1 under RCBD. Out of four fungicides Systhane showed minimum plants mortality (8.676%), while Cymoxanil+Mancozeb showed 14.46, Matalaxyl+Mancozeb 16.566 and Rescue 19.24% of plants mortality as compared to control under field conditions. Among four Plant extracts A. indica proved the most effective against southern blight followed by Cassia fistula, Allium sativa and Allium cepa as compared to control.

Heat risk of mortality in two different regions of the United Kingdom

Heatwaves pose a protracted health risk depending on its intensity and exposure time. Not only cities but countryside areas are also exposed to risk of summertime heat which has not been recently updated at the bucolic scale. This study aims to associate temperature and mortality and explore its temporal variation. A Poisson regression model combined with a distributed lag non-linear model was applied over daily mortality and maximum temperature data from 1981 to 2018 to formulate the lagged response of summer temperature. The relative risk (RR) and mortality attributable fraction (AF) with respect to minimum mortality temperature (MMT) in Southeast England and Aberdeenshire, UK was calculated. The RR and AF for high and extreme (95th and 99th percentile) temperature with respect to MMT have increased (RR– 1% and 7%; AF– 1.33 and 1.9 times, respectively) in Southeast England but reduced in Aberdeenshire (RR– 2% and 6%; AF– 0.49 and 0.15 times, respectively) in last two decades. However, lagged risk persists for very extreme temperature after several days of exposure at both sites and the hazard cannot be underestimated and neglected. Hence, action is needed to update the heat action plan for extreme temperature management formulating appropriate heat-mitigation strategies focused on vulnerable populations.

Cause-specific cardiovascular disease mortality attributable to ambient temperature: A time-stratified case-crossover study in Jiangsu province, China

BackgroundExposure to non-optimum ambient temperature has been linked to increased risk of total cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality; however, the adverse effects on mortality from specific types of CVD remain less understood. ObjectivesTo comprehensively investigate the association of ambient temperature with cause-specific CVD mortality, and to estimate and compare the corresponding mortality burden. MethodsWe conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study of 1000,014 CVD deaths in Jiangsu province, China during 2015–2019 using data from the China National Mortality Surveillance System. Residential daily 24-hour average temperature for each subject was extracted from a validated grid data at a spatial resolution of 0.0625° × 0.0625°. We fitted distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) based on conditional logistic regression to quantitatively investigate the association of ambient temperature with total and cause-specific CVD mortality, which was used to further estimate mortality burden attributable to non-optimum ambient temperatures. ResultsWith adjustment for relative humidity, we observed reverse J-shaped exposure-response associations of ambient temperature with total and cause-specific CVD mortality, with minimum mortality temperatures ranging from 19.5 °C to 23.0 °C. An estimated 20.3% of the total CVD deaths were attributable to non-optimum temperatures, while the attributable fraction (AF) of mortality from chronic rheumatic heart diseases, hypertensive diseases, ischemic heart diseases (IHD), pulmonary heart disease, stroke, and sequelae of stroke was 22.4%, 23.2%, 23.3%, 20.9%, 17.6% and 21.3%, respectively. For total and cause-specific CVDs, most deaths were attributable to moderate cold temperature. We observed significantly higher mortality burden from total and certain cause-specific CVDs in adults 80 years or older and those who were widowed. ConclusionExposure to ambient temperature was significantly associated with increased risk of cause-specific CVD mortality. The burden of CVD mortality attributable to non-optimum temperature was substantial especially in older and widowed adults, and significantly varied across specific types of CVD.

Myocarditis following administration of COVID-19 Vaccine: Should we be worried?

The COVID-19 vaccines have raised scepticism surrounding their accelerated approval due to their suspected adverse side effects.(1) Recently emerging clinical cases such as flu, fever, tachycardia, Bell’s palsy, and swelling of the lymph nodes have further heightened public distrust. Interestingly, the United States Food and Drug Administration has recently announced an inflammatory heart disease, Myocarditis, as a potential risk of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. In efforts to find an association between the Pfizer vaccine and Myocarditis, researchers recently carried out extensive clinical trials; two new studies tracked cases having biomarker evidence of myocardial injury and Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging.(2,3) Moreover, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded 323 confirmed cases of myocarditis, most documented within a week after each patient had received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.(4) A recent emergent theory suggests a cytokine response as the leading cause of myocarditis; the immune system identifies the mRNA in the vaccine as an antigen, leading to the activation of proinflammatory cascades and immunological pathways. The expression of cytokines and activation markers is due to the exposure of the dendritic cells to mRNA, which eventually causes inflammation of the heart muscle.(4) Furthermore, according to the CDC, the myocarditis is mainly observed in male adolescents and young adults, more often after getting the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. A week after administrating the vaccine, symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and tachycardia may appear, which tend to resolve following conservative treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.(3) Despite the previously mentioned occurrences of myocarditis after administration of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, we would like to highlight the results of a large-scale cohort study in Israel with 2.5 million participants, where the estimated incidence of myocarditis after the administration of the Pfizer vaccine was only 2.13 cases per 100,000 persons.(5) These statistics allow us to draw the readers’ attention towards the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination, which outweigh potential adverse risks such as Myocarditis. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine has proven to be 95% effective and to keep track of other possible complications, patients are advised to report to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to document any unusual side effects.(4) Despite the few reported complications, we would further like to emphasize the importance of population- wide vaccination to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic with a minimum mortality rate.

Evidence of rapid adaptation integrated into projections of temperature-related excess mortality

Few studies have used empirical evidence of past adaptation to project temperature-related excess mortality under climate change. Here, we assess adaptation in future projections of temperature-related excess mortality by employing evidence of shifting minimum mortality temperatures (MMTs) concurrent with climate warming of recent decades. The study is based on daily non-external mortality and daily mean temperature time-series from 11 Spanish cities covering four decades (1978–2017). It employs distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs) to describe temperature-mortality associations, and multivariate mixed-effect meta-regression models to derive city- and subperiod-specific MMTs, and subsequently MMT associations with climatic indicators. We use temperature projections for one low- and one high-emission scenario (ssp126, ssp370) derived from five global climate models. Our results show that MMTs have closely tracked mean summer temperatures (MSTs) over time and space, with meta-regression models suggesting that the MMTs increased by 0.73 °C (95%CI: 0.65, 0.80) per 1 °C rise in MST over time, and by 0.84 °C (95%CI: 0.76, 0.92) per 1 °C rise in MST across cities. Future projections, which include adaptation by shifting MMTs according to observed temporal changes, result in 63.5% (95%CI: 50.0, 81.2) lower heat-related excess mortality, 63.7% (95%CI: 30.2, 166.7) higher cold-related excess mortality, and 11.2% (95%CI: −5.5, 39.5) lower total temperature-related excess mortality in the 2090s for ssp370 compared to estimates that do not account for adaptation. For ssp126, assumptions on adaptation have a comparatively small impact on excess mortality estimates. Elucidating the adaptive capacities of societies can motivate strengthened efforts to implement specific adaptation measures directed at reducing heat stress under climate change.

Ambient Temperature and External Causes of Death in Japan from 1979 to 2015: A Time-Stratified Case-Crossover Analysis

Background:Although substantial evidence suggests that high and low temperatures are adversely associated with nonaccidental mortality, few studies have focused on exploring the risks of temperature on external causes of death.Objectives:We investigated the short-term associations between temperature and external causes of death and four specific categories (suicide, transport, falls, and drowning) in 47 prefectures of Japan from 1979 to 2015.Methods:We conducted a two-stage meta-regression analysis. First, we performed time-stratified case-crossover analyses with a distributed lag nonlinear model to examine the association between temperature and mortality due to external causes for each prefecture. We then used a multivariate meta-regression model to combine the association estimates across all prefectures in Japan. In addition, we performed stratified analyses for the associations by sex and age.Results:A total of 2,416,707 external causes of death were included in the study. We found a J-shaped exposure–response curve for all external causes of death, in which the risks increased for mild cold temperatures [20th percentile; relative risk (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05,1.12)] and extreme heat [99th percentile; (95% CI: 1.20, 1.29)] compared with those for minimum mortality temperature (MMT). However, the shapes of the exposure–response curves varied according to four subcategories. The risks of suicide and transport monotonically increased as temperature increased, with RRs of 1.35 (95% CI: 1.26, 1.45) and 1.60 (95% CI: 1.35, 1.90), respectively, for heat, whereas J- and U-shaped curves were observed for falls and drowning, with RRs of 1.14 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.26) and 1.95 (95% CI: 1.70, 2.23) for heat and 1.13 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.26) and 2.33 (95% CI: 1.89, 2.88) for cold, respectively, compared with those for cause-specific MMTs. The sex- and age-specific associations varied considerably depending on the specific causes.Discussion:Both low and high temperatures may be important drivers of increased risk of external causes of death. We suggest that preventive measures against external causes of death should be considered in adaptation policies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9943

Mortality Related to Air Temperature in European Cities, Based on Threshold Regression Models.

There is a wealth of scientific literature that scrutinizes the relationship between mortality and temperature. The aim of this paper is to identify the nexus between temperature and three different causes of mortality (i.e., cardiological, respiratory, and cardiorespiratory) for three countries (Scotland, Spain, and Greece) and eleven cities (i.e., Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Attica, and Thessaloniki), emphasizing the differences among these cities and comparing them to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship. To quantify the association between temperature and mortality, temperature thresholds are defined for each city using a robust statistical analysis, namely threshold regression analysis. In a more detailed perspective, the threshold used is called Minimum Mortality Temperature (MMT), the temperature above or below which mortality is at minimum risk. Afterward, these thresholds are compared based on the geographical coordinates of each city. Our findings show that concerning all-causes of mortality under examination, the cities with higher latitude have lower temperature thresholds compared to the cities with lower latitude. The inclusion of the relationship between mortality and temperature in the array of upcoming climate change implications is critical since future climatic scenarios show an overall increase in the ambient temperature.

Compatibility and synergistic interactions of fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae, and insecticide combinations against the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Aphids are major pests affecting cereals, vegetables, fruit, forestry and horticultural produce. A multimodal approach may be an effective route to controlling this prolific pest. We assessed the individual and combined effect of eight insecticides and the entomopathogenic fungi, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschin.) against the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae), under laboratory conditions. Six of the insecticides tested were found to be highly compatible (flonicamid, imidacloprid, nitenpyram, dinotefuran, pyriproxyfen and spirotetramat), showing positive integration with the fungus and were selected for bioassays. The combination mixtures (1:1 ratio of M. anisopliae: insecticide) were significantly more toxic to A. gossypii than individual treatments. Maximum mortality (91.68%) of A. gossypii was recorded with combination of flonicamid and M. anisopliae (2.4 × 106 cfu/ml) 72 h after application. While minimum mortality (17.08%) was observed with the individual treatment of M. anisopliae (2.4 × 106 cfu/ml). The insecticides revealed toxicity consistent with their compatibility with M. anisopliae, ranking for efficacy exactly as they did for compatibility. In addition, the synergy factor (SF) and co-toxicity coefficient (CTC) values indicated synergistic interactions at different time intervals. The synergistic efficacy revealed the potential of fungus-insecticide integration against sucking insect pests.

Impact of Short-Term Exposure to Extreme Temperatures on Mortality: A Multi-City Study in Belgium

In light of climate change, health risks are expected to be exacerbated by more frequent high temperatures and reduced by less frequent cold extremes. To assess the impact of different climate change scenarios, it is necessary to describe the current effects of temperature on health. A time-stratified case-crossover design fitted with conditional quasi-Poisson regressions and distributed lag non-linear models was applied to estimate specific temperature-mortality associations in nine urban agglomerations in Belgium, and a random-effect meta-analysis was conducted to pool the estimates. Based on 307,859 all-cause natural deaths, the mortality risk associated to low temperature was 1.32 (95% CI: 1.21–1.44) and 1.21 (95% CI: 1.08–1.36) for high temperature relative to the minimum mortality temperature (23.1 °C). Both cold and heat were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. We observed differences in risk by age category, and women were more vulnerable to heat than men. People living in the most built-up municipalities were at higher risk for heat. Air pollutants did not have a confounding effect. Evidence from this study helps to identify specific populations at risk and is important for current and future public health interventions and prevention strategies.

Piperine, Reserpine and β-Sitosterol Attenuate Stem Rot (Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc.) of Groundnut by Inducing the Secretion of defense Enzymes and Phenolic Acids.

Groundnut stem rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii is a major constraint as it affects the productivity. Although managing this disease using synthetic fungicides is a more feasible method, environmental pollution and side effects caused by them demand some safe fungicides. Seven phytochemicals piperine, quercetin, reserpine, atropine sulfate, β-sitosterol, ethyl protocatechuate and salicylic acid were initially tested against S. rolfsii under in vitro methods. All the compounds exhibited significant effects on mycelial inhibition (except atropine sulfate), sclerotial development, ooze formation, maturity, sclerotial number and germination of S. rolfsii. The more active compounds, piperine, reserpine and β-sitosterol were then evaluated under glasshouse condition by adopting various application methods (seed treatment, foliar application and micro-injection at 2000 μg/mL) on groundnut plants challenged with and without S. rolfsii. All the treatments effectively reduced the plant mortality when tested every 15 days of infection with S. rolfsii. However, the magnitude of reduction varied among the treatments, with the mortality ranging between 9.37 % and 29.68 % compared to the control (40.68 %). The piperine-microinjected plants recorded minimum mortality (3.12 %). The defense enzymes (PAL and PPO) and key end products such as phenolics (total and individual) were determined in the leaf samples collected after 24, 48 and 72 h of infection with S. rolfsii to understand the systemic resistance induction effect. An increase in PAL and PPO activity was observed in all the samples. While microinjection of β-sitosterol caused a maximum PAL induction, piperine caused a maximum PPO activity. Further, samples of piperine treated group showed higher induction of phenolic acids (86.46 μg g-1 micro-injection) compared to β-sitosterol and reserpine groups in all the methods. When the samples were analysed (HPLC) for individual phenolic acids, maximum accumulation of various acids was observed in the samples collected after 48 h. Tannic and gallic acids were found to be accumulated in higher quantities in most of the samples. The maximum accumulation of phenolic acids was found in micro-injected samples. These results verified the reduction of mortality through the induction of defensive chemicals by the action of phytochemicals. Thus, the study recommends the use of these natural molecules for the integrated management of stem rot of groundnut after necessary field trials.

Effects of local factors on adaptation to heat in Spain (1983–2018)

The European Union is currently immersed in policy development to address the effects of climate change around the world. Key plans and processes for facilitating adaptation to high temperatures and for reducing the adverse effects on health are among the most urgent measures. Therefore, it is necessary to understand those factors that influence adaptation. The aim of this study was to provide knowledge related to the social, climate and economic factors that are related to the evolution of minimum mortality temperatures (MMT) in Spain in the rural and urban contexts, during the 1983–2018 time period. For this purpose, local factors were studied regarding their relationship to levels of adaptation to heat.MMT is an indicator that allows for establishing a relationship to between mortality and temperature, and is a valid indicator to assess the capacity of adaptation to heat of a certain population. MMT is obtained through the maximum daily temperature and daily mortality of the study period. The evolution of MMT values for Spain was established in a previous paper.An ecological, longitudinal and retrospective study was carried out. Generalized linear models (GLM) were performed to identify the variables that appeared to be related to adaptation. The adaptation was calculated as the difference in variation in MMT based on the average increase in maximum daily temperatures.In terms of adaptation to heat, urban populations have adapted more than non-urban populations. Seventy-nine percent (n = 11) of urban provinces have adapted to heat, compared to twenty-one percent (n = 3) of rural provinces that have not adapted. In terms of urban zones, income level and habituation to heat (values over the 95th percentile) were variables shown to be related to adaptation. In contrast, among non-urban provinces, a greater number of housing rehabilitation licenses and a greater number of health professionals were variables associated with higher increases in MMT, and therefore, with adaptation.These results highlight the need to carry out studies that allow for identifying the local factors that are most relevant and influential in population adaptation. More studies carried out at a small scale are needed.

Avoiding complications in percutaneous osteoplasty

Percutaneous osteoplasty techniques include cement injection either solely performed or in combination to hardware such as cannulated screws, peek implants or other metallic hardware including micro-needles and Kirschner wires. Depending on bone and local forces applied, fracture and osseous defect characteristics as well as symptoms and operator's preference percutaneous osteoplasty techniques include cementoplasty, fixation by internal cemented screw and augmented osteoplasty. Literature data support efficacy and safety of these techniques, focusing mainly on the minimal invasive nature of these approaches along with minimum overall morbidity and mortality and an impressive pain reduction effect. Percutaneous osteoplasty techniques in the peripheral skeleton are indicated for pain palliation or for prevention of impeding pathologic fractures. Although safe, osteoplasty techniques are not without risk of complications and adverse events. Complications are classified based either upon clinical impact or timing of occurrence; complications' reviewing and grading should be performed on terms of a uniform and accurate reproducible and validated categorization system. Significant factors for avoiding complications in percutaneous osteoplasty techniques include proper training, patient- and lesion-tailored approach, high-quality imaging guidance, sterility as well as appropriate selection of technique and materials. The present article reports the possible complications of percutaneous osteoplasty techniques and reviews the prerequisites necessary for avoiding and managing these adverse events.

Study the evaluate the efficacy of botanicals and inert dusts for pulse beetle management

Custard apple leaf powder (10g/kg) showed the maximum (18.33%) mortality of pulse beetle after 7 days. The minimum mortality (5.00%) was observed in grains treated with cow dung ash. All the plant powders and inert dusts at their application rates of 5g/kg and 10g/kg reduced the number of eggs laid by pulse beetle when compared with the control, which had the maximum (60.33, 64.33 and 66.33) eggs after 3, 7 and 10 days. The lowest (19.67, 21.33 and 23.00) number of eggs was recorded on grain treated with custard apple leaf powder (10 g/kg). The cow dung dust was least effective at the dose level of 10 g/kg. The plant powders and inert dusts even at their lowest application rate reduced the emergence of adults when compared with control, where the maximum (44.00, 51.33 and 58.67%) adults emerged after 30, 60 and 90 days of intervals. The minimum (20.67, 23.33 and 27.33 %) adults emerged in seeds treated with custard apple leaf powder (10g/kg). The minimum seed damage of 26.67 per cent was recorded in custard apple leaf powder treated seeds, while maximum seed damage (63.33 %) was recorded in the control. The minimum weight loss of 7.17 per cent was recorded in custard apple leaf powder treated seeds, while maximum weight loss (23.40%) was recorded in the control. The maximum germination (52.67 %) was recorded in custard apple leaf powder treated seeds of green gram, while and minimum germination (31.33%) was recorded in control.

Standardized Protocol for In Situ and In Vitro Maintenance of Newly Developed Parthenocarpic Gynoecious Cucumber Inbred

HIGHLIGHTS New parthenocarpic gynoecious cucumber line ‘PBRK-11’ was developed and characterized. Application of silver thiosulphate @ 250 ppm induced maximum number of male flowers per plant, minimum plant mortality percentage and induced male flowers for longer duration. In vitro protocol was standardized to maintain the parthenocarpic gynoecious inbred “PBRK-11”.

Effect of different surgical methods in the mouse embryo transfer: Electrosurgery versus cold surgical technique effects on repeated use of surrogate mothers, pregnancy rate and post-surgical behavior.

Using the cold surgical technique (CST) is the most common practice to accomplish embryo transfer (ET). However, it can lead to uncontrolled bleeding and mortality in laboratory animals. Electrosurgery technique (EST) has provided the opportunity to prevent such complications. This study was aimed to evaluate CST versus EST in terms of repeated use of surrogate mothers, litter size, implantation rate and post-surgical behavior. Virgin female NMRI mice were allocated into two different surgical groups (n = 40): 1) CST-ET (control) and 2) EST-ET. Results showed that the first ET in EST-ET and CST-ET groups did not affect litter size, pregnancy rate and survival of surrogate mothers. Following the second and the third ETs, litter size was significantly affected through CST compared to EST, pregnancy rate and survival of surrogate mothers. Litter size, pregnancy rate and surrogate mothers survival rate did not show any significant reduction following the first and the second ETs in EST group. On the other hand, the third ET showed dramatic reduction for all aforementioned parameters regardless of the chosen surgical method for ET. Mice in EST-ET group did not show any significant change in their behavior indicating reduced well-being during the first 24 hr following the first, the second and the third ETs compared to CST-ET group. In conclusion, using EST for ET in mouse made it feasible to reuse surrogate mothers with minimum animal mortality; this could be pivotal with regard to reproductive and animal welfare aspects and research costs. Also, the results indicated that bleeding has severe diverse effects on ET efficiency.

Ambient temperature and stillbirth risks in northern Sweden, 1880-1950.

Climate vulnerability of the unborn can contribute to adverse birth outcomes, in particular, but it is still not well understood. We investigated the association between ambient temperature and stillbirth risk among a historical population in northern Sweden (1880-1950). We used digitized parish records and daily temperature data from the study region covering coastal and inland communities some 600 km north of Stockholm, Sweden. The data included 141,880 births, and 3,217 stillbirths, corresponding to a stillbirth rate of 22.7 (1880-1950). The association between lagged temperature (0-7 days before birth) and stillbirths was estimated using a time-stratified case-crossover design. Incidence risk ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals were computed, and stratified by season and sex. We observed that the stillbirth risk increased both at low and high temperatures during the extended summer season (April to September), at -10°C, and the IRR was 2.3 (CI 1.28, 4.00) compared to the minimum mortality temperature of +15°C. No clear effect of temperature during the extended winter season (October to March) was found. Climate vulnerability was greater among the male fetus compared to the female counterparts. In this subarctic setting before and during industrialization, both heat and cold during the warmer season increased the stillbirth risk. Urbanization and socio-economic development might have contributed to an uneven decline in climate vulnerability of the unborn.

The role of absolute humidity in respiratory mortality in Guangzhou, a hot and wet city of South China

BackgroundFor the reason that many studies have been inconclusive on the effect of humidity on respiratory disease, we examined the association between absolute humidity and respiratory disease mortality and quantified the mortality burden due to non-optimal absolute humidity in Guangzhou, China.MethodsDaily respiratory disease mortality including total 42,440 deaths from 1 February 2013 to 31 December 2018 and meteorological data of the same period in Guangzhou City were collected. The distributed lag non-linear model was used to determine the optimal absolute humidity of death and discuss their non-linear lagged effects. Attributable fraction and population attributable mortality were calculated based on the optimal absolute humidity, defined as the minimum mortality absolute humidity.ResultsThe association between absolute humidity and total respiratory disease mortality showed an M-shaped non-linear curve. In total, 21.57% (95% CI 14.20 ~ 27.75%) of respiratory disease mortality (9154 deaths) was attributable to non-optimum absolute humidity. The attributable fractions due to high absolute humidity were 13.49% (95% CI 9.56 ~ 16.98%), while mortality burden of low absolute humidity were 8.08% (95% CI 0.89 ~ 13.93%), respectively. Extreme dry and moist absolute humidity accounted for total respiratory disease mortality fraction of 0.87% (95% CI − 0.09 ~ 1.58%) and 0.91% (95% CI 0.25 ~ 1.39%), respectively. There was no significant gender and age difference in the burden of attributable risk due to absolute humidity.ConclusionsOur study showed that both high and low absolute humidity are responsible for considerable respiratory disease mortality burden, the component attributed to the high absolute humidity effect is greater. Our results may have important implications for the development of public health measures to reduce respiratory disease mortality.