Month Of July Research Articles

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) damage on rice in the Philippines

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a global invasive pest of corn, and is also common on sorghum, rice and millets, and is reported to be a larval host of 353 cultivated and uncultivated plants . FAW, a native to the tropical and subtropical regions of north, Central, and South America, continues to rapidly spread to Africa and Asia since 2016, threatening food security worldwide . In the Philippines, its first damage on corn was reported in June 2019 in Piat, Cagayan , while that on rice was in May 2021 in Gonzaga, Cagayan, and subsequently to other municipalities in Region 2 . Unlike corn, however, little is known about FAW damage and host preference for rice in the Philippines. Rice, a key food security crop for the Philippines and in Asia, is amongst the key host of the FAW elsewhere (e.g., USA) . The injury that the FAW will inflict in the rice plant should be known and assessed to quantify the potential yield losses, and predict when an intervention is necessary to avoid incurring potential yield losses. With this background, we conducted FAW monitoring and damage assessment in the areas reported to have FAW occurrence starting May 2021. During 2021 and 2022 assessment periods, monitoring was conducted during the months of May, June, and July. However, starting January 2023, the monitoring and damage assessments were conducted monthly with the exception for May and June wherein it was done weekly since these months coincided with the seedling stage of the rice in a majority of rice-growing areas in the Philippines and where FAW attack was reported during the previous years. FAW larval population and damage were assessed in rice seedbeds. The number of FAW larvae were counted and visual damage was estimated in a 1 m2 quadrat with three replicates.

Influence of weather factors on male Spodoptera litura(Fab.) moth catches inpheromone trap in groundnut ecosystem

A regular field monitoring was done since five years at AICRP on Groundnut, MARS, Dharwad, Karnataka during Kharif &rabi/summer (2017 to 2021). In nutshell, the highest and lowest moths collected/trap were in Kharif-2021 and Kharif-2019 respectively. Collections were more in Kharif compared to rabi. Overall, the highest trap catches were in the month of July & August. The minimum temperature, relative humidity and rainfall had a positive correlation with the moth trapping, while the maximum temperature had a negative correlation. Pheromone traps can be used an effective tool in IPM to assess population fluctuations and forewarn the needy.

Morbidity Profile and Healthcare Service Utilization Pattern Among Geriatric Population in the Rural Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand, India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The increasing elderly population, along with their health problems, is a matter of concern, especially in the difficult terrains of the hilly Himalayan region of northern India. Hence, the present study was conducted to assess the healthcare-seeking behavior of the elderly and adherence to medication. The present community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 250 elderly participants by a consecutive sampling method. Data were collected during the months of July 2021 to October 2021 after obtaining institutional ethical clearance. Bivariate logistic regression was done to assess factors associated with healthcare services utilization patterns and adherence to medications in chronic diseases. Significant factors were then analyzed with a multivariate logistic regression model. Variables with p-value <0.05 on multivariate analysis were considered statistically significant. The mean age of the study participants was 67.2 (±8.09) years, and 52% were males. Chronic illness was diagnosed in 45.6% participants. Only 121 (48.4%) participants were aware of health insurance schemes among whom95 (38%) were registered. Appropriate healthcare-seeking behavior for acute illness episodes was seen in 68.9% of participants. A government healthcare facility was the most preferred facility.Low adherence to chronic disease medication was seen in 41.2%. Participants registered under any health insurance scheme had higher adherence to medications (OR=0.36; 95% CI, 0.15-0.86; p-value=0.02). The majority of the participants preferred government healthcare facilities. Registration under any health insurance scheme was found to significantly influence adherence to medications. Further qualitative studies can be of paramount importance in understanding the perspectives of the geriatric population in the study area.

Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central Ethiopia

The Jemma Subbasin (JS) has a major soil erosion problem emanating from deforestation, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion, including farming of unproductive fringed lands and steep slope terrains. This study was conducted to assess runoff and estimate the subsequent sediment yields in the JS using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The overall efficiency of the SWAT model to accurately estimate the sediment yields in the JS was evaluated by the values of its calibration (R2 = 0.66) and validation (R2 = 0.63), respectively. The findings of the SWAT model revealed that barren land was not only the most susceptible land use type to soil erosion, but also had the highest sediment loads followed by agricultural and grazing lands. In particular, the highest soil erosion coupled with significant sediment yields is attributed to the crop-growing period particularly in the months of July and August in which the cultivated lands were extremely vulnerable to soil erosion resulting from heavy rainfall. Consequently, sediment yields were all significantly greater in the agricultural fields of the lower, middle, and upper parts of the subbasin. This is because those agricultural lands were mainly composed of undulated and moderately steep slope terrains so that they had the highest soil erosion values. However, due to the dense vegetation cover and the associated root density, forestlands were the least erosion vulnerable land use type which in turn resulted in minimal soil loss. Furthermore, the SWAT model showed that the maximum upland sediment yield was estimated to be 3,685.14 tons/ha whereas the average upland annual sediment yield was predicted to be 78.1 tons/ha; however, the sediment yield can be doubled due to climate projection scenario. As a result of the effective implementation of cover (c) and conservation practice (p), the SWAT model predicted that the sediment yields can be reduced by 44.28 % and 35.92 % for RCP8.5 and RCP4.5, respectively. Effective designing and executing of proper soil and water management measures are crucial in the study subbasin so as to minimize the serious soil erosion challenges that can be accelerated by climate and land use land cover (LULC) changes for the long-term sustainability of the degraded landscape of the JS which is categorized by subsistence farming.

Measuring the level of quality of hotel services provided in hotels operating in the city of Al-Khoms

The study aimed to know the level of quality of hotel services provided in hotels operating in the city of Khoms from the point of view of their guests during the month of July 2022. The descriptive approach was adopted to reach accurate and detailed knowledge about the problem of the study. The study included all (488) hotel guests operating in the city of Al-Khoms during the month of July 2022, and a sample size of (200) individuals was taken. The number of questionnaires that were analyzed was 159, or 73.3%. The statistical processing of the data was done using a program SPSS statistical packages, It concluded that the level of quality of hotel services provided in hotels operating in the city of Al Khoms was very high from the point of view of its guests during the month of July 2022, and recommended increasing interest in developing and improving hotel services in line with the needs of its beneficiaries, through coordination with the Ministry of Tourism to help provide needs. necessary, and employing them to serve the beneficiaries of hotel services in the hotels under study.

Isolation and Identification of Fungi Associated with Fruit Rot Disease of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in the Southern Guinea Savannah, Nigeria

Rot disease is a major threat to tomato fruit production and postharvest handling in major tomato growing areas in Nigeria. Rotted tomato fruits were randomly collected from farmers’ farms for the purpose of isolation and identification of rot causing fungi in Tarka, Benue State, Nigeria between July and December, in 2015 and 2016. Results revealed that Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Alternaria solani, Phytophthora infestans, Oidium neolycopersici, Sclerotium rolfsii, Fusarium oxysporum, Verticillium spp and Colletotrichum spp caused tomato fruit rot in the area. In both years, the lowest number of fungi was recorded in the months of July and December while the highest number was obtained in September. The mean number of fungi isolated showed that S. rolfsii was the least with 3.17 in 2015 and 1.66 in 2016 while F. oxysporum was the highest with 14.33 in 2015 and 9.33 in 2016. There were more fungi isolated in 2015 than in 2016. There were significant differences (P≤0.05) in the mean number of A. niger, P. infestans, O. neolycopersici and F. oxysporum isolated in both years. In conclusion, farmers should handle tomato fruits with care, to reduce postharvest injury and damage in order to ensure the availability of disease free fruits and to increase the output for the global population.

Trends and Seasonality in arrivals and prices of Soybean in APMC, Parbhani

The research was based on the arrival and prices of soybean in APMC, Parbhani, which have the maximum number of arrivals in the selected APMC. The arrival and price data for soybean were collected monthly from the official records by APMC, Parbhani. Based on availability data, the latest 21 years of data from 2000 to 2020 were collected. For analyzing the trend in arrivals and prices of agricultural commodities the compound growth rates of chosen agricultural commodities arrivals and prices were calculated, we calculated seasonal indices using the simple average approach. It is believed that, with the increase in arrivals of agricultural commodity in the market, their prices come down and vice versa. In this study, annual compound growth rate of arrivals in case of soybean (-0.69) were found negative and annual compound growth rates of prices in the case of soybean (3.355) were positive growth rate. Arrivals were noticed highest during the month of November (216.15). The lowest indices of arrivals were noticed in the month of July (37.71). In case of price indices was noticed highest in the month of January (119.42), While lowest in June (88.58). The monthly arrivals and prices of soybean in Parbhani market shows great fluctuations and no any specific trend was observed. The government should look over all the APMC and fix a single price for the sale so that the arrivals will not accumulate in one APMC.

The Presence of Whitefly Bemisia tabaci, and Thrips Thrips tabaci on Different Cucumber Plant Hybrid Varieties in the Field Conditions

The study was conducted to determine the susceptibility of different cucumber hybrid varieties (Jumbo Green, Ghazeer, Nefer, and Sahem) to sucking insect pests, onion thrips Thrips tabaci Lind., and tobacco whitefly Bemisia tabaci Genn., during the summer of 2018 season in the experimental fields of College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad, Iraq. The results showed that the infestation of cucumber varieties with sucking pests onion thrips T. tabaci and tobacco whitefly B. tabaci occurred on all varieties during the entire month of July. Nefer and Sahem varieties were more susceptible to high infestation by the whitefly adult, where the average was 5.21 and 5.05 adults per leaf, respectively, compared with the Ghazeer and Jumbo Green varieties, where the average was 4.06 and 4.02 adults per leaf, respectively. At the same time, the nymph average of whitefly was 55.80 and 55.20 nymphs per leaf on Ghazeer and Jumbo Green, respectively, followed by Sahem and Nefer varieties, which were 47.80 and 38.10, respectively. The average of thrips nymphs was recorded on all varieties, which were 4.52, 3.57, 3.06, and 2.96 nymphs per leaf on Sahem, Nefer, Ghazeer, and Jumbo Green, respectively. During July and early August, the green lacewing Chrysoperla sp., parasitoids Ahidius sp., and coccinellids like ladybird Coccinella sp. were found to be linked with whitefly and thrips pests on all varieties.

Validation and Cultural Adaptation of the Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) in German

Abstract: Background: Context-specific standardized psychometric instruments are essential for ensuring valid and reliable assessment of health outcomes across diverse populations to aid the advancement of research and health-related interventions. However, instruments measuring attitudes toward vaccinations are lacking in the extant literature. Therefore, we performed a cross-cultural adaptation of the Motors of COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Scale (MoVac-COVID19S) in Germany. Method: During the months of June and July 2022, 475 individuals aged 18 years and older from the general population of Germany participated in an online cross-sectional survey. Participants responded to five demographic questions, a measure of COVID-19 vaccine uptake willingness, and the MoVac-COVID19S. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) fit indices were used to evaluate the factor structures of the MoVac-COVID19S. Results: The CFA revealed that all examined factor structures of both the 9-item and 12-item versions of the MoVac-COVID19S were acceptable among the sample. Overall, CFI, GFI, and TLI values were higher than 0.95; RMSEA and SRMR values were all less than 0.08 for all the estimated models. The one-factor model of the 9-item version of the MoVac-COVID19S exhibited best fits indices compared to the one-factor and four-factor structures of the 12-item version of the scale. The bifactor model revealed that the general factor explained a higher percentage of the Explained Common Variance (ECV; ranging from 55% to 94%) in the majority of the items, compared to the specific factors. The scale was found to demonstrate convergent validity with related measures. Conclusion: The German version of the MoVac-COVID19S should be considered a unidimensional rather than a multidimensional measure. Although the 9-item version of the scale performed better among the sample compared to the 12-item version, the overall scores of both versions were found to be valid and reliable measures of attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccinations. The MoVac-COVID19S has the potential to be adapted for assessing attitudes toward any future vaccination programs. Limitations: While our study sampled only the general German population, the criticisms of CFA warrant further research using advanced methods, such as the Rasch model, and subgroups.

The contributing factors to suicide in Italian prisons: An 11‐year analysis (2010–2020)

AbstractBackgroundSuicide is a leading cause of death globally, with approximately 800,000 deaths annually and accounting for 1.5% of all deaths. Risk factors are multifaceted, encompassing individual factors (such as genetics, family history and mental illnesses) and environmental factors (such as economic conditions, social support and life events). In prisons, suicide rates are markedly higher than in the general population, particularly in Italy, where the prisoner suicide rate is approximately 20 times that of the non‐incarcerated population. There is, however, little research on suicide in Italian prisons.AimsTo analyse the characteristics of all people who died by suicide in Italian prisons between 2010 and 2020.MethodsWe carried out a records‐based cohort study analysing official data from the Italian Ministry of Justice on prison suicides between 2010 and 2020. The data were cross‐referenced and, when required, supplemented with information from Ristretti Orizzonti, a journal specialising in health and living conditions in prisons, as well as from the website of ISTAT (Italian National Statistical Institute), newspapers, radio broadcasts and news agencies.ResultsFactors associated with an increased risk of suicide in prisons were nighttime periods, the months of June, July and October, a relatively brief duration of detention (&lt;6 months), having been convicted of murder, male gender, being about 40 years old, having access to hanging materials and being interned (i.e. subjected to the execution of custodial security measures) or awaiting trial. Prison overcrowding was not a risk factor for suicide.ConclusionOur findings hold substantial implications for suicide prevention in Italian prisons as they suggest both characteristics of individuals and characteristics of the institutions that could be taken as risk indicators. This knowledge can inform the development of targeted interventions to manage both individual and environmental factors better, leading to improved prison conditions and reduced suicide rates. Furthermore, our research establishes a foundation for more systematic and in‐depth investigations that could further improve suicide prevention strategies in Italian prisons, ultimately influencing policy changes in both practice and research, including perhaps establishing a national database on every completed suicide in prisons.

Feeding Preference of Lace Bug Stephanitis pyri (F) on Apple Tree

The results showed that the Sharabi cultivar was the most favored of the tested cultivars for infection with the reticulated bug, followed by the Al-Kagdi cultivar, and the least was the Israeli Cultivar, as the average number of adults during its peak in July was 4.46, 1.6, 4.03 insect/leaf for the Sharabi, Israeli and Al-Kagdi cultivars, respectively. While the other stages peaked in the month of August, as the average of number of nymphs reached 8.43, 3.43, and 7.76 insects/leaf for the three cultivars, respectively. As for the insect’s preference for the three plant level and four tree geographical directions, it was noted that the lower level is preferred by the insect, as the average number of infected leaves at the lower level was 5.67, 6.50, 11.83 leaf / tree. Followed by the middle level of 3.92, 5.25, 10.17 adult / leaf and the upper level of 0.00, 0.08, 0.42 adult / leaf for the months of May, June and July, respectively. The results also showed that there were differences in the insect’s preference for one of the four geographical directions, as it recorded a clear preference and significant difference for the eastern and southern directions compared with the northern and western directions. The average number of infected leaves during the month of May was 0.33, 6.00, 6.33, 0.11 leaves, and in June 0.56, 7.44, 7.22, 0.56 leaves, and in July 1.11, 13.00, 13.67, 2.11 leaves for the north, south, east and west directions, respectively.

Readability of Online Information on the Latarjet Procedure.

Introduction A common complication of first-time or recurrent shoulder dislocations is bone loss at the humeral head and glenoid. Recurrent shoulder instability is often a result of bony defects in the glenoid following shoulder dislocations. In the setting of glenoid bone loss, surgical interventions are generally required to restore stability. The Latarjet procedure is a challenging operation and, due to its complexity, may be associated with operative complications. It can be difficult to explain the procedure to patients in a manner that is easily comprehensible, which may lead to confusion or being overwhelmed with information. Hence, it is important that the information available to patients is easily accessible and perceivable to allow for adequate health literacy. Health literacy is defined as the ability to make health decisions in the context of everyday life. Methods The search engines Google and Bing were accessed on a single day in the month of July 2023, searching the terms "Latarjet surgery" and "Latarjet procedure." For each term on both search engines, the first three pages were evaluated, resulting in a total of 114 websites for review. Out of these, 25 websites met the inclusion criteria and underwent further in-depth analysis through the online readability software, WEB FX. This software generated a Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) and a Reading Grade Level (RGL) for each website. Results In our study, the mean FRES was 50.3 (SD ±12.5), categorizing the data as 'fairly difficult to read.' The mean RGL score was 8.12 (SD ±2.35), which exceeds the recommended target. Conclusion In conclusion, the results of this study have demonstrated that the material available on the Internet about the Latarjet procedure is above the recommended readability levels for the majority of the population. Our findings align with similar studies assessing the readability of online patient information. Based on these findings, physicians should provide patients with vetted information to facilitate a better understanding of the procedure, thereby enabling patients to make more informed decisions regarding their health.

Evaluating WIC Engagement andFood Insecurity Among Active Duty Military Families.

Nearly a quarter of active duty service members identified as food insecure in a 2022 Department of Defense report. Food insecurity impacts military readiness, retention, and recruitment. The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federal food supplementation program that can mitigate food insecurity for service members with children less than 5 years of age. To date, there is a lack of standardized screening for WIC eligibility or enrollment for service members and their families. This project sought to evaluate WIC awareness and enrollment as well as the prevalence of food insecurity at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. A 26-question survey was developed to assess WIC awareness, source of WIC information, food insecurity, and nutritional insecurity. Our team developed and utilized a novel WIC screening algorithm to rapidly screen families for WIC eligibility. These tools were administered to families presenting for care at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center pediatrics and obstetric outpatient clinics during the month of July 2022. This study was approved by the institutional review board at Walter Reed. A total of 108 (25%) of the 432 surveyed participants were eligible for WIC, with odds of WIC eligibility increasing for lower-ranking and younger service members. Of the 432 participants, 354 (81.9%) were aware of WIC. Enlisted service members were more likely than officers to know about WIC (P = 0.03), and of the 354 participants aware of WIC, a higher proportion of enlisted rank respondents learned about WIC from a military source (P = 0.01). Among the 108 participants eligible for WIC, only 38 (35.2%) reported being enrolled in WIC. Among WIC-eligible respondents who knew about WIC, being enrolled in the WIC program was not associated with rank, branch of service, sponsor gender, or sponsor age. Despite proven efficacy, WIC remains an underutilized resource for eligible military families. Our results show that a standardized screening approach at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center increased identification of WIC-eligible active duty service members by 180%, with approximately $150,000 a year in increased food supplementation benefits. Military healthcare and readiness leaders should embrace efforts to increase knowledge of, referral to, and enrollment in WIC to increase family health, well-being, and military family readiness.

136 Evaluation of the Relationship Between Hair Coat Shedding Ability, Apparent Forage Digestibility, and Mineral Status in Angus Cattle

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between winter hair coat shedding ability, apparent forage digestibility, and mineral status in Angus females. Data were collected on fall calving purebred Angus females with calves from March until July in 2019 (n = 10), 2020 (n = 31), 2021 (n = 39), and 2022 (n = 41). Dams were observed once monthly by two trained technicians for winter hair coat shedding and were given a visual score of 1 to 5 with 1 indicating complete shed and 5 indicating no shedding of the winter hair coat. Month of first shed (MFS) was determined when a female reached an average winter hair shedding score of &amp;gt; 3.5 for any given month. Fecal samples were collected during the grazing months of March, May, and July for 5 consecutive days and were then analyzed via proximate analysis to calculate apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), ash, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of forage. Liver and blood plasma samples were collected during the grazing months of March and July and analyzed via ICP-OES for mineral concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, and Zn. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with a significance declared at P &amp;lt; 0.05. The model included MFS, grazing month, and MFS by grazing month interaction. Interactions of MFS by month were observed for DM, NDF, ADF and liver Fe concentration. For DM, NDF, and ADF, within the grazing month of May, individuals with MFS in April and May were similar and greater when compared with June and July which were similar. Interpretation of these results show no clear trend of an association between hair shedding ability and apparent digestibility; however, some differences based on MFS existed. Further research into this area is important in understanding changes in overall cow performance due to adaptability.

Microbial indicators of coastal water in Velipoja beach, Albania

Abstract The Albanian coastline is about 450 km long, with wide access to the Adriatic and Ionian seas. It has become popular in recent years for its many unexplored rocky and sandy beaches, crystal waters, curative sand rich in iodine, which has given a great impact in tourism and economy. Velipoja beach is located on the northwest of Adriatic Sea. Coastal waters of Velipoja are used for bathing, fishing and tourism, but in recent years these waters are exposed to various sources of pollution, which are related to restaurants and agricultural activities, wastewater discharge, etc. The quality of coastal water in Albania is particularly analysed by the Public Health Institution. It was considered reasonable to monitor the microbiological quality of coastal waters on Velipoja beach through microbiological parameters during summer season. Evaluations of the results were done based on Directive 2006/7/EC for inland waters, coastal and transitional waters. Seawater samples were tested mainly for E. coli, E. faecalis, S. faecalis, heterotrophs in accordance with European Standards using the membrane filtration method. Water samples were taken monthly from May-September 2023. Based on the data received, during the monitoring period the bacterial concentration for E. faecalis varied from 0 CFU /100 ml to 228 CFU/100 ml. The concentration for S. faecalis varied from 0 CFU /100 ml to 128 CFU/100 ml. The concentration for E. coli varied from 0 CFU /100 ml to 134 CFU/100ml. Velipoja Center has the highest concentration of E. coli, E. faecalis. The concentration of bacteria increases during the months of July and August, probably due to the large number of tourists visiting Velipoja beach during this period. According to Directive 2006/7/EC of the European Parliament, the quality of coastal waters of Velipoja during the period of investigation for E. coli is in the category “Excellent quality”. Monitoring for the presence of pathogen bacteria are essential water quality assessment, which directly or indirectly leads to serious problems to human health. Enterococcus faecalis is an indicator of an old faecal pollution (EN ISO 7899-2, 2000). The European Community (2006) recommended the following parameters: Escherichia coli/100 ml (500/1.000), and Intestinal enterococci/100 ml (200/400) categorized in the class A and B. Urban wastewaters are major sources for surface and groundwater pollution in the Shkodra lake basin. Monitoring for the presence of pathogen bacteria are essential water quality assessment, which directly or indirectly leads to serious problems to human health. Enterococcus faecalis is an indicator of an old faecal pollution (EN ISO 7899-2, 2000). The European Community (2006) recommended the following parameters: Escherichia coli/100 ml (500/1.000), and Intestinal enterococci/100 ml (200/400) categorized in the class A and B. Urban wastewaters are major sources for surface and groundwater pollution in the Shkodra lake basin.

Spatiotemporal variability in the C-factor: An analysis using high resolution satellite imagery

Estimating the cover and management factor (C-factor) for Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) that varies spatially and temporally within a watershed is time-consuming and resource-intensive. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) approach can offer a potential alternative for this process. The current study examines nine NDVI models to compare and evaluate their performance in estimating the C-factor values for an agricultural watershed in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Satellite imagery from 2013 to 2020 was used to analyze the models’ similarities and differences on a detailed spatial and temporal scale. The results showed different C-factor values for each model, reflecting that they were developed for different geographical areas and purposes. While the Karaburun model differed from all other models on an annual basis, a detailed combined analysis of different spatial and temporal scales revealed that it was similar to other models. Seasonal analysis was found to be adequate for the current study, as it reduced the resources required and provided an overall view of the vegetation situation. However, a detailed monthly analysis may be necessary when investigating a specific season. The current analysis found that the summer months of June, July, and August have similar trends when comparing different models for different land uses and individual months, which aligns with the seasonal analysis. In conclusion, the current study highlights the importance of incorporating spatial and temporal scales in hydrological modeling and provides valuable insight into the applicability of different NDVI models for estimating the C-factor for southwestern Ontario watersheds. These findings can help inform future research and aid in developing accurate models for estimating soil erosion in this region. The results also emphasize that the NDVI approach has the potential for estimating the USLE C-factor and improving the estimation of soil erosion from agricultural watersheds by incorporating a variable C-factor over time and space. However, further research is needed to validate each model and determine which model best suits the study area.

Determining the fire season by analyzing climatic conditions in northeastern Serbia

The territory of Serbia is sensitive to forest fires, which endanger various systems and play an important role in shaping the ecosystem. The probability of the occurrence and spread of forest fires in the area of northeastern Serbia was examined, depending on the influence of climatic conditions. Changes in climatic conditions are investigated at the annual and monthly level of air temperature, precipitation and air humidity values recorded at three main meteorological stations (Zaječar, Negotin, Crni Vrh) in the area of northeastern Serbia. Changes in climatic conditions in the period 2009-2022 compared to the period 1961-1990 were analyzed, with an emphasis on 2012 and 2014. The length of the average fire season was determined through a modified version of Thornthwaite’s evapotranspiration index. The fire season is longer in the area of Negotin and Zaječar than in the area of Crni Vrh. On the basis of the monthly humidity indices, a significantly longer fire season was determined in 2012 compared to 2014, as well as the multi-year period 1961-1990.An analysis of the value of the Burning Index (B) for the period 2009-2022 was performed and a correlation was established with the data on the number of forest fires. The burning index in the area of northeastern Serbia is the highest during the months of July, August and September. Significantly higher values of the burning index are for 2012 compared to 2014, which is correlated with the occurrence of forest fires in this period.

Study on occurrence of agrochemical poisoning in Bovines at veterinary clinics of Udgir

In view of unavailability of data on agrochemical poisoning in livestock animals in India, the present work was conducted with objective to study the epidemiological aspects of agrochemical poisoning in bovines over a period of five years. A total of 98 cases of pesticide poisoning in bovines have been reported during 2016-2020 at Veterinary Clinical Complex, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Udgir with hospital prevalence of 0.39%. Among various agrochemicals, insecticide poisoning was responsible for 45.91% cases, fungicide for 17.34%, herbicides for 16.32%, unknown pesticides for 10.20%, fertilizers for 7.14% and rodenticides for 3.06% cases of poisoning in bovines. Year-wise higher number of cases were reported during 2016 (30.61%) followed by 2017, 2019 (19.38% each) and 2018 (18.36%) while, month- wise highest number of poisoning cases were reported in months of November (14.28%), December (13.26%), July and September, October (11.22% each). Season-wise highest occurrence of poisoning was observed during monsoon and post-monsoon seasons while least occurrence was observed during summer season. Age-wise highest occurrence of agrochemical poisoning was reported in 4-6 year and 0-2 year age-group animals. Species-wise occurrence of poisoning revealed highest occurrence in cattle (65.31%) than buffaloes (34.69%). Among cattle 67.18% male animals while 32.82% female animals were affected. All buffaloes confirmed for poisoning were female. The findings of the present study will be helpful for formulating strategies to reduce exposure of livestock animals to agrochemicals.

Does month of birth influence colorectal cancer prognosis?

PurposeThe main aim of this study was to identify a possible association between month of birth of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS).MethodsThis observational study included all consecutive adult patients diagnosed with CRC undergoing oncological surgery from January 2005 to December 2019 with a minimum follow-up of 10 years. The outcome variables were locoregional recurrence, death due to cancer progression, OS and DFS. Non-supervised learning techniques (K-means) were conducted to identify groups of months with similar oncologic outcomes. Finally, OS and DFS were analysed using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression tests. The model was calibrated with resampling techniques and subsequently a cross-validation was performed.ResultsA total of 2520 patients were included. Three birth month groups with different oncologic outcomes were obtained. Survival analysis showed between-group differences in OS (p < 0.001) and DFS (p = 0.03). The multivariable Cox proportional hazards model identified the clusters obtained as independent prognostic factors for OS (p < 0.001) and DFS (p = 0.031).ConclusionThere is an association between month of birth and oncologic outcomes of CRC. Patients born in the months of January, February, June, July, October and December had better OS and DFS than those born in different months of the year.

Soundscape of a Mediterranean seashore during loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) spawning season

The soundscape is an intrinsic property of an ecosystem and influences the species that live in it. Here, we examined for the first time the soundscape of a beach, one of the most dynamic ecosystems on Earth, where every year the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta lays eggs. The aim of this work was to analyze the acoustic components (biophony, anthropophony and geophony) to which turtles embryos were exposed throughout the development and the post-hatching period. The acoustic monitoring was carried out on the volcanic island of Linosa (central Mediterranean Sea, Strait of Sicily), during the months of July and August 2022, close to two turtle nests. Results revealed that all the acoustic levels (octave bands from 4 Hz to 16 kHz, and total 1–24,000 Hz band) showed lower values in July, and during the night. Furthermore, above 1 kHz the levels decreased and had very little variability. Anthropogenic noise was the main component of the soundscape and consisted of marine and land traffic, that affected sound levels directly or via seismic tremors. When the beach was exposed to the breaking waves, the latters were the first contributor to the noise up to 1 kHz. The only recognized biophony was represented by the shearwater choruses in July (at the frequency band 700–1500 Hz), but they had a negligible weight on the soundscape. Finally, human speech contributed to the soundscape at higher frequencies (1–8 kHz). These outcomes show that the embryos and the post-hatching turtles are exposed to a high anthropogenic noise level, which the effects of are still unknown.