Week Of March Research Articles

Temporal Trends of Early COVID-19 Infections in New York City Transit Workers and Residents: March 01, 2020-May 02, 2020.

The continuity of public transportation was necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic so that essential workers could report for duty. Therefore, it is important to consider COVID-19's impact on transit workers themselves. We described COVID-19 incidence rates over time in New York City (NYC) transit workers and the NYC general population during March-May, 2020. NYC transit COVID-19 cases were abstracted from occupational injury and illness logs, and health department data was used to ascertain NYC resident cases. COVID-19 rates among transit workers peaked during the week of March 22-28 (429.8 cases/100,000 workers). The peak in transit workers occurred 1-2weeks before the general public's peak (March 29-April 4: 368.8 cases/100,000 people; April 5-11: 357.8 cases/100,000 people). These data suggest that NYC transit workers may have been impacted by COVID-19 earlier than the general public. Thus, improving early detection and response of respiratory disease outbreaks may be vital to protecting transit workers.

Effects of mulching on plant growth, viral diseases, earliness and fruit yield attributes of round gourd under variable sowing dates in North Indian plains

Abstract Round gourd is sensitive to low temperature (March), high temperature (May–June), high humidity (July–August), and whitefly-transmitted begomovirus diseases (July–September), thereby restricting its fruit availability period in North-Western Indian Plains. Mulches extend the growing season by modifying soil temperature and reducing the incidence of viral diseases. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effects of sowing time, mulching and their interaction on performance of round gourd crop so as to identify the best mulch at different sowing times. The field trials were conducted in a split-plot design during 2021 and 2022. The main plot consisted of six sowing dates, i.e., the first week of March (DS1), April (DS2), May (DS3), June (DS4), July (DS5) and August (DS6). The sub-plot comprised bare soil (BS) and three mulching treatments, viz., silver-black plastic mulch (SBPM), black plastic mulch (BPM) and paddy straw mulch (6 t/ha) (PSM). The BPM and SBPM increased the seasonal soil temperature over BS by 3.1–4.1°C and 2.1–3.1°C, respectively, whereas the PSM reduced the seasonal soil temperature by 2.3–3.5°C. The SBPM produced the best crop performance, followed by BPM and PSM in all sowing dates except DS5 in which the PSM outperformed BPM. The DS1 and DS2 were the best sowing times, and the crop performance gradually declined with each successive sowing time, except that the crop performed better in DS6 compared with DS5. The SBPM or BPM in DS2 and DS1 were the best treatment combinations for round gourd cultivation in the study area.

Subclinical myocardial fibrosis is almost ubiquitous in the hearts of older British persons: 'MyoFit46' cardiovascular sub-study of the NSHD

Abstract Background Unprecedented numbers are now surviving to older age, but little is known about the burden or pattern of myocardial fibrosis in the asymptomatic elderly population. Previous 1.5 Tesla (T) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) studies found a prevalence of unexpected infarct-pattern late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of 17-20% above 75 years but less is known about non-infarct pattern scar in this group. We investigated the prevalence, patterns, and clinical predictors of left ventricular (LV) scar in a large asymptomatic older age cohort. Methods CMR with a single 3T magnet was performed on participants all born in the same week in March 1946, as part of the longest running continued surveillance birth cohort: the National Survey of Health and Development. LV short-axis stack LGE imaging was performed using a free-breathing motion-corrected balanced steady-state free precession sequence with phase-sensitive inversion-recovery. Two blinded observers independently recorded the prevalence, extent, and pattern of LGE per participant. Logistic regression was used to study the association between clinicodemographic parameters and LGE. Results 460 participants were prospectively recruited of which 406 completed CMR with LGE imaging (77.8 ± 0.1 years, 44% male). 341 (84%) demonstrated LGE affecting a mean of 2.1±1.2 myocardial segments per participant (Figure 1). The commonest pattern of LGE was inferior right ventricular insertion point (RVIP), observed in 66.9%. Other patterns included (Figure 2): Linear mid-wall (19.6%) of which 38% were located in the inferior/lateral walls; subepicardial (12.1%); subendocardial infarct-pattern (8.8%); patchy/diffuse (1.6%); embolic LGE (0.6%). Sub-analysis was performed comparing those without significant unexpected fibrosis (LGE–) vs those with focal fibrosis (LGE+, excluding RVIP and those participants with a known history of prior myocardial infarction). LGE+ participants were more likely to be female (71.7% vs 49.1%, p<0.001) or diabetic (11.3% vs 5.1%, p=0.05), had a higher body surface area (BSA, 1.9 vs 1.8 m2, p<0.001), weight (80.1 vs 72.8 kg, p<0.001), LV indexed end systolic volume (24.2 vs 20.4 ml/m2, p=0.001) and LV indexed mass (59.2 vs 55.4 g/m2, p<0.001), and a lower LV ejection fraction (67.9 vs 71.8%, p<0.001) In multivariable logistic regression: BSA, LV indexed mass, LV ejection fraction and diabetic status were independently associated with LGE+ status (odds ratios [95% confidence intervals]: 9.4 [0.7–3.8]; 1.0 [0.01–0.05]; 0.9 [-0.08--0.02]; and 2.5 [0.03–1.7] respectively, p<0.05). Conclusion Advanced PSIR MOCO LGE imaging at 3T reveals that the majority (84%) of asymptomatic British persons above the age of 75 harbour unexpected ‘subclinical’ focal fibrosis, with a substantial proportion of these scars consistent with probable historical myocarditis events. Further work will now explore the life-course determinants of this scar burden in the older age human heart.

A pipeline for developing digital cardiac twins integrating cardiovascular magnetic resonance and electrocardiographic imaging: results from the MyoFit46 study

Abstract Background Personalised cardiovascular medicine uses multimodal screening and diagnostic tools, spanning from organ to tissue to molecular levels, to generate a complex and detailed patient phenotype. Cardiac digital twins are powerful tools capable of merging and explore these multimodal data by developing virtual, mechanistic and predictive versions of the patient's heart. State-of-the-art pipelines are mainly based on artificial intelligence and optimization process to replicate clinical data and not used it as an input. We present a proof-of-principle pipeline for building digital heart twins based on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and integrated electrocardiographic imaging (ECGI) for diverse clinical scenarios by integrating them into the model (Fig. 1). Methods CMR at 3T was performed on participants all born in the same week in March 1946, as part of the longest-running continued surveillance birth cohort: the National Survey of Health and Development. Cine steady-state free precession end-diastolic frames provided anatomical information per participant while CMR multiparametric mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) provided tissue characteristics to the electrical myocardial model used in the finite element solver Alya. Lastly, the ECGI activation map was used as a source to define the intrinsic endocardial activation sequence by applying a case-specific correction based on wall thickness and myofibers orientation. Activation-repolarization intervals map was used to introduce the personalised repolarization heterogeneities. Results In total, 406 prospectively recruited participants (77.8 ± 0.1 years, 44% male) had multiparametric CMR with ECGI for digital twin reconstruction. The pipeline’s performance was evaluated by measuring the root mean square error (RMSE) between the ECGI activation and repolarization maps with the in-silico ones obtained without applying the proposed pipeline (Baseline) and after its application (ecgi2model). Results obtained using ecgi2model pipeline presented a significantly reduced activation and repolarization RMSE (Fig. 2b), even providing accurate results in patients with different LGE patterns (Fig. 2c). Conclusion Personalised virtual heart models can be constructed at scale using real-world myocardial structural, functional, and electrical properties, from advanced CMR and ECGI data. Proposed digital twins provide a framework for personalised arrhythmic risk assessment based on real clinical data and also its applicability for in-silico clinical trials. Fig.1 Digital twins pipeline. Fig.2 a) Flattened epicardial map. b) RMSE of activation (ACT), repolarization (RPL) and activation-repolarization intervals (ARI) for the different methods methods. c) ACT and RPL maps obtained from ECGI, baseline simulation and ecgi2model simulation in a healthy participant with normal myocardial tissue, another with subendocardial LGE, and another with subepicardial LGE.Figure 1Figure 2

A novel dataset of indoor environmental conditions in work-from-home settings

During the last week of March 2020, millions of workers around the world transitioned to working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While much research has explored the behavioural and psychological aspects of work-from-home (WFH), few studies have provided data-driven evaluations of indoor environmental quality (IEQ). This paper presents findings from a summer 2022 field study of IEQ conditions in WFH settings, involving 95 participants in the North American Pacific Northwest. Sensors installed on participants' work desks continuously measured total volatile organic compounds (tVOC), particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon dioxide (CO2) air temperature, humidity, and sound pressure levels (SPLs). Participants also completed surveys on home and workspace characteristics, as well as their subjective assessments of IEQ, well-being, and productivity. The study found that mean indoor concentrations of tVOC, PM2.5, and CO2 were 262 ppb, 5 µg/m3, and 712 ppm, respectively. Indoor air temperature ranged between 14.7–32.3°C, with a mean of 22.8°C, while relative humidity and SPL averaged at 52.5% and 53.7 dBA. Statistically-significant associations were observed between IEQ variables and factors such as residence type, cooking habits, workspace type, and window availability. A future paper will assess the surveyed behavioural and psychological characteristics in greater detail.

Scenario of Arthropods Fauna on Rose in Southern Rajasthan

The arthropod fauna associated with rose at Udaipur comprised of 17 species of insects (6 pests and 11 pollinators). The pests included were thrips, aphids, the rose bud caterpillar, black flies and the scurfy rose scale while, pollinators included members of Hymenoptera and Diptera. During the crop season, the peak populations of thrips, aphids and larvae of rose bud caterpillar were recorded in the first week of April (9.80 thrips flower buds-1), first week of March (17.04 aphids flower buds-1) and first week of March (0.56 larvae flower-1), respectively. The mean atmospheric temperature evinced a positive correlation with thrips (r=0.832), rose bud caterpillar (r=0.607) and insect pollinators. Thrips (r=0.583) and aphids (r=0.622) had a significant positive correlation with sunshine, whereas the relative humidity indicates significant negative correlation with thrips (r=-0.720), aphids (r=0.581) and rose bud caterpillar (r=-0.817), respectively. The population of pollinators showed a significant positive correlation (r=0.573) with the mean atmospheric temperature; while a significant negative correlation (r=-0.769) with relative humidity. The relative density of pollinators visiting rose comprised: honeybees, A. florae & A. dorsata with 68.24 per cent; solitary bees (12.08%) and dipteran flies (19.55%). Most pollinators preferred to visit rose flowers during 9 to 11 hours of the day

유아교사의 아동인권에 대한 메타포 분석

The purpose of this study is to analyze the metaphors of children's rights of early childhood teachers and examine their awareness and values of children's rights. To this end, from the first week of March 2024 to the fourth week of April 2024, we collected and analyzed metaphors of children's rights through an open-ended questionnaire targeting 190 early childhood teachers living in G City and G Province for approximately two months. The results of the study are as follows. First, from the adult's perspective, children's rights were expressed as ‘children's lives themselves’ and ‘our collective efforts’. Second, from the perspective of viewing children, they were expressed as ‘children as rights holders’ and ‘children as socially vulnerable’. Finally, from the teacher's perspective, they were expressed as ‘teachers as duty-bearers’ and ‘teachers who must make social efforts’, and were classified into three categories in total. Through this study, we examined early childhood teachers' awareness of children's rights and suggested implications for the direction of desirable implementation of children's rights.

Female genital mutilation/cutting in women delivering in France: An observational national study.

International migration from source countries has meant that clinicians in high income countries, that is, receiving countries, are increasingly caring for affected women affected by female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of FGM/C among women at childbirth, and its association with pregnancy outcomes. This was an observational study using data from a cross-sectional population-based study from the French National Perinatal Survey of 2021 (ENP) conducted in all maternity units in mainland France and including all women delivering a live birth during 1 week in March 2021 (N = 10 928). We estimated the FGM/C prevalence using (i) the diagnosed cases and (ii) the indirect prevalence estimated by UNICEF in each source country. We compared population characteristics and perinatal outcomes between women diagnosed with FGM/C and two groups: (i) women originating in source countries and diagnosed as without FGM/C and (ii) all women without diagnosis of FGM/C whatever the country of birth. Diagnosed prevalence of FGM/C was 95% (95% CI: 0.78-1.14] and the indirect computed estimation prevalence was estimated at 1.53% (95% CI: 1.31-1.77) in 113 and 183 women, respectively. Labor and delivery outcomes were globally similar in women with FGM/C and the other two groups. Only episiotomy was more frequently performed in women with FGM/C than in the other two groups. In receiving countries, obstetric outcomes of women with FGM/C can be similar to those of other women, which does not preclude need of further research and training to provide the most appropriate care, including enhanced attention to diagnosis.

Reduction in preventable time-critical dose omissions: impact of electronic medication management systems on in-patients

Background: The omission of time-critical medication doses may result in poor patient outcomes. There are few publications about the influence of electronic medication management (EMM) systems, including automated dispensing cabinets (ADC), on timely medication administration. The study aimed to evaluate the influence of EMM systems, including ADCs, on timely medication administration 6 and 30 months after EMM implementation, focussing on preventable time-critical medication dose omissions and documented reasons for not administering a dose. Methods: Data on doses of regular inpatient medications not administered were obtained from electronic medication records (EMR) over 1 week in March 2019 and 4 weeks in March 2021. An omission was a dose not administered before the next due dose. Time-critical medications were defined using the health service’s guidelines. Reasons for doses not being administered were obtained from nursing documentation in the EMR collated from digital health reports. Reasons for time-critical medication doses not given were defined as ‘valid’ or ‘preventable’. Results: In 2019 and 2021, 620 and 2524 patients with 44,756 and 146,940 scheduled medication doses were reviewed. Of these, 4385 (9.8%) and 19,610 (13.4%) doses were not administered. In 2019 and 2021, there were 593 (1.3%) and 1811 (1.2%), p < 0.0001, time-critical doses not administered. Preventable time-critical dose omissions decreased from 0.20% in 2019 to 0.15% (p = 0.015) in 2021. Wards with ADCs had a significantly lower rate of time-critical dose omissions compared to those without ADCs (1.1% vs 1.3%, p = 0.014). Conclusion: With the introduction of an EMM system, there was a decrease in the rate of time-critical medications not administered, including a reduced rate of preventable omissions over the 24-month period. Regular assessment of time-critical medication administration will help target patient safety improvements.

Income or Job Loss and Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Given the expiration of expanded unemployment and other benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand the association between pandemic income or job loss and long-term implications on mental health. To evaluate the association between income or job loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic and later psychological distress. This cohort study used 5 waves of nationally representative, longitudinal survey data (September 16, 2019, through September 18, 2022) from the Pew Research Center's American Trends Panel. Doubly robust propensity score-weighted quasi-Poisson models were used to estimate the association of self or household income or job loss during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic with later psychological distress, while controlling for pre-income loss characteristics (demographics, finances, and psychological distress). The study sample comprised US working-age adults (aged 18-64 years) who had not experienced income or job loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic by March 24, 2020. Participant-reported self or household income or job loss (ie, reduced hours or demand for work) due to the COVID19 pandemic between March 24, 2020, and August 16, 2020. Psychological distress was measured using a composite scale of 0 to 15 based on participants' reported frequency of feeling depressed, on edge, sleepless, lonely, and hopeless in the past week in March 2020, February 2021, and September 2022. Of 1392 working-age adults (survey weighted 52.7% male and 47.7% aged 30-49 years) who had not reported income or job loss before March 24, 2020, a survey weighted 35.7% reported job or income loss between March 24 and August 16, 2020. Early-phase pandemic income or job loss was associated with higher distress in February 2021 (estimated ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.18; P = .03) and September 2022 (estimated ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.02-1.22; P = .02) among participants who experienced job or income loss between March 24 and August 16, 2020, compared with the propensity score-weighted mean in the group who did not experience income loss. These small but significant within-person associations between early-phase pandemic household income or job loss and psychological distress up to 29 months later suggest that policies are needed to support people with income or job loss to help mitigate the long-term adverse mental health outcomes of economic disruption.

‘Assessing my risk and that of my whānau is my right’: a longitudinal media analysis of risk and COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand news media

Risk identification has been at the heart of media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Less consideration has been paid to the way that the media itself has (re)produced these risk categories, and how this has changed over the course of the pandemic. The aim of this article is to understand how risk has been constructed in the Aotearoa, New Zealand news media over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reports findings from a longitudinal media analysis of mainstream news media articles (n = 388) published in the first week of March 2020, March 2021 and March 2022. Underpinned by a socio-cultural theoretical understanding of risk, we conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of the 22 most relevant articles from a week of coverage during each month of March. Our analysis identified three key themes by which we characterise the discussions of risk as these developed from 2020 to 2022: (1) Subjects of risk; (2) Spaces of risk; and (3) The nation facing risk. We conclude that the dominant frame surrounding risk was one of mutual risk and solidarity. We suggest future policies around pandemic risk mitigation must attend to both the range of competing risks as well as the different epistemologies (including scientific and indigenous worldviews) informing risk. We suggest that researchers, policy makers and reporters involve the voices of those ‘at risk’ into their publications. This analysis shows the value of taking a sociocultural analysis of risk as it is framed within a particular national-cultural context.

Seasonal Incidence of Major Insect Pest of Chickpea and their Natural Enemies in Vindhaya Region of Madhya Pradesh

Field experiment carried out at the Entomology Instructional Farm, JNKVV-College of Agriculture Rewa, MP during rabi season 2018-19 revealed that incidence of the chickpea pod borer Helicoverpa armigera. Population range of pod borer during different weather weeks varied between 0.30 and 1.89 larvae/mrl (April 2nd week and March 2nd week respectively). Peak larval population of Helicoverpa armigera was recorded in 2nd week of March (11 standard weeks). A weak negative correlation was observed with the maximum relative humidity and minimum relative humidity correlation, -0.172 and -0.595 respectively and a non significant positive correlation with maximum temperature, minimum temperature and rainfall. The respective r was found to be 0.306, 0.391 and 0.269. In district Rewa, MP, India the insect-pests of chickpea and their natural enemies during rabi the total seven species was recorded in Chickpea in which six pests minor in nature and one major pest Chickpea pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera). Termite (Odontotermes obesus Ram.), White grub (Holotrichia consanguinea Bl.), Black aphid (Aphis craccivora Koch), Grasshopper (Chrotogonus trachypterus Blan.), Semilooper (Autographa nigrisigna L.), Cut worm (Agrotis ipsilon Huf.) are minor in nature. Seven natural enemies found during field investigation i.e. lady bird beetle (Chilomenes sexmaculata Fab.), lady bird beetle (Coccinella septempunctata L.), Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa), Dragon fly (Crocothemis servilia Drury), Campoletis parasitoid (Campoletis chlorideae Uch.), Indian mynah (Acridotheris tristis L.), King crow (Dicrurus macrocerus Vie.) in chickpea observed in low to medium population on the crop and to help in reduction of pest population.

Water-use-Efficiency in Spring Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) as Affected by Fertilizer Combinations and Planting Pattern Under Arid Conditions

This research trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of planting pattern and fertilizer doses on Water-use-Efficiency of spring planted Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) on sandy loam soil under arid conditions at Main Line Lower Land Reclamation and Research Station, Bhakkar during spring season 2018. The trial was laid out in RCB design with split plot arrangement having three replications. The main plot consisted of four fertilizer (NPK) doses (30:60:15, 60:120:30, 90:180:45, 120:240:60kg ha-1) while the sub plot consisted of six planting patterns viz., 30, 45 &amp; 60 cm (straight sowing) and 30, 45 &amp; 60 cm cross sowing by applying half seed in horizontal direction and remaining half seed in perpendicular direction on sandy loam soil. Two irrigations were applied in a measured amount by the Cut throat flume during the whole life period of crop. Data was collected on number of plants (m-1), plant height, number of branches (plant-1), number of fruit bearing branches (plant-1), number of pods (plant-1), number of grains (pod-1), 1000-grain weight, biological, straw and grain yield. Almost all parameters were significantly affected by fertilizer doses, planting patterns and their interactions as well, except number of fruit bearing branches, number of grains (pod-1) and 1000-grain weight. Statistical analysis of data revealed that maximum grain yield (3180 kg ha-1) with net return Rs.157,312 and BCR 2.61 of spring planted mung bean was obtained by applying fertilizer before sowing @ 60:120:30 kg NPK ha-1 and sowing crop in first week of March in 60 cm apart cross lines by applying half seed in horizontal direction and remaining half seed in perpendicular direction on sandy loam soil under arid conditions.

Population Dynamics of Gram Pod Borer &lt;i&gt;Helicoverpa armigera&lt;/i&gt; (Hubner)

The population dynamics of gram pod borer Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) on chickpea was evaluated at the Agricultural Research Farm of B R D P G College, Deoria, Uttar Pradesh during rabi 2022-23. The larval incidence was initially recorded in 6th SMW (first week of February) (2.3 larvae/ plant) with a peak in 11th SMW (third week of March) (10.53 larvae/ plant). Larval incidence on chickpea variety Pusa-261 showed significant positive correlation with maximum temperature (0.837) and minimum temperature (0.804), whereas relative humidity (maximum and minimum) revealed non-significant negative correlation (-0.410), (-0.588), respectively. Correlation between rainfall and larval incidence was found positive and significant (0.734). However, all the weather parameters together contributed 94.18% towards larval incidence.

Effects of Hydrolyzed Collagen as a Dietary Supplement on Fibroblast Activation: A Systematic Review.

Our objective was to conduct a systematic review of the effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on the proliferation and activation of fibroblasts. The search was conducted for journals that published articles in the English language, peer-reviewed, meeting the following criteria: (a) randomized clinical trials, (b) randomized studies in animals or humans, (c) in vitro studies, (d) studies using hydrolyzed collagens or collagen peptides, and (e) studies assessing alterations on fibroblasts as the primary or secondary outcome. We utilized the main journal databases PubMed/Web of Science and ongoing reviews by PROSPERO. For bias risk and methodological quality, we used an adaptation of the Downs and Black checklist. Our review followed the PRISMA checklist, conducted from February 2024 to the first week of March 2024, by two independent researchers (P.A.Q.I. and R.P.V.). Eleven studies were included in this review, where our findings reinforce the notion that hydrolyzed collagens or collagen peptides at concentrations of 50-500 μg/mL are sufficient to stimulate fibroblasts in human and animal tissues without inducing toxicity. Different enzymatic processes may confer distinct biological properties to collagens, allowing for scenarios favoring fibroblast promotion or antioxidant effects. Lastly, collagens with lower molecular weights exhibit greater bioavailability to adjacent tissues. Hydrolyzed collagens or collagen peptides with molecular sizes ranging from <3 to 3000 KDa promote the stimulation of fibroblasts in human tissues.

Associations Between Midlife Anticholinergic Medication Use and Subsequent Cognitive Decline: A British Birth Cohort Study.

Anticholinergic medication use is associated with cognitive decline and incident dementia. Our study, a prospective birthcohortanalysis, aimed to determine if repeated exposure to anticholinergic medicationswas associated with greater decline, and whether decline was reversed with medication reduction. From the Medical Research Council (MRC) National Survey of Health and Development, a British birth cohort with all participants born in a single week of March 1946, we quantified anticholinergic exposure between ages 53 and 69 years using the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Scale (ACBS). We used multinomial regression to estimate associations with global cognition, quantified bythe Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination, 3rd Edition (ACE-III). Longitudinal associations between ACBS and cognitive test results (Verbal memory quantifiedby theWord Learning Test [WLT], and processing speed quantified by theTimed Letter Search Task [TLST]) at three time points (age 53, 60-64 and 69) were assessed using mixed and fixed effects linear regression models. Analyses were adjusted for sex, childhood cognition, education, chronic disease count and severity, and mental health symptoms. Anticholinergic exposure was associated cross-sectionally with lower ACE-III scores at age 69, with the greatest effects in those with high exposure at ages 60-64 (mean difference - 2.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] - 3.51 to - 1.17). Longitudinally, both mild-moderate and high ACBS scores were linked to lower WLT scores, again with high exposure showing larger effects (mean difference with contemporaneous exposure - 0.90, 95% CI - 1.63 to - 0.17; mean difference with lagged exposure - 1.53, 95% CI - 2.43 to - 0.64). Associations remained in fixed effects models (mean difference with contemporaneous exposure -1.78, 95% CI -2.85 to - 0.71; mean difference with lagged exposure - 2.23, 95% CI - 3.33 to - 1.13). Associations with TLST were noted only in isolated contemporaneous exposure (mean difference - 13.14, 95% CI - 19.04 to - 7.23; p<0.01). Anticholinergic exposure throughout mid and later life was associated with lower cognitive function. Reduced processing speed was associated only with contemporaneous anticholinergic medication use, and not historical use. Associations with lower verbal recall were evident with both historical and contemporaneous use of anticholinergic medication, and associations with historical use persisted in individuals even when their anticholinergic medication use decreased over the course of the study.

Population Dynamics of &lt;i&gt;Mustard aphid&lt;/i&gt; and Its Natural Enemies

Mustard aphid Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) appeared as a major pest in Jobner and its incidence is highly influenced by weather parameters and natural enemies. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand their population dynamics. The commencement of the aphid incidence was recorded in the fourth week of December (52th SMW) which gained a peak in the 6th SMW i.e., second week of February and declined thereafter and reached its lowest during 9th SMW i.e., first week of March. Among the natural predators Coccinella septempunctata (L) and Xanthograma scutellarae (F) were found predating on L. erysimi and showed significant positive relationship (r= 0.997* and r = 0.883*). The population of X. scutellarae showed a significant negative correlation (r=-0.658*) with minimum temperature.

Spatial spread of COVID-19 during the early pandemic phase in Italy

Quantifying the potential spatial spread of an infectious pathogen is key to defining effective containment and control strategies. The aim of this study is to estimate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission at different distances in Italy before the first regional lockdown was imposed, identifying important sources of national spreading. To do this, we leverage on a probabilistic model applied to daily symptomatic cases retrospectively ascertained in each Italian municipality with symptom onset between January 28 and March 7, 2020. Results are validated using a multi-patch dynamic transmission model reproducing the spatiotemporal distribution of identified cases. Our results show that the contribution of short-distance (≤10km)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\le 10 km)$$\\end{document} transmission increased from less than 40% in the last week of January to more than 80% in the first week of March 2020. On March 7, 2020, that is the day before the first regional lockdown was imposed, more than 200 local transmission foci were contributing to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Italy. At the time, isolation measures imposed only on municipalities with at least ten ascertained cases would have left uncontrolled more than 75% of spillover transmission from the already affected municipalities. In early March, national-wide restrictions were required to curb short-distance transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Italy.

Seasonal Correlation in Prevalence of Termite on Wheat Crop and Weather Parameters

The field experiment were conducted at instructional farm, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner during Rabi, 2021-22 and 2022-23 to know the seasonal incidence of termite in wheat and their relation to weather parameters. The incidence of the termite in wheat field was observed throughout the crop season however, the maximum population of termite i.e. 88.20 and 98.68 per stick was recorded in the second week of March and last week of February during Rabi, 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively. The infestation of termite in wheat crop was recorded from seedling stage (50th SMW) to till maturity stage (10th SMW) which was ranged from 2.78 to 27.10 and 3.67 to 28.32 per cent plant damage during both the years of study. The termite population per stick and per cent plant damage by termite had significant positive correlation with maximum and minimum temperatures and evaporation during both the years while, with bright sunshine hours only during first year and non-significant correlation during second year. Whereas, with the morning and evening relative humidity it had significant negative correlation during both the years. The multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis explained that alone evaporation accounted about 84.60 and 92.70 per cent variation in termite population and 89.00 and 89.30 per cent variation in per cent plant damage by termite during both the years.

Improvement in community wound management: why simple changes in clinical practice matter

Background/Aims Wounds continue to be an increasing burden to society, healthcare systems and patients. Wound care is an urgent challenge that requires new management strategies to help facilitate wound healing. This study aimed to evaluate an early intervention wound project facilitated by the COMPASS programme in a Swedish community setting in terms of treatment outcomes and health economic benefits. Methods An evaluation of wound care practice was completed using data collected on all wounds treated in 1 week in March 2021 (n=97). Single-use negative pressure wound therapy (sNPWT) was then introduced, alongside specialist education for all nurses. A post-intervention evaluation was carried out the following year with data on all wounds treated in 1 week in October 2022 (n=36). The samples were compared in terms of proportion of static and deteriorating wounds, wound characteristics, average number of dressing changes per wound and proportion of wounds requiring the patient to be admitted to hospital or referred to a specialist. Costs of care were calculated and compared for the two samples. Results Wounds in the post-intervention dataset were in a better overall condition (size and depth), with a lower proportion being classified as static or deteriorating (58.8% vs 44.4%). There was a non-significant difference in the average number of dressing changes required per week, with post-intervention wounds requiring fewer changes. A significantly lower proportion of patients required a referral to a specialist in the post-intervention sample compared to the pre-intervention sample (43.3% vs 16.7%; P&lt;0.01). Conclusions Implementing a sNPWT pathway, alongside nurse education and increased involvement of nurses with specialist knowledge, can help to improve wound care outcomes and reduce the burden of wounds on nursing time and healthcare resources.