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Major depressive disorder (MDD) has increasing prevalence with age. Both objective measures of cognitive dysfunction and subjective report of cognitive difficulties related to MDD are often thought to worsen with increasing age. However, few studies have directly evaluated these characteristics across the adult lifespan.Participants included 23,594 adults completing objective and subjective measures of cognition on an online research registry. Linear regression including interactions of age group with depression was used to evaluate the association of self-reported MDD with measures of cognition in three age groups: 21-40 years; 41-60 years; 61+ years.MDD (n = 2127) demonstrated poorer objective cognitive performance and greater subjective ratings of cognitive difficulties across all domains assessed compared to non-depressed individuals (ND; n = 21,467). Significant interactions of age group and MDD status with objective and subjective measures of cognition were observed for both middle age and older adults when compared to young adults but few significant differences between middle-aged and older adults were evident.This study relied on self-report of MDD diagnosis, utilized remotely administered and unsupervised measures of cognition, and the sample was not diverse.The magnitude of association between MDD and cognitive correlates appears to plateau in middle age. Our results suggest that increased rates of dementia are not due to greater cognitive consequence of MDD in older adults and that age effects, and not greater effects of depression, may lead to increased diagnosis of MDD based on subjective report of cognitive symptoms.

Background: The prevalence of unreported concussions is high, and undiagnosed concussions can lead to worse postconcussion outcomes. It is not clear how those with a history of undiagnosed concussion perform on subsequent standard concussion baseline assessments. Purpose: To determine if previous concussion diagnosis status was associated with outcomes on the standard baseline concussion assessment battery. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Concussion Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE) Consortium participants (N = 29,934) self-reported concussion history with diagnosis status and completed standard baseline concussion assessments, including assessments for symptoms, mental status, balance, and neurocognition. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate mean differences and 95% CIs among concussion history groups (no concussion history [n = 23,037; 77.0%], all previous concussions diagnosed [n = 5315; 17.8%], ≥1 previous concussions undiagnosed [n = 1582; 5.3%]) at baseline for all outcomes except symptom severity and Brief Symptom Inventory–18 (BSI-18) score, in which negative binomial models were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs). All models were adjusted for sex, race, ethnicity, sport contact level, and concussion count. Mean differences with 95% CIs excluding 0.00 and at least a small effect size (≥0.20), and those IRRs with 95% CIs excluding 1.00 and at least a small association (IRR, ≥1.10) were considered significant. Results: The ≥1 previous concussions undiagnosed group reported significantly greater symptom severity scores (IRR, ≥1.38) and BSI-18 (IRR, ≥1.31) scores relative to the no concussion history and all previous concussions diagnosed groups. The ≥1 previous concussions undiagnosed group performed significantly worse on 6 neurocognitive assessments while performing better on only 2 compared with the no concussion history and all previous concussions diagnosed groups. There were no between-group differences on mental status or balance assessments. Conclusion: An undiagnosed concussion history was associated with worse clinical indicators at future baseline assessments. Individuals reporting ≥1 previous undiagnosed concussions exhibited worse baseline clinical indicators. This may suggest that concussion-related harm may be exacerbated when injuries are not diagnosed.

IntroductionTo address the need for remote assessments of cognitive decline and dementia, we developed and administered electronic versions of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR®) and the Financial Capacity Instrument-Short Form (FCI-SF) (F-CAP®), called the eCDR and eFCI, respectively.MethodsThe CDR and FCI-SF were adapted for remote, unsupervised, online use based on item response analysis of the standard instruments. Participants completed the eCDR and eFCI first in clinic, and then at home within 2 weeks.ResultsOf the 243 enrolled participants, 179 (73%) cognitively unimpaired (CU), 50 (21%) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia, and 14 (6%) with an unknown diagnosis, 84% and 85% of them successfully completed the eCDR and eFCI, respectively, at home.DiscussionThese results show initial feasibility in developing and administering online instruments to remotely assess and monitor cognitive decline along the CU to MCI/very mild dementia continuum. Validation is an important next step.

This article describes the design and > 20 years of effective implementation of a proactive resistance-management plan for transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton that targets Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) and Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) in Australia, considering pest biology and ecology, insights from resistance-evolution modelling, and the importance of the human component to effective implementation. This is placed in the context of processes associated with adaptive resource management. Bt cotton has provided Australian cotton growers with technology to manage Helicoverpa species that previously challenged the industry's viability, while at the same time resulting in no detectable changes in the resistance allele frequency in field populations of either Helicoverpa species in eastern Australia. This is the most long-lived and successful global example of a proactive resistance management plan for an insect pest. Six key learnings important to the successful development and implementation of a proactive transgenic-crop resistance management plan are: the programme has to have a strong science base; there has to be broad stakeholder support at all levels; there has to be a strong implementation programme; the plan needs to be supported by auditing and enforced remediation of deviations from the mandated resistance management plan; A programme of rigorous and on-going resistance allele monitoring; an attitude of continuous improvement for all aspects of the resistance management plan. The lessons learnt from the deployment of Bt cotton in Australia are relevant globally and provide important guidelines for the deployment of transgenic crops for insect control wherever they are grown. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Genetically engineered crops expressing insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have improved the management of targeted lepidopteran pests and reduced the use of insecticide sprays. These benefits explain an increasing adoption of Bt crops worldwide, intensifying the selection pressure on target species and the risk of resistance. Nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) are effective bioinsecticides against numerous important lepidopteran pests. If Bt-resistant insects are shown to be susceptible to NPVs then these bioinsecticides could be a valuable component of Insecticide Resistance Management (IRM) strategies for Bt crops. We assessed the effectiveness of a Helicoverpa nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV) against several different Bt-resistant strains. Utilising a droplet feeding bioassay we confirmed susceptibility to HearNPV in Helicoverpa punctigera and Helicoverpa armigera larvae resistant to the Bt toxins Cry1Ac, Cry2Ab, and Vip3A. Dual resistant H. punctigera, (Cry1Ac/Cry2Ab, and Cry2Ab/Vip3A) and dual resistant H. armigera (Cry2Ab/Vip3A) were also susceptible to HearNPV. Regardless of their specific resistance profile, Bt-resistant larvae displayed statistically similar lethal concentration (LC50) and lethal time (LT50) responses to HearNPV when compared to Bt-sensitive control insects. These results indicate that Bt-resistant H. armigera and H. punctigera are not cross-resistant to HearNPV. Consequently, the use of HearNPV against these pests may be a valuable tool to an IRM strategy for controlling Bt-resistant populations.

Seven-day laboratory bioassays with first-instar Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa punctigera larvae were conducted using leaves from field-grown Bollgard II ® cotton during the 2009/10 season and larval mortality and development recorded. Leaves were from three farms in the St George region and two fields on one farm at Emerald in eastern Australia. The Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab content of leaves from the same samples was determined (see Knight et al., 2013) and the relationships between Cry protein content and larval mortality and development were examined. The Cry1Ac protein content was between 3.98 and 12.08 μg/g during the growing season, while Cry2Ab content ranged between 300.6 and 953.3 μg/g. Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab content of leaves were highly correlated (r = 0.8276, P H. punctigera larvae was close to 100% throughout the season. H. armigera mortality was close to 100% early in the season, but fell to ∼65% by mid-to late February in the laboratory bioassays. Fitting three-dimensional non-linear models associating Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab content with H. armigera and H. punctigera mortality elucidated the relative importance of the two proteins in determining larval mortality; for this analysis, data were pooled with data from an isoline study to provide better sampling of the three-dimensional surface being modelled. For both Helicoverpa species, the fitted mortality response to the Cry1Ac protein was close to its maximum at protein concentrations above ∼3 μg/g Cry1Ac. For H. punctigera , response to the Cry2Ab protein was close to maximal once Cry2Ab was greater than ∼200 μg/g. In contrast, the fitted H. armigera mortality response to Cry2Ab increased steadily with concentration up to ∼1200 μg/g Cry2Ab. These responses led to markedly different response surfaces for the two species; H. punctigera mortality was close to 100% at most places on the response surface, while for H. armigera the response surface showed stronger increases in mortality with concentration for Cry2Ab than for Cry1Ac. These results can be interpreted as meaning that at the plant-expressed range of concentrations in Bollgard II cotton the two proteins are approximately equally important for H. punctigera but that changes in Cry2Ab content more strongly influences changes in larval mortality in H. armigera than does Cry1Ac, with Cry1Ac contributing a consistent 40–45% mortality for concentrations above 3 μg/g. For H. armigera , there was no evidence of either synergism or antagonism between Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab proteins (P > 0.05) but this aspect was not testable for H. punctigera because mortality was mostly close to 100%.

A new distribution, the gamma-half normal distribution, is proposed and studied. Various structural properties of the gamma-half normal distribution are derived. The shape of the distribution may be unimodal or bimodal. Results for moments, limit behavior, mean deviations and Shannon entropy are provided. To estimate the model parameters, the method of maximum likelihood estimation is proposed. Three real-life data sets are used to illustrate the applicability of the gamma-half normal distribution.

Bollgard II cotton has been grown commercially in Australia since 2003 for control of the primary target species Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) and Helicoverpa punctigera (Wallengren) Larvae of both species have been reported to survive at low frequencies on Bollgard II with larvae >8 mm recorded in between 7 and 18% of the area planted to Bollgard II cotton between 2005/06 and 2007/08. F1 and F2 tests have shown that this is not due to the presence of resistance genes in the surviving larvae. To understand if fluctuations in the expression of the Cry proteins in Bollgard II allow some larvae to survive, plant tissue samples were taken from five Bollgard II cultivars throughout the growing season within fields and from different farms within a production region between 2007 and 2010. The data indicate that the expression of both Cry proteins is similar to the known resistance-monitoring diagnostic concentrations and relatively uniform between fields within a farm and between farms within a region, with less than one-third of the tests at this level of variation being significant. However, there were intra-seasonal changes in expression of both Cry proteins and differences in expression between plant structures and between cultivars for both Cry proteins. Further work is needed to establish if this variation in Cry protein content in Bollgard II cotton affects the control of Helicoverpa spp. in the field or whether plant-physiological and pest-behavioural factors underlie the occasional occurrence of Helicoverpa larval survival on Bollgard II cotton.

Larvae of Helicoverpa spp. can occasionally be found in Bollgard II® cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), raising concerns about the validity of current thresholds for their control. Experiments were conducted in two seasons to test these thresholds using artificial damage to different fruiting structures (squares or bolls or both) at three stages of cotton growth. At early flowering, Bollgard II® cotton plants tolerated 100% square removal from all plants without significant yield loss, indicating substantial compensation primarily through increased survival of subsequently produced fruit. This delay in the fruiting cycle, however, resulted in maturity delays of up to 6–13 d. At peak flowering, only 100% square removal or the combination of 30% boll damage and 100% square removal caused significant yield loss. Compensation in other treatments was primarily through increased boll weight. Square removal or square removal plus boll damage significantly delayed cotton maturity by about 5 d, but boll damage alone did not. At late flowering, the heaviest damage treatments (30% bolls damaged across 50% or all plants) significantly reduced yield, and there was a trend toward lower yield as damage increased, suggesting limited compensation. Boll damage had no effect on cotton maturation at late flowering. Damage distribution (all or half of the plants damaged) affected yield proportional to the amount of damage inflicted. Across all times and treatments, fiber quality was never affected to a degree that incurred price penalties commercially. In commercial fields, we rarely encountered damage levels equivalent to the heavier damage treatments, suggesting that current thresholds are adequate.

To verify current thresholds for Bollgard II® cotton in Australia, the impact of Helicoverpa spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae on yield, development, and quality under various infestation intensities and durations, and stages of growth, was tested using small plot field experiments over two seasons. Infestation with up to 80 eggs m−1 of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) and Helicoverpa punctigera Wallengren showed that species, infestation level, and stage of growth had no significant effect on yields of seed-cotton or lint and on maturity and fibre quality. The duration of infestation of white flowers with H. punctigera neonates (maximum of every day for up to 4 weeks) had no impact on the yield of seed-cotton or lint, maturity, and fibre quality, but when 100% of flowers were infested (compared with 0 or 50%), seed-cotton and lint yields were significantly reduced and maturity was delayed. Infestation with up to 18 medium H. armigera larvae m−1 at several plant stages did not significantly affect yields of seed-cotton and lint, maturity, and fibre quality. A heliocide spray applied on a commercial farm at the current threshold resulted in a significantly higher lint yield, compared with a farm where no spray was applied. In conclusion, Bollgard II® cotton is highly resistant to Helicoverpa spp. infestation.

Cultivars of Bollgard II® cotton [Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae)] express the cry1Ac and cry2Ab genes from Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) and are valuable for managing Helicoverpa spp. in Australia. However, substantial densities of Helicoverpa larvae can survive and feed on flowering Bollgard II® plants. Monitoring demonstrates that this larval survival is not because of physiological resistance. One hypothesis for this occurrence is that larvae have adapted their behaviour to reduce exposure to toxic compounds. The survival and distribution among cotton structures of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae were examined using choice tests. Two hours after introduction to an arena, there were no differences between non-Bt cotton and Bollgard II® in the numbers of larvae on different plant structures. However, 24 and 48 h after their introduction, most larvae on Bollgard II® were on flowers (mean of 80.5%), whereas on non-Bt cotton, many larvae were also on flowers (58.5%), but there was also a considerable proportion (11%) on squares. In a subsequent experiment, we found similar numbers of larvae on the different structures of Bollgard II® plants regardless of whether their parents were collected as survivors on Bollgard II® cotton or non-Bt hosts. Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab expression varied among cotton structures, but there were no significant differences between the two popular Bollgard II® varieties used in this study. Bt toxin levels did not correlate well with the number of larvae among the structures from Bollgard II® plants. Thus, we conclude that although the distribution of Bt-susceptible larvae was somewhat different among plant structures on non-Bt and Bollgard II® cotton, history of survival on Bollgard II® cotton does not significantly impact on this behaviour.

Nezara viridula (L.) is a cosmopolitan, polyphagous heteropteran that causes economic damage to many crop species. At present, control of N. viridula in Australia and other countries relies heavily upon insecticides, most of which are disruptive to beneficial insects, constituting a constraint on integrated pest management (IPM). Much research has been conducted into non-chemical control methods for N. viridula. This paper reviews the potential for and limitations of sterile insect technique, classical, inundative and conservation biological control, and trap cropping. None of these techniques appear to be adequate for control of N. viridula when used alone but there is scope for these non-chemical approaches to be adopted for use in integrated management of this pest. A proposal is given for one such integrated approach for future development. It includes biopesticides, trap crops and carefully targeted habitat manipulation to enhance arthropod natural enemies as well as area-wide management and grower education.

Creontiades spp. (Hemiptera: Miridae) are sucking pests that attack buds, flowers and young pods in mungbeans, Vigna radiata (L.), causing these structures subsequently to abort. If left uncontrolled, mirids can cause 25-50% yield loss. Traditional industry practice has involved prophylactic applications of dimethoate to control mirids at budding and again a week later. The present trial was initiated to highlight the dangers of such a practice, in particular the risk of a subsequent Helicoverpa spp. lepidopteran pest outbreak. A single application of dimethoate halved the population of important natural enemies of Helicoverpa spp., and caused an above-threshold outbreak of Helicoverpa spp. within 11 days. This shows that even a moderate (e.g. 50%) reduction in natural enemies may be sufficient to increase Helicoverpa spp. populations in mungbeans. As a result, prophylactic sprays should not be used for the control of mirids in mungbeans, and dimethoate should be applied only when mirids are above the economic threshold. Indoxacarb was also tested to establish its effect on Helicoverpa spp., mirids and natural enemies. Indoxacarb showed potential for Helicoverpa spp. control and suppression of mirids and had little impact on natural enemies.