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Brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stal 1854) is a destructive insect pest causing severe yield loss every year in rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop. An experiment was conducted during during kharif (rainy) seasons of 2021 and 2022 at the research farm of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the effect of transplanting time and crop phenology on brown planthopper (BPH) incidence and spider population in rice. BPH and spider populations were recorded at different phenological stages in early, normal and late transplanted rice. Results showed that a significantly higher mean BPH population was observed in late transplanting in 2021 [54.00±5.31 per hill (nymphs and adults)] and 2022 (40.40±2.62 per hill) compared to normal and early tranplanting. Peak BPH population was observed at the heading (225.60±18.83 per hill) and milking stage (131.00±8.30 per hill) of late transplanted rice in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Likewise, more mean spider population was observed in late transplanting [1.87±0.11 per hill (adults) in 2021 and 2.38±0.08 per hill in 2022]. Two-way ANOVA showed a statistically significant interaction between transplanting time and crop phenology with regard to BPH incidence and spider population in both the years. The highest grain yield was recorded in early transplanted rice (36.08±0.75 q/ha; 35.06±0.49 q/ha) followed by normal (27.53±0.80 q/ha; 28.22±0.75 q/ha) and late transplanted rice crop (17.43±0.82 q/ha; 19.37±0.67 q/ha) respectively during two years. The early transplanted rice crop escaped the peak BPH incidence resulted in increased grain yield. The study demonstrated that both transplanting time and crop phenology influenced the BPH and spider populations.

Cardiac perfusion PET is increasingly used to assess ischemia and cardiovascular risk and can also provide quantitative myocardial blood flow (MBF) and flow reserve (MBFR) values. These have been shown to be prognostic biomarkers of adverse outcomes, yet MBF and MBFR quantification remains underutilized in clinical settings. We compare MBFR to traditional cardiovascular risk factors in a large and diverse clinical population (60% African-American, 35.3% Caucasian) to rank its relative contribution to cardiovascular outcomes. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including unstable angina, non-ST and ST-elevation myocardial infarction, stroke, and death, were assessed for consecutive patients who underwent rest-dipyridamole stress 82Rb PET cardiac imaging from 2012-2015 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (n = 1283, mean follow-up 2.3 years). Resting MBF (1.1 ± 0.4 ml/min/g) was associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. MBFR (2.1 ± 0.8) was independently and inversely associated with MACE. Furthermore, MBFR was more strongly associated with MACE than both traditional cardiovascular risk factors and the presence of perfusion defects in regression analysis. Decision tree analysis identified MBFR as superior to established cardiovascular risk factors in predicting outcomes. Incorporating resting MBF and MBFR in CAD assessment may improve clinical decision making.

Lamiaceae is one of the most economically important plant families based on their aromatic, medicinal, and industrial significance. In the present study three species of the Lamiaceae subfamily, Nepetoideae (Ocimum basillicum, Nepeta cateria, Leucas aspera) and one species from Lamioideae (Rosmarinus officinalis) were selected to document the pollinator bee diversity, foraging behavior, and their role on seed set. Thirty-two species of bees representing three families of Hymenoptera, (Apidae (94.87%) followed by Megachilidae (3.74%) and Halictidae (1.40%) were observed in all four plant species. Non-Apis bees were more abundant (69.35%) than Apis species (30.65%). The species-level variation in pollinator bees was observed in each plant species irrespective of space, time, and environmental conditions. O. basillicum attracted the maximum number of pollinator species (22) followed by R. officinalis (14) and L. aspera (10) and N. cataria (5). In O. basillicum, Ceratina species were major flower visitors, whereas R. officinalis was mainly visited by both Ceratina and Apis sp. L. aspera was dominated by Amegilla species and N. cataria mostly visited by the Apis bee species. However, irrespective of the diversity, the abundance of pollinator activity mainly contributed to enhancing the maximum number of seeds set in each species up to 64% overall increase under open pollination compared to bagged conditions. Also, a significant reduction in the seed set percentage was observed in R. officinalis and L. aspera under bagged pollination conditions. This indicates the high dependency of Lamiaceae plants on bee pollinators to maintain their reproduction and regeneration activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field studies were conducted on the management of teak defoliator H. puera was carried outduring kharifseason of 2020. In the field of Institute of Agriculture Sciences, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi (India). Different bio-pesticides viz. Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki (5% WP), Metarrhizium anisoplae (2 × 108 cfu), Verticillium lecanii (2×108 cfu), Neem oil (5% EC), Neem Seed Kernal Extract (Crude extract), Baveria bassiana (2 × 108 cfu). Experimental results revealed that the trees treated with bio-pesticides registered significantly difference of teak defoliator over the treatment of untreated control. Among them the treatment of Baveria bassiana (14.94 damage leaves/ plant) were found in significantly more effective against the pest as compared to other bio-pesticides NSKE, Neem oil, Verticillium lecanii and Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki were found moderately effective and proved significantly superior over NSKE, Neem oil, Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki and Metarrhizium anisoplae after, NSKE, Neem oil, Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki and Metarrhizium anisoplae proved significantly less effective among the bio-pesticides evaluated against H. puera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of metamaterials with inspiration from nature paved the door for the creation of revolutionary passive and active devices. Butterfly wings are one of them, and their multilayered structure motivated nanotechnologists, physicists, and other optoelectronic and photonic engineers to develop photonic crystals, dielectric reflectors, and Bragg reflectors for use in visible light communication, solar cells, and other photonic and optoelectronic applications. We report the sol–gel spin coating of a dielectric reflector on the glass substrate, an optical passive component consisting of titania and silica thin films for infrared radiation reflection. Individual thin films of titania and silica on glass substrates were studied using an x-ray diffractometer, which indicated anatase of titania and the amorphous nature of silica at a Bragg angle of 25° with a sharp and wide peak, respectively. The multilayer structure of titania/silica/titania was further investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, which revealed the presence of Ti–O–Ti and Si–O–Si vibrational bonds at wavenumbers 546 and 973 cm−1, respectively, as well as the presence of Ti–O–Si vibrational bond at 1100 cm−1. The thickness of the multilayer titania/silica/titania was measured using a cross-sectional field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and found to be 160/240/160 nm, respectively. Finally, reflection investigation on the multilayer structure using ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared spectroscopy validated the reflection of the infrared spectrum area by around 70% and showed to be beneficial for temperature shielding applications on glass furnishings.

Background and Objectives: Vertical rhythmic dyskinetic movements that are primarily drug-induced and affect solely the jaw, mouth, and lips without involving the tongue have been historically described as “rabbit” syndrome (RS). Evidence on the unique features and implications of this disorder remains limited. This literature review aims to evaluate the clinical–epidemiological profile, pathological mechanisms, and management of this movement disorder. Materials and Methods: Two reviewers identified and assessed relevant reports in six databases without language restriction published between 1972 and 2024. Results: A total of 85 articles containing 146 cases of RS were found. The mean frequency of RS among adults in psychiatric hospitals was 1.2% (range 0–4.4%). The mean age of affected patients was 49.2 (SD: 17.5), and 63.6% were females. Schizophrenia was the most frequent comorbidity found in 47.6%, followed by bipolar disorder (17.8%), major depressive disorder (10.3%), and obsessive–compulsive disorder (3.7%). Five cases were idiopathic. The most common medications associated with RS were haloperidol (17%), risperidone (14%), aripiprazole (7%), trifluoperazine (5%), and sulpiride (5%). The mean duration of pharmacotherapy before RS was 21.4 weeks (SD: 20.6). RS occurred in association with drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) in 27.4% and with tardive dyskinesia (TD) in 8.2% of cases. Antipsychotic modification and/or anticholinergic drugs resulted in full or partial recovery in nearly all reported cases in which they were prescribed. Conclusions: RS occurs as a distinct drug-induced syndrome associated primarily but not exclusively with antipsychotics. Distinguishing RS from TD is important because the treatment options for the two disorders are quite different. By contrast, RS may be part of a spectrum of symptoms of DIP with similar course, treatment outcomes, and pathophysiology.

The presence of visible and infrared (IR) radiations available from solar radiation causes the temperature in the atmosphere to rise. Because of the temperature disparity, glass-walled buildings typically utilize air conditioners, increasing the generation of green-house gases in the environment. As a result, the application of reflection coating is required to safeguard the environment and limit the danger of greenhouse emissions. We present here the fabrication of a thermal insulating coating utilizing a multilayer TiO2/SiO2 structure that can reflect visible and infrared light with fewer layers of the aforementioned combination. X-ray diffraction was used to examine the as-fabricated structure on the glass substrate and found the anatase phase of TiO2 with the strongest peak at Bragg angle 25O. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the presence of TiO2 and SiO2 functional linkages, which were found at 904 cm−1, and 763 cm−1 wavenumbers respectively. Cross-sectional field emission scanning electron microscopy examinations on the fabricated five-layer (TiO2/SiO2/TiO2/SiO2/TiO2) multilayer structure revealed the presence of TiO2 and SiO2 with thicknesses calculated around 186/300/273/218/131 nm respectively. Furthermore, reflectance analysis on the as-fabricated multilayer structure demonstrated 90 % reflectance in the infrared spectral region, and 100 % in the visible region. As a result, developed coatings for glass furnishings were advised in order to not only deflect visible and infrared radiations from the sun spectrum and keep indoor temperatures cool without the use of air conditioners, but also to act as visible light communication boosters.