Risk Factors for COVID-19: Community Exposure and Mask-Wearing (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Many studies have focused on characteristics of symptomatic COVID-19 patients and clinical risk factors. This study reports prevalence of COVID-19 in the general population and identifies factors that affect exposure to the virus. OBJECTIVE To measure the prevalence of COVID-19 in a hospital service area and identify factors that may increase or decrease the risk of infection and exposure. METHODS This study collected survey information relating to work and living situations, income, behavior, socio-demographic characteristics and pre-pandemic health characteristics which was linked to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and two different serologic assays. Positivity rate was used to calculate approximate prevalence, hospitalization rate and infection fatality rate (IFR). Survey data was used to analyze risk factors, including the number of contacts reported by study participants. RESULTS We found a positivity rate of 2.2 percent, a hospitalization rate of 1.2 percent and an adjusted IFR of 0.55 percent. Number of daily contacts with adults and seniors increases the probability of becoming infected. Occupation, living in apartment versus a house, and wearing a facial mask outside work increased probability of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS Comparing these numbers with officially reported infections leads to estimates of unreported cases. Occupational, living-situation, and behavioral data may aid in the identification of non-clinical factors affecting SARS-CoV-2 exposure and infection.

Analisis Industri Rumah Tangga Kerupuk Ikan dan Kontribusinya Terhadap Pendapatan Keluarga di Kelurahan Jelmu Kota Jambi

The aim of this study is the first to know the characteristics of industrial workers' households in the village of fish crackers jelmu jambi city views from sex, age, education level, the number of dependents, employment status, duration of operations and the initial capital. Secondly to study and analyze the amount of household income of industrial workers in the village of fish crackers jelmu jambi city. Third to know how much revenue contribution of household industry workers fish crackers on family income in Sub Jelmu. From the discussion we know that the characteristics of the respondents viewed the sex, most craftsmen female fish crackers or equal to 80 percent of 15 respondents. Then in terms of age craftsmen fish crackers between 40-49 years of age or 46.67 percent of the 15 people total respondents. Viewed from the level of education in the village of fish crackers pengarjin jelmu most educated junior or 46.67 percent. Number of dependents of each of the respondents ranged between 1-6 people. Among 10 respondents, or 66.67 per cent with two-3orang family members only. From satatus jobs, most of the respondents made this fish crackers craft business as a major work that is equal to 73.33 percent. Old businesses ranging from 10-30 years. Judging from the initial capital issued by the craftsmen of fish crackers ranging from Rp. 350,000 – 699,000 totaling 10 respondents or 66.67 percent of total respondents. Of the total employment of each worker is different, ranging from 1-4 people. In terms of revenue ranging from Rp. 1,500,000 – 2,000,000.- per month. Acceptance is not reduced sales of capital and production costs. Then the family income of the highest fish crackers craftsmen USD 1.225 million per month. And lowest income of Rp. 665,000.- per month. Meanwhile, cracker craftsmen revenue contribution of fish to the family income amounted to 71.72 percent. With average family income of ± Rp. 926,266.67.- per month. And the average income of farmers amounted to ± Rp fish crackers. 630,266.67.- per month.

Far-red and Blue Light Synergistically Mitigate Intumescence Injury of Tomato Plants Grown Under Ultraviolet-deficit Light Environment

Intumescence injury is an abiotic-stress-induced physiological disorder associated with abnormal cell enlargement and cell division. The symptom includes blister- or callus-like growths on leaves, which occur on sensitive cultivars of tomato when they are grown under ultraviolet (UV)-deficit light environment, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Previous studies suggest that intumescence can be reduced by increasing far-red (FR) or blue light. In the present study, effects of end-of-day FR (EOD-FR) light and high blue photon flux (PF) ratio during the photoperiod on intumescence injury were examined using ‘Beaufort’ interspecific tomato rootstock seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum × Solanum habrochaites), a cultivar highly susceptible to intumescence injury. Our study showed that EOD-FR light treatment moderately suppressed intumescence injury. Using EOD-FR light treatment, the percent number of leaves exhibiting intumescences was reduced from 62.0–70.7% to 39.4–43.1%. By combining high blue PF ratio (75%) during the photoperiod and EOD-FR light treatment, the percent number of leaves exhibiting intumescences was further suppressed to 5.0%. Furthermore, the combination of high blue PF ratio and EOD-FR light treatment inhibited undesirable stem elongation caused by EOD-FR light treatment. We found that high blue PF ratio during the photoperiod combined with a small dose of EOD-FR lighting (≈1 mmol·m−2·d−1 provided by 5.2 µmol·m−2·s−1 FR PF for 3.3 minutes) could inhibit the problematic intumescence injury of tomato plants grown under LEDs without negatively influencing growth or morphology.

Ecology and management of the invasive lionfish Pterois volitans/miles complex (Perciformes: Scorpaenidae) in Southern Costa Rica

Invasive species alter ecosystem integrity and functioning and are considered one of the major threats to biodiversity on a global scale. The indopacific lionfish (<em>Pterois volitans</em> [Linnaeus, 1758] <em>/ miles </em>[Bennet, 1882] complex)<strong> </strong>is the first non-native marine fish that has established itself in the Western Atlantic. It was first reported in Florida in the 1980s and then spread across the entire Caribbean in subsequent years. In Costa Rica, lionfish were first sighted by the end of 2008 and are now present in all South Caribbean reefs. Lionfish are a major problem for local fisherman by displacing native fish species. The aim of this study was to determine population density, size and diet of lionfish populations at four study sites along the Southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Two of the sites were located inside the National Park Cahuita where regular lionfish removal occurs, whereas the other two study sides do not experiment this kind of management. Total length and wet weight of &gt;450 lionfish individuals were determined between March and June 2011. Three relative metrics of prey quantity (percent number, percent frequency, and percent weight) were compared from ~300 lionfish caught with the polespear in shallow waters (&lt;7m depth). Population density was assessed weekly through visual transect surveys. Our results showed that lionfish preyed mostly upon teleosts and crustaceans. Teleosts dominated lionfish diet in percent frequency (71%) and percent weight (85%), whereas crustaceans had the highest percent number (58%). The top five teleost families of dietary importance were Pomacentridae, Acanthuridae, Blennidae, Labridae and Serranidae. The average total length (±SD) of lionfish was 18.7(±5.7)cm and varied significantly between sites (p&lt;0.001). Mean density of lionfish was 92fish/ha with no significant differences between sites.Smallest fish and lowest densities were found at the two sites inside the National Park Cahuita. Despite management efforts on a regional scale, nationwide efforts are ineffective and lionfish control activities are poorly implemented. We conclude that there is an urgent need to develop an improved institutional framework for local lionfish control that promotes effective coordination among the relevant stakeholders in order to deal with invasive lionfish in Costa Rica.

Effect of ga and naa on physio-morphological characters, yield and yield components of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

The experiment on brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) having seven growth regulators viz., control, 30 ppm GA3 , 40 ppm GA3, 50 ppm GA , 20 ppm NAA, 40 ppm NAA, and 60 ppm NAA and two varieties viz., BARI Begun-5 and BARI Begun -10 was conducted at the field of Plant Physiology Section of HRC during the rabi season (November 2011 to May 2013) to find out the suitable variety responsive to growth regulators and to determine the suitable dose of growth regulator for brinjal production. The GA3 (Gibberellic acid) and NAA (Naphthalene acetic acid) had no significant effect on plant height and stem diameter at the end of the crop period and days to 100% flowering. NAA 40 ppm produced highest percentage of long and medium styled-flower, leaf photosynthesis and Fv/Fm (efficiency of photosystem II), number of fruits /plant and fruit yield (45.50 t/ha). The variety BARI Begun-5 was earlier to 100% flowering which took 44 days after transplanting which outyielded BARI Begun-10. NAA 40 ppm coupled with BARI Begun-5 gave the maximum Fv/Fm, long-styled flower percent, number of fruits/plant, and the highest fruit yield (49.73 t/ha). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v39i3.21983 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 39(3): 397-405, September 2014

Diel feeding pattern and diet of rough scad Trachurus lathami Nichols, 1920 (Carangidae) from the Southwestern Atlantic

Diel changes in feeding activity and dietary composition of the rough scad Trachurus lathami were investigated through the analysis of stomach contents of 307 fish sampled over a 24-h period on the continental shelf off Ubatuba (23º 35'S 45ºW). Stomach contents were analyzed by frequency of occurrence (O%), percent number (N%), percent mass (M%), and feeding index (FI% = O% * M%). Rough scad fed on mollusks (Gastropoda, Crepidula sp.), crustacean (Ostracoda, Copepoda, decapod larvae), chaetognat and teleostean fish. The main items were calanoid copepods (Eucalanus sp. and Centropages sp.). According to the analysis of the stomach fullness and prey digestion, T. lathami is both a diurnal and nocturnal feeder, showing some seasonal variation in feeding time. According to the Chronobiology concept, it was raised the hypothesis of circadian rhythm in feeding of this fish, probably synchronized by light/dark cycle.

Genetic and Environmental Variance in Seed and Cone Characteristics of Black Spruce in a Northwestern Ontario Seed Orchard

Germination and some seed yield components were evaluated using 1981 cones from ramets of nine clones in a Northwestern Ontario seed orchard. No evidence of dormancy was observed in seed which received no chilling and were germinated under light. Hierarchical analyses of variance indicated that both clones and ramets within clones accounted for substantial amounts of variation in germination percent, filled seed percent, number of seed per cone and cone size. Cone size was only weakly correlated with number of seed per cone (r =.44).