Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), commonly known as the cabbage butterfly, is a major herbivorous pest causing significant damage to Brassica crops, which are widely cultivated for edible parts and economic uses such as oilseed production. Conventional chemical-based pest control methods pose risks to environmental and human health, prompting interest in sustainable alternatives like biological control using parasitoids. This study evaluated crop damage by P. brassicae larvae and the potential of the larval parasitoid Cotesia vestalis (Haliday, 1834) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in managing pest populations. Larvae and fertilized eggs of P. brassicae were collected and reared on four host diets (cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, and generic brassica) under controlled laboratory conditions. Larval growth, feeding behavior, and development were assessed, along with a feeding index for dietary efficiency. Parasitisation was introduced by exposing larvae to adult C. vestalis, and host-parasitoid interactions were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and regression models. Results revealed that larvae had the highest feeding preference and weight gain on brassica, while turnip-fed larvae consumed the least. Parasitisation by C. vestalis significantly suppressed larval development, with a strong correlation between parasitisation rates and reduced host fitness. These findings highlight C. vestalis as a promising biological control agent for P. brassicae, offering an effective and eco-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides. Further research should focus on optimizing C. vestalis mass-rearing protocols and release strategies tailored to diverse Brassica cropping systems to promote sustainable pest management.

Vitamin D deficiency has previously been linked to higher rates of exacerbation and reduced lung function in asthmatics. Previous randomised controlled trials investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation have mainly focused on children with asthma. Trials involving adults have typically used bolus dosing regimens, and the main outcomes have been patient-focused without investigating underlying inflammation. The present study aimed to conduct a 12-week placebo-controlled randomised controlled trials administering a daily 125 µg vitamin D3 supplement to adults with mild to moderate asthma. A total of 32 participants were randomised to receive either the 125 μg vitamin D3 supplement or an identical matching placebo. The primary outcome of the study was lung function measured by the ratio of FEV1:FVC (effect size 2·5) with secondary outcomes including asthma symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers. There was a small but statistically significant higher increase in the mean (±sd) ratio of FEV1:FVC from baseline to post-intervention in the vitamin D group (+0·05 ± 0·06) compared with the placebo group (+0·006 ± 0·04, P = 0·04). There was no effect of the intervention on asthma control test scores, or the inflammatory biomarkers measured. There was a moderate, significant association between baseline plasma 25(OH)D concentration and baseline plasma IL-10 (r = 0·527, P = 0·005) and TNF-α (r = −0·498. P = 0·008) concentrations. A daily vitamin D3 supplement led to slightly improved lung function in adult asthmatics and may be a useful adjunct to existing asthma control strategies, particularly for individuals with suboptimal vitamin D status.

Farm productivity and social sustainability are essential to realizing agro-based value chains’ full potential. This paper aims to empirically conduct an analysis of the impact of formal value chain governance practices on farm productivity and social sustainability in Pakistan's potato industry. A multi-stage sampling method was employed from 10 villages to examine growers’ motivations to adopt the contract and its effect on their income and farm employment. The main findings of this study stipulate that buyers’ technical assistance and provision of quality inputs are the growers’ primary motives for contracting, non-contracted farms earned 40% less than contracted farms from each unit invested, contracted farms employed more labor with better wages, and welfare arrangements than the non-contracting farms. The study concluded that formal value chain governance practices significantly affect farm productivity and social sustainability and can spur growth in the agricultural sector in developing countries. The results reveal that any governmental initiative aiming to support formal value chain governance should consider the role that intermediaries play in the value chain and accordingly minimize their risks and food losses and improve social outcomes.

Adequate nutrition is necessary during childhood and early adolescence for adequate growth and development. Hence, the objective of the study was to assess the association between dietary intake and blood levels of minerals (calcium, iron, zinc, and selenium) and vitamins (folate, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and vitamin D) in urban school going children aged 6–16 years in India, in a multicentric cross-sectional study. Participants were enrolled from randomly selected schools in ten cities. Three-day food intake data was collected using a 24-h dietary recall method. The intake was dichotomised into adequate and inadequate. Blood samples were collected to assess levels of micronutrients. From April 2019 to February 2020, 2428 participants (50⋅2 % females) were recruited from 60 schools. Inadequate intake for calcium was in 93⋅4 % (246⋅5 ± 149⋅4 mg), iron 86⋅5 % (7⋅6 ± 3⋅0 mg), zinc 84⋅0 % (3⋅9 ± 2⋅4 mg), selenium 30⋅2 % (11⋅3 ± 9⋅7 mcg), folate 73⋅8 % (93⋅6 ± 55⋅4 mcg), vitamin B12 94⋅4 % (0⋅2 ± 0⋅4 mcg), vitamin A 96⋅0 % (101⋅7 ± 94⋅1 mcg), and vitamin D 100⋅0 % (0⋅4 ± 0⋅6 mcg). Controlling for sex and socioeconomic status, the odds of biochemical deficiency with inadequate intake for iron [AOR = 1⋅37 (95 % CI 1⋅07–1⋅76)], zinc [AOR = 5⋅14 (95 % CI 2⋅24–11⋅78)], selenium [AOR = 3⋅63 (95 % CI 2⋅70–4⋅89)], folate [AOR = 1⋅59 (95 % CI 1⋅25–2⋅03)], and vitamin B12 [AOR = 1⋅62 (95 %CI 1⋅07–2⋅45)]. Since there is a significant association between the inadequate intake and biochemical deficiencies of iron, zinc, selenium, folate, and vitamin B12, regular surveillance for adequacy of micronutrient intake must be undertaken to identify children at risk of deficiency, for timely intervention.

This paper presents a multi-mode resonator (MMR) for next-generation wireless systems that achieves single and dual-band bandpass filter (BPF) responses using a split-ring dual-path structure. The proposed BPF design is realized by employing two pairs of parallel couple lines and two symmetrical step-impedance open-circuited stubs (SIOCS). SIOCS are used to improve selectivity and increase the number of transmission zeros/poles. The proposed single-band BPF exhibits an ultra-wideband (UWB) response having a center frequency of 7.5 GHz, a minimum insertion loss of less than 0.48 dB, and a maximum return loss of 25.35 dB. The proposed UWB BPF has a stopband suppression of 39.34 dB up to 18 GHz and a 3 dB fractional bandwidth of 48.23%. Moreover, a dual-band BPF has been accomplished by utilizing the same architecture while slightly changing the MMR structure and adding more coupling. The center frequency (bandwidth) of the dual broadband BPF is 7.40 GHz (2.40 GHz) and 14.15 GHz (1.7 GHz), respectively. The measured minimum insertion loss is less than 0.23 dB and a return loss of less than 16.8 dB with 3 dB FBWs of 32.4 and 12.1%. Finally, two prototypes are fabricated to validate the proposed characteristics. The BPF's simulated and measured results are in good agreement.

Evidence-based mass-reach health communication campaigns can increase tobacco cessation, use of cessation resources such as quitlines, and change tobacco-related social norms. These interventions have been associated with a lower likelihood of cigarette smoking relapse in studies conducted internationally; however, no studies have assessed this outcome for a national campaign in the United States. This study examined the relationship between Tips from Former Smokers® (Tips®) campaign exposure and the odds of cigarette smoking relapse among adults who formerly smoked. Using data from the 2014 to 2019 Tips longitudinal campaign surveys, we estimated first episode of relapse (versus remaining a former smoker) as a function of Tips gross rating points (GRPs, a measure of media exposure). Higher levels of Tips GRPs were associated with lower odds of relapse (aOR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.50-0.78). These results suggest that the Tips campaign may reduce smoking relapse, in addition to the established effect of increasing smoking cessation. Former smokers can be considered a secondary target audience for smoking cessation mass media campaigns, and mass media campaigns could be considered a component of smoking relapse prevention efforts.

Many countries have enacted a quick response to the unexpected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic by using existing technologies. For example, robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital technology have been deployed in hospitals and public areas for maintaining social distancing, reducing person-to-person contact, enabling rapid diagnosis, tracking virus spread, and providing sanitation. In this study, 163 news articles and scientific reports on COVID-19-related technology adoption were screened, shortlisted, categorized by application scenario, and reviewed for functionality. Technologies related to robots, artificial intelligence, and digital technology were selected from the pool of candidates, yielding a total of 50 applications for review. Each case was analyzed for its engineering characteristics and potential impact on the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, challenges and future directions regarding the response to this pandemic and future pandemics were summarized and discussed.

Vitamin D, a secosteroid, has recently been implicated in the stimulation of erythroid precursors and ultimately the rate of erythropoiesis. However, there are a paucity of randomised controlled trials (RCT), investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation iron status, especially in populations at risk of iron deficiency. An eight-week, double-blind RCT was carried out in 50 female (mean age (± SD): 27 ± 9 years), iron-deficient (plasma ferritin concentration < 20 μg/L) participants, randomised to consume an iron-fortified cereal containing 9 mg of iron, with either a vitamin D supplement (1,500 international units (IU)/day, 38 μg/day) or placebo. The effect of dietary vitamin D supplementation on haematological indicators was investigated. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 4-weeks and 8-week timepoints for measurement of iron and vitamin D status biomarkers. The effect of intervention was analysed with a mixed-model repeated measures ANOVA using IBM SPSS statistical software (Version 21, IBM Corporation, New York, USA). Significant increases were observed in two haematological parameters: haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit level from baseline to post-intervention in the vitamin D group, but not in the placebo group. The increase from baseline to post-intervention in haemoglobin concentration in the vitamin D group (135 ± 11 to 138 ± 10 g/L) was significantly higher than in the placebo group (131 ± 15 to 128 ± 13 g/L) (P ≤ 0.05). The increase in haematocrit level from baseline to post-intervention was also significantly higher in the vitamin D group (42.0 ± 3.0 to 43.8 49 ± 3.4%) compared to the placebo group (41.2 ± 4.3 to 40.7 ± 3.6%) (P ≤ 0.05). Despite non-significant changes in plasma ferritin concentration, this study demonstrates that dietary supplementation with 1,500IU vitamin D, consumed daily with an iron-fortified cereal led to improvement in haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit levels in women with low iron stores. Further long-term studies are required, however, these findings suggest a potential role for improvement of vitamin D status as an adjunct therapy for recovery of iron status in iron-deficient populations.