An Ecological Study of the Kudzu Bug in East Tennessee: Life History, Seasonality, and Phenology

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), an invasive species from Asia, was first discovered in the United States in 2009 in Georgia. It has since spread to other states, including Tennessee, where it has spread rapidly to numerous counties in four years. Its common name, kudzu bug, implies a potential benefit to management of the invasive species kudzu; unfortunately, the kudzu bug has shown little impact on reducing growth of kudzu. The kudzu bug causes agricultural, urban, and health-related concerns in the United States. Soybean losses by kudzu bug have exceeded 20% in some areas of the southeastern United States. Primary research goals of this project are to: 1) assess ecology of kudzu bug in Tennessee; 2) determine behavioral responses of kudzu bug to host substrates; and 3) examine the relationship between kudzu bug and natural enemies present in Tennessee. In 2014 and 2015, studies were conducted to better understand population dynamics of kudzu bug in Tennessee. Kudzu bugs were present on kudzu in Knox County until early November in 2014 and mid-May to late November in 2015, with mid- and late-season peaks both years. Kudzu bugs were present at sites in other counties throughout the same time. Kudzu bugs exhibited different population trends in all counties, possibly due to differences in latitude, agricultural practices, and topography. In laboratory studies, kudzu bugs were more active on kudzu than alternate host plants (soybean, bush honeysuckle, and ragweed). Ragweed was the least attractive plant species. In no-choice tests, activity was similar across kudzu, soybean, and bush honeysuckle. In choice tests, kudzu had the highest percent of active insects. An unexpected natural enemy was found at all regularly sampled sites in 2015. Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic fungus, was discovered infecting kudzu bug and impacting population densities. Mortality of immature kudzu bugs reached 100%. The kudzu bug egg parasitoid, Paratelenomus saccharalis, was not recovered. The outcome of this research project will provide essential information on ecology of kudzu bug in Tennessee. This information will help to enhance development and implementation of efficient and effective management tools

Down Creek A Screenplay

Growing up, the story was told to me this way: one day, a little boy’s foot washed up on a beach in Charleston. An investigation found that the foot belonged to a patient of Dr. Reed, an orthopedic surgeon who had removed the boy’s foot some three years prior. The doctor had stored the boy’s foot in his freezer at home. When one day the freezer broke down. Dr. Reed disposed of the body part by substituting it for raw chicken in his crab trap. Somehow the foot escaped the bait compartmentmuch to the leathery beachgoers’ horror. Even as a girl, I always hated that light-hearted ending. What if this stoiy\u27 had taken a dark turn? The image of a hand in a crab trap haunted me. A hand is more complex than a foot—any artist can tell you that. A hand also seems more delicate, more intimate. So I had my opening image all along. But the setting, Beaufort, provided me with a place and a people. And more problems. Of course there are racial tensions between black and white residents of Beaufort County. There’s a long history here, as we all know. But as deep-rooted as those conflicts can be, attitudes and perceptions are always changing. In many households there is a generational divide—with parents caring more about racial differences than their children

Monoamine modulation of separation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations in preweanling F344 and SD rats

The purpose of this study was to determine if Fischer 344 (F344) rats, a strain which naturally shows deficits in social communication during adolescence, could be used as a model of the social communication deficits observed in autism. Thus, the goal was to determine if F344 rats would also show fewer emissions of isolated-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (an early onset form of social interaction) as compared to SD rats. Subjects consisted of 142 F344 rat pups (67 male and 75 female). Subjects were treated according to the Guide for the Care and Use of Mammals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research under a research protocol approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of CSUSB

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IVA-2 AND NEUROFEEDBACK AS SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPORT FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS

Many general education students within the public-school setting are struggling to meet the rigorous academic demands of current school systems. The lack of specificity in school-based assessments and interventions impedes an accurate determination of how students with auditory and visual processing difficulties are learning. As a result, students are being misidentified or are receiving supports that do not meet their needs. Public schools across California implement systems of supports Response to Intervention (RTI), Multi-Tier Systems of Supports (MTSS), and Positive Behavior Intervention (PBIS) for all students to make adequate academic progress and experience behavioral and social-emotional needs. Based on student need, implementing an approach that identifies visual and auditory processing needs may facilitate improved monitoring and implementation of individualized interventions in the general education setting. Within these support systems, we can address academic concerns through a more cost-effective manner to reduce referrals to special education. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the implementation of the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA-2) assessment and the neurofeedback intervention is an effective method to reduce unnecessary referrals to special education in an elementary setting. Elementary students were administered pre- and post-test assessments measuring their visual and auditory processing strengths and weakness, and self-rating scales of a social-emotional well-being. A team of educators through the Student Support System (SST) participated in identifying students at risk for academic intervention. Stakeholders included school administrators, classroom teachers, and parents of the identified students. Collaboration was central to the effective implementation of this research study

The Paperless Literature Review for Qualitative Research

Organizing and managing resources is a necessary skill for qualitative researchers. Implementing a practice of paperless storage, annotation and organization of academic literature has the potential to radically transform the research process. We will demonstrate the life-cycle of a paperless academic text from its retrieval through to its use in a literature review, highlighting our favorite tools and discussing the affordances and constraints of going paperless

Black Beans, Fiber, and Antioxidant Capacity Pilot Study: Examination of Whole Foods vs. Functional Components on Postprandial Metabolic, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation in Adults with Metabolic Syndrome.

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) contain bioactive components with functional properties that may modify cardiovascular risk. The aims of this pilot study were to evaluate the ability of black beans to attenuate postprandial metabolic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses and determine relative contribution of dietary fiber and antioxidant capacity of beans to the overall effect. In this randomized, controlled, crossover trial, 12 adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS) consumed one of three meals (black bean (BB), fiber matched (FM), and antioxidant capacity matched (AM)) on three occasions that included blood collection before (fasting) and five hours postprandially. Insulin was lower after the BB meal, compared to the FM or AM meals (p < 0.0001). A significant meal × time interaction was observed for plasma antioxidant capacity (p = 0.002) revealing differences over time: AM > BB > FM. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) was not different by meal, although a trend for declining oxLDL was observed after the BB and AM meals at five hours compared to the FM meal. Triglycerides and interleukin-6 (IL-6) increased in response to meals (p < 0.0001). Inclusion of black beans with a typical Western-style meal attenuates postprandial insulin and moderately enhances postprandial antioxidant endpoints in adults with MetS, which could only be partly explained by fiber content and properties of antioxidant capacity

Psychological and Emotional Responses to Climate Change among Young People Worldwide: Differences Associated with Gender, Age, and Country

Recent research has described concern and anxiety about climate change, especially among young people, but limited data are available looking at the responses of adolescents. Based on further analysis of an existing dataset that obtained survey responses from young people aged 16–25 in 10 different countries, this paper examines differences associated with gender and age, which are important predictors of vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Gender differences were small but consistent, with female respondents expressing greater levels of concern and negative emotions, while male respondents were more optimistic and expressed greater faith in the government. Within this narrow age group, there were small but significant positive correlations showing that concern and negative emotions about climate change were higher among older respondents. There were complex differences among countries; in general, respondents in the Philippines, India, and Nigeria reported a stronger psychological impact of climate change than respondents in the United States and Finland. These results help to describe the extent and patterns of climate anxiety in multiple locations around the world in an age range that is relatively understudied

The relationship between self-reported alcohol intake and the morbidities managed by GPs in Australia

BACKGROUND: One in five Australians consume alcohol at risky or harmful levels. Most (85%) attend a general practitioner at least once a year, giving opportunity for detecting and providing brief interventions for reducing alcohol-related harm. Historically, detection rates of problem drinking have been low in general practice, producing lower prevalence estimates of heavy drinking than expected from population surveys. METHOD: The BEACH program collects data from 100 consecutive patient consultations with 1000 GPs annually. For 40 consecutive encounters, GPs ask adult patients three questions on alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C). This paper reports the problems managed and treatments provided at encounters with heavy and non-heavy drinkers, grouped by their response to the 3rd question, and compares the two groups before and after standardisation for age and sex. Heavy drinking was defined as having 6 or more standard drinks at least once a week or more often. RESULTS: Heavy drinking was reported by 7.3% patients overall; more prevalent among men (13.8%) than women (3.9%); and among Indigenous patients (18.5%). Prevalence was highest in young adults (18–24 years)(12.7%) and decreased with age. Patients from a non-English speaking background were less likely to be heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers had more problems managed at encounters, more chronic problems, physical injuries and psychological problems (particularly depression) managed than non-heavy drinkers. They were less likely to have respiratory complaints, ischaemic heart disease or diabetes managed. CONCLUSION: Heavy drinkers are more likely than non- or light drinkers to see their GP for management of chronic problems, psychological problems and physical injuries. However, the wide range of morbidity managed in heavy drinkers means that relying on clinical impression alone to detect this group will not suffice and should be augmented with routine screening. Given the pressures of general practice, finding efficient methods of screening for alcohol problems remains a priority

Mental Health Status and Perceived Barriers to Seeking Treatment in Rural Reserve Component Veterans

National Guard and Reserve (RC) troops (N=617) primarily from the Appalachian Region in Southwestern Pennsylvania who recently returned from deployment in support of current military conflicts responded to a survey that assessed their demographics, mental health symptoms, help-seeking behaviors, barriers for not seeking treatment, deployment history, and stressors. Veterans were classified as rural (N = 334) or non-rural (N = 283). Rural participants reported a significantly greater number of issues with transportation/access in seeking mental health treatment, were more likely to perceive others as worse off as a reason not to seek treatment, had a more negative attitude toward seeking treatment for mental health problems, and reported fewer concerns about a mental health problem affecting their career. Recommendations for mental health care providers and policymakers are offered based on the results, including the importance of recognizing the distinctive barriers to care that RC Appalachian veterans face when they come back into civilian communities, many of them rural

An exploratory trial implementing a community-based child oral health promotion intervention for Australian families from refugee and migrant backgrounds: a protocol paper for Teeth Tales

Introduction: Inequalities are evident in early childhood caries rates with the socially disadvantaged experiencing greater burden of disease. This study builds on formative qualitative research, conducted in the Moreland/Hume local government areas of Melbourne, Victoria 2006–2009, in response to community concerns for oral health of children from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Development of the community-based intervention described here extends the partnership approach to cogeneration of contemporary evidence with continued and meaningful involvement of investigators, community, cultural and government partners. This trial aims to establish a model for child oral health promotion for culturally diverse communities in Australia.<p></p> Methods and analysis: This is an exploratory trial implementing a community-based child oral health promotion intervention for Australian families from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Families from an Iraqi, Lebanese or Pakistani background with children aged 1–4 years, residing in metropolitan Melbourne, were invited to participate in the trial by peer educators from their respective communities using snowball and purposive sampling techniques. Target sample size was 600. Moreland, a culturally diverse, inner-urban metropolitan area of Melbourne, was chosen as the intervention site. The intervention comprised peer educator led community oral health education sessions and reorienting of dental health and family services through cultural Competency Organisational Review (CORe).<p></p> Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval for this trial was granted by the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Research Committee. Study progress and output will be disseminated via periodic newsletters, peer-reviewed research papers, reports, community seminars and at National and International conferences.<p></p&gt