Can grasshoppers spread common bacterial blight in beans?

Non-Peer ReviewedCommon bacterial blight (CBB) is a seed-borne disease of dry bean that is usually spread through rain-splash, particularly when heavy rain or hail damages plants. CBB can cause a reduction in yield and if the seed becomes infected it will become a primary source of inoculum in the next generation. During drought cycles, we often experience heavy grasshopper infestations in Saskatchewan. Not only do grasshoppers reduce crop yield and lay eggs for the following year, but they may also be responsible for spreading disease as they travel through a crop. This could be the result of feeding damage which allows rain to spread disease, or grasshoppers may be carrying the pathogen from plant to plant causing the disease to spread more rapidly through the field. In August 2002, a dry bean breeding nursery at Saskatoon was heavily infected with CBB during the same time frame as a major grasshopper invasion. This research was designed to determine if the grasshoppers themselves can physically spread the disease from plant to plant or if they just damage the plants, making them more susceptible to infection

Limited Range-Filling Among Endemic Forest Herbs of Eastern North America and Its Implications for Conservation With Climate Change

Biodiversity hotspots host a high diversity of narrowly distributed endemic species, which are increasingly threatened by climate change. In eastern North America, the highest concentration of plant diversity and endemism occurs in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (SAM). It has been hypothesized that this region served as a refugium during Pleistocene glacial cycles and that postglacial migration northward was dispersal limited. We tested this hypothesis using species distribution models for eight forest herb species. We also quantified the extent to which the geography of suitable habitat shifted away from the current range with climate change. We developed species distribution models for four forest herb species endemic to the SAM and four that co-occur in the same SAM habitats but have broader ranges. For widespread species, we built models using (1) all occurrences and (2) only those that overlap the SAM hotspot in order to evaluate the extent of Hutchinsonian shortfalls and the potential for models to predict suitable habitat beyond the SAM. We evaluated the extent to which predicted climatically suitable areas are projected to shift away from their current ranges under future climate change. We detected unoccupied but suitable habitat in regions up to 1,100 km north of the endemic species’ ranges. Endemic ranges are disjunct from suitable northern areas due to a ∼100–150 km gap of unsuitable habitat. Under future climate change, models predicted severe reductions in suitable habitat within current endemic ranges. For non-endemic species, we found similar overall patterns and gap of unsuitability in the same geographic location. Our results suggest a history of dispersal limitation following the last glacial maximum along with an environmental barrier to northward migration. Conservation of endemic species would likely require intervention and assisted migration to suitable habitat in northern New England and Canada

Do grasshoppers prefer one species of lentil over another?

Non-Peer ReviewedSevere outbreaks of grasshoppers cause yield losses in many economically important crops. Lentil (Lens culinaris) is particularly susceptible to grasshopper damage. The weather patterns of 2001-2002 in most of the lentil production regions of Saskatchewan contributed to the outbreak in grasshopper populations resulting in major damage to the lentil crop. Grasshoppers preferentially target the flowers and young pods of lentil plants. Lentil plants, due to their indeterminate growth habit, will re-grow if moisture is available, leading to development of new pods, resulting in delayed maturity and further grasshopper damage. Pods that are damaged or not consumed entirely may shatter or not fill properly. Grasshoppers are known to have very specific feeding habits and may show a range of preference from one plant species to another based on taste or texture. One of the seven known species of lentil has hairy pods. Grasshopper feeding preferences were examined on five lentil species, including the cultivated lentil. The purpose was to determine if grasshoppers prefer to feed on the cultivated lentil compared to four wild species. If they do, it may be possible in future to breed lentil varieties that are less damaged by grasshoppers by using the wild lentil species in the breeding program

Canine hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma: An immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study

Ten dogs with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver were selected for inclusion in the study. Clinical signs were anorexia (7), vomiting (5), polydipsia/polyuria (3), icterus (2), lethargy (2), weight loss (2), paresis (1), ataxia (1), weakness (1), collapse (1), and urinary tract infection (1). Hematologic and biochemical abnormalities included anemia (2/8), leukocytosis (4/8), high liver enzyme activity (serum alkaline phosphatase, 7/9; alanine transaminase, 7/9; aspartate transaminase, 8/9), and high total bilirubin (6/9). Grossly, the tumors were diffuse, involving all liver lobes in six dogs, and two dogs had various-sized nodules in addition to diffuse involvement. Histologically, there were eight tumors with solid or trabecular pattern (group A), one tumor with cords or rows of neoplastic cells (group B), and one tumor with multiple rosette-like structures (group C). Immunohistochemical studies revealed that all 10 neoplasms were positive for at least one of the endocrine markers used: neuron-specific enolase (NSE; 8/10), synaptophysin (5/10), and chromogranin-A (3/10). A panel of NSE, chromagranin-A, and synaptophysin detected 100% of the tumors in our series. Electron microscopy confirmed the diagnosis by the presence of intracytoplasmic neurosecretory granules in the two examined cases. Our results show that neuroendocrine markers commonly used in humans can be used for the diagnosis of hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma in dogs, preferably a panel of synaptophysin, chromagranin-A, and NSE because chromogranin-A alone is not as useful in dogs as in humans

Formulation development and delivery of biopesticides

Non-Peer ReviewedBiopesticide formulation development is integral for end product development and risk reduction associated with commercialization and acceptance by the end user. Development of robust formulations for biopesticides is a key step towards advancing this technology into integrated pest management systems. A granular formulation protocol using extrusion-spheronization-fluidized bed drying for biopesticidal bacteria and fungal hypha and spores is described. Establishing low granule water activity (aw, 0.2-0.3) is a key factor in extending the shelf-life of the product. Starch type and amount provided controlled release attributes to the biopesticide granules. Microencapsulation of bioherbicide, Colletotrichum truncatum 00-003B1 (Ct), conidia and bioinsecticide nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV), by complex coacervation is described for foliar application of biocontrol agents

Do women athletes’ experiences of menstrual function and dysfunction vary across competition levels? A mixed methods exploration

Menstrual dysfunction is a common phenomenon in sport and many women describe that their menstrual cycle can negatively impact their sport participation, performance, and experiences. However, there is little research examining if competition level plays a role in women athletes’ rates and experiences of menstrual function and dysfunction. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore and describe rates and experiences of menstrual function and dysfunction among athletes of differing competition levels. An online mixed methods approach was applied. Women athletes (N = 63), between 14 and 39 years of age (M = 24.20, SD = 6.53), competing in a range of sports from the local to international level completed an anonymous interview style survey to generate data. Data analysis for this project was an iterative and integrated process where quantitative and qualitative data were considered together and are represented through reported statistics and generated themes. Although group differences were hypothesized, no differences based on competition level in rates or experiences of menstrual dysfunction were observed. In addition to detailed descriptive statistics, five themes were generated: Normalizing Dysfunction; Menstrual Symptoms; Clothing as a Distraction; Participation Impact; and Regaining Control. In line with previous research, the women in this study experienced a range of menstrual dysfunctions that impacted their sport experiences. However, this study highlights that regardless of competition level or sport type women face challenges in sport regarding menstrual function and due to the normalization of dysfunction in sport women athletes’ health and well-being are not always supported

Pump-induced wavefront distortion in prototypical NIF/LMJ amplifiers-modeling and comparison with experiments

In large-aperture laser amplifiers such as those envisioned for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and Laser Megajoules (LMJ) lasers, the geometry is such that the front and back faces of the laser slab are heated unevenly by the pump process. This uneven heating results in a mechanical deformation of the laser slab and consequent internal stresses. The deformation and stresses, along with a temperature-dependent refractive index variation, result in phase variations across the laser beam (so-called pump-induced wavefront distortions). These phase variations lead to beam steering which may affect frequency conversion as well as energy-on-target. We have developed a model which allows us to estimate the pump-induced wavefront distortion for a given amplifier configuration as well as the spatially-resolved depolarization. The model is compared with experiments taken in our amplifier development laboratory, AMPLA

Constructing living buildings: a review of relevant technologies for a novel application of biohybrid robotics

Biohybrid robotics takes an engineering approach to the expansion and exploitation of biological behaviours for application to automated tasks. Here, we identify the construction of living buildings and infrastructure as a high-potential application domain for biohybrid robotics, and review technological advances relevant to its future development. Construction, civil infrastructure maintenance and building occupancy in the last decades have comprised a major portion of economic production, energy consumption and carbon emissions. Integrating biological organisms into automated construction tasks and permanent building components therefore has high potential for impact. Live materials can provide several advantages over standard synthetic construction materials, including self-repair of damage, increase rather than degradation of structural performance over time, resilience to corrosive environments, support of biodiversity, and mitigation of urban heat islands. Here, we review relevant technologies, which are currently disparate. They span robotics, self-organizing systems, artificial life, construction automation, structural engineering, architecture, bioengineering, biomaterials, and molecular and cellular biology. In these disciplines, developments relevant to biohybrid construction and living buildings are in the early stages, and typically are not exchanged between disciplines. We, therefore, consider this review useful to the future development of biohybrid engineering for this highly interdisciplinary application.publishe

Noninvasive evaluation of hand circulation before radial artery harvest for coronary artery bypass grafting

AbstractObjective: Radial artery harvesting for coronary artery bypass may lead to digit ischemia if collateral hand circulation is inadequate. The modified Allen's test is the most common preoperative screening test used. Unfortunately, this test has high false-positive and false-negative rates. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of a modified Allen's test with digit pressure change during radial artery compression for assessing collateral circulation before radial artery harvest. Methods: One hundred twenty-nine consecutive patients were studied before coronary artery bypass operations. A modified Allen's test was performed with Doppler ultrasound to assess blood flow in the superficial palmar arch before and during radial artery compression. A decreased audible Doppler signal after radial artery compression was considered a positive modified Allen's test. First and second digit pressures were measured before and during radial artery compression. A decrease in digit pressure of 40 mm Hg or more (digit ΔP) with radial artery compression was considered positive. Results: Seven of 14 dominant extremities (50%) and 8 of the 16 nondominant extremities (50%) with a positive modified Allen's test had a digit ΔP of less than 40 mm Hg (false positive). Sixteen of 115 dominant extremities (14%) and 5 of 112 nondominant extremities (4%) with a negative Allen's test had a digit ΔP of 40 mm Hg or more with radial artery compression (false negative). Conclusion: Use of the modified Allen's test for screening before radial artery harvest may unnecessarily exclude some patients from use of this conduit and may also place a number of patients at risk for digit ischemia from such harvest. Direct digit pressure measurement is a simple, objective method that may more precisely select patients for radial artery harvest. Additional studies are needed to define objective digital pressure criteria that will accurately predict patients at risk for hand ischemia after radial harvest. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;117:261-6