Pheromone-mediated mating disruption in the millet stem borer, Coniesta ignefusalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The millet stem borer, Coniesta ignefusalis Hampson (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is a major pest of pearl millet in the Sahelian region of Africa. The female sex pheromone has been identified and synthesised, and previous research had shown that the synthetic pheromone could cause high levels of reproductive communication disruption in small plots when released at rates of 640 mg/ha/day, using PVC resin formulation renewed every seven days to maintain efficiency. In the present research, in experiments in farmers’ fields in Niger, 86.8% (SE = 2.6%) communication disruption was achieved when polyethylene vials loaded with 0.5 mg pheromone at 400 dispensers/ha were used and replaced every 21 days. Polyethylene vials loaded with 80 mg pheromone gave uniform, zero-order release at approximately 0.05 mg/day at 27 °C. Experiments carried out on replicated 0.5 ha plots in farmers’ fields in Niger using a single application of these dispensers at 400 dispensers/ha resulted in at least 99% suppression of pheromone trap catches of male C. ignefusalis moths in treated plots relative to numbers in untreated plots for up to 3 months. However, sampling the central portions of these plots before and after harvest showed no significant differences in infestation, damage or yield loss between plots treated with pheromone and untreated plots. This may have been because of small plot size and the immigration of mated female moths into the treated plots which negated any reduction of mating of females within the treated plots. Comparisons of numbers of male C. ignefusalis moths in traps baited with the standard 0.5 mg monitoring lures and those baited with the 80 mg disruption dispensers showed catches in the latter were only 10–20% of those in the former; indicating high level communication disruptions in traps with high dose dispensers. Implications of using insect synthetic pheromones in the development of integrated management of C.ignefusalis in pearl millet cropping systems in the Sahel are discussed

Methods for rearing Heliocheilus albipunctella in the laboratory and eliminating the pupal diapause

The life cycle of head miner (H. albipunctella) infesting pearl millet are presented. Methods for rearing the head miner in the laboratory and eliminating the diapause stage of the pest to improve its management in the field are also discussed

Host stage preference and parasitism behaviour of Aenasius bambawaleian an encyrtid parasitoid of Phenacoccus solenopsis

In Pakistan, the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Sternorrhyncha (Homoptera): Pseudococcidae), is a serious pest of many cultivated plants. A parasitoid, Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), is associated with P. solenopsis. In order to mass rear A. bambawalei for a biological control program, it is important to investigate the parasitoid’s host stage preference and its parasitism behavior for P. solenopsis in order to optimize production. The present tudy showed that under both choice and no choice conditions, the parasitoid preferred 3rd instar and pre-reproductive host stage mealybugs for parasitism. Parasitoid larva developing inside the host exhibited a greater longevity, shorter developmental period and longer body size in these preferred host stages. Our study also confirmed that A. bambawalei showed no attraction to male mealybugs and no host feeding on any host stage was recorded. The ability of the parasitoid to effectively discriminate between suitable and non-suitable stages means that it is feasible to rear it on a mixed population

Non-human immunodeficiency virus-related Kaposi’s sarcoma of the oropharynx: a case report and review of the literature

INTRODUCTION: Kaposi’s sarcoma is a malignant, slowly progressing, mesenchymal neoplasm characterized by a proliferation of connective tissue and capillaries. Clinical presentation is usually as nodules and red-purple plaques. This case report not only represents an uncommon presentation of Kaposi’s sarcoma in a non-immunocompromised patient, but also supports the role of viral infection in the pathogenesis of this disease. It provides some interesting information about this rare disease, particularly in patients who are human immunodeficiency virus negative. CASE PRESENTATION: A 48-year-old Caucasian man presented with a sensation of a foreign body in his throat, accompanied by stomatolalia. Maxillofacial and neck magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the presence of a voluminous solid mass at the base of his tongue with oropharyngeal space reduction. Histological analysis indicated that the lesion was compatible with ulcerated Kaposi’s sarcoma of the oropharynx. Results of serological tests for human immunodeficiency virus infection were negative as was the result of the human herpesvirus-8 test, but the cytomegalovirus test result was positive. CONCLUSIONS: This case is unusual because the patient had only oropharyngeal localization of disease, without evidence of immunosuppression or the typical background or risk factors suggesting the classic or endemic form of Kaposi’s sarcoma. Isolated cases of Kaposi’s sarcoma with oropharyngeal manifestations not associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection are rare, and only 15 cases have been reported to date. At present, its localization, microscopic and histological characteristics, and patterns of progression are the main tools used for differential diagnosis of Kaposi’s sarcoma from other vascular neoplasms

Evidence of illegal emissions of ozone-depleting chemicals

Chlorofluorocarbons are the main class of chemical that depleted the ozone layer in the stratosphere. Measurements reveal that chlorofluorocarbon emissions are rising again, despite international rules restricting their use

Multiple Translocation of the AVR-Pita Effector Gene among Chromosomes of the Rice Blast Fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and Related Species

Magnaporthe oryzae is the causal agent of rice blast disease, a devastating problem worldwide. This fungus has caused breakdown of resistance conferred by newly developed commercial cultivars. To address how the rice blast fungus adapts itself to new resistance genes so quickly, we examined chromosomal locations of AVR-Pita, a subtelomeric gene family corresponding to the Pita resistance gene, in various isolates of M. oryzae (including wheat and millet pathogens) and its related species. We found that AVR-Pita (AVR-Pita1 and AVR-Pita2) is highly variable in its genome location, occurring in chromosomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and supernumerary chromosomes, particularly in rice-infecting isolates. When expressed in M. oryzae, most of the AVR-Pita homologs could elicit Pita-mediated resistance, even those from non-rice isolates. AVR-Pita was flanked by a retrotransposon, which presumably contributed to its multiple translocation across the genome. On the other hand, family member AVR-Pita3, which lacks avirulence activity, was stably located on chromosome 7 in a vast majority of isolates. These results suggest that the diversification in genome location of AVR-Pita in the rice isolates is a consequence of recognition by Pita in rice. We propose a model that the multiple translocation of AVR-Pita may be associated with its frequent loss and recovery mediated by its transfer among individuals in asexual populations. This model implies that the high mobility of AVR-Pita is a key mechanism accounting for the rapid adaptation toward Pita. Dynamic adaptation of some fungal plant pathogens may be achieved by deletion and recovery of avirulence genes using a population as a unit of adaptation

High-pressure structural study of the scheelite tungstates CaWO4 and SrWO4

Angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction (ADXRD) and x-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) measurements have been performed in the AWO4 tungstates CaWO4 and SrWO4 under high pressure up to approximately 20 GPa. Similar phase transitions and phase transition pressures have been observed for both tungstates using the two techniques in the studied pressure range. Both materials are found to undergo a pressure-induced scheelite-to-fergusonite phase transition under sufficiently hydrostatic conditions. Our results are compared to those found previously in the literature and supported by ab initio total energy calculations. From the total energy calculations we have also predicted a second phase transition from the fergusonite structure to a new structure identified as Cmca. Finally, a linear relationship between the charge density in the AO8 polyhedra of ABO4 scheelite-related structures and the bulk modulus is discussed and used to predict the bulk modulus of other materials, like zircon.Comment: 52 pages, 9 figure, 4 table

Locative Media and Sociability:Using Location-Based Social Networks to Coordinate Everyday Life

Foursquare was a mobile social networking application that enabled people to share location with friends in the form of “check-ins.” The visualization of surrounding known social connections as well as unknown others has the potential to impact how people coordinate social encounters and forge new social ties. While many studies have explored mobile phones and sociability, there is a lack of empirical research examining location-based social network’s (LSBNs) from a sociability perspective. Drawing on a dataset of original qualitative research with a range of Foursquare users, the paper examines the application in the context of social coordination and sociability in three ways. First, the paper explores if Foursquare is used to organize certain social encounters, and if so, why. Second, the paper examines the visualization of surrounding social connections and whether this leads to “serendipitous encounters.” Lastly, the paper examines whether the use of Foursquare can produce new social relationships