Redescription of \u3ci\u3eAnovia circumclusa\u3c/i\u3e (Gorham) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Noviini), with First Description of the Egg, Larva, and Pupa, and Notes on Adult Intraspecific Elytral Pattern Variation

Anovia circumclusa (Gorham), a neotropical lady beetle, recently was recorded in North America for the first time. Previously, only the adult form of this beneficial predator had been described. This paper provides a redescription of the adult and the first descriptions of the egg, larva, and pupa. Diagnostic characters for the genus and species are given, and intraspecific color variation in Anovia adults is discussed

Make It Real - Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Theme one in the Quest for Distinction is for VCU to become a leader among national research universities in providing all students with high quality learning/living experiences focused on inquiry, discovery, and innovation in a global environment. Quest is grounded in a commitment to providing students with a diversity of experiences which are available at a premiere public research university. The goal of this project is to take advantage of the wealth of research resources at the Medical College of Virginia Campus, coordinate cross campus efforts to facilitate the use of these resources and increase faculty participation in mentoring undergraduate research projects

Bilateral breast reduction surgery at Mater Dei Hospital : analysis of physical and psychological symptoms using the BREAST-Q

Introduction: The literature describes the high patient satisfaction rate after breast reduction. In this retrospective study, we use the BREAST-Q to analyse satisfaction with breast appearance and physical, psychosocial and sexual well-being of patients who underwent bilateral breast reduction (BBR) at Mater Dei Hospital (MDH). We also looked into whether age, co-morbidities and weight of breast tissue removed makes a difference to the overall satisfaction rate. Method: Permission to use the BREAST-Q questionnaire and translate it into Maltese was obtained from Mapi Reasearch Trust. The questionnaire was offered either in Maltese or in English, after an official translation was produced following a linguistic validation process. All patients who underwent BBR at MDH under the care of both consultant Plastic Surgeons were invited to complete the BREAST-Q questionnaire via a telephone call and asked to come to MDH to fill it in. Other patient specific information was obtained from their hospital notes. Results: We hope to demonstrate a better quality of life following surgery and aim to compare the results of this study to others carried out worldwide. In this way we can better understand the local situation and see where there is the room for improvement. Conclusion: In this world of evidence-based medicine, the BREAST-Q is ideal for a holistic approach in analysing patient satisfaction after BBR. Having local data at hand makes it easier for patients who are interested in undergoing the surgery to associate themselves with other local individuals.peer-reviewe

Attitude of Patients towards Anaesthesia: Comparing the Use of a Single Consent for Anaesthesia versus the Combined Surgical and Anaesthetic Consent.

Anaesthesiology is a specialty which is less well known and the public usually have little knowledge regarding anaesthesia and the roles of Anaesthesiologist. Many hospitals now use a single dedicated consent for anaesthesia. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of a single consent for anaesthesia with the combined surgical and anaesthetic consent. A total of 109 patients, scheduled for elective surgery requiring anaesthesia were interviewed with a standardised questionnaire. Patients were divided into two groups, where one group used a single anaesthetic consent while the other used a combined surgical and anaesthetic consent. A single consent for anaesthesia was found to be more effective than the current combined surgical and anaesthetic consent (p<0.05). Regarding information about anaesthesia, 89.91% respondents agreed that the Anaesthesiologist should tell them all material risks of anaesthesia, no matter how serious it is and 81.65% respondents would like to meet Anaesthesiologist every time prior to the operation. In terms of knowledge, 94.5% patients recognized that Anaesthesiologist is the one who delivers anaesthesia during surgery. However, patients had little knowledge regarding the extended roles of Anaesthesiologist. The present study confirmed that a single consent for anaesthesia was better than the current combined surgical and anaesthetic consent

First report of Fusarium species at nesting sites of endangered sea turtles in Terengganu and Melaka, Malaysia

In recent years, turtle eggs incubated in situ or in protected hatcheries in Malaysia have been reported to show symptoms and signs of fungal colonisation. However, there are no studies addressing this problem and potential relationship with frequent hatching failures. We identified Fusarium species from nesting sites of green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) situated in Terengganu and Melaka, as well as the environments surrounding those sites. The eggs were incubated on the nesting beach (in situ) or relocated to the beach hatchery and styrofoam boxes (ex situ) in Peninsular Malaysia. Samples were collected from infected eggs, sand, plant roots and debris around the egg chambers. One-hundred and six strains of Fusarium spp. were isolated. They were identified morphologically as member of the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC, 101 strains), F. oxysporum (four strains) and F. proliferatum (one strain). We conducted phylogenetic analysis based on nucleotide sequences of translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF-1α). The strains of the FSSC were further separated into three lineages, F. falciforme, F. lichenicola and F. keratoplasticum. This is the first report on Fusarium species isolated from symptomatic green and hawksbill turtle eggs in Peninsular Malaysia. Fusarium colonisation in sea turtle nests poses a serious risk to the survival of endangered sea turtles in Malaysia. It is, therefore, important to examine the nature of such colonisation and their relationship to hatching failures of the turtles in Malaysia or elsewhere in the region to mitigate pathogenic fungi impact

Development of films based on tapioca starch/gold nanoparticles for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) are used in crops to eradicate pests, but are of concern to the public, attributable to their potential toxicity to human health. In the present study, a biodegradable composite film containing citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was developed to detect pesticides. The proposed composite film has distinctive structural and functional characteristics as a colorimetric recognition indicator for detecting OPs (malathion, fenthion, dimethoate, and chlorpyrifos). The developed film was morphologically and spectroscopically characterized through electron microscopy and UV–Vis spectrometry, respectively. The spherical-shaped and monodispersed AuNPs were obtained with an average particle size of 20 nm. The aggregation of the AuNPs composite film in the presence of pesticides led to a change in color from red to blueish purple, which could be visually observed on the surface of the vegetables. Under optimum conditions, the detection limit was 2.02 μM, 1.33 μM, 2.27 μM, and 11.77 μM for malathion, fenthion, dimethoate, and chlorpyrifos, respectively. The developed films demonstrated good biodegradability, and excellent storage stability, sensitivity and selectivity, with recovery values ranging from 99.60 to 103.68%, and relative standard deviation (RSD) values from 0.56 to 5.76%. The findings indicate a sensitive and selective sensing biodegradable colorimetric film, which is eco-friendly, biodegradable, considered to have promising low-costs, and a renewable source material for detecting pesticide residues

Population genetic analyses of Phytophthora cinnamomi reveals three lineages and movement between natural vegetation and avocado orchards in South Africa

Phytophthora cinnamomi is the causal agent of root rot, canker, and dieback of thousands of plant species around the globe. This oomycete not only causes severe economic losses to forestry and agricultural industries, but also threatens the health of various plants in natural ecosystems. In this study, 380 isolates of P. cinnamomi from four avocado production areas and two regions of natural vegetation in South Africa were investigated using 15 microsatellite markers. These populations were found to have a low level of genetic diversity and consisted of isolates from three lineages. Shared genotypes were detected between isolates from avocado orchards and natural vegetation, indicating the movement of isolates between these areas. The population from the Western Cape natural vegetation had the highest level of genotypic diversity and number of unique alleles, indicating this could be the point of introduction of P. cinnamomi to South Africa. Index of association analysis suggested that five of six populations were under linkage disequilibrium, suggesting a clonal mode of reproduction, whereas genotypes sampled from a recently established avocado orchard in the Western Cape were derived from a randomly recombining population. This study provided novel insights on the genetic diversity and spread of P. cinnamomi in South Africa. It also reported on the predominance of triploidy in natural occurring populations and provided evidence for recombination of P. cinnamomi for the first time. The presence of two dominant genotypes in all avocado production areas in South Africa highlight the importance of considering them in disease management and resistance breeding programs.https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/journal/phytohj2023BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Standardized test outcomes for students engaged in inquiry-based science curricula in the context of urban reform

Considerable effort has been made over the past decade to address the needs of learners in large urban districts through scaleable reform initiatives. We examine the effects of a multifaceted scaling reform that focuses on supporting standards based science teaching in urban middle schools. The effort was one component of a systemic reform effort in the Detroit Public Schools, and was centered on highly specified and developed project-based inquiry science units supported by aligned professional development and learning technologies. Two cohorts of 7th and 8th graders that participated in the project units are compared with the remainder of the district population, using results from the high-stakes state standardized test in science. Both the initial and scaled up cohorts show increases in science content understanding and process skills over their peers, and significantly higher pass rates on the statewide test. The relative gains occur up to a year and a half after participation in the curriculum, and show little attenuation with in the second cohort when scaling occurred and the number of teachers involved increased. The effect of participation in units at different grade levels is independent and cumulative, with higher levels of participation associated with similarly higher achievement scores. Examination of results by gender reveals that the curriculum effort succeeds in reducing the gender gap in achievement experienced by urban African-American boys. These findings demonstrate that standards-based, inquiry science curriculum can lead to standardized achievement test gains in historically underserved urban students, when the curriculum is highly specified, developed, and aligned with professional development and administrative support. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 922–939, 2008Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/61206/1/20248_ftp.pd