Non-target Effects of Clothianidin on Monarch Butterflies

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) frequently consume milkweed in and near agroecosystems and consequently may be exposed to pesticides like neonicotinoids. We conducted a dose response study to determine lethal and sublethal doses of clothianidin using a 36-h exposure scenario. We then quantified clothianidin levels found in milkweed leaves adjacent to maize fields. Toxicity assays revealed LC10, LC50, and LC90 values of 7.72, 15.63, and 30.70 ppb, respectively. Sublethal effects (larval size) were observed at 1 ppb. Contaminated milkweed plants had an average of 1.14 ±0.10 ppb clothianidin, with a maximum of 4 ppb in a single plant. This research suggests that clothianidin could function as a stressor to monarch populations

Effect of densification variables on water resistance of corn cob briquettes

ArticleSolid biofuels can be used in heat and power generation applications. The utilization of agricultural residues for this purpose would be of immense benefit to rural communities of developing countries where the resource is being produced. Water resistance is a crucial property for transport and storage of biomass briquettes under moist climate conditions. In this study, the effect of process and material variables on the water resistance property of corn cob briquettes was investigated. The water resistance of briquettes produced ranged between 32.6 and 94.8% for die temperature between 90 °C and 120 °C, hold time from 7.5 to 15 minutes and die pressures between 9 and 15 MPa. A higher die temperature resulted in an increase in the water resistance of the biomass briquettes. Also, increasing the hold time improved the water resistance of the briquettes. Using a particle size less than 2.5 mm resulted in higher briquette water resistance property compared to briquettes produced from particle sizes greater than 2.5 mm. It was also shown that the effect of the interaction of the temperature with particle size on the water resistance of corn cob briquettes was statistically significant (p < 0.05)

An alternative to field retting: Fibrous materials based on wet preserved hemp for the manufacture of composites

A process developed at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB) for the supply and processing of wet-preserved fiber plants opens up new potential uses for such resources. The processing of industrial hemp into fiber materials and products thereof is undergoing experimental research along the value-added chain from the growing process through to the manufacturing of product samples. The process comprises the direct harvesting of the field-fresh hemp and the subsequent anaerobic storage of the entire plant material. Thus, process risk due to unfavorable weather conditions is prevented in contrast to common dew retting procedures. The effects of the anaerobic storage processes on the properties of the bast part of the plant material are comparable to the results of common retting procedures. Harvest storage, as well as further mechanical processing, leads to different geometrical properties compared to the bast fibers resulting from traditional post harvesting treatment and decortication. The fiber raw material obtained in this way is well suited to the production of fiberboards and the reinforcement of polymer or mineral bonded composites. The objective of this paper is to present recent research results on final products extended by a comprehensive overview of the whole supply chain in order to enable further understanding of the result influencing aspects of prior process steps

The importance of dung beetles and arthropod communities on degradation of cattle dung pats in eastern South Dakota

Background Dung accumulation in rangelands can suppress plant growth, foul pastures, and increase pest pressure. Here, we describe the arthropod community of dung in eastern South Dakota, and quantify their contributions to dung degradation using an exclusion cage design. Methods Various arthropod community and degradation characteristics were measured in caged and uncaged dung pats over time in early and late summer. Results A total of 86,969 specimens were collected across 109 morphospecies (13 orders) of arthropods, and cages effectively reduced arthropod abundance, species richness, and diversity. Uncaged dung pats degraded significantly faster than the caged pats, with the largest difference occurring within 2 d of pat deposition. Dung organic matter was degraded more slowly (by 33–38 d) in the caged pats than where insects had free access to the pats. Although dung beetles only represented 1.5–3% of total arthropod abundance, they were significantly correlated to more abundant and complex total arthropod communities. Discussion A diverse community contributes to dung degradation in rangelands, and their early colonization is key to maximizing this ecosystem service

A review of the costs of delivering maternal immunisation during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Routine maternal immunisation against influenza and pertussis are recommended by the WHO to protect mother and child, and new vaccines are under development. Introducing maternal vaccines into national programmes requires an understanding of vaccine delivery costs - particularly in low resource settings. METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, Econlit, and Global Health for studies reporting costs of delivering vaccination during pregnancy but excluded studies that did not separate the vaccine purchase price. Extracted costs were inflated and converted to 2018 US dollars. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included, of which two used primary data to estimate vaccine delivery costs. Costs per dose ranged from $0.55 to$0.64 in low-income countries, from $1.25 to$6.55 for middle-income countries, and from $5.76 to$39.87 in high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed on the costs of delivering maternal immunisation during pregnancy, and of integrating vaccine delivery into existing programmes of antenatal care especially in low and middle-income countries

Technological Advances to Address Current Issues in Entomology: 2020 Student Debates

The 2020 Student Debates of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) were live-streamed during the Virtual Annual Meeting to debate current, prominent entomological issues of interest to members. The Student Debates Subcommittee of the National ESA Student Affairs Committee coordinated the student efforts throughout the year and hosted the live event. This year, four unbiased introductory speakers provided background for each debate topic while four multi-university teams were each assigned a debate topic under the theme ‘Technological Advances to Address Current Issues in Entomology’. The two debate topics selected were as follows: 1) What is the best taxonomic approach to identify and classify insects? and 2) What is the best current technology to address the locust swarms worldwide? Unbiased introduction speakers and debate teams began preparing approximately six months before the live event. During the live event, teams shared their critical thinking and practiced communication skills by defending their positions on either taxonomical identification and classification of insects or managing the damaging outbreaks of locusts in crops

Larval exposure to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid impacts adult size in the farmland butterfly Pieris brassicae

Populations of farmland butterflies have been suffering from substantial population declines in recent decades. These declines have been correlated with neonicotinoid usage both in Europe and North America but experimental evidence linking these correlations is lacking. The potential for non-target butterflies to be exposed to trace levels of neonicotinoids is high, due to the widespread contamination of agricultural soils and wild plants in field margins. Here we provide experimental evidence that field realistic, sub-lethal exposure to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid negatively impacts the development of the common farmland butterfly Pieris brassicae. Cabbage plants were watered with either 0, 1, 10, 100 or 200 parts per billion imidacloprid, to represent field margin plants growing in contaminated agricultural soils and these were fed to P. brassicae larvae. The approximate digestibility (AD) of the cabbage as well as behavioural responses by the larvae to simulated predator attacks were measured but neither were affected by neonicotinoid treatment. However, the duration of pupation and the size of the adult butterflies were both significantly reduced in the exposed butterflies compared to the controls, suggesting that adult fitness is compromised through exposure to this neonicotinoid

Accounting for Equity Considerations in Cost-Effectiveness Analysis : A Systematic Review of Rotavirus Vaccine in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Additional file 3: Appendix C. Full data table of results

Evidence for multiple rhythmic skills

Rhythms, or patterns in time, play a vital role in both speech and music. Proficiency in a number of rhythm skills has been linked to language ability, suggesting that certain rhythmic processes in music and language rely on overlapping resources. However, a lack of understanding about how rhythm skills relate to each other has impeded progress in understanding how language relies on rhythm processing. In particular, it is unknown whether all rhythm skills are linked together, forming a single broad rhythmic competence, or whether there are multiple dissociable rhythm skills. We hypothesized that beat tapping and rhythm memory/sequencing form two separate clusters of rhythm skills. This hypothesis was tested with a battery of two beat tapping and two rhythm memory tests. Here we show that tapping to a metronome and the ability to adjust to a changing tempo while tapping to a metronome are related skills. The ability to remember rhythms and to drum along to repeating rhythmic sequences are also related. However, we found no relationship between beat tapping skills and rhythm memory skills. Thus, beat tapping and rhythm memory are dissociable rhythmic aptitudes. This discovery may inform future research disambiguating how distinct rhythm competencies track with specific language functions