Comparative Efficacy of BioUD to Other Commercially Available Arthropod Repellants Against the Ticks Amblyomma americanum and Dermacentor variabilis on Cotton Cloth

BioUD is an arthropod repellent that contains the active ingredient 2-undecanone originally derived from wild tomato plants. Repellency of BioUD was compared with five commercially available arthropod repellents against the ticks Amblyomma americanum (L.) and Dermacentor variabilis Say in two-choice bioassays on treated versus untreated cotton cheesecloth. Overall mean percentage repellency against both species was greatest for and did not differ significantly between BioUD (7.75% 2-undecanone) and products containing 98.1% DEET, 19.6% IR3535, and 30% oil of lemon eucalyptus. Products containing 5% and 15% Picaridin and 0.5% permethrin were also repellent compared with untreated controls but to a lesser degree than BioUD. The four most active repellents at the same concentrations used before were directly compared in head-to-head bioassays on cotton cheesecloth. BioUD provided significantly greater overall mean percentage repellency than IR3535 for A. americanum and D. variabilis. BioUD was significantly more repellent than oil of lemon eucalyptus for A. americanum but did not differ significantly in repellency against D. variabilis. No statistically significant difference in overall mean percentage repellency was found between BioUD and DEET for A. americanum or D. variabilis. In a 7-week time course bioassay, BioUD applied to cotton cheesecloth and held at room temperature provided 5 weeks of \u3e 90% repellency against A. americanum

Carolina Forum: Shifting Urban Policy Targets: Impacts on North Carolina and the South; Planning for Natural Diversity: The N.C. Natural Heritage Program

This edition of Carolina Forum includes the following two reports: SHIFTING URBAN POLICY TARGETS: IMPACTS ON NORTH CAROLINA AND THE SOUTH: According to the press, the states of the Snowbelt are involved In a "new civil war" with the states of the Sunbelt. Governors have become generals, defending their regions. Skirmishes are fought in the North and South; while the major battle goes on in Washington, D.C. Battalions of regional interest groups are marshalled, each firing broadsides of research and policy analysis. Computers are the primary engines of war, supplying ammunition for policy thrusts and counterthrusts. To the victors go the spoils in the form of new federal funding formulas. Is this simply another media event, trying to capture public attention by overplaying political rhetoric? Maybe so, but beneath the rhetoric a significant shift In federal policy Is being engineered which will have lasting consequences for the citizens and public officials of North Carolina and other developing southern states. Under the guise of "targeting" federal funds on urban problem areas, the present administration Is systematically changing the rules for allocation of grants so as to favor older, declining cities, mostly In the Northeast and Midwest, while neglecting newer, growing southern and western areas. PLANNING FOR NATURAL DIVERSITY: THE N.C. NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM: For conservationists in North Carolina, it is an exciting time. In recent months, a four million dollar purchase of Currituck Banks sanctuaries has been made possible by the largest conservation gift in the history of American foundations. The preservation of the Green Swamp national natural landmark has been achieved through one of the largest land donations by an American corporation. Fund raising and negotiations are in progress to acquire more of North Carolina's finest natural areas. A strong conservation spirit is gaining force. Conservation in North Carolina is scoring victories through an unusual alliance of environmentalists, business, universities, foundations, and government. Many of the current achievements are spawned by the creation of two young and parallel efforts: the North Carolina Nature Conservancy and the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program

In Vivo Role of 20-hydroxyecdysone in the Regulation of the Vitellogenin mRNA and Egg Development in the American Dog Tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say)

Injection of the hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-E) into partially fed (virgin) female adults of the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, while they are attached and feeding on the rabbit host, initiated the expression of the vitellogenin (Vg) gene, and Vg protein secretion and uptake by the ovary. The induction of egg production by 20-E in this bioassay was dose dependent in the range of 1-50 times the concentration normally found in a replete, vitellogenic female. Ticks examined 4d after the 50x treatment were still attached to the host, had numerous enlarged vitellin-filled (brown) oocytes in their ovaries, but had not engorged to repletion. The ovaries reached weights similar to those found in untreated, replete (mated) females (pre-oviposition) while solvent-injected controls demonstrated no increase in oocyte size or increase in ovary weight. An increase in the levels of a putative Vg protein was observed in hemolymph samples collected 1, 2 and 3d post-20-E injection but was not observed in the corresponding solvent controls as determined by native PAGE. Analysis of the ecdysteroid-induced protein by tryptic digestion-mass fingerprinting and BLASTP found that the putative Vg had the strongest match to GP80 (U49934), the partial sequence for the vitellogenin protein from Boophilus microplus. A partial Vg cDNA was cloned and sequenced from replete females of D. variabilis with a high similarity to GP80. Using this message as a probe, Northern blots conducted with RNA collected from partially fed, virgin females 1, 2 and 3d post-20-E injection showed upregulation of the Vg mRNA on all 3 days. Controls injected with solvent only showed no Vg mRNA. Injections with juvenile hormone III did not stimulate Vg expression, oocyte growth or full engorgement. These studies indicate that ecdysteroids and not JH can initiate expression of the Vg gene, Vg protein synthesis and release into hemolymph, and Vg uptake into developing oocytes under bioassay conditions mimicking normal feeding on the host

The Impact of For-Profit Hospital Status on the Care and Outcomes of Patients With Non–ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Results From the CRUSADE Initiative

ObjectivesWe sought to determine whether for-profit status influenced hospitals’ care or outcomes among non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients.BackgroundWhile for-profit hospitals potentially have financial incentives to selectively care for younger, healthier patients, perform highly reimbursed procedures, reduce costs by limiting access to expensive medications, and encourage shorter in-patient length of stay, there are limited data available to investigate these issues objectively.MethodsUsing data from the CRUSADE (Can Rapid risk stratification of Unstable angina patients Suppress ADverse outcomes with Early implementation of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines) Initiative, we investigated whether for-profit status influenced hospitals’ patient case mix, care, or outcomes among 145,357 patients with NSTEMI treated between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2005, at 532 U.S. hospitals. Impact of for-profit status on care and outcomes was analyzed overall and after adjustment for clinical and facility factors using regression modeling.ResultsPatients (n = 11,658) treated at 58 for-profit hospitals were of similar age and gender, but were more likely to be nonwhite (black, Asian, Hispanic, and other) and have health maintenance organization/private insurance, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, hypertension, and renal insufficiency compared with 133,699 patients treated at 474 nonprofit hospitals. For-profit hospitals were less likely to use discharge beta-blockers, but all other treatments were similar including the use of interventional procedures (cardiac catheterization and revascularization procedures) compared with nonprofit centers. In-hospital length of stay and mortality were also similar by hospital type.ConclusionsWe found no evidence that for-profit hospitals selectively treat less sick patients, provide less evidence-based care, limit in-hospital stays, or have patients with worse acute outcomes than nonprofit centers

Variation in the Microbiota of Ixodes Ticks with Regard to Geography, Species, and Sex

Ixodes scapularis is the principal vector of Lyme disease on the East Coast and in the upper Midwest regions of the United States, yet the tick is also present in the Southeast, where Lyme disease is absent or rare. A closely related species, I. affinis, also carries the pathogen in the South but does not seem to transmit it to humans. In order to better understand the geographic diversity of the tick, we analyzed the microbiota of 104 adult I. scapularis and 13 adult I. affinis ticks captured in 19 locations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, and New York. Initially, ticks from 4 sites were analyzed by 454 pyrosequencing. Subsequently, ticks from these sites plus 15 others were analyzed by sequencing with an Illumina MiSeq machine. By both analyses, the microbiomes of female ticks were significantly less diverse than those of male ticks. The dissimilarity between tick microbiomes increased with distance between sites, and the state in which a tick was collected could be inferred from its microbiota. The genus Rickettsia was prominent in all locations. Borrelia was also present in most locations and was present at especially high levels in one site in western Virginia. In contrast, members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were very common in North Carolina I. scapularis ticks but uncommon in I. scapularis ticks from other sites and in North Carolina I. affinis ticks. These data suggest substantial variations in the Ixodes microbiota in association with geography, species, and sex

The mechanisms and processes of connection: developing a causal chain model capturing impacts of receiving recorded mental health recovery narratives.

BACKGROUND: Mental health recovery narratives are a core component of recovery-oriented interventions such as peer support and anti-stigma campaigns. A substantial number of recorded recovery narratives are now publicly available online in different modalities and in published books. Whilst the benefits of telling one's story have been investigated, much less is known about how recorded narratives of differing modalities impact on recipients. A previous qualitative study identified connection to the narrator and/or to events in the narrative to be a core mechanism of change. The factors that influence how individuals connect with a recorded narrative are unknown. The aim of the current study was to characterise the immediate effects of receiving recovery narratives presented in a range of modalities (text, video and audio), by establishing the mechanisms of connection and the processes by which connection leads to outcomes. METHOD: A study involving 40 mental health service users in England was conducted. Participants were presented with up to 10 randomly-selected recovery narratives and were interviewed on the immediate impact of each narrative. Thematic analysis was used to identify the mechanisms of connection and how connection leads to outcome. RESULTS: Receiving a recovery narrative led participants to reflect upon their own experiences or those of others, which then led to connection through three mechanisms: comparing oneself with the narrative and narrator; learning about other's experiences; and experiencing empathy. These mechanisms led to outcomes through three processes: the identification of change (through attending to narrative structure); the interpretation of change (through attending to narrative content); and the internalisation of interpretations. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to identify mechanisms and processes of connection with recorded recovery narratives. The empirically-based causal chain model developed in this study describes the immediate effects on recipients. This model can inform selection of narratives for use in interventions, and be used to support peer support workers in recounting their own recovery narratives in ways which are maximally beneficial to others

Diversity of Rickettsiales in the Microbiome of the Lone Star Tick, Amblyomma americanum

ABSTRACT Ticks are important vectors for many emerging pathogens. However, they are also infected with many symbionts and commensals, often competing for the same niches. In this paper, we characterize the microbiome of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae), the lone star tick, in order to better understand the evolutionary relationships between pathogens and nonpathogens. Multitag pyrosequencing of prokaryotic 16S rRNA genes (16S rRNA) was performed on 20 lone star ticks (including males, females, and nymphs). Pyrosequencing of the rickettsial sca0 gene (also known as ompA or rompA ) was performed on six ticks. Female ticks had less diverse microbiomes than males and nymphs, with greater population densities of Rickettsiales . The most common members of Rickettsiales were “ Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii” and “ Candidatus Midichloria mitochondrii.” “ Ca . Rickettsia amblyommii” was 2.6-fold more common in females than males, and there was no sequence diversity in the sca0 gene. These results are consistent with a predominantly vertical transmission pattern for “ Ca . Rickettsia amblyommii.

The Multi-Object, Fiber-Fed Spectrographs for SDSS and the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey

We present the design and performance of the multi-object fiber spectrographs for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and their upgrade for the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). Originally commissioned in Fall 1999 on the 2.5-m aperture Sloan Telescope at Apache Point Observatory, the spectrographs produced more than 1.5 million spectra for the SDSS and SDSS-II surveys, enabling a wide variety of Galactic and extra-galactic science including the first observation of baryon acoustic oscillations in 2005. The spectrographs were upgraded in 2009 and are currently in use for BOSS, the flagship survey of the third-generation SDSS-III project. BOSS will measure redshifts of 1.35 million massive galaxies to redshift 0.7 and Lyman-alpha absorption of 160,000 high redshift quasars over 10,000 square degrees of sky, making percent level measurements of the absolute cosmic distance scale of the Universe and placing tight constraints on the equation of state of dark energy. The twin multi-object fiber spectrographs utilize a simple optical layout with reflective collimators, gratings, all-refractive cameras, and state-of-the-art CCD detectors to produce hundreds of spectra simultaneously in two channels over a bandpass covering the near ultraviolet to the near infrared, with a resolving power R = \lambda/FWHM ~ 2000. Building on proven heritage, the spectrographs were upgraded for BOSS with volume-phase holographic gratings and modern CCD detectors, improving the peak throughput by nearly a factor of two, extending the bandpass to cover 360 < \lambda < 1000 nm, and increasing the number of fibers from 640 to 1000 per exposure. In this paper we describe the original SDSS spectrograph design and the upgrades implemented for BOSS, and document the predicted and measured performances.Comment: 43 pages, 42 figures, revised according to referee report and accepted by AJ. Provides background for the instrument responsible for SDSS and BOSS spectra. 4th in a series of survey technical papers released in Summer 2012, including arXiv:1207.7137 (DR9), arXiv:1207.7326 (Spectral Classification), and arXiv:1208.0022 (BOSS Overview

Toward reconstructing the evolution of advanced moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia): an initial molecular study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the mega-diverse insect order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths; 165,000 described species), deeper relationships are little understood within the clade Ditrysia, to which 98% of the species belong. To begin addressing this problem, we tested the ability of five protein-coding nuclear genes (6.7 kb total), and character subsets therein, to resolve relationships among 123 species representing 27 (of 33) superfamilies and 55 (of 100) families of Ditrysia under maximum likelihood analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our trees show broad concordance with previous morphological hypotheses of ditrysian phylogeny, although most relationships among superfamilies are weakly supported. There are also notable surprises, such as a consistently closer relationship of Pyraloidea than of butterflies to most Macrolepidoptera. Monophyly is significantly rejected by one or more character sets for the putative clades Macrolepidoptera as currently defined (<it>P </it>< 0.05) and Macrolepidoptera excluding Noctuoidea and Bombycoidea sensu lato (<it>P </it>≤ 0.005), and nearly so for the superfamily Drepanoidea as currently defined (<it>P </it>< 0.08). Superfamilies are typically recovered or nearly so, but usually without strong support. Relationships within superfamilies and families, however, are often robustly resolved. We provide some of the first strong molecular evidence on deeper splits within Pyraloidea, Tortricoidea, Geometroidea, Noctuoidea and others.</p> <p>Separate analyses of mostly synonymous versus non-synonymous character sets revealed notable differences (though not strong conflict), including a marked influence of compositional heterogeneity on apparent signal in the third codon position (nt3). As available model partitioning methods cannot correct for this variation, we assessed overall phylogeny resolution through separate examination of trees from each character set. Exploration of "tree space" with GARLI, using grid computing, showed that hundreds of searches are typically needed to find the best-feasible phylogeny estimate for these data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results (a) corroborate the broad outlines of the current working phylogenetic hypothesis for Ditrysia, (b) demonstrate that some prominent features of that hypothesis, including the position of the butterflies, need revision, and (c) resolve the majority of family and subfamily relationships within superfamilies as thus far sampled. Much further gene and taxon sampling will be needed, however, to strongly resolve individual deeper nodes.</p