Behavioral Response of Rhyzopertha dominica, Lesser Grain Borer, to Wheat Volatiles

The lesser grain borer is a grain pest that eats and damages grain products such as rice, corn, wheat, and millet (Edde, 2012). The lesser grain borer has a tendency to to reproduce rapidly and explode into big infestations under optimal conditions, which become hard to control (Johnson, 2000). Controlling these infestations has been moderately successful with the use of pheromones, which attract the beetles (El-Azi, 2011). The purpose of this research is to pinpoint the lesser grain borer’s potential preference of different wheat volatiles it is given, and find the strongest response. The hypothesis is that certain samples that have higher moisture, a stronger odor, or an added pheromone that could elicit the strongest response to the volatiles than samples that do not have these conditions. The results obtained from this research indicate that our hypothesis is fairly correct, showing the aged, wet wheat with an added pheromone had the highest preference among all samples tested. The significance of this research should bring the gap closer between effectively controlling the lesser grain borer and grain safety, which will maximize the product, reduce the potential hazards to human health, and be the framework for other similar problems with grain pests around the worl

Evaluation of Spinosad as a Packaging Treatment Against Three Species of Coleoptera

Spinosad is a natural insecticide derived from the fermentation of the soil dwelling bacteria, Saccharopolysporaspinosa (Hertlein et al., 2011; Toews et al., 2003). Spinosad has been shown to be a highly effective as a surface treatment on concrete, steel, and tile against several stored product insects (Toews et al., 20013). Packaged food products are highly susceptible to infestation by stored product insects by penetration or invasion of packaging material. Infestations of packaged products result in product losses, economic losses, and loss of consumer confidence. Incorporating traditional contact or low-risk insecticides into packaging materials are new approach to pests management and has been gaining increasing interest among food manufacturing companies (Scheff et al., 2017). Incorporating Spinosad into packaging material is a novel technology that could prevent infestations of packaged food products

Evaluating Penetration Ability of \u3ci\u3ePlodia interpunctella\u3c/i\u3e (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Larvae into Multilayer Polypropylene Packages

The larvae of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), can invade or penetrate packaging materials and infest food products. Energy bars with three polypropylene packaging types were challenged with eggs (first instars), third instars, and fifth instars of P. interpunctella to determine package resistance at 28 °C and 65% r.h. The packing types were also challenged with two male and two female pupae of P. interpunctella under similar conditions in order to determine which package provided the greatest protection against larval penetration. Samples infested with eggs, third instars, and pupae were evaluated after 21 days and 42 days to count the number of larvae, pupae, and adults found inside the packages. Packages challenged with fifth instars were observed after 21 days to count the number of larvae, pupae, and adults inside each package. The number and diameter of the holes were determined in each package, followed by the amount of damage sustained to the energy bar. Third and fifth instars showed a higher tendency to penetrate all of the packaging types. First instars showed a reduction in package penetration ability compared with third and fifth instars. The increase in exposure time resulted in an increase in the damage sustained to the energy bars. Among packaging types, the thickest package (Test A) was most resilient to penetration by all of the larval stages. In conclusion, energy bar manufacturers need to invest more effort into improving packaging designs, creating thicker gauge films, or advancing odor barrier technology, in order to prevent penetration and infestation by P. interpunctella larvae

Critical impact of vegetation physiology on the continental hydrologic cycle in response to increasing CO2

Predicting how increasing atmospheric CO2 will affect the hydrologic cycle is of utmost importance for a range of applications ranging from ecological services to human life and activities. A typical perspective is that hydrologic change is driven by precipitation and radiation changes due to climate change, and that the land surface will adjust. Using Earth system models with decoupled surface (vegetation physiology) and atmospheric (radiative) CO2 responses, we here show that the CO2 physiological response has a dominant role in evapotranspiration and evaporative fraction changes and has a major effect on long-term runoff compared with radiative or precipitation changes due to increased atmospheric CO2. This major effect is true for most hydrological stress variables over the largest fraction of the globe, except for soil moisture, which exhibits a more nonlinear response. This highlights the key role of vegetation in controlling future terrestrial hydrologic response and emphasizes that the carbon and water cycles are intimately coupled over land

Focal cerebral ischemia in the TNFalpha-transgenic rat

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To determine if chronic elevation of the inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), will affect infarct volume or cortical perfusion after focal cerebral ischemia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Transgenic (TNFα-Tg) rats overexpressing the murine TNFα gene in brain were prepared by injection of mouse DNA into rat oocytes. Brain levels of TNFα mRNA and protein were measured and compared between TNFα-Tg and non-transgenic (non-Tg) littermates. Mean infarct volume was calculated 24 hours or 7 days after one hour of reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Cortical perfusion was monitored by laser-Doppler flowmetry (LDF) during MCAO. Cortical vascular density was quantified by stereology. Post-ischemic cell death was assessed by immunohistochemistry and regional measurement of caspase-3 activity or DNA fragmentation. Unpaired <it>t </it>tests or analysis of variance with post hoc tests were used for comparison of group means.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In TNFα-Tg rat brain, the aggregate mouse and rat TNFα mRNA level was fourfold higher than in non-Tg littermates and the corresponding TNFα protein level was increased fivefold (p ≤ 0.01). Infarct volume was greater in TNFα-Tg rats than in non-Tg controls at 24 hours (p ≤ 0.05) and 7 days (p ≤ 0.01). Within the first 10 minutes of MCAO, cortical perfusion measured by LDF was reduced in TNFα-Tg rats (p ≤ 0.05). However, regional vascular density was equivalent between TNFα-Tg and non-Tg animals (p = NS). Neural cellular apoptosis was increased in transgenic animals as shown by elevated caspase-3 activity (p ≤ 0.05) and DNA fragmentation (p ≤ 0.001) at 24 hours.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Chronic elevation of TNFα protein in brain increases susceptibility to ischemic injury but has no effect on vascular density. TNFα-Tg animals are more susceptible to apoptotic cell death after MCAO than are non-Tg animals. We conclude that the TNFα-Tg rat is a valuable new tool for the study of cytokine-mediated ischemic brain injury.</p

The role of negative emotions in the social processes of entrepreneurship: Power rituals and shame-related appeasement behaviors

This paper examines the role of negative emotions in the social processes of entrepreneurship. Drawing on a study of Russian entrepreneurs, we develop a model of the emotional effects of social interactions between entrepreneurs and state officials. We found that negative emotions were elicited by these interactions and, in turn, fueled three forms of shame-related corrective appeasement behavior (reactive, anticipatory, and sporadic), which served to corrode entrepreneurial motivation and direct attention and energy away from business growth and development

Communication and trust in the bounded confidence model

The communication process in a situation of emergency is discussed within the Scheff theory of shame and pride. The communication involves messages from media and from other persons. Three strategies are considered: selfish (to contact friends), collective (to join other people) and passive (to do nothing). We show that the pure selfish strategy cannot be evolutionarily stable. The main result is that the community structure is statistically meaningful only if the interpersonal communication is weak.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, RevTeX, for ICCCI-201

Predictors of internalised HIV-related stigma: a systematic review of studies in sub-Saharan Africa

This systematic review aims to synthesise evidence on predictors of internalised HIV stigma amongst people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used. Studies were identified through electronic databases, grey literature, reference harvesting and contacts with key researchers. Quality of findings was assessed through an adapted version of the Cambridge Quality Checklists. A total of 590 potentially relevant titles were identified. Seventeen peer-reviewed articles and one draft book chapter were included. Studies investigated socio-demographic, HIV-related, intra-personal and interpersonal correlates of internalised stigma. Eleven articles used cross-sectional data, six articles used prospective cohort data and one used both prospective cohort and cross-sectional data to assess correlates of internalised stigma. Poor HIV-related health weakly predicted increases in internalised HIV stigma in three longitudinal studies. Lower depression scores and improvements in overall mental health predicted reductions in internalised HIV stigma in two longitudinal studies, with moderate and weak effects, respectively. No other consistent predictors were found. Studies utilising analysis of change and accounting for confounding factors are necessary to guide policy and programming but are scarce. High-risk populations, other stigma markers that might layer upon internalised stigma, and structural drivers of internalised stigma need to be examined

BMQ

BMQ: Boston Medical Quarterly was published from 1950-1966 by the Boston University School of Medicine and the Massachusetts Memorial Hospitals