piggyBac transformation of the New World screwworm, \u3ci\u3eCochliomyia hominivorax\u3c/i\u3e, produces multiple distinct mutant strains

Sterile insect technique (SIT) programs are designed to eradicate pest species by releasing mass-reared, sterile insects into an infested area. The first major implementation of SIT was the New World Screwworm Eradication Program, which successfully eliminated the New World screwworm (NWS), Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae), from the Continental US, Mexico and much of Central America. Ionizing radiation is currently used for sterilization, but transgenic insect techniques could replace this method, providing a safer, more cost-effective alternative. Genetic transformation methods have been demonstrated in NWS, and verified by Southern blot hybridization, PCR and sequencing of element insertion junctions. A lethal insertional mutation and enhancer detection-like phenotypic expression variations are presented and discussed. In addition to supporting the eradication efforts, transformation methods offer potential means to identify genes and examine gene function in NWS

The biology and behavior of the longhorned beetle, Dectes texanus on sunflower and soybean

The biology and behavior of the longhorned beetle Dectes texanus LeConte (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) was studied on two host plants that suffer economic losses from this pest; sunflower, Helianthus annuus, and soybean, Glycines max. Reciprocal crosses of D. texanus collected from the two plants all produced viable progeny, indicating that conspecific insects attack both crops. Pupae from soybean stalks weighed about 40% less than those from sunflower, and adults fed on soybean lived a mean of 23 days, compared to a mean of 53 days (males) and 76 days (females) for those fed sunflower. A female's larval host plant had no effect on her tendency to ovipuncture plants of either type in a greenhouse trial. A field-tested population collected exclusively from sunflower contained three types of females in similar proportions: those that laid eggs only on sunflower, those that laid only on soybean, and those that laid equally on both host plants. Females in field trials fed more on the plant they had fed on in the laboratory, but soybean-fed females fed more on soybean than did sunflower-fed females. Females fed soybean also made more ovipunctures on soybean plants in field trials than sunflower-fed females, but their responses to sunflower plants were similar. Females displayed higher total ovipositional activity when they encountered sunflower first in the field, and lower total activity when they encountered soybean first. Feeding scores were significantly correlated with ovipunctures and eggs on both plant types. We conclude that sunflower is the preferred host plant, although females will accept soybean when it is the only available food. The results suggest that D. texanus is still in the initial stages of a host range expansion with female host selection behavior demonstrating both genetic influences and phenotypic flexibility. Sunflower represents a nutritionally superior, ancestral host plant and relatively high fitness costs are still associated with utilization of the novel host plant, soybean, costs that may be offset by benefits such as reduced intraspecific competition. These potential benefits and their consequent implications for D. texanus host range evolution are hypothesized and discussed

Candidate sex pheromones of the New World screwworm \u3ci\u3eCochliomyia hominivorax\u3c/i\u3e

Five novel homologous acetate derivatives of long-chain secondary alcohols and a related ketone were tested for their efficacy as contact mating stimulants for Cochliomyia hominivorax Coquerel (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Full copulatory behaviour at a high percentage was found in tests with racemic 6-acetoxy-19-methylnonacosane at 2.5 – 20 μg using fertile males from three strains. Males of two strains responded nearly as well to 7-acetoxy-15-methylnonacosane, but an older strain first colonized in 1992 did not respond to this compound. Few or no copulatory responses were obtained to the other secondary alcohol acetates and a related ketone. These two acetate derivatives are the first sex pheromones identified in a calliphorid fly. The threshold of response was also tested, but could not be pinpointed

Effects of Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) on Weight Gains of Grazing Yearling Cattle

Differences in weight gains caused by stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), on grazing yearling steer/calves averaged 0.2 kg per steer in a 3-yr study on canyon range pastures in West Central Nebraska. Stable fly numbers averaged 0.85 per front leg on treated calves and 3.64 per front leg on control calves. In 2 of the 3 yr after the grazing trials were completed, the calves were placed in a feedlot and fed a finishing ration. Compensatory gain did not occur in the feedlot after the stable fly stress was removed

Study of spin-exchange optically pumped 3He cells with high polarisation and long lifetimes

We present a detailed investigation in to He-3 neutron spin filter cells polarised by spin exchange optical pumping (SEOP). We include measurements of the absolute He-3 polarisation using neutron transmission and characterisation of both the X-factor and He-3 relaxation times (T-1) for a number of cells. For one cell we calculated a Maximum He-3 polarisation of 79% with a T, of 633 h. The measured X-factor of this cell, X = 0.17 +/- 0.01, is low. For all cells polarisations of > 71% are observed. In addition we present He-3 relaxation data for a new design of magneto-static cavity with a field of high homogeneity Delta B/B-0 approximate to 3.5 x 10(-4) cm(-1). This compact device provides a magnetic field in an orientation suitable for in situ optical pumping that minimises the field inhomogeneity contribution to the T, to 930h in a 1 bar cell, the longest reported on beam thus far. The results suggest that high He-3 polarisation with long relaxation times can now be routinely obtained with SEOP, enabling time independent incident beam polarisation to be easily implemented across many different neutron Scattering instruments. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The durability of pulmonary vein isolation using the visually guided laser balloon catheter: Multicenter results of pulmonary vein remapping studies

Background: The visually guided laser ablation (VGLA) catheter is a compliant, variable-diameter balloon that delivers laser energy around the pulmonary vein (PV) ostium under real-time endoscopic visualization. While acute PV isolation has been shown to be feasible, limited data exist regarding the durability of isolation. Objective: We sought to determine the durability of PV isolation following ablation using the balloon-based VGLA catheter. Methods: The VGLA catheter was evaluated in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (3 sites, 10 operators). Following transseptal puncture, the VGLA catheter was advanced through a 12-F deflectable sheath and inflated at the target PV ostium. Under endoscopic guidance, the 30\uc2\ub0 aiming arc was maneuvered around the PV and laser energy was delivered to ablate tissue in a contiguous/overlapping manner. At \ue2\u88\ubc3 months, all patients returned for a PV remapping procedure. Results: In 56 patients, 202 of 206 PVs (98%) were acutely isolated. At 105 \uc2\ub1 44 (mean \uc2\ub1 SD) days, 52 patients returned for PV remapping at which time 162 of 189 PVs (86%) remained isolated and 32 of 52 patients (62%) had all PVs still isolated. On comparing the operators performing <10 vs <10 procedures, the durable PV isolation rate and the percentage of patients with all PVs isolated were found to be 73% vs 89% (P =.011) and 57% vs 66% (P =.746), respectively. After 2 procedures and 12.0 \uc2\ub1 1.9 months of follow-up, the drug-free rate of freedom from atrial fibrillation was 71.2%. Conclusions: In this multicenter, multioperator experience, VGLA resulted in a very high rate of durable PV isolation with a clinical efficacy similar to that of radiofrequency ablation