Arthropod abundance and diversity in street trees of south Texas, USA

In urban areas, street trees provide a variety of ecological services, including biodiversity conservation. In this study we examined arthropod diversity on native and non-native street trees sampled during the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011 in McAllen, Texas, one of the most rapidly growing urban areas in the country. Eighty-eight street trees were sampled by removing arthropods from the lower canopy foliage using a hand held vacuum. Arthropods were collected into nylon bags, identified to order, and counted by morphospecies. Overall, street trees supported a significant and diverse population of arthropods: a total of 1,971 arthropods were collected, from which 12 different orders and 102 different morphospecies were identified. We found arthropod abundance was higher on street trees native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley compared to non-native trees, especially for beetles, wasps, bees, ants, and spiders. This difference was particularly striking in spring when trees were flushed with new growth. The significant deficiency of arthropods on non-native trees is indicative of their relatively low value for maintaining entomological fauna. Local land managers who aim to include biodiversity conservation in their efforts thus should enhance the urban forest through the conservation of existing native remnant trees and promoting the use of native tree species in landscaping

Development and testing of artificial membranes for rearing of Rhipicephalus microplus, the Southern Cattle Fever Tick

The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is a livestock pest worldwide in tropical and subtropical climates, including South Texas, and can vector Babesia spp., the causal agents of bovine babesiosis. Artificial rearing methods for R. microplus are needed, especially for rearing specialist tick parasitoids that are under evaluation for classical biological control. In this study, we tested the efficiency of artificial feeding of R. microplus larvae, nymphs, and adults on a siliconized substrate (goldbeater’s membrane, lens paper, or Hemotek), or on nonsiliconized goldbeater’s membrane or Hemotek. Other variables tested were a warm water bath, incubator, positioning blood above or below ticks, using various attractants to stimulate attachment to membrane, incubating with or without 5% CO2, changing static blood once a day versus peristaltic pumping of blood, and using heparinized versus defibrinated blood. Peristaltic pumping of blood across the membrane inside the incubator significantly increased larval attachment. We found that up to 25% percent of these life stages would attach to the siliconized goldbeater’s membrane and feed, although none molted or completed their entire life cycle. A red color observable in the “fed” ticks’ legs seemed to indicate that bovine hemoglobin had penetrated the gut and entered the hemolymph of the ticks. We were successful rearing unfed nymphs to the engorged stage, which is the pre-requisite for rearing Ixoidiphagus tick parasitoids. Suggestions for future experimentation for rearing R. microplus on artificial membranes are discussed

Biotic and abiotic factors influencing infestation levels of the arundo leafminer, Lasioptera donacis, in its native range in Mediterranean Europe

Lasioptera donacis is a biological control agent of Arundo donax, which is an invasive weed in the riparian hab-itats of the Rio Grande Basin of Texas and Northern Mexico. Field research was conducted in the native range of L. donacis in Mediterranean Europe to evaluate the biotic and abiotic factors that influence its local infestation levels. Lasioptera donacis feeding damage was documented on 40.4 and 67.8 % of dead and decaying leaf sheaths respectively across all sites. Lasioptera donacis was active in all locations including highly disturbed sites, but showed a slight preference for sites near running freshwater sources and lower infestation levels adjacent to salt water sources. The environmental preferences of L. donacis in Europe are similar to conditions in the Rio Grande Basin and Southwestern U.S. where A. donax is invasive

Incidence of the Brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and its parasitoid, Ixodiphagus hookeri on dogs in South Texas

The southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus, is a livestock pest worldwide, including South Texas, and can vector Babesia spp.; the causal agents of bovine babesiosis. Its congener, the brown dog tick, Rhipicepha-lus sanguineus, is also common worldwide and is frequently parasitized by a wasp, Ixodiphagus hookeri. To better understand the life history and host location cues of parasitic wasps of ticks, which supports the cattle fever tick eradication program for R. microplus, we examined the incidence of R. sanguineus and its parasitoid I. hookeri. Dogs in Hidalgo County, TX were observed (n=624) from Oct 2018 to April 2019. Our results show that the sampled dogs had very low levels of R. sanguineus (1.89%) with 219 nymphs, and no parasitoids were recovered. We also found that R. sanguineus nymph incidence is significantly higher on female dogs and puppies than other classes of dogs

Case Report: Ischial Stress Fracture Non-Union in a College Football Player

Stress fractures are common injuries associated with repetitive high-impact activities, often in high-level athletes and military recruits. Although predominantly occurring in the lower extremities, stress fractures may occur wherever there is a sudden increase in frequency or intensity of activity, thereby overloading the yield point of the local bone environment. Ischial stress fractures are a rarely diagnosed cause of pain around the hip and pelvis. Often, patients present with buttock pain with activity, which can be misdiagnosed as proximal hamstring tendonitis or avulsion. Here, we report a case of a college football player who was diagnosed with an ischial stress fracture which went on to symptomatic non-union after extensive conservative management. We treated his ischial non-union with open reduction internal fixation utilizing a tension band plate and screws. This interesting case highlights an uncommon cause of the relatively common presentation of posterior hip pain and describes our technique for addressing a stress fracture non-union in the ischium

Horticultural technique for rearing and redistribution of the sessile biological control agent, Rhizaspidiotus donacis on its host plant, Arundo donax

Arundo donax, giant reed is an invasive weed in the riparian habitats of the Rio Grande Basin. A biological control program using specialist insects from the native range in Mediterranean Europe, including the arundo scale, Rhi-zaspidiotus donacis has been implemented. The arundo scale is a sessile insect that spends most of its life cycle affixed to its host plant, thus creating challenges for its rearing and redistribution to field sites. A horticultural technique was developed which allowed for rearing of the scale on small, potted A. donax microplants, which could later be transplanted to field sites. Female scale reach maturity on the microplants and produce mobile crawler scale, which move to adjacent uninfested A. donax plants. Arundo scale were established at 48 sites on the Rio Grande using microplants. This horticultural technique allows for movement of the arundo scale at any stage of its life cycle to field sites to conduct biological control programs for A. donax where it is invasive

Drucker\u27s Insights on Market Orientation and Innovation: Implications for Emerging Areas in High-Technology Marketing

In 1954, Drucker boldly declared that organizations have only two basic functions, marketing and innovation. While true for any organization, this insight is particularly pertinent for technology-based businesses. The complicated environment surrounding high-tech companies creates a great need for sophisticated marketing, yet these companies continue to have under-developed competencies in marketing and in understanding customer needs. In its first two sections, this essay explores Drucker’s insights with respect to two particularly salient issues for high-tech companies: developing and implementing a market orientation, and sustained break-through innovations. We review Drucker’s insights and synthesize them with the scholarly research on these issues. In the third section, we discuss three emerging areas in high-tech marketing where academics and managers could build on Drucker’s insight to guide future research and practice: market-driving, customer co-creation, and corporate social responsibility. The illustrative examples provided by these emerging areas highlight that even today, Drucker’s writings continue to offer remarkable guidance to scholars and managers who are willing to take the time to reflect, understand, and incorporate these insights in the unique context of high-tech industries

Importation and Preliminary Evaluation of the Stem Boring Moth Buakea kaeuae as a Potential Biological Control Agent of Invasive Guineagrass, Megathyrsus maximus

Abstract. Guineagrass, Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K.Simon & S.W.L.Jacobs, is an African grass that is invasive in Florida, Hawaii, southern Texas, and northeastern Mexico. Buakea kaeuae Moyal et al., a stem-boring African moth found only on M. maximus, was imported from Kenya and evaluated for its ability to feed and develop on Guineagrass naturalized in southern Texas. Neither larvae nor adults developed or reproduced on Texas Guineagrass. Resumen. El zacate Guinea (Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K.Simon & S.W.L.Jacobs), originario de África, es considerado invasivo en Florida, Hawaii, sur de Texas, y noreste de México. Buakea kaeuae Moyal et al. es una palomilla especifica de M. maximus que ataca a los tallos de esta maleza. Esta palomilla fue importada de Kenia y ha sido evaluada por su habilidad para alimentarse y desarrollar su ciclo biológico solo en plantas de zacate guinea, naturalizadas en el sur de Texas. Ni las larvas ni los adultos de B. kaeuae, se desarrollan y reproducen en especies de zacate Guinea de Texas

Wild-type and mutant SOD1 share an aberrant conformation and a common pathogenic pathway in ALS.

Many mutations confer one or more toxic function(s) on copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) that impair motor neuron viability and cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS). Using a conformation-specific antibody that detects misfolded SOD1 (C4F6), we found that oxidized wild-type SOD1 and mutant SOD1 share a conformational epitope that is not present in normal wild-type SOD1. In a subset of human sporadic ALS (SALS) cases, motor neurons in the lumbosacral spinal cord were markedly C4F6 immunoreactive, indicating that an aberrant wild-type SOD1 species was present. Recombinant, oxidized wild-type SOD1 and wild-type SOD1 immunopurified from SALS tissues inhibited kinesin-based fast axonal transport in a manner similar to that of FALS-linked mutant SOD1. Our findings suggest that wild-type SOD1 can be pathogenic in SALS and identify an SOD1-dependent pathogenic mechanism common to FALS and SALS

Mitigating Predatory Ants Promotes Establishment of Biological Control of Arundo by Arundo Scale in the Cattle Fever Tick Quarantine Zone

Ant collection, identification, and control experiments were conducted to improve the establishment of the arundo scale, Rhizaspidiotus donacis, a biological control agent of Arundo donax, an invasive weed in the riparian habitats along the Rio Grande in Texas. Observational studies indicated R. donacis immatures are preyed upon by a variety of predator insects, especially ants. A survey of the principle ant species was made at sites along the Rio Grande with Arundo donax to help direct biological control strategies. We conclude that uses of ant baits can effectively control the common ant species found in these habitats and improve the establishment of R. donacis