Controlling Lygus plant bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae) with European Peristenus relictus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in Canada - risky or not?

The European Peristenus relictus Loan (syn. P. stygicus) has been considered for biological control of Lygus plant bugs native to Canada. Laboratory and field studies were conducted in the area of origin to evaluate the host specificity of P. relictus. Laboratory choice and no-choice tests demonstrated that P. relictus attacked all non-target species offered (fundamental host range). However, closely related non-target mirids (tribe Mirini) were generally well accepted by P. relictus, while hosts from the tribe Stenodemini were less frequently attacked and less suitable for parasitoid development. To validate the laboratory results, a thorough examination of the parasitoid complex of common mirids in Europe was conducted to determine which non-target species may serve as alternative hosts for P. relictus in a natural situation (ecological host range). When comparing both approaches, the fundamental host range of P. relictus matched its ecological host range. In addition to three Lygus species, the ecological host range of P. relictus in the area of Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, contains at least 16 non-target species, including hosts belonging to the subfamilies Mirinae, Phylinae and Bryocorinae. A broad ecological and fundamental host range suggests that P. relictus is a generalist; however, P. relictus was not the primary contributor to parasitism of most non-target hosts studied. Although P. relictus is assumed to be of minor importance for regulating non-target populations in the area of investigation, the results of the present study indicate that P. relictus has the potential to use non-target host populations for reproductio

Potential for classical biological control of the potato bug Closterotomus norwegicus (Hemiptera: Miridae): description, parasitism and host specificity of Peristenus closterotomae sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

The potato bug, Closterotomus norwegicus (Gmelin) (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an introduced pest of lucerne, white clover and lotus seed crops in New Zealand and a key pest of pistachios in California, USA. Efforts were made to identify potential biological control agents of C. norwegicus in Europe. A total of eight parasitoids, including six primary parasitoids from the genus Peristenus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and two hyperparasitoids from the genus Mesochorus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), were reared from C. norwegicus nymphs collected in various habitats in northern Germany. With a proportion of more than 85% of all C. norwegicus parasitoids, Peristenus closterotomae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a new species, was the most dominant parasitoid, whereas other parasitoid species only occurred sporadically. Peristenus closterotomae did not fit in the keys to any described species and is described as new to science. Parasitism caused by P. closterotomae was on average 24% (maximum 77%). To assess the host specificity of parasitoids associated with C. norwegicus, the parasitoid complexes of various Miridae occurring simultaneously with C. norwegicus were studied. Peristenus closterotomae was frequently reared from Calocoris affinis (Herrich-Schaeffer), and a few specimens were reared from Calocoris roseomaculatus (De Geer) and the meadow plant bug, Leptopterna dolobrata (Linnaeus) (all Hemiptera: Miridae). The remaining primary parasitoids associated with C. norwegicus were found to be dominant in hosts other than C. norwegicus. Whether nymphal parasitoids may potentially be used in a classical biological control initiative against the potato bug in countries where it is introduced and considered to be a pest is discusse

Temporal repeatability of behaviour in a lizard: implications for behavioural syndrome studies

It is well established that, across taxa, individuals within populations exhibit consistent differences in their behaviour across time and/or contexts. Further, the functional coupling of traits may result in the formation of a behavioural syndrome. Despite extensive evidence on the existence of consistent among-individual differences in behaviour and behavioural syndromes in the animal realm, these findings are predominately based upon short-term assessments, leading to questions regarding their stability over longer periods. Understanding if these estimates are temporally stable would allow predictions of individual behaviour to be made using short-term repeated measures. Here, we used 57 adult male delicate skinks (Lampropholis delicata) to evaluate the stability of behavioural variation observed both among (animal personality and behavioural plasticity) and within individuals (behavioural predictability), as well as behavioural syndromes, across short (four weeks) and long (five months) timeframes. To do so, we repeatedly assayed activity, exploration, and boldness five times per each individual. Overall, our study revealed complex patterns of behavioural variation and trait (co)variation over time. Activity was always repeatable across time intervals, whereas behavioural differences among individuals in exploration and boldness were not consistent. Yet a behavioural syndrome between activity and exploration was detected at both shorter and longer temporal scales, suggesting that syndrome structure in these traits does not vary as a function of time. Our findings indicate that, at least for some traits (e.g. activity) and studies, short-term measures may be adequate in serving as a proxy for long-term variation in individual behaviour, and to reveal the existence of behavioural syndromes at the population level

The effect of pulping, bleaching, and refining operations on the electrokinetic properties of wood fiber fines

"February 1990.

Nutrition Strategies for Triathlon

Contemporary sports nutrition guidelines recommend that each athlete develop a personalised, periodised and practical approach to eating that allows him or her to train hard, recover and adapt optimally, stay free of illness and injury and compete at their best at peak races. Competitive triathletes undertake a heavy training programme to prepare for three different sports while undertaking races varying in duration from 20 min to 10 h. The everyday diet should be adequate in energy availability, provide CHO in varying amounts and timing around workouts according to the benefits of training with low or high CHO availability and spread high-quality protein over the day to maximise the adaptive response to each session. Race nutrition requires a targeted and well-practised plan that maintains fuel and hydration goals over the duration of the specific event, according to the opportunities provided by the race and other challenges, such as a hot environment. Supplements and sports foods can make a small contribution to a sports nutrition plan, when medical supplements are used under supervision to prevent/treat nutrient deficiencies (e.g. iron or vitamin D) or when sports foods provide a convenient source of nutrients when it is impractical to eat whole foods. Finally, a few evidence-based performance supplements may contribute to optimal race performance when used according to best practice protocols to suit the triathlete’s goals and individual responsiveness

Multivisceral intestinal transplantation: Surgical pathology

We report the diagnostic surgical pathology of two children who underwent multivisceral abdominal transplantation and survived for 1 month and 6 months. There is little relevant literature, and diagnostic criteria for the various clinical possibilities are not established; this is made more complicated by the simultaneous occurrence of more than one process. We based our interpretations on conventional histology, augmented with immunohistology, including HLA staining that distinguished graft from host cells in situ. In some instances functional analysis of T cells propagated from the same biopsies was available and was used to corroborate morphological interpretations. A wide spectrum of changes was encountered. Graft-versus-host disease, a prime concern before surgery, was not seen. Rejection was severe in 1 patient, not present in the other, and both had evidence of lymphoproliferative disease, which was related to Epstein-Barr virus. Bacterial translocation through the gut wall was also a feature in both children. This paper documents and illustrates the various diagnostic possibilities.. © 1989 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted

Biological invasions as a selective filter driving behavioral divergence

Biological invasions are a multi-stage process (i.e., transport, introduction, establishment, spread), with each stage potentially acting as a selective filter on traits associated with invasion success. Behavior (e.g., exploration, activity, boldness) plays a key role in facilitating species introductions, but whether invasion acts as a selective filter on such traits is not well known. Here we capitalize on the well-characterized introduction of an invasive lizard (Lampropholis delicata) across three independent lineages throughout the Pacific, and show that invasion shifted behavioral trait means and reduced among-individual variation-two key predictions of the selective filter hypothesis. Moreover, lizards from all three invasive ranges were also more behaviorally plastic (i.e., greater within-individual variation) than their native range counterparts. We provide support for the importance of selective filtering of behavioral traits in a widespread invasion. Given that invasive species are a leading driver of global biodiversity loss, understanding how invasion selects for specific behaviors is critical for improving predictions of the effects of alien species on invaded communities.Invasive species are a leading driver of global biodiversity loss. Here, the authors show that the process of invasion itself can promote behavioral changes important to the success of widespread invaders, with implications for understanding the effects of alien species on invaded communities

Mechanisms of platelet-activating factor-induced lipid body formation: requisite roles for 5-lipoxygenase and de novo protein synthesis in the compartmentalization of neutrophil lipids

Lipid bodies, lipid rich cytoplasmic inclusions, are characteristically abundant in vivo in leukocytes associated with inflammation. Because lipid bodies are potential reservoirs of esterified arachidonate and sites at which eicosanoid-forming enzymes may localize, we evaluated mechanisms of lipid body formation in neutrophils (PMN). Among receptor- mediated agonists, platelet activating factor (PAF), but not C5a, formyl-methyl-phenylalanine, interleukin 8, or leukotriene (LT) B4, induced the rapid formation of lipid bodies in PMN. This action of PAF was receptor mediated, as it was dose dependently inhibited by the PAF receptor antagonist WEB 2086 and blocked by pertussis toxin. Lipid body induction by PAF required 5-lipoxygenase (LO) activity and was inhibited by the 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein antagonist MK 886 and the 5-LO inhibitor zileuton, but not by cyclooxygenase inhibitors. Corroborating the dependency of PAF-induced lipid body formation on 5- LO, PMN and macrophages from wild-type mice, but not from 5-LO genetically deficient mice, formed lipid bodies on exposure to PAF both in vitro and in vivo within the pleural cavity. The 5-LO product inducing lipid body formation was not LTB4 but was 5(S)- hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid [5(S)-HETE], which was active at 10-fold lower concentrations than PAF and was also inhibited by pertussis toxin but not by zileuton or WEB 2086. Furthermore, 5-HETE was equally effective in inducing lipid body formation in both wild-type and 5-LO genetically deficient mice. Both PAF- and 5(S)-HETE-induced lipid body formation were inhibited by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors staurosporine and chelerythrine, the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitors D609 and U-73122, and by actinomycin D and cycloheximide. Prior stimulation of human PMN with PAF to form lipid bodies enhanced eicosanoid production in response to submaximal stimulation with the calcium ionophore A23187; and the levels of both prostaglandin (PG) E2 and LTB4 correlated with the number of lipid bodies. Furthermore, pretreatment of cells with actinomycin D or cycloheximide inhibited not only the induction of lipid body formation by PAF, but also the PAF- induced "priming" for enhanced PGE2 and LTB4 in PMN. Thus, the compartmentalization of lipids to form lipid bodies in PMN is dependent on specific cellular responses that can be PAF receptor mediated, involves signaling through 5-LO to form 5-HETE and then through PKC and PLC, and requires new protein synthesis. Since increases in lipid body numbers correlated with priming for enhanced PGE2 and LTB4 production in PMN, the induction of lipid bodies may have a role in the formation of eicosanoid mediators by leukocytes involved in inflammation

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Total Knee Arthroplasty in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 2001-2013

OBJECTIVE: To examine black-white and Hispanic-white differences in total knee arthroplasty from 2001 to 2013 in a large cohort of patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. METHODS: Data were from the VA Musculoskeletal Disorders cohort, which includes data from electronic health records of more than 5.4 million veterans with musculoskeletal disorders diagnoses. We included white (non-Hispanic), black (non-Hispanic), and Hispanic (any race) veterans, age ≥50 years, with an OA diagnosis from 2001-2011 (n = 539,841). Veterans were followed from their first OA diagnosis until September 30, 2013. As a proxy for increased clinical severity, analyses were also conducted for a subsample restricted to those who saw an orthopedic or rheumatology specialist (n = 148,844). We used Cox proportional hazards regression to examine racial and ethnic differences in total knee arthroplasty by year of OA diagnosis, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, physical and mental diagnoses, and pain intensity scores. RESULTS: We identified 12,087 total knee arthroplasty procedures in a sample of 473,170 white, 50,172 black, and 16,499 Hispanic veterans. In adjusted models examining black-white and Hispanic-white differences by year of OA diagnosis, total knee arthroplasty rates were lower for black than for white veterans diagnosed in all but 2 years. There were no Hispanic-white differences regardless of when diagnosis occurred. These patterns held in the specialty clinic subsample. CONCLUSION: Black-white differences in total knee arthroplasty appear to be persistent in the VA, even after controlling for potential clinical confounders

Home parenteral nutrition with an omega-3-fatty-acid-enriched MCT/LCT lipid emulsion in patients with chronic intestinal failure (the HOME study):study protocol for a randomized, controlled, multicenter, international clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is a life-preserving therapy for patients with chronic intestinal failure (CIF) indicated for patients who cannot achieve their nutritional requirements by enteral intake. Intravenously administered lipid emulsions (ILEs) are an essential component of HPN, providing energy and essential fatty acids, but can become a risk factor for intestinal-failure-associated liver disease (IFALD). In HPN patients, major effort is taken in the prevention of IFALD. Novel ILEs containing a proportion of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) could be of benefit, but the data on the use of n-3 PUFA in HPN patients are still limited. METHODS/DESIGN: The HOME study is a prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter, international clinical trial conducted in European hospitals that treat HPN patients. A total of 160 patients (80 per group) will be randomly assigned to receive the n-3 PUFA-enriched medium/long-chain triglyceride (MCT/LCT) ILE (Lipidem/Lipoplus® 200 mg/ml, B. Braun Melsungen AG) or the MCT/LCT ILE (Lipofundin® MCT/LCT/Medialipide® 20%, B. Braun Melsungen AG) for a projected period of 8 weeks. The primary endpoint is the combined change of liver function parameters (total bilirubin, aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase) from baseline to final visit. Secondary objectives are the further evaluation of the safety and tolerability as well as the efficacy of the ILEs. DISCUSSION: Currently, there are only very few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the use of ILEs in HPN, and there are very few data at all on the use of n-3 PUFAs. The working hypothesis is that n-3 PUFA-enriched ILE is safe and well-tolerated especially with regard to liver function in patients requiring HPN. The expected outcome is to provide reliable data to support this thesis thanks to a considerable number of CIF patients, consequently to broaden the present evidence on the use of ILEs in HPN. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT03282955. Registered on 14 September 2017