\u3ci\u3ePhyllium (Phyllium) letiranti\u3c/i\u3e sp. nov. (Phasmida: Phylliidae) a new leaf insect from Peleng Island, Indonesia

A new species of leaf insect, Phyllium (Phyllium) letiranti Cumming and Teemsma, new species (Phasmida: Phylliidae), is described from a series of males, females, and eggs from Peleng Island, Indonesia. This new species is the first record of the family Phylliidae on the island and is here differentiated from congeners. Keys to males, females, and eggs of the Phyllium species of Sulawesi and Peleng islands are included within

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE FORENSICALLY SIGNIFICANT BLOW FLIES OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE)

Forensic entomology although not a commonly used discipline in the forensic sciences, does have its niche and when used by investigators is respected in crinimolegal investigations (Greenberg and Kunich, 2005). With many species of forensically significant insects being regionally specific, it is often difficult for forensic entomologists to as confidently translate regionally specific studies across drastically differing geographic regions (Brundage, et al., 2011). The purpose of this study is to help create a better temporal and geographic distributional understanding of the blow fly species present in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Twenty-five locations from four ecoregions (coastal mountains, urban, interior mountains, and desert) were regularly surveyed using baited traps for forensically significant blow flies throughout Los Angeles County from July, 2017 through January, 2018. In total 10,875 arthropod specimens were collected, of which 4,933 were the target family Calliphoridae. Six genera and twelve forensically significant species were recorded from the county during this time period. In addition to the current survey, all specimens from the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History and from select literature were included revealing an additional three species not collected during this current survey. Chrysomya rufifacies and Lucilia sericata comprised most the specimens recorded [collectively 87.9% (61.3% and 26.6% respectively)]. Several species define two ecoregions, Lucilia cuprina was only recorded below 1,000 feet elevation in urban disturbed environments, and Calliphora livida and Calliphora vomitoria define the San Gabriel Mountains having only been found there above about 4,000 feet elevation. Temporally, with Los Angeles having a rather Mediterranean climate year-round it is not surprising that most species have wide temporal distributions with only Calliphora terraenovae significantly restricted to only May-June. In summary, summer was the most species rich season with all 15 species recorded, and the San Gabriel Mountains had the highest diversity with 13 of the 15 species occurring there. Advisor: Leon Higle

A new species of \u3ci\u3ePhyllium\u3c/i\u3e (\u3ci\u3ePhyllium\u3c/i\u3e) Illiger (Phasmida: Phylliidae) from Yap Island, Micronesia, representing a range expansion for the family

A new species of leaf insect from the celebicum species group, Phyllium (Phyllium) yapicum Cumming and Teemsma, new species (Phasmida: Phylliidae), is described from a female specimen from the California Academy of Sciences collection, United States. This new species is the first recorded species of Phylliidae from the country of Micronesia and represents a notable range expansion for the family. With Phyllium (Phyllium) yapicum Cumming and Teemsma, new species, currently only known from a female holotype; a key to females is included for the celebicum species group

The political economy of growing a rural university in the USA using online education: An examination of incentives for educational imperialism and academic capitalism

Rural colleges and universities in the USA struggle to recruit new students as their geographic region is depopulating and cost to attend classes on campus are increasing. Online education using the Internet is rapidly expanding as an effective growth strategy to reach new groups of students. In this paper we take the position that online education is a form of cultural imperialism and academic capitalism where curriculum developers and professors are motivated to enroll new students in order to maintain the credibility and strength of their programmes and host institutions. We argue that it is not our intent to be educational imperialists or capitalists. Rather these are unintended consequences of our actions. This argument is supported by political economy theory in that we are marketing a technical rational form of online education without awareness of its long‐term cultural, economic, or political ramifications. Even though we pride ourselves on developing a high quality programme that in our eyes meet the needs of our students, understanding the political economy of online education is essential if our programme that has access to the global market is to go beyond the individual needs of students and address social, cultural and political needs. We conclude that one way out of this malaise is to understand our role as instructors and course designers as a first step toward understanding the intended and unintended consequences of online education

Description of \u3ci\u3ePhyllium (Phyllium) conlei\u3c/i\u3e, new species, and a first look at the Phylliidae (Phasmatodea) of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

The Phylliidae (Phasmatodea) diversity of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia is preliminarily examined, and revealed to be notably lacking in completeness with only two species currently recorded. Of the nine islands/ island groups within the Lesser Sunda Islands, only the westerly islands (Bali and Lombok) have single species recorded: Phyllium (Pulchriphyllium) pulchrifolium Audinet-Serville, 1838, from Bali, and Phyllium (Phyllium) conlei Cumming, Valero, and Teemsma, new species, from Lombok. The latter species is herein described and differentiated from congenerics. To conclude, with so few species recorded from the Lesser Sunda Islands, a key to species for Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands is presented for males

Exploring Heart Rate Variability as a Biomedical Diagnostic Tool for the Disympathetic Dimension of Eight-Constitution Medicine

BackgroundEight-Constitution Medicine (ECM), an extension of Traditional Korean Medicine, divides the population into eight groups based on their physiological characteristics. ECM divides these eight groups into two larger groups based on autonomic reactivity: the Sympathicotonic group and the Vagotonic group (herein referred to as the Disympathetic Dimension). Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a widely used biomedical tool to assess cardiac autonomic function. This raises the question of the utility of using HRV to correctly diagnose ECM constitutions.MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted to evaluate the correlation between HRV and constitutions in Korean Constitutional Medicine, including Eight-Constitution Medicine (ECM) and Sasang Constitution Medicine (SCM). The articles were obtained from both English (Scopus, PubMed, EMBASE, ProQuest, and Medline) and Korean databases (NDSL and RISS), in addition to Google Scholar, without date restriction. 20 studies met the inclusion criteria, and data were extracted against three aspects: (1) correlation between HRV and constitution, (2) HRV reporting and interpretation, and (3) extraneous factors that were controlled in the studies.Results386 articles were initially identified, which was reduced to n = 20 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 19 were SCM studies and 1 was an ECM study. Sample sizes varied from 10 to 8498 men and women, with an age range of 10-80 years. SCM studies explored HRV differences by constitution, measuring HRV at resting, with controlled breathing, before and after acupuncture stimulation, and by other interventions. SCM studies reported either no significant differences (HRV at resting or with controlled breathing studies) or conflicting data (HRV with acupuncture stimulation studies). The single ECM study measured HRV at resting and after acupuncture stimulation but reported no significant differences between the two groups of Sympathicotonia and Vagotonia.ConclusionsDue to inconsistencies in study design, study population, and measures of HRV, there was no consistency in the data to support the use of HRV as a biomedical determinant of ECM constitutions

Mathematics Teaching Assistants’ Community-Building Activities During Remote Instruction

The need to build community in mathematics learning spaces was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the community-building efforts of mathematics TAs during a dynamically uncertain period and how they engaged in pandemic-sensemaking to make sense of and adapt their community-building efforts for remote instruction. We found that TAs engaged in various community-building activities through the synchronous and asynchronous interactions afforded by the design of the course (e.g., during sections, in office hours), and pandemic-sensemaking enabled them to better understand students’ challenges and adapt their efforts to attend to the challenges with building community

Liquid Phase Electrochemistry at Ultralow Temperatures

Fluid electrolyte solutions based on mixtures of butyronitrile (PrCN) and ethyl chloride (EtCl) with or as electrolyte freeze below −180°C and provide excellent media for cryogenic electrochemical experiments. A 1:2 mixture of PrCN and EtCl exhibits the best combination of freezing point and ionic conductivity for ultralow temperature electrochemistry. Diffusion coefficients for bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) iron are measurable by potential step chronoamperometry down to −160°C using a conventionally sized electrode, but the resistivity of the solvent mixture is such that potential sweep voltammetry benefits from the use of microdisk (10 and 25 μm diam Pt) or microband (0.2 μm wide Au) electrodes. Voltammetry at a chemically modified electrode down to −170°C is presented for the case of thin films

Direct synthesis of Z-alkenyl halides through catalytic cross-metathesis

Olefin metathesis has had a large impact on modern organic chemistry, but important shortcomings remain: for example, the lack of efficient processes that can be used to generate acyclic alkenyl halides. Halo-substituted ruthenium carbene complexes decompose rapidly or deliver low activity and/or minimal stereoselectivity, and our understanding of the corresponding high-oxidation-state systems is limited. Here we show that previously unknown halo-substituted molybdenum alkylidene species are exceptionally reactive and are able to participate in high-yielding olefin metathesis reactions that afford acyclic 1,2-disubstituted Z-alkenyl halides. Transformations are promoted by small amounts of a catalyst that is generated in situ and used with unpurified, commercially available and easy-to-handle liquid 1,2-dihaloethene reagents, and proceed to high conversion at ambient temperature within four hours. We obtain many alkenyl chlorides, bromides and fluorides in up to 91 per cent yield and complete Z selectivity. This method can be used to synthesize biologically active compounds readily and to perform site- and stereoselective fluorination of complex organic molecules.National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (GM-59426 and GM-57212

Some recent rural radio talks

Cream stirring is important. - D.C. Mickle Crossbreeding in pig production. - P. Beck Salmonella infection in sheep. - I.J. Miller Useful sprays for the home garden. A.A. Holland Tapeworm of dogs and cats. P.B. Lewis The poison plant and the animal. - R.D. Royce Sire surveys to prove bulls. K. Needham Peat as a substitute for horse manure. - L.T. Jone