Feeding and defecation behavior of Triatoma rubida (Uhler, 1894) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) under laboratory conditions, and its potential role as a vector of chagas disease in Arizona, USA

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is transmitted to humans by blood-sucking triatomine insects. This disease is endemic throughout Mexico and Central and South America, but only a few autochthonous cases have been reported in the United States, despite the fact that infected insects readily invade houses and feed on humans. Competent vectors defecate during or shortly after feeding so that infective feces contact the host. We thus studied the feeding and defecation behaviors of the prevalent species in southern Arizona, Triatoma rubida. We found that whereas defecation during feeding was frequent in females (93%), it was very rare in immature stages (3%), and absent in males. Furthermore, more than half of the immature insects that exhibited multiple feeding bouts (62%) defecated during interruptions of feeding, i.e., while likely on or near the host. These results indicate that T. rubida potentially could transmit T. cruzi to humans.Fil: Reisenman, Carolina Esther. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Gregory, Teresa. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Guerenstein, Pablo Gustavo. Provincia de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; ArgentinaFil: Hildebrand, John. University of Arizona; Estados Unido

La prise en compte des questions environnementales autochtones dans les programmes d’études canadiens : une analyse critique du discours

This article presents insights from a curricular review of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories with a focus on critical Indigenous environmental issues. This inquiry was conducted amidst nationally prominent events and socio-ecological movements such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Idle No More and numerous oil and gas pipeline protests. We share findings revealed through this review informed by Eisner’s (2002) three curricula—the explicit, implicit and null—and a qualitative critical discourse analysis methodology.Cet article présente les points saillants de l’analyse des programmes d’études des dix provinces et trois territoires du Canada en mettant l’accent sur les questions environnementales autochtones. Cette enquête a été menée lors d’événements et de mouvements socio- écologiques d’envergure nationale comme La Commission de Vérité et Réconciliation, « Idle No More » et lors de nombreuses protestations contre les oléoducs et les gazoducs. Nous partageons les résultats révélés à travers l’analyse de trois programmes d’études de Eisner (2002)—l’explicite, l’implicite et le nul—et une méthodologie d’analyse qualitative critique du discours

Effects of starvation on the olfactory responses of the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus

Blood-sucking insects use olfactory cues in a variety of behavioral contexts, including host-seeking and aggregation. In triatomines, which are obligated blood-feeders, it has been shown that the response to CO2, a host-associated olfactory cue used almost universally by blood-sucking insects, is modulated by hunger. Host-finding is a particularly dangerous task for these insects, as their hosts are also their potential predators. Here we investigated whether olfactory responses to host-derived volatiles other than CO2 (nonanal, α-pinene and (−)-limonene), attractive odorant mixtures (yeast volatiles), and aggregation pheromones (present in feces) are also modulated by starvation in the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus. For this, the responses of both non-starved and starved insects were individually tested at the beginning of the scotophase using a dual-choice “T-shaped” olfactometer, in which one of its arms presented odor-laden air and the other arm presented odorless air. We found that the response of non-starved insects toward host-odorants and odorant mixtures was odor-dependent: insects preferred the odor-laden arm of the maze when tested with α-pinene, the odorless arm of the maze when tested with (−)-limonene, and distributed at random when tested with yeast volatiles or nonanal. In contrast, starved insects significantly preferred the odor-laden arm of the maze when tested with host-odorants or yeast volatiles. When tested with aggregation be, while starved insects preferred the odorless arm of the maze; insects that were even more starved (8–9 weeks post-ecdysis) significantly preferred the odor-laden arm of the maze. We postulate that this odor- and starvation-dependent modulation of sensory responses has a high adaptive value, as it minimizes the costs and risks associated with the associated behaviors. The possible physiological mechanisms underlying these modulatory effects are discussed.Fil: Reisenman, Carolina Esther. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Lee, Yan. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Gregory, Teresa. University of Arizona; Estados UnidosFil: Guerenstein, Pablo Gustavo. Provincia de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Universidad Autónoma de Entre Ríos. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Centro de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia de Tecnología a la Producción; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos; Argentin

Impact of Regulatory Burden on Small Community Banks in Pennsylvania

Community bank managers are struggling with the implementation of the many new regulations promulgated over the past several years. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies community bank managers in Pennsylvania use to implement new financial regulations. The population of interest included all community banks in Pennsylvania. For purposes of this study, a community bank was defined in terms of an asset size less than $500 million. Two community banks in Pennsylvania were selected, and 3 participants at each bank were interviewed. The participants included the chief executive officer, the compliance manager, and a mortgage lender. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using keyword frequency comparisons and cluster analysis. Member checking and triangulation of interview data and public company data (e.g., press releases) were employed to ensure trustworthy interpretation of data. Four major themes were identified, including leadership, training, collaboration, and organizational structure. Systems theory was the conceptual framework that guided this multiple case study. The board of directors, senior managers, and compliance managers can apply the recommendations to improve the approach to regulatory implementation in their organizations. The implication for positive social change includes the potential to sustain or increase the availability of loans to small businesses in the United States

Using CASIMIR-Vegetation model in the context of modeling riparian woods and fish species to support a holistic approach for environmental flows to be used on river management and conservation

The CASiMiR-vegetation model is a software that recreates the physical processes influencing the survival and recruitment of riparian vegetation, based on the relationship between ecologically relevant flow regime components and riparian vegetation metrics that reflect the vegetation’s responses to flow regime change. Working at a flow response guild level, this tool outperforms equivalent models by overriding various restrictions of the conventional modeling approaches. The potential of the CASiMiR-vegetation model is revealed in its application to different case studies during the development of a holistic approach to determine environmental flows in lowland Mediterranean rivers, based on woody riparian vegetation and fish species. Various modeling circumstances are described where CASiMiR-vegetation model was used with the purpose of sustaining the research addressing the thesis objectives. The main findings already accomplished in this research are highlighted to illustrate the outcomes that can be attained from the use of such a model

Study protocol for the Anesthesiology Control Tower—Feedback Alerts to Supplement Treatments (ACTFAST-3) trial: A pilot randomized controlled trial in intraoperative telemedicine [version 1; referees: 2 approved]

Background: Each year, over 300 million people undergo surgical procedures worldwide. Despite efforts to improve outcomes, postoperative morbidity and mortality are common. Many patients experience complications as a result of either medical error or failure to adhere to established clinical practice guidelines. This protocol describes a clinical trial comparing a telemedicine-based decision support system, the Anesthesiology Control Tower (ACT), with enhanced standard intraoperative care. Methods: This study is a pragmatic, comparative effectiveness trial that will randomize approximately 12,000 adult surgical patients on an operating room (OR) level to a control or to an intervention group. All OR clinicians will have access to decision support software within the OR as a part of enhanced standard intraoperative care. The ACT will monitor patients in both groups and will provide additional support to the clinicians assigned to intervention ORs. Primary outcomes include blood glucose management and temperature management. Secondary outcomes will include surrogate, clinical, and economic outcomes, such as incidence of intraoperative hypotension, postoperative respiratory compromise, acute kidney injury, delirium, and volatile anesthetic utilization. Ethics and dissemination: The ACTFAST-3 study has been approved by the Human Resource Protection Office (HRPO) at Washington University in St. Louis and is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02830126). Recruitment for this protocol began in April 2017 and will end in December 2018. Dissemination of the findings of this study will occur via presentations at academic conferences, journal publications, and educational materials

Project Communication and Road Construction Projects Performance in Kenya

The purpose of the study is to assess the effect of project communication on road construction projects performance in Kenya, The study used the following theories as per the variables; Communications theory relevant to the study variable. The study adopted a mixed research design with a target population of 475 and a sample size of 143. Data collection instrument was questionnaire.  Piloting was done to test the validity and reliability of the data collection instrument. Data was analyzed using a Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 27.0. The multiple regression analysis models was developed to establish the relationship between dependent and independent variable. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test significance of variance of one variable over the other. On the prediction that Project communication did not have significant relationship with the road construction projects performance in Kenya. A p value of 0.000 was less than 0.05 implying rejection of the null hypothesis in favour of the alternative. Therefore, project communication had a significant relationship with road construction projects performance in Kenya. Based on the findings, the study recommended that communication is one of the most fundamental skills for construction project managers and that considering the vast number of employees working on different tasks throughout a project, confident, clear, and reliable communication are crucial to the success of the project for all parties involved – and it starts with you as the PM. The management should provide a two-way communication that includes sharing information with stakeholders, allowing sufficient opportunities to appeal and building trust with stakeholders to improve teamwork and lead to better project collaboration as poor communication result in misunderstandings, delays, and issues down the road. The finding of the study was important because: it was to assist the government in  strengthening the policy framework and enact laws to govern the road construction industry, Road Construction firms will use the findings of this study to enhance their Total Quality Management (TQM) and hence be able to deliver Road projects on time and within budget, Road Construction professionals like Project Managers(Civil & Structural Engineers) and Road Construction Companies will use the findings of this study in their day to day Road construction project management. Keywords:Project Communication, Road Construction Performance DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/15-17-07 Publication date:October 31st 202