First Report of the European Oak Borer, \u3ci\u3eAgrilus Sulcicollis\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), in the United States

Agrilus sulcicollis Lacordaire was first reported in North America from (Quercus rubra L.), on sticky traps, and also found in insect collections that dated from 1995. After hearing of this discovery in Ontario, unidentified Agrilus specimens that had been collected in Michigan during recent field studies of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, were examined. As a result, A. sulcicollis specimens were identified that had been collected in four Michigan counties during 2003 to 2008: Ingham, Oakland, Saint Clair, and Washtenaw. All Michigan specimens had been collected from sticky traps or reared from English oak, Q. robur L. This is the first establishment record of A. sulcicollis in the United States. In addition, A. sulcicollis adults were collected on sticky traps in Monroe and Orleans counties, New York, during surveys in 2009 that targeted A. planipennis. In Europe, A. sulcicollis infests primarily oak. Information is provided on U.S. collection records, U.S. port interception records, and basic life history data of A. sulcicollis

Fitness of Escherichia coli during Urinary Tract Infection Requires Gluconeogenesis and the TCA Cycle

Microbial pathogenesis studies traditionally encompass dissection of virulence properties such as the bacterium's ability to elaborate toxins, adhere to and invade host cells, cause tissue damage, or otherwise disrupt normal host immune and cellular functions. In contrast, bacterial metabolism during infection has only been recently appreciated to contribute to persistence as much as their virulence properties. In this study, we used comparative proteomics to investigate the expression of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cytoplasmic proteins during growth in the urinary tract environment and systematic disruption of central metabolic pathways to better understand bacterial metabolism during infection. Using two-dimensional fluorescence difference in gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) and tandem mass spectrometry, it was found that UPEC differentially expresses 84 cytoplasmic proteins between growth in LB medium and growth in human urine (P<0.005). Proteins induced during growth in urine included those involved in the import of short peptides and enzymes required for the transport and catabolism of sialic acid, gluconate, and the pentose sugars xylose and arabinose. Proteins required for the biosynthesis of arginine and serine along with the enzyme agmatinase that is used to produce the polyamine putrescine were also up-regulated in urine. To complement these data, we constructed mutants in these genes and created mutants defective in each central metabolic pathway and tested the relative fitness of these UPEC mutants in vivo in an infection model. Import of peptides, gluconeogenesis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle are required for E. coli fitness during urinary tract infection while glycolysis, both the non-oxidative and oxidative branches of the pentose phosphate pathway, and the Entner-Doudoroff pathway were dispensable in vivo. These findings suggest that peptides and amino acids are the primary carbon source for E. coli during infection of the urinary tract. Because anaplerosis, or using central pathways to replenish metabolic intermediates, is required for UPEC fitness in vivo, we propose that central metabolic pathways of bacteria could be considered critical components of virulence for pathogenic microbes

First Report of the European Oak Borer, \u3ci\u3eAgrilus Sulcicollis\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), in the United States

Agrilus sulcicollis Lacordaire was first reported in North America from (Quercus rubra L.), on sticky traps, and also found in insect collections that dated from 1995. After hearing of this discovery in Ontario, unidentified Agrilus specimens that had been collected in Michigan during recent field studies of the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, were examined. As a result, A. sulcicollis specimens were identified that had been collected in four Michigan counties during 2003 to 2008: Ingham, Oakland, Saint Clair, and Washtenaw. All Michigan specimens had been collected from sticky traps or reared from English oak, Q. robur L. This is the first establishment record of A. sulcicollis in the United States. In addition, A. sulcicollis adults were collected on sticky traps in Monroe and Orleans counties, New York, during surveys in 2009 that targeted A. planipennis. In Europe, A. sulcicollis infests primarily oak. Information is provided on U.S. collection records, U.S. port interception records, and basic life history data of A. sulcicollis

The effects of the lower extremity joint motions on the total body motion in sit-to-stand movement

Objective. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of lower extremity joint angular motions on the whole body linear motions in a sit-to-stand movement using a biomechanical model that describes the whole body linear velocity vector as functions of lower extremity joint angular velocities.Design. Two-dimensional video analysis of whole body and joint kinematics. Background. A biomechanical model that describes the whole body linear motions as functions of lower extremity joint angular motions is needed to provide clinically relevant information in clinical services and scientific research. Methods. The linear velocity vector of the whole body motion during the sit-to-stand movement was partitioned into horizontal and vertical components and expressed as functions of lower extremity joint angular velocities for 10 healthy subjects. The coefficient of joint contribution to the whole body linear velocity vector was determined for each joint in each direction. Results. The ankle and hip angular motions are critical to the development of the forward horizontal velocity of the whole body during the sit-to-stand movement. The knee and hip angular motions are critical to the development of the upward vertical velocity of the whole body during the sit-to-stand movement. Conclusions. The hip, knee, and ankle joint angular motions have various roles in whole body motions in different directions of the sit-to-stand movement. Relevance - The model and the results of this study can be applied to study the control strategies, falls, and assessments of functional impairments in the sit-to-stand movement. Copyright (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd

Biological Burden of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Children

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and related life events and allostatic load (AL)-"wear and tear" from chronic stress-in a pediatric population.MethodsChildren were screened with the PEdiatric ACEs and Related Life Event Screener (PEARLS) tool, a 17-item questionnaire capturing experiences of abuse, neglect, household challenges, and related life events. Biological data were available for 207 participants, and AL was operationalized using clinical or empirical cutoff points across 4 physiological systems (i.e., cardiac, metabolic, inflammatory, neurologic). Covariate-adjusted multivariable regression models were used to examine associations between AL with adversity and health.ResultsChildren (mean age = 6.5 years, range = 1-11 years) had an average AL score of 1.9 (standard deviation = 1.7), and a U-shaped relationship was observed with child's age. Continuous PEARLS and original ACE scores were not associated with AL. However, children with a reported PEARLS score of 1 to 2 or original ACEs score of 1 to 3 had 1.5 (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-2.08) and 1.4 (IRR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.08-1.84) times greater AL, respectively, compared with participants with none reported. In secondary analyses, caregiver mental illness was associated with higher child AL (adjusted IRR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.01-1.58). AL was also associated with poorer perceived child general health (adjusted β = -0.87, 95% CI = -1.58 to -0.15) and greater odds of child obesity (adjusted odds ratio = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.23-1.89).ConclusionsMeasuring AL in a pediatric population requires careful consideration of age. Higher AL was associated with a greater number of reported adversities and worse child health