Oviposition and Development of Emerald Ash Borer \u3ci\u3e(Agrilus Planipennis)\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on Hosts and Potential Hosts in No-Choice Bioassays

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Bupres- tidae) is an invasive phloem-feeding pest native to Asia. It was first identified in North America in 2002 and has killed millions of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in southeast Michigan and Essex County, Ontario. Since then, additional populations have been discovered across Michigan and in areas of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In Asia, A. planipennis reportedly colonizes other genera, including species of Juglans, Pterocarya and Ulmus. In North America, attacks on non-ash species have not been observed but there is concern about host switching as ash mortality progresses. From 2003 to 2005, we evaluated A. planipennis oviposition and larval development on 4 North American ash species: green ash (F. pennsylvanica Marshall), white ash (F. americana L.), black ash (F. nigra Marshall), blue ash (F. quadrangulata Michaux), and 6 potential alternate hosts including privet (Ligustrum and Forestiera spp.), Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulate (Blumb) Hara), American elm (Ulmus americana L.), black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), hickory (Carya ovata (Miller) K. Koch) and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.). In no- choice tests using cut branches in cages, female A. planipennis oviposited on all species tested. Larvae on green ash, white ash, black ash, blue ash and privet developed to the second instar before branches desiccated. Larvae attempted to feed on some black walnut, Japanese tree lilac, American elm and hackberry branches but died as first instars. There were no feeding attempts on hickory branches. We also conducted no-choice tests by placing adult A. planipennis in cages that encircled the lower 1 m of the trunk of live green ash, white ash, black walnut and Japanese tree lilac nursery trees. High densities of larvae developed on green ash and white ash nursery trees but there was no evidence of any larval survival, feeding, or development on the Japanese tree lilac or black walnut nursery trees

Unraveling the Helix Nebula: Its Structure and Knots

Through HST imaging of the inner part of the main-ring of the Helix Nebula together with CTIO 4-m images of the fainter outer parts, we have an unprecedented-quality view of the nearest bright planetary nebula. These images have allowed determination that the main-ring of the nebula is composed of an inner-disk of about 499\arcsec diameter (0.52 pc) surrounded by an outer-ring (in reality a torus) of 742\arcsec diameter (0.77 pc) whose plane is highly inclined to the plane of the disk. This outer-ring is surrounded by an outermost-ring of 1500\arcsec (1.76 pc) diameter which is flattened on the side colliding with the ambient interstellar medium. The inner-disk has an extended distribution of low density gas along its rotational axis of symmetry and the disk is optically thick to ionizing radiation, as is the outer-ring. Published radial velocities of the knots provides support for the two-component structure of the main-ring of the nebula and to the idea that the knots found there are expanding along with the nebular material from which it recently originated. There is a change in the morphology of the knots as a function of the distance from the local ionization front. This supports a scenario in which the knots are formed in or near the ionization front and are then sculpted by the stellar radiation from the central star as the ionization front advances beyond them.Comment: 30 pages, 20 figures, many figures have reduce fidelity for astroph preprint. Note: URLs in preprint were change

Oviposition and Development of Emerald Ash Borer \u3ci\u3e(Agrilus Planipennis)\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) on Hosts and Potential Hosts in No-Choice Bioassays

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Bupres- tidae) is an invasive phloem-feeding pest native to Asia. It was first identified in North America in 2002 and has killed millions of ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees in southeast Michigan and Essex County, Ontario. Since then, additional populations have been discovered across Michigan and in areas of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In Asia, A. planipennis reportedly colonizes other genera, including species of Juglans, Pterocarya and Ulmus. In North America, attacks on non-ash species have not been observed but there is concern about host switching as ash mortality progresses. From 2003 to 2005, we evaluated A. planipennis oviposition and larval development on 4 North American ash species: green ash (F. pennsylvanica Marshall), white ash (F. americana L.), black ash (F. nigra Marshall), blue ash (F. quadrangulata Michaux), and 6 potential alternate hosts including privet (Ligustrum and Forestiera spp.), Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulate (Blumb) Hara), American elm (Ulmus americana L.), black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), hickory (Carya ovata (Miller) K. Koch) and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.). In no- choice tests using cut branches in cages, female A. planipennis oviposited on all species tested. Larvae on green ash, white ash, black ash, blue ash and privet developed to the second instar before branches desiccated. Larvae attempted to feed on some black walnut, Japanese tree lilac, American elm and hackberry branches but died as first instars. There were no feeding attempts on hickory branches. We also conducted no-choice tests by placing adult A. planipennis in cages that encircled the lower 1 m of the trunk of live green ash, white ash, black walnut and Japanese tree lilac nursery trees. High densities of larvae developed on green ash and white ash nursery trees but there was no evidence of any larval survival, feeding, or development on the Japanese tree lilac or black walnut nursery trees

How men view genetic testing for prostate cancer risk: findings from focus groups

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65567/1/j.1399-0004.2000.580303.x.pd

Population genetic variation in gene expression is associated with phenotypic variation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

BACKGROUND: The relationship between genetic variation in gene expression and phenotypic variation observable in nature is not well understood. Identifying how many phenotypes are associated with differences in gene expression and how many gene-expression differences are associated with a phenotype is important to understanding the molecular basis and evolution of complex traits. RESULTS: We compared levels of gene expression among nine natural isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae grown either in the presence or absence of copper sulfate. Of the nine strains, two show a reduced growth rate and two others are rust colored in the presence of copper sulfate. We identified 633 genes that show significant differences in expression among strains. Of these genes, 20 were correlated with resistance to copper sulfate and 24 were correlated with rust coloration. The function of these genes in combination with their expression pattern suggests the presence of both correlative and causative expression differences. But the majority of differentially expressed genes were not correlated with either phenotype and showed the same expression pattern both in the presence and absence of copper sulfate. To determine whether these expression differences may contribute to phenotypic variation under other environmental conditions, we examined one phenotype, freeze tolerance, predicted by the differential expression of the aquaporin gene AQY2. We found freeze tolerance is associated with the expression of AQY2. CONCLUSIONS: Gene expression differences provide substantial insight into the molecular basis of naturally occurring traits and can be used to predict environment dependent phenotypic variation

Developing autonomous learning in first year university students using perspectives from positive psychology

Autonomous learning is a commonly occurring learning outcome from university study, and it is argued that students require confidence in their own abilities to achieve this. Using approaches from positive psychology, this study aimed to develop confidence in first‐year university students to facilitate autonomous learning. Psychological character strengths were assessed in 214 students on day one at university. Two weeks later their top three strengths were given to them in study skills modules as part of a psycho‐educational intervention designed to increase their self‐efficacy and self‐esteem. The impact of the intervention was assessed against a control group of 40 students who had not received the intervention. The results suggested that students were more confident after the intervention, and that levels of autonomous learning increased significantly compared to the controls. Character strengths were found to be associated with self‐efficacy, self‐esteem and autonomous learning in ways that were theoretically meaningful

Dynamics of Quasi-ordered Structure in a Regio-regulated pi-Conjugated Polymer:Poly(4-methylthiazole-2,5-diyl)

Dynamics of regio-regulated Poly(4-methylthiazole-2,5-diyl) [HH-P4MeTz] was inves tigated by solid-state 1H, 2D, 13C NMR spectroscopies, and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) measurements. DSC, 2D quadrupolar echo NMR, 13C cross-polarization and magic-angle spinning(CPMAS) NMR, and 2D spin-echo(2DSE) CPMAS NMR spectroscopy suggest existence of a quasi-ordered phase in which backbone twists take place with weakened pi-stackings. Two-dimensional exchange 2D NMR(2DEX) detected slow dynamics with a rate of an order of 10^2Hz for the CD_3 group in d_3-HH-P4MeTz at 288K. The frequency dependence of proton longitudinal relaxation rate at 288K shows a omega^-1/2 dependence, which is due to the one-dimensional diffusion-like motion of backbone conformational modulation waves. The diffusion rate was estimated as 3+/-2 GHz, which was approximately 10^7 times larger than that estimated by 2DEX NMR measurements. These results suggest that there exists anomalous dispersion of modulation waves in HH-P4MeTz. The one-dimensional group velocity of the wave packet is responsible for the behavior of proton longitudinal relaxation time. On the other hand, the 2DEX NMR is sensitive to phase velocity of the nutation of methyl groups that is associated with backbone twists. From proton T_1 and T_2 measurements, the activation energy was estimated as 2.9 and 3.4 kcal/mol, respectively. These were in agreement with 3.0 kcal/mol determined by Moller-Plesset(MP2) molecular orbital(MO) calculation. We also performed chemical shielding calculation of the methyl-carbon in order to understand chemical shift tensor behavior, leading to the fact that a quasi-ordered phase coexist with the crystalline phase.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, to appear in Phys.Rev.

Conjoint analysis of researchers' hidden preferences for bibliometrics, altmetrics, and usage metrics

The amount of annually published scholarly articles is growing steadily, as is the number of indicators through which impact of publications is measured. Little is known about how the increasing variety of available metrics affects researchers' processes of selecting literature to read. We conducted ranking experiments embedded into an online survey with 247 participating researchers, most from social sciences. Participants completed series of tasks in which they were asked to rank fictitious publications regarding their expected relevance, based on their scores regarding six prototypical metrics. Through applying logistic regression, cluster analysis, and manual coding of survey answers, we obtained detailed data on how prominent metrics for research impact influence our participants in decisions about which scientific articles to read. Survey answers revealed a combination of qualitative and quantitative characteristics that researchers consult when selecting literature, while regression analysis showed that among quantitative metrics, citation counts tend to be of highest concern, followed by Journal Impact Factors. Our results suggest a comparatively favorable view of many researchers on bibliometrics and widespread skepticism toward altmetrics. The findings underline the importance of equipping researchers with solid knowledge about specific metrics' limitations, as they seem to play significant roles in researchers' everyday relevance assessments