The parasitoids of the African white rice borer, Maliarpha separatella Ragonot (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

A key is provided for the recognition of the hymenopterous parasitoids of the African white rice borer, Maliarpha separatella Ragonot, a pest of rice in Africa and Madagascar. Five species are described as new: Braconidae: Chelonus maudae Huddleston, Rhacanotus carinafus Polaszek; Ichneumonidae: Prisfomerus bullis Fitton, Prisfomerus caris Fitton, Venturia jordanae Fitton. The following synonyms are proposed: Goniozus indicus Muesebeck, G. natalensis Gordh and G. procerae Risbec are synonymized with Goniozus indicus Ashmead. Phanerotorna major Brues is synonymized with Phanerotoma saussurei Kohl. Lectotypes are designated for Goniozus procerae Risbec, Rhaconotus scirpophagae Wilkinson and Garouella ovicida Risbec. The known distributions, biologies and alternative hosts of each parasitoid are provided, and their use as biological control agents or components of integrated pest management programmes are discusse

Life Stress and Industrial Accidents

Traditional personality research on accident behavior has produced conflicting opinions as to the traits that describe the "accident-prone" personality type. Other research has shown that psychosocial life stress, while partially determining the temporal onset of a variety of illnesses, may also be a factor contributing to increased accident liability. This study examined the role of temporary and stress-producing life changes in groups of accident-free and accident-involved industrial employees. The accident sample was found to have significantly higher stress over baseline during the period of accident involvement, but generally lower pre-accident levels than the non-accident sample. A cause-effect analysis of the data from within the accident-involved sample proved inconclusive. Several implications for future research and managerial actions to alleviate stress were also discussed

Maximizing Educator Enhancement: Aligned Seminar And Online Professional Development

Professional development and learning has a long history in seminar-like models, as well as in the more educator-personal delivery approaches.  The question is whether an intentionally coordinated, integrated combination of the two PDL approaches will have best impacts for educators as quantified in improved student performance.  Contrasts between baseline and Post-Program performance levels showed 19% gains in Reading and 24% gains in Math, significantly beyond expectation.  Analyses for Title 1 schools showed significant shrinkage of performance gaps with contrasted non-Title 1 schools.  These gains outpaced those found for either PDL approach alone, indicating that educational leaders will be wise to undertake implementation of intentionally aligned and coordinated approaches combining PDL Seminars with online, on-demand PDL.

A late santonian fish-fauna from the eutaw formation of Alabama reconstructed from otoliths

The otoliths described here from the Late Santonian of the Eutaw Formation of Alabama, represent one of the earliest association of teleost otoliths known from North America and it is remarkable for its good preservation and species diversity. They were collected by the late C.K. Lamber in 1969 from a road cut on the Hurtsboro-Marvyn highway south of Marvyn in Russell County, eastern Alabama. It contains 18 taxa based on sagittae otoliths, of which 14 are identifiable to the species level, 10 species are new to science and five new genera. The new otolith-based genera are: Allogenartina n. gen. (Stomiiformes family indet.), Pseudotrichiurus n. gen. (Aulopiformes family indet.), Eutawichthys n. gen. (Beryciformes family indet.), Cowetaichthys n. gen. (Polymixiidae) and Vox n. gen. (Teleostei family indet.); the new species are: Elops eutawanus n. sp., Genartina cretacea n. sp., Allogenartina muscogeei n. sp., Pseudotrichiurus sagax n. sp., Apateodus? assisi n. sp., Eutawichthys compressus n. sp., Eutawichthys stringeri n. sp., Cowetaichthys alabamae n. sp., Cowetaichthys lamberi n. sp. and Vox thlotlo n. sp. In addition, 8 different morphologies are recognized based on lapilli otoliths, which however cannot be identified to a distinct taxonomic level except for a species of the Ariidae. Two taxa can be related to otoliths recently recorded in situ, pertaining to the genera Osmeroides and Apateodus. The otolith association bears much similarity with those of the Campanian to Maastrichtian of the USA described previously as indicated by the dominance of otoliths of the genera Eutawichthys and Osmeroides. Differences with those faunas are on the species level as well as in the accessory components. The abundance of otoliths of the albuliforms (Osmeroides), putative stomiiforms (Allogenartina), beryciform (Eutawichthys) and polymixiids (Cowetaichthys) characterizes a rather stable faunal composition through the entire Late Cretaceous of locations studied in the USA. The conundrum of interpreting the systematic position of isolated Late Cretaceous otoliths is discussed and the findings are correlated with the rich fish fauna known from articulated skeletons of the coeval Niobrara Formation. We consider the taxonomic position of the majority of isolated otoliths to be more or less consistent with the skeletal findings, but there are also a few otolith morphologies, which do not seem to have a skeletal equivalent in the Niobrara Formation, e.g. in osteoglossiforms, clupeiforms, stomiiforms and Ariidae

From Burdens To Benefits: The Societal Impact Of PDL-Enriched, Efficacy-Enhanced Educators

Societies continue to absorb increased burdens in cost for helping citizens unable to achieve at optimal levels.  Building on past research, we project educational benefits to offset current societal burdens through enhanced educator capabilities.  Studies reviewed show participation in a high-impact professional development and learning solution resulted in improved student performance and reduced dropout rates, reduced disciplinary rates and increased rates for college-bound, along with lower teacher turnover.  Computations show that generalization of such impacts should trade societal burdens for benefits at between $3.7 billion and$6.9 billion within the first year.  Cumulatively within 20 years the burdens converted to benefits are projected to exceed $85 billion.  Enhanced educator capabilities will substantively reduce needs and costs for societal programs, replaced with tangible benefits to all

Acute Aseptic Meningoencephalitis due to COVID-19 in an Otherwise Healthy Patient: A Case Report

Several studies have shown the extrapulmonary manifestations of COVID-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus. Although extrapulmonary manifestation to the heart, kidney, blood, and skin are common, neurological and cerebrovascular manifestations are rare with most of these cases being described in patients who also have the pulmonary manifestation of the disease. Here we present the case of an 18 year-old male with no prior history of respiratory symptoms who presented to the emergency department with altered mental status. Neurology was consulted and the patient was started empirical on ceftriaxone, vancomycin, dexamethasone, and acyclovir for meningoencephalitis. Urine drug screen, head CT, and brain MRI were negative. EEG revealed mild generalized slowing without epileptiform abnormalities. CSF analysis revealed RBC 2,230 (spun: clear, colorless), WBC 84 (segs 2%, lymphocytes 96%, monocytes 2%), protein 112 mg/dL, glucose 69 mmol/L, and gram stain with no polyps or organisms seen. CSF meningoencephalitis PCR panel for 14 common pathogens was negative. Due to recent contact with co-workers who tested positive, nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV2 PCR was ordered and it returned positive. This patient was diagnosed with acute aseptic meningoencephalitis due to COVID-19 and the vancomycin, ceftriaxone and acyclovir were discontinued. Patient’s encephalopathy improved and he was discharged home on oral steroids

On the making and taking of professionalism in the further education workplace

This paper examines the changing nature of professional practice in English further education. At a time when neo-liberal reform has significantly impacted on this under-researched and over-market-tested sector, little is known about who its practitioners are and how they construct meaning in their work. Sociological interest in the field has tended to focus on further education practitioners as either the subjects of market and managerial reform or as creative agents operating within the contradictions of audit and inspection cultures. In challenging such dualism, which is reflective of wider sociological thinking, the paper examines the ways in which agency and structure combine to produce a more transformative conception of the further education professional. The approach contrasts with a prevailing policy discourse that seeks to re-professionalise and modernise further education practice without interrogating either the terms of its professionalism or the neo-liberal practices in which it resides

Structure of the Jovian magnetodisk current sheet] initial Galileo observations

Abstract The ten!degree tilt of the Jovian magnetic dipole causes the magnetic equator to move back and forth across Jupiter|s rotational equator and the Galileo orbit that lies therein[ Beyond about 13 Jovian radii\ the equatorial current sheet thins and the magnetic structure changes from quasi!dipolar into magnetodisk!like with two regions of nearly radial but antiparallel magnetic _eld separated by a strong current layer[ The magnetic _eld at the center of the current sheet is very weak in this region[ Herein we examine the current sheet at radial distances from 13Ð44 Jovian radii[ We _nd that the magnetic structure very much resembles the structure seen at planetary magnetopause and tail current sheet crossings There is also transient or patchy reconnection in which short duration strong nor! mal components and fast~ows are seen "Russell and Elphic\ 0867#[ Steady!state reconnection has been con! _rmed only at the terrestrial magnetopause but evidence for transient reconnection has been found at Mercury "Russell and Walker\ 0874#^Earth "Russell and Elphic\ 0867# and Jupiter "Walker and Russell\ 0874#[ Finally\ there is apparently quiescent structure along the mag! netopause normal that seems not to lead to any dynami! cal consequences[ These structured\ but apparently quiescent\ normal components are seen at magnetopause crossings throughout the solar system "Huddleston et al [\ 0886#

Economic impacts of the United States of siting decisions for the international thermonuclear experimental reactor: Executive summary

This summary highlights the results of a study that examined and compared the probable short-term economic impacts of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) on the United States (U.S.) if (1) ITER were to be sited in the U.S. or (2) ITER were to be sited in one of the other countries that, along with the U.S., are currently participating in the ITER program. Life-cycle costs associated with ITER construction, operation, and decommissioning were analyzed to assess their economic impact. A number of possible U.S. {open_quotes}host{close_quotes} and U.S. {open_quotes}non-host{close_quotes} technology and cost-sharing arrangements were examined. The study examined both national and local/regional economic impacts, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), regional output, employment, income, and net exports. These impacts represent a portion of the complex, interrelated set of economic considerations that characterize U.S. host and U.S. non-host participation in ITER