A review of the processes and effects of droughts and summer floods in rivers and threats due to climate change on current adaptive strategies

Europe is expected to experience a greater frequency of floods and droughts as precipitation and evapotranspiration patterns are modified by climate change in future. Several large scale drought and flooding events have occurred in Europe since 2000. Studies of drought are rare but indicate important impacts on freshwater habitats, water quality, plants and animals, which may have wider consequences for ecosystem functioning. The main factors determining the impacts of droughts and floods are event duration and seasonality of the event. A diverse habitat distribution and the presence of refugia at the reach scale confer the most resilience against droughts and floods. Management measures will also be impacted particularly with regard to riparian zones, channel morphology, flow and floodplain connectivity. However there is a conflict between management actions that target the effects of drought, and those that target floods. This report reviews information on droughts and aseasonal floods (summer floods) published since 2000 with a principal focus on small lowland rivers. Using several recent (post 2000) reviews on these topics, we describe abiotic and biotic effects of droughts and floods, providing recent European examples where possible. We explain the current status of droughts and summer floods in Europe, and where the main sources of data can be found. We highlight the threats posed by these phenomena to some of the most common current adaptive management strategies in place in the EU. To this end we use measures already described within REFRESH under Deliverables 1.1 and 1.2, and we focused solely on adaptive measures relating to riparian zones, channel morphology, flow and floodplain connectivity

Distribution of two rotation-resistant corn pests in eastern Iowa and effects of soybean varieties on biology of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera

The western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (WCR) and the northern corn rootworm Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence (NCR) are two significant insect pests of corn in North America. Both species have adapted to crop rotation in the Midwest, NCR through extended diapause and WCR by ovipositing in alternative crops. We conducted surveys during 2008 and 2009 to collect data on the presence of rotation-resistant NCR and WCR. Data were collected by placing Pherocon AM sticky traps in soybean and corn fields and by placing emergence cages in corn fields. Rotation-resistant WCR was most common in the northeastern and east-central Iowa, although no populations were above the economic threshold. Rotation-resistant NCR was found throughout eastern Iowa, the majority captured in the north-central and south-central regions. In 2009 a laboratory study was conducted to test whether soybean varieties with varying resistance to soybean aphid Aphis glycines affected survival and fecundity of several WCR strains. Soybean varieties included lines with resistance genes rag1 and rag1/rag3 as well as a near yisoline that lacked rag1 or rag1/rag3. All WCR strains displayed similar longevity, fecundity, and consumption of leaf tissue across the soybean lines tested. We interpret the results of our laboratory study to indicate that soybean varieties with rag1and rag1/rag3 resistance to A. glycines are selectively neutral for rotation-resistance trait in WCR

Energy analysis of cool, medium, and dark roofs on residential buildings in the U.S.

This study reports an energy analysis of cool, medium, and dark roofs on residential buildings in the U.S. Three analyses were undertaken in this study: energy consumption, economic analysis, and an environmental analysis. The energy consumption reports the electricity and natural gas consumption of the simulations. The economic analysis uses tools such as simple payback period (SPP) and net present value (NPV) to determine the profitability of the cool roof and the medium roof. The variable change for each simulation model was the roof color. The default color was a dark roof and the results were focused on the changes produced by the cool roof and the medium roof. The environmental analysis uses CO2 emissions to assess the environmental impact of the cool roof and the medium roof. The analysis uses the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) EnergyPlus software to produce simulations of a typical, two-story residential home in the U.S. The building details of the typical, two-story U.S. residential home and the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) building code standards used are discussed in this study. This study indicates that, when material and labor costs are assessed, the cool roof and the medium roof do not yield a SPP less than 10 years. Furthermore, the NPV results assess that neither the cool roof nor the medium roof are a profitable investment in any climate zone in the U.S. The environmental analysis demonstrates that both the cool roof and the medium roof have a positive impact in warmer climates by reducing the CO2 emissions as much as 264 kg and 129 kg, respectively

The TrueBlue study : is practice nurse-led collaborative care effective in the management of depression for patients with heart disease or diabetes?

Background: In the presence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) or coronary heart disease (CHD), depression is under diagnosed and under treated despite being associated with worse clinical outcomes. Our earlier pilot study demonstrated that it was feasible, acceptable and affordable for practice nurses to extend their role to include screening for and monitoring of depression alongside biological and lifestyle risk factors. The current study will compare the clinical outcomes of our model of practice nurse-led collaborative care with usual care for patients with depression and T2DM or CHD.Methods: This is a cluster-randomised intervention trial. Eighteen general practices from regional and metropolitan areas agreed to join this study, and were allocated randomly to an intervention or control group. We aim to recruit 50 patients with co-morbid depression and diabetes or heart disease from each of these practices. In the intervention group, practice nurses (PNs) will be trained for their enhanced roles in this nurse-led collaborative care study. Patients will be invited to attend a practice nurse consultation every 3 months prior to seeing their usual general practitioner. The PN will assess psychological, physiological and lifestyle parameters then work with the patient to set management goals. The outcome of this assessment will form the basis of a GP Management Plan document. In the control group, the patients will continue to receive their usual care for the first six months of the study before the PNs undergo the training and switch to the intervention protocol. The primary clinical outcome will be a reduction in the depression score. The study will also measure the impact on physiological measures, quality of life and on patient attitude to health care delivered by practice nurses.Conclusion: The strength of this programme is that it provides a sustainable model of chronic disease management with monitoring and self-management assistance for physiological, lifestyle and psychological risk factors for high-risk patients with co-morbid depression, diabetes or heart disease. The study will demonstrate whether nurse-led collaborative care achieves better outcomes than usual care.<br /

Effect of Soybean Varieties on Survival and Fecundity of Western Corn Rootworm

The western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a major pest of corn (Zea mays L.) in North America and has evolved resistance to crop rotation by ovipositing in alternate crops such as soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Through experiments with plants grown in the greenhouse and the field, we tested whether soybeans with resistance to the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), affected survival, fecundity, and consumption of soybean for D. v. virgifera. Soybean varieties tested included those types resistant to A. glycines (Rag1 and rag1/rag3) and a susceptible near isoline of the Rag1 variety. Females were provided with a diet of corn tissue for 4 d after which they were fed a diet of tissue from one of three soybean varieties for 4 d, starved for 4 d, or fed corn tissue. When fed greenhouse grown plants, strains differed significantly in survival and consumption, but consumption did not differ by variety of soybean. Diet treatment only affected fecundity; individuals fed corn continuously had greater fecundity than those individuals fed soybeans. In the experiment with plants grown in the field, leaf consumption differed among strains and individuals fed corn continuously had greater fecundity than the other treatments. Soybean varieties with Rag1 and rag1/rag3 resistance toA. glycines did not appear to affect the fitness of D. v. virgifera. Thus, planting of these A. glycines-resistant soybean varieties should not directly affect the spread of rotation-resistant D. v. virgifera

Abundance and Distribution of Western and Northern Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica spp.) and Prevalence of Rotation Resistance in Eastern Iowa

The western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and the northern corn rootworm Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are major pests of corn (Zea mays L.). Historically, crop rotation has been an effective management strategy, but both species have adapted to crop rotation in the Midwest. For both species in eastern Iowa, we measured abundance and prevalence of rotation resistance using sticky traps and emergence cages in fields of corn and soybean (Glycine max L.). Based on currently available data, we calculated the economic thresholds for these pests at two Diabrotica spp. per trap per day in cornfields and 1.5 D. v. virgifera per trap per day in soybean fields. The economic injury level of rotation-resistant D. barberi was determined to be 3.5 adult insects per emergence cage per year. Peak abundance of rootworm adults in cornfields was below economic thresholds in the majority of fields sampled, suggesting that management of rootworm larvae in continuous cornfields may not always be necessary. Rotation-resistant D. barberi was found throughout eastern Iowa using emergence cages in first-year cornfields, however, the abundance was below levels expected to impose economic injury in 14 of 17 fields evaluated. The presence of rotation-resistant D. v. virgifera, as measured by the occurrence of this insect in soybean fields, occurred only in northeastern Iowa and was also below the economic threshold. These data suggests that crop rotation remains a viable pest management strategy in eastern Iowa

True White Grub Identification and Management

Some grub activity in corn has been noted this growing season. Ideally, scouting for true white grubs should occur prior to planting, however, most people do not realize they have an infestation until stand loss occurs. Areas that were previously pasture or sewn to grass should be monitored for their presence. Grubs are more likely to be found in fields close to cottonwood or willow trees. In some instances, the presence of true white grubs within field crops is not well understood

True Armyworms Defoliating Corn Seedlings

The true armyworm is a migratory pest from the southern U.S. that feeds on the leaf tissue of early and late vegetative corn. Adult true armyworm moths are attracted to fields that contain living ground cover, which include fields with grassy weeds or cover crops such as rye or grass. Fields that are minimum, no-till, or contain a cover crop should be scouted for true armyworms in May and June (Fig. 1). Upon arrival, the female moth will lay eggs onto the living ground cover. After hatching, the young larvae will feed on these plants until the plants are completely consumed or removed with herbicides. When the initial host plants are no longer available, the larvae will then move to corn. True armyworm larvae are identified by dull orange stripes found on each side of their body (Fig. 2). In addition to the six legs found on the thorax of the true armyworm, they also have four prolegs with dark bands on their abdomen (Fig. 3A). True armyworms are also identified by the network of black lines present on their orange head capsule (Fig. 3B). On injured plants, larvae can generally be found in the whorl of the plant

NICOTINE DEPENDENCE AND LABORATORY CUE-INDUCED CIGARETTE CRAVING

NICOTINE DEPENDENCE AND LABORATORY CUE-INDUCED CIGARETTE CRAVING Michael Dunbar, M.S. University of Pittsburgh, 2011 Background: The relationship between laboratory cue-induced craving and nicotine dependence is unclear. Some models consider cue-induced craving part of dependence, while others imply that responsiveness to cues disappears with dependence. These relationships are further complicated by different measures of nicotine dependence and craving. Method: Participants (n=207, 57% men) were daily smokers averaging 15.92 (6.70) cigarettes per day. We examined data from 4 cue-reactivity sessions, with cue sets (smoking, negative affect, positive affect, neutral) counterbalanced across sessions. In each session, after a 30-minute deprivation period, participants viewed 30 cue-relevant photos validated for content and shown over 3 minutes (6 seconds each). Participants rated their craving before and after cues (QSU-Brief, scaled as 1-49). Participants completed measures of nicotine dependence (FTND, NDSS, WISDM-68), which were used to predict craving. Multiple regression models were used to predict cue-induced craving (pre-post cue change scores) for QSU Factors 1 and 2. Results: Dependence measures were associated with background craving across sessions, but did not predict cue change in craving (Factor 1 or 2) for any cue. Conclusion: Laboratory cue-induced craving in response to smoking-relevant cues is unrelated to nicotine dependence, as traditionally assessed. Future work should investigate the relationship between reactivity to cues and actual smoking behavior, in order to better understand how reactivity to cues and dependence may function independently or synergistically to influence smoking behavior