Interrupting the Response of \u3ci\u3eDendroctonus Simplex\u3c/i\u3e Leconte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) to Compounds That Elicit Aggregation of Adults

The eastern larch beetle, Dendroctonus simplex LeConte (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is a native bark beetle that has caused significant mortality to tamarack, Larix laricinia, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The effectiveness of potentially attractive chemicals for D. simplex was tested and the most attractive compound, seudenol, was used in subsequent studies to test interruptants against D. simplex. Verbenone, methylcyclohexenone (MCH), and 4-allylanisole were tested as potential interruptants in combination with seudenol. Catches of D. simplex in traps baited with seudenol and MCH were not significantly different from catches in unbaited control traps, indicating successful interruption of the response to seudenol by MCH. Verbenone released at commercially available doses significantly increased catches of D. simplex in traps baited with seudenol, however it did not catch significantly more D. simplex than the unbaited control traps when released alone. Traps baited with 4-allylanisole did not significantly reduce the number of D. simplex captured compared to traps baited solely with seudenol. The potential for MCH to be used to protect individual trees and in stand level management of D. simplex is discussed

Comparing fishers\u27 and scientists\u27 estimates of size-at-maturity and maximum body size as indicators of overfishing

We tested whether fishers’ local ecological knowledge (LEK) of two fish life-history parameters, size at maturity (SAM) at maximum body size (MS), was comparable to scientific estimates (SEK) of the same parameters, and whether LEK influenced fishers’ perceptions of sustainability. Local ecological knowledge was documented for 82 fishers from a small-scale fishery in Samaná Bay, Dominican Republic, whereas SEK was compiled from the scientific literature. Size at maturity estimates derived from LEK and SEK overlapped for most of the 15 commonly harvested species (10 of 15). In contrast, fishers’ maximum size estimates were usually lower than (eight species), or overlapped with (five species) scientific estimates. Fishers’ size-based estimates of catch composition indicate greater potential for overfishing than estimates based on SEK. Fishers’ estimates of size at capture relative to size at maturity suggest routine inclusion of juveniles in the catch (9 of 15 species), and fishers’ estimates suggest that harvested fish are substantially smaller than maximum body size for most species (11 of 15 species). Scientific estimates also suggest that harvested fish are generally smaller than maximum body size (13 of 15), but suggest that the catch is dominated by adults for most species (9 of 15 species), and that juveniles are present in the catch for fewer species (6 of 15). Most Samaná fishers characterized the current state of their fishery as poor (73%) and as having changed for the worse over the past 20 yr (60%). Fishers stated that concern about overfishing, catching small fish, and catching immature fish contributed to these perceptions, indicating a possible influence of catch-size composition on their perceptions. Future work should test this link more explicitly because we found no evidence that the minority of fishers with more positive perceptions of their fishery reported systematically different estimates of catch-size composition than those with the more negative majority view. Although fishers’ and scientific estimates of size at maturity and maximum size parameters sometimes differed, the fact that fishers make routine quantitative assessments of maturity and body size suggests potential for future collaborative monitoring efforts to generate estimates usable by scientists and meaningful to fishers

The Influence of Course Format, Student Characteristics, and Perceived Teacher Communication and Behavior on Instructional Outcomes Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Two studies examined instructional format (intact vs. hybrid and remote vs. online), classroom climate, student characteristics (engagement and communication apprehension), perceived teacher communication and behavior (teacher competence, clarity, caring), and their influence on instructional outcomes, including cognitive learning, communication satisfaction, and intent to persist in college pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. The findings highlight the important role teacher characteristics (caring, clarity, competence) played in instructional outcomes. This study also revealed that high levels of engagement signals students’ willingness to participate in the learning process. Students are a driving force in their own cognitive learning, communication satisfaction, and intent to persist in college. No statistically significant differences were found in instructional outcomes across various instructional formats

Estimating Pasture Land Cover in the New England Region of Northern New South Wales

Land cover across the southern Australian temperate agricultural region comprises primarily of native pasture, introduced improved pastures and crops for livestock production and also perennial remnant vegetation. A feed-base pasture audit was carried out throughout southern Australia commencing mid-year 2011 (Donald and Burge 2012; Donald et al. 2012). The purpose of the audit was to map and analyse information obtained about the pasture feed-base for livestock production by surveying Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) across the southern states. The purpose of this Feed-Base audit was to survey pastures within agricultural NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and South-Western Australia, collate these data into an organised database, and prepare a short report and summarise by tabulating and mapping pasture species abundance and distribution. Data collected were based on “desk-top estimates” by state district agronomists and agricultural consultants. In this paper a method using satellite imagery is described on how more objective assessments of pasture types can be provided as a means to discriminate between the SLA’s major pasture classes far more objectively than by visual assessment. Satellite remote sensing may be used to define landcover classes for large regional areas. A number of procedures have been developed to discriminate between pastures, crop and woody vegetation (for example Hill et al. 1997, Emelyanova et al. 2008). In the Hill study (Hill et al. 1997) NOAA AVHRR NDVI provided spatial land cover maps of pasture cover at 1 km resolution. The classifications results in that study showed that satellite information may be used to help in the interpretation of pasture survey results, and in turn, the survey data can provide some validation data for the pasture types ascribed to the remotely sensed classes. In this study daily temporal continental scale imagery from 250 m2 resolution TERRA and AQUA satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) composited into weekly continental images provided a means to assess temporal profile of spectral greenness over the growing season

The disconnect between knowledge and perceptions: A study of fishermen’s local ecological knowledge and their perception of the state of fisheries and how these are managed in the Dominican Republic

Understanding what fishers know about the ecology of the fish they catch, and how they perceive the state and management of their fisheries can guide efforts towards more sustainable fishing practices. We tested relationships between fishers’ local ecological knowledge (LEK) and their perceptions of their fisheries and of marine protected areas in the Dominican Republic. A qualitative-quantitative methodological sequence using data from interviews with 152 multi-species fishers revealed variable, but generally high levels of LEK, particularly of habitat use and predator–prey interactions. The majority reported negative perceptions of the state of their fishery and were aware of local management actions. Contrary to study expectations, we found that fishers’ LEK, measured by Cultural Consensus Analysis, did not significantly co-vary with their perceptions of the state of fisheries or with their awareness of, and support for, marine protected areas. These results highlight the need to identify and understand barriers to information flow and communication in local fisheries’ social/political networks

New proof-of-concept in viral inactivation: virucidal efficacy of 405 nm light against feline calicivirus as a model for norovirus decontamination

The requirement for novel decontamination technologies for use in hospitals is ever present. One such system uses 405 nm visible light to inactivate microorganisms via ROS-generated oxidative damage. Although effective for bacterial and fungal inactivation, little is known about the virucidal effects of 405 nm light. Norovirus (NoV) gastroenteritis outbreaks often occur in the clinical setting, and this study was designed to investigate potential inactivation effects of 405 nm light on the NoV surrogate, feline calicivirus (FCV). FCV was exposed to 405 nm light whilst suspended in minimal and organically-rich media to establish the virucidal efficacy and the effect biologically-relevant material may play in viral susceptibility. Antiviral activity was successfully demonstrated with a 4 Log10 (99.99%) reduction in infectivity when suspended in minimal media evident after a dose of 2.8 kJ cm−2. FCV exposed in artificial faeces, artificial saliva, blood plasma and other organically rich media exhibited an equivalent level of inactivation using between 50–85% less dose of the light, indicating enhanced inactivation when the virus is present in organically-rich biologically-relevant media. Further research in this area could aid in the development of 405 nm light technology for effective NoV decontamination within the hospital environment

Early, intensive marine resource exploitation by Middle Stone Age humans at Ysterfontein 1 rockshelter, South Africa

Modern human behavioral innovations from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) include the earliest indicators of full coastal adaptation evidenced by shell middens, yet many MSA middens remain poorly dated. We apply ²³⁰Th/U burial dating to ostrich eggshells (OES) from Ysterfontein 1 (YFT1, Western Cape, South Africa), a stratified MSA shell midden. ²³⁰Th/U burial ages of YFT1 OES are relatively precise (median ± 2.7%), consistent with other age constraints, and preserve stratigraphic principles. Bayesian age–depth modeling indicates YFT1 was deposited between 119.9 to 113.1 thousand years ago (ka) (95% CI of model ages), and the entire 3.8 m thick midden may have accumulated within ∼2,300 y. Stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopes of OES indicate that during occupation the local environment was dominated by C₃ vegetation and was initially significantly wetter than at present but became drier and cooler with time. Integrating archaeological evidence with OES ²³⁰Th/U ages and stable isotopes shows the following: 1) YFT1 is the oldest shell midden known, providing minimum constraints on full coastal adaptation by ∼120 ka; 2) despite rapid sea-level drop and other climatic changes during occupation, relative shellfish proportions and sizes remain similar, suggesting adaptive foraging along a changing coastline; 3) the YFT1 lithic technocomplex is similar to other west coast assemblages but distinct from potentially synchronous industries along the southern African coast, suggesting human populations were fragmented between seasonal rainfall zones; and 4) accumulation rates (up to 1.8 m/ka) are much higher than previously observed for dated, stratified MSA middens, implying more intense site occupation akin to Later Stone Age middens

The Use of Professional Seminars to Prepare Future Faculty for Teaching Basic Communication Courses

We focus in this essay on three substantive accomplishments of professional seminars that merit attention because of their ramifications for how we teach and learn in basic communication courses: (1) accomplishing teaching, research, and service as inter-related scholarly acts, (2) interlacing stories of our discipline with stories of learners’ lives, and (3) providing institutionalized support for teaching and learning. Additionally, we offer example reading lists and assignment sheets (see Appendices A, B, and C) in hopes that such resources might prove useful for other graduate programs committed to holistic preparation for students entering the academy

Emergency supply of prescription-only medicines to patients by community pharmacists: a mixed methods evaluation incorporating patient, pharmacist and GP perspectives

Objective To evaluate and inform emergency supply of prescription-only medicines by community pharmacists (CPs), including how the service could form an integral component of established healthcare provision to maximise adherence. Design Mixed methods. 4 phases: prospective audit of emergency supply requests for prescribed medicines (October–November 2012 and April 2013); interviews with CPs (February–April 2013); follow-up interviews with patients (April–May 2013); interactive feedback sessions with general practice teams (October–November 2013). Setting 22 community pharmacies and 6 general practices in Northwest England. Participants 27 CPs with experience of dealing with requests for emergency supplies; 25 patients who received an emergency supply of a prescribed medicine; 58 staff at 6 general practices. Results Clinical audit in 22 pharmacies over two 4-week periods reported that 526 medicines were requested by 450 patients. Requests peaked over a bank holiday and around weekends. A significant number of supplies were made during practice opening hours. Most requests were for older patients and for medicines used in long-term conditions. Difficulty in renewing repeat medication (forgetting to order, or prescription delays) was the major reason for requests. The majority of medicines were ‘loaned’ in advance of a National Health Service (NHS) prescription. Interviews with CPs and patients indicated that continuous supply had a positive impact on medicines adherence, removing the need to access urgent care. General practice staff were surprised and concerned by the extent of emergency supply episodes. Conclusions CPs regularly provide emergency supplies to patients who run out of their repeat medication, including during practice opening hours. This may aid adherence. There is currently no feedback loop, however, to general practice. Patient care and interprofessional communication may be better served by the introduction of a formally structured and funded NHS emergency supply service from community pharmacies, with ongoing optimisation of repeat prescribing