Persistence of widespread moderate Spinosad resistance among wild melon fly (Zeugodacus cucurbitae) and oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) populations on the major Hawaiian islands.

Background: Insecticide resistance among invasive tephritid fruit flies poses a great risk to national food security and has the potential to disrupt quarantine and eradication programs, which rely on the efficacy of Spinosad to prevent widespread establishment in North America. During 2022 to 2023 we surveyed the extent of Spinosad resistance of two key species, oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis, and melon fly Zeugodacus cucurbitae, from 20 sites across five Hawaiian Islands including Kaua'i, O'ahu, Maui, Molokai and the "Big Island" (Hawai'i).

Results: We used topical thoracic applications of eight concentrations of Spinosad ranging from 0.

Avocado cultivar and tree-to-tree leaf compositional differences affect infestation severity of Pseudocysta perseae (Hemiptera: Tingidae).

Avocado lace bug, Pseudocysta perseae (Heidemann) (Hemiptera: Tingidae), is a sap-feeding insect that feeds on the underside of avocado leaves. First observed in 2019, P. perseae has spread throughout the Hawaiian islands, causing premature leaf drop and decrease in avocado yield.

Stability of Bimetallic PtRu - From Model Surfaces to Nanoparticulate Electrocatalysts.

Fundamental research campaigns in electrocatalysis often involve the use of model systems, such as single crystals or magnetron-sputtered thin films (single metals or metal alloys). The downsides of these approaches are that oftentimes only a limited number of compositions are picked and tested (guided by chemical intuition) and that the validity of trends is not verified under operating conditions typically present in real devices. These together can lead to deficient conclusions, hampering the direct application of newly discovered systems in real devices.

Dispersal stabilizes coupled ecological and evolutionary dynamics in a host-parasitoid system.

When ecological and evolutionary dynamics occur on comparable timescales, persistence of the ensuing eco-evolutionary dynamics requires both ecological and evolutionary stability. This unites key questions in ecology and evolution: How do species coexist, and what maintains genetic variation in a population? In this work, we investigated a host-parasitoid system in which pea aphid hosts rapidly evolve resistance to parasitoids. Field data and mathematical simulations showed that heterogeneity in parasitoid dispersal can generate variation in parasitism-mediated selection on hosts through time and space.

Valence shell electronically excited states of norbornadiene and quadricyclane.

The absolute photoabsorption cross sections of norbornadiene (NBD) and quadricyclane (QC), two isomers with chemical formula C7H8 that are attracting much interest for solar energy storage applications, have been measured from threshold up to 10.8 eV using the Fourier transform spectrometer at the SOLEIL synchrotron radiation facility. The absorption spectrum of NBD exhibits some sharp structure associated with transitions into Rydberg states, superimposed on several broad bands attributable to valence excitations.

Ultrafast electronic relaxation pathways of the molecular photoswitch quadricyclane.

The light-induced ultrafast switching between molecular isomers norbornadiene and quadricyclane can reversibly store and release a substantial amount of chemical energy. Prior work observed signatures of ultrafast molecular dynamics in both isomers upon ultraviolet excitation but could not follow the electronic relaxation all the way back to the ground state experimentally. Here we study the electronic relaxation of quadricyclane after exciting in the ultraviolet (201 nanometres) using time-resolved gas-phase extreme ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy combined with non-adiabatic molecular dynamics simulations.

Barriers and facilitators of following perioperative internal medicine recommendations by surgical teams: a sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study.

Background: Preoperative medical consultations add expense and burden for patients and the impact of these consults on patient outcomes is conflicting. Previous work suggests that 10-40% of preoperative medical consult recommendations are not followed. This limits measurement of the effect of perioperative medical consultation on patient outcomes and represents a quality gap, given the patient time and healthcare cost associated with consultation.

Seven-Year Experience From the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Supported Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials.

Importance: One major advantage of developing large, federally funded networks for clinical research in neurology is the ability to have a trial-ready network that can efficiently conduct scientifically rigorous projects to improve the health of people with neurologic disorders.

Observations: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Network for Excellence in Neuroscience Clinical Trials (NeuroNEXT) was established in 2011 and renewed in 2018 with the goal of being an efficient network to test between 5 and 7 promising new agents in phase II clinical trials. A clinical coordinating center, data coordinating center, and 25 sites were competitively chosen.

Motor Function Test Reliability During the NeuroNEXT Spinal Muscular Atrophy Infant Biomarker Study.

Background: The NeuroNEXT SMA Infant Biomarker Study, a two year, longitudinal, multi-center study of infants with SMA type 1 and healthy infants, presented a unique opportunity to assess multi-site rater reliability on three infant motor function tests (MFTs) commonly used to assess infants with SMA type 1.

Objective: To determine the effect of prospective MFT rater training and the effect of rater experience on inter-rater and intra-rater reliability for the Test of Infant Motor Performance Screening Items (TIMPSI), the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (CHOP-INTEND) and the Alberta Infant Motor Scale (AIMS).

Methods: Training was conducted utilizing a novel set of motor function test (MFT) videos to optimize accurate MFT administration and reliability for the study duration.

Incidence of in aquatic insects.

is a genus of intracellular bacteria typically found within the reproductive systems of insects that manipulates those systems of their hosts. While current estimates of incidence suggest that it infects approximately half of all arthropod species, these estimates are based almost entirely on terrestrial insects. No systematic survey of in aquatic insects has been performed.

Radiologic reporting for paranasal sinus computed tomography: a multi-institutional review of content and consistency.

Objectives/hypothesis: To optimize clinical care, radiologic reporting should consistently include clinically pertinent information. The purpose of this study was to: 1) determine the current satisfaction of otolaryngologists with paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) radiologic reporting and 2) evaluate the comprehensiveness of paranasal sinus CT radiologic reporting.

Study Design: Two parts: 1) A national survey of all practicing otolaryngologists in Canada and 2) a retrospective review of paranasal sinus CT scan radiologic reporting.

A CTSA-sponsored program for clinical research coordination: networking, education, and mentoring.

Upon receipt of the National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Award, the University of Iowa's Institute for Clinical and Translational Science committed to develop an infrastructure for research professionals. Three goals were established: (1) identification of research professionals within the University of Iowa, (2) development of an educational series, including orientation and continuing education, and (3) development of a mentoring system. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of development, initiation, and outcomes of a successful networking, educational, and mentoring system crafted for research professionals at the University of Iowa.

Remodelling the Rad9 checkpoint complex: preparing Rad53 for action.

DNA damage checkpoints are signal transduction pathways that are activated after genotoxic insults to protect genomic integrity. The Rad9 protein functions in the DNA damage checkpoint pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is essential for the Mec1-dependent activation of the effector kinase Rad53. We recently described the purification of two soluble distinct Rad9 complexes.

The budding yeast Rad9 checkpoint complex: chaperone proteins are required for its function.

Rad9 functions in the DNA-damage checkpoint pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In whole-cell extracts, Rad9 is found in large, soluble complexes, which have functions in amplifying the checkpoint signal. The two main soluble forms of Rad9 complexes that are found in cells exposed to DNA-damaging treatments were purified to homogeneity.

The MRN complex: coordinating and mediating the response to broken chromosomes.

The MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) protein complex has been linked to many DNA metabolic events that involve DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs). In vertebrate cells, all three components are encoded by essential genes, and hypomorphic mutations in any of the human genes can result in genome-instability syndromes. MRN is one of the first factors to be localized to the DNA lesion, where it might initially have a structural role by tethering together, and therefore stabilizing, broken chromosomes.

DNA double-strand break repair by homologous recombination.

The induction of double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA by exposure to DNA damaging agents, or as intermediates in normal cellular processes, constitutes a severe threat for the integrity of the genome. If not properly repaired, DSBs may result in chromosomal aberrations, which, in turn, can lead to cell death or to uncontrolled cell growth. To maintain the integrity of the genome, multiple pathways for the repair of DSBs have evolved during evolution: homologous recombination (HR), non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and single-strand annealing (SSA).

Differential expression and requirements for Schizosaccharomyces pombe RAD52 homologs in DNA repair and recombination.

In fission yeast two RAD52 homologs have been identified, rad22A(+) and rad22B(+). Two-hybrid experiments and GST pull-down assays revealed physical interaction between Rad22A and Rad22B, which is dependent on the N-terminal regions. Interaction with Rhp51 is dependent on the C-terminal parts of either protein.