The entomological impact of passive metofluthrin emanators against indoor Aedes aegypti: A randomized field trial.

Background: In the absence of vaccines or drugs, insecticides are the mainstay of Aedes-borne disease control. Their utility is challenged by the slow deployment of resources, poor community compliance and inadequate household coverage. Novel application methods are required.

Natural arbovirus infection rate and detectability of indoor female Aedes aegypti from Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.

Arbovirus infection in Aedes aegypti has historically been quantified from a sample of the adult population by pooling collected mosquitoes to increase detectability. However, there is a significant knowledge gap about the magnitude of natural arbovirus infection within areas of active transmission, as well as the sensitivity of detection of such an approach. We used indoor Ae.

Applying a Selection Experiment to Test for Fitness Costs of Bt Resistance in Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and the Effect of Density on Fitness Costs.

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is a serious pest of corn and is often managed with transgenic corn producing insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This pest has developed field-evolved resistance to all commercially available Bt traits, beginning with Cry3Bb1 in 2009. Fitness costs may accompany Bt resistance, where individuals with alleles for Bt resistance have reduced fitness on non-Bt corn compared to Bt-susceptible individuals.

Evaluation and Comparison of Spray Equipment for Indoor Residual Spraying.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently recommended indoor residual spraying (IRS) as part of a vector control strategy to combat -borne diseases, including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Hand compression sprayers have been used in malaria prevention and control programs worldwide since the 1950s and are a standard for IRS application. However, there are technological advances that should be considered to improve IRS application (e.

Estimating absolute indoor density of Aedes aegypti using removal sampling.

Background: Quantification of adult Aedes aegypti abundance indoors has relied on estimates of relative density (e.g. number of adults per unit of sampling or time), most commonly using traps or timed collections using aspirators.

Efficacy of novel indoor residual spraying methods targeting pyrethroid-resistant Aedes aegypti within experimental houses.

Challenges in maintaining high effectiveness of classic vector control in urban areas has renewed the interest in indoor residual spraying (IRS) as a promising approach for Aedes-borne disease prevention. While IRS has many benefits, application time and intrusive indoor applications make its scalability in urban areas difficult. Modifying IRS to account for Ae.

Effects of field history on resistance to Bt maize by western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, has evolved resistance to transgenic maize, Zea maize L., that produces the insecticidal protein Cry3Bb1, which is derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. We hypothesized that the level of Cry3Bb1 resistance in populations of western corn rootworm could be influenced by farming practices.

Reduced Insecticide Susceptibility in Aedes vexans (Diptera: Culicidae) Where Agricultural Pest Management Overlaps With Mosquito Abatement.

Mosquito abatement programs in Midwestern communities frequently exist within landscapes dominated by agriculture. Although separately managed, both agricultural pests and mosquitoes are targeted by similar classes of insecticides. As a result, there is the potential for unintended insecticide exposure to mosquito populations from agricultural pest management.

Limited Impact of a Fall-Seeded, Spring-Terminated Rye Cover Crop on Beneficial Arthropods.

Cover crops are beneficial to agroecosystems because they decrease soil erosion and nutrient loss while increasing within-field plant diversity. Greater plant diversity within cropping systems can positively affect beneficial arthropod communities. We hypothesized that increasing plant diversity within annually rotated corn and soybean with the addition of a rye cover crop would positively affect the beneficial ground and canopy-dwelling communities compared with rotated corn and soybean grown without a cover crop.

Impacts of Rotation Schemes on Ground-Dwelling Beneficial Arthropods.

Crop rotation alters agroecosystem diversity temporally, and increasing the number of crops in rotation schemes can increase crop yields and reduce reliance on pesticides. We hypothesized that increasing the number of crops in annual rotation schemes would positively affect ground-dwelling beneficial arthropod communities. During 2012 and 2013, pitfall traps were used to measure activity-density and diversity of ground-dwelling communities within three previously established, long-term crop rotation studies located in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Effects of Field History on Corn Root Injury and Adult Abundance of Northern and Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and northern corn rootworm, Diabrotica barberi Smith & Lawrence, are major pests of corn (Zea mays L.). Corn producing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins are widely used to manage Diabrotica spp.

Evidence of Resistance to Cry34/35Ab1 Corn by Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae): Root Injury in the Field and Larval Survival in Plant-Based Bioassays.

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a serious pest of corn in the United States, and recent management of western corn rootworm has included planting of Bt corn. Beginning in 2009, western corn rootworm populations with resistance to Cry3Bb1 corn and mCry3A corn were found in Iowa and elsewhere. To date, western corn rootworm populations have remained susceptible to corn producing Bt toxin Cry34/35Ab1.

Increased Risk of Insect Injury to Corn Following Rye Cover Crop.

Decreased pest pressure is sometimes associated with more diverse agroecosystems, including the addition of a rye cover crop (Secale cereale L.). However, not all pests respond similarly to greater vegetational diversity.

Comparison and evaluation of pesticide monitoring programs using a process-based mixture model.

A number of European countries run large-scale pesticide monitoring schemes in watersheds aimed at identifying and evaluating the presence of pesticide residues in the environment. These schemes provide national and regional scale assessments of pesticide concentrations within the context of environmental quality assessment, aiming to ensure some degree of ecological protection. The present study is aimed at evaluating the joint effects of the pesticide mixtures detected in monitoring programs, using a process-based mixture model that was parameterized for Daphnia magna.

Effects of refuges on the evolution of resistance to transgenic corn by the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte.

Background: Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte is a major pest of corn and causes over a billion dollars of economic loss annually through yield reductions and management costs. Corn producing toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been developed to help manage D. v.

Field-evolved resistance by western corn rootworm to multiple Bacillus thuringiensis toxins in transgenic maize.

The widespread planting of crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) places intense selective pressure on pest populations to evolve resistance. Western corn rootworm is a key pest of maize, and in continuous maize fields it is often managed through planting of Bt maize. During 2009 and 2010, fields were identified in Iowa in which western corn rootworm imposed severe injury to maize producing Bt toxin Cry3Bb1.

Rabies, canine distemper, and canine parvovirus exposure in large carnivore communities from two Zambian ecosystems.

Disease transmission within and among wild and domestic carnivores can have significant impacts on populations, particularly for threatened and endangered species. We used serology to evaluate potential exposure to rabies virus, canine distemper virus (CDV), and canine parvovirus (CPV) for populations of African lions (Panthera leo), African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) and Liuwa Plain National Park (LPNP) as well as community lands bordering these areas. In addition, domestic dogs in the study region were evaluated for exposure to CDV and rabies.

Interactions among Bt maize, entomopathogens, and rootworm species (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the field: effects on survival, yield, and root injury.

A 2 yr field study was conducted to determine how a blend of entomopathogens interacted with Bt maize to affect mortality of Diabrotica spp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), root injury to maize (Zea maize L.) and yield.

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.

Western corn rootworm and Bt maize: challenges of pest resistance in the field.

Crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) manage many key insect pests while reducing the use of conventional insecticides. One of the primary pests targeted by Bt maize in the United States is the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. Beginning in 2009, populations of western corn rootworm were identified in Iowa, USA that imposed severe root injury to Cry3Bb1 maize.

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.

Preliminary evaluation of Raboral V-RG® oral rabies vaccine in Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus).

We tested the Raboral V-RG® recombinant oral rabies vaccine for its response in Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus), the reservoir of rabies virus in the circumpolar North. The vaccine, which is currently the only licensed oral rabies vaccine in the United States, induced a strong antibody response and protected foxes against a challenge of 500,000 mouse intracerebral lethal dose 50% of an Arctic rabies virus variant. However, one unvaccinated control fox survived challenge with rabies virus, either indicating a high resistance of Arctic foxes to rabies infection or a previous exposure that induced immunity.

Field-evolved resistance to Bt maize by western corn rootworm.

Background: Crops engineered to produce insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are planted on millions of hectares annually, reducing the use of conventional insecticides and suppressing pests. However, the evolution of resistance could cut short these benefits. A primary pest targeted by Bt maize in the United States is the western corn rootworm Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Using population data to measure outcomes of care: the case of hip and knee replacements.

Background: Accumulating evidence points to overall improvements in health-related quality of life after joint replacement for osteoarthritis. Some patients, however, do not appear to benefit from joint replacement. This study investigates health outcomes of patients who underwent hip or knee replacement surgery.

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) movements and dispersal associated with ridges and valleys of Pennsylvania: implications for rabies management.

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) continues to be a prominent terrestrial rabies reservoir in the eastern United States. Describing the dispersal and movements of these animals and determining geographic features that are natural hindrances or corridors to movements could be used to assist oral rabies vaccination efforts. The landscape of the ridge-and-valley system in Pennsylvania exhibits characteristics of both natural potential hindrances and travel corridors to the movements of wildlife.