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Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis)
Get PDFThe box tree moth (BTM), Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is an invasive pest of boxwood (Buxus spp.) causing severe damage to these popular ornamental plants. These plants are popular for their low maintenance, deer resistance, and evergreen foliage. It is a shrub common to almost all landscape environments in the United States. The box tree moth is native to East Asia. It was discovered in Europe in 2007, and since then it has spread rapidly across the continent. In 2018, box tree moth was first detected in North America in Ontario, Canada and in July 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of the moth in Niagara County, NY, near the Canadian border. Subsequently, the presence of BTM was confirmed by APHIS in Lenawee County, Michigan, in November 2022, and Hamilton County, Ohio, in June 2023. Box tree moth is not known to be established in the US, but the risk of introduction is high. While boxwood is the primary host plant, the larvae of box tree moth may also infest other plants, including holly (Ilex sp.), euonymus (Euonymus sp.), and mock orange (Murraya paniculata). Signs and symptoms of BTM damage to host plants include skeletonized leaves, heavy defoliation, and desiccation, leading to the death of plants. Other signs include green-black excrement (frass) and webbing
Exploring the Spatial Patterning of Sociodemographic Disparities in Extreme Heat Exposure at Multiple Scales Across the Conterminous United States
Get PDFAbstract Climate change has led to an increase in heat‐related morbidity and mortality. The impact of heat on health is unequally distributed amongst different socioeconomic and demographic groups. We use high‐resolution daily air temperature‐based heat wave intensity (HWI) and neighborhood‐scale sociodemographic information from the conterminous United States to evaluate the spatial patterning of extreme heat exposure disparities. Assuming differences in spatial patterns at national, regional, and local scales; we assess disparities in heat exposure across race, housing characteristics, and poverty level. Our findings indicate small differences in HWI based on these factors at the national level, with the magnitude and direction of the differences varying by region. The starkest differences are present over the Northeast and Midwest, where primarily Black neighborhoods are exposed to higher HWI than predominantly White areas. At the local level, we find the largest difference by socioeconomic status. We also find that residents of nontraditional housing are more vulnerable to heat exposure. Previous studies have either evaluated such disparities for specific cities and/or used a satellite‐based land surface temperature, which, although correlated with air temperature, does not provide the true measure of heat exposure. This study is the first of its kind to incorporate high‐resolution gridded air temperature–based heat exposure in the evaluation of sociodemographic disparities at a national scale. The analysis suggests the unequal distribution of heat wave intensities across communities—with higher heat exposures characterizing areas with high proportions of minorities, low socioeconomic status, and homes in need of retrofitting to combat climate change
Z. Alexander Looby, Robert E. Lillard, and the Chartering of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County
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Attachment Mediates Effects of Childhood Emotional Abuse and Trust Among African Americans
No full textUntil recently, few researchers have examined the exact effect of parents’ emotional abuse of their offspring among minority groups. In accordance with existing literature and theory, Riggs (2010) proposed a model that follows the developmental consequences of emotional abuse experienced during childhood emotional abuse which recognizes attachment theory as a primary link to interpersonal functioning in adulthood. According to the model, the experience of childhood emotional abuse adds to insecure attachment. Additionally, research has illustrated that victims of childhood emotional abuse have a higher chance of developing psychological distress in emerging adulthood, including interpersonal deficits (Erozkan, 2016) marked by distrust (Rempel et al., 1985). The present study examined whether insecure attachment acted as a mediator between childhood emotional and romantic partner trust in adulthood among an African Americans. Participants were 214 adults in the general population, who completed measures of insecure attachment style, childhood emotional abuse, and romantic partner trust. Multiple mediation analyses were performed to examine the effects of the mediation models hypothesized in the study. Childhood emotional abuse was revealed to be a significant predictor of insecure attachment style; however, the variable was not a predictor of trust in romantic relationships. Consequently, evidence for a mediation effect was not supported. Taken cautiously, the findings both support and are inconsistent with prior literature
Identification of T-DNA structure and insertion site in transgenic crops using targeted capture sequencing
Get PDFThe commercialization of GE crops requires a rigorous safety assessment, which includes a precise DNA level characterization of inserted T-DNA. In the past, several strategies have been developed for identifying T-DNA insertion sites including, Southern blot and different PCR-based methods. However, these methods are often challenging to scale up for screening of dozens of transgenic events and for crops with complex genomes, like potato. Here, we report using target capture sequencing (TCS) to characterize the T-DNA structure and insertion sites of 34 transgenic events in potato. This T-DNA is an 18 kb fragment between left and right borders and carries three resistance (R) genes (RB, Rpi-blb2 and Rpi-vnt1.1 genes) that result in complete resistance to late blight disease. Using TCS, we obtained a high sequence read coverage within the T-DNA and junction regions. We identified the T-DNA breakpoints on either ends for 85% of the transgenic events. About 74% of the transgenic events had their T-DNA with 3R gene sequences intact. The flanking sequences of the T-DNA were from the potato genome for half of the transgenic events, and about a third (11) of the transgenic events have a single T-DNA insertion mapped into the potato genome, of which five events do not interrupt an existing potato gene. The TCS results were confirmed using PCR and Sanger sequencing for 6 of the best transgenic events representing 20% of the transgenic events suitable for regulatory approval. These results demonstrate the wide applicability of TCS for the precise T-DNA insertion characterization in transgenic crops
A Phenomenological Study on Navigating Oppressive Intersecting Identities of Black Women
No full textOppression from racism, sexism, and classism can make life difficult for anyone. The dominant majority of society, however, does not have to contend with all three simultaneously. Black women have intersecting identities that cause them to have to contend with the intersection of race, sex, and class on a daily basis. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences that Black women have with the oppression of intersectionality and how this impacts their mental health. Black Feminism and Intersectionality are the theoretical frameworks from which this study was derived. Five focus groups were conducted to collect qualitative data from twelve Black adult women who described their experiences of racism, sexism, and classism and how navigating these roles impacted their psychological well-being. A thematic analysis was used to identify the five main themes of Stereotypes, Discrimination, Health, Internalized Oppression, and Coping Strategies. The results of this study yielded several implications for clinical practice, and social justice. Implications for future research are also discussed
A Modified Delphi Study on Boxwood Blight Disease Management in the US Nursery Industry
Get PDFBoxwood is one of the most popular evergreen shrubs in the United States, the production of which is currently challenged by boxwood blight, an emerging threat that has spread across 30 states. A thorough understanding of boxwood production, plant health, management practices and economic impact could aid in answering the needs of the nursery industry in managing this disease. An online modified Delphi survey was conducted to identify grower perceptions on processes, programs, and practices to limit or prevent the entry and spread of boxwood blight disease. The expert panel consisted of 29 nursery producers who represented a significant portion of boxwood production nationally. The panel members rated boxwood blight as the third most problematic disease with a potential to be number one in the future. Boxwood transplants were perceived as the main source of boxwood blight outbreak, followed by cutting tools, nursery equipment, containers, plant debris, irrigation water, worker hygiene, and other crops. According to the panel responses, cultural control methods, inspection, and quarantine of incoming plant material, scouting, and sanitization were the most important practices that can limit or prevent plant diseases during boxwood production. The panel members did not agree that the composted manure could influence the spread of plant disease in boxwood production, although this has been verified by the findings of various previous research experiments. Panel members were very familiar with scouting and employee training, best management practices, and the boxwood blight cleanliness program. This study documents the key components, practices, and procedures in boxwood production that could influence the spread of boxwood blight in nurseries and could be further verified by sampling and laboratory assays to specify the critical control points in the production process
Effect of the Red-Edge Band from Drone Altum Multispectral Camera in Mapping the Canopy Cover of Winter Wheat, Chickweed, and Hairy Buttercup
Get PDFThe detection and mapping of winter wheat and the canopy cover of associated weeds, such as chickweed and hairy buttercup, are essential for crop and weed management. With emerging drone technologies, the use of a multispectral camera with the red-edge band, such as Altum, is commonly used for crop and weed mapping. However, little is understood about the contribution of the red-edge band in mapping. The aim of this study was to examine the addition of the red-edge band from a drone with an Altum multispectral camera in improving the detection and mapping of the canopy cover of winter wheat, chickweed, and hairy buttercup. The canopy cover of winter wheat, chickweed, and hairy buttercup were classified and mapped with the red-edge band inclusively and exclusively using a random forest classification algorithm. Results showed that the addition of the red-edge band increased the overall mapping accuracy of about 7%. Furthermore, the red-edge wavelength was found to better detect winter wheat relative to chickweed and hairy buttercup. This study demonstrated the usefulness of the red-edge band in improving the detection and mapping of winter wheat and associated weeds (chickweed and hairy buttercup) in agricultural fields
Effective Leadership for Accomplishing Academic Program Accreditation at an HBCU
No full textThe objective of this research was to interview other program directors and department chairs about their challenges and the strategies they used to overcome issues encountered while preparing for the program accreditation. The primary purpose of this research qualitative phenomenological study was to explore program directors’ and department chairs\u27 real lived experiences in leading their programs through the accreditation process. This will allow them the opportunity to increase their knowledge regarding the challenges of the accreditation standards related to the various components as the curriculum, faculty, policies and procedures, and student outcomes. This study used the phenomenology research design to explore program directors’ and department chairs\u27 real lived experiences in the program accreditation process through interviews. This qualitative research used themes and codes to analyze and organize the data. The coding was done by using the NVivo qualitative statistical package. The data was collected from a sample of five interviews. The researcher followed the interview protocol and participants responded to a list of open-ended questions. The recommendations from this research study remain ongoing to assist anyone in a leadership role when preparing for a program accreditation