Quality control applications for recovering an inbred colony of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

The invasive stink bug, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister), recently became established in the southwestern United States and has become a major pest of broccoli and other cole crops. Due to concerns about its possible establishment in Florida, a colony of this pest was maintained in quarantine to conduct research on its environmental requirements. The colony was reared reliably with approximately 300 adults per generation but began to decline in generation 16. Due to unknown causes, only about 73 females were recovered to mate and oviposit during the final 46 days. However, a corresponding decrease in the number of mated pairs did not reduce the yield of eggs, nymphs, and adults per day, but the females were maintained for fewer than the normal 160 days per generation. Therefore, quality control procedures were implemented to increase the number of days the colony produced adults in subsequent generations. The goal of producing approximately 400 adults per generation was accomplished during 104, 160, and 156 days, respectively, in generations 17, 18, and 19. The purpose of this research was to develop quality control procedures for rearing B. hilaris, use the procedures to restore a colony in quarantine, and describe how quality control can be used to maintain small colonies of insects. Implementing quality control procedures when a colony is established can help to prevent its decline.

Use of Pyriproxyfen to Induce Oogenesis in Diapausing Megacopta cribraria (Heteroptera: Plataspidae), and Evaluation of Pyriproxyfen-Induced Eggs for Rearing the Parasitoid Paratelenomus saccharalis (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae).

The mass rearing of hymenopteran egg parasitoids requires an abundant supply of host eggs. The onset of reproductive diapause and subsequent decline in egg production poses a challenge for parasitoid rearing when using host colonies augmented by field-collected insects. We investigated the application of pyriproxyfen, a juvenile hormone analog, to induce oviposition in diapausing adult kudzu bugs, Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius) (Heteroptera: Plataspidae), and the use of eggs produced by pyriproxyfen-treated kudzu bugs to rear the egg parasitoid, Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). The effects of pyriproxyfen and photoperiod treatments on host mortality, egg production, and rates of parasitoid eclosion from the eggs were used to calculate the parasitoid yield for the different treatment regimes. A combination of pyriproxyfen and a long-day photoperiod increased the parasitoid yield by 87% compared to acetone and a long-day photoperiod. The general applicability of JH-analog mediated egg production for parasitoid rearing is discussed.

Analysis of the Spatial Distribution and Development of Sequential Sampling Plans for Heteropteran-Associated Fruit Injury in Florida Peaches.

Catfacing and gummosis/sap-type injury associated with a heteropteran pest complex were sampled at five peach orchards in southern Florida during two consecutive growing seasons. Trapping and visual surveys indicate that Euschistus servuis (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) was the dominant heteropteran pest in the study orchards. The spatial arrangement of injury indicated a random distribution, as determined by Taylor's power law. Spatial analysis by distance indices indicated a random arrangement of fruit injury in a majority of the sample site × date combinations and analysis of local clustering did not provide evidence of patches of fruit injury occurring near orchard borders. The coefficients from Taylor's power law were used to develop sequential sampling plans based on hypothetical injury thresholds. Sequential sampling plans were compared to a simple random sample of 15 sample units using a simulation approach. The sequential sampling plan was able to achieve equivalent levels of accuracy when compared to the 15-unit fixed sampling plan while reducing the number of sample units required to an average of 7.99. The sequential sampling plans developed in this study are an improvement over simple random sampling; however, further research is needed to determine how to best implement sequential sampling of fruit injury in Florida peach orchards to better inform management decisions.

Trap-Based Economic Injury Levels and Thresholds for Euschistus servus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Florida Peach Orchards.

Populations of the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say), in Florida peach orchards were monitored during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons using yellow pheromone-baited pyramid traps. Peaches were evaluated at harvest for the presence of stink bug injury. A relationship between E. servus trap capture and fruit injury was used to estimate the economic injury level (EIL) for varying scenarios of crop price, per-hectare yield, and control costs. Economic thresholds were then set based on observed E. servus population trends and expected rates of increase. Thresholds were lowest in the period immediately following shuck split due to the rapid increase in E. servus populations during this period. Euschistus servus trap capture trended downward at the time of harvest. Therefore, increased E. servus management early in the Florida peach season provides the greatest overall benefit, whereas late season populations decline independent of management actions. The proposed EIL for Florida peaches determined by this study is 5.53 E. servus per trap over a 14-d trapping period, which was surpassed in only 16 of the 60 recorded trapping periods. This suggests that the current recommended spray frequency may not be economically justified.

The symptom experience of adolescents with concussion.

PURPOSE: The incidence of concussions in adolescents has increased in recent years. Concussion causes an array of symptoms that can interfere with the daily life of an adolescent, yet the symptoms and recovery vary greatly. Concussion management is based on expert consensus guidelines but they are not specific for adolescents and it is unclear how adolescents actually manage their symptoms. This study aimed to describe the symptom experience of adolescents with a concussion and their self-management strategies. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study used a qualitative design to explore the symptom experiences of adolescents. Ten adolescents aged 14-17 years were recruited from a concussion clinic. Using a semi-structured interview, adolescents were asked about their concussion symptoms, the interference with their daily life, and their symptom self-management strategies. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. RESULTS: Adolescents reported 17 different symptoms they experienced following their concussion. All of the adolescents reported a headache but descriptions varied. The symptoms interfered with many aspects of their daily life including school and activities. The majority of the school responses were related to difficulties attending school and learning (n = 21). The self-management strategies were organized into 11 categories. The most common strategies fell under three categories: rest (n = 20), controlling the environment (n = 20), and using motivational thoughts and activities (n = 9). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study indicates that adolescents experience multiple symptoms after their concussion and use a variety of strategies to manage the symptoms. Each adolescent had a unique symptom experience, highlighting the need for developing personalized concussion management plans. Nurses can coordinate the development of management plans and provide education about managing concussion symptoms and promoting recovery.

The impact of parental trauma exposure on community violence exposed adolescents.

Previous research has documented an association between adolescent community violence (CV) exposure and poor psychological functioning. The purpose of this study was to delineate the relations of adolescent CV, parent trauma exposure (PTE), and adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptomatology while controlling for adolescent-reported home violence and parental self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants consisted of 101 pairs of junior high school and high school students and their parents or caretakers. Adolescents completed measures to assess their history of violence exposure in the community and home setting and current internalizing symptoms. Parents or caretakers completed a demographic questionnaire, a measure assessing their trauma exposure and related symptomatology, and a measure of child externalizing symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted; results indicated that after controlling for demographic variables, home violence exposure, and parental PTSD symptoms, PTE emerged as a moderator variable in the relationship between CV and adolescent-rated internalizing symptoms but not in the association between adolescent CV and externalizing symptoms.

Initial implementation indicators from a statewide rollout of SafeCare within a child welfare system.

There is a strong movement toward implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP) in child welfare systems. The SafeCare parenting model is one of few parent-training models that addresses child neglect, the most common form of maltreatment. Here, the authors describe initial findings from a statewide effort to implement the EBP, SafeCare®, into a state child welfare system. A total of 50 agencies participated in training, with 295 individuals entering training to implement SafeCare. Analyses were conducted to describe the trainee sample, describe initial training and implementation indicators, and to examine correlates of initial training performance and implementation indicators. The quality of SafeCare uptake during training and implementation was high with trainees performing very well on training quizzes and role-plays, and demonstrating high fidelity when implementing SafeCare in the field (performing over 90% of expected behaviors). However, the quantity of implementation was generally low, with relatively few providers (only about 25%) implementing the model following workshop training. There were no significant predictors of training or implementation performance, once corrections for multiple comparisons were applied. The Discussion focuses on challenges to large-scale system-wide implementation of EBP.