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The identification of the tandem repeat number (TRN) variation at the PD0218 locus of Xylella fastidiosa populations is discussed. Results suggest significant TRN variation among Pierce's disease (PD) strains.

Field experiments were conducted in two commercial almond orchards located in the southern San Joaquin Valley during 2016 and 2017 to evaluate a "preventative" strategy to manage spider mites. Pacific mite, Tetranychus pacificus McGregor, was identified as the only mite species infesting the experimental sites in both years. We monitored mites weekly in 3.6-hectare plots over approximately 21 weeks in 2016 and in 2017 using guidelines developed by the University of California. In late May, prior to the detection of mites, preventative acaricide treatments, abamectin, cyflumetofen, or etoxazole were applied to the experimental plots at a field rate. In 2016 and 2017, mite densities in all the treatments increased at early-July, peaked at mid-August, and were undetectable by late August. Preventative acaricide-treated plots in 2016 tended to have significantly lower mite densities than in the untreated control plots. Although in 2017, densities in the acaricide-treated plots tended to not significantly differ from control plots. Mite feeding injury, measured as mean cumulative mite-days, did not exceed the economic threshold during the experiment. The biological control agent, sixspotted thrips, Scolothrips sexmaculatus (Pergande) likely played a role in controlling mite populations at mid and late August. Our results indicate that a preventative strategy does not play a definitive role in T. pacificus management on almond. Additionally, acaricides with the active ingredient, abamectin, are heavily relied on as preventative treatments. We assessed populations of T. pacificus from the mid and southern San Joaquin Valley and found increased tolerance to a medium level of resistance to the acaricide.

Lipman, Grant S., Nicholas C. Kanaan, Caleb Phillips, Dave Pomeranz, Patrick Cain, Kristin Fontes, Becky Higbee, Carolyn Meyer, Michael Shaheen, Sean Wentworth, and Diane Walsh. Study Looking at End Expiratory Pressure for Altitude Illness Decrease (SLEEP-AID). High Alt Med Biol 16:154-161, 2015.--Acute mountain sickness (AMS) affects 25%-70% of the tens of millions of high altitude travelers annually, with hypoxia and nocturnal desaturations as major contributing factors. This is the first double blind randomized placebo controlled trial to assess expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) for AMS prevention and nocturnal hypoxic events. Healthy adult participants trekking in the Khumbu region of the Himalayas were randomized to a single-use EPAP nasal strip, or a visually identical sham device (placebo) prior to first night sleeping between 4371-4530 m (14,340-14,800 ft). The primary outcome was AMS incidence, measured by Lake Louise Questionnaire (LLQ), with secondary outcomes of AMS severity (by LLQ) and physiologic sleep indices measured by continuous sleep monitor. Intent-to-treat analysis included 219 participants with comparable demographic characteristics, of which 115 received EPAP and 104 placebo. There was no decrease in AMS with EPAP intervention (14% EPAP vs. 17% placebo; p=0.65; risk difference (-)3.15%, 95% CI (-)12.85%-6.56%). While overall AMS severity was not different between groups, EPAP reported decreased incidence of headache (64% vs. 76%; p<0.05, OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27-0.95) and dizziness (81% vs. 98%; p<0.03, OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.09-0.78). During sleep, EPAP resulted in significant improvements in average peripheral oxygenation (Spo(2)) (80% versus 78%; p<0.01, mean difference=2, 95% CI 0.58-3.63) and a reduced percentage of time below 80% Spo(2) (31% vs. 46%; p<0.03, median difference=16, 95% CI 2.22-28.18). This lightweight and inexpensive EPAP device did not prevent acute mountain sickness, but did reduce the subgroup incidence of headache and dizziness while improving average nighttime peripheral oxygenation.

In this paper we study the simultaneous problems of food waste and hunger in the context of food (waste) rescue and redistribution as a means for mitigating hunger. To this end, we develop an empirical model that can be used in Monte Carlo simulations to study the dynamics of the underlying problem. Our model's parameters are derived from a data set provided by a large food bank and food rescue organization in north central Colorado. We find that food supply is a non-parametric heavy-tailed process that is well modeled with an extreme value peaks over threshold model. Although the underlying process is stochastic, the basic approach of food rescue and redistribution to meet hunger demand appears to be feasible. The ultimate sustainability of this model is intimately tied to the rate at which food expires and hence the ability to preserve and quickly transport and redistribute food. The cost of the redistribution is related to the number and density of participating suppliers. The results show that costs can be reduced (and supply increased) simply by recruiting additional donors to participate. With sufficient funding and manpower, a significant amount of food can be rescued from the waste stream and used to feed the hungry.

Codling moths, Cydia pomonella (L.), have long been suspected of emerging from stacks of harvest bins in the spring and causing damage to nearby apple and pear orchards. With increased use of mating disruption for codling moth control, outside sources of infestation have become more of a concern for growers using pheromone based mating disruption systems. Studies were designed to provide information on bins as a source of codling moth and the pattern of codling moth emergence from stacks of bins. In these studies, codling moth larvae colonized wood harvest bins at a much higher frequency than harvest bins made of injection molded plastic (189 moths emerged from wood compared with five from plastic). There was no statistical difference in the number of moths infesting bins that had been filled with infested fruit compared with bins left empty at harvest. This suggests that codling moth enter the bins during the time that the bins are in the orchard before harvest. Emergence of laboratory reared adult codling moth from wood bins placed in stacks was found to be prolonged compared with field populations. Temperature differences within the bin stacks accounted for this attenuated emergence pattern. Covering bin stacks with clear plastic accelerated codling moth development in the upper levels of the stack. Codling moth emergence patterns from plastic-covered stacks more closely coincided with male flight in field populations. This information could be important in developing a technique for neutralizing codling moth-infested bins, and in understanding how infested bins may influence pest management in fruit orchards that are located near bin piles. Implications for control of codling moth in conventional orchards and in those using mating disruption as the principal component of an integrated pest management system include increased numbers of treatments directed at areas affected by infested bins.