The western conifer seed bug, Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Hemiptera: Coreidae), feeds extensively on the seeds of conifer trees within both its endemic range west of the Rocky Mountains and its expanding introduced range throughout eastern North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. Its damage to conifer seed challenges seed production in natural stands and in orchards that produce seed for forest regeneration and food. In summer 2023, hundreds of L. occidentalis adults were observed feeding on the berries of two cultivated blackberry, Rubus fruticosus Linnaeus (Rosaceae), vines on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The adults were observed over a period of approximately six weeks, and their stylets were seen penetrating drupelets and causing subsequent damage. Identification was confirmed based on morphological and molecular (CO1 DNA barcoding) methods. To our knowledge, this is the first verifiable report of L. occidentalis feeding on a Rosaceae host, suggesting the insect’s potential for damaging agricultural systems.

Individuals who serve in the military substitute work experience for post-secondary educational attainment after high school, leading to large educational attainment gaps between new veterans and observably similar nonveterans. Little is known about the evolution of these gaps by age and across cohorts. We investigate the life-cycle attainment of veterans relative to nonveterans using a synthetic panel data approach. Following five multiyear birth cohorts we find that, on average, veterans close a 20-percentage point gap in attainment of a bachelor's or greater over time and significantly outpace observably similar nonveterans in attainment of an associate's degree. Female and minority veterans exceeded the attainment of similar nonveterans over time, and more recent birth cohorts began with larger gaps but closed them at younger ages due to increasing levels of both enrollment and enrollment intensity. Our findings highlight the important role of military service in facilitating social mobility through educational attainment.

Mössbauer spectra of 9 glauconite samples from Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary strata in the South Island of New Zealand contain a broad shoulder due to low intensity absorption continuous between 1.0 and 2.5 mm/sec when the absorber is at room temperature; the shoulder is absent, and sharp peaks are apparent in spectra taken with the absorber at 80°K. The data suggest that electron transfer occurs between adjacent Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions at room temperature. The low temperature spectra indicate that all Fe in the glauconites is in octahedral coordination. Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions occur in both eis and trans sites; Fe3+ shows a strong preference for eis sites whereas Fe2+ shows an even stronger preference for trans sites.

The partially variable oxidation state of Fe in glauconite is interpreted in terms of a geochemical model for glauconitization of a degraded or incomplete progenitor phyllosilicate. The model involves exchange of Fe2+ for other cations which temporarily stabilize the progenitor, followed by Fe2+-Fe3+ charge transfer reactions. Each reaction results from the system's tendency towards equilibrium. The model is supported by the observation that artificially leached glauconite increases both its Fe3+ and its Fe2+ content when placed in a solution containing Fe2+ as the only Fe ion present.

Marine litter poses a complex challenge in Indonesia, necessitating a well-informed and coordinated strategy for effective mitigation. This study investigates the seasonality of plastic concentrations around Sulawesi Island in central Indonesia during monsoon-driven wet and dry seasons. By using open data and methodologies including the HYCOM and Parcels models, we simulated the dispersal of plastic waste over 3 months during both the southwest and northeast monsoons. Our research extended beyond data analysis, as we actively engaged with local communities, researchers and policymakers through a range of outreach initiatives, including the development of a web application to visualize model results. Our findings underscore the substantial influence of monsoon-driven currents on surface plastic concentrations, highlighting the seasonal variation in the risk to different regional seas. This study adds to the evidence provided by coarser resolution regional ocean modelling studies, emphasizing that seasonality is a key driver of plastic pollution within the Indonesian archipelago. Inclusive international collaboration and a community-oriented approach were integral to our project, and we recommend that future initiatives similarly engage researchers, local communities and decision-makers in marine litter modelling results. This study aims to support the application of model results in solutions to the marine litter problem.

Scientific hedges are communicative devices used to qualify and weaken scientific claims. Gregor Betz has argued—unconvincingly, we think—that hedging can rescue the value-free ideal for science. Nevertheless, Betz is onto something when he suggests there are political principles that recommend scientists hedge public-facing claims. In this article, we recast this suggestion using the notion of public justification. We formulate and reject a Rawlsian argument that locates the justification for hedging in its ability to forge consensus. On our alternative proposal, hedging is often justified because it renders scientific claims as publicly accessible reasons.

The cause of pH and ionic strength-dependent proton and hydroxyl adsorption onto kaolinite is specific binding at edge Al and Si sites, and it can be modeled as a function of temperature with a triple layer model (TLM) of the mineral-solution interface. Exchange of Al for protons and hydroxyls is observed at low pH, with a stoichiometry approaching 1:3 (Al:H+). Adsorption of organic acids from dilute solutions depends on: 1) solution pH; 2) the functionality of the acid; and, to a lesser extent, 3) temperature. Such adsorption may occur primarily at Al sites exposed on kaolinite edges, as indicated by sorption experiments on the constituent oxides, where negligible sorption was observed on SiO2 (quartz), but was significant on Al2O3 (corundum) surfaces. Under similar conditions, oxalate adsorbs more strongly than acetate or formate to aluminol sites.

The objectives of this feasibility study were to measure the prevalence of nutrition risk in community-dwelling older adults (CDOA, ages ≥ 65 years) and explore the perspectives of CDOA of the acceptability, value, and effectiveness of nutrition risk screening in primary care and community settings. Using the Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition (SCREEN)© eight-item tool (n = 276), results indicated that moderate and high nutrition risks affected 50 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, of those screened. Interviewees (n = 16) agreed that screening is acceptable, important, and valuable (Theme One). Effectiveness was unclear, as only 3 of 16 respondents recalled being told their nutrition risk status. When articulating nutrition-related issues, a food security theme, expressed in the third person, was prominent (Theme Two). Screening for nutrition risk and receiving nutrition information in community-based settings are acceptable to CDOA and medically necessary, as evidenced by the high proportion of CDOA at moderate-high nutrition risk.

The Poverty Point site, located in the Lower Mississippi Valley of the south-eastern United States, is commonly considered a centre of innovation that exported new material culture, practices and identity to presumably contemporaneous sites in the region. Recent radiocarbon data, however, show that Jaketown, previously interpreted as a peripheral expression of Poverty Point culture, is earlier than the type-site. Using the revised chronology at Jaketown as a case study, the authors argue that assuming a radial diffusion of cultural innovations biases our understanding of social change and obfuscates complex histories. Their study demonstrates how examining local sequences can challenge generalised models of regional cultural change.

Three polyphagous pest Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae) have recently invaded Australia and are damaging horticultural crops. Parasitic wasps are recognized as effective natural enemies of leafmining species globally and are expected to become important biocontrol agents in Australia. However, the hymenopteran parasitoid complex of agromyzids in Australia is poorly known and its use hindered due to taxonomic challenges when based on morphological characters. Here, we identified 14 parasitoid species of leafminers based on molecular and morphological data. We linked DNA barcodes (5′ end cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences) to five adventive eulophid wasp species (Chrysocharis pubicornis (Zetterstedt), Diglyphus isaea (Walker), Hemiptarsenus varicornis (Girault), Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood), and Neochrysocharis okazakii Kamijo) and two braconid species (Dacnusa areolaris (Nees) and Opius cinerariae Fischer). We also provide the first DNA barcodes (5′ end COI sequences) with linked morphological characters for seven wasp species, with three identified to species level (Closterocerus mirabilis Edwards & La Salle, Trigonogastrella parasitica (Girault), and Zagrammosoma latilineatum Ubaidillah) and four identified to genus (Aprostocetus sp., Asecodes sp., Opius sp. 1, and Opius sp. 2). Phylogenetic analyses suggest C. pubicornis, D. isaea, H. varicornis, and O. cinerariae are likely cryptic species complexes. Neochrysocharis formosa and Aprostocetus sp. specimens were infected with Rickettsia. Five other species (Cl. mirabilis, D. isaea, H. varicornis, Opius sp. 1, and Opius sp. 2) were infected with Wolbachia, while two endosymbionts (Rickettsia and Wolbachia) co-infected N. okazakii. These findings provide background information about the parasitoid fauna expected to help control the leafminers.

People with severe mental illness (SMI), including schizophrenia and related psychoses and bipolar disorder, are at greater risk for obesity compared with people without mental illness. An altered resting metabolic rate (RMR) may be a key driving factor; however, published studies have not been systematically reviewed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether the RMR of people with SMI assessed by indirect calorimetry differs from (i) controls, (ii) predictive equations and (iii) after administration of antipsychotic medications. Five databases were searched from database inception to March 2022. Thirteen studies providing nineteen relevant datasets were included. Study quality was mixed (62 % considered low quality). In the primary analysis, RMR in people with SMI did not differ from matched controls (n 2, standardised mean difference (SMD) = 0·58, 95 % CI −1·01, 2·16, P = 0·48, I2 = 92 %). Most predictive equations overestimated RMR. The Mifflin–St. Jeor equation appeared to be most accurate (n 5, SMD = −0·29, 95 % CI −0·73, 0·14, P = 0·19, I2 = 85 %). There were no significant changes in RMR after antipsychotic administration (n 4, SMD = 0·17, 95 % CI −0·21, 0·55, P = 0·38, I2 = 0 %). There is little evidence to suggest there is a difference in RMR between people with SMI and people without when matched for age, sex, BMI and body mass, or that commencement of antipsychotic medication alters RMR.

The aim of this paper is to develop the theory of weighted Diophantine approximation of rational numbers to p-adic numbers. Firstly, we establish complete analogues of Khintchine’s theorem, the Duffin–Schaeffer theorem and the Jarník–Besicovitch theorem for ‘weighted’ simultaneous Diophantine approximation in the p-adic case. Secondly, we obtain a lower bound for the Hausdorff dimension of weighted simultaneously approximable points lying on p-adic manifolds. This is valid for very general classes of curves and manifolds and have natural constraints on the exponents of approximation. The key tools we use in our proofs are the Mass Transference Principle, including its recent extension due to Wang and Wu in 2019, and a Zero-One law for weighted p-adic approximations established in this paper.

Objective. The efficacy of individualized, community-based physical activity as an adjunctive smoking cessation treatment to enhance long-term smoking cessation rates was evaluated for the Lifestyle Enhancement Program (LEAP). Methods. The study was a two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. All participants (n = 392) received cessation counseling and a nicotine patch and were randomized to physical activity (n = 199; YMCA membership and personalized exercise programming from a health coach) or an equal contact frequency wellness curriculum (n = 193). Physical activity treatment was individualized and flexible (with each participant selecting types of activities and intensity levels and being encouraged to exercise at the YMCA and at home, as well as to use “lifestyle” activity). The primary outcome (biochemically verified prolonged abstinence at 7-weeks (end of treatment) and 6- and 12-months postcessation) and secondary outcomes (7-day point prevalent tobacco abstinence (PPA), total minutes per week of leisure time physical activity and strength training) were assessed at baseline, 7 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. Results. Prolonged abstinence in the physical activity and wellness groups was 19.6% and 25.4%, respectively, at 7-weeks, 15.1% and 16.6% at 6-months, and 14.1% and 17.1% at 12 months (all between-group P values >0.18). Similarly, PPA rates did not differ significantly between groups at any follow-up. Change from baseline leisure-time activity plus strength training increased significantly in the physical activity group at 7 weeks (P = 0.04). Across treatment groups, an increase in the number of minutes per week in strength training from baseline to 7 weeks predicted prolonged abstinence at 12 months (P ≤ 0.001). Further analyses revealed that social support, fewer years smoked, and less temptation to smoke were associated with prolonged abstinence over 12 months in both groups. Conclusions. Community-based physical activity programming, delivered as adjunctive treatment with behavioral/pharmacological cessation treatment, did not improve long-term quit rates compared to adjunctive wellness counseling plus behavioral/pharmacological cessation treatment. This trial is registered with https://beta.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00403312, registration no. NCT00403312.

Recent research at Jaketown, a Late Archaic earthwork site in the Lower Mississippi Valley, suggests that the culture-historical framework used to interpret Jaketown and contemporary sites in the region obscures differences in practices across sites. As an alternative, we propose a framework focused on variation in material culture, architecture, and foodways between Jaketown and Poverty Point, the regional type site. Our analysis indicates that people used Poverty Point Objects and imported lithics at Jaketown by 4525–4100 cal BP—earlier than elsewhere in the region. By 3450–3350 cal BP, people intensively occupied Jaketown, harvesting a consistent suite of wild plants. Between 3445 and 3270 cal BP, prior to the apex of earthwork construction at Poverty Point, the community at Jaketown built at least two earthworks and multiple post structures before catastrophic flooding sometime after 3300 cal BP buried the Late Archaic landscape under alluvium. These new data lead us to conclude that the archaeological record of the Late Archaic Lower Mississippi Valley does not reflect a uniform regional culture. Rather, relationships between Jaketown and Poverty Point indicate a multipolar history in which communities selectively participated in larger social phenomena—such as exchange networks and architectural traditions—while maintaining diverse, localized practices.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization stressed the importance of daily clinical assessments of infected patients, yet current approaches frequently consider cross-sectional timepoints, cumulative summary measures, or time-to-event analyses. Statistical methods are available that make use of the rich information content of longitudinal assessments. We demonstrate the use of a multistate transition model to assess the dynamic nature of COVID-19-associated critical illness using daily evaluations of COVID-19 patients from 9 academic hospitals. We describe the accessibility and utility of methods that consider the clinical trajectory of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Introduction. Exercise interventions may assist smoking cessation attempts. One such publicly available 10-week program, Walk or Run to Quit (WRTQ), demonstrated success in smoking cessation and physical activity (PA) outcomes. However, initial WRTQ participants (2016-2017) were fairly homogenous in their demographic profile. To increase diversity, subsidies for participation were offered in 2018. This study assessed how the subsidies affected participant demographics, running frequency, smoking cessation, intention to quit, and program attendance and completion. Methods. The $70 registration fee was subsidized for 41% of participants in 2018. A pre-postdesign was used, with participants completing surveys on their demographics and smoking and physical activity behaviours. Descriptive statistics compared the year subsidies were available (2018) and unsubsidized years (2016-2017) and subsidized and unsubsidized participants’ data from 2018. Results. The 2018 participants had lower average attendance and program completion rates compared to 2016-2017 and no statistically significant differences in demographics or smoking cessation and PA outcomes. There were no differences in smoking cessation, run frequency, or demographic variables between the subsidized and unsubsidized participants in 2018. Conclusions. Offering subsidies did not diversify the participant profile. Subsidies did not have a negative impact on attendance nor primary outcomes. Subsidies may not have addressed barriers that prevented a more diverse sample from participating in WRTQ, such as program location, timing, and design. Equitable access to smoking cessation programs remains essential. As subsidies may play a role in reducing financial barriers disproportionately faced by marginalized groups, the implementation of, and recruitment for, such subsidized programs requires further investigation.