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A feminist in the White House : Midge Costanza, the Carter years, and America's culture wars
\"A feminist, an outspoken activist, a woman without a college education, Midge Costanza was one of the unlikeliest of White House insiders. Yet in 1977 she became the first female Assistant to the President for Public Liaison under Jimmy Carter, emerging as a prominent focal point of the American culture wars. Tasked with bringing the views of special interest groups to the president, Costanza championed progressive causes even as Americans grew increasingly divided on the very issues for which she fought. In A Feminist in the White House, Doreen Mattingly draws on Costanza's personal papers to shed light on the life of this fascinating and controversial woman. Mattingly chronicles Costanza's dramatic rise and fall as a public figure, from her initial popularity to her ultimate clashes with Carter and his aides. While Costanza challenged Carter to support abortion rights, gay and lesbian rights, and feminist policies, Carter faced increased pressure to appease the interests of emerging Religious Right, which directly opposed Costanza's ideals. Ultimately, marginalized both within the White House and by her fellow feminists, Costanza was pressured to resign in 1978. Through the lens of Constanza's story, readers catch a unique perspective of the rise of debates which have defined the feminist movement and sexual politics to this very day. Mattingly also reveals a wider, but heretofore neglected, narrative of the complex era of gender politics in the late 1970's Washington--a history which continues to resonate in politics today. A Feminist in the White House is a must-read for anyone with an interest in sexual politics, female politicians, and presidential history\"-- Provided by publisher.
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Discovery of a new host plant of Pseudasphondylia tominagai Elsayed amp; Tokuda, 2019 (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae)
Barely visible flower bud galls of Deutzia floribunda Nakai (Hydrangeaceae) were found in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. Morphological and molecular analyses indicated that the gall inducer is Pseudasphondylia tominagai Elsayed & Tokuda, 2019 (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae), previously known only to form galls on Eleutherococcus spinosus (L.f.) S.Y.Hu (Araliaceae) in Honshu, Japan. This study marks the first report of a species of Pseudasphondylia Monzen, 1955 on Hydrangeaceae, having host plants from different families and establishing D. floribunda as a new host record for P. tominagai.
Journal Article
First record of Forcipomyia (Microhelea) eriophora (Williston, 1896) ectoparasitic midges occurrence on Heraclides anchisiades capys (Hübner, 1809) butterfly caterpillar hosts in Brazil
In this work we report for the first time the occurrence of female adults of the biting midge Forcipomyia (Microhelea) eriophora feeding on butterfly Heraclides anchisiades capys caterpillars. We collected the caterpillars and Ceratopogonidae specimens on Citrus limon (L.) (Rutaceae) tree leaves from the campus of the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. In Brazil, host records of Forcipomyia (Microhelea) eriophora on caterpillars remain scarce due to significant gaps in our understanding of ectoparasitic habits within Ceratopogonidae.
Journal Article
Enhanced infection and transmission of the 2022–2024 Oropouche virus strain in the North American biting midge Culicoides sonorensis
Oropouche virus (OROV) is a vector-borne zoonotic virus that causes febrile illness in humans. Biting midges of the
Culicoides
genus are the primary vectors during human outbreaks. The 2022–2024 OROV outbreak has seen an increase in incidence, geographic expansion, and the emergence of previously undocumented symptoms. To better understand the basis of increased disease incidence, infection of the outbreak virus (OROV
240023
) was compared to a historical virus strain (rOROV
BeAn19991
) in
Culicoides sonorensis
, a midge species that has demonstrated historical competence. Higher levels of infection, dissemination, and transmission potential were observed in
C. sonorensis
infected with the outbreak strain compared to the historical strain, although infectious titers did not differ between the two viruses. OROV
240023
was also detected in saliva at earlier time points than rOROV
BeAn19991
, indicating a shorter extrinsic incubation period of < 5 days compared to 7–14 days for rOROV
BeAn19991
. Taken together, our results demonstrate increased transmission potential of the outbreak strain in
C. sonorensis
midges, raising concern about the risk of spread within the United States following potential introduction. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the current strain in
Culicoides
species occurring within its outbreak range, including
Culicoides paraensis
, the confirmed South American vector of OROV.
Journal Article
DNA barcoding of Chironomidae from the Lake Skadar region
Aims The main aim of this study was to fill a gap in barcoding data of the European Chironomidae of the Balkan region, developing and testing the efficiency of a reference DNA barcode library for ancient Lake Skadar basin species (Montenegro/Albania), a region of Europe never before subjected to barcoding studies on Chironomidae. Another aim was to test the efficiency of DNA barcoding for the identification of European Chironomidae, including the estimation of optimal identification thresholds, using >12,000 barcodes. Location Lake Skadar basin and adjacent area (Montenegro/Albania). Methods Through this study, 770 individuals of Chironomidae from the Lake Skadar region were barcoded, both at adult and pre‐imaginal stages. Adults were morphologically identified, while larvae were assigned to species by molecular identification, using different methods, of which the efficiency was tested, for a total of 97 different barcoded species. Results The identification efficiency of the reference dataset developed for the Lake Skadar region was 98.6%, a value in line with that obtained when the identification efficiency for European Chironomidae was evaluated (95.8%), which confirms the accuracy of DNA barcoding for the identification of these insects. Moreover, we found that the optimal threshold for the molecular identification of the family is 1.6% nucleotide distance, though more specific thresholds are suggested for the identification of species belonging to Chironomidae subfamilies, since they are related to lower identification errors than to the use of a general threshold. The analysis of inconsistency between molecular and morphological identification shed light on taxonomic issues within European Chironomidae. Previously postulated species synonyms were confirmed, and also further cases requiring deeper investigation were detected. Main conclusions Our de novo DNA barcode library was shown to have a high identification efficiency. Taxon‐specific thresholds increase the efficacy of molecular identification. Hypothesized species synonyms could be validated through molecular techniques.
Journal Article
Environmental factors influencing fine-scale distribution of Antarctica’s only endemic insect
Species distributions are dependent on interactions with abiotic and biotic factors in the environment. Abiotic factors like temperature, moisture, and soil nutrients, along with biotic interactions within and between species, can all have strong influences on spatial distributions of plants and animals. Terrestrial Antarctic habitats are relatively simple and thus good systems to study ecological factors that drive species distributions and abundance. However, these environments are also sensitive to perturbation, and thus understanding the ecological drivers of species distribution is critical for predicting responses to environmental change. The Antarctic midge, Belgica antarctica, is the only endemic insect on the continent and has a patchy distribution along the Antarctic Peninsula. While its life history and physiology are well studied, factors that underlie variation in population density within its range are unknown. Previous work on Antarctic microfauna indicates that distribution over broad scales is primarily regulated by soil moisture, nitrogen content, and the presence of suitable plant life, but whether these patterns are true over smaller spatial scales has not been investigated. Here we sampled midges across five islands on the Antarctic Peninsula and tested a series of hypotheses to determine the relative influences of abiotic and biotic factors on midge abundance. While historical literature suggests that Antarctic organisms are limited by the abiotic environment, our best-supported hypothesis indicated that abundance is predicted by a combination of abiotic and biotic conditions. Our results are consistent with a growing body of literature that biotic interactions are more important in Antarctic ecosystems than historically appreciated.
Journal Article
Bluetongue Virus Serotype 3 and Schmallenberg Virus in Culicoides Biting Midges, Western Germany, 2023
In October 2023, bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3) emerged in Germany, where Schmallenberg virus is enzootic. We detected BTV-3 in 1 pool of Culicoides biting midges collected at the time ruminant infections were reported. Schmallenberg virus was found in many vector pools. Vector trapping and analysis could elucidate viral spread.
Journal Article
Hilling as a cultural control strategy for soybean gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
Soybean gall midge, Resseliella maxima Gagné, was recently identified as a new species causing significant injury to soybean and is currently found in 164 counties across 7 midwestern states (NE, IA, SD, MN, MO, ND, and KS). Infestation of soybean begins in late spring, when adults emerge from last year's soybean field. Infestation of a new soybean crop depends on the presence of fissures which start to form at the base of the soybean plant around the V2 stage. Field observations indicate that these fissures are only present below the cotyledonary nodes or in the area within 3–5 cm above the soil surface.To determine the importance of these fissures for R. maxima infestation and plant injury, hilling or the movement of the soil to cover the base of soybean plants at the V2–V3 stage was compared with the standard practice (no-hilling). Field studies were conducted at 3 sites in east-central Nebraska during the 2021 growing season.The results showed a significant reduction in the frequency of infested plants, larval number per plant, and plant injury for hilled compared to no-hill treatment. This reduction in the presence of larvae and plant injury corresponded with a significantly greater yield for hilled compared to the no-hill treatment. These results highlight the importance of fissures on soybean for R. maxima adult infestation as well as the potential for hilling to be used as a management strategy for R. maxima.
Journal Article
Tiny silver bullets: silver nanoparticles are insecticidal to Culicoides sonorensis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midge larvae
Insecticide formulations with safer environmental profiles and limited off-target effects are desirable to manage medical and veterinary pests. Silver nanoparticles are insecticidal against mosquitos, nonbiting midges, and other insects. The biting midge, Culicoides sonorensis Wirth and Jones, is a vector of agriculturally important pathogens in much of the United States, and this study aimed to examine the insecticidal properties of silver nanoparticles in larvae of this species. Mortality of third-instar larvae was assessed daily for 7 days after exposure to concentrations of silver nanoparticles, sorghum polymer particles, and hybrid silver–sorghum polymer particles. Both silver nanoparticles and silver–sorghum polymer particles were insecticidal, but sorghum polymer particles alone did not significantly contribute to larval mortality. Concentrations of 100 mg/liter of silver nanoparticles achieved >50% mortality at day 7, and 200 mg/liter treatments achieved >75% larval mortality within 24 h. The antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles were also examined, and culturable bacteria were recovered from larval-rearing media at 200 mg/liter but not at 400 mg/liter of silver nanoparticles. These data suggest that C. sonorensis larval mortality is primarily caused by silver nanoparticle toxicity and not by the reduction of bacteria (i.e., a larval food source). This work describes the first use of silver nanoparticles in C. sonorensis and shows the potential insecticide applications of these nanoparticles against this agricultural pest. The grain-polymer particles also successfully carried insecticidal silver nanoparticles, and their utility in loading diverse compounds could be a novel toxin delivery system for biting midges and similar pests. Graphical Abstract
Journal Article
DNA Barcoding of Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) From Thailand Reveals Taxonomic Inconsistencies and Novel Diversity Among Reported Sequences
Recent focus on Culicoides species diversity in Thailand was prompted by a need to identify vectors responsible for the transmission of African Horse Sickness in that country. To assist rapid genetic identification of species, we sampled mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) DNA barcodes (N = 78) from 40 species of Culicoides biting midge from Thailand, including 17 species for which DNA barcodes were previously unavailable. The DNA barcodes were assigned to 39 Barcode Identification Numbers (BINs) representing terminal genetic clusters at the Barcode of Life Data systems (BOLD). BINs assisted with comparisons to published conspecific DNA barcodes and allowed partial barcodes obtained from seven specimens to be associated with BINs by their similarity. Some taxonomic issues were revealed and attributed to the possible misidentification of earlier reported specimens as well as a potential synonymy of C. elbeli Wirth & Hubert and C. menglaensis Chu & Liu. Comparison with published BINs also revealed genetic evidence of divergent population processes and or potentially cryptic species in 16 described taxa, flagged by their high levels of COI sequence difference among conspecifics. We recommend the BOLD BIN system to researchers preparing DNA barcodes of vouchered species for public release. This will alert them to taxonomic incongruencies between their records and publicly released DNA barcodes, and also flag genetically deep and potentially novel diversity in described species.
Journal Article