When plants are damaged, they produce semiochemicals which can act as repellents for herbivorous pests and as attractants for organisms antagonistic to these pests, e.g., predators and parasitic wasps. Plants can also produce signals that warn other plants of impending attack. From this range of phenomena, it is possible to identify new ways to control pests. Although, in the past, we have need...

Pesticides, common environmental exposures, have been examined in relation to breast cancer primarily in occupational studies or exposure biomarker studies. No known studies have focused on self-reported residential pesticide use. The authors investigated the association between reported lifetime residential pesticide use and breast cancer risk among women living on Long Island, New York. They ...

A method is described to construct magnetic fumicel packets for holding solid insect repellants (e.g., naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene) used in the herbarium. the fumicels are designed to attach magnetically to metal herbarium cabinets. they are made entirely of archival materials, and are inexpensive and easily assembled.

Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is a globally invasive pest of soft-skinned fruit. Females oviposit into ripening fruit and larvae cause direct destruction of tissues. As many plant essential oils are permitted food additives, they may provide a safe means of protecting fruit from D. suzukii infestation in both conventional and organic production systems. Twelve oils and potassium ...

The efficacy of repellents against Anopheles darlingi, the main malaria vector in Bolivia, was evaluated. This mosquito has a peak in biting activity early in the evening. Three natural repellents (1 eucalyptus based, 1 neem based, and 1 containing several repellent essential oils) were tested in comparison with 15% deet in human landing catches in Bolivia. The eucalyptus-based repellent contai...

The main areas of work being covered by the Work Stream are: 1. Developing testing guidelines for new VC paradigms: • The Work Stream is working closely with (External Scientific Advisory Committee) ESAC3 of IVCC and WHO on issues related to the development of new vector control interventions, including draft testing guidelines. • The Work Stream aims to develop with IVCC a similar working rela...

The ability of attractants and repellents to affect the turnover of methyl groups on the methyl-accepting chemotaxis proteins (MCPs) was examined for Bacillus subtilis. Attractants were found to cause an increase in the turnover of methyl groups esterified to the MCPs, while repellents caused a decrease. These reactions do not require CheW. However, a cheW null mutant exhibits enhanced turnover...