Field phenology of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) parasitoids in New York State.

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), has caused extensive mortality of ash across North America. Biological control offers a potential long-term management option, allowing for long-term survival of ash. Careful monitoring of populations of biocontrol agents is necessary to understand their relative impacts. Understanding the emergence and flight phenology of these species allows for the optimization of monitoring schemes and improves our understanding of host-parasitoid interactions. We used yellow pan trapping data to assess the adult phenology of both EAB and its associated native and introduced parasitoids in 3 New York counties. We monitored 2 introduced larval biocontrol agents, Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Spathius galinae Belokobylskij & Strazanac (Braconidae), for 3-4 years post-release, as well as the native parasitoid Phasgonophora sulcata Westword (Chalcididae). Results indicate a single discrete emergence event for both EAB and P. sulcata in all monitored counties, which is consistent with previously reported results. Our results also suggest there are 4 generations per year of T. planipennisi and 3 generations of S. galinae in the monitored counties. We recorded an additional generation of T. planipennisi that had not previously been reported in New York, and both T. planipennisi and S. galinae appeared to emerge earlier than previously documented.

Establishment and impacts of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) parasitoids released at early- and post-invasion sites.

Forest stands infested by emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, experience extensive mortality of mature ash trees. Post-invasion woodlands commonly have a small contingent of mature lingering ash, an orphaned cohort of seedlings/saplings, and low EAB densities. To protect regenerating ash against rebounding EAB populations, a suite of biocontrol agents are being reared and released. USDA APHIS guidelines currently recommend the release of parasitoids into forests prior to overstory ash mortality at sites containing a variety of ash size classes and low to moderate but building EAB densities. To understand if biocontrol establishment and control of EAB is feasible in post-invasion sites, we assessed the establishment of parasitoids in 6 post-invasion forest stands in 2 regions of NY and compared EAB mortality in these stands to 2 regions where releases were conducted during the early-invasion phase. Results of parasitoid trapping indicates Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang established under both release strategies. Spathius galinae Belokobylskij & Strazanac was only released in post-invasion stands, where it was established successfully. Artificial EAB cohorts were established and life tables were constructed at 3 sites per region. EAB mortality due to T. planipennisi parasitism was similar under both release strategies 2 yr after release in post-invasion stands versus 8 yr after release in early-invasion stands. Combined mortality from T. planipennisi and woodpecker predation resulted in consistently low EAB reproductive rates. Future biocontrol releases could target forests identified as economically or ecologically important, regardless of whether EAB populations are increasing or have collapsed following initial invasion.

The University of Michigan Honest Broker: a Web-based service for clinical and translational research and practice.

For the success of clinical and translational science, a seamless interoperation is required between clinical and research information technology. Addressing this need, the Michigan Clinical Research Collaboratory (MCRC) was created. The MCRC employed a standards-driven Web Services architecture to create the U-M Honest Broker, which enabled sharing of clinical and research data among medical disciplines and separate institutions. Design objectives were to facilitate sharing of data, maintain a master patient index (MPI), deidentification of data, and routing data to preauthorized destination systems for use in clinical care, research, or both. This article describes the architecture and design of the U-M HB system and the successful demonstration project. Seventy percent of eligible patients were recruited for a prospective study examining the correlation between interventional cardiac catheterizations and depression. The U-M Honest Broker delivered on the promise of using structured clinical knowledge shared among providers to help clinical and translational research.