Massive seasonal high-altitude migrations of nocturnal insects above the agricultural plains of East China.

Long-distance migrations of insects contribute to ecosystem functioning but also have important economic impacts when the migrants are pests or provide ecosystem services. We combined radar monitoring, aerial sampling, and searchlight trapping, to quantify the annual pattern of nocturnal insect migration above the densely populated agricultural lands of East China. A total of ~9.3 trillion nocturnal insect migrants (15,000 t of biomass), predominantly Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Diptera, including many crop pests and disease vectors, fly at heights up to 1 km above this 600 km-wide region every year. Larger migrants (>10 mg) exhibited seasonal reversal of movement directions, comprising northward expansion during spring and summer, followed by southward movements during fall. This north-south transfer was not balanced, however, with southward movement in fall 0.66× that of northward movement in spring and summer. Spring and summer migrations were strongest when the wind had a northward component, while in fall, stronger movements occurred on winds that allowed movement with a southward component; heading directions of larger insects were generally close to the track direction. These findings indicate adaptations leading to movement in seasonally favorable directions. We compare our results from China with similar studies in Europe and North America and conclude that ecological patterns and behavioral adaptations are similar across the Northern Hemisphere. The predominance of pests among these nocturnal migrants has severe implications for food security and grower prosperity throughout this heavily populated region, and knowledge of their migrations is potentially valuable for forecasting pest impacts and planning timely management actions.

Windborne long-distance migration of malaria mosquitoes in the Sahel.

Over the past two decades efforts to control malaria have halved the number of cases globally, yet burdens remain high in much of Africa and the elimination of malaria has not been achieved even in areas where extreme reductions have been sustained, such as South Africa1,2. Studies seeking to understand the paradoxical persistence of malaria in areas in which surface water is absent for 3-8 months of the year have suggested that some species of Anopheles mosquito use long-distance migration3. Here we confirm this hypothesis through aerial sampling of mosquitoes at 40-290 m above ground level and provide-to our knowledge-the first evidence of windborne migration of African malaria vectors, and consequently of the pathogens that they transmit. Ten species, including the primary malaria vector Anopheles coluzzii, were identified among 235 anopheline mosquitoes that were captured during 617 nocturnal aerial collections in the Sahel of Mali. Notably, females accounted for more than 80% of all of the mosquitoes that we collected. Of these, 90% had taken a blood meal before their migration, which implies that pathogens are probably transported over long distances by migrating females. The likelihood of capturing Anopheles species increased with altitude (the height of the sampling panel above ground level) and during the wet seasons, but variation between years and localities was minimal. Simulated trajectories of mosquito flights indicated that there would be mean nightly displacements of up to 300 km for 9-h flight durations. Annually, the estimated numbers of mosquitoes at altitude that cross a 100-km line perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction included 81,000 Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto, 6 million A. coluzzii and 44 million Anopheles squamosus. These results provide compelling evidence that millions of malaria vectors that have previously fed on blood frequently migrate over hundreds of kilometres, and thus almost certainly spread malaria over these distances. The successful elimination of malaria may therefore depend on whether the sources of migrant vectors can be identified and controlled.

The most remarkable migrants-systematic analysis of the Western European insect flyway at a Pyrenean mountain pass.

In autumn 1950 David and Elizabeth Lack chanced upon a huge migration of insects and birds flying through the Pyrenean Pass of Bujaruelo, from France into Spain, later describing the spectacle as combining both grandeur and novelty. The intervening years have seen many changes to land use and climate, posing the question as to the current status of this migratory phenomenon. In addition, a lack of quantitative data has prevented insights into the ecological impact of this mass insect migration and the factors that may influence it. To address this, we revisited the site in autumn over a 4 year period and systematically monitored abundance and species composition of diurnal insect migrants. We estimate an annual mean of 17.1 million day-flying insect migrants from five orders (Diptera, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Odonata) moving south, with observations of southward 'mass migration' events associated with warmer temperatures, the presence of a headwind, sunlight, low windspeed and low rainfall. Diptera dominated the migratory assemblage, and annual numbers varied by more than fourfold. Numbers at this single site hint at the likely billions of insects crossing the entire Pyrenean mountain range each year, and we highlight the importance of this route for seasonal insect migrants.

Environmental drivers of annual population fluctuations in a trans-Saharan insect migrant.

Many latitudinal insect migrants including agricultural pests, disease vectors, and beneficial species show huge fluctuations in the year-to-year abundance of spring immigrants reaching temperate zones. It is widely believed that this variation is driven by climatic conditions in the winter-breeding regions, but evidence is lacking. We identified the environmental drivers of the annual population dynamics of a cosmopolitan migrant butterfly (the painted lady Vanessa cardui) using a combination of long-term monitoring and climate and atmospheric data within the western part of its Afro-Palearctic migratory range. Our population models show that a combination of high winter NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) in the Savanna/Sahel of sub-Saharan Africa, high spring NDVI in the Maghreb of North Africa, and frequent favorably directed tailwinds during migration periods are the three most important drivers of the size of the immigration to western Europe, while our atmospheric trajectory simulations demonstrate regular opportunities for wind-borne trans-Saharan movements. The effects of sub-Saharan vegetative productivity and wind conditions confirm that painted lady populations on either side of the Sahara are linked by regular mass migrations, making this the longest annual insect migration circuit so far known. Our results provide a quantification of the environmental drivers of large annual population fluctuations of an insect migrant and hold much promise for predicting invasions of migrant insect pests, disease vectors, and beneficial species.

Juvenile probation officers delivering an intervention for substance use significantly reduces adolescents' risky sexual behaviours.

BACKGROUND: Risky sexual behaviour (RSB) is a serious public health problem for adolescents. We examined whether a contingency management intervention implemented by juvenile probation officers (JPOs) targeting substance use also impacted RSB. METHODS: A total of 218 adolescents on probation were randomly assigned to contingency management or to probation as usual. RESULTS: The substance use intervention delivered by JPOs reduced rates of RSB over time (ß =-0.32, P =0.041 at 6months; ß =-0.32, P =0.036 at 9months). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents receiving a substance use intervention from JPOs demonstrated reduced/prevented RSB. Interventions targeting single risk behaviours in juvenile probation populations should measure changes in other risk behaviours . Under-resourced communities lacking clinicians might consider JPOs delivering interventions.

Swimming Against the Current: Addressing Community Needs and Establishing Partnerships for the Prevention of Opioid and Methamphetamine use Among Parents.

The opioid and methamphetamine crises in Oregon have a consequential impact on young families, as an increasing number of parents experience substance use disorder (SUD). As parental substance use escalates, the child welfare system (CWS) becomes overwrought with families who have complex needs. The burden placed on families and on the CWS indicates a need for prevention and treatment interventions for parental SUDs. In response to the worst statewide opioid and methamphetamine epidemics in the USA, a Hybrid Type 2 trial of PRE-FAIR-a prevention intervention for parents-is being implemented in five Oregon counties. Establishing strong partnerships within the communities helped identify the need to implement the evidence-based FAIR treatment model alongside PRE-FAIR. A strong focus on implementation includes meeting the needs of communities and establishing the infrastructure necessary for sustainment of the FAIR programs at the provider agencies. Despite implementation efforts to direct toward PRE-FAIR referrals, parents in need of treatment are being referred at a disproportionate rate, as are older parents who fall outside of study-eligibility. Both challenges have delayed the ability to enroll a sufficient number of participants for the prevention trial. This commentary describes the impact of the opioid and methamphetamine epidemics in Oregon as the crises relate to implementing prevention versus treatment interventions-highlighting the importance of addressing community needs and establishing strong partnerships, which has allowed creative strategies to increase PRE-FAIR recruitment.

Changing patterns of the East Asian monsoon drive shifts in migration and abundance of a globally important rice pest.

Numerous insects including pests and beneficial species undertake windborne migrations over hundreds of kilometers. In East Asia, climate-induced changes in large-scale atmospheric circulation systems are affecting wind-fields and precipitation zones and these, in turn, are changing migration patterns. We examined the consequences in a serious rice pest, the brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens) in East China. BPH cannot overwinter in temperate East Asia, and infestations there are initiated by several waves of windborne spring or summer migrants originating from tropical areas in Indochina. The East Asian summer monsoon, characterized by abundant rainfall and southerly winds, is of critical importance for these northward movements. We analyzed a 42-year dataset of meteorological parameters and catches of BPH from a standardized network of 341 light-traps in South and East China. We show that south of the Yangtze River during summer, southwesterly winds have weakened and rainfall increased, while the summer precipitation has decreased further north on the Jianghuai Plain. Together, these changes have resulted in shorter migratory journeys for BPH leaving South China. As a result, pest outbreaks of BPH in the key rice-growing area of the Lower Yangtze River Valley (LYRV) have declined since 2001. We show that these changes to the East Asian summer monsoon weather parameters are driven by shifts in the position and intensity of the Western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) system that have occurred during the last 20 years. As a result, the relationship between WPSH intensity and BPH immigration that was previously used to predict the size of the immigration to the LYRV has now broken down. Our results demonstrate that migration patterns of a serious rice pest have shifted in response to the climate-induced changes in precipitation and wind pattern, with significant consequences for the population management of migratory pests.

Study Protocol: Multi-level Determinants of Implementation and Sustainment in the Education Sector.

Evidence-based programs (EBPs) delivered in elementary schools show great promise in reducing risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). However, efforts to sustain EBPs in school face barriers. Improving EBP sustainment thus represents a priority, but little research exists to inform the development of sustainment strategies. To address this gap, the Sustaining Evidenced-Based Innovations through Multi-level Implementation Constructs (SEISMIC) project will: (a) Determine if malleable individual, intervention, and organizational factors predict EBP treatment fidelity and modifications during implementation, sustainment, or both; (b) Assess the impact of EBP fidelity and modifications on child outcomes during implementation and sustainment; and (c) Explore the mechanisms through which individual, intervention, and organizational factors influence sustainment outcomes. This protocol paper describes SEISMIC, which builds upon a federally-funded RCT evaluating BEST in CLASS, a teacher-delivered program for K-3rd grade children at risk for EBDs. The sample will include 96 teachers, 384 children, and 12 elementary schools. A multi-level, interrupted time series design will be used to examine the relationship between baseline factors, treatment fidelity, modifications, and child outcomes, followed by a mixed-method approach to elucidate the mechanisms that influence sustainment outcomes. Findings will be used to create a strategy to improve EBP sustainment in schools.

JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER PERCEPTIONS OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN JUVENILE PROBATION AND WITH CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Probation is a common sanction for youth substance users, and as such, juvenile probation officers (JPOs) shoulder much of the burden for treatment and rehabilitation. To improve youth outcomes and alleviate some of the burden, JPOs may seek parental involvement in the probation and substance use desistance processes. Using focus group data, we analyzed JPO perceptions of the role parents play in contingency management (CM)-an incentive system designed to produce and reward decreased substance use-and whether they perceived any value in CM. We found that most JPOs perceived parental involvement as critical to the success of both substance use treatment and CM for youth. Our findings also suggest JPOs found parental involvement in CM valuable given that CM was employed on nonstudy clients and future clients. This has implications for the practicality and sustainability of CM as a youth probation intervention.

Examining the measurement precision of behavior problems among a sample of primarily rural youth on juvenile probation and their parents.

Accurate and timely intervention in the justice system is particularly critical in rural communities, given documented barriers to accessible, evidence-based services for youth. As youth in the juvenile justice system have a high prevalence of behavioral health needs, accurate assessment of those needs is a critical first step in linking youth to appropriate care. The goal of the current study is to examine the reliability of a brief assessment (the Brief Problem Checklist [BPC]) among a sample of 222 justice-involved youth and their caregivers who primarily reside in rural communities in the United States. Using a series of reliability analyses and tests of agreement, we examined whether youth and caregiver BPC produces reliable scales, the strength of the convergence among each of the BPC scales, and youth and caregiver agreement on the BPC scales. Findings support the reliability of the BPC, but not inter-rater reliability. Poor agreement between youth and caregiver reports exists for both youth internalizing and externalizing problems. Additionally, the BPC was significantly related to several theoretically relevant constructs, including treatment, substance use disorder severity, and family history of substance use. These findings lend merit to discussions about the need for more research on the reliability and validity of assessment instruments before their widespread use in guiding youth- and agency case planning decisions, along with informing conclusions about program effectiveness.

Genome-wide transcriptomic changes reveal the genetic pathways involved in insect migration.

Insects are capable of extraordinary feats of long-distance movement that have profound impacts on the function of terrestrial ecosystems. The ability to undertake these movements arose multiple times through the evolution of a suite of traits that make up the migratory syndrome, however the underlying genetic pathways involved remain poorly understood. Migratory hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are an emerging model group for studies of migration. They undertake seasonal movements in huge numbers across large parts of the globe and are important pollinators, biological control agents and decomposers. Here, we assembled a high-quality draft genome of the marmalade hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus). We leveraged this genomic resource to undertake a genome-wide transcriptomic comparison of actively migrating Episyrphus, captured from a high mountain pass as they flew south to overwinter, with the transcriptomes of summer forms which were non-migratory. We identified 1543 genes with very strong evidence for differential expression. Interrogation of this gene set reveals a remarkable range of roles in metabolism, muscle structure and function, hormonal regulation, immunity, stress resistance, flight and feeding behaviour, longevity, reproductive diapause and sensory perception. These features of the migrant phenotype have arisen by the integration and modification of pathways such as insulin signalling for diapause and longevity, JAK/SAT for immunity, and those leading to octopamine production and fuelling to boost flight capabilities. Our results provide a powerful genomic resource for future research, and paint a comprehensive picture of global expression changes in an actively migrating insect, identifying key genomic components involved in this important life-history strategy.

Motivations for Prescription Drug Misuse Related to Mental Health Problems in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Prescription drug misuse (PDM) is a significant public health problem associated with mental health symptoms. OBJECTIVES: This project investigates the connections between PDM motivations and mental health to inform intervention efforts. METHODS: Using nationally representative adult data from the 2016-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 128,205; 53% female) this project investigated which motivations for misuse are related to past-year mental health problems including any mental illness, serious mental illness, major depressive episode, and suicidal thoughts. Complex samples logistic regression models of the main motivation of PDM for each mental health problem were conducted separately for each prescription drug class (i.e., opioids, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants) while controlling for demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Adults that reported PDM were more likely than those with no PDM to endorse past year mental health problems. Compared to those that reported PDM of other medications, those misusing prescription opioids and tranquilizers to help with emotions and misusing sedatives to "relax or relieve tension" were more likely to have all categories of mental health problems. Those that misused prescription stimulants to "help study" had lower odds of all mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS: While there were differences based on prescription drug class, a range of motivations increased adults' likelihood to have mental health problems and common themes were found across drug classes. While causality is still undetermined, prevention and intervention efforts that are multifaceted and individualized, while broadly providing adults with other ways to cope with negative emotions are likely to help reduce PDM.

Performance of a Supervisor Observational Coding System and an Audit and Feedback Intervention.

Workplace-based clinical supervision is common in community based mental health care for youth and families and could be a leveraged to scale and improve the implementation of evidence-based treatment (EBTs). Accurate methods are needed to measure, monitor, and support supervisor performance with limited disruption to workflow. Audit and Feedback (A&F) interventions may offer some promise in this regard. The study-a randomized controlled trial with 60 clinical supervisors measured longitudinally for 7 months-had two parts: (1) psychometric evaluation of an observational coding system for measuring adherence and competence of EBT supervision and (2) evaluation of an experimental Supervisor Audit and Feedback (SAF) intervention on outcomes of supervisor adherence and competence. All supervisors recorded and uploaded weekly supervision sessions for 7 months, and those in the experimental condition were provided a single, monthly web-based feedback report. Psychometric performance was evaluated using measurement models based in Item Response Theory, and the effect of the SAF intervention was evaluated using mixed-effects regression models. The observational instrument performed well across psychometric indicators of dimensionality, rating scale functionality, and item fit; however, coder reliability was lower for competence than for adherence. Statistically significant A&F effects were largely in the expected directions and consistent with hypotheses. The observational coding system performed well, and a monthly electronic feedback report showed promise in maintaining or improving community-based clinical supervisors' adherence and, to a lesser extent, competence. Limitations discussed include unknown generalizability to the supervision of other EBTs.

Randomized trial of a diversion program for property offenders with drug use.

Purpose: This paper reports findings from a randomized controlled trial of a front-end diversion program for prison-bound individuals with property crime convictions, concurrent substance use problems, and no prior violent crime convictions. Methods: Two counties in Oregon participated in the trial, labeled "County A" and "County B." Across counties, 272 individuals (mean age = 32.7 years; 67.6% male) were recruited and randomized to receive either the diversion program (Senate Bill 416 [SB416]) or probation as usual (PAU). The primary outcome was recidivism, defined as any arrest, conviction, or incarceration for a new crime within three years of diversion from prison. Results: In County A, SB416 did not outperform PAU on any recidivism outcome. However, in County B, SB416 yielded significantly greater improvements across various configurations of the arrest, conviction, and incarceration outcomes, relative to PAU. Conclusions: SB416 can yield reduced recidivism when implemented in a setting like County B, which when compared to County A, had fewer justice system resources and a limited history of cross-system collaboration. More research on SB416 is needed, including an examination of its mechanisms of change and its cost-effectiveness relative to standard criminal justice system processing.

Hoverflies use a time-compensated sun compass to orientate during autumn migration.

The sun is the most reliable celestial cue for orientation available to daytime migrants. It is widely assumed that diurnal migratory insects use a 'time-compensated sun compass' to adjust for the changing position of the sun throughout the day, as demonstrated in some butterfly species. The mechanisms used by other groups of diurnal insect migrants remain to be elucidated. Migratory species of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are one of the most abundant and beneficial groups of diurnal migrants, providing multiple ecosystem services and undergoing directed seasonal movements throughout much of the temperate zone. To identify the hoverfly navigational strategy, a flight simulator was used to measure orientation responses of the hoverflies Scaeva pyrastri and Scaeva selenitica to celestial cues during their autumn migration. Hoverflies oriented southwards when they could see the sun and shifted this orientation westward following a 6 h advance of their circadian clocks. Our results demonstrate the use of a time-compensated sun compass as the primary navigational mechanism, consistent with field observations that hoverfly migration occurs predominately under clear and sunny conditions.

CNS Complications in Adult Patients Treated With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the incidence and outcomes of radiologically confirmed acute CNS complications in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients at an Australian extracorporeal membrane oxygenation referral center and identify associated patient characteristics. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single-center tertiary institution. PATIENTS: Four-hundred twelve consecutive adult patients supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation from 2009 to 2017. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients (13.3%) had a CNS complication confirmed by CT or MRI, including ischemic stroke (7.0%), intracerebral hemorrhage (3.4%), hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (3.6%), and spinal cord injury (1.2%). CNS complication rates in the venoarterial, venovenous, and veno-pulmonary artery extracorporeal membrane oxygenation subgroups were 18.0%, 4.6%, and 13.6%, respectively. Neurologic complications were independently associated with the use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (p = 0.002) and renal replacement therapy (p = 0.04). Sixty-five percent of patients with a neurologic complication died during their hospital admission compared with 32% of patients without this complication (p < 0.001). Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, renal replacement therapy, and days of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support were also associated with hospital mortality and remained so after adjustment in a multivariable regression model (p = 0.01, p < 0.001, and p = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CNS complications appear to occur more frequently in patients requiring circulatory as opposed to respiratory support on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and are independently associated with mortality. It remains unclear if these complications are causative of a poor outcome or a marker of severity of the underlying condition. Further research is required to better elucidate modifiable or preventable aspects through better patient selection and change in ongoing care.

Randomized Controlled Trial of an Integrated Family-Based Treatment for Adolescents Presenting to Community Mental Health Centers.

Most adolescents presenting to community mental health centers have one or more comorbidities (internalizing, externalizing, and substance use problems). We evaluated an integrated family-based outpatient treatment for adolescents (OPT-A) that can be delivered in a community mental health center by a single therapist. A sample of 134 youth/families were randomized to receive OPT-A or usual services, delivered at the same public sector mental health center. Repeated, multi-informant assessments occurred through 18-months post-baseline. At baseline, the sample displayed low internalizing symptoms, moderate substance use, and high externalizing problems. Compared to usual services, OPT-A had effects on abstinence rates, retention, motivation, parent involvement, and satisfaction, but not on internalizing or externalizing problems. While OPT-A achieved some key improvements for youth who present to community mental health centers, and families were satisfied with treatment, continued work is necessary to examine treatments for comorbidity while balancing treatment feasibility and complex strategies to boost treatment effectiveness.

Adaptive strategies of high-flying migratory hoverflies in response to wind currents.

Large migrating insects, flying at high altitude, often exhibit complex behaviour. They frequently elect to fly on winds with directions quite different from the prevailing direction, and they show a degree of common orientation, both of which facilitate transport in seasonally beneficial directions. Much less is known about the migration behaviour of smaller (10-70 mg) insects. To address this issue, we used radar to examine the high-altitude flight of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae), a group of day-active, medium-sized insects commonly migrating over the UK. We found that autumn migrants, which must move south, did indeed show migration timings and orientation responses that would take them in this direction, despite the unfavourability of the prevailing winds. Evidently, these hoverfly migrants must have a compass (probably a time-compensated solar mechanism), and a means of sensing the wind direction (which may be determined with sufficient accuracy at ground level, before take-off). By contrast, hoverflies arriving in the UK in spring showed weaker orientation tendencies, and did not correct for wind drift away from their seasonally adaptive direction (northwards). However, the spring migrants necessarily come from the south (on warm southerly winds), so we surmise that complex orientation behaviour may not be so crucial for the spring movements.

Sustainment of Trauma-Focused and Evidence-Based Practices Following Learning Collaborative Implementation.

Given the need to develop and validate effective implementation models that lead to sustainable improvements, we prospectively examined changes in attitudes, behaviors, and perceived organizational support during and after statewide Community-Based Learning Collaboratives (CBLCs) promoting trauma-focused evidence-based practices (EBPs). Participants (N = 857; i.e., 492 clinicians, 218 brokers, and 139 senior leaders) from 10 CBLCs completed surveys pre- and post-CBLC; a subsample (n = 146) completed a follow-up survey approximately two years post-CBLC. Results indicated (a) medium, sustained increases in clinician-reported use of trauma-focused EBPs, (b) medium to large, sustained increases in perceived organizational support for trauma-focused EBPs, and (c) trivial to small, sustained increases in perceived organizational support for EBPs broadly. In contrast, clinician-reported overall attitudes towards EBPs decreased to a trivial degree pre- to post-CBLC, but then increased to a small, statistically significant degree from post-CBLC to follow-up. Notably, the degree of perceived improvements in organizational support for general and trauma-focused EBPs varied by professional role. Findings suggest the CBLC implementation strategies may both increase and sustain provider practices and organizational support towards EBPs, particularly those EBPs a CBLC explicitly targets.