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We have demonstrated how management of key orchard pests including the insect invasive species Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) can be accomplished using a systems-level approach termed IPM-CPR (Integrated Pest Management-Crop Perimeter Restructuring) in apple. We conducted on-farm comparisons of IPM-CPR to standard management program for managing H. halys, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and Lygus lineolaris Palisot de Beauvois (Hemiptera: Miridae) in commercial apple orchards in 2014, 2016, and 2017 in New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. The presence and abundance of key pests and fruit injury at harvest were used as a measure of success of the program. We compared the amount of insecticide applied for each management program. In majority of instances, there were no differences in the IPM-CPR and the standard management program in terms of H. halys numbers in baited pyramid traps and stink bug injury at harvest. Damage from C. pomonella and G. molesta in the IPM-CPR treatment was significantly lower than the standard management program in 2014 and 2017. Amount of active ingredient used was on average 62.1% lower in the IPM-CPR treatment compared with standard management program. Despite a reduction in insecticide use, there were minimal impacts on beneficial insects. Overall, IPM-CPR in apples successfully managed key orchard pests, including H. halys, and used significantly less insecticide than a standard insecticide-based management program and could be adopted as a systems-level approach for pest population reduction.

We have demonstrated how management of key orchard pests including the insect invasive species Halyomorpha halys (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) can be accomplished using a systems-level approach termed IPM-CPR (Integrated Pest Management-Crop Perimeter Restructuring) in apple. We conducted on-farm comparisons of IPM-CPR to standard management program for managing H. halys, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and Lygus lineolaris Palisot de Beauvois (Hemiptera: Miridae) in commercial apple orchards in 2014, 2016, and 2017 in New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. The presence and abundance of key pests and fruit injury at harvest were used as a measure of success of the program. We compared the amount of insecticide applied for each management program. In majority of instances, there were no differences in the IPM-CPR and the standard management program in terms of H. halys numbers in baited pyramid traps and stink bug injury at harvest. Damage from C. pomonella and G. molesta in the IPM-CPR treatment was significantly lower than the standard management program in 2014 and 2017. Amount of active ingredient used was on average 62.1% lower in the IPM-CPR treatment compared with standard management program. Despite a reduction in insecticide use, there were minimal impacts on beneficial insects. Overall, IPM-CPR in apples successfully managed key orchard pests, including H. halys, and used significantly less insecticide than a standard insecticide-based management program and could be adopted as a systems-level approach for pest population reduction.

Since its initial discovery in Allentown, PA, USA, the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) has now officially has been detected in 38 states and the District of Columbia in the USA. Isolated populations also exist in Switzerland and Canada. This Asian species quickly became a major nuisance pest in the mid-Atlantic USA region due to its overwintering behavior of entering structures. BMSB has an extremely wide host range in both its native home and invaded countries where it feeds on numerous tree fruits, vegetables, field crops, ornamental plants, and native vegetation. In 2010, populations exploded causing severe crop losses to apples, peaches, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes and row crops such as field corn and soybeans in several mid-Atlantic states. Damaging populations were detected in vineyards, small fruit and ornamentals. Researchers are collaborating to develop management solutions that will complement current integrated pest management programs. This article summarizes the current pest status and strategies being developed to manage BMSB in the USA.

Since its initial discovery in Allentown, PA, USA, the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) has now officially has been detected in 38 states and the District of Columbia in the USA. Isolated populations also exist in Switzerland and Canada. This Asian species quickly became a major nuisance pest in the mid-Atlantic USA region due to its overwintering behavior of entering structures. BMSB has an extremely wide host range in both its native home and invaded countries where it feeds on numerous tree fruits, vegetables, field crops, ornamental plants, and native vegetation. In 2010, populations exploded causing severe crop losses to apples, peaches, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes and row crops such as field corn and soybeans in several mid-Atlantic states. Damaging populations were detected in vineyards, small fruit and ornamentals. Researchers are collaborating to develop management solutions that will complement current integrated pest management programs. This article summarizes the current pest status and strategies being developed to manage BMSB in the USA.

Since its initial discovery in Allentown, PA, USA, the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) has now officially has been detected in 38 states and the District of Columbia in the USA. Isolated populations also exist in Switzerland and Canada. This Asian species quickly became a major nuisance pest in the mid-Atlantic USA region due to its overwintering behavior of entering structures. BMSB has an extremely wide host range in both its native home and invaded countries where it feeds on numerous tree fruits, vegetables, field crops, ornamental plants, and native vegetation. In 2010, populations exploded causing severe crop losses to apples, peaches, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes and row crops such as field corn and soybeans in several mid-Atlantic states. Damaging populations were detected in vineyards, small fruit and ornamentals. Researchers are collaborating to develop management solutions that will complement current integrated pest management programs. This article summarizes the current pest status and strategies being developed to manage BMSB in the USA.

Background. A major challenge in designing useful clinical information systems in dentistry is to incorporate clinical evidence based on dentists' information needs and then integrate the system seamlessly into the complex clinical workflow. However, little is known about the actual information needs of dentists during treatment sessions. The purpose of this study is to identify general dentists' information needs and the information sources they use to meet those needs in clinical settings so as to inform the design of dental information systems. Methods. A semi-structured interview was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 general dentists in the Pittsburgh area during clinical hours. One hundred and five patient cases were reported by these dentists. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis with a constant comparative method to identify categories and themes regarding information needs and information source use patterns. Results. Two top-level categories of information needs were identified: foreground and background information needs. To meet these needs, dentists used four types of information sources: clinical information/tasks, administrative tasks, patient education and professional development. Major themes of dentists' unmet information needs include: (1) timely access to information on various subjects; (2) better visual representations of dental problems; (3) access to patient-specific evidence-based information; and (4) accurate, complete and consistent documentation of patient records. Resource use patterns include: (1) dentists' information needs matched information source use; (2) little use of electronic sources took place during treatment; (3) source use depended on the nature and complexity of the dental problems; and (4) dentists routinely practiced cross-referencing to verify patient information. Conclusions. Dentists have various information needs at the point of care. Among them, the needs for better visual re

Background. A major challenge in designing useful clinical information systems in dentistry is to incorporate clinical evidence based on dentists' information needs and then integrate the system seamlessly into the complex clinical workflow. However, little is known about the actual information needs of dentists during treatment sessions. The purpose of this study is to identify general dentists' information needs and the information sources they use to meet those needs in clinical settings so as to inform the design of dental information systems. Methods. A semi-structured interview was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 general dentists in the Pittsburgh area during clinical hours. One hundred and five patient cases were reported by these dentists. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis with a constant comparative method to identify categories and themes regarding information needs and information source use patterns. Results. Two top-level categories of information needs were identified: foreground and background information needs. To meet these needs, dentists used four types of information sources: clinical information/tasks, administrative tasks, patient education and professional development. Major themes of dentists' unmet information needs include: (1) timely access to information on various subjects; (2) better visual representations of dental problems; (3) access to patient-specific evidence-based information; and (4) accurate, complete and consistent documentation of patient records. Resource use patterns include: (1) dentists' information needs matched information source use; (2) little use of electronic sources took place during treatment; (3) source use depended on the nature and complexity of the dental problems; and (4) dentists routinely practiced cross-referencing to verify patient information. Conclusions. Dentists have various information needs at the point of care. Among them, the needs for better visual re

Background. A major challenge in designing useful clinical information systems in dentistry is to incorporate clinical evidence based on dentists' information needs and then integrate the system seamlessly into the complex clinical workflow. However, little is known about the actual information needs of dentists during treatment sessions. The purpose of this study is to identify general dentists' information needs and the information sources they use to meet those needs in clinical settings so as to inform the design of dental information systems. Methods. A semi-structured interview was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 general dentists in the Pittsburgh area during clinical hours. One hundred and five patient cases were reported by these dentists. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis with a constant comparative method to identify categories and themes regarding information needs and information source use patterns. Results. Two top-level categories of information needs were identified: foreground and background information needs. To meet these needs, dentists used four types of information sources: clinical information/tasks, administrative tasks, patient education and professional development. Major themes of dentists' unmet information needs include: (1) timely access to information on various subjects; (2) better visual representations of dental problems; (3) access to patient-specific evidence-based information; and (4) accurate, complete and consistent documentation of patient records. Resource use patterns include: (1) dentists' information needs matched information source use; (2) little use of electronic sources took place during treatment; (3) source use depended on the nature and complexity of the dental problems; and (4) dentists routinely practiced cross-referencing to verify patient information. Conclusions. Dentists have various information needs at the point of care. Among them, the needs for better visual re

Background. A major challenge in designing useful clinical information systems in dentistry is to incorporate clinical evidence based on dentists' information needs and then integrate the system seamlessly into the complex clinical workflow. However, little is known about the actual information needs of dentists during treatment sessions. The purpose of this study is to identify general dentists' information needs and the information sources they use to meet those needs in clinical settings so as to inform the design of dental information systems. Methods. A semi-structured interview was conducted with a convenience sample of 18 general dentists in the Pittsburgh area during clinical hours. One hundred and five patient cases were reported by these dentists. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis with a constant comparative method to identify categories and themes regarding information needs and information source use patterns. Results. Two top-level categories of information needs were identified: foreground and background information needs. To meet these needs, dentists used four types of information sources: clinical information/tasks, administrative tasks, patient education and professional development. Major themes of dentists' unmet information needs include: (1) timely access to information on various subjects; (2) better visual representations of dental problems; (3) access to patient-specific evidence-based information; and (4) accurate, complete and consistent documentation of patient records. Resource use patterns include: (1) dentists' information needs matched information source use; (2) little use of electronic sources took place during treatment; (3) source use depended on the nature and complexity of the dental problems; and (4) dentists routinely practiced cross-referencing to verify patient information. Conclusions. Dentists have various information needs at the point of care. Among them, the needs for better visual re

Oxygen contamination is a potential problem in the study of amorphous metals because of the highly reactive nature of some of the constituent elements of metallic glasses and because of the processing techniques which are used to produce this metastable state. Oxygen is frequently present already in the starting materials, e.g., rare earth elements or early transition metals; further, oxygen present as an impurity in the gaseous atmosphere may be incorporated during alloy preparation (e.g., arc melting) or during the quench process (especially during thermal evaporation or sputtering or during splat quenching using the gun technique). Since these materials are generally studied as thin foils, further heat treating of the amorphous metal can also lead to a significant oxygen contamination. In this study, oxygen has been added to three binary inter-transition metal alloys already known to form a glass upon rapid liquid quenching. The effect of oxygen upon the glass forming ability, the glass transition behavior, the ductility of the glasses and their crystallization products has been characterized.

Ternary alloy glasses have been studied to obtain T sub g values for binary Ca glasses not displaying a glass transition. The results show that for Ca.65M.35 glasses T sub g depends on alloy valence and size; some correlations to phase diagram features such as the solidus temperature and the melting points of the phase CaM2 were also observed. It was also shown that for first long period transition metal additives to a Zr.50Cu.50 glass the changes of T sub g and T sub c are closely related to each other and, jointly, to the elastic moduli and melting points of the additives; the changes of T sub g are in general agreement with the predictions of an expression for T sub g which is based on a modification of the Lindemann melting point formula appropriate for the glass transition. The present results suggest that the properties controlling the thermal stability of glasses are additive when transition metal elements are added to a binary glass such as Zr-Cu, while interaction terms must be considered for non-transition metal addition elements as well as for most Ca-M glasses. The study of the thermal stability (and elastic properties) of metallic glasses may provide a general approach enabling one to determine the bonding effect of alloying additions at low and high levels without the restrictions on single phase formation imposed by the phase diagram.

It was found possible to produce relatively stable amorphous metallic solids from many noble or transition metal-metalloid alloys in the vicinity of 80 at.% metal. Detailed consideration is given to a proposed structural model for these glasses. The structural model focuses on the role of composition in these alloys and successfully predicts the composition range for which glasses are most readily obtained. It also agrees well with experimentally determined radial distribution functions and densities and provides an understanding of the origin of the excess entropy of mixing of these alloys in the liquid state. (Author)

The viscosity of a near eutectic Au-Ge-Si alloy deep within the eutectic is reported. The observed viscosity is lower than that extrapolated for pure gold at this temperature so that the addition of Si and Ge to Au lowers the viscosity at high temperatures while increasing the glass forming tendency. This behavior is ascribed to the excess entropy of mixing for the alloy. The temperature dependence of the viscosity is discussed along with the associated structural changes. Since the observed viscosity of an amorphous alloy is dependent upon the structure, strain rates which alter the structure can produce a change in the effective viscosity. (Author)

The paper surveys some ideas on the glass forming tendency of monatomic systems. According to the free volume model, glass formation in such systems would result primarily from 'jamming' due to the action of repulsive forces. From this viewpoint the metals most prone to glass formation should be those in which the repulsive part of the pair potential is, relatively, the largrdt; these are the noble, transition and polyvalent metals. Actually the most stable metal glasses formed so far are alloys of noble or transition metals (A) with compositions predominantly in the range A3B to A5B where B is a metalloid. The A elements may form a skeleton having a Bernal dense random packed structure which may be somewhat stabilized by filling its holes with metalloid atoms in the manner suggested by Polk. Some additional ideas on the effect of alloying on metal glass forming tendency are discussed. (Author)

A model for amorphous germanium and silicon has been constructed using the random network concept. Each atom has a first coordination number of four, and only a small variation in the nearest neighbor distance is allowed. Non-crystallinity is due to variations in the tetrahedral bond angle and rotations about bonds. No difficulty was encountered in continuing to make the model larger and no difference between the central and outer regions could be observed. The radial distribution function and the density of the model agree well with recent measurements. (Author)