Invasive species present significant threats to global agriculture, although how the magnitude and distribution of the threats vary between countries and regions remains unclear. Here, we present an analysis of almost 1,300 known invasive insect pests and pathogens, calculating the total potential cost of these species invading each of 124 countries of the world, as well as determining which countries present the greatest threat to the rest of the world given their trading partners and incumbent pool of invasive species. We find that countries vary in terms of potential threat from invasive species and also their role as potential sources, with apparently similar countries sometimes varying markedly depending on specifics of agricultural commodities and trade patterns. Overall, the biggest agricultural producers (China and the United States) could experience the greatest absolute cost from further species invasions. However, developing countries, in particular, Sub-Saharan African countries, appear most vulnerable in relative terms. Furthermore, China and the United States represent the greatest potential sources of invasive species for the rest of the world. The analysis reveals considerable scope for ongoing redistribution of known invasive pests and highlights the need for international cooperation to slow their spread.NIS | insect pests | fungal pathogens | trade

Few projects adequately address design and evaluation

Quantifying the impact of alien invasive species on ecosystem services is an essential step in developing effective practices and policy for invasive species management. Here we develop a stochastic bioeconomic model that enables the economic impact of an invasive pest to be estimated before its arrival, based on relatively poorly specified ecological and economic parameters. We developed the model by using a hypothetical invasion of the varroa bee mite (Varroa destructor) into Australia and the negative flow-on effects that it would have on pollination by reducing honey bee populations, giving rise to a loss of pollination services, reduced crop yields, and additional production costs. If the mite were to continue to be prevented from entering the country over the next 30 years, we estimate that the economic costs avoided would be U.S. $16.4-38.8 million (Aus $21.3-50.5 million) per year. We suggest that current invasion response funding arrangements in Australia, which do not acknowledge these avoided damages, require amendment.

Electrodeposition is a widely used materials-deposition technology with a number of unique features, in particular, the efficient use of starting materials, conformal, and directed coating. The properties of the solvent medium for electrodeposition are critical to the technique's applicability. Supercritical fluids are unique solvents which give a wide range of advantages for chemistry in general, and materials processing in particular. However, a widely applicable approach to electrodeposition from supercritical fluids has not yet been developed. We present here a method that allows electrodeposition of a range of metals from supercritical carbon dioxide, using acetonitrile as a co-solvent and supercritical difluoromethane. This method is based on a careful selection of reagent and supporting electrolyte. There are no obvious barriers preventing this method being applied to deposit a range of materials from many different supercritical fluids. We present the deposition of 3-nm diameter nanowires in mesoporous silica templates using this methodology.electrochemistry ͉ nanomaterials

The syntheses and biological activities of a number of benzamide derivatives, designed from rolipram, which are selective inhibitors of cyclic AMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE IV), are described. The effects of changes to the alkoxy groups, amide linkage, and benzamide N-phenyl ring on the inhibition of the cytosolic PDE IV from pig aorta have been investigated. As a result, some highly potent and selective PDE IV inhibitors have been identified. The most potent compounds have been further evaluated for their inhibitory potencies against PDE IV obtained from and superoxide O2- generation from guinea pig eosinophils in vitro. Selected compounds have also been examined for their activities in inhibiting histamine-induced bronchospasm in anaesthetized guinea pigs. 3-(Cyclopentyloxy)-N-(3,5-dichloro-4-pyridyl)-4-methoxybenzamide (15j) showed exceptional potency in all tests and may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of asthma.

Summary1. Predicting which species are more likely to invade a region presents significant difficulties to researchers and government agencies. Methods for estimating the risk of establishment are often qualitative and rely on consultation with experts and stakeholders. The inherent subjectivity of this process can lead to ambiguities in any estimate of a species' risk of establishment. 2. Using global presence ⁄ absence data of insect crop pests employed a self-organizing map (SOM) to categorize regions based on similarities in species assemblages. This technique enabled them to generate a list of species and rank them based on an index of the risk of establishment. However, the sensitivity of this risk list to errors in the presence ⁄ absence data has never been tested. 3. We evaluated the sensitivity of the SOM method by altering the original presence ⁄ absence data by increasing amounts and compared estimates of risk with those generated by a national coordinating body (Plant Health Australia) utilizing expert stakeholder opinion. 4. The risk list was unaffected by alterations of up to 20% of data over all regions. The error rate we detected in the data was within these limits. 5. Comparison with the expert stakeholder methodology revealed significant differences in the estimates of establishment risk. Further analysis of the Australian data revealed that a number of regions with strong trade links to Australia supported species assemblages similar to those in Australia, suggesting they are possible sources of pest species with high probability of establishment. 6. Synthesis and applications. This analysis confirms that the SOM methodology is a robust tool in the quantification of risk of establishment. In addition, SOMs can deliver a level of objectivity, which can complement current consultative processes employed by many biosecurity agencies around the world, providing a better overall assessment of invasion risk. This assessment can inform research and development funding decisions and incursion management plans for both government and host industries. While SOMs are utilized in this work for the prioritization of pest insects they can potentially be applied to any taxa (pest or native) or at any scale in which the data are available.

The management of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) is stymied by complex social values and severe levels of uncertainty. However, these two challenges are often hidden in the conventional model of management by ''value-free'' analyses and probability-based estimates of risk. As a result, diverse social values and wide margins of error in risk assessment carry zero weights in the decision-making process, leaving IAS risk decisions to be made in the wake of political pressure and the crisis atmosphere of incursion. We propose to use a Deliberative MultiCriteria Evaluation (DMCE) to incorporate multiple social values and profound uncertainty into decisionmaking processes. The DMCE process combines the advantages of conventional multi-criteria decision analysis methods with the benefits of stakeholder participation to provide an analytical structure to assess complex multi-dimensional objectives. It, therefore, offers an opportunity for diverse views to enter the decision-making process, and for the negotiation of consensus positions. The DMCE process can also function as a platform for risk communication in which scientists, stakeholders, and decision-makers can interact and discuss the uncertainty associated with biological invasions. We examine two case studies that demonstrate how DMCE provides scientific rigor and transparency in the decision-making process of invasion risk management. The first case regards pre-border priority ranking for potential invasive species and the second relates to selecting the most desirable policy option for managing a postborder invader.

Several Ge(II) and Ge(IV) compounds were investigated as possible reagents for the electrodeposition of Ge from liquid CH(3)CN and CH(2)F(2) and supercritical CO(2) containing as a co-solvent CH(3)CN (scCO(2)) and supercritical CH(2)F(2) (scCH(2)F(2)). For Ge(II) reagents the most promising results were obtained using [NBu(n)(4)][GeCl(3)]. However the reproducibility was poor and the reduction currents were significantly less than the estimated mass transport limited values. Deposition of Ge containing films was possible at high cathodic potential from [NBu(n)(4)][GeCl(3)] in liquid CH(3)CN and supercritical CO(2) containing CH(3)CN but in all cases they were heavily contaminated by C, O, F and Cl. Much more promising results were obtained using GeCl(4) in liquid CH(2)F(2) and supercritical CH(2)F(2). In this case the reduction currents were consistent with mass transport limited reduction and bulk electrodeposition produced amorphous films of Ge. Characterisation by XPS showed the presence of low levels of O, F and C, XPS confirmed the presence of Ge together with germanium oxides, and Raman spectroscopy showed that the as deposited amorphous Ge could be crystallised by the laser used in obtaining the Raman measurements.