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Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Ecology, Ecologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Environment, Environnement, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie appliquée, Applied ecology, Ecotoxicologie, effets biologiques de la pollution, Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution, Action de la pollution et effets secondaires des pesticides sur les protozoaires et les invertébrés, Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on protozoa and invertebrates, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Généralités, Generalities, Lutte, Control, Angiospermae, Arachnida, Arthropoda, Gramineae, Insecta, Invertebrata, Monocotyledones, Spermatophyta, Acephate, Araneida, Carbophenothion, Cypermethrine, Cyrthorhinus lividipennis, Delphacidae, Deltamethrine, Dose létale 50, Lethal dose 50, Dosis letal 50, Déprédateur, Pest, Effet secondaire, Secondary effect, Efecto secundario, Endosulfan, Entomophage, Entomophagous, Entomofago, Ethylan, Heteroptera, Homoptera, Insecticide, Lycosa pseudoannulata, Microvelia atrolineata, Nilaparvata lugens, Oryza sativa, Osbac, Plante céréalière, Cereal crop, Prédateur, Predator, Predador, Toxicité, Toxicity, and Toxicidad

Marine biology, limnology, Biologie marine, limnologie, Ecology, Ecologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie microbienne, Microbial ecology, Milieux divers (espace extraatmosphérique, air, eau), Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water), Bacteria, Bactérie, Cyanobacteria, Eau mer, Seawater, Agua mar, Ecologie, Ecology, Ecologia, Fixation azote, Nitrogen fixation, Mer du Nord, North Sea, Nitrogenase, Zone intertidale, and Intertidal zone

Biotechnology, Biotechnologies, Microbiology, infectious diseases, Microbiologie, maladies infectieuses, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Microbiologie, Microbiology, Bactériologie, Bacteriology, Métabolisme. Enzymes, Metabolism. Enzymes, Biotechnologie, Biotechnology, Recherche fondamentale orientée, Mission oriented research, Biologie des microorganismes d'intérêt industriel confirmé ou potentiel, Biology of microorganisms of confirmed or potential industrial interest, Physiologie et métabolisme, Physiology and metabolism, Bacteria, Oscillatoriaceae, Oscillatoriales, Bactérie, Alternance, Alternancia, Culture microorganisme, Microorganism culture, Cultivo microorganismo, Cyanobacteria, Dosage, Assay, Dosificacion, Enzyme, Enzima, Fixation azote, Nitrogen fixation, Fijacion nitrogenada, Lumière, Light, Luz, Nitrogenase, Obscurité, Obscurity, Oscuridad, Oscillatoria, Oxidoreductase, and Oxidorreductasa

Biotechnology, Biotechnologies, Microbiology, infectious diseases, Microbiologie, maladies infectieuses, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Microbiologie, Microbiology, Bactériologie, Bacteriology, Métabolisme. Enzymes, Metabolism. Enzymes, Biotechnologie, Biotechnology, Recherche fondamentale orientée, Mission oriented research, Biologie des microorganismes d'intérêt industriel confirmé ou potentiel, Biology of microorganisms of confirmed or potential industrial interest, Physiologie et métabolisme, Physiology and metabolism, Bacteria, Oscillatoriaceae, Oscillatoriales, Bactérie, Culture microorganisme, Microorganism culture, Cultivo microorganismo, Cyanobacteria, Enzyme, Enzima, Fixation azote, Nitrogen fixation, Fijacion nitrogenada, Nitrogenase, Oscillatoria, Oxidoreductase, Oxidorreductasa, Oxygène, Oxygen, Protection, Proteccion, Toxicité, Toxicity, and Toxicidad

Biotechnology, Biotechnologies, Microbiology, infectious diseases, Microbiologie, maladies infectieuses, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Microbiologie, Microbiology, Bactériologie, Bacteriology, Métabolisme. Enzymes, Metabolism. Enzymes, Bacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bactérie, Azote, Nitrogen, Nitrogeno, Aérobiose, Aerobiosis, Enzyme, Enzima, Fixation azote, Nitrogen fixation, Fijación nitrogeno, Lumière, Light, Luz, Métabolisme, Metabolism, Metabolismo, Nitrogenase, Obscurité, Obscurity, Oscuridad, Oscillatoria, Photosynthèse, Photosynthesis, Fotosíntesis, Respiration cellulaire, Cell respiration, and Respiración celular

Biotechnology, Biotechnologies, Microbiology, infectious diseases, Microbiologie, maladies infectieuses, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Microbiologie, Microbiology, Bactériologie, Bacteriology, Métabolisme. Enzymes, Metabolism. Enzymes, Bacteria, Bactérie, Acétate, Acetate, Acetato, Anaérobiose, Anaerobiosis, Cyanobacteria, Diholoside, Disaccharide, Diholosido, Ethanol, Etanol, Fermentation, Fermentación, Glycogène, Glycogen, Glicógeno, Lactate, Lactates, Lactato, Métabolisme, Metabolism, Metabolismo, Obscurité, Obscurity, Oscuridad, Sulfure, Sulfides, Sulfuro, Tréhalose, Trehalose, Trehalosa, Fermentation hétérolactique, and Oscillatoria limosa

The marine nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Oscillatoria limosa, strain 23 (Oldenburg) was investigated with respect to its dark anaerobic metabolism. As soon as the cells were incubated anaerobically in the dark, they started to ferment. Glycogen was presumably degraded via the heterolactic fermentative pathway. Glycogen-glucose was degraded to equimolar amounts of lactate, ethanol and carbon dioxide. The disaccharide trehalose, which serves as an osmoprotectant in O. limosa, was also catabolized.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Agronomie. Sciences du sol et productions vegetales, Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions, Génétique et amélioration des plantes d'intérêt économique, Genetics and breeding of economic plants, Sélection variétale. Amélioration spéciale, objectifs d'amélioration, Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims, Résistance aux organismes nuisibles, Pest resistance, Déprédateurs, Pest animals, Africa, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Spermatophyta, Afrique, Coreidae, Criblage, Screening, Cernido, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Etude en laboratoire, Laboratory study, Estudio en laboratorio, Etude en serre, Greenhouse study, Estudio en invernadero, Etude sur terrain, Field study, Estudio en campo, Lignée sélection, Breeding line, Línea selección, Méthode, Method, Método, Méthodologie, Methodology, Metodología, Nigéria, Nigeria, Origine végétale, Plant origin, Origen vegetal, Plante légumière, Vegetable crop, Planta leguminosa, Relation animal végétal, Animal plant relation, Relación animal vegetal, Résistance insecte, Insect resistance, Resistencia insecto, Sensibilité résistance, Sensitivity resistance, Sensibilidad resistencia, Vigna unguiculata, Pest resistance, Clavigralla tomentosicollis, and Résistance déprédateur

Description des procédures de criblage destinées à tester la résistance de nouvelles accessions de niébé, et qui peuvent être appliquées pour le criblage rapide de germoplasmes et la séparation des lignées de sélection.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Invertebres, Invertebrates, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie animale et végétale, Animal and plant ecology, Autoécologie, Autoecology, Animaux, Animals, Protozoa. Invertebrata, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Spermatophyta, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Développement, Development, Desarrollo, Etude en laboratoire, Laboratory study, Estudio en laboratorio, Fécondité, Fecundity, Fecundidad, Lens culinaris, Longévité, Longevity, Longevidad, Pentatomidae, Pisum sativum, Plante hôte, Host plant, Planta huesped, Plante légumière, Vegetable crop, Planta leguminosa, Relation animal végétal, Animal plant relation, Relación animal vegetal, Reproduction, Reproducción, and Thyanta pallidovirens

Control theory, operational research, Automatique, recherche opérationnelle, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Electronique, Electronics, Electronique des semiconducteurs. Microélectronique. Optoélectronique. Dispositifs à l'état solide, Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices, Circuits intégrés, Integrated circuits, Conception. Technologies. Analyse fonctionnement. Essais, Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing, Aluminium, Bille, Caractéristique temporelle, Circuit intégré, Contact métal métal, Contrainte thermique, Electrodiffusion, Essai vieillissement accéléré, In situ, Interconnexion, Mesure, Or, and Résistance contact

Medical oncology, Cancérologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences medicales, Medical sciences, Gynecologie. Andrologie. Obstetrique, Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics, Pathologie de la glande mammaire, Mammary gland diseases, Tumeurs, Tumors, Glande mammaire pathologie, Mammary gland diseases, Glándula mamaria patología, Tumeur maligne, Malignant tumor, Tumor maligno, Cycle cellulaire, Cell cycle, Ciclo celular, Cytométrie flux, Flow cytometry, Citometría flujo, Epithélioma, Carcinoma, Epitelioma, Exploration, Exploración, Glande mammaire, Mammary gland, Glándula mamaria, Homme, Human, Hombre, Phase S, S Phase, Fase S, Pronostic, Prognosis, Pronóstico, Précoce, Early, and Precoz

Purpose and Methods: The prognostic significance of cell proliferation, estimated as cytometric S-phase fraction (SPF), was investigated in node-negative breast cancer patients with small tumors (T1,N0). The 219 stage 1 patients originated from two series and were diagnosed either from 1978 to 1981 or from 1981 to 1985. The tumors were analyzed for estrogen receptors (ERs) by isoelectric focusing and for cellular DNA content by static cytofluorometry or flow cytometry. Results: A high SPF correlated with the absence of ERs and abnormal DNA content, and was less often found in tumors smaller than 11 mm compared with those with a diameter between 11 and 20 mm.

Medical oncology, Cancérologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences medicales, Medical sciences, Pharmacologie. Traitements medicamenteux, Pharmacology. Drug treatments, Anticancéreux, Antineoplastic agents, Chimiothérapie, Chemotherapy, Anticancéreux, Antineoplastic agent, Anticanceroso, Chimiothérapie, Chemotherapy, Quimioterapia, Cycle cellulaire, Cell cycle, Ciclo celular, Cytométrie flux, Flow cytometry, Citometría flujo, Etude cas, Case study, Estudio caso, Exploration, Exploración, Glande mammaire, Mammary gland, Glándula mamaria, Homme, Human, Hombre, Phase S, S Phase, Fase S, Pronostic, Prognosis, Pronóstico, Préménopause, Premenopause, Premenopausia, Radiothérapie, Radiotherapy, Radioterapia, Traitement adjuvant, Adjuvant treatment, Tratamiento adyuvante, Traitement, Treatment, Tratamiento, Tumeur maligne, Malignant tumor, and Tumor maligno

Cancer chemotherapy interacts with cell proliferation, but data on the relationship between cancer cell replication and the effect of adjuvant chemotherapy are scarce. We have investigated the S-phase fractions of the primary tumour from premenopausal breast cancer patients who participated in a randomised trial comparing 12 cycles of polychemotherapy (CMF) with post-operative radiotherapy. DNA flow cytometry was performed on frozen tissues from 208 primary breast carcinomas, of which the S-phase fraction was estimated in 176 cases. There was a significantly higher benefit from CMF among patients with a high S-phase fraction (P=0.0033).

TESTING, QUALITY, ELECTRONICS, RELIABILITY in engineering, MATHEMATICAL optimization, and MAINTAINABILITY (Engineering)

A new technique for reliability and quality optimization of electronic components and assemblies, the so called in situ accelerated ageing technique with electrical testing, is presented. This technique is extremely useful for the building-in approach to quality and reliability. First, it can be used to optimize an electronic component or assembly with respect to its quality and reliability performance at a very early stage, i.e. at the design level, at the level of materials selection, and at the level of identifying production techniques and defining production parameters. The typical test time is of the order of 24 hours, which is sufficiently short to allow a design of experiments type approach to quality and reliability optimization. Furthermore, the technique is also very useful for obtaining a deeper understanding of the physico-chemical processes which lead to failure. A number of practical examples where the technique has been successfully applied are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control theory, operational research, Automatique, recherche opérationnelle, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Electronique, Electronics, Essais, mesure, bruit et fiabilité, Testing, measurement, noise and reliability, Diélectrique, Dielectric materials, Dieléctrico, Essai en place, In situ test, Ensayo en sitio, Essai vieillissement accéléré, Accelerated aging test, Ensayo envejecimiento acelerado, Fiabilité, Reliability, Fiabilidad, Mesure, Measurement, Medida, Métallisation, Metallizing, Metalización, Optimisation, Optimization, Optimización, Résistance électrique, Resistor, and Resistencia eléctrica(componente)

Medical oncology, Cancérologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences medicales, Medical sciences, Pharmacologie. Traitements medicamenteux, Pharmacology. Drug treatments, Anticancéreux, Antineoplastic agents, Chimiothérapie, Chemotherapy, Glande mammaire pathologie, Mammary gland diseases, Glándula mamaria patología, Agent alkylant, Alkylating agent, Agente alquilante, Anticancéreux, Antineoplastic agent, Anticanceroso, Antifolate, Antifolato, Antimétabolite, Antimetabolic, Antimetabólito, Base pyrimidique dérivé, Pyrimidine base derivatives, Base pirimídica derivado, Chimiothérapie, Chemotherapy, Quimioterapia, Cyclophosphamide, Etude comparative, Comparative study, Estudio comparativo, Expression génique, Gene expression, Expresión genética, Fluor Composé organique, Fluorine Organic compounds, Fluor Compuesto orgánico, Fluorouracil, Glande mammaire, Mammary gland, Glándula mamaria, Gène suppresseur tumeur, Tumor suppressor gene, Gen supresor tumor, Homme, Human, Hombre, Méthotrexate, Préménopause, Premenopause, Premenopausia, Radiothérapie, Radiotherapy, Radioterapia, Traitement adjuvant, Adjuvant treatment, Tratamiento adyuvante, Tumeur maligne, Malignant tumor, Tumor maligno, Gène p53, and p53 gene

Functional p53 protein is essential for the cellular response to drug-induced DNA damage. We investigated p53 accumulation in tumour specimens from premenopausal breast cancer patients who were randomised to adjuvant chemotherapy (CMF) or postoperative radiotherapy. Of the tumours from 139 patients, 20 showed abnormal accumulation as judged with immunohistochemistry (>10% positive tumour cells). The risk of distant recurrence was similar in the two treatment groups for patients whose primary tumours lacked p53 accumulation, whereas there was a significant benefit from CMF for patients showing abnormal accumulation (relative risk 0.18, 95% CI, 0.04-0.93). This result suggests that p53-dependent apoptosis is not a general mechanism by which breast cancer cells respond during CMF chemotherapy.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Signalements, symptômes, dégâts, importance économique, surveillance des populations, Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Coreidae, Dicotyledones, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Légumineuse grain, Grain legume, Leguminosa grano, Relation animal végétal, Animal plant relation, Relación animal vegetal, Spermatophyta, Comportement alimentaire, Feeding behavior, Conducta alimenticia, Comportement déprédateur, Pest behavior, Conducta depredadora, Culture tropicale, Tropical crop, Cultivo tropical, Cycle développement, Life cycle, Ciclo desarrollo, Etude en laboratoire, Laboratory study, Estudio en laboratorio, Glycine max, Hôte substitution, Host substitution, Huesped sustitución, Plante hôte, Host plant, Planta huesped, Survie, Survival, Sobrevivencia, Vigna unguiculata, and Clavigralla tomentosicollis

Suitability of the pods of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) as food for Clavigralla tomentosicollis was determined in the laboratory using development, food substitution and host switch experiments. On soybean pods, nymphs survived for 8 days and adults for 12 days; on cowpea, all nymphal instars developed into adults and lived for 80-100 days. Teneral adults that were switched from cowpea to soybean lost weight, while adults that were moved from soybean to cowpea gained weight with slight differences between the sexes. The shortest critical survival threshold (duration with at least 50% survival) of adults on cowpea was greater than the longest on soybean. The likelihood of C. tomentosicollis exploiting soybean as a trophic niche in areas of tropical Africa where production of this crop is on the increase and usually contiguous with cowpea production, is discussed.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Lutte intégrée, Integrated pest control, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Bruchidae, Coleoptera, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Reduviidae, Spermatophyta, Callosobruchus maculatus, Canavalia ensiformis, Croissance, Growth, Crecimiento, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Emergence, Emergencia, Insecticide, Insecticida, Larve, Larva, Légumineuse grain, Grain legume, Leguminosa grano, Mortalité, Mortality, Mortalidad, Mue, Molt, Muda, Origine végétale, Plant origin, Origen vegetal, Rhodnius prolixus, Toxicité, Toxicity, Toxicidad, Toxine, Toxin, and Toxina

Canatoxin is a toxic protein isolated from the jackbean, Cananvalia ensiformis. The toxin injected intraperitoneally is lethal for mice and rats; however, it is inactive if given orally. In this study, Manduca sexta (L.) (Lepidoptera), Schistocerca americana (Drury) (Orthoptera), Drosophila melanogaster (L.) (Diptera), Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera), Rhodnius prolixus (Stal) (Hemiptera), and Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera) were fed on can-atoxin-containing diets. No effects were seen in M. sexta, S. americana, D. melanogaster, or A. aegypti. No traces of canatoxin were found in their feces, suggesting that the protein was digested completely by these insects, which characteristically have a trypsin-based digestion. In contrast, canatoxin was lethal for insects displaying cathepsin-based digestion. Thus, for C. maculatus, a diet containing 0.25% wt:wt canatoxin caused complete inhibition of larval growth. When R. prolixus were fed on canatoxin, 2 effects were seen: impairment of water excretion and increased lethality 48-96 h after feeding. The lethal effect of canatoxin in R. prolixus was blocked partially or completely when the digestion of the toxin by R. prolixus midgut enzymes was impaired. The data showed that canatoxin is highly toxic when ingested by some species of insects but not affecting others, probably in correlation with the characteristics of the digestive process of the insect.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Signalements, symptômes, dégâts, importance économique, surveillance des populations, Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Solanaceae, Spermatophyta, Densité population, Population density, Densidad población, Durée, Duration, Duración, Dégât, Damage, Estrago, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Fruit, Fruto, Infestation, Infestación, Lycopersicon esculentum, Maturité, Maturity, Madurez, Pentatomidae, Plante légumière, Vegetable crop, Planta leguminosa, Chlorochroa uhleri, and Euschistus conspersus

Adult stink bugs were introduced onto caged, bush-type tomatoes to establish the amount of fruit damage resulting from different durations of infestation (up to 20 d), densities (1, 3, 5, and 10 bugs per 2 m of row), species (Euschistus conspersus Uhler and Chlorochroa uhleri (stal)) and reduced fruit abundance (75, 50, and 0% reduction). Factors that significantly influenced the percentage of tomato fruit damaged were stink bug density and reduced fruit density at constant stink bug densities. Stink bug density affected the number of damaged areas per fruit in 1 of the 2 years of the study. Stink bug species and the number of days of stink bug infestation did not affect the percentage of damaged fruit or the number of damaged areas per fruit. Implications for stink bug management in tomatoes grown in California are discussed.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Plant biology and physiology, Biologie et physiologie végétales, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie microbienne, Microbial ecology, Milieux divers (espace extraatmosphérique, air, eau), Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water), Bactérie, Bacteria, Cyanobacteria, Aphanizomenon flosaquae, Croissance, Growth, Crecimiento, Flottabilité, Buoyancy, Flotabilidad, Milieu marin, Marine environment, Medio marino, Photosynthèse, Photosynthesis, Fotosíntesis, Phytoplancton, Phytoplankton, Fitoplancton, Répartition verticale, Vertical distribution, Distribución vertical, and Vésicule gaz

Observations were made on the vertical distribution of colonies of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae for 9 d at a driftstation east of Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea. The buoyant colonies were dispersed in the upper layers of the water column during periods of wind-induced mixing but floated up during calm periods. From measurements of the vertical light extinction, surface irradiance and the photosynthesis versus irradiance curve, calculations were made of the changes in the daily integral of photosynthesis with respect to time and depth throughout the water column. From these calculations it is demonstrated that net photosynthesis by the population of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae increased nearly threefold by floating up after a deep mixing event. It is estimated that, averaged over alternating periods of calm and mixing, the buoyancy provided by gas vesicles in this organism will result in a nearly twofold increase in photosynthesis. A quantitative analysis has been made of the relationship of the daily integral of photosynthesis by the Aphanizomenon population with the mean depth of the population in the water column and the daily insolation. The analysis shows that the integral decreases linearly with respect to mean depth.

PLANTING and RICE

Monthly plantings of the rice variety Bouake 189 were made under lowland irrigated conditions, to obtain information on the phenological and seasonal occurrence of pests and diseases on the West African Rice Development Association (WARDA) research farm near Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire. Regular sampling of insect pests and observations on rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) disease infection throughout the year provided information on the occurrence of RYMV and potential insect vectors. RYMV incidence and grain yields varied depending on planting date, and for a given planting date, varied from one year to another. There was no evidence that RYMV incidence increases in successive seasons under continuous cropping. There was no significant correlation between RYMV incidence and either rainfall or wind speed. Leaf feeding damage by the beetle vector of RYMV, Trichispa sericea Guerin-Meneville (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and percentage RYMV infected plants were severe in the July and August plantings in 1993, but whereas T. sericea was not observed thereafter, RYMV spread continued. The white leafhoppers Cofana spectra (Distant) and C. unimaculata (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), the green leafhoppers Nephotettix spp. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), the spittle bug Locris rubra F. (Hemiptera: Cercopidae), the diopsids Diopsis longicornis Macquart and D. apicalis Dalman (Diptera: Diopsidae), and the grasshopper Oxy hyla Stal (Orthoptera: Acridadae) were the most abundant of the insect pests and had distinct population peaks within a year. However, population abundances were not correlated with RYMV incidence. The variability of RYMV in time and space and the potential role of weeds as alternative hosts for RYMV are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Plant biology and physiology, Biologie et physiologie végétales, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Microbiologie, Microbiology, Bactériologie, Bacteriology, Métabolisme. Enzymes, Metabolism. Enzymes, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie animale et végétale, Animal and plant ecology, Autoécologie, Autoecology, Végétaux et champignons, Plants and fungi, Activité enzymatique, Enzymatic activity, Actividad enzimática, Bactérie, Bacteria, Cyanobacteria, Enzyme, Enzima, Facteur milieu, Environmental factor, Factor medio, Oxidoreductases, Phytoplancton, Phytoplankton, Fitoplancton, Chlorophylle, Chlorophyll, Clorofila, Eclairement énergétique, Irradiance, Aclaramiento energético, Fixation azote, Nitrogen fixation, Fijación nitrogeno, Flottabilité, Buoyancy, Flotabilidad, Intégration numérique, Numerical integration, Integración numérica, Milieu marin, Marine environment, Medio marino, Modèle mathématique, Mathematical model, Modelo matemático, Nitrogenase, Photosynthèse, Photosynthesis, Fotosíntesis, Variation journalière, Daily variation, Variación diaria, and Aphanizomenon

Measurements were made of the rates of nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction) by cyanobacteria collected from the Baltic Sea at 2-h intervals, over a period of 24 h, and incubated under natural light. By relating the chlorophyll-specific rate of N2 fixation (PN) to the mean photon irradiance (I) at different periods, a PN/I curve was constructed. A mathematical description of this relationship was used in the calculation of rates of N2 fixation at different depths and times of day from continuous measurements of surface irradiance and light attenuation. By relating these calculations to the vertical distribution of chlorophyll due to Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, an estimate of the daily integral of N2 fixation by the population of this cyanobacterium was obtained: it varied from 039 to 071 mmol m-2 with a mean value of 053 mmol m-2 over 9 d. Comparisons with similar calculations of the daily integral of photosynthesis over the same period indicated the atomic ratio of N/C fixed is about 022, not very different from the N/C ratio expected for the elemental composition of these cyanobacteria. It is demonstrated that when buoyant gas-vacuolate colonies float up during calm periods the increased irradiance that they experience supports an increased rate of N2 fixation. This increase is less than that seen for carbon fixation because photosynthesis is negated by respiration at low irradiances and is less inhibited at high irradiances.

Ecology, Ecologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie animale et végétale, Animal and plant ecology, Autoécologie, Autoecology, Animaux, Animals, Protozoa. Invertebrata, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Arthropoda, Coleoptera, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Pentatomidae, Prédateur, Predator, Depredador, Tenebrionidae, Zone tropicale, Tropical zone, Zona tropical, Fréquence temporelle, Temporal frequency, Frecuencia temporal, Longévité, Longevity, Longevidad, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Lucha biológica, Nutrition, Nutrición, Relation prédateur proie, Predator prey relation, Relación depredador presa, Reproduction, Reproducción, Survie, Survival, Sobrevivencia, Tenebrio molitor, Oviposition, and Podisus rostratis

Reproduction and longevity of Podisus rostralis (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) females, fed at different intervals were studied in the Núcleo de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária' (BIOAGRO), of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, at 25 ± 2°C, 70 ± 10% R.H. and photophase of 12 hours. Females of P. rostralis were fed with Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larva, during 24 hours, every one, two, four, eight and 16 days. An inverse linear effect was found between oviposition period, egg batches/female, total number and number of eggs per day with feeding interval. Daily fed females laid more eggs (199.6) while those fed every 16 days showed lowest number of eggs (45.3). Longevity of P. rostralis was similar in all feeding intervals. Egg oviposition rate was reduced but females of this predator maintained its longevity which give then higher chances to maintain themselves in the ecosystem until occurs better conditions of preys.

Marine biology, limnology, Biologie marine, limnologie, Ecology, Ecologie, Environment, Environnement, Oceanography, Océanographie, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Terre, ocean, espace, Earth, ocean, space, Sciences de la terre, Earth sciences, Formations superficielles, Surficial geology, Quaternaire marin et continental, Marine and continental quaternary, Europe, Europa, Océan Atlantique, Atlantic Ocean, Océano Atlántico, Procaryote, prokaryotes, Bactérie, bacteria, Carbone organique, organic carbon, Carbono orgánico, Effet biogène, biogenic effects, Effet tampon, buffer effects, Efecto tampón, Fer, iron, Hierro, Milieu littoral, coastal environment, Medio litoral, Oxydation, oxidation, Oxidación, Porosité, porosity, Porosidad, Réduction chimique, chemical reduction, Reducción química, Sulfate, sulfates, Sulfato, Sulfure, sulfides, Sulfuro, Sédiment marin, marine sediments, Sedimento marino, Variation verticale, and vertical variations

The Bassin d'Arcachon (south-west France) was chosen as a model ecosystem to study the chemical and microbiological buffering towards free sulphide. Data were collected on the vertical distribution of oxygen, sulphur and iron compounds and the vertical distribution of colourless sulphur bacteria and sulphide-producing bacteria. In addition, data on the chemical and biological buffering capacity towards free sulphide were collected in sediment slurries from defined depth layers using a biological sulphide and oxygen monitor (BOSM) equipped with electrodes for oxygen, sulphide, redox and pH. The data showed that a substantial population of aerobic sulphide-oxidizing bacteria was present, yet buffering towards free sulphide could mainly be attributed to chemical processes: in particular, reactions with iron were of importance. Interestingly, the potential microbiological rate of sulphide oxidation was orders of magnitude higher than the rate of sulphate reduction reported for this ecosystem. The ecological implications of these observations for the Bassin d'Arcachon are that the powerful biological buffering capacity towards the free sulphide present will become effective after the chemical buffering capacity has been depleted. Under such conditions the colourless sulphur bacteria will no longer face the competition with iron, and thus may be expected to proliferate. The crucial factor then becomes the availability of oxygen.

Ecology, Ecologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Coleoptera, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Myrtaceae, Pentatomidae, Spermatophyta, Tenebrionidae, Animal auxiliaire, Beneficial animal, Animal benéfico, Arbre forestier feuillu, Hardwood forest tree, Arbol forestal frondoso, Comportement alimentaire, Feeding behavior, Conducta alimenticia, Elevage en masse, Mass rearing, Cría masiva, Entomophage, Entomophagous, Entomófago, Etude en laboratoire, Laboratory study, Estudio en laboratorio, Facteur milieu, Environmental factor, Factor medio, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Lucha biológica, Prédateur, Predator, Depredador, Tenebrio molitor, Eucalyptus urophylla, and Supputius cincticeps

The effect of the association with Eucalyptus urophylla seedlings on mortality, nymphal phase duration, and adult weight of Supputius cincticeps (Stal, 1860) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) fed with Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae was investigated. S. cincticeps were reared in the laboratory under 25 ± 2°C, 70 ± 10% r.h., and 12 hours of photophase on three diets: (1) prey (T. molitor larvae), (2) prey + plant (E. urophylla seedling), and (3) plant. S. cincticeps reared on prey + plant showed lower mortality, shorter nymphal development, and heavier females.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Ecology, Ecologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Environment, Environnement, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Entomophage, Entomophagous, Entomófago, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Relation hôte parasite, Host parasite relation, Relación huesped parásito, Spermatophyta, Animal auxiliaire, Beneficial animal, Animal benéfico, Coreidae, Densité population, Population density, Densidad población, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Efficacité parasitaire, Parasitic efficiency, Eficacia parasitaria, Hôte, Host, Huesped, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Lucha biológica, Légumineuse grain, Grain legume, Leguminosa grano, Oophage, Oophagous, Oófago, Parasitoïde, Parasitoid, Parasitoide, Scelionidae, Taux parasitisme, Parasitism rate, Tasa parasitismo, Variation saisonnière, Seasonal variation, Variación estacional, Vigna unguiculata, Clavigralla tomentosicollis, Gryon fulviventris, and Nigeria du Nord

Field surveys were conducted on cowpea and pigeon pea in 1995 and 1996 to assess the effect of indigenous egg parasitoids on populations of Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål in northern Nigeria. From the egg masses of C. tomentosicollis, three species of Hymenoptera belonging to three families, namel Anastatus sp. (Eupelmidae), Ooencyrtus utetheisae (Risbec) (Encyrtidae), and Gryon fulviventris (Crawford) (Scelionidae), were recorded. Among them, G. fulviventris was found to be the most abundant parasitoid. Of a total of 3,502 egg masses collected on cowpea from four geographical locations, 2,587 (73.9%) were found to contain at least one egg parasitized by G fulviventris. From 56,072 eggs discovered, it parasitized 38,935 (69.4%). Overall, 74,724 eggs were collected from the four different locations and of these 52% were parasitized by G. fulviventris. However, parasitism rates varied with time and location. At one of the study sites (Minjibir, Kano) where weekly samples were collected throughout the growing season, the discovery efficiency, exploitation efficiency, and overall percentage parasitism increased significantly from July to November. Also, the proportion of eggs parasitized was found to be inversely related to the size of the egg mass. These findings are discussed in relation to the potential contribution of biological control in the integrated pest management of this economically important pest.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Signalements, symptômes, dégâts, importance économique, surveillance des populations, Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Relation animal végétal, Animal plant relation, Relación animal vegetal, Spermatophyta, Age, Edad, Comparaison interspécifique, Interspecific comparison, Comparación interespecífica, Coreidae, Dégât, Damage, Estrago, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Gousse, Pod, Vaina, Légumineuse grain, Grain legume, Leguminosa grano, Pentatomidae, Position, Posición, and Vigna unguiculata

Laboratory and screenhouse studies were carried out to assess the relationship between pod age and pod position of cowpea and damage by different pod bug species. The coreids Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stäl and Riptortus dentipes Fabricius caused significant damage to young pods of cultivated genotypes, in contrast to the coreid Anoplocnemis curvipes Fabricius and the pentatomid Aspavia armigera Fabricius which exhibited minor feeding activity. Percent seed damage declined with pod age, the critical stage for pod bug infestation being when pods were about eight days old. Clavigralla tomentosicollis and R. dentipes caused significantly higher damage to pods located within the leaf canopy, thus behaving differently from Anoplocnemis curvipes which showed a distinct preference for pods growing above the leaf canopy. The feeding activity of Aspavia armigera was not affected by the position of pods on the plant. Overall, the study suggests that cowpea genotypes with a short flowering period and pods held above the leaf canopy offer the most promise in the management of pod-sucking pests.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Agronomie. Sciences du sol et productions vegetales, Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions, Génétique et amélioration des plantes d'intérêt économique, Genetics and breeding of economic plants, Sélection variétale. Amélioration spéciale, objectifs d'amélioration, Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims, Résistance aux organismes nuisibles, Pest resistance, Déprédateurs, Pest animals, Amélioration génétique, Genetic improvement, Enriquecimiento genético, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Coreidae, Culture tropicale, Tropical crop, Cultivo tropical, Dicotyledones, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Fruit, Fruto, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Légumineuse grain, Grain legume, Leguminosa grano, Plante sauvage, Wild plant, Planta salvaje, Spermatophyta, Comparaison interspécifique, Interspecific comparison, Comparación interespecífica, Cultivar, Dégât, Damage, Estrago, Effet dimensionnel, Size effect, Efecto dimensional, Etude en laboratoire, Laboratory study, Estudio en laboratorio, Gousse, Pod, Vaina, Graine, Seeds, Semillas, Infestation, Infestación, Lignée sélection, Breeding line, Línea selección, Mécanisme défense, Defense mechanism, Mecanismo defensa, Ressource génétique, Genetic resource, Recurso genético, Résistance insecte, Insect resistance, Resistencia insecto, Trichome, Tricoma, Vigna unguiculata, Clavigralla tomentosicollis, Péricarpe, Pericarp, and Vigna vexillata

Studies were conducted in the laboratory to investigate the different components of the resistance of Vigna vexillata A. Richards, TVnu 72, and several cultivars of cultivated Vigna spp. to infestation and damage by the brown cowpea coreid, Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stäl. The main objective was to determine the different roles of the pod wall and seeds, and the relationship between seed size, number, and damage by this insect. Results showed that both the pod wall and seed clearly contribute different components to the resistance of TVnu 72 to C. tomentosicollis. Analysis of the results suggests that the seed defences and the pod wall pericarp may be more important than are trichomes in this resistance. Seed number was found to influence the extent of damage in a more predictable manner than seed size. However, because both of these traits are generally inversely related and mutually exclusive, their individual effects cannot be completely separated. The implications of these traits in a breeding programme targeted at a specific consumer group are discussed.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, Biochimie, biologie moléculaire, biophysique, Ecology, Ecologie, Geology, Géologie, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Terre, ocean, espace, Earth, ocean, space, Sciences de la terre, Earth sciences, Géochimie, Geochemistry, Géochimie des sols et des roches, Soil and rock geochemistry, Formations superficielles, Surficial geology, Quaternaire marin et continental, Marine and continental quaternary, Europe, Europa, Actuel, modern, Actual, Calcium, calcium, Calcio, Carbohydrate, carbohydrates, Matière particulaire, particulate matters, Partícula elemental, Milieu intertidal, intertidal environment, Medio intertidal, Particule, particles, Rhéologie, rheology, Reología, Sorption, sorption, Sorción, Stabilisation, stabilization, Estabilización, Sédimentation estuaire, estuarine sedimentation, Sedimentación estuario, Vasière, mud flats, and Marisma

Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) are considered to play an important role in the stabilization of intertidal mudflats. In this study the role of EPS as a binding agent in intertidal sediments was investigated. For this purpose two EPS fractions (termed coll-SF and EDTA-SF) were isolated from intertidal sediment and characterized in terms of monosaccharide- and size distribution. In slurry addition experiments the sorption characteristics of these EPS-fractions as well as their effect on sediment properties were examined under varying Ca2+-concentrations. Results showed more EDTA-SF adsorbed to the sediment compared to coll-SF. For both fractions more EPS adsorbed to the sediment when Ca2+-concentration increased. This effect was stronger for EDTA-SF. The differences in sorption between the two fractions could not be explained in terms of monosaccharide- and size distribution, which were largely similar. The addition of EPS in the presence or absence of Ca2+ did not alter the rheology of the sediment slurries indicating that there was no effect of EPS on the sediment properties. This contradicts results of experiments with bacterial EPS as well as field observations in which the presence of EPS/ biofilms leads to an increase in the erosion resistance of the sediment. Possible causes for this discrepancy in results are discussed.

Ecology, Ecologie, Environment, Environnement, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie animale et végétale, Animal and plant ecology, Autoécologie, Autoecology, Animaux, Animals, Protozoa. Invertebrata, Arthropoda, Communication chimique, Chemical communication, Comunicación química, Composé sémiochimique, Semiochemicals, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Analyse chimique, Chemical analysis, Análisis químico, Attractif, Attractant, Atractivo, Composé volatil, Volatile compound, Compuesto volátil, Pentatomidae, Phéromone sexuelle, Sex pheromone, Feromona sexual, Thyanta pallidovirens, Sex attractant pheromone, Thyanta accerra custator, methyl (E2,Z4,Z6)-decatrienoate, redundant, sesquiterpene, zingiberene β-sesquiphellandrene, and α-curcumene

The male-produced sex pheromone of the red-shouldered stink bug, Thyanta pallidovirens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) consists of a blend of methyl (E2,Z4,Z6)-decatrienoate (E2,Z4,Z6-10:COOMe), and the sesquiterpenes (+)-α-curcumene, (-)-zingiberene, and (-)-β-sesquiphellandrene. In laboratory bioassays, sexually mature males attracted sexually mature females but not males, and females did not attract either sex. Extracts of volatiles collected from sexually mature males contained compounds not present in extracts from females or sexually immature males, and male-produced extract was attractive to females. Biological activity was lost when the extract was fractionated, indicating that the pheromone consisted of at least two components having different chemical, properties. Individually, pheromone components were not attractive to females, but E2,Z4,Z6-10:COOMe in combination with at least one of the three male-produced sesquiterpenes was attractive. The presence of more than one sesquiterpene in the blend did not increase attraction, indicating redundancy in the pheromone signal. Male extract was as attractive as a blend reconstructed from synthesized compounds, indicating all biologically active components had been identified. In bioassays conducted at dusk in a 1- x 1- x 1-m screen field cage, females were attracted to synthetic pheromone lures. In field trials, adult female T pallidovirens were attracted to pheromone-baited traps in relatively low numbers. The profile of volatiles released by sexually mature males of a congeneric species, Thyanta accerra custator McAtee, was remarkably similar to that of male T pallidovirens, with the exception that the former species produced (E)-2-decenal, a compound that was not found in T. pallidovirens extracts.

General chemistry, physical chemistry, Chimie générale, chimie physique, Metallurgy, welding, Métallurgie, soudage, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Physique, Physics, Etat condense: structure, proprietes mecaniques et thermiques, Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties, Surfaces et interfaces; couches minces et trichites (structure et propriétés non électroniques), Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties), Structure et morphologie de couches minces, Thin film structure and morphology, Structure et morphologie; épaisseur, Structure and morphology; thickness, Diffraction RX, XRD, Dépôt physique phase vapeur, Physical vapor deposition, Etude expérimentale, Experimental study, Frottement, Friction, Magnétron, Magnetrons, Microscopie électronique balayage, Scanning electron microscopy, Microstructure, Molybdène sulfure, Molybdenum sulfides, Propriété mécanique, Mechanical properties, Pulvérisation irradiation, Sputtering, Revêtement, Coatings, Tribologie, Tribology, Usure, and Wear

MoSx coatings were prepared with an unbalanced DC magnetron-sputtering system by varying the DC power mode, target type and liquid nitrogen trap. The composition and surface morphology were examined by energy dispersive X-ray and scanning electron microscopy; structural characterization was determined by X-ray diffraction. The friction and wear properties were evaluated with a fretting tester in dry (< 10% relative humidity) and humid (50% and 90% relative humidity) air. MoSx coatings deposited by simple DC power tended to form rougher surfaces, and had a higher edge orientation of crystallites with worse tribological performance than those by bipolar pulsed DC power. MoSx coatings made by a cold pressed target had a lower deposition rate, and were inclined to form (002) basal orientations parallel to the surface especially at higher argon pressures. The contents of oxygen and carbon in the MoSx coating with the use of liquid nitrogen trap were greatly reduced, but MoSx coatings had lower coefficients of friction and shorter wear life at higher relative humidity. The role of these deposition variables in the formation process is discussed.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, Biochimie, biologie moléculaire, biophysique, Ecology, Ecologie, Geology, Géologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie microbienne, Microbial ecology, Milieux divers (espace extraatmosphérique, air, eau), Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water), Bactérie, Bacteria, Article synthèse, Review, Artículo síntesis, Cyanobacteria, Cycle biogéochimique, Biogeochemical cycle, Ciclo biogeoquímico, Diazotrophie, Diazotrophy, Diazotrofía, Fixation azote, Nitrogen fixation, Fijación nitrogeno, Milieu marin, Marine environment, Medio marino, Océan, Ocean, Océano, and Trichodesmium

The surface water of the marine environment has traditionally been viewed as a nitrogen (N) limited habitat, and this has guided the development of conceptual biogeochemical models focusing largely on the reservoir of nitrate as the critical source of N to sustain primary productivity. However, selected groups of Bacteria, including cyanobacteria, and Archaea can utilize dinitrogen (N2) as an alternative N source. In the marine environment, these microorganisms can have profound effects on net community production processes and can impact the coupling of C-N-P cycles as well as the net oceanic sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. As one component of an integrated 'Nitrogen Transport and Transformations' project, we have begun to re-assess our understanding of (I) the biotic sources and rates of N2 fixation in the world's oceans, (2) the major controls on rates of oceanic N2 fixation, (3) the significance of this N2 fixation for the global carbon cycle and (4) the role of human activities in the alteration of oceanic N2 fixation. Preliminary results indicate that rates of N2 fixation, especially in subtropical and tropical open ocean habitats, have a major role in the global marine N budget. Iron (Fe) bioavailability appears to be an important control and is, therefore, critical in extrapolation to global rates of N2 fixation. Anthropogenic perturbations may alter N2 fixation in coastal environments through habitat destruction and eutrophication, and open ocean N2 fixation may be enhanced by warming and increased stratification of the upper water column. Global anthropogenic and climatic changes may also affect N2 fixation rates, for example by altering dust inputs (i.e. Fe) or by expansion of subtropical boundaries. Some recent estimates of global ocean N2 fixation are in the range of 100-200 Tg N (1-2 x 1014 g N) yr-1, but have large uncertainties. These estimates are nearly an order of magnitude greater than historical, pre-1980 estimates, but approach modern estimates of oceanic denitrification.

Marine biology, limnology, Biologie marine, limnologie, Ecology, Ecologie, Environment, Environnement, Oceanography, Océanographie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie animale et végétale, Animal and plant ecology, Synécologie, Synecology, Ecosystèmes saumâtres, Brackish water ecosystems, Milieu saumâtre, Brackish water environment, Medio salobre, Estuaire, Estuaries, Estuario, Etude comparative, Comparative study, Estudio comparativo, Extracellulaire, Extracellular, Extracelular, Glucide, Carbohydrate, Glúcido, Phytobenthos, Fitobentos, Répartition spatiale, Spatial distribution, Distribución espacial, Vasière, Mud flats, Fondo fangoso, Zone intertidale, Intertidal zone, Zona intertidal, Ems-Dollard estuary, Extracellular carbohydrate, Grain size distribution, Humber estuary, Marennes-Oléron Bay, Microphytobenthos, Monosaccharide distribution, and Tidal flats

In this study, the spatial distribution of two operationally defined extracellular carbohydrate fractions (water- and EDTA-extractable carbohydrates) were examined in three intertidal mudflats in Western Europe (Dollard, the Netherlands; Marennes, France; Humber, UK). The three mudflats were sampled along cross-shore transects and sediment cores were sliced to a depth of 5 cm. In these mudflats diatoms were the dominant component of the microphytobenthos. Carbohydrate content showed little variation with depth but varied along transects within each mudflat. Carbohydrate contents were also significantly different between mudflats and the carbohydrate contents of the stations within a mudflat grouped together resulting in separate clusters. This was also observed when the Marennes mudflat was investigated on a temporal scale. These results suggest that processes that act on the scale of whole mudflats determine the variations in extracellular carbohydrate contents In the surface 0.5 cm of the sediment, water-extractable carbohydrates showed a correlation with both chlorophyll a content and median grain size while EDTA-extractable carbohydrates were only correlated with median grain size. Incubation experiments also showed the importance of microphytobenthos as a source of extracellular carbohydrate especially when subjected to the light. Analyses of the monosaccharide distribution of the carbohydrate fractions revealed that the carbohydrate composition was largely similar between the areas investigated. Structurally. the carbohydrates found in these sediments seem to represent a biorefractory part of the freshly produced carbohydrates that remained after rapid degradation of the mare labile component.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, and Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology

The effects of secondary metabolites in different Vigna species on the development of Clavigralla tomentosicollis were investigated in an artificial seed system using different fractions of crude pod extracts, while the orientation response of this pod-bug to volatile extracts was studied using a dual-choice olfactometer. Feeding on the neutral fraction extracts, in contrast to the basic and acidic fractions, resulted in significantly higher mortalities, longer total developmental time, and lower growth index of the insects in comparison with controls. All volatile extracts elicited an avoidance reaction by C. tomentosicollis, except the volatile from the susceptible genotype IT84S-2246 which generally attracted as many insects as controls. Extracts from wild Vigna species showed higher activity than those from their cultivated relatives. The present study which has established that most secondary metabolites in cowpea pods were localized in the neutral fraction of the crude extract, could facilitate experiments on the separation and characterization of the toxic factors involved.

Mechanical engineering, Génie mécanique, Metallurgy, welding, Métallurgie, soudage, Condensed state physics, Physique de l'état condensé, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Physique, Physics, Domaines interdisciplinaires: science des materiaux; rheologie, Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology, Science des matériaux, Materials science, Essais sur les matériaux, Materials testing, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Genie mecanique. Construction mecanique, Mechanical engineering. Machine design, Métrologie industrielle. Contrôle, Industrial metrology. Testing, Contrôle non destructif: méthodes et appareillages, Non-destructive testing: methods and equipments, Acier électrique, Electric furnace steel, Acero horno eléctrico, Conversion onde, Wave conversion, Conversión onda, Dispositif électromagnétique, Electromagnetic devices, Effet Barkhausen, Barkhausen effect, Effet champ magnétique, Magnetic field effects, En ligne, On line, En línea, Essai courant Foucault, Eddy current testing, Essai non destructif, Nondestructive testing, Essai perte magnétique, Magnetic leakage field testing, Control pérdida magnética, Fer, Iron, Grosseur grain, Grain size, Joint grain, Grain boundaries, Mesure électrique, Electrical measurement, Medida eléctrica, Métrologie, Metrology, Processus fabrication, Production process, Proceso fabricación, Procédé fabrication, Manufacturing processes, Visualisation, and Visualization

The results of investigation of the relation between the grain size in the intermediate stages of manufacturing electrical steel and various physical characteristics are given. The investigations are carried out for the purpose of clarifying the possibility of using these characteristics for arranging nondestructive testing of the grain size in the process of steel manufacturing. The paper contains the results of tests performed with the use of the methods of measuring the leakage magnetic fields on the grain boundaries by means of yttrium iron garnet films employed for visualization of the magnetic fields, the Barkhausen effect, the ultrasonic and eddy-current methods, the electromagnetic-acoustic conversion (EMAC) method, and the use of the relation between the grain size and the value of the coercive force.

TONGUE, MORPHOLOGY, COMPARATIVE anatomy, MUSCLES, and MOUTH

The muscle fibre composition of three human intrinsic tongue muscles, the longitudinalis, verticalis and transversus, was investigated in four anterior to posterior regions of the tongue using morphological and enzyme- and immunohistochemical techniques. All three muscles typically contained type I, IIA and IM/IIC fibres. Type I fibres expressed slow myosin heavy chain (MyHC), type II fibres fast MyHC, mainly fast A MyHC, whereas type IM/IIC coexpressed slow and fast MyHCs. Type II fibres were in the majority (60%), but regional differences in proportion and diameter of fibre types were obvious. The anterior region of the tongue contained a predominance of relatively small type II fibres (71%), in contrast to the posterior region which instead showed a majority of larger type I and type IM/IIC fibres (66%). In general, the fibre diameter was larger in the posterior region. This muscle fibre composition of the tongue differs from those of limb, orofacial and masticatory muscles, probably reflecting genotypic as well as phenotypic functional specialization in oral function. The predominance of type II fibres and the regional differences in fibre composition, together with intricate muscle structure, suggest generally fast and flexible actions in positioning and shaping the tongue, during vital tasks such as mastication, swallowing, respiration and speech.Copyright © 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PLANT chemical defenses, VIGNA, and COREIDAE

The effects of secondary metabolites in different Vigna species on the development of Clavigralla tomentosicollis were investigated in an artificial seed system using different fractions of crude pod extracts, while the orientation response of this pod-bug to volatile extracts was studied using a dual-choice olfactometer. Feeding on the neutral fraction extracts, in contrast to the basic and acidic fractions, resulted in significantly higher mortalities, longer total developmental time, and lower growth index of the insects in comparison with controls. All volatile extracts elicited an avoidance reaction by C. tomentosicollis, except the volatile from the susceptible genotype IT84S-2246 which generally attracted as many insects as controls. Extracts from wild Vigna species showed higher activity than those from their cultivated relatives. The present study which has established that most secondary metabolites in cowpea pods were localized in the neutral fraction of the crude extract, could facilitate experiments on the separation and characterization of the toxic factors involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Ecology, Ecologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Environment, Environnement, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Signalements, symptômes, dégâts, importance économique, surveillance des populations, Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Facteur milieu, Environmental factor, Factor medio, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Spermatophyta, Coreidae, Défoliation, Defoliation, Defoliación, Dégât, Damage, Estrago, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Feuille végétal, Plant leaf, Hoja vegetal, Gousse, Pod, Vaina, Infestation, Infestación, Structure, Estructura, Température, Temperature, Temperatura, Vigna unguiculata, Anoplocnemis curvipes, Clavigralla tomentosicollis, canopy temperature, defoliation, and pod position

Potted cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp., plants were used to determine the effects of defoliation and pod position relative to the leaf canopy on infestation and damage by the coreid pod-bugs Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål and Anoplocnemis curvipes (F.). Temperature measurements were taken within and outside the canopy to determine whether there was a correlation to seed damage. Seed damage decreased significantly with increasing defoliation in plants infested with C. tomentosicollis; an inverse trend was observed with A. curvipes. Temperatures within the canopy increased as the number of leaves decreased. As observed in the defoliation experiment, C. tomentosicollis and A. curvipes reacted differently in a free-choice situation between pods located outside or within the canopy. Significantly higher numbers of C. tomentosicollis concealed themselves within the canopy, where they caused more severe damage to seeds, in comparison with numbers and damage outside the canopy. These trends were reversed for A. curvipes. There was a significant negative correlation between percentage of seed damage and temperature with C. tomentosicollis, and a significant positive correlation with A. curvipes, both in defoliated plants and those with pods distributed outside and within the canopy. Overall, plants with less dense canopy, and long peduncles holding pods outside the canopy showed some resistance to C. tomentosicollis, which is the most damaging pod bug on cowpea. Because such cowpea plants harbor fewer C. tomentosicollis, they are likely to suffer less overall damage from infestation by the complex of pod bugs that occur concurrently in cowpea fields.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Lutte chimique, Chemical control, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Gramineae, Invertebrata, Monocotyledones, Pesticide, Pesticides, Plaguicida, Plante céréalière, Cereal crop, Planta cerealista, Spermatophyta, Zone tropicale, Tropical zone, Zona tropical, Date de plantation, Planting date, Fecha de plantación, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Fertilisation azotée, Nitrogen fertilization, Fertilización nitrogenada, Infestation, Infestación, Insecta, Insecticide, Insecticida, Irrigation, Irrigación, Lutte antidéprédateur, Pest management, Manejo de plagas, Lutte chimique, Chemical control, Lucha química, Oryza sativa, Prise décision, Decision making, Toma decision, Rendement, Yield, Rendimiento, Résistance insecte, Insect resistance, Resistencia insecto, Seuil intervention, Action threshold, Umbral tratamiento, Pest control, colonisation pattern, decision making, insecticides, irrigated rice, nitrogen fertilisation, plant tolerance, planting date, and yield loss

Action thresholds as decision tools for insecticide application were developed and tested against the major insect pests of rice at four sites in the Philippines over a 13-year period. Action threshold treatments were compared to the farmers' practice, prophylactic insecticide usage, and an untreated check. Yield loss data using the insecticide check method partitioned yield losses over three crop growth stages in the same test fields. Chronic pests that exceeded action thresholds in 79% of fields were whorl maggot Hydrellia philippina Ferino (Diptera: Ephydridae), defoliators Naranga senescens Moore and Rivula atimeta (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), leaffolders Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenée) and Marasmia patnalis Bradley (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and stemborers Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) and S. innotata (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Minor chronic pests reached threshold levels in only one site each: rice bug Leptocorisa oratorius (F.) (Koronadal), whitebacked planthopper Sogatella furcifera (Horvath) (Zaragoza) and green leafhopper Nephotettix virescens (Distant) (Guimba); brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) did not exceed a threshold in any field. Stemborers were the most important pest group in terms of yield loss. Despite the insecticide check method underestimating losses, a mean crop loss of 0.62 t/ha was measured which showed ample scope for corrective action. But loss was evenly distributed across crop growth stages (0.15 0.24 t/ha) reducing the impact of insecticides. Action threshold treatments overall outyielded the untreated check, more so in the two sites with highest pest density. The benefit of thresholds was to reduce insecticide usage, as a cost saving. However all the practices showed poor economic returns including the farmers' practice. Farmers' practice employed low insecticide dosages and timing was not consistent with pest damage, but yields were often similar to threshold treatments. Farmers appear to use insecticide more for risk aversion than for profit. The best threshold characters when evaluated against resulting pest density and yield loss criteria showed accuracies > 90% correct decisions. Future work is needed to improve the insecticide response rather than monitoring tools. Thresholds need to be incorporated into improved crop management, which was often found suboptimal by farmers, to take advantage of the high levels of tolerance in modern high tillering cultivars. Crop husbandry practices which improve yield potential such as selection of longer maturing varieties and nitrogen fertilizer may be a more effective pest management strategy than insecticides.

Medical oncology, Cancérologie, Medical laboratory techniques, Techniques de laboratoire médical, General medicine general surgery, Médecine et chirurgie générales, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences medicales, Medical sciences, Gynecologie. Andrologie. Obstetrique, Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics, Pathologie de la glande mammaire, Mammary gland diseases, Tumeurs, Tumors, Techniques d'exploration et de diagnostic (generalites), Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects), Anatomopathologie. Exploration cytologique. Biochimie. Spectrométries. Méthodes cliniques et paracliniques diverses, Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques, Glande mammaire pathologie, Mammary gland diseases, Glándula mamaria patología, Tumeur maligne, Malignant tumor, Tumor maligno, Adjuvant, Coadyuvante, Anatomopathologie, Anatomic pathology, Anatomía patológica, Essai clinique, Clinical trial, Ensayo clínico, Paramètre, Parameter, Parámetro, Préménopause, Premenopause, Premenopausia, Tamoxifène, Tamoxifene, Tamoxifeno, Cancer sein, Breast cancer, and Cáncer pecho

Background: Subgroups of breast cancer that have an impaired response to endocrine treatment, despite hormone receptor positivity, are still poorly defined. Breast cancer can be subdivided according to standard pathological parameters including histological type, grade, and assessment of proliferation. These parameters are the net result of combinations of genetic alterations effecting tumour behaviour and could potentially reflect subtypes that respond differently to endocrine treatment. Aims: To investigate the usefulness of these parameters as predictors of the response to tamoxifen in premenopausal women with breast cancer. Materials/methods: Clinically established pathological parameters were assessed and related to the tamoxifen response in 500 available tumour specimens from 564 premenopausal patients with breast cancer randomised to either two years of tamoxifen or no treatment with 14 years of follow up. Proliferation was further evaluated by immunohistochemical Ki-67 expression. Results: Oestrogen receptor positive ductal carcinomas responded as expected to tamoxifen, whereas the difference in recurrence free survival between control and tamoxifen treated patients was less apparent in the relatively few lobular carcinomas. For histological grade, there was no obvious difference in treatment response between the groups. The relation between proliferation and tamoxifen response seemed to be more complex, with a clear response in tumours with high and low proliferation, whereas tumours with intermediate proliferation defined by Ki-67 responded more poorly. Conclusions: Clinically established pathology parameters seem to mirror the endocrine treatment response and could potentially be valuable in future treatment decisions for patients with breast cancer.

INTERTIDAL ecology, SEDIMENTATION & deposition, POLYMERIC composites, DIATOMS, and ALGAE

The sediment-stabilizing effect of benthic diatoms was investigated in a laboratory setting. Axenic cultures of the benthic diatoms Nitzschia cf. brevissima and Cylindrotheca closterium were inoculated in Petri dishes containing sand and incubated under axenic conditions. By ensuring aseptic routines throughout the experiments, interference from other organisms occurring with diatoms in natural photothrophic biofilms was avoided. This allowed the examination of the role of benthic diatoms in sediment stabilization. Increases in the critical erosion shear stress of the sediment were observed in the presence of both diatom taxa relative to sterile sediment. However, N. cf. brevissima was more effective than C. closterium. Values of critical shear stress in the experimental system were in the same range as those observed in natural biofilms, which indicates that diatoms are important agents for biogenic stabilization. Extracellular carbohydrate contents in the microcosms were similar for both diatom species. However, in the presence of N cf. brevissima, extracellular carbohydrate correlated significantly to critical shear stress, explaining up to 80% of the variation, whereas this was not the case for C. closterium. Therefore, it was concluded that the quantity of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) alone did not explain the biogenic stabilization. Observed adsorption of EPS to sediment particles depended on the relative amount of uronic acids in the exopolymers. Using fluorescently labeled lectins, confocal laser scanning microscopy showed that EPS secretion by N. cf. brevissima resulted in ordered three-dimensional matrix structures. It is suggested that the structuring of EPS plays an prominent role in the process of biostabilization, and that diatoms such as N. cf. brevissima are actively involved in producing the structure of EPS, whereas others such as C. closterium do not do so to the same extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MALONDIALDEHYDE, PEROXIDATION, CRYOBIOLOGY, and ALCOHOLS (Chemical class)

Abstract: Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a widely used marker of oxidative lipid injury whose concentration varies in response to biotic and abiotic stress. Commonly, MDA is quantified as a strong light-absorbing and fluorescing adduct following reaction with thiobarbituric acid (TBA). However, plant tissues in particular contain many compounds that potentially interfere with this reaction and whose concentrations also vary according to the tissue type and stress conditions. As part of our studies into the stress responses of plant tissues, we were interested in developing a rapid, accurate, and robust protocol for MDA analysis using reverse-phased HPLC to avoid these problems with reaction specificity. We demonstrate that a partitioning step into n-butanol during sample preparation is essential and that gradient HPLC analysis is necessary to prevent sample carryover between injections. Furthermore, the starting composition of the mobile phase must be sufficiently hydrophobic to allow direct injection of the n-butanol extracts without peak splitting, tailing, and other artifacts. To minimize analysis times, we used a short, so-called “Rocket” HPLC column and high flow rates. The optimized HPLC separation has a turnaround time of 2.5min per sample. Butanolic extracts of MDA(TBA)2 were stable for at least 48h, and recoveries were linear between 0.38 and 7.5pmol MDA added. Importantly, this procedure proved to be compatible with existing extraction procedures for l-ascorbate and glutathione analysis in different plant species, allowing multiple “stress metabolite” analyses to be carried out on a single tissue extract. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie animale et végétale, Animal and plant ecology, Autoécologie, Autoecology, Végétaux et champignons, Plants and fungi, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Signalements, symptômes, dégâts, importance économique, surveillance des populations, Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Légumineuse grain, Grain legume, Leguminosa grano, Relation animal végétal, Animal plant relation, Relación animal vegetal, Spermatophyta, Coreidae, Dégât, Damage, Estrago, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Gousse, Pod, Vaina, Histopathologie, Histopathology, Histopatología, Plante hôte, Host plant, Planta huesped, Tissu végétal, Plant tissue, Tejido vegetal, and Vigna unguiculata

Histological studies were conducted on cowpea pods fed upon by the coreoid pod-sucking bugs, Anoplocnemis curvipes (Fabricius), Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stal, C. shadabi Dolling, Riptortus dentipes (Fabricius) and Mirperus jaculus (Thunberg). Various degrees of tissue and cellular disruption were apparent, especially in the brachysclereids. They were manifested in terms of plasmolysis, cell enlargement and cell wall disintegration depending on the coreoid species involved. The feeding site and its periphery had all the cells of the brachysclereids plasmolysed, with the parenchyma having broken cell walls in the case of A. curvipes. Riptortus dentipes and M. jaculus showed similar patterns of feeding activity but less extensive levels of damage. The Clavigralla spp., however, caused cell enlargement in the brachysclereids, and broken cell walls in both the brachysclereids and the parenchyma. Damage symptoms were observed in cells far away from the feeding sites of the bugs, suggesting the possibility of sucrase activity which has been reported to cause osmotic pump feeding in the Coreidae.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Vecteurs d'importance medicale, nuisances, depredateurs des denrees et materiaux: surveillance des populations et lutte, Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control, Vecteurs. Hôtes intermédaires, Vectors. Intermediate hosts, Arthropoda, Heteroptera, Infection, Infección, Insecta, Invertebrata, Parasitose, Parasitosis, Protozoose, Protozoal disease, Protozoosis, Reduviidae, Trypanosomiase, Trypanosomiasis, Tripanosomiasis, Fitness, Adecuación, Rhodnius prolixus, Surveillance population, Population survey, Vigilancia población, Trypanosomiase américaine, Chagas disease, Tripanosomiasis americana, Vecteur, Vector, Triatominae, biodemography, cost of reproduction, and tradeoff

Rhodnius prolixus Stal (Reduviidae: Rhodninii) is one of the most important vectors of Chagas disease. As a result of its medical importance, several life history studies have been carried out, but in general with a restricted demographical scope, without assessing the potential tradeoffs in the life history of this insect. In this study, individuals of R. prolixus were kept in two spatially different habitats and several fitness components were measured. The results show that life expectancy in adults is negatively correlated with gross fecundity, indicating a cost of reproduction. Life expectancy is shorter for males arid longer for individuals of the same sex in the more complex habitat, where the fitness is lower compared with that of the simpler habitat.

Ecology, Ecologie, Environment, Environnement, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie animale et végétale, Animal and plant ecology, Autoécologie, Autoecology, Animaux, Animals, Protozoa. Invertebrata, Arthropoda, Composé sémiochimique, Semiochemicals, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Pentatomidae, Allomone, Alomona, Analyse chimique, Chemical analysis, Análisis químico, Attractif, Attractant, Atractivo, Mâle, Male, Macho, Phéromone sexuelle, Sex pheromone, Feromona sexual, Structure chimique, Chemical structure, Estructura química, Tibraca limbativentris, (1RS, 4RS, 1'5)-4-(1', 5'-dimethylhex-4'-enyl)- 1-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-ol, Semiochemical, allomone, and zingiberenol

The male-produced sex pheromone from the Brazilian rice stalk stink bug Tibraca limbativentris is reported. Olfactometer bioassays with sexually mature males and females showed that males attracted females, which suggests that males release a sex pheromone. Males were not attracted to either sex, nor were females attractive to conspecific females. Attraction of the females to males was highest at night. The headspace volatiles collected from male and female bugs were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry. Two male-specific compounds were identified as isomers of 1 'S'-zingiberenol, whereas a series of defensive compounds were identified in extracts from both sexes. Zingiberenol has three chiral centers, and the nonselective syntheses used produced two groups of isomers, zingiberenol I containing four isomers, namely (1RS,4RS, 1 'R)-4-( 1 ',5'-dimethylhex-4'-enyl)-1-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-ol, and zingiberenol II containing the other four isomers, namely (1RS,4RS,1'S)-4-(l',5'-dimethylhex-4'-enyl)-1-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-ol. Both groups of stereoisomers were more attractive than hexane controls. The absolute configuration of the insect-produced pheromonal components remains to be elucidated, but the 1'S' stereochemistry was established for at least one of the isomers.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Généralités, Generalities, Angiospermae, Arbre forestier feuillu, Hardwood forest tree, Arbol forestal frondoso, Arthropoda, Cicadomorpha, Dicotyledones, Gramineae, Homoptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Meliaceae, Monocotyledones, Plante médicinale, Medicinal plant, Planta medicinal, Plante pesticide, Pesticide crop, Planta plaguicida, Plante sucrière, Sugar plant, Planta azucarera, Spermatophyta, Azadirachta indica, Cercopidae, Saccharum officinarum, Mahanarva fimbriolata, NeemAzal, Nimkol, neem aqueous extract, and sugarcane

The effect of neem, Azadirachta indica A. Juss, on some biological parameters of Mahanarva fimbriolata (StÅl) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) was studied in the laboratory by using NeemAzal-T/S, Nimkol-LS, and an aqueous neem seed extract. Initially, the LC50 was estimated for nymphs. Later, nymphs fed on sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum L., roots were sprayed with the respective LC50 for each product. The adults were maintained in cages on sugarcane plants sprayed at the base with the maximum rate recommended commercially for the crop (3 liter/ha). Moistened cotton discs surrounding the base of the plant were used as oviposition substrates. The LC50 values estimated for NeemAzal, Nimkol, and aqueous extract were 0.014, 0.225, and 0.611%, respectively. There was a reduction in spittlebug longevity, regardless of sex, in relation to the control. Males exposed to the neem products, and aqueous extract showed longevity reductions of ≈50%, whereas for females the reductions were 55- 60%. The neem products and extract reduced fecundity by 75- 85%. Morphological and physiological changes were observed in 9% of the eggs from individuals submitted to NeemAzal. Neem-based products, especially NeemAzal, have potential for the control of M. fimbriolata.

Medical laboratory techniques, Techniques de laboratoire médical, Microbiology, infectious diseases, Microbiologie, maladies infectieuses, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Physiologie vegetale et developpement, Plant physiology and development, Généralités, méthodes, General aspects, methods, Métabolisme, Metabolism, Réserves et sécrétions, pigments, phytochrome, Storage and secretion, pigments, phytochrome, Algae, Heterokontophyta, Thallophyta, Analyse statistique, Statistical analysis, Análisis estadístico, Arbre phylogénétique, Phylogenetic tree, Arbol filogenético, Bacillariophyta, Biofilm, Polymère, Polymer, Polímero, Spectrométrie masse, Mass spectrometry, Espectrometría masa, Sécrétion, Secretion, Secreción, Benthic diatoms, EPS, Extracellular polymeric substances, and ToF-SIMS

Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was used to study compositional characteristics of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) and compared these to characteristics of the EPS-matrix of intact diatom biofilms. Three benthic diatoms species were investigated, Cylindrotheca closterium, Navicula mutica and Nitzschia cf. brevissima. Comparison of the ToF-SIMS spectra of sequentially extracted EPS-fractions by cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling analysis (MDS) indicated that soluble and bound EPS were not distinguishable based on their ion spectra. On the contrary the water insoluble bicarbonate soluble (WIBS)-EPS-fraction formed a distinct cluster showing that this material was compositionally different from the other EPS-fractions. Ion spectra of the EPS-fractions were dissimilar to results obtained from intact biofilms. This suggested that during the extraction procedure, the structure of the EPS irreversibly changed, which alters the fragmentation patterns of the extracellular surface layer. Furthermore, from the examination of the positive ion spectra it was shown that the overall composition of EPS in the intact biofilms was different between diatom species. In spite of these differences, several common peak patterns were shared between different species. This suggests the presence of common structural components in the EPS of these diatoms that may play a role in building the surface EPS-layer.

ANIMAL classification, ANIMAL species, IDENTIFICATION of animals, HEMIPTERA, and INSECTS

A male of Tettigonia vitripennis Germar--deposited in the recently rediscovered Germar Hemiptera collection, in the Ivan Franko National University (Ukraine)--is designated as the lectotype and assumed to be erroneously labeled as from Brazil. Homalodisca vitripennis is considered a senior synonym of Tettigonia coagulata syn. nov. and therefore should be used as the scientific name for the glassy-winged sharpshooter, a major vector of the bacterial Pierce's disease of grapes, phony peach disease, plum leaf scald, and oleander leaf scorch in southern United States and northern Mexico. The previously designated type species of Homalodisca Stål, Cicada triquetra F., was found to be mistaken by Stål for C. triangularis F., which is herein fixed as the new type species of this economically important genus. Propetes triquetra comb. nov., previously known only from an unknown locality in South America, is newly recorded from Brazil (Mato Grosso and Pará states). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AGRICULTURAL pests, INSECT anatomy, INSECT physiology, INSECT metamorphosis, INSECT development, and DEVELOPMENTAL biology

The five immature stages of Agonoscelis puberula Stål are described and illustrated; biological notes and a new host plant, Leonotis nepefifolia (L.) are also recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Signalements, symptômes, dégâts, importance économique, surveillance des populations, Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Leguminosae, Spermatophyta, Analyse quantitative, Quantitative analysis, Análisis cuantitativo, Comparaison interspécifique, Interspecific comparison, Comparación interespecífica, Dégât, Damage, Estrago, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Gousse, Pod, Vaina, Légumineuse grain, Grain legume, Leguminosa grano, Rendement, Yield, Rendimiento, Vigna unguiculata, Anoplocnemis curvipes, Clavigralla shadabi, Clavigralla tomentosicollis, Mirperus jaculus, and Riptortus dentipes

Feeding 'trials were conducted on three (young, mid-fill and mature) developmental stages of cowpea Vigna unguiculata ssp. unguiculata pods in the screenhouse using fourth instar nymphs and adults of Anoplocnemis curvipes (Fabricius), Riptortus dentipes (Fabricius), Mirperus jaculus (Thunberg), Clavigralla tomentosicollis StÅl and C. shadabi Dolling. Anoplocnemis curvipes was observed to be the most damaging coreoid species causing a yield reduction of 26.4-51.7% followed by R. dentipes (24.4-29.4%), M. jaculus (21.9-26.9%), C. tomentosicollis (17.9-22.4%) and C. shadabi (15.9-20.4%). The fourth instar nymphs of each pod-sucking bug species caused a significantly higher cowpea yield reduction than their respective adults. Similarly, infestation on young pods compared to mid-fill and mature stages resulted in significantly higher yield reduction. The results suggest that infestation levels of two fourth instar nymphs of A. curvipes or three fourth instar nymphs of the other four pod-sucking bug species per young pod should be adequate for screening of cowpea varieties for resistance to the coreoid bugs.

SALIVARY glands, DIGESTIVE enzymes, HEMIPTERA, PLANT parasites, and COWPEA

The salivary glands of the cowpea pod-sucking bugs Anoplocnemis curvipes (Fabricius), Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stål, Clavigralla shadabi Dolling, Riptortus dentipes (Fabricius) and Mirperus jaculus (Thunberg) are described and illustrated. Extracts of the glands were assayed for the presence of proteinases, α-amylase, β-amylase and amyloglucosidase. The salivary glands consist of four-lobed principal glands and a tubular accessory gland, and they differ in shape and size among the different species except for the median lobe, which is more or less spherical. The sickle-shaped nature of the posterior lobe reported before for Riptortus linearis (Linnaeus) was also observed in R. dentipes, suggestive of a probable generic characteristic. Anoplocnemis curvipes has the biggest salivary gland, and it is followed by R. dentipes, M. jaculus, C. tomentosicollis and C. shadabi in descending order. Assays of the gland extracts revealed that the four digestive enzymes tested are present in the five coreoid species. Proteinases were preponderant (1.4-94.9 µg/ml), while amylases were detected in traces [(0.5-11.0) x 10-3 µg/ml]. Proteinases may be largely responsible for the feeding damage caused by the coreoid species and their concentration in the glands of the different species correlates well with their known capacity to inflict pod damage and yield reduction in cowpea. Fourth instar nymphs of the different species also had higher concentrations of the digestive enzymes compared with their respective adults; and this correlates with the known ability of the nymphs to cause greater pod damage and yield reduction than adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EXPERIMENTAL agriculture, PLANT extracts, COWPEA, CONTROL of agricultural pests & diseases, INSECT pests, and FRUIT

Field experiments were conducted under rain fed conditions in two seasons to test the effectiveness of seven different plant extract mixtures for management of Maruca vitrata (Fab.) and Clavigralla tomentosicollis Stal on cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. The application of 10:10% w/w of peels of Citrus sinensis + Gmelina arborea leaf extracts, fruits of Capsicum annum + Eucalyptus citriodora leaf extracts, and peels of C. sinensis + Ocimum gratissimum leaf extracts were effective in reducing the incidences of M. vitrata and C.tomentosicollis on flowers and pods of cowpea, respectively. Grain yield was subsequently increased by 3.2 - 3.5× in plots treated with these extract mixtures compared with the control check. Although, the mixtures of peels of C. sinensis + Azadirachta indica leaf, fruits of C. annum + A. indica leaf, and peels of C. sinensis + Vernonia amygdelina leaf extracts were inferior to the extracts mixtures mentioned above in effecting reasonable control of the test insect pests, they were significantly superior to the control check in the two seasons of study. The mixtures of C. sinensis + G. arborea, C. annum + E. citriodora, and C. sinensis + O. gratissimum extracts could play an important role in crop pest management for small holder farms in tropical countries and none of the extract mixtures had any phytotoxic effect on the sprayed plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HEMIPTERA, COTTON diseases & pests, and STEREOCHEMISTRY

Research was conducted to evaluate the possibility that a plant bug damaging cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., in south Texas is actually green mind, Creontiades dillutus Stål, which is the primary plant bug pest of cotton in Australia. Molecular comparisons targeting a fragment of the COl region of mitochondrial DNA were made on Creontiades specimens collected from the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas and specimens of green mind and brown mind, C. pacificus Stål, collected from Queensland, Australia. The emerging south Texas cotton pest is neither of the species tested from Australia; rather it is a closely related, possibly indigenous species. Further morphological systematics work is needed to identify the Creontiades species from Texas, and collection of additional specimens from several locations where it is known to occur is ongoing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ETHYLENE glycol, THERMODYNAMICS, HYDROGEN bonding, SUPRAMOLECULAR chemistry, SOLVENTS, and CHEMICAL reduction

Substitution of hydrogen bond directed supramolecular assemblies with ethylene glycol chains leads to a reduction in the association constant in apolar solvents, where the reduction of the association constant is dependent on the length of the aliphatic spacer connecting the hydrogen bonds and the ethylene glycol chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FLUID dynamics, EXCITON theory, ELECTRONIC excitation, NONLINEAR oscillations, and NONLINEAR theories

In the daily life and techniques people all time have interaction with continue media like air or water. In report motion of vibrator with constant air or water flow excitation is observed. In first part of report motion of a vibrator with constant air or water flow velocity excitation is investigated. The main idea is to find out optimal control law for variation of additional area of vibrating object within limits. For solution of the high-speed problem the maximum principle is used. It is shown that optimal control action is on bounds of area limits. Examples of synthesis real mechatronic systems are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Agronomie. Sciences du sol et productions vegetales, Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Bactéries phytopathogènes, Bacterial plant pathogens, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Bactérie, Bacteria, Dicotyledones, Homoptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Mollicutes, Phytopathogène, Plant pathogen, Fitopatógeno, Plante à tubercule, Tuber plant, Planta con tubérculo, Solanaceae, Spermatophyta, Agriculture, Agricultura, Cicadellidae, Cicadomorpha, Dynamique population, Population dynamics, Dinámica población, Phytoplasme, Phytoplasma, Fitoplasma, Pomme de terre, Potato, Patata, Solanum tuberosum, Variation saisonnière, Seasonal variation, Variación estacional, Vecteur, Vector, Alaska, Leafhoppers, and Phytoplasma vectors

Leafhopper transmitted phytoplasma diseases are an emerging problem for potato and vegetable producers in the conterminous US. Due to its geographical isolation and climatic constraints, Alaska is considered relatively free of diseases and insect pests; therefore growers in the state are exploring the potential of producing seed potato for export. However, the biology of agricultural insect pests in the circumpolar region is lacking or poorly understood. Research conducted from 2004 to 2006 in the main potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production areas of Alaska resulted in the identification of 41 leafhopper species associated with agricultural settings. Twenty species were identified from sweep net samples and adhesive cards in association with potato. Two species, Davisonia snowi (Dorst) and Macrosteles fascifrons (StÅl), made up approximately 60% of the total number of individuals collected, representing 34 and 26%, respectively. Both species, M. fascifrons and D. snowi generally arrived in fields by late May to early June and numbers peaked by late June to July, but in all years M fascifrons populations peaked earlier than D. snowi. Twenty-three percent of the specimens were immature or could not be identified. Three of the species collected [Balclutha punctata (Fabricius), M. fascifrons, and Scaphytopius acutus (Say)] are known vectors of phytoplasmas of potatoes and other agricultural crops or have the potential to cause mechanical damage to potatoes. This report represents the first extensive study of cicadellids from potatoes in Alaska.

Hygiene and public health, epidemiology, occupational medicine, Hygiène et santé publique, épidémiologie, médecine du travail, Microbiology, infectious diseases, Microbiologie, maladies infectieuses, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Microbiologie, Microbiology, Pathologie de l'appareil digestif, Digestive diseases, Aparato digestivo patología, Aliment, Food, Alimento, Epidémiologie, Epidemiology, Epidemiología, Homme, Human, Hombre, Intoxication alimentaire, Food poisoning, Intoxicación alimentaria, Microbiologie, Microbiology, and Microbiología

The Belgian data for foodborne norovirus (NoV) outbreaks became available for the first time with the introduction of an extraction and detection protocol for NoV in the National Reference Laboratory for foodborne outbreaks in September 2006. In 2007, 10 NoV foodborne outbreaks were reported affecting 392 persons in Belgium. NoV became the most detected agent in foodborne outbreaks followed by Salmonella (eight foodborne outbreaks). The major implicated foods were sandwiches (4/10), where food handlers reported a history of gastroenteritis in two outbreaks. A food handler was implicated in the limited number of Belgian NoV outbreaks which is in accord with internationally recorded data. Forty foodborne and waterborne outbreak events due to NoV, epidemiological and/or laboratory confirmed, from 2000 to 2007 revealed that in 42.5 % of the cases the food handler was responsible for the outbreak, followed by water (27·5%), bivalve shellfish (17·5%) and raspberries (10·0%).

BIOCHEMISTRY, NITROGEN, NONMETALS, REVERSE transcriptase, and DNA polymerases

The marine filamentous nonheterocystous nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Lyngbya aestuarii (F. K. Mert.) Liebman ex Gomont CCY 9616 was grown under diazotrophic and nondiazotrophic conditions and under an alternating 16:8 light:dark (L:D) regime. Nitrogenase activity appeared just before the onset of the dark period, reaching its maximum 1–2 h in the dark, subsequently decreasing to zero at the beginning of the following light period. Nitrogenase activity was only detected at low levels of O2 (5%) and when the culture was grown in the absence of combined nitrogen. Quantitative reverse transcriptase–PCR (RT-PCR) analysis of one of the structural genes encoding nitrogenase, nifK, showed that the highest levels of transcription preceded the maximum activity of nitrogenase by 2–4 h. nifK transcription was not completely abolished during the remaining time of the 24 h cycle. Even in the presence of nitrate, when nitrogenase activity was undetectable, nifK was still transcribed. The H2-uptake activity seemed to follow the nitrogenase, but the transcription of hupL (gene encoding the large subunit of uptake hydrogenase) preceded the nifK transcription. However, H2-uptake and hupL transcription occurred throughout the 24 h cycle as well as under nondiazotrophic conditions, albeit at much lower levels. The hoxH transcript levels (a structural gene coding for the bidirectional hydrogenase) were similar under diazotrophic or nondiazotrophic conditions but slightly higher during the dark period. All three enzymes investigated are involved in H2 metabolism. It is concluded that the uptake hydrogenase is mainly responsible for H2 uptake. Nevertheless, uptake hydrogenase and nitrogenase do not seem to be coregulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BIOLOGICAL pest control, LANTANA camara, PREDICTION theory, BIOCLIMATOLOGY, SPATIAL variation, BIOLOGICAL mathematical modeling, and CHRYSOMELIDAE

Abstract: Understanding the effects of different types and quality of data on bioclimatic modeling predictions is vital to ascertaining the value of existing models, and to improving future models. Bioclimatic models were constructed using the CLIMEX program, using different data types – seasonal dynamics, geographic (overseas) distribution, and a combination of the two – for two biological control agents for the major weed Lantana camara L. in Australia. The models for one agent, Teleonemia scrupulosa Stål (Hemiptera: Tingidae) were based on a higher quality and quantity of data than the models for the other agent, Octotoma scabripennis Guérin-Méneville (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Predictions of the geographic distribution for Australia showed that T. scrupulosa models exhibited greater accuracy with a progressive improvement from seasonal dynamics data, to the model based on overseas distribution, and finally the model combining the two data types. In contrast, O. scabripennis models were of low accuracy, and showed no clear trends across the various model types. These case studies demonstrate the importance of high quality data for developing models, and of supplementing distributional data with species seasonal dynamics data wherever possible. Seasonal dynamics data allows the modeller to focus on the species response to climatic trends, while distributional data enables easier fitting of stress parameters by restricting the species envelope to the described distribution. It is apparent that CLIMEX models based on low quality seasonal dynamics data, together with a small quantity of distributional data, are of minimal value in predicting the spatial extent of species distribution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Dicotyledones, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Plante légumière, Vegetable crop, Hortalizas (plantas), Solanaceae, Spermatophyta, Animal auxiliaire, Beneficial animal, Animal benéfico, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Habitat, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Lucha biológica, Lycopersicon esculentum, Pentatomidae, Plante sauvage, Wild plant, Planta salvaje, Tomate, Tomato, Hemiptera, Thyanta, Euschistus conspersus, Lobularia maritima, Thyanta pallidovirens, conservation biological control, consperse stink bug, pest habitat, and red shouldered stink bug

We investigated the effects of weed hosts on stink bug density and damage (Euschistus conspersus Uhler and Thyanta pallidovirens Stal), and a nectar bearing plant on natural enemies of stink bugs in the Sacramento Valley of California. Stink bug density and fruit damage were evaluated in processing tomatoes adjacent to weedy and cultivated borders. The density of E. conspersus was significantly greater in tomatoes adjacent to weedy borders in July but not during August/September. Thyanta pallid-ovirens was less abundant overall (19%), but was found in significantly greater densities adjacent to cultivated borders in July but not in August/September. Mean percent fruit damage by stink bugs was greater adjacent to the weedy border than the cultivated border, but this difference was not significant. Stink bug egg parasitism and generalist predator density were evaluated in fresh market tomatoes adjacent to a sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima L.) border and an unplanted control border at three sites. Egg parasitism was significantly greater in the alyssum treatment for the 9―12 September sampling period. Jalysus wickhami VanDuzee (Hemiptera: Berytidae) density was significantly greater in the alyssum treatment in mid-June. No other significant differences in predator populations were detected. Results of these two studies show that habitat manipulations have the potential to reduce densities of E. conspersus in tomato, the first step in developing a farmscape management plan for stink bug control.

LYASES, PLANTHOPPERS, RICE, GENES, and XANTHOMONAS

A pre-infestation of the white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera Horváth, conferred resistance to bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae ( Xoo) in rice ( Oryza sativa L.) under both laboratory and field conditions. The infestation of another planthopper species, the brown planthopper (BPH) Nilaparvata lugens Stål, did not significantly reduce the incidence of bacterial blight symptoms. A large-scale screening using a rice DNA microarray and quantitative RT-PCR revealed that WBPH infestation caused the upregulation of more defence-related genes than did BPH infestation. Hydroperoxide lyase 2 ( OsHPL2), an enzyme for producing C6 volatiles, was upregulated by WBPH infestation, but not by BPH infestation. One C6 volatile, ( E)-2-hexenal, accumulated in rice after WBPH infestation, but not after BPH infestation. A direct application of ( E)-2-hexenal to a liquid culture of Xoo inhibited the growth of the bacterium. Furthermore, a vapour treatment of rice plants with ( E)-2-hexenal induced resistance to bacterial blight. OsHPL2-overexpressing transgenic rice plants exhibited increased resistance to bacterial blight. Based on these data, we conclude that OsHPL2 and its derived ( E)-2-hexenal play some role in WBPH-induced resistance in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COMPARTMENT syndrome, THERAPEUTICS, ANALYSIS of variance, CAPILLARIES, CHI-squared test, COMPUTER software, EXERCISE, IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY, LEG, LONGITUDINAL method, MICROCIRCULATION, MUSCLES, RESEARCH funding, STRIATED muscle, T-test (Statistics), DATA analysis, CASE-control method, ANALYTICAL chemistry, PATHOLOGY, DONOR blood supply, and FASCIAE surgery

There is a paucity of data regarding the pathogenesis of chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS), its consequences for the muscles and the effects of treatment with fasciotomy. We analyzed biopsies from the tibialis anterior muscle, from nine patients, obtained during a decompressing fasciotomy and during follow-up 1 year later. Control biopsies were obtained from nine normal subjects. Muscle capillarity, fiber-type composition and fiber area were analyzed with enzyme- and immunohistochemistry and morphometry. At baseline, CECS patients had lower capillary density (273 vs 378 capillaries/mm, P=0.008), lower number of capillaries around muscle fibers (4.5 vs 5.7, P=0.004) and lower number of capillaries in relation to the muscle fiber area (1.1 vs 1.5, P=0.01) compared with normal controls. The fiber-type composition and fiber area did not differ, but focal signs of neuromuscular damage were observed in the CECS samples. At 1-year follow-up after fasciotomy, the fiber area and the number of fibers containing developmental myosin heavy chains were increased, but no enhancement of the capillary network was detected. Thus, morphologically, patients with CECS seemed to have reduced microcirculation capacity. Fasciotomy appeared to trigger a regenerative response in the muscle, however, without any increase in the capillary bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Généralités, Generalities, Vecteurs d'importance medicale, nuisances, depredateurs des denrees et materiaux: surveillance des populations et lutte, Medically important nuisances and vectors, pests of stored products and materials: population survey and control, Vecteurs. Hôtes intermédaires, Vectors. Intermediate hosts, Arthropoda, Bactérie, Bacteria, Cicadomorpha, Homoptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Mollicutes, Mycoplasmatales, Spiroplasmataceae, Cicadellidae, Dalbulus maidis, Etude expérimentale, Experimental study, Estudio experimental, Maïs, Corn, Maiz, Spiroplasma kunkelii, Vecteur, Vector, corn leafhopper, corn stunt, and spiroplasmas

Corn stunt caused by the mollicute Spiroplasma kunkelii (Whitcomb) is potentially one of the most severe diseases affecting the corn (Zea mays L.) crop in the Americas, and the leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (DeLong & Wolcott) is considered its most important vector. However, other insects seen quite frequently in corn crops might well be its vectors in Argentina. To identify any leafhoppers species other than D. maidis that can transmit S. kunkelii, transmission assays were conducted, using individuals of Exitianus obscurinervis (Stål) collected in field and reared under controlled conditions. S. kunkelii was transmitted to corn plants by E. obscurinervis. The pathogen was transmitted to seven of the 11 plants, which showed characteristic corn stunt symptoms, and the presence of the pathogen was confirmed by DAS-ELISA. The presence of S. kunkelii in the E. obscurinervis individuals used in transmission experiments was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and electron microscopy. The current study shows the existence of a new experimental vector of S. kunkelii, the leafhopper E. obscurineruis, which acquired spiroplasmas from infected plants and inoculated it to healthy plants.

RHODNIUS, CONENOSES, CLASSIFICATION of insects, and SPECIES diversity

Tribe Rhodniini includes Rhodnius Stål and Psammolestes Bergroth. Enzymatic and molecular evidence suggest the tribe is monophyletic. Most species are wild, living in palms and bird nests. Traditionally both genera were considered related; nevertheless, molecular studies don't support the Rhodnius monophyly. The goal was to phylogenetically analyze morphometric variation in wing architecture in support of Rhodniini taxonomy and systematics. We photographed 524 wings of five representatives of Rhodniini: Psammolestes arthuri (Pinto) (n = 89), Rhodnius pictipes Stål (n = 21), R. robustus Larrousse (n = 24), R. prolixus Stål (n = 16), and R. neivai Lent (n = 22). As outgroups we studied four representatives of Triatomini: Eratyrus mucronatus Stål (n = 15), Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus (Champion) (n = 45), P. geniculatus (Latreille) (n = 183), and Triatoma maculata (Erichson) (n = 109). Landmark coordinate (x, y) configurations were registered and aligned by Generalized Procrustes Analysis. Covariance Analyses were implemented with proportions of re-classified groups and MANOVA. Then, wing shape variables (confidence intervals from relative warps) and centroid size were cladistically analysed. Statistical analyses of variance found not significant differences in wing isometric size (Kruskal-Wallis) among P. arthuri-R. neivai-R. pictipes; R. robustus-R. prolixus-T. maculata and between P. rufotuberculatus-P. geniculatus. The a posteriori re-classification was perfect in E. mucrunatus 100% and R. pictipes, followed by T. maculata 96%, R. neivai 95%, P arthuri 93.2%; R. prolixus 87.5%, P. geniculatus 87.4%, P. rufotuberculatus 84.4%, and R. robustus 76%. Cladistic analyses under parsimony selected two most parsimonious trees (L=4.461 IC=0.973 and IR=0.979), where the strict consensus showed a monophyletic group with Panstrongylus (rufotuberculatus + geniculatus) and Triatoma + Rhodniini (Rhodinus + Psammolestes), but internally it shows the paraphyly of Rhodnius regarding Psammolestes. The congruence between these results and previous molecular analyses in Rhodniini, reveal the phylogenetic information of our morphometric characters as support to systematic studies, allowing the combination of geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic methods for the first time in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MICROBIAL mats, MICROBIAL aggregation, BIOMARKERS, GENE libraries, RECOMBINANT DNA, and MICROBIAL ecology

The diazotrophic community in microbial mats growing along the shore of the North Sea barrier island Schiermonnikoog (The Netherlands) was studied using microscopy, lipid biomarkers, stable carbon (δC) and nitrogen (δN) isotopes as well as by constructing and analyzing 16S rRNA gene libraries. Depending on their position on the littoral gradient, two types of mats were identified, which showed distinct differences regarding the structure, development and composition of the microbial community. Intertidal microbial mats showed a low species diversity with filamentous non-heterocystous Cyanobacteria providing the main mat structure. In contrast, supratidal microbial mats showed a distinct vertical zonation and a high degree of species diversity. Morphotypes of non-heterocystous Cyanobacteria were recognized as the main structural component in these mats. In addition, unicellular Cyanobacteria were frequently observed, whereas filamentous heterocystous Cyanobacteria occurred only in low numbers. Besides the apparent visual dominance of cyanobacterial morphotpyes, 16S rRNA gene libraries indicated that both microbial mat types also included members of the Proteobacteria and the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium-Bacteroides group as well as diatoms. Bulk δN isotopes of the microbial mats ranged from +6.1‰ in the lower intertidal to −1.2‰ in the supratidal zone, indicating a shift from predominantly nitrate utilization to nitrogen fixation along the littoral gradient. This conclusion was supported by the presence of heterocyst glycolipids, representing lipid biomarkers for nitrogen-fixing heterocystous Cyanobacteria, in supratidal but not in intertidal microbial mats. The availability of combined nitrogen species might thus be a key factor in controlling and regulating the distribution of the diazotrophic microbial community of Schiermonnikoog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FOOD chains, PREDATORY animals, OXYOPIDAE, COTTON, POPULATION dynamics, and HERBIVORES

Food web studies often examine density and behaviourally mediated effects of predators on herbivores, but are less likely to assess the plant targeted by the herbivore. We conducted a study that incorporated four trophic levels examining the effect of two generalist predators (damsel bugs, Nabis kinbergii Reuter; and lynx spiders, Oxyopes molarius L. Koch) on damage to cotton bolls caused by green mirids ( Creontiades dilutus (Stål)). First we tested whether lynx spiders and damsel bugs could control mirid numbers and cotton boll damage in field cages. We found that in cages containing mirids and only lynx spiders, lynx spiders reduced both mirid numbers and boll damage. However, in cages which contained mirids and both predators (lynx spiders and damsel bugs) only mirid numbers were reduced. To explain the negative effect of damsel bugs on boll damage, we examined the interactions between lynx spiders, damsel bugs and mirids. We found that lynx spiders were better mirid predators than damsel bugs, and that lynx spiders attacked damsel bugs, but not vice versa. Behaviourally, mirids responded to increasing predator pressure regardless of whether the predators were lynx spiders or damsel bugs. However, damsel bugs seemed to alter the behaviour of lynx spiders because in their presence, a higher proportion of lynx spiders moved to the top of the plant, towards the damsel bugs but away from the bolls found lower on the plant. These results suggest that the most likely explanation for the increase in boll damage in the presence of damsel bugs was that lynx spiders moved to the top of the plant in the presence of damsel bugs, which then exposed the bolls lower down on the plant to mirid attack. This work emphasizes the importance of behaviourally mediated effects in food webs extending over four trophic levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NOROVIRUSES, FOODBORNE diseases, TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS, VIRUS diseases, and PUBLIC health

Abstract: Foodborne viruses, especially noroviruses (NoV), are increasingly reported as the cause of foodborne outbreaks. NoV outbreaks have been reported linked to fresh soft red fruits and leafy greens. Belgium, Canada and France were the first countries to provide data about the prevalence of NoV on fresh produce. In total, 867 samples of leafy greens, 180 samples of fresh soft red fruits and 57 samples of other types of fresh produce (tomatoes, cucumber and fruit salads) were analyzed. Firstly, the NoV detection methodology, including virus and RNA extraction, real-time RT-PCR and quality controls were compared among the three countries. In addition, confirmation and genotyping of the NoV strains was attempted for a subset of NoV positive samples using conventional RT-PCR targeting an alternative region followed by sequencing. Analysis of the process control showed that 653, 179 and 18 samples of the leafy greens, soft red fruits and other fresh produce types were valid for analysis based on the recovery of the process control. NoV was detected by real-time RT-PCR in 28.2% (N=641), 33.3% (N=6) and 50% (N=6) of leafy greens tested in Canada, Belgium and France, respectively. Soft red fruits were found positive by real-time RT-PCR in 34.5% (N=29) and 6.7% (N=150) of the samples tested in Belgium and France, respectively. 55.5% (N=18) of the other fresh produce types, analyzed in Belgium, were found NoV positive by real-time RT-PCR. Conventional RT-PCR resulted in an amplicon of the expected size in 19.5% (52/266) of the NoV positive samples where this assay was attempted. Subsequent sequencing was only successful in 34.6% (18/52) of the suspected amplicons obtained by conventional RT-PCR. From this study, using the described methodology, NoV genomes were frequently detected in fresh produce however sequence confirmation was not successful for the majority of the samples tested. Infection or outbreaks were rarely or not known to be related to the NoV positive samples. With the increase in sensitivity of the detection methodology, there is an increasing concern about the interpretation of positive NoV results by real-time amplification. Strategies to confirm the results by real-time RT-PCR should be developed in analogy with the detection of microbial pathogens in foods. Detection might indicate contact with NoV in the fresh produce chain. Consequently, a potential risk for infection cannot be excluded but the actual risk from RT-PCR NoV positive produce is still unknown. Studies should be designed determining the probability of infection related to the presence or levels of NoV genomic copies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Invertebres, Invertebrates, Insecta, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Généralités, Generalities, Agrume, Citrus fruit, Agrios, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Bactérie, Bacteria, Cicadomorpha, Dicotyledones, Homoptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Mollicutes, Rutaceae, Spermatophyta, Bocage, Grove, Boscaje, Cicadellidae, Citrus, Hôte, Host, Huesped, Maladie, Disease, Enfermedad, Mauvaise herbe, Weed, Malezas, Phloème, Phloem, Liber, Phytoplasme, Phytoplasma, Fitoplasma, Prévalence, Prevalence, Prevalencia, Sève, Sap, Savia, Vecteur, Vector, phloem-limited bacteria, plant disease, sap-sucking insect, and weed

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a severe citrus (Citrus spp.) disease associated with the bacteria genus Candidatus Liberibacter, detected in Brazil in 2004. Another bacterium was found in association with HLB symptoms and characterized as a phytoplasma belonging to the 16SrIX group. The objectives of this study were to identify potential leafhopper vectors of the HLB-associated phytoplasma and their host plants. Leafhoppers were sampled every other week for 12 mo with sticky yellow cards placed at two heights (0.3 and 1.5 m) in the citrus tree canopy and by using a sweep net in the ground vegetation of two sweet orange, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, groves infected by the HLB-phytoplasma in Sao Paulo state. Faunistic analyses indicated one Agalliinae (Agallia albidula Uhler) and three Deltocephalinae [Balclutha hebe (Kirkaldy), Planicephalus flavicosta (Stål), and Scaphytopius (Convelinus) marginelineatus (Stål)] species, as the most abundant and frequent leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Visual observations indicated an association of leafhopper species with some weeds and the influence of weed species composition on leafhopper abundance in low-lying vegetation. S. marginelineatus and P. flavicosta were more frequent on Sida rhombifolia L. and Althernantera tenella Colla, respectively, whereas A. albidula was observed more often on Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronq. and B. hebe only occurred on grasses. DNA samples of field-collected S. marginelineatus were positive by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing tests for the presence of the HLB-phytoplasma group, indicating it as a potential vector. The association of leafhoppers with their hosts may be used in deciding which management strategies to adopt against weeds and diseases in citrus orchards.

PARENTAL behavior in animals, BELOSTOMA, INSECT evolution, SEXUAL dimorphism in animals, MULTIVARIATE analysis, INSECT adaptation, and INSECTS

Current evidence suggests that sexual size dimorphism (SSD) reflects the male and female adaptation to their different reproductive roles. Belostoma and Lethocerus species, included in Belostomatidae, present different kinds of paternal care. Females of Belostoma Latreille species lay their eggs on the back of males. Males carry, aerate and protect the clutch until hatching, which is critical for offspring survival. Males of Lethocerus Mayr species exhibit some parental care behavior but do not carry the eggs. The genera are nearly related. We studied and compared the SSD patterns of B. oxyurum (Dufour), B. micantulum (Stål), B. elegans (Mayr), B. bifoveolatum Spinola, B. gestroi Montandon and Lethocerus annulipes (Herrich-Schäffer) by means of a multivariate approach to distinguish selection targets in different components of size. Morphometric analysis revealed that SSD patterns vary among traits and that the arrangements are similar in Belostoma species, showing a common trend under resembling selective mechanisms. The widespread SSD trend in insects is that all components of body size are biased towards females, generally related to a fecundity advantage, a pattern now also detected in L. annulipes. We found in Belostoma species that the male has relatively longer middle and hind legs. We propose that SSD in hind legs biased towards males is a selective response for paternal care; they denote a brood-adapted morphology. The middle leg enlargement may be an associated response to maintain effective locomotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

REOVIRUSES, CHINESE mitten crab, VIRION, and FRESHWATER crabs

A second type of freshwater crab reovirus has been isolated from Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, in China; we named it E. sinensis reovirus ( EsRV816). The negatively stained virion is a non-enveloped icosahedral particle, 60 ± 5 nm in diameter. Its genome is composed of 10 dsRNA linear pieces exhibiting an electrophoretic pattern of 5/3/2. The largest segment (RNA-1) was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence, corresponding to the RdRp of the virus, showed 26% identity with the RdRp of Operophtera brumata (L.) cypovirus 19 in the genus Cypovirus and 24% identity with RdRp of Nilaparvata lugens (Stal) reovirus in the genus Fijivirus. On the basis of its ultrastructure and physicochemical properties, this virus is quite different from other crab reoviruses, and particularly with another freshwater crab reovirus EsRV905, recently classified in a new genus Cardoreovirus. This virus ( EsRV816) possesses all the characters of the members of the reoviridae family and could represent a new genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STINKBUGS, DIAPAUSE, RICE diseases & pests, ANDROPOGON, PESTS, PLANT parasites, and REPRODUCTION

The rice stalk stink bug, Tibraca limbativentris Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a major pest of rice crops throughout Latin America. We investigated the occurrence of diapause in T. limbativentris, as well as the role of West Indian foxtail, Andropogon bicornis L.(Poaceae), in its seasonal abundance and mortality. This plant grows spontaneously in grasslands from Mexico to Argentina, including at the edges of rice fields in southern Brazil. Tussocks of A. bicornis were collected in Eldorado do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil throughout one yr and examined to sample rice stalk stink bugs. We collected in 2,355 T. limbativentris adults from 208 tussocks, totalling 2,205 live and 150 dead individuals. Live insects were dissected to determine the reproductive stage and to assess the presence of the fat body. We describe the occurrence of imaginal diapause and the use of A. bicornis as a shelter for this rice pest. Overwintering lasted 7 mo; arrival at the refuge occurred in early autumn (late Mar); the permanence period began in Jun, and extended to the end of Sep. From Oct the population decreased gradually until total departure from the tussocks in Jan. Thus, here we highlight the role of A. bicornis as an hibernation site for T. limbativentris in southern Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Invertebres, Invertebrates, Insecta, Systématique. Répartition géographique, Systematics. Geographical distribution, Arthropoda, Etude expérimentale, Experimental study, Estudio experimental, Insecta, Invertebrata, Coreidae, Cycle évolutif, Life history, Ciclo evolutivo, Description, Descripción, Elevage, Rearing, Cría, Etude en laboratoire, Laboratory study, Estudio en laboratorio, Heteroptera, Laboratoire, Laboratory, Laboratorio, Narnia femorata, description, and life history

Narnia femorata Stål (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae) is a leaffooted bug commonly found on Opuntia and Ferocactus cacti (Cactaceae) in southern New Mexico. Although general information has been published on the biology of this species, detailed studies are limited, particularly in America north of Mexico. Therefore, we conducted a study of this bug's life history in southern New Mexico from August 2010 to May 2012, reared the bug in the laboratory, and described the immature stages. Six prickly pear cactus plants, Opuntia phaeacantha Engelmann, and four barrel cactus plants, Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelmann) Britton & Rose, were examined weekly to record numbers of the various life stages, adult sex ratios, and behavioral activities. Adults of this apparently bivoltine species overwintered in plant debris at the bases of their host plants. They emerged in late February to deposit eggs in rows along the underside of cactus spines. Nymphs were found from late February through late December. Nymphs of the first generation were most abundant April through June on and around developing flowers of O. phaeacantha. Those of the second generation were most abundant during August and September on maturing fruit of O. phaeacantha and developing flowers and maturing fruit of F. wislizeni. The bug also was reared from egg to adult under controlled laboratory conditions on fruit and pads of O. phaeacantha at 25 ± 0.01°C under a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D) h. The incubation period averaged 12.70 d. The five stadia averaged 3.84, 11.00, 12.12, 17.06, and 22.94 d, respectively. Instars can be distinguished readily by differences in several morphological features in addition to body size and coloration.

DIAGNOSIS of diabetes, KIDNEY disease diagnosis, LIVER, GENETIC polymorphisms, GENETICS, GENETIC mutation, and ANATOMY

Diabet. Med. 30, 114-117 (2013) Abstract Aims Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β ( HNF1B) mutations cause a syndrome of renal cysts and diabetes, with whole gene deletions accounting for approximately 50% of cases. The severity of the renal phenotype is variable, from enlarged cystic kidneys incompatible with life to normal renal development and function. We investigated the prevalence of HNF1B deletions in patients with diabetes but no known renal disease. Methods We tested 461 patients with familial diabetes diagnosed before 45 years, including 258 probands who met clinical criteria for maturity-onset diabetes of the young (two generations affected and at least one family member diagnosed under 25 years). A fluorescent polymerase chain reaction assay was used to analyse two intragenic polymorphic HNF1B markers and identify heterozygous patients who therefore did not have whole gene deletions. Those patients homozygous for both markers were then tested for an HNF1B deletion using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification. Results Heterozygous HNF1B intragenic polymorphisms were identified in 337/461 subjects. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis showed an HNF1B gene deletion in three of the remaining 124 probands, all of whom met the criteria for maturity-onset diabetes of the young. Testing of their relatives identified three additional deletion carriers and ultrasound scanning showed renal developmental abnormalities in three of these six patients. Conclusions We estimate that HNF1B mutations account for < 1% of cases of maturity-onset diabetes of the young. Although HNF1B mutations are a rare cause of diabetes in the absence of known renal disease, a genetic diagnosis of renal cysts and diabetes syndrome is important as it raises the possibility of subclinical renal disease and the 50% risk of renal cysts and diabetes syndrome in the patient's offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Give 'em structure: The presence of structuring elements in polymers that were functionalized with catalytic units resulted in a new class of enzyme mimics, which are only active in the folded state (see picture). The conformationally adaptive hydrophobic environment that surrounds the catalytic site allows the very efficient catalysis of an aldol reaction in water with Michaelis–Menten kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Current curative treatment of acute myeloid leukemia is based on intensive chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with a significant risk of severe adverse effects, including leukemogenic and cancerogenic ones. Objectives. The study is aimed at assessing of incidence and types of malignant tumours in successfully treated acute myeloid leukemia patients. Methods. A retrospective analysis consists of 256 patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at the Department of Hemato-Oncology in Olomouc in 1996-2008 who were treated with intensive chemotherapy and achieved complete remission of the disease. Results. Second malignancy occurred in 11 individuals (4.3%) after successful treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Observed age-standardized incidence of these tumours, 8.29/1,000 person-years, 95% Cl = (2.99; 13.58), was not significantly different from the incidence in population. Five patients died of the second malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Biotechnology, Biotechnologies, Sustainable development, Développement durable, Ecology, Ecologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie appliquée, Applied ecology, Agronomie. Sciences du sol et productions vegetales, Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions, Phytopathologie. Zoologie agricole. Protection des cultures et des forets, Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection, Protozoaires. Invertébrés, Protozoa. Invertebrates, Lutte, Control, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Arthropoda, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Heteroptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Pentatomidae, Espèce envahissante, Invasive species, Especie invasora, Euschistus servus, Lutte biologique, Biological control, Lucha biológica, Oeuf, Egg, Huevo, Parasitisme, Parasitism, Parasitismo, Parasitoïde, Parasitoid, Parasitoide, Plante ornementale, Ornamental crop, Planta ornamental, Pépinière, Nursery (plant), Vivero, Native parasitoids, and Ornamental nursery crops

Native to eastern Asia. the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stal), has become a serious invasive pest in North America. Consequently, accurate assessment of parasitism rates under field conditions is critical for determining baseline parasitism rates of native egg parasitoids on BMSB, and for future evaluations of native or exotic parasitoid biological control release strategies and impacts. BMSB sentinel (laboratory-laid) egg masses have typically been used for this purpose, even though they could be providing misleading estimates of parasitoid activity. Accordingly, we compared the use of BMSB sentinel (laboratory-laid) and wild (naturally field-laid) egg masses in 2012 and 2013 to examine rates of parasitism and the parasitoid community composition of indigenous egg parasitoids in outdoor ornamental nurseries. Wild egg masses consistently had higher rates of parasitism than sentinel egg masses. In 2012, wild egg masses had a mean percent parasitism of 28.4% compared to 4.6% in sentinel egg masses, while in 2013 the difference between the two methods increased even further with a mean percent parasitism of 55.3% in wild egg masses compared to 0.8% in sentinel eggs. Furthermore, we found greater total numbers of parasitoids (889, 42) and greater species richness (seven, five), when using wild egg masses compared to sentinel egg masses, respectively. While sentinel egg masses provide a rapid and convenient way to assess the presence of natural enemies, our findings indicate that using sentinel egg masses could dramatically underestimate actual rates of parasitism and provide inaccurate estimates of parasitoid community composition. Future studies should address potential mechanisms underlying these patterns such as lack of certain host cues required by parasitoids in sentinel compared to wild egg masses.

Agronomy, agriculture, phytopathology, Agronomie, agriculture, phytopathologie, Entomology, Entomologie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences biologiques fondamentales et appliquees. Psychologie, Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology, Ecologie animale, vegetale et microbienne, Animal, plant and microbial ecology, Ecologie animale et végétale, Animal and plant ecology, Autoécologie, Autoecology, Végétaux et champignons, Plants and fungi, Synécologie, Synecology, Ecosystèmes terrestres, Terrestrial ecosystems, Angiospermae, Arthropoda, Composé allélochimique, Allelochemicals, Aleloquímicos, Entomophage, Entomophagous, Entomófago, Gramineae, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Invertebrata, Monocotyledones, Pentatomidae, Scelionidae, Spermatophyta, Attraction, Atracción, Chimiotactisme, Chemotaxis, Quimiotactismo, Composé volatil, Volatile compound, Compuesto volátil, Déprédateur, Pest, Plaga, Kairomone, Kairomona, Oryza sativa, Parasitoïde, Parasitoid, Parasitoide, Plante céréalière, Cereal crop, Planta cerealista, Relation animal végétal, Animal plant relation, Relación animal vegetal, Système tritrophique, Tritrophic system, Sistema tritrófico, Sécrétion défensive, Defensive secretion, Secreción defensiva, Trissolcus basalis, Platygastridae, Telenomus podisi, Tibraca limbativentris, kairomone, rice plants, semiochemical, and stink bug

The rice stem bug, Tibraca limbativentris Stal. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is one of the most important pests of rice crops, especially irrigated crops. Plant defence strategies against these bugs may involve the emission of chemical compounds, which are released following herbivore attacks, directly or indirectly harming pest performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of constitutive and herbivory-induced volatiles from rice plants (Oryza sativa L.) on the behavioural responses of T. limbativentris adults and egg parasitoids Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) and Telenomus podisi (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae). Plant volatiles were collected from undamaged plants of the rice cultivar IRGA 424 and from plants that suffered herbivory by five males or five females of T. limbativentris. Air-entrainment extracts were analysed by GC―flame ionization detector and GC-MS, and insect responses evaluated in a 'Y' olfactometer. T. limbativentris feeding damaged on rice plants induced the release of 16 volatiles compounds in a higher amounts compared to undamaged plants The main compounds induced were (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-2-octen-1-ol, methyl salicylate and α-muurolene. Female bugs were significantly attracted to air-entrainment extracts containing volatiles from undamaged plants compared with air-entrainment extracts containing volatiles emitted from plants damaged by T. limbativentris, whereas males showed no preference. Telenomus podisi females were significantly attracted to volatiles from air-entrainment extracts of plants damaged by females, whereas T. basalis showed no preference. These results suggest that rice plants may be emitting defence compounds, which could be avoided by T. limbativentris females and also acted indirectly by attracting natural enemies.

Polymers, paint and wood industries, Polymères, industries des peintures et bois, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Chimie, Chemistry, Chimie generale et chimie physique, General and physical chemistry, Théorie des réactions, cinétique générale. Catalyse. Nomenclature, documentation chimique, informatique chimique, Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry, Catalyse, Catalysis, Réactions catalytiques, Catalytic reactions, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Physicochimie des polymeres, Physicochemistry of polymers, Polymères organiques, Organic polymers, Propriétés et caractérisation, Properties and characterization, Propriétés des solutions et des gels, Solution and gel properties, Activité catalytique, Catalyst activity, Actividad catalítica, Agrégation moléculaire, Molecular aggregation, Agregación molecular, Aldolisation, Aldol condensation, Aldolización, Aminoacide, Aminoacid, Aminoácido, Catalyse asymétrique, Asymmetric catalysis, Catálisis asimétrica, Composé chiral, Chiral compound, Compuesto quiral, Composé marqué, Labelled compound, Compuesto marcado, Copolymère greffé, Graft copolymer, Copolímero injertado, Cyclanone, Cycloalkanone, Ciclanona, Dérivé du benzaldéhyde, Benzaldehyde derivatives, Benzaldehído derivado, Enantiosélectivité, Enantioselectivity, Enantioselectividad, Ethylène oxyde copolymère, Ethylene oxide copolymer, Etileno óxido copolímero, Etude expérimentale, Experimental study, Estudio experimental, Marqueur fluorescent, Fluorescent tracer, Marcador fluorescente, Méthacrylate copolymère, Methacrylate copolymer, Metacrilato copolímero, Nanoencapsulation, Nanoencapsulación, Nanoparticule, Nanoparticle, Nanopartícula, Polymère amphiphile, Amphiphilic polymer, Polímero amfifilo, Reconnaissance moléculaire, Molecular recognition, Reconocimiento molecular, Solution aqueuse, Aqueous solution, Solución acuosa, Spectre dichroïsme circulaire, Circular dichroism spectrum, Espectro dicroismo circular, Dérivé de la proline, Particule monomoléculaire, aldol reaction, benzene-1,3,5-tricaboxamide, molecular recognition, organocatalysis, and single-chain polymeric nanoparticles

Here, a modular approach is reported to introduce a specific function into single-chain polymeric nanoparticles (SCPNs). Hereto, an amphiphilic polymer with pendant benzene-1,3,5-tri-carboxamide (BTA) units is mixed with a free BTA that contains a functional group, either a fluorescent naphthalimide or a catalytically active L-proline. Taking advantage of hydrophobic interactions and self-recognition properties of the BTA units, the free BTAs are captured into the interior of the SCPN in water as evidenced by fluorescence studies. To illustrate that function can be readily introduced using a modular approach, L-proline-based BTAs are incorporated to procure a catalytically active SCPN in water. The aldol reaction between p-nitrobenzaldehyde and cyclohexanone shows good conversions at low catalyst loadings and substrate concentrations, and high stereoselectivities are obtained (de = 91% and ee = 98%).

SEROTONIN transporters, SEROTONIN uptake inhibitors, POSITRON emission tomography, CEREBRAL cortex, SOCIAL psychology, and MEDICAL imaging systems

Objective: This study examined the long-term effects of fluoxetine administered to juvenile rhesus monkeys who, as young adults, were imaged with positron emission tomography for two serotonergic markers: serotonin transporter (SERT) and serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptor. An equal number of monkeys separated from their mothers at birth-an animal model of human childhood stress-were also studied. Method: At birth, 32 male rhesus monkeys were randomly assigned to either maternal separation or normal rearing conditions. At age 2, half (N=8) of each group was randomly assigned to fluoxetine (3 mg/kg) or placebo for 1 year. To eliminate the confounding effects of residual drug in the brain, monkeys were scanned at least 1.5 years after drug discontinuation. Social interactions were assessed both during and after drug administration. Results: Fluoxetine persistently upregulated SERT, but not 5-HT1A receptors, in both the neocortex and the hippocampus. Whole-brain voxel-wise analysis revealed that fluoxetine had a significant effect in the lateral temporal and cingulate cortices. In contrast, neither maternal separation by itself nor the rearing-by-drug interaction was significant for either marker. Fluoxetine had no significant effect on the behavioral measures. Conclusions: Fluoxetine administered to juvenile monkeys upregulates SERT into young adulthood. Implications regarding the efficacy or potential adverse effects of SSRIs in patients cannot be directly drawn from this study. Its purpose was to investigate effects of SSRIs on brain development in nonhuman primates using an experimental approach that randomly assigned long-term SSRI treatment or placebo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HEMIPTERA, HOST plants, RICE diseases & pests, ECHINOCHLOA, and REPRODUCTION

Obtaining eggs of Oebalus insularis Stal., for the multiplication of Telenomus podisi Ashmead depends on the quality of the food provided by diverse host plants. Therefore, the biological and reproductive performance of O. insularis on Oryza sativa L. and Echinochloa colona (L.) was determined at 28±2°C, 80 ± 5% of relative humidity and 12 hours photophase. The duration of the period of nymph eclosion until the emergence of the adult of O. insularis varied between 20,9 and 21,2 days, for O. sativa and E. colona, respectively. The longevity of the female and male of O. insularis was statistically similar on both host plants. The female longevity was higher than that shown by the male, varying between 15 and 12 days, respectively. The O. insularis female fed with E. colona presented a high number of eggs per batch, total number of eggs per female and the eclosion rate of nymphs was higher. The biological and reproductive parameters of this insect confirmed their adaptation to the alternative host E. colona, optimizing the production of eggs subjected to T. podisi parasitism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ESSENTIAL oils, REPELLENTS, STINKBUGS, HEMIPTERA, LEMONGRASS oil, SPEARMINT oil, and METHYL benzoate

The brown marmorated stink bug ( BMSB), Halyomorpha halys ( Stål), native to Northeastern Asia, is a serious invasive pest in the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Germany and France. Several common essential oils and their compositions were tested against BMSBs as potential repellents. All the tested individual essential oils and a ternary oil blend showed significant repellency to both BMSB nymphs and adults. Clove oil, lemongrass oil, spearmint oil, ylang-ylang oil, and the ternary oil mixture (clove, lemongrass and spearmint) almost completely blocked attraction of BMSBs to the stink bug attractant-baited traps; whereas wintergreen oil, geranium oil, pennyroyal oil and rosemary oil resulted in 60-85% trap catch reductions. Over 20 BMSB antennally active compounds were identified from SPME headspace samples of the eight repellent essential oils using GC- EAD and GC- MS techniques. Among the synthetic EAD-active compounds tested in the field, eugenol, l-carvone, p/l-menthone, pulegone, methyl salicylate, trans/ cis-citral, methyl benzoate and β-caryophyllene significantly reduced trap catches of BMSBs by 72-99%; these compounds are likely responsible for the repellency of their corresponding essential oils. Surprisingly, a synthetic mixture of the predacious spined soldier bug ( SSB) [ Podisus maculiventris (Say)] aggregation pheromone ( trans-2-hexenal, α-terpineol and benzyl alcohol) also showed a significant inhibition of BMSB response to its attractants. These repellent essential oils and their active compounds, as well as the synthetic SSB pheromone, are potentially useful as part of an efficient, environmentally sound semiochemical-based IPM programme to combat this serious invasive stink bug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to report the differential diagnosis undertaken in a 47-year-old patient who was admitted for severe pancytopenia at the Department of Internal Medicine, Tomas Bata Regional Hospital in Zlín in August 2012. As the initial examinations regarding inflammation, tumours, infections and systemic diseases were negative, myelodysplastic syndrome was suspected. Trephine biopsy was performed, but myelodysplastic syndrome was not confirmed. The patient quickly became dependent on transfusions and suffered from recurrent infections. The differential diagnostic process was further complicated by the patient's repeated refusal to be hospitalized at the department of Internal Medicine. Repeated CT scans showed increasing splenomegaly and eventually multiple osteoplastic and mixed deposits in the pelvic bone appeared, pointing to a probable malignancy. The patient was referred for further investigation to the Department of Internal Medicine, Haematology and Oncology Clinic, University Hospital Brno-Bohunice. The indicated whole-body PET/CT found extensive deposits of viable tumour tissue in the chest wall. Histological samples were taken and corticosteroid treatment was started. However, this resulted in tumour lysis syndrome followed by kidney failure. The patient developed multiple organ failure with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and died on the day that the histological diagnosis of undifferentiated sarcoma was made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CACAO diseases & pests, INSECT baits & repellents, INSECT pest control, KAOLIN, and HELOPELTIS

The use of particle film technology has not been documented previously to protect cacao (Theobroma cacao L.; Malvales: Malvaceae) against insect feeding. Laboratory assessment of the use of local kaolin against the cacao mirid bug, Helopeltis collaris Stal (Hemiptera: Miridae), revealed a highly positive and statistically significant repellence of this insect pest on kaolin-treated cacao pods. This result warrants follow up field studies to evaluate further the potential of kaolin clay to control cacao pests in the Philippines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BIOLOGICAL control of plant parasites, LEPIDOPTERA, ENTOMOPHAGOUS insects, PREDATORY insects, and HORTICULTURE

Pest suppression through biological control seeks to maximize the action of the pest's natural enemies with the goal of reducing pesticide use. We present a summary of published studies and original findings on several entomophagous species as biocontrol agents of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a key pest of tomato crops in Argentina, with the aim to select potential candidates for its management. Spontaneously occurring T. absoluta egg parasitism was lower than that inflicted by the larval parasitoids Dineulophus phthorimaeae (De Santis, 1983) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Pseudapanteles dignus (Muesebeck, 1938) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). These parasitoids exhibit important life history traits in laboratory conditions and produce relevant amounts of T. absoluta mortality in the field. Surveys carried out in Tucumán and Buenos Aires provinces, Argentina, revealed that D. phthorimaeae and P. dignus coexist in tomato and eggplant crops; T. absoluta- P. dignus interaction is also found on other non-cultivated solanaceous species present in horticultural farms. In addition, studies are currently under way to determine the predation ability of Zelus obscuridorsis (Stål, 1860) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) on both larvae and adults of the pest. Finally, we discuss the prospects for implementing experimental augmentative releases of P. dignus to control the pest, a candidate selected considering various positive biological traits and because of its simple mass production and manipulation compared with other antagonists of T. absoluta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LANTANA camara, ORNAMENTAL plants, BIOSAFETY, QUARANTINE, ECOSYSTEM dynamics, NATURALIZATION, and WEEDS

The article presents a research focused on analyzing the status of ornamental plant lantana camara that grows in the urban areas and also discusses its implication on the biosafety and quarantine of the region. Various topics discussed in the research includes natural enemies of lantana, natural ecosystem of Botswana and impact of naturalization on weed removal.

PARASITOIDS, BROWN marmorated stink bug, PLANT parasites, INTRODUCED insects, LADYBUGS, STINKBUGS, and SPECIES distribution

Halyomorpha halys is an invasive species, originating from East Asia, which was accidentally introduced in some areas of North America and Europe, where severe damages to different vegetable crops and fruit plants were recorded. Several studies in different countries focused on the possibility to apply biological control by means of eggparasitoids. The main egg-parasitoids in the original area are unfortunately non-specific and thus the application of classical biological control is questionable. On the other hand, the possibility of using augmentative biological control by native egg-parasitoids able to exploit the new host is an interesting possibility in both Europe and the USA. In a preliminary assay, frozen egg masses of H. halys were exposed in the field in Central Italy. Results showed that some eggs were exploited by parasitoids belonging to the species Anastatus bifasciatus and Ooencyrtus telenomicida. Therefore, different native egg-parasitoids species widespread in Europe were tested in the laboratory in order to explore their ability to parasitize H. halys eggs. To this end, no-choice tests were carried out in climatic chambers (26°C, 70%RH, 16:8 L:D) in order to evaluate the parasitization potential of females collected in the wild. Conducted tests pointed out that A. bifasciatus and especially O. telenomicida may be potential candidates for the biological control of H. halys. In particular, O. telenomicida was able to parasitize the 35.56% of the exposed host eggs in the lab tests. New adults successfully emerged from the 22.92% of the eggs, and on the whole, this egg-parasitoid caused a significant hatching reduction of the H. halys eggs (more than 70%). Conversely, Telenomus chloropus and Ooencyrtus pityocampae were less promising species as biocontrol agents of this agricultural pest. Preliminary trials in pear orchards consisting of field releases of laboratory-reared specimens of O. telenomicida, one of the potential candidates for biological control, showed that this parasitoid is actually able to discover egg masses of H. halys (sentinel frozen egg masses) and to successfully parasitize them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BROWN marmorated stink bug, AGRICULTURAL ecology, POPULATION dynamics, PHYSIOLOGICAL control systems, and PARASITISM

Understanding native natural enemy impacts on the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), offers insight into the population dynamics of this invasive pest and the potential for biological control. This two-year study offers a broad-scale assessment of mortality factors affecting sentinel and naturally laid H. halys eggs in agroecosystems in the pest’s invaded range in eastern North America. Predation and parasitism rates varied among states and crops, but overall were low. Average maximum levels of biological control were estimated to be about 19% and 20% in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Of the eggs destroyed by natural enemies, chewing predation was the most prevalent. Parasitism by native parasitoids was very low, with adult parasitoids emerging from <1% of eggs averaged across crops, locations, and years; an additional 2.8% of eggs contained partially developed parasitoids. Lower percentages of sentinel H. halys hatched in organically versus conventionally managed crops, and in most cases had higher percentages of predation. Parasitism of sentinel and naturally laid eggs of the native stink bugs Euschistus servus (Say) and Chinavia hilare (Say) averaged 49.3% (±8.6 SE) and 0.6% (±0.3), respectively, across locations and years. Telenomus podisi (Ashmead) was the most common parasitoid parasitizing E. servus and H. halys eggs, but rarely did >1 individual parasitoid emerge from a H. halys egg mass. Parasitism of H. halys eggs by a complex of parasitoids is an important population regulation factor in its native Asian range, but this study found that parasitoids native to eastern US agroecosystems do not provide that service in this introduced region. The greatest potential for biological control of H. halys may be via classical biological control by the Asian parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), which has recently been detected in both the eastern and western US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STIMULANTS, LEAFHOPPERS, RICE diseases & pests, BIOLOGICAL assay, and METHANOL

A crude rice extract caused a higher probing response than did the control in the green rice leafhopper, Nephotettix nigropictus. Bioassay-guided separation led to the isolation of four active compounds, isoscoparin 2"-O-glucoside, isoscoparin 2"-O-(6"'-(E)-feruloyl)glucoside, isoscoparin 2"-O-(6"'-(E)-p-coumaroyl)glucoside, and isovitexin 2"-O-(6"'- (E)-feruloyl)glucoside from ODS 40% methanol in water faction. Each of the compounds, or any combination without one of the four compounds, caused weaker probing responses than the crude rice extract. The activity was recovered only when all the compounds were combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NONFICTION

Books reviewed in this issue L iterature and F ine A rts Martinsen, Deborah A., and Olga Maiorova, eds. Dostoevsky in Context. Marullo, Thomas Gaiton. Heroine Abuse: Dostoevsky's Netochka Nezvanova and the Poetics of Codependency. Salmond, Wendy, Wilfried Zeisler, and Russell E. Martin. Konstantin Makovsky: The Tsar's Painter in America and Paris. Gregory, Serge. Antosha and Levitasha: The Shared Lives and Art of Anton Chekhov and Isaac Levitan. Pickford, Henry W. Thinking with Tolstoy and Wittgenstein: Expression, Emotion, and Art. Wunsche, Isabel. The Organic School of the Russian Avant-Garde: Nature's Creative Principles. Weld, Sara Pankenier. Voiceless Vanguard: The Infantilist Aesthetic of the Russian Avant-Garde. Mitchell, Rebecca. Nietzsche's Orphans: Music, Metaphysics, and the Twilight of the Russian Empire. Bartlett, Rosamund, and Sarah Dadswell, eds. and trans. Victory over the Sun: The World's First Futurist Opera. Kukulin, Il'ia. Mashiny zashumevshego vremeni: Kak sovetskii montazh stal metodom neofitsial'noi kul'tury. Van Buskirk, Emily. Lydia Ginzburg's Prose: Reality in Search of Literature. Garipova, Nailya, and Juan José Torres Núñez, eds. Women in Nabokov's Life and Art. Blackwell, Stephen H., and Kurt Johnson, eds. Fine Lines: Vladimir Nabokov's Scientific Art. Skomp, Elizabeth A., and Benjamin M. Sutcliffe. Ludmila Ulitskaya and the Art of Tolerance. Cederlöf, Henriette. Alien Places in Late Soviet Science Fiction: The 'Unexpected Encounters' of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky as Novels and Films. Anderson, Richard. Russia. H istory Barnes, Ian. Restless Empire: A Historical Atlas of Russia. Soroka, Marina, and Charles A. Ruud. Becoming a Romanov: Grand Duchess Elena of Russia and Her World (1807-1873). Suny, Ronald Grigor. ' They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else': A History of the Armenian Genocide. Siegel, Jennifer. For Peace and Money: French and British Finance in the Service of Tsars and Commissars. Stoff, Laurie S. Russia's Sisters of Mercy and the Great War: More than Binding Men's Wounds. Smele, Jonathan D. The 'Russian' Civil Wars, 1916-1926: Ten Years That Shook the World. Dornik, Wolfram, et al., eds. The Emergence of Ukraine: Self-Determination, Occupation, and War in Ukraine, 1917-1922. Khalid, Adeeb. Making Uzbekistan: Nation, Empire, and Revolution in the Early USSR. Graham, Loren. Lysenko's Ghost: Epigenetics and Russia. Levin, Zeev. Collectivization and Social Engineering: Soviet Administration and the Jews of Uzbekistan, 1917-1939. Jordan, Pamela A. Stalin's Singing Spy: The Life and Exile of Nadezhda Plevitskaya. Whitewood, Peter. The Red Army and the Great Terror: Stalin's Purge of the Soviet Military. Horowitz, Brian, and Leonid Katsis, eds. Vladimir Jabotinsky's Story of My Life. Ellis, Frank. Barbarossa 1941. Harrison, Richard W. ed. and trans. Rollback: The Red Army's Winter Offensive along the Southwestern Strategic Direction, 1942-1943. Harrison, Richard W. ed. and trans. Prelude to Berlin: The Red Army's Offensive Operations in Poland and Eastern Germany, 1945. Fitzpatrick, Sheila. On Stalin's Team: The Years of Living Dangerously in Soviet Politics. Karlsson, Klas-Göran, Johan Stenfeldt, and Ulf Zander, eds. Perspectives on the Entangled History of Communism and Nazism: A Comnaz Analysis. Varga-Harris, Christine. Stories of House and Home: Soviet Apartment Life during the Khrushchev Years. Friedman, Jeremy. Shadow Cold War: The Sino-Soviet Competition for the Third World. Lesourd, Françoise, ed. Les mutations religieuses en Russie: Conversions et sécularisation. Haslam, Jonathan. Near and Distant Neighbors: A New History of Soviet Intelligence. Pipes, Richard. Alexander Yakovlev: The Man Whose Ideas Delivered Russia from Communism. Weeks, Theodore R. Vilnius between Nations, 1795-2000. Luehrmann, Sonja. Religion in Secular Archives: Soviet Atheism and Historical Knowledge. Brumfield, William Craft. Architecture at the End of the Earth: Photographing the Russian North. S ocial S ciences, C ontemporary R ussia, and O ther Rogers, Douglas. The Depths of Russia: Oil, Power, and Culture after Socialism. Hedlund, Stefan. Putin's Energy Agenda: The Contradictions of Russia's Resource Wealth. Nalbandov, Robert. Not by Bread Alone: Russian Foreign Policy under Putin. Pacer, Valerie A. Russian Foreign Policy under Dmitry Medvedev, 2008-2012. Prina, Federica. National Minorities in Putin's Russia: Diversity and Assimilation. Soldatov, Andrei, and Irina Borogan. The Red Web: The Struggle between Russia's Digital Dictators and the New Online Revolutionaries. Stanislav, Markus. Property, Predation and Protection: Piranha Capitalism in Russia and Ukraine. White, Stephen, and Valentina Feklyunina. Identities and Foreign Policies in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus: The Other Europes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RICE diseases & pests, NILAPARVATA lugens, LOCUS (Genetics), GENETIC markers in plants, and RICE breeding

Brown planthopper ( BPH), Nilaparvata lugens Stål ( Hemiptera: Delphacide), is a destructive insect pest of rice, Oryza sativa L. ( Poaceae), in rice-producing areas worldwide. Host plant resistance is a major aspect of managing this pest. In this study, a mapping population consisting of 150 F3 lines, derived from a cross of MR276 and Rathu Heenati, was used to detect and analyse quantitative trait loci ( QTLs) for the resistance to BPH. Composite Interval Mapping ( CIM) was used for QTL detection. In total 10 QTLs controlling BPH resistance were mapped on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12. Four QTLs - qBph-1-1, qBph-3-1, qBph-6-1, and qBph-7-1 - were mapped on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, and 7 in the standard seedbox screening test, explaining 41% of the phenotypic variance. Two QTLs, qBph-6-1 and qBph-9-1, were detected on chromosomes 6 and 9 in the honeydew test, accounting for 32% of the total phenotypic variance. Moreover, four QTLs - qBph-3-1, qBph-6-1, qBph-10-1, and qBph-12-1 - were identified on chromosomes 3, 6, 10, and 12 expressing antixenosis to BPH and explaining 41% of the phenotypic variance. QTL qBph-3-1 was located in the chromosomal region between markers RM231 and RM3872 on chromosome 3, and QTL qBph-6-1 was located in the region between RM588 and RM204 on chromosome 6, indicating that these regions have a major effect in controlling the resistance to BPH in the population studied. The molecular markers linked to QTLs that are identified will be useful in the development of varieties resistant to BPH. Our study contributes to the development of genetic material for breeding programmes and marker-assisted selection ( MAS) in rice to improve BPH resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DOUBLE-stranded RNA, SAP (Plant), INSECT-plant relationships, INSECT pests, and GENE silencing

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated gene silencing, also known as RNA interference (RNAi), has been a breakthrough technology for functional genomic studies and represents a potential tool for the management of insect pests. Since the inception of RNAi numerous studies documented successful introduction of exogenously synthesized dsRNA or siRNA into an organism triggering highly efficient gene silencing through the degradation of endogenous RNA homologous to the presented siRNA. Managing hemipteran insect pests, especially Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), is critical to food productivity. BMSB was recently introduced into North America where it is both an invasive agricultural pest of high value specialty, row, and staple crops, as well as an indoor nuisance pest. RNAi technology may serve as a viable tool to manage this voracious pest, but delivery of dsRNA to piercing-sucking insects has posed a tremendous challenge. Effective and practical use of RNAi as molecular biopesticides for biocontrol of insects like BMSB in the environment requires that dsRNAs be delivered in vivo through ingestion. Therefore, the key challenge for molecular biologists in developing insect-specific molecular biopesticides is to find effective and reliable methods for practical delivery of stable dsRNAs such as through oral ingestion. Here demonstrated is a reliable delivery system of effective insect-specific dsRNAs through oral feeding through a new delivery system to induce a significant decrease in expression of targeted genes such as JHAMT and Vg. This state-of-the-art delivery method overcomes environmental delivery challenges so that RNAi is induced through insect-specific dsRNAs orally delivered to hemipteran and other insect pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HEMIPTERA and STINKBUGS

The Neotropical genus Lincus Stål, 1867 is frequently associated with the transmission of diseases to palms and coconut trees (Elaeis guineensis and Cocos nucifera) in commercial plantations in South America. Here we update the geographical distribution of 15 species of Lincus collected in E. guineensis and C. nucifera in the Neotropics. The geographical range of five species is expanded with new countries recorded for L. malevolus and L. styliger, and detailed geographic information is given for the first time for L. lobuliger and L. securiger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PHYLOGENY, MORPHOGENESIS, EVOLUTIONARY developmental biology, ORGANISMS, MICROBIAL ecology, and TAXONOMY

Robust phylogenetic hypotheses have become key for studies addressing the evolutionary biology and ecology of various groups of organisms. In the species-rich heteropteran superfamily Pentatomoidea, phylogenies at lower taxonomic levels are still scarce and mostly employ exclusively morphological data. In this study, we conducted a total evidence phylogeny focusing on the tribe Carpocorini (Pentatomidae), using morphological data and four DNA markers ( COI, Cytb, 16S and 28S rDNA; ∼2330 bp; 32 taxa) in order to investigate the relationships within Euschistus Dallas, one of the most speciose pentatomid genera, and between Euschistus and related genera. Our hypotheses generated by maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference show that the current taxonomic composition and classification of Euschistus and allied genera are in need of revision. Euschistus was recovered as nonmonophyletic, with the subgenera forming four independent lineages: Euschistus ( Euschistus) and Euschistus ( Lycipta) Stål are sister groups; Euschistus ( Euschistomorphus) Jensen-Haarup is more closely related to Dichelops Spinola and Agroecus Dallas; and Mitripus Rolston is divided into two clades closely related to Sibaria Stål and Ladeaschistus Rolston. We chose not to change the classification of E. ( Euschistomorphus) until further data become available, and propose to split Euschistus into three genera with the exclusion of Euschistus ( Mitripus) and all of its species. Here we elevate Mitripus to genus rank to include M. acutus comb.n., M. convergens comb.n. and M. legionarius comb.n., and propose Adustonotus Bianchi gen.n. to include A. anticus comb.n., A. latus comb.n., A. tauricornis comb.n., A. grandis comb.n., A. hansi comb.n., A. paranticus comb.n., A. irroratus comb.n. and A. saramagoi comb.n. We also provide identification keys to the genera Adustonotus gen.n., Ladeaschistus, Mitripus n. rank and Sibaria, here defined as the Mitripus genus group, and to the species of Mitripus and Adustonotus gen.n. Our results provide insights into the current status of the classification of the Pentatomidae, suggesting the need for phylogenetic analyses at different taxonomic levels within stink bugs. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NEISSERIA gonorrhoeae, SEXUALLY transmitted diseases, ANTIBIOTICS, CHLAMYDIA trachomatis, GYNECOLOGISTS, DIAGNOSIS, CHLAMYDIA infection diagnosis, GENITOURINARY disease diagnosis, GONORRHEA diagnosis, CLINICS, GENITOURINARY diseases, GONORRHEA, DISEASES in men, NEISSERIA, PHARYNGEAL diseases, PHYSICIANS, GENERAL practitioners, CROSS-sectional method, and RECTAL diseases

Background: Gonorrhoea, caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), can cause reproductive morbidity, is increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics and is frequently asymptomatic, which shows the essential role of NG test practice. In this study we wanted to compare NG diagnostic testing procedures between different STI care providers serving a defined geographic Dutch region (280,000 inhabitants).Methods: Data on laboratory testing and diagnosis of urogenital and extragenital (i.e. anorectal and oropharyngeal) NG were retrieved from general practitioners (GPs), an STI clinic, and gynaecologists (2006-2010). Per provider, we assessed their contribution regarding the total number of tests performed and type of populations tested, the proportion of NG positives re-tested (3-12 months after treatment) and test-of-cure (TOC, within 3 months post treatment).Results: Overall, 17,702 NG tests (48.7% STI clinic, 38.2% GPs, 13.1% gynaecologists) were performed during 15,458 patient visits. From this total number of tests, 2257 (12.7%) were extragenital, of which 99.4% were performed by the STI clinic. Men were mostly tested at the STI clinic (71%) and women by their GP (43%). NG positivity per visit was 1.6%; GP 1.9% (n = 111), STI clinic 1.7% (n = 131) and gynaecology 0.2% (n = 5). NG positivity was associated with Chlamydia trachomatis positivity (OR: 2.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.46-2.92). Per anatomical location, the proportion of NG positives re-tested were: urogenital 20.3% (n = 36), anorectal 43.6% (n = 17) and oropharyngeal 57.1% (n = 20). NG positivity among re-tests was 16.9%. Proportions of NG positives with TOC by anatomical location were: urogenital 10.2% (n = 18), anorectal 17.9% (n = 7) and oropharyngeal 17.1% (n = 6).Conclusions: To achieve best practice in relation to NG testing, we recommend that: 1) GPs test at extragenital sites, especially men who have sex with men (MSM), 2) all care providers consider re-testing 3 to 12 months after NG diagnosis and 3) TOC is performed following oropharyngeal NG diagnosis in settings which provide services to higher-risk men and women (such as STI clinics). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIGGS bosons, SCALAR field theory, SUPERSYMMETRY, STANDARD model (Nuclear physics), DARK matter, and MATHEMATICAL models

The goal of this report is to summarize the current situation and discuss possible search strategies for charged scalars, in non-supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model at the LHC. Such scalars appear in Multi-Higgs-Doublet models, in particular in the popular Two-Higgs-Doublet model, allowing for charged and additional neutral Higgs bosons. These models have the attractive property that electroweak precision observables are automatically in agreement with the Standard Model at the tree level. For the most popular version of this framework, Model II, a discovery of a charged Higgs boson remains challenging, since the parameter space is becoming very constrained, and the QCD background is very high. We also briefly comment on models with dark matter which constrain the corresponding charged scalars that occur in these models. The stakes of a possible discovery of an extended scalar sector are very high, and these searches should be pursued in all conceivable channels, at the LHC and at future colliders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BROWN marmorated stink bug, HEMIPTERA, INTRODUCED insects, INSECT pests, PHEROMONES, INSECT traps, INSECT population density, and ECONOMICS

Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive insect that causes severe economic damage to multiple agricultural commodities. Several monitoring tools, including pheromone and light-baited black pyramid traps, have been developed to monitor H. halys. Here, we evaluated the attractiveness of these traps baited with only light, only pheromone, or the combination in comparison with unbaited traps throughout the growing season in regions with high and low H. halys population densities. In regions with high population densities in the Mid-Atlantic, all traps baited with pheromone or lights performed better than control traps. During mid-season, traps containing lights captured more H. halys adults, whereas pheromone-baited traps captured greater numbers during the late season. In low density regions in the Pacific Northwest, traps with lights or pheromone captured more H. halys adults than control traps. In addition, we evaluated the influence of competing light sources associated with anthropogenic structures. When light traps were deployed next to these additional light sources, H. halys captures in pyramid traps baited with light were not significantly reduced. Overall, our results indicate that both light and pheromone traps can be used to detect H. halys activity in low and high density populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HEMIPTERA, STINKBUGS, INSECT behavior, BROWN marmorated stink bug, and INSECT traps

Light trapping is a common method for monitoring and capturing insects such as the invasive agricultural pest, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Efforts to develop more effective trapping methods for H. halys have led to research investigating the response of this insect to potentially exploitable stimuli. A behavioral study was conducted to examine the response of H. halys to various light stimuli. Seven intensities (0 [control: dark], 0.1, 10, 50, 75, 100, and 155 lx) of white light were tested. The most attractive intensity for H. halys was 75 lx for adult males and females. Nymphal instars 2 to 5, adult males, and adult females were also exposed to 75 lx white light. Adult males were significantly more attracted to the light than any other life stage. Adults were also exposed to green, orange, red, white, and yellow light. All colors tested were attractive to H. halys. White light was significantly more attractive than the other tested colors. The findings of this study suggest that the incorporation of a white light into H. halys traps may increase the number captured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ARTHROPODA, ARBOREAL animals, SALTCEDAR, and LARVAE

Although biological control agents are imported without the constraints exerted by their native natural enemies, many native, generalist arthropod predators might use the new food source after release in the field. Predation by native arthropods is a potential obstacle to establishment of Diorhabda spp. as a biological control agent against saltcedar, Tamarix spp. Arboreal predaceous insects were surveyed at the Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge to identify possible predators that could affect establishment of the northern tamarisk beetle, Diorhabda carinulata (Desbrochers), in Oklahoma. Results of the survey showed that 57% of the arthropods were represented by five insects, Zelus tetracanthus (Stål) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) (21%); several species of Chrysoperla (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) (11%); the insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) (10%); Collops quadrimaculatus (F.) Coleoptera: Melydridae) (8%); and the sevenspotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) (6%), in saltcedar stands. No-choice feeding studies demonstrated that eggs and larvae of D. carinulata were accepted prey for larvae of Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister) and sevenspotted lady beetle adults but not larvae. Northern tamarisk beetle larvae were accepted prey for Z. tetracanthus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZOOLOGICAL nomenclature, LEAFHOPPERS, PARROTFISHES, BURSA fabricii, and ANNOTATIONS

A synoptic, annotated catalogue is provided, documenting the long history of vacillated nomenclature usages between leafhopper family-group names Gyponidae Stål 1870c and Scaridae Amyot & Serville 1843a (nec Scaridae Rafinesque 1810b), between genus-group names Gypona Germar 1821a and Scaris Le Peletier & Serville 1828a (nec Scaris Chaudoir 1879), synonyms, and use of Docalidia ferruginea (Fabricius) in the literature for Iassus ferrugineus, beginning at the formation of each taxon and ending at the present. Authors' annotations, where applicable, follow each citation. A photograph of the lectotype of Iassus ferrugineus Fabricius (Coelidiinae) and a misidentified specimen (Gyponinae) by Germar are shown for comparative purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BIODIVERSITY, VERTEBRATES, HABITATS, GLACIATION, and PLIOCENE Epoch

It is now rare to find a semi-aquatic organism group with which to vigorously test whether their diversification model and distribution pattern are closely related to the Cenozoic temperature variation. This hypothesis is explored for water striders of the genera Aquarius Schellenberg, Gerris Fabricius and Limnoporus Stål, which comprise a monophyletic clade with primarily Holarctic distribution. We sample almost 90% of the currently recognized Aquarius, Gerris and Limnoporus species. Five DNA fragments from 62 species are used to reconstruct a phylogram. Divergence time is estimated using Bayesian relaxed-clock method and three fossil calibrations. We investigate diversification dynamics, biogeography and ancestral state reconstruction by using maximum-likelihood, Bayesian and parsimony approaches. Our results showed that the crown of the three genera originated and underwent an initial diversification in Asia at 72 Ma (HPD: 59-86 Ma) in the Late Cretaceous, subsequently expanding into other regions via dispersal. The Bering Land Bridge was the major migration route between Eurasia and North America but was interrupted before the early Oligocene (34 Ma). Ancestors most likely used lentic habitats, and a minimum of two independent shifts to lotic habitats occurred in the initial diversification. Cenozoic temperature variation regulated the evolutionary history of Holarctic water striders of the genera Aquarius, Gerris and Limnoporus. Temperature warming during Stage I (52-66 Ma) was associated with the disappearance of shallow lentic habitats; this phenomenon forced certain lentic lineages to colonize new lotic habitats and promoted the diversification of lineages. Temperature cooling during Stage II (after 34 Ma) was associated with the fragmentation of water habitats of the 'mixed-mesophytic' belt, resulting in the extinction of historical taxa and influencing close lineages that shaped the present disjunct Eurasian-North American distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MIRIDAE, EGGS as food, PREDATORY animals, TEMPERATURE effect, and MEDITERRANEAN flour moth

Three Neotropical predators Campyloneuropsis infumatus (Carvalho), Engytatus varians (Distant) and Macrolophus basicornis (Stål) (Hemiptera: Miridae) are considered in Brazil as potential biological control agents of Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and other tomato pests. This study evaluated the effect of five constant temperatures (16, 20, 24, 28 and 32°C, all ±1°C) on the reproduction, population growth and longevity of these predatory mirids. Adults freshly emerged from nymphs reared at each temperature, were separated in couples and kept in 1.7 l glass pots with tobacco plant seedlings (Nicotiana tabacum L., cv. TNN) as oviposition substrate and ad libitum Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs as food. The shortest pre-oviposition and the longest oviposition periods were observed at 24°C and 28°C in all three mirid species. At 24°C all three species showed the highest daily and total fecundities. The population growth parameters represented by the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and the finite rate of increase (λ) were highest at 24°C and 28°C, and the net reproductive rate (R0) was highest at 24°C for all three species. Longevities of both males and females were longest at 24°C and 28°C in all three mirids. The size of tibia and adult weight in the three species were greatest at 20°C and 28°C, respectively. Differences in values for all above variables were small and often statistically non-significant for the three mirid species at the same temperature. Also, not a single significant difference was found for any of the growth parameters at each of the temperatures, including rm. The results indicate that temperatures in the range from 24-28°C are best for reproduction and population growth of C. infumatus, E. varians and M. basicornis. The factitious prey E. kuehniella is an excellent food source and tobacco plants provide a good rearing substrate for these mirids. The obtained results may assist in developing a mass rearing method for C. infumatus, E. varians and M. basicornis, in determining optimal timing and frequency of mirid releases in the crop, and in determining whether they are active at the temperature spectrum observed during tomato production in the field or greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BIODIVERSITY, GRASSHOPPER behavior, BIOMES, PHYLOGENY, and SPECIES distribution

Abstract: The open vegetation biomes, within the limits of the Chacoan subregion, occur along a diagonal in eastern South America covering a large range of environmental conditions. In order to contribute to the knowledge on the biodiversity of these open biomes, we analysed the phylogenetic relationships of the grasshopper genus Zoniopoda to the remaining South American Romaleinae, and examined the biogeographical patterns of diversification of the genus. The study is based on morphological and molecular (COI and H3) evidence, including 12 species of Zoniopoda and 17 species of four tribes of South American Romaleinae. We describe a new species of Zoniopoda, and test its taxonomic placement within the group. Results of our phylogenetic analyses recovered Zoniopoda as a monophyletic group with high support values. According to the dispersion–vicariance analysis, the ancestor of Zoniopoda may have been distributed in an area corresponding to the Chacoan and Cerrado provinces. A vicariant event, that could be explained by the uplift of the Brazilian Plateau and the subsidence of the Chaco, is hypothesized to have occurred splitting the ancestral distribution of Zoniopoda, resulting in the independent evolution of the Tarsata group within the Cerrado and the Iheringi group in the Chacoan subregion. This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FCFB4C5D-1741-46F1-8E25-B37ED2B9D872. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]