Stencil lithography of superconducting contacts on MBE-grown topological insulator thin films

Topological insulator (Bi0.06Sb0.94)2Te3 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy have been capped in-situ with a 2 nm Al film to conserve the pristine topological surface states. Subsequently, a shadow mask - structured by means of focus ion beam - was in-situ placed underneath the sample to deposit a thick layer of Al on well-defined microscopically small areas. The 2 nm thin Al layer fully oxidizes after exposure to air and in this way protects the TI surface from degradation. The thick Al layer remains metallic underneath a 3–4 nm thick native oxide layer and therefore serves as (super-) conducting contacts. Superconductor-Topological Insulator-Superconductor junctions with lateral dimensions in the nm range have then been fabricated via an alternative stencil lithography technique. Despite the in-situ deposition, transport measurements and transmission electron microscope analysis indicate a low transparency, due to an intermixed region at the interface between topological insulator thin film and metallic Al

Níveis de lisina digestível em rações, em que se manteve ou não a relação aminoacídica, para frangos de corte de 1 a 21 dias de idade, mantidos em estresse por calor

Dois ensaios foram conduzidos para avaliar os efeitos de níveis de lisina digestível em rações em que se manteve ou não a relação aminoacídica sobre o desempenho de frangos de corte machos de 1 a 21 dias de idade, criados em alta temperatura. O delineamento experimental utilizado em ambos os ensaios foi o inteiramente casualizado. As aves, no ensaio 1, foram distribuídas em cinco tratamentos (0,92; 0,98; 1,04; 1,10 e 1,16% de lisina digestível em ração convencional), oito repetições e dez aves por repetição. No ensaio 2, os frangos foram distribuídos em quatro tratamentos (1,04; 1,10; 1,16 e 1,22% de lisina digestível em rações mantendo a relação aminoacídica), oito repetições e dez aves por repetição. No ensaio 1, os tratamentos influenciaram quadraticamente o ganho de peso e o consumo de ração, que aumentaram até os níveis de 1,14 e 1,09% de lisina, respectivamente. Embora a conversão alimentar tenha melhorado de forma linear, o modelo LRP foi o que melhor se ajustou aos dados, estimando em 1,097% o nível de lisina a partir do qual ocorreu um platô. Não houve efeito dos tratamentos sobre os pesos absolutos do coração, fígado e intestinos, enquanto o peso absoluto da moela aumentou linearmente. O peso absoluto da carcaça aumentou, enquanto os pesos relativos do coração e do fígado reduziram quadraticamente com os tratamentos. No ensaio 2, os tratamentos influenciaram de forma linear crescente o ganho de peso e a conversão alimentar, enquanto o consumo de ração não variou. Os tratamentos influenciaram linearmente o peso absoluto da carcaça, enquanto os pesos absoluto e relativo das vísceras não variaram. Concluiu-se que frangos de corte machos, de 1 a 21 dias de idade, mantidos em estresse por calor, exigem, no mínimo, 1,14 e 1,22% de lisina digestível em ração convencional e em ração em que se manteve a relação aminoacídica, respectivamente.Two trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of digestible lysine levels in diets maintaining or not the relationship of amino acids, on performance of broilers from 1 to 21 days, kept under heat stress. A completely randomized experimental design was used in both trials. In the trial 1, the broilers were allotted in five treatments (0.92; 0.98; 1.04; 1.10 and 1.16% of lysine in conventional diets), eight replicates and ten broilers per replicate. In the trial 2, the broilers were allotted in four treatments (1.04; 1.10; 1.16 and 1.22% of lysine in diet maintaining the relationship of amino acids), eight replicates and ten broilers per replicate. In the trial 1, the digestible lysine levels influenced quadraticly the weight gain and the feed intake that increased up to 1.14 and 1.09%, respectively. Although feed:gain ratio had changed by linear way, the LRP model adjusted better to the data, estimating in 1.097% the lysine level where occurred a "plateau". There was no effect of treatments on absolute weights of heart, liver and intestines, while the absolute weight of gizzard increased linearly. The absolute weight of carcass increased while the relative weights of heart and liver reduced quadraticly. In the trial 2, the treatments influenced in a crescent linear way the weight gain and the feed:gain ratio while the feed intake was not influenced. The treatments influenced linearly the absolute weight of carcass while the absolute and relative weights of the organs were not influenced. It was concluded that male broilers, in the period from 1 to 21 days of age, kept under heat stress, require at least 1.14 and 1.22% of digestible lysine in conventional diet and in diet maintaining the relationship of amino acid, respectively

Odour Maps in the Brain of Butterflies with Divergent Host-Plant Preferences

Butterflies are believed to use mainly visual cues when searching for food and oviposition sites despite that their olfactory system is morphologically similar to their nocturnal relatives, the moths. The olfactory ability in butterflies has, however, not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we performed the first study of odour representation in the primary olfactory centre, the antennal lobes, of butterflies. Host plant range is highly variable within the butterfly family Nymphalidae, with extreme specialists and wide generalists found even among closely related species. Here we measured odour evoked Ca2+ activity in the antennal lobes of two nymphalid species with diverging host plant preferences, the specialist Aglais urticae and the generalist Polygonia c-album. The butterflies responded with stimulus-specific combinations of activated glomeruli to single plant-related compounds and to extracts of host and non-host plants. In general, responses were similar between the species. However, the specialist A. urticae responded more specifically to its preferred host plant, stinging nettle, than P. c-album. In addition, we found a species-specific difference both in correlation between responses to two common green leaf volatiles and the sensitivity to these compounds. Our results indicate that these butterflies have the ability to detect and to discriminate between different plant-related odorants

Evolutionary and mechanistic aspects of insect host plant preference

Plant feeding insects comprise about 25% of all animal species on earth and play an important role in all ecosystems. Although we understand that their association with plants is a key-factor driving the diversification in this group, we still have large gaps in our knowledge of the underlying processes of this relationship. Female choice of host plant is an important event in the insect life-cycle, as it is a major determinant of the larval food plant. In this Thesis I studied different aspects of insect host plant choice and used butterflies from the family Nymphalidae as my study system. I found that butterflies have a well developed olfactory system and that they use odors when searching for food or host plants. However, the information obtained from the odor of host plants does not seem to be sufficient for the studied species to make a distinction between plants of different qualities. Interestingly, even when in full contact with the leaf they do not make optimal decisions. I show for example that a sub-optimal female choice may be mitigated by larval ability to cope with unfavorable situations. Moreover, species that utilize a broader set of host plants may not be very well adapted to all the hosts they use, but at the same time they may survive in areas where there is only a subset of the plants available. Lastly, differences in the evolution of life-history traits between species can account for differences in how each species realizes its lifestyle. Thus, by incorporating findings on mechanisms of host plant choice with the ecological and evolutionary context of a species, our ability to explain the dynamics of host plant choice and insect-plant interactions can be improved.At the time of the doctoral defense, the following paper was unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 4: Manuscript.</p

Host priming data of two generalist butterflies

the file contains the behavioral data of all three experiments used in survival analyses included in the study “Selective attention by priming in host search behavior of two generalist butterflies” By Gamberale-Stille, G. et al

Selective attention by priming in host search behavior of 2 generalist butterflies

We show that females of 2 generalist butterflies improve their search efficacy after previous encounters of the same host in a way similar to search-image formation, especially if the butterfly-host relationship is historically old. Thus, by targeting a single host at a time, host search efficacy may be improved and constitute a selection pressure for specialization. This result can help explain the evolutionary trend toward host specialization in phytophagous insects that is not well understood. Abstract In phytophagous insects such as butterflies, there is an evolutionary trend toward specialization in host plant use. One contributing mechanism for this pattern may be found in female host search behavior. Since search attention is limited, generalist females searching for hosts for oviposition may potentially increase their search efficacy by aiming their attention on a single host species at a time, a behavior consistent with search image formation. Using laboratory reared and mated females of 2 species of generalist butterflies, the comma, Polygonia c-album, and the painted lady, Vanessa cardui (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), we investigated the probability of finding a specific target host (among nonhost distractors) immediately after being primed with an oviposition experience of the same host as compared with different host in indoor cages. We used species-specific host plants that varied with respect to growth form, historical age of the butterfly-host association, and relative preference ranking. We found improved search efficacy after previous encounters of the same host for some but not all host species. Positive priming effects were found only in hosts with which the butterfly has a historically old relationship and these hosts are sometimes also highly preferred. Our findings provides additional support for the importance of behavioral factors in shaping the host range of phytophagous insects, and show that butterflies can attune their search behavior to compensate for negative effects of divided attention between multiple hosts

Specialist and generalist oviposition strategies in butterflies : maternal care or precocious young?

Herbivorous insects specialized on a narrow set of plants are believed to be better adapted to their specific hosts. This hypothesis is supported by observations of herbivorous insect species with a broader diet breadth which seemingly pay a cost through decreased oviposition accuracy. Despite many studies investigating female oviposition behavior, there is a lack of knowledge on how larvae cope behaviorally with their mothers' egg-laying strategies. We have examined a unique system of five nymphalid butterfly species with different host plant ranges that all feed on the same host plant. The study of this system allowed us to compare at the species level how oviposition preference is related to neonate larval responses in several disadvantageous situations. We found a general co-adaptation between female and larval abilities, where species with more discriminating females had larvae that were less able to deal with a suboptimal initial feeding site. Conversely, relatively indiscriminate females had more precocious larvae with better abilities to cope with suboptimal sites. Despite similarities between the tested species with similar host ranges, there were also striking differences. Generalist and specialist species can be found side by side in many clades, with each clade having a specific evolutionary history. Such clade-specific, phylogenetically determined preconditions apparently have affected how precisely a broad or narrow diet breadth can be realized

Data from: Female fecundity variation affects reproducibility of experiments on host plant preference and acceptance in a phytophagous insect

Reproducibility is a scientific cornerstone. Many recent studies, however, describe a reproducibility crisis and call for assessments of reproducibility across scientific domains. Here, we explore the reproducibility of a classic ecological experiment—that of assessing female host plant preference and acceptance in phytophagous insects, a group in which host specialization is a key driver of diversification. We exposed multiple cohorts of Pieris napi butterflies from the same population to traditional host acceptance and preference tests on three Brassicaceae host species. Whereas the host plant rank order was highly reproducible, the propensity to oviposit on low-ranked hosts varied significantly even among cohorts exposed to similar conditions. Much variation could be attributed to among-cohort variation in female fecundity, a trait strongly correlated both to female size and to the size of the nuptial gift a female receives during mating. Small males provide small spermatophores, and in our experiment small females that mated with small males had a disproportionally low propensity to oviposit on low-ranked hosts. Hence, our results provide empirical support to the theoretical prediction that female host utilization is strongly affected by non-genetic, environmental variation, and that such variation can affect the reproducibility of ecological experiments even under seemingly identical conditions

Acceptance_Cohorts_a-i

Acceptance_Cohorts_a-i.csv This dataset includes acceptance data (eggs laid per day) on three different host plants (BaDay=Barbarea vulgaris, ArDay=Armoracia rusticana, and BrDay=Brassica napus). Columns include also the Cohort (a-i), the butterfly ID number, the site of the experiment (Stockholm/Uppsala), the generation (direct developing/diapausing), the total number of eggs laid in the acceptance experiment, the discal cell length (right forewing), the eggs left in abdomen and the total number of eggs (laid+unlaid)