Management of the Rice Tungro Virus Vector \u3ci\u3eNephotettix virescens\u3c/i\u3e (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) with Controlled-Release Formulations of Carbofuran

Field trials were conducted in lowland flooded rice in the Philippines to evaluate a number of carbofuran controlled-release formulations in comparison with commercial formulations. The test formulations were based on a biodegradable matrix of pine kraft lignin and were used as granules of different sizes and also in the form of small strips. The release rates were assessed under field conditions by bioassaying rice plants in the field, using adult rice green leafhopper, Nephotettix virescens Distant. The lignin formulations with a high level of active ingredient (15–45% by weight) gave as good or better control than the commercial 3% granules in tests based on three application techniques: broadcast into the floodwater, soil incorporation, and root zone injection. The improvements in control levels of green leafhoppers were most marked with soil incorporation and root zone application. The best lignin-based formulation reduced levels of tungro virus infection from 23% for a conventional flowable carbofuran formulation to 1.0% at an application rate of 0.5 kg (AI)/ha. At the same rate, the grain yield was increased from 3.56 t/ha to 5.5 t/ha, using the controlled-released formulation

On the bend number of circular-arc graphs as edge intersection graphs of paths on a grid

Golumbic, Lipshteyn and Stern \cite{Golumbic-epg} proved that every graph can be represented as the edge intersection graph of paths on a grid (EPG graph), i.e., one can associate with each vertex of the graph a nontrivial path on a rectangular grid such that two vertices are adjacent if and only if the corresponding paths share at least one edge of the grid. For a nonnegative integer $k$, $B_k$-EPG graphs are defined as EPG graphs admitting a model in which each path has at most $k$ bends. Circular-arc graphs are intersection graphs of open arcs of a circle. It is easy to see that every circular-arc graph is a $B_4$-EPG graph, by embedding the circle into a rectangle of the grid. In this paper, we prove that every circular-arc graph is $B_3$-EPG, and that there exist circular-arc graphs which are not $B_2$-EPG. If we restrict ourselves to rectangular representations (i.e., the union of the paths used in the model is contained in a rectangle of the grid), we obtain EPR (edge intersection of path in a rectangle) representations. We may define $B_k$-EPR graphs, $k\geq 0$, the same way as $B_k$-EPG graphs. Circular-arc graphs are clearly $B_4$-EPR graphs and we will show that there exist circular-arc graphs that are not $B_3$-EPR graphs. We also show that normal circular-arc graphs are $B_2$-EPR graphs and that there exist normal circular-arc graphs that are not $B_1$-EPR graphs. Finally, we characterize $B_1$-EPR graphs by a family of minimal forbidden induced subgraphs, and show that they form a subclass of normal Helly circular-arc graphs

Frontiers of the physics of dense plasmas and planetary interiors: experiments, theory, applications

Recent developments of dynamic x-ray characterization experiments of dense matter are reviewed, with particular emphasis on conditions relevant to interiors of terrestrial and gas giant planets. These studies include characterization of compressed states of matter in light elements by x-ray scattering and imaging of shocked iron by radiography. Several applications of this work are examined. These include the structure of massive "Super Earth" terrestrial planets around other stars, the 40 known extrasolar gas giants with measured masses and radii, and Jupiter itself, which serves as the benchmark for giant planets.Comment: Accepted to Physics of Plasmas special issue. Review from HEDP/HEDLA-08, April 12-15, 200

Decay of pseudoscalars into lepton pairs and large-Nc QCD

The counterterm combination that describes the decay of pseudoscalar mesons into charged lepton pairs at lowest order in chiral perturbation theory is considered within the framework of QCD in the limit of a large number of colours Nc. When further restricted to the lowest meson dominance approximation to large-Nc QCD, our results agree well with the available experimental data.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Direct CP Violation in Angular Distribution of B→J/ψK∗B\to J/\psi K^{*} Decays

We show that the study of certain observables in the angular distribution in $B\to J/\psi K^*$ provide clear test for CP vioaltion beyond the Standard Model. These observables vanish in SM, but in models beyond SM some of them can be large enough to be measured at B factories.Comment: 7 pages, Revte

Rare Kaon Decays

The current status of rare kaon decay experiments is reviewed. New limits in the search for Lepton Flavor Violation are discussed, as are new measurements of the CKM matrix.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX, presented at the 3rd International Conference on B Phyiscs and CP Violation, Taipei December 3-7, 199

Signals For Parity Violation in the Electroweak Symmetry Breaking Sector

We consider the possibility of observing a parity violating but $CP$ conserving interaction in the symmetry breaking sector of the electroweak theory. We find that the best probe for such an interaction is a forward-backward asymmetry in $W^+W^-$ production from polarized $e^-_R e^+_L$ collisions. An observable asymmetry would be strong evidence against a custodial $SU(2)$ symmetry. We also discuss the effects of such an interaction in future $e^- \gamma$ colliders as well as in rare decays of $K$ and $B$ mesons.Comment: Some sentences were added and others changed to clarify the discussion, 14 pages LaTe

Rare Decays with a Light CP-Odd Higgs Boson in the NMSSM

We have previously proposed a light pseudoscalar Higgs boson in the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model (NMSSM), the A_1^0, as a candidate to explain the HyperCP observations in Sigma^+ -> p mu^+ mu^-. In this paper we calculate the rates for several other rare decay modes that can help confirm or refute this hypothesis. The first modes we evaluate are K_L -> pi pi A_1^0, which are interesting because they are under study by the KTeV Collaboration. We next turn to eta -> pi pi A_1^0, which are interesting because they are independent of the details of the flavor-changing sector of the NMSSM and may be accessible at DAPhNE. For completeness, we also evaluate Omega^- -> Xi^- A_1^0.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figure

Climate vulnerability assessment of the Espeletia Complex on Páramo Sky Islands in the Northern Andes

Some of the largest impacts of climate change are expected in the environmentally heterogeneous and species rich high mountain ecosystems. Among those, the Neotropical alpine grassland above the tree line (c. 2,800 m), known as Páramo, is the fastest evolving biodiversity hotspot on earth, and one of the most threatened. Yet, predicting climate responses of typically slow-growing, long-lived plant linages in this unique high mountain ecosystem remains challenging. Here we coupled climate sensitivity modeling and adaptive potential inferences to efficiently assess climate vulnerability of Espeletia, Páramo’s most iconic, predominant and rapidly evolving plant complex. In order to estimate climate sensitivity, we first modeled the distribution of 28 Espeletia taxa under a niche conservatism scenario using altitude and five current (1970–2000) and future (2050 RCP 8.5) bioclimatic variables across 36 different Páramo complexes in the northern Andes (49% of the world’s Páramo area). As an alternative to range shifts via migration, we also computed the adaptive capacity of these Páramo complexes by considering three enhancing factors of the biodiversity’s adaptive potential as well as three environmental limiting factors of the populations’ plastic response. These predictors showed that diverse Páramos in the Eastern Cordillera were more vulnerable likely because the counteracting effects of the adaptive potential (r = −0.93 ± 0.01) were not sufficient to buffer higher distribution losses (r = 0.39 ± 0.01). Agriculture (r = −0.48 ± 0.01), mining (r = −0.36 ± 0.01), and rural population density (r = −0.23 ± 0.01) also weakened the adaptive capacity. These results speak for a limited persistence via migration in the short-term responses of Espeletia to climate change, even though the past population dynamics in concert with glacial cycling is indicative of a predominant role of range shifts. Furthermore, changing climate, together with a general inability to adapt, may eventually constrain the rapid diversification in the Espeletia complex. Our integrative modeling illustrates how future climate may impact plant populations in a mega diverse and highly threatened ecosystem such as the Páramo, and encourages carrying out similar estimates in diverse plant complexes across other high mountain and island-like ecosystems

Resurgence of \u3ci\u3eNilaparvata lugens\u3c/i\u3e (Stål) Populations as Influenced by Method and Timing of Insecticide Applications in Lowland Rice

Resurgence of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) after insecticide application is a common phenomenon in rice in South and Southeast Asia. Among other insecticides inducing resurgence, carbofuran, decamethrin, and methyl parathion were selected for this study. Of the various methods of carbofuran application tested, foliar sprays were most active in inducing resurgence. Extent of resurgence was highly influenced by time of insecticide application. Sprays of methyl parathion and decamethrin applied 50 and 65 days after transplanting (DT) induced resurgence in the third generation of N. lugens at ca. 90 DT, whereas earlier applications had little effect. The cause(s) for resurgence was not definitely established, but stimulation of N. lugens reproduction appeared to be of more significance than destruction of natural enemies