Plant bugs on Tanacetum vulgare with Megalocoleus tanaceti (Fallén, 1807) new to Norway (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae)

The plant bug Megalocoleus tanaceti (Fallén, 1807) (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Miridae) is reported new to Norway. It has probably colonised the county Østfold from Sweden. Since the species is morphologically similar to two other Miridae living on the host plant Tanacetum vulgare L., a short identification key is presented to separate M. tanaceti from M. molliculus (Fallén, 1807) and Oncotylus punctipes Reuter, 1875. The Norwegian distribution of the three species is given. Keywords: Heteroptera, Megalocoleus tanaceti, Tanacetum vulgare, Norway.publishedVersio

Completing Linnaeus's inventory of the Swedish insect fauna: Only 5,000 species left?

Despite more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we still have only a vague idea about the true size and composition of the faunas and floras of the planet. Many biodiversity inventories provide limited insight because they focus on a small taxonomic subsample or a tiny geographic area. Here, we report on the size and composition of the Swedish insect fauna, thought to represent roughly half of the diversity of multicellular life in one of the largest European countries. Our results are based on more than a decade of data from the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative and its massive inventory of the country's insect fauna, the Swedish Malaise Trap Project The fauna is considered one of the best known in the world, but the initiative has nevertheless revealed a surprising amount of hidden diversity: more than 3,000 new species (301 new to science) have been documented so far. Here, we use three independent methods to analyze the true size and composition of the fauna at the family or subfamily level: (1) assessments by experts who have been working on the most poorly known groups in the fauna; (2) estimates based on the proportion of new species discovered in the Malaise trap inventory; and (3) extrapolations based on species abundance and incidence data from the inventory. For the last method, we develop a new estimator, the combined non-parametric estimator, which we show is less sensitive to poor coverage of the species pool than other popular estimators. The three methods converge on similar estimates of the size and composition of the fauna, suggesting that it comprises around 33,000 species. Of those, 8,600 (26%) were unknown at the start of the inventory and 5,000 (15%) still await discovery. We analyze the taxonomic and ecological composition of the estimated fauna, and show that most of the new species belong to Hymenoptera and Diptera groups that are decomposers or parasitoids. Thus, current knowledge of the Swedish insect fauna is strongly biased taxonomically and ecologically, and we show that similar but even stronger biases have distorted our understanding of the fauna in the past. We analyze latitudinal gradients in the size and composition of known European insect faunas and show that several of the patterns contradict the Swedish data, presumably due to similar knowledge biases. Addressing these biases is critical in understanding insect biomes and the ecosystem services they provide. Our results emphasize the need to broaden the taxonomic scope of current insect monitoring efforts, a task that is all the more urgent as recent studies indicate a possible worldwide decline in insect faunas

The Arthropod Fauna of Oak (Quercus spp., Fagaceae) Canopies in Norway

(1) We document the invertebrate fauna collected from 24 oak canopies in east and west Norway as a contribution to the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre’s ‘The Norwegian Taxonomy Initiative’. (2) A snap-shot inventory of the canopies was recorded by means of emitting a mist of natural pyrethrum into the canopies at night using a petrol-driven fogger and collecting the specimens in butterfly nets spread on the ground under the canopy. (3) Almost the entire catch of more than 6800 specimens was identified to 722 species. Out of 92 species new to the Norwegian fauna, 21 were new to science and, additionally, 15 were new to the Nordic fauna. Diptera alone constituted nearly half of the species represented, with 61 new records (18 new species). Additionally, 24 Hymenoptera (one new species), six oribatid mites (two new species) and one Thysanoptera were new to the Norwegian fauna. (4) Our study emphasizes the importance of the oak tree as a habitat both for a specific fauna and occasional visitors, and it demonstrates that the canopy fogging technique is an efficient way to find the ‘hidden fauna’ of Norwegian forests. The low number of red listed species found reflects how poor the Norwegian insect fauna is still studied. Moreover, the implication of the IUCN red list criteria for newly described or newly observed species is discussed.</jats:p

Concepts for ecodevelopmental tourism for small Carribean islands

Master of ScienceLandscape ArchitectureUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/101335/1/39015003287011.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/101335/2/39015003287011.pd

Analysmetod för Level Design i enspelarläge : En studie av tempoväxling av Half-life 2 serien samt implementation av resultatet i ett eget verk

Denna rapport behandlar en analysmodell som använts för att analysera Half Life 2-seriens level design. Utifrån denna analys av Half Life 2-serien skapades sedan ett verk baserat på de data som samlats in. Verket kallas Project 25. Målet med Project 25 var att skapa en spelupplevelse som level designmässigt är så lik den kommersiella spelserien Half-Life 2 (Valve Corporation, 2004), Half-Life 2 Episode 1 (Valve Corporation, 2006) och Half-Life 2 Episode 2 (Valve Corporation, 2007) att en spelare inte skulle kunna uppleva någon skillnad i kvalité. Denna rapport är indelad i tre delmoment. Först gjordes en förundersökning där tempoväxlingen i Half Life 2-serien analyserades, sedan skapades själva verket och slutligen utfördes en kvantitativ enkätundersökning i syfte att försöka verifiera om verket uppfyllt sitt mål eller inte. Vid utförandet av själva verket visade det sig mycket effektivt och kvalitetsförebyggande att använda metoden vid analysen av tempoväxlingen i Half Life 2-serien för att skapa en abstrakt planering av verket innan själva implementationen började. Det visade sig också mycket effektivt att ha en fullt spelbar prototyp efter att en tredjedel av projektet hade slutförts. Att ga en testgrupp med spelare som speltestade projektet med jämna mellanrum och förbättra kvalitén baserat på den kritik som presenterats av speltestarna visade sig även vara mycket lyckat. Den kvantitativa undersökningen visade sig inte tillräcklig för att avgöra om verket är level designmässigt likt Half Life 2-serien eller inte, detta på grund av dåligt formulerade frågor, mycket spridda åsikter och för få respondenter. Förslag på en bättre metod presenteras i slutdiskussionen

Regulation of hemT expression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides wild type strain 2.4.9.

The metabolite 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is essential to all cells, as it is the precursor to tetrapyrroles that include vitamin B12, heme and bacteriochlorophyll. Among bacteria, formation of ALA via the C4 or Shemin pathway, in which succinyl-CoA is condensed with glycine in pyridoxal phosphate-dependent reaction catalyzed by ALA synthase, is limited to the ¿ class of proteobacteria, which include the facultative prototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides. In fact, these bacteria have two ALA synthase isoenzymes, and relatives encode as many as four ALA synthases. Despite decades of studies, only recently has it come to light that the R. sphaeroides enzymes differ with respect to their sensitivity to feedback inhibition by heme (1). However, understanding the full significance of this finding requires knowledge as to the presence of the two enzymes in the cell. It is also necessary to explain how it is that the performance (growth) of wild type strains whose genomes only encode one enzyme appears to equal that of other wild type strains whose genomes encode both enzymes. To learn more about the distinctive roles of the isoenzymes, the products of the hemA and hemT genes, lacZ transcription reporter plasmids were used to examine their expression in four wild type strains; 2.4.1, 2.4.9 and KD131, all of which encode both hemA and hemT, and 2.4.3 which has only hemA. It was found that, in all four strains, hemA is induced under anaerobic conditions, but that the induction levels differ. The hemT gene is transcriptionally silent in strain 2.4.1 under all growth conditions, including nitrosative stress, while it is actively transcribed in strains 2.4.9 and KD131, and strongly upregulated when cells are respiring on dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) compared to aerobic-dark and phototrophic conditions. The picture that emerged from these studies, together with the different susceptibilities of the enzymes to heme-mediated feedback inhibition, is that the bacteria employ different strategies to ensure that adequate amounts of ALA are available for synthesis of whatever kinds and levels of tetrapyrroles are needed according to growth conditions. In some strains hemA transcription is strongly upregulated in order to compensate for inhibition by heme; in other strains in which hemA transcription is weakly upregulated, the less sensitive HemT enzyme is present, when needed, to augment ALA synthase activity. Further examination of hemT expression in strain 2.4.9 identified cis-acting sequences, as well as two extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors that are absent from strain 2.4.1, as being important for hemT transcription. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays with purified sigma factor proteins it was determined that both ECF-type sigma factors directly transcribe hemT. EMSAs also confirmed that a second gene, which was suggested from transcriptomic data, is transcribed by these sigma factors. It encodes a periplasmic protein that binds C4-dicarboxylic acids, which are then transported into the cell by proteins whose genes are co-transcribed with the solute binding protein. For one of the ECF-type sigma factors evidence of the presence of a redox-active disulfide bond within the sigma factor itself was obtained, which explains, in part, upregulation of hemT transcription under reducing conditions. Since genes encoding a transporter of C4-dicarboxylic acids are transcribed by these sigma factors, the influence of one such compound (succinate) on the activities of the sigma factors was evaluated. The evidence suggests that succinate acts as an activating signal for the anti-sigma factor whose partner sigma factor contains the redox-active disulfide. While the signal for the anti-sigma factor of the second sigma factor remains to be determined, it is clear that the transcriptional activity of that sigma factor is also responsive to changes in cellular redox

Kvinnor utsatta för våld i nära relationers upplevelser av sjukvårspersonals bemötande.

Introduktion: Våld mot kvinnor i nära relationer är ett problem som förekommer i alla länder världen över. Våldsutsatta kvinnor vänder sig i första hand till sjukvården för hjälp och därigenom blir sjukvårdspersonal viktiga för identifikation av våld samt vidare behandling. Sjukvårdspersonalens bemötande kan vara avgörande för huruvida våldet uppmärksammas och om kvinnan får vidare hjälp. Ett gott bemötande krävs då för att förebygga våld i nära relationer. Syfte: Att undersöka vilka upplevelser kvinnor, som har utsatts för våld i nära relationer, har av sjukvårdspersonals bemötande. Metod: Deskriptiv allmän litteraturöversikt som är baserad på 13 vetenskapliga originalartiklar med kvalitativ ansats. Databasen Pubmed användes vid datainsamlingen. Joyce Travelbee omvårdnadsteori om mellanmänsklig relation utgjorde litteraturöversiktens teoretiska referensram. Resultat: Sex kategorier identifierades som beskrev kvinnornas upplevelse av sjukvårdspersonalens bemötande. Dessa kategorier var; Upplevelsen av sjukvårdspersonals sätt att kommunicera om våld, upplevelsen av empati och sympati, upplevelsen av sjukvårdspersonals lyhördhet och förmåga att få kvinnor att känna sig sedda, upplevelsen av accepterande, fördomsfull och dömande sjukvårdspersonal, upplevelsen av sjukvårdspersonals hänsyn till integritet och upplevelsen av sjukvårdspersonals hänsyn till autonomi. Det framkom att våldsutsatta kvinnor har både positiva och negativa upplevelser av sjukvårdspersonals bemötande. Slutsats: Våldsutsatta kvinnors upplevelser av sjukvårdspersonals bemötande var både positivt och negativt. De positiva upplevelserna visar att somlig sjukvårdspersonal bemöter våldsutsatta kvinnor på ett tillfredställande sätt. Medan de negativa upplevelserna av bemötande tydliggör sjukvårdens behov av att arbeta vidare med bemötandet av våldsutsatta kvinnor för att främja hälsa och förebygga våld i nära relationer

Kvinnor utsatta för våld i nära relationers upplevelser av sjukvårspersonals bemötande.

Introduktion: Våld mot kvinnor i nära relationer är ett problem som förekommer i alla länder världen över. Våldsutsatta kvinnor vänder sig i första hand till sjukvården för hjälp och därigenom blir sjukvårdspersonal viktiga för identifikation av våld samt vidare behandling. Sjukvårdspersonalens bemötande kan vara avgörande för huruvida våldet uppmärksammas och om kvinnan får vidare hjälp. Ett gott bemötande krävs då för att förebygga våld i nära relationer. Syfte: Att undersöka vilka upplevelser kvinnor, som har utsatts för våld i nära relationer, har av sjukvårdspersonals bemötande. Metod: Deskriptiv allmän litteraturöversikt som är baserad på 13 vetenskapliga originalartiklar med kvalitativ ansats. Databasen Pubmed användes vid datainsamlingen. Joyce Travelbee omvårdnadsteori om mellanmänsklig relation utgjorde litteraturöversiktens teoretiska referensram. Resultat: Sex kategorier identifierades som beskrev kvinnornas upplevelse av sjukvårdspersonalens bemötande. Dessa kategorier var; Upplevelsen av sjukvårdspersonals sätt att kommunicera om våld, upplevelsen av empati och sympati, upplevelsen av sjukvårdspersonals lyhördhet och förmåga att få kvinnor att känna sig sedda, upplevelsen av accepterande, fördomsfull och dömande sjukvårdspersonal, upplevelsen av sjukvårdspersonals hänsyn till integritet och upplevelsen av sjukvårdspersonals hänsyn till autonomi. Det framkom att våldsutsatta kvinnor har både positiva och negativa upplevelser av sjukvårdspersonals bemötande. Slutsats: Våldsutsatta kvinnors upplevelser av sjukvårdspersonals bemötande var både positivt och negativt. De positiva upplevelserna visar att somlig sjukvårdspersonal bemöter våldsutsatta kvinnor på ett tillfredställande sätt. Medan de negativa upplevelserna av bemötande tydliggör sjukvårdens behov av att arbeta vidare med bemötandet av våldsutsatta kvinnor för att främja hälsa och förebygga våld i nära relationer

Regulation of hemT expression in Rhodobacter sphaeroides wild type strain 2.4.9.

The metabolite 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is essential to all cells, as it is the precursor to tetrapyrroles that include vitamin B12, heme and bacteriochlorophyll. Among bacteria, formation of ALA via the C4 or Shemin pathway, in which succinyl-CoA is condensed with glycine in pyridoxal phosphate-dependent reaction catalyzed by ALA synthase, is limited to the ¿ class of proteobacteria, which include the facultative prototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides. In fact, these bacteria have two ALA synthase isoenzymes, and relatives encode as many as four ALA synthases. Despite decades of studies, only recently has it come to light that the R. sphaeroides enzymes differ with respect to their sensitivity to feedback inhibition by heme (1). However, understanding the full significance of this finding requires knowledge as to the presence of the two enzymes in the cell. It is also necessary to explain how it is that the performance (growth) of wild type strains whose genomes only encode one enzyme appears to equal that of other wild type strains whose genomes encode both enzymes. To learn more about the distinctive roles of the isoenzymes, the products of the hemA and hemT genes, lacZ transcription reporter plasmids were used to examine their expression in four wild type strains; 2.4.1, 2.4.9 and KD131, all of which encode both hemA and hemT, and 2.4.3 which has only hemA. It was found that, in all four strains, hemA is induced under anaerobic conditions, but that the induction levels differ. The hemT gene is transcriptionally silent in strain 2.4.1 under all growth conditions, including nitrosative stress, while it is actively transcribed in strains 2.4.9 and KD131, and strongly upregulated when cells are respiring on dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) compared to aerobic-dark and phototrophic conditions. The picture that emerged from these studies, together with the different susceptibilities of the enzymes to heme-mediated feedback inhibition, is that the bacteria employ different strategies to ensure that adequate amounts of ALA are available for synthesis of whatever kinds and levels of tetrapyrroles are needed according to growth conditions. In some strains hemA transcription is strongly upregulated in order to compensate for inhibition by heme; in other strains in which hemA transcription is weakly upregulated, the less sensitive HemT enzyme is present, when needed, to augment ALA synthase activity. Further examination of hemT expression in strain 2.4.9 identified cis-acting sequences, as well as two extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factors that are absent from strain 2.4.1, as being important for hemT transcription. Using electrophoretic mobility shift assays with purified sigma factor proteins it was determined that both ECF-type sigma factors directly transcribe hemT. EMSAs also confirmed that a second gene, which was suggested from transcriptomic data, is transcribed by these sigma factors. It encodes a periplasmic protein that binds C4-dicarboxylic acids, which are then transported into the cell by proteins whose genes are co-transcribed with the solute binding protein. For one of the ECF-type sigma factors evidence of the presence of a redox-active disulfide bond within the sigma factor itself was obtained, which explains, in part, upregulation of hemT transcription under reducing conditions. Since genes encoding a transporter of C4-dicarboxylic acids are transcribed by these sigma factors, the influence of one such compound (succinate) on the activities of the sigma factors was evaluated. The evidence suggests that succinate acts as an activating signal for the anti-sigma factor whose partner sigma factor contains the redox-active disulfide. While the signal for the anti-sigma factor of the second sigma factor remains to be determined, it is clear that the transcriptional activity of that sigma factor is also responsive to changes in cellular redox