Local Abundance Patterns of Noctuid Moths in Olive Orchards: Life-History Traits, Distribution Type and Habitat Interactions

Local species abundance is related to range size, habitat characteristics, distribution type, body size, and life-history variables. In general, habitat generalists and polyphagous species are more abundant in broad geographical areas. Underlying this, local abundance may be explained from the interactions between life-history traits, chorological pattern, and the local habitat characteristics. The relationship within taxa between life-history traits, distribution area, habitat characteristics, and local abundance of the noctuid moth (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) assemblage in an olive orchard, one of the most important agro-ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin, was analyzed. A total of 66 species were detected over three years of year-round weekly samplings using the light-trap method. The life-history traits examined and the distribution type were found to be related to the habitat-species association, but none of the biological strategies defined from the association to the different habitats were linked with abundance. In contrast to general patterns, dispersal ability and number of generations per year explained differences in abundance. The relationships were positive, with opportunistic taxa that have high mobility and several generations being locally more abundant. In addition, when the effect of migrant species was removed, the distribution type explained abundance differences, with Mediterranean taxa (whose baricenter is closer to the studied area) being more abundant

Compromised bonding of all-in-one adhesives upon delayed activation of light-cured composites

There is now growing concern regarding the safety of many prestressed concrete structures [1]. Of primary importance is the condition of the reinforcing steel, and much research effort has been expended on the development of non-destructive systems for assessing the integrity of internal reinforcing components [2–5]. Concrete is notoriously difficult to inspect, and most civil engineers, when assessing the quality of the internal reinforcing steel, will resort to a battery of tests, since a single test in isolation will rarely provide sufficient information. The system described below is a novel re-bar imaging system, based on an inductive principle, which should eliminate the need for many ancillary tests once fully developed [6]. A sensor which responds to the area and depth of metal in its sensing region is scanned across the concrete under inspection by a system linked to a computer. The signals acquired are stored, processed and displayed as grey level images. The initial images are blurred, due to the point spread function (PSF) of the sensor. These images have been significantly enhanced using a form of processing termed digital deconvolution. This form of processing allows considerable improvements in image quality to be realized from a single scan if the PSF of the sensor is known. In this instance, the PSF has been obtained through the development of an empirical model

The prevalence and predictors of elevated serum aminotransferase activity in the United States in 1999-2002

OBJECTIVES: The presence of elevated serum aminotransferase activity is a sign of possible underlying liver disease. We aimed to describe the prevalence and associations of elevated serum aminotransferase activity in a recent, nationally representative U.S. survey. METHODS: We described the prevalence and predictors of elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT >43 IU/L) or elevated aspartate aminotransferase (AST >40 IU/L) activity among 6,823 participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted between 1999 and 2002. We compared our findings to the results already published based on the NHANES conducted between 1988 and 1994. RESULTS: In NHANES 1999-2002, the prevalences of elevated ALT, AST, or either ALT or AST were 8.9%, 4.9%, and 9.8%, respectively, in the entire population and 7.3%, 3.6%, and 8.1%, respectively, after excluding participants who tested positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody or reported excessive alcohol consumption. Strong predictors of elevated ALT activity included increasing waist circumference and body mass index, alcohol consumption, male sex, Mexican American ethnicity, decreasing age, and presence of HCV antibody. In NHANES 1988-1994, which employed a different assay methodology, the prevalences of elevated aminotransferases were approximately half of the prevalences we describe in NHANES 1999-2002, but the predictors of elevated ALT activity were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The current prevalence of elevated ALT activity in the United States (8.9%) is more than double that of previously available estimates. This prevalence is very high (7.3%) even among persons without viral hepatitis C or excessive alcohol consumption and is strongly associated with risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. © 2006 by Am. Coll. of Gastroenterology Published by Blackwell Publishing.link_to_subscribed_fulltex