24 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Does urbanization explain differences in interactions between an insect herbivore and its natural enemies and mutualists?
Urbanization can alter the composition of arthropod communities. However, little is known about how urbanization affects ecological interactions. Using experimental colonies of the black bean aphid Aphis fabae Scopoli reared on Vicia faba L, we asked if patterns of predator-prey, host-parasitoid and ant-aphid mutualisms varied along an urbanization gradient across a large town in southern England. We recorded the presence of naturally occurring predators, parasitoid wasps and mutualistic ants together with aphid abundance. We examined how biotic (green areas and plant richness) and abiotic features (impervious surfaces and distance to town center) affected (1) aphid colony size, (2) the likelihood of finding predators, mutualistic ants and aphid mummies (indicating the presence of parasitoids), and (3) how the interplay among these factors affected patterns of parasitoid attack, predator abundance, mutualistic interactions and aphid abundance. The best model to predict aphid abundance was the number of mutualistic ants attending the colonies. Aphid predators responded negatively to both the proportion of impervious surfaces and to the number of mutualistic ants farming the colonies, and positively to aphid population size, whereas parasitized aphids were found in colonies with higher numbers of aphids and ants. The number of mutualistic ants attending was positively associated with aphid colony size and negatively with the number of aphid predators. Our findings suggest that for insect-natural enemy interactions, urbanization may affect some groups, while not influencing others, and that local effects (mutualists, host plant presence) will also be key determinants of how urban ecological communities are formed
Estudo laboratorial do tempo de fechamento das alças e do grau de inclinação do canino, durante o procedimento de retração, empregando mecânica de arco segmentado Laboratorial study of loops closure time and degree of cuspid´s tipping, during the retraction phase, using segmented arch mechanics
OBJETIVO: avaliar o tempo de retração e o grau da inclinação sofrida pelo canino empregando três tipos de molas ortodônticas para retração - a alça em "T", a alça em "L" e a alça em forma de gota. MÉTODOS: foram utilizados três tipos de fio - aço inoxidável da marca comercial Morelli, aço inoxidável da marca comercial 3M Unitek e liga de beta-titânio da marca comercial Ormco; todos de calibre 0,019" x 0,025". A amostra resultante da combinação dos fatores mola e fio foi submetida à avaliação em modelo de typodont específico para essa finalidade. RESULTADOS: com relação ao tempo de fechamento das alças, verificou-se que um fechamento mais lento, e consequentemente com menor liberação de forças, foi obtido com o desenho de alça em "T" e, ainda, empregando-se a liga de beta-titânio para sua confecção. No que diz respeito à inclinação gerada pelas alças, as alças em forma de gota promoveram uma inclinação dentária maior do que as demais avaliadas. As alças em "T", por outro lado, mantiveram-se relacionadas estatisticamente aos menores valores de inclinação. Porém, quando se empregou o fio de aço inoxidável da marca comercial 3M Unitek para sua confecção, os três tipos de alça não apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significante. CONCLUSÃO: independentemente do desenho de alça empregado, aquelas construídas com liga de beta-titânio mantiveram-se relacionadas estatisticamente aos menores valores de inclinação observados para o elemento dentário movimentado.<br>OBJETIVE: Evaluate the cuspid's retraction time and tipping effects, after submitting it to three different orthodontic retraction loops: the "T" loop, the "boot" loop, and the "tear drop" loop. METHODS: It was used the following orthodontic wires: Morelli 0.019" x 0.025" stainless steel, 3M Unitek 0.019" x 0.025" stainless steel and Ormco 0.019" x 0.025" beta-titanium (TMA™). The resulting sample from the combination of these variables was submitted to a test developed on a typodont simulator used specifically for this purpose. RESULTS: As the closure timing concerns, it was verified that a slower closure and therefore, a smaller releasing force system was achieved by the "T" loop design and still, by employing the beta-titanium alloy on its construction. As to the tipping effects generated by the retraction device, the "tear drop" loop caused greater tipping effects than the other loops evaluated. The "T" loop, on the other hand, showed itself statistically related to the lowest tipping numerical values. However, when the 3M Unitek stainless steel wire was used to produce the device, all of the types of loops evaluated were considered statistically similar. CONCLUSION: Regardless of the loop design, the ones built out of beta-titanium alloy kept them statistically related to the lowest tipping numerical values observed for the retracted dental element