PCR-based gut content analysis to identify arthropod predators of Haplodiplosis marginata

Saddle gall midge (Haplodiplosis marginata) is a cereal pest exhibiting sporadic outbreaks for which chemical control options are limited. Integrated Pest Management programs may offer a means of suppressing H. marginata outbreaks, reducing pesticide input. Many IPM programs benefit from the natural population suppression inflicted through predation and parasitism. The larval stage of H. marginata overwinters in the soil and may be preyed upon by ground-dwelling arthropods, however the natural enemies of H. marginata remain unrecognized. A PCR-based assay for detecting H. marginata in the guts of predators was designed using novel species-specific primers. Feeding trials involving H. marginata larvae showed a detectability half-life of 31.07 h post-feeding in Nebria brevicollis. The guts of field-caught Carabidae were screened for H. marginata DNA. Four species: Poecilus versicolor, Nebria brevicollis, Harpalus rufipes and Loricera pilicornis were identified as natural enemies of H. marginata for the first time. A higher proportion of positive results were obtained at the end of H. marginata emergence (July) compared to the beginning (May). The importance of understanding trophic interactions in the management of H. marginata is discussed in addition to the potential uses for the newly designed assay and primers

Ceramic vane demonstration in an industrial turbine

A DOE program with Allison Engine Co. will demonstrate ceramic vanes in an industrial turbine. First-stage ceramic vanes and metallic mounts are to be designed, fabricated, and operated in a short-term engine test (up to 50 hr). The vanes and mounts will then be retrofitted into an existing turbine for operation at a commercial site for up to 8000 hr. They have been designed. Thermal and stress analyses of the vanes have calculated acceptable fast fracture stress levels and probabilities of survival > 99.99% for turbine continuous power and emergency shutdown (thermal shock) conditions. Max calculated steady-state stress is 169 MPa at 1182 C, so currently available ceramics appear to provide acceptable fast fracture strengths for use in industrial turbines. Long-term materials test will evaluate the lifetimes and retained strength of ceramics at stress and temperature levels in the range calculated from the ceramic vane analyses. Results of these tests will support on which vane material will be used in the long duration turbine demonstration. A successful demonstration could provide a basis for incorporating first-stage ceramic vanes into current generation industrial turbines and also the introduction of ceramic airfoils into downstream rows of future high temperature Advanced Turbine System (ATS) engines

Closing the loop in exergaming - Health benefits of biocybernetic adaptation in senior adults

Exergames help senior players to get physically active by promoting fun and enjoyment while exercising. However, most exergames are not designed to produce recommended levels of exercise that elicit adequate physical responses for optimal training in the aged population. In this project, we developed physiological computing technologies to overcome this issue by making real-time adaptations in a custom exergame based on recommendations for targeted heart rate (HR) levels. This biocybernetic adaptation was evaluated against conventional cardiorespiratory training in a group of active senior adults through a floor-projected exergame and a smartwatch to record HR data. Results showed that the physiologically-augmented exergame leads players to exert around 40% more time in the recommended HR levels, compared to the conventional training, avoiding over exercising and maintaining good enjoyment levels. Finally, we made available our biocybernetic adaptation software tool to enable the creation of physiological adaptive videogames, permitting the replication of our study.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Agronomic and silage quality traits of forage sorghum cultivars in 1995

Agronomic and silage quality traits were measure d for 37 forage sorghum cultivars and three grain sorghum hybrids. The 1995 growing season was characterized by above average rainfall in the spring and early summer, and a hard freeze on September 22. At the time of the freeze, 20 cultivars had reached the early-milk to early-dough stage, 12 were in the bloom stage, and the remaining eight were still in the early- to late-boot stage . The late planting date and low plant populations resulted in below-normal whole-plant D M and grain yields. Plant height s for the grain sorghums were near normal, but the forage sorghums were well below expected plant heights. The preensiled, whole-plan t DM contents of the 37 forage sorghums ranged from 23.0 to 39.9%. As expected , the silage nutritive value traits of CP, NDF, and ADF were most favorable for the three grain sorghum hybrids and least favorable for the eight forage sorghum hybrids that were still in the boot stage when the freeze occurred

The Relationship Between Function and Disease Activity as Measured by the HAQ and DAS28 Varies Over Time and by Rheumatoid Factor Status in Early Inflammatory Arthritis (EIA). Results from the CATCH Cohort§

Objective: To investigate the relationship between function and disease activity in early inflammatory arthritis (EIA). Methods: Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort (CATCH) (n=1143) is a multi-site EIA cohort. Correlations between the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ) and DAS28 were done at every 3 months for the first year and then at 18 and 24 months. We also investigated the relationship between HAQ and DAS28 by age (<65 versus ≥65) and RF (positive vs negative). Results: Mean HAQ and DAS28 scores were highest at the initial visit with HAQ decreasing over 24 months from a baseline of 0.94 to 0.40 and DAS28 scores decreasing from 4.54 to 2.29. All correlations between HAQ and DAS28 were significant at all time points (p<0.01). The correlations between HAQ and DAS28 were variable over time. The strongest correlation between HAQ and DAS28 occurred at initial visit (most DMARD naive) (n=1,143) and 18 months (r=0.57, n=321) and 24 months (r=0.59, n=214). The baseline correlation between HAQ and DAS28 was significantly different than correlations obtained at 3, 6, and 12 months (p=0.02, 0.01, and 0.01, respectively). Age did not change the association between HAQ and DAS28 {<65 years old (r=0.50, n=868) versus ≥65 (r=0.48, n=254), p=0.49}. The correlation between HAQ and DAS28 was stronger with RF+ patients (r=0.63, n=636) vs RF negative (r=0.47, n=477), p=0.0043 Conclusion: Over 2 years in EIA, HAQ and DAS both improved; correlations at time points were different over 2 years and RF status affected the correlations

The Physics of turbulent and dynamically unstable Herbig-Haro jets

The overall properties of the Herbig-Haro objects such as centerline velocity, transversal profile of velocity, flow of mass and energy are explained adopting two models for the turbulent jet. The complex shapes of the Herbig-Haro objects, such as the arc in HH34 can be explained introducing the combination of different kinematic effects such as velocity behavior along the main direction of the jet and the velocity of the star in the interstellar medium. The behavior of the intensity or brightness of the line of emission is explored in three different cases : transversal 1D cut, longitudinal 1D cut and 2D map. An analytical explanation for the enhancement in intensity or brightness such as usually modeled by the bow shock is given by a careful analysis of the geometrical properties of the torus.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Spac

The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): Development, Applications, and Opportunities

Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure-driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular pastime in the USA. State natural resource agencies endeavor to provide high-quality and sustainable fishing opportunities for anglers. Managers often use creel and other angler survey data to inform state- and waterbody-level management efforts. Despite the broad implementation of angler surveys and their importance to fisheries management at state scales, regional and national coordination among these activities is minimal, limiting data applicability for larger-scale management practices and research. Here, we introduce the U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat), a first-of-its-kind, publicly available national database of angler survey data that establishes a baseline of national inland recreational fishing metrics. We highlight research and management applications to help support sustainable inland recreational fishing practices, consider cautions, and make recommendations for implementation