Oviposition, life cycle, and parasitoids of the spruce cone maggot, Strobilomyia anthracina (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), in the Alps

The life cycle of Strobilomyia anthracina (Czerny) which exploits Norway spruce seed cones was investigated in 1992 and 1993 in the Alps at c. 1800 m at Torgnon (Valle d'Aosta, Italy) and Lac de Tseuzier (Valais, Switzerland) by sampling cones at fortnightly intervals. Oviposition occurred primarily singly in the basal third of cones at the beginning of June when cone scales were open for pollination. Infestation rates were higher when cone crops were poor. Most larvae left the cones in August to pupate in the litter beneath trees, usually at a depth of 1-4 cm. Prolonged diapause of pupae coincided with failed or poor cone crops. Parasitism was investigated at these two and 27 additional sites in the Swiss, French and Italian Alps. Among several hundred host eggs only one was parasitized by Trichogramma sp. (Trichogrammatidae). Among the larval-pupal endoparasitoids, the figitid Sarothrus areolatus Hartig was more common than an ichneumonid, Atractodes sp., but parasitism by both was commonly below 10%. Parasitism by an ichneumonid larval ectoparasitoid, Scambus sp., also rarely exceeded 10%. Puparia of S. anthracina that were buried in the litter to detect pupal parasitoids revealed the gregarious pteromalid Tritneptis sp. near lophyrorum (Rushka). This is the first record of a pupal parasitoid of Strobilomyia species. Information on the biology of the three larval parasitoids is presented. The potential for biological control of North American Strobilomyia neanthracina Michelsen and S. appalachensis Michelsen by importation of natural enemies of S. anthracina appears limite

Parasitoid complex of fall armyworm, spodoptera frugiperda, in Ghana and Benin

Open Access Journal; Published online: 21 Jan 2020The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, a moth originating from the American continent, has recently invaded most African countries, where it is seriously threatening food security as a pest of cereals. The current management methods rely heavily on the use of synthetic insecticides but there is a need for more sustainable control methods, including biological control. Surveys were conducted in two West African countries, Ghana and Benin, to determine the native parasitoid complex and assess parasitism rates of S. frugiperda. Samples of S. frugiperda eggs and larvae were collected in maize fields located in 56 and 90 localities of Ghana and Benin, respectively, from July 2018 to July 2019. Ten species were found parasitizing the pest, including two egg parasitoids, one egg–larval, five larval and two larval–pupal parasitoids. The two most abundant parasitoids in both countries were two Braconidae: the egg‐larval parasitoid Chelonus bifoveolatus and the larval parasitoid Coccygidum luteum. Parasitism rates were determined in three Ghanaian regions and averages varied from 0% to 75% between sites and from 5% to 38% between regions. These data provide an important baseline for the development of various biological control options. The two egg parasitoids, Telenomus remus and Trichogramma sp. can be used in augmentative biological control and investigations should be conducted to assess how cultural practices can enhance the action of the main parasitoids, C. luteum and Ch. bifoveolatus, in the field. Understanding the parasitoid complex of S. frugiperda in Africa is also necessary before any development of classical biological controls involving the introduction of parasitoids from the Americas

Sonographic normative values of carotid intima-media thickness in an adult Nigerian population

Background: The thickness of the intima-media complex of the Common carotid artery (CCA) has been advanced as a reliable measurement of the degree of atherosclerosis in the CCA and the coronary artery. We set out to determine the baseline values of this complex in a Nigerian population so as to determine standards for abnormalities.Method: This prospective study was conducted on 100 normal patients aged 21years and above. The CCAs were scanned using GE Logic 5 color Doppler scanner (2007) with 7.5MHz linear probe. Two measurements of the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) were obtained at 1cm proximal to the right and left carotid bulbs and the mean value of the two measurements was recorded. The mean values were then analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0.Results: The age range of participants was 21-70 years with a mean age of 45.26 ±12.95 years. We observed the mean CIMT of 0.61±0.12mm with the overall right and left mean CIMT of 0.61±0.12mm and 0.61±0.13mm respectively. No significant difference was seen between the two sides. CIMT in the study population increased with age, with a maximal value of 0.82±0.05mm recorded among the 61-70 year age group. Male subjects had higher CIMT values than females. CIMT values were higher in overweight, compared to underweight, subjects.Conclusion: This study showed different values of CIMT according to age and gender variations. However, the values obtained were slightly different from previous values from other African and Caucasian populations

Epigenetic dysregulation of brainstem nuclei in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: looking in the correct place at the right time?

This is the final version. Available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.Even though the etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unknown, it is suggested that an interplay among genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors is involved. An increasing body of evidence pinpoints that dysregulation in the epigenetic machinery plays a role in AD. Recent developments in genomic technologies have allowed for high throughput interrogation of the epigenome, and epigenome-wide association studies have already identified unique epigenetic signatures for AD in the cortex. Considerable evidence suggests that early dysregulation in the brainstem, more specifically in the raphe nuclei and the locus coeruleus, accounts for the most incipient, non-cognitive symptomatology, indicating a potential causal relationship with the pathogenesis of AD. Here we review the advancements in epigenomic technologies and their application to the AD research field, particularly with relevance to the brainstem. In this respect, we propose the assessment of epigenetic signatures in the brainstem as the cornerstone of interrogating causality in AD. Understanding how epigenetic dysregulation in the brainstem contributes to AD susceptibility could be of pivotal importance for understanding the etiology of the disease and for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.Funds have been provided by the Joint Programme—Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) for the EPI-AD consortium focusing on epigenetic dysregulation in the brainstem in Alzheimer’s Disease (http://www.neurodegenerationresearch.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Factsheet_EPI-AD.pdf). The project is supported through the following funding organizations under the aegis of JPND—http://www.jpnd.eu, The Netherlands, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw); United Kingdom, Medical Research Council; Germany, German Federal ministry of Education and Research (BMBF); Luxembourg, National Research Fund (FNR). This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 643417. Additional support has been provided by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) Grant MR/N027973/1 (K.L), Alzheimer’s Association (US) New Investigator Research Grant NIRG-14-320878 (K.L), Alzheimer’s Society (UK) Grant AS-PG-14-038 (K.L), the Internationale Stichting Alzheimer Onderzoek (ISAO) Grants 7551 and 11532 (D.L.A vdH.), the ISAO Grant 12530 (G.K), the ISAO Grant 13515 (B.P.F.R), and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) Grant 916.11.086 (Veni Award) (B.P.F.R)

Optimization of a Nafion Membrane-Based System for Removal of Chloride and Fluoride from Lunar Regolith-Derived Water

A long-term human presence in space will require self-sustaining systems capable of producing oxygen and potable water from extraterrestrial sources. Oxygen can be extracted from lunar regolith, and water contaminated with hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids is produced as an intermediate in this process. We investigated the ability of Nafion proton exchange membranes to remove hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids from water. The effect of membrane thickness, product stream flow rate, and acid solution temperature and concentration on water flux, acid rejection, and water and acid activity were studied. The conditions that maximized water transport and acid rejection while minimizing resource usage were determined by calculating a figure of merit. Water permeation is highest at high solution temperature and product stream flow rate across thin membranes, while chloride and fluoride permeation are lowest at low acid solution temperature and concentration across thin membranes. The figure of merit varies depending on the starting acid concentration; at low concentration, the figure of merit is highest across a thin membrane, while at high concentration, the figure of merit is highest at low solution temperature. In all cases, the figure of merit increases with increasing product stream flow rate

Underperforming policy networks : the biopesticides network in the United Kingdom

Loosely integrated and incomplete policy networks have been neglected in the literature. They are important to consider in terms of understanding network underperformance. The effective delivery and formulation of policy requires networks that are not incomplete or underperforming. The biopesticides policy network in the United Kingdom is considered and its components identified with an emphasis on the lack of integration of retailers and environmental groups. The nature of the network constrains the actions of its agents and frustrates the achievement of policy goals. A study of this relatively immature policy network also allows for a focus on network formation. The state, via an external central government department, has been a key factor in the development of the network. Therefore, it is important to incorporate such factors more systematically into understandings of network formation. Feedback efforts from policy have increased interactions between productionist actors but the sphere of consumption remains insufficiently articulated

Contaminant Removal from Oxygen Production Systems for In Situ Resource Utilization

The In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) project has been developing technologies to produce oxygen from lunar regolith to provide consumables to a lunar outpost. The processes developed reduce metal oxides in the regolith to produce water, which is then electrolyzed to produce oxygen. Hydrochloic and hydrofluoric acids are byproducts of the reduction processes, as halide minerals are also reduced at oxide reduction conditions. Because of the stringent water quality requirements for electrolysis, there is a need for a contaminant removal process. The Contaminant Removal from Oxygen Production Systems (CROPS) team has been developing a separation process to remove these contaminants in the gas and liquid phase that eliminates the need for consumables. CROPS has been using Nafion, a highly water selective polymeric proton exchange membrane, to recover pure water from the contaminated solution. Membrane thickness, product stream flow rate, and acid solution temperature and concentration were varied with the goal of maximizing water permeation and acid rejection. The results show that water permeation increases with increasing solution temperature and product stream flow rate, while acid rejection increases with decreasing solution temperature and concentration. Thinner membranes allowed for higher water flux and acid rejection than thicker ones. These results were used in the development of the hardware built for the most recent Mars ISRU demonstration project