Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from two inbreeding bark beetle species (Coccotrypes)

We developed 14 microsatellite markers in Coccotrypes carpophagus and 14 in C. dactyliperda. These loci will be used for studying genetic structure and the level of inbreeding in populations in the Canary Islands and Madeira. As a result of long-term inbreeding, genetic variability is relatively low in these bark beetle species. We found one to five alleles per locus in 29 C. carpophagus and 41 C. dactyliperda from various localities. Eleven of the markers developed for C. carpophagus amplified in C. dactyliperda and seven of the markers developed for C. dactyliperda amplified in C. carpophagus

Distribution and Host Plants of \u3ci\u3eCorthylus Punctatissimus\u3c/i\u3e (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan

(excerpt) The pitted ambrosia beetle. Corthylus punctatissimus Zimmerman, infests woody saplings and shrubs 14 mm in diameter or less. The beetle bores an entrance hole into the main stem at soil level and constructs a main gallery tunnel which generally spirals downward in the stem. Egg-niche construction is followed by inoculation of symbiotic fungi and oviposition. The main stem of the host tree wilts as a result of the girdling activity of the beetle. Finnegan (1967) described the life history of C. punctatissimus infesting Acer saccharum Marshall in Ontario and Quebec

Ultra-high-sensitivity two-dimensional bend sensor

A multicore fibre Fabry-Perot-based strain sensor interrogated with tandem interferometry for bend measurement is described. Curvature in two dimensions is obtained by measuring the difference in strain between three co-located low finesse Fabry-Perot interferometers formed in each core of the fibre by pairs of Bragg gratings. This sensor provides a responsivity enhancement of up to 30 times that of a previously reported fibre Bragg grating based sensor. Strain resolutions of 0.6 n epsilon/Hz(1/2) above 1 Hz are demonstrated, which corresponds to a curvature resolution of similar to 0.012 km(-1)/Hz(1/2)

Electromagnetic Imaging of CO2 Sequestration at an Enhanced Oil Recovery Site

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is currently involved in a long term study using time-lapse multiple frequency electromagnetic (EM) characterization at a waterflood enhanced oil recovery (EOR) site in California operated by Chevron Heavy Oil Division in Lost Hills, California (Figure 1). The petroleum industry's interest and the successful imaging results from this project suggest that this technique be extended to monitor CO{sub 2} sequestration at an EOR site also operated by Chevron. The impetus for this study is to develop the ability to image subsurface injected CO{sub 2} during EOR processes while simultaneously discriminating between pre-existing petroleum and water deposits. The goals of this study are to combine laboratory and field methods to image a pilot CO{sub 2} sequestration EOR site using the cross-borehole EM technique, improve the inversion process in CO{sub 2} studies by coupling results with petrophysical laboratory measurements, and focus on new gas interpretation techniques. In this study we primarily focus on how joint field and laboratory results can provide information on subsurface CO{sub 2} detection, CO{sub 2} migration tracking, and displacement of petroleum and water over time. This study directly addresses national energy issues in two ways: (1) the development of field and laboratory techniques to improve in-situ analysis of oil and gas enhanced recovery operations and, (2) this research provides a tool for in-situ analysis of CO{sub 2} sequestration, an international technical issue of growing importance

Therapeutic use exemption

Football players who have either physical symptoms or disease after injury may need to be treated with specific medicines that are on the list of prohibited substances. Therapeutic use exemption may be granted to such players, in accordance with strictly defined criteria—these are presented in this article. Procedures of how to request for an abbreviated or a standard therapeutic use exemption are explained, and data on therapeutic use exemptions (UEFA and FIFA, 2004 and 2005) are also presented

Extended Smoothed Boundary Method for Solving Partial Differential Equations with General Boundary Conditions on Complex Boundaries

In this article, we describe an approach for solving partial differential equations with general boundary conditions imposed on arbitrarily shaped boundaries. A continuous function, the domain parameter, is used to modify the original differential equations such that the equations are solved in the region where a domain parameter takes a specified value while boundary conditions are imposed on the region where the value of the domain parameter varies smoothly across a short distance. The mathematical derivations are straightforward and generically applicable to a wide variety of partial differential equations. To demonstrate the general applicability of the approach, we provide four examples herein: (1) the diffusion equation with both Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions; (2) the diffusion equation with both surface diffusion and reaction; (3) the mechanical equilibrium equation; and (4) the equation for phase transformation with the presence of additional boundaries. The solutions for several of these cases are validated against corresponding analytical and semi-analytical solutions. The potential of the approach is demonstrated with five applications: surface-reaction-diffusion kinetics with a complex geometry, Kirkendall-effect-induced deformation, thermal stress in a complex geometry, phase transformations affected by substrate surfaces, and a self-propelled droplet.Comment: This document is the revised version of arXiv:0912.1288v

Bark beetles and pinhole borers (Curculionidae, Scolytinae, Platypodinae) alien to Europe

Invasive bark beetles are posing a major threat to forest resources around the world. DAISIE’s web-based and printed databases of invasive species in Europe provide an incomplete and misleading picture of the alien scolytines and platypodines. We present a review of the alien bark beetle fauna of Europe based on primary literature through 2009. We find that there are 18 Scolytinae and one Platypodinae species apparently established in Europe, from 14 different genera. Seventeen species are naturalized. We argue that Trypodendron laeve, commonly considered alien in Europe, is a native species; conversely, we hypothesize that Xyleborus pfeilii, which has always been treated as indigenous, is an alien species from Asia. We also point out the possibility that the Asian larch bark beetle Ips subelongatus is established in European Russia. We show that there has been a marked acceleration in the rate of new introductions to Europe, as is also happening in North America: seven alien species were first recorded in the last decade