Susceptibility of the Endangered Karner Blue Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) to \u3ci\u3eBacillus Thuringiensis\u3c/i\u3e Var. \u3ci\u3eKurstaki\u3c/i\u3e Used for Gypsy Moth Suppression in Michigan

We investigated the phenological and physiological susceptibility of the endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) to Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Bt), a product widely used for gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) suppression in Michigan and other infested states. We monitored phenology of the bivoltine Karner blue in two regions of Michigan from 1993 to 1995 to determine if larval stages overlapped temporally with the period of Bt application for gypsy moth suppression. Karner blue larvae of the spring generation were found during the period that Bt was applied in nearby areas in 1993 only. However, spring-generation adults or newly laid eggs were observed up to 11 days before applications in 1994 and 1995. Since Karner blue eggs develop within one week, summer-generation larvae were most likely present during or shortly after 1994 and 1995 Bt application periods. These larvae would have been at risk, assuming Bt persistence of 4 to 6 days. Physiological susceptibility of Karner blue larvae to Bt was determined in a laboratory bioassay. Larvae were reared on wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) foliage that was untreated, or sprayed with Bt formulations at rates of 30-37 or 90 BIU/ha. A similar bioassay with second instar gypsy moth larvae on similarly treated white oak (Quercus alba) foliage was conducted concurrently. Karner blue survival was 100%, 27% and 14% on control, low and high Bt treatments, respectively. Early and late Karner blue instars were equally susceptible to Bt. Survival of gypsy moth was 80%, 33% and 5% on control, low and high Bt treatments, respectively, and did not differ significantly from Karner blue survival. We conclude that Karner blue is both phenologically and physiologically susceptible to Bt used for gypsy moth suppression, although the larval generation at risk and extent of phenological overlap may vary from year to year

Markovian master equations for quantum thermal machines: local vs global approach

The study of quantum thermal machines, and more generally of open quantum systems, often relies on master equations. Two approaches are mainly followed. On the one hand, there is the widely used, but often criticized, local approach, where machine sub-systems locally couple to thermal baths. On the other hand, in the more established global approach, thermal baths couple to global degrees of freedom of the machine. There has been debate as to which of these two conceptually different approaches should be used in situations out of thermal equilibrium. Here we compare the local and global approaches against an exact solution for a particular class of thermal machines. We consider thermodynamically relevant observables, such as heat currents, as well as the quantum state of the machine. Our results show that the use of a local master equation is generally well justified. In particular, for weak inter-system coupling, the local approach agrees with the exact solution, whereas the global approach fails for non-equilibrium situations. For intermediate coupling, the local and the global approach both agree with the exact solution and for strong coupling, the global approach is preferable. These results are backed by detailed derivations of the regimes of validity for the respective approaches.Comment: Published version. See also the related work by J. Onam Gonzalez et al. arXiv:1707.0922

Laboratory Rearing of \u3ci\u3eLycaeides Melissa Samuelis\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), An Endangered Butterfly in Michigan

The Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is listed as a federally endangered species in the United States. It occurs in oak savanna and pine barren habitats from eastern Minnesota to New Hampshire. In 1994, we successfully reared Karner blue larvae under controlled laboratory conditions for experimental purposes, and report on those rearing methods here. We collected 20 female Karner blue adults of the spring generation from two areas in Michigan, and housed them in cages in an environmental chamber at 240 -26°C for 5 days. The female butterflies produced 154 eggs, of which 72 hatched in an average of 4.5 days, and 68 first instars survived. Eggs, larvae and pupae were kept in a growth chamber at 24°C. Developmental time from egg to adult averaged 26 days; the average duration of each instar ranged from 3 to 4 days, and the average pupal duration was 8 days. Thirty three lab- oratory-reared Karner blue larvae successfully completed the 4 instars, and were released as adults into maternal collection sites. Laboratory rearing may be a viable means of providing Karner blue individuals for reintroduction into areas where the species is extirpated, for supplementation of small populations, or for research. Ultimately, such methods may become an integral part in the recovery of this and other rare invertebrate species

Icelandic analogs to Martian flood lavas

We report on new field observations from Icelandic lava flows that have the same surface morphology as many Martian flood lava flows. The Martian flood lavas are characterized by a platy-ridged surface morphology whose formation is not well understood. The examples on Mars include some of the most pristine lava on the planet and flows >1500 km long. The surfaces of the flows are characterized by (1) ridges tens of meters tall and wide and hundreds of meters long, (2) plates hundreds of meters to kilometers across that are bounded by ridges, (3) smooth surfaces broken into polygons several meters across and bowed up slightly in the center, (4) parallel grooves 1–10 km long cut into the flow surface by flow past obstacles, and (5) inflated pahoehoe margins. The Icelandic examples we examined (the 1783–1784 Laki Flow Field, the Búrfells Lava Flow Field by Lake Myvatn, and a lava flow from Krafla Volcano) have all these surface characteristics. When examined in detail, we find that the surfaces of the Icelandic examples are composed primarily of disrupted pahoehoe. In some cases the breccia consists of simple slabs of pahoehoe lava; in other cases it is a thick layer dominated by contorted fragments of pahoehoe lobes. Our field observations lead us to conclude that these breccias are formed by the disruption of an initial pahoehoe surface by a large flux of liquid lava within the flow. In the case of Laki, the lava flux was provided by surges in the erupted effusion rate. At Búrfells it appears that the rapid flow came from the sudden breaching of the margins of a large ponded lava flow. Using the observations from Iceland, we have improved our earlier thermal modeling of the Martian flood lavas. We now conclude that these platy-ridged lava flows may have been quite thermally efficient, allowing the flow to extend for >100 km under a disrupted crust that was carried on top of the flow

Electron Waiting Times in Mesoscopic Conductors

Electron transport in mesoscopic conductors has traditionally involved investigations of the mean current and the fluctuations of the current. A complementary view on charge transport is provided by the distribution of waiting times between charge carriers, but a proper theoretical framework for coherent electronic systems has so far been lacking. Here we develop a quantum theory of electron waiting times in mesoscopic conductors expressed by a compact determinant formula. We illustrate our methodology by calculating the waiting time distribution for a quantum point contact and find a cross-over from Wigner-Dyson statistics at full transmission to Poisson statistics close to pinch-off. Even when the low-frequency transport is noiseless, the electrons are not equally spaced in time due to their inherent wave nature. We discuss the implications for renewal theory in mesoscopic systems and point out several analogies with energy level statistics and random matrix theory.Comment: 4+ pages, 3 figure

Two-Dimensional N=(2,2) Dilaton Supergravity from Graded Poisson-Sigma Models II: Analytic Solution and BPS States

The integrability of N=(2,2) dilaton supergravity in two dimensions is studied by the use of the graded Poisson Sigma model approach. Though important differences compared to the purely bosonic models are found, the general analytic solutions are obtained. The latter include minimally gauged models as well as an ungauged version. BPS solutions are an especially interesting subclass.Comment: 23 p LaTe

Clinical, biochemical, and genetic spectrum of seven patients with NFU1 deficiency

Disorders of the mitochondrial energy metabolism are clinically and genetically heterogeneous. An increasingly recognized subgroup is caused by defective mitochondrial iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster biosynthesis, with defects in 13 genes being linked to human disease to date. Mutations in three of them, NFU1, BOLA3, and IBA57, affect the assembly of mitochondrial [4Fe-4S] proteins leading to an impairment of diverse mitochondrial metabolic pathways and ATP production. Patients with defects in these three genes present with lactic acidosis, hyperglycinemia, and reduced activities of respiratory chain complexes I and II, the four lipoic acid-dependent 2-oxoacid dehydrogenases and the glycine cleavage system (GCS). To date, five different NFU1 pathogenic variants have been reported in 15 patients from 12 families. We report on seven new patients from five families carrying compound heterozygous or homozygous pathogenic NFU1 mutations identified by candidate gene screening and exome sequencing. Six out of eight different disease alleles were novel and functional studies were performed to support the pathogenicity of five of them. Characteristic clinical features included fatal infantile encephalopathy and pulmonary hypertension leading to death within the first 6 months of life in six out of seven patients. Laboratory investigations revealed combined defects of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (five out of five) and respiratory chain complexes I and II+III (four out of five) in skeletal muscle and/or cultured skin fibroblasts as well as increased lactate (five out of six) and glycine concentration (seven out of seven). Our study contributes to a better definition of the phenotypic spectrum associated with NFU1 mutations and to the diagnostic workup of future patients

\u3ci\u3eAnoplophora Glabripennis\u3c/i\u3e Within-Tree Distribution, Seasonal Development, and Host Suitability in China and Chicago

Established populations of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), were first reported in the United States in New York in 1996, Illinois in 1998, and New Jersey in 2002. A federal quarantine and an eradication program were implemented in 1997, involving tree surveys and removal of infested trees. We recorded the number of A. glabripennis life stages found at several locations along the main trunk and major branches of naturally infested trees in China (species of Populus, Salix, and Ulmus) and Chicago, Illinois (species of Acer, Fraxinus, and Ulmus) during 1999 to 2002. Typically, A. glabripennis initiated attack near the crown base along both the trunk and main branches. The one exception to this pattern was on Populus trees in China that had branches along the entire trunk, in which case A. glabripennis initiated attack along the lower trunk. Larvae were the dominant overwintering stage in both countries. A host suitability index for A. glabripennis was calculated for each tree with the formula: (number of living life stages + number of exit holes) / number of oviposition pits. The mean host suitability index was higher on Populus and Salix than Ulmus in China, and generally higher on Acer and Ulmus than Fraxinus in Chicago. Eleven genera of trees (N = 1465 trees) were infested by A. glabripennis in Chicago; in decreasing order of tree frequency they included Acer, Ulmus, Fraxinus, Aesculus, Betula, Salix, Celtis, Malus, Pyrus, Sorbus, and Tilia. When the proportion of each genus of infested street trees (N = 958 trees in 7 genera) was compared to its proportion of all Chicago street trees based on a 2003 inventory (N = 539,613 trees in 45 genera), A. glabripennis showed a significant preference to infest the genera Acer and Ulmus. Based on our results, inspectors should focus their efforts on upper trunks and lower branches of Acer and Ulmus trees

Two-Dimensional N=(2,2) Dilaton Supergravity from Graded Poisson-Sigma Models I: Complete Actions and Their Symmetries

The formalism of graded Poisson-sigma models allows the construction of N=(2,2) dilaton supergravity in terms of a minimal number of fields. For the gauged chiral U(1) symmetry the full action, involving all fermionic contributions, is derived. The twisted chiral case follows by simple redefinition of fields. The equivalence of our approach to the standard second order one in terms of superfields is presented, although for the latter so far only the bosonic part of the action seems to have been available in the literature. It is shown how ungauged models can be obtained in a systematic way and some relations to relevant literature in superstring theory are discussed.Comment: 26 p., LaTeX. v3: extended version, new title, new section on ungauged model