Conserving insect assemblages in urban landscapes: accounting for species-specific responses and imperfect detection

Understanding how global environmental change impacts insect biodiversity is central to the core principals of conservation biology. To preserve the ecosystem services provided by insects in cities, it is crucial to understand how insect species are influenced by the degree of urbanization of the surrounding landscape. Using a hierarchical occupancy-detection model, we estimated the effect of urbanization on heteropteran bug species richness and occupancy, an approach that concurrently accounts for species-specific responses and imperfect detection. We found that species richness decreased along a gradient of increasing urbanization. This trend corresponded well with species-specific trends, as approximately two-thirds of all herbivores and predatory species experienced a strong mean negative response to urbanization. These results indicate that many species are potentially at risk of local extinction as cities grow and expand in the future. A second group of species, however, showed a weak mean negative response, indicating that they are ubiquitous urban species that thrive regardless of the surrounding degree of urban disturbance. Our research suggests that as cities develop, many of the species that are currently present will become less likely to occur, and therefore assemblages in the future are likely to become more simplified. In order to preserve or increase insect biological diversity in cities, it is critical to understand how individual species are influenced by urbanization. Our finding that insects display species-specific responses to urbanization has important repercussions for decision makers charged with preserving and improving urban biodiversity and the deliverance of ecosystem services in cities

Mobilité relative des métaux lourds issus de la décharge d’Akouédo et risque de contamination de la nappe du Continental Terminall (Abidjan - Côte d’Ivoire)

Relative mobility of heavy metals resulting from Akouédo landfill and assessment of Continental Terminal groundwater contamination risk(Abidjan-Côte d'Ivoire)The aim of this study is to know the geochemical mechanisms which control the vertical migration of heavy metals and to evaluate the risk of the Continental Terminal groundwater contamination resulting from Akouedo landfill. The chemical analyses of 56 samples showed that the soil of Akouedo landfill is rich in Cu (20-369.7 ppm), Fe (850-12500 ppm), Zn (18.6-1163.7 ppm), Pb (10.3-1450 ppm), Cd (1-11.5 ppm) and Cr (27.7-125ppm). Adsorption, principal geochemical mechanism in the soil, allows the retention of the majority of metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb, Cd) on the organic matter (NTK and Corg) very abundant in the surface layers and on the clayed layers. But chromium is not much adsorbed and migrates more towards the deep layers. Cr is thus able to reach the groundwater easily and to cause a contamination of this one

Theoretical Investigation of the Deactivation of Ni Supported Catalysts for the Catalytic Deoxygenation of Palm Oil for Green Diesel Production

For the first time, a fully comprehensive heterogeneous computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model has been developed to predict the selective catalytic deoxygenation of palm oil to produce green diesel over an Ni/ZrO2 catalyst. The modelling results were compared to experimental data, and a very good validation was obtained. It was found that for the Ni/ZrO2 catalyst, the paraffin conversion increased with temperature, reaching a maximum value (>95%) at 300 °C. However, temperatures greater than 300 °C resulted in a loss of conversion due to the fact of catalyst deactivation. In addition, at longer times, the model predicted that the catalyst activity would decline faster at temperatures higher than 250 °C. The CFD model was able to predict this deactivation by relating the catalytic activity with the reaction temperature

The effect of ultrasound pretreatment on some selected physicochemical properties of black cumin (Nigella Sativa)

Background In the present study, the effects of ultrasound pretreatment parameters including irradiation time and power on the quantity of the extracted phenolic compounds quantity as well as on some selected physicochemical properties of the extracted oils including oil extraction efficiency, acidity and peroxide values, color, and refractive index of the extracted oil of black cumin seeds with the use of cold press have been studied. Methods For each parameter, three different levels (30, 60, and 90 W) for the ultrasound power and (30, 45, and 60 min) and for the ultrasound irradiation time were studied. Each experiment was performed in three replications. Results The achieved results revealed that, with enhancements in the applied ultrasound power, the oil extraction efficiency, acidity value, total phenolic content, peroxide value, and color parameters increased significantly (P 0.05). Conclusions In summary, it could be mentioned that the application of ultrasound pretreatment in the oil extraction might improve the oil extraction efficiency, the extracted oil’s quality, and the extracted phenolic compounds content.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Present-day deformation of the Pyrenees revealed by GPS surveying and earthquake focal mechanisms until 2011

The Pyrenean mountain range is a slowly deforming belt with continuous and moderate seismic activity. To quantify its deformation field, we present the velocity field estimated from a GPS survey of the Pyrenees spanning 18 yr. The PotSis and ResPyr networks, including a total of 85 GPS sites, were installed and first measured in 1992 and 1995 1997, respectively, and remeasured in 2008 and 2010. We obtain a deformation field with velocities less than 1 mm yr−1 across the range. The estimated velocities for individual stations do not differ significantly from zero with 95 per cent confidence. Even so, we estimate a maximum extensional horizontal strain rate of 2.0 ± 1.7 nanostrain per year in a N S direction in the western part of the range. We do not interpret the vertical displacements due to their large uncertainties. In order to compare the horizontal strain rates with the seismic activity, we analyse a set of 194 focal mechanisms using three methods: (i) the 'r' factor relating their P and T axes, (ii) the stress tensors obtained by fault slip inversion and (iii) the strain-rate tensors. Stress and strain-rate tensors are estimated for: (i) the whole data set, (ii) the eastern and western parts of the range separately, and (iii) eight zones, which are defined based on the seismicity and the tectonic patterns of the Pyrenees. Each of these analyses reveals a lateral variation of the deformation style from compression and extension in the east to extension and strike-slip in the west of the range. Although the horizontal components of the strain-rate tensors estimated from the seismic data are slightly smaller in magnitude than those computed from the GPS velocity field, they are consistent within the 2σ uncertainties. Furthermore, the orientations of their principal axes agree with the mapped active faults

MSH3 polymorphisms and protein levels affect CAG repeat instability in huntington's disease mice

Expansions of trinucleotide CAG/CTG repeats in somatic tissues are thought to contribute to ongoing disease progression through an affected individual's life with Huntington's disease or myotonic dystrophy. Broad ranges of repeat instability arise between individuals with expanded repeats, suggesting the existence of modifiers of repeat instability. Mice with expanded CAG/CTG repeats show variable levels of instability depending upon mouse strain. However, to date the genetic modifiers underlying these differences have not been identified. We show that in liver and striatum the R6/1 Huntington's disease (HD) (CAG)~100 transgene, when present in a congenic C57BL/6J (B6) background, incurred expansion-biased repeat mutations, whereas the repeat was stable in a congenic BALB/cByJ (CBy) background. Reciprocal congenic mice revealed the Msh3 gene as the determinant for the differences in repeat instability. Expansion bias was observed in congenic mice homozygous for the B6 Msh3 gene on a CBy background, while the CAG tract was stabilized in congenics homozygous for the CBy Msh3 gene on a B6 background. The CAG stabilization was as dramatic as genetic deficiency of Msh2. The B6 and CBy Msh3 genes had identical promoters but differed in coding regions and showed strikingly different protein levels. B6 MSH3 variant protein is highly expressed and associated with CAG expansions, while the CBy MSH3 variant protein is expressed at barely detectable levels, associating with CAG stability. The DHFR protein, which is divergently transcribed from a promoter shared by the Msh3 gene, did not show varied levels between mouse strains. Thus, naturally occurring MSH3 protein polymorphisms are modifiers of CAG repeat instability, likely through variable MSH3 protein stability. Since evidence supports that somatic CAG instability is a modifier and predictor of disease, our data are consistent with the hypothesis that variable levels of CAG instability associated with polymorphisms of DNA repair genes may have prognostic implications for various repeat-associated diseases

Optimization of spray-drying conditions for lulo (Solanum quitoense L.) pulp

The spray drying of lulo was optimized by using the central composite design of the response surface methodology, to study the effect of inlet air temperature (120-180 degrees C), arabic gum concentration (0-10% w/w), and maltodextrin DE16.5-19.5 concentration (0-10% w/w) on some product and process aspects. Arabic gum and maltodextrin, more than inlet air temperature, improved the product yield, reduced the hygroscopicity and the water content of the obtained powder, and contributed to the retention of its nutritive and functional properties through an increase in ascorbic acid, vitamin C, total phenol and total flavonoid content and antioxidant capacity. Significant (p < 0.05) response surface models were obtained in every case, with the linear terms of solute concentration being the factors that affected the response variables most significantly. The overall optimum spray drying conditions for obtaining lulo powder were 125 degrees C inlet air temperature, 3% (w/w) arabic gum, and 13.4% (w/w) maltodextrin DE16.5-19.5. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The authors thank the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia for the financial support given throughout the Project ADSIDEO-COOPERACION 2010 "Adaptacion de procesos de secado para favorecer la comercializacion de super frutas de origen colombiano".Igual Ramo, M.; Ramires, S.; Mosquera, LH.; Martínez Navarrete, N. (2014). Optimization of spray-drying conditions for lulo (Solanum quitoense L.) pulp. Powder Technology. 256:233-238. doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2014.02.003S23323825

Oxidative Thermal Sintering and Redispersion of Rh Nanoparticles on Supports with High Oxygen Ion Lability

The thermal sintering under oxidative conditions of Rh nanoparticles supported on oxides characterized by very different oxygen storage capacities (OSC) and labilities was studied at 750 and 850 °C. Under sintering conditions, significant particle growth occurred for Rh/γ-Al2O3 (up to 120% at 850 °C). In striking contrast, Rh/ACZ (alumina–ceria–zirconia) and Rh/CZ (ceria–zirconia) exhibited marked resistance to sintering, and even moderate (ca. −10% at 850 °C) to pronounced (ca. −60% at 850 °C) redispersion of the Rh. A model is proposed based on a double-layer description of metal–support interactions assigned to back-spillover of labile oxygen ions onto the Rh particles, accompanied by trapping of atomic Rh by the resulting surface oxygen vacancies. This model accounts for the observed resistance to sintering and actual redispersion of Rh, consistent with both alternative sintering mechanisms, namely Ostwald ripening (OR) or particle migration and coalescence (PMC)