Comparative aspects of the internal reproductive system of males in species of Melolonthinae, Dynastinae, and Rutelinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) from Mexico

The anatomy of the internal male reproductive systems of 12 species of Melolonthinae (Phyllophaga, Chlaenobia, Macrodactylus, Isonychus), six species of Dynastinae (Cyclocephala), and three species of Rutelinae (Paranomala) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) of Mexico are described. A total of 350 male specimens representing 21 species were collected. From each species, the reproductive systems were obtained by micro-dissection, placed in a liquid fixative, stained, and drawn to scale. The internal genitalia of each species was described and compared among the species examined. The reproductive system of the Melolonthinae species is comprised of two testicles, each with six follicles, two deferent ducts, two accessory glands, two glandular ducts, an ejaculatory duct, and the aedeagus (not described for any of the species examined). The number of testicular follicles per testicle is as reported in different species of other Scarabaeoidea subfamilies. The length of the accessory glands and the ejaculatory duct varies in the species studied. The ejaculatory bulb is present in all of the species of Dynastinae and Rutelinae examined but in only three species of Melolonthinae.Se describió la anatomía del sistema reproductivo interno de los machos en 12 especies de Melolonthinae (Phyllophaga, Chlaenobia, Macrodactylus, Isonychus), seis de Dynastinae (Cyclocephala) y tres de Rutelinae (Paranomala) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) de México. Se recolectaron un total de 350 ejemplares machos representantes de 21 especies. De cada especie se obtuvieron los sistemas reproductivos por microdisección y fueron colocados en un líquido fijador, después teñidos y dibujados a escala. Se describió la genitalia interna de cada especie y se comparó entre las especies examinadas. El sistema reproductivo de las especies de Melolonthinae consta de dos testículos cada uno con seis folículos, dos conductos deferentes, dos glándulas accesorias, dos conductos glandulares, un conducto eyaculador y el edeago (no descrito en ninguna especie). El número de folículos testiculares por testículo es igual al conocido en diferentes especies de otras subfamilias de Scarabaeoidea. La longitud de las glándulas accesorias y del conducto eyaculador varían dependiendo de cada especie estudiada. Un bulbo eyaculador está presente sólo en tres especies de Melolonthinae y en todas las especies de Dynastinae y Rutelinae examinadas

The accretion environment in Vela X-1 during a flaring period using XMM-Newton

We present analysis of 100 ks contiguous XMM-Newton data of the prototypical wind accretor Vela X-1. The observation covered eclipse egress between orbital phases 0.134 and 0.265, during which a giant flare took place, enabling us to study the spectral properties both outside and during the flare. This giant flare with a peak luminosity of $3.92^{+0.42}_{-0.09} \times 10^{37}$ erg s$^{-1}$ allows estimates of the physical parameters of the accreted structure with a mass of $\sim$ $10^{21}$ g. We have been able to model several contributions to the observed spectrum with a phenomenological model formed by three absorbed power laws plus three emission lines. After analysing the variations with orbital phase of the column density of each component, as well as those in the Fe and Ni fluorescence lines, we provide a physical interpretation for each spectral component. Meanwhile, the first two components are two aspects of the principal accretion component from the surface of the neutron star, and the third component seems to be the \textit{X-ray light echo} formed in the stellar wind of the companion.Comment: Accepted. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 201

Ultralow power voltage reference circuit for implantable devices in standard CMOS technology

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Óscar Pereira-Rial, Paula López, Juan M. Carrillo, Victor M. Brea and Diego Cabello (2019) Ultralow power voltage reference circuit for implantable devices in standard CMOS technology. International journal of circuit theory and applications, 47 (7), 991-1005, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/cta.2643. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived VersionsAn ultralow power CMOS voltage reference for body implantable devices is presented in this paper. The circuit core consists of only regular threshold voltage PMOS transistors, thus leading to a very reduced output voltage dispersion, defined as σ/μ, and extremely low power consumption. A mathematical model of the generated reference voltage was obtained by solving circuit equations, and its numerical solution has been validated by extensive electrical simulations using a commercial circuit simulator. The proposed solution incorporates a passive RC low‐pass filter, to enhance power supply rejection (PSR) over a wide frequency range, and a speed‐up section, to accelerate the switching‐on of the circuit. The prototype was implemented in 0.18 μm standard CMOS technology and is able to operate with supply voltages ranging from 0.7 to 1.8 V providing a measured output voltage value of 584.2 mV at the target temperature of 36° C. The measured σ/μ dispersion of the reference voltage generated is 0.65% without the need of trimming. At the minimum supply of 0.7 V, the experimental power consumption is 64.5 pW, while the measured PSR is kept below –60 dB from DC up to the MHz frequency rangeThis work has been partially funded by the Spanish government projects TEC2015‐66878‐C3‐3‐R (MINECO/FEDER) and RTI2018‐097088‐B‐C32 (FEDER), by the Xunta de Galicia under project ED431C2017/69, by the Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria (accreditation 2016‐2019, ED431G/08 and reference competitive group 2017‐2020, ED431C 2017/69), by the Junta de Extremadura R&D Plan, and the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRD) under Grant IB18079S

Susceptibility of pepper weevil (anthonomus eugenii cano) (coleoptera: curculionidae) to seven insecticides in rural areas of Baja California Sur, México

The susceptibility of the pepper weevil (Anthonomus eugenii), collected from Baja California Sur, Mexico, to seven insecticides was determined. Acontact, residual exposition method was used to obtain the lethal concentrations fifty (LC50) and the diagnostic concentration (LC95) of organophosphates (OF), carbamates (CA), pyrethroids (PIR), and organochlorine (OC) insecticides used to control pepper weevils from two agricultural areas (Los Planes and Todos Santos) in Southern Baja California Peninsula, as well as on a pepper weevil population not exposed to insecticides (PWIF) for two years. The highest LC50’s were obtained for methomyl (CA) and oxamyl (CA), followed by methamidophos (OF), endosulfan (OC), cyfluthrin (PIR) and azinphos-methyl (OF). The lowest LC50’s were observed for carbaryl (CA). The field population from Todos Santos showed lower susceptibility than the population from Los Planes to insecticides as methomyl, oxamyl, and carbaryl, while with methamidophos, azinphos-methyl, and cyfluthrin, the LC50 showed higher values. The PWIF population presented the lowest LC50 values of all three populations tested. However, in most cases, the difference was not significant in relation to the two field populations, thus the PWIF population needs to be kept free of insecticides for longer periods to establish a susceptibility baseline for Anthonomus eugenii

Dynamics of agglomeration and competition in the hotel industry: a geographically weighted regression analysis based on an analytical hierarchy process and geographic information systems (GIS) data

Research background: The effects of locating next to other establishments of equivalent activi-ty is a decision with serious and far-reaching implications, not only from the point of view of location decisions but also with regard to competitive strategy, pricing, or promotion deci-sions. The literature provides evidence of the negative effects of being proximate to competi-tors (erosion of market share), but there are also benefits associated with the increased attrac-tion of demand (attraction effect). This phenomenon is of particular interest in the case of hospitality, where hotel concentrations can be found around certain tourism resources, and is a crucial factor in hoteliers' decisions as they evaluate these contradictory effects. Purpose of the article: Drawing from the relevance that the confrontation between agglomera-tion and competition has in the hotel industry, our study aims to examine if this confrontation can be driven by geographical location and how both vertical and horizontal differentiation factors can unbalance it.Methods: Based on the use of geographical information systems and the estimation of a geo-graphically weighted regression model with a wide dataset that includes 3,153 European hotels located in Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Findings & value added: We extend agglomeration and competition theoretical bodies related to location decisions by providing new findings about their simultaneous effect. Specifically, this study contributes to filling the gap regarding their combined effects on pricing and the conditions under which one prevails over the other. Results show that the role of geographical location and a hotel’s online reputation are more decisive differentiation factors than hotel category when explaining the asymmetry of the effects of agglomeration and competition

On-Chip Solar Energy Harvester and PMU With Cold Start-Up and Regulated Output Voltage for Biomedical Applications

This paper presents experimental results from a system that comprises a fully autonomous energy harvester with a solar cell of 1 mm 2 as energy transducer and a Power Management Unit (PMU) on the same silicon substrate, and an output voltage regulator. Both chips are implemented in standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology with total layout areas of 1.575 mm 2 and 0.0126 mm 2 , respectively. The system also contains an off-the-shelf 3.2 mm × 2.5 mm × 0.9 mm supercapacitor working as an off-chip battery or energy reservoir between the PMU and the voltage regulator. Experimental results show that the fast energy recovery of the on-chip solar cell and PMU permits the system to replenish the supercapacitor with enough charge as to sustain Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communications even with input light powers of 510 nW. The whole system is able to self-start-up without external mechanisms at 340 nW. This work is the first step towards a self-supplied sensor node with processing and communication capabilities. The small form factor and ultra-low power consumption of the system components is in compliance with biomedical applications requirementsThis work was supported in part by the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades) under Project RTI2018-097088-B-C32 and Project RTI2018-095994-B-I00 (MICINN/FEDER), in part by the Xunta de Galicia, in part by the Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria (accreditation 2016-2019, ED431G/08 and reference competitive group 2017-2020, ED431C 2017/69) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and in part by the Junta de Extremadura and the ERDF, under Grant IB 18079S

Long-term effectiveness of sustainable land management practices to control runoff, soil erosion, and nutrient loss and the role of rainfall intensity in Mediterranean rainfed agroecosystems

Mediterranean environments are especially susceptible to soil erosion and to inappropriate soil management, leading to accelerated soil loss. Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices (such as reduced tillage, no-tillage, cover crops, etc.,) have the potential to reduce soil, organic carbon (OC), and nutrient losses by erosion. However, the effectivity of these practices is site-dependent and varies under different rainfall conditions. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the effects of SLM practices in two rainfed systems (a wheat field and an almond orchard) representative of a large area of the driest Mediterranean regions - on runoff, soil erosion, particle size distribution, and OC and nutrient (N and P) contents in sediments. The influence of the rainfall characteristics on the effectiveness of the SLM practices was also evaluated. The SLM implemented were: reduced tillage (RT) in the wheat field and almond orchard and reduced tillage combined with green manure (RTG) in the almond orchard; these were compared to conventional tillage, the usual practice in the area. Open erosion plots were set up to monitor the effects of SLM on soil carbon and nutrients and on soil erosion after each rainfall event over six years (2010 2016). The results show that the SLM practices evaluated resulted in increased organic carbon (OC) and nutrients (N and P) contents in the soil, and reduced runoff, erosion, and mobilization of organic carbon and nutrients in sediments. Reductions in runoff of 30% and 65% and decreases in erosion of 65 and 85% were found in the wheat field and almond orchards, respectively. In addition, the total OC, N, and P losses in the wheat field were reduced by 56%, 45%, and 64%, respectively, while in the almond field the OC, N, and P losses were reduced by 90% under RT and by 85% under RTG. The beneficial effect of the SLM practices on soil erosion was observed within 18 months of their implementation and continued throughout the six years of the study. Furthermore, the effectiveness of tillage reduction with respect to erosion control and carbon and nutrients mobilization was highest during the most intense rainfall events, which are responsible for the highest erosion rates in Mediterranean areas. Our results support the key role of SLM practices under semiarid conditions as useful tools for climate change mitigation and adaptation, given the expected increase in high-intensity rainfall events in semiarid areas. © 2019 The AuthorsThis study site has been funded by several national (CYCIT AGL201125069//CICYT AGL2010-20941//CGL2013-42009-R//CGL2014-55-405-R), Regional (Séneca Foundation: 08757/PI/08//19350/PI/14), and European Commission H2020 (F6 DG RTD 037046 and Grant 728003, DIVERFARMING projects). Joris de Vente acknowledges support from a Ramón y Cajal research grant (RYC-2012-10375) and María Almagro was supported by the Juan de la Cierva Program (IJCI-2015-23500)

Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Has Minimum Toxicological Risk on the Germination and Early Growth of Two Grass Species with Potential for Phytostabilization

Two Poaceae species, Agrostis capillaris and Festuca rubra, were selected for their potential as phytostabilizing plants in multicontaminated soils. These species are resistant to contamination and maintain high concentrations of contaminants at the root level. Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) is an engineered nanomaterial with the ability to stabilize metal(loid)s in soils; its potential toxicological effects in the selected species were studied in a germination test using: (i) control variant without soil; (ii) soil contaminated with Pb and Zn; and (iii) contaminated soil amended with 1% nZVI, as well as in an hydroponic experiment with the addition of nZVI 0, 25, 50 and 100 mg L−1. nZVI had no negative effects on seed germination or seedling growth, but was associated with an increase in shoot growth and reduction of the elongation inhibition rate (root-dependent) of F. rubra seedlings. However, applications of nZVI in the hydroponic solution had no effects on F. rubra but A. capillaris developed longer roots and more biomass. Increasing nZVI concentrations in the growing solution increased Mg and Fe uptake and reduced the Fe translocation factor. Our results indicate that nZVI has few toxic effects on the studied species

Psychosocial benefits of exercise for older adults with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Innovative practice

The aim of this study was to explore the perceived psychosocial benefits of a three-month exercise program for 10 older adults with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, a condition in which memory loss is the main symptom. Qualitative data were collected by observation (research diary) and 20 semi-structured interviews with the participants (10) and their caregivers (10). The narratives showed remarkable psychosocial benefits, such as improved mood, motivation, autonomy, perceived competence, self-esteem, and social relationships. The results of this study should provide new insights into the importance of exercise for this population, and may help to design appropriate programs for them