Trends in the GloFAS-ERA5 river discharge reanalysis

The main objective of this study is to analyse the GloFAS-ERA5 river discharge reanalysis for any noticeable change (including gradual trends or discontinuities) in the annual mean time series across the 1979-2018 (40-year) period, and to evaluate how realistic these are compared with available observed river discharge time series. These variabilities are quantified by linear regression in order to highlight any concerning features in the GloFAS-ERA5 time series. This work is particularly important for GloFAS, as large trends, discontinuities or other similar features could have a major consequence on the GloFAS flood thresholds in around 50% of catchments, which are based on GloFAS-ERA5, and thus subsequently on the issuing of flood warnings. In addition, this study also contributes to the understanding of the water cycle variable behaviour in ERA5 (driver of GloFAS-ERA5) and ERA5-Land (higher resolution land reanalysis forced by ERA5, produced offline) by exploring the linear trends in river discharge and related hydrological variables. In exploring the stability of the time series in ERA5, we seek to trigger potential further discussions and research studies, which subsequently should help with the planning and development for the next generation ECMWF reanalysis, ERA6

A Minor Role of Host Fruit on the Parasitic Performance of Aganaspis daci (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) on Medfly Larvae

Host fruit is known to strongly affect the performance of both fruit pests and their potential natural enemies. This is particularly important in the control of tephritid fruit flies, whose larvae develop inside the fruit and thus create a set of foraging problems for parasitoids. In the present study, we assessed the response of female Aganaspis daci (Weld) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae), one of the most promising parasitoids for tephritid biocontrol in the Mediterranean Basin, to different potential host fruit species. We measured the olfactory response to medfly-infested and uninfested fruits, and several biological parameters of A. daci when different infested fruits were offered under both laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Our results showed that this parasitoid was significantly more attracted to apples and uninfested fruit. Moreover, parasitic activity was similar among the tested fruits under both conditions, showing very high values in the laboratory and a much poorer performance when conditions were variable. This suggests that A. daci may be a good candidate to be included in mass releases against the medfly regardless of the affected crop, but only when climate conditions are not expected to hinder its normal activity

Life History Parameters of Diachasmimorpha longicaudata on Ceratitis capitata Under Laboratory Conditions: Implications for Mass Rearing and Biological Control

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, is considered one of the most destructive pests worldwide. The braconid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is the most widely used parasitoid in biological control programs of tephritids. It has been mass-reared and used in augmentative releases against major fruit fly species in tropical and subtropical countries, and recently in the Mediterranean Basin. After its introduction into Spain and then Tunisia, reproductive and demographic parameters have been studied on C. capitata under laboratory conditions. These parameters were compared to those published elsewhere. The role of artificial diet for rearing the host is discussed. Our findings showed the good fitness of the parasitoids produced on C. capitata in laboratory with a generation time of 28.1 days, a reproductive rate of 39.2, an intrinsic rate of increase of 0.125, a doubling time of 5.2 days and the finite rate of increase (per day) was 1. Involvements on the biological control of the Mediterranean fruit fly in Tunisia are discussed

Analysis of two larval-pupal parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in the biological control of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) in Spanish Mediterranean areas

The Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), is considered a key pest in fresh fruit and citrus production in the Mediterranean Bassin. Nowadays, it is being studied the use of several ecological methods against this pest in some Mediterranean countries (Spain, Morocco and Tunisia), like the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), the classical biological control (CBC) and the search for native parasitoids. Two exotic larval-pupal parasitoids of fruit-flies have been imported by the IVIA to Spain: Diachasmimorpha tryoni and D. longicaudata. As it occurs in other countries, in Spain it is being studied the combined use of the SIT and overflooding releases of parasitoids to combat Medfiy populations. To achieve this, only one parasitoid species is usually mass reared and released. Over the last two years we have been analyzing the competitiveness of D. longicaudata and D. tryoni in order to choose the species to be used together with the SIT for the integrated control of the Medfl

Combining Next-Generation Sequencing Strategies for Rapid Molecular Resource Development from an Invasive Aphid Species, Aphis glycines

Aphids are one of the most important insect taxa in terms of ecology, evolutionary biology, genetics and genomics, and interactions with endosymbionts. Additionally, many aphids are serious pest species of agricultural and horticultural plants. Recent genetic and genomic research has expanded molecular resources for many aphid species, including the whole genome sequencing of the pea aphid, Acrythosiphon pisum. However, the invasive soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, lacks in any significant molecular resources.Two next-generation sequencing technologies (Roche-454 and Illumina GA-II) were used in a combined approach to develop both transcriptomic and genomic resources, including expressed genes and molecular markers. Over 278 million bp were sequenced among the two methods, resulting in 19,293 transcripts and 56,688 genomic sequences. From this data set, 635 SNPs and 1,382 microsatellite markers were identified. For each sequencing method, different soybean aphid biotypes were used which revealed potential biotype specific markers. In addition, we uncovered 39,822 bp of sequence that were related to the obligatory endosymbiont, Buchnera aphidicola, as well as sequences that suggest the presence of Hamiltonella defensa, a facultative endosymbiont.Molecular resources for an invasive, non-model aphid species were generated. Additionally, the power of next-generation sequencing to uncover endosymbionts was demonstrated. The resources presented here will complement ongoing molecular studies within the Aphididae, including the pea aphid whole genome, lead to better understanding of aphid adaptation and evolution, and help provide novel targets for soybean aphid control

Evidence-based Guidelines for the Management of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency After Pancreatic Surgery

To provide evidence-based recommendations for the management of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) after pancreatic surgery

Combination of the W boson polarization measurements in top quark decays using ATLAS and CMS data at root s=8 TeV

The combination of measurements of the W boson polarization in top quark decays performed by the ATLAS and CMS collaborations is presented. The measurements are based on proton-proton collision data produced at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV, and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 20 fb(-1)for each experiment. The measurements used events containing one lepton and having different jet multiplicities in the final state. The results are quoted as fractions of W bosons with longitudinal (F-0), left-handed (F-L), or right-handed (F-R) polarizations. The resulting combined measurements of the polarization fractions are F-0= 0.693 +/- 0.014 and F-L= 0.315 +/- 0.011. The fractionF(R)is calculated from the unitarity constraint to be F-R=-0.008 +/- 0.007. These results are in agreement with the standard model predictions at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbative quantum chromodynamics and represent an improvement in precision of 25 (29)% for F-0(F-L) with respect to the most precise single measurement. A limit on anomalous right-handed vector (V-R), and left- and right-handed tensor (g(L), g(R)) tWb couplings is set while fixing all others to their standard model values. The allowed regions are [-0.11,0.16] for V-R, [-0.08,0.05] for g(L), and [-0.04,0.02] for g(R), at 95% confidence level. Limits on the corresponding Wilson coefficients are also derived.Peer reviewe