4,876 research outputs found
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Host plant recognition by the root feeding clover weevil, Sitona lepidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)
This study investigated the ability of neonatal larvae of the root-feeding weevil, Sitona lepidus Gyllenhal, to locate white clover Trifolium repens L. (Fabaceae) roots growing in soil and to distinguish them from the roots of other species of clover and a co-occurring grass species. Choice experiments used a combination of invasive techniques and the novel technique of high resolution X-ray microtomography to non-invasively track larval movement in the soil towards plant roots. Burrowing distances towards roots of different plant species were also examined. Newly hatched S. lepidus recognized T. repens roots and moved preferentially towards them when given a choice of roots of subterranean clover, Trifolium subterraneum L. (Fabaceae), strawberry clover Trifolium fragiferum L. (Fabaceae), or perennial ryegrass Lolium perenneL. (Poaceae). Larvae recognized T. repens roots, whether released in groups of five or singly, when released 25 mm (meso-scale recognition) or 60 mm (macro-scale recognition) away from plant roots. There was no statistically significant difference in movement rates of larvae
Lack of correlation between constitutive and induced resistance to a herbivore in crucifer plants: real or flawed by experimental methods?
The correlation between constitutive and induced resistance to herbivores in plants has long been of interest to evolutionary biologists, and various approaches to determining levels of resistance have been used in this field of research. In this study, we examined the relationship between constitutive and induced resistance to the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), in 11 closely related species of wild crucifers. We assessed the survival, development, and reproduction of the test insects and calculated their intrinsic rate of increase as an indicator of constitutive and induced resistance for the plants. We used larvae of P. xylostella and jasmonic acid as elicitors of the induced response. We failed to find a correlation between constitutive and induced resistance in these crucifer plants when the induction of resistance was initiated by either herbivory or jasmonic acid application. Analysis of the results suggests that the failure to detect a relationship between the two types of resistance could be caused by flaws in measuring constitutive resistance, which was apparently confounded with induced resistance. We discuss the difficulties and pitfalls in measuring constitutive resistance and ways to improve the methodology in investigating the relationships between constitutive and induced resistance in plant
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Evidence for suboxic nitrification in recent marine sediments
The classical scheme of biogeochemical zones (BGZ) is known to be an oversimplification
of the microbial processes that occur in organic-rich marine sediments. Results from a coupled
deployment of pore-water gel probes in Loch Duich, Scotland, provide direct evidence for rapid
recycling within the iron reduction (FeR) and sulphate reduction (SR) zones. High resolution porewater
profiles obtained using diffusive equilibrium in thin films (DET) gel probes found a nitrate peak
at the boundary between the FeR and SR zones. This non-steady state feature is consistent with recycling
of reduced N occurring throughout the FeR zone. Both conventional pore-water iron profiles
and results from diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) probes indicate that iron is solubilised and precipitated
in rapid Fe/S recycling reactions throughout the SR zone. The presence of such complex
recycling reactions confirms the oversimplification of the classical BGZ scheme
Predicting deadline transgressions using event logs
Effective risk management is crucial for any organisation. One of its key steps is risk identification, but few tools exist to support this process. Here we present a method for the automatic discovery of a particular type of process-related risk, the danger of deadline transgressions or overruns, based on the analysis of event logs. We define a set of time-related process risk indicators, i.e., patterns observable in event logs that highlight the likelihood of an overrun, and then show how instances of these patterns can be identified automatically using statistical principles. To demonstrate its feasibility, the approach has been implemented as a plug-in module to the process mining framework ProM and tested using an event log from a Dutch financial institution
Can black holes be torn up by phantom dark energy in cyclic cosmology?
Infinitely cyclic cosmology is often frustrated by the black hole problem. It
has been speculated that this obstacle in cyclic cosmology can be removed by
taking into account a peculiar cyclic model derived from loop quantum cosmology
or the braneworld scenario, in which phantom dark energy plays a crucial role.
In this peculiar cyclic model, the mechanism of solving the black hole problem
is through tearing up black holes by phantom. However, using the theory of
fluid accretion onto black holes, we show in this paper that there exists
another possibility: that black holes cannot be torn up by phantom in this
cyclic model. We discussed this possibility and showed that the masses of black
holes might first decrease and then increase, through phantom accretion onto
black holes in the expanding stage of the cyclic universe.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures; discussions adde
Proteomic analysis of the rat ovary following chronic low-dose exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a ubiquitously distributed endocrine-disrupting chemical and reproductive toxicant. In order to elucidate low-dose TCDD-mediated effects on reproductive or endocrine functions, female Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered various concentrations (20, 50, or 125 ng/kg once weekly) TCDD for 29 wk. A proteomic analysis of the ovaries by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) tandem mass spectrometry showed distinct changes in the levels of several proteins that are relevant markers of TCDD toxicity. Serum estradiol (E2) levels of TCDD-treated animals were markedly lower than control. There were no significant differences in bone mineral density (BMD) of femurs. The body weight of the 125-ng/kg TCDD group was significantly decreased relative to control and there was also a significant reduction in absolute and relative ovarian weights. Expressions of selenium binding protein 2, glutathione S-transferase mu type 3, Lrpap1 protein, NADPH, and peptidylprolyl isomerase D were upregulated, while prohibitin and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor expression levels were downregulated. Data provide further insight into the mechanisms by which TCDD disrupts ovarian function by indicating which differential protein expressions following low-dose TCDD exposure
Effects Of Kaluza-Klein Excited W On Single Top Quark Production At Tevatron
In extra dimension theories if the gauge bosons of the standard model
propagate in the bulk of the extra dimensions then they will have Kaluza-Klein
excitations that can couple to the standard model fermions. In this paper we
study the effects of the first excited Kaluza-Klein mode of the W on single top
production at the Tevatron. We find that the cross section for the single top
production can be significantly reduced if the mass of the first Kaluza-Klein
excited TeV. Hence, a measurement of the single top production cross
section smaller than the standard model prediction would not necessarily imply
or evidence of extra generation(s) of fermions mixed with the third
generation.Comment: Text added, Latex, 16 pages, 3 figures, To appear in Phys. Lett.
Inkjet printing of self-healing polymers for enhanced composite interlaminar properties
Inkjet printing has been used to introduce an organic system that demonstrates thermally activated self-healing in composites. The organic system is composed of monomers that, when polymerised, are capable of thermally activated self-healing through a reversible Diels–Alder mechanism. After being synthesised the monomers were formulated into inks and inkjet printed on to carbon fibre epoxy prepreg. The polymers were co-cured with the prepreg into composite laminates and the effect on the interlaminar properties of the resultant system was investigated. A single ply at the mid-plane of double cantilever beam specimens was shown to increase the initiation (by NL Point) of the interlaminar fracture toughness by 9%. The interlaminar fracture toughness with regards to crack propagation was shown to increase further by up to 27%. Increases in apparent interlaminar shear strength as measured by short beam shear of up to 11% were also observed compared to unprinted controls. After a thermal treatment the short beam shear specimens are retested and the printed specimens are shown to have significantly smaller decreases in properties compared to the control which is consistent with repair in the interlaminar region
Scaling behavior of the dipole coupling energy in two-dimensional disordered magnetic nanostructures
Numerical calculations of the average dipole-coupling energy in two-dimensional disordered magnetic nanostructures are
performed as function of the particle coverage . We observe that scales as with an
unusually small exponent --1.0 for coverages
. This behavior is shown to be primarly given by the
contributions of particle pairs at short distances, which is intrinsically
related to the presence of an appreciable degree of disorder. The value of
is found to be sensitive to the magnetic arrangement within the
nanostructure and to the degree of disorder. For large coverages
we obtain with , in agreement
with the straighforward scaling of the dipole coupling as in a periodic
particle setup. Taking into account the effect of single-particle anisotropies,
we show that the scaling exponent can be used as a criterion to distinguish
between weakly interacting () and strongly interacting
() particle ensembles as function of coverage.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.
Reactive inkjet printing of functional silk stirrers for enhanced mixing and sensing
Stirring small volumes of solution can reduce immunoassay readout time, homogenize cell cultures, and increase enzyme reactivity in bioreactors. However, at present many small scale stirring methods require external actuation, which can be cumbersome. To address this, here, reactive inkjet printing is shown to be able to produce autonomously rotating biocompatible silk-based microstirrers that can enhance fluid mixing. Rotary motion is generated either by release of a surface active agent (small molecular polyethylene glycol) resulting in Marangoni effect, or by catalytically powered bubble propulsion. The Marangoni driven devices do not require any chemicals to be added to the fluid as the "fuel," while the catalytically powered devices are powered by decomposing substrate molecules in solution. A comparison of Marangoni effect and enzyme powered stirrers is made. Marangoni effect driven stirrers rotate up to 600 rpm, 75-100-fold faster than enzyme driven microstirrers, however enzyme powered stirrers show increased longevity. Further to stirring applications, the sensitivity of the motion generation mechanisms to fluid properties allows the rotating devices to also be exploited for sensing applications, for example, acting as motion sensors for water pollution
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