Eupeodes luniger (Diptera, Syrphidae) a new record to Greece and a key for the genus Eupeodes in this country

To Eupeodes luniger (Meigen, 1822) (Diptera: Syrphidae) αποτελεί ένα από τα κατ' εξοχήν αφιδοφάγα είδη της Οικογένειας των Συρφίδων κατά το προνυμφικό στάδιο, ενώ ως ενήλικο επισκέπτεται άνθη για λήψη νε'κταρος και γύρης που είναι απαραίτητη για την αναπαραγωγική ωρίμανση των θηλυκών. Το είδος αυτό βρεθηκε για πρώτη φορά στην Ελλάδα ως ανθικός επισκε'πτης του φυτοΰ Phacelia tanacetifolia Bentham στο αγρόκτημα του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου στη Μίκρα, 14 χιλιόμετρα ανατολικά της πόλης της Θεσσαλονίκης. Με την εργαοία αυτή αυξάνονται οι γνώσεις μας επί της κατανομής του Eupeodes luniger, καθώς η Ελλάδα αποτελούσε την χώρα όπου παρετηρείτο ασυνέχεια στην κατανομή του είδους αυτού στην περιοχή της Μεσογειακής Ευρώπης και των Βαλκανίων. Τόσο η αφιδοφάγος όσο και η επικονιαστική δραστηριότητα τουεντόμου αυτού, καθιός και των ομογενιόν του (Eupeodes Osten Sacken, 1877), είναι σημαντικές για τον άνθρωπο από άποψη βιολογικής καταπολέμησης και επικουρικής επικονίασης για αύξηση της παραγωγής και διαχείριση νοικοσυστημάτων. Παρουσιάζουμε εδώ την πρώτη κλείδα για τα 3 είδη του γένους στην Ελλάδα, που διαφοροποιείται ελαφρώς από τις συναφείς κλείδες άλλων χωρών.Eupeodes luniger (Meigen, 1822) (Diptera, Syrphidae), an aphidophagous hoverfly species that acts also as pollinator, was recorded for the first time in Greece. Based on the Greek records, we provide the first identification key for the genus Eupeodes Osten Sacken, 1877 in Greece

National records of 3000 European bee and hoverfly species: A contribution to pollinator conservation

Pollinators play a crucial role in ecosystems globally, ensuring the seed production of most flowering plants. They are threatened by global changes and knowledge of their distribution at the national and continental levels is needed to implement efficient conservation actions, but this knowledge is still fragmented and/or difficult to access. As a step forward, we provide an updated list of around 3000 European bee and hoverfly species, reflecting their current distributional status at the national level (in the form of present, absent, regionally extinct, possibly extinct or non-native). This work was attainable by incorporating both published and unpublished data, as well as knowledge from a large set of taxonomists and ecologists in both groups. After providing the first National species lists for bees and hoverflies for many countries, we examine the current distributional patterns of these species and designate the countries with highest levels of species richness. We also show that many species are recorded in a single European country, highlighting the importance of articulating European and national conservation strategies. Finally, we discuss how the data provided here can be combined with future trait and Red List data to implement research that will further advance pollinator conservation

Progress from ASDEX Upgrade experiments in preparing the physics basis of ITER operation and DEMO scenario development

An overview of recent results obtained at the tokamak ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is given. A work flow for predictive profile modelling of AUG discharges was established which is able to reproduce experimental H-mode plasma profiles based on engineering parameters only. In the plasma center, theoretical predictions on plasma current redistribution by a dynamo effect were confirmed experimentally. For core transport, the stabilizing effect of fast ion distributions on turbulent transport is shown to be important to explain the core isotope effect and improves the description of hollow low-Z impurity profiles. The L-H power threshold of hydrogen plasmas is not affected by small helium admixtures and it increases continuously from the deuterium to the hydrogen level when the hydrogen concentration is raised from 0 to 100%. One focus of recent campaigns was the search for a fusion relevant integrated plasma scenario without large edge localised modes (ELMs). Results from six different ELM-free confinement regimes are compared with respect to reactor relevance: ELM suppression by magnetic perturbation coils could be attributed to toroidally asymmetric turbulent fluctuations in the vicinity of the separatrix. Stable improved confinement mode plasma phases with a detached inner divertor were obtained using a feedback control of the plasma β. The enhanced D α H-mode regime was extended to higher heating power by feedback controlled radiative cooling with argon. The quasi-coherent exhaust regime was developed into an integrated scenario at high heating power and energy confinement, with a detached divertor and without large ELMs. Small ELMs close to the separatrix lead to peeling-ballooning stability and quasi continuous power exhaust. Helium beam density fluctuation measurements confirm that transport close to the separatrix is important to achieve the different ELM-free regimes. Based on separatrix plasma parameters and interchange-drift-Alfvén turbulence, an analytic model was derived that reproduces the experimentally found important operational boundaries of the density limit and between L- and H-mode confinement. Feedback control for the X-point radiator (XPR) position was established as an important element for divertor detachment control. Stable and detached ELM-free phases with H-mode confinement quality were obtained when the XPR was moved 10 cm above the X-point. Investigations of the plasma in the future flexible snow-flake divertor of AUG by means of first SOLPS-ITER simulations with drifts activated predict beneficial detachment properties and the activation of an additional strike point by the drifts

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) - 2018 Summary Report

The Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) is a TeV-scale high-luminosity linear $e^+e^-$ collider under development at CERN. Following the CLIC conceptual design published in 2012, this report provides an overview of the CLIC project, its current status, and future developments. It presents the CLIC physics potential and reports on design, technology, and implementation aspects of the accelerator and the detector. CLIC is foreseen to be built and operated in stages, at centre-of-mass energies of 380 GeV, 1.5 TeV and 3 TeV, respectively. CLIC uses a two-beam acceleration scheme, in which 12 GHz accelerating structures are powered via a high-current drive beam. For the first stage, an alternative with X-band klystron powering is also considered. CLIC accelerator optimisation, technical developments and system tests have resulted in an increased energy efficiency (power around 170 MW) for the 380 GeV stage, together with a reduced cost estimate at the level of 6 billion CHF. The detector concept has been refined using improved software tools. Significant progress has been made on detector technology developments for the tracking and calorimetry systems. A wide range of CLIC physics studies has been conducted, both through full detector simulations and parametric studies, together providing a broad overview of the CLIC physics potential. Each of the three energy stages adds cornerstones of the full CLIC physics programme, such as Higgs width and couplings, top-quark properties, Higgs self-coupling, direct searches, and many precision electroweak measurements. The interpretation of the combined results gives crucial and accurate insight into new physics, largely complementary to LHC and HL-LHC. The construction of the first CLIC energy stage could start by 2026. First beams would be available by 2035, marking the beginning of a broad CLIC physics programme spanning 25-30 years

Properties of Sodium Caseinate Film-Forming Dispersions and Films

International audienc

A novel assay to measure calcification propensity: from laboratory to humans

[eng] Cardiovascular calcification (CVC) contributes to morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing dialysis. We examined the pharmacodynamic effects of SNF472, a calcification inhibitor, on plasma calcium phosphate crystallization using spectrometric measurements, and its correlations with effects on CVC in rats or humans. Rats (N = 38) injected with vitamin D (days 1-3) to induce CVC were infused with saline or SNF472 (days 1-12). Inhibition of CVC was 50-65% with SNF472 3 mg/kg and ~ 80% with SNF472 10 or 30 mg/kg. SNF472 dose-dependently inhibited calcium phosphate crystallization, which correlated with inhibition of CVC (r = 0.628, P = 0.005). In patients with calciphylaxis (N = 14), infusion of SNF472 (~ 7 mg/kg) during hemodialysis for 12 weeks inhibited calcium phosphate crystallization by nearly 70%. In patients with CVC (N = 274), infusion of SNF472 during hemodialysis for 52 weeks inhibited calcium phosphate crystallization (placebo: 15%; 300 mg: 61%; 600 mg: 75%), which correlated with inhibition of CVC (r = 0.401, P = 0.003). These findings show a direct correlation between inhibition of calcium phosphate crystallization in plasma and inhibition of CVC both in a rat model and in humans, supporting the use of the pharmacodynamic assay in clinical trials as a potentially predictive tool to evaluate the activity of calcification inhibitors