The advantages of semiochemical-based attract and kill techniques in insect pest management.

Introduction: Semiochemicals (chemicals impacting insect behavior) have been employed in species-specific, ecologically friendly insect pest control strategies through a wide variety of mechanisms, many of which do not require the application of conventional insecticides. These include mating disruption?application of sex pheromones in such a way that male insects are unable to locate a female mate, reducing the size of the pest population in the treated area over time?mass trapping, and repellency. However, semiochemical attractants can also be used in combination with small amounts of chemical toxicants, a strategy called attract and kill (A&K)

The advantages of semiochemical-based attract and kill techniques in insect pest management: agricultural case studies.

Introduction: While the advantages of semiochemical-based pest control technologies over traditional insecticides are well-documented (reduced hazards to non-targets and the environment, lower risk of resistance, etc.), many strategies employing these behavior-manipulating compounds to protect agricultural crops are relegated to small niche markets,due to their limited applicability. Since most semiochemicals are species-specific, they can usually target only one pest at a time. However, this is not always the case, as we will demonstrate through this discussion of four of ISCA Technologies? attract and kill (A&K) formulations

A database of the coseismic effects following the 30 October 2016 Norcia earthquake in Central Italy

We provide a database of the coseismic geological surface effects following the Mw 6.5 Norcia earthquake that hit central Italy on 30 October 2016. This was one of the strongest seismic events to occur in Europe in the past thirty years, causing complex surface ruptures over an area of >400 km 2. The database originated from the collaboration of several European teams (Open EMERGEO Working Group; about 130 researchers) coordinated by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. The observations were collected by performing detailed field surveys in the epicentral region in order to describe the geometry and kinematics of surface faulting, and subsequently of landslides and other secondary coseismic effects. The resulting database consists of homogeneous georeferenced records identifying 7323 observation points, each of which contains 18 numeric and string fields of relevant information. This database will impact future earthquake studies focused on modelling of the seismic processes in active extensional settings, updating probabilistic estimates of slip distribution, and assessing the hazard of surface faulting

Movements of the Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus) in Nova Scotia

The disjunct Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis sauritus) population in southwest Nova Scotia is listed as “threatened” by the committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. A study of the movements of the species at two lakeshore locations known to support a high density of Eastern Ribbonsnakes was undertaken in 2007 and 2008. Average seasonal movements at both sites ranged from 17 m to 84 m for juvenile snakes and 21 m to 130 m for adults; one neonate was recaptured during the study after travelling 32 m. The maximum distance travelled by an individual snake was 391 m in one season. The best-fit model to explain differences in daily movement patterns included year (P = 0.041), indicating that there is annual variation in the movements of this species. Low recapture rates precluded accurate estimates of home-range size, which varied roughly from 0.16 ha to 0.78 ha. Both movements and home ranges were larger than previously documented in Nova Scotia, but maximum distances travelled were consistent with a previous study in Michigan. Most documented movements were along the lakeshore within contiguous, suitable habitat. More work is needed to understand the frequency of large movements and triggers that initiate movements, e.g., changes in water levels, habitat suitability, or prey availability

Interpretations of Nature : Contemporary Canadian Architecture, Landscape and Urbanism

From a distinctly Canadian perspective, Kapelos reveals a multiplicity of meanings and constructions which surround the term "nature" in an introduction to the discussion of 42 projects designed between 1979 and 1993. Includes a statement on each project. Bibl. 5 p

Coseismic surface geological effects following the 30 October 2016 Mw 6.5 earthquake, central Italy.

We provide a database that embodies more than 7000 punctual observations of the coseismic surface geological effects following the 30 October 2016 Mw 6.5 earthquake that hit central Italy. This earthquake caused widespread surface ruptures over a >400 km2-wide mountainous area. The Open EMERGEO Working Group, originated by the collaboration of several European geological survey teams coordinated by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, involved about 130 researchers to perform detailed geological field surveys in the epicentral region. These observations mostly include accurate description of the geometry and kinematics of ground breaks caused by primary surface faulting, and subordinately by landslides due to shaking. The database consists of georeferenced records containing both numeric and string fields in the form of a suitable .txt file