Geographic Distribution of Soybean Aphid Biotypes in the United States and Canada during 2008–2010

Soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) is a native pest of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in eastern Asia and was detected on soybeans in North America in 2000. In 2004, the soybean cultivar Dowling was described to be resistant to soybean aphids with the Rag1 gene for resistance. In 2006, a virulent biotype of soybean aphid in Ohio was reported to proliferate on soybeans with the Rag1 gene. The objective was to survey the occurrence of virulent aphid populations on soybean indicator lines across geographies and years. Nine soybean lines were identified on the basis of their degree of aphid resistance and their importance in breeding programs. Naturally occurring soybean aphid populations were collected in 10 states (Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) and the Canadian province of Ontario. The reproductive capacity of field-collected soybean aphid populations was tested on soybean lines; growth rates were compared in no-choice field cages at each geographic region across 3 yr. The occurrence of soybean aphid biotypes was highly variable from year to year and across environments. The frequency of Biotypes 2, 3, and 4 was 54, 18, and 7%, respectively, from the 28 soybean aphid populations collected across 3 yr and 11 environments. Plant introduction (PI) 567598B, a natural gene pyramid of rag1c and rag4, had lowest frequency of soybean aphid colonization (18%). Several factors may have contributed to the variability, including genetic diversity of soybean aphids, parthenogenicity, abundance of the overwintering host buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.), and migratory patterns of soybean aphids across the landscape

The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis: global perspectives on invasion history and ecology

The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is native to Asia but has been intentionally introduced to many countries as a biological control agent of pest insects. In numerous countries, however, it has been introduced unintentionally. The dramatic spread of H. axyridis within many countries has been met with considerable trepidation. It is a generalist top predator, able to thrive in many habitats and across wide climatic conditions. It poses a threat to biodiversity, particularly aphidophagous insects, through competition and predation, and in many countries adverse effects have been reported on other species, particularly coccinellids. However, the patterns are not consistent around the world and seem to be affected by many factors including landscape and climate. Research on H. axyridis has provided detailed insights into invasion biology from broad patterns and processes to approaches in surveillance and monitoring. An impressive number of studies on this alien species have provided mechanistic evidence alongside models explaining large-scale patterns and processes. The involvement of citizens in monitoring this species in a number of countries around the world is inspiring and has provided data on scales that would be otherwise unachievable. Harmonia axyridis has successfully been used as a model invasive alien species and has been the inspiration for global collaborations at various scales. There is considerable scope to expand the research and associated collaborations, particularly to increase the breadth of parallel studies conducted in the native and invaded regions. Indeed a qualitative comparison of biological traits across the native and invaded range suggests that there are differences which ultimately could influence the population dynamics of this invader. Here we provide an overview of the invasion history and ecology of H. axyridis globally with consideration of future research perspectives. We reflect broadly on the contributions of such research to our understanding of invasion biology while also informing policy and people.  Additional co-authors: Artur Gil, Audrey A. Grez, Thomas Guillemaud, Danny Haelewaters, Annette Herz, Alois Honek, Andy G. Howe, Cang Hui, William D. Hutchison, Marc Kenis, Robert L. Koch, Jan Kulfan, Lori Lawson Handley, Eric Lombaert, Antoon Loomans, John Losey, Alexander O. Lukashuk, Dirk Maes, Alexandra Magro, Gilles San Martin, Zdenka Martinkova, Ingrid A. Minnaar, Oldřich Nedved, Marina J. Orlova-Bienkowskaja, Naoya Osawa, Wolfgang Rabitsch, Hans Peter Ravn, Gabriele Rondoni, Steph L. Rorke, Sergey K. Ryndevich, May-Guri Saethre, John J. Sloggett, Antonio Onofre Soares, Riaan Stals, Axel Vandereycken, Paul van Wielink, Sandra Viglášová, Peter Zach, Ilya A. Zakharov, Tania Zaviezo, Zihua Zha

Empirical analysis of sustainable fisheries and the relation to economic performance enhancement: The case of the Spanish fishing industry

[EN] Sustainability and fishery must be a linked concept when considering the future of the natural resources. The environmental impacts of global seafood production and the effects of the intensive exploitation of our seas and oceans are indeed an issue under study and regulation. To minimize the negative effects of the fishing activity over the environment a growing number of companies are joining the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. The MSC is a leading wild-capture fisheries certification program that involves the fishing chain of custody. The increase in the number of certifications confirms that the seafood processing industry suggest their consideration of the environmental orientation as a key element of their strategies. In this paper the MSC certification and its implications for companies' value creation process are analyzed. To do so, data from 561 Spanish firms is retrieved and a multivariate quantitative analysis is deployed. Results show that that there is a difference in the economic performance of businesses that were MSC-certified over those that were not and the moderating role of size. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The authors would like to thank the Spanish Economy and Competitiveness Ministry for its support through the Research Project (EC02011-27369).Miret Pastor, LG.; Peiró Signes, A.; Segarra Oña, MDV.; Herrera Racionero, P. (2014). Empirical analysis of sustainable fisheries and the relation to economic performance enhancement: The case of the Spanish fishing industry. Marine Policy. 46:105-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2014.01.009S1051104

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis: global perspectives on invasion history and ecology

The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is native to Asia but has been intentionally introduced to many countries as a biological control agent of pest insects. In numerous countries, however, it has been introduced unintentionally. The dramatic spread of H. axyridis within many countries has been met with considerable trepidation. It is a generalist top predator, able to thrive in many habitats and across wide climatic conditions. It poses a threat to biodiversity, particularly aphidophagous insects, through competition and predation, and in many countries adverse effects have been reported on other species, particularly coccinellids. However, the patterns are not consistent around the world and seem to be affected by many factors including landscape and climate. Research on H. axyridis has provided detailed insights into invasion biology from broad patterns and processes to approaches in surveillance and monitoring. An impressive number of studies on this alien species have provided mechanistic evidence alongside models explaining large-scale patterns and processes. The involvement of citizens in monitoring this species in a number of countries around the world is inspiring and has provided data on scales that would be otherwise unachievable. Harmonia axyridis has successfully been used as a model invasive alien species and has been the inspiration for global collaborations at various scales. There is considerable scope to expand the research and associated collaborations, particularly to increase the breadth of parallel studies conducted in the native and invaded regions. Indeed a qualitative comparison of biological traits across the native and invaded range suggests that there are differences which ultimately could influence the population dynamics of this invader. Here we provide an overview of the invasion history and ecology of H. axyridis globally with consideration of future research perspectives. We reflect broadly on the contributions of such research to our understanding of invasion biology while also informing policy and people

Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo

Meeting Abstracts: Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Conference and Expo Clearwater Beach, FL, USA. 9-11 June 201

Ecologically relevant radiation exposure triggers elevated metabolic rate and nectar consumption in bumblebees

(1) Exposure to radiation is a natural part of our environment. Yet, due to nuclear accidents such as at Chernobyl, some organisms are exposed to significantly elevated dose rates. Our understanding of the effects of radiation in the environment is limited, confounded by substantial interspecific differences in radio-sensitivity and conflicting findings. (2) Here we study radiation impacts on bumblebees in the laboratory using principles from life history theory, which assume organismal investment in fitness-related traits is constrained by resource availability and resource allocation decisions. To investigate how chronic radiation might negatively affect life history traits, we tested if exposure affects bumblebee energy budgets by studying resource acquisition (feeding) and resource use (metabolic rate). (3) We monitored metabolic rate, movement and nectar intake of bumblebees before, during and after 10 days of radiation exposure. Subsequently, we monitored feeding and body mass across a dose rate gradient to investigate the dose rate threshold for these effects. We studied dose rates up to 200 μGy hr-1: a range found today in some areas of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. (4) Chronic low dose radiation affected bumblebee energy budgets. At 200 μGy hr-1 nectar consumption elevated by 56% relative to controls, metabolic CO2 production increased by 18%, and time spent active rose by 30%. Once radiation exposure stopped, feeding remained elevated but CO2 production and activity returned to baseline. Our analysis indicates that elevated metabolic rate was not driven by increased activity but was instead closely associated with feeding increases. Our data suggest bumblebee nectar consumption was affected across the 50-200 μGy hr-1 range. (5) We show field-realistic radiation exposure influences fundamental metabolic processes with potential to drive changes in many downstream life history traits. We hypothesise that radiation may trigger energetically costly repair mechanisms, increasing metabolic rate and nectar requirements. This change could have significant ecological consequences in contaminated landscapes, including Chernobyl. We demonstrate bumblebees are more sensitive to radiation than assumed by existing international frameworks for environmental radiological protection.Output Status: Forthcomin

Nectar consumption, metabolic rate and activity datasets for bumblebees exposed to ecologically relevant radiation dose rates.

This dataset contains information on the volume of nectar consumed, metabolic rate and activity of bumblebees that were exposed to environmentally relevant dose rates of ionising radiation at the University of Stirling. Data is for two connected experiments collected via direct observation in a laboratory setting. The first experiment investigates variables during and after 10-days of radiation exposure and the second investigates these variables under a dose rate gradient. Funding for this work was via the TREE project funded by the NERC, Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd. under the RATE programme

Enspect: a Complete Tool using Modeling and Real Data to Assist the Design of Energy Harvesting Systems

Energy harvesting is the process by which energy (often solar or thermal) is captured from the environment to power small electronic devices. The available energy is often spatially and temporally variant, which makes the potential for power generation difficult to estimate. In this paper we present Enspect: a complete tool which comprises a portable logger that collects real environmental data, and analysis software which models the performance of energy harvesting systems in that application. It enables components to be chosen and exchanged, and models long-term system behavior. It has been demonstrated with photovoltaic and thermoelectric devices, but its modular design means that it can be expanded to include other harvesting types

Poster Abstract: Enspect—Simplifying the Design of Energy Harvesting Systems

The design of sensing systems powered from energy harvesting can be complex. Design decisions are required concerning the properties and parameters of energy harvesting, conversion, and storage devices. The quantity and properties of environmental energy are typically both temporally and spatially variant, while the current consumption of the load electronics also changes dynamically. In this paper we describe Enspect, an open-source hardware/software tool which simplifies the design of energy harvesting sensing systems by assisting in the specification of harvesting and storage devices. It does this by enabling the long-term collection of data on energy availability, and modeling and simulating the performance of a complete system