Feeding frequency and caste differentiation in Bombus terrestris larvae

The frequency with which bumble bee larvae are fed during their development was studied using video-recordings. The behaviour of the workers while feeding worker, male and queen larvae of Bombus terrestris was recorded. At the beginning of development, female larvae of both castes were fed at a similar frequency. However, during their last phase queen larvae were fed much more often than worker larvae. Despite the differences in frequency, both queen and worker larval feeding followed a similar pattern. Male larvae were fed more often than worker larvae, but less often than queen larvae. They also differed from the female larvae in the way their feeding frequency increased during development. This suggests that the process of feeding male larvae occurs in a different way. The time intervals between feedings were very variable for all larvae: from a few seconds up to 3 h. Although there was a general tendency for the intervals to decrease in duration with larval development, the irregularity was always present. The differences in feeding frequency found at the individual level for larvae of the same age and the irregularity of the feeding process can be explained by the variation in the amount of food per feeding. Finally, our data suggest that larvae play an active role in the regulation of the feeding process. This subject is discussed and compared to the situation in honey bees

Are Product Recalls Insurable in the Netherlands Dairy Supply Chain?

Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Production Economics,

Goede hygiene belangrijk voor boerenkaas

Minder goede stalhygiëne kan doorwerken in melkkwaliteit en als van rauwe melk boerenkaas gemaakt wordt, in kaaskwaliteit

Delta Doping of Ferromagnetism in Antiferromagnetic Manganite Superlattices

We demonstrate that delta-doping can be used to create a dimensionally confined region of metallic ferromagnetism in an antiferromagnetic (AF) manganite host, without introducing any explicit disorder due to dopants or frustration of spins. Delta-doped carriers are inserted into a manganite superlattice (SL) by a digital-synthesis technique. Theoretical consideration of these additional carriers show that they cause a local enhancement of ferromagnetic (F) double-exchange with respect to AF superexchange, resulting in local canting of the AF spins. This leads to a highly modulated magnetization, as measured by polarized neutron reflectometry. The spatial modulation of the canting is related to the spreading of charge from the doped layer, and establishes a fundamental length scale for charge transfer, transformation of orbital occupancy and magnetic order in these manganites. Furthermore, we confirm the existence of the canted, AF state as was predicted by de Gennes [P.-G. de Gennes, Phys. Rev. 118, 141 (1960)], but had remained elusive

К вопросу совершенствования технологии управления процессами воздухораспределения и газовыделения на выемочных участках

Розглянуто процес розвитку технологічних схем провітрювання та дегазації виймальних ділянок вугільних шахт. Показане, що вакуумування і відвід по трубопроводу притоків газоповітряної суміші з верхньої частини лави за межі виймальної дільниці відкриває можливість впливати на аеродинамічний процес одночасно у двох напрямках – у керуванні газовиділенням і повітрерозподілом. Вплив такого впливу розглянуте в умовах основних застосовуваних схем провітрювання.The process of technological schemes of ventilation and drainage excavation sites of coal mines. Shown that the evacuation and removal via tributaries of gas-air mixture from the top of the long wall beyond excavation site provides an opportunity to influence the aerodynamic processes in two directions - in the management of any gas and air distribution. The effect of such exposure is considered in terms of the basic circuits used airing

The prognostic value of automated coronary calcium derived by a deep learning approach on non-ECG gated CT images from ⁸²Rb-PET/CT myocardial perfusion imaging

Background: Assessment of both coronary artery calcium(CAC) scores and myocardial perfusion imaging(MPI) in patients suspected of coronary artery disease(CAD) provides incremental prognostic information. We used an automated method to determine CAC scores on low-dose attenuation correction CT(LDACT) images gathered during MPI in one single assessment. The prognostic value of this automated CAC score is unknown, we therefore investigated the association of this automated CAC scores and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE) in a large chest-pain cohort. Method: We analyzed 747 symptomatic patients referred for 82RubidiumPET/CT, without a history of coronary revascularization. Ischemia was defined as a summed difference score≥2. We used a validated deep learning(DL) method to determine CAC scores. For survival analysis CAC scores were dichotomized as low(90 days after scanning) or nonfatal myocardial infarction. Cox proportional hazard analysis were performed to identify predictors of MACE. Results: During 4 years follow-up, 115 MACEs were observed. High CAC scores showed higher cumulative event rates, irrespective of ischemia (nonischemic: 25.8% vs 11.9% and ischemic: 57.6% vs 23.4%, P-values <0.001). Multivariable cox regression revealed both high CAC scores (HR 2.19 95%CI 1.43–3.35) and ischemia (HR 2.56 95%CI 1.71–3.35) as independent predictors of MACE. Addition of automated CAC scores showed a net reclassification improvement of 0.13(0.022–0.245). Conclusion: Automatically derived CAC scores determined during a single imaging session are independently associated with MACE. This validated DL method could improve risk stratification and subsequently lead to more personalized treatment in patients suspected of CAD

Beam Test of Silicon Strip Sensors for the ZEUS Micro Vertex Detector

For the HERA upgrade, the ZEUS experiment has designed and installed a high precision Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) using single sided micro-strip sensors with capacitive charge division. The sensors have a readout pitch of 120 microns, with five intermediate strips (20 micron strip pitch). An extensive test program has been carried out at the DESY-II testbeam facility. In this paper we describe the setup developed to test the ZEUS MVD sensors and the results obtained on both irradiated and non-irradiated single sided micro-strip detectors with rectangular and trapezoidal geometries. The performances of the sensors coupled to the readout electronics (HELIX chip, version 2.2) have been studied in detail, achieving a good description by a Monte Carlo simulation. Measurements of the position resolution as a function of the angle of incidence are presented, focusing in particular on the comparison between standard and newly developed reconstruction algorithms.Comment: 41 pages, 21 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in NIM

Survival and dispersal of a defined cohort of Irish cattle

An understanding of livestock movement is critical to effective disease prevention, control and prediction. However, livestock movement in Ireland has not yet been quantified. This study has sought to define the survival and dispersal of a defined cohort of cattle born in Co. Kerry during 2000. The cohort was observed for a maximum of four years, from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2004. Beef and dairy animals moved an average 1.31 and 0.83 times, respectively. At study end, 18.8% of the beef animals remained alive on Irish farms, including 6.7% at the farm-of-birth, compared with 48.6% and 27.7% for dairy animals respectively. Beef animals werae dispersed to all Irish counties, but mainly to Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Galway. Dairy animals mainly moved to Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary, with less animals going to Galway, Meath and Kilkenny. The four-year survival probability was 0.07 (male beef animals), 0.25 (male dairy), 0.38 (female beef), and 0.72 (female dairy). Although there was considerable dispersal, the number of moves per animal was less than expected