International Asteroid Warning Network Timing Campaign : 2019 XS

Peer reviewe

Latvia: Statistics in brief 2002

Available from Latvian Academic Library / LAL - Latvian Academic LibrarySIGLELVLatvi

The Consumption and Diversity Variation Responses of Agricultural Pests and Their Dietary Niche Differentiation in Insectivorous Bats

Insectivorous bats are generalist predators and can flexibly respond to fluctuations in the distribution and abundance of insect prey. To better understand the effects of bats on arthropod pests, the types of pests eaten by bats and the response of bats to insect prey need to be determined. In this study, we performed DNA metabarcoding to examine prey composition and pest diversity in the diets of four insectivorous species of bats (Hipposideros armiger, Taphozous melanopogon, Aselliscus stoliczkanus, and Miniopterus fuliginosus). We evaluated the correlation between bat activity and insect resources and assessed dietary niche similarity and niche breadth among species and factors that influence prey consumption in bats. We found that the diets of these bats included arthropods from 23 orders and 200 families, dominated by Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera. The proportion of agricultural pests in the diet of each of the four species of bats exceeded 40% and comprised 713 agricultural pests, including those that caused severe economic losses. Bats responded to the availability of insects. For example, a higher abundance of insects, especially Lepidoptera, and a higher insect diversity led to an increase in the duration of bat activity. In areas with more abundant insects, the number of bat passes also increased. The dietary composition, diversity, and niches differed among species and were particularly significant between H. armiger and T. melanopogon; the dietary niche width was the greatest in A. stoliczkanus and the narrowest in H. armiger. The diet of bats was correlated with their morphological and echolocation traits. Larger bats preyed more on insects in the order Coleoptera, whereas the proportion of bats consuming insects in the order Lepidoptera increased as the body size decreased. Bats that emitted echolocation calls with a high peak frequency and duration preyed more on insects in the order Mantodea. Our results suggest that dietary niche differentiation promotes the coexistence of different bat species and increases the ability of bats to consume insect prey and agricultural pests. Our findings provide greater insights into the role of bats that prey on agricultural pests and highlight the importance of combining bat conservation with integrated pest management

Highly Conductive and Underwater Stable Ionic Skin for All-Day Epidermal Biopotential Monitoring

Epidermal biopotential monitoring is an essential part of wearable healthcare. For 24 × 7 h detection of electrophysiological signals, commercialized gel electrodes cannot satisfy the demands, in particular for monitoring in humidity or underwater. Epidermal electrodes that can be stable and operated underwater are required. Here, a highly conductive and optically camouflaged ionic skin for epidermal biopotential monitoring under aquatic circumstances is designed. There is a fluorine-dipole interaction system consisting of fluorine-rich segment in the polyurethane backbone and fluorine-cation bonded 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl-sulfonyl) imide ([EMIM]+ [TFSI]−) ion pairs distributed in the polymer matrix. Benefitting from the fluorine-cation interaction, the ionic skin gains remarkable ionic conductivity (1.04 × 10−3 S cm−1), high optical transmittance (92%), and improved mechanical strength (3.1 MPa of Young\u27s modulus). Via cations caught by fluorine-rich segments, its ionic conductivity can keep stable even by rinsing or fierce washing in water. The epidermal electrode based on such ionic skin can accurately measure a variety of electrophysiological signals undboth atmospheric and aquatic environments, exhibiting robust and excellent signal quality. As the first demonstration of ionic skin-based electrophysiological electrodes, the ionic skin paves a new way for all-day wearable healthcare

International Asteroid Warning Network Timing Campaign : 2019 XS

Peer reviewe