Study of chemical germicides

Chemical germicides as decontamination agents for spacecraft sterilizatio

Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) of Minnesota: An Annotated Checklist and New State Records

Pentatomidae have been relatively poorly documented in Minnesota. Based on literature and museum records, an annotated checklist of the Pentatomidae of Minnesota was created. State-level and county-level records for Minnesota and the distribution of each species in North America are provided. Fifty-one species of Pentatomidae (12 Asopinae, 37 Pentatominae, and 2 Podopinae) are recorded for Minnesota. Of this total, 15 species are newly recorded for the state. Knowledge of the fauna of Pentatomidae in Minnesota will be important for providing baseline data for monitoring of potential shifts in the fauna resulting from the invasions of exotic Pentatomidae. Furthermore, a list of native Pentatomidae will be necessary for monitoring non-target impacts, if classical biological control is implemented for management of exotic Pentatomidae

The Heteroptera (Hemiptera) of North Dakota I: Pentatomomorpha: Pentatomoidea

The Pentatomoidea fauna for North Dakota is documented. There are 62 species of Pentatomoidea known from North Dakota: Acanthosomatidae (2), Cydnidae (4), Pentatomidae: Asopinae (9), Pentatomidae: Pentatominae (34), Pentatomidae: Podopinae (2), Scutelleridae (6), and Thyreocoridae (5). Of this total, 36 represent new state records for North Dakota. Additionally, 16 new state records are reported for Minnesota, and one new state record each for South Dakota, Texas, and Utah. The new state records for North Dakota are: Acanthosomatidae: Elasmostethus cruciatus (Say), Elasmucha lateralis (Say); Cydnidae: Amnestus pusillus Uhler, Amnestus spinifrons (Say), Microporus obliquus Uhler; Pentatomidae (Asopinae): Perillus exaptus (Say), Podisus brevispinus Phillips, Podisus maculiventris (Say), Podisus placidus Uhler, Podisus serieventris Uhler; Pentatomidae (Pentatominae): Aelia americana Dallas, Neottiglossa sulcifrons Stål, Euschistus ictericus (Linnaeus), Euschistus latimarginatus Zimmer, Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de Beauvois), Holcostethus macdonaldi Rider and Rolston, Menecles insertus (Say), Mormidea lugens (Fabricius), Trichopepla atricornis Stål, Parabrochymena arborea (Say), Mecidea minor Ruckes, Chinavia hilaris (Say), Chlorochroa belfragii (Stål), Chlorochroa ligata (Say), Chlorochroa viridicata (Walker), Tepa brevis (Van Duzee), Banasa euchlora Stål, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn); Pentatomidae (Podopinae): Amaurochrous brevitylus Barber and Sailer, Amaurochrous cinctipes (Say); Scutelleridae: Phimodera binotata (Say), Vanduzeeina borealis Van Duzee, Acantholomidea denticulata (Stål), Homaemus bijugis Uhler; and Thyreocoridae: Corimelaena lateralis (Fabricius), Galgupha ovalis Hussey. New state records for Minnesota are: Acanthosomatidae: E. cruciatus; Cydnidae: Amnestus pallidus Zimmer, A. pusillus, M. obliquus; Pentatomidae (Asopinae): P. placidus; Pentatomidae (Pentatominae): A. americana, N. sulcifrons, E. ictericus, E. latimarginatus, Holcostethus abbreviatus Uhler, Holcostethus limbolarius (Stål), M. insertus, M. lugens, T. atricornis, C. belfragii; and Scutelleridae: V. borealis. B. euchlora is recorded from South Dakota for the first time, and E. latimarginatus is reported from Texas and Utah for the first time. Keys are provided for the identification of all included taxa

The Heteroptera (Hemiptera) of North Dakota I: Pentatomomorpha: Pentatomoidea

The Pentatomoidea fauna for North Dakota is documented. There are 62 species of Pentatomoidea known from North Dakota: Acanthosomatidae (2), Cydnidae (4), Pentatomidae: Asopinae (9), Pentatomidae: Pentatominae (34), Pentatomidae: Podopinae (2), Scutelleridae (6), and Thyreocoridae (5). Of this total, 36 represent new state records for North Dakota. Additionally, 16 new state records are reported for Minnesota, and one new state record each for South Dakota, Texas, and Utah. The new state records for North Dakota are: Acanthosomatidae: Elasmostethus cruciatus (Say), Elasmucha lateralis (Say); Cydnidae: Amnestus pusillus Uhler, Amnestus spinifrons (Say), Microporus obliquus Uhler; Pentatomidae (Asopinae): Perillus exaptus (Say), Podisus brevispinus Phillips, Podisus maculiventris (Say), Podisus placidus Uhler, Podisus serieventris Uhler; Pentatomidae (Pentatominae): Aelia americana Dallas, Neottiglossa sulcifrons Stål, Euschistus ictericus (Linnaeus), Euschistus latimarginatus Zimmer, Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de Beauvois), Holcostethus macdonaldi Rider and Rolston, Menecles insertus (Say), Mormidea lugens (Fabricius), Trichopepla atricornis Stål, Parabrochymena arborea (Say), Mecidea minor Ruckes, Chinavia hilaris (Say), Chlorochroa belfragii (Stål), Chlorochroa ligata (Say), Chlorochroa viridicata (Walker), Tepa brevis (Van Duzee), Banasa euchlora Stål, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn); Pentatomidae (Podopinae): Amaurochrous brevitylus Barber and Sailer, Amaurochrous cinctipes (Say); Scutelleridae: Phimodera binotata (Say), Vanduzeeina borealis Van Duzee, Acantholomidea denticulata (Stål), Homaemus bijugis Uhler; and Thyreocoridae: Corimelaena lateralis (Fabricius), Galgupha ovalis Hussey. New state records for Minnesota are: Acanthosomatidae: E. cruciatus; Cydnidae: Amnestus pallidus Zimmer, A. pusillus, M. obliquus; Pentatomidae (Asopinae): P. placidus; Pentatomidae (Pentatominae): A. americana, N. sulcifrons, E. ictericus, E. latimarginatus, Holcostethus abbreviatus Uhler, Holcostethus limbolarius (Stål), M. insertus, M. lugens, T. atricornis, C. belfragii; and Scutelleridae: V. borealis. B. euchlora is recorded from South Dakota for the first time, and E. latimarginatus is reported from Texas and Utah for the first time. Keys are provided for the identification of all included taxa

The roles of organic and inorganic zinc and selenium sources in the nutrition and promotion of health in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/761 on 13.03.2017 by CS (TIS)Three nutritional feeding trials were undertaken to investigate the nutritional role of zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) in the promotion of health in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum). Organic and inorganic sources of both elements were assessed by determining bioavailability, effects on growth, feed utilisation, immuno-competence, oxidative status, fillet quality and interactions with other trace elements. A focus was made on the use of practical diets throughout the study. The first experiment assessed the bioavailability of residual Se and Zn from a white fishmeal based practical diet during a 10-week trial in comparison to diets containing either supplemental Se-yeast and Zn proteinate (Zn-pr) or sodium selenite (Na2SeOJ) and Zn sulphate (ZnS04). Se-yeast and Zn-pr were hypothesised to be more digestible and more effective in raising Se and Zn status than inorganic sources. Apparent digestibility of residual Zn and Se was 21.9% and 54.2% respectively. No conclusive difference in overall Zn bioavailability was observed between treatments. Se-yeast significantly increased Se digestibility to 63.7%, Se levels in all tissues, and the activities of hepatic thioredoxin reductase (Trx-R) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Selenite supplementation only resulted in increased GSH-Px activity. Se-yeast was found to be a highly bioavailable Se source, effectively raising Se status. The second experiment determined the efficacy and effect on health of residual Zn in comparison to 125, 312 and 781 mg kgˉ¹ supplemented Zn-pr or Zn sulphate in a practical diet. It was hypothesised that Zn-pr would be more efficacious in the promotion of health than Zn sulphate. The retention of both Zn sulphate and Zn-pr followed the same exponential decay (R2 = 0.978) with increasing dietary Zn loading. This was accompanied with a lack of effect of 12-weeks Zn supplementation on standard growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), Zn enzyme activity (Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase and alkaline phosphatase), oxidative status (hepatic and pyloric caeca malondialdehyde (MDA), total plasma antioxidant capacity (TAC) and oxidative DNA damage), immuno-competence (superoxide generation, lysozyme and leukocyte counts), hematocrit, nuclear abnormalities (micronuclei, and notched and blebbed nuclei), and fillet quality (drip loss and astaxanthin). Both dietary Zn-pr (R2 = 0.573) and Zn sulphate (R2 = 0.453) interacted with hepatic manganese (Mn) but not with iron (Fe) or copper (Cu). No significant differences were observed between sources and a strict homeostatic regulation of dietary Zn in rainbow trout was observed. Preliminary investigations were carried out to establish the effects of seven days chronic husbandry related stressors on immuno-competence and oxidative status. It was hypothesised that chronic husbandry related stressors would result in oxidative stress and impaired immuno-competence. Alternating between netting and confinement stressors resulted in oxidative stress as determined by decreased TAC, increased oxidative DNA damage and modulated superoxide generation by leukocytes in the whole blood. The final experiments investigated the efficacy and effects on health of residual Se in comparison to 2, 4, and 8 mg kgˉ¹ supplemental sodium selenite or Se-yeast in a commercial trout grower diet. It was hypothesised that supplemental Se would confer benefits to the health of both stressed and un-stressed fish, and Se-yeast would be more efficacious than selenite in its effects. Following a 10-week trial, the implication of seven days husbandry related stressors were also evaluated. Se retention was reduced in fish fed selenite up to 4 mg kgˉ¹ in comparison to fish fed the basal diet; in contrast Se-yeast increased Se retention. SGR, FCR, hepatic GSH-Px and Trx-R, plasma TAC, hepatic MDA, respiratory burst, lysozyme, nuclear abnormalities, and hematocrit were not affected by the supplemented dietary Se. However, in pre-stress fish fillet quality (drip loss) may be improved by Se-yeast supplementation; this was not observed with selenite. Stress decreased whole body Se in all treatments and increased GSH-Px to the greatest extent in Se supplemented diets suggestive of an increased Se utilisation during stress. Se had no protective effects on immuno-competence and oxidative status post stress. On the contrary, 8 mg kgˉ¹ Se from selenite increased hepatic MDA and resulted in the lowest GSH-Px increases amongst supplemented fish, which may be indicative of the sub-lethal effects of Se in fish fed a high level of inorganic Se; this was not observed with Se-yeast. Selenite (R² = 0.6611), but not Se-yeast (R² = 0.073), significantly interacted with whole body Cu. No interactions were found between dietary Se and Fe or Mn. Levels of whole body Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn were not affected by husbandry related stressors. The study concludes that Se-yeast supplemented in fishmeal based diets is more bioavailable and efficacious in the maintenance of health than selenite. The efficacy of Zn-pr was not distinguished from that of Zn sulphate in the supplementation of practical diets. No difference was observed between Zn-pr and Zn sulphate in terms of bioavailability or efficacy. This may be due to the tight homeostatic regulation of dietary Zn above marginal levels. Se utilisation may increase during chronic husbandry related stress. Due to the lack of any measurable toxic effects and increased retention, Se-yeast may be more suitable for the delivery of Se in fish exposed to husbandry related stress, which was shown to result in oxidative stress. Higher quality practical diets may meet requirements for Se in un-stressed fish, but in conditions of stress, maximal GSH-Px and Se status may only be achieved by diets containing supplemental Se

A Mathematical Theory of Stochastic Microlensing II. Random Images, Shear, and the Kac-Rice Formula

Continuing our development of a mathematical theory of stochastic microlensing, we study the random shear and expected number of random lensed images of different types. In particular, we characterize the first three leading terms in the asymptotic expression of the joint probability density function (p.d.f.) of the random shear tensor at a general point in the lens plane due to point masses in the limit of an infinite number of stars. Up to this order, the p.d.f. depends on the magnitude of the shear tensor, the optical depth, and the mean number of stars through a combination of radial position and the stars' masses. As a consequence, the p.d.f.s of the shear components are seen to converge, in the limit of an infinite number of stars, to shifted Cauchy distributions, which shows that the shear components have heavy tails in that limit. The asymptotic p.d.f. of the shear magnitude in the limit of an infinite number of stars is also presented. Extending to general random distributions of the lenses, we employ the Kac-Rice formula and Morse theory to deduce general formulas for the expected total number of images and the expected number of saddle images. We further generalize these results by considering random sources defined on a countable compact covering of the light source plane. This is done to introduce the notion of {\it global} expected number of positive parity images due to a general lensing map. Applying the result to microlensing, we calculate the asymptotic global expected number of minimum images in the limit of an infinite number of stars, where the stars are uniformly distributed. This global expectation is bounded, while the global expected number of images and the global expected number of saddle images diverge as the order of the number of stars.Comment: To appear in JM