Pachystigmus Hellén, 1927 : a substitute name for Noserus Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), not Noserus LeConte, 1862 (Coleoptera: Zopheridae)

By establishing the date of its first publication, Noserus Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) is shown to be a junior primary homonym of Noserus LeConte, 1862 (Coleoptera, Zopheridae). The substitute name for Noserus Foerster is that of its subjective synonym, Pachystigmus Hellén, 1927 [type species: Pachystigmus nitidulus Hellén, 1927]. Other described species in the genus are: Pachystigmus facialis (Foerster, 1863) New Combination; P. similis (Szépligeti, 1896) New Combination, P. nitidulus Hellén, 1927, P. gigas (Tobias, 1964)New Combination, P. occipitalis (Belokobylskij, 1986) New Combination, P. olgensis (Belokobylskij, 1994) New Combination, and P. sculpturator (Belokobylskij, 1999) New Combination

The effect of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) basal branching on optimal plant density and crop competitiveness

Field pea is an important crop in western Canada. The current recommended seeding rate in field pea is 88 plants m-2. As certain pea genotypes have the ability for increased branching, it may be possible for a producer to seed at a lower plant population without reduced yield or to choose a highly branched cultivar to have reduced risk of yield loss under conditions of poor emergence. The objective of this research was to determine how differences in branching among seven representative pea cultivars affected crop yield at different seeding rates, and to determine if branching affected the competitive ability of pea cultivars. In the plant population experiment, seven pea cultivars were seeded at five target plant populations (10, 30, 90, 120, and 150 plant m-2) during 2005 and 2006 at Rosthern and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The competition experiment involved eight cultivars being seeded at 50 plants m-2 to measure competitiveness with weeds. Plant emergence, number of branches, light interception, harvest index and grain yield were measured. Growth, seasonal temperature and rainfall were near normal in 2005. Severe terminal drought occurred in 2006 which may have lead to decreased yields. Branching was greatest at low plant densities and decreased as plant density increased. Grain yield increased as plant density increased until it plateaued at 80 – 100 plants m-2. The response of yield to plant density differed to some extent among cultivars, with CDC Acer and CDC Bronco achieving more of their potential yield at lower densities, while Carrera and Courier required higher densities to reach the same proportion of potential yield. Weed biomass was lowest in plots sown to longer vined cultivars with normal leaf type. Branching habit did not affect the competitiveness of pea cultivars. Potential exists to plant highly branched cultivars to reduce risk of yield loss in situations where low plant emergence might occur

Green’s Function for Lamb’s Problem and Rayleigh Wave Propagation in General Transversely Isotropic Materials1

Composite materials have gained considerable industrial importance, being widely applied e.g. in aerospace industries. The need for their proper testing in view of delaminations, inclusions and other defects has correspondingly stimulated the interest in describing wave propagation in such anisotropic media. In this study, Lamb’s problem of determining the disturbance resulting from a point source in a half-space [1] is investigated for the case of transversely isotropic (TI) symmetry, which is characteristic for unidirectional fiber composites and extruded metal-matrix composites, but also for fiber-textured columnar-grained steels. Using the dyadic and triadic full-space Green’s functions obtained previously in their 2d-space-time spectral representations [2], a corresponding representation of Green’s dyad for the half-space has been derived exploiting the boundary condition of the stress-free surface. The resulting dyadic function is the solution of the elastic wave equation with point forces applied at the surface or within the uniform half-space, the fiber orientation being variable. First numerical evaluations have been performed with respect to Rayleigh-surface wave propagation by determining the zeroes of the corresponding Rayleigh function, which is included in the analytical expressions. Resulting slowness and wave curves are presented for several materials. The work presented can be further applied, e.g., to determine Rayleigh wave directivity patterns for point sources on the half-space as well as to model laser-generated wave propagation in composites. Application in the field of seismic wave propagation is also possible

Dextran sulfate activates contact system and mediates arterial hypotension via B2 kinin receptors

To define some of the mechanisms underlying dextran sulfate (DXS)-induced hypotension, we investigated the effects of either the plasma kallikrein inhibitor des-Pro2-[Arg15] aprotinin (BAY x 4620) or the specific bradykinin B2-receptor antagonist Hoe-140 on the hypotensive response to DXS. In the first study, anesthetized miniature pigs were given DXS alone, DXS plus BAY x 4620 in various doses, or saline. As expected, DXS alone produced a profound but transient systemic arterial hypotension with a concomitant reduction in kininogen. Circulating kinin levels, complement fragment des-Arg-C3a, and fibrin monomer were all increased. Treatment with BAY x 4620 produced a dose-dependent attenuation of these effects with complete blockade of the hypotension as well as the observed biochemical changes at the highest dose (360 mg). In a second study, two groups of pigs were given either DXS alone or DXS plus Hoe-140. DXS-induced hypotension was completely blocked by Hoe-140 pretreatment; however, kininogen was again depleted. We conclude, therefore, that DXS-induced hypotension is produced by activation of plasma kallikrein that results in the production of bradykinin and that liberation of bradykinin and its action on B2 receptors in the vasculature are both necessary and sufficient to produce the observed effects on circulatory pressure

Program Evaluation of Clark County Department of Family Services, Parenting Project

The Clark County Department of Family Services, Parenting Project, hereinafter referred to as Parenting Project, partnered with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Environmental and Public Affairs to participate in a program evaluation. The evaluation will serve as a tool to determine the effectiveness of the services delivered to the community by Parenting Project and to aid them in overall program improvement and implementation. This Program Evaluation focuses on two of the six core parenting classes that are currently offered free to the public, more specifically the Nurturing Parents and Families program and the ABC’s of Parenting. The identified programs utilize a pre-posttest inventory known as the Adult / Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2). The AAPI-2 measures the risk of abusive parenting behaviors and is collected from each program participant. Data collected from the years 2005 - 2014 were used in the evaluation of the two programs