21,015 research outputs found
Characterisation of Bombyx mori odorant-binding proteins reveals that a general odorant-binding protein discriminates between sex pheromone components
No full textIn many insect species, odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) are thought to be responsible for the transport of pheromones and other semiochemicals across the sensillum lymph to the olfactory receptors (ORs) within the antennal sensilla. In the silkworm Bombyx mori, the OBPs are subdivided into three main subfamilies; pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs), general odorant-binding proteins (GOBPs) and antennal-binding proteins (ABPs). We used the MotifSearch algorithm to search for genes encoding putative OBPs in B. mori and found 13, many fewer than are found in the genomes of fruit flies and mosquitoes. The 13 genes include seven new ABP-like OBPs as well as the previously identified PBPs (three), GOBPs (two) and ABPx. Quantitative examination of transcript levels showed that BmorPBP1, BmorGOBP1, BmorGOBP2 and BmorABPx are expressed at very high levels in the antennae and so could be involved in olfaction. A new two-phase binding assay, along with other established assays, showed that BmorPBP1, BmorPBP2, BmorGOBP2 and BmorABPx all bind to the B. mori sex pheromone component (10E,12Z)-hexadecadien-1-ol (bombykol). BmorPBP1, BmorPBP2 and BmorABPx also bind the pheromone component (10E,12Z)-hexadecadienal (bombykal) equally well, whereas BmorGOBP2 can discriminate between bombykol and bombykal. X-ray structures show that when bombykol is bound to BmorGOBP2 it adopts a different conformation from that found when it binds to BmorPBP1. Binding to BmorGOBP2 involves hydrogen bonding to Arg110 rather than to Ser56 as found for BmorPBP1
Redevelopment after the Abruzzo event
No full textNatural disasters raise quite a number of interdisciplinary issues concerning regional economic growth and local development, as well as public finance and sustainability, to mention only a few of them. These issues deserve special attention in our globalized world, given the expectation of a growing impact of climate-related disasters: no surprise that disaster management stands as a new discipline aimed at bridging the gap between theory and practice, so as to prevent natural disasters in the first place; afterwards, considerable efforts are required to accelerate business recovery, quickly restore vital energies, and hopefully carry out specific improvement projects as a sort of compensation for the (both personal and economic) losses suffered. Interesting lessons can be learned from natural disasters and can be shared as a payback to those who helped upon their occurrence. Actually, cooperation calls for cross-cultural activities that are likely to benefit from direct experience made by impacted scholars and practitioners: a case in point has to do with the earthquake that devastated L’Aquila and its environs on April 6, 2009 causing more than 300 deaths, apart from extensive damage in the Abruzzo region, in Central Italy; the Abruzzo event – as this natural disaster is currently referred to – fuels the debate on redevelopment problems to be faced under similar circumstances, that may obliterate the economic environment and attractiveness of an area in a few moments. Due to the huge amount of money needed to undertake appropriate strategies, finance plays a key role and useful insights can be gained by exploring the process of financial innovation. A supporting argument deals with the recourse to micro-finance in order to make the business and economic scenario revive after a natural disaster: micro-credit might be resorted to even within the framework of new financial engineering instruments, such as Urban Development Funds, recently promoted by the European Investment Bank; they include JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas) and JEREMIE (Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises), to be properly considered as strategic tools in sight of redeveloping L’Aquila and its surrounding boroughs.
Control of Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret, vector of Bois Noir, using entomopathogenic agents: preliminary results.
No full textControl of Hyalesthes obsoletus, vector of Bois Noir, using entomopathogenic agents: preliminary resultsN. Reggiani1, N. Mori2 , L. Maistrello11 University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Department of Agricultural& Food Sciences, via G.Amendola 2, Pad. Besta, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy2 University of Padova, DAAPV - Entomology, v.le dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), ItalyEmail: [email protected] planthopper Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret (Homoptera, Cixidae) is vector of the grapevine yellow Bois Noir, one of the most important phytoplasmosis in Europe. Reduction of phytoplasma associated diseases incidence relies on the control of the insect vectors and on the eradication of affected host plants. Management of Bois Noir is especially difficult because 1) both the vector and the phytoplasma can develop also in plants other than grapevines and 2) the overwintering younger instars of the insect live underground feeding on the roots of wild plants normally nearby vineyards (like nettle and bindweed) and chemical treatments are ineffective and unsustainable (Mori et al., 2008). The aim of this work was to evaluate the possibility to control the young forms of the leafhopper by means of entomopathogenic agents applied to nettle roots (AAVV, 1997; Vanesa Toledo et al., 2007, Reggiani and Maistrello, 2010). A first semi-field test was performed on young leafhoppers obtained from hundreds of wild H. obsoletus adults that had been captured and allowed to breed in a greenhouse with nettle pots during the previous summer. In late spring, pots containing groups of these juveniles were treated by sprinkling the ground with selected strains of entomopathogenic fungi (Beauveria bassiana and Paecilomyces lilacinus) and nematodes (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora and Steinernema feltiae). The mortality of H. obsoletus was recorded on day 7, 14, and 21 after the treatment. A second trial was made in field conditions selecting plots (3 m2 surface) in proximity of vineyards with a high quantity of nettle. These plots were sprayed on the middle of July at the ground level with the same enthopathogenic agents strains used for the first test. The plots were isolated with proper cages and the number of emerged adults was monitored during the whole flight period using yellow sticky traps. The obtained results show a good activity of the tested biopesticides, in particular for B. bassiana in the semi-field trial, and for nematodes in the field trials. The experiments suggest that microbiological control of the planthopper vector could represent a promising option for the integrated management of Bois Noir. Key words: Bois noir, entomopathogenic agents, Hyalesthes obsoletus, microbiological control, biopesticidesReferencesAAVV -1997- Manual of Techniques in Insect Pathology. Academic Press Inc. San Diego, California - USA. Edited by Lawrence Lacey, 409 pp.Mori N., Pavan F., Bondavalli R., Reggiani N., Paltrinieri S., Bertaccini A., -2008-. “Factors affecting the spread of “Bois Noir” disease in north Italy vineyards”. Vitis: 47 (1), 2008: 65-72Reggiani N., Maistrello L. -2010- “An approach to the control of Hyalesthes obsoletus, vector of Bois Noir, using entomopathogenic agents ”. In: Proceedings of IX European congress of entomology, Budapest (HU) 22-27 August 2010, 143-144Vanesa Toledo A., Marino de Remes Lenicov A.M., Lòpez Lastra C.C. -2007- “Pathogenicity of fungal isolates (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) against Peregrinus maidis, Delphacodes kuscheli (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), and Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), vectors of corn diseases.” Mycopathologia 2007 163:225-23
Improved performance of submicrometer-gate GaAs MESFET's with an Al0.3Ga0.7As buffer layer grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy
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ANALYSIS OF ADVERTISING ON RADIO POHORJE
No full textOglaševanje izdelka ali storitve je zelo pomembno. Poznamo več različnih načinov oglaševanja, kot so radio, televizija, tiskani mediji, plakati. Oglaševanje na radiu je zelo pomembno, saj veliko poslušalcev večino dneva posluša radio. Poslušamo ga doma, v avtu, v trgovinah. Tako imajo oglaševalci veliko možnosti, da se njihov izdelek ali storitev približa ciljni skupini.Advertising is very important when consumers are diceding what to purchase. There are a lot of different variety of advertising like radio, television, internet, magazine
First-order condensation transition in the position distribution of a run-and-tumble particle in one dimension
No full textWe consider a single run-and-tumble particle (RTP) moving in one dimension. We assume that the velocity of the particle is drawn independently at each tumbling from a zero-mean Gaussian distribution and that the run times are exponentially distributed. We investigate the probability distribution P(X, N) of the position X of the particle after N runs, with N >> 1. We show that in the regime X ~ N^{3/4} the distribution P(X, N) has a large deviation form with a rate function characterized by a discontinuous derivative at the critical value X = X_c > 0. The same is true for X = −X_c due to the symmetry of P(X, N). We show that this singularity corresponds to a first-order condensation transition: for X > X_c a single large jump dominates the RTP trajectory. We consider the participation ratio of the single-run displacements as the order parameter of the system, showing that this quantity is discontinuous at X = X_c. Our results are supported by numerical simulations performed with a constrained Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm
Yuki Mori and her brother.
No full textPhoto of Yuki Mori, probably a Japanese American friend of Mary (Murakami) Doi, and her brother
Integrated management of Drosophila suzukii
No full textThe appearance of Drosophila suzukii in 2009 has strongly affected cherry fruit production. Prior to its invasion, Italian cherry orchards were treated with only two insecticide applications, the first against aphids (Myzus cerasi Sulz.) before flowering and the second against Rhagoletis cerasi, about 20-30 days before harvest. After D. suzukii invasion, an additional two-three pre-harvest (close to harvest) insecticide treatments are required, but the number of insecticide applications can increase to five-eight depending on pest abundance, crop susceptibility and other environmental factors. The intensive use of insecticides poses serious concerns about the presence of residues on fruits exceeding maximum residue limits (MRLs), the development of resistance, and negative impacts on the environment beyond beneficials. To obtain a good and sustainable control of D. suzukii the chemical strategies should be coupled with cultural management the use of nets and parasitoids. To achieve good control of the carpophagus larvae it is essential to monitor, both the adults with trap lured with blends of fruit juices and the oviposition on the ripening fruit, since the percentage of infestation is not related to the number of catches in the food traps. Considering the viability of D. suzukii eggs and larvae, it is lower under dry, warm conditions. Therefore, cool humid microhabitats should be avoided by pruning to open up the canopy to increase airflow in the trees and reduce shading. In addition, the use of mulches by reducing standing water in the orchard can further contribute to the reduction of humidity. Precision irrigation should also be incorporated to reduce pooling of water on the ground. Mass trapping, placing numerous traps around the perimeter outside fruit tree fields, is a suitable and cost-effective method only for cultivations where the pest pressure is considerably low, if necessary insecticides could be applied to the surface of the traps to function as an attract-and-kill strategy. Among the sustainable protection techniques for the control of D. suzukii, the use of insect-proof nets has proved effective, reducing or completely replacing the use of insecticides in some instances, and providing high levels of exclusion of D. suzukii from the crop. During the ripening season, sanitary measures such as removal of dropped, infested and over-ripe fruits is suggested. The collection and treatment of infested fruit through sun exposure, disposal in closed containers, crushing, low temperature treatments, bagging and burying, to destroy D. suzukii eggs and larvae are essential IPM procedures to limit the infestation of healthy fruit. The augmentative release of parasitoids and conservation biocontrol of generalist predators, potentially, could contribute to the integrated management of D. suzukii populations, especially in natural habitats close to commercial crops, however further work on the effectiveness of native parasitoids and generalist predators in Europe and the USA, in the field, is required. In this paper, the integration of different tools for D. suzukii control will be discussed, in order to develop effective, eco-friendly and practical strategies for the management of the pest on cherry
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