Search results for " Biochemistry"
showing 10 items of 5648 documents
Self-organized dynamics in spatially structured populations
2001
Self-organization and pattern formation represent the emergence of order in temporal and spatial processes. Self-organization in population ecology is gaining attention due to the recent advances concerning temporal fluctuations in the population size of dispersal-linked subunits. We shall report that spatially structured models of population renewal promote the emergence of a complex power law order in spatial population dynamics. We analyse a variety of population models showing that self-organization can be identified as a temporal match in population dynamics among local units, and how the synchrony changes in time. Our theoretical results are concordant with analyses of population data…
The irreducible uncertainty of the demography–environment interaction in ecology
2002
The interpretation of ecological data has been greatly improved by bridging the gap between ecological and statistical models. The major challenge is to separate competing hypotheses concerning demography, or other ecological relationships, and environmental variability (noise). In this paper we demonstrate that this may be an arduous, if not impossible, task. It is the lack of adequate ecological theory, rather than statistical sophistication, which leads to this problem. A reconstruction of underlying ecological processes can only be done if we are certain of either the demographic or the noise model, which is something that can only be achieved by an improved theory of stochastic ecologi…
Testing the habituation assumption underlying models of parasitoid foraging behavior
2016
BackgroundHabituation, a form of non-associative learning, has several well-defined characteristics that apply to a wide range of physiological and behavioral responses in many organisms. In classic patch time allocation models, habituation is considered to be a major mechanistic component of parasitoid behavioral strategies. However, parasitoid behavioral responses to host cues have not previously been tested for the known, specific characteristics of habituation.MethodsIn the laboratory, we tested whether the foraging behavior of the egg parasitoidTrissolcus basalisshows specific characteristics of habituation in response to consecutive encounters with patches of host (Nezara viridula) ch…
Spatial distribution ofVespa velutinaindividuals hunting at domestic honeybee hives: heterogeneity at a local scale
2014
Since its recent introduction into Europe, the yellow-legged hornet, Vespa velutina, has become a major predator of the domestic honeybee, Apis mellifera, but little is known about its hunting behavior. We studied V. velutina hunting behavior by a capture-mark-recapture procedure in an experimental apiary. A total of 360 hornets were captured and tagged, and we determined: (i) the number of hornets visiting the apiary and the changes in time, (ii) the average number of individual visits per half-day and the time elapsed between consecutive recaptures, and (iii) the individual and global distribution of the hornets in the apiary. More than 50% of the marked hornets were recaptured at least o…
Behavioral syndrome in a native and an invasive hymenoptera species
2014
Recent studies have focused on the role of behavior in biological invasions. Individuals may differ consistently in time for several behavioral traits (personality) which covary(behavioralsyndrome)resultingindifferentbehavioraltypes,someofthemfavoring invasion. Social hymenopterans have a strong potential to be invaders and their success depends primarily on the foundresses' ability to found viable colonies. They are expected to be active, explorative and bold for optimally establishing their nest. In Europe, 2 hornet species coexist: the native Vespa crabro and the invasive Vespa velutina. These 2 species may compete for nesting sites and we suggest that the initial success of V. velutina …
Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction development for rapid detection of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus and comparison with othe…
2019
Background Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a highly infectious tobamovirus that causes severe disease in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crops. In Italy, the first ToBRFV outbreak occurred in 2018 in several provinces of the Sicily region. ToBRFV outbreak represents a serious threat for tomato crops in Italy and the Mediterranean Basin. Methods Molecular and biological characterisation of the Sicilian ToBRFV ToB-SIC01/19 isolate was performed, and a sensitive and specific Real-time RT-PCR TaqMan minor groove binder probe method was developed to detect ToBRFV in infected plants and seeds. Moreover, four different sample preparation procedures (immunocapture, total RNA extractio…
Variation and covariation in infectivity, virulence and immunodepression in the host-parasite association Gammarus pulex-Pomphorhynchus laevis.
2009
Parasites often manipulate host immunity for their own benefit, either by exacerbating or suppressing the immune response and this may directly affect the expression of parasite virulence. However, genetic variation in immunodepression, which is a prerequisite to its evolution, and the relationship between immunodepression and virulence, have rarely been studied. Here, we investigated the variation among sibships of the acanthocephalan parasite, Pomphorhynchus laevis , in infecting and in immunodepressing its amphipod host, Gammarus pulex . We also assessed the covariation between infectivity, parasite-induced immune depression and host mortality (parasite virulence). We found that infecti…
Parasite and host assemblages: embracing the reality will improve our knowledge of parasite transmission and virulence.
2010
10 pages; International audience; Interactions involving several parasite species (multi-parasitized hosts) or several host species (multi-host parasites) are the rule in nature. Only a few studies have investigated these realistic, but complex, situations from an evolutionary perspective. Consequently, their impact on the evolution of parasite virulence and transmission remains poorly understood. The mechanisms by which multiple infections may influence virulence and transmission include the dynamics of intrahost competition, mediation by the host immune system and an increase in parasite genetic recombination. Theoretical investigations have yet to be conducted to determine which of these…
Première contribution à l'étude des mycorhizes des îles Kerguelen
1999
Abstract Until recently mycorrhizae had not been studied in the Antarctic region. Some studies have demonstrated that mycorrhizae occur in some southern circumpolar islands. This paper gives the first results on the mycorrhizae in the Kerguelen islands (Sub-antarctic). Twenty-one plant root systems, fixed in the field, were examined microscopically in the laboratory to determine their mycorrhizal status. No ectomycorrhiza, arbutoid or ericoid were noted. Six plant species showed vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae: Ranunculus biternatus, Galium antarcticum, Festuca erecta, Poa kerguelensis, Agrostis magellanica and Poa annua. However, the mycorrhizal status varied according to the site studied.
Identification d'arômes par CPG-SM
1997
National audience