Search results for "Insect Science"

Phenotypic analysis of peripheral lymphocyte subpopulations in hydatid patients.

1999

Peripheral T-lymphocytes were analyzed in three groups of people: (1) individuals with current liver hydatid disease (hydatid patients, n = 20), (2) persons who had undergone surgical cyst removal at least 2 years previously (recovered patients, n = 9), and (3) a control group of healthy volunteers (uninfected controls, n = 13). Group 1 was subdivided according to cyst status, relapse of disease, and the presence or absence of symptoms. Percentages of lymphocytes expressing CD3, CD4, CD8, CD56, CD25, CD45RA, CD45RO, and HLA-DR were determined. Symptomatic patients had proportionally fewer CD3+ CD8 + lymphocytes than the control group (P=0.038). Hydatid patients with active cysts had proport…

Differences in contractile behaviour between the soleus and medial gastrocnemius muscles during human walking

2012

The functional roles of individual lower limb muscles during human walking may differ depending on walking speed or duration. In this study, 11 volunteers walked on a treadmill for 60 min at speeds corresponding to both optimal and 20% above optimal energetic cost of transport whilst oxygen consumption and medial gastrocnemius (MG) and soleus fascicle lengths were measured. Although energetic cost of transport was ∼12% higher at the faster speed, it remained constant over 60 min at both speeds, suggesting that humans can walk for prolonged periods at a range of speeds without compromising energetic efficiency. The fascicles of both muscles exhibited rather ‘isometric’ behaviour during the e…

In vivo mechanical response of human Achilles tendon to a single bout of hopping exercise

2010

SUMMARY Stiffness of the human Achilles tendon (AT) was determined in vivo before and after a single bout of hopping exercise. It was hypothesized, based on published data using in vitro specimens, that a reduction in AT stiffness may occur after just 1000 loading cycles at physiological stress levels. Ten healthy subjects performed two-legged hopping exercise consisting of 1150–2600 high impacts. Tendon stiffness was determined in several isometric ramp contractions [20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)] during which tendon elongation was measured using ultrasonography and two cameras. Tendon force was calculated by dividing measured ankle torque by magnetic reso…

The requirement for the inclusion of formulation efficacy trials in pesticide preregistration evaluations

2008

BACKGROUND: Optimization of biocide use could serve to reduce the risks of biocides on human health. To optimize the risk/benefit ratio, it is important to develop procedures for evaluating the efficacy of biocide formulations. The authors examined the effectiveness of ten pyrethroid insecticide aerosol formulations registered for the household control of flies. Tests were performed using adult Musca domestica L. Knockdown effects and mortality were measured in a test chamber using the manufacturer's recommended discharge time. RESULTS: The knockdown effect varied greatly between aerosols of similar composition. The knockdown 15 min post-treatment was 66–98% for flies placed 120 cm above fl…

Mitogenomics of the Olive Seed Weevil, Anchonocranus oleae Marshall and Implications for Its Phylogenetic Position in Curculionidae

2022

Anchonocranus oleae Marshall (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a seed-feeding weevil native to southern Africa; its larvae are known to develop in the fruits of the African Wild Olive and, more rarely, cultivated olives. The species has been mainly found in the Western Cape province of South Africa, but it has remained in relative obscurity because it does not seem to represent a current threat to commercial olive production. As part of an ongoing effort to produce baseline genetic data for olive-associated entomofauna in South Africa, we generated reference DNA barcodes for A. oleae collected from wild and cultivated olives and sequenced its mitogenome for assessment of the phylogenetic posit…

About Methods of Beekeeping

1936

Enhancement of the Diversity of Pollinators and Beneficial Insects in Intensively Managed Vineyards

2021

Simple Summary The continuous intensification of agricultural production has resulted in higher yields and more yield security. However, these achievements went along with the substitution of heterogeneous agricultural landscapes by homogeneous ones with poor crop diversity, short crop rotations, and thanks to the high efficacy of modern herbicides and also to minimum in-crop diversity. A severe increase in plot size led to the elimination of ecologically valuable structural elements that had provided floral resources and nesting sites. Over the few last decades, several studies have been conducted to try to find solutions against insect decline and to preserve biodiversity. In the present …

Optimal timing of power line rights-of-ways management for the conservation of butterflies

2012

Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation are the main threats to biodiversity. Human activities also create new habitat types that might fulfil ecological requirements for a variety of species. This study investigates whether the vegetation clearing (=shrub and tree cutting) on drained mire patches on power line rights-of-ways (ROWs) keep plant communities in an early successional stage and thus provide habitats for mire specialist and non-mire butterflies. It was further studied what would be the optimal clearing interval in terms of butterfly species richness and abundance. The results show that tree height, especially the height of birch, increases linearly over the 7-year period fol…

Research onOrobanche crenata management in sicily from the 19 th to the early 20 th century

2006

In order to offer hints for new research, the agronomic techniques used to manageOrobanche crenata in Sicily in the late 19 th and early 20 th Century are examined; the publications in which they were originally described can be obtained only with difficulty. Hand pulling, resistant cultivars and late sowing are the techniques used nowadays. Screening for resistance to broomrape of the traditional cultivars of broad bean, and for the influence of sowing density on broomrape infestations, is still to be done.

Chromosome studies in North-Western Sicily males of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus

2016

Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), known as red palm weevil (RPW) was accidentally introduced and established in Sicily (Italy) since 2005. As like in other Mediterranean sites, RPW has been causing extensive damage to palm trees and on its new host Phoenix canariensis Chabaud (Canary Island palms), acquired concomitantly with the colonization of the area. RPW shows a good ecological plasticity and slightly but significant morphological polymorphism (colour patterns and length of the rostrum in male individuals) that can be appreciated within different geographical populations. The aim of the present work was to investigate if this ecological plasticity and phenotypic variability can be a…