Wide recognition of Culex pipiens and lack of detection of Culex torrentium through biomolecular differentiation of mosquitoes in the Emilia‐Romagna region,Northern Italy

The Culex pipiens complex includes species with reported differences in vector competence for arthropod‐borne viruses, many of which are of significant importance to human health such as the West Nile virus and the Sindbis virus. This group of mosquitoes is difficult to distinguish morphologically; particularly as adult females. In Europe, the two species of the complex, Culex pipiens Linnaeus 1758 and Culex torrentium Martini 1925, are often found sympatrically. With the aim to characterize the presence and spread of both species in the Emilia‐Romagna region, Northern Italy, mosquitoes of the complex – collected during the West Nile virus surveillance plans – were tested by multiplex real‐time PCR for the detection of the two species Cx. pipiens and Cx. torrentium. A total of 24 165 mosquitoes, collected between 2012 and 2014 from 105 sites, and sorted in 204 pools, were tested. All tested pools were found to be composed of Cx. pipiens, whereas Cx. torrentium was not detected. These results indicate a likely absence of Cx. torrentium mosquitoes within the surveyed territory, whereas Cx. pipiens is widely distributed in the area mentioned. This is in line with previous reports, which describe a pre‐alpine distribution of Cx. torrentium in Italy.     

DETECTION OF THE RED PALM WEEVIL RHYNCHOPHORUS FERRUGINEUS USING ITS BIOACOUSTICS FEATURES

ABSTRACT

The Red Palm Weevil (RPW) is the most destructive pest of the date palm in the world and a serious pest of coconuts. The insect has caused up to 20% loss of these plantations in Asia and the Middle East. The economic damage to palm crops due to RPW could be mitigated significantly by bioacoustics recognition in an earlier phase of infestation and by applying the appropriate treatment. This study is conducted under the hypothesis that distinctive spectral and temporal features in RPW larval sounds can be combined to construct improved indicators for automated detection of infestations. In this paper, a signal processing system is developed with available acoustic technology to detect the existence of RPW in a tree through its feeding sounds. A large set of features are extracted, including unconventional features such as temporal roll-off, temporal slope and temporal spread. Additionally, an analysis is provided of the criteria for the choice of the optimum frame length, as well as the selection of the suitable window function. The results confirm the efficiency of the developed system with the selected representative features, window functions and frame length to detect the existence of the RPW.     

应用中国和欧洲油菜建立的双二倍体群体对3个重要农艺性状的QTL定位以及与环境的互作分析

以中国的高油分自交系“高油”和欧洲高含油量品种“Sollux”的F1产生的282个株系组成的双二倍体(DH)群体为材料,在125个SSR标记座位构建的连锁图谱基础上,根据在中国和欧洲四个不同环境下的表型鉴定结果,采用混合线性模型基础上的QTL分析软件,对油菜3个重要农艺性状:株高,开花期和成熟期进行了数量性状基因座位(QTL)的联合定位分析,估测了这些QTL的加性、上位性以及与环境的互作效应。结果表明各性状均受多个加性、加加上位以及与环境互作的QTL控制。株高受多个QTL影响(12个位点具有加性或兼有环境互作效应,5个位点具有互作效应),以加性效应为主,加性效应总和可解释定位群体表型变异的75%左右,并多兼有上位性效应。12个主效QTL中,9个是“高油”等位基因相对“Sollux”有降低株高的作用,大多数加性×环境互作QTL的有效等位基因具有环境选择特异性。7个ae基因座位中,5个“高油”等位基因在杭州种植环境下,除一例外所有在德国环境下的互作基因座中,“Sollux”等位基因起着增加株高的作用,加加上位性主效总和为加性主效总和的三分之一。7个控制花期和8个控制成熟期的主效QTL中,分别有6个和5个是来自“高油”的等位基因相对“Sollux”具有提前开花和成熟的效应,这些QTL的效应总和占到性状表型变异的60%左右。5个位于第2和第12连锁群中的2个大效应QTL可能和已多次报导的VFN1和VFN3基因相近或相同。开花期和成熟期两性状均检测到显著的ae互作效应,双亲等位基因的效应在各环境下呈离散分布。位于14和19连锁群上的两个主效株高QTL同时也是控制开花期和油分含量的基因位点,因而利用这两个位点进行标记辅助筛选时要考虑到对油分含量的影响。控制成熟期的8个主效QTL中有3个同时也是控制开花期的基因座位,证实了开花期和成熟期高度正相关的遗传基础,两个生育性状均表现有较弱的QTL间加加上位互作,但以主效QTL的作用为主。     

Black lesions of the skin

Benign melanocytic lesions include lentigo, ephelid (freckle), pigmented nevus, sacral spot, blue nevus, and combined nevus and blue nevus. Malignant melanocytic lesions are melanomas, which arise from melanocytes at the epidermodermal junction, or, rarely, from blue nevi. They usually originate in brown plaques known as lentigo maligna, in pigmented nevi, or in normal skin. Melanoma is diagnosed clinically in less than 50 per cent of instances. Biopsy is therefore of great importance, since practically all melanoma can be cured by adequate early resection.