Comparison of pheromone trap design and lures for Spodoptera frugiperda in Togo and genetic characterization of moths caught

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a pest of grain and vegetable crops endemic to the Western Hemisphere that has recently become widespread in sub‐Saharan Africa and has appeared in India. An important tool for monitoring S. frugiperda in the USA is pheromone trapping, which would be of value for use with African populations. Field experiments were conducted in Togo (West Africa) to compare capture of male fall armyworm using three commercially available pheromone lures and three trap designs. The objectives were to identify optimum trap × lure combinations with respect to sensitivity, specificity, and cost. Almost 400 moths were captured during the experiment. Differences were found in the number of S. frugiperda moths captured in the various trap designs and with the three pheromone lures, and in the number of non‐target moths captured with each lure. The merits of each trap × lure combination are discussed with respect to use in Africa. A nearly equal number of COI‐CS (161) and COI‐RS (158) moths was captured with no differences found in COI marker proportions among traps or lures. However, the diagnostic rice strain marker Tpi was rarely found. Overall, the genetic characterization of the pheromone trap collections indicated a consistent distribution of genetic markers from 2016 to 2017, suggesting a population at or near equilibrium.     

Oil red-O stains non-adipogenic cells: a precautionary note

Bovine adipofibroblasts, 3T3-L1 cells, L-6 myogenic cells, and sheep satellite cells were allowed to proliferate for 48 h. Oil red-O (ORO) was dissolved in three different solvents isopropanol, propylene glycol and triethyl phosphate. At 48 h, the proliferative cultures were stained with the three stains. ORO stain prepared in both propylene glycol and triethyl phosphate resulted in bright red droplets appearing in all cultures, whereas ORO dissolved in isopropanol was not taken up by any of the cells. These data suggest that certain preparations of ORO may stain cells in non-adipogenic lineages as well as undifferentiated pre-adipocytes. Caution must be exercised when choosing solvents for ORO in differentiation studies using cells of the fat/adipose lineage.     

The race concept in six regions: variation without consensus

Race, once the central concept in physical anthropology worldwide, now varies in the degree of support it receives in different regions. We present the currently available information on the status of the concept in the United States, the Spanish language areas, Poland, Europe, Russia, and China. Rejection of race ranges from high to low with the highest rejection occurring among anthropologists in the United States (and Canada). Rejection of race is moderate in Europe, sizeable in Poland and Cuba, and lowest in Russia and China. A discussion on the scientific and contextual reasons influencing these variations is presented. The tension between scientific evidence and social influences varies from region to region. The methods used in the studies reported here included questionnaires and content analysis. Response rates to questionnaires were often around 50 percent (with exception of the Polish studies). We discuss reasons for the low rates. Although a uniform method of data gathering is desirable, it may not suit scientists working in different traditions of theory and research. We conclude that it is once again timely to discuss the race concept in international meetings where all scientific and political changes occurring throughout the world in recent past decades are taken into account.     

Fuzzy modeling in symptomatic HIV virus infected population

This paper introduces a model for the evolution of positive HIV population and manifestation of AIDS (acquired immunideficiency syndrome). The focus is on the nature of the transference rate of HIV to AIDS. Expert knowledge indicates that the transference rate is uncertain and depends strongly on the viral load and the CD4+ level of the infected individuals. Here, we suggest to view the transference rate as a fuzzy set of the viral load and CD4+ level values. In this case the dynamic model results in a fuzzy model that preserves the biological meaning and nature of the transference rate λ. Its behavior fits the natural history of HIV infection reported in the medical science domain. The paper also includes a comparison between the fuzzy model and a classic Anderson’s model using data reported in the literature.     

Tormopsolus orientalis Yamaguti, 1934 (Digenea: Acanthocolpidae) from Seriola dumerili (Risso) (Perciformes: Carangidae) in the western Mediterranean Sea

Tormopsolus orientalis Yamaguti, 1934, is redescribed from Seriola dumerili from off Corsica, Majorca and Águilas, SE Spain. The vitellarium is interrupted at the level of the ovary and both testes, and a bipartite seminal vesicle is found in many specimens. Oral sucker papillae are always seen. Type-specimens and voucher specimens from off Japan, Bermuda, Panama, Curaçao and the Great Barrier Reef have been compared with the Mediterranean species. Specimens of T. medius Reimer, 1983, from Mozambique have been studied and this species is synonymised with T. orientalis.     

The phylogenetic position of the zokors (Myospalacinae) and comments on the families of muroids (Rodentia)

Recent molecular studies have concluded that the genus Myospalax evolved from within the rodent subfamily Cricetinae. This conclusion was tested using the complete sequences from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome b genes. Based on our analyses, Myospalax appears to be sister to a clade containing the subfamilies Spalacinae and Rhizomyinae, and all three of these lineages appear to be basal to the superfamily Muroidea. Based on the position of these three lineages, we suggest that they be placed in a distinct family, the Spalacidae, rather than subsumed as subfamilies in the family Muridae. Finally, our analyses suggest that the earlier placement of Myospalax as a member of the Cricetinae is the result of a single misidentified specimen, which was not a Myospalax.