Including the use phase in LCA of floor coverings

The results from two previously published case studies were used to assess the importance of use-related emissions from building materials in a life cycle perspective. The first study was an LCA study of linoleum, vinyl flooring, and solid wood flooring, while the second study examined the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted by these floorings. For linoleum and vinyl flooring, the emitted amounts for the use phase are of much the same magnitude as those emitted in the rest of the life cycle, but in the case of solid wood flooring the emissions of the use phase far exceed those of the remaining life cycle. The ranking of the selected floorings in the LCA study did not change when the impact of the use phase was also considered. This study recommends that LCAs should not neglect flooring-related emissions in the use phase when assessing regional and global environmental effects.     

Exoskeletons and economics: indoor arthropod diversity increases in affluent neighbourhoods

In urban ecosystems, socioeconomics contribute to patterns of biodiversity. The ‘luxury effect’, in which wealthier neighbourhoods are more biologically diverse, has been observed for plants, birds, bats and lizards. Here, we used data from a survey of indoor arthropod diversity (defined throughout as family-level richness) from 50 urban houses and found that house size, surrounding vegetation, as well as mean neighbourhood income best predict the number of kinds of arthropods found indoors. Our finding, that homes in wealthier neighbourhoods host higher indoor arthropod diversity (consisting of primarily non-pest species), shows that the luxury effect can extend to the indoor environment. The effect of mean neighbourhood income on indoor arthropod diversity was particularly strong for individual houses that lacked high surrounding vegetation ground cover, suggesting that neighbourhood dynamics can compensate for local choices of homeowners. Our work suggests that the management of neighbourhoods and cities can have effects on biodiversity that can extend from trees and birds all the way to the arthropod life in bedrooms and basements.     

Egg load of lab-cultured <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anaphes iole</Emphasis> and effects of mate presence and exposure time on load depletion

Anaphes iole Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is a solitary egg parasitoid of Lygus bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae) in North America. This research considered factors that might impact the egg load of lab-cultured A .iole females, reared from Lygus hesperus Knight egg patches. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) egg load was related to body size and not affected by female age, and (2) egg load depletion was not affected by mate presence and time (in days) that females were exposed to host patches. Initial egg load averaged 48 mature eggs and no immature eggs were detected in the ovarioles of dissected females. Egg load was neither related to body size (hind tibia or forewing length) nor affected significantly by age (0, 1 or 2days old honey-fed females). Mate presence (females with or without males) and exposure time (1, 3 or 5days on the same host patch) had no effect on egg load depletion. Females usually depleted most of their egg load within 24h. From 86 to 92% of females contained less than six mature eggs and no immature eggs after 1, 3 or 5days of exposure to host patches. The results of this study suggest that A. iole females are certainly pro-ovigenic and initial egg load does not correlate with body size or age. Since mated and unmated females deplete most of their egg load in 24h, time-efficient production of progeny may result when ovipositing parasitoids are exposed to suitable hosts for just a few days.The United States Government has the right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright of this article. This article reports the results of research only. Mention of a commercial or proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement of the product by the United States Department of Agriculture.     

Comparison of populations of mould species in homes in the UK and USA using mould-specific quantitative PCR

AIMS: To compare the populations of 81 mould species in homes in the USA and UK using mould-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (MSQPCR) technology. METHODS AND RESULTS: Dust samples were obtained from randomly selected homes in the UK (n=11). The mould populations in British homes were compared with those found in typical homes (no visible mould) in the USA (in the state of Ohio, n=45). Only 13 of 81 species screened showed significantly different concentrations in these two sets of home. CONCLUSIONS: Although only a small survey, the results suggest that typical mould profiles in the USA (Ohio) and British homes are very similar. Analysis of 26 mould indicator species revealed that the British homes fell into two clusters, tentatively identified as 'atypical' and 'typical' mould conditions. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: MSQPCR analysis of dust samples can provide an objective measure of indoor moulds which could lead to better management of their health effects.     

Dustborne fungi in large office buildings

Fungi are ubiquitous in our daily environments. However, their effects on office workers' health are of great interest to many environmental health researchers. Dust has been considered an important reservoir of indoor fungi from which aerosolization and exposure could occur. We have examined the characteristics of dustborne fungal populations recovered from floors and chairs in office buildings. We investigated twenty-one offices in four office buildings in Boston, MA over a year beginning May 1997. We conducted intensive environmental sampling every six weeks to measure culturable dustborne fungi from floors and chairs, surface dust levels and water activity in carpeting. Carbon dioxide, temperature, and relative humidity were monitored continuously. Concentrations of total dustborne fungi recovered from floors were positively related to carbon dioxide ( = 0.00064; p-value = 0.0002) and temperatures between 20 and 22.5 °C (p-value = 0.0026). Also, total fungal concentrations in floors gradually increased over the year (p-value = 0.0028). Total fungi recovered from chairs varied significantly by season (p-value < 0.0001),highest in September and lowest in March, and were positively correlated with dust loads in floors ( = 0.25; p-value < 0.0001). We used principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce various observed fungal species to fewer factors. Six groups(PCA factors) were obtained for dustborne fungi recovered from both floors and chairs. The models of the first PCA factors for both floors and chairs were similar to those for total fungal concentrations. The results of this study provide essential information to further evaluate the effects of dustborne fungi on office workers' health.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

一种珍稀蝴蝶大帛斑蝶Idea leuconoe(Eriehson)的人工饲养方法

【目的】针对现有大帛斑蝶Idea leuconoe(Eriehson)饲养方法中无法有效回避高温造成的成虫大量死亡,卵空壳或干瘪失水的问题,本研究发明了一种新的繁殖网纹室来规模化人工饲养大帛斑蝶的方法。【方法】本研究测定了在新发明和普通繁殖网纹室的饲养下,大帛斑蝶的存活、交配成功率、产卵量和卵孵化率,并对新发明和普通繁殖网纹室之间的参数进行了对比。【结果】采用新发明繁殖网纹室饲养的大帛斑蝶幼虫化蛹率为90.75%±1.12%,蛹羽化率为91.36%±2.43%,均维持在90%以上,均极显著高于普通繁殖网纹室;从幼虫发育到成虫的存活率为82.93%±2.55%,也极显著高于普通繁殖网纹室;在15日龄内,相对于普通繁殖网纹室,新发明繁殖网纹室饲养的存活的成虫,取食频率较高,活跃性较高,虫体比较健壮,且此时成虫存活率显著较高,为81.22%±2.07%;利用新发明繁殖网纹室饲养的成虫,其雌蝶交配成功率为81.67%±4.77%,每雌产卵量为(269.32±9.85)粒,卵孵化率为85.88%±1.93%,均极显著高于普通繁殖网纹室;本研究新发明的繁殖网纹室,可以有效的营造一个温度显著低于空气温度的小环境,供大帛斑蝶躲避高温灼伤。【结论】通过在本研究新发明繁殖网纹室的饲养,大帛斑蝶存活率、交配成功率和繁殖力均维持在较高的水平上,显著高于普通繁殖网纹室,能够保证为市场提供充足的大帛斑蝶虫源,避免农民养殖户的损失。     

Comparative biology and life tables of Trichogramma cacoeciae,T. brassicae and T. evanescens (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) with Ephestia kuehniella and Cadra cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as hosts at three constant temperatures

Egg parasitoids of the genus Trichogramma (Hym. Trichogrammatidae) have been successfully utilized for biocontrol of several Lepidopteran pests worldwide. Because of their low host specificity Trichogramma can be mass reared more easily in large numbers and on different natural and factitious hosts. Life table parameters were assessed for Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchall, T. evanescens Westwood and T. brassicae Bezdenko on Ephestia kuehniella Zeller and Cadra cautella Walker at three temperatures (20, 25 and 30°C) as the potential factitious hosts for mass rearing. Female longevity ranged between 9.77 and 2.56 days in our experiments. Fecundity ranged from 73 to 91 parasitized eggs in C. cautella and 76–109 parasitized eggs in E. kuehniella. T. brassicae exhibit similar values of the intrinsic rate of increase ratio (r _m) 0.5407 and 0.5478; the finite rates of increase (λ) were 1.717 and 1.7295 and the doubling times 1.28 and 1.26 at 25 and 30°C, respectively, in C. cautella. The mean duration of one generation (T) varied between 8.25 and 13.37 days for T. cacoeciae, 8.14 and 13.47 days for T. brassicae and 8.23 and 13.18 days for T. evanescens in C. cautella. Generation times for T. cacoeciae varied between 8.23 and 14.68 days, 8.28 and 14.37 days for T. brassicae, and 7.74 and 14.58 days for T. evanescens in E. kuehniella eggs. Both species (T. cacoeciae, T. brassicae) had the same intrinsic rate of increase (r _m; 0.5700 and 0.5704), finite rate of increase (λ; 1.7682, 1.7691) and doubling time (Dt, 1.21) at 30°C in E. kuehniella, respectively.     

Artificial diet sandwich reveals subsocial behaviour in the coffee berry borer Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)

An artificial diet sandwich, consisting of coffee berry borer artificial diet within two glass plates, has been developed to elucidate the behaviour of the coffee berry borer, an insect that in nature spends most of its life cycle inside the coffee berry. Various types of behaviour have been observed for the first time, including gallery construction, oviposition, gallery blocking, mating and most remarkably, subsocial tasks such as maternal sanitation and tending of eggs and larvae. This observational technique is a breakthrough for studies and manipulations of the coffee berry borer's social behaviour and could be applicable to other bark beetles, consequently yielding important insights into the origin of parental care in scolytine beetles.     

中华真地鳖在饲养池内的分布格局

运用扩散系数、聚集指数、平均拥挤度、聚块性指数和负二相参数等指标比较分析了中华真地鳖EupolyphagasinensisWalker在饲养池内的空间分布格局。结果显示 ,中华真地鳖在饲养池内的空间分布格局为聚集分布 ,并喜好聚集在饲养池的边缘。随着虫口密度的增大 ,向饲养池中央扩散。