The southernmost member of the Simulium venustum species group (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Old World: a new species from the Rif Mountains of Morocco.

The polytene chromosomes, larva, pupa, and male are described for the black fly Simulium chaouikaidi n. sp., a member of the Simulium venustum group from Morocco.

Pseudoendemism in Mediterranean black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae): a new record for Africa.

The first record of a European black fly, Simulium ichnusae Rivosecchi & Contini, is documented for Africa, where it was found at elevations above 1000 m in the Djurdjura Mountains of Algeria. Considered an endemic species of Sardinia for 60 years, S. ichnusae must now be regarded as pseudoendemic.

Biomechanical drivers of the evolution of butterflies and moths with a coilable proboscis.

Current biomechanical models suggest that butterflies and moths use their proboscis as a drinking straw pulling nectar as a continuous liquid column. Our analyses revealed an alternative mode for fluid uptake: drinking bubble trains that help defeat drag. We combined X-ray phase-contrast imaging, optical video microscopy, micro-computed tomography, phylogenetic models of evolution and fluid mechanics models of bubble-train formation to understand the biomechanics of butterfly and moth feeding.

Diversity and prevalence of Leucocytozoon in black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) of Thailand.

Background: Leucocytozoonosis, a parasitic disease of birds, is caused by haemosporidian protozoan parasites of the genus Leucocytozoon, which infect diverse avian species, including poultry. These parasites are transmitted by several black fly species, but knowledge of the factors determining the diversity and prevalence in these vectors, which is crucial for fully understanding disease epidemiology, is largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated factors associated with the prevalence and diversity of Leucocytozoon species in black flies from Thailand.

Noncollinear Magnetic Structures in the Chiral Antiperovskite β-FeSeO.

We present the magnetic properties of the chiral, polar, and possibly magnetoelectric antiperovskite β-FeSeO as derived from magnetization and specific-heat measurements as well as from powder neutron diffraction and Mössbauer experiments. Our macroscopic data unambiguously reveal two magnetic phase transitions at ≈ 103 K and ≈ 78 K, while Rietveld analysis of neutron powder diffraction data reveals a noncollinear antiferromagnetic structure featuring magnetic moments in the - plane of the trigonal structure and a ferromagnetic moment along . The latter is allowed by symmetry between and , weakly visible in the magnetization data yet unresolvable microscopically.

First blood-meal record of Simulium asakoae (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Malaysia, with notes on its distribution in Asia and status as a potential vector.

Simulium asakoae Takaoka and Davies has been confirmed to bite humans and has been incriminated as a vector of blood protozoan parasites of the genera Leucocytozoon and Trypanosoma, as well as an unknown filarial parasite in Thailand. However, its attraction to humans has remained uninvestigated in Malaysia. Recently, 27 black flies were collected in Pahang, Malaysia, of which 25 were captured in CO-baited Malaise traps and two were collected from humans during trapping activity.

Peri-Interventional Hemodynamic Management Strategies for Percutaneous Chemosaturation of the Liver in Metastatic Cancer.

Hepatic chemosaturation for inoperable liver tumors is a palliative treatment option with a beneficial effect on survival. However, the procedure regularly leads to circulatory failure during the filtration phase, and hemodynamic management is challenging. Our study aimed to compare two different strategies for hemodynamic management during chemosaturation to develop hypotheses for improving patient care and reducing peri-interventional morbidity.

Scaling-up ecological understanding with remote sensing and causal inference.

Decades of empirical ecological research have focused on understanding ecological dynamics at local scales. Remote sensing products can help to scale-up ecological understanding to support management actions that need to be implemented across large spatial extents. This new avenue for remote sensing applications requires careful consideration of sources of potential bias that can lead to spurious causal relationships.

Black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in the Galapagos Islands: Native or adventive?

Invasive species are a threat to ecosystems worldwide, but determining if a species is adventive or native is not always straightforward. The black flies that inhabit the Galapagos Islands, long known as Simulium ochraceum, are blood-feeding pests of humans and livestock. They first came to the attention of residents in 1989, suggesting a recent arrival.

It's about (taking up) space: Discreteness of individuals and the strength of spatial coexistence mechanisms.

One strand of modern coexistence theory (MCT) partitions invader growth rates (IGR) to quantify how different mechanisms contribute to species coexistence, highlighting fluctuation-dependent mechanisms. A general conclusion from the classical analytic MCT theory is that coexistence mechanisms relying on temporal variation (such as the temporal storage effect) are generally less effective at promoting coexistence than mechanisms relying on spatial or spatiotemporal variation (primarily growth-density covariance). However, the analytic theory assumes continuous population density, and IGRs are calculated for infinitesimally rare invaders that have infinite time to find their preferred habitat and regrow, without ever experiencing intraspecific competition.

Local adaptation to climate facilitates a global invasion.

Local adaptation may facilitate range expansion during invasions, but the mechanisms promoting destructive invasions remain unclear. Cheatgrass (), native to Eurasia and Africa, has invaded globally, with particularly severe impacts in western North America. We sequenced 307 genotypes and conducted controlled experiments.

Ratio changes in blood-feeding and voltinism in black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) over a latitudinal gradient in North America north of Mexico.

We explored how the ratio of blood-feeding behaviour-nonfeeding, bird feeding (ornithophily) and mammal feeding (mammalophily)-and voltinism (univoltine and multivoltine) vary over a latitudinal gradient from Alaska to Florida. These two fixed species traits were divided into five mutually exclusive combinations of trait states-nonfeeding/univoltine, ornithophilic/univoltine, mammalophilic/univoltine, ornithophilic/multivoltine and mammalophilic/multivoltine-within each of three datasets (north, east and west). We found a significant association between location (north, east and west) and trait state, which was driven by the large percentage of nonfeeding females in the north.

Modeling cheatgrass distribution, abundance, and response to climate change as a function of soil microclimate.

Exotic annual grass invasions in water-limited systems cause degradation of native plant and animal communities and increased fire risk. The life history of invasive annual grasses allows for high sensitivity to interannual variability in weather. Current distribution and abundance models derived from remote sensing, however, provide only a coarse understanding of how species respond to weather, making it difficult to anticipate how climate change will affect vulnerability to invasion.

Music influences performance without increasing perceived exertion during high-intensity rowing intervals: a cross-over design study.

Objectives: This study assessed how exposure to slow (SBM) versus fast beat music (FBM) during high-intensity rowing intervals affects performance, heart rate (HR), lactate levels, relative perceived exertion (RPE), and recovery.

Methods: The A/B crossover design involved 21 participants performing 5 × 500 m rowing intervals under two conditions: FBM and SBM. Primary endpoint was the difference in total rowing time.

Wild-caught adult black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) from various ecological landscapes in Malaysia.

Most studies on black flies focus on the taxonomy and ecology of their aquatic stages. Despite posing a public health threat, the adults remain poorly studied in many countries, including Malaysia. The present study represents the first investigation of the distribution of wild-caught black flies from various ecological landscapes and climatic conditions in Malaysia.

The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment in the Upper Chesapeake Bay.

Dairy production is a key agricultural enterprise in the Upper Chesapeake Bay (UCB) basin, where phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) loading contribute to eutrophication. Import of forages and grains and application of mineral fertilizers contribute to nutrient imbalances in the basin. The UCB Long-Term Agroecosystem Research Cropland Common Experiment aims to evaluate diverse crop rotations that minimize the need for imported feed, maximize year-round living cover, and reduce nutrient losses.

Flexural rigidity of hawkmoth antennae depends on the bending direction.

To probe its environment, the flying insect controllably flexes, twists, and maneuvers its antennae by coupling mechanical deformations with the sensory output. We question how the materials properties of insect antennae could influence their performance. A comparative study was conducted on four hawkmoth species: Manduca sexta, Ceratomia catalpae, Manduca quinquemaculata, and Xylophanes tersa.

The LTAR Common Experiment at Upper Chesapeake Bay: Integrated.

Corn (Zea mays) crops harvested as grain in autumn do not provide opportunity for cover crop establishment, which may be remedied by interseeding cover crops into growing corn. Grazing cover crops after corn grain harvest could provide added revenues and increase nutrient cycling in the system while providing additional ecosystem services. However, tradeoffs between cash crop productivity and cover crop inclusion, and use as grazed forage, are not fully understood.

Synthesis and Properties of BaTeS (M = Fe, Mn, Zn) and the Disordered Structural Analog BaGeTeS.

A series of tertiary sulfide-tellurides, BaTeS (M = Fe, Mn, Zn, Ge), has been synthesized by solid-state synthesis. The compounds assume an orthorhombic crystal structure, described by the (No. 63) space group, and are structural analogs of the BaSO (M = Co, Zn) phases.

Discovery of the Larvae and Pupae of the Black Fly () and Breeding Habitats of Potential Pest Species of the . (.) Subgroup (Simuliidae).

Two species of black flies (Simuliidae) in Thailand, Takaoka and Kuvangkadilok, 2000, and Takaoka, Srisuka & Saeung, 2022, are potent vectors of avian blood protozoa of the genera and and are pests of domestic avian species. Although the adults are abundant throughout Thailand, information on their breeding habitats is limited, and the immature stages of are unknown. We collected the larvae and pupae of from the Mekong River, the first-ever record of Simuliidae from this large continental river.

A Catalytic Approach for the Synthesis of Peptide-Oligonucleotides Conjugates in Aqueous Solution or On-Column.

Peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates (POCs) are covalent architectures composed of a DNA or RNA molecules linked to a peptide. These constructs have found widespread applications ranging from hybrid nanomaterials to gene-targeted therapies. Considering the important role of POCs, a new catalytic approach for their preparation is reported here, that could be applied either on solid support in anhydrous media, or post-synthetically in aqueous buffer.