Do fall armyworm’s Metaflumizone resistante populations affect the activity of Trichogramma pretiosum?

The possible interference of resistant pest’s populations to insecticides in natural enemies in the action thas not been clarified yet. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) performance on Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) eggs with resistance frequency to the Metaflumizone over six generations of product exposure. Egg cards (2.0 x 7.0 cm) containing eggs from two populations of S. frugiperda, (resistant to Metaflumizone and the other susceptible), were exposed to T. pretiosum females for 24 hours in free-choice and no-choice testing in three generations (G1, G4, and G6). A completely randomized experimental design was used with 25 replications, each consisting of an egg card (experimental unit) containing 20 eggs. The parameters evaluated were: parasitism (%), emergence (%), sex ratio, number of emerged parasitoids per egg and males/females longevity. ANOVA and Tukey test (P≤ 0.05) were applied on the results. Results showed a reduction in parasitism [41.0% (G1) and 28.4% (G4)], egg emergence (17.5%) and parasitoids/egg [16.2 (G4) and 17.2 (G6)] in eggs originating from the population with resistance frequency. Females emerging from G6 populations eggs without exposure to Metaflumizone had greater longevity (3.5 days more) than the resistant population. The sex ratio and male longevity were not affected. The results indicate a reduction in T. pretiosum activity if S. frugiperda populations have some frequency of resistance to Metaflumizone.

Automated Repair of Process Models with Non-local Constraints Using State-Based Region Theory

State-of-the-art process discovery methods construct free-choice process models from event logs. Consequently, the constructed models do not take into account indirect dependencies between events. Whenever the input behaviour is not free-choice, these methods fail to provide a precise model. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for enhancing free-choice process models by adding non-free-choice constructs discovered a-posteriori via region-based techniques. This allows us to benefit from the performance of existing process discovery methods and the accuracy of the employed fundamental synthesis techniques. We prove that the proposed approach preserves fitness with respect to the event log while improving the precision when indirect dependencies exist. The approach has been implemented and tested on both synthetic and real-life datasets. The results show its effectiveness in repairing models discovered from event logs.

Assessment of Soybean Resistance Level to Pod Sucking Bug Riptortus linearis F. (Hemiptera: Coreidae) based on No-choice and Free-choice Tests

Background: The infestation of the pod sucking bug Riptortus linearis is one of the limiting factors of soybean productivity in Indonesia. The research aims were to identify the level of resistance to the pod sucking bug R. linearis on several soybean genotypes based on the no-choice test (NCT) and free-choice tests (FCT). Methods: The genetic materials used were 49 soybean genotypes. The study was conducted in the Indonesian Legumes and Tuber Crops Research Institute (ILETRI) from August to December 2020, using the randomized block design in triplicates. The evaluation for pod sucking bug resistance was based on NCT and FCT. Result: The FCT resulted in two genotypes with a consistent moderately resistance level (20-40% of damage intensity) to pod sucking bug based on the pod and seed damage intensity. The NCT method resulted in five genotypes as moderately resistant (20-40% of damage intensity) to pod sucking bug based on the seed damage. The NCT resulted in higher average intensity of pod and seed damage (80.25% and 71.23%, respectively) than the FCT (69.91% and 69.09%, respectively). Two soybean genotypes (Degra/Anjasmoro-1-559 and Anjasmoro/IAC100-2-618) with a consistent moderately resistance level could be used for cultivar improvement in the breeding program. The pod trichome density was suggested to be one of the effective morphological defenses against the pod sucking bug attack.

The Reception of Lesia Ukrainka’s Works in German: The Significance of the Concept of “Struggle”

The article examines individual German translations of works by Lesia Ukrainka in various genres, which activate the concept of “struggle.” To establish the linguistic and stylistic analogues, coincidences, and diff erences of the translated works, their typological comparison with the original Ukrainian sources was carried out. It was found that key motifs in the works of Lesia Ukrainka, such as aff ection, resilience, courage, confrontation, and great strength of will and spirit are factors that form the concept of “struggle.” The conceptual meanings and axiological values of the concept of “struggle” created by the poetess are: internal strength and independence; free choice, freedom, and liberty; the desire to have freedom and longing for it as the beginning or continuation of the struggle, a sign of insubordination, the spirit of disobedience; the word as a future weapon for the native language and Ukraine; the desire to prevail; the antithesis of death, sad thoughts, obedience, and others. The analysis revealed that there are some linguistic and stylistic diff erences in the analyzed German translations that are related to the peculiarities of German grammar and word formation. The selection of German equivalents sometimes further reinforces the emphasis of the original text. The concept of “struggle” in Lesia Ukrainka’s works in the analyzed translations into German by well-known translators fully reveals the conceptual picture of the author’s works and expands the possibilities of the reception of Ukrainian linguistic culture for German-speaking readers.

Visual, delay and oculomotor timing and tuning in macaque dorsal pulvinar during instructed and free choice memory saccades

Causal perturbation studies suggest that the primate dorsal pulvinar (dPul) plays a crucial role in target selection and saccade planning, but many of its basic visuomotor neuronal properties are unclear. While some functional aspects of dPul and interconnected frontoparietal areas - such as ipsilesional choice bias after inactivation - are similar, it is not known if dPul neurons share oculomotor response properties of cortical circuitry. In particular, the delay period and choice-related activity have not been explored. Here we investigated visuomotor timing and tuning in macaque dPul during instructed and free choice memory saccades using electrophysiological recordings. Most units (80%) showed significant visual (16%), visuomotor (29%) or motor-related (35%) responses. Visual cue responses were mainly contralaterally-tuned; motor responses showed weak contralateral bias. Saccade-related responses (enhancement and suppression) were more common (64%) than cue-driven responses (45%). Pre-saccadic enhancement was less frequent (9-15% depending on the definition), and only few units exhibited classical visuomotor patterns such as a combination of cue and continuous delay period activity up to the saccade onset, or pre-saccadic ramping. Instead, activity was often suppressed during movement planning (30%) and execution phases (19%). Interestingly, most spatially-selective neurons did not encode the upcoming decision during the delay in free choice trials. Thus, in absence of a visible goal, the dorsal pulvinar has only a limited role in the prospective motor planning, with response patterns partially complementary to its frontoparietal cortical partners. Conversely, prevalent cue and post-saccadic responses imply that the dorsal pulvinar participates in integrating spatial goals with processing across saccades.

Autonomy, (No)human Rights, Illusions, and Expectations in the Digital Age

The article focuses on issues of autonomy, simplification and polarization, illusions and expectations in the digital age. The analysis is based on two trends: (1) frustration and loss of illusions about fundamental values ​such as human rights, justice and the rule of law; (2) immersion in artificial, illusory worlds that create a misperception of reality in private and public spheres of life (this is especially evident in the digital space). The article highlights how both trends are associated with deep injustice and blatant «non-law», as well as almost invisible attacks on justice and the disappearance of law. It is established that the uncertainty and unpredictability of the consequences of many actions in the digital environment, as well as the use of digital tools are rather subtle attacks on autonomy and justice. At the same time, autonomy is threatened by direct and indirect influence of various actors, which leads to simplification of perception, polarization of thoughts, radicalization of views and actions of individuals and groups. The degree of freedom that individuals have today could be difficult to determine or they would have a misconception about how free they are in their actions, thoughts, and choices. Falsely secure illusory worlds, digital identity, information asymmetry, significant imbalance between the interests of the main beneficiaries of digital technologies and their consumers – all this undermines the human capacity for free judgment and free choice and strengthens disbelief in law, including its key elements, especially, human rights.

Regret and Other Emotions Related to Decision-Making: Antecedents, Appraisals, and Phenomenological Aspects

Objectives: The mainstream position on regret in psychological literature is that its necessary conditions are agency and responsibility, that is, to choose freely but badly. Without free choice, other emotions, such as disappointment, are deemed to be elicited when the outcome is worse than expected. In two experiments, we tested the opposite hypothesis that being forced by external circumstances to choose an option inconsistent with one’s own intentions is an important source of regret and a core component of its phenomenology, regardless of the positivity/negativity of the post-decision outcome. Along with regret, four post-decision emotions – anger toward oneself, disappointment, anger toward circumstances, and satisfaction – were investigated to examine their analogies and differences to regret with regard to antecedents, appraisals, and phenomenological aspects.Methods: Through the scenario methodology, we manipulated three variables: choice (free/forced), outcome (positive/negative), and time (short/long time after decision-making). Moreover, we investigated whether responsibility, decision justifiability, and some phenomenological aspects (self-attribution, other attribution, and contentment) mediated the effect exerted by choice, singularly or in interaction with outcome and time, on the five emotions. Each study was conducted with 336 participants, aged 18–60.Results: The results of both studies were similar and supported our hypothesis. In particular, regret elicited by forced choice was always high, regardless of the valence of outcome, whereas free choice elicited regret was high only with a negative outcome. Moreover, regret was unaffected by responsibility and decision justifiability, whereas it was affected by the three phenomenological dimensions.Conclusion: Our results suggest that (1) the prevailing theory of regret is too binding, since it posits as necessary some requirements which are not; (2) the antecedents and phenomenology of regret are broader than it is generally believed; (3) decision-making produces a complex emotional constellation, where the different emotions, singularly and/or in combination, constitute the affective responses to the different aspects of decision-making.