Methods for estimating and modelling spruce budworm development rates at constant temperatures

We describe an experimental protocol for measuring the response of spruce budworm postdiapause larval development to temperature. This protocol is specifically designed to include measurements of development near their upper and lower thermal thresholds. The application of this protocol to a laboratory colony allowed for the first experimental evidence that spruce budworm larval development occurs at temperatures as low as 5 °C and as high as 35 °C, and it provides data to fit stage-specific development models. Our protocol is also designed to minimise mortality near the thermal development thresholds, thus allowing for multigenerational studies. We observed developmental plasticity in larvae reared at constant temperatures, particularly the occurrence of up to 42% of some individuals requiring only five instars to complete development compared to the expected six instars. The occurrence exhibited no clear relation to temperature. Although this protocol is specifically designed for spruce budworm, it provides a template for the study of other species’ developmental responses to temperature.

Drosophila renal stem cells enhance fitness by delayed remodeling of adult Malpighian tubules

Drosophila renal stem cells (RSCs) contradict the common expectation that stem cells maintain tissue homeostasis. RSCs are abundant, quiescent and confined to the peri-ureter region of the kidney-like Malpighian tubules (MTs). Although derived during pupation like intestinal stem cells, RSCs initially remodel the larval MTs only near the intestinal junction. However, following adult injury to the ureter by xanthine stones, RSCs remodel the damaged region in a similar manner. Thus, RSCs represent stem cells encoding a developmental redesign. The remodeled tubules have a larger luminal diameter and shorter brush border, changes linked to enhanced stone resistance. However, RSC-mediated modifications also raise salt sensitivity and reduce fecundity. Our results suggest that RSCs arose by arresting developmental progenitors to preserve larval physiology until a time in adulthood when it becomes advantageous to complete development by RSC activation.One-Sentence SummaryActivated Drosophila renal stem cells rebuild the adult Malphigian tubules using a less efficient but more stone-resistant design.

Transforming a home refrigerator into a BOD prototype for statice vernalization

Vernalization, natural or artificial, is a physiological requirement of some plants to meet the need for low temperatures for its complete development to occur. The objective of this article is to describe a protocol of transforming a domestic refrigerator into a BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) prototype aimed at vernalizing propagating materials statice crop. The first step is to install a temperature controller to maintain a constant temperature inside the refrigerator (10 °C). Thinking of seedling vernalization, it is still necessary to install a system of lights inside the refrigerator. The control of the time that the lights remain on inside the prototype is carried out by installing a Timer adjusted so that the lights remained on, uninterruptedly, for 10 hours. To test the effective ness of the prototype, an on-farm experiment was carried out with the statice (Limonium sinuatum L.) crop at 5 locations in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The seedlings were vernalized at an internal temperature of 10 °C and photoperiod of 10 hours for 3 weeks. The duration of this experiment was 8 months and at the end of this observed that statice plants were correctly vernalized because the plants emitted flower stems and showed satisfactory development throughout the growing cycle. Therefore, that the adaptation of a domestic refrigerator as a BOD economically viable and easy mounting prototype is possible. Being an excellent alternative to small producers.

Potential of Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) on Tetranychus truncatus Ehara (Prostigmata: Tetranychidae)

Efficiency, functional and numerical responses of anthocorid bug Blaptostethus pallescens Poppius on the spider mite, Tetranychus truncatus Ehara were examined under laboratory conditions. Nymphs of B. pallescens exhibited a Hollings type II functional response when females of spider mite were offered at densities of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 mites/bug. Individual fifth instar bugs consumed up to 45.3 adult females of T. truncatus in 24 h at prey mite densities of 60 mites/ bug. Studies on numerical response revealed that the nymphs of the anthocorid bug failed to complete development when the food was restricted to mite alone. Numerical response studies on adult bugs, when offered T. truncatus at densities of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 females showed no significant differences in the average fecundity of the female bug. Results indicate that the anthocorid predator, B. pallescens has a very high predatory potential though with a weak numerical response.

Anatomical and Histological Studies of Grafted Tomato with Interspecific Solanaceous Rootstocks

A study was carried out at the Department of Vegetable Science, Horticultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,India during 2019-2020 to assess the anatomical and histological changes within the graft union of tomato and identify compatible rootstocks for improved propagation of the crop. This experiment involved rootstocks of three wild tomatoes including Solanum torvum, S. sisymbrifolium and S. capsicoides and scions of two tomato hybrids including TNAU tomato hybrid CO3 and Shivam. The grafting was done using the cleft grafting method. The anatomical and histological sections of six graft combinations and two tomato scion samples were viewed microscopically at 7, 14 and 21 days after grafting (DAG). Among the six tomato graft combinations, S. torvum rootstock showed complete development of vascular connection at 21 DAG followed by S. sisymbrifolium rootstock, whereas S. capsicoides rootstock showed only callus growth at 14 DAG. Scion growth dominated the rootstock growth in S. torvum rootstock leading to mismatch of scion-rootstock stem thickness and delayed epinasty symptom at the later stages of plant growth. Of the rootstocks of the three species studied, S. sisymbrifolium rootstock was compatible for tomato grafting though it exhibited delayed vascular connection between the scion and rootstock.

Foreign economic activity: taxation, accounting, analysis and audit

The textbook deals with the problems of conducting foreign economic activity from the point of view of taxation, accounting, analysis, audit, application of Russian and international legislation regulating this type of activity. All theoretical provisions are analyzed on the example of practical situations that arise in real practice. The presented theoretical material and practical situations are designed to help master the conduct of foreign economic activity. The textbook contains diagrams, tables of typical operations, sample documents, verification tests on each topic, practical tasks and applications of the necessary documents for a more complete development of the discipline. Meets the requirements of the federal state educational standards of higher education of the latest generation. For bachelors, undergraduates, postgraduates studying in economic programs and studying foreign economic activity in depth, the textbook will also be useful for teachers of economic faculties of universities and practitioners.

Exploring the Use of Cognitive Work Analysis in Developing a Nuclear Power Plant New-State Vision

The United States nuclear industry needs to identify and implement a new strategy that will lower operating and maintenance costs while maintaining safety for existing plants. The industry must also have a clear and strategic vision of this transformative new state that focuses on ways in which technologies can be integrated to maximize the benefits of technology and people. While there are ongoing efforts in this area, this work discusses how the use of cognitive work analysis may offer further support. This paper provides an overview of cognitive work analysis, as well as the state of current new-state development efforts. The use of cognitive work analysis as a tool to enhance existing practices is presented to ensure the systematic and complete development of a new state vision.

Best Practices for the Deployment of Edge Inference: The Conclusions to Start Designing

The number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) designs is rapidly increasing and certain concerns are raised on how to start an AI design for edge systems, what are the steps to follow and what are the critical pieces towards the most optimal performance. The complete development flow undergoes two distinct phases; training and inference. During training, all the weights are calculated through optimization and back propagation of the network. The training phase is executed with the use of 32-bit floating point arithmetic as this is the convenient format for GPU platforms. The inference phase on the other hand, uses a trained network with new data. The sensitive optimization and back propagation phases are removed and forward propagation is only used. A much lower bit-width and fixed point arithmetic is used aiming a good result with reduced footprint and power consumption. This study follows the survey based process and it is aimed to provide answers such as to clarify all AI edge hardware design aspects from the concept to the final implementation and evaluation. The technology as frameworks and procedures are presented to the order of execution for a complete design cycle with guaranteed success.

The Ghost of the Nephew: Napoleon iii in “The Demons” by F. M. Dostoevsky

The article contains an analysis of one of the references to Emperor Napoleon iii in the preparatory materials of F. M. Dostoevsky for The Demons. In addition, the hypothesis of Louis Bonaparte as one of the prototypes of Peter Verkhovensky is considered. This assumption is based on the material of Dostoevsky’s notebooks and has already been expressed by V. A. Tunimanov and A. Pekurovskaya, although it has not yet received complete development. The article shows what are the details of Napoleon iii’s biography, what are the elements of his political tactics and individual myth that could be known to Dostoevsky and used by him in creating such a character as younger Verkhovensky. In line with the “black legend” about Louis Bonaparte, Verkhovensky relies on people who are deprived of a stable social position. He goes for a hoax willingly and hopes that demoralization and panic in society will allow him to come to power. Just as Napoleon iii stands hostage for the myth of his great uncle, Verkhovensky is slavishly dependent on his “idol,” his “Ivan Tsarevitch”—Stavrogin. Both pairs can be considered from the point of view of the phenomenon of mimetic desire as it was described by R. Girard. The article also shows how historical and literary prototypes of the same character interact with each other, revealing certain functional features of the new hero. In this case, the relationship between the figures of Napoleon iii and Gogol’s Khlestakov in the general design of the image of Verkhovensky is briefly addressed.