EPG analysis of stylet penetration preference of woolly apple aphid on different parts of apple trees

Woolly apple aphid (WAA), Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann), is an important global pest that feeds on Malus species. We studied the feeding preference of WAA on apple trees in the field for two consecutive years and in the laboratory we used electronic penetration graphs (EPG) to record the stylet penetration behavior of WAA on different parts of apple trees. We found that in the field WAA fed primarily on twigs and branches, not on leaves and fruits. Six EPG waveforms were produced during WAA probing on shoots, trunks and leaves of apple trees, including the non-penetration wave (np), the stylet pathway phase wave (C), the intracellular feeding wave (pd), the xylem feeding wave (G), waves indicative of release of saliva into the phloem (E1), and a wave indicative of ingestion from phloem (E2). In the laboratory, aphids only successfully fed on shoots, trunks and leaves, not on fruits. The EPG parameters on the phloem of shoots were significantly higher than those on trunks, indicating WAA prefer to feed on shoots. These laboratory findings explain the relative field feeding preference of WAA on different parts of apple trees, which occurs primarily on branches, barks, and young twigs in orchards, especially on young twigs.

Cross-modulation between microwave beams interpreted as a stochastic process

Further and more detailed experimental work demonstrates an anomalous transfer of modulation between two microwave beams in the near-field and confirms the results already obtained. The behavior of the measured signal versus the attenuation of each beam intensity suggests a model based on the existence of hybrid terms containing the product of both the relative field amplitudes. In addition, the undulating shape of the signal suggests the presence of stochastic processes.

Correlation of Multiplicity and Chemistry in AlxGa1−xN Heterostructure via Atom Probe Tomography

In this work, the correlation between composition and relative evaporation field was investigated by tracking the statistics of multi-hit detector events in atom probe tomography (APT). This approach is applied systematically to a GaN-based nitride heterostructure with five AlxGa1−xN layers of varying Al composition. The relative field evaporation and the percentage of multi-hit events were found to increase with higher Al concentration. Furthermore, the comparison of the relative evaporation fields of AlN with respect to the constituent ions is found to be less than GaN with respect to its constituent ions. Despite equivalent compositions between opposing interfaces of the same AlxGa1−xN interlayer, the rate of change in multiplicity exhibits a consistent asymmetric trend with a steeper slope across the AlxGa1−xN/GaN interface compared to the GaN/AlxGa1−xN interface. The AlxGa1−xN/GaN heterostructure serves as a test structure for exploring field evaporation and neighborhood chemistry, which can be applied to any material chemistry and particularly other nitride systems.

Estimating the Soil Hydraulic Functions of Some Olive Orchards: Soil Management Implications for Water Saving in Soils of Salento Peninsula (Southern Italy)

Saving water resources in agriculture is a topic of current research in Mediterranean environments, and rational soil management can allow such purposes. The Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters (BEST) procedure was applied in five olive orchards of Salento peninsula (southern Italy) to estimate the soil physical and hydraulic properties under alternative soil management (i.e., no-tillage (NT) and minimum tillage (MT)), and to quantify the impact of soil management on soil water conservation. Results highlighted the soundness of BEST predictions since they provided consistent results in terms of soil functions or capacitive-based soil indicators when (i) the entire data set was grouped by homogeneous classes of texture, bulk density, and capillarity of the soil, (ii) the predictions were compared with the corresponding water retention measures independently obtained in lab, and (iii) some correlations of literature were checked. BEST was applied to establish a comparison at Neviano (NE) and Sternatia (ST) sites. The two neighboring NT soils compared at NE showed substantial discrepancies in soil texture (i.e., sandy loam (NE-SL) or clay (NE-C)). This marked difference in soil texture could determine a worsening of the relative field capacity at the NE-SL site (relative field capacity, RFC < 0.6), as compared to NE-C where RFC was optimal. The current soil management determined a similar effect (RFC < 0.6) at Sternatia (ST-MT vs. ST-NT), but the worsening in soil properties, due to soil tillage, must be considered substantially transient, as progressive improvement is expected with the restoration of the soil structure. The results of this work suggest that strategic MT can be a viable solution to manage the soil of Salento olive orchards.

Adaptive Radio Link Framework for Wireless Communications

This paper presents brief record on Adaptive Receiving Antenna (ARA) system for functional remote networking. The selection of acute/adaptable reception system in infinite remote wireless frameworks is required to significantly affect the effective utilization of the dimensions, the cost minimization of creating new remote systems, the optimization of appropriate framework quality and acknowledgment of guileless movement of the nodes over multi innovation remote systems. This paper presents brief record on a keen Radio Link Framework (RLF). ARAs can put nulls toward interferers through adaptable system of load connected to every radio terminal component. ARAs in this way counterbalance the majority of the co-direct obstruction bringing about better cover of cells and lower dropped calls. The paper further clarifies about the radiation scenario of the receiving end and why it is exceptionally favored in its relative field. The capacities of acute/adaptable reception system are effectively employable to Cognitive Radio and OFDMA framework.

Relative field-line helicity in bounded domains

Models for astrophysical plasmas often have magnetic field lines that leave the boundary rather than closing within the computational domain. Thus, the relative magnetic helicity is frequently used in place of the usual magnetic helicity, so as to restore gauge invariance. We show how to decompose the relative helicity into a relative field-line helicity that is an ideal-magnetohydrodynamic invariant for each individual magnetic field line, and vanishes along any field line where the original field matches the reference field. Physically, this relative field-line helicity is a magnetic flux, whose specific definition depends on the gauge of the reference vector potential on the boundary. We propose a particular ‘minimal’ gauge that depends only on the reference field and minimises this boundary contribution, so as to reveal topological information about the original magnetic field. We illustrate the effect of different gauge choices using the Low–Lou and Titov–Démoulin models of solar active regions. Our numerical code to compute appropriate vector potentials and relative field-line helicity in Cartesian domains is open source and freely available.

Using the Field Flow Design Methodology to Create Safe Consumer Products

Energy powered devices often contain sufficient energy levels to require safety considerations. These are typically addressed in latter design phases through failure and safety assessments and mitigation strategies, after the concept is determined and design freedom is restricted. We introduce here an approach to consider safety in the early, initial conceptual design phases. We do this by considering the energy and material flow fields necessary for a design concept, and the effects these fields have. With this understanding, partitioning metrics can produce relative field layouts that can be used as a basis for new product concepts. The objective is to reduce user injury and material waste. Relative field layouts are generated by partitioning a product into its constituent fields and assigning values to them according to safety risk and relative connectivity. Then a layout is computed to provide necessary connectivity but also to reduce human interaction with high safety concern fields. A function structure layout can then be more readily developed from the field connectivity layout. The approach computes and presents the engineer with a field template for the product. This prevents internal product modules from dangerously combining high value fields with low value fields, which can thereby reduce exposure of the user to danger.