There are two hypotheses on egg maturation in the invasive chestnut gall wasp, Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae). That it is pro-ovigenic (most or all of its potential lifetime complement mature upon emergence) facultatively synovigenic (not eggs fully developed emergence and may be resorbed when suitable hosts absent). These were tested by determining effects adult age f...

Studies were conducted to characterize the chestnut and its starch. Chemical composition of the chestnuts showed high level of starch. Moisture level in the raw nuts was around 50g/100g in wet basis and starch content, around 80g/100g in dry basis; other nut flour components were protein (5.58 g/100g), lipid (5.39 g/100g), crude fiber (2.34 g/100g) and ash (2.14 g/100g). Starch fraction was che...

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and minimally refined cereals is associated with lower risk for chronic degenerative diseases. Since oxidative stress is common in chronic degenerative disease, it has been assumed that dietary antioxidants may explain this protective effect. Every dietary plant contains numerous types of antioxidants with different properties. Many of these antioxidants cooper...

The data we present are part of the CUARENTAGRI project, which involves all archipelagos Macaronesia (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cabo Verde). project aims to: i) identify evaluate risks associated with introduction new arthropod pests; ii) study population dynamics selected pest species currently responsible for damage key target crops iii) develop monitoring systems, based on predicti...

Suitability of plant tissues as food for insects varies from plant to plant. In lepidopteran insects, fitness is largely dependent on the host-finding ability of the females. Existing studies have suggested that polyphagous lepidopterans preferentially select certain host plant species for oviposition. However, the mechanisms for host recognition and selection have not been fully elucidated. Fo...

Tree life: The entire horse chestnut tree is the environment that shapes the mutual adaptation of Pseudomonas syringae bacteria and their phages, as research from Koskella and colleagues has shown. (Photo: Photolibrary.) In the unlikely setting of Oxford University’s Zoology Department, NERC research fellow Britt Koskella studies horse chestnut trees, their bacterial pathogens and, most importa...

BACKGROUND Health care workers represent one of the major risk groups for developing latex allergy. Most studies have examined hospital workers. The aims of this study were to analyze the prevalence of latex allergy in primary care providers and to describe the characteristics of health care workers who are allergic to latex. MATERIAL AND METHODS A self-administered questionnaire on work acti...