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The taxonomy of the American Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 included in the “hirculus” group is revised, and a study of their morphology allows for the delineation of five species-complexes. Herein, we provide a diagnosis of the “hirculus” group, an illustrated key to the complexes, along with a descriptive overview of their taxonomy and geographic distribution. Onthophagus hirculus Mannerheim, 1829 is considered to be a junior synonym of O. hircus Billberg, 1815, which is here demonstrated to be a valid species name. Thus, the “hirculus” group is here renamed the “hircus” group. Furthermore, a general scheme of the genital organs of American Onthophagus is provided, including names of different anatomical parts and a brief discussion on the need for nomenclatural stability for the genitalia of scarab beetles.
Two obligate cave-dwelling species of cyclopoid copepods (Copepoda, Cyclopoida) were discovered inside caves in central Thailand. Siamcyclops cavernicolus gen. et sp. nov. was recognised as as a member of a new genus. It resembles Bryocyclops jankowskajae Monchenko, 1972 from Uzbekistan (part of the former USSR). It differs from it by (1) lack of pointed triangular prominences on the intercoxal sclerite of the fourth swimming leg, (2) mandibular palp with three setae, (3) spine and setal formulae of swimming legs 3.3.3.2 and 5.5.5.5, respectively, and (4) specific shape of spermatophore. Metacyclops thailandicus sp. nov. resembles M. cushae Reid, 1991 from Louisiana (USA). It differs from it by (1) distal segment of the endopod of the fourth swimming leg with one apical spine, (2) the fifth swimming legs with one broad segment, (3) the spine formula of the distal segment of the exopod of the swimming legs 3.4.3.3, and (4) well developed anal operculum reaching articulation with caudal rami. Detailed descriptions of the habitats of the new species and up-to-date keys to the genera and subgenera of the Bryocyclops and Microcyclops groups are provided, along with an updated list of obligate groundwater species of Copepoda in Southeast Asia.
This paper presents an improved diagnosis and definition of the genus Stenaelurillus Simon, 1886, with new taxonomic and faunistic data for 23 species. The genera Microheros Wesołowska & Cumming, 1999 and Mashonarus Wesołowska & Cumming, 2002 are synonymized with Stenaelurillus. Six new species are described: Stenaelurillus bandama sp. nov. (♂♀, from Côte d’Ivoire), S. belihuloya sp. nov. (♂, from Sri Lanka), S. jocquei sp. nov. (♂♀, from Cameroon), S. pseudoguttatus sp. nov. (♂, from Namibia), S. senegalensis sp. nov. (♂♀, from Senegal), and Stenaelurillus siyamae sp. nov. (♀, from Sudan). Lectotypes are designated for two species: S. albopunctatus Caporiacco, 1949 (♂) from Kenya and S. werneri Simon, 1906 (♀) from South Sudan. Six new combinations are proposed: Aelurillus ambiguus (Denis, 1966), comb. nov. (ex Stenaelurillus); Evarcha werneri (Simon, 1906), comb. nov. (ex Stenaelurillus); Phlegra davidi (Caleb, Mungkung & Mathai, 2015), comb. nov. (ex Mashonarus); Stenaelurillus brandbergensis (Wesołowska, 2006), comb. nov. (ex Mashonarus); Stenaelurillus guttatus (Wesołowska & Cumming, 2002), comb. nov. (ex Mashonarus); and S. termitophagus (Wesołowska & Cumming, 1999), comb. nov. (ex Microheros). Two species names are synonymized: Evarcha elegans Wesołowska & Russell-Smith, 2000 with E. werneri comb. nov.; and Aelurillus sahariensis Berland & Millot, 1941 with Stenaelurillus nigricaudus Simon
We describe five new species of fungi of the order Laboulbeniales Lindau growing on millipedes and belonging to the genera Diplopodomyces W.Rossi & Balazuc and Troglomyces S.Colla. Three new species of Diplopodomyces, viz. Diplopodomyces coronatus Santam., Enghoff & Reboleira sp. nov. living on Serboiulus spelaeophilus Gulicka, 1967 from Bulgarian caves, Diplopodomyces liguliphorus Santam., Enghoff & Reboleira sp. nov. on an unidentified species of Spirobolida from Sri Lanka, and Diplopodomyces ramosus Santam., Enghoff & Reboleira sp. nov. on Pachyiulus spp. from Turkey, Macedonia and Serbia; and two new species of Troglomyces, viz. Troglomyces dioicus Santam., Enghoff & Reboleira sp. nov. on Nepalmatoiulus sp. from Myanmar, and Troglomyces tetralabiatus Santam., Enghoff & Reboleira sp. nov. on Caucaseuma Strasser, 1970 and Heterocaucaseuma Antić & Makarov, 2016 from caves in Western Caucasus. Troglomyces dioicus sp. nov. is the first dioecious species described in the genus Troglomyces. Keys for all hitherto known species of Diplopodomyces and Troglomyces are presented, as is a discussion of the status of both genera. Additional records for Diplopodomyces lusitanipodos Santam., Enghoff & Reboleira and Troglomyces manfrediae S.Colla are also included.
An unexpected new subgenus and species of Campodeidae (Diplura), Plusiocampa (Pentachaetocampa) inopinata subgen. et sp. nov., a troglobitic species found in Schallsinger Höhle in an isolated karstic region in southwestern Germany is described. The new taxon shows two unique characters for the genus Plusiocampa: five dorsal femoral macrosetae and the presence of g1-glandular setae in females. Two other Plusiocampa species have been studied and taxonomic remarks made for them; both are also cave dwelling species from Germany: Plusiocampa dobati Condé in Dobat, 1975 studied from eight caves in the Swabian Alb, and one unnamed species of Plusiocampa (Plusiocampa) from four caves in the Franconian Alb. The biogeographical and taxonomic affinities among Plusiocampa species of Central Europe are discussed. The distribution of Plusiocampa species in Central Europe runs alongside the frontier of the Pleistocene glaciations, with non-troglomorphic Plusiocampa species adjacent to the glacial limits and troglomorphic Plusiocampa species below. Worthy of note is the presence only in the northeast of the Central Alps of two relict Plusiocampinae species, the already known Hystrichocampa pelletieri Condé, 1948 and the new species P. (P.) inopinata subgen. et sp. nov.
The Charipinae Dalla Torre & Kieffer, 1910 present in the Palaearctic region are revised; 2410 specimens have been identified, belonging to 75 species: 52 to Alloxysta, one to Apocharips, six to Dilyta and 16 to Phaenoglyphis. For 33 species, new country-level distribution records are provided. Two new species are here described: Alloxysta palearctica Ferrer-Suay & Pujade-Villar sp. nov. and Alloxysta pascuali Ferrer-Suay sp. nov. A diagnosis for these species is included and their diagnostic features are shown in different figures. A key to identify all the species of Charipinae in the Palaearctic region is also given.
Chlorine and bromine atoms lead to catalytic depletion of ozone in the stratosphere. Therefore the use and production of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) containing chlorine and bromine is regulated by the Montreal Protocol to protect the ozone layer. Equivalent effective stratospheric chlorine (EESC) has been adopted as an appropriate metric to describe the combined effects of chlorine and bromine released from halocarbons on stratospheric ozone. Here we revisit the concept of calculating EESC. We derive a refined formulation of EESC based on an advanced concept of ODS propagation into the stratosphere and reactive halogen release. A new transit time distribution is introduced in which the age spectrum for an inert tracer is weighted with the release function for inorganic halogen from the source gases. This distribution is termed the release time distribution. We show that a much better agreement with inorganic halogen loading from the chemistry transport model TOMCAT is achieved compared with using the current formulation. The refined formulation shows EESC levels in the year 1980 for the mid-latitude lower stratosphere, which are significantly lower than previously calculated. The year 1980 is commonly used as a benchmark to which EESC must return in order to reach significant progress towards halogen and ozone recovery. Assuming that – under otherwise unchanged conditions – the EESC value must return to the same level in order for ozone to fully recover, we show that it will take more than 10 years longer than estimated in this region of the stratosphere with the current method for calculation of EESC. We also present a range of sensitivity studies to investigate the effect of changes and uncertainties in the fractional release factors and in the assumptions on the shape of the release time distributions. We further discuss the value of EESC as a proxy for future evolution of inorganic halogen loading under changing atmospheric dynamics using simulations from the EMAC model. We show that while the expected changes in stratospheric transport lead to significant differences between EESC and modelled inorganic halogen loading at constant mean age, EESC is a reasonable proxy for modelled inorganic halogen on a constant pressure level.
Background: The risk for major depression and obesity is increased in adolescents and adults with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and adolescent ADHD predicts adult depression and obesity. Non-pharmacological interventions to treat and prevent these co-morbidities are urgently needed. Bright light therapy (BLT) improves day–night rhythm and is an emerging therapy for major depression. Exercise intervention (EI) reduces obesity and improves depressive symptoms. To date, no randomized controlled trial (RCT) has been performed to establish feasibility and efficacy of these interventions targeting the prevention of co-morbid depression and obesity in ADHD. We hypothesize that the two manualized interventions in combination with mobile health-based monitoring and reinforcement will result in less depressive symptoms and obesity compared to treatment as usual in adolescents and young adults with ADHD.
Methods: This trial is a prospective, pilot phase-IIa, parallel-group RCT with three arms (two add-on treatment groups [BLT, EI] and one treatment as usual [TAU] control group). The primary outcome variable is change in the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology total score (observer-blinded assessment) between baseline and ten weeks of intervention. This variable is analyzed with a mixed model for repeated measures approach investigating the treatment effect with respect to all three groups. A total of 330 participants with ADHD, aged 14 – < 30 years, will be screened at the four study centers. To establish effect sizes, the sample size was planned at the liberal significance level of α = 0.10 (two-sided) and the power of 1-β = 80% in order to find medium effects. Secondary outcomes measures including change in obesity, ADHD symptoms, general psychopathology, health-related quality of life, neurocognitive function, chronotype, and physical fitness are explored after the end of the intervention and at the 12-week follow-up.
Discussion: This is the first pilot RCT on the use of BLT and EI in combination with mobile health-based monitoring and reinforcement targeting the prevention of co-morbid depression and obesity in adolescents and young adults with ADHD. If at least medium effects can be established with regard to the prevention of depressive symptoms and obesity, a larger scale confirmatory phase-III trial may be warranted.
Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00011666. Registered on 9 February 2017. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03371810. Registered on 13 December 2017.
Convection-permitting models (CPMs) have proven their usefulness in representing precipitation on a sub-daily scale. However, investigations on sub-hourly scales are still lacking, even though these are the scales for which showers exhibit the most variability. A Lagrangian approach is implemented here to evaluate the representation of showers in a CPM, using the limited-area climate model COSMO-CLM. This approach consists of tracking 5‑min precipitation fields to retrieve different features of showers (e.g., temporal pattern, horizontal speed, lifetime). In total, 312 cases are simulated at a resolution of 0.01 ° over Central Germany, and among these cases, 78 are evaluated against a radar dataset. The model is able to represent most observed features for different types of convective cells. In addition, the CPM reproduced well the observed relationship between the precipitation characteristics and temperature indicating that the COSMO-CLM model is sophisticated enough to represent the climatological features of showers.
Myomas, also known as fibroids, are a specific characteristic of the human species. No other primates develop fibroids. At a cellular level, myomas are benign hyperplastic lesions of uterine smooth muscle cells. There are interesting theoretical concepts that link the development of myomas in humans with the highly specific process of childbirth from an upright position and the resulting need for greatly increased “expulsive” forces during labor. Myomas might be the price our species pays for our bipedal and highly intelligent existence. Myomas affect, with some variability, all ethnic groups and approximately 50% of all women during their lifetime. While some remain asymptomatic, myomas can cause significant and sometimes life-threatening uterine bleeding, pain, infertility, and, in extreme cases, ureteral obstruction and death. Traditionally, over 50% of all hysterectomies were performed for fibroids, leading to a significant healthcare burden. In this article, we review the developments of the past 20 years with regard to multiple new treatment strategies that have evolved during this time.
We present a study of the influence of disorder on the Mott metal-insulator transition for the organic charge-transfer salt κ -(BEDT-TTF) 2 Cu[N(CN) 2 ]Cl. To this end, disorder was introduced into the system in a controlled way by exposing the single crystals to X-ray irradiation. The crystals were then fine-tuned across the Mott transition by the application of continuously controllable He-gas pressure at low temperatures. Measurements of the thermal expansion and resistance show that the first-order character of the Mott transition prevails for low irradiation doses achieved by irradiation times up to 100 h. For these crystals with a moderate degree of disorder, we find a first-order transition line which ends in a second-order critical endpoint, akin to the pristine crystals. Compared to the latter, however, we observe a significant reduction of both, the critical pressure pc and the critical temperature Tc . This result is consistent with the theoretically-predicted formation of a soft Coulomb gap in the presence of strong correlations and small disorder. Furthermore, we demonstrate, similar to the observation for the pristine sample, that the Mott transition after 50 h of irradiation is accompanied by sizable lattice effects, the critical behavior of which can be well described by mean-field theory. Our results demonstrate that the character of the Mott transition remains essentially unchanged at a low disorder level. However, after an irradiation time of 150 h, no clear signatures of a discontinuous metal-insulator transition could be revealed anymore. These results suggest that, above a certain disorder level, the metal-insulator transition becomes a smeared first-order transition with some residual hysteresis.
Im ersten Projekt der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden CD - 1 Mäuse mit drei unterschiedlichen Diäten für zwei Wochen ad libitum gefüttert. Die Diäten bestanden aus zwei kohlenhydratarmen, fettreichen Diäten und einer Standard Haltungsdiät. Die kohlenhydratarmen, fettreichen Diäten enthielten entweder Triheptanoin (dreifach mit Heptanoat verestertes Glycerol) oder Soja - Öl als Fettkomponente (jeweils 35 % der Gesamtkalorien). Nach zwei Wochen wurde ein ischämischer Schlaganfall für 90 min. mithilfe eines Silikonfadens induziert. Die Leber, das Blut und das Gehirn wurden nach dem Schlaganfall entnommen und die Konzentrationen der Metabolite β - Hydroxybutyrat, Glukose, Laktat und Citrat wurden mit der zuvor etablierten GC - MS-Methode ermittelt. Unter gleichen Bedingungen wurde eine Mikrodialysestudie durchgeführt.
Bei den Tieren, die die kohlenhydratarmen, fettreichen Diäten erhielten, konnte in den Leber - und Hirnhomogenaten, im Plasma sowie im Mikrodialysat eine Ketose festgestellt werden. Die BHB Konzentrationen durch eine Soja Diät erreichten im Leberhomogenat bis zu 4 mM, im Plasma bis zu 1,5 mM, im Hirnhomogenat bis zu 1,5 mM und im Mikrodialysat bis zu 30 µM. Um eine Aussage treffen zu können, ob das Gehirn die von der Leber produzierten Ketonkörper als Energiesubstrate nutzen kann, wurde eine Folgestudie (unter gleichen Bedingungen) durchgeführt. Bei dieser Studie wurde der Zeitpunkt der Gewebeentnahme 60 min. nach Entfernen des Fadens (Reperfusion) gewählt. In den Leber – und Hirnhomogenaten konnten erniedrigte Konzentrationen des Ketonkörpers BHB nachgewiesen werden. Die nicht operierten Tiere, die eine fettreiche Diät erhielten, hatten erhöhte Konzentrationen an Citrat in den genannten Geweben. Durch den Abbau des Ketonkörpers BHB können bei Verstoffwechslung in Geweben außerhalb der Leber, zwei Moleküle Acetyl - CoA gebildet werden. Diese gebildeten Acetyl - CoA Moleküle können in den Citratzyklus eingespeist werden.
Um diesen Befund mechanistisch besser verstehen zu können, wurde den Mäusen Propranolol (ein unselektiver β - Blocker) verabreicht, und zwar kurz nachdem der Faden die mittlere Zerebralarterie verschlossen hatte. Als Folge blieb bei den fettreich gefütterten Tieren die zuvor beobachtete Ketose, aus. Daraus wurde geschlossen, dass die auftretende Ketose bei den fettreich gefütterten Tieren durch adrenerge β - Rezeptoren vermittelt wurde. Zusammengefasst kann eine fettreiche bzw. ketogene Ernährung im Falle einer Ischämie die Versorgung des Gehirns durch die Bildung von Ketonkörper gewährleisten.
Die zu beobachtende hepatische Ketogenese aus dem ersten Projekt hat die Frage entstehen lassen, ob eine akute Gabe von β - Hydroxybutyrat (BHB) bei Entfernen des Fadens schützende Effekte auf das Verhalten bzw. die Mitochondrien als Kraftwerke der Zelle hat. Hierzu wurde BHB bei Reperfusion gegeben und die Wirkungen dieser Einmalgabe nach 24 h untersucht. Als erster Schritt wurde der Nachweis erbracht, dass eine exogene Gabe von BHB das Gehirn erreicht. Im zweiten Schritt wurde das Verhalten der Mäuse nach 24 h untersucht. Hierbei erbrachte die Gabe von BHB eine signifikante Verbesserung der sensorischen und motorischen Fähigkeiten der Mäuse. Die metabolischen Veränderungen nach 24 h wurden erneut in Leberhomogenaten und Plasma vermessen. Eine Einzelgabe von BHB bewirkte eine milde Ketose auch 24 h nach Reperfusion der mittleren Zerebralarterie. Um eine detailliertere Erkenntnis über die Wirkung von BHB zu erlangen, wurden die Mitochondrien als potentielles Ziel für BHB in den Fokus genommen. Die Einmalgabe von BHB verhinderte ein Absinken der Komplex – II Aktivität. Außerdem kann die Aktivität der Citratsynthase unter der Gabe von BHB erhalten werden, sodass die Mitochondrien vor allem im wichtigen Zeitraum nach der Reperfusion geschützt werden. Im Rahmen der Untersuchungen der Mitochondrien wurden unterschiedliche Substrateinflüsse auf die Respiration der isolierten Mitochondrien getestet. Bei Zugabe von BHB, Oxalacetat + Acetat oder Citrat zu dem Respirationsmedium stieg die Respiration der Mitochondrien an. Im Falle von Glukose, Propranolol oder Acetat wird die Respiration verringert. Bei Zugabe von Laktat, verbleibt die Respiration auf Ausgangsniveau. Abschließend ist festzustellen, dass die Einzelgabe von BHB nach 24 h das Verhalten der Mäuse verbessert, eine milde Ketose induziert, sowie Mitochondrien und die Citratsynthase gegen ischämische Ereignisse schützt.
Um die in dieser Arbeit gezeigten Daten über metabolische Veränderungen zeigen zu können, musste eine vorherige Etablierung der GC – MS Analytik vollzogen werden. Auf der einen Seite musste die Probenvorbereitung, aber auch die gesamte Vermessung der Proben aufgebaut werden. Es wurden insgesamt 11 Analyte in vier unterschiedlichen Kompartimenten quantifiziert. Die Nachweisgrenze lag bei diesen 11 Analyten bei 0,01 - 1 ng/µl, was einer umgerechneten Stoffmengenkonzentration von 0,5 - 10 µM entspricht. Mithilfe dieser Methode können optional weitere Substanzen aus verschiedenen Geweben zugänglich gemacht werden. Diese Arbeit bietet hierzu eine Anleitung, wie die Etablierung erfolgen kann. Im Rahmen der Probenvorbereitung wurden alle Schritte systematisch verbessert. Dazu wurden Wiederholungsmessungen für unterschiedliche Modalitäten vollzogen. Die Abundance und die Zeitbeständigkeit waren die wesentlichen Beurteilungskriterien. So wurden die Daten für die Extraktionseffektivität, die Lösungsmittelabhängigkeit der Silylierung, der Zusatz von Hünig - Base sowie die Temperatur und Zeitabhängigkeit der Silylierung in dieser Arbeit erarbeitet. Die Quantifizierung wurde anhand von internen Standardverbindungen durchgeführt. Die jeweiligen Response – Faktoren blieben über die gesamte Zeit nach der Etablierung konstant und erlaubten die Quantifizierung mit geringen Fehlern. Die Beurteilung der ermittelten Daten über die Validierung wurden anhand von geltenden Regelwerken der pharmazeutischen Industrie entschieden. Es wurde ein Protokoll entwickelt, das im Rahmen der universitären Forschung eine vertrauenswürdige Aussage über Veränderungen von Metabolitenspiegeln in vielen Geweben der Maus und der Ratte geben kann.
Der Titel dieses Artikels spielt auf "Ich sehe was, was du nicht siehst an" und ist Programm. Es geht um die Botschaft, dass alle, ganz gleich, ob nach gängiger Definition behindert oder nicht, 1. wissen sollten, dass wir nicht alles können, aber Vieles lernen können, 2. dass wir Menschen unsere Fähigkeiten und Beeinträchtigungen kommunizieren sollten und zwar 3. ganz neid- oder mitleidsfrei sowohl mit denen, die etwas unerreichbar können, als auch mit denen, die etwas bereits können, was man selbst erreichen kann und denen, die manches, nie können werden. Damit kann eine Synergie und Teamarbeit entstehen. Nur manchmal müssen wir für die Überbrückung von Beeinträchtigungen uns -und manchmal die Welt- verändern. ...
The continuous conversion of natural wildlife habitats into agricultural areas, as well as the fragmentation of the last wildlife refuges, is increasing the interface between people and wildlife. When wildlife negatively impacts on people and vice versa, we speak about human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs). This definition includes losses on both sides and takes into consideration the rooting of most of these conflicts between different groups of interest, such as advocates for nature conservation and economic groups. The centres of highest biodiversity are located in developing countries, which are also characterized by poverty. In African and Asian countries, people living in the vicinity of national parks and other conservation areas mostly receive only little support through the government or conservation organisations. Especially for those people who are dependent on agriculture, damage to fields and harvests can have catastrophic consequences. If the species causing damage is protected by national or even international law, the farmer is not allowed to use lethal methods, but has to approach the authority in charge. If this agency, however, cannot offer appropriate support, resentment, anger or even hate develops, and the support for wildlife conservation activities declines. For this reason, HWCs were declared as one of the most important conservation topics today, being particularly relevant for large and threatened species such as the African and Asian elephant, hippopotamus and the greater one-horned rhino, as well as for large predators. Up to today, no general assessment scheme has been recommended for damage caused by protected wildlife species.
In my study, HWCs in Asia and Africa are compared, focussing on all herbivorous species identified which damaged crops. For the French NGO Awely, des animaux et des hommes, I developed a detailed assessment scheme suitable for all terrestrial ecosystems, and any type of HWCs and any species (Chapter 2). This HWC assessment scheme was used in four different study areas located in two African countries (South Luangwa/Zambia (SL), Tarangire/Tanzania (TA)) and two Asian countries (Bardia/Nepal (BA) and Manas/India (MA)). This scheme ran for six consecutive years (2009 to 2014) for Zambia, Nepal and India and two years (2010 to 2011) for Tanzania. To carry out the assessments, I trained local HWC officers (Awely Red Caps) to assess HWCs by field observations (measurement of damage, identification of species through signs of presence, landscape attributes etc.) and interviews with aggrieved parties (socio economic data). Results of this assessment are presented in Chapters 2-4.
To determine whether elephants prefer or avoid specific crop species, two field experiments were carried out, one in SL and one in BA (Chapter 5 and 6). For this, two test plots were set up and damage by elephants (and other herbivores) were quantified.
Within this doctoral thesis, 3306 damage events of 7408 aggrieved parties were analysed. In three out of the four study areas (SL, BA, MA), elephants caused the highest number of damage events compared to all other wildlife species, however, in TA, most fields were damaged by zebra. Furthermore, the greater one-horned rhino, hippopotamus, wild boar, bushpig, deer and antelope, as well as primates, caused damage to fields and harvests. Damage to houses and other property were nearly exclusively caused by elephants.
With this doctoral thesis I was able to show that season, crop availability, type and the phenological stage of the crop played an important role for crop damaging behavior of herbivores (Chapter 2). Elephants especially damaged rice, maize and wheat and preferred all crop types in a mature stage of growth. In contrast, rhinos preferred wheat to rice and similar to antelope and deer, they preferred crops at earlier stages of growth, before ripening. Crop damage by wildlife species varied strongly in size; most damages fell below 40% of the total harvest per farmer, but in several cases (3 to 8% depending on the study area), harvests were completely destroyed. Interestingly, during times of low nutritional availability in the natural habitat (dry season), crop damages in all four study areas were significantly less than during other seasons.
In all four study areas, crop protection strategies, such as active guarding in the fields, chasing wildlife with noise or fire torches or erecting barriers, were used. In some cases protection strategies were combined. Analysis of data revealed that traditional protection strategies did not reduce the costs of damage (Chapter 3). In some cases, costs of damage, on protected fields were even higher than for unprotected fields. Only in MA did strategic and cohesive guarding significantly reduce crop damage by wildlife species.
Besides damage in the fields, elephants also caused damage to properties in the villages. In search for stored staple crops, they damaged houses, grain stores and kitchens. Such damage was analysed in three study areas (SL, BA, MA) (Chapter 4). Although property damage occurred less frequently compared to crop damage in the fields, the mean cost of this damage was found to be double in BA/MA and four times higher in SL, compared to the costs of crop damage in the fields. It is further remarkable that property damage significantly increased towards the dry season, when the harvest was brought into the villages.
The findings of this study underpin the assumption that wildlife herbivores, especially elephants, are lured to fields and crops because the highly nutritional food (crop) being readily available. Traditional crop protection is cost and labour intensive and does not reduce the costs of damage. For this reason, crop types, which are thought to be not consumed by elephants were systematically tested on their attractiveness in field experiments in SL and BA (Chapter 5 and 6). In SL, lemon grass, ginger and garlic were proven to be less attractive to African elephants than maize and in BA, basil, turmeric, chamomile, coriander, mint, citronella and lemon grass were found to be less attractive to Asian elephants than rice.
The results of this doctoral thesis are relevant for the management of wildlife conservation as they can lead to new approaches to the mitigation of HWCs in African and Asian countries. Finally, specific needs for more scientific research in this field have been identified.
Most of the elements in the universe are produced via charged-particle fusion reactions during the primordial nucleosynthesis and different stellar burning stages, as well as via neutron-capture reactions. Around 35 heavy, proton-rich isotopes are bypassed by those reaction paths, the p nuclei. A series of photo-disintegration reactions occurring in supernovae, called the γ process, was suggested as a mechanisms to produce the p nuclei. Numerical simulations of the γ process have been unable to reproduce the observed abundances of the light p isotopes. Recent models showed that a series of proton capture reactions could provide the observed abundances. Hence, the cross sections of the crucial capture reactions have to be measured in order to test those assumptions.
Radiative proton captures in addition to the γ-process could reproduce the observed abundance pattern. This thesis presents preparations of a proton capture measurement on the radioactive 91Nb in standard kinematics with a calorimetric 4π setup. The 91Nb(p,γ)92Mo reaction might be the key to explain the production of one of the most abundant p-nuclei, 92Mo. So far, no experimental data for this reaction is available.
We produced a sample of 91Nb, with a half-life of 680 yr, at the Physikalisch Technische Bundesanstalt in Braunschweig, Germany, by irradiating 92Mo with protons in the energy range of 12 – 20MeV. 91Nb was produced via the reaction 92Mo(p,2p)91Nb and via 92Mo(p,pn)91Mo, where 91Mo decays to 91Nb with a half-life of 15.5min. To predict the amount of produced 91Nb the cross section of 92Mo(p, 2p) was measured. It was found to be higher than the value given by theoretical calculations with TALYS. Finally, 91Nb was chemically separated from the molybdenum carried at Paul-Scherrer- Institut, Villigen, Switzerland.
In-beam total absorption cross-section measurement of the reaction 91Nb(p,γ)92Mo with 2 MeV protons at FRANZ is planed with the produced 91Nb. A 4π BaF2 detector consisting of 41 crystals will be used. During this experiment we will measure the sum energy and the multiplicity of each event. The freshly produced 91Nb constitutes only a minor component of the sample material. The sum energy and multiplicity are crucial to distinguish the desired 91Nb(p,γ) from all the other more dominant reactions. The expected multiplicity and the efficiency of the setup were carefully simulated with DICEBOX and GEANT4. It was possible to show that background reactions can be effectively suppressed. The most important background contributions could be identified and result from 92Mo(p,γ), 19F(p,γ), and 19F(p,α).
The Siriella brevicaudata species group from the West Indo-Pacific, defined and designated by Murano & Fukuoka (2008), previously contained five nominal species. In this study we describe five new species in the brevicaudata group: S. bassi sp. nov. from the Bass Strait, southern Australia, S. occulta sp. nov. from the Arabian Gulf, S. muranoi sp. nov. from the coast of Northern Territory, Australia, S. tabaniocula sp. nov. from Ningaloo Reef of Western Australia and Lodestone Reef off Queensland, and S. talbotae sp. nov. from Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia. Furthermore, Siriella hanseni W.M. Tattersall, 1922 from India and S. vincenti W.M. Tattersall, 1927 from South Australia are redescribed based on re-examination of their type material. A re-examination of specimens subsequently attributed to these two species from other geographical regions showed that these were misidentifications, partly representing three of the new species described herein. Siriella gibbosa (Ledoyer, 1970), which was previously synonymized with S. brevicaudata Paulson, 1875 by Bačescu, is revalidated and included within the brevicaudata group. Siriella lacertilis Talbot, 2009, from Lizard Island, is placed within the brevicaudata group. Diagnostic features for all the members of the group and the group itself are updated. As a result of the present study, the brevicaudata group now comprises 12 valid species.
Five species of Batillipes Richters, 1909 were collected from subtidal sediments of the Portuguese coast. Two of them, B. algharbensis sp. nov. and B. lusitanus sp. nov., are new to science. Batillipes algharbensis sp. nov. differs from all the other Batillipes species in having the middle toes 3 on the fourth feet longer than middle toes 4 and by the presence of rounded lateral body projections between legs III and IV. Batillipes lusitanus sp. nov. has the middle toes of the fourth feet equal in length, but it exhibits a dorsal cuticular ornamentation, constituted by large pillars, similar to the cuticle of B. adriaticus Grimaldi de Zio, Morone De Lucia, D’Addabbo Gallo & Grimaldi, 1979 and B. roscoffensis Kristensen, 1978. However, contrary to B. adriaticus, the caudal apparatus of B. lusitanus sp. nov. is a roundish cuticular expansion and B. roscoffensis lacks caudal apparatus. Batillipes adriaticus and B. phreaticus Renaud-Debyser, 1959 are new records for Portugal. Based on the examination of specimens of B. phreaticus collected at the Portuguese coast and their comparison with type material of this species and also of B. littoralis Renaud-Debyser, 1959, the toe arrangement patterns in species of Batillipes are clarified and a new identification key to species of this genus is provided.
The described Afrotropical species of the genus Hexophthalma Karsch, 1879 (under the genus name Sicarius Walckenaer, 1847), of the spider family Sicariidae Keyserling, 1880, were recently reviewed. In the present paper the Afrotropical species of the genus Hexophthalma are revisited. After a thorough examination of all the available specimens from nine major collections, the species H. testacea (Purcell, 1908) is here synonymized with H. hahni (Karsch, 1878), three new species are described – H. binfordae sp. nov., H. goanikontesensis sp. nov. (both from Namibia) and H. leroyi sp. nov. (from South Africa) – and the male of H. dolichocephala (Lawrence, 1928) is described for the first time. The distribution of the species is also revised and a new updated key to the species is compiled.
Homollea Arènes (Rubiaceae, subfamily Ixoroideae, tribe Pavetteae) is a genus of shrubs and small trees endemic to western and northern Madagascar. The genus comprises five species occurring in dry deciduous forest, often in limestone areas. The five species are narrow endemics and their conservation status is either Endangered (4 species) or Critically Endangered (1 species). Homollea is characterized by few-flowered, pseudo-axillary, pedunculate inflorescences, well-developed calyces with the lobes much longer than the tube, laterally flattened seeds with a shallow, elongated to linear hilum and entire endosperm, ovules arising from the upper margin of the placenta, and, pollen grains with supratectal elements in the shape of microgemmae. Until now, three species were known and their descriptions are amended. Two further species, H. furtiva De Block sp. nov. and H. septentrionalis De Block sp. nov., are described as new for science. The five species are dealt with in detail: descriptions, distribution maps, conservation assessments, illustrations, lists of exsiccatae and an identification key are given.
A new monotypic genus of flatid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Flatidae), Medleria gen. nov., is described for Medleria caudata gen. et sp. nov. (type species) from the island of Socotra (Yemen). Habitus, male and female external and internal genital structures of the new species are illustrated and compared with similar taxa. Medleria caudata gen. et sp. nov. is probably endemic to Socotra where it is known to date from a small area of the Dixam mountain plateau only.