Decreasing the memory of the discontinuous Galerkin volume integral equation method for scattering from inhomogeneous dielectric objects.

A memory-efficient implementation scheme for the discontinuous Galerkin volume integral equation method (DGVIE) using Schaubert-Wilton-Glisson (SWG) basis functions is proposed to analyze electromagnetic scattering from inhomogeneous dielectric objects. For this proposed scheme, almost no half-SWG basis functions are needed for the elements separating nonconformal meshes, while these half-SWG basis functions are indispensable for the conventional DGVIE-SWG method. This is realized by applying the divergence-free condition of the electric displacement vector explicitly for nonconformal meshes separating neighboring subdomains of an inhomogeneous dielectric body. Therefore, the number of unknowns of the conventional DGVIE method can be further reduced. As a result, the memory of the proposed DGVIE method is only about half of the conventional one for inhomogeneous dielectric problems. Meanwhile, the total solution time has been reduced by the use of the proposed scheme. Particularly, the proposed DGVIE-SWG method is efficient in memory usage not only for inhomogeneous dielectric cases with high contrast ratio but also for cases with relatively low contrast ratio.

Regurgitant derived from the tea geometrid Ectropis obliqua suppresses wound-induced polyphenol oxidases activity in tea plants.

Polyphenol oxidases (PPOs) have been reported to play an important role in protecting plants from attack by herbivores. However, little is known about their role in tea. Here, we investigated the effect of PPOs on interactions between tea plants and the tea geometrid Ectropis obliqua, one of the most important insect pests of tea. Jasmonic acid (JA) treatment resulted in increases in PPO activity, and the effect of JA was dose dependent. Ectropis obliqua caterpillars grew and developed more slowly on JA-treated tea plants than on control plants, and larval weight gains depended on the JA dosage. Artificial diet complemented with PPOs reduced the growth and survival rate of E. obliqua caterpillars, and there was a negative relationship between PPO level and larval growth and survival. Unlike mechanical wounding, which is an effective inducer of tea plant PPO activity, wounding plus the herbivore regurgitant or herbivore infestation suppressed the wound-induced PPO activities, especially at 4 days after treatment. These results suggest that PPOs are an important anti-herbivore factor in tea plants, defending them against E. obliqua larvae, and that E. obliqua larvae have evolved to elude the tea plant's defense by inhibiting the production of PPOs.

Microdon dentigiganteum sp. nov. and other Microdontinae species (Diptera: Syrphidae) from Northeast China.

Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of the subfamily Microdontinae were surveyed in Northeast China. A total of six species were identified, including one new to science, Microdon dentigiganteum sp. nov. from Liaoning. This new species has a pair of very large-size posterior calcars on the scutellum and very wide flat tarsi. New records of Metadon spuribifasciatus (Huo, Ren et Zheng, 2007), Microdon analis (Macquart, 1842) and Microdon auricomus Coquillett, 1898 from Jilin province, and Microdon ignotus Violovitsh, 1976 and Microdon oitanus Shiraki, 1930 from Liaoning province are provided. A key to the six studied species and diagnostic figures are presented.

Study of the genus Gomphocerippus (Orthoptera, Acridoidea, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae) with a new species from northeast China.

A new species Gomphocerippus longipennis Li & Ren sp. nov. of the genus Gomphocerippus Roberts, 1941 is described and illustrated from the most northern region of China. The new species is allied to Gomphocerippus rufus (Linnaeus, 1758), but differs from the latter by length of lateral foveola 3.0 times width, tegmina partially surpassing the apex of hind femur, costal area of tegmina in male 1.5 times of subcostal area in width and media area of tegmina in male 1.2 times cubital area in width. The type specimens are deposited in the Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China.

Review and key to all known species of the genus Epacromius Uvarov, 1942 (Orthoptera: Acrididae).

This paper provides a review and key to all species of the genus Epacromius Uvarov, 1942. The first description of the male of the species Epacromius fallax Wang, 2007 is given.

Systematic comparison of constitutive promoters and the doxycycline-inducible promoter.

Constitutive promoters are used routinely to drive ectopic gene expression. Here, we carried out a systematic comparison of eight commonly used constitutive promoters (SV40, CMV, UBC, EF1A, PGK and CAGG for mammalian systems, and COPIA and ACT5C for Drosophila systems). We also included in the comparison the TRE promoter, which can be activated by the rtTA transcriptional activator in a doxycycline-inducible manner. To make our findings representative, we conducted the comparison in a variety of cell types derived from several species. We found that these promoters vary considerably from one another in their strength. Most promoters have fairly consistent strengths across different cell types, but the CMV promoter can vary considerably from cell type to cell type. At maximal induction, the TRE promoter is comparable to a strong constitutive promoter. These results should facilitate more rational choices of promoters in ectopic gene expression studies.