Plant | Jotup

Why don’t female crickets chirp?

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Sun, Noise, Female, Human, Male, Plant, Leg, Behavior, Kid, Grasshopper, Arthropod, Firefly, Butterfly, Animal, Singing, Spider, Toy

Why don’t female crickets chirp?

Key Points:

Why don’t female crickets chirp?
Among crickets, males are the only ones that make noise because females don’t have sound-producing structures on their wings.
But the female can hear very well and will come to a male who is signaling to her from some distance away.
You can learn to recognize them with a little practice, even if you never find the actual crickets.

Wild turkey numbers are falling in some parts of the US – the main reason may be habitat loss

Retrieved on:

Friday, April 19, 2024

Habitat, Meat, Burns, Raccoon, Noise, Environment, Feather, Ant, Livestock, Hunting, Cypress, Bird, Science, Mammal, Food, Poisoning, Male, Plant, Turkey (bird), Grasshopper, Breeding, Ecology, Magnolia, Tree, Opossum, Flower, Spider, Agriculture

But people killed them indiscriminately year-round – sometimes for their meat and feathers, but settlers also took turkey eggs from nests and poisoned adult turkeys to keep them from damaging crops.

Key Points:

But people killed them indiscriminately year-round – sometimes for their meat and feathers, but settlers also took turkey eggs from nests and poisoned adult turkeys to keep them from damaging crops.
Thanks to this unregulated killing and habitat loss, by 1900 wild turkeys had disappeared from much of their historical range.
Turkey populations gradually recovered over the 20th century, aided by regulation, conservation funding and state restoration programs.
We are wildlife ecologists working to determine why turkey populations are shrinking in portions of their range.

Fewer open spaces

While turkeys may appear at home in urban areas, their habitat is open forest – areas with sparse trees that allow near-full sunlight to reach herbaceous plants at ground level.
In 1792, naturalist William Bartram described the eastern U.S. as “Grande Savane,” or big savanna, a landscape with abundant wild turkeys.
The open spaces that are left often are not suitable for wild turkeys: They need a well-developed layer of vegetation at ground level that includes mainly wild flowers, native grasses and young shrubs and trees to provide cover for nesting and raising their young.
Turkeys can persist in these denser, shaded forests, but they don’t reproduce as successfully, and fewer of their young survive.
Over the past 50 years, populations of bird species that live in open forests and grasslands have fallen by more than 50%.

The roles of food, predators and hunting

For example, blame is often placed on more abundant predators that eat turkey eggs, such as raccoons and opossums.
But these predators probably are more abundant in part due to changes in turkey habitat.
This suggests that prescribed fire across the wild turkey’s range creates an environment that’s more favorable for turkeys than for their predators.
Lastly, some observers have proposed that the timing of hunting could be affecting turkey reproduction.

Creating space for turkeys

Land owners can help by managing for native grasses and wildflowers on their property, which will provide breeding habitat for turkeys.
We have produced podcast episodes that discuss which plants are valuable to turkeys and other wildlife, and how to promote and maintain plants that are turkey-friendly.

Marcus Lashley receives funding from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and Turkeys for Tomorrow. William Gulsby receives funding from the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Turkeys for Tomorrow and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Press release - New EU rules to improve urban wastewater treatment and reuse

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

- Better monitoring of chemical pollutants, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance

Key Points:

- Better monitoring of chemical pollutants, pathogens and antimicrobial resistance
- Producers of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics and member states will have to finance costs of additional treatment for micro-pollutants
- Wider reuse of treated urban wastewater to prevent water scarcity
On Wednesday, MEPs approved new EU rules for the collection, treatment and discharge of urban wastewater.
the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus) will be applied in all wastewater treatment plants covering 150,000 p.e.
An additional treatment removing a broad spectrum of micro-pollutants ('quaternary treatment') will be mandatory for all plants over 150,000 p.e.
EU countries will be required to promote the reuse of treated wastewater from all urban wastewater treatment plants where appropriate, especially in water-stressed areas.

Hard work and happy accidents: why do so many of us prefer ‘difficult’ analogue technology?

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Up two flights of stairs, the music machinery on offer includes brands such as Moog and Buchla, as well as modern euro-racks.

Key Points:

Up two flights of stairs, the music machinery on offer includes brands such as Moog and Buchla, as well as modern euro-racks.
(From Michael’s fieldnotes)
I finally locate the legendary Schneiders Buero, a shop selling analogue synthesizers in Berlin’s Kotti neighbourhood.
Up two flights of stairs, the music machinery on offer includes brands such as Moog and Buchla, as well as modern euro-racks.
(From Michael’s fieldnotes) As academics who rarely go a day without playing or making music, we have spent the past decade examining the extraordinary revival of analogue technology.
This means there are now more analogue options available than at any time since the 1970s, the heyday of the modular format.

The appeal of the slow

So we dived in.
Eventually, these forays became our formal research project, which has included visiting record fairs and conventions around the world, going on photowalks and attending listening evenings, and meeting an array of diehard analogue communities both on and off line.

The team is working with academics from different backgrounds who have been engaged in projects aimed at tackling societal and scientific challenges.
And we expect interest in such experiences to rise exponentially in coming years.
Recognising our existential need to occasionally slow down can be the basis for winning consumer strategies.
Recognising our existential need to occasionally slow down can be the basis for winning consumer strategies.

Saved from demolition

Rather than nostalgia, they are turning to film because of its aesthetic values and a greater sense of creative control over their photos.
In response, venerable brands including Kodak, Polaroid and Leica have re-emerged – in some cases, almost from the dead.
We literally saved it from demolition at the very last second in 2008.
We literally saved it from demolition at the very last second in 2008.
He said luxury brands such as Gucci are particularly keen on using film photography as this gives their promotional material a different look.

Work, effort, meaning

When it was conceded that digital probably was better for wildlife photography, James cut in:
That’s to miss the point!
The sound might be better but you miss seeing the work that went into the performance, the effort of the players and their crew.
Work, effort, meaning – these ideas are all interconnected for users and consumers of analogue technology.
However, when asked to compare the two, they talk about the greater weight and meaning they give to their analogue experiences.
I think it is the quality of the human voice; it does feel more like someone’s speaking to me.

And part of what makes this possible is the process of analogue recording, in which all the sounds being made, including the unscripted noise of the recording process itself, are captured in the final track.
To facilitate this sound, some musicians have even started setting up their own pressing plants, such as Jack White’s Third Man Pressing in Detroit.

The joy of happy accidents

Half of what you do trying to make music is like a happy accident that ends up sounding better than what you intended.
When we started, we didn’t have that technology, so we made mistakes and some of them were happy accidents, resulting in iconic tracks.
When we started, we didn’t have that technology, so we made mistakes and some of them were happy accidents, resulting in iconic tracks.
It’s these happy accidents that we love.
It’s these happy accidents that we love.
For example, the opening bass part of Cannonball, the 1993 song by US Indie band the Breeders, accidentally starts in a different key.
Bass player Josephine Wiggs began playing the riff one step down, then fixed it when the drums came in.

Digital technology is de-skilling us

Over the decade or so of our research, explanations for the analogue revival have shifted from nostalgia, to the desire for something physical in a digital age, to the sense that analogue technology is creatively preferable.
Is digital technology de-skilling consumers, leading to a sense of alienation?
Using analogue technology is another way consumers can feed this desire to re-skill.
Rob told us how his love of music had turned sour with the “sheer ease” of digital, starting with CDs and the MP3 player – and how vinyl had reinvigorated him.
For him, the problem came when listening on digital devices without the “sides” of vinyl albums, and then on music streaming platforms whose digital algorithms preference popular tracks.

‘This song sucks’

These are the people who want to stretch and break the rules and trigger the happy accidents that create something altogether new.
For example, photographers who seek more creative expressions by pre-soaking or “souping” their camera film in lemon juice, coffee, beer, or even burning it.
And among this group, connecting digital and analogue technology is also common – combining two completely different systems to generate even more possibilities.
Film director Denis Villeneuve’s first instalment of Dune (2021) was initially shot on digital, then transferred to film, before being re-digitised.
By combining the two, Villeneuve got a film that, in his words, has a “more timeless, painterly feel”.

For you: more from our Insights series:
How music heals us, even when it’s sad – by a neuroscientist leading a new study of musical therapy

The artist formerly known as Camille – Prince’s lost album ‘comes out’

Beatrix Potter’s famous tales are rooted in stories told by enslaved Africans – but she was very quiet about their origins

To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Climate change makes life harder: in South Africa it’s likely to bring heatwaves, water stress and gender-based violence

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Human-induced climate change made the severe 2015–2017 drought three to six times more likely.

Key Points:

Human-induced climate change made the severe 2015–2017 drought three to six times more likely.
Our new report on Climate Change Impacts in South Africa has found that as Earth warms, people living in South Africa will face reduced incomes, less food and water security and a higher cost of living.
Our findings, based on a synthesis and review of existing research on climate change, are that climate change and socioeconomic risks threaten to bring about a huge change to this status.
Combating the impacts of climate change in South Africa requires adaptive measures, such as changing the way we farm, coordination by the government and international commitment to reduce emissions.

Heatwaves

Farm workers will be exposed to more extreme temperatures working outside and others will suffer from heat stress in their living and working environment.
Here's how
Extreme weather threatens the plants and animals that attract tourism, and directly damages infrastructure at nature reserves, adventure destinations and parks.
Rising temperatures are projected to reduce visitor numbers to South Africa’s national parks by 4% by 2050, affecting the Kruger National Park most.

An agricultural crisis

Smallholder farms are often located in areas with less fertile soils or limited infrastructure, leaving these farmers more vulnerable to climate change.
Arable land suitable for growing crops is concentrated in just 12% of South Africa’s land area.
Therefore, any extreme event that reduces production – such as drought – can be expected to reduce job security and income for farming households and agricultural workers.

Water

Drought and floods damage transport links, public buildings, and water and energy infrastructure, and challenge the provision of basic services.
During the water crisis that followed the 2015–2017 drought, for example, reservoirs serving 3.7 million people around Cape Town dropped to 20% of capacity, leading the government to impose water restrictions.

An increase in gender-based violence

These gender inequalities include a high incidence of gender-based violence and a higher likelihood of poverty among women.
Research in other parts of the world has also linked rising temperatures with an increase in gender-based violence.

Solutions

Much of the country’s economic future hinges on the speed with which investments in renewable energy can replace coal and provide affordable and reliable electricity. Slowing down climate change will take a huge global effort and progress has been limited. The only alternative is to be prepared and adapt to the projected changes.
Peter Johnston receives funding from United Nations, NORCE, NRF

Herbal medicinal product: Eucalypti aetheroleumArray,Array,Array, F: Assessment finalised

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Herbal medicinal product: Eucalypti aetheroleumArray,Array,Array, F: Assessment finalised

Key Points:

Herbal medicinal product: Eucalypti aetheroleumArray,Array,Array, F: Assessment finalised

Draft guideline on good agricultural and collection practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin - Revision 1

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Reproduction, SCOPE, Eating, Pesticide, Convention, Change control, Confusion, Alkaloid, Climate, Fungus, Directive (European Union), Ethylene oxide, Wind, Wood, Glass, European Medicines Agency, HMPS, QDG, Hygiene, Water, Marketing, Fertilizer, Legislation, Manure, Distillation, Risk, Education, Committee, Compost, Draft, Policy, Person, EMA, Seed, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, Collection, Freezing, GMP, Risk assessment, GACP, Sunlight, Fermentation, Personal protective equipment, Animal, Herbal, Herbicide, Weather, INTRODUCTION, Documentation, Regeneration, Decontamination, EudraLex, Disease, International trade, European Pharmacopoeia, Part, Livestock, Public, Inhalation, Knowledge, Seedling, Factorization of polynomials, Record, Plant, Skin, API, Irrigation, Part Two, Soil, Directive, Pharmacopoeia, Codex, Guideline, Temperature, Attention, Hydrocarbon, Pyrrolizidine alkaloid, Polychlorinated biphenyl, Growth, Rotation, Incineration, Environment, Humidity, Smell, Ventilation, Light, Bird, Mineral, Fumigation, Pyrrolizidine, SOP, Housing, Smoking, Atmosphere, Postharvest, Rain, Liver, QWP, Medicinal plants

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 14

Key Points:

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 14
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Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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This guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin

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1.
Due to the inherent
complexity of medicinal plants and herbal substances the quality of these starting materials requires an
adequate quality assurance system for the collection and/or cultivation, harvest, and primary
processing.
(either outdoor, indoor or in greenhouses) should be carefully considered, since each of the mentioned
types could have several problems and advantages.
The used cultivation method may be dependent on
the final application of the herbal medicinal product.
primary processing of herbal substances that are used for the preparation of herbal medicinal products.
medicinal plants and herbal substances, ensuring that they are handled appropriately throughout all
stages of cultivation, collection, processing and storage.
their preparations are exposed to a large number of environmental contaminants of both biotic and
abiotic origin.
to existing wildlife habitats and must adhere to CITES (Convention on International Trade in
Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/bd537ccf-9271-4230-bca1-2d...
4 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/fd318dd6-2404-4e67-82b0232...
3
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
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Where possible, stable varieties and cultivars naturally
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resistant or tolerant to disease should preferably be used.
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The application should be carried out only by qualified staff using approved equipment.
The following should be noted:
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
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Damaged plants or plant parts need to be excluded or limited in accordance with a specific
pharmacopoeia monograph, where relevant.
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
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directly to the sun (except in cases where there is a specific need) and must be protected from
rainfall, insect infestation, etc.
The label must be clear, permanently fixed and made from
6

Reflection paper on the use of fumigants (EMEA/HMPC/125562/2006)

Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

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non-toxic material.
Certain exudates that have not been subjected to a specific treatment are
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
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427

also considered to be herbal substances.
European Pharmacopoeia General Monograph ?HERBAL DRUGS? 07/2017:1433
Are obtained by subjecting herbal substances to treatments such as
extraction, distillation, expression, fractionation, purification, concentration
or fermentation.

Draft guideline on good agricultural and collection practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin - Revision 1

Retrieved on:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 14

Key Points:

REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................... 14
29

Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

Page 3/14

30

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

31
32
33
34
35
36

This guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin

37

1.
Due to the inherent
complexity of medicinal plants and herbal substances the quality of these starting materials requires an
adequate quality assurance system for the collection and/or cultivation, harvest, and primary
processing.
(either outdoor, indoor or in greenhouses) should be carefully considered, since each of the mentioned
types could have several problems and advantages.
The used cultivation method may be dependent on
the final application of the herbal medicinal product.
primary processing of herbal substances that are used for the preparation of herbal medicinal products.
medicinal plants and herbal substances, ensuring that they are handled appropriately throughout all
stages of cultivation, collection, processing and storage.
their preparations are exposed to a large number of environmental contaminants of both biotic and
abiotic origin.
to existing wildlife habitats and must adhere to CITES (Convention on International Trade in
Endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora).
https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/bd537ccf-9271-4230-bca1-2d...
4 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/fd318dd6-2404-4e67-82b0232...
3
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

Page 5/14

104

4.
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005
Page 6/14

147
148
149

8.
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005
Page 7/14

185

7.
Where possible, stable varieties and cultivars naturally
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005
Page 8/14

227
228

resistant or tolerant to disease should preferably be used.
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005
Page 9/14

268
269
270
271
272
273

The application should be carried out only by qualified staff using approved equipment.
The following should be noted:
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

Page 10/14

309
310

?

311
312
313

?

314
315
316
317

?

318
319
320

?

321
322

?

323
324
325

?

326
327
328

?

Damaged plants or plant parts need to be excluded or limited in accordance with a specific
pharmacopoeia monograph, where relevant.
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005
Page 11/14

347
348

directly to the sun (except in cases where there is a specific need) and must be protected from
rainfall, insect infestation, etc.
The label must be clear, permanently fixed and made from
6

Reflection paper on the use of fumigants (EMEA/HMPC/125562/2006)

Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

Page 12/14

386
387

non-toxic material.
Certain exudates that have not been subjected to a specific treatment are
Guideline on Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) for starting materials of herbal origin
EMA/HMPC/246816/2005

Page 13/14

425
426
427

also considered to be herbal substances.
European Pharmacopoeia General Monograph ?HERBAL DRUGS? 07/2017:1433
Are obtained by subjecting herbal substances to treatments such as
extraction, distillation, expression, fractionation, purification, concentration
or fermentation.

Fossil beetles found in a Botswana diamond mine help us to reconstruct the distant past

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

One of the few Cretaceous age deposits that’s been discovered in Africa is at Botswana’s Orapa Diamond Mine.

Key Points:

One of the few Cretaceous age deposits that’s been discovered in Africa is at Botswana’s Orapa Diamond Mine.
Recently a team I lead discovered two new species of rove beetles preserved in the sediments of the Orapa Diamond Mine.
Rove beetles are typically identified by their unique short elytra (protective wing cases) which expose the rest of the abdomen.
Our finds are the first fossil rove beetles ever discovered on the continent and in the southern hemisphere.
The fossils closely resemble today’s rove beetles, showing how successful they’ve been in adapting to various environments without significant changes to their bodies.

Identifying the fossils

We found the fossils in lacustrine sediments (deposits that accumulate in lake environments).
Afristenus orapensis belongs to the stenine rove beetle subgroup while Paleothius mckayi belongs to the subgroup staphylinine.
The stenine rove beetle was previously described in Russia, France and Myanmar while the staphylinine rove beetle was previously described in Russia, China, Myanmar and England.
So we scoured research articles about fossils of a similar age that have already been studied elsewhere for comparative purposes.

More to find

We are currently studying each specimen and preparing academic manuscripts that describe what we’ve found.
My hope is that more money will be invested in training more palaeoentomologists in South Africa and on the continent more broadly.
The study of fossil insects and plants is an important way to preserve our beloved continent’s heritage.

Sandiso Mnguni receives funding from GENUS (Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences - UID 86073). He is affiliated with the Sophumelela Youth Development Programme (SYDP).

A landslide forced me from my home – and I experienced our failure to deal with climate change at first hand

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Gill, Electricity, Climate change, Drainage, Climate, Research, Policy, Insurance, Plant, Landslide, Lobbying, Water, Tree, Family, Fear, Weather

These cracks soon became a landslide affecting several homes overlooking the Gill, ultimately swallowing tonnes of land and trees and leaving chunks of our properties at the bottom of the valley.

Key Points:

These cracks soon became a landslide affecting several homes overlooking the Gill, ultimately swallowing tonnes of land and trees and leaving chunks of our properties at the bottom of the valley.
The local council has forced my family out of our home, which is now teetering on the edge of a cliff.

This is worrying, as events like these will become more and more common in the years to come.
Although Hastings is a coastal town, our property is inland, so this could happen to anyone, anywhere.

No one wants to take responsibility

This response – or lack thereof – reveals a troubling incentive structure, where the fear of assuming liability results in inaction.
Our attempts to be rehoused or to have the landslide damage addressed were met with challenges at every turn.

Previously rare events aren’t factored in

The landslide reveals current climate governance frameworks are inadequate, since they simply don’t consider previously rare events like these.
This means landslide victims have to do it themselves, at enormous personal cost, and often without any prior technical or policy experience.

A call for systemic change

In an ideal world, this issue would be dealt with by local authorities or utility companies.
So we need policies that empower (or force) local authorities and utility companies to act without fear of legal liability.
As the climate changes, catastrophes like this one can happen to anyone, no matter how secure we may feel.

Ralitsa Hiteva is a member of the Green Party.