Seasonal activity of Ichneumonid pupal parasitoids of Operophtera spp. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

Field placement of cocoons of Operophtera spp. was used to determine the timing of attack by pupal parasitoids of the winter moth, Operophtera brumata (L.), and the Bruce spanworm, O. bruceata (Hulst). Coccygomimus hesperus Tow. & Tow., the most abundant parasitoid recovered, attacked Operophtera pupae from early June until the end of August. At least two generations of C. hesperus occur each season. Buathra dorsicarinata (Pratt) was not recovered in numbers large enough to determine its timing of attack and no pupae parasitized by Cratichneumon sp. were recovered

Relativistic Proton Production During the 14 July 2000 Solar Event: The Case for Multiple Source Mechanisms

Protons accelerated to relativistic energies by transient solar and interplanetary phenomena caused a ground-level cosmic ray enhancement on 14 July 2000, Bastille Day. Near-Earth spacecraft measured the proton flux directly and ground-based observatories measured the secondary responses to higher energy protons. We have modelled the arrival of these relativistic protons at Earth using a technique which deduces the spectrum, arrival direction and anisotropy of the high-energy protons that produce increased responses in neutron monitors. To investigate the acceleration processes involved we have employed theoretical shock and stochastic acceleration spectral forms in our fits to spacecraft and neutron monitor data. During the rising phase of the event (10:45 UT and 10:50 UT) we find that the spectrum between 140 MeV and 4 GeV is best fitted by a shock acceleration spectrum. In contrast, the spectrum at the peak (10:55 UT and 11:00 UT) and in the declining phase (11:40 UT) is best fitted with a stochastic acceleration spectrum. We propose that at least two acceleration processes were responsible for the production of relativistic protons during the Bastille Day solar event: (1) protons were accelerated to relativistic energies by a shock, presumably a coronal mass ejection (CME). (2) protons were also accelerated to relativistic energies by stochastic processes initiated by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence.Comment: 38 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal, January, 200

An Improved Model for Relativistic Solar Proton Acceleration applied to the 2005 January 20 and Earlier Events

This paper presents results on modelling the ground level response of the higher energy protons for the 2005 January 20 ground level enhancement (GLE). This event, known as GLE 69, produced the highest intensity of relativistic solar particles since the famous event on 1956 February 23. The location of recent X-ray and gamma-ray emission (N14 W61) was near to Sun-Earth connecting magnetic field lines, thus providing the opportunity to directly observe the acceleration source from Earth. We restrict our analysis to protons of energy greater than 450 MeV to avoid complications arising from transport processes that can affect the propagation of low energy protons. In light of this revised approach we have reinvestigated two previous GLEs: those of 2000 July 14 (GLE 59) and 2001 April 15 (GLE 60). Within the limitations of the spectral forms employed, we find that from the peak (06:55 UT) to the decline (07:30 UT) phases of GLE 69, neutron monitor observations from 450 MeV to 10 GeV are best fitted by the Gallegos-Cruz & Perez-Peraza stochastic acceleration model. In contrast, the Ellison & Ramaty spectra did not fit the neutron monitor observations as well. This result suggests that for GLE 69, a stochastic process cannot be discounted as a mechanism for relativistic particle acceleration, particularly during the initial stages of this solar event. For GLE 59 we find evidence that more than one acceleration mechanism was present, consistent with both shock and stochastic acceleration processes dominating at different times of the event. For GLE 60 we find that Ellison & Ramaty spectra better represent the neutron monitor observations compared to stochastic acceleration spectra. The results for GLEs 59 and 60 are in agreement with our previous work.Comment: 42 pages, 10 figures, 10 tables, published in ApJ, August 200

Drymus brunneus (Sahlberg) (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae): a seed bug introduced into North America

The occurrence of the adventive Drymus brunneus (Sahlberg) in North America is documented, and characteristics to distinguish this Old World species from D. unus (Say) are described and illustrated. A revised key to the Western Hemisphere species of Drymus is included

Mental Health First Aid USA: The Implementation of a Mental Health First Aid Training Program in a Rural Healthcare Setting

Nearly one-quarter of adults in the United States suffer from a documented mental disorder. Consequently, anyone could encounter a person with symptoms of mental illness at some point as they carry out their daily life activities. Although laypersons may accurately identify physical illnesses, they may lack necessary skills to identify symptoms of mental disorders, or know how to adequately respond to persons in a mental health crisis. Mental Health First Aid USA is an evidence-based certification program designed to teach lay citizens to recognize certain symptoms of common mental illnesses, offer and provide first aid assistance, and guide a person toward appropriate services and other support. The program targets a broad audience, from teachers, police officers, clergy members, and healthcare professionals to the average citizen volunteer. This practice note describes a pilot implementation of Mental Health First Aid USA by a social worker at a rural hospital in Central California. The process and results of program implementation are discussed as well as implications for social work practice in rural healthcare settings

Re-evaluation of cosmic ray cutoff terminology

The study of cosmic ray access to locations inside the geomagnetic field has evolved in a manner that has led to some misunderstanding and misapplication of the terminology originally developed to describe particle access. This paper presents what is believed to be a useful set of definitions for cosmic ray cutoff terminology for use in theoretical and experimental cosmic ray studies

Cosmic ray short burst observed with the Global Muon Detector Network (GMDN) on June 22, 2015

We analyze the short cosmic ray intensity increase ("cosmic ray burst": CRB) on June 22, 2015 utilizing a global network of muon detectors and derive the global anisotropy of cosmic ray intensity and the density (i.e. the omnidirectional intensity) with 10-minute time resolution. We find that the CRB was caused by a local density maximum and an enhanced anisotropy of cosmic rays both of which appeared in association with Earth's crossing of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). This enhanced anisotropy was normal to the HCS and consistent with a diamagnetic drift arising from the spatial gradient of cosmic ray density, which indicates that cosmic rays were drifting along the HCS from the north of Earth. We also find a significant anisotropy along the HCS, lasting a few hours after the HCS crossing, indicating that cosmic rays penetrated into the inner heliosphere along the HCS. Based on the latest geomagnetic field model, we quantitatively evaluate the reduction of the geomagnetic cut-off rigidity and the variation of the asymptotic viewing direction of cosmic rays due to a major geomagnetic storm which occurred during the CRB and conclude that the CRB is not caused by the geomagnetic storm, but by a rapid change in the cosmic ray anisotropy and density outside the magnetosphere.Comment: accepted for the publication in the Astrophysical Journa