Larra bicolor Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae): its distribution throughout Florida

We document the presence of Larra bicolor Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in 46 of Florida's 67 counties. The species is represented by two stocks. The first (released in 1981) originated in Pará, Brazil, but was obtained from Puerto Rico, and became established in Broward County in southern Florida. The second (released in 1988) originated in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and became established in Alachua County in northern Florida. The Bolivian stock, aided by additional satellite releases from Alachua County, is now widely distributed. The species probably occupies all counties in central and northern Florida, but may yet be absent from some southern counties. Introduction was made for classical biological control of invasive mole crickets

Assessment of Buffet Forcing Function Development Process Using Unsteady Pressure Sensitive Paint

A wind tunnel test was conducted at the Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel to characterize the transonic buffet environment of a generic launch vehicle forebody. The test examined a highly instrumented version of the Coe and Nute Model 11 test article first tested in the 1960s. One of the measurement techniques used during this test was unsteady pressure sensitive paint (uPSP) developed at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex. This optical measurement technique measured fluctuating pressures at over 300,000 locations on the surface of the model. The high spatial density of these measurements provided an opportunity to examine in depth the assumptions underpinning the development of buffet forcing functions (BFFs) used in the development of the Space Launch System vehicle. The comparison of discrete-measurement-based BFFs to BFFs developed by continuous surface pressure integration indicates that the current BFF development approach under predicts low frequency content of the BFFs while over predicting high frequency content. Coherence-based adjustments employed to reduce over prediction in the surface integration of discrete pressure measurements contribute to the inaccuracy of the BFFs and their implementation should be reevaluated

The shape of jamming arches in two-dimensional deposits of granular materials

We present experimental results on the shape of arches that block the outlet of a two dimensional silo. For a range of outlet sizes, we measure some properties of the arches such as the number of particles involved, the span, the aspect ratio, and the angles between mutually stabilizing particles. These measurements shed light on the role of frictional tangential forces in arching. In addition, we find that arches tend to adopt an aspect ratio (the quotient between height and half the span) close to one, suggesting an isotropic load. The comparison of the experimental results with data from numerical models of the arches formed in the bulk of a granular column reveals the similarities of both, as well as some limitations in the few existing models.Comment: 8 pages; submitted to Physical Review

Perturbations of a Universe Filled with Dust and Radiation

A first-order perturbation approach to $k=0$ Friedmann cosmologies filled with dust and radiation is developed. Adopting the coordinate gauge comoving with the perturbed matter, and neglecting the vorticity of the radiation, a pair of coupled equations is obtained for the trace $h$ of the metric perturbations and for the velocity potential $v$. A power series solution with upwards cutoff exists such that the leading terms for large values of the dimensionless time $\xi$ agree with the relatively growing terms of the dust solution of Sachs and Wolfe.Comment: 9 pp, typeset in late

Big data and data repurposing – using existing data to answer new questions in vascular dementia research

Introduction: Traditional approaches to clinical research have, as yet, failed to provide effective treatments for vascular dementia (VaD). Novel approaches to collation and synthesis of data may allow for time and cost efficient hypothesis generating and testing. These approaches may have particular utility in helping us understand and treat a complex condition such as VaD. Methods: We present an overview of new uses for existing data to progress VaD research. The overview is the result of consultation with various stakeholders, focused literature review and learning from the group’s experience of successful approaches to data repurposing. In particular, we benefitted from the expert discussion and input of delegates at the 9th International Congress on Vascular Dementia (Ljubljana, 16-18th October 2015). Results: We agreed on key areas that could be of relevance to VaD research: systematic review of existing studies; individual patient level analyses of existing trials and cohorts and linking electronic health record data to other datasets. We illustrated each theme with a case-study of an existing project that has utilised this approach. Conclusions: There are many opportunities for the VaD research community to make better use of existing data. The volume of potentially available data is increasing and the opportunities for using these resources to progress the VaD research agenda are exciting. Of course, these approaches come with inherent limitations and biases, as bigger datasets are not necessarily better datasets and maintaining rigour and critical analysis will be key to optimising data use

Averaging in Cosmology

In this paper we discuss the effect of local inhomogeneities on the global expansion of nearly FLRW universes, in a perturbative setting. We derive a generic linearized averaging operation for metric perturbations from basic assumptions, and we explicify the issue of gauge invariance. We derive a gauge invariant expression for the back-reaction of density inhomogeneities on the global expansion of perturbed FLRW spacetimes, in terms of observable quantities, and we calculate the effect quantitatively. Since we do not adopt a comoving gauge, our result incorporates the back-reaction on the metric due to scalar velocity and vorticity perturbations. The results are compared with the results by other authors in this field.Comment: 24 pages, Latex, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Low-level lithium in drinking water and subsequent risk of dementia:Cohort study

Background: Lithium, a mood stabilizer, is known to exhibit neuroprotective effects in animal models and may have anti-dementia effects. Aims: We used data from Scottish Mental Survey 1932, a population-based cohort study, to investigate the association between lithium in drinking water and dementia rate in humans. Method: Lithium levels in drinking water from 285 sampling sites across Scotland dating from 2014 were obtained from the sole public water provider (Scottish Water). Dementia and non dementia cases were identified from cohort data by electronic health records until 2012, and linked to postcode. Results: The mean lithium level at all sampling sites was 1.45 μg /L (SD 1.83, range 0.5-18.2) and was 1.26 (SD 0.63, range 0.55-9.19) for sites matched to participant data. Of 37,597 study members, 3,605 developed dementia until June 2012. . Lithium levels were positively associated with the risk of dementia in women (highest in second quartile, HR 1.17, 95%CI 1.04-1.32), but there was no relationship in men (highest in second quartile, HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.81-1.12). The pattern of association was explored further by decile, and in females there was an association between lithium level and increased dementia risk compared to the lowest decile (0.55-0.68 μg/L) in all deciles except the highest, corresponding with lithium levels 0.68-2.1 μg/L. Conclusions: Lithium levels in drinking water are very low across Scotland which limited detection of potential effect. Our results do not support an association between extremely low levels of lithium and later dementia risk.. We found a trend to increased risk in females at lithium levels below but not above 2.1 μg/L