Field Evidence Against Rodent Burrow Entering by \u3ci\u3eAedes Triseriatus\u3c/i\u3e (Diptera: Culicidae)

(excerpt) The tree-hole developing mosquito Aedes triseriatus (Say) is the major vector of La Crosse encephalitis virus in the upper mid-western United States (Calisher and Thompson 1983). This virus overwinters in the eggs of this mosquito, and in the summer infects chipmunks and squirrels which have been bitten by infected mosquitoes (op. cit). Non-infected mosquitoes may become infected when they blood-feed on viremic sciurid rodents (Pantuwatana et al. 1972)

Straw Itch Mite, \u3ci\u3ePyemotes Tritici\u3c/i\u3e, Infestation in Brome Seed Related to Acute Dermatitis in Michigan Granary Workers

An infestation of Pyemotes tritici, the straw itch mite, apparently caused dermatitis on the arms and trunks of four workers in south-central Michigan who had unloaded a shipment of brome seed bags. Sampling of bag surfaces and contents indicated that mites occurred inside and on the surface of brome seed bags, but not in bags of other seed present at the site. One bag of fescue in contact with brome seed bags had mites on its surface. Pyemotes tritici densities on the brome seed bags ranged from 0.7 -5.6 per cm , while infestations in brome seed ranged from 0.08-0.33 mites per ml of seed. An insect repellent containing DEET was effective in preventing mite bites

Seasonal Abundance and Species Diversity of Adult Tabanidae (Diptera) at Lake Lansing Park-North, Michigan

A two year study was undertaken to determine the seasonal abundance and diversity of adult deer flies and horse flies, to compare two methods of sampling (Malaise trap and sweep net), and to estimate attack rates by tabanids on people at Lake Lansing Park-North, Ingham County, Michigan, in 1990 and 1991. Tabanids were sampled using dry ice-baited Malaise traps, and by making over- head sweeps with a standard insect net while hiking a trail. Hybomitra spp. (299 individuals of 9 species) peaked in abundance in mid-May to early June in both years. Chrysops spp. (11,675 individuals of 14 species) and Tabanus spp. (324 individuals of 8 species) peaked in early-to late-July in both study years. Peak abundance for Chrysops and Tabanus spp. occurred earlier in 1991 than 1990, probably because the spring of 1991 was warmer. There were six new species records for County. More individual Hybomitra and Tabanus were taken by M traps (77.3% for Hybomitra; 76.2% for Tabanus) than by netting (22.7% for Hybomitra; 23.8% for Tabanus). In contrast, sweep netting yielded more individual Chrysops (98.3%) than Malaise traps (1.7%). Tabanid attack rates on people hiking the trail exceeded 1,000 per hour on one occasion each year, at mid-season

Bayesian analysis of resolved stellar spectra: application to MMT/Hectochelle Observations of the Draco dwarf spheroidal

We introduce a Bayesian method for fitting faint, resolved stellar spectra in order to obtain simultaneous estimates of redshift and stellar-atmospheric parameters. We apply the method to thousands of spectra---covering 5160-5280 Angs. at resolution R~20,000---that we have acquired with the MMT/Hectochelle fibre spectrograph for red-giant and horizontal branch candidates along the line of sight to the Milky Way's dwarf spheroidal satellite in Draco. The observed stars subtend an area of ~4 deg^2, extending ~3 times beyond Draco's nominal `tidal' radius. For each spectrum we tabulate the first four moments---central value, variance, skewness and kurtosis---of posterior probability distribution functions representing estimates of the following physical parameters: line-of-sight velocity v_los, effective temperature (T_eff), surface gravity (logg) and metallicity ([Fe/H]). After rejecting low-quality measurements, we retain a new sample consisting of 2813 independent observations of 1565 unique stars, including 1879 observations for 631 stars with (as many as 13) repeat observations. Parameter estimates have median random errors of sigma_{v_los}=0.88 km/s, sigma_{T_eff}=162 K, sigma_logg=0.37 dex and sigma_[Fe/H]=0.20 dex. Our estimates of physical parameters distinguish ~470 likely Draco members from interlopers in the Galactic foreground.Comment: published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, all data are publicly available at the following address: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/mgwalker/hectochelle

Land Grant Application- Walker, Edward (Waterborough)

Land grant application submitted to the Maine Land Office on behalf of Edward Walker for service in the Revolutionary War, by their widow Susan.https://digitalmaine.com/revolutionary_war_me_land_office/1929/thumbnail.jp

A Numerical Treatment of Melt/Solid Segregation: Size of the Eucrite Parent Body and Stability of the Terrestrial Low-Velocity Zone

Crystal sinking to form cumulates and melt percolation toward segregation in magma pools can be treated with modifications of Stokes' and Darcy's laws, respectively. The velocity of crystals and melt depends, among other things, on the force of gravity (g) driving the separations and the cooling time of the environment. The increase of g promotes more efficient differentiation, whereas the increase of cooling rate limits the extent to which crystals and liquid can separate. The rate at which separation occurs is strongly dependent on the proportion of liquid that is present. As a result, cumulate formation is a process with a negative feedback; the more densely aggregated the crystals become, the slower the process can proceed. In contrast, melt accumulation is a process with a positive feedback; partial accumulation of melt leads to more rapid accumulation of subsequent melt. This positive feedback can cause melt accumulation to run rapidly to completion once a critical stability limit is passed. The observation of cumulates and segregated melts among the eucrite meteorites is used as a basis for calculating the g (and planet size) required to perform these differentiations. The eucrite parent body was probably at least 10-100 km in radius. The earth's low velocity zone (LVZ) is shown to be unstable with respect to draining itself of excess melt if the melt forms an interconnecting network. A geologically persistent LVZ with a homogeneous distribution of melt can be maintained with melt fractions only on the order of 0.1% or less

Challenging Rules: A study of minority nationalist party rhetoric and strategy in Catalonia, Corsica and Scotland

Political norms and rules, whether discursive or formally embodied in constitutions and laws, regulate and constrain the spectrum of legitimate political action for political actors. In the case of major political principles and constitutional law, these norms and rules are particularly difficult to challenge and change. For most political parties operating broadly within the boundaries of their respective domestic political system, this is seldom an issue. In recent years however, several countries across Europe have faced a significant challenge from minority nationalist parties seeking recognition, major constitutional reforms and, in some cases, political independence for the territory they claim to represent. In this thesis, I analyse the various ways in which minority nationalist parties seek to challenge the rules and norms that prevent the legitimate realisation of their political goals. Simultaneously, I also analyse the ways in which the normative framework within which these parties operate domestically affects the nature of their political discourse and demands, with various parties adopting different discourses and emphasising different demands depending on the nature of the political system within which they operate. To successfully challenge established norms and rules, minority nationalist parties have also drawn upon different tools to legitimate their demands, ranging from the pursuit of political recognition to domestic electoral success and international lobbying within European institutions. Looking at these various elements, and drawing on three major European case studies (Catalonia, Corsica and Scotland), I develop a framework to analyse and understand why minority nationalist parties ‘speak’ and ‘act’ the way they do, providing a starting point for further, norm-focused comparative research on the fundamental challenge brought forward by minority nationalist parties in Europe and in other regions of the world