Regression Equations and Table for Estimating Numbers of Eggs in Jack Pine Budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Egg Masses in Michigan

Three simple linear regression equations were developed to estimate the numbers of eggs in spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, egg masses in Michigan. One equation was developed for each of 2-row, 2- row + , and 3-row egg masses. A table of estimated numbers of eggs per egg mass is given for each of the three row types for egg mass lengths from 1 to 13 mm

Understanding and valuing the economic, social and environmental components of System Harmonisation

The aim of the Products and Markets component of the System Harmonisation project is to value the economic and environmental outcomes from an irrigation scheme that is operated by and in the interests of society. In this conceptual note the thinking underlying this component of the project are outlined. The aim of this note is to provide elements for debated. The nature and requirements of System Harmonisation demands that a 'systems approach' be taken throughout the project. What becomes important within this approach is how the different elements within a system are isolated and yet linked with one another. In many instances the extent and nature of irrigation systems are defined by the relevant Regional Irrigation Business Partnership (RIBP) under investigation. It is recognised that society has multiple uses for the water (agriculture, industry, households, recreation and the environment) as well as non-use (intrinsic) values for which it derives benefits from and incurs costs in distributing the water in any select manner. Further, it is assumed that the irrigation schemes are run for the benefit of society as a whole. Thus, there is a necessity to evaluate both the private and public costs and benefits associated with irrigation schemes. In order to identify what society values from an irrigation scheme, it is argued that a social matrix approach is needed. This analysis allows for a clustering of the issues people feel is important to them regarding the use of an irrigation scheme. Such an analysis will allow identification of the perceived most and least beneficial activities connected to water allocation, economic modelling of the most productive activities, evaluation of externalities and Cost Benefit Analysis. The net economic benefits that arise from irrigation need to be evaluated. The sectors where benefits are derived can be segregated into agriculture, households, the environment, recreation and industrial uses. The largest of these, by pure scale of the use of water, is agriculture. A gross margins approach is used to evaluate the returns for water in the agricultural sector. In the industrial and household sectors, a simple evaluation approach is used where the quantity of water demanded is multiplied by the price paid in each sector. Non-market valuation techniques are used to evaluate the recreational and environmental uses of water. The difficulty that arises in this analysis is how to evaluate the performance of irrigation schemes, where the outcomes are multifaceted. A 'meta' model approach is suggested in which the different elements from the project are brought together and assessed using a technique derived from the theory surrounding production possibility frontiers. This technique can be used to hypothesise a value for the ecosystem services derived from an irrigation scheme. The performance of an irrigation scheme is evaluated in terms of the suggestions raised to change it. Cost Effective Analysis is to be utilised to evaluate this performance. Then two issues need to be addressed. First, it is necessary to converse with those from other components, particularly those involved in the hydrological programs, to determine the nature of the schemes to be investigated. Second, it is necessary to implement the approach in each of the RIBPs. This work needs to commence with the evaluation of the social values in each region

Technology Transfer in Forest Pest Management: A Case History

The current approach being used in the spruce budworm technology transfer program for the Lake States is described. During 1981-1982, we concentrated on needs assessment surveys and the development and packaging of materials in five areas: general manual, chemical control handbook, silviculture handbook, instruction manual for remote sensing workshops, and technical reports on budworm impact on spruce-fir stands. We present a list of factors that researchers and technology transfer specialists should consider when plan- ning a research and technology transfer program in forest pest management

Caffeine for asthma

Background Caffeine has a variety of pharmacological effects; it is a weak bronchodilator and it also reduces respiratory muscle fatigue. It is chemically related to the drug theophylline which is used to treat asthma. It has been suggested that caffeine may reduce asthma symptoms and interest has been expressed in its potential role as an asthma treatment. A number of studies have explored the effects of caffeine in asthma, this is the first review to systematically examine and summarise the evidence. Objectives To assess the effects of caffeine on lung function and identify whether there is a need to control for caffeine consumption prior to either lung function or exhaled nitric oxide testing. Search strategy We searched the Cochrane Airways Group trials register and the reference lists of articles (August 2009). We also contacted study authors.Selection criteriaRandomised clinical trials of oral caffeine compared to placebo or coffee compared to decaffeinated coffee in adults with asthma. Data collection and analysis Trial selection, quality assessment and data extraction were done independently by two reviewers. Main results Seven trials involving a total of 75 people with mild to moderate asthma were included. The studies were all of cross-over design.Six trials involving 55 people showed that in comparison with placebo, caffeine, even at a 'low dose' (< 5 mg/kg body weight), appears to improve lung function for up to two hours after consumption. Forced expiratory volume in one minute showed a small improvement up to two hours after caffeine ingestion (SMD 0.72; 95% CI 0.25 to 1.20), which translates into a 5% mean difference in FEV1. However in two studies the mean differences in FEV1 were 12% and 18% after caffeine. Mid-expiratory flow rates also showed a small improvement with caffeine and this was sustained up to four hours.One trial involving 20 people examined the effect of drinking coffee versus a decaffeinated variety on the exhaled nitric oxide levels in patients with asthma and concluded that there was no significant effect on this outcome. Authors' conclusions Caffeine appears to improve airways function modestly, for up to four hours, in people with asthma. People may need to avoid caffeine for at least four hours prior to lung function testing, as caffeine ingestion could cause misinterpretation of the results. Drinking caffeinated coffee before taking exhaled nitric oxide measurements does not appear to affect the results of the test, but more studies are needed to confirm this

Developing and Testing Operational Definitions for Functional and Higher Order Driving Instruction

The amount and type of driving instruction provided to novice teen drivers during the learner period may be associated with future crash risk. The purpose of this study was to (1) operationally define two types of driving instruction: functional and higher order instruction, and to (2) test these definitions in a sample of newly licensed novice teenage drivers during the first ten hours of supervised driving. Functional driving instruction was defined as instruction that relates to the present time or immediate future; and related to specific events that are occurring during the drive itself. Higher order driving instruction was instruction that could be extrapolated to a future driving situation; that conveys general principles of driving related to potential events that occur. These operational definitions were tested in conversation occurring during driving instruction in a sample of 90 teen drivers, recruited within three weeks of receiving their learner permit. Teen drivers’ vehicles were equipped with microphones; conversations were recorded and coded for each type of instruction that was observed. As expected, parents provided substantial driving-related instruction on a variety of topics. During the first ten hours of supervised driving only 17.5% of observed driving-related instructions was higher order. This test provides face validity of the operational definitions of driving instruction. These definitions may assist in quantifying the type and amount of driving instruction occurring during the supervised practice stage of licensure, and provide an empirical basis for evaluating the association between driving instruction and independent driving performance

Regression Equations and Table for Estimating Numbers of Eggs in Jack Pine Budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Egg Masses in Michigan

Three simple linear regression equations were developed to estimate the numbers of eggs in spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana, egg masses in Michigan. One equation was developed for each of 2-row, 2- row + , and 3-row egg masses. A table of estimated numbers of eggs per egg mass is given for each of the three row types for egg mass lengths from 1 to 13 mm

Broken particle-hole symmetry at atomically flat a-axis YBa2Cu3O7-d interfaces

We have studied quasiparticle tunneling into atomically flat a-axis films of YBa2Cu3O7-d and DyBa2Cu3O7-d through epitaxial CaTiO3 barriers. The junction heterostructures were grown by oxide molecular beam epitaxy and were carefully optimized using in-situ monitoring techniques, resulting in unprecedented crystalline perfection of the superconductor/insulator interface. Below Tc, the tunneling conductance shows the evolution of a large unexpected asymmetrical feature near zero bias. This is evidence that superconducting YBCO crystals, atomically truncated along the lobe direction with a titanate layer, have intrinsically broken particle-hole symmetry over macroscopically large areas.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures; v2 includes minor changes in concluding paragraph to match PRL versio

Unproceedings of the Fourth .Astronomy Conference (.Astronomy 4), Heidelberg, Germany, July 9-11 2012

The goal of the .Astronomy conference series is to bring together astronomers, educators, developers and others interested in using the Internet as a medium for astronomy. Attendance at the event is limited to approximately 50 participants, and days are split into mornings of scheduled talks, followed by 'unconference' afternoons, where sessions are defined by participants during the course of the event. Participants in unconference sessions are discouraged from formal presentations, with discussion, workshop-style formats or informal practical tutorials encouraged. The conference also designates one day as a 'hack day', in which attendees collaborate in groups on day-long projects for presentation the following morning. These hacks are often a way of concentrating effort, learning new skills, and exploring ideas in a practical fashion. The emphasis on informal, focused interaction makes recording proceedings more difficult than for a normal meeting. While the first .Astronomy conference is preserved formally in a book, more recent iterations are not documented. We therefore, in the spirit of .Astronomy, report 'unproceedings' from .Astronomy 4, which was held in Heidelberg in July 2012.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, .Astronomy 4, #dotastr

The Effect of Ash and Inorganic Pigment Fill on the Atomic Oxygen Erosion of Polymers and Paints (ISMSE-12)

Low atomic oxygen fluence (below 1x10(exp 20) atoms/sq cm) exposure of polymers and paints that have a small ash content and/or inorganic pigment fill does not cause a significant difference in erosion yield compared to unfilled (neat) polymers or paints. However, if the ash and/or inorganic pigment content is increased, the surface population of the inorganic content will begin to occupy a significant fraction of the surface area as the atomic oxygen exposure increases because the ash is not volatile and remains as a loosely attached surface layer. This results in a reduction of the flux of atomic oxygen reacting with the polymer and a reduction in the rate of erosion of the polymer remaining. This paper presents the results of ground laboratory and low Earth orbital (LEO) investigations to evaluate the fluence dependence of atomic oxygen erosion yields of polymers and paints having inorganic fill content

Noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation alters neural response and physiological autonomic tone to noxious thermal challenge.

The mechanisms by which noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS) affect central and peripheral neural circuits that subserve pain and autonomic physiology are not clear, and thus remain an area of intense investigation. Effects of nVNS vs sham stimulation on subject responses to five noxious thermal stimuli (applied to left lower extremity), were measured in 30 healthy subjects (n = 15 sham and n = 15 nVNS), with fMRI and physiological galvanic skin response (GSR). With repeated noxious thermal stimuli a group × time analysis showed a significantly (p &lt; .001) decreased response with nVNS in bilateral primary and secondary somatosensory cortices (SI and SII), left dorsoposterior insular cortex, bilateral paracentral lobule, bilateral medial dorsal thalamus, right anterior cingulate cortex, and right orbitofrontal cortex. A group × time × GSR analysis showed a significantly decreased response in the nVNS group (p &lt; .0005) bilaterally in SI, lower and mid medullary brainstem, and inferior occipital cortex. Finally, nVNS treatment showed decreased activity in pronociceptive brainstem nuclei (e.g. the reticular nucleus and rostral ventromedial medulla) and key autonomic integration nuclei (e.g. the rostroventrolateral medulla, nucleus ambiguous, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve). In aggregate, noninvasive vagal nerve stimulation reduced the physiological response to noxious thermal stimuli and impacted neural circuits important for pain processing and autonomic output