Pilot field studies on insect pathogenic fungi to control mirid pests of apples in Norway

In a pilot field study conducted in an apple orchard in Hardanger (Western Norway) in two succesive years both Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were applied to apple trees just after hatching of mirid nymphs in spring. Both predatory, omnivorous and principally plant-pathogenic species of mirids were collected, and all groups of species were infected by B. bassiana or M. ansiopliae in treated plots. B. bassiana and M. anisopliae were also found on some individuals in non treated control plots the second year. M. anisopliae was more predominant in 2006, B. bassiana in 2007. Mirids were also observed for natural occurrence of parasitoids, and parasitoids were found both years

The Independent Inventor: Hero or Fool?

In this paper I will tackle a subject often neglected when grand treatises on innovation are written: the independent inventor. Although independent inventors are not as significant as they once were, their death is, as Mark Twain said, responding to reports of his own demise, "very much exaggerated." Not only do independent inventors still invent, they are more successful than is generally thought. Here I would like to take the time to give an in-depth examination of this interesting species

Is there a role for a test controller in the development of new ATC equipment?

Earl Wiener points out that human factors problems fixed during the R & D stage are paid for once. When they are not fixed during R & D, they are then paid for every day. How users are involved in the R & D process to assist in developing equipment is a critical issue. Effective involvement can produce real improvements. Ineffective involvement can produce inefficient kludges or systems that are actually dangerous. The underlying problem is the management of information and ideas. To develop a really generative system a great deal would have to change in the way that the FAA innovates. Use of test controllers would solve only some of the problems. For instance, we have cockpit resource management now for pilots; we may have it soon for controllers. But the management of ideas in the innovation process also needs intellectual resource management. Simply involving users is not enough. Brought in at the wrong point in the development process, users can block or compromise innovation. User involvement must be carefully considered. A test controller may be one solution to this problem. It might be necessary to have several kinds of test controllers (en route versus TRACON, for instance). No doubt further problems would surface in getting test controllers into operation. I would recommend that the FAA engage in a series of case studies of controller involvement in the innovation process. A systematic comparison of effective and ineffective cases would do much to clarify what we ought to do in the future. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any cases where test controllers have been used. Perhaps we need to create some, to see how they work

Status report: A Norwegian decriminalisation of use and possession of drugs?

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