Time related factors in Heliothis control on cotton

Most factors in Heliothis control on cotton are crucially related to time but all are interrelated one with another and form two complex interactions hinging on the pest life cycle. One is the crop-pest interaction and the other the control strategy. This paper reviews most of the factors and reports work carried out in Swaziland to elucidate some of them. In the crop-pest interaction the timing of the initial attack and a cue for spraying can be indicated by development of an alternate host and, in Swaziland, by reference to the average date of maize tassellation. Later infestations are measured by scouting and a comparison is made of the two main systems, the first based on a small part of many plants and used in the USA, and the second based on the whole of a few plants in Africa. Their respective purposes are discussed and economic spray thresholds based on them are presented. The compensatory ability of the plant diminishes as the season progresses but in Swaziland manual bud/flower removal experiments over 3 years on raingrown and irrigated cotton showed that prior to 12 January (9-12 weeks from planting) removal increased the yield in half the cases whilst later removal could cause a decrease. The natural Heliothis infestation was allowed to remove fruits in an experiment by leaving spray gaps and the results confirmed those of the previous manual experiments except that damage continued for about 2 weeks after spraying restarted. This advanced the critical date to 31 December but up to three sprays could be saved without loss of yield and possibly with a yield bonus. In the control strategy the different stages of the life cycle are considered as targets but the most obvious is normally the first instar larvae. Rapid plant growth can dictate frequent spray applications regardless of deposit persistence which may need to be longer when using aircraft in spite of Heliothis oviposition occurring predominantly on exposed surfaces. Temperature-independent or fumigant insecticides or those affecting the adult may best be sprayed in the evening when cooler and calmer post-treatment conditions occur and adults are starting to fly.     

The relationship of subsequent racing performance to foreleg flight patterns during racing speed workouts of unraced 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses at auctions

Workouts of 980 unraced 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses at major U.S. auctions were videotaped using digital high-speed video equipment (ie, slow motion) and studied for signs of extraneous foreleg motion.^a Extraneous foreleg motion included, but was not limited to: 1) hyper rotation of the cannon bone on an axis parallel to the plane of the running surface (ie, moving in sagittal plane; hoof hitting an elbow in extreme cases) and perpendicular to the direction of the racetrack longitudinally; and 2) foreleg flight patterns not symmetrical and/or not parallel to the vector of the forward momentum of the horse's center of gravity (eg, winging, paddling, and/or wobbling at joints). Experienced Thorough bred racehorse industry videographers and gait analysis researchers were trained and used as film reviewers who rated foreleg motion on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 indicating little or no extraneous motion, 3.5 indicating average extraneous motion (relative to the other unraced 2-year-olds at these auctions and to more than 20,000 similar horses at similar auctions over the past 10 years), and 5 indicating extreme extraneous motion (ie, at least 1 standard deviation or more from the mean). Because these were subjective ratings, only the more extreme rankings were used for comparison purposes in this study—that is, a minority (15.3%) of the overall study population.

A group of 73 horses with “good” foreleg motion had ratings from 1 to 3. A group of 77 horses with “bad” foreleg motion had ratings from 4 to 5. The subsequent North American racing performance of horses with good and bad foreleg motion was compared. Both groups had similar average velocity and similar distribution patterns of the velocities of the workouts, so the differences between the groups that are discussed in this study were not caused by different overall workout velocities.

Extraneous foreleg motion was shown to be related to subsequent racing earnings and the level of racing competition achieved. Horses with good foreleg motion (as defined herein) earned more and had greater stakes-level success than horses with bad foreleg motion. For example, the median earnings per start of horses with good foreleg motion was 83% higher than those of horses with bad foreleg motion, and horses with good foreleg motion were 58% more likely to win a top race (ie, one designated as a “graded” stakes) than horses with bad foreleg motion. However, the “good movers” raced less overall than the “bad movers.”

A secondary finding of this study is that although there is a widely held industry belief that horses with high action or bad foreleg motion are more suited to turf racing, horses with good foreleg motion were more likely than horses with bad foreleg motion to race at least once on turf, and, among horses to race on turf, horses with good foreleg motion were more likely than horses with bad foreleg motion to win and to finish “in the money” (ie, at least third).     

Thermal Structure of Jupiter's Upper Atmosphere Derived from the Galileo Probe

Temperatures in Jupiter's atmosphere derived from Galileo Probe deceleration data increase from 109 kelvin at the 175-millibar level to 900 ± 40 kelvin at 1 nanobar, consistent with Voyager remote sensing data. Wavelike oscillations are present at all levels. Vertical wavelengths are 10 to 25 kilometers in the deep isothermal layer, which extends from 12 to 0.003 millibars. Above the 0.003-millibar level, only 90- to 270- kilometer vertical wavelengths survive, suggesting dissipation of wave energy as the probable source of upper atmosphere heating.     

Ultraviolet Spectra of Stars: The ultraviolet spectra of stars are discussed from both theoretical and observational viewpoints

According to theories of model stellar atmospheres only stars of spectral types from O to about B3 may be expected to be bright in the ultraviolet-wavelength region. Observations of the strong resonance lines between 911.6 and 1900 A will yield new information permitting construction of better models for the outermost layers of OB stars. However, an adequate theory of line-formation, including non-l.t.e. effects, should be used if an accurate physical representation is to result. Already it has been demonstrated beyond doubt that O and B0 supergiants are surrounded by expanding atmospheres.     

Risk factors for bovine respiratory disease in Australian feedlot cattle: Use of a causal diagram-informed approach to estimate effects of animal mixing and movements before feedlot entry

A nationwide longitudinal study was conducted to investigate risk factors for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cattle in Australian feedlots. After induction (processing), cattle were placed in feedlot pens (cohorts) and monitored for occurrence of BRD over the first 50 days on feed. Data from a national cattle movement database were used to derive variables describing mixing of animals with cattle from other farms, numbers of animals in groups before arrival at the feedlot, exposure of animals to saleyards before arrival at the feedlot, and the timing and duration of the animal's move to the vicinity of the feedlot. Total and direct effects for each risk factor were estimated using a causal diagram-informed process to determine covariates to include in four-level Bayesian logistic regression models. Mixing, group size and timing of the animal's move to the feedlot were important predictors of BRD. Animals not mixed with cattle from other farms prior to 12 days before induction and then exposed to a high level of mixing (≥4 groups of animals mixed) had the highest risk of developing BRD (OR 3.7) compared to animals mixed at least 4 weeks before induction with less than 4 groups forming the cohort. Animals in groups formed at least 13 days before induction comprising 100 or more (OR 0.5) or 50–99 (OR 0.8) were at reduced risk compared to those in groups of less than 50 cattle. Animals moved to the vicinity of the feedlot at least 27 days before induction were at reduced risk (OR 0.4) compared to cattle undergoing short-haul transportation (<6 h) to the feedlot within a day of induction, while those experiencing longer transportation durations (6 h or more) within a day of induction were at slightly increased risk (OR 1.2). Knowledge of these risk factors could potentially be used to inform management decisions to reduce the risk of BRD in feedlot cattle.