Probing the Solar Meridional Circulation Using Fourier Legendre Decomposition.

We apply the helioseismic methodology of Fourier Legendre decomposition to 88 months of Dopplergrams obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) as the basis of inferring the depth variation of the mean meridional flow, as averaged between 20° and 60° latitude and in time, in both the northern and southern hemispheres. We develop and apply control procedures designed to assess and remove center-to-limb artifacts using measurements obtained by performing the analysis with respect to artificial poles at the east and west limbs. Forward modeling is carried out using sensitivity functions proportional to the mode kinetic energy density to evaluate the consistency of the corrected frequency shifts with models of the depth variation of the meridional circulation in the top half of the convection zone. The results, taken at face value, imply substantial differences between the meridional circulation in the northern and southern hemispheres. The inferred presence of a return (equatorward propagating) flow at a depth of approximately 40 Mm below the photosphere in the northern hemisphere is surprising and appears to be inconsistent with many other helioseismic analyses. This discrepancy may be the result of the inadequacy of our methodology to remove systematic errors in HMI data. Our results appear to be at least qualitatively similar to those by Gizon et al., which point to an anomaly in HMI data that is not present in MDI or GONG data.

A vascular subtraction method for improving the variability of evoked tympanic membrane displacement measurements.

OBJECTIVE: Evoked tympanic membrane displacement (TMD) measurements show a correlation with intracranial pressure (ICP). Attempts to use these measurements for non-invasive monitoring of ICP in patients have been limited by high measurement variability. Pulsing of the tympanic membrane at the cardiac frequency has been shown to be a significant source of the variability. In this study we describe a post processing method to remove the cardiac pulse waveform and assess the impact of this on the measurement and its repeatability. APPROACH: Three-hundred and sixteen healthy volunteers were recruited for evoked TMD measurements. The measurements were quantified by V m, defined as the mean displacement between the point of maximum inward displacement and the end of the stimulus. A sample of spontaneously pulsing TMDs was measured immediately before the evoked measurements. Simultaneous recording of the ECG allowed a heartbeat template to be extracted from the spontaneous data and subtracted from the evoked data. Intra-subject repeatability of V m was assessed from 20 repeats of the evoked measurement. Results with and without subtraction of the heartbeat template were compared. The difference was tested for significance using the Wilcoxon sign rank test. MAIN RESULTS: In left and right ears, both sitting and supine, application of the pulse correction significantly reduced the intra-subject variability of V m (p value range 4.0 × 10-27 to 2.0 × 10-31). The average improvement was from 98 ± 6 nl to 56 ± 4 nl. SIGNIFICANCE: The pulse subtraction technique substantially improves the repeatability of evoked TMD measurements. This justifies further investigations to assess the use of TMD measurements in clinical applications where non-invasive tracking of changes in ICP would be useful.

Comparing leukocyte-rich platelet-rich plasma injection with surgical intervention for the management of refractory tennis elbow. A prospective randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with ongoing symptoms after non-operative treatment of lateral epicondylosis are usually treated with surgical release. Platelet-rich plasma injection is an alternative treatment option. This study aims to determine whether there is a difference in outcome from platelet-rich plasma injection or surgical release for refractory tennis elbow. METHOD: Eighty-one patients with a diagnosis of tennis elbow for a minimum of six months, treated with previous steroid injection and a minimum visual analogue scale pain score of 50/100 were randomised to open surgery release (41 patients) or leucocyte rich platelet-rich plasma (L-PRP) (40 patients). Patients completed the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation and Disability of the Arm Shoulder and Hand at baseline, 1.5, 3, 6 and 12 months post-intervention. The primary endpoint was change in Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation pain score at 12 months. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients completed final follow-up. Functional and pain scores improved in both groups. No differences in functional improvements were found but greater improvements in Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation pain scores were seen after surgery. Thirteen patients crossed over from platelet-rich plasma to surgery within 12 months, and one surgical patient underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection. CONCLUSION: L-PRP and surgery produce equivalent functional outcome but surgery may result in lower pain scores at 12 months. Seventy per cent of patients treated with platelet-rich plasma avoided surgical intervention.

Average motion of emerging solar active region polarities: II. Joy's law.

CONTEXT: The tilt of solar active regions described by Joy's law is essential for converting a toroidal field to a poloidal field in Babcock-Leighton dynamo models. In thin flux tube models the Coriolis force causes what we observe as Joy's law, acting on east-west flows as they rise towards the surface. AIMS: Our goal is to measure the evolution of the average tilt angle of hundreds of active regions as they emerge, so that we can constrain the origins of Joy's law. METHODS: We measured the tilt angle of the primary bipoles in 153 emerging active regions (EARs) in the Solar Dynamics Observatory Helioseismic Emerging Active Region survey. We used line-of-sight magnetic field measurements averaged over 6 h to define the polarities and measure the tilt angle up to four days after emergence. RESULTS: We find that at the time of emergence the polarities are on average aligned east-west, and that neither the separation nor the tilt depends on latitude. We do find, however, that EARs at higher latitudes have a faster north-south separation speed than those closer to the equator at the emergence time. After emergence, the tilt angle increases and Joy's law is evident about two days later. The scatter in the tilt angle is independent of flux until about one day after emergence, when we find that higher-flux regions have a smaller scatter in tilt angle than lower-flux regions. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding that active regions emerge with an east-west alignment is consistent with earlier observations, but is still surprising since thin flux tube models predict that tilt angles of rising flux tubes are generated below the surface. Previously reported tilt angle relaxation of deeply anchored flux tubes can be largely explained by the change in east-west separation. We conclude that Joy's law is caused by an inherent north-south separation speed present when the flux first reaches the surface, and that the scatter in the tilt angle is consistent with buffeting of the polarities by supergranulation.

Double-lumen tracheal tubes and bougies: a bench study to investigate factors that influence the risk of shearing.

Tracheal intubation with a double-lumen tube can be more challenging than with a single-lumen tube. A bougie can be used to facilitate intubation. Case reports have described fragment shearing from bougies when they are removed from the tube after intubation. These fragments have the potential to cause harm. It has even been suggested that bougies and double-lumen tubes should not be used together. We conducted a benchtop trial to investigate factors that influence the risk of shearing. We investigated three brands of double-lumen tube (each in three sizes and both lateralities) and four brands of bougie. We simulated one intubation and 29 further insertions/removals of bougie with every bougie-double-lumen tube combination. We inspected the inside of the tube for evidence of shearing after first, tenth and thirtieth removals. We found that brand of bougie, brand of double-lumen tube and size of double-lumen tube (but not its laterality) all influenced the degree of shearing. Certain bougie-double-lumen tube combinations produced a particularly high degree of shearing, so these should be avoided.

Average surface flows before the formation of solar active regions and their relationship to the supergranulation pattern.

CONTEXT: The emergence of solar active regions is an important but poorly understood aspect of the solar dynamo. AIMS: Knowledge of the flows associated with the rise of active-region-forming magnetic concentrations through the near-surface layers will help determine the mechanisms of active region formation. METHODS: We used helioseismic holography and granulation tracking to measure the horizontal flows at the surface that precede the emergence of active regions. We then averaged these flows over about sixty emerging active regions to reduce the noise, selecting active regions that emerge into relatively quiet Sun. To help interpret the results, we constructed a simple model flow field by generating synthetic "emergence locations" that are probabilistically related to the locations of supergranulation-scale convergence regions in the quiet Sun. RESULTS: The flow maps obtained from helioseismology and granulation tracking are very similar (correlation coefficients for single maps around 0.96). We find that active region emergence is, on average, preceded by converging horizontal flows of amplitude about 40 ms-1. The convergence region extends over about 40 Mm in the east-west direction and about 20 Mm in the north-south direction and is centered in the retrograde direction relative to the emergence location. This flow pattern is largely reproduced by a model in which active region emergence occurs preferentially in the prograde direction relative to supergranulation inflows. CONCLUSIONS: Averaging over many active regions reveals a statistically significant pattern of near-surface flows prior to emergence. The qualitative success of our simple model suggests that rising flux concentrations and supergranule-scale flows interact during the emergence process.

VALIDATING FORWARD MODELING AND INVERSIONS OF HELIOSEISMIC HOLOGRAPHY MEASUREMENTS.

Here we use synthetic data to explore the performance of forward models and inverse methods for helioseismic holography. Specifically, this work presents the first comprehensive test of inverse modeling for flows using lateral-vantage (deep-focus) holography. We derive sensitivity functions in the Born approximation. We then use these sensitivity functions in a series of forward models and inversions of flows from a publicly available magnetohydrodynamic quiet-Sun simulation. The forward travel times computed using the kernels generally compare favorably with measurements obtained by applying holography, in a lateral-vantage configuration, on a 15-hour time series of artificial Dopplergrams extracted from the simulation. Inversions for the horizontal flow components are able to reproduce the flows in the upper 3Mm of the domain, but are compromised by noise at greater depths.

Response to Kruse-Plass et al. (2017) regarding the risk to non-target lepidopteran larvae exposed to pollen from one or more of three Bt maize events (MON810, Bt11 and 1507).

We respond to the paper of Kruse-Plass et al. (Environ Sci Eur 29:12, 2017), published in this journal, regarding the risk to non-target lepidopteran larvae exposed to pollen from one or more of three Bt maize events (MON810, Bt11 and 1507). We emphasise that what is important for environmental risk assessment is not the number of pollen grains per se, but the degree of exposure of a NT lepidopteran larva to Bt protein contained in maize pollen. The main text of this response deals with general issues which Kruse-Plass et al. have failed to understand; more detailed refutations of each of their claims are given in Additional file 1. Valid environmental risk assessment requires direct measurement of pollen on leaves at varying distances outside a source field(s); such measurements reflect the potential exposure experienced by an individual larva on a host plant. There are no new data in the Kruse-Plass et al. paper, or indeed any data directly quantifying pollen on actual host-plant leaves outside a maize field; only data gathered within or at the edge of maize crops were reported. Values quoted by Kruse-Plass et al. for deposition on host plants outside the field were estimates only. We reiterate the severe methodological criticisms made by EFSA [Relevance of a new scientific publication (Hofmann et al. 2016) for previous environmental risk assessment conclusions and risk management recommendations on the cultivation of Bt-maize events MON810, Bt11 and 1507. EFSA Supp Publ; EN-1070, 2016], which render this estimation procedure unreliable. Furthermore, criticisms of EFSA (EFSA J 2015(13):4127, 2015) and of EFSA [Relevance of a new scientific publication (Hofmann et al. 2016) for previous environmental risk assessment conclusions and risk management recommendations on the cultivation of Bt-maize events MON810, Bt11 and 1507. EFSA Supp Publ; EN-1070, 2016] made by Kruse-Plass et al. are shown in Additional file 1 to be without foundation. We therefore consider that there is no valid evidence presented by Kruse-Plass et al. to justify their conclusions.

Early migration of a partially cemented fluted glenoid component inserted using a cannulated preparation system.

AIMS: Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) allows an extremely accurate measurement of early micromotion of components following arthroplasty. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, RSA was used to measure the migration of 11 partially cemented fluted pegged glenoid components in patients with osteoarthritis who underwent total shoulder arthroplasty using an improved surgical technique (seven men, four women, mean age 68). Patients were evaluated clinically using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and Constant-Murley scores and by CT scans two years post-operatively. RESULTS: There were two patterns of migration, the first showing little, if any, migration and the second showing rotation by > 6° as early as three months post-operatively. At two years, these two groups could be confirmed on CT scans, one with osseointegration around the central peg, and the second with cystic changes. Patients with osteolysis around the central peg were those with early migration and those with osseointegration had minimal early migration. Both groups,however,had similar clinical results. CONCLUSION: Rapid early migration associated with focal lucency and absence of osseointegration was observed in three of 11 glenoid components, suggesting that lack of initial stability leads to early movement and failure of osseointegration. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:674-9.

Assessing environmental impacts of genetically modified plants on non-target organisms: The relevance of in planta studies.

In legal frameworks worldwide, genetically modified plants (GMPs) are subjected to pre-market environmental risk assessment (ERA) with the aim of identifying potential effects on the environment. In the European Union, the EFSA Guidance Document introduces the rationale that GMPs, as well as their newly produced metabolites, represent the potential stressor to be evaluated during ERA. As a consequence, during several phases of ERA for cultivation purposes, it is considered necessary to use whole plants or plant parts in experimental protocols. The importance of in planta studies as a strategy to address impacts of GMPs on non-target organisms is demonstrated, to evaluate both effects due to the intended modification in plant phenotype (e.g. expression of Cry proteins) and effects due to unintended modifications in plant phenotype resulting from the transformation process (e.g. due to somaclonal variations or pleiotropic effects). In planta tests are also necessary for GMPs in which newly expressed metabolites cannot easily be studied in vitro. This paper reviews the scientific literature supporting the choice of in planta studies as a fundamental tool in ERA of GMPs in cultivation dossiers; the evidence indicates they can realistically mimic the ecological relationships occurring in their receiving environments and provide important insights into the biology and sustainable management of GMPs.

Comprehensive population screening in the Ashkenazi Jewish population for recurrent disease-causing variants.

The Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) population has an increased risk for a variety of recessive diseases due to historical founder effects and genetic drift. For some, the disease-causing founder mutations have been identified and well-characterized, but for others, further study is necessary. The purpose of this study is to assess the carrier frequencies of 85 pathogenic variants causative of 29 recessive conditions in the AJ population. Up to 3000 AJ individuals were genotyped by Luminex MagPlex® -TAG™ bead array or Agena Bioscience™ MassARRAY assays. We identified seven conditions with carrier frequencies higher than 1 in 100, nine between 1 in 100 and 1 in 200, and four between 1 in 200 and 1 in 500. Variants in nine conditions had a detected carrier rate of less than 1 in 500 or were not identified in approximately 2000 AJ individuals. We assessed the combined AJ carrier frequency for 18 relatively prevalent diseases to be 1 in 6, and the risk of AJ individuals to be a carrier couple for one of these 18 diseases as 1 in 441. We note additional recessive genetic conditions should be considered for AJ carrier screening panels.

Helioseismic Holography of Simulated Sunspots: dependence of the travel time on magnetic field strength and Wilson depression.

Improving methods for determining the subsurface structure of sunspots from their seismic signature requires a better understanding of the interaction of waves with magnetic field concentrations. We aim to quantify the impact of changes in the internal structure of sunspots on local helioseismic signals. We have numerically simulated the propagation of a stochastic wave field through sunspot models with different properties, accounting for changes in the Wilson depression between 250 and 550 km and in the photospheric umbral magnetic field between 1500 and 3500 G. The results show that travel-time shifts at frequencies above approximately 3.50 mHz (depending on the phase-speed filter) are insensitive to the magnetic field strength. The travel time of these waves is determined exclusively by the Wilson depression and sound-speed perturbation. The travel time of waves with lower frequencies is affected by the direct effect of the magnetic field, although photospheric field strengths below 1500 G do not leave a significant trace on the travel-time measurements. These results could potentially be used to develop simplified travel-time inversion methods.

Medium-term outcomes of the Universal-2 total wrist arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of the Universal-2 total wrist arthroplasty (TWA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective review of all 95 Universal-2 TWAs which were performed in our institution between 2003 to 2012 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A total of six patients were lost to follow-up and two died of unrelated causes. A total of ten patients had bilateral procedures. Accordingly, 75 patients (85 TWAs) were included in the study. There were 59 women and 16 men with a mean age of 59 years (26 to 86). The mean follow-up was 53 months (24 to 120). Clinical assessment involved recording pain on a visual analogue score, range of movement, grip strength, the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and Wrightington wrist scores. Any adverse effects were documented with particular emphasis on residual pain, limitation of movement, infection, dislocation and the need for revision surgery. Radiographic assessment was performed pre-operatively and at three, six and 12 months post-operatively, and annually thereafter. Arthroplasties were assessed for distal row intercarpal fusion and loosening. Radiolucent zones around the components were documented according to a system developed at our institution. RESULTS: The mean worst pain was 8.1 (3 to 10) pre-operatively and 5.4 (0 to 10) at latest follow-up (p < 0.001). Movements were preserved with mean dorsiflexion of 29o (0 o to 70 o) and palmar flexion of 21o (0o to 50o). The mean grip strength was 4.8 kg (1.7 to 11.5) pre-operatively and 10 kg (0 to 28) at final follow-up (p < 0.001). The mean QuickDASH and Wrightington wrist scores improved from 61 (16 to 91) to 46 (0 to 89) and 7.9 (1.8 to 10) to 5.7 (0 to 7.8) (p < 0.001). A total of six patients (7%) had major complications; three required revision arthroplasty and three an arthrodesis. The Kaplan-Meier probability of survival using removal of the components as the endpoint was 91% at 7.8 years (95% confidence interval 84 to 91). CONCLUSION: The Universal-2 TWA is recommended for use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:1642-7.

Field-based Evaluation of a Novel SPME-GC-MS Method for Investigation of Below-ground Interaction between Brassica Roots and Larvae of Cabbage Root Fly, Delia radicum L.

INTRODUCTION: Collection of volatiles from plant roots poses technical challenges due to difficulties accessing the soil environment without damaging the roots. OBJECTIVES: To validate a new non-invasive method for passive sampling of root volatiles in situ, from plants grown under field conditions, using solid phase micro-extraction (SPME). METHODS: SPME fibres were inserted into perforated polytetrafluoroethene (PTFE) tubes positioned in the soil next to broccoli plants for collection of root volatiles pre- and post-infestation with Delia radicum larvae. After sample analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to determine differences in the profiles of volatiles between samples. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis revealed that this method can detect temporal changes in root volatiles emitted before and after Delia radicum damage. PCA showed that samples collected pre- and post-infestation were compositionally different due to the presence of root volatiles induced by D. radicum feeding. Sulphur containing compounds, in particular, accounted for the differences observed. Root volatiles emission patterns post-infestation are thought to follow the feeding and developmental progress of larvae. CONCLUSION: This study shows that volatiles released by broccoli roots can be collected in situ using SPME fibres within perforated PTFE tubes under field conditions. Plants damaged by Delia radicum larvae could be distinguished from plants sampled pre-infestation and soil controls on the basis of larval feeding-induced sulphur-containing volatiles. These results show that this new method is a powerful tool for non-invasive sampling of root volatiles below-ground. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Muscle regeneration following repair of the rotator cuff.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to analyse human muscle tissue before and after rotator cuff repair to look for evidence of regeneration, and to characterise the changes seen in the type of muscle fibre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were assessed pre-operatively and one year post-operatively using the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and MRI. The cross-sectional area and distribution of the type of muscle fibre were assessed on biopsies, which were taken at surgery and one year post-operatively. Paired samples from eight patients were analysed. There were three men and five women with a mean age of 63 years (50 to 73). RESULTS: All but one patient showed improvement in OSS (p = 0.004). The mean increase in the cross-sectional area of the muscle was 1220 µm2 (-801 to 3712; p = 0.03). There was a reduction of type 2a fibres (p = 0.02). A clear relationship could not be seen between the MRI findings and the histological appearances. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to provide evidence that atrophy of the supraspinatus muscle is reversible. Changes in the types of fibre are discussed. MRI assessment of muscle atrophy may not be fully representative of myofibre atrophy. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:1389-94.

Development and Validation of a SPME-GC-MS Method for In situ Passive Sampling of Root Volatiles from Glasshouse-Grown Broccoli Plants Undergoing Below-Ground Herbivory by Larvae of Cabbage Root Fly, Delia radicum L.

INTRODUCTION: Research on plant root chemical ecology has benefited greatly from recent developments in analytical chemistry. Numerous reports document techniques for sampling root volatiles, although only a limited number describe in situ collection. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate a new method for non-invasive in situ passive sampling using solid phase micro extraction (SPME), from the immediate vicinity of growing roots. METHODS: SPME fibres inserted into polyfluorotetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sampling tubes located in situ which were either perforated, covered with stainless steel mesh or with microporous PTFE tubing, were used for non-invasive sub-surface sampling of root volatiles from glasshouse-grown broccoli. Sampling methods were compared with above surface headspace collection using Tenax TA. The roots were either mechanically damaged or infested with Delia radicum larvae. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate the effect of damage on the composition of volatiles released by broccoli roots. RESULTS: Analyses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with SPME and automated thermal desorption (ATD) confirmed that sulphur compounds, showing characteristic temporal emission patterns, were the principal volatiles released by roots following insect larval damage. Use of SPME with in situ perforated PTFE sampling tubes was the most robust method for out-of-lab sampling. CONCLUSION: This study describes a new method for non-invasive passive sampling of volatiles in situ from intact and insect damaged roots using SPME. The method is highly suitable for remote sampling and has potential for wide application in chemical ecology/root/soil research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

MatOrtho proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty: minimum 2-year follow-up.

The MatOrtho proximal interphalangeal replacement is a cementless cobalt-chromium metal-on-polyethylene mobile-bearing surface replacement arthroplasty. The aim of this study is to report the outcome and complications of this implant at a minimum of 2 years follow-up from a single institution. A retrospective case review was performed on all MatOrtho proximal interphalangeal joint replacements performed with a minimum of 2 years follow-up. Patient demographics, diagnosis, implant revision and other surgical interventions were recorded. Subjective and objective outcomes were evaluated at latest follow-up, including pain scores, range of motion, function and radiographic assessment. A total of 109 implants were inserted in 56 patients. Nine implants (six patients) were lost to follow-up. Of the remaining 100 implants, 75 had been undertaken in females. The mean age at time of surgery was 64 years and the principal diagnosis was osteoarthritis in 74%. The mean follow-up was 47 months (range 24-77). Within the group there was a statistically significant diminution in pain. There was also an improvement in functional scores post-operatively. Improvement in range of motion was seen in those joints with a pre-operative range of motion greater than 20°. Radiologically there was no evidence of loosening or of implant subsidence at final follow-up. The revision rate was 13%. Nine joints were revised to the NeuFlex (silicone rubber) prosthesis, three were converted to an arthrodesis and one had exchange of the MatOrtho prosthesis. The survival of the MatOrtho proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty was 85% at a minimum of 2-years follow-up. Patients can be advised that the procedure achieves good pain relief, improvement in functional scores and may improve range of motion. We would, however, caution against this implant's use in joints that are either stiff or have significant deformity and/or instability pre-operatively.

HELIOSEISMIC HOLOGRAPHY OF SIMULATED SUNSPOTS: MAGNETIC AND THERMAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO TRAVEL TIMES.

Wave propagation through sunspots involves conversion between waves of acoustic and magnetic character. In addition, the thermal structure of sunspots is very different than that of the quiet Sun. As a consequence, the interpretation of local helioseismic measurements of sunspots has long been a challenge. With the aim of understanding these measurements, we carry out numerical simulations of wave propagation through sunspots. Helioseismic holography measurements made from the resulting simulated wavefields show qualitative agreement with observations of real sunspots. We use additional numerical experiments to determine, separately, the influence of the thermal structure of the sunspot and the direct effect of the sunspot magnetic field. We use the ray approximation to show that the travel-time shifts in the thermal (non-magnetic) sunspot model are primarily produced by changes in the wave path due to the Wilson depression rather than variations in the wave speed. This shows that inversions for the subsurface structure of sunspots must account for local changes in the density. In some ranges of horizontal phase speed and frequency there is agreement (within the noise level in the simulations) between the travel times measured in the full magnetic sunspot model and the thermal model. If this conclusion proves to be robust for a wide range of models, it would suggest a path toward inversions for sunspot structure.

Identification of Novel Pesticides for Use against Glasshouse Invertebrate Pests in UK Tomatoes and Peppers.

To inform current and future pesticide availability to glasshouse vegetable growers, the current project trialled more than twenty products, including existing industry standards, against four key pests of glasshouse tomatoes and bell peppers. These included experimental conventional chemical pesticides as well as alternative biopesticide and biorational products based on phytochemicals, microbials and physically-acting substances. The results suggest that certain biopesticide products, particularly botanicals, provide good levels of pest control, with the same being true of experimental conventional chemical pesticides not yet recommended for use against these pests on these crops. Efforts are on-going to ensure that results of the current project translate to industry benefit via new pesticide approvals.

Modelling larval movement data from individual bioassays.

We consider modelling the movements of larvae using individual bioassays in which data are collected at a high-frequency rate of five observations per second. The aim is to characterize the behaviour of the larvae when exposed to attractant and repellent compounds. Mixtures of diffusion processes, as well as Hidden Markov models, are proposed as models of larval movement. These models account for directed and localized movements, and successfully distinguish between the behaviour of larvae exposed to attractant and repellent compounds. A simulation study illustrates the advantage of using a Hidden Markov model rather than a simpler mixture model. Practical aspects of model estimation and inference are considered on extensive data collected in a study of novel approaches for the management of cabbage root fly.