The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) was used to obtain measurements of spatially and spectrally resolved CH3OH emission from comet C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) on 28-29 June 2014. Detection of 12-14 emission lines of CH3OH on each day permitted the derivation of spatially-resolved rotational temperature profiles (averaged along the line of sight), for the innermost 5000 km of the coma. On each day, the CH3OH distribution was centrally peaked and approximately consistent with spherically symmetric, uniform outflow. The azimuthally-averaged CH3OH rotational temperature (T rot) as a function of sky-projected nucleocentric distance (ρ), fell by about 40 K between ρ= 0 and 2500 km on 28 June, whereas on 29 June, T rot fell by about 50 K between ρ =0 km and 1500 km. A remarkable (~50 K) rise in T rot at ρ = 1500-2500 km on 29 June was not present on 28 June. The observed variations in CH3OH rotational temperature are interpreted primarily as a result of variations in the coma kinetic temperature due to adiabatic cooling, and heating through Solar irradiation, but collisional and radiative non-LTE excitation processes also play a role.

Quantitative sampling schemes for estimating within-tree populations of attacking Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman were investigated. Accuracy and precision of five small sample procedures were affected by the number and location of the sample heights, the number of sample disks per sample height, and the techniques used for calculating infested surface area and average insect density. Best small sample estimates were obtained from samples near the middle of the infested bole. Unbiased, minimum variance combinatorials were derived. High precision estimates were obtained only by sampling the infested bole at frequent intervals.

Within-tree larval and progeny adult populations of Dendroctonus frontalis Zimm. attacking loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., were investigated in order to define the distribution of larvae within sample units (100 cm2 disks of bark) and to describe the functional relationship of both larvae and progeny adults to the infested portion of the tree bole.

Larvae and progeny adults were sampled over the infested bole of the 50 trees. Two separate measures of progeny adults were obtained. The first measure was taken just prior to emergence from the tree and the second measure was obtained by rearing the insect until emergence from the sample disks was completed.

Larvae were found to be uniformly distributed within the total disk. The functional relationship of the larvae and the two measures of progeny adults to the normalized height on the infested bole was described by the two parameter nonlinear model y = Ax(1−x)eBx.

Highest larval density along the infested portion of the tree bole occurred just below the center and tapered abruptly towards the base and gradually towards the top of the tree. The density of progeny adults on the other hand was greatest just above the center portion of the infested bole and tapered abruptly towards the top and gradually towards the base of the tree. Both measures of progeny adults produced curves of virtually the same shape. However, the density of progeny adults was substantially less in the samples which were reared indicating that mortality agents continued to act on the population until emergence from the tree.

Population data collected from 132 trees during a 3-year period were used to simulate spots of K trees (1≤ k ≤ 50) infested by the attacking adult stage of Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman. The total number of beetles on the K trees was then estimated by sampling k trees (1≤ k ≤ 10). The k trees were chosen at random and by selecting those of largest diameter and largest infested area. Within-tree populations were estimated at two levels of precision and within-spot populations were then estimated by scaling the sum of the k within-tree estimates according to the proportion of the tree numbers, tree diameters, or infested phloem areas included in the sample. The various combinations of tree selection, within-tree precision, and scaling produced 10 procedures which were evaluated for bias, precision, and cost as estimators of within-spot populations. Bias was calculated as the mean of the proportional errors in estimating the true numbers, and the standard deviation of the proportional errors was used as a measure of precision.

The procedures in which trees were randomly selected provided unbiased estimates of the within-spot populations. Selecting the largest trees tended to overestimate the true number with the bias diminishing to zero as k → K. However, separate analyses of trees sampled on the same date within actual spots showed no reason to reject the hypothesis of no difference in beetle density (insects/diameter and insects/area) between the largest and smallest trees.

When k = K = 1, the precision of all within-spot estimators was equivalent to the precision of the within-tree estimate. For larger k = K, the precision improved approximately as √(K). No attempt was made to derive functional relationships of precision for k < K. For each procedure, precision improved as k → K. Sampling the k trees at two sample heights (3.5 and 6.5 m, 4–100 cm2 disks/height) was more precise than single level sampling (4 disks at 5 m), but equally precise estimates could be obtained by single level sampling of just one or two additional trees in the spot. Random selection of the k trees with scaling by the number of infested trees was the least precise of the estimating procedures; scaling by diameter and by infested surface area increased the precision. Best precision was obtained by selecting the k trees of greatest infested phloem area, but selecting the largest diameter trees was nearly as precise. The least costly procedure for obtaining a desired level of precision consists of selecting the k trees of largest diameter and extracting 4 disks/tree at 5 m.

The process of resource utilization by Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman attacking loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., was investigated. The quantitative relationship of attacking parent adult D. frontalis as a function of the normalized infested bole height is described by the model y = Ax(1−x)eBx. Greatest attack density occurs at the mid-bole of the tree and tapers toward the top and bottom. Gallery length (and hence eggs)/100 cm2 was independent of attack density. The relationship between gallery length (or eggs) per parent adult and parent adult density is described by the exponential decay curve y = AeBx, indicating that gallery length and egg population density are controlled by a density dependent compensatory feedback process operating instantaneously. Further support for the mechanism was obtained by analyzing the gallery length per parent adult at different locations on the infested bole. The relationship is described by the model y = [AeBx]/[x(1−x)] and indicates that gallery construction and egg population per attacking beetle increase in the upper and basal portion of the bole. The result is a uniform amount of food and space per individual of the developing population.

The within-sample distributions of gallery length (GL) and egg (E) density as well as their functional relationships to the infested bole were studied in an epidemic population of the southern pine beetle in southeast Texas.

A least-squares linear regression analysis through the origin showed an average of 1.59 eggs per centimeter of gallery. GL accounted for 81% of the variation in E and thus is useful for estimating egg numbers. The density of attacking adults is unsatisfactory for predicting E.

GL and E are uniformly distributed within but not among the 100-cm2 sample disks at a given height. The functional relationship of both variables to the infested bole is adequately described by the model y = (A+Bx)exp(Cln(x−x2)), where y = GL or E per 100 cm2, x = the normalized height on the infested bole, and A, B, and C are parameters to be estimated for each set of data.

Within-tree models of Dendroctonus frontalis generation survival from attacking adults to emerging adults and survivorship from eggs to emergence were developed for five regions of the infested tree bole of Pinus taeda L. The generation survival model (GS) describes the number of D. frontalis/attacking adult as a function of time at a specific height. The form of the model is

YGS = 1.0 + C(1–e–20.0X)eA(1.0–X)B + ɛ.

The survival model (S) describes the number of D. frontalis/100 eggs as a function of time at a specific height. The form of this model is

YS = CeA(1.0–X)B + ɛ.

The generation survival model indicated that the rate of survival was primarily a function of generation development time, rather than position on the infested tree bole. The rates also varied in different sections of the tree depending on the initial egg/attacking adult population of D. frontalis. The emergence/attack ratios for the tree sections were slightly greater at the top and bottom than in the middle of the infested bole.

The survivorship curves, based on an initial cohort of 100 eggs, were similar for the various sections of the tree bole. Again, the rate of population change was primarily a function of developmental time, rather than position on the tree. The curves for the various tree sections were essentially the same.

The combined action of the various biotic and abiotic mortality agents acting in the different sections of the tree resulted in essentially uniform survivorship throughout the infested portion of the tree bole.

Background: Regular physical activity is generally associated with psychological well-being, although there are relatively few prospective studies in older adults. We investigated habitual physical activity as a risk factor for de novo depressive and anxiety disorders in older men and women from the general population.

Methods: In this nested case-control study, subjects aged 60 years or more were identified from randomly selected cohorts being followed prospectively in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study. Cases were individuals with incident depressive or anxiety disorders, diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID-I/NP); controls had no history of these disorders. Habitual physical activity, measured using a validated questionnaire, and other exposures were documented at baseline, approximately four years prior to psychiatric interviews. Those with depressive or anxiety disorders that pre-dated baseline were excluded.

Results: Of 547 eligible subjects, 14 developed de novo depressive or anxiety disorders and were classified as cases; 533 controls remained free of disease. Physical activity was protective against the likelihood of depressive and anxiety disorders; OR = 0.55 (95% CI 0.32–0.94), p = 0.03; each standard deviation increase in the transformed physical activity score was associated with an approximate halving in the likelihood of developing depressive or anxiety disorders. Leisure-time physical activity contributed substantially to the overall physical activity score. Age, gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, weight and socioeconomic status did not substantially confound the association.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence consistent with the notion that higher levels of habitual physical activity are protective against the subsequent risk of development of de novo depressive and anxiety disorders.

This paper presents evidence for the involvement of herring gulls (Larus argentatus) as vectors in the recent outbreaks of Salmonella montevideo in sheep and cattle in Scotland and suggests that the transfer can take place over considerable distances. The breeding area in Scotland of herring gulls which overwinter in N.E. England is remarkably similar to the geographical distribution of the outbreaks. This pattern, together with the feeding behaviour of herring gulls on farmland, the presence of S. montevideo in herring gulls just before their departure from the wintering area and the timing of the return just before the peak of outbreaks are all circumstantial evidence implicating this gull in the outbreaks. The rapid return of these gulls to their breeding areas means that S. montevideo can be transported long distances in one day and raises the possibility that the original source of S. montevideo could have been in N. E. England rather than in Scotland.