Limiting the Business Method Patent: A Comparison and Proposed Alignment of European, Japanese and United States Patent Law

That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition…

Northern-Most North American Flower Visitation Records of the Introduced Flower Fly, \u3ci\u3eSyritta Flaviventris\u3c/i\u3e (Diptera: Syrphidae) and Comparisons With Sympatric Species, \u3ci\u3eSyritta Pipiens\u3c/i\u3e

We report for the first time the syrphid fly, Syritta flaviventris (Macquart), collected in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as the northern-most record for this introduced Mediterranean species. In total, 3 male specimens and 1 female specimen were net collected on three flower species (Verbena hastata, Eryngium yuccifolium and Asclepias incarnata), at a single site of 11 monitored farm sites in southern Pennsylvania. Floral records for the similar introduced sibling species, Syritta pipiens (L.), are presented as well. Passive monitoring with colored pan traps used to monitor bee populations at these sites was not effective in collecting either species of Syritta. Our study suggests that increased active net sampling of Syritta species may provide more information about this genus\u27 distribution in the New World and support future research efforts examining Syritta biology and life history

The Food Plants and Distribution of the American Plum Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The North American geographical and host plant distributions for the American plnm borer, Euzophera semifuneralis, are reported. Literature and curatorial surveys found the plum borer to be present in 34 states in the U. S. as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and South America. Pheromone surveys and direct observation found it to be present in high numbers in most cherry and plum orchards in Michigan and in 28 counties of the lower peninsula. A very wide host range representing 15 plant families was found, with most host species in the Rosaceae

The Development of a Sex Pheromone Lure for the American Plum Borer, \u3ci\u3eEuzophera Semifuneralis\u3c/i\u3e (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a Major Pest of Cherry in Michigan.

Pheromone components of the American plum borer, Euzophera semifuneralis, were defined by use of the electroantennogram screening technique and capillary gas chromatographic retention times of sex pheromone gland constituents. Field studies showed that greatest attraction was achieved with a 1 mg load rate of a 4-component blend in a rubber septum. This blend consisted of a 2:1 ratio of Z,E-9,12-14:ALD and Z9-14:ALD and an equal amount of the corresponding alcohols in a 2:1 ratio, respectively. Commercial lures were used to compare the flight patterns of the American plum borer, peachtree borer (Synanthedon exitiosa), and lesser peachtree borer (Synanthedon pictipes) adults in Michigan in 1988

Observations on the Biological Control Agents of the American Plum Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) In Michigan Cherry and Plum Orchards

The American plum borer, Euzophera semifuneralis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is an important pest in orchards, yet little is known regarding its biological control. We performed a comprehensive survey of the natural enemy complex contributing to American plum borer control in Michigan plum and cherry orchards, while also exploring the relationship between pest infestation and tree wounding from mechanical harvesting. We scouted 30 orchards with varying degrees of tree wounding to document extent of infestations of American plum borer and another pest, the lesser peach borer, Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson) (Lepidoptera: Sessiidae). We simultaneously recorded biological control agents, including the presence of a Hirsutella fungal pathogen. Live American plum borer larvae and pupae were collected for rearing and identifying hymenopteran parasitoids. American plum borer infestations were highest in orchards with high levels of tree wounding, or in orchards that used minimum pesticides or were abandoned. Numerous organisms were documented as biological control agents including various species of birds, spiders, beetles, and ants. Ichneumon wasps were the dominant parasitoids, of which Venturia nigricoxalis (Cushman) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was the most common. Liotryphon variatipes (Provancher) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was com- monly reared from a closely associated sessiid pest, but not from American plum borer. Hirsutella was commonly found and had a density-dependent relation- ship with American plum borer infestations. Our information gathered on the natural enemy complex of E. semifuneralis includes many new host associations and can serve as a starting point for developing biological control programs for fruit orchards in the Great Lakes region

A Conceptual Framework to Measure Systems’ Performance during Emergency Preparedness Exercises

Large-scale public health emergencies require a sophisticated, coordinated response involving multiple entities to protect health and minimize suffering. However, the rarity of such emergencies presents a barrier to gathering observational data about the effectiveness of the public health response before such events occur. For this reason, public health practitioners increasingly have relied on simulated emergencies, known as “exercises” as proxies to test their emergency capabilities. However, the formal evaluation of performance in these exercises, historically has been inconsistent, and there is little research to describe how data acquired from simulated emergencies actually support conclusions about the quality of the public health emergency response system. Over the past six years, we have designed and evaluated more than seventy public health emergency exercises, collaborating with public health agencies, hospitals and others to test a wide variety of systems and their capabilities. Using the data and experience that we gathered, we have developed a conceptual framework that describes the essential elements necessary to consider when applying performance measurement science to public health emergency exercises. We suggest that this framework may assist practitioners and researchers who wish to better measure performance in exercises and to improve public health emergency preparedness

Use of After Action Reports (AARs) to Promote Organizational and Systems Learning in Emergency Preparedness

Many public health and healthcare organizations use formal knowledge management practices to identify and disseminate the experiences gained over time. The “lessons-learned” approach is one such example of knowledge management practice applied to the wider concept of organizational learning. In the field of emergency preparedness, the lessons-learned approach stands on the assumption that learning from experience improves practice and minimizes avoidable deaths and negative economic and social consequences of disasters. In this project, we performed a structured review of AARs to analyze how lessons learned from the response to real-incidents may be used to maximize knowledge management and quality improvement practices such as the design of public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) exercises. We chose as a source of data the “Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS.gov)” system, a joined program of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security DHS and FEMA that serves as the national, online repository of lessons learned, best practices, and innovative ideas. We identified recurring challenges reported by various states and local public health agencies in the response to different types of incidents. We also strived to identify the limitations of systematic learning that can be achieved due to existing weaknesses in the way AARs are developed

The New Math

pages 54-5