Effective use of data in waste strategy planning in the UK

Effective waste strategy planning for sustainable and integrated waste management is predicated on high-quality information. However a review of recent local authority waste strategies in England, part of a research project into effective use of data and analysis in waste strategy planning carried out by researchers at the Open University, showed little evidence of being based on thorough analysis. Lack of good data on many aspects of performance restricts what can be achieved in planning better integrated, more sustainable waste management provision. This paper draws from the results of that project and illustrates improvements that could be achieved by using better quality data and analysis to inform decision making. The research explored the use of various types of information and analysis including compositional analysis and establishing diversion rates; scenario building; applications of geographical information systems; understanding and measuring public participation; the use of trials to collect relevant data; and understanding of the effects of recycling schemes on residual waste composition. The general principals and methodologies of each approach are illustrated by examples derived from the authors’ analysis and interpretation of local authority data provided by case study partners, and show how local data can provide relevant and effective local answers

A review of Lathropus Erichson (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae) in Florida and the West Indies, excluding the Lesser Antilles

The species of the genus Lathropus Erichson are reviewed for Florida and the West Indies, excluding the Lesser Antilles. Seven species are recorded from this region, three of which are described as new: Lathropus chickcharnie Thomas, new species, Lathropus jamaicensis Thomas, new species, and Lathropus rhabdophloeoides Thomas, new species. A lectotype is designated for Lathropus vernalis Casey, and Lathropus striatus Casey is synonymized under Lathropus vernalis Casey, new synonymy. Illustrations and a key to the species of this geographgic region are provided

Observations of River Topography and Flow Around Bridges

This investigation was motivated by the amount of river, estuarine, and coastal infrastructure that is susceptible to extreme wave and flooding events. The high velocities and resulting shear stresses associated with high flow velocities are capable of scouring or depositing large quantities of sediment around hydraulic structures. Preventing the failure of these structures and sedimentation in inlets alone costs federal and state agencies billions of dollars annually. In addition to being costly, the manual monitoring of bridge scour - as mandated by the Federal Highway Administration - can be inefficient in states such as Ohio where the flood events that initiate the scour process occur sporadically. According to the National Scour Evaluation Database, there are 23326 bridges over waterways in the state of Ohio, of which 5273 are considered scour susceptible and 191 are considered \u27scour critical\u27. Previous methods for identifying bridge scour have relied on the manual (diver-based) sampling of local water depths that are generally limited to periods of low water flow. As the dynamic scour and deposition of sediments around structures is highest during periods of high flow, traditional sampling methods have limited our ability to predict quantitatively scour or deposition levels and to evaluate sediment transport models. This research is aimed at developing and testing new methods to observe riverbed topographic evolution around piles and under bridges where the structures themselves interfere with GPS based positioning. Simultaneous measurements of the velocity profiles can be used in conjunction with the observed bathymetry to make inferences about bridge scour and the effect of bridge piles on local riverbed topography. Related to problems generated by sediment scour are issues of sediment deposition in navigational channels. On the Maumee River, OH, alone, the Army Corp of Engineers spends millions of dollars annually to dredge an average of 850,000 cubic yards of sediment. With the elimination of open lake disposal of dredged sediments, an inter-agency collaboration of government and private citizens has been formed to identify possible methods for reducing the amount of deposition by reducing the soil erosion along river bank’s. Clearly, development of new observational capabilities and a subsequent increase in observations of riverbed topography and flow around structures will improve our ability to utilize available resources in the most efficient manner

The Brontini of the world : a generic review of the tribe (Coleoptera: Silvanidae: Brontinae)

The genera of the tribe Brontini (Silvanidae: Brontinae) are reviewed. The tribe is considered here to be composed of 12 genera, Uleiota Latreille, Brontopriscus Sharp, and Dendrophagus Schönherr, plus nine new genera: Australodendrophagus, Australohyliota, Brontoliota, Dendrophagella, Macrohyliota, Megahyliota, Microhyliota, Parahyliota, and Protodendrophagus. Aplatamus Grouvelle is removed from the Brontini and placed in the Telephanini. Four new species are described: Protodendrophagus antipodes Thomas; Brontoliota indivisipennis Thomas; Brontoliota intermedius Thomas; and Brontoliota monteithi Thomas. Described species are assigned to genera with the following new combinations resulting: Australodendrophagus australis (Erichson); Australohyliota chilensis (Blanchard); Australohyliota macleayi (Olliff); Denrophagella capito (Pascoe); Macrohyliota truncatipennis (Heller); Macrohyliota bicolor Arrow; Macrohyliotagracilicornis (Arrow); Macrohyliota lucius (Pascoe); Macrohyliota militaris (Erichson); Macrohyliota spinicollis (Gory); Megahyliota feae (Grouvelle); Microhyliota integricollis (Fairmaire); Parahyliota africanus Grouvelle; Parahyliota alticola (Pal, Sen Gupta, and Crowson); Parahyliota atratus (Grouvelle); Parahyliota brevicollis (Arrow); Parahyliota cinamomeus (Fairmaire); Parahyliota costicollis (Reitter); Parahyliota fallax (Grouvelle); Parahyliota indicus (Arrow); Parahyliota pallidus (Arrow); Parahyliota puberulus (Reitter); Parahyliota serratus (Smith); Parahyliota serricollis (Candeze); Parahyliota siamensis (Arrow). Two new synonymies are proposed: Uleiota crenicollis Grouvelle (=Uleiota costicollis Grouvelle) and Uleiota texana Dajoz (=Uleiota dubius (Fabricius)). Uleiota truncatus Motschulsky, formerly treated as a subspecies of U. dubius (Fabricius), is elevated to a full species, new status