Precision placement of fertiliser for optimising the early nutrition of vegetable crops : a review of the implications for the yield and quality of crops, and their nutrient use efficiency

The research outlined in this paper highlights the importance of the early nutrition of vegetable crops, and its long-term effects on their subsequent growth and development. Results are also presented to demonstrate how the nutrient supply during the establishment stages of young seedlings and transplants can be enhanced by targeting fertiliser to a zone close to their developing roots. Three different precision fertiliser placement techniques are compared for this purpose: starter, band or side-injected fertiliser. The use of each of these methods consistently produced the same (or greater) yields at lower application rates than those from conventional broadcast applications, increasing the apparent recovery of N, P and K, and the overall efficiency of nutrient use, while reducing the levels of residual nutrients in the soil. Starter fertilisers also advanced the maturity of some crops, and enhanced produce quality by increasing the proportions of the larger and/or more desirable marketable grades. The benefits of the different placement techniques are illustrated with selected examples from research at Warwick HRI using different vegetable crops, including lettuce, onion and carrot

A survey of teachers' meetings in New Hampshire in elementary schools that have supervising principals.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Boston Universit

An examination of the African news coverage of 26 daily newspapers in the United States

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

War/Game: Studying Relations Between Violent Conflict, Games, and Play

Source: http://gamestudies.org/1602/articles/potzschhammondGames and war have always stood in a close relationship to one another. From the ancient Chinese Go, via various iterations of chess to contemporary digital simulation games, or from classical Roman gladiator battles, via martial-arts competitions to today’s first-person shooters, the skills employed and the structures limiting participants’ actions and perceptions point to a variety of equivalences and connections between the two fields of practice

Effect of matching uncertainty on population parameter estimation in mark-recapture analysis of photo-identification data

Thanks also to the SeaDoc Society, Molly and John Bailey, the Richardson family, Sarah Haney (Canadian Whale Institute), National Geographic, and Beto Bedolfe at the Marisla Foundation for financial support over the years, and to The Willow Grove Foundation for supporting the Knight Inlet expedition that made 2010 so productive. Erin thanks Air Canada’s Aeroplan Beyond Miles program for travel support. Erin was a beneficiary of a writing retreat for women in science supported by Lyda Hill Philanthropies and the National Geographic Explorers Program.Quantifying and dealing with uncertainty are key aspects of ecological studies. Population parameter estimation from mark-recapture analyses of photo-identification data hinges on correctly matching individuals from photographs and assumes that identifications are detected with certainty, marks are not lost over time, and that individuals are recognised when they are resighted. Matching photographs is an inherently subjective process. Traditionally, two photographs are not considered a “match” unless the photo reviewer is 100% certain. This decision may carry implications with respect to sample size and the bias and precision of the resultant parameter estimates. Here, we present results from a photo-identification experiment on Pacific white-sided dolphins to assign one of three levels of certainty that a pair of photographs represented a match. We then illustrate how estimates of abundance and survival varied as a function of the matching certainty threshold used. As expected, requiring 100% certainty of a match resulted in fewer matches, which in turn led to higher estimates of abundance and lower estimates of survival than if a lower threshold were used to determine a match. The tradition to score two photographs as a match only when the photo reviewer is 100% certain stems from a desire to be conservative, but potential over-estimation of abundance means that there may be applications (e.g., assessing sustainability of bycatch) in which it is not precautionary. We recommend exploring the consequences of matching uncertainty and incorporating that uncertainty into the resulting estimates of abundance and survival.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Optimising the analysis of transcript data using high density oligonucleotide arrays and genomic DNA-based probe selection

Background: Affymetrix GeneChip arrays are widely used for transcriptomic studies in a diverse range of species. Each gene is represented on a GeneChip array by a probe-set, consisting of up to 16 probe-pairs. Signal intensities across probe-pairs within a probe-set vary in part due to different physical hybridisation characteristics of individual probes with their target labelled transcripts. We have previously developed a technique to study the transcriptomes of heterologous species based on hybridising genomic DNA (gDNA) to a GeneChip array designed for a different species, and subsequently using only those probes with good homology. Results: Here we have investigated the effects of hybridising homologous species gDNA to study the transcriptomes of species for which the arrays have been designed. Genomic DNA from Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa) were hybridised to the Affymetrix Arabidopsis ATH1 and Rice Genome GeneChip arrays respectively. Probe selection based on gDNA hybridisation intensity increased the number of genes identified as significantly differentially expressed in two published studies of Arabidopsis development, and optimised the analysis of technical replicates obtained from pooled samples of RNA from rice. Conclusion: This mixed physical and bioinformatics approach can be used to optimise estimates of gene expression when using GeneChip arrays

A geochemical study of the winonaites: Evidence for limited partial melting and constraints on the precursor composition

The winonaites are primitive achondrites which are associated with the IAB iron meteorites. Textural evidence implies heating to at least the Fe, Ni–FeS cotectic, but previous geochemical studies are ambiguous about the extent of silicate melting in these samples. Oxygen isotope evidence indicates that the precursor material may be related to the carbonaceous chondrites. Here we analysed a suite of winonaites for modal mineralogy and bulk major- and trace-element chemistry in order to assess the extent of thermal processing as well as constrain the precursor composition of the winonaite-IAB parent asteroid. Modal mineralogy and geochemical data are presented for eight winonaites. Textural analysis reveals that, for our sub-set of samples, all except the most primitive winonaite (Northwest Africa 1463) reached the Fe, Ni–FeS cotectic. However, only one (Tierra Blanca) shows geochemical evidence for silicate melting processes. Tierra Blanca is interpreted as a residue of small-degree silicate melting. Our sample of Winona shows geochemical evidence for extensive terrestrial weathering. All other winonaites studied here (Fortuna, Queen Alexander Range 94535, Hammadah al Hamra 193, Pontlyfni and NWA 1463) have chondritic major-element ratios and flat CI-normalised bulk rare-earth element patterns, suggesting that most of the winonaites did not reach the silicate melting temperature. The majority of winonaites were therefore heated to a narrow temperature range of between ∼1220 (the Fe, Ni–FeS cotectic temperature) and ∼1370 K (the basaltic partial melting temperature). Silicate inclusions in the IAB irons demonstrate partial melting did occur in some parts of the parent body (Ruzicka and Hutson, 2010), thereby implying heterogeneous heat distribution within this asteroid. Together, this indicates that melting was the result of internal heating by short-lived radionuclides. The brecciated nature of the winonaites suggests that the parent body was later disrupted by a catastrophic impact, which allowed the preservation of the largely unmelted winonaites. Despite major-element similarities to both ordinary and enstatite chondrites, trace-element analysis suggests the winonaite parent body had a carbonaceous chondrite-like precursor composition. The parent body of the winonaites was volatile-depleted relative to CI, but enriched compared to the other carbonaceous classes. The closest match are the CM chondrites; however, the specific precursor is not sampled in current meteorite collections

Political Factors and Enforcement of the Nursing Home Regulatory Regime

This study analyzes the influence of political factors, oversight, and nursing home affiliation or ownership status on the enforcement of the nursing home regulatory regime, signified by the Nursing Home Reform Act ( NHRA ) and its progeny. Specifically speaking, it measures, using the statistical technique of regression analysis, factors that account for variations across states in the number of deficiencies (or violations of quality standards) cited by nursing home inspectors across the states. This work is a first of its kind, an analysis not government-related, by a set of public administration scholars that systematically studies the influence of political forces on nursing home regulations and inspection and their ultimate effect on the well-being of nursing home patients

Political Factors and Enforcement of the Nursing Home Regulatory Regime

This study analyzes the influence of political factors, oversight, and nursing home affiliation or ownership status on the enforcement of the nursing home regulatory regime, signified by the Nursing Home Reform Act ( NHRA ) and its progeny. Specifically speaking, it measures, using the statistical technique of regression analysis, factors that account for variations across states in the number of deficiencies (or violations of quality standards) cited by nursing home inspectors across the states. This work is a first of its kind, an analysis not government-related, by a set of public administration scholars that systematically studies the influence of political forces on nursing home regulations and inspection and their ultimate effect on the well-being of nursing home patients