An empirical calibration to estimate cool dwarf fundamental parameters from H-band spectra

Interferometric radius measurements provide a direct probe of the fundamental parameters of M dwarfs, but is within reach for only a limited sample of nearby, bright stars. We use interferometrically-measured radii, bolometric luminosities, and effective temperatures to develop new empirical calibrations based on low-resolution, near-infrared spectra. We use H-band Mg and Al features to derive calibrations for effective temperature, radius and log luminosity; the standard deviations in the residuals of our best fits are, respectively, 73K, 0.027Rsun, and 0.049 dex (11% error on luminosity). These relationships are valid for mid K to mid M dwarf stars, roughly corresponding to temperatures between 3100 and 4800K. We apply our calibrations to M dwarfs targeted by the MEarth transiting planet survey and to the cool Kepler Objects of Interest (KOIs). We independently validate our calibrations by demonstrating a clear relationship between our inferred parameters and the absolute K magnitudes of the MEarth stars, and we identify objects with magnitudes too bright for their estimated luminosities as candidate multiple systems. We also use our inferred luminosities to address the applicability of near-infrared metallicity calibrations to mid and late M dwarfs. The temperatures we infer for the KOIs agree remarkably well with those from the literature; however, our stellar radii are systematically larger than those presented in previous works that derive radii from model isochrones. This results in a mean planet radius that is 15% larger than one would infer using the stellar properties from recent catalogs. Our results confirm those of previous in-depth studies of Kepler-42, Kepler-45, and Kepler-186.Comment: Accepted to ApJ. Tables 4 and 5, and machine readable versions of Tables 5 and 7 are available in the ApJ journal articl

Collaboration within the UK Farm Industry

This paper addresses the effectiveness of the traditional models of cooperation, and analyses best practices in other commercial sectors in order to identify transferable elements. The Report of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food (2002) identified a need for farmers to cooperate and collaborate more effectively in their business activities in order to be more competitive. The Plunkett Foundation (1992) suggests that in order to play an important role in the maintenance of the rural economy the Farmer Controlled Business should adopt more imaginative approaches. Using an inductive grounded theory approach and guided interview techniques, experts in the field of business collaboration were selected using a purposive sample approach and interviewed using an iterative Delphi model. Interviewees were leading academics, government officials and managers of the most profitable and/or innovative EU based cooperatives. Having been asked to identify and evaluate the operational characteristics of traditional models of cooperation, respondents were encouraged to identify the ideal characteristics of any replacement business frameworks. A culture of "arm focus"and a lack of "global" understanding were identified as very important factors affecting cooperation. In addition to this, the intrinsic limitations of the traditional model of cooperation were recognized as an important limitation, as well as the personal characteristics and skills of the members were identified as relevant barriers. The paper concludes that addressing the problems of culture and attitude is a long-term process. Therefore the solution could come from models, where the members do not necessarily have the required vision or culture, but they are part of a bigger organization that has the needed consumer and food chain focus. The key factor is to gain recognition of the need to fundamentally address organizational structure.cooperatives, collaboration, supply food chain, organizational structure, farming, Agribusiness, Industrial Organization,

Zinc content and yield of corn as influenced by methods and rates of application of zinc and phosphorus

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1966 N562Master of Scienc

Low-Cost QCM Sensor System for Screening Semen Samples

Artificial insemination is a well-established part of modern agricultural practice. A viable semen sample is judged by the total number of spermatozoa (sperm) in the sample and the motility of the sperm. In this paper, we report the development of a reusable measurement cell and electronics for screening semen samples based on the Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) and Universal Frequency to Digital Converter (UFDC-1) to produce a low-cost sensor system. After introducing the semen sample at one end of the measurement cell, sperm swim down a channel before causing a frequency change on the QCM. Data is presented that shows the different frequency changes using a commercial frequency counter caused by porcine semen samples, one two days old and one twenty one days old. Similar data is presented for a motile semen sample measurement using the low-cost UFDC-1

The rotation and Galactic kinematics of mid M dwarfs in the Solar Neighborhood

Rotation is a directly-observable stellar property, and drives magnetic field generation and activity through a magnetic dynamo. Main sequence stars with masses below approximately 0.35Msun (mid-to-late M dwarfs) are fully-convective, and are expected to have a different type of dynamo mechanism than solar-type stars. Measurements of their rotation rates provide insights into these mechanisms, but few rotation periods are available for these stars at field ages. Using photometry from the MEarth transit survey, we measure rotation periods for 387 nearby, mid-to-late M dwarfs in the Northern hemisphere, finding periods from 0.1 to 140 days. The typical detected rotator has stable, sinusoidal photometric modulations at a semi-amplitude of 0.5 to 1%. We find no period-amplitude relation for stars below 0.25Msun and an anti-correlation between period and amplitude for higher-mass M dwarfs. We highlight the existence of older, slowly-rotating stars without H{\alpha} emission that nevertheless have strong photometric variability. The Galactic kinematics of our sample is consistent with the local population of G and K dwarfs, and rotators have metallicities characteristic of the Solar Neighborhood. We use the W space velocities and established age-velocity relations to estimate that stars with P<10 days are on average <2 Gyrs, and that those with P>70 days are about 5 Gyrs. The period distribution is mass dependent: as the mass decreases, the slowest rotators at a given mass have longer periods, and the fastest rotators have shorter periods. We find a lack of stars with intermediate rotation periods. [Abridged]Comment: Accepted to ApJ. Machine readable tables and additional figures are available in the published article or on reques

Evaluation of the ‘Rotational Post - End of Life Care, Cancer Care and Care of the Elderly’ Project

In 2017, South London Hospices Education Collaborative approached the University of Greenwich to conduct an evaluation of the first year of the ‘Rotational Post - End of Life Care, Cancer and Care of the Elderly’ Project. The original project had offered newly-qualified and developing band 5 nurses (within 3 years of qualifying) the opportunity to work in three care settings over the course of a year (4 month blocks) with support from palliative care professionals, managers and the project lead. The nurses also undertook a postgraduate module in palliative care or a relevant topic. The identified care settings were - specialist inpatient palliative care in hospices, oncology wards, and care of the frail elderly in intermediate care settings or similar community provision. The evaluation began in September 2017 and its aim was to evaluate the perceived and felt impact of the project as assessed by the nurses who took part and the key staff (stakeholders) in the host organisations. Qualitative focus groups (with participating nursing staff) and interviews (with stakeholders) were conducted and analysed to assess the perceived impact the project had on stakeholders’ and participating nurses’ perceptions and experiences of the rotation project, and whether the project had, according to participants’ accounts, attained its original aims. The data presented in this report are the outcome of gathering and analysing data from two focus groups (N = 7 & 5 participants) with nurses who rotated during the project, and seven interviews with stakeholder participants who rotated their own, and hosted other organisations’, staff

Hydrothermal activity lowers trophic diversity in Antarctic sedimented hydrothermal vents

Sedimented hydrothermal vents are those in which hydrothermal fluid vents through sediment and are among the least studied deep-sea ecosystems. We present a combination of microbial and biochemical data to assess trophodynamics between and within hydrothermally active and off-vent areas of the Bransfield Strait (1050–1647 m depth). Microbial composition, biomass and fatty acid signatures varied widely between and within vent and non-vent sites and provided evidence of diverse metabolic activity. Several species showed diverse feeding strategies and occupied different trophic positions in vent and non-vent areas and stable isotope values of consumers were generally not consistent with feeding structure morphology. Niche area and the diversity of microbial fatty acids reflected trends in species diversity and was lowest at the most hydrothermally active site. Faunal utilisation of chemosynthetic activity was relatively limited but was detected at both vent and non-vent sites as evidenced by carbon and sulphur isotopic signatures, suggesting that the hydrothermal activity can affect trophodynamics over a much wider area than previously thought