982 research outputs found
Feather growth rate and mass in nearctic passerines with variablemigratory behavior and molt pattern
Bird species vary greatly in the duration of their annual complete feather molt. However, such variation is not well documented
in birds from many biogeographic areas, which restricts our understanding of the diversification of molt strategies. Recent research has revealed
that molt duration can be estimated in passerines from ptilochronology-based measurements of the growth rate of their tail feathers. We used
this approach to explore how molt duration varied in 98 Nearctic species that have different migratory strategies and molt patterns. As previously
documented for Palearctic species, migration was associated with a shortening of molt duration among species that molted during summer on
their breeding range. However, molts of winter-molting migratory species were as long as those of summer-molting sedentary species, which
suggests that winter molt also allows Nearctic migrants to avoid the temporal constraints experienced during summer. Our results also suggest
that migratory species that undergo a stopover molt within the Mexican monsoon region have the shortest molt duration among all Nearctic
passerines. Interestingly, and contrary to expectations from a potential tradeoff between molt duration and feather quality, observed variation
in feather growth rate was positively correlated with differences in tail feather mass, which may be caused by differences among groups in the
availability of resources for molting. We encourage the use of similar approaches to study the variation in molt duration in other geographic areas
where knowledge of the evolution of molt is limited.
âWe Are Now Americansâ: Henry Hospers, Sioux County, Iowa, and Dutch Settler Acculturation
Henry Hospers (1830-1901) was the leader of the Dutch kolonie (colony) of Sioux County, Iowa. When Hospers named and platted Orange City in 1870, Hendrik P. Scholte of the Pella, Iowa colony was dead and Albertus C. Van Raalte of the Holland, Michigan colony was nearing the end of his life. Compared to the more famous Scholte and Van Raalte (who settled their respective Midwestern colonies in 1847), Hospers has received little critical attention as a significant Dutch American immigrant leader. Hospersâ relative historical obscurity is understandable. Scholte and Van Raalte were clergy, while Hospers was a layman. Moreover, he was a second-generation leader. Further, the surviving records related to Hospers are spottier than those related to Scholte and Van Raalte. Even so, there is plentiful evidence of Hospersâ significance. This study of Hospers as a colony leader documents that he was a tireless promoter of the colony in particular and Sioux County more generally, particularly as a land broker, banker, and owner of the weekly De Volksvriend (The Peopleâs Friend). He was also an office holder representing all settlers, especially as Chair of the Sioux County Board of Supervisors and as a member of the Iowa House and then the Senate. Finally, he was a founder of âchurch and schoolâ (kerk en school) for the colony in his work to organize Northwestern Classical Academy (later Northwestern College) and First Reformed Church of Orange City. His experience helps fill out the tapestry of Dutch Protestant settler acculturation: retaining Dutch identity and becoming American amidst the fluidity of modernity
Radiation hardness qualification of PbWO_4 scintillation crystals for the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter
Ensuring the radiation hardness of PbWO_4 crystals was one of the main priorities during the construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS experiment at CERN. The production on an industrial scale of radiation hard crystals and their certification over a period of several years represented a difficult challenge both for CMS and for the crystal suppliers. The present article reviews the related scientific and technological problems encountered
Radiation hardness qualification of PbWO4 scintillation crystals for the CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter
This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IOPEnsuring the radiation hardness of PbWO4 crystals was one of the main priorities during the construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS experiment at CERN. The production on an industrial scale of radiation hard crystals and their certification over a period of several years represented a difficult challenge both for CMS and for the crystal suppliers. The present article reviews the related scientific and technological problems encountered
The potential of simulating energy systems: The multi energy systems simulator model
Energy system modelling is an essential practice to assist a set of heterogeneous stakeholders in the process of defining an effective and efficient energy transition. From the analysis of a set of open-source energy system models, it emerged that most models employ an approach directed at finding the optimal solution for a given set of constraints. On the contrary, a simulation model is a representation of a system used to reproduce and understand its behaviour under given conditions without seeking an optimal solution. In this paper, a new open-source energy system model is presented. Multi Energy Systems Simulator (MESS) is a modular, multi-energy carrier, multi-node model that allows the investigation of non optimal solutions by simulating an energy system. The model was built for urban level analyses. However, each node can represent larger regions allowing wider spatial scales to be represented as well. In this work, the toolâs features are presented through a comparison between MESS and Calliope, a state of the art optimization model, to analyse and highlight the differences between the two approaches, the potentialities of a simulation tool and possible areas for further development. The two models produced coherent results, showing differences that were tracked down to the different approaches. Based on the comparison conducted, general conclusions were drawn on the potential of simulating energy systems in terms of a more realistic description of smaller energy systems, lower computational times and increased opportunity for participatory processes in planning urban energy systems
Costs and profitability of crops for bioeconomy in the EU
The bioeconomy is the cornerstone of the EUâs policy for shifting economic and societal trends towards circularity and low carbon arrangements. Europe has several crops that can be used as raw materials for this purpose, however pressure on land which might displace other activities and industrial competition for cost efficient raw materials remains a challenge. Hence, ensuring good yielding capacity and examining the likelihood to produce more by exploiting low quality, unused land can present significant opportunities to increase sustainable, locally sourced supply and at the same time offer profitable solutions to both industry and the farmers. This paper estimates the production costs of fourteen crops (oil, sugar, starch and lignocellulosic) and analyses how their profitability can be influenced by yield increases and cultivation in low quality land. Results show that there are profitable options for all crops under current market prices and land types except for cases in countries where crop productivity is rather low to sustain farm incomes. The analysis confirms that Europe has plenty crop options as raw materials for bioeconomy. Decision makers however must ensure future research and policy support are oriented towards sustainable yield increases and accelerate rehabilitation of land that is unused and of low quality
Potato biodiversity: a linear discriminant analysis on the nutritional and physicochemical composition of fifty genotypes
Fifty potato genotypes from twenty-four different countries of origin, four different flesh colours (yellow, purple, red and marble) and different cultivation types (Andean accessions, landraces, breeder lines and cultivated varieties) were studied in terms of their nutritional and physicochemical characteristics. In general, cultivated varieties and breeder lines showed the highest similarity (slight differences only in some particular fatty acids distributions: C10:0, C12:0 and C22:0) concerning the physicochemical parameters assayed in this work, independently of the geographical origin or tuber flesh colour of these genotypes. Nonetheless, some of the studied landraces and Andean accessions proved to be similar enough to be considered as genotypes with good potential for commercial cultivation. These results can contribute to the supply of new potato genotypes into sustainable farming systems, supporting the protection of potato biodiversity, particularly Andean accessions, landraces and coloured genotypes (red or purple flesh) which are not widely cultivated so far.S. Sampaio acknowledges CAPES Foundation (Ministry of Education,
Brazil) for her PhD grant no. 99999.001423/2015-00. The authors are
grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal)
for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO
(UIDB/00690/2020); the national funding by FCT, P.I., through the
institutional scientific employment program-contract for L. Barros contract.
GIP-USAL is financially supported by the Spanish Government
through the project AGL2015-64522-C2-2-R.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Population health profile of the Hawkesbury Division of General Practice
© Commonwealth of Australia To view the data presented in the profiles in Excel spreadsheets or via Interactive Mapping, please see the PHIDU website at: www.publichealth.gov.au
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