Forage Brassica use in New Zealand and Australia Farming Systems

Forage brassica, genus Brassica, are annual feed crops grown on farming enterprises throughout New Zealand and Australia. These crops provide a source of high-yielding, high-quality feed, which is particularly useful to complement pasture production during periods when pasture growth is reduced. There are six forage brassica species and subspecies of agricultural importance including bulb turnip, swede, kale, forage rape, leafy turnip, and raphanobrassica. All of these, as well as interspecific crosses and individual cultivars, offer a range of characteristics to fit various environmental and livestock production challenges. Consumption of forage brassica crops in ruminant animals may reduce methane emissions compared to traditional feed sources. Furthermore, recent technological developments using seed mutagenesis in breeding new forage brassica provide increased herbicide control of weed species. As with all feed sources, specific management, crop husbandry and animal health considerations apply. Overall, the use of forage brassica enables increased resilience in typical pasture-based farm systems

An analysis of the relationships between speech and reading abilities of four hundred and twenty-five first grade children.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Quasar-galaxy and AGN-galaxy cross-correlations

We compute quasar-galaxy and AGN-galaxy cross-correlation functions for samples taken from the \cite{VCV98} catalog of quasars and active galaxies, using tracer galaxies taken from the Edinburgh/Durham Southern Catalog. The sample of active galaxy targets shows positive correlation at projected separations $r_p < 6 h^{-1} Mpc$ consistent with the usual power-law. On the other hand, we do not find a statistically significant positive quasar-galaxy correlation signal except in the range $3 h^{-1} Mpc < r_p < 6 h^{-1} Mpc$ where we find similar AGN-galaxy and quasar-galaxy correlation amplitudes. At separations $r_p<3 h^{-1} Mpc$ a strong decline of quasar-galaxy correlations is observed, suggesting a significant local influence of quasars in galaxy formation. In an attempt to reproduce the observed cross-correlation between quasars and galaxies, we have performed CDM cosmological hydrodynamical simulations and tested the viability of a scenario based on the model developed by \cite{silkrees98}. In this scheme a fraction of the energy released by quasars is considered to be transferred into the baryonic component of the intergalactic medium in the form of winds. The results of the simulations suggest that the shape of the observed quasar-galaxy cross-correlation function could be understood in a scenario where a substantial amount of energy is transferred to the medium at the redshift of maximum quasar activity.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Anhydrous polymeric zinc(II) penta­noate

The structure of the title compound, poly[di-μ-penta­noato-zinc(II)], [Zn{CH3(CH2)3COO}2]n, consists of a three-dimensional polymeric layered network with sheets parallel to the (100) plane, in which tetra­hedrally coordinated zinc(II) ions are connected by penta­noate bridges in a syn–anti arrangement. The hydro­carbon chains are in the fully extended all-trans conformation and are arranged in a tail-to-tail double bilayer

A Quantitative Evaluation of the Galaxy Component of COSMOS and APM Catalogs

We have carried out an independent quantitative evaluation of the galaxy component of the "COSMOS/UKST Southern Sky Object Catalogue" (SSC) and the "APM/UKST J Catalogue" (APM). Using CCD observations our results corroborate the accuracy of the photometry of both catalogs, which have an overall dispersion of about 0.2 mag in the range 17 <= b_J <= 21.5. The SSC presents externally calibrated galaxy magnitudes that follow a linear relation, while the APM instrumental magnitudes of galaxies, only internally calibrated by the use of stellar profiles, require second-order corrections. The completeness of both catalogs in a general field falls rapidly fainter than b_J = 20.0, being slightly better for APM. The 90% completeness level of the SSC is reached between b_J = 19.5 and 20.0, while for APM this happens between b_J = 20.5 and 21.0. Both SSC and APM are found to be less complete in a galaxy cluster field. Galaxies misclassified as stars in the SSC receive an incorrect magnitude because the stellar ones take saturation into account besides using a different calibration curve. In both cases, the misclassified galaxies show a large diversity of colors that range from typical colors of early-types to those of blue star-forming galaxies. A possible explanation for this effect is that it results from the combination of low sampling resolutions with properties of the image classifier for objects with characteristic sizes close to the instrumental resolution. We find that the overall contamination by stars misclassified as galaxies is < 5% to b_J = 20.5, as originally estimated for both catalogs. Although our results come from small areas of the sky, they are extracted from two different plates and are based on the comparison with two independent datasets.Comment: 14 pages of text and tables, 8 figures; to be published in the Astronomical Journal; for a single postscript version file see ftp://danw.on.br/outgoing/caretta/caretta.p

The Aquarius Superclusters - I. Identification of Clusters and Superclusters

We study the distribution of galaxies and galaxy clusters in a 10^deg x 6^deg field in the Aquarius region. In addition to 63 clusters in the literature, we have found 39 new candidate clusters using a matched-filter technique and a counts-in-cells analysis. From redshift measurements of galaxies in the direction of these cluster candidates, we present new mean redshifts for 31 previously unobserved clusters, while improved mean redshifts are presented for 35 other systems. About 45% of the projected density enhancements are due to the superposition of clusters and/or groups of galaxies along the line of sight, but we could confirm for 72% of the cases that the candidates are real physical associations similar to the ones classified as rich galaxy clusters. On the other hand, the contamination due to galaxies not belonging to any concentration or located only in small groups along the line of sight is ~ 10%. Using a percolation radius of 10 h^{-1} Mpc (spatial density contrast of about 10), we detect two superclusters of galaxies in Aquarius, at z = 0.086 and at z = 0.112, respectively with 5 and 14 clusters. The latter supercluster may represent a space overdensity of about 160 times the average cluster density as measured from the Abell et al. (1989) cluster catalog, and is possibly connected to a 40 h^{-1} Mpc filament from z ~ 0.11 to 0.14.Comment: LateX text (21 pages) and 12 (ps/eps/gif) figures; figures 5a, 5b and 6 are not included in the main LateX text; to be published in the Astronomical Journal, March issu

The ROSAT All-Sky Survey: a Catalog of Clusters of Galaxies in a Region of 1 Ster around the South Galactic Pole

A field of 1.013 ster in the ROSAT all-sky survey (RASS), centered on the south galactic pole (SGP), has been searched in a systematic, objective manner for clusters of galaxies. The procedure relied on a correlation of the X-ray positions and properties of ROSAT sources with the distribution of galaxies in the COSMOS digitised data base, which was obtained by scanning the plates of the UK Schmidt IIIa-J optical southern sky survey. The study used the second ROSAT survey data base (RASS-2) and included several optical observing campaigns to measure redshifts. The search, a precursor to the larger REFLEX survey of the whole southern sky, reached the detection limits of the RASS and the COSMOS data, and yielded a catalog of 186 clusters in which the lowest flux is 1.5e-12 erg/cm2/s in the 0.1-2.4 keV band. Of these 157 have measured redshifts. Using a limit of 3.0e-12 erg/cm2/s a complete subset of 112 clusters was obtained, of which 110 have measured redshifts. The spatial distribution of the X-ray clusters out to z = 0.15 shows an extension of the Local Supercluster to the Pisces-Cetus supercluster (z<~0.07), and a more distant orthogonal structure at 0.07<z<0.15.Comment: To be published in ApJ Supplements in February 2002: 53 pages: 18 figure

The Northern Sky Optical Cluster Survey II: An Objective Cluster Catalog for 5800 Square Degrees

We present a new, objectively defined catalog of candidate galaxy clusters based on the galaxy catalogs from the Digitized Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (DPOSS). This cluster catalog, derived from the best calibrated plates in the high latitude (|b|>30) Northern Galactic Cap region, covers 5,800 square degrees, and contains 8,155 candidate clusters. A simple adaptive kernel density mapping technique, combined with the SExtractor object detection algorithm, is used to detect galaxy overdensities, which we identify as clusters. Simulations of the background galaxy distribution and clusters of varying richnesses and redshifts allow us to optimize detection parameters, and measure the completeness and contamination rates for our catalog. Cluster richnesses and photometric redshifts are measured, using integrated colors and magnitudes for each cluster. An extensive spectroscopic survey is used to confirm the photometric results. This catalog, with well-characterized sample properties, provides a sound basis for future studies of cluster physics and large scale structure.Comment: 49 pages, 16 figures. Accepted to AJ; appearing in April. Version with full resolution figures, and full length tables available at http://dposs.caltech.edu:8080/NoSOCS.htm

History and symptom taking in contact lens fitting and aftercare.

AIM: To appraise history and symptom taking for contact lens consultations, to determine current practice and to make recommendations for best practice. METHOD: The peer reviewed academic literature was reviewed and the results informed a survey completed by 256 eye care practitioners (ECPs) on their current practice and influences. RESULTS: The last eye-test date, last contact lens aftercare (for existing wearers) and reason for visit are key questions for most ECPs. Detailed use of contact lens questions are more commonly applied in aftercares than when refitting patients who have previously discontinued wear (87% vs 56% use), whereas questions on ocular and general history, medication and lifestyle were generally more commonly utilised for new patients than in aftercares (72% vs 50%). 75% of ECPs requested patients bring a list of their medication to appointments. Differential diagnosis questioning was thorough in most ECPs (87% of relevant questions asked). Attempts to optimise compliance included oral instruction (95% always) and written patient instructions (95% at least sometimes). Abbreviations were used by 39% of respondents (26% used ones provided by a professional body). CONCLUSION: There is scope for more consistency in history and symptom taking for contact lens consultations and recommendations are made