Asian soybean rust: A review of 2005

After all the excitement about Asian soybean rust this time last year, the 2005 growing season turned out to be somewhat disappointing . . . at least from a plant pathologist\u27s point of view! Jokes aside though, the following is a recap of what happened with Asian soybean rust in the United States in 2005 and so far in 2006. Asian soybean rust was first reported in 2005 in the United States on February 24, on kudzu near Tampa, Florida. It was another two months, April 27, before the second report of the disease was made in Georgia on volunteer soybeans. After the infected plants were closely examined for a short period, they were destroyed

Surveying Iowa for SCN

Most crop professionals in the Midwest recognize the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) as a widespread, yield-limiting factor. But until the mid-1990s, little was known about the actual distribution of SCN throughout the region. In 1995 and 1996, Iowa State University plant pathologists collaborated with the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) personnel to collect samples from hundreds of randomly selected fields in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The work was supported by the soybean checkoff through funds from the North Central Soybean Research Program

Field Experiments Show Effects of Clariva™ Seed Treatment in 2014

Clariva™ Complete Beans is a seed treatment from Syngenta for management of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Clariva Complete Beans contains Clariva™, with the active ingredient Pasteuria nishizawae, a bacterium that parasitizes SCN. Clariva Complete Beans also contains the seed treatment insecticide and fungicides that are in CruiserMaxx® Advanced and Vibrance®

Combining global optimization and boundary integral methods to robustly estimate subsurface velocity models

In this paper, we combine a fast wave equation solver using boundary integral methods with a global optimization method, namely Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), to estimate an initial velocity model. Unlike finite difference methods that discretize the model space into pixels or voxels, our forward solver achieves significant computational savings by constraining the model space to a layered model with perturbations. The speed and reduced model space of the forward solve allows us to use global optimization methods that typically require numerous evaluations and few unknown variables. Our technique does not require an initial guess of a velocity model and is robust to local minima, unlike gradient descent frequently used in methods for both initial velocity model estimation and full waveform inversion. We apply our inversion algorithm to several synthetic data sets and demonstrate how prior information can be used to greatly improve the inversion

Youth identity formation and contemporary alcohol marketing

This paper considers linkages between contemporary marketing theory and practice, and emerging conceptualizations of identity, to discuss implications for public health concerns over alcohol use among young people. Particular attention is paid to the theorizing of consumption as a component of youth identities and the ways in which developments of marketing praxis orients to such schemata. The authors’ analyses of exemplars of marketing materials in use in Aotearoa New Zealand, drawn from their research archive, emphasize the sophistication and power of such forms of marketing.They argue that public health policy and practice must respond to the interweaving of marketing and the self-making practices of young people to counter this complex threat to the health and well-being of young people

The Impact on Informal Supporters of Domestic Violence Survivors:A Systematic Literature Review

Domestic violence (DV) is experienced by 1 in 4 women in the United Kingdom during their lifetime, and most survivors will seek informal support from the people around them, even if they choose not to access help from professionals. Support from these relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues can provide a buffer against effects on the survivor’s physical health, mental health, and quality of life, and has been shown to be protective against future abuse. There has been an absence of research studying members of survivors’ networks and, in particular, investigating how the impact of DV might diffuse to affect them. A systematic literature review of reported research (either in peer-reviewed journals or in gray literature) was undertaken to explore the impacts of DV on survivor networks. Of the articles found, 24 had data relating to the topic area, though no study addressed the question directly. Framework analysis and meta-ethnography generated the following themes: physical health impacts, negative impacts on psychological well-being, direct impacts from the perpetrator, and beneficial impacts on psychological well-being. The studies in this review indicated that informal supporters may be experiencing substantial impact, including vicarious trauma and the risk of physical harm. Currently, there is little support available which is directly aimed at informal supporters of DV survivors, thus these findings have practical and policy implications, in order to acknowledge and meet their needs. </jats:p

'It's about giving yourself a sense of belonging’: community-based history and well-being in South Yorkshire

Community-based history is a highly popular activity in neighbourhoods across the UK. The practice of participants doing history, often their own, for themselves, marks its difference from other forms of public history. This article explores the potential of involvement in community-based history in the South Yorkshire region to contribute to social identity and well-being and to inform public policy concerning health and well-being. We demonstrate the role of community-based history in building social capital and creating social links, tackling the negative effects of isolation, providing meaning, generating public and self-esteem and contributing to personal identity and belonging, as well as improving and strengthening local communities. Our findings reveal the relevance of community history in shaping notions of place and a sense of well-being through citizen engagement, with implications for community governance. At the same time, the limitations of our sample, particularly in relation to 'race' and whiteness, mirror an overwhelmingly White British participation in the wider heritage sector. This confirms that issues concerning whose history is represented, by whom, for what purpose and in what context, require consideration and raises questions regarding the role of community history in enabling a nostalgic and exclusive place-making with negative implications for non-British and/or non-white inhabitants

Qualitative study to explore the health and well-being impacts on adults providing informal support to female domestic violence survivors

Objectives Domestic violence (DV) is hazardous to survivors\u27 health, from injuries sustained and from resultant chronic physical and mental health problems. Support from friends and relatives is significant in the lives of DV survivors; research shows associations between positive support and the health, well-being and safety of survivors. Little is known about how people close to survivors are impacted. The aim of this study was exploratory, with the following research question: what are the health and well-being impacts on adults who provide informal support to female DV survivors?Design A qualitative study using semistructured interviews conducted face to face, by telephone or using Skype. A thematic analysis of the narratives was carried out.Setting Community-based, across the UK.Participants People were eligible to take part if they had had a close relationship (either as friend, colleague or family member) with a woman who had experienced DV, and were aged 16 or over during the time they knew the survivor. Participants were recruited via posters in community venues, social media and radio advertisement. 23 participants were recruited and interviewed; the majority were women, most were white and ages ranged from mid-20s to 80.Results Generated themes included: negative impacts on psychological and emotional well-being of informal supporters, and related physical health impacts. Some psychological impacts were over a limited period; others were chronic and had the potential to be severe and enduring. The impacts described suggested that those providing informal support to survivors may be experiencing secondary traumatic stress as they journey alongside the survivor.Conclusions Friends and relatives of DV survivors experience substantial impact on their own health and well-being. There are no direct services to support this group. These findings have practical and policy implications, so that the needs of informal supporters are legitimised and met