Population, sexual and reproductive health, rights and sustainable development: forging a common agenda.

This article suggests that sexual and reproductive health and rights activists seeking to influence the post-2015 international development paradigm must work with sustainable development advocates concerned with a range of issues, including climate change, environmental issues, and food and water security, and that a way of building bridges with these communities is to demonstrate how sexual and reproductive health and rights are relevant for these issues. An understanding of population dynamics, including urbanization and migration, as well as population growth, can help to clarify these links. This article therefore suggests that whether or not sexual and reproductive health and rights activists can overcome resistance to discussing "population", become more knowledgeable about other sustainable development issues, and work with others in those fields to advance the global sustainable development agenda are crucial questions for the coming months. The article also contends that it is possible to care about population dynamics (including ageing and problems faced by countries with a high proportion of young people) and care about human rights at the same time. It expresses concern that, if sexual and reproductive health and rights advocates do not participate in the population dynamics discourse, the field will be left free for those for whom respecting and protecting rights may be less of a priority

Archiving multi-epoch data and the discovery of variables in the near infrared

We present a description of the design and usage of a new synoptic pipeline and database model for time series photometry in the VISTA Data Flow System (VDFS). All UKIRT-WFCAM data and most of the VISTA main survey data will be processed and archived by the VDFS. Much of these data are multi-epoch, useful for finding moving and variable objects. Our new database design allows the users to easily find rare objects of these types amongst the huge volume of data being produced by modern survey telescopes. Its effectiveness is demonstrated through examples using Data Release 5 of the UKIDSS Deep Extragalactic Survey (DXS) and the WFCAM standard star data. The synoptic pipeline provides additional quality control and calibration to these data in the process of generating accurate light-curves. We find that 0.6+-0.1% of stars and 2.3+-0.6% of galaxies in the UKIDSS-DXS with K<15 mag are variable with amplitudes \Delta K>0.015 magComment: 30 pages, 31 figures, MNRAS, in press Minor changes from previous version due to refereeing and proof-readin

Approaching public perceptions of datafication through the lens of inequality: a case study in public service media

In the emerging field of critical data studies, there is increasing acknowledgement that the negative effects of datafication are not experienced equally by all. Research on data and discrimination in particular has highlighted how already socially unequal populations are discriminated against in data-driven systems. Elsewhere, there is growing interest in public perceptions of datafication, amongst academic researchers interested in producing ‘bottom up’ understandings of the new roles of data in society and non-academic stakeholders keen to establish positive perceptions of data-driven systems. However, research into public perceptions rarely engages with the issue of inequality which is so central in data and discrimination scholarship. Bringing these two issues together, this paper explores public perceptions of datafication through the lens of inequality, focusing on the relationship between understandings and feelings within these perceptions. The paper draws on empirical focus group research into how audiences perceive the data practices that signing in to access BBC digital services enable. The paper shows how inequalities relating to age, dis/ability, poverty and their intersections played a role in shaping perceptions and that these social inequalities informed understandings of and feelings about data practices in complex and diverse ways. It concludes with reflections on the significance of these findings for future research and for data-related policy

The WFCAM Science Archive

We describe the WFCAM Science Archive (WSA), which is the primary point of access for users of data from the wide-field infrared camera WFCAM on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT), especially science catalogue products from the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS). We describe the database design with emphasis on those aspects of the system that enable users to fully exploit the survey datasets in a variety of different ways. We give details of the database-driven curation applications that take data from the standard nightly pipeline-processed and calibrated files for the production of science-ready survey datasets. We describe the fundamentals of querying relational databases with a set of astronomy usage examples, and illustrate the results.Comment: 28 pages, 18 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS (2007 November 8

Blueberry Advisory Committee Research Report

The 1988 edition of the Blueberry Advisory Committee Research Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station and Maine Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Monitoring methods, economic injury levels, and action thresholds for blueberry spanworm larvae in vegetative year fields. 2. Control of secondary blueberry pests 3. Control of blueberry maggot 4. Effect of pruning practices on blueberry insect abundance 5. Survey of Fungi Contaminating Lowbush Blueberries 6. Nutrition Survey 1988 7. Phosphorus Dose/Response Curve 8. Effect of Several Mulches on Frost Heaving, Soil Moisture, Soil Temperature and Rhizome Development 9. Influence of Mulch Sources on Clonal Spread-SCS Study, Deblois 10. Effect of Surface Mulches on Stabilizing Lowbush Blueberry Soil in Barren Areas 11. Nitrogen-Phosphorus Study 12. Changes in Sugar and Organic Acids of Blueberries During Development, Preprocess Lag Time and Storage 13. Characterization of Pectin in Blueberries 14. Effect of Hexazinone (VELPAR) on Species Distribution in Lowbush Blueberry Fields 15. Evaluation of Setyhoxydim (POAST) for Bunchgrass Control 16. Evaluation and modification of commercial wipers 17. Evaluation of Five Preemergence Herbicides for Control of Oatgrass and Bunchgrass 18. Effect of rate and formulation of hexazinone (VELPAR) on bunchberry 19. Bracken fern control alternatives 20. Hexazinone (VELPAR) and terbacil (SINBAR) combinations for weed control 21. Evaluation of hexazinone (VELPAR) with spot treatments of glyphosate (ROUNDUP) or sethoxydin (POAST) for bunchgrass control 22. Directed sprays of glyphosate (ROUNDUP) for bunchberry control. 23. Evaluation of Postemergence Applications of Chlorimuron for Bunchberry Control 24. Seedling Pruning Study 25. Blueberry Harvester Trials 26. Blueberry Extension Progra

Blueberry Advisory Committee Research Report

The 1987 edition of the Blueberry Advisory Committee Research Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station and Maine Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Effect of Pruning Practices on Blueberry Insect Abundance 2. Economic Thresholds and Control of Secondary Blueberry Pests 3. Control of Blueberry Maggot 4. Evaluation of Fungicides for Control of Botrytis Blight on Lowbush Blueberry, 1987 5. Evaluation of Fungicides for Control of Mummy Berry on Lowbush Blueberry, 1987 6. Miscellaneous Activity: a) Fungicide Residue Analysis b) Blueberry fact sheet c) Berry contamination 7. Effects of Pruning Methods on Mummy Berry Disease Incidence, 1987 8. Effects of Pruning Methods on Powdery Mildew and Red Leaf Disease Incidence, 1987 9. Nutrition Survey 1987 10. Nutritional Responses of Seedlings 11. The Effect of Several Mulches on Frost Heaving, Soil Moisture, Soil Temperature and Rhizome Development 12. Time-temperature Effects on Sugar Migration and Physical Characterization in Lowbush Blueberries 13. Fabricated Blueberry Raisins Prepared from Puree using Alginate as the Gelling Agent 14. Blueberry Gelatin 15. Effect of Hexazinone (VELPAR) on Species Distribution in Lowbush Blueberry Fields 16. Evaluation of Postemergence Herbicides for Grass Control 17. Evaluation of Sulfonyl urea and Imidazoline compounds for Bunchberry Control 18. Use of Mechanical wiper with glyphosate (ROUNDUP) or dicamba for control of dogbane 19. Integrated Weed Management 20. Evaluation of Five Preemergence Herbicides for Control of Oat grass and Bunchgrass 21. Wiper Application of Dicamba for Woody Weed control 22. Hexazinone (VELPAR) and terbacil (SINBAR) combinations for weed control 23. Evaluation of Clopyralid and Lactofen for Bunchberry Control 24. Evaluation of Postemergence Applications of chlorimuron for Bunchberry Control 25. Hexazinone seedling study 26. Seedling Pruning Study 27. Effect of bracken fern on blueberry yield 28. Evaluation of two mechanical harvesters vs hand raking of lowbush blueberrie

Interaction, Emotion, and Collective Identities

[Excerpt] This chapter poses the question: How do emotional aspects of social interaction affect the emergence and salience of collective identities? I assume that social interaction inherently involves an implicit or explicit joint task—namely to accomplish some result that can only be produced with others. The most fundamental “task” of social interaction can be construed as the coordination and alignment of behavior, such that actors successfully conclude the interact ion episode. Essential to this task is a working consensus about definitions of self and other in the social situation, i.e., consensual self-other identities. A central component of my argument is that social interaction has emotional effects that vary with the success of actors at accomplishing this fundamental task. This paper theorizes the conditions under which emotional effects of social interaction promote collective identities that bridge or transcend self-other role identities

Blueberry Research Progress Reports

The 1989 edition of the Blueberry Research Progress Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station and Maine Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Control of Secondary Blueberry Pests 2. Monitory Methods, Economic Injury Levels, and Action Thresholds of Secondary Blueberry Pests 3. Control of Blueberry Maggot 4. Phosphorus Dose/Response Curve 5. Nitrogen-Phosphorus Study 6. Multiple Cropping of Wild Stands 7. Changes in Sugars and Organic Acids of Blueberries During Development 8. Investigation of Preprocess Changes That Could Lead to the Development of a Simple and Inexpensive Method to Measure Preprocess Berry Spoilage 9. Development of Simple and Less Expensive Methods to Analyze Pesticides Used on Maine and Canadian Blueberries 10. Evaluation and Modification of Commercial Wipers 11. Effect of Rate and Formulation of Hexazinone on Bunchberry 12. Bracken Fern Control Alternatives 13. Evaluation of Hexazinone with Spot Treatments of Glyphosate Sethoxydim or Fluazifop-P for Bunchgrass Control 14. Directed Sprays of Glyphosate for Bunchberry Control 15. Evaluation of Norflurazon with or without Hexazinone for Bunchgrass Control 16. Selective Wiper and Mechanical Control of Dogbane 17. Evaluation of Sulfonyl Urea Herbicides for Bunchberry Control 18. Seedling Pruning Study 19. Evaluation of Sethoxydim in Lowbush Blueberry Fields 20. Blueberry Extension Program 21. Pollination of the Low-bush Blueberry by Native Bees 22. Postharvest Fungi of Lowbush Blueberries 23. Effects of Pruning Methods on Mummy Berry Incidenc

What's New Is Old: Resolving the Identity of Leptothrix ochracea Using Single Cell Genomics, Pyrosequencing and FISH

Leptothrix ochracea is a common inhabitant of freshwater iron seeps and iron-rich wetlands. Its defining characteristic is copious production of extracellular sheaths encrusted with iron oxyhydroxides. Surprisingly, over 90% of these sheaths are empty, hence, what appears to be an abundant population of iron-oxidizing bacteria, consists of relatively few cells. Because L. ochracea has proven difficult to cultivate, its identification is based solely on habitat preference and morphology. We utilized cultivation-independent techniques to resolve this long-standing enigma. By selecting the actively growing edge of a Leptothrix-containing iron mat, a conventional SSU rRNA gene clone library was obtained that had 29 clones (42% of the total library) related to the Leptothrix/Sphaerotilus group (≤96% identical to cultured representatives). A pyrotagged library of the V4 hypervariable region constructed from the bulk mat showed that 7.2% of the total sequences also belonged to the Leptothrix/Sphaerotilus group. Sorting of individual L. ochracea sheaths, followed by whole genome amplification (WGA) and PCR identified a SSU rRNA sequence that clustered closely with the putative Leptothrix clones and pyrotags. Using these data, a fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) probe, Lepto175, was designed that bound to ensheathed cells. Quantitative use of this probe demonstrated that up to 35% of microbial cells in an actively accreting iron mat were L. ochracea. The SSU rRNA gene of L. ochracea shares 96% homology with its closet cultivated relative, L. cholodnii, This establishes that L. ochracea is indeed related to this group of morphologically similar, filamentous, sheathed microorganisms