Two-dimensional Stokes flow driven by elliptical paddles

A fast and accurate numerical technique is developed for solving the biharmonic equation in a multiply connected domain, in two dimensions. We apply the technique to the computation of slow viscous flow (Stokes flow) driven by multiple stirring rods. Previously, the technique has been restricted to stirring rods of circular cross section; we show here how the prior method fails for noncircular rods and how it may be adapted to accommodate general rod cross sections, provided only that for each there exists a conformal mapping to a circle. Corresponding simulations of the flow are described, and their stirring properties and energy requirements are discussed briefly. In particular the method allows an accurate calculation of the flow when flat paddles are used to stir a fluid chaotically

Voting for Democracy – Part 1: A Rank Above

The Texas Orato

The Javanese self in portraiture from 1880-1955

This thesis, The Javanese self in portraiture from 1880-1955 examines changing understandings and representations of the Javanese self in painted and photographic portraits spanning 75 years from 1880-1955. During this period, Indonesian modern art followed a trajectory from its 19th century beginnings within the domain of exclusive privilege, through the socially engaged Persagi painters to the opening of the first National art school, Akademi Seni Rupa Indonesia. In tandem there was a dramatic shift in the public’s understanding of two concepts: the modern individual and the nation state of Indonesia. The two however are not mutually inclusive and in many cases the modern individual precluded the nation. One must consider that the colonial state, rather than the Republic, was the defining structure into which many of the major players in Indonesian modern art were born and in which they operated. Furthermore, certain individuals crystallised their sense of national consciousness whilst living abroad and in many instances working in conjunction with the Dutch. In some cases the modern individual was situated in an isolated position, far outside any notions of a shared experience with an imagined community. Whilst this thesis is concerned with the biographies of individuals and is deeply committed to a social history of art, the focus on individuals is not made in order to reveal broader assumptions regarding society, but rather to reveal nuanced and sometimes very personal expressions of modernism. Because the appearances of modernism were not always concurrent or consistent with societal modernity, we cannot plot an uninterrupted or continuous path for Indonesian modern art. Yet a number of societal changes that came about during the period from high colonialism to independence affected class structure and gender, giving rise to altered states of selfhood and new methods of artistic expression. It is precisely the complex set of transactions between the individual, larger society and the economic and political conditions of the time that this thesis sets out to articulate in order to reveal a number of significant characteristics regarding the possibilities of self representation in portraiture. First, the early history of Indonesian modern art is plotted in terms of cooperative relationships between Javanese aristocrats and Dutch men. Secondly, that whilst appearing conservative and pro-Dutch, these Javanese artists were critical in initiating a discourse on modern art and in establishing a position of cultural nationalism, domestically and abroad. Finally, the conjunction of the first two points demonstrates that the history of modern Indonesian art began much earlier than previously believed and, perhaps even more significantly, was attached to the idea of Indonesian cultural and national self-determination at a very early stage of its development

Key factors limiting sustainable insect pest management in soybeans EarthEmpower Consulting and Investment, Mexico

If sustainability implies the preservation of resources for future generations, then pest management tools, like insecticides and insect-resistant varieties, can be considered resources that should be preserved for future generations. Overuse of these tools can result in resistance such that their ability to prevent yield loss is lost. Replacements can be found in the form of new active ingredients or novel plant traits. However there is growing evidence that as resistance to a single toxin increases, the rate of resistance developing for other toxins increases due to cross-resistance (Whalan et al. 2008). Furthermore, the use of insecticides within areas of intense agricultural activity affects the delivery of ecosystem services like pollination (Kremen et al. 2002) when non-target insects like bees are also killed. In an effort to reduce such non-target impacts, entomologists have developed an approach referred to as integrated pest management {IPM) to minimize insecticide use (Stern et al. 1959). Much of the theory for applying IPM principles was developed with regard to soybean production (e.g. Stone and Pedigo 1972). In this chapter, we will explore whether IPM can lead to sustainable pest management for soybeans

Whole genome metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiome of differently fed infants identifies differences in microbial composition and functional genes, including an absent CRISPR/Cas9 gene in the formula-fed cohort

Background: Advancements in sequencing capabilities have enhanced the study of the human microbiome. There are limited studies focused on the gastro-intestinal (gut) microbiome of infants, particularly the impact of diet between breast-fed (BF) versus formula-fed (FF). It is unclear what effect, if any, early feeding has on short- term or long-term composition and function of the gut microbiome. Results: Using a shotgun metagenomics approach, differences in the gut microbiome between BF (n = 10) and FF (n = 5) infants were detected. A Jaccard distance principle coordinate analysis was able to cluster BF versus FF infants based on the presence or absence of species identified in their gut microbiome. Thirty-two genera were identified as statistically different in the gut microbiome sequenced between BF and FF infants. Furthermore, the computational workflow identified 371 bacterial genes that were statistically different between the BF and FF cohorts in abundance. Only seven genes were lower in abundance (or absent) in the FF cohort compared to the BF cohort, including CRISPR/Cas9; whereas, the remaining candidates, including autotransporter adhesins, were higher in abundance in the FF cohort compared to BF cohort. Conclusions: These studies demonstrated that FF infants have, at an early age, a significantly different gut microbiome with potential implications for function of the fecal microbiota. Interactions between the fecal microbiota and host hinted at here have been linked to numerous diseases. Determining whether these non- abundant or more abundant genes have biological consequence related to infant feeding may aid in under- standing the adult gut microbiome, and the pathogenesis of obesity

Quality Over Quantity: Buffer Strips can be Improved with Select Native Plant Species

Native plants attractive to beneficial insects may improve the value of buffer strips by increasing biodiversity and enhancing the delivery of insect-derived ecosystem services. In a 2-yr field experiment, we measured the response of insect communities across nine buffers that varied in plant diversity. We constructed buffers with plants commonly found in buffers of USDA-certified organic farms in Iowa (typically a single species), recommended for prairie reconstruction, or recommended for attracting beneficial insects. We hypothesized that the diversity and abundance of beneficial insects will be 1) greatest in buffers composed of diverse plant communities with continuous availability of floral resources, 2) intermediate in buffers with reduced species richness and availability of floral resources, and 3) lowest in buffers composed of a single species. We observed a significant positive relationship between the diversity and abundance of beneficial insects with plant community diversity and the number of flowers. More beneficial insects were collected in buffers composed of species selected for their attractiveness to beneficial insects than a community recommended for prairie restoration. These differences suggest 1) plant communities that dominate existing buffers are not optimal for attracting beneficial insects, 2) adding flowering perennial species could improve buffers as habitat for beneficial insects, 3) buffers can be optimized by intentionally combining the most attractive native species even at modest levels of plant diversity, and 4) plant communities recommended for prairie reconstruction may not contain the optimal species or density of the most attractive species necessary to support beneficial insects from multiple guilds

Practical trapped-ion protocols for universal qudit-based quantum computing

The notion of universal quantum computation can be generalized to multi-level qudits, which offer advantages in resource usage and algorithmic efficiencies. Trapped ions, which are pristine and well-controlled quantum systems, offer an ideal platform to develop qudit-based quantum information processing. Previous work has not fully explored the practicality of implementing trapped-ion qudits accounting for known experimental error sources. Here, we describe a universal set of protocols for state preparation, single-qudit gates, a new generalization of the M\o{}lmer-S\o{}rensen gate for two-qudit gates, and a measurement scheme which utilizes shelving to a meta-stable state. We numerically simulate known sources of error from previous trapped ion experiments, and show that there are no fundamental limitations to achieving fidelities above $99\%$ for three-level qudits encoded in $^{137}\mathrm{Ba}^+$ ions. Our methods are extensible to higher-dimensional qudits, and our measurement and single-qudit gate protocols can achieve $99\%$ fidelities for five-level qudits. We identify avenues to further decrease errors in future work. Our results suggest that three-level trapped ion qudits will be a useful technology for quantum information processing

Out of Office and In the News: Early Projections of the Clinton Legacy

During the first year after a president has left office, the tone and topic of news media coverage can influence a legacy greatly. This study examines coverage of Bill Clinton during his first year out of office in the New York Times and on network news shows and compares this coverage to that of Ronald Reagan and George Bush during their first years out of office. We find that Clinton received substantially more news coverage during the first year out of office than did either Reagan or Bush, and that Clinton\u27s coverage in the media was also more critical and negative than the coverage received by either of his predecessors