Effects of stage of defoliation on seed production and growth of Stylosanthes humilis.

Stylosanthes humilis swards grown at Brisbane in irrigated boxes were defoliated (about 60 per cent removal of tops) at floral initiation, first flower appearance, or advanced flowering stages ; seed yield was 45, 16, and 14 per cent respectively of seed yield in undefoliated swards. Decreased yields were primarily due to poor seed set of florets, were also associated with reduced inflorescence density and floret number per inflorescence, and occurred despite increases (in some defoliation treatments) in seed size, leaf growth rate, and differentiation of leaves and branches. Total seasonal plant growth was independent of defoliation treatment

Non-Equilibrium Modeling of the Fe XVII 3C/3D ratio for an Intense X-ray Free Electron Laser

We present a review of two methods used to model recent LCLS experimental results for the 3C/3D line intensity ratio of Fe XVII (Bernitt et al. 2012), the time-dependent collisional-radiative method and the density-matrix approach. These are described and applied to a two-level atomic system excited by an X-ray free electron laser. A range of pulse parameters is explored and the effects on the predicted Fe XVII 3C and 3D line intensity ratio are calculated. In order to investigate the behavior of the predicted line intensity ratio, a particular pair of A-values for the 3C and 3D transitions was chosen (2.22 $\times$ 10$^{13}$ s$^{-1}$ and 6.02 $\times$ 10$^{12}$ s$^{-1}$ for the 3C and 3D, respectively), but our conclusions are independent of the precise values. We also reaffirm the conclusions from Oreshkina et al.(2014, 2015): the non-linear effects in the density matrix are important and the reduction in the Fe XVII 3C/3D line intensity ratio is sensitive to the laser pulse parameters, namely pulse duration, pulse intensity, and laser bandwidth. It is also shown that for both models the lowering of the 3C/3D line intensity ratio below the expected time-independent oscillator strength ratio has a significant contribution due to the emission from the plasma after the laser pulse has left the plasma volume. Laser intensities above $\sim 1\times 10^{12}$ W/cm$^{2}$ are required for a reduction in the 3C/3D line intensity ratio below the expected time independent oscillator strength ratio

Meeting the Changing Need for Herbage Seed Quality Assurance in the 21st Century

Quality assurance is a key element in the herbage seed supply chain. The measurement and management of seed quality is discussed in terms of its four main parameters - genetic, physical, vital, and phytosanitary quality - which provide information on the expected performance of herbage seed when sown in the field. During the past century, seed quality management systems have evolved in response to national and regional differences in economic development, crop characteristics, merit testing, and the demands of international trade. The pace of change in the management of seed quality assurance has intensified in developed countries over the past decade or so, driven mainly by the ability to protect intellectual property, the consolidation of seed companies into larger units, and government policy aimed at deregulating the delivery of quality assurance. In developed countries, this has seen the strong private seed sector taking increasing responsibility for seed quality assurance, both economically and legally, together with the emergence of private seed testing laboratories and in-house certification programs. However, developing countries without a strong private seed sector are better served by the more traditional model in which government takes on the role and responsibility for managing seed quality assurance in the public interest. This paper explores recent trends in seed quality management and their strategic implications for different countries now and in the future with particular reference to herbage seed

Research Ethics in Information Systems: Would a Code of Practice Help?

The ethical conduct of research is a mark of integrity in the academic and professional worlds. This paper, which draws upon discussions conducted in a panel at the 21st ICIS conference in Brisbane, examines ethical issues associated with three key components of the research process: design, data collection and analysis; writing; and reviewing. The implications of these issues for the IS research community are discussed. Example scenarios are used to illuminate the issues faced by authors and reviewers. After considering the alternatives of strict guidelines enforced by bureaucratic structures, self regulation without guidelines and self regulation through norms set by a code of practice, the last option is recommended because it can lead to better practice in a constructive fashion without either excessive bureaucratic intervention or a free-for-all where anything goes

Plasma analysis of Inductively Coupled Impulse Sputtering of Cu, Ti and Ni

Inductively coupled impulse sputtering (ICIS) is a new development in the field of highly ionised pulsed PVD processes. For ICIS the plasma is generated by an internal inductive coil, replacing the need for a magnetron. To understand the plasma properties, measurements of the current and voltage waveforms at the cathode were conducted. The IEDFs were measured by energy resolved MS and plasma chemistry was analysed by OES and then compared to a model. The target was operated in pulsed DC mode and the coil was energised by pulsed RF power, with a duty cycle of 7.5 %. At a constant pressure (14 Pa) the set peak RF power was varied from 1000-4000 W. The DC voltage to the target was kept constant at 1900 V. OES measurements have shown a monotonic increase in intensity with increasing power. Excitation and ionisation processes were single step for ICIS of Ti and Ni and multi-step for Cu. The latter exhibited an unexpectedly steep rise in ionisation efficiency with power. The IEDFs measured by MS show the material- and time- dependant plasma potential in the range of 10-30 eV, ideal for increased surface mobility without inducing lattice defects. A lower intensity peak, of high energetic ions, is visible at 170 eV during the pulse

Model-based training of manual procedures in automated production systems

Maintenance engineers deal with increasingly complex automated production systems (aPSs). Such systems are characterized by an increasing computerization or the addition of robots that collaborate with human workers. The effects of changing or replacing components of such systems are difficult to assess since there are complex interdependencies between process parameters and the state of the components. This paper proposes a model-based training system that visualizes these interdependencies using domain-independent SysML models. The training system consists of a virtual training system for initial training and an online support system for assistance during maintenance or changeover procedures. Both systems use structural SysML models to visualize the state of the machine at a certain step of a procedure. An evaluation of the system in a changeover procedure against a paper-based manual showed promising results regarding effectiveness, usability and attractiveness.Comment: 25 pages, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095741581830080

Lower entropy bounds and particle number fluctuations in a Fermi sea

We demonstrate, in an elementary manner, that given a partition of the single particle Hilbert space into orthogonal subspaces, a Fermi sea may be factored into pairs of entangled modes, similar to a BCS state. We derive expressions for the entropy and for the particle number fluctuations of a subspace of a fermi sea, at zero and finite temperatures, and relate these by a lower bound on the entropy. As an application we investigate analytically and numerically these quantities for electrons in the lowest Landau level of a quantum Hall sample.Comment: shorter version, typos fixe