The impact of agricultural change and farming practices on farmland trees and hedgerows as a landscape and ecological resource, with specific focus on Kent

A decline in the length of hedgerow boundaries and number of farmland trees in the agricultural landscape triggered the destruction and deterioration of many important habitats, species and their specialised microhabitats. This research studied two contrasting physiographic regions, the Low Weald and the Downs in Kent, to identify the extent of these losses. It was hypothesized that changes in the agricultural landscape has been affected by the modification and development of the agricultural system post-World War and that these changes would differ between the two physiographic regions. This research confirmed that post-World War, the length of hedgerow boundaries has declined and even with environmental incentives to increase the planting and maintenance of hedgerows, the length is still not what it was pre-World War. To analyse the ecological benefits that farmland trees are providing within the environment, the types and number of microhabitats present on farmland trees were recorded. It was hypothesized that because of farming management taking place, trees on farmland would produce some of these specialised microhabitats predominantly present on mature trees; but the numbers produced would be lower on younger trees. This research has confirmed that young and mature trees can produce at least one specialised microhabitat within a farmland system. The type and number of microhabitats present varied with the species of tree. Species found on both physiographic regions had nearly the same range of microhabitats present, and the size of the tree was found to not affect the ability to produce a microhabitat. This research concludes that agricultural practices can be a precursor for some specialised microhabitats to form on farmland trees

MUSTANG 3.3 Millimeter Continuum Observations of Class 0 Protostars

We present observations of six Class 0 protostars at 3.3 mm (90 GHz) using the 64-pixel MUSTANG bolometer camera on the 100-m Green Bank Telescope. The 3.3 mm photometry is analyzed along with shorter wavelength observations to derive spectral indices (S_nu ~ nu^alpha) of the measured emission. We utilize previously published dust continuum radiative transfer models to estimate the characteristic dust temperature within the central beam of our observations. We present constraints on the millimeter dust opacity index, beta, between 0.862 mm, 1.25 mm, and 3.3 mm. Beta_mm typically ranges from 1.0 to 2.4 for Class 0 sources. The relative contributions from disk emission and envelope emission are estimated at 3.3 mm. L483 is found to have negligible disk emission at 3.3 mm while L1527 is dominated by disk emission within the central beam. The beta_mm^disk <= 0.8 - 1.4 for L1527 indicates that grain growth is likely occurring in the disk. The photometry presented in this paper may be combined with future interferometric observations of Class 0 envelopes and disks.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figures, AJ accepted, in pres

Mudanças das práticas discursivas de professores aprendendo matemáticas dinâmicas em um ambiente colaborativo online

Using data from an inservice professional development course, we inquire into changes in secondary teachers’ discursive practices in a latter part of the course compared to the beginning of the course. Participants interacted in a collaborative online environment, known as Virtual Math Teams with GeoGebra (VMTwG), focusing on discursive, mathematical, and collaborative practices. From a sociocultural perspective, we believe that teachers gradually develop their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) by interacting discursively in small teams. Using conventional content analysis of the teachers’ review of their recorded discourse, we investigate changes in practices from the teachers’ perspective. Our results show that teachers perceived that their discursive practices differed importantly from their practices at the beginning of the course.Usando dados de uma disciplina de desenvolvimento profissional para professores de matemática em serviço, investigamos as mudanças nas práticas discursivas dos professores de Fundamental II e Ensino Médio em uma última parte da disciplina, em comparação com o início da disciplina. Os professores interagiram em um ambiente colaborativo online, conhecido como Virtual Math Teams com GeoGebra (VMTcG), com foco em práticas discursivas, matemáticas e colaborativas. De uma perspectiva sociocultural, acreditamos que os professores desenvolvem gradualmente o seu conhecimento tecnológico, pedagógico e do conteúdo (TPACK), interagindo discursivamente em equipes pequenas. Usando a análise de conteúdo convencional da revisão dos professores sobre seu discurso gravado, investigamos as mudanças nas práticas da perspectiva dos professores. Nossos resultados mostram que os professores perceberam que suas práticas discursivas diferiam importantemente de suas práticas no início do curso

Observations of M87 and Hydra A at 90 GHz

This paper presents new observations of the AGNs M87 and Hydra A at 90 GHz made with the MUSTANG bolometer array on the Green Bank Telescope at 8.5" resolution. A spectral analysis is performed combining this new data and archival VLA data on these objects at longer wavelengths. This analysis can detect variations in spectral index and curvature expected from energy losses in the radiating particles. M87 shows only weak evidence for steepening of the spectrum along the jet suggesting either re-acceleration of the relativistic particles in the jet or insufficient losses to affect the spectrum at 90 GHz. The jets in Hydra A show strong steepening as they move from the nucleus suggesting unbalanced losses of the higher energy relativistic particles. The difference between these two sources may be accounted for by the different lengths over which the jets are observable, 2 kpc for M87 and 45 kpc for Hydra A.Comment: 11 pages, submitted to Ap

African American men with low-grade prostate cancer have increased disease recurrence after prostatectomy compared with Caucasian men.

PURPOSE: To explore whether disparities in outcomes exist between African American (AA) and Caucasian (CS) men with low-grade prostate cancer and similar cancer of the prostate risk assessment-postsurgery (CAPRA-S) features following prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: The overall cohort consisted of 1,265 men (234 AA and 1,031 CS) who met the National comprehensive cancer network criteria for low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer and underwent RP between 1990 and 2012. We first evaluated whether clinical factors were associated with adverse pathologic outcomes and freedom from biochemical failure (FFbF) using the entire cohort. Next, we studied a subset of 705 men (112 AA and 593 CS) who had pathologic Gleason score≤6 (low-grade disease). Using this cohort, we determined whether race affected FFbF in men with RP-proven low-grade disease and similar CAPRA-S scores. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 27 months, the overall 7-year FFbF rate was 86% vs. 79% in CS and AA men, respectively (P = 0.035). There was no significant difference in one or more adverse pathologic features between CS vs. AA men (27% vs. 31%; P = 0.35) or CAPRA-S score (P = 0.28). In the subset analysis of patients with low-grade disease, AA race was associated with worse FFbF outcomes (P = 0.002). Furthermore, AA race was a significant predictor of FFbF in men with low-grade disease (hazard ratio = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.08-3.72; P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: AA race is a predictor of worse FFbF outcomes in men with low-grade disease after RP. These results suggest that a subset of AA men with low-grade disease may benefit from more aggressive treatment