How building up the human capital of the world's poor can help lessen the climate crisis

The accumulation of skills can be a driver of adaptation to climate change. Human capital facilitates occupational change and increases migration opportunities. Tim Dobermann studied how historical investments in education facilitated adaptation in India. He finds that areas that benefited from expansion in schooling saw labour leave agriculture in response to climate change

Growing Corn in a Computer: The Hybrid Hybrid-Maize Simulation Model and its Application to Production Agriculture

Outline Yield potential and yield gaps To achieve yield potential of an environment Hybrid Hybrid-Maize model Hybrid Hybrid-Maize validation Potential applications EI Lincoln, NE: 2003 Yields What determines spatial variation in corn yield potential in Nebraska? Simulated attainable corn yields in different regions of Nebraska To achieve full climatic site yield potential, management requires: Optimal management: gain in season length Corn yield potential in 2003 Potential applications Summary Outloo

Mapping soil texture classes using field textuing, particle size distribution and local knowledge by both conventional and geostatisical methods

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90525/1/j.1365-2389.1999.00255.x.pd

Stabilisierung der Bildlage abbildender optischer Systeme

Das Hauptaugenmerk der Betrachtungen liegt auf der passiven Bildstabilisierung, die eine Trägheitsstabilisierung darstellt. Hierfür wird ein analytisches Modell erstellt, welches das Schwingungsverhalten durch einen fremderregten gedämpften Einmassenschwinger beschreibt. Dabei erfolgt die Anregung über eine Fußpunktbewegung, die gleichzeitig über Drehfeder und Dämpfer eingeleitet wird. Die theoretischen Annahmen werden anhand von Experimenten überprüft, in deren Ergebnis die Richtigkeit der Hypothesen nachgewiesen werden konnte. Eine genaue Vorhersage des „realen“ Schwingungsverhaltens ist durch Einführen von Korrekturkoeffizienten möglich. Die bestehenden Erfahrungen im Fernrohrbau werden mit den neu gewonnenen Erkenntnissen dieser Arbeit kombiniert und fließen in die Entwicklung eines Konzeptes für ein die Bildlage stabilisierendes Doppelfernrohr mit klassischer Knickbrücke ein. Das Grundkonzept lässt sich sowohl auf eine passive wie auch eine aktive Bildstabilisierung übertragen und ermöglicht eine wirtschaftliche und zielgerichtete Entwicklung zukünftiger Produkte mit vorhersagbaren Resultaten.This paper talks about possibilities for image stabilization in handheld terrestrial binoculars. Before working out a concept of possible solutions, it is important that the essential criteria for the assessment of image stabilization be identified. For this purpose the frequency spec-trum of motion during free-hand observations have to be analyzed. The test sample are people of different gender and age. The next step includes the choice of lenses and prisms used for the compensation of motion errors and their motion degrees of freedom in relation to the target axis. The aim is to keep aberrations caused by image stabilization at a low level. These criteria are the basis for the investigation of potential solution methods for passive and active image stabilization, as well as a combination of both which is also called hybrid stabilization. All the telescopes have an articulated joint so that both parts of the body can be rotated and adjusted to the observer’s interocular distance. This design is typical for common binoculars, but has not yet been used for image stabilizing binoculars. To do this, existing results are checked, expanded and combined with new approaches. All the following calculations and simulations, as well as ideas for the mechanical design are explained on the basis of the optical components of the binocular Zeiss Conquest 15x45 BT*. The centre of consideration is directed at the passive image stabilization, which appropriate is a stabilization of inertia. An analytical model, generated for this purpose, describes the vibration behaviour of a separately excited damped oscillator. Its stimulation is simultaneously given by means of a torsion spring and an absorber. The damping of the mechanical oscillator is done by eddy current damping, which is a kind of viscous damping. The theoretical assumptions are checked by tests that have proven the correctness of the hypotheses. A precise prediction concerning the behaviour of oscillation is possible when using coefficients for error correction. The obtained “real oscillation model” simplifies and shortens the development process of future systems for image stabilization. An adaption of the image stabilization device is also considered, which makes it possible to match the behaviour to the situation of observation. Thus the image stabilization can be switched off if objects in motion are being followed. Comprehensive consideration concerning principle arrangements of the stabilizer assemblies and their installation and adjustment without bigger errors are also made. For the implementation in a test device the duo oscillator is used, in which two independent identical stabilization assemblies are placed in a telescope housing. When doing this, a synchronous behaviour of oscillation of both stabilization assemblies can be verified resulting in a slight dynamic binocular instrumental error. The existing knowledge of the construction of telescopes is combined with the new findings of this paper and will be incorporated in the development of binoculars with image stabilization in conventional design. The basic principle can be used for both passive and active image stabilization and allows an economical and purposeful development of future products with predictable results. The presented findings lead to guide lines for the mechanical design which can be used in similar fields e.g. the oscillation damping of tactile measuring heads. Consequently the increase in knowledge can be used in further technical fields

From innovation to implementation: viability of the increased use of insects as food and feed

As global pressures on food systems mount the push for novel solutions, particularly how to source new forms of protein, has intensified. One possible solution, which has garnered attention in recent years, is increasing the use of edible insects as food and feed. Preliminary research has suggested that increasing the use of insects could be beneficial as they require less water, land and feed to rear and thus have a smaller environmental footprint than does any other protein source, whilst also maintaining high nutritional quality. Furthermore, insects have high micronutrient levels and could therefore play a vital role in alleviating many forms of malnutrition. Considering insects as a source of food and feed is not far-fetched as there are more than 2000 documented edible species and 2 billion people globally already regularly consume insects. However, reliable data to substantiate the claims made about the potential of sustainable implementation of insects within food systems are lacking. This thesis starts with a review (Paper I) of the current opportunities and major hurdles facing the incorporation of edible insects into existing dietary systems. From this It is apparent that whilst there are environmental and nutritional opportunities these are presently hampered by a lack of information on how to adequately rear and process insects. There is also limited data available on the safety of incorporating insects into the diets of animals, including humans, which have not traditionally consumed them. Papers II and III of this thesis examine key aspects of how to rear insects and what diets would ensure that they would be socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. It has been frequently stated that insects can be farmed easily on bio-waste sources so two trials were done to test products of various composition as feed for Gryllus bimaculatus and Hermetia illucens, two species commonly used as food or feed. The trial with H. illucens showed that the larvae easily survived and thrived on a brewing waste from Uganda, suggesting that this is a viable option. However, a second trial with G. bimaculatus showed that they could not achieve adequate survival rates when fed on food waste, beer brewing waste or cow manure and the only way to improve this was to introduce a high quality, non-waste, feed for at least 1 week prior to being switched to a waste food source. Thus, limiting the sustainability of the system. As well as considering the production of insects for food, it was also important to look at the nutritional quality and Paper IV examines the effects of heat-processing on the nutritional content of G. bimaculatus. This showed a significant effect of drying temperature on the lipid profile of G. bimaculatus; crickets that had been freeze-dried containing significantly more polyunsaturated and total fatty acids than those dried at 120℃. One way of gaining a wide acceptance of insects in the food chain is to use them to rear fish for human consumption. Thus, Paper V reports trials where two meals were created using either H. illucens larvae or G. bimaculatus. These were analysed for their nutritional content, showing that both met or exceeded the basic nutritional requirements for omnivorous fish. A fish-feeding trial was then conducted with Nila tilapia, whereby the fish were fed on either a fish-meal, plant-based, H. illucens-based, or G. bimaculatus-based diet for 12 weeks, over which feed consumption, growth and survival were monitored. This demonstrated that the insect-based diets were just as good as the others supporting the view that insects as fish feed are a promising sustainable protein source. It is evident from the findings presented in this thesis that the use of insects as food and feed is a complex issue that needs to be considered carefully. There are benefits to insects in the form of their favourable nutritional profile and in the success of using them as an omnivorous fish feed component in place of fish-meal. However, it is equally evident that a key area requires significant further exploration. If the rearing of insects is to be sustainable they need to be able to use a sustainable food source such as bio-waste and this will need further optimisation to ensure that it produces the same results as the chicken feed alternative that is being used currently. It will also have to be compatible with the downstream use of the insects interms of geographic location and cultural considerations

In-season Prediction of Attainable Maize Yield Using the Hybrid-Maize Model

The Hybrid-Maize Model Real-time Simulation and Yield Forecasting Case Study 1: Irrigated Maize, Lincoln, Nebraska Case Study 2: Rainfed Maize, Oliveros, Argentina Case Study 3: Rainfed Maize, Mead, Nebraska Conclusions Reference

Differential Effects of Iron Chelates vs. Iron Salts on Induction of Pro-Oncogenic Amphiregulin and Pro-Inflammatory COX-2 in Human Intestinal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines

We previously showed that two iron compounds that are orally ingested by humans, namely ferric EDTA and ferric citrate, can induce an oncogenic growth factor (amphiregulin) in human intestinal epithelial adenocarcinoma cell lines. Here, we further screened these iron compounds, plus four other iron chelates and six iron salts (i.e., 12 oral iron compounds in total), for their effects on biomarkers of cancer and inflammation. Ferric pyrophosphate and ferric EDTA were the main inducers of amphiregulin and its receptor monomer, IGFr1. Moreover, at the maximum iron concentrations investigated (500 \ub5M), the highest levels of amphiregulin were induced by the six iron chelates, while four of these also increased IGfr1. In addition, we observed that ferric pyrophosphate promoted signaling via the JAK/STAT pathway by up-regulating the cytokine receptor subunit IFN-γr1 and IL-6. For pro-inflammatory cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), ferric pyrophosphate but not ferric EDTA elevated intracellular levels. This, however, did not drive the other biomarkers based on COX-2 inhibition studies and was probably downstream of IL-6. We conclude that of all oral iron compounds, iron chelates may particularly elevate intracellular amphiregulin. Ferric pyrophosphate additionally induced COX-2, probably because of the high IL-6 induction that was observed with this compound