Lettuce irrigation scheduling using atmometers and computers

1980 Spring.Covers not scanned.Includes bibliographical references.Linear relationships between soil matric potential (SMP) and evaporative power of the air (EPA) were developed in order to schedule irrigation of lettuce in arid or semi-arid regions. The irrigation scheduling model is based on the assumption that SMP i.e. soil moisture "need" is a function of stage of growth, EPA, soil texture and root zone recharge. Root zone recharge may be due to an irrigation which brings the effective root zone to field capacity or a rainfall event which accomplishes the same purpose. Four linear equations similar to stage of growth coefficients are modified by soil coefficients which account for variation in hydraulic conductivities due to soil texture. Information required on a daily basis for daily output consists of milliliters of water lost from standardized Bellani plant atmometers and inches of rainfall from 8 inch diameter USWS rain gauges. The irrigation scheduling output is in 2 forms. One is graphic. Graphic analysis allows the user to visualize the progression of SMP (converted from ƩEPA) as a function of days from last recharge. The observer simply compares this plotted line to the SMP horizontal (constant) line, one for each of the 4 growth stages. An obvious reminder of tardiness occurs after the two lines intersect. This graphic form of output results from a program written in assembly language for a programmable calculator. The other form of output is digital. A FORTRAN program for a large scale computer was written. The program fits, by the least squares method; linear, quadratic and cubic regression equations to ƩEPA versus days from last recharge data. The program solves each of the 3 polynomials for days to next recharge and converts the end of the interval to a calendar date. The user then selects the most imminent of the 3 predicted dates with the aid of associated coefficients of determination. A tardiness reminder is also provided. The program is used in the interactive mode and will permit rapid daily update and query of 400 different plantings. A method was developed to protect the Bellani plate assemblies from freezing

Science materials for the gifted in grades two and three

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Exact ground states and correlation functions of chain and ladder models of interacting hardcore bosons or spinless fermions

By removing one empty site between two occupied sites, we map the ground states of chains of hardcore bosons and spinless fermions with infinite nearest-neighbor repulsion to ground states of chains of hardcore bosons and spinless fermions without nearest-neighbor repulsion respectively, and ultimately in terms of the one-dimensional Fermi sea. We then introduce the intervening-particle expansion, where we write correlation functions in such ground states as a systematic sum over conditional expectations, each of which can be ultimately mapped to a one-dimensional Fermi-sea expectation. Various ground-state correlation functions are calculated for the bosonic and fermionic chains with infinite nearest-neighbor repulsion, as well as for a ladder model of spinless fermions with infinite nearest-neighbor repulsion and correlated hopping in three limiting cases. We find that the decay of these correlation functions are governed by surprising power-law exponents.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures, RevTeX4 clas

The Curious Schools Project: Capturing Nomad Creativity in Teacher Work

The Curious Schools project is a teacher professional learning initiative that aims to provide an insight into – and resource for – creativity in Tasmanian schools. It offers an alternative to conventional models of teacher professional learning by engaging teachers in multi-modal methods of documenting and reflecting on their work as the basis for an online community of practice and public showcase for creativity in education that takes place ‘behind the scenes’. The authors, as coordinators of the project, describe the rationale behind the project and the ways it embraced discourses and practices of curiosity as a means of making visible the creativity of teachers and classrooms. Drawing on the concept of nomadology in the work of Deleuze and Guattari, as well as diverse scholarly perspectives on curiosity, the authors describe how the Curious Schools Project sought to capture the ‘nomad creativity’ of teacher work via a process of documentation and question-seeking that countered complexity-reduction in teacher professional learning and sustained teacher curiosity in their work. Reflecting on an evaluation of its 2013 pilot, the authors suggest that the project’s explicit emphasis on curiosity avoided limiting conceptualisations of creativity in education and will inform future plans to more appropriately document and support the processes of emergence in teacher professional learning. The digital site for the project is available at http://www.utas.edu.au/education/curious-schools

Analysis of Chaotic Natural Convection in a Tall Rectangular Cavity with Non-isothermal Walls

A computational model is presented that extends prior work on unsteady natural convection in a tall rectangular cavity with aspect ratio 10 and applies Proper Orthogonal Decomposition to the results.The solution to the weakly compressible Navier-Stokes equation is computed for a range of Rayleigh numbers between 2x10^7 and 2.2x10^8 with Prandtl number 0.71.A detailed spectral analysis shows dynamic system behavior beyond the Hopf bifurcation that was not previously observed.The wider Rayleigh range reveals new dynamic system behavior for the rectangular geometry, specifically a return to a stable oscillatory behavior that was not predicted in prior work.Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) has been used to analyze the computational results.Five eigenvalue modes were required to capture correctly the basic flow structure.The POD failed to capture subtle aspects of the flow structure at high Rayleigh numbers for the model, indicating that a POD and Galerkin projection for several Rayleigh numbers will be needed to reproduce the complex behavior of the system

Regulation of HIV-1 Splicing

ABSTRACT Ann Emery: Regulation of HIV-1 Splicing (Under the direction of Ronald Swanstrom) The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) has a single primary transcript – full-length genomic RNA. Left unspliced, it serves as either genomic RNA or as mRNA for the viral reverse transcriptase, protease, integrase, and structural proteins. The mRNAs for all other viral proteins require splicing of the full-length transcript. HIV-1 undergoes a complex program of splicing and suppression of splicing to make more than 50 transcript types. Since these complex splicing patterns are essential for viral replication, splicing disruption could be a point of vulnerability given a detailed understanding of the steps involved. In order to assess the regulation of splicing, the products of splicing have to be quantifiable. This dissertation describes two Primer ID-tagged deep sequencing assays developed to quantify HIV-1 splicing in the context of viral infection/transfection and in the context of a full-length viral genome. The depth of sequencing allows quantification of even rare splicing events. Using these deep sequencing assays I examined splicing across HIV-1 subtypes and between HIV-1 and SIVmac239 and found that while patterns of splicing are well conserved, wide variation in acceptor usage is tolerated among different HIV-1 strains. Correct splicing depends on cis-acting control sequences interacting with cellular splicing factors. I quantified the effects of mutations that alter these sequences or the secondary RNA structures containing them. I reevaluated the effects of previously characterized splicing regulatory sequences, validating the functions of some but redefining others. In collaborative efforts I showed that mutation of splicing factor binding sites or knock down of cellular splicing proteins produces specific splicing phenotypes. Analysis of a set of global silent mutations across the HIV-1 genome found regions of the viral genome that interfere with suppression of splicing and carry a high fitness cost. These experiments show that HIV-1 splicing regulation involves more complex patterns of factor binding and cooperative interactions than previously described, suggesting that existing models are overly simplistic, and my studies contribute to a more accurate description and understanding of HIV-1 splicing.Doctor of Philosoph

Characterizing HIV-1 Splicing by Using Next-Generation Sequencing

ABSTRACT Full-length human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA serves as the genome or as an mRNA, or this RNA undergoes splicing using four donors and 10 acceptors to create over 50 physiologically relevant transcripts in two size classes (1.8 kb and 4 kb). We developed an assay using Primer ID-tagged deep sequencing to quantify HIV-1 splicing. Using the lab strain NL4-3, we found that A5 ( env / nef ) is the most commonly used acceptor (about 50%) and A3 ( tat ) the least used (about 3%). Two small exons are made when a splice to acceptor A1 or A2 is followed by activation of donor D2 or D3, and the high-level use of D2 and D3 dramatically reduces the amount of vif and vpr transcripts. We observed distinct patterns of temperature sensitivity of splicing to acceptors A1 and A2. In addition, disruption of a conserved structure proximal to A1 caused a 10-fold reduction in all transcripts that utilized A1. Analysis of a panel of subtype B transmitted/founder viruses showed that splicing patterns are conserved, but with surprising variability of usage. A subtype C isolate was similar, while a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) isolate showed significant differences. We also observed transsplicing from a downstream donor on one transcript to an upstream acceptor on a different transcript, which we detected in 0.3% of 1.8-kb RNA reads. There were several examples of splicing suppression when the env intron was retained in the 4-kb size class. These results demonstrate the utility of this assay and identify new examples of HIV-1 splicing regulation. IMPORTANCE During HIV-1 replication, over 50 conserved spliced RNA variants are generated. The splicing assay described here uses new developments in deep-sequencing technology combined with Primer ID-tagged cDNA primers to efficiently quantify HIV-1 splicing at a depth that allows even low-frequency splice variants to be monitored. We have used this assay to examine several features of HIV-1 splicing and to identify new examples of different mechanisms of regulation of these splicing patterns. This splicing assay can be used to explore in detail how HIV-1 splicing is regulated and, with moderate throughput, could be used to screen for structural elements, small molecules, and host factors that alter these relatively conserved splicing patterns

There are going to be a lot of changes : a full-length drama

This play began for me conceptually as an investigation of a couple lingering questions I have always had: can one ever really change? How much of life do we have control over? How much does belief play a role in our abilities to move on? I have explored this question in this play through a strained mother-daughter relationship framed by a return home from prison, a custody battle, an engagement, and falling back on hold patterns. Ayelet, the protagonist in this story, is hellbent on ensuring her new life will be nothing like her old one. Sharon, her mother, will do anything to keep things the same while welcoming her daughter back. The wants and needs of Isaac, Tom, and Casey come second to the tornado that is the relationship of Ayelet and Sharon. This is the method in which I've used to deliver themes of change versus stasis, rehabilitation, reform, and trying to evade our fates. My interest in writing a story like this one comes from my experience in the Jewish community and the concept of tikkun olam, or healing the world. Reform, healing, and returning are large concepts in Judaism, and I wanted to write a story that reflected them while utilising the complexities that a mother-daughter relationship provides. Though this is not a story based on true events, the dynamics in it are also those of my life. In the beginning, I called this my "big Jewish play." It has evolved into a play not about religion, but instead one about cultural expectations in extreme situations