Effects of root exudates on mycorrhizal fungi

Imperial Users onl

Combining virtual simulation and physical vehicle test data to optimize automotive durability testing.

This thesis describes a project to model a vehicle on a computer with a multibody dynamics simulation software package and to combine that work with physical laboratory tests for the purposes of optimizing durability testing. The intention was to mirror as closely as possible the behavior of a physical vehicle on a road test simulator to assist in determining its durability characteristics under varying road conditions. This modeling work is important because, if done with sufficient fidelity, it can be used to assess vehicle responses using different suspension configurations or payloads. Also, problems associated with changes to a vehicle\u27s payload, structure and suspension systems can be observed on a computer without performing physical tests. The process has the potential to improve greatly automobile quality and durability, while dramatically reducing product development time and costs. The virtual dynamic vehicle model was assembled using computer aided drafting (CAD) models and ADAMS (Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems) software packages. Inputs to the virtual model were forces and displacements acquired from the responses of a physical vehicle and a road test simulator (RTS) during a durability testing cycle. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Mechanical, Automotive, and Materials Engineering. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2002 .F47. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-05, page: 1763. Adviser: Peter R. Frise. Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004

A Comparison of the Classification Accuracy of Linear and Quadratic Statistical Discriminant Models versus Linear and Quadratic Programming Discriminant Models

The purpose of this research was to compare the classification accuracy of two mathematical programming models versus traditional statistical discriminant analysis. Monte Carlo techniques were used to compute population 1, population 2, and average misclassification rates for the linear discriminant function (LDF), the quadratic discriminant function (QDF), a linear programming discriminant model (LPDM), and a quadratic programming discriminant model (QPDM) for specific values of several parameters which affect discriminant analysis. This study was restricted to the two group, two variable discriminant problem

DECISION QUALITY METRICS – A TOOL FOR MANAGING QUALITY OF REPEATED BIOASSAYS

Bioassays are often used in tiered screening systems to detect potential products, such as crop protection products. Often these assays are not replicated. The ultimate products of these bioassays are decisions, with biologically “active” compounds advanced to the next level of screening. Activity is determined by the response of the test organisms (e.g., weeds, insects or fungi) to each compound. The reproducibility of the bioassay is crucial. There are two types of possible errors in screening, false positives and false negatives. The quality of the decisions based upon these bioassays can be monitored through time using controls. This paper will discuss Decision Quality Metrics, quality control metrics customized for bioassays used to select the most “active” compound. These metrics monitor the reproducibility of the screens, translating bioassays responses to controls into potential impact on decision making

"Any lady can do this without much trouble ...": class and gender in The dining room (1878)

Macmillan's "Art at Home" series (1876–83) was a collection of domestic advice manuals. Mentioned in every study of the late-nineteenth-century domestic interior, they have often been interpreted, alongside contemporary publications such as Charles Eastlake's Hints on Household Taste (1868), as indicators of late 1870s home furnishing styles. Mrs Loftie's The Dining Room (1878) was the series' fifth book and it considers one of the home's principal (and traditionally masculine) domestic spaces. Recent research on middle-class cultural practices surrounding food has placed The Dining Room within the tradition of Mrs Beeton's Household Management (1861); however, it is not a cookery book and hardly mentions dinners. Drawing upon unpublished archival sources, this paper charts the production and reception of The Dining Room, aiming to unravel its relationships with other contemporary texts and to highlight the difficulties of using it as historical evidence. While it offers fascinating insights into contemporary taste, class and gender, this paper suggests that, as an example of domestic design advice literature, it reveals far more about the often expedient world of nineteenth-century publishing practices

The Changing Landscape of Central Pennsylvania: Agricultural Industry at a Crossroads

Central Pennsylvania\u27s agriculture community is facing increasing pressures from encroaching urban development and shrinking agricultural support infrastructure. As medium-sized agriculture seeks to expand and intensify production, pressure from local residents and townships have increased to keep farming operations small. A qualitative study identified the perceived barriers and challenges that agriculture faces in remaining profitable. The farmers appeared to be expecting a less favorable future, while large agricultural businesses viewed their future positively. The shortage of agricultural labor was the one theme that all sectors of the industry viewed as being a barrier to their future business success

Highly efficient, dual state emission from an organic semiconductor

We report highly efficient, simultaneous fluorescence and phosphorescence (74% yield) at room temperature from a single molecule ensemble of (BzP)PB dispersed into a polymer host. The slow phosphorescence (208 ms lifetime) is very efficient (50%) at room temperature and only possible because the non-radiative rate for the triplet state is extremely low. The ability of an organic molecule to function as an efficient dual state emitter at room temperature is unusual and opens new fields of applications including the use as broadband down-conversion emitters, optical sensors and attenuators, exciton probes, and spin-independent intermediates for F\"orster resonant energy transfer

Pengaruh Pemutihan Pajak Dan Kesadaran Wajib Pajak Terhadap Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak Dalam Membayar Pajak Kendaraan Bermotor Di Kota Palembang

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of Sunset policy and Taxpayer Awareness of Taxpayer Compliance in Paying Vehicle Tax in Palembang City. The method used in this research is convenience sampling. Convenience sampling technique is done by taking respondents as a sample to whom happened to meet with the researcher. The population in this study is the motor vehicle taxpayers who live in the city of Palembang. The sample of research used in this research is 122 respondents. Analyzer used in this research is multiple linear regression analysis by using SPSS 21.0 program. The results of this study indicate that vehicle tax bleaching and taxpayer awareness have a positive effect on taxpayer compliance in paying motor vehicle taxes. Keywords: sunset policy, taxpayer awareness, taxpayer complianc

PENDAMPINGAN KELOMPOK TANI KELOR DI DESA OTAN PULAU SEMAU DALAM UPAYA PENCEGAHAN PENYAKIT BERBASIS LINGKUNGAN

To produce quality moringa products, healthy people are needed. Improving personal hygiene and environmental sanitation is something that needs attention. Activities carried out in the form of socialization using leaflet media, as well as assistance in the provision of sanitation facilitie, namely water reservoirs. As many as 10 members of the farmer group received information about preventing diarrheal diseases and assisting in the provision of clean water facilities. Providing information has an impact on increasing the number of members of farmer groups who understand diarrheal diseases. This activity also increases the participation of partners in providing clean water storage facilities at the Moringa plantation site, so that there is an increase in the number of sanitation facilities, namely clean water storage facilities. Assistance to the Moringa farmer group in Otan Village increases the empowerment of farmer group members in understanding diarrheal diseases and providing clean water facilities. It is hoped that this activity can be carried out on an ongoing basis.Latar belakang: Untuk menghasilkan produk kelor yang berkualitas, diperlukan orang yang sehat.  Peningkatan personal hygiene dan sanitasi lingkungan merupakan hal yang perlu diperhatikan. Metode: Kegiatan dilaksanakan dalam bentuk sosialisasi menggunakan media leaflet, serta pendampingan dalam penyediaan sarana sanitasi.   Hasil: Sebanyak 10 orang anggota kelompok tani telah mendapat informasi tentang pencegahan penyakit diare dan pendampingan penyediaan sarana air bersih. Pemberian informasi memberikan dampak terhadap peningkatan jumlah anggota kelompok tani yang memahami tentang penyakit diare.  Kegiatan ini juga meningkatkan peran serta mitra dalam penyediaan sarana penampungan air bersih di lokasi perkebunan kelor, sehingga ada penambahan jumlah sarana sanitasi yaitu sarana penampungan air bersih. Simpulan: Pendampingan kelompok tani kelor di Desa Otan meningkatkan keberdayaan anggota kelompok tani dalam pemahaman tentang penyakit diare dan penyediaan sarana air bersih. Diharapkan kegiatan ini dapat dilaksanakan secara berkelanjutan

A Biogeochemical Comparison of Fossil (Carboniferous) and Modern Crustose Red Algae

The nature of the contribution of the various types of algae to sedimentary organic matter continues to be a topic of research interest. Crustose red algae have however received less attention than other types. The fossil calcareous red algae (Rhodophyta) analyzed in this study are two relatively unrecrystallized specimens of Parachaetetes (Family Solenoporacea) from the lower part of the Ste. Genevieve Formation (Carboniferous, Visean) in Union County, Illinois, USA. They occurred in the patch reef phase of a small carbonate mudmound-patchreef. The three modern specimens (collected and identified by F. Collier) are the crustose algae Lithothamnion, Clathromorphum and Phymatolithon, (Family Corallinacea, Subfamily Melobesoidea), from a rocky intertidal area near Cape May, Massachusetts, USA. The pyrolyzates of the three (dried, unextracted) modern algal specimens exhibited strong similarities, including a predominance of alkylbenzenes, phenols and indoles. Polysaccharide pyrolysis products are also important, as would be expected. The minor dipeptides detected indicate the presence of proteins. A variety of simpler nitrogen compounds, including pyrroles and benzonitriles may be derived from proteins or from more resistant macromolecular structures. The long-chain alkylnitrile is also noteworthy. The fossil specimens of Parachaetetes (pyrolyzed at 610°C after HCl digestion to remove carbonates and thermodesorption at 310° for 20 sec. to remove bitumen) yielded relatively abundant monoaromatic hydrocarbons and phenols. While their distributions are different, the importance of monoaromatic and phenolic compounds in both the Carboniferous and modern specimens demonstrates a significant similarity. The fossil specimen\u27s pyrolyzate also contains a variety of minor nitrogen compounds, some of which are also found in the modern samples and all of which are unusual in the pyrolyzates of such ancient (ca. 340 Ma) organic matter. The C16 and C18 alkylnitriles are relatively important, but normal hydrocarbons are not, except for the C15 and C17 n-alkanes. Coincidentally, the C17 n-alkane is the only significant normal hydrocarbon in the modern sample. In this study we have found significant chemical similarities between the pyrolyzates of specimens of modern and fossil coralline red algae. The encrustation of the organic matter of Parachaetetes by calcite greatly enhanced its preservation, in spite of the specimens\u27 great geologic age