Just the Right Amount of Reinforcement

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, is taking the next step towards economical low-Earth-orbit (LEO) operations with NASA's X-33 technology demonstrator, that uses composite tanks for liquid hydrogen (LH sub2) fuel storage and structural support, The X-33 is a 53% scale model of the VentureStar single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) reusable launch vehicle(RLV) projected to orbit payloads at a rate, of $1,000 per pound beginning in 2004 In order to make VentureStar completely reusable and economical engineers are using composite materials throughout the spacecrafts structure. The first test of the design comes in 1999 on the X-33 technology demonstrator. Two of the primary structures that engineers will be evaluating are the carbon fiber/epoxy LH2 fuel tanks. The 29-ft long by 18-ft wide tanks, which fill two-thirds of the X-33's interior, serve a dual purpose carrying fuel and providing structural support to the walls of the spacecraft. Fiber placement makes it possible to build the fuel tanks, large, light and strong enough to satisfy X33's requirements. Lockheed Martin choose the fabrication technology to produce the eight sections of each tank because of fiber placement's ability to handle complex surfaces, speed and repeatability

Dietary iron depletion at weaning imprints low microbiome diversity and this is not recovered with oral nano Fe(III)

Alterations in the gut microbiota have been recently linked to oral iron. We conducted two feeding studies including an initial diet-induced iron-depletion period followed by supplementation with nanoparticulate tartrate-modified ferrihydrite (Nano Fe(III): considered bioavailable to host but not bacteria) or soluble ferrous sulfate (FeSO4: considered bioavailable to both host and bacteria). We applied denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and fluorescence in situ hybridization for study-1 and 454-pyrosequencing of fecal 16S rRNA in study-2. In study-1, the within-community microbial diversity increased with FeSO4 (P = 0.0009) but not with Nano Fe(III) supplementation. This was confirmed in study-2, where we also showed that iron depletion at weaning imprinted significantly lower within- and between-community microbial diversity compared to mice weaned onto the iron-sufficient reference diet (P < 0.0001). Subsequent supplementation with FeSO4 partially restored the within-community diversity (P = 0.006 in relation to the continuously iron-depleted group) but not the between-community diversity, whereas Nano Fe(III) had no effect. We conclude that (1) dietary iron depletion at weaning imprints low diversity in the microbiota that is not, subsequently, easily recovered; (2) in the absence of gastrointestinal disease iron supplementation does not negatively impact the microbiota; and (3) Nano Fe(III) is less available to the gut microbiota

3C 273 with NuSTAR: Unveiling the Active Galactic Nucleus

We present results from a 244 ks NuSTAR observation of 3C 273 obtained during a cross-calibration campaign with the Chandra, INTEGRAL, Suzaku, Swift, and XMM-Newton observatories. We show that the spectrum, when fit with a power-law model using data from all observatories except INTEGRAL over the 1–78 keV band, leaves significant residuals in the NuSTAR data between 30 and 78 keV. The NuSTAR 3–78 keV spectrum is well described by an exponentially cutoff power law (Γ = 1.646 ± 0.006, E_(cutoff) = 202_(-34)^(+51) keV) with a weak reflection component from cold, dense material. There is also evidence for a weak (EW = 23 ± 11 eV) neutral iron line. We interpret these features as arising from coronal emission plus reflection off an accretion disk or distant material. Beyond 80 keV INTEGRAL data show clear excess flux relative to an extrapolation of the active galactic nucleus model fit to NuSTAR. This high-energy power law is consistent with the presence of a beamed jet, which begins to dominate over emission from the inner accretion flow at 30–40 keV. Modeling the jet locally (in the NuSTAR + INTEGRAL band) as a power law, we find that the coronal component is fit by Γ_(AGN) = 1.638 ± 0.045, E_(cutoff) = 47 ± 15 keV, and jet photon index by Γ_(jet) = 1.05 ± 0.4. We also consider Fermi/LAT observations of 3C 273, and here the broadband spectrum of the jet can be described by a log-parabolic model, peaking at ~2 MeV. Finally, we investigate the spectral variability in the NuSTAR band and find an inverse correlation between flux and Γ

The variable hard x-ray emission of NGC 4945 as observed by NUSTAR

We present a broadband (~0.5-79 keV) spectral and temporal analysis of multiple NuSTAR observations combined with archival Suzaku and Chandra data of NGC4945, the brightest extragalactic source at 100 keV. We observe hard X-ray (> 10 keV) flux and spectral variability, with flux variations of a factor 2 on timescales of 20 ksec. A variable primary continuum dominates the high energy spectrum (>10 keV) in all the states, while the reflected/scattered flux which dominates at E< 10 keV stays approximately constant. From modelling the complex reflection/transmission spectrum we derive a Compton depth along the line of sight of tau_Thomson ~ 2.9, and a global covering factor for the circumnuclear gas of ~ 0.15. This agrees with the constraints derived from the high energy variability, which implies that most of the high energy flux is transmitted, rather that Compton-scattered. This demonstrates the effectiveness of spectral analysis in constraining the geometric properties of the circumnuclear gas, and validates similar methods used for analyzing the spectra of other bright, Compton-thick AGN. The lower limits on the e-folding energy are between 200-300 keV, consistent with previous BeppoSAX, Suzaku and Swift BAT observations. The accretion rate, estimated from the X-ray luminosity and assuming a bolometric correction typical of type 2 AGN, is in the range ~0.1-0.3 lambda_Edd depending on the flux state. The substantial observed X-ray luminosity variability of NGC4945 implies that large errors can arise from using single-epoch X-ray data to derive L/L_Edd values for obscured AGNs.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Crop Updates - 2003 Oilseeds

This session covers fifteen papers from different authors ACKNOWLEDGMENTS VARIETIES Large scale canola varietal evaluation in WA, Peter Nelson, Oilseeds WA Performance of IT and TT canola varieties in the medium and high rainfall agzones of WA 2001-02, Graham Walton, Hasan Zaheer and Paul Carmody, Department of Agriculture QUALITY Reproductive biology, cotyledon development and oil accumulation in canola, J.A. Fortescue and D.W. Turner, School of Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia Plant and environmental factors affecting oil concentration in canola – a mini-review, D.W. Turner, School of Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia Potential benefits from interspecific crosses between canola and ‘near canola’ quality Indian mustard, Janet Wroth, School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia (UWA), Wallace Cowling, School of Plant Biology, UWA and CBWA Pty Ltd, Anh-Van Pham, School of Mathematics and Statistics, UWA NUTRITION, AGRONOMY AND MACHINERY Timing of nitrogen application for producing canola grain and oil, R. F. Brennan, Department of Agriculture Managing canola for soil type and moisture stress, Paul Carmody and Hasan Zaheer Department of Agriculture Machinery lessons from 2002 – canola establishment, Glen Riethmuller, Greg Hamilton and Jo Hawksley, Department of Agriculture Machinery lessons from 2002 – harvesting short crops, Glen Riethmuller, Department of Agriculture Does increasing canola seeding rate reduce the competitiveness of grass weeds? Zaicou-Kunesch, C.M., Zaheer, S.H. and Eksteen, D, Department of Agriculture PESTS AND DISEASES Aphid damage to canola – not all cultivars are equal, Françoise A. Berlandier and Christiaan Valentine, Department of Agriculture Should we be worried about developing insecticide resistance in aphids? Owain Edwards, CSIRO Entomology Benefits provided by treating canola seed with imidacloprid seed dressing, Roger Jones, Brenda Coutts, Lisa Smith and Jenny Hawkes, Department of Agriculture, and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture Blackleg levels in canola in 2002, Ravjit Khangura1, Moin Salam1, Art J Diggle1 and Martin J Barbetti1,2 1Department of Agriculture, 2University of Western Australia DBM in canola, Kevin Walden, Department of Agricultur

Reflections on the Formation and Growth of the SURE Network: a National Disciplinary Network to Enhance Undergraduate Research in the Sciences

The Science Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Network is an academic network comprised of nine Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Ireland that seeks to enhance the profile of, and practices in, undergraduate research in the Sciences within the Technological Higher Education Sector. This paper presents the reflections of the network\u27s leaders on the formation and growth of the network over the period from 2015, just prior to its establishment, to 2020 when the network hosted its seventh undergraduate research conference, published its second undergraduate journal issue, and initiated a coordinated community of practice in response to the Covid-19 crisis. The paper presents the motivations of the leaders for establishing and joining the SURE network, their interpretation of how involvement in the network enhances practice in their own HEI, their reflections on how their own personal development was enhanced, their interpretation of the factors that have contributed to the success of the network, and the direction in which they see the network going in the future. The collective reflections of the leaders of the SURE Network, as presented in this paper, provide importance guidance for those seeking to establish similar academic networks, both in the area of undergraduate research and elsewhere

Crop Updates 2003 - Geraldton

This session covers twenty eight papers from different authors Seasonal Outlook: What is in store for 2003, David Stephens, Department of Agriculture Examining The Management Options For Wheat Crops In The Coming Season, James Fisher, Department of Agriculture GMO’s – what do they offer? Ian Edwards, Grain Bio Tech Australia Pty Ltd The Big Gamble – Wheat prices for 2003, Dennis Wise, Profarmer Market outlook for other grains, Andrew Young, General Manager Agricorp Stripe rust – where to now for the WA wheat industry? Robert Loughman, Ciara Beard and Greg Shea, Department of Agriculture Baudin and Hamlin – new generation of malting barley developed in Western Australia, Blakely Paynter, Roslyn Jettner and Kevin Young, Department of Agriculture DBM in Canola, Kevin Walden, Department of Agriculture The latest on Lupin diseases, Geoff Thomas, Department of Agriculture Wheat variety performance in 2002 compared to the long term, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay, Robyn McLean, Robert Loughman, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn and Peter Clarke, Department of Agriculture Do wide rows drought proof lupins on red loam? Martin Harries, Bob French, Wayne Parker and Murray Blyth, Department of Agriculture Do wide rows drought proof lupins on a sandy loam? Martin Harries, Bob French, Wayne Parker and Murray Blyth, Department of Agriculture Profit Proving Precision Agriculture, Peter Norris, Agronomy For Profit, Greg Lyle, CSIRO Land and Water, Yuna Farm Improvement Group Annual ryegrass seedbanks: the good, the bad, and the ugly, Kathryn Steadman, University of Western Australia, Amander Ellery, CSIRO Plant Industry, Sally C Peltzer, Department of Agriculture Wheat management packages for low rainfall areas, Kari-Lee Falconer, Department of Agriculture Ground water 1. Atrazine, Russell Speed, Department of Agriculture Groundwater 2. Current Trends, Russell Speed, Department of Agriculture Herbicide tolerance of wheat, lupins and pastures, Terry Piper and Harmohinder Dhammu, Department of Agriculture Farming with Tramlines, Bindi Webb, Paul Blackwell, Department of Agriculture, Phil Logue, Binnu, Nigel Moffat, Geraldton, Rohan Ford, Binnu, Miles Obst, Mingenew, The role of green manure crops in renovating poor performing paddocks: What’s it worth? Frances Hoyle, Leanne Schulz and Judith Devenish Department of Agriculture The looming threat of wild radish, Peter Newman, Department of Agriculture Does one ‘size’ fit all? Grant Morrow, Syngenta Crop Protection Climate Forecasts on the Internet, Ian Foster and David Stephens, Department of Agriculture Moisture delving = more reliable lupin establishment, Paul Blackwell, and Wayne Parker, Department of Agriculture Tramline Designs for better Weed control and Wheat value from non-spraying tramlines in a dry season, Paul Blackwell, Bindi Webb and Darshan Sharma, Department of Agriculture Biserrula Grazing Trial, Marnie Thomas, Department of Agriculture Performance of IT and TT canola varieties in the medium and high rainfall agzones of W.A., 2001-02, Graham Walton, Hasan Zaheer and Paul Carmody, Department of Agriculture Rapid Catchment Appraisal in Northern Agricultural Region, Mike Clarke, Paul Raper, Department of Agricultur

Crop Updates 2002 - Oilseeds

This session covers twenty seven papers from different authors: 1. Forward and acknowledgements, Dave Eksteen, ACTING MANAGER OILSEEDS PRODUCTIVITY AND INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT Department of Agriculture PLENARY SESSION 2. GMO canola - Track record in Canada, K. Neil Harker and George W. Clayton,Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, Lacombe, Alberta, R. Keith Downey, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon Research Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 3. GMO canola – Prospects in Western Australia farming systems, Keith Alcock, Crop Improvement Institute, Department of Agriculture 4. Diamondback moth (DBM) in canola, Kevin Walden, Department of Agriculture CANOLA AGRONOMY 5. Getting the best out of canola in the low rainfall central wheatbelt, Bevan Addison and Peter Carlton, Elders Ltd 6. Canola variety performance in Western Australia, Kevin Morthorpe, Stephen Addenbrooke and Alex Ford, Pioneer Hi-Bred Australia P/L 7. Relative performance of new canola varieties in Department of Agriculture variety trials in 2000 and 2001, S. Hasan Zaheer, GSARI, Department of Agriculture, G. Walton, Crop Improvement Institute, Department of Agriculture 8. Which canola cultivar should I sow? Imma Farré, CSIRO Plant Industry, Floreat, Bill Bowden,Western Australia Department of Agriculture 9. The effect of seed generation and seed source on yield and quality of canola, Paul Carmody, Department of Agriculture 10. The accumulation of oil in Brassica species, J.A. Fortescue and D.W. Turner, Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, B. Tan, PO Box 1249, South Perth 11. Potential and performance of alternative oilseeds in WA, Margaret C. Campbell, Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture 12. Comparison of oilseed crops in WA, Ian Pritchard and Paul Carmody, Department of Agriculture, Centre for Cropping Systems, Margaret Campbell, Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture 13. Identifying constraints to canola production, Dave Eksteen, Canola Development Officer, Department of Agriculture 14. Boron – should we be worried about it? Richard W. BellA, K. FrostA, Mike WongB, and Ross BrennanC , ASchool of Environmental Science, Murdoch University, BCSIRO Land and Water, CDepartment of Agriculture PEST AND DISEASE 15. Yield losses caused when Beet Western Yellows Virus infects canola, Roger Jones and Jenny Hawkes, Department of Agriculture, and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture 16. Influence of climate on aphid outbreaks and virus epidemics in canola, Debbie Thackray, Jenny Hawkes and Roger Jones, Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture and Department of Agriculture 17. The annual shower of blackleg ascospores in canola: Can we predict and avoid it? Moin U. Salam, Ravjit K. Khangura, Art J. Diggle and Martin J. Barbetti, Department of Agriculture 18. Environmental influences on production and release of ascospores of blackleg and their implications in blackleg management in canola, Ravjit K. Khangura, Martin J. Barbetti , Moin U. Salam and Art J. Diggle, Department of Agriculture 19. WA blackleg resistance ratings on canola varieties form 2002, Ravjit Khangura, Martin J. Barbetti and Graham Walton, Department of Agriculture 20. Bronzed field beetle management in canola, Phil Michael, Department of Agriculture 21. DBM control in canola: Aerial versus boom application, Paul Carmody, Department of Agriculture 22. Effect of single or multiple spray trearments on the control of Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) and yield of canola at Wongan Hills, Françoise Berlandier, Paul Carmody and Christiaan Valentine, Department of Agriculture ESTABLISHMENT 23. GrainGuardÔ - A biosecurity plan for the canola industry, Greg Shea, Department of Agriculture 24. Large canola seed is best, particularly for deep sowing, Glen Riethmuller, Rafiul Alam, Greg Hamilton and Jo Hawksley, Department of Agriculture 25. Canola establishment with seed size, tines and discs, with and without stubble, Glen Riethmuller, Rafiul Alam, Greg Hamilton and Jo Hawksley, Department of Agriculture WEEDS 26. Role of Roundup ReadyÒ canola in the farming system, Art Diggle1, Patrick Smith2, Paul Neve3, Felicity Flugge4, Amir Abadi5, Stephen Powles3 1Department of Agriculture, 2CSIRO, Sustainable Ecosystems, 3Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, University of Western Australia, 4Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, University of Western Australia, 5Touchstone Consulting, Mt Hawthorn FEED 27. Getting value from canola meals in the animal feed industries: Aquaculture, Brett Glencross and John Curnow, Department of Fisheries - Government of Western Australia and Wayne Hawkins, Department of Agricultur

Transport infrastructure: making more sustainable decisions for noise reduction

There is a global and growing sustainability agenda for surface transport yet there are no specific means of assessing the relative sustainability of infrastructure equipment. Transport noise reduction devices are a significant part of the surface transport infrastructure: they specifically address environmental and social needs, have a high economic impact, and involve a wide range of raw materials raising multiple technical issues. The paper presents an account of the bespoke tool developed for assessing the sustainability of transport noise reduction devices. Regulatory standards for noise reduction devices and the relevant sustainability assessment tools and procedures adopted worldwide were reviewed in order to produce a set of pertinent sustainability criteria and indicators for NRDs projects, which were reviewed and edited during a stakeholder engagement process. A decision making process for assessing the relative sustainability of noise reduction devices was formulated following the review of the literature. Two key stages were identified: (1) collection of data for criteria fulfillment evaluation and (2) multi-criteria analysis for assessing the sustainability of noise reduction devices. Appropriate tools and methods for achieving both objectives are recommended

Crop Updates 2001 - Oilseeds

ABSTRACT This session covers twenty five papers from different authors: FORWARD, Mervyn McDougall, CHAIRMAN, PULSES AND OILSEEDS PARTNERSHIP GROUP PLENARY 1. Implications of the ‘green-bridge’ for viral and fungal disease carry-over between seasons, Debbie Thackray, Agriculture Western Australia and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture 2. Insect pest development in WA via the ‘green-bridge’, Kevin Walden, Agriculture Western Australia VARIETIES 3. Performance of new canola varieties in AGWEST variety trials, G. Walton, Crop Improvement Institute, Agriculture Western Australia 4. New herbicide tolerant varieties in WA, Kevin Morthorpe, Stephen Addenbrooke, Pioneer Hi-Bred Australia P/L 5. IT v’s TT – Head to head, Paul Carmody, Centre for Cropping Systems, Agriculture Western Australia ESTABLISHMENT 6. Effect of stubble, seeding technique and seed size on crop establishment and yield of canola, Rafiul Alam, Glen Riethmuller and Greg Hamilton, Agriculture Western Australia 7. Canola establishment survey 2000, Rafiul Alam, Paul Carmody, Greg Hamilton and Adrian Cox, Agriculture Western Australia 8. Tramline farming for more canola, Paul Blackwell, Agriculture Western Australia NUTRITION 9. Comparing the phosphorus requirement of canola and wheat in WA, M.D.A. Bolland and M.J. Baker, Agriculture Western Australia 10. Will a rainy summer affect nitrogen requirement: Tailoring your fertiliser decisions using the new nitrogen calculator, A.J. Diggle, Agriculture Western Australia 11. Canola – More response to lime, Chris Gazeyand Paul Carmody, Centre for Cropping Systems, Agriculture Western Australia AGRONOMY 12. Hormone manipulation of canola development, Paul Carmody and Graham Walton, Agriculture Western Australia 13. Yield penalties with delayed sewing of canola, Imma Farre, CSIRO Plant Industry, Michael J. Robertson, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Graham H. Walton, Agriculture Western Australia, Senthold Asseng, CSIRO Plant Industry 14. Dry matter and oil accumulation in developing seeds of canola varieties at different sowing dates, Ping Si1, David Turner1 and David Harris2 , 1Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 2Chemistry Centre of Western Australia 13. Simulating oil concentrations in canola – virtually just the beginning, David Turner1 and Imma Farré2, 1Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 2CSIRO Plant Industry, Centre for Mediterranean Agricultural Research PESTS AND DISEASES 14. Further evidence that canola crops are resilient to damage by aphids, Françoise Berlandier and Christiaan Valentine, Entomology, Agriculture Western Australia 15. Management of Diamondback moth (DBM) in canola, David Cook, Peter Mangano, David Cousins, Françoise Berlandier, and Darryl Hardie, Crop Improvement Institute,Agriculture Western Australia 16. Effect of time of sowing in conjunction with fungicides on blackleg and yield of canola, Ravjit Khangura and Martin Barbetti, Agriculture Western Australia 17. Further developments in forecasting aphid and virus risk in canola, Debbie Thackray, Jenny Hawkes and Roger Jones, Agriculture Western Australia and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture 18. Efficiency of selected insecticides for the use on Diamondback Moth in canola, Kevin Walden, Agriculture Western Australia 19. Impact® applied ‘in furrow’ controls blackleg in canola, Cameron Weeks and Erin Hasson, Mingenew-Irwin Group Inc. 20. Effect of time of sowing and Impact® on canola yield, Esperance, Dave Eksteen, Agriculture Western Australia 21. Australian Plague Locust Campaign 2000, Kevin Walden, Agriculture Western Australia WEED CONTROL 22. New herbicide options for canola, John Moore and Paul Matson, Agriculture Western Australia HARVESTING 23. Effects of time of swathing and desiccant application on the seed yield and oil content of canola, Carla Thomas and Lionel Martin, Muresk Institute of Agriculture, Curtin University of Technology DECISION SUPPORT AND ADOPTION 24. Using canola monitoring groups to understand factors affecting canola production in Esperance, Dave Eksteen, Agriculture Western Australia 25. Nitrogen and canola, Dave Eksteen, Agriculture Western Australi