Organic-Conventional Dairy Systems Trial in New Zealand: Four Years’ Results

The Organic-Conventional Comparative Dairy Systems trial at Massey University began in August 2001, and the organic farmlet achieved certification in August 2003. The trial is unique because it is the only comparative grassland-based open grazing dairy study in the world. The organic and conventional systems are managed individually according to best practice, and both are intensively monitored for production, animal health, and environmental impacts. The systems remained similar for the first two years, but began to diverge in the third and fourth years. Production has been 10-20% lower on the organic farm, but environmental impacts appear to be less than on the conventional unit, and net incomes would be similar given a 20% price premium for the organic product. Animal health issues have been manageable on the organic farmlet, and not too dissimilar from the conventional farmlet. Full results after four years of the trial will be available and presented at the conference

Staying Power: The Future of Manufacturing in Massachusetts

Reviews the state's manufacturing employment since 1939; analyzes current data by industry, economic share, workers' demographics, and location; and projects trends through 2016. Based on surveys and interviews, examines manufacturers' perspectives

Exploring the epistemic politics of urban niche experiments

Urban experiments have been initiated in several locations to purposively initiate and shape transitions to more sustainable urban socio-technical systems, e.g. for energy, water, mobility. Although knowledges produced within such learning spaces are often presented as logical, technical and rational (Vanolo, 2013 ; Kitchin, 2014), the actors and mechanisms which shape decisions are far from obvious, involving cultures, power relations and multiple logics that are profoundly political (Machin, 2013). This research presents a case study founded in a phronetic perspective (Flyvbjerg, 2001; Avelino and Grin, 2017), unpacking the epistemological politics of an urban experiment taking place within a ‘smart city’ programme. A ‘smart transport’ application for mobile phones, ‘MotionMap’ was developed to transform the mobility system of Milton Keynes, an expanding city located 80 km to the north of London, UK. The case study recognises power relations and reveals how various actors engaged in the development of this application have further rendered the MK mobility socio-technical system an object of urban governance

Evaluating the two-component inspection model in a simplified luggage search task

Visual inspection of X-ray images of luggage is a time-pressured task that typically shows large initial training effects, but there exists a paucity of models capable of evaluating performance and speed concurrently. In the present study, visual inspection ability during learning was modeled using Drury's two-component inspection model (TCM; Drury, 1975) in a laboratory experiment involving 12 younger (mean age = 20.8 years) and 12 older (mean age = 60.0 years) naive participants undertaking a simplified luggage search task. Model fits and assumptions were found to be reliable and accurately reflected improvement with training for decision time, although neither search nor decision components of the model individually showed a significant effect of age. The decision component of the model showed larger improvement with training than did the search component, and stopping-time policy accurately reflected the improvements found between ages and within training levels. The TCM is a useful supplement to detection theory when speed of performance is a facto

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 with an oxide-derived lead nano-coralline electrode in dimcarb

Electroreduction of CO2 in the distillable ionic liquid dimethylammonium dimethylcarbamate (dimcarb) has been investigated with an oxide‐derived lead (od‐Pb) electrode. Compared with unmodified polycrystalline Pb, where H2 is the dominant electrolysis product, od‐Pb possesses impressive catalytic properties for the reduction of CO2 in dimcarb (mixing molar ratio of CO2 and dimethylamine (DMA) >1 : 1.8), with faradaic efficiencies for the generation of H2, CO, and [HCOO]− of approximately 15, 10, and 75 %, respectively. These efficiencies are independent of the applied potential in the range of −1.34 to −3.34 V vs. Cc0/+ (where Cc+=cobaltocenium). Thorough analysis of the properties of od‐Pb, we demonstrate that its intrinsically high catalytic activity towards CO2 reduction compared to bulk Pb is attributable to an increased surface roughness and greater surface area (ca. 10 times higher), rather than the existence of residual metal oxides that are known to suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction, preferred crystal orientation, or the existence of metastable active sites

A search for starlight reflected from HD 75289b

We have used a Doppler tomographic analysis to conduct a deep search for the starlight reflected from the planetary companion to HD 75289. In four nights on VLT(UT2)/UVES in 2003 January, we obtained 684 high-resolution echelle spectra with a total integration time of 26 h. We establish an upper limit on the geometric albedo of the planet p < 0.12 (to the 99.9 per cent significance level) at the most probable orbital inclination i≃ 60°, assuming a grey albedo, a Venus-like phase function and a planetary radius Rp= 1.6 RJup. We are able to rule out some combinations of the predicted planetary radius and atmospheric albedo models with high, reflective cloud deck

Probable detection of starlight reflected from the giant exoplanet orbiting tau Bootis

Giant planets orbiting stars other than the Sun are clearly detectable through precise radial-velocity measurements of the orbital reflex motion of the parent star. In the four years since the discovery of the companion to the star 51 Peg, similar low-amplitude ``Doppler star wobbles'' have revealed the presence of some 20 planets orbiting nearby solar-type stars. Several of these newly-discovered planets are very close to their parent stars, in orbits with periods of only a few days. Being an indirect technique, however, the reflex-velocity method has little to say about the sizes or compositions of the planets, and can only place lower limits on their masses. Here we report the use of high-resolution optical spectroscopy to achieve a probable detection of the Doppler-shifted signature of starlight reflected from one of these objects, the giant exoplanet orbiting the star tau Bootis. Our data give the planet's orbital inclination i=29 degrees, indicating that its mass is some 8 times that of Jupiter, and suggest strongly that the planet has the size and reflectivity expected for a gas-giant planet.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures. (Fig 1 and equation for epsilon on p1 para 2 revised; changed from double to single spacing

The feasibility and acceptability of an early intervention in primary care to prevent chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in adults:randomised controlled trial

Background Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)) is defined as fatigue that is disabling, is accompanied by additional symptoms and persists for ≥ 4 months. Treatment of CFS/ME aims to help patients manage their symptoms and make lifestyle adjustments. We do not know whether intervening early in primary care (< 4 months after onset of fatigue) can prevent the development of CFS/ME. Methods This was a feasibility randomised controlled trial with adults (age ≥ 18 years) comparing usual care with usual care plus an early intervention (EI; a combination of psycho-education and cognitive behavioural therapy, CBT). This study took place in fourteen primary care practices in Bristol, England and aimed to identify issues around recruitment and retention for a full-scale trial. It was not powered to support statistical analysis of differences in outcomes. Integrated qualitative methodology was used to explore the feasibility and acceptability of recruitment and randomisation to the intervention. Results Forty-four patients were recruited (1 August 2012–November 28, 2013), falling short of our predicted recruitment rate of 100 patients in 8 months. Qualitative data from GPs showed recruitment was not feasible because it was difficult to identify potential participants within 4 months of symptom onset. Some referring GPs felt screening investigations recommended by NICE were unnecessary, and they had difficulty finding patients who met the eligibility criteria. Qualitative data from some participant interviews suggested that the intervention was not acceptable in its current format. Although the majority of participants found parts of the intervention acceptable, many reported one or more problems with acceptability. Participants who discontinued the intervention or found it problematic did not relate to the therapeutic model, disliked telephone consultations or found self-reflection challenging. Conclusions A randomised controlled trial to test an early intervention for fatigue in adults in primary care is not feasible using this intervention and recruitment strategy