Mitigating Rice Injury Caused by Florpyrauxifen-Benzyl and Optimizing Florpyrauxifen-benzyl Rate and Timing for use in Furrow-Irrigated Rice

Florpyrauxifen-benzyl (synthetic auxin, WSSA Group 4) is a postemergence, broad-spectrum herbicide labeled for use in Mid-South rice (Oryza sativa L.) production. Introduction of florpyrauxifen-benzyl to Arkansas rice production led to observations of varying levels of injury caused by the herbicide across cultivars and environments. Findings from previous research indicated hybrid long-grain rice and medium-grain rice were more susceptible to florpyrauxifen-benzyl and hypotheses were formed using this research regarding the impact of environmental conditions on the amount of injury observed. Concerns of yield loss, delay in maturity and loss of groundcover as well as questions regarding the ability of florpyrauxifen-benzyl to be applied with other herbicides that may cause injury led to the necessity for more research across cultivars and hybrids. Prior research also highlighted the benefits of using florpyrauxifen-benzyl in furrow-irrigated rice weed control programs to control problematic weed species such as Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats). Florpyrauxifen-benzyl effectively controlled Palmer amaranth in a greenhouse study at lower-than-labeled rates and was found to be an effective alternative site-of-action for use in furrow-irrigated rice. Research conducted included experiments determining the tolerance of popular cultivars and hybrids to florpyrauxifen-benzyl with and without an application of benzobicyclon, isolation of multiple environmental and cultural variables to determine their effect on rice injury, and optimizing the rate and timing of florpyrauxifen-benzyl to best control Palmer amaranth in furrow-irrigated rice. Florpyrauxifen-benzyl reduced yield of rice hybrid XP753 by 17% following sequential applications at 30 g ae ha-1 and reduced groundcover of all hybrids tested. However, injury was not compounded by an application of benzobicyclon post-flood. Rice injury caused by florpyrauxifen-benzyl was most severe under 40% soil moisture or saturated conditions. Rice injury was more severe under low light conditions, high temperatures, and when the flood was introduced before three days and after six days following application. Single applications of florpyrauxifen-benzyl at 15 g ae ha-1 controlled Palmer amaranth as well as single applications of the herbicide at the labeled rate of 30 g ae ha-1. Florpyrauxifen-benzyl at 15 g ae ha-1 was as effective as 30 g ae ha-1 in controlling Palmer amaranth less than 10 cm in height. Sequential applications of florpyrauxifen-benzyl at 8 g ae ha-1 were as effective as sequential applications at 30 g ae ha-1. Based on these findings, injury caused by single applications of florpyrauxifen-benzyl at any rate appear superficial, although sequential applications of labeled rates can cause long-term effects on development and yield. Injury to rice can be reduced by timing an application based on soil moisture, solar radiation, temperature, and flood establishment date after application

Optimal Direct Yaw Moment Control of a 4WD Electric Vehicle

This thesis is concerned with electronic stability of an all-wheel drive electric vehicle with independent motors mounted in each wheel. The additional controllability and speed permitted using independent motors can be exploited to improve the handling and stability of electric vehicles. In this thesis, these improvements arise from employing a direct yaw moment control (DYC) system that seeks to adapt the understeer gradient of the vehicle and achieve neutral steer by employing a supervisory controller and simultaneously tracking an ideal yaw rate and ideal sideslip angle. DYC enhances vehicle stability by generating a corrective yaw moment realized by a torque vectoring controller which generates an optimal torque distribution among the four wheels. The torque allocation at each instant is computed by finding a solution to an optimization problem using gradient descent, a well-known algorithm that seeks the minimum cost employing the gradient of the cost function. A cost function seeking to minimize excessive wheel slip is proposed as the basis of the optimization problem, while the constraints come from the physical limitations of the motors and friction limits between the tires and road. The DYC system requires information about the tire forces in real-time, so this study presents a framework for estimating the tire force in all three coordinate directions. The sideslip angle is also a crucial quantity that must be measured or estimated but is outside the scope of this study. A comparative analysis of three different formulations of sliding mode control used for computation of the corrective yaw moment and an evaluation of how successfully they achieve neutral steer is presented. IPG Automotive’s CarMaker software, a high-fidelity vehicle simulator, was used as the plant model. A custom electric powertrain model was developed to enable any CarMaker vehicle to be reconfigured for independent control of the motors. This custom powertrain, called TVC_OpenXWD uses the torque/speed map of a Protean Pd18 implemented with lookup tables for each of the four motors. The TVC_OpenXWD powertrain model and controller were designed in MATLAB and Simulink and exported as C code to run them as plug-ins in CarMaker. Simulations of some common maneuvers, including the J-turn, sinusoidal steer, skid pad, and mu-split, indicate that employing DYC can achieve neutral steer. Additionally, it simultaneously tracks the ideal yaw rate and sideslip angle, while maximizing the traction on each tire[CB1] . The control system performance is evaluated based on its ability to achieve neutral steer by means of tracking the reference yaw rate, stabilizing the vehicle by means of reducing the sideslip angle, and to reduce chattering. A comparative analysis of sliding mode control employing a conventional switching function (CSMC), modified switching function (MSMC), and PID control (HSMC) demonstrates that the MSMC outperforms the other two methods in addition to the open loop system

The Church of England and her schools 1800-1977: a consideration of the role of the Church of England in the development of the state school system in England 1800-1977

This thesis covers the period 1800 to the present day and attempts to chart the role and influence of the Church of England on the development of a national system of schools in England. (Her role in the modern 'independent' sector is largely ignored, not because it is unimportant, but because it is in her dealings with the far larger number of Church schools within the State sector that matters of principle and practicality are more clearly revealed.) The chapters record in chronological order the history of the Church's role in schools except for chapter four, which examines some of the wide variety of ideas current amongst Victorian Churchmen on the matter of the nation's schooling. A peculiar characteristic of this subject is the manner in which it touches on many diverse points of principle, e. g. Church and State, the rights and freedom of the individual, the nature of education and of the Church and the powers of central and local government. The historical survey covers in detail the closely interconnected elements of national politics, practical problems, social developments, differing educational philosophies and movements within the Church. The history of the Church's 'rationale' concerning her schools (this phrase is preferred to the more neological 'theology of education') is considered at length in the final chapter. Behind any serious 'rationale' of denominational schools must lie a series of theological and educational presuppositions. That these presuppositions have varied widely between churchmen in this period is amply demonstrated by the long and difficult history of denominational schools recorded in earlier chapters. The thesis ends with a consideration of the present rationale for Church's schools and examines her position in the light of recent developments

Barriers to healthy eating by National Health Service (NHS) hospital doctors in the hospital setting: results of a cross-sectional survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>With high levels of obesity and related illness, improving the health of the nation is a major public health concern. This study aimed to identify factors that prevent healthy eating among doctors, and that are associated with satisfaction with catering services.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p><it>Methods: </it>Cross-sectional survey of 328 NHS doctors working in two NHS Trusts with on-site hospital canteen. Questionnaire to establish perceived barriers to healthy eating, weekly use and satisfaction with the hospital canteen, lifestyle and dietary habits, gender, age, height, weight, job details, and affect.</p> <p><it>Results: </it>70% of doctors reported using their hospital canteen each week, with 2 visits per week on average.</p> <p>Canteen opening times, lack of selection and lack of breaks were the most commonly perceived barriers to healthy eating. Availability of healthy options caused the most dissatisfaction. Only 12% felt the NHS was supportive of healthy eating. 74% did not feel their canteen advocated healthy eating. Canteen use is associated with younger age (r = -0.254, p < 0.0001) and health score (r = 0.123, p = 0.049).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Interventions to encourage regular meal breaks, eating breakfast and drinking more water each day need developing. Improved canteen accessibility and availability of healthy options at evenings and weekends may be beneficial.</p

State Defiance of Bankruptcy Law

Bankruptcy is the principal device by which failing businesses and financially-troubled families get one last chance to reorganize their affairs back to financial health. It is also the graveyard for business failures, the place where we bury dead corporations and divide their remaining assets among their surviving creditors. In the last decade, the bankruptcy system has given seven million middle-class families a way to start over-an opportunity to save their homes from foreclosure, rid themselves of overwhelming debts, and reintegrate themselves into the workforce as productive citizens. It has also been the way that 10,000 corporations have restructured their way from failure to health, avoiding the disruptive costs of dissolution and liquidation and instead preserving jobs, stabilizing community tax bases, and fueling the longest period of economic expansion in United States history. Another 100,000 less fortunate corporations have had their funerals in bankruptcy, as their creditors have divided their assets and facilitated the redistribution of capital and labor resources that must accompany liquidation. Bankruptcy is the safety valve in America\u27s capitalist system: technical and arcane, but so important. For the last 100 years, bankruptcy has functioned efficiently, providing a vital lubricant at the rough edges of the American economy. We do not expect individuals to live life without hope and force them into the underground economy to avoid a mountain of debt. Nor do we discourage entrepreneurs from starting new ventures by holding them personally liable if that corporate venture fails. Instead, we give each individual and business person a fair chance to start over. This second chance breeds innovation and risk taking that puts the United States at the cutting edge of technological and scientific development. When our corporations experience liquidity problems, we do not allow lenders to shut them down and break them up. Rather, we permit sick businesses to file under chapter 11 to provide a breathing spell to rehabilitate themselves; if rehabilitation cannot be accomplished, we provide a forum for liquidation of the businesses for the collective good of all creditors

Silence, assent and HIV risk

Based on interviews with 34 men, almost all of whom have unprotected sex with men most or all of the time, this paper documents the interactional process, narrative elements, and meaning construction in situations of ‘bareback’ sex. Narratives show the differentiated cultural capital circulating among distinct circuits of gay and bisexual men that define the taken-for-granted rules of conduct for sexual interactions and give rise to high risk situations. Many of the positive men speak of being part of a social environment where ‘everybody knows’ a set of rules whereby sex without condoms can happen as a default circumstance to be interrupted only when a partner asserts a need to protect himself. The practical reasoning processes and interactional back-and-forth in the unfolding of sexual interactions, both on the internet and in person, show the uneven and fallible accomplishment of sero-sorting and the generation of situations of high HIV risk and vulnerability when men from different micro-cultures encounter each other