DISTRIBUTION AND IMPACT OF CANADA GOOSE CROP DAMAGE IN EAST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN

The steady increase in the numbers of Canada geese on or near Horicon National Wildlife Refuge since its establishment in the early 1940s has resulted in many opportunities, and a few difficult problems. The problem of crop depredations has plagued the Horicon area since the mid-1960s. Each increase in goose numbers has brought with it renewed farmer concern, and each incident has resulted in some change in goose management direction. Increasing problems, more geese, lower harvest quotas, and the new Wisconsin Wildlife Damage Program combined to encourage the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to take a comprehensive look at the goose depredations issue, in search of a long-term solution. A lack of basic data on the attitudes and concerns of Horicon area farmers hindered resolution of the crop depredation issue. In 1985 the WDNR requested and funded the Wisconsin Canada Goose Survey through the Department of Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The survey was to quantify the magnitude and distribution of perceived crop damage and to gather related opinions and attitudes from Horicon area farmers. A random sample of 14% of the farmers in each township in the survey area (841 farmers) received the questionnaire in the mail early in 1986. Each 15 page survey booklet contained 57 numbered questions relating to attitudes toward geese, seasonal effects of geese, crop damage, abatement efforts, and goose management policies. Two more mailings encouraged those who had not responded to make their opinions known. Eighty-two percent of the farmers (650) ultimately returned a usable survey. That response rate represented an 11% sampling of the area\u27s farm population (5960). The survey was replicated in 1987 for the 1986 growing season. The same number of farmers received the survey and response rates were comparable

CRITIQUES OF NEOCLASSICAL ECONOMICS: AN EXAMINATION OF SOME OF THE CRITIQUES OF STEVE KEEN

Neoclassical economics (NE) is under siege from multiple directions. Some see NE as a whole and essentially coherent theoretical system and paradigm and some not. The work of Steve Keen represents one class of critics of NE who attack it from the perspective of internal logical inconsistencies and mathematical paradoxes embodied within NE rather than for the potential ideological and rhetorical intentions of NE and which class interests may be served by those intentions. This article explores some of the breadth and depth of the critiques of Steve Keen and provides also a critique of their critiques from a Marxist perspective. </p

US Imperial Quests: Full Spectra Dominance in and over All Forms and Dimensions of Warfare

What kinds of persons, organizations, cultures, or indeed systems←→ideologies speak and use the language of domination, control, self-proclaimed Number One in undefined and immeasurable ways? Prominent transnational neo-lib/con ( purple fusion ) ideologues, politicians, militarists do not speak of strategic parity or security or defense , but speak of dominance and dominating all other nations and/or non-state actors even daring to challenge their self-somberly-asserted doctrine . They do not speak of strategic dominance in terms of battle spaces (land, sea, air, space, cyberspace, cognito-space, electromagnetic space) but forms of offensive and defensive weapons; influence in strategic global institutions; control over strategic resources, technologies, R&D centers; control of key educational institutions and their curricula. This paper explores some of the contradictions, causes, effects, dynamics, failures of evolving imperial doctrines and institutions governing various declared and undeclared forms, methods, and arenas of global dominance sought now and in the future

Energy Efficient Solids Feed System for High Pressure Processes

A new system for efficiently feeding solid fuels to high pressure processes has been developed over the course of this PhD study. The system, named the Hydraulic Lock Hopper (HLH), takes the form of a new lock hopper that utilises water as an incompressible fluid during the compression stage. It disposes of the need for inert gas or gas compressors as is required by conventional lock hopper systems, and vastly increases their operational efficiency. The HLH has demonstrated the feeding of a range of fuels including wood pellets, torrefied spruce pellets and ground anthracite grains to pressures as high as 25 barg. Two modes of operation have been developed, one whereby the energy requirement to feed is minimised (Mode 1), and another whereby the volume of high pressure gas vented to the atmosphere is reduced to near nil (Mode 2). In addition to this, the HLH has been developed to operate without the forward leakage of air in order to minimise explosive atmospheres

THE EVOLVING CONCEPT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL, MARKETS, MARKET-BASED PROCESSES AND SOCIALIST CONSTRUCTION

For every social formation, remnants of past, as well as embryonic forms of potential new modes of production, potentialities for return to previous modes of production, remain alive within the present. History and its legacies cannot be wiped out over night. For China, the long-term presence and role of capitalism within the Chinese socialist social formation, in building and defending Chinese socialism, as well as facilitating China's integration into a capitalist-based global economy, is recognized even in the flag of China with one of its small four stars representing the "patriotic national bourgeoisie" of China. But this gives rise to a set of profound contradictions. The "social capital" (institutions that foster mass hope, trust in the system, social cohesion and acceptance of "acceptable" social values, definitions and modes of behavior) and viewsrequirements of "human nature" under capitalism, are fundamentally in contradiction with those under socialism. The ongoing danger is that using capitalism to build and defend socialism may wind up with socialism being used to return to, build and defend capitalism. </p

Multiple Phosphorylation of Rhodopsin and the In Vivo Chemistry Underlying Rod Photoreceptor Dark Adaptation

AbstractDark adaptation requires timely deactivation of phototransduction and efficient regeneration of visual pigment. No previous study has directly compared the kinetics of dark adaptation with rates of the various chemical reactions that influence it. To accomplish this, we developed a novel rapid-quench/mass spectrometry-based method to establish the initial kinetics and site specificity of light-stimulated rhodopsin phosphorylation in mouse retinas. We also measured phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, regeneration of rhodopsin, and reduction of all-trans retinal all under identical in vivo conditions. Dark adaptation was monitored by electroretinography. We found that rhodopsin is multiply phosphorylated and then dephosphorylated in an ordered fashion following exposure to light. Initially during dark adaptation, transduction activity wanes as multiple phosphates accumulate. Thereafter, full recovery of photosensitivity coincides with regeneration and dephosphorylation of rhodopsin

Consistency of functional learning methods based on derivatives

International audienceIn some real world applications, such as spectrometry, functional models achieve better predictive performances if they work on the derivatives of order m of their inputs rather than on the original functions. As a consequence, the use of derivatives is a common practice in Functional Data Analysis, despite a lack of theoretical guarantees on the asymptotically achievable performances of a derivative based model. In this paper, we show that a smoothing spline approach can be used to preprocess multivariate observations obtained by sampling functions on a discrete and finite sampling grid in a way that leads to a consistent scheme on the original infinite dimensional functional problem. This work extends (Mas and Pumo, 2009) to nonparametric approaches and incomplete knowledge. To be more precise, the paper tackles two difficulties in a nonparametric framework: the information loss due to the use of the derivatives instead of the original functions and the information loss due to the fact that the functions are observed through a discrete sampling and are thus also unperfectly known: the use of a smoothing spline based approach solves these two problems. Finally, the proposed approach is tested on two real world datasets and the approach is experimentaly proven to be a good solution in the case of noisy functional predictors

Structure of eukaryotic purine/H(+) symporter UapA suggests a role for homodimerization in transport activity

The uric acid/xanthine H(+) symporter, UapA, is a high-affinity purine transporter from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Here we present the crystal structure of a genetically stabilized version of UapA (UapA-G411VΔ1-11) in complex with xanthine. UapA is formed from two domains, a core domain and a gate domain, similar to the previously solved uracil transporter UraA, which belongs to the same family. The structure shows UapA in an inward-facing conformation with xanthine bound to residues in the core domain. Unlike UraA, which was observed to be a monomer, UapA forms a dimer in the crystals with dimer interactions formed exclusively through the gate domain. Analysis of dominant negative mutants is consistent with dimerization playing a key role in transport. We postulate that UapA uses an elevator transport mechanism likely to be shared with other structurally homologous transporters including anion exchangers and prestin

Diversity and inclusion within police firearms teams

Seeking to better understand the underrepresentation of minority groups and to encourage more female officers to consider joining firearms teams, the Diversity and Inclusion in Firearms National Group (DIFAG) of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) commissioned a Liverpool John Moores University research team to examine: (i) cultural perceptions of armed units; (ii) the ways in which those perceptions impact diversity within firearms roles; (iii) barriers to recruitment to firearm roles; and (iv) the extent to which issues associated with uniforms, equipment, or training have an impact on achieving an inclusive and representative armed workforce. The research team framed those requirements in the research question, ‘Why are minority groups underrepresented in police firearms teams'? The team collected research data in three ways. First, via a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Second, using an online survey, advertised across the PSEW and other police forces/agencies with armed officer capability, to collect officers’ views and experiences. Third, via focus groups that allowed the team to engage with AFOs and to delve deeper into the survey responses. All data were sorted and coded to enable them to be analysed thematically. The study found that a high proportion of the sworn police workforce would never, under ordinary circumstances, consider joining a firearms team. Realistically, the pool from which firearms teams can draw, probably is less than half the size of the operational police workforce. AFOs, believe they deserve greater financial rewards for performing the role. A particular concern for Female AFOs. Many have had or are still having to make do with ‘hand me downs’ or Male kit and uniform that does not meet their needs. This is not just a performance issue; it is a matter of officer safety and well-being. It also is a negative indicator of the value a force puts on a member of its staff. Female AFOs left or did not consider applying for the role because they could not reconcile performing it with fulfilling their family or caring responsibilities. Macho culture is endemic in firearms teams. It has a corrosive effect on the team dynamic; on relations between Male AFOs and AFOs who identify with other groups; and on relations between the teams and officers in mainstream policing. There is an urgent need both for cultural and behavioural change in the firearms environment