Field boundary habitats and their contribution to the area of semi-natural habitats on lowland farms in east Galway, western Ireland

peer-reviewedSustainable agriculture and the provision of environmental public goods are key deliverables for European farming and food production. Farmland biodiversity, cultural landscapes, soil functionality and climate stability are among the environmental public goods provided through agriculture. Future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) direct payments are intended to be more targeted at the provision of these agricultural deliverables. Field boundaries are an example of such deliverables. They are widespread features that have both environmental and aesthetic functions in farmed landscapes. However, research on their variety, density and contribution to semi-natural habitat cover on farms in Ireland is lacking. This study investigates the diversity and density of all field boundary habitat types on 32 lowland farms in east County Galway, western Ireland. A total of 286km of field boundaries were surveyed across six study sites. Five types of field boundary habitats were recorded. The density of field boundaries on the farms studied was high and could have positive implications for delivery of environmental public goods and sustainable farming metrics. In more intensively farmed areas, field boundaries were the only remaining semi-natural habitat on some farms highlighting the need to retain, and improve the ecological quality, of these features. The condition of one field boundary type (hedgerows) was also investigated in further detail. While the density of field boundaries was high on many of the surveyed farms, we found that the hedgerows on these farms were not necessarily in good condition for wildlife

Large-Scale Advanced Prop-Fan (LAP) blade design

This report covers the design analysis of a very thin, highly swept, propeller blade to be used in the Large-Scale Advanced Prop-Fan (LAP) test program. The report includes: design requirements and goals, a description of the blade configuration which meets requirements, a description of the analytical methods utilized/developed to demonstrate compliance with the requirements, and the results of these analyses. The methods described include: finite element modeling, predicted aerodynamic loads and their application to the blade, steady state and vibratory response analyses, blade resonant frequencies and mode shapes, bird impact analysis, and predictions of stalled and unstalled flutter phenomena. Summarized results include deflections, retention loads, stress/strength comparisons, foreign object damage resistance, resonant frequencies and critical speed margins, resonant vibratory mode shapes, calculated boundaries of stalled and unstalled flutter, and aerodynamic and acoustic performance calculations

Investigations Concerning Bentonite Deposits Near Ramsay, Montana

The purpose of Part I of this report is to determine the origin of the bentonite deposits, also to locate them with reference to section corners in the vicinity and to determine their extent. The field work for this report was done in the fall of 1933 and during the spring of 1934. The roads, geologic contacts, and culture in general were mapped with the use of an open sight alidade and plane table. Distances were determined on the roads by the speedometer on the automo­bile; the detailed survey in the immediate vicinity of the deposits was done with use of the Brunton compass and pac­ing. The purpose of Part II in this report is to determine if the bentonite deposits immediately west of Butte, Montana are of com­mercial importance and also to determine the use to which they are best suited

Reaching Far into the Woods: Impact of Roads on Forest Structure in China

Land Economics/Use,

Preterm birth : can we do better?

Preterm birth (PTB) remains the most serious complication in obstetrics and a substantial excess burden in US healthcare economics. The etiology of PTB is complex and likely has multiple physiological pathways. Unfortunately, current antenatal care screening methods have not been successful in predicting and, eventually, preventing PTB. Although treatments such as progesterone, cerclage and pessary are available for patients with historical risk factors and shortened cervix, these treatments are not universally efficacious. Antenatal care is in great need of new prediction and prevention strategies. The role of more global methods of screening and treatment is still undefined. Most women with clinical risk factors will not deliver early, and aggressive interventions in large segments of the population may not be warranted or cost effective. Furthermore, over half of women who experience PTB have no historical risk factors. Even second-trimester cervical length (CL) has only modest ability to predict which women will experience PTB. There is thus a clear need to identify biomarkers that provide quantitative, individualized assessment of risk early in pregnancy that is specific for each individual woman. The ideal biomarkers would be indicative of the pathway leading to PTB, require no special testing equipment, have a low false positive and negative rate, and offer early identification, allowing adequate time to intervene. We need an aggressive and comprehensive approach to see a dramatic reduction in rates of preterm delivery in the U.

A Study Of Pane Spacing In Glazing Systems

The selection of optimum pane spacing for glazing systems has been a topic of ongoing debate in the window manufacturing industry. Arguments are often based on speculation, intuition and results from tests not specifically designed to examine the effects of pane spacing. This study presents a set of measured centre-glass U-values taken from experiments where pane spacing was carefully varied while holding all remaining conditions unchanged. Heat flux measurements were made using a guarded heater plate apparatus. Glazing systems were all double glazed, air filled and tested in the vertical position. Measured centre-glass U-values were compared to calculated U-values. These calculations were performed using a version of the VISION glazing system thermal analysis program which was modified in order to model the guarded heater plate test conditions. VISION runs were also carried out in order to predict the optimum pane spacing as a function of variations in glazing system design, fill gas type, weather condition, and the number of panes incorporated in the glazing system. VISION results were combined with results of the window frame thermal analysis program, FRAME. FRAME was used to estimate the average edge-glass and frame U-values for several design options. The results of these calculations provide an estimate of the sensitivity of overall U-values to variations in pane spacing.Renewable Energy Branch of the Department of Energy Mines and Resources || Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canad

Overview of a Project to Determine the Surface Temperatures of Insulated Glazing Units: Thermographic Measurement and Two-Dimensional Simulation

© 1996. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (www.ashrae.org). Published in ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 102, Part 2. For personal use only. Additional reproduction, distribution, or transmission in either print or digital form is not permitted without ASHRAE’s prior written permission.A collaborative research project was undertaken to generate surface temperature profiles for the indoor side of seven different double and triple-glazed insulated glazing units exposed to the ASHRAE winter design condition. Four research groups produced four sets of results in a blind study. Two sets were measured by means of thermography and two were generated using two-dimensional numerical simulation. In addition, each simulation group produced results using simplified methods. Companion papers each present results from the individual studies along with some observations and commentary. This paper, an overview, presents a compilation of results and provides the opportunity for a variety of comparisons. Good agreement was found among all four sets of data. Simplified simulation models also show promise. The reassurance offered by these accomplishments is important because both the measurement and simulation methods are in the early stages of development. In addition, details found in individual temperature profiles provide valuable insights regarding the mechanisms of window heat transfer.Natural Resources Canada || Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council || Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Renewable Energy || Office of Buildings and Community Systems || Building Systems Division of the U.S. Department of Energy || The University of Massachusett

Film Review: Narco Cultura – A Tale of Three Cities

This is a film review