Economic Analysis of Improving Cold Tolerance in Rice in Australia

The occurrence of low night temperatures during reproductive development is one of the factors most limiting rice yields in southern Australia. Yield losses due to cold temperature are the result of incomplete pollen formation and subsequent floret sterility. Researchers have found that in 75% of years, rice farmers suffer losses between 0.5 and 2.5 t/ha. Research is being undertaken to identify overseas rice varieties, that are cold tolerant under the local weather conditions and by using those genotypes as parent material, develop cold tolerance varieties of rice. A yield simulation model was used to measure reduction in losses due to cold at different minimum threshold temperatures, while the SAMBOY Rice model was used to measure the costs and returns of a breeding program for cold tolerance. The results of the economic analysis reveal that new cold tolerant varieties would lead to significant increase in financial benefits through reduction in losses due to cold, and an increase in yield from the better use on nitrogen by the cold tolerant varieties. The returns to investment on the research project are estimated to be high

Genetic association study of QT interval highlights role for calcium signaling pathways in myocardial repolarization.

The QT interval, an electrocardiographic measure reflecting myocardial repolarization, is a heritable trait. QT prolongation is a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) and could indicate the presence of the potentially lethal mendelian long-QT syndrome (LQTS). Using a genome-wide association and replication study in up to 100,000 individuals, we identified 35 common variant loci associated with QT interval that collectively explain ∼8-10% of QT-interval variation and highlight the importance of calcium regulation in myocardial repolarization. Rare variant analysis of 6 new QT interval-associated loci in 298 unrelated probands with LQTS identified coding variants not found in controls but of uncertain causality and therefore requiring validation. Several newly identified loci encode proteins that physically interact with other recognized repolarization proteins. Our integration of common variant association, expression and orthogonal protein-protein interaction screens provides new insights into cardiac electrophysiology and identifies new candidate genes for ventricular arrhythmias, LQTS and SCD

Introduction: Toward an Engaged Feminist Heritage Praxis

We advocate a feminist approach to archaeological heritage work in order to transform heritage practice and the production of archaeological knowledge. We use an engaged feminist standpoint and situate intersubjectivity and intersectionality as critical components of this practice. An engaged feminist approach to heritage work allows the discipline to consider women’s, men’s, and gender non-conforming persons’ positions in the field, to reveal their contributions, to develop critical pedagogical approaches, and to rethink forms of representation. Throughout, we emphasize the intellectual labor of women of color, queer and gender non-conforming persons, and early white feminists in archaeology

A Possible Alignment Between the Orbits of Planetary Systems and their Visual Binary Companions

Astronomers do not have a complete picture of the effects of wide-binary companions (semimajor axes greater than 100 au) on the formation and evolution of exoplanets. We investigate these effects using new data from Gaia Early Data Release 3 and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission to characterize wide-binary systems with transiting exoplanets. We identify a sample of 67 systems of transiting exoplanet candidates (with well-determined, edge-on orbital inclinations) that reside in wide visual binary systems. We derive limits on orbital parameters for the wide-binary systems and measure the minimum difference in orbital inclination between the binary and planet orbits. We determine that there is statistically significant difference in the inclination distribution of wide-binary systems with transiting planets compared to a control sample, with the probability that the two distributions are the same being 0.0037. This implies that there is an overabundance of planets in binary systems whose orbits are aligned with those of the binary. The overabundance of aligned systems appears to primarily have semimajor axes less than 700 au. We investigate some effects that could cause the alignment and conclude that a torque caused by a misaligned binary companion on the protoplanetary disk is the most promising explanation

Partial discharge detection using distributed acoustic sensing at the oil-pressboard interface

This paper investigates novel, initial experimentation in detecting and analysing Partial Discharge at the Oil-Pressboard interface using a continuous fibre-optic-based Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) system. Discharge was successfully detected at a minimum of 223 pC despite the sample rate of DAS being lower than the spectra of acoustic emission. DAS presents multiple advantages over conventional Partial Discharge techniques including inherent localisation, immunity to electrical and magnetic noise, as well as much greater detection distances

Identifying international rice research spillovers in New South Wales

The rice industry in New South Wales, Australia, has benefited from the international flow of germplasm, as have other industries. The aim in this paper is to identify those international flows, and to value their contributions to the industry. Analysis is made of the origins and pedigrees of the rice varieties grown in New South Wales since the 1960s, and the contribution of different germplasm sources are identified, using the geometric rule of partitioning contributions. The analysis reveals that New South Wales has had a significant contribution from international sources, notably breeding programs in the USA. The analysis also reveals that the International Rice Research Institute has had no impact on the germplasm used in New South Wales rice varieties. The changes over time on the role of international germplasm flows are also identified. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V

Time synchronised distributed acoustic sensing of partial discharge at the oil-pressboard interface

Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is a well-established technology used across a variety of industries. Due to its inherently low sample rates at detection ranges of a couple hundred metres or more, at face value, it appears ineffective for Partial Discharge (PD) detection and therefore has not been previously used. However, in this publication, we show that aliasing effects due to the DAS sampling methods successfully down-sample the higher frequency acoustic emissions and can provide detection of PD above 120 pC under treeing discharge across an oil-pressboard interface. This is supported with comparisons between DAS, high-sample rate acoustic sensors, as well as industry standard electrical measurements. Synchronization between the different measurement systems is achieved allowing for sample-to-sample comparison as well as a more statistical approach. We additionally show Phase Resolved Partial Discharge (PRPD) analysis can be applied to the DAS results with an additional voltage zero-crossing synchronisation signal, with a clear resemblance to electrical methods

Valuing a Test for Nitrogen Status in Rice

Nitrogen is a crucial input for the efficient production of rice and is generally applied in two split treatments, before flooding the rice paddocks at sowing time and within a week after the beginning of the panicle initiation stage. There is no pre-sowing test to estimate nitrogen requirements and farmers use cropping history to make this decision. The aim of this study was to first value the information to growers provided by a nitrogen test for soils of rice paddocks and then estimate the returns to the industry from investments in R&D to develop this test. In our approach the information provided by the test allowed growers to revise their expectations about soil nitrogen status according to Bayesian decision theory and consequently to use nitrogen more profitably. We found that the test is likely to provide information potentially valuable to growers at around $2/ha and that research in developing the test has been a profitable investment for the Rice CRC with a benefit cost ratio just above one. As the accuracy of the test is improved to current industry standards, its use will become more profitable

Economic Analysis of Improving Cold Tolerance in Rice in Australia

The occurrence of low night temperatures during reproductive development is one of the factors most limiting rice yields in southern Australia. Yield losses due to cold temperature are the result of incomplete pollen formation and subsequent floret sterility. Researchers have found that in 75% of years, rice farmers suffer losses between 0.5 and 2.5 t/ha. Research is being undertaken to identify overseas rice varieties, that are cold tolerant under the local weather conditions and by using those genotypes as parent material, develop cold tolerance varieties of rice. A yield simulation model was used to measure reduction in losses due to cold at different minimum threshold temperatures, while the SAMBOY Rice model was used to measure the costs and returns of a breeding program for cold tolerance. The results of the economic analysis reveal that new cold tolerant varieties would lead to significant increase in financial benefits through reduction in losses due to cold, and an increase in yield from the better use on nitrogen by the cold tolerant varieties. The returns to investment on the research project are estimated to be high