Use Of A Tree Growth Regulator To Manage Vegetation Near Overhead Power Lines

The intent of this study was to determine if paclobutrazol could effectively reduce the growth rate of trees interfering with overhead power lines. American elm, hackberry, silver maple, post oak, and sycamore were observed on 250 different locations to determine the effect paclobutrazol had in reducing annual growth. The trees were located on five different soil types to gauge any discrepancies. Visual observations were made on all trees treated with paclobutrazol and compared to untreated trees of the same species on the same locations to determine annual growth reduction. Paclobutrazol was effective in reducing annual growth of all trees for up to three years after the treatment date. Trees treated within four months of observation did not show any response to paclobutrazol. Soil type did not affect branch growth of any species treated with paclobutrazol. Also, no direct relationship between tree diameter and growth reduction was apparent.Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Managemen

A Spiritual Disciplines-Based Discipleship Curriculum for the Local Church

The practice of the spiritual disciplines in local Baptist churches is in decline, and there does not exist a curriculum designed to implement the disciplines into the public teaching ministry of the local church. The purpose of this project is to design, implement, and evaluate such a curriculum, with respect to participants\u27 understanding of, motivation to practice, and perceived effectiveness in, ten key spiritual disciplines. The curriculum is evaluated by a diagnostic tool based on Bloom\u27s Taxonomy, and is intended to measure increases in knowledge, motivation, and effectiveness

Producing Maple Syrup From Boxelder and Norway Maple Trees

In Utah, two common tappable maple species are boxelder, sometimes called ashleaf maple (Acer negundo), and Norway maple (Acer platanoides). Both species are abundant throughout the state, with the former primarily found in natural mid-elevation canyons and the latter extensively planted in urban landscapes. Maple syrup is a natural source of sugar and can be used in many recipes to make yummy treats and foods. The best part is that it is relatively easy to obtain and simple to make. This fact sheet reviews the syrup-making process

Comparing visions for CAP reforms post 2015: Farmer intentions and farm bio-economic modelling

This paper illustrates the impacts of two of the potential CAP reform post 2015 scenarios using an optimising farm level model and compares results with farmers’ perception about the policy changes, captured in a farmer intentions survey. The model results suggest that beef farms suffer a loss in farm net margins under fully decoupled (up to -21%) as well as under partially decoupled scenario (up to -19%) compared to current historical single farm payments. The model also shows that farm respond by reducing the number of beef animals on farm by up to 5%. However, under a partial decoupled scenario, beef farms increase calf numbers by 15% to benefit from coupled calf payment. A survey of 1,400 beef producers with respect to their intentions toward 2020 was conducted in the Summer of 2013. A set of hypothetical payment scenarios was used to test self-reported response to a number of scenarios related to expanding and extensifying. These were compared with the modelling results and found a range of responses which could, we argue, be used for future calibration and ‘sense-checking’ of results within future modelling strategies

Accommodation responds to changing contrast of long, middle and short spectral-waveband components of the retinal image

AbstractWe simulated the effects of longitudinal (axial) chromatic aberration and defocus on contrast of the long-, middle- and short-wavelength components of the retinal image to determine whether the effects of chromatic aberration are sufficient to drive accommodation. Accommodation was monitored continuously while subjects (12) viewed a 3 c/deg white sine-wave grating (0.92 contrast) in a Badal stimulus system. The contrasts (amplitudes) of the red, green and blue components of the white grating changed independently to simulate a grating oscillating from 1 D behind the retina to 1 D in front of the retina at 0.2 Hz. Subjects responded strongly to the chromatic simulation but poorly to a luminance control. The results support the hypothesis that focus is specified by the contrast of spectral-wavebands of the retinal image, and that conventional color mechanisms, monitoring chromatic contrast at luminance borders (1–8 c/deg), mediate the signals that specify dioptric vergence

Maple Sap Collection and Sap Processing Systems

Starting a maple syrup operation as a hobby or a business can be a daunting task. This fact sheet can help a new maple syrup producer get started on their sugaring journey with information on sap collection methods and processing equipment

First geodetic observations using new VLBI stations ASKAP-29 and WARK12M

We report the results of a successful 7 hour 1.4 GHz VLBI experiment using two new stations, ASKAP-29 located in Western Australia and WARK12M located on the North Island of New Zealand. This was the first geodetic VLBI observing session with the participation of these new stations. We have determined the positions of ASKAP-29 and WARK12M. Random errors on position estimates are 150-200 mm for the vertical component and 40-50 mm for the horizontal component. Systematic errors caused by the unmodeled ionosphere path delay may reach 1.3 m for the vertical component.Comment: 11 pages, 6 flgures, 4 table

LMNA variants cause cytoplasmic distribution of nuclear pore proteins in Drosophila and human muscle

Mutations in the human LMNA gene, encoding A-type lamins, give rise to laminopathies, which include several types of muscular dystrophy. Here, heterozygous sequence variants in LMNA, which result in single amino-acid substitutions, were identified in patients exhibiting muscle weakness. To assess whether the substitutions altered lamin function, we performed in vivo analyses using a Drosophila model. Stocks were generated that expressed mutant forms of the Drosophila A-type lamin modeled after each variant. Larvae were used for motility assays and histochemical staining of the body-wall muscle. In parallel, immunohistochemical analyses were performed on human muscle biopsy samples from the patients. In control flies, muscle-specific expression of the wild-type A-type lamin had no apparent affect. In contrast, expression of the mutant A-type lamins caused dominant larval muscle defects and semi-lethality at the pupal stage. Histochemical staining of larval body wall muscle revealed that the mutant A-type lamin, B-type lamins, the Sad1p, UNC-84 domain protein Klaroid and nuclear pore complex proteins were mislocalized to the cytoplasm. In addition, cytoplasmic actin filaments were disorganized, suggesting links between the nuclear lamina and the cytoskeleton were disrupted. Muscle biopsies from the patients showed dystrophic histopathology and architectural abnormalities similar to the Drosophila larvae, including cytoplasmic distribution of nuclear envelope proteins. These data provide evidence that the Drosophila model can be used to assess the function of novel LMNA mutations and support the idea that loss of cellular compartmentalization of nuclear proteins contributes to muscle disease pathogenesis