QUANTIFYING WHITE-TAILED DEER DENSITY AND ITS IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) commonly consume row crops, with yield losses often attributed to their browsing. Deer density and field morphology may predict yield losses within local areas. We sought to 1) determine the effects of deer browsing on corn and soybean yields and investigate if deer density or field morphology correlated to yield loss in western Kentucky, and 2) compare pellet-based distance sampling to game camera surveys to determine if a distance sampling technique could accurately estimate deer density during the growing season. Overall, deer reduced corn and soybean yields on one-half of surveyed properties. Deer density did not influence yield losses in either crop; however, field morphology correlated with soybean yield losses. Pellet-based distance sampling provided statistically similar estimates as our game camera survey technique; however, at the individual farm level distance sampling estimates proved unreliable. Inaccurate model parameter (i.e., defecation rates) and inability to detect pellet groups in dense vegetation complicated the reliability of distance sampling models. Overall, yield losses from deer occur in western Kentucky and may be a localized event. Finally, game camera surveys should be used over pellet-based distance sampling during the growing season until detection issues and inaccurate model parameters are solved

Viewing the child as a participant within context

This paper explores tensions between the social nature of learning and the current emphasis upon individual support. It contrasts the focus upon context in discussions with parents and practitioners with the focus upon the individual within formal and informal written documents. This is situated within the first author’s experiences as a parent researcher, drawing upon ethnographic research carried out with families involved in early intervention and an evaluation of over 150 pages of documentation supplied by a father involved within the research in relation to his son. It identifies the need for assessment and evaluation to focus upon and record the broad range of context which influences learning. Points of interest • Practitioners and parents are aware of the many contextual factors which affect their capacity to support children. • Parents and practitioners informally discuss issues arising from many contexts but not as a formal part of assessment, funding and support decisions. • The focus on the individual in formal and informal written reports excludes the context and subsequently works against the social nature of learning. • Requiring a broad range of contexts to be focussed upon and recorded within assessment has the potential to benefit everyone involved in learning

Heralding two- and four-photon path entanglement on chip

Generating quantum entanglement is not only an important scientific endeavor, but will be essential to realizing quantum-enhanced technologies, in particular, quantum-enhanced measurements with precision beyond classical limits. We investigate the heralded generation of multiphoton entanglement for quantum metrology using a reconfigurable integrated waveguide device in which projective measurement of auxiliary photons heralds the generation of path-entangled states. We use four and six-photon inputs, to analyze the heralding process of two- and four-photon NOON states-a superposition of N photons in two paths, capable of enabling phase supersensitive measurements at the Heisenberg limit. Realistic devices will include imperfections; as part of the heralded state preparation, we demonstrate phase superresolution within our chip with a state that is more robust to photon loss

Modeling Agglomeration of Dust Particles in Plasma

The charge on an aggregate immersed in a plasma environment distributes itself over the aggregate's surface; this can be approximated theoretically by assuming a multipole distribution. The dipole-dipole (or higher order) charge interactions between fractal aggregates lead to rotations of the grains as they interact. Other properties of the dust grains also influence the agglomeration process, such as the monomer shape (spherical or ellipsoidal) or the presence of magnetic material. Finally, the plasma and grain properties also determine the morphology of the resultant aggregates. Porous and fluffy aggregates are more strongly coupled to the gas, leading to reduced collisional velocities, and greater collisional cross sections. These factors in turn can determine the growth rate of the aggregates and evolution of the dust cloud. This paper gives an overview of the numerical and experimental methods used to study dust agglomeration at CASPER and highlights some recent results

Vital Signs Trolley, Designing Out Medical Error (DOME) - Prototype design (2008-2011)

West was the lead researcher (PI, Myerson) on a multidisciplinary project with partners from Imperial College London to improve patient safety in the hospital bed space. West conducted and coordinated research between RCA designers (West and Davey) and clinicians, psychologists, patient safety experts and process management academics in Imperial College London. West led on drawing evidence from how analogous industries manage risky processes such as mining, chemical, oil exploration, shipping and construction, to find new ways of reducing systemic error on surgical hospital wards. This research developed a number of design interventions in the hospital bed space. West developed the Vital Signs Trolley as a direct result of the analogous industries study and collaboration with clinical partners. He found that the main problem with the trolley, which measures vital signs such as blood pressure and temperature, is that data is not captured accurately, the unit is hard to clean and its trailing wires spread infection. West’s new trolley has an easy-clean design, an improved cable management system and a digital transcription system to avoid errors. The design was refined for manufacture in collaboration with an industrial partner, Humanscale. The thinking behind the Vital Signs Trolley built on West’s previous work on the award winning Resus-Station (2006-2008), a resuscitation trolley that is now in clinical trials. West presented the DOME interventions, including the Vital Signs Trolley, at the ‘World Congress on Design and Health’ (USA, 2011) and published ‘Taking ergonomics to the bedside – A multi-disciplinary approach to designing safer healthcare’ in Applied Ergonomics, October 2013 (West REF Output 1)