Is China Losing Their Colonialist Grasp On Africa?

poster abstractThe purpose of this research is to identify whether China’s “colonialist” grasp on Africa is on the decline. This research is important because China and Africa’s business relationship is a multibillion operation and if this relationship was ever to waver in any shape or form, then opportunities could arise for other countries around the world. The research was collected utilizing different databases, which consisted of scholarly research relating to this topic. For many years China has kept close relations with the different African countries and has been Africa’s biggest trading partner since 2009, surpassing the United States. Because of China’s thirst for natural resources, they have turned their attention to Africa in order to acquire some them of their crude oil, raw materials, and their abundant supply of natural resources. Since the late 1990s when China started to rapidly modify their business strategy with Africa, they have since been called “the new colonialists” because of this never-ending thirst for resources they are unable to produce on their own, and as a result, both China and Africa have benefitted significantly. Africa’s economy has improved greatly in the years since China became fully immersed in the continent, and the African middle class is increasing as well due to this fact. Although in recent years relations between the two have become cautious due to many factors. The Chinese workers in Africa have been demanding larger wages, while the African people and businesses are starting to mistrust the Chinese. Thus, resulting in protest and even violence, as well as protests also within China because of the large consumption of resources Chinese companies have consumed. This has contributed to China’s already existing environmental issues. Both sides are working diligently to figure out solutions to these problems, and this research aids in explaining whether those efforts are in vain or not

Durum – mechanisms of yield and grain protein improvements

Non-Peer Reviewe

Modeling leaf appearance rate for Canada Western Red Spring wheat cultivars

Non-Peer Reviewe

Fitting the curve in Excel®:Systematic curve fitting of laboratory and remotely sensed planetary spectra

Spectroscopy in planetary science often provides the only information regarding the compositional and mineralogical make up of planetary surfaces. The methods employed when curve fitting and modelling spectra can be confusing and difficult to visualize and comprehend. Researchers who are new to working with spectra may find inadequate help or documentation in the scientific literature or in the software packages available for curve fitting. This problem also extends to the parameterization of spectra and the dissemination of derived metrics. Often, when derived metrics are reported, such as band centres, the discussion of exactly how the metrics were derived, or if there was any systematic curve fitting performed, is not included. Herein we provide both recommendations and methods for curve fitting and explanations of the terms and methods used. Techniques to curve fit spectral data of various types are demonstrated using simple-to-understand mathematics and equations written to be used in Microsoft Excel® software, free of macros, in a cut-and-paste fashion that allows one to curve fit spectra in a reasonably user-friendly manner. The procedures use empirical curve fitting, include visualizations, and ameliorates many of the unknowns one may encounter when using black-box commercial software. The provided framework is a comprehensive record of the curve fitting parameters used, the derived metrics, and is intended to be an example of a format for dissemination when curve fitting data

Elemental Composition and Chemical Evolution of Geologic Materials in Gale Crater, Mars: APXS Results From Bradbury Landing to the Vera Rubin Ridge

The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) on the rover Curiosity has analyzed the composition of geologic materials along a >20-km traverse in Gale crater on Mars. The APXS dataset after 6.5 Earth years (2,301 sols) includes 712 analyses of soil, sand, float, bedrock, and drilled/scooped fines. We present the APXS results over this duration and provide stratigraphic context for each target. We identify the best APXS measurement of each of the 22 drilled and scooped samples that were delivered to the instruments Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin; X-ray diffractometer) and Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM; mass spectrometer and gas chromatograph) during this period. The APXS results demonstrate that the basaltic and alkali-rich units in the Bradbury group (sols 0-750) show minimal alteration indicating an arid climate. In contrast, the Murray formation of the Mount Sharp group (sols ∼750-2,301) has compositions indicating pervasive alteration. Diagenetic features are common and show fluid interaction with the sediment after (and possibly during) lithification. A sandstone unit, the Stimson formation, overlies part of the Murray formation. This has a composition similar to the basaltic sand and soil, suggesting a shared source. Cross-cutting, fracture-associated haloes are evidence of late-stage fluid alteration after lithification of the sediment. The APXS dataset, evaluated in concert with the full science payload of Curiosity, indicates that Gale crater was habitable, and that liquid water was stable for extended periods.We are indebted to NASA-JPL, the Canadian Space Agency, and Australian Research Council (DP150104604) for supporting our work and the MSL mission. A portion of this study was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

AGENT ORANGE‐INDUCED Anaplastic Large‐Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) with Cutaneous Involvement

Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a CD30 + lymphoproliferative disorder that may manifest with skin involvement.1 We present a rare case of Agent Orange-induced ALCL with cutaneous involvement of the hand, surgical excision, and follow-up treatment