Modeling biomass flows at the farm level: a discussion support tool for farmers.

Many simulation models that are used to assess the impact of mixed farming systems have a high level of complexity that is not suitable for teaching farmers about the impacts of their practices.DOI: 10.1051/agro/2009047

The Portuguese-speaking community in Lambeth: a scoping study

This report presents the findings from research with the Portuguese-speaking community in Lambeth commissioned by the London Community Foundation. It is designed to inform the work of the Lambeth Community Fund Grant Committee which makes decisions regarding the distribution the Portuguese Speakers Community Fund. Based mainly on semi-structured, face to face interviews with community representatives and local service providers, it provides a snapshot of the Portuguese-speaking community in Lambeth, its make-up, needs and support structure

Critical dynamics, duality, and the exact dynamic exponent in extreme type II superconductors

The critical dynamics of superconductors is studied using renormalization group and duality arguments. We show that in extreme type II superconductors the dynamic critical exponent is given exactly by $z=3/2$. This result does not rely on the widely used models of critical dynamics. Instead, it is shown that $z=3/2$ follows from the duality between the extreme type II superconductor and a model with a critically fluctuating gauge field. Our result is in agreement with Monte Carlo simulations.Comment: 7 pages, no figures; version accepted for publication in PR

Observing Grasping Actions Directed to Emotion-Laden Objects: Effects upon Corticospinal Excitability

The motor system is recruited whenever one executes an action as well as when one observes the same action being executed by others. Although it is well established that emotion modulates the motor system, the effect of observing other individuals acting in an emotional context is particularly elusive. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect induced by the observation of grasping directed to emotion-laden objects upon corticospinal excitability (CSE). Participants classified video-clips depicting the right-hand of an actor grasping emotion-laden objects. Twenty video-clips differing in terms of valence but balanced in arousal level were selected. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were then recorded from the first dorsal interosseous using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) while the participants observed the selected emotional video-clips. During the video-clip presentation, TMS pulses were randomly applied at one of two different time points of grasping: (1) maximum grip aperture, and (2) object contact time. CSE was higher during the observation of grasping directed to unpleasant objects compared to pleasant ones. These results indicate that when someone observes an action of grasping directed to emotion-laden objects, the effect of the object valence promotes a specific modulation over the motor system.Fil: Nogueira Campos, Anaelli A.. Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora; BrasilFil: Saunier, Ghislain. Universidade Federal do Pará; BrasilFil: Della Maggiore, Valeria Monica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay; ArgentinaFil: De Oliveira, Laura A. S.. Centro Universitário Augusto Motta; BrasilFil: Rodrigues, Erika C.. Centro Universitário Augusto Motta; BrasilFil: Vargas, Claudia D.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasi

Dimensional Reduction applied to QCD at three loops

Dimensional Reduction is applied to \qcd{} in order to compute various renormalization constants in the \drbar{} scheme at higher orders in perturbation theory. In particular, the $\beta$ function and the anomalous dimension of the quark masses are derived to three-loop order. Special emphasis is put on the proper treatment of the so-called $\epsilon$-scalars and the additional couplings which have to be considered.Comment: 13 pages, minor changes, references adde

Testing physiologically-based resource allocation rules in laboratory experiments with Daphnia magna Straus

The rules governing the allocation of available resources to varying physiological processes are evaluated in three physiologically-based models of individual Daphnia. In laboratory experiments using a single clone, subjected to varying regimes of food deprivation, growth was found to vary inversely with food level, ceasing in the absence of food, implying that growth allocation is derived directly from food. Reproductive investment was reduced under food deprivation, ceasing at low food levels. By exposing juvenile and adult daphnia to varying food deprivation regimens during different periods within their intermoult interval, it was shown that instar durations vary as a function of body size and food availability independent of the age of the animal. For the first time, the role of variable instar duration, which critically influences physiological processes such as growth, moulting and reproduction in adult females, that has been neglected by existing Daphnia models, is explicitly incorporated in a physiological allocation model. The consequent model provides a simplified framework for modelling the consequences of food deprivation in cladocerans which has important application in population modelling and environmental risk assessment.EC - STEP and Environment ProgrammesEV5V-CT91-0009EV5V-CT94-0422FCTPRAXIS programBritish Counci