Vegetation and other parameters in the Brevard County bar-built estuaries

It is shown that low-altitude aerial photography, using specific interpretive techniques, can effectively delineate sea-grass beds, oyster beds, and other underwater features. Various techniques were used on several sets of aerial imagery. Imagery was tested using several data analysis methods, ground truth, and biological testing. Approximately 45,000 acres of grass beds, 2,500 acres of oyster beds, and 4,200 acres of dredged canals were mapped. This data represents selected sites only. Areas chosen have the highest quality water in Brevard County and are among the most highly recognized biologically productive waters in Florida

Stone roller as mowing aid

The Avondale Research Station is situated on land typical of many thousands of -*- acres of the Avon Valley—jam, wattle and York-gum country liberally dotted with stony outcrops. Despite the expenditure over the years of many man-hours on stone-picking:, the cutting of meadow hay was always a task involving frayed tempers, loss of time and a heavy bill for replacements of mower parts. Small stones, which were of no consequence in the working of a paddock with other types of machinery, jammed the mower knives with exasperating frequency. It was not a practicable proposition to make hundreds of acres entirely stone-free, so following upon consultations with experienced farmers and engineers it was decided to test a heavy roller to press the stones into the ground before mowing, and incidentally to level out minor irregularities on the soil surface

Book reviews

Musgrave, P.W. (1992). From Humanity to Utility: Melbourne University and Public Examinations 1856-1964. Hawthorn: ACER. 340 pages. Batten, M, Marland, P. & Khamis, M. (1993). Knowing How to Teach Well: Teachers Reflect on Their Classroom Practice. Hawthorn: ACER Research Monograph, 84 pages. Griffin, P. (1991). Monitoring School Achievements. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 76 pages. Izard, J. (1991). Assessment of Learning in the Classroom. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 62 pages. Ormell, C. (1991). Behavioural Objectives in the Classroom. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 73 pages. Owens, A. (1991). Assessment in Specific Circumstances. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 46 pages. Withers, G. (1991). From Marks to Profiles and Records of Achievement. Geelong, Victoria: Deakin University Press. 74 pages. Brady, L. (1992). Curriculum Development (4th ed.). Sydney: Prentice-Hall, 308 pages

Re-analysis of ammonia spectra: Updating the HITRAN 14NH3 database

AbstractThe data incorporated in the HITRAN database for 14NH3 are analyzed using a comprehensive and consistent set of quantum numbers, empirical lower energy levels and the BYTe variationally calculated line list as reference points. Labelings are checked to ensure that they obey both the usual selection rules and the HITRAN labeling formalisms; the problems identified are corrected where possible. Further assignments are brought into question by combination difference (CD) checking of implied upper energy levels. The CD analysis yields an 89% complete 14NH3 energy level list up to 6610cm−1 and J=21, self-consistent to 0.1cm−1. In combination with the 1723 previously unassigned and unlabeled lines in HITRAN a total of 2529 problem lines were identified for re-analysis. The compiled energy level list was used to label and assign the set of problem transitions, resulting in a total of 249 new assignments and a further 368 new labelings. Assignment by comparison with the reference line list resulted in 111 further new line assignments and 14 new labelings. Intensities are checked against recent measurements and BYTe. New intensities are proposed for the ν2 band with new intensities and line positions for the 2ν2−ν2 and new line lists are created for the ν2−ν2, ν2−ν4 and ν4−ν4 bands. BYTe band intensities are analyzed to identify other regions of missing intensity

Detecting Dairy Cow Behavior Using Vision Technology

The aim of this study was to investigate using existing image recognition techniques to predict the behavior of dairy cows. A total of 46 individual dairy cows were monitored continuously under 24 h video surveillance prior to calving. The video was annotated for the behaviors of standing, lying, walking, shuffling, eating, drinking and contractions for each cow from 10 h prior to calving. A total of 19,191 behavior records were obtained and a non-local neural network was trained and validated on video clips of each behavior. This study showed that the non-local network used correctly classified the seven behaviors 80% or more of the time in the validated dataset. In particular, the detection of birth contractions was correctly predicted 83% of the time, which in itself can be an early warning calving alert, as all cows start contractions several hours prior to giving birth. This approach to behavior recognition using video cameras can assist livestock management

Genome-wide conserved consensus transcription factor binding motifs are hyper-methylated.

BACKGROUND: DNA methylation can regulate gene expression by modulating the interaction between DNA and proteins or protein complexes. Conserved consensus motifs exist across the human genome ("predicted transcription factor binding sites": "predicted TFBS") but the large majority of these are proven by chromatin immunoprecipitation and high throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) not to be biological transcription factor binding sites ("empirical TFBS"). We hypothesize that DNA methylation at conserved consensus motifs prevents promiscuous or disorderly transcription factor binding. RESULTS: Using genome-wide methylation maps of the human heart and sperm, we found that all conserved consensus motifs as well as the subset of those that reside outside CpG islands have an aggregate profile of hyper-methylation. In contrast, empirical TFBS with conserved consensus motifs have a profile of hypo-methylation. 40% of empirical TFBS with conserved consensus motifs resided in CpG islands whereas only 7% of all conserved consensus motifs were in CpG islands. Finally we further identified a minority subset of TF whose profiles are either hypo-methylated or neutral at their respective conserved consensus motifs implicating that these TF may be responsible for establishing or maintaining an un-methylated DNA state, or whose binding is not regulated by DNA methylation. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis supports the hypothesis that at least for a subset of TF, empirical binding to conserved consensus motifs genome-wide may be controlled by DNA methylation.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are