Atmospheric transmission in the region from 16.75 to 20.95 micrometers

Atmospheric transmission analysis from solar spectrum observations covering 16.75 to 20.95 micrometers region on Bigelow Mountain, Arizon

The impact of rain water on soil pore networks following irrigation with saline-sodic water

The soil pore network is an important factor affecting soil hydraulic conductivity (Ksat). In this study we examine the effect on the soil pore network of a Red Ferrosol caused by irrigation with good quality irrigation water (GQW), as well as saline-sodic water with varying sodium absorption ratios (SAR; 10, 50 and 120) and constant electrical conductivity (EC; 2 dS m-1), followed by application of distilled water (simulating rain water). The Ksat was measured for the different waters before and after applying the rain water to the soil. Soil samples were taken from different depths (1, 4 and 8 cm) for exchangeable cations measurement and the changes in ESP of the soil. Soil horizontal cross-sections were taken from the first 2 cm of the soil cores after drying with acetone and impregnation with polyester resin mixed with green fluorescent dye catalyst and hardener. These sections were polished and visualized under a microscope to investigate the changes in the soil pore network. By increasing the SAR of the water applied from 0.11 (GQW) to SAR 50 and 120, a significant reduction in Ksat was found, alongside a significant increase in the ESP of the soil from 3 to 10 and 11, respectively; this was most evident near the soil surface. After applying rain water, the Ksat reduced significantly approaching 0 mm h-1 where soil was treated with water of SAR 120. Visualisation of the soil pore network of the treated soils following the application of deionised water clearly showed a reduction in soil macroporosity where water quality of SAR ≥10 was applied, even where soils were non-sodic. Where irrigation occurred with good quality, low SAR water, this reduction was not evident

Australian Aboriginal land rights in transition (Part II): The legislative response to the High Court's Native Title decisions in MABO v. Queensland and WIK v. Queensland

This article is the second of a series of two articles which review and assess the development of indigenous land rights law in Australia over the last decade

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen correlations between two uniformly accelerated oscillators

We consider the quantum correlations, i.e. the entanglement, between two systems uniformly accelerated with identical acceleration a in opposite Rindler quadrants which have reached thermal equilibrium with the Unruh heat bath. To this end we study an exactly soluble model consisting of two oscillators coupled to a massless scalar field in 1+1 dimensions. We find that for some values of the parameters the oscillators get entangled shortly after the moment of closest approach. Because of boost invariance there are an infinite set of pairs of positions where the oscillators are entangled. The maximal entanglement between the oscillators is found to be approximately 1.4 entanglement bits.Comment: 11 page

Evaluation of the Building a Healthy Future Programme

At Mind, we define resilience as an individual’s ability to deal with and adapt to challenging circumstances, and stay mentally well. We’ve identified three elements we believe lie at the heart of resilience: wellbeing, social connections and having ways to cope with difficult events. It is well established that people with long-term physical health conditions (LTC) are at greater risk of developing mental health problems than the general population. Building on its work to increase the resilience of other at risk groups, Mind has developed a six-week course that aims to improve the wellbeing, resilience, and confidence to self-manage of people with heart conditions, diabetes, and arthritis. Funded by the Department of Health’s Innovation, Excellence and Strategic Development fund (IESD), a pilot of the programme was delivered in two locations – Birmingham and Manchester – between September 2014 and March 2016. 248 participants completed all six session of the course and a further 220 attended at least one session but did not complete the whole course. Manchester Mind recruited almost double the number of participants of Birmingham Mind (340 and 128 respectively). However, a lower proportion of participants completed the course in Manchester (46%) than in Birmingham (72%)

Developing the use of diagrammatic representations in primary mathematics through professional development

Background: The research on diagrammatic representations highlights their importance for the teaching and learning of mathematics. However, the empirical evidence to support their use in the classroom is mixed and somewhat lacking. Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop the use of diagrammatic representations of mathematical concepts in primary classrooms, through introducing primary teachers to the research literature in this area, and researching the subsequent impact on children and teachers. A professional development programme was designed, involving three one-day training sessions for mathematics co-ordinators. They were asked to implement the ideas from the training back in their schools. Sample: Mathematics co-ordinators from eight primary schools attended the professional development programme. The study focussed on Year 3 pupils (aged seven–eight) and Year 5 pupils (aged nine–10). Design and methods: In this paper, we report the qualitative findings from the larger project looking at the overall impact of the professional development programme. The paper focuses on semi-structured interviews carried out with the mathematics co-ordinators attending the professional development sessions, and the Year 3 and Year 5 class teachers who subsequently worked with the co-ordinators on their use of diagrammatic representations in their teaching of mathematics. Lesson observations involving the class teachers were also carried out in order to explore further the possible impact of the project on classroom practice. Results: The qualitative results identified the impact of the project on mathematics co-ordinators and class teachers’ knowledge and practice. However, the nature of this impact was complex, with a variety of facilitating and hindering factors identified for the transfer of the professional development ideas on the use of diagrammatic representations. In addition, different levels of sophistication of class teachers’ use of diagrammatic representations were identified. Conclusions: Implications for the development of professional development programmes to facilitate the transfer of research into practice were identified. Recommendations for the use of diagrammatic representations are also put forward

Estimating the furrow infiltration characteristic from a single advance point

Management and control of surface irrigation, in particular furrow irrigation, is limited by spatio-temporal soil infiltration variability as well as the high cost and time associated with collecting intensive field data for estimation of the infiltration characteristics. Recent work has proposed scaling the commonly used infiltration function by using a model infiltration curve and a single advance point for every other furrow in an irrigation event. Scaling factors were calculated for a series of furrows at two sites and at four points down the length of the field (0.25 L, 0.5 L, 0.75 L and L). Differences in the value of the scaling factor with distance were found to be a function of the shape of the advance curves. It is concluded that use of points early in the advance results in a substantial loss of accuracy and should be avoided. The scaling factor was also strongly correlated with the furrow-wetted perimeter suggesting that the scaling is an appropriate way of both predicting and accommodating the effect of the hydraulic variability

The impact of Clinical Nurse Specialists on the decision making process in cancer multidisciplinary team meetings: A qualitative study

PURPOSE: There are well-documented barriers to nurse participation in cancer multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings. This paper aims to identify the approaches used by Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) in this setting to contribute during discussion, and to consider the impact of these approaches on the decision making process. In doing so it aims to highlight ways that CNSs can increase their influence, and enhance multidisciplinary engagement. METHODS: This study is based on analysis of observation data from 122 MDT meetings in gynaecology, haematology and skin cancer MDTs. Field notes were reviewed, identifying 58 cases where CNSs contributed to MDT discussion. Audio recordings of the relevant sections were then transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Five approaches were used by CNSs to contribute in MDT meetings: sharing information, asking questions, providing practical suggestions, framing and using humour. These approaches influenced three key intermediary processes identified during the analysis ('successful contributions'): prompting discussion, influencing a treatment plan and facilitating teamwork. CNSs contributed successfully in cases where medical factors (such as relapsed disease or complex comorbidities) or non-medical factors (such as strong patient preference), had the potential to impact on the ability of teams to deliver treatment. CONCLUSIONS: CNSs have an important role in cancer MDT meetings. By focusing on a subset of cases where CNSs contributed during MDT discussion, this study has provided an insight into approaches that can be adopted by CNSs to increase their influence on the decision making process, enabling teams to capitalise on their knowledge and expertise in MDT meetings

Selecting Site Suitable for Animal Waste Application using a Vector GIS

Due to the increase in the number and size of intensive animal industries (IAI) in many parts of the world including Australia, the disposal of animal waste has become a pressing environmental problem. Frequently the wastes generated at IAI are conveniently, favourably, and cost-effectively applied to the nearby agricultural fields to recycle manure nutrients. However, excessive application of wastes in the nearby fields without due consideration of site-specific factors (eg. slope, soil, and watercourses) has resulted in the run-off and leaching losses of manure nutrients causing agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution (He and Shi, 1998). The agricultural NPS pollution has contributed significantly to the eutrophication and toxic blue green algae blooms in many river systems including Murray-Darling, where world's largest toxic riverine algal bloom was recorded in 1991 (Kuhn, 1993). Hence it has become crucial to develop an animal waste application guide (i.e. a site suitability map) by considering biophysical and socio-economic factors to minimise the environmental hazards. Developing such a map requires consideration of many factors and their spatial variability. Geographic information system (GIS)offers site suitability analysis techniques that are capable of processing large volumes of spatial data (Davis, 1996). The objective of this study is to develop a suitability map using a vector GIS, and to evaluate the factor sensitivity and aptness of this technique in selecting suitable sites for animal waste application

Quantifying landscape fragmentation in the Lockyer Valley Catchment, Queensland: 1973 – 1997

Fragmentation has become a central issue in landscape ecology and conservation. The breaking up of large land areas into smaller patches is known to influence many ecological patterns and processes. Thus, landscape fragmentation needs to be assessed and monitored. In this study of the Lockyer Creek Catchment in Queensland, landscape fragmentation was quantified using 1973 and 1997 Landsat images and other thematic layers. Landscape metrics (focusing on the size, shape, density, and isolation of woody vegetation) were calculated using the Patch Analyst (Grid) extension of ArcView GIS. The nature of fragmentation was further characterised based on landscape features including land use/cover, tenure, slope, as well as distance to roads and streams