USER'S GUIDE - GENERAL WEED MANAGEMENT MODEL VERSION 1.0 - DECEMBER 1994

Crop Production/Industries,

Spoken language processing: piecing together the puzzle

Attempting to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying spoken language processing, whether it is viewed as behaviour exhibited by human beings or as a faculty simulated by machines, is one of the greatest scientific challenges of our age. Despite tremendous achievements over the past 50 or so years, there is still a long way to go before we reach a comprehensive explanation of human spoken language behaviour and can create a technology with performance approaching or exceeding that of a human being. It is argued that progress is hampered by the fragmentation of the field across many different disciplines, coupled with a failure to create an integrated view of the fundamental mechanisms that underpin one organism's ability to communicate with another. This paper weaves together accounts from a wide variety of different disciplines concerned with the behaviour of living systems - many of them outside the normal realms of spoken language - and compiles them into a new model: PRESENCE (PREdictive SENsorimotor Control and Emulation). It is hoped that the results of this research will provide a sufficient glimpse into the future to give breath to a new generation of research into spoken language processing by mind or machine. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

QCD and strongly coupled gauge theories : challenges and perspectives

We highlight the progress, current status, and open challenges of QCD-driven physics, in theory and in experiment. We discuss how the strong interaction is intimately connected to a broad sweep of physical problems, in settings ranging from astrophysics and cosmology to strongly coupled, complex systems in particle and condensed-matter physics, as well as to searches for physics beyond the Standard Model. We also discuss how success in describing the strong interaction impacts other fields, and, in turn, how such subjects can impact studies of the strong interaction. In the course of the work we offer a perspective on the many research streams which flow into and out of QCD, as well as a vision for future developments.Peer reviewe

Fine Particulate Matter and Wildland Fire Smoke: Integrating Air Quality, Fire Management, and Policy in the California Sierra Nevada

Wildland fire is an important component to ecological health in the Sierra Nevada. It is essential to understand smoke impacts from full suppression policy that has produced a smoke averse public if this natural process is restored to the landscape. Smoke is easily visible and has air quality impacts easy to assess with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) monitoring. Little research has been done to understand the benefits of managing ecologically beneficial wildland fire smoke. This dissertation looks at particulate matter in the Sierra Nevada in the context of fire management through prescribed, managed, and full suppression. Mobile particulate monitors, widely used as temporary smoke monitors throughout California, are assessed for their validity in comparative analysis with federal compliance monitors. The 2011 Lion Fire, a managed fire on federal wilderness, is used as a case study for smoke impacts. Fine particulate matter data from urban areas of the Central Valley to rural communities near the fire are analyzed for human health exposure. A permanent fine particulate monitoring site mid-elevation in the Sierra Nevada is used to assess wildland fire smoke impacts across the landscape over time. Implications and improvements to fire and air policy and regulations are discussed to attempt to merge short and long term public health goals

Fine Particulate Matter and Wildland Fire Smoke: Integrating Air Quality, Fire Management, and Policy in the California Sierra Nevada

Wildland fire is an important component to ecological health in the Sierra Nevada. It is essential to understand smoke impacts from full suppression policy that has produced a smoke averse public if this natural process is restored to the landscape. Smoke is easily visible and has air quality impacts easy to assess with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) monitoring. Little research has been done to understand the benefits of managing ecologically beneficial wildland fire smoke. This dissertation looks at particulate matter in the Sierra Nevada in the context of fire management through prescribed, managed, and full suppression. Mobile particulate monitors, widely used as temporary smoke monitors throughout California, are assessed for their validity in comparative analysis with federal compliance monitors. The 2011 Lion Fire, a managed fire on federal wilderness, is used as a case study for smoke impacts. Fine particulate matter data from urban areas of the Central Valley to rural communities near the fire are analyzed for human health exposure. A permanent fine particulate monitoring site mid-elevation in the Sierra Nevada is used to assess wildland fire smoke impacts across the landscape over time. Implications and improvements to fire and air policy and regulations are discussed to attempt to merge short and long term public health goals

Dietary patterns related to total mortality and cancer mortality in the United States.

PurposeThis study investigated the association between dietary patterns, total mortality, and cancer mortality in the United States.MethodsWe identified the four major dietary patterns at baseline from 13,466 participants of the NHANES III cohort using principal component analysis (PCA). Dietary patterns were categorized into 'prudent' (fruits and vegetables), 'western' (red meat, sweets, pastries, oils), 'traditional' (red meat, legumes, potatoes, bread), and 'fish and alcohol'. We estimated hazard ratios for total mortality, and cancer mortality using Cox regression models.ResultsA total of 4,963 deaths were documented after a mean follow-up of 19.59 years. Higher adherence to the 'prudent' pattern was associated with the lowest risk of total mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.98), with evidence that all-cause mortality decreased as consumption of the pattern increased. No evidence was found that the 'prudent' pattern reduced cancer mortality. The 'western' and the 'traditional' patterns were associated with up to 22% and 16% increased risk for total mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11-1.34; and 5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06-1.27, respectively), and up to 33% and 15% increased risk for cancer mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.10-1.62; and 5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.24, respectively). The associations between adherence to the 'fish and alcohol' pattern and total mortality, and cancer mortality were not statistically significant.ConclusionHigher adherence to the 'prudent' diet decreased the risk of all-cause mortality but did not affect cancer mortality. Greater adherence to the 'western' and 'traditional' diet increased the risk of total mortality and mortality due to cancer

Dietary patterns related to total mortality and cancer mortality in the United States.

PurposeThis study investigated the association between dietary patterns, total mortality, and cancer mortality in the United States.MethodsWe identified the four major dietary patterns at baseline from 13,466 participants of the NHANES III cohort using principal component analysis (PCA). Dietary patterns were categorized into 'prudent' (fruits and vegetables), 'western' (red meat, sweets, pastries, oils), 'traditional' (red meat, legumes, potatoes, bread), and 'fish and alcohol'. We estimated hazard ratios for total mortality, and cancer mortality using Cox regression models.ResultsA total of 4,963 deaths were documented after a mean follow-up of 19.59 years. Higher adherence to the 'prudent' pattern was associated with the lowest risk of total mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.98), with evidence that all-cause mortality decreased as consumption of the pattern increased. No evidence was found that the 'prudent' pattern reduced cancer mortality. The 'western' and the 'traditional' patterns were associated with up to 22% and 16% increased risk for total mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.11-1.34; and 5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06-1.27, respectively), and up to 33% and 15% increased risk for cancer mortality (5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.10-1.62; and 5th vs. 1st quintile HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.24, respectively). The associations between adherence to the 'fish and alcohol' pattern and total mortality, and cancer mortality were not statistically significant.ConclusionHigher adherence to the 'prudent' diet decreased the risk of all-cause mortality but did not affect cancer mortality. Greater adherence to the 'western' and 'traditional' diet increased the risk of total mortality and mortality due to cancer