Advances in weed management for organic cereal production in southeast Australia

Organic cereal production in southeast Australia is challenging for producers due to a range of e of influences such as weeds and low soil available phosphorus. Two experiments were conducted on a certified organic property at Berrigan NSW during 2001-2003 to investigate ‘within crop’ weed management and forage crop management for weed control. Sowing later using a short season wheat cultivar did not affect yield and reduced (P<0.05) levels of annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.). Incorporating a forage crop into the rotation prior to sowing a cereal resulted in improved (P<0.05) weed management for the cereal crop, in comparison to retaining annual pasture. There were no differences between forage treatments in weed management in the following wheat crop. Where forage was cut for silage and then grazed, grain yield was higher (P<0.05) than where forage was only grazed or cut for silage, or where annual pasture was retained

The APM Galaxy Survey:- V. Catalogues of Galaxy Clusters

We describe the construction of catalogues of galaxy clusters from the APM Galaxy survey using an automated algorithm based on Abell-like selection criteria. We investigate the effects of varying several parameters in our selection algorithm, including the magnitude range, and radius from the cluster centre used to estimate the cluster richnesses. We quantify the accuracy of the photometric distance estimates by comparing with measured redshifts, and we investigate the stability and completeness of the resulting catalogues. We find that the angular correlation functions for different cluster catalogues are in good agreement with one another, and are also consistent with the observed amplitude of the spatial correlation function of rich clusters.Comment: 14 pages, PostScript, including 15 figures, submitted to MNRAS. Also available from ftp://ftp-astro.physics.ox.ac.uk/pub/gbd/papers/apm5.ps.g

Extremism and Its Effects on Idaho Legislation

The Capstone Project covers, through documented interviews and insights, practitioners, journalists, and researchers that have endeavored to recognize and reconcile the effects of extremism in Idaho legislation. The referenced articles and academic journals also shed light on how this is not unique to the Gem State and how it is manifesting and evolving within the United States. This paper describes my approaches to researching this topic and the challenges of its polarization and political realities. I cover how creating an innovative approach can bring together different perspectives. Emotional intelligence is vital in exploring a hot-button issue such as this. Awareness of one’s self and others helps to bolster the consideration of the audience and brings value to others who broach the subject matter. Implementing a creative framework nurtures a unique approach for the purposes of innovation to the project and accomplishment of the Capstone. This project not only satisfies my desire to bring clarity to the problem but to espouse its benefits and impact on the stakeholders

Management of subsidence at the Tasman and Abel Mines - issues and outcomes

Tasman and Abel Mines are underground pillar extraction coal mines located to the west of Newcastle, NSW. Tasman mine extracts coal from the Fassifern Seam in the Upper Newcastle Coal Measures and Abel Mine operates in the Upper Donaldson Seam to the north in the Tomago Coal Measures. Each mine apply a range of partial to total pillar extraction techniques depending on allowable impact limits to a broad range of sensitive surface features such as cliff lines, Schedule 2 creeks, Hunter Water lines, public recreation areas and walking tracks, broadcasting and 132/330 kV transmission towers, highly significant aboriginal heritage sites and an operating cattle agistment business. This paper will discuss the mine management responses required to deal with delayed softening of claystone floors, optic fibre cable relocation, irregular surface cracking and how surface and subsurface monitoring techniques were applied to validate subsidence predictions and modify mine design layouts to meet the required performance measures

Exploration of the Hydrogen Sulfide−Germanium Sulfide System

In the present work, the (x)H2S + (1−x)GeS2 system has been systematically investigated to determine the incorporation of hydrogen into the tetrahedral germanium sulfide network. Reactions between gaseous H2S and glassy-GeS2 have been explored over a range of temperatures and pressures. Reactions for shorter times and lower temperatures (ambient through 250 °C) produced the protonated thiogermanic acid H4Ge4S10 with an adamantane-like microstructure. In contrast, longer reaction times produced the unprotonated low-temperature three-dimensional α-GeS2 crystal structure. At higher temperatures (750 °C), sublimation reactions produced weakly protonated amorphous materials in the form of spherical particles (100 nm to a few μm). Structural characterizations of the obtained amorphous and crystalline materials have been performed using IR and Raman spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis, ac impedance spectroscopy, and SEM. Thermal mass loss measurements and quantitative IR of the S−H stretching region 2500 cm-1 were used to determine the amount of hydrogen incorporated into the GeS2 network

Synthesis and Characterization of the Thiogermanic Acids H4Ge4S10 and H2Ge4S9

The synthesis and structure of the thiogermanic acids H4Ge4S10 and H2Ge4S9 are reported. A novel preparation method consisting of reacting germanium oxide with liquid hydrogen sulfide containing a trace amount of water is used to form Ge4S104- ions. Evaporating the hydrogen sulfide solution at room temperature leaves an unstable H4Ge4S10·xH2O product. The stoichiometry and structure of the thermally stable anhydrous phase are dependent on reaction time. An H4Ge4S10 product with an adamantane-like cage structure is obtained at shorter reaction times. Longer reaction times produce an H2Ge4S9 product with a more complex cage unit, a higher symmetry unit cell, and increased thermal stability. Raman, infrared, powder X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric data are reported for both structures

Crystal Structure of Thiogermanic Acid H4Ge4S10

X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the thiogermanic acid H4Ge4S10 possesses discrete adamantane-like Ge4S104- complex anions. Each thioanion is composed of four corner shared GeS2.5- tetrahedral units. Crystals were grown from anhydrous liquid hydrogen sulfide reactions with glassy germanium sulfide at room temperature. The crystal structure was solved and refined from single crystal diffractometer data (Mo Kα radiation) obtained at 173 K. H4Ge4S10 is triclinic, centrosymmetric space group P1̄, with a = 8.621(4) Å, b = 9.899(4) Å,c = 10.009(4) Å, α = 85.963(7)°, β = 64.714(7)°, γ = 89.501(8)°, and Z = 2. Average bridging and terminal d̄(Ge−S) distances are 2.229 and 2.206 Å, respectively. Vibrational mode assignments are reported from Raman scattering and IR absorption spectra of polycrystalline samples. The νs(Ge−S−Ge) and νs(Ge−S-) stretching modes are observed at 354 and 405 cm-1, respectively

Quantum dot-labelled polymer beads by suspension polymerisation

CdSe quantum dots with polymerisable ligands have been incorporated into polystyrene beads, via a suspension polymerisation reaction, as a first step towards the optical encoding of solid supports for application in solid phase organic chemistry