Keeping Up with the Joneses: New Models to Support Developing Needs

The purpose of this paper is to explore models that may improve interdisciplinary collection strategies. Practical alternatives and expansions to existing services that can be explored without the burden of irreversible consequences will be discussed. This paper is intended more so as a conversation starter about altering our thought processes in regards to how librarians carry out their work to meet new demands. It is not intended to be a guide with proven methods that will work universally. These proposals are set within the context of a library that is part of a large research institution.International Federation of Library AssociationsUniversity of Toronto, LibraryUniversity of Toronto, Faculty of InformationUniversity of Illinois, LibraryTitle VI National Resource Center Grant (P015A060066)unpublishednot peer reviewe

Plant composition of three woodland communities of variable condition in the western Riverina, New South Wales, Australia

We examined differences in floristics among three regionally-threatened woodland communities in the western Riverina: Blackbox (Eucalyptus largiflorens), Bimble box-Pine (Eucalyptus populnea-Callitris glaucophylla) and Boree (Acacia pendula) between 2001 and 2004. Our aim was to examine possible relationships between the diversity and biomass of groundstorey vegetation, and remnant condition and rainfall both among communities and across years. The three woodland communities varied widely in their plant species composition, with only 22% of the 358 species common to all communities. Seven species, mainly exotic grasses and forbs, contributed 25% of the total cover across all sites and times. Blackbox communities had the greatest number of exotic and annual species. There were poor relationships between condition and diversity, richness, evenness or abundance of groundstorey plant species within 400 m2 quadrats. Overall, sites in better condition tended to support a greater cover of native plants and a lower cover of exotic plants (Blackbox only). There were only weak relationships between rainfall and biomass. The marked variation in species diversity in relation to changing seasonal conditions and within similar condition classes highlights the difficulties of developing benchmarks for separating the effects of management, and seasonal and longer-term climate change

Is there a close association between "soils" and "vegetation"? : A case study from central western New South Wales

The assumption that ‘soils’ and ‘vegetation’ are closely associated was tested by describing soils and vegetation along a Travelling Stock Reserve west of Grenfell, New South Wales (lat 33° 55’S, long 147° 45’E). The transect was selected on the basis of (a) minimising the effects of non-soil factors (human interference, climate and relief) on vegetation and (b) the presence of various soil and vegetation types as indicated by previous mapping. ‘Soils’ were considered at three levels: soil landscapes (a broad mapping unit widely used in central western NSW), soil types (according to a range of classifications) and soil properties (depth, pH, etc.). ‘Vegetation’ was considered in three ways: vegetation type (in various classifications), density/floristic indices (density of woody species, abundance of native species, etc.) and presence/absence of individual species. Sites along the transect were grouped according to soil landscapes or soil types and compared to vegetation types or indices recorded at the sites. Various measures indicated low associations between vegetation types and soil landscapes or soil types. Except for infrequent occurrences of a soil type or landscape, any one soil type or landscape was commonly associated with a number of vegetation types and any one vegetation type was associated with a number of soil landscapes or soil types. However, significant associations between some vegetation indices, mainly density or numbers of woody species, and some soil landscapes and soil types were evident. Although many species were relatively ubiquitous, some groups of species that were restricted to one or two soil types were identified. Canonical Correspondence Analysis provided some suggestions as to which properties (e.g. texture) of these soils were associated with the presence of particular species

The leafage of a chordal graph

The leafage l(G) of a chordal graph G is the minimum number of leaves of a tree in which G has an intersection representation by subtrees. We obtain upper and lower bounds on l(G) and compute it on special classes. The maximum of l(G) on n-vertex graphs is n - lg n - (1/2) lg lg n + O(1). The proper leafage l*(G) is the minimum number of leaves when no subtree may contain another; we obtain upper and lower bounds on l*(G). Leafage equals proper leafage on claw-free chordal graphs. We use asteroidal sets and structural properties of chordal graphs.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure

Patient acceptability, safety and access : A balancing act for selecting age-appropriate oral dosage forms for paediatric and geriatric populations

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The selection and design of age-appropriate formulations intended for use in paediatric and geriatric patients are dependent on multiple factors affecting patient acceptability, safety and access. The development of an economic and effective product relies on a balanced consideration of the risks and benefits of these factors. This review provides a comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of oral dosage forms considering key aspects of formulation design including dosage considerations, ease of use, tolerability and safety, manufacturing complexity, stability, supply and cost. Patient acceptability has been examined utilising an evidence-based approach to evaluate regulatory guidance and literature. Safety considerations including excipients and potential risk of administration errors of the different dosage forms are also discussed, together with possible manufacturing and supply challenges. Age appropriate drug product design should consider and compare i) acceptability ii) safety and iii) access, although it is important to recognise that these factors must be balanced against each other, and in some situations a compromise may need to be reached when selecting an age-appropriate formulation.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

A very high frequency radio interferometer for investigating ionospheric disturbances using geostationary satellites. Determination of changes in exospheric electron content by a comparison of group delay and Faraday rotation

The theory and development of a VHF correlation radio interferometer for investigating ionospheric disturbances are discussed. The system was developed to receive signals from the geostationary Applications Technology Satellites. Amplitude and phase variations of the signal passing through the ionosphere can be detected by this instrument. The system consists of two superheterodyne receivers separated by a distance known as the baseline of the system. Since the system is a phase sensitive instrument, the local oscillators of the two receivers must be phase coherent. This is accomplished by using phase-locked loops for generating the local oscillators. The two signals from the separate receivers are cross-correlated by multiplying the two signals together and then time averaging the result. The sensitivity of the instrument is increased by off-setting one of the local oscillators by a small amount