PREDICTING OUTPUT FROM SEEMINGLY UNRELATED AREA AND YIELD EQUATIONS

Crop output can be defined as the product of area sown and yield. Given the existence of separate equations for explaining and predicting area sown and yield, in this paper we suggest predictors for output and derive expressions for the standard errors of the predictors. The methodology is applied to wheat production in the Corrigin Shire of Western Australia.Predicting a product, standard error of prediction, Crop Production/Industries,

Simulated holographic three-dimensional intensity shaping of evanescent-wave fields

The size of bright structures in traveling-wave light fields is limited by diffraction. This in turn limits a number of technologies, for example, optical trapping. One way to beat the diffraction limit is to use evanescent waves instead of traveling waves. Here we apply a holographic algorithm, direct search, to the shaping of complex evanescent-wave fields. We simulate three-dimensional intensity shaping of evanescent-wave fields using this approach, and we investigate some of its limitations. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.</p

Studies of the Escherichia coli Chaperonin Protein GroEL (cpn 60)

The reaction of the E.coli chaperonin GroEL (cpn 60) with the ATP analogue 2', 3' oxidised ATP (oATP) was studied with a view to identify the important amino acid(s) present at the ATP binding site of GroEL. Treatment with the reagent leads to loss of the ATPase activity of GroEL in a pseudo-first order fashion; this can be prevented by inclusion of ATP in the reaction mixture. Measurements of the stoichiometry of the reaction indicate that the loss of activity corresponds to the incorporation of about one oATP per subunit of GroEL. From analysis of the sequences of modified peptides it is proposed that the reaction probably occurs with one or both of the two cysteines Cys 457 and Cys 518, although the instability of the adduct(s) makes a definite identification of the site(s) of reaction difficult. The involvement of Cys side chains in the reaction with oATP was confirmed by using DTNB (5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate)) to estimate thiol groups in both modified and unmodified GroEL. The unfolding of GroEL in solutions in guanidinium chloride (GdnHCl) was also studied. From the results of CD, fluorescence and light scattering it is clear that major structural transitions in the protein occur over the range 1.0 - 1.5 M-GdnHCl, whilst the ATPase activity is lost at lower concentrations (0.75 M). The unfolding of the protein appears to be a highly cooperative process. After denaturation in concentrations of GdnHCl above 1.0 M, removal of the denaturing agent by dialysis results in the very nearly complete regain of secondary structure (as judged by CD) but not the regain of correct tertiary structure or quaternary structure, nor ATPase activity. The product was shown to be very sensitive to proteolysis by thermolysin, unlike the native protein, but did not show enhanced binding of ANS, a characteristic property of the 'molten globule' state of proteins

Heirs of the revolution: the founding heritage in American presidential rhetoric since 1945

The history of the United States’ revolutionary origins has been a persistently prevalent source of reference in the public speeches of modern American presidents. Through an examination of the character and context of allusions to this history in presidential rhetoric since 1945, this thesis presents an explanation for this ubiquity. America’s founding heritage represents a valuable – indeed, an essential – source for the purposes of presidential oratory. An analysis of the manner in which presidents from Harry Truman to Barack Obama have invoked and adapted specific aspects of this heritage in their public rhetoric exposes a distinctly usable past, employed in different contexts and in advancing specific messages. Chapters devoted to the references of modern presidents to the Declaration of Independence, to the Constitution, and to four of the nation’s Founding Fathers, demonstrate that distinct elements of the founding heritage can be invoked in different ways. In sum, however, they reveal that allusions to this history have served three, sometimes overlapping, purposes in modern presidential discourse. Firstly, and most commonly, this history has proved an essential source on the numerous occasions in which presidents have reflected upon and reaffirmed the enduring character of American national identity. Secondly, such is the prominence of the founding heritage in the collective memory of Americans that presidents have been able to invoke elements of this familiar history pertinent to their discussion of a diverse range of contemporary concerns. Finally, and most significantly, this rhetoric has very often been applied for more pragmatic and partisan reasons. Given the veneration of the founding heritage in American culture and the acceptance that the democratic ideals then established remain essential to the purpose and direction of the nation, this thesis argues that presidents have found political value in implying their own inheritance of the Founders’ incontestable legacy. In speeches delivered across the shifting contexts of the post-war period, presidents have explicitly aligned their policy goals with the values and vision of the nation’s first leaders, interpreting and adapting the Founders’ words in a manner supportive of their public message

A systems engineering approach to resolving structural barriers to the implementation of demand response

A principal mechanism for achieving the policy goal of the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is the widespread electrification of transport and heating coupled with the parallel de-carbonization of electricity generation. This requires a major expansion of renewable generation (principally wind) together with new nuclear and clean fossil. This paper reviews both the policy position within the UK and the implications for system balancing that large-scale intermittent generation, such as wind, presents to the System Operator (SO). One proposal for helping to maintain system balance is the use of Demand Response (DR) by the SO. It is by no means clear whether the existing industrial structure can provide the right incentives for the realization of significant DR capacity. This paper presents a method of classifying barriers and describes experience in developing a Systems Engineering methodology, using the Systems Modeling Language (SysML), as an approach to modeling the structural and operational aspects of the British system with the objective of understanding barriers to the implementation of DR

Reviews and contestability: new directions for Defence

Overview: The First Principles Review of Defence is arguably the most significant review of the defence establishment since the 1973 re-organisation led by Sir Arthur Tange. This Strategic Insights brings together a series of contributions to ASPI’s blog The Strategist written by ten experts with long experience and broad knowledge of Australia’s defence bureaucracy. They bring a wealth of different perspectives and point to significant challenges ahead for Defence if the reforms proposed by the First Principles Review are to succeed

Gut mucosal microbiome signatures of colorectal cancer differ according to BMI status

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We gratefully acknowledge the NHS Grampian Biorepository for providing access to CRC patient samples and data. We thank members of the GI Research Team for discussions and advice. The authors thank Brennan Martin and the Centre for Genome Enabled Biology and Medicine for useful discussions.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Breast pumps as an incentive for breastfeeding: a mixed methods study of acceptability

Increasing breastfeeding rates would improve maternal and child health, but multiple barriers to breastfeeding persist. Breast pump provision has been used as an incentive for breastfeeding, although effectiveness is unclear. Women's use of breast pumps is increasing and a high proportion of mothers express breastmilk. No research has yet reported women's and health professionals' perspectives on breast pumps as an incentive for breastfeeding. In the Benefits of Incentives for Breastfeeding and Smoking cessation in pregnancy (BIBS) study, mixed methods research explored women's and professionals' views of breast pumps as an incentive for breastfeeding. A survey of health professionals across Scotland and North West England measured agreement with &lsquo;a breast pump costing around&pound;40 provided for free on the NHS&rsquo; as an incentive strategy. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted in two UK regions with a total of 68 participants (pregnant women, new mothers, and their significant others and health professionals) and thematic analysis undertaken. The survey of 497 health professionals found net agreement of 67.8% (337/497) with the breast pump incentive strategy, with no predictors of agreement shown by a multiple ordered logistic regression model. Qualitative research found interrelated themes of the &lsquo;appeal and value of breast pumps&rsquo;, &lsquo;sharing the load&rsquo;, &lsquo;perceived benefits&rsquo;, &lsquo;perceived risks&rsquo; and issues related to &lsquo;timing&rsquo;. Qualitative participants expressed mixed views on the acceptability of breast pumps as an incentive for breastfeeding. Understanding the mechanisms of action for pump type, timing and additional support required for effectiveness is required to underpin trials of breast pump provision as an incentive for improving breastfeeding outcomes

Evanescent-wave coupled right angled buried waveguide: Applications in carbon nanotube mode-locking

In this paper we present a simple but powerful subgraph sampling primitive that is applicable in a variety of computational models including dynamic graph streams (where the input graph is defined by a sequence of edge/hyperedge insertions and deletions) and distributed systems such as MapReduce. In the case of dynamic graph streams, we use this primitive to prove the following results: -- Matching: First, there exists an $\tilde{O}(k^2)$ space algorithm that returns an exact maximum matching on the assumption the cardinality is at most $k$. The best previous algorithm used $\tilde{O}(kn)$ space where $n$ is the number of vertices in the graph and we prove our result is optimal up to logarithmic factors. Our algorithm has $\tilde{O}(1)$ update time. Second, there exists an $\tilde{O}(n^2/\alpha^3)$ space algorithm that returns an $\alpha$-approximation for matchings of arbitrary size. (Assadi et al. (2015) showed that this was optimal and independently and concurrently established the same upper bound.) We generalize both results for weighted matching. Third, there exists an $\tilde{O}(n^{4/5})$ space algorithm that returns a constant approximation in graphs with bounded arboricity. -- Vertex Cover and Hitting Set: There exists an $\tilde{O}(k^d)$ space algorithm that solves the minimum hitting set problem where $d$ is the cardinality of the input sets and $k$ is an upper bound on the size of the minimum hitting set. We prove this is optimal up to logarithmic factors. Our algorithm has $\tilde{O}(1)$ update time. The case $d=2$ corresponds to minimum vertex cover. Finally, we consider a larger family of parameterized problems (including $b$-matching, disjoint paths, vertex coloring among others) for which our subgraph sampling primitive yields fast, small-space dynamic graph stream algorithms. We then show lower bounds for natural problems outside this family

Simulation of high-resolution domestic electricity demand based on a building occupancy model and its applicability to the study of demand side management

Alongside the well understood need to reduce overall electricity consumption, there is an increasing need to provide demand response: the ability to time shift electrical demand in accordance with available low-carbon generation including wind, marine and solar power. Many domestic loads can readily be employed to provide time shifting demand response in the range of minutes to hours and this concept is already the subject of numerous demonstrations worldwide. The modelling presented in this paper provides a basis for the quantification of the availability and impact of demand response in the domestic sector. In particular, this paper describes the development of a domestic electricity demand model capable of providing data with a one-minute time resolution and with which the operation of demand response may be assessed. The electricity demand model is constructed at the level of individual household appliances and their usage is based on surveyed time-use data. This provides for appropriate temporal diversity of energy use between simulated dwellings. Occupancy data allows the correlated usage of appliances to be represented within an actively occupied dwelling, as well as representing the sharing of appliances, such as lighting, in dwellings with multiple occupants. This paper summarises previously developed occupancy and lighting models and explains how the lighting model can be extended to create an integrated appliance model