155 research outputs found
Some recent radio talks.
Myxomatosis is losing its punch - By A. R. TOMLINSON, Chief Vermin Control Officer
The results of the testing of field strains of myxomatosis just released by the Australian National University are of vital importance to every farmer in Western Australia. They show clearly that the predicted decline in the effectiveness of myxomatosis has occurred. Worse still, they reveal that the decline has been more rapid in some areas than observers anticipated.
The importance of good seed in vegetable production. - By T. WACHTEL, Vegetable Adviser, Horticultural Division
The seed is the foundation of the crop that eventually is to be harvested. As an American textbook on vegetable vegetable growing puts it: Within the seed coat may be locked up the key to future success or failure. A vegetable crop can be much poorer than the seed, but it cannot be better.
Water conservation on the farm - By J. W. LEWIS, Irrigation Adviser, Bunbury
Water conservation on the farm is becoming increasingly important in this State, and on most properties in the South-West water can be conserved easily and economically. Coupled with the use of modern spray irrigation systems, this trend may well revolutionise farming methods in years to come and lead the way to greater agricultural prosperity.
Itch mite in sheep - By C. R. TOOP, Chief Veterinary Surgeon
During the past 12 months there has been a sharp rise in the incidence of itch mite and many cases have been reported both from sheep markets and individual properties. The symptoms of itch mite infestation are very similar to those produced by hce but, unlike the sheep louse, the itch mite is invisible to the naked eye and the microscopic examination of scrapings taken from the skin after the wool has been closely clipped is necessary for its detection.
Orchard irrigation - By J. CRIPPS, Horticultural Adviser
There are no fruits grown in Western Australia which do not give larger crops if irrigated, although the majority of fruit growers do not have irrigation installations.
Powdery mildew diseases in the home garden - By OLGA M. GOSS, B.Sc. Hons., Plant Pathologist
Most of you will be only too familiar with the powdery mildew diseases which occur so frequently during the warmer months in your gardens. The most common plants badly affected by these diseases are grape vines, roses, hydrangeas, delphinium, Iagerstroemia and melons of various types.
Cat Flu - A matter of serious concern - By J. SHILKIN, B.V.Sc, Veterinary Surgeon
The importance of cats in the community is not generally realised by the public, yet severe epidemics among the feline population should be a matter of considerable concern. The presence of a reasonably large cat population in our cities is most important in keeping rat and mice numbers down to a low level, and their importance on farming properties is too well known to need any comment. Rat-borne diseases do occur m man in Australia and rats are always a potential danger as carriers and spreaders of some extremely serious diseases of man.
Even good farmers can cause erosion. - By BRIAN MARSH, B.Sc. (Agric), Soil Conservation Adviser
The particular aspects of soil conservation I am to discuss has not been publicised before, and the suggestions contained in this talk may be of use to you during seeding operations this year. It is often asked, Will the use of clover really prevent erosion
First-principles study of ternary fcc solution phases from special quasirandom structures
In the present work, ternary Special Quasirandom Structures (SQSs) for a fcc
solid solution phase are generated at different compositions,
and , ,
whose correlation functions are satisfactorily close to those of a random fcc
solution. The generated SQSs are used to calculate the mixing enthalpy of the
fcc phase in the Ca-Sr-Yb system. It is observed that first-principles
calculations of all the binary and ternary SQSs in the Ca-Sr-Yb system exhibit
very small local relaxation. It is concluded that the fcc ternary SQSs can
provide valuable information about the mixing behavior of the fcc ternary solid
solution phase. The SQSs presented in this work can be widely used to study the
behavior of ternary fcc solid solutions.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figure
Insights into the Interaction between Immobilized Biocatalysts and MetalâOrganic Frameworks: A Case Study of PCN-333
The immobilization of enzymes in metalâorganic frameworks (MOFs) with preserved biofunctionality paves a promising way to solve problems regarding the stability and reusability of enzymes. However, the rational design of MOF-based biocomposites remains a considerable challenge as very little is known about the state of the enzyme, the MOF support, and their hostâguest interactions upon immobilization. In this study, we elucidate the detailed hostâguest interaction for MOF immobilized enzymes in the biointerface. Two enzymes with different sizes, lipase and insulin, have been immobilized in a mesoporous PCN333(Al) MOF. The dynamic changes of local structures of the MOF host and enzyme guests have been experimentally revealed for the existence of the confinement effect to enzymes and van der Waals interaction in the biointerface between the aluminum oxo-cluster of the PCN-333 and the -NH2 species of enzymes. This kind of hostâguest interaction renders the immobilization of enzymes in PCN-333 with high affinity and highly preserved enzymatic bioactivity.Wenjie Yang, Weibin Liang, Luke A. O, Dell, Hamish D. Toop, Natasha Maddigan, Xingmo Zhang, Alena Kochubei, Christian J. Doonan, Yijiao Jiang, and Jun Huan
Some recent radio talks.
Light land development in the South - By A. S. WILD, Assistant Superintendent of Wheat Farming, Department of Agriculture.
It is only since World War II ended that successful large scale development of light land near the south coast of this State has been undertaken, although the many millions of acres of treeless plain country throughout the agricultural areas have, for many years, presented a challenge to the pioneering ability of Western Australians.
The use of hormones in viticulture - By L. T. JONES, Senior Plant Research Officer
The discovery and proper use of plant hormones, or as they are more accurately termed, growth-regulating: substances, probably represents the greatest contribution which science has made to agriculture in the past few decades. It was the discovery by Kogl in 1934 that indole acetic acid was an active growth substance which led rapidly to the preparation and testing of large numbers of compounds of similar chemical structure and among these were found many substances which were very potent and also comparatively cheap to produce.
Recent trends in viticulture in Western Australia - By W. R. JAMIESON, Viticulturist, Department of Agriculture, Perth
Today I want to talk very briefly about some of the more recent trends in viticulture in this State. The commercial production of grapevines is centred mainly around the Swan Valley and as most of the suitable vineyard land in this area has been planted, growers are exploring avenues to increase the returns per acre.
Methods of irrigation - By G. GAUNTLETT, Assistant Officer-in-Charge, Irrigation
The success of an irrigation scheme depends on several factors. Important among these is the choice and design of the method to be adopted. There are two methods of irrigation, viz., surface and spray irrigation.
Canker disease of Red-flowered gum - By W. P. CASS SMITH, B.Sc. (Agric), Government Plant Pathologist
Of the many beautiful native plants in Western Australia, few are esteemed more than the red-flowered gum known botanically as Eucalyptus flcifolia. This shapely tree commences blossoming about Christmas timeâand provides a magnificent display for several weeksâthe blossom shades varying from dark red to pink.
Why many beans grow crooked - By M. HARDIE, Vegetable Instructor
Sometimes in the process of growing a crop, bean growers find a number of pods which, instead of being long and straight and suitable for marketing, are crooked or bent and quite unsuitable for sale unless beans are in very short supply. It is not unusual for a small number of pods to be affected in this way, generally at the tail-end of the crop, but occasionally the percentage may be high. When this happens the grower is often at a loss to account for his failure to grow a marketable crop. To the best of his ability he has followed methods which normally return a crop of first-grade pods and yet for some reason, his crop is an unpayable one and he is anxious to ascertain the cause.
Salt land programme for Autumn - By T. C. STONEMAN, Adviser, Soil Conservation Service
Now that summer is over and winter approaches, the time has come to decide what you\u27ll do with that salt problem on your farm. What you SHOULD do, will depend on how severely the area is affected. To make quite clear how the recommendations made by the Department of Agriculture can be applied I will deal with each degree of severity in turn.
Orchard cover crops - By J. CRIPPS, Horticultural Adviser
The sowing of a cover crop is one of those routine operations which the orchardist often undertakes without much thought, but it is an operation worthy of consideration.
Lupin seed - By B. J. QUINLIVAN, B.Sc. (Agric), Botanist, Weeds and Seeds Branch
The three types of lupins which we grow in this State are the New Zealand, the W.A. blue, and the yellow lupin. The first two types are very common, the New Zealand lupin being grown mainly in the South-West, while the W.A. lupin is grown over extensive areas of the central and northern wheatbelt, particularly on the sandier types of soil.
Cereal rye will grow on wind-eroded areas - By G. H. BURVILL, Chief Plant Research Officer.
Travelling around the wheatbelt, one often sees areas of sandy soil quite bare, A due to wind erosion. Surface soil blown from these patches has built up against fences, or as mounds in the nearby scrub. Many of the eroded places are quite smallâ perhaps less than an acre or only a few acres. But some are large, with one to three hundred acres of bare yellow sand. As much as two feet of soil has been blown from big areas.
Autumn-winter feeding for the fat lamb flock - By N. DAVENPORT, Senior Adviser, Meat Production
The autumn-winter period is the most important part of the year for the fat lamb crop from a feed point of view. It is important not only from the aspect of the wellbeing of the sheep, but also of the pasture. Pasture plants are living things, too, and they also require consideration and care for their development. When a new season pasture is kept hard grazed in those critical first few weeks of growth it cannot carry as many sheep over the season as one which is lightly stocked during that time.
Plant diseases in the home garden - By W. P. CASS-SMITH, B.Sc. (Agric), Government Plant Pathologist
Recently many home-gardeners have complained that plantings of vegetables or ornamentals are making unthrifty growth, in spite of liberal waterings and fertilisation. These symptoms are commonly caused by root-knot eelworm, a pest which has unfortunately become very widespread in the sandy soils adjacent to Perth, and in many other parts of this State. This eelworm parasite attacks the roots of many kinds of plants causing them to rot and to develop bead-like swellings or galls. As a result, the intake of plant food and water is restricted and stunting of the above-ground parts occurs.
Principles of commercial beekeeping - By R. S. COLEMAN, R.D.A., Government Apiculturist
We have many queries from small beekeepers, and from people who have never opened a hive, on how to break into full-time beekeeping. So it was thought that you would like to know just what are the principles of successful bee farming.
Grasshoppers and locusts - By C. F. H. JENKINS, M.A., Government Entomologist
Grasshoppers and locusts are among the most ancient enemies of mankind for they figured prominently in Biblical times, and periodically throughout the ages have devastated crops in all parts of the world.
Acetonaemia in dairy cattle - By P. M. A. HARWOOD, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Officer
Acetonaemia, more correctly known as ketosis is a metabolic disease. Unlike infectious diseases such as tuberculosis or mastitis, which are caused by microbes, metabolic diseases result from an upset in the normal bodily processes.
Molybdenum for subterranean clover - By T. C. DUNNE, B.Sc. (Agric), Ph.D. (Calif.), Chief Plant Nutrition and Research Officer
Subterranean clover is undoubtedly the most important pasture species in this State. Because it is a legume, it can make excellent growth on soils with a low nitrogen content. The nitrogen it needs is, of course, provided by bacteria which inhabit the nodules found on its roots. These bacteria provide nitrogen by taking it from the air and converting it to a form which can be used by the clover. However, it is now known that the bacteria can use the nitrogen of the air only if enough molybdenum is available to them.
Cobalt deficiency in sheep and cattle - By C. R. TOOP, B.V.SC, Chief Veterinary Officer
With the establishment of group settlements at Denmark after the first world war, it was observed that young cattle, although running on lush pastures, developed systems of unthriftness and wasting and usually died. Research conducted of Filmer and Underwood later revealed that this condition was caused by a deficiency of cobalt and that it could be cured and prevented by addition of this mineral to the diet. Cobalt deficiency has since been met with other parts of the State and was recently diagnosed in sheep at Mount Manypeaks
First-principle solubilities of alkali and alkaline earth metals in Mg-B alloys
By devising a novel framework, we present a comprehensive theoretical study
of solubilities of alkali (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) and alkaline earth (Be, Ca, Sr,
Ba) metals in the he boron-rich Mg-B system. The study is based on
first-principle calculations of solutes formation energies in MgB, MgB,
MgB alloys and subsequent statistical-thermodynamical evaluation of
solubilities. The advantage of the approach consists in considering all the
known phase boundaries in the ternary phase diagram. Substitutional Na, Ca, and
Li demonstrate the largest solubilities, and Na has the highest (0.5-1 % in
MgB at K). All the considered interstitials have negligible
solubilities. The solubility of Be in MgB can not be determined because the
corresponding low-solubility formation energy is negative indicating the
existence of an unknown ternary ground state. We have performed a
high-throughput search of ground states in binary Mg-B, Mg-, and B-
systems, and we construct the ternary phase diagrams of Mg-B- alloys based
on the stable binary phases. Despite its high temperature observations, we find
that SrMg is not a low-temperature equilibrium structure. We also
determine two new possible ground states CaB and RbB, not yet
observed experimentally.Comment: 5 figure
Theatre and time ecology: deceleration in Stifters Dinge
This article explores the production of âtime ecologyâ in two works of postdramatic theatre: Heiner Goebbelsâ Stifters Dinge (2007) and Philippe Quesneâs LâEffet de Serge (2007). By focusing on the practice of deceleration, it argues that theatreâs ecological potential resides not so much in its ability to represent the world, but rather in its capacity for producing new types of temporal experience that purposefully seek to break with modernityâs regime of historicity and the accelerated rhythms that it has given rise to. Importantly, my concern with deceleration is not an argument for slowness per se; on the contrary, I am interested in highlighting the presence of multiple and interpenetrating timescales and rhythms. As well as exposing the full extent of theatreâs temporal potential, such a concern with postdramatic âchronographiesâ offers an implicit critique of dramatic theatreâs extant practices of eco-dramaturgy that, all too often, attempt to construct a linear narrative which is invested in conventional sequential models of temporality (beginning, middle, end)
Effect of Monthly, HighâDose, LongâTerm Vitamin D Supplementation on Central Blood Pressure Parameters: A Randomized Controlled Trial Substudy
Background: The effects of monthly, highâdose, longâterm (â„1âyear) vitamin D supplementation on central blood pressure (BP) parameters are unknown. Methods and Results: A total of 517 adults (58% male, aged 50â84 years) were recruited into a doubleâblinded, placeboâcontrolled trial substudy and randomized to receive, for 1.1 years (median; range: 0.9â1.5 years), either (1) vitamin D3 200 000 IU (initial dose) followed 1 month later by monthly 100 000âIU doses (n=256) or (2) placebo monthly (n=261). At baseline (n=517) and followâup (n=380), suprasystolic oscillometry was undertaken, yielding aortic BP waveforms and hemodynamic parameters. Mean deseasonalized 25âhydroxyvitamin D increased from 66 nmol/L (SD: 24) at baseline to 122 nmol/L (SD: 42) at followâup in the vitamin D group, with no change in the placebo group. Despite small, nonsignificant changes in hemodynamic parameters in the total sample (primary outcome), we observed consistently favorable changes among the 150 participants with vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/L) at baseline. In this subgroup, mean changes in the vitamin D group (n=71) versus placebo group (n=79) were â5.3 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI], â11.8 to 1.3) for brachial systolic BP (P=0.11), â2.8 mm Hg (95% CI, â6.2 to 0.7) for brachial diastolic BP (P=0.12), â7.5 mm Hg (95% CI, â14.4 to â0.6) for aortic systolic BP (P=0.03), â5.7 mm Hg (95% CI, â10.8 to â0.6) for augmentation index (P=0.03), â0.3 m/s (95% CI, â0.6 to â0.1) for pulse wave velocity (P=0.02), â8.6 mm Hg (95% CI, â15.4 to â1.9) for peak reservoir pressure (P=0.01), and â3.6 mm Hg (95% CI, â6.3 to â0.8) for backward pressure amplitude (P=0.01). Conclusions: Monthly, highâdose, 1âyear vitamin D supplementation lowered central BP parameters among adults with vitamin D deficiency but not in the total sample. Clinical Trial Registration URL: http://www.anzctr.org.au. Unique identifier: ACTRN12611000402943
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