Organic conversion strategies for stockless farming systems

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. The identification of appropriate stockless organic conversion strategies will help farmers and growers in their decision to convert to organic production. The current practice of a two-year red clover/ryegrass ley conversion relies on subsidies to be economically viable. This standard conversion and six alternatives were tested on a sandy loam soil entering organic conversion. A test crop of winter wheat will be grown across the entire experimental area in the first fully organic year (2001/2002). Strategies containing a legume ley phase returned the greatest amount of nitrogen to the soil. At the end of the second year, pre-cultivation, there were no differences in soil mineral nitrogen between strategies. Gross margins were greater from those strategies with cash cropping than those without, in spite of the generally depressed yields. Preliminary analysis suggests that growing red clover for seed in year 1 followed by a red clover ley in year 2 could be the most profitable option

Effect of shock precursor heating on radiative flux to blunt bodies

Effect of shock precursor heating on radiative flux to blunt bodie

The effect of a light radion on the triviality bound on higgs mass

In this paper we study how the triviality bound on higgs mass in the context of the SM is modified by a light stabilized radion of the Goldberger-Wise variety. Our approach is inherently perturbative. Including the radion contribution to \bt(\l) and \bt(g_t) to one loop we evolve the higgs self coupling \l from the cut off \L(=\vphi) down to the EW scale $\mu_0 = v$. The triviality bound is obtained by requiring that \l(\L) = \sqrt{4 \pi} which is the perturbative limit. We also study the effect of small changes in the UVBC on the triviality bound both in the presence and absence of a light radion.Comment: 9 pages, latex, 2 eps figure

Wide-angle flat field telescope

Described is an unobscured three mirror wide angle telescopic imaging system comprised of an input baffle which provides a 20 deg (Y axis) x 30 deg (X axis) field of view, a primary mirror having a convex spherical surface, a secondary mirror having a concave ellipsoidal reflecting surface, a tertiary mirror having a concave spherical reflecting surface. The mirrors comprise mirror elements which are offset segments of parent mirrors whose axes and vertices commonly lie on the system's optical axis. An iris diaphragm forming an aperture stop is located between the secondary and tertiary mirror with its center also being coincident with the optical axis and being further located at the beam waist of input light beams reflected from the primary and secondary mirror surfaces. At the system focus following the tertiary mirror is located a flat detector which may be, for example, a TV imaging tube or a photographic film. When desirable, a spectral transmission filter is placed in front of the detector in close proximity thereto

Quantum Phase Transitions beyond the Landau's Paradigm in Sp(4) Spin System

We propose quantum phase transitions beyond the Landau's paradigm of Sp(4) spin Heisenberg models on the triangular and square lattices, motivated by the exact Sp(4)$\simeq$ SO(5) symmetry of spin-3/2 fermionic cold atomic system with only $s-$wave scattering. On the triangular lattice, we study a phase transition between the $\sqrt{3}\times\sqrt{3}$ spin ordered phase and a $Z_2$ spin liquid phase, this phase transition is described by an O(8) sigma model in terms of fractionalized spinon fields, with significant anomalous scaling dimensions of spin order parameters. On the square lattice, we propose a deconfined critical point between the Neel order and the VBS order, which is described by the CP(3) model, and the monopole effect of the compact U(1) gauge field is expected to be suppressed at the critical point.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Exact renormalization group equations and the field theoretical approach to critical phenomena

After a brief presentation of the exact renormalization group equation, we illustrate how the field theoretical (perturbative) approach to critical phenomena takes place in the more general Wilson (nonperturbative) approach. Notions such as the continuum limit and the renormalizability and the presence of singularities in the perturbative series are discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of the 2nd Conference on the Exact Renormalization Group, Rome 200

Economic evaluation of a nursing-led intermediate care unit

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to examine the costs of introducing a nursing-led ward program together with examining the impact this may have on patients' outcomes. Methods; The study had a sample size of 177 patients with a mean age of 77, and randomized to either a treatment group (care on a nursing-led ward, n = 97) or a control group (standard care usually on a consultant-led acute ward, n = 80). Resource use data including length of stay, tests and investigations performed, and multidisciplinary involvement in care were collected. Results: There were no significant differences in outcome between the two groups. The inpatient costs for the treatment group were significantly higher, due to the longer length of stay in this group. However, the postdischarge costs were significantly lower for the treatment group. Conclusions: The provision of nursing-led intermediate care units has been proposed as a solution to inappropriate use of acute medical wards by patients who require additional nursing rather than medical care. Whether the treatment group is ultimately cost-additive is dependent on how long reductions in postdischarge resource use are maintained

One Size Does Not Fit All: Meeting the Health Care Needs of Diverse Populations

Proposes a framework for meeting patients' cultural and linguistic needs: policies and procedures that support cultural competence, data collection, population-tailored services, and internal and external collaborations. Includes a self-assessment tool

The application of hydrometeorological data obtained by remote sensing techniques for multipurpose reservoir operations

Watershed snowpack and streamflow data obtained and transmitted by (ERTS) satellite were used in the operational and water management decisions in the Salt River Project. Located in central Arizona, the Project provides water and electric power for the more than 1.1 million residents of the Salt River Valley. The water supply source is a 33,670 square kilometer (13,000 square mile) watershed and 250 deep well pumps. Six storage reservoirs, four of which have hydroelectric capability, located on two river systems have a storage capacity of over 246,600 hectare-meters (2,000,000 AF.). Information from the watershed during the normal runoff period of December to May and more especially during critical periods of high runoff and minimum reservoir storage capacity is necessary for the reservoir operation regimen. Extent of the snowpack, depth of snow, and the condition of the pack were observed in aerial flights over the watershed