Integrated Silicon Photonics for High-Speed Quantum Key Distribution

Integrated photonics offers great potential for quantum communication devices in terms of complexity, robustness and scalability. Silicon photonics in particular is a leading platform for quantum photonic technologies, with further benefits of miniaturisation, cost-effective device manufacture and compatibility with CMOS microelectronics. However, effective techniques for high-speed modulation of quantum states in standard silicon photonic platforms have been limited. Here we overcome this limitation and demonstrate high-speed low-error quantum key distribution modulation with silicon photonic devices combining slow thermo-optic DC biases and fast (10~GHz bandwidth) carrier-depletion modulation. The ability to scale up these integrated circuits and incorporate microelectronics opens the way to new and advanced integrated quantum communication technologies and larger adoption of quantum-secured communications

The Hydroecological Natural Heritage Story of Cape York Peninsula: An assessment of natural heritage values of water-dependent ecosystems, aquatic biodiversity and hydroecological processes<br />

Executive SummaryThe field of hydroecology seeks to explain the relationships between hydrological processes, biotic structure and ecological processes at a variety of spatial scales. This report presents the hydroecological natural heritage story of Cape York Peninsula. Unlike many areas of Australia, freshwater-dependent ecosystems of Cape York Peninsula have high ecological integrity, possessing a diverse and unique array of aquatic, riparian and terrestrial biodiversity, near-natural flow regimes, and relatively intact riverine landscapes. These aquatic ecosystems not only provide clean water, food and recreation opportunities for human societies but have important intrinsic natural and cultural heritage values that are potentially significant from a national and international perspective.The report outlines the potential natural heritage values of freshwater-dependent ecosystems, aquatic biodiversity and hydroecological processes of the region with respect to National and World Heritage selection criteria. The report documents:1. the extent, variety and distinctiveness of aquatic ecosystem types in the region,2. biodiversity and biogeographic patterns of freshwater-dependent flora and fauna,3. hydroecological processes that sustain the natural integrity and biodiversity of freshwater-dependent ecosystems,4. preliminary assessments of the National and International natural heritage significance of hydroecological features of Cape York&nbsp; Peninsula. These assessments are made using multiple lines of evidence, including indicators of significance, comparative analyses, and natural integrity.Information in the report was compiled from the literature as well as expert knowledge and personal experience of the research team on the aquatic ecosystems of Cape York Peninsula. As much as possible, the report is written in lay person terms and in a creative way so that it can be read and appreciated by a broad audience

Prioritising threatened species and threatening processes across northern Australia: user guide for data

Northern Australia’s unique and rich biodiversity faces numerous threatening processes. Currently, there is limited knowledge of i) the distribution of species of conservation concern across northern Australia, ii) their level of exposure to various threats and iii) their vulnerability as a result of exposure and differential sensitivity to threats. These knowledge gaps severely limit the efficiency and adequacy of conservation actions and simultaneously create uncertainty for sustainable development in the North. This project aimed to fill these knowledge gaps by creating spatially explicit data that can be used to inform species conservation policy, assessments of species’ conservation status and decision-making about threat mitigation and management. The data can also be used to guide where further research may be needed about species of conservation concern, as part of regional planning processes governing land-use and water resources in northern Australia. This user guide has been prepared to assist stakeholders with the appropriate use of data created for the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Northern Australia Environmental Resources (NAER) Hub, through Project 3.3 Prioritising threatened species and threatening processes across northern Australia. The project has generated the following data sets: 1. High-resolution maps of the distributions of >1,400 ‘species of conservation concern’,i.e. rare, range-restricted, threatened or near threatened species or populations of plants and animals that occupy terrestrial or freshwater ecosystems, developed based on habitat suitability models and expert knowledge; 2. Hotspot maps that show concentrations, or richness, of species of conservation concern for different taxonomic groups; 3. Maps of the key threatening processes that impact northern Australian biodiversity; and 4. Maps of vulnerability: These combine maps of species of conservation concern distributions with maps of threatening processes and information on how sensitive the species are to those threats. The resulting maps identify areas of high vulnerability – areas, where species of conservation concern coincide with significant threats and thus should be considered for targeted management. This user guide briefly describes the rationale for, and data files associated with, all four data sets described above. It also provides practical guidance on appropriate interpretation of the data, as well as important methodological caveats and limitations. It does not replace the need for ground-truthing, regional and site-based ecological surveys and/or taxa-specific research, but can help frame where this survey effort might occur and for which species

Demographics of Suicide Victims in Maine for 2017 and 2018 with Emphasis on Suicide Notes

This study examined Maine suicide deaths from 2017 and 2018 to determine if there were correlations between the demographics of suicide victims and variables of the suicide acts: age, gender, veteran status, method, and presence of a note. Results indicate that 30 percent of suicide victims in Maine a left note. Initial findings from this study revealed interesting correlations between the act of leaving a suicide note and suicide methods that require advanced planning, e.g., carbon monoxide poisoning. A lower percentage of notes were associated with spur-of-the-moment type suicides. Based on these preliminary findings, we suggest modifying targeted interventions to mitigate and reduce suicide rates in Maine including programs to support overlooked vulnerable populations. Due to Maine’s high rate of suicide by firearms, we also suggest that new policies and laws be implemented to limit access to and possession of firearms for individuals identified as at risk of suicide

Help Your Nonprofit Clients Improve Their Accounting for Capital and In-Kind Donations

Many nonprofit organizations, especially smaller ones, lack skilled financial professionals either on staff or on the board. Auditors and other external CPAs are in an excellent position to help these clients present their financial results in ways that will avoid misunderstanding and confusion on the part of financial statement users both inside and outside the client organization. Two areas that have created special problems for nonprofits are accounting for large capital donations and for in-kind donations. We’ll look at the problems first; then show you accounting solutions you can bring to your clients

SPECIES DIVERSITY OF SOIL FUNGI FROM A CORN PLANTATION AT ECHAGUE, PHILIPPINES

Soil fungi are a critical component of the agroecosystems and provide ecological services that affect food and bio-product production. Awareness of the composition and distribution of local species is necessary to maximize the productivity and sustainability of the agroecosystems. This study aimed at isolating fungi from the soil samples collected from a corn plantation at Echague, Isabela, morphologically defining, characterizing, and determining the diversity of fungal isolates species. Soil samples from five (5) different sampling units were collected and microbiological techniques were used to isolate the fungi. Identification was performed by morphological characterization of fungal isolates guided by taxonomic keys and textbooks. Fungal diversity was assessed using Simpson's indices of diversity.  Sixteen (16) fungal isolates were found; 12 were known and four (4) were unidentified. Ten (10) species belong to the Ascomycota group, and two (2) belong to the Zygomycota class. The Aspergillus species dominated the region amongst all the species isolated and established.  Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus are densely populated and well distributed. A potent biocontrol agent was also identified, namely Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride.  The Mucor sp. and the Rhizopus stoloniferous, Zygomycota fungi, were also identified

Planning for climate change northern monsoon cluster: decision making and planning for natural resource management

Natural resource managers are tasked with a range of challenging and sometimes competing management objectives but often have limited resources with which to achieve them. Natural resource management (NRM) objectives typically include conserving biodiversity, maintaining healthy ecosystems, achieving water quality targets and restoring degraded habitats. A key challenge is to identify where, when and how to implement effective activities to achieve these objectives with the least cost and impact on stakeholders. This project provided and tested an appropriate decision support framework for cross-realm planning and supporting synthesis of NRM plans to assist natural resource management groups in northern Australia successfully tackle this challenge