Tilapia for Biological Control of Giant Salvinia

In August 1999, giant salvinia ( Salvinia molesta Mitchell) was found along the lower Colorado River in irrigation drainages. To investigate the slow spread and apparent control of giant salvinia in this region, the herbivorous fish, tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Trewavas), was examined as a biological control agent. The study was conducted in a 5,000-L recirculating system. (PDF contains 4 pages.

Exploring galaxy evolution with generative models

Context. Generative models open up the possibility to interrogate scientific data in a more data-driven way. Aims: We propose a method that uses generative models to explore hypotheses in astrophysics and other areas. We use a neural network to show how we can independently manipulate physical attributes by encoding objects in latent space. Methods: By learning a latent space representation of the data, we can use this network to forward model and explore hypotheses in a data-driven way. We train a neural network to generate artificial data to test hypotheses for the underlying physical processes. Results: We demonstrate this process using a well-studied process in astrophysics, the quenching of star formation in galaxies as they move from low-to high-density environments. This approach can help explore astrophysical and other phenomena in a way that is different from current methods based on simulations and observations.Comment: Published in A&A. For code and further details, see http://space.ml/proj/explor

An investigation into the enhancement of fingermarks in blood on fruit and vegetables

A number of studies have reported the successful enhancement of latent fingermarks on fruit and vegetables. A study was set up to identify the most effective technique for the enhancement of fingermarks in blood on various fruit and vegetables. The enhancement techniques targeted different components in blood and consisted of protein stains (e.g. acid black 1), peroxidase reagents (e.g. leuco crystal violet) and amino acid stains (e.g. ninhydrin). Different variables such as the ageing periods of the marks and a diminishing series were employed to assess the suitability and sensitivity of the enhancement techniques.Overall, the use of different protein stains appeared to be the most effective techniques for the enhancement of fingermarks in blood on fruit and vegetables. In addition, the aubergine and cucumber skins appeared to be the most responsive surface to the different chemical techniques during enhancement. On the contrary, little or no enhancement was achieved for fingermarks in blood on the nectarine fruit

An investigation into the detection of latent marks on the feathers and eggs of birds of prey

There are numerous enhancement techniques (physical and chemical) which have been developed for the successful visualisation of latent fingermarks. Nonetheless, problems arise when latent fingermarks require enhancement on difficult surfaces such as human skin, food stuffs, fabric and animals. The ability to develop latent fingermarks on the surface of bird of prey feathers and that of their eggs was investigated. Red and green magnetic fluorescent powders proved to be most suitable on the surface of bird of prey feathers whereas black magnetic powder was the most suitable technique on the eggs. These powders produced the highest quality of visible ridge-detailed developments over a controlled period of time

A mathematical model to describe haemophilus influenzae type B within Western Australia

This work is primarily aimed at determining the effect that an immunisation policy Is likely to have on the incidence of Haemophllus influenzae Type B (HIB) and systematic HIB in Western Australia. There was a significant effort made to collect data pertinent to the estimation of parameter values but since HIB has only been a notifiable disease since 1992, there was a distinct lack of relevant data available. Private communication with individual’s such as Dr Jeffrey Hanna and Dr Beryl Wild resulted in practical information being obtained that was used to estimate certain parameters. The deterministic mathematical models within the thesis are extensions of existing ideas tailored to suit the needs of this thesis. Chapter one is a basic introduction to the pursuit of modelling infectious diseases with a brief description of basic epidemiology concepts. It also shows that even simple models may not deliver analytical results. Chapter two extends a model used by Angela Mclean and allows some analytical results to be obtained by first simplifying the model and then solving using standard methods to give the equilibrium distributions for the proportions of people in each state within the mode

The Rise of Neoliberalism - A Transrational Analysis: Towards a New Vision for Urban Education

I was driven to this study by witnessing dramatic changes in urban education in recent years and began to ask the questions: What is going on? And why now? This dissertation will show that an extremely powerful and pervasive global ideology known as neoliberalism is at the core of the answers to these questions. As a result, understanding the Rise of Neoliberalism has become a passionate mission for me. Ferguson (2009) argues that a different approach to the study of neoliberalism is needed because the current scholarship is unsatisfactory; generating common pejorative and unsurprising conclusions like ‘it is bad for poor and working people therefore we must oppose it’. Neither Ferguson (2009) nor I disagree with this, but he asks why he should bother to read study after study coming to this same conclusion. This paper argues that the reason for this common conclusion is because of much of the scholarship on neoliberalism lacks causal and motivational connections between people and events that creates a holistic understanding. This prevents the creation of emergent ideas from the data. Without this holistic view, researchers arrive at conclusions in the same manners as those from scientific experiments that use rationality alone. Rudolph Otto (1923) from his book: The Idea of the Holy warns us about the error in our thinking that we have exhausted our means of investigating a phenomenon via rationality alone. To address these issues, this paper will employ a methodology that combines Heuristic Inquiry with Narrative Historiography. This unique combination will use the faith and passion I have as a means to search for a deeper understanding of neoliberalism and at the same time, prevent the error brought to light by Otto (1923). Heuristic Inquiry and Narrative Historiography as methodologies combine the rational and the non-rational in a usage I term transrationality. Howard (1991) tells us that the non-rational falls under narrative or storytelling as an approach to increasing human knowledge. It is important to point out that rational and non-rational thinking are not opposites but used in this study as a seamless and complimentary means of thinking. They both fall under the umbrella of reason and logic as a means to create a fuller understanding of a phenomenon. Building on and extending the thoughts of Marx (1973), Habermas (1968) and Schopenhauer (1909), this paper will attempt to show that the nature and power of capital, as understood by this researcher, is at the root of what has created neoliberalism and made it into such a dominant global phenomenon and ideology

Music 2025 : The Music Data Dilemma: issues facing the music industry in improving data management

© Crown Copyright 2019Music 2025ʼ investigates the infrastructure issues around the management of digital data in an increasingly stream driven industry. The findings are the culmination of over 50 interviews with high profile music industry representatives across the sector and reflects key issues as well as areas of consensus and contrasting views. The findings reveal whilst there are great examples of data initiatives across the value chain, there are opportunities to improve efficiency and interoperability

Development of integrated pest management techniques: Insect pest management on soybean

This dissertation is organized into six chapters. Chapter one contains a general introduction, including a review of the literature on the biology, damage caused, and control of soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae). In addition to soybean aphid biology and management, this chapter will also include a review of integrated pest management (IPM) theory including plant injury responses and insect threshold development. The chapters reporting the original research conducted through the course of study will progress from the applied to the basic: Chapter two will detail the effects of insecticide application techniques on soybean aphid management. Chapter three will report on the applicability of the current soybean aphid threshold on soybean grown in narrow-rows. Chapter four will compare the economic probability of net profit comparing preventive soybean aphid management programs to IPM. Chapter five will detail several soybean yield response models to two common sources of injury (e.g. assimilate removal and defoliation). Chapter five will also discuss how assimilate removal and defoliation interact in a common yield loss model, and how this information could aid in the development of comprehensive soybean aphid thresholds. Finally, chapter six will provide a brief overview of the conclusions of this original research and is followed by an acknowledgments section