Soil acidity and eastern wheatbelt plant nutrition.

1. Affects of soil acidity on subterranean clover growth in the cropping areas of Western Australia. Trial 87AL35, 87NO2, 87No3, 88NO76, 88NO77, 88TS54 To investigate the responsiveness to lime of subterranean clover based pastures on acid soil and the cropping areas of Western Australia.To determine the reasons for responses to line in the field, particularly the possible involvement of legume nodulation effects and the alleviation of soil/water repellence.To develop practical identification and management strategies for acid soils problems. Trial 87AL35. Liming in crop/pasture rotation on acid soils Location: Woogenellup. History: 1987 Lime applied, sown to barley 1988 Clover regenerated. Lime increased October production by 10%. 1989 Sown to oats - before being sown pasture growth was measured. Trial 87NO2. Lime in crop/pasture rotations on acid soils. Location: York History 1987 Lime applied and Dalkeith sub. clover sown. No response. 1988 Wheat 1989 Sub clover regenerated. Trial 87NO3 Lime in crop/pasture rotations on acid soils. Location: Grass Valley History 1987 Lime applied and Dalkeith sub. clover sown. Small response to lime. 1988 Wheat. 1989 Sub. clover regenerated. Trial 88NO76 Lime in crop/pasture rotations on acid soils. Location: Goomalling. History 1988 Lime applied and sub.clover sown. 1989 Sown to wheat. Before cropping pasture growth was measured. Trial 88NO77 Lime in crop/pasture rotation on acid soils Location: East Ejanding History: 1988 Lime applied and sub clover sown 1989 Sown to wheat. Before cropping, pasture growth was observed. Trial 88TS54 Lime in crop/pasture rotations on acid soils. Location: Three Springs. History: 1988 Lime applied and sub. clover sown. Lime increased September dry matter by 65%. 1989 Sown to wheat. Before cropping pasture, growth was measured. Trial 88ME102 The interaction of lime and nitrogen in a lupin/wheat rotation. Location: Corrigin Hisory: 1987 Lupins with Super, Cu Zn Mo. 1988 Lime applied, sown to wheat with rates of nitrogen. 1989 Apr. early Super (100 kg/ha) topdressed. Also added Simazine Brodal Sertin and Fusilade. No visual response in July and September. September - Sampled 20 plants per plot, reps 1 and 2, just prior to flowering. Trial 88ME103 The effect of lime in a lupin/cereal rotation. Location: Corrigin. History: 1987 Lupins with Super Cu Zn Mo. 1988 Lime applied, sown to five wheat varieties. 1989 As for 88ME102 (Interaction of lime and nitrogen in a lupin/wheat rotation).\u27 Trial 80M30 Effect of lime on wheat/lupin rotations on acid, eastern wheatbelt yellow sandplain soil. Location: Merredin Research Station. History: Between 1980 and 1989 Lime (Wheat/Clover) x 2 Molybdenum rates. Wheat plots sown to wheat. Clover to triticale. Added 200 g Super/ha, 90 g Mo/ha and 73 kg Agran/ha. yielded 1.5 t/ha. No lime response.Lime increased grain yield in 1986. Sown Wheat and Yorrel, September 1989 sampled 30 plants/plot rep 1 only. November 1989 Harvested. Trial 8OM31 Lime applications in a wheat/lupin rotation. Location: Merredin Research Station. The large effect of lime on wheat yield (75% increase) does not appear to be due to the alleviation of a molybdenum deficiency. the molybdenum treatment is confounded with rate of Agras. A slightly higher rate of Agras was applied in the nil molybdenum plots compared to plus molybdenum plots (123 kg/ha). Trial 88NA82 The effect of lime on gegenerating clover. Location: Yealering. History: Between 1986 and 1989 pasture was very clover dominant Crop sown with 90 kg/ha DAP appeared very N deficient. (cereal variety trial). Rates of lime applied, cultivated and sown to sub. clover Topdressed 210 kg super/ha and 90 KG KC1/ha. Cultivated. Sown to Dalyup Oates with double super (70 kg/ha( and Agran (60 kg/ha). Then harvested. Trial 89ME62 Demonstratino of liming recommendations. Location: Bruce Rock History: 1989 Topdressed lime. Cultivated across pots with cone seeder to 6 cm. Sown to Gutha (50 kg/ha) with super Cu Zn Mo, rates of nitrogen (topdressed). Sprayseed (1.5 L/ha) Brominil M (1 L/ha) and Hoegrass (1 L/ha) No lime response visible. Sampled 50 plants/plot, anthesis. Trial 89ME92, 89ME93, 89ME94. 89MO50 Gypsum for amelioration of acid soils. Location: Burracoppin, N.W. Trayning, Welbungin, Dalwallin

Database Web Programming

This book is the result of teaching the laboratory component of an introductory course in Database Systems in the Department of Computer Science & Software Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal.. The intent of this part of the course was to have the students create a practical web-based application wherein the database forms the dynamic component of a real life application using a web browser as the user interface. It was decided to use all open source software, namely, Apache web server, PHP, JavaScript and HTML, and also the open source database which started as MySQL and has since migrated to MariaDB. The examples given in this book have been run successfully both using MySQL on a Windows platform and MariaDB on a Linux platform without any changes. However, the code may need to be updated as the underlying software systems evolve with time, as functions are deprecated and replaced by others. Hence the user is responsible for making any required changes to any code given in this book. The readers are also warned of the changing privacy and data usage policy of most web sites. They should be aware that most web sites collect and mine user’s data for private profit. The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of many students in the introductory database course over the years whose needs and the involvement of one of the authors in the early days of the web prompted the start of this project in the late part of the 20th century. This was the era of the dot com bubble. The corporations that survived this bubble have grown, thanks to data and its mining, to become the most powerful monopolies in the history of mankind. It is hoped that the open source community will replace these with locally controlled alternatives

Interaction in online postgraduate learning:What makes a good forum?

Online postgraduate courses for professionals often use discussion forums to promote engagement and interaction. Equivalency theorem suggests that student-student interaction may increase satisfaction but is not necessary for achieving desired learning outcomes. Therefore, costs, as well as benefits, should be ascertained. We used data from student feedback and interviews to assess the perceptions of part-time postgraduate distance learners, and analyze their views of the role, benefits, and drawbacks of discussion forums. The aim was to assess forum efficacy in the context of the specific needs of these learners, to inform forum use and design. Thematic analysis revealed complex interactions between student context and experience, forum design and management. Structurally tweaking forums to control engagement may be particularly ineffective, stimulating unhelpful grade-focused participation and highlighting forum opportunity costs. The study revealed the importance of designing and managing forums, with direct reference to their costs and benefits for specific student groups

Cube law, condition factor and weight-length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations

This study presents a historical review, a meta-analysis, and recommendations for users about weight–length relationships, condition factors and relative weight equations. The historical review traces the developments of the respective concepts. The meta-analysis explores 3929 weight–length relationships of the type W = aLb for 1773 species of fishes. It shows that 82% of the variance in a plot of log a over b can be explained by allometric versus isometric growth patterns and by different body shapes of the respective species. Across species median b = 3.03 is significantly larger than 3.0, thus indicating a tendency towards slightly positive-allometric growth (increase in relative body thickness or plumpness) in most fishes. The expected range of 2.5 < b < 3.5 is confirmed. Mean estimates of b outside this range are often based on only one or two weight–length relationships per species. However, true cases of strong allometric growth do exist and three examples are given. Within species, a plot of log a vs b can be used to detect outliers in weight–length relationships. An equation to calculate mean condition factors from weight–length relationships is given as Kmean = 100aLb−3. Relative weight Wrm = 100W/(amLbm) can be used for comparing the condition of individuals across populations, where am is the geometric mean of a and bm is the mean of b across all available weight–length relationships for a given species. Twelve recommendations for proper use and presentation of weight–length relationships, condition factors and relative weight are given

Design for ground beetle abundance and diversity sampling within the National Ecological Observatory Network

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) will monitor ground beetle populations across a network of broadly distributed sites because beetles are prevalent in food webs, are sensitive to abiotic factors, and have an established role as indicator species of habitat and climatic shifts. We describe the design of ground beetle population sampling in the context of NEON's long-term, continentalscale monitoring program, emphasizing the sampling design, priorities, and collection methods. Freely available NEON ground beetle data and associated field and laboratory samples will increase scientific understanding of how biological communities are responding to land-use and climate change.Peer reviewe

Investigating the role of c-Jun N-terminal kinases in the proliferation of Werner syndrome fibroblasts using diaminopyridine inhibitors

Fibroblasts derived from the progeroid Werner syndrome show reduced replicative lifespan and a "stressed" morphology, both alleviated using the MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580. However, interpretation of these data is problematical because although SB203580 has the stress-activated kinases p38 and JNK1/2 as its preferred targets, it does show relatively low overall kinase selectivity. Several lines of data support a role for both p38 and JNK1/2 activation in the control of cellular proliferation and also the pathology of diseases of ageing, including type II diabetes, diseases to which Werner Syndrome individuals are prone, thus making the use of JNK inhibitors attractive as possible therapeutics. We have thus tested the effects of the widely used JNK inhibitor SP600125 on the proliferation and morphology of WS cells. In addition we synthesised and tested two recently described aminopyridine based inhibitors. SP600125 treatment resulted in the cessation of proliferation of WS cells and resulted in a senescent-like cellular phenotype that does not appear to be related to the inhibition of JNK1/2. In contrast, use of the more selective aminopyridine CMPD 6o at concentrations that fully inhibit JNK1/2 had a positive effect on cellular proliferation of immortalised WS cells, but no effect on the replicative lifespan of primary WS fibroblasts. In addition, CMPD 6o corrected the stressed WS cellular morphology. The aminopyridine CMPD 6r, however, had little effect on WS cells. CMDP 6o was also found to be a weak inhibitor of MK2, which may partially explain its effects on WS cells, since MK2 is known to be involved in regulating cellular morphology via HSP27 phosphorylation, and is thought to play a role in cell cycle arrest. These data suggest that total JNK1/2 activity does not play a substantial role in the proliferation control in WS cells

Maternal deaths in Pakistan : intersection of gender, class and social exclusion.

Background: A key aim of countries with high maternal mortality rates is to increase availability of competent maternal health care during pregnancy and childbirth. Yet, despite significant investment, countries with the highest burdens have not reduced their rates to the expected levels. We argue, taking Pakistan as a case study, that improving physical availability of services is necessary but not sufficient for reducing maternal mortality because gender inequities interact with caste and poverty to socially exclude certain groups of women from health services that are otherwise physically available. Methods: Using a critical ethnographic approach, two case studies of women who died during childbirth were pieced together from information gathered during the first six months of fieldwork in a village in Northern Punjab, Pakistan. Findings: Shida did not receive the necessary medical care because her heavily indebted family could not afford it. Zainab, a victim of domestic violence, did not receive any medical care because her martial family could not afford it, nor did they think she deserved it. Both women belonged to lower caste households, which are materially poor households and socially constructed as inferior. Conclusions: The stories of Shida and Zainab illustrate how a rigidly structured caste hierarchy, the gendered devaluing of females, and the reinforced lack of control that many impoverished women experience conspire to keep women from lifesaving health services that are physically available and should be at their disposal

ICON 2019: International Scientific Tendinopathy Symposium Consensus: Clinical Terminology

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Background Persistent tendon pain that impairs function has inconsistent medical terms that can influence choice of treatment.1 When a person is told they have tendinopathy by clinician A or tendinitis by clinician B, they might feel confused or be alarmed at receiving what they might perceive as two different diagnoses. This may lead to loss of confidence in their health professional and likely adds to uncertainty if they were to search for information about their condition. Clear and uniform terminology also assists inter-professional communication. Inconsistency in terminology for painful tendon disorders is a problem at numerous anatomical sites. Historically, the term ‘tendinitis’ was first used to describe tendon pain, thickening and impaired function (online supplementary figure S1). The term ‘tendinosis’ has also been used in a small number of publications, some of which were very influential.2 3 Subsequently, ‘tendinopathy’ emerged as the most common term for persistent tendon pain.4 5 To our knowledge, experts (clinicians and researchers) or patients have never engaged in a formal process to discuss the terminology we use. We believe that health professionals have not yet agreed on the appropriate terminology for painful tendon conditions.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Ensembles of global climate model variants designed for the quantification and constraint of uncertainty in aerosols and their radiative forcing

Tropospheric aerosol radiative forcing has persisted for many years as one of the major causes of uncertainty in global climate model simulations. To sample the range of plausible aerosol and atmospheric states and perform robust statistical analyses of the radiative forcing, it is important to account for the combined effects of many sources of model uncertainty, which is rarely done due to the high computational cost. This paper describes the designs of two ensembles of the HadGEM-UKCA global climate model and provides the first analyses of the uncertainties in aerosol radiative forcing and their causes. The first ensemble was designed to comprehensively sample uncertainty in the aerosol state, while the other samples additional uncertainties in the physical model related to clouds, humidity and radiation, thereby allowing an analysis of uncertainty in the aerosol effective radiative forcing. Each ensemble consists of around 200 simulations of the pre-industrial and present-day atmospheres. The uncertainty in aerosol radiative forcing in our ensembles is comparable to the range of estimates from multi-model intercomparison projects. The mean aerosol effective radiative forcing is –1.45 W m–2 (credible interval –2.07 to –0.81 W m–2), which encompasses but is more negative than the –1.17 W m–2 in the 2013 Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project and –0.90 W m–2 in the IPCC 5th Assessment Report. The ensembles can be used to reduce aerosol radiative forcing uncertainty by challenging them with multiple measurements as well as to isolate potential causes of multi-model differences