Auxinic herbicide residue impact on soybean [Glycine max (L.) merr.] growth and yield

The commercialization of 2,4-D- and dicamba-tolerant trait seed technologies will alter how producers utilize auxinic herbicides. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the current recommended pesticide cleanout procedures for removing auxinic herbicides from two types of spray tanks, identify if increased incubation time of auxinic herbicides in spray tanks increases residue amounts after cleanout, and how soybean growth and yield is impacted by reduced rates of auxinic herbicides similar to those that might occur with ineffective tank clean-out procedures. High-density polyethylene pesticide tanks retained higher amounts of auxinic herbicide residues when compared to stainless steel tanks. Increasing the number of times a pesticide tank is cleaned reduced residues of both 2,4-D choline and dicamba. When current manufacturer-recommended spray tank cleanout procedures were utilized, 2,4-D choline residue amounts were lower than dicamba amounts regardless of tank material type. Analytical laboratory data from the auxinic herbicide incubation experiment showed 2,4-D choline residue amounts in high-density polyethylene decreased over time while residue levels in stainless steel tanks remained steady over all incubation time periods. Retained dicamba residues increased over time in high-density polyethylene tanks while dicamba residue amount remained steady over time in stainless steel tanks. Overall, 2,4-D choline residue levels were lower than dicamba residues in both tank material types. Soybean had a higher tolerance to 2,4-D than dicamba across all soybean injury evaluation timings. Mature soybean height was impacted more by dicamba than 2,4-D. Soybean yield loss was greater for soybeans treated with dicamba than 2,4-D, and much lower rates of dicamba caused soybean yield loss when compared to 2,4-D. Proper cleanout procedures after the use of auxinic herbicide minimized herbicide residue retention in pesticide application tanks. Extended incubation of auxinic herbicides in spray tanks should not increase auxinic herbicide residue levels when proper cleanout procedures are used. Due to higher sensitivity of soybeans to dicamba than 2,4-D, low amounts of dicamba residues remaining in pesticide application tanks could lead to soybean injury, height reduction and yield los

How Could Serious Games Support Secure Programming? Designing a Study Replication and Intervention

While developing and deploying software continue to be more broadly accessible, so is the problem caused by these systems' security not being considered enough by their developers and maintainers. We propose to address this developer-centred security issue with serious games (games for which entertainment is not the main purpose) as a means to motivate developers to consider security threats when developing. We have developed a serious game around secure and non-secure programming exercises to investigate if serious gamification helps to improve attitudes or ability with secure programming. We detail the design choices of the game and how it relates to the programming tasks. In particular we present the design choices we made with the intention to replicate a prior study and discuss the tension that arose between replication and intervention. We discuss the results of a pilot study we conducted and present the steps we plan to take going forward into larger studies

Two finds on Mount Kenya

Volume: I

Non-optical Imaging of Flow, Boiling, and Salt Deposition in a Simulated Debris Bed

Determining flow and heat transfer characteristics in a debris bed or a packed bed is difficult due to the lack of optical access. Non-optical imaging methods, such as x-ray or neutron imaging, can be used to observe flow characteristics and particle deposition, as well as boiling in a packed bed. An amorphous Silicon detector based digital radiography camera can be used to image with either x-rays or neutrons at up to 100 frames per second. The digital radiography camera, coupled with digital image analysis techniques was used to characterize fluid fraction and flow rates in a simulated debris bed. A water percolation experiment was performed where a test section filled with 1-3 mm glass particles was used as a simulated debris bed, and properties such as packing fraction, volumetric flow rate, and evaporation rate were calculated both physically and using data from the images. The values obtained using the images were benchmarked against the physically calculated values and found to be in agreement, validating the image processing algorithms

Addition of the apical oblique projection increases the detection of acute traumatic shoulder abnormalities in adults

Purpose Plain radiographic evaluation of acute shoulder trauma in adults requires a minimum of two projections, commonly the anteroposterior (AP) and lateral scapular projections, with additional projections taken for diagnosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether the addition of the apical oblique (AO) projection to the AP and lateral scapular projections increases the number and/or alters the types of abnormalities detected in the examination of acute shoulder trauma. Methods Examinations of 56 adults who had undergone three-projection (AP, lateral scapular, AO) radiographic shoulder examination for acute trauma were allocated into two-projection (AP, lateral scapular) and three-projection cases and assessed by a radiologist. The differences in number and types of abnormalities between the two-projection and three-projection cases were quantified using the one-tailed t test and chi-square goodness-of-fit test, respectively. Results Test-retest reliability was moderate (intra-class correlation coefficient [95%CI], 0.56 [0.15 to 0.80]) for number, and almost perfect (kappa [95%CI], 0.94 [0.85 to 1.00]) for types, of abnormalities detected. There was a significant increase in the number of abnormalities detected across all three-projection versus two-projection cases (difference in means [95%CI], 0.20 [0.01 to 0.39]) and for fractures (difference in means [95%CI], 0.30 [0.11 to 0.49]), but no difference in the types of abnormalities detected (χ 2 = 4.7, p = 0.19). Conclusion This study suggests that adding the AO projection to two-projection examination of acute shoulder trauma increases the number of abnormalities detected; this has potential implications for patient management. Further research investigating differences in types of abnormalities detected between two-projection and three-projection cases is warranted

Striking the right balance: evidence to inform combined physical activity and sedentary behaviour recommendations

Crucial evidence gaps regarding: (1) the joint association of physical activity and sedentary time with health outcomes and (2) the benefits of light-intensity physical activity were identified during the development of recommendations for the World Health Organization Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior (SB). The authors present alternative ways to evidence the relationship between health outcomes and time spent in physical activity and SB and examine how this could be translated into a combined recommendation in future guidelines. Methods:We used compositional data analysis to quantify the dose–response associations between the balance of time spent in physical activity and SB with all-cause mortality. The authors applied this approach using 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey accelerometer data. Results: Different combinations of time spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity, light-intensity physical activity, and SB are associated with similar all-cause mortality risk level. A balance of more than 2.5 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity per hour of daily sedentary time is associated with the samemagnitude of risk reduction for all-cause mortality as obtained by being physically active according to the current recommendations. Conclusion: This method could be applied to provide evidence for more flexible recommendations in the future with options to act on different behaviors depending on individuals’ circumstances and capacity

The Value of College Graduates to the Scottish Economy

Scotland’s colleges are significant economic institutions in their own right. Their activities help support and sustain employment across the communities that they serve. However, the key contribution that colleges make extends well beyond simply how much they spend or invest in the local economy. Colleges play a crucial role in developing Scotland’s growth potential through enhancing human capital – whether that be providing routes from school to work, further training or university; continuous skills-development (often in conjunction with employers); or re-training people for new opportunities. By developing a more productive workforce and boosting participation, colleges help deliver long-term sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Sustainable growth is more important than ever given the new revenue raising responsibilities of the Scottish Parliament. This study undertakes a detailed assessment of the contribution to Scotland's economy from a cohort of college learners over the eight years 2008/09-2015/16. To do this we assess the costs and benefits to the economy from graduates leaving college with a nationally recognised qualification. We use the Fraser of Allander's macroeconomic model of the Scottish economy to provide a robust estimate of the impact on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment and tax revenues. For the period 2008/09-2015/16 graduate cohorts we estimate that: The Scottish economy (as measured by GDP) will be better off by over £20 billion in present value terms (i.e. with future benefits discounted) over the long-term. This corresponds to around an additional £55,000 boost to productivity for the Scottish economy per graduate. The present value of the increase in public sector revenues is estimated to be £6.8 billion. Over the years studied, the total costs to the public sector of investing in these learners through nationally-recognised qualifications was approximately £2.4 billion – just 35% of the cumulative tax revenues generated over the long-term. The investment is estimated to support 13,896 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs in present value terms. The analysis in this report has been conducted by the Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) at the University of Strathclyde. The report was commissioned by Colleges Scotland. Colleges Scotland asked the FAI to estimate the long-term value to the Scottish economy from graduates of Scotland’s colleges. The technical analysis, methodology and writing of the results was undertaken independently by the FAI, using their detailed macroeconomic model of the Scottish economy to undertake the analysis

Economic Activity Supported by Offshore Wind : a Hypothetical Extraction Study

Given public investment in renewable energy technologies, it is important to understand the contribution these make to the economy. Various methods have been used to quantify impacts, such as job counts, surveys and measures based on economic statistics. Economic modelling approaches on the other hand appear to offer an ability to both provide metrics of interest to policy makers, and crucially an understanding of the activities which support that contribution. In this paper, we implement a “hypothetical extraction” of UK activities related to renewable electricity generation – specifically focusing on offshore wind – to identify the contribution that they make to economic activity as well as job quality, and emissions. Undertaking the partial extraction of offshore wind from an aggregated IO table, and then subsequently from one in which we have separated out the offshore wind electricity sector, we highlight the value of more disaggregation and technology-specific detail in economic accounts. We find that a significant portion of activity supported by offshore wind is supported by expansions in capacity, in addition to the operation of existing offshore wind activity, giving policymakers important information on the likely path of economic impacts related to renewable energy activities

The 'Diverse, Dynamic New World of Global Tobacco Control'?:An Analysis of Participation in the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

INTRODUCTION: The increasingly inequitable impacts of tobacco use highlight the importance of ensuring developing countries’ ongoing participation in global tobacco control. The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been widely regarded as reflecting the high engagement and effective influence of developing countries. METHODS: We examined participation in FCTC governance based on records from the first four meetings of the Conference of the Parties (COP), comparing representation and delegate diversity across income levels and WHO regions. RESULTS: While attendance at the COP sessions is high, there are substantial disparities in the relative representation of different income levels and regions, with lower middle and low income countries contributing only 18% and 10% of total meeting delegates, respectively. In regional terms, Europe provided the single largest share of delegates at all except the Durban (2008) meeting. Thirty-nine percent of low income countries and 27% of those from Africa were only ever represented by a single person delegation compared with 10% for high income countries and 11% for Europe. Rotation of the COP meeting location outside of Europe is associated with better representation of other regions and a stronger presence of delegates from national ministries of health and focal points for tobacco control. CONCLUSIONS: Developing countries face particular barriers to participating in the COP process, and their engagement in global tobacco control is likely to diminish in the absence of specific measures to support their effective participation

Labour market dynamics in the era of technological advancements : the system-wide impacts of labour augmenting technological change

The employment impact of future technological change is much debated. Some commentators predict devastating job losses, while others are more sanguine, claiming that technological change raises living standards without reducing total employment. Our analysis a use a combination of partial equilibrium and dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) analysis with neo-Keynesian characteristics. These models are employed to assess the implications of skill-biased labour-augmenting technological change. They are calibrated on recent German Social Accounting Matrix data and parameterised using the best available empirical results from developed economies. The numerical CGE multi-sectoral model simulates the system-wide impacts of pervasive technical change affecting all sectors of the economy. The model allows investigation of alternative scenarios based around a common economic structure and set of parameter values. The results suggest that labour-augmenting technological change typically stimulates GDP growth and long-run total employment. However, there are negative short- and medium-run employment and real wage implications which might require government policy intervention. The simulations indicate that for open developed economies, improving the efficiency of skilled workers, as opposed to unskilled workers, is the most beneficial. This improvement has positive long-run impacts that are spread across both skill classifications. On the other hand, increasing the efficiency of the unskilled produces negative impacts on skilled employment and real wages. Additionally, the openness of the economy to migration and trade are important in determining the scale of these system-wide effects