Remotely sensed rice yield prediction using multi-temporal NDVI data derived from NOAA's-AVHRR.

PubMed

Huang, Jingfeng; Wang, Xiuzhen; Li, Xinxing; Tian, Hanqin; Pan, Zhuokun

2013-01-01

Grain-yield prediction using remotely sensed data have been intensively studied in wheat and maize, but such information is limited in rice, barley, oats and soybeans. The present study proposes a new framework for rice-yield prediction, which eliminates the influence of the technology development, fertilizer application, and management improvement and can be used for the development and implementation of provincial rice-yield predictions. The technique requires the collection of remotely sensed data over an adequate time frame and a corresponding record of the region's crop yields. Longer normalized-difference-vegetation-index (NDVI) time series are preferable to shorter ones for the purposes of rice-yield prediction because the well-contrasted seasons in a longer time series provide the opportunity to build regression models with a wide application range. A regression analysis of the yield versus the year indicated an annual gain in the rice yield of 50 to 128 kg ha(-1). Stepwise regression models for the remotely sensed rice-yield predictions have been developed for five typical rice-growing provinces in China. The prediction models for the remotely sensed rice yield indicated that the influences of the NDVIs on the rice yield were always positive. The association between the predicted and observed rice yields was highly significant without obvious outliers from 1982 to 2004. Independent validation found that the overall relative error is approximately 5.82%, and a majority of the relative errors were less than 5% in 2005 and 2006, depending on the study area. The proposed models can be used in an operational context to predict rice yields at the provincial level in China. The methodologies described in the present paper can be applied to any crop for which a sufficient time series of NDVI data and the corresponding historical yield information are available, as long as the historical yield increases significantly.

Remotely Sensed Rice Yield Prediction Using Multi-Temporal NDVI Data Derived from NOAA's-AVHRR

PubMed Central

Huang, Jingfeng; Wang, Xiuzhen; Li, Xinxing; Tian, Hanqin; Pan, Zhuokun

2013-01-01

Grain-yield prediction using remotely sensed data have been intensively studied in wheat and maize, but such information is limited in rice, barley, oats and soybeans. The present study proposes a new framework for rice-yield prediction, which eliminates the influence of the technology development, fertilizer application, and management improvement and can be used for the development and implementation of provincial rice-yield predictions. The technique requires the collection of remotely sensed data over an adequate time frame and a corresponding record of the region's crop yields. Longer normalized-difference-vegetation-index (NDVI) time series are preferable to shorter ones for the purposes of rice-yield prediction because the well-contrasted seasons in a longer time series provide the opportunity to build regression models with a wide application range. A regression analysis of the yield versus the year indicated an annual gain in the rice yield of 50 to 128 kg ha−1. Stepwise regression models for the remotely sensed rice-yield predictions have been developed for five typical rice-growing provinces in China. The prediction models for the remotely sensed rice yield indicated that the influences of the NDVIs on the rice yield were always positive. The association between the predicted and observed rice yields was highly significant without obvious outliers from 1982 to 2004. Independent validation found that the overall relative error is approximately 5.82%, and a majority of the relative errors were less than 5% in 2005 and 2006, depending on the study area. The proposed models can be used in an operational context to predict rice yields at the provincial level in China. The methodologies described in the present paper can be applied to any crop for which a sufficient time series of NDVI data and the corresponding historical yield information are available, as long as the historical yield increases significantly. PMID:23967112

A Remote Sensing-Derived Corn Yield Assessment Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, Ranjay Man

Agricultural studies and food security have become critical research topics due to continuous growth in human population and simultaneous shrinkage in agricultural land. In spite of modern technological advancements to improve agricultural productivity, more studies on crop yield assessments and food productivities are still necessary to fulfill the constantly increasing food demands. Besides human activities, natural disasters such as flood and drought, along with rapid climate changes, also inflect an adverse effect on food productivities. Understanding the impact of these disasters on crop yield and making early impact estimations could help planning for any national or international food crisis. Similarly, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) insurance management utilizes appropriately estimated crop yield and damage assessment information to sustain farmers' practice through timely and proper compensations. Through County Agricultural Production Survey (CAPS), the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) uses traditional methods of field interviews and farmer-reported survey data to perform annual crop condition monitoring and production estimations at the regional and state levels. As these manual approaches of yield estimations are highly inefficient and produce very limited samples to represent the entire area, NASS requires supplemental spatial data that provides continuous and timely information on crop production and annual yield. Compared to traditional methods, remote sensing data and products offer wider spatial extent, more accurate location information, higher temporal resolution and data distribution, and lower data cost--thus providing a complementary option for estimation of crop yield information. Remote sensing derived vegetation indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) provide measurable statistics of potential crop growth based on the spectral reflectance and could be further associated with the actual yield. Utilizing satellite remote sensing products, such as daily NDVI derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) at 250 m pixel size, the crop yield estimation can be performed at a very fine spatial resolution. Therefore, this study examined the potential of these daily NDVI products within agricultural studies and crop yield assessments. In this study, a regression-based approach was proposed to estimate the annual corn yield through changes in MODIS daily NDVI time series. The relationship between daily NDVI and corn yield was well defined and established, and as changes in corn phenology and yield were directly reflected by the changes in NDVI within the growing season, these two entities were combined to develop a relational model. The model was trained using 15 years (2000-2014) of historical NDVI and county-level corn yield data for four major corn producing states: Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana, representing four climatic regions as South, West North Central, East North Central, and Central, respectively, within the U.S. Corn Belt area. The model's goodness of fit was well defined with a high coefficient of determination (R2>0.81). Similarly, using 2015 yield data for validation, 92% of average accuracy signified the performance of the model in estimating corn yield at county level. Besides providing the county-level corn yield estimations, the derived model was also accurate enough to estimate the yield at finer spatial resolution (field level). The model's assessment accuracy was evaluated using the randomly selected field level corn yield within the study area for 2014, 2015, and 2016. A total of over 120 plot level corn yield were used for validation, and the overall average accuracy was 87%, which statistically justified the model's capability to estimate plot-level corn yield. Additionally, the proposed model was applied to the impact estimation by examining the changes in corn yield due to flood events during the growing season. Using a 2011 Missouri River flood event as a case study, field-level flood impact map on corn yield throughout the flooded regions was produced and an overall agreement of over 82.2% was achieved when compared with the reference impact map. The future research direction of this dissertation research would be to examine other major crops outside the Corn Belt region of the U.S.

Impacts of forest restoration on water yield: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Filoso, Solange; Bezerra, Maíra Ometto; Weiss, Katherine C. B.; Palmer, Margaret A.

2017-01-01

Background Enhancing water provision services is a common target in forest restoration projects worldwide due to growing concerns over freshwater scarcity. However, whether or not forest cover expansion or restoration can improve water provision services is still unclear and highly disputed. Purpose The goal of this review is to provide a balanced and impartial assessment of the impacts of forest restoration and forest cover expansion on water yields as informed by the scientific literature. Potential sources of bias on the results of papers published are also examined. Data sources English, Spanish and Portuguese peer-review articles in Agricola, CAB Abstracts, ISI Web of Science, JSTOR, Google Scholar, and SciELO. Databases were searched through 2015. Search terms Intervention terms included forest restoration, regeneration/regrowth, forest second-growth, forestation/afforestation, and forestry. Target terms included water yield/quantity, streamflow, discharge, channel runoff, and annual flow. Study selection and eligibility criteria Articles were pre-selected based on key words in the title, abstract or text. Eligible articles addressed relevant interventions and targets and included quantitative information. Results Most studies reported decreases in water yields following the intervention, while other hydrological benefits have been observed. However, relatively few studies focused specifically on forest restoration, especially with native species, and/or on projects done at large spatial or temporal scales. Information is especially limited for the humid tropics and subtropics. Conclusions and implications of key findings While most studies reported a decrease in water yields, meta-analyses from a sub-set of studies suggest the potential influence of temporal and/or spatial scales on the outcomes of forest cover expansion or restoration projects. Given the many other benefits of forest restoration, improving our understanding of when and why forest restoration can lead to recovery of water yields is crucial to help improve positive outcomes and prevent unintended consequences. Our study identifies the critical types of studies and associated measurements needed. PMID:28817639

Soybean Yield and Heterodera glycines Population Dynamics as Affected by Cultural Practices in Major Production Areas of the United States and Canada

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Little information is available on the interactive effects of tillage and row spacing on yield of soybean and population dynamics of H. glycines. This study investigated the effects of rotation of soybean and corn, tillage, row spacing, and cultivar on yield of soybean and population dynamics of H. ...

Classical and Bayesian Seismic Yield Estimation: The 1998 Indian and Pakistani Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shumway, R. H.

2001-10-01

- The nuclear tests in May, 1998, in India and Pakistan have stimulated a renewed interest in yield estimation, based on limited data from uncalibrated test sites. We study here the problem of estimating yields using classical and Bayesian methods developed by Shumway (1992), utilizing calibration data from the Semipalatinsk test site and measured magnitudes for the 1998 Indian and Pakistani tests given by Murphy (1998). Calibration is done using multivariate classical or Bayesian linear regression, depending on the availability of measured magnitude-yield data and prior information. Confidence intervals for the classical approach are derived applying an extension of Fieller's method suggested by Brown (1982). In the case where prior information is available, the posterior predictive magnitude densities are inverted to give posterior intervals for yield. Intervals obtained using the joint distribution of magnitudes are comparable to the single-magnitude estimates produced by Murphy (1998) and reinforce the conclusion that the announced yields of the Indian and Pakistani tests were too high.

Classical and Bayesian Seismic Yield Estimation: The 1998 Indian and Pakistani Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shumway, R. H.

The nuclear tests in May, 1998, in India and Pakistan have stimulated a renewed interest in yield estimation, based on limited data from uncalibrated test sites. We study here the problem of estimating yields using classical and Bayesian methods developed by Shumway (1992), utilizing calibration data from the Semipalatinsk test site and measured magnitudes for the 1998 Indian and Pakistani tests given by Murphy (1998). Calibration is done using multivariate classical or Bayesian linear regression, depending on the availability of measured magnitude-yield data and prior information. Confidence intervals for the classical approach are derived applying an extension of Fieller's method suggested by Brown (1982). In the case where prior information is available, the posterior predictive magnitude densities are inverted to give posterior intervals for yield. Intervals obtained using the joint distribution of magnitudes are comparable to the single-magnitude estimates produced by Murphy (1998) and reinforce the conclusion that the announced yields of the Indian and Pakistani tests were too high.

Explaining the Alluring Influence of Neuroscience Information on Scientific Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Rebecca E.; Rodriguez, Fernando; Shah, Priti

2014-01-01

Previous studies have investigated the influence of neuroscience information or images on ratings of scientific evidence quality but have yielded mixed results. We examined the influence of neuroscience information on evaluations of flawed scientific studies after taking into account individual differences in scientific reasoning skills, thinking…

Prioritization of catchments based on soil erosion using remote sensing and GIS.

PubMed

Khadse, Gajanan K; Vijay, Ritesh; Labhasetwar, Pawan K

2015-06-01

Water and soil are the most essential natural resources for socioeconomic development and sustenance of life. A study of soil and water dynamics at a watershed level facilitates a scientific approach towards their conservation and management. Remote sensing and Geographic Information System are tools that help to plan and manage natural resources on watershed basis. Studies were conducted for the formulation of catchment area treatment plan based on watershed prioritization with soil erosion studies using remote sensing techniques, corroborated with Geographic Information System (GIS), secondary data and ground truth information. Estimation of runoff and sediment yield is necessary in prioritization of catchment for the design of soil conservation structures and for identifying the critical erosion-prone areas of a catchment for implementation of best management plan with limited resources. The Universal Soil Loss Equation, Sediment Yield Determination and silt yield index methods are used for runoff and soil loss estimation for prioritization of the catchments. On the basis of soil erosion classes, the watersheds were grouped into very high, high, moderate and low priorities. High-priority watersheds need immediate attention for soil and water conservation, whereas low-priority watershed having good vegetative cover and low silt yield index may not need immediate attention for such treatments.

Taming Big Data: An Information Extraction Strategy for Large Clinical Text Corpora.

PubMed

Gundlapalli, Adi V; Divita, Guy; Carter, Marjorie E; Redd, Andrew; Samore, Matthew H; Gupta, Kalpana; Trautner, Barbara

2015-01-01

Concepts of interest for clinical and research purposes are not uniformly distributed in clinical text available in electronic medical records. The purpose of our study was to identify filtering techniques to select 'high yield' documents for increased efficacy and throughput. Using two large corpora of clinical text, we demonstrate the identification of 'high yield' document sets in two unrelated domains: homelessness and indwelling urinary catheters. For homelessness, the high yield set includes homeless program and social work notes. For urinary catheters, concepts were more prevalent in notes from hospitalized patients; nursing notes accounted for a majority of the high yield set. This filtering will enable customization and refining of information extraction pipelines to facilitate extraction of relevant concepts for clinical decision support and other uses.

Some Notes on Information Theory and Its Applications

EPA Science Inventory

Information is in the purest sense one of the most fundamental quantities in nature, and the study of information can often yield fundamental insights that cannot otherwise be obtained. For example, starting from a form of information arising from the work of the statistician R....

Threat and Selective Exposure: The Moderating Role of Threat and Decision Context on Confirmatory Information Search after Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Peter; Kastenmuller, Andreas; Greitemeyer, Tobias; Fischer, Julia; Frey, Dieter; Crelley, David

2011-01-01

Previous studies on the impact of perceived threat on confirmatory information search (selective exposure) in the context of decision making have yielded mixed results. Some studies have suggested that confirmatory information search is reduced, yet others have found contradictory effects. The present series of 5 studies consistently found that…

76 FR 12072 - Guidance for Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-04

... not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of... information will not be used for quantitative information collections that are designed to yield reliably... generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results. No comments were received in response...

Whiskey springs long-term coast redwood density management; final growth, sprout, and yield results

Treesearch

Lynn A. Webb; James L. Lindquist; Erik Wahl; Andrew Hubb

2012-01-01

Multi-decadal studies of commercial and precommercial thinning in redwood stands are rare and consequently of value. The Whiskey Springs study at Jackson Demonstration State Forest has a data set spanning 35 years. In addition to growth and yield response to commercial thinning, the results provide important information for evaluating regeneration and...

Biomass production of herbaceous energy crops in the United States: Field trial results and yield potential maps from the multiyear regional feedstock partnership

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Current knowledge of yield potential and best agronomic management practices for perennial bioenergy grasses is primarily derived from small-scale and short-term studies, yet these studies inform policy at the national scale. In an effort to learn more about how bioenergy grasses perform at the farm...

Genetic parameters for milk fatty acids, milk yield and quality traits of a Holstein cattle population reared under tropical conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Information about genetic parameters is essential for selection decisions and genetic evaluation. Those estimates are population specific, but few studies are available for dairy cattle populations reared under tropical and subtropical conditions. Heritability and genetic correlations for milk yield...

Yield and water quality for different residue managements of sugarcane in Louisiana

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The focus of the study was to provide information on implementation of a modified post-harvest crop residue sweeper on sugarcane yield and water quality. Field experiments were established at three different locations in south Louisiana: Paincourtville, Duson and Baton Rouge. In each location, lar...

Early lactation production, health, and welfare characteristics of cows selected for extended lactation.

PubMed

Lehmann, J O; Mogensen, L; Kristensen, T

2017-02-01

Some cows are able to achieve relatively high milk yields during extended lactations beyond 305 d in milk, and farmers may be able to use this potential by selecting the most suitable cows for an extended lactation. However, the decision to postpone insemination has to rely on information available in early lactation. The main objectives of this study were, therefore, to assess the association between the information available in early lactation and the relative milk production of cows on extended lactation, and to investigate if this information can be used to differentiate time of first insemination between cows. Data came from 4 Danish private herds practicing extended lactation in which some cows are selected to have a delayed time of planned first insemination. Average herd size varied from 93 to 157 cows, and milk yield varied from 7,842 to 12,315 kg of energy-corrected milk (ECM) per cow per year across herds. The analysis was based on 422 completed extended lactations (427 ± 87 d), and each lactation was assigned to 1 of 3 (low, medium, and high) milk performance groups (MPG) within parity group within herd based on a standardized lactation yield. For cows in the high MPG, peak ECM yield, and ECM yield at dry off were significantly greater, the relative reduction in milk yield between 60 and 305 d in milk was significantly smaller, and a smaller proportion had a body condition score (scale: 1-5) at dry off of 3.5 or greater compared with cows in low MPG. Previous lactation days in milk at peak ECM yield and ECM yield at dry off were higher, the relative reduction in milk yield between 60 and 305 d in milk was smaller, and the number of inseminations per conception was higher for multiparous cows in high MPG compared with low. Current lactation ECM yield at second and third milk recording were greater for cows in high MPG compared with low. A principal component analysis indicated that variables related to fertility, diseases, and milk yield explained most of the total variation between primiparous cows, whereas variables related to milk yield, fertility, and days in milk at peak yield were the most dominating for multiparous cows. Our study indicated that milk yields in previous lactation and at second and third milk recording correlate well with milk production potential, and therefore, may be promising indicators when selecting the most suitable cows for extended lactation. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental Assessment for Aviation Foreign Internal Defense Beddown (AvFID) at Duke Field, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history” (36 CFR § 60:4). 3.8.2 Existing Conditions The ROI for...components may lack individual distinction; or d) that have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history (Advisory

Evaluation of Fifteen Cultivars of Cool-Season Perennial Grasses as Biofuel Feedstocks Using Near-Infrared

DOE PAGES

Payne, Courtney E.; Wolfrum, Edward J.; Nagle, Nicholas J.; ...

2017-06-22

Cool-season (C3) perennial grasses have a long history of cultivation and use as animal forage. This study evaluated 15 cultivars of C3 grasses, when harvested in late June for increased biomass yield, as biofuel feedstocks using near- infrared spectroscopy (NIR) based partial least square (PLS) analysis. These grasses were grown near Iliff, CO, for three growing seasons (2009-2011). The carbohydrate composition and released carbohydrates (total glucose and xylose released from dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis [EH]) were predicted for samples from the study using NIR/PLS. The results were analyzed from a biofuels perspective, where composition combined with harvest yieldmore » provided information on the carbohydrate yield available for biomass conversion processes, and released carbohydrate yield provided information on the accessibility of those carbohydrates to conversion methods. The range in harvest yields varied more among cultivars (2900 kg ha-1) than did the range in carbohydrate composition (56.0 g kg-1) or released carbohydrates (60.0 g kg-1). When comparing carbohydrate yield to released carbohydrate yield between cultivars, an efficiency as high as 87% release of available carbohydrates was obtained for pubescent wheatgrass [ Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey 'Mansaka'], with a low of 71% for hybrid wheatgrass [Elytrigia repens (L.) nevski pseudoroegneria spicata (PURSH) A. Love 'Newhy']. Though hybrid wheatgrass had the lowest release efficiency, its high harvest yield resulted in release of more total carbohydrates than half the other cultivars analyzed. Furthermore, this suggested that harvest yield, carbohydrate release, and carbohydrate composition, together play significant roles in biofuel feedstock evaluation.« less

Evaluation of Fifteen Cultivars of Cool-Season Perennial Grasses as Biofuel Feedstocks Using Near-Infrared

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Payne, Courtney E.; Wolfrum, Edward J.; Nagle, Nicholas J.

Cool-season (C3) perennial grasses have a long history of cultivation and use as animal forage. This study evaluated 15 cultivars of C3 grasses, when harvested in late June for increased biomass yield, as biofuel feedstocks using near- infrared spectroscopy (NIR) based partial least square (PLS) analysis. These grasses were grown near Iliff, CO, for three growing seasons (2009-2011). The carbohydrate composition and released carbohydrates (total glucose and xylose released from dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis [EH]) were predicted for samples from the study using NIR/PLS. The results were analyzed from a biofuels perspective, where composition combined with harvest yieldmore » provided information on the carbohydrate yield available for biomass conversion processes, and released carbohydrate yield provided information on the accessibility of those carbohydrates to conversion methods. The range in harvest yields varied more among cultivars (2900 kg ha-1) than did the range in carbohydrate composition (56.0 g kg-1) or released carbohydrates (60.0 g kg-1). When comparing carbohydrate yield to released carbohydrate yield between cultivars, an efficiency as high as 87% release of available carbohydrates was obtained for pubescent wheatgrass [ Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & D.R. Dewey 'Mansaka'], with a low of 71% for hybrid wheatgrass [Elytrigia repens (L.) nevski pseudoroegneria spicata (PURSH) A. Love 'Newhy']. Though hybrid wheatgrass had the lowest release efficiency, its high harvest yield resulted in release of more total carbohydrates than half the other cultivars analyzed. Furthermore, this suggested that harvest yield, carbohydrate release, and carbohydrate composition, together play significant roles in biofuel feedstock evaluation.« less

Factors related to well yield in the fractured-bedrock aquifer of New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Richard Bridge; Schwartz, Gregory E.; Clark, Stewart F.; Walsh, Gregory J.; Degnan, James R.

2002-01-01

The New Hampshire Bedrock Aquifer Assessment was designed to provide information that can be used by communities, industry, professional consultants, and other interests to evaluate the ground-water development potential of the fractured-bedrock aquifer in the State. The assessment was done at statewide, regional, and well field scales to identify relations that potentially could increase the success in locating high-yield water supplies in the fractured-bedrock aquifer. statewide, data were collected for well construction and yield information, bedrock lithology, surficial geology, lineaments, topography, and various derivatives of these basic data sets. Regionally, geologic, fracture, and lineament data were collected for the Pinardville and Windham quadrangles in New Hampshire. The regional scale of the study examined the degree to which predictive well-yield relations, developed as part of the statewide reconnaissance investigation, could be improved by use of quadrangle-scale geologic mapping. Beginning in 1984, water-well contractors in the State were required to report detailed information on newly constructed wells to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). The reports contain basic data on well construction, including six characteristics used in this study?well yield, well depth, well use, method of construction, date drilled, and depth to bedrock (or length of casing). The NHDES has determined accurate georeferenced locations for more than 20,000 wells reported since 1984. The availability of this large data set provided an opportunity for a statistical analysis of bedrock-well yields. Well yields in the database ranged from zero to greater than 500 gallons per minute (gal/min). Multivariate regression was used as the primary statistical method of analysis because it is the most efficient tool for predicting a single variable with many potentially independent variables. The dependent variable that was explored in this study was the natural logarithm (ln) of the reported well yield. One complication with using well yield as a dependent variable is that yield also is a function of demand. An innovative statistical technique that involves the use of instrumental variables was implemented to compensate for the effect of demand on well yield. Results of the multivariate-regression model show that a variety of factors are either positively or negatively related to well yields. Using instrumental variables, well depth is positively related to total well yield. Other factors that were found to be positively related to well yield include (1) distance to the nearest waterbody; (2) size of the drainage area upgradient of a well; (3) well location in swales or valley bottoms in the Massabesic Gneiss Complex and Breakfast Hill Granite; (4) well proximity to lineaments, identified using high-altitude (1:80,000-scale) aerial photography, which are correlated with the primary fracture direction (regional analysis); (5) use of a cable tool rig for well drilling; and (6) wells drilled for commercial or public supply. Factors negatively related to well yields include sites underlain by foliated plutons, sites on steep slopes sites at high elevations, and sites on hilltops. Additionally, seven detailed geologic map units, identified during the detailed geologic mapping of the Pinardville and Windham quadrangles, were found to be positively or negatively related to well yields. Twenty-four geologic map units, depicted on the Bedrock Geologic Map of New Hampshire, also were found to be positively or negatively related to well yields. Maps or geographic information system (GIS) data sets identifying areas of various yield probabilities clearly display model results. Probability criteria developed in this investigation can be used to select areas where other techniques, such as geophysical techniques, can be applied to more closely identify potential drilling sites for high-yielding

Satellite-based mapping of field-scale stress indicators for crop yield forecasting: an application over Mead, NE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Anderson, M. C.; Gao, F.; Wardlow, B.; Hain, C.; Otkin, J.; Sun, L.; Dulaney, W.

2017-12-01

In agricultural regions, water is one of the most widely limiting factors of crop performance and production. Evapotranspiration (ET) describes crop water use through transpiration and water lost through direct soil evaporation, which makes it a good indicator of soil moisture availability and vegetation health and thus has been an integral part of many yield estimation efforts. The Evaporative Stress Index (ESI) describes temporal anomalies in a normalized evapotranspiration metric (fRET) as derived from satellite remote sensing and has demonstrated capacity to explain regional yield variability in water limited crop growing regions. However, its performance in some regions where the vegetation cycle is intensively managed appears to be degraded. In this study we generated maps of ET, fRET, and ESI at high spatiotemporal resolution (30-m pixels, daily timesteps) using a multi-sensor data fusion method, integrating information from satellite platforms with good temporal coverage and other platforms that provide field-scale spatial detail. The study was conducted over the period 2010-2014, covering a region around Mead, Nebraska that includes both rainfed and irrigated crops. Correlations between ESI and measurements of corn yield are investigated at both the field and county level to assess the value of ESI as a yield forecasting tool. To examine the role of phenology in ESI-yield correlations, annual input fRET timeseries were aligned by both calendar day and by biophysically relevant dates (e.g. days since planting or emergence). Results demonstrate that mapping of fRET and ESI at 30-m has the advantage of being able to resolve different crop types with varying phenology. The study also suggests that incorporating phenological information significantly improves yield-correlations by accounting for effects of phenology such as variable planting date and emergence date. The yield-ESI relationship in this study well captures the inter-annual variability of yields and thus has potential to be used for yield prediction, or for ingestion into a crop simulation model as a crop-specific moisture stress function.

Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analysis of Cyanobacterial Photosynthesis and Acclimation

PubMed Central

Campbell, Douglas; Hurry, Vaughan; Clarke, Adrian K.; Gustafsson, Petter; Öquist, Gunnar

1998-01-01

Cyanobacteria are ecologically important photosynthetic prokaryotes that also serve as popular model organisms for studies of photosynthesis and gene regulation. Both molecular and ecological studies of cyanobacteria benefit from real-time information on photosynthesis and acclimation. Monitoring in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence can provide noninvasive measures of photosynthetic physiology in a wide range of cyanobacteria and cyanolichens and requires only small samples. Cyanobacterial fluorescence patterns are distinct from those of plants, because of key structural and functional properties of cyanobacteria. These include significant fluorescence emission from the light-harvesting phycobiliproteins; large and rapid changes in fluorescence yield (state transitions) which depend on metabolic and environmental conditions; and flexible, overlapping respiratory and photosynthetic electron transport chains. The fluorescence parameters FV/FM, FV′/FM′,qp,qN, NPQ, and φPS II were originally developed to extract information from the fluorescence signals of higher plants. In this review, we consider how the special properties of cyanobacteria can be accommodated and used to extract biologically useful information from cyanobacterial in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence signals. We describe how the pattern of fluorescence yield versus light intensity can be used to predict the acclimated light level for a cyanobacterial population, giving information valuable for both laboratory and field studies of acclimation processes. The size of the change in fluorescence yield during dark-to-light transitions can provide information on respiration and the iron status of the cyanobacteria. Finally, fluorescence parameters can be used to estimate the electron transport rate at the acclimated growth light intensity. PMID:9729605

Predicted stand volume for Eucalyptus plantations by spatial analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latifah, Siti; Teodoro, RV; Myrna, GC; Nathaniel, CB; Leonardo, M. F.

2018-03-01

The main objective of the present study was to assess nonlinear models generated by integrating the stand volume growth rate to estimate the growth and yield of Eucalyptus. The primary data was done for point of interest (POI) of permanent sample plots (PSPs) and inventory sample plots, in Aek Nauli sector, Simalungun regency,North Sumatera Province,Indonesia. from December 2008- March 2009. Today,the demand for forestry information has continued to grow over recent years. Because many forest managers and decision makers face complex decisions, reliable information has become the necessity. In the assessment of natural resources including plantation forests have been widely used geospatial technology.The yield of Eucalyptus plantations represented by merchantable volume as dependent variable while factors affecting yield namely stands variables and the geographic variables as independent variables. The majority of the areas in the study site has stand volume class 0 - 50 m3/ha with 16.59 ha or 65.85 % of the total study site.

76 FR 63301 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-12

... INFORMATION: Title: Comparative Effectiveness Research Inventory. Abstract: The information collection... will not be used for quantitative information collections that are designed to yield reliably... mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results. The Agency received no comments in response to...

Global Synthesis of Drought Effects on Maize and Wheat Production

PubMed Central

Daryanto, Stefani; Wang, Lixin; Jacinthe, Pierre-André

2016-01-01

Drought has been a major cause of agricultural disaster, yet how it affects the vulnerability of maize and wheat production in combination with several co-varying factors (i.e., phenological phases, agro-climatic regions, soil texture) remains unclear. Using a data synthesis approach, this study aims to better characterize the effects of those co-varying factors with drought and to provide critical information on minimizing yield loss. We collected data from peer-reviewed publications between 1980 and 2015 which examined maize and wheat yield responses to drought using field experiments. We performed unweighted analysis using the log response ratio to calculate the bootstrapped confidence limits of yield responses and calculated drought sensitivities with regards to those co-varying factors. Our results showed that yield reduction varied with species, with wheat having lower yield reduction (20.6%) compared to maize (39.3%) at approximately 40% water reduction. Maize was also more sensitive to drought than wheat, particularly during reproductive phase and equally sensitive in the dryland and non-dryland regions. While no yield difference was observed among regions or different soil texture, wheat cultivation in the dryland was more prone to yield loss than in the non-dryland region. Informed by these results, we discuss potential causes and possible approaches that may minimize drought impacts. PMID:27223810

Prediction of winter wheat high yield from remote sensing based model: application in United States and Ukraine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franch, B.; Vermote, E.; Roger, J. C.; Skakun, S.; Becker-Reshef, I.; Justice, C. O.

2017-12-01

Accurate and timely crop yield forecasts are critical for making informed agricultural policies and investments, as well as increasing market efficiency and stability. In Becker-Reshef et al. (2010) and Franch et al. (2015) we developed an empirical generalized model for forecasting winter wheat yield. It is based on the relationship between the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at the peak of the growing season and the Growing Degree Day (GDD) information extracted from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. These methods were applied to MODIS CMG data in Ukraine, the US and China with errors around 10%. However, the NDVI is saturated for yield values higher than 4 MT/ha. As a consequence, the model had to be re-calibrated in each country and the validation of the national yields showed low correlation coefficients. In this study we present a new model based on the extrapolation of the pure wheat signal (100% of wheat within the pixel) from MODIS data at 1km resolution and using the Difference Vegetation Index (DVI). The model has been applied to monitor the national yield of winter wheat in the United States and Ukraine from 2001 to 2016.

Normal yield tables for red alder.

Treesearch

Norman P. Worthington; Floyd A. Johnson; George R. Staebler; William J. Lloyd

1960-01-01

Increasing interest in the management of red alder (Alnus rubra) has created a need for reliable yield information. Existing yield tables for red alder have been very useful as interim sources of information, but they are generally inadequate for current and prospective management needs. The advisory committee for the Station's Olympia...

Targeting the right input data to improve crop modeling at global level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, M.; Robertson, R.; Gbegbelegbe, S.; Jones, J. W.; Boote, K. J.; Asseng, S.

2012-12-01

Designed for location-specific simulations, the use of crop models at a global level raises important questions. Crop models are originally premised on small unit areas where environmental conditions and management practices are considered homogeneous. Specific information describing soils, climate, management, and crop characteristics are used in the calibration process. However, when scaling up for global application, we rely on information derived from geographical information systems and weather generators. To run crop models at broad, we use a modeling platform that assumes a uniformly generated grid cell as a unit area. Specific weather, specific soil and specific management practices for each crop are represented for each of the cell grids. Studies on the impacts of the uncertainties of weather information and climate change on crop yield at a global level have been carried out (Osborne et al, 2007, Nelson et al., 2010, van Bussel et al, 2011). Detailed information on soils and management practices at global level are very scarce but recognized to be of critical importance (Reidsma et al., 2009). Few attempts to assess the impact of their uncertainties on cropping systems performances can be found. The objectives of this study are (i) to determine sensitivities of a crop model to soil and management practices, inputs most relevant to low input rainfed cropping systems, and (ii) to define hotspots of sensitivity according to the input data. We ran DSSAT v4.5 globally (CERES-CROPSIM) to simulate wheat yields at 45arc-minute resolution. Cultivar parameters were calibrated and validated for different mega-environments (results not shown). The model was run for nitrogen-limited production systems. This setting was chosen as the most representative to simulate actual yield (especially for low-input rainfed agricultural systems) and assumes crop growth to be free of any pest and diseases damages. We conducted a sensitivity analysis on contrasting management practices, initial soil conditions, and soil characteristics information. Management practices were represented by planting date and the amount of fertilizer, initial conditions estimates for initial nitrogen, soil water, and stable soil carbon, and soil information is based on a simplified version of the WISE database, characterized by soil organic matter, texture and soil depth. We considered these factors as the most important determinants of nutrient supply to crops during their growing season. Our first global results demonstrate that the model is most sensitive to the initial conditions in terms of soil carbon and nitrogen (CN): wheat yields decreased by 45% when soil CN is null and increase by 15% when twice the soil CN content of the reference run is used. The yields did not appear to be very sensitive to initial soil water conditions, varying from 0% yield increase when initial soil water is set to wilting point to 6% yield increase when it was set to field capacity. They are slightly sensitive to nitrogen application: 8% yield decrease when no N is applied to 9% yield increase when 150 kg.ha-1 is applied. However, with closer examination of results, the model is more sensitive to nitrogen application than to initial soil CN content in Vietnam, Thailand and Japan compared to the rest of the world. More analyses per region and results on the planting dates and soil properties will be presented.

[Study on Information Extraction of Clinic Expert Information from Hospital Portals].

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanpeng; Dong, Jiancheng; Qian, Danmin; Geng, Xingyun; Wu, Huiqun; Wang, Li

2015-12-01

Clinic expert information provides important references for residents in need of hospital care. Usually, such information is hidden in the deep web and cannot be directly indexed by search engines. To extract clinic expert information from the deep web, the first challenge is to make a judgment on forms. This paper proposes a novel method based on a domain model, which is a tree structure constructed by the attributes of search interfaces. With this model, search interfaces can be classified to a domain and filled in with domain keywords. Another challenge is to extract information from the returned web pages indexed by search interfaces. To filter the noise information on a web page, a block importance model is proposed. The experiment results indicated that the domain model yielded a precision 10.83% higher than that of the rule-based method, whereas the block importance model yielded an F₁ measure 10.5% higher than that of the XPath method.

Application of SAR remote sensing and crop modeling for operational rice crop monitoring in South and South East Asian Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiyono, T. D.; Holecz, F.; Khan, N. I.; Barbieri, M.; Maunahan, A. A.; Gatti, L.; Quicho, E. D.; Pazhanivelan, S.; Campos-Taberner, M.; Collivignarelli, F.; Haro, J. G.; Intrman, A.; Phuong, D.; Boschetti, M.; Prasadini, P.; Busetto, L.; Minh, V. Q.; Tuan, V. Q.

2017-12-01

This study uses multi-temporal SAR imagery, automated image processing, rule-based classification and field observations to classify rice in multiple locations in South and South Asian countries and assimilate the information into ORYZA Crop Growth Simulation Model (CGSM) to monitor rice yield. The study demonstrates examples of operational application of this rice monitoring system in: (1) detecting drought impact on rice planting in Central Thailand and Tamil Nadu, India, (2) mapping heat stress impact on rice yield in Andhra Pradesh, India, and (3) generating historical rice yield data for districts in Red River Delta, Vietnam.

Evaluation of simulated corn yields and associated uncertainty in different climate zones of China using Daycent Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, A.; Xue, Y.

2017-12-01

Corn is one of most important agricultural production in China. Research on the simulation of corn yields and the impacts of climate change and agricultural management practices on corn yields is important in maintaining the stable corn production. After climatic data including daily temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind speed from 1948 to 2010, soil properties, observed corn yields, and farmland management information were collected, corn yields grown in humidity and hot environment (Sichuang province) and cold and dry environment (Hebei province) in China in the past 63 years were simulated by Daycent, and the results was evaluated based on published yield record. The relationship between regional climate change, global warming and corn yield were analyzed, the uncertainties of simulation derived from agricultural management practices by changing fertilization levels, land fertilizer maintenance and tillage methods were reported. The results showed that: (1) Daycent model is capable to simulate corn yields under the different climatic background in China. (2) When studying the relationship between regional climate change and corn yields, it has been found that observed and simulated corn yields increased along with total regional climate change. (3) When studying the relationship between the global warming and corn yields, It was discovered that newly-simulated corn yields after removing the global warming trend of original temperature data were lower than before.

Stand-yield prediction for managed Ocala sand pine

Treesearch

D.L. Rockwood; B. Yang; K.W. Outcalt

1997-01-01

Sand pine is a very important species in Florida, producing significant quantities of fiber. The purpose of this study was to develop the site index and stand-level growth and yield equations managers need to make informed decisions. Data were collected from 35 seeded plots of Ocala sand pine covering a range of site indexes, ages, and densities in 1982-83. These plots...

Organic weed conrol and cover crop residue integration impacts on weed control, quality, and yield and economics in conservation tillage tomato - A case study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The increased use of conservation tillage in vegetable production requires more information be developed on the role of cover crops in weed control, tomato quality and yield. Three conservation-tillage systems utilizing crimson clover, brassica and cereal rye as winter cover crops were compared to ...

Race and ethnicity influences collection of G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells from unrelated donors, a CIBMTR analysis

PubMed Central

Hsu, Jack W.; Wingard, John R.; Logan, Brent R.; Chitphakdithai, Pintip; Akpek, Gorgun; Anderlini, Paolo; Artz, Andrew S.; Bredeson, Chris; Goldstein, Steven; Hale, Gregory; Hematti, Pieman; Joshi, Sarita; Kamble, Rammurti T.; Lazarus, Hillard M.; O'Donnell, Paul V.; Pulsipher, Michael A.; Savani, Bipin; Schears, Raquel M.; Shaw, Bronwen E.; Confer, Dennis L.

2014-01-01

Little information exists on the effect of race and ethnicity on collection of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) for allogeneic transplantation. We studied 10776 donors from the National Marrow Donor Program who underwent PBSC collection from 2006-2012. Self-reported donor race/ethnic information included Caucasian, Hispanic, Black/African American (AA), Asian/Pacific Islander (API), and Native American (NA). All donors were mobilized with subcutaneous filgrastim (G-CSF) at an approximate dose of 10 µg/kg/d for 5 days. Overall, AA donors had the highest median yields of mononuclear cells (MNC)/L and CD34+ cells/L blood processed (3.1 × 109 and 44 × 106 respectively) while Caucasians had the lowest median yields at 2.8 × 109 and 33.7 × 106 respectively. Multivariate analysis of CD34+/L mobilization yields using Caucasians as the comparator and controlling for age, gender, body mass index, and year of apheresis revealed increased yields in overweight and obese AA and API donors. In Hispanic donors, only male obese donors had higher CD34+/L mobilization yields compared to Caucasian donors. No differences in CD34+/L yields were seen between Caucasian and NA donors. Characterization of these differences may allow optimization of mobilization regimens to allow enhancement of mobilization yields without compromising donor safety. PMID:25316111

Use of transesophageal echocardiography and contrast echocardiography in the evaluation of cardiac masses.

PubMed

Xia, Hongmei; Gan, Ling; Jiang, Yan; Tang, Qi; Zhang, Ping; Tang, Xuefeng; Wen, Li; Liu, Zheng; Gao, Yunhua

2017-06-01

To determine whether the combination of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and contrast echocardiography (CE) accurately diagnose suspected cardiac masses using large sample data. Patients with cardiac masses undergoing surgical treatment were enrolled in this study. Routine transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and TEE examinations were carried out, and CE examinations were carried out when needed. All patients' clinical data and imaging features were retrospectively reviewed. Surgery and histopathology served as the gold standard for diagnosing cardiac masses. A total of 252 consecutive patients were included in this study. Sixteen patients were lost to follow-up and were excluded from the study. The combinations of TEE and CE yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 225 of 230 patients (97.8%), while CT yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 122 of 141 patients (86.5%), p<0.01. TEE yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 219 of 226 patients (96.9%), and CE yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 45 of 48 patients (93.8%). TTE alone yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 163 of 236 patients (69.1%), p<0.001 for all. TEE imaging provided detailed and precise information regarding cardiovascular morphology, anatomy, hemodynamics and function, and CE provided information regarding tissue characteristics without subjecting patients to radiation exposure. The combination of TEE and CE is feasible for the detection of suspected cardiac masses, especially in diagnosing and differentiating between benign and malignant lesions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Study of Supervisor and Employee Perceptions of Work Attitudes in Information Age Manufacturing Industries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azam, Md. Shafiqul; Brauchle, Paul E.

2003-01-01

The self-perceived work ethic of industrial employees in information jobs (N=304) and non-information jobs (N=277), and employees' work ethic as assessed by their supervisors, were examined using the Occupational Work Ethic Inventory (OWEI). A Principle Components Analysis yielded four factors (Teamwork, Dependability, Ambition and Self-Control)…

Mass Media Consumption in a Bilingual Culture: Implications of the Literature for Further Research in the Canadian Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grondin, Deirdre

Previous studies of mass media consumption behavior within cultural boundaries have yielded important information regarding the selection of communication channels to obtain information by members of specific cultures. However, the selection of mass media information sources in a cross-cultural setting has received little attention in the…

Analysis of atomic force microscopy data for surface characterization using fuzzy logic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Mousa, Amjed, E-mail: aalmousa@vt.edu; Niemann, Darrell L.; Niemann, Devin J.

2011-07-15

In this paper we present a methodology to characterize surface nanostructures of thin films. The methodology identifies and isolates nanostructures using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) data and extracts quantitative information, such as their size and shape. The fuzzy logic based methodology relies on a Fuzzy Inference Engine (FIE) to classify the data points as being top, bottom, uphill, or downhill. The resulting data sets are then further processed to extract quantitative information about the nanostructures. In the present work we introduce a mechanism which can consistently distinguish crowded surfaces from those with sparsely distributed structures and present an omni-directional searchmore » technique to improve the structural recognition accuracy. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach we present a case study which uses our approach to quantitatively identify particle sizes of two specimens each with a unique gold nanoparticle size distribution. - Research Highlights: {yields} A Fuzzy logic analysis technique capable of characterizing AFM images of thin films. {yields} The technique is applicable to different surfaces regardless of their densities. {yields} Fuzzy logic technique does not require manual adjustment of the algorithm parameters. {yields} The technique can quantitatively capture differences between surfaces. {yields} This technique yields more realistic structure boundaries compared to other methods.« less

Isotopic Ratio, Isotonic Ratio, Isobaric Ratio and Shannon Information Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Chun-Wang; Wei, Hui-Ling

2014-11-01

The isoscaling and the isobaric yield ratio difference (IBD) probes, both of which are constructed by yield ratio of fragment, provide cancelation of parameters. The information entropy theory is introduced to explain the physical meaning of the isoscaling and IBD probes. The similarity between the isoscaling and IBD results is found, i.e., the information uncertainty determined by the IBD method equals to β - α determined by the isoscaling (α (β) is the parameter fitted from the isotopic (isotonic) yield ratio).

Groundwater quality and water-well characteristics in the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma Jurisdictional Area, central Oklahoma, 1948--2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becker, Carol J.

2013-01-01

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, compiled historical groundwater-quality data collected from 1948 to 2011 and water-well completion information in parts of Lincoln, Oklahoma, and Pottawatomie Counties in central Oklahoma to support the development of a comprehensive water-management plan for the Tribe’s jurisdictional area. In this study, water-quality data from 155 water wells, collected from 1948 to 2011, were retrieved from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database; these data include measurements of pH, specific conductance, and hardness and concentrations of the major ions, trace elements, and radionuclides that have Maximum Contaminant Levels or Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels in public drinking-water supplies. Information about well characteristics includes ranges of well yield and well depth of private water wells in the study area and was compiled from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board Multi-Purpose Well Completion Report database. This report also shows depth to water from land surface by using shaded 30-foot contours that were created by using a geographic information system and spatial layers of a 2009 potentiometric surface (groundwater elevation) and land-surface elevation. Wells in the study area produce water from the North Canadian River alluvial and terrace aquifers, the underlying Garber Sandstone and Wellington Formation that compose the Garber–Wellington aquifer, and the Chase, Council Grove, and Admire Groups. Water quality varies substantially between the alluvial and terrace aquifers and bedrock aquifers in the study area. Water from the alluvial aquifer has relatively high concentrations of dissolved solids and generally is used for livestock only, whereas water from the terrace aquifer has low concentrations of dissolved solids and is used extensively by households in the study area. Water from the bedrock aquifer also is used extensively by households but may have high concentrations of trace elements, including uranium, in some areas where groundwater pH is above 8.0. Well yields vary and are dependent on aquifer characteristics and well-completion practices. Well yields in the unconsolidated alluvial and terrace aquifers generally are higher than yields from bedrock aquifers but are limited by the thickness and extent of these river deposits. Well yields in the alluvium and terrace aquifers commonly range from 50 to 150 gallons per minute and may exceed 300 gallons per minute, whereas well yields in the bedrock aquifers commonly range from 25 to 50 gallons per minute in the western one-third of study area (Oklahoma County) and generally less than 25 gallons per minute in the eastern two-thirds of the study area (Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties).

76 FR 43353 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-20

... and opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized... generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative information collections... for submission for other generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results. The...

Symbolic Knowledge Processing for the Acquisition of Expert Behavior: A Study in Medicine.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-01

information . It provides a model for this type of study, suggesting a different approach to the problem of learning and efficiency of knowledge -based...flow of information 2.2. Scope and description of the subsystems Three subsystems perform distinct operations using the preceding knowledge sources...which actually yields a new knowledge rCpresentation Ahere new external information is encoded in the combination and ordering of elements of the

Cotton growth modeling and assessment using unmanned aircraft system visual-band imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Tianxing; Chen, Ruizhi; Landivar, Juan A.; Maeda, Murilo M.; Yang, Chenghai; Starek, Michael J.

2016-07-01

This paper explores the potential of using unmanned aircraft system (UAS)-based visible-band images to assess cotton growth. By applying the structure-from-motion algorithm, the cotton plant height (ph) and canopy cover (cc) information were retrieved from the point cloud-based digital surface models (DSMs) and orthomosaic images. Both UAS-based ph and cc follow a sigmoid growth pattern as confirmed by ground-based studies. By applying an empirical model that converts the cotton ph to cc, the estimated cc shows strong correlation (R2=0.990) with the observed cc. An attempt for modeling cotton yield was carried out using the ph and cc information obtained on June 26, 2015, the date when sigmoid growth curves for both ph and cc tended to decline in slope. In a cross-validation test, the correlation between the ground-measured yield and the estimated equivalent derived from the ph and/or cc was compared. Generally, combining ph and cc, the performance of the yield estimation is most comparable against the observed yield. On the other hand, the observed yield and cc-based estimation produce the second strongest correlation, regardless of the complexity of the models.

The Effectiveness of the Life Skills Program IPSY for the Prevention of Adolescent Tobacco Use: The Mediating Role of Yielding to Peer Pressure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weichold, Karina; Tomasik, Martin J.; Silbereisen, Rainer K.; Spaeth, Michael

2016-01-01

In this study, the effectiveness of a life skills program to impede tobacco use in early adolescence was scrutinized. The focus was on the mediating role of yielding to peer pressure. The universal school-based life skills program IPSY (Information + Psychosocial Competence = Protection) against adolescent substance use was implemented over 3…

Global Food Security Index Studies and Satellite Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina, T. A.; Ganti-Agrawal, S.; Joshi, D.; Lakhankar, T.

2017-12-01

Food yield is equal to the total crop harvest per unit cultivated area. During the elapsed time of germination and frequent harvesting, both human and climate related effects determine a country's' contribution towards global food security. Each country across the globe's annual income per capita was collected to then determine nine countries for further studies. For a location to be chosen, its income per capita needed to be considered poor, uprising or wealthy. Both physical land cover and regional climate helped categorize potential parameters thought to be studied. Once selected, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data was collected for Ethiopia, Liberia, Indonesia, United States, Norway, Russia, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia over the recent 16 years for approximately every 16 days starting from early in the year 2000. Software languages such as Geographic Information System (GIS), MatLab and Excel were used to determine how population size, income and deforestation directly determines agricultural yields. Because of high maintenance requirements for large harvests when forest areas are cleared, they often have a reduction in soil quality, requiring fertilizer use to produce sufficient crop yields. Total area and vegetation index of each country is to be studied, to determine crop and deforestation percentages. To determine how deforestation impacts future income and crop yield predictions of each country studied. By using NDVI results a parameter is to be potentially found that will help define an index, to create an equation that will determine a country's annual income and ability to provide for their families and themselves.

Coast Live Oak Thinning Study in the Central Coast of California

Treesearch

Norman H. Pillsbury; Michael J. DeLasaux; Timothy R. Plumb

1987-01-01

Abstract: Along-term thinning study was established in ten stands of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia N in the Central Coast of California. Information about diameter, basal area, and volume growth and yield is being obtained from unthinned control plots and from plots thinned to 50 and 100 square feet of basal area per acre. Descriptive information was also collected...

Strategies for soil-based precision agriculture in cotton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neely, Haly L.; Morgan, Cristine L. S.; Stanislav, Scott; Rouze, Gregory; Shi, Yeyin; Thomasson, J. Alex; Valasek, John; Olsenholler, Jeff

2016-05-01

The goal of precision agriculture is to increase crop yield while maximizing the use efficiency of farm resources. In this application, UAV-based systems are presenting agricultural researchers with an opportunity to study crop response to environmental and management factors in real-time without disturbing the crop. The spatial variability soil properties, which drive crop yield and quality, cannot be changed and thus keen agronomic choices with soil variability in mind have the potential to increase profits. Additionally, measuring crop stress over time and in response to management and environmental conditions may enable agronomists and plant breeders to make more informed decisions about variety selection than the traditional end-of-season yield and quality measurements. In a previous study, seed-cotton yield was measured over 4 years and compared with soil variability as mapped by a proximal soil sensor. It was found that soil properties had a significant effect on seed-cotton yield and the effect was not consistent across years due to different precipitation conditions. However, when seed-cotton yield was compared to the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), as measured using a multispectral camera from a UAV, predictions improved. Further improvement was seen when soil-only pixels were removed from the analysis. On-going studies are using UAV-based data to uncover the thresholds for stress and yield potential. Long-term goals of this research include detecting stress before yield is reduced and selecting better adapted varieties.

Regional crop gross primary production and yield estimation using fused Landsat-MODIS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, M.; Kimball, J. S.; Maneta, M. P.; Maxwell, B. D.; Moreno, A.

2017-12-01

Accurate crop yield assessments using satellite-based remote sensing are of interest for the design of regional policies that promote agricultural resiliency and food security. However, the application of current vegetation productivity algorithms derived from global satellite observations are generally too coarse to capture cropland heterogeneity. Merging information from sensors with reciprocal spatial and temporal resolution can improve the accuracy of these retrievals. In this study, we estimate annual crop yields for seven important crop types -alfalfa, barley, corn, durum wheat, peas, spring wheat and winter wheat over Montana, United States (U.S.) from 2008 to 2015. Yields are estimated as the product of gross primary production (GPP) and a crop-specific harvest index (HI) at 30 m spatial resolution. To calculate GPP we used a modified form of the MOD17 LUE algorithm driven by a 30 m 8-day fused NDVI dataset constructed by blending Landsat (5 or 7) and MODIS Terra reflectance data. The fused 30-m NDVI record shows good consistency with the original Landsat and MODIS data, but provides better spatiotemporal information on cropland vegetation growth. The resulting GPP estimates capture characteristic cropland patterns and seasonal variations, while the estimated annual 30 m crop yield results correspond favorably with county-level crop yield data (r=0.96, p<0.05). The estimated crop yield performance was generally lower, but still favorable in relation to field-scale crop yield surveys (r=0.42, p<0.01). Our methods and results are suitable for operational applications at regional scales.

How Do Various Maize Crop Models Vary in Their Responses to Climate Change Factors?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bassu, Simona; Brisson, Nadine; Grassini, Patricio; Durand, Jean-Louis; Boote, Kenneth; Lizaso, Jon; Jones, James W.; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Ruane, Alex C.; Adam, Myriam;

How do various maize crop models vary in their responses to climate change factors?

PubMed

Bassu, Simona; Brisson, Nadine; Durand, Jean-Louis; Boote, Kenneth; Lizaso, Jon; Jones, James W; Rosenzweig, Cynthia; Ruane, Alex C; Adam, Myriam; Baron, Christian; Basso, Bruno; Biernath, Christian; Boogaard, Hendrik; Conijn, Sjaak; Corbeels, Marc; Deryng, Delphine; De Sanctis, Giacomo; Gayler, Sebastian; Grassini, Patricio; Hatfield, Jerry; Hoek, Steven; Izaurralde, Cesar; Jongschaap, Raymond; Kemanian, Armen R; Kersebaum, K Christian; Kim, Soo-Hyung; Kumar, Naresh S; Makowski, David; Müller, Christoph; Nendel, Claas; Priesack, Eckart; Pravia, Maria Virginia; Sau, Federico; Shcherbak, Iurii; Tao, Fulu; Teixeira, Edmar; Timlin, Dennis; Waha, Katharina

2014-07-01

Potential consequences of climate change on crop production can be studied using mechanistic crop simulation models. While a broad variety of maize simulation models exist, it is not known whether different models diverge on grain yield responses to changes in climatic factors, or whether they agree in their general trends related to phenology, growth, and yield. With the goal of analyzing the sensitivity of simulated yields to changes in temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations [CO2 ], we present the largest maize crop model intercomparison to date, including 23 different models. These models were evaluated for four locations representing a wide range of maize production conditions in the world: Lusignan (France), Ames (USA), Rio Verde (Brazil) and Morogoro (Tanzania). While individual models differed considerably in absolute yield simulation at the four sites, an ensemble of a minimum number of models was able to simulate absolute yields accurately at the four sites even with low data for calibration, thus suggesting that using an ensemble of models has merit. Temperature increase had strong negative influence on modeled yield response of roughly -0.5 Mg ha(-1) per °C. Doubling [CO2 ] from 360 to 720 μmol mol(-1) increased grain yield by 7.5% on average across models and the sites. That would therefore make temperature the main factor altering maize yields at the end of this century. Furthermore, there was a large uncertainty in the yield response to [CO2 ] among models. Model responses to temperature and [CO2 ] did not differ whether models were simulated with low calibration information or, simulated with high level of calibration information. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Statistical rice yield modeling using blended MODIS-Landsat based crop phenology metrics in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C. R.; Chen, C. F.; Nguyen, S. T.; Lau, K. V.

2015-12-01

Taiwan is a populated island with a majority of residents settled in the western plains where soils are suitable for rice cultivation. Rice is not only the most important commodity, but also plays a critical role for agricultural and food marketing. Information of rice production is thus important for policymakers to devise timely plans for ensuring sustainably socioeconomic development. Because rice fields in Taiwan are generally small and yet crop monitoring requires information of crop phenology associating with the spatiotemporal resolution of satellite data, this study used Landsat-MODIS fusion data for rice yield modeling in Taiwan. We processed the data for the first crop (Feb-Mar to Jun-Jul) and the second (Aug-Sep to Nov-Dec) in 2014 through five main steps: (1) data pre-processing to account for geometric and radiometric errors of Landsat data, (2) Landsat-MODIS data fusion using using the spatial-temporal adaptive reflectance fusion model, (3) construction of the smooth time-series enhanced vegetation index 2 (EVI2), (4) rice yield modeling using EVI2-based crop phenology metrics, and (5) error verification. The fusion results by a comparison bewteen EVI2 derived from the fusion image and that from the reference Landsat image indicated close agreement between the two datasets (R2 > 0.8). We analysed smooth EVI2 curves to extract phenology metrics or phenological variables for establishment of rice yield models. The results indicated that the established yield models significantly explained more than 70% variability in the data (p-value < 0.001). The comparison results between the estimated yields and the government's yield statistics for the first and second crops indicated a close significant relationship between the two datasets (R2 > 0.8), in both cases. The root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) used to measure the model accuracy revealed the consistency between the estimated yields and the government's yield statistics. This study demonstrates advantages of using EVI2-based phenology metrics (derived from Landsat-MODIS fusion data) for rice yield estimation in Taiwan prior to the harvest period.

Architectural Survey of Pershing Elementary School, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

information important in prehistory or history. 16 NPS 1991. 17 Excerpted from...school has yielded, or was likely to yield, any information important in prehistory or history. Final Determination for Building 6501 It is the

Characteristics of Information Agencies (Libraries) and Information Agents (Librarians) in Highly Productive Computer Software and Services Companies: The Key to Growth and Survival?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, Margaret Aby; Chandler, Yvonne J.

This study examines whether an analysis of characteristics of libraries or information centers and librarians in highly productive companies yields operational models and standards that can improve their efficiency and effectiveness and their parent organization's productivity. Data was collected using an e-mail survey instrument sent to 500 large…

Methods for Remote Determination of CO2 Emissions

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

support monitoring of compliance with international agreements. • It is difficult to predict when direct measurements of CO2 will yield useful emission...level of reasonable prior information, which is combined with the direct measurements to yield an emissions estimate. This prior information might...infrastructure of a country could yield a “proxy” estimate of CO2 emissions by assuming emission factors for various supply and demand sectors a

Regional crop yield forecasting: a probabilistic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Wit, A.; van Diepen, K.; Boogaard, H.

2009-04-01

Information on the outlook on yield and production of crops over large regions is essential for government services dealing with import and export of food crops, for agencies with a role in food relief, for international organizations with a mandate in monitoring the world food production and trade, and for commodity traders. Process-based mechanistic crop models are an important tool for providing such information, because they can integrate the effect of crop management, weather and soil on crop growth. When properly integrated in a yield forecasting system, the aggregated model output can be used to predict crop yield and production at regional, national and continental scales. Nevertheless, given the scales at which these models operate, the results are subject to large uncertainties due to poorly known weather conditions and crop management. Current yield forecasting systems are generally deterministic in nature and provide no information about the uncertainty bounds on their output. To improve on this situation we present an ensemble-based approach where uncertainty bounds can be derived from the dispersion of results in the ensemble. The probabilistic information provided by this ensemble-based system can be used to quantify uncertainties (risk) on regional crop yield forecasts and can therefore be an important support to quantitative risk analysis in a decision making process.

Predicting Great Lakes fish yields: tools and constraints

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lewis, C.A.; Schupp, D.H.; Taylor, W.W.; Collins, J.J.; Hatch, Richard W.

1987-01-01

Prediction of yield is a critical component of fisheries management. The development of sound yield prediction methodology and the application of the results of yield prediction are central to the evolution of strategies to achieve stated goals for Great Lakes fisheries and to the measurement of progress toward those goals. Despite general availability of species yield models, yield prediction for many Great Lakes fisheries has been poor due to the instability of the fish communities and the inadequacy of available data. A host of biological, institutional, and societal factors constrain both the development of sound predictions and their application to management. Improved predictive capability requires increased stability of Great Lakes fisheries through rehabilitation of well-integrated communities, improvement of data collection, data standardization and information-sharing mechanisms, and further development of the methodology for yield prediction. Most important is the creation of a better-informed public that will in turn establish the political will to do what is required.

Development of a European Ensemble System for Seasonal Prediction: Application to crop yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terres, J. M.; Cantelaube, P.

2003-04-01

Western European agriculture is highly intensive and the weather is the main source of uncertainty for crop yield assessment and for crop management. In the current system, at the time when a crop yield forecast is issued, the weather conditions leading up to harvest time are unknown and are therefore a major source of uncertainty. The use of seasonal weather forecast would bring additional information for the remaining crop season and has valuable benefit for improving the management of agricultural markets and environmentally sustainable farm practices. An innovative method for supplying seasonal forecast information to crop simulation models has been developed in the frame of the EU funded research project DEMETER. It consists in running a crop model on each individual member of the seasonal hindcasts to derive a probability distribution of crop yield. Preliminary results of cumulative probability function of wheat yield provides information on both the yield anomaly and the reliability of the forecast. Based on the spread of the probability distribution, the end-user can directly quantify the benefits and risks of taking weather-sensitive decisions.

Does Using Nonnumerical Terms to Describe Risk Aid Violence Risk Communication? Clinician Agreement and Decision Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilton, N. Zoe; Carter, Angela M.; Harris, Grant T.; Sharpe, Amilynn J. B.

2008-01-01

Actuarial risk assessments yield valid numerical information about violence risk, but research suggests that forensic clinicians prefer to communicate risk using nonnumerical information (i.e., verbal terms such as high risk). In an experimental questionnaire study, 60 forensic clinicians disagreed on the interpretation of nonnumerical terms, and…

Moving from Explicit to Implicit: A Case Study of Improving Inferential Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeh, Yi-Fen; McTigue, Erin M.; Joshi, R. Malatesha

2012-01-01

The article describes a successful intervention program in developing inferential comprehension in a sixth grader. Steve (pseudonym) was proficient in word reading, was able to detect explicit information while reading, but struggled with linking textual information to yield integral ideas. After 10 weeks of working with Steve on word analogies,…

The role of climatic variables in winter cereal yields: a retrospective analysis.

PubMed

Luo, Qunying; Wen, Li

2015-02-01

This study examined the effects of observed climate including [CO2] on winter cereal [winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and oat (Avena sativa)] yields by adopting robust statistical analysis/modelling approaches (i.e. autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average, generalised addition model) based on long time series of historical climate data and cereal yield data at three locations (Moree, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga) in New South Wales, Australia. Research results show that (1) growing season rainfall was significantly, positively and non-linearly correlated with crop yield at all locations considered; (2) [CO2] was significantly, positively and non-linearly correlated with crop yields in all cases except wheat and barley yields at Wagga Wagga; (3) growing season maximum temperature was significantly, negatively and non-linearly correlated with crop yields at Dubbo and Moree (except for barley); and (4) radiation was only significantly correlated with oat yield at Wagga Wagga. This information will help to identify appropriate management adaptation options in dealing with the risk and in taking the opportunities of climate change.

Decision-making by experienced rugby referees: use of perceptual information and episodic memory.

PubMed

MacMahon, Clare; Ste-Marie, Diane M

2002-10-01

The expertise paradigm was used in two studies to examine decision-making by rugby referees. Videoclips were used to assess infraction detection and knowledge base, or sources of information used. In Study 1, referees of high and low experience were compared, and in Study 2 referees and players were compared. Analysis by signal detection used a framework to classify types of information. Study 1 yielded no differences in detection of infractions as a function of experience, however, referees of high experience used significantly more sources of information than the group with low experience across all categories of information. In Study 2, there were no significant differences between referees and players, with the exception that referees displayed greater use of episodic memory information in decision-making.

Effects of video-game play on information processing: a meta-analytic investigation.

PubMed

Powers, Kasey L; Brooks, Patricia J; Aldrich, Naomi J; Palladino, Melissa A; Alfieri, Louis

2013-12-01

Do video games enhance cognitive functioning? We conducted two meta-analyses based on different research designs to investigate how video games impact information-processing skills (auditory processing, executive functions, motor skills, spatial imagery, and visual processing). Quasi-experimental studies (72 studies, 318 comparisons) compare habitual gamers with controls; true experiments (46 studies, 251 comparisons) use commercial video games in training. Using random-effects models, video games led to improved information processing in both the quasi-experimental studies, d = 0.61, 95% CI [0.50, 0.73], and the true experiments, d = 0.48, 95% CI [0.35, 0.60]. Whereas the quasi-experimental studies yielded small to large effect sizes across domains, the true experiments yielded negligible effects for executive functions, which contrasted with the small to medium effect sizes in other domains. The quasi-experimental studies appeared more susceptible to bias than were the true experiments, with larger effects being reported in higher-tier than in lower-tier journals, and larger effects reported by the most active research groups in comparison with other labs. The results are further discussed with respect to other moderators and limitations in the extant literature.

Fission yield covariances for JEFF: A Bayesian Monte Carlo method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leray, Olivier; Rochman, Dimitri; Fleming, Michael; Sublet, Jean-Christophe; Koning, Arjan; Vasiliev, Alexander; Ferroukhi, Hakim

2017-09-01

The JEFF library does not contain fission yield covariances, but simply best estimates and uncertainties. This situation is not unique as all libraries are facing this deficiency, firstly due to the lack of a defined format. An alternative approach is to provide a set of random fission yields, themselves reflecting covariance information. In this work, these random files are obtained combining the information from the JEFF library (fission yields and uncertainties) and the theoretical knowledge from the GEF code. Examples of this method are presented for the main actinides together with their impacts on simple burn-up and decay heat calculations.

Image enhancement based on in vivo hyperspectral gastroscopic images: a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Xiaozhou; Han, Zhimin; Yao, Liqing; Zhong, Yunshi; Shi, Qiang; Fu, Ye; Liu, Changsheng; Wang, Xiguang; Xie, Tianyu

2016-10-01

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has been recognized as a powerful tool for noninvasive disease detection in the gastrointestinal field. However, most of the studies on HSI in this field have involved ex vivo biopsies or resected tissues. We proposed an image enhancement method based on in vivo hyperspectral gastroscopic images. First, we developed a flexible gastroscopy system capable of obtaining in vivo hyperspectral images of different types of stomach disease mucosa. Then, depending on a specific object, an appropriate band selection algorithm based on dependence of information was employed to determine a subset of spectral bands that would yield useful spatial information. Finally, these bands were assigned to be the color components of an enhanced image of the object. A gastric ulcer case study demonstrated that our method yields higher color tone contrast, which enhanced the displays of the gastric ulcer regions, and that it will be valuable in clinical applications.

Genome-wide association analysis of milk yield traits in Nordic Red Cattle using imputed whole genome sequence variants.

PubMed

Iso-Touru, T; Sahana, G; Guldbrandtsen, B; Lund, M S; Vilkki, J

2016-03-22

The Nordic Red Cattle consisting of three different populations from Finland, Sweden and Denmark are under a joint breeding value estimation system. The long history of recording of production and health traits offers a great opportunity to study production traits and identify causal variants behind them. In this study, we used whole genome sequence level data from 4280 progeny tested Nordic Red Cattle bulls to scan the genome for loci affecting milk, fat and protein yields. Using a genome-wise significance threshold, regions on Bos taurus chromosomes 5, 14, 23, 25 and 26 were associated with fat yield. Regions on chromosomes 5, 14, 16, 19, 20 and 25 were associated with milk yield and chromosomes 5, 14 and 25 had regions associated with protein yield. Significantly associated variations were found in 227 genes for fat yield, 72 genes for milk yield and 30 genes for protein yield. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was used to identify networks connecting these genes displaying significant hits. When compared to previously mapped genomic regions associated with fertility, significantly associated variations were found in 5 genes common for fat yield and fertility, thus linking these two traits via biological networks. This is the first time when whole genome sequence data is utilized to study genomic regions affecting milk production in the Nordic Red Cattle population. Sequence level data offers the possibility to study quantitative traits in detail but still cannot unambiguously reveal which of the associated variations is causative. Linkage disequilibrium creates difficulties to pinpoint the causative genes and variations. One solution to overcome these difficulties is the identification of the functional gene networks and pathways to reveal important interacting genes as candidates for the observed effects. This information on target genomic regions may be exploited to improve genomic prediction.

Yield Gap, Indigenous Nutrient Supply and Nutrient Use Efficiency for Maize in China.

PubMed

Xu, Xinpeng; Liu, Xiaoyan; He, Ping; Johnston, Adrian M; Zhao, Shicheng; Qiu, Shaojun; Zhou, Wei

2015-01-01

Great achievements have been attained in agricultural production of China, while there are still many difficulties and challenges ahead that call for put more efforts to overcome to guarantee food security and protect environment simultaneously. Analyzing yield gap and nutrient use efficiency will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies to increase grain yield. On-farm datasets from 2001 to 2012 with 1,971 field experiments for maize (Zea mays L.) were collected in four maize agro-ecological regions of China, and the optimal management (OPT), farmers' practice (FP), a series of nutrient omission treatments were used to analyze yield gap, nutrient use efficiency and indigenous nutrient supply by adopting meta-analysis and ANOVA analysis. Across all sites, the average yield gap between OPT and FP was 0.7 t ha-1, the yield response to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were 1.8, 1.0, and 1.2 t ha-1, respectively. The soil indigenous nutrient supply of N, P, and K averaged 139.9, 33.7, and 127.5 kg ha-1, respectively. As compared to FP, the average recovery efficiency (RE) of N, P, and K with OPT increased by percentage point of 12.2, 5.5, and 6.5, respectively. This study indicated that there would be considerable potential to further improve yield and nutrient use efficiency in China, and will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies, while some management measures such as soil, plant and nutrient are necessary and integrate with advanced knowledge and technologies.

Yield Gap, Indigenous Nutrient Supply and Nutrient Use Efficiency for Maize in China

PubMed Central

Xu, Xinpeng; Liu, Xiaoyan; He, Ping; Johnston, Adrian M.; Zhao, Shicheng; Qiu, Shaojun; Zhou, Wei

2015-01-01

Great achievements have been attained in agricultural production of China, while there are still many difficulties and challenges ahead that call for put more efforts to overcome to guarantee food security and protect environment simultaneously. Analyzing yield gap and nutrient use efficiency will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies to increase grain yield. On-farm datasets from 2001 to 2012 with 1,971 field experiments for maize (Zea mays L.) were collected in four maize agro-ecological regions of China, and the optimal management (OPT), farmers’ practice (FP), a series of nutrient omission treatments were used to analyze yield gap, nutrient use efficiency and indigenous nutrient supply by adopting meta-analysis and ANOVA analysis. Across all sites, the average yield gap between OPT and FP was 0.7 t ha-1, the yield response to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were 1.8, 1.0, and 1.2 t ha-1, respectively. The soil indigenous nutrient supply of N, P, and K averaged 139.9, 33.7, and 127.5 kg ha-1, respectively. As compared to FP, the average recovery efficiency (RE) of N, P, and K with OPT increased by percentage point of 12.2, 5.5, and 6.5, respectively. This study indicated that there would be considerable potential to further improve yield and nutrient use efficiency in China, and will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies, while some management measures such as soil, plant and nutrient are necessary and integrate with advanced knowledge and technologies. PMID:26484543

Integrating remote sensing, geographic information system and modeling for estimating crop yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salazar, Luis Alonso

This thesis explores various aspects of the use of remote sensing, geographic information system and digital signal processing technologies for broad-scale estimation of crop yield in Kansas. Recent dry and drought years in the Great Plains have emphasized the need for new sources of timely, objective and quantitative information on crop conditions. Crop growth monitoring and yield estimation can provide important information for government agencies, commodity traders and producers in planning harvest, storage, transportation and marketing activities. The sooner this information is available the lower the economic risk translating into greater efficiency and increased return on investments. Weather data is normally used when crop yield is forecasted. Such information, to provide adequate detail for effective predictions, is typically feasible only on small research sites due to expensive and time-consuming collections. In order for crop assessment systems to be economical, more efficient methods for data collection and analysis are necessary. The purpose of this research is to use satellite data which provides 50 times more spatial information about the environment than the weather station network in a short amount of time at a relatively low cost. Specifically, we are going to use Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) based vegetation health (VH) indices as proxies for characterization of weather conditions.

Radiation use efficiency, biomass production, and grain yield in two maize hybrids differing in drought tolerance

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drought tolerant (DT) maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids have potential to increase yield under drought conditions. However, little information is known about the physiological determinations of yield in DT hybrids. Our objective was to assess radiation use efficiency (RUE), biomass production, and yield ...

Effects of input uncertainty on cross-scale crop modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waha, Katharina; Huth, Neil; Carberry, Peter

2014-05-01

The quality of data on climate, soils and agricultural management in the tropics is in general low or data is scarce leading to uncertainty in process-based modeling of cropping systems. Process-based crop models are common tools for simulating crop yields and crop production in climate change impact studies, studies on mitigation and adaptation options or food security studies. Crop modelers are concerned about input data accuracy as this, together with an adequate representation of plant physiology processes and choice of model parameters, are the key factors for a reliable simulation. For example, assuming an error in measurements of air temperature, radiation and precipitation of ± 0.2°C, ± 2 % and ± 3 % respectively, Fodor & Kovacs (2005) estimate that this translates into an uncertainty of 5-7 % in yield and biomass simulations. In our study we seek to answer the following questions: (1) are there important uncertainties in the spatial variability of simulated crop yields on the grid-cell level displayed on maps, (2) are there important uncertainties in the temporal variability of simulated crop yields on the aggregated, national level displayed in time-series, and (3) how does the accuracy of different soil, climate and management information influence the simulated crop yields in two crop models designed for use at different spatial scales? The study will help to determine whether more detailed information improves the simulations and to advise model users on the uncertainty related to input data. We analyse the performance of the point-scale crop model APSIM (Keating et al., 2003) and the global scale crop model LPJmL (Bondeau et al., 2007) with different climate information (monthly and daily) and soil conditions (global soil map and African soil map) under different agricultural management (uniform and variable sowing dates) for the low-input maize-growing areas in Burkina Faso/West Africa. We test the models' response to different levels of input data from very little to very detailed information, and compare the models' abilities to represent the spatial variability and temporal variability in crop yields. We display the uncertainty in crop yield simulations from different input data and crop models in Taylor diagrams which are a graphical summary of the similarity between simulations and observations (Taylor, 2001). The observed spatial variability can be represented well from both models (R=0.6-0.8) but APSIM predicts higher spatial variability than LPJmL due to its sensitivity to soil parameters. Simulations with the same crop model, climate and sowing dates have similar statistics and therefore similar skill to reproduce the observed spatial variability. Soil data is less important for the skill of a crop model to reproduce the observed spatial variability. However, the uncertainty in simulated spatial variability from the two crop models is larger than from input data settings and APSIM is more sensitive to input data then LPJmL. Even with a detailed, point-scale crop model and detailed input data it is difficult to capture the complexity and diversity in maize cropping systems.

Outcome-Based Practice: Disclosure Rates of Child Sexual Abuse Comparing Allegation Blind and Allegation Informed Structured Interviews.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantlon, Julie; And Others

1996-01-01

This study evaluated the use of "allegation blind" interviews (in which interviewers did not know the specific allegation involved) with children (n=1535) suspected of being victims of child sexual abuse. The "allegation blind" interview technique yielded a statistically higher disclosure rate than the "allegation informed" interviews. (Author/DB)

Self-relevant beauty evaluation: Evidence from an event-related potentials study.

PubMed

Kong, Fanchang; Zhang, Yan; Tian, Yuan; Fan, Cuiying; Zhou, Zongkui

2015-03-01

This study examines the electrophysiological correlates of beauty evaluation when participants performed the self-reference task. About 13 (7 men, 6 women) undergraduates participated in the experiment using event-related potentials. Results showed that the response to self-relevant information was faster compared to other-relevant information and no significant differences for self-relevant relative to mother-relevant information were observed. Both physical and interior beauty words for self-relevant information showed an enhanced late positive component as compared to other-relevant information. Physical beauty for self-relevant information yielded a larger late positive component in contrast to mother-relevant information but not for interior beauty. This study indicates that beauty is specific to the person who judges it though an individual and one's mother may hold similar views of interior beauty.

77 FR 74191 - Information Collection; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; General Services Administration...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-13

... insights on perceptions and opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that.... This type of generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative... for submission for other generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results. The...

Extraction of CT dose information from DICOM metadata: automated Matlab-based approach.

PubMed

Dave, Jaydev K; Gingold, Eric L

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to extract exposure parameters and dose-relevant indexes of CT examinations from information embedded in DICOM metadata. DICOM dose report files were identified and retrieved from a PACS. An automated software program was used to extract from these files information from the structured elements in the DICOM metadata relevant to exposure. Extracting information from DICOM metadata eliminated potential errors inherent in techniques based on optical character recognition, yielding 100% accuracy.

New bounds on the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix from B{yields}K{pi}{pi} Dalitz plot analyses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ciuchini, M.; Pierini, M.; Silvestrini, L.

2006-09-01

We present a new technique to extract information on the unitarity triangle from the study of B{yields}K{pi}{pi} Dalitz plots. Using the sensitivity of Dalitz analyses to the absolute values and the phases of decay amplitudes and isospin symmetry, we obtain a new constraint on the elements of the CKM matrix. We discuss in detail the role of electroweak penguin contributions and outline future prospects.

Studies of fission fragment yields via high-resolution γ-ray spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, J. N.; Lebois, M.; Qi, L.; Amador-Celdran, P.; Bleuel, D.; Briz, J. A.; Carroll, R.; Catford, W.; Witte, H. De; Doherty, D. T.; Eloirdi, R.; Georgiev, G.; Gottardo, A.; Goasduff, A.; Hadyñska-Klek, K.; Hauschild, K.; Hess, H.; Ingeberg, V.; Konstantinopoulos, T.; Ljungvall, J.; Lopez-Martens, A.; Lorusso, G.; Lozeva, R.; Lutter, R.; Marini, P.; Matea, I.; Materna, T.; Mathieu, L.; Oberstedt, A.; Oberstedt, S.; Panebianco, S.; Podolyak, Zs.; Porta, A.; Regan, P. H.; Reiter, P.; Rezynkina, K.; Rose, S. J.; Sahin, E.; Seidlitz, M.; Serot, O.; Shearman, R.; Siebeck, B.; Siem, S.; Smith, A. G.; Tveten, G. M.; Verney, D.; Warr, N.; Zeiser, F.; Zielinska, M.

2018-03-01

Precise spectroscopic information on the fast neutron induced fission of the 238U(n,f) reaction was recently gained using a new technique which involved coupling of the Miniball high resolution y-ray spectrometer and the LICORNE directional neutron source. The experiment allowed measurement of the isotopic fission yields for around 40 even-even nuclei at an incident neutron energy of around 2 MeV where yield data are very sparse. In addition spectroscopic information on very neutron-rich fission products was obtained. Results were compared to models, both the JEFF-3.1.1 data base and the GEF code, and large discrepancies for the S1 fission mode in the Sn/Mo isotope pair were discovered. This suggests that current models are overestimating the role played by spherical shell effects in fast neutron induced fission. In late 2017 and 2018 the nu-ball hybrid spectrometer will be constructed at the IPN Orsay to perform further experimental investigations with directional neutrons coupled to a powerful hybrid Ge/LaBr3 detector array. This will open up new possibilities for measurements of fission yields for fast-neutron-induced fission using the spectroscopic technique and will be complimentary to other methods being developed.

Simulation of corn yields and parameters uncertainties analysis in Hebei and Sichuang, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, A.; Xue, Y.; Hartman, M. D.; Chandran, A.; Qiu, B.; Liu, Y.

2016-12-01

Corn is one of most important agricultural production in China. Research on the impacts of climate change and human activities on corn yields is important in understanding and mitigating the negative effects of environmental factors on corn yields and maintaining the stable corn production. Using climatic data, including daily temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation from 1948 to 2010, soil properties, observed corn yields, and farmland management information, corn yields in Sichuang and Hebei Provinces of China in the past 63 years were simulated using the Daycent model, and the results was evaluated using Root mean square errors, bias, simulation efficiency, and standard deviation. The primary climatic factors influencing corn yields were examined, the uncertainties of climatic factors was analyzed, and the uncertainties of human activity parameters were also studied by changing fertilization levels and cultivated ways. The results showed that: (1) Daycent model is capable to simulate corn yields in Sichuang and Hebei provinces of China. Observed and simulated corn yields have the similar increasing trend with time. (2) The minimum daily temperature is the primary factor influencing corn yields in Sichuang. In Hebei Province, daily temperature, precipitation and wind speed significantly affect corn yields.(3) When the global warming trend of original data was removed, simulated corn yields were lower than before, decreased by about 687 kg/hm2 from 1992 to 2010; When the fertilization levels, cultivated ways were increased and decreased by 50% and 75%, respectively in the Schedule file in Daycent model, the simulated corn yields increased by 1206 kg/hm2 and 776 kg/hm2, respectively, with the enhancement of fertilization level and the improvement of cultivated way. This study provides a scientific base for selecting a suitable fertilization level and cultivated way in corn fields in China.

Intercomparison of Soil Moisture, Evaporative Stress, and Vegetation Indices for Estimating Corn and Soybean Yields Over the U.S.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mladenova, Iliana E.; Bolten, John D.; Crow, Wade T.; Anderson, Martha C.; Hain, C. R.; Johnson, David M.; Mueller, Rick

2017-01-01

This paper presents an intercomparative study of 12 operationally produced large-scale datasets describing soil moisture, evapotranspiration (ET), and or vegetation characteristics within agricultural regions of the contiguous United States (CONUS). These datasets have been developed using a variety of techniques, including, hydrologic modeling, satellite-based retrievals, data assimilation, and survey in-field data collection. The objectives are to assess the relative utility of each dataset for monitoring crop yield variability, to quantitatively assess their capacity for predicting end-of-season corn and soybean yields, and to examine the evolution of the yield-index correlations during the growing season. This analysis is unique both with regards to the number and variety of examined yield predictor datasets and the detailed assessment of the water availability timing on the end-of-season crop production during the growing season. Correlation results indicate that over CONUS, at state-level soil moisture and ET indices can provide better information for forecasting corn and soybean yields than vegetation-based indices such as normalized difference vegetation index. The strength of correlation with corn and soybean yields strongly depends on the interannual variability in yield measured at a given location. In this case study, some of the remotely derived datasets examined provide skill comparable to that of in situ field survey-based data further demonstrating the utility of these remote sensing-based approaches for estimating crop yield.

Satellite-based studies of maize yield spatial variations and their causes in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y.

2013-12-01

Maize production in China has been expanding significantly in the past two decades, but yield has become relatively stagnant in the past few years, and needs to be improved to meet increasing demand. Multiple studies found that the gap between potential and actual yield of maize is as large as 40% to 60% of yield potential. Although a few major causes of yield gap have been qualitatively identified with surveys, there has not been spatial analysis aimed at quantifying relative importance of specific biophysical and socio-economic causes, information which would be useful for targeting interventions. This study analyzes the causes of yield variation at field and village level in Quzhou county of North China Plain (NCP). We combine remote sensing and crop modeling to estimate yields in 2009-2012, and identify fields that are consistently high or low yielding. To establish the relationship between yield and potential factors, we gather data on those factors through a household survey. We select targeted survey fields such that not only both extremes of yield distribution but also all soil texture categories in the county is covered. Our survey assesses management and biophysical factors as well as social factors such as farmers' access to agronomic knowledge, which is approximated by distance to the closest demonstration plot or 'Science and technology backyard'. Our survey covers 10 townships, 53 villages and 180 fields. Three to ten farmers are surveyed depending on the amount of variation present among sub pixels of each field. According to survey results, we extract the amount of variation within as well as between villages and or soil type. The higher within village or within field variation, the higher importance of management factors. Factors such as soil type and access to knowledge are more represented by between village variation. Through regression and analysis of variance, we gain more quantitative and thorough understanding of causes to yield variation at village scale, which further explains the gap between average and highest achieved yield.

Computer optimization of cutting yield from multiple ripped boards

Treesearch

A.R. Stern; K.A. McDonald

1978-01-01

RIPYLD is a computer program that optimizes the cutting yield from multiple-ripped boards. Decisions are based on automatically collected defect information, cutting bill requirements, and sawing variables. The yield of clear cuttings from a board is calculated for every possible permutation of specified rip widths and both the maximum and minimum percent yield...

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium effects on biomass yield and flavonoid content of American Skullcap (Scutellaria Lateriflora)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Information on optimum dosage of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer for high dry matter yield and flavonoid yield of American Skullcap is lacking. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the effects of N, P and K fertilizer on biomass yield and flavonoid content of...

An energy balance approach for mapping crop waterstress and yield impacts over the Czech Republic

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

There is a growing demand for timely, spatially distributed information regarding crop condition and water use to inform agricultural decision making and yield forecasting efforts. Remote sensing of land-surface temperature has proven valuable for mapping evapotranspiration (ET) and crop stress from...

Final Environmental Assessment of Military Service Station Privatization at Five AETC Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

distinction (Criterion C); or • Have yielded, or may likely yield, information important in prehistory or history (Criterion D). Resources less than 50...important information in history or prehistory ; thus, it does not meet the requirement of Criterion D. Building 2109 is recommended not eligible for

College Teachers' Thinking and Planning: A Qualitative Study in the Design Studio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dinham, Sarah M.

This study is concerned with teaching in an apprenticeship setting--the architectural design studio. The research examined teachers' planning, particularly as it focuses upon project assignments. The study yielded information about teachers' conceptual frames for their teaching, the personal aspects of teaching, the teachers' conceptions of…

Cortical Bases of Speech Perception: Evidence from Functional Lesion Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boatman, Dana

2004-01-01

Functional lesion studies have yielded new information about the cortical organization of speech perception in the human brain. We will review a number of recent findings, focusing on studies of speech perception that use the techniques of electrocortical mapping by cortical stimulation and hemispheric anesthetization by intracarotid amobarbital.…

A compendium of forest growth and yield simulators for the Pacific coast states

Treesearch

Martin W. Ritchie

1999-01-01

This manuscript provides information needed for the user to access current information about forest growth and yield simulators. Ultimately, the best source of information for any simulator is the user’s guide and the sage advice of those who built the simulator. In some instances, these people are easy to find and are willing to provide all the support for the program...

Sharing Overdose Data Across State Agencies to Inform Public Health Strategies: A Case Study.

PubMed

Cherico-Hsii, Sara; Bankoski, Andrea; Singal, Pooja; Horon, Isabelle; Beane, Eric; Casey, Meghan; Rebbert-Franklin, Kathleen; Sharfstein, Joshua

2016-01-01

Data sharing and analysis are important components of coordinated and cost-effective public health strategies. However, legal and policy barriers have made data from different agencies difficult to share and analyze for policy development. To address a rise in overdose deaths, Maryland used an innovative and focused approach to bring together data on overdose decedents across multiple agencies. The effort was focused on developing discrete intervention points based on information yielded on decedents' lives, such as vulnerability upon release from incarceration. Key aspects of this approach included gubernatorial leadership, a unified commitment to data sharing across agencies with memoranda of understanding, and designation of a data management team. Preliminary results have yielded valuable insights and have helped inform policy. This process of navigating legal and privacy concerns in data sharing across multiple agencies may be applied to a variety of public health problems challenging health departments across the country.

Dynamic and Contextual Information in HMM Modeling for Handwritten Word Recognition.

PubMed

Bianne-Bernard, Anne-Laure; Menasri, Farès; Al-Hajj Mohamad, Rami; Mokbel, Chafic; Kermorvant, Christopher; Likforman-Sulem, Laurence

2011-10-01

This study aims at building an efficient word recognition system resulting from the combination of three handwriting recognizers. The main component of this combined system is an HMM-based recognizer which considers dynamic and contextual information for a better modeling of writing units. For modeling the contextual units, a state-tying process based on decision tree clustering is introduced. Decision trees are built according to a set of expert-based questions on how characters are written. Questions are divided into global questions, yielding larger clusters, and precise questions, yielding smaller ones. Such clustering enables us to reduce the total number of models and Gaussians densities by 10. We then apply this modeling to the recognition of handwritten words. Experiments are conducted on three publicly available databases based on Latin or Arabic languages: Rimes, IAM, and OpenHart. The results obtained show that contextual information embedded with dynamic modeling significantly improves recognition.

Characteristics of water-well yields in part of the blue ridge geologic Province in Loudoun County, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sutphin, D.M.; Drew, L.J.; Schuenemeyer, J.H.; Burton, W.C.

2001-01-01

Loudoun County, Virginia, which is located about 50 km to the west of Washington, DC, was the site of intensive suburban development during the 1980s and 1990s. In the western half of the county, the source of water for domestic use has been from wells drilled into the fractured crystalline bedrock of the Blue Ridge Geologic Province. A comprehensive digital database that contains information on initial yield, location, depth, elevation, and other data for 3651 wells drilled in this 825.5-km2 area was combined with a digital geologic map to form the basis for a study of geologic and temporal controls on water-well yields. Statistical modeling procedures were used to determine that mean yields for the wells were significantly different as a function of structural setting, genetic rock type, and geologic map unit. The Bonferroni procedure then was used to determine which paired comparisons contributed to these significant differences. The data were divided into 15 temporal drilling increments to determine if the time-dependent trends that exist for the Loudoun County data are similar to those discovered in a previous study of water-well yields in the Pinardville 7.5-min quadrangle, New Hampshire. In both regions, trends, which include increasing proportions of very low yield wells and increasing well depths through time, and the counterintuitive result of increasing mean well yields through time, were similar. In addition, a yield-to-depth curve similar to that discovered in the Pinardville quadrangle was recognized in this study. Thus, the temporal model with a feed-forward-loop mechanism to explain the temporal trends in well characteristics proposed for the New Hampshire study appears to apply to western Loudoun County. ?? 2001 International Association for Mathematical Geology.

Effects of land disturbance on runoff and sediment yield after natural rainfall events in southwestern China.

PubMed

Guo, Xiaomeng; Li, Tianyang; He, Binghui; He, Xiaorong; Yao, Yun

2017-04-01

Severe soil erosion occurs in southwestern China owing to the large expanses of urbanization and sloping land. This field monitoring study was conducted to record the rainfall events, runoff, and sediment yield in 20-, 40-, and 60-m plots under conditions of artificial disturbance or natural restoration in the purple soil area of southwestern China. The study took place during the rainy season, and the plots were situated on a 15° slope. The results showed that rainstorms and heavy rainstorms generated runoff and sediment yield. Rainfall intensity had a significantly positive power relationship with runoff rate and sediment yield rate in artificially disturbed plots but not in naturally restored plots. Plot length had a significant effect on runoff rate under artificial disturbance but not natural restoration. Within the same land disturbance category, there was no significant effect of plot length on sediment yield rate but there was a significant effect on sediment concentration. Overall, runoff rate, sediment yield rate, and sediment concentration showed remarkable effects of land disturbance across all plot lengths: naturally restored plots had 62.8-77.5% less runoff, 95.1-96.3% less sediment yield, and 63.1-73.5% lower sediment concentration than artificially disturbed plots. The relationship between runoff rate and sediment rate under the different land disturbances could be described by an exponential function. The results not only demonstrate the effectiveness of natural restoration for controlling runoff and sediment yield but also provide useful information for the design of field studies, taking into consideration the complexity of terrestrial systems.

Relationship between rice yield and climate variables in southwest Nigeria using multiple linear regression and support vector machine analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oguntunde, Philip G.; Lischeid, Gunnar; Dietrich, Ottfried

2018-03-01

This study examines the variations of climate variables and rice yield and quantifies the relationships among them using multiple linear regression, principal component analysis, and support vector machine (SVM) analysis in southwest Nigeria. The climate and yield data used was for a period of 36 years between 1980 and 2015. Similar to the observed decrease ( P < 0.001) in rice yield, pan evaporation, solar radiation, and wind speed declined significantly. Eight principal components exhibited an eigenvalue > 1 and explained 83.1% of the total variance of predictor variables. The SVM regression function using the scores of the first principal component explained about 75% of the variance in rice yield data and linear regression about 64%. SVM regression between annual solar radiation values and yield explained 67% of the variance. Only the first component of the principal component analysis (PCA) exhibited a clear long-term trend and sometimes short-term variance similar to that of rice yield. Short-term fluctuations of the scores of the PC1 are closely coupled to those of rice yield during the 1986-1993 and the 2006-2013 periods thereby revealing the inter-annual sensitivity of rice production to climate variability. Solar radiation stands out as the climate variable of highest influence on rice yield, and the influence was especially strong during monsoon and post-monsoon periods, which correspond to the vegetative, booting, flowering, and grain filling stages in the study area. The outcome is expected to provide more in-depth regional-specific climate-rice linkage for screening of better cultivars that can positively respond to future climate fluctuations as well as providing information that may help optimized planting dates for improved radiation use efficiency in the study area.

Implicit Wiener series analysis of epileptic seizure recordings.

PubMed

Barbero, Alvaro; Franz, Matthias; van Drongelen, Wim; Dorronsoro, José R; Schölkopf, Bernhard; Grosse-Wentrup, Moritz

2009-01-01

Implicit Wiener series are a powerful tool to build Volterra representations of time series with any degree of non-linearity. A natural question is then whether higher order representations yield more useful models. In this work we shall study this question for ECoG data channel relationships in epileptic seizure recordings, considering whether quadratic representations yield more accurate classifiers than linear ones. To do so we first show how to derive statistical information on the Volterra coefficient distribution and how to construct seizure classification patterns over that information. As our results illustrate, a quadratic model seems to provide no advantages over a linear one. Nevertheless, we shall also show that the interpretability of the implicit Wiener series provides insights into the inter-channel relationships of the recordings.

Intermediate quantum maps for quantum computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giraud, O.; Georgeot, B.

2005-10-01

We study quantum maps displaying spectral statistics intermediate between Poisson and Wigner-Dyson. It is shown that they can be simulated on a quantum computer with a small number of gates, and efficiently yield information about fidelity decay or spectral statistics. We study their matrix elements and entanglement production and show that they converge with time to distributions which differ from random matrix predictions. A randomized version of these maps can be implemented even more economically and yields pseudorandom operators with original properties, enabling, for example, one to produce fractal random vectors. These algorithms are within reach of present-day quantum computers.

Yield gap mapping as a support tool for risk management in agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahlou, Ouiam; Imani, Yasmina; Slimani, Imane; Van Wart, Justin; Yang, Haishun

2016-04-01

The increasing frequency and magnitude of droughts in Morocco and the mounting losses from extended droughts in the agricultural sector emphasized the need to develop reliable and timely tools to manage drought and to mitigate resulting catastrophic damage. In 2011, Morocco launched a cereals multi-risk insurance with drought as the most threatening and the most frequent hazard in the country. However, and in order to assess the gap and to implement the more suitable compensation, it is essential to quantify the potential yield in each area. In collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a study is carried out in Morocco and aims to determine the yield potentials and the yield gaps in the different agro-climatic zones of the country. It fits into the large project: Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas: http://www.yieldgap.org/. The yield gap (Yg) is the magnitude and difference between crop yield potential (Yp) or water limited yield potential (Yw) and actual yields, reached by farmers. World Food Studies (WOFOST), which is a Crop simulation mechanistic model, has been used for this purpose. Prior to simulations, reliable information about actual yields, weather data, crop management data and soil data have been collected in 7 Moroccan buffer zones considered, each, within a circle of 100 km around a weather station point, homogenously spread across the country and where cereals are widely grown. The model calibration was also carried out using WOFOST default varieties data. The map-based results represent a robust tool, not only for drought insurance organization, but for agricultural and agricultural risk management. Moreover, accurate and geospatially granular estimates of Yg and Yw will allow to focus on regions with largest unexploited yield gaps and greatest potential to close them, and consequently to improve food security in the country.

Retrospective Analog Year Analyses Using NASA Satellite Data to Improve USDA's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, W. L.; Shannon, H. D.

2011-12-01

The USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) is responsible for monitoring weather and climate impacts on domestic and foreign crop development. One of WAOB's primary goals is to determine the net cumulative effect of weather and climate anomalies on final crop yields. To this end, a broad array of information is consulted, including maps, charts, and time series of recent weather, climate, and crop observations; numerical output from weather and crop models; and reports from the press, USDA attachés, and foreign governments. The resulting agricultural weather assessments are published in the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, to keep farmers, policy makers, and commercial agricultural interests informed of weather and climate impacts on agriculture. Because both the amount and timing of precipitation significantly impact crop yields, WAOB often uses precipitation time series to identify growing seasons with similar weather patterns and help estimate crop yields for the current growing season, based on observed yields in analog years. Although, historically, these analog years are identified through visual inspection, the qualitative nature of this methodology sometimes precludes the definitive identification of the best analog year. One goal of this study is to introduce a more rigorous, statistical approach for identifying analog years. This approach is based on a modified coefficient of determination, termed the analog index (AI). The derivation of AI will be described. Another goal of this study is to compare the performance of AI for time series derived from surface-based observations vs. satellite-based measurements (NASA TRMM and other data). Five study areas and six growing seasons of data were analyzed (2003-2007 as potential analog years and 2008 as the target year). Results thus far show that, for all five areas, crop yield estimates derived from satellite-based precipitation data are closer to measured yields than are estimates derived from surface-based precipitation measurements. Work is continuing to include satellite-based surface soil moisture data and model-assimilated root zone soil moisture. This study is part of a larger effort to improve WAOB estimates by integrating NASA remote sensing observations and research results into WAOB's decision-making environment.

NEANDC specialists meeting on yields and decay data of fission product nuclides

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chrien, R.E.; Burrows, T.W.

Separate abstracts were prepared for the 29 papers presented. Workshop reports on decay heat, fission yields, beta- and gamma-ray spectroscopy, and delayed neutrons are included. An appendix contains a survey of the most recent compilations and evaluations containing fission product yield, fission product decay data, and delayed neutron yield information. (WHK)

Agricultural Management Practices Explain Variation in Global Yield Gaps of Major Crops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, N. D.; Gerber, J. S.; Ray, D. K.; Ramankutty, N.; Foley, J. A.

2010-12-01

The continued expansion and intensification of agriculture are key drivers of global environmental change. Meeting a doubling of food demand in the next half-century will further induce environmental change, requiring either large cropland expansion into carbon- and biodiversity-rich tropical forests or increasing yields on existing croplands. Closing the “yield gaps” between the most and least productive farmers on current agricultural lands is a necessary and major step towards preserving natural ecosystems and meeting future food demand. Here we use global climate, soils, and cropland datasets to quantify yield gaps for major crops using equal-area climate analogs. Consistent with previous studies, we find large yield gaps for many crops in Eastern Europe, tropical Africa, and parts of Mexico. To analyze the drivers of yield gaps, we collected sub-national agricultural management data and built a global dataset of fertilizer application rates for over 160 crops. We constructed empirical crop yield models for each climate analog using the global management information for 17 major crops. We find that our climate-specific models explain a substantial amount of the global variation in yields. These models could be widely applied to identify management changes needed to close yield gaps, analyze the environmental impacts of agricultural intensification, and identify climate change adaptation techniques.

The Rest of the Story: A Qualitative Study of Complementing Standardized Assessment Data with Informal Interviews with Older Patients and Families.

PubMed

Lafortune, Claire; Elliott, Jacobi; Egan, Mary Y; Stolee, Paul

2017-04-01

While standardized health assessments capture valuable information on patients' demographic and diagnostic characteristics, health conditions, and physical and mental functioning, they may not capture information of most relevance to individual patients and their families. Given that patients and their informal caregivers are the experts on that patient's unique context, it is important to ensure they are able to convey all relevant personal information to formal healthcare providers so that high-quality, patient-centered care may be delivered. This study aims to identify information that older patients and families consider important but that might not be included in standardized assessments. Transcripts were analyzed from 29 interviews relating to eight patients with hip fractures from three sites (large urban, smaller urban, rural) in two provinces in Canada. These interviews were conducted as part of a larger ethnographic study. Each transcript was analyzed by two researchers using content analysis. Results were reviewed in two focus group interviews with older adults and family caregivers. Identified themes were compared with items from two standardized assessments used in healthcare settings. Three broad themes emerged from the qualitative analysis that were not covered in the standardized assessments: informal caregiver and family considerations, insider healthcare knowledge, and patients' healthcare attitudes and experiences. The importance of these themes was confirmed through focus group interviews. Focus group participants also emphasized the importance of conducting assessments in a patient-centered way and the importance of open-ended questions. A less structured interview approach may yield information that would otherwise be missed in standardized assessments. Combining both sources could yield better-informed healthcare planning and quality-improvement efforts.

Modelling crop yield in Iberia under drought conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, Andreia; Páscoa, Patrícia; Russo, Ana; Gouveia, Célia

2017-04-01

The improved assessment of the cereal yield and crop loss under drought conditions are essential to meet the increasing economy demands. The growing frequency and severity of the extreme drought conditions in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) has been likely responsible for negative impacts on agriculture, namely on crop yield losses. Therefore, a continuous monitoring of vegetation activity and a reliable estimation of drought impacts is crucial to contribute for the agricultural drought management and development of suitable information tools. This works aims to assess the influence of drought conditions in agricultural yields over the IP, considering cereal yields from mainly rainfed agriculture for the provinces with higher productivity. The main target is to develop a strategy to model drought risk on agriculture for wheat yield at a province level. In order to achieve this goal a combined assessment was made using a drought indicator (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index, SPEI) to evaluate drought conditions together with a widely used vegetation index (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) to monitor vegetation activity. A correlation analysis between detrended wheat yield and SPEI was performed in order to assess the vegetation response to each time scale of drought occurrence and also identify the moment of the vegetative cycle when the crop yields are more vulnerable to drought conditions. The time scales and months of SPEI, together with the months of NDVI, better related with wheat yield were chosen to perform a multivariate regression analysis to simulate crop yield. Model results are satisfactory and highlighted the usefulness of such analysis in the framework of developing a drought risk model for crop yields. In terms of an operational point of view, the results aim to contribute to an improved understanding of crop yield management under dry conditions, particularly adding substantial information on the advantages of combining vegetation and hydro-meteorological drought indices for the assessment of cereal yield. Moreover, the present study will provide some guidance on user's decision making process in agricultural practices in the IP, assisting farmers in deciding whether to purchase crop insurance. Acknowledgements: This work was partially supported by national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal) under project IMDROFLOOD (WaterJPI/0004/2014). Ana Russo thanks FCT for granted support (SFRH/BPD/99757/2014). Andreia Ribeiro also thanks FCT for grant PD/BD/114481/2016.

Neutron irradiation of Am-241 effectively produces curium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, R. W.; Milstead, J.; Stewart, D. C.

1967-01-01

Computer study was made on the production of multicurie amounts of highly alpha-active curium 242 from americium 241 irradiation. The information available includes curium 242 yields, curium composition, irradiation data, and production techniques and safeguards.

Qualifying the benefit of Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-11-21

ATIS Yields Time Management Benefits: No conflict between survey and empirical research : ATIS users correctly perceive that they save time Field studies correctly measured only small changes in in-vehicle travel times. When travel behavior f...

Smoked aluminum track stations record flying squirrel occurrence

Treesearch

Martin G. Raphael; Cathy A. Taylor; Reginald H. Barrett

1986-01-01

Smoked aluminum track stations are a useful technique for studying patterns of abundance and distribution of northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). They are easily transported to remote field sites, allow permanent preservation of tracks, and yield frequency-of-occurrence information. A study in Douglas-fir (Pseseudotsuga menziesii...

Comments on "Understanding Graduate Women's Reentry Experiences." Commentary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lott, Bernice

1999-01-01

The case-study method used in "Understanding Graduate Women's Reentry Experiences" yielded personal information of considerable depth, but the conclusions drawn from the study are not all that different from those drawn from more quantitative investigations. Suggests that a multimethod approach is the best research strategy. (SLD)

In Vitro Self-Assembly of the Light Harvesting Pigment-Protein LH2 Revealed by Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy

PubMed Central

Schubert, Axel; Stenstam, Anna; Beenken, Wichard J. D.; Herek, Jennifer L.; Cogdell, Richard; Pullerits, Tõnu; Sundström, Villy

2004-01-01

Controlled ensemble formation of protein-surfactant systems provides a fundamental concept for the realization of nanoscale devices with self-organizing capability. In this context, spectroscopic monitoring of pigment-containing proteins yields detailed structural information. Here we have studied the association behavior of the bacterial light-harvesting protein LH2 from Rhodobacter spheroides in an n,n-dimethyldodecylamine-n-oxide/water environment. Time-resolved studies of the excitation annihilation yielded information about aggregate sizes and packing of the protein complexes therein. The results are compared to transmission electron microscopy images of instantaneously frozen samples. Our data indicate the manifestation of different phases, which are discussed with respect to the thermodynamic equilibrium in ternary protein-surfactant-water systems. Accordingly, by varying the concentration the formation of different types of aggregates can be controlled. Conditions for the appearance of isolated LH2 complexes are defined. PMID:15041674

Optimizing Training Population Size and Genotyping Strategy for Genomic Prediction Using Association Study Results and Pedigree Information. A Case of Study in Advanced Wheat Breeding Lines.

PubMed

Cericola, Fabio; Jahoor, Ahmed; Orabi, Jihad; Andersen, Jeppe R; Janss, Luc L; Jensen, Just

2017-01-01

Wheat breeding programs generate a large amount of variation which cannot be completely explored because of limited phenotyping throughput. Genomic prediction (GP) has been proposed as a new tool which provides breeding values estimations without the need of phenotyping all the material produced but only a subset of it named training population (TP). However, genotyping of all the accessions under analysis is needed and, therefore, optimizing TP dimension and genotyping strategy is pivotal to implement GP in commercial breeding schemes. Here, we explored the optimum TP size and we integrated pedigree records and genome wide association studies (GWAS) results to optimize the genotyping strategy. A total of 988 advanced wheat breeding lines were genotyped with the Illumina 15K SNPs wheat chip and phenotyped across several years and locations for yield, lodging, and starch content. Cross-validation using the largest possible TP size and all the SNPs available after editing (~11k), yielded predictive abilities (rGP) ranging between 0.5-0.6. In order to explore the Training population size, rGP were computed using progressively smaller TP. These exercises showed that TP of around 700 lines were enough to yield the highest observed rGP. Moreover, rGP were calculated by randomly reducing the SNPs number. This showed that around 1K markers were enough to reach the highest observed rGP. GWAS was used to identify markers associated with the traits analyzed. A GWAS-based selection of SNPs resulted in increased rGP when compared with random selection and few hundreds SNPs were sufficient to obtain the highest observed rGP. For each of these scenarios, advantages of adding the pedigree information were shown. Our results indicate that moderate TP sizes were enough to yield high rGP and that pedigree information and GWAS results can be used to greatly optimize the genotyping strategy.

Research in the application of spectral data to crop identification and assessment, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daughtry, C. S. T. (Principal Investigator); Hixson, M. M.; Bauer, M. E.

1980-01-01

The development of spectrometry crop development stage models is discussed with emphasis on models for corn and soybeans. One photothermal and four thermal meteorological models are evaluated. Spectral data were investigated as a source of information for crop yield models. Intercepted solar radiation and soil productivity are identified as factors related to yield which can be estimated from spectral data. Several techniques for machine classification of remotely sensed data for crop inventory were evaluated. Early season estimation, training procedures, the relationship of scene characteristics to classification performance, and full frame classification methods were studied. The optimal level for combining area and yield estimates of corn and soybeans is assessed utilizing current technology: digital analysis of LANDSAT MSS data on sample segments to provide area estimates and regression models to provide yield estimates.

Covariance Matrix Evaluations for Independent Mass Fission Yields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terranova, N., E-mail: nicholas.terranova@unibo.it; Serot, O.; Archier, P.

2015-01-15

Recent needs for more accurate fission product yields include covariance information to allow improved uncertainty estimations of the parameters used by design codes. The aim of this work is to investigate the possibility to generate more reliable and complete uncertainty information on independent mass fission yields. Mass yields covariances are estimated through a convolution between the multi-Gaussian empirical model based on Brosa's fission modes, which describe the pre-neutron mass yields, and the average prompt neutron multiplicity curve. The covariance generation task has been approached using the Bayesian generalized least squared method through the CONRAD code. Preliminary results on mass yieldsmore » variance-covariance matrix will be presented and discussed from physical grounds in the case of {sup 235}U(n{sub th}, f) and {sup 239}Pu(n{sub th}, f) reactions.« less

Influence of management and environment on Australian wheat: information for sustainable intensification and closing yield gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, B. A.; King, D.; Zhao, G.

2014-04-01

In the future, agriculture will need to produce more, from less land, more sustainably. But currently, in many places, actual crop yields are below those attainable. We quantified the ability for agricultural management to increase wheat yields across 179 Mha of potentially arable land in Australia. Using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM), we simulated the impact on wheat yield of 225 fertilization and residue management scenarios at a high spatial, temporal, and agronomic resolution from 1900 to 2010. The influence of management and environmental variables on wheat yield was then assessed using Spearman’s non-parametric correlation test with bootstrapping. While residue management showed little correlation, fertilization strongly increased wheat yield up to around 100 kg N ha-1 yr-1. However, this effect was highly dependent on the key environment variables of rainfall, temperature, and soil water holding capacity. The influence of fertilization on yield was stronger in cooler, wetter climates, and in soils with greater water holding capacity. We conclude that the effectiveness of management intensification to increase wheat yield is highly dependent upon local climate and soil conditions. We provide context-specific information on the yield benefits of fertilization to support adaptive agronomic decision-making and contribute to the closure of yield gaps. We also suggest that future assessments consider the economic and environmental sustainability of management intensification for closing yield gaps.

Computing wheat nitrogen requirements from grain yield and protein maps

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Optical protein sensors and mass-flow yield monitors provide the opportunity to continuously measure grain quality and quantity during harvesting. This chapter illustrates how yield monitor and grain protein measurements may provide useful postharvest information for evaluating water or nitrogen (N)...

Computing wheat nitrogen requirements from grain yield and protein maps

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Optical protein sensors and mass-flow yield monitors provide the opportunity to continuously measure grain quality and quantity during harvesting. This chapter illustrates how yield monitor and grain protein measurements may provide useful post-harvest information for evaluating water or nitrogen (...

Hyperspectral imagery for mapping crop yield for precision agriculture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop yield is perhaps the most important piece of information for crop management in precision agriculture. It integrates the effects of various spatial variables such as soil properties, topographic attributes, tillage, plant population, fertilization, irrigation, and pest infestations. A yield map...

The Comparability of Focus Group and Survey Results: Three Case Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Victoria M.; And Others

1991-01-01

Focus group findings were compared with survey findings for three studies in which both methods were used. Studies conducted on voluntary sterilization in Guatemala, Honduras, and Zaire with over 2,000 subjects confirm that focus groups yield information similar to that obtained from surveys and are useful in program planning. (SLD)

Stand-density study of spruce-hemlock stands in southeastern Alaska.

Treesearch

Donald J. DeMars

2000-01-01

The lack of growth and yield information for young even-aged western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla(Raf.) Sarg.)-Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) stands in southeastern Alaska served as the impetus for a long-term stand-density study begun in 1974. The study has followed permanent growth plots in managed stands under...

Operation of the yield estimation subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccrary, D. G.; Rogers, J. L.; Hill, J. D. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

The organization and products of the yield estimation subsystem (YES) are described with particular emphasis on meteorological data acquisition, yield estimation, crop calendars, weekly weather summaries, and project reports. During the three phases of LACIE, YES demonstrated that it is possible to use the flow of global meteorological data and provide valuable information regarding global wheat production. It was able to establish a capability to collect, in a timely manner, detailed weather data from all regions of the world, and to evaluate and convert that data into information appropriate to the project's needs.

Candidate Loci for Yield-Related Traits in Maize Revealed by a Combination of MetaQTL Analysis and Regional Association Mapping

PubMed Central

Chen, Lin; An, Yixin; Li, Yong-xiang; Li, Chunhui; Shi, Yunsu; Song, Yanchun; Zhang, Dengfeng; Wang, Tianyu; Li, Yu

2017-01-01

Maize grain yield and related traits are complex and are controlled by a large number of genes of small effect or quantitative trait loci (QTL). Over the years, a large number of yield-related QTLs have been identified in maize and deposited in public databases. However, integrating and re-analyzing these data and mining candidate loci for yield-related traits has become a major issue in maize. In this study, we collected information on QTLs conferring maize yield-related traits from 33 published studies. Then, 999 of these QTLs were iteratively projected and subjected to meta-analysis to obtain metaQTLs (MQTLs). A total of 76 MQTLs were found across the maize genome. Based on a comparative genomics strategy, several maize orthologs of rice yield-related genes were identified in these MQTL regions. Furthermore, three potential candidate genes (Gene ID: GRMZM2G359974, GRMZM2G301884, and GRMZM2G083894) associated with kernel size and weight within three MQTL regions were identified using regional association mapping, based on the results of the meta-analysis. This strategy, combining MQTL analysis and regional association mapping, is helpful for functional marker development and rapid identification of candidate genes or loci. PMID:29312420

Styrene recovery from polystyrene by flash pyrolysis in a conical spouted bed reactor.

PubMed

Artetxe, Maite; Lopez, Gartzen; Amutio, Maider; Barbarias, Itsaso; Arregi, Aitor; Aguado, Roberto; Bilbao, Javier; Olazar, Martin

2015-11-01

Continuous pyrolysis of polystyrene has been studied in a conical spouted bed reactor with the main aim of enhancing styrene monomer recovery. Thermal degradation in a thermogravimetric analyser was conducted as a preliminary study in order to apply this information in the pyrolysis in the conical spouted bed reactor. The effects of temperature and gas flow rate in the conical spouted bed reactor on product yield and composition have been determined in the 450-600°C range by using a spouting velocity from 1.25 to 3.5 times the minimum one. Styrene yield is strongly influenced by both temperature and gas flow rate, with the maximum yield being 70.6 wt% at 500°C and a gas velocity twice the minimum one. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational Therapy in the Context of Head Start: A Preliminary Survey Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowyer, Patricia; Moore, Cary C.; Thom, Carly

2016-01-01

This preliminary, descriptive study yields information on the utilization of occupational therapy services within Head Start programs. Participants completed an Internet-based survey of 25 questions pertaining to the understanding, scope, and utilization of occupational therapy services. Surveys were completed by 35 respondents nationwide. A total…

Production Practices of Commercial Catfish Producers in Northeast Louisiana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Letlow, Richard M.; Verma, Satish

A study determined the yields obtained and the production practices followed by Louisiana commercial catfish farmers in Catahoula, Concordia, and Franklin Parishes. This information was used by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service (LCES) faculty to develop a catfish education program. The study: (1) determined use of selected recommended…

The application of remotely sensed data to pedologic and geomorphic mapping on alluvial fan and playa surfaces in Saline Valley, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, D. A.; Petersen, G. W.; Kahle, A. B.

1986-01-01

Arid and semiarid regions yield excellent opportunities for the study of pedologic and geomorphic processes. The dominance of rock and soil exposure over vegetation not only provides the ground observer with observational possibilities but also affords good opportunities for measurement by aircraft and satellite remote sensor devices. Previous studies conducted in the area of pedologic and geomorphic mapping in arid regions with remotely sensed data have utilized information obtained in the visible to near-infrared portion of the spectrum. Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) and Thematic Mapping (TM) data collected in 1984 are being used in comjunction with maps compiled during a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) soil survey to aid in a detailed mapping of alluvial fan and playa surfaces within the valley. The results from this study may yield valuable information concerning the application of thermal data and thermal/visible data combinations to the problem of dating pedologic and geomorphic features in arid regions.

Changing Patterns in Internal Communication in Large Academic Libraries. Occasional Paper Number 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Euster, Joanne R.

Based on data from a 1979 survey of ARL member libraries, this study by the Office of Management Studies analyzes the responses of selected libraries which had provided internal studies or planning documents on the subject of internal communication and notes the extent of resulting changes in procedures. The studies yielded information on staff…

Technique for experimental determination of radiation interchange factors in solar wavelengths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bobco, R. P.; Nolte, L. J.; Wensley, J. R.

1971-01-01

Process obtains solar heating data which support analytical design. Process yields quantitative information on local solar exposure of models which are geometrically and reflectively similar to prototypes under study. Models are tested in a shirtsleeve environment.

GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Analysis for Arabica Coffee Expansion in Rwanda

PubMed Central

Nzeyimana, Innocent; Hartemink, Alfred E.; Geissen, Violette

2014-01-01

The Government of Rwanda is implementing policies to increase the area of Arabica coffee production. Information on the suitable areas for sustainably growing Arabica coffee is still scarce. This study aimed to analyze suitable areas for Arabica coffee production. We analyzed the spatial distribution of actual and potential production zones for Arabica coffee, their productivity levels and predicted potential yields. We used a geographic information system (GIS) for a weighted overlay analysis to assess the major production zones of Arabica coffee and their qualitative productivity indices. Actual coffee yields were measured in the field and were used to assess potential productivity zones and yields using ordinary kriging with ArcGIS software. The production of coffee covers about 32 000 ha, or 2.3% of all cultivated land in the country. The major zones of production are the Kivu Lake Borders, Central Plateau, Eastern Plateau, and Mayaga agro-ecological zones, where coffee is mainly cultivated on moderate slopes. In the highlands, coffee is grown on steep slopes that can exceed 55%. About 21% percent of the country has a moderate yield potential, ranging between 1.0 and 1.6 t coffee ha−1, and 70% has a low yield potential (<1.0 t coffee ha−1). Only 9% of the country has a high yield potential of 1.6–2.4 t coffee ha−1. Those areas are found near Lake Kivu where the dominant soil Orders are Inceptisols and Ultisols. Moderate yield potential is found in the Birunga (volcano), Congo-Nile watershed Divide, Impala and Imbo zones. Low-yield regions (<1 t ha−1) occur in the eastern semi-dry lowlands, Central Plateau, Eastern Plateau, Buberuka Highlands, and Mayaga zones. The weighted overlay analysis and ordinary kriging indicated a large spatial variability of potential productivity indices. Increasing the area and productivity of coffee in Rwanda thus has considerable potential. PMID:25299459

Analysis on the application of background parameters on remote sensing classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Y.

Drawing accurate crop cultivation acreage, dynamic monitoring of crops growing and yield forecast are some important applications of remote sensing to agriculture. During the 8th 5-Year Plan period, the task of yield estimation using remote sensing technology for the main crops in major production regions in China once was a subtopic to the national research task titled "Study on Application of Remote sensing Technology". In 21 century in a movement launched by Chinese Ministry of Agriculture to combine high technology to farming production, remote sensing has given full play to farm crops' growth monitoring and yield forecast. And later in 2001 Chinese Ministry of Agriculture entrusted the Northern China Center of Agricultural Remote Sensing to forecast yield of some main crops like wheat, maize and rice in rather short time to supply information for the government decision maker. Present paper is a report for this task. It describes the application of background parameters in image recognition, classification and mapping with focuses on plan of the geo-science's theory, ecological feature and its cartographical objects or scale, the study of phrenology for image optimal time for classification of the ground objects, the analysis of optimal waveband composition and the application of background data base to spatial information recognition ;The research based on the knowledge of background parameters is indispensable for improving the accuracy of image classification and mapping quality and won a secondary reward of tech-science achievement from Chinese Ministry of Agriculture. Keywords: Spatial image; Classification; Background parameter

On the non-uniqueness of sediment yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.; Ivanov, V. Y.; Katopodes, N.

2012-12-01

Estimation of sediment yield at the catchment scale plays an important role for optimal design of hydraulic structures, such as bridges, culverts, reservoirs, and detention basins, as well as making informed decisions in environmental management. Many experimental studies focused on obtaining flow and sediment data in search of unique relationships between runoff (specifically, volume and peak) and sediment characteristics. These relationships were employed to predict sediment yield from flow information. However, despite the same flow volume, the actual sediment yield produced by river basins can vary significantly depending on several conditions: (i) the catchment size, (ii) land use, topography, and soil type, (iii) climatic variations or characteristics , and (iv) initial conditions of soil moisture and soil surface . Additionally, shield formation by relatively larger particles can be one of the possible controllers of erosion and net sediment transport. Smaller particles have low settling velocities and tend to move far from their original position of detachment. Conversely, larger particles can settle quickly near their original locations. Eventually, such particles can form a shield on soil bed and protect underlying soil from rainfall detachment and runoff entrainment. The shield formation and temporal development can be influenced by rainfall intensity, frequency, and volume. Rainfall influences the generation of runoff leading to different conditions of flow depth and velocity that can perturb intact soil into a loose condition. In this study, we numerically investigate the effects of precipitation patterns on the generation of sediment yield. In particular, we address reasons of non-uniqueness of basin sediment yield for the same runoff volume as well as causes of unsteady phenomena in erosion processes under steady state flow conditions. For numerical simulations, the two-dimensional Hairsine-Rose model coupled with a fully distributed hydrology and hydraulics model (tRIBS-OFM: Triangulated irregular network - based Real time Integrated Basin Simulator-Overland Flow Model) is used.

Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Agricultural Water Demands and Crop Yields in California's Central Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tansey, M. K.; Flores-Lopez, F.; Young, C. A.; Huntington, J. L.

2012-12-01

Long term planning for the management of California's water resources requires assessment of the effects of future climate changes on both water supply and demand. Considerable progress has been made on the evaluation of the effects of future climate changes on water supplies but less information is available with regard to water demands. Uncertainty in future climate projections increases the difficulty of assessing climate impacts and evaluating long range adaptation strategies. Compounding the uncertainty in the future climate projections is the fact that most readily available downscaled climate projections lack sufficient meteorological information to compute evapotranspiration (ET) by the widely accepted ASCE Penman-Monteith (PM) method. This study addresses potential changes in future Central Valley water demands and crop yields by examining the effects of climate change on soil evaporation, plant transpiration, growth and yield for major types of crops grown in the Central Valley of California. Five representative climate scenarios based on 112 bias corrected spatially downscaled CMIP 3 GCM climate simulations were developed using the hybrid delta ensemble method to span a wide range future climate uncertainty. Analysis of historical California Irrigation Management Information System meteorological data was combined with several meteorological estimation methods to compute future solar radiation, wind speed and dew point temperatures corresponding to the GCM projected temperatures and precipitation. Future atmospheric CO2 concentrations corresponding to the 5 representative climate projections were developed based on weighting IPCC SRES emissions scenarios. The Land, Atmosphere, and Water Simulator (LAWS) model was used to compute ET and yield changes in the early, middle and late 21st century for 24 representative agricultural crops grown in the Sacramento, San Joaquin and Tulare Lake basins. Study results indicate that changes in ET and yield vary between crops due to plant specific sensitivities to temperature, solar radiation and the vapor pressure deficits. Shifts in the growth period to earlier in the year, shortened growth period for annual crops as well as extended fall growth can also exert important influences. Projected increases in CO2 concentrations in the late 21st century exert very significant influences on ET and yield for many crops. To characterize potential impacts and the range of uncertainty, changes in total agricultural water demands and yields were computed assuming that current crop types and acreages in 21 Central Valley regional planning areas remained constant throughout the 21st century for each of the 5 representative future climate scenarios.

Genetic evaluation of recombinant inbred lines of rice (Oryza sativa L.) for grain zinc concentrations, yield related traits and identification of associated SSR markers.

PubMed

Bekele, Berhanu D; Naveen, G K; Rakhi, S; Shashidhar, H E

2013-12-01

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate genetic variability parameters, correlations that exist for grain Zn concentration and yield related traits and identification of SSR markers linked to these traits in rice. One hundred seventy six Recombinant Inbred Lines (RILs) of Azucena X Moromutant were grown at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore in augmented experimental design during wet seasons of 2010 and 2011. The study revealed significant genetic variability for all the traits. Grain yield per plant and grain zinc concentration showed higher phenotypic and genotypic co-efficient of variation. Significant positive correlation was observed for grain yield per plant with number of productive tillers per plant (r = 0.5) and number of tillers per plant (r = 0.4). Grain zinc concentration showed negative correlation with grain yield per plant (r = - 0.27). The path-coefficient analysis indicated the positive direct effect of number of productive tillers per plant on grain yield per plant (0.514). Grain zinc concentration showed negative direct effect on grain yield per plant (-0.186). Single-marker analysis using 26 SSR markers on RILs mapping population showed that RM212, RM263, RM6832, RM152, RM21, RM234 and RM3331 had association with grain zinc concentration and other yield related traits. But validation of these markers on fifty two rice genotypes showed that only three markers RM263, RM152 and RM21 had association with grain zinc concentration. Therefore, the genetic information generated and molecular markers identified from this study could be used for zinc biofortification programmes in rice.

Does the choice of nucleotide substitution models matter topologically?

PubMed

Hoff, Michael; Orf, Stefan; Riehm, Benedikt; Darriba, Diego; Stamatakis, Alexandros

2016-03-24

In the context of a master level programming practical at the computer science department of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, we developed and make available an open-source code for testing all 203 possible nucleotide substitution models in the Maximum Likelihood (ML) setting under the common Akaike, corrected Akaike, and Bayesian information criteria. We address the question if model selection matters topologically, that is, if conducting ML inferences under the optimal, instead of a standard General Time Reversible model, yields different tree topologies. We also assess, to which degree models selected and trees inferred under the three standard criteria (AIC, AICc, BIC) differ. Finally, we assess if the definition of the sample size (#sites versus #sites × #taxa) yields different models and, as a consequence, different tree topologies. We find that, all three factors (by order of impact: nucleotide model selection, information criterion used, sample size definition) can yield topologically substantially different final tree topologies (topological difference exceeding 10 %) for approximately 5 % of the tree inferences conducted on the 39 empirical datasets used in our study. We find that, using the best-fit nucleotide substitution model may change the final ML tree topology compared to an inference under a default GTR model. The effect is less pronounced when comparing distinct information criteria. Nonetheless, in some cases we did obtain substantial topological differences.

Integrated crop management practices for maximizing grain yield of double-season rice crop.

PubMed

Wang, Depeng; Huang, Jianliang; Nie, Lixiao; Wang, Fei; Ling, Xiaoxia; Cui, Kehui; Li, Yong; Peng, Shaobing

2017-01-12

Information on maximum grain yield and its attributes are limited for double-season rice crop grown under the subtropical environment. This study was conducted to examine key characteristics associated with high yielding double-season rice crop through a comparison between an integrated crop management (ICM) and farmers' practice (FP). Field experiments were conducted in the early and late seasons in the subtropical environment of Wuxue County, Hubei Province, China in 2013 and 2014. On average, grain yield in ICM was 13.5% higher than that in FP. A maximum grain yield of 9.40 and 10.53 t ha -1 was achieved under ICM in the early- and late-season rice, respectively. Yield improvement of double-season rice with ICM was achieved with the combined effects of increased plant density and optimized nutrient management. Yield gain of ICM resulted from a combination of increases in sink size due to more panicle number per unit area and biomass production, further supported by the increased leaf area index, leaf area duration, radiation use efficiency, crop growth rate, and total nitrogen uptake compared with FP. Further enhancement in the yield potential of double-season rice should focus on increasing crop growth rate and biomass production through improved and integrated crop management practices.

Production of biodiesel from Jatropha curcas L. oil catalyzed by SO₄²⁻/ZrO₂ catalyst: effect of interaction between process variables.

PubMed

Yee, Kian Fei; Lee, Keat Teong; Ceccato, Riccardo; Abdullah, Ahmad Zuhairi

2011-03-01

This study reports the conversion of Jatrophacurcas L. oil to biodiesel catalyzed by sulfated zirconia loaded on alumina catalyst using response surface methodology (RSM), specifically to study the effect of interaction between process variables on the yield of biodiesel. The transesterification process variables studied were reaction temperature, reaction duration, molar ratio of methanol to oil and catalyst loading. Results from this study revealed that individual as well as interaction between variables significantly affect the yield of biodiesel. With this information, it was found that 4h of reaction at 150°C, methanol to oil molar ratio of 9.88 mol/mol and 7.61 wt.% for catalyst loading gave an optimum biodiesel yield of 90.32 wt.%. The fuel properties of Jatropha biodiesel were characterized and it indeed met the specification for biodiesel according to ASTM D6751. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Separating heat stress from moisture stress: analyzing yield response to high temperature in irrigated maize

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Elizabeth K.; Melkonian, Jeff; Riha, Susan J.; Shaw, Stephen B.

2016-09-01

Several recent studies have indicated that high air temperatures are limiting maize (Zea mays L.) yields in the US Corn Belt and project significant yield losses with expected increases in growing season temperatures. Further work has suggested that high air temperatures are indicative of high evaporative demand, and that decreases in maize yields which correlate to high temperatures and vapor pressure deficits (VPD) likely reflect underlying soil moisture limitations. It remains unclear whether direct high temperature impacts on yields, independent of moisture stress, can be observed under current temperature regimes. Given that projected high temperature and moisture may not co-vary the same way as they have historically, quantitative analyzes of direct temperature impacts are critical for accurate yield projections and targeted mitigation strategies under shifting temperature regimes. To evaluate yield response to above optimum temperatures independent of soil moisture stress, we analyzed climate impacts on irrigated maize yields obtained from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) corn yield contests for Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. In irrigated maize, we found no evidence of a direct negative impact on yield by daytime air temperature, calculated canopy temperature, or VPD when analyzed seasonally. Solar radiation was the primary yield-limiting climate variable. Our analyses suggested that elevated night temperature impacted yield by increasing rates of phenological development. High temperatures during grain-fill significantly interacted with yields, but this effect was often beneficial and included evidence of acquired thermo-tolerance. Furthermore, genetics and management—information uniquely available in the NCGA contest data—explained more yield variability than climate, and significantly modified crop response to climate. Thermo-acclimation, improved genetics and changes to management practices have the potential to partially or completely offset temperature-related yield losses in irrigated maize.

Climatic and technological ceilings for Chinese rice stagnation based on yield gaps and yield trend pattern analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Tianyi; Yang, Xiaoguang; Wang, Hesong; Li, Yong; Ye, Qing

2014-04-01

Climatic or technological ceilings could cause yield stagnation. Thus, identifying the principal reasons for yield stagnation within the context of the local climate and socio-economic conditions are essential for informing regional agricultural policies. In this study, we identified the climatic and technological ceilings for seven rice-production regions in China based on yield gaps and on a yield trend pattern analysis for the period 1980-2010. The results indicate that 54.9% of the counties sampled experienced yield stagnation since the 1980. The potential yield ceilings in northern and eastern China decreased to a greater extent than in other regions due to the accompanying climate effects of increases in temperature and decreases in radiation. This may be associated with yield stagnation and halt occurring in approximately 49.8-57.0% of the sampled counties in these areas. South-western China exhibited a promising scope for yield improvement, showing the greatest yield gap (30.6%), whereas the yields were stagnant in 58.4% of the sampled counties. This finding suggests that efforts to overcome the technological ceiling must be given priority so that the available exploitable yield gap can be achieved. North-eastern China, however, represents a noteworthy exception. In the north-central area of this region, climate change has increased the yield potential ceiling, and this increase has been accompanied by the most rapid increase in actual yield: 1.02 ton ha(-1) per decade. Therefore, north-eastern China shows a great potential for rice production, which is favoured by the current climate conditions and available technology level. Additional environmentally friendly economic incentives might be considered in this region. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Survey of patient-oriented total hip replacement information on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Mabrey, J D

2000-12-01

The author conducted an informal survey of materials relating to diseases of the hip and total hip replacement as they appeared on the World Wide Web. The results varied depending on the key words used: hip and replacement yielded 1,818 matches; total hip replacement yielded 1,740 matches; hip replacement yielded 4,565 sites; and hip surgery yielded 1,073 sites. The number of sites for total hip replacement was observed to increase with time, having found an additional 30 sites from an identical search performed only 6 weeks earlier. The nature and quality of these sites varied from well-organized and informative, to personal testaments, to obvious commercial endeavors. Overall, this survey found an abundance of material regarding the hip and hip replacements on the World Wide Web, but orthopaedic societies need to take a more active role in constructing, maintaining, and monitoring these sites to best serve the needs of their patients and their members.

Extracting important information from Chinese Operation Notes with natural language processing methods.

PubMed

Wang, Hui; Zhang, Weide; Zeng, Qiang; Li, Zuofeng; Feng, Kaiyan; Liu, Lei

2014-04-01

Extracting information from unstructured clinical narratives is valuable for many clinical applications. Although natural Language Processing (NLP) methods have been profoundly studied in electronic medical records (EMR), few studies have explored NLP in extracting information from Chinese clinical narratives. In this study, we report the development and evaluation of extracting tumor-related information from operation notes of hepatic carcinomas which were written in Chinese. Using 86 operation notes manually annotated by physicians as the training set, we explored both rule-based and supervised machine-learning approaches. Evaluating on unseen 29 operation notes, our best approach yielded 69.6% in precision, 58.3% in recall and 63.5% F-score. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

(I Can't Get No) Saturation: A simulation and guidelines for sample sizes in qualitative research.

PubMed

van Rijnsoever, Frank J

2017-01-01

I explore the sample size in qualitative research that is required to reach theoretical saturation. I conceptualize a population as consisting of sub-populations that contain different types of information sources that hold a number of codes. Theoretical saturation is reached after all the codes in the population have been observed once in the sample. I delineate three different scenarios to sample information sources: "random chance," which is based on probability sampling, "minimal information," which yields at least one new code per sampling step, and "maximum information," which yields the largest number of new codes per sampling step. Next, I use simulations to assess the minimum sample size for each scenario for systematically varying hypothetical populations. I show that theoretical saturation is more dependent on the mean probability of observing codes than on the number of codes in a population. Moreover, the minimal and maximal information scenarios are significantly more efficient than random chance, but yield fewer repetitions per code to validate the findings. I formulate guidelines for purposive sampling and recommend that researchers follow a minimum information scenario.

Estimating rice yield from MODIS-Landsat fusion data in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, C. R.; Chen, C. F.; Nguyen, S. T.

2017-12-01

Rice production monitoring with remote sensing is an important activity in Taiwan due to official initiatives. Yield estimation is a challenge in Taiwan because rice fields are small and fragmental. High spatiotemporal satellite data providing phenological information of rice crops is thus required for this monitoring purpose. This research aims to develop data fusion approaches to integrate daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat data for rice yield estimation in Taiwan. In this study, the low-resolution MODIS LST and emissivity data are used as reference data sources to obtain the high-resolution LST from Landsat data using the mixed-pixel analysis technique, and the time-series EVI data were derived the fusion of MODIS and Landsat spectral band data using STARFM method. The LST and EVI simulated results showed the close agreement between the LST and EVI obtained by the proposed methods with the reference data. The rice-yield model was established using EVI and LST data based on information of rice crop phenology collected from 371 ground survey sites across the country in 2014. The results achieved from the fusion datasets compared with the reference data indicated the close relationship between the two datasets with the correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.75 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 338.7 kgs, which were more accurate than those using the coarse-resolution MODIS LST data (R2 = 0.71 and RMSE = 623.82 kgs). For the comparison of total production, 64 towns located in the west part of Taiwan were used. The results also confirmed that the model using fusion datasets produced more accurate results (R2 = 0.95 and RMSE = 1,243 tons) than that using the course-resolution MODIS data (R2 = 0.91 and RMSE = 1,749 tons). This study demonstrates the application of MODIS-Landsat fusion data for rice yield estimation at the township level in Taiwan. The results obtained from the methods used in this study could be useful to policymakers; and thus, the methods can be transferable to other regions in the world for rice yield estimation.

Optimal tuning of a confined Brownian information engine.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Min; Lee, Jae Sung; Noh, Jae Dong

2016-03-01

A Brownian information engine is a device extracting mechanical work from a single heat bath by exploiting the information on the state of a Brownian particle immersed in the bath. As for engines, it is important to find the optimal operating condition that yields the maximum extracted work or power. The optimal condition for a Brownian information engine with a finite cycle time τ has been rarely studied because of the difficulty in finding the nonequilibrium steady state. In this study, we introduce a model for the Brownian information engine and develop an analytic formalism for its steady-state distribution for any τ. We find that the extracted work per engine cycle is maximum when τ approaches infinity, while the power is maximum when τ approaches zero.

Bayesian imperfect information analysis for clinical recurrent data

PubMed Central

Chang, Chih-Kuang; Chang, Chi-Chang

2015-01-01

In medical research, clinical practice must often be undertaken with imperfect information from limited resources. This study applied Bayesian imperfect information-value analysis to realistic situations to produce likelihood functions and posterior distributions, to a clinical decision-making problem for recurrent events. In this study, three kinds of failure models are considered, and our methods illustrated with an analysis of imperfect information from a trial of immunotherapy in the treatment of chronic granulomatous disease. In addition, we present evidence toward a better understanding of the differing behaviors along with concomitant variables. Based on the results of simulations, the imperfect information value of the concomitant variables was evaluated and different realistic situations were compared to see which could yield more accurate results for medical decision-making. PMID:25565853

Temporal Correlations and Neural Spike Train Entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, Simon R.; Panzeri, Stefano

2001-06-01

Sampling considerations limit the experimental conditions under which information theoretic analyses of neurophysiological data yield reliable results. We develop a procedure for computing the full temporal entropy and information of ensembles of neural spike trains, which performs reliably for limited samples of data. This approach also yields insight to the role of correlations between spikes in temporal coding mechanisms. The method, when applied to recordings from complex cells of the monkey primary visual cortex, results in lower rms error information estimates in comparison to a ``brute force'' approach.

Pre-K Benefits: The Facts on Fade-Out

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2015

2015-01-01

As policymakers adopt policies for pre-K programs, they want to know that the programs are effective. Do the gains last? This brief report presents information that pre-k yields short-term academic gains; pre-k yields long-term academic gains; and pre-k yields substantial nonacademic benefits.

Loblolly Pine Growth and Yield Prediction for Managed West Gulf Plantations

Treesearch

V. Clark Baldwin; D.P. Feduccia

1987-01-01

Complete description, including tables, graphs, computer output, of a growth and yield prediction system providing volume and weight yields in stand and stock table format. An example of system use is given along with information about the computer program, COMPUTE P-LOB, that operates the system.

Statistical Analysis of Large Simulated Yield Datasets for Studying Climate Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Makowski, David; Asseng, Senthold; Ewert, Frank; Bassu, Simona; Durand, Jean-Louis; Martre, Pierre; Adam, Myriam; Aggarwal, Pramod K.; Angulo, Carlos; Baron, Chritian;

Using a time-series statistical framework to quantify trends and abrupt change in US corn, soybean, and wheat yields from 1970-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Ives, A. R.; Turner, M. G.; Kucharik, C. J.

2017-12-01

Previous studies have identified global agricultural regions where "stagnation" of long-term crop yield increases has occurred. These studies have used a variety of simple statistical methods that often ignore important aspects of time series regression modeling. These methods can lead to differing and contradictory results, which creates uncertainty regarding food security given rapid global population growth. Here, we present a new statistical framework incorporating time series-based algorithms into standard regression models to quantify spatiotemporal yield trends of US maize, soybean, and winter wheat from 1970-2016. Our primary goal was to quantify spatial differences in yield trends for these three crops using USDA county level data. This information was used to identify regions experiencing the largest changes in the rate of yield increases over time, and to determine whether abrupt shifts in the rate of yield increases have occurred. Although crop yields continue to increase in most maize-, soybean-, and winter wheat-growing areas, yield increases have stagnated in some key agricultural regions during the most recent 15 to 16 years: some maize-growing areas, except for the northern Great Plains, have shown a significant trend towards smaller annual yield increases for maize; soybean has maintained an consistent long-term yield gains in the Northern Great Plains, the Midwest, and southeast US, but has experienced a shift to smaller annual increases in other regions; winter wheat maintained a moderate annual increase in eastern South Dakota and eastern US locations, but showed a decline in the magnitude of annual increases across the central Great Plains and western US regions. Our results suggest that there were abrupt shifts in the rate of annual yield increases in a variety of US regions among the three crops. The framework presented here can be broadly applied to additional yield trend analyses for different crops and regions of the Earth.

Low-template methods yield limited extra information for PowerPlex® Fusion 6C profiling.

PubMed

Duijs, Francisca; van de Merwe, Linda; Sijen, Titia; Benschop, Corina C G

2018-06-01

Advances in autosomal DNA profiling systems enable analyzing increased numbers of short tandem repeat (STR) loci in one reaction. Increasing the number of STR loci increases the amount of information that may be obtained from a (crime scene) sample. In this study, we examined whether even more allelic information can be obtained by applying low-template methods. To this aim, the performance of the PowerPlex® Fusion 6C STR typing system was assessed when increasing the number of PCR cycles or enhancing the capillary electrophoresis (CE) injection settings. Results show that applying these low-template methods yields limited extra information and comes at cost of more background noise. In addition, the gain in detection of alleles was much smaller when compared to the gain when applying low-template methods to the 15-loci AmpFLSTR® NGM™ system. Consequently, the PowerPlex® Fusion 6C STR typing system was implemented using standard settings only; low-template methods were not implemented for our routine forensic casework. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stability in Social Relationships between Young-Old and Old-Old Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, Dorothy; Schaie, K. Warner

While changes in levels of activity and in social relationships in old age have interested researchers for some time, longitudinal studies have only recently begun to yield information about changes in social relationships across time for older adults. Parents (N=74) of the 1928-1929 Guidance Study and Berkeley Growth Study children, who are now…

Fission-fragment total kinetic energy and mass yields for neutron-induced fission of 235U and 238U with En =200 keV - 30 MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duke, D. L.; Tovesson, F.; Brys, T.; Geppert-Kleinrath, V.; Hambsch, F.-J.; Laptev, A.; Meharchand, R.; Manning, B.; Mayorov, D.; Meierbachtol, K.; Mosby, S.; Perdue, B.; Richman, D.; Shields, D.; Vidali, M.

2017-09-01

The average Total Kinetic Energy (TKE) release and fission-fragment yields in neutron-induced fission of 235U and 238U was measured using a Frisch-gridded ionization chamber. These observables are important nuclear data quantites that are relevant to applications and for informing the next generation of fission models. The measurements were performed a the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center and cover En = 200 keV - 30 MeV. The double-energy (2E) method was used to determine the fission-fragment yields and two methods of correcting for prompt-neutron emission were explored. The results of this study are correlated mass and TKE data.

Technologies Enabling Scientific Exploration of Asteroids and Moons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaw, A.; Fulford, P.; Chappell, L.

2016-12-01

Scientific exploration of moons and asteroids is enabled by several key technologies that yield topographic information, allow excavation of subsurface materials, and allow delivery of higher-mass scientific payloads to moons and asteroids. These key technologies include lidar systems, robotics, and solar-electric propulsion spacecraft buses. Many of these technologies have applications for a variety of planetary targets. Lidar systems yield high-resolution shape models of asteroids and moons. These shape models can then be combined with radio science information to yield insight into density and internal structure. Further, lidar systems allow investigation of topographic surface features, large and small, which yields information on regolith properties. Robotic arms can be used for a variety of purposes, especially to support excavation, revealing subsurface material and acquiring material from depth for either in situ analysis or sample return. Robotic arms with built-in force sensors can also be used to gauge the strength of materials as a function of depth, yielding insight into regolith physical properties. Mobility systems allow scientific exploration of multiple sites, and also yield insight into regolith physical properties due to the interaction of wheels with regolith. High-power solar electric propulsion (SEP) spacecraft bus systems allow more science instruments to be included on missions given their ability to support greater payload mass. In addition, leveraging a cost-effective commercially-built SEP spacecraft bus can significantly reduce mission cost.

Identification of saline soils with multi-year remote sensing of crop yields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lobell, D; Ortiz-Monasterio, I; Gurrola, F C

2006-10-17

Soil salinity is an important constraint to agricultural sustainability, but accurate information on its variation across agricultural regions or its impact on regional crop productivity remains sparse. We evaluated the relationships between remotely sensed wheat yields and salinity in an irrigation district in the Colorado River Delta Region. The goals of this study were to (1) document the relative importance of salinity as a constraint to regional wheat production and (2) develop techniques to accurately identify saline fields. Estimates of wheat yield from six years of Landsat data agreed well with ground-based records on individual fields (R{sup 2} = 0.65).more » Salinity measurements on 122 randomly selected fields revealed that average 0-60 cm salinity levels > 4 dS m{sup -1} reduced wheat yields, but the relative scarcity of such fields resulted in less than 1% regional yield loss attributable to salinity. Moreover, low yield was not a reliable indicator of high salinity, because many other factors contributed to yield variability in individual years. However, temporal analysis of yield images showed a significant fraction of fields exhibited consistently low yields over the six year period. A subsequent survey of 60 additional fields, half of which were consistently low yielding, revealed that this targeted subset had significantly higher salinity at 30-60 cm depth than the control group (p = 0.02). These results suggest that high subsurface salinity is associated with consistently low yields in this region, and that multi-year yield maps derived from remote sensing therefore provide an opportunity to map salinity across agricultural regions.« less

Survival or productivity? Global synthesis of root and tuber production during drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daryanto, S.; Wang, L.; Jacinthe, P. A.

2016-12-01

According to FAO, there are six major root and tuber crops: potato, cassava, sweet potato, yam, taro, and yautia. Some root and tuber crops (e.g., sweet potato and cassava) are considered to be `drought-resistant', although quantitative evidence that support the premise was still lacking. Greater uncertainties exist on how drought effects co-vary with: 1) soil texture, 2) agro-ecological region, and 3) drought timing. To address these uncertainties, we collected literature data between 1980 and 2015 that reported monoculture root and tuber yield responses to drought under field conditions, and analyzed this large data set using meta-analysis techniques. Our results showed that the amount of water reduction was positively related with yield reduction, but the extent of the impact varied with root or tuber species and the phenological phase during which drought occurred. In contrast to common assumptions regarding drought resistance of certain root and tuber crops, we found that yield reduction was similar between potato and species thought to be `drought-resistant' such as cassava and sweet potato. Here we suggest that drought-resistance in cassava and sweet potato could be more related to survival rather than yield. All roots or tubers crops, however, experienced greater yield reduction when drought occurred during the tuberization period compared to during their vegetative phase. The effect of soil texture as well as region (and related climatic factors) on yield reduction and crop sensitivity were less obvious. Our study provides useful information that could inform agricultural planning, and influence the direction of research for improving the productivity and the resilience of these under-utilized crops in the drought-prone regions of the world.

Water erosion and climate change in a small alpine catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berteni, Francesca; Grossi, Giovanna

2017-04-01

WATER EROSION AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN A SMALL ALPINE CATCHMENT Francesca Berteni, Giovanna Grossi A change in the mean and variability of some variables of the climate system is expected to affect the sediment yield of mountainous areas in several ways: for example through soil temperature and precipitation peak intensity change, permafrost thawing, snow- and ice-melt time shifting. Water erosion, sediment transport and yield and the effects of climate change on these physical phenomena are the focus of this work. The study area is a small mountainous basin, the Guerna creek watershed, located in the Central Southern Alps. The sensitivity of sediment yield estimates to a change of condition of the climate system may be investigated through the application of different models, each characterized by its own features and limits. In this preliminary analysis two different empirical mathematical models are considered: RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation; Renard et al., 1991) and EPM (Erosion Potential Method; Gavrilovic, 1988). These models are implemented in a Geographical Information System (GIS) supporting the management of the territorial database used to estimate relevant geomorphological parameters and to create different thematic maps. From one side the geographical and geomorphological information is required (land use, slope and hydrogeological instability, resistance to erosion, lithological characterization and granulometric composition). On the other side the knowledge of the weather-climate parameters (precipitation and temperature data) is fundamental as well to evaluate the intensity and variability of the erosive processes and estimate the sediment yield at the basin outlet. Therefore different climate change scenarios were considered in order to tentatively assess the impact on the water erosion and sediment yield at the small basin scale. Keywords: water erosion, sediment yield, climate change, empirical mathematical models, EPM, RUSLE, GIS, Guerna

Lean Principles and Defense Information Technology Acquisition: An Investigation of the Determinants of Successful Application

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haley, M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there have been successful applications of lean manufacturing principles in highly variable defense IT environments. Specifically, the study assessed if implementation of the lean philosophies by a defense organization yielded repeatable, predictable results in software release schedules…

Democratic Values and Citizen Action: A View from US Ninth Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hahn, Carole L.

2003-01-01

As part of the IEA study of civic education, US ninth graders were assessed for their civic knowledge, concepts, attitudes, and experiences. The study yielded information about the development of democratic attitudes and dispositions toward social action. US ninth graders rated free expression and free elections as most important for democracy.…

My Social Inclusion and Exclusion as a Black Female School Administrator and Factors Affecting My Retention: An Autoethnographic Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Aimy Shantell La'Nae

2017-01-01

Information regarding school administrator quality, impact, and effectiveness exists in abundance (Bloom & Erlandson, 2003; Eagly, Karau, Johnson, 1992; Simien, 2005). There are few studies and research about the career development of Black female school administrators particularly and appropriate retention strategies that yield results…

Do Dynamic Work Instructions Provide an Advantage over Static Instructions in a Small Scale Assembly Task?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Gareth; Butterfield, Joe; Curran, Ricky; Craig, Cathy

2010-01-01

Recent studies exploring the effects of instructional animations on learning compared to static graphics have yielded mixed results. Few studies have explored their effectiveness in portraying procedural-motor information. Opportunities exist within an applied (manufacturing) context for instructional animations to be used to facilitate build…

Follow-Up Study of Fiscal Year 1997 Occupational Program Graduates, 1998.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois Community Coll. Board, Springfield.

This report provides information from graduates of selected occupational programs regarding the effectiveness of their Illinois community college experience. The study surveyed a pool of 2,190 occupational program graduates, which yielded a usable response rate of 58.6%. The majority of graduate respondents (64.5%) came from programs in four…

Study of Faculty and Information Technology, 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dahlstrom, Eden; Brooks, D. Christopher

2014-01-01

In this inaugural year of the faculty technology study, EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis and Research (ECAR) partnered with 151 college/university sites yielding responses from 17,451 faculty respondents across 13 countries. The findings are exploratory in nature, as they cover new ground to help us tell a more comprehensive story about technology…

Spatial variability in nutrient transport by HUC8, state, and subbasin based on Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin SPARROW models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Saad, David A.; Schwarz, Gregory E.

2014-01-01

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loading from the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) has been linked to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. With geospatial datasets for 2002, including inputs from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and monitored loads throughout the MARB, SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) watershed models were constructed specifically for the MARB, which reduced simulation errors from previous models. Based on these models, N loads/yields were highest from the central part (centered over Iowa and Indiana) of the MARB (Corn Belt), and the highest P yields were scattered throughout the MARB. Spatial differences in yields from previous studies resulted from different descriptions of the dominant sources (N yields are highest with crop-oriented agriculture and P yields are highest with crop and animal agriculture and major WWTPs) and different descriptions of downstream transport. Delivered loads/yields from the MARB SPARROW models are used to rank subbasins, states, and eight-digit Hydrologic Unit Code basins (HUC8s) by N and P contributions and then rankings are compared with those from other studies. Changes in delivered yields result in an average absolute change of 1.3 (N) and 1.9 (P) places in state ranking and 41 (N) and 69 (P) places in HUC8 ranking from those made with previous national-scale SPARROW models. This information may help managers decide where efforts could have the largest effects (highest ranked areas) and thus reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

A Diversified Recruitment Approach Incorporating Social Media Leads to Research Participation Among Young Adult-Aged Female Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Gorman, Jessica R; Roberts, Samantha C; Dominick, Sally A; Malcarne, Vanessa L; Dietz, Andrew C; Su, H Irene

2014-06-01

Purpose: Cancer survivors in their adolescent and young adult (AYA) years are an understudied population, possibly in part because of the high effort required to recruit them into research studies. The aim of this paper is to describe the specific recruitment strategies used in four studies recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors and to identify the highest yielding approaches. We also discuss challenges and recommendations. Methods: We recruited AYA-aged female cancer survivors for two studies conducted locally and two conducted nationally. Recruitment strategies included outreach and referral via: healthcare providers and clinics; social media and the internet; community and word of mouth; and a national fertility information hotline. We calculated the yield of each recruitment approach for the local and national studies by comparing the number that participated to the number of potential participants. Results: We recruited a total of 534 participants into four research studies. Seventy-one percent were diagnosed as young adults and 61% were within 3 years of their cancer diagnosis. The highest-yielding local recruitment strategy was healthcare provider and clinic referral. Nationally, social media and internet outreach yielded the highest rate of participation. Overall, internet-based recruitment resulted in the highest number and yield of participants. Conclusion: Our results suggest that outreach through social media and the internet are effective approaches to recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors. Forging collaborative relationships with survivor advocacy groups' members and healthcare providers also proved beneficial.

A Diversified Recruitment Approach Incorporating Social Media Leads to Research Participation Among Young Adult-Aged Female Cancer Survivors

PubMed Central

Gorman, Jessica R.; Roberts, Samantha C.; Dominick, Sally A.; Malcarne, Vanessa L.; Dietz, Andrew C.

2014-01-01

Purpose: Cancer survivors in their adolescent and young adult (AYA) years are an understudied population, possibly in part because of the high effort required to recruit them into research studies. The aim of this paper is to describe the specific recruitment strategies used in four studies recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors and to identify the highest yielding approaches. We also discuss challenges and recommendations. Methods: We recruited AYA-aged female cancer survivors for two studies conducted locally and two conducted nationally. Recruitment strategies included outreach and referral via: healthcare providers and clinics; social media and the internet; community and word of mouth; and a national fertility information hotline. We calculated the yield of each recruitment approach for the local and national studies by comparing the number that participated to the number of potential participants. Results: We recruited a total of 534 participants into four research studies. Seventy-one percent were diagnosed as young adults and 61% were within 3 years of their cancer diagnosis. The highest-yielding local recruitment strategy was healthcare provider and clinic referral. Nationally, social media and internet outreach yielded the highest rate of participation. Overall, internet-based recruitment resulted in the highest number and yield of participants. Conclusion: Our results suggest that outreach through social media and the internet are effective approaches to recruiting AYA-aged female cancer survivors. Forging collaborative relationships with survivor advocacy groups' members and healthcare providers also proved beneficial. PMID:24940529

High-speed engine/component performance assessment using exergy and thrust-based methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riggins, D. W.

1996-01-01

This investigation summarizes a comparative study of two high-speed engine performance assessment techniques based on energy (available work) and thrust-potential (thrust availability). Simple flow-fields utilizing Rayleigh heat addition and one-dimensional flow with friction are used to demonstrate the fundamental inability of conventional energy techniques to predict engine component performance, aid in component design, or accurately assess flow losses. The use of the thrust-based method on these same examples demonstrates its ability to yield useful information in all these categories. Energy and thrust are related and discussed from the stand-point of their fundamental thermodynamic and fluid dynamic definitions in order to explain the differences in information obtained using the two methods. The conventional definition of energy is shown to include work which is inherently unavailable to an aerospace Brayton engine. An engine-based energy is then developed which accurately accounts for this inherently unavailable work; performance parameters based on this quantity are then shown to yield design and loss information equivalent to the thrust-based method.

Assessing Sediment Yield and the Effect of Best Management Practices on Sediment Yield Reduction for Tutuila Island, American Samoa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leta, O. T.; Dulai, H.; El-Kadi, A. I.

2017-12-01

Upland soil erosion and sedimentation are the main threats for riparian and coastal reef ecosystems in Pacific islands. Here, due to small size of the watersheds and steep slope, the residence time of rainfall runoff and its suspended load is short. Fagaalu bay, located on the island of Tutuila (American Samoa) has been identified as a priority watershed, due to degraded coral reef condition and reduction of stream water quality from heavy anthropogenic activity yielding high nutrients and sediment loads to the receiving water bodies. This study aimed to estimate the sediment yield to the Fagaalu stream and assess the impact of Best Management Practices (BMP) on sediment yield reduction. For this, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was applied, calibrated, and validated for both daily streamflow and sediment load simulation. The model also estimated the sediment yield contributions from existing land use types of Fagaalu and identified soil erosion prone areas for introducing BMP scenarios in the watershed. Then, three BMP scenarios, such as stone bund, retention pond, and filter strip were treated on bare (quarry area), agricultural, and shrub land use types. It was found that the bare land with quarry activity yielded the highest annual average sediment yield of 133 ton per hectare (t ha-1) followed by agriculture (26.1 t ha-1) while the lowest sediment yield of 0.2 t ha-1 was estimated for the forested part of the watershed. Additionally, the bare land area (2 ha) contributed approximately 65% (207 ha) of the watershed's sediment yield, which is 4.0 t ha-1. The latter signifies the high impact as well as contribution of anthropogenic activity on sediment yield. The use of different BMP scenarios generally reduced the sediment yield to the coastal reef of Fagaalu watershed. However, treating the quarry activity area with stone bund showed the highest sediment yield reduction as compared to the other two BMP scenarios. This study provides an estimate of the impact that each BMP has on specific land use and Fagaalu's reef. It also offers information that may be useful for the coastal water resource management and mitigation measures to reduce sediment yield of the study site and similar areas.

Remote-sensing-based rapid assessment of flood crop loss to support USDA flooding decision-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di, L.; Yu, G.; Yang, Z.; Hipple, J.; Shrestha, R.

2016-12-01

Floods often cause significant crop loss in the United States. Timely and objective assessment of flood-related crop loss is very important for crop monitoring and risk management in agricultural and disaster-related decision-making in USDA. Among all flood-related information, crop yield loss is particularly important. Decision on proper mitigation, relief, and monetary compensation relies on it. Currently USDA mostly relies on field surveys to obtain crop loss information and compensate farmers' loss claim. Such methods are expensive, labor intensive, and time consumptive, especially for a large flood that affects a large geographic area. Recent studies have demonstrated that Earth observation (EO) data are useful in post-flood crop loss assessment for a large geographic area objectively, timely, accurately, and cost effectively. There are three stages of flood damage assessment, including rapid assessment, early recovery assessment, and in-depth assessment. EO-based flood assessment methods currently rely on the time-series of vegetation index to assess the yield loss. Such methods are suitable for in-depth assessment but are less suitable for rapid assessment since the after-flood vegetation index time series is not available. This presentation presents a new EO-based method for the rapid assessment of crop yield loss immediately after a flood event to support the USDA flood decision making. The method is based on the historic records of flood severity, flood duration, flood date, crop type, EO-based both before- and immediate-after-flood crop conditions, and corresponding crop yield loss. It hypotheses that a flood of same severity occurring at the same pheonological stage of a crop will cause the similar damage to the crop yield regardless the flood years. With this hypothesis, a regression-based rapid assessment algorithm can be developed by learning from historic records of flood events and corresponding crop yield loss. In this study, historic records of MODIS-based flood and vegetation products and USDA/NASS crop type and crop yield data are used to train the regression-based rapid assessment algorithm. Validation of the rapid assessment algorithm indicates it can predict the yield loss at 90% accuracy, which is accurate enough to support USDA on flood-related quick response and mitigation.

Subduction Zones: Facts, Ideas, and Speculations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uyeda, Seiya

1979-01-01

Recent research studies of both classifications of ocean margins (active or of Pacific type and passive or of Atlantic variety) have yielded a considerable amount of new information leading to some new theories. These theories regarding different kinds of tectonic activity are discussed. (BT)

Chemical reactions involved in the initiation of hot corrosion of IN-738

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fryburg, G. C.; Kohl, F. J.; Stearns, C. A.

1984-01-01

Sodium-sulfate-induced hot corrosion of preoxidized IN-738 was studied at 975 C with special emphasis placed on the processes occurring during the long induction period. Thermogravimetric tests were run for predetermined periods of time, and then one set of specimens was washed with water. Chemical analysis of the wash solutions yielded information about water soluble metal salts and residual sulfate. A second set of samples was cross sectioned dry and polished in a nonaqueous medium. Element distributions within the oxide scale were obtained from electron microprobe X-ray micrographs. Evolution of SO was monitored throughout the thermogravimetric tests. Kinetic rate studies were performed for several pertinent processes; appropriate rate constants were obtained from the following chemical reactions; Cr203 + 2 Na2S04(1) + 3/2 02 yields 2 Na2Cr04(1) + 2 S03(g)n TiO2 + Na2S04(1) yields Na20(T102)n + 503(g)n T102 + Na2Cro4(1) yields Na2(T102)n + Cr03(g).

Monitoring Crop Productivity over the U.S. Corn Belt using an Improved Light Use Efficiency Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, X.; Xiao, X.; Zhang, Y.; Qin, Y.; Doughty, R.

2017-12-01

Large-scale monitoring of crop yield is of great significance for forecasting food production and prices and ensuring food security. Satellite data that provide temporally and spatially continuous information that by themselves or in combination with other data or models, raises possibilities to monitor and understand agricultural productivity regionally. In this study, we first used an improved light use efficiency model-Vegetation Photosynthesis Model (VPM) to simulate the gross primary production (GPP). Model evaluation showed that the simulated GPP (GPPVPM) could well captured the spatio-temporal variation of GPP derived from FLUXNET sites. Then we applied the GPPVPM to further monitor crop productivity for corn and soybean over the U.S. Corn Belt and benchmarked with county-level crop yield statistics. We found VPM-based approach provides pretty good estimates (R2 = 0.88, slope = 1.03). We further showed the impacts of climate extremes on the crop productivity and carbon use efficiency. The study indicates the great potential of VPM in estimating crop yield and in understanding of crop yield responses to climate variability and change.

Application of a rising plate meter to estimate forage yield on dairy farms in Pennsylvania

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Accurately assessing pasture forage yield is necessary for producers who want to budget feed expenses and make informed pasture management decisions. Clipping and weighing forage from a known area is a direct method to measure pasture forage yield, however it is time consuming. The rising plate mete...

Harvesting number and timing effects on shoot yield and flavonoid content in American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Information on optimal management practices for high dry matter and flavonoid yield in American skullcap is lacking. A field experiment was conducted in central Alabama to determine the effect of timing and frequency of harvest on shoot yield and flavonoid content of American skullcap. In the first ...

Naval Weapons Station Earle Reassessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

property, or site is understood and its meaning (and ultimately its significance) within prehistory or history is made clear” (NPS 1991). A historic...components may lack individual distinction; or D. Information Potential—yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history...period in history or prehistory . Feeling Feeling is a property’s expression of the aesthetic or historic sense of a particular time period. Association

GPS and GIS-Based Data Collection and Image Mapping in the Antarctic Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanchez, Richard D.

1999-01-01

High-resolution satellite images combined with the rapidly evolving global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technology may offer a quick and effective way to gather information in Antarctica. GPS- and GIS-based data collection systems are used in this project to determine their applicability for gathering ground truthing data in the Antarctic Peninsula. These baseline data will be used in a later study to examine changes in penguin habitats resulting in part from regional climate warming. The research application in this study yields important information on the usefulness and limits of data capture and high-resolution images for mapping in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Lesquerella seed and oil yield response to split-applied N fertilizer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agronomic management information is critical for successfully commercial production of new crops such as lesquerella [lesquerella ferndleri Gray (Wats.)]. Response of lesquerella to six nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates under well-watered and water-stressed treatments were studied in irrigated desert co...

Culturally Diverse Parents' Perspectives on Self-Determination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Dalun; Landmark, Leena; Grenwelge, Cheryl; Montoya, Linda

2010-01-01

Current research examining self-determination in cultural contexts has yielded mixed findings. This qualitative interview study collected rich information from parents of four major cultures about their understanding of self-determination and their daily engagement in self-determination related activities with their children with disabilities.…

Soil erosion and sediment yield, a double barrel problem in South Africa's only large river network without a dam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Roux, Jay

2016-04-01

Soil erosion not only involves the loss of fertile topsoil but is also coupled with sedimentation of dams, a double barrel problem in semi-arid regions where water scarcity is frequent. Due to increasing water requirements in South Africa, the Department of Water and Sanitation is planning water resource development in the Mzimvubu River Catchment, which is the only large river network in the country without a dam. Two dams are planned including a large irrigation dam and a hydropower dam. However, previous soil erosion studies indicate that large parts of the catchment is severely eroded. Previous studies, nonetheless, used mapping and modelling techniques that represent only a selection of erosion processes and provide insufficient information about the sediment yield. This study maps and models the sediment yield comprehensively by means of two approaches over a five-year timeframe between 2007 and 2012. Sediment yield contribution from sheet-rill erosion was modelled with ArcSWAT (a graphical user interface for SWAT in a GIS), whereas gully erosion contributions were estimated using time-series mapping with SPOT 5 imagery followed by gully-derived sediment yield modelling in a GIS. Integration of the sheet-rill and gully results produced a total sediment yield map, with an average of 5 300 t km-2 y-1. Importantly, the annual average sediment yield of the areas where the irrigation dam and hydropower dam will be built is around 20 000 t km-2 y-1. Without catchment rehabilitation, the life expectancy of the irrigation dam and hydropower dam could be 50 and 40 years respectively.

Identification and delineation of areas flood hazard using high accuracy of DEM data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riadi, B.; Barus, B.; Widiatmaka; Yanuar, M. J. P.; Pramudya, B.

2018-05-01

Flood incidents that often occur in Karawang regency need to be mitigated. These expectations exist on technologies that can predict, anticipate and reduce disaster risks. Flood modeling techniques using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data can be applied in mitigation activities. High accuracy DEM data used in modeling, will result in better flooding flood models. The result of high accuracy DEM data processing will yield information about surface morphology which can be used to identify indication of flood hazard area. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe flood hazard areas by identifying wetland areas using DEM data and Landsat-8 images. TerraSAR-X high-resolution data is used to detect wetlands from landscapes, while land cover is identified by Landsat image data. The Topography Wetness Index (TWI) method is used to detect and identify wetland areas with basic DEM data, while for land cover analysis using Tasseled Cap Transformation (TCT) method. The result of TWI modeling yields information about potential land of flood. Overlay TWI map with land cover map that produces information that in Karawang regency the most vulnerable areas occur flooding in rice fields. The spatial accuracy of the flood hazard area in this study was 87%.

Breast mass detection in tomosynthesis projection images using information-theoretic similarity measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Swatee; Tourassi, Georgia D.; Lo, Joseph Y.

2007-03-01

The purpose of this project is to study Computer Aided Detection (CADe) of breast masses for digital tomosynthesis. It is believed that tomosynthesis will show improvement over conventional mammography in detection and characterization of breast masses by removing overlapping dense fibroglandular tissue. This study used the 60 human subject cases collected as part of on-going clinical trials at Duke University. Raw projections images were used to identify suspicious regions in the algorithm's high-sensitivity, low-specificity stage using a Difference of Gaussian (DoG) filter. The filtered images were thresholded to yield initial CADe hits that were then shifted and added to yield a 3D distribution of suspicious regions. These were further summed in the depth direction to yield a flattened probability map of suspicious hits for ease of scoring. To reduce false positives, we developed an algorithm based on information theory where similarity metrics were calculated using knowledge databases consisting of tomosynthesis regions of interest (ROIs) obtained from projection images. We evaluated 5 similarity metrics to test the false positive reduction performance of our algorithm, specifically joint entropy, mutual information, Jensen difference divergence, symmetric Kullback-Liebler divergence, and conditional entropy. The best performance was achieved using the joint entropy similarity metric, resulting in ROC A z of 0.87 +/- 0.01. As a whole, the CADe system can detect breast masses in this data set with 79% sensitivity and 6.8 false positives per scan. In comparison, the original radiologists performed with only 65% sensitivity when using mammography alone, and 91% sensitivity when using tomosynthesis alone.

Pricing Weather Index Insurance Based on Artificial Controlled Experiment - A Case Study of Cold Temperature for Early Rice in Jiangxi, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

SUN, Q.; Yang, Z.

2017-12-01

The growth of early rice is often threated by a phenomenon known as Grain Buds Cold, a period of anomalously cold temperature that occurs during the booting and flowering stage. Therefore, quantifying the impact of weather on crop yield is a core issue in design of weather index insurance. A high yield loss will lead to an increasing premium rate. In this paper, we explored a new way to investigate the relationship between yield loss rate and cold temperature durations. A two-year artificial controlled experiment was used to build logarithm and linear yield loss model. Moreover, an information diffusion model was applied to calculate the probability of different durations which lasting for 3-20 days. The results show that pure premium rates of logarithm yield loss model had better premium rates performance than that of linear yield loss model. The premium rates of Grain Buds Cold Weather Index Insurance fluctuated between 7.085% and 10.151% in Jiangxi Province. Compared with common statistical methods, the artificial controlled experiment provides an easier and more robust way to determine the relationship between yield and single meteorological factor. Meanwhile, this experiment would be very important for some regions where were lacking in historical yield data and climate data and could help farmers cope with extreme cold weather risks under varying weather conditions.

Environmental and genetic factors affecting milk yield and quality in three Italian sheep breeds.

PubMed

Selvaggi, Maria; D'Alessandro, Angela Gabriella; Dario, Cataldo

2017-02-01

The aims of the study described in the Research Communication were to determine the level of influence of some environmental factors on milk yield and quality traits, including lactose, and lactation length in ewes belonging to three different Italian breeds and to estimate the heritability for the same traits. A total of 2138 lactation records obtained from 535 ewes belonging to three different Italian breeds (Comisana, Leccese, and Sarda) were used. Breed significantly affected all of the considered traits. Moreover, year of lambing affected milk yield and lactation length without influence on milk quality traits. Parity affected significantly only the milk yield, whereas type of birth showed its effect on milk yield, fat, protein, and lactose yield. On the whole, the presently reported heritability estimates are within the range of those already obtained in other dairy breeds by other authors, with values for lactation length being very low in all the investigated populations. Considering the heritability estimates for lactose content and yield, to the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of information on these parameters in ovine species and this is the first report on heritability of lactose content and yield in dairy sheep breeds. Our results suggest that genetic variability for milk traits other than lactation length is adequate for selection indicating a good response to selection in these breeds.

System dynamics approach for modeling of sugar beet yield considering the effects of climatic variables.

PubMed

Pervin, Lia; Islam, Md Saiful

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to develop a system dynamics model for computation of yields and to investigate the dependency of yields on some major climatic parameters, i.e. temperature and rainfall, for Beta vulgaris subsp. (sugar beet crops) under future climate change scenarios. A system dynamics model was developed which takes account of the effects of rainfall and temperature on sugar beet yields under limited irrigation conditions. A relationship was also developed between the seasonal evapotranspiration and seasonal growing degree days for sugar beet crops. The proposed model was set to run for the present time period of 1993-2012 and for the future period 2013-2040 for Lethbridge region (Alberta, Canada). The model provides sugar beet yields on a yearly basis which are comparable to the present field data. It was found that the future average yield will be increased at about 14% with respect to the present average yield. The proposed model can help to improve the understanding of soil water conditions and irrigation water requirements of an area under certain climatic conditions and can be used for future prediction of yields for any crops in any region (with the required information to be provided). The developed system dynamics model can be used as a supporting tool for decision making, for improvement of agricultural management practice of any region. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

A compilation of nuclear weapons test detonation data for U.S. Pacific ocean tests.

PubMed

Simon, S L; Robison, W L

1997-07-01

Prior to December 1993, the explosive yields of 44 of 66 nuclear tests conducted by the United States in the Marshall Islands were still classified. Following a request from the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the U.S. Department of Energy to release this information, the Secretary of Energy declassified and released to the public the explosive yields of the Pacific nuclear tests. This paper presents a synopsis of information on nuclear test detonations in the Marshall Islands and other locations in the mid-Pacific including dates, explosive yields, locations, weapon placement, and summary statistics.

(I Can’t Get No) Saturation: A simulation and guidelines for sample sizes in qualitative research

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

I explore the sample size in qualitative research that is required to reach theoretical saturation. I conceptualize a population as consisting of sub-populations that contain different types of information sources that hold a number of codes. Theoretical saturation is reached after all the codes in the population have been observed once in the sample. I delineate three different scenarios to sample information sources: “random chance,” which is based on probability sampling, “minimal information,” which yields at least one new code per sampling step, and “maximum information,” which yields the largest number of new codes per sampling step. Next, I use simulations to assess the minimum sample size for each scenario for systematically varying hypothetical populations. I show that theoretical saturation is more dependent on the mean probability of observing codes than on the number of codes in a population. Moreover, the minimal and maximal information scenarios are significantly more efficient than random chance, but yield fewer repetitions per code to validate the findings. I formulate guidelines for purposive sampling and recommend that researchers follow a minimum information scenario. PMID:28746358

Predicting trends of invasive plants richness using local socio-economic data: An application in North Portugal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Santos, Mario, E-mail: mgsantoss@gmail.com; Freitas, Raul, E-mail: raulfreitas@portugalmail.com; Crespi, Antonio L., E-mail: aluis.crespi@gmail.com

2011-10-15

This study assesses the potential of an integrated methodology for predicting local trends in invasive exotic plant species (invasive richness) using indirect, regional information on human disturbance. The distribution of invasive plants was assessed in North Portugal using herbarium collections and local environmental, geophysical and socio-economic characteristics. Invasive richness response to anthropogenic disturbance was predicted using a dynamic model based on a sequential modeling process (stochastic dynamic methodology-StDM). Derived scenarios showed that invasive richness trends were clearly associated with ongoing socio-economic change. Simulations including scenarios of growing urbanization showed an increase in invasive richness while simulations in municipalities with decreasingmore » populations showed stable or decreasing levels of invasive richness. The model simulations demonstrate the interest and feasibility of using this methodology in disturbance ecology. - Highlights: {yields} Socio-economic data indicate human induced disturbances. {yields} Socio-economic development increase disturbance in ecosystems. {yields} Disturbance promotes opportunities for invasive plants.{yields} Increased opportunities promote richness of invasive plants.{yields} Increase in richness of invasive plants change natural ecosystems.« less

Branching fraction measurements of {chi}{sub c0} and {chi}{sub c2} to {pi}{sup 0{pi}0} and {eta}{eta}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ablikim, M.; An, Z. H.; Bai, J. Z.

2010-03-01

Using a sample of 1.06x10{sup 8} {psi}{sup '} decays collected by the BESIII detector, {chi}{sub c0} and {chi}{sub c2} decays into {pi}{sup 0{pi}0} and {eta}{eta} are studied. The branching fraction results are Br({chi}{sub c0{yields}{pi}}{sup 0{pi}0})=(3.23{+-}0.03{+-}0.23{+-}0.14)x10{sup -3}, Br({chi}{sub c2{yields}{pi}}{sup 0{pi}0})=(8.8{+-}0.2{+-}0.6{+-}0.4)x10{sup -4}, Br({chi}{sub c0{yields}{eta}{eta}})=(3.44{+-}0.10{+-}0.24{+-}0.2)x10{sup -3}, and Br({chi}{sub c2{yields}{eta}{eta}})=(6.5{+-}0.4{+-}0.5{+-}0.3)x10{sup -4}, where the uncertainties are statistical, systematic due to this measurement, and systematic due to the branching fractions of {psi}{sup '{yields}{gamma}{chi}}{sub cJ}. The results provide information on the decay mechanism of {chi}{sub c} states into pseudoscalars.

GM(1,N) method for the prediction of anaerobic digestion system and sensitivity analysis of influential factors.

PubMed

Ren, Jingzheng

2018-01-01

Anaerobic digestion process has been recognized as a promising way for waste treatment and energy recovery in a sustainable way. Modelling of anaerobic digestion system is significantly important for effectively and accurately controlling, adjusting, and predicting the system for higher methane yield. The GM(1,N) approach which does not need the mechanism or a large number of samples was employed to model the anaerobic digestion system to predict methane yield. In order to illustrate the proposed model, an illustrative case about anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste for methane yield was studied, and the results demonstrate that GM(1,N) model can effectively simulate anaerobic digestion system at the cases of poor information with less computational expense. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CROMAX : a crosscut-first computer simulation program to determine cutting yield

Treesearch

Pamela J. Giese; Jeanne D. Danielson

1983-01-01

CROMAX simulates crosscut-first, then rip operations as commonly practiced in furniture manufacture. This program calculates cutting yields from individual boards based on board size and defect location. Such information can be useful in predicting yield from various grades and grade mixes thereby allowing for better management decisions in the rough mill. The computer...

Does Research on Children Reared in Father-absent Families Yield Information on Father Influences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, Frank A.

1976-01-01

The most frequently employed research design for studying paternal influences on child development has been to compare children reared in father-absent families to those reared in father-present families. Research should be directed to the study and conceptualization of the more specific components of experience in the father-child and…

Gazing Past the Gaps: A Growth-Based Assessment of the Mathematics Achievement of Black Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Jemimah L.; Young, Jamaal R.; Capraro, Robert M.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to proffer the idea to "gaze" past gender and racial achievement gaps by providing a growth-based assessment of the achievement of Black girls. The study aims to elucidate how alternatives to traditional achievement gap analyses can yield information relevant to addressing classroom challenges. This…

76 FR 58649 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List Van Rossem...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-21

.... 2003, pp. 1-14). Gelochelidon is a monotypic genus (a genus with only one species, Gelochelidon... ``existing subspecific names have been created far in advance of any adequate study of the facts.'' Murphy's... conduct a genetics-based study that may yield additional information regarding the distinctiveness between...

Examining Disclosure of Physical and Sexual Victimization by Method in Samples of Women Involved in the Criminal Justice System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubiak, Sheryl Pimlott; Nnawulezi, Nkiru; Karim, Nidal; Sullivan, Cris M.; Beeble, Marisa L.

2012-01-01

Definitions vary on what constitutes sexual and/or physical abuse, and scholars have debated on which methods might yield the most accurate response rates for capturing this sensitive information. Although some studies suggest respondents prefer methods that provide anonymity, previous studies have not utilized high-risk or stigmatized…

Temperament and Behaviour Problems in Young Children with Down Syndrome at 12, 30, and 45 months

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fidler, Deborah J.; Most, David E.; Booth-LaForce, Cathryn; Kelly, Jean F.

2006-01-01

Though cross-sectional studies have yielded important information regarding the trajectory of psychopathology in middle childhood and adolescence in Down syndrome, there has been little exploration of maladaptive behaviour in the earliest years of development. In this study, we explore the emergence of maladaptive behaviour in young children with…

Mentoring, Organizational Rank, and Women's Perceptions of Advancement Opportunities in the Workplace

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington, Christa Ellen

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine perceived career barriers of women in entry-level and mid-level positions who were formally and informally mentored. Research studies have found that mentoring can yield positive outcomes; however, there is limited research on how mentoring style impacts career advancement. The primary research questions…

The Shifting Subtypes of ADHD: Classification Depends on How Symptom Reports Are Combined

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, Andrew S.; Skipper, Betty; Rabiner, David L.; Umbach, David M.; Stallone, Lil; Campbell, Richard A.; Hough, Richard L.; Naftel, A. J.; Sandler, Dale P.

2008-01-01

Research on the correlates of ADHD subtypes has yielded inconsistent findings, perhaps because the procedures used to define subtypes vary across studies. We examined this possibility by investigating whether the ADHD subtype distribution in a community sample was sensitive to different methods for combining informant data. We conducted a study to…

Identification of Critical Erosion Prone Areas and Computation of Sediment Yield Using Remote Sensing and GIS: A Case Study on Sarada River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundara Kumar, P.; Venkata Praveen, T.; Anjanaya Prasad, M.; Santha Rao, P.

2018-06-01

The two most important resources blessed by nature to the mankind are land and water. Undoubtedly, these gifts have to be conserved and maintained with unflinching efforts from every one of us for an effective environmental and ecological balance. The efforts and energy of water resources engineers and conservationists are going in this direction to conserve these precious resources of nature. The present study is an attempt to develop suitable methodology to facilitate decision makers to conserve the resources and also reflects the cause mentioned above has been presented here. The main focus of this study is to identify the critical prone areas for soil erosion and computation of sediment yield in a small basin using Universal Soil Loss Equation and Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) respectively. The developed model has been applied on Sarada river basin which has a drainage area of 1252.99 km2. This river is located in Andhra Pradesh State (AP), India. The basin has been divided into micro basins for effective estimation and also for precise identification of the areas that are prone to soil erosion. Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems tools were used to generate and spatially organize the data that is required for soil erosion modeling. It was found that the micro basins with very severe soil erosion are consisting of hilly areas with high topographic factor and 38.01% of the study area has the rate erosion more than 20 t/ha/year and hence requires an immediate attention from the soil conservation point of view. In this study region, though there is one discharge measuring gauge station available at Anakapalli but there is no sediment yield gauging means available to compute the sediment yield. Therefore, to arrive at the suspended-sediment concentration was a challenge task. In the present study the sediment measurement has been carried out with an instrument (DH-48), sediment sampling equipment as per IS: 4890-1968, has been used. Suspended-sediment samples were collected and sediment yield was arrived at the site by using this instrument. The sediment yield was also computed using MUSLE. Data for this model study has been generated from the samples collected from 28 storm events spread over a time span of 1 year, at the outlet of the basin at Anakapalli for computation of sediment yield. The sediment yield as estimated by MUSLE model has been successfully compared with the sediment yield measured at the outlet of the basin by sediment yield measuring unit and found fairly good correlation between them. Hence the developed methodology will be useful to estimate the sediment yield in the hydrologically similar basins that are not gauged for sediment yield.

Study of the Information Dissemination Service--Health Sciences Library, State University of New York at Buffalo.

PubMed Central

Brown, H J; Miller, J K; Pinchoff, D M

1975-01-01

The Information Dissemination Service at the Health Sciences Library, State University of New York at Buffalo, was established June 1970 through a three-year grant from the Lakes Area Regional Medical Program, Inc. Analysis of two samples of user request forms yielded results which significantly substantiate findings in prior biomedical literature utilization studies. The findings demonstrate comparable utilization patterns by user group, age of material, journal titles, language, time to process request, source of reference, and size of institution. PMID:1148441

A Single-Cell Biochemistry Approach Reveals PAR Complex Dynamics during Cell Polarization.

PubMed

Dickinson, Daniel J; Schwager, Francoise; Pintard, Lionel; Gotta, Monica; Goldstein, Bob

2017-08-21

Regulated protein-protein interactions are critical for cell signaling, differentiation, and development. For the study of dynamic regulation of protein interactions in vivo, there is a need for techniques that can yield time-resolved information and probe multiple protein binding partners simultaneously, using small amounts of starting material. Here we describe a single-cell protein interaction assay. Single-cell lysates are generated at defined time points and analyzed using single-molecule pull-down, yielding information about dynamic protein complex regulation in vivo. We established the utility of this approach by studying PAR polarity proteins, which mediate polarization of many animal cell types. We uncovered striking regulation of PAR complex composition and stoichiometry during Caenorhabditis elegans zygote polarization, which takes place in less than 20 min. PAR complex dynamics are linked to the cell cycle by Polo-like kinase 1 and govern the movement of PAR proteins to establish polarity. Our results demonstrate an approach to study dynamic biochemical events in vivo. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of fibre-optic endoscopes in studies of gastric digestion in carnivorous vertebrates.

PubMed

Jackson, S; Cooper, J

1988-01-01

1. Two methods of assessing gastric digestion rates of three prey types fed to Sooty albatrosses Phoebetria fusca were compared: removal of stomach contents, using a water-flushing stomach pump (a technique used commonly in diet studies), and inspection using a fibre-optic gastroscope (a previously unused technique). 2. The stomach pump yielded quantitative information, but proved stressful and resulted in incomplete recovery of meals ingested 3-6 hr before pumping. Gastric morphology of the animals studied and digestion state of their stomach contents may influence the effectiveness of this technique. 3. Inspection using the gastroscope yielded qualitative information only but permitted serial inspection of the same animal, and was less stressful than the stomach pump. Times for total evacuation of the stomach were 6-12 hr less when estimated using the gastroscope than when using the stomach pump. 4. The specifications of endoscopes relevant to their use by biologists are given. 5. Previous non-medical biological uses of endoscopes are given. Potential uses include underwater observations, sampling of digestive juices and stomach linings for enzyme analyses, observations of ingested prey, and assessment of parasite infestation.

Reference evapotranspiration forecasting based on local meteorological and global climate information screened by partial mutual information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Wei; Huang, Shengzhi; Huang, Qiang; Huang, Guohe; Meng, Erhao; Luan, Jinkai

2018-06-01

In this study, reference evapotranspiration (ET0) forecasting models are developed for the least economically developed regions subject to meteorological data scarcity. Firstly, the partial mutual information (PMI) capable of capturing the linear and nonlinear dependence is investigated regarding its utility to identify relevant predictors and exclude those that are redundant through the comparison with partial linear correlation. An efficient input selection technique is crucial for decreasing model data requirements. Then, the interconnection between global climate indices and regional ET0 is identified. Relevant climatic indices are introduced as additional predictors to comprise information regarding ET0, which ought to be provided by meteorological data unavailable. The case study in the Jing River and Beiluo River basins, China, reveals that PMI outperforms the partial linear correlation in excluding the redundant information, favouring the yield of smaller predictor sets. The teleconnection analysis identifies the correlation between Nino 1 + 2 and regional ET0, indicating influences of ENSO events on the evapotranspiration process in the study area. Furthermore, introducing Nino 1 + 2 as predictors helps to yield more accurate ET0 forecasts. A model performance comparison also shows that non-linear stochastic models (SVR or RF with input selection through PMI) do not always outperform linear models (MLR with inputs screen by linear correlation). However, the former can offer quite comparable performance depending on smaller predictor sets. Therefore, efforts such as screening model inputs through PMI and incorporating global climatic indices interconnected with ET0 can benefit the development of ET0 forecasting models suitable for data-scarce regions.

A study of Lusitano mare lactation curve with Wood's model.

PubMed

Santos, A S; Silvestre, A M

2008-02-01

Milk yield and composition data from 7 nursing Lusitano mares (450 to 580 kg of body weight and 2 to 9 parities) were used in this study (5 measurements per mare for milk yield and 8 measurements for composition). Wood's lactation model was used to describe milk fat, protein, and lactose lactation curves. Mean values for the concentration of major milk components across the lactation period (180 d) were 5.9 g/kg of fat, 18.4 g/kg of protein, and 60.8 g/kg of lactose. Milk fat and protein (g/kg) decreased and lactose (g/kg) increased during the 180 d of lactation. Curves for milk protein and lactose yields (g) were similar in shape to the milk yield curve; protein yield peaked at 307 g on d 10 and lactose peaked at 816 g on d 45. The fat (g) curve was different in shape compared with milk, protein, and lactose yields. Total production of the major milk constituents throughout the 180 d of lactation was estimated to be 12.0, 36.1, and 124 kg for fat, protein, and lactose, respectively. The algebraic model fitted by a nonlinear regression procedure to the data resulted in reasonable prediction curves for milk yield (R(a)(2) of 0.89) and the major constituents (R(a)(2) ranged from 0.89 to 0.95). The lactation curves of major milk constituents in Lusitano mares were similar, both in shape and values, to those found in other horse breeds. The established curves facilitate the estimation of milk yield and variation of milk constituents at different stages of lactation for both nursing and dairy mares, providing important information relative to weaning time and foal supplementation.

Identification and validation of QTL for grain yield and plant water status under contrasting water treatments in fall-sown spring wheats.

PubMed

Zhang, Junli; Gizaw, Shiferaw Abate; Bossolini, Eligio; Hegarty, Joshua; Howell, Tyson; Carter, Arron H; Akhunov, Eduard; Dubcovsky, Jorge

2018-05-16

Chromosome regions affecting grain yield, grain yield components and plant water status were identified and validated in fall-sown spring wheats grown under full and limited irrigation. Increases in wheat production are required to feed a growing human population. To understand the genetic basis of grain yield in fall-sown spring wheats, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) including 262 photoperiod-insensitive spring wheat accessions grown under full and limited irrigation treatments. Analysis of molecular variance showed that 4.1% of the total variation in the panel was partitioned among accessions originally developed under fall-sowing or spring-sowing conditions, 11.7% among breeding programs within sowing times and 84.2% among accessions within breeding programs. We first identified QTL for grain yield, yield components and plant water status that were significant in at least three environments in the GWAS, and then selected those that were also significant in at least two environments in a panel of eight biparental mapping populations. We identified and validated 14 QTL for grain yield, 15 for number of spikelets per spike, one for kernel number per spike, 11 for kernel weight and 9 for water status, which were not associated with differences in plant height or heading date. We detected significant correlations among traits and colocated QTL that were consistent with those correlations. Among those, grain yield and plant water status were negatively correlated in all environments, and six QTL for these traits were colocated or tightly linked (< 1 cM). QTL identified and validated in this study provide useful information for the improvement of fall-sown spring wheats under full and limited irrigation.

A Two-Step Bayesian Approach for Propensity Score Analysis: Simulations and Case Study.

PubMed

Kaplan, David; Chen, Jianshen

2012-07-01

A two-step Bayesian propensity score approach is introduced that incorporates prior information in the propensity score equation and outcome equation without the problems associated with simultaneous Bayesian propensity score approaches. The corresponding variance estimators are also provided. The two-step Bayesian propensity score is provided for three methods of implementation: propensity score stratification, weighting, and optimal full matching. Three simulation studies and one case study are presented to elaborate the proposed two-step Bayesian propensity score approach. Results of the simulation studies reveal that greater precision in the propensity score equation yields better recovery of the frequentist-based treatment effect. A slight advantage is shown for the Bayesian approach in small samples. Results also reveal that greater precision around the wrong treatment effect can lead to seriously distorted results. However, greater precision around the correct treatment effect parameter yields quite good results, with slight improvement seen with greater precision in the propensity score equation. A comparison of coverage rates for the conventional frequentist approach and proposed Bayesian approach is also provided. The case study reveals that credible intervals are wider than frequentist confidence intervals when priors are non-informative.

Cardiovascular Technology Program Needs Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakland Community Coll., Farmington, MI. Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis.

In 1990/91, a study was conducted by Oakland Community College (OCC) to evaluate the need for a proposed Cardiovascular Technology program. Fifty-two local hospitals were surveyed to gather information on the employment demand, employment benefits and career preparation requirements for cardiovascular technologists (CVTs), yielding a 62% response…

Self-Disclosure as an Exchange Process: Reinforcement Effects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Dalmas A.

In association with an extensive examination of the disclosure literature, this paper describes two laboratory studies designed to yield information regarding the effects of reinforcement on self-disclosing behaviors in an exchange process. In one series, the experimenters manipulated the patterns of personal reward/cost experiences, hypothesizing…

Temporal changes in climatic variables and their impact on crop yields in southwestern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hong-Bin; Gou, Yu; Wang, Hong-Ye; Li, Hong-Mei; Wu, Wei

2014-08-01

Knowledge of variability in climatic variables changes and its impact on crop yields is important for farmers and policy makers, especially in southwestern China where rainfed agriculture is dominant. In the current study, six climatic parameters (mean temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, sunshine hours, temperature difference, and rainy days) and aggregated yields of three main crops (rice: Oryza sativa L., oilseed rape: Brassica napus L., and tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum L.) during 1985-2010 were collected and analyzed for Chongqing—a large agricultural municipality of China. Climatic variables changes were detected by Mann-Kendall test. Increased mean temperature and temperature difference and decreased relative humidity were found in annual and oilseed rape growth time series ( P < 0.05). Increased sunshine hours were observed during the oilseed rape growth period ( P < 0.05). Rainy days decreased slightly in annual and oilseed rape growth time series ( P < 0.10). Correlation analysis showed that yields of all three crops could benefit from changes in climatic variables in this region. Yield of rice increased with rainfall ( P < 0.10). Yield of oilseed rape increased with mean temperature and temperature difference but decreased with relative humidity ( P < 0.01). Tobacco yield increased with mean temperature ( P < 0.05). Path analysis provided additional information about the importance and contribution paths of climatic variables to crop yields. Temperature difference and sunshine hours had higher direct and indirect effects via other climatic variables on yields of rice and tobacco. Mean temperature, relative humidity, rainy days, and temperature difference had higher direct and indirect effects via others on yield of oilseed rape.

Temporal changes in climatic variables and their impact on crop yields in southwestern China.

PubMed

Liu, Hong-Bin; Gou, Yu; Wang, Hong-Ye; Li, Hong-Mei; Wu, Wei

2014-08-01

Knowledge of variability in climatic variables changes and its impact on crop yields is important for farmers and policy makers, especially in southwestern China where rainfed agriculture is dominant. In the current study, six climatic parameters (mean temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, sunshine hours, temperature difference, and rainy days) and aggregated yields of three main crops (rice: Oryza sativa L., oilseed rape: Brassica napus L., and tobacco: Nicotiana tabacum L.) during 1985-2010 were collected and analyzed for Chongqing-a large agricultural municipality of China. Climatic variables changes were detected by Mann-Kendall test. Increased mean temperature and temperature difference and decreased relative humidity were found in annual and oilseed rape growth time series (P<0.05). Increased sunshine hours were observed during the oilseed rape growth period (P<0.05). Rainy days decreased slightly in annual and oilseed rape growth time series (P<0.10). Correlation analysis showed that yields of all three crops could benefit from changes in climatic variables in this region. Yield of rice increased with rainfall (P<0.10). Yield of oilseed rape increased with mean temperature and temperature difference but decreased with relative humidity (P<0.01). Tobacco yield increased with mean temperature (P<0.05). Path analysis provided additional information about the importance and contribution paths of climatic variables to crop yields. Temperature difference and sunshine hours had higher direct and indirect effects via other climatic variables on yields of rice and tobacco. Mean temperature, relative humidity, rainy days, and temperature difference had higher direct and indirect effects via others on yield of oilseed rape.

Parent-based diagnosis of ADHD is as accurate as a teacher-based diagnosis of ADHD.

PubMed

Bied, Adam; Biederman, Joseph; Faraone, Stephen

2017-04-01

To review the literature evaluating the psychometric properties of parent and teacher informants relative to a gold-standard ADHD diagnosis in pediatric populations. We included studies that included both a parent and teacher informant, a gold-standard diagnosis, and diagnostic accuracy metrics. Potential confounds were evaluated. We also assessed the 'OR' and the 'AND' rules for combining informant reports. Eight articles met inclusion criteria. The diagnostic accuracy for predicting gold standard ADHD diagnoses did not differ between parents and teachers. Sample size, sample type, participant drop-out, participant age, participant gender, geographic area of the study, and date of study publication were assessed as potential confounds. Parent and teachers both yielded moderate to good diagnostic accuracy for ADHD diagnoses. Parent reports were statistically indistinguishable from those of teachers. The predictive features of the 'OR' and 'AND' rules are useful in evaluating approaches to better integrating information from these informants.

Yield of bedrock wells in the Nashoba terrane, central and eastern Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeSimone, Leslie A.; Barbaro, Jeffrey R.

2012-01-01

The yield of bedrock wells in the fractured-bedrock aquifers of the Nashoba terrane and surrounding area, central and eastern Massachusetts, was investigated with analyses of existing data. Reported well yield was compiled for 7,287 wells from Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. Geological Survey databases. Yield of these wells ranged from 0.04 to 625 gallons per minute. In a comparison with data from 103 supply wells, yield and specific capacity from aquifer tests were well correlated, indicating that reported well yield was a reasonable measure of aquifer characteristics in the study area. Statistically significant relations were determined between well yield and a number of cultural and hydrogeologic factors. Cultural variables included intended water use, well depth, year of construction, and method of yield measurement. Bedrock geology, topography, surficial geology, and proximity to surface waters were statistically significant hydrogeologic factors. Yield of wells was higher in areas of granites, mafic intrusive rocks, and amphibolites than in areas of schists and gneisses or pelitic rocks; higher in valleys and low-slope areas than on hills, ridges, or high slopes; higher in areas overlain by stratified glacial deposits than in areas overlain by till; and higher in close proximity to streams, ponds, and wetlands than at greater distances from these surface-water features. Proximity to mapped faults and to lineaments from aerial photographs also were related to well yield by some measures in three quadrangles in the study area. Although the statistical significance of these relations was high, their predictive power was low, and these relations explained little of the variability in the well-yield data. Similar results were determined from a multivariate regression analysis. Multivariate regression models for the Nashoba terrane and for a three-quadrangle subarea included, as significant variables, many of the cultural and hydrogeologic factors that were individually related to well yield, in ways that are consistent with conceptual understanding of their effects, but the models explained only 21 percent (regional model for the entire terrane) and 30 percent (quadrangle model) of the overall variance in yield. Moreover, most of the explained variance was due to well characteristics rather than hydrogeologic factors. Hydrogeologic factors such as topography and geology are likely important. However, the overall high variability in the well-yield data, which results from the high variability in aquifer hydraulic properties as well as from limitations of the dataset, would make it difficult to use hydrogeologic factors to predict well yield in the study area. Geostatistical analysis (variograms), on the other hand, indicated that, although highly variable, the well-yield data are spatially correlated. The spatial continuity appears greater in the northeast-southwest direction and less in the southeast-northwest direction, directions that are parallel and perpendicular, respectively, to the regional geologic structural trends. Geostatistical analysis (kriging), used to estimate yield values throughout the study area, identified regional-scale areas of higher and lower yield that may be related to regional structural features—in particular, to a northeast-southwest trending regional fault zone within the Nashoba terrane. It also would be difficult to use kriging to predict yield at specific locations, however, because of the spatial variability in yield, particularly at small scales. The regional-scale analyses in this study, both with hydrogeologic variables and geostatistics, provide a context for understanding the variability in well yield, rather a basis for precise predictions, and site-specific information would be needed to understand local conditions.

Raman spectroscopic study of reaction dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacPhail, R. A.

1990-12-01

The Raman spectra of reacting molecules in liquids can yield information about various aspects of the reaction dynamics. The author discusses the analysis of Raman spectra for three prototypical unimolecular reactions, the rotational isomerization of n-butane and 1,2-difluoroethane, and the barrierless exchange of axial and equatorial hydrogens in cyclopentane via pseudorotation. In the first two cases the spectra are sensitive to torsional oscillations of the gauche conformer, and yield estimates of the torsional solvent friction. In the case of cyclopentane, the spectra can be used to discriminate between different stochastic models of the pseudorotation dynamics, and to determine the relevant friction coefficients.

Decentralized modal identification using sparse blind source separation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadhu, A.; Hazra, B.; Narasimhan, S.; Pandey, M. D.

2011-12-01

Popular ambient vibration-based system identification methods process information collected from a dense array of sensors centrally to yield the modal properties. In such methods, the need for a centralized processing unit capable of satisfying large memory and processing demands is unavoidable. With the advent of wireless smart sensor networks, it is now possible to process information locally at the sensor level, instead. The information at the individual sensor level can then be concatenated to obtain the global structure characteristics. A novel decentralized algorithm based on wavelet transforms to infer global structure mode information using measurements obtained using a small group of sensors at a time is proposed in this paper. The focus of the paper is on algorithmic development, while the actual hardware and software implementation is not pursued here. The problem of identification is cast within the framework of under-determined blind source separation invoking transformations of measurements to the time-frequency domain resulting in a sparse representation. The partial mode shape coefficients so identified are then combined to yield complete modal information. The transformations are undertaken using stationary wavelet packet transform (SWPT), yielding a sparse representation in the wavelet domain. Principal component analysis (PCA) is then performed on the resulting wavelet coefficients, yielding the partial mixing matrix coefficients from a few measurement channels at a time. This process is repeated using measurements obtained from multiple sensor groups, and the results so obtained from each group are concatenated to obtain the global modal characteristics of the structure.

Estimating the impact of mineral aerosols on crop yields in food insecure regions using statistical crop models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, A.; Forest, C. E.; Kemanian, A.

2016-12-01

A significant number of food-insecure nations exist in regions of the world where dust plays a large role in the climate system. While the impacts of common climate variables (e.g. temperature, precipitation, ozone, and carbon dioxide) on crop yields are relatively well understood, the impact of mineral aerosols on yields have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This research aims to develop the data and tools to progress our understanding of mineral aerosol impacts on crop yields. Suspended dust affects crop yields by altering the amount and type of radiation reaching the plant, modifying local temperature and precipitation. While dust events (i.e. dust storms) affect crop yields by depleting the soil of nutrients or by defoliation via particle abrasion. The impact of dust on yields is modeled statistically because we are uncertain which impacts will dominate the response on national and regional scales considered in this study. Multiple linear regression is used in a number of large-scale statistical crop modeling studies to estimate yield responses to various climate variables. In alignment with previous work, we develop linear crop models, but build upon this simple method of regression with machine-learning techniques (e.g. random forests) to identify important statistical predictors and isolate how dust affects yields on the scales of interest. To perform this analysis, we develop a crop-climate dataset for maize, soybean, groundnut, sorghum, rice, and wheat for the regions of West Africa, East Africa, South Africa, and the Sahel. Random forest regression models consistently model historic crop yields better than the linear models. In several instances, the random forest models accurately capture the temperature and precipitation threshold behavior in crops. Additionally, improving agricultural technology has caused a well-documented positive trend that dominates time series of global and regional yields. This trend is often removed before regression with traditional crop models, but likely at the cost of removing climate information. Our random forest models consistently discover the positive trend without removing any additional data. The application of random forests as a statistical crop model provides insight into understanding the impact of dust on yields in marginal food producing regions.

Credit market Jitters in the course of the financial crisis: A permutation entropy approach in measuring informational efficiency in financial assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siokis, Fotios M.

2018-06-01

We explore the evolution of the informational efficiency for specific instruments of the U.S. money, bond and stock exchange markets, prior and after the outbreak of the Great Recession. We utilize the permutation entropy and the complexity-entropy causality plane to rank the time series and measure the degree of informational efficiency. We find that after the credit crunch and the collapse of Lehman Brothers the efficiency level of specific money market instruments' yield falls considerably. This is an evidence of less uncertainty included in predicting the related yields throughout the financial disarray. Similar trend is depicted in the indices of the stock exchange markets but efficiency remains in much higher levels. On the other hand, bond market instruments maintained their efficiency levels even after the outbreak of the crisis, which could be interpreted into greater randomness and less predictability of their yields.

Monitoring Agricultural Drought Using Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing on the Primary Corn and Soybean Belt in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Shomrany, Adel

The study aims to evaluate various remote sensing drought indices to assess those most fitting for monitoring agricultural drought. The objectives are (1) to assess and study the impact of drought effect on (corn and soybean) crop production by crop mapping information and GIS technology; (2) to use Geographical Weighted Regression (GWR) as a technical approach to evaluate the spatial relationships between precipitation vs. irrigated and non-irrigated corn and soybean yield, using a Nebraska county-level case study; (3) to assess agricultural drought indices derived from remote sensing (NDVI, NMDI, NDWI, and NDII6); (4) to develop an optimal approach for agricultural drought detection based on remote sensing measurements to determine the relationship between US county-level yields versus relatively common variables collected. Extreme drought creates low corn and soybean production where irrigation systems are not implemented. This results in a lack of moisture in soil leading to dry land and stale crop yields. When precipitation and moisture is found across all states, corn and soybean production flourishes. For Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota, irrigation management methods assist in strong crop yields throughout SPI monthly averages. The data gathered on irrigation consisted of using drought indices gathered by the national agricultural statistics service website. For the SPI levels ranging between one-month and nine-months, Kansas and Nebraska performed the best out of all 12-states contained in the Midwestern primary Corn and Soybean Belt. The reasoning behind Kansas and Nebraska's results was due to a more efficient and sustainable irrigation system, where upon South Dakota lacked. South Dakota was leveled by strong correlations throughout all SPI periods for corn only. Kansas showed its strongest correlations for the two-month and three-month averages, for both corn and soybean. Precipitation regression with irrigated and non-irrigated maize (corn) and soybean levels show yields as a function of precipitation. The GWR models predicted that yields were significantly better than OLS performances for maize (corn) and soybean. The OLS regression model when used showed a general trend of correlation between observed yields and long-term mean precipitation totals, with 84% and 63% of the variability in mean yield explained by the mean annual precipitation for the non-irrigated crops. The GWR technique performance in predicting yields was significantly better than OLS performances. For instance in the months of June, July, and August precipitations had greater impacts on maize (corn) yields than soybeans under non-irrigated conditions as a result of the greater sensitivity maize (corn) had to water stress. SPI is capable of offering various time-scales enabling it to show initial warning signs of drought conditions and accompanying severity levels. SPI calculation techniques used for various locations are reflected upon the precipitation records acquired during those periods. Over the 3, 6, and 9-month periods, NDII6 performed the best out of all of the MODIS indices as shown in its results in monitoring vegetation moisture and drought detection. NDII6 performed the best due to its detection abilities. The 9-month SPI provides an indication of inter-seasonal precipitation patterns over medium timescale duration. A new approach used is to average corn and soybean yields for all counties of the study area in comparison with average anomalies of the MODIS indices for the growing season between May through September from 2006-2012. There was a strong correlation between average corn yields versus MODIS NDII6 averages for these years with R2 equaling 0.62. That means NDII6 is the best indicator to show drought conditions and vegetation moisture monitoring. There was a weak correlation with R2 = 0.16 between averages of soybean yields and averages of precipitation. Irrigation and management systems, technological improvements from hybrids, producer management techniques, and other management practices have an impact on crop yield productions. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

A Perturbation Based Decomposition of Compound-Evoked Potentials for Characterization of Nerve Fiber Size Distributions.

PubMed

Szlavik, Robert B

2016-02-01

The characterization of peripheral nerve fiber distributions, in terms of diameter or velocity, is of clinical significance because information associated with these distributions can be utilized in the differential diagnosis of peripheral neuropathies. Electro-diagnostic techniques can be applied to the investigation of peripheral neuropathies and can yield valuable diagnostic information while being minimally invasive. Nerve conduction velocity studies are single parameter tests that yield no detailed information regarding the characteristics of the population of nerve fibers that contribute to the compound-evoked potential. Decomposition of the compound-evoked potential, such that the velocity or diameter distribution of the contributing nerve fibers may be determined, is necessary if information regarding the population of contributing nerve fibers is to be ascertained from the electro-diagnostic study. In this work, a perturbation-based decomposition of compound-evoked potentials is proposed that facilitates determination of the fiber diameter distribution associated with the compound-evoked potential. The decomposition is based on representing the single fiber-evoked potential, associated with each diameter class, as being perturbed by contributions, of varying degree, from all the other diameter class single fiber-evoked potentials. The resultant estimator of the contributing nerve fiber diameter distribution is valid for relatively large separations in diameter classes. It is also useful in situations where the separation between diameter classes is small and the concomitant single fiber-evoked potentials are not orthogonal.

Comparison of diagnostic performances among bronchoscopic sampling techniques in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions.

PubMed

Boonsarngsuk, Viboon; Kanoksil, Wasana; Laungdamerongchai, Sarangrat

2015-04-01

There are many sampling techniques dedicated to radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) guided flexible bronchoscopy (FB). However, data regarding the diagnostic performances among bronchoscopic sampling techniques is limited. This study was conducted to compare the diagnostic yields among bronchoscopic sampling techniques in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). A prospective study was conducted on 112 patients who were diagnosed with PPLs and underwent R-EBUS-guided FB between Oct 2012 and Sep 2014. Sampling techniques-including transbronchial biopsy (TBB), brushing cell block, brushing smear, rinsed fluid of brushing, and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL)-were evaluated for the diagnosis. The mean diameter of the PPLs was 23.5±9.5 mm. The final diagnoses included 76 malignancies and 36 benign lesions. The overall diagnostic yield of R-EBUS-guided bronchoscopy was 80.4%; TBB gave the highest yield among the 112 specimens: 70.5%, 34.8%, 62.5%, 50.0% and 42.0% for TBB, brushing cell block, brushing smear, rinsed brushing fluid, and BAL fluid (BALF), respectively (P<0.001). TBB provided high diagnostic yield irrespective of the size and etiology of the PPLs. The combination of TBB and brushing smear achieved the maximum diagnostic yield. Of 31 infectious PPLs, BALF culture gave additional microbiological information in 20 cases. TBB provided the highest diagnostic yield; however, to achieve the highest diagnostic performance, TBB, brushing smear and BAL techniques should be performed together.

Skidding Coefficients on an Alluvial Soil

Treesearch

W. N. Darwin

1965-01-01

The Southern Hardwoods Laboratory is studying the influence of ground conditions and load characteristics on the performance of skidding vehicles in southern bottom lands. The exploratory test was aimed at evaluating the effects of bark on skidding coefficients, but it also yielded information on other log characteristics and on effects of soil moisture.

Poor, Rural Neighborhoods and Early School Achievement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bickel, Robert; Smith, Cynthia; Eagle, Teresa Hardman

A study sought to identify the existence of neighborhood effects on school achievement that are independent of social class and family background among students from poor, rural neighborhoods. Ethnographic material yielded a concept of rural West Virginia neighborhoods in which residents expect their encounters to be friendly, informal, almost…

Management Qua Communication in Rocket Research and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tompkins, Phillip K.

1977-01-01

Reviews a diagnostic study conducted by a communication consultant within the George C Marshall Space Flight Center during the research and development of the Saturn V or "Moon Rocket". Participant observation and in-depth interview methodology yields information on organizational communication and systematic problems within a complex network. (MH)

Zinc deficiency alters soybean susceptibility to pathogens and pests

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Inadequate plant nutrition and biotic stress are key threats to current and future crop yields. Zinc deficiency and toxicity in major crop plants have been documented, but there is limited information on how pathogen and pest damage may be affected by differing plant zinc levels. In our study, we us...

76 FR 28100 - Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance for the Collection of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-13

... statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of study. This... CONTACT: Carlos Manjarrez, Director for Planning, Research and Evaluation, Institute of Museum and Library.... This type of generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative...

A self-interfering clock as a “which path” witness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margalit, Yair; Zhou, Zhifan; Machluf, Shimon; Rohrlich, Daniel; Japha, Yonathan; Folman, Ron

2015-09-01

In Einstein’s general theory of relativity, time depends locally on gravity; in standard quantum theory, time is global—all clocks “tick” uniformly. We demonstrate a new tool for investigating time in the overlap of these two theories: a self-interfering clock, comprising two atomic spin states. We prepare the clock in a spatial superposition of quantum wave packets, which evolve coherently along two paths into a stable interference pattern. If we make the clock wave packets “tick” at different rates, to simulate a gravitational time lag, the clock time along each path yields “which path” information, degrading the pattern’s visibility. In contrast, in standard interferometry, time cannot yield “which path” information. This proof-of-principle experiment may have implications for the study of time and general relativity and their impact on fundamental effects such as decoherence and the emergence of a classical world.

A self-interfering clock as a "which path" witness.

PubMed

Margalit, Yair; Zhou, Zhifan; Machluf, Shimon; Rohrlich, Daniel; Japha, Yonathan; Folman, Ron

2015-09-11

In Einstein's general theory of relativity, time depends locally on gravity; in standard quantum theory, time is global-all clocks "tick" uniformly. We demonstrate a new tool for investigating time in the overlap of these two theories: a self-interfering clock, comprising two atomic spin states. We prepare the clock in a spatial superposition of quantum wave packets, which evolve coherently along two paths into a stable interference pattern. If we make the clock wave packets "tick" at different rates, to simulate a gravitational time lag, the clock time along each path yields "which path" information, degrading the pattern's visibility. In contrast, in standard interferometry, time cannot yield "which path" information. This proof-of-principle experiment may have implications for the study of time and general relativity and their impact on fundamental effects such as decoherence and the emergence of a classical world. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Continuous Confrontation of Caregiving as Described in Real-Time Online Group Chat.

PubMed

Male, Dana A; Fergus, Karen D; Stephen, Joanne E

2015-01-01

To date, our understanding of the caregiver experience has been informed primarily by guided inquiry in the form of interviews and surveys, yielding information that is limited by the scope of researchers questions. The intent of this study was to explore the experience of caring for a loved one with advanced-stage cancer by means of participant-determined communication, using interactive, text-based transcripts from synchronous online support groups. Grounded theory analysis of the group transcripts yielded the core category continuous confrontation, characterized by major challenges (unrelenting assault, a new us, and the costs of caregiving) and minor triumphs (refuelling and living more intentionally). This unique method of data collection allowed for an especially candid, intersubjective group account of what it is to be a caregiver for an ill loved one without compromising the details that caregivers themselves consider important.

Persistency of milk yield in Indonesian Holstein cows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widyas, N.; Putra, F. Y.; Nugroho, T.; Pramono, A.; Susilowati, A.; Sutarno; Prastowo, S.

2018-03-01

Milk yield is an important trait in dairy industry; thus, information regarding this phenotype is essential to measure the productivity of a farm. Total milk yield in one lactation period was often predicted using information from samples collected within certain time intervals. The rate of change of milk production between two-time intervals is defined as persistency. This article aims to estimate the persistency of milk yield between lactation 1, 2 and 3 in Indonesian Friesian Holstein (IFH) cows. Data was collected from Limpakuwus stable, Baturraden Dairy Cattle Breeding Centre, Central Java Indonesia. Records were obtained from cows which started lactating on 2013 until the end of third lactation around the beginning of 2016. Milk yield from the first (L1), second (L2) and third (L3) lactations of 21 cows were recorded in kilograms. Samples were collected in 30 days basis interval started from the 10th day of lactation up to the 10th month. In this population, the cows first calving was around February – April 2013; while the second and third calving occurred all over the relevant year. The mean of milk yield for L1, L2 and L3 were 17.77±3.70, 16.09±5.17 and 13.73±4.02 Kg respectively. The peak of milk yields was achieved at the second month of the lactation for L1, L2 and L3. The persistency from the second to the tenth test days were 97, 93 and 94% for L1, L2 and L3, respectively. Milk yield persistency is representing ability of cow in maintain milk production after peak during lactation period. The more persistent shows better performance of dairy cattle as well as farm management. For that, persistency value could be used as valuable information in evaluating the management in Indonesian dairy farms.

Spontaneous trait inference and spontaneous trait transference are both unaffected by prior evaluations of informants.

PubMed

Zengel, Bettina; Ambler, James K; McCarthy, Randy J; Skowronski, John J

2017-01-01

This article reports results from a study in which participants encountered either (a) previously known informants who were positive (e.g. Abraham Lincoln), neutral (e.g., Jay Leno), or negative (e.g., Adolf Hitler), or (b) previously unknown informants. The informants ostensibly described either a trait-implicative positive behavior, a trait-implicative negative behavior, or a neutral behavior. These descriptions were framed as either the behavior of the informant or the behavior of another person. Results yielded evidence of informant-trait linkages for both self-informants and for informants who described another person. These effects were not moderated by informant type, behavior valence, or the congruency or incongruency between the prior knowledge of the informant and the behavior valence. Results are discussed in terms of theories of Spontaneous Trait Inference and Spontaneous Trait Transference.

Genetic parameters for milk fatty acids, milk yield and quality traits of a Holstein cattle population reared under tropical conditions.

PubMed

Petrini, J; Iung, L H S; Rodriguez, M A P; Salvian, M; Pértille, F; Rovadoscki, G A; Cassoli, L D; Coutinho, L L; Machado, P F; Wiggans, G R; Mourão, G B

2016-10-01

Information about genetic parameters is essential for selection decisions and genetic evaluation. These estimates are population specific; however, there are few studies with dairy cattle populations reared under tropical and sub-tropical conditions. Thus, the aim was to obtain estimates of heritability and genetic correlations for milk yield and quality traits using pedigree and genomic information from a Holstein population maintained in a tropical environment. Phenotypic records (n = 36 457) of 4203 cows as well as the genotypes for 57 368 single nucleotide polymorphisms from 755 of these cows were used. Covariance components were estimated using the restricted maximum likelihood method under a mixed animal model, considering a pedigree-based relationship matrix or a combined pedigree-genomic matrix. High heritabilities (around 0.30) were estimated for lactose and protein content in milk whereas moderate values (between 0.19 and 0.26) were obtained for percentages of fat, saturated fatty acids and palmitic acid in milk. Genetic correlations ranging from -0.38 to -0.13 were determined between milk yield and composition traits. The smaller estimates compared to other similar studies can be due to poor environmental conditions, which may reduce genetic variability. These results highlight the importance in using genetic parameters estimated in the population under evaluation for selection decisions. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

When cognitive exertion does not yield cognitive gain: toward an informational explanation of learned helplessness.

PubMed

Sedek, G; Kofta, M

1990-04-01

This study tested a new information-processing explanation of learned helplessness that proposes that an uncontrollable situation produces helplessness symptoms because it is a source of inconsistent, self-contradictory task information during problem-solving attempts. The flow of such information makes hypothesis-testing activity futile. Prolonged and inefficient activity of this kind leads in turn to the emergence of a state of cognitive exhaustion, with accompanying performance deficits. In 3 experiments, Ss underwent informational helplessness training (IHT): They were sequentially exposed to inconsistent task information during discrimination problems. As predicted, IHT was associated with subjective symptoms of irreducible uncertainty and resulted in (a) performance deterioration on subsequent avoidance learning, (b) heightened negative mood, and (c) subjective symptoms of cognitive exhaustion.

A center for commercial development of space: Real-time satellite mapping. Remote sensing-based agricultural information expert system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hadipriono, Fabian C.; Diaz, Carlos F.; Merritt, Earl S.

1989-01-01

The research project results in a powerful yet user friendly CROPCAST expert system for use by a client to determine the crop yield production of a certain crop field. The study is based on the facts that heuristic assessment and decision making in agriculture are significant and dominate much of agribusiness. Transfer of the expert knowledge concerning remote sensing based crop yield production into a specific expert system is the key program in this study. A knowledge base consisting of a root frame, CROP-YIELD-FORECAST, and four subframes, namely, SATELLITE, PLANT-PHYSIOLOGY, GROUND, and MODEL were developed to accommodate the production rules obtained from the domain expert. The expert system shell Personal Consultant Plus version 4.0. was used for this purpose. An external geographic program was integrated to the system. This project is the first part of a completely built expert system. The study reveals that much effort was given to the development of the rules. Such effort is inevitable if workable, efficient, and accurate rules are desired. Furthermore, abundant help statements and graphics were included. Internal and external display routines add to the visual capability of the system. The work results in a useful tool for the client for making decisions on crop yield production.

Quantitative Analysis of Cotton Canopy Size in Field Conditions Using a Consumer-Grade RGB-D Camera.

PubMed

Jiang, Yu; Li, Changying; Paterson, Andrew H; Sun, Shangpeng; Xu, Rui; Robertson, Jon

2017-01-01

Plant canopy structure can strongly affect crop functions such as yield and stress tolerance, and canopy size is an important aspect of canopy structure. Manual assessment of canopy size is laborious and imprecise, and cannot measure multi-dimensional traits such as projected leaf area and canopy volume. Field-based high throughput phenotyping systems with imaging capabilities can rapidly acquire data about plants in field conditions, making it possible to quantify and monitor plant canopy development. The goal of this study was to develop a 3D imaging approach to quantitatively analyze cotton canopy development in field conditions. A cotton field was planted with 128 plots, including four genotypes of 32 plots each. The field was scanned by GPhenoVision (a customized field-based high throughput phenotyping system) to acquire color and depth images with GPS information in 2016 covering two growth stages: canopy development, and flowering and boll development. A data processing pipeline was developed, consisting of three steps: plot point cloud reconstruction, plant canopy segmentation, and trait extraction. Plot point clouds were reconstructed using color and depth images with GPS information. In colorized point clouds, vegetation was segmented from the background using an excess-green (ExG) color filter, and cotton canopies were further separated from weeds based on height, size, and position information. Static morphological traits were extracted on each day, including univariate traits (maximum and mean canopy height and width, projected canopy area, and concave and convex volumes) and a multivariate trait (cumulative height profile). Growth rates were calculated for univariate static traits, quantifying canopy growth and development. Linear regressions were performed between the traits and fiber yield to identify the best traits and measurement time for yield prediction. The results showed that fiber yield was correlated with static traits after the canopy development stage ( R 2 = 0.35-0.71) and growth rates in early canopy development stages ( R 2 = 0.29-0.52). Multi-dimensional traits (e.g., projected canopy area and volume) outperformed one-dimensional traits, and the multivariate trait (cumulative height profile) outperformed univariate traits. The proposed approach would be useful for identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling canopy size in genetics/genomics studies or for fiber yield prediction in breeding programs and production environments.

Genomic Bayesian functional regression models with interactions for predicting wheat grain yield using hyper-spectral image data.

PubMed

Montesinos-López, Abelardo; Montesinos-López, Osval A; Cuevas, Jaime; Mata-López, Walter A; Burgueño, Juan; Mondal, Sushismita; Huerta, Julio; Singh, Ravi; Autrique, Enrique; González-Pérez, Lorena; Crossa, José

2017-01-01

Modern agriculture uses hyperspectral cameras that provide hundreds of reflectance data at discrete narrow bands in many environments. These bands often cover the whole visible light spectrum and part of the infrared and ultraviolet light spectra. With the bands, vegetation indices are constructed for predicting agronomically important traits such as grain yield and biomass. However, since vegetation indices only use some wavelengths (referred to as bands), we propose using all bands simultaneously as predictor variables for the primary trait grain yield; results of several multi-environment maize (Aguate et al. in Crop Sci 57(5):1-8, 2017) and wheat (Montesinos-López et al. in Plant Methods 13(4):1-23, 2017) breeding trials indicated that using all bands produced better prediction accuracy than vegetation indices. However, until now, these prediction models have not accounted for the effects of genotype × environment (G × E) and band × environment (B × E) interactions incorporating genomic or pedigree information. In this study, we propose Bayesian functional regression models that take into account all available bands, genomic or pedigree information, the main effects of lines and environments, as well as G × E and B × E interaction effects. The data set used is comprised of 976 wheat lines evaluated for grain yield in three environments (Drought, Irrigated and Reduced Irrigation). The reflectance data were measured in 250 discrete narrow bands ranging from 392 to 851 nm (nm). The proposed Bayesian functional regression models were implemented using two types of basis: B-splines and Fourier. Results of the proposed Bayesian functional regression models, including all the wavelengths for predicting grain yield, were compared with results from conventional models with and without bands. We observed that the models with B × E interaction terms were the most accurate models, whereas the functional regression models (with B-splines and Fourier basis) and the conventional models performed similarly in terms of prediction accuracy. However, the functional regression models are more parsimonious and computationally more efficient because the number of beta coefficients to be estimated is 21 (number of basis), rather than estimating the 250 regression coefficients for all bands. In this study adding pedigree or genomic information did not increase prediction accuracy.

Self-informant Agreement for Personality and Evaluative Person Descriptors: Comparing Methods for Creating Informant Measures.

PubMed

Simms, Leonard J; Zelazny, Kerry; Yam, Wern How; Gros, Daniel F

2010-05-01

Little attention typically is paid to the way self-report measures are translated for use in self-informant agreement studies. We studied two possible methods for creating informant measures: (a) the traditional method in which self-report items were translated from the first- to the third-person and (b) an alternative meta-perceptual method in which informants were directed to rate their perception of the targets' self-perception. We hypothesized that the latter method would yield stronger self-informant agreement for evaluative personality dimensions measured by indirect item markers. We studied these methods in a sample of 303 undergraduate friendship dyads. Results revealed mean-level differences between methods, similar self-informant agreement across methods, stronger agreement for Big Five dimensions than for evaluative dimensions, and incremental validity for meta-perceptual informant rating methods. Limited power reduced the interpretability of several sparse acquaintanceship effects. We conclude that traditional informant methods are appropriate for most personality traits, but meta-perceptual methods may be more appropriate when personality questionnaire items reflect indirect indicators of the trait being measured, which is particularly likely for evaluative traits.

Self-informant Agreement for Personality and Evaluative Person Descriptors: Comparing Methods for Creating Informant Measures

PubMed Central

Simms, Leonard J.; Zelazny, Kerry; Yam, Wern How; Gros, Daniel F.

2011-01-01

Little attention typically is paid to the way self-report measures are translated for use in self-informant agreement studies. We studied two possible methods for creating informant measures: (a) the traditional method in which self-report items were translated from the first- to the third-person and (b) an alternative meta-perceptual method in which informants were directed to rate their perception of the targets’ self-perception. We hypothesized that the latter method would yield stronger self-informant agreement for evaluative personality dimensions measured by indirect item markers. We studied these methods in a sample of 303 undergraduate friendship dyads. Results revealed mean-level differences between methods, similar self-informant agreement across methods, stronger agreement for Big Five dimensions than for evaluative dimensions, and incremental validity for meta-perceptual informant rating methods. Limited power reduced the interpretability of several sparse acquaintanceship effects. We conclude that traditional informant methods are appropriate for most personality traits, but meta-perceptual methods may be more appropriate when personality questionnaire items reflect indirect indicators of the trait being measured, which is particularly likely for evaluative traits. PMID:21541262

In Search of ''Master Mindreaders'': Are Psychics Superior in Reading the Language of the Eyes?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dziobek, I.; Rogers, K.; Fleck, S.; Hassenstab, J.; Gold, S.; Wolf, O.T.; Convit, A.

2005-01-01

Much of the effort to understand the brain substrate of theory of mind and empathy has involved the study of individuals with deficits in that domain, such as those on the autism spectrum. Studying individuals with presumed superior abilities in picking up social signals may yield important additional information. We predicted that psychic readers…

Results and Recommendations from the 2009 National Surveys of Randomly Selected and Highly Successful Middle Level Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEwin, C. Kenneth; Greene, Melanie W.

2010-01-01

While a number of studies have yielded useful information regarding the status of middle level schools in the United States, four linked national surveys provide a longitudinal perspective on the degree of implementation of key middle grades programs and practices. These studies were conducted in 1968 (Alexander, 1968), 1988 (Alexander &…

Yields of short-lived fission products produced following {sup 235}U(n{sub th},f)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tipnis, S.V.; Campbell, J.M.; Couchell, G.P.

1998-08-01

Measurements of gamma-ray spectra, following the thermal neutron fission of {sup 235}U have been made using a high purity germanium detector at the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) Van de Graaff facility. The gamma spectra were measured at delay times ranging from 0.2 s to nearly 10thinsp000 s following the rapid transfer of the fission fragments with a helium-jet system. On the basis of the known gamma transitions, forty isotopes have been identified and studied. By measuring the relative intensities of these transitions, the relative yields of the various precursor nuclides have been calculated. The results are compared with themore » recommended values listed in the ENDF/B-VI fission product data base (for the lifetimes and the relative yields) and those published in the Nuclear Data Sheets (for the beta branching ratios). This information is particularly useful for the cases of short-lived fission products with lifetimes of the order of fractions of a second or a few seconds. Independent yields of many of these isotopes have rather large uncertainties, some of which have been reduced by the present study. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

Nutrient database improvement project: the influence of U.S.D.A. Quality and Yield Grade on the separable components and proximate composition of raw and cooked retail cuts from the beef rib and plate.

PubMed

Martin, J N; Brooks, J C; Thompson, L D; Savell, J W; Harris, K B; May, L L; Haneklaus, A N; Schutz, J L; Belk, K E; Engle, T; Woerner, D R; Legako, J F; Luna, A M; Douglass, L W; Douglass, S E; Howe, J; Duvall, M; Patterson, K Y; Leheska, J L

2013-11-01

Beef nutrition is important to the worldwide beef industry. The objective of this study was to analyze proximate composition of eight beef rib and plate cuts to update the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). Furthermore, this study aimed to determine the influence of USDA Quality Grade on the separable components and proximate composition of the examined retail cuts. Carcasses (n=72) representing a composite of Yield Grade, Quality Grade, gender and genetic type were identified from six regions across the U.S. Beef plates and ribs (IMPS #109 and 121C and D) were collected from the selected carcasses and shipped to three university meat laboratories for storage, retail fabrication, cooking, and dissection and analysis of proximate composition. These data provide updated information regarding the nutrient content of beef and emphasize the influence of common classification systems (Yield Grade and Quality Grade) on the separable components, cooking yield, and proximate composition of retail beef cuts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical mechanisms and reaction rates for the initiation of hot corrosion of IN-738

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fryburg, G. C.; Kohl, F. J.; Stearns, C. A.

1984-01-01

Sodium-sulfate-induced hot corrosion of preoxidized IN-738 was studied at 975 C with special emphasis placed on the processes occurring during the long induction period. Thermogravimetric tests were run for predetermined periods of time, and then one set of specimens was washed with water. Chemical analysis of the wash solutions yielded information about water soluble metal salts and residual sulfate. A second set of samples was cross sectioned dry and polished in a nonaqueous medium. Element distributions within the oxide scale were obtained from electron microprobe X-ray micrographs. Evolution of SO was monitored throughout the thermogravimetric tests. Kinetic rate studies were performed for several pertinent processes; appropriate rate constants were obtained from the following chemical reactions: Cr2O3 + 2 Na2SO4(1) + 3/2 O2 yields 2 Na2CrO4(1) + 2 SO3(g)n TiO2 + Na2SO4(1) yields Na2O(TiO2)n + SO3(g)n TiO2 + Na2CrO4(1) yields Na2O(TiO2)n + CrO3(g).

Osteoporosis affects both post-yield microdamage accumulation and plasticity degradation in vertebra of ovariectomized rats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Siwei; Niu, Guodong; Dong, Neil X.; Wang, Xiaodu; Liu, Zhongjun; Song, Chunli; Leng, Huijie

2017-04-01

Estrogen withdrawal in postmenopausal women increases bone loss and bone fragility in the vertebra. Bone loss with osteoporosis not only reduces bone mineral density (BMD), but actually alters bone quality, which can be comprehensively represented by bone post-yield behaviors. This study aimed to provide some information as to how osteoporosis induced by estrogen depletion could influence the evolution of post-yield microdamage accumulation and plastic deformation in vertebral bodies. This study also tried to reveal the part of the mechanisms of how estrogen deficiency-induced osteoporosis would increase the bone fracture risk. A rat bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) model was used to induce osteoporosis. Progressive cyclic compression loading was developed for vertebra testing to elucidate the post-yield behaviors. BMD, bone volume fraction, stiffness degradation, and plastic deformation evolution were compared among rats raised for 5 weeks (ovx5w and sham5w groups) and 35 weeks (ovx35w and sham35w groups) after sham surgery and OVX. The results showed that a higher bone loss in vertebral bodies corresponded to lower stiffness and higher plastic deformation. Thus, osteoporosis could increase the vertebral fracture risk probably through microdamage accumulation and plastic deforming degradation.

Effects of diurnal temperature range and drought on wheat yield in Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez-Barrera, S.; Rodriguez-Puebla, C.; Challinor, A. J.

2017-07-01

This study aims to provide new insight on the wheat yield historical response to climate processes throughout Spain by using statistical methods. Our data includes observed wheat yield, pseudo-observations E-OBS for the period 1979 to 2014, and outputs of general circulation models in phase 5 of the Coupled Models Inter-comparison Project (CMIP5) for the period 1901 to 2099. In investigating the relationship between climate and wheat variability, we have applied the approach known as the partial least-square regression, which captures the relevant climate drivers accounting for variations in wheat yield. We found that drought occurring in autumn and spring and the diurnal range of temperature experienced during the winter are major processes to characterize the wheat yield variability in Spain. These observable climate processes are used for an empirical model that is utilized in assessing the wheat yield trends in Spain under different climate conditions. To isolate the trend within the wheat time series, we implemented the adaptive approach known as Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition. Wheat yields in the twenty-first century are experiencing a downward trend that we claim is a consequence of widespread drought over the Iberian Peninsula and an increase in the diurnal range of temperature. These results are important to inform about the wheat vulnerability in this region to coming changes and to develop adaptation strategies.

Computed tomography versus digital subtraction angiography for the diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

PubMed

Wildgruber, Moritz; Wrede, Christian E; Zorger, Niels; Müller-Wille, René; Hamer, Okka W; Zeman, Florian; Stroszczynski, Christian; Heiss, Peter

2017-03-01

The diagnostic yield of computed tomography angiography (CTA) compared to digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for major obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) is not known. Aim of the study was to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic yield of CTA versus DSA for the diagnosis of major OGIB. The institutional review board approved the study and informed consent was obtained from each patient. Patients with major OGIB were prospectively enrolled to undergo both CTA and DSA. Two blinded radiologists each reviewed the CTA and DSA images retrospectively and independently. Contrast material extravasation into the gastrointestinal lumen was considered diagnostic for active bleeding. Primary end point of the study was the diagnostic yield, defined as the frequency a technique identified an active bleeding or a potential bleeding lesion. The diagnostic yield of CTA and DSA were compared by McNemar's test. 24 consecutive patients (11 men; median age 64 years) were included. CTA and DSA identified an active bleeding or a potential bleeding lesion in 92% (22 of 24 patients; 95% CI 72%-99%) and 29% (7 of 24 patients; 95% CI 12%-49%) of patients, respectively (p<0.001). CTA and DSA identified an active bleeding in 42% (10 of 24; 95% CI 22%-63%) and 21% (5 of 24; 95% CI 7%-42%) of patients, respectively (p=0.06). Due to the lower invasiveness and higher diagnostic yield CTA should be favored over DSA for the diagnosis of major OGIB. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Soil water management practices (terraces) helped to mitigate the 2015 drought in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Kosmowski, Frédéric

2018-05-31

While the benefits of soil water management practices relative to soil erosion have been extensively documented, evidence regarding their effect on yields is inconclusive. Following a strong El-Niño, some regions of Ethiopia experienced major droughts during the 2015/16 agricultural season. Using the propensity scores method on a nationally representative survey in Ethiopia, this study investigates the effect of two widely adopted soil water management practices - terraces and contour bunds - on yields and assesses their potential to mitigate the effects of climate change. It is shown that at the national level, terraced plots have slightly lower yields than non-terraced plots. However, data support the hypothesis that terraced plots acted as a buffer against the 2015 Ethiopian drought, while contour bunds did not. This study provides evidence that terraces have the potential to help farmer deal with current climate risks. These results can inform the design of climate change adaptation policies and improve targeting of soil water management practices in Ethiopia.

Quantifying the thermal heat requirement of Brassica in assessing biophysical parameters under semi-arid microenvironments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adak, Tarun; Chakravarty, N. V. K.

2010-07-01

Evaluation of the thermal heat requirement of Brassica spp. across agro-ecological regions is required in order to understand the further effects of climate change. Spatio-temporal changes in hydrothermal regimes are likely to affect the physiological growth pattern of the crop, which in turn will affect economic yields and crop quality. Such information is helpful in developing crop simulation models to describe the differential thermal regimes that prevail at different phenophases of the crop. Thus, the current lack of quantitative information on the thermal heat requirement of Brassica crops under debranched microenvironments prompted the present study, which set out to examine the response of biophysical parameters [leaf area index (LAI), dry biomass production, seed yield and oil content] to modified microenvironments. Following 2 years of field experiments on Typic Ustocrepts soils under semi-arid climatic conditions, it was concluded that the Brassica crop is significantly responsive to microenvironment modification. A highly significant and curvilinear relationship was observed between LAI and dry biomass production with accumulated heat units, with thermal accumulation explaining ≥80% of the variation in LAI and dry biomass production. It was further observed that the economic seed yield and oil content, which are a function of the prevailing weather conditions, were significantly responsive to the heat units accumulated from sowing to 50% physiological maturity. Linear regression analysis showed that growing degree days (GDD) could indicate 60-70% variation in seed yield and oil content, probably because of the significant response to differential thermal microenvironments. The present study illustrates the statistically strong and significant response of biophysical parameters of Brassica spp. to microenvironment modification in semi-arid regions of northern India.

Examining the benefits of combining two learning strategies on recall of functional information in persons with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Goverover, Yael; Basso, Michael; Wood, Hali; Chiaravalloti, Nancy; DeLuca, John

2011-12-01

Forgetfulness occurs commonly in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but few treatments alleviate this problem. This study examined the combined effect of two cognitive rehabilitation strategies to improve learning and memory in MS: self-generation and spaced learning. The hypothesis was that the combination of spaced learning and self-generation would yield better learning and memory recall performance than spaced learning alone. Using a within groups design, 20 participants with MS and 18 healthy controls (HC) were presented with three tasks (learning names, appointment, and object location), each in three learning conditions (Massed, Spaced Learning, and combination of spaced and generated information). Participants were required to recall the information they learned in each of these conditions immediately and 30 min following the initial presentation. The combination of spaced learning and self-generation yielded better recall than did spaced learning alone. In turn, spaced learning resulted in better recall than the massed rehearsal condition. These findings reveal that the combination of these two learning strategies may possess utility as a cognitive rehabilitation strategy.

Kinetically accessible yield (KAY) for redirection of metabolism to produce exo-metabolites

DOE PAGES

Lafontaine Rivera, Jimmy G.; Theisen, Matthew K.; Chen, Po-Wei; ...

2017-04-05

The product formation yield (product formed per unit substrate consumed) is often the most important performance indicator in metabolic engineering. Until now, the actual yield cannot be predicted, but it can be bounded by its maximum theoretical value. The maximum theoretical yield is calculated by considering the stoichiometry of the pathways and cofactor regeneration involved. Here in this paper we found that in many cases, dynamic stability becomes an issue when excessive pathway flux is drawn to a product. This constraint reduces the yield and renders the maximal theoretical yield too loose to be predictive. We propose a more realisticmore » quantity, defined as the kinetically accessible yield (KAY) to predict the maximum accessible yield for a given flux alteration. KAY is either determined by the point of instability, beyond which steady states become unstable and disappear, or a local maximum before becoming unstable. Thus, KAY is the maximum flux that can be redirected for a given metabolic engineering strategy without losing stability. Strictly speaking, calculation of KAY requires complete kinetic information. With limited or no kinetic information, an Ensemble Modeling strategy can be used to determine a range of likely values for KAY, including an average prediction. We first apply the KAY concept with a toy model to demonstrate the principle of kinetic limitations on yield. We then used a full-scale E. coli model (193 reactions, 153 metabolites) and this approach was successful in E. coli for predicting production of isobutanol: the calculated KAY values are consistent with experimental data for three genotypes previously published.« less

Electric-Field Instrument With Ac-Biased Corona Point

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markson, R.; Anderson, B.; Govaert, J.

1993-01-01

Measurements indicative of incipient lightning yield additional information. New instrument gives reliable readings. High-voltage ac bias applied to needle point through high-resistance capacitance network provides corona discharge at all times, enabling more-slowly-varying component of electrostatic potential of needle to come to equilibrium with surrounding air. High resistance of high-voltage coupling makes instrument insensitive to wind. Improved corona-point instrument expected to yield additional information assisting in safety-oriented forecasting of lighting.

Growth and yield predictions for upland oak stands. 10 years after initial thinning

Treesearch

Martin E. Dale; Martin E. Dale

1972-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to furnish part of the needed information, that is, quantitative estimates of growth and yield 10 years after initial thinning of upland oak stands. All estimates are computed from a system of equations. These predictions are presented here in tabular form for convenient visual inspection of growth and yield trends. The tables show growth...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lafontaine Rivera, Jimmy G.; Theisen, Matthew K.; Chen, Po-Wei

The product formation yield (product formed per unit substrate consumed) is often the most important performance indicator in metabolic engineering. Until now, the actual yield cannot be predicted, but it can be bounded by its maximum theoretical value. The maximum theoretical yield is calculated by considering the stoichiometry of the pathways and cofactor regeneration involved. Here in this paper we found that in many cases, dynamic stability becomes an issue when excessive pathway flux is drawn to a product. This constraint reduces the yield and renders the maximal theoretical yield too loose to be predictive. We propose a more realisticmore » quantity, defined as the kinetically accessible yield (KAY) to predict the maximum accessible yield for a given flux alteration. KAY is either determined by the point of instability, beyond which steady states become unstable and disappear, or a local maximum before becoming unstable. Thus, KAY is the maximum flux that can be redirected for a given metabolic engineering strategy without losing stability. Strictly speaking, calculation of KAY requires complete kinetic information. With limited or no kinetic information, an Ensemble Modeling strategy can be used to determine a range of likely values for KAY, including an average prediction. We first apply the KAY concept with a toy model to demonstrate the principle of kinetic limitations on yield. We then used a full-scale E. coli model (193 reactions, 153 metabolites) and this approach was successful in E. coli for predicting production of isobutanol: the calculated KAY values are consistent with experimental data for three genotypes previously published.« less

Field studies of Pan troglodytes reviewed and comprehensively mapped, focussing on Japan's contribution to cultural primatology.

PubMed

McGrew, William C

2017-01-01

Field studies done over decades of wild chimpanzees in East, Central and West Africa have yielded impressive, cumulative findings in cultural primatology. Japanese primatologists have been involved in this advance from the outset, over a wide variety of topics. Here I review the origins and development of field studies of Pan troglodytes, then assess their progress based on analogy between cultural primatology and cultural anthropology, through four stages: natural history, ethnography, ethnology, and intuition. Then, I focus on six topics that continue to yield informative debate: technology, universals, nuanced variation, archaeology, applied primatology, and ecology. Finally, I offer a map of sites of field study of wild chimpanzees. It is clear that Japanese primatologists have made a significant contribution to East-West scientific exchange, especially at the field sites of Bossou and Mahale.

Electromagnetic navigation diagnostic bronchoscopy for small peripheral lung lesions.

PubMed

Makris, D; Scherpereel, A; Leroy, S; Bouchindhomme, B; Faivre, J-B; Remy, J; Ramon, P; Marquette, C-H

2007-06-01

The present study prospectively evaluated the diagnostic yield and safety of electromagnetic navigation-guided bronchoscopy biopsy, for small peripheral lung lesions in patients where standard techniques were nondiagnostic. The study was conducted in a tertiary medical centre on 40 consecutive patients considered unsuitable for straightforward surgery or computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy, due to comorbidities. The lung lesion diameter was mean+/-sem 23.5+/-1.5 mm and the depth from the visceral-costal pleura was 14.9+/-2 mm. Navigation was facilitated by an electromagnetic tracking system which could detect a position sensor incorporated into a flexible catheter advanced through a bronchoscope. Information obtained during bronchoscopy was superimposed on previously acquired CT data. Divergence between CT data and data obtained during bronchoscopy was calculated by the system's software as a measure of navigational accuracy. All but one of the target lesions was reached and the overall diagnostic yield was 62.5% (25-40). Diagnostic yield was significantly affected by CT-to-body divergence; yield was 77.2% when estimated divergence was

Quantifying the impacts of climatic trend and fluctuation on crop yields in northern China.

PubMed

Qiao, Jianmin; Yu, Deyong; Liu, Yupeng

2017-10-01

Climate change plays a critical role in crop yield variations, which has attracted a great deal of concern worldwide. However, the mechanisms of how climatic trend and fluctuations affect crop yields are not well understood and need to be further investigated. Thus, using the GIS-based Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model, we simulated the yields of major crops (i.e., wheat, maize, and rice) and evaluated the impacts of climatic factors on crop yields in the Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone (APTZ) of northern China between 1980 and 2010. The partial least squares regression model was used to assess the contribution rates of climatic factors (i.e., precipitation, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), minimum temperature (T min ), maximum temperature (T max )) to the variation of crop yields. The Breaks for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) model was adopted to decompose the climate factors into trend and fluctuation components, and the relative contributions of climate trend and fluctuation were then evaluated. The results indicated that the contributions of climatic factors to yield variations of wheat, maize, and rice were 31.7, 37.7, and 23.1%, respectively. That is, climate change had larger impacts on maize than wheat and rice. More cultivated areas were significantly and positively correlated with precipitation than with other climatic factors due to the limited precipitation in the APTZ. Also, climatic trend component had positive impacts on crop yields in the whole region, whereas the climate fluctuation was associated mainly with the areas where the crop yields decreased. This study helps improve our understanding of the mechanisms of climate change impacts on crop yields, and provides useful scientific information for designing regional-scale strategies of adaptation to climate change.

Estimates of general combining ability in Hevea breeding at the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia : I. Phases II and III A.

PubMed

Tan, H

1977-01-01

Estimates of general combining ability of parents for yield and girth obtained separately from seedlings and their corresponding clonal families in Phases II and IIIA of the RRIM breeding programme are compared. A highly significant positive correlation (r = 0.71***) is found between GCA estimates from seedling and clonal families for yield in Phase IIIA, but not in Phase II (r = -0.03(NS)) nor for girth (r= -0.27(NS)) in Phase IIIA. The correlations for Phase II yield and Phase IIIA girth, however, improve when the GCA estimates based on small sample size or reversed rankings are excluded.When the best selections (based on present clonal and seedling information) are compared, all five of the parents top-ranking for yield are common in Phase IIIA but only two parents are common for yield and girth in Phases II and IIIA respectively. However, only one parent for yield in Phase II and two parents for girth in Phase IIIA would, if selected on clonal performance, have been omitted from the top ranking selections made by previous workers using seedling information.These findings, therefore, justify the choice of parents based on GCA estimates for yield obtained from seedling performance. Similar justification cannot be offered for girth, for which analysis is confounded by uninterpretable site and seasonal effects.

77 FR 67816 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-14

... information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other... trades driven by retail investors versus those that are wholesale driven. This would yield information... FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Proposed Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request AGENCY...

Retrospective Analog Year Analyses Using NASA Satellite Data to Improve USDA's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teng, William; Shannon, Harlan

2011-01-01

The USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) is responsible for monitoring weather and climate impacts on domestic and foreign crop development. One of WAOB's primary goals is to determine the net cumulative effect of weather and climate anomalies on final crop yields. To this end, a broad array of information is consulted, including maps, charts, and time series of recent weather, climate, and crop observations; numerical output from weather and crop models; and reports from the press, USDA attach s, and foreign governments. The resulting agricultural weather assessments are published in the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin, to keep farmers, policy makers, and commercial agricultural interests informed of weather and climate impacts on agriculture. Because both the amount and timing of precipitation significantly affect crop yields, WAOB often uses precipitation time series to identify growing seasons with similar weather patterns and help estimate crop yields for the current growing season, based on observed yields in analog years. Historically, these analog years are visually identified; however, the qualitative nature of this method sometimes precludes the definitive identification of the best analog year. Thus, one goal of this study is to derive a more rigorous, statistical approach for identifying analog years, based on a modified coefficient of determination, termed the analog index (AI). A second goal is to compare the performance of AI for time series derived from surface-based observations vs. satellite-based measurements (NASA TRMM and other data).

Application of the MOS-C-V technique to determine impurity concentrations and surface parameters on the diffused face of silicon solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, I.

1975-01-01

The feasibility of using the MOS C-V technique to obtain information regarding impurity and surface state concentrations on the diffused face of silicon solar cells with Ta2O5 coatings is studied. Results indicate that the MOS C-V technique yields useful information concerning surface parameters which contribute to the high, efficiency limiting, surface recombination velocities on the n+ surface of silicon solar cells.

Comparative study of transient hydraulic tomography with varying parameterizations and zonations: Laboratory sandbox investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Ning; Zhao, Zhanfeng; Illman, Walter A.; Berg, Steven J.

2017-11-01

Transient hydraulic tomography (THT) is a robust method of aquifer characterization to estimate the spatial distributions (or tomograms) of both hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (Ss). However, the highly-parameterized nature of the geostatistical inversion approach renders it computationally intensive for large-scale investigations. In addition, geostatistics-based THT may produce overly smooth tomograms when head data used to constrain the inversion is limited. Therefore, alternative model conceptualizations for THT need to be examined. To investigate this, we simultaneously calibrated different groundwater models with varying parameterizations and zonations using two cases of different pumping and monitoring data densities from a laboratory sandbox. Specifically, one effective parameter model, four geology-based zonation models with varying accuracy and resolution, and five geostatistical models with different prior information are calibrated. Model performance is quantitatively assessed by examining the calibration and validation results. Our study reveals that highly parameterized geostatistical models perform the best among the models compared, while the zonation model with excellent knowledge of stratigraphy also yields comparable results. When few pumping tests with sparse monitoring intervals are available, the incorporation of accurate or simplified geological information into geostatistical models reveals more details in heterogeneity and yields more robust validation results. However, results deteriorate when inaccurate geological information are incorporated. Finally, our study reveals that transient inversions are necessary to obtain reliable K and Ss estimates for making accurate predictions of transient drawdown events.

Genetic analysis of Holstein cattle populations in Brazil and the United States.

PubMed

Costa, C N; Blake, R W; Pollak, E J; Oltenacu, P A; Quaas, R L; Searle, S R

2000-12-01

Genetic relationships between Brazilian and US Holstein cattle populations were studied using first-lactation records of 305-d mature equivalent (ME) yields of milk and fat of daughters of 705 sires in Brazil and 701 sires in the United States, 358 of which had progeny in both countries. Components of(co)variance and genetic parameters were estimated from all data and from within herd-year standard deviation for milk (HYSD) data files using bivariate and multivariate sire models and DFREML procedures distinguishing the two countries. Sire (residual) variances from all data for milk yield were 51 to 59% (58 to 101%) as large in Brazil as those obtained from half-sisters in the average US herd. Corresponding proportions of the US variance in fat yield that were found in Brazil were 30 to 41% for the sire component of variance and 48 to 80% for the residual. Heritabilities for milk and fat yields from multivariate analysis of all the data were 0.25 and 0.22 in Brazil, and 0.34 and 0.35 in the United States. Genetic correlations between milk and fat were 0.79 in Brazil and 0.62 in the United States. Genetic correlations between countries were 0.85 for milk, 0.88 for fat, 0.55 for milk in Brazil and fat in the US, and 0.67 for fat in Brazil and milk in the United States. Correlated responses in Brazil from sire selection based on the US information increased with average HYSD in Brazil. Largest daughter yield response was predicted from information from half-sisters in low HYSD US herds (0.75 kg/kg for milk; 0.63 kg/kg for fat), which was 14% to 17% greater than estimates from all US herds because the scaling effects were less severe from heterogeneous variances. Unequal daughter response from unequal genetic (co)variances under restrictive Brazilian conditions is evidence for the interaction of genotype and environment. The smaller and variable yield expectations of daughters of US sires in Brazilian environments suggest the need for specific genetic improvement strategies in Brazilian Holstein herds. A US data file restricting daughter information to low HYSD US environments would be a wise choice for across-country evaluation. Procedures to incorporate such foreign evaluations should be explored to improve the accuracy of genetic evaluations for the Brazilian Holstein population.

Modification of apparent fission yields by Chemical Fractionation following Fission (CFF)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohenberg, Charles; Meshik, Alex

2008-04-01

Grain-by-grain studies of the 2 billion year old Oklo natural reactor, using laser micro-extraction^1,2, yield detailed information about Oklo, a water-moderated pulsed reactor, cycle times, total neutron fluence and duration, but it also demonstrates Chemical Fractionation following Fission. In the CFF process, members of an isobaric yield chain with long half-lives are subject to migration before decay can occur. Of particular interest is the 129 isobar where 17 million ^129I can migrate out of the host grain before decay, and iodine compounds are water soluble. This is amply demonstated by the variation of Xe spectra between micron-sized uranium-bearing minerals and adjacent uranium-free minerals. Fission 129 yields for the spontaneous fission of ^238U generally come from measured ^129Xe in pitchblend^2, ores emplaced by aqueous activity, and are incorrect due to the CFF process. ^238U yields for the 131 and 129 chains, reported in Hyde^3, as 0.455 +- .02 and < 0.012, respectively, the latter being anomalously low. ^1A Meshik, C Hohenberg and O Pravdivtesva, PRL 93, 182302 (2004); A Meshik Sci. Am. Nov (2005), 55; ^2E K Hyde, Nucl Prop of Heavy Elements III (1964).

Photofission product yields of 238U and 239Pu with 22-MeV bremsstrahlung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Xianfei; Yang, Haori

2016-06-01

In homeland security and nuclear safeguards applications, non-destructive techniques to identify and quantify special nuclear materials are in great demand. Although nuclear materials naturally emit characteristic radiation (e.g. neutrons, γ-rays), their intensity and energy are normally low. Furthermore, such radiation could be intentionally shielded with ease or buried in high-level background. Active interrogation techniques based on photofission have been identified as effective assay approaches to address this issue. In designing such assay systems, nuclear data, like photofission product yields, plays a crucial role. Although fission yields for neutron-induced reactions have been well studied and readily available in various nuclear databases, data on photofission product yields is rather scarce. This poses a great challenge to the application of photofission techniques. In this work, short-lived high-energy delayed γ-rays from photofission of 238U were measured in between linac pulses. In addition, a list-mode system was developed to measure relatively long-lived delayed γ-rays from photofission of 238U and 239Pu after the irradiation. Time and energy information of each γ-ray event were simultaneously recorded by this system. Cumulative photofission product yields were then determined using the measured delayed γ-ray spectra.

Viscosity of thickened fluids that relate to the Australian National Standards.

PubMed

Karsten Hadde, Enrico; Ann Yvette Cichero, Julie; Michael Nicholson, Timothy

2016-08-01

In 2007, Australia published standardized terminology and definitions for three levels of thickened fluids used in the management of dysphagia. This study examined the thickness of the current Australian National Fluid Standards rheologically (i.e. viscosity, yield stress) and correlated these results with the "fork test", as described in the national standards. Clinicians who prescribe or work with thickened liquids and laypersons were recruited to categorize 15 different thickened fluids of known viscosities using the fork test. The mean apparent viscosity and the yield stress for each fluid category were calculated. Clear responses were obtained by both clinicians and laypersons for very thin fluids (< 90 mPa.s) and very thick fluids (> 1150 mPa.s), but large variations of responses were seen for intermediate viscosities. Measures of viscosity and yield stress were important in allocating liquids to different categories. Three bands of fluid viscosity with distinct intermediate band gaps and associated yield stress measures were clearly identifiable and are proposed as objective complements to the Australian National Standards. The "fork test" provides rudimentary information about both viscosity and yield stress, but is an inexact measure of both variables.

Comparative study of the chondrogenic potential of human bone marrow stromal cells, neonatal chondrocytes and adult chondrocytes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saha, Sushmita; Kirkham, Jennifer; NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, University of Leeds, Chapel Allerton Hospital, Leeds LS74SA

2010-10-22

Research highlights: {yields} This study has characterised three different cell types under conditions similar to those used for autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) for applications in cartilage repair/regeneration. {yields} Compared for the first time the chondrogenic potential of neonatal chondrocytes with human bone marrow stromal cells (HBMSCs) and adult chondrocytes. {yields} Demonstrated that adult chondrocytes hold greatest potential for use in ACI based on their higher proliferation rates, lower alkaline phosphatise activity and enhanced expression of chondrogenic genes. {yields} Demonstrated the need for chondroinduction as a necessary pre-requisite to efficient chondrogenesis in vitro and, by extrapolation, for cell based therapy (e.g.more » ACI or cartilage tissue engineering). -- Abstract: Cartilage tissue engineering is still a major clinical challenge with optimisation of a suitable source of cells for cartilage repair/regeneration not yet fully addressed. The aims of this study were to compare and contrast the differences in chondrogenic behaviour between human bone marrow stromal cells (HBMSCs), human neonatal and adult chondrocytes to further our understanding of chondroinduction relative to cell maturity and to identify factors that promote chondrogenesis and maintain functional homoeostasis. Cells were cultured in monolayer in either chondrogenic or basal medium, recapitulating procedures used in existing clinical procedures for cell-based therapies. Cell doubling time, morphology and alkaline phosphatase specific activity (ALPSA) were determined at different time points. Expression of chondrogenic markers (SOX9, ACAN and COL2A1) was compared via real time polymerase chain reaction. Amongst the three cell types studied, HBMSCs had the highest ALPSA in basal culture and lowest ALPSA in chondrogenic media. Neonatal chondrocytes were the most proliferative and adult chondrocytes had the lowest ALPSA in basal media. Gene expression analysis revealed a difference in the temporal expression of chondrogenic markers which were up regulated in chondrogenic medium compared to levels in basal medium. Of the three cell types studied, adult chondrocytes offer a more promising cell source for cartilage tissue engineering. This comparative study revealed differences between the microenvironment of all three cell types and provides useful information to inform cell-based therapies for cartilage regeneration.« less

Does technology acceleration equate to mask cost acceleration?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trybula, Walter J.; Grenon, Brian J.

2003-06-01

The technology acceleration of the ITRS Roadmap has many implications on both the semiconductor sup-plier community and the manufacturers. INTERNATIONAL SEMATECH has revaluated the projected cost of advanced technology masks. Building on the methodology developed in 1996 for mask costs, this work provided a critical review of mask yields and factors relating to the manufacture of photolithography masks. The impact of the yields provided insight into the learning curve for leading edge mask manufac-turing. The projected mask set cost was surprising, and the ability to provide first and second year cost estimates provided additional information on technology introduction. From this information, the impact of technology acceleration can be added to the projected yields to evaluate the impact on mask costs.

Information yield: a comparison of Kodak T-Mat G, Ortho L and RP X-Omat films.

PubMed

Miles, D A; Van Dis, M L; Peterson, M G

1989-02-01

The information yield from two rare-earth screen-film combinations, Lanex Regular/T-Mat G (TMG) and Lanex regular/Ortho L (OL) has been compared with that from a conventional calcium-tungstate combination, X-Omatic regular/RP X-Omat (XRP), by means of perceptibility curves generated from an aluminum test object. The TMG and OL systems were faster than the XRP and the OL had the widest latitude. The maximum number of details perceived was similar for all three systems. The results support the suggestion that the TMG and OL systems permit more information to be perceived than XRP and that the newer imaging systems do not lose information despite their increased speed.

How Are Teacher Evaluation Data Used in Five Arizona Districts? REL 2016-142

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Makkonen, Reino; Tejwani, Jaclyn; Venkateswaran, Nitya

2016-01-01

Recent teacher evaluation reforms instituted across the country have sought to yield richer information about educators' strengths and limitations and guide decisions about targeted opportunities for professional growth. This study describes how results from new multiple-measure teacher evaluations were being used in 2014/15 in five school…

Caspar Creek study

Treesearch

Robert R. Ziemer; Eugene Kojan; Robert B. Thomas; Robert A. Muller

1966-01-01

In 1961, the cooperative watershed management research program in the Lower Conifer Zone of California was started. Research in the Lower Conifer Zone was designed to obtain information and develop principles to give greater insight into the effect of land management in the Zone upon water quality, floods and sedimentation, water timing, and water yield. The research...

The Role of Subject Expertise in Searching the Chemical Literature. . . and Pitfalls That Await the Inexperienced Searcher.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Dana Lincoln

1985-01-01

This article expresses concerns about online searches being run by inexperienced searchers or nonchemists for other nonchemists or students. Studies concerning problems in the use of Chemical Condensates Database, Chemical Abstracts, Medline, and patent information are highlighted. Examples of searches yielding unsatisfactory results are noted.…

77 FR 17493 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; DOI Generic...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-26

... Don Bieniewicz at DOI via email at [email protected]ios.doi.gov or via facsimile (202) 208-4867. FOR... yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the population of study. This feedback will... operations might improve delivery of products or services. These collections will allow for ongoing...

Art-Based Learning Strategies in Art Therapy Graduate Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deaver, Sarah P.

2012-01-01

This mixed methods research study examined the use of art-based teaching methods in master's level art therapy graduate education in North America. A survey of program directors yielded information regarding in which courses and how frequently art-based methods (individual in-class art making, dyad or group art making, student art projects as…

Verbal Knowledge, Working Memory, and Processing Speed as Predictors of Verbal Learning in Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rast, Philippe

2011-01-01

The present study aimed at modeling individual differences in a verbal learning task by means of a latent structured growth curve approach based on an exponential function that yielded 3 parameters: initial recall, learning rate, and asymptotic performance. Three cognitive variables--speed of information processing, verbal knowledge, working…

Are College Rankings an Indicator of Quality Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, William; Burroughs, Nathan; Cogan, Lee; Houang, Richard

2011-01-01

Educators need a way of determining how much additional knowledge has been gained by students in a given educational program in comparison with other programs. From the U.S. Teacher Education Study in Mathematics (TEDS), they now have such information. The TEDS yields empirical data on the educational experiences and content knowledge gains of a…

Understanding Style, Language and Etiquette in Email Communication in Higher Education: A Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewin-Jones, Jenny; Mason, Victoria

2014-01-01

This study investigates academic staff and student attitudes to style and etiquette of emails. Data were collected through two online staff and student surveys. Reported use and acceptability of particular features of email style were assessed. Open-ended responses yielded four themes: the balance between formality and informality, relationships,…

Nutrient Database improvement project: Separable components and proximate composition of retail cuts from the beef chuck

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study was designed to provide updated information on the separable components, cooking yields, and nutrient values of retail cuts from the beef chuck. Ultimately, these data will be used in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Data Laboratory’s (NDL) National Nutrient Da...

Algebra for Everyone? Student Perceptions of Tracking in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spielhagen, Frances R.

2010-01-01

This research explored the experiences of students in a school district that limited early access to the study of algebra and to inform education policymakers of the impact of such tracking policies on the lives and futures of the students. Quantitative analysis had already yielded a snapshot of inequities deriving from the policies surrounding…

Kinetic modelling of methane production during bio-electrolysis from anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste.

PubMed

Prajapati, Kalp Bhusan; Singh, Rajesh

2018-05-10

In present study batch tests were performed to investigate the enhancement in methane production under bio-electrolysis anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste. The bio-electrolysis reactor system (B-EL) yield more methane 148.5 ml/g COD in comparison to reactor system without bio-electrolysis (B-CONT) 125.1 ml/g COD. Whereas bio-electrolysis reactor system (C-EL) Iron Scraps amended yield lesser methane (51.2 ml/g COD) in comparison to control bio-electrolysis reactor system without Iron scraps (C-CONT - 114.4 ml/g COD). Richard and Exponential model were best fitted for cumulative methane production and biogas production rates respectively as revealed modelling study. The best model fit for the different reactors was compared by Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). The bioelectrolysis process seems to be an emerging technology with lesser the loss in cellulase specific activity with increasing temperature from 50 to 80 °C. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Winter wheat yield estimation of remote sensing research based on WOFOST crop model and leaf area index assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yanling; Gong, Adu; Li, Jing; Wang, Jingmei

2017-04-01

Accurate crop growth monitoring and yield predictive information are significant to improve the sustainable development of agriculture and ensure the security of national food. Remote sensing observation and crop growth simulation models are two new technologies, which have highly potential applications in crop growth monitoring and yield forecasting in recent years. However, both of them have limitations in mechanism or regional application respectively. Remote sensing information can not reveal crop growth and development, inner mechanism of yield formation and the affection of environmental meteorological conditions. Crop growth simulation models have difficulties in obtaining data and parameterization from single-point to regional application. In order to make good use of the advantages of these two technologies, the coupling technique of remote sensing information and crop growth simulation models has been studied. Filtering and optimizing model parameters are key to yield estimation by remote sensing and crop model based on regional crop assimilation. Winter wheat of GaoCheng was selected as the experiment object in this paper. And then the essential data was collected, such as biochemical data and farmland environmental data and meteorological data about several critical growing periods. Meanwhile, the image of environmental mitigation small satellite HJ-CCD was obtained. In this paper, research work and major conclusions are as follows. (1) Seven vegetation indexes were selected to retrieve LAI, and then linear regression model was built up between each of these indexes and the measured LAI. The result shows that the accuracy of EVI model was the highest (R2=0.964 at anthesis stage and R2=0.920 at filling stage). Thus, EVI as the most optimal vegetation index to predict LAI in this paper. (2) EFAST method was adopted in this paper to conduct the sensitive analysis to the 26 initial parameters of the WOFOST model and then a sensitivity index was constructed to evaluate the influence of each parameter mentioned above on the winter wheat yield formation. Finally, six parameters that sensitivity index more than 0.1 as sensitivity factors were chose, which are TSUM1, SLATB1, SLATB2, SPAN, EFFTB3 and TMPF4. To other parameters, we confirmed them via practical measurement and calculation, available literature or WOFOST default. Eventually, we completed the regulation of WOFOST parameters. (3) Look-up table algorithm was used to realize single-point yield estimation through the assimilation of the WOFOST model and the retrieval LAI. This simulation achieved a high accuracy which perfectly meet the purpose of assimilation (R2=0.941 and RMSE=194.58kg/hm2). In this paper, the optimum value of sensitivity parameters were confirmed and the estimation of single-point yield were finished. Key words: yield estimation of winter wheat, LAI, WOFOST crop growth model, assimilation

Quantum process tomography of excitonic dimers from two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy. I. General theory and application to homodimers.

PubMed

Yuen-Zhou, Joel; Aspuru-Guzik, Alán

2011-04-07

Is it possible to infer the time evolving quantum state of a multichromophoric system from a sequence of two-dimensional electronic spectra (2D-ES) as a function of waiting time? Here we provide a positive answer for a tractable model system: a coupled dimer. After exhaustively enumerating the Liouville pathways associated to each peak in the 2D-ES, we argue that by judiciously combining the information from a series of experiments varying the polarization and frequency components of the pulses, detailed information at the amplitude level about the input and output quantum states at the waiting time can be obtained. This possibility yields a quantum process tomography (QPT) of the single-exciton manifold, which completely characterizes the open quantum system dynamics through the reconstruction of the process matrix. In this manuscript, we present the general theory as well as specific and numerical results for a homodimer, for which we prove that signals stemming from coherence to population transfer and vice versa vanish upon isotropic averaging, therefore, only allowing for a partial QPT in such case. However, this fact simplifies the spectra, and it follows that only two polarization controlled experiments (and no pulse-shaping requirements) suffice to yield the elements of the process matrix, which survive under isotropic averaging. Redundancies in the 2D-ES amplitudes allow for the angle between the two site transition dipole moments to be self-consistently obtained, hence simultaneously yielding structural and dynamical information of the dimer. Model calculations are presented, as well as an error analysis in terms of the angle between the dipoles and peak amplitude extraction. In the second article accompanying this study, we numerically exemplify the theory for heterodimers and carry out a detailed error analysis for such case. This investigation reveals an exciting quantum information processing (QIP) approach to spectroscopic experiments of excitonic systems, and hence, bridges an important gap between theoretical studies on excitation energy transfer from the QIP standpoint and experimental methods to study such systems in the chemical physics community.

77 FR 36489 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-19

... collection methods, including interviews and research, to inform the design, development, and implementation.... For example, information collected from consumers will help the CFPB to design model forms... used for quantitative information collections that are designed to yield statistically significant...

Electrocortical measures of information processing biases in social anxiety disorder: A review.

PubMed

Harrewijn, Anita; Schmidt, Louis A; Westenberg, P Michiel; Tang, Alva; van der Molen, Melle J W

2017-10-01

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is characterized by information processing biases, however, their underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. The goal of this review was to give a comprehensive overview of the most frequently studied EEG spectral and event-related potential (ERP) measures in social anxiety during rest, anticipation, stimulus processing, and recovery. A Web of Science search yielded 35 studies reporting on electrocortical measures in individuals with social anxiety or related constructs. Social anxiety was related to increased delta-beta cross-frequency correlation during anticipation and recovery, and information processing biases during early processing of faces (P1) and errors (error-related negativity). These electrocortical measures are discussed in relation to the persistent cycle of information processing biases maintaining SAD. Future research should further investigate the mechanisms of this persistent cycle and study the utility of electrocortical measures in early detection, prevention, treatment and endophenotype research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Information content of visible and midinfrared radiances for retrieving tropical ice cloud properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Kai-Wei; L'Ecuyer, Tristan S.; Kahn, Brian H.; Natraj, Vijay

2017-05-01

Hyperspectral instruments such as Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) have spectrally dense observations effective for ice cloud retrievals. However, due to the large number of channels, only a small subset is typically used. It is crucial that this subset of channels be chosen to contain the maximum possible information about the retrieved variables. This study describes an information content analysis designed to select optimal channels for ice cloud retrievals. To account for variations in ice cloud properties, we perform channel selection over an ensemble of cloud regimes, extracted with a clustering algorithm, from a multiyear database at a tropical Atmospheric Radiation Measurement site. Multiple satellite viewing angles over land and ocean surfaces are considered to simulate the variations in observation scenarios. The results suggest that AIRS channels near wavelengths of 14, 10.4, 4.2, and 3.8 μm contain the most information. With an eye toward developing a joint AIRS-MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) retrieval, the analysis is also applied to combined measurements from both instruments. While application of this method to MODIS yields results consistent with previous channel sensitivity studies, the analysis shows that this combination may yield substantial improvement in cloud retrievals. MODIS provides most information on optical thickness and particle size, aided by a better constraint on cloud vertical placement from AIRS. An alternate scenario where cloud top boundaries are supplied by the active sensors in the A-train is also explored. The more robust cloud placement afforded by active sensors shifts the optimal channels toward the window region and shortwave infrared, further constraining optical thickness and particle size.

CT contrast predicts pancreatic cancer treatment response to verteporfin-based photodynamic therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jermyn, Michael; Davis, Scott C.; Dehghani, Hamid; Huggett, Matthew T.; Hasan, Tayyaba; Pereira, Stephen P.; Bown, Stephen G.; Pogue, Brian W.

2014-04-01

The goal of this study was to determine dominant factors affecting treatment response in pancreatic cancer photodynamic therapy (PDT), based on clinically available information in the VERTPAC-01 trial. This trial investigated the safety and efficacy of verteporfin PDT in 15 patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. CT scans before and after contrast enhancement from the 15 patients in the VERTPAC-01 trial were used to determine venous-phase blood contrast enhancement and this was correlated with necrotic volume determined from post-treatment CT scans, along with estimation of optical absorption in the pancreas for use in light modeling of the PDT treatment. Energy threshold contours yielded estimates for necrotic volume based on this light modeling. Both contrast-derived venous blood content and necrotic volume from light modeling yielded strong correlations with observed necrotic volume (R2 = 0.85 and 0.91, respectively). These correlations were much stronger than those obtained by correlating energy delivered versus necrotic volume in the VERTPAC-01 study and in retrospective analysis from a prior clinical study. This demonstrates that contrast CT can provide key surrogate dosimetry information to assess treatment response. It also implies that light attenuation is likely the dominant factor in the VERTPAC treatment response, as opposed to other factors such as drug distribution. This study is the first to show that contrast CT provides needed surrogate dosimetry information to predict treatment response in a manner which uses standard-of-care clinical images, rather than invasive dosimetry methods.

Can written information material help to increase treatment motivation in patients with erectile dysfunction? A survey of 1188 men.

PubMed

Günzler, C; Kriston, L; Stodden, V; Leiber, C; Berner, M M

2007-01-01

Although erectile dysfunction (ED) prevalence is high, patients and physicians often have problems discussing this issue. This study examines whether written information material increases motivation to seek treatment in patients with ED. For the study, persons were able to order information material about sexual problems within the context of a public campaign. From a total of 70,000 responders, 8000 persons were asked to fill out an epidemiological questionnaire. The response rate yielded 18.4%, the data of 1188 men with ED were analyzed. As a result of the information material, 28.3% of the untreated men intended to seek treatment and 38.5% of the men who had not spoken with their physician about their problem, planned to do so now. Nearly all responders were satisfied with the information material. These data reflect the usefulness of written information for men with ED. It not only serves as an informational source for patients but may also encourage them to seek treatment.

Impact of Variation at the FTO Locus on Milk Fat Yield in Holstein Dairy Cattle

PubMed Central

Zielke, Lea G.; Bortfeldt, Ralf H.; Reissmann, Monika; Tetens, Jens; Thaller, Georg; Brockmann, Gudrun A.

2013-01-01

This study explores the biological role of the Fat Mass and Obesity associated (FTO) gene locus on milk composition in German Holstein cattle. Since FTO controls energy homeostasis and expenditure and the FTO locus has repeatedly shown association with obesity in human studies, we tested FTO as a candidate gene in particular for milk fat yield, which represents a high amount of energy secreted during lactation. The study was performed on 2,402 bulls and 860 cows where dense milk composition data were available. Genetic information was taken from a 2 Mb region around FTO. Five SNPs and two haplotype blocks in a 725 kb region covering FTO and the neighboring genes RPGRIP1L, U6ATAC, and 5 S rRNA were associated with milk fat yield and also affected protein yield in the same direction. Interestingly, higher frequency SNP alleles and haplotypes within the FTO gene increased milk fat and protein yields by up to 2.8 and 2.2 kg per lactation, respectively, while the most frequent haplotype in the upstream block covering exon 1 of FTO to exon 15 of RPGRIP1L had opposite effects with lower fat and milk yield. Both haplotype blocks were also significant in cows. The loci accounted for about 1% of the corresponding trait variance in the population. The association signals not only provided evidence for at least two causative mutations in the FTO locus with a functional effect on milk but also milk protein yield. The pleiotropic effects suggest a biological function on the usage of energy resources and the control of energy balance rather than directly affecting fat and protein synthesis. The identified effect of the obesity gene locus on milk energy content suggests an impact on infant nutrition by breast feeding in humans. PMID:23691044

Impact of variation at the FTO locus on milk fat yield in Holstein dairy cattle.

PubMed

Zielke, Lea G; Bortfeldt, Ralf H; Reissmann, Monika; Tetens, Jens; Thaller, Georg; Brockmann, Gudrun A

2013-01-01

This study explores the biological role of the Fat Mass and Obesity associated (FTO) gene locus on milk composition in German Holstein cattle. Since FTO controls energy homeostasis and expenditure and the FTO locus has repeatedly shown association with obesity in human studies, we tested FTO as a candidate gene in particular for milk fat yield, which represents a high amount of energy secreted during lactation. The study was performed on 2,402 bulls and 860 cows where dense milk composition data were available. Genetic information was taken from a 2 Mb region around FTO. Five SNPs and two haplotype blocks in a 725 kb region covering FTO and the neighboring genes RPGRIP1L, U6ATAC, and 5 S rRNA were associated with milk fat yield and also affected protein yield in the same direction. Interestingly, higher frequency SNP alleles and haplotypes within the FTO gene increased milk fat and protein yields by up to 2.8 and 2.2 kg per lactation, respectively, while the most frequent haplotype in the upstream block covering exon 1 of FTO to exon 15 of RPGRIP1L had opposite effects with lower fat and milk yield. Both haplotype blocks were also significant in cows. The loci accounted for about 1% of the corresponding trait variance in the population. The association signals not only provided evidence for at least two causative mutations in the FTO locus with a functional effect on milk but also milk protein yield. The pleiotropic effects suggest a biological function on the usage of energy resources and the control of energy balance rather than directly affecting fat and protein synthesis. The identified effect of the obesity gene locus on milk energy content suggests an impact on infant nutrition by breast feeding in humans.

Spectrally-Based Assessment of Crop Seasonal Performance and Yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kancheva, Rumiana; Borisova, Denitsa; Georgiev, Georgy

The rapid advances of space technologies concern almost all scientific areas from aeronautics to medicine, and a wide range of application fields from communications to crop yield predictions. Agricultural monitoring is among the priorities of remote sensing observations for getting timely information on crop development. Monitoring agricultural fields during the growing season plays an important role in crop health assessment and stress detection provided that reliable data is obtained. Successfully spreading is the implementation of hyperspectral data to precision farming associated with plant growth and phenology monitoring, physiological state assessment, and yield prediction. In this paper, we investigated various spectral-biophysical relationships derived from in-situ reflectance measurements. The performance of spectral data for the assessment of agricultural crops condition and yield prediction was examined. The approach comprisesd development of regression models between plant spectral and state-indicative variables such as biomass, vegetation cover fraction, leaf area index, etc., and development of yield forecasting models from single-date (growth stage) and multitemporal (seasonal) reflectance data. Verification of spectral predictions was performed through comparison with estimations from biophysical relationships between crop growth variables. The study was carried out for spring barley and winter wheat. Visible and near-infrared reflectance data was acquired through the whole growing season accompanied by detailed datasets on plant phenology and canopy structural and biochemical attributes. Empirical relationships were derived relating crop agronomic variables and yield to various spectral predictors. The study findings were tested using airborne remote sensing inputs. A good correspondence was found between predicted and actual (ground-truth) estimates

Meta-analysis of climate impacts and uncertainty on crop yields in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, Jerry; Daccache, Andre; Hess, Tim; Haro, David

2016-11-01

Future changes in temperature, rainfall and soil moisture could threaten agricultural land use and crop productivity in Europe, with major consequences for food security. We assessed the projected impacts of climate change on the yield of seven major crop types (viz wheat, barley, maize, potato, sugar beet, rice and rye) grown in Europe using a systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis of data reported in 41 original publications from an initial screening of 1748 studies. Our approach adopted an established SR procedure developed by the Centre for Evidence Based Conservation constrained by inclusion criteria and defined methods for literature searches, data extraction, meta-analysis and synthesis. Whilst similar studies exist to assess climate impacts on crop yield in Africa and South Asia, surprisingly, no comparable synthesis has been undertaken for Europe. Based on the reported results (n = 729) we show that the projected change in average yield in Europe for the seven crops by the 2050s is +8%. For wheat and sugar beet, average yield changes of +14% and +15% are projected, respectively. There were strong regional differences with crop impacts in northern Europe being higher (+14%) and more variable compared to central (+6%) and southern (+5) Europe. Maize is projected to suffer the largest negative mean change in southern Europe (-11%). Evidence of climate impacts on yield was extensive for wheat, maize, sugar beet and potato, but very limited for barley, rice and rye. The implications for supporting climate adaptation policy and informing climate impacts crop science research in Europe are discussed.

Modelling heterogeneity variances in multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis--are informative priors the better solution?

PubMed

Thorlund, Kristian; Thabane, Lehana; Mills, Edward J

2013-01-11

Multiple treatment comparison (MTC) meta-analyses are commonly modeled in a Bayesian framework, and weakly informative priors are typically preferred to mirror familiar data driven frequentist approaches. Random-effects MTCs have commonly modeled heterogeneity under the assumption that the between-trial variance for all involved treatment comparisons are equal (i.e., the 'common variance' assumption). This approach 'borrows strength' for heterogeneity estimation across treatment comparisons, and thus, ads valuable precision when data is sparse. The homogeneous variance assumption, however, is unrealistic and can severely bias variance estimates. Consequently 95% credible intervals may not retain nominal coverage, and treatment rank probabilities may become distorted. Relaxing the homogeneous variance assumption may be equally problematic due to reduced precision. To regain good precision, moderately informative variance priors or additional mathematical assumptions may be necessary. In this paper we describe four novel approaches to modeling heterogeneity variance - two novel model structures, and two approaches for use of moderately informative variance priors. We examine the relative performance of all approaches in two illustrative MTC data sets. We particularly compare between-study heterogeneity estimates and model fits, treatment effect estimates and 95% credible intervals, and treatment rank probabilities. In both data sets, use of moderately informative variance priors constructed from the pair wise meta-analysis data yielded the best model fit and narrower credible intervals. Imposing consistency equations on variance estimates, assuming variances to be exchangeable, or using empirically informed variance priors also yielded good model fits and narrow credible intervals. The homogeneous variance model yielded high precision at all times, but overall inadequate estimates of between-trial variances. Lastly, treatment rankings were similar among the novel approaches, but considerably different when compared with the homogenous variance approach. MTC models using a homogenous variance structure appear to perform sub-optimally when between-trial variances vary between comparisons. Using informative variance priors, assuming exchangeability or imposing consistency between heterogeneity variances can all ensure sufficiently reliable and realistic heterogeneity estimation, and thus more reliable MTC inferences. All four approaches should be viable candidates for replacing or supplementing the conventional homogeneous variance MTC model, which is currently the most widely used in practice.

The Lower Sevier River Basin Crop Monitor and Forecast Decision Support System: Exploiting Landsat Imagery to Provide Continuous Information to Farmers and Water Managers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torres-Rua, A. F.; Walker, W. R.; McKee, M.

2013-12-01

The last century has seen a large number of innovations in agriculture such as better policies for water control and management, upgraded water conveyance, irrigation, distribution, and monitoring systems, and better weather forecasting products. In spite of this, irrigation management and irrigation water deliveries by farmers/water managers is still based on factors like water share amounts, tradition, and past experience on irrigation. These factors are not necessarily related to the actual crop water use; they are followed because of the absence of related information provided in a timely manner at an affordable cost. Thus, it is necessary to develop means to deliver continuous and personalized information about crop water requirements to water users/managers at the field and irrigation system levels so managers at these levels can better quantify the required versus available water for irrigation during the irrigation season. This study presents a new decision support system (DSS) platform that addresses the absence of information on actual crop water requirements and crop performance by providing continuous updated farm-based crop water use along with other farm performance indicators such as crop yield and farm management to irrigators and water managers. This DSS exploits the periodicity of the Landsat Satellite Mission (8 to 16 days, depending on the period of interest) to provide remote monitoring at the individual field and irrigation system levels. The Landsat satellite images are converted into information about crop water use, yield performance and field management through application of state-of-the-art semi-physical and statistical algorithms that provide this information at a pixel basis that are ultimately aggregated to field and irrigation system levels. A version of the DSS has been implemented for the agricultural lands in the Lower Sevier River, Utah, and has been operational since the beginning of the 2013 irrigation season. The main goal of this DSS implementation is to provide continuous and personalized information to farmers and water managers regarding crops in fields and the irrigation delivery system throughout the irrigation season so that decisions related to agricultural water use can result in water savings while not diminishing crop yields.

Fusion of multi-source remote sensing data for agriculture monitoring tasks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skakun, S.; Franch, B.; Vermote, E.; Roger, J. C.; Becker Reshef, I.; Justice, C. O.; Masek, J. G.; Murphy, E.

2016-12-01

Remote sensing data is essential source of information for enabling monitoring and quantification of crop state at global and regional scales. Crop mapping, state assessment, area estimation and yield forecasting are the main tasks that are being addressed within GEO-GLAM. Efficiency of agriculture monitoring can be improved when heterogeneous multi-source remote sensing datasets are integrated. Here, we present several case studies of utilizing MODIS, Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 data along with meteorological data (growing degree days - GDD) for winter wheat yield forecasting, mapping and area estimation. Archived coarse spatial resolution data, such as MODIS, VIIRS and AVHRR, can provide daily global observations that coupled with statistical data on crop yield can enable the development of empirical models for timely yield forecasting at national level. With the availability of high-temporal and high spatial resolution Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A imagery, course resolution empirical yield models can be downscaled to provide yield estimates at regional and field scale. In particular, we present the case study of downscaling the MODIS CMG based generalized winter wheat yield forecasting model to high spatial resolution data sets, namely harmonized Landsat-8 - Sentinel-2A surface reflectance product (HLS). Since the yield model requires corresponding in season crop masks, we propose an automatic approach to extract winter crop maps from MODIS NDVI and MERRA2 derived GDD using Gaussian mixture model (GMM). Validation for the state of Kansas (US) and Ukraine showed that the approach can yield accuracies > 90% without using reference (ground truth) data sets. Another application of yearly derived winter crop maps is their use for stratification purposes within area frame sampling for crop area estimation. In particular, one can simulate the dependence of error (coefficient of variation) on the number of samples and strata size. This approach was used for estimating the area of winter crops in Ukraine for 2013-2016. The GMM-GDD approach is further extended for HLS data to provide automatic winter crop mapping at 30 m resolution for crop yield model and area estimation. In case of persistent cloudiness, addition of Sentinel-1A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is explored for automatic winter crop mapping.

Economic weights for genetic improvement of lactation persistency and milk yield.

PubMed

Togashi, K; Lin, C Y

2009-06-01

This study aimed to establish a criterion for measuring the relative weight of lactation persistency (the ratio of yield at 280 d in milk to peak yield) in restricted selection index for the improvement of net merit comprising 3-parity total yield and total lactation persistency. The restricted selection index was compared with selection based on first-lactation total milk yield (I(1)), the first-two-lactation total yield (I(2)), and first-three-lactation total yield (I(3)). Results show that genetic response in net merit due to selection on restricted selection index could be greater than, equal to, or less than that due to the unrestricted index depending upon the relative weight of lactation persistency and the restriction level imposed. When the relative weight of total lactation persistency is equal to the criterion, the restricted selection index is equal to the selection method compared (I(1), I(2), or I(3)). The restricted selection index yielded a greater response when the relative weight of total lactation persistency was above the criterion, but a lower response when it was below the criterion. The criterion varied depending upon the restriction level (c) imposed and the selection criteria compared. A curvilinear relationship (concave curve) exists between the criterion and the restricted level. The criterion increases as the restriction level deviates in either direction from 1.5. Without prior information of the economic weight of lactation persistency, the imposition of the restriction level of 1.5 on lactation persistency would maximize change in net merit. The procedure presented allows for simultaneous modification of multi-parity lactation curves.

Studying Transonic Gases With a Hydraulic Analog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, W.; Lepore, F.

1986-01-01

Water table for hydraulic-flow research yields valuable information about gas flow at transonic speeds. Used to study fuel and oxidizer flow in high-pressure rocket engines. Method applied to gas flows in such equipment as furnaces, nozzles, and chemical lasers. Especially suitable when wall contours nonuniform, discontinuous, or unusually shaped. Wall shapes changed quickly for study and evaluated on spot. Method used instead of computer simulation when computer models unavailable, inaccurate, or costly to run.

Towards a Solid Foundation of Using Remotely Sensed Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence for Crop Monitoring and Yield Forecast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Sun, Y.; You, L.; Liu, Y.

2017-12-01

The growing demand for food production due to population increase coupled with high vulnerability to volatile environmental changes poses a paramount challenge for mankind in the coming century. Real-time crop monitoring and yield forecasting must be a key part of any solution to this challenge as these activities provide vital information needed for effective and efficient crop management and for decision making. However, traditional methods of crop growth monitoring (e.g., remotely sensed vegetation indices) do not directly relate to the most important function of plants - photosynthesis and therefore crop yield. The recent advance in the satellite remote sensing of Solar-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF), an integrative photosynthetic signal from molecular origin and a direct measure of plant functions holds great promise for real-time monitoring of crop growth conditions and forecasting yields. In this study, we use satellite measurements of SIF from both the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) onboard MetOp-A and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellites to estimate crop yield using both process-based and statistical models. We find that SIF-based crop yield well correlates with the global yield product Spatial Production Allocation Model (SPAM) derived from ground surveys for all major crops including maize, soybean, wheat, sorghum, and rice. The potential and challenges of using upcoming SIF satellite missions for crop monitoring and prediction will also be discussed.

Makeup of the genetic correlation between milk production traits using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism information.

PubMed

van Binsbergen, R; Veerkamp, R F; Calus, M P L

2012-04-01

The correlated responses between traits may differ depending on the makeup of genetic covariances, and may differ from the predictions of polygenic covariances. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the makeup of the genetic covariances between the well-studied traits: milk yield, fat yield, protein yield, and their percentages in more detail. Phenotypic records of 1,737 heifers of research farms in 4 different countries were used after homogenizing and adjusting for management effects. All cows had a genotype for 37,590 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). A bayesian stochastic search variable selection model was used to estimate the SNP effects for each trait. About 0.5 to 1.0% of the SNP had a significant effect on 1 or more traits; however, the SNP without a significant effect explained most of the genetic variances and covariances of the traits. Single nucleotide polymorphism correlations differed from the polygenic correlations, but only 10 regions were found with an effect on multiple traits; in 1 of these regions the DGAT1 gene was previously reported with an effect on multiple traits. This region explained up to 41% of the variances of 4 traits and explained a major part of the correlation between fat yield and fat percentage and contributes to asymmetry in correlated response between fat yield and fat percentage. Overall, for the traits in this study, the infinitesimal model is expected to be sufficient for the estimation of the variances and covariances. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of diversity and combining abilities in Helianthus annuus L. under water stress and normal conditions.

PubMed

Saba, M; Khan, F A; Sadaqat, H A; Rana, I A

2016-10-24

Sunflower cannot produce high yields under water-limiting conditions. The aim of the present study was to prevent the impediments on yield and to develop varieties with high-yield potential under water scarce conditions. For achieving this objective, it is necessary to detect parents with desirable traits that mainly depend on the action of genes controlling the trait under improvement, combining ability, and genetic makeup of the parents. Heterosis can also be used to pool the desirable genes from genetically divergent varieties and these divergent parents could be detected by molecular studies. Ten tolerant and five susceptible tester lines were selected, crossed, and tested for genetic diversity using simple sequence repeat primers. We identified two parents (A-10.8 and G-60) that showed maximum (46.7%) genetic dissimilarity. On an average 3.1 alleles per locus were detected for twenty pair of primers. Evaluation of mean values revealed that under stress conditions the mean performances of the genotypes were reduced for all traits under study. Parent A-10.8 was consistent as a good general combiner for achene yield per plant under both non-stress and stress conditions. Line A-10.8 in the hybrid A-10.8 x G-60 proved to be a good combiner as it showed negative specific combining ability (SCA) effects for plant height and internodal length and positive SCA effects for head weight, achene yield per plant, and membrane stability index. Valuable information on gene action, combining ability, and heterosis was generated, which could be used in further breeding programs.

[Climate change impacts on yield of Cordyceps sinensis and research on yield prediction model of C. sinensis].

PubMed

Zhu, Shou-Dong; Huang, Lu-Qi; Guo, Lan-Ping; Ma, Xing-Tian; Hao, Qing-Xiu; Le, Zhi-Yong; Zhang, Xiao-Bo; Yang, Guang; Zhang, Yan; Chen, Mei-Lan

2017-04-01

Cordyceps sinensis is a Chinese unique precious herbal material, its genuine producing areas covering Naqu, Changdu in Qinghai Tibet Plateau, Yushu in Qinghai province and other regions. In recent 10 years, C. sinensis resources is decreasing as a result of the blindly and excessively perennial dug. How to rationally protect, develop and utilize of the valuable resources of C. sinensis has been referred to an important field of research on C. sinensis. The ecological environment and climate change trend of Qinghai Tibet plateau happens prior to other regions, which means that the distribution and evolution of C. sinensis are more obvious and intense than those of the other populations. Based on RS (remote sensing)/GIS(geographic information system) technology, this paper utilized the relationship between the snowline elevation, the average temperature, precipitation and sunshine hours in harvest period (April and may) of C. sinensis and the actual production of C. sinensis to establish a weighted geometric mean model. The model's prediction accuracy can reach 82.16% at least in forecasting C. sinensis year yield in Naqu area in every early June. This study can provide basic datum and information for supporting the C. sinensis industry healthful, sustainable development. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Random regression models using Legendre polynomials or linear splines for test-day milk yield of dairy Gyr (Bos indicus) cattle.

PubMed

Pereira, R J; Bignardi, A B; El Faro, L; Verneque, R S; Vercesi Filho, A E; Albuquerque, L G

2013-01-01

Studies investigating the use of random regression models for genetic evaluation of milk production in Zebu cattle are scarce. In this study, 59,744 test-day milk yield records from 7,810 first lactations of purebred dairy Gyr (Bos indicus) and crossbred (dairy Gyr × Holstein) cows were used to compare random regression models in which additive genetic and permanent environmental effects were modeled using orthogonal Legendre polynomials or linear spline functions. Residual variances were modeled considering 1, 5, or 10 classes of days in milk. Five classes fitted the changes in residual variances over the lactation adequately and were used for model comparison. The model that fitted linear spline functions with 6 knots provided the lowest sum of residual variances across lactation. On the other hand, according to the deviance information criterion (DIC) and bayesian information criterion (BIC), a model using third-order and fourth-order Legendre polynomials for additive genetic and permanent environmental effects, respectively, provided the best fit. However, the high rank correlation (0.998) between this model and that applying third-order Legendre polynomials for additive genetic and permanent environmental effects, indicates that, in practice, the same bulls would be selected by both models. The last model, which is less parameterized, is a parsimonious option for fitting dairy Gyr breed test-day milk yield records. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Hanwoo Bovine By-products by Means of Yield, Physicochemical and Nutritional Compositions

PubMed Central

Moon, Sung Sil

2014-01-01

Though the edible bovine by-products are widely used for human consumption in most countries worldwide but the scientific information regarding the nutritional quality of these by-products is scarce. In the present study, the basic information regarding the yields, physicochemical and nutritional compositions of edible Hanwoo bovine by-products was studied. Our results showed that the yields, physicochemical and nutritional composition widely varied between the by-products examined. The highest pH values were found in rumen, reticulum, omasum and reproductive organ. Heart, liver, kidney and spleen had the lowest CIE L* values and highest CIE a* values. Liver had the highest vitamin A, B2 and niacin contents whereas the highest B1 and B5 contents were found in kidney. The highest Ca content was found in rumen, reticulum, omasum, head and leg while the highest Mn and Fe contents were found in rumen, omasum and spleen, respectively. Liver had the highest Cu content. Total essential amino acids (EAA)/amino acids (AA) ratios ranged between the by-products from 38.37% to 47.41%. Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) levels ranged between the by-products from 2.26% to 26.47%, and most by-products showed favorable PUFA/SFA ratios. It is concluded that most of by-products examined are good sources of essential nutrients and these data will be of great importance for promotion of consumption and utilization of beef by-products in future. PMID:26761281

Diagnostic Yield of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background: New transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) technologies have been developed, but their clinical effectiveness and determinants of diagnostic yield have not been quantified. Prospective data are needed to determine risk-adjusted diagnostic yield. Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients undergoing TBNA of mediastinal lymph nodes in the American College of Chest Physicians Quality Improvement Registry, Evaluation, and Education (AQuIRE) multicenter database and recorded clinical, procedural, and provider information. All clinical decisions, including type of TBNA used (conventional vs endobronchial ultrasound-guided), were made by the attending bronchoscopist. The primary outcome was obtaining a specific diagnosis. Results: We enrolled 891 patients at six hospitals. Most procedures (95%) were performed with ultrasound guidance. A specific diagnosis was made in 447 cases. Unadjusted diagnostic yields were 37% to 54% for different hospitals, with significant between-hospital heterogeneity (P = .0001). Diagnostic yield was associated with annual hospital TBNA volume (OR, 1.003; 95% CI, 1.000-1.006; P = .037), smoking (OR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.02-2.34; P = .042), biopsy of more than two sites (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.38-0.85; P = .015), lymph node size (reference > 1-2 cm, ≤ 1 cm: OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.34-0.77; P = .003; > 2-3 cm: OR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.61-3.85; P < .001; and > 3 cm: OR, 3.61; 95% CI, 2.17-6.00; P < .001), and positive PET scan (OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 1.39-7.01; P = .018). Biopsy was performed on more and smaller nodes at high-volume hospitals (P < .0001). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first bronchoscopy study of risk-adjusted diagnostic yields on a hospital-level basis. High-volume hospitals were associated with high diagnostic yields. This study also demonstrates the value of procedural registries as a quality improvement tool. A larger number and variety of participating hospitals is needed to verify these results and to further investigate other determinants of diagnostic yield. PMID:21659432

Agroclimate.Org: Tools and Information for a Climate Resilient Agriculture in the Southeast USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraisse, C.

2014-12-01

AgroClimate (http://agroclimate.org) is a web-based system developed to help the agricultural industry in the southeastern USA reduce risks associated with climate variability and change. It includes climate related information and dynamic application tools that interact with a climate and crop database system. Information available includes climate monitoring and forecasts combined with information about crop management practices that help increase the resiliency of the agricultural industry in the region. Recently we have included smartphone apps in the AgroClimate suite of tools, including irrigation management and crop disease alert systems. Decision support tools available in AgroClimate include: (a) Climate risk: expected (probabilistic) and historical climate information and freeze risk; (b) Crop yield risk: expected yield based on soil type, planting date, and basic management practices for selected commodities and historical county yield databases; (c) Crop diseases: disease risk monitoring and forecasting for strawberry and citrus; (d) Crop development: monitoring and forecasting of growing degree-days and chill accumulation; (e) Drought: monitoring and forecasting of selected drought indices, (f) Footprints: Carbon and water footprint calculators. The system also provides background information about the main drivers of climate variability and basic information about climate change in the Southeast USA. AgroClimate has been widely used as an educational tool by the Cooperative Extension Services in the region and also by producers. It is now being replicated internationally with version implemented in Mozambique and Paraguay.

Do the cations in clay and the polymer matrix affect quantum dot fluorescent properties?

PubMed

Wei, Wenjun; Liu, Cui; Liu, Jiyan; Liu, Xueqing; Zou, Linling; Cai, Shaojun; Shi, Hong; Cao, Yuan-Cheng

2016-06-01

This paper studied the effects of cations and polymer matrix on the fluorescent properties of quantum dots (QDs). The results indicated that temperature has a greater impact on fluorescence intensity than clay cations (mainly K(+) and Na(+) ). Combined fluorescence lifetime and steady-state spectrometer tests showed that QD lifetimes all decreased when the cation concentration was increased, but the quantum yields were steady at various cation concentrations of 0, 0.05, 0.5 and 1 M. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and diepoxy resin were used to study the effects of polymers on QD lifetime and quantum yield. The results showed that the lifetime for QDs 550 nm in PEO and PVA was 17.33 and 17.12 ns, respectively; for the epoxy resin, the lifetime was 0.74 ns, a sharp decrease from 24.47 ns. The quantum yield for QDs 550 nm changed from 34.22% to 7.45% and 7.81% in PEO and PVA, respectively; for the epoxy resin the quantum yield was 2.25%. QDs 580 nm and 620 nm showed the same results as QDs 550 nm. This study provides useful information on the design, synthesis and application of QDs-polymer luminescent materials. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nutrient database improvement project: the influence of USDA quality and yield grade on the separable components and proximate composition of raw and cooked retail cuts from the beef chuck.

PubMed

West, S E; Harris, K B; Haneklaus, A N; Savell, J W; Thompson, L D; Brooks, J C; Pool, J K; Luna, A M; Engle, T E; Schutz, J S; Woerner, D R; Arcibeque, S L; Belk, K E; Douglass, L; Leheska, J M; McNeill, S; Howe, J C; Holden, J M; Duvall, M; Patterson, K

2014-08-01

This study was designed to provide updated information on the separable components, cooking yields, and proximate composition of retail cuts from the beef chuck. Additionally, the impact the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Quality and Yield Grade may have on such factors was investigated. Ultimately, these data will be used in the USDA - Nutrient Data Laboratory's (NDL) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). To represent the current United States beef supply, seventy-two carcasses were selected from six regions of the country based on USDA Yield Grade, USDA Quality Grade, gender, and genetic type. Whole beef chuck primals from selected carcasses were shipped to three university laboratories for subsequent retail cut fabrication, raw and cooked cut dissection, and proximate analyses. The incorporation of these data into the SR will improve dietary education, product labeling, and other applications both domestically and abroad, thus emphasizing the importance of accurate and relevant beef nutrient data. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Combined Use of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A Images for Winter Crop Mapping and Winter Wheat Yield Assessment at Regional Scale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skakun, Sergii; Vermote, Eric; Roger, Jean-Claude; Franch, Belen

2017-01-01

Timely and accurate information on crop yield and production is critical to many applications within agriculture monitoring. Thanks to its coverage and temporal resolution, coarse spatial resolution satellite imagery has always been a source of valuable information for yield forecasting and assessment at national and regional scales. With availability of free images acquired by Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 remote sensing satellites, it becomes possible to provide temporal resolution of an image every 3-5 days, and therefore, to develop next generation agriculture products at higher spatial resolution (10-30 m). This paper explores the combined use of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A for winter crop mapping and winter wheat yield assessment at regional scale. For the former, we adapt a previously developed approach for the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument at 250 m resolution that allows automatic mapping of winter crops taking into account a priori knowledge on crop calendar. For the latter, we use a generalized winter wheat yield forecasting model that is based on estimation of the peak Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from MODIS image time-series, and further downscaled to be applicable at 30 m resolution. We show that integration of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A improves both winter crop mapping and winter wheat yield assessment. In particular, the error of winter wheat yield estimates can be reduced up to 1.8 times compared to using a single satellite.

MRI-guided fluorescence tomography of the breast: a phantom study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Scott C.; Pogue, Brian W.; Dehghani, Hamid; Paulsen, Keith D.

2009-02-01

Tissue phantoms simulating the human breast were used to demonstrate the imaging capabilities of an MRI-coupled fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) imaging system. Specifically, phantoms with low tumor-to-normal drug contrast and complex internal structure were imaged with the MR-coupled FMT system. Images of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence yield were recovered using a diffusion model-based approach capable of estimating the distribution of fluorescence activity in a tissue volume from tissue-boundary measurements of transmitted light. Tissue structural information, which can be determined from standard T1 and T2 MR images, was used to guide the recovery of fluorescence activity. The study revealed that this spatial guidance is critical for recovering images of fluorescence yield in tissue with low tumor-to-normal drug contrast.

Psychometric analysis of five measures of spatial ability.

PubMed

Hogan, Thomas P

2012-02-01

This study analyzed psychometric properties of five measures of spatial ability on 96 young adults, with supplementary analysis for three of the measures on another sample of 71 young adults. Two measures were taken from the widely cited Kit of Factor-Referenced Cognitive Tests and three other measures were taken from a relatively new source originally intended as laboratory demonstrations. Previous research provided limited information on the psychometric properties of the measures. All five measures yielded adequate reliability and loaded on a single factor. Three measures yielded markedly skewed distributions. Two measures showed clear sex differences with men scoring higher but this difference seemed contaminated by a speed factor; three measures did not show a sex difference. Recommendations for use of the measures in future studies are provided.

Toward Direct Reaction-in-Flight Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilhelmy, Jerry; Bredeweg, Todd; Fowler, Malcolm; Gooden, Matthew; Hayes, Anna; Rusev, Gencho; Caggiano, Joseph; Hatarik, Robert; Henry, Eugene; Tonchev, Anton; Yeaman, Charles; Bhike, Megha; Krishichayan, Krishi; Tornow, Werner

2016-03-01

At the National Ignition Facility (NIF) neutrons having energies greater than the equilibrium 14.1 MeV value can be produced via Reaction-in-Flight (RIF) interactions between plasma atoms and upscattered D or T ions. The yield and spectrum of these RIF produced neutrons carry information on the plasma properties as well as information on the stopping power of ions under plasma conditions. At NIF the yield of these RIF neutrons is predicted to be 4-7 orders of magnitude below the peak 14 MeV neutron yield. The current generation of neutron time of flight (nTOF) instrumentation has so far been incapable of detecting these low-yield neutrons primarily due to high photon backgrounds. To date, information on RIF neutrons has been obtained in integral activation experiments using reactions with high energy thresholds such as 169Tm(n,3n)167Tm and 209Bi(n,4n) 206Bi. Initial experiments to selectively suppress photon backgrounds have been performed at TUNL using pulsed monoenergetic neutron beams of 14.9, 18.5, 24.2, and 28.5 MeV impinging on a Bibenzyl scintillator. By placing 5 cm of Pb before the scintillator we were able to selectively suppress the photons from the flash occurring at the production target and enhance the n/_signal by ~6 times.

Sputum color: potential implications for clinical practice.

PubMed

Johnson, Allen L; Hampson, David F; Hampson, Neil B

2008-04-01

Respiratory infections with sputum production are a major reason for physician visits, diagnostic testing, and antibiotic prescription in the United States. We sought to determine whether the simple characteristic of sputum color provides information that impacts resource utilization such as laboratory testing and prescription of antibiotics. Out-patient sputum samples submitted to the microbiology laboratory for routine analysis were assigned to one of 8 color categories (green, yellow-green, rust, yellow, red, cream, white, and clear), based on a key made from paint chip color samples. Subsequent Gram stain and culture results were compared to sputum color. Of 289 consecutive samples, 144 (50%) met standard Gram-stain criteria for being acceptable lower-respiratory-tract specimens. In the acceptable Gram-stain group, 60 samples had a predominant organism on Gram stain, and the culture yielded a consistent result in 42 samples (15% of the 289 total specimens). Yield at each level of analysis differed greatly by color. The yield from sputum colors green, yellow-green, yellow, and rust was much higher than the yield from cream, white, or clear. If out-patient sputum is cream, white, or clear, the yield from bacteriologic analysis is extremely low. This information can reduce laboratory processing costs and help minimize unnecessary antibiotic prescription.

Nitrogen rate strategies for reducing yield-scaled nitrous oxide emissions in maize

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xu; Nafziger, Emerson D.; Pittelkow, Cameron M.

2017-12-01

Mitigating nitrogen (N) losses from agriculture without negatively impacting crop productivity is a pressing environmental and economic challenge. Reductions in N fertilizer rate are often highlighted as a solution, yet the degree to which crop yields and economic returns may be impacted at the field-level remains unclear, in part due to limited data availability. Farmers are risk averse and potential yield losses may limit the success of voluntary N loss mitigation protocols, thus understanding field-level yield tradeoffs is critical to inform policy development. Using a case study of soil N2O mitigation in the US Midwest, we conducted an ex-post assessment of two economic and two environmental N rate reduction strategies to identify promising practices for maintaining maize yields and economic returns while reducing N2O emissions per unit yield (i.e. yield-scaled emissions) compared to an assumed baseline N input level. Maize yield response data from 201 on-farm N rate experiments were combined with an empirical equation predicting N2O emissions as a function of N rate. Results indicate that the economic strategy aimed at maximizing returns to N (MRTN) led to moderate but consistent reductions in yield-scaled N2O emissions with small negative impacts on yield and slight increases in median returns. The economic optimum N rate strategy reduced yield-scaled N2O emissions in 75% of cases but increased them otherwise, challenging the assumption that this strategy will automatically reduce environmental impacts per unit production. Both environmental strategies, one designed to increase N recovery efficiency and one to balance N inputs with grain N removal, further reduced yield-scaled N2O emissions but were also associated with negative yield penalties and decreased returns. These results highlight the inherent tension between achieving agronomic and economic goals while reducing environmental impacts which is often overlooked in policy discussions. To enable the development of more scalable environmental N loss mitigation strategies, yield tradeoffs occurring at the critical point of adoption (i.e. the farm-level) should be considered.

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn C. F.) fruit yield assessment and management by farm households in the Atacora district of Benin

PubMed Central

Villamor, Grace B.; Nyarko, Benjamin Kofi; Wala, Kperkouma; Akpagana, Koffi

2018-01-01

Vitellaria paradoxa (Gaertn C. F.), or shea tree, remains one of the most valuable trees for farmers in the Atacora district of northern Benin, where rural communities depend on shea products for both food and income. To optimize productivity and management of shea agroforestry systems, or "parklands," accurate and up-to-date data are needed. For this purpose, we monitored120 fruiting shea trees for two years under three land-use scenarios and different soil groups in Atacora, coupled with a farm household survey to elicit information on decision making and management practices. To examine the local pattern of shea tree productivity and relationships between morphological factors and yields, we used a randomized branch sampling method and applied a regression analysis to build a shea yield model based on dendrometric, soil and land-use variables. We also compared potential shea yields based on farm household socio-economic characteristics and management practices derived from the survey data. Soil and land-use variables were the most important determinants of shea fruit yield. In terms of land use, shea trees growing on farmland plots exhibited the highest yields (i.e., fruit quantity and mass) while trees growing on Lixisols performed better than those of the other soil group. Contrary to our expectations, dendrometric parameters had weak relationships with fruit yield regardless of land-use and soil group. There is an inter-annual variability in fruit yield in both soil groups and land-use type. In addition to observed inter-annual yield variability, there was a high degree of variability in production among individual shea trees. Furthermore, household socioeconomic characteristics such as road accessibility, landholding size, and gross annual income influence shea fruit yield. The use of fallow areas is an important land management practice in the study area that influences both conservation and shea yield. PMID:29346406

Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn C. F.) fruit yield assessment and management by farm households in the Atacora district of Benin.

PubMed

Aleza, Koutchoukalo; Villamor, Grace B; Nyarko, Benjamin Kofi; Wala, Kperkouma; Akpagana, Koffi

2018-01-01

Vitellaria paradoxa (Gaertn C. F.), or shea tree, remains one of the most valuable trees for farmers in the Atacora district of northern Benin, where rural communities depend on shea products for both food and income. To optimize productivity and management of shea agroforestry systems, or "parklands," accurate and up-to-date data are needed. For this purpose, we monitored120 fruiting shea trees for two years under three land-use scenarios and different soil groups in Atacora, coupled with a farm household survey to elicit information on decision making and management practices. To examine the local pattern of shea tree productivity and relationships between morphological factors and yields, we used a randomized branch sampling method and applied a regression analysis to build a shea yield model based on dendrometric, soil and land-use variables. We also compared potential shea yields based on farm household socio-economic characteristics and management practices derived from the survey data. Soil and land-use variables were the most important determinants of shea fruit yield. In terms of land use, shea trees growing on farmland plots exhibited the highest yields (i.e., fruit quantity and mass) while trees growing on Lixisols performed better than those of the other soil group. Contrary to our expectations, dendrometric parameters had weak relationships with fruit yield regardless of land-use and soil group. There is an inter-annual variability in fruit yield in both soil groups and land-use type. In addition to observed inter-annual yield variability, there was a high degree of variability in production among individual shea trees. Furthermore, household socioeconomic characteristics such as road accessibility, landholding size, and gross annual income influence shea fruit yield. The use of fallow areas is an important land management practice in the study area that influences both conservation and shea yield.

Veneer grade yield from pruned Douglas-fir.

Treesearch

Edward J. II Dimock; Henry H. Haskell

1962-01-01

This paper reports actual veneer yields obtained from 10 trees pruned at age 38 and harvested 20 years later. Information of this kind is needed to help determine if and when to prune and ultimately will be essential to a thorough economic analysis of expected returns from pruning.

Maize proximate composition and physical properties correlations to dry-grind ethanol concentrations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dry grind ethanol plants incur economic losses due to seasonal variations in ethanol yields. One possible cause associated with ethanol yield variability is incoming grain quality. There is little published information on factors causing variation in dry grind ethanol concentrations. The objective o...

Weather-based forecasts of California crop yields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lobell, D B; Cahill, K N; Field, C B

2005-09-26

Crop yield forecasts provide useful information to a range of users. Yields for several crops in California are currently forecast based on field surveys and farmer interviews, while for many crops official forecasts do not exist. As broad-scale crop yields are largely dependent on weather, measurements from existing meteorological stations have the potential to provide a reliable, timely, and cost-effective means to anticipate crop yields. We developed weather-based models of state-wide yields for 12 major California crops (wine grapes, lettuce, almonds, strawberries, table grapes, hay, oranges, cotton, tomatoes, walnuts, avocados, and pistachios), and tested their accuracy using cross-validation over themore » 1980-2003 period. Many crops were forecast with high accuracy, as judged by the percent of yield variation explained by the forecast, the number of yields with correctly predicted direction of yield change, or the number of yields with correctly predicted extreme yields. The most successfully modeled crop was almonds, with 81% of yield variance captured by the forecast. Predictions for most crops relied on weather measurements well before harvest time, allowing for lead times that were longer than existing procedures in many cases.« less

Prodromal disease: Immune responses of the host macrophage system to humoral factors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Criswell, B. S.; Knight, V.

1973-01-01

A composite is presented of nine studies, each yielding information contributing toward an understanding of methods designed to detect disease during the prodromal stages. The data further point to new areas of study that might be useful in early diagnoses. Five of the none experiments were done in mice. Four of these involved acute infectious disease states and one involved a chronic autoimmune type disease. Of the numerous perimeters studied of the acute diseases, the uptake of H3- thymidine by peripheral blood lymphocytes appeared to yield the earliest indication of disease. This test was not useful in studying the chronic disease state. Four of the nine studies involved application of diagnostic technics to human disease. A normal baseline for H3-thymidine incorporation by human lymphocytes was determined. A subject with severe combined immunodeficiency disease was studied. A human volunteer study was done using Influenza A live attenuated vaccine. Finally, a human volunteer study of subjects infected with Influenza A was done.

Wheat yield estimation at the farm level using TM Landsat and agrometeorological data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudorff, B. F. T.; Batista, G. T.

1991-01-01

A model for estimating wheat yields on the farm level was developed, that integrates the Landsat TM data and agrometeorological information. Results obtained for a test site in southern Brasil for years of 1986 and 1987 show that the vegetation index derived from Landsat TM could account for the 60 to 40 percent wheat-yield variability observed between the two crop years. Compared to results using either the Landsat TM vegetation index or the agrometeorological data alone, the joint use of both types of data in a single model yielded a significant improvement.

Evaluation of a Prison Occupational Therapy Informal Education Program: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Crabtree, Jeffrey L; Ohm, David; Wall, Jarrod M; Ray, Joseph

2016-12-01

This pilot study explored the strengths and weaknesses of an informal education program and identified elements of the program valued by participants. Participants were men living in a minimum security prison who had been incarcerated for ten or more years. The outside researcher was joined by three former program participants as co-researchers. Together, they interviewed 27 residents who completed the informal education program. Interviews were transcribed and de-identified. Researchers used the summative content analysis approach to analyze the data. Initial content analysis yielded five concepts: doing (engaging in purposeful activities); information (program handouts and discussions that included data and descriptions of all of the topics discussed); re-entry fears (socialization; making amends with victims and/or reuniting with family and friends); technology (includes, but not limited to, using smartphones, internet and other technology in all areas of occupation); and self-worth as a person. Further interpretation per the summative content analysis method yielded three themes: doing (engaged in purposeful activities), validation of self-worth (confirmation of being a valued human being in spite of having committed a serious crime) and concerns about the future (being able to successfully engage in virtually all occupations). Whilst informal education programs may help people who are incarcerated gain information, gain a sense of self-worth and allay some reentry fears, understanding the long-term affect such programs may have such as preparing them for successful re-entry to society or reducing recidivism rates, will require long-term follow-up. Regardless of the occupational therapy intervention, the practice of occupational therapy in the criminal justice system needs to be client-centred. Because of the small number of participants and limited access to participants, one should not generalize the findings of this study to other situations or populations. Further research to examine the effectiveness of an occupational therapy education program is warranted. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparative virulence and molecular diversity of stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) collections from Pakistan and United States

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Information on virulence and molecular diversity of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) is a pre-requisite for mitigating the substantial yield losses caused by the stripe rust pathogen in Pakistan, the United States and other countries of the world. This study was undertaken to analyze both v...

Intercropping of oat and field pea in Alaska: an alternative approach to quality forage production and weed control

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intercropping of legumes with non-legumes is an ancient crop production method used to improve quality and dry matter (DM) yields of forage and grain, and to control weeds. However, there is little information regarding intercropping at high latitudes. The objectives of this field study were to eval...

The effects of water and lipids on NIR optical breast measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerussi, Albert E.; Bevilacqua, Frederic; Shah, Natasha; Jakubowski, Dorota B.; Berger, Andrew J.; Lanning, Ryan M.; Tromberg, Bruce J.

2001-06-01

Near infrared diffuse optical spectroscopy and imaging may enhance existing technologies for breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. NIR spectroscopy yields quantitative functional information that cannot be obtained with other non-invasive radiological techniques. In this study we focused upon the origins of this contrast in healthy breast, especially from water and lipids.

Sending Farmers Back to School: The Impact of Farmer Field Schools in Indonesia. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feder, Gershon; Murgai, Rinku; Quizon, Jaime B.

A study evaluated the impact of Farmer Field Schools in Indonesia, an intensive participatory training program emphasizing integrated pest management. Focus was on whether program participation improved yields and reduced pesticide use among graduates and neighbors who gained knowledge through informal communications. It used a modified…

Yielding to Desire: The Durability of Affective Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapp, David N.; Jacovina, Matthew E.; Slaten, Daniel G.; Krause, Elise

2014-01-01

People's expectations about the future are guided not just by the contingencies of situations but also by what they hope or wish will happen next. These preferences can inform predictions that run counter to what should or must occur based on the logic of unfolding events. Effects of this type have been regularly identified in studies of judgment…

Career Interest Characterizing and Reporting System. May 1, 1976 - May 31, 1977. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas State Technical Inst., Waco.

A study was conducted to update the existing Career Interest Characterizing (CIC) instrument in terms of current career choices of students and to implement the survey instrument in the Texas secondary school counseling programs. The CIC instrument defines career interests of secondary school students and yields information of value in counseling…

Comparison between fertigation and granular application of potassium fertilizer on mineral nutrition, yield, and fruit quality in northern highbush blueberry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fertigation with N increases growth and production relative to granular N applications in northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosym L.), but little information is available on whether there is any benefit to fertigating with other nutrients. The objective of this study was to compare fertiga...

Flexible Grouping as a Means for Classroom Management in a Heterogeneous Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rytivaara, Anna

2011-01-01

This article concerns issues of classroom management in heterogeneous classrooms. Although research in the field of learning styles has yielded mixed results, there is a call for information about how they could be used to individualize instruction, especially in primary schools. This article is part of an ethnographic study aiming to examine…

Quantitative evaluation of his-tag purification and immunoprecipitation of tristetraprolin and its mutant proteins from transfected human cells

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Histidine (His)-tag is widely used for affinity purification of recombinant proteins, but the yield and purity of expressed proteins are quite different. Little information is available about quantitative evaluation of this procedure. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the His-tag pr...

Modifying the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time to Measure Teacher Practices Related to Physical Activity Promotion: SOFIT+

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, R. Glenn; Webster, Collin A.; Erwin, Heather; Beighle, Aaron; Beets, Michael W.; Choukroun, Hadrien; Kaysing, Nicole

2016-01-01

The System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) is commonly used to measure variables related to physical activity during physical education (PE). However, SOFIT does not yield detailed information about teacher practices related to children's moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This study describes the modification of SOFIT…

Study of overlength on red oak lumber drying quality and rough mill yield

Treesearch

Brian Bond; Janice Wiedenbeck

2006-01-01

Lumber stacking practices can directly affect drying defects, drying rate, and moisture content uniformity. The effect of overlength on drying is generally thought to be detrimental, yet large volumes of overlength lumber are used by secondary manufacturers. Managers of secondary manufacturing facilities need quantitative information to assist them in determining if...

Private Schools and the Willingness to Pay for Public Schooling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brasington, David M.

2007-01-01

Households pay a premium to live in houses assigned to high quality public schools, and the housing market yields information about the demand for public school quality. The current study estimates a two-stage house price hedonic emphasizing the role that private schools play in the willingness to pay for public school quality. The elasticity of…

Characterization of Edible Pork By-products by Means of Yield and Nutritional Composition

PubMed Central

Moon, Sung Sil

2014-01-01

Basic information regarding the yield and nutritional composition of edible pork by-products, namely heart, liver, lung, stomach, spleen, uterus, pancreas, and small and large intestines, was studied. Our results revealed that the yields varied widely among the pork by-products examined; in particular, liver had the highest yield (1.35%); whereas, spleen had the lowest yield (0.16%). The approximate composition range (minimum to maximum) of these by-products was found to be: moisture 71.59-82.48%; fat 0.28-19.54%; ash 0.155-1.34%, and protein 8.45-22.05%. The highest protein, vitamin A, B2, B6, and total essential amino acid (EAA) contents were found in liver. Large intestine had the highest fat content and lowest EAA content. Heart had the highest vitamin B1 content, whereas pancreas had the highest niacin and vitamin B3 contents. The concentrations of Fe and Zn were highest in liver and pancreas. Total saturated fatty acids (SFA) levels and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) levels between the by-products ranged from 43.15-50.48%, and 14.92-30.16%, respectively. Furthermore, with the exception of large intestine, all the by-products showed favorable PUFA/SFA ratios. The study indicated that almost all of the pork by-products examined were good sources of important nutrients, and that these data will be of great importance in the promotion of the consumption of edible pork by-products, as well as their utilization in meat processing. PMID:26761170

Information Measures for Multisensor Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-11

permuted to generate spectra that were non- physical but preserved the entropy of the source spectra. Another 1000 spectra were constructed to mimic co...Research Laboratory (NRL) has yielded probabilistic models for spectral data that enable the computation of information measures such as entropy and...22308 Chemical sensing Information theory Spectral data Information entropy Information divergence Mass spectrometry Infrared spectroscopy Multisensor

Does administering a comprehensive examination affect pass rates on the Registered Health Information Administrator certification examination?

PubMed

McNeill, Marjorie H

2009-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether the administration of a comprehensive examination before graduation increases the percentage of students passing the Registered Health Information Administrator certification examination. A t-test for independent means yielded a statistically significant difference between the Registered Health Information Administrator certification examination pass rates of health information administration programs that administer a comprehensive examination and programs that do not administer a comprehensive examination. Programs with a high certification examination pass rate do not require a comprehensive examination when compared with those programs with a lower pass rate. It is concluded that health information administration faculty at the local level should perform program self-analysis to improve student progress toward achievement of learning outcomes and entry-level competencies.

Group Health's participation in a shared decision-making demonstration yielded lessons, such as role of culture change.

PubMed

King, Jaime; Moulton, Benjamin

2013-02-01

In 2007 Washington State became the first state to enact legislation encouraging the use of shared decision making and decision aids to address deficiencies in the informed-consent process. Group Health volunteered to fulfill a legislated mandate to study the costs and benefits of integrating these shared decision-making processes into clinical practice across a range of conditions for which multiple treatment options are available. The Group Health Demonstration Project, conducted during 2009-11, yielded five key lessons for successful implementation, including the synergy between efforts to reduce practice variation and increase shared decision making; the need to support modifications in practice with changes in physician training and culture; and the value of identifying best implementation methods through constant evaluation and iterative improvement. These lessons, and the legislated provisions that supported successful implementation, can guide other states and health care institutions moving toward informed patient choice as the standard of care for medical decision making.

Multi-Phenomenological Analysis of the 12 August 2015 Tianjin, China Chemical Explosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasyanos, M.; Kim, K.; Park, J.; Stump, B. W.; Hayward, C.; Che, I. Y.; Zhao, L.; Myers, S. C.

2016-12-01

We perform a multi-phenomenological analysis of the massive near-surface chemical explosions that occurred in Tianjin, China on 12 August 2015. A recent assessment of these events was performed by Zhao et al. (2016) using local (< 100 km) seismic data. This study considers a regional assessment of the same sequence in the absence of having any local data. We provide additional insight by combining regional seismic analysis with the use of infrasound signals and an assessment of the event crater. Event locations using infrasound signals recorded at Korean and IMS arrays are estimated based on the Bayesian Infrasonic Source Location (BISL) method (Modrak et al., 2010), and improved with azimuthal corrections using a raytracing (Blom and Waxler, 2012) and the Ground-to-Space (G2S) atmospheric models (Drob et al., 2003). The location information provided from the infrasound signals is then merged with the regional seismic arrivals to produce a joint event location. The yields of the events are estimated from seismic and infrasonic observations. Seismic waveform envelope method (Pasyanos et al., 2012) including the free surface effect (Pasyanos and Ford, 2015) is applied to regional seismic signals. Waveform inversion method (Kim and Rodgers, 2016) is used for infrasound signals. A combination of the seismic and acoustic signals can provide insights on the energy partitioning and break the tradeoffs between the yield and the depth/height of explosions, resulting in a more robust estimation of event yield. The yield information from the different phenomenologies are combined through the use of likelihood functions.

Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Toot Traits Using Sequencing-Based Genotyping Chromosome Segment Substitution Lines Derived from 9311 and Nipponbare in Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

PubMed

Zhou, Yong; Dong, Guichun; Tao, Yajun; Chen, Chen; Yang, Bin; Wu, Yue; Yang, Zefeng; Liang, Guohua; Wang, Baohe; Wang, Yulong

2016-01-01

Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with rice root morphology provides useful information for avoiding drought stress and maintaining yield production under the irrigation condition. In this study, a set of chromosome segment substitution lines derived from 9311 as the recipient and Nipponbare as donor, were used to analysis root morphology. By combining the resequencing-based bin-map with a multiple linear regression analysis, QTL identification was conducted on root number (RN), total root length (TRL), root dry weight (RDW), maximum root length (MRL), root thickness (RTH), total absorption area (TAA) and root vitality (RV), using the CSSL population grown under hydroponic conditions. A total of thirty-eight QTLs were identified: six for TRL, six for RDW, eight for the MRL, four for RTH, seven for RN, two for TAA, and five for RV. Phenotypic effect variance explained by these QTLs ranged from 2.23% to 37.08%, and four single QTLs had more than 10% phenotypic explanations on three root traits. We also detected the correlations between grain yield (GY) and root traits, and found that TRL, RTH and MRL had significantly positive correlations with GY. However, TRL, RDW and MRL had significantly positive correlations with biomass yield (BY). Several QTLs identified in our population were co-localized with some loci for grain yield or biomass. This information may be immediately exploited for improving rice water and fertilizer use efficiency for molecular breeding of root system architectures.

Using the theory of planned behavior to determine factors influencing processed foods consumption behavior.

PubMed

Seo, Sunhee; Kim, Og Yeon; Shim, Soonmi

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study is to identify how level of information affected intention, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study was conducted survey in diverse community centers and shopping malls in Seoul, which yielded N = 209 datasets. To compare processed foods consumption behavior, we divided samples into two groups based on level of information about food additives (whether respondents felt that information on food additives was sufficient or not). We analyzed differences in attitudes toward food additives and toward purchasing processed foods, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions to processed foods between sufficient information group and lack information group. The results confirmed that more than 78% of respondents thought information on food additives was insufficient. However, the group who felt information was sufficient had more positive attitudes about consuming processed foods and behavioral intentions than the group who thought information was inadequate. This study found people who consider that they have sufficient information on food additives tend to have more positive attitudes toward processed foods and intention to consume processed foods. This study suggests increasing needs for nutrition education on the appropriate use of processed foods. Designing useful nutrition education requires a good understanding of factors which influence on processed foods consumption.

Using the theory of planned behavior to determine factors influencing processed foods consumption behavior

PubMed Central

Kim, Og Yeon; Shim, Soonmi

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to identify how level of information affected intention, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. SUBJECTS/METHODS The study was conducted survey in diverse community centers and shopping malls in Seoul, which yielded N = 209 datasets. To compare processed foods consumption behavior, we divided samples into two groups based on level of information about food additives (whether respondents felt that information on food additives was sufficient or not). We analyzed differences in attitudes toward food additives and toward purchasing processed foods, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions to processed foods between sufficient information group and lack information group. RESULTS The results confirmed that more than 78% of respondents thought information on food additives was insufficient. However, the group who felt information was sufficient had more positive attitudes about consuming processed foods and behavioral intentions than the group who thought information was inadequate. This study found people who consider that they have sufficient information on food additives tend to have more positive attitudes toward processed foods and intention to consume processed foods. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests increasing needs for nutrition education on the appropriate use of processed foods. Designing useful nutrition education requires a good understanding of factors which influence on processed foods consumption. PMID:24944779

Simulations for Making On-farm Decisions in Relation to ENSO in Semi-arid Areas, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesfuhuney, W. A.; Crespo, O. O.; Walker, S. S.; Steyn, S. A.

2017-12-01

The study was employed to investigate and improve on-farm decision making on planting dates and fertilization by relating simulated yield and seasonal outlook information. The Agricultural Production Systems SIMulator model (APSIM) was used to explore ENSO/SOI effects for small-scale farmers to represent weather conditions and soil forms of semi-arid areas of Bothaville, Bethlehem and Bloemfontein regions in South Africa. The relationships of rainfall and SOI anomalies indicate a positive correlation, signifies ENSO/SOI as seasonal outlooks for study areas. Model evaluation results showed higher degree of bias (RMSEs/RMSE value of 0.88-0.98). The D-index of agreement in the range 0.61-0.71 indicate the ability of the APSIM-Maize model is an adequate tool in evaluating relative changes in maize yield in relation to various management practices and seasonal variations. During rainy, La Niño years (SOI > +5), highest simulated yields were found for Bethlehem in November with addition of 100 - 150 kg ha-1 N fertilization and up to 50 kg ha-1 for both Bothaville and Bloemfontein. With respect to various levels of fertilization, the dry El Niño years (SOI < -5) had a range of 0.90-1.31, 3.03-3.54 and 1.11-1.26 t ha-1 yields and showed to increase during La Niña years with a range of 2.50-2.66, 3.36-4.79 and 2.24-2.38 t ha-1 at Bothaville, Bethlehem and Bloemfontein for November planting. During El Niño episodes planting earlier and using 50 kg ha-1 fertilizer with improved short maturing cultivar are effective adaptation measures to counteract poor soils and erratic rainfall of semi-arid environment, Under optimal soil conditions and/or when probability of La Niño episodes, optimal yields are obtained by maximizing fertilization. Effective rainfall and tactical on-farm management decisions in associate with seasonal rainfall out looks information is a useful mechanism in reducing risk for dryland farming in semi-arid regions. Key word: Semi-arid; APSIM; SOI; El Niño / La Niña; On-farm Decisions

Creation of a simple natural language processing tool to support an imaging utilization quality dashboard.

PubMed

Swartz, Jordan; Koziatek, Christian; Theobald, Jason; Smith, Silas; Iturrate, Eduardo

2017-05-01

Testing for venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with cost and risk to patients (e.g. radiation). To assess the appropriateness of imaging utilization at the provider level, it is important to know that provider's diagnostic yield (percentage of tests positive for the diagnostic entity of interest). However, determining diagnostic yield typically requires either time-consuming, manual review of radiology reports or the use of complex and/or proprietary natural language processing software. The objectives of this study were twofold: 1) to develop and implement a simple, user-configurable, and open-source natural language processing tool to classify radiology reports with high accuracy and 2) to use the results of the tool to design a provider-specific VTE imaging dashboard, consisting of both utilization rate and diagnostic yield. Two physicians reviewed a training set of 400 lower extremity ultrasound (UTZ) and computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) reports to understand the language used in VTE-positive and VTE-negative reports. The insights from this review informed the arguments to the five modifiable parameters of the NLP tool. A validation set of 2,000 studies was then independently classified by the reviewers and by the tool; the classifications were compared and the performance of the tool was calculated. The tool was highly accurate in classifying the presence and absence of VTE for both the UTZ (sensitivity 95.7%; 95% CI 91.5-99.8, specificity 100%; 95% CI 100-100) and CTPA reports (sensitivity 97.1%; 95% CI 94.3-99.9, specificity 98.6%; 95% CI 97.8-99.4). The diagnostic yield was then calculated at the individual provider level and the imaging dashboard was created. We have created a novel NLP tool designed for users without a background in computer programming, which has been used to classify venous thromboembolism reports with a high degree of accuracy. The tool is open-source and available for download at http://iturrate.com/simpleNLP. Results obtained using this tool can be applied to enhance quality by presenting information about utilization and yield to providers via an imaging dashboard. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kasemer, Matthew; Quey, Romain; Dawson, Paul

Discussed is a computational study of the influence of the microstructure’s geometric morphology on the yield strength and ductility of Ti-6Al-4V. Uniaxial tension tests were conducted on physical specimens to determine the macroscopic yield strength and ductility of two microstructural variations (mill annealed and β annealed) to establish comparisons of macroscopic properties. A multi-experimental approach was utilized to gather two dimensional and three dimensional data, which were used to inform the construction of representative β annealed polycrystals. A highly parallelized crystal plasticity finite element framework was employed to model the deformation response of the generated polycrystals subjected to uniaxial tension.more » To gauge the macroscopic response’s sensitivity to the morphology of the geometry, the key geometrical features - namely the number of high temperature β phase grains, α phase colonies, and size of remnant secondary β phase lamellae - were altered systematically in a suite of simulations. Both single phase and dual phase aggregates were studied. Presented are the calculated yield strengths and ductilities, and the resulting trends as functions of geometric parameters are examined in light of the heterogeneity in deformation at the crystal scale.« less

Three decadal inputs of total organic carbon from four major coastal river basins to the summer hypoxic zone of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

He, Songjie; Xu, Y Jun

2015-01-15

This study investigated long-term (1980-2009) yields and variability of total organic carbon (TOC) from four major coastal rivers in Louisiana entering the Northern Gulf of Mexico where a large-area summer hypoxic zone has been occurring since the middle 1980s. Two of these rivers drain agriculture-intensive (>40%) watersheds, while the other two rivers drain forest-pasture dominated (>50%) watersheds. The study found that these rivers discharged a total of 13.0×10(4)t TOC annually, fluctuating from 5.9×10(4) to 22.8×10(4)t. Seasonally, the rivers showed high TOC yield during the winter and early spring months, corresponding to the seasonal trend of river discharge. While river hydrology controlled TOC yields, land use has played an important role in fluxes, seasonal variations, and characteristics of TOC. The findings fill in a critical information gap of quantity and quality of organic carbon transport from coastal watersheds to one of the world's largest summer hypoxic zones. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bayesian inference for the genetic control of water deficit tolerance in spring wheat by stochastic search variable selection.

PubMed

Safari, Parviz; Danyali, Syyedeh Fatemeh; Rahimi, Mehdi

2018-06-02

Drought is the main abiotic stress seriously influencing wheat production. Information about the inheritance of drought tolerance is necessary to determine the most appropriate strategy to develop tolerant cultivars and populations. In this study, generation means analysis to identify the genetic effects controlling grain yield inheritance in water deficit and normal conditions was considered as a model selection problem in a Bayesian framework. Stochastic search variable selection (SSVS) was applied to identify the most important genetic effects and the best fitted models using different generations obtained from two crosses applying two water regimes in two growing seasons. The SSVS is used to evaluate the effect of each variable on the dependent variable via posterior variable inclusion probabilities. The model with the highest posterior probability is selected as the best model. In this study, the grain yield was controlled by the main effects (additive and non-additive effects) and epistatic. The results demonstrate that breeding methods such as recurrent selection and subsequent pedigree method and hybrid production can be useful to improve grain yield.

Spatial Statistical Data Fusion for Remote Sensing Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Hai

2010-01-01

Data fusion is the process of combining information from heterogeneous sources into a single composite picture of the relevant process, such that the composite picture is generally more accurate and complete than that derived from any single source alone. Data collection is often incomplete, sparse, and yields incompatible information. Fusion techniques can make optimal use of such data. When investment in data collection is high, fusion gives the best return. Our study uses data from two satellites: (1) Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), (2) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS).

Stover removal effects on continuous corn yield and nitrogen use efficiency under irrigation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn (Zea mays L.) residue or stover is harvested as supplemental feed for livestock and is a primary feedstock for cellulosic biofuels. Limited information is available on corn residue removal effects on grain yield under different nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates, irrigation rates and amelioration pr...

Information loss in approximately bayesian data assimilation: a comparison of generative and discriminative approaches to estimating agricultural yield

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Data assimilation and regression are two commonly used methods for predicting agricultural yield from remote sensing observations. Data assimilation is a generative approach because it requires explicit approximations of the Bayesian prior and likelihood to compute the probability density function...

Growth and yield of Giant Sequoia

Treesearch

David J. Dulitz

1986-01-01

Very little information exists concerning growth and yield of giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum [Lindl.] Buchholz). For old-growth trees, diameter growth is the single factor adding increment since maximum height has been obtained. Diameter growth averages 0.04 inches per year in normal old-growth trees but will fluctuate with changes in the...

76 FR 13436 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-11

... target population to which generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, the sample design (including... for submission for other generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results. The MSPB... insights on perceptions and opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that...

Baseline Study of Women in South Africa with Postgraduate Physics Degrees (abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grayson, Diane J.

2009-04-01

A baseline study was conducted of women in South Africa who obtained BSc (Honours), MSc, or PhD degrees in physics and astronomy between 1995 and 2005. The first step involved identifying and contacting the women, using snowball sampling. These women were then asked to complete a questionnaire by e-mail. Responses to the questionnaire yielded information about the types of schools they attended, attitudes of their teachers, family history of studying science, influences on choosing to study physics, role models and mentors, employment history and aspects of a job that are important to them, experiences of gender bias, and suggestions for improving the situation for women in physics. This information is very valuable in designing programs, projects, and advocacy to encourage and retain women in physics, from school level to senior management. The methodology and questions developed can be useful to participants interested in obtaining similar information for their own countries.

Evaluation and optimization of microbial DNA extraction from fecal samples of wild Antarctic bird species

PubMed Central

Eriksson, Per; Mourkas, Evangelos; González-Acuna, Daniel; Olsen, Björn; Ellström, Patrik

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Introduction: Advances in the development of nucleic acid-based methods have dramatically facilitated studies of host–microbial interactions. Fecal DNA analysis can provide information about the host’s microbiota and gastrointestinal pathogen burden. Numerous studies have been conducted in mammals, yet birds are less well studied. Avian fecal DNA extraction has proved challenging, partly due to the mixture of fecal and urinary excretions and the deficiency of optimized protocols. This study presents an evaluation of the performance in avian fecal DNA extraction of six commercial kits from different bird species, focusing on penguins. Material and methods: Six DNA extraction kits were first tested according to the manufacturers’ instructions using mallard feces. The kit giving the highest DNA yield was selected for further optimization and evaluation using Antarctic bird feces. Results: Penguin feces constitute a challenging sample type: most of the DNA extraction kits failed to yield acceptable amounts of DNA. The QIAamp cador Pathogen kit (Qiagen) performed the best in the initial investigation. Further optimization of the protocol resulted in good yields of high-quality DNA from seven bird species of different avian orders. Conclusion: This study presents an optimized approach to DNA extraction from challenging avian fecal samples. PMID:29152162

The cornea in connective tissue diseases.

PubMed

Maumenee, I H

1978-10-01

Even though lenticular and retinal abnormalities seem to dominate the ophthalmologic picture in Marfan's syndrome, the cornea shows significant abnormalities consisting of a striking flattening and corneal astigmatism. The use of conjunctival biopsies followed by histochemical and electron-microscopic evaluation shows low morbidity but an excellent yield of diagnostic information on storage diseases, and an ectopic collagen may be the basis of at least one type of keratoconus. Much more work has to be done on defining the collagens of the human eye in embryologic, fetal, and postnatal stages under normal and pathologic conditions. The yield of such studies may be high for an understanding of such diseases as myopia, retinal detachment, and keratoconus.

Analysis of Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection (CHAID) and Classification and Regression Tree (CRT) for Classification of Corn Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susanti, Yuliana; Zukhronah, Etik; Pratiwi, Hasih; Respatiwulan; Sri Sulistijowati, H.

2017-11-01

To achieve food resilience in Indonesia, food diversification by exploring potentials of local food is required. Corn is one of alternating staple food of Javanese society. For that reason, corn production needs to be improved by considering the influencing factors. CHAID and CRT are methods of data mining which can be used to classify the influencing variables. The present study seeks to dig up information on the potentials of local food availability of corn in regencies and cities in Java Island. CHAID analysis yields four classifications with accuracy of 78.8%, while CRT analysis yields seven classifications with accuracy of 79.6%.

Challenging the collegiate rite of passage: a campus-wide social marketing media campaign to reduce binge drinking.

PubMed

Glider, P; Midyett, S J; Mills-Novoa, B; Johannessen, K; Collins, C

2001-01-01

A social marketing media campaign, based on a normative social influence model and focused on normative messages regarding binge drinking, on a large, southwestern university campus has yielded positive preliminary results of an overall 29.2 percent decrease in binge drinking rates over a three-year period. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey and the Health Enhancement Survey provided information on student knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors regarding alcohol and binge drinking. This study represents the first in-depth research on the impact of a media approach, based on a normative social influence model, to reduce binge drinking on a large university campus and has yielded promising initial results.

Towards integrated pest management in red clover seed production.

PubMed

Lundin, Ola; Rundlöf, Maj; Smith, Henrik G; Bommarco, Riccardo

2012-10-01

The development of integrated pest management is hampered by lack of information on how insect pest abundances relate to yield losses, and how pests are affected by control measures. In this study, we develop integrated pest management tactics for Apion spp. weevils (Coleoptera: Brentidae) in seed production of red clover, Trifolium pratense L. We tested a method to forecast pest damage, quantified the relationship between pest abundance and yield, and evaluated chemical and biological pest control in 29 Swedish red clover fields in 2008 and 2011. Pest inflorescence abundance, which had a highly negative effect on yield, could be predicted with pan trap catches of adult pests. In 2008, chemical control with typically one application of pyrethroids was ineffective both in decreasing pest abundances and in increasing yields. In 2011, when chemical control included applications of the neonicotinoid thiacloprid, pest abundances decreased and yields increased considerably in treated field zones. A post hoc analysis indicated that using pyrethroids in addition to thiacloprid was largely redundant. Infestation rates by parasitoids was higher and reached average levels of around 40% in insecticide treated field zones in 2011, which is a level of interest for biological pest control. Based on the data presented, an economic threshold for chemical control is developed, and guidelines are provided on minimum effective chemical pest control.

Laboratory experiments in the study of the chemistry of the outer planets.

PubMed

Scattergood, T W

1987-01-01

The investigation of chemical evolution of bodies in our solar system has, in the past, included observations, theoretical modeling, and laboratory simulations. Of these programs, the last one has been the most criticized due to the inherent difficulties in accurately recreating alien environments in the laboratory. Processes such as wall reactions and changes in chemistry due to difficulties in achieving realistic conditions of temperature, pressure, composition, and energy flux may yield results which are not truly representative of the systems being modeled. However, many laboratory studies have been done which have yielded data useful in planetary science. Gross simulations of atmospheric chemistry have placed constraints on the nature of complex molecules expected in planetary atmospheres. More precise studies of specific chemical processes have provided information about the sources and properties of product gases and aerosols. Determinations of basic properties such as spectral features and reaction rate constants yield data useful in the interpretation of observations and in computational modeling. Alone, and in conjunction with modeling, laboratory experiments will continue to be used to further our understanding of the outer solar system, and some experiments that need to be done are listed.

Relation of watershed setting and stream nutrient yields at selected sites in central and eastern North Carolina, 1997-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, Stephen L.; Cuffney, Thomas F.; Terziotti, Silvia; Kolb, Katharine R.

2013-01-01

Data collected between 1997 and 2008 at 48 stream sites were used to characterize relations between watershed settings and stream nutrient yields throughout central and eastern North Carolina. The focus of the investigation was to identify environmental variables in watersheds that influence nutrient export for supporting the development and prioritization of management strategies for restoring nutrient-impaired streams. Nutrient concentration data and streamflow data compiled for the 1997 to 2008 study period were used to compute stream yields of nitrate, total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) for each study site. Compiled environmental data (including variables for land cover, hydrologic soil groups, base-flow index, streams, wastewater treatment facilities, and concentrated animal feeding operations) were used to characterize the watershed settings for the study sites. Data for the environmental variables were analyzed in combination with the stream nutrient yields to explore relations based on watershed characteristics and to evaluate whether particular variables were useful indicators of watersheds having relatively higher or lower potential for exporting nutrients. Data evaluations included an examination of median annual nutrient yields based on a watershed land-use classification scheme developed as part of the study. An initial examination of the data indicated that the highest median annual nutrient yields occurred at both agricultural and urban sites, especially for urban sites having large percentages of point-source flow contributions to the streams. The results of statistical testing identified significant differences in annual nutrient yields when sites were analyzed on the basis of watershed land-use category. When statistical differences in median annual yields were noted, the results for nitrate, total N, and total P were similar in that highly urbanized watersheds (greater than 30 percent developed land use) and (or) watersheds with greater than 10 percent point-source flow contributions to streamflow had higher yields relative to undeveloped watersheds (having less than 10 and 15 percent developed and agricultural land uses, respectively) and watersheds with relatively low agricultural land use (between 15 and 30 percent). The statistical tests further indicated that the median annual yields for total P were statistically higher for watersheds with high agricultural land use (greater than 30 percent) compared to the undeveloped watersheds and watersheds with low agricultural land use. The total P yields also were higher for watersheds with low urban land use (between 10 and 30 percent developed land) compared to the undeveloped watersheds. The study data indicate that grouping and examining stream nutrient yields based on the land-use classifications used in this report can be useful for characterizing relations between watershed settings and nutrient yields in streams located throughout central and eastern North Carolina. Compiled study data also were analyzed with four regression tree models as a means of determining which watershed environmental variables or combination of variables result in basins that are likely to have high or low nutrient yields. The regression tree analyses indicated that some of the environmental variables examined in this study were useful for predicting yields of nitrate, total N, and total P. When the median annual nutrient yields for all 48 sites were evaluated as a group (Model 1), annual point-source flow yields had the greatest influence on nitrate and total N yields observed in streams, and annual streamflow yields had the greatest influence on yields of total P. The Model 1 results indicated that watersheds with higher annual point-source flow yields had higher annual yields of nitrate and total N, and watersheds with higher annual streamflow yields had higher annual yields of total P. When sites with high point-source flows (greater than 10 percent of total streamflow) were excluded from the regression tree analyses (Models 2–4), the percentage of forested land in the watersheds was identified as the primary environmental variable influencing stream yields for both total N and total P. Models 2, 3 and 4 did not identify any watershed environmental variables that could adequately explain the observed variability in the nitrate yields among the set of sites examined by each of these models. The results for Models 2, 3, and 4 indicated that watersheds with higher percentages of forested land had lower annual total N and total P yields compared to watersheds with lower percentages of forested land, which had higher median annual total N and total P yields. Additional environmental variables determined to further influence the stream nutrient yields included median annual percentage of point-source flow contributions to the streams, variables of land cover (percentage of forested land, agricultural land, and (or) forested land plus wetlands) in the watershed and (or) in the stream buffer, and drainage area. The regression tree models can serve as a tool for relating differences in select watershed attributes to differences in stream yields of nitrate, total N, and total P, which can provide beneficial information for improving nutrient management in streams throughout North Carolina and for reducing nutrient loads to coastal waters.

Salience Assignment for Multiple-Instance Data and Its Application to Crop Yield Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagstaff, Kiri L.; Lane, Terran

2010-01-01

An algorithm was developed to generate crop yield predictions from orbital remote sensing observations, by analyzing thousands of pixels per county and the associated historical crop yield data for those counties. The algorithm determines which pixels contain which crop. Since each known yield value is associated with thousands of individual pixels, this is a multiple instance learning problem. Because individual crop growth is related to the resulting yield, this relationship has been leveraged to identify pixels that are individually related to corn, wheat, cotton, and soybean yield. Those that have the strongest relationship to a given crop s yield values are most likely to contain fields with that crop. Remote sensing time series data (a new observation every 8 days) was examined for each pixel, which contains information for that pixel s growth curve, peak greenness, and other relevant features. An alternating-projection (AP) technique was used to first estimate the "salience" of each pixel, with respect to the given target (crop yield), and then those estimates were used to build a regression model that relates input data (remote sensing observations) to the target. This is achieved by constructing an exemplar for each crop in each county that is a weighted average of all the pixels within the county; the pixels are weighted according to the salience values. The new regression model estimate then informs the next estimate of the salience values. By iterating between these two steps, the algorithm converges to a stable estimate of both the salience of each pixel and the regression model. The salience values indicate which pixels are most relevant to each crop under consideration.

Genomic assisted selection for enhancing line breeding: merging genomic and phenotypic selection in winter wheat breeding programs with preliminary yield trials.

PubMed

Michel, Sebastian; Ametz, Christian; Gungor, Huseyin; Akgöl, Batuhan; Epure, Doru; Grausgruber, Heinrich; Löschenberger, Franziska; Buerstmayr, Hermann

2017-02-01

Early generation genomic selection is superior to conventional phenotypic selection in line breeding and can be strongly improved by including additional information from preliminary yield trials. The selection of lines that enter resource-demanding multi-environment trials is a crucial decision in every line breeding program as a large amount of resources are allocated for thoroughly testing these potential varietal candidates. We compared conventional phenotypic selection with various genomic selection approaches across multiple years as well as the merit of integrating phenotypic information from preliminary yield trials into the genomic selection framework. The prediction accuracy using only phenotypic data was rather low (r = 0.21) for grain yield but could be improved by modeling genetic relationships in unreplicated preliminary yield trials (r = 0.33). Genomic selection models were nevertheless found to be superior to conventional phenotypic selection for predicting grain yield performance of lines across years (r = 0.39). We subsequently simplified the problem of predicting untested lines in untested years to predicting tested lines in untested years by combining breeding values from preliminary yield trials and predictions from genomic selection models by a heritability index. This genomic assisted selection led to a 20% increase in prediction accuracy, which could be further enhanced by an appropriate marker selection for both grain yield (r = 0.48) and protein content (r = 0.63). The easy to implement and robust genomic assisted selection gave thus a higher prediction accuracy than either conventional phenotypic or genomic selection alone. The proposed method took the complex inheritance of both low and high heritable traits into account and appears capable to support breeders in their selection decisions to develop enhanced varieties more efficiently.

Comparison of assessment of personality disorder by patients and informants.

PubMed

Modestin, J; Puhan, A

2000-01-01

The present study evaluated the pathology of personality disorder in a group of 8 nonpatient volunteers and 32 psychiatric in- and outpatients, most of them suffering from substance abuse disorder. The patient self-reports were compared with the reports by 2 informants for each proband. All probands and informants completed the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Axis II Personality Questionnaire. Patient self-reports and informant reports yielded the same number of diagnoses. The diagnostic agreement between the three sets of data was generally poor; however, the concordance was slightly better between both groups of informants than between patients and informants: Median kappa were 0.13 for patients versus parents, 0.14 for patients versus brothers/sisters and 0.29 for parents versus brothers/sisters. Patient and informant evaluations represent two different assessment approaches of the personality, and a complete agreement is not to be expected. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.

High precision and high yield fabrication of dense nanoparticle arrays onto DNA origami at statistically independent binding sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takabayashi, Sadao; Klein, William P.; Onodera, Craig; Rapp, Blake; Flores-Estrada, Juan; Lindau, Elias; Snowball, Lejmarc; Sam, Joseph T.; Padilla, Jennifer E.; Lee, Jeunghoon; Knowlton, William B.; Graugnard, Elton; Yurke, Bernard; Kuang, Wan; Hughes, William L.

2014-10-01

High precision, high yield, and high density self-assembly of nanoparticles into arrays is essential for nanophotonics. Spatial deviations as small as a few nanometers can alter the properties of near-field coupled optical nanostructures. Several studies have reported assemblies of few nanoparticle structures with controlled spacing using DNA nanostructures with variable yield. Here, we report multi-tether design strategies and attachment yields for homo- and hetero-nanoparticle arrays templated by DNA origami nanotubes. Nanoparticle attachment yield via DNA hybridization is comparable with streptavidin-biotin binding. Independent of the number of binding sites, >97% site-occupation was achieved with four tethers and 99.2% site-occupation is theoretically possible with five tethers. The interparticle distance was within 2 nm of all design specifications and the nanoparticle spatial deviations decreased with interparticle spacing. Modified geometric, binomial, and trinomial distributions indicate that site-bridging, steric hindrance, and electrostatic repulsion were not dominant barriers to self-assembly and both tethers and binding sites were statistically independent at high particle densities.High precision, high yield, and high density self-assembly of nanoparticles into arrays is essential for nanophotonics. Spatial deviations as small as a few nanometers can alter the properties of near-field coupled optical nanostructures. Several studies have reported assemblies of few nanoparticle structures with controlled spacing using DNA nanostructures with variable yield. Here, we report multi-tether design strategies and attachment yields for homo- and hetero-nanoparticle arrays templated by DNA origami nanotubes. Nanoparticle attachment yield via DNA hybridization is comparable with streptavidin-biotin binding. Independent of the number of binding sites, >97% site-occupation was achieved with four tethers and 99.2% site-occupation is theoretically possible with five tethers. The interparticle distance was within 2 nm of all design specifications and the nanoparticle spatial deviations decreased with interparticle spacing. Modified geometric, binomial, and trinomial distributions indicate that site-bridging, steric hindrance, and electrostatic repulsion were not dominant barriers to self-assembly and both tethers and binding sites were statistically independent at high particle densities. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr03069a

Infant search and object permanence: a meta-analysis of the A-not-B error.

PubMed

Wellman, H M; Cross, D; Bartsch, K

1987-01-01

Research on Piaget's stage 4 object concept has failed to reveal a clear or consistent pattern of results. Piaget found that 8-12-month-old infants would make perserverative errors; his explanation for this phenomenon was that the infant's concept of the object was contextually dependent on his or her actions. Some studies designed to test Piaget's explanation have replicated Piaget's basic finding, yet many have found no preference for the A location or the B location or an actual preference for the B location. More recently, researchers have attempted to uncover the causes for these results concerning the A-not-B error. Again, however, different studies have yielded different results, and qualitative reviews have failed to yield a consistent explanation for the results of the individual studies. This state of affairs suggests that the phenomenon may simply be too complex to be captured by individual studies varying 1 factor at a time and by reviews based on similar qualitative considerations. Therefore, the current investigation undertook a meta-analysis, a synthesis capturing the quantitative information across the now sizable number of studies. We entered several important factors into the meta-analysis, including the effects of age, the number of A trials, the length of delay between hiding and search, the number of locations, the distances between locations, and the distinctive visual properties of the hiding arrays. Of these, the analysis consistently indicated that age, delay, and number of hiding locations strongly influence infants' search. The pattern of specific findings also yielded new information about infant search. A general characterization of the results is that, at every age, both above-chance and below-chance performance was observed. That is, at each age at least 1 combination of delay and number of locations yielded above-chance A-not-B errors or significant perseverative search. At the same time, at each age at least 1 alternative combination of delay and number of locations yielded below-chance errors and significant above-chance correct performance, that is, significantly accurate search. These 2 findings, appropriately elaborated, allow us to evaluate all extant theories of stage 4 infant search. When this is done, all these extant accounts prove to be incorrect. That is, they are incommensurate with one aspect or another of the pooled findings in the meta-analysis. Therefore, we end by proposing a new account that is consistent with the entire data set.

Google it: obtaining information about local STD/HIV testing services online.

PubMed

Habel, Melissa A; Hood, Julia; Desai, Sheila; Kachur, Rachel; Buhi, Eric R; Liddon, Nicole

2011-04-01

Although the Internet is one of the most commonly accessed resources for health information, finding information on local sexual health services, such as sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing, can be challenging. Recognizing that most quests for online health information begin with search engines, the purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the extent to which online information about local STD/HIV testing services can be found using Google. Queries on STD and HIV testing services were executed in Google for 6 geographically unique locations across the United States. The first 3 websites that resulted from each query were coded for the following characteristics: (1) relevancy to the search topic, (2) domain and purpose, (3) rank in Google results, and (4) content. Websites hosted at .com (57.3%), .org (25.7%), and .gov (10.5%) domains were retrieved most frequently. Roughly half of all websites (n = 376) provided information relevant to the query, and about three-quarters (77.0%) of all queries yielded at least 1 relevant website within the first 3 results. Searches for larger cities were more likely to yield relevant results compared with smaller cities (odds ratio [OR] = 10.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.6, 17.9). On comparison with .com domains, .gov (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.4, 5.6) and .org domains (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.7, 4.8) were more likely to provide information of the location to get tested. Ease of online access to information about sexual health services varies by search topic and locale. Sexual health service providers must optimize their website placement so as to reach a greater proportion of the sexually active population who use web search engines.

The estimation of rice paddy yield with GRAMI crop model and Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) image over South Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeom, J. M.; Kim, H. O.

2014-12-01

In this study, we estimated the rice paddy yield with moderate geostationary satellite based vegetation products and GRAMI model over South Korea. Rice is the most popular staple food for Asian people. In addition, the effects of climate change are getting stronger especially in Asian region, where the most of rice are cultivated. Therefore, accurate and timely prediction of rice yield is one of the most important to accomplish food security and to prepare natural disasters such as crop defoliation, drought, and pest infestation. In the present study, GOCI, which is world first Geostationary Ocean Color Image, was used for estimating temporal vegetation indices of the rice paddy by adopting atmospheric correction BRDF modeling. For the atmospheric correction with LUT method based on Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum (6S), MODIS atmospheric products such as MOD04, MOD05, MOD07 from NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) were used. In order to correct the surface anisotropy effect, Ross-Thick Li-Sparse Reciprocal (RTLSR) BRDF model was performed at daily basis with 16day composite period. The estimated multi-temporal vegetation images was used for crop classification by using high resolution satellite images such as Rapideye, KOMPSAT-2 and KOMPSAT-3 to extract the proportional rice paddy area in corresponding a pixel of GOCI. In the case of GRAMI crop model, initial conditions are determined by performing every 2 weeks field works at Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea. The corrected GOCI vegetation products were incorporated with GRAMI model to predict rice yield estimation. The predicted rice yield was compared with field measurement of rice yield.

76 FR 12960 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-09

... population to which generalizations will be made, the sampling frame, the sample design (including... for submission for other generic mechanisms that are designed to yield quantitative results. The... generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative information collections...

Influenza Gain-of-Function Experiments: Their Role in Vaccine Virus Recommendation and Pandemic Preparedness

PubMed Central

Webby, R. J.; Webster, R. G.; Kelso, A.; Barr, I. G.; McCauley, J. W.; Daniels, R. S.; Wang, D.; Shu, Y.; Nobusawa, E.; Itamura, S.; Tashiro, M.; Harada, Y.; Watanabe, S.; Odagiri, T.; Ye, Z.; Grohmann, G.; Harvey, R.; Engelhardt, O.; Smith, D.; Hamilton, K.; Claes, F.; Dauphin, G.

2014-01-01

Abstract In recent years, controversy has arisen regarding the risks and benefits of certain types of gain-of-function (GOF) studies involving avian influenza viruses. In this article, we provide specific examples of how different types of data, including information garnered from GOF studies, have helped to shape the influenza vaccine production process—from selection of candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) to the manufacture and stockpiling of safe, high-yield prepandemic vaccines for the global community. The article is not written to support a specific pro- or anti-GOF stance but rather to inform the scientific community about factors involved in vaccine virus selection and the preparation of prepandemic influenza vaccines and the impact that some GOF information has had on this process. PMID:25505124

Soviet test yields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vergino, Eileen S.

Soviet seismologists have published descriptions of 96 nuclear explosions conducted from 1961 through 1972 at the Semipalatinsk test site, in Kazakhstan, central Asia [Bocharov et al., 1989]. With the exception of releasing news about some of their peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs) the Soviets have never before published such a body of information.To estimate the seismic yield of a nuclear explosion it is necessary to obtain a calibrated magnitude-yield relationship based on events with known yields and with a consistent set of seismic magnitudes. U.S. estimation of Soviet test yields has been done through application of relationships to the Soviet sites based on the U.S. experience at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), making some correction for differences due to attenuation and near-source coupling of seismic waves.

A spectral-spatial-dynamic hierarchical Bayesian (SSD-HB) model for estimating soybean yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazama, Yoriko; Kujirai, Toshihiro

2014-10-01

A method called a "spectral-spatial-dynamic hierarchical-Bayesian (SSD-HB) model," which can deal with many parameters (such as spectral and weather information all together) by reducing the occurrence of multicollinearity, is proposed. Experiments conducted on soybean yields in Brazil fields with a RapidEye satellite image indicate that the proposed SSD-HB model can predict soybean yield with a higher degree of accuracy than other estimation methods commonly used in remote-sensing applications. In the case of the SSD-HB model, the mean absolute error between estimated yield of the target area and actual yield is 0.28 t/ha, compared to 0.34 t/ha when conventional PLS regression was applied, showing the potential effectiveness of the proposed model.

Conventional and Accelerated-Solvent Extractions of Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) for Metabolomics-based Chemometrics

PubMed Central

Kellogg, Joshua J.; Wallace, Emily D.; Graf, Tyler N.; Oberlies, Nicholas H.; Cech, Nadja B.

2018-01-01

Metabolomics has emerged as an important analytical technique for multiple applications. The value of information obtained from metabolomics analysis depends on the degree to which the entire metabolome is present and the reliability of sample treatment to ensure reproducibility across the study. The purpose of this study was to compare methods of preparing complex botanical extract samples prior to metabolomics profiling. Two extraction methodologies, accelerated solvent extraction and a conventional solvent maceration, were compared using commercial green tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (Theaceae)] products as a test case. The accelerated solvent protocol was first evaluated to ascertain critical factors influencing extraction using a D-optimal experimental design study. The accelerated solvent and conventional extraction methods yielded similar metabolite profiles for the green tea samples studied. The accelerated solvent extraction yielded higher total amounts of extracted catechins, was more reproducible, and required less active bench time to prepare the samples. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of accelerated solvent as an efficient methodology for metabolomics studies. PMID:28787673

Humans as Sensors: Assessing the Information Value of Qualitative Farmer's Crop Condition Surveys for Crop Yield Monitoring and Forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beguería, S.

2017-12-01

While large efforts are devoted to developing crop status monitoring and yield forecasting systems trough the use of Earth observation data (mostly remotely sensed satellite imagery) and observational and modeled weather data, here we focus on the information value of qualitative data on crop status from direct observations made by humans. This kind of data has a high value as it reflects the expert opinion of individuals directly involved in the development of the crop. However, they have issues that prevent their direct use in crop monitoring and yield forecasting systems, such as their non-spatially explicit nature, or most importantly their qualitative nature. Indeed, while the human brain is good at categorizing the status of physical systems in terms of qualitative scales (`very good', `good', `fair', etcetera), it has difficulties in quantifying it in physical units. This has prevented the incorporation of this kind of data into systems that make extensive use of numerical information. Here we show an example of using qualitative crop condition data to estimate yields of the most important crops in the US early in the season. We use USDA weekly crop condition reports, which are based on a sample of thousands of reporters including mostly farmers and people in direct contact with them. These reporters provide subjective evaluations of crop conditions, in a scale including five levels ranging from `very poor' to `excellent'. The USDA report indicates, for each state, the proportion of reporters fort each condition level. We show how is it possible to model the underlying non-observed quantitative variable that reflects the crop status on each state, and how this model is consistent across states and years. Furthermore, we show how this information can be used to monitor the status of the crops and to produce yield forecasts early in the season. Finally, we discuss approaches for blending this information source with other, more classical earth data sources such as remote sensing or weather data, in the context of hierarchical regression models.

Testing actinide fission yield treatment in CINDER90 for use in MCNP6 burnup calculations

DOE PAGES

Fensin, Michael Lorne; Umbel, Marissa

2015-09-18

Most of the development of the MCNPX/6 burnup capability focused on features that were applied to the Boltzman transport or used to prepare coefficients for use in CINDER90, with little change to CINDER90 or the CINDER90 data. Though a scheme exists for best solving the coupled Boltzman and Bateman equations, the most significant approximation is that the employed nuclear data are correct and complete. Thus, the CINDER90 library file contains 60 different actinide fission yields encompassing 36 fissionable actinides (thermal, fast, high energy and spontaneous fission). Fission reaction data exists for more than 60 actinides and as a result, fissionmore » yield data must be approximated for actinides that do not possess fission yield information. Several types of approximations are used for estimating fission yields for actinides which do not possess explicit fission yield data. The objective of this study is to test whether or not certain approximations of fission yield selection have any impact on predictability of major actinides and fission products. Further we assess which other fission products, available in MCNP6 Tier 3, result in the largest difference in production. Because the CINDER90 library file is in ASCII format and therefore easily amendable, we assess reasons for choosing, as well as compare actinide and major fission product prediction for the H. B. Robinson benchmark for, three separate fission yield selection methods: (1) the current CINDER90 library file method (Base); (2) the element method (Element); and (3) the isobar method (Isobar). Results show that the three methods tested result in similar prediction of major actinides, Tc-99 and Cs-137; however, certain fission products resulted in significantly different production depending on the method of choice.« less

Impacts of 1.5 versus 2.0 °C on cereal yields in the West African Sudan Savanna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faye, Babacar; Webber, Heidi; Naab, Jesse B.; MacCarthy, Dilys S.; Adam, Myriam; Ewert, Frank; Lamers, John P. A.; Schleussner, Carl-Friedrich; Ruane, Alex; Gessner, Ursula; Hoogenboom, Gerrit; Boote, Ken; Shelia, Vakhtang; Saeed, Fahad; Wisser, Dominik; Hadir, Sofia; Laux, Patrick; Gaiser, Thomas

2018-03-01

To reduce the risks of climate change, governments agreed in the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to less than 2.0 °C above pre-industrial levels, with the ambition to keep warming to 1.5 °C. Charting appropriate mitigation responses requires information on the costs of mitigating versus associated damages for the two levels of warming. In this assessment, a critical consideration is the impact on crop yields and yield variability in regions currently challenged by food insecurity. The current study assessed impacts of 1.5 °C versus 2.0 °C on yields of maize, pearl millet and sorghum in the West African Sudan Savanna using two crop models that were calibrated with common varieties from experiments in the region with management reflecting a range of typical sowing windows. As sustainable intensification is promoted in the region for improving food security, simulations were conducted for both current fertilizer use and for an intensification case (fertility not limiting). With current fertilizer use, results indicated 2% units higher losses for maize and sorghum with 2.0 °C compared to 1.5 °C warming, with no change in millet yields for either scenario. In the intensification case, yield losses due to climate change were larger than with current fertilizer levels. However, despite the larger losses, yields were always two to three times higher with intensification, irrespective of the warming scenario. Though yield variability increased with intensification, there was no interaction with warming scenario. Risk and market analysis are needed to extend these results to understand implications for food security.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiong, Wei; Balkovic, Juraj; van der Velde, M.

Crop models are increasingly used to assess impacts of climate change/variability and management practices on productivity and environmental performance of alternative cropping systems. Calibration is an important procedure to improve reliability of model simulations, especially for large area applications. However, global-scale crop model calibration has rarely been exercised due to limited data availability and expensive computing cost. Here we present a simple approach to calibrate Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model for a global implementation of rice. We identify four parameters (potential heat unit – PHU, planting density – PD, harvest index – HI, and biomass energy ratio – BER)more » and calibrate them regionally to capture the spatial pattern of reported rice yield in 2000. Model performance is assessed by comparing simulated outputs with independent FAO national data. The comparison demonstrates that the global calibration scheme performs satisfactorily in reproducing the spatial pattern of rice yield, particularly in main rice production areas. Spatial agreement increases substantially when more parameters are selected and calibrated, but with varying efficiencies. Among the parameters, PHU and HI exhibit the highest efficiencies in increasing the spatial agreement. Simulations with different calibration strategies generate a pronounced discrepancy of 5–35% in mean yields across latitude bands, and a small to moderate difference in estimated yield variability and yield changing trend for the period of 1981–2000. Present calibration has little effects in improving simulated yield variability and trends at both regional and global levels, suggesting further works are needed to reproduce temporal variability of reported yields. This study highlights the importance of crop models’ calibration, and presents the possibility of a transparent and consistent up scaling approach for global crop simulations given current availability of global databases of weather, soil, crop calendar, fertilizer and irrigation management information, and reported yield.« less

On the relation between feeling of knowing and lexical decision: persistent subthreshold activation or topic familiarity?

PubMed

Connor, L T; Balota, D A; Neely, J H

1992-05-01

Experiment 1 replicated Yaniv and Meyer's (1987) finding that lexical decision and episodic recognition performance was better for words previously yielding high-accessibility levels (a combination of feeling-of-knowing and tip-of-the-tongue ratings) in comparison with those yielding low-accessibility levels in a rare word definition task. Experiment 2 yielded the same pattern even though lexical decisions preceded accessibility estimates by a full week. Experiment 3 dismissed the possibility that the Experiment 2 results may have been due to a long-term influence from the lexical decision task to the rare word judgment task. These results support a model in which Ss (a) retrieve topic familiarity information in making accessibility estimates in the rare word definition task and (b) use this information to modulate lexical decision performance.

Evidence for a weakening strength of temperature-corn yield relation in the United States during 1980–2010

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leng, Guoyong

Temperature is known to be correlated with crop yields, causing reduction of crop yield with climate warming without adaptations or CO2 fertilization effects. The historical temperature-crop yield relation has often been used for informing future changes. This relationship, however, may change over time following alternations in other environmental factors. Results show that the strength of the relationship between the interannual variability of growing season temperature and corn yield (RGST_CY) has declined in the United States between 1980 and 2010 with a loss in the statistical significance. The regression slope which represents the anomalies in corn yield that occur in associationmore » with 1 degree temperature anomaly has decreased significantly from -6.9%/K of the first half period to -2.4%/K~-3.5%/K of the second half period. This implies that projected corn yield reduction will be overestimated by a fact of 2 in a given warming scenario, if the corn-temperature relation is derived from the earlier historical period. Changes in RGST_CY are mainly observed in Midwest Corn Belt and central High Plains, and are well reproduced by 11 process-based crop models. In Midwest rain-fed systems, the decrease of negative temperature effects coincides with an increase in water availability by precipitation. In irrigated areas where water stress is minimized, the decline of beneficial temperature effects is significantly related to the increase in extreme hot days. The results indicate that an extrapolation of historical yield response to temperature may bias the assessment of agriculture vulnerability to climate change. Efforts to reduce climate impacts on agriculture should pay attention not only to climate change, but also to changes in climate-crop yield relations. There are some caveats that should be acknowledged as the analysis is restricted to the changes in the linear relation between growing season mean temperature and corn yield for the specific study period.« less

Evidence for a weakening strength of temperature-corn yield relation in the United States during 1980-2010.

PubMed

Leng, Guoyong

2017-12-15

Temperature is known to be correlated with crop yields, causing reduction of crop yield with climate warming without adaptations or CO 2 fertilization effects. The historical temperature-crop yield relation has often been used for informing future changes. This relationship, however, may change over time following alternations in other environmental factors. Results show that the strength of the relationship between the interannual variability of growing season temperature and corn yield (R GST_CY ) has declined in the United States between 1980 and 2010 with a loss in the statistical significance. The regression slope which represents the anomalies in corn yield that occur in association with 1 degree temperature anomaly has decreased significantly from -6.9%/K of the first half period to -2.4%/K--3.5%/K of the second half period. This implies that projected corn yield reduction will be overestimated by a fact of 2 in a given warming scenario, if the corn-temperature relation is derived from the earlier historical period. Changes in R GST_CY are mainly observed in Midwest Corn Belt and central High Plains, but are partly reproduced by 11 process-based crop models. In Midwest rain-fed systems, the decrease of negative temperature effects coincides with an increase in water availability by precipitation. In irrigated areas where water stress is minimized, the decline of beneficial temperature effects is significantly related to the increase in extreme hot days. The results indicate that an extrapolation of historical yield response to temperature may bias the assessment of agriculture vulnerability to climate change. Efforts to reduce climate impacts on agriculture should pay attention not only to climate change, but also to changes in climate-crop yield relations. There are some caveats that should be acknowledged as the analysis is restricted to the changes in the linear relation between growing season mean temperature and corn yield for the specific study period. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Suspended sediment yield of New Jersey coastal plain streams draining into the Delaware estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mansue, Lawrence J.

1972-01-01

The purpose of this report is to summarize sediment data collected at selected stream-sampling sites in southern New Jersey. Computations of excepted average annual yields at each sampling site were made and utilized to estimate the annual yield at ungaged sites. Similar data currently are being compiled for streams draining Pennsylvania and Delaware. It is planned to report on the combined information at a later date in the Geological Survey's Water-Supply Paper series.

The value of seasonal forecasting and crop mix adaptation to climate variability for agriculture under climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, H. S.; Schneider, U.; Schmid, E.; Held, H.

2012-04-01

Changes to climate variability and frequency of extreme weather events are expected to impose damages to the agricultural sector. Seasonal forecasting and long range prediction skills have received attention as an option to adapt to climate change because seasonal climate and yield predictions could improve farmers' management decisions. The value of seasonal forecasting skill is assessed with a crop mix adaptation option in Spain where drought conditions are prevalent. Yield impacts of climate are simulated for six crops (wheat, barely, cotton, potato, corn and rice) with the EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate) model. Daily weather data over the period 1961 to 1990 are used and are generated by the regional climate model REMO as reference period for climate projection. Climate information and its consequent yield variability information are given to the stochastic agricultural sector model to calculate the value of climate information in the agricultural market. Expected consumers' market surplus and producers' revenue is compared with and without employing climate forecast information. We find that seasonal forecasting benefits not only consumers but also producers if the latter adopt a strategic crop mix. This mix differs from historical crop mixes by having higher shares of crops which fare relatively well under climate change. The corresponding value of information is highly sensitive to farmers' crop mix choices.

Evaluating accuracy of DSSAT model for soybean yield estimation using satellite weather data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ovando, Gustavo; Sayago, Silvina; Bocco, Mónica

2018-04-01

Crop models allow simulating the development and yield of the crops, to represent and to evaluate the influence of multiple factors. The DSSAT cropping system model is one of the most widely used and contains CROPGRO module for soybean. This crop has a great importance for many southern countries of Latin America and for Argentina. Solar radiation and rainfall are necessary variables as inputs for crop models; however these data are not as readily available. The satellital products from Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) and Tropic Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) provide continuous spatial and temporal information of solar radiation and precipitation, respectively. This study evaluates and quantifies the uncertainty in estimating soybean yield using a DSSAT model, when recorded weather data are replaced with CERES and TRMM ones. Different percentages of data replacements, soybean maturity groups and planting dates are considered, for 2006-2016 period in Oliveros (Argentina). Results show that CERES and TRMM products can be used for soybean yield estimation with DSSAT considering that: percentage of data replacement, campaign, planting date and maturity group, determine the amounts and trends of yield errors. Replacements with CERES data up to 30% result in %RMSE lower than 10% in 87% of the cases; while the replacement with TRMM data presents the best statisticals in campaigns with high yields. Simulations based entirely on CERES solar radiation give better results than those with TRMM. In general, similar percentages of replacement show better performance in the estimation of soybean yield for solar radiation than the replacement of precipitation values.

76 FR 74802 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-01

.... Currie, Program Analyst, Office of policy for Extramural Research Administration, 6705 Rockledge Drive... perceptions and opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be... generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative information collections...

The Robust Beauty of Ordinary Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katsikopoulos, Konstantinos V.; Schooler, Lael J.; Hertwig, Ralph

2010-01-01

Heuristics embodying limited information search and noncompensatory processing of information can yield robust performance relative to computationally more complex models. One criticism raised against heuristics is the argument that complexity is hidden in the calculation of the cue order used to make predictions. We discuss ways to order cues…

Soil Water Holding Capacity Mitigates Downside Risk and Volatility in US Rainfed Maize: Time to Invest in Soil Organic Matter?

PubMed Central

Williams, Alwyn; Hunter, Mitchell C.; Kammerer, Melanie; Kane, Daniel A.; Jordan, Nicholas R.; Mortensen, David A.; Smith, Richard G.; Snapp, Sieglinde

2016-01-01

Yield stability is fundamental to global food security in the face of climate change, and better strategies are needed for buffering crop yields against increased weather variability. Regional- scale analyses of yield stability can support robust inferences about buffering strategies for widely-grown staple crops, but have not been accomplished. We present a novel analytical approach, synthesizing 2000–2014 data on weather and soil factors to quantify their impact on county-level maize yield stability in four US states that vary widely in these factors (Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania). Yield stability is quantified as both ‘downside risk’ (minimum yield potential, MYP) and ‘volatility’ (temporal yield variability). We show that excessive heat and drought decreased mean yields and yield stability, while higher precipitation increased stability. Soil water holding capacity strongly affected yield volatility in all four states, either directly (Minnesota and Pennsylvania) or indirectly, via its effects on MYP (Illinois and Michigan). We infer that factors contributing to soil water holding capacity can help buffer maize yields against variable weather. Given that soil water holding capacity responds (within limits) to agronomic management, our analysis highlights broadly relevant management strategies for buffering crop yields against climate variability, and informs region-specific strategies. PMID:27560666

Yield estimation of corn with multispectral data and the potential of using imaging spectrometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bach, Heike

1997-05-01

In the frame of the special yield estimation, a regular procedure conducted for the European Union to more accurately estimate agricultural yield, a project was conducted for the state minister for Rural Environment, Food and Forestry of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany) to test remote sensing data with advanced yield formation models for accuracy and timelines of yield estimation of corn. The methodology employed uses field-based plant parameter estimation from atmospherically corrected multitemporal/multispectral LANDSAT-TM data. An agrometeorological plant-production-model is used for yield prediction. Based solely on 4 LANDSAT-derived estimates and daily meteorological data the grain yield of corn stands was determined for 1995. The modeled yield was compared with results independently gathered within the special yield estimation for 23 test fields in the Upper Rhine Valley. The agrement between LANDSAT-based estimates and Special Yield Estimation shows a relative error of 2.3 percent. The comparison of the results for single fields shows, that six weeks before harvest the grain yield of single corn fields was estimated with a mean relative accuracy of 13 percent using satellite information. The presented methodology can be transferred to other crops and geographical regions. For future applications hyperspectral sensors show great potential to further enhance the results or yield prediction with remote sensing.

Synthesis of Actinide Materials for the Study of Basic Actinide Science and Rapid Separation of Fission Products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dorhout, Jacquelyn Marie

This dissertation covers several distinct projects relating to the fields of nuclear forensics and basic actinide science. Post-detonation nuclear forensics, in particular, the study of fission products resulting from a nuclear device to determine device attributes and information, often depends on the comparison of fission products to a library of known ratios. The expansion of this library is imperative as technology advances. Rapid separation of fission products from a target material, without the need to dissolve the target, is an important technique to develop to improve the library and provide a means to develop samples and standards for testing separations.more » Several materials were studied as a proof-of-concept that fission products can be extracted from a solid target, including microparticulate (< 10 μm diameter) dUO 2, porous metal organic frameworks (MOFs) synthesized from depleted uranium (dU), and other organicbased frameworks containing dU. The targets were irradiated with fast neutrons from one of two different neutron sources, contacted with dilute acids to facilitate the separation of fission products, and analyzed via gamma spectroscopy for separation yields. The results indicate that smaller particle sizes of dUO 2 in contact with the secondary matrix KBr yield higher separation yields than particles without a secondary matrix. It was also discovered that using 0.1 M HNO 3 as a contact acid leads to the dissolution of the target material. Lower concentrations of acid were used for future experiments. In the case of the MOFs, a larger pore size in the framework leads to higher separation yields when contacted with 0.01 M HNO 3. Different types of frameworks also yield different results.« less

Impact of Ozone on the Growth and Yield of Trees: A Review

Treesearch

John M. Pye

1988-01-01

Data from 25 experiments on seedlings of 43 tree species and hybrids show that ozone (O3) can reduce growth and photosynthesis at concentrations common in many areas of the USA. Seedlings have been primarily employed for such studies for logislic reasons, and will likely provide the greatest breadth of information for some time to come. However,...

Research in the Luquillo Experimental Forest has advanced understanding of tropical forests and resolved management issues

Treesearch

A.E. Lugo; T. Heartsill Scalley

2014-01-01

Long-term research on the response of wet forests in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) to natural and anthropogenic disturbances yielded information useful for the management of these forests and to a better understanding of the functioning of tropical forests and how species composition changes under different distrubance regimes. We summarize studies on basal...

A Three-Step Approach To Model Tree Mortality in the State of Georgia

Treesearch

Qingmin Meng; Chris J. Cieszewski; Roger C. Lowe; Michal Zasada

2005-01-01

Tree mortality is one of the most complex phenomena of forest growth and yield. Many types of factors affect tree mortality, which is considered difficult to predict. This study presents a new systematic approach to simulate tree mortality based on the integration of statistical models and geographical information systems. This method begins with variable preselection...

Utility of functioning in predicting costs of care for patients with mood and anxiety disorders: a prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Cieza, Alarcos; Baldwin, David S.

2017-01-01

Development of payment systems for mental health services has been hindered by limited evidence for the utility of diagnosis or symptoms in predicting costs of care. We investigated the utility of functioning information in predicting costs for patients with mood and anxiety disorders. This was a prospective cohort study involving 102 adult patients attending a tertiary referral specialist clinic for mood and anxiety disorders. The main outcome was total costs, calculated by applying unit costs to healthcare use data. After adjusting for covariates, a significant total costs association was yielded for functioning (eβ=1.02; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.03), but not depressive symptom severity or anxiety symptom severity. When we accounted for the correlations between the main independent variables by constructing an abridged functioning metric, a significant total costs association was again yielded for functioning (eβ=1.04; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.09), but not symptom severity. The utility of functioning in predicting costs for patients with mood and anxiety disorders was supported. Functioning information could be useful within mental health payment systems. PMID:28383309

Isobaric yield ratio difference and Shannon information entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Chun-Wang; Wei, Hui-Ling; Wang, Shan-Shan; Ma, Yu-Gang; Wada, Ryoichi; Zhang, Yan-Li

2015-03-01

The Shannon information entropy theory is used to explain the recently proposed isobaric yield ratio difference (IBD) probe which aims to determine the nuclear symmetry energy. Theoretically, the difference between the Shannon uncertainties carried by isobars in two different reactions (ΔIn21), is found to be equivalent to the difference between the chemical potentials of protons and neutrons of the reactions [the IBD probe, IB- Δ(βμ)21, with β the reverse temperature]. From the viewpoints of Shannon information entropy, the physical meaning of the above chemical potential difference is interpreted by ΔIn21 as denoting the nuclear symmetry energy or density difference between neutrons and protons in reactions more concisely than from the statistical ablation-abrasion model.

Dimension yields from yellow-poplar lumber

Treesearch

R. C. Gilmore; J. D. Danielson

1984-01-01

The available supply of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), its potential for new uses, and its continuing importance to the furniture industry have created a need to accumulate additional information about this species. As an aid to better utilization of this species, charts for determining cutting stock yields from yellow poplar lumber are presented for each...

Assessing fertilizer N placement on CH4 and N2O emissions in irrigated rice systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improved N fertilizer management practices can increase rice yields and mitigate global warming potential (GWP). While banding N has been shown to have positive effects on yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), there is little information in how it affects greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from flood...

Long-term conventional and no-tillage effects on field hydrology and yields of a dryland crop rotation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Semiarid dryland crop yields with no-till, NT, residue management are often greater than stubble-mulch, SM, tillage as a result of improved soil conditions and water conservation, but information on long-term tillage effects on field hydrology and sustained crop production are needed. Our objective ...

Developing an automated database for monitoring ultrasound- and computed tomography-guided procedure complications and diagnostic yield.

PubMed

Itri, Jason N; Jones, Lisa P; Kim, Woojin; Boonn, William W; Kolansky, Ana S; Hilton, Susan; Zafar, Hanna M

2014-04-01

Monitoring complications and diagnostic yield for image-guided procedures is an important component of maintaining high quality patient care promoted by professional societies in radiology and accreditation organizations such as the American College of Radiology (ACR) and Joint Commission. These outcome metrics can be used as part of a comprehensive quality assurance/quality improvement program to reduce variation in clinical practice, provide opportunities to engage in practice quality improvement, and contribute to developing national benchmarks and standards. The purpose of this article is to describe the development and successful implementation of an automated web-based software application to monitor procedural outcomes for US- and CT-guided procedures in an academic radiology department. The open source tools PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) and MySQL were used to extract relevant procedural information from the Radiology Information System (RIS), auto-populate the procedure log database, and develop a user interface that generates real-time reports of complication rates and diagnostic yield by site and by operator. Utilizing structured radiology report templates resulted in significantly improved accuracy of information auto-populated from radiology reports, as well as greater compliance with manual data entry. An automated web-based procedure log database is an effective tool to reliably track complication rates and diagnostic yield for US- and CT-guided procedures performed in a radiology department.

Breeding Potential of Introgression Lines Developed from Interspecific Crossing between Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and Gossypium barbadense: Heterosis, Combining Ability and Genetic Effects

PubMed Central

Li, Xingli; Pei, Wenfeng

2016-01-01

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirstum L.), which produces more than 95% of the world natural cotton fibers, has a narrow genetic base which hinders progress in cotton breeding. Introducing germplasm from exotic sources especially from another cultivated tetraploid G. barbadense L. can broaden the genetic base of Upland cotton. However, the breeding potential of introgression lines (ILs) in Upland cotton with G. barbadense germplasm integration has not been well addressed. This study involved six ILs developed from an interspecific crossing and backcrossing between Upland cotton and G. barbadense and represented one of the first studies to investigate breeding potentials of a set of ILs using a full diallel analysis. High mid-parent heterosis was detected in several hybrids between ILs and a commercial cultivar, which also out-yielded the high-yielding cultivar parent in F1, F2 and F3 generations. A further analysis indicated that general ability (GCA) variance was predominant for all the traits, while specific combining ability (SCA) variance was either non-existent or much lower than GCA. The estimated GCA effects and predicted additive effects for parents in each trait were positively correlated (at P<0.01). Furthermore, GCA and additive effects for each trait were also positively correlated among generations (at P<0.05), suggesting that F2 and F3 generations can be used as a proxy to F1 in analyzing combining abilities and estimating genetic parameters. In addition, differences between reciprocal crosses in F1 and F2 were not significant for yield, yield components and fiber quality traits. But maternal effects appeared to be present for seed oil and protein contents in F3. This study identified introgression lines as good general combiners for yield and fiber quality improvement and hybrids with high heterotic vigor in yield, and therefore provided useful information for further utilization of introgression lines in cotton breeding. PMID:26730964

Breeding Potential of Introgression Lines Developed from Interspecific Crossing between Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and Gossypium barbadense: Heterosis, Combining Ability and Genetic Effects.

PubMed

Zhang, Jinfa; Wu, Man; Yu, Jiwen; Li, Xingli; Pei, Wenfeng

2016-01-01

Upland cotton (Gossypium hirstum L.), which produces more than 95% of the world natural cotton fibers, has a narrow genetic base which hinders progress in cotton breeding. Introducing germplasm from exotic sources especially from another cultivated tetraploid G. barbadense L. can broaden the genetic base of Upland cotton. However, the breeding potential of introgression lines (ILs) in Upland cotton with G. barbadense germplasm integration has not been well addressed. This study involved six ILs developed from an interspecific crossing and backcrossing between Upland cotton and G. barbadense and represented one of the first studies to investigate breeding potentials of a set of ILs using a full diallel analysis. High mid-parent heterosis was detected in several hybrids between ILs and a commercial cultivar, which also out-yielded the high-yielding cultivar parent in F1, F2 and F3 generations. A further analysis indicated that general ability (GCA) variance was predominant for all the traits, while specific combining ability (SCA) variance was either non-existent or much lower than GCA. The estimated GCA effects and predicted additive effects for parents in each trait were positively correlated (at P<0.01). Furthermore, GCA and additive effects for each trait were also positively correlated among generations (at P<0.05), suggesting that F2 and F3 generations can be used as a proxy to F1 in analyzing combining abilities and estimating genetic parameters. In addition, differences between reciprocal crosses in F1 and F2 were not significant for yield, yield components and fiber quality traits. But maternal effects appeared to be present for seed oil and protein contents in F3. This study identified introgression lines as good general combiners for yield and fiber quality improvement and hybrids with high heterotic vigor in yield, and therefore provided useful information for further utilization of introgression lines in cotton breeding.

Evaluation in undergraduate medical education: Conceptualizing and validating a novel questionnaire for assessing the quality of bedside teaching.

PubMed

Dreiling, Katharina; Montano, Diego; Poinstingl, Herbert; Müller, Tjark; Schiekirka-Schwake, Sarah; Anders, Sven; von Steinbüchel, Nicole; Raupach, Tobias

2017-08-01

Evaluation is an integral part of curriculum development in medical education. Given the peculiarities of bedside teaching, specific evaluation tools for this instructional format are needed. Development of these tools should be informed by appropriate frameworks. The purpose of this study was to develop a specific evaluation tool for bedside teaching based on the Stanford Faculty Development Program's clinical teaching framework. Based on a literature review yielding 47 evaluation items, an 18-item questionnaire was compiled and subsequently completed by undergraduate medical students at two German universities. Reliability and validity were assessed in an exploratory full information item factor analysis (study one) and a confirmatory factor analysis as well as a measurement invariance analysis (study two). The exploratory analysis involving 824 students revealed a three-factor structure. Reliability estimates of the subscales were satisfactory (α = 0.71-0.84). The model yielded satisfactory fit indices in the confirmatory factor analysis involving 1043 students. The new questionnaire is short and yet based on a widely-used framework for clinical teaching. The analyses presented here indicate good reliability and validity of the instrument. Future research needs to investigate whether feedback generated from this tool helps to improve teaching quality and student learning outcome.

A prospective, randomized study on the efficacy of tongue protector in patients with burning mouth syndrome.

PubMed

López-Jornet, P; Camacho-Alonso, F; Andujar-Mateos, P

2011-04-01

To apply a tongue protector with habit-modifying therapy through self-control, in the patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS). A prospective, randomized study was made of 65 consecutive patients with BMS. Fifty subjects were randomized to two groups: group A (informed) and group B (informed and the application of a tongue protector). The symptoms were evaluated by VAS, whereas the psychological profile was assessed using the HAD, with application of the quality of life questionnaires SF-36 and OHIP-49. The duration of treatment was 2 months. Fifty patients (46 females and 4 males) completed the study. The VAS scores in group B were 8.2 at baseline and 4.5 after 2 months. The respective scores in group A were 7.1 and 5.6 - the differences between the two groups being significant (P < 0.001). In group B the OHIP-49 yielded lower scores for most of the scales, with significant differences vs group A. In group B the SF 36 yielded significant differences vs group A in physical role, bodily pain, general health and emotional role. Parafunctional traumatism of the tongue should be taken into account in the pathogenesis of BMS with a view to exploring new therapeutic options. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Land-surface initialisation improves seasonal climate prediction skill for maize yield forecast.

PubMed

Ceglar, Andrej; Toreti, Andrea; Prodhomme, Chloe; Zampieri, Matteo; Turco, Marco; Doblas-Reyes, Francisco J

2018-01-22

Seasonal crop yield forecasting represents an important source of information to maintain market stability, minimise socio-economic impacts of crop losses and guarantee humanitarian food assistance, while it fosters the use of climate information favouring adaptation strategies. As climate variability and extremes have significant influence on agricultural production, the early prediction of severe weather events and unfavourable conditions can contribute to the mitigation of adverse effects. Seasonal climate forecasts provide additional value for agricultural applications in several regions of the world. However, they currently play a very limited role in supporting agricultural decisions in Europe, mainly due to the poor skill of relevant surface variables. Here we show how a combined stress index (CSI), considering both drought and heat stress in summer, can predict maize yield in Europe and how land-surface initialised seasonal climate forecasts can be used to predict it. The CSI explains on average nearly 53% of the inter-annual maize yield variability under observed climate conditions and shows how concurrent heat stress and drought events have influenced recent yield anomalies. Seasonal climate forecast initialised with realistic land-surface achieves better (and marginally useful) skill in predicting the CSI than with climatological land-surface initialisation in south-eastern Europe, part of central Europe, France and Italy.

Constituent concentrations, loads, and yields to Beaver Lake, Arkansas, water years 1999-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bolyard, Susan E.; De Lanois, Jeanne L.; Green, W. Reed

2010-01-01

Beaver Lake is a large, deep-storage reservoir used as a drinking-water supply and considered a primary watershed of concern in the State of Arkansas. As such, information is needed to assess water quality, especially nutrient enrichment, nutrient-algal relations, turbidity, and sediment issues within the reservoir system. Water-quality samples were collected at three main inflows to Beaver Lake: the White River near Fayetteville, Richland Creek at Goshen, and War Eagle Creek near Hindsville. Water-quality samples collected over the period represented different flow conditions (from low to high). Constituent concentrations, flow-weighted concentrations, loads, and yields from White River, Richland Creek, and War Eagle Creek to Beaver Lake for water years 1999-2008 were documented for this report. Constituents include total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, dissolved orthophosphorus (soluble reactive phosphorus), total phosphorus, total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, total organic carbon, and suspended sediment. Linear regression models developed by computer program S-LOADEST were used to estimate loads for each constituent for the 10-year period at each station. Constituent yields and flow-weighted concentrations for each of the three stations were calculated for the study. Constituent concentrations and loads and yields varied with time and varied among the three tributaries contributing to Beaver Lake. These differences can result from differences in precipitation, land use, contributions of nutrients from point sources, and variations in basin size. Load and yield estimates varied yearly during the study period, water years 1999-2008, with the least nutrient and sediment load and yields generally occurring in water year 2006, and the greatest occurring in water year 2008, during a year with record amounts of precipitation. Flow-weighted concentrations of most constituents were greatest at War Eagle Creek near Hindsville than White River near Fayetteville and Richland Creek at Goshen. Loads and yields of most constituents were greater at the War Eagle Creek and White River stations than at the Richland Creek Station.

Informant discrepancy defines discrete, clinically useful autism spectrum disorder subgroups.

PubMed

Lerner, Matthew D; De Los Reyes, Andres; Drabick, Deborah A G; Gerber, Alan H; Gadow, Kenneth D

2017-07-01

Discrepancy between informants (parents and teachers) in severity ratings of core symptoms commonly arise when assessing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Whether such discrepancy yields unique information about the ASD phenotype and its clinical correlates has not been examined. We examined whether degree of discrepancy between parent and teacher ASD symptom ratings defines discrete, clinically meaningful subgroups of youth with ASD using an efficient, cost-effective procedure. Children with ASD (N = 283; 82% boys; M age  = 10.5 years) were drawn from a specialty ASD clinic. Parents and teachers provided ratings of the three core DSM-IV-TR domains of ASD symptoms (communication, social, and perseverative behavior) with the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory-4R (CASI-4R). External validators included child psychotropic medication status, frequency of ASD-relevant school-based services, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2). Four distinct subgroups emerged that ranged from large between-informant discrepancy (informant-specific) to relative lack of discrepancy (i.e. informant agreement; cross-situational): Moderate Parent/Low Teacher or Low Parent/Moderate Teacher Severity (Discrepancy), and Moderate or High Symptom Severity (Agreement). Subgroups were highly distinct (mean probability of group assignment = 94%). Relative to Discrepancy subgroups, Agreement subgroups were more likely to receive psychotropic medication, school-based special education services, and an ADOS-2 diagnosis. These differential associations would not have been identified based solely on CASI-4R scores from one informant. The degree of parent-teacher discrepancy about ASD symptom severity appears to provide more clinically useful information than reliance on a specific symptom domain or informant, and thus yields an innovative, cost-effective approach to assessing functional impairment. This conclusion stands in contrast to existing symptom clustering approaches in ASD, which treat within-informant patterns of symptom severity as generalizable across settings. Within-child variability in symptom expression across settings may yield uniquely useful information for characterizing the ASD phenotype. © 2017 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

A Patient-Centered Approach to Informed Consent: Results from a Survey and Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Krishnamurti, Tamar; Argo, Nichole

2016-08-01

Traditional informed consent documents tend to be too lengthy and technical to facilitate proper patient engagement. Patient-centered, short informed consent content could be equally informative, while minimizing patient burden and producing greater patient engagement. This study aimed to develop and evaluate patient-centered, patient-designed paper and video informed consent formats. Two studies were conducted. In study 1, 118 self-identifying asthma patients recruited from a national, online pool completed survey tasks from their personal computers. Participants in study 1 were randomly assigned to examine sections of a standard informed consent document for an asthma trial and to select information they deemed critical to their decision making. In study 2, a sample of 83 self-identifying asthma patients completed experimental tasks in a university laboratory. Participants in study 2 were randomly assigned to a full informed consent document; a shortened, patient-designed informed consent document created from study 1; or a video with content matched to the shortened paper form. Study 1 yielded a more readable, concise version of a standard informed consent document (5 v. 17 pages). This shortened, patient-designed form closely met normative criteria for good clinical practice. In study 2, participants who viewed either the shortened paper consent or video reported greater engagement than those viewing the standard paper consent, without lowered performance on any other decision-relevant variables (i.e., comprehension, judged risk/benefit, feelings of trust). The video consent format did not cause increased enrollment. Results suggest that providing concise informed consent content, systematically developed from patients' self-reported information needs, may be more effective at engaging and informing clinical trial participants than the traditional consent approach, without detriment to trial comprehension, risk assessment, or enrollment. © The Author(s) 2016.

The role of off-line mass spectrometry in nuclear fission.

PubMed

De Laeter, J R

1996-01-01

The role of mass spectrometry in nuclear fission has been invaluable since 1940, when A. O. C. Nier separated microgram quantities of (235) U from (238) U, using a gas source mass spectrometer. This experiment enabled the fissionable nature of (235) U to be established. During the Manhattan Project, the mass spectrometer was used to measure the isotope abundances of uranium after processing in various separation systems, in monitoring the composition of the gaseous products in the Oak Ridge Diffusion Plant, and as a helium leak detector. Following the construction of the first reactor at the University of Chicago, it was necessary to unravel the nuclear systematics of the various fission products produced in the fission process. Off-line mass spectrometry was able to identify stable and long-lived isotopes produced in fission, but more importantly, was used in numerous studies of the distribution of mass of the cumulative fission yields. Improvements in sensitivity enabled off-line mass spectrometric studies to identify fine structure in the mass-yield curve and, hence, demonstrate the importance of shell structure in nuclear fission. Solid-source mass spectrometry was also able to measure the cumulative fission yields in the valley of symmetry in the mass-yield curve, and enabled spontaneous fission yields to be quantified. Apart from the accurate measurement of abundances, the stable isotope mass spectrometric technique has been invaluable in establishing absolute cumulative fission yields for many isotopes making up the mass-yield distribution curve for a variety of fissile nuclides. Extensive mass spectrometric studies of noble gases in primitive meteorites revealed the presence of fission products from the now extinct nuclide (244) Pu, and have eliminated the possibility of fission products from a super-heavy nuclide contributing to isotopic anomalies in meteoritic material. Numerous mass spectrometric studies of the isotopic and elemental abundances of samples from the Oklo Natural Reactor have enabled the nuclear parameters of the various reactor zones to be calculated, and the mobility/retentivity of a number of elements to be established in the reactor zones and the surrounding rocks. These isotopic studies have given valuable information on the geochemical behavior of natural geological repositories for radioactive waste containment. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Annual Corn Yield Estimation through Multi-temporal MODIS Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Y.; Zheng, B.; Campbell, J. B.

2013-12-01

This research employed 13 years of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to estimate annual corn yield for the Midwest of the United States. The overall objective of this study was to examine if annual corn yield could be accurately predicted using MODIS time-series NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and ancillary data such monthly precipitation and temperature. MODIS-NDVI 16-Day composite images were acquired from the USGS EROS Data Center for calendar years 2000 to 2012. For the same time-period, county level corn yield statistics were obtained from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The monthly precipitation and temperature measures were derived from Precipitation-Elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) climate data. A cropland mask was derived using 2006 National Land Cover Database. For each county and within the cropland mask, the MODIS-NDVI time-series data and PRISM climate data were spatially averaged, at their respective time steps. We developed a random forest predictive model with the MODIS-NDVI and climate data as predictors and corn yield as response. To assess the model accuracy, we used twelve years of data as training and the remaining year as hold-out testing set. The training and testing procedures were repeated 13 times. The R2 ranged from 0.72 to 0.83 for testing years. It was also found that the inclusion of climate data did not improve the model predictive performance. MODIS-NDVI time-series data alone might provide sufficient information for county level corn yield prediction.

Microstructure characterization and strengthening mechanisms of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Fe-9%Cr and Fe-14%Cr extruded bars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, A.; Bergner, F.; Etienne, A.; Aktaa, J.; de Carlan, Y.; Heintze, C.; Litvinov, D.; Hernandez-Mayoral, M.; Oñorbe, E.; Radiguet, B.; Ulbricht, A.

2017-11-01

The collaborative study is focused on the relationship between microstructure and yield stress for an ODS Fe-9%Cr-based transformable alloy and an ODS Fe-14%Cr-based ferritic alloy. The contributions to the total room temperature yield stress arising from various strengthening mechanisms are addressed on the basis of a comprehensive description of the microstructures uncovered by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and atom probe tomography (APT). While these methods provide a high degree of complementarity, a reasonable agreement was found in cases of overlap of information. The derived set of microstructure parameters along with reported strengthening equations was used to calculate the room temperature yield stress. The estimates were critically compared with the measured yield stress for an extended set of alloys including data reported for Fe-Cr model alloys and steels thus covering one order of magnitude or more in grain size, dislocation density, particle density and yield stress. The comparison shows that particle strengthening, dislocation forest strengthening, and Hall-Petch strengthening are the major contributions and that a mixed superposition rule reproduces the measured yield stress within experimental scatter for the whole extended set of alloys. The wide variation of microstructures additionally underpins the conclusions and goes beyond previous work, in which one or few ODS steels and narrow microstructure variations were typically covered.

The Application of Operations Research Techniques to the Evaluation of Military Management Information Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

systems such as management information systems . To provide a methodology yielding quantitative results which may assist a commander and his staff in...this analysis, it is proposed that management information systems be evaluated as a whole by a technique defined as the semantic differential. Each

7 CFR 868.211 - Grade designation and other certificate information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Rough Rice Principles Governing Application of Standards § 868.211 Grade designation and other certificate information. (a) Rough rice. The grade designation for all classes of Rough rice shall be included... statement of the milling yield. (b) Mixed rough rice information. For the class Mixed Rough rice, the...

7 CFR 868.211 - Grade designation and other certificate information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Rough Rice Principles Governing Application of Standards § 868.211 Grade designation and other certificate information. (a) Rough rice. The grade designation for all classes of Rough rice shall be included... statement of the milling yield. (b) Mixed rough rice information. For the class Mixed Rough rice, the...

Information Along Contours and Object Boundaries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Jacob; Singh, Manish

2005-01-01

F. Attneave (1954) famously suggested that information along visual contours is concentrated in regions of high magnitude of curvature, rather than being distributed uniformly along the contour. Here the authors give a formal derivation of this claim, yielding an exact expression for information, in C. Shannon's (1948) sense, as a function of…

76 FR 64356 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Generic Clearance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-18

... Genevieve deAlmeida-Morris, Health Research Evaluator, Office of Science Policy and Communications, National... opinions, but are not statistical surveys that yield quantitative results that can be generalized to the... generic clearance for qualitative information will not be used for quantitative information collections...

Low yield of routine duodenal biopsies for evaluation of abdominal pain

PubMed Central

Dubin, Sterling M; Kwong, Wilson T; Kalmaz, Denise; Savides, Thomas J

2015-01-01

AIM: To determine the yield of biopsying normal duodenal mucosa for investigation of abdominal pain. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with duodenal biopsies of normal appearing duodenal mucosa for an indication that included abdominal pain. All the patients in this study were identified from an electronic endoscopy database at a single academic medical center and had an EGD with duodenal biopsies performed over a 4-year period. New diagnoses that were made as a direct result of duodenal biopsies were identified. All duodenal pathology reports and endoscopy records were reviewed for indications to perform the examination as well as the findings; all the medical records were reviewed. Exclusion criteria included age less than 18 years, duodenal mass, nodule, or polyp, endoscopic duodenitis, duodenal scalloping, known celiac disease, positive celiac serology, Crohns disease, or history of bone marrow transplant. Information was collected in a de-identified database with pertinent demographic information including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status, and descriptive statistics were performed. RESULTS: About 300 patients underwent EGD with biopsies of benign appearing or normal appearing duodenal mucosa. The mean age of patients was 44.1 ± 16.8 years; 189 of 300 (63%) were female. A mean of 4.3 duodenal biopsies were performed in each patient. In the subgroup of patients with abdominal pain without anemia, diarrhea, or weight loss the mean age was 43.4 ± 16.3 years. Duodenal biopsies performed for an indication that included abdominal pain resulting in 4 new diagnoses (3 celiac disease and 1 giardiasis) for an overall yield of 1.3%. 183 patients with abdominal pain without anemia, diarrhea, or weight loss (out of the total 300 patients) underwent duodenal biopsy of duodenal mucosa resulting in three new diagnoses (two cases of celiac disease and one giardiasis) for a yield of 1.6%. Duodenal biopsies of 19 HIV patients presenting for evaluation of abdominal pain did not reveal any new diagnoses. Information pertaining to new diagnoses is provided. CONCLUSION: Routine biopsy of normal appearing duodena in patients with abdominal pain should be reserved for those with a high pre-test probability given its low diagnostic yield. PMID:26139995

SCA with rotation to distinguish common and distinctive information in linked data.

PubMed

Schouteden, Martijn; Van Deun, Katrijn; Pattyn, Sven; Van Mechelen, Iven

2013-09-01

Often data are collected that consist of different blocks that all contain information about the same entities (e.g., items, persons, or situations). In order to unveil both information that is common to all data blocks and information that is distinctive for one or a few of them, an integrated analysis of the whole of all data blocks may be most useful. Interesting classes of methods for such an approach are simultaneous-component and multigroup factor analysis methods. These methods yield dimensions underlying the data at hand. Unfortunately, however, in the results from such analyses, common and distinctive types of information are mixed up. This article proposes a novel method to disentangle the two kinds of information, by making use of the rotational freedom of component and factor models. We illustrate this method with data from a cross-cultural study of emotions.

Effectiveness of whole-exome sequencing and costs of the traditional diagnostic trajectory in children with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Monroe, Glen R; Frederix, Gerardus W; Savelberg, Sanne M C; de Vries, Tamar I; Duran, Karen J; van der Smagt, Jasper J; Terhal, Paulien A; van Hasselt, Peter M; Kroes, Hester Y; Verhoeven-Duif, Nanda M; Nijman, Isaäc J; Carbo, Ellen C; van Gassen, Koen L; Knoers, Nine V; Hövels, Anke M; van Haelst, Mieke M; Visser, Gepke; van Haaften, Gijs

2016-09-01

This study investigated whole-exome sequencing (WES) yield in a subset of intellectually disabled patients referred to our clinical diagnostic center and calculated the total costs of these patients' diagnostic trajectory in order to evaluate early WES implementation. We compared 17 patients' trio-WES yield with the retrospective costs of diagnostic procedures by comprehensively examining patient records and collecting resource use information for each patient, beginning with patient admittance and concluding with WES initiation. We calculated cost savings using scenario analyses to evaluate the costs replaced by WES when used as a first diagnostic tool. WES resulted in diagnostically useful outcomes in 29.4% of patients. The entire traditional diagnostic trajectory average cost was $16,409 per patient, substantially higher than the $3,972 trio-WES cost. WES resulted in average cost savings of $3,547 for genetic and metabolic investigations in diagnosed patients and $1,727 for genetic investigations in undiagnosed patients. The increased causal variant detection yield by WES and the relatively high costs of the entire traditional diagnostic trajectory suggest that early implementation of WES is a relevant and cost-efficient option in patient diagnostics. This information is crucial for centers considering implementation of WES and serves as input for future value-based research into diagnostics.Genet Med 18 9, 949-956.

Mars Sample Return: The Value of Depth Profiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hausrath, E. M.; Navarre-Sitchler, A. K.; Moore, J.; Sak, P. B.; Brantley, S. L.; Golden, D. C.; Sutter, B.; Schroeder, C.; Socki, R.; Morris, R. V.;

Combined use of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A images for winter crop mapping and winter wheat yield assessment at regional scale

PubMed Central

Skakun, Sergii; Vermote, Eric; Roger, Jean-Claude; Franch, Belen

2018-01-01

Timely and accurate information on crop yield is critical to many applications within agriculture monitoring. Thanks to its coverage and temporal resolution, coarse spatial resolution satellite imagery has always been a source of valuable information for yield forecasting and assessment at national and regional scales. With availability of free images acquired by Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 remote sensing satellites, it becomes possible to enable temporal resolution of an image every 3–5 days, and therefore, to develop next generation agriculture products at higher spatial resolution (30 m). This paper explores the combined use of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A for winter crop mapping and winter wheat assessment at regional scale. For the former, we adapt a previously developed approach for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) at 250 m resolution that allows automatic mapping of winter crops taking into account knowledge on crop calendar and without ground truth data. For the latter, we use a generalized winter wheat yield model that is based on NDVI-peak estimation and MODIS data, and further downscaled to be applicable at 30 m resolution. We show that integration of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A has a positive impact both for winter crop mapping and winter wheat yield assessment. In particular, the error of winter wheat yield estimates can be reduced up to 1.8 times comparing to the single satellite usage. PMID:29888751

Combined use of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A images for winter crop mapping and winter wheat yield assessment at regional scale.

PubMed

Skakun, Sergii; Vermote, Eric; Roger, Jean-Claude; Franch, Belen

2017-01-01

Timely and accurate information on crop yield is critical to many applications within agriculture monitoring. Thanks to its coverage and temporal resolution, coarse spatial resolution satellite imagery has always been a source of valuable information for yield forecasting and assessment at national and regional scales. With availability of free images acquired by Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 remote sensing satellites, it becomes possible to enable temporal resolution of an image every 3-5 days, and therefore, to develop next generation agriculture products at higher spatial resolution (30 m). This paper explores the combined use of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A for winter crop mapping and winter wheat assessment at regional scale. For the former, we adapt a previously developed approach for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) at 250 m resolution that allows automatic mapping of winter crops taking into account knowledge on crop calendar and without ground truth data. For the latter, we use a generalized winter wheat yield model that is based on NDVI-peak estimation and MODIS data, and further downscaled to be applicable at 30 m resolution. We show that integration of Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A has a positive impact both for winter crop mapping and winter wheat yield assessment. In particular, the error of winter wheat yield estimates can be reduced up to 1.8 times comparing to the single satellite usage.

In situ soft XAS study on nickel-based layered cathode material at elevated temperatures: A novel approach to study thermal stability

DOE PAGES

Yoon, Won -Sub; Yang, Xiao -Qing; Haas, Otto; ...

2014-10-29

Tracking thermally induced reactions has always been challenging for electrode materials of electrochemical battery systems. Traditionally, a variety of calorimetric techniques and in situ XRD at elevated temperatures has been used to evaluate the thermal stability of electrode materials. These techniques are capable of providing variations in heat capacity, mass and average bulk composition of materials only. Herein, we report investigation of thermal characteristics of Li 0.33Ni 0.8Co 0.15Al 0.05O 2 by using in situ soft XAS measurements in combination with XRD. Fluorescence yield and partial electron yield measurements are used simultaneously to obtain element selective surface and bulk information.more » Fluorescence yield measurements reveal no energy change of the absorption peak and thus no valence state change in the bulk. However, electron yield measurements indicate that NiO-type rock salt structure is formed at the surface at temperatures above 200°C while no evidence for a surface reaction near Co sites in investigated temperature range is found. These results clearly show that in situ soft XAS can give a unique understanding of the role of each element in the structural transformation under thermal abuse offering a useful guidance in developing new battery system with improved safety performance.« less

Predicting future land cover change and its impact on streamflow and sediment load in a trans-boundary river basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jie; Wang, Hao; Ning, Shaowei; Hiroshi, Ishidaira

2018-06-01

Sediment load can provide very important perspective on erosion of river basin. The changes of human-induced vegetation cover, such as deforestation or afforestation, affect sediment yield process of a catchment. We have already evaluated that climate change and land cover change changed the historical streamflow and sediment yield, and land cover change is the main factor in Red river basin. But future streamflow and sediment yield changes under potential future land cover change scenario still have not been evaluated. For this purpose, future scenario of land cover change is developed based on historical land cover changes and land change model (LCM). In addition, future leaf area index (LAI) is simulated by ecological model (Biome-BGC) based on future land cover scenario. Then future scenarios of land cover change and LAI are used to drive hydrological model and new sediment rating curve. The results of this research provide information that decision-makers need in order to promote water resources planning efforts. Besides that, this study also contributes a basic framework for assessing climate change impacts on streamflow and sediment yield that can be applied in the other basins around the world.

Modelling heterogeneity variances in multiple treatment comparison meta-analysis – Are informative priors the better solution?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Multiple treatment comparison (MTC) meta-analyses are commonly modeled in a Bayesian framework, and weakly informative priors are typically preferred to mirror familiar data driven frequentist approaches. Random-effects MTCs have commonly modeled heterogeneity under the assumption that the between-trial variance for all involved treatment comparisons are equal (i.e., the ‘common variance’ assumption). This approach ‘borrows strength’ for heterogeneity estimation across treatment comparisons, and thus, ads valuable precision when data is sparse. The homogeneous variance assumption, however, is unrealistic and can severely bias variance estimates. Consequently 95% credible intervals may not retain nominal coverage, and treatment rank probabilities may become distorted. Relaxing the homogeneous variance assumption may be equally problematic due to reduced precision. To regain good precision, moderately informative variance priors or additional mathematical assumptions may be necessary. Methods In this paper we describe four novel approaches to modeling heterogeneity variance - two novel model structures, and two approaches for use of moderately informative variance priors. We examine the relative performance of all approaches in two illustrative MTC data sets. We particularly compare between-study heterogeneity estimates and model fits, treatment effect estimates and 95% credible intervals, and treatment rank probabilities. Results In both data sets, use of moderately informative variance priors constructed from the pair wise meta-analysis data yielded the best model fit and narrower credible intervals. Imposing consistency equations on variance estimates, assuming variances to be exchangeable, or using empirically informed variance priors also yielded good model fits and narrow credible intervals. The homogeneous variance model yielded high precision at all times, but overall inadequate estimates of between-trial variances. Lastly, treatment rankings were similar among the novel approaches, but considerably different when compared with the homogenous variance approach. Conclusions MTC models using a homogenous variance structure appear to perform sub-optimally when between-trial variances vary between comparisons. Using informative variance priors, assuming exchangeability or imposing consistency between heterogeneity variances can all ensure sufficiently reliable and realistic heterogeneity estimation, and thus more reliable MTC inferences. All four approaches should be viable candidates for replacing or supplementing the conventional homogeneous variance MTC model, which is currently the most widely used in practice. PMID:23311298

Multiple-trait multiple-country genetic evaluation of Holstein bulls for female fertility and milk production traits.

PubMed

Nilforooshan, M A; Jakobsen, J H; Fikse, W F; Berglund, B; Jorjani, H

2014-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of including milk yield data in the international genetic evaluation of female fertility traits to reduce or eliminate a possible bias because of across-country selection for milk yield. Data included two female fertility traits from Great Britain, Italy and the Netherlands, together with milk yield data from the same countries and from the United States, because the genetic trends in other countries may be influenced by selection decisions on bulls in the United States. Potentially, female fertility data had been corrected nationally for within-country selection and management biases for milk yield. Using a multiple-trait multiple across-country evaluation (MT-MACE) for the analysis of female fertility traits with milk yield, across-country selection patterns both for female fertility and milk yield can be considered simultaneously. Four analyses were performed; one single-trait multiple across-country evaluation analysis including only milk yield data, one MT-MACE analysis including only female fertility traits, and one MT-MACE analysis including both female fertility and milk yield traits. An additional MT-MACE analysis was performed including both female fertility and milk yield traits, but excluding the United States. By including milk yield traits to the analysis, female fertility reliabilities increased, but not for all bulls in all the countries by trait combinations. The presence of milk yield traits in the analysis did not considerably change the genetic correlations, genetic trends or bull rankings of female fertility traits. Even though the predicted genetic merits of female fertility traits hardly changed by including milk yield traits to the analysis, the change was not equally distributed to the whole data. The number of bulls in common between the two sets of Top 100 bulls for each trait in the two analyses of female fertility traits, with and without the four milk yield traits and their rank correlations were low, not necessarily because of the absence of the US milk yield data. The joint international genetic evaluation of female fertility traits with milk yield is recommended to make use of information on several female fertility traits from different countries simultaneously, to consider selection decisions for milk yield in the genetic evaluation of female fertility traits for obtaining more accurate estimating breeding values (EBV) and to acquire female fertility EBV for bulls evaluated for milk yield, but not for female fertility.

Effect of sewage sledge and their bio-char on some soil qualities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathi, Hamed; Movahedi Naeini, Seyed Alireza; Mirzanejad, Mojan

2015-04-01

Bio char (BC) application as a soil amendment has achieved much interest and has been found that considerably improves soil nutrient status and crop yields on poor soils. However, information on the effect of BC on illitic soils in temperate climates is still insufficient. The primary objective in this study was to assess the influence of biochar on the soil physical properties, nutrient status and plant production. The result may also provide a reference for the use of biochars as a solution in agricultural waste management when sludge with considerable load of pathogens are involved. Soybean was already grown one year and will be repeated one more year with same treatments. The investigated soil properties included soil water content and mechanical resistance, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium- acetate-lactate (CAL)-extractable P (PCAL) and K (KCAL), C, N, and nitrogen-supplying potential (NSP). The results show soil water content, potassium uptake and plant yield were increased. Heating sludge removed all pathogens and soybean yield was increased by 6%.

Surface modification study of borate materials from B K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasrai, Masoud; Fleet, Michael E.; Muthupari, Swaminathan; Li, D.; Bancroft, G. M.

The B K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectra of two borates with tetrahedrally-coordinated B [[4]B; natural danburite (CaB2Si2O8) and synthetic boron phosphate (BPO4)] have been recorded in total electron yield (TEY) and fluorescence yield (FY) modes to investigate the surface and bulk structure of these materials. The TEY XANES measurement shows that danburite is susceptible to surface damage involving conversion of [4]B sites to [3]B sites by reaction with moisture and/or mechanical abrasion (grinding, polishing, etc.). The bulk of the mineral is essentially unaffected. Commercial boron phosphate powder exhibits more extensive surface and bulk damage, which increases with air exposure but is recovered on heating at 650°C. In contrast to ELNES, the XANES technique is not affected by beam damage and when collected in the FY mode is capable of yielding meaningful information on the coordination and intermediate-range structure of B in borate and borosilicate materials.

Clinic expert information extraction based on domain model and block importance model.

PubMed

Zhang, Yuanpeng; Wang, Li; Qian, Danmin; Geng, Xingyun; Yao, Dengfu; Dong, Jiancheng

2015-11-01

To extract expert clinic information from the Deep Web, there are two challenges to face. The first one is to make a judgment on forms. A novel method based on a domain model, which is a tree structure constructed by the attributes of query interfaces is proposed. With this model, query interfaces can be classified to a domain and filled in with domain keywords. Another challenge is to extract information from response Web pages indexed by query interfaces. To filter the noisy information on a Web page, a block importance model is proposed, both content and spatial features are taken into account in this model. The experimental results indicate that the domain model yields a precision 4.89% higher than that of the rule-based method, whereas the block importance model yields an F1 measure 10.5% higher than that of the XPath method. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association of SNP and STR polymorphisms of insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) gene with milk traits in Holstein-Friesian cows.

PubMed

Dux, Marta; Muranowicz, Magdalena; Siadkowska, Eulalia; Robakowska-Hyżorek, Dagmara; Flisikowski, Krzysztof; Bagnicka, Emilia; Zwierzchowski, Lech

2018-05-01

The objective of the study reported in this Research Communication was to investigate the association of polymorphisms in the insulin-like growth factor receptor 2 (IGF2R) gene with milk traits in 283 Polish Holstein-Friesian (PHF) cows from the IGAB PAS farm in Jastrzębiec. IGF2R regulates the availability of biologically active IGF2 which is considered as a genetic marker for milk or meat production in farm animals. Two novel genetic polymorphisms were identified in the bovine IGF2R gene: a polymorphic TG-repeat in intron 23 (g.72389 (TG)15-67), and a g.72479 G > A SNP RFLP-StyI in exon 24. The following milk traits were investigated: milk yield, protein and fat yield, SCC and lactose content. To determine the influence of the IGF2R STR and SNP genotypes on the milk traits, we used the AI-REML (average information restricted maximum likelihood) method with repeatability, multi-trait animal model based on test-day information using DMU package. Statistical analysis revealed that the G/A genotype (P ≤ 0·01) was associated with milk and protein yield, lactose content and somatic cell count (SCC) in Polish HF cows. TGn (29/22, 28/29, 28/22, 28/28) genotypes were associated with high values for milk, (28/22, 28/23) with protein and fat yield, (25/20) with lactose content, and (29/33, 28/28) with low SCC. We suggest that the IGF2R gene polymorphisms could be useful genetic markers for dairy production traits in cattle.

A generalized approach to wheat yield forecasting using earth observations: Data considerations, application and relevance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker-Reshef, Inbal

In recent years there has been a dramatic increase in the demand for timely, comprehensive global agricultural intelligence. The issue of food security has rapidly risen to the top of government agendas around the world as the recent lack of food access led to unprecedented food prices, hunger, poverty, and civil conflict. Timely information on global crop production is indispensable for combating the growing stress on the world's crop production, for stabilizing food prices, developing effective agricultural policies, and for coordinating responses to regional food shortages. Earth Observations (EO) data offer a practical means for generating such information as they provide global, timely, cost-effective, and synoptic information on crop condition and distribution. Their utility for crop production forecasting has long been recognized and demonstrated across a wide range of scales and geographic regions. Nevertheless it is widely acknowledged that EO data could be better utilized within the operational monitoring systems and thus there is a critical need for research focused on developing practical robust methods for agricultural monitoring. Within this context this dissertation focused on advancing EO-based methods for crop yield forecasting and on demonstrating the potential relevance for adopting EO-based crop forecasts for providing timely reliable agricultural intelligence. This thesis made contributions to this field by developing and testing a robust EO-based method for wheat production forecasting at state to national scales using available and easily accessible data. The model was developed in Kansas (KS) using coarse resolution normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series data in conjunction with out-of-season wheat masks and was directly applied in Ukraine to assess its transferability. The model estimated yields within 7% in KS and 10% in Ukraine of final estimates 6 weeks prior to harvest. The relevance of adopting such methods to provide timely reliable information to crop commodity markets is demonstrated through a 2010 case study.

Characterisation of tissue-type metabolic content in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: a magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging study.

PubMed

Marshall, Ian; Thrippleton, Michael J; Bastin, Mark E; Mollison, Daisy; Dickie, David A; Chappell, Francesca M; Semple, Scott I K; Cooper, Annette; Pavitt, Sue; Giovannoni, Gavin; Wheeler-Kingshott, Claudia A M Gandini; Solanky, Bhavana S; Weir, Christopher J; Stallard, Nigel; Hawkins, Clive; Sharrack, Basil; Chataway, Jeremy; Connick, Peter; Chandran, Siddharthan

2018-05-30

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy yields metabolic information and has proved to be a useful addition to structural imaging in neurological diseases. We applied short-echo time Spectroscopic Imaging in a cohort of 42 patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Linear modelling with respect to brain tissue type yielded metabolite levels that were significantly different in white matter lesions compared with normal-appearing white matter, suggestive of higher myelin turnover (higher choline), higher metabolic rate (higher creatine) and increased glial activity (higher myo-inositol) within the lesions. These findings suggest that the lesions have ongoing cellular activity that is not consistent with the usual assumption of 'chronic' lesions in SPMS, and may represent a target for repair therapies.

Genetic Variance Partitioning and Genome-Wide Prediction with Allele Dosage Information in Autotetraploid Potato.

PubMed

Endelman, Jeffrey B; Carley, Cari A Schmitz; Bethke, Paul C; Coombs, Joseph J; Clough, Mark E; da Silva, Washington L; De Jong, Walter S; Douches, David S; Frederick, Curtis M; Haynes, Kathleen G; Holm, David G; Miller, J Creighton; Muñoz, Patricio R; Navarro, Felix M; Novy, Richard G; Palta, Jiwan P; Porter, Gregory A; Rak, Kyle T; Sathuvalli, Vidyasagar R; Thompson, Asunta L; Yencho, G Craig

2018-05-01

As one of the world's most important food crops, the potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) has spurred innovation in autotetraploid genetics, including in the use of SNP arrays to determine allele dosage at thousands of markers. By combining genotype and pedigree information with phenotype data for economically important traits, the objectives of this study were to (1) partition the genetic variance into additive vs. nonadditive components, and (2) determine the accuracy of genome-wide prediction. Between 2012 and 2017, a training population of 571 clones was evaluated for total yield, specific gravity, and chip fry color. Genomic covariance matrices for additive ( G ), digenic dominant ( D ), and additive × additive epistatic ( G # G ) effects were calculated using 3895 markers, and the numerator relationship matrix ( A ) was calculated from a 13-generation pedigree. Based on model fit and prediction accuracy, mixed model analysis with G was superior to A for yield and fry color but not specific gravity. The amount of additive genetic variance captured by markers was 20% of the total genetic variance for specific gravity, compared to 45% for yield and fry color. Within the training population, including nonadditive effects improved accuracy and/or bias for all three traits when predicting total genotypic value. When six F 1 populations were used for validation, prediction accuracy ranged from 0.06 to 0.63 and was consistently lower (0.13 on average) without allele dosage information. We conclude that genome-wide prediction is feasible in potato and that it will improve selection for breeding value given the substantial amount of nonadditive genetic variance in elite germplasm. Copyright © 2018 by the Genetics Society of America.

Build Trust Index for Volunteered Geographic Information: A Case Study of Safecast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Y.; Cervone, G.

2017-12-01

Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI), defined as geographic information contributed voluntarily by amateurs, have grown exponentially nowadays with the aid of ubiquitous GPS-enabled telecommunication technologies. VGI projects, like Wikimapia, OpenStreetMap, Flickr and Safecast have shown remarkable success on leveraging citizen science to increase our knowledge about the geographic world. However, in spite of its growing popularity, VGI is still facing the most challenging problem of ensuring data quality. In this study, we proposed a methodology to filter outliers in Safecast measurements through cross-reference among volunteers. Based on the outliers filtered, a trust index is generated for each volunteer. The results are validated using official radiation measurements surveyed by Department of Energy. The validation shows that removing the outliers filtered by our methodology, Safecast measurements yield a better correlation with official measurements.

Quantitative Connection Between Ensemble Thermodynamics and Single-Molecule Kinetics: A Case Study Using Cryo-EM and smFRET Investigations of the Ribosome

PubMed Central

Frank, Joachim; Gonzalez, Ruben L.

2015-01-01

At equilibrium, thermodynamic and kinetic information can be extracted from biomolecular energy landscapes by many techniques. However, while static, ensemble techniques yield thermodynamic data, often only dynamic, single-molecule techniques can yield the kinetic data that describes transition-state energy barriers. Here we present a generalized framework based upon dwell-time distributions that can be used to connect such static, ensemble techniques with dynamic, single-molecule techniques, and thus characterize energy landscapes to greater resolutions. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by applying it to cryogenic electron microscopy and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies of the bacterial ribosomal pretranslocation complex. Among other benefits, application of this framework to these data explains why two transient, intermediate conformations of the pretranslocation complex, which are observed in a cryogenic electron microscopy study, may not be observed in several single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer studies. PMID:25785884

Quantitative Connection between Ensemble Thermodynamics and Single-Molecule Kinetics: A Case Study Using Cryogenic Electron Microscopy and Single-Molecule Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Investigations of the Ribosome.

PubMed

Thompson, Colin D Kinz; Sharma, Ajeet K; Frank, Joachim; Gonzalez, Ruben L; Chowdhury, Debashish

2015-08-27

At equilibrium, thermodynamic and kinetic information can be extracted from biomolecular energy landscapes by many techniques. However, while static, ensemble techniques yield thermodynamic data, often only dynamic, single-molecule techniques can yield the kinetic data that describe transition-state energy barriers. Here we present a generalized framework based upon dwell-time distributions that can be used to connect such static, ensemble techniques with dynamic, single-molecule techniques, and thus characterize energy landscapes to greater resolutions. We demonstrate the utility of this framework by applying it to cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET) studies of the bacterial ribosomal pre-translocation complex. Among other benefits, application of this framework to these data explains why two transient, intermediate conformations of the pre-translocation complex, which are observed in a cryo-EM study, may not be observed in several smFRET studies.

77 FR 71860 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-04

... RLP Approval Order, which account for the difference of assumed information and sophistication level... Members that utilize Retail Orders. Flag ZA is proposed to be yielded for those Members that use Retail... is proposed to be yielded for those Members that use Retail Orders that remove liquidity from EDGX...

Red alder stand development and dynamics.

Treesearch

R.L. Deal

2006-01-01

This paper synthesizes information on the development of natural pure red alder stands and dynamics of mixed alder-conifer stands. Early research on red alder growth and yield focused on developing stand volume and normal yield. tables for alder in the Pacific Northwest. Recent site-index estimation and height-growth curves were developed on a 20-year site base age....

Dryland pea production and water use in responses to tillage, crop rotation, and weed management practice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pea has been used to replace fallow and sustain dryland crop yields in arid and semiarid regions, but information to optimize its management is required. We evaluated pea growth, yield, and water use in response to tillage, crop rotation, and weed management practice from 2005 to 2010 in the norther...

Stand dynamics of unthinned and thinned shortleaf pine plantations

Treesearch

Glendon W. Smalley

1986-01-01

Growth and yield information about unthinned and thinned shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) plantations established mostly on old-fields in the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Ridge and Valley, Cumberland Plateau, and Highland Rim physiographic provinces is covered in this paper. The growth and yield pattern of shortleaf pine is more suited to the production of sawlogs at...

Growth and yield of white spruce plantations in the Lake States (a literature review).

Treesearch

H. Michael Rauscher

1984-01-01

This summary of the white spruce literature covers the structure, site relations, population dynamics, and cultural practices applicable to established plantations in the Lake States. The objective of this paper is to assemble and organize all information relevant to the silviculture, growth, and yield of white spruce plantations in the Lake States .

Growth, yield, and structure of extended rotation Pinus resinosa stands in Minnesota, USA

Treesearch

Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik; Christel C. Kern

2010-01-01

Extended rotations are increasingly used to meet ecological objectives on forestland; however, information about long-term growth and yield of these systems is lacking for most forests in North America. Additionally, long-term growth responses to repeated thinnings in older stands have received little attention. We addressed these needs by examining the growth and...

7 CFR 457.131 - Macadamia nut crop insurance provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the orchard for the purpose of picking all or a portion of the crop. Graft. The uniting of a macadamia.... Picking of mature macadamia nuts from the ground. Interplanted. Acreage on which two or more crops are... information that we request in order to establish your approved yield. We will reduce the yield used to...

Endowment Assets, Yield, and Income in Institutions of Higher Education: Fiscal Years 1982-85. OERI Bulletin, September 1987.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Education Statistics (ED/OERI), Washington, DC.

Findings concerning college endowment assets, yield, and income for fiscal years (FY) 1982-1985 are presented, based on "Financial Statistics of Institutions of Higher Education" surveys, which are conducted each fall as part of the annual Higher Education General Information Survey. In the private sector, endowment income accounted for…

The impact of soil moisture extremes and their spatiotemporal variability on Zambian maize yields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Y.; Estes, L. D.; Vergopolan, N.

2017-12-01

Food security in sub-Saharan Africa is highly sensitive to climate variability. While it is well understood that extreme heat has substantial negative impacts on crop yield, the impacts of precipitation extremes, particularly over large spatial extents, are harder to quantify. There are three primary reasons for this difficulty, which are (1) lack of high quality, high resolution precipitation data, (2) rainfall data provide incomplete information on plant water availability, the variable that most directly affects crop performance, and (3) the type of rainfall extreme that most affects crop yields varies throughout the crop development stage. With respect to the first reason, the spatial and temporal variation of precipitation is much greater than that of temperature, yet the spatial resolution of rainfall data is typically even coarser than it is for temperature, particularly within Africa. Even if there were high-resolution rainfall data, the amount of water available to crops also depends on other physical factors that affect evapotranspiration, which are strongly influenced by heterogeneity in the land surface related to topography, soil properties, and land cover. In this context, soil moisture provides a better measure of crop water availability than rainfall. Furthermore, soil moisture has significantly different influences on crop yield depending on the crop's growth stage. The goal of this study is to understand how the spatiotemporal scales of soil moisture extremes interact with crops, more specifically, the timing and the spatial scales of extreme events like droughts and flooding. In this study, we simulate daily-1km soil moisture using HydroBlocks - a physically based land surface model - and compare it with precipitation and remote sensing derived maize yields between 2000 and 2016 in Zambia. We use a novel combination of the SCYM (scalable satellite-based yield mapper) method with DSSAT crop model, which is a mechanistic model responsive to water stress. Understanding the relationships between soil moisture spatiotemporal variability and yields can help to improve agricultural drought risk assessment and seasonal crop yield forecasting as well as early season warning of potential famines.

Rough set soft computing cancer classification and network: one stone, two birds.

PubMed

Zhang, Yue

2010-07-15

Gene expression profiling provides tremendous information to help unravel the complexity of cancer. The selection of the most informative genes from huge noise for cancer classification has taken centre stage, along with predicting the function of such identified genes and the construction of direct gene regulatory networks at different system levels with a tuneable parameter. A new study by Wang and Gotoh described a novel Variable Precision Rough Sets-rooted robust soft computing method to successfully address these problems and has yielded some new insights. The significance of this progress and its perspectives will be discussed in this article.

Remotely sensed vegetation indices for seasonal crop yields predictions in the Czech Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hlavinka, Petr; Semerádová, Daniela; Balek, Jan; Bohovic, Roman; Žalud, Zdeněk; Trnka, Miroslav

2015-04-01

Remotely sensed vegetation indices by satellites are valuable tool for vegetation conditions assessment also in the case of field crops. This study is based on the use of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) derived from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) aboard Terra satellite. Data available from the year 2000 were analyzed and tested for seasonal yields predictions within selected districts of the Czech Republic (Central Europe). Namely the yields of spring barley, winter wheat and oilseed winter rape during the period from 2000 to 2014 were assessed. Observed yields from 14 districts (NUTS 4) were collected and thus 210 seasons were included. Selected districts differ considerably in their soil fertility and terrain configuration and represent transect across various agroclimatic conditions (from warm and dry to relative cool and wet regions). Two approaches were tested: 1) using of composite remotely sensed data (available in 16 day time step) provided by the USGS (https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/); 2) using daily remotely sensed data in combination with originally developed smoothing method. The yields were successfully predicted based on established regression models (remotely sensed data used as independent parameter). Besides others the impact of severe drought episodes within vegetation were identified and yield reductions at district level predicted (even before harvest). As a result the periods with the best relationship between remotely sensed data and yields were identified. The impact of drought conditions as well as normal or above normal yields of field crops could be predicted by proposed method within study region up to 30 days prior to the harvest. It could be concluded that remotely sensed vegetation conditions assessment should be important part of early warning systems focused on drought. Such information should be widely available for various users (decision makers, farmers, etc.) in order to improve planning, business strategies but also to target the drought relief in case of major drought event. This study was funded by project "Building up a multidisciplinary scientific team focused on drought" No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0248, project supported by Czech National Agency of Agricultural Research No. QJ1310123 "Crop modelling as a tool for increasing the production potential and food security of the Czech Republic under Climate Change".

A network-based approach for semi-quantitative knowledge mining and its application to yield variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schauberger, Bernhard; Rolinski, Susanne; Müller, Christoph

2016-12-01

Variability of crop yields is detrimental for food security. Under climate change its amplitude is likely to increase, thus it is essential to understand the underlying causes and mechanisms. Crop models are the primary tool to project future changes in crop yields under climate change. A systematic overview of drivers and mechanisms of crop yield variability (YV) can thus inform crop model development and facilitate improved understanding of climate change impacts on crop yields. Yet there is a vast body of literature on crop physiology and YV, which makes a prioritization of mechanisms for implementation in models challenging. Therefore this paper takes on a novel approach to systematically mine and organize existing knowledge from the literature. The aim is to identify important mechanisms lacking in models, which can help to set priorities in model improvement. We structure knowledge from the literature in a semi-quantitative network. This network consists of complex interactions between growing conditions, plant physiology and crop yield. We utilize the resulting network structure to assign relative importance to causes of YV and related plant physiological processes. As expected, our findings confirm existing knowledge, in particular on the dominant role of temperature and precipitation, but also highlight other important drivers of YV. More importantly, our method allows for identifying the relevant physiological processes that transmit variability in growing conditions to variability in yield. We can identify explicit targets for the improvement of crop models. The network can additionally guide model development by outlining complex interactions between processes and by easily retrieving quantitative information for each of the 350 interactions. We show the validity of our network method as a structured, consistent and scalable dictionary of literature. The method can easily be applied to many other research fields.

Quantifying yield gaps in wheat production in Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schierhorn, Florian; Faramarzi, Monireh; Prishchepov, Alexander V.; Koch, Friedrich J.; Müller, Daniel

2014-08-01

Crop yields must increase substantially to meet the increasing demands for agricultural products. Crop yield increases are particularly important for Russia because low crop yields prevail across Russia’s widespread and fertile land resources. However, reliable data are lacking regarding the spatial distribution of potential yields in Russia, which can be used to determine yield gaps. We used a crop growth model to determine the yield potentials and yield gaps of winter and spring wheat at the provincial level across European Russia. We modeled the annual yield potentials from 1995 to 2006 with optimal nitrogen supplies for both rainfed and irrigated conditions. Overall, the results suggest yield gaps of 1.51-2.10 t ha-1, or 44-52% of the yield potential under rainfed conditions. Under irrigated conditions, yield gaps of 3.14-3.30 t ha-1, or 62-63% of the yield potential, were observed. However, recurring droughts cause large fluctuations in yield potentials under rainfed conditions, even when the nitrogen supply is optimal, particularly in the highly fertile black soil areas of southern European Russia. The highest yield gaps (up to 4 t ha-1) under irrigated conditions were detected in the steppe areas in southeastern European Russia along the border of Kazakhstan. Improving the nutrient and water supply and using crop breeds that are adapted to the frequent drought conditions are important for reducing yield gaps in European Russia. Our regional assessment helps inform policy and agricultural investors and prioritize research that aims to increase crop production in this important region for global agricultural markets.

Protein Inference from the Integration of Tandem MS Data and Interactome Networks.

PubMed

Zhong, Jiancheng; Wang, Jianxing; Ding, Xiaojun; Zhang, Zhen; Li, Min; Wu, Fang-Xiang; Pan, Yi

2017-01-01

Since proteins are digested into a mixture of peptides in the preprocessing step of tandem mass spectrometry (MS), it is difficult to determine which specific protein a shared peptide belongs to. In recent studies, besides tandem MS data and peptide identification information, some other information is exploited to infer proteins. Different from the methods which first use only tandem MS data to infer proteins and then use network information to refine them, this study proposes a protein inference method named TMSIN, which uses interactome networks directly. As two interacting proteins should co-exist, it is reasonable to assume that if one of the interacting proteins is confidently inferred in a sample, its interacting partners should have a high probability in the same sample, too. Therefore, we can use the neighborhood information of a protein in an interactome network to adjust the probability that the shared peptide belongs to the protein. In TMSIN, a multi-weighted graph is constructed by incorporating the bipartite graph with interactome network information, where the bipartite graph is built with the peptide identification information. Based on multi-weighted graphs, TMSIN adopts an iterative workflow to infer proteins. At each iterative step, the probability that a shared peptide belongs to a specific protein is calculated by using the Bayes' law based on the neighbor protein support scores of each protein which are mapped by the shared peptides. We carried out experiments on yeast data and human data to evaluate the performance of TMSIN in terms of ROC, q-value, and accuracy. The experimental results show that AUC scores yielded by TMSIN are 0.742 and 0.874 in yeast dataset and human dataset, respectively, and TMSIN yields the maximum number of true positives when q-value less than or equal to 0.05. The overlap analysis shows that TMSIN is an effective complementary approach for protein inference.

Yield estimation of corn based on multitemporal LANDSAT-TM data as input for an agrometeorological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bach, Heike

1998-07-01

In order to test remote sensing data with advanced yield formation models for accuracy and timeliness of yield estimation of corn, a project was conducted for the State Ministry for Rural Environment, Food, and Forestry of Baden-Württemberg (Germany). This project was carried out during the course of the `Special Yield Estimation', a regular procedure conducted for the European Union, to more accurately estimate agricultural yield. The methodology employed uses field-based plant parameter estimation from atmospherically corrected multitemporal/multispectral LANDSAT-TM data. An agrometeorological plant-production-model is used for yield prediction. Based solely on four LANDSAT-derived estimates (between May and August) and daily meteorological data, the grain yield of corn fields was determined for 1995. The modelled yields were compared with results gathered independently within the Special Yield Estimation for 23 test fields in the upper Rhine valley. The agreement between LANDSAT-based estimates (six weeks before harvest) and Special Yield Estimation (at harvest) shows a relative error of 2.3%. The comparison of the results for single fields shows that six weeks before harvest, the grain yield of corn was estimated with a mean relative accuracy of 13% using satellite information. The presented methodology can be transferred to other crops and geographical regions. For future applications hyperspectral sensors show great potential to further enhance the results for yield prediction with remote sensing.

Radiation from Large Gas Volumes and Heat Exchange in Steam Boiler Furnaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Makarov, A. N., E-mail: tgtu-kafedra-ese@mail.ru

2015-09-15

Radiation from large cylindrical gas volumes is studied as a means of simulating the flare in steam boiler furnaces. Calculations of heat exchange in a furnace by the zonal method and by simulation of the flare with cylindrical gas volumes are described. The latter method is more accurate and yields more reliable information on heat transfer processes taking place in furnaces.

Being fruitful: genetics of reproduction in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Preuss, D

1995-04-01

Reproduction in flowering plants requires a series of interactions between the haploid and diploid phases of the life cycle of the plant. Mutations that affect these interactions have been identified in Arabidopsis, thus giving insight into the processes of gamete development and pollination. These studies promise to yield new information on diverse topics in plant biology, from cell-cell recognition to the evolution of mating interactions.

The Chronology and Petrogenesis of the Mare Basalt Clast from Lunar Meteorite Dhofar 287: Rb-Sr and Sm- Nd Isotopic Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, C.-Y.; Nyquist, L. E.; Reese, Y.; Wiesmann, H.; Nazarov, M. A.; Taylor, L. A.

2002-01-01

The Sm-Nd isochron for lunar mare basalt meteorite Dhofar 287A yields T = 3.46 +/- 0.03 Ga and Nd = 0.6 +/- 0.3. Its Rb-Sr isotopic system is severely altered. The basalt is unique, probably coming from an enriched mantle source. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Assessing and modelling ecohydrologic processes at the agricultural field scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basso, Bruno

2015-04-01

One of the primary goals of agricultural management is to increase the amount of crop produced per unit of fertilizer and water used. World record corn yields demonstrated that water use efficiency can increase fourfold with improved agronomic management and cultivars able to tolerate high densities. Planting crops with higher plant density can lead to significant yield increases, and increase plant transpiration vs. soil water evaporation. Precision agriculture technologies have been adopted for the last twenty years but seldom have the data collected been converted to information that led farmers to different agronomic management. These methods are intuitively appealing, but yield maps and other spatial layers of data need to be properly analyzed and interpreted to truly become valuable. Current agro-mechanic and geospatial technologies allow us to implement a spatially variable plan for agronomic inputs including seeding rate, cultivars, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and water. Crop models are valuable tools to evaluate the impact of management strategies (e.g., cover crops, tile drains, and genetically-improved cultivars) on yield, soil carbon sequestration, leaching and greenhouse gas emissions. They can help farmers identify adaptation strategies to current and future climate conditions. In this paper I illustrate the key role that precision agriculture technologies (yield mapping technologies, within season soil and crop sensing), crop modeling and weather can play in dealing with the impact of climate variability on soil ecohydrologic processes. Case studies are presented to illustrate this concept.

Water relation, leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence imaging of soybean leaves infected with Colletotrichum truncatum.

PubMed

Dias, Carla Silva; Araujo, Leonardo; Alves Chaves, Joicy Aparecida; DaMatta, Fábio M; Rodrigues, Fabrício A

2018-06-01

Considering the potential of anthracnose to decrease soybean yield and the need to gain more information regarding its effect on soybean physiology, the present study performed an in-depth analysis of the photosynthetic performance of soybean leaflets challenged with Colletotrichum truncatum by combining chlorophyll a fluorescence images with gas-exchange measurements and photosynthetic pigment pools. There were no significant differences between non-inoculated and inoculated plants in leaf water potential, apparent hydraulic conductance, net CO 2 assimilation rate, stomatal conductance to water vapor and transpiration rate. For internal CO 2 concentration, significant difference between non-inoculated and inoculated plants occurred only at 36 h after inoculation. Reductions in the values of the chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters [initial fluorescence (F 0 ), maximal fluorescence (F m ), maximal photosystem II quantum yield (F v /F m ), quantum yield of regulated energy dissipation (Y(NPQ))] and increases in effective PS II quantum yield (Y(II)), quantum yield of non-regulated energy dissipation Y(NO) and photochemical quenching coefficient (q P ) were noticed on the necrotic vein tissue in contrast to the surrounding leaf tissue. It appears that the impact of the infection by C. truncatum on the photosynthetic performance of the leaflets was minimal considering the preference of the fungus to colonize the veins. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Damage assessment of mission essential buildings based on simulation studies of low yield explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Thomas G. L.

2006-04-01

There has been a lack of investigations related to low yield explosives instigated by terrorist on small but high occupancy buildings. Also, mitigating the threat of terrorist attacks against high occupancy buildings with network equipment essential to the mission of an organization is a challenging task. At the same time, it is difficult to predict how, why, and when terrorists may attack theses assets. Many factors must be considered in creating a safe building environment. Although it is possible that the dominant threat mode may change in the future, bombings have historically been a favorite tactic of terrorists. Ingredients for homemade bombs are easily obtained on the open market, as are the techniques for making bombs. Bombings are easy and quick to execute. This paper discusses the problems with and provides insights of experience gained in analyzing small scale explosions on older military base buildings. In this study, we examine the placement of various bombs on buildings using the shock wave simulation code CTH and examine the damage effects on the interior of the building, particularly the damage that is incurred on a computer center. These simulation experiments provide data on the effectiveness of a building's security and an understanding of the phenomenology of shocks as they propagate through rooms and corridors. It's purpose is to motivate researchers to take the seriousness of small yield explosives on moderately sized buildings. Visualizations from this analysis are used to understand the complex flow of the air blasts around corridors and hallways. Finally, we make suggestions for improving the mitigation of such terrorist attacks. The intent of this study is not to provide breakthrough technology, but to provide a tool and a means for analyzing the material hardness of a building and to eventually provide the incentive for more security. The information mentioned in this paper is public domain information and easily available via the internet as well as in any public library or bookstore. Therefore, the information discussed in this paper is unclassified and in no way reveals any new methodology or new technology.

Real-time subway information for improving transit ridership.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

In recent years, the standardization of transit schedule information has yielded a dramatic increase in the accessibility of computerized transit schedules and given rise to real-time service schedules. Two such real-time service schedules are the Ge...

Cost effectiveness of screening of all newly recruited employees for diabetes at a tertiary care hospital.

PubMed

Ali, Niloufer Sultan; Khuwaja, Ali Khan

2007-01-01

Diabetes Mellitus is a disease which remains asymptomatic for long duration of time and usually diagnosed either when gets complicated or by routine or opportunistic screening. The practice of universal screening is not recommended, particularly in constraint resources. However, we embarked with a study to assess the yield of recommended screening for Type 2 diabetes in all the newly recruited employees at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. All the information required for this study was collected from medical records of all newly recruited employees of nursing services department of a tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan, over a period of 5 months (August 2004 to December 2004). Out of 360 subjects, 326, whose information was found to be complete, were included for final analysis. Mean age of the study subjects was 25.3 +/- 4.7 years and their mean casual plasma glucose level was 99.1 +/- 16.3 mg/dl. 315 (96.6%) study subjects had casual plasma glucose level of 139 mg/dl or less. Only 10 (3.1%) study subjects had casual plasma glucose levels between 140 to 199 mg/dl. Just one employee, 41 years old, was found to have casual plasma glucose level of 213 mg/dl. In this study, screening of all individuals for diabetes had a very low yield. Recommendation of universal screening for diabetes does not represent a good use of resources and perhaps not cost-effective. However, periodic screening of high risk individuals should be warranted.

Genetic parameters of linear conformation type traits and their relationship with milk yield throughout lactation in mixed-breed dairy goats.

PubMed

McLaren, A; Mucha, S; Mrode, R; Coffey, M; Conington, J

2016-07-01

Conformation traits are of interest to many dairy goat breeders not only as descriptive traits in their own right, but also because of their influence on production, longevity, and profitability. If these traits are to be considered for inclusion in future dairy goat breeding programs, relationships between them and production traits such as milk yield must be considered. With the increased use of regression models to estimate genetic parameters, an opportunity now exists to investigate correlations between conformation traits and milk yield throughout lactation in more detail. The aims of this study were therefore to (1) estimate genetic parameters for conformation traits in a population of crossbred dairy goats, (2) estimate correlations between all conformation traits, and (3) assess the relationship between conformation traits and milk yield throughout lactation. No information on milk composition was available. Data were collected from goats based on 2 commercial goat farms during August and September in 2013 and 2014. Ten conformation traits, relating to udder, teat, leg, and feet characteristics, were scored on a linear scale (1-9). The overall data set comprised data available for 4,229 goats, all in their first lactation. The population of goats used in the study was created using random crossings between 3 breeds: British Alpine, Saanen, and Toggenburg. In each generation, the best performing animals were selected for breeding, leading to the formation of a synthetic breed. The pedigree file used in the analyses contained sire and dam information for a total of 30,139 individuals. The models fitted relevant fixed and random effects. Heritability estimates for the conformation traits were low to moderate, ranging from 0.02 to 0.38. A range of positive and negative phenotypic and genetic correlations between the traits were observed, with the highest correlations found between udder depth and udder attachment (0.78), teat angle and teat placement (0.70), and back legs and back feet (0.64). The genetic correlations estimated between conformation traits and milk yield across the first lactation demonstrated changes during this period. The majority of correlations estimated between milk yield and the udder and teat traits were negative. Therefore, future breeding programs would benefit from including these traits to ensure that selection for increased productivity is not accompanied by any unwanted change in functional fitness. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved management of small pelagic fisheries through seasonal climate prediction.

PubMed

Tommasi, Désirée; Stock, Charles A; Pegion, Kathleen; Vecchi, Gabriel A; Methot, Richard D; Alexander, Michael A; Checkley, David M

2017-03-01

Populations of small pelagic fish are strongly influenced by climate. The inability of managers to anticipate environment-driven fluctuations in stock productivity or distribution can lead to overfishing and stock collapses, inflexible management regulations inducing shifts in the functional response to human predators, lost opportunities to harvest populations, bankruptcies in the fishing industry, and loss of resilience in the human food supply. Recent advances in dynamical global climate prediction systems allow for sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly predictions at a seasonal scale over many shelf ecosystems. Here we assess the utility of SST predictions at this "fishery relevant" scale to inform management, using Pacific sardine as a case study. The value of SST anomaly predictions to management was quantified under four harvest guidelines (HGs) differing in their level of integration of SST data and predictions. The HG that incorporated stock biomass forecasts informed by skillful SST predictions led to increases in stock biomass and yield, and reductions in the probability of yield and biomass falling below socioeconomic or ecologically acceptable levels. However, to mitigate the risk of collapse in the event of an erroneous forecast, it was important to combine such forecast-informed harvest controls with additional harvest restrictions at low biomass. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

The NUMEN project @ LNS: Status and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cappuzzello, F.; Agodi, C.; Acosta, L.; Auerbach, N.; Bellone, J.; Bijker, R.; Bonanno, D.; Bongiovanni, D.; Borello-Lewin, T.; Boztosun, I.; Branchina, V.; Bussa, M. P.; Calabrese, S.; Calabretta, L.; Calanna, A.; Carbone, D.; Cavallaro, M.; Calvo, D.; Lomelí, E. R. Chávez; Coban, A.; Colonna, M.; D'Agostino, G.; Degeronimo, G.; Delaunay, F.; Deshmukh, N.; de Faria, P. N.; Ferraresi, C.; Ferreira, J. L.; Fisichella, M.; Foti, A.; Finocchiaro, P.; Gallo, G.; Garcia, U.; Giraudo, G.; Greco, V.; Hacisalihoglu, A.; Kotila, J.; Iazzi, F.; Introzzi, R.; Lanzalone, G.; Lavagno, A.; Via, F. La; Lay, J. A.; Lenske, H.; Linares, R.; Litrico, G.; Longhitano, F.; Presti, D. Lo; Lubian, J.; Medina, N.; Mendes, D. R.; Muoio, A.; Oliveira, J. R. B.; Pakou, A.; Pandola, L.; Petrascu, H.; Pinna, F.; Reito, S.; Rifuggiato, D.; Rodrigues, M. R. D.; Russo, A. D.; Russo, G.; Santagati, G.; Santopinto, E.; Sgouros, O.; Solakcı, S. O.; Souliotis, G.; Soukeras, V.; Spatafora, A.; Torresi, D.; Tudisco, S.; Vsevolodovna, R. I. M.; Wheadon, R. J.; Yildirin, A.; Zagatto, V.

2017-10-01

The NUMEN project aims at accessing experimentally driven information on Nuclear Matrix Elements (NME) involved in the half-life of the neutrinoless double beta decay (0νββ), by high-accuracy measurements of the cross sections of Heavy Ion (HI) induced Double Charge Exchange (DCE) reactions. Particular attention is given to the (18O,18Ne) and (20Ne,20O) reactions as tools for β+β+ and β-β-decays, respectively. First evidence about the possibility to get quantitative information about NME from experiments is found for both kind of reactions. In the experiments, performed at INFN - Laboratory Nazionali del Sud (LNS) in Catania, the beams are accelerated by the Superconducting Cyclotron (CS) and the reaction products are detected the MAGNEX magnetic spectrometer. The measured cross sections are challengingly low, limiting the present exploration to few selected isotopes of interest in the context of typically low-yield experimental runs. A major upgrade of the LNS facility is foreseen in order to increase the experimental yield of at least two orders of magnitude, thus making feasible a systematic study of all the cases of interest. Frontiers technologies are going to be developed, to this purpose, for the accelerator and the detection systems. In parallel, advanced theoretical models will be developed in order to extract the nuclear structure information from the measured cross sections.

Molecular and systems approaches towards drought-tolerant canola crops.

PubMed

Zhu, Mengmeng; Monroe, J Grey; Suhail, Yasir; Villiers, Florent; Mullen, Jack; Pater, Dianne; Hauser, Felix; Jeon, Byeong Wook; Bader, Joel S; Kwak, June M; Schroeder, Julian I; McKay, John K; Assmann, Sarah M

2016-06-01

1169 I. 1170 II. 1170 III. 1172 IV. 1176 V. 1181 VI. 1182 1183 References 1183 SUMMARY: Modern agriculture is facing multiple challenges including the necessity for a substantial increase in production to meet the needs of a burgeoning human population. Water shortage is a deleterious consequence of both population growth and climate change and is one of the most severe factors limiting global crop productivity. Brassica species, particularly canola varieties, are cultivated worldwide for edible oil, animal feed, and biodiesel, and suffer dramatic yield loss upon drought stress. The recent release of the Brassica napus genome supplies essential genetic information to facilitate identification of drought-related genes and provides new information for agricultural improvement in this species. Here we summarize current knowledge regarding drought responses of canola, including physiological and -omics effects of drought. We further discuss knowledge gained through translational biology based on discoveries in the closely related reference species Arabidopsis thaliana and through genetic strategies such as genome-wide association studies and analysis of natural variation. Knowledge of drought tolerance/resistance responses in canola together with research outcomes arising from new technologies and methodologies will inform novel strategies for improvement of drought tolerance and yield in this and other important crop species. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

The yield and decay coefficients of exoelectrogenic bacteria in bioelectrochemical systems.

PubMed

Wilson, Erica L; Kim, Younggy

2016-05-01

In conventional wastewater treatment, waste sludge management and disposal contribute the major cost for wastewater treatment. Bioelectrochemical systems, as a potential alternative for future wastewater treatment and resources recovery, are expected to produce small amounts of waste sludge because exoelectrogenic bacteria grow on anaerobic respiration and form highly populated biofilms on bioanode surfaces. While waste sludge production is governed by the yield and decay coefficient, none of previous studies have quantified these kinetic constants for exoelectrogenic bacteria. For yield coefficient estimation, we modified McCarty's free energy-based model by using the bioanode potential for the free energy of the electron acceptor reaction. The estimated true yield coefficient ranged 0.1 to 0.3 g-VSS (volatile suspended solids) g-COD(-1) (chemical oxygen demand), which is similar to that of most anaerobic microorganisms. The yield coefficient was sensitively affected by the bioanode potential and pH while the substrate and bicarbonate concentrations had relatively minor effects on the yield coefficient. In lab-scale experiments using microbial electrolysis cells, the observed yield coefficient (including the effect of cell decay) was found to be 0.020 ± 0.008 g-VSS g-COD(-1), which is an order of magnitude smaller than the theoretical estimation. Based on the difference between the theoretical and experimental results, the decay coefficient was approximated to be 0.013 ± 0.002 d(-1). These findings indicate that bioelectrochemical systems have potential for future wastewater treatment with reduced waste sludge as well as for resources recovery. Also, the found kinetic information will allow accurate estimation of wastewater treatment performance in bioelectrochemical systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the Effects of Climate Variability on Orange Yield in Florida to Reduce Production Forecast Errors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Concha Larrauri, P.

2015-12-01

Orange production in Florida has experienced a decline over the past decade. Hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 greatly affected production, almost to the same degree as strong freezes that occurred in the 1980's. The spread of the citrus greening disease after the hurricanes has also contributed to a reduction in orange production in Florida. The occurrence of hurricanes and diseases cannot easily be predicted but the additional effects of climate on orange yield can be studied and incorporated into existing production forecasts that are based on physical surveys, such as the October Citrus forecast issued every year by the USDA. Specific climate variables ocurring before and after the October forecast is issued can have impacts on flowering, orange drop rates, growth, and maturation, and can contribute to the forecast error. Here we present a methodology to incorporate local climate variables to predict the USDA's orange production forecast error, and we study the local effects of climate on yield in different counties in Florida. This information can aid farmers to gain an insight on what is to be expected during the orange production cycle, and can help supply chain managers to better plan their strategy.

Climate-Driven Crop Yield and Yield Variability and Climate Change Impacts on the U.S. Great Plains Agricultural Production.

PubMed

Kukal, Meetpal S; Irmak, Suat

2018-02-22

Climate variability and trends affect global crop yields and are characterized as highly dependent on location, crop type, and irrigation. U.S. Great Plains, due to its significance in national food production, evident climate variability, and extensive irrigation is an ideal region of investigation for climate impacts on food production. This paper evaluates climate impacts on maize, sorghum, and soybean yields and effect of irrigation for individual counties in this region by employing extensive crop yield and climate datasets from 1968-2013. Variability in crop yields was a quarter of the regional average yields, with a quarter of this variability explained by climate variability, and temperature and precipitation explained these in singularity or combination at different locations. Observed temperature trend was beneficial for maize yields, but detrimental for sorghum and soybean yields, whereas observed precipitation trend was beneficial for all three crops. Irrigated yields demonstrated increased robustness and an effective mitigation strategy against climate impacts than their non-irrigated counterparts by a considerable fraction. The information, data, and maps provided can serve as an assessment guide for planners, managers, and policy- and decision makers to prioritize agricultural resilience efforts and resource allocation or re-allocation in the regions that exhibit risk from climate variability.

Evaluating physiological responses of plants to salinity stress

PubMed Central

Negrão, S.; Schmöckel, S. M.; Tester, M.

2017-01-01

Background Because soil salinity is a major abiotic constraint affecting crop yield, much research has been conducted to develop plants with improved salinity tolerance. Salinity stress impacts many aspects of a plant’s physiology, making it difficult to study in toto. Instead, it is more tractable to dissect the plant’s response into traits that are hypothesized to be involved in the overall tolerance of the plant to salinity. Scope and conclusions We discuss how to quantify the impact of salinity on different traits, such as relative growth rate, water relations, transpiration, transpiration use efficiency, ionic relations, photosynthesis, senescence, yield and yield components. We also suggest some guidelines to assist with the selection of appropriate experimental systems, imposition of salinity stress, and obtaining and analysing relevant physiological data using appropriate indices. We illustrate how these indices can be used to identify relationships amongst the proposed traits to identify which traits are the most important contributors to salinity tolerance. Salinity tolerance is complex and involves many genes, but progress has been made in studying the mechanisms underlying a plant’s response to salinity. Nevertheless, several previous studies on salinity tolerance could have benefited from improved experimental design. We hope that this paper will provide pertinent information to researchers on performing proficient assays and interpreting results from salinity tolerance experiments. PMID:27707746

Effects of phenylpropanolamine (PPA) on in vitro human erythrocyte membranes and molecular models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suwalsky, Mario, E-mail: msuwalsk@udec.cl; Zambrano, Pablo; Mennickent, Sigrid

Research highlights: {yields} PPA is a common ingredient in cough-cold medication and appetite suppressants. {yields} Reports on its effects on human erythrocytes are very scarce. {yields} We found that PPA induced in vitro morphological changes to human erythrocytes. {yields} PPA interacted with isolated unsealed human erythrocyte membranes. {yields} PPA interacted with class of lipid present in the erythrocyte membrane outer monolayer. -- Abstract: Norephedrine, also called phenylpropanolamine (PPA), is a synthetic form of the ephedrine alkaloid. After reports of the occurrence of intracranial hemorrhage and other adverse effects, including several deaths, PPA is no longer sold in USA and Canada.more » Despite the extensive information about PPA toxicity, reports on its effects on cell membranes are scarce. With the aim to better understand the molecular mechanisms of the interaction of PPA with cell membranes, ranges of concentrations were incubated with intact human erythrocytes, isolated unsealed human erythrocyte membranes (IUM), and molecular models of cell membranes. The latter consisted in bilayers built-up of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE), phospholipid classes present in the outer and inner monolayers of most plasmatic cell membranes, respectively. The capacity of PPA to perturb the bilayer structures of DMPC and DMPE was assessed by X-ray diffraction, DMPC large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) and IUM were studied by fluorescence spectroscopy, and intact human erythrocytes were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This study presents evidence that PPA affects human red cell membranes as follows: (a) in SEM studies on human erythrocytes it was observed that 0.5 mM PPA induced shape changes; (b) in IUM PPA induced a sharp decrease in the fluorescence anisotropy in the lipid bilayer acyl chains in a concentration range lower than 100 {mu}M; (c) X-ray diffraction studies showed that PPA in the 0.1-0.5 mM range induced increasing structural perturbation to DMPC, but no effects on DMPE multibilayers were detected.« less

Evaluation of the Williams-type model for barley yields in North Dakota and Minnesota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnett, T. L. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The Williams-type yield model is based on multiple regression analysis of historial time series data at CRD level pooled to regional level (groups of similar CRDs). Basic variables considered in the analysis include USDA yield, monthly mean temperature, monthly precipitation, soil texture and topographic information, and variables derived from these. Technologic trend is represented by piecewise linear and/or quadratic functions of year. Indicators of yield reliability obtained from a ten-year bootstrap test (1970-1979) demonstrate that biases are small and performance based on root mean square appears to be acceptable for the intended AgRISTARS large area applications. The model is objective, adequate, timely, simple, and not costly. It consideres scientific knowledge on a broad scale but not in detail, and does not provide a good current measure of modeled yield reliability.

Anisotropic nature of radially strained metal tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strickland, Julie N.

Metal pipes are sometimes swaged by a metal cone to enlarge them, which increases the strain in the material. The amount of strain is important because it affects the burst and collapse strength. Burst strength is the amount of internal pressure that a pipe can withstand before failure, while collapse strength is the amount of external pressure that a pipe can withstand before failure. If the burst or collapse strengths are exceeded, the pipe may fracture, causing critical failure. Such an event could cost the owners and their customers millions of dollars in clean up, repair, and lost time, in addition to the potential environmental damage. Therefore, a reliable way of estimating the burst and collapse strength of strained pipe is desired and valuable. The sponsor currently rates strained pipes using the properties of raw steel, because those properties are easily measured (for example, yield strength). In the past, the engineers assumed that the metal would be work-hardened when swaged, so that yield strength would increase. However, swaging introduces anisotropic strain, which may decrease the yield strength. This study measured the yield strength of strained material in the transverse and axial direction and compared them to raw material, to determine the amount of anisotropy. This information will be used to more accurately determine burst and collapse ratings for strained pipes. More accurate ratings mean safer products, which will minimize risk for the sponsor's customers. Since the strained metal has a higher yield strength than the raw material, using the raw yield strength to calculate burst and collapse ratings is a conservative method. The metal has even higher yield strength after strain aging, which indicates that the stresses are relieved. Even with the 12% anisotropy in the strained and 9% anisotropy in the strain aged specimens, the raw yield strengths are lower and therefore more conservative. I recommend that the sponsor continue using the raw yield strength to calculate these ratings. I set out to characterize the anisotropic nature of swaged metal. As expected, the tensile tests showed a difference between the axial and transverse tensile strength. The correlation was 12% difference in yield strength in the axial and transverse directions for strained material and 9% in strained and aged material. This means that the strength of the metal in the hoop (transverse) direction is approximately 10% stronger than in the axial direction, because the metal was work hardened during the swaging process. Therefore, the metal is more likely to fail in axial tension than in burst or collapse. I presented the findings from the microstructure examination, standard tensile tests, and SEM data. All of this data supported the findings of the mini-tensile tests. This information will help engineers set burst and collapse ratings and allow material scientists to predict the anisotropic characteristics of swaged steel tubes.

MASS SPECTROMETRY OF INDIVIDUAL AEROSOL PARTICLES. (R823980)

EPA Science Inventory

Typically, in real-time aerosol mass spectrometry (RTAMS), individual airborne particles
are ablated and ionized with a single focused laser pulse. This technique yields information that
permits bulk characterization of the particle, but information about the particle's sur...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sciarrino, Fabio; Dipartimento di Fisica and Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze Fisiche della Materia, Universita 'La Sapienza', Rome 00185; De Martini, Francesco

The optimal phase-covariant quantum cloning machine (PQCM) broadcasts the information associated to an input qubit into a multiqubit system, exploiting a partial a priori knowledge of the input state. This additional a priori information leads to a higher fidelity than for the universal cloning. The present article first analyzes different innovative schemes to implement the 1{yields}3 PQCM. The method is then generalized to any 1{yields}M machine for an odd value of M by a theoretical approach based on the general angular momentum formalism. Finally different experimental schemes based either on linear or nonlinear methods and valid for single photon polarizationmore » encoded qubits are discussed.« less

Informed consent comprehension and recollection in adult dental patients: A systematic review.

PubMed

Moreira, Narjara Conduru Fernandes; Pachêco-Pereira, Camila; Keenan, Louanne; Cummings, Greta; Flores-Mir, Carlos

2016-08-01

Patients' ability to recollect and comprehend treatment information plays a fundamental role in their decision making. The authors considered original studies assessing recollection or comprehension of dental informed consent in adults. The authors searched 6 electronic databases and partial gray literature and hand searched and cross-checked reference lists published through April 2015. The authors assessed the risk of bias in the included studies via different validated tools according to the study design. Nineteen studies were included: 5 randomized clinical trials, 8 cross-sectional studies, 3 qualitative studies, 2 mixed-methods studies, and 1 case series. Conventional informed consent processes yielded comprehension results of 27% to 85% and recollection of 20% to 86%, whereas informed consent processes enhanced by additional media ranged from 44% to 93% for comprehension and from 30% to 94% for recollection. Patient self-reported understanding ranged positively, with most patients feeling that they understood all or almost all the information presented. Results of qualitative data analyses indicated that patients did not always understand explanations, although dentists thought they did. Some patients firmly stated that they did not receive any related information. Only a few patients were able to remember complications related to their treatment options. Results of this systematic review should alert dentists that although patients in general report that they understand information given to them, they may have limited comprehension. Additional media may improve conventional informed consent processes in dentistry in a meaningful way. Copyright © 2016 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The importance of site quality

Treesearch

David L. Graney

1989-01-01

Yield and quality of central hardwoods depend greatly on the site. So, first off you should determine the site quality of your land for a variety of tree species. This information will allow you to compare yield and value so you can favor the species best suited for each site. Knowing site quality will help you determine what levels of management intensity and...

Seasonal critical concentration and relationships of uppermost fully expanded leaf phosphorus and potassium status with biomass and yield traits at maturity in soybean

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Analysis of uppermost fully expanded leaves is useful to detect deficiency of mineral nutrients such as phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in soybean. Although, the leaf P or K status aids in fertilizer management, information on their seasonal association with the growth and yield traits at maturity ...

Lumber recovery from ponderosa pine in western Montana.

Treesearch

Marlin E. Plank

1982-01-01

Lumber grade yields and recovery ratios are shown for a sample of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) in western Montana. About 9 percent of the lumber produced was in Select grades, 48 percent in Shop grades, and 43 percent in Common grades. Information on log scale and yield is presented in tables by log grade and diameter class....

Clearly written, easily comprehended? The readability of websites providing information on epilepsy.

PubMed

Brigo, Francesco; Otte, Willem M; Igwe, Stanley C; Tezzon, Frediano; Nardone, Raffaele

2015-03-01

There is a general need for high-quality, easily accessible, and comprehensive health-care information on epilepsy to better inform the general population about this highly stigmatized neurological disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health literacy level of eight popular English-written websites that provide information on epilepsy in quantitative terms of readability. Educational epilepsy material on these websites, including 41 Wikipedia articles, were analyzed for their overall level of readability and the corresponding academic grade level needed to comprehend the published texts on the first reading. The Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) was used to assess ease of comprehension while the Gunning Fog Index, Coleman-Liau Index, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Automated Readability Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook scales estimated the corresponding academic grade level needed for comprehension. The average readability of websites yielded results indicative of a difficult-to-fairly-difficult readability level (FRE results: 44.0±8.2), with text readability corresponding to an 11th academic grade level (11.3±1.9). The average FRE score of the Wikipedia articles was indicative of a difficult readability level (25.6±9.5), with the other readability scales yielding results corresponding to a 14th grade level (14.3±1.7). Popular websites providing information on epilepsy, including Wikipedia, often demonstrate a low level of readability. This can be ameliorated by increasing access to clear and concise online information on epilepsy and health in general. Short "basic" summaries targeted to patients and nonmedical users should be added to articles published in specialist websites and Wikipedia to ease readability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing Adaptation with Asymmetric Climate Information: evidence from water bargaining field experiments in Northeast Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfaff, A.; Velez, M.; Taddei, R.; Broad, K.

2011-12-01

We assess how asymmetric climate information affects bargaining -- an adaptation institution. As often observed in the field, some actors lack information. This yields vulnerability, despite participation. We examine the loss for a participant from being uncertain about water quantity when bargaining with a fully informed participant in an ultimatum game in Northeast Brazil. When all are fully informed, our field populations in the capital city and an agricultural valley produce a typical 60-40 split between those initiating and responding in one-shot bargaining. With asymmetric information, when initiators know the water quantity is low they get 80%. Thus even within bargaining, i.e. given strong participation, better integrating climate science into water management via greater effort to communicate relevant information to all involved can help to avoid inequities that could arise despite all of the stakeholders being 'at the table', as may well occur within future water allocation along a large new canal in the case we study.

An information system design for watershed-wide modeling of water loss to the atmosphere using remote sensing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khorram, S.

1977-01-01

Results are presented of a study intended to develop a general location-specific remote-sensing procedure for watershed-wide estimation of water loss to the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration. The general approach involves a stepwise sequence of required information definition (input data), appropriate sample design, mathematical modeling, and evaluation of results. More specifically, the remote sensing-aided system developed to evaluate evapotranspiration employs a basic two-stage two-phase sample of three information resolution levels. Based on the discussed design, documentation, and feasibility analysis to yield timely, relatively accurate, and cost-effective evapotranspiration estimates on a watershed or subwatershed basis, work is now proceeding to implement this remote sensing-aided system.

Linking Watershed Nitrogen Sources with Nitrogen Dynamics in Rivers of Western Oregon, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobota, D. J.; Compton, J.; Goodwin, K. E.

2012-12-01

We constructed contemporary nitrogen (N) budgets for 25 river basins in the Willamette River Basin (WRB) of western Oregon, USA, to improve the understanding of how recent trends in human-driven N loading have influenced riverine N dynamics in the region. Nearly 20% of WRB stream length is currently in fair or poor condition because of high N concentrations. Additionally, nitrate contamination of drinking water affects at least 8,000 people in the WRB. We hypothesized that 1) the majority of N inputs in the WRB would originate from agricultural activities in lowland portions of watersheds, 2) annual riverine N yield (kg/ha/yr) would correspond to annual per area watershed N inputs, and 3) riverine N yields would be seasonal and highest during winter due to the region's Mediterranean climate. We calculated average annual N inputs for each study basin by summing newly available datasets describing spatially explicit N inputs of synthetic fertilizer, atmospheric deposition, crop biological N2 fixation, biological N2 fixation by red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), livestock manure, and point sources for the period 1996 - 2007. Annual and seasonal riverine N exports were estimated with the USGS model LOADEST calibrated to N concentration data collected during the study period. We estimated that two-thirds of total N input to the WRB study basins in the 2000s came from synthetic fertilizer application. Nearly all fertilizer application occurred on the lowlands near watershed mouths. We found a wide range of riverine N yields from the study basins, ranging from one to 70 kg N/ha/yr. Across the study basins, N export was more strongly correlated to fertilizer application rates than to percent of agricultural area in the watershed. Low watershed N yields reflected a high proportion of watershed area in the forested Cascade Mountain Range, which received low N inputs mainly from atmospheric deposition. N yields from study basins were strongly seasonal, with at least 50%, and often 75%, of annual N yield occurring in fall and winter months. Our results suggest that that spatially explicit data on specific crop types and crop practices are valuable for explaining spatial and temporal variation of nutrient concentrations in WRB rivers. This emphasizes the need for careful tracking of non-point N inputs to inform water quality monitoring and management.

Global Synthesis of Drought Effects on Food Legume Production

PubMed Central

Daryanto, Stefani; Wang, Lixin; Jacinthe, Pierre-André

2015-01-01

Food legume crops play important roles in conservation farming systems and contribute to food security in the developing world. However, in many regions of the world, their production has been adversely affected by drought. Although water scarcity is a severe abiotic constraint of legume crops productivity, it remains unclear how the effects of drought co-vary with legume species, soil texture, agroclimatic region, and drought timing. To address these uncertainties, we collected literature data between 1980 and 2014 that reported monoculture legume yield responses to drought under field conditions, and analyzed this data set using meta-analysis techniques. Our results showed that the amount of water reduction was positively related with yield reduction, but the extent of the impact varied with legume species and the phenological state during which drought occurred. Overall, lentil (Lens culinaris), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea), and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) were found to experience lower drought-induced yield reduction compared to legumes such as cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and green gram (Vigna radiate). Yield reduction was generally greater when legumes experienced drought during their reproductive stage compared to during their vegetative stage. Legumes grown in soil with medium texture also exhibited greater yield reduction compared to those planted on soil of either coarse or fine texture. In contrast, regions and their associated climatic factors did not significantly affect legume yield reduction. In the face of changing climate, our study provides useful information for agricultural planning and research directions for development of drought-resistant legume species to improve adaptation and resilience of agricultural systems in the drought-prone regions of the world. PMID:26061704

Accelerated warming and emergent trends in fisheries biomass yields of the world's large marine ecosystems.

PubMed

Sherman, Kenneth; Belkin, Igor M; Friedland, Kevin D; O'Reilly, John; Hyde, Kimberly

2009-06-01

Information on the effects of global climate change on trends in global fisheries biomass yields has been limited in spatial and temporal scale. Results are presented of a global study of the impact of sea surface temperature (SST) changes over the last 25 years on the fisheries yields of 63 large marine ecosystems (LMEs) that annually produce 80% of the world's marine fisheries catches. Warming trends were observed in 61 LMEs around the globe. In 18 of the LMEs, rates of SST warming were two to four times faster during the past 25 years than the globally averaged rates of SST warming reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. Effects of warming on fisheries biomass yields were greatest in the fast-warming northern Northeast Atlantic LMEs, where increasing trends in fisheries biomass yields were related to zooplankton biomass increases. In contrast, fisheries biomass yields of LMEs in the fast-warming, more southerly reaches of the Northeast Atlantic were declining in response to decreases in zooplankton abundance. The LMEs around the margins of the Indian Ocean, where SSTs were among the world's slowest warming, revealed a consistent pattern of fisheries biomass increases during the past 25 years, driven principally by human need for food security from fisheries resources. As a precautionary approach toward more sustainable fisheries utilization, management measures to limit the total allowable catch through a cap-and-sustain approach are suggested for the developing nations recently fishing heavily on resources of the Agulhas Current, Somali Current, Arabian Sea, and Bay of Bengal LMEs.

Multitrait, Random Regression, or Simple Repeatability Model in High-Throughput Phenotyping Data Improve Genomic Prediction for Wheat Grain Yield.

PubMed

Sun, Jin; Rutkoski, Jessica E; Poland, Jesse A; Crossa, José; Jannink, Jean-Luc; Sorrells, Mark E

2017-07-01

High-throughput phenotyping (HTP) platforms can be used to measure traits that are genetically correlated with wheat ( L.) grain yield across time. Incorporating such secondary traits in the multivariate pedigree and genomic prediction models would be desirable to improve indirect selection for grain yield. In this study, we evaluated three statistical models, simple repeatability (SR), multitrait (MT), and random regression (RR), for the longitudinal data of secondary traits and compared the impact of the proposed models for secondary traits on their predictive abilities for grain yield. Grain yield and secondary traits, canopy temperature (CT) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), were collected in five diverse environments for 557 wheat lines with available pedigree and genomic information. A two-stage analysis was applied for pedigree and genomic selection (GS). First, secondary traits were fitted by SR, MT, or RR models, separately, within each environment. Then, best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs) of secondary traits from the above models were used in the multivariate prediction models to compare predictive abilities for grain yield. Predictive ability was substantially improved by 70%, on average, from multivariate pedigree and genomic models when including secondary traits in both training and test populations. Additionally, (i) predictive abilities slightly varied for MT, RR, or SR models in this data set, (ii) results indicated that including BLUPs of secondary traits from the MT model was the best in severe drought, and (iii) the RR model was slightly better than SR and MT models under drought environment. Copyright © 2017 Crop Science Society of America.

Conventional and accelerated-solvent extractions of green tea (camellia sinensis) for metabolomics-based chemometrics.

PubMed

Kellogg, Joshua J; Wallace, Emily D; Graf, Tyler N; Oberlies, Nicholas H; Cech, Nadja B

2017-10-25

Metabolomics has emerged as an important analytical technique for multiple applications. The value of information obtained from metabolomics analysis depends on the degree to which the entire metabolome is present and the reliability of sample treatment to ensure reproducibility across the study. The purpose of this study was to compare methods of preparing complex botanical extract samples prior to metabolomics profiling. Two extraction methodologies, accelerated solvent extraction and a conventional solvent maceration, were compared using commercial green tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze (Theaceae)] products as a test case. The accelerated solvent protocol was first evaluated to ascertain critical factors influencing extraction using a D-optimal experimental design study. The accelerated solvent and conventional extraction methods yielded similar metabolite profiles for the green tea samples studied. The accelerated solvent extraction yielded higher total amounts of extracted catechins, was more reproducible, and required less active bench time to prepare the samples. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of accelerated solvent as an efficient methodology for metabolomics studies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Visualization support for risk-informed decision making when planning and managing software developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin S.; Kiper, James D.; Menzies, Tim

2005-01-01

Key decisions are made in the early stages of planning and management of software developments. The information basis for these decisions is often a mix of analogy with past developments, and the best judgments of domain experts. Visualization of this information can support to such decision making by clarifying the status of the information and yielding insights into the ramifications of that information vis-a-vis decision alternatives.

Using a water-food-energy nexus approach for optimal irrigation management during drought events in Nebraska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campana, P. E.; Zhang, J.; Yao, T.; Melton, F. S.; Yan, J.

2017-12-01

Climate change and drought have severe impacts on the agricultural sector affecting crop yields, water availability, and energy consumption for irrigation. Monitoring, assessing and mitigating the effects of climate change and drought on the agricultural and energy sectors are fundamental challenges that require investigation for water, food, and energy security issues. Using an integrated water-food-energy nexus approach, this study is developing a comprehensive drought management system through integration of real-time drought monitoring with real-time irrigation management. The spatially explicit model developed, GIS-OptiCE, can be used for simulation, multi-criteria optimization and generation of forecasts to support irrigation management. To demonstrate the value of the approach, the model has been applied to one major corn region in Nebraska to study the effects of the 2012 drought on crop yield and irrigation water/energy requirements as compared to a wet year such as 2009. The water-food-energy interrelationships evaluated show that significant water volumes and energy are required to halt the negative effects of drought on the crop yield. The multi-criteria optimization problem applied in this study indicates that the optimal solutions of irrigation do not necessarily correspond to those that would produce the maximum crop yields, depending on both water and economic constraints. In particular, crop pricing forecasts are extremely important to define the optimal irrigation management strategy. The model developed shows great potential in precision agriculture by providing near real-time data products including information on evapotranspiration, irrigation volumes, energy requirements, predicted crop growth, and nutrient requirements.

Computational upscaling of Drucker-Prager plasticity from micro-CT images of synthetic porous rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jie; Sarout, Joel; Zhang, Minchao; Dautriat, Jeremie; Veveakis, Emmanouil; Regenauer-Lieb, Klaus

2018-01-01

Quantifying rock physical properties is essential for the mining and petroleum industry. Microtomography provides a new way to quantify the relationship between the microstructure and the mechanical and transport properties of a rock. Studies reporting the use microtomographic images to derive permeability and elastic moduli of rocks are common; only rare studies were devoted to yield and failure parameters using this technique. In this study, we simulate the macroscale plastic properties of a synthetic sandstone sample made of calcite-cemented quartz grains using the microscale information obtained from microtomography. The computations rely on the concept of representative volume elements (RVEs). The mechanical RVE is determined using the upper and lower bounds of finite-element computations for elasticity. We present computational upscaling methods from microphysical processes to extract the plasticity parameters of the RVE and compare results to experimental data. The yield stress, cohesion and internal friction angle of the matrix (solid part) of the rock were obtained with reasonable accuracy. Computations of plasticity of a series of models of different volume-sizes showed almost overlapping stress-strain curves, suggesting that the mechanical RVE determined by elastic computations is also valid for plastic yielding. Furthermore, a series of models were created by self-similarly inflating/deflating the porous models, that is keeping a similar structure while achieving different porosity values. The analysis of these models showed that yield stress, cohesion and internal friction angle linearly decrease with increasing porosity in the porosity range between 8 and 28 per cent. The internal friction angle decreases the most significantly, while cohesion remains stable.

Comparison of the diagnostic yield and outcomes between standard 8 h capsule endoscopy and the new 12 h capsule endoscopy for investigating small bowel pathology.

PubMed

Rahman, Merajur; Akerman, Stuart; DeVito, Bethany; Miller, Larry; Akerman, Meredith; Sultan, Keith

2015-05-14

To evaluate the completion rate and diagnostic yield of the PillCam SB2-ex in comparison to the PillCam SB2. Two hundred cases using the 8-h PillCam SB2 were retrospectively compared to 200 cases using the 12 h PillCam SB2-ex at a tertiary academic center. Endoscopically placed capsules were excluded from the study. Demographic information, indications for capsule endoscopy, capsule type, study length, completion of exam, clinically significant findings, timestamp of most distant finding, and significant findings beyond 8 h were recorded. The 8 and 12 h capsule groups were well matched respectively for both age (70.90 ± 14.19 vs 71.93 ± 13.80, P = 0.46) and gender (45.5% vs 48% male, P = 0.69). The most common indications for the procedure in both groups were anemia and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. PillCam SB2-ex had a significantly higher completion rate than PillCam SB2 (88% vs 79.5%, P = 0.03). Overall, the diagnostic yield was greater for the 8 h capsule (48.5% for SB2 vs 35% for SB2-ex, P = 0.01). In 4/70 (5.7%) of abnormal SB2-ex exams the clinically significant finding was noted in the small bowel beyond the 8 h mark. In our study, we found the PillCam SB2-ex to have a significantly increased completion rate, though without any improvement in diagnostic yield compared to the PillCam SB2.

Monoterpene oxidation in an oxidative flow reactor: SOA yields and the relationship between bulk gas-phase properties and organic aerosol growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, B.; Link, M.; Farmer, D.

2016-12-01

We use an oxidative flow reactor (OFR) to determine the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields of five monoterpenes (alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, limonene, sabinene, and terpinolene) at a range of OH exposures. These OH exposures correspond to aging timescales of a few hours to seven days. We further determine how SOA yields of beta-pinene and alpha-pinene vary as a function of seed particle type (organic vs. inorganic) and seed particle mass concentration. We hypothesize that the monoterpene structure largely accounts for the observed variance in SOA yields for the different monoterpenes. We also use high-resolution time-of-flight chemical ionization mass spectrometry to calculate the bulk gas-phase properties (O:C and H:C) of the monoterpene oxidation systems as a function of oxidant concentrations. Bulk gas-phase properties can be compared to the SOA yields to assess the capability of the precursor gas-phase species to inform the SOA yields of each monoterpene oxidation system. We find that the extent of oxygenated precursor gas-phase species corresponds to SOA yield.

Active sensing: An innovative tool for evaluating grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of multiple wheat genotypes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naser, Mohammed Abdulridha

Precision agricultural practices have significantly contributed to the improvement of crop productivity and profitability. Remote sensing based indices, such as Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) have been used to obtain crop information. It is used to monitor crop development and to provide rapid and nondestructive estimates of plant biomass, nitrogen (N) content and grain yield. Remote sensing tools are helping improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) through nitrogen management and could also be useful for high NUE genotype selection. The objectives of this study were: (i) to determine if active sensor based NDVI readings can differentiate wheat genotypes, (ii) to determine if NDVI readings can be used to classify wheat genotypes into grain yield productivity classes, (iii) to identify and quantify the main sources of variation in NUE across wheat genotypes, and (iv) to determine if normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) could characterize variability in NUE across wheat genotypes. This study was conducted in north eastern Colorado for two years, 2010 and 2011. The NDVI readings were taken weekly during the winter wheat growing season from March to late June, in 2010 and 2011 and NUE were calculated as partial factor productivity and as partial nitrogen balance at the end of the season. For objectives i and ii, the correlation between NDVI and grain yield was determined using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient (r) and linear regression analysis was used to explain the relationship between NDVI and grain yield. The K-means clustering algorithm was used to classify mean NDVI and mean grain yield into three classes. For objectives iii and iv, the parameters related to NUE were also calculated to measure their relative importance in genotypic variation of NUE and power regression analysis between NDVI and NUE was used to characterize the relationship between NDVI and NUE. The results indicate more consistent association between grain yield and NDVI and between NDVI and NUE later in the season, after anthesis and during mid-grain filling stage under dryland and a poor association in wheat grown in irrigated conditions. The results suggest that below saturation of NDVI values (about 0.9), (i.e. prior to full canopy closure and after the beginning of senescence or most of the season under dryland conditions) NDVI could assess grain yield and NUE. The results also indicate that nitrogen uptake efficiency was the main source of variation of NUE among genotypes grown in site-years with lower yield. Overall, results from this study demonstrate that NDVI readings successfully classified wheat genotypes into grain yield classes across dryland and irrigated conditions and characterized variability in NUE across wheat genotypes.

Changes among Israeli Youth Movements: A Structural Analysis Based on Kahane's Code of Informality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Erik H.

2015-01-01

Multi-dimensional data analysis tools are applied to Reuven Kahane's data on the informality of youth organizations, yielding a graphic portrayal of Kahane's code of informality. This structure helps address questions of the whether the eight structural components exhaustively cover the field without redundancy. Further, the structure is used to…

Information flow in layered networks of non-monotonic units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schittler Neves, Fabio; Martim Schubert, Benno; Erichsen, Rubem, Jr.

2015-07-01

Layered neural networks are feedforward structures that yield robust parallel and distributed pattern recognition. Even though much attention has been paid to pattern retrieval properties in such systems, many aspects of their dynamics are not yet well characterized or understood. In this work we study, at different temperatures, the memory activity and information flows through layered networks in which the elements are the simplest binary odd non-monotonic function. Our results show that, considering a standard Hebbian learning approach, the network information content has its maximum always at the monotonic limit, even though the maximum memory capacity can be found at non-monotonic values for small enough temperatures. Furthermore, we show that such systems exhibit rich macroscopic dynamics, including not only fixed point solutions of its iterative map, but also cyclic and chaotic attractors that also carry information.

Genomic architecture of heterosis for yield traits in rice.

PubMed

Huang, Xuehui; Yang, Shihua; Gong, Junyi; Zhao, Qiang; Feng, Qi; Zhan, Qilin; Zhao, Yan; Li, Wenjun; Cheng, Benyi; Xia, Junhui; Chen, Neng; Huang, Tao; Zhang, Lei; Fan, Danlin; Chen, Jiaying; Zhou, Congcong; Lu, Yiqi; Weng, Qijun; Han, Bin

2016-09-29

Increasing grain yield is a long-term goal in crop breeding to meet the demand for global food security. Heterosis, when a hybrid shows higher performance for a trait than both parents, offers an important strategy for crop breeding. To examine the genetic basis of heterosis for yield in rice, here we generate, sequence and record the phenotypes of 10,074 F 2 lines from 17 representative hybrid rice crosses. We classify modern hybrid rice varieties into three groups, representing different hybrid breeding systems. Although we do not find any heterosis-associated loci shared across all lines, within each group, a small number of genomic loci from female parents explain a large proportion of the yield advantage of hybrids over their male parents. For some of these loci, we find support for partial dominance of heterozygous locus for yield-related traits and better-parent heterosis for overall performance when all of the grain-yield traits are considered together. These results inform on the genomic architecture of heterosis and rice hybrid breeding.

Same but different: Comparative modes of information processing are implicated in the construction of perceptions of autonomy support.

PubMed

Lee, Rebecca Rachael; Chatzisarantis, Nikos L D

2017-11-01

An implicit assumption behind tenets of self-determination theory is that perceptions of autonomy support are a function of absolute modes of information processing. In this study, we examined whether comparative modes of information processing were implicated in the construction of perceptions of autonomy support. In an experimental study, we demonstrated that participants employed comparative modes of information processing in evaluating receipt of small, but not large, amounts of autonomy support. In addition, we found that social comparison processes influenced a number of outcomes that are empirically related to perceived autonomy support such as sense of autonomy, positive affect, perceived usefulness, and effort. Findings shed new light upon the processes underpinning construction of perceptions related to autonomy support and yield new insights into how to increase the predictive validity of models that use autonomy support as a determinant of motivation and psychological well-being. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Study on biomethane production and biodegradability of different leafy vegetables in anaerobic digestion.

PubMed

Yan, Hu; Zhao, Chen; Zhang, Jiafu; Zhang, Ruihong; Xue, Chunyu; Liu, Guangqing; Chen, Chang

2017-12-01

Enormous amounts of vegetable residues are wasted annually, causing many environmental problems due to their high moisture and organic contents. In this study, the methane production potential of 20 kinds of typical leafy vegetable residues in China were explored using a unified method. A connection between the biochemical components and the methane yields of these vegetables was well established which could be used to predict biogas performance in practice. A high volatile solid/total solid (VS/TS) ratio and hemicellulose content exhibited a positive impact on the biogas yield while lignin had a negative impact. In addition, three kinetic models were used to describe the methane production process of these agro-wastes. The systematic comparison of the methane production potentials of these leafy vegetables shown in this study will not only serve as a reference for basic research on anaerobic digestion but also provide useful data and information for agro-industrial applications of vegetable residues in future work.

Combining Remote Sensing imagery of both fine and coarse spatial resolution to Estimate Crop Evapotranspiration and quantifying its Influence on Crop Growth Monitoring.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sepulcre-Cantó, Guadalupe; Gellens-Meulenberghs, Françoise; Arboleda, Alirio; Duveiller, Gregory; Piccard, Isabelle; de Wit, Allard; Tychon, Bernard; Bakary, Djaby; Defourny, Pierre

2010-05-01

This study has been carried out in the framework of the GLOBAM -Global Agricultural Monitoring system by integration of earth observation and modeling techniques- project whose objective is to fill the methodological gap between the state of the art of local crop monitoring and the operational requirements of the global monitoring system programs. To achieve this goal, the research aims to develop an integrated approach using remote sensing and crop growth modeling. Evapotranspiration (ET) is a valuable parameter in the crop monitoring context since it provides information on the plant water stress status, which strongly influences crop development and, by extension, crop yield. To assess crop evapotranspiration over the GLOBAM study areas (300x300 km sites in Northern Europe and Central Ethiopia), a Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Transfer (SVAT) model forced with remote sensing and numerical weather prediction data has been used. This model runs at pre-operational level in the framework of the EUMETSAT LSA-SAF (Land Surface Analysis Satellite Application Facility) using SEVIRI and ECMWF data, as well as the ECOCLIMAP database to characterize the vegetation. The model generates ET images at the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) spatial resolution (3 km at subsatellite point),with a temporal resolution of 30 min and monitors the entire MSG disk which covers Europe, Africa and part of Sud America . The SVAT model was run for 2007 using two approaches. The first approach is at the standard pre-operational mode. The second incorporates remote sensing information at various spatial resolutions going from LANDSAT (30m) to SEVIRI (3-5 km) passing by AWIFS (56m) and MODIS (250m). Fine spatial resolution data consists of crop type classification which enable to identify areas where pure crop specific MODIS time series can be compiled and used to derive Leaf Area Index estimations for the most important crops (wheat and maize). The use of this information allowed to characterize the type of vegetation and its state of development in a more accurate way than using the ECOCLIMAP database. Finally, the CASA method was applied using the evapotranspiration images with FAPAR (Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation) images from LSA-SAF to obtain Dry Matter Productivity (DMP) and crop yield. The potential of using evapotranspiration obtained from remote sensing in crop growth modeling is studied and discussed. Results of comparing the evapotranspiration obtained with ground truth data are shown as well as the influence of using high resolution information to characterize the vegetation in the evapotranspiration estimation. The values of DMP and yield obtained with the CASA method are compared with those obtained using crop growth modeling and field data, showing the potential of using this simplified remote sensing method for crop monitoring and yield forecasting. This methodology could be applied in an operative way to the entire MSG disk, allowing the continuous crop growth monitoring.