A mathematical approach to chemical equilibrium theory for gaseous systems—II: extensions and applications

Straightforward mathematical techniques are used innovatively to form a coherent theoretical system to deal with chemical equilibrium problems. For a systematic theory it is necessary to establish a system to connect different concepts. This paper shows the usefulness and consistence of the system by applications of the theorems introduced previously. Some theorems are shown somewhat unexpectedly to be mathematically correlated and relationships are obtained in a coherent manner. It has been shown that theorem 1 plays an important part in interconnecting most of the theorems. The usefulness of theorem 2 is illustrated by proving it to be consistent with theorem 3. A set of uniform mathematical expressions are associated with theorem 3. A variety of mathematical techniques based on theorems 1–3 are shown to establish the direction of equilibrium shift. The equilibrium properties expressed in initial and equilibrium conditions are shown to be connected via theorem 5. Theorem 6 is connected with theorem 4 through the mathematical representation of theorem 1.

Handbook of research methods and applications in empirical finance

The objective of this book is to present the quantitative techniques that are commonly employed in empirical finance research together with real world, state of the art research examples. Each chapter is written by international experts in their fields. The unique approach is to describe a question or issue in finance and then to demonstrate the methodologies that may be used to solve it. All of the techniques described are used to address real problems rather than being presented for their own sake and the areas of application have been carefully selected so that a broad range of methodological approaches can be covered. This book is aimed primarily at doctoral researchers and academics who are engaged in conducting original empirical research in finance. In addition, the book will be useful to researchers in the financial markets and also advanced Masters-level students who are writing dissertations.

Retrieval of phytoplankton size from bio-optical measurements: theory and applications

The absorption coefficient of a substance distributed as discrete particles in suspension is less than that of the same material dissolved uniformly in a medium—a phenomenon commonly referred to as the flattening effect. The decrease in the absorption coefficient owing to flattening effect depends on the concentration of the absorbing pigment inside the particle, the specific absorption coefficient of the pigment within the particle, and on the diameter of the particle, if the particles are assumed to be spherical. For phytoplankton cells in the ocean, with diameters ranging from less than 1 µm to more than 100 µm, the flattening effect is variable, and sometimes pronounced, as has been well documented in the literature. Here, we demonstrate how the in vivo absorption coefficient of phytoplankton cells per unit concentration of its major pigment, chlorophyll a, can be used to determine the average cell size of the phytoplankton population. Sensitivity analyses are carried out to evaluate the errors in the estimated diameter owing to potential errors in the model assumptions. Cell sizes computed for field samples using the model are compared qualitatively with indirect estimates of size classes derived from high performance liquid chromatography data. Also, the results are compared quantitatively against measurements of cell size in laboratory cultures. The method developed is easy-to-apply as an operational tool for in situ observations, and has the potential for application to remote sensing of ocean colour data.

A SEPALLATA gene is involved in the development and ripening of strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa Duch.) fruit, a non-climacteric tissue

Climacteric and non-climacteric fruits have traditionally been viewed as representing two distinct programmes of ripening associated with differential respiration and ethylene hormone effects. In climacteric fruits, such as tomato and banana, the ripening process is marked by increased respiration and is induced and co-ordinated by ethylene, while in non-climacteric fruits, such as strawberry and grape, it is controlled by an ethylene-independent process with little change in respiration rate. The two contrasting mechanisms, however, both lead to texture, colour, and flavour changes that probably reflect some common programmes of regulatory control. It has been shown that a SEPALLATA(SEP)4-like gene is necessary for normal ripening in tomato. It has been demonstrated here that silencing a fruit-related SEP1/2-like (FaMADS9) gene in strawberry leads to the inhibition of normal development and ripening in the petal, achene, and receptacle tissues. In addition, analysis of transcriptome profiles reveals pleiotropic effects of FaMADS9 on fruit development and ripening-related gene expression. It is concluded that SEP genes play a central role in the developmental regulation of ripening in both climacteric and non-climacteric fruits. These findings provide important information to extend the molecular control of ripening in a non-climacteric fruit beyond the limited genetic and cultural options currently available.

A Riemann-Hilbert problem with a vanishing coefficient and applications to Toeplitz operators

We study the homogeneous Riemann-Hilbert problem with a vanishing scalar-valued continuous coefficient. We characterize non-existence of nontrivial solutions in the case where the coefficient has its values along several rays starting from the origin. As a consequence, some results on injectivity and existence of eigenvalues of Toeplitz operators in Hardy spaces are obtained.

Sparse polynomial approximation in positive order Sobolev spaces with bounded mixed derivatives and applications to elliptic problems with random loading

In the present paper we study the approximation of functions with bounded mixed derivatives by sparse tensor product polynomials in positive order tensor product Sobolev spaces. We introduce a new sparse polynomial approximation operator which exhibits optimal convergence properties in L2 and tensorized View the MathML source simultaneously on a standard k-dimensional cube. In the special case k=2 the suggested approximation operator is also optimal in L2 and tensorized H1 (without essential boundary conditions). This allows to construct an optimal sparse p-version FEM with sparse piecewise continuous polynomial splines, reducing the number of unknowns from O(p2), needed for the full tensor product computation, to View the MathML source, required for the suggested sparse technique, preserving the same optimal convergence rate in terms of p. We apply this result to an elliptic differential equation and an elliptic integral equation with random loading and compute the covariances of the solutions with View the MathML source unknowns. Several numerical examples support the theoretical estimates.

Development and evaluation of an Earth-System model – HadGEM2

We describe here the development and evaluation of an Earth system model suitable for centennial-scale climate prediction. The principal new components added to the physical climate model are the terrestrial and ocean ecosystems and gas-phase tropospheric chemistry, along with their coupled interactions. The individual Earth system components are described briefly and the relevant interactions between the components are explained. Because the multiple interactions could lead to unstable feedbacks, we go through a careful process of model spin up to ensure that all components are stable and the interactions balanced. This spun-up configuration is evaluated against observed data for the Earth system components and is generally found to perform very satisfactorily. The reason for the evaluation phase is that the model is to be used for the core climate simulations carried out by the Met Office Hadley Centre for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5), so it is essential that addition of the extra complexity does not detract substantially from its climate performance. Localised changes in some specific meteorological variables can be identified, but the impacts on the overall simulation of present day climate are slight. This model is proving valuable both for climate predictions, and for investigating the strengths of biogeochemical feedbacks.

Development and validation of a parent report measure for detection of cognitive delay in infancy

Aim To develop a brief, parent-completed instrument (‘ERIC’) for detection of cognitive delay in 10-24 month-olds born preterm, or with low birth weight, or with perinatal complications, and to establish its diagnostic properties. Method Scores were collected from parents of 317 children meeting ≥1 inclusion criteria (birth weight <1500g; gestational age <34 completed weeks; 5-minute Apgar <7; presence of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy) and meeting no exclusion criteria. Children were assessed for cognitive delay using a criterion score on the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Cognitive Scale III1 <80. Items were retained according to their individual associations with delay. Sensitivity, specificity, Positive and Negative Predictive Values were estimated and a truncated ERIC was developed for use <14 months. Results ERIC detected 17 out of 18 delayed children in the sample, with 94.4% sensitivity (95% CI [confidence interval] 83.9-100%), 76.9% specificity (72.1-81.7%), 19.8% positive predictive value (11.4-28.2%); 99.6% negative predictive value (98.7-100%); 4.09 likelihood ratio positive; and 0.07 likelihood ratio negative; the associated Area under the Curve was .909 (.829-.960). Interpretation ERIC has potential value as a quickly-administered diagnostic instrument for the absence of early cognitive delay in preterm or premature infants of 10-24 months, and as a screen for cognitive delay. Further research may be needed before ERIC can be recommended for wide-scale use.

Development and exploitation of a controlled vocabulary in support of climate modelling

There are three key components for developing a metadata system: a container structure laying out the key semantic issues of interest and their relationships; an extensible controlled vocabulary providing possible content; and tools to create and manipulate that content. While metadata systems must allow users to enter their own information, the use of a controlled vocabulary both imposes consistency of definition and ensures comparability of the objects described. Here we describe the controlled vocabulary (CV) and metadata creation tool built by the METAFOR project for use in the context of describing the climate models, simulations and experiments of the fifth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The CV and resulting tool chain introduced here is designed for extensibility and reuse and should find applicability in many more projects.

Statistical-dynamical downscaling for wind energy potentials: evaluation and applications to decadal hindcasts and climate change projections

A statistical–dynamical downscaling (SDD) approach for the regionalization of wind energy output (Eout) over Europe with special focus on Germany is proposed. SDD uses an extended circulation weather type (CWT) analysis on global daily mean sea level pressure fields with the central point being located over Germany. Seventy-seven weather classes based on the associated CWT and the intensity of the geostrophic flow are identified. Representatives of these classes are dynamically downscaled with the regional climate model COSMO-CLM. By using weather class frequencies of different data sets, the simulated representatives are recombined to probability density functions (PDFs) of near-surface wind speed and finally to Eout of a sample wind turbine for present and future climate. This is performed for reanalysis, decadal hindcasts and long-term future projections. For evaluation purposes, results of SDD are compared to wind observations and to simulated Eout of purely dynamical downscaling (DD) methods. For the present climate, SDD is able to simulate realistic PDFs of 10-m wind speed for most stations in Germany. The resulting spatial Eout patterns are similar to DD-simulated Eout. In terms of decadal hindcasts, results of SDD are similar to DD-simulated Eout over Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, and Benelux, for which high correlations between annual Eout time series of SDD and DD are detected for selected hindcasts. Lower correlation is found for other European countries. It is demonstrated that SDD can be used to downscale the full ensemble of the Earth System Model of the Max Planck Institute (MPI-ESM) decadal prediction system. Long-term climate change projections in Special Report on Emission Scenarios of ECHAM5/MPI-OM as obtained by SDD agree well to the results of other studies using DD methods, with increasing Eout over northern Europe and a negative trend over southern Europe. Despite some biases, it is concluded that SDD is an adequate tool to assess regional wind energy changes in large model ensembles.

The statistical downscaling model-decision centric (SDSM-DC): conceptual basis and applications

Regional climate downscaling has arrived at an important juncture. Some in the research community favour continued refinement and evaluation of downscaling techniques within a broader framework of uncertainty characterisation and reduction. Others are calling for smarter use of downscaling tools, accepting that conventional, scenario-led strategies for adaptation planning have limited utility in practice. This paper sets out the rationale and new functionality of the Decision Centric (DC) version of the Statistical DownScaling Model (SDSM-DC). This tool enables synthesis of plausible daily weather series, exotic variables (such as tidal surge), and climate change scenarios guided, not determined, by climate model output. Two worked examples are presented. The first shows how SDSM-DC can be used to reconstruct and in-fill missing records based on calibrated predictor-predictand relationships. Daily temperature and precipitation series from sites in Africa, Asia and North America are deliberately degraded to show that SDSM-DC can reconstitute lost data. The second demonstrates the application of the new scenario generator for stress testing a specific adaptation decision. SDSM-DC is used to generate daily precipitation scenarios to simulate winter flooding in the Boyne catchment, Ireland. This sensitivity analysis reveals the conditions under which existing precautionary allowances for climate change might be insufficient. We conclude by discussing the wider implications of the proposed approach and research opportunities presented by the new tool.

Antibiosis in wheat interacts with crowding stress to affect Metopolophiumdirhodum development and susceptibility to malathion

We used a laboratory study to compare the performance of rose-grain aphid, Metopolophium dirhodum(Walker)(Hemiptera:Aphididae),onthewheatcultivars‘Huntsman’(susceptible)and‘Rapier’ (partiallyresistant)inbothlowdensity(uncrowded)andhighdensity(crowded)coloniesandexamined the consequences for aphid susceptibility to malathion. Adult apterae that developed on Rapier wheat had their mean relative growth rate (MRGR) reduced by 6 and 9% under uncrowded and crowded conditions, respectively, whereas the crowding treatment reduced MRGR by 3%, but only in Rapier aphids. Rapier resistance also reduced adult dry weight by 13 and 14% under crowded and uncrowded conditions, respectively, whereas crowding reduced it by 34 and 35% in Rapier and Huntsman aphids, respectively. Development on Rapier substantially reduced the topical LC50 of malathion by 37.8 and 34.8% under crowded and uncrowded conditions, suggesting that plant antibiosis increased malathion susceptibility. By comparison, crowding only reduced the LC50 by 29.5 and 26.0% on Huntsman and Rapier. The LD50 data showed that reductions on aphid body size on Rapier and through crowding did not fully explain the differences in LC50. This was particularly in the values for crowded aphids that were actually 80% higher than for uncrowded ones. Thi sapparent tolerance of crowded aphids, however, may partly be due to loss of insecticide from small aphids at dosing. Evidence of synergy between plant resistance and insecticide susceptibility raisest he possibility of using reduced concentrations of pesticides to control aphids on resistant crop cultivars, with diminished impacts on non-target and beneficial species important in integrated pest management(IPM)program

Networks and plant disease management: concepts and applications

A network is a natural structure with which to describe many aspects of a plant pathosystem. The article seeks to set out in a nonmathematical way some of the network concepts that promise to be useful in managing plant disease. The field has been stimulated by developments designed to help understand and manage animal and human disease, as well as by technical infrastructures, such as the internet. It overlaps partly with landscape ecology. The study of networks has helped identify likely ways to reduce flow of disease in traded plants, to find the best sites to monitor as warning sites for annually reinvading disease, and to understand the fundamentals of how a pathogen spreads in different structures. A tension between the free flow of goods or species down communication channels and free flow of pathogens down the same pathways is highlighted.