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Mardi Gras Word Search (Located on the Lent/Easter page)
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Monday, March 24, 2008
Michigan: Request (Update)
Previously (here) PardonPower reported on the case of one Charles Fackelman who was sentenced to more than five years in prison on four felony charges for pulling a gun on a man - Randy Krell -and kicking in a neighbor's door while pursuing him. The incident occurred after Krell participated in a car chase that led to an accident that killed Fackelman's 17-year-old son. As Krell was given only a six-month sentence, supporters of Fackelman have initiated a petition asking Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) to commute his sentence. Now Circuit Judge Joseph A. Costello Jr. is responding to criticisms of his decision making in the case. Costello says that he was bound by the law and, as a result, the sentence was proper. As he puts it, "All procedures were followed." See story here.
Posted by P.S. Ruckman, Jr.
Labels: Michigan
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subset: commoncrawl


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Bank of America Quants Issue Mortgage Rate Warning
housingwire.com | May 6, 2014
By Jacob Gaffney
Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch are making an interesting argument on whether or not the Federal Reserve should consider putting a temporary halt on the taper.
Spoiler alert: The securitization researchers don't think a halt to the taper will actually happen, but offer supporting evidence that maybe it should.
For one, the lack of negative headlines around payrolls and jobs numbers help support the decision to continue to reduce the purchase of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae.
As I noted just last week, a more important signal that the economy is facing trouble is the fact that the government cooked its books to achieve a slightly positive GDP number.
Yet as the taper continues, so will the reversal of mortgage rate compression this type of monetary policy brings.
"Weak underlying economic strength, however, suggests the economy is too weak yet to sustain the impact of higher rates," the analysts state.
"Despite speculation running high on a halt in the taper, none of the above is likely to change the Fed's intent to continue to taper straight into the fall. Hindsight may prove that the decision to taper was premature," they added.
Furthermore, as the Fed continues to slow its Treasurys purchases, this undermines the technical picture somewhat, through an increased supply of the longer-duration products.
The BofAML analysts then warn that all this is happening in an environment of a Fed withdrawal, something that hasn't happened before, so it's hard to predict the long-term impact of keeping with the taper schedule of $10 billion less each Fed meeting.
But, undaunted by these challenges, the quants provide the following prediction anyway:
"Should these technicals deliver higher Treasury yields, higher mortgage rates would lower mortgage originations, feeding back towards weakening housing," the analysts claim.
"While too early to see how this nets out, it only underscores the importance of housing and purchase money trends over the summer," they add. "Evidence thus far suggests an economic fog setting in."
Back to May 2014 Archive
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|AnimeGalleries [dot] Net
|AnimeWallpapers [dot] Com
|AnimeLyrics [dot] Com
|AnimePedia [dot] Com
|AnimeGlobe [dot] Com
Kaitou+ Go die in a hole. @Eris Go die in a hole. @Tarkenfire Go die in a hole. @Dr.LeDoom! Go die in a hole.
Syaoran GO DIE IN A HOLE!!!!!
...I do not get what is happening here, but I don't understand why the Oper must point out the skin color of her/his fellow chatters. Black/White/Yellow/Brown are not cultures, neither are they races.
They are colors, or did you all forget?
Kaitou+ , you're just easily butt hurt. Really it's simply not insulting. Only time I ever hear it outside of the Internet is when it's being used sarcastically. If you're actually going to insult someone you're going to say something personal that you know will really hurt them.
What... since when am I butthurt???
人類は調和したのか?VY2V3 = Me | Kagamine Len Act 1 = You
I dont wanna get in a lengthy argument since as Arb Kyc says its quite useless to argue but I just wanna say that whether "Go die in a hole" would be offensive or not is dependant on a few circumstances. Sure when you say it like that Gamegeeks its not meant to be taken seriously. But under different circumstances it could very well be taken seriously and be seen as offensive. I dont think the internet is an excuse for insulting or hurting people. ;>
Holy crap Shut up. OT a lll over my thread. NO. Out.
人類は調和したのか?VY2V3 = Me | Kagamine Len Act 1 = You
Interesting how you chose to say I'm obsessed with Merlin (which is mostly true) instead of Rise of the Guardians...
Sig by Feferi <3
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first."
-Mark Twain
n word.
oooooooooo dayum said it.
Follow! I follow back. (:
I'm actually rather uncomfortable having my anythingthatisn'tyourbusiness on here. I don't know, nor like, 95% of these people. Why was this thread even made?
Additionally, I was a forumfag for 2 years before jumping ship to Chat. Name changes and partial anonymity, woo.
Last edited by MissAstaire; 01-10-2013 at 12:44 AM.
Tomorrow's a new day.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


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The EB-5 Program
American Citizenship Via the EB-5 Visa
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Encore Global works with foreign nationals and their families who want to become permanent legal residents of the United States through investments in one of Encore's approved EB-5 Regional Centers. Our resources and market experience bring together like-minded individuals, developers, financiers, and more who are committed to engage real estate investors across all international market platforms. Injecting foreign capitals into various projects creates many job opportunities while promoting regional economies. Meanwhile, Encore global always puts investors in first place and helps investors to achieve their goals.
Encore Global's Regional Centers encompass 60 metropolitan areas within 20 states across the United States.
Disclaimer: Not every investment is safe, not every investment in a regional center will ultimately result in green card status, and not every investment will produce a profit.
Corporate Video
Money can't buy love, but it can open the door to US citizenship
By Andrew Rafferty, Staff Writer, NBC News April 29, 2013, 7:36 am While most U.S. residents cannot put a price tag on the value of citizenship, Svetlana Anikeeva and her husband can -- $500,000. That's because the Russian immigrants came to the U.S. through the EB-5...read more
Securities offered through WealthForge Securities, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC and through registered representatives of LightPath Capital, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC.


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There are some consumers who always pay by credit card. They do it due to the myriad of perks that come with swiping at checkout. There are others who just like the convenience of not having to carry cash around with them.
Credit cards have long been a reliable method of paying for purchases. However, it is never been easier to use plastic. There is so much business being conducted online. Thus, using a credit card has become an integral part of daily life.
Yet, does that mean you should use your credit card for everything? For those who do not believe it is a good idea, they make some strong points. Large expenses are ideal for putting toward your balance. Conversely, it is the small purchases like a cup of coffee or a quick visit to the fast food drive-thru that can put your credit at risk.
The benefits of covering those minor costs with your card can make those rewards points or cash back percentages go up. However, you need to be careful. That is because the interest can also start to increase.
The trade-off may not be worth it. This is due to the fact that you could be taking on much more debt than you can manage. After all, it is all too easy for those small purchases to add up! You need to be on top of your finances in a responsible manner, and that's hard to do when debt is piling up, even little by little.
You could soon find yourself paying a significant amount of interest on those small purchases. Suddenly, those purchases are not so small anymore.
That is one side of the argument. The other side typically espouses the benefits and advantages of credit card use for a variety of reasons. Many do it for the rewards they can earn. They also do it for the consumer protections.
People do it even for the fact that you can carry some form of debt without paying interest on it. However, that is only the case if you have the right card with a 0% APR. For the purposes of this article, we are going to explore all the reasons why using a credit card to pay for everything can be a good idea.
Credit cards are no longer viewed as a way for consumers to buy something they may not be able to afford with cash. They are now a vital financial instrument in today's modern world. We always insist you use a credit card responsibly. There are so many advancements in the way we monitor our credit accounts. Thus, it is even easier to stay on top of your finances.
These are just some of the reasons that you should use your credit card for every purchase. However, let us take a closer look at all of the rationale that supports this theory.
Credit vs. Debit
Sometimes the difference between the two cards can get a little confusing. Put a credit card and a debit card side by side. You will find that they can look identical. Both may even have the MasterCard or Visa logo on them.
But the two types of cards operate very differently. Credit cards utilize credit that is placed on your balance. That debt can be carried over from one month to the next or it can be paid down in full. When you use one of these cards, you are also afforded many of the enticing perks that come with them.
Debit cards, on the other hand, are connected to your checking account. Therefore, the money you spend with that debit card is taken directly from the account in the same way as if you had written a personal check.
However, the money is withdrawn much quicker. Accordingly, merchants prefer a debit card over a check — because if your account has insufficient funds to cover an expense, the card gets declined instead of your check bouncing. Basically, a debit card is almost the same as using cash or a check (just faster than a check).
When comparing the two cards, many consumers prefer credit over debit because of all the benefits that come with using the former instead of the latter. It is important to keep in mind that you still need to remain accountable for your spending. Here we discuss all of the perks that you can enjoy with a credit card. Conversely, there are still some very specific credit card do's and don'ts that come with those advantages.
It is all about being smart when you use your credit card. It is important not to take on more debt than you can handle. Maybe you can get the points or you want to push off paying for that item until next month. However, this just increases your debt.
This is not simply a way to tell you that it is okay to overspend. This is an overview of all the reasons why paying with a credit card can be a positive thing for your financial situation. It is for when you are able to afford the things you want to buy.
Now let us take a look at why you should pull out your credit card at the supermarket, or the gas station. That is in addition to a restaurant, a soda vending machine, or just about any place that accepts plastic.
Rewards Programs
There are credit cards of all kinds out there, and many different options available from hundreds of issuing banks and companies. They are all looking for ways to attract you as a customer.
Among the most popular of these are the many different rewards programs. These are offered to clients who have specific spending habits and strong credit histories. The way you can earn rewards is quite simple and straightforward in theory. Though, some programs make it a bit complicated. The premise of it dictates that you can earn points, miles, and cash back on the money you spend each month.
The more that you spend, the more you can earn. When you claim your rewards you can get cash returned to you via direct deposit into a checking account. Also, it can be applied toward your billing statement.
You can even use your rewards as a way to save money on travel or other future purchases. Some programs even offer merchandise. Those items can be purchased by using the points you have earned each month.
The idea of getting cash back on the things you buy most often is an enticing proposition. That is because you are saving money on those items by simply paying for them with your credit card. Most of the available programs will give you a minimum of 1% back on everything you buy.
Conversely, some of them work with categories in which you can earn around 2% to 6% on purchases made within each. These are typically centered on supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants, department stores, warehouse stores, and some online merchants.
You may happen to buy a lot of groceries or spend a majority of your monthly expenses at the pump. In these cases, you can benefit more readily with a card offering a higher cash back reward when making purchases at these venues.
Rewards programs can yield a substantial amount of money over the course of a year. Additionally, it may benefit you greatly to carry a credit card with a lucrative method of earning points or cash back.
Sign-Up Bonuses
Another exciting perk of credit card ownership comes in the form of a sign-up bonus. This is yet one more way that the card companies try to attract your business. They provide you with some kind of monetary incentive for signing up.
In just about every instance, you can receive a bonus of $100, $300 or even more. You get it when you spend a certain amount on the card in a specified period of time. Most cards usually give you about 90 days from the time you receive your card. Then, you can put that amount on your card in order to get the sign-up bonus.
However, you need to be careful. Just because you can earn all of these rewards does not mean you should spend beyond your means. Always be sure you will be able to pay your bill in full or at least in large part when your statement arrives. Otherwise, you could be asking for trouble where debt, late fees and penalties are concerned.
With that said, you may be financially comfortable enough to earn as many rewards as possible through your credit card use. In that case, there is only one way you will really be able to benefit from your card's program. It is by using your card for every upcoming purchase, big or small. Thus, you can get the most out of your rewards program.
The Grace Period
When you make purchases with a credit card, you are essentially taking out a short-term loan. It is done with the understanding that you will buy an item now and pay for it later on. Whether that item is $1.00 or $1000 is really dependent upon your credit limit and your current balance.
Yet, any amount you put on the card is extended to you by the card issuer. It includes the expectation that it will be paid back when your statement arrives. Every card has something called an annual percentage rate (APR).
That rate determines how much you will pay in interest for receiving the "loan" from your credit card company. If you pay your bill in full at the time that it is due, you will pay little to no interest on that money. Let us say that you elect to carry a balance for an extended period of time. Thusly, you will begin to pay for that privilege through interest.
We discussed one of the reasons why some believe that putting small purchases on your credit card is a bad idea. That is because those purchases could end up costing you more over time.
This is both true and not necessarily accurate. That is because if you know exactly when the interest will get applied to your balance you can work to avoid it from happening. This is the case even if you do not pay the balance off when payment is due. That means you need to know when your grace period occurs.
The grace period can be useful. Plus, just about every card offers one to consumers. This is the period of time in which you are given extra time to make a payment before the interest hits your account.
In most cases, this extension can be anywhere from 14 to 25 days after the end of your billing cycle. However, you are only afforded this courtesy as long as you paid in full the previous month. Additionally, you must not have taken out any cash advances or transferred all or part of a balance from another account to your card.
None of this matters if you are currently enjoying a 0% APR on your card. That is because you are not being charged any interest anyway. Though, that will end at some point. When it does, you need to be aware of any interest charges that may be applied to your purchases.
Building Credit
Using a credit card responsibly is obviously going to help you build your credit rating. That means making purchases and paying down your balance each month. Be diligent about paying your bill on time. In doing so, the better your credit score will be.
What is a good credit score? Anything in the 680 to 850 range means that your credit is in great shape. Any number below that could prove more problematic when you apply for a loan or more credit.
That is why using your card for everything can keep your credit use active and robust. Therefore, if your credit is not so hot right now you; it can be rebuilt via positive behavior and practices.
Make sure to mind your credit utilization ratio. That is because it takes into consideration your credit limit and how much you've used. Most experts suggest that you keep it to 30%. This means that if your credit limit is $1000, you should not use more than $300 at any time. If you do, be sure to pay it down as quickly as possible.
Perhaps you are just starting to establish a credit history. There are a number of available cards on the market for consumers who are trying to build a credit rating. Maybe you have had some major problems that have lowered your score considerably. If so, you can find a range of credit cards for bad credit.
These are typically "secured" cards. With these cars, you make a security deposit before receiving your card. It is applied to your balance if you default on your payments. You can get that money returned to you if you close the account. You can also have your secured card converted to an unsecured version.
Nonetheless, without a credit card, the major credit reporting bureaus can't develop an accurate score for your report. That is due to the fact that you have not demonstrated how responsible you are with credit.
Debit cards are not reported to the bureaus. That is because that money comes right out of your checking account. Only credit cards are reported. Only they can help you build good credit.
That is why using them to purchase just about anything you buy is a smart move. However, that is only the case as long as you keep your utilization in check. You also are required to pay your statement when it arrives or within the grace period.
Consumer Protections
When you pay for anything with a credit card, you are afforded a set of consumer protections. These can help combat fraud, loss or damage to the item you purchased. They even protect you in the event the price you paid for that item drops shortly after you made the purchase. If so, then you can get the difference reimbursed. Try doing that with cash. It is not going to happen.
Therefore, you may consider taking out your card to pay for something. It's important to keep in mind all of the ways that your credit card issuer is protecting your transaction:
Fraud Protection
Almost every credit card has some safeguards in place to protect you in the event your card is stolen and fraudulent charges made. You will not be held responsible for those purchases. Additionally, the expenses charged are typically erased from your balance, pending a review or investigation of your claim.
This makes using the credit card a safe bet. It's better than having cash stolen out of your wallet. Then, the thieves can go on a shopping spree with their ill-gotten fortune. The issuer will make sure your new card is sent out the next business day. Thus, you are not without a credit card for a long period of time.
Price Protection
Not every card offers this. Though, if yours does, then you are in great shape should something you buy drops in price over a period of 30 to 90 days. It depends on the card.
You'll need to have proof of purchase and proof of the price drop. However, these should be sufficient to file a claim with your issuer. This may not be much of a big deal on a $20 item.
Conversely, let's say you use the card to buy a 65″ big screen TV. It may become less expensive to the tune of a couple hundred bucks just a week or two after you buy it. Thus, you are going to want to that money back.
Purchase Protection
Let's say you bought that 65″ TV, set it up, and have been enjoying it for a few months. Then, someone breaks into your home and steals it. You may not have an insurance policy that covers this loss.
However, if the credit card you used offers purchase protection, you could get the money to replace it from your credit card company. Purchase protection typically covers any item that is lost, stolen, or even damaged.
Return Protection
Perhaps you buy something but aren't satisfied with your purchase. The store you bought it from may not have a very accommodating return policy. Paying for that item with a credit card may afford you the ability to return the item. In some cases, you can return it after the store's initial return period has expired. Most retailers typically give you 30 days to return an item. Your credit card could extend that to as much as 90 days for a return.
Extended Warranty
You know the old saying. You are wasting your money purchasing the extended warranty. Part of the reason that is the case is because most of the major credit cards already have one that is applied to your purchases.
Your card could offer an extension on the manufacturer's warranty. That potentially doubles the amount of time that is given on an item. Not every card has this protection, though. You may be unsure whether or not yours does. In that case, call the issuer or read the benefits guide that was given to you with your card.
Total Convenience
Paying for everything with a credit card is easier than ever before. These days you don't even need to have your physical credit card with you. Smartphones can take care of making payments.
This is done with apps that keep the card information on electronic file. Merely touching your cell phone to an automatic reader will execute the transaction. This is an additional component of security. It keeps your cards safe from unauthorized users. Additionally, paying for things are all that more convenient. That's because most of us have our phones handy at all times.
Our Final Thoughts
Should you use your credit card for everything? There is a lot of evidence here that points to the answer being "yes". This is due to the cash back offers, the consumer protections in place, and the ability to borrow money for a short period of time without getting charged interest. It is also because of the sheer convenience that comes with all of it at the checkout.
You may be hard-pressed to pay any other way now. But there is something that is even more important here. It's the fact that paying with a credit card is designed to help you build credit.
This can be very useful if you apply for a loan or mortgage or even rent an apartment. Credit is a big part of American life. Therefore, making sure yours is healthy can open a lot of doors. Using a credit card to pay for everything can get you there. Just remember to try to pay your balance off frequently so that beneficial credit card debt doesn't snowball out of control!


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As you know, plants get their energy from
light, but you might not know that different
colors of light have different energy levels.
Think about the colors of a rainbow. All of
these colors are in white light. If you use a
prism, you can separate the white light into the
colors. (Thats what the raindrops are doing when
we see a rainbow.) The colors are always in the
same order. The NASA site has a nice picture of
this so that you dont have to try to remember
where the colors are:
The highest energy light is at the purple or
violet end of the scale. It has short
wavelengths. The red end is lower energy, it has
long wavelengths. The shorter the wavelength the
more energy a color has. Imagine dribbling a
basketball. You can dribble slowly (long
wavelength) or really fast (short wavelength). It
takes more energy to dribble fast.
heres the next wrinkle in the story. The color
you see when you look at an object is the color
that light is reflecting back at your eye. Plant
leaves (usually) look green to us because they are
reflecting the green back. This means that they
are not absorbing the green light. They are
absorbing the other wavelengths. The ones that
give the plant the most energy are the ones at the
purple end of the spectrum. They still get energy
from the red end, but not as much.
do you think would happen to a plant that got only
green light?
Plants are certain colors because their
pigments absorb light most effectively in certain
regions of the visual light spectrum. As you know,
plants are usually green, which means that most
other colors are absorbed. One of the most common
pigments is called chlorophyll, and one of the
varieties is responsible for the green color of
plants; it strongly absorbs blue and red light,
which leaves only the green light to make it to
our eyes.
Plants have more than one
pigment, so they can capture different regions of
light, but not all pigments are made equal.
Chlorophyll is the most effective pigment, which
is why most plants have it. Based on this, you
would expect that green light wouldn't be the best
for growing plants in the long term.


text:
Fertilizer plays an important role in increasing rice yield. More than half of all fertilizer applied to the field is not taken up, resulting in environmental damage and substantial economic losses. To address these concerns, a low-cost, coated compound fertilizer named "Xiang Nong Da" (XND), requiring only a single basal application, was studied. A two-year field experiment was conducted to test the effects of XND application on rice yield and nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency. An ordinary uncoated compound fertilizer (UNCF), with 20% more nutrients and split application was selected as the control. The yield of XND-treated rice was only 3.1% lower than that of the control, an insignificant difference. There were no significant differences between N use efficiency indices of the two fertilizer treatments except for N partial factor productivity (PFP N). PFP N of XND treatment was 19.7%–23.2% higher than the control, a significant difference. This result indicates that a 20% decrease in N application rate is possible with XND without yield reduction and with savings in both labor and time.
Rice; Yield; Fertilizer; Nitrogen use efficiency
1. Introduction
Rice is the main staple food for > 60% of China's population [1]. Fertilizer is a determining factor for rice growth and plays a vital role in maintaining rice yield. Increased fertilizer application has contributed significantly to improved rice yield [2, 3, 4]. Although fertilization drives productivity, nitrogen use efficiency in rice production is very low, with nitrogen use efficiency in China averaging only 27.5% [5]. High external N input and ineffective fertilization practices have led to low nitrogen use efficiency [2, 3, 6, 7]. Leaching, runoff, and volatilization are the major N loss pathways. Besides the low nitrogen use efficiency, excessive fertilizer in fields harms the environment by increasing the greenhouse effect, soil degradation, and groundwater pollution [8]. In view of the present situation, many N conservation application practices such as balanced N fertilization, site-specific N management, integrated N management, nitrification inhibitor use, and controlled-release fertilizers (CRF), have been developed to improve nitrogen use efficiency [7, 9, 10]. Recently, the use of CRF has become common to lessen fertilizer consumption, increase nitrogen use efficiency, and minimize environmental pollution [9, 11, 12]. CRF is a type of fertilizer that controls the rate of nutrient supply. It is a polymer-coated fertilizer, generally a compound fertilizer or urea coated with polymer [13]. Many studies have found that CRF applications significantly increase nitrogen use efficiency and crop yield [14, 15]. They are also more environmentally friendly fertilizers, because the N losses through leaching and denitrification are reduced [16, 17, 22, 23]. Conventional fertilization requires frequent applications, whereas a CRF needs only a single application and is thus more labor and time saving than conventional fertilization.
Thus, study of controlled-release fertilizer techniques is important for increasing rice yield and fertilizer efficiency. The present study investigated a low-cost, coated compound controlled-release fertilizer, "Xiang Nong Da" (XND), comparing yield and N use efficiency of test rice cultivars treated with XND or a conventional compound fertilizer with two applications, XND supplied 20% fewer nutrients in the test. The study's objectives were to investigate the effects of XND treatment on rice yield and N use efficiency.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Site description
Field experiments were conducted during the early season (late March to July) and the late season (mid-June to late October) in 2014 and 2015 in the same field located in Liuyang county, Hunan province, China (28°09′N, 113°37′E, 43 m.a.s.l.).
In 2014 before the experiments, experimental site soil samples were collected from the upper 20 cm. The soil was clayey with pH 6.25, 23.49 g organic C kg − 1 , 1.24 total N kg − 1 , 18.24 mg kg − 1 available P, and 112.71 mg kg − 1 available K.
2.2. Genetic material
An early-season rural conventional rice variety "Zhongjiazao 17" was used for early-season experiments. A late-season hybrid rice variety "Shengtaiyou 9712"
(Shengtaiyou A × 9712) was used for late-season experiments. These are major cultivars currently widely used in China's Yangtze River valley.
2.3. Experimental design
The experimental design was a completely randomized block with 3 replicates.
Each plot had an area of 4 m × 5 m. Three fertilizer treatments were applied:
T1: a control with no N application.
T2: an ordinary compound fertilizer, N–P 2 O 5 –K 2 O (20–5–10), produced by Hunan Hua Lu Company, at an N rate of 135 kg ha − 1 .
T3: XND, a controlled-release fertilizer, N–P 2 O 5 –K 2 O (20–5–10), a low-cost, self-developed polymer-coated compound fertilizer [17], produced by Hunan agricultural university, at an N rate of 108 kg ha − 1 .
XND (T3) was used as basal fertilizer once before planting rice. The ordinary fertilizer (T2) was applied as a split application at two rice developmental stages:
one (50%) at preplant and other (50%) at the tillering stage. P and K fertilizers in the T1 treatment were applied as basal dressings at the rate of 34 (P 2 O 5 ) and 68 (K 2 O) kg ha − 1 , and were applied in T2 and T3 at the same rate.
The nursery field was prepared one week before sowing. The compound fertilizer (nutrient content > 35%) was applied to the nursery field at a rate of 450 kg ha − 1 before plowing. Germinated seeds were sown in nursery beds at a rate of 30 g m − 2 on May 23 for early season and June 27 for late season in both years. They were transplanted to a spacing of 20.0 cm × 16.5 cm, with three seedlings per hill. Seedling age at transplanting was 30 days in early season and 24 days in late season. The water regime management was in the sequence of shallow irrigations (2–3 cm), midseason drainage (10–15 days), and shallow irrigation. Pests and diseases were controlled using chemicals. Weeds were controlled using herbicides and hand pulling.
2.4. Measurement and sampling
2.4.1. Dry matter, yield, and yield components
Six hills were diagonally sampled from each subplot at full heading stage (when about 80% of the panicles had emerged from the flag leaf sheath). Samples were separated into leaves, stems, and panicles. Each part was oven-dried in an oven at 75 °C to constant weight.
At physiological maturity, in the middle of each subplot, ten hills of plants were diagonally sampled. Panicles were counted to calculate panicles m − 2 . Plant
samples were separated into panicles and straw (including rachis). Panicles were hand-threshed. Unfilled spikelets were then separated from filled spikelets by
submersion in water. Three 30 g subsamples of filled grain and all unfilled spikelets were manually counted. Straw and filled and unfilled spikelets were
oven-dried at 75 °C to constant weight. Spikelets per panicle, spikelet filling percentage, and harvest index were then calculated. Grain yield was obtained
from a 5 m 2 area in each plot and adjusted to the standard moisture content of 0.14 kg H 2 O kg − 1 .
2.4.2. Leaf area index [LAI] and N content
A leaf area meter (LI-3000, LI-COR, Lincoln, NE, USA) was used to measure the green leaf area at full heading stage and LAI was calculated leaf area/unit ground area.
N concentrations in stem, filled and unfilled, were measured with a Skalar SAN Plus segmented flow analyzer (Skalar Inc., Breda, The Netherlands). N uptake
was calculated by biomass multiply N content. Nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency indices were calculated as follows:
where TN + N = N total accumulation of aboveground plants in the plot that received N fertilizer; TN − N = total N accumulation of aboveground plants in the zero-N control; FN = the amount of N fertilizer applied; GY + N = grain yield in the plot that received N fertilizer; GY − N = grain yield in the zero-N control.
2.5. Data analysis
Data were analyzed by analysis of variance (Statistix 8.0, Analytical Software, Tallahassee, FL, USA), and significant differences between means were identified by the Least Significant Difference test at the 0.05 probability level.
2.6. Climatic conditions
Maximum and minimum temperatures for the experimental periods within the season followed the same trends in both years (Fig. 1). In the early season,
maximum and minimum temperatures increased between transplanting and maturity. In the late season, temperatures between transplanting and maturity
decreased. For both years in both seasons, experimental period average maximum and minimum temperatures were approximately 30 °C and 22 °C.
3. Results
3.1. Grain yield and yield attributes
There was no significant difference in grain yield between T2 and T3 in both years and seasons. But these yields were significantly higher than those of T1 (Table 1). T2 consistently reached the highest yield regardless of year or season.
Table 1. Grain yield, yield components, total biomass production, and harvest index under three fertilizer treatments in 2014 and 2015.
Within each column, values followed by different letters are significantly different at the 0.05 probability level according to Least Significant Difference test.
There were significant differences between the zero-N treatment (T1) and the N treatments (T2, 135 kg ha − 1 , T3, 108 kg ha − 1 ) in panicles m − 2 (Table 1). The ranking across years and seasons was as follows: T2 > T3 > T1. T2 consistently produced more panicles m − 2 regardless of year or season, but significantly more than T3 only in the 2014 late season. Spikelets per panicle were fewer in T1 than in the other two treatments in both years and seasons except for the 2014 early season. There were significant differences in spikelets per panicle between T2 and T3 in the 2014 late season. Grain-filling percentage was slightly higher in T1 than in other treatments for 2015, but not 2014. The ranking across different years and seasons was as follows: T1 > T2 > T3. Grain weight among treatments was not consistent and did not show an identifiable trend.
T1 total biomass production was significantly lower than that of the other two treatments for all years and seasons, with no significant differences between T2
and T3. T3 was always higher than T2 except in 2014 early season. Differences in harvest index between T2 and T3 were insignificant.
3.2. N uptake and N use efficiency
T2 achieved the greatest total N uptake regardless of year or season (Table 2), but it was not significantly higher than that of T3. AE N , RE N , PE N , and PFP N were higher in T3 than in T2 for all years and seasons. There were no significant differences in AE N or PE N between T2 and T3. The PFP N of T3 was significantly higher except in 2014 late season.
Table 2. Total N uptake, applied N agronomic efficiency (AE N ), applied N crop recovery efficiency (RE N ), applied N physiological efficiency (PE N ), and applied N partial factor productivity (PFP N ) under three fertilizer treatments in 2014 and 2015.
Within each column, values followed by different letters are significantly different at the 0.05 probability level according to Least Significant Difference test.
LAI at flowering was significantly different between treatments. T1 showed the lowest LAI at flowering across all years and seasons (Fig. 2). During 2014 late
season and 2015 early season, LAI at flowering was significantly higher in T3 than in T2. There was no significant difference between T2 and T3 in 2014 early season and 2015 late season. Generally, LAI at flowering among treatments showed a similar ranking (T3 > T2 > T1) across all years and seasons.
4. Discussion
N loss is a severe problem in rice cultivation. Nitrogen use efficiency in rice is often low as a result of high N loss through volatilization, leaching, and denitrification.
Controlled-release fertilizers generally outperform granular urea fertilizer in reducing N losses, stimulating plant growth, and increasing nitrogen use efficiency
[12]. Yang et al. [18] reported that using controlled-release urea (CRU) in rice without additional fertilizer application during the growing season significantly
increased N availability in soil and improved yields by 13.6%–26.5%. In the present study, the rice yield was 3.1% lower under XND treatment than under
ordinary compound fertilizer treatment, but XND requires only one application and is more labor and time saving than standard compound fertilizers, which require split fertilization. The labor cost of fertilization of XND was only half that of the ordinary compound fertilizer.
Considering the negative impact of over fertilization on grain yield, damage to the environment, and decrease in nitrogen use efficiency and grain quality, it is
desirable to pay more attention to reducing fertilizer inputs in rice production in China [6, 19, 20]. Gen et al. [21] found that reducing the CRU rate by 30% produced the same crop yield as with the 100% rate of urea, and rice yield under a CRU 50% treatment showed no significant difference from that under a urea 100% treatment. In our experiment, XND treatment supplied only 80% of the N amount of standard compound fertilizers.
The application of controlled release fertilizer can increase rice production by increasing the number of panicles m − 2 and spikelets per panicle [22, 23]. In the
present study, analysis of yield components indicated that XND rice yield did not decrease significantly, owing to larger panicle size (spikelets per panicle). Equal total biomass production was responsible for the similar grain yield between the two treatments.
There have been consistent findings that controlled-release fertilizer can improve nitrogen use efficiency in rice production compared with regular fertilizer
[12, 14, 18, 24]. Nitrogen use efficiency is a widely used index in evaluating fertilizer management efficiency, and it can be further separated into different component indices to represent diverse aspects [25, 26]. In this study, there were no significant differences between N use efficiency indices of the two fertilizer treatments except for PFP N , which is an aggregate efficiency index that includes contributions to grain yield derived from indigenous soil N uptake, fertilizer N uptake efficiency, and the efficiency with which N acquired by the rice plant is converted to grain yield [27]. Tang et al. [28] showed that at 30 days after fertilization, single basal application of controlled-release fertilizers increased soil available N by 147.9% in comparison to a control treatment. That author indicated that the main mechanisms for increasing rice yield using a single basal application of controlled-release fertilizers should be attributed to greater soil N supply availability. Thus, in the present study, the similarly high yield from XND treatment may have been driven mainly by indigenous soil N and not by fertilizer N. But we did not measure the variety of soil N content after applied the CRF. Further studies are needed to explain the mechanisms of increase in rice yield using XND.
5. Conclusion
XND, a one-time basal fertilizer (80% N), achieved nearly identical yields to uncoated compound fertilizer used in a split application (100% N). It showed
consistently higher values than the control for partial factor productivity of N (PFP N).·This finding supports the conclusion that controlled release fertilizers such as XND should be explored as a partial substitute for common fertilizers in order to obtain sustainable increases in crop yields and decrease labor costs.
This research was supported by the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest (201303103) and China Agriculture Research System (CARS-01).
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© 2017 Crop Science Society of China and Institute of Crop Science, CAAS. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.
Original Text: link
Original Reference: The Crop Journal, Volume 5, Issue 3, June 2017, Pages 265-270


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Has anyone purchased this? Seems really expensive!! I'm new to scripting but very interested in using scripts for Capture.
https://www.dtcommercialphoto.com/produ ... lescripts/
Eric Nepean wrote:Not I. I expect you will get scripts that are "locked" so you can't even use them for examples.
Digital Transitions, Doug wrote:Eric Nepean wrote:Not I. I expect you will get scripts that are "locked" so you can't even use them for examples.
Eric, I can understand why you would expect that. However, it is not the case.
The scripts are fully open and well documented. They are not read-only or run-only, but are fully read-write and include comments/notes to help understand their functionality.
They are specifically conceived and executed as a way to learn to applescript for C1. If you're just getting started with scripting for Capture One they will be very helpful and save you many hours worth of dead ends, especially as AppleScript for C1 is only minimally documented. Even if you've been scripting for C1 for years, I strongly suspect you'll find some of the techniques and tricks used in these scripts will teach you things you didn't otherwise know.
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text:
Damon Galgut's third novel, a fictionalized biography of English author E.M. Forster, focuses on Forster's many years in India and the process of writing his masterpiece, A Passage to India. This compact, finely wrought novel also addresses Forster's unforgiving childhood in England and the homosexuality he feared and repressed throughout his life. Psychologically acute without being sentimental, Forster's relationships are described with compassion and great care. Galgut is a master at constructing strange, compelling landscapes, and Arctic Summer shifts seamlessly between staid, restricting England and Cairo and vibrant, pleasantly absurd India. Moments of gentle humor shine through the sparse prose, lending Forster a humanity that makes his story all the more heartbreaking.
Damon Galgut
Damon Galgut was born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1963. A previous novel, The Good Doctor, was a finalist for the Booker Prize and the commonwealth Writer's Prize. His new book, In a Strange Room, has been shortlisted for the 2010 Booker Prize. He lives in Capetown.


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KINGFISHER, Okla. -- We are all feeling the pinch at the pump these days.
Gas prices continue to stay high and they don't seem to be going anywhere.
Now, one Oklahoma farmer said those high prices are driving thieves his way.
Rodney Mueggenborg is a third generation farmer in Kingfisher County.
Wednesday morning, he came out to his land west of Kingfisher and saw the gas cap to his tractor 10 feet away in the dirt.
"It was laying right there," Mueggenborg said. "So I went and looked in my tank and the tank was empty. So then I started my tractor up and my fuel light was flashing. I got robbed!"
More than 100 gallons of diesel fuel had been siphoned from Mueggenborg's John Deere tractor.
"I thought, I don't remember taking that cap off. But they got me," he said.
Mueggenborg said he had parked the tractor in the field just south of Highway 33 the night before.
He believes the thieves targeted it because it was parked along a gravel road.
"You can't find tire tracks in this gravel," Mueggenborg said.
He called the Kingfisher County Sheriff's Department and filed a report.
"We're doing some checking in to see, you know, what might take place, how you know you would transport that a large amount of diesel and what type of containers you would need for that so that's kind of where we're at right now,"Justin Conner said, Kingfisher Sheriff's Department.
Mueggenborg wants to warn other area farmers.
"I know there's thefts all over the world but we farmers are trying to help feed the world," he said.
Mueggenborg feels lucky the thieves didn't damage his new tractor or steal anything else.
He said now he'll keep his farm equipment locked up.
"If I have to drive five miles to put my tractors back in the shop, I'm going to," Mueggenborg said.
The diesel that was in his tractor is actually dyed diesel.
It's specifically for off-road vehicles like farm tractors.
He said if the person who stole his diesel tried to put it in a street vehicle, it could really damage their car.


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Lessons in Biomimicry - Part 3 Natural Processes
Natural processes was the third theme of the Biomimicry in Design course at Schumacher College last week. This built on Part 1 - Natural Forms and Part 2 - Natural Systems by taking us deep into the biological processes which can help us re-evaluate traditional engineering methods.
Professor Julian Vincent, an expert in biomimetics at Bath University, calls human engineering the "heat, beat and treat" method, where we "destroy the information in materials by homogenizing them through the application of energy, then use even more energy to impose a new structure". He believes that by studying biological processes we can challenge the status quo in engineering and design. In order to explain his ideas further Professor Vincent took our group out for a walk on Dartmoor and down to the river where we found out how the caddisfly (pictured above) builds its case.Caddisfly Cases
At the edge of the fast flowing River Dart Professor Vincent took his fishing net and gathered up some caddisfly larvae from the sandy river bed. Known as underwater architects, the caddisfly build their own shell cases from the silt and small pebbles that they find around them. They use their own larvae silk to bind the pieces together into a strong portable shelter that will protect them through their larval life.
The principle of abundance
One of the main themes of biomimicry is abundance and we can see from the caddisfly's process that they use whatever they have in abundance around them, silt and pebbles, to construct their cases and bind them together with their own silk. Architecture and construction in nature is quite an extraordinary thing. Did you know that biology uses no more than 5% energy to realise natural structures which means that 95% is structural information, i.e. the silt and silk. Conversely human technology uses about 70% energy versus 30% information to solve problems, hence the "heat, beat and treat" phrase.
Sahara Forest Project
Michael Pawlyn in his last presentation of the course took us back to his incredible Sahara Forest Project, which has received so much attention after being published here on TreeHugger. Part of the inspiration for this project came from the Namibian Fog Beetle which uses an amazing natural process to gather its drinking water.
Image via flickr: Andrea Sosio
Collecting Drinking Water
During the night in the desert the beetle's shell is the coolest surface around, so this is where water condenses into tight droplets thanks to ridges on the surface. In the morning the beetle tips up it's shell and the water runs down to its mouth for a nice refreshing drink. Again, this is an example of high information and low energy in nature. The structural information of the shell does all the work, leaving very little for the beetle to do in terms of energy use. It probably takes less than 5% energy of the whole process for the beetle to tip up its shell and drink the water.
Sea Water to Fresh Water to Renewable Energy
The Sahara Forest Project mimics the namibian fog beetle's ingenious way of collecting water in the desert through the use of seawater greenhouses and a condensation process that allows seawater to be desalinated into fresh water to be used for irrigating crops and in the Concentrated Solar Power system. Above you can see the flow diagram above which illustrates the various processes that the Sahara Forest Project uses to achieve an abundance of fresh water and carbon neutral energy in the desert.
Many hands make light work
The week of biomimicry at Schumacher College was amazing in so many ways - we engaged our minds, bodies and hearts in all our learning - whether it was in the classroom, cooking in the kitchen or walking on Dartmoor. There was a wealth of expertise in the group, which meant that all participants were teachers and all the teachers were participants. The community spirit of Schumacher College allowed us all to join in and contribute. This was demonstrated perfectly at the end of the course where each person gave one word or phrase that summed up the week for them. These words gathered together gave us tools to go home with, which we can now begin to use in our daily lives. The list is below.
Making shortbread in the Schumacher College kitchen
Key words from Biomimicry course
nutrients, imagining the impossible, future visioning, collaboration, stickiness, closing loops, threads, to be in touch with yourself, toolbox, balance, simplicity, speaking a common language, storytelling, adaptability versus change, make waste history, personal connnection, health, master builder, embrace the unexpected, be open to new things, prototypes, interconnectivity, high information low energy, elegance, hierarchy, system sub-system super-system, abundance.
Schumacher College
Exploration Architecture
More on Schumacher College:
Lessons in Biomimicry: Part 1 - Natural Forms
Lessons in Biomimicry: Part 2 - Natural Systems
Biomimicry Course: Learn About The Amazing Potential of Design
Schumacher College Connects Sustainability and Business Leadership
350: Bill McKibben Inspires UK Audience to Join His Campaign
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Dimitri Mitropoulos(Greek: Δημήτρης Μητρόπουλος; 1 March [O.S.18 February] 1896– 2 November 1960), was a Greek conductor, pianist, and composer. He received international fame both as a major conductor and composer of the 20th century.
Life and career
Mitropoulos was born in Athens, the son of Yannis and Angelikē Mitropoulos. His father owned a leather goods shop at 15, St. Mark Street, in downtown Athens. He was musically precocious, demonstrating his abilities at an early age. From the ages of eleven to fourteen, when Mitropoulos was in secondary school, he would host and preside over informal musical gatherings at his house every Saturday afternoon. His earliest acknowledged composition – a sonata for violin and piano, now lost – dates from this period.
He studied music at the Athens Conservatoireas well as in Brusselsand Berlin, with Ferruccio Busoniamong his teachers. From 1921 to 1925 he assisted Erich Kleiberat the Berlin State Operaand then took a number of posts in Greece. At a 1930 concert with the Berlin Philharmonic, he played the solo part of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3and conducted the orchestra from the keyboard, becoming one of the first to do so.
United States
Mitropoulos made his U.S. debut in 1936 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and he later settled in the country, becoming a citizen in 1946. From 1937 to 1949 he served as principal conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra(forerunner of today's Minnesota Orchestra).
In 1949 Mitropoulos began his association with the New York Philharmonic, the peak of his orchestral career. He was initially co-conductor with Leopold Stokowskiand became the sole music director in 1951. Mitropoulos recorded extensively with the Philharmonic for Columbia Records and sought to reach new audiences in the city through appearances on television and by conducting a week of performances at the Roxy Theatre, a popular movie theatre. Mitropoulos expanded the Philharmonic's repertoire, commissioning works by new composers and championing the symphonies of Gustav Mahler. In 1958, he was succeeded as the Philharmonic's conductor by a protégé, Leonard Bernstein. In January 1960, he guest conducted the Philharmonic in a performance of Mahler's Fifth Symphony, which was recorded.
Work in opera
In addition to his orchestral career, Mitropoulos was an equally important force in the operatic repertoire. He conducted opera extensively in Italy and from 1954 until his death in 1960 was the principal conductor of the Metropolitan Operain New York, although the Met did not officially use that title at the time. His musically incisive and dramatically vivid performances of Puccini, Verdi, Richard Straussand others remain models of the opera conductor's art. The Met's extensive archive of recorded broadcasts preserves many of these fine performances.
Mitropoulos's series of recordings for Columbia Recordswith the New York Philharmonic included a rare complete performance of Alban Berg's Wozzeck. Many of these have been reissued by Sony Classics on CD, including most recently his stereo recordings of excerpts from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. He recorded with the Minneapolis Symphony for RCA Victorduring the 78-rpm era. He was also represented on the Cetra label, most notably with an early recording of Richard Strauss's Elektra.
Mitropoulos premiered many contemporary works. Examples include the American premieres of Shostakovich's Tenth Symphony(1954) and First Violin Concerto(1956) and the world premieres of Barber's Vanessa(1958), Ernst Krenek's Fourth Symphony (1947), and John J. Becker's Short Symphony(1950).
Personal life
He was noted for having a photographic memory(which enabled him to conduct without a score, even during rehearsals) and for his monk-like life style due to his deeply religious, Greek Orthodoxbeliefs.
Mitropoulos never married. He was "quietly known to be homosexual" and "felt no need for a cosmetic marriage".Among his relationships reportedly was one with Leonard Bernstein.
He died in Milan, Italyat the age of 64 of heart failure, while rehearsing Gustav Mahler's 3rd Symphony. One of his very last recorded performances was Verdi's La forza del destinowith Giuseppe Di Stefano, Antonietta Stellaand Ettore Bastianiniat Viennaon 23 September 1960. A recording exists of the performance of Mahler's 3rd Symphony given by Mitropoulos with the Cologne Radio Symphony on 31 October 1960, just two days before his death.
Impact on the music profession
Mitropoulos was noted as a champion of modern music, such as that by the members of the Second Viennese School. He wrote a number of pieces for orchestra and solo works for piano, and also arranged some of Johann Sebastian Bach's organ works for orchestra. In addition he was very influential in encouraging Leonard Bernstein's interest in conducting performances of Mahler's symphonic works. He also premiered and recorded a piano concerto of Ernst Krenekas soloist (available on CD), and works by composers in the U.S. such as Roger Sessions, Elie Siegmeisterand Peter Mennin. In 1952 he commissioned American composer Philip Bezansonto write a piano concerto, which he premiered the following year. His compositions include a piano sonata and the opera Sœur Béatrice(1918).


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