Thermal Imagery in Plant Phenotyping: Assessing Stomatal Conductance through Energy Balance Modelling

The importance of temperature data in plant phenotyping applications is well known as is the difficulty of correlating temperature to plant behaviours. This work investigates the emission of thermal radiation from plant leaves to validate non-contact temperature measurements as well as modelling approaches to extend the use of temperature data obtained continuously from outdoor field crops. Temperature data and weather data are combined to calculate a stomatal resistance to water loss to satisfy an energy balance. Several approaches to modelling an energy balance and their results are compared and contrasted

Geophysical Studies in the Southwest Pacific : Primarily Studies of Crustal Structure between New Zealand and Antarctica

Geophysical data - primarily magnetic field measurements, bathymetry, and seismicity data - are presented for the area between New Zealand and Antarctica from approximately 145[degrees]W to 155[degrees]E. The data are used to determine the structure of the Pacific-Antarctic boundary, the oceanic part of the Pacific plate and the area of intersection of the Indian, Pacific and Antarctic plates. In the southwest Pacific basin the magnetic anomalies are very clear and an extensive pattern of anomaly lineations with some offsets is mapped. The magnetic anomalies show that the uniform Pacific basin area formed between about 83 and 63 mybp. The Pacific-Antarctic boundary is shown to differ either side of about 175[degrees]W. To the east it is a relatively uniform aseismic spreading ridge, offset by some transform faults. West of 175[degrees]W, to 161[degrees]E, the boundary consists of a seismically active zone of disturbed bathymetry and magnetic anomalies striking about N.70[degrees]W. The zone, the Pacific-Antarctic fracture zone, probably consists of several fractures striking about N45[degrees]W. The area between the Pacific-Antarctic boundary and the southwest Pacific basin represents the interval 10 to -55 mybp, and only in the east are anomaly lineations clear. The Indian-Antarctic Pacific triple junction is near 61.5[degrees]S, 161[degrees]E and is a stable ridge-fault-fault junction; the Indian-Antarctic boundary being the ridge. Plate tectonics is applied to the area and the structure is shown to fit, and be explained by a different rotation pole for each of the major intervals indicated by the structure, i.e. 0-10 mybp, 10-63 mybp and 63-80 mybp. The poles, with rotation rates deduced from the magnetic anomalies, are used to reconstruct the position of New Zealand relative to Antarctica at 80 mybp. The two continents probably started to separate at close to 83 mybp. The times of the major changes of structure and plate movement in the area are shown to coincide with major plate movement changes in the southwest Pacific area and in the rest of the world. A new method for determining poles of rotation, based only on epicentre locations is presented, The method is applied to independently determine the Indian-Pacific, Pacific-Antarctic and Indian-Antarctic poles. The poles should form a consistent. set and they do. The method yields effectively instantaneous poles, is quantitative, and is applicable to most plate boundaries. Earthquake magnitude-frequency relationship b values for the plate boundaries in the area are determined. Comparisons with results from elsewhere indicate an association of high b with high temperature and conversely. Several factors which have previously been suggested as determining b value are shown to not be determinants. A revised and extended magnetic reversal time scale based on model studies of the southwest Pacific basin anomalies is presented. Other model studies indicate that a magnetized layer thickness of at least 2 km is probable. Variations of anomaly amplitudes are studied. A detailed study of the application of numerical correlation techniques to magnetic anomalies is presented. It is concluded that horizontal scale variations and discontinuities in profiles can be critical. Methods for over-coming some of the problems, and for determining quantitative error estimates, are. given. The methods, and conclusions, are applicable to any correlation problem

Project-oriented strategic management of UK construction firms – towards corporate diversification: critical literature review

Purpose: The paper analyses the strategic management strategies of UK Construction Contracting Firms (CCFs) and their impact on the industry, highlighting their fragmentation, high-risk, low-profit nature and low profit returns. It suggests proactive strategies for sustainable growth and explores the potential of corporate diversification. Design/methodology/approach: Utilising a thematic critical literature review, specific inclusion/exclusion criteria are used to select relevant literature together with a thematic qualitative synthesis data analysis approach to identify trends and challenges. Findings: UK CCFs primarily use reactive and project-based strategic management, which may not align with long-term success due to market volatility, reactive supply, fragmentation, high competition and lack of differentiation. The short-term business cycle makes medium- to long-term strategy development difficult. It is recommended that CCFs adopt proactive strategic management and consider corporate diversification for enhanced competitiveness, stability and performance. Although there are conflicting findings on the impact of diversification on firm performance, this research suggests that it is a viable strategy for achieving enhanced firm performance and competitive advantage. Research limitations/implications: The importance of proactive corporate strategies for CCFs is emphasised to overcome industry challenges, promote sustainable growth and enhance competitiveness. Corporate diversification, cultural transformation, management qualifications promotion and talent development collaboration are advocated, providing valuable insights for practitioners, policymakers and researchers. Practical implications: The practical implications of this research involve fostering a shift towards proactive and dynamic strategic management in the UK construction industry, addressing the historical neglect of broader strategic perspectives and empowering practitioners and academics to drive positive change and innovation within the sector. Social implications: The social implications of this research encompass the potential to enhance the overall efficiency, sustainability and collaborative dynamics within the UK construction industry, which can ultimately contribute to improved infrastructure development and the well-being of communities. Originality/value: Project-driven strategic management in the UK construction industry is explored, questioning the reactive approach used by CCFs. It provides insights, best practices and improvement areas, emphasising diversification, proactive corporate strategies, cultural shifts and industry improvement, spanning theory, practice and theory.</p

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cultivated_lentil_5

Images of cultivated lentil 5 captured at the University of Saskatchewan on the BELT platform and ready to be analyzed with phenoSEED (https://gitlab.com/usask-speclab/phenoseed)This data is a subset of data used to create boxplots in the BELT paper.</div

README

This is a subset of the data used in the paper describing BELT and phenoSEED (https://gitlab.com/usask-speclab/phenoseed). These files once unzipped and placed within a directory can be run with phenoseed with the option -i /path/to/top_level/. This will create a csv file with records for each image file<br

wild_lentil_1

Images of wild lentil 1 captured at the University of Saskatchewan on the BELT platform and ready to be analyzed with phenoSEED (https://gitlab.com/usask-speclab/phenoseed)This data is a subset of data used to create boxplots in the BELT paper.</div

cultivated_lentil_7

Images of cultivated lentil 7 captured at the University of Saskatchewan on the BELT platform and ready to be analyzed with phenoSEED (https://gitlab.com/usask-speclab/phenoseed)This data is a subset of data used to create boxplots in the BELT paper.</div