Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and reduced irrigation water use in rice production through water-saving irrigation scheduling, reduced tillage and fertiliser application strategies.

Rice production systems are the largest anthropogenic wetlands on earth and feed more than half of the world's population. However, they are also a major source of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Several agronomic strategies have been proposed to improve water-use efficiency and reduce GHG emissions.

An assessment of irrigated rice production energy efficiency and environmental footprint with in-field and off-field rice straw management practices.

The research provided scientific evidences for improved rice straw management. Rice cultivation with in-field burning of rice straw is the worst option with the lowest energy efficiency and highest air pollution emission. This article comprises a comparative assessment of energy efficiency and the environmental footprint of rice production using four different rice straw management scenarios, namely, straw retained, straw burned, partial straw removal, and complete straw removal.

Very short-term reactive forecasting of the solar ultraviolet index using an extreme learning machine integrated with the solar zenith angle.

Exposure to erythemally-effective solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) that contributes to malignant keratinocyte cancers and associated health-risk is best mitigated through innovative decision-support systems, with global solar UV index (UVI) forecast necessary to inform real-time sun-protection behaviour recommendations. It follows that the UVI forecasting models are useful tools for such decision-making. In this study, a model for computationally-efficient data-driven forecasting of diffuse and global very short-term reactive (VSTR) (10-min lead-time) UVI, enhanced by drawing on the solar zenith angle (θ) data, was developed using an extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm.

Refractive index gratings in electro-optic polymer thin films.

Refractive index gratings have been inscribed in polymer thin films by permanently photobleaching the organic chromophore PYR-3 dopant. The grating inscription process was investigated in detail for the purpose of improving the diffraction efficiency (η) of the PYR-3 doped polymer gratings. Three processes were identified that contributed to the η of the first diffracted order: a periodic change in the refractive index due to photobleaching of the PYR-3, formation of the surface relief grating as a consequence of free volume change during bleaching, and the introduction of periodic, strain-induced changes in the refractive index.

International fieldwork placements in low-income countries: Exploring community perspectives.

Background: There has been a significant increase in the number of occupational and physical therapy students going on international fieldwork placements in low-income countries. Yet, there has been a lack of research describing this experience from the agencies that host students. The research question was 'how do members of an agency within a low-income country perceive, interpret and give meaning to international fieldwork placements where students from a Canadian university provide occupational and physical therapy services?'

Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants from five affiliated international fieldwork sites.