Examining robustness of model selection with half-normal and LASSO plots for unreplicated factorial designs

DOE PAGES

Jang, Dae -Heung; Anderson-Cook, Christine Michaela

2017-04-12

When there are constraints on resources, an unreplicated factorial or fractional factorial design can allow efficient exploration of numerous factor and interaction effects. A half-normal plot is a common graphical tool used to compare the relative magnitude of effects and to identify important effects from these experiments when no estimate of error from the experiment is available. An alternative is to use a least absolute shrinkage and selection operation plot to examine the pattern of model selection terms from an experiment. We examine how both the half-normal and least absolute shrinkage and selection operation plots are impacted by the absencemore » of individual observations or an outlier, and the robustness of conclusions obtained from these 2 techniques for identifying important effects from factorial experiments. As a result, the methods are illustrated with 2 examples from the literature.« less

Design of a factorial experiment with randomization restrictions to assess medical device performance on vascular tissue

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Energy-based surgical scalpels are designed to efficiently transect and seal blood vessels using thermal energy to promote protein denaturation and coagulation. Assessment and design improvement of ultrasonic scalpel performance relies on both in vivo and ex vivo testing. The objective of this work was to design and implement a robust, experimental test matrix with randomization restrictions and predictive statistical power, which allowed for identification of those experimental variables that may affect the quality of the seal obtained ex vivo. Methods The design of the experiment included three factors: temperature (two levels); the type of solution used to perfuse the artery during transection (three types); and artery type (two types) resulting in a total of twelve possible treatment combinations. Burst pressures of porcine carotid and renal arteries sealed ex vivo were assigned as the response variable. Results The experimental test matrix was designed and carried out as a split-plot experiment in order to assess the contributions of several variables and their interactions while accounting for randomization restrictions present in the experimental setup. The statistical software package SAS was utilized and PROC MIXED was used to account for the randomization restrictions in the split-plot design. The combination of temperature, solution, and vessel type had a statistically significant impact on seal quality. Conclusions The design and implementation of a split-plot experimental test-matrix provided a mechanism for addressing the existing technical randomization restrictions of ex vivo ultrasonic scalpel performance testing, while preserving the ability to examine the potential effects of independent factors or variables. This method for generating the experimental design and the statistical analyses of the resulting data are adaptable to a wide variety of experimental problems involving large-scale tissue-based studies of medical or experimental device efficacy and performance. PMID:21599963

The study design elements employed by researchers in preclinical animal experiments from two research domains and implications for automation of systematic reviews.

PubMed

O'Connor, Annette M; Totton, Sarah C; Cullen, Jonah N; Ramezani, Mahmood; Kalivarapu, Vijay; Yuan, Chaohui; Gilbert, Stephen B

2018-01-01

Systematic reviews are increasingly using data from preclinical animal experiments in evidence networks. Further, there are ever-increasing efforts to automate aspects of the systematic review process. When assessing systematic bias and unit-of-analysis errors in preclinical experiments, it is critical to understand the study design elements employed by investigators. Such information can also inform prioritization of automation efforts that allow the identification of the most common issues. The aim of this study was to identify the design elements used by investigators in preclinical research in order to inform unique aspects of assessment of bias and error in preclinical research. Using 100 preclinical experiments each related to brain trauma and toxicology, we assessed design elements described by the investigators. We evaluated Methods and Materials sections of reports for descriptions of the following design elements: 1) use of comparison group, 2) unit of allocation of the interventions to study units, 3) arrangement of factors, 4) method of factor allocation to study units, 5) concealment of the factors during allocation and outcome assessment, 6) independence of study units, and 7) nature of factors. Many investigators reported using design elements that suggested the potential for unit-of-analysis errors, i.e., descriptions of repeated measurements of the outcome (94/200) and descriptions of potential for pseudo-replication (99/200). Use of complex factor arrangements was common, with 112 experiments using some form of factorial design (complete, incomplete or split-plot-like). In the toxicology dataset, 20 of the 100 experiments appeared to use a split-plot-like design, although no investigators used this term. The common use of repeated measures and factorial designs means understanding bias and error in preclinical experimental design might require greater expertise than simple parallel designs. Similarly, use of complex factor arrangements creates novel challenges for accurate automation of data extraction and bias and error assessment in preclinical experiments.

Split-plot microarray experiments: issues of design, power and sample size.

PubMed

Tsai, Pi-Wen; Lee, Mei-Ling Ting

2005-01-01

This article focuses on microarray experiments with two or more factors in which treatment combinations of the factors corresponding to the samples paired together onto arrays are not completely random. A main effect of one (or more) factor(s) is confounded with arrays (the experimental blocks). This is called a split-plot microarray experiment. We utilise an analysis of variance (ANOVA) model to assess differentially expressed genes for between-array and within-array comparisons that are generic under a split-plot microarray experiment. Instead of standard t- or F-test statistics that rely on mean square errors of the ANOVA model, we use a robust method, referred to as 'a pooled percentile estimator', to identify genes that are differentially expressed across different treatment conditions. We illustrate the design and analysis of split-plot microarray experiments based on a case application described by Jin et al. A brief discussion of power and sample size for split-plot microarray experiments is also presented.

Factors That Affect Proliferation of Salmonella in Tomatoes Post-Harvest: The Roles of Seasonal Effects, Irrigation Regime, Crop and Pathogen Genotype

PubMed Central

Marvasi, Massimiliano; Hochmuth, George J.; Giurcanu, Mihai C.; George, Andrée S.; Noel, Jason T.; Bartz, Jerry; Teplitski, Max

2013-01-01

Main Objectives Fresh fruits and vegetables become increasingly recognized as vehicles of human salmonellosis. Physiological, ecological, and environmental factors are all thought to contribute to the ability of Salmonella to colonize fruits and vegetables pre- and post-harvest. The goal of this study was to test how irrigation levels, fruit water congestion, crop and pathogen genotypes affect the ability of Salmonella to multiply in tomatoes post-harvest. Experimental Design Fruits from three tomato varieties, grown over three production seasons in two Florida locations, were infected with seven strains of Salmonella and their ability to multiply post-harvest in field-grown tomatoes was tested. The field experiments were set up as a two-factor factorial split plot experiment, with the whole-plot treatments arranged in a randomized complete-block design. The irrigation treatment (at three levels) was the whole-plot factor, and the split-plot factor was tomato variety, with three levels. The significance of the main, two-way, and three-way interaction effects was tested using the (type III) F-tests for fixed effects. Mean separation for each significant fixed effect in the model was performed using Tukey’s multiple comparison testing procedure. Most Important Discoveries and Significance The irrigation regime per se did not affect susceptibility of the crop to post-harvest proliferation of Salmonella. However, Salmonella grew significantly better in water-congested tissues of green tomatoes. Tomato maturity and genotype, Salmonella genotype, and inter-seasonal differences were the strongest factors affecting proliferation. Red ripe tomatoes were significantly and consistently more conducive to proliferation of Salmonella. Tomatoes harvested in the driest, sunniest season were the most conducive to post-harvest proliferation of the pathogen. Statistically significant interactions between production conditions affected post-harvest susceptibility of the crop to the pathogen. UV irradiation of tomatoes post-harvest promoted Salmonella growth. PMID:24324640

Classes of Split-Plot Response Surface Designs for Equivalent Estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Peter A.; Kowalski, Scott M.; Vining, G. Geoffrey

2006-01-01

When planning an experimental investigation, we are frequently faced with factors that are difficult or time consuming to manipulate, thereby making complete randomization impractical. A split-plot structure differentiates between the experimental units associated with these hard-to-change factors and others that are relatively easy-to-change and provides an efficient strategy that integrates the restrictions imposed by the experimental apparatus. Several industrial and scientific examples are presented to illustrate design considerations encountered in the restricted randomization context. In this paper, we propose classes of split-plot response designs that provide an intuitive and natural extension from the completely randomized context. For these designs, the ordinary least squares estimates of the model are equivalent to the generalized least squares estimates. This property provides best linear unbiased estimators and simplifies model estimation. The design conditions that allow for equivalent estimation are presented enabling design construction strategies to transform completely randomized Box-Behnken, equiradial, and small composite designs into a split-plot structure.

Tillage, Mulch and N Fertilizer Affect Emissions of CO2 under the Rain Fed Condition

PubMed Central

Tanveer, Sikander Khan; Wen, Xiaoxia; Lu, Xing Li; Zhang, Junli; Liao, Yuncheng

2013-01-01

A two year (2010–2012) study was conducted to assess the effects of different agronomic management practices on the emissions of CO2 from a field of non-irrigated wheat planted on China's Loess Plateau. Management practices included four tillage methods i.e. T1: (chisel plow tillage), T2: (zero-tillage), T3: (rotary tillage) and T4: (mold board plow tillage), 2 mulch levels i.e., M0 (no corn residue mulch) and M1 (application of corn residue mulch) and 5 levels of N fertilizer (0, 80, 160, 240, 320 kg N/ha). A factorial experiment having a strip split-split arrangement, with tillage methods in the main plots, mulch levels in the sub plots and N-fertilizer levels in the sub-sub plots with three replicates, was used for this study. The CO2 data were recorded three times per week using a portable GXH-3010E1 gas analyzer. The highest CO2 emissions were recorded following rotary tillage, compared to the lowest emissions from the zero tillage planting method. The lowest emissions were recorded at the 160 kg N/ha, fertilizer level. Higher CO2 emissions were recorded during the cropping year 2010–11 relative to the year 2011–12. During cropping year 2010–11, applications of corn residue mulch significantly increased CO2 emissions in comparison to the non-mulched treatments, and during the year 2011–12, equal emissions were recorded for both types of mulch treatments. Higher CO2 emissions were recorded immediately after the tillage operations. Different environmental factors, i.e., rain, air temperatures, soil temperatures and soil moistures, had significant effects on the CO2 emissions. We conclude that conservation tillage practices, i.e., zero tillage, the use of corn residue mulch and optimum N fertilizer use, can reduce CO2 emissions, give better yields and provide environmentally friendly options. PMID:24086256

Robust tests for multivariate factorial designs under heteroscedasticity.

PubMed

Vallejo, Guillermo; Ato, Manuel

2012-06-01

The question of how to analyze several multivariate normal mean vectors when normality and covariance homogeneity assumptions are violated is considered in this article. For the two-way MANOVA layout, we address this problem adapting results presented by Brunner, Dette, and Munk (BDM; 1997) and Vallejo and Ato (modified Brown-Forsythe [MBF]; 2006) in the context of univariate factorial and split-plot designs and a multivariate version of the linear model (MLM) to accommodate heterogeneous data. Furthermore, we compare these procedures with the Welch-James (WJ) approximate degrees of freedom multivariate statistics based on ordinary least squares via Monte Carlo simulation. Our numerical studies show that of the methods evaluated, only the modified versions of the BDM and MBF procedures were robust to violations of underlying assumptions. The MLM approach was only occasionally liberal, and then by only a small amount, whereas the WJ procedure was often liberal if the interactive effects were involved in the design, particularly when the number of dependent variables increased and total sample size was small. On the other hand, it was also found that the MLM procedure was uniformly more powerful than its most direct competitors. The overall success rate was 22.4% for the BDM, 36.3% for the MBF, and 45.0% for the MLM.

Analysis of a Split-Plot Experimental Design Applied to a Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Gary E.

2013-01-01

A procedure to analyze a split-plot experimental design featuring two input factors, two levels of randomization, and two error structures in a low-speed wind tunnel investigation of a small-scale model of a fighter airplane configuration is described in this report. Standard commercially-available statistical software was used to analyze the test results obtained in a randomization-restricted environment often encountered in wind tunnel testing. The input factors were differential horizontal stabilizer incidence and the angle of attack. The response variables were the aerodynamic coefficients of lift, drag, and pitching moment. Using split-plot terminology, the whole plot, or difficult-to-change, factor was the differential horizontal stabilizer incidence, and the subplot, or easy-to-change, factor was the angle of attack. The whole plot and subplot factors were both tested at three levels. Degrees of freedom for the whole plot error were provided by replication in the form of three blocks, or replicates, which were intended to simulate three consecutive days of wind tunnel facility operation. The analysis was conducted in three stages, which yielded the estimated mean squares, multiple regression function coefficients, and corresponding tests of significance for all individual terms at the whole plot and subplot levels for the three aerodynamic response variables. The estimated regression functions included main effects and two-factor interaction for the lift coefficient, main effects, two-factor interaction, and quadratic effects for the drag coefficient, and only main effects for the pitching moment coefficient.

Elementary Preservice Teachers' Reasoning about Modeling a "Family Factory" with TinkerPlots--A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biehler, Rolf; Frischemeier, Daniel; Podworny, Susanne

2017-01-01

Connecting data and chance is fundamental in statistics curricula. The use of software like TinkerPlots can bridge both worlds because the TinkerPlots Sampler supports learners in expressive modeling. We conducted a study with elementary preservice teachers with a basic university education in statistics. They were asked to set up and evaluate…

Higher Antioxidant Activity, Total Flavonols, and Specific Quercetin Glucosides in Two Different Onion (Allium cepa L.) Varieties Grown under Organic Production: Results from a 6-Year Field Study.

PubMed

Ren, Feiyue; Reilly, Kim; Kerry, Joseph P; Gaffney, Michael; Hossain, Mohammad; Rai, Dilip K

2017-06-28

We carried out a 6-year study to assess the effect of conventional, organic, and mixed cultivation practices on bioactive compounds (flavonoids, anthocyanins) and antioxidant capacity in onion. Total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, individual flavonols, individual anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity were measured in two varieties ('Hyskin' and 'Red Baron') grown in a long-term split-plot factorial systems comparison trial. This is the first report of repeated measurements of bioactive content over an extensive time period in a single crop type within the same trial. Antioxidant activity (DPPH and FRAP), total flavonol content, and levels of Q 3,4' D and Q 3 G were higher in both varieties under fully organic compared to fully conventional management. Total flavonoids were higher in 'Red Baron' and when onions were grown under organic soil treatment. Differences were primarily due to different soil management practices used in organic agriculture rather than pesticide/ herbicide application.

Soil Water Effects on Blue Oak Seedling Establishment

Treesearch

Doria R. Gordon; Kevin J. Rice; Jeffrey M. Welker

1991-01-01

A field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of soil water availability on blue oak (Quercus douglasii) seedling establishment. Acorns were planted either into cleared plots of 0, 10, 20, or 40 cm diameter. The cleared plots were located in two grazed and one ungrazed site. Half of the plots received drip irrigation in a split plot design...

Adequacy of different experimental designs for eucalyptus spacing trials in Portuguese environmental conditions

Treesearch

Paula Soares; Margarida Tome

2000-01-01

In Portugal, several eucalyptus spacing trials cover a relatively broad range of experimental designs: trials with a non-randomized block design with plots of different size and number of trees per plot; trials based on a non-systematic design in which spacings were randomized resulting in a factorial arrangement with plots of different size and shape and equal number...

An Empirical Study of Re-sampling Techniques as a Method for Improving Error Estimates in Split-plot Designs

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

sufficient replications often lead to models that lack precision in error estimation and thus imprecision in corresponding conclusions. This work develops...v Preface This work is dedicated to all who gave and continue to give in order for me to achieve some semblance of success. Benjamin M. Lee vi...develop, examine and test methodologies for an- alyzing test results from split-plot designs. In particular, this work determines the applicability

Nitrous oxide emission from wetland soil following single and seasonal split application of cattle manure to field tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill var. Heinz) and rape (Brassica napus, L. var. Giant) crops.

PubMed

Masaka, Johnson; Nyamangara, Justice; Wuta, Menas

2016-01-01

An understanding of the contribution of manure applications to global atmospheric N2O loading is needed to evaluate agriculture's contribution to the global warming process. Two field experiments were carried out at Dufuya wetland (19°17'S; 29°21'E, 1260 m above sea level) to determine the effects of single and split manure applications on emissions of N2O from soil during the growing seasons of two rape and two tomato crops. Two field experiments were established. In the first experiment the manure was applied in three levels of 0, 15, and 30 Mg ha(-1) as a single application just before planting of the first tomato crop. In the second experiment the 15 and 30 Mg ha(-1) manure application rates were divided into four split applications of 3.75 and 7.5 Mg ha(-1) respectively, for each of the four cropping events. Single applications of 15 and 30 Mg ha(-1) manure once in four cropping events had higher emissions of N2O than those recorded on plots that received split applications of 3.75 and 7.5 Mg ha(-1) manure at least up to the second test crop. Thereafter N2O emissions on plots subjected to split applications of manure were higher or equal to those recorded in plots that received single basal applications of 30 Mg ha(-1) applied a week before planting the first crop. Seasonal split applications of manure to wetland vegetable crops can reduce emissions of N2O at least up to the second seasonal split application.

Intraspecific Phenotypic Variation and Ecological Genetics of Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii Hook. & Am.)

Treesearch

Kevin J. Rice; Doria R. Gordon; Jeanine L. Hardison; Jeffrey M. Welker

1991-01-01

A field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of soil water availability on blue oak (Quercus douglasii) seedling establishment. Acorns were planted either into cleared plots of 0, 10, 20, or 40 cm diameter. The cleared plots were located in two grazed and one ungrazed site. Half of the plots received drip irrigation in a split plot design...

On the Kendrick Mass Defect Plots of Multiply Charged Polymer Ions: Splits, Misalignments, and How to Correct Them

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fouquet, Thierry N. J.; Cody, Robert B.; Ozeki, Yuka; Kitagawa, Shinya; Ohtani, Hajime; Sato, Hiroaki

2018-05-01

The Kendrick mass defect (KMD) analysis of multiply charged polymeric distributions has recently revealed a surprising isotopic split in their KMD plots—namely a 1/z difference between KMDs of isotopes of an oligomer at charge state z. Relying on the KMD analysis of actual and simulated distributions of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), the isotopic split is mathematically accounted for and found to go with an isotopic misalignment in certain cases. It is demonstrated that the divisibility (resp. indivisibility) of the nominal mass of the repeating unit (R) by z is the condition for homolog ions to line up horizontally (resp. misaligned obliquely) in a KMD plot. Computing KMDs using a fractional base unit R/z eventually corrects the misalignments for the associated charge state while using the least common multiple of all the charge states as the divisor realigns all the points at once. The isotopic split itself can be removed by using either a new charge-dependent KMD plot compatible with any fractional base unit or the remainders of KM (RKM) recently developed for low-resolution data all found to be linked in a unified theory. These original applications of the fractional base units and the RKM plots are of importance theoretically to satisfy the basics of a mass defect analysis and practically for a correct data handling of single stage and tandem mass spectra of multiply charged homo- and copolymers.

Loblolly pine growth response to mid-rotational treatments in an Eastern Texas plantation

Treesearch

Mohammad M. Bataineh; Amanda L. Bataineh; Brian P. Oswald; Kenneth W. Farrish; Hans M. Williams

2006-01-01

The effects of mid-rotational treatments (herbicide, prescribed burn, combination of herbicide and burn, and fertilization) on growth of loblolly pine were evaluated. Five replicates were established in a split-plot experimental design with fertilizer treatments as the whole-plot factor and competition control treatments as the sub-plot factor. Growth response was...

Light Attenuation in a 14-year-old Loblolly Pine Stand as Influenced by Fertilization and Irrigation

Treesearch

D.A. Sampson; H. Lee Allen

1998-01-01

We examined empirical and simulated estimates of canopy light attenuation at SETRES (Southeast Tree Research and Education Site) a 2x2 factorial study of water and nutrients. Fertilized plots had signiticantly lower under-canopy PAR transmittance (Tc) when compared to non-fertilized plots. Light interception efftciency as measured by the...

Evaluation of polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity in two onion varieties grown under organic and conventional production systems.

PubMed

Ren, Feiyue; Reilly, Kim; Gaffney, Michael; Kerry, Joseph P; Hossain, Mohammad; Rai, Dilip K

2017-07-01

Onions contain a number of bioactive compounds, in particular polyphenols. They are rich sources of such compounds in the human diet and offer significant health benefits to the consumer. Demand for organic crops is steadily increasing partly based on the expected health benefits of organic food consumption. The current study examines the influence of organic and conventional crop management practices on bioactive polyphenolic content of onion. We examined the effect of conventional, organic, and mixed cultivation practices on the content of total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in two varieties of onion grown over 4 years in a split-plot factorial systems comparison trial. Levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids showed a significant year-on-year variation and were significantly different between organic and conventional production systems. The levels of total phenolics, total flavonoids and antioxidant activity in general were significantly higher (P < 0.05) under fully organic compared to fully conventional management. Organic cultivation practices resulted in significantly higher levels of potential bioactive compounds in onion. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Implementation and value of using a split-plot reader design in a study of digital breast tomosynthesis in a breast cancer assessment clinic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mall, Suneeta; Brennan, Patrick C.; Mello-Thoms, Claudia

2015-03-01

The rapid evolution in medical imaging has led to an increased number of recurrent trials, primarily to ensure that the efficacy of new imaging techniques is known. The cost associated with time and resources in conducting such trials is usually high. The recruitment of participants, in a medium to large reader study, is often very challenging as the demanding number of cases discourages involvement with the trial. We aim to evaluate the efficacy of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) in a recall assessment clinic in Australia in a prospective multi-reader-multi-case (MRMC) trial. Conducting such a study with the more commonly used fully crossed MRMC study design would require more cases and more cases read per reader, which was not viable in our setting. With an aim to perform a cost effective yet statistically efficient clinical trial, we evaluated alternative study designs, particularly the alternative split-plot MRMC study design and compared and contrasted it with more commonly used fully crossed MRMC study design. Our results suggest that `split-plot', an alternative MRMC study design, could be very beneficial for medium to large clinical trials and the cost associated with conducting such trials can be greatly reduced without adversely effecting the variance of the study. We have also noted an inverse dependency between number of required readers and cases to achieve a target variance. This suggests that split-plot could also be very beneficial for studies that focus on cases that are hard to procure or readers that are hard to recruit. We believe that our results may be relevant to other researchers seeking to design a medium to large clinical trials.

The Effects of Light Intensity, Casing Layers, and Layering Styles on Royal Sun Medicinal Mushroom, Agaricus brasiliensis (Higher Basidiomycetes) Cultivation in Turkey.

PubMed

Adanacioglu, Neşe; Boztok, Kaya; Akdeniz, Ramazan Cengiz

2015-01-01

The aim of this research is to evaluate the effects of light intensity, casing layers, and layering styles on the production of the culinary-medicinal mushroom Agaricus brasiliensis in Turkey. The experiments were designed in split-split plots and replicated twice. Three different light intensities-I1, 350 lux; I2, 450 lux; and I3, 750 lux-were used in main plots as environmental factors. A mixture of 4 different casing layers- peat (100%), peat-perlite (75%:25%), peat-clinoptilolite (75%:25%), and peat-perlite-clinoptilolite (60%:20%:20%)-were used at split plots and at split plots. S1, a flat, 3-cm casing layer; S2, a flat, 5-cm casing layer; and S3, casing soil ridges 10 cm wide × 4 cm high, 10 cm apart, were deposited on top of 1-cm overall soil casing layers. At the end of the harvest phase, the total yield was estimated per 100 kg of substrate. Biological efficiency (percentage) was determined from the fresh weight of the mushrooms and the dry weight of the compost at the end of the harvesting period. The highest total yield (7.2 kg/100 kg compost) and biological efficiency (27.63%) were achieved from I2 × peat-perlite-clinoptilolite × S2 treatment. Influence of light intensity, casing layer, layering style, and their interaction in treatments with color values (L*, a*, b*, chroma*, and hue*) also were examined. It has been shown that within color values, chroma* (saturation) values of mushroom caps were affected by light intensity, casing layer, and layering style treatments and light intensity × casing layer treatments and the brightness of mushroom caps tended to increase as light intensity increased.

Physiological and morphological response patterns of Populus deltoides to alluvial groundwater

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooper, D.J.; D'Amico, D.R.; Scott, M.L.

2003-01-01

We examined the physiological and morphological response patterns of plains cottonwood [Populus deltoides subsp. monilifera (Aiton) Eck.] to acute water stress imposed by groundwater pumping. Between 3 and 27 July 1996, four large pumps were used to withdraw alluvial groundwater from a cottonwood forest along the South Platte River, near Denver, Colorado, USA. The study was designed as a stand-level, split-plot experiment with factorial treatments including two soil types (a gravel soil and a loam topsoil over gravel), two water table drawdown depths (∼0.5 m and >1.0 m), and one water table control (no drawdown) per soil type. Measurements of water table depth, soil water potential (Ψs), predawn and midday shoot water potential (Ψpd and Ψmd), and D/H (deuterium/hydrogen) ratios of different water sources were made in each of six 600-m2 plots prior to, during, and immediately following pumping. Two additional plots were established and measured to examine the extent to which surface irrigation could be used to mitigate the effects of deep drawdown on P. deltoides for each soil type. Recovery of tree water status following pumping was evaluated by measuring stomatal conductance (gs) and xylem water potential (Ψxp) on approximately hourly time steps from before dawn to mid-afternoon on 11 August 1996 in watered and unwatered, deep-drawdown plots on gravel soils. P. deltoides responded to abrupt alluvial water table decline with decreased shoot water potential followed by leaf mortality. Ψpd and percent leaf loss were significantly related to the magnitude of water table declines. The onset and course of these responses were influenced by short-term variability in surface and ground water levels, acting in concert with physiological and morphological adjustments. Decreases in Ψpd corresponded with increases in Ψmd, suggesting shoot water status improved in response to stomatal closure and crown dieback. Crown dieback caused by xylem cavitation likely occurred when Ψpd reached −0.4 to −0.8 MPa. The application of surface irrigation allowed trees to maintain favorable water status with little or no apparent cavitation, even in deep-drawdown plots. Two weeks after the partial canopy dieback and cessation of pumping, gs and Ψxp measurements indicated that water stress persisted in unwatered P. deltoides in deep-drawdown plots.

Acorn Production on the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project Study Sites: Pre-treatment Data

Treesearch

Larry D. Vangilder

1997-01-01

In the pre-treatment phase of a study to determine if even- and uneven-aged forest management affects the production of acorns on the Missourt Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) study sites, acorn production was measured on the nine study sites by randomly placing from 2 to 6 plots in each of four ecological land type (ELT) groupings (N=130 plots). A split-plot...

The MTL Torsional Split-Hopkinson Bar

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-05-01

DATA 80 PLOT AGAGE@ 90 PLOT BGAGE@ 95 REM STORE DATA IN AN ASCII FILE 100 ASTORE AGAGE@,BGAGE@,’TBARDATA" 110 CLEAR ALL. 120 CLOSE 130 END 20 APPENDIX...6145 2 ATTN: DTIC-FDAC I Metals and Ceramics Information Center, Battelle Columbus Laboratories, 505 King Avenue, Columbus, OH 43201 Commander, Army

Seasonal development of loblolly pine lateral roots in response to stand density and fertilization

Treesearch

M.A. Sword

1998-01-01

In 1989, two levels each of stand density and fertilization treatments were factorially established in a 9-year-old loblolly pine plantation on a P-deficient Gulf Coastal Plain site in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, USA. In 1995, a second thinning was conducted on the previously thinned plots and fertilizer was re-applied to the previously fertilized plots. The morphology...

Winter cover crops on processing tomato yield, quality, pest pressure, nitrogen availability, and profit margins.

PubMed

Belfry, Kimberly D; Trueman, Cheryl; Vyn, Richard J; Loewen, Steven A; Van Eerd, Laura L

2017-01-01

Much of cover crop research to date focuses on key indicators of impact without considering the implications over multiple years, in the absence of a systems-based approach. To evaluate the effect of three years of autumn cover crops on subsequent processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in 2010 and 2011, a field split-split-plot factorial design trial with effects of cover crop type, urea ammonium nitrate fertilizer rate (0 or 140 kg N ha-1 preplant broadcast incorporated) and tomato cultivar (early vs. late) was conducted. The main plot factor, cover crop, included a no cover crop control, oat (Avena sativa L.), winter cereal rye (hereafter referred to as rye) (Secale cereale L.), oilseed radish (OSR) (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiferus Metzg Stokes), and mix of OSR and rye (OSR + rye) treatments. Cover crop biomass of 0.5 to 2.8 and 1.7 to 3.1 Mg ha-1 was attained in early Oct. and the following early May, respectively. In general, OSR increased soil mineral N during cover crop growth and into the succeeding summer tomato growing season, while the remaining cover crops did not differ from the no cover crop control. The lack of a cover crop by N rate interaction in soil and plant N analyses at harvest suggests that growers may not need to modify N fertilizer rates to tomatoes based on cover crop type. Processing tomato fruit quality at harvest (rots, insect or disease damage, Agtron colour, pH, or natural tomato soluble solids (NTSS)) was not affected by cover crop type. In both years, marketable yield in the no cover crop treatment was lower or not statistically different than all planted cover crops. Partial profit margins over both years were 1320 $ ha-1 higher with OSR and $960 higher with oat compared to the no cover crop control. Thus, results from a systems-based approach suggest that the cover crops tested had no observed negative impact on processing tomato production and have the potential to increase marketable yield and profit margins.

Winter cover crops on processing tomato yield, quality, pest pressure, nitrogen availability, and profit margins

PubMed Central

Belfry, Kimberly D.; Trueman, Cheryl; Vyn, Richard J.; Loewen, Steven A.; Van Eerd, Laura L.

2017-01-01

Much of cover crop research to date focuses on key indicators of impact without considering the implications over multiple years, in the absence of a systems-based approach. To evaluate the effect of three years of autumn cover crops on subsequent processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in 2010 and 2011, a field split-split-plot factorial design trial with effects of cover crop type, urea ammonium nitrate fertilizer rate (0 or 140 kg N ha-1 preplant broadcast incorporated) and tomato cultivar (early vs. late) was conducted. The main plot factor, cover crop, included a no cover crop control, oat (Avena sativa L.), winter cereal rye (hereafter referred to as rye) (Secale cereale L.), oilseed radish (OSR) (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiferus Metzg Stokes), and mix of OSR and rye (OSR + rye) treatments. Cover crop biomass of 0.5 to 2.8 and 1.7 to 3.1 Mg ha-1 was attained in early Oct. and the following early May, respectively. In general, OSR increased soil mineral N during cover crop growth and into the succeeding summer tomato growing season, while the remaining cover crops did not differ from the no cover crop control. The lack of a cover crop by N rate interaction in soil and plant N analyses at harvest suggests that growers may not need to modify N fertilizer rates to tomatoes based on cover crop type. Processing tomato fruit quality at harvest (rots, insect or disease damage, Agtron colour, pH, or natural tomato soluble solids (NTSS)) was not affected by cover crop type. In both years, marketable yield in the no cover crop treatment was lower or not statistically different than all planted cover crops. Partial profit margins over both years were 1320 $ ha-1 higher with OSR and $960 higher with oat compared to the no cover crop control. Thus, results from a systems-based approach suggest that the cover crops tested had no observed negative impact on processing tomato production and have the potential to increase marketable yield and profit margins. PMID:28683080

Evaluation of yield and quality of photoperiod sensitive sorghum and sorghum sudangrass

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A 2-year study was conducted at 2 sites (Hancock, Marshfield) in central Wisconsin to assess yield and quality of photoperiod sensitive (PS) and non-PS sorghums in relation to corn planted on 2 dates and harvested once or twice. At each site, treatments were arranged as a split-split plot in a rando...

Influence of pine straw harvesting, prescribed fire, and fertilization on a Louisiana longleaf pine site

Treesearch

James D. Haywood

2009-01-01

This research was initiated in a 34-year-old, direct-seeded stand of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) to study how pine straw management practices (harvesting, fire, and fertilization) affected the longleaf pine overstory and pine straw yields. A randomized complete block split-plot design was installed with two main plot treatments...

Variation in bioactive content in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) grown under conventional and organic production systems.

PubMed

Valverde, Juan; Reilly, Kim; Villacreces, Salvador; Gaffney, Michael; Grant, James; Brunton, Nigel

2015-04-01

Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables contain a number of bioactive compounds, in particular glucosinolates and polyphenols, which are proposed to confer health benefits to the consumer. Demand for organic crops is at least partly based on a perception that organic crops may contain higher levels of bioactive compounds; however, insufficient research has been carried out to either support or refute such claims. In this study we examined the effect of conventional, organic, and mixed cultivation practices on the content of total phenolics, total flavonoids, and total and individual glucosinolates in two varieties of broccoli grown over 2 years in a split-plot factorial systems comparison trial. Levels of total phenolics and total flavonoids showed a significant year-on-year variation but were not significantly different between organic and conventional production systems. In contrast, levels of the indolyl glucosinolates glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin were significantly higher (P < 0.05) under fully organic compared to fully conventional management. Organic cultivation practices resulted in significantly higher levels of glucobrassicin and neoglucobrassicin in broccoli florets; however, other investigated compounds were unaffected by production practices. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of bale feeder type and supplementation of monensin on hay waste, intake, and performance of beef cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effects of feeder type and supplemental monensin on hay utilization in beef cows was investigated using 56 crossbred beef cows (BW= 494 ± 50 kg; BCS= 5.2 ± 0.5) in a split-plot treatment arrangement with a completely randomized design. Supplement treatment served as the main plot and feeder desi...

Modeling and multi-response optimization of pervaporation of organic aqueous solutions using desirability function approach.

PubMed

Cojocaru, C; Khayet, M; Zakrzewska-Trznadel, G; Jaworska, A

2009-08-15

The factorial design of experiments and desirability function approach has been applied for multi-response optimization in pervaporation separation process. Two organic aqueous solutions were considered as model mixtures, water/acetonitrile and water/ethanol mixtures. Two responses have been employed in multi-response optimization of pervaporation, total permeate flux and organic selectivity. The effects of three experimental factors (feed temperature, initial concentration of organic compound in feed solution, and downstream pressure) on the pervaporation responses have been investigated. The experiments were performed according to a 2(3) full factorial experimental design. The factorial models have been obtained from experimental design and validated statistically by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The spatial representations of the response functions were drawn together with the corresponding contour line plots. Factorial models have been used to develop the overall desirability function. In addition, the overlap contour plots were presented to identify the desirability zone and to determine the optimum point. The optimal operating conditions were found to be, in the case of water/acetonitrile mixture, a feed temperature of 55 degrees C, an initial concentration of 6.58% and a downstream pressure of 13.99 kPa, while for water/ethanol mixture a feed temperature of 55 degrees C, an initial concentration of 4.53% and a downstream pressure of 9.57 kPa. Under such optimum conditions it was observed experimentally an improvement of both the total permeate flux and selectivity.

The Efficiency of Split Panel Designs in an Analysis of Variance Model

PubMed Central

Wang, Wei-Guo; Liu, Hai-Jun

2016-01-01

We consider split panel design efficiency in analysis of variance models, that is, the determination of the cross-sections series optimal proportion in all samples, to minimize parametric best linear unbiased estimators of linear combination variances. An orthogonal matrix is constructed to obtain manageable expression of variances. On this basis, we derive a theorem for analyzing split panel design efficiency irrespective of interest and budget parameters. Additionally, relative estimator efficiency based on the split panel to an estimator based on a pure panel or a pure cross-section is present. The analysis shows that the gains from split panel can be quite substantial. We further consider the efficiency of split panel design, given a budget, and transform it to a constrained nonlinear integer programming. Specifically, an efficient algorithm is designed to solve the constrained nonlinear integer programming. Moreover, we combine one at time designs and factorial designs to illustrate the algorithm’s efficiency with an empirical example concerning monthly consumer expenditure on food in 1985, in the Netherlands, and the efficient ranges of the algorithm parameters are given to ensure a good solution. PMID:27163447

Shade, irrigation, and nutrients affect flavanoid concentration and yield in American Skullcap.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

American skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora L.) is valued for its sedative properties that are associated with flavonoids. Information on how growing conditions affect flavonoid content is lacking. A 2x2x3 factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design (r = 4) with a split ...

[Effect of water-nitrogen coupling on photosynthesis and ultrastructure of cucumber leaves under CO2 enrichment].

PubMed

Cui, Qing Qing; Dong, Yan Hong; Li, Man; Zhang, Wen Dong; Liu, Bin Bin; Ai, Xi Zhen; Bi, Huan Gai; Li, Qing Ming

2017-04-18

Using split plot and then-split plot design, effects of water-nitrogen coupling on photosynthesis and ultrastructure of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) (Jinyou No.35) under CO 2 enrichment were investigated. The main plot had two CO 2 concentrations: ambient CO 2 concentration (400 μmol·mol -1 , A) and doubled CO 2 concentration (800±20 μmol·mol -1 , E). The split plot had two treatments: no drought stress (95% of field capacity, W) and drought stress (75% of field capacity, D). The then-split plot contained low nitrogen treatment (450 kg·hm -2 , N 1 ) and high nitrogen treatment (900 kg·hm -2 , N 2 ). The results showed that under the condition of drought and high nitrogen, increasing CO 2 enhanced the cucumber plant height, and no matter what kinds of water treatment, CO 2 enrichment increased the leaf area significantly under high nitrogen. Under the condition of normal irrigation, the photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of high nitrogen treatment were higher than low nitrogen treatment, while it was under the drought condition. Elevated CO 2 enhanced the water use efficiency of cucumber leaf which increased with increasing nitrogen application rate. Under drought stress, cucumber adaxial surface porosity density was increased, and the CO 2 enrichment and high nitrogen significantly reduced the stomatal density. Increasing nitrogen application improved the number of chloroplast, and reduced that of starch grains. Drought stress decreased the number of chloroplast, but tended to promote the number of starch grains. Drought stress increased the chloroplast length and width, and the size of the starch grains, while high nitrogen reduced the length and width of the chloroplast and starch grains. CO 2 enrichment and high nitrogen increased grana thickness and layers (except ADN 2 ), and the slice layer of EDN 2 was significantly higher than that of ADN 2 . In conclusion, CO 2 enrichment and suitable water and nitrogen could promote the development of chloroplast thylakoid membrane system, significantly increase the thickness of grana and the number of grana lamella, and effectively improve the chloroplast structure of cucumber, which would benefit the photosynthesis of cucumber plants and ability to utilize CO 2 and water and nitrogen.

Effects of atmospheric CO[sub 2] and soil NO[sub 3][sup [minus

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

Lindroth, R.L.; Kinney, K.K.

1993-06-01

Physiological and growth responses of trees to elevated atmospheric CO[sub 2] are influenced by soil nutrient availability. Interactive effects of these factors on tree chemical composition, however, are largely unknown. We used a split-plot experimental design to assess the impact of CO[sub 2] (whole plots; 355 and 650 ppm) and soil NO[sub 3][sup [minus

Effects of grain source, grain processing, and protein degradability on rumen kinetics and microbial protein synthesis in Boer kids.

PubMed

Brassard, M-E; Chouinard, P Y; Berthiaume, R; Tremblay, G F; Gervais, R; Martineau, R; Cinq-Mars, D

2015-11-01

Microbial protein synthesis in the rumen would be optimized when dietary carbohydrates and proteins have synchronized rates and extent of degradation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of varying ruminal degradation rate of energy and nitrogen sources on intake, nitrogen balance, microbial protein yield, and kinetics of nutrients in the rumen of growing kids. Eight Boer goats (38.2 ± 3.0 kg) were used. The treatments were arranged in a split-plot Latin square design with grain sources (barley or corn) forming the main plots (squares). Grain processing methods and levels of protein degradability formed the subplots in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement for a total of 8 dietary treatments. The grain processing method was rolling for barley and cracking for corn. Levels of protein degradability were obtained by feeding untreated soybean meal (SBM) or heat-treated soybean meal (HSBM). Each experimental period lasted 21 d, consisting of a 10-d adaptation period, a 7-d digestibility determination period, and a 4-d rumen evacuation and sampling period. Kids fed with corn had higher purine derivatives (PD) excretion when coupled with SBM compared with HSBM and the opposite occurred with barley-fed kids ( ≤ 0.01). Unprocessed grain offered with SBM led to higher PD excretion than with HSBM whereas protein degradability had no effect when processed grain was fed ( ≤ 0.03). Results of the current experiment with high-concentrate diets showed that microbial N synthesis could be maximized in goat kids by combining slowly fermented grains (corn or unprocessed grains) with a highly degradable protein supplement (SBM). With barley, a more rapidly fermented grain, a greater microbial N synthesis was observed when supplementing a low-degradable protein (HSBM).

Effect of splitting a mixed-model line on shortening the line length under open- and closed-boundary working area settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Donghao; Matsuura, Haruki; Asada, Akiko

2017-04-01

Some automobile factories have segmented mixed-model production lines into shorter sub-lines according to part group, such as engine, trim, and powertrain. The effects of splitting a line into sub-lines have been reported from the standpoints of worker motivation, productivity improvement, and autonomy based on risk spreading. There has been no mention of the possibility of shortening the line length by altering the product sequence using sub-lines. The purpose of the present paper is to determine the conditions under which sub-lines reduce the line length and the degree to which the line length may be shortened. The line lengths for a non-split line and a line that has been split into sub-lines are compared using three methods for determining the working area, the standard closed boundary, the optimized open boundary, and real-life constant-length stations. The results are discussed by analyzing the upper and lower bounds of the line length. Based on these results, a procedure for deciding whether or not to split a production line is proposed.

Origin of the enhancement of tunneling probability in the nearly integrable system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanada, Yasutaka; Shudo, Akira; Ikeda, Kensuke S.

2015-04-01

The enhancement of tunneling probability in the nearly integrable system is closely examined, focusing on tunneling splittings plotted as a function of the inverse of the Planck's constant. On the basis of the analysis using the absorber which efficiently suppresses the coupling, creating spikes in the plot, we found that the splitting curve should be viewed as the staircase-shaped skeleton accompanied by spikes. We further introduce renormalized integrable Hamiltonians and explore the origin of such a staircase structure by investigating the nature of eigenfunctions closely. It is found that the origin of the staircase structure could trace back to the anomalous structure in tunneling tail which manifests itself in the representation using renormalized action bases. This also explains the reason why the staircase does not appear in the completely integrable system.

Cycles till failure of silver-zinc cells with completing failures modes: Preliminary data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sidik, S. M.; Leibecki, H. F.; Bozek, J. M.

1980-01-01

One hundred and twenty nine cells were run through charge-discharge cycles until failure. The experiment design was a variant of a central composite factorial in five factors. Preliminary data analysis consisted of response surface estimation of life. Batteries fail under two basic modes; a low voltage condition and an internal shorting condition. A competing failure modes analysis using maximum likelihood estimation for the extreme value life distribution was performed. Extensive diagnostics such as residual plotting and probability plotting were employed to verify data quality and choice of model.

Integrated systems of weed management in organic transplated vidalia sweet onion production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Field experiments were conducted from 2008 through 2010 near Lyons, GA to develop integrated weed management systems for organic Vidalia® sweet onion production. Treatments were a factorial arrangement of summer solarization, cultivation with a tine weeder, and a clove oil herbicide. Plots were so...

An Application of Fractional Factorial Designs to Study Drug Combinations

PubMed Central

Jaynes, Jessica; Ding, Xianting; Xu, Hongquan; Wong, Weng Kee; Ho, Chih-Ming

2013-01-01

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is known to cause diseases of various severities. There is increasing interest to find drug combinations to treat HSV-1 by reducing drug resistance and cytotoxicity. Drug combinations offer potentially higher efficacy and lower individual drug dosage. In this paper, we report a new application of fractional factorial designs to investigate a biological system with HSV-1 and six antiviral drugs, namely, Interferon-alpha, Interferon-beta, Interferon-gamma, Ribavirin, Acyclovir, and TNF-alpha. We show how the sequential use of two- and three-level fractional factorial designs can screen for important drugs and drug interactions, as well as determine potential optimal drug dosages through the use of contour plots. Our initial experiment using a two-level fractional factorial design suggests that there is model inadequacy and drug dosages should be reduced. A follow-up experiment using a blocked three-level fractional factorial design indicates that TNF-alpha has little effect and HSV-1 infection can be suppressed effectively by using a right combination of the other five antiviral drugs. These observations have practical implications in the understanding of antiviral drug mechanism that can result in better design of antiviral drug therapy. PMID:22859316

Paired split-plot designs of multireader multicase studies.

PubMed

Chen, Weijie; Gong, Qi; Gallas, Brandon D

2018-07-01

The widely used multireader multicase ROC study design for comparing imaging modalities is the fully crossed (FC) design: every reader reads every case of both modalities. We investigate paired split-plot (PSP) designs that may allow for reduced cost and increased flexibility compared with the FC design. In the PSP design, case images from two modalities are read by the same readers, thereby the readings are paired across modalities. However, within each modality, not every reader reads every case. Instead, both the readers and the cases are partitioned into a fixed number of groups and each group of readers reads its own group of cases-a split-plot design. Using a [Formula: see text]-statistic based variance analysis for AUC (i.e., area under the ROC curve), we show analytically that precision can be gained by the PSP design as compared with the FC design with the same number of readers and readings. Equivalently, we show that the PSP design can achieve the same statistical power as the FC design with a reduced number of readings. The trade-off for the increased precision in the PSP design is the cost of collecting a larger number of truth-verified patient cases than the FC design. This means that one can trade-off between different sources of cost and choose a least burdensome design. We provide a validation study to show the iMRMC software can be reliably used for analyzing data from both FC and PSP designs. Finally, we demonstrate the advantages of the PSP design with a reader study comparing full-field digital mammography with screen-film mammography.

Mixed-strain housing for female C57BL/6, DBA/2, and BALB/c mice: validating a split-plot design that promotes refinement and reduction.

PubMed

Walker, Michael; Fureix, Carole; Palme, Rupert; Newman, Jonathan A; Ahloy Dallaire, Jamie; Mason, Georgia

2016-01-27

Inefficient experimental designs are common in animal-based biomedical research, wasting resources and potentially leading to unreplicable results. Here we illustrate the intrinsic statistical power of split-plot designs, wherein three or more sub-units (e.g. individual subjects) differing in a variable of interest (e.g. genotype) share an experimental unit (e.g. a cage or litter) to which a treatment is applied (e.g. a drug, diet, or cage manipulation). We also empirically validate one example of such a design, mixing different mouse strains -- C57BL/6, DBA/2, and BALB/c -- within cages varying in degree of enrichment. As well as boosting statistical power, no other manipulations are needed for individual identification if co-housed strains are differentially pigmented, so also sparing mice from stressful marking procedures. The validation involved housing 240 females from weaning to 5 months of age in single- or mixed- strain trios, in cages allocated to enriched or standard treatments. Mice were screened for a range of 26 commonly-measured behavioural, physiological and haematological variables. Living in mixed-strain trios did not compromise mouse welfare (assessed via corticosterone metabolite output, stereotypic behaviour, signs of aggression, and other variables). It also did not alter the direction or magnitude of any strain- or enrichment-typical difference across the 26 measured variables, or increase variance in the data: indeed variance was significantly decreased by mixed- strain housing. Furthermore, using Monte Carlo simulations to quantify the statistical power benefits of this approach over a conventional design demonstrated that for our effect sizes, the split- plot design would require significantly fewer mice (under half in most cases) to achieve a power of 80%. Mixed-strain housing allows several strains to be tested at once, and potentially refines traditional marking practices for research mice. Furthermore, it dramatically illustrates the enhanced statistical power of split-plot designs, allowing many fewer animals to be used. More powerful designs can also increase the chances of replicable findings, and increase the ability of small-scale studies to yield significant results. Using mixed-strain housing for female C57BL/6, DBA/2 and BALB/c mice is therefore an effective, efficient way to promote both refinement and the reduction of animal-use in research.

Effect of Lactobacillus helveticus and Propionibacterium freudenrichii ssp. shermanii combinations on propensity for split defect in Swiss cheese.

PubMed

White, S R; Broadbent, J R; Oberg, C J; McMahon, D J

2003-03-01

One of the least controlled defects in Swiss cheese is development of splits that appear during refrigerated storage after cheese is removed from the warm room. Such fissures, or cracks, in the body of the cheese can be as short as 1 cm, or long enough to span a 90-kg block. A 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment was used to determine the effect of different Lactobacillus helveticus/Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. shermanii starter culture combinations on the occurrence of split defect in Swiss cheese. Eights vats of cheese were made in summer and eight in winter. Each 90-kg block of cheese was cut into twenty-four 4-kg blocks and graded based on the presence of splits. Only small variations were found in the composition of cheeses made during the same season. There were no correlations between moisture, pH, fat, protein, calcium, lactose contents, D/L lactate ratio, or protein degradation that could be used to predict splits after 90 d of storage. However, cheese made in the summer had 2% higher moisture content and a greater prevalence of splits. There was a sixfold increase in amount of downgraded cheese between the best and worst culture combinations used during cheese manufacture. After 90-d storage, 14 to 90% of cheese had splits in the summer, and 1 to 6% in the winter. Split formation increased with time from 60 to 120 d of storage and extent of split formation was influenced by both the lactobacilli and propionibacteria cultures used.

Design optimization of condenser microphone: a design of experiment perspective.

PubMed

Tan, Chee Wee; Miao, Jianmin

2009-06-01

A well-designed condenser microphone backplate is very important in the attainment of good frequency response characteristics--high sensitivity and wide bandwidth with flat response--and low mechanical-thermal noise. To study the design optimization of the backplate, a 2(6) factorial design with a single replicate, which consists of six backplate parameters and four responses, has been undertaken on a comprehensive condenser microphone model developed by Zuckerwar. Through the elimination of insignificant parameters via normal probability plots of the effect estimates, the projection of an unreplicated factorial design into a replicated one can be performed to carry out an analysis of variance on the factorial design. The air gap and slot have significant effects on the sensitivity, mechanical-thermal noise, and bandwidth while the slot/hole location interaction has major influence over the latter two responses. An organized and systematic approach of designing the backplate is summarized.

Effect of fungicides on sorghum anthracnose and grain mold in Burleson County, Texas, 2013

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The experiment was conducted at the Texas AgriLife Experiment Station near College Station. The hybrids BH3822 and BH 5566 were planted in replicated plots and treatment arranged in a randomized, blocked factorial design. Each replicate consisted of four, 20 ft rows, with 30-in. row spacing and a ...

Effects of irrigation on sorghum forage yield and quality in the central sands region of Wisconsin

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A study was conducted to assess effects of irrigation on yield and quality of photoperiod sensitive (PS) and non-PS forage sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass, and sudangrass in comparison to corn in central Wisconsin. The study was a strip-plot design with a 5 x 8 factorial arrangement of treatments. Five ...

The safety of thiamethoxam to pollinating bumble bees (Bombus terrestris L.) when applied to tomato plants through drip irrigation.

PubMed

Alarcón, A L; Cánovas, M; Senn, R; Correia, R

2005-01-01

Thiamethoxam, mainly sold under the trademark of Actara, is a neonicotinoid widely used in covered vegetables for the control of aphids and whiteflies. In these crops, and particularly in covered tomatoes, bumble-bees are used for cross-pollination as an alternative to labour intensive manual techniques. In this study, made on tomatoes grown in separated greenhouse plots in Murcia, Southern Spain, thiamethoxam was applied through drip irrigation at a rate of 200 g ai/ha, and as a split application of the same rate, to evaluate the effects on pollinating bumble bees compared to a foliar application of a toxic standard. The results showed that the toxic foliar standard had a clear effect on the pollination of tomato flowers, declining to zero pollination two weeks after application, whereas both the single and split drip irrigation applications of Actara had no effect on pollination when compared to the control plots. The count of dead adults and larvae did not show any differences between the treatments, whereas the measurement of sugar water consumption was shown to correlate well with pollination. The consumption of sugar water declined in the toxic standard plots by 69% with respect to the control, whilst the decline in lower dose drip irrigation application was only 3%. In regard to hive weight, and number of adults and brood after destructive sampling; there were no statistical differences between the treatments but a negative effect of the foliar treatment was observed. Based on these results we can conclude that a split application of Actara applied in drip irrigation to the soil/substrate has no effect on the bumble-bees used in tomatoes for pollination.

Discrimination of Swiss cheese from 5 different factories by high impact volatile organic compound profiles determined by odor activity value using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry and odor threshold.

PubMed

Taylor, Kaitlyn; Wick, Cheryl; Castada, Hardy; Kent, Kyle; Harper, W James

2013-10-01

Swiss cheese contains more than 200 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry has been utilized for the analysis of volatile compounds in food products; however, it is not sensitive enough to measure VOCs directly in the headspace of a food at low concentrations. Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) provides a basis for determining the concentrations of VOCs in the head space of the sample in real time at low concentration levels of parts per billion/trillion by volume. Of the Swiss cheese VOCs, relatively few have a major impact on flavor quality. VOCs with odor activity values (OAVs) (concentration/odor threshold) greater than one are considered high-impact flavor compounds. The objective of this study was to utilize SIFT-MS concentrations in conjunction with odor threshold values to determine OAVs thereby identifying high-impact VOCs to use for differentiating Swiss cheese from five factories and identify the factory variability. Seventeen high-impact VOCs were identified for Swiss cheese based on an OAV greater than one in at least 1 of the 5 Swiss cheese factories. Of these, 2,3-butanedione was the only compound with significantly different OAVs in all factories; however, cheese from any pair of factories had multiple statistically different compounds based on OAV. Principal component analysis using soft independent modeling of class analogy statistical differentiation plots, with all of the OAVs, showed differentiation between the 5 factories. Overall, Swiss cheese from different factories was determined to have different OAV profiles utilizing SIFT-MS to determine OAVs of high impact compounds. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

Temporal Evolution of Non-equilibrium Gamma’ Precipitates in a Rapidly Quenched Nickel Base Superalloy (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

with the binomial distribution for a particular dataset. This technique is more commonly known as the Langer, Bar-on and Miller ( LBM ) method [22,23...distribution unlimited. Using the LBM method, the frequency distribution plot for a dataset corresponding to a phase separated system, exhibiting a split peak...estimated parameters (namely μ1, μ2, σ, fγ’ and fγ) obtained from the LBM plots in Fig. 5 are summarized in Table 3. The EWQ sample does not exhibit any

Artificial intelligence analysis of hyperspectral remote sensing data for management of water, weed, and nitrogen stresses in corn fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waheed, Tahir

This study investigated the possibility of using ground-based remotely sensed hyperspectral observations with a special emphasis on detection of water, weed and nitrogen stresses contributing towards in-season decision support for precision crop management (PCM). A three factor split-split-plot experiment, with four randomized blocks as replicates, was established during the growing seasons of 2003 and 2004. Corn (Zea mays L.) hybrid DKC42-22 was grown because this hybrid is a good performer on light soils in Quebec. There were twelve 12 x 12m plots in a block (one replication per treatment per block) and the total number of plots was 48. Water stress was the main factor in the experiment. A drip irrigation system was laid out and each block was split into irrigated and non-irrigated halves. The second main factor of the experiment was weeds with two levels i.e. full weed control and no weed control. Weed treatments were assigned randomly by further splitting the irrigated and non-irrigated sub-blocks into two halves. Each of the weed treatments was furthermore split into three equal sub-sub-plots for nitrogen treatments (third factor of the experiment). Nitrogen was applied at three levels i.e. 50, 150 and 250 kg N ha-1 (Quebec norm is between 120-160 kg N ha-1). The hyperspectral data were recorded (spectral resolution = 1 nm) mid-day (between 1000 and 1400 hours) with a FieldSpec FR spectroradiometer over a spectral range of 400-2500 run at three growth stages namely: early growth, tasseling and full maturity, in each of the growing season. There are two major original contributions in this thesis: First is the development of a hyperspectral data analysis procedure for separating visible (400-700 nm), near-infrared (700-1300 nm) and mid-infrared (1300-2500 nm) regions of the spectrum for use in discriminant analysis procedure. In addition, of all the spectral band-widths analyzed, seven waveband-aggregates were identified using STEPDISC procedure, which were the most effective for classifying combined water, weed, and nitrogen stress. The second contribution is the successful classification of hyperspectral observations acquired over an agricultural field, using three innovative artificial intelligence approaches; support vector machines (SVM), genetic algorithms (GA) and decision tree (DT) algorithms. These AI approaches were used to evaluate a combined effect of water, weed and nitrogen stresses in corn and of all the three AI approaches used, SVM produced the best results (overall accuracy ranging from 88% to 100%). The general conclusion is that the conventional statistical and artificial intelligence techniques used in this study are all useful for quickly mapping combined affects of irrigation, weed and nitrogen stresses (with overall accuracies ranging from 76% to 100%). These approaches have strong potential and are of great benefit to those investigating the in-season impact of irrigation, weed and nitrogen management for corn crop production and other environment related challenges.

Justification for the Carzo-Yanouzas Experiment on Flat and Tall Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carzo, Rocco, Jr.; Yanouzas, John N.

1970-01-01

Replies to Hummon's criticism (EA 500 730) of experiment, justifying use of split-plot repeated measures design, and tests for homogeneity support the use of this design. Variables considered to be not under control are explained as attributes of structure or as variables having inconsequential effects. (Author/KJ)

Improving sustainable seed yield in Wyoming big sagebrush

Treesearch

Jeremiah C. Armstrong

2007-01-01

As part of the Great Basin Restoration Initiative, the effects of browsing, competition removal, pruning, fertilization and seed collection methods on increasing seed production in Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. spp wyomingensis Beetle & Young) were studied. Study sites were located in Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. A split-plot...

Effect of tillage and fumigation on Pasteuria penetrans

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The endospore-forming bacterium Pasteuria penetrans (Pp) is a parasite of Meloidogyne spp. In this study, the effect of tillage and the fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) on numbers of Pp and suppression of M. incognita (Mi) was evaluated from 2011-2013. A split-plot experiment was established i...

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

Adey, D.; Appleby, R. B.; Bayes, R.

Neutrino beams produced from the decay of muons in a racetrack-like decay ring (the so called Neutrino Factory) provide a powerful way to study neutrino oscillation physics and, in addition, provide unique beams for neutrino interaction studies. The Neutrinos from STORed Muons (nuSTORM) facility uses a neutrino factory-like design. Due to the particular nature of nuSTORM, it can also provide an intense, very pure, muon neutrino beam from pion decay. This so-called 'Neo-conventional' muon-neutrino beam from nuSTORM makes nuSTORM a hybrid neutrino factory. Here in this paper we describe the facility and give a detailed description of the neutrino beamsmore » that are available and the precision to which they can be characterized. We then show its potential for a neutrino interaction physics program and present sensitivity plots that indicate how well the facility can perform for short-baseline oscillation searches. Lastly, we comment on the performance potential of a 'Neo-conventional' muon neutrino beam optimized for long-baseline neutrino-oscillation physics.« less

Effects of experimental water table and temperature manipulations on ecosystem CO2 fluxes in an Alaskan rich fen

Treesearch

M.R. Chivers; M.R. Turetsky; J.M. Waddington; J.W. Harden; A.D. McGuire

2009-01-01

Peatlands store 30% of the world's terrestrial soil carbon (C) and those located at northern latitudes are expected to experience rapid climate warming. We monitored growing season carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes across a factorial design of in situ water table (control, drought, and flooded plots) and soil warming (control vs. warming via open...

Long-term effects of thinning and fertilization on growth of red fir in northeastern California

Treesearch

Jianwei Zhang; William W. Oliver; Robert F. Powers

2005-01-01

To determine the impact of fertilization and thinning on red fir (Abies magnifica) stand growth and development, we established an experiment in a 60-year-old stand using a 2x3 factorial design with nitrogen fertilized and non-fertilized treatments and three stocking levels. Plots were established in 1976 and were measured every 5 years for 26...

Estimating tree species diversity in the savannah using NDVI and woody canopy cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madonsela, Sabelo; Cho, Moses Azong; Ramoelo, Abel; Mutanga, Onisimo; Naidoo, Laven

2018-04-01

Remote sensing applications in biodiversity research often rely on the establishment of relationships between spectral information from the image and tree species diversity measured in the field. Most studies have used normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to estimate tree species diversity on the basis that it is sensitive to primary productivity which defines spatial variation in plant diversity. The NDVI signal is influenced by photosynthetically active vegetation which, in the savannah, includes woody canopy foliage and grasses. The question is whether the relationship between NDVI and tree species diversity in the savanna depends on the woody cover percentage. This study explored the relationship between woody canopy cover (WCC) and tree species diversity in the savannah woodland of southern Africa and also investigated whether there is a significant interaction between seasonal NDVI and WCC in the factorial model when estimating tree species diversity. To fulfil our aim, we followed stratified random sampling approach and surveyed tree species in 68 plots of 90 m × 90 m across the study area. Within each plot, all trees with diameter at breast height of >10 cm were sampled and Shannon index - a common measure of species diversity which considers both species richness and abundance - was used to quantify tree species diversity. We then extracted WCC in each plot from existing fractional woody cover product produced from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. Factorial regression model was used to determine the interaction effect between NDVI and WCC when estimating tree species diversity. Results from regression analysis showed that (i) WCC has a highly significant relationship with tree species diversity (r2 = 0.21; p < 0.01), (ii) the interaction between the NDVI and WCC is not significant, however, the factorial model significantly reduced the error of prediction (RMSE = 0.47, p < 0.05) compared to NDVI (RMSE = 0.49) or WCC (RMSE = 0.49) model during the senescence period. The result justifies our assertion that combining NDVI with WCC will be optimal for biodiversity estimation during the senescence period.

Modified Brown-Forsythe Procedure for Testing Interaction Effects in Split-Plot Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallejo, Guillermo; Ato, Manuel

2006-01-01

The standard univariate and multivariate methods are conventionally used to analyze continuous data from groups by trials repeated measures designs, in spite of being extremely sensitive to departures from the multisample sphericity assumption when group sizes are unequal. However, in the last 10 years several authors have offered alternative…

Alternative fumigants and grafting for tomato and double-cropped muskmelon production in Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A field trial was conducted at the USDA, ARS Farm in Fort Pierce, FL in a field infested with root-knot nematodes (RKN) (Meloidogyne incognita), soil-borne pathogens, and weeds. A split plot experiment with four replications was used to evaluate rootstock/scion combinations in fumigated and herbicid...

Sunn Hemp Biomass and Nitrogen Production for Different Planting Dates and Seeding Rates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Elevated nitrogen (N) fertilizer costs have renewed interest in alternative N sources, such as legumes. Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.) is a tropical legume capable of producing considerable biomass in a short period of time. A randomized complete block design with a split-plot restriction and fou...

Effects of disking, bedding, and subsoiling on survival and growth of three oak species in central Mississippi

Treesearch

J. Paul Jeffreys; Emily B. Schultz; Thomas G. Matney; W. Cade Booth; Jason M. Morris

2010-01-01

A replicated split-plot design experiment to evaluate the effects of three site preparation methods (disking, bedding, and subsoiling plus bedding) on survival and growth of three oak species (cherrybark, Quercus pagoda Raf.; Shumard, Quercus shumardii Buckl.; and Nuttall, Quercus texana Buckl.) was established...

Effects of Shade on Blue Oak and Coast Live Oak Regeneration in California Annual Grasslands

Treesearch

Pamela C. Muick

1991-01-01

Canopy effects and annual vegetation have been shown to strongly influence oak seedling survival. From the many elements composing canopy, shade was selected for experimental manipulation. A split-plot, multifactorial experiment was designed to test whether blue oak (Quercus douglasii) and coast live oak (Q. agrifolia) could...

Cottonwood leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) defoliation impact on Populus growth and above-ground volume in a short-rotation woody crop plantation

Treesearch

David R. Coyle; Joel D. McMillin; Richard B. Hall; Elwood R. Hart

2002-01-01

AbstractThe impact of cottonwood leaf beetle Chrysomela scripta F. defoliation on four plantation-grown Populus clones was examined over three growing seasons. We used a split-plot design with two treatments: protected (by insecticides) and an unprotected control. Tree height and...

Substituent effects on photosensitized splitting of thymine cyclobutane dimer by an attached indole.

PubMed

Tang, Wenjian; Zhou, Hongmei; Wang, Jing; Pan, Chunxiao; Shi, Jingbo; Song, Qinhua

2012-12-21

In chromophore-containing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) model systems, solvent effects on the splitting efficiency may depend on the length of the linker, the molecular conformation, and the oxidation potential of the donor. To further explore the relationship between chromophore structure and splitting efficiency, we prepared a series of substituted indole-T< >T model compounds 2 a-2 g and measured their splitting quantum yields in various solvents. Two reverse solvent effects were observed: an increase in splitting efficiency in solvents of lower polarity for models 2 a-2 d with an electron-donating group (EDG), and vice versa for models 2 e-2 g with an electron-withdrawing group (EWG). According to the Hammett equation, the negative value of the slope of the Hammett plot indicates that the indole moiety during the T< >T-splitting reaction loses negative charge, and the larger negative value implies that the repair reaction is more sensitive to substituent effects in low-polarity solvents. The EDGs of the models 2 a-2 d can delocalize the charge-separated state, and low-polarity solvents make it more stable, which leads to higher splitting efficiency in low-polarity solvents. Conversely, the EWGs of models 2 e-2 g favor destabilization of the charge-separated state, and high-polarity solvents decrease the destabilization and hence lead to more efficient splitting in high-polarity solvents. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The relationship between phenolics and flavonoids production with total non structural carbohydrate and photosynthetic rate in Labisia pumila Benth. under high CO2 and nitrogen fertilization.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Mohd Hafiz; Jaafar, Hawa Z E; Rahmat, Asmah; Rahman, Zaharah Abdul

2010-12-29

A factorial split plot 4 × 3 experiment was designed to examine and characterize the relationship among production of secondary metabolites (total phenolics, TP; total flavonoids, TF), carbohydrate content and photosynthesis of three varieties of the Malaysian medicinal herb Labisia pumila Benth. namely the varieties alata, pumila and lanceolata under CO(2) enrichment (1,200 µmol mol(-1)) combined with four levels of nitrogen fertilization (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg N ha(-1)). No varietal differences were observed, however, as the levels of nitrogen increased from 0 to 270 kg N ha(-1), the production of TP and TF decreased in the order leaves>roots>stems. The production of TP and TF was related to increased total non structural carbohydrate (TNC), where the increase in starch content was larger than that in sugar concentration. Nevertheless, the regression analysis exhibited a higher influence of soluble sugar concentration (r(2) = 0.88) than starch on TP and TF biosynthesis. Photosynthesis, on the other hand, displayed a significant negative relationship with TP and TF production (r(2) = -0.87). A decrease in photosynthetic rate with increasing secondary metabolites might be due to an increase in the shikimic acid pathway that results in enhanced production of TP and TF. Chlorophyll content exhibited very significant negative relationships with total soluble sugar, starch and total non structural carbohydrate.

Novel Solid Lipid Nanocarrier Of Glibenclamide: A Factorial Design Approach With Response Surface Methodology.

PubMed

Pandey, Sonia; Patel, Payal; Gupta, Arti

2018-05-21

In the present investigation a factorial design approach attempt was applied to develop the solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) of Glibenclamide (GLB) a poorly water-soluble drug (BCS -II) used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Prime objectives of this experiment are to optimize the SLN formulation of Glibenclamide and improve the therapeutic effectiveness of the developed formulation. Glibenclamide loaded SLNs (GLB-SLN) were fabricated by High speed homogenization technique. A 32-factorial design approach has been employed to assess the influence of two independent variables, namely amount of Poloxamer 188 and Glyceryl Monostearate on entrapment efficiency (% EE) (Y1), Particle Size (nm) (Y2), % drug release at 8hr Q8 (Y3) and 24 hr Q24 (Y4) of prepared SLNs. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis revealed the compatibility of the drug into lipid matrix with surfactant, while Transmission electron and Scanning electron microscopy studies indicated the size and shape of SLN. The entrapment efficiency, particle size, Q8 and Q24 of the optimized SLNs were 88.93%, 125 nm, 31.12±0.951% and 86.07±1.291% respectively. Optimized GLB-SLN formula was derived from an overlay plot. Three dimensional response surface plots and regression equations confirmed the corresponding influence of selected independent variables on measured responses. In vivo testing of the GLB-SLN in diabetic albino rats demonstrated significant antidiabetic effect of GLB-SLN. The hypoglycemic effect obtained by GLB-SLN remained significantly higher than that given by drug alone and marketed formulation, further confirming the higher therapeutic effectiveness of the GLB-SLN formulation. Our findings suggested the feasibility of investigated system for oral administration of Glibenclamide. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

CLIMAITE - a three factor climate change ecosystem manipulation experiment.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikkelsen, T. N.; Beier, C.; Albert, K.; Ro-Poulsen, H.

2007-12-01

The Danish multi factorial climate change effects on vegetation experiment (Climaite) have now been conducted for two years on semi-natural grassland. The day time [CO2], night time temperature and precipitation (drought) have been altered, according to a regional climate change model for the year 2075, in a full factorial split plot design. The manipulated area for each treatment is 7 m2 and it is replicated 6 times. The CO2 and temperature treatments have been conducted continuously except for periods with snow cover. The CO2 is enhanced to 510 ppm via a FACE system based on concentrated CO2 released upwind under pressure. The control of the [CO2] varies with wind speed and irradiation, but during 50 percent of the fumigation period the target concentration was kept within +/-5 percent. The temperature treatment is conducted via infrared reflective curtains covering the plots during night time, and the warming of plants and soil depends of the day irradiation, night time wind speed and factors related to seasonality. In general, the air temperature is increased during night time with 1-2 C° and negligible during the day. The soil temperature in 5 cm depth is enhanced to 0.3 - 0.6 C° during night and day. The artificial summer droughts lasted about one month and differences in soil water content were developed over time. By the end of the treatment the èv content in the soil was as low as 0.06 m3 m-3 compared to 0.20 m3 m-3 in the control. Numerous physical and biological parameters in the grassland ecosystem have been measured and several are responding to the changed environment. After 9 months of exposure enhanced [CO2] stimulated the net photosynthesis (based on dry weight) in both of the domination plant species Calluna Vulgaris and Deschampsia flexuosa. When the plants were exposed to short term saturated [CO2] during gasexchange measurements the long term CO2 treated plants also had the highest photosynthesis rate, meaning that the plants were not physiological down regulated. Calluna Vulgaris exposed to both enhanced [CO2] and temperature in combination with drought showed a lowered photosynthesis during short term saturated [CO2] gasexchange measurements. After one and a half year of manipulation the xylem water potential in the plants were measured during drought treatment. Drought treatment generally decreased the xylem water potential, and the enhanced [CO2] diminished the drought effect for both of the species except for Calluna exposed to all treatments in combination, here the xylem water potential dropped to the lowest level measured.

Protocol for statistical analysis of vegetation changes at Catoctin Mountain Park

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatfield, Jeff S.; Krafft, Cairn

2010-01-01

Vegetation data collected at Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland, in a split-panel rotation design during 2004-2009 were analyzed for differences among three regions within the park and among years. Six plots were paired with plots fenced to exclude white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and differences between open and exclosed plots were also investigated. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences in the following variables: percentage of twigs browsed, percentage of canopy cover, and number of tree and shrub seedlings in each of five height classes. Except for some differences in numbers of tree and shrub seedlings among height classes among the regions, no differences (P > 0.05) were found among the regions or over time in the variables measured. Recommendations for future sampling and analysis are discussed.

WEED SURVEYING OF PHACELIA (PHACELIA TANACETIFOLIA L.) AND EVALUATING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE WEED CONTROL.

PubMed

Horváth, E; Szabó, R

2014-01-01

The experiment was set up in an area of 9 ha that was split into 4 plots: in plot 1 the row spacing was 12 cm and the seeding rate was 10 kg; in plot 2 the row spacing was 24 cm and the seeding rate was 10 kg; in plot 3 the row spacing was 24 cm and the seeding rate was 8 kg; in plot 4 the row spacing was 12 cm and the seeding rate was 8 kg. After the weed surveying, the total weed coverage was established as follows: in plot 1 the total weed coverage was 11.34%, in plot 2 it was 12.3%, in plot 3 it was 18%, and in plot 4 the total weed coverage was 15%. Based on the weed survey, on the test area the following dicotyledon weeds belonging to the T4 Raunkiaer plant life-form category occupied the highest percentage: heal-all, black-bindweed, goosefoot. The proportion of the perennial dicotyledons: field bindweed (G3), tuberous pea (G1), white campion (H3) was negligible. In all four cases the weed control was executed using the same herbicide in the same doses and with regard to the weed species it showed the same level of efficiency. The smaller row spacing and higher seeding rate has a beneficial effect on the weed suppressing capacity of the crop, the crop's weed suppressing capacity is better and the development of the weeds becomes worse.

Angularly symmetric splitting of a light beam upon reflection and refraction at an air-dielectric plane boundary: comment.

PubMed

Andersen, Torben B

2016-05-01

In a recent paper, conditions for achieving equal and opposite angular deflections of a light beam by reflection and refraction at an interface between air and a dielectric were determined [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A32, 2436 (2015)JOAOD60740-323210.1364/JOSAA.32.002436]. The paper gives plots of angles of incidence and refraction as a function of the prism refractive index as well as plots of reflectances and incident linear-polarization azimuth angles as functions of the refractive index. We show here that it is possible to express these quantities as simple algebraic functions of the refractive index.

Aging and Changes in the Preferred Age of Retirement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barb, K. H.; And Others

This study investigates when people prefer to retire, and how their preferences change as they grow older. Subjects were 547 workers and 371 retirees. Information was collected during interviews in 1964 and in 1974. Data were analyzed in a split-plot analysis of variance model. Results indicate the following: (1) an overall shift to later…

Impact of Group Sandtray Therapy on the Self-Esteem of Young Adolescent Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Yu-Pei; Armstrong, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

The effectiveness of group sandtray therapy was examined using a pretest-posttest control group design with young adolescent girls (n = 37) identified as having low self-esteem. A split-plot analysis of variance (SPANOVA) revealed statistically significant differences between participants in the treatment and control groups in self-esteem on five…

Cucumber plants (cucumis sativus l.) growth and crop yield of chicken manure fertilized with plant spacing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratiwi Aritonang, Sri; Panjaitan, Ernitha; Parsaulian Tondang, Fetrus

2018-03-01

The research was conducted in Tanjung Sari, Kecamatan Medan Selayang Kotamadya Medan ± 32 meters above sea level. It started since July 2016 to September 2016. It was designed with randomization block design with two factorial experiments which are chicken manure and plant spacing. First factor was 4 doses of chicken manure, symbolized by K; K0 = 1.5 kg/plot, K1 = 2 kg/plot, K2 = 2.5 kg/plot and K3 = 3 kg/plot. Second was 4 different plant spacing, symbolized by J; J0 = 30 cm x 60 cm, J1 =: 35 cm x 60 cm, J2 = 40 cm x 60 cm and J3 = 45 cm x 60 cm. The result shows that giving 3kg/plot of chicken manure increases plant height to 162.15 cm with 22.44 number of leaves. Fresh fruits per sample was weight 1121.88 g and per plot is 4.52 kg with 9.17 and 36.67 units of fruits per sample and plot respectively. With 45 cm x 60 cm (J3) for plant spacing gives a plant with the height of 160.51 cm and 22.85 number of leaves. Fresh fruits obtained is 1216.67 g and 9.33 units per sample while per plot gives 4.90 kg and 7.33 units of fresh fruits. This plant spacing leads to a better output for the yield compared to narrower spacing. There are no interaction between chicken manure dosage and plant spacing towards plant height, number of leaves, fresh fruits weight and units per sample and plot.

Parameters of microbial respiration in soils of the impact zone of a mineral fertilizer factory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhukova, A. D.; Khomyakov, D. M.

2015-08-01

The carbon content in the microbial biomass and the microbial production of CO2 (the biological component of soil respiration) were determined in the upper layer (0-10 cm) of soils in the impact zone of the OJSC Voskresensk Mineral Fertilizers, one of the largest factories manufacturing mineral fertilizers in Russia. Statistical characteristics and schematic distribution of the biological parameters in the soil cover of the impact zone were analyzed. The degree of disturbance of microbial communities in the studied objects varied from weak to medium. The maximum value (0.44) was observed on the sampling plot 4 km away from the factory and 0.5 km away from the place of waste (phosphogypsum) storage. Significantly lower carbon content in the microbial biomass and its specific respiration were recorded in the agrosoddy-podzolic soil as compared with the alluvial soil sampled at the same distance from the plant. The effects of potential soil pollutants (fluorine, sulfur, cadmium, and stable strontium) on the characteristics of soil microbial communities were described with reliable regression equations.

Status of the nuSTORM Facility and a Possible Extension for Long-Baseline $$\

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

Bross, Alan D.; Liu, Ao; Lagrange, Jean-Baptiste

2015-11-03

Neutrino beams produced from the decay of muons in a racetrack-like decay ring (the so called Neutrino Factory) provide a powerful way to study neutrino oscillation physics and, in addition, provide unique beams for neutrino interaction studies. The Neutrinos from STORed Muons (nuSTORM) facility uses a neutrino factory-like design. Due to the particular nature of nuSTORM, it can also provide an intense, very pure, muon neutrino beam from pion decay. This so-called “Neo-conventional" muon neutrino beam from nuSTORM makes nuSTORM a hybrid neutrino factory. In this paper we describe the facility and give a detailed description of the neutrino beammore » fluxes that are available and the precision to which these fluxes can be determined. We then present sensitivity plots that indicated how well the facility can perform for short-baseline oscillation searches and show its potential for a neutrino interaction physics program. Finally, we comment on the performance potential of the "Neo-conventional" muon neutrino beam optimized for long- baseline neutrino-oscillation physics.« less

Overview of the Neutrinos from Stored Muons Facility - nuSTORM

DOE PAGES

Adey, D.; Appleby, R. B.; Bayes, R.; ...

2017-07-19

Neutrino beams produced from the decay of muons in a racetrack-like decay ring (the so called Neutrino Factory) provide a powerful way to study neutrino oscillation physics and, in addition, provide unique beams for neutrino interaction studies. The Neutrinos from STORed Muons (nuSTORM) facility uses a neutrino factory-like design. Due to the particular nature of nuSTORM, it can also provide an intense, very pure, muon neutrino beam from pion decay. This so-called 'Neo-conventional' muon-neutrino beam from nuSTORM makes nuSTORM a hybrid neutrino factory. Here in this paper we describe the facility and give a detailed description of the neutrino beamsmore » that are available and the precision to which they can be characterized. We then show its potential for a neutrino interaction physics program and present sensitivity plots that indicate how well the facility can perform for short-baseline oscillation searches. Lastly, we comment on the performance potential of a 'Neo-conventional' muon neutrino beam optimized for long-baseline neutrino-oscillation physics.« less

Nitrogen fertilizer factory effects on the amino acid and nitrogen content in the needles of Scots pine.

PubMed

Kupsinskiene, E

2001-12-04

The aim of the research was to evaluate the content of amino acids in the needles of Pinus sylvestris growing in the area affected by a nitrogen fertilizer factory and to compare them with other parameters of needles, trees, and sites. Three young-age stands of Scots pine were selected at a distance of 0.5 km, 5 km, and 17 km from the factory. Examination of the current-year needles in winter of the year 2000 revealed significant (p < 0.05) differences between the site at a 0.5-km distance from the factory and the site at a 17-km distance from the factory--with the site closest to the factory showing the highest concentrations of protein (119%), total arginine (166%), total other amino acids (depending on amino acid, the effect ranged between 119 and 149%), free arginine (771%), other free amino acids (glutamic acid, threonine, serine, lysine--depending on amino acid, the effect ranged between 162 and 234%), also the longest needles, widest diameter, largest surface area, and heaviest dry weight (respectively, 133, 110, 136, and 169%). The gradient of nitrogen concentration in the needles was assessed on the selected plots over the period of 1995-2000, with the highest concentration (depending on year, 119 to 153%) documented in the site located 0.5 km from the factory. Significant correlations were determined between the total amino acid contents (r = 0.448 -0.939, p < 0.05), some free amino acid (arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, lysine, threonine, and serine) contents (r = 0.418 - 0.975, p < 0.05), and air pollutant concentration at the sites, the distance between the sites and the factory, and characteristics of the needles. No correlation was found between free or total arginine content and defoliation or retention of the needles. In conclusion, it was revealed that elevated mean monthly concentration of ammonia (26 microg m(-3)) near the nitrogen fertilizer factory caused changes in nitrogen metabolism, especially increasing (nearly eight times) concentration of free arginine in the needles of Scots pine.

Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Emissions in Wheat and Canola Crops under Fertigation Management in the Canadian Prairies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, L.; Hernandez Ramirez, G.; Dyck, M. F.; Pauly, D.; Kryzanowski, L.; Middleton, A.; Powers, L. A.; Lohstraeter, G.; Werk, D.

2016-12-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural soils contribute significantly to the amount of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere every year. Farming practices, such as fertigation in which nitrogen fertilizer is added to crops through irrigation water, could increase the risk for N2O losses. To assess the effect of N fertigation rates on N2O production, field chambers were used to collect weekly gas samples throughout the 2015 growing season in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and canola (Brassica Napus) plots in southern Alberta, Canada. Synthetic fertilizer was either added at seeding or both added at seeding and through irrigation water at one early crop growth stage. The 6 fertilizer treatments were: 60, 90 and 120 kg N ha-1 added at seeding in early May, and 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha-1 at seeding plus another 30 kg N ha-1 added through fertigation in mid-June. Controls with no fertilizer were also evaluated, and each treatment was replicated 4 times. In the wheat plots at a fertilization rate of 120 kg N ha-1, irrespective of single or split application, a larger N2O flux was produced compared to the control (P = 0.024). Similarly, in canola, a total N addition of 90 kg N ha-1 also led to larger N2O fluxes than the control (P = 0.035). The use of fertigation to split the N application had no effect on the N2O emissions in canola; however, in wheat, there was a statistical difference between emissions from 90 kg N ha-1 added all at seeding versus 90 kg N ha-1 split between seeding (60) and fertigation (30); splitting the fertilizer resulted in a 62% decrease in the overall N2O emissions (324 g vs. 524 g N2O-N ha-1; P = 0.039). No other N rates resulted in statistically different N2O emissions when N application was split. These results suggest that fertigation can reduce N2O emissions, but only at moderate N rates (90 kg ha-1 yr-1); conversely, when lower (60) or higher (120) rates are split, emissions remain unaffected.

Profile: a computer program for displaying the geometric relationships of the responses in a factorial design

Treesearch

Stanford L. Arner

1974-01-01

One procedure in analyzing the responses to factors in an experiment is to construct profiles of the means. Profiles are plots of the sample means of each level of one factor at each level of one or more of the other factors in the experiment. The construction of these profiles and tests of hypotheses about the mean responses is called profile analysis. This paper...

Novel Starch-PVA Polymer for Microparticle Preparation and Optimization Using Factorial Design Study

PubMed Central

Chattopadhyay, Helen; De, Amit Kumar; Datta, Sriparna

2015-01-01

The aim of our present work was to optimize the ratio of a very novel polymer, starch-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), for controlled delivery of Ornidazole. Polymer-coated drug microparticles were prepared by emulsion method. Microscopic study, scanning electron microscopic study, and atomic force microscopic study revealed that the microparticles were within 10 micrometers of size with smooth spherical shape. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed absence of drug polymer interaction. A statistical 32 full factorial design was used to study the effect of different concentration of starch and PVA on the drug release profile. The three-dimensional plots gave us an idea about the contribution of each factor on the release kinetics. Hence this novel polymer of starch and polyvinyl alcohol can be utilized for control release of the drug from a targeted delivery device. PMID:27347511

Optimization of palm fruit sterilization by microwave irradiation using response surface methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarah, M.; Madinah, I.; Salamah, S.

2018-02-01

This study reported optimization of palm fruit sterilization process by microwave irradiation. The results of fractional factorial experiments showed no significant external factors affecting temperature of microwave sterilization (MS). Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed and model equation of MS of palm fruit was built. Response surface plots and their corresponding contour plots were analyzed as well as solving model equation. The optimum process parameters for lipase reduction were obtained from MS of 1 kg palm fruit at microwave power of 486 Watt and heating time of 14 minutes. The experimental results showed reduction of lipase activity in the present work under MS treatment. The adequacy of the model equation for predicting the optimum response value was verified by validation data (P>0.15).

Kudzu (Pueraria montana) community responses to herbicides, burning, and high-density loblolly pine

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

T.B. Harrington; L.T. Rader-Dixon; J.W. Taylor, Jr.

Kudzu is an aggressive, nonnative vine that currently dominates an estimated 810,000 ha of mesic forest communities in the eastern United States. To test an integrated method of weed control, abundances of kudzu and other plant species were compared during 4 yr after six herbicide treatments (clopyralid, triclopyr, metsulfuron, picloram 1 2,4-D, tebuthiuron, and a nonsprayed check), in which loblolly pines were planted at three densities (0, 1, and 4 seedlings m22) to induce competition and potentially delay kudzu recovery. This split-plot design was replicated on each of the four kudzu-dominated sites near Aiken, SC. Relative light intensity (RLI) andmore » soil water content (SWC) were measured periodically to identify mechanisms of interference among plant species. Two years after treatment (1999), crown coverage of kudzu averaged , 2% in herbicide plots compared with 93% in the nonsprayed check, and these differences were maintained through 2001, except in clopyralid plots where kudzu cover increased to 15%. In 2001, pine interference was associated with 33, 56, and 67% reductions in biomass of kudzu, blackberry, and herbaceous vegetation, respectively. RLI in kudzu-dominated plots (4 to 15% of full sun) generally was less than half that of herbicide-treated plots. SWC was greatest in tebuthiuron plots, where total vegetation cover averaged 26% compared with 77 to 111% in other plots. None of the treatments eradicated kudzu, but combinations of herbicides and induced pine competition delayed its recovery.« less

Artificial Warming of Arctic Meadow under Pollution Stress: Experimental design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moni, Christophe; Silvennoinen, Hanna; Fjelldal, Erling; Brenden, Marius; Kimball, Bruce; Rasse, Daniel

2014-05-01

Boreal and arctic terrestrial ecosystems are central to the climate change debate, notably because future warming is expected to be disproportionate as compared to world averages. Likewise, greenhouse gas (GHG) release from terrestrial ecosystems exposed to climate warming is expected to be the largest in the arctic. Artic agriculture, in the form of cultivated grasslands, is a unique and economically relevant feature of Northern Norway (e.g. Finnmark Province). In Eastern Finnmark, these agro-ecosystems are under the additional stressor of heavy metal and sulfur pollution generated by metal smelters of NW Russia. Warming and its interaction with heavy metal dynamics will influence meadow productivity, species composition and GHG emissions, as mediated by responses of soil microbial communities. Adaptation and mitigation measurements will be needed. Biochar application, which immobilizes heavy metal, is a promising adaptation method to promote positive growth response in arctic meadows exposed to a warming climate. In the MeadoWarm project we conduct an ecosystem warming experiment combined to biochar adaptation treatments in the heavy-metal polluted meadows of Eastern Finnmark. In summary, the general objective of this study is twofold: 1) to determine the response of arctic agricultural ecosystems under environmental stress to increased temperatures, both in terms of plant growth, soil organisms and GHG emissions, and 2) to determine if biochar application can serve as a positive adaptation (plant growth) and mitigation (GHG emission) strategy for these ecosystems under warming conditions. Here, we present the experimental site and the designed open-field warming facility. The selected site is an arctic meadow located at the Svanhovd Research station less than 10km west from the Russian mining city of Nikel. A splitplot design with 5 replicates for each treatment is used to test the effect of biochar amendment and a 3oC warming on the Arctic meadow. Ten circular split plots (diameter: 3.65 m & surface area: 10.5 m2) composed of one half amended with biochar and one control half not amended were prepared. Five of these plots are equipped with a warming system, while the other five were equipped with dummies. Each warmed plot is collocated with a control plot within one block. While split plots are all oriented in the same direction the position of blocks is randomized to eliminate the effect of the spatial variability. Biochar was incorporated in the first 20 cm of the soil with a rototiller. Warming system is provided by hexagonal arrays of infrared heaters. The temperature of the plots is monitored with infrared cameras. The 3oC increase of temperature is obtained by dynamically monitoring the temperature difference between warmed and control plots within blocks via improved software. Each plot is further equipped with a soil temperature and moisture sensor.

Oxyfluorfen strongly affects Larix occidentalis but minimally affects Sagina procumbens in a bareroot nursery

Treesearch

R. Kasten Dumroese; Jasmine L. Williams; Jeremy R. Pinto; Peng Zhang

2014-01-01

Our objective was to evaluate oxyfluorfen for control of birdseye pearlwort (Sagina procumbens L.) in a bareroot nursery crop of western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) seedlings. Oxyfluorfen applied at rates up to 0.56 kg a.i./ha in a split-plot experiment with combinations and frequencies of pre- and postemergence sprays gave minimal control of birdseye pearlwort....

3D engineered fiberboard : finite element analysis of a new building product

Treesearch

John F. Hunt

2004-01-01

This paper presents finite element analyses that are being used to analyze and estimate the structural performance of a new product called 3D engineered fiberboard in bending and flat-wise compression applications. A 3x3x2 split-plot experimental design was used to vary geometry configurations to determine their effect on performance properties. The models are based on...

The Effect of Psychological Counselling in Group on Life Orientation and Loneliness Levels of the University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gurgan, Ugur

2013-01-01

The present study was an experimental research which was applied for increasing of the life tendencies and decreasing the loneliness of the university students, and in which the effect of psychological counselling in group on loneliness level was analysed. The present study consisting of mix measurements was carried out by 2x2 split-plot in order…

Empowering Latino Families: Effects of a Culturally Responsive Intervention for Low-Income Immigrant Latino Parents on Children's Behaviors and Parental Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ceballos, Peggy L.; Bratton, Sue C.

2010-01-01

This randomized, controlled study examined the effectiveness of Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT) in school settings with 48 low-income Latino immigrant parents whose children were identified with behavioral concerns. Results from a 2 (group) x 2 (measures) split plot analysis of variance indicated that parents who participated in 11 weeks…

Predicting guar seed splitting by compression between two plates using Hertz theory of contact stresses.

PubMed

Vishwakarma, R K; Shivhare, U S; Nanda, S K

2012-09-01

Hertz's theory of contact stresses was applied to predict the splitting of guar seeds during uni-axial compressive loading between 2 rigid parallel plates. The apparent modulus of elasticity of guar seeds varied between 296.18 and 116.19 MPa when force was applied normal to hilum joint (horizontal position), whereas it varied between 171.86 and 54.18 MPa when force was applied in the direction of hilum joint (vertical position) with in moisture content range of 5.16% to 15.28% (d.b.). At higher moisture contents, the seeds yielded after considerable deformation, thus showing ductile nature. Distribution of stresses below the point of contact were plotted to predict the location of critical point, which was found at 0.44 to 0.64 mm and 0.37 to 0.53 mm below the contact point in vertical and horizontal loading, respectively, depending upon moisture content. The separation of cotyledons from each other initiated before yielding of cotyledons and thus splitting of seed took place. The relationships between apparent modulus of elasticity, principal stresses with moisture content were described using second-order polynomial equations and validated experimentally. Manufacture of guar gum powder requires dehulling and splitting of guar seeds. This article describes splitting behavior of guar seeds under compressive loading. Results of this study may be used for design of dehulling and splitting systems of guar seeds. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

Inversion for Double-Layer Anisotropy in the Mantle Beneath the Middle America and Izu-Bonin Subduction Zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuo, B. Y.

2017-12-01

We measured shear wave splitting for the intraslab events in the Middle America and Izu-Bonin subduction zones recorded at Pacific stations to infer the anisotropic structure in the subslab mantle. The receiver-side anisotropy is accounted for by considering both azimuthal anisotropy determined by SKS splitting and radial anisotropy given in global tomographic model, although the latter does not change the overall pattern of subslab anisotropy. By removing the anisotropy effects from both receiver and source sides, the initial polarization directions (p) of the shear waves used were recovered, most of which are in reasonable agreement with that predicted form the CMT solutions. For both subduction zones, the polarization-splitting plots strongly suggest the presence of two layers of anisotropy. To constrain the two-layer model, we perform inversions which minimize the misfit in both the splitting parameters and p. In the MASZ, the best model contains an upper layer with the fast direction in parallel with the absolute plate motion of the Cocos plate and a lower layer 40-60 degree clockwise from the APM. The delay times are 1.5 and 1.9 s respectively. The interference of the double layer produced dts in excess of 3 s at a certain range of p. The SKS splitting were also inverted for a two-layer model, yielding similar splitting characters and the clockwise rotation. We are investigating why this rotation takes place and how this observation is related to the dynamics of the asthenosphere.

Strain Rate Behavior of HTPB-Based Magnetorheological Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoltz, Chad; Seminuk, Kenneth; Joshi, Vasant

2013-06-01

It is of particular interest to determine whether the mechanical properties of binder systems can be manipulated by adding ferrous or Magnetostrictive particulates. Strain rate response of two HTPB/Fe (Hydroxyl-terminated Polybutadiene/Iron) compositions under electromagnetic fields has been investigated using a Split Hopkinson Pressure bar arrangement equipped with aluminum bars. Two HTPB/Fe compositions were developed, the first without plasticizer and the second containing plasticizer. Samples were tested with and without the application of a 0.01 Tesla magnetic field coil. Strain gauge data taken from the Split Hopkinson Pressure bar has been used to determine what mechanical properties were changed by inducing a mild electromagnetic field onto each sample. The data reduction method to obtain stress-strain plots included dispersion corrections for deciphering minute changes due to compositional alterations. Data collected from the Split Hopkinson Pressure bar indicate changes in the Mechanical Stress-Strain curves and suggest that the impedance of a binder system can be altered by means of a magnetic field. We acknowledge the Defense Threat Reduction Agency for funding.

Nano-transfersomes as a novel carrier for transdermal delivery.

PubMed

Chaudhary, Hema; Kohli, Kanchan; Kumar, Vikash

2013-09-15

The aim of this study was to design and optimize a nano-transfersomes of Diclofenac diethylamine (DDEA) and Curcumin (CRM). A 3(3) factorial design (Box-Behnken) was used to derive a polynomial equation (second order) to construct 2-D (contour) and 3-D (Response Surface) plots for prediction of responses. The ratio of lipid to surfactant (X1), weight of lipid to surfactant (X2) and sonication time (X3) (independent variables) and dependent variables [entrapment efficiency of DDEA (Y1), entrapment efficiency of CRM (Y2), effect on particle size (Y3), flux of DDEA (Y4), and flux of CRM (Y5)] were studied. The 2-D and 3-D plots were drawn and a statistical validity of the polynomials was established to find the compositions of optimized formulation. The design established the role of the derived polynomial equation, 2-D and 3-D plots in predicting the values of dependent variables for the preparation and optimization of nano-transfersomes for transdermal drug release. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sodium co-limits and catalyzes macronutrients in a prairie food web.

PubMed

Kaspari, Michael; Roeder, Karl A; Benson, Brittany; Weiser, Michael D; Sanders, Nathan J

2017-02-01

Nitrogen and phosphorus frequently limit terrestrial plant production, but have a mixed record in regulating the abundance of terrestrial invertebrates. We contrasted four ways that Na could interact with an NP fertilizer to shape the plants and invertebrates of an inland prairie. We applied NP and Na to m 2 plots in a factorial design. Aboveground invertebrate abundance was independently co-limited by NaCl and NP, but with +NP plots supporting more individuals. We suggest the disparity arises because NP enhanced plant height by 35% (1 SD) over controls, providing both food and habitat, whereas NaCl provides only food. Belowground invertebrates showed evidence of serial co-limitation, where NaCl additions alone were ineffectual, but catalyzed access to NP. This suggests the increased belowground food availability in NP plots increased Na demand. Na and NP supply rates vary with climate, land use, and with inputs like urine. The co-limitation and catalysis of N and P by Na thus has the potential for predicting patterns of abundance and diversity across spatial scales. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Phytoremediation potentials of cowpea (Vigina unguiculata) and maize (Zea mays) for hydrocarbon degradation in organic and inorganic manure-amended tropical typic paleustults.

PubMed

Jidere, C M; Akamigbo, F O R; Ugwuanyi, J O

2012-04-01

A field study on phytoremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soil was designed to assess the effects of organic manures (poultry droppings and cassava peels) and NPK fertilization on the potentials of cowpea (Vigina unguiculata) and maize (Zea mays) to stimulate hydrocarbon degradation in soil. Cowpea and maize crops were established on the hydrocarbon contaminated soil amended with three rates (0, 4, and 8 ton/ha) of the soil amendments, and arranged in 3 x 3 x 3 factorial in Randomized Complete Block Design. Hydrocarbon was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in plots treated with the combined forms of the soil amendments. While the treatment combinations of 8 t/ha Poultry Droppings (PD) + 8 t/ha Cassava Peels (CP) + 4 t/ha NPK fertilizer was optimal for hydrocarbon degradation in the cowpea plots, 4 t/ha PD + 8 t/ha CP + 8 t/ha NPK fertilizer was the most preferred in the maize plot. Cowpea showed greater potential for hydrocarbon degradation at the first year. The mean values of hydrocarbon concentrations at the cowpea and maize plots indicated no significant difference at the second year. Grain yield of cowpea increased by 87% at the second year, while maize was unable to grow to maturity in the first year.

Effects of forage-to-concentrate ratio and dietary fiber manipulation on gas emissions and olfactometry from manure of Holstein heifers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of differing ratios of forage to concentrate (F:C) and fiber levels on odor and gas emissions from manure. Eight Holstein dairy heifers (362.45 ± 4.53 d of age and 335.6 ± 7.41 kg of body weight) were randomly assigned to a split-plot, 4 ...

Uncooled Split-off Quantum Infrared Sensors for 3-5 Micron Imaging Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-20

nonuniformity and needs to be optimized. Figure 5 (a) shows plots of Figure 3: (a) The responsivity and (b) detectivity variation with emitter...devices with larger mesa sizes than that with smaller sizes. The current nonuniformity originally results from the electric potential gradient in the...respectively. x = 0 represents the device center. The nonuniformity becomes remarkable when the temperature is increased. 5 2.3 Design of resonant

Short-term effects of fertilization on photosynthesis and leaf morphology of field-grown loblolly pine following long-term exposure to elevated CO2 concentration

Treesearch

Chris A. Maier; Sari Palmroth; Eric Ward

2008-01-01

We examined effects of a first nitrogen (N) fertilizer application on upper-canopy needle morphology and gas exchange in ~20-m-tall loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) exposed to elevated carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) for 9 years. Duke Forest free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) plots were split and half of...

Effects of adding protein, condensed tannins, and polyethylene glycol to diets of sheep and goats fed one-seed juniper and low quality roughage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The biochemical mechanisms that limit voluntary intake of one-seed juniper by browsing ruminants are not well understood. Twelve Rambouillet ewes (78 ± 2.3 kg BW) and 12 Boer-Spanish does (54 ± 1.4 kg BW) were used in a split-plot sequence design to investigate the effects of adding protein, quebrac...

Genetic effects on early stand development of improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings

Treesearch

S. Sharma; Joshua P. Adams; Jamie L. Schuler; Don C. Bragg; Robert L. Ficklin

2013-01-01

This study was conducted to assess the effect of genotype on the early performance of improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings planted on the University of Arkansas at Monticello School Forest located in southeast Arkansas.We used a split-plot design consisting of two spacing treatments (3.05 m × 3.05 m and 3.05 m × 4.27 m) randomly...

Validation of the Inventaire du Milieu Familial Questionnaire (French version of the Infant/Toddler HOME) into the Brazilian Portuguese language.

PubMed

Sudbrack, Simone; Barbosa, Fernanda P; Mattiello, Rita; Booij, Linda; Estorgato, Geovana R; Dutra, Moisés S; Assunção, Fabiana D de; Nunes, Magda L

2018-04-22

To validate the Brazilian Portuguese version of the Family Environment Assessment questionnaire (Inventaire du Milieu Familial). The validation process was carried out in two stages. First, translation and back-translation were performed, and in the second phase, the questionnaire was applied in 72 families of children between 0 and 24 months for the validation process. The tool consists of the following domains: mother's communication ability; behavior; organization of the physical and temporal environment; collection/quantity of toys; maternal attitude of constant attention toward her baby; diversification of stimuli; baby's behavior. The following was performed for the scale validation: 1 - content analysis (judgment); 2 - construct analysis (factorial analysis - Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin, Bartlett, and Pearson's correlation tests); 3 - criterion analysis (calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, intraclass correlations, and split-half correlations). The mean age of the children was 9±6.7 months, and of these, 35 (48.6%) were males. Most correlations between items and domains were significant. In the factorial analysis of the scale, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin values were 0.76, Bartlett's test showed a p-value<0.001, and correlation between items and domains showed a p-value<0.01. Regarding the validity, Cronbach's alpha was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89-0.94). The intraclass correlation among the evaluators was 0.97 (0.96-0.98) and split-half correlations, r: 0.60, with p<0.01. The Portuguese version of the Inventaire du Milieu Familial showed good to excellent performance regarding the assessed psychometric properties. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.

Influence of nitrogen fertilization and defoliation frequency on nitrogen constituents and feeding value of annual ryegrass.

PubMed

Zhang, Y; Bunting, L D; Kappel, L C; Hafley, J L

1995-08-01

Two experiments were conducted to determine the seasonal effects of N fertilizer (NF) and defoliation interval (DI) on specific N fractions within annual ryegrass (AR) and overall usage of AR N by growing lambs. In Exp. 1, NF (0, 112, 224, and 336 kg of N/ha) and DI of 2, 4, or 6 wk were factorially applied to AR plots. Both decreasing DI and increasing NF increased N levels in AR in a manner that depended on harvest date (NF or DI x harvest date interaction, P < .05). The proportions of .2% NaOH soluble N or soluble protein N were not affected (P > .05) by NF or DI. Although NF had no effect (P > .05) on in situ disappearance of DM, decreasing the DI seemed to reduce the severity of the season-induced reduction in DM disappearance (DI x harvest date interaction, P = .04). In Exp. 2, NF (0 or 224 kg of N/ha) and a DI of 2 or 6 wk were factorially applied to AR plots. Fresh, frozen AR was fed in semipurified diets (48% of DM as AR) to four wether lambs (23 +/- 1.3 kg) using a 4 x 4 Latin square. Diets including AR had greater ruminal DM and plant N digestibilities when AR had a 2-wk vs a 6-wk DI with NF but had reduced digestibilities when AR had a 2-wk vs a 6-wk DI without NF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Methods to test the interactive effects of drought and plant invasion on ecosystem structure and function using complementary common garden and field experiments.

PubMed

Alba, Christina; NeSmith, Julienne E; Fahey, Catherine; Angelini, Christine; Flory, Stephen Luke

2017-03-01

Abiotic global change drivers affect ecosystem structure and function, but how they interact with biotic factors such as invasive plants is understudied. Such interactions may be additive, synergistic, or offsetting, and difficult to predict. We present methods to test the individual and interactive effects of drought and plant invasion on native ecosystems. We coupled a factorial common garden experiment containing resident communities exposed to drought (imposed with rainout shelters) and invasion with a field experiment where the invader was removed from sites spanning a natural soil moisture gradient. We detail treatments and their effects on abiotic conditions, including soil moisture, light, temperature, and humidity, which shape community and ecosystem responses. Ambient precipitation during the garden experiment exceeded historic norms despite severe drought in prior years. Soil moisture was 48% lower in drought than ambient plots, but the invader largely offset drought effects. Additionally, temperature and light were lower and humidity higher in invaded plots. Field sites spanned up to a 10-fold range in soil moisture and up to a 2.5-fold range in light availability. Invaded and resident vegetation did not differentially mediate soil moisture, unlike in the garden experiment. Herbicide effectively removed invaded and resident vegetation, with removal having site-specific effects on soil moisture and light availability. However, light was generally higher in invader-removal than control plots, whereas resident removal had less effect on light, similar to the garden experiment. Invasion mitigated a constellation of abiotic conditions associated with drought stress in the garden experiment. In the field, where other factors co-varied, these patterns did not emerge. Still, neither experiment suggested that drought and invasion will have synergistic negative effects on ecosystems, although invasion can limit light availability. Coupling factorial garden experiments with field experiments across environmental gradients will be effective for predicting how multiple stressors interact in natural systems.

Association between split selection instability and predictive error in survival trees.

PubMed

Radespiel-Tröger, M; Gefeller, O; Rabenstein, T; Hothorn, T

2006-01-01

To evaluate split selection instability in six survival tree algorithms and its relationship with predictive error by means of a bootstrap study. We study the following algorithms: logrank statistic with multivariate p-value adjustment without pruning (LR), Kaplan-Meier distance of survival curves (KM), martingale residuals (MR), Poisson regression for censored data (PR), within-node impurity (WI), and exponential log-likelihood loss (XL). With the exception of LR, initial trees are pruned by using split-complexity, and final trees are selected by means of cross-validation. We employ a real dataset from a clinical study of patients with gallbladder stones. The predictive error is evaluated using the integrated Brier score for censored data. The relationship between split selection instability and predictive error is evaluated by means of box-percentile plots, covariate and cutpoint selection entropy, and cutpoint selection coefficients of variation, respectively, in the root node. We found a positive association between covariate selection instability and predictive error in the root node. LR yields the lowest predictive error, while KM and MR yield the highest predictive error. The predictive error of survival trees is related to split selection instability. Based on the low predictive error of LR, we recommend the use of this algorithm for the construction of survival trees. Unpruned survival trees with multivariate p-value adjustment can perform equally well compared to pruned trees. The analysis of split selection instability can be used to communicate the results of tree-based analyses to clinicians and to support the application of survival trees.

Scale for positive aspects of caregiving experience: development, reliability, and factor structure.

PubMed

Kate, N; Grover, S; Kulhara, P; Nehra, R

2012-06-01

OBJECTIVE. To develop an instrument (Scale for Positive Aspects of Caregiving Experience [SPACE]) that evaluates positive caregiving experience and assess its psychometric properties. METHODS. Available scales which assess some aspects of positive caregiving experience were reviewed and a 50-item questionnaire with a 5-point rating was constructed. In all, 203 primary caregivers of patients with severe mental disorders were asked to complete the questionnaire. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, cross-language reliability, split-half reliability, and face validity were evaluated. Principal component factor analysis was run to assess the factorial validity of the scale. RESULTS. The scale developed as part of the study was found to have good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, cross-language reliability, split-half reliability, and face validity. Principal component factor analysis yielded a 4-factor structure, which also had good test-retest reliability and cross-language reliability. There was a strong correlation between the 4 factors obtained. CONCLUSION. The SPACE developed as part of this study has good psychometric properties.

Effects of organic matter removal and soil compaction on fifth-year mineral soil carbon and nitrogen contents for sites across the United States and Canada

Treesearch

Felipe G. Sanchez; Allan E. Tiarks; J. Marty Kranabetter; Deborah S. Page-Dumroese; Robert F. Powers; Paul T. Sanborn; William K. Chapman

2006-01-01

This study describes the main treatment effects of organic matter removal and compaction and a split-plot effect of competition control on mineral soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools. Treatment effects on soil C and N pools are discussed for 19 sites across five locations (British Columbia, Northern Rocky Mountains, Pacific Southwest, and Atlantic and Gulf coasts)...

Delamination Fracture in Graphite/Epoxy Materials.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-06-01

stress fields for the two loading conditions. Figures 7-10 indicate the results of a finite element analysis % for the test coupons loaded in mode I and...results somewhat approximate, the difference in the shape of the Srespective stress fields and the different rates of decay of the _ stress fields...Shear deformation is dominant feature .: observed. 1000x (all). 7. ay stress contour plot of split laminate beam tested under . mode I conditions. 8

Short communication: Glucose kinetics in dairy heifers limit-fed a low- or high-forage ration at four levels of nitrogen intake

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of level of forage and nitrogen (N) intake on glucose kinetics in growing dairy heifers. Eight Holstein heifers (beginning at 362 ± 7 kg body weight (BW) and 12.3 ± 0.4 months of age) were fed eight rations according to a split-plot, 4 x 4 La...

M-Split: A Graphical User Interface to Analyze Multilayered Anisotropy from Shear Wave Splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abgarmi, Bizhan; Ozacar, A. Arda

2017-04-01

Shear wave splitting analysis are commonly used to infer deep anisotropic structure. For simple cases, obtained delay times and fast-axis orientations are averaged from reliable results to define anisotropy beneath recording seismic stations. However, splitting parameters show systematic variations with back azimuth in the presence of complex anisotropy and cannot be represented by average time delay and fast axis orientation. Previous researchers had identified anisotropic complexities at different tectonic settings and applied various approaches to model them. Most commonly, such complexities are modeled by using multiple anisotropic layers with priori constraints from geologic data. In this study, a graphical user interface called M-Split is developed to easily process and model multilayered anisotropy with capabilities to properly address the inherited non-uniqueness. M-Split program runs user defined grid searches through the model parameter space for two-layer anisotropy using formulation of Silver and Savage (1994) and creates sensitivity contour plots to locate local maximas and analyze all possible models with parameter tradeoffs. In order to minimize model ambiguity and identify the robust model parameters, various misfit calculation procedures are also developed and embedded to M-Split which can be used depending on the quality of the observations and their back-azimuthal coverage. Case studies carried out to evaluate the reliability of the program using real noisy data and for this purpose stations from two different networks are utilized. First seismic network is the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake research institute (KOERI) which includes long term running permanent stations and second network comprises seismic stations deployed temporary as part of the "Continental Dynamics-Central Anatolian Tectonics (CD-CAT)" project funded by NSF. It is also worth to note that M-Split is designed as open source program which can be modified by users for additional capabilities or for other applications.

Factorial design studies of antiretroviral drug-loaded stealth liposomal injectable: PEGylation, lyophilization and pharmacokinetic studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudhakar, Beeravelli; Krishna, Mylangam Chaitanya; Murthy, Kolapalli Venkata Ramana

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to formulate and evaluate the ritonavir-loaded stealth liposomes by using 32 factorial design and intended to delivered by parenteral delivery. Liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection method using 32 factorial designs and characterized for various physicochemical parameters such as drug content, size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release. The optimization process was carried out using desirability and overlay plots. The selected formulation was subjected to PEGylation using 10 % PEG-10000 solution. Stealth liposomes were characterized for the above-mentioned parameters along with surface morphology, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, differential scanning calorimeter, stability and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in rats. Stealth liposomes showed better result compared to conventional liposomes due to effect of PEG-10000. The in vivo studies revealed that stealth liposomes showed better residence time compared to conventional liposomes and pure drug solution. The conventional liposomes and pure drug showed dose-dependent pharmacokinetics, whereas stealth liposomes showed long circulation half-life compared to conventional liposomes and pure ritonavir solution. The results of statistical analysis showed significance difference as the p value is (<0.05) by one-way ANOVA. The result of the present study revealed that stealth liposomes are promising tool in antiretroviral therapy.

Diet and cooling interactions on physiological responses of grazing dairy cows, milk production and composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallardo, M. R.; Valtorta, S. E.; Leva, P. E.; Gaggiotti, M. C.; Conti, G. A.; Gregoret, R. F.

2005-11-01

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of diet and cooling in the holding pen before milking on rectal temperature, respiration rate and milk production and composition. Fifty-eight lactating Holstein cows were used in a factorial split-plot design, at Rafaela Experimental Station from 12 January to 3 March 2003. The treatments were combinations of two diets: control (CD) and balanced (BD) with two levels of cooling before milking: none (NSF) and a sprinkler and fans (SF). Forage:concentrate ratios for CD and BD were 81:19 and 68:32, respectively. Cows were milked twice daily. Milk production was recorded daily, and milk composition (fat, protein, lactose and urea) was analysed twice a week. The physiological data were recorded once a week, before the cattle entered the holding pen and after milking, in the afternoon. Average maximum weekly temperature humidity index was 75.4 and ranged from 61.4 to 83. There were highly significant effects of cooling on physiological responses. Milk production was affected by diet and cooling, with no interaction; the highest and lowest production of milk was 22.42 and 20.07 l/cow per day, for BD+SF and CD+NSF, respectively. Protein was affected by diet, and was higher for BD (3.17 vs. 3.08%). There were interaction effects on milk fat at the 8% level, the highest concentration being 3.65% for BD+NFS. It was concluded that under grazing conditions, cooling by sprinkler and fans before milking improves the comfort of dairy cows, and that the effects on milk production and composition are enhanced when diets are specially formulated for heat-stress periods.

Effects of water stress and light intensity on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and pigments of Aloe vera L.

PubMed

Hazrati, Saeid; Tahmasebi-Sarvestani, Zeinolabedin; Modarres-Sanavy, Seyed Ali Mohammad; Mokhtassi-Bidgoli, Ali; Nicola, Silvana

2016-09-01

Aloe vera L. is one of the most important medicinal plants in the world. In order to determine the effects of light intensity and water deficit stress on chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence and pigments of A. vera, a split-plot in time experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications in a research greenhouse. The factorial combination of three light intensities (50, 75 and 100% of sunlight) and four irrigation regimes (irrigation after depleting 20, 40, 60 and 80% of soil water content) were considered as main factors. Sampling time was considered as sub factor. The first, second and third samplings were performed 90, 180 and 270 days after imposing the treatments, respectively. The results demonstrated that the highest light intensity and the severe water stress decreased maximum fluorescence (Fm), variable fluorescence (Fv)/Fm, quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ФPSII), Chl and photochemical quenching (qP) but increased non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), minimum fluorescence (F0) and Anthocyanin (Anth). Additionally, the highest Fm, Fv/Fm, ФPSII and qP and the lowest NPQ and F0 were observed when 50% of sunlight was blocked and irrigation was done after 40% soil water depletion. Irradiance of full sunlight and water deficit stress let to the photoinhibition of photosynthesis, as indicated by a reduced quantum yield of PSII, ФPSII, and qP, as well as higher NPQ. Thus, chlorophyll florescence measurements provide valuable physiological data. Close to half of total solar radiation and irrigation after depleting 40% of soil water content were selected as the most efficient treatments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Selective coal mine overburden treatment with topsoil and compost to optimise pasture or native vegetation establishment.

PubMed

Spargo, A; Doley, D

2016-11-01

Overburden at a coal mine in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, was stored in a flat-topped artificial mound with 14-degree side slopes. Topsoil was scarce, dispersive and readily eroded. A split-plot factorial experiment applied an enhanced municipal solid waste compost at 0, 60 or 100 t ha(-1) to untreated overburden or to overburden covered with 0.1 m of topsoil. Two seeding treatments, of trees and shrubs or of pasture species, were applied to two 0.5-ha replicates of each surface treatment. Substrate physical and chemical properties and vegetation attributes were assessed 2.5 years later. Compost application to both topsoil and overburden significantly increased total N, P, Cu and Zn, soluble K, Ca and Mg, and significantly reduced soluble Na and pH. Mean tree density, size and total canopy cover were significantly greater with compost applied at 60 t ha(-1) to overburden than with all other treatments, especially those on topsoil where tree growth was inhibited by undesired species. Compost application to overburden and topsoil at 100 t ha(-1) significantly increased biomass of desired pasture species and significantly reduced undesired species cover compared with unamended topsoil and the extent of bare ground compared with unamended overburden. Successful development of woody species on overburden and pastures on both overburden and topsoil treated with compost provides opportunities for new combinations of landscape design, surface preparation and plant species introductions to increase the stability of final landforms, the effectiveness of resource use, and the delivery of commercial and biodiversity benefits from mine site rehabilitation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factor Structure of the Internet Addiction Test in Online Gamers and Poker Players.

PubMed

Khazaal, Yasser; Achab, Sophia; Billieux, Joel; Thorens, Gabriel; Zullino, Daniele; Dufour, Magali; Rothen, Stéphane

2015-01-01

The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is the most widely used questionnaire to screen for problematic Internet use. Nevertheless, its factorial structure is still debated, which complicates comparisons among existing studies. Most previous studies were performed with students or community samples despite the probability of there being more problematic Internet use among users of specific applications, such as online gaming or gambling. To assess the factorial structure of a modified version of the IAT that addresses specific applications, such as video games and online poker. Two adult samples-one sample of Internet gamers (n=920) and one sample of online poker players (n=214)-were recruited and completed an online version of the modified IAT. Both samples were split into two subsamples. Two principal component analyses (PCAs) followed by two confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were run separately. The results of principal component analysis indicated that a one-factor model fit the data well across both samples. In consideration of the weakness of some IAT items, a 17-item modified version of the IAT was proposed. This study assessed, for the first time, the factorial structure of a modified version of an Internet-administered IAT on a sample of Internet gamers and a sample of online poker players. The scale seems appropriate for the assessment of such online behaviors. Further studies on the modified 17-item IAT version are needed.

Influence of composted poultry manure and irrigation regimes on some morpho-physiology parameters of maize under semiarid environments.

PubMed

Farhad, Wajid; Cheema, Mumtaz Akhtar; Hammad, Hafiz Mohkum; Saleem, Muhammad Farrukh; Fahad, Shah; Abbas, Farhat; Khosa, Ikramullah; Bakhat, Hafiz Faiq

2018-05-08

Poultry manure (PM), a rich source for crop nutrients, is produced in ample quantities worldwide. It provides necessary nutrient to soil and has a potential to improve plant water holding availability under semiarid environment. The effect of composted poultry manure (CPM) and irrigation regimes on morpho-physiology of selective maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids (H 1 = drought tolerant, H 2 = drought sensitive) was investigated in this study. Two field experiments were conducted during 2010 and 2011 under randomized complete block design with split split-plot arrangements and three replications of each treatment. Irrigation regimes (I 1  = 300, I 2  = 450, I 3  = 600 mm) were kept in main plots; the two maize hybrids (H 1 and H 2 ) in sub-plots and nutrient levels (L 1 = recommended rate of NPK (control), L 2  = 8 t ha -1 CPM, L 3  = 10 t ha -1 CPM, and L 4  = 12 t ha -1 CPM) were arranged in sub sub-plots. The drought tolerant hybrid showed best growth under all treatments. Results revealed that maximum leaf area index (LAI) was recorded with the application of the recommended dose of NPK. Low irrigation regimes (I 1 and I 2 ) highly significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the photosynthesis and transpiration rate in both hybrids while application of 12 t ha -1 CPM was able to partially alleviate the effect of water stress on these parameters. Resultantly, the application of 12 t ha -1 CPM enhanced the plant growth and increased grain yield (21%; 4.17 vs 5.27) under limited water availability (I 2 L 4 ) as compared to the recommended dose of NPK (I 2 L 1 ). However, the nutrient application under control treatment had maximum grain yield. Therefore, shortage of water for maize production might be partially alleviated by the application of 12 t ha -1 CPM.

Feasibility of triphasic CT with a modified two-point Patlak plot to determine spit kidney glomerular filtration rate in clinical practice.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu-Dong; Xue, Chen-Qi; Wu, Chen-Jiang; Tao, Jun; Zhou, Wan-Li; Shi, Hai-Bin

2017-01-01

To investigate whether triphasic CT with a simplified Patlak plot can be used in clinical practice for the estimate of split kidney glomerular filtration rate (SKGFR). The animal experiment included 15 rabbits that underwent 40 dynamic contrast-enhanced CT scans of the kidneys with 1.5 s time interval. Patlak-derived SKGFR was obtained using standard forty-point, two-point (unenhanced phase, arterial phase t α, and portovenous phase t β ), and a modified two-point (MTP) (unenhanced, t α , t β , and a virtual t τ [t τ  = (t α  + t β )/2]) image data, respectively. The MTP-Patlak plot approach was then validated in 13 patients who underwent a triphasic renal contrast-enhanced CT examination. SKGFR measured by 99 m Tc-DTPA clearance was as a standard reference. MTP-Patlak significantly reduced input function errors than two-point Patlak (21.1 ± 16.2 % vs 30.8 ± 15.2 %, p < 0.01) and showed good concordance with standard Patlak for measurement of SKGFR in animal experiment (1.20 ± 0.38 mL/g/min vs 1.51 ± 0.43 mL/g/min; linear correlation coefficient r = 0.87, p < 0.001). Human study showed that mean SKGFR was 45.7 mL/min (range, 26.5-86.2 mL/min) obtained from 99 m Tc-DTPA, and 38.2 mL/min (range, 18.6-79.3 mL/min) obtained from triphasic CT using MTP-Patlak plot. Linear correlation between the two methods was r = 0.75 (p < 0.01). The mean difference between SKGFRs as determined with the two methods was 7.4 ± 9.0 mL/min. The MTP-Patlak approach, featured with simplicity, is feasible in a clinically indicated CT examination for the evaluation of split renal function.

Silviculture for a declining species, Cerulean Warbler: 10-year results of a pilot study in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley

Treesearch

Paul B. Hamel; Mike Staten; Ray Souter; Carl G. Smith III; Gene Holland

2016-01-01

We report on the current status of a long-term study of Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) response to silviculture on a 58-ha tract in Desha County, Arkansas. The work involved a 10 year premanipulation monitoring of the birds on the tract, followed by implementation of a split plot comparison of alternative treatments, each applied to a randomly selected half of...

The storage capacity of cocoa seeds (Theobroma cacao L.) through giving Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) in the various of storage container

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahay, R. R.; Misrun, S.; Sipayung, R.

2018-02-01

Cocoa is plant which it’s seed character is recalcitrant. Giving PEG and using various of storage containers was hoped to increase storage capacity of cocoa seeds as long as period of saving. The reseach was aimed to identify the storage capacity of cocoa seeds through giving PEG in the various of storage containers. Research took place in Hataram Jawa II, Kabupaten Simalungun, Propinsi Sumatera Utara, Indonesia. The method of this research is spit-split plot design with 3 replication. Storage period was put on main plot which was consisted of 4 level, PEG concentration was put on sub plot, consisted of 4 level and storage container was put on the sub sub plot consisted of 3 types. The results showed that until 4 days at storage with 45 % PEG concentration at all storage container, percentage of seed germination at storage can be decreased to be 2.90 %, and can be defensed until 16 days with 45 % PEG concentration at perforated plastic storage container. Percentage of molded seeds and seed moisture content were increased with added period of storage but seed moisture content was increased until 12 days at storage and was decreased at 16 days in storage.

Point Cloud Based Approach to Stem Width Extraction of Sorghum

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

Jin, Jihui; Zakhor, Avideh

A revolution in the field of genomics has produced vast amounts of data and furthered our understanding of the genotypephenotype map, but is currently constrained by manually intensive or limited phenotype data collection. We propose an algorithm to estimate stem width, a key characteristic used for biomass potential evaluation, from 3D point cloud data collected by a robot equipped with a depth sensor in a single pass in a standard field. The algorithm applies a two step alignment to register point clouds in different frames, a Frangi filter to identify stemlike objects in the point cloud and an orientation basedmore » filter to segment out and refine individual stems for width estimation. Individually, detected stems which are split due to occlusions are merged and then registered with previously found stems in previous camera frames in order to track temporally. We then refine the estimates to produce an accurate histogram of width estimates per plot. Since the plants in each plot are genetically identical, distributions of the stem width per plot can be useful in identifying genetically superior sorghum for biofuels.« less

Efficacy of Fluensulfone in a Tomato–Cucumber Double Cropping System

PubMed Central

Morris, Kelly A.; Langston, David B.; Dickson, Donald W.; Davis, Richard F.; Timper, Patricia; Noe, James P.

2015-01-01

Vegetable crops in the southeastern United States are commonly grown on plastic mulch with two crop cycles produced on a single mulch application. Field trials were conducted in 2013 and 2014 in two locations to evaluate the efficacy of fluensulfone for controlling Meloidogyne spp. when applied through drip irrigation to cucumber in a tomato–cucumber double-cropping system. In the spring tomato crop, 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), fluensulfone, and a resistant cultivar significantly decreased root galling by 91%, 73%, and 97%, respectively, compared to the untreated control. Tomato plots from the spring were divided into split plots for the fall where the main plots were the spring treatment and the subplots were cucumber either treated with fluensulfone (3.0 kg a.i./ha. via drip irrigation) or left untreated. The fall application of fluensulfone improved cucumber vigor and reduced gall ratings compared to untreated subplots. Fluensulfone reduced damage from root-knot nematodes when applied to the first crop as well as provided additional protection to the second crop when it was applied through a drip system. PMID:26941459

Point Cloud Based Approach to Stem Width Extraction of Sorghum

DOE PAGES

Jin, Jihui; Zakhor, Avideh

2017-01-29

A revolution in the field of genomics has produced vast amounts of data and furthered our understanding of the genotypephenotype map, but is currently constrained by manually intensive or limited phenotype data collection. We propose an algorithm to estimate stem width, a key characteristic used for biomass potential evaluation, from 3D point cloud data collected by a robot equipped with a depth sensor in a single pass in a standard field. The algorithm applies a two step alignment to register point clouds in different frames, a Frangi filter to identify stemlike objects in the point cloud and an orientation basedmore » filter to segment out and refine individual stems for width estimation. Individually, detected stems which are split due to occlusions are merged and then registered with previously found stems in previous camera frames in order to track temporally. We then refine the estimates to produce an accurate histogram of width estimates per plot. Since the plants in each plot are genetically identical, distributions of the stem width per plot can be useful in identifying genetically superior sorghum for biofuels.« less

Development and Validation of Videogame Addiction Scale for Children (VASC).

PubMed

Yılmaz, Eyüp; Griffiths, Mark D; Kan, Adnan

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to develop a valid and reliable Videogame Addiction Scale for Children (VASC). The data were derived from 780 children who completed the Videogame Addiction Scale (405 girls and 375 boys; 48.1% ranging in age from 9 to 12 years). The sample was randomly split into two different sub-samples (sample 1, n  = 400; sample 2, n  = 380). Sample 1 was used to perform exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to define the factorial structure of VASC. As a result of EFA, a four-factor structure comprising 21 items was obtained and explained 55% of the total variance (the four factors being "self-control," "reward/reinforcement," "problems," and "involvement"). The internal consistency reliability of VASC has found 0.89. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to confirm the factorial structure obtained by EFA in the remaining half of sample ( n  = 390). The obtained fit indices from the CFA confirmed the structure of the EFA. The 21-item VASC has good psychometric properties that can be used among Turkish schoolchildren populations.

Extended quantification of the generalized recurrence plot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedl, Maik; Marwan, Norbert; Kurths, Jürgen

2016-04-01

The generalized recurrence plot is a modern tool for quantification of complex spatial patterns. Its application spans the analysis of trabecular bone structures, Turing structures, turbulent spatial plankton patterns, and fractals. But, it is also successfully applied to the description of spatio-temporal dynamics and the detection of regime shifts, such as in the complex Ginzburg-Landau- equation. The recurrence plot based determinism is a central measure in this framework quantifying the level of regularities in temporal and spatial structures. We extend this measure for the generalized recurrence plot considering additional operations of symmetry than the simple translation. It is tested not only on two-dimensional regular patterns and noise but also on complex spatial patterns reconstructing the parameter space of the complex Ginzburg-Landau-equation. The extended version of the determinism resulted in values which are consistent to the original recurrence plot approach. Furthermore, the proposed method allows a split of the determinism into parts which based on laminar and non-laminar regions of the two-dimensional pattern of the complex Ginzburg-Landau-equation. A comparison of these parts with a standard method of image classification, the co-occurrence matrix approach, shows differences especially in the description of patterns associated with turbulence. In that case, it seems that the extended version of the determinism allows a distinction of phase turbulence and defect turbulence by means of their spatial patterns. This ability of the proposed method promise new insights in other systems with turbulent dynamics coming from climatology, biology, ecology, and social sciences, for example.

Photosynthetic and Growth Response of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) Mature Trees and Seedlings to Calcium, Magnesium, and Nitrogen Additions in the Catskill Mountains, NY, USA.

PubMed

Momen, Bahram; Behling, Shawna J; Lawrence, Greg B; Sullivan, Joseph H

2015-01-01

Decline of sugar maple in North American forests has been attributed to changes in soil calcium (Ca) and nitrogen (N) by acidic precipitation. Although N is an essential and usually a limiting factor in forests, atmospheric N deposition may cause N-saturation leading to loss of soil Ca. Such changes can affect carbon gain and growth of sugar maple trees and seedlings. We applied a 22 factorial arrangement of N and dolomitic limestone containing Ca and Magnesium (Mg) to 12 forest plots in the Catskill Mountain region of NY, USA. To quantify the short-term effects, we measured photosynthetic-light responses of sugar maple mature trees and seedlings two or three times during two summers. We estimated maximum net photosynthesis (An-max) and its related light intensity (PAR at An-max), apparent quantum efficiency (Aqe), and light compensation point (LCP). To quantify the long-term effects, we measured basal area of living mature trees before and 4 and 8 years after treatment applications. Soil and foliar chemistry variables were also measured. Dolomitic limestone increased Ca, Mg, and pH in the soil Oe horizon. Mg was increased in the B horizon when comparing the plots receiving N with those receiving CaMg. In mature trees, foliar Ca and Mg concentrations were higher in the CaMg and N+CaMg plots than in the reference or N plots; foliar Ca concentration was higher in the N+CaMg plots compared with the CaMg plots, foliar Mg was higher in the CaMg plots than the N+CaMg plots; An-max was maximized due to N+CaMg treatment; Aqe decreased by N addition; and PAR at An-max increased by N or CaMg treatments alone, but the increase was maximized by their combination. No treatment effect was detected on basal areas of living mature trees four or eight years after treatment applications. In seedlings, An-max was increased by N+CaMg addition. The reference plots had an open herbaceous layer, but the plots receiving N had a dense monoculture of common woodfern in the forest floor, which can impede seedling survival.

Photosynthetic and Growth Response of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) Mature Trees and Seedlings to Calcium, Magnesium, and Nitrogen Additions in the Catskill Mountains, NY, USA

PubMed Central

Momen, Bahram; Behling, Shawna J.; Lawrence, Greg B.; Sullivan, Joseph H.

2015-01-01

Decline of sugar maple in North American forests has been attributed to changes in soil calcium (Ca) and nitrogen (N) by acidic precipitation. Although N is an essential and usually a limiting factor in forests, atmospheric N deposition may cause N-saturation leading to loss of soil Ca. Such changes can affect carbon gain and growth of sugar maple trees and seedlings. We applied a 22 factorial arrangement of N and dolomitic limestone containing Ca and Magnesium (Mg) to 12 forest plots in the Catskill Mountain region of NY, USA. To quantify the short-term effects, we measured photosynthetic-light responses of sugar maple mature trees and seedlings two or three times during two summers. We estimated maximum net photosynthesis (An-max) and its related light intensity (PAR at An-max), apparent quantum efficiency (A qe), and light compensation point (LCP). To quantify the long-term effects, we measured basal area of living mature trees before and 4 and 8 years after treatment applications. Soil and foliar chemistry variables were also measured. Dolomitic limestone increased Ca, Mg, and pH in the soil Oe horizon. Mg was increased in the B horizon when comparing the plots receiving N with those receiving CaMg. In mature trees, foliar Ca and Mg concentrations were higher in the CaMg and N+CaMg plots than in the reference or N plots; foliar Ca concentration was higher in the N+CaMg plots compared with the CaMg plots, foliar Mg was higher in the CaMg plots than the N+CaMg plots; An-max was maximized due to N+CaMg treatment; A qe decreased by N addition; and PAR at An-max increased by N or CaMg treatments alone, but the increase was maximized by their combination. No treatment effect was detected on basal areas of living mature trees four or eight years after treatment applications. In seedlings, An-max was increased by N+CaMg addition. The reference plots had an open herbaceous layer, but the plots receiving N had a dense monoculture of common woodfern in the forest floor, which can impede seedling survival. PMID:26291323

Photosynthetic and growth response of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) mature trees and seedlings to calcium, magnesium, and nitrogen additions in the Catskill Mountains, NY, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Momen, Bahram; Behling, Shawna J; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Sullivan, Joseph H

2015-01-01

Decline of sugar maple in North American forests has been attributed to changes in soil calcium (Ca) and nitrogen (N) by acidic precipitation. Although N is an essential and usually a limiting factor in forests, atmospheric N deposition may cause N-saturation leading to loss of soil Ca. Such changes can affect carbon gain and growth of sugar maple trees and seedlings. We applied a 22 factorial arrangement of N and dolomitic limestone containing Ca and Magnesium (Mg) to 12 forest plots in the Catskill Mountain region of NY, USA. To quantify the short-term effects, we measured photosynthetic-light responses of sugar maple mature trees and seedlings two or three times during two summers. We estimated maximum net photosynthesis (An-max) and its related light intensity (PAR at An-max), apparent quantum efficiency (Aqe), and light compensation point (LCP). To quantify the long-term effects, we measured basal area of living mature trees before and 4 and 8 years after treatment applications. Soil and foliar chemistry variables were also measured. Dolomitic limestone increased Ca, Mg, and pH in the soil Oe horizon. Mg was increased in the B horizon when comparing the plots receiving N with those receiving CaMg. In mature trees, foliar Ca and Mg concentrations were higher in the CaMg and N+CaMg plots than in the reference or N plots; foliar Ca concentration was higher in the N+CaMg plots compared with the CaMg plots, foliar Mg was higher in the CaMg plots than the N+CaMg plots; An-max was maximized due to N+CaMg treatment; Aqe decreased by N addition; and PAR at An-max increased by N or CaMg treatments alone, but the increase was maximized by their combination. No treatment effect was detected on basal areas of living mature trees four or eight years after treatment applications. In seedlings, An-max was increased by N+CaMg addition. The reference plots had an open herbaceous layer, but the plots receiving N had a dense monoculture of common woodfern in the forest floor, which can impede seedling survival.

Mechanical Properties of Misers Bluff Sand.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

in Chapter 4. 4 .7 Y~ e -~1 % CHAPTER 2 LABORATORY TESTS 2.1 CONVENTIONAL SOIL TESTS Samples of MB sand were split from the available supply of...air Va , and void ratio e (the ratio of void volume to solid volume). These composition data are listed in Table 2.1 for each test. 5 2.3 MECHANICAL...and diameter changes are made. The data can be plotted as principal stress difference versus axial strain, the slope of which is Young’s modulus E

InxGa1-xSb Channel p-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors: Effect of Strain and Heterostructure Design

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-06

biaxial compressive strain is known to split the light- and heavy-hole bands, reducing the interband scattering and causing the light hole band to move up...and heterostructure design are presented. In Section V, we use temperature- dependent measurements and pulsed I-V measurements to analyze the results...minimal in our devices. The temperature dependence of hole mobility was stud- ied for both the surface and buried channel devices, as plot- ted in Fig

Object representations in ventral and dorsal visual streams: fMRI repetition effects depend on attention and part–whole configuration

PubMed Central

Thoma, Volker; Henson, Richard N.

2011-01-01

The effects of attention and object configuration on the neural responses to short-lag visual image repetition were investigated with fMRI. Attention to one of two object images in a prime display was cued spatially. The images were either intact or split vertically; a manipulation that negates the influence of view-based representations. A subsequent single intact probe image was named covertly. Behavioural priming observed as faster button presses was found for attended primes in both intact and split configurations, but only for uncued primes in the intact configuration. In a voxel-wise analysis, fMRI repetition suppression (RS) was observed in a left mid-fusiform region for attended primes, both intact and split, whilst a right intraparietal region showed repetition enhancement (RE) for intact primes, regardless of attention. In a factorial analysis across regions of interest (ROIs) defined from independent localiser contrasts, RS for attended objects in the ventral stream was significantly left-lateralised, whilst repetition effects in ventral and dorsal ROIs correlated with the amount of priming in specific conditions. These fMRI results extend hybrid theories of object recognition, implicating left ventral stream regions in analytic processing (requiring attention), consistent with prior hypotheses about hemispheric specialisation, and implicating dorsal stream regions in holistic processing (independent of attention). PMID:21554967

Objectively discriminating the optical analogy of electromagnetically induced transparency from Autler-Townes splitting in a side coupled graphene-based waveguide system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Buzheng; Jian, Shuisheng

2017-11-01

A mid-infrared side coupled graphene nanotube waveguide system is proposed to investigate the origin discerning from electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) to Autler-Townes splitting (ATS). The analytic transmission analysis seeks an evolution tendency of transmission spectrum from ATS to EIT, which is numerically verified by the simulation results. The origin of transparency is mainly attributed to ATS effect in the strong coupling regime while EIT is favored in the weak coupling condition. We plot the field distribution to help understand the underlying physics of the interference process. The high group index of 5000 indicates that a slow light effect is successfully observed and Fano resonance is presented by varying the Fermi energy of the dark mode. These ideas may provide potential views in filters, optical buffers, light storage and on chip metamaterials.

The influence of vines on an oligohaline marsh community: Results of a removal and fertilization study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gough, L.; Grace, J.B.

1997-01-01

The effects of competitive suppression by vines on the non-vine plant community have received little attention in temperate habitats. This study investigated the impact vines have on their herbaceous hosts in a wetland community at two soil fertility levels. Plots in an oligohaline marsh were treated in a 2 x 2 factorial design with vine removal and fertilization over two growing seasons. There was no significant interaction between removal and fertilization treatments on any of the measured variables. Vine removal initially caused an increase in light penetration through the canopy, but by the end of the study, plots with vines removed had less light due to a 25% increase in biomass by the plants released from competition with vines. For plots with vines removed, species richness was higher during a brief period in the spring of the second year, but by the end of the study, richness in removal plots decreased relative to controls. Fertilization caused a 40% increase in biomass overall, although only two species, Sagittaria lancifolia L. and Polygonum punctatum Ell., showed dramatic increases. Despite fertilization causing a 40% decrease in light penetration to the ground, no change in species richness was observed. Overall, these results show that vine cover in this wetland suppresses non-vine species and reduces community biomass. Removal of vines increased biomass of non-vine dominants but resulted in only an ephemeral change in species richness. Fertilization did not increase the effects of vines on the non-vine community.

Nutrient addition dramatically accelerates microbial community succession.

PubMed

Knelman, Joseph E; Schmidt, Steven K; Lynch, Ryan C; Darcy, John L; Castle, Sarah C; Cleveland, Cory C; Nemergut, Diana R

2014-01-01

The ecological mechanisms driving community succession are widely debated, particularly for microorganisms. While successional soil microbial communities are known to undergo predictable changes in structure concomitant with shifts in a variety of edaphic properties, the causal mechanisms underlying these patterns are poorly understood. Thus, to specifically isolate how nutrients--important drivers of plant succession--affect soil microbial succession, we established a full factorial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization plot experiment in recently deglaciated (∼3 years since exposure), unvegetated soils of the Puca Glacier forefield in Southeastern Peru. We evaluated soil properties and examined bacterial community composition in plots before and one year after fertilization. Fertilized soils were then compared to samples from three reference successional transects representing advancing stages of soil development ranging from 5 years to 85 years since exposure. We found that a single application of +NP fertilizer caused the soil bacterial community structure of the three-year old soils to most resemble the 85-year old soils after one year. Despite differences in a variety of soil edaphic properties between fertilizer plots and late successional soils, bacterial community composition of +NP plots converged with late successional communities. Thus, our work suggests a mechanism for microbial succession whereby changes in resource availability drive shifts in community composition, supporting a role for nutrient colimitation in primary succession. These results suggest that nutrients alone, independent of other edaphic factors that change with succession, act as an important control over soil microbial community development, greatly accelerating the rate of succession.

Nutrient Addition Dramatically Accelerates Microbial Community Succession

PubMed Central

Knelman, Joseph E.; Schmidt, Steven K.; Lynch, Ryan C.; Darcy, John L.; Castle, Sarah C.; Cleveland, Cory C.; Nemergut, Diana R.

2014-01-01

The ecological mechanisms driving community succession are widely debated, particularly for microorganisms. While successional soil microbial communities are known to undergo predictable changes in structure concomitant with shifts in a variety of edaphic properties, the causal mechanisms underlying these patterns are poorly understood. Thus, to specifically isolate how nutrients – important drivers of plant succession – affect soil microbial succession, we established a full factorial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization plot experiment in recently deglaciated (∼3 years since exposure), unvegetated soils of the Puca Glacier forefield in Southeastern Peru. We evaluated soil properties and examined bacterial community composition in plots before and one year after fertilization. Fertilized soils were then compared to samples from three reference successional transects representing advancing stages of soil development ranging from 5 years to 85 years since exposure. We found that a single application of +NP fertilizer caused the soil bacterial community structure of the three-year old soils to most resemble the 85-year old soils after one year. Despite differences in a variety of soil edaphic properties between fertilizer plots and late successional soils, bacterial community composition of +NP plots converged with late successional communities. Thus, our work suggests a mechanism for microbial succession whereby changes in resource availability drive shifts in community composition, supporting a role for nutrient colimitation in primary succession. These results suggest that nutrients alone, independent of other edaphic factors that change with succession, act as an important control over soil microbial community development, greatly accelerating the rate of succession. PMID:25050551

Changes in species abundance after seven years of elevated atmospheric CO2 and warming in a Subarctic birch forest understorey, as modified by rodent and moth outbreaks

PubMed Central

Carlsson, Bengt Å.; Melillo, Jerry M.

2018-01-01

A seven-year long, two-factorial experiment using elevated temperatures (5 °C) and CO2 (concentration doubled compared to ambient conditions) designed to test the effects of global climate change on plant community composition was set up in a Subarctic ecosystem in northernmost Sweden. Using point-frequency analyses in permanent plots, an increased abundance of the deciduous Vaccinium myrtillus, the evergreens V. vitis-idaea and Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum and the grass Avenella flexuosa was found in plots with elevated temperatures. We also observed a possibly transient community shift in the warmed plots, from the vegetation being dominated by the deciduous V. myrtillus to the evergreen V. vitis-idaea. This happened as a combined effect of V. myrtillus being heavily grazed during two events of herbivore attack—one vole outbreak (Clethrionomys rufocanus) followed by a more severe moth (Epirrita autumnata) outbreak that lasted for two growing seasons—producing a window of opportunity for V. vitis-idaea to utilize the extra light available as the abundance of V. myrtillus decreased, while at the same time benefitting from the increased growth in the warmed plots. Even though the effect of the herbivore attacks did not differ between treatments they may have obscured any additional treatment effects. This long-term study highlights that also the effects of stochastic herbivory events need to be accounted for when predicting future plant community changes.

Factor Structure of the Internet Addiction Test in Online Gamers and Poker Players

PubMed Central

Achab, Sophia; Billieux, Joel; Thorens, Gabriel; Zullino, Daniele; Dufour, Magali; Rothen, Stéphane

2015-01-01

Background The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) is the most widely used questionnaire to screen for problematic Internet use. Nevertheless, its factorial structure is still debated, which complicates comparisons among existing studies. Most previous studies were performed with students or community samples despite the probability of there being more problematic Internet use among users of specific applications, such as online gaming or gambling. Objective To assess the factorial structure of a modified version of the IAT that addresses specific applications, such as video games and online poker. Methods Two adult samples—one sample of Internet gamers (n=920) and one sample of online poker players (n=214)—were recruited and completed an online version of the modified IAT. Both samples were split into two subsamples. Two principal component analyses (PCAs) followed by two confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) were run separately. Results The results of principal component analysis indicated that a one-factor model fit the data well across both samples. In consideration of the weakness of some IAT items, a 17-item modified version of the IAT was proposed. Conclusions This study assessed, for the first time, the factorial structure of a modified version of an Internet-administered IAT on a sample of Internet gamers and a sample of online poker players. The scale seems appropriate for the assessment of such online behaviors. Further studies on the modified 17-item IAT version are needed. PMID:26543917

An examination of the factor structure and sex invariance of a French translation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 in university students.

PubMed

Kertechian, Sevag; Swami, Viren

2017-06-01

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a measure of positive body image that has been found that have a one-dimensional factor structure in a number of different cultural groups. Here, we examined the factor structure and sex-based measurement invariance of a French translation of the BAS-2. A total of 652 university students (age M=21.33, SD=3.18) completed a newly-translated French version of the BAS-2. Exploratory factor analyses with a randomly selected split-half subsample revealed that the BAS-2 had a one-dimensional factor structure in both sexes. Confirmatory factor analyses with a second split-half subsample indicated that the one-dimensional factor structure had adequate fit following modifications and was invariant across sex. French BAS-2 scores had adequate internal consistency and men had significantly higher body appreciation than women (ds=.16-.23). These results provide preliminary support for the factorial validity of the French BAS-2. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Actual and Idealized Crystal Field Parameterizations for the Uranium Ions in UF 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gajek, Z.; Mulak, J.; Krupa, J. C.

1993-12-01

The crystal field parameters for the actual coordination symmetries of the uranium ions in UF 4, C2 and C1, and for their idealizations to D2, C2 v , D4, D4 d , and the Archimedean antiprism point symmetries are given. They have been calculated by means of both the perturbative ab initio model and the angular overlap model and are referenced to the recent results fitted by Carnall's group. The equivalency of some different sets of parameters has been verified with the standardization procedure. The adequacy of several idealized approaches has been tested by comparison of the corresponding splitting patterns of the 3H 4 ground state. Our results support the parameterization given by Carnall. Furthermore, the parameterization of the crystal field potential and the splitting diagram for the symmetryless uranium ion U( C1) are given. Having at our disposal the crystal field splittings for the two kinds of uranium ions in UF 4, U( C2) and U( C1), we calculate the model plots of the paramagnetic susceptibility χ( T) and the magnetic entropy associated with the Schottky anomaly Δ S( T) for UF 4.

Selection of higher order regression models in the analysis of multi-factorial transcription data.

PubMed

Prazeres da Costa, Olivia; Hoffman, Arthur; Rey, Johannes W; Mansmann, Ulrich; Buch, Thorsten; Tresch, Achim

2014-01-01

Many studies examine gene expression data that has been obtained under the influence of multiple factors, such as genetic background, environmental conditions, or exposure to diseases. The interplay of multiple factors may lead to effect modification and confounding. Higher order linear regression models can account for these effects. We present a new methodology for linear model selection and apply it to microarray data of bone marrow-derived macrophages. This experiment investigates the influence of three variable factors: the genetic background of the mice from which the macrophages were obtained, Yersinia enterocolitica infection (two strains, and a mock control), and treatment/non-treatment with interferon-γ. We set up four different linear regression models in a hierarchical order. We introduce the eruption plot as a new practical tool for model selection complementary to global testing. It visually compares the size and significance of effect estimates between two nested models. Using this methodology we were able to select the most appropriate model by keeping only relevant factors showing additional explanatory power. Application to experimental data allowed us to qualify the interaction of factors as either neutral (no interaction), alleviating (co-occurring effects are weaker than expected from the single effects), or aggravating (stronger than expected). We find a biologically meaningful gene cluster of putative C2TA target genes that appear to be co-regulated with MHC class II genes. We introduced the eruption plot as a tool for visual model comparison to identify relevant higher order interactions in the analysis of expression data obtained under the influence of multiple factors. We conclude that model selection in higher order linear regression models should generally be performed for the analysis of multi-factorial microarray data.

Effect of Simultaneous Water Deficit Stress and Meloidogyne incognita Infection on Cotton Yield and Fiber Quality

PubMed Central

Davis, R. F.; Earl, H. J.; Timper, P.

2014-01-01

Both water deficit stress and Meloidogyne incognita infection can reduce cotton growth and yield, and drought can affect fiber quality, but the effect of nematodes on fiber quality is not well documented. To determine whether nematode parasitism affects fiber quality and whether the combined effects of nematode and drought stress on yield and quality are additive (independent effects), synergistic, or antagonistic, we conducted a study for 7 yr in a field infested with M. incognita. A split-plot design was used with the main plot factor as one of three irrigation treatments (low [nonirrigated], moderate irrigation, and high irrigation [water-replete]) and the subplot factor as 0 or 56 l/ha 1,3-dichloropropene. We prevented water deficit stress in plots designated as water-replete by supplementing rainfall with irrigation. Plots receiving moderate irrigation received half the water applied to the water-replete treatment. The severity of root galling was greater in nonfumigated plots and in plots receiving the least irrigation, but the amount of irrigation did not influence the effect of fumigation on root galling (no irrigation × fumigation interaction). The weights of lint and seed harvested were reduced in nonfumigated plots and also decreased as the level of irrigation decreased, but fumigation did not influence the effect of irrigation. Nematodes affected fiber quality by increasing micronaire readings but typically had little or no effect on percent lint, fiber length (measured by HVI), uniformity, strength, elongation, length (based on weight or number measured by AFIS), upper quartile length, or short fiber content (based on weight or number). Micronaire also was increased by water deficit stress, but the effects from nematodes and water stress were independent. We conclude that the detrimental effects caused to cotton yield and quality by nematode parasitism and water deficit stress are independent and therefore additive. PMID:24987162

The assessment of renal cortex and parenchymal volume using automated CT volumetry for predicting renal function after donor nephrectomy.

PubMed

Mitsui, Yosuke; Sadahira, Takuya; Araki, Motoo; Wada, Koichiro; Tanimoto, Ryuta; Ariyoshi, Yuichi; Kobayashi, Yasuyuki; Watanabe, Masami; Watanabe, Toyohiko; Nasu, Yasutomo

2018-04-01

Contrast-enhanced CT is necessary before donor nephrectomy and is usually combined with a Tc-99m-mercapto-acetyltriglycine (MAG3) scan to check split renal function (SRF). However, all transplant programs do not use MAG3 because of its high cost and exposure to radiation. We examined whether CT volumetry of the kidney can be a new tool for evaluating SRF. Sixty-three patients underwent live donor nephrectomy. Patients without a 1.0 mm slice CT or follow-up for <12 months were excluded leaving 34 patients' data being analyzed. SRF was measured by MAG3. Split renal volume (SRV) was calculated automatically using volume analyzer software. The correlation between SRF and SRV was examined. The association between the donor's postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and predicted eGFR calculated by MAG3 or CT volumetry was analyzed at 1, 3, and 12 months post nephrectomy. Strong correlations were observed preoperatively in a Bland-Altman plot between SRF measured by MAG3 and either CT cortex or parenchymal volumetry. In addition, eGFR after donation correlated with SRF measured by MAG3 or CT volumetry. The correlation coefficients (R) for eGFR Mag3 split were 0.755, 0.615, and 0.763 at 1, 3 and 12 months, respectively. The corresponding R values for cortex volume split were 0.679, 0.638, and 0.747. Those for parenchymal volume split were 0.806, 0.592, and 0.764. Measuring kidney by CT volumetry is a cost-effective alternative to MAG3 for evaluating SRF and predicting postoperative donor renal function. Both cortex and parenchymal volumetry were similarly effective.

Formulation of topical bioadhesive gel of aceclofenac using 3-level factorial design.

PubMed

Singh, Sanjay; Parhi, Rabinarayan; Garg, Anuj

2011-01-01

The objective of this work was to develop bioadhesive topical gel of Aceclofenac with the help of response-surface approach. Experiments were performed according to a 3-level factorial design to evaluate the effects of two independent variables [amount of Poloxamer 407 (PL-407 = X1) and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose K100 M (HPMC = X2)] on the bioadhesive character of gel, rheological property of gel (consistency index), and in-vitro drug release. The best model was selected to fit the data. Mathematical equation was generated by Design Expert® software for the model which assists in determining the effect of independent variables. Response surface plots were also generated by the software for analyzing effect of the independent variables on the response. Quadratic model was found to be the best for all the responses. Both independent variable (X1 and X2) were found to have synergistic effect on bioadhesion (Y1) but the effect of HPMC was more pronounced than PL-407. Consistency index was enhanced by increasing the level of both independent variables. An antagonistic effect of both independent variables was found on cumulative percentage release of drug in 2 (Y3) and 8 h (Y4). Both independent variables approximately equally contributed the antagonistic effect on Y3 whereas antagonistic effect of HPMC was more pronounced than PL-407. The effect of formulation variables on the product characteristics can be easily predicted and precisely interpreted by using a 3-level factorial experimental design and generated quadratic mathematical equations.

Multiple dimensions of intraspecific diversity affect biomass of eelgrass and its associated community.

PubMed

Abbott, Jessica M; Grosberg, Richard K; Williams, Susan L; Stachowicz, John J

2017-12-01

Genetic diversity within key species can play an important role in the functioning of entire communities. However, the extent to which different dimensions of diversity (e.g., the number of genotypes vs. the extent of genetic differentiation among those genotypes) best predicts functioning is unknown and may yield clues into the different mechanisms underlying diversity effects. We explicitly test the relative influence of genotypic richness and genetic relatedness on eelgrass productivity, biomass, and the diversity of associated invertebrate grazers in a factorial field experiment using the seagrass species, Zostera marina (eelgrass). Genotypic richness had the strongest effect on eelgrass biomass accumulation, such that plots with more genotypes at the end of the experiment attained a higher biomass. Genotypic diversity (richness + evenness) was a stronger predictor of biomass than richness alone, and both genotype richness and diversity were positively correlated with trait diversity. The relatedness of genotypes in a plot reduced eelgrass biomass independently of richness. Plots containing eelgrass with greater trait diversity also had a higher abundance of invertebrate grazers, while the diversity and relatedness of eelgrass genotypes had little effect on invertebrate abundance or richness. Our work extends previous findings by explicitly relating genotypic diversity to trait diversity, thus mechanistically connecting genotypic diversity to plot-level yields. We also show that other dimensions of diversity, namely relatedness, influence eelgrass performance independent of trait differentiation. Ultimately, richness and relatedness captured fundamentally different components of intraspecific variation and should be treated as complementary rather than competing dimensions of biodiversity affecting ecosystem functioning. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Plant and arthropod community sensitivity to rainfall manipulation but not nitrogen enrichment in a successional grassland ecosystem.

PubMed

Lee, Mark A; Manning, Pete; Walker, Catherine S; Power, Sally A

2014-12-01

Grasslands provide many ecosystem services including carbon storage, biodiversity preservation and livestock forage production. These ecosystem services will change in the future in response to multiple global environmental changes, including climate change and increased nitrogen inputs. We conducted an experimental study over 3 years in a mesotrophic grassland ecosystem in southern England. We aimed to expose plots to rainfall manipulation that simulated IPCC 4th Assessment projections for 2100 (+15% winter rainfall and -30% summer rainfall) or ambient climate, achieving +15% winter rainfall and -39% summer rainfall in rainfall-manipulated plots. Nitrogen (40 kg ha(-1) year(-1)) was also added to half of the experimental plots in factorial combination. Plant species composition and above ground biomass were not affected by rainfall in the first 2 years and the plant community did not respond to nitrogen enrichment throughout the experiment. In the third year, above-ground plant biomass declined in rainfall-manipulated plots, driven by a decline in the abundances of grass species characteristic of moist soils. Declining plant biomass was also associated with changes to arthropod communities, with lower abundances of plant-feeding Auchenorrhyncha and carnivorous Araneae indicating multi-trophic responses to rainfall manipulation. Plant and arthropod community composition and plant biomass responses to rainfall manipulation were not modified by nitrogen enrichment, which was not expected, but may have resulted from prior nitrogen saturation and/or phosphorus limitation. Overall, our study demonstrates that climate change may in future influence plant productivity and induce multi-trophic responses in grasslands.

Validation of the German revised version of the program in palliative care education and practice questionnaire (PCEP-GR).

PubMed

Fetz, Katharina; Wenzel-Meyburg, Ursula; Schulz-Quach, Christian

2017-12-28

The evaluation of the effectiveness of undergraduate palliative care education (UPCE) programs is an essential foundation to providing high-quality UPCE programs. Therefore, the implementation of valid evaluation tools is indispensable. Until today, there has been no general consensus regarding concrete outcome parameters and their accurate measurement. The Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice Questionnaire (German Revised Version; PCEP-GR) is a promising assessment tool for UPCE. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of PCEP-GR and to demonstrate its feasibility for the evaluation of UPCE programs. The practical feasibility of the PCEP-GR and its acceptance in medical students were investigated in a pilot study with 24 undergraduate medical students at Heinrich Heine University Dusseldorf, Germany. Subsequently, the PCEP-GR was surveyed in a representative sample (N = 680) of medical students in order to investigate its psychometric properties. Factorial validity was investigated by means of principal component analysis (PCA). Reliability was examined by means of split-half-reliability analysis and analysis of internal consistency. After taking into consideration the PCA and distribution analysis results, an evaluation instruction for the PCEP-GR was developed. The PCEP-GR proved to be feasible and well-accepted in medical students. PCA revealed a four-factorial solution indicating four PCEP-GR subscales: preparation to provide palliative care, attitudes towards palliative care, self-estimation of competence in communication with dying patients and their relatives and self-estimation of knowledge and skills in palliative care. The PCEP-GR showed good split-half-reliability and acceptable to good internal consistency of subscales. Attitudes towards palliative care slightly missed the criterion of acceptable internal consistency. The evaluation instruction suggests a global PCEP-GR index and four subscales. The PCEP-GR has proven to be a feasible, economic, valid and reliable tool for the assessment of UPCE that comprises self-efficacy expectation and relevant attitudes towards palliative care.

Local Upper Mantle Upwelling beneath New England: Evidence from Seismic Anisotropy.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levin, V. L.; Long, M. D.; Lopez, I.; Li, Y.; Skryzalin, P. A.

2017-12-01

The upper mantle beneath eastern North America contains regions where seismic wave speed is significantly reduced. As they cut across the trend of the Appalachian terranes, these anomalies likely post-date the Paleozoic assembly of Pangea. Most prominent of them, the North Appalachian Anomaly (NAA), has been alternatively explained by the localized disruption of lithospheric fabric, the passage of the Great Meteor Hot Spot, and the current local upwelling of the asthenosphere. Comprehensive mapping of shear wave splitting identified a local perturbation of an otherwise uniform regional pattern, with no apparent splitting occurring at a site within the NAA. To evaluate the reality of this apparent localized disruption in the anisotropic fabric of the upper mantle beneath northeastern North America we used observations of shear wave splitting from a set of long-running observatories not included in previous studies. Three methods of evaluating shear wave splitting (rotation-correlation, minimization of the transverse component, and the splitting intensity) yield complementary results. We show that splitting of core-refracted shear waves within the outline of the NAA is significantly weaker than towards its edges and beyond them (Figure 1). Average fast orientations are close to the absolute plate motion in the hot-spot reference frame, thus we can attribute a large fraction of this signal to the coherently sheared sub-lithospheric upper mantle. A decrease in average delay we observe, from 1 s outside the NAA to under 0.2 s within it, translates into a reduction of the vertical extent of the sheared layer from 130 km to 16 km (assuming 4% anisotropy), or alternatively into a weakening of the azimuthal anisotropy from 5% to 0.6% (assuming a 100 km thick layer). The splitting reduction within the NAA is consistent with a localized change in anisotropic fabric that would be expected in case of geologically recent sub-vertical flow overprinting the broadly uniform upper mantle fabric detected throughout the region. Figure 1. Splitting intensity (red circles) plotted over best-fitting sinusoidal functions (blue, parameters in upper right) and predictions based on average delays and fast polarizations (green, parameters in upper left). Outlines of the NAA at 200 km depth from tomographic studies using Earthscope data.

Users manual for program NYQUIST: Liquid rocket nyquist plots developed for use on a PC computer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Wilbur C.

1992-06-01

The piping in a liquid rocket can assume complex configurations due to multiple tanks, multiple engines, and structures that must be piped around. The capability to handle some of these complex configurations have been incorporated into the NYQUIST code. The capability to modify the input on line has been implemented. The configurations allowed include multiple tanks, multiple engines, and the splitting of a pipe into unequal segments going to different (or the same) engines. This program will handle the following type elements: straight pipes, bends, inline accumulators, tuned stub accumulators, Helmholtz resonators, parallel resonators, pumps, split pipes, multiple tanks, and multiple engines. The code is too large to compile as one program using Microsoft FORTRAN 5; therefore, the code was broken into two segments: NYQUIST1.FOR and NYQUIST2.FOR. These are compiled separately and then linked together. The final run code is not too large (approximately equals 344,000 bytes).

Unique spin-polarized transmission effects in a QD ring structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedin, Eric; Joe, Yong

2010-10-01

Spintronics is an emerging field in which the spin of the electron is used for switching purposes and to communicate information. In order to obtain spin-polarized electron transmission, the Zeeman effect is employed to produce spin-split energy states in quantum dots which are embedded in the arms of a mesoscopic Aharonov-Bohm (AB) ring heterostructure. The Zeeman splitting of the QD energy levels can be induced by a parallel magnetic field, or by a perpendicular field which also produces AB-effects. The combination of these effects on the transmission resonances of the structure is studied analytically and several parameter regimes are identified which produce a high degree of spin-polarized output. Contour and line plots of the weighted spin polarization as a function of electron energy and magnetic field are presented to visualize the degree of spin-polarization. Taking advantage of these unique parameter regimes shows the potential promise of such devices for producing spin-polarized currents.

Users manual for program NYQUIST: Liquid rocket nyquist plots developed for use on a PC computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, Wilbur C.

1992-01-01

The piping in a liquid rocket can assume complex configurations due to multiple tanks, multiple engines, and structures that must be piped around. The capability to handle some of these complex configurations have been incorporated into the NYQUIST code. The capability to modify the input on line has been implemented. The configurations allowed include multiple tanks, multiple engines, and the splitting of a pipe into unequal segments going to different (or the same) engines. This program will handle the following type elements: straight pipes, bends, inline accumulators, tuned stub accumulators, Helmholtz resonators, parallel resonators, pumps, split pipes, multiple tanks, and multiple engines. The code is too large to compile as one program using Microsoft FORTRAN 5; therefore, the code was broken into two segments: NYQUIST1.FOR and NYQUIST2.FOR. These are compiled separately and then linked together. The final run code is not too large (approximately equals 344,000 bytes).

Mixture-mixture design for the fingerprint optimization of chromatographic mobile phases and extraction solutions for Camellia sinensis.

PubMed

Borges, Cleber N; Bruns, Roy E; Almeida, Aline A; Scarminio, Ieda S

2007-07-09

A composite simplex centroid-simplex centroid mixture design is proposed for simultaneously optimizing two mixture systems. The complementary model is formed by multiplying special cubic models for the two systems. The design was applied to the simultaneous optimization of both mobile phase chromatographic mixtures and extraction mixtures for the Camellia sinensis Chinese tea plant. The extraction mixtures investigated contained varying proportions of ethyl acetate, ethanol and dichloromethane while the mobile phase was made up of varying proportions of methanol, acetonitrile and a methanol-acetonitrile-water (MAW) 15%:15%:70% mixture. The experiments were block randomized corresponding to a split-plot error structure to minimize laboratory work and reduce environmental impact. Coefficients of an initial saturated model were obtained using Scheffe-type equations. A cumulative probability graph was used to determine an approximate reduced model. The split-plot error structure was then introduced into the reduced model by applying generalized least square equations with variance components calculated using the restricted maximum likelihood approach. A model was developed to calculate the number of peaks observed with the chromatographic detector at 210 nm. A 20-term model contained essentially all the statistical information of the initial model and had a root mean square calibration error of 1.38. The model was used to predict the number of peaks eluted in chromatograms obtained from extraction solutions that correspond to axial points of the simplex centroid design. The significant model coefficients are interpreted in terms of interacting linear, quadratic and cubic effects of the mobile phase and extraction solution components.

Light attenuation versus evolved carbon (AVEC) - A new way to look at elemental and organic carbon analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolosi, E. M. G.; Quincey, P.; Font, A.; Fuller, G. W.

2018-02-01

The Attenuation Versus Evolved Carbon (AVEC) plot is a new way to represent thermal-optical organic carbon/elemental carbon (OC/EC) analysis data. The accumulated carbon concentration is plotted against the attenuation (ln (I0/I)). Unlike the thermogram, it provides information about the sample properties rather than the instantaneous instrument sensor status. The plot can be used to refine the determination of OC and EC split point, either from consideration of laser instability or transit time within the instrument; to investigate the optical properties of the particles; and to spot the early evolution of pyrolysed carbon (PC) and/or EC during the inert phase. 168 samples from three sites were studied. The gradient of the AVEC plot curve in the oxygenated phase provides information about the mass absorption cross section (σ) of the particles leaving the filter. The σ of the PC generated in the higher temperature Quartz protocol was greater than the PC generated in the lower temperature EUSAAR_2 protocol. Also, in both cases the PC evolved at a lower temperature in the oxygenated phase than the native EC. To minimise the shadowing effect, σ was also measured for the particles leaving the filter at the end of the analysis. These σ values, which are expected to be a combination of inherent σ together with fixed instrumental factors, were consistent between the different sites (45 ± 10 m2 g-1 in rural samples, 42 ± 8 m2 g-1 in urban samples and 35 ± 14 m2 g-1 in roadside samples). The AVEC plot can be generated from the data routinely produced by the analytical instrument using the R-code supplied in the supplementary material.

Altered water and nitrogen input shifts succession in a southern California coastal sage community.

PubMed

Kimball, Sarah; Goulden, Michael L; Suding, Katharine N; Parker, Scot

Vegetation-type conversions between grasslands and shrublands have occurred worldwide in semiarid regions over the last 150 years. Areas once covered by drought-deciduous shrubs in Southern California (coastal sage scrub) are converting to grasslands dominated by nonnative species. Increasing fire frequency, drought, and nitrogen deposition have all been hypothesized as causes of this conversion, though there is little direct evidence. We constructed rain-out shelters in a coastal sage scrub community following a wildfire, manipulated water and nitrogen input in a split-plot design, and collected annual data on community composition for four years. While shrub cover increased through time in all plots during the postfire succession, both drought and nitrogen significantly slowed recovery. Four years after the fire, average native shrub cover ranged from over 80% in water addition, ambient-nitrogen plots to 20% in water reduction, nitrogen addition plots. Nonnative grass cover was high following the fire and remained high in the water reduction plots through the third spring after the fire, before decreasing in the fourth year of the study. Adding nitrogen decreased the cover of native plants and increased the cover of nonnative grasses, but also increased the growth of one crown-sprouting shrub species. Our results suggest that extreme drought during postfire succession may slow or alter succession, possibly facilitating vegetation-type conversion of coastal sage scrub to grassland. Nitrogen addition slowed succession and, when combined with drought, significantly decreased native cover and increased grass cover. Fire, drought, and atmospheric N deposition are widespread aspects of environmental change that occur simultaneously in this system. Our results imply these drivers of change may reinforce each other, leading to a continued decline of native shrubs and conversion to annual grassland.

Effect of mungbean (Vigna radiate) living mulch on density and dry weight of weeds in corn (Zea mays) field.

PubMed

Moghadam, M Bakhtiari; Vazan, S; Darvishi, B; Golzardi, F; Farahani, M Esfini

2011-01-01

Living mulch is a suitable solution for weeds ecological management and is considered as an effective method in decreasing of weeds density and dry weight. In order to evaluate of mungbean living mulch effect on density and dry weight of weeds in corn field, an experiment was conducted as a split plot based on randomized complete block design with four blocks in Research Field of Department of Agronomy, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University in 2010. Main plots were time of mungbean suppression with 2,4-D herbicide in four levels (4, 6, 8 and 10 leaves stages of corn) and control without weeding and sub plots were densities of mungbean in three levels (50%, 100% and 150% more than optimum density). Density and dry weight of the weeds were measured in all plots with a quadrate (60 x 100 cm) in 10 days after tasseling. Totally, 9 species of weeds were identified in the field, which included 4 broad leave species that were existed in all plots. The results showed that the best time for suppression of mungbean is the 8 leaves stage of corn, which decreased density and dry weight of weeds, 53% and 51% in comparison with control, respectively. Increase of density of mungbean from 50% into 150% more than optimum density, decrease the density and dry weight of weeds, 27.5% and 22%, respectively. It is concluded that the best time and density for suppression mungbean was 8 leaves stage of corn, and 150% more than optimum density, which decreased density and dry weight of the weeds 69% and 63.5% in comparison with control, respectively.

Trace gas emissions following deposition of excreta by grazing dairy cows in eastern Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rochette, P.; Pelster, D. E.; Chantigny, M. H.; Angers, D. A.; Liang, C.; Belanger, G.; Ziadi, N.; Charbonneau, E.; Pellerin, D.

2012-04-01

The N2O emission factor proposed for cattle excreta N by the Tier I IPCC methodology (EF3) is 2% (IPCC, 2006). While N2O emissions from excreta deposited by grazing animals have been reported in several publications, relatively few estimated EF3 values because measurements did not cover the entire year. This study measured N2O and CH4 flux and crop dry matter (DM) yield over two years (2009 to 2011) from a clay and a sandy loam soil cultivated with Timothy grass (Phleum pratense L.). A split-plot design was used on each soil type, with different application dates (either spring, summer or autumn application) as main plots and treatment (U-50: urine 50 g N m-2, U-100: urine 100 g N m-2, dung: 60 g N m-2, and control) as the sub-plots. Regardless of application time, annual DM yield increased in all treated plots when compared to the control. Also, DM yields were generally greater when urine as opposed to dung was applied suggesting greater N-availability from the urine application. The CH4 flux from the dung plots increased for only the first two weeks after treatment while the flux from the urine plots was similar to the control plots. Cumulative N2O emissions on the U-50 and U-100 plots increased linearly with urine N rate on both soils, resulting in nearly identical mean emission factors for both urine rates. The emission factor for the urine was three times greater on the clay (1.02% of applied N on both rates) than on the sandy loam soil (0.26% (U100) and 0.31% (U50) of applied N). Cumulative N2O emissions from dung plots also differed between soil types; however the impact of soil type on N2O emissions was opposite to that of urine, with greater losses from the sandy loam (0.15%) compared with the clay soil (0.07%). These results suggest that estimates of soil N2O emissions by grazing cattle in Eastern Canada obtained using the IPCC default methodology are overestimates of actual values and that these estimates for should include a stratification according to soil type.

Response of rice cultivars to rates of nitrogen and potassium application in field and pot conditions.

PubMed

Bahmaniar, M A; Ranjbar, G A

2007-05-01

Nitrogen and potassium are the yield-limiting nutrients in rice production regions of Iran. Use of N and K efficient cultivars is an important complementary strategy in improving rice yield, increasing the quality properties of rice grains and reducing cost of production. In order to consider the effects of different amounts of N and K application on rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield and yield components in pot and field conditions these experiments were undertaken in 2004 at Sari Agricultural Station, Iran. Four levels of N (0, 50, 100 and 150 Kg N ha(-1) in field and 0, 0.6, 1.2 and 1.8 g N pot(-1) in pot) corresponding with four levels of K (0, 75, 150 and 225 kg K2O ha(-1) in field and 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 g K2O pot(-1) in pot) were applied in a split-factorial plot design with three replications in both pot and field experiments, variously. Grain yield, number of grain per panicle, number of tiller, plant height, length of flag leaf, total and shoot dry matter, 1000 grain weight and harvest index have been increased by N application in field conditions. However, in pot conditions grain yield, number of grain per panicle, number of tiller, plant height, width of flag leaf, total and shoot dry matter, leaf nitrogen contents and harvest index have significantly been increased (p < or = 0.05). Potassium application in field conditions has significantly affected on all characteristics but 1000 grain weight and leaf N and K contents. Simultaneous application of N and K have increasingly affected on grain yield, plant height, shoot dry matter and harvest index in field conditions and on plant height, length of flag leaf and shoot dry matter in pot conditions (p < or = 0.05).

Flavonoid and leaf gas exchange responses of Centella asiatica to acute gamma irradiation and carbon dioxide enrichment under controlled environment conditions.

PubMed

Moghaddam, Sina Siavash; Jaafar, Hawa Binti; Aziz, Maheran Abdul; Ibrahim, Rusli; Rahmat, Asmah Bt; Philip, Elizabeth

2011-10-25

The study was couducted to investigate the effects of gamma irradiation and CO₂ on flavonoid content and leaf gas exchange in C.asiatica. For flavonoid determination, the design was a split split plot based on Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). For other parameters, the designs were split plots. Statistical tests revealed significant differences in flavonoid contents of Centella asiatica leaves between different growth stages and various CO₂ treatments. CO₂ 400, G20 (400 = ambient CO₂; G20 = Plants exposed to 20 Gy) showed 82.90% higher total flavonoid content (TFC) in the 5th week than CO₂ 400 as control at its best harvest time (4th week). Increasing the concentration of CO₂ from 400 to 800 μmol/mol had significant effects on TFC and harvesting time. In fact, 800 μmol/mol resulted in 171.1% and 66.62% increases in TFC for control and irradiated plants, respectively. Moreover, increasing CO₂ concentration reduced the harvesting time to three and four weeks for control and irradiated plants, respectively. Enhancing CO₂ to 800 µmol/mol resulted in a 193.30% (CO₂ 800) increase in leaf biomass compared to 400 µmol/mol and 226.34% enhancement in irradiated plants (CO₂ 800, G20) [800 = Ambient CO₂; G20 = Plants exposed to 20 Gy] than CO₂ 400, G20. In addition, the CO₂ 800, G20 had the highest amount of flavonoid*biomass in the 4th week. The results of this study indicated that all elevated CO₂ treatments had higher PN than the ambient ones. The findings showed that when CO₂ level increased from 400 to 800 µmol/mol, stomatal conductance, leaf intercellular CO₂ and transpiration rate had the tendency to decrease. However, water use efficiency increased in response to elevated CO₂ concentration. Returning to the findings of this study, it is now possible to state that the proposed method (combined CO₂ and gamma irradiation) has the potential to increase the product value by reducing the time to harvest, increasing the yield per unit area via boosting photosynthesis capacity, as well as increasing biochemicals (flavonoids) per gram DM.

Author Correction: Fermiology and electron dynamics of trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10.

PubMed

Li, Haoxiang; Zhou, Xiaoqing; Nummy, Thomas; Zhang, Junjie; Pardo, Victor; Pickett, Warren E; Mitchell, J F; Dessau, D S

2018-05-11

The original version of this Article contained errors in Fig. 2, Fig. 3a-c and Supplementary Fig. 2. In Fig. 2g and Supplementary Fig. 2, the band structure plot calculated from density function theory (DFT) had a missing band of mainly z 2 character that starts at about - 0.25 eV at the Y point and disperses downwards towards the Γ point. This band was inadvertently neglected when transferring the lines from the original band plot to the enhanced version for publication. Also in Fig. 2g, the points labelled M and Y were not exactly at (1/2 1/2 0) and (0 1/2 0), but rather (0.52 0.48 0) and (0 0.48 0) due to a bug in XCrysDen for low-symmetry structures that the authors failed to identify before publication. Thus, the bands presented were slightly off the true M-Y direction and additional splitting incorrectly appeared (in particular for the highly dispersive bands of x 2 -y 2 character). The correct versions of Fig. 2g (cited as Fig. 1) and Supplementary Fig. 2 (cited as Fig. 2) are:which replaces the previous incorrect version, cited here as Fig. 3 and Fig. 4:Neither of these errors in Fig. 2g or Supplementary Fig. 2 affects either the discussion or any of the interpretations of the ARPES data provided in the paper. The authors discussed the multilayer band splitting along the Γ-M direction (δ band and α band as assigned in the paper), and ARPES did not see any split band. The authors did not discuss the further splitting that arises due to back folding along the M-Y direction.In Fig. 3a-c, the errors in the M and Y points in Fig. 2g cause subtle changes to the DFT dispersions. The correct version of Fig. 3a-c is cited here as Fig 5:which replaces the previous incorrect version (Fig. 6):However, the influence on the effective mass results of Fig. 3d is negligible.These errors have now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article. The authors acknowledge James Rondinelli and Danilo Puggioni from Northwestern University for calling our attention to these issues.

The effect of shade and vermicompost application on yield and flavonoid levels of Tempuyung (Sonchus arvensis)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putri, D. P.; Widyastuti, Y.; Dewi, W. S.; Yunus, A.

2018-03-01

This study aims to determine the effect of shade and vermicompost on yield and level of flavonoids in Tempuyung (Sonchus arvensis). The study was conducted in May- August 2016, in Tegal Gede Village, Kab. Karanganyar. Secondary metabolite content analysis was performed in B2P2TOOT laboratory, Tawangmangu. This study used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) arranged in a split plot. Treatment consists of shade as main plot and the dose of vermicompost as sub plot. Shade treatments are 0% (without shade), 50% and 75%. The dose of vermicompost are 0 g / polybag (control), 250 g / polybag, 500 g / polybag and 750 g / polybag. Each treatment was repeated 3 times and each in experimental unit consist of 2 sample plants. The results showed that the higher levels of shade tend to decrease vegetative growth of plants. Moreover, vermicompost give significant effect on leaf weight, l number, wet and dry weight. The combination of 0% shade and 750 gram vermicompost gave the highest value (P <0.05) to leaf weight ± 186.68 g, wet weight ± 252.08 g and dry weight ± 30,76 gTempuyung. The combination of 50% shade with 0 g vermicompost and 75% shade with 250 g vermicompost show to increasing the content of flavonoid compounds.

Phosphorus and Compost Management Influence Maize (Zea mays) Productivity Under Semiarid Condition with and without Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria.

PubMed

Amanullah; Khan, Adil

2015-01-01

Phosphorus (P) unavailability and lack of organic matter in the soils under semiarid climates are the two major constraints for low crop productivity. Field trial was conducted to study the effects of P levels, compost application times and seed inoculation with phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on the yield and yield components of maize (Zea mays L., cv. Azam). The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Research Farm of The University of Agriculture Peshawar-Pakistan during summer 2014. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement using three replications. The two PSB levels [(1) inoculated seed with PSB (+) and (2) seed not inoculated with PSB (- or control)] and three compost application times (30, 15, and 0 days before sowing) combination (six treatments) were used as main plot factor, while four P levels (25, 50, 75, and 100 kg P ha(-1)) used as subplot factor. The results confirmed that compost applied at sowing time and P applied at the two higher rates (75 and 100 kg P ha(-1)) had significantly increased yield and yield components of maize under semiarid condition. Maize seed inoculated with PSB (+) had tremendously increased yield and yield components of maize over PSB-control plots (-) under semiarid condition.

Effect of tillage system on yield and weed populations of soybean ( Glycin Max L.).

PubMed

Hosseini, Seyed Z; Firouzi, Saeed; Aminpanah, Hashem; Sadeghnejhad, Hamid R

2016-03-01

Field experiment was conducted at Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Golestan Province, Iran, to determine the effects of tillage system and weed management regime on yield and weed populations in soybean ( Glycin max L.). The experimental design was a split plot where the whole plot portion was a randomized complete block with three replicates. Main plots were tillage system: 1- No-till row crop seeding, 2- No-till seed drilling, 3- Tillage with disc harrow and drill planting, 4- Tillage with chisel packer and drill planting. The subplots were weed management regimes: 1-Weed control with herbicide application, 2- Hand weeding, 3- Herbicide application plus hand weeding, and 4- Non-weeding. Results indicated that the main effects of tillage system and weed management regime were significant for seed yield, pod number per plant, seed number per pod, weed density and biomass, while their interaction were significant only for weed density, weed biomass, and seed number per pod. The highest grain yields (3838 kg ha-1) were recorded for No-till row crop seeding. The highest seed yield (3877 kg ha-1) also was recorded for weed control with herbicide and hand weeding treatment, followed by hand weeding (3379 kg ha-1).

Phosphorus and Compost Management Influence Maize (Zea mays) Productivity Under Semiarid Condition with and without Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria

PubMed Central

Amanullah

2015-01-01

Phosphorus (P) unavailability and lack of organic matter in the soils under semiarid climates are the two major constraints for low crop productivity. Field trial was conducted to study the effects of P levels, compost application times and seed inoculation with phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on the yield and yield components of maize (Zea mays L., cv. Azam). The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Research Farm of The University of Agriculture Peshawar-Pakistan during summer 2014. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement using three replications. The two PSB levels [(1) inoculated seed with PSB (+) and (2) seed not inoculated with PSB (- or control)] and three compost application times (30, 15, and 0 days before sowing) combination (six treatments) were used as main plot factor, while four P levels (25, 50, 75, and 100 kg P ha-1) used as subplot factor. The results confirmed that compost applied at sowing time and P applied at the two higher rates (75 and 100 kg P ha-1) had significantly increased yield and yield components of maize under semiarid condition. Maize seed inoculated with PSB (+) had tremendously increased yield and yield components of maize over PSB-control plots (-) under semiarid condition. PMID:26697038

Yields and content of ursolic acid in pearl grass (Hedyotis corymbosa) when utilizing cow manure fertilizer in different shades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayanti, L. D.; Yunus, A.; Pujiasmanto, B.; Widyastuti, Y.

2018-03-01

This study aims to examine the intensity of shade and proper dosage of fertilizer to maximize the content of ursolic acid and pearl grass yield. The field-run study was carried out at the Medicinal Plant Garden of the Research and Development of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicines (B2P2TOOT) and the laboratory research was conducted at the B2P2TOOT Phytochemistry Laboratory. The experiment design was Randomized Complete Block Design with Split Plot pattern with the intensity (three levels) as main plot and fertilizer dosage (four levels) as sub plot. The data obtained were analyzed using the variance analysis, if there were significant differences tested further by using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT) with 95% confidence level. The results showed that shade treatment gave significant effects on plant height, number of branches, root length, fresh weight and dry weight. The treatment of a fertilizer dosage 15 tons/ha gave the best results on fresh weight and dry weight. The combination of N0K0 treatment (without shade, without cow manure) resulted in the highest quality of ursolic acid as it featured a light blue color when detected under UV366 light.

Short-term herbivory has long-term consequences in warmed and ambient high Arctic tundra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Little, Chelsea J.; Cutting, Helen; Alatalo, Juha; Cooper, Elisabeth

2017-02-01

Climate change is occurring across the world, with effects varying by ecosystem and region but already occurring quickly in high-latitude and high-altitude regions. Biotic interactions are important in determining ecosystem response to such changes, but few studies have been long-term in nature, especially in the High Arctic. Mesic tundra plots on Svalbard, Norway, were subjected to grazing at two different intensities by captive Barnacle geese from 2003-2005, in a factorial design with warming by Open Top Chambers. Warming manipulations were continued through 2014, when we measured vegetation structure and composition as well as growth and reproduction of three dominant species in the mesic meadow. Significantly more dead vascular plant material was found in warmed compared to ambient plots, regardless of grazing history, but in contrast to many short-term experiments no difference in the amount of living material was found. This has strong implications for nutrient and carbon cycling and could feed back into community productivity. Dominant species showed increased flowering in warmed plots, especially in those plots where grazing had been applied. However, this added sexual reproduction did not translate to substantial shifts in vegetative cover. Forbs and rushes increased slightly in warmed plots regardless of grazing, while the dominant shrub, Salix polaris, generally declined with effects dependent on grazing, and the evergreen shrub Dryas octopetala declined with previous intensive grazing. There were no treatment effects on community diversity or evenness. Thus despite no changes in total live abundance, a typical short-term response to environmental conditions, we found pronounced changes in dead biomass indicating that tundra ecosystem processes respond to medium- to long-term changes in conditions caused by 12 seasons of summer warming. We suggest that while high arctic tundra plant communities are fairly resistant to current levels of climate warming, underlying ecosystem processes are beginning to change. In addition, even short bouts of intense herbivory can have long-term consequences for some species in these communities.

Multivariate factorial analysis to design a robust batch leaching test to assess the volcanic ash geochemical hazard.

PubMed

Ruggieri, Flavia; Gil, Raúl A; Fernandez-Turiel, Jose-Luis; Saavedra, Julio; Gimeno, Domingo; Lobo, Agustin; Martinez, Luis D; Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Alejandro

2012-04-30

A method to obtain robust information on short term leaching behaviour of volcanic ashes has been developed independently on the sample age. A mixed factorial design (MFD) was employed as a multivariate strategy for the evaluation of the effects of selected control factors and their interactions (amount of sample (A), contact time (B), and liquid to solid ratio or L/S (C)) on the leaching process of selected metals (Na, K, Mg, Ca, Si, Al, V, Mn, Fe, and Co) and anions (Cl(-) and SO(4)(2-)). Box plots of the data acquired were used to evaluate the reproducibility achieved at different experimental conditions. Both the amount of sample (A) and leaching time (B) had a significant effect on the element stripping whereas the L/S ratio influenced only few elements. The lowest dispersion values have been observed when 1.0 g was leached with an L/S ratio equal to 10, shaking during 4 h. The entire method is completed within few hours, and it is simple, feasible and reliable in laboratory conditions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A case study of lean drug discovery: from project driven research to innovation studios and process factories.

PubMed

Ullman, Fredrik; Boutellier, Roman

2008-06-01

At the operational level, the number of investigational new drugs or candidates for development per dollar spent in research, and the number of patents per year are highly integrated measures of productivity and, thus, difficult to influence at the individual or lab level. Hence, different metrics are needed to assess and thereby improve productivity in research at the individual and group level. This review centers on a case study, including over 70 interviews, in a research department of a global pharmaceutical company as well as over 40 interviews in contract research organizations (CROs) and 5 in small biotechnology firms. For each lab, its value adding process was plotted according to lean six sigma methods and appropriate metrics were defined. We suggest a strong focus on short feedback loops in research as an indicator for efficiency. Our results reveal two categories of activities: creativity-driven ones and process-driven ones, both discussed with respect to the methodology used. The fundamental differences in nature of these activities require different sets of metrics to assess them. On the basis of these metrics, different organizational forms can be derived to achieve a lean research structure: innovation studios and process factories, respectively.

Recovery of a soil degraded by deep excavation using plantation of tree species and a cellulose by-product as amendment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guimarães Giácomo, Rômulo; Alves, Marlene Cristina; Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge

2014-05-01

Organic by-products obtained from the cellulose industry have been used as costs effective fertilizers in agricultural and forest soils and also as amendments for recovery of abandoned land. The construction of a power plant in the Paraná River (Brazil) motivates the deep excavation of a soil profile under native forest. Once exposed, the saprolite beneath the natural soil was abandoned, without any reclamation measure. The land left after engineering works was a harsh environment, where secondary vegetation hardly or not at all recovered. The objective of this study was to tests the efficiency of recycling a composted product obtained from cellulose waste to reclaim the abandoned saprolite material. A field trial was carried out following a classical split-split plot experimental design. In this design plantations plantations of Eucalyptus urograndis (a hybrid Eucalyptus species, considered here as exotic) and Mabea fistulifera (a native species) were the main plots. Within each main plot, subplots were six fertilizer treatments including an external control treatment, without any intervention, a control treatment, without fertilization, a mineral fertilizer treatment and three treatments amended with compost from cellulose applied at the rates of 10, 15 and 20 Mg ha-1. There were four replications per treatment. The recovery of the soil profile under the different treatments studied was assessed by indices obtained from analysis of soil physical and chemical properties. Variables such as tree species development, litter and plant debris fall, return of nutrients from vegetation to soil and epigeal fauna were also characterized. Increasing dose of amendment with cellulose by-product showed a trend to improve water infiltration and soil resistance to penetration. Treatment with 20 Mg ha-1of cellulose compost showed the highest nutrient availability, but also exhibited an important increase in soil pH. The greatest development of planted trees was recorded in the treatment with mineral fertilization, whereas a dose of 10 Mg ha-1 of amendment by cellulose by-product was the most promising for tree growth. Return of litter, plant debris and nutrients to the soil and epigeal fauna increased with increasing as the dose of the cellulose by-product increased.

Nonergodicity of microfine binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, L. D.; Sidorov, V. E.; Popel', P. S.; Shul'gin, D. B.

2016-02-01

The correction to the equation of state that is related to the nonergodicity of diffusion dynamics is discussed for a binary solid solution with a limited solubility. It is asserted that, apart from standard thermodynamic variables (temperature, volume, concentration), this correction should be taken into account in the form of the average local chemical potential fluctuations associated with microheterogeneity in order to plot a phase diagram. It is shown that a low value of this correction lowers the miscibility gap and that this gap splits when this correction increases. This situation is discussed for eutectic systems and Ga-Pb, Fe-Cu, and Cu-Zr alloys.

Research in Evaluation Methods for Data Fusion-Capable Tactical Platforms and Distributed Multi-platform Systems in Electronic Warfare and Information-Warfare Related Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-01

They support their launches until both outside reds are killed or until second shots are needed. In the baseline scenario shown, US2 achieves 2 kills ...red 5/6 kills . The SUT gate multiplication factor was 5 and 15. The PE gate multiplication factors of 3 and 5, PE designs for Vogel and Hungarian... ploughed in various sections of this land by splitting it into sub plots came to be known as the subplot factor. Such a design is used only when there

Effects of below-ground insects, mycorrhizal fungi and soil fertility on the establishment of Vicia in grassland communities.

PubMed

Ganade, G; Brown, V K

1997-02-01

 The effects of, and interactions between, insect root feeders, vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil fertility on the establishment, growth and reproduction of Vicia sativa and V. hirsuta (Fabaceae) were investigated in an early-successional grassland community. Seeds of both species were sown into plots where soil insecticide (Dursban 5G), soil fungicide (Rovral) and soil fertiliser (NPK) were applied in a factorial randomised block design. Fertiliser addition reduced growth, longevity and reproduction of both Vicia species, due to the commonly recorded increase in the competitive advantage of the non-nitrogen-fixing species when nitrogen is added to the plant community. However, in plots where fertiliser was not applied, a reduction in root feeders and mycorrhizal infection led to an increase in seedling establishment and fruit production of V. sativa, and to an increase in flower production for both Vicia species. The interaction between all three soil treatments explained much of the variation in growth and longevity of V. sativa. Plants grew larger and survived longer in plots where natural levels of mycorrhizal infection and root feeders were low compared with plots where all the treatments were applied. This suggests that, although soil nutrient availability was a strong determinant of the performance of these two leguminous species, at natural levels of soil fertility biotic factors acting in the soil, such as mycorrhizal fungi and soil-dwelling insects, were important in shaping the competitive interactions between the two Vicia species and the plant community. Our results indicate that non-additive interactions between ecological factors in the soil environment may strongly affect plant performance.

Effect of Tillage and Planting Date on Seasonal Abundance and Diversity of Predacious Ground Beetles in Cotton

PubMed Central

Shrestha, R. B.; Parajulee, M. N.

2010-01-01

A 2-year field study was conducted in the southern High Plains region of Texas to evaluate the effect of tillage system and cotton planting date window on seasonal abundance and activity patterns of predacious ground beetles. The experiment was deployed in a split-plot randomized block design with tillage as the main-plot factor and planting date as the subplot factor. There were two levels for each factor. The two tillage systems were conservation tillage (30% or more of the soil surface is covered with crop residue) and conventional tillage. The two cotton planting date window treatments were early May (normal planting) and early June (late planting). Five prevailing predacious ground beetles, Cicindela sexguttata F., Calosoma scrutator Drees, Pasimachus spp., Pterostichus spp., and Megacephala Carolina L. (Coleoptera: Carabidae), were monitored using pitfall traps at 2-week intervals from June 2002 to October 2003. The highest total number of ground beetles (6/trap) was observed on 9 July 2003. Cicindela sexguttata was the dominant ground dwelling predacious beetle among the five species. A significant difference between the two tillage systems was observed in the abundances of Pterostichus spp. and C. sexguttata. In 2002. significantly more Pterostichus spp. were recorded from conventional plots (0.27/trap) than were recorded from conservation tillage plots (0.05/trap). Significantly more C. sexguttata were recorded in 2003 from conservation plots (3.77/trap) than were recorded from conventional tillage plots (1.04/trap). There was a significant interaction between year and tillage treatments. However, there was no significant difference in the abundances of M. Carolina and Pasimachus spp. between the two tillage practices in either of the two years. M. Carolina numbers were significantly higher in late-planted cotton compared with those observed in normal-planted cotton. However, planting date window had no significant influence on the activity patterns of the other species. Ground beetle species abundance, diversity, and species richness were significantly higher in conservation tillage plots. This suggests that field conditions arising from the practice of conservation tillage may support higher predacious ground beetle activity than might be observed under field conditions arising from conventional tillage practices. PMID:21062204

Modeling water flow and nitrate dynamics in a plastic mulch vegetable cultivation system using HYDRUS-2D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filipović, Vilim; Romić, Davor; Romić, Marija; Matijević, Lana; Mallmann, Fábio J. K.; Robinson, David A.

2016-04-01

Growing vegetables commercially requires intensive management and involves high irrigation demands and input of agrochemicals. Plastic mulch application in combination with drip irrigation is a common agricultural management technique practiced due to variety of benefits to the crop, mostly vegetable biomass production. However, the use of these techniques can result in various impacts on water and nutrient distribution in underlying soil and consequently affect nutrient leaching towards groundwater resources. The aim of this work is to estimate the effect of plastic mulch cover in combination with drip irrigation on water and nitrate dynamics in soil using HYDRUS-2D model. The field site was located in Croatian costal karst area on a Gleysol (WRB). The experiment was designed according to the split-plot design in three repetitions and was divided into plots with plastic mulch cover (MULCH) and control plots with bare soil (CONT). Each of these plots received applications of three levels of nitrogen fertilizer: 70, 140, and 210 kg per ha. All plots were equipped with drip irrigation and cropped with bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Bianca F1). Lysimeters were installed at 90 cm depth in all plots and were used for monitoring the water and nitrate outflow. HYDRUS-2D was used for modeling the water and nitrogen outflow in the MULCH and CONT plots, implementing the proper boundary conditions. HYDRUS-2D simulated results showed good fitting to the field site observed data in both cumulative water and nitrate outflow, with high level of agreement. Water flow simulations produced model efficiency of 0.84 for CONT and 0.56 for MULCH plots, while nitrate simulations showed model efficiency ranging from 0.67 to 0.83 and from 0.70 to 0.93, respectively. Additional simulations were performed with the absence of the lysimeter, revealing faster transport of nitrates below drip line in the CONT plots, mostly because of the increased surface area subjected to precipitation/irrigation due the absence of soil cover. Contrary, in the MULCH plots most of the nitrate applied was still left in the upper soil layer at the end of simulations. Numerical modeling revealed a large influence of plastic mulch cover on water and nutrient outflow and distribution in soil. Results suggest that under this management practice the nitrogen amounts applied via fertigation can be lowered and optimized (higher application frequencies) to reduce possible negative influence of the nitrogen based fertilizer such as leaching of nitrates to groundwater. Keywords: Plastic mulch cover; Vegetable cultivation; Water flow; Nitrate dynamics; HYDRUS-2D

Automatic Classification of Station Quality by Image Based Pattern Recognition of Ppsd Plots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, B.; Herrnkind, S.

2017-12-01

The number of seismic stations is growing and it became common practice to share station waveform data in real-time with the main data centers as IRIS, GEOFON, ORFEUS and RESIF. This made analyzing station performance of increasing importance for automatic real-time processing and station selection. The value of a station depends on different factors as quality and quantity of the data, location of the site and general station density in the surrounding area and finally the type of application it can be used for. The approach described by McNamara and Boaz (2006) became standard in the last decade. It incorporates a probability density function (PDF) to display the distribution of seismic power spectral density (PSD). The low noise model (LNM) and high noise model (HNM) introduced by Peterson (1993) are also displayed in the PPSD plots introduced by McNamara and Boaz allowing an estimation of the station quality. Here we describe how we established an automatic station quality classification module using image based pattern recognition on PPSD plots. The plots were split into 4 bands: short-period characteristics (0.1-0.8 s), body wave characteristics (0.8-5 s), microseismic characteristics (5-12 s) and long-period characteristics (12-100 s). The module sqeval connects to a SeedLink server, checks available stations, requests PPSD plots through the Mustang service from IRIS or PQLX/SQLX or from GIS (gempa Image Server), a module to generate different kind of images as trace plots, map plots, helicorder plots or PPSD plots. It compares the image based quality patterns for the different period bands with the retrieved PPSD plot. The quality of a station is divided into 5 classes for each of the 4 bands. Classes A, B, C, D define regular quality between LNM and HNM while the fifth class represents out of order stations with gain problems, missing data etc. Over all period bands about 100 different patterns are required to classify most of the stations available on the IRIS server. The results are written to a file and stations can be filtered by quality. AAAA represents the best quality in all 4 bands. Also a differentiation between instrument types as broad band and short period stations is possible. A regular check using the IRIS SeedLink and Mustang service allow users to be informed about new stations with a specific quality.

Bladder tumours in rubber workers: a factory study 1946-1995.

PubMed

Veys, C A

2004-08-01

Prior to December 1949, some British rubber industry workers were inadvertently exposed to the human bladder carcinogen beta-naphthylamine, which was present as a contaminant (at 0.25%) in antioxidants used in manufacturing. This study follows a composite cohort of 6450 men employed at a large tyre factory either during the 'at-risk' period or just after it. A group of 2090 at-risk men (employed 1945-1949) and 3038 men, first employed only after January 1950, when the carcinogen had been removed, were followed for their bladder cancer morbidity and mortality experiences. Fifty-eight tumours were registered for those at risk, whereas only 33.9 were expected at national standardized registration rates [SRRN = 171 and 95% confidence interval (CI) = 130-221]. Thirty-nine bladder tumours were reported for the post-1950 intake, whereas 38.3 were expected (SRRN = 102 and 95% CI = 72-139). The use of mortality data did not reveal any underlying hazard because 12 of the 58 at-risk workers with tumours were still alive at the study end date. In only 16 instances was bladder cancer actually certified as the underlying cause of death. Plotting cases by their location of work on a factory plan assisted the interpretation. A statistically significant elevated risk of bladder cancer for the exposed workforce was evident, but this reversed when the carcinogen was removed from processing in October 1949. The use of morbidity (incidence) data in long-term studies of occupational bladder cancer should be the required methodology if the hazard and risk are not to be underestimated.

ClonoCalc and ClonoPlot: immune repertoire analysis from raw files to publication figures with graphical user interface.

PubMed

Fähnrich, Anke; Krebbel, Moritz; Decker, Normann; Leucker, Martin; Lange, Felix D; Kalies, Kathrin; Möller, Steffen

2017-03-11

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies enable studies and analyses of the diversity of both T and B cell receptors (TCR and BCR) in human and animal systems to elucidate immune functions in health and disease. Over the last few years, several algorithms and tools have been developed to support respective analyses of raw sequencing data of the immune repertoire. These tools focus on distinct aspects of the data processing and require a strong bioinformatics background. To facilitate the analysis of T and B cell repertoires by less experienced users, software is needed that combines the most common tools for repertoire analysis. We introduce a graphical user interface (GUI) providing a complete analysis pipeline for processing raw NGS data for human and animal TCR and BCR clonotype determination and advanced differential repertoire studies. It provides two applications. ClonoCalc prepares the raw data for downstream analyses. It combines a demultiplexer for barcode splitting and employs MiXCR for paired-end read merging and the extraction of human and animal TCR/BCR sequences. ClonoPlot wraps the R package tcR and further contributes self-developed plots for the descriptive comparative investigation of immune repertoires. This workflow reduces the amount of programming required to perform the respective analyses and supports both communication and training between scientists and technicians, and across scientific disciplines. The Open Source development in Java and R is modular and invites advanced users to extend its functionality. Software and documentation are freely available at https://bitbucket.org/ClonoSuite/clonocalc-plot .

Can quantile mapping improve precipitation extremes from regional climate models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tani, Satyanarayana; Gobiet, Andreas

2015-04-01

The ability of quantile mapping to accurately bias correct regard to precipitation extremes is investigated in this study. We developed new methods by extending standard quantile mapping (QMα) to improve the quality of bias corrected extreme precipitation events as simulated by regional climate model (RCM) output. The new QM version (QMβ) was developed by combining parametric and nonparametric bias correction methods. The new nonparametric method is tested with and without a controlling shape parameter (Qmβ1 and Qmβ0, respectively). Bias corrections are applied on hindcast simulations for a small ensemble of RCMs at six different locations over Europe. We examined the quality of the extremes through split sample and cross validation approaches of these three bias correction methods. This split-sample approach mimics the application to future climate scenarios. A cross validation framework with particular focus on new extremes was developed. Error characteristics, q-q plots and Mean Absolute Error (MAEx) skill scores are used for evaluation. We demonstrate the unstable behaviour of correction function at higher quantiles with QMα, whereas the correction functions with for QMβ0 and QMβ1 are smoother, with QMβ1 providing the most reasonable correction values. The result from q-q plots demonstrates that, all bias correction methods are capable of producing new extremes but QMβ1 reproduces new extremes with low biases in all seasons compared to QMα, QMβ0. Our results clearly demonstrate the inherent limitations of empirical bias correction methods employed for extremes, particularly new extremes, and our findings reveals that the new bias correction method (Qmß1) produces more reliable climate scenarios for new extremes. These findings present a methodology that can better capture future extreme precipitation events, which is necessary to improve regional climate change impact studies.

Shrub canopies influence soil temperatures but not nutrient dynamics: An experimental test of tundra snow–shrub interactions

PubMed Central

Myers-Smith, Isla H; Hik, David S

2013-01-01

Shrubs are the largest plant life form in tundra ecosystems; therefore, any changes in the abundance of shrubs will feedback to influence biodiversity, ecosystem function, and climate. The snow–shrub hypothesis asserts that shrub canopies trap snow and insulate soils in winter, increasing the rates of nutrient cycling to create a positive feedback to shrub expansion. However, previous work has not been able to separate the abiotic from the biotic influences of shrub canopies. We conducted a 3-year factorial experiment to determine the influences of canopies on soil temperatures and nutrient cycling parameters by removing ∼0.5 m high willow (Salix spp.) and birch (Betula glandulosa) shrubs, creating artificial shrub canopies and comparing these manipulations to nearby open tundra and shrub patches. Soil temperatures were 4–5°C warmer in January, and 2°C cooler in July under shrub cover. Natural shrub plots had 14–33 cm more snow in January than adjacent open tundra plots. Snow cover and soil temperatures were similar in the manipulated plots when compared with the respective unmanipulated treatments, indicating that shrub canopy cover was a dominant factor influencing the soil thermal regime. Conversely, we found no strong evidence of increased soil decomposition, CO2 fluxes, or nitrate or ammonia adsorbtion under artificial shrub canopy treatments when compared with unmanipulated open tundra. Our results suggest that the abiotic influences of shrub canopy cover alone on nutrient dynamics are weaker than previously asserted. PMID:24198933

Shrub canopies influence soil temperatures but not nutrient dynamics: An experimental test of tundra snow-shrub interactions.

PubMed

Myers-Smith, Isla H; Hik, David S

2013-10-01

Shrubs are the largest plant life form in tundra ecosystems; therefore, any changes in the abundance of shrubs will feedback to influence biodiversity, ecosystem function, and climate. The snow-shrub hypothesis asserts that shrub canopies trap snow and insulate soils in winter, increasing the rates of nutrient cycling to create a positive feedback to shrub expansion. However, previous work has not been able to separate the abiotic from the biotic influences of shrub canopies. We conducted a 3-year factorial experiment to determine the influences of canopies on soil temperatures and nutrient cycling parameters by removing ∼0.5 m high willow (Salix spp.) and birch (Betula glandulosa) shrubs, creating artificial shrub canopies and comparing these manipulations to nearby open tundra and shrub patches. Soil temperatures were 4-5°C warmer in January, and 2°C cooler in July under shrub cover. Natural shrub plots had 14-33 cm more snow in January than adjacent open tundra plots. Snow cover and soil temperatures were similar in the manipulated plots when compared with the respective unmanipulated treatments, indicating that shrub canopy cover was a dominant factor influencing the soil thermal regime. Conversely, we found no strong evidence of increased soil decomposition, CO2 fluxes, or nitrate or ammonia adsorbtion under artificial shrub canopy treatments when compared with unmanipulated open tundra. Our results suggest that the abiotic influences of shrub canopy cover alone on nutrient dynamics are weaker than previously asserted.

Development, optimization and validation of gas chromatographic fingerprinting of Brazilian commercial diesel fuel for quality control.

PubMed

dos Santos, Bruno César Diniz Brito; Flumignan, Danilo Luiz; de Oliveira, José Eduardo

2012-10-01

A three-step development, optimization and validation strategy is described for gas chromatography (GC) fingerprints of Brazilian commercial diesel fuel. A suitable GC-flame ionization detection (FID) system was selected to assay a complex matrix such as diesel. The next step was to improve acceptable chromatographic resolution with reduced analysis time, which is recommended for routine applications. Full three-level factorial designs were performed to improve flow rate, oven ramps, injection volume and split ratio in the GC system. Finally, several validation parameters were performed. The GC fingerprinting can be coupled with pattern recognition and multivariate regressions analyses to determine fuel quality and fuel physicochemical parameters. This strategy can also be applied to develop fingerprints for quality control of other fuel types.

YBYRÁ facilitates comparison of large phylogenetic trees.

PubMed

Machado, Denis Jacob

2015-07-01

The number and size of tree topologies that are being compared by phylogenetic systematists is increasing due to technological advancements in high-throughput DNA sequencing. However, we still lack tools to facilitate comparison among phylogenetic trees with a large number of terminals. The "YBYRÁ" project integrates software solutions for data analysis in phylogenetics. It comprises tools for (1) topological distance calculation based on the number of shared splits or clades, (2) sensitivity analysis and automatic generation of sensitivity plots and (3) clade diagnoses based on different categories of synapomorphies. YBYRÁ also provides (4) an original framework to facilitate the search for potential rogue taxa based on how much they affect average matching split distances (using MSdist). YBYRÁ facilitates comparison of large phylogenetic trees and outperforms competing software in terms of usability and time efficiency, specially for large data sets. The programs that comprises this toolkit are written in Python, hence they do not require installation and have minimum dependencies. The entire project is available under an open-source licence at http://www.ib.usp.br/grant/anfibios/researchSoftware.html .

Choosing a DIVA: a comparison of emerging digital imagery vegetation analysis techniques

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jorgensen, Christopher F.; Stutzman, Ryan J.; Anderson, Lars C.; Decker, Suzanne E.; Powell, Larkin A.; Schacht, Walter H.; Fontaine, Joseph J.

2013-01-01

Question: What is the precision of five methods of measuring vegetation structure using ground-based digital imagery and processing techniques? Location: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA Methods: Vertical herbaceous cover was recorded using digital imagery techniques at two distinct locations in a mixed-grass prairie. The precision of five ground-based digital imagery vegetation analysis (DIVA) methods for measuring vegetation structure was tested using a split-split plot analysis of covariance. Variability within each DIVA technique was estimated using coefficient of variation of mean percentage cover. Results: Vertical herbaceous cover estimates differed among DIVA techniques. Additionally, environmental conditions affected the vertical vegetation obstruction estimates for certain digital imagery methods, while other techniques were more adept at handling various conditions. Overall, percentage vegetation cover values differed among techniques, but the precision of four of the five techniques was consistently high. Conclusions: DIVA procedures are sufficient for measuring various heights and densities of standing herbaceous cover. Moreover, digital imagery techniques can reduce measurement error associated with multiple observers' standing herbaceous cover estimates, allowing greater opportunity to detect patterns associated with vegetation structure.

Neutron-fragment and Neutron-neutron Correlations in Low-energy Fission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestone, J. P.

2016-01-01

A computational method has been developed to simulate neutron emission from thermal-neutron induced fission of 235U and from spontaneous fission of 252Cf. Measured pre-emission mass-yield curves, average total kinetic energies and their variances, both as functions of mass split, are used to obtain a representation of the distribution of fragment velocities. Measured average neutron multiplicities as a function of mass split and their dependence on total kinetic energy are used. Simulations can be made to reproduce measured factorial moments of neutron-multiplicity distributions with only minor empirical adjustments to some experimental inputs. The neutron-emission spectra in the rest-frame of the fragments are highly constrained by ENDF/B-VII.1 prompt-fission neutron-spectra evaluations. The n-f correlation measurements of Vorobyev et al. (2010) are consistent with predictions where all neutrons are assumed to be evaporated isotropically from the rest frame of fully accelerated fragments. Measured n-f and n-n correlations of others are a little weaker than the predictions presented here. These weaker correlations could be used to infer a weak scission-neutron source. However, the effect of neutron scattering on the experimental results must be studied in detail before moving away from a null hypothesis that all neutrons are evaporated from the fragments.

Design Expert Supported Mathematical Optimization and Predictability Study of Buccoadhesive Pharmaceutical Wafers of Loratadine

PubMed Central

Dey, Surajit; Parcha, Versha; Bhattacharya, Shiv Sankar; Ghosh, Amitava

2013-01-01

Objective. The objective of this work encompasses the application of the response surface approach in the development of buccoadhesive pharmaceutical wafers of Loratadine (LOR). Methods. Experiments were performed according to a 32 factorial design to evaluate the effects of buccoadhesive polymer, sodium alginate (A), and lactose monohydrate as ingredient, of hydrophilic matrix former (B) on the bioadhesive force, disintegration time, percent (%) swelling index, and time taken for 70% drug release (t 70%). The effect of the two independent variables on the response variables was studied by response surface plots and contour plots generated by the Design-Expert software. The desirability function was used to optimize the response variables. Results. The compatibility between LOR and the wafer excipients was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry, FTIR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Bioadhesion force, measured with TAXT2i texture analyzer, showed that the wafers had a good bioadhesive property which could be advantageous for retaining the drug into the buccal cavity. Conclusion. The observed responses taken were in agreement with the experimental values, and Loratadine wafers were produced with less experimental trials, and a patient compliant product was achieved with the concept of formulation by design. PMID:23781498

The influence of Lasius neoniger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on population growth and biomass of Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in soybeans.

PubMed

Schwartzberg, Ezra G; Johnson, D W; Brown, G C

2010-12-01

In the United States, the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), are often tended by the aphid-tending ant, Lasius neoniger Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In this study, we examined the effects of tending by ants on the density and biomass of soybean aphids on soybeans in Kentucky. We performed cage studies that limited access by ants and/or natural enemies. We used a split-plot design with natural enemy access as the main plot and ant attendance as the sub plot. We found that natural enemy access negatively affected aphid population density in the presence of tending ants, seen as a three- to four-fold increase in aphid density when natural enemies were excluded. In addition, we found that ant tending positively affected aphid biomass, both when natural enemies were given access to aphids or when natural enemies were excluded, seen by a two-fold increase in aphid biomass when ants tended aphids, both in the presence or absence of natural enemies. Biomass accumulation is seen as an important measurement for assessing aphid performance, and we argue that aphid-tending by ants can have an influence on natural field populations of soybean aphids. Agronomic practices that affect ant abundance in soybeans may influence the performance and hence pest outbreaks for this economically important pest. © 2010 Entomological Society of America

Impact of cogongrass management strategies on generalist predators in cogongrass-infested longleaf pine plantations.

PubMed

Sells, Sallie M; Held, David W; Enloe, Stephen F; Loewenstein, Nancy J; Eckhardt, Lori G

2015-03-01

Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica Beav.) is an aggressive, invasive weed with a global distribution. In North America, it threatens the integrity of southeastern pine agroecosystems, including longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.). While studies have examined the impacts of cogongrass and various vegetation management strategies on longleaf pine understory plant communities, little is known about how they impact associated insect communities. To understand the effect of cogongrass management strategies on arthropod natural enemies and bark beetles, a split-plot design was used to test fire (whole-plot) and four subplot treatments (control, herbicide, seeding and herbicide plus seeding). Arthropods were sampled using pitfall traps and sweep samples. After 2 years of sampling, total natural enemies were not significantly affected by subplot treatment but were affected by burn treatment. Upon subdividing natural enemies into groups, only spiders were significantly affected by subplot treatment, but predatory beetles and ants were significantly affected by burn treatment. The abundance of root-feeding bark beetles (Hylastes spp.) was not significant by subplot or whole-plot treatments. Multiple applications of herbicide remain the most effective way to manage cogongrass in longleaf pine. In this study, we found limited evidence that cogongrass management with herbicides would negatively impact arthropod natural enemies associated with longleaf pine or locally increase root-feeding bark beetles. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Shading effect on generative characters of upland red rice of Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muhidin; Syam’un, E.; Kaimuddin; Musa, Y.; Sadimantara, G. R.; Usman; Leomo, S.; Rakian, T. C.

2018-05-01

Upland red rice (Oryza sativa) contains anthocyanin, a phenolic compounds that can act as antioxidants and functional food for human dietary. The content of functional food on upland red rice is influenced by shading condition, but the production is also influenced by environmental condition, especially the availability of light. The study aims is to assess and analyze the effect of shade on the growth and production of upland red rice. The research was conducted using the quantitative method to obtain the optimal shading condition that can increase the rice anthocyanin content and relatively high production. The research was arranged in split plot design, with shade as main plot and the different of cultivar as sub plot with three replications. The shading treatment consist of 4 levels as follows: n1=shade level < 25 %, n2=shade level 25-50%, n3=shade level 50-75% and n4=shade level > 75%. The cultivar tested were (v1) = Labandiri, (v2) = Jangkobembe, (v3) = Ranggohitam, and (v4) = Paedara. The rice planted in between teak wood trees with different age and level of canopy. The research reveals that shades had an effect in decreasing plant production (the higher level of shade, the higher the decrease level of production), but the shades can improve the quality of red rice through the increase of anthocyanin content.

Evaluation of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. [Moench]) on several population density for bioethanol production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suwarti; Efendi, R.; Massinai, R.; Pabendon, M. B.

2018-03-01

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. [Moench]) crop management that is use for raw source of bioethanol for industrial purpose in Indonesia is less developed. The aim of this research was to evaluated sweet sorghum variety at several population to determine optimum density for juice production. Experiment design was set on split-plot design with three replications, conducted on August to December 2016 at the Indonesian Cereals Research Institute Research Station, Maros South Sulawesi. Main plot were six variation of plant row, and sub plot were three sweet sorghum varieties. Result of the study showed that plant population was high significanty affect to stalk weight, total biomass yield, leaf weight, and also significantly affect bagass weight and juice volume. Varieties were high significantly different in plant height, juice volume, and number of nodes. Super 1 variety on population at 166,667 plants/ha (P1) was obtained the highest juice volume (19,445 lHa-1), meanwhile the highest brix value obtained from Numbu at the same plants population. Furthermore juice volume had significant correlation with biomass weight at the r=0.73. Based on ethanol production, Super 2 and Numbu had the highest volume at 83.333 plants/ha density (P3) and Super 1 at 166.667 plants/ha density with the ethanol volume were 827.68 l Ha-1, 1116.50 l/ha and 993.62 l Ha-1 respectively.

Periphyton response to increased light and salmon carcass introduction in northern California streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ambrose, H.E.; Wilzbach, M.A.; Cummins, K.W.

2004-01-01

Periphyton response to riparian canopy opening and salmon carcass addition in coastal streams of northern California was evaluated in a manipulative field experiment. The experiment followed a split-plot design, with streams as whole plots and two 100-m reaches in each of 6 streams as subplots. At the subplot level, riparian hardwoods were removed from one reach in each stream. At the whole-plot level, carcasses were added to both open- and closed-canopy reaches of 3 of the streams. Thus, treatments consisted of reaches with open or closed canopies, in the presence and absence of carcasses. Nutrient limitation of the periphyton was assessed in 2 streams (1 with carcasses and 1 without carcasses) using nutrient-diffusing clay saucers (N-enriched, P-enriched, N+P-enriched, or unenriched control) incubated in open- and closed-canopy reaches in the streams. Canopy and carcass treatments did not affect gross primary productivity or periphyton biomass on natural substrates. The periphyton assemblage consisted primarily of diatoms in all reaches on all dates. N amendment of agar in nutrient-diffusing, clay saucers and canopy removal increased biofilm ash-free dry mass on the saucers, but carcass introduction did not. Failure of periphyton to respond to carcass addition may have reflected overriding light limitation, inadequate within-stream retention of carcass nutrients, and/or limitations of the study design.

Field isotopic study of lead fate and compartmentalization in earthworm-soil-metal particle systems for highly polluted soil near Pb recycling factory.

PubMed

Goix, Sylvaine; Mombo, Stéphane; Schreck, Eva; Pierart, Antoine; Lévêque, Thibaut; Deola, Frédéric; Dumat, Camille

2015-11-01

Earthworms are important organisms in soil macrofauna and play a key role in soil functionality, and consequently in terrestrial ecotoxicological risk assessments. Because they are frequently observed in soils strongly polluted by metals, the influence of earthworm bioturbation on Pb fate could therefore be studied through the use of Pb isotopes. Total Pb concentrations and isotopic composition ((206)Pb, (207)Pb and (208)Pb) were then measured in earthworms, casts and bulk soils sampled at different distance from a lead recycling factory. Results showed decreasing Pb concentrations with the distance from the factory whatever the considered matrix (bulk soils, earthworm bodies or cast samples) with higher concentrations in bulk soils than in cast samples. The bivariate plot (208)Pb/(206)Pb ratios versus (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios showed that all samples can be considered as a linear mixing between metallic process particulate matter (PM) and geochemical Pb background. Calculated anthropogenic fraction of Pb varied between approximately 84% and 100%. Based on Pb isotopic signatures, the comparison between casts, earthworms and bulk soils allowed to conclude that earthworms preferentially ingest the anthropogenic lead fraction associated with coarse soil organic matter. Actually, soil organic matter was better correlated with Pb isotopic ratios than with Pb content in soils. The proposed hypothesis is therefore a decrease of soil organic matter turnover due to Pb pollution with consequences on Pb distribution in soils and earthworm exposure. Finally, Pb isotopes analysis constitutes an efficient tool to study the influence of earthworm bioturbation on Pb cycle in polluted soils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlling the extrudate swell in melt extrusion additive manufacturing of 3D scaffolds: a designed experiment.

PubMed

Yousefi, Azizeh-Mitra; Smucker, Byran; Naber, Alex; Wyrick, Cara; Shaw, Charles; Bennett, Katelyn; Szekely, Sarah; Focke, Carlie; Wood, Katherine A

2018-02-01

Tissue engineering using three-dimensional porous scaffolds has shown promise for the restoration of normal function in injured and diseased tissues and organs. Rigorous control over scaffold architecture in melt extrusion additive manufacturing is highly restricted mainly due to pronounced variations in the deposited strand diameter upon any variations in process conditions and polymer viscoelasticity. We have designed an I-optimal, split-plot experiment to study the extrudate swell in melt extrusion additive manufacturing and to control the scaffold architecture. The designed experiment was used to generate data to relate three responses (swell, density, and modulus) to a set of controllable factors (plotting needle diameter, temperature, pressure, and the dispensing speed). The fitted regression relationships were used to optimize the three responses simultaneously. The swell response was constrained to be close to 1 while maximizing the modulus and minimizing the density. Constraining the extrudate swell to 1 generates design-driven scaffolds, with strand diameters equal to the plotting needle diameter, and allows a greater control over scaffold pore size. Hence, the modulus of the scaffolds can be fully controlled by adjusting the in-plane distance between the deposited strands. To the extent of the model's validity, we can eliminate the effect of extrudate swell in designing these scaffolds, while targeting a range of porosity and modulus appropriate for bone tissue engineering. The result of this optimization was a predicted modulus of 14 MPa and a predicted density of 0.29 g/cm 3 (porosity ≈ 75%) using polycaprolactone as scaffold material. These predicted responses corresponded to factor levels of 0.6 μm for the plotting needle diameter, plotting pressure of 2.5 bar, melt temperature of 113.5 °C, and dispensing speed of 2 mm/s. The validation scaffold enabled us to quantify the percentage difference for the predictions, which was 9.5% for the extrudate swell, 19% for the density, and 29% for the modulus.

Planting pattern and weed control method influence on yield production of corn (Zea mays L.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purba, E.; Nasution, D. P.

2018-02-01

Field experiment was carried out to evaluate the influence of planting patterns and weed control methods on the growth and yield of corn. The effect of the planting pattern and weed control method was studied in a split plot design. The main plots were that of planting pattern single row (25cm x 60cm), double row (25cm x 25cm x 60cm) and triangle row ( 25cm x 25cm x 25cm). Subplot was that of weed control method consisted five methods namely weed free throughout the growing season, hand weeding, sprayed with glyphosate, sprayed with paraquat, and no weeding.. Result showed that both planting pattern and weed control method did not affect the growth of corn. However, planting pattern and weed control method significantly affected yield production. Yield resulted from double row and triangle planting pattern was 14% and 41% higher, consecutively, than that of single row pattern. The triangle planting pattern combined with any weed control method produced the highest yield production of corn.

Effects of variety, year of cultivation and sulphur supply on the accumulation of free asparagine in the grain of commercial wheat varieties.

PubMed

Curtis, Tanya Y; Powers, Stephen J; Wang, Ruiyun; Halford, Nigel G

2018-01-15

Free asparagine concentration, which is the determining factor for acrylamide-forming potential in cereals, was measured in grain from wheat grown in field trials in the United Kingdom in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. There were 25 varieties in 2012 and 59 in 2013, with eleven present in both trials. The trials were split-plot, with half of each plot supplied with sulphur and the other half not. The varietal means (mmol per kg) for free asparagine in the sulphur-fed wheat ranged from 1.521 to 2.687 in 2011-2012 and 0.708 to 11.29 in 2012-2013. Eight varieties were identified as having consistently low free asparagine concentration. There was a differential response of varieties to sulphur, and much higher levels of free asparagine in 2012-2013 versus 2011-2012. Given the short commercial lifespan of some wheat varieties, it is concluded that information on free asparagine concentration should be made available when a variety is launched. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Protein synthesis and specific dynamic action in crustaceans: effects of temperature.

PubMed

Whiteley, N M; Robertson, R F; Meagor, J; El Haj, A J; Taylor, E W

2001-03-01

Temperature influences the specific dynamic action (SDA), or rise in oxygen uptake rate after feeding, in eurythermal and stenothermal crustaceans by changing the timing and the magnitude of the response. Intra-specific studies on the eurythermal crab, Carcinus maenas, show that a reduction in acclimation temperature is associated with a decrease in SDA magnitude, resulting from an increase in SDA duration but a decrease in peak factorial scope (the factorial rise in peak SDA over prefeeding values). Inter-specific feeding studies on stenothermal polar isopods revealed marked differences in SDA response between the Antarctic species, Glyptonotus antarcticus and the Arctic species, Saduria entomon. Compared to S. entomon held at 4 and 13 degrees C, the SDA response in G. antarcticus held at 1 degrees C was characterised by a lower absolute oxygen uptake rate at peak SDA and an extended SDA duration. At peak SDA, whole animal rates of protein synthesis increased in proportion to the postprandial increase in oxygen uptake rate in the Antarctic and the Arctic species. Rates of oxygen uptake plotted against whole animal rates of protein synthesis gave similar relationships in both isopod species, indicating similar costs of protein synthesis after a meal, despite their differences in SDA response and thermal habitat.

Effect of diet composition and incubation time on feed indigestible neutral detergent fiber concentration in dairy cows.

PubMed

Krizsan, S J; Huhtanen, P

2013-03-01

Indigestible neutral detergent fiber (NDF) predicts forage digestibility accurately and precisely when determined by a 288-h ruminal in situ incubation, and it is an important parameter in mechanistic rumen models. The long incubation time required is a disadvantage. Further, intrinsic cell wall characteristics of feeds should be determined under ideal conditions for fiber digestion. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of diet composition and rumen incubation time on the concentrations of indigestible NDF (iNDF) for a wide range of feeds in dairy cows. Additionally, predicted concentrations of unavailable NDF generated using the National Research Council (NRC) model and the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) were evaluated. Indigestible NDF was evaluated in 18 feeds using 4 cows in a split-split plot design. Treatments were in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement, consisting of different diets and incubation times. Diet composition was primarily varied by changing the level of concentrate supplementation between 190 (low), 421 (medium), and 625 (high)g/kg of diet dry matter (DM). Grass silage was used as the basal forage for all cows. The feeds were incubated for 144, 216, and 288 h. Indigestible NDF was determined from 2-g samples weighed into polyester bags with a pore size of 12 µm and a pore area equal to 6% of the total surface area, giving a sample size to surface ratio of 10mg/cm(2). Across all feeds, the measured iNDF concentrations ranged from 6 to 516 g/kg of DM. The feed iNDF concentration was not affected by the cow used, but diet composition had a significant effect. The mean measured iNDF concentrations for cows consuming low-, medium-, and high-concentrate diets were 178, 186, and 197 g/kg of DM, respectively. The incubation time also affected the feed iNDF concentrations, which averaged 199, 185, and 177 g/kg of DM for 144-, 216-, and 288-h incubations, respectively. We also observed significant interactions between incubation time and feed, and between diet composition and feed, with fiber-rich feeds being most sensitive to these factors. The evaluation of model predictions of unavailable NDF indicated poor precision with prediction errors of 56 (NRC) and 84 (CNCPS)g/kg of DM. Indigestible NDF should be determined based on 288-h ruminal in situ incubations in cows consuming diets with a low proportion of concentrate to represent the feed fraction that is unavailable to the animal. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of winter cover crops on nematode population levels in north Florida.

PubMed

Wang, K-H; McSorley, R; Gallaher, R N

2004-12-01

Two experiments were conducted in north-central Florida to examine the effects of various winter cover crops on plant-parasitic nematode populations through time. In the first experiment, six winter cover crops were rotated with summer corn (Zea mays), arranged in a randomized complete block design. The cover crops evaluated were wheat (Triticum aestivum), rye (Secale cereale), oat (Avena sativa), lupine (Lupinus angustifolius), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum). At the end of the corn crop in year 1, population densities of Meloidogyne incognita were lowest on corn following rye or oat (P

Effect of Planting Date and Maturity Group on Soybean Yield Response to Injury by Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae).

PubMed

Blount, J L; Buntin, G D; Roberts, P M

2016-02-01

The kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (F.), is an invasive member of the family Plataspidae originating from Asia. Since its discovery in Georgia in 2009, its distribution has increased to 13 southern and eastern states. In the United States, M. cribraria is bivoltine and has two primary developmental hosts, kudzu and soybean. Here, we evaluated the yield response of soybean to M. cribraria feeding injury in relation to planting date and soybean maturity group. The study contained four replicated trials in Griffin, Tifton, and Midville, GA, in 2012 and 2013. Four planting dates from April to July, served as the whole plot of a split-plot design with maturity group five and seven soybean and insecticide (lambda-cyhalothrin) randomized within planting date. Egg masses, nymphs, and adults were enumerated weekly to biweekly until soybean reached maturity. Two generations were observed in April and May plantings, but only one generation was evident in June and July soybean plantings. Insecticide-protected plots had consistently higher yields than unprotected plots. Grain yield was greatest in the May planting and lowest in the July planting. Season-long feeding by M. cribraria reduced grain yield in April, May, and June plantings but not in the July planting. Maturity group and planting date had significant effects on yield components in most comparisons. This study indicated that early-planted soybean are at greater risk of yield loss from M. cribraria injury compared with later-planted soybean. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effects of dark storage and retail display on beef chuck and round muscles enhanced with ammonium hydroxide, salt, and carbon monoxide.

PubMed

Hamling, A E; Jenschke, B E; Calkins, C R

2008-04-01

The objective of this study was to determine the retail shelf stability of beef chuck and round muscles enhanced with ammonium hydroxide, salt, and carbon monoxide. A split plot design was used for each of 3 muscles [triceps brachii (TB), biceps femoris (BF), and rectus femoris (RF)] with 2 treatments (0 and 20% pump), 3 dark storage periods (1, 2, and 3 wk), and 3 replications in the whole plot and retail display period as the split plot. There were a total of 12 subprimals per treatment per dark storage period (n = 72 each). Individual steaks were cut to a thickness of 2.54 cm and packaged in a modified-atmosphere package (MAP). The TB was packaged in a high-oxygen MAP (80% oxygen, 20% carbon dioxide). The BF and RF were packaged in a low-oxygen MAP (100% carbon dioxide). At the completion of each dark storage period, steaks were subjected to 7 d of simulated retail display. Steaks were used for objective and subjective color measurements, total plate counts, and determination of retail purge and oxidation. For all muscles, total plate counts were always numerically greater in injected steaks. Triceps brachii steaks held in dark storage for 3 wk and displayed at retail for 4 or more days all exceeded 10(7) log of cfu/cm(2) for aerobic plate count. Biceps femoris and RF steaks packaged in a low-oxygen MAP had much lower bacterial counts, with levels below 4.2 log of cfu/cm(2), even after 7 d of retail display. Oxidation values for the TB were extremely high (ranging from 12.3 to 26.6), whereas the BF and RF had values that were much lower (< or =1.0 mg of malonaldehyde/kg of muscle), likely due to the oxidation occurring in a high-oxygen MAP for the TB. Enhanced TB steaks proved to have greater color stability (less discoloration) than nonenhanced TB steaks. In addition, the BF and RF (low-oxygen MAP) steaks had better color stability (more stable redness values) than TB (high-oxygen MAP) steaks, although TB steaks initially exhibited a brighter red color. Retail display life was enhanced by packaging in 100% carbon dioxide, and enhanced steaks exhibited greater color stability in retail display than control steaks.

Effects of marketing group on the quality of fresh and cured hams sourced from a commercial processing facility.

PubMed

Arkfeld, E K; Wilson, K B; Overholt, M F; Harsh, B N; Lowell, J E; Hogan, E K; Klehm, B J; Bohrer, B M; Kroscher, K A; Peterson, B C; Stites, C R; Mohrhauser, D A; King, D A; Wheeler, T L; Dilger, A C; Shackelford, S D; Boler, D D

2016-12-01

The objective was: 1) to characterize the effect of marketing group on fresh and cured ham quality, and 2) to determine which fresh ham traits correlated to cured ham quality traits. Pigs raised in 8 barns representing 2 seasons (hot and cold) and 2 production focuses (lean and quality) were used. Three groups were marketed from each barn. A total of 7,684 carcasses were used for data collection at the abattoir. Every tenth carcass was noted as a select carcass for in-depth ham quality analyses. Leg primal weight and instrumental color were measured on 100% of the population. On the select 10% of the population, hams were fabricated into sub-primal pieces, and 3-piece hams were manufactured to evaluate cured ham quality and processing yield. Data were analyzed as a split-plot design in the MIXED procedure of SAS with production focus as the whole-plot factor, and marketing group as the split-plot factor. Pearson correlation coefficients between fresh and cured ham traits were computed. There were no differences ( ≥ 0.15) in instrumental color or ultimate pH ( ≥ 0.14) among fresh ham muscles from any marketing group. The only exception was the semimembranosus of marketing group 2 was lighter than marketing group 1 ( = 0.03) and the dark portion of the semitendinosus muscle from group 1 was lighter than from group 3 ( = 0.01). There were no differences ( ≥ 0.33) in ultimate pH of fresh ham muscles between production focuses, but several muscles from quality focus pigs were lighter in color than ham muscles from lean focus pigs. The lack of differences in fresh ham quality lead to few differences in cured ham quality. Cured hams from the quality focus pigs had greater lipid content ( < 0.01) than hams from lean focus pigs. Cured lightness values of hams from marketing group 1 and 2 were 1.52 units lighter than hams from marketing group 3 ( 0.01). Overall, marketing group did not impact ham quality. Fresh ham quality was not strongly related to cured ham quality. Some correlations were present between fresh and cured ham traits, but those relationships were likely not strong enough to be used as a sorting tool for fresh hams to generate high quality cured hams.

Effects of experimental water table and temperature manipulations on ecosystem CO2 fluxes in an Alaskan rich fen

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chivers, M.R.; Turetsky, M.R.; Waddington, J.M.; Harden, J.W.; McGuire, A.D.

2009-01-01

Peatlands store 30% of the world's terrestrial soil carbon (C) and those located at northern latitudes are expected to experience rapid climate warming. We monitored growing season carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes across a factorial design of in situ water table (control, drought, and flooded plots) and soil warming (control vs. warming via open top chambers) treatments for 2 years in a rich fen located just outside the Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest in interior Alaska. The drought (lowered water table position) treatment was a weak sink or small source of atmospheric CO2 compared to the moderate atmospheric CO2 sink at our control. This change in net ecosystem exchange was due to lower gross primary production and light-saturated photosynthesis rather than increased ecosystem respiration. The flooded (raised water table position) treatment was a greater CO2 sink in 2006 due largely to increased early season gross primary production and higher light-saturated photosynthesis. Although flooding did not have substantial effects on rates of ecosystem respiration, this water table treatment had lower maximum respiration rates and a higher temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration than the control plot. Surface soil warming increased both ecosystem respiration and gross primary production by approximately 16% compared to control (ambient temperature) plots, with no net effect on net ecosystem exchange. Results from this rich fen manipulation suggest that fast responses to drought will include reduced ecosystem C storage driven by plant stress, whereas inundation will increase ecosystem C storage by stimulating plant growth. ?? 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons pollution effect on soil biological activity in the anthropogenic contaminated area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batukaev, Abdulmalik; Sushkova, Svetlana; Minkina, Tatiana; Antonenko, Elena; Salamova, Anzhelika; Gimp, Alina; Deryabkina, Irina

2017-04-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most significant environmental contaminants with mutagenic and carcinogenic properties to all living organisms. The changes in microbial community structure in technogenic polluted soil may be used as tools for predicting and monitoring natural degradation and for search the most effective and appropriate pathways of bioremediation. The present study is aimed to research the biological activity of the soil in the emission zone of Novocherkassk Power station (NPs) (Russia) polluted by PAHs in 2015. The NPs is one of the largest thermal power stations in the south of Russia burning low-quality coal appurtenant the enterprises of I hazardous class. Monitoring plots were located on virgin or no-till fallow areas and not subject to the sanitary-protection zone of the NPs. Soil samples were taken from a depth of 0- to 20-cm, because the major part of PAHs are accumulated in the surface soil layer. The soils of the plots mainly include Chernozems Calcic (plots 1, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10), Phaeozems Haplic (plots 3, 6, 8 and 11) Fluvisols Umbric (plots 2 and 12). In the soil of 12 monitoring plots located around NPs there were determined the main enzymes, abundance of soil bacteria and 17 priority PAHs. PAHs extraction from soil was performed by new developed ecologically clean method of subcritical water extraction without organic solvents (Sushkova et al., 2015). The level of PAHs around NPs is high at the nearest to factory monitoring plots situated at distance 1,0-1,2 km and reaches from 1600,1±14,7 up to 373,6±7,1 mkg/kg in the 20-cm soil layer. Gradually decrease of PAHs contamination is observed while increasing the distance from the NPs. The level of highmolecular PAHs (4-6 aromatic rings) exceeds the level of lowmolecular (2-3 aromatic rings) PAHs in all monitoring plots situated though the prevailing wind direction from NPs. The close correlations were found between PAHs content and biological activity parameters in the monitoring plots situated through the prevailing wind direction from NPs. Level of dehydrogenases has high positive correlation with technogenic accumulated biphenyl, acenaphthene and negative correlation with anthracene content in studied soil. The lowmolecular PAHs content of soil influenced activity of dehydrogenases positively. Urease activity of monitoring plots has a high positive correlation with 12 PAHs exclude biphenyl, benzo(a)anthracene, naphthalene. Negative dependence of urease activity was observed for lowmolecular PAHs. The abundance of soil bacteria has a negative correlation with PAHs level. Anthracene has no correlations with abundance of soil bacteria and negatively influences on dehydrogenase, urease. Thus, the most subjected to technogenic pollution in 2015 were monitoring plots situated through the prevailing wind direction from NPs. It was established that ratio of low- and highmolecular PAHs content in soils of monitoring plots is the indicator of technogenic pollution soils. Contamination by PAHs in the affected zone has negative influence at the abundance of soil bacteria. The most number of PAHs has positive correlation with biological activity parameters of soil. This work was supported by grant of the Russian Scientific Foundation № 16-14-10217.

Interactive effects of deer exclusion and exotic plant removal on deciduous forest understory communities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bourg, Norman; McShea, William J.; Herrmann, Valentine; Stewart, Chad M.

2017-01-01

Mammalian herbivory and exotic plant species interactions are an important ongoing research topic, due to their presumed impacts on native biodiversity. The extent to which these interactions affect forest understory plant community composition and persistence was the subject of our study. We conducted a 5-year, 2 × 2 factorial experiment in three mid-Atlantic US deciduous forests with high densities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and exotic understory plants. We predicted: (i) only deer exclusion and exotic plant removal in tandem would increase native plant species metrics; and (ii) deer exclusion alone would decrease exotic plant abundance over time. Treatments combining exotic invasive plant removal and deer exclusion for plots with high initial cover, while not differing from fenced or exotic removal only plots, were the only ones to exhibit positive richness responses by native herbaceous plants compared to control plots. Woody seedling metrics were not affected by any treatments. Deer exclusion caused significant increases in abundance and richness of native woody species >30 cm in height. Abundance changes in two focal members of the native sapling community showed that oaks (Quercus spp.) increased only with combined exotic removal and deer exclusion, while shade-tolerant maples (Acer spp.) showed no changes. We also found significant declines in invasive Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) abundance in deer-excluded plots. Our study demonstrates alien invasive plants and deer impact different components and life-history stages of the forest plant community, and controlling both is needed to enhance understory richness and abundance. Alien plant removal combined with deer exclusion will most benefit native herbaceous species richness under high invasive cover conditions while neither action may impact native woody seedlings. For larger native woody species, only deer exclusion is needed for such increases. Deer exclusion directly facilitated declines in invasive species abundance. Resource managers should consider addressing both factors to achieve their forest management goals.

Density functional theory study of defects in unalloyed δ-Pu

DOE PAGES

Hernandez, S. C.; Freibert, F. J.; Wills, J. M.

2017-03-19

Using density functional theory, we explore in this paper various classical point and complex defects within the face-centered cubic unalloyed δ-plutonium matrix that are potentially induced from self-irradiation. For plutonium only defects, the most energetically stable defect is a distorted split-interstitial. Gallium, the δ-phase stabilizer, is thermodynamically stable as a substitutional defect, but becomes unstable when participating in a complex defect configuration. Finally, complex uranium defects may thermodynamically exist as uranium substitutional with neighboring plutonium interstitial and stabilization of uranium within the lattice is shown via partial density of states and charge density difference plots to be 5f hybridization betweenmore » uranium and plutonium.« less

Density functional theory study of defects in unalloyed δ-Pu

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

Hernandez, S. C.; Freibert, F. J.; Wills, J. M.

Using density functional theory, we explore in this paper various classical point and complex defects within the face-centered cubic unalloyed δ-plutonium matrix that are potentially induced from self-irradiation. For plutonium only defects, the most energetically stable defect is a distorted split-interstitial. Gallium, the δ-phase stabilizer, is thermodynamically stable as a substitutional defect, but becomes unstable when participating in a complex defect configuration. Finally, complex uranium defects may thermodynamically exist as uranium substitutional with neighboring plutonium interstitial and stabilization of uranium within the lattice is shown via partial density of states and charge density difference plots to be 5f hybridization betweenmore » uranium and plutonium.« less

Suitability of multipurpose trees, shrubs and grasses to rehabilitate gullies in the sub-humid tropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talema, Ayalew; Muys, Bart; Poesen, Jean; Padro, Roc; Dibaba, Hirko; Diels, Jan

2017-04-01

Vegetation plays a vital role for sustainable rehabilitation of degraded lands. However, the selection of suitable and effective plant species remains a long-lasting challenge in most parts of the sub-humid tropics. To address this challenge 18 multipurpose plant species (6 trees, 3 shrubs and 9 grasses), preselected from the regional species pool in Southwest Ethiopia were planted in severely degraded gullies and monitored from July 2011 to June 2014. The experiment had a split-plot design with farmyard manure (FYM) application, as main plot and plant species as sub-plot factors repeated in three blocks. The study revealed that grasses were the most successful to rehabilitate the gully within the monitoring period, compared to trees and shrubs. The survival rate of the four most successful grass species, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Pennisetum macrourum, Pennisetum polystachion and Pennisetum purpureum ranged from 61 to 90% with FYM application and from 20 to 85% without FYM, while most of the well-known indigenous and exotic trees and shrubs failed to survive. For the grass Pennisetum purpureum, shoot height, shoot and root dry biomass increased by 300%, 342% and 578% respectively due to FYM application, with a remarkably higher response to FYM compared to all the other studied species. The overall results demonstrate that severely degraded lands can be effectively restored by using early successional species such as locally adapted and selected grasses before the plantation of trees and shrubs.

Development of manufacturing systems for nanocrystalline and ultra-fine grain materials employing indexing equal channel angular pressing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hester, Michael Wayne

Nanotechnology offers significant opportunities in providing solutions to existing engineering problems as well as breakthroughs in new fields of science and technology. In order to fully realize benefits from such initiatives, nanomanufacturing methods must be developed to integrate enabling constructs into commercial mainstream. Even though significant advances have been made, widespread industrialization in many areas remains limited. Manufacturing methods, therefore, must continually be developed to bridge gaps between nanoscience discovery and commercialization. A promising technology for integration of top-down nanomanufacturing yet to receive full industrialization is equal channel angular pressing, a process transforming metallic materials into nanostructured or ultra-fine grained materials with significantly improved performance characteristics. To bridge the gap between process potential and actual manufacturing output, a prototype top-down nanomanufacturing system identified as indexing equal channel angular pressing (IX-ECAP) was developed. The unit was designed to capitalize on opportunities of transforming spent or scrap engineering elements into key engineering commodities. A manufacturing system was constructed to impose severe plastic deformation via simple shear in an equal channel angular pressing die on 1100 and 4043 aluminum welding rods. 1/4 fraction factorial split-plot experiments assessed significance of five predictors on the response, microhardness, for the 4043 alloy. Predictor variables included temperature, number of passes, pressing speed, back pressure, and vibration. Main effects were studied employing a resolution III design. Multiple linear regression was used for model development. Initial studies were performed using continuous processing followed by contingency designs involving discrete variable length work pieces. IX-ECAP offered a viable solution in severe plastic deformation processing. Discrete variable length work piece pressing proved very successful. With three passes through the system, 4043 processed material experienced an 88.88% increase in microhardness, 203.4% increase in converted yield strength, and a 98.5% reduction in theoretical final grain size to 103 nanometers using the Hall-Petch relation. The process factor, number of passes, was statistically significant at the 95% confidence level; whereas, temperature was significant at the 90% confidence level. Limitations of system components precluded completion of studies involving continuous pressing. Proposed system redesigns, however, will ensure mainstream commercialization of continuous length work piece processing.

Responses of prairie arthropod communities to fire and fertilizer: Balancing plant and arthropod conservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hartley, M.K.; Rogers, W.E.; Siemann, E.; Grace, J.

2007-01-01

Fire is an important tool for limiting woody plant invasions into prairies, but using fire management to maintain grassland plant communities may inadvertently reduce arthropod diversity. To test this, we established twenty-four 100 m2 plots in a tallgrass prairie in Galveston County, Texas, in spring 2000. Plots were assigned a fire (no burn, one time burn [2000], two time burn [2000, 2001]) and fertilization treatment (none, NPK addition) in a full factorial design. Fertilization treatments allowed us to examine the effects of fire at a different level of productivity. We measured plant cover by species and sampled arthropods with sweep nets during the 2001 growing season. Path analysis indicated that fertilization reduced while annual fires increased arthropod diversity via increases and decreases in woody plant abundance, respectively. There was no direct effect of fire on arthropod diversity or abundance. Diptera and Homoptera exhibited particularly strong positive responses to fires. Lepidoptera had a negative response to nutrient enrichment. Overall, the negative effects of fire on the arthropod community were minor in contrast to the strong positive indirect effects of small-scale burning on arthropod diversity if conservation of particular taxa is not a priority. The same fire regime that minimized woody plant invasion also maximized arthropod diversity.

Changes in litter quality induced by nutrient addition alter litter decomposition in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

PubMed Central

Zhu, Wenyan; Wang, Jinzhou; Zhang, Zhenhua; Ren, Fei; Chen, Litong; He, Jin-Sheng

2016-01-01

The effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition on litter decomposition are poorly understood in Tibetan alpine meadows. Leaf litter was collected from plots within a factorial N × P addition experiment and allowed to decompose over 708 days in an unfertilized plot to determine the effects of N and/or P addition on litter decomposition. Results showed that nutrient addition significantly affected initial P and P-related biochemical properties of litter from all four species. However, the responses of litter N and N-related biochemical properties to nutrient addition were quite species-specific. Litter C decomposition and N release were species-specific. However, N and P addition significantly affected litter P release. Ratios of Hemicellulose + Cellulose to N and P were significantly related to litter C decomposition; C:N ratio was a determinant of litter N release; and C:P and (Hemicellulose + Cellulose):P controlled litter P release. Overall, litter C decomposition was controlled by litter quality of different plant species, and strongly affected by P addition. Increasing N availability is likely to affect litter C decomposition more indirectly by shifting plant species composition than directly by improving litter quality, and may accelerate N and P cycles, but shift the ecosystem to P limitation. PMID:27694948

Towards sustainable agricultural production: Growth and production of three varieties of shallot with some various Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer concentrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saharuddin; Dungga, N. E.; Syam’un, E.; Amin, A. R.

2018-05-01

Organic production is important for health and eliminates the risk of chemical residues. Taking part on sustainable agriculture production, this research was conducted in January to March 2017. Located in Palajau Village, in Jeneponto Regency, altitude 120 m above sea level, South Sulawesi. The research was aimed to determine the growth and production of shallot varieties and their interaction with Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer. The study conducted in the form of a two-factor factorial experiment using Randomized Block Design as environmental design. The first factor was varieties (Bima, Bangkok and Tajuk), and the second factor was concentration of Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer; control-without fertilizer, 30 and 60 mL of fertilizer per 3000 mL of water. Results show that the varietal treatment of Tajuk gave a good response to the observed parameters, and the Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer treatment of 60 mL of fertilizer 3000 mL of water gave good results on the number of bulbs per cluster, bulbs and dried bulbs per plot (of tons per ha bulbs). Bangkok variety combined with Nitrobacter bio-fertilizer concentration of 60 mL of fertilizer per 3000 mL of water per plot showed the highest yield of bulb that is 9.13 tons per ha compared with Bima and Tajuk varieties.

Diversity in 113 cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp] accessions assessed with 458 SNP markers.

PubMed

Egbadzor, Kenneth F; Ofori, Kwadwo; Yeboah, Martin; Aboagye, Lawrence M; Opoku-Agyeman, Michael O; Danquah, Eric Y; Offei, Samuel K

2014-01-01

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers were used in characterization of 113 cowpea accessions comprising of 108 from Ghana and 5 from abroad. Leaf tissues from plants cultivated at the University of Ghana were genotyped at KBioscience in the United Kingdom. Data was generated for 477 SNPs, out of which 458 revealed polymorphism. The results were used to analyze genetic dissimilarity among the accessions using Darwin 5 software. The markers discriminated among all of the cowpea accessions and the dissimilarity values which ranged from 0.006 to 0.63 were used for factorial plot. Unexpected high levels of heterozygosity were observed on some of the accessions. Accessions known to be closely related clustered together in a dendrogram drawn with WPGMA method. A maximum length sub-tree which comprised of 48 core accessions was constructed. The software package structure was used to separate accessions into three groups, and the programme correctly identified varieties that were known hybrids. The hybrids were those accessions with numerous heterozygous loci. The structure plot showed closely related accessions with similar genome patterns. The SNP markers were more efficient in discriminating among the cowpea germplasm than morphological, seed protein polymorphism and simple sequence repeat studies reported earlier on the same collection.

Vascular plant abundance and diversity in an alpine heath under observed and simulated global change

PubMed Central

Alatalo, Juha M.; Little, Chelsea J.; Jägerbrand, Annika K.; Molau, Ulf

2015-01-01

Global change is predicted to cause shifts in species distributions and biodiversity in arctic tundra. We applied factorial warming and nutrient manipulation to a nutrient and species poor alpine/arctic heath community for seven years. Vascular plant abundance in control plots increased by 31%. There were also notable changes in cover in the nutrient and combined nutrient and warming treatments, with deciduous and evergreen shrubs declining, grasses overgrowing these plots. Sedge abundance initially increased significantly with nutrient amendment and then declined, going below initial values in the combined nutrient and warming treatment. Nutrient addition resulted in a change in dominance hierarchy from deciduous shrubs to grasses. We found significant declines in vascular plant diversity and evenness in the warming treatment and a decline in diversity in the combined warming and nutrient addition treatment, while nutrient addition caused a decline in species richness. The results give some experimental support that species poor plant communities with low diversity may be more vulnerable to loss of species diversity than communities with higher initial diversity. The projected increase in nutrient deposition and warming may therefore have negative impacts on ecosystem processes, functioning and services due to loss of species diversity in an already impoverished environment. PMID:25950370

Quantifying kinematic differences between land and water during squats, split squats, and single-leg squats in a healthy population.

PubMed

Severin, Anna C; Burkett, Brendan J; McKean, Mark R; Wiegand, Aaron N; Sayers, Mark G L

2017-01-01

Aquatic exercises can be used in clinical and sporting disciplines for both rehabilitation and sports training. However, there is limited knowledge on the influence of water immersion on the kinematics of exercises commonly used in rehabilitation and fitness programs. The aim of this study was to use inertial sensors to quantify differences in kinematics and movement variability of bodyweight squats, split squats, and single-leg squats performed on dry land and whilst immersed to the level of the greater trochanter. During two separate testing sessions, 25 active healthy university students (22.3±2.9 yr.) performed ten repetitions of each exercise, whilst tri-axial inertial sensors (100 Hz) recorded their trunk and lower body kinematics. Repeated-measures statistics tested for differences in segment orientation and speed, movement variability, and waveform patterns between environments, while coefficient of variance was used to assess differences in movement variability. Between-environment differences in segment orientation and speed were portrayed by plotting the mean difference ±95% confidence intervals (CI) throughout the tasks. The results showed that the depth of the squat and split squat were unaffected by the changed environment while water immersion allowed for a deeper single leg squat. The different environments had significant effects on the sagittal plane orientations and speeds for all segments. Water immersion increased the degree of movement variability of the segments in all exercises, except for the shank in the frontal plane, which showed more variability on land. Without compromising movement depth, the aquatic environment induces more upright trunk and shank postures during squats and split squats. The aquatic environment allows for increased squat depth during the single-leg squat, and increased shank motions in the frontal plane. Our observations therefore support the use of water-based squat tasks for rehabilitation as they appear to improve the technique without compromising movement depth.

Quantifying kinematic differences between land and water during squats, split squats, and single-leg squats in a healthy population

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Aquatic exercises can be used in clinical and sporting disciplines for both rehabilitation and sports training. However, there is limited knowledge on the influence of water immersion on the kinematics of exercises commonly used in rehabilitation and fitness programs. The aim of this study was to use inertial sensors to quantify differences in kinematics and movement variability of bodyweight squats, split squats, and single-leg squats performed on dry land and whilst immersed to the level of the greater trochanter. During two separate testing sessions, 25 active healthy university students (22.3±2.9 yr.) performed ten repetitions of each exercise, whilst tri-axial inertial sensors (100 Hz) recorded their trunk and lower body kinematics. Repeated-measures statistics tested for differences in segment orientation and speed, movement variability, and waveform patterns between environments, while coefficient of variance was used to assess differences in movement variability. Between-environment differences in segment orientation and speed were portrayed by plotting the mean difference ±95% confidence intervals (CI) throughout the tasks. The results showed that the depth of the squat and split squat were unaffected by the changed environment while water immersion allowed for a deeper single leg squat. The different environments had significant effects on the sagittal plane orientations and speeds for all segments. Water immersion increased the degree of movement variability of the segments in all exercises, except for the shank in the frontal plane, which showed more variability on land. Without compromising movement depth, the aquatic environment induces more upright trunk and shank postures during squats and split squats. The aquatic environment allows for increased squat depth during the single-leg squat, and increased shank motions in the frontal plane. Our observations therefore support the use of water-based squat tasks for rehabilitation as they appear to improve the technique without compromising movement depth. PMID:28767683

Developing resilient green roofs in a dry climate.

PubMed

Razzaghmanesh, M; Beecham, S; Brien, C J

2014-08-15

Living roofs are an emerging green infrastructure technology that can potentially be used to ameliorate both climate change and urban heat island effects. There is not much information regarding the design of green roofs for dry climates and so the aim of this study was to develop low maintenance and unfertilized green roofs for a dry climate. This paper describes the effects of four important elements of green roofs namely slope, depth, growing media and plant species and their possible interactions in terms of plant growth responses in a dry climate. Sixteen medium-scale green roofs were set up and monitored during a one year period. This experiment consisted of twelve vegetated platforms and four non-vegetated platforms as controls. The design for the experiment was a split-split-plot design in which the factors Slope (1° and 25°) and Depth (100mm, 300 mm) were randomized to the platforms (main plots). Root depth and volume, average height of plants, final dry biomass and ground cover, relative growth rate, final dry shoot-root ratio, water use efficiency and leaf succulence were studied during a twelve month period. The results showed little growth of the plants in media type A, whilst the growth was significant in both media types B and C. On average, a 90% survival rate of plants was observed. Also the growth indices indicated that some plants can grow efficiently in the harsh environment created by green roofs in a dry climate. The root growth pattern showed that retained water in the drainage layer is an alternative source of water for plants. It was also shown that stormwater can be used as a source of irrigation water for green roofs during six months of the year at the study site. In summary, mild sloping intensive systems containing media type C and planted with either Chrysocephalum apiculatum or Disphyma crassifolium showed the best performance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Eu/RG absorption and excitation spectroscopy in the solid rare gases: state dependence of crystal field splitting and Jahn-Teller coupling.

PubMed

Byrne, Owen; McCaffrey, John G

2011-03-28

Absorption spectroscopy recorded for annealed samples of matrix-isolated atomic europium reveals a pair of thermally stable sites in Ar and Kr while a single site exists in Xe. Plots of the matrix shifts of the visible s → p bands versus host polarizability, allowed the association of the single site in Xe and the blue sites in Ar and Kr. On the basis of the similar ground state bond lengths expected for the Eu-rare gas (RG) diatomics and the known Na-RG molecules, the blue sites are attributed to Eu occupancy in the smaller tetra-vacancy while the red sites are proposed to arise from hexa-vacancy sites. Both sites are of cubic symmetry, consistent with the pronounced Jahn-Teller structure present on the y(8)P ← a(8)S(7/2) transition for these bands in the three hosts studied. Site-selective excitation spectroscopy has been used to reanalyze complex absorption spectra previously published by Jakob et al. [Phys. Lett. A 57, 67 (1976)] for the near-UV f → d transitions. On the basis that a pair of thermally stable sites exist in solid argon, the occurrence of crystal field splitting has been identified to occur for the J ≥ 5/2 level of the (8)P state when isolated in these two sites with cubic symmetry. From a detailed lineshape analysis, the magnitude of the crystal field splittings on the J = 5/2 level in Ar is found to be 105 and 123 cm(-1) for the red and blue sites, respectively.

Formulation and optimization of coated PLGA – Zidovudine nanoparticles using factorial design and in vitro in vivo evaluations to determine brain targeting efficiency

PubMed Central

Peter Christoper, G.V.; Vijaya Raghavan, C.; Siddharth, K.; Siva Selva Kumar, M.; Hari Prasad, R.

2013-01-01

In the current study zidovudine loaded PLGA nanoparticles were prepared, coated and further investigated for its effectiveness in brain targeting. IR and DSC studies were performed to determine the interaction between excipients used and to find out the nature of drug in the formulation. Formulations were prepared by adopting 23 factorial designs to evaluate the effects of process and formulation variables. The prepared formulations were subjected for in vitro and in vivo evaluations. In vitro evaluations showed particle size below 100 nm, entrapment efficiency of formulations ranges of 28–57%, process yield of 60–76% was achieved and drug release for the formulations were in the range of 50–85%. The drug release from the formulations was found to follow Higuchi release pattern, n–value obtained after Korsemeyer plot was in the range of 0.56–0.78. In vivo evaluations were performed in mice after intraperitoneal administration of zidovudine drug solution, uncoated and coated formulation. Formulation when coated with Tween 80 achieved a higher concentration in the brain than that of the drug in solution and of the uncoated formulation. Stability studies indicated that there was no degradation of the drug in the formulation after 90 days of preparation when stored in refrigerated condition. PMID:24648825

Reliability and Factorial Structure of the Farsi Version of the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety in an Iranian Middle-Aged Sample

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The present study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety (ASDA) in an Iranian middle-aged sample. A sample of 55 volunteer Iranian persons took part in the study. Cronbach's alpha of the ASDA was found to be high (0.91) and Spearman-Brown and Guttman Split-Half coefficients were 0.86. The factor analysis of the ASDA items yielded five factors accounting for 72.49% of the total variance and labeled (F1) fear of death and fear of dead people; (F2) fear of postmortem events and fear of tombs; (F3) fear of lethal disease; (F4) preoccupation with after death, and death fear in sleep; and (F5) fear of deprivation of own ones. The ASDA has a good validity and reliability, and it can be used in clinical, educational, and research settings. PMID:28004035

Reliability and Factorial Structure of the Farsi Version of the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety in an Iranian Middle-Aged Sample.

PubMed

Dadfar, Mahboubeh; Bahrami, Fazel

2016-01-01

The present study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the Arabic Scale of Death Anxiety (ASDA) in an Iranian middle-aged sample. A sample of 55 volunteer Iranian persons took part in the study. Cronbach's alpha of the ASDA was found to be high (0.91) and Spearman-Brown and Guttman Split-Half coefficients were 0.86. The factor analysis of the ASDA items yielded five factors accounting for 72.49% of the total variance and labeled (F1) fear of death and fear of dead people; (F2) fear of postmortem events and fear of tombs; (F3) fear of lethal disease; (F4) preoccupation with after death, and death fear in sleep; and (F5) fear of deprivation of own ones. The ASDA has a good validity and reliability, and it can be used in clinical, educational, and research settings.

Surface Plasmon Waves on Thin Metal Films.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, Alan Ellsworth

Surface-plasmon polaritons propagating on thin metal films bounded by dielectrics of nearly equal refractive indexes comprise two bound modes. Calculations indicate that, while the modes are degenerate on thick films, both the real and the imaginary components of the propagation constants for the modes split into two branches on successively thinner films. Considering these non-degenerate modes, the mode exhibiting a symmetric (antisymmetric) transverse profile of the longitudinally polarized electric field component, has propagation constant components both of which increase (decrease) with decreasing film thickness. Theoretical propagation constant eigenvalue (PCE) curves have been plotted which delineate this dependence of both propagation constant components on film thickness. By means of a retroreflecting, hemispherical glass coupler in an attenuated total reflection (ATR) configuration, light of wavelength 632.8 nm coupled to the modes of thin silver films deposited on polished glass substrates. Lorentzian lineshape dips in the plots of reflectance vs. angle of incidence indicate the presence of the plasmon modes. The real and imaginary components of the propagation constraints (i.e., the propagation constant and loss coefficient) were calculated from the angular positions and widths of the ATR resonances recorded. Films of several thicknesses were probed. Results which support the theoretically predicted curves were reported.

Effects of crop residues of sunflower (Helianthus annuus), maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max) on growth and seed yields of sunflower.

PubMed

Srisa-Ard, K

2007-04-15

This pot experiment was carried out at Suranaree Technology University Experimental Farm, Northeast Thailand to investigate effects of crop residues of sunflower, maize and soybean on total dry weight, top dry weight, plant height, root dry weight and seed yield of sunflower plants with the use of Korat soil series (Oxic Paleustults) during the rainy season (July-October) of the 2001. The experiment was laid in a split plot arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications where the crop residues of maize, sunflower and soybean were used as main plots. Whilst crop residues of roots, top growth and roots+top growth were used as subplots. The results showed that crop residues derived from roots of both sunflower and soybean plants had their significant inhibition effects of allelopathic substances on plant height, root dry weight, top growth dry weight and total dry weight plant(-1) of the sunflower plants than those derived from top growth of both crops alone (sunflower and soybean). Maize plant residues had no significant inhibition effect on growth of subsequent crop of sunflower.

Presentation Extensions of the SOAP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carnright, Robert; Stodden, David; Coggi, John

2009-01-01

A set of extensions of the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP) enables simultaneous and/or sequential presentation of information from multiple sources. SOAP is used in the aerospace community as a means of collaborative visualization and analysis of data on planned spacecraft missions. The following definitions of terms also describe the display modalities of SOAP as now extended: In SOAP terminology, View signifies an animated three-dimensional (3D) scene, two-dimensional still image, plot of numerical data, or any other visible display derived from a computational simulation or other data source; a) "Viewport" signifies a rectangular portion of a computer-display window containing a view; b) "Palette" signifies a collection of one or more viewports configured for simultaneous (split-screen) display in the same window; c) "Slide" signifies a palette with a beginning and ending time and an animation time step; and d) "Presentation" signifies a prescribed sequence of slides. For example, multiple 3D views from different locations can be crafted for simultaneous display and combined with numerical plots and other representations of data for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The resulting sets of views can be temporally sequenced to convey visual impressions of a sequence of events for a planned mission.

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

Lees, J.P.

We present the first results on the Dalitz-plot structure and improved measurements of the time-dependent CP-violation parameters of the process B{sup 0} {yields} K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sub S}{sup 0} obtained using 468 x 10{sup 6} B{bar B} decays collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC. The Dalitz-plot structure is probed by a time-integrated amplitude analysis that does not distinguish between B{sup 0} and {bar B}{sup 0} decays. We measure the total inclusive branching fraction {Beta}(B{sup 0} {yields} K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sub S}{sup 0}K{sub S}{sup 0}) = (6.19 {+-} 0.48 {+-} 0.15 {+-} 0.12) xmore » 10{sup -6}, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic, and the third represents the Dalitz-plot signal model dependence. We also observe evidence for the intermediate resonant states f{sub 0}(980), f{sub 0}(1710), and f{sub 2}(2010). Their respective product branching fractions are measured to be (2.70{sub -1.19}{sup +1.25} {+-} 0.36 {+-} 1.17) x 10{sup -6}, (0.50{sub -0.24}{sup +0.46} {+-} 0.04 {+-} 0.10) x 10{sup -6}, and (0.54{sub -0.20}{sup +0.21} {+-} 0.03 {+-} 0.52) x 10{sup -6}. Additionally, we determine the mixing-induced CP-violation parameters to be S = -0.94{sub -0.21}{sup +0.24} {+-} 0.06 and C = -0.17 {+-} 0.18 {+-} 0.04, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. These values are in agreement with the standard model expectation.« less

Validating and Improving Interrill Erosion Equations

PubMed Central

Zhang, Feng-Bao; Wang, Zhan-Li; Yang, Ming-Yi

2014-01-01

Existing interrill erosion equations based on mini-plot experiments have largely ignored the effects of slope length and plot size on interrill erosion rate. This paper describes a series of simulated rainfall experiments which were conducted according to a randomized factorial design for five slope lengths (0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2 m) at a width of 0.4 m, five slope gradients (17%, 27%, 36%, 47%, and 58%), and five rainfall intensities (48, 62.4, 102, 149, and 170 mm h−1) to perform a systematic validation of existing interrill erosion equations based on mini-plots. The results indicated that the existing interrill erosion equations do not adequately describe the relationships between interrill erosion rate and its influencing factors with increasing slope length and rainfall intensity. Univariate analysis of variance showed that runoff rate, rainfall intensity, slope gradient, and slope length had significant effects on interrill erosion rate and that their interactions were significant at p = 0.01. An improved interrill erosion equation was constructed by analyzing the relationships of sediment concentration with rainfall intensity, slope length, and slope gradient. In the improved interrill erosion equation, the runoff rate and slope factor are the same as in the interrill erosion equation in the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP), with the weight of rainfall intensity adjusted by an exponent of 0.22 and a slope length term added with an exponent of −0.25. Using experimental data from WEPP cropland soil field interrill erodibility experiments, it has been shown that the improved interrill erosion equation describes the relationship between interrill erosion rate and runoff rate, rainfall intensity, slope gradient, and slope length reasonably well and better than existing interrill erosion equations. PMID:24516624

Effects of Litter and Nutrient Additions on Soil Carbon Cycling in a Tropical Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cusack, D. F.; Halterman, S.; Turner, B. L.; Tanner, E.; Wright, S. J.

2014-12-01

Soil carbon (C) dynamics present one of the largest sources of uncertainty in global C cycle models, with tropical forest soils containing some of the largest terrestrial C stocks. Drastic changes in soil C storage and loss are likely to occur if global change alters plant net primary production (NPP) and/or nutrient availability in these ecosystems. We assessed the effects of litter removal and addition, as well as fertilization with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and/or potassium (K), on soil C stocks in a tropical seasonal forest in Panama after ten and sixteen years, respectively. We used a density fractionation scheme to assess manipulation effects on rapidly and slowly cycling pools of C. Soil samples were collected in the wet and dry seasons from 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm depths in 15- 45x45 m plots with litter removal, 2x litter addition, and control (n=5), and from 32- 40x40 m fertilization plots with factorial additions of N, P, and K. We hypothesized that litter addition would increase all soil C fractions, but that the magnitude of the effect on rapidly-cycling C would be dampened by a fertilization effect. Results for the dry season show that the "free light" C fraction, or rapidly cycling soil C pool, was significantly different among the three litter treatments, comprising 5.1 ± 0.9 % of total soil mass in the litter addition plots, 2.7 ± 0.3 % in control plots, and 1.0 ± 0.1 % in litter removal plots at the 0-5cm depth (means ± one standard error, p < 0.05). Bulk soil C results are similar to observed changes in the rapidly cycling C pool for the litter addition and removal. Fertilization treatments on average diminished this C pool size relative to control plots, although there was substantial variability among fertilization treatments. In particular, addition of N and P together did not significantly alter rapidly cycling C pool sizes (4.1 ± 1.2 % of total soil mass) relative to controls (3.5 ± 0.4 %), whereas addition of P alone resulted in significantly smaller rapidly cycling C pools (1.8 ± 0.4 %, p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that changes in tropical forest NPP have high potential to alter the storage and cycling of C in C-rich soils, and that secondary fertilization effects are likely.

A New Continuous Cooling Transformation Diagram for AISI M4 High-Speed Tool Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briki, Jalel; Ben Slima, Souad

2008-12-01

The increasing evolution of dilatometric techniques now allows for the identification of structural transformations with very low signal. The use of dilatometric techniques coupled with more common techniques, such as metallographic, hardness testing, and x-ray diffraction allows to plot a new CCT diagram for AISI M4 high-speed tool steel. This diagram is useful for a better selection of alternate solutions, hardening, and tempering heat treatments. More accurate determination of the various fields of transformation of austenite during its cooling was made. The precipitation of carbides highlighted at high temperature is at the origin of the martrensitic transformation into two stages (splitting phenomena). For slow cooling rates, it was possible to highlight the ferritic, pearlitic, and bainitic transformation.

Magnetic properties of vanadium doped CdTe: Ab initio calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goumrhar, F.; Bahmad, L.; Mounkachi, O.; Benyoussef, A.

2017-04-01

In this paper, we are applying the ab initio calculations to study the magnetic properties of vanadium doped CdTe. This study is based on the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method (KKR) combined with the coherent potential approximation (CPA), within the local density approximation (LDA). This method is called KKR-CPA-LDA. We have calculated and plotted the density of states (DOS) in the energy diagram for different concentrations of dopants. We have also investigated the magnetic and half-metallic properties of this compound and shown the mechanism of exchange interaction. Moreover, we have estimated the Curie temperature Tc for different concentrations. Finally, we have shown how the crystal field and the exchange splittings vary as a function of the concentrations.

Soil fauna and leaf species, but not species diversity, affect initial soil erosion in a subtropical forest plantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seitz, Steffen; Goebes, Philipp; Assmann, Thorsten; Schuldt, Andreas; Scholten, Thomas

2017-04-01

In subtropical parts of China, high rainfall intensities cause continuous soil losses and thereby provoke severe harms to ecosystems. In woodlands, it is not the tree canopy, but mostly an intact forest floor that provides protection from soil erosion. Although the protective role of leaf litter covers against soil losses is known for a long time, little research has been conducted on the processes involved. For instance, the role of different leaf species and leaf species diversity has been widely disregarded. Furthermore, the impact of soil meso- and macrofauna within the litter layer on soil losses remains unclear. To investigate how leaf litter species and diversity as well as soil meso- and macrofauna affect sediment discharge in a subtropical forest ecosystem, a field experiment was carried out in Xingangshan, Jiangxi Province, PR China (BEF China). A full-factorial random design with 96 micro-scale runoff plots and seven domestic leaf species in three diversity levels and a bare ground feature were established. Erosion was initiated with a rainfall simulator. This study confirms that leaf litter cover generally protects forest soils from water erosion (-82 % sediment discharge on leaf covered plots compared to bare plots) and this protection is gradually removed as the litter layer decomposes. Different leaf species showed variable impacts on sediment discharge and thus erosion control. This effect can be related to different leaf habitus, leaf decomposition rates and food preferences of litter decomposing meso- and macrofauna. In our experiment, runoff plots with leaf litter from Machilus thunbergii in monoculture showed the highest sediment discharge (68.0 g m-2), whereas plots with Cyclobalanopsis glauca in monoculture showed the smallest rates (7.9 g m-2). At the same time, neither leaf species diversity, nor functional diversity showed any significant influence, only a negative trend could be observed. Nevertheless, the protective effect of the leaf litter layer was influenced by the presence (or absence) of soil meso- and macrofauna. Fauna presence increased soil erosion rates significantly by 58 %. It was assumed that this faunal effect arose from arthropods loosening and processing the soil surface as well as fragmenting and decomposing the protecting leaf litter covers. Thus, effects of this fauna group on sediment discharge have to be considered in soil erosion experiments.

Effects of forage-to-concentrate ratio and dietary fiber manipulation on gas emissions and olfactometry from manure of Holstein heifers.

PubMed

Lascano, G J; Heinrichs, A J; Gary, R R; Topper, P A; Brandt, R C; Adviento-Borbe, A; Fabian, E E

2015-03-01

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of differing ratios of forage to concentrate (F:C) and fiber levels on odor and gas emissions from manure. Eight Holstein dairy heifers (362.45±4.53 d of age and 335.6±7.41 kg of body weight) were randomly assigned to a split-plot, 4×4 Latin square design (21-d periods) with F:C as the whole plot (20 or 80% forage) and fiber level as sub-plot (0, 20, 40, or 60% inclusion of corn stover). Gas concentration was determined using an infrared photoacoustic analyzer over a 24-h period using a steady-state flux chamber setup. Odorous air samples were collected from chamber headspace and evaluated by 6 human assessors using a forced-choice dynamic olfactometry technique. Emissions of CO2 were greater for the low than high concentrate diets, and no differences were observed for NH3 and CH4 emissions between F:C. Although F:C had no effect on NH3 emissions, as dietary fiber increased, a linear interaction with opposite effects was found for high and low concentrate diets. Nitrous oxide emissions were below minimum detectable levels. Neither F:C nor neutral detergent fiber level affected odor intensity. Odor emissions were successfully assessed, and manipulation of dietary fiber has the potential to influence CH4 and NH3 emissions. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant activity and cyanogenic glycosides of organic and mineral-base fertilized cassava tubers.

PubMed

Omar, Nur Faezah; Hassan, Siti Aishah; Yusoff, Umi Kalsom; Abdullah, Nur Ashikin Psyquay; Wahab, Puteri Edaroyati Megat; Sinniah, Umarani

2012-02-27

A field study was conducted to determine the effect of organic and mineral-based fertilizers on phytochemical contents in the tubers of two cassava varieties. Treatments were arranged in a split plot design with three replicates. The main plot was fertilizer source (vermicompost, empty fruit bunch compost and inorganic fertilizer) and sub-plot was cassava variety (Medan and Sri Pontian). The amount of fertilizer applied was based on 180 kg K(2)O ha-1. The tubers were harvested and analyzed for total flavonoids, total phenolics, antioxidant activity and cyanogenic glucoside content. Total phenolic and flavonoid compounds were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and aluminium chloride colorimetric method, respectively. Different sources of fertilizer, varieties and their interactions were found to have a significant effect on phytochemical content. The phenolic and flavonoid content were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the vermicompost treatment compared to mineral fertilizer and EFB compost. The total flavonoids and phenolics content of vermicompost treated plants were 39% and 38% higher, respectively, than those chemically fertilized. The antioxidant activity determined using the DPPH and FRAP assays were high with application of organic fertilizer. Cyanogenic glycoside levels were decreased with the application of organic fertilizer. Among the two types of compost, vermicompost resulted in higher nutritional value of cassava tubers. Medan variety with application of vermicompost showed the most promising nutritional quality. Since the nutritional quality of cassava can be improved by organic fertilization, organic fertilizer should be used in place of chemical fertilizer for environmentally sustainable production of better quality cassava.

Effects of marketing group and production focus on quality and variability of adipose tissue and bellies sourced from a commercial processing facility.

PubMed

Overholt, M F; Arkfeld, E K; Wilson, K B; Mohrhauser, D A; King, D A; Wheeler, T L; Dilger, A C; Shackelford, S D; Boler, D D

2016-12-01

Objectives were to determine the effects of marketing group on quality and variability of belly and adipose tissue quality traits of pigs sourced from differing production focuses (lean vs. quality). Pigs ( = 8,042) raised in 8 barns representing 2 seasons (cold and hot) were used. Three groups were marketed from each barn with 2 barns per production focus marketed per season. Data were collected on 7,684 carcasses at a commercial abattoir. Fresh belly characteristics, American Oil Chemists' Society iodine value (AOCS-IV), and near-infrared iodine value were measured on a targeted 50, 10, and 100% of carcasses, respectively. Data were analyzed as a split-plot design in the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4 with production focus as the whole-plot factor and marketing group as the split-plot factor. Barn (block), season, and sex were random variables. A multivariance model was fit using the REPEATED statement with the marketing group × production focus interaction as the grouping variable. Variances for production focus and marketing groups were calculated using the MEANS procedure. Homogeneity of variance was tested on raw data using the Levene's test of the GLM procedure. Among quality focus carcasses, marketing group 3 bellies weighed less ( ≤ 0.03) than those from either marketing group 1 or 2, but there was no difference ( ≥ 0.99) among marketing groups of the lean focus carcasses. There was no effect ( ≥ 0.11) of production focus on fresh belly measures, SFA, or iodine value (IV), but lean focus carcasses had decreased ( = 0.04) total MUFA and increased ( < 0.01) total PUFA compared with quality focus carcasses. Marketing group did not affect ( ≥ 0.10) fresh belly dimensions, total SFA, total MUFA, total PUFA, or IV. Belly weight, flop score, width, and all depth measurements were less variable ( ≤ 0.01); whereas, belly length, total SFA, and total MUFA were more variable ( < 0.0001) in lean focus carcasses than in quality focus carcasses. There was no difference ( ≥ 0.17) in total PUFA or AOCS-IV variability between production focuses. Variance of flop score, total MUFA, and total PUFA were not equal ( ≤ 0.01) among marketing groups. Belly weight, length, width, and depth measurements; SFA; or IV variance did not differ ( ≥ 0.06) among marketing groups. Although a multiple-marketing strategy was effective at minimizing differences in belly characteristics, differences in the variability of these traits exist among marketing groups and are likely dependent on the production system used.

Tropical soils degraded by slash-and-burn cultivation can be recultivated when amended with ashes and compost.

PubMed

Gay-des-Combes, Justine Marie; Sanz Carrillo, Clara; Robroek, Bjorn Jozef Maria; Jassey, Vincent Eric Jules; Mills, Robert Thomas Edmund; Arif, Muhammad Saleem; Falquet, Leia; Frossard, Emmanuel; Buttler, Alexandre

2017-07-01

In many tropical regions, slash-and-burn agriculture is considered as a driver of deforestation; the forest is converted into agricultural land by cutting and burning the trees. However, the fields are abandoned after few years because of yield decrease and weed invasion. Consequently, new surfaces are regularly cleared from the primary forest. We propose a reclamation strategy for abandoned fields allowing and sustaining re-cultivation. In the dry region of south-western Madagascar, we tested, according to a split-plot design, an alternative selective slash-and-burn cultivation technique coupled with compost amendment on 30-year-old abandoned fields. Corn plants ( Zea mays L.) were grown on four different types of soil amendments: no amendment (control), compost, ashes (as in traditional slash-and-burn cultivation), and compost + ashes additions. Furthermore, two tree cover treatments were applied: 0% tree cover (as in traditional slash-and-burn cultivation) and 50% tree cover (selective slash-and-burn). Both corn growth and soil fertility parameters were monitored during the growing season 2015 up to final harvest. The amendment compost + ashes strongly increased corn yield, which was multiplied by 4-5 in comparison with ashes or compost alone, reaching 1.5 t/ha compared to 0.25 and 0.35 t/ha for ashes and compost, respectively. On control plots, yield was negligible as expected on these degraded soils. Structural equation modeling evidenced that compost and ashes were complementary fertilizing pathways promoting soil fertility through positive effects on soil moisture, pH, organic matter, and microbial activity. Concerning the tree cover treatment, yield was reduced on shaded plots (50% tree cover) compared to sunny plots (0% tree cover) for all soil amendments, except ashes. To conclude, our results provide empirical evidence on the potential of recultivating tropical degraded soils with compost and ashes. This would help mitigating deforestation of the primary forest by increasing lifespan of agricultural lands.

Climate and N-Mineral Fertilization Changes on Triticale (XTriticosecale W.) Yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

László, Márton, ,, Dr.

2010-05-01

Ecological quality has a well established dependence on climate-rainfall changes because the water problems are pressing. There is, therefore, growing concern about the potentially wide ranging risks that climate change would have on these key industries as the nature and extent of anticipated changes have become more evident. It also includes changes in land use and in plant production and their management. These changes are unprecedented in terms of both their rate and their spatial extent. Changes in land use (agrotechnics, soil, cultivation, fertility, quality, protection etc.) and in plant production (plant nutrition-, rotation-, protection-, etc.) are currently the main manifestations. As an interdisciplinary problem it is necessary to study such a complex matter in terms of agricultural production. Generally among natural catastrophes, droughts and floods cause the greatest problems in field crop production. The droughts and the floods that were experienced in Hungary in the early 1980's have drawn renewed attention to the analyses of these problems. New research on climate change-soil-plant systems are focused on yield and yield quality. This paper reports the climate change (rainfall) x soil (acidic sandy brown forest) x mineral N-fertilisation x plant interactions on triticale yields in a long term field experiment set up at Nyírlugos in north-eastern Hungary under temperate climate conditions in 1962. The agrochemical parameters of the soil were as follows: pH (H2O) 5.9, pH (KCl) 4.7, hydrolytic acidity 8.4, hy1 0.3, humus 0.7%, CEC 5-10 mgeq 100*g-1, total N 34 mg*kg-1, AL-P2O5 43 mg*kg-1, AL-K2O 60 mg*kg-1. From 1962 to 1980 the experiment consisted of 2x16x4x4=512 plots and from 1980 of 32x4=128 plots in split-split plot and factorial random block design. The gross plot size was 10x5=50 m2. The average fertiliser rates in kg*ha-1*year-1 were nitrogen 45, phosphorus 24 (P2O5), potassium 40 (K2O), magnesium 7.5 (MgO) until 1980 and nitrogen 75, phosphorus 90 (P2O5), potassium 90 (K2O), calcium 175 (Ca) and magnesium 40 (Mg) after 1980. Nitrogen results are summarised from 1990 to 2001. Main conclusions were as follows: 1. On the basis of "general" (Harnos 1993) and triticale-specific rainfall deficiency values (Márton 2003) the years could be classified as average (1991, 1995, 2000), dry (1993), droughty (1992, 1994, 1996), wet (1997, 1998, 2001) and over wet (1999). 2. In average years the yield of the control plots became stabilised at the 1.4 t*ha-1 level. In the fertilised treatments the highest yield (4.0 t*ha-1) was more than two times the lowest yield (1.9 t*ha-1). N fertilisation resulted in an increase of around 1.0 t*ha-1 in the main yield compared with the control. The triticale yields could only be enhanced economically by full treatment with NPK (3.3 t*ha-1) or NPKCa-, NPKMg-, NPKCaMg (3.9 t*ha-1). 3. Without fertilisation the yield in the dry and drought years was decreased 14% and 36% to that in the average year. In case of the nitrogen treatmets the yield was decreased 45% and 24%. 4. In the wet years on the unfertilised plots the yield declined 14% and in the case of the nitrogen fertilisation the yield no changed than in the average years. In the over wet year the plots yielded similar than in the average years. 5. The relationships between rainfall during the vegetation period, N, P, K, Ca and Mg fertilisation and yield were characterised by second-degree correlation depending on the level of nutrition (R: 0=0.3455**, N=0.2779+, NP=0.4722***, NK=0.3739***, NPK=0.6311***, NPKCa=0.6673***, NPKMg=0.6734***, NPKCaMg=0.6232***). The maximum yield (5.0-6.0 t*ha-1) was yielded at 550-600 mm growth period rainfall. This paper summarises quantified results of triticale research with regarding to interaction effects and relationships between climate (rainfall)-mineral nutrition-crop production changes in Hungary during a long term field experiment to agricultural sustainability. Introduction "Climate Change" are recognized as a serious environmental issues (Johnston, 2000). Presently the build up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the inertia in trends in emissions means that we can expect significant changes for at least the next few decades and probably for the 21th century as well (Márton, 2001a., b). It would badly need to understand what might be involved in adapting to the new climates. A decade ago, researchers asked the "what if" question. For example, what will be the impact if climate changes. Now, we must increasingly address the following question: how do we respond effectivelly to prevent damaging impacts and take advantage of new climatic opportunities. This question requires detailed in information regarding expected impacts and effectíve adaptive measures. Information on adaptation is required for governments, landscape planners, stakeholders, farmers, producers, processors, supermarkets and consumers. Not only the local effects and options, but also the spatial implications must be understood. Will yields be maintained on the present range of farms. Where will new crops be grown. Will new processing plants be required. Will there be competition for water. Most recent agricultural impact studies have concentrated on the effects of mean changes in climate on crop production, whilst only limited investigations into the effects of climate variability on agriculture have been undertaken. The paucity of studies in this area is not least due to the considerable uncertainty regarding how climate variability may change in the future in response to greenhouse gas induced warming but also as a result of the uncertainty in the response of agricultural crops to changes in climate variability, effected most probably through changes in the frequency of extreme climatic events. Showed that changes in variance have a greater effect on the frequency of extreme climatic events than do changes in the mean values. Hence, it is important to attempt to include changes in variability in scenarios of climate change. Weather change at Hungary was started about of 1850. Among the natural catastrophes, drought and flooding caused by over-abundant rainfall cause the greatest problem in plant nutrition and in field crop production nowadays too (José et al., 2001). It is why we found it necessary to revise and to analyse this problem. The triticale is most important crop of many World countries (Márton and Pekli, 2003) but little research in the field of climate change impact assessment has been undertaken. These plant is sensitive to the prevailing weather conditions (rainfall) and, hence, it is important to evaluate the effects of anthropogenic climate change on her production. The crop is demanding indicator of soil nutrient status also. Have a particularly high requirement for supply of soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium. From 1990 to 2001 this paper describes climate-rainfall-change and N-mineral fertilisation effects on triticale yield on a acidic sandy brown forest soil at long term experiment scale under temperate climate conditions at Hungary. Material and Method The effect of rainfall quantity and distribution on certain crop fertilisation factors (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and yield) were studied in a long- term field experiment on acidic sandy brown forest soil at North- Eastern Hungary set up in 1962 and 2003. The agrochemical parameters of the soil were as follows: pH (H2O) 5.9, pH (KCl) 4.7, hydrolytic acidity 8.4, hy1 0.3, humus 0.7%, CEC 5-10 mgeq 100*g-1, total N 34 mg*kg-1, AL-P2O5 43 mg*kg-1, AL-K2O 60 mg*kg-1. From 1962 to 1980 the experiment consisted of 2x16x4x4=512 plots and from 1980 of 32x4=128 plots in split-split plot and factorial random block design. The gross plot size was 10x5=50 m2. The average fertiliser rates in kg*ha-1*year-1 were nitrogen 45, phosphorus 24 (P2O5), potassium 40 (K2O), magnesium 7.5 (MgO) until 1980 and nitrogen 75, phosphorus 90 (P2O5), potassium 90 (K2O), calcium 175 (Ca) and magnesium 40 (Mg) after 1980 in the form of 25 % calcium ammonium nitrate, 18 % superphosphate, 40 % potassium chloride, calcium carbonate and magnesium sulphate. The groundwater table was at a depth of 2 - 3 m. Ecological (rainfall) and experimental data bases were estimated by Hungarian traditional (Harnos, 1993) and RISSAC-HAS (Márton, 2003) standards, MANOVA (SPSS) and regression analysis (SPSS). Results and Discussion Nitrogen results are summarised from 1990 to 2001. 1. On the basis of "general" (Harnos, 1993) and triticale-specific rainfall deficiency values (Márton, 2003) the years could be classified as average (1991, 1995, 2000), dry (1993), droughty (1992, 1994, 1996), wet (1997, 1998, 2001) and over wet (1999). 2. In average years the yield of the control plots became stabilised at the 1.4 t*ha-1 level. In the fertilised treatments the highest yield (4.0 t*ha-1) was more than two times the lowest yield (1.9 t*ha-1). N fertilisation resulted in an increase of around 1.0 t*ha-1 in the main yield compared with the control. The triticale yields could only be enhanced economically by full treatment with NPK (3.3 t*ha-1) or NPKCa-, NPKMg-, NPKCaMg (3.9 t*ha-1). 3. Without fertilisation the yield in the dry and drought years was decreased 14% and 36% to that in the average year. In case of the nitrogen treatmets the yield was decreased 45% and 24%. 4. In the wet years on the unfertilised plots the yield declined 14% and in the case of the nitrogen fertilisation the yield no changed than in the average years. In the over wet year the plots yielded similar than in the average years. 5. The relationships between rainfall during the vegetation period, N, P, K, Ca and Mg fertilisation and yield were characterised by second-degree correlation depending on the level of nutrition (R: 0=0.3455**, N=0.2779+, NP=0.4722***, NK=0.3739***, NPK=0.6311***, NPKCa=0.6673***, NPKMg=0.6734***, NPKCaMg=0.6232***). The maximum yield (5.0-6.0 t*ha-1) was yielded at 550-600 mm growth period rainfall. References Harnos, Zs. 1993. Időjárás és időjárás-termés összefüggéseinek idősoros elemzése. In: Aszály 1983 (Szerk.: Baráth, Cs-né., Győrffy, B., és Harnos, Zs.). KÉE. Budapest Johnston, A. E. 2000. Some aspects of nitrogen use efficiency in arable agriculture. K. Scogs-o. Lantbr. Akad. Tidskr. 139: 8. José, A. B., Estáquio, M. J., and Márton, L. 2001. Results of Crotalaria ssp. effects on soil conservation. In: Congress on Conservation Agriculture, (Eds Armando, M. V.), ECAF., Madrid, 5, pp 1-4. Márton, L. 2001a. Climate change and N, P, K, Mg fertilization effect analysis at Tisza-river basin in a long term field experiment. Szent István University, Gödöllő, p. 9. Márton, L. 2001b. Climate change, N-fertilisation effect on rye (Secale cereale L.) yield in a long term field experiment. In: Rural development-Ecologically farming-Agriculture, (Eds Palkovics, M.), University Veszprém, Keszthely, pp 924-929. Márton, L. 2002a. Climate-Rainfall Change (CRC) and mineral fertilisation (MF) effects on different crop production. In: Challenges of the new millennium our joint responsibility. (Eds A. Borhidi). MTA ÖBKI. Budapest. 1, pp 110-111. Márton, L. 2002b. Relationships between rainfall, nutrient supplies and the yield of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Plant Production 51: 529-542. Márton, L. 2003. Relationships between rainfall, nutrient supplies and the yield of triticale. Plant Production. In press Márton, L., and Pekli, J. 2003. Plant production under sub-arctical and temperate climate conditions. SZIU. Gödöllő Acknowledgement This research was supported by Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-Budapest Adderss of the author Dr. Márton László Ph.D Research Institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1022 H-Budapest, Herman O. u. 15. E-mail:marton@rissac.hu

Effect of empty fruit bunch to the accumulated plant height, mass of fresh and dry weight of tomato plant treated with organic and inorganic fertilizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elias, Aishah; Mutalib, Sahilah Abd.; Mustapha, Wan Aida Wan

2016-11-01

A glasshouse experiment was conducted to study the effect of different type of compost and fertilizers on the growth of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum). The experiment consisted of sixteen treatments. Compost of Empty fruit bunch (EFB) and cow dung is mixed in the ratio of 3:2:1 (soil: compost: sand) and put into 25.4 mm2 polyethylene bag. Organic fertilizer of 10 ml were added twice a week, while inorganic fertilizer was applied at the rate of 3 g per polyethylene bag of soil three weeks after sowing. Treatment without fertilizer application was established as a control. The treatments were laid in a split-split plot design with three replications. Plant growth was assessed using accumulating plant height, fresh weight and dry weight. The application of organic plus inorganic fertilizer had significant effects on plant height. The application of organic fertilizer combination with cow dung gave significant difference to plant mass (fresh and dry). The data obtained from these treatments were significantly higher than the data obtained from the control (without fertilizer). In conclusion, the type of compost did not gave significant difference towards plant height while it only gave significant difference towards plant mass.

Determination of single-kidney glomerular filtration rate (GFR) with CT urography versus renal dynamic imaging Gates method.

PubMed

You, Shan; Ma, XianWu; Zhang, ChangZhu; Li, Qiang; Shi, WenWei; Zhang, Jing; Yuan, XiaoDong

2018-03-01

To present a single-kidney CT-GFR measurement and compare it with the renal dynamic imaging Gates-GFR. Thirty-six patients with hydronephrosis referred for CT urography and 99mTc-DTPA renal dynamic imaging were prospectively included. Informed consent was obtained from all patients. The CT urography protocol included non-contrast, nephrographic, and excretory phase imaging. The total CT-GFR was calculated by dividing the CT number increments of the total urinary system between the nephrographic and excretory phase by the products of iodine concentration in the aorta and the elapsed time, then multiplied by (1- Haematocrit). The total CT-GFR was then split into single-kidney CT-GFR by a left and right kidney proportionality factor. The results were compared with single-kidney Gates-GFR by using paired t-test, correlation analysis, and Bland-Altman plots. Paired difference between single-kidney CT-GFR (45.02 ± 13.91) and single-kidney Gates-GFR (51.21 ± 14.76) was 6.19 ± 5.63 ml/min, p<0.001, demonstrating 12.1% systematic underestimation with ±11.03 ml/min (±21.5%) measurement deviation. A good correlation was revealed between both measurements (r=0.87, p<0.001). The proposed single-kidney CT-GFR correlates and agrees well with the reference standard despite a systematic underestimation, therefore it could be a one-stop-shop for evaluating urinary tract morphology and split renal function. • A new CT method can assess split renal function • Only using images from CT urography and the value of haematocrit • A one-stop-shop CT technique without additional radiation dose.

Effects of tropical ecosystem engineers on soil quality and crop performance under different tillage and residue management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulleman, Mirjam; Paul, Birthe; Fredrick, Ayuke; Hoogmoed, Marianne; Hurisso, Tunsisa; Ndabamenye, Telesphore; Saidou, Koala; Terano, Yusuke; Six, Johan; Vanlauwe, Bernard

2014-05-01

Feeding a future global population of 9 billion will require a 70-100% increase in food production, resulting in unprecedented challenges for agriculture and natural resources, especially in Sub-saharan Africa (SSA). Agricultural practices that contribute to sustainable intensification build on beneficial biological interactions and ecosystem services. Termites are the dominant soil ecosystem engineers in arid to sub-humid tropical agro-ecosystems. Various studies have demonstrated the potential benefits of termites for rehabilitation of degraded and crusted soils and plant growth in semi-arid and arid natural ecosystems. However, the contribution of termites to agricultural productivity has hardly been experimentally investigated, and their role in Conservation Agriculture (CA) systems remains especially unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify the effects of termites and ants on soil physical quality and crop productivity under different tillage and residue management systems in the medium term. A randomized block trial was set up in sub-humid Western Kenya in 2003. Treatments included a factorial combination of residue retention and removal (+R/-R) and conventional and reduced tillage (+T/-T) under a maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glyxine max. L.) rotation. A macrofauna exclusion experiment was superimposed in 2005 as a split-plot factor (exclusion +ins; inclusion -ins) by regular applications of pesticides (Dursban and Endosulfan) in half of the plots. Macrofauna abundance and diversity, soil aggregate fractions, soil carbon contents and crop yields were measured between 2005 and 2012 at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm soil depths. Termites were the most important macrofauna species, constituting between 48-63% of all soil biota, while ants were 13-34%, whereas earthworms were present in very low numbers. Insecticide application was effective in reducing termites (85-56% exclusion efficacy) and earthworms (87%), and less so ants (49-81%) at 0-15 cm soil depth. Termite diversity was low - Pseudacanthotermes sp. (33%), Microtermes sp. (24%) and Pseudacanthotermes militaris (22%) were dominant. All three species belong to the family of Macrotermitianae who are feeding on litter, grass and wood from the soil surface. Macrofauna exclusion did not have a significant effect on soil aggregate stability or soil C at any soil depth which might be attributed to the low residue retention and the high spatial variability in termite foraging activity. Maize and soybean yields strongly increased with macrofauna exclusion (P<0.001). This may be explained by the fact that all three identified termite species are major crop pests which cause lodging of maize plans as observed in this experiment. This study underlines the importance of termite functional group for the effect on soil quality and crop productivity in agro-ecosystems. Future research should contribute to develop sustainable termite management strategies that control detrimental species while conserving beneficial soil ecosystem engineers based on ecological knowledge of termite traits.

Soil and fertilizer amendments and edge effects on the floral succession of pulverized fuel ash

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

Shaw, P.

2009-01-15

Plots of fresh pulverized fuel ash (PFA, an industrial waste) were inoculated with soils from existing PFA sites and fertilizers in a factorial design, then left unmanaged for 12 years during which time the floral development and soil chemistry were monitored annually. For the first 3 years, the site supported a sparse mix of chenopods (including the scarce Chenopodium glaucum) and halophytes. As salinity declined, ruderals, legumes, and grasses plus the fire-site moss Funaria hygrometrica colonized, followed by Festuca arundinacea grassland (NVC community MG12) and Hippophae rhamnoides scrub. Dactylorhiza incarnata (orchidacea) appeared after 7 years, but only in plots thatmore » had received soil from existing orchid colonies. Four years later, a larger second generation of Dactylorhiza appeared, but only in the central zone of the site where vegetation was thinnest. By year 12, the site was dominated by coarse grasses and scrub, with early successional species persisting only in the sparsely vegetated center, where nitrate levels were lowest. This edge effect is interpreted as centripetal encroachment, a process of potentially wider concern for the conservation of low-fertility habitat patches. Overall, seed bank inoculation seems to have introduced few but desirable species (D. incarnata, Pyrola rotundifolia, some halophytes, and annuals), whereas initial application of organic fertilizer had long-lasting ({ge} 10 years) effects on cover and soil composition.« less

Experimental Design For Photoresist Characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luckock, Larry

1987-04-01

In processing a semiconductor product (from discrete devices up to the most complex products produced) we find more photolithographic steps in wafer fabrication than any other kind of process step. Thus, the success of a semiconductor manufacturer hinges on the optimization of their photolithographic processes. Yet, we find few companies that have taken the time to properly characterize this critical operation; they are sitting in the "passenger's seat", waiting to see what will come out, hoping that the yields will improve someday. There is no "black magic" involved in setting up a process at its optimum conditions (i.e. minimum sensitivity to all variables at the same time). This paper gives an example of a real world situation for optimizing a photolithographic process by the use of a properly designed experiment, followed by adequate multidimensional analysis of the data. Basic SPC practices like plotting control charts will not, by themselves, improve yields; the control charts are, however, among the necessary tools used in the determination of the process capability and in the formulation of the problems to be addressed. The example we shall consider is the twofold objective of shifting the process average, while tightening the variance, of polysilicon line widths. This goal was identified from a Pareto analysis of yield-limiting mechanisms, plus inspection of the control charts. A key issue in a characterization of this type of process is the number of interactions between variables; this example rules out two-level full factorial and three-level fractional factorial designs (which cannot detect all of the interactions). We arrive at an experiment with five factors at five levels each. A full factorial design for five factors at three levels would require 3125 wafers. Instead, we will use a design that allows us to run this experiment with only 25 wafers, for a significant reduction in time, materials and manufacturing interruption in order to complete the experiment. An optimum solution is then determined via response surface analysis and a series of 3-D and contour plots are shown. The offset between the mask dimensions and poly CD at the optimum operating conditions is discussed with respect to yield, profits and return-on-investment. The expert system used for process optimization covers all types of process steps, producing the best custom designed experiment based on the actual equipment used. The knowledge base contains parameter lists, by machine make and model, ranked by sensitivity and controllability. One option allows 3-D spatial characterization of equipment. For the purpose of this presentation, we will assume that we want to optimize a photo-lithographic process used for polysilicon pattern definition and that we have determined minimum and maximum line widths, based on electrical yield requirements of the product. For this MOS process, the minimum critical dimension (CD) for the poly gate was determined by punchthrough voltage, threshold voltage, etc., while the maximum CD was determined from other performance factors like access time. We will start with the product engineer's analysis.

Data related to the experimental design for powder bed binder jetting additive manufacturing of silicone.

PubMed

Liravi, Farzad; Vlasea, Mihaela

2018-06-01

The data included in this article provides additional supporting information on our recent publication (Liravi et al., 2018 [1]) on a novel hybrid additive manufacturing (AM) method for fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) structures from silicone powder. A design of experiments (DoE) study has been carried out to optimize the geometrical fidelity of AM-made parts. This manuscript includes the details of a multi-level factorial DOE and the response optimization results. The variation in the temperature of powder-bed when exposed to heat is plotted as well. Furthermore, the effect of blending ratio of two parts of silicone binder on its curing speed was investigated by conducting DSC tests on a silicone binder with 100:2 precursor to curing agent ratio. The hardness of parts fabricated with non-optimum printing conditions are included and compared.

Chronic cyanide exposure: a clinical, radioisotope, and laboratory study.

PubMed Central

El Ghawabi, S H; Gaafar, M A; El-Saharti, A A; Ahmed, S H; Malash, K K; Fares, R

1975-01-01

The effect of chronic cyanide exposure in the electroplating sections of three factories employing 36 workers was studied and compared with a control group. The concentration of cyanides to which the workers were exposed was measured. The regression line showing the relationship between thiocyanates in urine and the concentration of cyanides in the air was plotted. Increased percentages of haemoglobin and lymphocyte count were present in all exposed workers, in addition to punctate basophilia in 28 workers. Cyanmethaemoglobin was found to be characteristic. Apart from other complaints, two men with psychosis similar to one case reported in therapeutic thiocyanate intoxication were found. Twenty of the workers had thyroid enlargements to a variable degree and consistency, in two of whom it resembled lymphadenoid goitre. Thyroid 131I uptakes at 4 and 24 hours were significantly higher than in the controls, while 131PBI was unchanged. The reason for this iodine deficiency-like action is discussed. PMID:1156569

SPRUCE Deep Peat Microbial Diversity, CO2 and CH4 Production in Response to Nutrient, Temperature, and pH Treatments during Incubation Studies.

DOE Data Explorer

A., Kluber Laurel [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Allen, Samantha A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hendershot, Nicholas [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hanson, Paul J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Schadt, Christopher W. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

2014-09-01

This data set contains the results of a microcosm incubation study on deep peat collected from the SPRUCE experimental site in the S1 Bog in September 2014. Microcosms were monitored for CO2 and CH4 production, and microbial community dynamics were assessed using qPCR and amplicon sequencing.The experiment was designed with a full factorial design with elevated temperature, nitrogen (N), (P), and pH treatments was used with samples from each transect serving replicates. In all, 96 microcosms were constructed to account for the 16 treatment combinations (N x P x pH x temperature), 2 time points, and 3 replicates. Temperature treatments were 6 °C, to mimic the SPRUCE ambient plot temperatures, and 15 °C to mimic the SPRUCE +9 °C treatment.

Cosmological Origins of Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagliano, Alexander; Taylor, Morgan; Black, William; Smidt, Joseph; Wiggins, Brandon K.

2018-01-01

Recent models indicate that the sun's protoplanetary disk provided insufficient pathways for water formation, as evidenced by [D/H]H2O measurements in asteroids and Earth's oceans. It is therefore likely that the early universe contained sites conducive to water chemistry. This research tracks the timeline and abundance rates of water using cosmological simulations in Enzo. A 64 Mpc cube of space is evolved from z = 200 to z = 2. Simulations are then centered on a massive halo, and a 26-species reaction network is applied using operator split to track water formation rates. Density projection plots with metallicity contours predict regions of water formation, which are then compared to simulated abundances at both galactic and extragalactic scales. Observational signatures of formation sites are further discussed, and allow for additional validation of the simulations used.

New structural transformations in congruent ferroelectric LiNbO3 fibres evidenced by Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noiret, I.; Lefebvre, J.; Schamps, J.; Delattre, F.; Brenier, A.; Ferriol, M.

2000-03-01

Temperature dependent Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman-scattering experiments have been performed to study the ferroelectric phase of congruent LiNbO3 fibres in the external and internal mode regions. Mode splittings and changes in the slope of frequency-temperature plots at 590 and 790 K show the occurrence of two structural transformations at these temperatures. The anisotropy of the correlation time associated with the width of the central component and anomalies observed in previous neutron investigations are related to a migration process of the lithium atoms along the hexagonal axis and along the pseudo-cubic axis of the highly distorted related perovskite structure. The observed transformations are tentatively assigned to long-range correlated rearrangements in the intrinsic defect structure of the crystal.

Potassium Management for Improving Growth and Grain Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) under Moisture Stress Condition

PubMed Central

Amanullah; Iqbal, Asif; Irfanullah; Hidayat, Zeeshan

2016-01-01

Potassium (K) fertilizer management is beneficial for improving growth, yield and yield components of field crops under moisture stress condition in semiarid climates. Field experiments were conducted to study the response of maize (Zea mays L., cv. Azam) to foliar and soil applied K during summer 2013 and 2014. The experiments were carried out at the Agronomy Research Farm of The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Northwest Pakistan under limited irrigation (moisture stress) condition. It was concluded from the results that application of foliar K at the rate of 1–3% and foliar Zn at the rate of 0.1–0.2% was more beneficial in terms of better growth, higher yield and yield components of maize under moisture stress condition. Early spray (vegetative stage) resulted in better growth and higher yield than late spray (reproductive stage). Soil K treated plots (rest) plots performed better than control (K not applied) in terms of improved growth, higher yield and yield components of maize crop. The results further demonstrated that increasing the rate of soil applied K up to 90 kg P ha−1 in two equal splits (50% each at sowing and knee height) improve growth and maize productivity under semiarid climates. PMID:27694964

Potassium Management for Improving Growth and Grain Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) under Moisture Stress Condition.

PubMed

Amanullah; Iqbal, Asif; Irfanullah; Hidayat, Zeeshan

2016-10-03

Potassium (K) fertilizer management is beneficial for improving growth, yield and yield components of field crops under moisture stress condition in semiarid climates. Field experiments were conducted to study the response of maize (Zea mays L., cv. Azam) to foliar and soil applied K during summer 2013 and 2014. The experiments were carried out at the Agronomy Research Farm of The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Northwest Pakistan under limited irrigation (moisture stress) condition. It was concluded from the results that application of foliar K at the rate of 1-3% and foliar Zn at the rate of 0.1-0.2% was more beneficial in terms of better growth, higher yield and yield components of maize under moisture stress condition. Early spray (vegetative stage) resulted in better growth and higher yield than late spray (reproductive stage). Soil K treated plots (rest) plots performed better than control (K not applied) in terms of improved growth, higher yield and yield components of maize crop. The results further demonstrated that increasing the rate of soil applied K up to 90 kg P ha -1 in two equal splits (50% each at sowing and knee height) improve growth and maize productivity under semiarid climates.

Effects of a Rotating Aerodynamic Probe on the Flow Field of a Compressor Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lepicovsky, Jan

2008-01-01

An investigation of distortions of the rotor exit flow field caused by an aerodynamic probe mounted in the rotor is described in this paper. A rotor total pressure Kiel probe, mounted on the rotor hub and extending up to the mid-span radius of a rotor blade channel, generates a wake that forms additional flow blockage. Three types of high-response aerodynamic probes were used to investigate the distorted flow field behind the rotor. These probes were: a split-fiber thermo-anemometric probe to measure velocity and flow direction, a total pressure probe, and a disk probe for in-flow static pressure measurement. The signals acquired from these high-response probes were reduced using an ensemble averaging method based on a once per rotor revolution signal. The rotor ensemble averages were combined to construct contour plots for each rotor channel of the rotor tested. In order to quantify the rotor probe effects, the contour plots for each individual rotor blade passage were averaged into a single value. The distribution of these average values along the rotor circumference is a measure of changes in the rotor exit flow field due to the presence of a probe in the rotor. These distributions were generated for axial flow velocity and for static pressure.

Looking for the Edge: Does Lateral Change in Azimuthal Anisotropy Mark the Limit of the North American Craton?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; Levin, V. L.; Li, Y.; Yuan, H.

2017-12-01

Thickness of the lithosphere in eastern North America decreases from nearly 250 km beneath the central craton to 90 - 110 km at the coast. The rapid thinning suggested by tomographic images of shear wave velocity takes place beneath the Proterozoic Grenville province. Shear wave splitting measurements of core refracted waves on a 1300 km long array from James Bay to the Fundy Basin show that the average delay time increases from 0.5 s in the Superior Province to 1 s in the Appalachians. Also, azimuthal anisotropy constrained by the joint inversion of surface and body waves (Yuan and Romanowicz, 2011) has smaller amplitude under the older Superior Province than the younger Appalachians. Significantly, the increases in anisotropy amplitude and the splitting delay times happen at nearly the same place, beneath the Grenville Province. Due to the limited lateral resolution of 500 km of the tomographic model, it is difficult to relate changes in seismic wave speed and anisotropy to tectonic boundaries on the surface. On the other hand, our new measurements of shear wave splitting are done with lateral step of 50 km or less, and thus offer us a way to detect the exact location where upper mantle fabric changes. We carry out forward modeling using a 1D anisotropic layered reflectivity method of Levin and Park (1997) and taking Yuan and Romanowicz (2011) model as a starting point. Our working hypothesis is that the upper mantle volume characterized by high seismic velocity and small amplitude of anisotropy represents old cratonic lithosphere of North America. Through our detailed modeling of closely spaced observations we seek to delineate its southern edge, and to characterize its internal structure. Figure Caption: All splitting results plotted on a background of distribution of shear wave velocity and contour map of azimuthal anisotropy amplitude at 160 km depth. Orientations of sticks which are centered at the stations represent fast polarizations, while the lengths are proportional to the corresponding delay times.

The Growth of Agarwood Plants on the Different Canopy Covers Level and Fertilizer in Oil Palm Plantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahayu Prastyaningsih, Sri; Azwin

2017-12-01

The development of agar wood plants in oil palm plantation requires the forestry techniques in order to obtain maximum production. In an oil palm stands, the age of plant will affect the height, diameter, population and stands density. The older age of an oil palm stands will affect the canopy cover on the forest floor. Agar wood plants are semi-tolerant growth and oil palm can be used as shade. Unilak has an oil palm plantation area of 10 hectares around the campus with 10 years old and 20 years old. The soil condition at the study is Podsolik Merah Kuning (PMK) which poor nutrient and needs fertilization to increase soil fertility. This study aims to find out the effect of age of oil palm stands and fertilization for optimal growth. The split plot design with 2 main plots of the age of palm tree ( 10 years old and 20 years old) and five kinds of fertilizing sub plot (without fertilizer, 40 gram/plant of NPK, 80 gram/plat of NPK, 120 gram/plant of NPK and 180 gram/plant of NPK were used. The results of this research showed that the age of palm tree (canopy cover) treatment gave non-significant influence on the growing of agar wood until it reaches 4 months of growth. The canopyy cover by 10 years old of oil palm tree produce the best response on height (15 cm) and diameter (0,4 cm) growth of agar woods..Fertilizing treatment di not give any significant influence on the heigh and diameter growth of agarwood plants until reach 3 months. The interaction by 10 years old of palm with fertilizing gave non significant results.

Cereal Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Regional Dispersion and Relationship With Wheat Stand Denseness.

PubMed

Reisig, Dominic D; Bacheler, Jack S; Herbert, D Ames; Heiniger, Ron; Kuhar, Thomas; Malone, Sean; Philips, Chris; Tilley, M Scott

2017-06-01

Cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus L., is a pest of small grains and the literature conflicts on whether it is more abundant in sparse or dense stands of wheat. Our objectives were to determine the impact of stand denseness on cereal leaf beetle abundance and to investigate the regional dispersion of cereal leaf beetles across North Carolina and Virginia. One-hundred twenty fields were sampled across North Carolina and Virginia during 2011 for stand denseness, and cereal leaf beetle eggs, larvae, and adults. Two small-plot wheat experiments were planted in North Carolina using a low and a high seeding rate. Main plots were split, with one receiving a single nitrogen application and one receiving two. Egg density, but not larva or adult density, was positively correlated with stand denseness in the regional survey. Furthermore, regional spatial patterns of aggregation were noted for both stand denseness and egg number. In the small-plot experiments, seeding rate influenced stand denseness, but not nitrogen application. In one experiment, egg densities per unit area were higher in denser wheat, while in the other experiment, egg densities per tiller were lower in denser wheat. Larvae were not influenced by any factor. Overall, there were more cereal leaf beetle eggs in denser wheat stands. Previous observations that sparse stands of wheat are more prone to cereal leaf beetle infestation can be attributed to the fact that sparser stands have fewer tillers, which increases the cereal leaf beetle to tiller ratio compared with denser stands. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of manure under different nitrogen application rates on winter wheat production and soil fertility in dryland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H. Q.; Yu, X. Y.; Zhai, B. N.; Jin, Z. Y.; Wang, Z. H.

2016-08-01

Exploring an effective fertilization practice is crucial for achieving a sustainable dryland winter wheat cropping system. Following a split-plot design, this study was conducted to investigate the combined effect of manure (-M or +M; main plot) and various rates of nitrogen (N) fertilizer (0, 75, 150, 225, and 300 kg N ha-1; sub plot) on grain yield, water and N use efficiencies of winter wheat, and soil nutrients. The results showed that the treatments with manure improved the grain yield by 8%, and WUE by 10% relative to that without manure throughout the study years. The highest winter wheat yield and WUE were both recorded in the M+N225 treatment, which were not significantly different from those for M+N75 and M+N150 treatment. In contrast, high levels of N fertilizer (> 150 kg N ha-1) combined with manure not only caused a reduction in the N use efficiency (NUE), but it also caused an increase in the soil residual nitrate-N (from 43.7 to 188.9 kg ha-1) relative to without manure. After three years of continuous cropping, the treatment combining manure with 150 kg N ha-1 fertilizer had the highest SOM, available P and available K, which was 24%, 379% and 102% higher than that for unfertilized treatment (CK), and 10%, 267%, and 55% higher than that for without manure, respectively. Thus, the combination of manure (17.5 t ha-1 poultry or 30 t ha-1 pig manure) with 75-150 kg N ha-1 N fertilizer is recommended for improving winter wheat yield, water and N use efficiencies, and reducing soil nitrate-N residue as well.

Soil carbon fractions under maize-wheat system: effect of tillage and nutrient management.

PubMed

Sandeep, S; Manjaiah, K M; Pal, Sharmistha; Singh, A K

2016-01-01

Soil organic carbon plays a major role in sustaining agroecosystems and maintaining environmental quality as it acts as a major source and sink of atmospheric carbon. The present study aims to assess the impact of agricultural management practices on soil organic carbon pools in a maize-wheat cropping system of Indo-Gangetic Plains, India. Soil samples from a split plot design with two tillage systems (bed planting and conventional tillage) and six nutrient treatments (T1 = control, T2 = 120 kg urea-N ha(-1), T3 = T2 (25 % N substituted by FYM), T4 = T2 (25 % N substituted by sewage sludge), T5 = T2 + crop residue, T6 = 100 % organic source (50 % FYM + 25 % biofertilizer + 25 % crop residue) were used for determining the organic carbon pools. Results show that there was a significant improvement in Walkley and Black carbon in soil under integrated and organic nutrient management treatments. KMnO4-oxidizable carbon content of soil varied from 0.63 to 1.50 g kg(-1) in soils and was found to be a better indicator for monitoring the impact of agricultural management practices on quality of soil organic carbon than microbial biomass carbon. Tillage and its interaction were found to significantly influence only those soil organic carbon fractions closely associated with aggregate stability viz, labile polysaccharides and glomalin. The highest amount of C4-derived carbon was found to be in plots receiving recommended doses of N as urea (29 %) followed by control plots (25 %). The carbon management index ranged between 82 to 195 and was better in integrated nutrient sources than ones receiving recommended doses of nutrients through mineral fertilizers alone.

Effect of a Terminated Cover Crop and Aldicarb on Cotton Yield and Meloidogyne incognita Population Density

PubMed Central

Wheeler, T. A.; Leser, J. F.; Keeling, J. W.; Mullinix, B.

2008-01-01

Terminated small grain cover crops are valuable in light textured soils to reduce wind and rain erosion and for protection of young cotton seedlings. A three-year study was conducted to determine the impact of terminated small grain winter cover crops, which are hosts for Meloidogyne incognita, on cotton yield, root galling and nematode midseason population density. The small plot test consisted of the cover treatment as the main plots (winter fallow, oats, rye and wheat) and rate of aldicarb applied in-furrow at-plant (0, 0.59 and 0.84 kg a.i./ha) as subplots in a split-plot design with eight replications, arranged in a randomized complete block design. Roots of 10 cotton plants per plot were examined at approximately 35 days after planting. Root galling was affected by aldicarb rate (9.1, 3.8 and 3.4 galls/root system for 0, 0.59 and 0.84 kg aldicarb/ha), but not by cover crop. Soil samples were collected in mid-July and assayed for nematodes. The winter fallow plots had a lower density of M. incognita second-stage juveniles (J2) (transformed to Log10 (J2 + 1)/500 cm3 soil) than any of the cover crops (0.88, 1.58, 1.67 and 1.75 Log10(J2 + 1)/500 cm3 soil for winter fallow, oats, rye and wheat, respectively). There were also fewer M. incognita eggs at midseason in the winter fallow (3,512, 7,953, 8,262 and 11,392 eggs/500 cm3 soil for winter fallow, oats, rye and wheat, respectively). Yield (kg lint per ha) was increased by application of aldicarb (1,544, 1,710 and 1,697 for 0, 0.59 and 0.84 kg aldicarb/ha), but not by any cover crop treatments. These results were consistent over three years. The soil temperature at 15 cm depth, from when soils reached 18°C to termination of the grass cover crop, averaged 9,588, 7,274 and 1,639 centigrade hours (with a minimum threshold of 10°C), in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. Under these conditions, potential reproduction of M. incognita on the cover crop did not result in a yield penalty. PMID:19259531

Effect of a Terminated Cover Crop and Aldicarb on Cotton Yield and Meloidogyne incognita Population Density.

PubMed

Wheeler, T A; Leser, J F; Keeling, J W; Mullinix, B

2008-06-01

Terminated small grain cover crops are valuable in light textured soils to reduce wind and rain erosion and for protection of young cotton seedlings. A three-year study was conducted to determine the impact of terminated small grain winter cover crops, which are hosts for Meloidogyne incognita, on cotton yield, root galling and nematode midseason population density. The small plot test consisted of the cover treatment as the main plots (winter fallow, oats, rye and wheat) and rate of aldicarb applied in-furrow at-plant (0, 0.59 and 0.84 kg a.i./ha) as subplots in a split-plot design with eight replications, arranged in a randomized complete block design. Roots of 10 cotton plants per plot were examined at approximately 35 days after planting. Root galling was affected by aldicarb rate (9.1, 3.8 and 3.4 galls/root system for 0, 0.59 and 0.84 kg aldicarb/ha), but not by cover crop. Soil samples were collected in mid-July and assayed for nematodes. The winter fallow plots had a lower density of M. incognita second-stage juveniles (J2) (transformed to Log(10) (J2 + 1)/500 cm(3) soil) than any of the cover crops (0.88, 1.58, 1.67 and 1.75 Log(10)(J2 + 1)/500 cm(3) soil for winter fallow, oats, rye and wheat, respectively). There were also fewer M. incognita eggs at midseason in the winter fallow (3,512, 7,953, 8,262 and 11,392 eggs/500 cm(3) soil for winter fallow, oats, rye and wheat, respectively). Yield (kg lint per ha) was increased by application of aldicarb (1,544, 1,710 and 1,697 for 0, 0.59 and 0.84 kg aldicarb/ha), but not by any cover crop treatments. These results were consistent over three years. The soil temperature at 15 cm depth, from when soils reached 18 degrees C to termination of the grass cover crop, averaged 9,588, 7,274 and 1,639 centigrade hours (with a minimum threshold of 10 degrees C), in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. Under these conditions, potential reproduction of M. incognita on the cover crop did not result in a yield penalty.

Caregiver Appraisals of Functional Dependence in Individuals With Dementia and Associated Caregiver Upset: Psychometric Properties of a New Scale and Response Patterns by Caregiver and Care Recipient Characteristics

PubMed Central

GITLIN, LAURA N.; ROTH, DAVID L.; BURGIO, LOUIS D.; LOEWENSTEIN, DAVID A.; WINTER, LARAINE; NICHOLS, LINDA; ARGÜELLES, SOLEDAD; CORCORAN, MARY; BURNS, ROBERT; MARTINDALE, JENNIFER

2008-01-01

Objective To evaluate psychometric properties and response patterns of the Caregiver Assessment of Function and Upset (CAFU), a 15-item multidimensional measure of dependence in dementia patients and caregiver reaction. Method 640 families were administered the CAFU (53% White, 43% African American, and 4% mixed race and ethnicity). We created a random split of the sample and conducted exploratory factor analyses on Sample 1 and confirmatory factor analyses on Sample 2. Convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated using Spearman rank correlation coefficients. Results A two-factor structure for functional items was derived, and excellent factorial validity was obtained. Convergent and discriminant validity were obtained for function and upset measures. Differential response patterns for dependence and caregiver upset were found for caregiver race, relationship, and care recipient gender but not for caregiver gender. Discussion The CAFU is easily administered, reliable, and valid for evaluating appraisals of dependencies and upsetting care areas. PMID:15750049

Factorials of real negative and imaginary numbers - A new perspective.

PubMed

Thukral, Ashwani K

2014-01-01

Presently, factorials of real negative numbers and imaginary numbers, except for zero and negative integers are interpolated using the Euler's gamma function. In the present paper, the concept of factorials has been generalised as applicable to real and imaginary numbers, and multifactorials. New functions based on Euler's factorial function have been proposed for the factorials of real negative and imaginary numbers. As per the present concept, the factorials of real negative numbers, are complex numbers. The factorials of real negative integers have their imaginary part equal to zero, thus are real numbers. Similarly, the factorials of imaginary numbers are complex numbers. The moduli of the complex factorials of real negative numbers, and imaginary numbers are equal to their respective real positive number factorials. Fractional factorials and multifactorials have been defined in a new perspective. The proposed concept has also been extended to Euler's gamma function for real negative numbers and imaginary numbers, and beta function.

Energy and protein requirements of weaned male and female Saanen goats.

PubMed

Figueiredo, F O M; Leite, R F; St-Pierre, N R; Resende, K T; Almeida, A K; Souza, A P; Teixeira, I A M A

2017-10-01

The objective of this research was to estimate the energy and protein requirements for maintenance and growth in male (castrated and intact) and female Saanen goat kids between 15 and 30 kg BW. To determine the net energy requirements for maintenance (NE m ) and the net protein requirements for maintenance (NP m ), 75 goats (25 castrated and 26 intact males and 24 females) were used. Twenty-one goats (seven castrated and eight intact males and six females) were randomly assigned for slaughter to estimate the initial empty body composition. The 54 remaining animals (18 castrated and 18 intact males and 18 females) were randomly assigned in a split-plot design using a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with three sexes and three levels of intake (ad libitum and restricted feed to 75% or 50% of the ad libitum intake). Within each sex, six blocks (three goats per block) were formed and one goat was randomly assigned to each level of intake. The 75% and the 50% of ad libitum rationing were determined daily, based on the DMI of the animal fed ad libitum on the previous day. All animals within block were slaughtered when the animal fed ad libitum reached 30 kg BW. The net energy requirements for gain (NE g ) and the net protein requirements for gain (NP g ) were obtained using 58 animals (20 castrated and 20 intact males and 18 females). The animals were fed ad libitum and slaughtered at targeted BW (15, 23 or 30 kg). Sex did not affect NE g and NP m (277.8 kJ/kg 0.75  BW day and 2.98 g CP/kg 0.75  BW day respectively), as well as NP g (180.9 ± 6.48 g/kg EBW gain) in Saanen goat kids. However, castrated males and females had similar NE g (varied from 12.6 ± 0.424 to 17.9 ± 1.38 MJ/kg EBW gain), greater than intact males (varied from 9.74 ± 0.420 to 10.7 ± 0.984 MJ/kg EBW gain), as the BW increased from 15 to 30 kg. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Translations on North Korea No. 622

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-10-13

Pyongyang Power Station 5 July Electric Factory Hamhung Machine Tool Factory Kosan Plastic Pipe Factory Sog’wangea Plastic Pipe Factory 8...August Factory Double Chollima Hamhung Disabled Veterans’ Plastic Goods Factory Mangyongdae Machine Tool Factory Kangso Coal Mine Tongdaewon Garment...21 Jul 78 p 4) innovating in machine tool production (NC 21 Jul 78 p 2) in 40 days of the 蔴 days of combat" raised coal production 10 percent

Biotic and abiotic controls of argentine ant invasion success at local and landscape scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Menke, S.B.; Fisher, R.N.; Jetz, W.; Holway, D.A.

2007-01-01

Although the ecological success of introduced species hinges on biotic interactions and physical conditions, few experimental studies - especially on animals - have simultaneously investigated the relative importance of both types of factors. The lack of such research may stem from the common assumption that native and introduced species exhibit similar environmental tolerances. Here we combine experimental and spatial modeling approaches (1) to determine the relative importance of biotic and abiotic controls of Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) invasion success, (2) to examine how the importance of these factors changes with spatial scale in southern California (USA), and (3) to assess how Argentine ants differ from native ants in their environmental tolerances. A factorial field experiment that combined native ant removal with irrigation revealed that Argentine ants failed to invade any dry plots (even those lacking native ants) but readily invaded all moist plots. Native ants slowed the spread of Argentine ants into irrigated plots but did not prevent invasion. In areas without Argentine ants, native ant species showed variable responses to irrigation. At the landscape scale, Argentine ant occurrence was positively correlated with minimum winter temperature (but not precipitation), whereas native ant diversity increased with precipitation and was negatively correlated with minimum winter temperature. These results are of interest for several reasons. First, they demonstrate that fine-scale differences in the physical environment can eclipse biotic resistance from native competitors in determining community susceptibility to invasion. Second, our results illustrate surprising complexities with respect to how the abiotic factors limiting invasion can change with spatial scale, and third, how native and invasive species can differ in their responses to the physical environment. Idiosyncratic and scale-dependent processes complicate attempts to forecast where introduced species will occur and how their range limits may shift as a result of climate change. ?? 2007 by the Ecological Society of America.

Combined chamber-tower approach: Using eddy covariance measurements to cross-validate carbon fluxes modeled from manual chamber campaigns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brümmer, C.; Moffat, A. M.; Huth, V.; Augustin, J.; Herbst, M.; Kutsch, W. L.

2016-12-01

Manual carbon dioxide flux measurements with closed chambers at scheduled campaigns are a versatile method to study management effects at small scales in multiple-plot experiments. The eddy covariance technique has the advantage of quasi-continuous measurements but requires large homogeneous areas of a few hectares. To evaluate the uncertainties associated with interpolating from individual campaigns to the whole vegetation period, we installed both techniques at an agricultural site in Northern Germany. The presented comparison covers two cropping seasons, winter oilseed rape in 2012/13 and winter wheat in 2013/14. Modeling half-hourly carbon fluxes from campaigns is commonly performed based on non-linear regressions for the light response and respiration. The daily averages of net CO2 modeled from chamber data deviated from eddy covariance measurements in the range of ± 5 g C m-2 day-1. To understand the observed differences and to disentangle the effects, we performed four additional setups (expert versus default settings of the non-linear regressions based algorithm, purely empirical modeling with artificial neural networks versus non-linear regressions, cross-validating using eddy covariance measurements as campaign fluxes, weekly versus monthly scheduling of campaigns) to model the half-hourly carbon fluxes for the whole vegetation period. The good agreement of the seasonal course of net CO2 at plot and field scale for our agricultural site demonstrates that both techniques are robust and yield consistent results at seasonal time scale even for a managed ecosystem with high temporal dynamics in the fluxes. This allows combining the respective advantages of factorial experiments at plot scale with dense time series data at field scale. Furthermore, the information from the quasi-continuous eddy covariance measurements can be used to derive vegetation proxies to support the interpolation of carbon fluxes in-between the manual chamber campaigns.

Healing at the Interface Between Autologous Block Bone Grafts and Recipient Sites Using n-Butyl-2-Cyanoacrylate Adhesive as Fixation: Histomorphometric Study in Rabbits.

PubMed

De Santis, Enzo; Silva, Erick Ricardo; Martins, Evandro Neto Carneiro; Favero, Riccardo; Botticelli, Daniele; Xavier, Samuel Porfirio

2017-12-01

The aim of the present split-mouth (split-plot) study was to describe the sequential healing in the interface between autologous bone grafts and recipient parent bone, fixed using an n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate adhesive with or without an additional titanium fixation screw. Bone grafts were collected from the calvaria and fixed to the lateral aspect of the mandible in 24 rabbits. The cortical layers of the recipient sites were perforated, and the grafts were randomly fixed using an n-butyl-2-cyanocrylate adhesive, either alone or in conjunction with a 1.5 mm × 6.0 mm titanium fixation screw. The animals were sacrificed after 3, 7, 20, and 40 days, and histomorphometric evaluations of the interface between graft and parent bone were performed. Only 2 of 6 grafts in each group were partially incorporated to the parent bone after 40 days of healing. The remaining grafts were separated from the parent bone by adhesive and connective tissue. It was concluded that the use of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate as fixation of an autologous bone graft to the lateral aspect of the mandible was able to maintain the fixation over time but did not incorporate the graft to the recipient sites. Use of fixation screws did not improve the healing.

Variable stator radial turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogo, C.; Hajek, T.; Chen, A. G.

1984-01-01

A radial turbine stage with a variable area nozzle was investigated. A high work capacity turbine design with a known high performance base was modified to accept a fixed vane stagger angle moveable sidewall nozzle. The nozzle area was varied by moving the forward and rearward sidewalls. Diffusing and accelerating rotor inlet ramps were evaluated in combinations with hub and shroud rotor exit rings. Performance of contoured sidewalls and the location of the sidewall split line with respect to the rotor inlet was compared to the baseline. Performance and rotor exit survey data are presented for 31 different geometries. Detail survey data at the nozzle exit are given in contour plot format for five configurations. A data base is provided for a variable geometry concept that is a viable alternative to the more common pivoted vane variable geometry radial turbine.

Termination of the spin-resolved integer quantum Hall effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, L. W.; Jiang, H. W.; Palm, E.; Schaff, W. J.

1997-03-01

We report a magnetotransport study of the termination of the spin-resolved integer quantum Hall effect by controlled disorder in a gated GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs heterostructure. We have found that, for a given Nth Landau level, the difference in filling factors of a pair of spin-split resistivity peaks δνN=\\|νN↑-νN↓\\| changes rapidly from one to zero near a critical density nc. Scaling analysis shows that δνN collapses onto a single curve independent of N when plotted against the parameter (n-nc)/nc for five Landau levels. The effect of increasing the Zeeman energy is also examined by tilting the direction of magnetic field relative to the plane of the two-dimensional electron gas. Our experiment suggests the termination of the spin-resolved quantum Hall effect is a phase transition.

Net analyte signal-based simultaneous determination of ethanol and water by quartz crystal nanobalance sensor.

PubMed

Mirmohseni, A; Abdollahi, H; Rostamizadeh, K

2007-02-28

Net analyte signal (NAS)-based method called HLA/GO was applied for the selectively determination of binary mixture of ethanol and water by quartz crystal nanobalance (QCN) sensor. A full factorial design was applied for the formation of calibration and prediction sets in the concentration ranges 5.5-22.2 microg mL(-1) for ethanol and 7.01-28.07 microg mL(-1) for water. An optimal time range was selected by procedure which was based on the calculation of the net analyte signal regression plot in any considered time window for each test sample. A moving window strategy was used for searching the region with maximum linearity of NAS regression plot (minimum error indicator) and minimum of PRESS value. On the base of obtained results, the differences on the adsorption profiles in the time range between 1 and 600 s were used to determine mixtures of both compounds by HLA/GO method. The calculation of the net analytical signal using HLA/GO method allows determination of several figures of merit like selectivity, sensitivity, analytical sensitivity and limit of detection, for each component. To check the ability of the proposed method in the selection of linear regions of adsorption profile, a test for detecting non-linear regions of adsorption profile data in the presence of methanol was also described. The results showed that the method was successfully applied for the determination of ethanol and water.

Gene flow in maize fields with different local pollen densities.

PubMed

Goggi, A Susana; Lopez-Sanchez, Higinio; Caragea, Petrutza; Westgate, Mark; Arritt, Raymond; Clark, Craig A

2007-08-01

The development of maize (Zea mays L.) varieties as factories of pharmaceutical and industrial compounds has renewed interest in controlling pollen dispersal. The objective of this study was to compare gene flow into maize fields of different local pollen densities under the same environmental conditions. Two fields of approximately 36 ha were planted with a nontransgenic, white hybrid, in Ankeny, Iowa, USA. In the center of both fields, a 1-ha plot of a yellow-seeded stacked RR/Bt transgenic hybrid was planted as a pollen source. Before flowering, the white receiver maize of one field was detasseled in a 4:1 ratio to reduce the local pollen density (RPD). The percentage of outcross in the field with RPD was 42.2%, 6.3%, and 1.3% at 1, 10, and 35 m from the central plot, respectively. The percentage of outcross in the white maize with normal pollen density (NPD) was 30.1%, 2.7%, and 0.4%, respectively, at these distances. At distances greater than 100 m, the outcross frequency decreased below 0.1 and 0.03% in the field with RPD and NPD, respectively. A statistical model was used to compare pollen dispersal based on observed outcross percentages. The likelihood ratio test confirmed that the models of outcrossing in the two fields were significantly different (P is practically 0). Results indicated that when local pollen is low, the incoming pollen has a competitive advantage and the level of outcross is significantly greater than when the local pollen is abundant.

Fungal symbiosis and precipitation alter traits and dune building by the ecosystem engineer, Ammophila breviligulata.

PubMed

Emery, Sarah M; Bell-Dereske, Lukas; Rudgers, Jennifer A

2015-04-01

Ecosystem engineer species influence their community and ecosystem by creating or altering the physical structure of habitats. The function of ecosystem engineers is variable and can depend on both abiotic and biotic factors. Here we make use of a primary successional system to evaluate the direct and interactive effects of climate change (precipitation) and fungal endophyte symbiosis on population traits and ecosystem function of the ecosystem engineering grass species, Ammophila breviligulata. We manipulated endophyte presence in A. breviligulata in combination with rain-out shelters and rainfall additions in a factorial field experiment established in 2010 on Lake Michigan sand dunes. We monitored plant traits, survival, growth, and sexual reproduction of A. breviligulata from 2010-2013, and quantified ecosystem engineering as the sand accumulation rate. Presence of the endophyte in A. breviligulata increased vegetative growth by up to 19%, and reduced sexual reproduction by up to 46% across all precipitation treatments. Precipitation was a less significant factor than endophyte colonization for A. breviligulata growth. Reduced precipitation increased average leaf number per tiller but had no other effects on plant traits. Changes in A. breviligulata traits corresponded to increases in sand accumulation in plots with the endophyte as well as in plots with reduced precipitation. Sand accumulation is a key ecosystem function in these primary successional habitats, and so microbial symbiosis in this ecosystem engineer could lead to direct effects on the value of these dune habitats for humans.

Influence of soil pathogens on early regeneration success of tropical trees varies between forest edge and interior.

PubMed

Krishnadas, Meghna; Comita, Liza S

2018-01-01

Soil fungi are key mediators of negative density-dependent mortality in seeds and seedlings, and the ability to withstand pathogens in the shaded understory of closed-canopy forests could reinforce light gradient partitioning by tree species. For four species of tropical rainforest trees-two shade-tolerant and two shade-intolerant-we conducted a field experiment to examine the interactive effects of fungal pathogens, light, and seed density on germination and early seedling establishment. In a fully factorial design, seeds were sown into 1 m 2 plots containing soil collected from underneath conspecific adult trees, with plots assigned to forest edge (high light) or shaded understory, high or low density, and fungicide or no fungicide application. We monitored total seed germination and final seedling survival over 15 weeks. Shade-intolerant species were strongly constrained by light; their seedlings survived only at the edge. Fungicide application significantly improved seedling emergence and/or survival for three of the four focal species. There were no significant interactions between fungicide and seed density, suggesting that pathogen spread with increased aggregation of seeds and seedlings did not contribute to pathogen-mediated mortality. Two species experienced significant edge-fungicide interactions, but fungicide effects in edge vs. interior forest varied with species and recruitment stage. Our results suggest that changes to plant-pathogen interactions could affect plant recruitment in human-impacted forests subject to fragmentation and edge-effects.

Comparison of organochlorine pesticides occurrence, origin, and character in agricultural and industrial soils in Beijing.

PubMed

Shi, Yajuan; Lu, Yonglong; Wang, Tieyu; Wang, Guang; Luo, Wei

2009-10-01

The origin and occurrence of organochlorine pesticides [OCPs; hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2- bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethane (DDTs)] in the surface and profile of soils from former OCPs production areas were compared with those of agricultural plots in Beijing, China in order to identify their characteristics, assess the eco-toxicological risk, and provide management suggestions. The comparison indicated heavier contamination caused by the production, storage, and waste disposal than the application of OCPs. Concentrations of HCHs and DDTs in topsoils varied by several orders of magnitude among different land-use groups. The concentrations (ng/g dry soil, geometric means) of HCHs (1958.2) and DDTs (3998.2) in the topsoils of former OCPs production factories were significantly higher than those in agricultural soils. The residue of DDTs and HCHs accumulated only on the surface of agricultural soil, but at depths ranging from 0 to 400 cm for the OCPs plant and warehouse. beta-HCH and p,p'-DDE dominated in the agricultural soils, whereas beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, p,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDE were dominant in the industrial soils. The risk of examined OCPs in soils on human health was assessed in light of the Dutch and Canadian soil quality criteria, and the results indicated a high risk in the OCPs production factory area and the agricultural lands with large application. The results point to the need for urgent actions to evaluate long-term toxicity and preassessment for OCPs-related land-use management.

Modeling and optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of polyphenolic compounds from Aronia melanocarpa by-products from filter-tea factory.

PubMed

Ramić, Milica; Vidović, Senka; Zeković, Zoran; Vladić, Jelena; Cvejin, Aleksandra; Pavlić, Branimir

2015-03-01

Aronia melanocarpa by-product from filter-tea factory was used for the preparation of extracts with high content of bioactive compounds. Extraction process was accelerated using sonication. Three level, three variable face-centered cubic experimental design (FCD) with response surface methodology (RSM) was used for optimization of extraction in terms of maximized yields for total phenolics (TP), flavonoids (TF), anthocyanins (MA) and proanthocyanidins (TPA) contents. Ultrasonic power (X₁: 72-216 W), temperature (X₂: 30-70 °C) and extraction time (X₃: 30-90 min) were investigated as independent variables. Experimental results were fitted to a second-order polynomial model where multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance were used to determine fitness of the model and optimal conditions for investigated responses. Three-dimensional surface plots were generated from the mathematical models. The optimal conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction of TP, TF, MA and TPA were: X₁=206.64 W, X₂=70 °C, X₃=80.1 min; X₁=210.24 W, X₂=70 °C, X₃=75 min; X₁=216 W, X₂=70 °C, X₃=45.6 min and X₁=199.44 W, X₂=70 °C, X₃=89.7 min, respectively. Generated model predicted values of the TP, TF, MA and TPA to be 15.41 mg GAE/ml, 9.86 mg CE/ml, 2.26 mg C3G/ml and 20.67 mg CE/ml, respectively. Experimental validation was performed and close agreement between experimental and predicted values was found (within 95% confidence interval). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scaling, propagating and mapping uncertainty in spectroscopy-derived foliar traits from the leaf to the image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A.; Serbin, S. P.; Kingdon, C.; Townsend, P. A.

2013-12-01

A major goal of remote sensing, and imaging spectroscopy in particular, is the development of generalizable algorithms to repeatedly and accurately map ecosystem properties such as canopy chemistry across space and time. Existing methods must therefore be tested across a range of measurement approaches to identify and overcome limits to the consistent retrieval of such properties from spectroscopic imagery. Here we illustrate a general approach for the estimation of key foliar biochemical and morphological traits from spectroscopic imagery derived from the AVIRIS instrument and the propagation of errors from the leaf to the image scale using partial least squares regression (PLSR) techniques. Our method involves the integration of three types of data representing different scales of observation: At the image scale, the images were normalized for atmospheric, illumination and BRDF effects. Spectra from field plot locations were extracted from the 51AVIRIS images and were averaged when the field plot was larger than a single pixel. At the plot level, the scaling was conducted using multiple replicates (1000) derived from the leaf-level uncertainty estimates to generate plot-level estimates with their associated uncertainties. Leaf-level estimates of foliar traits (%N, %C, %Fiber, %Cellulose, %Lignin, LMA) were scaled to the canopy based on relative species composition of each plot. Image spectra were iteratively split into 50/50 randomized calibration-validation datasets and multiple (500) trait-predictive PLSR models were generated, this time sampling from within the plot-level uncertainty distribution. This allowed the propagation of uncertainty from the leaf-level dependent variables to the plot level, and finally to models built using AVIRIS image spectra. Moreover, this method allows us to generate spatially explicit maps of uncertainty in our sampled traits. Both LMA and %N PLSR models had a R2 greater than 0.8, root mean square errors (RMSEs) for both variables were less than 6% of the range of data. Fiber and lignin were predicted with R2 > 0.65 and carbon and cellulose greater than 0.5. Although R2 of these variables were lower than LMA and %N, their RMSE values were beneath 9% of the range of data. The comparatively lower R2 values for %C and cellulose in particular were related to the low amount of natural variability in these constituents. Further, coefficients from the randomized set of PLSR models were applied to imagery and aggregated to obtain pixel-wise predicted means and uncertainty estimates for each foliar trait. The resulting maps of nutritional and morphological properties together with their overall uncertainties represent a first-of-its-kind data product for examining the spatio-temporal patterns of forest functioning and nutrient cycling. These data are now being used to relate foliar traits with ecosystem processes such as streamwater nutrient export and insect herbivory. In addition, the ability to assign a retrieval uncertainty enables more efficient assimilation of these data products into ecosystem models to help constrain carbon and nutrient cycling projections.

Automation of cellular therapy product manufacturing: results of a split validation comparing CD34 selection of peripheral blood stem cell apheresis product with a semi-manual vs. an automatic procedure.

PubMed

Hümmer, Christiane; Poppe, Carolin; Bunos, Milica; Stock, Belinda; Wingenfeld, Eva; Huppert, Volker; Stuth, Juliane; Reck, Kristina; Essl, Mike; Seifried, Erhard; Bonig, Halvard

2016-03-16

Automation of cell therapy manufacturing promises higher productivity of cell factories, more economical use of highly-trained (and costly) manufacturing staff, facilitation of processes requiring manufacturing steps at inconvenient hours, improved consistency of processing steps and other benefits. One of the most broadly disseminated engineered cell therapy products is immunomagnetically selected CD34+ hematopoietic "stem" cells (HSCs). As the clinical GMP-compliant automat CliniMACS Prodigy is being programmed to perform ever more complex sequential manufacturing steps, we developed a CD34+ selection module for comparison with the standard semi-automatic CD34 "normal scale" selection process on CliniMACS Plus, applicable for 600 × 10(6) target cells out of 60 × 10(9) total cells. Three split-validation processings with healthy donor G-CSF-mobilized apheresis products were performed; feasibility, time consumption and product quality were assessed. All processes proceeded uneventfully. Prodigy runs took about 1 h longer than CliniMACS Plus runs, albeit with markedly less hands-on operator time and therefore also suitable for less experienced operators. Recovery of target cells was the same for both technologies. Although impurities, specifically T- and B-cells, were 5 ± 1.6-fold and 4 ± 0.4-fold higher in the Prodigy products (p = ns and p = 0.013 for T and B cell depletion, respectively), T cell contents per kg of a virtual recipient receiving 4 × 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg was below 10 × 10(3)/kg even in the worst Prodigy product and thus more than fivefold below the specification of CD34+ selected mismatched-donor stem cell products. The products' theoretical clinical usability is thus confirmed. This split validation exercise of a relatively short and simple process exemplifies the potential of automatic cell manufacturing. Automation will further gain in attractiveness when applied to more complex processes, requiring frequent interventions or handling at unfavourable working hours, such as re-targeting of T-cells.

In vitro evaluation on neutral detergent fiber and cellulose digestion by post-ruminal microorganisms in goats.

PubMed

Jiao, Jinzhen; Wang, Pengpeng; He, Zhixiong; Tang, Shaoxun; Zhou, Chuanshe; Han, Xuefeng; Wang, Min; Wu, Duanqin; Kang, Jinhe; Tan, Zhiliang

2014-07-01

Post-ruminal digestion of fiber has received much less attention than its ruminal digestion. Using in vitro incubation techniques, the present study explored whether variations in fiber digestion occurred in different segments of the post-ruminal tract and whether fiber structure could influence its digestibility. A split plot design was conducted with gut segments (jejunum, ileum, cecum and colon) as main plot and substrates (neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and cellulose (CEL)) as subplot. With the same substrate, the final asymptotic gas volume (V(F)), gas production at t(i) (V(t(i)), digestibility, microbial crude protein (MCP), total bacteria number (TBN), total short-chain fatty acids (TSCFA) and xylanase in incocula from the cecum and colon exceeded (P < 0.01) those in incocula from the jejunum and ileum, while the NH3-N in the former was less (P < 0.01). For the same gut segment, the digestion of CEL was superior to NDF, as reflected in greater V(F), V(t(i)), maximum rate of gas production, digestibility, enzyme activities and SCFA but lower pH and NH3-N. The current results imply that the intestinal contents from the cecum and colon have greater potential to digest fiber than those from the jejunum and ileum, and CEL is more easily digested in the post-ruminal tract than NDF. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of experimental warming and clipping on metabolic change of microbial community in a US Great Plains tallgrass prairie

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

Xie, Jianping; Liu, Xinxing; Liu, Xueduan

2010-05-17

While more and more studies are being conducted on the effects of global warming, little is known regarding the response of metabolic change of whole soil microbial communities to this phenomenon. In this study, functional gene changes at the mRNA level were analyzed by our new developed GeoChip 3.0. Soil samples were taken from a long-term climate warming experiment site, which has been conducted for ~;;8 years at the Kessler Farm Field Laboratory, a 137.6-ha farm located in the Central Redbed Plains, in McClain County, Oklahoma. The experiment uses a paired factorial design with warming as the primary factor nestedmore » with clipping as a secondary factor. An infrared heater was used to simulate global warming, and clipping was used to mimic mowing hay. Twelve 2m x 2m plots were divided into six pairs of warmed and control plots. The heater generates a constant output of ~;;100 Watts m-2 to approximately 2 oC increase in soil temperature above the ambient plots, which is at the low range of the projected climate warming by IPCC. Soil whole microbial communities? mRNA was extracted, amplified, labeled and hybridized with our GeoChip 3.0, a functional gene array covering genes involved in N, C, P, and S cycling, metal resistance and contaminant degradation, to examine expressed genes. The results showed that a greater number and higher diversity of genes were expressed under warmed plots compared to control. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) of all detected genes showed that the soil microbial communities were clearly altered by warming, with or without clipping. The dissimilarity of the communities based on functional genes was tested and results showed that warming and control communities were significantly different (P<0.05), with or without clipping. Most genes involved in C, N, P and S cycling were expressed at higher levels in warming samples compared to control samples. All of the results demonstrated that the whole microbial communities increase functional gene expression under warming with or without clipping in order to adapt the changed out environment. More detail analysis is underway.« less

Total fume and metal concentrations during welding in selected factories in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Balkhyour, Mansour Ahmed; Goknil, Mohammad Khalid

2010-07-01

Welding is a major industrial process used for joining metals. Occupational exposure to welding fumes is a serious occupational health problem all over the world. The degree of risk to welder's health from fumes depends on composition, concentration, and the length of exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate workers' welding fume exposure levels in some industries in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In each factory, the air in the breathing zone within 0.5 m from welders was sampled during 8-hour shifts. Total particulates, manganese, copper, and molybdenum concentrations of welding fumes were determined. Mean values of eight-hour average particulate concentrations measured during welding at the welders breathing zone were 6.3 mg/m(3) (Factory 1), 5.3 mg/m(3) (Factory 2), 11.3 mg/m(3) (Factory 3), 6.8 mg/m(3) (Factory 4), 4.7 mg/m(3) (Factory 5), and 3.0 mg/m(3) (Factory 6). Mean values of airborne manganese, copper, and molybdenum levels measured during welding were in the range of 0.010 mg/m(3)-0.477 mg/m(3), 0.001 mg/m(3)-0.080 mg/m(3) and 0.001 mg/m(3)-0.058 mg/m(3) respectively. Mean values of calculated equivalent exposure values were: 1.50 (Factory 1), 1.56 (Factory 2), 5.14 (Factory 3), 2.21 (Factory 4), 2.89 (Factory 5), and 1.20 (Factory 6). The welders in factories 1, 2, 3, and 4 were exposed to welding fume concentration above the SASO limit value, which may increase the risk of respiratory health problems.

Warming and Carbon Dioxide Enrichment Alter Plant Production and Ecosystem gas Exchange in a Semi-Arid Grassland Through Direct Responses to Global Change Factors and Indirect Effects on Water Relations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, J. A.; Pendall, E.; Williams, D. G.; Bachman, S.; Dijkstra, F. A.; Lecain, D. R.; Follett, R.

2007-12-01

The Prairie Heating and CO2 Enrichment (PHACE) experiment was initiated in Spring, 2007 to evaluate the combined effects of warming and elevated CO2 on a northern mixed-grass prairie. Thirty 3-m diameter circular experimental plots were installed in Spring, 2006 at the USDA-ARS High Plains Grasslands Research Station, just west of Cheyenne, WY, USA. Twenty plots were assigned to a two-level factorial combination of two CO2 concentrations (present ambient, 380 ppmV; and elevated, 600 ppmV), and two levels of temperature (present ambient; and elevated temperature, 1.5/3.0 C warmer day/night), with five replications for each treatment. Five of the ten remaining plots were subjected to either frequent, small water additions throughout the growing season, and the other five to a deep watering once or twice during the growing season. The watering treatments were imposed to simulate hypothesized water savings in the CO2-enriched plots, and to contrast the influence of variable water dynamics on ecosystem processes. Carbon dioxide enrichment of the ten CO2- enriched plots is accomplished with Free Air CO2 Enrichment (FACE) technology and occurs during daylight hours of the mid-April - October growing season. Warming is done year-round with circularly-arranged ceramic heater arrays positioned above the ring perimeters, and with temperature feed-backs to control day/night canopy surface temperatures. Carbon dioxide enrichment began in Spring, 2006, and warming was added in Spring, 2007. Results from the first year of CO2 enrichment (2006) confirmed earlier reports that CO2 increases productivity in semi-arid grasslands (21% increase in peak seasonal above ground biomass for plants grown under elevated CO2 compared to non-enriched controls), and that the response was related to CO2- induced water savings. Growth at elevated CO2 reduced leaf carbon isotope discrimination and N concentrations in plants compared to results obtained in control plots, but the magnitude of changes were highly species specific. Ecosystem-level gas exchange measurements indicated that interactions between watering and CO2 enrichment increased C cycling over a range of soil moisture conditions, although watering had a greater relative impact on C fluxes than CO2 enrichment. Results from the combined warming and CO2 enrichment experiment in 2007 indicate soil fluxes of CO2 increased with elevated CO2 and warming, but decreased with warming later in the year compared to un-heated controls. Soil CH4 uptake was enhanced by elevated CO2 but reduced by warming, particularly later in the year. Soil fluxes of N2O were unaffected by treatment. These preliminary results indicate potentially strong feedbacks between carbon cycling and warming are mediated by ecosystem processes in this semiarid rangeland.

A simple model for factory distribution: Historical effect in an industry city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uehara, Takashi; Sato, Kazunori; Morita, Satoru; Maeda, Yasunobu; Yoshimura, Jin; Tainaka, Kei-ichi

2016-02-01

The construction and discontinuance processes of factories are complicated problems in sociology. We focus on the spatial and temporal changes of factories at Hamamatsu city in Japan. Real data indicate that the clumping degree of factories decreases as the density of factory increases. To represent the spatial and temporal changes of factories, we apply "contact process" which is one of cellular automata. This model roughly explains the dynamics of factory distribution. We also find "historical effect" in spatial distribution. Namely, the recent factories have been dispersed due to the past distribution during the period of economic bubble. This effect may be related to heavy shock in Japanese stock market.

Damage Tolerance of Sandwich Plates With Debonded Face Sheets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sankar, Bhavani V.

2001-01-01

A nonlinear finite element analysis was performed to simulate axial compression of sandwich beams with debonded face sheets. The load - end-shortening diagrams were generated for a variety of specimens used in a previous experimental study. The energy release rate at the crack tip was computed using the J-integral, and plotted as a function of the load. A detailed stress analysis was performed and the critical stresses in the face sheet and the core were computed. The core was also modeled as an isotropic elastic-perfectly plastic material and a nonlinear post buckling analysis was performed. A Graeco-Latin factorial plan was used to study the effects of debond length, face sheet and core thicknesses, and core density on the load carrying capacity of the sandwich composite. It has been found that a linear buckling analysis is inadequate in determining the maximum load a debonded sandwich beam can carry. A nonlinear post-buckling analysis combined with an elastoplastic model of the core is required to predict the compression behavior of debonded sandwich beams.

Formulation development of physiological environment responsive periodontal drug delivery system for local delviery of metronidazole benzoate.

PubMed

Dabhi, Mahesh R; Sheth, Navin R

2013-03-01

The objective of the present investigation was to develop and evaluate physiological environment responsive periodontal drug delivery system (PERPDDS) for local delivery of metronidazole benzoate. Poly-ϵ-caprolactone an in situ precipitating polymer was used in combination with, carbopol 934P, a pH simulative polymer to develop PERPDDS. The prepared PERPDDS was evaluated for various parameters such as in vitro gelling capacity, viscosity, rheology, compatibility study, and in vitro diffusion study. A 3(2) full factorial design was used to investigate the influence of formulation variables. Drug release data from all formulations were fitted to different kinetic models and the korsemeyer-peppas model was found the best fit model. The value of diffusional exponent (n) was in between 0.3283 and 0.3979 indicating purely fickian diffusion release mechanism. Increasing the concentration of each polymeric component increases viscosity, and time for 50% and 90% drug release was observed and graphically represented by the surface response and contour plots.

A study of tensile test on open-cell aluminum foam sandwich

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, N. A.; Hazza, M. H. F. Al; Adesta, E. Y. T.; Abdullah Sidek, Atiah Bt.; Endut, N. A.

2018-01-01

Aluminum foam sandwich (AFS) panels are one of the growing materials in the various industries because of its lightweight behavior. AFS also known for having excellent stiffness to weight ratio and high-energy absorption. Due to their advantages, many researchers’ shows an interest in aluminum foam material for expanding the use of foam structure. However, there is still a gap need to be fill in order to develop reliable data on mechanical behavior of AFS with different parameters and analysis method approach. Least of researcher focusing on open-cell aluminum foam and statistical analysis. Thus, this research conducted by using open-cell aluminum foam core grade 6101 with aluminum sheets skin tested under tension. The data is analyzed using full factorial in JMP statistical analysis software (version 11). ANOVA result show a significant value of the model which less than 0.500. While scatter diagram and 3D plot surface profiler found that skins thickness gives a significant impact to stress/strain value compared to core thickness.

Amplitude analysis of B0→K+π-π0 and evidence of direct CP violation in B→K*π decays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lees, J. P.; Poireau, V.; Prencipe, E.; Tisserand, V.; Garra Tico, J.; Grauges, E.; Martinelli, M.; Milanes, D. A.; Palano, A.; Pappagallo, M.; Eigen, G.; Stugu, B.; Sun, L.; Brown, D. N.; Kerth, L. T.; Kolomensky, Yu. G.; Lynch, G.; Koch, H.; Schroeder, T.; Asgeirsson, D. J.; Hearty, C.; Mattison, T. S.; McKenna, J. A.; Khan, A.; Blinov, V. E.; Buzykaev, A. R.; Druzhinin, V. P.; Golubev, V. B.; Kravchenko, E. A.; Onuchin, A. P.; Serednyakov, S. I.; Skovpen, Yu. I.; Solodov, E. P.; Todyshev, K. Yu.; Yushkov, A. N.; Bondioli, M.; Curry, S.; Kirkby, D.; Lankford, A. J.; Mandelkern, M.; Stoker, D. P.; Atmacan, H.; Gary, J. W.; Liu, F.; Long, O.; Vitug, G. M.; Campagnari, C.; Hong, T. M.; Kovalskyi, D.; Richman, J. D.; West, C. A.; Eisner, A. M.; Kroseberg, J.; Lockman, W. S.; Martinez, A. J.; Schalk, T.; Schumm, B. A.; Seiden, A.; Cheng, C. H.; Doll, D. A.; Echenard, B.; Flood, K. T.; Hitlin, D. G.; Ongmongkolkul, P.; Porter, F. C.; Rakitin, A. Y.; Andreassen, R.; Dubrovin, M. S.; Meadows, B. T.; Sokoloff, M. D.; Bloom, P. C.; Ford, W. T.; Gaz, A.; Nagel, M.; Nauenberg, U.; Smith, J. G.; Wagner, S. R.; Ayad, R.; Toki, W. H.; Spaan, B.; Kobel, M. J.; Schubert, K. R.; Schwierz, R.; Bernard, D.; Verderi, M.; Clark, P. J.; Playfer, S.; Watson, J. E.; Bettoni, D.; Bozzi, C.; Calabrese, R.; Cibinetto, G.; Fioravanti, E.; Garzia, I.; Luppi, E.; Munerato, M.; Negrini, M.; Piemontese, L.; Baldini-Ferroli, R.; Calcaterra, A.; de Sangro, R.; Finocchiaro, G.; Nicolaci, M.; Pacetti, S.; Patteri, P.; Peruzzi, I. M.; Piccolo, M.; Rama, M.; Zallo, A.; Contri, R.; Guido, E.; Lo Vetere, M.; Monge, M. R.; Passaggio, S.; Patrignani, C.; Robutti, E.; Bhuyan, B.; Prasad, V.; Lee, C. L.; Morii, M.; Edwards, A. J.; Adametz, A.; Marks, J.; Uwer, U.; Bernlochner, F. U.; Ebert, M.; Lacker, H. M.; Lueck, T.; Dauncey, P. D.; Tibbetts, M.; Behera, P. K.; Mallik, U.; Chen, C.; Cochran, J.; Crawley, H. B.; Meyer, W. T.; Prell, S.; Rosenberg, E. I.; Rubin, A. E.; Gritsan, A. V.; Guo, Z. J.; Arnaud, N.; Davier, M.; Derkach, D.; Grosdidier, G.; Le Diberder, F.; Lutz, A. M.; Malaescu, B.; Roudeau, P.; Schune, M. H.; Stocchi, A.; Wormser, G.; Lange, D. J.; Wright, D. M.; Bingham, I.; Chavez, C. A.; Coleman, J. P.; Fry, J. R.; Gabathuler, E.; Hutchcroft, D. E.; Payne, D. J.; Touramanis, C.; Bevan, A. J.; di Lodovico, F.; Sacco, R.; Sigamani, M.; Cowan, G.; Paramesvaran, S.; Brown, D. N.; Davis, C. L.; Denig, A. G.; Fritsch, M.; Gradl, W.; Hafner, A.; Alwyn, K. E.; Bailey, D.; Barlow, R. J.; Jackson, G.; Lafferty, G. D.; Cenci, R.; Hamilton, B.; Jawahery, A.; Roberts, D. A.; Simi, G.; Dallapiccola, C.; Salvati, E.; Cowan, R.; Dujmic, D.; Sciolla, G.; Lindemann, D.; Patel, P. M.; Robertson, S. H.; Schram, M.; Biassoni, P.; Lazzaro, A.; Lombardo, V.; Palombo, F.; Stracka, S.; Cremaldi, L.; Godang, R.; Kroeger, R.; Sonnek, P.; Summers, D. J.; Nguyen, X.; Taras, P.; de Nardo, G.; Monorchio, D.; Onorato, G.; Sciacca, C.; Raven, G.; Snoek, H. L.; Jessop, C. P.; Knoepfel, K. J.; Losecco, J. M.; Wang, W. F.; Honscheid, K.; Kass, R.; Brau, J.; Frey, R.; Sinev, N. B.; Strom, D.; Torrence, E.; Feltresi, E.; Gagliardi, N.; Margoni, M.; Morandin, M.; Posocco, M.; Rotondo, M.; Simonetto, F.; Stroili, R.; Ben-Haim, E.; Bomben, M.; Bonneaud, G. R.; Briand, H.; Calderini, G.; Chauveau, J.; Hamon, O.; Leruste, Ph.; Marchiori, G.; Ocariz, J.; Sitt, S.; Biasini, M.; Manoni, E.; Rossi, A.; Angelini, C.; Batignani, G.; Bettarini, S.; Carpinelli, M.; Casarosa, G.; Cervelli, A.; Forti, F.; Giorgi, M. A.; Lusiani, A.; Neri, N.; Oberhof, B.; Paoloni, E.; Perez, A.; Rizzo, G.; Walsh, J. J.; Lopes Pegna, D.; Lu, C.; Olsen, J.; Smith, A. J. S.; Telnov, A. V.; Anulli, F.; Cavoto, G.; Faccini, R.; Ferrarotto, F.; Ferroni, F.; Gaspero, M.; Li Gioi, L.; Mazzoni, M. A.; Piredda, G.; Bünger, C.; Hartmann, T.; Leddig, T.; Schröder, H.; Waldi, R.; Adye, T.; Olaiya, E. O.; Wilson, F. F.; Emery, S.; Hamel de Monchenault, G.; Vasseur, G.; Yèche, Ch.; Aston, D.; Bard, D. J.; Bartoldus, R.; Benitez, J. F.; Cartaro, C.; Convery, M. R.; Dorfan, J.; Dubois-Felsmann, G. P.; Dunwoodie, W.; Field, R. C.; Franco Sevilla, M.; Fulsom, B. G.; Gabareen, A. M.; Graham, M. T.; Grenier, P.; Hast, C.; Innes, W. R.; Kelsey, M. H.; Kim, H.; Kim, P.; Kocian, M. L.; Leith, D. W. G. S.; Lewis, P.; Li, S.; Lindquist, B.; Luitz, S.; Luth, V.; Lynch, H. L.; Macfarlane, D. B.; Muller, D. R.; Neal, H.; Nelson, S.; Ofte, I.; Perl, M.; Pulliam, T.; Ratcliff, B. N.; Roodman, A.; Salnikov, A. A.; Santoro, V.; Schindler, R. H.; Snyder, A.; Su, D.; Sullivan, M. K.; Va'Vra, J.; Wagner, A. P.; Weaver, M.; Wisniewski, W. J.; Wittgen, M.; Wright, D. H.; Wulsin, H. W.; Yarritu, A. K.; Young, C. C.; Ziegler, V.; Park, W.; Purohit, M. V.; White, R. M.; Wilson, J. R.; Randle-Conde, A.; Sekula, S. J.; Bellis, M.; Burchat, P. R.; Miyashita, T. S.; Alam, M. S.; Ernst, J. A.; Gorodeisky, R.; Guttman, N.; Peimer, D. R.; Soffer, A.; Lund, P.; Spanier, S. M.; Eckmann, R.; Ritchie, J. L.; Ruland, A. M.; Schilling, C. J.; Schwitters, R. F.; Wray, B. C.; Izen, J. M.; Lou, X. C.; Bianchi, F.; Gamba, D.; Lanceri, L.; Vitale, L.; Lopez-March, N.; Martinez-Vidal, F.; Oyanguren, A.; Ahmed, H.; Albert, J.; Banerjee, Sw.; Choi, H. H. F.; King, G. J.; Kowalewski, R.; Lewczuk, M. J.; Lindsay, C.; Nugent, I. M.; Roney, J. M.; Sobie, R. J.; Gershon, T. J.; Harrison, P. F.; Latham, T. E.; Puccio, E. M. T.; Band, H. R.; Dasu, S.; Pan, Y.; Prepost, R.; Vuosalo, C. O.; Wu, S. L.

2011-06-01

We analyze the decay B0→K+π-π0 with a sample of 4.54×108 BB¯ events collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC, and extract the complex amplitudes of seven interfering resonances over the Dalitz plot. These results are combined with amplitudes measured in B0→KS0π+π- decays to construct isospin amplitudes from B0→K*π and B0→ρK decays. We measure the phase of the isospin amplitude Φ3/2, useful in constraining the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle angle γ and evaluate a CP rate asymmetry sum rule sensitive to the presence of new physics operators. We measure direct CP violation in B0→K*+π- decays at the level of 3σ when measurements from both B0→K+π-π0 and B0→KS0π+π- decays are combined.

Application of response surface methodology for optimization of polygalacturonase production by Aspergillus niger.

PubMed

Yadav, Kaushlesh K; Garg, Neelima; Kumar, Devendra; Kumar, Sanjay; Singh, Achal; Muthukumar, M

2015-01-01

Polygalacturonase (PG) degrades pectin into D-galacturonic acid monomers and is used widely in food industry especially for juice clarification. In the present study,. fermentation conditions for polygalacturonase production by Asgergillus niger NAIMCCF-02958, using mango peel as substrate, were optimized using the 2(3) factorial design with central composite rotatable experimental design (CCRD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum PG activity 723.66 U g(-1) was achieved under pH 4.0, temperature 30 degrees C and 2% inoculum by response surface curve. The experimental value of PG activity wkas higher 607.65 U g(-1) than the predicted value 511.75 U g(-1). Under the proposed optimized conditions, the determination coefficient (R2) was equal to 0.66 indicating that the model could explain 66% of the total variation as well as establish the relationship between the variables and the responses. ANOVA analysis and the three dimensional plots also confirmed interactions among the parameters.

Influence of turning Treatments on Al6061 by Offline Inspection Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annigeri, Ulhas K.; Sandeep, K. L. G.; Prasanna Chaitanya, M.; Sairam Varma, G.; Datta, B. Arun

2018-02-01

Aluminium is mostly extracted from bauxite and is frequently being utilised in the manufacture of sea, land and air vehicles. Since, it has the merit of resistance to corrosion it is frequently being used in sea vehicles. Another outstanding merit of aluminium is its weight which is very less compared to other ferrous materials. In our study, we have selected Al6061 as the material and based on full factorial design the surface roughness has been observed with three base parameters speed, feed and depth of cut. A mathematical model has been developed to predict the surface roughness and also the dominant factor affecting the turning process has been determined. The plots such as main effects, interaction and Pareto chart have been analysed to give an effective conclusion to the process followed in the study. The purpose of these experiments to compare the effect of process treatments in all possible pairs to select the best treatment to the process has been done satisfactorily.

Mycelial biomass and biochemical properties of proteases produced by Lentinus citrinus DPUA 1535 (Higher Basidiomycetes) in submerged cultivation.

PubMed

Kirsch, Larissa de Souza; Ebinuma, Valeria de Carvalho Santos; Teixeira, Maria Francisca Simas

2013-01-01

The cultivation of Lentinus citrinus for mycelial biomass and protease production under different carbon and nitrogen sources was studied in submerged cultivation. The nutritional source concentration for protease production was evaluated using a full factorial design. For mycelial biomass maltose (4.94 mg/mL) and beef extract (5.45 mg/mL), carbon and nitrogen sources presented the best results, respectively. The maximum protease activity was 73.33 U/mL with fructose (30.0 g/L) and beef extract (10.0 g/L). Proteases showed maximum activity at 40°C and pH 7.0, which exhibited high stability at experimental conditions. The final part of this work was devoted to estimating the main thermodynamic parameters of the irreversible enzyme inactivation (ΔH* = 17.86 kJ/mol, ΔG* =102.09 kJ/mol, ΔS* = -260.76 J/mol×K) through residual activity tests carried out at 25-70°C, by making use of Arrhenius and Eyring plots.

Response of NDVI, biomass, and ecosystem gas exchange to long-term warming and fertilization in wet sedge tundra.

PubMed

Boelman, Natalie T; Stieglitz, Marc; Rueth, Heather M; Sommerkorn, Martin; Griffin, Kevin L; Shaver, Gaius R; Gamon, John A

2003-05-01

This study explores the relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), aboveground plant biomass, and ecosystem C fluxes including gross ecosystem production (GEP), ecosystem respiration (ER) and net ecosystem production. We measured NDVI across long-term experimental treatments in wet sedge tundra at the Toolik Lake LTER site, in northern Alaska. Over 13 years, N and P were applied in factorial experiments (N, P and N + P), air temperature was increased using greenhouses with and without N + P fertilizer, and light intensity (photosynthetically active photon flux density) was reduced by 50% using shade cloth. Within each treatment plot, NDVI, aboveground biomass and whole-system CO(2) flux measurements were made at the same sampling points during the peak-growing season of 2001. We found that across all treatments, NDVI is correlated with aboveground biomass ( r(2)=0.84), GEP ( r(2)=0.75) and ER ( r(2)=0.71), providing a basis for linking remotely sensed NDVI to aboveground biomass and ecosystem carbon flux.

The National Shipbuilding Research Program, Computer Aided Process Planning for Shipyards

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-01

Factory Simulation with Conventional Factory Planning Techniques Financial Justification of State-of-the-Art Investment: A Study Using CAPP I–5 T I T L...and engineer to order.” “Factory Simulation: Approach to Integration of Computer- Based Factory Simulation with Conventional Factory Planning Techniques

Fate of classical faecal bacterial markers and ampicillin-resistant bacteria in agricultural soils under Mediterranean climate after urban sludge amendment.

PubMed

Gondim-Porto, Clarissa; Platero, Leticia; Nadal, Ignacio; Navarro-García, Federico

2016-09-15

The use of sewage sludge or biosolids as agricultural amendments may pose environmental and human health risks related to pathogen or antibiotic-resistant microorganism transmission from soils to vegetables or to water through runoff. Since the survival of those microorganisms in amended soils has been poorly studied under Mediterranean climatic conditions, we followed the variation of soil fecal bacterial markers and ampicillin-resistant bacteria for two years with samplings every four months in a split block design with three replica in a crop soil where two different types of biosolids (aerobically or anaerobically digested) at three doses (low, 40; intermediate, 80; and high, 160Mg·ha(-1)) were applied. Low amounts of biosolids produced similar decay rates of coliform populations than in control soil (-0.19 and -0.27log10CFUs·g(-1)drysoilmonth(-1) versus -0.22) while in the case of intermediate and high doses were close to zero and their populations remained 24months later in the range of 4-5log10CFUs·g(-1)ds. Enterococci populations decayed at different rates when using aerobic than anaerobic biosolids although high doses had higher rates than control (-0.09 and -0.13log10CFUs·g(-1)dsmonth(-1) for aerobic and anaerobic, respectively, vs -0.07). At the end of the experiment, counts in high aerobic and low and intermediate anaerobic plots were 1 log10 higher than in control (4.21, 4.03, 4.2 and 3.11log10CFUs·g(-1) ds, respectively). Biosolid application increased the number of Clostridium spores in all plots at least 1 log10 with respect to control with a different dynamic of decay for low and intermediate doses of aerobic and anaerobic sludge. Ampicillin-resistant bacteria increased in amended soils 4months after amendment and remained at least 1 log10 higher 24months later, especially in aerobic and low and intermediate anaerobic plots due to small rates of decay (in the range of -0.001 to -0.008log10CFUs·g(-1)dsmonth(-1) vs -0.016 for control). Aerobic plots had relative populations of ampicillin-resistant bacteria higher than anaerobic plots with different positive trends. Dose (22%) and time (13%) explained most of the variation of the bacterial populations. Dynamics of fecal markers did not correlate with ampicillin-resistant bacteria thus making necessary to evaluate specifically this trait to avoid possible risks for human and environmental health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of M=Si, Ga and Al for Co substitution on the electronic properties of RCo4M as probed by XPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laslo, A.; Dudric, R.; Neumann, M.; Isnard, O.; Coldea, M.; Pop, V.

2014-12-01

The electronic properties of RCo5-xMx (R=Er, Sm, Tm; M=Si, Ga, Al; x=0 and 1) compounds were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The study was focused on the Co 3s exchange splitting, the valence bands and chemical shifts of the elements from the analyzed compounds. The Co 2p3/2 core-level chemical shifts were described by means of the Auger parameters and Wagner plot. The hybridization between the R 5d6s and M 3sp and 4sp states and Co 3d states leads to a partial filling of the Co 3d band and to a decrease of the Co magnetic moments in comparison with the value in pure Co metal, in good agreement with the magnetic measurements.

Effects of an ontology display with history representation on organizational memory information systems.

PubMed

Hwang, Wonil; Salvendy, Gavriel

2005-06-10

Ontologies, as a possible element of organizational memory information systems, appear to support organizational learning. Ontology tools can be used to share knowledge among the members of an organization. However, current ontology-viewing user interfaces of ontology tools do not fully support organizational learning, because most of them lack proper history representation in their display. In this study, a conceptual model was developed that emphasized the role of ontology in the organizational learning cycle and explored the integration of history representation in the ontology display. Based on the experimental results from a split-plot design with 30 participants, two conclusions were derived: first, appropriately selected history representations in the ontology display help users to identify changes in the ontologies; and second, compatibility between types of ontology display and history representation is more important than ontology display and history representation in themselves.

Construct measurement quality improves predictive accuracy in violence risk assessment: an illustration using the personality assessment inventory.

PubMed

Hendry, Melissa C; Douglas, Kevin S; Winter, Elizabeth A; Edens, John F

2013-01-01

Much of the risk assessment literature has focused on the predictive validity of risk assessment tools. However, these tools often comprise a list of risk factors that are themselves complex constructs, and focusing on the quality of measurement of individual risk factors may improve the predictive validity of the tools. The present study illustrates this concern using the Antisocial Features and Aggression scales of the Personality Assessment Inventory (Morey, 1991). In a sample of 1,545 prison inmates and offenders undergoing treatment for substance abuse (85% male), we evaluated (a) the factorial validity of the ANT and AGG scales, (b) the utility of original ANT and AGG scales and newly derived ANT and AGG scales for predicting antisocial outcomes (recidivism and institutional infractions), and (c) whether items with a stronger relationship to the underlying constructs (higher factor loadings) were in turn more strongly related to antisocial outcomes. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) indicated that ANT and AGG items were not structured optimally in these data in terms of correspondence to the subscale structure identified in the PAI manual. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on a random split-half of the sample to derive optimized alternative factor structures, and cross-validated in the second split-half using CFA. Four-factor models emerged for both the ANT and AGG scales, and, as predicted, the size of item factor loadings was associated with the strength with which items were associated with institutional infractions and community recidivism. This suggests that the quality by which a construct is measured is associated with its predictive strength. Implications for risk assessment are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Promoting Abstinence from Cocaine and Heroin with a Methadone Dose Increase and a Novel Contingency

PubMed Central

Schmittner, John; Umbricht, Annie; Schroeder, Jennifer R.; Moolchan, Eric T.; Preston, Kenzie L.

2010-01-01

To test whether a combination of contingency management and methadone dose increase would promote abstinence from heroin and cocaine, we conducted a randomized controlled trial using a 2 X 3 (Dose X Contingency) factorial design in which dose assignment was double-blind. Participants were 252 heroin- and cocaine-abusing outpatients on methadone maintenance. They were randomly assigned to methadone dose (70 or 100 mg/day, double blind) and voucher condition (noncontingent, contingent on cocaine-negative urines, or “split”). The “split” contingency was a novel contingency that reinforced abstinence from either drug while doubly reinforcing simultaneous abstinence from both: the total value of incentives was “split” between drugs to contain costs. The main outcome measures were percentages of urine specimens negative for heroin, cocaine, and both simultaneously; these were monitored during a 5-week baseline of standard treatment (to determine study eligibility), a 12-week intervention, and a 10-week maintenance phase (to examine intervention effects in return-to-baseline conditions). DSM-IV criteria for ongoing drug dependence were assessed at study exit. Urine-screen results showed that the methadone dose increase reduced heroin use but not cocaine use. The Split 100mg group was the only group to achieve a longer duration of simultaneous negatives than its same-dose Noncontingent control group. The frequency of DSM-IV opiate and cocaine dependence diagnoses decreased in the active intervention groups. For a split contingency to promote simultaneous abstinence from cocaine and heroin, a relatively high dose of methadone appears necessary but not sufficient; an increase in overall incentive amount may also be required. PMID:19101098

1. VIEW TO SOUTHEAST (NORTHWEST CORNER OF EDIBLE FATS FACTORY) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. VIEW TO SOUTHEAST (NORTHWEST CORNER OF EDIBLE FATS FACTORY) - Wilson's Oil House, Lard Refinery, & Edible Fats Factory, Edible Fats Factory, 2801 Southwest Fifteenth Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, OK

3. VIEW TO SOUTHWEST (NORTHEAST CORNER OF EDIBLE FATS FACTORY) ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. VIEW TO SOUTHWEST (NORTHEAST CORNER OF EDIBLE FATS FACTORY) - Wilson's Oil House, Lard Refinery, & Edible Fats Factory, Edible Fats Factory, 2801 Southwest Fifteenth Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, OK

Interactive effects of substrate, hydroperiod, and nutrients on seedling growth of Salix nigra and Taxodium distichum

USGS Publications Warehouse

Day, Richard H.; Doyle, T.W.; Draugelis-Dale, R. O.

2006-01-01

The large river swamps of Louisiana have complex topography and hydrology, characterized by black willow (Salix nigra) dominance on accreting alluvial sediments and vast areas of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) deepwater swamps with highly organic substrates. Seedling survival of these two wetland tree species is influenced by their growth rate in relation to the height and duration of annual flooding in riverine environments. This study examines the interactive effects of substrate, hydroperiod, and nutrients on growth rates of black willow and baldcypress seedlings. In a greenhouse experiment with a split-split-plot design, 1-year seedlings of black willow and baldcypress were subjected to two nutrient treatments (unfertilized versus fertilized), two hydroperiods (continuously flooded versus twice daily flooding/draining), and two substrates (sand versus commercial peat mix). Response variables included height, diameter, lateral branch count, biomass, and root:stem ratio. Black willow growth in height and diameter, as well as all biomass components, were significantly greater in peat substrate than in sand. Black willow showed a significant hydroperiod-nutrient interaction wherein fertilizer increased stem and root biomass under drained conditions, but flooded plants did not respond to fertilization. Baldcypress diameter and root biomass were higher in peat than in sand, and the same two variables increased with fertilization in flooded as well as drained treatments. These results can be used in Louisiana wetland forest models as inputs of seedling growth and survival, regeneration potential, and biomass accumulation rates of black willow and baldcypress.

Microstructural, phase evolution and corrosion properties of silicon carbide reinforced pulse electrodeposited nickel-tungsten composite coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Swarnima; Sribalaji, M.; Wasekar, Nitin P.; Joshi, Srikant; Sundararajan, G.; Singh, Raghuvir; Keshri, Anup Kumar

2016-02-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) reinforced nickel-tungsten (Ni-W) coatings were successfully fabricated on steel substrate by pulse electrodeposition method (PED) and the amount of SiC was varied as 0 g/l, 2 g/l, and 5 g/l in Ni-W coating. Effect of subsequent addition of SiC on microstructures, phases and on corrosion property of the coating was investigated. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) image of the surface morphology of the coating showed the transformation from the dome like structure to turtle shell like structure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) of Ni-W-5 g/l SiC showed the disappearance of (220) plane of Ni(W), peak splitting in major peak of Ni(W) and formation of distinct peak of W(Ni) solid solution. Absence of (220) plane, peak splitting and presence of W(Ni) solid solution was explained by the high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) images. Tafel polarization plot was used to study the corrosion property of the coatings in 0.5 M NaCl solution. Ni-W-5 g/l SiC coating was showed higher corrosion resistance (i.e. ∼21% increase in corrosion potential, Ecorr) compared to Ni-W coating. Two simultaneous phenomena have been identified for the enhanced corrosion resistance of Ni-W-5 g/l SiC coating. (a) Presence of crystallographic texture (b) formation of continuous double barrier layer of NiWO4 and SiO2.

Nurse Plants vs. Nurse Objects: Effects of Woody Plants and Rocky Cavities on the Recruitment of the Pilosocereus leucocephalus Columnar Cactus

PubMed Central

Munguía-Rosas, Miguel Angel; Sosa, Vinicio J.

2008-01-01

Background and Aims Most studies on cactus recruitment have focused on the role of woody plants as seedling facilitators. Although the spatial association of cacti with objects had been described, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unknown. The aims of this study were to identify which mechanisms facilitate the establishment of a columnar cactus under the shade and protection of objects and to compare these mechanisms with those involved in plant–plant facilitation. Methods Three split-split-plot field experiments were conducted to compare the effects of two microhabitats (inside rocky cavities and beneath plant canopies) on seed removal, germination, seedling survivorship and dry weight. Flat, open spaces were used as the control. For each microhabitat, the effect of seed or seedling protection and substrate limitation were explored; aboveground microclimate and some soil properties were also characterized. Key Results The permanence of superficial seeds was greater inside rocky cavities than beneath woody plant canopies or on flat, open areas. Germination was similar in cavities and beneath plant canopies, but significantly higher than on flat, open areas. Seedling survivorship was greater beneath plant canopies than inside cavities or on flat, open spaces. Conclusions The mechanisms of plant facilitation are different from those of object facilitation. There are seed–seedling conflicts involved in the recruitment of P. leucocephalus: nurse plants favour mainly seedling survivorship by providing a suitable microenvironment, while nurse objects mainly favour seed permanence, by protecting them from predators. PMID:18056054

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria and Silicon Synergistically Enhance Salinity Tolerance of Mung Bean

PubMed Central

Mahmood, Sajid; Daur, Ihsanullah; Al-Solaimani, Samir G.; Ahmad, Shakeel; Madkour, Mohamed H.; Yasir, Muhammad; Hirt, Heribert; Ali, Shawkat; Ali, Zahir

2016-01-01

The present study explored the eco-friendly approach of utilizing plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) inoculation and foliar application of silicon (Si) to improve the physiology, growth, and yield of mung bean under saline conditions. We isolated 18 promising PGPR from natural saline soil in Saudi Arabia, and screened them for plant-growth-promoting activities. Two effective strains were selected from the screening trial, and were identified as Enterobacter cloacae and Bacillus drentensis using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and 16S rRNA gene sequencing techniques, respectively. Subsequently, in a 2-year mung bean field trial, using a randomized complete block design with a split-split plot arrangement, we evaluated the two PGPR strains and two Si levels (1 and 2 kg ha−1), in comparison with control treatments, under three different saline irrigation conditions (3.12, 5.46, and 7.81 dS m−1). The results indicated that salt stress substantially reduced stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, relative water content (RWC), total chlorophyll content, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid content, plant height, leaf area, dry biomass, seed yield, and salt tolerance index. The PGPR strains and Si levels independently improved all the aforementioned parameters. Furthermore, the combined application of the B. drentensis strain with 2 kg Si ha−1 resulted in the greatest enhancement of mung bean physiology, growth, and yield. Overall, the results of this study provide important information for the benefit of the agricultural industry. PMID:27379151

The impacts of climate change on calcareous grasslands. II. Preliminary results

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

Masters, G.J.; Clarke, I.P.; Brown, V.K.

1995-06-01

Field manipulations of winter temperature and summer rainfall have been in operation since Feb. 1994. Monitoring of the two factorial experiments began in April 1994 and has continued at regular intervals to date. Pre-treatment characterization of all plots was completed at the northern (Buxton) and southern (Wytham) sites. The vegetation was sampled by point and 1m{sup 2} permanent quadrats. D-vac suction was used to sample the invertebrate community. Additionally, the leaf miners, spiders and Auchenorrhyncha (leaf hoppers) have been chosen for further study. At both sites, winter warming promoted plant growth, especially of the perennial grasses. However, species specific responsesmore » were recorded in terms of early growth and flowering. Drought inhibited and enhanced rainfall promoted plant growth during the summer. Drought responses were greater at Buxton, while watering had a greater impact at Wytham. Tap-rooted species were resistant to drought at both sites, while responding positively (Buxton) or showing no response (Wytham) to enhanced rainfall. The invertebrates parallelled the responses of the vegetation. Warming resulted in either increased density (Wytham) or earlier emergence (Buxton & Wytham). At Buxton, warming promoted the development of certain leaf miner species while the reverse occurred at Wytham. Impacts of winter warming on over-wintering strategies may govern such responses. Some Auchenorrhyncha species had greater densities on droughted plots at Wytham. These hoppers may be responding to increased nutrients, within host plants, due to drought. Such results give an insight into how grassland ecosystems may be modified by a changing climate.« less

Dalitz plot analysis of the decay B 0 ( B ¯ 0 ) → K ± π ∓ π 0

DOE PAGES

Aubert, B.; Bona, M.; Karyotakis, Y.; ...

2008-09-12

Here, we report a Dalitz-plot analysis of the charmless hadronic decays of neutral B mesons to K ± π ∓ π 0 . With a sample of ( 231.8 ± 2.6 ) × 10 6 Υ ( 4 S ) → Bmore » $$\\bar{B}$$ decays collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC, we measure the magnitudes and phases of the intermediate resonant and nonresonant amplitudes for B 0 and $$\\bar{B}$$ 0 decays and determine the corresponding C P -averaged branching fractions and charge asymmetries. Furthermore, we measure the inclusive branching fraction and C P -violating charge asymmetry and found it to be B ( B 0 → K + π - π 0 ) = ( 35.7$$+2.6\\atop{-1.5}$$ + 2.6 - 1.5 ± 2.2 ) × 10 - 6 and A C P = - 0.030 $$+ 0.045\\atop{- 0.051}$$ ± 0.055 where the first errors are statistical and the second systematic. We observe the decay B 0 → K * 0 ( 892 ) π 0 with the branching fraction B ( B 0 → K * 0 ( 892 ) π 0 ) = ( 3.6 $$+ 0.7\\atop- {0.8}$$ ± 0.4 ) × 10 - 6 . This measurement differs from zero by 5.6 standard deviations (including the systematic uncertainties). The selected sample also contains B 0 → $$\\bar{D}$$ 0 π 0 decays where $$\\bar{D}$$ 0 → K + π - , and we measure B ( B 0 → $$\\bar{D}$$ 0π 0 ) = ( 2.93 ± 0.17 ± 0.18 ) × 10 - 4 .« less

Water addition regulates the metabolic activity of ammonia oxidizers responding to environmental perturbations in dry subhumid ecosystems.

PubMed

Hu, Hang-Wei; Macdonald, Catriona A; Trivedi, Pankaj; Holmes, Bronwyn; Bodrossy, Levente; He, Ji-Zheng; Singh, Brajesh K

2015-02-01

Terrestrial arid and semi-arid ecosystems (drylands) constitute about 41% of the Earth's land surface and are predicted to experience increasing fluctuations in water and nitrogen availability. Mounting evidence has confirmed the significant importance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in nitrification, plant nitrogen availability and atmospheric N2 O emissions, but their responses to environmental perturbations in drylands remain largely unknown. Here we evaluate how the factorial combinations of irrigation and fertilization in forests and land-use change from grassland to forest affects the dynamics of AOA and AOB following a 6-year dryland field study. Potential nitrification rates and AOA and AOB abundances were significantly higher in the irrigated plots, accompanied by considerable changes in community compositions, but their responses to fertilization alone were not significant. DNA-stable isotope probing results showed increased (13) CO2 incorporation into the amoA gene of AOA, but not of AOB, in plots receiving water addition, coupled with significantly higher net mineralization and nitrification rates. High-throughput microarray analysis revealed that active AOA assemblages belonging to Nitrosopumilus and Nitrosotalea were increasingly labelled by (13) CO2 following irrigation. However, no obvious effects of land-use changes on nitrification rates or metabolic activity of AOA and AOB could be observed under dry conditions. We provide evidence that water addition had more important roles than nitrogen fertilization in influencing the autotrophic nitrification in dryland ecosystems, and AOA are increasingly involved in ammonia oxidation when dry soils become wetted. © 2014 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

4. SOUTHEAST CORNER OF EDIBLE FATS FACTORY (CONNECTING BUILDING ON ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

4. SOUTHEAST CORNER OF EDIBLE FATS FACTORY (CONNECTING BUILDING ON THE LEFT) - Wilson's Oil House, Lard Refinery, & Edible Fats Factory, Edible Fats Factory, 2801 Southwest Fifteenth Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, OK

Soil Decomposition of Added Organic C in an Organic Farming System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kpomblekou-A, Kokoasse; Sissoko, Alassane; McElhenney, Wendell

2015-04-01

In the United States, large quantities of poultry waste are added every year to soil under organic management. Decomposition of the added organic C releases plant nutrients, promotes soil structure, and plays a vital role in the soil food web. In organic agriculture the added C serves as the only source of nutrients for plant growth. Thus understanding the decomposition rates of such C in organic farming systems are critical in making recommendations of organic inputs to organic producers. We investigated and compared relative accumulation and decomposition of organic C in an organic farming system trial at the George Washington Carver Agricultural Experiment Station at Tuskegee, Alabama on a Marvyn sandy loam (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, Typic Kanhapludults) soil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replicates and four treatments. The main plot (54' × 20') was split into three equal subplots to plant three sweet potato cultivars. The treatments included a weed (control with no cover crop, no fertilizer), crimson clover alone (CC), crimson clover plus broiler litter (BL), and crimson clover plus NPK mineral fertilizers (NPK). For five years, late in fall, the field was planted with crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L) that was cut with a mower and incorporated into soil the following spring. Moreover, broiler litter (4.65 Mg ha-1) or ammonium nitrate (150 kg N ha-1), triple super phosphate (120 kg P2O5 ha-1), and potassium chloride (160 kg K2O ha-1) were applied to the BL or the NPK plot and planted with sweet potato. Just before harvest, six soil samples were collected within the two middle rows of each sweet potato plot with an auger at incremental depths of 0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-5, 5-10, and 10-15 cm. Samples from each subplot and depth were composited and mixed in a plastic bag. The samples were sieved moist through a

Interference and economic threshold level of little seed canary grass in wheat under different sowing times.

PubMed

Hussain, Saddam; Khaliq, Abdul; Matloob, Amar; Fahad, Shah; Tanveer, Asif

2015-01-01

Little seed canary grass (LCG) is a pernicious weed of wheat crop causing enormous yield losses. Information on the interference and economic threshold (ET) level of LCG is of prime significance to rationalize the use of herbicide for its effective management in wheat fields. The present study was conducted to quantify interference and ET density of LCG in mid-sown (20 November) and late-sown (10 December) wheat. Experiment was triplicated in randomized split-plot design with sowing dates as the main plots and LCG densities (10, 20, 30, and 40 plants m(-2)) as the subplots. Plots with two natural infestations of weeds including and excluding LCG were maintained for comparing its interference in pure stands with designated densities. A season-long weed-free treatment was also run. Results indicated that composite stand of weeds, including LCG, and density of 40 LCG plants m(-2) were more competitive with wheat, especially when crop was sown late in season. Maximum weed dry biomass was attained by composite stand of weeds including LCG followed by 40 LCG plants m(-2) under both sowing dates. Significant variations in wheat growth and yield were observed under the influence of different LCG densities as well as sowing dates. Presence of 40 LCG plants m(-2) reduced wheat yield by 28 and 34% in mid- and late-sown wheat crop, respectively. These losses were much greater than those for infestation of all weeds, excluding LCG. Linear regression model was effective in simulating wheat yield losses over a wide range of LCG densities, and the regression equations showed good fit to observed data. The ET levels of LCG were 6-7 and 2.2-3.3 plants m(-2) in mid- and late-sown wheat crop, respectively. Herbicide should be applied in cases when LCG density exceeds these levels under respective sowing dates.

Distribution of heavy metals and hydrocarbon contents in an alfisol contaminated with waste-lubricating oil amended with organic wastes.

PubMed

Adesodun, J K; Mbagwu, J S C

2008-05-01

Contamination of soil and groundwater with mineral oil-based products is among the most common sources of pollution in Nigeria. This study evaluated the distribution of some heavy metals and hydrocarbon content in soil contaminated with waste-lubricating oil (spent oil), and the effectiveness of some abundantly available organic wastes from animal source as remediation alternative to the expensive chemical and physical methods. The main-plot treatments include control (C), cow dung (CD), poultry manure (PM) and pig waste (PW) applied at 10Mg/ha each; while the sub-plot treatments were control (0%), 0.5%, 2.5% and 5% spent oil (SP) applied at 10, 50 and 100 Mg/ha, respectively arranged in a split-plot in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. These treatments were applied once each year for two consecutive years. Soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected at 3, 6 and 12 months each year and analyzed for Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn, while the residual total hydrocarbon content (THC) was determined at the end of the 2 years study. Results show significant (p<0.05) accumulation of these metals with spent oil pollution following the sequence 5%SP>2.5%SP>0.5%SP, indicating higher metal pollution with increase in oil pollution. General distribution of Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn, relative to sampling periods, followed 3 months>6 months>12 months in the 1st year indicating reduction in metal levels with time. The trend for 2nd year indicated higher accumulation of Cr and Ni in 12 months, while Pb and Zn decreased with time of sampling. The results further showed higher accumulation of Cr followed by Zn, relative to other metals, with oil pollution. However, addition of organic wastes to the oil polluted soils significantly (p<0.05) led to reduction in the levels of the metals and THC following the order PM>PW>CD.

Prediction of five-year all-cause mortality in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus - A population-based retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Wan, Eric Yuk Fai; Fong, Daniel Yee Tak; Fung, Colman Siu Cheung; Yu, Esther Yee Tak; Chin, Weng Yee; Chan, Anca Ka Chun; Lam, Cindy Lo Kuen

2017-06-01

This study aimed to develop and validate an all-cause mortality risk prediction model for Chinese primary care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) in Hong Kong. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted on 132,462 Chinese patients who had received public primary care services during 2010. Each gender sample was randomly split on a 2:1 basis into derivation and validation cohorts and was followed-up for a median period of 5years. Gender-specific mortality risk prediction models showing the interaction effect between predictors and age were derived using Cox proportional hazards regression with forward stepwise approach. Developed models were compared with pre-existing models by Harrell's C-statistic and calibration plot using validation cohort. Common predictors of increased mortality risk in both genders included: age; smoking habit; diabetes duration; use of anti-hypertensive agents, insulin and lipid-lowering drugs; body mass index; hemoglobin A1c; systolic blood pressure(BP); total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio; urine albumin to creatinine ratio(urine ACR); and estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR). Prediction models showed better discrimination with Harrell"'s C-statistics of 0.768(males) and 0.782(females) and calibration power from the plots than previously established models. Our newly developed gender-specific models provide a more accurate predicted 5-year mortality risk for Chinese diabetic patients than other established models. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of changes in the nutritional status on the performances of growing Creole kids during an established nematode parasite infection.

PubMed

Ceï, W; Archimède, H; Arquet, R; Félicité, Y; Feuillet, D; Nepos, A; Mulciba, P; Etienne, T; Alexandre, G; Bambou, J C

2017-04-01

In this study, we evaluated the effect of changes in the nutritional status on the performances of growing Creole kids during an established experimental gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection. Eighteen 6-month-old Creole kids were distributed in two main groups infected (I) and non-infected (NI) and were placed for a period of 4 weeks on each of three diets differing in their nutritional values: (1) fresh grass (FG, 6.7 MJ/kg dry matter (DM) and 7.9% crude protein (CP)) non-supplemented, (2) FG supplemented with a commercial concentrate (CC, 12.2 MJ/kg DM and 20.6% of CP), and (3) FG supplemented with dried banana (Ban, 11.1 MJ/kg DM and 4.3% CP). The experiment was designed as a split-plot with experimental infection (I and NI) as the main plot and the diets (FG, CC, and Ban) as the subplots with three replicates. We showed a significant effect of the diet changes on the fecal egg counts. A higher dry matter intake, digestibility, and growth rate were observed with the CC diet but together with a slight but significant increase of the intensity of the GIN infection. These data suggest that the improvement of the protein nutritional status during an establish GIN infection would improve the animal performance at the expense of the mechanism involved in the control of the infection.

Dairy manure and tillage effects on soil fertility and corn yields.

PubMed

Khan, Anwar U H; Iqbal, M; Islam, K R

2007-07-01

Organic amendments have received renewed attention to improve soil fertility for crop production. A randomized complete block split plot experiment was conducted to evaluate the dairy manure (DM) amendments of soil for corn (Zea mays L. cv. Monsanto 919) production under different tillage systems. Main plot treatments were no-till (NT), conventional tillage (CT), and deep tillage (DT), and subplot treatments were chemical fertilization (DM(0)), and DM at 10Mgha(-1)yr(-1) (DM(10)) and 20Mgha(-1)yr(-1) (DM(20)) with supplemental chemical fertilization. Results show that tillage and DM had significantly reduced bulk density (rho(b)) with greater porosity (f(t)) and hydraulic conductivity (K(fs)) than soils under NT and DM(0). Manuring was effective to improve soil physical properties in all tillage treatments. While manure significantly increased C sequestration, the N concentration was influenced by both tillage and manure with significant interaction. The CT significantly increased P as did the addition of manure. However, with manure, K was significantly increased in all tillage treatments. While tilled soils produced taller plants with higher grain yields, and water-use efficiency than NT soils, manuring, in contrast, increased corn harvest index. Manure exerted significant quadratic effect on corn biomass N and K uptake. The variable effects of tillage and dairy manuring on soil properties and corn growth are most probably related to "transitional period" in which soil ecosystems may have adjusting to a new equilibrium.

Myc Dynamically and Preferentially Relocates to a Transcription Factory Occupied by Igh

PubMed Central

Osborne, Cameron S; Chakalova, Lyubomira; Mitchell, Jennifer A; Horton, Alice; Wood, Andrew L; Bolland, Daniel J; Corcoran, Anne E; Fraser, Peter

2007-01-01

Transcription in mammalian nuclei is highly compartmentalized in RNA polymerase II-enriched nuclear foci known as transcription factories. Genes in cis and trans can share the same factory, suggesting that genes migrate to preassembled transcription sites. We used fluorescent in situ hybridization to investigate the dynamics of gene association with transcription factories during immediate early (IE) gene induction in mouse B lymphocytes. Here, we show that induction involves rapid gene relocation to transcription factories. Importantly, we find that the Myc proto-oncogene on Chromosome 15 is preferentially recruited to the same transcription factory as the highly transcribed Igh gene located on Chromosome 12. Myc and Igh are the most frequent translocation partners in plasmacytoma and Burkitt lymphoma. Our results show that transcriptional activation of IE genes involves rapid relocation to preassembled transcription factories. Furthermore, the data imply a direct link between the nonrandom interchromosomal organization of transcribed genes at transcription factories and the incidence of specific chromosomal translocations. PMID:17622196

[Dissolution behavior of Fuzi Lizhong pill based on simultaneous determination of two components in Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma].

PubMed

Jiang, Mao-Yuan; Zhang, Zhen; Shi, Jin-Feng; Zhang, Jin-Ming; Fu, Chao-Mei; Lin, Xia; Liu, Yu-Mei

2018-03-01

To preliminarily investigate the dissolution behavior of Fuzi Lizhong pill, provide the basis for its quality control and lay foundation for in vivo dissolution behavior by determining the dissolution rate of liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for simultaneous content determination of the two active ingredients of liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid in Fuzi Lizhong pill was established; The dissolution amount of these two active ingredients in fifteen batches of Fuzi Lizhong pill from five manufacturers was obtained at different time points, and then the cumulative dissolution rate was calculated and cumulative dissolution curve was drawn. The similarity of cumulative dissolution curve of different batches was evaluated based on the same factory, and the similarity of cumulative dissolution curve of different factories was evaluated based on the same active ingredients. The dissolution model of Fuzi Lizhong pill based on two kinds of active ingredients was established by fitting with the dissolution data. The best dissolution medium was 0.25% sodium lauryl sulfate. The dissolution behavior of liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid in Fuzi Lizhong pill was basically the same and sustained release in 48 h. Three batches of the factories (factory 2, factory 3, factory 4 and factory 5) appeared to be similar in dissolution behavior, indicating similarity in dissolution behavior in most factories. Two of the three batches from factory 1 appeared to be not similar in dissolution behavior of liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid. The dissolution data of the effective ingredients from different factories were same in fitting, and Weibull model was the best model in these batches. Fuzi Lizhong pill in 15 batches from 5 factories showed sustained release in 48 h, proving obviously slow releasing characteristics "pill is lenitive and keeps a long-time efficacy". The generally good dissolution behavior also suggested that quality of different batches from most factories was stable. The dissolution behavior of liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid in different factories was different, suggesting that the source of medicinal materials and preparation technology parameters in five factories were different. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Sequence Factorial and Its Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asiru, Muniru A.

2012-01-01

In this note, we introduce sequence factorial and use this to study generalized M-bonomial coefficients. For the sequence of natural numbers, the twin concepts of sequence factorial and generalized M-bonomial coefficients, respectively, extend the corresponding concepts of factorial of an integer and binomial coefficients. Some latent properties…

Investigation of cadmium pollution in the spruce saplings near the metal production factory.

PubMed

Hashemi, Seyed Armin; Farajpour, Ghasem

2016-02-01

Toxic metals such as lead and cadmium are among the pollutants that are created by the metal production factories and disseminated in the nature. In order to study the quantity of cadmium pollution in the environment of the metal production factories, 50 saplings of the spruce species at the peripheries of the metal production factories were examined and the samples of the leaves, roots, and stems of saplings planted around the factory and the soil of the environment of the factory were studied to investigate pollution with cadmium. They were compared to the soil and saplings of the spruce trees planted outside the factory as observer region. The results showed that the quantity of pollution in the leaves, stems, and roots of the trees planted inside the factory environment were estimated at 1.1, 1.5, and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively, and this indicated a significant difference with the observer region (p < 0.05). The quantity of cadmium in the soil of the peripheries of the metal production factory was estimated at 6.8 mg/kg in the depth of 0-10 cm beneath the level of the soil. The length of roots in the saplings planted around the factory of metal production stood at 11 and 14.5 cm in the observer region which had a significant difference with the observer region (p < 0.05). The quantity of soil resources and spruce species' pollution with cadmium in the region has been influenced by the production processes in the factory. © The Author(s) 2013.

Testing Factorial Invariance in Multilevel Data: A Monte Carlo Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Eun Sook; Kwok, Oi-man; Yoon, Myeongsun

2012-01-01

Testing factorial invariance has recently gained more attention in different social science disciplines. Nevertheless, when examining factorial invariance, it is generally assumed that the observations are independent of each other, which might not be always true. In this study, we examined the impact of testing factorial invariance in multilevel…

From gene to structure: The protein factory of the NBICS Centre of Kurchatov Institute

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

Boyko, K. M.; Lipkin, A. V.; Popov, V. O., E-mail: vpopov@inbi.ras.ru

2013-05-15

The Protein Factory was established at the Centre for Nano, Bio, Info, Cognitive, and Social Sciences and Technologies (NBICS Centre) of the National Research Centre 'Kurchatov Institute' in 2010. The Protein Factory, together with the Centre for Synchrotron Radiation and Nanotechnology, promote research on structural biology. This paper presents the technology platforms developed at the Protein Factory and the facilities available for researchers. The main projects currently being performed at the Protein Factory are briefly described.

Approaching the socialist factory and its workforce: considerations from fieldwork in (former) Yugoslavia

PubMed Central

Archer, Rory; Musić, Goran

2017-01-01

Abstract The socialist factory, as the ‘incubator’ of the new socialist (wo)man, is a productive entry point for the study of socialist modernization and its contradictions. By outlining some theoretical and methodological insights gathered through field-research in factories in former Yugoslavia, we seek to connect the state of labour history in the Balkans to recent breakthroughs made by labour historians of other socialist countries. The first part of this article sketches some of the specificities of the Yugoslav self-managed factory and its heterogeneous workforce. It presents the ambiguous relationship between workers and the factory and demonstrates the variety of life trajectories for workers in Yugoslav state-socialism (from model communists to alienated workers). The second part engages with the available sources for conducting research inside and outside the factory advocating an approach which combines factory and local archives, print media and oral history. PMID:28190894

Approaching the socialist factory and its workforce: considerations from fieldwork in (former) Yugoslavia.

PubMed

Archer, Rory; Musić, Goran

2017-01-01

The socialist factory, as the 'incubator' of the new socialist (wo)man, is a productive entry point for the study of socialist modernization and its contradictions. By outlining some theoretical and methodological insights gathered through field-research in factories in former Yugoslavia, we seek to connect the state of labour history in the Balkans to recent breakthroughs made by labour historians of other socialist countries. The first part of this article sketches some of the specificities of the Yugoslav self-managed factory and its heterogeneous workforce. It presents the ambiguous relationship between workers and the factory and demonstrates the variety of life trajectories for workers in Yugoslav state-socialism (from model communists to alienated workers). The second part engages with the available sources for conducting research inside and outside the factory advocating an approach which combines factory and local archives, print media and oral history.

The Virtual Factory Teaching System (VFTS): Project Review and Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazlauskas, E. J.; Boyd, E. F., III; Dessouky, M. M.

This paper presents a review of the Virtual Factory Teaching (VFTS) project, a Web-based, multimedia collaborative learning network. The system allows students, working alone or in teams, to build factories, forecast demand for products, plan production, establish release rules for new work into the factory, and set scheduling rules for…

Sequence Factorial of "g"-Gonal Numbers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asiru, Muniru A.

2013-01-01

The gamma function, which has the property to interpolate the factorial whenever the argument is an integer, is a special case (the case "g"?=?2) of the general term of the sequence factorial of "g"-gonal numbers. In relation to this special case, a formula for calculating the general term of the sequence factorial of any…

A survey of airborne and skin exposures to chemicals in footwear and equipment factories in Thailand.

PubMed

Todd, Lori A; Mottus, Kathleen; Mihlan, Gary J

2008-03-01

This research reports on a pilot industrial hygiene study that was performed at four footwear factories and two equipment factories in Thailand. Workers in these factories were exposed through inhalation and dermal contact to a large number of organic vapors from solvents and cements that were hand applied. In addition, these workers were exposed to highly toxic isocyanates primarily through the dermal route. A total of 286 personal air samples were obtained at the four footwear factories using organic vapor monitors; individual job tasks were monitored using a real-time MIRAN Spectrometer. A total of 64 surface, tool, or hand samples were monitored for isocyanates using surface contamination detectors. Real-time measurements were also obtained for organic vapors in two equipment factories. From 8% to 21% of the workers sampled in each footwear factory were overexposed to mixtures of chemicals from solvents and cements. Up to 100% of the workers performing specific job tasks were overexposed to mixtures of chemicals. From 39% to 69% of the surface samples were positive for unreacted isocyanates. Many of the real-time measurements obtained in the equipment factories exceeded occupational exposure limits. Personal protective equipment and engineering controls were inadequate in all of the factories.

Does open-air exposure to volatile organic compounds near a plastic recycling factory cause health effects?

PubMed

Yorifuji, Takashi; Noguchi, Miyuki; Tsuda, Toshihide; Suzuki, Etsuji; Takao, Soshi; Kashima, Saori; Yanagisawa, Yukio

2012-01-01

After a plastic reprocessing factory began to operate in August 2004, the residents around the factory in Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan, began to complain of symptoms. Therefore, we conducted an exposure assessment and a population-based epidemiological study in 2006. To assess exposure, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total VOCs were measured at two locations in the vicinity of the factory. In the population-based study, a total of 3,950 residents were targeted. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information about subjects' mucocutaneous or respiratory symptoms. Using logistic regression models, we compared the prevalence of symptoms in July 2006 by employing the farthest area from the factory as a reference, and prevalence odds ratios (PORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. The concentration of total VOCs was higher in the vicinity of the factory. The prevalence of mucocutaneous and respiratory symptoms was the highest among the residents in the closest area to the factory. Some symptoms were significantly increased among the residents within 500 m of the factory compared with residents of an area 2800 m from the factory: e.g., sore throat (POR=3.2, 95% CI: 1.3-8.0), eye itch (POR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.5-6.0), eye discharge (POR=6.0, 95% CI: 2.3-15.9), eczema (POR=3.0, 95% CI: 1.1-7.9) and sputum (POR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.1-5.1). Despite of the limitations of this study, these results imply a possible association of open-air VOCs with mucocutaneous and respiratory symptoms. Because this kind of plasticre cycling factory only recently came into operation, more attention should be paid to the operation of plastic recycling factories in the environment.

Effects of ractopamine hydrochloride on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and physiological response to different handling techniques.

PubMed

Hagenmaier, J A; Reinhardt, C D; Ritter, M J; Calvo-Lorenzo, M S; Vogel, G J; Guthrie, C A; Siemens, M G; Lechtenberg, K F; Rezac, D J; Thomson, D U

2017-05-01

Feedlot cattle ( = 128; BW = 549 ± 60 kg) were used to evaluate the effects of ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) on growth performance, physiological response to handling, and mobility during shipment for slaughter in a study utilizing a split-plot design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: 1) diet (CON [no β-adrenergic agonist] vs. RAC [400 mg·animal·d ractopamine hydrochloride for 28 d]) and 2) handling intensity (HI; low-stress handling [LSH; cattle moved at a walking pace with no electric prod use] vs. high-stress handling [HSH; cattle moved at a minimum of a trot and an electric prod applied while in the alley for posthandling restraint and during loading for shipment to the abattoir]). Cattle fed RAC tended to have greater ADG and G:F ( = 0.06), and had greater HCW and LM area ( = 0.04). The HI treatments were applied on the day after the 28-d growth performance period. Blood samples were collected before HI treatment (baseline), after HI treatments (POSTHAND), after transport to the abattoir (POSTTRANS), and during exsanguination at slaughter. A diet × HI interaction ( = 0.01) was observed in the change in cortisol from baseline to POSTTRANS, and there tended ( ≤ 0.07) to be diet × HI interactions for the change in epinephrine from baseline to POSTHAND and for the change in creatine kinase (CK) from baseline to POSTTRANS. Feeding RAC and HSH both increased the change from baseline to POSTHAND in norepinephrine and pH ( ≤ 0.05). The HSH cattle also had greater changes from baseline to POSTHAND in blood HCO, base excess, partial pressure of CO, lactate, cortisol, and glucose ( ≤ 0.01). Ractopamine and HSH both produced greater increases in CK concentrations from baseline to slaughter ( < 0.01). Mobility was not affected by RAC at the feedlot or following an average 6-h lairage ( ≥ 0.43). This study confirms RAC improves growth performance and suggests metabolic acidosis, a precursor to fatigued cattle syndrome, develops in cattle allowed to trot without the use of a lead rider regardless of RAC administration. Cattle fed RAC displayed altered hormonal responses to handling and transport stress, and the overall proportion of cattle with compromised mobility appears to increase later in the marketing channel. These findings warrant additional research aimed at better understanding the physiological response to stress and protect the welfare of cattle during shipment for slaughter.

Effects of multiple concurrent stressors on rectal temperature, blood acid-base status, and longissimus muscle glycolytic potential in market-weight pigs.

PubMed

Ritter, M J; Ellis, M; Anderson, D B; Curtis, S E; Keffaber, K K; Killefer, J; McKeith, F K; Murphy, C M; Peterson, B A

2009-01-01

Sixty-four market-weight (130.0 +/- 0.65 kg) barrows (n = 16) and gilts (n = 48) were used in a split-plot design with a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments: 1) handling intensity (gentle vs. aggressive), 2) transport floor space (0.39 vs. 0.49 m(2)/pig), and 3) distance moved during handling (25 vs. 125 m) to determine the effects of multiple concurrent stressors on metabolic responses. For the handling intensity treatment, pigs were moved individually approximately 50 m through a handling course with either 0 (gentle) or 8 (aggressive) shocks from an electric goad. Pigs were loaded onto a trailer and transported for approximately 1 h at floor spaces of either 0.39 or 0.49 m(2)/pig. After transport, pigs were unloaded, and the distance moved treatment was applied; pigs were moved 25 or 125 m through a handling course using livestock paddles. Rectal temperature was measured, and blood samples (to measure blood acid-base status) were collected 2 h before the handling intensity treatment was applied and immediately after the distance moved treatment was applied. A LM sample to measure glycolytic potential was collected after the distance moved treatments on a subset of 32 pigs. There were handling intensity x distance moved interactions (P < 0.05) for several blood acid-base measurements. In general, there was no effect of distance moved on these traits when pigs were previously handled gently. However, when pigs were previously handled aggressively, pigs moved 125 compared with 25 m had greater (P < 0.05) blood lactate and less (P < 0.05) blood pH, bicarbonate, and base-excess. Pigs transported at 0.39 compared with 0.49 m(2)/pig had a greater (P < 0.01) increase in creatine kinase values; however, transport floor space did not affect any other measurements. Data were analyzed by the number of stressors (the aggressive handling, restricted transport floor space, and 125-m distance moved treatments) experienced by each pig (0, 1, 2, or 3). As the number of stressors experienced by the pig increased, rectal temperature, blood lactate, and LM lactate increased linearly (P

Efficiency in Complexity: Composition and Dynamic Nature of Mimivirus Replication Factories

PubMed Central

Milrot, Elad; Mutsafi, Yael; Ben-Dor, Shifra; Levin, Yishai; Savidor, Alon; Kartvelishvily, Elena

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The recent discovery of multiple giant double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses blurred the consensual distinction between viruses and cells due to their size, as well as to their structural and genetic complexity. A dramatic feature revealed by these viruses as well as by many positive-strand RNA viruses is their ability to rapidly form elaborate intracellular organelles, termed “viral factories,” where viral progeny are continuously generated. Here we report the first isolation of viral factories at progressive postinfection time points. The isolated factories were subjected to mass spectrometry-based proteomics, bioinformatics, and imaging analyses. These analyses revealed that numerous viral proteins are present in the factories but not in mature virions, thus implying that multiple and diverse proteins are required to promote the efficiency of viral factories as “production lines” of viral progeny. Moreover, our results highlight the dynamic and highly complex nature of viral factories, provide new and general insights into viral infection, and substantiate the intriguing notion that viral factories may represent the living state of viruses. IMPORTANCE Large dsDNA viruses such as vaccinia virus and the giant mimivirus, as well as many positive-strand RNA viruses, generate elaborate cytoplasmic organelles in which the multiple and diverse transactions required for viral replication and assembly occur. These organelles, which were termed “viral factories,” are attracting much interest due to the increasing realization that the rapid and continuous production of viral progeny is a direct outcome of the elaborate structure and composition of the factories, which act as efficient production lines. To get new insights into the nature and function of viral factories, we devised a method that allows, for the first time, the isolation of these organelles. Analyses of the isolated factories generated at different times postinfection by mass spectrometry-based proteomics provide new perceptions of their role and reveal the highly dynamic nature of these organelles. PMID:27581975

76 FR 77175 - New York Fun Factory Fireworks Display, Western Long Island Sound; Mamaroneck, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-12

...-AA00 New York Fun Factory Fireworks Display, Western Long Island Sound; Mamaroneck, NY AGENCY: Coast... in support of the New York Fun Factory Fireworks display. This action is necessary to provide for the... the Coast Guard to define regulatory safety zones. On May 10, 2012 New York Fun Factory Events is...

Luminescence signal profiling: a new proxy for sedimentologically "invisible" marine Mass Transport Deposits (MTDs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López, Gloria I.; Bialik, Or; Waldmann, Nicolas

2017-04-01

When dealing with fine-grained, organic-rich, colour-monotone, underwater marine sediment cores retrieved from the continental shelf or slope, the initial visual impression, upon split-opening the vessels, is often of a "disappointing" homogeneous, monotonous, continuous archive. Only after thorough, micro- to macro-scale, multi-parameter investigations the sediment reveals its treasures, initially by performing some measurements on the intact core itself, hence depicting for the first time its contents, and subsequently by carrying out the destructive, multi-proxy sample-based analyses. Usually, routine Multi-Sensor Core Logger (MSCL) measurements of petrophysical parameters (e.g. magnetic susceptibility, density, P-Wave velocity) on un-split sediment cores are the first undertaken while still on-board in the field or back at the laboratory. Less often done, but equally valuable, are continuous X-Ray and CT scan imaging of the same intact archives. Upon splitting, routine granulometry, micro- and macro-fossil and invertebrate identification, total organic / inorganic carbon content (TOC / TIC), amid other analyses take place. The geochronology component is also established usually by AMS 14C on selected organic-rich units, and less common is Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating used on the coarser-grained, siliciclastic layers. A relatively new tool used in Luminescence, the Portable OSL Reader, employed to rapidly assess the luminescence signal of untreated poly-mineral samples to assist with targeted field sampling for full OSL dating, was used for the first time in marine sediment cores as a novel petrophysical characterization tool with astonishing results. In this study, two 2 m-long underwater piston sediment cores recovered from 200 m depths on the continental shelf off-southern Israel, were subjected to pulsed-photon stimulation (PPSL) obtaining favourable luminescence signals along their entire lengths. Astoundingly, luminescence signals were obtained on both, already split-opened cores. Both cores depicted the monotonous characteristics of homogeneousness down-core as per most of the results obtained from the non-destructive and destructive tests. One of the cores showed several small higher energy events, including a Mass Transport Deposit (MTD) within its first 10 cm, only fully visible on the CT scan imaging, the PPSL profile and particle size distribution plot. This initial investigation demonstrates the feasibility and usefulness of luminescence profiling as a new sedimentological and petrophysical proxy to better visualize homogeneous yet complex, fine-grained, underwater archives. Moreover, it helps to understand the continuity of the stratigraphy and linearity of deposition of the sediment, besides assisting on the estimation of relative ages provided that good OSL ages are obtained throughout the recovered archive.

Impact of different study populations on reader behavior and performance metrics: initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallas, Brandon D.; Pisano, Etta; Cole, Elodia; Myers, Kyle

2017-03-01

The FDA recently completed a study on design methodologies surrounding the Validation of Imaging Premarket Evaluation and Regulation called VIPER. VIPER consisted of five large reader sub-studies to compare the impact of different study populations on reader behavior as seen by sensitivity, specificity, and AUC, the area under the ROC curve (receiver operating characteristic curve). The study investigated different prevalence levels and two kinds of sampling of non-cancer patients: a screening population and a challenge population. The VIPER study compared full-field digital mammography (FFDM) to screenfilm mammography (SFM) for women with heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts. All cases and corresponding images were sampled from Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) archives. There were 20 readers (American Board Certified radiologists) for each sub-study, and instead of every reader reading every case (fully-crossed study), readers and cases were split into groups to reduce reader workload and the total number of observations (split-plot study). For data collection, readers first decided whether or not they would recall a patient. Following that decision, they provided an ROC score for how close or far that patient was from the recall decision threshold. Performance results for FFDM show that as prevalence increases to 50%, there is a moderate increase in sensitivity and decrease in specificity, whereas AUC is mainly flat. Regarding precision, the statistical efficiency (ratio of variances) of sensitivity and specificity relative to AUC are 0.66 at best and decrease with prevalence. Analyses comparing modalities and the study populations (screening vs. challenge) are still ongoing.

Impact of Different Study Populations on Reader Behavior and Performance Metrics: Initial Results

PubMed Central

Gallas, Brandon D.; Pisano, Etta; Cole, Elodia; Myers, Kyle

2017-01-01

The FDA recently completed a study on design methodologies surrounding the Validation of Imaging Premarket Evaluation and Regulation called VIPER. VIPER consisted of five large reader sub-studies to compare the impact of different study populations on reader behavior as seen by sensitivity, specificity, and AUC, the area under the ROC curve (receiver operating characteristic curve). The study investigated different prevalence levels and two kinds of sampling of non-cancer patients: a screening population and a challenge population. The VIPER study compared full-field digital mammography (FFDM) to screen-film mammography (SFM) for women with heterogeneously dense or extremely dense breasts. All cases and corresponding images were sampled from Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (DMIST) archives. There were 20 readers (American Board Certified radiologists) for each sub-study, and instead of every reader reading every case (fully-crossed study), readers and cases were split into groups to reduce reader workload and the total number of observations (split-plot study). For data collection, readers first decided whether or not they would recall a patient. Following that decision, they provided an ROC score for how close or far that patient was from the recall decision threshold. Performance results for FFDM show that as prevalence increases to 50%, there is a moderate increase in sensitivity and decrease in specificity, whereas AUC is mainly flat. Regarding precision, the statistical efficiency (ratio of variances) of sensitivity and specificity relative to AUC are 0.66 at best and decrease with prevalence. Analyses comparing modalities and the study populations (screening vs. challenge) are still ongoing. PMID:28845078

Analysis on Flexural Strength of A36 Mild Steel by Design of Experiment (DOE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurulhuda, A.; Hafizzal, Y.; Izzuddin, MZM; Sulawati, MRN; Rafidah, A.; Suhaila, Y.; Fauziah, AR

2017-08-01

Nowadays demand for high quality and reliable components and materials are increasing so flexural tests have become vital test method in both the research and manufacturing process and development to explain in details about the material’s ability to withstand deformation under load. Recently, there are lack research studies on the effect of thickness, welding type and joint design on the flexural condition by DOE approach method. Therefore, this research will come out with the flexural strength of mild steel since it is not well documented. By using Design of Experiment (DOE), a full factorial design with two replications has been used to study the effects of important parameters which are welding type, thickness and joint design. The measurement of output response is identified as flexural strength value. Randomize experiments was conducted based on table generated via Minitab software. A normal probability test was carried out using Anderson Darling Test and show that the P-value is <0.005. Thus, the data is not normal since there is significance different between the actual data with the ideal data. Referring to the ANOVA, only factor joint design is significant since the P-value is less than 0.05. From the main plot and interaction plot, the recommended setting for each of parameters were suggested as high level for welding type, high level for thickness and low level for joint design. The prediction model was developed thru regression in order to measure effect of output response for any changes on parameters setting. In the future, the experiments can be enhanced using Taguchi methods in order to do verification of result.

Interactive Effects of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs and Cattle on Shrub Encroachment in a Desert Grassland Ecosystem

PubMed Central

Davidson, Ana; Sierra-Corona, Rodrigo; Ceballos, Gerardo

2016-01-01

The widespread encroachment of woody plants throughout the semi-arid grasslands in North America has largely resulted from overgrazing by domestic livestock, fire suppression, and loss of native large and small mammalian herbivores. Burrowing-herbivorous mammals, such as prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), help control shrub encroachment through clipping of shrubs and consumption of their seedlings, but little is known about how this important ecological role interacts with and may be influenced by co-existing large herbivores, especially domestic livestock. Here, we established a long-term manipulative experiment using a 2 × 2 factorial design to assess the independent and interactive effects of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and cattle (Bos taurus) on honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) abundance and structure. We found that, after five years, mesquite abundance was three to five times greater in plots where prairie dogs were removed compared to plots where they occurred together or alone, respectively. While both prairie dogs and cattle reduced mesquite cover, the effect of prairie dogs on reducing mesquite abundance, cover, and height was significantly greater than that by cattle. Surprisingly, cattle grazing enhanced prairie dog abundance, which, in turn, magnified the effects of prairie dogs on mesquite shrubs. Mesquite canopy cover per hectare was three to five times greater where prairie dogs and cattle were absent compared to where they occurred together or by themselves; whereas, cumulative mesquite height was two times lower on sites where prairie dog and cattle occurred together compared to where they occurred alone or where neither occurred. Data from our experimental study demonstrate that prairie dogs and moderate grazing by cattle can suppress mesquite growth, and, when their populations are properly managed, they may interact synergistically to significantly limit mesquite encroachment in desert grasslands. PMID:27144274

Interactive Effects of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs and Cattle on Shrub Encroachment in a Desert Grassland Ecosystem.

PubMed

Ponce-Guevara, Eduardo; Davidson, Ana; Sierra-Corona, Rodrigo; Ceballos, Gerardo

2016-01-01

The widespread encroachment of woody plants throughout the semi-arid grasslands in North America has largely resulted from overgrazing by domestic livestock, fire suppression, and loss of native large and small mammalian herbivores. Burrowing-herbivorous mammals, such as prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.), help control shrub encroachment through clipping of shrubs and consumption of their seedlings, but little is known about how this important ecological role interacts with and may be influenced by co-existing large herbivores, especially domestic livestock. Here, we established a long-term manipulative experiment using a 2 × 2 factorial design to assess the independent and interactive effects of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and cattle (Bos taurus) on honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) abundance and structure. We found that, after five years, mesquite abundance was three to five times greater in plots where prairie dogs were removed compared to plots where they occurred together or alone, respectively. While both prairie dogs and cattle reduced mesquite cover, the effect of prairie dogs on reducing mesquite abundance, cover, and height was significantly greater than that by cattle. Surprisingly, cattle grazing enhanced prairie dog abundance, which, in turn, magnified the effects of prairie dogs on mesquite shrubs. Mesquite canopy cover per hectare was three to five times greater where prairie dogs and cattle were absent compared to where they occurred together or by themselves; whereas, cumulative mesquite height was two times lower on sites where prairie dog and cattle occurred together compared to where they occurred alone or where neither occurred. Data from our experimental study demonstrate that prairie dogs and moderate grazing by cattle can suppress mesquite growth, and, when their populations are properly managed, they may interact synergistically to significantly limit mesquite encroachment in desert grasslands.

Total organic carbon and humus fractions in restored soils from limestone quarries in semiarid climate, SE Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luna Ramos, Lourdes; Miralles Mellado, Isabel; Ángel Domene Ruiz, Miguel; Solé Benet, Albert

2016-04-01

Mining activities generate erosion and loss of plant cover and soil organic matter (SOM), especially in arid and semiarid Mediterranean regions. A precondition for ecosystem restoration in such highly disturbed areas is the development of functional soils with sufficient organic matter. But the SOM quality is also important to long-term C stabilization. The resistance to biodegradation of recalcitrant organic matter fractions has been reported to depend on some intrinsic structural factors of humic acid substances and formation of amorphous organo-mineral recalcitrant complexes. In an experimental soil restoration in limestone quarries in the Sierra de Gádor (Almería), SE Spain, several combinations of organic amendments (sewage sludge and compost from domestic organic waste) and mulches (gravel and woodchip) were added in experimental plots using a factorial design. In each plot, 75 native plants (Anthyllis cytisoides, A. terniflora and Macrochloa tenacissima) were planted and five years after the start of the experiment total organic carbon (TOC), physico-chemical soil properties and organic C fractions (particulate organic matter, H3PO4-fulvic fraction, fulvic acids (FA), humic acids (HA) and humin) were analyzed. We observed significant differences between treatments related to the TOC content and the HA/FA ratio. Compost amendments increased the TOC, HA content and HA/FA ratio, even higher than in natural undisturbed soils, indicating an effective clay humus-complex pointing to progressively increasing organic matter quality. Soils with sewage sludge showed the lowest TOC and HA/FA ratio and accumulated a lower HA proportion indicating poorer organic matter quality and comparatively lower resilience than in natural soils and soils amended with compost.

Space, myth and cinematography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hambardzumov, Arsen

2016-12-01

There exist both ancient and modern myths. The competition of good and evil, sanctity, mythic hero character, etc. make up those myths. Connection between the myth and literature, art and mainly cinematography is highly essential. Hollywood is a striking example of that connection, in other words "A Dream Factory". The mythic component in American films is obvious. It refers to the product structure which is frequently created by mythic rules. One of its striking examples is D. Lucas's film "Star wars. Episode IV - New Hope" (1977): The film plot is built on the struggle between the good and the evil. On one hand those are the representatives of the Empire with Darth Vader and princess Leia with her devotees on the other. The space has played a unique role for Greek philosophers as well. It was the symbol of perfection and grace. The attempt to approach this perfection, the desire to see the internal similarity besides the external one has been reflected in S. Kubrick's film "2001: Space Odyssey" (1968). Showing the space distance director looks for perfection in us which lies in the harmony of truth, human and nature.

Statistical Optimization of Sustained Release Venlafaxine HCI Wax Matrix Tablet.

PubMed

Bhalekar, M R; Madgulkar, A R; Sheladiya, D D; Kshirsagar, S J; Wable, N D; Desale, S S

2008-01-01

The purpose of this research was to prepare a sustained release drug delivery system of venlafaxine hydrochloride by using a wax matrix system. The effects of bees wax and carnauba wax on drug release profile was investigated. A 3(2) full factorial design was applied to systemically optimize the drug release profile. Amounts of carnauba wax (X(1)) and bees wax (X(2)) were selected as independent variables and release after 12 h and time required for 50% (t(50)) drug release were selected as dependent variables. A mathematical model was generated for each response parameter. Both waxes retarded release after 12 h and increases the t(50) but bees wax showed significant influence. The drug release pattern for all the formulation combinations was found to be approaching Peppas kinetic model. Suitable combination of two waxes provided fairly good regulated release profile. The response surfaces and contour plots for each response parameter are presented for further interpretation of the results. The optimum formulations were chosen and their predicted results found to be in close agreement with experimental findings.

Statistical Optimization of Sustained Release Venlafaxine HCI Wax Matrix Tablet

PubMed Central

Bhalekar, M. R.; Madgulkar, A. R.; Sheladiya, D. D.; Kshirsagar, S. J.; Wable, N. D.; Desale, S. S.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this research was to prepare a sustained release drug delivery system of venlafaxine hydrochloride by using a wax matrix system. The effects of bees wax and carnauba wax on drug release profile was investigated. A 32 full factorial design was applied to systemically optimize the drug release profile. Amounts of carnauba wax (X1) and bees wax (X2) were selected as independent variables and release after 12 h and time required for 50% (t50) drug release were selected as dependent variables. A mathematical model was generated for each response parameter. Both waxes retarded release after 12 h and increases the t50 but bees wax showed significant influence. The drug release pattern for all the formulation combinations was found to be approaching Peppas kinetic model. Suitable combination of two waxes provided fairly good regulated release profile. The response surfaces and contour plots for each response parameter are presented for further interpretation of the results. The optimum formulations were chosen and their predicted results found to be in close agreement with experimental findings. PMID:20046773

Neighborhoods have little effect on fungal attack or insect predation of developing seeds in a grassland biodiversity experiment.

PubMed

Beckman, Noelle G; Dybzinski, Ray; Tilman, G David

2014-02-01

Numerous observational studies have documented conspecific negative density-dependence that is consistent with the Janzen-Connell Hypothesis (JCH) of diversity maintenance. However, there have been few experimental tests of a central prediction of the JCH: that removing host-specific enemies should lead to greater increases in per capita recruitment in areas of higher host density or lower relative phylogenetic diversity. Using spatially randomized plots of high and low host biomass in a temperate grassland biodiversity experiment, we treated developing seedheads of six prairie perennials to factorial applications of fungicide and insecticide. We measured predispersal seed production, seed viability, and seedling biomass. Results were highly species-specific and idiosyncratic. Effects of insect seed predators and fungal pathogens on predispersal responses varied with neither conspecific biomass nor phylogenetic diversity, suggesting that-at least at the predispersal stage and for the insect and fungal seed predators we were able to exclude-the JCH is not sufficient to contribute to negative conspecific density-dependence for these dominant prairie species.

Ecosystem engineering by a colonial mammal: how prairie dogs structure rodent communities.

PubMed

VanNimwegen, Ron E; Kretzer, Justin; Cully, Jack F

2008-12-01

As ecosystem engineers, prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) physically alter their environment, but the mechanism by which these alterations affect associated faunal composition is not well known. We examined how rodent and vegetation communities responded to prairie dog colonies and landcover at the Cimarron National Grassland in southwest Kansas, USA. We trapped rodents and measured vegetation structure on and off colonies in 2000 and 2003. We plotted two separate ordinations of trapping grids: one based on rodent counts and a second based on vegetation variables. We regressed three factors on each ordination: (1) colony (on-colony and off-colony), (2) cover (shortgrass and sandsage), and (3) habitat (factorial cross of colony x cover). Rodent communities differed by colony but not cover. Vegetation differed across both gradients. Rodent responses to habitat reflected those of colony and cover, but vegetation was found to differ across cover only in the sandsage prairie. This interaction suggested that rodent composition responded to prairie dog colonies, but independently of vegetation differences. We conclude that burrowing and soil disturbance are more important than vegetation cropping in structuring rodent communities.

Investigation by response surface methodology of the combined effect of pH and composition of water-methanol mixtures on the stability of curcuminoids.

PubMed

D'Archivio, Angelo Antonio; Maggi, Maria Anna

2017-03-15

Response surface methodology, coupled to a full factorial three-level experimental design, was applied to investigate the combined influence of pH (between 7.0 and 8.6) and composition of methanol-water mixtures (between 30 and 70% v/v of methanol content) on the stability of curcumin and its analogues demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. The response plots revealed that addition of methanol noticeably improved the stability of curcuminoids, this effect being both pH- and structure-dependent. In the central point of the experimental domain, half-life times of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin were 3.8±0.2, 27±2 and 251±17h, respectively. Stability of curcuminoids increased at lower pH and higher methanol content and decreased in the opposite vertex of the experimental domain. These results can be interpreted by assuming that addition of methanol to water produces a different variation of pH of the medium and apparent pKa values of the ionisable groups of curcuminoids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factorial Structure of the New Ecological Paradigm Scale in Two French Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleury-Bahi, Ghozlane; Marcouyeux, Aurore; Renard, Elise; Roussiau, Nicolas

2015-01-01

The principal objective of this research is to test the factorial structure of the New Ecological Paradigm scale on a population of men and women residing in France. The tested model is a second-order factorial model. This factorial structure is evaluated on two separate samples to test the stability of the solution (a first sample of 253…

Do code of conduct audits improve chemical safety in garment factories? Lessons on corporate social responsibility in the supply chain from Fair Wear Foundation.

PubMed

Lindholm, Henrik; Egels-Zandén, Niklas; Rudén, Christina

2016-10-01

In managing chemical risks to the environment and human health in supply chains, voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) measures, such as auditing code of conduct compliance, play an important role. To examine how well suppliers' chemical health and safety performance complies with buyers' CSR policies and whether audited factories improve their performance. CSR audits (n = 288) of garment factories conducted by Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), an independent non-profit organization, were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical modeling. Forty-three per cent of factories did not comply with the FWF code of conduct, i.e. received remarks on chemical safety. Only among factories audited 10 or more times was there a significant increase in the number of factories receiving no remarks. Compliance with chemical safety requirements in garment supply chains is low and auditing is statistically correlated with improvements only at factories that have undergone numerous audits.

Do code of conduct audits improve chemical safety in garment factories? Lessons on corporate social responsibility in the supply chain from Fair Wear Foundation

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background In managing chemical risks to the environment and human health in supply chains, voluntary corporate social responsibility (CSR) measures, such as auditing code of conduct compliance, play an important role. Objectives To examine how well suppliers’ chemical health and safety performance complies with buyers’ CSR policies and whether audited factories improve their performance. Methods CSR audits (n = 288) of garment factories conducted by Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), an independent non-profit organization, were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical modeling. Results Forty-three per cent of factories did not comply with the FWF code of conduct, i.e. received remarks on chemical safety. Only among factories audited 10 or more times was there a significant increase in the number of factories receiving no remarks. Conclusions Compliance with chemical safety requirements in garment supply chains is low and auditing is statistically correlated with improvements only at factories that have undergone numerous audits. PMID:27611103

Effect of factory effluents on physiological and biochemical contents of Gossypium hirsutum l.

PubMed

Muthusamy, A; Jayabalan, N

2001-10-01

The effect of sago and sugar factory effluents was studied on Gossypium hirsutum L. var. MCU 5 and MCU 11. Plants were irrigated with 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% of effluents of both factories. At lower concentration (25%) of sugar factory effluents had stimulatory effect on all biochemical contents observed. Moreover, all concentration of sago factory effluents were found to have inhibitory effect on all biochemical contents except proline content which increased with increasing concentration of both the effluents. Plants growing on adjacent to sago and sugar factories or they irrigated with such type of polluted water, may accumulate the heavy metals found in both the effluents, at higher levels in plant products and if consumed may have similar effect on living organisms.

The International Design Study for the Neutrino Factory

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

Long, K.

2008-02-21

The International Design Study for a future Neutrino Factory and super-beam facility (the ISS) established the physics case for a high-precision programme of long-baseline neutrino-oscillation measurements. The ISS also identified baseline specifications for the Neutrino Factory accelerator complex and the neutrino detector systems. This paper summarises the objectives of the International Design Study for the Neutrino Factory (the IDS-NF). The IDS-NF will build on the work of the ISS to deliver a Reference Design Report for the Neutrino Factory by 2012/13 and an Interim Design Report by 2010/11.

An interactive graphics program for manipulation and display of panel method geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, J. F.; Neuhart, D. H.; Walkley, K. B.

1983-01-01

Modern aerodynamic panel methods that handle large, complex geometries have made evident the need to interactively manipulate, modify, and view such configurations. With this purpose in mind, the GEOM program was developed. It is a menu driven, interactive program that uses the Tektronix PLOT 10 graphics software to display geometry configurations which are characterized by an abutting set of networks. These networks are composed of quadrilateral panels which are described by the coordinates of their corners. GEOM is divided into fourteen executive controlled functions. These functions are used to build configurations, scale and rotate networks, transpose networks defining M and N lines, graphically display selected networks, join and split networks, create wake networks, produce symmetric images of networks, repanel and rename networks, display configuration cross sections, and output network geometry in two formats. A data base management system is used to facilitate data transfers in this program. A sample session illustrating various capabilities of the code is included as a guide to program operation.

One-step electrochemical deposition of Schiff base cobalt complex as effective water oxidation catalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Binbin; Wang, Yan; Zhan, Shuzhong; Ye, Jianshan

2017-02-01

Schiff base metal complexes have been applied in many fields, especially, a potential homogeneous catalyst for water splitting. However, the high overpotential, time consumed synthesis process and complicated working condition largely limit their application. In the present work, a one-step approach to fabricate Schiff base cobalt complex modified electrode is developed. Microrod clusters (MRC) and rough spherical particles (RSP) can be obtained on the ITO electrode through different electrochemical deposition condition. Both of the MRC and RSP present favorable activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) compared to the commercial Co3O4, taking an overpotential of 650 mV and 450 mV to drive appreciable catalytic current respectively. The highly active and stable RSP shows a Tafel plot of 84 mV dec-1 and negligible decrease of the current density for 12 h bulk electrolysis. The synthesis strategy of effective and stable catalyst in this work provide a simple method to fabricate heterogeneous OER catalyst with Schiff base metal complex.

The potential of turmeric (Curcuma xanthorrhiza) in agroforestry system based on silk tree (Albizia chinensis)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purnomo, D.; Budiastuti, M. S.; Sakya, A. T.; Cholid, M. I.

2018-03-01

Turmeric (Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.) is a traditional medicinal plant. In Indonesia, it is generally cultivated in village home gardens. Famers conducted very simpple cultivation method of turmeric, without specific maintenance and below varies tree. The experiment was conducted by cultivating turmeric below silk trees as in agroforetry system. The experiment was arranged split plot design, the first factor was three level of irradiation (turmeric monoculture/full irradiation, turmeric below silktree with pruning canopy, and turmeric below silk tree no pruning). The second factor was fertilizer NPK 15-15-15 with three levels of doses (100, 150, and 200 kg ha-1). Cultivating turmeric in agroforestry system based on silk tree which were one year old and not yet needed pruning, application of NPK 15-15-15 fertilizer 100 kg ha-1 was enough. The rhizome yield of turmeric 3 months age reaches 139 g per plant (fresh weight). Litter fall from a silk tree one year old in one year is 30 kg per tree per year.

Some factors affecting tannase production by Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem

PubMed Central

Aboubakr, Hamada A.; El-Sahn, Malak A.; El-Banna, Amr A.

2013-01-01

One variable at a time procedure was used to evaluate the effect of qualitative variables on the production of tannase from Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem. These variables including: fermentation technique, agitation condition, tannins source, adding carbohydrates incorporation with tannic acid, nitrogen source type and divalent cations. Submerged fermentation under intermittent shaking gave the highest total tannase activity. Maximum extracellular tannase activity (305 units/50 mL) was attained in medium containing tannic acid as tannins source and sodium nitrate as nitrogen source at 30 °C for 96 h. All added carbohydrates showed significant adverse effects on the production of tannase. All tested divalent cations significantly decreased tannase production. Moreover, split plot design was carried out to study the effect of fermentation temperature and fermentation time on tannase production. The results indicated maximum tannase production (312.7 units/50 mL) at 35 °C for 96 h. In other words, increasing fermentation temperature from 30 °C to 35 °C resulted in increasing tannase production. PMID:24294255

The role of immigrants in the assembly of the South American rainforest tree flora.

PubMed Central

Pennington, R Toby; Dick, Christopher W

2004-01-01

The Amazon lowland rainforest flora is conventionally viewed as comprising lineages that evolved in biogeographic isolation after the split of west Gondwana (ca. 100 Myr ago). Recent molecular phylogenies, however, identify immigrant lineages that arrived in South America during its period of oceanic isolation (ca. 100-3 Myr ago). Long-distance sweepstakes dispersal across oceans played an important and possibly predominant role. Stepping-stone migration from Africa and North America through hypothesized Late Cretaceous and Tertiary island chains may have facilitated immigration. An analysis of inventory plot data suggests that immigrant lineages comprise ca. 20% of both the species and individuals of an Amazon tree community in Ecuador. This is more than an order of magnitude higher than previous estimates. We also present data on the community-level similarity between South American and palaeotropical rainforests, and suggest that most taxonomic similarity derives from trans-oceanic dispersal, rather than a shared Gondwanan history. PMID:15519976

The effect of modified potato flour substitution on the organoleptics characteristics of toddler biscuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cakrawati, Dewi; Rahmawati, Puji

2016-04-01

Toddler biscuit is complementary food given to infants to help meet their nutritional needs. This research was undertaken to develop toddler biscuit with subtitution of physically modified potato flour. There were two puposes of the research, first to know the characteristics of physically modification on potato flour; secondly to know biscuit characteristics with modified potato flour substitution. There were two factor analysis in the development of biscuit; first factor was pre heating mehods and substitution rate. The research was conducted with experimental method using split plot design. The functional properties on modified potato flour as swelling capacity, water absorption capacity, solubility and viscocity were analyzed. Organoleptic analysis using quality hedonic test showed no interaction between potato starch modification and concentration of modified potato flour. Quality hedonic test showed all toddler biscuit socred in the range of “slightly like” to “like moderately”. Modifying potato starch by boiling and steaming with flour concentration of 30% producing toddler biscuit with organoleptic characteristics acceptable according to the panelists.

Cool Stars May Have Different Prebiotic Chemical Mix

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope detected a prebiotic, or potentially life-forming, molecule called hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in the planet-forming disks around yellow stars like our sun, but not in the disks around cooler, reddish stars.

The observations are plotted in this graph, called a spectrum, in which light from the gas in the disks around the stars has been split up into its basic components, or wavelengths. Data from stars like our sun are yellow, and data from cool stars are orange. Light wavelengths are shown on the X-axis, and the relative brightness of disk emission is shown on the Y-axis. The signature of a baseline molecule, called acetylene (C₂H₂), was seen for both types of stars, but hydrogen cyanide was seen only around stars like our sun.

Hydrogen cyanide is an organic, nitrogen-containing molecule. Five hydrogen cyanide molecules can link up to form adenine, one of the four chemical bases of DNA.

Some factors affecting tannase production by Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem.

PubMed

Aboubakr, Hamada A; El-Sahn, Malak A; El-Banna, Amr A

2013-01-01

One variable at a time procedure was used to evaluate the effect of qualitative variables on the production of tannase from Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem. These variables including: fermentation technique, agitation condition, tannins source, adding carbohydrates incorporation with tannic acid, nitrogen source type and divalent cations. Submerged fermentation under intermittent shaking gave the highest total tannase activity. Maximum extracellular tannase activity (305 units/50 mL) was attained in medium containing tannic acid as tannins source and sodium nitrate as nitrogen source at 30 °C for 96 h. All added carbohydrates showed significant adverse effects on the production of tannase. All tested divalent cations significantly decreased tannase production. Moreover, split plot design was carried out to study the effect of fermentation temperature and fermentation time on tannase production. The results indicated maximum tannase production (312.7 units/50 mL) at 35 °C for 96 h. In other words, increasing fermentation temperature from 30 °C to 35 °C resulted in increasing tannase production.

Two Rounds of Whole Genome Duplication in the Ancestral Vertebrate

PubMed Central

Dehal, Paramvir; Boore, Jeffrey L

2005-01-01

The hypothesis that the relatively large and complex vertebrate genome was created by two ancient, whole genome duplications has been hotly debated, but remains unresolved. We reconstructed the evolutionary relationships of all gene families from the complete gene sets of a tunicate, fish, mouse, and human, and then determined when each gene duplicated relative to the evolutionary tree of the organisms. We confirmed the results of earlier studies that there remains little signal of these events in numbers of duplicated genes, gene tree topology, or the number of genes per multigene family. However, when we plotted the genomic map positions of only the subset of paralogous genes that were duplicated prior to the fish–tetrapod split, their global physical organization provides unmistakable evidence of two distinct genome duplication events early in vertebrate evolution indicated by clear patterns of four-way paralogous regions covering a large part of the human genome. Our results highlight the potential for these large-scale genomic events to have driven the evolutionary success of the vertebrate lineage. PMID:16128622

Comparison of consumer perception and acceptability for steaks cooked to different endpoints: validation of photographic approach.

PubMed

Chan, Sheung-Hang; Moss, Bruce W; Farmer, Linda J; Gordon, Alan; Cuskelly, Geraldine J

2013-02-15

Photographs have been used to enhance consumer reporting of preference of meat doneness, however, the use of photographs has not been validated for this purpose. This study used standard cooking methods to produce steaks of five different degrees of doneness (rare medium, medium well, well done and very well done) to study the consumer's perception of doneness, from both the external and internal surface of the cooked steak and also from corresponding photographs of each sample. Consumers evaluated each surface of the cooked steaks in relation to doneness for acceptability, 'just about right' and perception of doneness. Data were analysed using a split plot ANOVA and least significant test. Perception scores (for both external and internal surfaces) between different presentation methods (steak samples and corresponding photos), were not significantly different (p>0.05). The result indicates that photographs can be used as a valid approach for assessing preference for meat doneness. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrated data-analysis and database system for AMS 14C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kjeldsen, Henrik; Olsen, Jesper; Heinemeier, Jan

2010-04-01

AMSdata is the name of a combined database and data-analysis system for AMS 14C and stable-isotope work that has been developed at Aarhus University. The system (1) contains routines for data analysis of AMS and MS data, (2) allows a flexible and accurate description of sample extraction and pretreatment, also when samples are split into several fractions, and (3) keeps track of all measured, calculated and attributed data. The structure of the database is flexible and allows an unlimited number of measurement and pretreatment procedures. The AMS 14C data analysis routine is fairly advanced and flexible, and it can be easily optimized for different kinds of measuring processes. Technically, the system is based on a Microsoft SQL server and includes stored SQL procedures for the data analysis. Microsoft Office Access is used for the (graphical) user interface, and in addition Excel, Word and Origin are exploited for input and output of data, e.g. for plotting data during data analysis.

19 CFR Appendix to Part 102 - Textile and Apparel Manufacturer Identification

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... factories in Macau start with the same words, “Fabrica de Artigos de Vestuario,” which means “Factory of Clothing.” For a factory named “Fabrica de Artigos de Vestuario JUMP HIGH Ltd,” the portion of the factory...; VE20TCEN5880CAR Fabrica de Artigos de Vestuario TOP JOB, Grand River Building, FI 2-4, Macau; MOTOPJOB24MAC THE...

19 CFR Appendix to Part 102 - Textile and Apparel Manufacturer Identification

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... factories in Macau start with the same words, “Fabrica de Artigos de Vestuario,” which means “Factory of Clothing.” For a factory named “Fabrica de Artigos de Vestuario JUMP HIGH Ltd,” the portion of the factory...; VE20TCEN5880CAR Fabrica de Artigos de Vestuario TOP JOB, Grand River Building, FI 2-4, Macau; MOTOPJOB24MAC THE...

Bulgar Factories (Trading Posts) in the Kama River Area as a Factor of Adjustment to Feudalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krylasova, Natalia B.; Belavin, Andrei M.; Podosenova, Yulia A.

2016-01-01

At the start of the 2nd ML AD a number of trading posts, or factories, emerged in the Cis-Ural region with participation of Bulgar handicraftsmen and merchants. They were townships populated by various ethnic groups. Several centuries later similar factories were set up by natives of the Cis-Ural region in Western Siberia. These factories have…

Analysis of replication factories in human cells by super-resolution light microscopy

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background DNA replication in human cells is performed in discrete sub-nuclear locations known as replication foci or factories. These factories form in the nucleus during S phase and are sites of DNA synthesis and high local concentrations of enzymes required for chromatin replication. Why these structures are required, and how they are organised internally has yet to be identified. It has been difficult to analyse the structure of these factories as they are small in size and thus below the resolution limit of the standard confocal microscope. We have used stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, which improves on the resolving power of the confocal microscope, to probe the structure of these factories at sub-diffraction limit resolution. Results Using immunofluorescent imaging of PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) and RPA (replication protein A) we show that factories are smaller in size (approximately 150 nm diameter), and greater in number (up to 1400 in an early S- phase nucleus), than is determined by confocal imaging. The replication inhibitor hydroxyurea caused an approximately 40% reduction in number and a 30% increase in diameter of replication factories, changes that were not clearly identified by standard confocal imaging. Conclusions These measurements for replication factory size now approach the dimensions suggested by electron microscopy. This agreement between these two methods, that use very different sample preparation and imaging conditions, suggests that we have arrived at a true measurement for the size of these structures. The number of individual factories present in a single nucleus that we measure using this system is greater than has been previously reported. This analysis therefore suggests that each replication factory contains fewer active replication forks than previously envisaged. PMID:20015367

Rapid prototyping 3D virtual world interfaces within a virtual factory environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kosta, Charles Paul; Krolak, Patrick D.

1993-01-01

On-going work into user requirements analysis using CLIPS (NASA/JSC) expert systems as an intelligent event simulator has led to research into three-dimensional (3D) interfaces. Previous work involved CLIPS and two-dimensional (2D) models. Integral to this work was the development of the University of Massachusetts Lowell parallel version of CLIPS, called PCLIPS. This allowed us to create both a Software Bus and a group problem-solving environment for expert systems development. By shifting the PCLIPS paradigm to use the VEOS messaging protocol we have merged VEOS (HlTL/Seattle) and CLIPS into a distributed virtual worlds prototyping environment (VCLIPS). VCLIPS uses the VEOS protocol layer to allow multiple experts to cooperate on a single problem. We have begun to look at the control of a virtual factory. In the virtual factory there are actors and objects as found in our Lincoln Logs Factory of the Future project. In this artificial reality architecture there are three VCLIPS entities in action. One entity is responsible for display and user events in the 3D virtual world. Another is responsible for either simulating the virtual factory or communicating with the real factory. The third is a user interface expert. The interface expert maps user input levels, within the current prototype, to control information for the factory. The interface to the virtual factory is based on a camera paradigm. The graphics subsystem generates camera views of the factory on standard X-Window displays. The camera allows for view control and object control. Control or the factory is accomplished by the user reaching into the camera views to perform object interactions. All communication between the separate CLIPS expert systems is done through VEOS.

Optimization of Nitrogen Rate and Planting Density for Improving Yield, Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Lodging Resistance in Oilseed Rape

PubMed Central

Khan, Shahbaz; Anwar, Sumera; Kuai, Jie; Ullah, Sana; Fahad, Shah; Zhou, Guangsheng

2017-01-01

Yield and lodging related traits are essential for improving rapeseed production. The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of plant density (D) and nitrogen (N) rates on morphological and physiological traits related to yield and lodging in rapeseed. We evaluated Huayouza 9 for two consecutive growing seasons (2014–2016) under three plant densities (LD, 10 plants m−2; MD, 30 plants m−2; HD, 60 plants m−2) and four N rates (0, 60, 120, and 180 kg ha−1). Experiment was laid out in split plot design using density as a main factor and N as sub-plot factor with three replications each. Seed yield was increased by increasing density and N rate, reaching a peak at HD with 180 kg N ha−1. The effect of N rate was consistently positive in increasing the plant height, pod area index, 1,000 seed weight, shoot and root dry weights, and root neck diameter, reaching a peak at 180 kg N ha−1. Plant height was decreased by increasing D, whereas the maximum radiation interception (~80%) and net photosynthetic rate were recorded at MD at highest N. Lodging resistance and nitrogen use efficiency significantly increased with increasing D from 10 to 30 plants m−2, and N rate up to 120 kg ha−1, further increase of D and N decreased lodging resistance and NUE. Hence, our study implies that planting density 30 plants m−2 can improve yield, nitrogen use efficiency, and enhance lodging resistance by improving crop canopy. PMID:28536581

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index as a Tool for Wheat Yield Estimation: A Case Study from Faisalabad, Pakistan

PubMed Central

Sultana, Syeda Refat; Ali, Amjed; Ahmad, Ashfaq; Mubeen, Muhammad; Zia-Ul-Haq, M.; Ahmad, Shakeel; Ercisli, Sezai; Jaafar, Hawa Z. E.

2014-01-01

For estimation of grain yield in wheat, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is considered as a potential screening tool. Field experiments were conducted to scrutinize the response of NDVI to yield behavior of different wheat cultivars and nitrogen fertilization at agronomic research area, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) during the two years 2008-09 and 2009-10. For recording the value of NDVI, Green seeker (Handheld-505) was used. Split plot design was used as experimental model in, keeping four nitrogen rates (N1 = 0 kg ha−1, N2 = 55 kg ha−1, N3 = 110 kg ha−1, and N4 = 220 kg ha−1) in main plots and ten wheat cultivars (Bakkhar-2001, Chakwal-50, Chakwal-97, Faisalabad-2008, GA-2002, Inqlab-91, Lasani-2008, Miraj-2008, Sahar-2006, and Shafaq-2006) in subplots with four replications. Impact of nitrogen and difference between cultivars were forecasted through NDVI. The results suggested that nitrogen treatment N4 (220 kg ha−1) and cultivar Faisalabad-2008 gave maximum NDVI value (0.85) at grain filling stage among all treatments. The correlation among NDVI at booting, grain filling, and maturity stages with grain yield was positive (R 2 = 0.90; R 2 = 0.90; R 2 = 0.95), respectively. So, booting, grain filling, and maturity can be good depictive stages during mid and later growth stages of wheat crop under agroclimatic conditions of Faisalabad and under similar other wheat growing environments in the country. PMID:25045744

Interactions of C+(2PJ) with rare gas atoms: incipient chemical interactions, potentials and transport coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuttle, William D.; Thorington, Rebecca L.; Viehland, Larry A.; Breckenridge, W. H.; Wright, Timothy G.

2018-03-01

Accurate interatomic potentials were calculated for the interaction of a singly charged carbon cation, C+, with a single rare gas atom, RG (RG = Ne-Xe). The RCCSD(T) method and basis sets of quadruple-ζ and quintuple-ζ quality were employed; each interaction energy was counterpoise corrected and extrapolated to the basis set limit. The lowest C+(2P) electronic term of the carbon cation was considered, and the interatomic potentials calculated for the diatomic terms that arise from these: 2Π and 2Σ+. Additionally, the interatomic potentials for the respective spin-orbit levels were calculated, and the effect on the spectroscopic parameters was examined. In doing this, anomalously large spin-orbit splittings for RG = Ar-Xe were found, and this was investigated using multi-reference configuration interaction calculations. The latter indicated a small amount of RG → C+ electron transfer and this was used to rationalize the observations. This is taken as evidence of an incipient chemical interaction, which was also examined via contour plots, Birge-Sponer plots and various population analyses across the C+-RG series (RG = He-Xe), with the latter showing unexpected results. Trends in several spectroscopic parameters were examined as a function of the increasing atomic number of the RG atom. Finally, each set of RCCSD(T) potentials was employed, including spin-orbit coupling to calculate the transport coefficients for C+ in RG, and the results were compared with the limited available data. This article is part of the theme issue `Modern theoretical chemistry'.

Design and implementation of the protective cap/biobarrier experiment at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

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

Limbach, W.E.; Ratzlaff, T.D.; Anderson, J.E.

1994-12-31

The Protective Cap/Biobarrier Experiment (PCBE), initiated in 1993 at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), is a strip-split plot experiment with three replications designed to rigorously test a 2.0-m loessal soil cap against a cap recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency and two caps with biological intrusion barriers. Past research at INEL indicates that it should be possible to exclude water from buried wastes using natural materials and natural processes in arid environments rather than expensive materials (geotextiles) and highly engineered caps. The PCBE will also test the effects of two vegetal covers and three irrigation levels on capmore » performance. Drainage pans, located at the bottom of each plot, will monitor cap failure. Soil water profiles will be monitored biweekly by neutron probe and continuously by time domain reflectometry. The performance of each cap design will be monitored under a variety of conditions through 1998. From 1994 to 1996, the authors will assess plant establishment, rooting depths, patterns of moisture extraction and their interactions among caps, vegetal covers, and irrigation levels. In 1996, they will introduce ants and burrowing mammals to test the structural integrity of each cap design. In 1998, the authors will apply sufficient water to determine the failure limit for each cap design. The PCBE should provide reliable knowledge of the performances of the four cap designs under a variety of conditions and aid in making hazardous-waste management decisions at INEL and at disposal sites in similar environments.« less

A New Approach of Personality and Psychiatric Disorders: A Short Version of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales

PubMed Central

Pingault, Jean-Baptiste; Falissard, Bruno; Côté, Sylvana; Berthoz, Sylvie

2012-01-01

Background The Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS) is an instrument designed to assess endophenotypes related to activity in the core emotional systems that have emerged from affective neuroscience research. It operationalizes six emotional endophenotypes with empirical evidence derived from ethology, neural analyses and pharmacology: PLAYFULNESS/joy, SEEKING/interest, CARING/nurturance, ANGER/rage, FEAR/anxiety, and SADNESS/separation distress. We aimed to provide a short version of this questionnaire (ANPS-S). Methodology/Principal Findings We used a sample of 830 young French adults which was randomly split into two subsamples. The first subsample was used to select the items for the short scales. The second subsample and an additional sample of 431 Canadian adults served to evaluate the psychometric properties of the short instrument. The ANPS-S was similar to the long version regarding intercorrelations between the scales and gender differences. The ANPS-S had satisfactory psychometric properties, including factorial structure, unidimensionality of all scales, and internal consistency. The scores from the short version were highly correlated with the scores from the long version. Conclusions/Significance The short ANPS proves to be a promising instrument to assess endophenotypes for psychiatrically relevant science. PMID:22848510

Categorisation of built environment characteristics: the trouble with tertiles.

PubMed

Lamb, Karen E; White, Simon R

2015-02-15

In the analysis of the effect of built environment features on health, it is common for researchers to categorise built environment exposure variables based on arbitrary percentile cut-points, such as median or tertile splits. This arbitrary categorisation leads to a loss of information and a lack of comparability between studies since the choice of cut-point is based on the sample distribution. In this paper, we highlight the various drawbacks of adopting percentile categorisation of exposure variables. Using data from the SocioEconomic Status and Activity in Women (SESAW) study from Melbourne, Australia, we highlight alternative approaches which may be used instead of percentile categorisation in order to assess built environment effects on health. We discuss these approaches using an example which examines the association between the number of accessible supermarkets and body mass index. We show that alternative approaches to percentile categorisation, such as transformations of the exposure variable or factorial polynomials, can be implemented easily using standard statistical software packages. These procedures utilise all of the available information available in the data, avoiding a loss of power as experienced when categorisation is adopted.We argue that researchers should retain all available information by using the continuous exposure, adopting transformations where necessary.

Educational intervention for reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders and promoting productivity.

PubMed

Abareshi, Fatemeh; Yarahmadi, Rasoul; Solhi, Mahnaz; Farshad, Ali Asghar

2015-01-01

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are the main causes of pain, suffering, absenteeism, disability and reduction in productivity. This research aims to determine the role of training intervention based on protection motivation theory in reducing WMSDs and promoting productivity. The conducted study was based on a quasi-experimental design (control) that was carried out on 158 employees of the Kabl Khodro factory which were divided into two groups of 79 people. After splitting the 158 workers, an experimental and control group was formed. The data collection instruments were made up of two questionnaires and were analysed using a quick exposure check (QEC) method. Before intervention in both the experimental and control groups, there were no significant differences among the average protection motivation theory constructs, productivity and QEC scores (p < 0.05). However, following training intervention there was a significant increase in these factors within the investigated group apart from the perceived response costs and efficacy. The conducted study shows that ergonomic training based on the protection motivation theory is effective in reducing musculoskeletal risk factors and that increased knowledge of the subject can lead to an increase in productivity.

Dental caries experience in high risk soft drinks factory workers of South India: a comparative study.

PubMed

Kumar, Sandeep; Acharya, Shashidhar; Vasthare, Ramprasad; Singh, Siddharth Kumar; Gupta, Anjali; Debnath, Nitai

2014-01-01

The consumption of soft-drinks has been associated with dental caries development. The aim was to evaluate dental caries experience amongst the workers working in soft-drink industries located in South India and compare it with other factory workers. To evaluate the validity of specific caries index (SCI), which is newer index for caries diagnosis. This was a cross-sectional study carried out among 420 workers (210 in soft-drinks factory and 210 in other factories), in the age group of 20-45 years of Udupi district, Karnataka, India. Index used for clinical examination was decayed, missing, filled surfaces (DMFS) index and SCI. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of decayed surface (5.8 ± 1.8), missing surface (4.3 ± 2) and filled surface (1.94 ± 1.95) and total DMFS score (12.11 ± 3.8) in soft-drinks factory workers were found to be significantly higher than the other factory workers. The total SCI score (mean and SD) was found to be significantly higher in soft-drinks factory workers (5.83 ± 1.80) compared with other factory workers (4.56 ± 1.45). There was a high correlation obtained between SCI score and DMFS score. The regression equation given by DMFS = 1.178 + 1.866 (SCI scores). The caries experience was higher in workers working in soft-drinks factory and this study also showed that specific caries index can be used as a valid index for assessing dental caries experience.

The Role of Spatial Analysis in Detecting the Consequence of the Factory Sites : Case Study of Assalaya Factory-Sudan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khair, Amar Sharaf Eldin; Purwanto; RyaSunoko, Henna; Abdullah, Omer Adam

2018-02-01

Spatial analysis is considered as one of the most important science for identifying the most appropriate site for industrialization and also to alleviate the environmental ramifications caused by factories. This study aims at analyzing the Assalaya sugarcane factory site by the use of spatial analysis to determine whether it has ramification on the White Nile River. The methodology employed for this study is Global Position System (GPS) to identify the coordinate system of the study phenomena and other relative factors. The study will also make use Geographical Information System (GIS) to implement the spatial analysis. Satellite data (LandsatDem-Digital Elevation Model) will be considered for the study area and factory in identifying the consequences by analyzing the location of the factory through several features such as hydrological, contour line and geological analysis. Data analysis reveals that the factory site is inappropriate and according to observation on the ground it has consequences on the White Nile River. Based on the finding, the study recommended some suggestions to avoid the aftermath of any factory in general. We have to take advantage of this new technological method to aid in selecting most apt locations for industries that will create an ambient environment.

Factorial Experiments: Efficient Tools for Evaluation of Intervention Components

PubMed Central

Collins, Linda M.; Dziak, John J.; Kugler, Kari C.; Trail, Jessica B.

2014-01-01

Background An understanding of the individual and combined effects of a set of intervention components is important for moving the science of preventive medicine interventions forward. This understanding can often be achieved in an efficient and economical way via a factorial experiment, in which two or more independent variables are manipulated. The factorial experiment is a complement to the randomized controlled trial (RCT); the two designs address different research questions. Purpose This article offers an introduction to factorial experiments aimed at investigators trained primarily in the RCT. Method The factorial experiment is compared and contrasted with other experimental designs used commonly in intervention science to highlight where each is most efficient and appropriate. Results Several points are made: factorial experiments make very efficient use of experimental subjects when the data are properly analyzed; a factorial experiment can have excellent statistical power even if it has relatively few subjects per experimental condition; and when conducting research to select components for inclusion in a multicomponent intervention, interactions should be studied rather than avoided. Conclusions Investigators in preventive medicine and related areas should begin considering factorial experiments alongside other approaches. Experimental designs should be chosen from a resource management perspective, which states that the best experimental design is the one that provides the greatest scientific benefit without exceeding available resources. PMID:25092122

Supernova Dust Factory in M74

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-06-09

Astronomers using NASA Spitzer Space Telescope have spotted a dust factory 30 million light-years away in the spiral galaxy M74. The factory is located at the scene of a massive star explosive death, or supernova.

Baby Factories in Nigeria: Starting the Discussion Toward a National Prevention Policy.

PubMed

Makinde, Olusesan Ayodeji; Olaleye, Olalekan; Makinde, Olufunmbi Olukemi; Huntley, Svetlana S; Brown, Brandon

2017-01-01

Baby factories and baby harvesting are relatively new terms that involve breeding, trafficking, and abuse of infants and their biological mothers. Since it was first described in a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization report in Nigeria in 2006, several more baby factories have been discovered over the years. Infertile women are noted to be major patrons of these baby factories due to the stigmatization of childless couples in Southern Nigeria and issues around cultural acceptability of surrogacy and adoption. These practices have contributed to the growth in the industry which results in physical, psychological, and sexual violence to the victims. Tackling baby factories will involve a multifaceted approach that includes advocacy and enacting of legislation barring baby factories and infant trafficking and harsh consequences for their patrons. Also, programs to educate young girls on preventing unwanted pregnancies are needed. Methods of improving awareness and acceptability of adoption and surrogacy and reducing the administrative and legal bottlenecks associated with these options for infertile couples should be explored to diminish the importance of baby factories. © The Author(s) 2015.

A practical limit to trials needed in one-person randomized controlled experiments.

PubMed

Alemi, Roshan; Alemi, Farrokh

2007-01-01

Recently in this journal, J. Olsson and colleagues suggested the use of factorial experimental designs to guide a patient's efforts to choose among multiple interventions. These authors argue that factorial design, where every possible combination of the interventions is tried, is superior to sequential trial and errors. Factorial design is efficient in identifying the effectiveness of interventions (factor effect). Most patients care only about feeling better and not why their conditions are improving. If the goal of the patient is to get better and not to estimate the factor effect, then no control groups are needed. In this article, we show a modification in the factorial design of experiments proposed by Olsson and colleagues where a full-factorial design is planned, but experimentation is stopped when the patient's condition improves. With this modification, the number of trials is radically fewer than those needed by factorial design. For example, a patient trying out 4 different interventions with a median probability of success of .50 is expected to need 2 trials before stopping the experimentation in comparison with 32 in a full-factorial design.

Precision-feeding dairy heifers a high rumen-undegradable protein diet with different proportions of dietary fiber and forage-to-concentrate ratios.

PubMed

Koch, L E; Gomez, N A; Bowyer, A; Lascano, G J

2017-12-01

The addition of dietary fiber can alter nutrient and N utilization in precision-fed dairy heifers and may further benefit from higher inclusion levels of RUP. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of feeding a high-RUP diet when dietary fiber content was manipulated within differing forage-to-concentrate ratios (F:C) on nutrient utilization of precision-fed dairy heifers. Six rumen-cannulated Holstein heifers (555.4 ± 31.4 kg BW; 17.4 ± 0.1 mo) were randomly assigned to 2 levels of forage, high forage (HF; 60% forage) or low forage (LF; 45% forage), and to a fiber proportion sequence (low fiber: 100% oat hay and silage [OA], 0% wheat straw [WS]; medium fiber: 83.4% OA, 16.6% WS; and high fiber: 66.7% OA, 33.3% WS) administered according to a split-plot 3 × 3 Latin square design (21-d periods). Similar levels of N intake (1.70 g N/kg BW) and RUP (55% of CP) were provided. Data were analyzed as a split-plot, 3 × 3 Latin square design using a mixed model with fixed effects of period and treatment. A repeated measures model was used with data that had multiple measurements over time. No differences were observed for DM, OM, NDF, or ADF apparent digestibility coefficients (dC) between HF- and LF-fed heifers. Heifers receiving LF diets had greater starch dC compared to HF heifers. Increasing the fiber level through WS addition resulted in a linear reduction of OM dC. There was a linear interaction for DM dC with a concurrent linear interaction in NDF dC. Nitrogen intake, dC, and retention did not differ; however, urine and total N excretion increased linearly with added fiber. Predicted microbial CP flow (MP) linearly decreased with WS inclusion mainly in LF heifers, as indicated by a significant interaction between F:C and WS. Rumen pH linearly increased with WS addition, although no F:C effect was detected. Ruminal ammonia concentration had an opposite linear effect with respect to MP as WS increased. Diets with the higher proportion of fiber benefited the most from a high RUP supply, complementing the substantial reduction in predicted MP caused by the incremental dietary fiber concentration. These results suggest that RUP supplementation is a practical method for reestablishing optimal ruminal N balance in the event of increased dietary fiber through forage inclusion in precision-fed dairy heifer diets.

1. GENERAL VIEW OF COMPLEX, SHOWING FACTORY BUILDING IN LEFT ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. GENERAL VIEW OF COMPLEX, SHOWING FACTORY BUILDING IN LEFT FOREGROUND, GRINDING PLATFORM AT REAR OF FACTORY, AND STABLE AREA AND OVERSEER'S HOUSE TO RIGHT - Caneel Bay Plantation, General Views, Cruz Bay, St. John, VI

Survey of Nitrate Ion Concentrations in Vegetables Cultivated in Plant Factories: Comparison with Open-Culture Vegetables.

PubMed

Oka, Yuka; Hirayama, Izumi; Yoshikawa, Mitsuhide; Yokoyama, Tomoko; Iida, Kenji; Iwakoshi, Katsushi; Suzuki, Ayana; Yanagihara, Midori; Segawa, Yukino; Kukimoto, Sonomi; Hamada, Humika; Matsuzawa, Satomi; Tabata, Setsuko; Sasamoto, Takeo

2017-01-01

A survey of nitrate-ion concentrations in plant-factory-cultured leafy vegetables was conducted. 344 samples of twenty-one varieties of raw leafy vegetables were examined using HPLC. The nitrate-ion concentrations in plant-factory-cultured leafy vegetables were found to be LOD-6,800 mg/kg. Furthermore, the average concentration values varied among different leafy vegetables. The average values for plant-factory-cultured leafy vegetables were higher than those of open-cultured leafy vegetables reported in previous studies, such as the values listed in the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan- 2015 - (Seventh revised edition). For some plant-factory-cultured leafy vegetables, such as salad spinach, the average values were above the maximum permissible levels of nitrate concentration in EC No 1258/2011; however, even when these plant-factory-cultured vegetables were routinely eaten, the intake of nitrate ions in humans did not exceed the ADI.

Expression in Escherichia coli, refolding and crystallization of Aspergillus niger feruloyl esterase A using a serial factorial approach.

PubMed

Benoit, Isabelle; Coutard, Bruno; Oubelaid, Rachid; Asther, Marcel; Bignon, Christophe

2007-09-01

Hydrolysis of plant biomass is achieved by the combined action of enzymes secreted by microorganisms and directed against the backbone and the side chains of plant cell wall polysaccharides. Among side chains degrading enzymes, the feruloyl esterase A (FAEA) specifically removes feruloyl residues. Thus, FAEA has potential applications in a wide range of industrial processes such as paper bleaching or bio-ethanol production. To gain insight into FAEA hydrolysis activity, we solved its crystal structure. In this paper, we report how the use of four consecutive factorial approaches (two incomplete factorials, one sparse matrix, and one full factorial) allowed expressing in Escherichia coli, refolding and then crystallizing Aspergillus niger FAEA in 6 weeks. Culture conditions providing the highest expression level were determined using an incomplete factorial approach made of 12 combinations of four E. coli strains, three culture media and three temperatures (full factorial: 36 combinations). Aspergillus niger FAEA was expressed in the form of inclusion bodies. These were dissolved using a chaotropic agent, and the protein was purified by affinity chromatography on Ni column under denaturing conditions. A suitable buffer for refolding the protein eluted from the Ni column was found using a second incomplete factorial approach made of 96 buffers (full factorial: 3840 combinations). After refolding, the enzyme was further purified by gel filtration, and then crystallized following a standard protocol: initial crystallization conditions were found using commercial crystallization screens based on a sparse matrix. Crystals were then optimized using a full factorial screen.

Psychometric properties of the Farsi version of effort-reward imbalance questionnaire: a longitudinal study in employees of a synthetic fibre factory in Iran.

PubMed

Yadegarfar, Ghasem; Alinia, Tahereh; Hosseini, Reihane; Hassannejad, Razieh; Fayaz, Mahsa; Sanati, Javad; Sanati, Kave; Harandi, Jalal; Hajnoorozali, Vahid; Baghi, Mahmood-Reza; Mirzavand, Enayat; Majeed, Azeem

2013-02-01

To assess the reliability and validity of the Farsi version of the effort-reward imbalance questionnaire (F-ERIQ) and to examine the responsiveness of the tool to changes over time. A longitudinal study was carried out among 227 male employees of Iran Polyacryl Corporation. The F-ERIQ was developed through a forward-backward translation process that includes three scales of effort, reward and over-commitment (OC). Reliability and internal consistency of the F-ERIQ were assessed by split-half and Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validity were conducted to evaluate construct validity. Depressive mood was used as an indicator for exploring criterion validity. The variations in mean scores over time for scales were regarded as measures of the responsiveness to changes. Baseline split-half correlations for effort, reward and OC were 0.53, 0.85 and 0.65, respectively; Cronbach's alpha coefficients improved from 0.61 to 0.70 for effort, 0.85 to 0.88 for reward and 0.67 to 0.72 for OC. All of item-total correlations were higher than 0.23 and item-scales correlations were higher than 0.4. Although Values of Goodness of Fit Index and Adjusted GFI were higher than 0.9 and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation, Root Mean Square Residual and Standardized RMR were lower than 0.05, confirmatory factor analysis only confirmed the construct of the effort and OC. People with higher job stress were at higher risk of depressive mood (at least 3 times more). Overall, the mean score of effort, OC and ERI increase, and the figures decrease for reward among people who experience changes. These findings provide evidence that the F-ERIQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing psychosocial stress at work among Farsi-speaking male employees. We propose that F-ERIQ be further evaluated across a variety of jobs and industries.

Splitting the mind within the individual, nation and economy: reflections on the struggle for integration in post-war Germany.

PubMed

Plänkers, Tomas

2015-02-01

With respect to theorisations of psychical splitting, this paper explores the psychical mechanisms that underlie different forms of social splitting. The paper first outlines Freud's and Kleins different theorisations of the psychical mechanisms of splitting, where the good is split from the bad, the inside split from the outside, and the painful disavowed. I then consider the psychical mechanisms of splitting that underlie ideological supports of certain social systems, specifically that of National Socialist Germany, East Germany during the Cold War period, and neoliberal capitalism. Here, I consider ideological splits between good and evil, the relation between external and internal splits, the relation between geographical, social and internal splitting, as well as splitting as disavowal of the other. Copyright © 2015 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

[Interactive impact of water and nitrogen on yield, quality of watermelon and use of water and nitrogen in gravel-mulched field].

PubMed

Du, Shao-ping; Ma, Zhong-ming; Xue, Liang

2015-12-01

In order to develop the optimal coupling model of water and nitrogen of watermelon under limited irrigation in gravel-mulched field, a field experiment with split-plot design was conducted to study the effects of supplementary irrigation volume, nitrogen fertilization, and their interactions on the growth, yield, quality and water and nitrogen use efficiency of watermelon with 4 supplementary irrigation levels (W: 0, 35, 70, and 105 m³ · hm⁻²) in main plots and 3 nitrogen fertilization levels (N: 0, 120, and 200 kg N · hm⁻²) in sub-plots. The results showed that the photosynthetic rate, yield, and water and nitrogen use efficiency of watermelon increased with the increasing supplementary irrigation, but the nitrogen partial productivity and nitrogen use efficiency decreased with increasing nitrogen fertilization level. The photosynthetic rate and quality indicators increased with increasing nitrogen fertilization level as the nitrogen rate changed from 0 to 120 kg N · hm⁻², but no further significant increase as the nitrogen rate exceeded 120 kg · hm⁻². The interactive effects between water and nitrogen was significant for yield and water and nitrogen use efficiency of watermelon, supplementary irrigation volume was a key factor for the increase yield compared with the nitrogen fertilizer, and the yield reached the highest for the W₇₀N₂₀₀ and W₁₀₅ N₁₂₀ treatments, for which the yield increased by 42.4% and 40.4% compared to CK. Water use efficiency (WUE) was improved by supplementary irrigation and nitrogen rate, the WUE of all nitrogen fertilizer treatments were more than 26 kg · m⁻³ under supplemental irrigation levels 70 m³ · hm⁻² and 105 m³ · hm⁻². The nitrogen partial productivity and nitrogen use efficiency reached the highest in the treatment of W₁₀₅N₁₂₀. It was considered that under the experimental condition, 105 m³ · hm⁻² of supplementary irrigation plus 120 kg · hm⁻² of nitrogen fertilization was the optimal combination of obtaining the high yield and high efficiency.

Integrating PCLIPS into ULowell's Lincoln Logs: Factory of the future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgee, Brenda J.; Miller, Mark D.; Krolak, Patrick; Barr, Stanley J.

1990-01-01

We are attempting to show how independent but cooperating expert systems, executing within a parallel production system (PCLIPS), can operate and control a completely automated, fault tolerant prototype of a factory of the future (The Lincoln Logs Factory of the Future). The factory consists of a CAD system for designing the Lincoln Log Houses, two workcells, and a materials handling system. A workcell consists of two robots, part feeders, and a frame mounted vision system.

Factorial experiments: efficient tools for evaluation of intervention components.

PubMed

Collins, Linda M; Dziak, John J; Kugler, Kari C; Trail, Jessica B

2014-10-01

An understanding of the individual and combined effects of a set of intervention components is important for moving the science of preventive medicine interventions forward. This understanding can often be achieved in an efficient and economical way via a factorial experiment, in which two or more independent variables are manipulated. The factorial experiment is a complement to the RCT; the two designs address different research questions. To offer an introduction to factorial experiments aimed at investigators trained primarily in the RCT. The factorial experiment is compared and contrasted with other experimental designs used commonly in intervention science to highlight where each is most efficient and appropriate. Several points are made: factorial experiments make very efficient use of experimental subjects when the data are properly analyzed; a factorial experiment can have excellent statistical power even if it has relatively few subjects per experimental condition; and when conducting research to select components for inclusion in a multicomponent intervention, interactions should be studied rather than avoided. Investigators in preventive medicine and related areas should begin considering factorial experiments alongside other approaches. Experimental designs should be chosen from a resource management perspective, which states that the best experimental design is the one that provides the greatest scientific benefit without exceeding available resources. Copyright © 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technology and Participation in Japanese Factories: The Consequences for Morale and Productivity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hull, Frank; Azumi, Koya

1988-01-01

By fully using their human resources, Japanese factories mass produce goods of low cost and high quality. Participation in Japanese factories occurs in a more hierarchical framework than advocated in the Western model of worker democracy. (JOW)

StackSplit - a plugin for multi-event shear wave splitting analyses in SplitLab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grund, Michael

2017-04-01

The SplitLab package (Wüstefeld et al., Computers and Geosciences, 2008), written in MATLAB, is a powerful and widely used tool for analysing seismological shear wave splitting of single event measurements. However, in many cases, especially temporary station deployments close to seaside or for recordings affected by strong anthropogenic noise, only multi-event approaches provide stable and reliable splitting results. In order to extend the original SplitLab environment for such analyses, I present the StackSplit plugin that can easily be implemented within the well accepted main program. StackSplit grants easy access to several different analysis approaches within SplitLab, including a new multiple waveform based inversion method as well as the most established standard stacking procedures. The possibility to switch between different analysis approaches at any time allows the user for the most flexible processing of individual multi-event splitting measurements for a single recording station. Besides the provided functions of the plugin, no other external program is needed for the multi-event analyses since StackSplit performs within the available SplitLab structure.

Splitting of IVP bovine blastocyst affects morphology and gene expression of resulting demi-embryos during in vitro culture and in vivo elongation.

PubMed

Velasquez, Alejandra E; Castro, Fidel O; Veraguas, Daniel; Cox, Jose F; Lara, Evelyn; Briones, Mario; Rodriguez-Alvarez, Lleretny

2016-02-01

Embryo splitting might be used to increase offspring yield and for molecular analysis of embryo competence. How splitting affects developmental potential of embryos is unknown. This research aimed to study the effect of bovine blastocyst splitting on morphological and gene expression homogeneity of demi-embryos and on embryo competence during elongation. Grade I bovine blastocyst produced in vitro were split into halves and distributed in nine groups (3 × 3 setting according to age and stage before splitting; age: days 7-9; stage: early, expanded and hatched blastocysts). Homogeneity and survival rate in vitro after splitting (12 h, days 10 and 13) and the effect of splitting on embryo development at elongation after embryo transfer (day 17) were assessed morphologically and by RT-qPCR. The genes analysed were OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, CDX2, TP1, TKDP1, EOMES, and BAX. Approximately 90% of split embryos had a well conserved defined inner cell mass (ICM), 70% of the halves had similar size with no differences in gene expression 12 h after splitting. Split embryos cultured further conserved normal and comparable morphology at day 10 of development; this situation changes at day 13 when embryo morphology and gene expression differed markedly among demi-embryos. Split and non-split blastocysts were transferred to recipient cows and were recovered at day 17. Fifty per cent of non-split embryos were larger than 100 mm (33% for split embryos). OCT4, SOX2, TP1 and EOMES levels were down-regulated in elongated embryos derived from split blastocysts. In conclusion, splitting day-8 blastocysts yields homogenous demi-embryos in terms of developmental capability and gene expression, but the initiation of the filamentous stage seems to be affected by the splitting.

Tracing the contamination origin of coliform bacteria in two small food-processing factories.

PubMed

Tominaga, Tatsuya; Sekine, Masahiro; Oyaizu, Hiroshi

2008-09-01

The objective of this study was to trace contamination sources of coliform bacteria by comparing the types of coliforms between food samples and the processing environments in two small food-processing factories (factories A and B). Fermentation tests of five sugars enabled the successful classification of 16 representative type strains into eight distinct groups. The grouping procedure was then applied to comparison of the coliform flora between food products and various locations in their processing environments. The consistency between each food and the tested locations was evaluated using the Jaccard index. The air conditioner and refrigeration room floor in factory A showed an index of 1.00, while the shaping machine in factory B showed an index of 0.98, indicating that these locations could be contamination sources. The validity of our results was confirmed by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA, which showed 100% matched profiles between the air conditioner and the food in factory A, and highly matched profiles between the machine and the food in factory B. This method for comparing the coliform flora between food and environments has the potential to be a reliable tracing tool for various food industries.

SWITCH: a dynamic CRISPR tool for genome engineering and metabolic pathway control for cell factory construction in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Vanegas, Katherina García; Lehka, Beata Joanna; Mortensen, Uffe Hasbro

2017-02-08

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is increasingly used as a cell factory. However, cell factory construction time is a major obstacle towards using yeast for bio-production. Hence, tools to speed up cell factory construction are desirable. In this study, we have developed a new Cas9/dCas9 based system, SWITCH, which allows Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains to iteratively alternate between a genetic engineering state and a pathway control state. Since Cas9 induced recombination events are crucial for SWITCH efficiency, we first developed a technique TAPE, which we have successfully used to address protospacer efficiency. As proof of concept of the use of SWITCH in cell factory construction, we have exploited the genetic engineering state of a SWITCH strain to insert the five genes necessary for naringenin production. Next, the naringenin cell factory was switched to the pathway control state where production was optimized by downregulating an essential gene TSC13, hence, reducing formation of a byproduct. We have successfully integrated two CRISPR tools, one for genetic engineering and one for pathway control, into one system and successfully used it for cell factory construction.

1. FACTORY BUILDING VIEWED FROM THE EAST, CURING AND STORAGE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

1. FACTORY BUILDING VIEWED FROM THE EAST, CURING AND STORAGE WING TO THE LEFT, BOILING HOUSE IN THE CENTER, GRINDING PLATFORM TO THE FAR RIGHT, ST. THOMAS ISLAND VISIBLE IN BACKGROUND - Caneel Bay Plantation, Sugar Factory, Cruz Bay, St. John, VI

Autocrine and/or paracrine insulin-like growth factor-I activity in skeletal muscle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Gregory R.

2002-01-01

Similar to bone, skeletal muscle responds and adapts to changes in loading state via mechanisms that appear to be intrinsic to the muscle. One of the mechanisms modulating skeletal muscle adaptation it thought to involve the autocrine and/or paracrine production of insulinlike growth factor-I. This brief review outlines components of the insulinlike growth factor-I system as it relates to skeletal muscle and provides the rationale for the theory that insulinlike growth factor-I is involved with muscle adaptation.

Asymptotic Normality Through Factorial Cumulants and Partition Identities

PubMed Central

Bobecka, Konstancja; Hitczenko, Paweł; López-Blázquez, Fernando; Rempała, Grzegorz; Wesołowski, Jacek

2013-01-01

In the paper we develop an approach to asymptotic normality through factorial cumulants. Factorial cumulants arise in the same manner from factorial moments as do (ordinary) cumulants from (ordinary) moments. Another tool we exploit is a new identity for ‘moments’ of partitions of numbers. The general limiting result is then used to (re-)derive asymptotic normality for several models including classical discrete distributions, occupancy problems in some generalized allocation schemes and two models related to negative multinomial distribution. PMID:24591773

Atomic-scale evidence for displacive disorder in bismuth zinc niobate pyrochlore.

PubMed

Jia, Chun-Lin; Jin, Lei; Chen, Yue-Hua; Urban, Knut W; Wang, Hong

2018-05-30

Pyrochlores characterized by the chemical formula A 2 B 2 O 7 form an extended class of materials with interesting physical and chemical properties. The compound Bi 1.5 ZnNb 1.5 O 7 is prototypical. Its excellent dielectric properties make it attractive, e.g. for capacitors, tunable microwave devices and electric-energy storage equipment. Bi 1.5 ZnNb 1.5 O 7 shows an intriguing frequency-dispersive dielectric relaxation at 50 K ≤ T ≤ 250 K, which has been studied intensively but is still not fully understood. In this first study on a pyrochlore by atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy we observe the Bi atoms on A sites since, due to their low nuclear charge, the contribution of Zn atoms to the contrast of these sites is negligible. We find in our [1¯00]and [112] oriented images that the position of the atomic intensity maxima do not coincide with the projected Wyckoff positions of the basic pyrochlore lattice. This supplies atomic-scale evidence for displacive disorder on split A-type sites. The Bi atoms are sessile, only occasionally we observe in time sequences of images jumps between individual split-site positions. The apertaining jump rate of the order of 0.1-1 Hz is by ten orders of magnitude lower than the values derived in the literature from Arrhenius plots of the low-temperature dielectric relaxation data. It is argued that these jumps are radiation induced. Therefore our observations are ruling out a contribution of Bi-atom jumps to low-temperature dielectric A sites-related relaxation. It is suggested that this relaxation is mediated by jumps of Zn atoms. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Corn Yield and Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission under Different Fertilizer and Soil Management: A Three-Year Field Experiment in Middle Tennessee.

PubMed

Deng, Qi; Hui, Dafeng; Wang, Junming; Iwuozo, Stephen; Yu, Chih-Li; Jima, Tigist; Smart, David; Reddy, Chandra; Dennis, Sam

2015-01-01

A three-year field experiment was conducted to examine the responses of corn yield and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission to various management practices in middle Tennessee. The management practices include no-tillage + regular applications of urea ammonium nitrate (NT-URAN); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + denitrification inhibitor (NT-inhibitor); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + biochar (NT-biochar); no-tillage + 20% applications of URAN + chicken litter (NT-litter), no-tillage + split applications of URAN (NT-split); and conventional tillage + regular applications of URAN as a control (CT-URAN). Fertilizer equivalent to 217 kg N ha(-1) was applied to each of the experimental plots. Results showed that no-tillage (NT-URAN) significantly increased corn yield by 28% over the conventional tillage (CT-URAN) due to soil water conservation. The management practices significantly altered soil N2O emission, with the highest in the CT-URAN (0.48 mg N2O m(-2) h(-1)) and the lowest in the NT-inhibitor (0.20 mg N2O m(-2) h(-1)) and NT-biochar (0.16 mg N2O m(-2) h(-1)) treatments. Significant exponential relationships between soil N2O emission and water filled pore space were revealed in all treatments. However, variations in soil N2O emission among the treatments were positively correlated with the moisture sensitivity of soil N2O emission that likely reflects an interactive effect between soil properties and WFPS. Our results indicated that improved fertilizer and soil management have the potential to maintain highly productive corn yield while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Corn Yield and Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission under Different Fertilizer and Soil Management: A Three-Year Field Experiment in Middle Tennessee

PubMed Central

Deng, Qi; Hui, Dafeng; Wang, Junming; Iwuozo, Stephen; Yu, Chih-Li; Jima, Tigist; Smart, David; Reddy, Chandra; Dennis, Sam

2015-01-01

Background A three-year field experiment was conducted to examine the responses of corn yield and soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emission to various management practices in middle Tennessee. Methodology/Principal Findings The management practices include no-tillage + regular applications of urea ammonium nitrate (NT-URAN); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + denitrification inhibitor (NT-inhibitor); no-tillage + regular applications of URAN + biochar (NT-biochar); no-tillage + 20% applications of URAN + chicken litter (NT-litter), no-tillage + split applications of URAN (NT-split); and conventional tillage + regular applications of URAN as a control (CT-URAN). Fertilizer equivalent to 217 kg N ha-1 was applied to each of the experimental plots. Results showed that no-tillage (NT-URAN) significantly increased corn yield by 28% over the conventional tillage (CT-URAN) due to soil water conservation. The management practices significantly altered soil N2O emission, with the highest in the CT-URAN (0.48 mg N2O m-2 h-1) and the lowest in the NT-inhibitor (0.20 mg N2O m-2 h-1) and NT-biochar (0.16 mg N2O m-2 h-1) treatments. Significant exponential relationships between soil N2O emission and water filled pore space were revealed in all treatments. However, variations in soil N2O emission among the treatments were positively correlated with the moisture sensitivity of soil N2O emission that likely reflects an interactive effect between soil properties and WFPS. Conclusion/Significance Our results indicated that improved fertilizer and soil management have the potential to maintain highly productive corn yield while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. PMID:25923716

Infrequent composted biosolids applications affect semi-arid grassland soils and vegetation.

PubMed

Ippolito, J A; Barbarick, K A; Paschke, M W; Brobst, R B

2010-05-01

Monitoring of repeated composted biosolids applications is necessary for improving beneficial reuse program management strategies, because materials will likely be reapplied to the same site at a future point in time. A field trial evaluated a single and a repeated composted biosolids application in terms of long-term (13-14 years) and short-term (2-3 years) effects, respectively, on soil chemistry and plant community in a Colorado semi-arid grassland. Six composted biosolids rates (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 21, 30 Mg ha(-1)) were surface applied in a split-plot design study with treatment (increasing compost rates) as the main factor and co-application time (1991, or 1991 and 2002) as the split factor applications. Short- and long-term treatment effects were evident in 2004 and 2005 for soil 0-8 cm depth pH, EC, NO(3)-N, NH(4)-N, total N, and AB-DTPA soil Cd, Cu, Mo, Zn, P, and Ba. Soil organic matter increases were still evident 13 and 14 years following composted biosolids application. The repeated composted biosolids application increased soil NO(3)-N and NH(4)-N and decreased AB-DTPA extractable Ba as compared to the single composted biosolids application in 2004; differences between short- and long-term applications were less evident in 2005. Increasing biosolids rates resulted in increased native perennial grass cover in 2005. Plant tissue Cu, Mo, Zn, and P concentrations increased, while Ba content decreased depending on specific plant species and year. Overall, the lack of many significant negative effects suggests that short- or long-term composted biosolids application at the rates studied did not adversely affect this semi-arid grassland ecosystem. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Development of a Patient-Based Model for Estimating Operative Times for Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

PubMed

Huben, Neil; Hussein, Ahmed; May, Paul; Whittum, Michelle; Kraswowki, Collin; Ahmed, Youssef; Jing, Zhe; Khan, Hijab; Kim, Hyung; Schwaab, Thomas; Underwood Iii, Willie; Kauffman, Eric; Mohler, James L; Guru, Khurshid A

2018-04-10

To develop a methodology for predicting operative times for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) using preoperative patient, disease, procedural and surgeon variables to facilitate operating room (OR) scheduling. The model included preoperative metrics: BMI, ASA score, clinical stage, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) risk, prostate weight, nerve-sparing status, extent and laterality of lymph node dissection, and operating surgeon (6 surgeons were included in the study). A binary decision tree was fit using a conditional inference tree method to predict operative times. The variables most associated with operative time were determined using permutation tests. The data was split at the value of the variable that results in the largest difference in means for surgical time across the split. This process was repeated recursively on the resultant data. 1709 RARPs were included. The variable most strongly associated with operative time was the surgeon (surgeons 2 and 4 - 102 minutes shorter than surgeons 1, 3, 5, and 6, p<0.001). Among surgeons 2 and 4, BMI had the strongest association with surgical time (p<0.001). Among patients operated by surgeons 1, 3, 5 and 6, RARP time was again most strongly associated with the surgeon performing RARP. Surgeons 1, 3, and 6 were on average 76 minutes faster than surgeon 5 (p<0.001). The regression tree output in the form of box plots showed operative time median and ranges according to patient, disease, procedural and surgeon metrics. We developed a methodology that can predict operative times for RARP based on patient, disease and surgeon variables. This methodology can be utilized for quality control, facilitate OR scheduling and maximize OR efficiency.

Space radiation test model study. Report for 20 May 1985-20 February 1986

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

Nightingale, R.W.; Chiu, Y.T.; Davidson, G.T.

1986-03-14

Dynamic models of the energetic populations in the outer radiation belts are being developed to better understand the extreme variations of particle flux in response to magnetospheric and solar activity. The study utilizes the SCATHA SC3 high-energy electron data, covering energies from 47 keV to 5 MeV with fine pitch-angle measurements (3 deg field of view) over the L-shell range of 5.3 to 8.7. Butter-fly distributions in the dusk sector signify particle losses due to L shell splitting of the particle-drift orbits and the subsequent scattering of the particles from the orbits by the magnetopause. To model the temporal variationsmore » and diffusion procsses of the particle populations, the data were organized into phase-space distributions, binned according to altitude (L shell), energy, pitch angle, and time. These distributions can then be mapped to the equator and plotted for fixed first and second adiabatic invariants of the inherent particle motion. A new and efficient method for calculating the third adiabatic invariant using a line integral of the relevant magnetic potential at the particle mirror points has been developed and is undergoing testing. This method will provide a useful means of displaying the radial diffusion signatures of the outer radiation belts during the more-active periods when the L shell parameter is not a good concept due to severe drift-shell splitting. The first phase of fitting the energetic-electron phase-space distributions with a combined radial and pitch-angle diffusion formulation is well underway. Bessel functions are being fit to the data in an eigenmode expansion method to determine the diffusion coefficients.« less

Postglacial range shift and demographic expansion of the marine intertidal snail Batillaria attramentaria

PubMed Central

Ho, Phuong-Thao; Kwan, Ye-Seul; Kim, Boa; Won, Yong-Jin

2015-01-01

To address the impacts of past climate changes, particularly since the last glacial period, on the history of the distribution and demography of marine species, we investigated the evolutionary and demographic responses of the intertidal batillariid gastropod, Batillaria attramentaria, to these changes, using the snail as a model species in the northwest Pacific. We applied phylogeographic and divergence population genetic approaches to mitochondrial COI sequences from B. attramentaria. To cover much of its distributional range, 197 individuals collected throughout Korea and 507 publically available sequences (mostly from Japan) were used. Finally, a Bayesian skyline plot (BSP) method was applied to reconstruct the demographic history of this species. We found four differentiated geographic groups around Korea, confirming the presence of two distinct, geographically subdivided haplogroups on the Japanese coastlines along the bifurcated routes of the warm Tsushima and Kuroshio Currents. These two haplogroups were estimated to have begun to split approximately 400,000 years ago. Population divergence analysis supported the hypothesis that the Yellow Sea was populated by a northward range expansion of a small fraction of founders that split from a southern ancestral population since the last glacial maximum (LGM: 26,000–19,000 years ago), when the southern area became re-submerged. BSP analyses on six geographically and genetically defined groups in Korea and Japan consistently demonstrated that each group has exponentially increased approximately since the LGM. This study resolved the phylogeography of B. attramentaria as a series of events connected over space and time; while paleoceanographic conditions determining the connectivity of neighboring seas in East Asia are responsible for the vicariance of this species, the postglacial sea-level rise and warming temperatures have played a crucial role in rapid range shifts and broad demographic expansions of its populations. PMID:25691968

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

Cai, Yunhai

Similar to a super B-factory, a circular Higgs factory will require strong focusing systems near the interaction points and a low-emittance lattice in arcs to achieve a factory luminosity. At electron beam energy of 120 GeV, beamstrahlung effects during the collision pose an additional challenge to the collider design. In particular, a large momentum acceptance at 2 percent level is necessary to retain an adequate beam lifetime. This turns out to be the most challenging aspect in the design of circular Higgs factory. In this paper, an example will be provided to illustrate the beam dynamics in circular Higgs factory,more » emphasizing on the chromatic optics. Basic optical modules and advanced analysis will be presented. Most important, we will show that 2% momentum aperture is achievable« less

Algebraic techniques for diagonalization of a split quaternion matrix in split quaternionic mechanics

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

Jiang, Tongsong, E-mail: jiangtongsong@sina.com; Department of Mathematics, Heze University, Heze, Shandong 274015; Jiang, Ziwu

In the study of the relation between complexified classical and non-Hermitian quantum mechanics, physicists found that there are links to quaternionic and split quaternionic mechanics, and this leads to the possibility of employing algebraic techniques of split quaternions to tackle some problems in complexified classical and quantum mechanics. This paper, by means of real representation of a split quaternion matrix, studies the problem of diagonalization of a split quaternion matrix and gives algebraic techniques for diagonalization of split quaternion matrices in split quaternionic mechanics.

Congruences for central factorial numbers modulo powers of prime.

PubMed

Wang, Haiqing; Liu, Guodong

2016-01-01

Central factorial numbers are more closely related to the Stirling numbers than the other well-known special numbers, and they play a major role in a variety of branches of mathematics. In the present paper we prove some interesting congruences for central factorial numbers.

Midlands Teaching Factory, LTD.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Midlands Technical Coll., Columbia, SC.

In 1987, Midlands Technical College (MTC), in Columbia, South Carolina, initiated a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) project, the Midlands Teaching Factory, LTD, which integrated various college departments with the goal of manufacturing a high quality, saleable product. The faculty developed a teaching factory model which was designed to…

Baby factories taint surrogacy in Nigeria.

PubMed

Makinde, Olusesan Ayodeji; Makinde, Olufunmbi Olukemi; Olaleye, Olalekan; Brown, Brandon; Odimegwu, Clifford O

2016-01-01

The practice of reproductive medicine in Nigeria is facing new challenges with the proliferation of 'baby factories'. Baby factories are buildings, hospitals or orphanages that have been converted into places for young girls and women to give birth to children for sale on the black market, often to infertile couples, or into trafficking rings. This practice illegally provides outcomes (children) similar to surrogacy. While surrogacy has not been well accepted in this environment, the proliferation of baby factories further threatens its acceptance. The involvement of medical and allied health workers in the operation of baby factories raises ethical concerns. The lack of a properly defined legal framework and code of practice for surrogacy makes it difficult to prosecute baby factory owners, especially when they are health workers claiming to be providing services to clients. In this environment, surrogacy and other assisted reproductive techniques urgently require regulation in order to define when ethico-legal lines have been crossed in providing surrogacy or surrogacy-like services. Copyright © 2015 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Operating a production pilot factory serving several scientific domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sfiligoi, I.; Würthwein, F.; Andrews, W.; Dost, J. M.; MacNeill, I.; McCrea, A.; Sheripon, E.; Murphy, C. W.

2011-12-01

Pilot infrastructures are becoming prominent players in the Grid environment. One of the major advantages is represented by the reduced effort required by the user communities (also known as Virtual Organizations or VOs) due to the outsourcing of the Grid interfacing services, i.e. the pilot factory, to Grid experts. One such pilot factory, based on the glideinWMS pilot infrastructure, is being operated by the Open Science Grid at University of California San Diego (UCSD). This pilot factory is serving multiple VOs from several scientific domains. Currently the three major clients are the analysis operations of the HEP experiment CMS, the community VO HCC, which serves mostly math, biology and computer science users, and the structural biology VO NEBioGrid. The UCSD glidein factory allows the served VOs to use Grid resources distributed over 150 sites in North and South America, in Europe, and in Asia. This paper presents the steps taken to create a production quality pilot factory, together with the challenges encountered along the road.

UAV remote sensing for phenotyping drought tolerance in peanuts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balota, Maria; Oakes, Joseph

2017-05-01

Farmers can benefit from growing drought tolerant peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars with improved yield when rainfall is sporadic. In the Virginia-Carolina (VC) region, drought is magnified by hot summers and usually occurs in July and Aug when pod and seed growth are intense. At these growth stages, weekly supply of 50 to 75 mm of water is needed to ensure profitability. Irrigation can supplement crop water needs, but only 10% of the peanut farms are irrigated. In this frame, drought tolerant varieties can be profitable, but breeding for cultivars with improved drought tolerance requires fast yet accurate phenotyping. Our objective was to evaluate the potential of UAV remote sensing technologies for drought tolerance selection in peanut. In this study, we examined the effect of drought on leaf wilting, pod yield, grading characteristics, and crop value of 23 peanut cultivars (Virginia, Runner, and Valencia type). These varieties were arranged in a factorial design, with four replications drought stressed and two replications well-watered. Drought was imposed by covering the drought stressed plots with rainout shelters on July 19; they remained covered until August 29 and only received 38 mm irrigation in mid Aug. The well-watered plots continued to receive rain and supplemental irrigation as needed. During this time, Canopy Temperature Depression (CT) and Normalized Differential Vegetative Index (NDVI) were collected from the ground on all plots at weekly intervals. After the shelters were removed, these measurements were collected daily for approximately 2 weeks. At the same time, Red-Green-Blue (RGB), near-infrared (NIR), and infrared (IR) images taken from an UAV platform were also collected. Vegetation indices derived from the ground and aerial data were compared with leaf wilting, pod yield and crop value. Wilting, which is a common water stress symptom, was best estimated by NDVI and RGB, and least by CT; but CT was best in estimating yield, SMK and crop value in particular when taken on the ground at 15 days water stress imposition. Interestingly, CT predicted well plant wilting even before it occurred, i.e., correlation coefficients were negative and over 0.750 when CT was measured on July 19 and 20 even though wilting was visible only after two weeks. The data, yet preliminary, show promising potential for remote sensing technologies, at the ground and aerial, for peanut variety selection for improved drought tolerance.

Influence of the large-small split effect on strategy choice in complex subtraction.

PubMed

Xiang, Yan Hui; Wu, Hao; Shang, Rui Hong; Chao, Xiaomei; Ren, Ting Ting; Zheng, Li Ling; Mo, Lei

2018-04-01

Two main theories have been used to explain the arithmetic split effect: decision-making process theory and strategy choice theory. Using the inequality paradigm, previous studies have confirmed that individuals tend to adopt a plausibility-checking strategy and a whole-calculation strategy to solve large and small split problems in complex addition arithmetic, respectively. This supports strategy choice theory, but it is unknown whether this theory also explains performance in solving different split problems in complex subtraction arithmetic. This study used small, intermediate and large split sizes, with each split condition being further divided into problems requiring and not requiring borrowing. The reaction times (RTs) for large and intermediate splits were significantly shorter than those for small splits, while accuracy was significantly higher for large and middle splits than for small splits, reflecting no speed-accuracy trade-off. Further, RTs and accuracy differed significantly between the borrow and no-borrow conditions only for small splits. This study indicates that strategy choice theory is suitable to explain the split effect in complex subtraction arithmetic. That is, individuals tend to choose the plausibility-checking strategy or the whole-calculation strategy according to the split size. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

StackSplit - a plugin for multi-event shear wave splitting analyses in SplitLab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grund, Michael

2017-08-01

SplitLab is a powerful and widely used tool for analysing seismological shear wave splitting of single event measurements. However, in many cases, especially temporary station deployments close to the noisy seaside, ocean bottom or for recordings affected by strong anthropogenic noise, only multi-event approaches provide stable and reliable splitting results. In order to extend the original SplitLab environment for such analyses, I present the StackSplit plugin that can easily be implemented within the well accepted main program. StackSplit grants easy access to several different analysis approaches within SplitLab, including a new multiple waveform based inversion method as well as the most established standard stacking procedures. The possibility to switch between different analysis approaches at any time allows the user for the most flexible processing of individual multi-event splitting measurements for a single recording station. Besides the provided functions of the plugin, no other external program is needed for the multi-event analyses since StackSplit performs within the available SplitLab structure which is based on MATLAB. The effectiveness and use of this plugin is demonstrated with data examples of a long running seismological recording station in Finland.

Factory daughters, the family, and nuptiality in Java.

PubMed

Wolf, D L

1990-01-01

The commercialization of agriculture, increasing landlessness, and an expanding labor class in rural areas of Java are all the result of industrialization. This work discusses the effect of female employment on marriage patterns of women working in rural factories. The central point is that employment has not only increased the financial autonomy of these women, but also increased the level of control they have over the choice of marriage partners. The data set used for analysis consisted of the observations of all factory workers and all non-factory females age 15-24 located in an agricultural village. The observations were make over a 15 month period between 1981-83. A follow up visit was made in 1986 and the following conclusions were then made: 1) the village study gave detailed data, but the data set was not large enough, thus a follow up study that encompasses more people is called for; 2) young rural female factory workers are more likely to chose their marriage partners than those engaged in traditional village labor. Of those that married and worked in factories, their fertility rate was significantly lower, compared to non-factory workers. Factory workers also had different family structures, because they spent less time living in extended families because of a larger income for the couple. This study indicates that increased economic control results in increased life decision control. This changed the daughter's economic relationship with her family and gives her more control in marriage decisions.

27 CFR 40.47 - Other businesses within factory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Other businesses within... AND TUBES, AND PROCESSED TOBACCO Administrative Provisions § 40.47 Other businesses within factory. (a) General. The appropriate TTB officer may authorize such other businesses within the factory of a...

27 CFR 40.47 - Other businesses within factory.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Other businesses within... AND TUBES, AND PROCESSED TOBACCO Administrative Provisions § 40.47 Other businesses within factory. (a) General. The appropriate TTB officer may authorize such other businesses within the factory of a...

A rapid biochemical test to assess postharvest deterioration of sugarcane and milled juice

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The delivery of consignments of deteriorated sugarcane to factories can detrimentally affect multiple process units, and even lead to a factory shut-down. An enzymatic factory method was used to measure mannitol, a major degradation product of sugarcane Leuconostoc deterioration in the U.S., in pre...

Factorial versus Typological Models: A Comparison of Methods for Personality Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Davier, Matthias; Naemi, Bobby; Roberts, Richard D.

2012-01-01

This article describes an exploration of the distinction between typological and factorial latent variables in the domain of personality theory. Traditionally, many personality variables have been considered to be factorial in nature, even though there are examples of typological constructs dating back to Hippocrates. Recently, some…

A community-initiated study of blood lead levels of Nicaraguan children living near a battery factory.

PubMed Central

Morales Bonilla, C; Mauss, E A

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVES: In response to requests by parents in Managua, Nicaragua, whose neighborhood borders a battery factory, 97 children were tested for blood lead, as were 30 children in a neighborhood without an obvious source of environmental lead. METHODS: Venous blood was examined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Educational workshops were conducted. RESULTS: Mean blood lead levels were 17.21 +/- 9.92 micrograms/dL in the index children and 7.40 +/- 5.37 micrograms/dL in the controls (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Children living near the battery factory are at increased risk of lead poisoning. The parents were able to petition the government to control the factory emissions and to improve appropriate health services. The factory is now closed. PMID:9842385

A reference architecture for the component factory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Caldiera, Gianluigi; Cantone, Giovanni

1992-01-01

Software reuse can be achieved through an organization that focuses on utilization of life cycle products from previous developments. The component factory is both an example of the more general concepts of experience and domain factory and an organizational unit worth being considered independently. The critical features of such an organization are flexibility and continuous improvement. In order to achieve these features we can represent the architecture of the factory at different levels of abstraction and define a reference architecture from which specific architectures can be derived by instantiation. A reference architecture is an implementation and organization independent representation of the component factory and its environment. The paper outlines this reference architecture, discusses the instantiation process, and presents some examples of specific architectures by comparing them in the framework of the reference model.

Acoustic scale modelling of factories, part II: 1-50 Cale model investigations of factory sound fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodgson, M. R.; Orlowski, R. J.

1987-03-01

In this second part of a report on factory scale modelling use of a 1:50 scale variable model as a research tool is described. Details of the model are presented. The results of measurements of reverberation time and sound propagation, made in various model configurations, are used to investigate the main factors influencing factory sound fields, and the applicability of the Sabine theory to factories. The parameters investigated are the enclosure geometry (aspect ratio, volume and roof pitch), surface absorption and fittings (density, size, surface area, vertical distribution and specific types). Despite certain limitations and uncertainties resulting, for example, from surprising results associated with surface absorption, models are shown to be effective research tools. The inapplicability of the Sabine theory is confirmed and elucidated.

Implementing Clinical Research Using Factorial Designs: A Primer.

PubMed

Baker, Timothy B; Smith, Stevens S; Bolt, Daniel M; Loh, Wei-Yin; Mermelstein, Robin; Fiore, Michael C; Piper, Megan E; Collins, Linda M

2017-07-01

Factorial experiments have rarely been used in the development or evaluation of clinical interventions. However, factorial designs offer advantages over randomized controlled trial designs, the latter being much more frequently used in such research. Factorial designs are highly efficient (permitting evaluation of multiple intervention components with good statistical power) and present the opportunity to detect interactions amongst intervention components. Such advantages have led methodologists to advocate for the greater use of factorial designs in research on clinical interventions (Collins, Dziak, & Li, 2009). However, researchers considering the use of such designs in clinical research face a series of choices that have consequential implications for the interpretability and value of the experimental results. These choices include: whether to use a factorial design, selection of the number and type of factors to include, how to address the compatibility of the different factors included, whether and how to avoid confounds between the type and number of interventions a participant receives, and how to interpret interactions. The use of factorial designs in clinical intervention research poses choices that differ from those typically considered in randomized clinical trial designs. However, the great information yield of the former encourages clinical researchers' increased and careful execution of such designs. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

"Mixing" as an ethnoetiology of HIV/AIDS in Malaysia's multinational factories.

PubMed

Root, Robin

2006-09-01

Minah Karan, the stigmatizing label appended to Malay factory women in the 1980s, signaled a dangerous female sexuality that risked spreading beyond the factory gates and infecting Malaysia's idea(l)s of its traditional kampung culture. This article narrates how Minah Karan, as the former antihero of development, was reconstituted in the 1990s, with the government's labeling of factories as "high-risk settings" for HIV/AIDS. This is an ethnoetiology based not on any evidential epidemiological data but on the racial and gendered "mixing" that transpires behind factory walls: a fear that the "mixing of the sexes" means ipso facto "sexual mixing" among the races. The article demonstrates how importation of the high-risk label articulates at the local level the new and contested linkages, economic, religious, and scientific, constitutive of globalization. The pragmatic nature and imperatives of this high-risk process are discerned in factory women's accounts of how they negotiate the interactional imperatives of factory work, because transnational structures of productivity violate the social boundaries that have long connoted political stability, moral integrity, ethnic community, and individual safety. The article concludes by questioning whether ethnoetiologies, especially when they concern sexual networks, become social etiologies, because this would locate ethnoetiologies as central to conventional public health praxis rather than as ethnographic exotica in the margins.

Influence of Removal of a Non-native Tree Species Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. on the Regenerating Plant Communities in a Tropical Semideciduous Forest Under Restoration in Brazil.

PubMed

Podadera, Diego S; Engel, Vera L; Parrotta, John A; Machado, Deivid L; Sato, Luciane M; Durigan, Giselda

2015-11-01

Exotic species are used to trigger facilitation in restoration plantings, but this positive effect may not be permanent and these species may have negative effects later on. Since such species can provide a marketable product (firewood), their harvest may represent an advantageous strategy to achieve both ecological and economic benefits. In this study, we looked at the effect of removal of a non-native tree species (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) on the understory of a semideciduous forest undergoing restoration. We assessed two 14-year-old plantation systems (modified "taungya" agroforestry system; and mixed plantation using commercial timber and firewood tree species) established at two sites with contrasting soil properties in São Paulo state, Brazil. The experimental design included randomized blocks with split plots. The natural regeneration of woody species (height ≥0.2 m) was compared between managed (all M. caesalpiniifolia trees removed) and unmanaged plots during the first year after the intervention. The removal of M. caesalpiniifolia increased species diversity but decreased stand basal area. Nevertheless, the basal area loss was recovered after 1 year. The management treatment affected tree species regeneration differently between species groups. The results of this study suggest that removal of M. caesalpiniifolia benefited the understory and possibly accelerated the succession process. Further monitoring studies are needed to evaluate the longer term effects on stand structure and composition. The lack of negative effects of tree removal on the natural regeneration indicates that such interventions can be recommended, especially considering the expectations of economic revenues from tree harvesting in restoration plantings.

Synthesis, vibrational spectroscopic investigations, molecular docking, antibacterial studies and molecular dynamics study of 5-[(4-nitrophenyl)acetamido]-2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)benzoxazole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheena Mary, Y.; Al-Shehri, Mona M.; Jalaja, K.; Al-Omary, Fatmah A. M.; El-Emam, Ali A.; Yohannan Panicker, C.; Armaković, Stevan; Armaković, Sanja J.; Temiz-Arpaci, Ozlem; Van Alsenoy, C.

2017-04-01

Antimicrobial active 5-[(4-nitrophenyl)acetamido]-2-(4-tert-butylphenyl)benzoxazole (NATPB) was synthesized and observed IR, Raman bands are compared with the theoretically predicted wave numbers. In the IR spectrum the NH stretching wave number splits into a doublet with a noted difference and is red shifted from the computed value, which indicates the weakening of NH bond resulting in proton transfer to the neighbouring oxygen atom. The HOMO-LUMO plots reveal the charge transfer in the molecular system through the conjugated paths. The electrophilic and nucleophilic reactive sites are identified from the MEP plot. Mapping of average local ionization energy (ALIE) values to the electron density surface served us as a tool for prediction of molecule sites possibly prone to electrophilic attacks. Other important reactive centres of the title molecule were detected by calculations of Fukui functions. Calculations of bond dissociation energies (BDE) for hydrogen abstraction were used in order to assess whether the NATPB molecules is prone to autoxidation mechanism or not, while BDE of the remaining single acyclic bonds were used in order to determine the weakest bond. Interaction properties with water were investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and calculations of radial distribution functions (RDFs). The compound possessed broad spectrum activity against all of the tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts, their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging between 32 and 128 μg/ml. The compound exhibited significant antibacterial activity (32 μg/ml) against an antibiotic resistant E. faecalis isolate, at same potency with the compared standard drugs vancomycin and gentamycin sulfate. The molecular docking studies show that the compound might exhibit inhibitory activity against CDK inhibitors.

Selecting black-spot resistant papaya genotypes derived from backcrossing and hybrids.

PubMed

Poltronieri, T P S; Silveira, S F; Vivas, M; Santa Catarina, R; Cortes, D F M; Azevedo, A O N; Pereira, M G

2017-02-23

Papaya crop is important to Brazilian agribusiness. However, the expansion of papaya cultivation in the country is affected by the absence of commercial cultivars presenting good disease resistance. The black-spot caused by the fungus Asperisporium caricae is the most damaging foliar disease affecting Brazilian papaya crops. The use of genetically resistant cultivars is a promising strategy to reduce the dependence of papaya crops on fungicides. A field split-plot experiment was carried out in the municipality of Linhares, Espírito Santo State, and included 20 hybrids derived from the cross between 14 superior lines and four elite genotypes ('SS72/12', 'SEKATI', 'JS/12' and '41/7'), two commercial cultivars ('Golden' and 'Tainung 01'), and the superior line '36/7', which were evaluated for resistance to black-spot in the fruits and leaves. The treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with six repetitions of three plants per plot. The incidence and severity of black spot in the fruits and leaves were evaluated at three different times in the 2015-2016 crop season. Lines 4, 9, 21, and the parent SEKATI were notable for their capacity to reduce disease severity in the leaves and fruits. Lines 1, 2, 9, 16, and 19, and the parents 'SEKATI' and 'SS-72/12' had reduced disease incidence in their fruits. The most resistant hybrids 'SS-72/12 X 4', 'SS-72/12 X 6', 'SEKATI X 1', 'SEKATI X 2', 'SEKATI X 6', 'SEKATI X 9', and 'SEKATI X 20' presented negative heterosis values for improved black-spot resistance. The current study allowed the selection of black-spot resistant genotypes and hybrids, which presented a significantly reduced disease index in the field.

Recent Changes in Pgopher: a General Purpose Program for Simulating Rotational Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Western, Colin

2010-06-01

Key features of the PGOPHER program include the simulation and fitting of the rotational structure of linear molecules and symmetric and asymmetric tops, including effects due to unpaired electrons and nuclear spin. The program is written to be as general as possible, and can handle many effects such as multiple interacting states, predissociation and multiphoton transitions. It is designed to be easy to use, with a flexible graphical user interface. PGOPHER has been released as an open source program, and can be freely downloaded from the website at http://pgopher.chm.bris.ac.uk. Recent additions include a mode which allows the calculation of vibrational energy levels starting from a harmonic model and the multidimensional Franck-Condon factors required to calculate intensities of vibronic transitions. PGOPHER takes account of both the displacement along normal co-ordinates and mixing between modes (the Duschinsky effect). l matrices produced from ab initio programs can be directly read by PGOPHER or the mode displacements and mixing can be fit to observed spectra. In addition the effects of external electric and/or magnetic fields can now be calculated, including plots of energy level against electric field suitable for predicting Stark deceleration, focussing and trapping of molecules. The figure shows a typical plot, showing the electric field tuning of the M = 0 levels of 202, 111 and 110 levels of (NO)_2. Other new features include fits to combination differences, simulation of the Doppler split peak typical of Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy, specifying a nuclear spin temperature independent of rotational temperature and interactive adjustment of parameter values with the mouse in addition to typing values.

Three-dimensional assessment of crestal bone levels at titanium implants with different abutment microstructures and insertion depths using micro-computed tomography.

PubMed

Becker, Kathrin; Klitzsch, Inka; Stauber, Martin; Schwarz, Frank

2017-06-01

To (i) assess the impact of insertion depth and abutment microstructure on the three-dimensional crestal bone-level changes at endosseous titanium implant using μCT and computerized image processing and (ii) to correlate the findings with previously reported histology. Titanium implants (conical abutment connection) were inserted in each hemimandible of n = 6 foxhounds with the implant shoulder (IS) located either in epicrestal (0 mm), supracrestal (+1 mm) or subcrestal (-1 mm) positions and randomly (split-mouth design) connected with machined or partially micro-grooved healing abutments. At 20 weeks, the tissue biopsies were processed for μCT and histological (HI) analyses. The volumetric dehiscence profile around the implants was computed as distance between the implant shoulder (IS) and the most coronal bone-to-implant contact (CBI) using MATLAB. The respective buccal and oral values were averaged, and agreement with the respective IS-CBI scores from HI was assessed using Bland-Altman plots. A median net bone gain was observed for supracrestal insertion depths at both abutment types, but lower bounds of the 75% quartile experienced net bone losses. Epicrestal and subcrestal insertion depths were linked to slight bone losses, and the buccal and oral dehiscences were smaller compared to supracrestal positioning. Bland-Altman plots yielded a moderate agreement of IS-CBI values measured with μCT and HI. The novel image processing method allowed reliable evaluations and pointed to a direct impact of insertion depths on crestal bone-level changes. Additionally, it demonstrated that HI morphometry crucially depends on the chosen cutting position. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nature of bonding and cooperativity in linear DMSO clusters: A DFT, AIM and NCI analysis.

PubMed

Venkataramanan, Natarajan Sathiyamoorthy; Suvitha, Ambigapathy

2018-05-01

This study aims to cast light on the nature of interactions and cooperativity that exists in linear dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) clusters using dispersion corrected density functional theory. In the linear DMSO, DMSO molecules in the middle of the clusters are bound strongly than at the terminal. The plot of the total binding energy of the clusters vs the cluster size and mean polarizabilities vs cluster size shows an excellent linearity demonstrating the presence of cooperativity effect. The computed incremental binding energy of the clusters remains nearly constant, implying that DMSO addition at the terminal site can happen to form an infinite chain. In the linear clusters, two σ-hole at the terminal DMSO molecules were found and the value on it was found to increase with the increase in cluster size. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules topography shows the existence of hydrogen and SO⋯S type in linear tetramer and larger clusters. In the dimer and trimer SO⋯OS type of interaction exists. In 2D non-covalent interactions plot, additional peaks in the regions which contribute to the stabilization of the clusters were observed and it splits in the trimer and intensifies in the larger clusters. In the trimer and larger clusters in addition to the blue patches due to hydrogen bonds, additional, light blue patches were seen between the hydrogen atom of the methyl groups and the sulphur atom of the nearby DMSO molecule. Thus, in addition to the strong H-bonds, strong electrostatic interactions between the sulphur atom and methyl hydrogens exists in the linear clusters. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of Removal of a Non-native Tree Species Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. on the Regenerating Plant Communities in a Tropical Semideciduous Forest Under Restoration in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podadera, Diego S.; Engel, Vera L.; Parrotta, John A.; Machado, Deivid L.; Sato, Luciane M.; Durigan, Giselda

2015-11-01

Exotic species are used to trigger facilitation in restoration plantings, but this positive effect may not be permanent and these species may have negative effects later on. Since such species can provide a marketable product (firewood), their harvest may represent an advantageous strategy to achieve both ecological and economic benefits. In this study, we looked at the effect of removal of a non-native tree species ( Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) on the understory of a semideciduous forest undergoing restoration. We assessed two 14-year-old plantation systems (modified "taungya" agroforestry system; and mixed plantation using commercial timber and firewood tree species) established at two sites with contrasting soil properties in São Paulo state, Brazil. The experimental design included randomized blocks with split plots. The natural regeneration of woody species (height ≥0.2 m) was compared between managed (all M. caesalpiniifolia trees removed) and unmanaged plots during the first year after the intervention. The removal of M. caesalpiniifolia increased species diversity but decreased stand basal area. Nevertheless, the basal area loss was recovered after 1 year. The management treatment affected tree species regeneration differently between species groups. The results of this study suggest that removal of M. caesalpiniifolia benefited the understory and possibly accelerated the succession process. Further monitoring studies are needed to evaluate the longer term effects on stand structure and composition. The lack of negative effects of tree removal on the natural regeneration indicates that such interventions can be recommended, especially considering the expectations of economic revenues from tree harvesting in restoration plantings.

Optimizing nitrogen application rate and plant density for improving cotton yield and nitrogen use efficiency in the North China Plain

PubMed Central

Dong, Helin; Zheng, Cangsong; Sun, Miao; Liu, Aizhong; Wang, Guoping; Liu, Shaodong; Zhang, Siping; Chen, Jing; Li, Yabing; Pang, Chaoyou; Zhao, Xinhua

2017-01-01

Plant population density (PPD) and nitrogen (N) application rate (NAR) are two controllable factors in cotton production. We conducted field experiments to investigate the effects of PPD, NAR and their interaction (PPD × NAR) on yield, N uptake and N use efficiency (NUE) of cotton using a split-plot design in the North China Plain during 2013 and 2014. The main plots were PPDs (plants m−2) of 3.00 (low), 5.25 (medium) and 7.50 (high) and the subplots were NARs of 0 (N-free), 112.5 (low), 225.0 (moderate) and 337.5 (high). During both 2013 and 2014, biological yield and N uptake of cotton increased significantly, but harvesting index decreased significantly with NAR and PPD increasing. With NAR increasing, internal nitrogen use efficiency(NUE) decreased significantly under three PPDs and agronomical NUE, physiologilal NUE, nitrogen recovery efficiency(NRE) and partial factor productivity from applied nitrogen (PFPN) also decreased significantly under high PPD between two years. Lint yield increment varied during different PPDs and years, but NAR enhancement showed less function under higher PPD than lower PPD in general. Taken together, moderate NAR under medium PPD combined higher lint yield with higher agronomic NUE, physiological NUE, and NRE, while low NAR with high PPD would achieve a comparable yield with superior NRE and PFPN and high NAR under high PPD and medium PPD produced higher biological yield but lower harvest index, lint yield and NUE compared to moderate NAR with medium PPD. Our overall results indicated that, in this region, increasing PPD and decreasing NAR properly would enhance both lint yield and NUE of cotton. PMID:28981538

Unusual Internal Rotation Coupling in the Microwave Spectrum of Pinacolone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, YueYue; Nguyen, Ha Vinh Lam; Stahl, Wolfgang; Hougen, Jon T.

2015-06-01

The molecular-beam Fourier-transform microwave spectrum of pinacolone (methyl tert-butyl ketone) has been measured in several regions between 2 and 40 GHz. Assignments of a large number of A and E transitions were confirmed by combination differences, but fits of the assigned spectrum using several torsion-rotation computer programs based on different models led to the unexpected conclusion that no existing program correctly captures the internal dynamics of this molecule. A second puzzle arose when it became clear that roughly half of the spectrum remained unassigned even after all predicted transitions were added to the assignment list. Quantum chemical calculations carried out at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level indicate that this molecule does not have a plane of symmetry at equilibrium, and that internal rotation of the light methyl group induces a large oscillatory motion of the heavy tert-butyl group from one side of the C_s saddle point to the other. The effect of this non-C_s equilibrium structure was modeled for J = 0 levels by a simple two-top torsional Hamiltonian, where magnitudes of the strong top-top coupling terms were determined directly from the ab initio two-dimensional potential surface. A plot of the resultant torsional levels on the same scale as a one-dimensional potential curve along the zig-zag path connecting the six (unequally spaced) minima bears a striking resemblance to the 1:2:1 splitting pattern of levels in an internal rotation problem with a six-fold barrier. A plot of the six minima closely resembles the potential surface for methylamine. This talk will focus on implications of these resemblances for future work.

Effect of plant density and mixing ratio on crop yield in sweet corn/mungbean intercropping.

PubMed

Sarlak, S; Aghaalikhani, M; Zand, B

2008-09-01

In order to evaluate the ear and forage yield of sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. Saccarata) in pure stand and intercropped with mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), a field experiment was conducted at Varamin region on summer 2006. Experiment was carried out in a split plot design based on randomized complete blocks with 4 replications. Plant density with 3 levels [Low (D1), Mean (D2) and High (D3) respecting 6, 8 and 10 m(-2) for sweet corn, cultivar S.C.403 and 10, 20 and 30 m(-2) for mung bean cultivar, Partow] was arranged in main plots and 5 mixing ratios [(P1) = 0/100, (P2) = 25/75, (P3) = 50/50, (P4) = 75/25, (P5) = 100/0% for sweet corn/mung bean, respectively] were arranged in subplots. Quantitative attributes such as plant height, sucker numbers, LER, dry matter distribution in different plant organs were measured in sweet corn economical maturity. Furthermore the yield of cannable ear corn and yield components of sweet corn and mung bean were investigated. Results showed that plant density has not any significant effect on evaluated traits, while the effect of mixing ratio was significant (p < 0.01). Therefore, the mixing ratio of 75/25 (sweet corn/mung bean) could be introduced as the superior mixing ratio; because of it's maximum rate of total sweet corn's biomass, forage yield, yield and yield components of ear corn in intercropping. Regarding to profitability indices of intercropping, the mixing ratio 75/25 (sweet corn/mung bean) in low density (D1P2) which showed the LER = 1.03 and 1.09 for total crop yield before ear harvesting and total forage yield after ear harvest respectively, was better than corn or mung bean monoculture.

A new programming metaphor for image processing procedures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smirnov, O. M.; Piskunov, N. E.

1992-01-01

Most image processing systems, besides an Application Program Interface (API) which lets users write their own image processing programs, also feature a higher level of programmability. Traditionally, this is a command or macro language, which can be used to build large procedures (scripts) out of simple programs or commands. This approach, a legacy of the teletypewriter has serious drawbacks. A command language is clumsy when (and if! it attempts to utilize the capabilities of a multitasking or multiprocessor environment, it is but adequate for real-time data acquisition and processing, it has a fairly steep learning curve, and the user interface is very inefficient,. especially when compared to a graphical user interface (GUI) that systems running under Xll or Windows should otherwise be able to provide. ll these difficulties stem from one basic problem: a command language is not a natural metaphor for an image processing procedure. A more natural metaphor - an image processing factory is described in detail. A factory is a set of programs (applications) that execute separate operations on images, connected by pipes that carry data (images and parameters) between them. The programs function concurrently, processing images as they arrive along pipes, and querying the user for whatever other input they need. From the user's point of view, programming (constructing) factories is a lot like playing with LEGO blocks - much more intuitive than writing scripts. Focus is on some of the difficulties of implementing factory support, most notably the design of an appropriate API. It also shows that factories retain all the functionality of a command language (including loops and conditional branches), while suffering from none of the drawbacks outlined above. Other benefits of factory programming include self-tuning factories and the process of encapsulation, which lets a factory take the shape of a standard application both from the system and the user's point of view, and thus be used as a component of other factories. A bare-bones prototype of factory programming was implemented under the PcIPS image processing system, and a complete version (on a multitasking platform) is under development.

Design, analysis and presentation of factorial randomised controlled trials

PubMed Central

Montgomery, Alan A; Peters, Tim J; Little, Paul

2003-01-01

Background The evaluation of more than one intervention in the same randomised controlled trial can be achieved using a parallel group design. However this requires increased sample size and can be inefficient, especially if there is also interest in considering combinations of the interventions. An alternative may be a factorial trial, where for two interventions participants are allocated to receive neither intervention, one or the other, or both. Factorial trials require special considerations, however, particularly at the design and analysis stages. Discussion Using a 2 × 2 factorial trial as an example, we present a number of issues that should be considered when planning a factorial trial. The main design issue is that of sample size. Factorial trials are most often powered to detect the main effects of interventions, since adequate power to detect plausible interactions requires greatly increased sample sizes. The main analytical issues relate to the investigation of main effects and the interaction between the interventions in appropriate regression models. Presentation of results should reflect the analytical strategy with an emphasis on the principal research questions. We also give an example of how baseline and follow-up data should be presented. Lastly, we discuss the implications of the design, analytical and presentational issues covered. Summary Difficulties in interpreting the results of factorial trials if an influential interaction is observed is the cost of the potential for efficient, simultaneous consideration of two or more interventions. Factorial trials can in principle be designed to have adequate power to detect realistic interactions, and in any case they are the only design that allows such effects to be investigated. PMID:14633287

A Survey of the Medical Needs of a Group of Small Factories*

PubMed Central

Lee, W. R.

1962-01-01

The present interest in medical services for small factories is matched by the limited objective information which is available on the demand for and needs of such services. As a teaching project, a survey was made of factories with between 30 and 200 employees on an estate in the North West where there was no organized medical service. Unfortunately, time allowed only 22 factories to be visited. The findings, therefore, are regarded as indicative rather than conclusive, but this does not detract from their interest. Factories were visited by two or three postgraduate students who completed a questionnaire designed to standardize their findings. The questionnaire is included as an appendix to this paper. Regarding the demand for medical services, four of the 22 factories were subsidiaries of larger organizations and had part-time medical advice, 14 expressed no interest even if this would have involved no financial commitment, and the remaining four were interested for differing reasons. The needs of the factories in this context were found to be, first, advice and perhaps better supervision of non-mechanical hazards and, secondly, supervision of the first aid arrangements. From the ambulance journey records of the local authority there appeared to be no great demand for local casualty facilities. To meet these needs it is suggested that the functions of the appointed factory doctor might be modified to include wider supervision of non-mechanical hazards and supervision of first aid arrangements. It is also suggested that the National Health Service should form the basis for dealing with those cases requiring more than first aid. PMID:14463582

Integrating Soil Silicon Amendment into Management Programs for Insect Pests of Drill-Seeded Rice

PubMed Central

Way, Michael O.; Pearson, Rebecca A.; Stout, Michael J.

2017-01-01

Silicon soil amendment has been shown to enhance plant defenses against insect pests. Rice is a silicon-accumulating graminaceous plant. In the southern United States, the rice water weevil and stem borers are important pests of rice. Current management tactics for these pests rely heavily on the use of insecticides. This study evaluated the effects of silicon amendment when combined with current management tactics for these rice insect pests in the field. Field experiments were conducted from 2013 to 2015. Rice was drill-planted in plots subjected to factorial combinations of variety (conventional and hybrid), chlorantraniliprole seed treatment (treated and untreated), and silicon amendment (treated and untreated). Silicon amendment reduced densities of weevil larvae on a single sampling date in 2014, but did not affect densities of whiteheads caused by stem borers. In contrast, insecticidal seed treatment strongly reduced densities of both weevil larvae and whiteheads. Higher densities of weevil larvae were also observed in the hybrid variety in 2014, while higher incidences of whiteheads were observed in the conventional variety in 2014 and 2015. Silicon amendment improved rice yields, as did chlorantraniliprole seed treatment and use of the hybrid variety. PMID:28805707

Development of modified release diltiazem HCl tablets using composite index to identify optimal formulation.

PubMed

Gohel, M C; Patel, M M; Amin, A F

2003-05-01

This article reports the preparation of tartaric acid treated ispaghula husk powder for the development of modified release tablets of diltiazem HCl by adopting direct compression technique and a 32 full factorial design. The modified ispaghula husk powder showed superior swelling and gelling as compared to untreated powder. Addition of compaction augmenting agent such as dicalcium phosphate was found to be essential for obtaining tablets with adequate crushing strength. In order to improve the crushing strength of diltiazem HCl tablets, to modulate drug release pattern, and to obtain similarity of dissolution profiles in distilled water and simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2), modified guar gum was used along with modified ispaghula husk powder and tartaric acid. A novel composite index, which considers a positive or a negative deviation from an ideal value, was calculated considering percentage drug release in 60, 300, and 540 min as dependent variables for the selection of a most appropriate batch. Polynomial equation and contour plots are presented. The concept of similarity factor (f2) was used to prove similarity of dissolution in water and simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2).

Formulation design and optimization of mouth dissolve tablets of nimesulide using vacuum drying technique.

PubMed

Gohel, Mukesh; Patel, Madhabhai; Amin, Avani; Agrawal, Ruchi; Dave, Rikita; Bariya, Nehal

2004-04-26

The purpose of this research was to develop mouth dissolve tablets of nimesulide. Granules containing nimesulide, camphor, crospovidone, and lactose were prepared by wet granulation technique. Camphor was sublimed from the dried granules by exposure to vacuum. The porous granules were then compressed. Alternatively, tablets were first prepared and later exposed to vacuum. The tablets were evaluated for percentage friability, wetting time, and disintegration time. In the investigation, a 32 full factorial design was used to investigate the joint influence of 2 formulation variables: amount of camphor and crospovidone. The results of multiple linear regression analysis revealed that for obtaining a rapidly disintegrating dosage form, tablets should be prepared using an optimum concentration of camphor and a higher percentage of crospovidone. A contour plot is also presented to graphically represent the effect of the independent variables on the disintegration time and percentage friability. A checkpoint batch was also prepared to prove the validity of the evolved mathematical model. Sublimation of camphor from tablets resulted in superior tablets as compared with the tablets prepared from granules that were exposed to vacuum. The systematic formulation approach helped in understanding the effect of formulation processing variables.

Amplitude Analysis of B0 to K^ pi^-pi^0 and Evidence of Direct CP Violation in B to K^* pi decays

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

Lees, J.P.

We analyze the decay B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup +} {pi}{sup -} {pi}{sup 0} with a sample of 454 million B{bar B} events collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory at SLAC, and extract the complex amplitudes of seven interfering resonances over the Dalitz plot. These results are combined with amplitudes measured in B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup 0}{sub s}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} decays to construct isospin amplitudes from B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup *}{pi} and B{sup 0} {yields} {rho}K decays. We measure the phase of the isospin amplitude {Phi}{sub 3/2}, useful in constraining the CKM unitarity triangle angle {gamma}more » and evaluate a CP rate asymmetry sum rule sensitive to the presence of new physics operators. We measure direct CP violation in B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup *+}{pi}{sup -} decays at the level of 3 {sigma} when measurements from both B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup +}{pi}{sup -}{pi}{sup 0} and B{sup 0} {yields} K{sup 0}{sub s}{pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -} decays are combined.« less

The German Version of the Herth Hope Index (HHI-D): Development and Psychometric Properties.

PubMed

Geiser, Franziska; Zajackowski, Katharina; Conrad, Rupert; Imbierowicz, Katrin; Wegener, Ingo; Herth, Kaye A; Urbach, Anne Sarah

2015-01-01

The importance of hope is evident in clinical oncological care. Hope is associated with psychological and also physical functioning. However, there is still a dearth of empirical research on hope as a multidimensional concept. The Herth Hope Index is a reliable and valid instrument for the measurement of hope and is available in many languages. Until now no authorized German translation has been published and validated. After translation, the questionnaire was completed by 192 patients with different tumor entities in radiation therapy. Reliability, concurrent validity, and factor structure of the questionnaire were determined. Correlations were high with depression and anxiety as well as optimism and pessimism. As expected, correlations with coping styles were moderate. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were satisfactory. We could not replicate the original 3-factor model. Application of the scree plot criterion in an exploratory factor analysis resulted in a single-factor structure. The Herth Hope Index - German Version (HHI-D) is a short, reliable, and valid instrument for the assessment of hope in patient populations. We recommend using only the HHI-D total score until further research gives more insights into possible factorial solutions and subscales. © 2015 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Integrating Soil Silicon Amendment into Management Programs for Insect Pests of Drill-Seeded Rice.

PubMed

Villegas, James M; Way, Michael O; Pearson, Rebecca A; Stout, Michael J

2017-08-13

Silicon soil amendment has been shown to enhance plant defenses against insect pests. Rice is a silicon-accumulating graminaceous plant. In the southern United States, the rice water weevil and stem borers are important pests of rice. Current management tactics for these pests rely heavily on the use of insecticides. This study evaluated the effects of silicon amendment when combined with current management tactics for these rice insect pests in the field. Field experiments were conducted from 2013 to 2015. Rice was drill-planted in plots subjected to factorial combinations of variety (conventional and hybrid), chlorantraniliprole seed treatment (treated and untreated), and silicon amendment (treated and untreated). Silicon amendment reduced densities of weevil larvae on a single sampling date in 2014, but did not affect densities of whiteheads caused by stem borers. In contrast, insecticidal seed treatment strongly reduced densities of both weevil larvae and whiteheads. Higher densities of weevil larvae were also observed in the hybrid variety in 2014, while higher incidences of whiteheads were observed in the conventional variety in 2014 and 2015. Silicon amendment improved rice yields, as did chlorantraniliprole seed treatment and use of the hybrid variety.

Effect of the Key Mixture Parameters on Shrinkage of Reactive Powder Concrete

PubMed Central

Zubair, Ahmed

2014-01-01

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixtures are reported to have excellent mechanical and durability characteristics. However, such concrete mixtures having high amount of cementitious materials may have high early shrinkage causing cracking of concrete. In the present work, an attempt has been made to study the simultaneous effects of three key mixture parameters on shrinkage of the RPC mixtures. Considering three different levels of the three key mixture factors, a total of 27 mixtures of RPC were prepared according to 33 factorial experiment design. The specimens belonging to all 27 mixtures were monitored for shrinkage at different ages over a total period of 90 days. The test results were plotted to observe the variation of shrinkage with time and to see the effects of the key mixture factors. The experimental data pertaining to 90-day shrinkage were used to conduct analysis of variance to identify significance of each factor and to obtain an empirical equation correlating the shrinkage of RPC with the three key mixture factors. The rate of development of shrinkage at early ages was higher. The water to binder ratio was found to be the most prominent factor followed by cement content with the least effect of silica fume content. PMID:25050395

Effect of the key mixture parameters on shrinkage of reactive powder concrete.

PubMed

Ahmad, Shamsad; Zubair, Ahmed; Maslehuddin, Mohammed

2014-01-01

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixtures are reported to have excellent mechanical and durability characteristics. However, such concrete mixtures having high amount of cementitious materials may have high early shrinkage causing cracking of concrete. In the present work, an attempt has been made to study the simultaneous effects of three key mixture parameters on shrinkage of the RPC mixtures. Considering three different levels of the three key mixture factors, a total of 27 mixtures of RPC were prepared according to 3(3) factorial experiment design. The specimens belonging to all 27 mixtures were monitored for shrinkage at different ages over a total period of 90 days. The test results were plotted to observe the variation of shrinkage with time and to see the effects of the key mixture factors. The experimental data pertaining to 90-day shrinkage were used to conduct analysis of variance to identify significance of each factor and to obtain an empirical equation correlating the shrinkage of RPC with the three key mixture factors. The rate of development of shrinkage at early ages was higher. The water to binder ratio was found to be the most prominent factor followed by cement content with the least effect of silica fume content.

On-demand acoustic droplet splitting and steering in a disposable microfluidic chip.

PubMed

Park, Jinsoo; Jung, Jin Ho; Park, Kwangseok; Destgeer, Ghulam; Ahmed, Husnain; Ahmad, Raheel; Sung, Hyung Jin

2018-01-30

On-chip droplet splitting is one of the fundamental droplet-based microfluidic unit operations to control droplet volume after production and increase operational capability, flexibility, and throughput. Various droplet splitting methods have been proposed, and among them the acoustic droplet splitting method is promising because of its label-free operation without any physical or thermal damage to droplets. Previous acoustic droplet splitting methods faced several limitations: first, they employed a cross-type acoustofluidic device that precluded multichannel droplet splitting; second, they required irreversible bonding between a piezoelectric substrate and a microfluidic chip, such that the fluidic chip was not replaceable. Here, we present a parallel-type acoustofluidic device with a disposable microfluidic chip to address the limitations of previous acoustic droplet splitting devices. In the proposed device, an acoustic field is applied in the direction opposite to the flow direction to achieve multichannel droplet splitting and steering. A disposable polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic chip is employed in the developed device, thereby removing the need for permanent bonding and improving the flexibility of the droplet microfluidic device. We experimentally demonstrated on-demand acoustic droplet bi-splitting and steering with precise control over the droplet splitting ratio, and we investigated the underlying physical mechanisms of droplet splitting and steering based on Laplace pressure and ray acoustics analyses, respectively. We also demonstrated droplet tri-splitting to prove the feasibility of multichannel droplet splitting. The proposed on-demand acoustic droplet splitting device enables on-chip droplet volume control in various droplet-based microfluidic applications.

Students Tackle Academics in Practical Context at Skateboard Factory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearson, George

2012-01-01

High school student Nick Robertson came to Oasis Skateboard Factory (OSF) from a suburban Toronto district. He was surfing the web when he spotted a reference to Oasis Skateboard Factory, an alternative program in the Toronto District School Board. He says his first reaction was "Skateboards in school? It didn't seem possible." He…

Muon Accelerator Program (MAP) | Homepage

Science.gov Websites

collider and neutrino factory Scientists around the world are developing the technologies necessary for a factory or a muon collider. Read more: Neutrino factory Muon collider Developing a muon source One of the developing and testing RF cavities and magnets for a muon beamline. The facility allows scientists to test

37. NORTH TO BINS ALONG NORTH WALL OF FACTORY BUILDING ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

37. NORTH TO BINS ALONG NORTH WALL OF FACTORY BUILDING WHICH REMAIN FILLED WITH NEW OLD STOCK AND USED PARTS FOR ELI WINDMILLS. THE ROPE AT THE LOWER FOREGROUND WAS USED IN ERECTING WINDMILLS AND TOWERS FOR CUSTOMERS. - Kregel Windmill Company Factory, 1416 Central Avenue, Nebraska City, Otoe County, NE

The first use of a HPLC system at a Louisiana Sugarcane Factory: What it can do for you

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alma Plantation sugarcane factory established and operated the first High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) system in Louisiana in 2015. Although many HPLC systems exist, the factory opted for a ThermoFisherTM ion chromatography (anion exchange) system with integrated pulsed amperometric det...

Factory-Calibrated Continuous Glucose Sensors: The Science Behind the Technology.

PubMed

Hoss, Udo; Budiman, Erwin Satrya

2017-05-01

The use of commercially available continuous glucose monitors for diabetes management requires sensor calibrations, which until recently are exclusively performed by the patient. A new development is the implementation of factory calibration for subcutaneous glucose sensors, which eliminates the need for user calibrations and the associated blood glucose tests. Factory calibration means that the calibration process is part of the sensor manufacturing process and performed under controlled laboratory conditions. The ability to move from a user calibration to factory calibration is based on several technical requirements related to sensor stability and the robustness of the sensor manufacturing process. The main advantages of factory calibration over the conventional user calibration are: (a) more convenience for the user, since no more fingersticks are required for calibration and (b) elimination of use errors related to the execution of the calibration process, which can lead to sensor inaccuracies. The FreeStyle Libre ™ and FreeStyle Libre Pro ™ flash continuous glucose monitoring systems are the first commercially available sensor systems using factory-calibrated sensors. For these sensor systems, no user calibrations are required throughout the sensor wear duration.

Incense and joss stick making in small household factories, Thailand.

PubMed

Siripanich, S; Siriwong, W; Keawrueang, P; Borjan, M; Robson, M

2014-07-01

Incense and joss stick are generally used in the world. Most products were made in small household factories. There are many environmental and occupational hazards in these factories. To evaluate the workplace environmental and occupational hazards in small household incense and joss stick factories in Roi-Et, Thailand. Nine small household factories in rural areas of Roi-Et, Thailand, were studied. Dust concentration and small aerosol particles were counted through real time exposure monitoring. The inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was used for quantitative measurement of heavy metal residue in incense products. Several heavy metals were found in dissolved dye and joss sticks. Those included barium, manganese, and lead. Rolling and shaking processes produced the highest concentration of dust and aerosols. Only 3.9% of female workers used personal protection equipment. Dust and chemicals were major threats in small household incense and joss stick factories in Thailand. Increasing awareness towards using personal protection equipment and emphasis on elimination of environmental workplace hazards should be considered to help the workers of this industry.

Entrepreneurship Education through Industrial Internship for Technical and Vocational Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sumual, H.; Soputan, G. J.

2018-02-01

The spirit of entrepreneurship must be formed in an integrated process in learning so that commitment, responsibility and work ethic on the candidate of vocational high school graduates are effectively promoted. Learning teaching factory teaches students how to find problems, build prototypes, learn to make business plan, and learn to present their own solutions. The research objective is to assess the effectiveness of Teaching Factory implementation in improving the competence and skills of students in the field of entrepreneurship. The method used in this research is case study. Key informants were determined purposively in charge of teaching factory, students, and teachers who teach in productive subject. The results achieved in this study are: 1) culinary and hospitality units are the most active groups in producing products for teaching factory, 2) the role of entrepreneurial groups in each unit of production in order to increase productivity 3) students earn revenues of teaching factory and production unit get percentage of product or service sales, 3) the role of each production unit determines the level of teaching factory effectiveness.

Design of Experiments with Multiple Independent Variables: A Resource Management Perspective on Complete and Reduced Factorial Designs

PubMed Central

Collins, Linda M.; Dziak, John J.; Li, Runze

2009-01-01

An investigator who plans to conduct experiments with multiple independent variables must decide whether to use a complete or reduced factorial design. This article advocates a resource management perspective on making this decision, in which the investigator seeks a strategic balance between service to scientific objectives and economy. Considerations in making design decisions include whether research questions are framed as main effects or simple effects; whether and which effects are aliased (confounded) in a particular design; the number of experimental conditions that must be implemented in a particular design and the number of experimental subjects the design requires to maintain the desired level of statistical power; and the costs associated with implementing experimental conditions and obtaining experimental subjects. In this article four design options are compared: complete factorial, individual experiments, single factor, and fractional factorial designs. Complete and fractional factorial designs and single factor designs are generally more economical than conducting individual experiments on each factor. Although relatively unfamiliar to behavioral scientists, fractional factorial designs merit serious consideration because of their economy and versatility. PMID:19719358

Quantum computation with realistic magic-state factories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Gorman, Joe; Campbell, Earl T.

2017-03-01

Leading approaches to fault-tolerant quantum computation dedicate a significant portion of the hardware to computational factories that churn out high-fidelity ancillas called magic states. Consequently, efficient and realistic factory design is of paramount importance. Here we present the most detailed resource assessment to date of magic-state factories within a surface code quantum computer, along the way introducing a number of techniques. We show that the block codes of Bravyi and Haah [Phys. Rev. A 86, 052329 (2012), 10.1103/PhysRevA.86.052329] have been systematically undervalued; we track correlated errors both numerically and analytically, providing fidelity estimates without appeal to the union bound. We also introduce a subsystem code realization of these protocols with constant time and low ancilla cost. Additionally, we confirm that magic-state factories have space-time costs that scale as a constant factor of surface code costs. We find that the magic-state factory required for postclassical factoring can be as small as 6.3 million data qubits, ignoring ancilla qubits, assuming 10-4 error gates and the availability of long-range interactions.

Factory-Calibrated Continuous Glucose Sensors: The Science Behind the Technology

PubMed Central

Budiman, Erwin Satrya

2017-01-01

Abstract The use of commercially available continuous glucose monitors for diabetes management requires sensor calibrations, which until recently are exclusively performed by the patient. A new development is the implementation of factory calibration for subcutaneous glucose sensors, which eliminates the need for user calibrations and the associated blood glucose tests. Factory calibration means that the calibration process is part of the sensor manufacturing process and performed under controlled laboratory conditions. The ability to move from a user calibration to factory calibration is based on several technical requirements related to sensor stability and the robustness of the sensor manufacturing process. The main advantages of factory calibration over the conventional user calibration are: (a) more convenience for the user, since no more fingersticks are required for calibration and (b) elimination of use errors related to the execution of the calibration process, which can lead to sensor inaccuracies. The FreeStyle Libre™ and FreeStyle Libre Pro™ flash continuous glucose monitoring systems are the first commercially available sensor systems using factory-calibrated sensors. For these sensor systems, no user calibrations are required throughout the sensor wear duration. PMID:28541139

Long-term effects of conventional and reduced tillage systems on soil condition and yield of maize

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rátonyi, Tamás; Széles, Adrienn; Harsányi, Endre

2015-04-01

As a consequence of operations which neglect soil condition and consist of frequent soil disturbance, conventional tillage (primary tillage with autumn ploughing) results in the degradation and compaction of soil structure, as well as the reduction of organic matter. These unfavourable processes pose an increasing economic and environmental protection problem today. The unfavourable physical condition of soils on which conventional tillage was performed indicate the need for preserving methods and tools. The examinations were performed in the multifactorial long-term tillage experiment established at the Látókép experiment site of DE MÉK. The experiment site is located in the Hajdúság loess ridge (Hungary) and its soil is loess-based calcareous chernozem with deep humus layer. The physical soil type is mid-heavy adobe. The long-term experiment has a split-split plot design. The main plots are different tillage methods (autumn ploughing, spring shallow tillage) without replication. In this paper, the effect of conventional and reduced (shallow) tillage methods on soil conditions and maize yield was examined. A manual penetrometer was used to determine the physical condition and compactedness of the soil. The soil moisture content was determined with deep probe measurement (based on capacitive method). In addition to soil analyses, the yield per hectare of different plots was also observed. In reduced tillage, one compacted layer is shown in the soil resistance profile determined with a penetrometer, while there are two compacted layers in autumn ploughing. The highest resistance was measured in the case of primary tillage performed at the same depth for several years in the compacted (pan disk) layer developed under the developed layer in both treatments. The unfavourable impact of spring shallow primary tillage on physical soil conditions is shown by the fact that the compaction of the pan disk exceed the critical limit value of 3 MPa. Over the years, further deterioration of physical conditions were observed below the regularly cultivated layer. In shallow tillage, soil contained more moisture (at 40-50 cm deep and below) than in the ploughed treatment. There are multiple reasons for this phenomenon. This tillage method is moisture preserving as the depth of disturbance (15 cm) is lower than in ploughed treatments (25-30 cm). Soil surface is covered by stem residues after sowing, which may reduce the extent of evaporation. The soil surface CO2 emission was determined based on primary tillage depth, intensity and the period which passed since primary tillage. Spring shallow primary tillage resulted in higher CO2 emission than conventional tillage. The average maize yield was significantly higher in the autumn ploughing treatment (6,6-13,9 t/ha) in the first half (7 years) of the examined period (2000-2014). Higher average yields were observed in two years in the spring shallow tillage treatment and no significant yield difference was observed between tillage treatments in other examined years. Reduced (shallow) tillage increases the risk of near-surface soil compaction and the biological activity of the soil, while it reduces the moisture loss of the soil. Reducing tillage intensity does not necessarily reduce the average yield of the produced crop (maize).

Effects of live cultures of Lactobacillus acidophilus (strains NP45 and NP51) and Propionibacterium freudenreichii on performance, carcass, and intestinal characteristics, and Escherichia coli strain O157 shedding of finishing beef steers.

PubMed

Elam, N A; Gleghorn, J F; Rivera, J D; Galyean, M L; Defoor, P J; Brashears, M M; Younts-Dahl, S M

2003-11-01

In Exp. 1, 240 beef steers (initial BW = 332.8 kg) were used to determine the effects of Lactobacillus acidophilus (LA) plus Propionibacterium freudenreichii (PF) on performance, carcass, and intestinal characteristics; serum IgA concentrations; and the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 (EC). Cattle were fed a steam-flaked corn-based, 92% concentrate diet, and the four direct-fed microbial (DFM) treatments (12 pens/treatment) included in a randomized complete block design were as follows: 1) control, lactose carrier only (CON); 2) 1 x 10(9) cfu of LA NP51 plus 1 x 10(6) cfu of LA NP45 plus 1 x 10(9) cfu of PF NP24 per animal daily (LA45-51H); 3) 1 x 10(9) cfu of LA NP51 plus 1 x 10(9) cfu of PF NP24 per animal daily (LA51); and 4) 1 x 10(6) cfu of LA NP51 plus 1 x 10(6) cfu of LA NP45 plus 1 x 10(9) cfu of PF NP24 per animal daily (LA45-51L). No differences (P > 0.10) were detected for pen-based performance data. The average lamina propria thickness for LA51 and LA45-51H steers was less (P = 0.02) than the average for CON and LA45-51L steers. Moreover, LA51 and LA45-51H steers had a lower (P = 0.06) prevalence of EC shedding than CON and LA45-51L steers. In Exp. 2, 660 steers fed 91% concentrate, steam-flaked corn-based diets were used to determine the effects of the following DFM treatments (10 pens/treatment) on performance, carcass, and intestinal characteristics: 1) control, lactose carrier only (CON); 2) 5 x 10(6) cfu of LA NP51 plus 5 x 10(6) cfu of LA NP45 plus 1 x 10(9) cfu of PF NP24 per animal daily (LA45-51L); and 3) 1 x 10(9) cfu of LA NP51 plus 5 x 10(6) cfu of LA NP45 plus 1 x 10(9) cfu of PF NP24 per animal daily (LA45-51H). Steers were from two weight groups (WG). One group (SDOF; BW at arrival = 351.5 kg) had grazed before arrival, and the other group (LDOF; BW at arrival = 314 kg) had been in a grower yard. A split plot was used with WG as the whole-plot factor and DFM in the split plot. There was an interaction of WG and DFM for ADG (P = 0.05) and for carcass-adjusted ADG (P = 0.08). The simple-effect ADG and carcass-adjusted ADG means for DFM treatments differed (P < or = 0.01) between WG classifications. Within SDOF, ADG for CON and LA45-51L did not differ (P = 0.70), but both were less (P < or = 0.08) than for LA45-51H. Overall, these data indicate that live cultures of LA plus PF did not greatly affect feedlot performance and carcass characteristics. Some of the DFM used decreased fecal EC shedding, which might be related to the results for ileal lamina propria thickness.

Elemental source attribution signatures for calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) fertilizers used in homemade explosives

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

Fraga, Carlos G.; Mitroshkov, Alexander V.; Mirjankar, Nikhil S.

Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) is a widely available fertilizer composed of ammonium nitrate mixed with some form of calcium carbonate such as limestone or dolomite. CAN is also frequently used to make homemade explosives. The potential of using elemental profiling and chemometrics to match both pristine and reprocessed CAN fertilizers to their factories for use in future forensic investigations was examined. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis was performed on 64 elements in 125 samples from 11 CAN stocks from 6 different CAN factories. Fisher ratio, degree-of-class-separation, and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA) were used to develop a modelmore » using the concentrations of Na, V, Mn, Cu, Ga, Sr, Ba and U to classify a validation set of CAN samples into 5 factory groups; one group was two factories from the same fertilizer company. In terms of the pristine CAN samples, i.e., unadulterated prills, 64% of the test samples were matched to their correct factory group with zero false positives. The same PLSDA model was used to correctly match 100% of the CAN samples that were reprocessed by crushing and mixing the CAN with powdered sugar. In the case of crushed CAN samples mixed with aluminum powder, correct matches were made for zero to 100% of the samples depending on the factory the CAN originated. Remarkably, for one factory, 100% of the ammonium nitrate samples that were extracted from CAN using tap or bottled water were matched to the correct CAN factory group. Lastly, the water-insoluble (calcium carbonate) portions of CAN provided a greater degree of discrimination between factories than the water-soluble portions of CAN. In summary, this work illustrates that sourcing unadulterated CAN fertilizer can potentially be done with high frequency and high confidence using elemental profiling and chemometrics while the sourcing of reprocessed CAN is dependent on how much an adulterant alters the recovered elemental profile of CAN.« less

[Analysis of musculoskeletal disorders, work load and working postures among manufacturing workers].

PubMed

Yu, Shan-fa; Gu, Gui-zhen; Sun, Shi-yi; Wang, Hai-sheng; Cui, Shou-ming; Yang, Xiao-fa; Yang, Shu-le; He, Li-hua; Wang, Sheng

2011-03-01

To analyze the distribution of the musculoskeletal disorders, work load and working postures in different factories, gender, education levels, age and working years among manufacturing workers. In a cross-sectional study of 5134 manufacturing workers in 12 factories, the morbidities for musculoskeletal disorders in one year period were measured with questionnaires. The morbidities for musculoskeletal disorders in body sites: waist, neck, shoulder, wrist, ankle/feet, knee, hip/buttocks and elbows were 59.7%, 47.9%, 38.1%, 33.7%, 26.9%, 25.4%, 15.2%, and 14.9%, respectively in one year period. There were significant differences of morbidities for musculoskeletal symptoms in body sites of workers among different factories (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The morbidities of musculoskeletal symptoms in elbows, waist, wrists and ankle/feet of the workers in refractory material and chemical fiber factories were higher than those in other factories, the morbidities for musculoskeletal symptoms of workers in garments and diamond factories were lower than those in other factories. The morbidities for musculoskeletal symptoms in neck, shoulders and wrists of female workers were significantly higher than those of male workers (P < 0.01). There were significant differences of the morbidities for musculoskeletal symptoms in body sites among workers with different educational levels (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). There were significant differences of the morbidities for musculoskeletal symptoms in neck, shoulders, wrists, hip/buttocks and knee among groups with different age or different working years (P < 0.01), and the morbidities for musculoskeletal symptoms increased with age and working years. The proportions of unhealthy working postures and high working load among workers in refractory material and chemical fiber factories were higher; but those in garments and diamond factories were lower. The morbidities for musculoskeletal symptoms in waist, neck, shoulder and wrists of workers in manufacturing workers were higher; the gender, education level, age and working years could influenced the morbidities for musculoskeletal disorders.

Presence of sourdough lactic acid bacteria in commercial total mixed ration silage as revealed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis.

PubMed

Wang, C; Nishino, N

2010-10-01

To characterize the bacterial communities in commercial total mixed ration (TMR) silage, which is known to have a long bunk life after silo opening. Samples were collected from four factories that produce TMR silage according to their own recipes. Three factories were sampled three times at 1-month intervals during the summer to characterize the differences between factories; one factory was sampled 12 times, three samples each during the summer, autumn, winter and spring, to determine seasonal changes. Bacterial communities were determined by culture-independent denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. All silages contained lactic acid as the predominant acid, and the contents appeared stable regardless of factories and product seasons. Acetic acid and 1-propanol contents were different between factories and indicated seasonal changes, with increases in warm seasons compared to cool seasons. Both differences and similarities existed among the bacterial communities from each factory and product season. Lactobacillus parabuchneri was found in the products from three of four factories. Various sourdough lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were identified in commercial TMR silage; Lactobacillus panis, Lactobacillus hammesii, Lactobacillus mindensis, Lactobacillus pontis, Lactobacillus frumenti and Lactobacillus farciminis were detected in many products. Moreover, changes owing to product season were distinctive, and Lact. pontis and Lact. frumenti became detectable in summer products. Sourdough LAB are involved in the ensiling of commercial TMR silage. Silage bacterial communities vary more by season than by factory. The LAB species Lact. parabuchneri was detected in the TMR silage but may not be essential to the product's long bunk life after silo opening. Commercial TMR silage resembles sourdough with respect to bacterial communities and long shelf life. The roles of sourdough LAB in the ensiling process and aerobic stability are worth examining. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Impact of a private sector living wage intervention on depressive symptoms among apparel workers in the Dominican Republic: a quasi-experimental study

PubMed Central

Burmaster, Katharine B; Landefeld, John C; Rehkopf, David H; Lahiff, Maureen; Sokal-Gutierrez, Karen; Adler-Milstein, Sarah; Fernald, Lia C H

2015-01-01

Objectives Poverty reduction interventions through cash transfers and microcredit have had mixed effects on mental health. In this quasi-experimental study, we evaluate the effect of a living wage intervention on depressive symptoms of apparel factory workers in the Dominican Republic. Setting Two apparel factories in the Dominican Republic. Participants The final sample consisted of 204 hourly wage workers from the intervention (99) and comparison (105) factories. Interventions In 2010, an apparel factory began a living wage intervention including a 350% wage increase and significant workplace improvements. The wage increase was plausibly exogenous because workers were not aware of the living wage when applying for jobs and expected to be paid the usual minimum wage. These individuals were compared with workers at a similar local factory paying minimum wage, 15–16 months postintervention. Primary outcome measures Workers’ depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). Ordinary least squares and Poisson regressions were used to evaluate treatment effect of the intervention, adjusted for covariates. Results Intervention factory workers had fewer depressive symptoms than comparison factory workers (unadjusted mean CES-D scores: 10.6±9.3 vs 14.7±11.6, p=0.007). These results were sustained when controlling for covariates (β=−5.4, 95% CI −8.5 to −2.3, p=0.001). In adjusted analyses using the standard CES-D clinical cut-off of 16, workers at the intervention factory had a 47% reduced risk of clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms compared with workers at the comparison factory (23% vs 40%). Conclusions Policymakers have long grappled with how best to improve mental health among populations in low-income and middle-income countries. We find that providing a living wage and workplace improvements to improve income and well-being in a disadvantaged population is associated with reduced depressive symptoms. PMID:26238394

A Hospital Is Not Just a Factory, but a Complex Adaptive System-Implications for Perioperative Care.

PubMed

Mahajan, Aman; Islam, Salim D; Schwartz, Michael J; Cannesson, Maxime

2017-07-01

Many methods used to improve hospital and perioperative services productivity and quality of care have assumed that the hospital is essentially a factory, and therefore, that industrial engineering and manufacturing-derived redesign approaches such as Six Sigma and Lean can be applied to hospitals and perioperative services just as they have been applied in factories. However, a hospital is not merely a factory but also a complex adaptive system (CAS). The hospital CAS has many subsystems, with perioperative care being an important one for which concepts of factory redesign are frequently advocated. In this article, we argue that applying only factory approaches such as lean methodologies or process standardization to complex systems such as perioperative care could account for difficulties and/or failures in improving performance in care delivery. Within perioperative services, only noncomplex/low-variance surgical episodes are amenable to manufacturing-based redesign. On the other hand, complex surgery/high-variance cases and preoperative segmentation (the process of distinguishing between normal and complex cases) can be viewed as CAS-like. These systems tend to self-organize, often resist or react unpredictably to attempts at control, and therefore require application of CAS principles to modify system behavior. We describe 2 examples of perioperative redesign to illustrate the concepts outlined above. These examples present complementary and contrasting cases from 2 leading delivery systems. The Mayo Clinic example illustrates the application of manufacturing-based redesign principles to a factory-like (high-volume, low-risk, and mature practice) clinical program, while the Kaiser Permanente example illustrates the application of both manufacturing-based and self-organization-based approaches to programs and processes that are not factory-like but CAS-like. In this article, we describe how factory-like processes and CAS can coexist within a hospital and how self-organization-based approaches can be used to improve care delivery in many situations where manufacturing-based approaches may not be appropriate.

Using histograms to introduce randomization in the generation of ensembles of decision trees

DOEpatents

Kamath, Chandrika; Cantu-Paz, Erick; Littau, David

2005-02-22

A system for decision tree ensembles that includes a module to read the data, a module to create a histogram, a module to evaluate a potential split according to some criterion using the histogram, a module to select a split point randomly in an interval around the best split, a module to split the data, and a module to combine multiple decision trees in ensembles. The decision tree method includes the steps of reading the data; creating a histogram; evaluating a potential split according to some criterion using the histogram, selecting a split point randomly in an interval around the best split, splitting the data, and combining multiple decision trees in ensembles.

SciSpark: In-Memory Map-Reduce for Earth Science Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, P.; Wilson, B. D.; Whitehall, K. D.; Palamuttam, R. S.; Mattmann, C. A.; Shah, S.; Goodman, A.; Burke, W.

2016-12-01

We are developing a lightning fast Big Data technology called SciSpark based on ApacheTM Spark under a NASA AIST grant (PI Mattmann). Spark implements the map-reduce paradigm for parallel computing on a cluster, but emphasizes in-memory computation, "spilling" to disk only as needed, and so outperforms the disk-based Apache Hadoop by 100x in memory and by 10x on disk. SciSpark extends Spark to support Earth Science use in three ways: Efficient ingest of N-dimensional geo-located arrays (physical variables) from netCDF3/4, HDF4/5, and/or OPeNDAP URLS; Array operations for dense arrays in scala and Java using the ND4S/ND4J or Breeze libraries; Operations to "split" datasets across a Spark cluster by time or space or both. For example, a decade-long time-series of geo-variables can be split across time to enable parallel "speedups" of analysis by day, month, or season. Similarly, very high-resolution climate grids can be partitioned into spatial tiles for parallel operations across rows, columns, or blocks. In addition, using Spark's gateway into python, PySpark, one can utilize the entire ecosystem of numpy, scipy, etc. Finally, SciSpark Notebooks provide a modern eNotebook technology in which scala, python, or spark-sql codes are entered into cells in the Notebook and executed on the cluster, with results, plots, or graph visualizations displayed in "live widgets". We have exercised SciSpark by implementing three complex Use Cases: discovery and evolution of Mesoscale Convective Complexes (MCCs) in storms, yielding a graph of connected components; PDF Clustering of atmospheric state using parallel K-Means; and statistical "rollups" of geo-variables or model-to-obs. differences (i.e. mean, stddev, skewness, & kurtosis) by day, month, season, year, and multi-year. Geo-variables are ingested and split across the cluster using methods on the sciSparkContext object including netCDFVariables() for spatial decomposition and wholeNetCDFVariables() for time-series. The presentation will cover the architecture of SciSpark, the design of the scientific RDD (sRDD) data structures for N-dim. arrays, results from the three science Use Cases, example Notebooks, lessons learned from the algorithm implementations, and parallel performance metrics.

Fracture patterns after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy of the mandibular ramus according to the Obwegeser/Dal Pont and Hunsuck/Epker modifications.

PubMed

Möhlhenrich, Stephan Christian; Kniha, Kristian; Peters, Florian; Ayoub, Nassim; Goloborodko, Evgeny; Hölzle, Frank; Fritz, Ulrike; Modabber, Ali

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to compare the fracture patterns after sagittal split osteotomy according to Obwegeser/Dal Pont (ODP) and Hunsuck/Epker (HE), as well as to investigate the relationship between lateral bone cut ending or angle and the incidence of unfavorable/bad splits. Postoperative cone-beam computed tomograms of 124 splits according to ODP and 60 according to HE were analyzed. ODP led to 75.8% and HE led to 60% lingual fractures with mandibular foramen contact. Horizontal fractures were found in 9.7% and 6.7%, respectively, and unfavorable/bad splits were found in 11.3% and 10%, respectively. The lateral osteotomy angle was 106.22° (SD 12.03)° for bad splits and 106.6° (SD 13.12)° for favorable splits. Correlations were found between favorable fracture patterns and split modifications and between buccal ending of the lateral bone cut and bad splits (p < 0.001). No relationship was observed between split modifications (p = 0.792) or the osteotomy angle (p = 0.937) and the incidence of unfavorable/bad splits. Split modifications had no influence on the incidence of unfavorable/bad splits, but the buccal ending of the lateral bone cut did have an influence. More lingual fractures with mandibular foramen contact are expected with the ODP modification. The osteotomy angle did not differ between favorable and bad splits. Copyright © 2017 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical application of calculated split renal volume using computed tomography-based renal volumetry after partial nephrectomy: Correlation with technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scan data.

PubMed

Lee, Chan Ho; Park, Young Joo; Ku, Ja Yoon; Ha, Hong Koo

2017-06-01

To evaluate the clinical application of computed tomography-based measurement of renal cortical volume and split renal volume as a single tool to assess the anatomy and renal function in patients with renal tumors before and after partial nephrectomy, and to compare the findings with technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scan. The data of 51 patients with a unilateral renal tumor managed by partial nephrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The renal cortical volume of tumor-bearing and contralateral kidneys was measured using ImageJ software. Split estimated glomerular filtration rate and split renal volume calculated using this renal cortical volume were compared with the split renal function measured with technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scan. A strong correlation between split renal function and split renal volume of the tumor-bearing kidney was observed before and after surgery (r = 0.89, P < 0.001 and r = 0.94, P < 0.001). The preoperative and postoperative split estimated glomerular filtration rate of the operated kidney showed a moderate correlation with split renal function (r = 0.39, P = 0.004 and r = 0.49, P < 0.001). The correlation between reductions in split renal function and split renal volume of the operated kidney (r = 0.87, P < 0.001) was stronger than that between split renal function and percent reduction in split estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = 0.64, P < 0.001). The split renal volume calculated using computed tomography-based renal volumetry had a strong correlation with the split renal function measured using technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scan. Computed tomography-based split renal volume measurement before and after partial nephrectomy can be used as a single modality for anatomical and functional assessment of the tumor-bearing kidney. © 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.

[French translation and validation of the Tension-Effort Stress Inventory (TESI, 7) emotional list].

PubMed

Legrand, F

2002-01-01

Since emotion became a central topic in scientific psychology, a conceptual consensus is needed with regard to its definition. Reversal theory provides such a widely, comprehensive theory of emotion that is currently missing from the psychology literature. According to reversal theorists, there are 16 primary emotions corresponding directly to one's preferred and non preferred phenomenological experiences. These include 4 pleasant/somatic emotions (relaxation, excitement, placidity, provocativeness), 4 unpleasant/somatic emotions (anxiety, anger, boredom, sullenness), 4 pleasant/transactional emotions (pride, modesty, gratitude, virtue) and 4 unpleasant/transactional emotions (humiliation, resentment, shame and guilt). Tension-Effort Stress Inventory (TESI, is an auto questionnaire with the 3rd section containing this 16 primary emotions list. The aim of our study deals with french translation and factorial validation of this list. Method and procedure - Participants (n=46) were voluntary french speaking individuals who prepared to be involved in a new tourist attraction established in a french winter sport resort. This attraction is made up of a 950 meters-long carrying cable tightened to an altitude of 100 meters above the ground, offering anyone whose weight exceeds 40 kg a thrilling 90 km/h rush. Of the sample of 46 individuals, 29 were male and 17 were female. The average age was 31,4 years with a 18-59 range and 7,7 as standard deviation value. Each subject had to complete a french version of TESI just before being hang on the cable and just after his or her arrival on the landing zone. Results - Pre- and post-activity descriptive statistics for each item were subjected to Pearson correlations calculation and then, an explanatory factorial analysis was carried out. Principal component analysis results (after varimax rotation) exhibited 6 factors explaining a proportion of 64% of the total variance: 4 of these 6 dimensions seemed to be similar to the ones claimed by reversal theory; 1 dimension resembled a more popular conception of emotion experience which is bad mood ; 1 composite dimension was more ambiguous (anxiety + modesty). Confirmatory factorial analysis (carried out from variance/covariance matrix) proved to be conclusive in assessing the fit of the data with regard to reversal theory classification of emotions. Thus, the eight pleasant emotions were found to be dichotomised into four somatic and four transactional emotions with satisfactory fit indexes [GFI (Goodness of Fit Index)=0,92, residuals=0,09]. In addition, the eight unpleasant emotions were also split up into 4 somatic and 4 transactional groupings with comparable ratings (GFI=0,93, residuals=0,07). Conclusion - This french version of TESI emotional list appears to be suitable in assessing one's phenomenological emotional experiences. The equipartition according to pleasant/unpleasant and somatic/transactional dimensions meets the original classification postulated by reversal theorists.

Facilitating insights with a user adaptable dashboard, illustrated by airport connectivity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobraja, Ieva; Kraak, Menno-Jan; Engelhardt, Yuri

2018-05-01

Since the movement data exist, there have been approaches to collect and analyze them to get insights. This kind of data is often heterogeneous, multiscale and multi-temporal. Those interested in spatio-temporal patterns of movement data do not gain insights from textual descriptions. Therefore, visualization is required. As spatio-temporal movement data can be complex because size and characteristics, it is even challenging to create an overview of it. Plotting all the data on the screen will not be the solution as it likely will result into cluttered images where no data exploration is possible. To ensure that users will receive the information they are interested in, it is important to provide a graphical data representation environment where exploration to gain insights are possible not only in the overall level but at sub-levels as well. A dashboard would be a solution the representation of heterogeneous spatio- temporal data. It provides an overview and helps to unravel the complexity of data by splitting data in multiple data representation views. The adaptability of dashboard will help to reveal the information which cannot be seen in the overview.

Method and apparatus for measuring the intensity and phase of an ultrashort light pulse

DOEpatents

Kane, Daniel J.; Trebino, Rick P.

1998-01-01

The pulse shape I(t) and phase evolution x(t) of ultrashort light pulses are obtained using an instantaneously responding nonlinear optical medium to form a signal pulse. A light pulse, such a laser pulse, is split into a gate pulse and a probe pulse, where the gate pulse is delayed relative to the probe pulse. The gate pulse and the probe pulse are combined within an instantaneously responding optical medium to form a signal pulse functionally related to a temporal slice of the gate pulse corresponding to the time delay of the probe pulse. The signal pulse is then input to a wavelength-selective device to output pulse field information comprising intensity vs. frequency for a first value of the time delay. The time delay is varied over a range of values effective to yield an intensity plot of signal intensity vs. wavelength and delay. In one embodiment, the beams are overlapped at an angle so that a selected range of delay times is within the intersection to produce a simultaneous output over the time delays of interest.

Precipitation-mediated responses of soil acid buffering capacity to long-term nitrogen addition in a semi-arid grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Jiangping; Luo, Wentao; Liu, Heyong; Feng, Xue; Zhang, Yongyong; Wang, Ruzhen; Xu, Zhuwen; Zhang, Yuge; Jiang, Yong

2017-12-01

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition can result in soil acidification and reduce soil acid buffering capacity. However, it remains poorly understood how changes in precipitation regimes with elevated atmospheric N deposition affect soil acidification processes in a water-limited grassland. Here, we conducted a 9-year split-plot experiment with water addition as the main factor and N addition as the second factor. Results showed that soil acid buffering capacity significantly decreased with increased N inputs, mainly due to the decline of soil effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) and exchangeable basic cations (especially Ca2+), indicating an acceleration of soil acidification status in this steppes. Significant interactive N and water effects were detected on the soil acid buffering capacity. Water addition enhanced the soil ECEC and exchangeable base cations and thus alleviated the decrease of soil acid buffering capacity under N addition. Our findings suggested that precipitation can mitigate the impact of increased N deposition on soil acidification in semi-arid grasslands. This knowledge should be used to improve models predicting soil acidification processes in terrestrial ecosystems under changing environmental conditions.

Ultrafast scanning probe microscopy

DOEpatents

Weiss, S.; Chemla, D.S.; Ogletree, D.F.; Botkin, D.

1995-05-16

An ultrafast scanning probe microscopy method is described for achieving subpicosecond-temporal resolution and submicron-spatial resolution of an observation sample. In one embodiment of the present claimed invention, a single short optical pulse is generated and is split into first and second pulses. One of the pulses is delayed using variable time delay means. The first pulse is then directed at an observation sample located proximate to the probe of a scanning probe microscope. The scanning probe microscope produces probe-sample signals indicative of the response of the probe to characteristics of the sample. The second pulse is used to modulate the probe of the scanning probe microscope. The time delay between the first and second pulses is then varied. The probe-sample response signal is recorded at each of the various time delays created between the first and second pulses. The probe-sample response signal is then plotted as a function of time delay to produce a cross-correlation of the probe sample response. In so doing, the present invention provides simultaneous subpicosecond-temporal resolution and submicron-spatial resolution of the sample. 6 Figs.

Ultrafast scanning probe microscopy

DOEpatents

Weiss, Shimon; Chemla, Daniel S.; Ogletree, D. Frank; Botkin, David

1995-01-01

An ultrafast scanning probe microscopy method for achieving subpicosecond-temporal resolution and submicron-spatial resolution of an observation sample. In one embodiment of the present claimed invention, a single short optical pulse is generated and is split into first and second pulses. One of the pulses is delayed using variable time delay means. The first pulse is then directed at an observation sample located proximate to the probe of a scanning probe microscope. The scanning probe microscope produces probe-sample signals indicative of the response of the probe to characteristics of the sample. The second pulse is used to modulate the probe of the scanning probe microscope. The time delay between the first and second pulses is then varied. The probe-sample response signal is recorded at each of the various time delays created between the first and second pulses. The probe-sample response signal is then plotted as a function of time delay to produce a cross-correlation of the probe sample response. In so doing, the present invention provides simultaneous subpicosecond-temporal resolution and submicron-spatial resolution of the sample.

Burnout Factories: The Challenge of Retaining Great Teachers in Charter Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fusco, Mark

2017-01-01

In its well-intentioned effort to create alternatives to public school dropout factories, the charter school sector has created teacher burnout factories. But it does not have to be this way. Charter schools can continue to maintain high standards while creating a more sustainable work environment for teachers. This article examines the teacher…

Poor but Not Powerless: Women Workers in Production Chain Factories in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Lang; Jacobs, Francine

2010-01-01

The present study demonstrates the processes by which 12 young women working in four production chain factories in China shape their own lives--their developmental trajectories--during the period following their entry into factory work. One-on-one, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in August, 2005, as part of an evaluation…

Factorial Validity and Invariance Testing of the Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised in Swedish and Portuguese Exercisers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindwall, Magnus; Palmeira, Antonio

2009-01-01

The present study investigated the factorial validity and factorial invariance of the 21-item Exercise Dependence Scale-Revised using 162 Swedish and 269 Portuguese exercisers. In addition, the prevalence of exercise dependence symptoms and links to exercise behavior, gender, and age in the two samples was also studied. Confirmatory factor…

19 CFR Appendix B to Part 191 - Sample Formats for Applications for Specific Manufacturing Drawback Rulings

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (see § 191.8(a)).) LOCATION OF FACTORY (Give the address of the factory(s) where the process of... article described under the PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION section below and each article listed... manufacture or production by giving a thorough description of the manufacturing process. This description...

Factory overload testing of a large power transformer

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

Douglas, D.H.; Lawrence, C.O.; Templeton, J.B.

1985-09-01

A factory overload test of up to 150% of the nameplate rating was run on a 224 MVA autotransformer. The results of this test were of great value and were used in identifying transformer overload limitations, in evaluating loading guide oil and winding equations, exponents and time constants, and in helping to perfect a factory overload test procedure.

Optical signal splitting and chirping device modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinogradova, Irina L.; Andrianova, Anna V.; Meshkov, Ivan K.; Sultanov, Albert Kh.; Abdrakhmanova, Guzel I.; Grakhova, Elizaveta P.; Ishmyarov, Arsen A.; Yantilina, Liliya Z.; Kutlieva, Gulnaz R.

2017-04-01

This article examines the devices for optical signal splitting and chirping device modeling. Models with splitting and switching functions are taken into consideration. The described device for optical signal splitting and chirping represents interferential splitter with profiled mixer which provides allocation of correspondent spectral component from ultra wide band frequency diapason, and signal phase shift for aerial array (AA) directive diagram control. This paper proposes modeling for two types of devices for optical signal splitting and chirping: the interference-type optical signal splitting and chirping device and the long-distance-type optical signal splitting and chirping device.

Fee Splitting among General Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iran.

PubMed

Parsa, Mojtaba; Larijani, Bagher; Aramesh, Kiarash; Nedjat, Saharnaz; Fotouhi, Akbar; Yekaninejad, Mir Saeed; Ebrahimian, Nejatollah; Kandi, Mohamad Jafar

2016-12-01

Fee splitting is a process whereby a physician refers a patient to another physician or a healthcare facility and receives a portion of the charge in return. This survey was conducted to study general practitioners' (GPs) attitudes toward fee splitting as well as the prevalence, causes, and consequences of this process. This is a cross-sectional study on 223 general practitioners in 2013. Concerning the causes and consequences of fee splitting, an unpublished qualitative study was conducted by interviewing a number of GPs and specialists and the questionnaire options were the results of the information obtained from this study. Of the total 320 GPs, 247 returned the questionnaires. The response rate was 77.18%. Of the 247 returned questionnaires, 223 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Among the participants, 69.1% considered fee splitting completely wrong and 23.2% (frequently or rarely) practiced fee splitting. The present study showed that the prevalence of fee splitting among physicians who had positive attitudes toward fee splitting was 4.63 times higher than those who had negative attitudes. In addition, this study showed that, compared to private hospitals, fee splitting is less practiced in public hospitals. The major cause of fee splitting was found to be unrealistic/unfair tariffs and the main consequence of fee splitting was thought to be an increase in the number of unnecessary patient referrals. Fee splitting is an unethical act, contradicts the goals of the medical profession, and undermines patient's best interest. In Iran, there is no code of ethics on fee splitting, but in this study, it was found that the majority of GPs considered it unethical. However, among those who had negative attitudes toward fee splitting, there were physicians who did practice fee splitting. The results of the study showed that physicians who had a positive attitude toward fee splitting practiced it more than others. Therefore, if physicians consider fee splitting unethical, its rate will certainly decrease. The study claims that to decrease such practice, the healthcare system has to revise the tariffs.

Assessment of the structural validity of the domestic violence healthcare providers’ survey questionnaire using a Nigerian sample

PubMed Central

John, Ime A; Lawoko, Stephen

2010-01-01

Abstract: Background: There has been increased advocacy to involve healthcare providers in the prevention of intimate partner violence (IPV) through screening for it in healthcare. Yet, only one in ten providers screen for IPV, suggesting barriers. Understanding the readiness of healthcare providers to screen for IPV is therefore paramount. The Domestic Violence Healthcare Provider Survey Scales (DVHPSS) is a previously validated, comprehensive scale to study readiness of healthcare providers to screen for IPV. However, an understanding of its usefulness in the Sub-Saharan African context remains elusive. The current study undertook to examine the structural validity of the DVHPSS in Nigeria. Methods: Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's Alpha were run to reveal the factorial structure and reliability of the instrument/subscales respectively. Established thresholds were used to determine significant factor loadings and alphas coefficient. Results: A six factor model emerged, with 2 factors similar to the original scale, another two differing slightly and a further two factors resulting from a splitting up of the original combination of victim/provider safety to having distinct victim and provider safety subscales. Conclusions: With slight modifications, the DVHPSS can be use to study IPV screening among Nigerian healthcare professionals. Introducing screening protocols could promote better understanding of crucial questions that were lost in the analysis. PMID:21483202

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Organizational Justice Questionnaire.

PubMed

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Tsuchiya, Masao; Ishizaki, Masao; Tabata, Masaji; Akiyama, Miki; Kitazume, Akiko; Kuroda, Mitsuyo; Kivimäki, Mika

2009-01-01

Previous European studies reporting low procedural justice and low interactional justice were associated with increased health problems have used a modified version of the Moorman's Organizational Justice Questionnaire (OJQ, Elovainio et al., 2002) to assess organizational justice. We translated the modified OJQ into the Japanese language and examined the internal consistency reliability, and factor-based and construct validity of this measure. A back-translation procedure confirmed that the translation was appropriate, pending a minor revision. A total of 185 men and 58 women at a manufacturing factory in Japan were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire including the OJQ and other job stressors. Cronbach alpha coefficients of the two OJQ subscales were high (0.85-0.94) for both sexes. The hypothesized two factors (i.e., procedural justice and interactional justice) were extracted by the factor analysis for men; for women, procedural justice was further split into two separate dimensions supporting a three- rather than two-factor structure. Convergent validity was supported by expected correlations of the OJQ with job control, supervisor support, effort-reward imbalance, and job future ambiguity in particular among the men. The present study shows that the Japanese version of the OJQ has acceptable levels of reliability and validity at least for male employees.

Toroidal magnetized iron neutrino detector for a neutrino factory

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

Bross, A.; Wands, R.; Bayes, R.

2013-08-01

A neutrino factory has unparalleled physics reach for the discovery and measurement of CP violation in the neutrino sector. A far detector for a neutrino factory must have good charge identification with excellent background rejection and a large mass. An elegant solution is to construct a magnetized iron neutrino detector (MIND) along the lines of MINOS, where iron plates provide a toroidal magnetic field and scintillator planes provide 3D space points. In this report, the current status of a simulation of a toroidal MIND for a neutrino factory is discussed in light of the recent measurements of largemore » $$\\theta_{13}$$. The response and performance using the 10 GeV neutrino factory configuration are presented. It is shown that this setup has equivalent $$\\delta_{CP}$$ reach to a MIND with a dipole field and is sensitive to the discovery of CP violation over 85% of the values of $$\\delta_{CP}$$.« less

Gynecologic pain related to occupational stress among female factory workers in Tianjin, China

PubMed Central

Sznajder, Kristin K; Harlow, Siobán D; Burgard, Sarah A; Wang, Yanrang; Han, Cheng; Liu, Jing

2014-01-01

Background: Dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and non-cyclic pelvic pain are health concerns for factory workers in China and may be increased by occupational stress. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and demographic and occupational factors associated with three types of gynecologic pain among female factory workers in Tianjin. Methods: The study included 651 female workers from three factories in Tianjin, China. Logistic regression models were estimated to determine associations between occupational stress and gynecologic pain. Results: Occupational stress including high job strain, exhaustion, and stress related to working conditions was a risk factor for gynecologic pain. High job strain and poor job security were associated with an increased risk for dysmenorrhea. Compulsory overtime and exhaustion were associated with increased non-cyclic pelvic pain. Working overtime and exhaustion were associated with increased dyspareunia. Conclusions: As China’s population of female factory workers grows, research on the reproductive health of this population is essential. PMID:24804338

Metabolic modelling in the development of cell factories by synthetic biology

PubMed Central

Jouhten, Paula

2012-01-01

Cell factories are commonly microbial organisms utilized for bioconversion of renewable resources to bulk or high value chemicals. Introduction of novel production pathways in chassis strains is the core of the development of cell factories by synthetic biology. Synthetic biology aims to create novel biological functions and systems not found in nature by combining biology with engineering. The workflow of the development of novel cell factories with synthetic biology is ideally linear which will be attainable with the quantitative engineering approach, high-quality predictive models, and libraries of well-characterized parts. Different types of metabolic models, mathematical representations of metabolism and its components, enzymes and metabolites, are useful in particular phases of the synthetic biology workflow. In this minireview, the role of metabolic modelling in synthetic biology will be discussed with a review of current status of compatible methods and models for the in silico design and quantitative evaluation of a cell factory. PMID:24688669

In-Factory Learning - Qualification For The Factory Of The Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quint, Fabian; Mura, Katharina; Gorecky, Dominic

2015-07-01

The Industry 4.0 vision anticipates that internet technologies will find their way into future factories replacing traditional components by dynamic and intelligent cyber-physical systems (CPS) that combine the physical objects with their digital representation. Reducing the gap between the real and digital world makes the factory environment more flexible, more adaptive, but also more complex for the human workers. Future workers require interdisciplinary competencies from engineering, information technology, and computer science in order to understand and manage the diverse interrelations between physical objects and their digital counterpart. This paper proposes a mixed-reality based learning environment, which combines physical objects and visualisation of digital content via Augmented Reality. It uses reality-based interaction in order to make the dynamic interrelations between real and digital factory visible and tangible. We argue that our learning system does not work as a stand-alone solution, but should fit into existing academic and advanced training curricula.

The landing of field mosquitoes on permethrin-treated military uniforms in queensland, australia.

PubMed

Frances, S P; Mackenzie, D O; Sferopoulos, R; Lee, Bin

2014-12-01

A study to evaluate the protection provided by permethrin-treated military fabric following cold-water washing against host-seeking mosquitoes is reported. The landing/probing of native mosquitoes on Australian Defence Force Disruptive Pattern Combat Uniform shirts treated by dipping in 0.6% permethrin emulsion (Perigen Defence®, containing 500 g/l permethrin), and commercial factory treatments in the USA (Factory A) and Europe (Factory B) were recorded after 0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 washes. The study showed that significantly shorter landing/probing times compared with untreated controls were recorded for shirts treated with Factory A treatment after 0 and 1 wash, and for the Factory B treatment after 0 washes, and there were no differences between permethrin treatment and control landing. The study concludes that better methods to assess protection from landing/probing mosquitoes in the field are needed.

Arcnet(R) On-Fiber -- A Viable Factory Automation Alternative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlin, Geof; Tucker, Carol S.

1987-01-01

Manufacturers need to improve their operating methods and increase their productivity so they can compete successfully in the marketplace. This goal can be achieved through factory automation, and the key to this automation is successful data base management and factory integration. However, large scale factory automation and integration requires effective communications, and this has given rise to an interest in various Local Area Networks or LANs. In a completely integrated and automated factory, the entire organization must have access to the data base, and all departments and functions must be able to communicate with each other. Traditionally, these departments and functions use incompatible equipment, and the ability to make such equipment communicate presents numerous problems. ARCNET, a token-passing LAN which has a significant presence in the office environment today, coupled with fiber optic cable, the cable of the future, provide an effective, low-cost solution to a number of these problems.

A Profile-Based Framework for Factorial Similarity and the Congruence Coefficient.

PubMed

Hartley, Anselma G; Furr, R Michael

2017-01-01

We present a novel profile-based framework for understanding factorial similarity in the context of exploratory factor analysis in general, and for understanding the congruence coefficient (a commonly used index of factor similarity) specifically. First, we introduce the profile-based framework articulating factorial similarity in terms of 3 intuitive components: general saturation similarity, differential saturation similarity, and configural similarity. We then articulate the congruence coefficient in terms of these components, along with 2 additional profile-based components, and we explain how these components resolve ambiguities that can be-and are-found when using the congruence coefficient. Finally, we present secondary analyses revealing that profile-based components of factorial are indeed linked to experts' actual evaluations of factorial similarity. Overall, the profile-based approach we present offers new insights into the ways in which researchers can examine factor similarity and holds the potential to enhance researchers' ability to understand the congruence coefficient.

Pharmaceutical counselling about different types of tablet-splitting methods based on the results of weighing tests and mechanical development of splitting devices.

PubMed

Somogyi, O; Meskó, A; Csorba, L; Szabó, P; Zelkó, R

2017-08-30

The division of tablets and adequate methods of splitting them are a complex problem in all sectors of health care. Although tablet-splitting is often required, this procedure can be difficult for patients. Four tablets were investigated with different external features (shape, score-line, film-coat and size). The influencing effect of these features and the splitting methods was investigated according to the precision and "weight loss" of splitting techniques. All four types of tablets were halved by four methods: by hand, with a kitchen knife, with an original manufactured splitting device and with a modified tablet splitter based on a self-developed mechanical model. The mechanical parameters (harness and friability) of the products were measured during the study. The "weight loss" and precision of splitting methods were determined and compared by statistical analysis. On the basis of the results, the external features (geometry), the mechanical parameters of tablets and the mechanical structure of splitting devices can influence the "weight loss" and precision of tablet-splitting. Accordingly, a new decision-making scheme was developed for the selection of splitting methods. In addition, the skills of patients and the specialties of therapy should be considered so that pharmaceutical counselling can be more effective regarding tablet-splitting. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green lumber grade yields from factory grade logs of three oak species

Treesearch

Daniel A. Yaussy

1986-01-01

Multivariate regression models were developed to predict green board foot yields for the seven common factory lumber grades processed from white, black, and chestnut oak factory grade logs. These models use the standard log measurements of grade, scaling diameter, log length, and proportion of scaling defect. Any combination of lumber grades (such as 1 Common and...

Hardwood log grades and lumber grade yields for factory lumber logs

Treesearch

Leland F. Hanks; Glenn L. Gammon; Robert L. Brisbin; Everette D. Rast

1980-01-01

The USDA Forest Service Standard Grades for Hardwood Factory Lumber Logs are described, and lumber grade yields for 16 species and 2 species groups are presented by log grade and log diameter. The grades enable foresters, log buyers, and log sellers to select and grade those log suitable for conversion into standard factory grade lumber. By using the apropriate lumber...

26 CFR 1.897-2 - United States real property holding corporations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... value of $500,000. DC's only real property interest was a factory that it had occupied for over 50 years, which had a book value of $200,000. The factory was located in a deteriorated downtown area, and DC had... time of DC's December 31, 1989 determination date, the downtown area in which DC's factory was located...

26 CFR 1.897-2 - United States real property holding corporations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... value of $500,000. DC's only real property interest was a factory that it had occupied for over 50 years, which had a book value of $200,000. The factory was located in a deteriorated downtown area, and DC had... time of DC's December 31, 1989 determination date, the downtown area in which DC's factory was located...

26 CFR 1.897-2 - United States real property holding corporations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... value of $500,000. DC's only real property interest was a factory that it had occupied for over 50 years, which had a book value of $200,000. The factory was located in a deteriorated downtown area, and DC had... time of DC's December 31, 1989 determination date, the downtown area in which DC's factory was located...

26 CFR 1.897-2 - United States real property holding corporations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... value of $500,000. DC's only real property interest was a factory that it had occupied for over 50 years, which had a book value of $200,000. The factory was located in a deteriorated downtown area, and DC had... time of DC's December 31, 1989 determination date, the downtown area in which DC's factory was located...