Soil Cover, Land Evaluation and Protection in Inner Mongolia

The compilation of 1:1, 500,000 soil map oflnner Mongolia by using visual interpretation of Landsat images (MSS, TM, RBV) is one of the important parts of the application project of remote sensing to the investigation of the grassland resources in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Only by using visual intepretation of Landsat images could the soil map covering the area of more than one million square kilometers be compiled completely in three years. Landsat images comprehensively reveal soil types or soil association and their ecological environmental characteristics. Therefore, by using colours, texture and patterns of the remote sensing images, which can be employed as identifiers for direct or indirect interpretation, and associating with field survey, the setting oflandscape spatial and temporal change models as well as geoscience relevant analysis, the map reflecting the zonality and nonzonality of local soil and soil cover can be compiled

Identifying Winter Hardy Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) for Northwestern Canada

Winter kill is one of the most serious problems affecting alfalfa production in northwestern Canada. A rapid and accurate means of assessing winter hardiness is invaluable in developing new cultivars for this region. This program was designed to define some plant and environmental factors responsible for winter injury and to develop tests to identify plants with high yield potential and resistance to severe winter stress in northwestern Canada. The program has determined that the cold hardiness of alfalfa can change from year to year depending upon the plant and/or environmental conditions during the growing season. Three factors have been identified to be responsible for increasing the potential for winterkill: (1) low food reserves in the roots and crowns, (2) water saturated soil during the fall hardening period and (3) a late flush of growth in the fall from developing crown buds. A method was developed for separating the differences in winter hardiness between cultivars under field conditions. The method consisted of defoliating test plants at frequent intervals prior to winter then removing snow cover in early winter to induce a temperature stress. Germplasm sources from Ft. Smith and Ft. Providence in Canada\u27s Northwest Territories (N. W. T.), two cultivars from the USSR (Taezhnaya and Krasnouphimskaya-6), and one synthetic from Beaverlodge (BL 78-5) demonstrated considerable potential for increased yield and persistence over adapted cultivars to reduce the effects of a stressfull winter environment on alfalfa production in northwestern Canada

The Effect of Previous Experience of Animals on Subsequent Preference in a Palatability Grazing Trial

Previous experience of test animals has been mentioned as a factor which may affect grazing preference of cattle. Palatability trials have usually been conducted without allowing animals to previously graze individual forage species under evaluation. A cafeteria trial was designed to study the effect of previous grazing of individual species in the palatability ranking of six tropical legumes. Results indicated that short-term previous experience of the test animals affected the magnitude of the palatability index of the most palatable legume on the first days of the trial, but did not affect the overall palatability ranking of species. Therefore, it would not seem necessary to include adjustment plots with individual forage species in cafeteria trials when the main objective is to rank species by palatability

Analysis and Design Optimization of Synchronous Machines with Excitation through Stator DC Coils or Magnets and Reluctance Rotors

The design and optimization of electric machines face increasing demands for higher efficiency, improved torque density, manufacturability, and effective utilization of materials, particularly in applications such as electric traction and propulsion, where performance, reliability, and cost are critical. This work explores innovative synchronous machine configurations with reluctance rotors and stator-combined excitation, including permanent magnet and DC-excited topologies, to address these challenges through advanced design methodologies, computational modeling, and experimental validation. This research is relevant to address the growing demand for high-performance electric machines that combine high power density with costeffective manufacturing. The conventional limitations in power and torque density, thermal management, and material utilization, particularly when rare-earth magnets are involved, are addressed using innovative topologies, employing advanced techniques for design optimization, as well as comparative studies. Furthermore, the nonlinear behavior and complex saturation effects prevalent in such motor topologies, which greatly affect the performance, are acknowledged and investigated as a potential bottleneck for obtaining optimal designs. The first part of this research, starting in Chapter 2, focuses on permanent magnet (PM) stator-combined excitation topologies, comparing inner and outer rotor configurations. These machines employ toroidal windings for improved slot fill and shortened end turns, while leveraging spoke-type PM arrangements for flux intensification. A detailed examination of their electromagnetic performance, manufacturability, and cooling potential is conducted, with particular attention to the trade-offs between cost, power density, and losses. The study highlights how stator-combined excitation designs enable simplified rotor structures while maintaining competitive torque output, even with non-rare-earth magnets. Chapter 3 explores DC stator-combined excitation configurations as an alternative to PM-based machines, eliminating demagnetization risks while retaining high flux concentration. A novel serpentine winding design is introduced to reduce losses while maintaining the possibility of high power density. These PM-free designs also have several degrees of freedom for motor control, fault-tolerant performance, reduced material cost, as well as the potential for high power density subject to cooling, making them an attractive option for traction and propulsion applications. Chapter 4 establishes a general theory for stator-combined excitation machines, analyzing the interaction between stator fields and rotor geometry. Generally applicable formulations for Magnetomotive Force (MMF) analysis and airgap flux density are investigated along with explorations of the inductance characteristics that lead to non-salient behavior despite the rotor’s geometric saliency. A systematic approach to establishing the synchronous nature of this machine is also presented. Experimental results validate the analytical and computational models, providing insights into the machine’s nonlinearities, flux-weakening capabilities, and potential for high efficiency operation. Finally, in Chapter 5, a novel hybrid FEA and Machine Learning (ML) for Differential Evolution (DE) optimization of these highly non-linear motor topologies is presented. This final part introduces a machine learning-assisted optimization framework to address the challenges of designing highly nonlinear electric machines. By combining DE with Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-based meta-models, the method significantly reduces computational effort while maintaining accuracy in performance prediction. This approach enables exploration of complex design spaces through nonlinear performance scaling and could potentially facilitate system-level optimization, including, for example, drive cycle analysis for electric vehicle applications. Together, these studies seek to advance the understanding and development of synchronous machines with excitation through stator DC coils or magnets and reluctance rotors, offering solutions for high-performance applications while addressing cost, manufacturability, and material sustainability concerns. The integration of these novel topologies, computationally efficient methods, and experimental validation provides a comprehensive base for futuristic motor design optimization and analysis in the ever-growing electrification of the world. These advancements contribute to the development of high-performance, cost-effective electric machines for transportation and industrial applications, addressing critical needs in material sustainability and manufacturing scalability

Ceramide homeostasis in hepatic lipid droplets

Almost all eukaryotic cells have the capacity to form lipid droplets (LDs) in conditions of excess energy. Traditionally thought to be just inert fat reservoirs, LDs have recently emerged as important metabolic regulators of cellular stress response that buffer excess free fats and protect cells from lipotoxicity. Ceramide is a bioactive lipid that accumulates in metabolic tissues during fat oversupply. Emerging evidence suggests that sphingolipids and sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes are found in the LDs and affect LD biogenesis and functions. This article aims to summarize the evidence, delineate some plausible functions of ceramide in hepatic LD biogenesis, and illustrate some of the challenges in this novel field of research. We focus on the biogenesis of LDs in hepatocytes, the parenchymal cells of the liver, because non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the quintessential manifestation of metabolic stress caused by fat oversupply

Yield and Regrowth Characteristics of Alfalfa Grazed by Sheep in Spring and Summer

Grazing alfalfa (Medicago sativa, L.) would provide high quality pasture in animal production systems. The influence of grazing alfalfa with sheep in early spring or in summer on regrowth characteristics, weed encroachment, and subsequent yields was investigated during two years and on hay yields during year 3 with no grazing imposed. Alfalfa was grazed in spring for 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks at two grazing pressures: light (LAI of 1.0) and heavy (LAI\u3c 0.5). Non-grazed alfalfa was harvested at late bud stage. Regrowth on all systems was harvested at 1/10 bloom. Grazing for 6 weeks reduced subsequent hay yield only in year 2. Heavy grazing pressure increased weed encroachment but weeds were effectively controlled with herbicides. Few residual effects were measurable in year 3. Another planting of alfalfa was grazed in summer following two hay cuts by five systems: 1), 2), and 3) grazed about 14 days after second hay cut for 2, 4, and 6 weeks, respectively; 4) grazed at early bud stage for 7-10 days; 5) grazed at early bloom for 7 days. For system 6, alfalfa was not grazed and hay was cut at 1/10 bloom. Following grazing, hay was cutif regrowth reached 1/10 bloom stage. Grazing for 2, 4, and 6 weeks linearly decreased fall regrowth and increased weed encroachment. In year 3, yield was reduced by grazing except at early bloom but differences were slight by August. Weed encroachment tended to increase with grazing duration. These data indicate that alfalfa is more tolerant of grazing in spring than summer. If weeds are controlled, extended grazing durations appear possible

ANALYSIS OF PTFE RADIAL LIP SEALS FOR WHEEL BEARING APPLICATIONS

A numerical analysis was conducted to investigate the viscoelastic effects of nonlinear materials on the sealing zone and contact pressure distribution of radial lip seals in a conventional geometric topology. The use of nonlinear materials in radial lip seal applications is desirable to improve operation and reliability of rotating machinery due to their high operating temperatures, chemical compatibility, and low friction coefficients. Examples include, but are not limited to, seals within industrial air compressors, turbine engines, aircraft landing systems, chemical processing equipment, and Freon pumps. This work focuses on analyzing the nonlinear viscoelastic response of pure Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and PTFE Glass MoS2 (GM) used in a radial lip seal used in railroad wheel bearings, subject to a specified radial shaft interference fit. A 2-D axisymmetric multi-scale finite element model (FEM) is developed that includes a railroad wheel bearing seal with a preload garter spring, rigid shaft, and contact elements along both regions of the sealing width. The viscoelastic effect is modeled using a two term Prony series that was obtained by curve fitting experimental relaxation modulus data obtained in previous work from Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) test data to the relative shear moduli. Results are presented showing the contact pressure distributions of varying scraper angles, barrel angles, garter spring stiffnesses, R-values, and the materials of interest. Discussion regarding the validity of the linear viscoelastic material assumption for pure PTFE and PTFE-GM is given. Regions of plasticity are identified for typical interference fits and recommendations are made for radial lip seal design parameters that result in non-plastic behavior, which is desirable from a sealing standpoint, and provide adequate sealing performance

Engaging Nurses in Effective Cost of Care Conversations to Address Cancer-Related Financial Toxicity: Results from an Exploratory Survey

Few evidence-based trainings exist on how to equip healthcare providers, particularly nurses, with the skills to engage in cost of care conversations with patients/caregivers to mitigate the impact of cancer-related financial toxicity. This study evaluated a pilot training developed in collaboration with Triage Cancer® to prepare oncology nurses to identify and assist patients/caregivers facing financial and/or legal barriers to care. Ten pediatric oncology nurses completed the training and pre/post-surveys on behaviors related to financial and legal need screening, frequency and comfort level of answering questions, knowledge, and behavior changes, along with training evaluation questions. At baseline, six nurses reported never screening for financial needs and nine for legal needs. Following the training, seven nurses stated they were likely to screen for financial/legal needs. At six months post-training, nurses had referred 85 patients/caregivers to financial/legal navigation services. Comfort levels in answering financial/legal questions increased by 6.5 points and knowledge scores increased by 1.7 points post-training. Most nurses recommended this training to other healthcare providers who work with patients with cancer and their caregivers. This study highlights the importance of providing oncology nurses with resources to engage in cost of care conversations and oncology financial legal navigation programs to mitigate the impact of cancer-related financial toxicity

Millet Based Cropping Systems with Forage Legumes for Improving Nutritive Values of Crop Residues in the Sahelian Zone

The crop residues from sorghum and pearl millet represent an important potential feed resource. In 1981, 55.2 and 51.4 million tons of crop residues were produced from sorghum and pearl millet respectively (Kossila, 1985). Pearl millet is the most prevalent cereal in the Sahel and farmers usually leave millet stover in the field after grain harvest. Grazing livestock then walk through the fields and eat first the leaves and later the stalks. Farmers also use millet stalks as fuel, and for con­struction. During the long Sahelian dry season, cattle rely mos­tly on crop residues for their subsistence and in dry years the amount of crop residues left for grazing animals is very low. In this study, we examined the quality of pearl millet stover and the feed value of leguminous hay supplements intercropped with pearl millet