1,2-Dimethyl-4,5-diphenylbenzene determined on a Bruker SMART X2S benchtop crystallographic system

The title compound, C(20)H(18), has two crystallographically independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. The phenyl substituents of molecule A are twisted away from the plane defined by the central benzene ring by 131.8 (2) and -52.7 (3)degrees. The phenyl substituents of molecule B are twisted by -133.3 (2) and 50.9 (3)degrees. Each molecule is stabilized by a pair of intraMolecular C(aryl, sp(2))-H center dot center dot center dot pi interactions, as well as by several interMolecular C(methyl, sp(3))-H center dot center dot center dot pi interactions

Measurement of the rare decay pi0 -> e+ e-

The branching ratio of the rare decay pi0 -> e+ e- has been measured precisely, using the complete data set from the KTeV E799-II experiment at Fermilab. We observe 794 candidate pi0 -> e+ e- events using K0_L -> 3pi0 as a source of tagged pi0's. The expected background is 52.7 +- 11.2 events, predominantly from high e+ e- mass pi0 -> e+ e- gamma decays. We have measured B[(pi0 -> e+ e-), (m_e+e-/m_pi0)^2 > 0.95] = 6.44 +- 0.25(stat) +- 0.22(syst) x10^(-8), which is above the unitary bound from pi0 -> gamma gamma and within the range of theoretical expectations from the standard model.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Developing the ArchAIDE Application: A digital workflow for identifying, organising and sharing archaeological pottery using automated image recognition

Pottery is of fundamental importance for understanding archaeological contexts, facilitating the understanding of production, trade flows, and social interactions. Pottery characterisation and the classification of ceramics is still a manual process, reliant on analogue catalogues created by specialists, held in archives and libraries. The ArchAIDE project worked to streamline, optimise and economise the mundane aspects of these processes, using the latest automatic image recognition technology, while retaining key decision points necessary to create trusted results. Specifically, ArchAIDE worked to support classification and interpretation work (during both fieldwork and post-excavation analysis) with an innovative app for tablets and smartphones. This article summarises the work of this three-year project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement N.693548, with a consortium of partners representing both the academic and industry-led ICT (Information and Communications Technology) domains, and the academic and development-led archaeology domains. The collaborative work of the archaeological and technical partners created a pipeline where potsherds are photographed, their characteristics compared against a trained neural network, and the results returned with suggested matches from a comparative collection with typical pottery types and characteristics. Once the correct type is identified, all relevant information for that type is linked to the new sherd and stored within a database that can be shared online. ArchAIDE integrated a variety of novel and best-practice approaches, both in the creation of the app, and the communication of the project to a range of stakeholders

Arkansas Wheat Cultivar Performance Tests 2018-2019

Wheat cultivar performance tests are conducted each year in Ark- ansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences. The tests provide information to companies developing cultivars and marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating cultivar recommendations for small-grain producers. The tests are conducted at the Northeast Research and Extension Center at Keiser, the Vegetable Substation near Kibler, the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station near Marianna, the Newport Extension Center near Newport, the Rohwer Research Station near Rohwer, the Pine Tree Research Station near Colt, and the Hope Research and Extension Center. In addition, entries are evaluated in a stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici) inoculated nursery in Fayetteville and a Fusarium head blight (FHB) inoculated nursery in Newport and Fayetteville. Specific location and cultural practice information accompany each table

Nuclear symmetry energy and its density slope at normal density extracted from global nucleon optical potentials

Based on the Hugenholtz-Van Hove theorem, it is shown that both the symmetry energy E$_{sym}(\rho)$ and its density slope $L(\rho)$ at normal density $\rho_0$ are completely determined by the global nucleon optical potentials that can be extracted directly from nucleon-nucleus scatterings, (p,n) charge exchange reactions and single-particle energy levels of bound states. Adopting a value of $m^*/m=0.7$ for the nucleon effective k-mass in symmetric nuclear matter at $\rho_0$ and averaging all phenomenological isovector nucleon potentials constrained by world data available in the literature since 1969, the best estimates of $E_{sym}(\rho_0)=31.3$ MeV and $L(\rho_0)=52.7$ MeV are simultaneously obtained. Uncertainties involved in the estimates are discussed.Comment: 4 pages including 2 figure

Coming Up Short: The Scope of Retirement Insecurity Among Illinois Workers

The purposes of this report are to identify the principal sources of retirement income, examine the extent and types of workers facing retirement insecurity, and explore the necessary components of a state-level public policy solution that could help to address the problem. Using employment data by industry and estimated retirement plan sponsorship rates, this report shows how many workers in Illinois, especially those in industries with traditionally low-wage workers, lack access to one of the mainstays of retirement income: a tax-deferred, employment-based retirement savings plan. The report concludes with a discussion of the essential components of a state policy that would expand access to tax-deferred, employment-based retirement savings plans

Small interface changes have dramatic impacts: How mandatory fields in electronic medical records increased pertussis vaccination rates in Australian obstetric patients

Introduction: Electronic health records have been widely introduced into clinical practice. The aim of this study was to determine whether a small interface change could improve compliance with a key quality indicator, namely antenatal pertussis vaccination. Methods: Audits were performed between 1–31 July 2015 and 1–31 July 2017 of all deliveries at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children to determine compliance with antenatal pertussis vaccination. The single difference between time points was changing the interface so the antenatal pertussis vaccination field became compulsory. Results: 275 and 299 women delivered in the audit periods. Vaccination rates almost doubled (52.7% vs 91.4%, p\u3c0.0001). Conclusion: Small interface changes increase compliance. Interface change could be considered for key quality outcomes in patient care

Paternity after microscopic inguinal surgery of varicocele in infertile males: A 5-years follow up

Objectives: Infertility affects about 15% of couples. One of the most common causes of male infertility is varicocele. In this study, the live birth rate after microscopic inguinal varicocelectomy and some related factors were studied in Northeast of Iran. Design and patients: In this cross-sectional study, 976 infertile males who underwent microscopic inguinal varicocelectomy (2004-2009) in an academic hospital were studied and 264 were randomly selected. Female factors were ruled out. Data regarding age, varicocele grade and live birth rate were recruited and entered into SPSS-14 software; T-test and χ2 were used to analyze the variables. Results: The mean (±SD) age was 29.09 (±4.80) years, 139 (52.7%) reported to have a successful result after a mean (±SD) duration of 21.74 (±6.24) months. Unilateral varicocelectomy had significantly more positive results (58.8%) than bilateral (20.9%) but the relationship with grade was not significant. Primary type had 54.5% live birth v.s. 31.8% in secondary type (P-value< 0.05). The mean duration between operation and live birth was significantly different in primary and secondary type (P-value<0.05). Conclusions: Surgery of primary infertility could reveal to a higher live birth rate in a much shorter duration; also unilateral varicoceles are better responders to the surgery

Arkansas Wheat Cultivar Performance Tests 2016-2017

Wheat cultivar performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences. The tests provide information to companies developing cultivars and marketing seed within the state and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating cultivar recommendations for small-grain producers