Development and performance of IR detectors in the 1.5 to 2.4 micrometer region that operate at 240 K

High performance 1.5 to 2.4 micrometers (Hg,Cd)Te photodetectors for operating at 240 K or above are discussed. The detailed characterization of the detector with respect to detector temperature and background flux led to a development of an empirical model for minority carrier trapping. The concept of detective time constant is presented and successfully demonstrated by the four detectors delivered on this contract. An alternative approach is presented with the use of photovoltaic (Hg,Cd)Te detectors

Why Trade Associations Matter: Exploring Function, Meaning, and Influence

We explore the organizational characteristics of trade associations (TAs) and suggest theoretical approaches for undertaking research into or involving TAs in management and organization studies. Through emphasizing the role of TAs within and between industries and at the interface of business and society, we consider how TAs generate meaning and influence

Product stewardship in the composites industry

The definition and purpose of Product Stewardship is discussed. Its' impact in the composites industry is stated. The report also outlines 12 ways that Product Stewardship can be utilized by consumers

Effect of a dry acidulant coating on the palatability of dry extruded dog food

Citation: Jeffrey, A. M., Aldrich, G. C., Huss, A. R., Knueven, C. J., & Jones, C. K. (2016). Effect of a dry acidulant coating on the palatability of dry extruded dog food. Journal of Animal Science, 94, 114-114. doi:10.2527/msasas2016-242In the pet food industry, Salmonella is getting greater scrutiny because it is considered a “reasonably foreseeable hazard” with the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Specifically, there is zero tolerance for any serotype of Salmonella in pet foods. Salmonella contamination was responsible for 78% of the Class I recalls in pet food according to the most recent Reportable Food Registry Report (FDA, 2015). One potential method of Salmonella mitigation shown to be effective was through coating the exterior of the kibble with a powdered dry acidulant, such as sodium bisulfate (SBS; Jones-Hamilton, Co.). Sodium bisulfate coating on both dog and cat kibbles was shown to provide complete mitigation of Salmonella within 14-d storage (Jeffrey et al., 2014). However, it is thought that the use of dry acidulant with a palatant for coating kibble may negatively impact palatability of a dry dog food. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to determine if the use of a dry acidulant, SBS, would influence the palatability of a dry dog food. A single dry extruded all life stages dog food was collected from a commercial pet food manufacturer before the coating step. The kibble was coated with either 2.2% spray dried chicken liver + 0.2% SBS or 2.2% spray dried chicken liver + 0.2% powdered silica (control). A total of 20 beagles were used in a standard 2-bowl forced choice palatability test method for 2 d. Dogs were fed 400 g of both diets once per day, with bowls rotated daily to address side bias. Results were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS (Cary, NC). The inclusion of SBS did not affect daily preference of diet (P = 0.23). Furthermore, there was no effect of day (P = 0.18) or the interaction of treatment × day (P = 0.98). These results demonstrate that palatability is not affected by the inclusion of SBS with a palatant in the coating of dog food kibble. Considering that the inclusion of SBS has been shown to be effective at mitigating Salmonella in pet food and no negative effects on palatability were observed, the use of a dry acidulant in a dog food coating gives the industry a promising method to control Salmonella contamination of finished dog foods

Segmental Duplications: a Possible Mechanism of Hominid Uplift Through MicroRNA Diversification

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are ~21 nucleotide-long gene silencers. Segmental duplications (SD) are among the driving forces in acquiring new genes. Both miRNA and SD are believed to have played a significant role in evolution, particularly in the divergence of humans (Homo sapiens) from the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). This study determines the distribution of miRNAs in humans and in chimpanzees, and presents a hypothesis on its significance in the occurrence of segmental duplications. MiRNA sequences from miRBASE were subjected to BLAT and BLAST to determine if miRNAs are located in SD regions or not. Homology between miRNAs was determined with ClustalW. BLAST was then used to determine whether the non-homologous human miRNA are homologous to any other part of the chimpanzee genome. We found that all 695 human miRNAs are found exclusively in SD regions, and that 67 are de novo miRNAs. Thirteen are homologues of chimpanzee miRNA, and 11 were possibly derived from non-miRNA regions in chimp. Of these, 6 were located in SD regions of the chimpanzee genome. Results indicate that miRNA evolution occurs within regions of segmental duplication and suggest that the presence of miRNA duplicates allows more exposure to mutations that could necessitate diversification, and possibly evolution, through sub- and neofunctionalization

Attractant Pheromone of the Neotropical Species Neomegalotomus parvus (Westwood) (Heteroptera: Alydidae).

The Neotropical broad-headed bug, Neomegalotomus parvus (Westwood), is adapted to various leguminous crops and is considered a pest in common bean and soybean. The chemical communication of this species was studied in order to identify an attractant pheromone. Males and females of N. parvus produce several short-chain esters and acids, and their antennae showed electrophysiological responses to ?ve of these compounds, three common to both sexes (hexyl butanoate, 4-methylhexyl butanoate, and hexyl hexanoate), and two female-speci?c compounds (4-methylhexyl pentanoate and hexyl pentanoate). Both aeration extracts of females and a solution containing ?ve synthetic compounds mimicking the natural blend were attractive to males and females N. parvus in a laboratory bioassay. Aspects of the chemical ecology of the broad-headed bugs and the possibility to use pheromone-baited traps in the ?eld for monitoring are discussed

The effective mass of two--dimensional 3He

We use structural information from diffusion Monte Carlo calculations for two--dimensional 3He to calculate the effective mass. Static effective interactions are constructed from the density-- and spin structure functions using sumrules. We find that both spin-- and density-- fluctuations contribute about equally to the effective mass. Our results show, in agreement with recent experiments, a flattening of the single--particle self--energy with increasing density, which eventually leads to a divergent effective mass.Comment: 4 pages, accepted in PR

Simple Quantitative PCR Approach to Reveal Naturally Occurring and Mutation-Induced Repetitive Sequence Variation on the Drosophila Y Chromosome

Heterochromatin is a significant component of the human genome and the genomes of most model organisms. Although heterochromatin is thought to be largely non-coding, it is clear that it plays an important role in chromosome structure and gene regulation. Despite a growing awareness of its functional significance, the repetitive sequences underlying some heterochromatin remain relatively uncharacterized. We have developed a real-time quantitative PCR-based method for quantifying simple repetitive satellite sequences and have used this technique to characterize the heterochromatic Y chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster. In this report, we validate the approach, identify previously unknown satellite sequence copy number polymorphisms in Y chromosomes from different geographic sources, and show that a defect in heterochromatin formation can induce similar copy number polymorphisms in a laboratory strain. These findings provide a simple method to investigate the dynamic nature of repetitive sequences and characterize conditions which might give rise to long-lasting alterations in DNA sequence.The open access fee for this work was funded through the Texas A&M University Open Access to Knowledge (OAK) Fund