Duration discrimination of brief visual stimuli

Visual flash duration discrimination and decision theory analysis of effects of temporal and brightness difference

Duration discrimination of brief visual off-flashes

Visual flash duration discrimination and analysis of temporal and energy cue models, and memory effect

Brood diseases of bee

American foul brood (AFB) also know as American brood disease (ABD) is an infectious disease of honey bees cause by bacteria, Bacillus larvae. This bacteria forms spores which will survive many years in the environment and the bee larvae become infected by swallowing the spores with teir food. The spores then develop and multiply within the larvae.https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/bulletins/1253/thumbnail.jp

Comment on "Quantum Confinement and Optical Gaps in Si Nanocrystals"

We show that the method used by Ogut, Chelikowsky and Louie (Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 1770 (1997)) to calculate the optical gap of Si nanocrystals omits an electron-hole polarization energy. When this contribution is taken into account, the corrected optical gap is in excellent agreement with semi-empirical pseudopotential calculations.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figur

Quahogs in Eastern North America: Part II, History by Province and State

The northern quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria, ranges along the Atlantic Coast of North America from the Canadian Maritimes to Florida, while the southern quahog, M. campechiensis, ranges mostly from Florida to southern Mexico. The northern quahog was fished by native North Americans during prehistoric periods. They used the meats as food and the shells as scrapers and as utensils. The European colonists copied the Indians treading method, and they also used short rakes for harvesting quahogs. The Indians of southern New England and Long Island, N.Y., made wampum from quahog shells, used it for ornaments and sold it to the colonists, who, in turn, traded it to other Indians for furs. During the late 1600’s, 1700’s, and 1800’s, wampum was made in small factories for eventual trading with Indians farther west for furs. The quahoging industry has provided people in many coastal communities with a means of earning a livelihood and has given consumers a tasty, wholesome food whether eaten raw, steamed, cooked in chowders, or as stuffed quahogs. More than a dozen methods and types of gear have been used in the last two centuries for harvesting quahogs. They include treading and using various types of rakes and dredges, both of which have undergone continuous improvements in design. Modern dredges are equipped with hydraulic jets and one type has an escalator to bring the quahogs continuously to the boats. In the early 1900’s, most provinces and states established regulations to conserve and maximize yields of their quahog stocks. They include a minimum size, now almost universally a 38-mm shell width, and can include gear limitations and daily quotas. The United States produces far more quahogs than either Canada or Mexico. The leading producer in Canada is Prince Edward Island. In the United States, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island lead in quahog production in the north, while Virginia and North Carolina lead in the south. Connecticut and Florida were large producers in the 1990’s. The State of Tabasco leads in Mexican production. In the northeastern United States, the bays with large openings, and thus large exchanges of bay waters with ocean waters, have much larger stocks of quahogs and fisheries than bays with small openings and water exchanges. Quahog stocks in certified beds have been enhanced by transplanting stocks to them from stocks in uncertified waters and by planting seed grown in hatcheries, which grew in number from Massachusetts to Florida in the 1980’s and 1990’s

Non-local nuclear spin quieting in quantum dot molecules: Optically-induced extended two-electron spin coherence time

We demonstrate the extension of coherence between all four two-electron spin ground states of an InAs quantum dot molecule (QDM) via non-local suppression of nuclear spin fluctuations in both constituent quantum dots (QDs), while optically addressing only the upper QD transitions. Long coherence times are revealed through dark-state spectroscopy as resulting from nuclear spin locking mediated by the exchange interaction between the QDs. Lineshape analysis provides the first measurement of the quieting of the Overhauser field distribution correlating with reduced nuclear spin fluctuations.Comment: Supplementary materials can be found on the publication page of our website. http://research.physics.lsa.umich.edu/dst/Publications.htm

Frequency-dependent spontaneous emission rate from CdSe and CdTe nanocrystals: influence of dark states

We studied the rate of spontaneous emission from colloidal CdSe and CdTe nanocrystals at room temperature. The decay rate, obtained from luminescence decay curves, increases with the emission frequency in a supra-linear way. This dependence is explained by the thermal occupation of dark exciton states at room temperature, giving rise to a strong attenuation of the rate of emission. The supra-linear dependence is in agreement with the results of tight-binding calculations.Comment: 11 page

Problem-based Learning in Institutional and Curricular Design at the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE)

NMITE’s Master’s in Integrated Engineering (MEng) was created with a unique philosophy of integrating not only traditionally separate strands of engineering, but also of integrating engineering with other disciplines such as arts, humanities, and business. This broad and deep integration is made possible by adopting the principles and practices of problem-based learning (PBL) and embedding them within predetermined module challenges. In this way, each PBL challenge highlights and hones areas of engineering expertise and embeds liberal subjects whilst maintaining the integration intrinsic to the programme. Overall, this method supports the use of block learning with deep integration of employers and the community in the educational experience

Fishmeal replacement research for shrimp feed in Australia

The global expansion and intensification of aquaculture has brought with it an increasing requirement for formulated feeds. Feeds for carnivorous fish and shrimp contain a large proportion ingredient of marine origin, particularly fishmeal. However, despite the continuing increase in demand for fishmeal, world fishmeal production is unlikely to increase further. The identification and development of alternative feed ingredients that can replace fishmeal is recognised as an international research priority. A nationally coordinated research program in Australia has evaluated a wide range of ingredients produced by Australia’s agricultural industries. Information has been obtained on the chemical composition, apparent digestibility (AD) and subsequent assimilation and utilisation of each of the ingredients evaluated. The research focused on three key warmwater species endemic to Australia: the omnivorous marine crustacean, black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon; the euryhaline carnivorous fish, barramundi or Asian seabass Lates calcarifer and the freshwater omnivorous fish, silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus. Across the three key species, the AD for crude protein was highest for fishmeal though the more refined, high-protein ingredients of plant origin were equally well digested. The AD of energy was relatively low in ingredients with a high carbohydrate or fibre content. Dehulled lupins (L. angustifolius) and high-protein, low-ash meat meals were found to have the greatest potential to replace fishmeal in shrimp diets. Meat meal can replace about half of the digestible crude protein, and dehulled lupins can replace a quarter of the digestible crude protein, in a shrimp diet without significantly affecting biological performance, provided that the balance of the crude protein in the diet comes predominantly from high quality ingredients of marine origin. When the diets contain these ingredients of marine origin at inclusions of at least 50 g.kg-1, specific feeding effectors do not appear to necessary to maintain the palatability of the diets