Airborne tracking sunphotometer apparatus and system

An airborne tracking Sun photometer apparatus has a rotatable dome. An azimuth drive motor is connected to rotate the dome. The dome has an equatorial slot. A cylindrical housing is pivotally mounted inside the dome at the equatorial slot. A photometer is mounted in the housing to move in the equatorial slot as the housing pivots. The photometer has an end facing from the slot with an optical flat transparent window. An elevation drive motor is connected to pivot the cylindrical housing. The rotatable dome is mounted in the bulkhead of an aircraft to extend from the interior of the aircraft. A Sun sensor causes the photometer to track the Sun automatically. Alternatively, the photometer may be oriented manually or by computer

Soil erosion as affected by shrub encroachment in northeastern Patagonia

La erosion de los suelos es la causa principal de las perdidas irreversibles del potencial productivo de los suelos en la mayoria de los pastizales naturales. En el nordeste de Patagonia, el aumento de la erosion de los suelos ha estado estrechamente asociado al aumento de la cobertura de arbustos en las estepas herbaceas o arbustivas-herbaceas. Nosotros empleamos lluvia simulada para determinar la tasa de infiltracion y la produccion de sedimentos en parches de estepas herbaceas, arbustivas-herbaceas y arbustivas del sitio ecologico Punta Ninfas. Las coberturas de suelo desnudo y de gravas fueron mayores y la cobertura de mantillo menor en la estepa arbustiva respecto a las estepas arbustiva- herbacea y herbacea. En los espacios entre arbustos de la estepa arbustiva, la densidad aparente fue mayor y la macroporosidad y la materia organica fueron menores (P 0.05) que en los monticulos debajo de los arbustos y en las estepas arbustivaherbacea y herbacea. La tasa de infiltration fue un 60 y un 65% mas baja en la estepa arbustiva que en las estepas herbacea y arbustiva-herbacea, respectivamente. Por el contrario, la produccion total y la concentracion de sedimentos fueron mas altas (P s 0.05) en la estepa arbustiva comparado con las estepas herbacea y arbustiva-herbacea. La cobertura de gravas fue la variable que mejor predijo la tasa de infiltracion y la produccion de sedimentos. El contenido de materia organica de los sedimentos, mayormente mantillo, fue similar en la estepa arbustiva y la arbustiva-herbacea y en ambas mayores (P 0.05) que en la estepa herbacea. La remocion de mantillo por el escurrimiento superficial posiblemente represente uno de los procesos que provocan la transicion de la estepa arbustiva-herbacea a la estepa arbustiva. Las altas tasas de remocion de sedimentos, principalmente mantillo, de los espacios entre arbustos de la estepa arbustiva pueden limitar la recuperacion natural de las propiedades fisicas a hidrologicas de los suelos. Estos parches degradados no pueden captar las lluvias incidentes, limitando asi las posibilidades de recuperacion de los pastos perennes y favoreciendo la dominancia de los arbustos.Soil erosion is the primary cause of irreversible loss of soil productivity on most rangelands. In northeastern Patagonia, the increase in soil erosion has been closely associated with the increase in shrub cover in the grass or shrub-grass steppes. We used rainfall simulation to compare infiltration and sediment production from patches of grass, shrub-grass, and shrub steppes of the Punta Ninfas range site. Bare soil and gravel covers were higher and litter cover was lower in the shrub steppe than in the shrub-grass and the grass steppes. In the shrub inter-spaces of the shrub steppe, bulk density was greater and macroporosity and soil organic matter were lower (P less than or equal to 0.05) than in the mounds beneath shrubs and in the grass and shrub-grass areas. Infiltration rate was 60 to 65% lower in the shrub steppe than in the grass and shrub-grass steppes, respectively. On the contrary, total sediment production and concentration were higher (P less than or equal to 0.05) in the shrub steppe as compared to the grass and the shrub-grass areas. Gravel cover was the variable that best predicted infiltration and sediment production. The organic matter content of the sediment, mostly litter, in the shrub and the shrub-grass steppes were similar and greater (P less than or equal to 0.05) than in the grass steppe. Runoff litter removal may represent one of the processes that drive the transition from shrub-grass to shrub steppes. High rates of sediment removal, mainly litter, from the shrub interspaces of the shrub steppe may limit the natural recovery of the soil physical and hydrological properties. These degraded patches fail to capture incident rainfall and restrict the possibilities for the recovery of perennial grasses favoring the dominance of shrubs.Fil: Parizek, B.. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Rostagno, Cesar Mario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Sottini, Roberto Raul. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentin

STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF PRE-ORGANIC CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS: CHEMICAL BONDING

Chemical bonding is a basic chemical principle that has applications in many areas of Chemistry. Students of Chemistry need to be able to analyze situations where Chemical bonding occurs in order to understand reaction mechanisms, many physical properties, solubility, molecular interactions and some spectroscopic information. The study investigated the students’ conceptual understanding of pre-organic chemistry concepts in chemical bonding. This used descriptive research design which investigated how the students, after completing General College Chemistry, understand, explain and apply chemical bonding to determine physical attributes of organic molecules. There were 28 BSE Biological Science majors who participated in the study after having completed the 5-units General College Chemistry course with laboratory component. They took the two-tiered conceptual understanding test. The findings show that, generally, the students had functional misconception of Chemical bonding. This manifests that the students had vigorous misconceptions in which they were holding on to their initial beliefs which had enabled them to answer questions correctly, but for wrong reasons.  This situation most often goes undetected because usually tests do not probe into the reasons supporting initial students’ response

Gravitational Wave Signatures of Highly Magnetized Neutron Stars

Motivated by the recent gravitational wave detection by the LIGO-VIRGO observatories, we study the Love number and dimensionless tidal polarizability of highly magnetized stars. We also investigate the fundamental quasi-normal mode of neutron stars subject to high magnetic fields. To perform our calculations we use the chaotic field approximation and consider both nucleonic and hyperonic stars. As far as the fundamental mode is concerned, we conclude that the role played by the constitution of the stars is far more relevant than the intensity of the magnetic field and if massive stars are considered, the ones constituted by nucleons only present frequencies somewhat lower than the ones with hyperonic cores, a feature that can be used to point out the real internal structure of neutron stars. Moreover, our studies clearly indicate that strong magnetic fields play a crucial role in the deformability of low mass neutron stars, with possible consequences on the interpretation of the detected gravitational waves signatures.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, 6 table

The Nusselt numbers of horizontal convection

We consider the problem of horizontal convection in which non-uniform buoyancy, $b_{\rm s}(x,y)$, is imposed on the top surface of a container and all other surfaces are insulating. Horizontal convection produces a net horizontal flux of buoyancy, $\mathbf{J}$, defined by vertically and temporally averaging the interior horizontal flux of buoyancy. We show that $\overline{\mathbf{J}\cdot\mathbf{\nabla}b_{\rm s}}=-\kappa\langle|\boldsymbol{\nabla}b|^2\rangle$; overbar denotes a space-time average over the top surface, angle brackets denote a volume-time average and $\kappa$ is the molecular diffusivity of buoyancy $b$. This connection between $\mathbf{J}$ and $\kappa\langle|\boldsymbol{\nabla}b|^2\rangle$ justifies the definition of the horizontal-convective Nusselt number, $Nu$, as the ratio of $\kappa \langle|\boldsymbol{\nabla}b|^2\rangle$ to the corresponding quantity produced by molecular diffusion alone. We discuss the advantages of this definition of $Nu$ over other definitions of horizontal-convective Nusselt number currently in use. We investigate transient effects and show that $\kappa \langle|\boldsymbol{\nabla}b|^2\rangle$ equilibrates more rapidly than other global averages, such as the domain averaged kinetic energy and bottom buoyancy. We show that $\kappa\langle|\boldsymbol{\nabla} b|^2\rangle$ is essentially the volume-averaged rate of Boussinesq entropy production within the enclosure. In statistical steady state, the interior entropy production is balanced by a flux of entropy through the top surface. This leads to an equivalent "surface Nusselt number", defined as the surface average of vertical buoyancy flux through the top surface times the imposed surface buoyancy $b_{\rm s}(x,y)$. In experiments it is likely easier to evaluate the surface entropy flux, rather than the volume integral of $|\mathbf{\nabla}b|^2$ demanded by $\kappa\langle|\mathbf{\nabla}b|^2\rangle$.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

IMPLIKASI HUKUM DARI PERJANJIAN ANTARA BANK DENGAN NASABAH DALAM TRANSAKSI E-BANKING DILIHAT DARI PERSPEKTIF PERJANJIAN BAKU

Tujuan dilakukannya penelitian ini untuk mengetahui bagaimana implikasi hukum dari perjanjian antara bank dengan nasabah dalam transaksi e-banking yang memuat klausul – klausul yang tidak seimbang dan bagaimanakah pengaturan hukum transaksi e-banking di Indonesia yang dengan metode penelitian hukum normative disimpulkan: 1. Timbulnya implikasi hukum atau konsekuensi hukum dari perjanjian antara bank dengan nasabah disebabkan oleh kedudukan yang tidak seimbang antara bank dan nasabah dalam pelaksanaan perjanjian dalam transaksi e-banking, disebabkan karena pihak bank yang sering mengabaikan ketentuan pencantuman klausul baku yang sesuai dengan peraturan perundang – undangan sehingga perjanjian tersebut berat sebelah yang mana perjanjian itu memuat klausul-klausul yang tidak seimbang potensial dianggap bertentangan dengan kesusilaan, ketertiban umum, itikad baik dan asas kepatutan sehingga kontrak demikian dapat dianggap batal demi hukum serta perjanjian yang cenderung melindungi kepentingan pihak bank dibanding pihak nasabah sehingga timbul suatu hak dari pihak nasabah untuk mengajukan pembatalan perjanjian atas perbuatan pihak bank. 2. Aturan hukum atau undang-undang yang secara mengatur khusus/spesifik tentang transaksi e-banking dalam kegiatan perbankan di Indonesia sampai saat ini belum ada. Aturan hukum atau undang-undang yang telah ada saat ini hanyalah mengatur tentang transaksi elektronik pada umumnya.Kata kunci: bank; nasabah; e-banking; perjanjian baku

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Device Guided, Slow-Paced Respiration in Women with Overactive Bladder Syndrome.

PurposeWe evaluated the effects of device guided, slow-paced respiration on urgency associated urinary symptoms, perceived stress and anxiety, and autonomic function in women with overactive bladder syndrome.Materials and methodsWe performed a randomized, parallel group trial of slow-paced respiration to improve perceived stress and autonomic dysfunction as potential contributors to overactive bladder. Ambulatory women who reported at least 3 voiding or incontinence episodes per day associated with moderate to severe urgency were randomized to use a portable biofeedback device to practice daily, slow, guided breathing exercises or a control device which appeared identical and was reprogrammed to play music without guiding breathing. During 12 weeks we evaluated changes in urinary symptoms by voiding diaries, perceived stress and anxiety by validated questionnaires, and autonomic function by heart rate variability and impedance cardiography.ResultsIn the 161 randomized participants, including 79 randomized to paced respiration and 82 randomized to the control group, the average ± SD baseline frequency of voiding or incontinence associated with moderate to severe urgency was 6.9 ± 3.4 episodes per day. Compared to controls the participants randomized to paced respiration demonstrated greater improvement in perceived stress (average Perceived Stress Scale score decrease 2.8 vs 1.1, p=0.03) but not in autonomic function markers. During 12 weeks the average frequency of voiding or incontinence associated with moderate to severe urgency, which was the study primary outcome, decreased by a mean of 0.9 ± 3.2 episodes per day but no significant between group difference was detected.ConclusionsAmong women with overactive bladder slow-paced respiration was associated with a modest improvement in perceived stress during 12 weeks. However, it was not superior to a music listening control for reducing urinary symptoms or changing autonomic function