Technical Note: A rotary seed processor for removing pubescence from seed of prairie grasses

Many of the perennial prairie grasses that are used in restoration plantings in the central Great Plains have seed appendages such as awns and pubescence that make seed flow through planters difficult. We have developed a rotary seed processor that efficiently processes small breeder or experimental lots of seed that can then be easily planted with small plot cone planters or conventional planters. The processor consists of a metal cylinder that is lined with corrugated rubber and a rotating center shaft with rubber paddles. Processing can be controlled by varying shaft rotation speed and processing time. A top-opening, full length trap door allows for easy loading and the cylinder can be inverted to dump out processed seed. The processor has been used successfully for several years on big bluestem [Andropogon gerardii Vitman], indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash], little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michaux) Nash], prairie sandreed [Calamovilfa longifolia (Book.) Scribner], and blue grama [Boureloua gracilis (Willd. ex Kunth) Lagascaex Griffiths] seed. By removing seed appendages and pubescence, seed bulk is reduced and seed density and flow ability are improved. The processing operation is relatively gentle and seed germination per unit weight of seed is improved. Semillas de muchos pastos perennes que son usados en la restauracion de praderas en las Grandes Planicies centrales, poseen accesorios coma aristas y/o pubescencias que difcultan el paso de las semillas a traves de sembradoras convencionales. Para efectuar siembras con btas semillas, las semhradoras tendrian que estar especificamente diieiiadas para plantar material relativamente voluminoso y sin peso, al menos que las semillas scan procesadas para remover tales cuerpos accesorios. Nosotros hemos desarrollado un procesador de semilla que process eticientemente pequeiios lotes de semillas con fries de reproduction de germoplasma o experimentales. De &a manera, las semillas podran ser facilmente sembrados con un sembrador de cone para pequefias parcelas, o con sembradoras convencionales. El procesador consiste de un cilindro o tambor de metal forrado en su interior con hule corrugado. Paletas de hule adjuntas a un eje que atraviesa el cilindro y que son rotadas por polea, golpean las semillas. El proceso puede ser controlado variando el tamaiio de polea y la velocidad de rotacibn, y por el tiempo que la semilla permanece rotando dentro de la unidad. El cilindro cuenta con una puerta en la parte superior que permite el facil acceso de la semilla dentro de la unidad. Cuando la semilla ha sido procesada, el cilindro puede ser invertido para retirar la semilla de la unidad. El procesador ha sido exitosamente usado por varios aiios en big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash], little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash], prairie sandreed [Calamovilfa longifolia (Hook.) Scribn.], and blue grama [Bouteloua gracilis (Wiid. ex Kunth) Lagasca ex Griffiths] seed. La remocion de las aristas y pubescencias disminuyen el volumen de la semi&, y la densidad y flujo dentro de la sembradora son entonces mejorados. El proceso de operation es relativamente suave para las semillas y la genninacion por unidad de peso es mejorada

Integrated Circuit (IC) Chip with a Self-Contained Fluid Sensor and Method of Making the Chip

An integrated circuit (IC) chip with a self-contained fluid sensor and method of making the chip. The sensor is in a conduit formed between a semiconductor substrate and a non-conductive cap with fluid entry and exit points through the cap. The conduit may be entirely in the cap, in the substrate or in both. The conduit includes encased temperature sensors at both ends and a central encased heater. The temperature sensors may each include multiple encased diodes and the heater may include multiple encased resistors

Modeling the longitudinal wall impedance instability in heavy ion beams using an R-C pic code

The effects of the longitudinal wall impedance instability in a heavy ion beam are of great interest for heavy ion fusion drivers. We are studying this instability using the R-Z thread of the WARP PIC code. We describe the code and our model of the impedance due to the accelerating modules of the induction LINAC as a resistive wall. We present computer simulations which illustrate this instability. 2 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

Provenance-Centered Dataset of Drug-Drug Interactions

Over the years several studies have demonstrated the ability to identify potential drug-drug interactions via data mining from the literature (MEDLINE), electronic health records, public databases (Drugbank), etc. While each one of these approaches is properly statistically validated, they do not take into consideration the overlap between them as one of their decision making variables. In this paper we present LInked Drug-Drug Interactions (LIDDI), a public nanopublication-based RDF dataset with trusty URIs that encompasses some of the most cited prediction methods and sources to provide researchers a resource for leveraging the work of others into their prediction methods. As one of the main issues to overcome the usage of external resources is their mappings between drug names and identifiers used, we also provide the set of mappings we curated to be able to compare the multiple sources we aggregate in our dataset.Comment: In Proceedings of the 14th International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC) 201

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in Ureilites Including Almahata Sitta

Ureilites are a class of meteorites that lack chondrules (achondrites) but have relatively high carbon abundances, averaging approx.3 wt %. Using highly sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with UV fluorescence and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-FD/ToF-MS), it was recently determined that there are amino acids in. fragment 94 of the Almahata Sitta ureilite[l]. Based on the presence of amino acids that are rare in the Earth's biosphere, as well as the near-racemic enantiomeric ratios of marry of the more common amino acids, it was concluded that most of the detected amino acids were indigenous to the meteorite. Although the composition of the Almahata Sitta ureilite appears to be unlike other recovered ureilites, the discovery of amino acids in this meteorite raises the question of whether other ureilites rnav also contain amino acids. Herein we present the results of LC-FDlTo.F-MS analyses of: a sand sample from the Almahata Sitta strewn held, Almahata Sitta fragments 425 (an ordinary H5 chondrite) and 427 (ureilite), as well as an Antarctic ureilite (Allan lulls, ALHA 77257)

Trusty URIs: Verifiable, Immutable, and Permanent Digital Artifacts for Linked Data

To make digital resources on the web verifiable, immutable, and permanent, we propose a technique to include cryptographic hash values in URIs. We call them trusty URIs and we show how they can be used for approaches like nanopublications to make not only specific resources but their entire reference trees verifiable. Digital artifacts can be identified not only on the byte level but on more abstract levels such as RDF graphs, which means that resources keep their hash values even when presented in a different format. Our approach sticks to the core principles of the web, namely openness and decentralized architecture, is fully compatible with existing standards and protocols, and can therefore be used right away. Evaluation of our reference implementations shows that these desired properties are indeed accomplished by our approach, and that it remains practical even for very large files.Comment: Small error corrected in the text (table data was correct) on page 13: "All average values are below 0.8s (0.03s for batch mode). Using Java in batch mode even requires only 1ms per file.

Evidence from Meteorites for Multiple Possible Amino Acid Alphabets for the Origins of Life

A key question for the origins of life is understanding which amino acids made up the first proteins synthesized during the origins of life. The canonical set of 20 - 22 amino acids used in proteins are all alpha-amino, alpha-hydrogen isomers that, nevertheless, show considerable variability in properties including size, hydrophobicity, and ionizability. Abiotic amino acid synthesis experiments such as Miller-Urey spark discharge reactions produce a set of up to 23 amino acids, depending on starting materials and reaction conditions, with significant abundances of both alpha- and non-alpha-amino acid isomers. These two sets of amino acids do not completely overlap; of the 23 spark discharge amino acids, only 11 are used in modern proteins. Furthermore, because our understanding of conditions on the early Earth are limited, it is unclear which set(s) of conditions employed in spark discharge or hydrothermal reactions are correct, leaving us with significant uncertainty about the amino acid alphabet available for the origins of life on Earth. Meteorites, the surviving remnants of asteroids and comets that fall to the Earth, offer the potential to study authentic samples of naturally-occurring abiotic chemistry, and thus can provide an alternative approach to constraining the amino acid library during the origins of life