Global agenda for livestock research: Proceedings of a consultation

The objectives of this consultation are to identify priority requirements for improved livestock productivity and development of the sustainable production systems in the developing regions; to identify cross-regional priorities, major constraints, the researchable areas and issues in livestock production most likely to bring distinct benefits and impacts; and to assist identification of participants and planning for future regional research workshops. The report summarises the priority researchable issues suggested during the consultation to be considered for ILRI's broader agenda for livestock and related research. These issues include livestock production systems and feed development and improvement

iPTF13bvn: The First Evidence of a Binary Progenitor for a Type Ib Supernova

The recent detection in archival HST images of an object at the the location of supernova (SN) iPTF13bvn may represent the first direct evidence of the progenitor of a Type Ib SN. The object's photometry was found to be compatible with a Wolf-Rayet pre-SN star mass of ~11 Msun. However, based on hydrodynamical models we show that the progenitor had a pre-SN mass of ~3.5 Msun and that it could not be larger than ~8 Msun. We propose an interacting binary system as the SN progenitor and perform evolutionary calculations that are able to self-consistently explain the light-curve shape, the absence of hydrogen, and the pre-SN photometry. We further discuss the range of allowed binary systems and predict that the remaining companion is a luminous O-type star of significantly lower flux in the optical than the pre-SN object. A future detection of such star may be possible and would provide the first robust identification of a progenitor system for a Type Ib SN.Comment: Accepted to AJ on July 26. Slight changes from original, however delayed by slow refereeing proces

Global agenda for livestock research: Proceedings of a conference on development of livestock research priorities in Asia

This proceedings presents the results and conclusions of ILRI's role in livestock research and development in Asia. It provides a detailed testimony of the success of the consultation, and especially about ILRI's commitment to form integrated programmes for livestock and agricultural research with national partners and others. Topics of discussion include ILRI's mission, vision, programme and collaboration; animal genetic resources in Asia, ILRI's Animal Health Improvement Programme, Sustainable Production Systems Programme; ruminant feed resources research, and partnerships with NARS for technology transfer

Discrimination of Free Space and Subsurface Canonical Metallic Targets Using Hybrid E-Pulse Method

Abstract—Radar scattered time domain response can be modeled by natural poles using singularity expansion method (SEM) in resonance region. In this paper, limitation of the conventional Extinction pulse method is brought out, and a hybrid of conventional Extinction pulse and auto-regressive (AR) method is proposed for robust discrimination of radar targets. A new target discrimination number (TDN) is suggested, which gives very good discrimination margin for enhanced decision process. The Hybrid Extinction pulse technique is applied on the free space targets as well as subsurface canonical metallic targets and the result obtained shows good discrimination margin. The free space target response was obtained using FDTD simulation and the subsurface target response was obtained using frequency domain measurement done for the targets buried under dry sand. 1

KINETIC ENERGY RECOVERY SYSTEM (KERS)

Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) is a system for recovering the moving vehicle's kinetic energy under braking and also to convert the usual loss in kinetic energy into gain in kinetic energy. When riding a bicycle, a great amount of kinetic energy is lost while braking, making start up fairly strenuous. Here we used mechanical kinetic energy recovery system by means of a flywheel to store the energy which is normally lost during braking, and reuse it to help propel the rider when starting. The rider can charge the flywheel when slowing or descending a hill and boost the bike when accelerating or climbing a hill. The flywheel increases maximum acceleration and nets 10% pedal energy savings during a ride where speeds are between 12.5 and 15 mph