Assessing farmland in Illinois. 1224

Cover title."December, 1983."--p. [3] of cover.Prepared by D.L. Chicoine and J.T. Scott.Includes bibliographical references and index

An Initial Assessment of Infiltration Material Selection for Selective Laser Sintered Preforms

High-temperature infiltration is an important process that is used to add strength to skeletal microstructures. In this study, particulate metal matrix composites (MMCs) are fabricated. MMCs are applied in a wide variety of industries, including military, aircraft, tooling and automotive. In this paper, various materials for infiltrating selective laser sintered (SLS) silicon carbide and titanium carbide preforms are considered based on fundamental knowledge of SLS and infiltration mechanics. Proposed infiltrant materials systems include an aluminum-silicon alloy infiltrant and a silicon carbide preform, ductile iron infiltrated into a titanium carbide preform, and commercially pure silicon infiltrated into a silicon carbide preform. The first two infiltrants are considered because they add ductility to the brittle silicon carbide or titanium carbide part, thus broadening the range of applications. They also will model a broader field of possible infiltrants, including magnesium and iron-based materials, (e.g., steel). Silicon is investigated because it adds strength to silicon carbide, is robust at high temperatures, and has a comparable coefficient of thermal expansion. Presented is a feasibility assessment of these systems based on infiltration theory.Mechanical Engineerin

Eruptive history of the Elysium Volcanic Province of Mars

New geologic mapping of the Elysium volcanic province at 1:2,000,000 scale and crater counts provide a basis for describing its overall eruptive history. Four stages are listed and described in order of their relative age. They are also distinguished by eruption style and location. Stage 1: Central volcanism at Hecates and Albor Tholi. Stage 2: Shield and complex volcanism at Elysium Mons and Elysium Fossae. Stage 3: Rille volcanism at Elysium Fossae and Utopia Planitia. Stage 4: Flood lava and pyroclastic eruptions at Hecates Tholus and Elysium Mons. Tectonic and channeling activity in the Elysium region is intimately associated with volcanism. Recent work indicates that isostatic uplift of Tharsis, loading by Elysium Mons, and flexural uplift of the Elysium rise produced the stresses responsible for the fracturing and wrinkle-ridge formation in the region. Coeval faulting and channel formation almost certainly occurred in the pertinent areas in Stages 2 to 4. Older faults east of the lava flows and channels on Hecates Tholus may be coeval with Stage 1

Contemporary Piracy and Maritime Terrorism: Towards An Effective International Legal Response

Piracy at sea has been a threat which has plagued the mariner since the earliest trading vessels took to the sea more than two thousand years ago. to those outside of the maritime community, the notion of piracy likely conjures up visions of Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, the sort of lifestyle, popularized in the Errol Flynn movies of the 1930x, which has long since passed into history. In reality, violence and robbery at sea is alive and well in certain geographic locations around the globe. In the past decade, the problem of pirate attack upon merchant vessels has become especially acute in the Singapore Strait, one of the world\u27s most important commercial and strategic waterways. Today\u27s conventional international law of piracy provides for universal jurisdiction over piracy which occurs on the high seas. The conventional law of piracy is largely the product of customary and municipal concepts of the crime, jurisdiction, and international political and economic notions. New concepts such as the introduction of the Exclusive Economic Zone, expanded territorial seas, and archipelagic waters, have effectively reduced the areal extent of the high seas, and consequently, have rendered the existing conventional law of piracy inadequate to respond to most of the piratic activity which is occurring in the world today. This paper examines the development of the international law of piracy, and the effect that contemporary notions of the law of the sea and international relations have on the existing conventional law. The terrorist attack on the cruise ship Achille Lauro is cited as an example of the shortcomings of the existing conventional law\u27s definition of the offense of piracy in the modern age. The present situation in the Singapore Strait is cited as an example of how contemporary notions of littoral state sovereignty militate against an effective international response to traditional piratic activity occurring in an international strait. Recommendations for improving the international community\u27s ability to address the problems posed by contemporary piracy and maritime terrorism are offerred

Evidence for early disease-modifying drugs in rheumatoid arthritis

Some research evidence supports early aggressive treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using combination therapy with two or more disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) plus steroids, or even DMARDs plus an anti-TNF. By contrast, conservatively delayed DMARD monotherapy, given after non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs have failed, has been criticised. However, recent long-term studies highlight the complexities in evaluating whether to abandon pyramidal treatment in favour of early DMARDs. Although patients given early DMARD therapy show short-term benefits, longer-term results show no prolonged clinical advantages from early DMARDs. By 5 years patients receiving early DMARDs had similar disease activity and comparable health assessment questionnaire scores to patients who received DMARDs later in their disease course. X-ray progression was persistent and virtually identical in both groups. These negative findings do not invalidate the case for early DMARD therapy, as it is gives sustained reductions in disease activity in the early years of treatment without excessive risks from adverse effects. However, early DMARDs alone do not adequately control RA in the longer term. This may require starting with very aggressive therapy or treating patients more aggressively after early DMARD therapy has been initiated

Sequential induction of NF-κB/Rel family proteins during B-cell terminal differentiation

The NF-kappa B/Rel family of at least five transcription factor polypeptides is thought to function both as a developmental regulator in B cells and as a rapid response system in all cells. To examine this notion in more detail, we determined the protein contents of both the inducible and constitutive NF-kappa B/Rel activities in a pre-B-cell line, 70Z/3, and a mature B-cell line, WEHI 231. NF-kappa B p50/p65 is the major inducible nuclear complex after lipopolysaccharide or phorbol myristate acetate treatment of 70Z/3 cells. The constitutive and inducible complexes in WEHI 231 cells are mainly composed of p50 and Rel. The constitutive or induced activities are all sensitive to I kappa B-alpha, but this inhibitor is very short-lived in WEHI 231 cells, suggesting that the balance between synthesis and degradation of I kappa B-alpha determines whether a particular cell lineage has constitutive activity. A patterned expression of the NF-kappa B/Rel activator proteins emerges from an analysis of other B-lineage cell lines and splenic B cells: mainly p50 and p65 in pre-B (and non-B) cells, a predominance of Rel and p50 in mature B cells, and expression of p52 and RelB in plasmacytoma lines. This ordered pattern of regulators may reflect the requirement for expression of different genes during terminal B-cell differentiation because different combinations of NF-kappa B/Rel family members preferentially activate distinct kappa B sites in reporter constructs

Entangled granular media

We study the geometrically induced cohesion of ensembles of granular "u-particles" which mechanically entangle through particle interpenetration. We vary the length-to-width ratio $l/w$ of the u-particles and form them into free-standing vertical columns. In laboratory experiment we monitor the response of the columns to sinusoidal vibration (frequency $f$, peak acceleration $\Gamma$). Column collapse occurs in a characteristic time, $\tau$, which follows the relation $\tau = f^{-1} \exp(\Delta / \Gamma)$. $\Delta$ resembles an activation energy and is maximal at intermediate $l/w$. Simulation reveals that optimal strength results from competition between packing and entanglement.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

PROCESSOR DEMAND AND PRICE-MARKUP FUNCTIONS FOR CATFISH: A DISAGGREGATED ANALYSIS WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR THE OFF-FLAVOR PROBLEM

Off-flavor in catfish restricts farm marketings 10 to 45% depending on the season. The economic impact on society of this imposed supply restriction depends, in part, on the elasticity of demand for catfish. Econometric estimates based on disaggregated processing plant data indicate an elastic demand at the processor level but an inelastic demand at the farm level. Short-run social welfare gains from the elimination of off-flavor are estimated to equal 12.0% of farm revenues ($10.0 million in 1983). The inelastic demand for catfish at the farm level, however, means that most of the societal gains will accrue to individuals beyond the farm gate. Thus, an economic justification exists for public sector funding of off-flavor research.Demand and Price Analysis,