Fiber-optic three axis magnetometer prototype development

The goal of this research program was to develop a high sensitivity, fiber optic, interferometric, three-axis magnetometer for interplanetary spacecraft applications. Dynamics Technology, Inc. (DTI) has successfully integrated a low noise, high bandwidth interferometer with high sensitivity metallic glass transducers. Also, DTI has developed sophisticated signal processing electronics and complete data acquisition, filtering, and display software. The sensor was packaged in a compact, low power and weight unit which facilitates deployment. The magnetic field sensor had subgamma sensitivity and a dynamic range of 10(exp 5) gamma in a 10 Hz bandwidth. Furthermore, the vector instrument exhibited the lowest noise level when only one axis was in operation. A system noise level of 1 gamma rms was observed in a 1 Hz bandwidth. However, with the other two channels operating, the noise level increased by about one order of magnitude. Higher system noise was attributed to cross-channel interference among the dither fields

South African research in the hydrological sciences: 1999-2002

The principal activities of South African researchers in hydrology and water resources during the reporting period have been concerned with ground- and surface-water interactions, rainfall-runoff modelling, the establishment of improved regional water resource databases, the management of transboundary water resource systems, the ecological reserve, and quantifying the impacts of streamflow reduction activities. Most of these studies have focused on supporting the radically new provisions of the National Water Act of 1998

Cigar Smoking Among U.S. Students: Reported Use After Adding Brands to Survey Items

Background: Among U.S. youth overall, cigars are the most commonly used tobacco product after cigarettes. However, youth who identify their products by brand names, not general terms like “cigar,” may underreport use. Purpose: To examine changes in reported cigar (cigar, cigarillo, or little cigar) smoking among students following inclusion of cigar brand examples on the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS). Methods: Data from the 2011 and 2012 NYTS and National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were analyzed in 2013 to estimate ever and current cigar smoking, overall and by race/ ethnicity. The 2012 NYTS included cigar brand examples (Black and Mild, Swisher Sweets, Dutch Masters, White Owl, Phillies Blunt) in the survey instructions and ever use question, but the 2011 NYTS and 2011 and 2012 NSDUH did not. Results: NYTS ever cigar smoking was higher in 2012 (27.8%) than 2011 (19.5%) among black students overall. Current cigar smoking was 60%–70% higher among black females and students agedZ17 years, in 2012 than 2011. For black females, current cigar smoking (11.5%) was two times greater than that of white females (4.3%) in 2012, whereas the prevalence among these subgroups was comparable in 2011. Similar changes were not observed among these subgroups in the 2011– 2012 NSDUH. Conclusions: This study highlights the high burden of cigar use among U.S. youth and suggests that NYTS ascertainment of cigar smoking may have improved by including brands. Disparities in cigar smoking need to be addressed to prevent and reduce all youth tobacco use. (Am J Prev Med 2014;47(2S1):S28–S35) Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Journal of Preventive Medicin

Complex microwave conductivity of Na-DNA powders

We report the complex microwave conductivity, $\sigma=\sigma_1-i\sigma_2$, of Na-DNA powders, which was measured from 80 K to 300 K by using a microwave cavity perturbation technique. We found that the magnitude of $\sigma_1$ near room temperature was much larger than the contribution of the surrounding water molecules, and that the decrease of $\sigma_1$ with decreasing temperature was sufficiently stronger than that of the conduction of counterions. These results clearly suggest that the electrical conduction of Na-DNA is intrinsically semiconductive.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Farming of cobia, Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus 1766) in open sea floating cages in India

Experiments on culture and growth performance of cobia were undertaken in marine cages installed in the Arabian Sea off Karwar on the south-west coast of India. Hatchery produced cobia fingerlings were stocked at two densities of 3.5 fish cubic m-1 and 14.1 fish cubic m-1 in circular HDPE cages. Mean weight and specific growth rate (SGR) of cobia stocked @ 3.5 fish cubic m -1 were 10.5 kg and 2.2% day-1, respectively, at 300 days of culture (DOC). Cobia stocked @ of 14.1 fish cubic m-1 attained an average weight of 3.68 kg and SGR of 1.9% day-1 at 300 DOC. SGR was found to be positively correlated with water temperature and salinity during the culture period. No significant variation was found in SGR and feed conversion ratio of cobia stocked at two different densities. However, absolute growth rate, relative growth rate and mean weight of cobia varied significantly between the two groups

Observations on variations in physico-chemical water parameters of marine fish cage farm off Karwar

An investigation was undertaken to study the fluctuations in the water quality parameters in a marine fish cage culture site off Karwar during the period 2009-2011. Two stations viz., one from cage site (Station 1) and the other away from the cage site (Station 2) were selected for the study. Water samples were collected at weekly intervals. Temperature of Station 1 varied from 28.5 ± 0.89 oC to 32.5 ± 1.04 oC during the first crop of Asian seabass culture in 2009-10 and it ranged between 26.7 ± 0.83 to 32.5 ± 0.79 oC during the second crop of seabass culture in 2010- 11. The salinity was minimum during July 2010 and maximum in May 2010. There was no significant difference observed between the water quality parameters of the two stations (p>0.05). However, difference in salinity was significant between the two culture periods in Station 1 (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed in the nutrient levels of the cage and reference sites and also between the two crops. No significant difference was observed between the mean weight of the fish and temperature of both the sites and periods. A positive correlation was observed between the weight gain of fish and salinity of water at cage site

Anthelmintic activity and cytotoxic effects of compounds isolated from the fruits of Ozoroa insignis del. (Anacardiaceae)

Ozoroa insignis Del. is an ethnobotanical plant widely used in traditional medicine for various ailments, including schistosomiasis, tapeworm, and hookworm infections. From the so far not investigated fruits of Ozoroa insignis, the anthelmintic principles could be isolated through bioassay-guided isolation using Caenorhabditis elegans and identified by NMR spectroscopic analysis and mass spectrometric studies. Isolated 6-[8(Z)-pentadecenyl] anacardic (1), 6-[10(Z)-heptadecenyl] anacardic acid (2), and 3-[7(Z)-pentadecenyl] phenol (3) were evaluated against the 5 parasitic organisms Schistosoma mansoni (adult and newly transformed schistosomula), Strongyloides ratti, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Necator americanus, and Ancylostoma ceylanicum, which mainly infect humans and other mammals. Compounds 1-3 showed good activity against Schistosoma mansoni, with compound 1 showing the best activity against newly transformed schistosomula with 50% activity at 1microM. The isolated compounds were also evaluated for their cytotoxic properties against PC-3 (human prostate adenocarcinoma) and HT-29 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma) cell lines, whereby compounds 2 and 3 showed antiproliferative activity in both cancer cell lines, while compound 1 exhibited antiproliferative activity only on PC-3 cells. With an IC50 value of 43.2 microM, compound 3 was found to be the most active of the 3 investigated compounds

Macroscopic Quantum Coherence in a Magnetic Nanoparticle Above the Surface of a Superconductor

We study macroscopic quantum tunneling of the magnetic moment in a single-domain particle placed above the surface of a superconductor. Such a setup allows one to manipulate the height of the energy barrier, preserving the degeneracy of the ground state. The tunneling amplitude and the effect of the dissipation in the superconductor are computed.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 1 figure. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

What Is Causing the Reduced Drug-Placebo Difference in Recent Schizophrenia Clinical Trials and What Can be Done About It?

On September 18, 2007, a collaborative session between the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology and the International Society for CNS Drug Development was held in Brussels, Belgium. Both groups, with membership from industry, academia, and governmental and nongovernmental agencies, have been formed to address scientific, clinical, regulatory, and methodological challenges in the development of central nervous system therapeutic agents. The focus of this joint session was the apparent diminution of drug-placebo differences in recent multicenter trials of antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia. To characterize the nature of the problem, some presenters reported data from several recent trials that indicated higher rates of placebo response and lower rates of drug response (even to previously established, comparator drugs), when compared with earlier trials. As a means to identify the possible causes of the problem, discussions covered a range of methodological factors such as participant characteristics, trial designs, site characteristics, clinical setting (inpatient vs outpatient), inclusion/exclusion criteria, and diagnostic specificity. Finally, possible solutions were discussed, such as improving precision of participant selection criteria, improving assessment instruments and/or assessment methodology to increase reliability of outcome measures, innovative methods to encourage greater subject adherence and investigator involvement, improved rater training and accountability metrics at clinical sites to increase quality assurance, and advanced methods of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling to optimize dosing prior to initiating large phase 3 trials. The session closed with a roundtable discussion and recommendations for data sharing to further explore potential causes and viable solutions to be applied in future trials

Intentions to Smoke Cigarettes Among Never-Smoking US Middle and High School Electronic Cigarette Users: National Youth Tobacco Survey, 2011–2013

Introduction: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use is increasing rapidly, and the impact on youth is unknown. We assessed associations between e-cigarette use and smoking intentions among US youth who had never smoked conventional cigarettes. Methods: We analyzed data from the nationally representative 2011, 2012, and 2013 National Youth Tobacco Surveys of students in grades 6–12. Youth reporting they would definitely not smoke in the next year or if offered a cigarette by a friend were defined as not having an intention to smoke; all others were classified as having positive intention to smoke conventional cigarettes. Demographics, pro-tobacco advertisement exposure, ever use of e-cigarettes, and ever use of other combustibles (cigars, hookah, bidis, kreteks, and pipes) and noncombustibles (chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, snus, and dissolvables) were included in multivariate analyses that assessed associations with smoking intentions among never-cigarette-smoking youth. Results: Between 2011 and 2013, the number of never-smoking youth who used e-cigarettes increased 3-fold, from 79,000 to more than 263,000. Intention to smoke conventional cigarettes was 43.9% among ever e-cigarette users and 21.5% among never users. Ever e-cigarette users had higher adjusted odds for having smoking intentions than never users (adjusted odds ratio = 1.70, 95% confidence interval = 1.24–2.32). Those who ever used other combustibles, ever used noncombustibles, or reported pro-tobacco advertisement exposure also had increased odds for smoking intentions. Conclusion: In 2013, more than a quarter million never-smoking youth used e-cigarettes. E-cigarette use is associated with increased intentions to smoke cigarettes, and enhanced prevention efforts for youth are important for all forms of tobacco, including e-cigarettes