Phenomenological and statistical analysis of fracture in polycrystalline aluminum oxide

Phenomenological and statistical analysis of fracture in polycrystalline aluminum oxid

Collection, isolation and evaluation of nitrogen fixing bacteria in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas

Isolation from local soil samples with Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) produced 20 samples from which pure cultures were obtained. A commercial strain of Rhizobium #132 was obtained from Becker Underwood and included as a standard in the experiment. The results demonstrated that a variety of infective and effective of strains of Rhizobium nodulating Phaseolus vulgaris (L.) exist in the native soils of the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. A cluster of effective bacteria was identified and can serve as a basis for recommendations to inoculant industry in the Valley. An isolate collection has been established to serve as a source of material for further research

Growing Pains

Among the numerous challenges to survival for small family enterprises is the issue of employee compensation. The focus of this case is how one small firm attempts to develop a compensation plan that is fair and equitable to both employees and the organization, specifically addressing annual increases for the revenue-generating employees

Framing of Mad Cow Media Coverage

When a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, is confirmed, it causes a major impact economically, socially, culturally, and geographically. Through framing analysis, this study examined the way in which a case of BSE confirmed in Canada was covered in Canadian and American newspapers. By examining what the major newspapers emphasized, what sources they used for information on the disease, and the frames used in reporting the outbreak, results indicated a significant difference between American and Canadian print media coverage surrounding the mad cow outbreak. Specifically, U.S. newspapers primarily reported the outbreak as posing a high risk to humans, while Canadian newspapers primarily reported the outbreak as a crisis for the Canadian cattle industry. Overall, the news coverage of the mad cow disease outbreak in May 2003 was negative, potentially causing uncertainty and fear in Canada and the United States. If journalists cover only agricultural news that is problematic or associated with risk—like mad cow disease—then it can be expected that consumers will continue to lack accurate knowledge and understanding of agricultural and food-related issues

Chasing Nomadic Worlds: A New Class of Deep Space Missions

Nomadic worlds, i.e., objects not gravitationally bound to any star(s), are of great interest to planetary science and astrobiology. They have garnered attention recently due to constraints derived from microlensing surveys and the recent discovery of interstellar planetesimals. In this paper, we roughly estimate the prevalence of nomadic worlds with radii of $100\,\mathrm{km} \lesssim R \lesssim 10^4\,\mathrm{km}$. The cumulative number density $n_>\left(>R\right)$ appears to follow a heuristic power law given by $n_> \propto R^{-3}$. Therefore, smaller objects are probably much more numerous than larger rocky nomadic planets, and statistically more likely to have members relatively close to the inner Solar system. Our results suggest that tens to hundreds of planet-sized nomadic worlds might populate the spherical volume centered on Earth and circumscribed by Proxima Centauri, and may thus comprise closer interstellar targets than any planets bound to stars. For the first time, we systematically analyze the feasibility of exploring these unbounded objects via deep space missions. We investigate what near-future propulsion systems could allow us to reach nomadic worlds of radius $> R$ in a $50$-year flight timescale. Objects with $R \sim 100$ km are within the purview of multiple propulsion methods such as electric sails, laser electric propulsion, and solar sails. In contrast, nomadic worlds with $R \gtrsim 1000$ km are accessible by laser sails (and perhaps nuclear fusion), thereby underscoring their vast potential for deep space exploration.Comment: 22 pages including "Highlights" page; accepted by Acta Astronautic