Water balance of a prairie cattle feedlot pen

Non-Peer ReviewedThe overall purpose of this study is to define the water balance of feedlot pens in a Saskatchewan cattle feeding operation. Although the initial intention of the study was focused upon an active feedlot circumstances resulted in our year of analysis being on an recently abandoned feedlot. During the study year (Sept 2003 to Aug 2004) there was very little precipitation until May 2004. Weirs in operation for only part of the summer recorded no runoff. Winter precipitation was very low (34 mm) and there was no observed runoff from it. Runoff models, using lab and field parameters found that at the most there might have been runoff from only one event, that of 26 mm 24 hr rainfall, and this would have only occurred on a pen scraped of manure. Drainage beneath 60 cm soil depth was zero mm. Of the 339 mm of precipitation that fell during the study year, some of it was stored within the manure pack and the rest lost as evaporation

Effectiveness of meat and bone meal and distillers grain ash as a phosphorus source for crops

Non-Peer ReviewedProduction of biogas from organic materials via gasification also generates a valuable byproduct of ash. Ash contains the original nutrient present in organic materials, except carbon, nitrogen and sulfur that are lost as gases during this process. Therefore, the ash is concentrated in the important macronutrient of phosphorus and potassium. To determine the feasibility of land application of ash in providing phosphorus for crops, a study was carried out using Brown Chernozemic soil in growth chamber and field. This study aimed to investigate the influence of two ashes applied at three rates of P in comparison with mineral P fertilizer on crop yield, and P species that resided in soil after harvest using a sequential extraction procedure. The experimental treatments for the growth chamber study included 3 P sources: distillers grain ash, meat & bone meal ash and mono-calcium phosphate fertilizer. Each P source was applied at 3 rates: 25, 50 and 100 kg P ha-1 in addition to a control. Each treatment was supplemented with 200 kg urea-N ha-1 to ensure that N is not a limiting factor. For the field study, the experimental treatments consisted of the same P sources with 3 rates of application: 20, 40 and 80 kg P2O5 ha-1 plus a control. Each treatment was also supplemented with 100 kg urea-N ha-1. Analysis of ashes co-produced from gasification of distillers grain and meat & bone meal showed that they are rich in phosphorus, ranging from 13 – 16 % P. This high content of P was observed to benefit crop growth, providing a significant increase in crop yield compared to the control. Both ashes produced yields similar to that of mineral phosphorus, suggesting the high availability of ash P for plant uptake. A high proportion of residual P from the meat & bone meal ash was present in the form of calcium phosphate in the soil

Quantum Electronics

Contains reports on three research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant PHY77-07156)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAABO7-76-C-1400)U. S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research (Grant AFOSR-76-3042)U. S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research (Contract F-44620-76-C-0079)M.I.T. Sloan Fund for Basic Researc

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from migratory birds in Southern Norway

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Borrelia burgdorferi </it>sensu lato (s.l.) are the causative agent for Lyme borreliosis (LB), the most common tick-borne disease in the northern hemisphere. Birds are considered important in the global dispersal of ticks and tick-borne pathogens through their migration. The present study is the first description of <it>B. burgdorferi </it>prevalence and genotypes in <it>Ixodes ricinus </it>ticks feeding on birds during spring and autumn migration in Norway.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>6538 migratory birds were captured and examined for ticks at Lista Bird Observatory during the spring and the autumn migration in 2008. 822 immature <it>I. ricinus </it>ticks were collected from 215 infested birds. Ticks were investigated for infection with <it>B. burgdorferi </it>s.l. by real-time PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene, and <it>B. burgdorferi </it>s.l. were thereafter genotyped by melting curve analysis after real-time PCR amplification of the <it>hbb </it>gene, or by direct sequencing of the PCR amplicon generated from the <it>rrs </it>(16S)-<it>rrl </it>(23S) intergenetic spacer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p><it>B. burgdorferi </it>s.l. were detected in 4.4% of the ticks. The most prevalent <it>B. burgdorferi </it>genospecies identified were <it>B. garinii </it>(77.8%), followed by <it>B.valaisiana </it>(11.1%), <it>B. afzelii </it>(8.3%) and <it>B. burgdorferi </it>sensu stricto (2.8%).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Infection rate in ticks and genospecies composition were similar in spring and autumn migration, however, the prevalence of ticks on birds was higher during spring migration. The study supports the notion that birds are important in the dispersal of ticks, and that they may be partly responsible for the heterogeneous distribution of <it>B. burgdorferi </it>s.l. in Europe.</p

Compound Semiconductor Materials and Devices

Contains table of contents for Part I, table of contents for Section 1, reports on fourteen research projects and a list of publications.Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/National Center for Integrated Photonics TechnologyFannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate FellowshipJoint Services Electronics Program Grant DAAH04-95-1-0038National Science Foundation Graduate FellowshipNTT CorporationNational Science FoundationU.S. Navy - Office of Naval ResearchToshiba CorporationAT&T Bell Laboratories Graduate Fellowshi

Heterostructures for Optical Devices

Contains research objectives and reports on eight research projects.Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAL03-86-K-0002)Joint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAALO3-89-C-0001)National Science Foundation (Grant EET 87-03404)Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (Contract DL-H-315251)Xerox Corporation FellowshipMIT Fund

Compound Semiconductor Materials and Devices

Contains table of contents for Part I, table of contents for Section 1, an introduction, reports on fourteen research projects and a list of publications.Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency/National Center for Integrated Photonics TechnologyJoint Services Electronics Program Grant DAAH04-95-1-0038MIT Lincoln LaboratoryNational Science Foundation Graduate FellowshipU.S. Navy - Office of Naval ResearchAT&T Bell Laboratories FellowshipU.S. Army - Ft. MeadeNTT CorporationNational Science FoundationLockheed-Martin Corporatio

Heterostructures for High Performance Devices

Contains an introduction and reports on ten research projects.Charles S. Draper Laboratory, Contract DL-H-315251Joint Services Electronics Program, Contract DAAL03-89-C-0001National Science Foundation Grant, Grant EET 87-03404MIT FundsInternational Business Machines CorporationNational Science Foundation Grant ECS 84-1317