5,083 research outputs found

    An investigation into the fertilizer particle dynamics off-the-disc

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    The particle size range specifications for two biosolids-derived organomineral fertilizers (OMF) known as OMF10 (10:4:4) and OMF15 (15:4:4) were established. Such specifications will enable field application of OMF with spinning disc systems using conventional tramlines spacing. A theoretical model was developed, which predicts the trajectory of individual fertilizer particles off-the-disc. The drag coefficient (Cd) was estimated for small time steps (10-6 s) in the trajectory of the particle as a function of the Reynolds number. For the range of initial velocities (20 to 40 m s-1), release angles (0° to 10°) and particle densities (1000 to 2000 kg m-3) investigated, the analysis showed that OMF10 and OMF15 need to have particle diameters between 1.10 and 5.80 mm, and between 1.05 and 5.50 mm, respectively, to provide similar spreading performance to urea with particle size range of 1.00 to 5.25 mm in diameter. OMF10 and OMF15 should have 80% (by weight) of particles between 2.65 and 4.30 mm, and between 2.55 and 4.10 mm, respectively. Due to the physical properties of the material, disc designs and settings that enable working at a specified bout width by providing a small upward particle trajectory angle (e.g., 10°) are preferred to high rotational velocities. However, field application of OMF with spinning discs applicators may be restricted to tramlines spaced at a maximum of 24 m; particularly, when some degree of overlapping is required between two adjacent bouts. The performance of granular fertilizers can be predicted based on properties of the material, such as particle density and size range, using the contour plots developed in this study

    Analytic results for two-loop Yang-Mills

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    Recent Developments in computing very specific helicity amplitudes in two loop QCD are presented. The techniques focus upon the singular structure of the amplitude rather than on a diagramatic and integration approachComment: Talk presented at 13th International Symposium on Radiative Corrections, 24-29 September, 2017,St. Gilgen, Austria, 9 page

    Measuring the Efficiency Effect of Banning Anti-Microbial Growth Promoters: The Case of Danish Pig Production

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    This study examines the effect of banning antimicrobial growth promoters on efficiency in the production of weaned and slaughter (finishing) pigs. We focus on the reaction of producers and production efficiency. We evaluate the estimated output and input shadow prices relative to market prices to analyse producer reactions and capture the impact on production efficiency by evaluating the effects of the ban changes on total factor productivity. To this end we model a multi product shadow profit function and incorporate output and input related shadow prices by using a second order flexible functional form. The development in total factor productivity is subsequently measured by calculating the Malmquist index on the farm level. To make infer-ences on the effect of banning growth promoters over time we regress in a second estimation step the changes in total factor productivity on potential explanatory factors by applying a bootstrapped censored regression procedure. Our results suggest that there was no effect of the ban on total factor productivity due to outputs and inputs substitution. Breeding pigs are pro-duced at the expense of weaned and finisher pigs. Feed input is over utilised relative to other inputs. The high shadow prices for substituting outputs are associated with better export mar-ket prices. These findings may have critical implications for the slaughtering plants with over capacity.animal health economics, food economics, shadow prices, efficiency, antimicrobial growth promoters, pig production, Livestock Production/Industries, Q1, Q11, Q12, Q24,

    Dietary elimination of children with food protein induced gastrointestinal allergy – micronutrient adequacy with and without a hypoallergenic formula?

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    Background: The cornerstone for management of Food protein-induced gastrointestinal allergy (FPGIA) is dietary exclusion; however the micronutrient intake of this population has been poorly studied. We set out to determine the dietary intake of children on an elimination diet for this food allergy and hypothesised that the type of elimination diet and the presence of a hypoallergenic formula (HF) significantly impacts on micronutrient intake. Method: A prospective observational study was conducted on children diagnosed with FPIGA on an exclusion diet who completed a 3 day semi-quantitative food diary 4 weeks after commencing the diet. Nutritional intake where HF was used was compared to those without HF, with or without a vitamin and mineral supplement (VMS). Results: One-hundred-and-five food diaries were included in the data analysis: 70 boys (66.7%) with median age of 21.8 months [IQR: 10 - 67.7]. Fifty-three children (50.5%) consumed a HF and the volume of consumption was correlated to micronutrient intake. Significantly (p <0.05) more children reached their micronutrient requirements if a HF was consumed. In those without a HF, some continued not to achieve requirements in particular for vitamin D and zinc, in spite of VMS. Conclusion: This study points towards the important micronutrient contribution of a HF in children with FPIGA. Children, who are not on a HF and without a VMS, are at increased risk of low intakes in particular vitamin D and zinc. Further studies need to be performed, to assess whether dietary intake translates into actual biological deficiencies

    Detection of Non-Random Galaxy Orientations in X-ray Subclusters of the Coma Cluster

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    This study on the Coma cluster suggests that there are deviations from a completely random galaxy orientation on small scales. Since we found a significant coincidence of hot-gas features identified in the latest X-ray observations of Coma with these local anisotropies, they may indicate regions of recent mutual interaction of member galaxies within subclusters which are currently falling in on the main cluster.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 3 tables v2: Rewritten introduction, amendments to the 'Interpretation' sectio

    Mapping Sex Offender Addresses: The Utility of the Alaska Sex Offender Registry as a Research Data Base

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    The registration of sex offenders was part of a national effort to enhance public safety by permitting law enforcement officials to track the location of convicted sex offenders after their release. All fifty states have enacted legislation requiring persons convicted of various sex-related offenses to register with law enforcement agencies; many states also grant public access to all or a portion of their registries. This document reports on the Alaska Statistical Analysis Center's efforts to improve data accuracy in the Alaska Sex Offender Registry, maintained by the Alaska State Troopers, and to assess the registry's utility as a research tool.Bureau of Justice Statistics, Grant No. 1999-RU-RX-K006Background of the Project / Research Methodology / Results / Utility: Spatial Justice Research / APPENDICES / A. Alaska’s Sex Offender Registration Law / B. Establishment of a Central Registry of Sex Offenders in Alaska / C. Definitions of Offenses for which Convicted Persons Must Register as Sex Offenders in Alask

    Penafsiran Struktur Geologi Bawah Permukaan Di Kawasan Semburan Lumpur Sidoarjo, Berdasarkan Penampang Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

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    DOI: 10.17014/ijog.v5i3.102The Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey has been carried out around the Sidoarjo mud eruption. The aim of the survey is to see how far the development of shallow subsurface geological condition related to the eruptions that frequently occur around the main eruption. Ground Probing Radar is one of the geophysical method which is developed as a tool for a relatively shallow and detailed subsurface geological survey. The use of GPR method is not different with the seismic reflection method. The penetration depth of GPR method depends on electric properties of subsurface geological condition such as electric conductivity and dielectric constant. Both of these properties are related to physical properties of soil or rock such as water content and salinity. The result of the survey shows that at a shallow depth the geological structure such as fold, fault, and joint is frequently seen. Based on these results, the GPR method is very useful to decide the indication of potential area of small mud intrusion, so that the result can be used to help the mitigation plan

    CAIRNS: The Cluster And Infall Region Nearby Survey III. Environmental Dependence of H-alpha Properties of Galaxies

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    We investigate the environmental dependence of star formation in cluster virial regions and infall regions as part of CAIRNS (Cluster And Infall Region Nearby Survey), a large spectroscopic survey of the infall regions surrounding nine nearby rich clusters of galaxies. Our long-slit spectroscopy yields estimates of star formation rates in environments from cluster cores to the general large-scale structure. The fraction of galaxies with current star formation in their inner disks as traced by H-alpha emission increases with distance from the cluster and converges to the ``field'' value only at 2-3 virial radii, in agreement with other investigations. However, among galaxies with significant current star formation (EW[Ha]geq2\AA), there is no difference in the distribution of EW[Ha] inside and outside the virial radius. This surprising result, first seen by Carter et al., suggests that (1) star formation is truncated on either very short timescales or only at moderate and high redshifts or (2) that projection effects contaminate the measurement. The number density profiles of star-forming and non-star-forming galaxies indicate that, among galaxies projected inside the virial radius, at least half of the former and 20% of the latter are ``infall interlopers,'' galaxies in the infall region but outside the virial region. The kinematics of star-forming galaxies in the infall region closely match those of absorption-dominated galaxies. This result shows that the star forming galaxies in the infall regions are not interlopers from the field and excludes one model of the backsplash scenario of galaxy transformation. Finally, we quantify systematic uncertainties in estimating the global star formation in galaxies from their inner disks.Comment: 25 pages, 21 figures, accepted for publication in A

    The Luminosity Function of Low-Redshift Abell Galaxy Clusters

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    We present the results from a survey of 57 low-redshift Abell galaxy clusters to study the radial dependence of the luminosity function (LF). The dynamical radius of each cluster, r200, was estimated from the photometric measurement of cluster richness, Bgc. The shape of the LFs are found to correlate with radius such that the faint-end slope, alpha, is generally steeper on the cluster outskirts. The sum of two Schechter functions provides a more adequate fit to the composite LFs than a single Schechter function. LFs based on the selection of red and blue galaxies are bimodal in appearance. The red LFs are generally flat for -22 < M_Rc < -18, with a radius-dependent steepening of alpha for M_Rc > -18. The blue LFs contain a larger contribution from faint galaxies than the red LFs. The blue LFs have a rising faint-end component (alpha ~ -1.7) for M_Rc > -21, with a weaker dependence on radius than the red LFs. The dispersion of M* was determined to be 0.31 mag, which is comparable to the median measurement uncertainty of 0.38 mag. This suggests that the bright-end of the LF is universal in shape at the 0.3 mag level. We find that M* is not correlated with cluster richness when using a common dynamical radius. Also, we find that M* is weakly correlated with BM-type such that later BM-type clusters have a brighter M*. A correlation between M* and radius was found for the red and blue galaxies such that M* fades towards the cluster center.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 16 pages, 4 tables, 24 figure

    Do selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitors and traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increase the risk of atherothrombosis? Meta-analysis of randomised trials

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    Objective: To assess the effects of selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX 2) inhibitors and traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on the risk of vascular events. Design: Meta-analysis of published and unpublished tabular data from randomised trials, with indirect estimation of the effects of traditional NSAIDs. Data sources: Medline and Embase (January 1966 to April 2005); Food and Drug Administration records; and data on file from Novartis, Pfizer, and Merck. Review methods: Eligible studies were randomised trials that included a comparison of a selective COX 2 inhibitor versus placebo or a selective COX 2 inhibitor versus a traditional NSAID, of at least four weeks' duration, with information on serious vascular events (defined as myocardial infarction, stroke, or vascular death). Individual investigators and manufacturers provided information on the number of patients randomised, numbers of vascular events, and the person time of follow-up for each randomised group. Results: In placebo comparisons, allocation to a selective COX 2 inhibitor was associated with a 42% relative increase in the incidence of serious vascular events (1.2%/year v 0.9%/year; rate ratio 1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.13 to 1.78; P = 0.003), with no significant heterogeneity among the different selective COX 2 inhibitors. This was chiefly attributable to an increased risk of myocardial infarction (0.6%/year v 0.3%/year; 1.86, 1.33 to 2.59; P = 0.0003), with little apparent difference in other vascular outcomes. Among trials of at least one year's duration (mean 2.7 years), the rate ratio for vascular events was 1.45 (1.12 to 1.89; P = 0.005). Overall, the incidence of serious vascular events was similar between a selective COX 2 inhibitor and any traditional NSAID (1.0%/year v 0.9/%year; 1.16, 0.97 to 1.38; P = 0.1). However, statistical heterogeneity (P = 0.001) was found between trials of a selective COX 2 inhibitor versus naproxen (1.57, 1.21 to 2.03) and of a selective COX 2 inhibitor versus non-naproxen NSAIDs (0.88, 0.69 to 1.12). The summary rate ratio for vascular events, compared with placebo, was 0.92 (0.67 to 1.26) for naproxen, 1.51 (0.96 to 2.37) for ibuprofen, and 1.63 (1.12 to 2.37) for diclofenac. Conclusions: Selective COX 2 inhibitors are associated with a moderate increase in the risk of vascular events, as are high dose regimens of ibuprofen and diclofenac, but high dose naproxen is not associated with such an excess
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