Cold and Slow Molecular Beam

Employing a two-stage cryogenic buffer gas cell, we produce a cold, hydrodynamically extracted beam of calcium monohydride molecules with a near effusive velocity distribution. Beam dynamics, thermalization and slowing are studied using laser spectroscopy. The key to this hybrid, effusive-like beam source is a "slowing cell" placed immediately after a hydrodynamic, cryogenic source [Patterson et al., J. Chem. Phys., 2007, 126, 154307]. The resulting CaH beams are created in two regimes. One modestly boosted beam has a forward velocity of vf = 65 m/s, a narrow velocity spread, and a flux of 10^9 molecules per pulse. The other has the slowest forward velocity of vf = 40 m/s, a longitudinal temperature of 3.6 K, and a flux of 5x10^8 molecules per pulse

An improved automated immunoassay for C-reactive protein on the Dimension® clinical chemistry system

Recent clinical data indicate that the measurement of the concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) requires a higher sensitivity and wider dynamic range than most of the current methods can offer. Our goal was to develop a totally automated and highly sensitive CRP assay with an extended range on the Dimension® clinical chemistry system based on particle-enhanced turbidimetric-immunoassay (PETIA) technology. The improved method was optimized and compared to the Binding Site's radial immunodiffusion assay using disease state specimens to minimize interference. Assay performance was assessed on the Dimension® system in a 12-instrument inter-laboratory comparison study. A split-sample comparison (n = 622) was performed between the improved CRP method on the Dimension® system and the N Latex CRP mono method on the Behring Nephelometer, using a number of reagent and calibrator lots on multiple instruments. The method was also referenced to the standard material, CRM470, provided by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC). The improved CRP method was linear to 265.1mg/l with a detection limit between 0.2 and 0.5mg/l. The method detects antigen excess from the upper assay limit to 2000mg/l, thereby allowing users to retest the sample with dilution. Calibration was stable for 60 days. The within-run reproducibility (CV) was less than 5.1% and total reproducibility ranged from 1.1 to 6.7% between 3.3 and 265.4mg/l CRP. Linear regression analysis of the results on the improved Dimension® method (DM) versus the Behring Nephelometer (BN) yielded the following equation: DM = 0.99 × BN − 0.37; r = 0.992. Minimal interference was observed from sera of patients with elevated IgM, IgG and IgA. The recovery of the IFCC standard was within 100 ± 7 % across multiple lots of reagent and calibrator. The improved CRP method provided a sensitive, accurate and rapid approach to quantify CRP in serum and plasma on the Dimension® clinical chemistry system. The ability to detect antigen excess eliminated reporting falsely low results caused by the ‘prozone effect’

The growth index of matter perturbations and modified gravity

We place tight constraints on the growth index $\gamma$ by using the recent growth history results of 2dFGRS, SDSS-LRG, VIMOS-VLT deep Survey (VVDS) and {\em WiggleZ} datasets. In particular, we investigate several parametrizations of the growth index $\gamma(z)$, by comparing their cosmological evolution using observational growth rate data at different redshifts. Utilizing a standard likelihood analysis we find that the use of the combined growth data provided by the 2dFGRS, SDSS-LRG, VVDS and {\em WiggleZ} galaxy surveys, puts the most stringent constraints on the value of the growth index. As an example, assuming a constant growth index we obtain that $\gamma=0.602\pm 0.055$ for the concordance $\Lambda$CDM expansion model. Concerning the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati gravity model, we find $\gamma=0.503\pm 0.06$ which is lower, and almost $3\sigma$ away, from the theoretically predicted value of $\gamma_{DGP}\simeq 11/16$. Finally, based on a time varying growth index we also confirm that the combined growth data disfavor the DGP gravity.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures. Revised version accepted in MNRAS. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1202.163

The Vehicle, Fall 2002

Table of Contents Caterpillar DreamsAubrey Bonannopage 4 GrandmotherNatalie Espositopage 5 PhotographNatalie Espositopage 5 For My SisterAnn Hudsonpage 6 BuckeyeCaleb Judypage 6 A Moment\u27s GlowMelissa Knoblockpage 7 April 8,1994Andy Kochpage 8 Koch FuneralsAndy Kochpage 9 Grandpa Koch\u27s Sense of HumorAndy Kochpage 10 DeparturesDave Moutraypage 11 1958 VetteAlex Nicolpage 11 HomelandDave Moutraypage 12 The TravelerDave Moutraypage 12 GrandpaJennifer Probstpage 13 Confusion upon LearningJody Sanchezpage 14 Chucktown PrideMike Scalespage 14 I Might be WrongDallas Schumacherpage 15-20 UntitledAlex Nicholpage 21 Late NightRachel Seftonpage 22 Old DreamsRachel Seftonpage 23 Two-Minded ThoughtsRachel Sefton & Jodi Sanchezpage 24 Strange GraffitiMike Scalespage 24 On PoetryNick Slicerpage 25-26 Sometimes Things Just Happen That WayThomas Webbpage 26-33 Biographiespage 34-35 Editor\u27s Notepage 36https://thekeep.eiu.edu/vehicle/1076/thumbnail.jp

Prevalence of Disorders Recorded in Dogs Attending Primary-Care Veterinary Practices in England

Purebred dog health is thought to be compromised by an increasing occurence of inherited diseases but inadequate prevalence data on common disorders have hampered efforts to prioritise health reforms. Analysis of primary veterinary practice clinical data has been proposed for reliable estimation of disorder prevalence in dogs. Electronic patient record (EPR) data were collected on 148,741 dogs attending 93 clinics across central and south-eastern England. Analysis in detail of a random sample of EPRs relating to 3,884 dogs from 89 clinics identified the most frequently recorded disorders as otitis externa (prevalence 10.2%, 95% CI: 9.1-11.3), periodontal disease (9.3%, 95% CI: 8.3-10.3) and anal sac impaction (7.1%, 95% CI: 6.1-8.1). Using syndromic classification, the most prevalent body location affected was the head-and-neck (32.8%, 95% CI: 30.7-34.9), the most prevalent organ system affected was the integument (36.3%, 95% CI: 33.9-38.6) and the most prevalent pathophysiologic process diagnosed was inflammation (32.1%, 95% CI: 29.8-34.3). Among the twenty most-frequently recorded disorders, purebred dogs had a significantly higher prevalence compared with crossbreds for three: otitis externa (P = 0.001), obesity (P = 0.006) and skin mass lesion (P = 0.033), and popular breeds differed significantly from each other in their prevalence for five: periodontal disease (P = 0.002), overgrown nails (P = 0.004), degenerative joint disease (P = 0.005), obesity (P = 0.001) and lipoma (P = 0.003). These results fill a crucial data gap in disorder prevalence information and assist with disorder prioritisation. The results suggest that, for maximal impact, breeding reforms should target commonly-diagnosed complex disorders that are amenable to genetic improvement and should place special focus on at-risk breeds. Future studies evaluating disorder severity and duration will augment the usefulness of the disorder prevalence information reported herein

Design considerations for workflow management systems use in production genomics research and the clinic

Abstract The changing landscape of genomics research and clinical practice has created a need for computational pipelines capable of efficiently orchestrating complex analysis stages while handling large volumes of data across heterogeneous computational environments. Workflow Management Systems (WfMSs) are the software components employed to fill this gap. This work provides an approach and systematic evaluation of key features of popular bioinformatics WfMSs in use today: Nextflow, CWL, and WDL and some of their executors, along with Swift/T, a workflow manager commonly used in high-scale physics applications. We employed two use cases: a variant-calling genomic pipeline and a scalability-testing framework, where both were run locally, on an HPC cluster, and in the cloud. This allowed for evaluation of those four WfMSs in terms of language expressiveness, modularity, scalability, robustness, reproducibility, interoperability, ease of development, along with adoption and usage in research labs and healthcare settings. This article is trying to answer, which WfMS should be chosen for a given bioinformatics application regardless of analysis type?. The choice of a given WfMS is a function of both its intrinsic language and engine features. Within bioinformatics, where analysts are a mix of dry and wet lab scientists, the choice is also governed by collaborations and adoption within large consortia and technical support provided by the WfMS team/community. As the community and its needs continue to evolve along with computational infrastructure, WfMSs will also evolve, especially those with permissive licenses that allow commercial use. In much the same way as the dataflow paradigm and containerization are now well understood to be very useful in bioinformatics applications, we will continue to see innovations of tools and utilities for other purposes, like big data technologies, interoperability, and provenance

Effects of crystallographic anisotropy on fracture development and acoustic emission in quartz

Transgranular microcracking is fundamental for the initiation and propagation of all fractures in rocks. The geometry of these microcracks is primarily controlled by the interaction of the imposed stress field with the mineral elastic properties. However, the effects of anisotropic elastic properties of minerals on brittle fracture are not well understood. This study examines the effects of elastic anisotropy of quartz on the geometry of brittle fracture and related acoustic emissions (AE) developed during indentation experiments on single crystals at ambient pressure and temperature. A Hertzian cone crack developed during blunt indentation of a single crystal of flawless Brazilian quartz parallel to the c axis shows geometric deviation away from predictions based on the isotropic case, consistent with trigonal symmetry. The visible cone crack penetration depth varies from 3 to 5 mm and apical angle from 53 to 40. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping of the crack tip shows that fracturing initiates along a ~40 μm wide process zone, comprising damage along overlapping en echelon high-index crystallographic planes, shown by discrete bands of reduced electron backscatter pattern (EBSP) quality (band contrast).Coalescence of these surfaces results in a stepped fracture morphology. Monitoring of AE during indentation reveals that the elastic anisotropy of quartz has a significant effect on AE location and focal mechanisms. Ninety-four AE events were recorded during indentation and show an increasing frequency with increasing load. They correspond to the development of subsidiary concentric cracks peripheral to the main cone crack. The strong and complex anisotropy in seismic velocity (~28% Vp, ~43% Vs with trigonal symmetry) resulted in inaccurate and high uncertainty in AE locations using Geiger location routine with an isotropic velocity model. This problem was overcome by using a relative (master event) location algorithm that only requires a priori knowledge of the velocity structure within the source volume. The AE location results correlate reasonably well to the extent of the observed cone crack. Decomposition of AE source mechanisms of the Geiger relocated events shows dominantly end-member behavior between tensile and compressive vector dipole events, with some double-couple-dominated events and no purely tensile or compressive events. The same events located by the master event algorithm yield greater percentage of vector dipole components and no double-couple events, indicating that AE source mechanism solutions can depend on AE location accuracy, and therefore, relocation routine that is utilized. Calculations show that the crystallographic anisotropy of quartz causes apparent deviation of the moment tensors away from double-couple and pure tensile/compressive sources consistent with the observations. Preliminary modeling of calcite anisotropy shows a response distinct from quartz, indicating that the effects of anisotropy on interpreting AE are complex and require detailed further study

Crop Updates 2001 - Weeds

This session covers forty six papers from different authors: 1. INTRODUCTION, Vanessa Stewart, Agriculture Western Australia PLENARY 2. Wild radish – the implications for our rotations, David Bowran, Centre for Cropping Systems INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT IWM system studies/demonstration sites 3. Integrated weed management: Cadoux, Alexandra Wallace, Agriculture Western Australia 4. A system approach to managing resistant ryegrass, Bill Roy, Agricultural Consulting and Research Services Pty Ltd, York 5. Long term herbicide resistance demonstration, Peter Newman, Agriculture Western Australia, Cameron Weeks, Tony Blake and Dave Nicholson 6. Integrated weed management: Katanning, Alexandra Wallace, Agriculture Western Australia 7. Integrated weed management: Merredin, Vanessa Stewart, Agriculture Western Australia 8. Short term pasture phases for weed control, Clinton Revell and Candy Hudson, Agriculture Western Australia Weed biology – implications for IWM 9. Competitivness of wild radish in a wheat-lupin rotation , Abul Hashem, Nerys Wilkins, and Terry Piper, Agriculture Western Australia 10. Population explosion and persistence of wild radish in a wheat-lupin rotation, Abul Hashem, Nerys Wilkins, Aik Cheam and Terry Piper , Agriculture Western Australia 11. Variation is seed dormancy and management of annual ryegrass, Amanda Ellery and Ross Chapman, CSIRO 12. Can we eradicate barley grass, Sally Peltzer, Agriculture Western Australia Adoption and modelling 13. Where to with RIM? Vanessa Stewart1 and Robert Barrett-Lennard2, 1Agriculture Western Australia, 2Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (WAHRI) 14. Multi-species RIM model, Marta Monjardino1,2, David Pannell2 and Stephen Powles1 1Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (WAHRI), 2ARE, University of Western Australia 15. What causes WA grain growers to adopt IWM practices? Rick Llewellyn, WAHRI/ARE, Faculty of Agriculture, University of WA New options for IWM? 16. Fuzzy tramlines for more yield and less weeds, Paul Blackwell Agriculture Western Australia, and Maurice Black, Harbour Lights Estate, Geraldton 17. Inter-row knockdowns for profitable lupins, Paul Blackwell, Agriculture Western Australia and Miles Obst, Farmer Mingenew 18. Row cropping and weed control in lupins, Mike Collins and Julie Roche, Agriculture Western Australia 19. Cross seedimg suppresses annual ryegrass and increases wheat yield, Abul Hashem, Dave Nicholson and Nerys Wilkins Agriculture Western Australia 20. Weed control by chaff burial, Mike Collins, Agriculture Western Australia HERBICIDE RESISTANCE 21. Resistance in wild oats to Fop and Dim herbicides in Western Australia, Abul Hashem and Harmohinder Dhammu, Agriculture Western Australia 22. Triazine and diflufenican resistance in wild radish: what it means to the lupin industry, Aik Cheam, Siew Lee, David Nicholson and Peter Newman, Agriculture Western Australia 23. Comparison if in situ v seed testing for determining herbicide resistance, Bill Roy, Agricultural Consulting and Research Services Pty Ltd, York HERBICIDE TOLERANCE 24. Phenoxy herbicide tolerance of wheat, Peter Newman and Dave Nicholson, Agriculture Western Australia 25. Tolerance of wheat to phenoxy herbicides, Harmohinder S. Dhammu, Terry Piper and Mario F. D\u27Antuono, Agriculture Western Australia 26. Herbicide tolerance of new wheats, Harmohinder S. Dhammu, Terry Piper and David F. Nicholson, Agriculture Western Australia 27. Herbicide tolerance of durum wheats, Harmohinder S. Dhammu, Terry Piper and David F. Nicholson, Agriculture Western Australia 28. Herbicide tolerance of new field pea varieties, Harmohinder S. Dhammu, Terry Piper, David F. Nicholson, and Mario F. D\u27Antuono, Agriculture Western Australia 29. Herbicide tolerance of Cooke field peas on marginal soil, Harmohinder S. Dhammu, Terry Piper, David F. Nicholson, and Mario F. D\u27Antuono, Agriculture Western Australia 30. Herbicide tolerance of some annual pasture legumes adapted to coarse textured sandy soils, Clinton Revell and Ian Rose, Agriculture Western Australia 31 Herbicide tolerance of some annual pasture legumes adapted to fine textured clay soils, Clinton Revell and Ian Rose, Agriculture Western Australia WEED CONTROL IN LUCERNE 32. Management of weeds for Lucerne establishment, Diana Fedorenko, Clayton Butterly, Stuart McAlpine, Terry Piper and David Bowran, Centre for Cropping Systems, Agriculture Western Australia 33. Management of weeds in the second year of Lucerne, Diana Fedorenko, Clayton Butterly, Stuart McAlpine, Terry Piper and David Bowran, Centre for Cropping Systems, Agriculture Western Australia 34. Residual effects of weed management in the third year of Lucerne, Diana Fedorenko, Clayton Butterly, Stuart McAlpine, Terry Piper and David Bowran, Centre for Cropping Systems, Agriculture Western Australia 35. Herbicide tolerance and weed control in Lucerne, Peter Newman, Dave Nicholson and Keith Devenish Agriculture Western Australia HERBICIDES – NEW PRODUCTS/PRODUCE USES; USE New products or product use 36. New herbicide options for canola, John Moore and Paul Matson, Agriculture Western Australia 37. Chemical broadleaf weed management in Peaola, Shannon Barraclough and Lionel Martin, Muresk Institute of Agriculture, Curtin University of Technology 38. Balance® - a new broad leaf herbicide for the chickpea industry, Mike Clarke, Jonas Hodgson and Lawrence Price, Aventis CropScience 39. Marshmallow – robust herbicide strategies, Craig Brown, IAMA Agribusiness 40. Affinity DF – a prospective option for selective in-crop marshmallow control, Gordon Cumming, Technical Officer, Crop Care Australasia 41. A new formulation of Carfentrazone-ethyl for pre-seeding knockdown control of broadleaved weeds including Marshmallow, Gordon Cumming, Technical Officer, Crop Care Australasia Herbicide use 42. Autumn applied trifluralin can be effective! Bill Crabtree, Scientific Officer, Western Australian No-Tillage Farmers Association 43. Which knockdown herbicide for small ryegrass? Peter Newman and Dave Nicholson, Agriculture Western Australia 44. Poor radish control with Group D herbicides in lupins, Peter Newman and Dave Nicholson, Agriculture Western Australia WEED ISSUES 45. Distribution and incidence of aphids and barley yellow dwarf virus in over-summering grasses in the WA wheatbelt, Jenny Hawkes and Roger Jones, CLIMA and Agriculture Western Australia 46. e-weed, Vanessa Stewart, Agriculture Western Australia CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR CONTACT DETAIL