Infrared Diode Laser Spectroscopic Study of Combustion Related Kinetics

In the introduction section background into the subject of combustion chemistry is presented. The topics included are combustion mechanisms, combustion pollutants, and infrared absorption spectroscopy. Chapter two describes experiments that probe the kinetics of the reactions of CN radicals with several small primary alcohols, as well as the product channels of the reaction between the CN radical and methanol. It was found that all studied reactions were fast, and that CN preferentially abstracts the methyl hydrogen from methanol. Chapter three describes a study of the product channels of the reaction of the hydroxymethyl radical with nitric oxide. It was found that the primary product was the adduct, with minor channels yielding isocyanic acid and nitroxyl radicals.Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the Department of Energy, Grant DE-FG03-96ER1464

Economic Impacts of Alternative Sized Dairy Farms in South Dakota

South Dakota dairy industry has shifted toward large operations to offset declining numbers of dairy cows and milk production stemming from rapid exodus of smaller (Dariy Farms, Farm Size, farm technology

Biocatalytic conversion of epoxides

Epoxides are attractive intermediates for producing chiral compounds. Important biocatalytic reactions involving epoxides include epoxide hydrolase mediated kinetic resolution, leading to the formation of diols and enantiopure remaining substrates, and enantioconvergent enzymatic hydrolysis, which gives high yields of a single enantiomer from racemic mixtures. Epoxides can also be converted by non-hydrolytic enantioselective ring opening, using alternative anionic nucleophiles; these reactions can be catalysed by haloalcohol dehalogenases. The differences in scope of these enzymatic conversions is related to their different catalytic mechanisms, which involve, respectively, covalent catalysis with an aspartate carboxylate as the nucleophile and non-covalent catalysis with a tyrosine that acts as a general acid-base. The emerging new possibilities for enantioselective biocatalytic conversion of epoxides suggests that their importance in green chemistry will grow.

Antiviral treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus infection--immune modulation or viral suppression?

The availability of nucleoside analogues has broadened treatment options for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV ) infection. Registered treatment for chronic hepatitis B currently consists of (pegylated) interferon, lamivudine and adefovir, while entecavir is expected to be licensed in the short term. Treatment is generally recommended for patients with high serum HBV DNA and elevated ALAT, indicating the host's immune response against HBV. Induction of an HBV -specific immune response seems crucial for persistent control of HBV infection. Currently available treatment strategies can be differentiated into those that provide sustained off-treatment response and those that provide therapy maintained response. A finite treatment course with immunomodulatory agents (interferon-based therapy) results in sustained response in about one third of patients, while nucleoside analogue treatment generally requires indefinite therapy without a clear stopping point. Since nucleoside analogues are well tolerated, prolonged therapy is feasible, but a major drawback is the considerable risk of developing antiviral resistance, which occurs most frequently in lamivudine treated patients and to a lesser extent during adefovir or entecavir therapy. In our opinion, treatment with peginterferon should therefore be considered first-line therapy in eligible patients with a high likelihood of response based on serum HBV DNA, ALAT and HBV genotype. Patients not responding to PEG-IF N therapy or not eligible for peginterferon therapy should be treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues

South Dakota Agricultural Land Market Trends: 1991-2004

Agricultural land values and cash rental rates in South Dakota, by region and by state, are the primary topics of this report. Target audiences for this report are farmers and ranchers, landowners, agricultural professionals (lenders, rural appraisers, professional farm managers), and policy makers interested in agricultural land market trends. This report contains the results of the 2004 SDSU South Dakota Farm Real Estate Market Survey, the 14th annual SDSU survey developed to estimate agricultural land values and cash rental rates by land use in different regions of South Dakota

Practical Ranges of Loudness Levels of Various Types of Environmental Noise, Including Traffic Noise, Aircraft Noise, and Industrial Noise

In environmental noise control one commonly employs the A-weighted sound level as an approximate measure of the effect of noise on people. A measure that is more closely related to direct human perception of noise is the loudness level. At constant A-weighted sound level, the loudness level of a noise signal varies considerably with the shape of the frequency spectrum of the noise signal. In particular the bandwidth of the spectrum has a large effect on the loudness level, due to the effect of critical bands in the human hearing system. The low-frequency content of the spectrum also has an effect on the loudness level. In this note the relation between loudness level and A-weighted sound level is analyzed for various environmental noise spectra, including spectra of traffic noise, aircraft noise, and industrial noise. From loudness levels calculated for these environmental noise spectra, diagrams are constructed that show the relation between loudness level, A-weighted sound level, and shape of the spectrum. The diagrams show that the upper limits of the loudness level for broadband environmental noise spectra are about 20 to 40 phon higher than the lower limits for narrowband spectra, which correspond to the loudness levels of pure tones. The diagrams are useful for assessing limitations and potential improvements of environmental noise control methods and policy based on A-weighted sound levels

South Dakota Agricultural Land Market Trends: 1991-2005

Agricultural land values and cash rental rates in South Dakota, by region and by state, are the primary topics of this report. Target audiences are farmers and ranchers, landowners, agricultural professionals (lenders, rural appraisers, professional farm managers), and policy makers interested in agricultural land market trends. This report contains the results of the 2005 SDSU South Dakota Farm Real Estate Market Survey, the 15th annual SDSU survey developed to estimate agricultural land values and cash rental rates by land use in different regions of South Dakota