Assessing soil N availability indices - is inorganic N enough?

Non-Peer ReviewedAssessing soil N availability is complicated enormously by the complexity of the N-cycle. Over the years, several methods of estimating potentially available N have been suggested. In an ongoing study, we have been assessing the suitability of a number of these methods for predicting potential crop response to fertilizer N. In particular, we correlated amino-sugar N levels to wheat yield across a variable landscape. This relatively new soil N test appears to be sensitive to changes in organic matter quality as related to landscape position and holds some promise for assessing potentially available N. The results presented here are preliminary

Evidence of a new type of fission within a solid state nuclear detector

An SSNTD study of reactions induced by 10 MeV/n U ions on U, Au and Pb targets led to the observation of a new type of fission event which can be explained as a delayed fission

The Effect of Raw Soybeans in Mixtures for Laying Hens on Egg Quality and Egg Shell Quality

The study was conducted on hens at the age of 49 - 57 weeks to identify opportunities for replacing, with raw grain, thermally processed soybean Lana variety with a reduced level and Lydia variety with a standard level of trypsin inhibitor. The effect of using different levels of participation of both varieties of raw soybean in mixtures for layers on egg quality and eggshell quality was examined. The research was conducted according to the principle of two-factorial experiment (2 varieties x 4 levels of participation of raw soybeans). The average values of properties of the external and internal egg quality were under statistically significant influence of the level of participation of raw soybean in the mixture. Share of 8 % of raw soybeans of both varieties in diets for layers influenced significantly lower eggshape index, albumen height and Haugh's unit in relation to the mixture with a lower level of participation of raw soybeans. Yolk color and eggshell firmness were not significantly influenced by the studied factors

NIR optical carbon dioxide sensors based on highly photostable dihydroxy-aza-BODIPY dyes

A new class of pH-sensitive indicator dyes for optical carbon dioxide sensors based on di-OH-aza-BODIPYs is presented. These colorimetric indicators show absorption maxima in the near infrared range (λmax 670–700 nm for the neutral form, λmax 725–760 nm for the mono-anionic form, λmax 785–830 nm for the di-anionic form), high molar absorption coefficients of up to 77 000 M−1 cm−1 and unmatched photostability. Depending on the electron-withdrawing or electron-donating effect of the substituents the pKa values are tunable (8.7–10.7). Therefore, optical carbon dioxide sensors based on the presented dyes cover diverse dynamic ranges (0.007–2 kPa; 0.18–20 kPa and 0.2–100 kPa), which enables different applications varying from marine science and environmental monitoring to food packaging. The sensors are outstandingly photostable in the absence and presence of carbon dioxide and can be read out via absorption or via the luminescence-based ratiometric scheme using the absorption-modulated inner-filter effect. Monitoring of the carbon dioxide production/consumption of a Hebe plant is demonstrated

Incorporation du 3H-cortisole dans la pulpe dentaire et changements induits

The incorporation of labelled hydrocortisone (3H-Cortisol) in the dental pulp of Wistar rats has been tested using autoradiography. Light microscopy showed that an hour after injection the hormone is incorporated in the nuclei of the odontoblasts, subodontoblastic and endothelial cells of the dental pulp.It was also demonstrated at the ultrastructural level that a 4 week-treatment with high rates of hydrocortisone (16 and 32 mg/kg) at the time of rat intensive growth induces degeneration of the odontoblasts, pulp connective tissue cells and capillaries. High rates of hydrocortisone thus induces a decrease in the protective and reparative responses of rat molar pulp.L’incorporation d’hydrocortisone tritiée (3H-Cortisol) à la pulpe de molaires de rats Wistar a été étudiée par autoradiographie. Il a été démontré, en microscopie classique, que cette hormone, une heure après l’injection chez le rat, se conjugue aux odontoblastes, aux autres cellules conjonctives pulpaires et aux cellules endothéliales des vaisseaux sanguins de la pulpe. Si le mécanisme exact de l’action de l’hydrocortisole demeure encore inconnu, l’incorporation de cortisole marqué au noyau des cellules plaide en faveur d’une action directe de cette hormone sur le métabolisme des cellules pulpaires.Le présent travail montre en outre, à l’échelle structurale et ultrastructurale, qu’un traitement pendant 4 semaines par des doses élevées d’hydrocortisone (16 et 32 mg/kg), au cours de la période de croissance intensive chez le rat, induit une dégénérescence des odontoblastes, des autres cellules conjonctives pulpaires et des vaisseaux sanguins de la pulpe, avec pour conséquence une diminution du potentiel de défense, de régénération et de réparation du complexe dentino-pulpaire

Monte Carlo Calculation of the Energy Response Characteristics of a RadFET Radiation Detector

The Metal -Oxide Semiconductor Field-Effect-Transistor (MOSFET, RadFET) is frequently used as a sensor of ionizing radiation in nuclear-medicine, diagnostic-radiology, radiotherapy quality-assurance and in the nuclear and space industries. We focused our investigations on calculating the energy response of a p-type RadFET to low-energy photons in range from 12 keV to 2 MeV and on understanding the influence of uncertainties in the composition and geometry of the device in calculating the energy response function. All results were normalized to unit air kerma incident on the RadFET for incident photon energy of 1.1 MeV. The calculations of the energy response characteristics of a RadFET radiation detector were performed via Monte Carlo simulations using the MCNPX code and for a limited number of incident photon energies the FOTELP code was also used for the sake of comparison. The geometry of the RadFET was modeled as a simple stack of appropriate materials. Our goal was to obtain results with statistical uncertainties better than 1% (fulfilled in MCNPX calculations for all incident energies which resulted in simulations with 1 - 2x10(9) histories.13th IMEKO TC1-TC7 Joint Symposium Without Measurement No Science, Without Science No Measurement, Sep 01-03, 2010, City Univ London, London, Englan

Crystal structure of chlorido-tris(3-amino-5-phenyl-1H-pyrazole-N-2)zinc(II) chloride, [ZnCl(C9H9N3)(3)]Cl

C27H27Cl2N9Zn, tetragonal, P (4) over bar2(1)c (no. 114), a = 17.522(2) angstrom, C = 18.583(3) angstrom, V= 5705.4 angstrom(3), Z = 8, R-gt(F) = 0.040, wR(ref)(F-2) = 0.114, T = 293 K

Mitochondrial abnormalities and low grade inflammation are present in the skeletal muscle of a minority of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; an observational myopathology study

BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a primary progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by neuronal loss of lower motor neurons (in the spinal cord and brainstem) and/or upper motor neurons (in the motor cortex) and subsequent denervation atrophy of skeletal muscle. AIM A comprehensive examination of muscle pathology from a cohort of clinically confirmed ALS patients, including an investigation of inflammation, complement activation, and deposition of abnormal proteins in order to compare them with findings from an age-matched, control group. MATERIAL AND METHODS 31 muscle biopsies from clinically confirmed ALS patients and 20 normal controls underwent a comprehensive protocol of histochemical and immunohistochemical stains, including HLA-ABC, C5b-9, p62, and TDP-43. RESULTS Neurogenic changes were confirmed in 30/31 ALS cases. In one case, no neurogenic changes could be detected. Muscle fibre necrosis was seen in 5/31 cases and chronic mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration in 5/31 (2 of them overlapped with those showing muscle necrosis). In four biopsies there was an increase in the proportion of cytochrome oxidase (COX) negative fibres (2-3%). p62 faintly stained cytoplasmic bodies in eight cases and none were immunoreactive to TDP-43. CONCLUSION This large series of muscle biopsies from patients with ALS demonstrates neurogenic atrophy is a nearly uniform finding and that mild mitochondrial abnormalities and low-grade inflammation can be seen and do not rule out the diagnosis of ALS. These findings could lend support to the notion that ALS is a complex and heterogeneous disorder