Update on results of SPRE testing at NASA Lewis

The Space Power Research Engine (SPRE), a free-piston Stirling engine with a linear alternator, is being tested at NASA Lewis Research Center as part of the Civilian Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) as a candidate for high capacity space power. Results are presented from recent SPRE tests designed to investigated the effects of variation in the displacer seal clearance and piston centering port area on engine performance and dynamics. The impact of these variations on PV power and efficiency are presented. Comparisons of the displacer seal clearance tests results with HFAST code predictions show good agreement for PV power, but show poor agreement for PV efficiency. Correlations are presented relating the piston midstroke position to the dynamic Delta P across the piston and the centering port area. Test results indicate that a modest improvement in PV power and efficiency may be realized with a reduction in piston centering port area

SPORT: A new sub-nanosecond time-resolved instrument to study swift heavy ion-beam induced luminescence - Application to luminescence degradation of a fast plastic scintillator

We developed a new sub-nanosecond time-resolved instrument to study the dynamics of UV-visible luminescence under high stopping power heavy ion irradiation. We applied our instrument, called SPORT, on a fast plastic scintillator (BC-400) irradiated with 27-MeV Ar ions having high mean electronic stopping power of 2.6 MeV/\mu m. As a consequence of increasing permanent radiation damages with increasing ion fluence, our investigations reveal a degradation of scintillation intensity together with, thanks to the time-resolved measurement, a decrease in the decay constant of the scintillator. This combination indicates that luminescence degradation processes by both dynamic and static quenching, the latter mechanism being predominant. Under such high density excitation, the scintillation deterioration of BC-400 is significantly enhanced compared to that observed in previous investigations, mainly performed using light ions. The observed non-linear behaviour implies that the dose at which luminescence starts deteriorating is not independent on particles' stopping power, thus illustrating that the radiation hardness of plastic scintillators can be strongly weakened under high excitation density in heavy ion environments.Comment: 5 figures, accepted in Nucl. Instrum. Methods

Pengaruh Pemberian Ekstrak Daun Binahong (Anredera Cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) Dalam Air Minum Terhadap Performa Broiler

The purpose of this study were to 1) investigate the effects of heartleaf maderavine madevine (Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis) extract in water on performance of broiler 2) determine the optimal dose of heartleaf maderavine madevine leave extract in water on performance of broiler. This research use Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with 5 treatments (0 mg heartleaf maderavine madevine exract/kg bw, 100 mg heartleaf maderavine madevine exract kg bw, 150 mg heartleaf maderavine madevine exract /kg bw, 200 mg heartleaf maderavine madevine exract /kg bw, and 250 mg heartleaf maderavine madevine exract kg bw) and 4 replications. The material used 100 broilers age 15 days and was carried out for 14 days. Polynomal orthogonal test done if there is a signification variable. Based on result showed that the treatments did not provide significant effect on performance of broiler

Respon Kecepatan Timbilnya Estrus dan Lama Estrus pada Berbagai Paritas Sapi Peranakan Ongole (Po) Setelah Dua Kali Penyuntikan Prostaglandin F2α (Pgf2α)

The research aimed to: (1) determine the response of estrous onset of Ongole Offspring at thevarious parities after the injection of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) twice; (2) determine the responseof estrous duration of Ongole Offspring at the various parities after the injection of prostaglandinF2α (PGF2α) twice. The research was held in November until December 2012, located in PunggurDistrict, Central Lampung Regency, Lampung Province. This research used CompletelyRandomized Design (CRD) with three treatments and four replications. The treatments wereOngole Offspring heifers (P0); Ongole Offspring which have calved once (P1); and OngoleOffspring which have calved twice (P2). The variables observed was performed statistically byanalysis of variance on level of 5% or 1%. The result of the research showed that parity was notsignificantly different (P>0,05) on the estrous onset and the estrous duration of Ongole Offspringat the various parities after prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) injection twice. The estrous onset ofOngole Offspring at the various parities after the injection of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) twice P0,P1, P2 in a row were 45,57; 43,26; 52,53 hours, whereas the estrous duration of Ongole OffspringPO P0, P1, P2 in a row were 13,58; 18,65; 15,72 hours

Pengaruh Suhu dan Lama Thawing di Dataran Rendah terhadap Kualitas Semen Beku Sapi Brahman

Thawing is a method by melting back of semen that had been frozen prior to artificialinsemination (AI). The temperature and duration of thawing has a major influence on the state of thespermatozoa, especially the integrity of spermatozoa in the semen. The combination of temperatureand duration of thawing that will either be able to prevent damage to sperm , so it still has a highfertility rate. In common, lowland is an area that has low temperature and humidity, so it will have aneffect of thawing's temperature. The purpose of this study was to determine the temperature andduration of thawing of Brahman's frozen semen which have the most optimal to get used inartificial inseminations in lowlands area.Research was conducted in March 2014 using a completely randomized design (CRD) with a3x3 factorial. The first factor is the temperature (34°C, 37°C, and 40°C) and Factor II is duration ofthawing (10 seconds, 15 seconds, and 20 seconds) with 3 replications. Parameters observed in thisstudy is the percentage of sperm motility and live spermatozoa. The results were analyzed usingANOVA and Duncan's test at the advanced level of 5 % and 1%. The results showed that temperatureand duration of thawing give effects to the quality of the frozen semen of Brahman cattle, but has nointeraction between them. The most good quality spermatozoa at a temperature of 40ºC spermmotility is 37,77% and the percentage of live spermatozoa is a 40,83%. Duration of thawing at 15seconds sperm motility is 38,33% and the percentage of live spermatozoa is a 39,77%

Conception Rate pada Sapi Potong di Kecamatan Jati Agung Kabupaten Lampung Selatan

The aim of this research was to determine the conception rate and the factors value that affect in beef cattle in the district Jati Agung, South Lampung regency. This study was conducted in April 2014 to 1,410 head of beef cattle belonging to 776 farmers. The research used a survey method with primary and secondary data. Analysis data used regression analysis with SPSS ( Statistic Packet for Social Science) program.The results showed that the conception rate in the district Jati Agung is a great identity for 36.03 ± 1.16. Factors that effect conception rates in beef cattle in the district Jati Agung is distance between the cowshed with house that negatively assosiated with factor value 0.003, number of factor concentrate that negatively assosiated with factor value of 0.027, amount of forage factor that negatively assosiated with factor value 0.003, a large area of the cage that negatively assosiated with factor value 0.020, and amount of beef cows that maintained that negatively assosiated with factor value 0.049 and a positive association was never followed a course that positively assosiated with factor value 0.112. The factors that influence conception rates in beef cattle farm level is great on long weaning period that negatively assosiated with factor value 0.013, mating postpartum that positiively assosiated with factor value 0.376, calving interval that negatively assosiated with factor value 0.412, the age of cattle that positively assosiated with factor value 0.006, the first estrus postpartum artificial insemination that positively assosiated with factor value 0.133 and time to insemination that negatively assosiated with factor value 0,406

Etude de l’effet antidépresseur de la décoction des rhizomes de Cyperus Articulatus (Cyperaceae) sur les souris blanches Mus musculus Swiss (Muridae)

La présente étude porte sur l’évaluation des effets pharmacologiques de la décoction des rhizomes de Cyperus Articulatus sur le système nerveux central. Cyperus Articulatus est une plante utilisée en médecine traditionnelle par certaines populations d’Asie et d’Afrique pour le traitement de plusieurs maladies telles que l’épilepsie, l’insomnie, les céphalées. Différentes doses (524 ; 262 ; 131 et 52,4 mg/kg) de la décoction des rhizomes C. Articulatus ont été administrées aux souris par voie orale et ces propriétés antidépressives ont été évaluées selon trois méthodes psychopharmacologiques à savoir : le test de la nage forcée ; le test de suspension caudale et le test de l’arène ouverte. L’administration de la décoction de C. Articulatus a entrainé une diminution significative de la durée d’immobilité dans le test de la nage forcée et le test de suspension caudale. Cette durée est passée respectivement de 232,40 ± 43,96 et 262,60 ± 84,00 secondes chez les souris du lot contrôle négatif à 150,00 ± 50,08 et 106,60 ± 56,86 secondes chez les souris traitées par la dose 524 mg/kg de la décoction. Dans le test de l’arène ouverte, nous n’avons pas noté une augmentation significative du nombre de rearing qui est de 16,60 ± 6,42 chez les souris du lot contrôle négatif et 21 ± 20 et 24,60 ± 9,23 secondes pour les doses 524 mg/kg de C. Articulatus et d’imipramine (20 mg/kg). Tous ces effets indiqueraient la présence dans cette décoction des rhizomes de C. Articulatus des composés qui posséderaient des propriétés antidépressives justifiant son utilisation en médecine traditionnelle. The present study reports the pharmacological effects of the decoction of Cyperus Articulatus rhizomes on the central nervous system. Cyperus Articulatus is a plant used in traditional medicine by some populations of Asia and Africa for the treatment of several diseases such as epilepsy, insomnia, and headache. The decoction of C. Articulatus were orally administered to mice at various doses (524; 262; 131 and 52.4 mg/kg) and its anti-depressive properties evaluated according to different psycho-pharmacological methods (forced swimming test, tail suspension test, and open field test). The administration of the decoction of C. Articulatus to the mice led to a significant reduction in the duration of immobility in the forced swimming test and the tail suspension test. This duration reduced respectively from 232.40 ± 43.96 and 262.60 ± 84.00 seconds in the mice of the negative controls batch to 150.00 ± 50.08 and 106.60 ± 56.86 seconds in the mice treated with the dose of 524 mg/kg of the decoction. In the open field test, we did not notice a significant increase in the number of rearing positions; these values were 16.60 ± 6.42 seconds in the negative control batch mice and only 24.60 ± 9.23 and 21 ± 20 seconds for the positive control batch and the dose of 524 mg/kg of C. Articulatus respectively. All these effects indicate the presence of bioactive molecules in this decoction of the rhizomes of C Articulatus which would have anti-depressive properties justifying its use in traditional medicine