Low temperature/short duration steaming as a sustainable method of soil disinfection

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Soil samples containing resting structures of fungal crop pathogens (Verticillium dahliae, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Sclerotium cepivorum, Pythium ultimum), potato cyst nematodes (Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida) and weeds (Chenopodium album and Agropyron repens) were treated with aerated steam in the laboratory at temperatures ranging from 50–80oC in a specially constructed apparatus. Steaming at 50 or 60oC for three minutes, followed by an eight-minute resting period in the steamed soil and immediate removal from the soil thereafter, resulted in 100% kill of all weeds, fungi and nematodes. Low temperature/ short duration soil steaming could become a sustainable alternative to chemical or high-temperature steam soil disinfestation

GEODYN programmer's guide, volume 2, part 2

A computer program for executive control routine for orbit integration of artificial satellites is presented. At the beginning of each arc, the program initiates required constants as well as the variational partials at epoch. If epoch needs to be reset to a previous time, the program negates the stepsize, and calls for integration backward to the desired time. After backward integration is completed, the program resets the stepsize to the proper positive quantity

Management of acetaminophen poisoning in the US and Canada: A consensus statement

IMPORTANCE: The US and Canada currently have no formal published nationwide guidelines for specialists in poison information or emergency departments for the management of acetaminophen poisoning, resulting in significant variability in management. OBJECTIVE: To develop consensus guidelines for the management of acetaminophen poisoning in the US and Canada. EVIDENCE REVIEW: Four clinical toxicology societies (America\u27s Poison Centers, American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, American College of Medical Toxicology, and Canadian Association of Poison Control Centers) selected participants (n = 21). Led by a nonvoting chairperson using a modified Delphi method, the panel created a decision framework and determined the appropriate clinical management of a patient with acetaminophen poisoning. Unique to this effort was the collection of guidelines from most poison centers in addition to systematic collection and review of the medical literature. Comments from review by external organizations were incorporated before the guideline was finalized. The project began in March 2021 and ended in March 2023. FINDINGS: The search retrieved 84 guidelines and 278 publications. The panel developed guidelines for emergency department management of single or repeated ingestion of acetaminophen. In addition, the panel addressed extended-release formulation, high-risk ingestion, coingestion of anticholinergics or opioids, age younger than 6 years, pregnancy, weight greater than 100 kg, and intravenous acetaminophen use. Differences from current US practice include defining acute ingestion as an ingestion presentation from 4 to 24 hours after overdose was initiated. A revised form of the Rumack-Matthew nomogram was developed. The term massive ingestion was replaced with the term high-risk ingestion and denoted by a specific nomogram line. Other recommendations include specific criteria for emergency department triage, laboratory evaluation and monitoring parameters, defining the role of gastrointestinal decontamination, detailed management of acetylcysteine treatment, associated adverse effects, and stopping criteria for acetylcysteine treatment, as well as criteria for consultation with a clinical toxicologist. Finally, specific treatment considerations, including acetylcysteine dosing, fomepizole administration, and considerations for extracorporeal elimination and transplant evaluation, were addressed. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This qualitative study provides a consensus statement on consistent evidence-based recommendations for medical, pharmacy, and nursing education and practice to optimize care of patients with acetaminophen poisoning

Beetroot juice, exercise, and cardiovascular function in women planning to conceive

OBJECTIVE: Prepregnancy optimization of cardiovascular function may reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia. We aimed to assess the feasibility and effect of preconception cardiovascular monitoring, exercise, and beetroot juice on cardiovascular parameters in women planning to conceive. DESIGN AND METHOD: Prospective single-site, open-label, randomized controlled trial. Thirty-two women, aged 18-45 years, were allocated into one of four arms (1 : 1 : 1 : 1): exercise, beetroot juice, exercise plus beetroot juice and no intervention for 12 weeks. Blood pressure (BP) was measured at home daily. Cardiac output (CO) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) were assessed via bio-impedance. RESULTS: Twenty-nine out of 32 (91%) participants completed the study. Adherence to daily BP and weight measurements were 81 and 78%, respectively (n = 29). Eight out of 15 (53%) of participants did not drink all the provided beetroot juice because of forgetfulness and taste. After 12 weeks, exercise was associated with a reduction in standing TPR (-278 ± 0.272 dynes s cm-5, P < 0.05), and an increase in standing CO (+0.88 ± 0.71 l/min, P < 0.05). Exercise and beetroot juice together was associated with a reduction in standing DBP ( 7 ± 6 mmHg, P < 0.05), and an increase in standing CO (+0.49 ± 0.66 l/min, P < 0.05). The control group showed a reduction in standing TPR ( 313 ± 387 dynes s cm-5) and standing DBP ( 8 ± 5mmHg). All groups gained weight. CONCLUSION: Exercise and beetroot juice in combination showed a signal towards improving cardiovascular parameters. The control group showed improvements, indicating that home measurement devices and regular recording of parameters are interventions in themselves. Nevertheless, interventions before pregnancy to improve cardiovascular parameters may alter the occurrence of hypertensive conditions during pregnancy and require further investigation in adequately powered studies

The Effects of Processing and Ripening on the Quality of Pizza Cheese

End of Project ReportThe main aims of this project were to quantify the changes in fuctionality during maturation of cheese and to develop an understanding of the factors which mediate the development of functionality. The approach to achieving these objectives involved the establishment of a suitable pilot plant production procedure for low moisture Mozzarella, developing and/or adapting existing methods for objective evaluation of the functional properties of pizza cheeses, and evaluating the effects of ripening and variations in cheesemaking conditions (e.g. pH at stretching) on the composition, yield and functionality of low moisture Mozzarella cheese. The main conclusions were as follows: The technology for developing low moisture Mozzarella cheeses, with different compositions and functionalities, via alteration of cheesemaking parameters, has been developed. A database has been established on the storage-related changes that occur in texture, proteolysis and functionality of low moisture Mozzarella cheeses of different compositions. In addition an extensive database on the compositional, biochemical, microstructural, rheological and/or functional properties of different commerical cheeses - low moisture Mozzarella, Cheddar and analogue pizza cheese, has been compiled. The functionality of low moisture Mozzarella changes markedly on storage/ripening at 4ºC. Initially, during the first 5-10 days of storage, the functionality of the baked cheese is poor but then improves on further storage as reflected by reductions in melt time and apparent viscosity (chewiness) and increases in stretchability and flowability. The changes in functionality are mediated by storage-related increases in pH, proteolysis, protein-bound water and free oil in the cheese. On prolonged storage (e.g. > 60 d at 4ºC), the cheese functionality becomes impaired as the shredded cheese develops an increased susceptibility to clumping/balling which makes it difficult to dispense the cheese onto the pizza pie and achieve a uniform surface distribution. Moreover, the baked cheese tends to exude excess free oil and loses its desired level of chewiness attaining a 'soupy' consistency. Novel methods were developed/adapted to objectively quantify functionality in the raw (susceptibility of shredded cheese to clump) and cooked (stretchability, chewiness, viscoelasticity) cheeses.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Anisotropic Small-Polaron Hopping In W:Bivo4 Single Crystals

DC electrical conductivity, Seebeck and Hall coefficients are measured between 300 and 450 K on single crystals of monoclinic bismuth vanadate that are doped n-type with 0.3% tungsten donors (W:BiVO4). Strongly activated small-polaron hopping is implied by the activation energies of the Arrhenius conductivities (about 300 meV) greatly exceeding the energies characterizing the falls of the Seebeck coefficients' magnitudes with increasing temperature (about 50 meV). Small-polaron hopping is further evidenced by the measured Hall mobility in the ab-plane (10(-1) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) at 300 K) being larger and much less strongly activated than the deduced drift mobility (about 5 x 10(-5) cm(2) V-1 s(-1) at 300 K). The conductivity and n-type Seebeck coefficient is found to be anisotropic with the conductivity larger and the Seebeck coefficient's magnitude smaller and less temperature dependent for motion within the ab-plane than that in the c-direction. These anisotropies are addressed by considering highly anisotropic next-nearest-neighbor (approximate to 5 angstrom) transfers in addition to the somewhat shorter (approximate to 4 angstrom), nearly isotropic nearest-neighbor transfers. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), DE-FG02-09ER16119Welch Foundation Grant F-1436Hemphill-Gilmore Endowed FellowshipNSF MIRT DMR 1122603Chemical EngineeringTexas Materials InstituteChemistr

Differential Regulation ofchordinExpression Domains in Mutant Zebrafish

AbstractPatterning along the dorsal–ventral (D–V) axis ofXenopusandDrosophilaembryos is believed to occur through a conserved molecular mechanism, with homologous proteins Chordin and Short gastrulation (Sog) antagonizing signaling by bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP-4) and Decapentaplegic (Dpp), respectively. We have isolated a zebrafish gene that is highly homologous tochordinandsogwithin cysteine-rich domains and exhibits conserved aspects of expression and function. As inXenopusembryos, zebrafishchordinis expressed in the organizer region and transiently in axial mesoderm. Injection of zebrafishchordinmRNA to the ventral side ofXenopusembryos induced secondary axes. Ectopic overexpression in zebrafish resulted in an expansion of paraxial mesoderm and neurectoderm at the expense of more lateral and ventral derivatives, producing a range of defects similar to those of dorsalized zebrafish mutants (Mullinset al.,1996). In accordance with the proposed function ofchordinin D–V patterning, dorsalized zebrafish mutants showed expanded domains ofchordinexpression by midgastrulation, while some ventralized mutants had reduced expression; however, in all mutants examined, early organizer expression was unaltered. In contrast toXenopus,zebrafishchordinis also expressed in paraxial mesoderm and ectoderm and in localized regions of the developing brain, suggesting that there are additional roles forchordinin zebrafish embryonic development. Surprisingly, paraxial mesodermal expression ofchordinappeared unaltered inspadetailmutants that later lack trunk muscle (Kimmelet al.,1989), while axial mesodermal expression was affected. This finding reveals an unexpected function forspadetailin midline mesoderm and in differential regulation ofchordinexpression during gastrulation

CE19012

In the southwest of Ireland and the Celtic Sea (ICES Divisions VIIaS, g & j), herring are an important commercial species to the pelagic and polyvalent fleet. For a period in the 1970s and1980s, larval surveys were conducted for herring in this area. However, since 1989, acoustic surveys have been carried out, and currently are the only tuning indices available for this stock. In the Celtic Sea and VIIj, herring acoustic surveys have been carried out since 1989. Since 2004 the survey has been fixed in October and carried out onboard the RV Celtic Explorer. The geographical confines of the annual 21 day survey have been modified in recent years to include areas to the south of the main winter spawning grounds in an effort to identify the whereabouts of winter spawning fish before the annual inshore spawning migration. Spatial resolution of acoustic transects has been increased over the entire south coast survey area. The acoustic component of the survey has been further complemented since 2004 by detailed hydrographic, marine mammal and seabird surveys

Profile scaling in decay of nanostructures

The flattening of a crystal cone below its roughening transition is studied by means of a step flow model. Numerical and analytical analyses show that the height profile, h(r,t), obeys the scaling scenario dh/dr = F(r t^{-1/4}). The scaling function is flat at radii r<R(t) \sim t^{1/4}. We find a one parameter family of solutions for the scaling function, and propose a selection criterion for the unique solution the system reaches.Comment: 4 pages, RevTex, 3 eps figure

Kinetics of phase-separation in the critical spherical model and local scale-invariance

The scaling forms of the space- and time-dependent two-time correlation and response functions are calculated for the kinetic spherical model with a conserved order-parameter and quenched to its critical point from a completely disordered initial state. The stochastic Langevin equation can be split into a noise part and into a deterministic part which has local scale-transformations with a dynamical exponent z=4 as a dynamical symmetry. An exact reduction formula allows to express any physical average in terms of averages calculable from the deterministic part alone. The exact spherical model results are shown to agree with these predictions of local scale-invariance. The results also include kinetic growth with mass conservation as described by the Mullins-Herring equation.Comment: Latex2e with IOP macros, 28 pp, 2 figures, final for