1,465 research outputs found
Zinc Fertilization of Corn in Kentucky
Of the agronomic crops, corn is especially sensitive to zinc deficiency. The major symptom of zinc deficiency in corn is broad white stripes in the leaves at or near the growing point in the early growth stages of the plant. It has been referred to as white bud disease because of the characteristic whitish area on one or both sides of the midrib near the base of new leaves. It can be seen as a new leaf unfolds from the whorl. Growth is stunted resulting in shorter than normal internodes. The pith of the stalk may become darkened at the base of the stalk (below ground level) and at the first leaf node. Sometimes the lower leaves become purple
North Dakota Economic-Demographic Assessment Model (NEDAM): Technical Description
This report describes the logic, structure, data bases, and operational procedures of the North Dakota model.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,
Trace Explosives Detection by Photoluminescence
Some field tests in counter-terrorism efforts to detect explosive traces employ chemistries that yield colored products. We have examined a test kit of this kind, ETKPlus, based on widely used chemistries and employed extensively by the Israel Police. Our investigation focuses on the prospect of gaining sensitivity by replacing the normal colorimetric modality with photoluminescence detection, which, to our knowledge, has not been explored to date. We find two or more orders of magnitude sensitivity gains for all explosives studied, using field-worthy photoluminescence techniques. We have also investigated a general lanthanide-based photoluminescence approach which shows promise and the ability to photoluminescence-detect trace explosives in the presence of intense background color and/or background fluorescence by time-resolved imaging
Geometrical Models of the Phase Space Structures Governing Reaction Dynamics
Hamiltonian dynamical systems possessing equilibria of stability type display \emph{reaction-type
dynamics} for energies close to the energy of such equilibria; entrance and
exit from certain regions of the phase space is only possible via narrow
\emph{bottlenecks} created by the influence of the equilibrium points. In this
paper we provide a thorough pedagogical description of the phase space
structures that are responsible for controlling transport in these problems. Of
central importance is the existence of a \emph{Normally Hyperbolic Invariant
Manifold (NHIM)}, whose \emph{stable and unstable manifolds} have sufficient
dimensionality to act as separatrices, partitioning energy surfaces into
regions of qualitatively distinct behavior. This NHIM forms the natural
(dynamical) equator of a (spherical) \emph{dividing surface} which locally
divides an energy surface into two components (`reactants' and `products'), one
on either side of the bottleneck. This dividing surface has all the desired
properties sought for in \emph{transition state theory} where reaction rates
are computed from the flux through a dividing surface. In fact, the dividing
surface that we construct is crossed exactly once by reactive trajectories, and
not crossed by nonreactive trajectories, and related to these properties,
minimizes the flux upon variation of the dividing surface.
We discuss three presentations of the energy surface and the phase space
structures contained in it for 2-degree-of-freedom (DoF) systems in the
threedimensional space , and two schematic models which capture many of
the essential features of the dynamics for -DoF systems. In addition, we
elucidate the structure of the NHIM.Comment: 44 pages, 38 figures, PDFLaTe
Detectors and cryostat design for the SuMIRe Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS)
We describe the conceptual design of the camera cryostats, detectors, and
detector readout electronics for the SuMIRe Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS)
being developed for the Subaru telescope. The SuMIRe PFS will consist of four
identical spectrographs, each receiving 600 fibers from a 2400 fiber robotic
positioner at the prime focus. Each spectrograph will have three channels
covering wavelength ranges 3800 {\AA} - 6700 {\AA}, 6500 {\AA} - 10000 {\AA},
and 9700 {\AA} - 13000 {\AA}, with the dispersed light being imaged in each
channel by a f/1.10 vacuum Schmidt camera. In the blue and red channels a pair
of Hamamatsu 2K x 4K edge-buttable CCDs with 15 um pixels are used to form a 4K
x 4K array. For the IR channel, the new Teledyne 4K x 4K, 15 um pixel,
mercury-cadmium-telluride sensor with substrate removed for short-wavelength
response and a 1.7 um cutoff will be used. Identical detector geometry and a
nearly identical optical design allow for a common cryostat design with the
only notable difference being the need for a cold radiation shield in the IR
camera to mitigate thermal background. This paper describes the details of the
cryostat design and cooling scheme, relevant thermal considerations and
analysis, and discusses the detectors and detector readout electronics
Breakdown of Conformal Invariance at Strongly Random Critical Points
We consider the breakdown of conformal and scale invariance in random systems
with strongly random critical points. Extending previous results on
one-dimensional systems, we provide an example of a three-dimensional system
which has a strongly random critical point. The average correlation functions
of this system demonstrate a breakdown of conformal invariance, while the
typical correlation functions demonstrate a breakdown of scale invariance. The
breakdown of conformal invariance is due to the vanishing of the correlation
functions at the infinite disorder fixed point, causing the critical
correlation functions to be controlled by a dangerously irrelevant operator
describing the approach to the fixed point. We relate the computation of
average correlation functions to a problem of persistence in the RG flow.Comment: 9 page
Molecular analyses on host-seeking black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) reveal a diverse assemblage of Leucocytozoon (Apicomplexa: Haemospororida) parasites in an alpine ecosystem
An Analysis of the Effects of Sociodemographic Factors on Daily Per Capita Residential Water Use in Texas Cities
Water is a key resource of concern to residents and decision makers in the State of Texas and in many other parts of the United States. Careful planning for its use is of utmost importance for the State and the Nation. Such planning requires careful consideration of numerous factors including hydrologic and physiographic factors, engineering feasibility and economic feasibility. At the same time, it is increasingly evident that water needs are closely tied to population growth and to the social, economic and demographic characteristics of the population (Murdock et al., 1985). Thus, attempts to plan for the use of water resources have become increasingly inclusive of socioeconomic as well as physical variables as the costs of incorrectly projecting water demand and misallocating funds for facility construction and management have become apparent (Stees et al., 1976; McFarland and Hyatt, 1973; Reid, 1971; Texas Department of Water Resources, 1984).
To date, however, water-related socioeconomic research has concentrated on:
1. water use policy and water use planning
2. the demographic and social correlates of water and other resource use
3. the effects of water use and availability on demographic and social patterns
4. methodologies for projecting demands for resources and the implications of the use of resources
An extensive body of research addresses both the need for, and the dimensions that must be considered in, water use policy formation and planning (Markusen, 1978; U.S. Water Resources Council, 1978; Council for Agriculture Science and Technology, 1982; National Water Commission, 1973; Office of Technology Assessment, 1983; Texas Department of Water Resources, 1984). Such analyses persuasively argue for the use of comprehensive, multidisciplinary planning formats, but as several recent reviews of water resources research efforts have noted (Francis, 1982; Napier et al., 1983), much of the basic research necessary to establish the relationships that should form the bases of the information used in such planning has not been completed.
The demographic and social correlates of water use have not been sufficiently established. Although total population and demographic structure characteristics are often used in projecting demands for water resources (Mercer and Morgan, 1978; Texas Department of Water Resources, 1984), several recent efforts evaluating the use of demographic and social variables in water use planning have noted that few of the relationships between demographic and social factors and water use have been established empirically (Murdock et al., 1985; Korsching and Nowak, 1983; Francis, 1982). Thus, it is unclear what effects differences in household or family composition patterns or the age structure of a population have on usage of water and related resources. In like manner, although given some attention in the literature (Larson and Hudson, 1951; Bogue, 1963; Kubat et al., 1968; Francis, 1982; Napier et al., 1983), the relationships between such crucial social variables as socioeconomic status, ethnic status and perceptions of water conservation requirements and water use have not been adequately examined. Since other resource uses, such as energy use (Morrison, 1976), show substantial variation across demographic, social and cultural variables, similar effects are likely to be found between demographic, social and cultural variables and water use.
The effects of water use and availability on population and social patterns have been given considerable attention (Williford et al., 1976; Doeksen and Pierce, 1976; Albrecht et al., 1984; Murdock et al., 1984; Albrecht and Hurdock, 1985). Such analyses suggest that changes in water resource availability or in the use of water-related forms of technology may lead to substantial changes in the population bases of areas (Albrecht and Murdock, 1985; Fitzsimmons and Salama, 1977) and may lead to related economic and community service changes (Williford et al., 1976). However, such analyses have tended to use only general and very unrefined assumptions concerning the relationships between water availability, use and technology and demographic and social factors.
An extensive body of research has also developed related to the modeling of economic and demographic factors associated with resource use and development (Leistritz and Murdock, 1981; Murdock and Leistritz, 1980; Ford, 1976; Stenehjem and Metzger, 1976; Dunn and Larson, 1963; Nercer and Morgan, 1978). Although such models have become increasingly complex, several recent reviews of these models suggest that validation of the parameter assumptions underlying them is needed (Leistritz and Murdock, 1981; Markusen, 1978). In particular, most such models project water demand and use on the basis of per capita or per population unit factors. Population composition is not taken into account.
Overall, then, although a few studies have attempted to include demographic variables--age, household size and patterns, race/ethnicity-and social, cultural and behavioral variables--such as water use preferences and cultural patterns of water use--in planning and projection efforts (Kubat et al., 1968; Dunn and Larson, 1963; Korsching and Nowak, 1983; Portney, 1982), water planning and analyses efforts have largely ignored the effects of demographic factors (other than total population size) and social factors in planning for water use and facility construction. Such neglect is particularly unfortunate in states, such as Texas, where populations display wide demographic and social diversity (Skrabanek et al., 1985) and where per capita water use varies widely from one area to another (Texas Department of Water Resources, 1984). Only if analyses of the relationships between demographic and social variables and water use and demand are completed, will it be possible to adequately employ such variables in projections of water demand. Because the inclusion of such variables in projection models should increase the accuracy of projections and improve our understanding of the numerous factors that determine patterns of water use, studies of the effects of demographic and social factors on water use and on projections of water demand deserve additional consideration.
This report presents the results of one such study sponsored by the Texas Water Resources Institute. The study has two major objectives:
1. to determine the relationships between key demographic, social and cultural variables and water use in Texas
2. to analyze the implications of the relationships between demographic, social and cultural variables and water use and demand for projections of water use and demand in Texas
Specifically, this report presents the results of an analysis of secondary and primary data in which the relationships between water use and other sociodemographic variables are examined, and it reports the effects of using sociodemographic characteristics to project water use. These relationships are of intrinsic interest to professionals involved in water planning and policy formulation, and the results will hopefully be of utility to a wide range of policy and decision makers.
The report is organized into five sections. Section I describes the data and methodologies employed in the analysis. Section II presents and discusses the results of the secondary analysis. Section III examines the results of our analysis of survey data from over 800 respondents from 8 communities selected from across the State of Texas. Section IV describes the implications of using demographic and social factors in projecting water use. The final section, Section V, presents generalizations regarding the overall effects of demographic and social factors on water use and demand ant presents our preliminary recommendations regarding the use of such variables in formulating water use and demand projections. Throughout the report, it should be recognized that the fact that the study is limited to one period of time and to only selected areas of the Stste, clearly limits the ability to formulate generalizations that have statewide applicability. The fact that the study is limited in several regards must be recognized
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