14,682 research outputs found
Coloured mulch as a weed control technology and yield booster for summer savory
An investigation into the effect of coloured mulch technology as a technique to control weeds when growing the essential oil plant, summer savory (Satureja hortensis) was made. As well as weed control, the effects on the production of crop biomass and essential oil content and quality were also considered. The mulch treatments produced significantly more biomass than either of the control treatments (which used no mulch either with or without herbicide). The white mulch treatment produced the greatest biomass, closely followed by the red mulch treatment. The blue mulch treatment was third in ranking, although not significantly greater than the black mulch. Estimates of the quantity of essential oil produced by each treatment followed a similar trend to that shown by biomass production
Laser-Doppler gas-velocity instrument
Three-D instrument using a laser light source measures both turbulence and mean velocity of subsonic and supersonic gas flows. This instrument is based on the measurement of the Doppler frequency shift of light waves scattered by moving particles in the gas stream
Constrictive pericarditis and rheumatoid nodules with severe aortic incompetence.
The case of a female patient presenting with constrictive rheumatoid pericarditis and aortic incompetence secondary to valvular rheumatoid nodules is described along with a review of the literature with the aim to highlight this rare cause of aortic insufficiency
Laser Doppler velocity instrument
Laser Doppler velocity instrument for measuring turbulence and mean velocity in subsonic and supersonic gas flow
Universal Dynamic Conductivity and Quantized Visible Opacity of Suspended Graphene
We show that the optical transparency of suspended graphene is defined by the
fine structure constant, alpha, the parameter that describes coupling between
light and relativistic electrons and is traditionally associated with quantum
electrodynamics rather than condensed matter physics. Despite being only one
atom thick, graphene is found to absorb a significant (pi times alpha=2.3%)
fraction of incident white light, which is a consequence of graphene's unique
electronic structure. This value translates into universal dynamic conductivity
G =e^2/4h_bar within a few percent accuracy
Stellar and Molecular Radii of a Mira Star: First Observations with the Keck Interferometer Grism
Using a new grism at the Keck Interferometer, we obtained spectrally
dispersed (R ~ 230) interferometric measurements of the Mira star R Vir. These
data show that the measured radius of the emission varies substantially from
2.0-2.4 microns. Simple models can reproduce these wavelength-dependent
variations using extended molecular layers, which absorb stellar radiation and
re-emit it at longer wavelengths. Because we observe spectral regions with and
without substantial molecular opacity, we determine the stellar photospheric
radius, uncontaminated by molecular emission. We infer that most of the
molecular opacity arises at approximately twice the radius of the stellar
photosphere.Comment: 12 pages, including 3 figures. Accepted by ApJ
Hypergraph Acyclicity and Propositional Model Counting
We show that the propositional model counting problem #SAT for CNF- formulas
with hypergraphs that allow a disjoint branches decomposition can be solved in
polynomial time. We show that this class of hypergraphs is incomparable to
hypergraphs of bounded incidence cliquewidth which were the biggest class of
hypergraphs for which #SAT was known to be solvable in polynomial time so far.
Furthermore, we present a polynomial time algorithm that computes a disjoint
branches decomposition of a given hypergraph if it exists and rejects
otherwise. Finally, we show that some slight extensions of the class of
hypergraphs with disjoint branches decompositions lead to intractable #SAT,
leaving open how to generalize the counting result of this paper
Making graphene visible
Microfabrication of graphene devices used in many experimental studies
currently relies on the fact that graphene crystallites can be visualized using
optical microscopy if prepared on top of silicon wafers with a certain
thickness of silicon dioxide. We study graphene's visibility and show that it
depends strongly on both thickness of silicon dioxide and light wavelength. We
have found that by using monochromatic illumination, graphene can be isolated
for any silicon dioxide thickness, albeit 300 nm (the current standard) and,
especially, approx. 100 nm are most suitable for its visual detection. By using
a Fresnel-law-based model, we quantitatively describe the experimental data
without any fitting parameters.Comment: Since v1: minor changes to text and figures to improve clarity;
references added. Submitted to Applied Physics Letters, 30-Apr-07. 3 pages, 3
figure
Peer-mentors reflect on the benefits of mentoring: An autoethography
Many PhD candidates bring with them a wealth of knowledge and skills; however, these may not sufficiently prepare candidates to work with high autonomy on a project with often limited interaction with the wider research community. A peer-mentor program model, in which a mentor delivers dyadic and group support to higher degree by research students from different disciplines and backgrounds, has the potential to enhance candidates’ knowledge and skills. However, the mentors themselves can experience significant advantages, as peer-mentoring can also have a positive effect on the mentors’ research experience. In order to further understanding of the potential benefits of peer-mentoring for mentors, three researchers explore their experiences as peer-mentors through an autoethnographic framework. Through discussing their personal experiences as peer-mentors, the researchers identified a range of benefits for themselves. These benefits in-volved finding that peer- mentoring enhanced their own learning, fostered reflective practice, and provided current tertiary teaching and research support experience. Peer mentoring also gave them broad exposure to a breadth of disciplines, theories, and methods; provided project management insights; created opportunities for professional networking; supported their social needs; and gave them invaluable insight into other candidate/supervisor relationships. Their role in a peer-mentor model has shaped their experiences as PhD candidates and also informed their decisions after graduation
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