Gamma Induced Transparency Loss of Thick Quartz Fibres

Radiation response of thick multi-mode Ge, P, F -doped quartz fibre has been examined after exposure to 60^Co gamma-source within a dose interval of 10 - 10^7 Gy at a dose power of 2.3 and 24 Gy/s at 300K. The induced transparency losses A at the wave length of 1.06 mkm do not exceed 0.2 after a dose of 10^6 Gy and reach a saturation, while the fibres are closed for visible light after a smaller dose. Varying focus and an angle of leading a probe light beam in fibre, the core modes were found to close at a dose of 10^4 Gy due to radiation induced colour centres of Ge and non-bridging oxygen O, and the clad modes were suppressed at 500 Gy by the expense of Al impurity colour centres

Anti‐Müllerian hormone reflects the severity of polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective: To examine the relationship between anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH) and the severity of the phenotype of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and whether AMH can act as a diagnostic marker for PCOS? Design: A prospective diagnostic utility study of AMH as a marker of PCOS. Patients: A consecutive series of women presenting to a tertiary infertility clinic (n = 164) plus a second series of women prepared for assisted conception treatments (n = 89) recruited between June 2012 and May 2013. Measurements: Polycystic ovary syndrome was diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria. AMH was measured using the Generation II assay (Beckman Coulter). The diagnostic utility of AMH was established using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves. Cut‐off values for the individual features of PCOS are proposed. Results: There was a significant difference in serum AMH concentration in women with normal ovaries (13·2 pmol/l), polycystic ovary morphology (PCOM) alone (37·8 pmol/l) and PCOS (53·2 pmol/l). Follicle number, increasing cycle length and evidence of hyperandrogenism were all independently associated with serum AMH concentration (P < 0·01). AMH was significantly affected by the different phenotypic presentations of PCOS with those with all components (PCOM, HA and OA) having the highest mean value [72·7 pmol/l (P < 0·01)]. Conclusions: Serum AMH has the capacity to act as a diagnostic test for PCOS. Moreover, since its value rises with the more marked phenotypes, different cut‐off values need to be used to differentiate those patients with polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM), hyperandrogenism (HA) and oligoanovulation (OA)

Chapter I/2: INNOVATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER FOR ACHIEVINGLANDSCAPE SUSTAINABILITYГлава I/2: Инновации и передача знаний для достижения устойчивости ландшафтов

The need for soil tillage and its appropriate depth and procedures has been key questions of plant cropping and design of agricultural landscapes worldwide. We re-evaluated the largest series of international soil tillage trials, ever conducted. They were carried out on 50 locations in 8 countries of Eastern and Central Europe from 1955 to 1967. Framework conditions were Late-Holocene: Mechanized tillage and cropping technologies and organo-mineral fertilisers were available, whilst fungicides, herbicides, pesticides and hybrid seeds were little applied or not available during that time. Rotations were wide and balanced. These conditions come close to current organic farming systems. We analysed a multivariate set of more than 4,000 crop yield meta-data. Results revealed strong effects of soil fertility (as evaluated based on the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating) and of organo-mineral fertilisation on crop yields, whilst soil tillage depth had lower and site-specific effects. Ploughing led to higher crop yields due to better suppression of weeds and mineralisation of plant nutrients. On humid sites in Europe without erosion risks, in a well structured agricultural landscape, the moldboard plough should be an inevitable part of productive and sustainable cropping systems.Необходимость обработки почвы, ее оптимальная глубина и приемы были ключевыми вопросами растениеводства и создания сельскохозяйственных ландшафтов во всем мире. Мы выполнили переоценку международной серии опытов по обработке почвы, крупнейшей из когда-либо проводившихся. Опыты были проведены в 50 географических точках в 8 странах Восточной и Центральной Европы с 1955 по 1967 гг. Рамочные условия – позднеголоценовые: использовались механизированные технологии обработки почвы и возделывания сельскохозяйственных культур, органические и минеральные удобрения, тогда как фунгициды, гербициды, пестициды и гибридные семена в то время применялись мало или отсутствовали. Севообороты включали широкий набор культур и были сбалансированными. Эти условия близки к современным системам органического сельского хозяйства. Мы проанализировали многомерный массив из более чем 4 тысяч метаданных, относящихся к урожайности сельскохозяйственных культур. Результаты выявили выраженные эффекты плодородия почвы (оцененного на основе Мюнхебергской системы рейтинга качества почвы), органических и минеральных удобрений на урожайность. Эффект глубины обработки почвы был ниже и зависел от местоположения. Вспашка повышала урожайность культур благодаря лучшему подавлению сорняков и минерализации питательных веществ в почве. В условиях влажного климата в Европе и отсутствия рисков эрозии, в хорошо структурированном сельскохозяйственном ландшафте, отвальный плуг должен быть необходимой частью продуктивных и устойчивых систем земледелия