Field Evaluation of Herbicides on Rice 2005

Field studies to evaluate herbicides in rice weed management systems were conducted in 2005 at the Rice Research and Extension Center near Stuttgart, Arkansas. New herbicides, herbicide mixtures, and application timings were evaluated for weed control efficacy and rice tolerance. Results of these studies, in part, provide useful information to producers, fellow researchers, and the crop protection industry for the most effective, economical herbicide programs for successful rice production in Arkansas

Squeezing in the audio gravitational wave detection band

We demonstrate the generation of broad-band continuous-wave optical squeezing down to 200Hz using a below threshold optical parametric oscillator (OPO). The squeezed state phase was controlled using a noise locking technique. We show that low frequency noise sources, such as seed noise, pump noise and detuning fluctuations, present in optical parametric amplifiers have negligible effect on squeezing produced by a below threshold OPO. This low frequency squeezing is ideal for improving the sensitivity of audio frequency measuring devices such as gravitational wave detectors.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

Human μ-calpain: Simple isolation from erythrocytes and characterization of autolysis fragments

Heterodimeric μ-calpain, consisting of the large (80 kDa) and the small (30 kDa) subunit, was isolated and purified from human erythrocytes by a highly reproducible four-step purification procedure. Obtained material is more than 95% pure and has a specific activity of 6 - 7 mU/mg. Presence of contaminating proteins could not be detected by HPLC and sequence analysis. During storage at -80 °C the enzyme remains fully activatable by Ca²⁺, although the small subunit is partially processed to a 22 kDa fragment. This novel autolysis product of the small subunit starts with the sequence (60)RILG and is further processed to the known 18 kDa fragment. Active forms and typical transient and stable autolysis products of the large subunit were identified by protein sequencing. In casein-zymograms only the activatable forms 80 kDa+30 kDa, 80 kDa+22 kDa and 80 kDa+18 kDa displayed caseinolysis

Two-step contribution to the spin-longitudinal and spin-transverse cross sections of the quasielastic (p,n) reactions

The two-step contribution to the spin-longitudinal and the spin-transverse cross sections of ^{12}C,^{40}Ca(p,n) reactions at 494 MeV and 346 MeV is calculated. We use a plane-wave approximation and evaluate the relative contributions from the one-step and the two-step processes. We found that the ratios of the two-step to the one-step processes are larger in the spin-transverse cross sections than in the spin-longitudinal ones. Combining these results with the distorted-wave impulse approximation (DWIA) results we obtained considerable two-step contributions to the spin-longitudinal and the spin-transverse cross sections. The two-step processes are important in accounting for the underestimation of the DWIA results for the spin-longitudinal and the spin-transverse cross sections.Comment: LaTeX 11 pages, 10 figure

Experiments with Lasers and Frequency Doublers

Solid state laser sources, such as diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers, have given us CW laser light of high power with unprecedented stability and low noise performance. In these lasers most of the technical sources of noise can be eliminated allowing them to be operated close to the theoretical noise limit set by the quantum properties of light. The next step of reducing the noise below the standard limit is known as squeezing. We present experimental progress in generating reliably squeezed light using the process of frequency doubling. We emphasize the long term stability that makes this a truly practical source of squeezed light. Our experimental results match noise spectra calculated with our recently developed models of coupled systems which include the noise generated inside the laser and its interaction with the frequency doubler. We conclude with some observations on evaluating quadrature squeezed states of light

Investigation of photorefractive subharmonics in the absence of wavemixing

Using a new optical configuration free from the influence of photorefractive optical nonlinearity, we investigate the main characteristics of the spatial subharmonic K/2 excited in a Bi12SiO20 crystal by a light-intensity pattern with wave vector K and frequency O. It is shown that in a large region of intensity and applied electric field the optimum value O of the frequency corresponds to the conditions of parametric excitation of the weakly damped eigenmodes of the medium: the space-charge waves. The threshold and above-threshold characteristics of the subharmonic regime are in good agreement with the theory

The Pervasive Crisis of Diminishing Radiation Therapy Access for Vulnerable Populations in the United States—Part 4: Appalachian Patients

Purpose: Compared with the rest of the United States, the population of Appalachia has lower education levels, higher rates of poverty, and limited access to health care. The presence of disparities in radiation therapy (RT) access for Appalachian patients with cancer has rarely been examined. Methods and materials: The National Cancer Institute initiatives toward addressing disparities in treatment access for rural populations were examined. An extensive literature search was undertaken for studies investigating RT access disparities in Appalachian patients, beginning with the most common cancers in these patients (lung, colorectal, and cervical). Results: Although the literature investigating RT access disparities in Appalachia is relatively sparse, studies examining lung, colorectal, cervical, prostate, head and neck, breast, and esophageal cancer, as well as lymphoma, indicate an unfortunate commonality in barriers to optimal RT access for Appalachian patients with cancer. These barriers are predominantly socioeconomic in nature (low income and lack of private insurance) but are exacerbated by paucities in both the number and quality of radiation centers that are accessible to this patient population. Conclusions: Regardless of organ system, there are significant barriers for Appalachian patients with cancer to receive RT. Such diminished access is alarming and warrants resources devoted to addressing these disparities, which often go overlooked because of the assumption that the overall wealth of the United States is tangibly applicable to all of its citizens. Without intelligently targeted investments of time and finances in this arena, there is great risk of exacerbating rather than alleviating the already heavy burden facing Appalachian patients with cancer

Translation and validation of the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) into Hausa language

YesObjectives: The objectives of this study ware to translate and validate the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale into Nigerian Hausa Language to be used in assessing Hausa speaking surgical patients’ preoperative anxiety before undergoing elective surgery. Methods: Forward and backward translation method was adopted to translate APAIS into Hausa Language so as to produce a Hausa version of the scale (APAIS-H). The Hausa version was tested on thirty patients scheduled for elective surgery at Federal Medical Centre, Nguru-Yobe State, Nigeria. The authors performed factor analysis, internal consistency and correlated the translated Hausa version with Spielberger’s State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-State). Findings: The translated Hausa version of the scale produced high internal consistency for the two subscales (Cronbach’s alpha 0.82 for anxiety related to surgery subscale and 0.71 for information desire subscale respectively). APAIS-H correlated well with Spielberger's state Trait Anxiety Inventory STAI-state with a correlation coefficient of (r = 0.81), Conclusion: APAIS-H has been found to be valid and reliable instrument to be used in the assessment of preoperative anxiety in Hausa speaking patients scheduled to undergo surgical operation

Preference of non-pharmaceutical preoperative anxiety reduction intervention in patients undergoing elective surgery

YesFor patients to be treated, decisions about their care must be made before treatment begins. In case of pre-operative anxiety, it is currently unknown how clinicians and patients discuss information about the issue, and it is also not known whether clinicians consider (or are ready to consider) their patients’ preferences of non-pharmaceutical pre-operative anxiety reduction interventions. At present no study has been conducted to find information on surgical patients’ preferences of, and their involvement in decisions about non-pharmaceutical interventions for reducing their pre-operative anxiety. This paper investigates elective surgical patients’ involvement in treatment decisions with the aim of finding out their preferred non-pharmaceutical pre-operative anxiety reduction interventions before they undergo elective surgery. Method: A survey method was used to collect data on patients’ preference of non-pharmaceutical preoperative anxiety reduction interventions at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria. Participants: A sample of 30 participants-17 male and 13 female, schedule to undergo surgical operations was selected using a convenient sampling method. Their ages range between 17 to 70 years (mean age = 41.03 and standard deviation = 16.09). Study design/procedure: To elicit preference of interventions, the study participants were presented with cards that contain picture of surgical patient receiving one of the non-pharmaceutical interventions used in reducing pre-operative anxiety. The pictures were presented one at a time for 30-40 seconds. The researcher then gives the participants a sheet of paper with the different interventions boldly written for the participants to rank order them according to the degree of their preferences. Through this process, data was collected from all the 30 participants. Results: The results obtained were entered into SPSS for analysis. Descriptive statistics, at 95 % confidence was calculated to estimate the percentage, mean, standard deviation and confidence intervals based on the participants’ preference of the interventions. Discussions: The findings were discussed alongside the existing literature and recommendations were offered for clinical practice and further research