Automated Capacitance-Voltage Measurement

An IBH personal computer was used es en eutorT\u27l8tic data equlsitlon system for obtaining capacitance voltage (CV) measurements. An HP4145 parameter analyzer was used es en analog to digital converter end the resulting digitized CV data was analyzed on the VAX mainframe

The Mentally Retarded-A Quasi-Suspect Class?: Cleburne Living Center v. City of Cleburne

In recent years, the mentally retarded have been increasingly deinstitu- tionalized.1 One major factor responsible for this trend has been the acceptance of the theory of normalization, which proposes that mentally retarded individuals must be exposed to normal life patterns and conditions in order to develop their full potential. Mental health officials have attempted to implement normalization by the relocation of the mentally retarded into group homes. The group home format offers the benefits of family living through the placement of small groups of mentally retarded individuals into homes in residential areas

Operations Excellence At Trail Operations A Review of Integrated Process Management 10 Years Later

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current state of Integrated Process Management (IPM) at Teck Resources Trail Operations and recommend actions to re-implement IPM. IPM was implemented in 2001 to manage Trail Operation’s many complex and interdependent processes. Ten years later these production improvements have been lost and the IPM system is now considered ineffective by operations staff. Key issues include lack of training and education, a failed computer system, and high employee turnover. The opportunity cost in lost revenue over this time has been approximately $29.7 million dollars. The behaviours, systems and vision originally implemented in 2001 need to be resurrected and re-implemented in 2011 to achieve operations excellence for today and the future. The recommended implementation strategy includes a new computer system, education and training for all employees, development of a formal continuous improvement process, and re-implementation of IPM daily systems. Lastly, the paper will address the change management issues necessary for helping ensure that Trail Operations will accept and adopt the recommendations made in this paper

Open-Source Automated Chemical Vapor Deposition System for the Production of Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials

The study of two- dimensional (2D) materials is a rapidly growing area within nanomaterials research. However, the high equipment costs, which include the processing systems necessary for creating these materials, can be a barrier to entry for some researchers interested in studying these novel materials. Such process systems include those used for chemical vapor deposition, a preferred method for making these materials. To address this challenge, this article presents the first open-source design for an automated chemical vapor deposition system that can be built for less than a third of the cost for a comparable commercial system. The materials and directions for the system are divided by subsystems, which allows the system to be easily built, customized and upgraded, depending upon the needs of the user. We include the details for the specific hardware that will be needed, instructions for completing the build, and the software needed to automate the system. With a chemical vapor deposition system built as described, a variety of 2D nanomaterials and their heterostructures can be grown. Specifically, the experimental results clearly demonstrate the capability of this open-source design in producing high quality, 2D nanomaterials such as graphene and tungsten disulfide, which are at the forefront of research in emerging semiconductor devices, sensors, and energy storage applications

Prevalence of Antibodies to Canine Parvovirus and Distemper Virus in Wolves in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Wild carnivores are often exposed to diseases via contact with peridomestic host species that travel through the wildland-urban interfaces. To determine the antibody prevalences and relationships to human activity for two common canid pathogens, we sampled 99 wolves (Canis lupus) from 2000 to 2008 for antibodies to canine parvovirus (CPV) and canine distemper virus (CDV) in Banff and Jasper National Parks and surrounding areas of the Canadian Rockies. This population was the source for wolves reintroduced into the Northern Rockies of the US. Of 99 wolves sampled, 94 had detectable antibody to CPV (95%), 24 were antibody-positive for CDV (24%), and 24 had antibodies to both pathogens (24%). We tested whether antibody prevalences for CPV and CDV were higher closer to human activity (roads, town sites, First Nation reserves) and as a function of sex and age class. Wolves ≥2 yr old were more likely to be have antibodies to CPV. For CDV, male wolves, wolves ≥2 yr, and those closer to First Nation reserves were more likely to have antibodies. Overall, however, we found minimal support for human influence on antibody prevalence for CDV and CPV. The similarity between our antibody prevalence results and results from recent studies in Yellowstone National Park suggests that at least in the case of CDV, and perhaps CPV, these could be important pathogens with potential effects on wolf populations

Agronomic and environmental implications of enhanced s-triazine degradation

Novel catabolic pathways enabling rapid detoxification of s-triazine herbicides have been elucidated and detected at a growing number of locations. The genes responsible for s-triazine mineralization, i.e. atzABCDEF and trzNDF, occur in at least four bacterial phyla and are implicated in the development of enhanced degradation in agricultural soils from all continents except Antarctica. Enhanced degradation occurs in at least nine crops and six crop rotation systems that rely on s-triazine herbicides for weed control, and, with the exception of acidic soil conditions and s-triazine application frequency, adaptation of the microbial population is independent of soil physiochemical properties and cultural management practices. From an agronomic perspective, residual weed control could be reduced tenfold in s-triazine-adapted relative to non-adapted soils. From an environmental standpoint, the off-site loss of total s-triazine residues could be overestimated 13-fold in adapted soils if altered persistence estimates and metabolic pathways are not reflected in fate and transport models. Empirical models requiring soil pH and s-triazine use history as input parameters predict atrazine persistence more accurately than historical estimates, thereby allowing practitioners to adjust weed control strategies and model input values when warranted