Report of the ultraviolet and visible sensors panel

In order to meet the science objectives of the Astrotech 21 mission set the Ultraviolet (UV) and Visible Sensors Panel made a number of recommendations. In the UV wavelength range of 0.01 to 0.3 micro-m the focus is on the need for large format high quantum efficiency, radiation hard 'solar-blind' detectors. Options recommended for support include Si and non-Si charge coupled devices (CCDs) as well as photocathodes with improved microchannel plate readouts. For the 0.3 to 0.9 micro-m range, it was felt that Si CCDs offer the best option for high quantum efficiencies at these wavelengths. In the 0.9 to 2.5 micro-m the panel recommended support for the investigation of monolithic arrays. Finally, the panel noted that the implementation of very large arrays will require new data transmission, data recording, and data handling technologies

Impulsivity and approach tendencies towards cigarette stimuli: Implications for cigarette smoking and cessation behaviors among youth

Impulsivity is associated with smoking, difficulties quitting smoking, and approach tendencies toward cigarette stimuli among adolescents. We examined the effects of impulsivity on (a) the association between approach tendencies and adolescents’ smoking status and (b) the effectiveness of Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM), a smoking cessation intervention focused on changing approach tendencies, among adolescent smokers. We conducted a secondary analysis of evidence from 2 previous published studies: Study 1: a cross-sectional study comparing impulsivity and approach tendencies between adolescent smokers (n = 67) and nonsmokers (n = 58); Study 2: a treatment study that randomized 60 adolescent smokers to receive either CBM or sham training. Impulsivity was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and the Experiential Discounting Task (EDT). We found higher impulsivity, as determined by the BIS but not the EDT, increased adolescents’ odds of being smokers. We observed that the interaction between EDT and approach tendencies also significantly predicted smoking status, however post hoc comparisons were not significant. Adolescents with higher BIS scores receiving CBM had increased odds of being abstinent at the end of treatment, but we found no association between EDT and treatment outcome. Our findings suggest that approach-bias modification (a form of CBM) may be more effective in impulsive adolescent smokers. Differences in findings for BIS and EDT highlight the complexity of the construct of impulsivity. Future studies with larger samples are needed to further disentangle the effects of different aspects of impulsivity on smoking behaviors and cessation outcomes among youth

Teaching Innovation as Part of an Agribusiness Curriculum

Innovation is critical to the survival of agricultural businesses in the U.S. yet few universities have classes in their curricula that focus on innovation and innovation management. Innovation includes developing new processes and concepts and taking products based on those ideas to market. By its nature, innovation generally involves technical components, market assessment, business analysis, and implementation strategies that include marketing campaigns to a target market. As a result, if innovation is going to be experientially taught to students, the class will likely need to include concepts from multiple disciplines. The objectives of this paper are to present an outline of capstone/senior design classes designed to cause students to learn innovation by participating in interdisciplinary teams working with real companies on the development of new product innovation.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Performance modeling and seed releasing characteristics of a corn planter metering unit using response surface methodology

The objective of this study was to develop prediction performance functions and determine the seed releasing characteristics of seed meter disks based on metering rate and pitch angle at different levels using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). An AGCO White 9000 planter row unit was tested using two seed shapes and associated disks in controlled laboratory conditions. Experiments were designed based on the two-variable Central Composite Design (CCD), one of the RSM designs. Effects of metering rate and row unit pitch (seed tube tilt angle) in their five levels were investigated, on performance and seed release characteristics. A video recording system allowed simultaneous recording of rear and side views of seed exiting the seed tube on the row unit. A MATLAB program in combination with image processing algorithms was used to analyze video. The performance indicators investigated were quality of feed index (QFI), and multiple and miss indices. Seed release characteristics of interest were side and rear angles and time between seeds. Based on the experimental results, QFI values were found 99.0% (maximum) and 100% (maximum) for using flat and round corn seed disks, respectively. The maximum side angle ranged from 33.5° to 48.3° for the flat seed disk and 33.4° to 47.6° for the round seed disk. The maximum rear angle ranged from 5.1° to 15.1° for the flat seed disk and 6.4° to 17.6° for the round seed disk. In addition to experimental results, model equations were also developed to predict QFI, side and rear angles as functions of metering rate and pitch angle. Quality of feed index functions were maximized and the optimum values of metering rate and pitch angle values were found to be 800 seeds min-1 and -2.6° for the flat meter disks. The optimum values for the round meter disks were a metering rate of 409.4 seeds min-1 and a pitch angle of 0°. © 2017 American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment StationThis research was supported by the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station and TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) -

Flexible Wire‐Shaped Perovskite Photodetector via Joule Heating for Improved Crystallization and Performance

Organolead triiodide perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) is used extensively as the absorber material for both solar cells and photodetectors; however, the reported photodetectors are all planar and flexible planar devices. To the best of knowledge the first flexible wire-shaped perovskite photodetector is reported. The performance of the wire-shaped perovskite photodetector on carbon nanotube yarn (CNY) critically depends on the surface geometry and annealing conditions. The use of joule heating method for uniform control of temperature on CNY surface results in smooth perovskite crystalline films, which are used to produce self-powering photodetectors with strong responsivity (10.2 A W−1), detectivity (1.76 × 1011 J), and Ilight/Idark (45). This development displays the role of joule heating in the annealing process and demonstrates a cheap, repeatable method for the fabrication of self-powered perovskite photodetectors

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Not AvailableUse of soft X-ray digital imaging for non-destructive quality evaluation of pecans was explored. Unshelled pecans were imaged at various X-ray tube voltages from 15 to 50 kVp and currents from 0.1 to 1 mA. Pecan images with good contrast image were identified. The cavity inside the pecan shell and the nutmeat portion were segmented manually in the pecan radiographs. Percent nutmeat area, mean pixel intensity, and local intensity variation adequately determined nutmeat quality, non-destructively. Pecan nutmeat weight was estimated with an error of less than 10% from images taken at 35 kVp–0.75 mA, 40 kVp–0.5 mA, and 45 kVp–0.5 mA. Defects and insects were clearly differentiated in X-ray images after applying contrast stretching or high-frequency emphasis techniques.Not Availabl