Possible Applications of Surface Electromagnetic Waves to Measure Absorption Coefficients

We Show that Surface Electromagnetic Waves Can Probably Be Used to Measure the Absorption Coefficients of Materials overlaying Metals. the Proposed Experimental Method is Illustrated in the Infrared Frequency Range using Water, Teflon, and Polyethylene as Sample Materials

Methodology for High-Throughput Field Phenotyping of Canopy Temperature Using Airborne Thermography

Lower canopy temperature (CT), resulting from increased stomatal conductance, has been associated with increased yield in wheat. Historically, CT has been measured with hand-held infrared thermometers. Using the hand-held CT method on large field trials is problematic, mostly because measurements are confounded by temporal weather changes during the time required to measure all plots. The hand-held CT method is laborious and yet the resulting heritability low, thereby reducing confidence in selection in large scale breeding endeavors. We have developed a reliable and scalable crop phenotyping method for assessing CT in large field experiments. The method involves airborne thermography from a manned helicopter using a radiometrically-calibrated thermal camera. Thermal image data is acquired from large experiments in the order of seconds, thereby enabling simultaneous measurement of CT on potentially 1000s of plots. Effects of temporal weather variation when phenotyping large experiments using hand-held infrared thermometers are therefore reduced. The method is designed for cost-effective and large-scale use by the non-technical user and includes custom-developed software for data processing to obtain CT data on a single-plot basis for analysis. Broad-sense heritability was routinely >0.50, and as high as 0.79, for airborne thermography CT measured near anthesis on a wheat experiment comprising 768 plots of size 2 × 6 m. Image analysis based on the frequency distribution of temperature pixels to remove the possible influence of background soil did not improve broad-sense heritability. Total image acquisition and processing time was ca. 25 min and required only one person (excluding the helicopter pilot). The results indicate the potential to phenotype CT on large populations in genetics studies or for selection within a plant breeding program.This research was funded by the Australian Government National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (Australian Plant Phenomics Facility) and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC)

O/IR Polarimetry for the 2010 Decade (GAN): Science at the Edge, Sharp Tools for All

Science opportunities and recommendations concerning optical/infrared polarimetry for the upcoming decade in the field of Galactic science. Community-based White Paper to Astro2010 in response to the call for such papers.Comment: White Paper to the Galactic Neighborhood (GAN) Science Frontiers Panel of the Astro2010 Decadal Surve

On the Limited Role of Electronic Support Effects in Selective Alkyne Hydrogenation: A Kinetic Study of Au/MO\u3csub\u3ex\u3c/sub\u3e Catalysts Prepared from Oleylamine-Capped Colloidal Nanoparticles

We report a quantitative kinetic evaluation and study of support effects for partial alkyne hydrogenation using oleylaminecapped Au colloids as catalyst precursors. The amine capping agents can be removed under reducing conditions, generating supported Au nanoparticles of ~2.5 nm in diameter. The catalysts showed high alkene selectivity (\u3e90%) at all conversions during alkyne partial hydrogenation. Catalytic activity, observed rate constants, and apparent activation energies (25– 40 kJ/mol) were similar for all Au catalysts, indicating support effects are relatively small. Alkyne adsorption, probed with FTIR and DFT, showed adsorption on the support was associated with hydrogen-bonding interactions. DFT calculations indicate strong alkyne adsorption on Au sites, with the strongest adsorption sites at the metal-support interface (MSI). The catalysts had similar hydrogen reaction orders (0.7–0.9), and 1- octyne reaction orders (~ 0.2), suggesting a common mechanism. The reaction kinetics are most consistent with a mechanism involving the non-competitive activated adsorption of H2 on an alkyne-covered Au surface

A core outcome set for localised prostate cancer effectiveness trials

Objective: To develop a core outcome set (COS) applicable for effectiveness trials of all interventions for localised prostate cancer. Background: Many treatments exist for localised prostate cancer, although it is unclear which offers the optimal therapeutic ratio. This is confounded by inconsistencies in the selection, definition, measurement and reporting of outcomes in clinical trials. Subjects and methods: A list of 79 outcomes was derived from a systematic review of published localised prostate cancer effectiveness studies and semi-structured interviews with 15 prostate cancer patients. A two-stage consensus process involving 118 patients and 56 international healthcare professionals (HCPs) (cancer specialist nurses, urological surgeons and oncologists) was undertaken, consisting of a three-round Delphi survey followed by a face-to-face consensus panel meeting of 13 HCPs and 8 patients. Results: The final COS included 19 outcomes. Twelve apply to all interventions: death from prostate cancer, death from any cause, local disease recurrence, distant disease recurrence/metastases, disease progression, need for salvage therapy, overall quality of life, stress urinary incontinence, urinary function, bowel function, faecal incontinence, sexual function. Seven were intervention-specific: perioperative deaths (surgery), positive surgical margin (surgery), thromboembolic disease (surgery), bothersome or symptomatic urethral or anastomotic stricture (surgery), need for curative treatment (active surveillance), treatment failure (ablative therapy), and side effects of hormonal therapy (hormone therapy). The UK-centric participants may limit the generalisability to other countries, but trialists should reason why the COS would not be applicable. The default position should not be that a COS developed in one country will automatically not be applicable elsewhere. Conclusion: We have established a COS for trials of effectiveness in localised prostate cancer, applicable across all interventions which should be measured in all localised prostate cancer effectiveness trials

1964

Turf Management Club by John Traynor (page 1) Who Is Superintendent Here by H.E. Frenette (1) Good Turf Can Result from good Sodding (3) Golf Course Superintendent by Edwart Wiacek (4) Picture - Outstanding Senior Prof. Troll Picture - recognition for Blazers St. Andrew\u27s, Scotland by William Hynd (5) Analogy of a Turf Manager by James B. Cole (6) Fish Trouble by Peter A. Langelier and Dennis P. Leger (8) Square Rings by Robert P. McGuire (9) A Different Type of Course by Robert Hall (10) Literature by Pierre Coste (11) Weeds in Golf Course Turf and Their Control by John F. Cornman (A-1) The USe of Liquid Fertilizer by Anthony B. Longo (A-3) Fertilizing a Golf Course Through an Irrigation System by Herbert E. Berg (A-6) The Extent of Winter Injury on Golf Courses by James L. Holmes (A-11) The Problem of Winter Injury by James B. Beard (A-13) Establishing, Maintaining, and Selling Sod for Turf Areas in New England by George F. Stewart (A-20) Problems of Maintaining Turf Around Industrial Grounds by George Moore (A-22) Landscaping Industrial sites by A.W. Boicourt (A-25) Introduction to the panel Discussion on Grasses for Tees and Their Management by Alexander M. Radko (A-28) Building a Golf Tee by Phil Cassidy (A-29) Grasses for Tees and Their Management by Wm. Dest (A-31) Golf Course Tee maintenance by Jim Fulwider (A-32) Tees by F. Thompson (A-33) How to Draw up a Contract by Lawrence D. Rhoades (A-34) My Contract by Lucien E. Duval (A-37) The Golf Car Problem by Geoffrey S. Cornish (A-41) Golf Cars and Turfgrass by Lee Record (A-42) Course Design and Golf Cars by William F. Mitchell (A-42) Golf Cars and the Established Course by Sherwood Moore (A-45) Course Design and Golf Cars by Phil Wogan (a-52) Introduction of Cars to the New Course by M. Ovian (A-56

An intercomparison of measurement systems for vapor and particulate phase concentrations of formic and acetic acids

During June 1986, eight systems for measuring vapor phase and four for measuring particulate phase concentrations of formic acid (HCOOH) and acetic acid (CH_3COOH) were intercompared in central Virginia. HCOOH and CH_3COOH vapors were sampled by condensate, mist, Chromosorb 103 GC resin, NaOH-coated annular denuders, NaOH impregnated quartz filters, K_2CO_3 and Na_2CO_3 impregnated cellulose filters, and Nylasorb membranes. Atmospheric aerosol was collected on Teflon and Nuclepore filters using both hi-vol and lo-vol systems to measure particulate phase concentrations. Samples were collected during 31 discrete day and night intervals of 0.5–2 hour duration over a 4-day period. Performance of the mist chamber and K_2CO_3 impregnated filter techniques were also evaluated using zero air and ambient air spiked with HCOOH_g, CH_3COOH_g, and formaldehyde (CH_2O_g) from permeation sources. Results of this intercomparison show significant systematic and episodic artifacts among many currently deployed measurement systems for HCOOH_g and CH_3COOH_g. The spiking experiments revealed no significant interferences for the mist chamber technique and results generated by the mist chamber and denuder techniques were statistically indistinguishable. The condensate technique showed general agreement with the mist chamber and denuder methods, but episodic bias between these systems was inferred from large and significant differences observed during the first day of sampling. Nylasorb membranes are unacceptable for collecting carboxylic acid vapors as they did not retain HCOOH_g and CH_3COOH_g quantitatively. Strong base impregnated filter and GC resin sampling techniques are prone to large positive interferences apparently resulting, in part, from reactions involving CH_2O_g to generate HCOOH and CH_3COOH subsequent to collection. Significant bias presumably associated with differences in postcollection handling was observed for particulate phase measurements by participating groups. Analytical bias did not contribute significantly to differences in vapor and particulate phase measurements

On the relevance of animal behavior to the management and conservation of fishes and fisheries

There are many syntheses on the role of animal behavior in understanding and mitigating conservation threats for wildlife. That body of work has inspired the development of a new discipline called conservation behavior. Yet, the majority of those synthetic papers focus on non-fish taxa such as birds and mammals. Many fish populations are subject to intensive exploitation and management and for decades researchers have used concepts and knowledge from animal behavior to support management and conservation actions. Dr. David L. G. Noakes is an influential ethologist who did much foundational work related to illustrating how behavior was relevant to the management and conservation of wild fish. We pay tribute to the late Dr. Noakes by summarizing the relevance of animal behavior to fisheries management and conservation. To do so, we first consider what behavior has revealed about how fish respond to key threats such as habitat alteration and loss, invasive species, climate change, pollution, and exploitation. We then consider how behavior has informed the application of common management interventions such as protected areas and spatial planning, stock enhancement, and restoration of habitat and connectivity. Our synthesis focuses on the totality of the field but includes reflections on the specific contributions of Dr. Noakes. Themes emerging from his approach include the value of fundamental research, management-scale experiments, and bridging behavior, physiology, and ecology. Animal behavior plays a key role in understanding and mitigating threats to wild fish populations and will become more important with the increasing pressures facing aquatic ecosystems. Fortunately, the toolbox for studying behavior is expanding, with technological and analytical advances revolutionizing our understanding of wild fish and generating new knowledge for fisheries managers and conservation practitioners.publishedVersio

Bostonia: The Boston University Alumni Magazine. Volume 12

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University’s main alumni publication