Brake for rollable platform

Frame-mounted brake is independent of wheels and consists of simple lever-actuated foot. Brake makes good contact with surface even though foot pad is at higher or lower level than wheels, this is particularly important when a rollable platform is used on irregular surface

William H. Kruskal and the Development of Coordinate-Free Methods

Discussion of ``The William Kruskal Legacy: 1919--2005'' by Stephen E. Fienberg, Stephen M. Stigler and Judith M. Tanur [arXiv:0710.5063]Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/088342306000000367 the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Water content and wind acceleration in the envelope around the oxygen-rich AGB star IK Tauri as seen by Herschel/HIFI

During their asymptotic giant branch evolution, low-mass stars lose a significant fraction of their mass through an intense wind, enriching the interstellar medium with products of nucleosynthesis. We observed the nearby oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch star IK Tau using the highresolution HIFI spectrometer onboard Herschel. We report on the first detection of H^(16)_2O and the rarer isotopologues H^(17)_2O and H^(18)_2O in both the ortho and para states. We deduce a total water content (relative to molecular hydrogen) of 6.6 × 10^(−5), and an ortho-to-para ratio of 3:1. These results are consistent with the formation of H_2O in thermodynamical chemical equilibrium at photospheric temperatures, and does not require pulsationally induced non-equilibrium chemistry, vaporization of icy bodies or grain surface reactions. High-excitation lines of ^(12)CO, ^(13)CO, ^(28)SiO, ^(29)SiO, ^(30)SiO, HCN, and SO have also been detected. From the observed line widths, the acceleration region in the inner wind zone can be characterized, and we show that the wind acceleration is slower than hitherto anticipated

Migrant workers in Liverpool: A study of A8 and A2 nationals

This study focuses on the needs and experiences of Central and Eastern European migrants living and working in Liverpool. It was funded by Liverpool City Council and formed the evidence base for their successful application for Migration Impact Funding

Effects of Channelization on Fish Populations of the Cache River and Bayou DeView

This study was designed to better understand the possible effects of channelization by comparing natural and previously channelized sections of the Cache River and Bayou DeView. Forty-five fish species were collected in natural reaches, but only 24 species were collected in channelized reaches. Cyprinus carpio and Dorosoma cepedianum constituted 40 and 20 percent of the total fish biomass in channelized reaches, respectively, but only 22 and 2 percent of the total biomass in natural reaches. The mean weight of total fishes and game fishes only per surface ha in natural sections were 276 and 46 kg, respectively, but these values in channelized sections were only 88 and 2 kg, respectively. Mean species diversity indices for natural and channelized sections of the Cache River were 3.1 and 1.8, respectively, and mean redundancy values for these sections were .30 and .55, respectively. Species diversity indices and redundancy values for Bayou DeView followed this trend

IMPACTS OF INTERNATIONAL MAIZE BREEDING RESEARCH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, 1966-98

This report, which updates and extends the findings of an earlier CIMMYT study published in 1994, documents the impacts of international maize breeding research in the developing world. Covering the period 1966-98, the report reviews public and private investment in maize breeding research, describes the products of public and private maize breeding programs, estimates farm level adoption of modern varieties (MVs), and estimates the gross value of additional grain production attributable to international breeding efforts. Although private companies have greatly increased their investment in maize breeding research in recent years, public maize breeding programs still play an important role, especially in breeding for subsistence-oriented farmers. Seed sales data show that the maize seed industry in many developing countries has effectively been privatized and that hybrid seed sales now dominate sales of all other seed types. The area planted to MVs continues to expand at an impressive rate. Maize MVs are currently grown on at least 58.8 million ha in developing countries, including at least 21.2 million ha planted to MVs that contain CIMMYT germplasm. The gross value of additional grain production attributable to the adoption of maize MVs in developing countries is estimated to range from US$3.7 million to US$ 11.1 billion per year. Analysis of varietal pedigrees shows that breeders in both the public and private sectors have made extensive use of CIMMYT germplasm. Over 54% of publicly bred MVs released in the developing world since 1966 have contained CIMMYT germplasm. The pedigrees of many privately bred cultivars are confidential, but CIMMYT germplasm was present in 58% of MVs developed by private breeding programs being sold in the late 1990s for which pedigree information is available. The gross benefits attributable to CIMMYT's maize breeding program are estimated to range from US$167 million to US$ 1.5 billion per year.Productivity Analysis,

Tracking fast neutrons

Based on elastic collisions, the linear momentum of a fast neutron can be measured from as few as two consecutive recoil ion tracks plus the vertex position of the third collision, or `two and half' ion tracks. If the time delay between the first two consecutive ion tracks is also measured, the number of ion tracks can be reduced to one and a half. The angular and magnitude resolutions are limited by ion range straggling to about ten percent. Multi-wire proportional chambers and light-field imaging are discussed for fast neutron tracking. Single-charge or single-photon detection sensitivity is required in either approach. Light-field imaging is free of charge-diffusion-induced image blur, but the limited number of photons available can be a challenge. $^1$H,$^2$H and $^3$He could be used for the initial development of fast neutron trackers based on light-field imaging.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figure

Ginzburg-landau-type multiphase field model for competing fcc and bcc nucleation

The official published version of the Article can be accesed from the link below - Copyright @ 2011 APSWe address crystal nucleation and fcc-bcc phase selection in alloys using a multiphase field model that relies on Ginzburg-Landau free energies of the liquid-fcc, liquid-bcc, and fcc-bcc subsystems, and determine the properties of the nuclei as a function of composition, temperature, and structure. With a realistic choice for the free energy of the fcc-bcc interface, the model predicts well the fcc-bcc phase-selection boundary in the Fe-Ni system.This work has been supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences under contract OTKA-K-62588, and by the ESA under PECS Contract No. 98059. Work by JRM has been sponsored by the Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, Office of Basic Energy Sci- ences, U.S. Department of Energy