The role of intermolecular coupling in the photophysics of disordered organic semiconductors: Aggregate emission in regioregular polythiophene

We address the role of excitonic coulping on the nature of photoexcitations in the conjugated polymer regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene). By means of temperature-dependent absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy, we show that optical emission is overwhelmingly dominated by weakly coupled H-aggregates. The relative absorbance of the 0-0 and 0-1 vibronic peaks provides a powerfully simple means to extract the magnitude of the intermolecular coupling energy, approximately 5 and 30 meV for films spun from isodurene and chloroform solutions respectively.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, published in Phys. Rev. Let

Who Are The Difficult Employees? Psychopathological Attributions Of Their Co-workers

On a given workday, over 700 workers are attacked, 43,800 employees are harassed and 16,400 are threatened (Hynes, 2001). Yet the literature focuses upon environmental causes; none attempt to identify personal characteristics of the uncivil, deviant or maladaptive employee. This study helps fill this void by exploring the personality correlates of uncivil employee behavior. These employees violate mutual norms of respect, negatively affect organizational performance, and are thus the prototypical difficult employee. Utilizing a unique psycho-pathological approach, the DSM-IV (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) was used as the basis for defining and assessing the perceived personality correlates of these employees’ behaviors. Results suggest that narcissistic traits are the modal descriptors for the Difficult Employee, regardless of hierarchical role (boss, peer, subordinate). Implications are discussed with suggestions for future research

Grown organic matter as a fuel raw material resource

An extensive search was made on biomass production from the standpoint of climatic zones, water, nutrients, costs and energy requirements for many species. No exotic species were uncovered that gave hope for a bonanza of biomass production under culture, location, and management markedly different from those of existing agricultural concepts. A simulation analysis of biomass production was carried out for six species using conventional production methods, including their production costs and energy requirements. These estimates were compared with data on food, fiber, and feed production. The alternative possibility of using residues from food, feed, or lumber was evaluated. It was concluded that great doubt must be cast on the feasibility of producing grown organic matter for fuel, in competition with food, feed, or fiber. The feasibility of collecting residues may be nearer, but the competition for the residues for return to the soil or cellulosic production is formidable

Prediction Equations for Estimating Lean Quantity in 15- to 50-kg Pigs

Equations for predicting the quantity of lean in the young pig were developed from measurements on 48 pigs (16.8 to 48.5 kg body weight) representing four crossbred mating types; maternal breed(s) × maternal breed(s), paternal breed(s) × maternal breed(s), paternal breed(s) × paternal breed(s) and porcine stress-susceptible × mixed breed. Within litter and sex, each of three pigs was assigned randomly to a light, intermediate or heavy slaughter weight group such that each mating type was represented by six barrows and six gilts from four different litters. Thirteen measurements were obtained for each pig; body weight, body length, body circumference, front leg circumference, front leg length, shoulder depth, shoulder width, ham width, head width, shoulder fat, last rib fat, last lumbar fat and loin muscle depth. Fat measurements and loin depth were taken ultrasonically. Pigs were slaughtered, chilled and manually separated into lean and fat, bone, skin and feet and tail components. Fat composition was determined by the Goldfisch method and also an x-ray absorption procedure. Pigs averaged 32.0 kg body weight and 12.5 kg of lean. Prediction equations were developed by maximum R2 and stepwise regression procedures. The model that includes the 13 measured variables and average backfat produced a .97 R2 when predicting kilograms of lean (LWTA). Body weight was the only significant variable. The one-variable model of body weight (P\u3c.01) produced a .95 R2 Kilograms of lean was estimated for an additional 24 pigs using the one-variable model of body weight and the two-variable model of body weight and shoulder width. The variable LWTA was found to be highly correlated with both estimates of LWTA (r = .97). Results suggest that LWTA can be predicted using a simple model that could be adapted to applied situations

Storing Flaxseed in Farm-type Bins in South Texas.

12 p

A comparison of seafloor habitats and associated benthic fauna in areas open and closed to bottom trawling along the central California Continental Shelf

Executive Summary: A number of studies have shown that mobile, bottom-contact fishing gear (such as otter trawls) can alter seafloor habitats and associated biota. Considerably less is known about the recovery of these resources following such disturbances, though this information is critical for successful management. In part, this paucity of information can be attributed to the lack of access to adequate control sites – areas of the seafloor that are closed to fishing activity. Recent closures along the coast of central California provide an excellent opportunity to track the recovery of historically trawled areas and to compare recovery rates to adjacent areas that continue to be trawled. In June 2006 we initiated a multi-year study of the recovery of seafloor microhabitats and associated benthic fauna inside and outside two new Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) closures within the Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries. Study sites inside the EFH closure at Cordell Bank were located in historically active areas of fishing effort, which had not been trawled since 2003. Sites outside the EFH closure in the Gulf of Farallones were located in an area that continues to be actively trawled. All sites were located in unconsolidated sands at equivalent water depths. Video and still photographic data collected via a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) were used to quantify the abundance, richness, and diversity of microhabitats and epifaunal macro-invertebrates at recovering and actively trawled sites, while bottom grabs and conductivity/temperature/depth (CTD) casts were used to quantify infaunal diversity and to characterize local environmental conditions. Analysis of still photos found differences in common seafloor microhabitats between the recovering and actively trawled areas, while analysis of videographic data indicated that biogenic mound and biogenic depression microhabitats were significantly less abundant at trawled sites. Each of these features provides structure with which demersal fishes, across a wide range of size classes, have been observed to associate. Epifaunal macro-invertebrates were sparsely distributed and occurred in low numbers in both treatments. However, their total abundance was significantly different between treatments, which was attributable to lower densities at trawled sites. In addition, the dominant taxa were different between the two sites. Patchily-distributed buried brittle stars dominated the recovering site, and sea whips (Halipteris cf. willemoesi) were most numerous at the trawled site though they occurred in only five of ten transects. Numerical classification (cluster analysis) of the infaunal samples also revealed a clear difference between benthic assemblages in the recovering vs. trawled areas due to differences in the relative abundances of component species. There were no major differences in infaunal species richness, H′ diversity, or J′ evenness between recovering vs. trawled site groups. However, total infaunal abundance showed a significant difference attributable to much lower densities at trawled sites. This pattern was driven largely by the small oweniid polychaete Myriochele gracilis, which was the most abundant species in the overall study region though significantly less abundant at trawled sites. Other taxa that were significantly less abundant at trawled sites included the polychaete M. olgae and the polychaete family Terebellidae. In contrast, the thyasirid bivalve Axinopsida serricata and the polychaetes Spiophanes spp. (mostly S. duplex), Prionospio spp., and Scoloplos armiger all had significantly to near significantly higher abundances at trawled sites. As a result of such contrasting species patterns, there also was a significant difference in the overall dominance structure of infaunal assemblages between the two treatments. It is suggested that the observed biological patterns were the result of trawling impacts and varying levels of recovery due to the difference in trawling status between the two areas. The EFH closure was established in June 2006, within a month of when sampling was conducted for the present study, however, the stations within this closure area are at sites that actually have experienced little trawling since 2003, based on National Marine Fishery Service trawl records. Thus, the three-year period would be sufficient time for some post-trawling changes to have occurred. Other results from this study (e.g., similarly moderate numbers of infaunal species in both areas that are lower than values recorded elsewhere in comparable habitats along the California continental shelf) also indicate that recovery within the closure area is not yet complete. Additional sampling is needed to evaluate subsequent recovery trends and persistence of effects. Furthermore, to date, the study has been limited to unconsolidated substrates. Ultimately, the goal of this project is to characterize the recovery trajectories of a wide spectrum of seafloor habitats and communities and to link that recovery to the dynamics of exploited marine fishes. (PDF has 48 pages.