The 1995 North American Interagency Intercomparison of Ultraviolet Monitoring Spectroradiometers

Concern over stratospheric ozone depletion has prompted several government agencies in North America to establish networks of spectroradiometers for monitoring solar ultraviolet irradiance at the surface of the Earth. To assess the ability of spectroradiometers to accurately measure solar ultraviolet irradiance, and to compare the results between instruments of different monitoring networks, the second North American Intercomparison of Ultraviolet Monitoring Spectroradiometers was held June 12 to 23, 1995 at Table Mountain outside Boulder, Colorado, USA. This Intercomparison was coordinated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Participating agencies were the Environmental Protection Agency; the National Science Foundation; the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center; the Department of Agriculture; and the Atmospheric Environment Service, Canada. Instruments were characterized for wavelength uncertainty, bandwidth, stray-light rejection, and spectral irradiance responsivity, the latter with a NIST standard lamp operating in a specially designed field calibration unit. The spectral irradiance responsivity, determined once indoors and twice outdoors, demonstrated that while the responsivities changed upon moving the instruments, they were relatively stable when the instruments remained outdoors. Synchronized spectral scans of the solar irradiance were performed over several days. Using the spectral irradiance responsivities determined with the NIST standard lamp and three different convolution functions to account for the different bandwidths of the instruments, the measured solar irradiances generally agreed to within 3 %.     

The structure and properties of spray formed cold rolling mill work roll steels

A study of the effect of spray casting on the microstructure and properties of cold rolling mill work roll steels has been undertaken. Industry standard qualities have been spray formed and a comparison of the resulting properties and microstructures has been made with those of the conventionally processed counterparts. The influence of process variables on the spray formed product has also been investigated. The results indicate that cold mill work roll steels which have comparable properties and structures to conventionally cast and forged products can be produced successfully in a single processing step. Furthermore, a high integrity metallurgical bond between the deposit and the substrate can be achieved.     

New potentiometric sensor for the determination of iodine species

The characteristics, performance and application of novel triiodide potentiometric sensor based on ion-pair of Rhodamine B triiodide as a membrane carrier are described. The electrode has a linear dynamic range between 1 × 10^? 6 and 1 × 10^? 1 M, with a Nernstian slope of 68 ± 1 mV pC^? 1 and detection limit of 3.9 × 10^? 7 M. Fast and stable response, good reproducibility, long-term stability, very good selectivity over a large number of common organic and inorganic anions, applicability over a pH range of 2–10 are demonstrated. The proposed sensor has been applied for potentiometric determination of some iodine species.     

Modified laboratory culture techniques for the European cuttlefish Sepia officinalis

Stress fractures of the tarsal navicular bone are rare injury and assessing its healing is difficult. Tenderness over the tarsal navicular on physical examination is the most reliable sign for assessing fracture healing. However, it is desirable to assess fracture healing with some imaging method. We used serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess healing in a patient with a tarsal navicular stress fracture. MRI was useful for the assessment of fracture healing of tarsal navicular stress fracture in our case.     

A Gleason score of 7 predicts a worse outcome for prostate carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy

Fiber-optic biosensors that are selective for nitric oxide and do not respond to most potential interferents have been prepared with cytochromes c'. Both micro- and nanosensors have been prepared, and their response is fast (< 1 s), reversible, and linear up to 1 mM nitric oxide. The detection limit is 20 microM, making the sensor useful for some biological samples, such as the macrophages studied here. While sensors have been prepared based on the fluorescence of the cytochromes c', optodes with greatly enhanced signal-to-noise ratios have been made by labeling the cytochrome c' with a fluorescent dye. Comparisons of cytochromes c' from three species of bacteria as well as of two matrixes were performed and the optimum sensor configuration is described.     

Competing pressures of risk and absorptive capacity potential on commitment and information sharing in global supply chains

Organizations’ competitiveness and success are no longer dependent solely on their own performance, but rather are dependent on the competitiveness of the supply chains in which they participate. Increasingly, these supply chains are globally distributed introducing the possibility of greater benefits, as well as greater risk. This study examines the countervailing impact of a global supply chain partner's business-to-business e-commerce business risk and absorptive capacity on an organization's willingness to commit to and share information with that supply chain partner. We survey 207 organizations on their perceptions of specific offshore outsourcing and supply chain partners across dimensions of risk, absorptive capacity, commitment, and information sharing. The results support the theorized relationships indicating that a supply chain partner's increased levels of perceived risk has a strong negative effect on an organization's commitment and information sharing; conjointly, increases in a supply chain partner's absorptive capacity has a strong positive effect on commitment and information sharing. For both risk and absorptive capacity, commitment partially mediates the relationship with information sharing. Testing for systemic effects from geographical/cultural location on the relationship factors provides no evidence of a regional effect on measured items.     

Optimization of conformal radiation treatment of prostate cancer: report of a dose escalation study

Under some conditions, stimulant preexposure sensitizes rats to the reinforcing effects of cocaine and other stimulants, whereas under other conditions exposure decreases the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine. This paper reviews the literature on the effects of stimulant preexposure on self-administration, focusing on methodological and interpretative issues. It is concluded that both sensitization and tolerance occur following stimulant preexposure but that these two effects can be dissociated temporally, with sensitization occurring during the development of drug self-administration and tolerance occurring in response to high doses of stimulants administered to experienced self-administering rats. The relative contribution of both of these effects to compulsive drug-taking is discussed, with emphasis on the development of cocaine as a reinforcer, maintenance of self-administration, and relapse to drug-taking.     

The effects of two out-wintering pad systems compared with free-stalls on dairy cow hoof and limb health

Lameness is one of the most serious health and welfare problems for dairy cows. This study compared hoof health, limb health and locomotion of dairy cows in three over-winter management systems. Treatments were: (1) an indoor free-stall system (FS), (2) outdoors on an uncovered woodchip pad (UP) and (3) outdoors on a covered woodchip pad (CP). Animals were assigned to treatments at drying off, remained on treatment until parturition, then turned out to pasture. Sole lesions were scored on assignment to treatment, at calving, and 6 weeks and 12 weeks post partum. Locomotion and skin lesions were scored on assignment to treatment, and every 2 weeks until parturition. Post-partum locomotion was scored weekly for 13 weeks. More FS cows were affected by limb lesions than CP cows, and these animals had the worst locomotion scores post calving. There was an effect of inspection, and interactive effect of inspection and treatment on sole lesion scores. UP cows had the highest sole lesion scores 12 weeks post partum probably due to softening of the hooves arising from exposure to moisture while on the woodchip pad. However, post partum, UP cows had better locomotion scores, and CP cows tended to have better scores than cows in FS. Both of these treatments were less likely to have a high tracking-up score than cows in FS. It is possible that cows in this treatment were able to exercise more, owing to the secure underfoot surface and lack of barriers, and this promoted limb flexibility. Although woodchip pads provided benefits for limb health and locomotion, the wood chip surface in both outdoor systems did not offer protective benefits to the hooves relative to housing on concrete. However, the provision of shelter on the pad somewhat overcame the problem of high sole lesion scores in the post-partum period.