Sexual selection of body weight in Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Female Sitophilus oryzae were found to prefer to mate with large males. Observations of the sexual behaviour revealed a male courtship behaviour which may be used by females to assess the size and vigour of courting males. Successful sperm transfer occurred only after pairing for 1 hr and yet insects sometimes remained paired for more than 3 hr. The significance of the results in relation to evolutionary pressures on individual insects is discussed.     

100 mW spectrally-uniform broadband ASE source for spectrum-slicedWDM systems

A >100 mW source of broadband ASE with exceptionally flat spectral density and 22 nm bandwidth is presented. The source is ideally suited for spectrum-sliced WDM systems. Data transmission at 622 Mbit/s using a spectrally-sliced channel tuned over a 15 nm range is demonstrated     

Fluorescence quenching study of melittin-membrane interactions

The bee venom peptide melittin is a popular object for studying lipid-protein interactions. In this paper we show that binding of melittin to the bilayer is a complex process involving several steps. We were able to resolve those steps by utilizing a new approach in the quantitative analysis of depth-dependent fluorescence quenching in membranes. The "distribution analysis" technique (DA) employed here provides not only the most probable depth of the fluorophore but also allows the estimation of its conformational heterogeneity and accessibility to the lipid phase. A model for melittin interaction with the membranes is suggested.     

T2 Virtual PTSD Experience: A Virtual Worlds Environment to Educate Service Members and Veterans About Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Deploying Active Duty Service Members face multiple psychological health risks, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite a significant proportion of Service Members with psychological health needs, a number of barriers prevent access to education and treatment services available to them. These barriers include perceived stigma, physical access barriers, and psychological barriers. Web resources provide important information regarding psychological health issues and available resources but have limitations in the learning experience they can provide. Virtual worlds platforms, such as Second Life, offer unique affordances that may reduce some barriers to accessing psychological health education and care. They may allow for a unique immersive and interactive learning experience augmenting current web resources. One such virtual world environment, the T2 Virtual PTSD Experience, is described. The T2 Virtual PTSD Experience aims to educate military service members, veterans, family, and peers about the causes, symptoms, and help available for combat-related PTSD. Reactions from visitors have been positive, with many reporting improved understanding of PTSD and motivation to seek care. Future directions for leveraging virtual worlds in the service of psychological health care are discussed.     

Studies of the corrosion of mild steel in alkali-activated slag cement mortars with sodium chloride admixtures by a galvanostatic pulse method

Corrosion of mild steel reinforcement in an alkali-activated slag (AAS) cement mortar containing NaCl admixtures has been investigated using an improved galvanostatic pulse technique. Corrosion rates were monitored at 90% relative humidity over a period of several months. On first exposure highest corrosion rates are seen with the lowest chloride levels, but over time different behaviours are seen for different chloride levels. The complex pattern of current and potential variation has been analysed using Tafel plots. Tentative conclusions are put forward to account for the behaviour seen, based on a model where oxidation of sulphide anions to sulphur prevents potential rising into the pitting regime and leads to inhibition of the oxygen cathode reaction.     

Filtered two‐fluid models of fluidized gas‐particle flows: New constitutive relations

New constitutive relations for filtered two‐fluid models (TFM) of gas‐particle flows are obtained by systematically filtering results generated through highly resolved simulations of a kinetic theory‐based TFM. It was found in our earlier studies that the residual correlations appearing in the filtered TFM equations depended principally on the filter size and filtered particle volume fraction. Closer inspection of a large amount of computational data gathered in this study reveals an additional, systematic dependence of the correction to the drag coefficient on the filtered slip velocity, which serves as a marker for the extent of subfilter‐scale inhomogeneity. Furthermore, the residual correlations for the momentum fluxes in the gas and particle phases arising from the subfilter‐scale fluctuations are found to be modeled nicely using constitutive relations of the form used in large‐eddy simulations of single‐phase turbulent flows. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3265–3275, 2013     

Wild Brazilian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Seed Oil Methyl Esters as Biodiesel Fuel

Wild mustard (Brassica juncea L.) oil is evaluated as a feedstock for biodiesel production. Biodiesel was obtained in 94 wt.% yield by a standard transesterification procedure with methanol and sodium methoxide catalyst. Wild mustard oil had a high content of erucic (13(Z)-docosenoic; 45.7 wt.%) acid, with linoleic (9(Z),12(Z)-octadecadienoic; 14.2 wt.%) and linolenic (9(Z),12(Z),15(Z)-octadecatrienoic; 13.0 wt.%) acids comprising most of the remaining fatty acid profile. The cetane number, kinematic viscosity, and oxidative stability (Rancimat method) of the methyl esters was 61.1, 5.33 mm² s⁻¹ (40 °C) and 4.8 h (110 °C), respectively. The cloud, pour and cold filter plugging points were 4, −21 and −3 °C, respectively. Other properties such as acid value, lubricity, free and total glycerol content, iodine value, Gardner color, specific gravity, as well as sulfur and phosphorous contents were also determined and are discussed in light of biodiesel standards ASTM D6751 and EN 14214. Also reported are the properties and composition of wild mustard oil, along with identification of wild mustard collected in Brazil as Brassica juncea L. (2n = 36) as opposed to the currently accepted Sinapis arvensis L. (2n = 18) classification. In summary, wild mustard oil appears to be an acceptable feedstock for biodiesel production. Disclaimer: Product names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.     

Fluid‐particle drag in inertial polydisperse gas–solid suspensions

In this article, we extend the low Reynolds number fluid‐particle drag relation proposed by Yin and Sundaresan for polydisperse systems to include the effect of moderate fluid inertia. The proposed model captures the fluid‐particle drag results obtained from lattice‐Boltzmann simulations of bidisperse and ternary suspensions at particle mixture Reynolds numbers ranging from 0 ≤ Re_mix ≤ 40, over a particle volume fraction range of 0.2 ≤ ? ≤ 0.4, volume fraction ratios of 1 ≤ ?_i/?_j ≤ 3, and particle diameter ratios of 1 ≤ d_i/d_j ≤ 2.5. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010     

Successful extrusion of small diameter CPVC pipe

Chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC) pipe is a rapidly growing market, especially 25.4 mm (1″) pipe and smaller. Extrusion of CPVC pipe presents a greater challenge than PVC, because CPVC has less heat stability and higher viscosity. However, CPVC has good physical properties, particularly with respect to heat, and can be used to make hot water pipe. This paper discusses some of the basic factors involved in screw and pipe head design for CPVC extrusion, and gives some examples of successful applications.     

Remote plasma nitridation, deuterium anneal and pocket implant effects on NMOS hot carrier reliability

There are several advanced processes which are being actively studied as candidates for sub-0.25 μm technology. This paper studies the effects on NMOS hot carrier reliability from remote plasma nitrided oxide (RPNO), deuterium anneal and pocket implant. It is found that RPNO will not affect the SiO₂/Si interface. The hot carrier reliability is better for the same device channel current. This is due to making the effective oxide thickness thinner and achieving the same drive current with longer channel length. The deuterium anneal can improve the hot carrier reliability, even with nitride sidewall, if proper annealing is done. While the pocket implant can reduce short channel effects, the hot carrier lifetime is degraded unless optimization is done.