Measurements of the equation of state of deuterium at the fluid insulator-metal transition

A high-intensity laser was used to shock-compress liquid deuterium to pressures from 22 to 340 gigapascals. In this regime deuterium is predicted to transform from an insulating molecular fluid to an atomic metallic fluid. Shock densities and pressures, determined by radiography, revealed an increase in compressibility near 100 gigapascals indicative of such a transition. Velocity interferometry measurements, obtained by reflecting a laser probe directly off the shock front in flight, demonstrated that deuterium shocked above 55 gigapascals has an electrical conductivity characteristic of a liquid metal and independently confirmed the radiography.     

Organic Glasses: A New Class of Photorefractive Materials

The performance of amorphous organic photorefractive (PR) materials in applications such as optical data storage is generally limited by the concentration of active molecules (chromophores) that can be incorporated into the host without forming a crystalline material with poor optical quality. In polymeric PR systems described previously, performance has been limited by the necessity of devoting a large fraction of the material to inert polymer and plasticizing components in order to ensure compositional stability. A new class of organic PR materials composed of multifunctional glass-forming organic chromophores is described that have long-term stability and greatly improved PR properties.     

The Origin of the Great Bend of the Nile from SIR-C/X-SAR Imagery

The course of the Nile in northern Sudan follows a contorted path through Precambrian bedrock. Radar imagery shows that basement structures control the river's course in this region. Northward-flowing segments follow Precambrian fabrics, whereas east-west segments follow faults of much younger age. These faults may reflect recent uplift of the Nubian Swell and deflection of the river to the southwest to form the great bend of the Nile.     

Genetic associations between feed efficiency measured in a performance test station and performance of growing cattle in commercial beef herds

Interest in selection for improved feed efficiency is increasing, but before any steps are taken toward selecting for feed efficiency, correlations with other economically important traits must first be quantified. The objective of this study was to quantify the genetic associations between feed efficiency measured during performance testing and linear type traits, BW, live animal value, and carcass traits recorded in commercial herds. Feed efficiency data were available on 2,605 bulls from 1 performance test station. There were between 10,384 and 93,442 performance records on type traits, BW, animal value, or carcass traits from 17,225 commercial herds. (Co)variance components were estimated using linear mixed animal models. Genetic correlations between the muscular type traits in commercial animals and feed conversion ratio (-0.33 to -0.25), residual feed intake (RFI; -0.33 to -0.22), and residual BW gain (RG; 0.24 to 0.27) suggest that selection for improved feed efficiency should increase muscling. This is further evidenced by the genetic correlations between carcass conformation of commercial animals and feed conversion ratio (-0.46), RFI (-0.37), and residual BW gain (0.35) measured in performance-tested animals. Furthermore, the genetic correlations between RFI and both ultrasonic fat depth and carcass fat score (0.39 and 0.33, respectively) indicated that selection for improved RFI will result in leaner animals. It can be concluded from the genetic correlations estimated in this study that selection for feed efficiency will have no unfavorable effects on the performance traits measured in this study and will actually lead to an improvement in performance for some traits, such as muscularity, animal price, and carcass conformation. Conversely, this suggests that genetic selection for traits such as carcass quality, muscling traits, and animal value might also be indirectly selecting for more efficient animals.     

Isolation,partial purification and characterization of a potato peel ∞-solanine cleaving glycosidase

An enzyme which hydrolyzes the rhamnose from ∞-solanine was isolated and partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation from the peels of Kennebec and Wauseon potatoes. Enzyme activity was found to be present in the 60 to 80% ammonium sulfate fraction. Enzyme activity was increased by the use of non-ionic detergents with a mixture of Triton X-100:Triton CF-54 (2:1, w/w) providing the greatest increase in activity. The pH optimum for the rhamnosidase for both varieties was found to be 6.0 while of the temperatures evaluated 42 °C was the optimum temperature. The effect of substrate concentration on enzyme activity was determined for both varieties and the Vmax and Km were calculated from Lineweaver-Burke double reciprocal plots. The Vmax and Km for the Kennebec and Wauseon rhamnosidases were found to be 0.27 mg/ml and 5.4 x 10^-4 M and 0.48 mg/ml and 8.2 x 10^-4 M, respectively.     

Performance of spring-calving beef suckler cows and their progeny on four contrasting grassland management systems

Data were collected over four consecutive years from four, rotationally grazed, grassland management systems each with 15 spring-calving beef suckler cows and their progeny to 13 months of age. The Systems were high stocking rate (SR), high fertiliser nitrogen (N), 2 silage harvests — HH2; high SR, low N, 2 silage harvests — HL2; low SR, low N, 2 silage harvests — LL2, and low SR, low N, 1 silage harvest — LL1. High and low SR were 0.49 and 0.59 ha cow^− 1 unit, respectively, and high and low N amounted to an annual input of 239 and 57 kg ha^− 1 on the grazing areas, respectively. Where applicable, the four Systems received 114 and 80 kg of N ha^− 1 for the first and second silage harvests, respectively. Equal areas of Systems HH2, HL2 and LL2 were conserved as silage (0.29 and 0.21 ha for first (24 May) and second (4 August) harvests, respectively cow^− 1 unit) each year. Silage from System LL1 (0.37 ha cow^− 1 unit) was conserved 14 days after the other first harvests. Following the final harvesting for silage within any System these areas of grassland were then grazed. During the winter all animals were housed and cows were offered grass silage and calves were offered silage plus 1 kg of concentrate per head daily. Good cow and calf performance at pasture were obtained at both high SR and high N or low SR and low N. At the high SR, increasing the level of fertiliser N application increased cow liveweight gain at pasture by 24 kg, improved body condition score (BCS) gain at pasture by 0.36 units and prolonged the grazing season by 7 days. Similarly, at the low level of fertiliser N, reducing the SR, increased cow liveweight gain at pasture by 21 kg, improved BCS gain at pasture by 0.23 units and prolonged the grazing season by 7 days. At the low SR all the winter silage requirements could be provided in one as opposed to two harvests thereby reducing the conservation area. However, delayed harvesting of silage resulted in lower silage digestibility and reduced calf performance in winter. The results indicate the specifications for a planned lower N grassland system, particularly where qualification for EU environmental schemes is dependent on moderate stocking densities.