197,725 research outputs found
Improve water saving and water productivity by new approach of farm management under surface irrigation
No full textTwo field experiments were conducted during summer seasons of 2007 and 2008 at Zankalon Water Research Station, Water Management and Irrigation Systems Research Institute, Egypt. This research aims to study the effect of new approach of farm layout and management under surface irrigation on water saving and yield of corn. Three irrigation and planting treatments were investigated, treatment A used traditional irrigation method (control treatment) with 80 cm width furrows and one row of plants on each ridge with one plant/hill and 22 cm between hills. Treatment B had 80 cm wide furrows with one row planted in the bottom of each furrow with one plant/hill and 22 cm between hills. Treatment C had 160 cm wide furrows with two rows planted in the bottom of each furrow with one plant/hill and 22 cm between hills. Comparisons were based on the growth, yield, yield attributes, water relations, and the net return of the corn crop (cultivar T.W.C310). Comparing to the traditional practice (treatment A) water saving from using treatments B and C were 2467 m3 ha-1 (30.3%) and 4333 m3 ha-1 (53.2%), respectively. Actual evapotranspiration values for treatments A, B and C were 553, 410 and 293 mm respectively. The values of water productivity (kg m-3) were 0.74, 1.13 and 1.73 for A, B and C treatments, respectively. The lowest irrigation cost was observed for method C and the net profit increased by 19% using treatment B and 32% using treatment C. Significant increase in grain yield was achieved, 6% and 9% for the B and C treatments, respectively
Measurement of X-ray-induced DNA double-strand breaks at various stages of the cell cycle using the total fluorescence as a comet assay parameter
No full textThe aim of the study was to develop a protocol for both estimating cell cycle position and the level of ionizing radiation-induced DNA dsb using the neutral comet assay. Using DNA histograms, cell cycle positions were determined for human dermal fibroblasts. The tail intensity was used to estimate the level of DNA damage induced by X-rays, at different positions of the cell cycle. The results of tail intensity versus DNA content bivariate analysis of exponentially growing cells showed a remarkable decrease in tail intensity with transition of cells from G1 to S-phase and increases slightly with transition to G2/M phase. This effect is observed at all doses including unirradiated cells, indicating that the effect is not caused by X-rays and the comet assay based on the current tail parameters is not relevant to measure DNA damage at various stages of the cell cycle. The results of dose response curves showed a linear decrease in the comet fluorescence with the X-ray dose. This observation provides a basis for estimating the fraction of damaged DNA, based on the fluorescence decrement induced by ionizing radiation. The results of this new approach showed a linear increase in DNA damage with dose, at various stages of the cell cycle, with rates, which vary in the following order G0 > G2/M > S/G1 cells. These results suggest that G0 and G2/M cells are the most sensitive to X-rays among all phases of the cell cycle and suggest synchronization of cells at these phases to increase the cellular radiosensitivity during radiotherapy. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Design and Investigation of Sst/Nc-si:h (m = Ag, Au, Ni) and M/Nc-si:h Multifunctional Devices
No full textQasrawi, Atef Fayez/0000-0001-8193-6975; Saleh, Zaki M./0000-0002-2981-8960Hydrogenated nanocrystalline Silicon thin films prepared by the very high frequency chemical vapor deposition technique (VHF-CVD) on stainless steel (SST) substrates are used to design Schottky point contact barriers for the purpose of solar energy conversion and passive electronic component applications. In this process, the contact performance between SST and M(M=Ag, Au, and Ni) and between Ag, Au, and Ni electrodes was characterized by means of current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and light intensity dependence of short circuit (I-sc) current and open circuit voltage (V-oc) of the contacts. Particularly, the devices ideality factors, barrier heights were evaluated by the Schottky method and compared to the Cheung's. Best Schottky device performance with lowest ideality factor suitable for electronic applications was observed in the SST/nc-Si: H/Ag structure. This device reflects a V-oc of 229mV with an I-sc of 1.6mA/cm(2) under an illumination intensity of similar to 40 klux. On the other hand, the highest I-sc being 9.0 mA/cm(2) and the V-oc of 53.1mV were observed for Ni/nc-Si: H/Au structure. As these voltages represent the maximum biasing voltage for some of the designed devices, the SST/nc-Si:H/M and M/nc-Si:H/M can be regarded as multifunctional self-energy that provided electronic devices suitable for active or passive applications
A decision support system for income-producing real estate development feasibility analysis and alternative assessment
No full textThe purpose of this study is to design, develop, and evaluate a prototype scenarioassisted
decision support system (DSS) for use in venture and alternative assessment
during the predevelopment stage of income-producing real estate development. This
research examines theoretical underpinnings and associated advancements related to
income-producing real estate development and decision support systems. Particular
emphasis was placed on synthesis of relating disciplines?? models and advancements that
support design and development of the decision support system. The result of the
system design and development are embodied in a prototype scenario-assisted decision
support system for income-producing real estate development (DSSVenture). The design
and development of the program are documented in this dissertation.
Following the design and development stage, the validation of DSSVenture??s data
and logic models was conducted based on two case studies from well-known real estate
development publications. The system was then tested on a group of graduate students
who enrolled in an advanced real estate development course at Texas A&M University
to examine whether its facilitation objective had been achieved. Since this research
hypothesized that the decision support system would facilitate developers?? decision
making during predevelopment stage of income-producing real estate development,
three operational variables were tested, namely number of alternatives examined, time to
reach decisions, and coefficient of projected net present value variations.
The testing results indicate that DSSVenture system significantly enhances
comprehensiveness of the decision context by increasing the number of alternatives for
developers. Since the use of the system significantly reduces developers?? time to reach
decisions, the efficiency of decision making is improved. Finally, the results of the
study confirm that the use of DSSVenture system substantially diminishes variation of
profit projection among decision makers. Therefore, the facilitation objective is
achieved
Dr. Duane M. Jackson, Morehouse College, July 2011
No full textThis video is a conversation with Dr. Duane M. Jackson. Dr. Jackson talks about his paper, "Recall and the Serial Position Effect: The Role of Primacy and Recency on Accounting Students' Performance." Jackie Daniel, AUC Woodruff Library, is the interviewer
Biostratigraphy and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction at the Gebel Nezzazat (Central Sinai, Egypt): A Paleocene Record for the Southern Tethys
No full textThe variations in assemblages of calcareous nannofossils are tracked in the Dakhla and Tarawan Formations exposed at Gebel Nezzazat (central Sinai, Egypt). Five calcareous nannofossil biozones, namely NP2/3, NP4, NP5, NP6, and NP7/8 are identified. A distinct marker bed related to the Latest Danian Event (LDE) occurs within the Dakhla Fm. The earliest representative of fasciculiths, Lithoptychius schmitzii, first occurs just below the LDE distinct bed and is followed by the Los of Diantholitha alata, D. mariposa, L. varolii, L. felis, and L. collaris. The abundance of calcareous nannofossils drops within the LDE distinctive bed. The base of Selandian Stage is here approximated at the base of Zone NP5 in concurrence with a sudden drop in the abundance of calcareous nannofossils. No considerable lithological changes are noted across this transition. The absence of subsequent occurrences of L. ulii, L. janii, L. billii, and L. stegostus suggest inconsistent lowest occurrences (Los) of these taxa, insufficient sampling resolution, and/or a hiatus. The base of Thanetian is approximated with the base of Zone NP7/8 in the topmost of Dakhla Fm. No considerable changes in calcareous nannofossil assemblages are associated in correspondence to this transition except the LO of D. mohleri, lowest continuous occurrence (LctO) of Bomolithus megastypus, and the increase in abundance of Heliolithus kleinpellii as well as a sudden drop in abundance within Zone NP7/8. The variations in calcareous nannofossil assemblages at Gebel Nezzazat suggest prevailing warm-water and oligotrophic conditions during the Paleocene and particularly along the Danian Stage that are interrupted by minor fluctuations in paleoclimatic conditions. In particular, the Danian–Selandian transition marks a decrease in warm and oligotrophic conditions that persisted along the Selandian Stage. The Selandian–Thanetian transition shows an increase of warm and oligotrophic conditions prevailed in the Thanetian record. The sudden decrease in abundance of calcareous nannofossils in both the Selandian and Thanetian is likely resulted from an increase in dissolution of carbonates rather than variations in the paleotemperature and/or paleofertility
"Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe with a view to Settlement in the United States" By M. Carey.
No full text"Reflections on the subject of Emigration from Europe with a view to Settlement in the United States: containing bried sketches of the moral and political character of those states.
By M. Carey, member of the American philosophical, and of the American Antiquarian Society, and author of The Olive Branch, Cindiciae Hibernicae, essays on banking, on political economy, and on internal improvement.
To which are now added the English editor's comments on the subject; together with Important Advice to Emigrants, and Cautions Against Impositions Practiced in the Outports
Assessment and enhancement of decision-making models used for the pre-development stages of office developments in turkey
No full textReal estate development involves many complex, dynamic, and uncertain elements. In the pre-development stage, greater uncertainties result from the fact that the space being considered has not yet been created. Considering both the inherent characteristics of the real estate and the inefficiency of the market it operates in, any aid in the investment decision process is believed to add to the quality of the end product. This being the case, most, if not all, of the development companies make office development decisions using some kind of a procedure in the pre-development stage. However low occupancy rates and long payback periods that are being faced, even by the most recently completed Class A office projects in Turkey, show that there are serious deficiencies in these applied procedures and that they lack the necessary and important components of project feasibility analysis, which are basically the market and financial feasibility analysis, that needs to be applied in the pre-development stage of the office development process. That is why this study��������s purpose is to explore and identify the deficiencies of the decision-making models currently used by Turkish real estate development companies in the pre-development stage of office development projects and to recommend necessary additions and/or deletions for the enhancement of these company models. To do so, this research involved interviews of ten office developers to identify their go/no-go decision processes in evaluating office developments in Istanbul, Turkey. The study has found that developers tend to fall under three different groups, each following different models: Group I includes exclusively construction companies, Group II includes mixed companies and Group III includes exclusively real estate investment companies. Furthermore, the research has found that similarities and differences among these three groups involve the following: While investment companies seek opportunities based on market research, decisions by construction companies are driven by the availability of land swaps. All three groups emphasize land availability and related title and land-use issues. Although unit-sale continues, there is a gradual shift to income property with the aid of improvement in the financial market, which is also reflected in the decision-making models being used
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
No full textWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Dr. Glendon Swarthout
No full textHosted by Roger M. Busfield, MSU Assistant Professor of Speech and Theater, Meet the Author is designed to introduce a general audience to a contemporary author and their work through in-depth interviews. This episode features a conversation between Dr. Glendon Swarthout, prolific author and English professor at MSU, and assistant professors Sam S. Baskett and Theodore B. Strandness
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