This Research Communication describes an investigation of the nutritional depletion of total mixed rations (TMR) by pest birds. We hypothesized that species-specific bird depredation of TMR can alter the nutritional composition of the ration and that these changes can negatively impact the performance of dairy cows. Blackbirds selected the high energy fraction of the TMR (i.e., flaked corn) and reduced starch, crude fat and total digestible nutrients during controlled feeding experiments. For Holsteins producing 37·1 kg of milk/d, dairy production modeling illustrated that total required net energy intake (NEI) was 35·8 Mcal/d. For the reference TMR unexposed to blackbirds and the blackbird-consumed TMR, NEI supplied was 41·2 and 37·8 Mcal/d, and the resulting energy balance was 5·4 and 2·0 Mcal/d, respectively. Thus, Holsteins fed the reference and blackbird-consumed TMR were estimated to gain one body condition score in 96 and 254 d, and experience daily weight change due to reserves of 1·1 and 0·4 kg/d, respectively. We discuss these results in context of an integrated pest management program for mitigating the depredation caused by pest birds at commercial dairies.

We carried out a spectroscopic and photometric study of the 8 presently known B[e] -stars of the Magellanic Clouds (MC), i. e. R4 and R50 of the SMC, R66, R82, R126, Hen S12, Hen S22 and Hen S134 of the LMC. These stars are characterized by the following typical properties: a) strong Balmer emission lines, frequently with P Cygni profiles, b) permitted and forbidden emission lines predominantly of Fe II, [Fe II], [O I] etc., c) strong IR excess due to circumstellar dust. Photospheric absorption lines are usually weak or even not detectable.

We present coordinated spectroscopic and photometric observations obtained during the present bright phase of the luminous variable star S Dor in the LMC. High resolution spectrograms in the satellite UV and in the visual range were obtained with IUE and with CASPEC (attached to the ESO 3.6-m telescope), respectively. Moreover, photometric UBVRIJHKL observations were carried out.

We present an atlas of high dispersion spectra of 24 of the brightest peculiar emission-line stars of the Magellanic Clouds.

Our spectra cover the wavelength range from 3600 to 4900 Å. They have been obtained from 1970 to 1984 with the coudé spectrograph of the ESO 1.52 m telescope at La Silla, Chile. The spectral resolution is 0.4 Å for most of the spectra and 0.2 Å for the very brightest stars. Up to 11 spectra are available for one star. In addition, we have done UBVRIJHK(LM) photometry at several epochs of all stars of our sample.

At the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, disaster planning has been an integral part of the airport operations for the past 28 years. Through the Medical Office, emergency medical teams have been recruited from all ranks of airport personnel and trained in rescue and resuscitation. Following the crash of a commercial B 727 aircraft in 1976 and the resulting crippling traffic jams in the vicinity of the airport, a new concept was added to the disaster plan. This concept involves bringing the hospital, its facilities and its personnel to the scene.

A new piece of equipment, known as a Mobile Emergency Hospital was designed from existing airport equipment, with the cooperation of the airlines, the operating authority of the airport, and other interested parties. Two such vehicles are now in constant readiness at the airport and together provide 12 monitored ICU beds, a 16-bed burn unit, 2 operating rooms and 72 other stretcher-beds to be used for the stabilization of critically ill patients prior to their transfer to an appropriate definitive care facility. A newer modularized version which incorporates these features, for use in any type disaster, is currently being developed. These mobile hospitals, together with two inflatable structures maintained at the airport, are supplemented by Mobile Emergency Rescue Vehicles (MERV vans) maintained at local hospitals by the Emergency Medical Service Systems (EMSS) of New York City. Together they provide the on-site Resuscitation and Stabilization Center in the event of a disaster.

A multi-faceted, multi-institutional laboratory astrophysics program is carried out at the Livermore electron beam ion trap facility, which is a mature spectroscopic source with unsurpassed controls and capabilities, and an unparalleled assortment of spectroscopic equipment, including a full complement of grating and crystal spectrometers and a 6x6 micro-calorimeter array. Recent results range from the calibration of x-ray diagnostics, including the Fe XVII and Fe XXV emission lines, extensive lists of L-shell ions, the first laboratory simulation and fit of a cometary x-ray emission spectrum, and the discovery of new spectral diagnostics for measuring magnetic field strengths.

Extensive photometric UBV observations and spectroscopic high dispersion (20 Å/mm and 38 Å/mm) coudé observations of the very luminous (Mv = −8.2) B2.5 eq supergiant R81 of the LMC were carried out between 1970 and 1980 at ESO, La Silla. In addition the IUE satellite was used to obtain a high resolution (0.2 Å) spectrogram in the ultraviolet wavelength range 1200 < λ < 1950 Å. The most prominent features of the visual spectrum are P Cygni profiles of the Balmer lines, indicating a shell with an expansion velocity of about 140 km s−1. The ultraviolet spectrum of R 81 is dominated by blue-shifted absorption resonance lines (Si II, Si IV, C II, C IV, Al III etc.) and Fe III absorption lines originating from metastable lower levels. From the UV resonance lines a very high mass loss rate (M = 5 10−5 M⊙ yr−1) was estimated. The early Balmer lines show very broad shallow emission wings (total width 40 to 50 Å), attributed to electron scattering. The mass loss is highly variable and presumably occurs in the form of sudden ejections of discrete shells. Irregular brightness variations of a few tenths of a magnitude in V on timescales of weeks were found. An absolute bolometric magnitude Mbol ≈ −10 and a photospheric radius R ≈ 70 R⊙ were estimated. A comparison with theoretical evolutionary tracks indicates a stellar mass M > 50 M⊙. The observed spectroscopic properties lead us to suggest that the LMC star R 81 is a close counterpart of the galactic star P Cyg, representing a short lived transient stage in the evolution of the most massive stars.

Studies in animals and human subjects indicate that gut-derived bacterial endotoxins may play a critical role in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In the present study, we investigated if the liver is also sensitised by other microbial components during the onset of fructose-induced steatosis in a mouse model. C57BL/6 mice were either fed with 30 % fructose solution or tap water (control) with or without antibiotics for 8 weeks. Expression of toll-like receptors (TLR)1–9, TNF-α, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and number of F4/80 positive cells in the liver were assessed. Occludin protein, DNA of microbiota in the small and large intestine and retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) in plasma were analysed using Western blot, DNA fingerprinting and ELISA, respectively. F4/80 positive cells were determined by immunohistochemistry. The accumulation of TAG found in the livers of fructose-fed mice was associated with a significant induction of TLR 1–4 and 6–8. Plasma RBP4 concentration and hepatic mRNA expression levels of TNF-α, iNOS, MyD88 and number of F4/80 positive cells of fructose-fed animals were significantly higher than those of controls; however, these effects of fructose were attenuated in antibiotic-treated mice. Whereas protein concentration of occludin was lower in the duodenum of fructose-treated mice, no systematic alterations of microbiota were found in this part of the intestine. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that (1) an increased intestinal translocation of microbial components and (2) an increased number of F4/80 positive cells and induction of several TLR and dependent pathways (e.g. MyD88 and iNOS) may be involved in the onset of fructose-induced NAFLD.

Examples of the mass spectrometry of sputtered or evaporating neutral species obtained by SALI are presented for NBS Glass 610 (primarily a silicate), and an anodic oxide of HgCdTe. For the NBS glass, a SIMS spectra was recorded for comparison with SALI using the same apparatus. The raw SALI spectra of the glass is in semiquantitative accord with the known composition, in contrast to SIMS. Relative secondary ion yields can be determined for unknown complex materials by comparing SALI and SIMS spectra. Depth profiling measurements on the anodic oxides of Hg1−xCdxTe show a significant though depleted concentration of Hg in the oxide in contrast to numerous other analyses; this result is corroborated by RBS studies. Hg and also Te evaporation is monitored in real-time by SALI with large dynamic range capabilities.

A crack terminating perpendicularly at the bimaterial interface is analyzed. Stress distributions for a broad range of elastic moduli and yield strength mismatch are discussed. These results can be used to understand the effect of mechanical properties mismatch on the competition between crack deflecting into the interface and crack penetrating into the base material. The role of microdefects near the interface is explored.

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has fabricated cerium-activated lithium silicate scintillating fibers via a hot-downdraw process. These fibers, which, as produced, typically have a transmission length (e−1 length) of greater than 2 meters, are found to undergo aging when subjected to room air. The aging, which is complete in a few weeks, reduces the transmission length to the order of 0.5 meter. Because of the high alkali content of the glass (on the order of 20-30 mole % lithia), we have attributed this aging to aqueous corrosion at the polymer cladding/glass interface. Changes in transmission with chemical treatment of the surface support the corrosion model. Fiber transmission performance has been preserved by modifying the hot-downdraw to a double crucible to produce glass-on-glass waveguides.

One of the critical issues in CdZnTe detector fabrication is the surface treatment. This will not only affect the electrical properties, such as leakage current, but also influence the physical properties, such as smoothness and adhesion between the metal and the semiconductor. The latter will determine the wire bonding yield. Historically, there has been a problem in achieving both low leakage current and excellent wire bonding yield. In this paper, we report our new approach to fabricate high performance doubled sided CdZnTe strip detectors. The new surface treatments involve chemical etching and post-annealing. The leakage current, interstrip resistance and energy resolution were studied as a function of different etchants/time and post-annealing temperature. It was found that a chemical etch with bromine in ethylene glycol (Br/EG) is suitable for the double sided strip detector process. Keeping a relatively smooth surface is critical for achieving a high yield of good strips. To improve the adhesion of the metal to CdZnTe for wire bonding, the detectors were annealed from 100 to 175°C for 10 hours. It has been observed that after annealing, not only has the strip leakage current decreased, but the interstrip resistance is increased for a temperature less than 150°C.

A CdZnTe strip detector large area array (∼ 60 cm2 with 36 detectors) with capabilities for high resolution imaging and spectroscopy has been built as a prototype for a space flight gamma ray burst instrument. The detector array also has applications in nuclear medical imaging. Two dimensional orthogonal strip detectors with 100 gm pitch have been fabricated and tested. Details for the array design, fabrication and evaluation of the detectors will be presented.

In the multilayer system cobalt / copper at the second antiferromagnetic coupling maximum (2. AFM) with a copper thickness of dCu = 2,2 nm it is possible to reduce magnetoresistive hysteresis by the use of either very thin Co-layers or by alloyed magnetic layers Co1-xCux. It was possible to achieve values for the giant magnetoresistance effect of GMR ≈ 20 % for as prepared samples. A heat treatment was applied to study the degeneration of the system. For annealing at moderate temperatures (Tanneal ≤ 250°C) an increase up to GMR ≈ 25 % was observed. Annealing at slightly higher temperatures lead to an rapid decrease in the GMR effect. To study the structural changes the method of x-ray reflectivity was utilized showing changes in interface roughness as well as in bilayer thickness.