Due to worldwide restrictions on polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), the demand for alternative flame retardants (AFRs), such as organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), novel brominated FRs (NBFRs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs), has recently increased. Little is known about human exposure to NBFRs and OPFRs and that their levels in dust have been scarcely evaluated worldwide. To inc...

BACKGROUND Many decompression procedures involve complete or partial facetectomy. Spinal fusion usually stabilizes the motion segment after complete facetectomies. However, problems with fusion, such as adjacent-level degeneration, have increased interest in motion- preservation technologies. Facet arthroplasty may become an important posterior motion-preservation device, but its biomechanical ...

Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) can operate on a blend of ethanol and gasoline in any volumetric concentration of up to 85% ethanol (93% in Brazil). Existing FFVs rely on ethanol sensor installed in the vehicle fueling system, or on the ethanoldependent air-to-fuel ratio (AFR) estimated via an exhaust gas oxygen (EGO) or λ sensor. The EGO-based ethanol detection is desirable from cost and mainten...

Exogenous applications of brassinolide (BL) increased the number and quality of microspore-derived embryos (MDEs) whereas treatments with brassinazole (BrZ), a BL biosynthetic inhibitor, had the opposite effect. At the optimal concentration (4x10(-6) M) BrZ decreased both embryo yield and conversion to less than half the value of control embryos. Metabolic studies revealed that BL levels had pr...

A zero dimensional, mean-value, control-oriented model for recompression homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion with two discrete states representing temperature and composition dynamics is presented. This model captures steady state magnitudes and trends in combustion phasing, residual gas fraction, and mass flows caused by sweeps in valve timings, fueling rate, and fuel inj...

Peach production in the U.S. relies on standard size trees on vigorous, seedling rootstocks grown at low-densities (≤ 297 trees/ha). Production per hectare is low. Peach tree growth habits, such as pillar (P) (columnar canopy shape) and upright (U), can be planted in high-density systems with the potential for increased production per hectare. Pillar and upright, advanced breeding selections, a...

Throughout the history of the automobile there have been periods of intense interest in using ethanol as an alternative fuel to petroleum-based gasoline and diesel derivatives. Currently available flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) can operate on a blend of gasoline and ethanol in any concentration of up to 85% ethanol. In all these FFVs, the engine management system relies on the estimation of the ...