Missouri University of Science and Technology

About: Missouri University of Science and Technology is a education organization based out in Rolla, Missouri, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Artificial neural network & Control theory. The organization has 9380 authors who have published 21161 publications receiving 462544 citations. The organization is also known as: Missouri S&T & University of Missouri–Rolla.

Contextual associations in trace conditioning

Abstract: Rats were given tone-footshock pairings with a 0-, 10-, or 30-sec trace interval between tone offset and shock onset. Half the rats within each trace interval were tested for their conditioned fear of the tone through a lick suppression procedure; the remaining rats were evaluated for their fear of the background or contextual cues through their avoidance of the compartment in which conditioning had occurred. Less conditioning was observed to the tone with increasing trace intervals. However, conditioned fear of the context increased with increases in the trace duration. The ability of the more predictive stimulus, the tone, to overshadow the contextual cues was determined by the tone’s temporal contiguity with the footshock. The need to incorporate temporal parameters within current theories of conditioning is discussed.

A comparative analysis of integrating lean concepts into supply chain management in manufacturing and service industries

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to present an analysis of the effectiveness of lean techniques and their applications in the supply chain using a survey administered across multiple industries. The objective of this research is to assess the performance of lean based on the specific techniques and implementation methods used, analyze strategies for implementing lean into the supply chain, and to analyze the reasons for both their success or failure.Design/methodology/approach – Through a survey administered across multiple industries to individuals familiar with lean concepts and techniques, lean performance is assessed both within the organization and their supply chain based on the specific techniques and strategies for implementation.Findings – Organizations indicated that training their suppliers in lean methodologies provided significant time and financial benefits.Research limitations/implications – Some implications for deploying lean in the supply chain in a variety of industries are discussed. A more e...

Surface and Internal Crystallization in Glasses as Determined by Differential Thermal Analysis

Abstract: A differential thermal analysis (DTA) method has been developed that identifies and distinguishes surface and internal (volume) crystallization in glasses. This method is fast, convenient, and requires only a small quantity of sample, ∼500 mg, to identify the dominant crystallization, surface versus internal, in the glass. In this method, either the maximum height of the DTA crystallization peak, (δT”)p, or the ratio T2p/(ΔT)p, where Tp is the temperature at (δT)p and (ΔT)p the peak half width, is plotted as a function of particle size. The composition of the glasses that have been investigated in the present work include (in mol%) 33.3BaO 66.7SiO2 (BS2), 20Na2O-80TeO2 (NT4), 22.2PbOll.lNb2O5 66.7TeO2 (PNT), 66.7PbO10.0Bi2O3-23.3Ga2O3 (PBG), and xLi2O(100 - x)SiO2 (lithium silicate, x = 33.3, 35, 37, and 40 mol%). Both (δT)p and T2p/(ΔT)p decrease with increasing particle size when surface crystallization is the dominant mechanism and increase when internal crystallization becomes predominant. The surface and internal crystallization have been identified by crystallizing the glasses at temperatures, as determined by DTA, and then examining the microstructure by scanning electron microscopy. The temperature at the crystallization peak maximum, Tp, shows no dependence on the crystallization mechanism (surface versus internal) and increases with increasing particle size for all the preceding glasses.

Quantitative Determination of Sarcosine and Related Compounds in Urinary Samples by Liquid Chromatography with Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Abstract: The current prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis, based on the blood prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level measurement, is not a precise science. The widely used PSA biomarker for PCa has poor sensitivity and specificity and often leads to false-negative and false-positive test results. Recently, sarcosine, proline, kynurenine, uracil, and glycerol 3-phosphate were found in higher concentrations in metastatic prostate cancer urine samples. By measuring all five of these metabolites, doctors may be better able to diagnose prostate cancer with high accuracy. However, there is no method reported for simultaneous detection of these compounds in urine samples. In this study, a novel method was developed to separate and quantify six urinary metabolites including creatinine in urine samples by using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Chromatographic separations of the analytes were carried out using a phenyl-hexyl column with 0.1% formic acid in water and acetonitrile, respectively, under a gradient program. The six metabolites were detected in the multiple reaction monitoring modes with the ESI-positive mode. The linear range of the analytes was from 0.003 to 40 μmol/L. The limit of detection was from 0.05 to 4 nmol/L, and the limit of quantification ranged from 3 to 20 nmol/L. The factors affecting the separation and quantification of the six metabolites, such as mobile-phase and MS conditions, were also investigated. The technique developed in this study is simple, fast, sensitive, and selective. It can be used for quantifying these six metabolites in urine samples for potential early cancer screening.

Characteristics of silty laminae in Zhangjiatan Shale of southeastern Ordos Basin, China: Implications for shale gas formation

Abstract: Shale oil and gas have been discovered in the lacustrine organic-rich Zhangjiatan Shale of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China. Core observations indicate abundant silty laminae in the producing shales. This study documents the stratigraphic distribution of silty laminae and their relationship with interlaminated clay laminae. The type, structure, and characteristics of pores and mineral composition of silty laminae were observed and analyzed through thin section and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, low-pressure ![Formula][1] and ![Formula][2] adsorption, mercury porosimetry, and helium pycnometry. Results from silty laminae are compared with those of clayey laminae. The frequency and thickness of silty laminae vary over a wide range. The thickness ranges from 0.2 to 4 mm and is 1.5 mm on average; the frequency ranges from 4 to 32 laminae/m and is 23 laminae/m on average. The thickness percentage of silty laminae in the measured segments ranges from 6% to 17%. Silty laminae consist of quartz, feldspar, mixed-layer montmorillonite, and chlorite. In comparison to clayey laminae, non-clay detrital grains are larger, quartz and feldspar are more common, and clay minerals are less abundant. Pores in silty laminae are primary interparticle, dissolutional, intercrystalline, and microfracture types. Mesopores (2–50 nm in diameter) and macropores (50 nm–1 μm) are common, whereas, micropores ![Formula][3] are rare; the distribution of pore diameters is multimodal. However, microscopic pores with a diameter commonly smaller than 100 nm are common in clayey laminae. Thus, pore volume and surface area of micropores in silty laminae are less than those in the adjacent clayey laminae, and vice versa for meso- and macropores. The porosity of shales increases with the proportion of silty laminae in the shales. The silty laminae provide the storage space and flow conduit for oil and gas, and they play a significant role in the migration, accumulation, occurrence, and amount of gas in the shales. [1]: /embed/mml-math-1.gif [2]: /embed/mml-math-2.gif [3]: /embed/mml-math-3.gif