Birth importance function

The birth importance function, Q (x), is the ultimate increase in the total rate of birth of neutrons in the critical reactor owing to one neutron born at x. It is directly proportional to the source importance function. That is. 

The equation Robkin and Clark (Jd) use as the adjoint to Eq. (61) differs from our Eq. (62) their birth-rate adjoint equation is our Eq. (53). It is inconsistent with the physical interpretation of importance functions presented in Section IV, C. 

We shall restrict the comparison to the flux and birth-rate density formulations of integral transport theory and to two sets of distribution functions one consists of the flux and source importance function, and the other set consists of the solutions of the transport equations in the formulation under consideration. 

Wool fibers are sheep hairs that grow from cavities (follicles) extended from the surface of the sheep skin through the epidermis into the dermis (Figure 10.6). One of the most important functions of the hair follicle is to produce a hair shaft, i.e., the fiber. Follicle formation occurs only once in a sheep s lifetime. At birth, the entire follicle population is initiated and normally does not change thereafter. 

In contemporary societies replete with various industries and automobiles, NO (NO, N02, and N03) has been recognized to be one of the important factors responsible for air pollution. Only two decades ago, NO was found to be an essential molecule that regulates cellular/molecular functions in mammals. NO is also enzymatically synthesized in nonmammals, invertebrates, and yeasts. Therefore, the origin of NO may date back to the birth of life arising from single cell organisms living around 3-billion years ago. 

Depending on the strength and type of interaction between the dendrimer and the surface, they can flatten out almost completely. Although the unique spherical shape of the dendrimer is very often lost in self-assembled films, other specific properties such as multifunctionality, porosity etc. are retained. This important feature has led to the birth of a new and exciting area of research functional dendritic surfaces, which will be discussed in the next section. 

Hormones regulate many important bodily functions and are also associated with cancer. One of the first hints of the relationship of hormones to cancers was the observation that nuns had a greater incidence of breast cancer. This was naturally related to the nuns not having children and now we know that breast cancer may be hormone related. Since then there have been numerous studies on the use of birth control with cancer, childbirth, and most recently hormone replacement association with cancer. In males there is ongoing study of the hormones and prostate cancer. While it is clear that hormones and cancer are related, the exact characterization of this relationship is still unclear. 

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