Survival and Growth of Cottonwood Clones After Angle Planting and Base Angle Treatments

Science.gov (United States)

W.K. Randall; Harvey E. Kennedy

1976-01-01

Presently, commercial cottonwood plantations in the lower Mississippi Valley are established using vertically planted, unrooted cuttings with a flat (90°) base. Neither survival nor first-year growth of a group of six Stoneville clones was improved by angle planting or cutting base angles diagonally. For one clone, survival was significantly better when base angle was...

A Low Cost Concept for Data Acquisition Systems Applied to Decentralized Renewable Energy Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fábio T. Brito

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper describes experiences of the use of monitoring and data acquisition systems (DAS and proposes a new concept of a low cost DAS applied to decentralized renewable energy (RE plants with an USB interface. The use of such systems contributes to disseminate these plants, recognizing in real time local energy resources, monitoring energy conversion efficiency and sending information concerning failures. These aspects are important, mainly for developing countries, where decentralized power plants based on renewable sources are in some cases the best option for supplying electricity to rural areas. Nevertheless, the cost of commercial DAS is still a barrier for a greater dissemination of such systems in developing countries. The proposed USB based DAS presents a new dual clock operation philosophy, in which the acquisition system contains two clock sources for parallel information processing from different communication protocols. To ensure the low cost of the DAS and to promote the dissemination of this technology in developing countries, the proposed data acquisition firmware and the software for USB microcontrollers programming is a free and open source software, executable in the Linux and Windows® operating systems.

The Green Roof Microbiome: Improving Plant Survival for Ecosystem Service Delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta Fulthorpe

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Plants are key contributors to ecosystem services delivered by green roofs in cities including stormwater capture, temperature regulation, and wildlife habitat. As a result, current research has primarily focused on their growth in relationship to extensive green roof (e.g., substrates <15 cm depth ecosystem services. Green roofs are exposed to a variety of harsh abiotic factors such as intense solar radiation, wind, and isolation from ground-level habitats, making survival exceedingly difficult. Plants in natural habitats benefit from a variety of interactions with fungi and bacteria. These plant-microbial interactions improve mechanisms of survival and productivity; however, many green roof substrates are sterilized prior to installation and lack microbial communities with unstudied consequences for green roof plant health and subsequent survival and performance. In this paper, we present six hypotheses on the positive role of microbes in green roof applications. In natural and experimental systems, microbial interactions have been linked to plant (1 drought tolerance, (2 pathogen protection, (3 nutrient availability, (4 salt tolerance, (5 phytohormone production, and (6 substrate stabilization, all of which are desirable properties of green roof ecosystems. As few studies exist that directly examine these relationships on green roofs, we explore the existing ecological literature on these topics to unravel the mechanisms that could support more complex green roof ecosystem and lead to new insight into the design, performance, and broader applications in green infrastructure.

Nutrition acquisition strategies during fungal infection of plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Divon, Hege H; Fluhr, Robert

2007-01-01

In host-pathogen interactions, efficient pathogen nutrition is a prerequisite for successful colonization and fungal fitness. Filamentous fungi have a remarkable capability to adapt and exploit the external nutrient environment. For phytopathogenic fungi, this asset has developed within the context of host physiology and metabolism. The understanding of nutrient acquisition and pathogen primary metabolism is of great importance in the development of novel disease control strategies. In this review, we discuss the current knowledge on how plant nutrient supplies are utilized by phytopathogenic fungi, and how these activities are controlled. The generation and use of auxotrophic mutants have been elemental to the determination of essential and nonessential nutrient compounds from the plant. Considerable evidence indicates that pathogen entrainment of host metabolism is a widespread phenomenon and can be accomplished by rerouting of the plant's responses. Crucial fungal signalling components for nutrient-sensing pathways as well as their developmental dependency have now been identified, and were shown to operate in a coordinate cross-talk fashion that ensures proper nutrition-related behaviour during the infection process.

Integrated approach to knowledge acquisition and safety management of complex plants with emphasis on human factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosmowski, K.T.

1998-01-01

In this paper an integrated approach to the knowledge acquisition and safety management of complex industrial plants is proposed and outlined. The plant is considered within a man-technology-environment (MTE) system. The knowledge acquisition is aimed at the consequent reliability evaluation of human factor and probabilistic modeling of the plant. Properly structured initial knowledge is updated in life-time of the plant. The data and knowledge concerning the topology of safety related systems and their functions are created in a graphical CAD system and are object oriented. Safety oriented monitoring of the plant includes abnormal situations due to external and internal disturbances, failures of hard/software components and failures of human factor. The operation and safety related evidence is accumulated in special data bases. Data/knowledge bases are designed in such a way to support effectively the reliability and safety management of the plant. (author)

Plant circadian clocks increase photosynthesis, growth, survival, and competitive advantage.

Science.gov (United States)

Dodd, Antony N; Salathia, Neeraj; Hall, Anthony; Kévei, Eva; Tóth, Réka; Nagy, Ferenc; Hibberd, Julian M; Millar, Andrew J; Webb, Alex A R

2005-07-22

Circadian clocks are believed to confer an advantage to plants, but the nature of that advantage has been unknown. We show that a substantial photosynthetic advantage is conferred by correct matching of the circadian clock period with that of the external light-dark cycle. In wild type and in long- and short-circadian period mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana, plants with a clock period matched to the environment contain more chlorophyll, fix more carbon, grow faster, and survive better than plants with circadian periods differing from their environment. This explains why plants gain advantage from circadian control.

Shoot to root communication is necessary to control the expression of iron-acquisition genes in Strategy I plants.

Science.gov (United States)

García, María J; Romera, Francisco J; Stacey, Minviluz G; Stacey, Gary; Villar, Eduardo; Alcántara, Esteban; Pérez-Vicente, Rafael

2013-01-01

Previous research showed that auxin, ethylene, and nitric oxide (NO) can activate the expression of iron (Fe)-acquisition genes in the roots of Strategy I plants grown with low levels of Fe, but not in plants grown with high levels of Fe. However, it is still an open question as to how Fe acts as an inhibitor and which pool of Fe (e.g., root, phloem, etc.) in the plant acts as the key regulator for gene expression control. To further clarify this, we studied the effect of the foliar application of Fe on the expression of Fe-acquisition genes in several Strategy I plants, including wild-type cultivars of Arabidopsis [Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh], pea [Pisum sativum L.], tomato [Solanum lycopersicon Mill.], and cucumber [Cucumis sativus L.], as well as mutants showing constitutive expression of Fe-acquisition genes when grown under Fe-sufficient conditions [Arabidopsis opt3-2 and frd3-3, pea dgl and brz, and tomato chln (chloronerva)]. The results showed that the foliar application of Fe blocked the expression of Fe-acquisition genes in the wild-type cultivars and in the frd3-3, brz, and chln mutants, but not in the opt3-2 and dgl mutants, probably affected in the transport of a Fe-related repressive signal in the phloem. Moreover, the addition of either ACC (ethylene precursor) or GSNO (NO donor) to Fe-deficient plants up-regulated the expression of Fe-acquisition genes, but this effect did not occur in Fe-deficient plants sprayed with foliar Fe, again suggesting the existence of a Fe-related repressive signal moving from leaves to roots.

Survival of Colletotrichum acutatum in plant residue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parikka, Päivi; Lemmetty, A.; Sundelin, Thomas

2016-01-01

started in Finland in October 2008, in Norway and Denmark in October 2009, and lasted for three years. Artificially infected strawberry plant parts were placed on the soil surface and at 7-9 cm depth, and survival of the material was checked during the trial years in spring and autumn, using bait tests...

Water chemistry data acquisition, processing, evaluation and diagnostic systems in Light Water Reactors: Future improvement of plant reliability and safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchida, S.; Takiguchi, H.; Ishigure, K.

2006-01-01

Data acquisition, processing and evaluation systems have been applied in major Japanese PWRs and BWRs to provide (1) reliable and quick data acquisition with manpower savings in plant chemical laboratories and (2) smooth and reliable information transfer among chemists, plant operators, and supervisors. Data acquisition systems in plants consist of automatic and semi-automatic instruments for chemical analyses, e. g., X-ray fluorescence analysis and ion chromatography, while data processing systems consist of PC base-sub-systems, e.g., data storage, reliability evaluation, clear display, and document preparation for understanding the plant own water chemistry trends. Precise and reliable evaluations of water chemistry data are required in order to improve plant reliability and safety. For this, quality assurance of the water chemistry data acquisition system is needed. At the same time, theoretical models are being applied to bridge the gaps between measured water chemistry data and the information desired to understand the interaction of materials and cooling water in plants. Major models which have already been applied for plant evaluation are: (1) water radiolysis models for BWRs and PWRs; (2) crevice radiolysis model for SCC in BWRs; and (3) crevice pH model for SG tubing in PWRs. High temperature water chemistry sensors and automatic plant diagnostic systems have been applied in only restricted areas. ECP sensors are gaining popularity as tools to determine the effects of hydrogen injection in BWR systems. Automatic plant diagnostic systems based on artificial intelligence will be more popular after having sufficient experience with off line diagnostic systems. (author)

Business planning for license renewal and plant acquisitions. Panel Discussion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinn, Edward L.; Grimes, Chris; Walters, Doug; Doroshuk, Barth; Gasper, Joe; Salmon, Harry; Bier, Vicki M.; Hagen, Ronald; Richardson, Charles J.

2001-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Subsequent to Calvert Cliffs and Oconee license renewals in 2000, many plants have not applied for license renewal. Industry is moving to standardize and streamline the process to make it as efficient and effective as possible. At the same time, it is focusing on business practices and competitiveness of nuclear plants in the long-term market-both under regulated and deregulated state formats. In addition, new acquisitions and consolidation in the nuclear market have created several large owner-operators that have specialized business needs. Speakers with experience in the foregoing facets have been selected from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and utilities to address the business challenges facing them now and in the future. (authors)

A Comparison of Growth and Survival of Aquacultured Juvenile Florida Pompano fed Fishmeal and Plant-Based Diets

Science.gov (United States)

Budden, D.

2016-02-01

We investigated the growth and survival of aquacultured juvenile Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) fed two different diets. Pompano (initial weight 7.7 g /fish) were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments: Zeigler pellets (fishmeal; 35% protein, 5% lipid) and a plant-based Repashy Soilent Green algae gel (plant-based; 35% protein, 6% lipid). Fish were fed rations of 5% body weight twice daily for eight weeks. Despite nearly equivalent proximate compositions for the two feeds, survival rates were significantly affected by diet. All fish fed the Zeigler diet survived; however, mortality was observed in 92% of the fish fed the Repashy diet. At the end of the trial, mean weight gain of surviving pompano was highest in fish fed Zeigler pellets. Mean specific growth rate (SGR) for fish fed the Zeigler diet (0.24% per day) was higher than for fish fed Repashy (-2.44%).While plant-based feeds have been successfully used with the species, these results suggest that the plant-based Repashy diet is not suitable for survival or growth of aquacultured Florida pompano.

Survival and growth of restored Piedmont riparian forests as affected by site preparation, planting stock, and planting aids

Science.gov (United States)

Chelsea M. Curtis; W. Michael Aust; John R. Seiler; Brian D. Strahm

2015-01-01

Forest mitigation sites may have poor survival and growth of planted trees due to poor drainage, compacted soils, and lack of microtopography. The effects of five replications of five forestry mechanical site preparation techniques (Flat, Rip, Bed, Pit, and Mound), four regeneration sources (Direct seed, Bare root, Tubelings, and Gallon), and three planting aids (None...

Work of plant data acquisition system for 'MONJU'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, Daisuke; Komatsu, Keiichi; Eguchi, Kenji; Morizono, Koji

2007-01-01

The fast breeder reactor 'MONJU' (hereafter 'MONJU') is equipped with the system called 'MONJU Integrated Data Acquisition System (MIDAS)' to effectively acquire, accumulate and analyze relevant real-plant process data gathered from the system start-up test. At present, 'MONJU' has been suspended due to a sodium leak accident that occurred in 1995. However, the main part of remodeling construction to prevent sodium leaks was completed in May, 2007 and 'MONJU' is highly expected to resume its operations, stepping into the practical testing phase. In this situation, 'MIDAS' has been replaced with an upgraded version before the system start-up test was resumed. This paper describes overview of the new 'MIDAS' system. (author)

The influence of cultural treatments of the long-term survival and growth of planted Quercus rubra

Science.gov (United States)

James J. Zaczek; Kim C. Steiner

2011-01-01

A northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) plantation testing 20 nursery stock and planting methods was used to evaluate treatments 3, 6, 10, and 17 years after planting. Survival over all treatments was 92 percent at age 3 and declined to 74 percent, 56 percent, and 39 percent at ages 6, 10, and 17, respectively. At age 17, survival was highest for...

O antigen modulates insect vector acquisition of the bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Rapicavoli, Jeannette N; Kinsinger, Nichola; Perring, Thomas M; Backus, Elaine A; Shugart, Holly J; Walker, Sharon; Roper, M Caroline

2015-12-01

Hemipteran insect vectors transmit the majority of plant pathogens. Acquisition of pathogenic bacteria by these piercing/sucking insects requires intimate associations between the bacterial cells and insect surfaces. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the predominant macromolecule displayed on the cell surface of Gram-negative bacteria and thus mediates bacterial interactions with the environment and potential hosts. We hypothesized that bacterial cell surface properties mediated by LPS would be important in modulating vector-pathogen interactions required for acquisition of the bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa, the causative agent of Pierce's disease of grapevines. Utilizing a mutant that produces truncated O antigen (the terminal portion of the LPS molecule), we present results that link this LPS structural alteration to a significant decrease in the attachment of X. fastidiosa to blue-green sharpshooter foreguts. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that this defect in initial attachment compromised subsequent biofilm formation within vector foreguts, thus impairing pathogen acquisition. We also establish a relationship between O antigen truncation and significant changes in the physiochemical properties of the cell, which in turn affect the dynamics of X. fastidiosa adhesion to the vector foregut. Lastly, we couple measurements of the physiochemical properties of the cell with hydrodynamic fluid shear rates to produce a Comsol model that predicts primary areas of bacterial colonization within blue-green sharpshooter foreguts, and we present experimental data that support the model. These results demonstrate that, in addition to reported protein adhesin-ligand interactions, O antigen is crucial for vector-pathogen interactions, specifically in the acquisition of this destructive agricultural pathogen. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Feeding and survival of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae on plants growing in Kenia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Impoinvil, D.E.; Kongere, J.O.; Foster, W.A.; Njiru, B.N.; Killeen, G.F.; Githure, J.I.; Beier, J.C.; Hassanali, A.; Knols, B.G.J.

2004-01-01

The propensity of the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles gambiae Giles (Diptera: Culicidae) to ingest sugars from various plants, and subsequent survival rates, were assessed with laboratory-reared males and females offered eight species of plants commonly cultivated and/or growing wild in western

Can environmental variation affect seedling survival of plants in northeastern Mexico?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

García Jaime F.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of global warming increase the frequency and intensity of many climate events such as rainfall. We evaluated the effects of environmental conditions on early stage seedling survival of the native thorn scrub species Caesalpinia mexicana A. Gray, Celtis pallida Torr., Cordia boissieri A. DC., and Ebenopsis ebano (Berland. Barneby and J.W. Grimes, during the summer of 2009 and 2010. The experimental design had two factors, two levels of rainfall and three microhabitats of thorn scrub: (i open interspace, (ii thorn scrub edge and (iii under the canopy of dense thorn scrub. In dense thorn scrub, seedling survival was higher for Caesalpinia mexicana and Celtis pallida, and for Cordia boissieri and Ebenopsis ebano seedling survival was higher in dense thorn scrub and thorn scrub edge. The effect of rainfall on seedling survival depended on the year. Rainfall in 2010 and dense thorn scrub increased seedling survival of native species. For survival, the limiting factors of microhabitats appear to change across the years. Besides rainfall events, biological aspects like competition and mycorrhiza effects would need to be considered in models of plant establishment.

Germination, survival and growth of three vascular plants on biological soil crusts from a Mexican tropical desert.

Science.gov (United States)

Godínez-Alvarez, H; Morín, C; Rivera-Aguilar, V

2012-01-01

Information about the effects of biological soil crusts (BSC) on germination, seedling survival and growth of vascular plants is controversial because they can have positive, neutral or negative effects. This controversy may be because most studies conducted until now have just analysed one or two recruitment stages independently. To understand the BSC effects on vascular plants, it is necessary to consider each stage of the recruitment process and synthesise all this information. The goal of this study was twofold. First, we analyse germination, seedling survival and growth of three vascular plants (Agave marmorata, Prosopis laevigata and Neobuxbaumia tetetzo) on BSC (cyanobacteria and mixed crust) from a tropical desert region of south-central México. Second, we synthesise the information to determine the total effect of BSC on plant species performance. We conducted experiments under controlled conditions to evaluate the proportion of germinated seeds, proportion of surviving seedlings and seedling dry weight in BSC and bare soil. Results showed that BSC have different effects on germination, seedling survival and growth of plant species. Plant species performance was qualitatively higher on BSC than bare soil. The highest performance of A. marmorata and P. laevigata was observed on cyanobacteria and mixed crusts, respectively. The highest performance of N. tetetzo was on both crust types. © 2011 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Upgrading to lead firm position via international acquisition: learning from the global biomass power plant industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ulrich Elmer; Fold, Niels; Hansen, Teis

2016-01-01

This article examines the case of a Chinese firm that has upgraded to lead firm position in the global biomass power plant industry mainly through acquisitions of technological frontier firms in Denmark. Sustaining the lead firm position was, however, challenged by difficulties in developing...... innovative capability. Drawing on the literature on (i) firm-level technological capability and (ii) knowledge transfer in international acquisitions, we explain the reasons for insufficient innovative capability building. Based on these empirical findings, we suggest maintaining the existing upgrading...

Plants modify biological processes to ensure survival following carbon depletion: a Lolium perenne model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia M Lee

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Plants, due to their immobility, have evolved mechanisms allowing them to adapt to multiple environmental and management conditions. Short-term undesirable conditions (e.g. moisture deficit, cold temperatures generally reduce photosynthetic carbon supply while increasing soluble carbohydrate accumulation. It is not known, however, what strategies plants may use in the long-term to adapt to situations resulting in net carbon depletion (i.e. reduced photosynthetic carbon supply and carbohydrate accumulation. In addition, many transcriptomic experiments have typically been undertaken under laboratory conditions; therefore, long-term acclimation strategies that plants use in natural environments are not well understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. was used as a model plant to define whether plants adapt to repetitive carbon depletion and to further elucidate their long-term acclimation mechanisms. Transcriptome changes in both lamina and stubble tissues of field-grown plants with depleted carbon reserves were characterised using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR. The RT-qPCR data for select key genes indicated that plants reduced fructan degradation, and increased photosynthesis and fructan synthesis capacities following carbon depletion. This acclimatory response was not sufficient to prevent a reduction (P<0.001 in net biomass accumulation, but ensured that the plant survived. CONCLUSIONS: Adaptations of plants with depleted carbon reserves resulted in reduced post-defoliation carbon mobilization and earlier replenishment of carbon reserves, thereby ensuring survival and continued growth. These findings will help pave the way to improve plant biomass production, for either grazing livestock or biofuel purposes.

Early survival and growth of planted Douglas-fir with red alder in four mixed regimes.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall D. Murray; Richard E. Miller

1986-01-01

To quantify between-species interactions, we measured and compared survival and growth of planted Douglas-fir and associated planted and volunteer red alder at a location on the west side of the Cascade Range in Washington. The planted alder were wildlings dug either from a nearby area or from a distant, coastal site and interplanted into a 3-year-old Douglas-fir...

The reliability data acquisition system in PWR nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lienart, P.

1984-01-01

In April 1978, Electricite de France put a reliability data acquisition system (SRDF) into operation at its two nuclear power plant sites: Fessenheim and Bugey. In the light of the experience acquired and the advantages offered by such a data bank, this system has been progressively extended since 1982 to cover the entire PWR network. The SRDF was originally designed for the follow-up of 4000 items of equipment per pair of units. However, the various difficulties encountered in gathering data made it necessary - in order to safeguard the quality of the information - to reduce this number initially to 800 major mechanical or electromechanical items of equipment designed to ensure the safety or availability of the units. Subsequently, an increase to 1100 was possible. The SRDF consists of a centralized information bank linked by telephone to the various nuclear sites. The software enables the data-acquisition cards to be introduced, modified or deleted. Any user can gain access to the bank by simply making queries in real time. The quality of the acquisition and processing of the data depend on a list of equipment confined to essential operational systems and on a card design combining, as far as possible, the precision and accessibility of the data. A method of logical failure analysis has also been devised, its main purposes being to provide the following: (1) aid to card instruction; (2) an easier way of checking the uniformity of information concerning a failure; and (3) compatibility between the instructions and analysis of data, thereby facilitating development of the data-processing program. (author)

Plant survival in a changing environment: the role of nitric oxide in plant responses to abiotic stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela eSimontacchi

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Nitric oxide in plants may originate endogenously or come from surrounding atmosphere and soil. Interestingly, this gaseous free radical is far from having a constant level and varies greatly among tissues depending on a given plant´s ontogeny and environmental fluctuations.Proper plant growth, vegetative development, and reproduction require the integration of plant hormonal activity with the antioxidant network, as well as the maintenance of concentration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species within a narrow range. Plants are frequently faced with abiotic stress conditions such as low nutrient availability, salinity, drought, high ultraviolet (UV radiation and extreme temperatures, which can influence developmental processes and lead to growth restriction making adaptive responses the plant´s priority. The ability of plants to respond and survive under environmental-stress conditions involves sensing and signalling events where nitric oxide becomes a critical component mediating hormonal actions, interacting with reactive oxygen species, and modulating gene expression and protein activity. This review focuses on the current knowledge of the role of nitric oxide in adaptive plant responses to some specific abiotic stress conditions, particularly low mineral nutrient supply, drought, salinity and high UV-B radiation.

SURVIVAL AND VEGETATIVE VIGOR OF Ilex paraguariensis A. St.- Hil. PLANTS GRAFTED DIRECTLY IN THE FIELD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danilo Martin Domingos

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The present work aimed to evaluate the survival and the vegetative vigor of adult selected genetic material of Ilex paraguariensis A.St.- Hil. grafted directly in the field. The grafting was accomplished in approximately 3 year-old understocks, and the material collected was close to the base of two selected trees with around 70 years old. The grafting method used was the top cleft, in which 48 plants were grafted with material of each one of the two plus trees. The survival data were obtained at 60 and 90 days after the grafting, and of growth (amount and total length of sprouts at 90 and 120 days after the grafting. It could be concluded that: there was a decrease in the survival of the grafts in function of the number of days after the grafting; the used plus trees presented different behaviors in the survival percentage; the surviving grafts plants demonstrated a good growth vigor. It is presupposed that the low percentile of success (about of 40% is linked to the high physiologic age of the plus trees, besides less favorable environmental conditions when compared with the grafting in the nursery.

Early growth and survival of Acacia galpinii after planting in a semi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Foliage transparency was in excess of 80% for all age groups while crown dieback and stem damage was below 5%. A. galpinii was found to be suitable for dry-zone afforestation. Key Words: Indigenous tree planting; Acacia galpinii; Growth rate; Survival rate; Tree health. Southern African Forestry Journal Issue 202 2004: ...

Campylobacter jejuni survival in a poultry processing plant environment.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Sánchez, Lourdes; Melero, Beatriz; Jaime, Isabel; Hänninen, Marja-Liisa; Rossi, Mirko; Rovira, Jordi

2017-08-01

Campylobacteriosis is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Consumption of poultry, especially chicken's meat is considered the most common route for human infection. The aim of this study was to determine if Campylobacter spp. might persist in the poultry plant environment before and after cleaning and disinfection procedures and the distribution and their genetic relatedness. During one month from a poultry plant were analyzed a total of 494 samples -defeathering machine, evisceration machine, floor, sink, conveyor belt, shackles and broiler meat- in order to isolate C. jejuni and C. coli. Results showed that C. jejuni and C. coli prevalence was 94.5% and 5.5% respectively. Different typing techniques as PFGE, MLST established seven C. jejuni genotypes. Whole genome MLST strongly suggest that highly clonal populations of C. jejuni can survive in adverse environmental conditions, even after cleaning and disinfection, and persist for longer periods than previous thought (at least 21 days) in the poultry plant environment. Even so, it might act as a source of contamination independently of the contamination level of the flock entering the slaughter line. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of flowering plant species in the survival of blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae along the lower Orange River, South Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Myburgh

2001-07-01

Full Text Available This study is an investigation of the role that plants play in the survival of adult blackflies by providing shelter and carbohydrate food. A detailed phenological study of the 29 most abundant plant species in the Augrabies Falls National Park showed that throughout the year the percentage of plant species flowering was remarkably constant. It is therefore unlikely that the availability of carbohydrates would limit adult Simulium survival at any time of the year. Blackflies were recorded feeding on the flowers of Pappea capensis. Acacia karroo, A. mellifera, Tamarix usneoides, Ziziphus mucronata, Scholia afra and Sisyndite spartea. An additional survey showed that another 64 plant species flowered throughout the year, and these can be regarded as potential carbohydrate sources. Blackflies were observed sheltering in dense shrubs and trees that provide protection against predation and harsh environmental conditions. This study suggests that vegetated drainage lines are the means by which adult blackflies survive dispersal away from the river. It is concluded that carbohydrate scarcity cannot be considered a limiting factor to adult blackfly survival along the lower Orange River.

Plant Survival in a Changing Environment: The Role of Nitric Oxide in Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress

Science.gov (United States)

Simontacchi, Marcela; Galatro, Andrea; Ramos-Artuso, Facundo; Santa-María, Guillermo E.

2015-01-01

Nitric oxide in plants may originate endogenously or come from surrounding atmosphere and soil. Interestingly, this gaseous free radical is far from having a constant level and varies greatly among tissues depending on a given plant’s ontogeny and environmental fluctuations. Proper plant growth, vegetative development, and reproduction require the integration of plant hormonal activity with the antioxidant network, as well as the maintenance of concentration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species within a narrow range. Plants are frequently faced with abiotic stress conditions such as low nutrient availability, salinity, drought, high ultraviolet (UV) radiation and extreme temperatures, which can influence developmental processes and lead to growth restriction making adaptive responses the plant’s priority. The ability of plants to respond and survive under environmental-stress conditions involves sensing and signaling events where nitric oxide becomes a critical component mediating hormonal actions, interacting with reactive oxygen species, and modulating gene expression and protein activity. This review focuses on the current knowledge of the role of nitric oxide in adaptive plant responses to some specific abiotic stress conditions, particularly low mineral nutrient supply, drought, salinity and high UV-B radiation. PMID:26617619

Scatter hoarding of seeds confers survival advantages and disadvantages to large-seeded tropical plants at different life stages.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erin K Kuprewicz

Full Text Available Scatter hoarding of seeds by animals contributes significantly to forest-level processes, including plant recruitment and forest community composition. However, the potential positive and negative effects of caching on seed survival, germination success, and seedling survival have rarely been assessed through experimental studies. Here, I tested the hypothesis that seed burial mimicking caches made by scatter hoarding Central American agoutis (Dasyprocta punctate enhances seed survival, germination, and growth by protecting seeds from seed predators and providing favorable microhabitats for germination. In a series of experiments, I used simulated agouti seed caches to assess how hoarding affects seed predation by ground-dwelling invertebrates and vertebrates for four plant species. I tracked germination and seedling growth of intact and beetle-infested seeds and, using exclosures, monitored the effects of mammals on seedling survival through time. All experiments were conducted over three years in a lowland wet forest in Costa Rica. The majority of hoarded palm seeds escaped predation by both invertebrates and vertebrates while exposed seeds suffered high levels of infestation and removal. Hoarding had no effect on infestation rates of D. panamensis, but burial negatively affected germination success by preventing endocarp dehiscence. Non-infested palm seeds had higher germination success and produced larger seedlings than infested seeds. Seedlings of A. alatum and I. deltoidea suffered high mortality by seed-eating mammals. Hoarding protected most seeds from predators and enhanced germination success (except for D. panamensis and seedling growth, although mammals killed many seedlings of two plant species; all seedling deaths were due to seed removal from the plant base. Using experimental caches, this study shows that scatter hoarding is beneficial to most seeds and may positively affect plant propagation in tropical forests, although

Grass or fern competition reduce growth and survival of planted tree seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

Larry H. McCormick; Todd W. Bowersox

1997-01-01

Bareroot seedlings of northern red oak, white ash, yellow-poplar and white pine were planted into herbaceous communities at three forested sites in central Pennsylvania that were clearcut 0 to 1 year earlier. Seedlings were grown 4 years in the presence and absence of either an established grass or hay-scented fern community. Survival and height growth were measured...

Development of a computer systems for operational data acquisition of uranium isotopic enrichment pilot plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maia, W.M.C.

1985-01-01

A pilot plant for uranium enrichment using the jet nozzle process was transfered from Federal Republic of Germany to Brazil, to train Brazilian technicist in its operation and to improve the process. This pilot plant is monitored by a data acquisition system and the possibility of faulty events would cause serious dificulties, as far as maintenance is concerned (for instance, unvailable special components). It is described the development of a new system, which is proposed in order to minimize difficulties with maintenance that utilizes in the assembling integrated circuits of large scale of integration. It is controlled by a microcomputer. (Author) [pt

Surviving metabolic arrest: photosynthesis during desiccation and rehydration in resurrection plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Challabathula, Dinakar; Puthur, Jos T; Bartels, Dorothea

2016-02-01

Photosynthesis is the key process that is affected by dehydration in plants. Desiccation-tolerant resurrection plants can survive conditions of very low relative water content. During desiccation, photosynthesis is not operational, but is recovered within a short period after rehydration. While homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plants retain their photosynthetic apparatus during desiccation, poikilochlorophyllous resurrection species dismantle chloroplasts and degrade chlorophyll but resynthesize them again during rehydration. Dismantling the chloroplasts avoids the photooxidative stress in poikilochlorophyllous resurrection plants, whereas it is minimized in homoiochlorophyllous plants through the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes and protective proteins or metabolites. Although the cellular protection mechanisms in both of these species vary, these mechanisms protect cells from desiccation-induced damage and restore photosynthesis upon rehydration. Several of the proteins synthesized during dehydration are localized in chloroplasts and are believed to play major roles in the protection of photosynthetic structures and in recovery in resurrection species. This review focuses on the strategies of resurrection plants in terms of how they protect their photosynthetic apparatus from oxidative stress during desiccation without membrane damage and with full recovery during rehydration. We review the role of the dehydration-induced protection mechanisms in chloroplasts and how photosynthesis is restored during rehydration. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) shoot apex with a fungal phytase gene improves phosphorus acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Zhiying; Liu, Jianfeng; Wang, Xingfen

2013-01-01

Cotton is an important world economic crop plant. It is considered that cotton is recalcitrant to in vitro proliferation. Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration has been successful by using hypocotyl, whereas it is highly genotype dependent. Here, a genotype-independent cotton regeneration protocol from shoot apices is presented. Shoot apices from 3- to 5-day-old seedlings of cotton are infected with an Agrobacterium strain, EHA105, carrying the binary vector pC-KSA contained phytase gene (phyA) and the marker gene neomycin phosphotransferase (NPTII), and directly regenerated as shoots in vitro. Rooted shoots can be obtained within 6-8 weeks. Plants that survived by leaf painting kanamycin (kan) were -further analyzed by DNA and RNA blottings. The transgenic plants with increased the phosphorus (P) acquisition efficiency were obtained following the transformation method.

Control, monitoring and data acquisition systems in pilot plant for tritium and deuterium separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Retevoi, Carmen; Balteanu, Ovidiu Ioan

1999-01-01

To achieve the control, monitoring and data acquisition for a pilot plant for tritium and deuterium separation we have developed a system based on computer processing which transfers and treats all the data from the physical system. It consists of six basic elements: 1. a process computer ; 2. a National Instruments Amplifier/Multiplexed - SCXI 1000 with a SCXI 1100 Module with 32 differential input channels; 3. a Honeywell Digital Process Recorder - DPR 250, with 32 universal input, 12 digital input and 12 internal relays; 4. a control system for 4 throttle valves; 5. a National Instruments Data Acquisition board - AT-MIO-16XE-10, with 8 differential channels; 6. a system consisting of up to 20 digital programming current units for carbon RTD's. All the parameters from transducers, sensors and transmitters are introduced into the multiplexer and beyond into the acquisition data board. With LabVIEW soft support (National Instrument product), we made a graphic interface which displays the plant and all the parameters and their points of measure and cumulates all these data into a file. On the other hand all the pressure flow and level values are monitored by the recorder DPR 250, which has a RS232/RS485 port for PC communication. The temperatures are measured with carbon RTD's and a system comprising 20 programming current units connected by RS485 serial bus and a RS485/RS232 converter directly to the serial port of process computer. A special program makes the voltage/temperature conversion. The control system for throttle valves comprises a central unit, which communicates by RS232 bus with 4 controllers commanding 4 stepping motors. Every stepping motor is linked by a reductor to the throttle valve. This system can operate in either manual or automatic mode. The central unit can communicate with process computer via RS232 link. In this way a process computer can receive all the parameters by means of RS232/RS245 link or directly through the multiplexer and

Phytate (Inositol Hexakisphosphate in Soil and Phosphate Acquisition from Inositol Phosphates by Higher Plants. A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jörg Gerke

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Phosphate (P fixation to the soil solid phase is considered to be important for P availability and is often attributed to the strong binding of orthophosphate anion species. However, the fixation and subsequent immobilization of inositolhexa and pentaphosphate isomers (phytate in soil is often much stronger than that of the orthosphate anion species. The result is that phytate is a main organic P form in soil and the dominating form of identifiable organic P. The reasons for the accumulation are not fully clear. Two hypothesis can be found in the literature in the last 20 years, the low activity of phytase (phosphatases in soil, which makes phytate P unavailable to the plant roots, and, on the other hand, the strong binding of phytate to the soil solid phase with its consequent stabilization and accumulation in soil. The hypothesis that low phytase activity is responsible for phytate accumulation led to the development of genetically modified plant genotypes with a higher expression of phytase activity at the root surface and research on the effect of a higher phytate activity on P acquisition. Obviously, this hypothesis has a basic assumption, that the phytate mobility in soil is not the limiting step for P acquisition of higher plants from soil phytate. This assumption is, however, not justified considering the results on the sorption, immobilization and fixation of phytate to the soil solid phase reported in the last two decades. Phytate is strongly bound, and the P sorption maximum and probably the sorption strength of phytate P to the soil solid phase is much higher, compared to that of orthophosphate P. Mobilization of phytate seems to be a promising step to make it available to the plant roots. The excretion of organic acid anions, citrate and to a lesser extend oxalate, seems to be an important way to make phytate P available to the plants. Phytase activity at the root surface seems not be the limiting step in P acquisition from phytate

Hypoxia and bicarbonate could limit the expression of iron acquisition genes in Strategy I plants by affecting ethylene synthesis and signaling in different ways.

Science.gov (United States)

García, María J; García-Mateo, María J; Lucena, Carlos; Romera, Francisco J; Rojas, Carmen L; Alcántara, Esteban; Pérez-Vicente, Rafael

2014-01-01

In a previous work, it was shown that bicarbonate (one of the most important factors causing Fe chlorosis in Strategy I plants) can limit the expression of several genes involved in Fe acquisition. Hypoxia is considered another important factor causing Fe chlorosis, mainly on calcareous soils. However, to date it is not known whether hypoxia aggravates Fe chlorosis by affecting bicarbonate concentration or by specific negative effects on Fe acquisition. Results found in this work show that hypoxia, generated by eliminating the aeration of the nutrient solution, can limit the expression of several Fe acquisition genes in Fe-deficient Arabidopsis, cucumber and pea plants, like the genes for ferric reductases AtFRO2, PsFRO1 and CsFRO1; iron transporters AtIRT1, PsRIT1 and CsIRT1; H(+) -ATPase CsHA1; and transcription factors AtFIT, AtbHLH38, and AtbHLH39. Interestingly, the limitation of the expression of Fe-acquisition genes by hypoxia did not occur in the Arabidopsis ethylene constitutive mutant ctr1, which suggests that the negative effect of hypoxia is related to ethylene, an hormone involved in the upregulation of Fe acquisition genes. As for hypoxia, results obtained by applying bicarbonate to the nutrient solution suggests that ethylene is also involved in its negative effect, since ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid; ethylene precursor) partially reversed the negative effect of bicarbonate on the expression of Fe acquisition genes. Taken together, the results obtained show that hypoxia and bicarbonate could induce Fe chlorosis by limiting the expression of Fe acquisition genes, probably because each factor negatively affects different steps of ethylene synthesis and/or signaling. © 2013 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Deep sequencing revealed molecular signature of horizontal gene transfer of plant like transcripts in the mosquito Anopheles culicifacies: an evolutionary puzzle [version 1; referees: 2 approved

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Punita Sharma

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In prokaryotes, horizontal gene transfer (HGT has been regarded as an important evolutionary drive to acquire and retain beneficial genes for their survival in diverse ecologies. However, in eukaryotes, the functional role of HGTs remains questionable, although current genomic tools are providing increased evidence of acquisition of novel traits within non-mating metazoan species. Here, we provide another transcriptomic evidence for the acquisition of massive plant genes in the mosquito, Anopheles culicifacies. Our multiple experimental validations including genomic PCR, RT-PCR, real-time PCR, immuno-blotting and immuno-florescence microscopy, confirmed that plant like transcripts (PLTs are of mosquito origin and may encode functional proteins. A comprehensive molecular analysis of the PLTs and ongoing metagenomic analysis of salivary microbiome provide initial clues that mosquitoes may have survival benefits through the acquisition of nuclear as well as chloroplast encoded plant genes. Our findings of PLTs further support the similar questionable observation of HGTs in other higher organisms, which is still a controversial and debatable issue in the community of evolutionists. We believe future understanding of the underlying mechanism of the feeding associated molecular responses may shed new insights in the functional role of PLTs in the mosquito.

Low intensity radiation in diapazone of high frequency as factor of the survival modification of differentiated plant cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tordiya, N.V.

2005-01-01

The combined effect of low intensity electromagnetic emission in high frequency range (EMI HF) and ionizing radiation on survival of the differential cells of high plant water Elodea canadensis is investigated. It was established, that EMI HF is radioprotective modification of the radiation injury of plant cell

Nuclear, biological and chemical contamination survivability of Army material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feeney, J.J.

1987-01-01

Army Regulation (AR) 70-71, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) Contamination Survivability of Army Material, published during 1984, establishes Army policy and procedures for the development and acquisition of material to ensure its survivablility and sustainability on the NBC-contaminated battlefield. This regulation defines NBC contamination as a term that includes both the individual and collective effects of residual radiological, biological, and chemical contamination. AR 70-71 applies to all mission-essential equipment within the Army. NBC contamination survivability is the capability of a system and its crew to withstand an NBC-contaminated environment, including decontamination, without losing the ability to accomplish the assigned mission. Characteristics of NBC contamination survivability are decontaminability, hardness, and compatability. These characteristics are engineering design criteria which are intended for use only in a developmental setting. To comply with AR 70-71, each mission-essential item must address all three criteria. The Department of Defense (DOD) has published a draft instruction addressing acquisition of NBC contamination survivable systems. This instruction will apply throughout DOD to those programs, systems and subsystems designated by the Secretary of Defense as major systems acquisition programs and to those non-major systems that have potential impact on critical functions

The growth and survival of plants in urban green roofs in a dry climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Razzaghmanesh, M; Beecham, S; Kazemi, F

2014-04-01

Green roofs as one of the components of water-sensitive urban design have become widely used in recent years. This paper describes performance monitoring of four prototype-scale experimental green roofs in a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, undertaken over a 1-year period. Four species of indigenous Australian ground cover and grass species comprising Carpobrotus rossii, Lomandra longifolia 'Tanika,' Dianella caerula 'Breeze' and Myoporum parvifolium were planted in extensive and intensive green roof configurations using two different growing media. The first medium consisted of crushed brick, scoria, coir fibre and composted organics while the second comprised scoria, composted pine bark and hydro-cell flakes. Plant growth indices including vertical and horizontal growth rate, leaf succulence, shoot and root biomasses, water use efficiency and irrigation regimes were studied during a 12-month period. The results showed that the succulent species, C. rossii, can best tolerate the hot, dry summer conditions of South Australia, and this species showed a 100% survival rate and had the maximum horizontal growth rate, leaf succulence, shoot biomass and water use efficiency. All of the plants in the intensive green roofs with the crushed brick mix media survived during the term of this study. It was shown that stormwater can be used as a source of irrigation water for green roofs during 8 months of the year in Adelaide. However, supplementary irrigation is required for some of the plants over a full annual cycle. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of fungal infection on feeding and survival of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) on plant sugars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ondiaka, S.N.; Masinde, E.W.; Koenraadt, C.J.M.; Takken, W.; Mukabana, W.R.

2015-01-01

Background The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae shows great promise for the control of adult malaria vectors. A promising strategy for infection of mosquitoes is supplying the fungus at plant feeding sites. Methods We evaluated the survival of fungus-exposed Anopheles gambiae

Evolution of photorespiration from cyanobacteria to land plants, considering protein phylogenies and acquisition of carbon concentrating mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagemann, Martin; Kern, Ramona; Maurino, Veronica G; Hanson, David T; Weber, Andreas P M; Sage, Rowan F; Bauwe, Hermann

2016-05-01

Photorespiration and oxygenic photosynthesis are intimately linked processes. It has been shown that under the present day atmospheric conditions cyanobacteria and all eukaryotic phototrophs need functional photorespiration to grow autotrophically. The question arises as to when this essential partnership evolved, i.e. can we assume a coevolution of both processes from the beginning or did photorespiration evolve later to compensate for the generation of 2-phosphoglycolate (2PG) due to Rubisco's oxygenase reaction? This question is mainly discussed here using phylogenetic analysis of proteins involved in the 2PG metabolism and the acquisition of different carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). The phylogenies revealed that the enzymes involved in the photorespiration of vascular plants have diverse origins, with some proteins acquired from cyanobacteria as ancestors of the chloroplasts and others from heterotrophic bacteria as ancestors of mitochondria in the plant cell. Only phosphoglycolate phosphatase was found to originate from Archaea. Notably glaucophyte algae, the earliest branching lineage of Archaeplastida, contain more photorespiratory enzymes of cyanobacterial origin than other algal lineages or land plants indicating a larger initial contribution of cyanobacterial-derived proteins to eukaryotic photorespiration. The acquisition of CCMs is discussed as a proxy for assessing the timing of periods when photorespiratory activity may have been enhanced. The existence of CCMs also had marked influence on the structure and function of photorespiration. Here, we discuss evidence for an early and continuous coevolution of photorespiration, CCMs and photosynthesis starting from cyanobacteria via algae, to land plants. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Phosphorus acquisition by citrate- and phytase-exuding Nicotiana tabacum plant mixtures depends on soil phosphorus availability and root intermingling.

Science.gov (United States)

Giles, Courtney D; Richardson, Alan E; Cade-Menun, Barbara J; Mezeli, Malika M; Brown, Lawrie K; Menezes-Blackburn, Daniel; Darch, Tegan; Blackwell, Martin Sa; Shand, Charles A; Stutter, Marc I; Wendler, Renate; Cooper, Patricia; Lumsdon, David G; Wearing, Catherine; Zhang, Hao; Haygarth, Philip M; George, Timothy S

2018-03-02

Citrate and phytase root exudates contribute to improved phosphorus (P) acquisition efficiency in Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) when both exudates are produced in a P deficient soil. To test the importance of root intermingling in the interaction of citrate and phytase exudates, Nicotiana tabacum plant-lines with constitutive expression of heterologous citrate (Cit) or fungal phytase (Phy) exudation traits were grown under two root treatments (roots separated or intermingled) and in two soils with contrasting soil P availability. Complementarity of plant mixtures varying in citrate efflux rate and mobility of the expressed phytase in soil was determined based on plant biomass and P accumulation. Soil P composition was evaluated using solution 31 P NMR spectroscopy. In the soil with limited available P, positive complementarity occurred in Cit+Phy mixtures with roots intermingled. Root separation eliminated positive interactions in mixtures expressing the less mobile phytase (Aspergillus niger PhyA) whereas positive complementarity persisted in mixtures that expressed the more mobile phytase (Peniophora lycii PhyA). Soils from Cit+Phy mixtures contained less inorganic P and more organic P compared to monocultures. Exudate-specific strategies for the acquisition of soil P were most effective in P-limited soil and depended on citrate efflux rate and the relative mobility of the expressed phytase in soil. Plant growth and soil P utilization in plant systems with complementary exudation strategies are expected to be greatest where exudates persist in soil and are expressed synchronously in space and time. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Spore Acquisition and Survival of Ambrosia Beetles Associated with the Laurel Wilt Pathogen in Avocados after Exposure to Entomopathogenic Fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Avery, Pasco B; Bojorque, Verónica; Gámez, Cecilia; Duncan, Rita E; Carrillo, Daniel; Cave, Ronald D

2018-04-25

Laurel wilt is a disease threatening the avocado industry in Florida. The causative agent of the disease is a fungus vectored by ambrosia beetles that bore into the trees. Until recently, management strategies for the vectors of the laurel wilt fungus relied solely on chemical control and sanitation practices. Beneficial entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are the most common and prevalent natural enemies of pathogen vectors. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that commercial strains of EPF can increase the mortality of the primary vector, Xyleborus glabratus , and potential alternative vectors, Xylosandrus crassiusculus , Xyleborus volvulus and Xyleborus bispinatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Our study provides baseline data for three formulated commercially-available entomopathogenic fungi used as potential biocontrol agents against X. crassiusculus , X. volvulus and X. bispinatus. The specific objectives were to determine: (1) the mean number of viable spores acquired per beetle species adult after being exposed to formulated fungal products containing different strains of EPF ( Isaria fumosorosea , Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria bassiana ); and (2) the median and mean survival times using paper disk bioassays. Prior to being used in experiments, all fungal suspensions were adjusted to 2.4 × 10⁶ viable spores/mL. The number of spores acquired by X. crassiusculus was significantly higher after exposure to B. bassiana , compared to the other fungal treatments. For X. volvulus , the numbers of spores acquired per beetle were significantly different amongst the different fungal treatments, and the sequence of spore acquisition rates on X. volvulus from highest to lowest was I. fumosorosea > M. brunneum > B. bassiana . After X. bispinatus beetles were exposed to the different suspensions, the rates of acquisition of spores per beetle amongst the different fungal treatments were similar. Survival estimates (data pooled across two tests) indicated an

Successfull operation of biogas plants. Data acquisition as a basis of successful optimization measures; Erfolgreicher Betrieb von Biogasanlagen. Datenerfassung als Grundlage erfolgreicher Optimierungsmassnahmen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2012-09-19

Within the 2nd Bayreuth expert meeting on biomass at 6th June, 2012 in Bayreuth (Federal Republic of Germany), the following lectures were held: (1) Presentation of the activities in the bio energy sector of the Landwirtschaftliche Lehranstalt Bayreuth (Rainer Prischenk); (2) State of the art of utilizing biogas in Oberfranken from the view of FVB e.V. (Wolfgang Holland Goetz); (3) Optimization of the plant operation by means of an intelligent control (Christian Seier); (4) Process optimization by means of identification of losses of biogas and evaluation of the load behaviour and emission behaviour of gas engines (Wolfgang Schreier); (5) Data acquisition and implementation of optimization measures from the point of view of an environmental verifier (Thorsten Grantner); (6) Economic analysis and optimization by means of the Lfl program BZA Biogas (Josef Winkler); (7) Detailed data acquisition as a necessary basis of the process optimization (Timo Herfter); (8) Case examples of the biologic support of biogas plants and their correct evaluation (Birgit Pfeifer); (9) A systematic acquisition of operational data as a basis for the increase of efficiency using the Praxisforschungsbiogasanlage of the University Hohenheim (Hans-Joachim Naegele); (10) Practical report: The biogas plant Sochenberg towards 100% utilization of energy (Uli Bader).

78 FR 76639 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Enhancement of Survival Permit Application; Draft...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-18

...-FRES48010660150] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Enhancement of Survival Permit Application; Draft... Texas. The intent of the CCAA is to provide the oil and gas industry with the opportunity to voluntarily..., 9014 East 21 St., Tulsa, OK 74129, (918) 382-4501; (d) Austin, Texas ESFO, 10711 Burnet Rd., Suite 200...

Does mycorrhizal inoculation benefit plant survival, plant development and small-scale soil fixation? Results from a perennial eco-engineering field experiment in the Swiss Alps.

Science.gov (United States)

Bast, Alexander; Grimm, Maria; Graf, Frank; Baumhauer, Roland; Gärtner, Holger

2015-04-01

In mountain environments superficial slope failures on coarse grained, vegetation-free slopes are common processes and entail a certain risk for humans and socio-economic structures. Eco-engineering measures can be applied to mitigate slope instabilities. In this regard, limited plant survival and growth can be supported by mycorrhizal inoculation, which was successfully tested in laboratory studies. However, related studies on a field scale are lacking. Furthermore, mycorrhizae are known to enhance soil aggregation, which is linked to soil physics such as shear strength, and hence it is a useful indicator for near-surface soil/slope stability. The overall objective of our contribution was to test whether mycorrhizal inoculation can be used to promote eco-engineering measures in steep alpine environments based on a five-year field experiment. We hypothesized that mycorrhizal inoculation (i) enhances soil aggregation, (ii) stimulate plant survival and fine root development, (iii) effects plant performance, (iv) the stimulated root development in turn influences aggregate stability, and (v) that climatic variations play a major role in fine-root development. We established mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal treated eco-engineered research plots (hedge layers mainly consisting of Alnus spp. and Salix spp.) on a field experimental scale. The experimental site is in the eastern Swiss Alps at an erosion-prone slope where many environmental conditions can be seen as homogeneous. Soil aggregation, fine root development and plant survival was quantified at the end of four growing seasons (2010, '11, '12, '14). Additionally, growth properties of Alnus spp. and Salix spp. were measured and their biomass estimated. Meteorological conditions, soil temperature and soil water content were recorded. (i) The introduced eco-engineering measures enhanced aggregate stability significantly. In contrast to published greenhouse and laboratory studies, mycorrhizal inoculation delayed soil

Plant delta 15N correlates with the transpiration efficiency of nitrogen acquisition in tropical trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Cernusak, Lucas A; Winter, Klaus; Turner, Benjamin L

2009-11-01

Based upon considerations of a theoretical model of (15)N/(14)N fractionation during steady-state nitrate uptake from soil, we hypothesized that, for plants grown in a common soil environment, whole-plant delta(15)N (deltaP) should vary as a function of the transpiration efficiency of nitrogen acquisition (F(N)/v) and the difference between deltaP and root delta(15)N (deltaP - deltaR). We tested these hypotheses with measurements of several tropical tree and liana species. Consistent with theoretical expectations, both F(N)/v and deltaP - deltaR were significant sources of variation in deltaP, and the relationship between deltaP and F(N)/v differed between non-N(2)-fixing and N(2)-fixing species. We interpret the correlation between deltaP and F(N)/v as resulting from variation in mineral nitrogen efflux-to-influx ratios across plasma membranes of root cells. These results provide a simple explanation of variation in delta(15)N of terrestrial plants and have implications for understanding nitrogen cycling in ecosystems.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza enhanced arsenic resistance of both white clover (Trifolium repens Linn.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plants in an arsenic-contaminated soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong Yan; Zhu Yongguan [Department of Soil Environmental Science, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing 100085 (China); Smith, F. Andrew [Soil and Land Systems, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005 (Australia); Wang Youshan [Institute of Plant Nutrition and Resources, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Beijing 100089 (China); Chen Baodong [Department of Soil Environmental Science, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing 100085 (China)], E-mail: bdchen@rcees.ac.cn

2008-09-15

In a compartmented cultivation system, white clover (Trifolium repens Linn.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), with their roots freely intermingled, or separated by 37 {mu}m nylon mesh or plastic board, were grown together in an arsenic (As) contaminated soil. The influence of AM inoculation on plant growth, As uptake, phosphorus (P) nutrition, and plant competitions were investigated. Results showed that both plant species highly depended on mycorrhizas for surviving the As contamination. Mycorrhizal inoculation substantially improved plant P nutrition, and in contrast markedly decreased root to shoot As translocation and shoot As concentrations. It also showed that mycorrhizas affected the competition between the two co-existing plant species, preferentially benefiting the clover plants in term of nutrient acquisition and biomass production. Based on the present study, the role of AM fungi in plant adaptation to As contamination, and their potential use for ecological restoration of As contaminated soils are discussed. - Both white clover and ryegrass highly depend on the mycorrhizal associations for surviving heavy arsenic contamination.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza enhanced arsenic resistance of both white clover (Trifolium repens Linn.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plants in an arsenic-contaminated soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Yan; Zhu Yongguan; Smith, F. Andrew; Wang Youshan; Chen Baodong

2008-01-01

In a compartmented cultivation system, white clover (Trifolium repens Linn.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), with their roots freely intermingled, or separated by 37 μm nylon mesh or plastic board, were grown together in an arsenic (As) contaminated soil. The influence of AM inoculation on plant growth, As uptake, phosphorus (P) nutrition, and plant competitions were investigated. Results showed that both plant species highly depended on mycorrhizas for surviving the As contamination. Mycorrhizal inoculation substantially improved plant P nutrition, and in contrast markedly decreased root to shoot As translocation and shoot As concentrations. It also showed that mycorrhizas affected the competition between the two co-existing plant species, preferentially benefiting the clover plants in term of nutrient acquisition and biomass production. Based on the present study, the role of AM fungi in plant adaptation to As contamination, and their potential use for ecological restoration of As contaminated soils are discussed. - Both white clover and ryegrass highly depend on the mycorrhizal associations for surviving heavy arsenic contamination

Simulation and optimisation of the data acquisition system for tritium removal pilot plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Retevoi, Carmen Maria; Stefan, Iuliana; Balteanu, Ovidiu; Stefan, Liviu

2004-01-01

Optimization and simulation of systems especially in science and engineering can help to reduce risk and cost of design and testing processes. A huge number of codes has been developed to support modeling and simulation efforts. All of these software tools support the use of one or more mathematical model classes. Despite all of these efforts, it is hard to find simulation software, which is capable of combining several model classes in a real industry standard environment. The paper presents a simulation software product for controlling and data acquisition system of cryogenic installation process in the tritium removal pilot plant, using an industry standard programming environment widely applied to data acquisition, process control and data visualization, namely LabView. One of the problems in a tritium separation installation is controlling the temperature. To solve this problem it is necessary to develop a simulation system which includes the mathematical model for cryogenic distillation. Also with this simulation system we can approach the safety system which ensures the monitoring of radiations and toxic gases from installation. All elements used in controlling, modeling and simulation of the process, as well as, in the datalogging and supervisory control module from tritium removal installation are new. (authors)

Survival of planted tupelo seedlings in F- and H-Area tree-kill zones

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, E.A.; Rogers, V.A.

1995-01-01

Swamp tupelo seedlings were planted in four areas which experienced previous tree mortality at the seeplines of the F- and H-Area Seepage Basins. The sites represented a range in severity of impact and stage of recovery. Seedlings were planted in February of 1994 and followed through the first growing season in the field. Survival on all sites through the first growing season was excellent, with greater than 92% of the seedlings still alive. Most seedlings appeared healthy with few external signs of stress. The performance of the seedlings will be followed in subsequent years to determine the physical state of the soil environment on seedling growth. Hopefully, the results will indicate that artificial reforestation can begin on similarly impacted sites prior to the beginning of natural revegetation of the site

Scada Systems – Control, Supervision and Data Acquisition for the Power Plants Settled on a Stream (Part 2

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cosmin Ursoniu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Scada (supervisory control and data acquisition is a complex system that supervises and controls an industrial process and performs several functions. A human machine interface will also be presented and how the process in a power plant is controlled and supervised through it by the operator. The main screen will be described (which is a global view of the hydro unit and what the operator can see and what he can press to control the power plants process also a few more screens will be presented for auxiliary installations and it will be described what the operator can see and what he can do to control the installation.

Scada Systems – Control, Supervision and Data Acquisition for the Power Plants Settled on a Stream (Part 1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cosmin Ursoniu

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Scada (supervisory control and data acquisition is a complex system that supervises and control an industrial process and performs several functions. A human machine interface will also be presented and how the process in a power plant is controlled and supervised through it by the operator. The main screen will be described (which is a global view of the hydro unit and what the operator can see and what he can press to control the power plants process also a few more screens will be presented for auxiliary installations and it will be described what the operator can see and what he can do to control the installation.

Soil microbial species loss affects plant biomass and survival of an introduced bacterial strain, but not inducible plant defences.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurm, Viola; van der Putten, Wim H; Pineda, Ana; Hol, W H Gera

2018-02-12

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains can influence plant-insect interactions. However, little is known about the effect of changes in the soil bacterial community in general and especially the loss of rare soil microbes on these interactions. Here, the influence of rare soil microbe reduction on induced systemic resistance (ISR) in a wild ecotype of Arabidopsis thaliana against the aphid Myzus persicae was investigated. To create a gradient of microbial abundances, soil was inoculated with a serial dilution of a microbial community and responses of Arabidopsis plants that originated from the same site as the soil microbes were tested. Plant biomass, transcription of genes involved in plant defences, and insect performance were measured. In addition, the effects of the PGPR strain Pseudomonas fluorescens SS101 on plant and insect performance were tested under the influence of the various soil dilution treatments. Plant biomass showed a hump-shaped relationship with soil microbial community dilution, independent of aphid or Pseudomonas treatments. Both aphid infestation and inoculation with Pseudomonas reduced plant biomass, and led to downregulation of PR1 (salicylic acid-responsive gene) and CYP79B3 (involved in synthesis of glucosinolates). Aphid performance and gene transcription were unaffected by soil dilution. Neither the loss of rare microbial species, as caused by soil dilution, nor Pseudomonas affect the resistance of A. thaliana against M. persicae. However, both Pseudomonas survival and plant biomass respond to rare species loss. Thus, loss of rare soil microbial species can have a significant impact on both above- and below-ground organisms. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Development of an operator's mental model acquisition system. 1. Estimation of a physical mental model acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Mitsuru; Mizoguchi, Riichirou; Yoshikawa, Shinji; Ozawa, Kenji

1997-03-01

This report describes a technical survey of acquisition method of an operator's understanding for functions and structures of his target nuclear plant. This method is to play a key role in the information processing framework to support on-training operators in forming their knowledge of the nuclear plants. This kind of technical framework is aiming at enhancing human operator's ability to cope with anomaly plant situations which are difficult to expect from preceding experiences or engineering surveillance. In these cases, cause identifications and responding operation selections are desired to made not only empirically but also based on thoughts about possible phenomena to take place within the nuclear plant. This report focuses on a particular element technique, defined as 'explanation-based knowledge acquisition', as the candidate technique to potentially be extended to meet the requirement written above, and discusses about applicability to the learning support system and about necessary improvements, to identify future technical developments. (author)

Next Generation Nuclear Plant Intermediate Heat Exchanger Acquisition Strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mizia, Ronald Eugene [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2008-04-01

DOE has selected the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) design for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project. The NGNP will demonstrate the use of nuclear power for electricity and hydrogen production. It will have an outlet gas temperature in the range of 900°C to 950°C and a plant design service life of 60 years. The reactor design will be a graphite moderated, helium cooled, prismatic or pebble-bed reactor, and use low-enriched uranium, TRISO-coated fuel. The plant size, reactor thermal power, and core configuration will ensure passive decay heat removal without fuel damage or radioactive material releases during accidents. The NGNP Materials Research and Development (R&D) Program is responsible for performing R&D on likely NGNP materials in support of the NGNP design, licensing, and construction activities. Selection of the technology and design configuration for the NGNP must consider both the cost and risk profiles to ensure that the demonstration plant establishes a sound foundation for future commercial deployments. The NGNP challenge is to achieve a significant advancement in nuclear technology while at the same time setting the stage for an economically viable deployment of the new technology in the commercial sector soon after 2020. The purpose of this report is to address the acquisition strategy for the NGNP Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX).This component will be operated in flowing, impure helium on the primary and secondary side at temperatures up to 950°C. There are major high temperature design, materials availability, and fabrication issues that need to be addressed. The prospective materials are Alloys 617, 230, 800H and X, with Alloy 617 being the leading candidate for the use at 950°C. The material delivery schedule for these materials does not pose a problem for a 2018 start up as the vendors can quote reasonable delivery times at the moment. The product forms and amount needed must be finalized as soon as possible. An

Spore Acquisition and Survival of Ambrosia Beetles Associated with the Laurel Wilt Pathogen in Avocados after Exposure to Entomopathogenic Fungi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pasco B. Avery

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Laurel wilt is a disease threatening the avocado industry in Florida. The causative agent of the disease is a fungus vectored by ambrosia beetles that bore into the trees. Until recently, management strategies for the vectors of the laurel wilt fungus relied solely on chemical control and sanitation practices. Beneficial entomopathogenic fungi (EPF are the most common and prevalent natural enemies of pathogen vectors. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that commercial strains of EPF can increase the mortality of the primary vector, Xyleborus glabratus, and potential alternative vectors, Xylosandrus crassiusculus, Xyleborus volvulus and Xyleborus bispinatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae. Our study provides baseline data for three formulated commercially-available entomopathogenic fungi used as potential biocontrol agents against X. crassiusculus, X. volvulus and X. bispinatus. The specific objectives were to determine: (1 the mean number of viable spores acquired per beetle species adult after being exposed to formulated fungal products containing different strains of EPF (Isaria fumosorosea, Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria bassiana; and (2 the median and mean survival times using paper disk bioassays. Prior to being used in experiments, all fungal suspensions were adjusted to 2.4 × 106 viable spores/mL. The number of spores acquired by X. crassiusculus was significantly higher after exposure to B. bassiana, compared to the other fungal treatments. For X. volvulus, the numbers of spores acquired per beetle were significantly different amongst the different fungal treatments, and the sequence of spore acquisition rates on X. volvulus from highest to lowest was I. fumosorosea > M. brunneum > B. bassiana. After X. bispinatus beetles were exposed to the different suspensions, the rates of acquisition of spores per beetle amongst the different fungal treatments were similar. Survival estimates (data pooled across two tests indicated an

Plant water stress effects on stylet probing behaviors of Homalodisca vitripennis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) associated with acquisition and inoculation of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Krugner, Rodrigo; Backus, Elaine A

2014-02-01

ABSTRACT The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a xylem fluid-ingesting leafhopper that transmits Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al., a plant-infecting bacterium that causes several plant diseases in the Americas. Although the role of plant water stress on the population density and dispersal ofH. vitripennis has been studied, nothing is known about the effects of plant water stress on the transmission of X. fastidiosa by H. vitripennis. A laboratory study was conducted to determine the influence of plant water stress on the sharpshooter stylet probing behaviors associated with the acquisition and inoculation of X. fastidiosa. Electrical penetration graph was used to monitor H. vitripennis feeding behaviors for 20-h periods on citrus [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] and almond [Prunus dulcis (Miller) D.A. Webb] plants subjected to levels of water stress. Adult H. vitripennis successfully located xylem vessels, then performed behaviors related to the evaluation of the xylem cell and fluid, and finally ingested xylem fluid from citrus and almond plants under the tested fluid tensions ranging from -5.5 to -33.0 bars and -6.0 to -24.5 bars, respectively. In general, long and frequent feeding events associated with the acquisition and inoculation of X. fastidiosa were observed only in fully irrigated plants (i.e., >-10 bars), which suggests that even low levels of plant water stress may reduce the spread of X. fastidiosa. Results provided insights to disease epidemiology and support the hypothesis that application of regulated deficit irrigation has the potential to reduce the incidence of diseases caused by X.fastidiosa by reducing the number of vectors and by decreasing pathogen transmission efficiency.

Plant responses to plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loon, L.C. van

2007-01-01

Non-pathogenic soilborne microorganisms can promote plant growth, as well as suppress diseases. Plant growth promotion is taken to result from improved nutrient acquisition or hormonal stimulation. Disease suppression can occur through microbial antagonism or induction of resistance in the plant.

Noun Imageability Facilitates the Acquisition of Plurals: Survival Analysis of Plural Emergence in Children

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Smolík, Filip

2014-01-01

Roč. 43, č. 4 (2014), s. 335-350 ISSN 0090-6905 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP407/10/2047 Institutional support: RVO:68081740 Keywords : Language acquisition * Imageability * Morphology * Acquisition of inflections * Semantic generality Subject RIV: AN - Psychology Impact factor: 0.633, year: 2014

Survival, reproduction, and recruitment of woody plants after 14 years on a reforested landfill

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, George R.; Handel, Steven N.; Schmalhofer, Victoria R.

1992-03-01

With the advent of modern sanitary landfill closure techniques, the opportunity exists for transforming municipal landfills into urban woodlands. While costs of fullscale reforestation are generally prohibitive, a modest planting of clusters of trees and shrubs could initiate or accelerate population expansions and natural plant succession from open field to diverse forest. However, among woody species that have been screened for use on landfills, these ecological potentials have not yet been investigated. We examined a 14-yr-old landfill plantation in New Jersey, USA, established to test tolerance of 19 species of trees and shrubs to landfill environments. We measured survivorship, reproduction, and recruitment within and around the experimental installation. Half of the original 190 plants were present, although survival and growth rates varied widely among species. An additional 752 trees and shrubs had colonized the plantation and its perimeter, as well as 2955 stems of vines. However, the great majority (>95%) of woody plants that had colonized were not progeny of the planted cohort, but instead belonged to 18 invading species, mostly native, bird-dispersed, and associated with intermediate stages of secondary plant succession. Based on this evidence, we recommend that several ecological criteria be applied to choices of woody species for the restoration of municipal landfills and similar degraded sites, in order to maximize rapid and economical establishment of diverse, productive woodlands.

Development of an operator`s mental model acquisition system. 1. Estimation of a physical mental model acquisition system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikeda, Mitsuru; Mizoguchi, Riichirou [Inst. of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka Univ., Ibaraki (Japan); Yoshikawa, Shinji; Ozawa, Kenji

1997-03-01

This report describes a technical survey of acquisition method of an operator`s understanding for functions and structures of his target nuclear plant. This method is to play a key role in the information processing framework to support on-training operators in forming their knowledge of the nuclear plants. This kind of technical framework is aiming at enhancing human operator`s ability to cope with anomaly plant situations which are difficult to expect from preceding experiences or engineering surveillance. In these cases, cause identifications and responding operation selections are desired to made not only empirically but also based on thoughts about possible phenomena to take place within the nuclear plant. This report focuses on a particular element technique, defined as `explanation-based knowledge acquisition`, as the candidate technique to potentially be extended to meet the requirement written above, and discusses about applicability to the learning support system and about necessary improvements, to identify future technical developments. (author)

Analysis of a control and data acquisition system for radiation protection monitors of spent fuel reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Boxue

1997-01-01

For the radiation protection monitoring of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, the paper analyzes the composition and requirements of a control and data acquisition system. With the concepts of typical distributing and opening models, the hardware consists of IPC, communication of RS-485 bus lines and data multiplexer. The software consists of real-time multi-services operation system and modelling program. It can sample monitoring data, control monitor's operation, and process data and other information. It has good expansive and compatible features

Survival of the Best Fit: Competition from Low Wage Countries and the (Uneven) Growth of US Manufacturing Plants

OpenAIRE

Andrew B. Bernard; J. Bradford Jensen; Peter K. Schott

2002-01-01

We examine the relationship between import competition from low wage countries and the reallocation of US manufacturing from 1977 to 1997. Both employment and output growth are slower for plants that face higher levels of low wage import competition in their industry. As a result, US manufacturing is reallocated over time towards industries that are more capital and skill intensive. Differential growth is driven by a combination of increased plant failure rates and slower growth of surviving ...

Operation of inspection data acquisition and evaluation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Yoichi; Harada, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Masayuki; Sakaguchi, Makoto; Ishikawa, Masayuki

2016-01-01

Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) is a large scale plant to treat a huge amount of Plutonium significant for safeguards. The LArge SCAle Reprocessing plant safeguards (LASCAR) Forum recommended an effective utilization of unattended verification systems and automated data acquisition system etc. Based on LASCAR recommendation, Nuclear Material Control Center (NMCC) has developed the inspection data acquisition system as the automated data acquisition system from the unattended verification systems (including non-destructive assay equipment, solution monitoring system and surveillance camera). The data gathered from the unattended verification system are provided to the inspection data evaluation system for the State and the IAEA. In this development, redundancy concepts for data transfer line, in order to prevent inspection data missing, were introduced, and the timely confirmation of solution behaver such as material flows and inventories by the solution monitoring can be achieved. Furthermore, for purpose of efficiency of evaluation of inspection activity for the State, NMCC has developed the inspection data evaluation system which operates automated partition of inspection data coming from each verification equipment. Additionally, the inspection data system evaluation can manage the inspection activities and their efforts. These development and operation have been funded by JSGO (Japan Safeguards Office). This paper describes development history and operation of the inspection data acquisition and evaluation system. (author)

Plant nutrient acquisition strategies in tundra species: at which soil depth do species take up their nitrogen?

Science.gov (United States)

Limpens, Juul; Heijmans, Monique; Nauta, Ake; van Huissteden, Corine; van Rijssel, Sophie

2016-04-01

The Arctic is warming at unprecedented rates. Increased thawing of permafrost releases nutrients locked up in the previously frozen soils layers, which may initiate shifts in vegetation composition. The direction in which the vegetation shifts will co-determine whether Arctic warming is mitigated or accelerated, making understanding successional trajectories urgent. One of the key factors influencing the competitive relationships between plant species is their access to nutrients, in particularly nitrogen (N). We assessed the depth at which plant species took up N by performing a 15N tracer study, injecting 15(NH4)2SO4 at three depths (5, 15, 20 cm) into the soil in arctic tundra in north-eastern Siberia in July. In addition we explored plant nutrient acquisition strategy by analyzing natural abundances of 15N in leaves. We found that vascular plants took up 15N at all injection depths, irrespective of species, but also that species showed a clear preference for specific soil layers that coincided with their functional group (graminoids, dwarf shrubs, cryptogams). Graminoids took up most 15N at 20 cm depth nearest to the thaw front, with grasses showing a more pronounced preference than sedges. Dwarf shrubs took up most 15N at 5 cm depth, with deciduous shrubs displaying more preference than evergreens. Cryptogams did not take up any of the supplied 15N . The natural 15N abundances confirmed the pattern of nutrient acquisition from deeper soil layers in graminoids and from shallow soil layers in both deciduous and evergreen dwarf shrubs. Our results prove that graminoids and shrubs differ in their N uptake strategies, with graminoids profiting from nutrients released at the thaw front, whereas shrubs forage in the upper soil layers. The above implies that graminoids, grasses in particular, will have a competitive advantage over shrubs as the thaw front proceeds and/or superficial soil layers dry out. Our results suggest that the vertical distribution of nutrients

Acquisition, Replication and Inoculation of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus following Various Acquisition Periods on Huanglongbing-Infected Citrus by Nymphs and Adults of the Asian Citrus Psyllid.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El-Desouky Ammar

Full Text Available The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae, is the primary vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las implicated as causative agent of citrus huanglongbing (citrus greening, currently the most serious citrus disease worldwide. Las is transmitted by D. citri in a persistent-circulative manner, but the question of replication of this bacterium in its psyllid vector has not been resolved. Thus, we studied the effects of the acquisition access period (AAP by nymphs and adults of D. citri on Las acquisition, multiplication and inoculation/transmission. D. citri nymphs or adults (previously non-exposed to Las were caged on Las-infected citrus plants for an AAP of 1, 7 or 14 days. These 'Las-exposed' psyllids were then transferred weekly to healthy citrus or orange jasmine plants, and sampled via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR analysis 1-42 days post-first access to diseased plants (padp; all tested nymphs became adults 7-14 days padp. Our results indicate that following 1 or 7 day AAP as nymphs 49-59% of Las-exposed psyllids became Las-infected (qPCR-positive, whereas only 8-29% of the psyllids were infected following 1-14 day AAP as adults. Q-PCR analysis also indicated that Las titer in the Las-exposed psyllids (relative to that of the psyllid S20 ribosomal protein gene was: 1 significantly higher, and increasing at a faster rate, following Las acquisition as nymphs compared to that following Las acquisition as adults; 2 higher as post-acquisition time of psyllids on healthy plants increased reaching a peak at 14-28 days padp for nymphs and 21-35 days padp for adults, with Las titer decreasing or fluctuating after that; 3 higher with longer AAP on infected plants, especially with acquisition as adults. Our results strongly suggest that Las multiplies in both nymphs and adults of D. citri but attains much higher levels in a shorter period of time post-acquisition when acquired by nymphs than when acquired by

Acquisition and Homeostasis of Iron in Higher Plants and Their Probable Role in Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durgesh K. Tripathi

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Iron (Fe is a micronutrient that plays an important role in agriculture worldwide because plants require a small amount of iron for its growth and development. All major functions in a plant's life from chlorophyll biosynthesis to energy transfer are performed by Fe (Brumbarova et al., 2008; Gill and Tuteja, 2011. Iron also acts as a major constituent of many plant proteins and enzymes. The acquisition of Fe in plants occurs through two strategies, i.e., strategy I and strategy II (Marschner and Römheld, 1994. Under various stress conditions, Nramp and the YSL gene families help in translocation of Fe, which further acts as a mineral regulatory element and defends plants against stresses. Iron plays an irreplaceable role in alleviating stress imposed by salinity, drought, and heavy metal stress. This is because it activates plant enzymatic antioxidants like catalase (CAT, peroxidase, and an isoform of superoxide dismutase (SOD that act as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS (Hellin et al., 1995. In addition to this, their deficiency as well as their excess amount can disturb the homeostasis of a plant's cell and result in declining of photosynthetic rate, respiration, and increased accumulation of Na+ and Ca− ions which culminate in an excessive formation of ROS. The short-range order hydrated Fe oxides and organic functional groups show affinities for metal ions. Iron plaque biofilm matrices could sequester a large amount of metals at the soil–root interface. Hence, it has attracted the attention of plant physiologists and agricultural scientists who are discovering more exciting and hidden applications of Fe and its potential in the development of bio-factories. This review looks into the recent progress made in putting forward the role of Fe in plant growth, development, and acclimation under major abiotic stresses, i.e., salinity, drought, and heavy metals.

Lemna minor plants chronically exposed to ionising radiation: RNA-seq analysis indicates a dose rate dependent shift from acclimation to survival strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hoeck, Arne; Horemans, Nele; Nauts, Robin; Van Hees, May; Vandenhove, Hildegarde; Blust, Ronny

2017-04-01

Ecotoxicological research provides knowledge on ionising radiation-induced responses in different plant species. However, the sparse data currently available are mainly extracted from acute exposure treatments. To provide a better understanding of environmental exposure scenarios, the response to stress in plants must be followed in more natural relevant chronic conditions. We previously showed morphological and biochemical responses in Lemna minor plants continuously exposed for 7days in a dose-rate dependent manner. In this study responses on molecular (gene expression) and physiological (photosynthetic) level are evaluated in L. minor plants exposed to ionising radiation. To enable this, we examined the gene expression profiles of irradiated L. minor plants by using an RNA-seq approach. The gene expression data reveal indications that L. minor plants exposed at lower dose rates, can tolerate the exposure by triggering acclimation responses. In contrast, at the highest dose rate tested, a high number of genes related to antioxidative defense systems, DNA repair and cell cycle were differentially expressed suggesting that only high dose rates of ionising radiation drive L. minor plants into survival strategies. Notably, the photosynthetic process seems to be unaffected in L. minor plants among the tested dose rates. This study, supported by our earlier work, clearly indicates that plants shift from acclimation responses towards survival responses at increasing dose rates of ionising radiation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Plant-phytopathogen interactions: bacterial responses to environmental and plant stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonard, Simon; Hommais, Florence; Nasser, William; Reverchon, Sylvie

2017-05-01

Plant pathogenic bacteria attack numerous agricultural crops, causing devastating effects on plant productivity and yield. They survive in diverse environments, both in plants, as pathogens, and also outside their hosts as saprophytes. Hence, they are confronted with numerous changing environmental parameters. During infection, plant pathogens have to deal with stressful conditions, such as acidic, oxidative and osmotic stresses; anaerobiosis; plant defenses; and contact with antimicrobial compounds. These adverse conditions can reduce bacterial survival and compromise disease initiation and propagation. Successful bacterial plant pathogens must detect potential hosts and also coordinate their possibly conflicting programs for survival and virulence. Consequently, these bacteria have a strong and finely tuned capacity for sensing and responding to environmental and plant stimuli. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the signals and genetic circuits that affect survival and virulence factor expression in three important and well-studied plant pathogenic bacteria with wide host ranges and the capacity for long-term environmental survival. These are: Ralstonia solanacerarum, a vascular pathogen that causes wilt disease; Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a biotrophic tumorigenic pathogen responsible for crown gall disease and Dickeya, a brute force apoplastic pathogen responsible for soft-rot disease. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Survival and development of reintroduced Cattleya intermedia plants related to abiotic factors and herbivory at the edge and in the interior of a forest fragment in South Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delio Endres Júnior

2018-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Biotic and abiotic factors, such as luminosity, temperature, air humidity, and herbivory, can affect the establishment of reintroduced plants in natural habitats. This study evaluated the effects of these factors on the survival and growth of Cattleya intermedia plants reintroduced into a forest fragment in South Brazil. Plants of C. intermedia were obtained from in vitro seed germination in asymbiotic culture. Eighty-eight plants were reintroduced at both the forest edge and forest interior. Plants with greater shoot heights and number of leaves and pseudobulbs suffered more damage from herbivores at the edge. There were no significant differences in morphometric parameters between damaged and non-damaged plants in the interior. Tenthecoris bicolor, Helionothrips errans, Ithomiola nepos, Molomea magna and Coleoptera larvae damaged C. intermedia. Luminosity was higher at the edge, while air humidity and temperature were the same in both environments. Herbivory associated with abiotic factors increased plant mortality in the interior, while abiotic factors were determinative of plant survival at the edge. Luminosity is important to the survival of reintroduced epiphytic orchids, and herbivory affects the success of reintroduction.

Effect of directed-spray glyphosate applications on survival and growth of planted oaks after three growing seasons

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew B. Self; Andrew W. Ezell; Josh L. Moree; Rory O. Thornton

2013-01-01

Thousands of acres of oak (Quercus spp.) plantations are established across the South annually. Survival and growth of these plantings have been less than desirable. Several techniques have been utilized in attempts to achieve improved success in these areas. One such technique that has been recommended is the application of directed-spray herbicide...

Working Conditions and Factory Survival: Evidence from Better Factories Cambodia

OpenAIRE

Robertson, Raymond; Brown, Drusilla; Dehejia, Rajeev

2016-01-01

A large and growing literature has identified several conditions, including exporting, that contribute to plant survival. A prevailing sentiment suggests that anti-sweatshop activity against plants in developing countries adds the risk of making survival more difficult by imposing external constraints that may interfere with optimizing behavior. Using a relatively new plant-level panel dataset from Cambodia, this paper applies survival analysis to estimate the relationship between changes in ...

Dispersal strategy of cyst nematodes (Heterodera arenaria) in the plant root zone of mobile dunes and consequences for emergence, survival and reproductive success

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stoel, C.D.; Putten, van der W.H.

2006-01-01

Root-feeding nematodes may play an important role in generating spatial and temporal variation in natural plant communities, but little is known about the performance of the nematodes in the plant root zone. We studied the emergence, survival and reproductive success of the cyst nematode Heterodera

Dispersal strategy of cyst nematodes (Heterodera Arenaria) in the plant root zone of mobile dunes and consequences for emergence, survival and reproductive success

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Stoel, C.D.; Van der Putten, W.H.

2006-01-01

Root-feeding nematodes may play an important role in generating spatial and temporal variation in natural plant communities, but little is known about the performance of the nematodes in the plant root zone. We studied the emergence, survival and reproductive success of the cyst nematode Heterodera

Development of data acquisition and processing system for In-service inspection of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takama, Shinkichi; Kobayashi, Koji; Satoh, Yoshio; Koga, Yoshihiro; Shimizu, Takakazu

1981-01-01

In-service inspection (ISI) is required during the plant outage to assure the reliability of the components of a nuclear power plant. IHI has developed the advanced ISI system which consists of remote controlled and mechanized ultrasonic inspection devices for reactor pressure vessel examination, semi-automatic inspection instruments for piping examination with manual scan and automatic recording, data acquisition and processing system with microprocessor and mini-computer. By this system, ISI can be performed fully satisfying the requirement of ASME Code Sec. XI and minimizing operation in the high radioactive areas. All ultrasonic information is processed by the computer and the examination results such as size and location of ultrasonic indication are printed out in the form of sectional and plan view of the part examined, reproduced screen image and polar plot, etc. as well as the evaluation sheet. This system saves the elaborate work of inspection personnel and is expected to contribute to the improvement of inspection quality and to the reduction of radiation exposure of inspection personnel. (author)

Reactor Emergency Action Level Monitor: Knowledge acquisition experiences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Touchton, R.A.

1987-01-01

This paper presents the Knowledge Acquisition experiences in developing the Reactor Emergency Action Level Monitor (REALM) Expert System Prototype. REALM is an expert system which interprets plant sensor data and provides advice on the proper emergency classification. The REALM project is being funded by the Electric Power Research Institute, Consolidated Edison is serving as the host utility, and the effort is being conducted by Technology Applications, Inc. REALM is being designed to provide expert assistance in the identification of a nuclear power plant emergency situation and the determination of its severity, ultimately operating in a real-time, on-line processing environment. The paper discusses briefly the direct knowledge acquisition techniques used by the project team (who are themselves power industry engineers), to extract relevant knowledge from plant specifications and procedures

Nutrient acquisition strategies of mammalian cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Palm, Wilhelm; Thompson, Craig B

2017-06-07

Mammalian cells are surrounded by diverse nutrients, such as glucose, amino acids, various macromolecules and micronutrients, which they can import through transmembrane transporters and endolysosomal pathways. By using different nutrient sources, cells gain metabolic flexibility to survive periods of starvation. Quiescent cells take up sufficient nutrients to sustain homeostasis. However, proliferating cells depend on growth-factor-induced increases in nutrient uptake to support biomass formation. Here, we review cellular nutrient acquisition strategies and their regulation by growth factors and cell-intrinsic nutrient sensors. We also discuss how oncogenes and tumour suppressors promote nutrient uptake and thereby support the survival and growth of cancer cells.

Rethinking plant functional types in Earth System Models: pan-tropical analysis of tree survival across environmental gradients

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, D. J.; Needham, J.; Xu, C.; Davies, S. J.; Bunyavejchewin, S.; Giardina, C. P.; Condit, R.; Cordell, S.; Litton, C. M.; Hubbell, S.; Kassim, A. R. B.; Shawn, L. K. Y.; Nasardin, M. B.; Ong, P.; Ostertag, R.; Sack, L.; Tan, S. K. S.; Yap, S.; McDowell, N. G.; McMahon, S.

2016-12-01

Terrestrial carbon cycling is a function of the growth and survival of trees. Current model representations of tree growth and survival at a global scale rely on coarse plant functional traits that are parameterized very generally. In view of the large biodiversity in the tropical forests, it is important that we account for the functional diversity in order to better predict tropical forest responses to future climate changes. Several next generation Earth System Models are moving towards a size-structured, trait-based approach to modelling vegetation globally, but the challenge of which and how many traits are necessary to capture forest complexity remains. Additionally, the challenge of collecting sufficient trait data to describe the vast species richness of tropical forests is enormous. We propose a more fundamental approach to these problems by characterizing forests by their patterns of survival. We expect our approach to distill real-world tree survival into a reasonable number of functional types. Using 10 large-area tropical forest plots that span geographic, edaphic and climatic gradients, we model tree survival as a function of tree size for hundreds of species. We found surprisingly few categories of size-survival functions emerge. This indicates some fundamental strategies at play across diverse forests to constrain the range of possible size-survival functions. Initial cluster analysis indicates that four to eight functional forms are necessary to describe variation in size-survival relations. Temporal variation in size-survival functions can be related to local environmental variation, allowing us to parameterize how demographically similar groups of species respond to perturbations in the ecosystem. We believe this methodology will yield a synthetic approach to classifying forest systems that will greatly reduce uncertainty and complexity in global vegetation models.

Adaptation and survival of plants in high stress habitats via fungal endophyte conferred stress tolerance

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Rusty J.; Woodward, Claire; Redman, Regina S.

2010-01-01

From the Arctic to the Antarctic, plants thrive in diverse habitats that impose different levels of adaptive pressures depending on the type and degree of biotic and abiotic stresses inherent to each habitat (Stevens, 1989). At any particular location, the abundance and distribution of individual plant species vary tremendously and is theorized to be based on the ability to tolerate a wide range of edaphic conditions and habitat-specific stresses (Pianka, 1966). The ability of individual plant species to thrive in diverse habitats is commonly referred to as phenotypic plasticity and is thought to involve adaptations based on changes in the plant genome (Givnish, 2002; Pan et al., 2006; Robe and Griffiths, 2000; Schurr et al., 2006). Habitats that impose high levels of abiotic stress are typically colonized with fewer plant species compared to habitats imposing low levels of stress. Moreover, high stress habitats have decreased levels of plant abundance compared to low stress habitats even though these habitats may occur in close proximity to one another (Perelman et al., 2007). This is particularly interesting because all plants are known to perceive, transmit signals, and respond to abiotic stresses such as drought, heat, and salinity (Bartels and Sunkar, 2005; Bohnert et al., 1995). Although there has been extensive research performed to determine the genetic, molecular, and physiological bases of how plants respond to and tolerate stress, the nature of plant adaptation to high stress habitats remains unresolved (Leone et al., 2003; Maggio et al., 2003; Tuberosa et al., 2003). However, recent evidence indicates that a ubiquitous aspect of plant biology (fungal symbiosis) is involved in the adaptation and survival of at least some plants in high stress habitats (Rodriguez et al., 2008).

Phytomelatonin: Assisting Plants to Survive and Thrive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Russel J. Reiter

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This review summarizes the advances that have been made in terms of the identified functions of melatonin in plants. Melatonin is an endogenously-produced molecule in all plant species that have been investigated. Its concentration in plant organs varies in different tissues, e.g., roots versus leaves, and with their developmental stage. As in animals, the pathway of melatonin synthesis in plants utilizes tryptophan as an essential precursor molecule. Melatonin synthesis is inducible in plants when they are exposed to abiotic stresses (extremes of temperature, toxins, increased soil salinity, drought, etc. as well as to biotic stresses (fungal infection. Melatonin aids plants in terms of root growth, leaf morphology, chlorophyll preservation and fruit development. There is also evidence that exogenously-applied melatonin improves seed germination, plant growth and crop yield and its application to plant products post-harvest shows that melatonin advances fruit ripening and may improve food quality. Since melatonin was only discovered in plants two decades ago, there is still a great deal to learn about the functional significance of melatonin in plants. It is the hope of the authors that the current review will serve as a stimulus for scientists to join the endeavor of clarifying the function of this phylogenetically-ancient molecule in plants and particularly in reference to the mechanisms by which melatonin mediates its multiple actions.

Comparative analysis of sterol acquisition in the oomycetes Saprolegnia parasitica and Phytophthora infestans.

Science.gov (United States)

Dahlin, Paul; Srivastava, Vaibhav; Ekengren, Sophia; McKee, Lauren S; Bulone, Vincent

2017-01-01

The oomycete class includes pathogens of animals and plants which are responsible for some of the most significant global losses in agriculture and aquaculture. There is a need to replace traditional chemical means of controlling oomycete growth with more targeted approaches, and the inhibition of sterol synthesis is one promising area. To better direct these efforts, we have studied sterol acquisition in two model organisms: the sterol-autotrophic Saprolegnia parasitica, and the sterol-heterotrophic Phytophthora infestans. We first present a comprehensive reconstruction of a likely sterol synthesis pathway for S. parasitica, causative agent of the disease saprolegniasis in fish. This pathway shows multiple potential routes of sterol synthesis, and draws on several avenues of new evidence: bioinformatic mining for genes with sterol-related functions, expression analysis of these genes, and analysis of the sterol profiles in mycelium grown in different media. Additionally, we explore the extent to which P. infestans, which causes the late blight in potato, can modify exogenously provided sterols. We consider whether the two very different approaches to sterol acquisition taken by these pathogens represent any specific survival advantages or potential drug targets.

In-Containment Signal Acquisition and Data Transmission via Power Lines within High Dose Areas of Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller Steffen; Wibbing Sascha; Weigel Robert; Koelpin Alexander; Dennerlein, Juergen; Janke, Iryna; Weber, Johannes

2015-01-01

Signal acquisition and data transmission for innovative sensor systems and networks inside the containment of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is still a challenge with respect to safety, performance, reliability, availability, and costs. This especially applies to equipment upgrades for existing plants, special measurements, but also for new builds. This paper presents a novel method for efficient and cost-effective sensor signal acquisition and data transmission via power lines, in order to cope with the disadvantages of common system architectures that often suffer from poor signal integrity due to raw data transmissions via long cables, huge efforts and costs for installation, and low flexibility with respect to maintenance and upgrades. A transmitter-receiver architecture is proposed that allows multiplexing of multiple sensor inputs for unidirectional point-to-point transmission by superimposing information signals on existing AC or DC supply lines, but also on active and inactive sensor wires, or spare cables, using power line communication (PLC) technology. Based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic parts, a radiation hard transmitter hardware is designed to operate in harsh environment within the containment during full plant operation. The system's modular approach allows application specific trade-offs between redundancy and throughput regarding data transmission, as well as various sensor input front-ends which are compatible with state of the art systems. PLC technology eliminates the need for costly installation of additional cables and wall penetrations, while providing a complementary and diverse communication technology for upgrades of existing systems. At the receiver side in low dose areas, signals are extracted from the power line, demodulated, and de-multiplexed, in order to regain the original sensor signal information and provide it either in analog or digital output format. Successful laboratory qualification tests, field trails

In-Containment Signal Acquisition and Data Transmission via Power Lines within High Dose Areas of Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller Steffen; Wibbing Sascha; Weigel Robert; Koelpin Alexander [Institute for Electronics Engineering, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany); Dennerlein, Juergen; Janke, Iryna; Weber, Johannes [AREVA GmbH, Paul-Gossen-Str. 100, 91052 Erlangen (Germany)

2015-07-01

Signal acquisition and data transmission for innovative sensor systems and networks inside the containment of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is still a challenge with respect to safety, performance, reliability, availability, and costs. This especially applies to equipment upgrades for existing plants, special measurements, but also for new builds. This paper presents a novel method for efficient and cost-effective sensor signal acquisition and data transmission via power lines, in order to cope with the disadvantages of common system architectures that often suffer from poor signal integrity due to raw data transmissions via long cables, huge efforts and costs for installation, and low flexibility with respect to maintenance and upgrades. A transmitter-receiver architecture is proposed that allows multiplexing of multiple sensor inputs for unidirectional point-to-point transmission by superimposing information signals on existing AC or DC supply lines, but also on active and inactive sensor wires, or spare cables, using power line communication (PLC) technology. Based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic parts, a radiation hard transmitter hardware is designed to operate in harsh environment within the containment during full plant operation. The system's modular approach allows application specific trade-offs between redundancy and throughput regarding data transmission, as well as various sensor input front-ends which are compatible with state of the art systems. PLC technology eliminates the need for costly installation of additional cables and wall penetrations, while providing a complementary and diverse communication technology for upgrades of existing systems. At the receiver side in low dose areas, signals are extracted from the power line, demodulated, and de-multiplexed, in order to regain the original sensor signal information and provide it either in analog or digital output format. Successful laboratory qualification tests, field trails

Influence of surface polysaccharides of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on plant defense response and survival of the human enteric pathogen on Arabidopsis thaliana and lettuce (Lactuca sativa).

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hyein; Matthews, Karl R

2018-04-01

This study aimed to determine the influence of bacterial surface polysaccharides (cellulose, colanic acid, and lipopolysaccharide; LPS) on the colonization or survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on plants and the plant defense response. Survival of E. coli O157:H7 were evaluated on Arabidopsis thaliana and romaine lettuce as a model plant and an edible crop (leafy vegetable), respectively. The population of the wild-type strain of E. coli O157:H7 on Arabidopsis plants and lettuce was significantly (P lettuce regardless of day post-inoculation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of single and binary combinations of plant-derived molluscicides on reproduction and survival of the snail Achatina fulica.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, I G; Singh, D K

2000-11-01

The effects of sublethal treatments (20% and 60% of LC(50)/24 h) with plant-derived molluscicides on the reproduction of the giant African snail Achatina fulica were studied. Azadirachta indica oil, Cedrus deodara oil, Allium sativum bulb powder, and Nerium indicum bark powder singly and binary combinations on reproduction and survival of A. fulica were investigated. Repeated treatment occurred on day 0, day 15, and day 30. These plant-derived molluscicides significantly reduced fecundity, egg viability, and survival of A. fulica within 15 days. Discontinuation of the treatments after day 30 did not lead to a recovery trend in the next 30 days. Day 0 sublethal treatment of all the molluscicides caused a maximum reduction in protein, amino acid, DNA, RNA, and phospholipid levels and simultaneous increase in lipid peroxidation in the ovotestis of treated A. fulica. It is believed that sublethal exposure of these molluscicides on snail reproduction is a complex process, involving more than one factor in reducing the reproductive capacity of A. fulica.

A scoreboard of mergers and acquisitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parent, L.V

1989-08-01

In the late 70s and early 80s when market growth was not a viable alternative and price deregulation was imminent, new strategies were sought that would provide some basis for survival in a deregulated environment, and merger/acquisition strategy took on new significance. According to the author, eight mega gas pipe line companies have evolved. The strategic objectives behind these merges is analyzed.

MAST data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shibaev, S.; Counsell, G.; Cunningham, G.; Manhood, S.J.; Thomas-Davies, N.; Waterhouse, J.

2006-01-01

The data acquisition system of the Mega-Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) presently collects up to 400 MB of data in about 3000 data items per shot, and subsequent fast growth is expected. Since the start of MAST operations (in 1999) the system has changed dramatically. Though we continue to use legacy CAMAC hardware, newer VME, PCI, and PXI based sub-systems collect most of the data now. All legacy software has been redesigned and new software has been developed. Last year a major system improvement was made-replacement of the message distribution system. The new message system provides easy connection of any sub-system independently of its platform and serves as a framework for many new applications. A new data acquisition controller provides full control of common sub-systems, central error logging, and data acquisition alarms for the MAST plant. A number of new sub-systems using Linux and Windows OSs on VME, PCI, and PXI platforms have been developed. A new PXI unit has been designed as a base sub-system accommodating any type of data acquisition and control devices. Several web applications for the real-time MAST monitoring and data presentation have been developed

IV. Effect of 60Co gamma rays on survival rate of China aster plants (Callistephus chinensis Nees in M1 generations - under field conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Wosińska

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Studies were undertaken on the effect of different doses of gamma radiation on survival rate of plants (germinated from irradiated seeds for 5 China aster varieties specified at florescence time. During their growth under field conditions (from planting time to blooming lethal effect of the radiation occurred in plants of all varieties and its level depended on dose and variety. Effect of 3 kR and 6 kR doses differed depending on variety and was not always harmful, but following irradiation with doses exceeding 6 kR a considerable decrease in survival rate was observed. Radioresistance of studied varieties - measured both: by LD50 and LDl00 - differed; depending on variety, LD50 and LDl00 values fluctuated: from 6 to 9 kR and 12 to 15 kR respectively.

Survival of Bemisia tabaci and activity of plant defense-related enzymes in genotypes of Capsicum annuum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Latournerie-Moreno

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889 is a major plant pest of horticultural crops from the families Solanaceae, Fabaceae and Cucurbitaceae in Neotropical areas. The exploration of host plant resistance and their biochemical mechanisms offers an excellent alternative to better understand factors affecting the interaction between phytophagous insect and host plant. We evaluated the survival of B. tabaci in landrace genotypes of Capsicum annuum L., and the activity of plant defense-related enzymes (chitinase, polyphenoloxidase, and peroxidase. The landrace genotypes Amaxito, Tabaquero, and Simojovel showed resistance to B. tabaci, as we observed more than 50% nymphal mortality, while in the commercial susceptible genotype Jalapeño mortality of B. tabaci nymphs was not higher than 20%. The activities of plant defense-related enzymes were significantly different among pepper genotypes (P < 0.05. Basal activities of chitinase, polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase were significantly lower or equal in landrace genotypes than that of the commercial genotype Jalapeño. The activity of plant enzymes was differential among pepper genotypes (P < 0.05. For example, the activity of chitinase enzyme generally was higher in non-infested plants with B. tabaci than those infested. Instead polyphenoloxidase ('Amaxito' and 'Simojovel' and peroxidase enzymes activities ('Tabaquero' increased in infested plants (P < 0.05. We conclude that basal activities of plant defense-related enzymes could be act through other mechanism plant induction, since plant defense-related enzymes showed a different induction response to B. tabaci. We underlined the role of polyphenoloxidase as plant defense in the pepper genotype Simojovel related to B. tabaci.

Developing a data acquisition system for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant's in situ tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McIlmoyle, J.T.; Matalucci, R.V.; Ogden, H.C.

1986-01-01

The US Department of Energy is developing the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeastern New Mexico as an R and D facility to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive wastes from US defense programs. The in situ tests associated with this facility (659 m below the surface) address technical issues of thermal/structural interaction, waste package performance, and plugging and sealing. Data from these tests are collected by a Data Acquisition System (DAS) consisting of two distinct entities that use the IEEE-488 bus for communication. Up to 5000 data channels can be recorded every 4 hr from extensometers, stressmeters, thermocouples, closure gages, and other special gages. The DAS consists of a multitasking and multiuser ModComp computer housed in a surface trailer that converts the data to engineering units, stores the data in raw and converted form, and provides quick-look plots and data listings. The other part of the DAS consists of the seven underground remote enclosed instrument stations (sheds) located near each test room and up to 1800 m from the surface trailer that contains the instruments and signal conditioning to operate and monitor the tests. The ModComp system manages data acquisition and supports concurrently 12 on-line terminals and two dial-up access lines for data access, gage diagnostics, data handling and updating, and software development. Data are currently acquired from over 4000 gages with 15,000 defined measurands; the system can be expanded to 65,534 measurands. 4 refs., 7 figs

Diversity and natural functions of antibiotics produced by beneficial and plant pathogenic bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Raaijmakers, Jos M; Mazzola, Mark

2012-01-01

Soil- and plant-associated environments harbor numerous bacteria that produce antibiotic metabolites with specific or broad-spectrum activities against coexisting microorganisms. The function and ecological importance of antibiotics have long been assumed to yield a survival advantage to the producing bacteria in the highly competitive but resource-limited soil environments through direct suppression. Although specific antibiotics may enhance producer persistence when challenged by competitors or predators in soil habitats, at subinhibitory concentrations antibiotics exhibit a diversity of other roles in the life history of the producing bacteria. Many processes modulated by antibiotics may be inherently critical to the producing bacterium, such as the acquisition of substrates or initiation of developmental changes that will ensure survival under stressful conditions. Antibiotics may also have roles in more complex interactions, including in virulence on host plants or in shaping the outcomes of multitrophic interactions. The innate functions of antibiotics to producing bacteria in their native ecosystem are just beginning to emerge, but current knowledge already reveals a breadth of activities well beyond the historical perspective of antibiotics as weaponry in microbial conflicts.

Nest-location and nest-survival of black-chinned hummingbirds in New Mexico: A comparison between rivers with differing levels of regulation and invasion of nonnative plants

Science.gov (United States)

D. Max Smith; Deborah M. Finch; Scott H. Stoleson

2014-01-01

We compared plants used as sites for nests and survival of nests of black-chinned hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) along two rivers in New Mexico. Along the free-flowing Gila River which was dominated by native plants, most nests were constructed in boxelder (Acer negundo). Along the flow-restricted Middle Rio Grande which was dominated by nonnative plants, most...

Effects of permafrost thaw on nitrogen availability and plant nitrogen acquisition in Interior Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Finger, R.; Euskirchen, E. S.; Turetsky, M.

2013-12-01

The degradation of ice-rich permafrost, which covers a large portion of Interior Alaska, typically leads to thermokarst and increases in soil saturation. As a result, conifer peat plateaus degrade and are often replaced by wet collapse scar bogs. This state change results in profound changes in regional hydrology, biogeochemical cycling, and plant community composition. Preliminary data suggest that permafrost thaw can increase surface soil inorganic nitrogen (IN) concentrations but it is still unknown whether these changes in nutrient availability are short-lived (pulse releases) and whether or not they impact collapse scar vegetation composition or productivity, particularly as collapse scars undergo succession with time-after-thaw. Therefore we are currently examining changes in plant community composition, N availability and plant N acquisition along three thermokarst gradients in Interior Alaska. Each gradient is comprised of a forested permafrost peat plateau, adjacent ecotones experiencing active permafrost degradation (including a collapsing forest canopy and a saturated moat), and a collapse scar bog where permafrost has completely degraded. We predicted that IN concentrations would be highest along the active thaw margin, and lowest in the peat plateau. We also predicted that IN concentrations would be positively related to shifts in vegetation community composition, nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and tissue 15N concentrations. Preliminary results have shown that IN concentrations increase in newer collapse scar features as well as with thaw depth. Our data also show a shift from feather moss and ericaceous shrub-dominate understories in the permafrost plateau to Sphagnum and sedge dominated thaw ecotone and bog communities. Further successional development of the collapse scar bog results in the reintroduction of small evergreen and deciduous shrubs as the peat mat develops. Over time, collapse scar succession and peat accumulation appears to lead to

Virginia Power's capacity acquisition program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carney, R.W.

1991-01-01

Virginia Power is a utility with a growing demand for electricity. To meet that growth it has embarked on an aggressive program to encourage the construction of privately-owned generating plants. In 1988 it conducted the largest competitive acquisition program by any utility to date. Virginia Power has retained the option to build plants if the bids it receives are too costly or do not meet the needs of its customers. This paper describes the situation at Virginia Power, the program it has implemented, and the capacity additions which are scheduled between 1989 and 1995

Impacts of Carpobrotus edulis (L. N.E.Br. on the germination, establishment and survival of native plants: a clue for assessing its competitive strength.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Novoa

Full Text Available Does Carpobrotus edulis have an impact on native plants? How do C. edulis' soil residual effects affect the maintenance of native populations? What is the extent of interspecific competition in its invasion process? In order to answer those questions, we established pure and mixed cultures of native species and C. edulis on soil collected from invaded and native areas of Mediterranean coastal dunes in the Iberian Peninsula. We examined the impact of the invader on the germination, growth and survival of seeds and adult plants of two native plant species (Malcolmia littorea (L. R.Br, and Scabiosa atropurpurea L. growing with ramets or seeds of C. edulis. Residual effects of C. edulis on soils affected the germination process and early growth of native plants in different ways, depending on plant species and density. Interspecific competition significantly reduced the germination and early growth of native plants but this result was soil, density, timing and plant species dependent. Also, at any density of adult individuals of C. edulis, established native adult plants were not competitive. Moreover, ramets of C. edulis had a lethal effect on native plants, which died in a short period of time. Even the presence of C. edulis seedlings prevents the recruitment of native species. In conclusion, C. edulis have strong negative impacts on the germination, growth and survival of the native species M. littorea and S. atropurpurea. These impacts were highly depended on the development stages of native and invasive plants. Our findings are crucial for new strategies of biodiversity conservation in coastal habitats.

Impacts of Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E.Br. on the Germination, Establishment and Survival of Native Plants: A Clue for Assessing Its Competitive Strength

Science.gov (United States)

Novoa, Ana; González, Luís

2014-01-01

Does Carpobrotus edulis have an impact on native plants? How do C. edulis’ soil residual effects affect the maintenance of native populations? What is the extent of interspecific competition in its invasion process? In order to answer those questions, we established pure and mixed cultures of native species and C. edulis on soil collected from invaded and native areas of Mediterranean coastal dunes in the Iberian Peninsula. We examined the impact of the invader on the germination, growth and survival of seeds and adult plants of two native plant species (Malcolmia littorea (L.) R.Br, and Scabiosa atropurpurea L.) growing with ramets or seeds of C. edulis. Residual effects of C. edulis on soils affected the germination process and early growth of native plants in different ways, depending on plant species and density. Interspecific competition significantly reduced the germination and early growth of native plants but this result was soil, density, timing and plant species dependent. Also, at any density of adult individuals of C. edulis, established native adult plants were not competitive. Moreover, ramets of C. edulis had a lethal effect on native plants, which died in a short period of time. Even the presence of C. edulis seedlings prevents the recruitment of native species. In conclusion, C. edulis have strong negative impacts on the germination, growth and survival of the native species M. littorea and S. atropurpurea. These impacts were highly depended on the development stages of native and invasive plants. Our findings are crucial for new strategies of biodiversity conservation in coastal habitats. PMID:25210924

Impacts of Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N.E.Br. on the germination, establishment and survival of native plants: a clue for assessing its competitive strength.

Science.gov (United States)

Novoa, Ana; González, Luís

2014-01-01

Does Carpobrotus edulis have an impact on native plants? How do C. edulis' soil residual effects affect the maintenance of native populations? What is the extent of interspecific competition in its invasion process? In order to answer those questions, we established pure and mixed cultures of native species and C. edulis on soil collected from invaded and native areas of Mediterranean coastal dunes in the Iberian Peninsula. We examined the impact of the invader on the germination, growth and survival of seeds and adult plants of two native plant species (Malcolmia littorea (L.) R.Br, and Scabiosa atropurpurea L.) growing with ramets or seeds of C. edulis. Residual effects of C. edulis on soils affected the germination process and early growth of native plants in different ways, depending on plant species and density. Interspecific competition significantly reduced the germination and early growth of native plants but this result was soil, density, timing and plant species dependent. Also, at any density of adult individuals of C. edulis, established native adult plants were not competitive. Moreover, ramets of C. edulis had a lethal effect on native plants, which died in a short period of time. Even the presence of C. edulis seedlings prevents the recruitment of native species. In conclusion, C. edulis have strong negative impacts on the germination, growth and survival of the native species M. littorea and S. atropurpurea. These impacts were highly depended on the development stages of native and invasive plants. Our findings are crucial for new strategies of biodiversity conservation in coastal habitats.

Drought-avoiding plants with low water use can achieve high rainfall retention without jeopardising survival on green roofs.

Science.gov (United States)

Szota, Christopher; Farrell, Claire; Williams, Nicholas S G; Arndt, Stefan K; Fletcher, Tim D

2017-12-15

Green roofs are increasingly being used among the suite of tools designed to reduce the volume of surface water runoff generated by cities. Plants provide the primary mechanism for restoring the rainfall retention capacity of green roofs, but selecting plants with high water use is likely to increase drought stress. Using empirically-derived plant physiological parameters, we used a water balance model to assess the trade-off between rainfall retention and plant drought stress under a 30-year climate scenario. We compared high and low water users with either drought avoidance or drought tolerance strategies. Green roofs with low water-using, drought-avoiding species achieved high rainfall retention (66-81%) without experiencing significant drought stress. Roofs planted with other strategies showed high retention (72-90%), but they also experienced >50days of drought stress per year. However, not all species with the same strategy behaved similarly, therefore selecting plants based on water use and drought strategy alone does not guarantee survival in shallow substrates where drought stress can develop quickly. Despite this, it is more likely that green roofs will achieve high rainfall retention with minimal supplementary irrigation if planted with low water users with drought avoidance strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Architecture of SPIDER control and data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luchetta, A.; Manduchi, G.; Taliercio, C.; Soppelsa, A.; Barbalace, A.; Paolucci, F.; Sartori, F.; Barbato, P.; Breda, M.; Capobianco, R.; Molon, F.; Moressa, M.; Polato, S.; Simionato, P.; Zampiva, E.

2012-01-01

The ITER Heating Neutral Beam injectors will be implemented in three steps: development of the ion source prototype, development of the full injector prototype, and, finally, construction of up to three ITER injectors. The first two steps will be carried out in the ITER neutral beam test facility under construction in Italy. The ion source prototype, referred to as SPIDER, which is currently in the development phase, is a complex experiment involving more than 20 plant units and operating with beam-on pulses lasting up to 1 h. As for control and data acquisition it requires fast and slow control (cycle time around 0.1 ms and 10 ms, respectively), synchronization (10 ns resolution), and data acquisition for about 1000 channels (analogue and images) with sampling frequencies up to tens of MS/s, data throughput up to 200 MB/s, and data storage volume of up to tens of TB/year. The paper describes the architecture of the SPIDER control and data acquisition system, discussing the SPIDER requirements and the ITER CODAC interfaces and specifications for plant system instrumentation and control.

Accident diagnosis of the Angra-2 nuclear power plant based on intelligent real-time acquisition agents and a logical tree model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paiva, Gustavo V.; Schirru, Roberto, E-mail: gustavopaiva@poli.ufrj.br, E-mail: schirru@lmp.ufrj.br [Coordenacao de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa de Engenharia (COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear

2017-07-01

This work aims to create a model and a prototype, using the Python language, which with the application of an Expert System uses production rules to analyze the data obtained in real time from the plant and help the operator to identify the occurrence of transients / accidents. In the event of a transient, the program alerts the operator and indicates which section of the Operation Manual should be consulted to bring the plant back to its normal state. The generic structure used to represent the knowledge of the Expert System was a Fault Tree and the data obtained from the plant was done through intelligent acquisition agents that transform the data obtained from the plant into Boolean values used in the Fault Tree, including the use of Fuzzy Logic. In order to test the program, a simplified model of the Almirante Alvaro Alberto 2 Nuclear Power Plant (Angra-2) manuals was used and with this model, simulations were performed to analyze the program's operation and if it leads to the expected results. The results of the tests presented a quick identification of the events and great accuracy, demonstrating the applicability of the model to the problem. (author)

Accident diagnosis of the Angra-2 nuclear power plant based on intelligent real-time acquisition agents and a logical tree model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paiva, Gustavo V.; Schirru, Roberto

2017-01-01

This work aims to create a model and a prototype, using the Python language, which with the application of an Expert System uses production rules to analyze the data obtained in real time from the plant and help the operator to identify the occurrence of transients / accidents. In the event of a transient, the program alerts the operator and indicates which section of the Operation Manual should be consulted to bring the plant back to its normal state. The generic structure used to represent the knowledge of the Expert System was a Fault Tree and the data obtained from the plant was done through intelligent acquisition agents that transform the data obtained from the plant into Boolean values used in the Fault Tree, including the use of Fuzzy Logic. In order to test the program, a simplified model of the Almirante Alvaro Alberto 2 Nuclear Power Plant (Angra-2) manuals was used and with this model, simulations were performed to analyze the program's operation and if it leads to the expected results. The results of the tests presented a quick identification of the events and great accuracy, demonstrating the applicability of the model to the problem. (author)

The role of above-ground competition and nitrogen vs. phosphorus enrichment in seedling survival of common European plant species of semi-natural grasslands.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tobias Ceulemans

Full Text Available Anthropogenic activities have severely altered fluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus in ecosystems worldwide. In grasslands, subsequent negative effects are commonly attributed to competitive exclusion of plant species following increased above-ground biomass production. However, some studies have shown that this does not fully account for nutrient enrichment effects, questioning whether lowering competition by reducing grassland productivity through mowing or herbivory can mitigate the environmental impact of nutrient pollution. Furthermore, few studies so far discriminate between nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. We performed a full factorial experiment in greenhouse mesocosms combining nitrogen and phosphorus addition with two clipping regimes designed to relax above-ground competition. Next, we studied the survival and growth of seedlings of eight common European grassland species and found that five out of eight species showed higher survival under the clipping regime with the lowest above-ground competition. Phosphorus addition negatively affected seven plant species and nitrogen addition negatively affected four plant species. Importantly, the negative effects of nutrient addition and higher above-ground competition were independent of each other for all but one species. Our results suggest that at any given level of soil nutrients, relaxation of above-ground competition allows for higher seedling survival in grasslands. At the same time, even at low levels of above-ground competition, nutrient enrichment negatively affects survival as compared to nutrient-poor conditions. Therefore, although maintaining low above-ground competition appears essential for species' recruitment, for instance through mowing or herbivory, these management efforts are likely to be insufficient and we conclude that environmental policies aimed to reduce both excess nitrogen and particularly phosphorus inputs are also necessary.

Five channel data acquisition system for tracer studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narender Reddy, J.; Dhananjay Reddy, Y.; Dheeraj Reddy, J.

2001-01-01

Radioactive tracers are being used by many modern industries for trouble shooting, process control/quality control and optimization in the process plants. A five channel data acquisition system which has five independent scintillation detector based channels for data acquisition has been developed and made available. This system can be used for tracer studies involving Mean residence time, Resident time distribution and other similar parameters involving tracer movement. System developed can acquire data with dwell times ranging from 10 m sec to 100 sec into each channel and has a capacity to acquire data into 10K channels. Each channel electronics, has a 1x1 NaI Scintillation Detector probe, HV, AMP SCA, micro-controller based data acquisition card with independent dot matrix LCD display for visualization. Extensive use of serial bus (I 2 C, microwire) compatible devices has been incorporated in the design. Data acquisition is initiated simultaneously into all the channels. System design permits delayed/prompt data acquisition selectively. Dual counter switching technique has been employed to achieve faster dwell times for data acquisition. (author)

Interact to survive: Phyllobacterium brassicacearum improves Arabidopsis tolerance to severe water deficit and growth recovery.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justine Bresson

Full Text Available Mutualistic bacteria can alter plant phenotypes and confer new abilities to plants. Some plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR are known to improve both plant growth and tolerance to multiple stresses, including drought, but reports on their effects on plant survival under severe water deficits are scarce. We investigated the effect of Phyllobacterium brassicacearum STM196 strain, a PGPR isolated from the rhizosphere of oilseed rape, on survival, growth and physiological responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to severe water deficits combining destructive and non-destructive high-throughput phenotyping. Soil inoculation with STM196 greatly increased the survival rate of A. thaliana under several scenarios of severe water deficit. Photosystem II efficiency, assessed at the whole-plant level by high-throughput fluorescence imaging (Fv/Fm, was related to the probability of survival and revealed that STM196 delayed plant mortality. Inoculated surviving plants tolerated more damages to the photosynthetic tissues through a delayed dehydration and a better tolerance to low water status. Importantly, STM196 allowed a better recovery of plant growth after rewatering and stressed plants reached a similar biomass at flowering than non-stressed plants. Our results highlight the importance of plant-bacteria interactions in plant responses to severe drought and provide a new avenue of investigations to improve drought tolerance in agriculture.

The microbe-free plant: fact or artefact?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laila P. Pamela Partida-Martinez

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Plant-microbe interactions are ubiquitous. Plants are often colonized by pathogens but even more commonly engaged in neutral or mutualistic interactions with microbes: below-ground microbial plant associates are mycorrhizal fungi, Rhizobia and rhizosphere bacteria, above-ground plant parts are colonized by bacterial and fungal endophytes and by microbes in the phyllosphere. We emphasize here that a completely microbe-free plant is an exotic exception rather than the biologically relevant rule. The complex interplay of such microbial communities with the host plant affects plant nutrition, growth rate, resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, and plant survival and distribution. The mechanisms involved reach from nutrient acquisition, the production of plant hormones or direct antibiosis to effects on host resistance genes or interactions at higher trophic levels. Plant-associated microbes are heterotrophic and cause costs to their host plant, whereas the benefits depend on the environment. Thus, the outcome of the interaction is highly context-dependent. Considering the microbe-free plant as the ‘normal’ or control stage significantly impairs research into important phenomena such as (1 phenotypic and epigenetic plasticity, (2 the ‘normal’ ecological outcome of a given interaction and (3 the evolution of plants. For the future, we suggest cultivation-independent screening methods using direct PCR from plant tissue of more than one fungal and bacterial gene to collect data on the true microbial diversity in wild plants. The patterns found could be correlated to host species and environmental conditions, in order to formulate testable hypotheses on the biological roles of plant endophytes in nature. Experimental approaches should compare different host-endophyte combinations under various environmental conditions and study at the genetic, transcriptional and physiological level the parameters that shift the interaction along the mutualism

Plant Survival and Mortality during Drought Can be Mediated by Co-occurring Species' Physiological and Morphological Traits: Results from a Model

Science.gov (United States)

Tai, X.; Mackay, D. S.

2015-12-01

Interactions among co-occurring species are mediated by plant physiology, morphology and environment. Without proper mechanisms to account for these factors, it remains difficult to predict plant mortality/survival under changing climate. A plant ecophysiological model, TREES, was extended to incorporate co-occurring species' belowground interaction for water. We used it to examine the interaction between two commonly co-occurring species during drought experiment, pine (Pinus edulis) and juniper (Juniperus monosperma), with contrasting physiological traits (vulnerability to cavitation and leaf water potential regulation). TREES was parameterized and validated using field-measured plant physiological traits. The root architecture (depth, profile, and root area to leaf area ratio) of juniper was adjusted to see how root morphology could affect the survival/mortality of its neighboring pine under both ambient and drought conditions. Drought suppressed plant water and carbon uptake, as well increased the average percentage loss of conductivity (PLC). Pine had 59% reduction in water uptake, 48% reduction in carbon uptake, and 38% increase in PLC, while juniper had 56% reduction in water uptake, 50% reduction in carbon and 29% increase in PLC, suggesting different vulnerability to drought as mediated by plant physiological traits. Variations in juniper root architecture further mediated drought stress on pine, from negative to positive. Different juniper root architecture caused variations in response of pine over drought (water uptake reduction ranged 0% ~63%, carbon uptake reduction ranged 0% ~ 70%, and PLC increase ranged 2% ~ 91%). Deeper or more uniformly distributed roots of juniper could effectively mitigate stress experienced by pine. In addition, the total water and carbon uptake tended to increase as the ratio of root area to leaf area increased while PLC showed non-monotonic response, suggesting the potential trade-off between maximizing resource uptake and

Effects of site preparation treatments on early growth and survival of planted longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seedlings in North Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Benjamin O. Knapp; G. Geoff Wang; Joan L. Walker; Susan Cohen

2006-01-01

We tested the effects of eight site preparation treatments on early growth and survival of container-grown longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) seedlings. Treatments included an untreated check, six combinations of two initial vegetation control treatments (chopping or herbicide) with three planting site conditions (flat [no additional treatment],...

Survival Strategies of the Plant-Associated Bacterium Enterobacter sp. Strain EG16 under Cadmium Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yanmei; Chao, Yuanqing; Li, Yaying; Lin, Qingqi; Bai, Jun; Tang, Lu; Wang, Shizhong; Ying, Rongrong; Qiu, Rongliang

2016-01-04

Plant-associated bacteria are of great interest because of their potential use in phytoremediation. However, their ability to survive and promote plant growth in metal-polluted soils remains unclear. In this study, a soilborne Cd-resistant bacterium was isolated and identified as Enterobacter sp. strain EG16. It tolerates high external Cd concentrations (Cd(2+) MIC, >250 mg liter(-1)) and is able to produce siderophores and the plant hormone indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), both of which contribute to plant growth promotion. Surface biosorption in this strain accounted for 31% of the total Cd accumulated. The potential presence of cadmium sulfide, shown by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, suggested intracellular Cd binding as a Cd response mechanism of the isolate. Cd exposure resulted in global regulation at the transcriptomic level, with the bacterium switching to an energy-conserving mode by inhibiting energy-consuming processes while increasing the production of stress-related proteins. The stress response system included increased import of sulfur and iron, which become deficient under Cd stress, and the redirection of sulfur metabolism to the maintenance of intracellular glutathione levels in response to Cd toxicity. Increased production of siderophores, responding to Cd-induced Fe deficiency, not only is involved in the Cd stress response systems of EG16 but may also play an important role in promoting plant growth as well as alleviating the Cd-induced inhibition of IAA production. The newly isolated strain EG16 may be a suitable candidate for microbially assisted phytoremediation due to its high resistance to Cd and its Cd-induced siderophore production, which is likely to contribute to plant growth promotion. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

The growth and phosphorus acquisition of invasive plants Rudbeckia laciniata and Solidago gigantea are enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Majewska, Marta L; Rola, Kaja; Zubek, Szymon

2017-02-01

While a number of recent studies have revealed that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can mediate invasive plant success, the influence of these symbionts on the most successful and high-impact invaders is largely unexplored. Two perennial herbs of this category of invasive plants, Rudbeckia laciniata and Solidago gigantea (Asteraceae), were thus tested in a pot experiment to determine whether AMF influence their growth, the concentration of phosphorus in biomass, and photosynthesis. The following treatments, including three common AMF species, were prepared on soils representative of two habitats that are frequently invaded by both plants, namely fallow and river valley: (1) control-soil without AMF, (2) Rhizophagus irregularis, (3) Funneliformis mosseae, and (4) Claroideoglomus claroideum. The invaders were strongly dependent on AMF for their growth. The mycorrhizal dependency of R. laciniata was 88 and 63 % and of S. gigantea 90 and 82 % for valley and fallow soils, respectively. The fungi also increased P concentration in their biomass. However, we found different effects of the fungal species in the stimulation of plant growth and P acquisition, with R. irregularis and C. claroideum being the most and least effective symbionts, respectively. None of AMF species had an impact on the photosynthetic performance indexes of both plants. Our findings indicate that AMF have a direct effect on the early stages of R. laciniata and S. gigantea growth. The magnitude of the response of both plant species to AMF was dependent on the fungal and soil identities. Therefore, the presence of particular AMF species in a site may determine the success of their invasion.

On-line acquisition of plant related and environmental parameters (plant monitoring) in gerbera: determining plant responses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baas, R.; Slootweg, G.

2004-01-01

For on-line plant monitoring equipment to be functional in commercial glasshouse horticulture, relations between sensor readings and plant responses on both the short (days) and long term (weeks) are required. For this reason, systems were installed to monitor rockwool grown gerbera plants on a

The Adc/Lmb System Mediates Zinc Acquisition in Streptococcus agalactiae and Contributes to Bacterial Growth and Survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Moulin, Pauline; Patron, Kévin; Cano, Camille; Zorgani, Mohamed Amine; Camiade, Emilie; Borezée-Durant, Elise; Rosenau, Agnès; Mereghetti, Laurent; Hiron, Aurélia

2016-12-15

The Lmb protein of Streptococcus agalactiae is described as an adhesin that binds laminin, a component of the human extracellular matrix. In this study, we revealed a new role for this protein in zinc uptake. We also identified two Lmb homologs, AdcA and AdcAII, redundant binding proteins that combine with the AdcCB translocon to form a zinc-ABC transporter. Expression of this transporter is controlled by the zinc concentration in the medium through the zinc-dependent regulator AdcR. Triple deletion of lmb, adcA, and adcAII, or that of the adcCB genes, impaired growth and cell separation in a zinc-restricted environment. Moreover, we found that this Adc zinc-ABC transporter promotes S. agalactiae growth and survival in some human biological fluids, suggesting that it contributes to the infection process. These results indicated that zinc has biologically vital functions in S. agalactiae and that, under the conditions tested, the Adc/Lmb transporter constitutes the main zinc acquisition system of the bacterium. A zinc transporter, composed of three redundant binding proteins (Lmb, AdcA, and AdcAII), was characterized in Streptococcus agalactiae This system was shown to be essential for bacterial growth and morphology in zinc-restricted environments, including human biological fluids. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Concept for a Microcontroller Based Data Acquisition Device for Use in Nuclear Environments Measuring and Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stratton, Sam; Stevenson, Dave; Magnifico, Matteo

2013-06-01

Micro-controllers, (which are a superset of microprocessors), usually include a microprocessor, RAM, nonvolatile memory and an interface controller all on a single chip. Micro-controllers are widely used in what are known as 'embedded systems'. An embedded system is designed for a specific function often in a larger overall system. Where the home PC is designed for flexibility and many different types of software applications, embedded systems are most often fixed in their functionality and typically will not change during the life of their implementation. By the same token, the software developed for a micro-controller will not typically change during device deployment and is therefore called 'firmware'. A Data Acquisition (DAQ) micro-controller will also include an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) on the chip. The current state of nuclear power plant control systems is somewhat antiquated and even though there have been great strides made in the upgrade of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) systems, the industry as a whole has been slow to adopt the latest in technology. The benefits of digital technology are widely recognized in the NPP industry and yet adoption has still been slow due at least to some degree by the significant safety concerns of the industry. Results in other industries including satellite manufacture however, have shown that risk can be managed and high reliability achieved to produce electronics that function without errors for many years. In addition, the catastrophe that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi plant is causing some in the NPP industry to consider electronics that can withstand severe radiation and temperature conditions. The technology exists today to develop a single chip micro-controller data acquisition system that can survive and function reliably in radiation and other harsh environments and would be suitable for implementation in an NPP system. (authors)

Pharmacologically active plant metabolites as survival strategy products.

Science.gov (United States)

Attardo, C; Sartori, F

2003-01-01

The fact that plant organisms produce chemical substances that are able to positively or negatively interfere with the processes which regulate human life has been common knowledge since ancient times. One of the numerous possible examples in the infusion of Conium maculatum, better known as Hemlock, a plant belonging to the family umbelliferae, used by the ancient Egyptians to cure skin diseases. The current official pharmacopoeia includes various chemical substances produced by secondary plant metabolisms. For example, the immunosuppressive drugs used to prevent organ transplant rejection and the majority of antibiotics are metabolites produced by fungal organisms, pilocarpin, digitalis, strophantus, salicylic acid and curare are examples of plant organism metabolites. For this reason, there has been an increase in research into plants, based on information on their medicinal use in the areas where they grow. The study of plants in relation to local culture and traditions is known as "ethnobotany". Careful study of the behaviour of sick animals has also led to the discovery of medicinal plants. The study of this subject is known as "zoopharmacognosy". The aim of this article is to discuss the fact that "ad hoc" production of such chemical substances, defined as "secondary metabolites", is one of the modes in which plant organisms respond to unfavourable environmental stimuli, such as an attack by predatory phytophagous animals or an excessive number of plant individuals, even of the same species, in a terrain. In the latter case, the plant organisms produce toxic substances, called "allelopathic" which limit the growth of other individuals. "Secondary metabolites" are produced by metabolic systems that are shunts of the primary systems which, when required, may be activated from the beginning, or increased to the detriment of others. The study of the manner in which such substances are produced is the subject of a new branch of learning called "ecological

A Framework for RFID Survivability Requirement Analysis and Specification

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Yanjun; Pimple, Malvika; Lande, Suhas

Many industries are becoming dependent on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for inventory management and asset tracking. The data collected about tagged objects though RFID is used in various high level business operations. The RFID system should hence be highly available, reliable, and dependable and secure. In addition, this system should be able to resist attacks and perform recovery in case of security incidents. Together these requirements give rise to the notion of a survivable RFID system. The main goal of this paper is to analyze and specify the requirements for an RFID system to become survivable. These requirements, if utilized, can assist the system in resisting against devastating attacks and recovering quickly from damages. This paper proposes the techniques and approaches for RFID survivability requirements analysis and specification. From the perspective of system acquisition and engineering, survivability requirement is the important first step in survivability specification, compliance formulation, and proof verification.

High performance image acquisition and processing architecture for fast plant system controllers based on FPGA and GPU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieto, J.; Sanz, D.; Guillén, P.; Esquembri, S.; Arcas, G. de; Ruiz, M.; Vega, J.; Castro, R.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • To test an image acquisition and processing system for Camera Link devices based in a FPGA, compliant with ITER fast controllers. • To move data acquired from the set NI1483-NIPXIe7966R directly to a NVIDIA GPU using NVIDIA GPUDirect RDMA technology. • To obtain a methodology to include GPUs processing in ITER Fast Plant Controllers, using EPICS integration through Nominal Device Support (NDS). - Abstract: The two dominant technologies that are being used in real time image processing are Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Graphical Processor Unit (GPU) due to their algorithm parallelization capabilities. But not much work has been done to standardize how these technologies can be integrated in data acquisition systems, where control and supervisory requirements are in place, such as ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). This work proposes an architecture, and a development methodology, to develop image acquisition and processing systems based on FPGAs and GPUs compliant with ITER fast controller solutions. A use case based on a Camera Link device connected to an FPGA DAQ device (National Instruments FlexRIO technology), and a NVIDIA Tesla GPU series card has been developed and tested. The architecture proposed has been designed to optimize system performance by minimizing data transfer operations and CPU intervention thanks to the use of NVIDIA GPUDirect RDMA and DMA technologies. This allows moving the data directly between the different hardware elements (FPGA DAQ-GPU-CPU) avoiding CPU intervention and therefore the use of intermediate CPU memory buffers. A special effort has been put to provide a development methodology that, maintaining the highest possible abstraction from the low level implementation details, allows obtaining solutions that conform to CODAC Core System standards by providing EPICS and Nominal Device Support.

High performance image acquisition and processing architecture for fast plant system controllers based on FPGA and GPU

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nieto, J., E-mail: jnieto@sec.upm.es [Grupo de Investigación en Instrumentación y Acústica Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Crta. Valencia Km-7, Madrid 28031 (Spain); Sanz, D.; Guillén, P.; Esquembri, S.; Arcas, G. de; Ruiz, M. [Grupo de Investigación en Instrumentación y Acústica Aplicada, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Crta. Valencia Km-7, Madrid 28031 (Spain); Vega, J.; Castro, R. [Asociación EURATOM/CIEMAT para Fusión, Madrid (Spain)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • To test an image acquisition and processing system for Camera Link devices based in a FPGA, compliant with ITER fast controllers. • To move data acquired from the set NI1483-NIPXIe7966R directly to a NVIDIA GPU using NVIDIA GPUDirect RDMA technology. • To obtain a methodology to include GPUs processing in ITER Fast Plant Controllers, using EPICS integration through Nominal Device Support (NDS). - Abstract: The two dominant technologies that are being used in real time image processing are Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) and Graphical Processor Unit (GPU) due to their algorithm parallelization capabilities. But not much work has been done to standardize how these technologies can be integrated in data acquisition systems, where control and supervisory requirements are in place, such as ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor). This work proposes an architecture, and a development methodology, to develop image acquisition and processing systems based on FPGAs and GPUs compliant with ITER fast controller solutions. A use case based on a Camera Link device connected to an FPGA DAQ device (National Instruments FlexRIO technology), and a NVIDIA Tesla GPU series card has been developed and tested. The architecture proposed has been designed to optimize system performance by minimizing data transfer operations and CPU intervention thanks to the use of NVIDIA GPUDirect RDMA and DMA technologies. This allows moving the data directly between the different hardware elements (FPGA DAQ-GPU-CPU) avoiding CPU intervention and therefore the use of intermediate CPU memory buffers. A special effort has been put to provide a development methodology that, maintaining the highest possible abstraction from the low level implementation details, allows obtaining solutions that conform to CODAC Core System standards by providing EPICS and Nominal Device Support.

Survival and interaction of Escherichia coli O104:H4 on Arabidopsis thaliana and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in comparison to E. coli O157:H7: Influence of plant defense response and bacterial capsular polysaccharide.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Hyein; Matthews, Karl R

2018-06-01

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been associated with illnesses and outbreaks linked to fresh vegetables, prompting a growing public health concern. Most studies regarding interactions of STEC on fresh produce focused on E. coli O157:H7. Limited information is available about survival or fitness of E. coli O104:H4, non-O157 pathogen that was linked to one of the largest outbreaks of hemolytic uremic syndrome in 2011. In this study, survival of E. coli O104:H4 was evaluated on Arabidopsis thaliana plant and lettuce for 5 days compared with E. coli O157:H7, and expression of pathogenesis-realted gene (PR1; induction of plant defense response) was examined by reverse transcription quantitative PCR, and potential influence of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) on the bacterial fitness on plant was investigated. Populations of E. coli O104:H4 strains (RG1, C3493, and LpfA) on Arabidopsis and lettuce were significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains (7386 and sakai) at day 5 post-inoculation, indicating E. coli O104:H4 may have better survival ability on the plants. In addition, the E. coli O104:H4 strains produced significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains. RG1 strain (1.5-fold) initiated significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains 7386 (2.9-fold) and sakai (2.7-fold). Collectively, the results in this study suggests that different level of CPS production and plant defense response initiated by each STEC strain might influence the bacterial survival or persistence on plants. The present study provides better understanding of survival behavior of STEC, particularly E. coli O104:H4, using a model plant and vegetable under pre-harvest conditions with plant defense response. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Orthodox seeds and resurrection plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Costa, Maria Cecília Dias; Cooper, Keren; Hilhorst, Henk W.M.; Farrant, Jill M.

2017-01-01

Although staple crops do not survive extended periods of drought, their seeds possess desiccation tolerance (DT), as they survive almost complete dehydration (desiccation) during the late maturation phase of development. Resurrection plants are plant species whose seeds and vegetative tissues are

Organelle-localized potassium transport systems in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamamoto, Shin; Uozumi, Nobuyuki

2014-05-15

Some intracellular organelles found in eukaryotes such as plants have arisen through the endocytotic engulfment of prokaryotic cells. This accounts for the presence of plant membrane intrinsic proteins that have homologs in prokaryotic cells. Other organelles, such as those of the endomembrane system, are thought to have evolved through infolding of the plasma membrane. Acquisition of intracellular components (organelles) in the cells supplied additional functions for survival in various natural environments. The organelles are surrounded by biological membranes, which contain membrane-embedded K(+) transport systems allowing K(+) to move across the membrane. K(+) transport systems in plant organelles act coordinately with the plasma membrane intrinsic K(+) transport systems to maintain cytosolic K(+) concentrations. Since it is sometimes difficult to perform direct studies of organellar membrane proteins in plant cells, heterologous expression in yeast and Escherichia coli has been used to elucidate the function of plant vacuole K(+) channels and other membrane transporters. The vacuole is the largest organelle in plant cells; it has an important task in the K(+) homeostasis of the cytoplasm. The initial electrophysiological measurements of K(+) transport have categorized three classes of plant vacuolar cation channels, and since then molecular cloning approaches have led to the isolation of genes for a number of K(+) transport systems. Plants contain chloroplasts, derived from photoautotrophic cyanobacteria. A novel K(+) transport system has been isolated from cyanobacteria, which may add to our understanding of K(+) flux across the thylakoid membrane and the inner membrane of the chloroplast. This chapter will provide an overview of recent findings regarding plant organellar K(+) transport proteins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Anthropogenic host plant expansion leads a nettle-feeding butterfly out of the forest: consequences for larval survival and developmental plasticity in adult morphology

OpenAIRE

Merckx, Thomas; Serruys, Mélanie; Van Dyck, Hans

2015-01-01

Recent anthropogenic eutrophication has meant that host plants of nettle-feeding insects became quasi-omnipresent in fertile regions of Western Europe. However, host plant resource quality – in terms of microclimate and nutritional value – may vary considerably between the ‘original’ forest habitat and ‘recent’ agricul- tural habitat. Here, we compared development in both environmental settings using a split-brood design, so as to explore to what extent larval survival and adult morphology in...

Temporal progression of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' infection in citrus and acquisition efficiency by Diaphorina citri.

Science.gov (United States)

Coletta-Filho, Helvecio D; Daugherty, Matthew P; Ferreira, Cléderson; Lopes, João R S

2014-04-01

Over the last decade, the plant disease huanglongbing (HLB) has emerged as a primary threat to citrus production worldwide. HLB is associated with infection by phloem-limited bacteria ('Candidatus Liberibacter' spp.) that are transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri. Transmission efficiency varies with vector-related aspects (e.g., developmental stage and feeding periods) but there is no information on the effects of host-pathogen interactions. Here, acquisition efficiency of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' by D. citri was evaluated in relation to temporal progression of infection and pathogen titer in citrus. We graft inoculated sweet orange trees with 'Ca. L. asiaticus'; then, at different times after inoculation, we inspected plants for HLB symptoms, measured bacterial infection levels (i.e., titer or concentration) in plants, and measured acquisition by psyllid adults that were confined on the trees. Plant infection levels increased rapidly over time, saturating at uniformly high levels (≈10(8) copy number of 16S ribosomal DNA/g of plant tissue) near 200 days after inoculation-the same time at which all infected trees first showed disease symptoms. Pathogen acquisition by vectors was positively associated with plant infection level and time since inoculation, with acquisition occurring as early as the first measurement, at 60 days after inoculation. These results suggest that there is ample potential for psyllids to acquire the pathogen from trees during the asymptomatic phase of infection. If so, this could limit the effectiveness of tree rouging as a disease management tool and would likely explain the rapid spread observed for this disease in the field.

Horizontal Gene Acquisitions, Mobile Element Proliferation, and Genome Decay in the Host-Restricted Plant Pathogen Erwinia Tracheiphila

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Lori R.; Scully, Erin D.; Straub, Timothy J.; Park, Jihye; Stephenson, Andrew G.; Beattie, Gwyn A.; Gleason, Mark L.; Kolter, Roberto; Coelho, Miguel C.; De Moraes, Consuelo M.; Mescher, Mark C.; Zhaxybayeva, Olga

2016-01-01

Modern industrial agriculture depends on high-density cultivation of genetically similar crop plants, creating favorable conditions for the emergence of novel pathogens with increased fitness in managed compared with ecologically intact settings. Here, we present the genome sequence of six strains of the cucurbit bacterial wilt pathogen Erwinia tracheiphila (Enterobacteriaceae) isolated from infected squash plants in New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Michigan. These genomes exhibit a high proportion of recent horizontal gene acquisitions, invasion and remarkable amplification of mobile genetic elements, and pseudogenization of approximately 20% of the coding sequences. These genome attributes indicate that E. tracheiphila recently emerged as a host-restricted pathogen. Furthermore, chromosomal rearrangements associated with phage and transposable element proliferation contribute to substantial differences in gene content and genetic architecture between the six E. tracheiphila strains and other Erwinia species. Together, these data lead us to hypothesize that E. tracheiphila has undergone recent evolution through both genome decay (pseudogenization) and genome expansion (horizontal gene transfer and mobile element amplification). Despite evidence of dramatic genomic changes, the six strains are genetically monomorphic, suggesting a recent population bottleneck and emergence into E. tracheiphila’s current ecological niche. PMID:26992913

Survival of Saplings in Recovery of Riparian Vegetation of Pandeiros River (MG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathalle Cristine Alencar Fagundes

2018-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study monitored the survival of saplings planted according to different recovery models in a riparian forest of the Pandeiros river (Januária, MG. The models consisted of planting the saplings in lines of 2 or 4 m with presence (T2S and T4S, respectively or absence of direct seeding (T2 and T4, respectively. We planted 16,259 saplings of 17 botanical families, 32 genera and 33 species. The saplings, in general, presented a survival rate after one year of 34.4% (±1.8. The species with highest survival rates were Jacaranda brasiliana, with 85.0% (±13.5 of survival, Anadenanthera colubrina, with 70.1% (±7.0, and Triplaris gardneriana, with 69.3% (±9.1. Survival did not vary between the models tested, probably due to the short evaluation period (12 months.

Survival of the endangered Pima pineapple cactus: Does clearing before prescribed fire alter survival postfire?

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Kathryn A.; Jarchow, Christopher; Crawford, Julie A.

2017-01-01

Federal land managers and ranchers often use prescribed fire as a tool to reduce invading woody plants within desert grasslands of the arid southwestern United States. Managers must evaluate the threat of the burn toward the health and survival of plants of concern including how preemptive clearing before prescribed fire might benefit these species. One example is the endangered Pima pineapple cactus (Coryphantha scheeri var. robustispina), a small hemispheric cactus of desert scrublands and grasslands of south-central Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. In 2014, we examined survival of Pima pineapple cactus documented in 2009 or 2010 within grasslands of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. Of the 72 sites observed, 35 had no burn after documentation and 37 experienced prescribed fire. Refuge staff removed vegetation between 0.3 and 3.0 m from the cactus preburn. We found that Pima pineapple cacti in areas subjected to prescribed fire and with preemptive clearing had the same survival statistically as cacti from sites that were not burned.

A survival analysis on critical components of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durbec, V.; Pitner, P.; Riffard, T.

1995-06-01

Some tubes of heat exchangers of nuclear power plants may be affected by Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC) in highly stressed areas. These defects can shorten the lifetime of the component and lead to its replacement. In order to reduce the risk of cracking, a preventive remedial operation called shot peening was applied on the French reactors between 1985 and 1988. To assess and investigate the effects of shot peening, a statistical analysis was carried on the tube degradation results obtained from in service inspection that are regularly conducted using non destructive tests. The statistical method used is based on the Cox proportional hazards model, a powerful tool in the analysis of survival data, implemented in PROC PHRED recently available in SAS/STAT. This technique has a number of major advantages including the ability to deal with censored failure times data and with the complication of time-dependant co-variables. The paper focus on the modelling and a presentation of the results given by SAS. They provide estimate of how the relative risk of degradation changes after peening and indicate for which values of the prognostic factors analyzed the treatment is likely to be most beneficial. (authors). 2 refs., 3 figs., 6 tabs

Knowledge acquisition for nuclear power plant unit diagnostic system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiaodong; Xi Shuren

2003-01-01

The process of acquiring knowledge and building a knowledge base is critical to realize fault diagnostic system at unit level in a nuclear power plant. It directly determines whether the diagnostic system can be applied eventually in a commercial plant. A means to acquire knowledge and its procedures was presented in this paper for fault diagnostic system in a nuclear power plant. The work can be carried out step by step and it is feasible in a commercial nuclear power plant. The knowledge base of the fault diagnostic system for a nuclear power plant can be built after the staff finish the tasks according to the framework presented in this paper

Metal stress consequences on frost hardiness of plants at northern high latitudes: a review and hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Taulavuori, Kari; Prasad, M N V; Taulavuori, Erja; Laine, Kari

2005-05-01

This paper reviews the potential of trace/heavy metal-induced stress to reduce plant frost hardiness at northern high latitudes. The scientific questions are first outlined prior to a brief summary of heavy metal tolerance. The concepts of plant capacity and survival adaptation were used to formulate a hypothesis, according to which heavy metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness for the following reasons: (1) Heavy metals change membrane properties through impaired resource acquisition and subsequent diminution of the cryoprotectant pool. (2) Heavy metals change membrane properties directly through oxidative stress, i.e. an increase of active oxygen species. (3) The involved co-stress may further increase oxidative stress. (4) The risk of frost injury increases due to membrane alterations. An opposite perspective was also discussed: could metal stress result in enhanced plant frost hardiness? This phenomenon could be based on the metabolism (i.e. glutathione, polyamines, proline, heat shock proteins) underlying a possible general adaptation syndrome of stress (GAS). As a result of the review it was suggested that metal-induced stress seems to reduce rather than increase plant frost hardiness.

Design of XML-based plant data model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nair, Preetha M.; Padmini, S.; Gaur, Swati; Diwakar, M.P.

2013-01-01

XML has emerged as an open standard for exchanging structured data on various platforms to handle rich, nested, complex data structures. XML with its flexible tree-like data structure allows a more natural representation as compared to traditional databases. In this paper we present data model for plant data acquisition systems captured using XML technologies. Plant data acquisition systems in a typical Nuclear Power Plant consists of embedded nodes at the first tier and operator consoles at the second tier for operator operation, interaction and display of Plant parameters. This paper discusses a generic data model that was designed to capture process, network architecture, communication/interface protocol and diagnostics aspects required for a Nuclear Power Plant. (author)

Planting Technique and Care of Stock Affect Survival of Planted Red Pine

Science.gov (United States)

John H. Cooley

1974-01-01

Careless planting was found to be the most important of several possible causes of excessive mortality of newly planted red pine. Distribution procedures and high shoot/root ratios were also implicated.

On-line acquisition of plant related and environmental parameters (plant monitoring) in gerbera: determining plant responses

OpenAIRE

Baas, R.; Slootweg, G.

2004-01-01

For on-line plant monitoring equipment to be functional in commercial glasshouse horticulture, relations between sensor readings and plant responses on both the short (days) and long term (weeks) are required. For this reason, systems were installed to monitor rockwool grown gerbera plants on a minute-to-minute basis from July 2002 until April 2003. Data collected included, amongst others, crop transpiration from lysimeter data (2 m2), canopy temperature using infrared sensors, rockwool water...

A study on the impact of mergers & acquisitions on shareholders’ wealth and efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Tianqi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As nowadays mergers & acquisitions are becoming more and more prevalent, this paper concerns the impact of mergers & acquisition on shareholders’ wealth and efficiency. Choosing mergers & acquisitions events in bank industry, we apply literature analysis to see what previous scholars have found and CAPM model to calculate their CAR, which reflects the change of shareholders’ values (positive CAR means shareholders gain positive returns from mergers & acquisitions and vice versa. And finally, we find that bank mergers and acquisitions do create shareholder wealth for the target bank acquired and that in many cases the acquiring firm’s shareholders tend to lose out because their ownership in the newly formed bank is severely diluted and the same is with the efficiency. What’s more, when we take the financial crisis into consideration, mergers are seen to be a safe haven. Besides that, senior management must be skilled at corporate restructuring within the newly merged banks for merged banks to survive post-merger activity.

Hospital Acquisitions Before Healthcare Reform.

Science.gov (United States)

McCue, Michael J; Thompson, Jon M; Kim, Tae Hyun

2015-01-01

The hospital industry has experienced increased consolidation in the past 20 years. Since 2010, in particular, there has been a large rise in the number of hospital acquisitions, and observers have suggested this is due in part to the expected impact of federal healthcare reform legislation. This article reports on a study undertaken to identify the market, management, and financial factors affecting acute care, community hospitals acquired between 2010 and 2012. We identified 77 such hospitals and compared them to other acute care facilities. To assess how different factors were associated with acquisitions, the study used multiple logistic regressions whereby market factors were included first, followed by management and financial factors. Study findings show that acquired hospitals were located in markets with lower rates of preferred provider organization (PPO) penetration compared with nonacquired hospitals. Occupancy rate was found to be inversely related to acquisition rate; however, case-mix index was significantly and positively related to a hospital's being acquired. Financial factors negatively associated with a hospital's being acquired included age of plant and cash flow margin. In contrast to the findings from earlier studies of hospital acquisitions, our results showed that acquired hospitals possessed newer assets. However, similar to the findings of other studies, the cash flow margin of acquired hospitals was lower than that of nonacquired facilities.

On the track of transfer cell formation by specialized plant-parasitic nematodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodiuc, Natalia; Vieira, Paulo; Banora, Mohamed Youssef; de Almeida Engler, Janice

2014-01-01

Transfer cells are ubiquitous plant cells that play an important role in plant development as well as in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. They are highly specialized and differentiated cells playing a central role in the acquisition, distribution and exchange of nutrients. Their unique structural traits are characterized by augmented ingrowths of invaginated secondary wall material, unsheathed by an amplified area of plasma membrane enriched in a suite of solute transporters. Similar morphological features can be perceived in vascular root feeding cells induced by sedentary plant-parasitic nematodes, such as root-knot and cyst nematodes, in a wide range of plant hosts. Despite their close phylogenetic relationship, these obligatory biotrophic plant pathogens engage different approaches when reprogramming root cells into giant cells or syncytia, respectively. Both nematode feeding-cells types will serve as the main source of nutrients until the end of the nematode life cycle. In both cases, these nematodes are able to remarkably maneuver and reprogram plant host cells. In this review we will discuss the structure, function and formation of these specialized multinucleate cells that act as nutrient transfer cells accumulating and synthesizing components needed for survival and successful offspring of plant-parasitic nematodes. Plant cells with transfer-like functions are also a renowned subject of interest involving still poorly understood molecular and cellular transport processes.

On the track of transfer cells formation by specialized plant-parasitic nematodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia eRodiuc

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Transfer cells are ubiquitous plant cells that play an important role in plant development as well as in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. They are highly specialized and differentiated cells playing a central role in the acquisition, distribution and exchange of nutrients. Their unique structural traits are characterized by augmented ingrowths of invaginated secondary wall material, unsheathed by an amplified area of plasma membrane enriched in a suite of solute transporters. Similar morphological features can be perceived in vascular root feeding cells induced by sedentary plant-parasitic nematodes, such as root-knot and cyst nematodes, in a wide range of plant hosts. Despite their close phylogenetic relationship, these obligatory biotrophic plant pathogens engage different approaches when reprogramming root cells into giant cells or syncytia, respectively. Both nematode feeding-cells types will serve as the main source of nutrients until the end of the nematode life cycle. In both cases, these nematodes are able to remarkably maneuver and reprogram plant host cells. In this review we will discuss the structural, functional and morphogenetic characteristics function and formation of these specialized multinucleate cells that act as nutrient transfer cells to accumulate and synthesize components needed for survival and successful offspring of plant-parasitic nematodes. Plant cells with transfer-like functions are also a renowned subject of interest involving still poorly understood molecular and cellular transport processes.

CDP - Adaptive Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Technology for Infrastructure Protection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marco Carvalho; Richard Ford

2012-05-14

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Systems are a type of Industrial Control System characterized by the centralized (or hierarchical) monitoring and control of geographically dispersed assets. SCADA systems combine acquisition and network components to provide data gathering, transmission, and visualization for centralized monitoring and control. However these integrated capabilities, especially when built over legacy systems and protocols, generally result in vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers, with potentially disastrous consequences. Our research project proposal was to investigate new approaches for secure and survivable SCADA systems. In particular, we were interested in the resilience and adaptability of large-scale mission-critical monitoring and control infrastructures. Our research proposal was divided in two main tasks. The first task was centered on the design and investigation of algorithms for survivable SCADA systems and a prototype framework demonstration. The second task was centered on the characterization and demonstration of the proposed approach in illustrative scenarios (simulated or emulated).

Nutrient acquisition by symbiotic fungi governs Palaeozoic climate transition.

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Benjamin J W; Batterman, Sarah A; Field, Katie J

2018-02-05

Fossil evidence from the Rhynie chert indicates that early land plants, which evolved in a high-CO 2 atmosphere during the Palaeozoic Era, hosted diverse fungal symbionts. It is hypothesized that the rise of early non-vascular land plants, and the later evolution of roots and vasculature, drove the long-term shift towards a high-oxygen, low CO 2 climate that eventually permitted the evolution of mammals and, ultimately, humans. However, very little is known about the productivity of the early terrestrial biosphere, which depended on the acquisition of the limiting nutrient phosphorus via fungal symbiosis. Recent laboratory experiments have shown that plant-fungal symbiotic function is specific to fungal identity, with carbon-for-phosphorus exchange being either enhanced or suppressed under superambient CO 2 By incorporating these experimental findings into a biogeochemical model, we show that the differences in these symbiotic nutrient acquisition strategies could greatly alter the plant-driven changes to climate, allowing drawdown of CO 2 to glacial levels, and altering the nature of the rise of oxygen. We conclude that an accurate depiction of plant-fungal symbiotic systems, informed by high-CO 2 experiments, is key to resolving the question of how the first terrestrial ecosystems altered our planet.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The Rhynie cherts: our earliest terrestrial ecosystem revisited'. © 2017 The Authors.

48 CFR 245.7101-4 - DD Form 1640, Request for Plant Clearance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false DD Form 1640, Request for Plant Clearance. 245.7101-4 Section 245.7101-4 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE... Forms 245.7101-4 DD Form 1640, Request for Plant Clearance. Use to request plant clearance assistance or...

Metabolomics and bioactive substances in plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khakimov, Bekzod

Metabolomic analysis of plants broadens understanding of how plants may benefit humans, animals and the environment, provide sustainable food and energy, and improve current agricultural, pharmacological and medicinal practices in order to bring about healthier and longer life. The quality...... and amount of the extractible biological information is largely determined by data acquisition, data processing and analysis methodologies of the plant metabolomics studies. This PhD study focused mainly on the development and implementation of new metabolomics methodologies for improved data acquisition...... and data processing. The study mainly concerned the three most commonly applied analytical techniques in plant metabolomics, GC-MS, LC-MS and NMR. In addition, advanced chemometrics methods e.g. PARAFAC2 and ASCA have been extensively used for development of complex metabolomics data processing...

Metal stress consequences on frost hardiness of plants at northern high latitudes: a review and hypothesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taulavuori, Kari; Prasad, M.N.V.; Taulavuori, Erja; Laine, Kari

2005-01-01

This paper reviews the potential of trace/heavy metal-induced stress to reduce plant frost hardiness at northern high latitudes. The scientific questions are first outlined prior to a brief summary of heavy metal tolerance. The concepts of plant capacity and survival adaptation were used to formulate a hypothesis, according to which heavy metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness for the following reasons: (1) Heavy metals change membrane properties through impaired resource acquisition and subsequent diminution of the cryoprotectant pool. (2) Heavy metals change membrane properties directly through oxidative stress, i.e. an increase of active oxygen species. (3) The involved co-stress may further increase oxidative stress. (4) The risk of frost injury increases due to membrane alterations. An opposite perspective was also discussed: could metal stress result in enhanced plant frost hardiness? This phenomenon could be based on the metabolism (i.e. glutathione, polyamines, proline, heat shock proteins) underlying a possible general adaptation syndrome of stress (GAS). As a result of the review it was suggested that metal-induced stress seems to reduce rather than increase plant frost hardiness. - Metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness

Metal stress consequences on frost hardiness of plants at northern high latitudes: a review and hypothesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taulavuori, Kari [Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu (Finland)]. E-mail: kari.taulavuori@oulu.fi; Prasad, M.N.V. [Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 046, Andhra Pradesh (India); Taulavuori, Erja [Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu (Finland); Laine, Kari [Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014, Oulu (Finland)

2005-05-01

This paper reviews the potential of trace/heavy metal-induced stress to reduce plant frost hardiness at northern high latitudes. The scientific questions are first outlined prior to a brief summary of heavy metal tolerance. The concepts of plant capacity and survival adaptation were used to formulate a hypothesis, according to which heavy metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness for the following reasons: (1) Heavy metals change membrane properties through impaired resource acquisition and subsequent diminution of the cryoprotectant pool. (2) Heavy metals change membrane properties directly through oxidative stress, i.e. an increase of active oxygen species. (3) The involved co-stress may further increase oxidative stress. (4) The risk of frost injury increases due to membrane alterations. An opposite perspective was also discussed: could metal stress result in enhanced plant frost hardiness? This phenomenon could be based on the metabolism (i.e. glutathione, polyamines, proline, heat shock proteins) underlying a possible general adaptation syndrome of stress (GAS). As a result of the review it was suggested that metal-induced stress seems to reduce rather than increase plant frost hardiness. - Metal stress may reduce plant frost hardiness.

How dietary plant nectar affects the survival, growth, and fecundity of a cursorial spider Cheiracanthium inclusum (Araneae: Miturgidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, R M; Pfannenstiel, R S

2009-10-01

We measured the effects of plant nectar consumption on Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz) (Miturgidae), an agriculturally important spider. Newly emerged spiderlings were reared on the eggs of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) at four prey densities, 1, 5, 25, or 125 eggs, three times a week, with or without nectar. Nectar came from the extrafloral nectaries of Indian almond, Terminalia cattapa L. (Combretaceae). The addition of nectar to prey (1) allowed spiderlings on the 1-egg diet to survive longer and molt many more times; (2) allowed virtually all of the spiderlings on the 5-egg diet to become small adults and 50% to mate and reproduce versus those without nectar, none of which matured to adulthood; and (3) increased fecundity of females on 5-egg and 25-egg diets to the level of females fed five times the amount of prey. These results show that spiders that feed on nectar increase their fitness with increased survival, growth, and fecundity, particularly when density of prey is inadequate or marginal.

Survival and Virulence of Campylobacter spp. in the Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bui, Thanh Xuan

of environmental stress factors, namely heat shock, starvation, osmosis, and oxidation, on the expression of three virulence genes (ciaB, dnaJ, and htrA) of C. jejuni and its uptake by and intracellular survival within A. castellanii. I also investigated the mechanism(s) involved in phagocytosis and killing of C....... jejuni by A. castellanii. I observed that heat and osmotic stresses reduced the survival of C. jejuni significantly, whereas oxidative stress had no effect. The results of qRT-PCR experiments showed that the transcription of virulence genes of C. jejuni was slightly up-regulated under heat and oxidative...... soil flagellates may play a role for the survival of these food-borne pathogens on plant surfaces and in soil. It would be very interesting to further investigate the impacts of this soil flagellate on the survival of different food-borne pathogens in soil and in plant surface that may explain...

Nitrogen acquisition by plants and microorganisms in a temperate grassland.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qianyuan; Qiao, Na; Xu, Xingliang; Xin, Xiaoping; Han, Jessie Yc; Tian, Yuqiang; Ouyang, Hua; Kuzyakov, Yakov

2016-03-10

Nitrogen (N) limitation is common in most terrestrial ecosystems, often leading to strong competition between microorganisms and plants. The mechanisms of niche differentiation to reduce this competition remain unclear. Short-term (15)N experiments with NH4(+), NO3(-), and glycine were conducted in July, August and September in a temperate grassland to evaluate the chemical, spatial and temporal niche differentiation by competition between plants and microorganisms for N. Microorganisms preferred NH4(+) and NO3(-), while plants preferred NO3(-). Both plants and microorganisms acquired more N in August and September than in July. The soil depth had no significant effects on microbial uptake, but significantly affected plant N uptake. Plants acquired 67% of their N from the 0-5 cm soil layer and 33% from the 5-15 cm layer. The amount of N taken up by microorganisms was at least seven times than plants. Although microorganisms efficiently compete for N with plants, the competition is alleviated through chemical partitioning mainly in deeper soil layer. In the upper soil layer, neither chemical nor temporal niche separation is realized leading to strong competition between plants and microorganisms that modifies N dynamics in grasslands.

Optimizing asset value (OAV) -- A decision tool for mergers and acquisitions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blanchard, D.; Brinsfield, W.; Franklin, E. [Tenera Energy, LLC, San Francisco, CA (United States); Turnage, J. [US Generating Co., Bethesda, MD (United States)

1999-11-01

As the energy industry restructures and realigns, companies are increasingly engaged in all aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and divestiture. Successful transactions are no accident, and new insights are emerging daily. This paper describes a tool called Optimizing Asset Value (OAV) that provides support to the Valuation phase of the merger, acquisition, and divestiture process. The methodology is based upon a quantitative, risk-based approach that is used to calculate the impact of equipment operation and operations/maintenance practices upon the ability to generate maximum revenue. By combining probabilistic reliability data with the economic consequences of plant derating, equipment can be prioritized as to its importance to revenue generation. Savvy buyers can apply OAV to plants under consideration for purchase to estimate where the plant is on its revenue generation capability curve, and thus gain a better understanding as to the risks, or opportunities for improvement, that exist. This information can be used along with other pro forma analyses to set the bid price for the asset.

Nitrogen deposition increases the acquisition of phosphorus and potassium by heather Calluna vulgaris

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowe, Edwin C.; Smart, Simon M.; Kennedy, Valerie H.; Emmett, Bridget A.; Evans, Christopher D.

2008-01-01

Increased plant productivity due to nitrogen pollution increases the strength of the global carbon sink, but is implicated in plant diversity loss. However, modelling and experimental studies have suggested that these effects are constrained by availability of other nutrients. In a survey of element concentrations in Calluna vulgaris across an N deposition gradient in the UK, shoot concentrations of N and more surprisingly phosphorus and potassium were positively correlated with N deposition; tissue N/P ratio even decreased with N deposition. Elevated P and K concentrations possibly resulted from improved acquisition due to additional enzyme production or mycorrhizal activity. Heather occurs on organic soils where nutrient limitations are likely due to availability constraints rather than small stocks. However, if this effect extends to other plant and soil types, effects of N deposition on C sinks and plant competition may not be as constrained by availability of other nutrients as previously proposed. - Heather tissue phosphorus and potassium concentrations increased across a nitrogen deposition gradient, implying that nitrogen limited acquisition of other plant nutrients

Impact of plant extracts tested in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treatment on cell survival and energy metabolism in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Andreas Johannes; Krieg, Jürgen-Christian; Hemmeter, Ulrich Michael; Kircher, Tilo; Schulz, Eberhard; Clement, Hans-Willi; Heiser, Philip

2010-10-01

Plant extracts such as Hypericum perforatum and Pycnogenol have been tested as alternatives to the classical ADHD drugs. It has been possible to describe neuroprotective effects of such plant extracts. A reduction of ADHD symptoms could be shown in clinical studies after the application of Pycnogenol, which is a pine bark extract. The impacts of the standardized herbal extracts Hypericum perforatum, Pycnogenol and Enzogenol up to a concentration of 5000 ng/mL on cell survival and energy metabolism in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells has been investigated in the present examination. Hypericum perforatum significantly decreased the survival of cells after treatment with a concentration of 5000 ng/mL, whereas lower concentrations exerted no significant effects. Pycnogenol( induced a significant increase of cell survival after incubation with a concentration of 32.25 ng/mL and a concentration of 250 ng/mL. Other applied concentrations of Pycnogenol failed to exert significant effects. Treatment with Enzogenol did not lead to significant changes in cell survival.Concerning energy metabolism, the treatment of cells with a concentration of 5000 ng/mL Hypericum perforatum led to a significant increase of ATP levels, whereas treatment with a concentration of 500 ng/mL had no significant effect. Incubation of cells with Pycnogenol and Enzogenol exerted no significant effects.None of the tested substances caused any cytotoxic effect when used in therapeutically relevant concentrations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aircraft Survivability: Assuring M&S Credibility for Defense Acquisition and T&E, Fall 2001

Science.gov (United States)

2001-01-01

Acquisition and T&E, Fall 2001 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER...Dave worked his way through col- lege at Disneyland , first selling ice cream and then picking up trash. Dave met his wife, Te r r i , his freshman

Host and environmental factors influencing "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" acquisition in Diaphorina citri.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Fengnian; Huang, Jiaquan; Xu, Meirong; Fox, Eduardo G P; Beattie, G Andrew C; Holford, Paul; Cen, Yijing; Deng, Xiaoling

2018-05-03

Diaphorina citri is a vector of "Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus" (CLas) associated with citrus Huanglongbing. In this study, the infection and titers of CLas in the psyllid, were monitored for life cycle stage, sex, host-plant CLas titer, host-plant genotype, and ambient temperature. Acquisition efficiency of CLas by D. citri was highest in nymphs reared at 25 °C on a host plant with high CLas titers but was independent of the host genotypes assessed and of vector sex. We further observed that D. citri nymphs acquired CLas more rapidly than adults based on acquisition access periods (AAPs). CLas did not multiply in the alimentary canal, hemolymph, and salivary glands of adults for 18 d after a 3-day AAP as adult. However, CLas multiplication was detected in hemolymph and salivary gland of adults after the bacterium was acquired by nymphs. Eighty percent of salivary glands of adults contained CLas 18 d after a 3-day AAP as nymph compared to 10% 18 d after a 3-day AAP as adults. Different factors tested herein influenced CLas acquisition efficiency of D. citri, CLas multiplication and spread inside the psyllid. These observations serve to better understand mechanisms of CLas infection in D. citri. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 252.217-7016 - Plant protection.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Plant protection. 252.217... Clauses 252.217-7016 Plant protection. As prescribed in 217.7104(a), use the following clause: Plant Protection (DEC 1991) (a) The Contractor shall provide, for the plant and work in process, reasonable...

Inflorescences of alpine cushion plants freeze autonomously and may survive subzero temperatures by supercooling

Science.gov (United States)

Hacker, Jürgen; Ladinig, Ursula; Wagner, Johanna; Neuner, Gilbert

2011-01-01

Freezing patterns in the high alpine cushion plants Saxifraga bryoides, Saxifraga caesia, Saxifraga moschata and Silene acaulis were studied by infrared thermography at three reproductive stages (bud, anthesis, fruit development). The single reproductive shoots of a cushion froze independently in all four species at every reproductive stage. Ice formation caused lethal damage to the respective inflorescence. After ice nucleation, which occurred mainly in the stalk or the base of the reproductive shoot, ice propagated throughout that entire shoot, but not into neighboring shoots. However, anatomical ice barriers within cushions were not detected. The naturally occurring temperature gradient within the cushion appeared to interrupt ice propagation thermally. Consequently, every reproductive shoot needed an autonomous ice nucleation event to initiate freezing. Ice nucleation was not only influenced by minimum temperatures but also by the duration of exposure. At moderate subzero exposure temperatures (−4.3 to −7.7 °C) the number of frozen inflorescences increased exponentially. Due to efficient supercooling, single reproductive shoots remained unfrozen down to −17.4 °C (cooling rate 6 K h−1). Hence, the observed freezing pattern may be advantageous for frost survival of individual inflorescences and reproductive success of high alpine cushion plants, when during episodic summer frosts damage can be avoided by supercooling. PMID:21151351

Direct drive target survival during injection in an inertial fusion energy power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petzoldt, R.W.; Goodin, D.T.; Nikroo, A.; Stephens, E.; Alexander, N.B.; Gallix, R.; Siegel, N.; Raffray, A.R.; Mau, T.K.; Tillack, M.; Najmabadi, F.; Krasheninnikov, S.I.

2002-01-01

In inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant designs, the fuel is a spherical layer of frozen DT contained in a target that is injected at high velocity into the reaction chamber. For direct drive, typically laser beams converge at the centre of the chamber (CC) to compress and heat the target to fusion conditions. To obtain the maximum energy yield from the fusion reaction, the frozen DT layer must be at about 18.5 K and the target must maintain a high degree of spherical symmetry and surface smoothness when it reaches the CC. During its transit in the chamber the cryogenic target is heated by radiation from the hot chamber wall. The target is also heated by convection as it passes through the rarefied fill-gas used to control chamber wall damage by x-rays and debris from the target explosion. This article addresses the temperature limits at the target surface beyond which target uniformity may be damaged. It concentrates on direct drive targets because fuel warm up during injection is not currently thought to be an issue for present indirect drive designs and chamber concepts. Detailed results of parametric radiative and convective heating calculations are presented for direct-drive targets during injection into a dry-wall reaction chamber. The baseline approach to target survival utilizes highly reflective targets along with a substantially lower chamber wall temperature and fill-gas pressure than previously assumed. Recently developed high-Z material coatings with high heat reflectivity are discussed and characterized. The article also presents alternate target protection methods that could be developed if targets with inherent survival features cannot be obtained within a reasonable time span. (author)

A key role for arbuscular mycorrhiza in plant acquisition of P from sewage sludge recycled to soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mackay, Jessica E.; Cavagnaro, Timothy R.; Müller-Stöver, Dorette Sophie

2017-01-01

Dried and incinerated sewage sludge (SS) have the potential to be used as phosphorus (P) fertilisers. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) contribute to plant P uptake; however, their role in P uptake from SS has yet to be fully explored. A compartmented pot system with an isotope pool dilution...... approach was used to investigate wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) P uptake from soluble P, dried SS and incinerated SS, via roots and/or AMF hyphae. Wheat was sown into an inner compartment containing a 33P label with/without AMF (Rhizophagus irregularis) inoculum. An outer soil compartment contained the P...... access dried SS than when only roots could access dried SS. We discuss the results in terms of availability of P to roots and hyphae. We conclude that AMF play an important role in wheat P acquisition from dried SS and therefore can assist in the recycling of P in waste....

SemGroup acquisition of central Alberta midstream : case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purcell, T.

2005-01-01

A case study of SemGroup's acquisition of Central Alberta Midstream was presented. SemCAMS specializes in providing more efficient supply, storage, and distribution assets and services. Seminole Canada Gas is a leading independent natural gas marketing and energy asset management company that currently markets 369 MMbtu per day. The company purchases natural gas in western Canada for fee-based marketing services while also managing firm transportation contracts and providing gas storage for third party customers. SemCAMS owns the largest sour gas processor in Alberta as well as 3 sour gas processing plants, 600 miles of gathering pipeline, and a sweet gas processing plant. the company is also planning increased drilling and production activities and is now pursuing aggressive land acquisition policies. Over 25,000 square miles of land have been acquired. It was concluded that midstream companies should be customer-focused, provide reliability and guarantees, infrastructure investment and optimization. tabs., figs

Survival of Saplings in Recovery of Riparian Vegetation of Pandeiros River (MG)

OpenAIRE

Nathalle Cristine Alencar Fagundes; Lílian de Lima Braga; Wesley Alves Silva; Chirley Alves Coutinho; Walter Viana Neves; Ricardo Almeida de Souza; Maria das Dores Magalhães Veloso; Yule Roberta Ferreira Nunes

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT This study monitored the survival of saplings planted according to different recovery models in a riparian forest of the Pandeiros river (Januária, MG). The models consisted of planting the saplings in lines of 2 or 4 m with presence (T2S and T4S, respectively) or absence of direct seeding (T2 and T4, respectively). We planted 16,259 saplings of 17 botanical families, 32 genera and 33 species. The saplings, in general, presented a survival rate after one year of 34.4% (±1.8). The spe...

Plants' essential chemical elements

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin T. Smith

2007-01-01

Every garden center and hardware store sells fertilizer guaranteed to "feed" plants. In a strict sense, we can't feed plants. Food contains an energy source. Green plants capture solar energy and make their own food through photosynthesis! Photosynthesis and other metabolic processes require chemical elements in appropriate doses for plants to survive...

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Negatively Affect Nitrogen Acquisition and Grain Yield of Maize in a N Deficient Soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin-Xin; Wang, Xiaojing; Sun, Yu; Cheng, Yang; Liu, Shitong; Chen, Xinping; Feng, Gu; Kuyper, Thomas W

2018-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a crucial role in enhancing the acquisition of immobile nutrients, particularly phosphorus. However, because nitrogen (N) is more mobile in the soil solution and easier to access by plants roots, the role of AMF in enhancing N acquisition is regarded as less important for host plants. Because AMF have a substantial N demand, competition for N between AMF and plants particularly under low N condition is possible. Thus, it is necessary to know whether or not AMF affect N uptake of plants and thereby affect plant growth under field conditions. We conducted a 2-year field trial and pot experiments in a greenhouse by using benomyl to suppress colonization of maize roots by indigenous AMF at both low and high N application rates. Benomyl reduced mycorrhizal colonization of maize plants in all experiments. Benomyl-treated maize had a higher shoot N concentration and content and produced more grain under field conditions. Greenhouse pot experiments showed that benomyl also enhanced maize growth and N concentration and N content when the soil was not sterilized, but had no effect on maize biomass and N content when the soil was sterilized but a microbial wash added, providing evidence that increased plant performance is at least partly caused by direct effects of benomyl on AMF. We conclude that AMF can reduce N acquisition and thereby reduce grain yield of maize in N-limiting soils.

Methods to Improve Survival and Growth of Planted Alternative Species Seedlings in Black Ash Ecosystems Threatened by Emerald Ash Borer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas Bolton

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Emerald ash borer (EAB continues to spread across North America, infesting native ash trees and changing the forested landscape. Black ash wetland forests are severely affected by EAB. As black ash wetland forests provide integral ecosystem services, alternative approaches to maintain forest cover on the landscape are needed. We implemented simulated EAB infestations in depressional black ash wetlands in the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan to mimic the short-term and long-term effects of EAB. These wetlands were planted with 10 alternative tree species in 2013. Based on initial results in the Michigan sites, a riparian corridor in the Superior Municipal Forest in Wisconsin was planted with three alternative tree species in 2015. Results across both locations indicate that silver maple (Acer saccharinum L., red maple (Acer rubrum L., American elm (Ulmus americana L., and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L. are viable alternative species to plant in black ash-dominated wetlands. Additionally, selectively planting on natural or created hummocks resulted in two times greater survival than in adjacent lowland sites, and this suggests that planting should be implemented with microsite selection or creation as a primary control. Regional landowners and forest managers can use these results to help mitigate the canopy and structure losses from EAB and maintain forest cover and hydrologic function in black ash-dominated wetlands after infestation.

[Design and implementation of mobile terminal data acquisition for Chinese materia medica resources survey].

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yuan-Hua; Wang, Hui; Zhang, Xiao-Bo; Jin, Yan; Ge, Xiao-Guang; Jing, Zhi-Xian; Wang, Ling; Zhao, Yu-Ping; Guo, Lan-Ping; Huang, Lu-Qi

2017-11-01

In this paper, a data acquisition system based on mobile terminal combining GPS, offset correction, automatic speech recognition and database networking technology was designed implemented with the function of locating the latitude and elevation information fast, taking conveniently various types of Chinese herbal plant photos, photos, samples habitat photos and so on. The mobile system realizes automatic association with Chinese medicine source information, through the voice recognition function it records the information of plant characteristics and environmental characteristics, and record relevant plant specimen information. The data processing platform based on Chinese medicine resources survey data reporting client can effectively assists in indoor data processing, derives the mobile terminal data to computer terminal. The established data acquisition system provides strong technical support for the fourth national survey of the Chinese materia medica resources (CMMR). Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Mechanical transmission and survival of bacterial wilt on enset ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The transmission of enset bacterial wilt with contaminated knives and the survival of the causal agent in soil and enset plant debris was studied at the Awassa Agricultural Research Center, Awassa, Ethiopia. Contaminated knives were found to transmit the pathogen from infected to healthy plants. Disease symptoms were ...

Plant phenomics: an overview of image acquisition technologies and image data analysis algorithms.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Sanz, Fernando; Navarro, Pedro J; Egea-Cortines, Marcos

2017-11-01

The study of phenomes or phenomics has been a central part of biology. The field of automatic phenotype acquisition technologies based on images has seen an important advance in the last years. As with other high-throughput technologies, it addresses a common set of problems, including data acquisition and analysis. In this review, we give an overview of the main systems developed to acquire images. We give an in-depth analysis of image processing with its major issues and the algorithms that are being used or emerging as useful to obtain data out of images in an automatic fashion. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

The impact of groundwater level on soil seed bank survival

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bekker, RM; Oomes, MJM; Bakker, JP

Seed longevity of plant species is an important topic in restoration management, and little is known about the effects of environmental conditions on seed survival and longevity under natural conditions. Therefore, the effect of groundwater level on the survival of seeds in the soil seed bank of a

Acquisition and evolution of plant pathogenesis-associated gene clusters and candidate determinants of tissue-specificity in xanthomonas.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong Lu

Full Text Available Xanthomonas is a large genus of plant-associated and plant-pathogenic bacteria. Collectively, members cause diseases on over 392 plant species. Individually, they exhibit marked host- and tissue-specificity. The determinants of this specificity are unknown.To assess potential contributions to host- and tissue-specificity, pathogenesis-associated gene clusters were compared across genomes of eight Xanthomonas strains representing vascular or non-vascular pathogens of rice, brassicas, pepper and tomato, and citrus. The gum cluster for extracellular polysaccharide is conserved except for gumN and sequences downstream. The xcs and xps clusters for type II secretion are conserved, except in the rice pathogens, in which xcs is missing. In the otherwise conserved hrp cluster, sequences flanking the core genes for type III secretion vary with respect to insertion sequence element and putative effector gene content. Variation at the rpf (regulation of pathogenicity factors cluster is more pronounced, though genes with established functional relevance are conserved. A cluster for synthesis of lipopolysaccharide varies highly, suggesting multiple horizontal gene transfers and reassortments, but this variation does not correlate with host- or tissue-specificity. Phylogenetic trees based on amino acid alignments of gum, xps, xcs, hrp, and rpf cluster products generally reflect strain phylogeny. However, amino acid residues at four positions correlate with tissue specificity, revealing hpaA and xpsD as candidate determinants. Examination of genome sequences of xanthomonads Xylella fastidiosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia revealed that the hrp, gum, and xcs clusters are recent acquisitions in the Xanthomonas lineage.Our results provide insight into the ancestral Xanthomonas genome and indicate that differentiation with respect to host- and tissue-specificity involved not major modifications or wholesale exchange of clusters, but subtle changes in a small

Influences of Cry1Ac broccoli on larval survival and oviposition of diamondback moth.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Dengxia; Cui, Shusong; Yang, Limei; Fang, Zhiyuan; Liu, Yumei; Zhuang, Mu; Zhang, Yangyong

2015-01-01

Larval survival and oviposition behavior of three genotypes of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), (homozygous Cry1Ac-susceptibile, Cry1Ac-resistant, and their F1 hybrids), on transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) broccoli expressing different levels of Cry1Ac protein were evaluated in laboratory. These Bt broccoli lines were designated as relative low, medium, and high, respectively, according to the Cry1Ac content. Untransformed brocccoli plants were used as control. Larval survival of diamondback moth on non-Bt leaves was not significantly different among the three genotypes. The Cry1Ac-resistant larvae could survive on the low level of Bt broccoli plants, while Cry1Ac-susceptible and F1 larvae could not survive on them. The three genotypes of P. xylostella larvae could not survive on medium and high levels of Bt broccoli. In oviposition choice tests, there was no significant difference in the number of eggs laid by the three P. xylostella genotypes among different Bt broccoli plants. The development of Cry1Ac-susceptible and Cry1Ac-resistant P. xylostella on intact Bt plants was also tested in greenhouse. All susceptible P. xylostella larvae died on all Bt plants, while resistant larvae could survive on broccoli, which expresses low Cry1Ac protein under greenhouse conditions. The results of the greenhouse trials were similar to that of laboratory tests. This study indicated that high dose of Bt toxins in broccoli cultivars or germplasm lines is required for effective resistance management. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Impact of relative humidity, inoculum carrier and size, and native microbiota on Salmonella ser. Typhimurium survival in baby lettuce.

Science.gov (United States)

López-Gálvez, Francisco; Gil, Maria Isabel; Allende, Ana

2018-04-01

The effects of relative humidity (RH), fluctuating climate conditions, inoculum size and carrier on the survival of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium on baby lettuce in environmental test chambers were studied. Buffered peptone water (BPW), distilled water (DW), and irrigation water (IW) were compared as inoculum carriers. Additionally, survival of Salmonella in suspensions prepared using filtered and unfiltered IW was assessed. Salmonella Typhimurium survived better on baby lettuce plants at high RH independently of the inoculum size. When lettuce plants were grown under fluctuating environmental conditions, Salmonella survival was similar under both RH conditions. Regarding the inoculum carrier, the inoculated microorganism survived better on lettuce plants when BPW was used as carrier both at high and low RH. Survival rate of Salmonella in IW was affected by the presence of native microbiota. Native microbiota present in IW did not affect survival of Salmonella or the levels of mesophilic bacteria on the baby lettuce leaves. The information obtained in the present study contributes to the knowledge on the effect of environmental conditions on pathogenic bacteria survival on growing edible plants. These results are useful when selecting the methodology to carry out experimental studies on the survival of microbial pathogens under different pre-harvest conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A real-time remote sensing and data acquisition system for a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Ki Ho; Hieu, Bui Van; Beak, Seung Hyun; Choi, Seung Hwan; Son, Tae Ha; Kim, Jung Kuk; Han, Seung Chul

2011-01-01

A Structure Health Monitoring (SHM) system needs a real-time remote data acquisition system to monitor the status of a structure from anywhere via Internet access. In this paper, we present a data acquisition system that monitors up to 40 Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors remotely in real-time. Using a TCP/IP protocol, users can access information gathered by the sensors from anywhere. An experiment in laboratory conditions has been done to prove the feasibility of our proposed system, which is built in special-purpose monitoring system

Speed in Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meglio, Olimpia; King, David R.; Risberg, Annette

2017-01-01

The advantage of speed is often invoked by academics and practitioners as an essential condition during post-acquisition integration, frequently without consideration of the impact earlier decisions have on acquisition speed. In this article, we examine the role speed plays in acquisitions across...... the acquisition process using research organized around characteristics that display complexity with respect to acquisition speed. We incorporate existing research with a process perspective of acquisitions in order to present trade-offs, and consider the influence of both stakeholders and the pre......-deal-completion context on acquisition speed, as well as the organization’s capabilities to facilitating that speed. Observed trade-offs suggest both that acquisition speed often requires longer planning time before an acquisition and that associated decisions require managerial judgement. A framework for improving...

The dynamic relationship between plant architecture and competition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ford, E David

2014-01-01

In this review, structural and functional changes are described in single-species, even-aged, stands undergoing competition for light. Theories of the competition process as interactions between whole plants have been advanced but have not been successful in explaining these changes and how they vary between species or growing conditions. This task now falls to researchers in plant architecture. Research in plant architecture has defined three important functions of individual plants that determine the process of canopy development and competition: (i) resource acquisition plasticity; (ii) morphogenetic plasticity; (iii) architectural variation in efficiency of interception and utilization of light. In this review, this research is synthesized into a theory for competition based on five groups of postulates about the functioning of plants in stands. Group 1: competition for light takes place at the level of component foliage and branches. Group 2: the outcome of competition is determined by the dynamic interaction between processes that exert dominance and processes that react to suppression. Group 3: species differences may affect both exertion of dominance and reaction to suppression. Group 4: individual plants may simultaneously exhibit, in different component parts, resource acquisition and morphogenetic plasticity. Group 5: mortality is a time-delayed response to suppression. Development of architectural models when combined with field investigations is identifying research needed to develop a theory of architectural influences on the competition process. These include analyses of the integration of foliage and branch components into whole-plant growth and precise definitions of environmental control of morphogenetic plasticity and its interaction with acquisition of carbon for plant growth.

National Ignition Facility project acquisition plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callaghan, R.W.

1996-04-01

The purpose of this National Ignition Facility Acquisition Plan is to describe the overall procurement strategy planned for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Project. The scope of the plan describes the procurement activities and acquisition strategy for the following phases of the NIF Project, each of which receives either plant and capital equipment (PACE) or other project cost (OPC) funds: Title 1 and 2 design and Title 3 engineering (PACE); Optics manufacturing facilitization and pilot production (OPC); Convention facility construction (PACE); Procurement, installation, and acceptance testing of equipment (PACE); and Start-up (OPC). Activities that are part of the base Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program are not included in this plan. The University of California (UC), operating Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lockheed-Martin, which operates Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) and the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (UR-LLE), will conduct the acquisition of needed products and services in support of their assigned responsibilities within the NIF Project structure in accordance with their prime contracts with the Department of Energy (DOE). LLNL, designated as the lead Laboratory, will have responsibility for all procurements required for construction, installation, activation, and startup of the NIF

The collection and analysis of transient test data using the mobile instrumentation data acquisition system (MIDAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uncapher, W.L.; Arviso, M.

1995-01-01

Packages designed to transport radioactive materials are required to survive exposure to environments defined in Code of Federal Regulations. Cask designers can investigate package designs through structural and thermal testing of full-scale packages, components, or representative models. The acquisition of reliable response data from instrumentation measurement devices is an essential part of this testing activity. Sandia National Laboratories, under the sponsorship of the US Department of Energy (DOE), has developed the Mobile Instrumentation Data Acquisition System (MIDAS) dedicated to the collection and processing of structural and thermal data from regulatory tests

Riparian plant community responses to increased flooding: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Garssen, Annemarie G; Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette; Voesenek, Laurentius A C J; Verhoeven, Jos T A; Soons, Merel B

2015-08-01

A future higher risk of severe flooding of streams and rivers has been projected to change riparian plant community composition and species richness, but the extent and direction of the expected change remain uncertain. We conducted a meta-analysis to synthesize globally available experimental evidence and assess the effects of increased flooding on (1) riparian adult plant and seedling survival, (2) riparian plant biomass and (3) riparian plant species composition and richness. We evaluated which plant traits are of key importance for the response of riparian plant species to flooding. We identified and analysed 53 papers from ISI Web of Knowledge which presented quantitative experimental results on flooding treatments and corresponding control situations. Our meta-analysis demonstrated how longer duration of flooding, greater depth of flooding and, particularly, their combination reduce seedling survival of most riparian species. Plant height above water level, ability to elongate shoots and plasticity in root porosity were decisive for adult plant survival and growth during longer periods of flooding. Both 'quiescence' and 'escape' proved to be successful strategies promoting riparian plant survival, which was reflected in the wide variation in survival (full range between 0 and 100%) under fully submerged conditions, while plants that protrude above the water level (>20 cm) almost all survive. Our survey confirmed that the projected increase in the duration and depth of flooding periods is sufficient to result in species shifts. These shifts may lead to increased or decreased riparian species richness depending on the nutrient, climatic and hydrological status of the catchment. Species richness was generally reduced at flooded sites in nutrient-rich catchments and sites that previously experienced relatively stable hydrographs (e.g. rain-fed lowland streams). Species richness usually increased at sites in desert and semi-arid climate regions (e.g. intermittent

Zn pollution counteracts Cd toxicity in metal-tolerant ectomycorrhizal fungi and their host plant, Pinus sylvestris.

Science.gov (United States)

Krznaric, Erik; Wevers, Jan H L; Cloquet, Christophe; Vangronsveld, Jaco; Vanhaecke, Frank; Colpaert, Jan V

2010-08-01

Adaptive Zn and Cd tolerance have evolved in populations of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus luteus. When exposed to high concentrations of both metals in vitro, a one-sided antagonism was apparent in the Zn- and Cd-tolerant isolates. Addition of high Zn concentrations restored growth of Cd-stressed isolates, but not vice versa. The antagonistic effect was not detected in a S. luteus isolate from non-contaminated land and in Paxillus involutus. The fungi were inoculated on pine seedlings and subsequently exposed to ecologically relevant Zn and Cd concentrations in single and mixed treatments. The applied doses severely reduced nutrient acquisition of non-mycorrhizal pines and pines inoculated with metal-sensitive S. luteus. Highest translocation of Zn and Cd to shoots occurred in the same plants. Seedlings inoculated with fungi collected from the polluted site reduced metal transfer to their host and maintained nutrient acquisition under high metal exposure. The isolate showing highest tolerance in vitro also offered best protection in symbiosis. The antagonistic effect of high Zn on Cd toxicity was confirmed in the plant experiment. The results indicate that a Zn- and Cd-polluted soil has selected ectomycorrhizal fungi that are able to survive and protect their phytobiont from nutrient starvation and excessive metal uptake. © 2009 Society for Applied Microbiology and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Making context explicit for explanation and incremental knowledge acquisition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brezillon, P. [Univ. Paris (France)

1996-12-31

Intelligent systems may be improved by making context explicit in problem solving. This is a lesson drawn from a study of the reasons why a number of knowledge-based systems (KBSs) failed. We discuss the interest to make context explicit in explanation generation and incremental knowledge acquisition, two important aspects of intelligent systems that aim to cooperate with users. We show how context can be used to better explain and incrementally acquire knowledge. The advantages of using context in explanation and incremental knowledge acquisition are discussed through SEPIT, an expert system for supporting diagnosis and explanation through simulation of power plants. We point out how the limitations of such systems may be overcome by making context explicit.

Upgrading the data acquisition and control systems of the European Breeding Blanket Test Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mannori, Simone; Sermenghi, Valerio; Utili, Marco; Malavasi, Andrea; Gianotti, Daniel

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Data Acquisition and Control Systems (DACS) upgrading of experimental plant for full size thermo hydraulic testing of nuclear subsystems. • DACS development using integrated hardware/software platform with graphical programming (LabVIEW). • Development of simplified models for real-time simulation. • Rapid prototyping with real time simulation of the complete plant. • Using the code developed for the real time simulator for the real plant DACS. -- Abstract: The EBBTF (European Breeding Blanket Test Facility) experimental plant is a key component for the development of the breeding blankets (TBMs test blanket modules, HCLL helium cooled lithium lead and HCPB helium cooled pebble bed types) used by ITER. EBBTF is an experimental plant which provides the double breeding/cooling loops (liquid metal and gas) required for HCLL testing. EBBTF is composed of four subsystems (TBM, IELLLO integrated European lead lithium loop, HE-FUS3 helium fusion loop, version 3 and helium compressor build by ATEKO) with dedicated control systems realized with hardware/software combinations covering 15 years (1995–2010) time span. At the end of 2010 we began to upgrade the HE-FUS3 data acquisition control systems (DACS) replacing the obsolete PLC Siemens S5 with National Instruments Compact FieldPoint and LabVIEW. The control room has been completely reorganized using high resolution monitors and workstations linked with standard Ethernet interfaces. The data acquisition, control, safety and SCADA software has been completely developed in ENEA using LabVIEW. In this paper we are going to discuss the technical difficulties and the solutions that we have used to accomplish the upgrade

SURVIVAL ANALYSIS AND GROWTH OF Cordia trichotoma, BORAGINACEAE, LAMIALES, IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL STATE, BRAZIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Luiz Salvadori

2013-12-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509812357The evaluation of a plant survival percentage and growth may reflect its competitive ability in plantcommunity. Cordia trichotoma is a common native tree in Mato Grosso do Sul State and one of the mostpromising for planting. This study monitored the survival percentage and growth of Cordia trichotomaunder different conditions such as weeding and receiving or not fertilization. The experiment started inSeptember 2008 and it was concluded in March 2010. The seeds collection and sowing were held in urbanarea of Mundo Novo Municipality and the area for permanent planting to measure seedlings survival andgrowth was set at Japorã Municipality, Fazenda Santa Clara. Seedlings were planted in two categories: theuse or not of fertilizer and crowing resulting in four distinct groups: block fertilizer bare earth (ATN, bareland block without fertilizer (BTN, fertilizer and crown block (AC and without fertilizer and crownedblock (BC. The results indicated high survival of Cordia trichotoma in the seedling transplant system from bed to bags. The BC block showed the highest percentage of survival, but the smaller increments in height.The AC, ATN and BTN blocks presented the same survival pattern and similar average growth. However,there may be differences in nutritional and chemical composition of the soil suggesting sector analysis forfuture studies.

MIDAS [Master Information and Data Acquisition System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, D.L.

1986-01-01

The Master Information and Data Acquisition System (MIDAS) is a computerized work control system that provides 24-hour, real-time access to plant equipment information and work package status. It is used in the 400 Area of the Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. MIDAS was originally created to aid in the release and control of work at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF), which is operated by the Westinghouse Hanford Company for the DOE. After MIDAS performed that function at FFTF successfully for over two years, its role was expanded to provide similar functions for other facilities supporting the LMR mission. Through its ability to provide online, accurate information on plant components, safety criteria, and work package status, MIDAS reinforces Operations functions and the control and authorization of maintenance activities in the FFTF plant and in other related facilities. Thus, MIDAS enhances the operational safety, as well as the planning and scheduling process for these facilities. MIDAS consists of three parts: The Plant Tracking System (PTS), the Work Control Log (WCL), and the MIDAS Component Indices

Anthropogenic host plant expansion leads a nettle-feeding butterfly out of the forest: consequences for larval survival and developmental plasticity in adult morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Merckx, Thomas; Serruys, Mélanie; Van Dyck, Hans

2015-04-01

Recent anthropogenic eutrophication has meant that host plants of nettle-feeding insects became quasi-omnipresent in fertile regions of Western Europe. However, host plant resource quality - in terms of microclimate and nutritional value - may vary considerably between the 'original' forest habitat and 'recent' agricultural habitat. Here, we compared development in both environmental settings using a split-brood design, so as to explore to what extent larval survival and adult morphology in the nettle-feeding butterfly Aglais urticae are influenced by the anthropogenic environment. Nettles along field margins had higher C/N ratios and provided warmer microclimates to larvae. Larvae developed 20% faster and tended to improve their survival rates, on the agricultural land compared to woodland. Our split-brood approach indicated plastic responses within families, but also family effects in the phenotypic responses. Adult males and females had darker wing pigmentation in the drier and warmer agricultural environment, which contrasts with the thermal melanism hypothesis. Developmental plasticity in response to this microclimatically different and more variable habitat was associated with a broader phenotypic parameter space for the species. Both habitat expansion and developmental plasticity are likely contributors to the ecological and evolutionary success of these nettle-feeding insects in anthropogenic environments under high nitrogen load.

Long-term monitoring of Sacramento Shade program trees: tree survival, growth and energy-saving performance

Science.gov (United States)

Yekang Ko; Jun-Hak Lee; E. Gregory McPherson; Lara A. Roman

2015-01-01

Long-term survival and growth of urban forests are critical to achieve the targeted benefits of urban tree planting programs, such as building energy savings from tree shade. However, little is known about how trees perform in the long-term, especially in residential areas. Given this gap in the literature, we monitored 22-years of post-planting survival, growth, and...

Enrichment planting without soil treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagner, Mats

1998-12-31

Where enrichment planting had been carried out with either of the two species Picea abies and Pinus contorta, the survival of the planted seedlings was at least as good as after planting in a normal clear cut area treated with soil scarification. This was in spite of the fact that the seedlings were placed shallow in the humus layer without any soil treatment. However, they were sheltered from insects by treatment before planting. Where enrichment planting was carried out with Pinus sylvestris the survival in dense forest was poor, but in open forest the survival was good. The growth of planted seedlings was enhanced by traditional clearing and soil treatment. However, this was for Pinus sylvestris not enough to compensate for the loss of time, 1-2 years, caused by arrangement of soil scarification. The growth of seedlings planted under crown cover was directly related to basal area of retained trees. However, the variation in height growth among individual seedlings was very big, which meant that some seedlings grow well also under a fairly dense forest cover. The pioneer species Pinus sylvestris reacted more strongly to basal area of retained trees than did the shade tolerant species Picea abies. Enrichment planting seems to be a necessary tool for preserving volume productivity, at places where fairly intensive harvest of mature trees has been carried out in stands of ordinary forest type in central Sweden. If double seedlings, with one Picea abies and one Pinus sylvestris, are used, the probability for long term establishment is enhanced 13 refs, 20 figs, 4 tabs

Impact of plant domestication on rhizosphere microbiome assembly and functions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perez Jaramillo, Juan Esteban; Mendes, Rodrigo; Raaijmakers, Jos

2016-01-01

The rhizosphere microbiome is pivotal for plant health and growth, providing defence against pests and diseases, facilitating nutrient acquisition and helping plants to withstand abiotic stresses. Plants can actively recruit members of the soil microbial community for positive feedbacks, but the

48 CFR 945.407 - Non-Government use of plant equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... plant equipment. 945.407 Section 945.407 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY...-Government use of plant equipment. The type of plant equipment and dollar threshold for non-Government use of DOE plant equipment will be determined by the Head of the Contracting Activity which awarded the...

Contrasting long-term survival of two outplanted Mojave Desert perennials for post-fire revegetation

Science.gov (United States)

Scoles-Sciulla, Sara J.; Defalco, Lesley A.; Esque, Todd C.

2015-01-01

Post-fire recovery of arid shrublands is typically slow, and planting greenhouse-raised seedlings may be a means of jump-starting this process. Recovery can be further accelerated by understanding the factors controlling post-planting survival. In fall 2007 and 2009, we outplanted seedlings of two contrasting native evergreen shrubs—fast-growing Nevada jointfir and slow-growing blackbrush—across five burned sites in the Mojave Desert. To increase soil moisture and optimize seedling survival, we experimentally applied and evaluated soil amendments and supplemental watering. We also evaluated two herbicides that reduce competitive invasive annual grasses and two types of herbivore protection. Survival of jointfir outplanted in 2007 was 61% after 43 months, and site largely influenced survival, while herbicide containing imazapic applied more than one year after outplanting reduced survival. Reduced survival of jointfir outplanted in 2009 coincided with delayed seasonal precipitation that intensified foliar damage by small mammals. In contrast, blackbrush survival was 4% after 43 months, and was influenced by site, type of herbivore protection, and greenhouse during the 2007 outplanting, and soil amendment during 2009. Counter to expectations, we found that supplemental watering and soil amendments did not influence long-term survival of either blackbrush or jointfir. Shrub species with rapid growth rates and broad environmental tolerances, such as jointfir, make ideal candidates for outplanting, provided that seedlings are protected from herbivores. Re-introduction of species with slow growth rates and narrow environmental tolerances, such as blackbrush, requires careful consideration to optimize pre- and post-planting conditions.

Data acquisition and control for LMFBR component testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, G.E.

1983-01-01

Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor components such as pumps, steam generators, and piping components are tested for their ability to withstand expected thermal transients of up to 25 0 F/s (14 0 C/s). The Energy Technology Engineering Center performs these tests in facilities specifically designed for that purpose. Although much of the instrumentation and controls for these test facilities are similar to those used in conventional process plants, the requirement to produce, control, and measure the effects of rapid thermal transients results in some not-so-conventional data acquisition and control system design criteria. This paper describes a typical data-acquisition system used at one of the ETEC test facilities and how the thermal transients are produced and controlled in the pump and steam-generator test facilities

Workshop on data-acquisition and -display systems: directions after TMI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-11-01

The accident at Three Mile Island Unit-2 raised questions as to the adequacy of data acquisition and display systems in commercial nuclear power plants. A series of recommendations have developed from the various groups that have analyzed the accident in order to improve the oprator's overview of the plant safety conditions and to facilitate information transfer to technical support centers in emergency situations. This report is the result of an NSAC-sponsored workshop, where the various recommendations and emerging regulatory requirements were reviewed in an attempt to provide an integrated basis for their implementation

Acquisition and validation of transfer data for Ru from reprocessing plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blasius, E.; Huth, R.; Krumrey, R.; Neumann, W.; Woll, G.

1988-01-01

The aim of the investigation is to determine the ruthenium transfer factor from soil to plants on the basis of selected useful plants and food plants, namely potatoes, summer wheat and pasture grass. For this purpose ruthenium is used in the form of dioxide, chloride and nitrosyl complexes. Tests are made in field patches with inactive ruthenium and in isotope laboratories with Ru-106 or Ru-103. After the harvest of the plants the ruthenium is determined by means of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry in pyrolytically coated graphite pipes. (orig./RB) [de

Automatic data acquisition system for a photovoltaic solar plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, A.; Barrio, C.L.; Guerra, A.G.

1986-01-01

An autonomous monitoring system for photovoltaic solar plants is described. The system is able to collect data about the plant's physical and electrical characteristics and also about the environmental conditions. It may present the results on a display, if requested, but its main function is measuring periodically a set of parameters, including several points in the panel I-V characteristics, in an unattended mode. The data are stored on a magnetic tape for later processing on a computer. The system hardware and software are described, as well as their main functions.

Smart acquisition EELS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sader, Kasim; Schaffer, Bernhard; Vaughan, Gareth; Brydson, Rik; Brown, Andy; Bleloch, Andrew

2010-01-01

We have developed a novel acquisition methodology for the recording of electron energy loss spectra (EELS) using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM): 'Smart Acquisition'. Smart Acquisition allows the independent control of probe scanning procedures and the simultaneous acquisition of analytical signals such as EELS. The original motivation for this work arose from the need to control the electron dose experienced by beam-sensitive specimens whilst maintaining a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio in the EEL signal for the extraction of useful analytical information (such as energy loss near edge spectral features) from relatively undamaged areas. We have developed a flexible acquisition framework which separates beam position data input, beam positioning, and EELS acquisition. In this paper we demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique on beam-sensitive thin films of amorphous aluminium trifluoride. Smart Acquisition has been used to expose lines to the electron beam, followed by analysis of the structures created by line-integrating EELS acquisitions, and the results are compared to those derived from a standard EELS linescan. High angle annular dark-field images show clear reductions in damage for the Smart Acquisition areas compared to the conventional linescan, and the Smart Acquisition low loss EEL spectra are more representative of the undamaged material than those derived using a conventional linescan. Atomically resolved EELS of all four elements of CaNdTiO show the high resolution capabilities of Smart Acquisition.

Smart acquisition EELS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sader, Kasim, E-mail: k.sader@leeds.ac.uk [SuperSTEM, J block, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Institute for Materials Research, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Schaffer, Bernhard [SuperSTEM, J block, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow (United Kingdom); Vaughan, Gareth [Institute for Materials Research, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Brydson, Rik [SuperSTEM, J block, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Institute for Materials Research, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Brown, Andy [Institute for Materials Research, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT (United Kingdom); Bleloch, Andrew [SuperSTEM, J block, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington, Cheshire, WA4 4AD (United Kingdom); Department of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool (United Kingdom)

2010-07-15

We have developed a novel acquisition methodology for the recording of electron energy loss spectra (EELS) using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM): 'Smart Acquisition'. Smart Acquisition allows the independent control of probe scanning procedures and the simultaneous acquisition of analytical signals such as EELS. The original motivation for this work arose from the need to control the electron dose experienced by beam-sensitive specimens whilst maintaining a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio in the EEL signal for the extraction of useful analytical information (such as energy loss near edge spectral features) from relatively undamaged areas. We have developed a flexible acquisition framework which separates beam position data input, beam positioning, and EELS acquisition. In this paper we demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique on beam-sensitive thin films of amorphous aluminium trifluoride. Smart Acquisition has been used to expose lines to the electron beam, followed by analysis of the structures created by line-integrating EELS acquisitions, and the results are compared to those derived from a standard EELS linescan. High angle annular dark-field images show clear reductions in damage for the Smart Acquisition areas compared to the conventional linescan, and the Smart Acquisition low loss EEL spectra are more representative of the undamaged material than those derived using a conventional linescan. Atomically resolved EELS of all four elements of CaNdTiO show the high resolution capabilities of Smart Acquisition.

48 CFR 445.407 - Non-Government use of plant equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... plant equipment. 445.407 Section 445.407 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONTRACT MANAGEMENT GOVERNMENT PROPERTY Contractor Use and Rental of Government Property 445.407 Non-Government use of plant equipment. Requests for non-Government use of plant equipment as...

4. Nuclear power plant component failures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Nuclear power plant component failures are dealt with in relation to reliability in nuclear power engineering. The topics treated include classification of failures, analysis of their causes and impacts, nuclear power plant failure data acquisition and processing, interdependent failures, and human factor reliability in nuclear power engineering. (P.A.). 8 figs., 7 tabs., 23 refs

Language Acquisition without an Acquisition Device

Science.gov (United States)

O'Grady, William

2012-01-01

Most explanatory work on first and second language learning assumes the primacy of the acquisition phenomenon itself, and a good deal of work has been devoted to the search for an "acquisition device" that is specific to humans, and perhaps even to language. I will consider the possibility that this strategy is misguided and that language…

Post-Acquisition IT Integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Yetton, Philip

2013-01-01

The extant research on post-acquisition IT integration analyzes how acquirers realize IT-based value in individual acquisitions. However, serial acquirers make 60% of acquisitions. These acquisitions are not isolated events, but are components in growth-by-acquisition programs. To explain how...... serial acquirers realize IT-based value, we develop three propositions on the sequential effects on post-acquisition IT integration in acquisition programs. Their combined explanation is that serial acquirers must have a growth-by-acquisition strategy that includes the capability to improve...... IT integration capabilities, to sustain high alignment across acquisitions and to maintain a scalable IT infrastructure with a flat or decreasing cost structure. We begin the process of validating the three propositions by investigating a longitudinal case study of a growth-by-acquisition program....

Target area acquisition and control system survivability for the National Ignition Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagans, K.; Stathis, P.; Wiedwald, J.; Campbell, D.

1994-06-01

The hardening of instruments to survive NIF target emission environments presents a significant challenge. Neutron flux is predicted to be as much as six orders of magnitude greater than the highest achieved neutron flux on NOVA. Not withstanding the high prompt radiation fields, the specifications for the instruments are demanding; requiring high resolution imaging and sub nanosecond transient measurements. We present an analysis of the sensitivity of the proposed NIF instrumentation design to EMP, X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons. Major components assessed include fiber optic cable transport, high bandwidth cable and charge coupled detector (CCD) imaging systems

Field Guide to Plant Model Systems

OpenAIRE

Chang, Caren; Bowman, John L.; Meyerowitz, Elliot M.

2016-01-01

For the past several decades, advances in plant development, physiology, cell biology, and genetics have relied heavily on the model (or reference) plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis resembles other plants, including crop plants, in many but by no means all respects. Study of Arabidopsis alone provides little information on the evolutionary history of plants, evolutionary differences between species, plants that survive in different environments, or plants that access nutrients and photo...

Hydroponic isotope labeling of entire plants and high-performance mass spectrometry for quantitative plant proteomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bindschedler, Laurence V; Mills, Davinia J S; Cramer, Rainer

2012-01-01

Hydroponic isotope labeling of entire plants (HILEP) combines hydroponic plant cultivation and metabolic labeling with stable isotopes using (15)N-containing inorganic salts to label whole and mature plants. Employing (15)N salts as the sole nitrogen source for HILEP leads to the production of healthy-looking plants which contain (15)N proteins labeled to nearly 100%. Therefore, HILEP is suitable for quantitative plant proteomic analysis, where plants are grown in either (14)N- or (15)N-hydroponic media and pooled when the biological samples are collected for relative proteome quantitation. The pooled (14)N-/(15)N-protein extracts can be fractionated in any suitable way and digested with a protease for shotgun proteomics, using typically reverse phase liquid chromatography nanoelectrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (RPLC-nESI-MS/MS). Best results were obtained with a hybrid ion trap/FT-MS mass spectrometer, combining high mass accuracy and sensitivity for the MS data acquisition with speed and high-throughput MS/MS data acquisition, increasing the number of proteins identified and quantified and improving protein quantitation. Peak processing and picking from raw MS data files, protein identification, and quantitation were performed in a highly automated way using integrated MS data analysis software with minimum manual intervention, thus easing the analytical workflow. In this methodology paper, we describe how to grow Arabidopsis plants hydroponically for isotope labeling using (15)N salts and how to quantitate the resulting proteomes using a convenient workflow that does not require extensive bioinformatics skills.

Root Traits and Phenotyping Strategies for Plant Improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Paez-Garcia, Ana; Motes, Christy M; Scheible, Wolf-Rüdiger; Chen, Rujin; Blancaflor, Elison B; Monteros, Maria J

2015-06-15

Roots are crucial for nutrient and water acquisition and can be targeted to enhance plant productivity under a broad range of growing conditions. A current challenge for plant breeding is the limited ability to phenotype and select for desirable root characteristics due to their underground location. Plant breeding efforts aimed at modifying root traits can result in novel, more stress-tolerant crops and increased yield by enhancing the capacity of the plant for soil exploration and, thus, water and nutrient acquisition. Available approaches for root phenotyping in laboratory, greenhouse and field encompass simple agar plates to labor-intensive root digging (i.e., shovelomics) and soil boring methods, the construction of underground root observation stations and sophisticated computer-assisted root imaging. Here, we summarize root architectural traits relevant to crop productivity, survey root phenotyping strategies and describe their advantages, limitations and practical value for crop and forage breeding programs.

Root Traits and Phenotyping Strategies for Plant Improvement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Paez-Garcia

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Roots are crucial for nutrient and water acquisition and can be targeted to enhance plant productivity under a broad range of growing conditions. A current challenge for plant breeding is the limited ability to phenotype and select for desirable root characteristics due to their underground location. Plant breeding efforts aimed at modifying root traits can result in novel, more stress-tolerant crops and increased yield by enhancing the capacity of the plant for soil exploration and, thus, water and nutrient acquisition. Available approaches for root phenotyping in laboratory, greenhouse and field encompass simple agar plates to labor-intensive root digging (i.e., shovelomics and soil boring methods, the construction of underground root observation stations and sophisticated computer-assisted root imaging. Here, we summarize root architectural traits relevant to crop productivity, survey root phenotyping strategies and describe their advantages, limitations and practical value for crop and forage breeding programs.

Plant defenses against parasitic plants show similarities to those induced by herbivores and pathogens

Science.gov (United States)

Justin B. Runyon; Mark C. Mescher; Consuelo M. De Moraes

2010-01-01

Herbivores and pathogens come quickly to mind when one thinks of the biotic challenges faced by plants. Important but less appreciated enemies are parasitic plants, which can have important consequences for the fitness and survival of their hosts. Our knowledge of plant perception, signaling and response to herbivores and pathogens has expanded rapidly in recent years...

Autonomous data acquisition system for Paks NPP process noise signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipcsei, S.; Kiss, S.; Czibok, T.; Dezso, Z.; Horvath, Cs.

2005-01-01

A prototype of a new concept noise diagnostics data acquisition system has been developed recently to renew the aged present system. This new system is capable of collecting the whole available noise signal set simultaneously. Signal plugging and data acquisition are performed by autonomous systems (installed at each reactor unit) that are controlled through the standard plant network from a central computer installed at a suitable location. Experts can use this central unit to process and archive data series downloaded from the reactor units. This central unit also provides selected noise diagnostics information for other departments. The paper describes the hardware and software architecture of the new system in detail, emphasising the potential benefits of the new approach. (author)

Horizontal acquisition of multiple mitochondrial genes from a parasitic plant followed by gene conversion with host mitochondrial genes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is relatively common in plant mitochondrial genomes but the mechanisms, extent and consequences of transfer remain largely unknown. Previous results indicate that parasitic plants are often involved as either transfer donors or recipients, suggesting that direct contact between parasite and host facilitates genetic transfer among plants. Results In order to uncover the mechanistic details of plant-to-plant HGT, the extent and evolutionary fate of transfer was investigated between two groups: the parasitic genus Cuscuta and a small clade of Plantago species. A broad polymerase chain reaction (PCR) survey of mitochondrial genes revealed that at least three genes (atp1, atp6 and matR) were recently transferred from Cuscuta to Plantago. Quantitative PCR assays show that these three genes have a mitochondrial location in the one species line of Plantago examined. Patterns of sequence evolution suggest that these foreign genes degraded into pseudogenes shortly after transfer and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR analyses demonstrate that none are detectably transcribed. Three cases of gene conversion were detected between native and foreign copies of the atp1 gene. The identical phylogenetic distribution of the three foreign genes within Plantago and the retention of cytidines at ancestral positions of RNA editing indicate that these genes were probably acquired via a single, DNA-mediated transfer event. However, samplings of multiple individuals from two of the three species in the recipient Plantago clade revealed complex and perplexing phylogenetic discrepancies and patterns of sequence divergence for all three of the foreign genes. Conclusions This study reports the best evidence to date that multiple mitochondrial genes can be transferred via a single HGT event and that transfer occurred via a strictly DNA-level intermediate. The discovery of gene conversion between co-resident foreign and native mitochondrial copies suggests

Horizontal acquisition of multiple mitochondrial genes from a parasitic plant followed by gene conversion with host mitochondrial genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Weilong

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Horizontal gene transfer (HGT is relatively common in plant mitochondrial genomes but the mechanisms, extent and consequences of transfer remain largely unknown. Previous results indicate that parasitic plants are often involved as either transfer donors or recipients, suggesting that direct contact between parasite and host facilitates genetic transfer among plants. Results In order to uncover the mechanistic details of plant-to-plant HGT, the extent and evolutionary fate of transfer was investigated between two groups: the parasitic genus Cuscuta and a small clade of Plantago species. A broad polymerase chain reaction (PCR survey of mitochondrial genes revealed that at least three genes (atp1, atp6 and matR were recently transferred from Cuscuta to Plantago. Quantitative PCR assays show that these three genes have a mitochondrial location in the one species line of Plantago examined. Patterns of sequence evolution suggest that these foreign genes degraded into pseudogenes shortly after transfer and reverse transcription (RT-PCR analyses demonstrate that none are detectably transcribed. Three cases of gene conversion were detected between native and foreign copies of the atp1 gene. The identical phylogenetic distribution of the three foreign genes within Plantago and the retention of cytidines at ancestral positions of RNA editing indicate that these genes were probably acquired via a single, DNA-mediated transfer event. However, samplings of multiple individuals from two of the three species in the recipient Plantago clade revealed complex and perplexing phylogenetic discrepancies and patterns of sequence divergence for all three of the foreign genes. Conclusions This study reports the best evidence to date that multiple mitochondrial genes can be transferred via a single HGT event and that transfer occurred via a strictly DNA-level intermediate. The discovery of gene conversion between co-resident foreign and native

Determinants of establishment survival for residential trees in Sacramento County, CA

Science.gov (United States)

Lara A. Roman; John J. Battles; Joe R. McBride

2014-01-01

Urban forests can provide ecosystem services that motivate tree planting campaigns, and tree survival is a key element of program success and projected benefits. We studied survival in a shade tree give-away program in Sacramento, CA, monitoring a cohort of young trees for five years on single-family residential properties. We used conditional inference trees to...

Sialoglycans in protozoal diseases: their detection, modes of acquisition and emerging biological roles.

Science.gov (United States)

Chava, Anil K; Bandyopadhyay, Sumi; Chatterjee, Mitali; Mandal, Chitra

2004-01-01

Protozoan parasites including Plasmodia, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Entamoeba, Trichomonas and others cause diseases in humans and domestic livestock having far-reaching socio-economic implications. They show remarkable propensity to survive within hostile environments encountered during their life cycle, and the identification of molecules that enable them to survive in such milieu is a subject of intense research. Currently available knowledge of the parasite cell surface architecture and biochemistry indicates that sialic acid and its principle derivatives are major components of the glycocalyx and assist the parasite to interact with its external environment through functions ranging from parasite survival, infectivity and host-cell recognition. This review highlights the present state of knowledge with regard to parasite sialobiology with an emphasis on its mode(s) of acquisition and their emerging biological roles, notably as an anti-recognition molecule thereby aiding the pathogen to evade host defense mechanisms.

Insect attraction versus plant defense: young leaves high in glucosinolates stimulate oviposition by a specialist herbivore despite poor larval survival due to high saponin content.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francisco R Badenes-Perez

Full Text Available Glucosinolates are plant secondary metabolites used in plant defense. For insects specialized on Brassicaceae, such as the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae, glucosinolates act as "fingerprints" that are essential in host plant recognition. Some plants in the genus Barbarea (Brassicaceae contain, besides glucosinolates, saponins that act as feeding deterrents for P. xylostella larvae, preventing their survival on the plant. Two-choice oviposition tests were conducted to study the preference of P. xylostella among Barbarea leaves of different size within the same plant. P. xylostella laid more eggs per leaf area on younger leaves compared to older ones. Higher concentrations of glucosinolates and saponins were found in younger leaves than in older ones. In 4-week-old plants, saponins were present in true leaves, while cotyledons contained little or no saponins. When analyzing the whole foliage of the plant, the content of glucosinolates and saponins also varied significantly in comparisons among plants that were 4, 8, and 12 weeks old. In Barbarea plants and leaves of different ages, there was a positive correlation between glucosinolate and saponin levels. This research shows that, in Barbarea plants, ontogenetical changes in glucosinolate and saponin content affect both attraction and resistance to P. xylostella. Co-occurrence of a high content of glucosinolates and saponins in the Barbarea leaves that are most valuable for the plant, but are also the most attractive to P. xylostella, provides protection against this specialist herbivore, which oviposition behavior on Barbarea seems to be an evolutionary mistake.

Insect Attraction versus Plant Defense: Young Leaves High in Glucosinolates Stimulate Oviposition by a Specialist Herbivore despite Poor Larval Survival due to High Saponin Content

Science.gov (United States)

Badenes-Perez, Francisco R.; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Heckel, David G.

2014-01-01

Glucosinolates are plant secondary metabolites used in plant defense. For insects specialized on Brassicaceae, such as the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), glucosinolates act as “fingerprints” that are essential in host plant recognition. Some plants in the genus Barbarea (Brassicaceae) contain, besides glucosinolates, saponins that act as feeding deterrents for P. xylostella larvae, preventing their survival on the plant. Two-choice oviposition tests were conducted to study the preference of P. xylostella among Barbarea leaves of different size within the same plant. P. xylostella laid more eggs per leaf area on younger leaves compared to older ones. Higher concentrations of glucosinolates and saponins were found in younger leaves than in older ones. In 4-week-old plants, saponins were present in true leaves, while cotyledons contained little or no saponins. When analyzing the whole foliage of the plant, the content of glucosinolates and saponins also varied significantly in comparisons among plants that were 4, 8, and 12 weeks old. In Barbarea plants and leaves of different ages, there was a positive correlation between glucosinolate and saponin levels. This research shows that, in Barbarea plants, ontogenetical changes in glucosinolate and saponin content affect both attraction and resistance to P. xylostella. Co-occurrence of a high content of glucosinolates and saponins in the Barbarea leaves that are most valuable for the plant, but are also the most attractive to P. xylostella, provides protection against this specialist herbivore, which oviposition behavior on Barbarea seems to be an evolutionary mistake. PMID:24752069

Effects of host-plant population size and plant sex on a specialist leaf-miner

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bañuelos, María-José; Kollmann, Johannes Christian

2011-01-01

of the host-plant, and density-dependent relationships. Leaf-miners are specialised herbivores that leave distinct traces on infested leaves in the form of egg scars, mines, signs of predation and emergence holes. This allows the life cycle of the insect to be reconstructed and the success at the different...... punctures left by adults were marginally more frequent on male plants, whereas egg scars and mines were more common on females. Overall survival rate from egg stage to adult emergence was higher on female plants. Egg density was negatively correlated with hatching, while mine density was positively...... stages to be estimated. The main stages of the leaf-miner Phytomyza ilicis were recorded in eleven populations of the evergreen host Ilex aquifolium in Denmark. Survival rates were calculated and related to population size, sex of the host plant, and egg and mine densities. Host population size...

Use of an expert system for the data acquisition input of a computer software for materials flux of an irradiated fuel reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouvrier, N.; Castelli, P.

1993-01-01

An irradiated fuel reprocessing plant products purified plutonium and all sorts of wastes. PROBILUS program has been developed to calculate the transfer flux of materials. The data acquisition input being long, an expert system MARCMOD has been realized. PROBILUS was conceived like a standards collection. We wanted to automate the tedious tasks, to decrease the output result delays, and to improve the result quality. That is the reason why an expert system MARCMOD with a graphic interface has been carried out. With this tool the user may describe graphically his process, check the coherence of acquired informations, generate automatically the whole input data of PROBILUS, and change by interaction some predefined data

Seeding and planting upland oaks

Science.gov (United States)

1989-01-01

Oaks can be planted or seeded in uplands to: (1) afforest old fields, strip-mined areas, or other areas devoid of trees, and (2) supplement natural reproduction within existing forests. Planting is usually more successful than direct seeding. But even under good conditions survival and growth of planted oak has been considerably poorer than with conifers and other...

Leaf transpiration plays a role in phosphorus acquisition among a large set of chickpea genotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Jiayin; Zhao, Hongxia; Bansal, Ruchi; Bohuon, Emilien; Lambers, Hans; Ryan, Megan H; Siddique, Kadambot H M

2018-01-09

Low availability of inorganic phosphorus (P) is considered a major constraint for crop productivity worldwide. A unique set of 266 chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes, originating from 29 countries and with diverse genetic background, were used to study P-use efficiency. Plants were grown in pots containing sterilized river sand supplied with P at a rate of 10 μg P g -1 soil as FePO 4 , a poorly soluble form of P. The results showed large genotypic variation in plant growth, shoot P content, physiological P-use efficiency, and P-utilization efficiency in response to low P supply. Further investigation of a subset of 100 chickpea genotypes with contrasting growth performance showed significant differences in photosynthetic rate and photosynthetic P-use efficiency. A positive correlation was found between leaf P concentration and transpiration rate of the young fully expanded leaves. For the first time, our study has suggested a role of leaf transpiration in P acquisition, consistent with transpiration-driven mass flow in chickpea grown in low-P sandy soils. The identification of 6 genotypes with high plant growth, P-acquisition, and P-utilization efficiency suggests that the chickpea reference set can be used in breeding programmes to improve both P-acquisition and P-utilization efficiency under low-P conditions. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical and Biological Defense: DOD Needs Consistent Policies and Clear Processes to Address the Survivability of Weapon Systems Against Chemical and Biological Threats

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

2006-01-01

DOD, joint, and military service weapon system acquisition policies inconsistently address and do not establish a clear process for considering and testing system chemical and biological survivability...

Shifts in nitrogen acquisition strategies enable enhanced terrestrial carbon storage under elevated CO2 in a global model

Science.gov (United States)

Sulman, B. N.; Brzostek, E. R.; Menge, D.; Malyshev, S.; Shevliakova, E.

2017-12-01

Earth System Model (ESM) projections of terrestrial carbon (C) uptake are critical to understanding the future of the global C cycle. Current ESMs include intricate representations of photosynthetic C fixation in plants, allowing them to simulate the stimulatory effect of increasing atmospheric CO2 levels on photosynthesis. However, they lack sophisticated representations of plant nutrient acquisition, calling into question their ability to project the future land C sink. We conducted simulations using a new model of terrestrial C and nitrogen (N) cycling within the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) global land model LM4 that uses a return on investment framework to simulate global patterns of N acquisition via fixation of N2 from the atmosphere, scavenging of inorganic N from soil solution, and mining of organic N from soil organic matter (SOM). We show that these strategies drive divergent C cycle responses to elevated CO2 at the ecosystem scale, with the scavenging strategy leading to N limitation of plant growth and the mining strategy facilitating stimulation of plant biomass accumulation over decadal time scales. In global simulations, shifts in N acquisition from inorganic N scavenging to organic N mining along with increases in N fixation supported long-term acceleration of C uptake under elevated CO2. Our results indicate that the ability of the land C sink to mitigate atmospheric CO2 levels is tightly coupled to the functional diversity of ecosystems and their capacity to change their N acquisition strategies over time. Incorporation of these mechanisms into ESMs is necessary to improve confidence in model projections of the global C cycle.

Knowledge acquisition on hazards in chemical and process industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vojnovic, D.; Kozuh, M.

1992-01-01

The knowledge acquisition for probabilistic risk assessment and operational safety improvements are described. The procedure HazOp (Hazard and Operability Study) are used for hazard identification. The acquainted knowledge is condensed in the form of cause-consequence matrix which is very convenient for plant logic model start point definition. At the end, the possibility for HazOp performance support by use of Artificial Intelligence approach is considered. (author) [sl

Mergers and Acquisitions

OpenAIRE

Frasch, Manfred; Leptin, Maria

2000-01-01

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are booming a strategy of choice for organizations attempting to maintain a competitive advantage. Previous research on mergers and acquisitions declares that acquirers do not normally benefit from acquisitions. Targets, on the other hand, have a tendency of gaining positive returns in the few days surrounding merger announcements due to several characteristic on the acquisitions deal. The announcement period wealth effect on acquiring firms, however, is as cle...

Transgenic Cotton Plants Expressing Double-stranded RNAs Target HMG-CoA Reductase (HMGR) Gene Inhibits the Growth, Development and Survival of Cotton Bollworms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Geng; Cheng, Linlin; Qi, Xuewei; Ge, Zonghe; Niu, Changying; Zhang, Xianlong; Jin, Shuangxia

2015-01-01

RNA interference (RNAi) has been developed as a powerful technique in the research of functional genomics as well as plant pest control. In this report, double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA) targeting 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) gene, which catalyze a rate-limiting enzymatic reaction in the mevalonate pathway of juvenile hormone (JH) synthesis in cotton bollworm, was expressed in cotton plants via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. PCR and Sothern analysis revealed the integration of HMGR gene into cotton genome. RT-PCR and qRT-PCR confirmed the high transcription level of dsHMGR in transgenic cotton lines. The HMGR expression both in transcription and translation level was significantly downregulated in cotton bollworms (helicoverpa armigera) larvae after feeding on the leaves of HMGR transgenic plants. The transcription level of HMGR gene in larvae reared on transgenic cotton leaves was as much as 80.68% lower than that of wild type. In addition, the relative expression level of vitellogenin (Vg, crucial source of nourishment for offspring embryo development) gene was also reduced by 76.86% when the insect larvae were fed with transgenic leaves. The result of insect bioassays showed that the transgenic plant harboring dsHMGR not only inhibited net weight gain but also delayed the growth of cotton bollworm larvae. Taken together, transgenic cotton plant expressing dsRNAs successfully downregulated HMGR gene and impaired the development and survival of target insect, which provided more option for plant pest control.

Biogeomorphic feedbacks within riparian corridors: the role of positive interactions between riparian plants

Science.gov (United States)

Corenblit, Dov; Steiger, Johannes; Till-Bottraud, Irène

2017-04-01

Riparian vegetation affects hydrogeomorphic processes and leads to the construction of wooded fluvial landforms within riparian corridors. Multiple plants form dense multi- and mono-specific stands that enhance plant resistance as grouped plants are less prone to be uprooted than free-standing individuals. Riparian plants which grow in dense stands also enhance their role as ecosystem engineers through the trapping of sediment, organic matter and nutrients. The wooded biogeomorphic landforms which originate from the effect of vegetation on geomorphology lead in return to an improved capacity of the plants to survive, exploit resources, and reach sexual maturity in the intervals between destructive floods. Thus, these vegetated biogeomorphic landforms likely represent a positive niche construction of riparian plants. The nature and intensity of biotic interactions between riparian plants of different species (inter-specific) or the same species (intra-specific) which form dense stands and construct together the niche remain unclear. We strongly suspect that indirect inter-specific positive interactions (facilitation) occur between plants but that more direct intra-specific interactions, such as cooperation and altruism, also operate during the niche construction process. Our aim is to propose an original theoretical framework of inter and intra-specific positive interactions between riparian plants. We suggest that positive interactions between riparian plants are maximized in river reaches with an intermediate level of hydrogeomorphic disturbance. During establishment, plants that grow within dense stands improve their survival and growth because individuals protect each other from shear stress. In addition to the improved capacity to trap mineral and organic matter, individuals which constitute the dense stand can cooperate to mutually support a mycorrhizal fungi network that will connect plants, soil and ground water and influence nutrient transfer, cycling and

Computer-based control systems of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalashnikov, V.K.; Shugam, R.A.; Ol'shevsky, Yu.N.

1975-01-01

Computer-based control systems of nuclear power plants may be classified into those using computers for data acquisition only, those using computers for data acquisition and data processing, and those using computers for process control. In the present paper a brief review is given of the functions the systems above mentioned perform, their applications in different nuclear power plants, and some of their characteristics. The trend towards hierarchic systems using control computers with reserves already becomes clear when consideration is made of the control systems applied in the Canadian nuclear power plants that pertain to the first ones equipped with process computers. The control system being now under development for the large Soviet reactors of WWER type will also be based on the use of control computers. That part of the system concerned with controlling the reactor assembly is described in detail

Survival of Phytophthora ramorum in Rhododendron root balls and in rootless substrates

Science.gov (United States)

A. Vercauteren; M. Riedel; M. Maes; S. Werres; K. Heungens

2013-01-01

This study assesses the survival of Phytophthora ramorum in the root ball of Rhododendron container plants as well as in different rootless forest substrates and a horticultural potting medium. Following inoculation of the root balls, the aboveground plant parts stayed symptomless, whilst the pathogen could be recovered with a...

Root Traits and Phenotyping Strategies for Plant Improvement

OpenAIRE

Ana Paez-Garcia; Christy M. Motes; Wolf-Rüdiger Scheible; Rujin Chen; Elison B. Blancaflor; Maria J. Monteros

2015-01-01

Roots are crucial for nutrient and water acquisition and can be targeted to enhance plant productivity under a broad range of growing conditions. A current challenge for plant breeding is the limited ability to phenotype and select for desirable root characteristics due to their underground location. Plant breeding efforts aimed at modifying root traits can result in novel, more stress-tolerant crops and increased yield by enhancing the capacity of the plant for soil exploration and, thus, wa...

A new paradigma on the plant evolution: from a natural evolution to an artificial evolution?

Science.gov (United States)

Bennici, Andrea

2005-01-01

After evidencing the great importance of plants for animals and humans in consequence of the photosynthesis, several considerations on plant evolution are made. One of the peculiar characteristics of the plant is the sessile property, due especially to the cell wall. This factor, principally, strengthened by the photosynthetic process, determined the particular developmental pattern of the plant, which is characterized by the continuous formation of new organs. The plant immobility, although negative for its survival, has been, in great part, overcome by the acquisition of the capacity of adaptation (plasticity) to the environmental stresses and changes, and the establishment of more adapted genotypes. This capacity to react to the external signals induced Trewavas to speak of "plant intelligence". The plant movement incapacity and the evolution of the sexual reproduction system were strongly correlated. In this context, the evolution of the flower in the Angiosperms has been particularly important to allow the male gamete to fertilize the immobile female gamete. Moreover, the formation of fruit and seed greatly improved the dispersal and conservation of the progeny in the environment. With the flower, mechanisms to favour the outcrossing among different individuals appeared, which are essential to increase the genetic variability and, then, the plant evolution itself. Although the Angiosperms seem highly evolved, the plant evolution is not surely finished, because many reported morpho-physiological processes may be still considered susceptible of further improvement. In the last years the relationships among humans, plants and environment are becoming closer and closer. This is due to the use of the DNA recombinant techniques with the aim to modify artificially plant characters. Therefore, the risk of a plant evolution strongly directed towards practical or commercial objectives, or "an artificial evolution", may be hypothesized.

47 CFR 32.2005 - Telecommunications plant adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... acquisition; and (2) the original cost of such plant, governmental franchises and similar rights acquired, less the amounts of reserve requirements for depreciation and amortization of the property acquired. If...

Mergers and Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Risberg, Annette

Introduction to the study of mergers and acquisitions. This book provides an understanding of the mergers and acquisitions process, how and why they occur, and also the broader implications for organizations. It presents issues including motives and planning, partner selection, integration......, employee experiences and communication. Mergers and acquisitions remain one of the most common forms of growth, yet they present considerable challenges for the companies and management involved. The effects on stakeholders, including shareholders, managers and employees, must be considered as well...... by editorial commentaries and reflects the important organizational and behavioural aspects which have often been ignored in the past. By providing this in-depth understanding of the mergers and acquisitions process, the reader understands not only how and why mergers and acquisitions occur, but also...

Recent progress in plant nutrition research: cross-talk between nutrients, plant physiology and soil microorganisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkama-Ohtsu, Naoko; Wasaki, Jun

2010-08-01

Mineral nutrients taken up from the soil become incorporated into a variety of important compounds with structural and physiological roles in plants. We summarize how plant nutrients are linked to many metabolic pathways, plant hormones and other biological processes. We also focus on nutrient uptake, describing plant-microbe interactions, plant exudates, root architecture, transporters and their applications. Plants need to survive in soils with mineral concentrations that vary widely. Describing the relationships between nutrients and biological processes will enable us to understand the molecular basis for signaling, physiological damage and responses to mineral stresses.

Genesis of the concept "mergers and acquisitions" in the world scientific knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. V. Reshetnikova

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The authors examine the genesis of the concepts of "merger" and "acquisition" in terms of their essence, the need for implementation in the modern economy, the role in the restructuring of the company or business as a whole, the forms of manifestation in the market of corporate control. The authors compare the classical approaches to the examination of essential characteristics in the foreign economic literature with those available in Russian economic literature and used in Russian practice. Both foreign and Russian literature have two clearly distinguished, fundamentally different positions of scientists on the considered definition. Herewith, the first group of researchers separates the terms "merger" and "acquisition", understanding by merging such a transaction between companies in which only one of the involved parties survives, usually the initiator of the transaction. The rest of the companies leave the markets (financial and commodity. This researches consider acquisition as such a process, after which the absorbed company continues to be present in the markets as a subsidiary of the company initiating the transaction. The authors justify new challenges in the M&A market, and reveal the reasons for their appearance. The article presents the genesis of the concepts of mergers and acquisitions from the point of view of their classification by essential characteristics, and reveals common features that practically all foreign and Russian researchers in this field of knowledge identify. The article also shows the distinctive features noted by scientists that expand the possibilities for business restructuring taking into account the processes of corporate control market. The authors study the classification of mergers and acquisitions with the substantiation own position on the sufficiency/insufficiency of the criterion for classifying the studied concepts to different groups; substantiate appearance of definition "transboundary mergers and

Direct Neuronal Glucose Uptake Is Required for Contextual Fear Acquisition in the Dorsal Hippocampus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liang Kong

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The metabolism of glucose is a nearly exclusive source of energy for maintaining neuronal survival, synaptic transmission and information processing in the brain. Two glucose metabolism pathways have been reported, direct neuronal glucose uptake and the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS, which can be involved in these functions simultaneously or separately. Although ANLS in the dorsal hippocampus (DH has been proved to be required for memory consolidation, the specific metabolic pathway involved during memory acquisition remains unclear. The DH and amygdala are two key brain regions for acquisition of contextual fear conditioning (CFC. In 2-NBDG experiments, we observed that 2-NBDG-positive neurons were significantly increased during the acquisition of CFC in the DH. However, in the amygdala and cerebellum, 2-NBDG-positive neurons were not changed during CFC training. Strikingly, microinjection of a glucose transporter (GLUT inhibitor into the DH decreased freezing values during CFC training and 1 h later, while injection of a monocarboxylate transporter (MCT inhibitor into the amygdala also reduced freezing values. Therefore, we demonstrated that direct neuronal glucose uptake was the primary means of energy supply in the DH, while ANLS might supply energy in the amygdala during acquisition. Furthermore, knockdown of GLUT3 by a lentivirus in the DH impaired the acquisition of CFC. Taken together, the results indicated that there were two different glucose metabolism pathways in the DH and amygdala during acquisition of contextual fear memory and that direct neuronal glucose uptake in the DH may be regulated by GLUT3.

Workshop on data-acquisition and -display systems: directions after TMI. [PWR; BWR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-11-01

The accident at Three Mile Island Unit-2 raised questions as to the adequacy of data acquisition and display systems in commercial nuclear power plants. A series of recommendations have developed from the various groups that have analyzed the accident in order to improve the oprator's overview of the plant safety conditions and to facilitate information transfer to technical support centers in emergency situations. This report is the result of an NSAC-sponsored workshop, where the various recommendations and emerging regulatory requirements were reviewed in an attempt to provide an integrated basis for their implementation.

Germination and field survival of white-topped pitcher plant seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Kristina Connor; Hilliard Gibbs

2012-01-01

A study was initiated to determine longevity of white-topped pitcher plant (Sarracenia leucophylla, Raf.) seeds in the field and in cold storage. Thirty seed pods were harvested in August 2009 from plants located in Alabama 38 miles from the Gulf Coast. Of the 10,000+ seeds extracted from the pods, some were buried outside in screen-wire bags and...

Probability problems in seismic risk analysis and load combinations for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, L.L.

1983-01-01

This workshop describes some probability problems in power plant reliability and maintenance analysis. The problems are seismic risk analysis, loss of load probability, load combinations, and load sharing. The seismic risk problem is to compute power plant reliability given an earthquake and the resulting risk. Component survival occurs if its peak random response to the earthquake does not exceed its strength. Power plant survival is a complicated Boolean function of component failures and survivals. The responses and strengths of components are dependent random processes, and the peak responses are maxima of random processes. The resulting risk is the expected cost of power plant failure

Nuclear power plant operating experience. Annual report, 1978

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beebe, M.R.

1979-12-01

This report is the fifth in a series of reports issued annually that summarizes the operating experience of US nuclear power plants in commercial operation. Power generation statistics, plant outages, reportable occurrences, fuel element performance, occupational radiation exposure for each plant are presented. Summary highlights of these areas are discussed. The report includes 1978 data from 65 plants - 25 boiling water reactor plants and 40 pressurized water reactor plants. Discussion of radioactive effluents which has been a part of this report in previous years, has not been included in this issue because of late acquisition of data

Do biological and bedsite characteristics influence survival of neonatal white-tailed deer?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Colter Chitwood

Full Text Available Coyotes recently expanded into the eastern U.S. and potentially have caused localized white-tailed deer population declines. Research has focused on quantifying coyote predation on neonates, but little research has addressed the potential influence of bedsite characteristics on survival. In 2011 and 2012, we radiocollared 65 neonates, monitored them intensively for 16 weeks, and assigned mortality causes. We used Program MARK to estimate survival to 16 weeks and included biological covariates (i.e., sex, sibling status [whether or not it had a sibling], birth weight, and Julian date of birth. Survival to 16 weeks was 0.141 (95% CI = 0.075-0.249 and the top model included only sibling status, which indicated survival was lower for neonates that had a sibling. Predation was the leading cause of mortality (35 of 55; 64% and coyotes were responsible for the majority of depredations (30 of 35; 86%. Additionally, we relocated neonates for the first 10 days of life and measured distance to firebreak, visual obstruction, and plant diversity at bedsites. Survival of predation to 10 days (0.726; 95% CI = 0.586-0.833 was weakly associated with plant diversity at bedsites but not related to visual obstruction. Our results indicate that neonate survival was low and coyote predation was an important source of mortality, which corroborates several recent studies from the region. Additionally, we detected only weak support for bedsite cover as a covariate to neonate survival, which indicates that mitigating effects of coyote predation on neonates may be more complicated than simply managing for increased hiding cover.

48 CFR 245.608-71 - Screening industrial plant equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Screening industrial plant..., and Disposal of Contractor Inventory 245.608-71 Screening industrial plant equipment. (a) Reporting...) After 90th day. If DoD requirement is identified, and item is available, ship item against the...

Acquisitive Framatome nurtures its core businesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

For the past five years, Framatome's objective has been to be world leader in each of its core businesses. Whenever interesting opportunities become available, the company aims to develop through acquisition, which enables it either to penetrate growing market or to increase its existing market share. In the past 20 years, Framatome teams have designed, produced and installed 62 nuclear reactors with a combined generating capacity of 62000 MWe on 25 different sites in France and abroad (eg Belgium, South Africa, South Korea and China). Today, Framatome continues to build nuclear plants and manufacture big nuclear components, while adapting its activities to the new demands of the market. (Author)

Impacts of simulated climate change and fungal symbionts on survival and growth of a foundation species in sand dunes.

Science.gov (United States)

Emery, Sarah M; Rudgers, Jennifer A

2013-12-01

For many ecosystems, one of the primary avenues of climate impact may be through changes to foundation species, which create habitats and sustain ecosystem services. For plants, microbial symbionts can often act as mutualists under abiotic stress and may mediate foundational plant responses to climate change. We manipulated the presence of endophytes in Ammophila breviligulata, a foundational sand dune species, to evaluate their potential to influence plant responses to climate change. We simulated projected climate change scenarios for temperature and precipitation using a growth chamber experiment. A 5 °C increase in temperature relative to current climate in northern Michigan reduced A. breviligulata survival by 45 %. Root biomass of A. breviligulata, which is critical to dune stabilization, was also strongly reduced by temperature. Plants inoculated with the endophyte had 14 % higher survival than endophyte-free plants. Contrary to our prediction, endophyte symbiosis did not alter the magnitude or direction of the effects of climate manipulations on A. breviligulata survival. However, in the absence of the endophyte, an increase in temperature increased the number of sand grains bound by roots by 80 %, while in symbiotic plants sand adherence did not significantly respond to temperature. Thus, plant-endophyte symbiosis actually negated the benefits in ecosystem function gained under a warmer climate. This study suggests that heat stress related to climate change in the Great Lakes may compromise the ability of A. breviligulata to stabilize dune ecosystems and reduce carbon storage and organic matter build-up in these early-successional systems due to reduced plant survival and root growth.

On the concept of survivability, with application to spacecraft and space-based networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castet, Jean-Francois; Saleh, Joseph H.

2012-01-01

Survivability is an important attribute and requirement for military systems. Recently, survivability has become increasingly important for public infrastructure systems as well. In this work, we bring considerations of survivability to bear on space systems. We develop a conceptual framework and quantitative analyses based on stochastic Petri nets (SPN) to characterize and compare the survivability of different space architectures. The architectures here considered are a monolith spacecraft and a space-based network. To build the stochastic Petri net models for the degradations and failures of these two architectures, we conducted statistical analyses of historical multi-state failure data of spacecraft subsystems, and we assembled these subsystems, and their SPN models, in ways to create our monolith and networked systems. Preliminary results indicate, and quantify the extent to which, a space-based network is more survivable than the monolith spacecraft with respect to on-orbit anomalies and failures. For space systems, during the design and acquisition process, different architectures are benchmarked against several metrics; we argue that if survivability is not accounted for, then the evaluation process is likely to be biased in favor of the traditional dominant design, namely the monolith spacecraft. If however in a given context, survivability is a critical requirement for a customer, the survivability framework here proposed, and the stochastic modeling capability developed, can demonstrate the extent to which a networked space architecture may better satisfy this requirement than a monolith spacecraft. These results should be of interest to operators whose space assets require high levels of survivability, especially in the light of emerging threats.

Effects of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae on survival and growth of perennial grasses in lignite overburden in Texas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Call, C.A.; Davies, F.T.

1988-12-01

Seedlings of sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), and kleingrass (Panicum coloratum) were inoculated with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi (Glomus fasciculatum and Gigaspora margarita) in a containerized system and transplanted into lignite overburden in the Post Oak Savannah region of Texas, U.S.A. After three growing seasons without cultural inputs, plants inoculated with VAM fungi had greater survival percentages, basal diameters, and above-ground biomass than noninoculated plants. Inoculated plants had higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in above-ground biomass than noninoculated plants. Root colonization percentages of inoculated plants remained fairly stable while noninoculated plants showed low levels of colonization over the 3-year study period. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae enhanced the survival and growth of the 3 grass species by making effective use of limited resources in the lignite overburden. 31 refs., 3 tabs.

Involvement of Trichoderma asperellum strain T6 in regulating iron acquisition in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Lei; Wang, Fei; Zhang, Yaqing; Zhang, Jiaojiao

2014-07-01

Iron (Fe) deficiency is a major plant nutritional disorder in many parts of the world, particularly in areas with saline soils. Among the numerous root-associated microbes that are beneficial for plant nutrient uptake, Trichoderma spp. are the most effective rhizosphere fungi for enhancing plant growth and plant resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. To investigate the potential mechanisms of action of Trichoderma on insoluble Fe in the soil, which is difficult for plants to absorb and utilize, a high siderophore-producing strain of Trichoderma T6, was isolated from the rhizosphere of cucumber plants. The strain was identified as T. asperellum based on the morphological features and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Applying strain T6 to sterile soil could increase soil levels of Fe(2+) and siderophores, as well as increase Fe(2+) and Fe(3+)-chelate reductase (FCR) activity in cucumber tissues. Purified siderophore eluent (PSE) increased plant growth, thus confirming its role in plant growth promotion. Moreover, extracellular Fe(3+) reducing activity and three kinds of organic acids were detected in the culture filtrate of strain T6. These results indicate that strain T6 influences plant Fe absorption in several ways. Siderophore-based Fe chelation is effective in providing Fe to plants, organic acids, and Fe(3+) reducing enzymes may participate in the solubilization and reduction of insoluble Fe(3+) to Fe(2+). © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Distributed radiation data acquisition system for KAPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narsaiah, A.; Anantakrishnan, T.S.; Bairi, B.R.

1992-01-01

Increased concern for the safety of personnel working in Nuclear Power Stations demands an efficient centralized Radiation Data Acquisition System (RADAS) to monitor different types of radiation at distributed locations of the plant. The system provides a comprehensive picture of radio-activity level distribution in the reactor building to facilitate prompt and correct decision making to take care of any emergency situation. The system is build around an industrial IBM-PC connected to remote intelligent data acquisition units using serial data communication links. To ensure high system availability and ease of maintenance the mechanical moving disk storage has been replaced by solid state memory storage (RAM Disk). Functional CRT displays have been substituted by the assembly of IBM-PC Mother Board with built-in firmware and standard TV Monitor. The computer handles a variety of processing functions which include the conversion to engineering units, checking of alarms, display/printing of plant radiation level status and system diagnostics. Intelligent terminals have been provided with graphic and text formatting capabilities. A hot standby computer connected to analog and digital inputs takes over the system functions on the failure of the host system. Modular software written in the higher level C-language runs under a standard real-time operating system Kernel. This provides for easy modification and expandability at site. Based on the experience of its commissioning at Kakrapar Power Station a new compact version is being designed for a specific application in another class of reactor. (author). 3 refs., 1 fig

Nutrient acquisition and secondary metabolites in plant pathogenic fungi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Droce, Aida

Fusarium graminearum is a necrotrophic plant pathogen that leads to severe infections of cereals contaminating them with mycotoxins harmful to human and animal. Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei is an obligate biotroph that causes powdery mildew infections of barley. In this thesis, lifecycles and ...

Factors Affecting the Survival of SMEs: A Study of Biotechnology Firms in South Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kwangsoo Shin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Past studies examining survival factors of biotechnology firms have focused on pioneer countries, such as the USA, the UK and Germany. However, as the biotechnology industry in Asia is reaching the take-off stage and showing a high growth rate, the research on survival factors in the context of Asian latecomers is needed. The present research investigates internal and external factors affecting the survival of SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the biotechnology industry in South Korea. The Cox hazard model was employed to perform a robust estimation in survival analysis. The analysis of internal factors showed that the origin of a firm (i.e., having prior experience or spin-offs and the business sub-sector (i.e., platform-based affect the hazard rates of biotechnology firms. In terms of external factors, unlike strategic alliances, government R&D funding lowered hazard rates for the firm’s survival. Additionally, considering that the reasons of firm exit can be divided into bankruptcy and M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions, the different effects of origins from other firms and strategic alliance for firm survival are confirmed. The results suggest that prior experience, platform-based and constant government R&D funding contribute to the sustainable development of SMEs in the biotechnology industry.

2017 NAIP Acquisition Map

Data.gov (United States)

Farm Service Agency, Department of Agriculture — Planned States for 2017 NAIP acquisition and acquisition status layer (updated daily). Updates to the acquisition seasons may be made during the season to...

Field Guide to Plant Model Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Caren; Bowman, John L; Meyerowitz, Elliot M

2016-10-06

For the past several decades, advances in plant development, physiology, cell biology, and genetics have relied heavily on the model (or reference) plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Arabidopsis resembles other plants, including crop plants, in many but by no means all respects. Study of Arabidopsis alone provides little information on the evolutionary history of plants, evolutionary differences between species, plants that survive in different environments, or plants that access nutrients and photosynthesize differently. Empowered by the availability of large-scale sequencing and new technologies for investigating gene function, many new plant models are being proposed and studied. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

75 FR 11193 - Endangered Wildlife and Plants; Permits

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-10

...] Endangered Wildlife and Plants; Permits AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of... employees and their designated agents to conduct enhancement of survival activities for a plant that was recently added to the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants (Phyllostegia hispida). The Endangered...

Heme Synthesis and Acquisition in Bacterial Pathogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Choby, Jacob E; Skaar, Eric P

2016-08-28

Bacterial pathogens require the iron-containing cofactor heme to cause disease. Heme is essential to the function of hemoproteins, which are involved in energy generation by the electron transport chain, detoxification of host immune effectors, and other processes. During infection, bacterial pathogens must synthesize heme or acquire heme from the host; however, host heme is sequestered in high-affinity hemoproteins. Pathogens have evolved elaborate strategies to acquire heme from host sources, particularly hemoglobin, and both heme acquisition and synthesis are important for pathogenesis. Paradoxically, excess heme is toxic to bacteria and pathogens must rely on heme detoxification strategies. Heme is a key nutrient in the struggle for survival between host and pathogen, and its study has offered significant insight into the molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data acquisition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clout, P.N.

1982-01-01

Data acquisition systems are discussed for molecular biology experiments using synchrotron radiation sources. The data acquisition system requirements are considered. The components of the solution are described including hardwired solutions and computer-based solutions. Finally, the considerations for the choice of the computer-based solution are outlined. (U.K.)

Development of plant maintenance systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomita, Jinji; Ike, Masae; Nakayama, Kenji; Kato, Hisatomo

1989-01-01

Toshiba is making active efforts for the continuing improvement of reliability and maintainability of operating nuclear power plants. As a part of these efforts, the company has developed new maintenance administration systems, diagnostic monitoring facilities for plant equipments, computer-aided expert systems, and remote-controlled machines for maintenance work. The maintenance administration systems provide efficient work plans and data acquisition capabilities for the management of personnel and equipments involved in nuclear power plant maintenance. The plant diagnostic facilities monitor and diagnose plant conditions for preventive maintenance, as well as enabling rapid countermeasures to be carried out should they be required. Expert systems utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology are also employed. The newly developed remote-controlled machines are useful tools for the maintenance inspection of equipment which can not be easily accessed. (author)

Gardening in the zone of death: an experimental assessment of the absolute elevation limit of vascular plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Dvorský, Miroslav; Chlumská, Zuzana; Altman, Jan; Čapková, Kateřina; Řeháková, Klára; Macek, Martin; Kopecký, Martin; Liancourt, Pierre; Doležal, Jiří

2016-04-13

Vascular plants in the western Tibetan Plateau reach 6000 m--the highest elevation on Earth. Due to the significant warming of the region, plant ranges are expected to shift upwards. However, factors governing maximum elevational limits of plant are unclear. To experimentally assess these factors, we transplanted 12 species from 5750 m to 5900 m (upper edge of vegetation) and 6100 m (beyond range) and monitored their survival for six years. In the first three years (2009-2012), there were plants surviving beyond the regional upper limit of vegetation. This supports the hypothesis of dispersal and/or recruitment limitation. Substantial warming, recorded in-situ during this period, very likely facilitated the survival. The survival was ecologically a non-random process, species better adapted to repeated soil freezing and thawing survived significantly better. No species have survived at 6100 m since 2013, probably due to the extreme snowfall in 2013. In conclusion, apart from the minimum heat requirements, our results show that episodic climatic events are decisive determinants of upper elevational limits of vascular plants.

Net root growth and nutrient acquisition in response to predicted climate change in two contrasting heathland species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arndal, M.F.; Merrild, M.P.; Michelsen, A.

2013-01-01

Accurate predictions of nutrient acquisition by plant roots and mycorrhizas are critical in modelling plant responses to climate change.We conducted a field experiment with the aim to investigate root nutrient uptake in a future climate and studied root production by ingrowth cores, mycorrhizal...... to elevated CO2. The species-specific response to the treatments suggests different sensitivity to global change factors, which could result in changed plant competitive interactions and belowground nutrient pool sizes in response to future climate change....

Data Acquisition System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cirstea, C.D.; Buda, S.I.; Constantin, F.

2005-01-01

This paper deals with a multi parametric acquisition system developed for a four input Analog to Digital Converter working in CAMAC Standard. The acquisition software is built in MS Visual C++ on a standard PC with a USB interface. It has a visual interface which permits Start/Stop of the acquisition, setting the type of acquisition (True/Live time), the time and various menus for primary data acquisition. The spectrum is dynamically visualized with a moving cursor indicating the content and position. The microcontroller PIC16C765 is used for data transfer from ADC to PC; The microcontroller and the software create an embedded system which emulates the CAMAC protocol programming the 4 input ADC for operating modes ('zero suppression', 'addressed' and 'sequential') and handling the data transfers from ADC to its internal memory. From its memory the data is transferred into the PC by the USB interface. The work is in progress. (authors)

Data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cirstea, D.C.; Buda, S.I.; Constantin, F.

2005-01-01

The topic of this paper deals with a multi parametric acquisition system developed around a four input Analog to Digital Converter working in CAMAC Standard. The acquisition software is built in MS Visual C++ on a standard PC with a USB interface. It has a visual interface which permits Start/Stop of the acquisition, setting the type of acquisition (True/Live time), the time and various menus for primary data acquisition. The spectrum is dynamically visualized with a moving cursor indicating the content and position. The microcontroller PIC16C765 is used for data transfer from ADC to PC; The microcontroller and the software create an embedded system which emulates the CAMAC protocol programming, the 4 input ADC for operating modes ('zero suppression', 'addressed' and 'sequential') and handling the data transfers from ADC to its internal memory. From its memory the data is transferred into the PC by the USB interface. The work is in progress. (authors)

Big Data in Plant Science: Resources and Data Mining Tools for Plant Genomics and Proteomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Popescu, George V; Noutsos, Christos; Popescu, Sorina C

2016-01-01

In modern plant biology, progress is increasingly defined by the scientists' ability to gather and analyze data sets of high volume and complexity, otherwise known as "big data". Arguably, the largest increase in the volume of plant data sets over the last decade is a consequence of the application of the next-generation sequencing and mass-spectrometry technologies to the study of experimental model and crop plants. The increase in quantity and complexity of biological data brings challenges, mostly associated with data acquisition, processing, and sharing within the scientific community. Nonetheless, big data in plant science create unique opportunities in advancing our understanding of complex biological processes at a level of accuracy without precedence, and establish a base for the plant systems biology. In this chapter, we summarize the major drivers of big data in plant science and big data initiatives in life sciences with a focus on the scope and impact of iPlant, a representative cyberinfrastructure platform for plant science.

Optical fiber network of the data acquisition sub system of SIIP Integral Information System of Process, Unit 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreno R, J.; Ramirez C, M.J.; Pina O, I.; Cortazar F, S.; Villavicencio R, A.

1995-01-01

In this article, a description of the communication network, based in optical fiber, which interlace the data acquisition equipment with the computers of Laguna Verde Nuclear Power Plant of SIIP is made. It is also presented a description of the equipment and accessories which conform the network. The requirements imposed by the Central which stated the selection of optical fiber as interlace mean are also outstanding. SIIP is a computerized, centralized and integrated system which make information functions by means of the acquisition of signals and the required computational process for the continuous evaluation of the nuclear power plant in normal and emergency conditions. Is an exclusive monitoring system with no one action on the generation process; that is to say, it only acquire, process, store information and assist to the personnel in the operational analysis of the nuclear plant. SIIP is a Joint Project with three participant institutions: Federal Electricity Commission/ Electrical Research Institute/ General Electric. (Author)

Technological Similarity, Post-acquisition R&D Reorganization, and Innovation Performance in Horizontal Acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Colombo, Massimo G.; Rabbiosi, Larissa

2014-01-01

This paper aims to disentangle the mechanisms through which technological similarity between acquiring and acquired firms influences innovation in horizontal acquisitions. We develop a theoretical model that links technological similarity to: (i) two key aspects of post-acquisition reorganization...... of acquired R&D operations – the rationalization of the R&D operations and the replacement of the R&D top manager, and (ii) two intermediate effects that are closely associated with the post-acquisition innovation performance of the combined firm – improvements in R&D productivity and disruptions in R......&D personnel. We rely on PLS techniques to test our theoretical model using detailed information on 31 horizontal acquisitions in high- and medium-tech industries. Our results indicate that in horizontal acquisitions, technological similarity negatively affects post-acquisition innovation performance...

Development of knowledge acquisition methods for knowledge base construction for autonomous nuclear plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasajima, M.; Kitamura, Y.; Mizoguchi, R. [Osaka Univ., Ibaraki (Japan). Inst. of Scientific and Industrial Research; Yoshikawa, S.

1994-03-01

This report describes a development of an ontology for computerized representation of behaviors and functions of number power plants. This ontology also enables computers to predict plant behaviors under assumed changes of boundary conditions and to derive cause identification suggestions of observed anomalies, as well as to represent functions and behaviors. Technical requirements in this development were recognized as clarified distinguishment of functions from behaviors and efficient plant behavior reasoning, and these have been successfully attained. The purpose of this development is to achieve knowledge sharing between human and automized instrumentation and control system about nuclear plant functions and behaviors, to realize cooperation of human and automized system for safe and cost acceptable nuclear plant operation. (author)

Measuring competition in plant communities where it is difficult to distinguish individual plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Christian

2011-01-01

A novel method for measuring plant-plant interactions in undisturbed semi-natural and natural plant communities where it is difficult to distinguish individual plants is discussed. It is assumed that the ecological success of the different plant species in the plant community may be adequately...... measured by plant cover and vertical density (a measure that is correlated to the 3-dimensional space occupancy and biomass). Both plant cover and vertical density are measured in a standard pin-point analysis in the beginning and at the end of the growing season. In the outlined competition model....... The method allows direct measurements of the competitive effects of neighbouringzplants on plant performance and the estimation of parameters that describe the ecological processes of plantplant interactions during the growing season as well as the process of survival and recruitment between growing seasons...

Lessons from Cacti: How to Survive the Prickles of Life during Tough Times

Science.gov (United States)

Bigger, Alan S.; Bigger, Linda B.

2009-01-01

The saguaro cactus looked a little like humans, in different shapes and sizes. How on earth do they survive in a climate that seems so inhospitable? It is possible to learn lessons for life from a cactus, if one can only get beyond the thorns, and that these lessons will assist one to survive during tough or prickly times. These plants survive…

A generic individual-based model to simulate morphogenesis, C-N acquisition and population dynamics in contrasting forage legumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Louarn, Gaëtan; Faverjon, Lucas

2018-04-18

Individual-based models (IBMs) are promising tools to disentangle plant interactions in multi-species grasslands and foster innovative species mixtures. This study describes an IBM dealing with the morphogenesis, growth and C-N acquisition of forage legumes that integrates plastic responses from functional-structural plant models. A generic model was developed to account for herbaceous legume species with contrasting above- and below-ground morphogenetic syndromes and to integrate the responses of plants to light, water and N. Through coupling with a radiative transfer model and a three-dimensional virtual soil, the model allows dynamic resolution of competition for multiple resources at individual plant level within a plant community. The behaviour of the model was assessed on a range of monospecific stands grown along gradients of light, water and N availability. The model proved able to capture the diversity of morphologies encountered among the forage legumes. The main density-dependent features known about even-age plant populations were correctly anticipated. The model predicted (1) the 'reciprocal yield' law relating average plant mass to density, (2) a self-thinning pattern close to that measured for herbaceous species and (3) consistent changes in the size structure of plant populations with time and pedo-climatic conditions. In addition, plastic changes in the partitioning of dry matter, the N acquisition mode and in the architecture of shoots and roots emerged from the integration of plant responses to their local environment. This resulted in taller plants and thinner roots when competition was dominated by light, and shorter plants with relatively more developed root systems when competition was dominated by soil resources. A population dynamic model considering growth and morphogenesis responses to multiple resources heterogeneously distributed in the environment was presented. It should allow scaling plant-plant interactions from individual to

PLANT GROWTH-PROMOTING MICROBIAL INOCULANT FOR Schizolobium parahyba pv. parahyba

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila Jane Romano de Oliveira Gonçalves

2015-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTSchizolobium parahyba pv. amazonicum (Huber ex Ducke Barneby (paricá occurs naturally in the Amazon and is significant commercial importance due to its rapid growth and excellent performance on cropping systems. The aim of this paper was to evaluate a microbial inoculants such as arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF and Rhizobium sp. that promote plant growth. The inocula was 10 g of root colonized and spores of Glomus clarum and/or 1 mL of cell suspension (107 CFU/mL of Rhizobium sp. and/or 100 g of chemical fertilizer NPK 20-05-20 per planting hole. The experimental design was complete randomized blocks with five replications and eight treatments (n = 800. Plant height, stem diameter and plant survival were measured. The results were tested for normality and homogeneity of variances and analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey test (p < 0.05. Rhizobium sp and AM fungi showed no effect on plant growth. Environmental factors probably influenced the effectiveness of symbiosis of both microorganisms and plant growth. The chemical fertilizer increased S. parahyba growth. During the first 120 days plants suffered with drought and frost, and at 180 days plants inoculated with microorganism plus chemical fertilizer showed higher survival when compared with control. The results showed that the microbial inoculants used showed an important role on plant survival after high stress conditions, but not in plant growth. Also was concluded that the planting time should be between November to December to avoid the presence of young plants during winter time that is dry and cold.

Effect of competition on height growth and survival of planted Japanese larch

Science.gov (United States)

E. F. McNamara; Irvin C. Reigner

1960-01-01

On the Dilldown Unit of the Delaware-Lehigh Experimental Forest in Pennsylvania, several planting studies have been made with the aim of finding the most economical and practical methods of converting scrub oak areas to productive high-forest types. These studies have already shown the need for site preparation prior to planting. Seedlings planted on prepared areas...

Improved flooding tolerance and carbohydrate status of flood-tolerant plant Arundinella anomala at lower water temperature.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao Qi Ye

Full Text Available Operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR, China imposes a new water fluctuation regime, including a prolonged winter submergence in contrast to the natural short summer flooding of the rivers. The contrasting water temperature regimes may remarkably affect the survival of submerged plants in the TGR. Plant survival in such prolonged flooding might depend on the carbohydrate status of the plants. Therefore, we investigated the effects of water temperature on survival and carbohydrate status in a flood-tolerant plant species and predicted that both survival and carbohydrate status would be improved by lower water temperatures.A growth chamber experiment with controlled water temperature were performed with the flood-tolerant species Arundinella anomala from the TGR region. The plants were submerged (80 cm deep water above soil surface with a constant water temperature at 30°C, 20°C or 10°C. The water temperature effects on survival, plant biomass and carbohydrate content (glucose, fructose and sucrose and starch in the viable and dead tissues were investigated.The results showed that the survival percentage of A.anomala plants was greatly dependent on water temperature. The two-month submergence survival percentage was 100% at 10°C, 40% at 20°C and 0% at 30°C. Decreasing the water temperature led to both later leaf death and slower biomass loss. Temperature decrease also induced less reduction in glucose, fructose and sucrose in the roots and leaves (before decay, p 0.05. Different water temperatures did not alter the carbon pool size in the stems, leaves and whole plants (p > 0.05, but a clear difference was found in the roots (p < 0.05, with a larger pool size at a lower temperature.We concluded that (1 A. anomala is characterized by high flooding tolerance and sustained capability to mobilize carbohydrate pool. (2 The survival percentage and carbohydrate status of submerged A. anomala plants were remarkably improved by lower water

The survival-reproduction association becomes stronger when conditions are good.

Science.gov (United States)

Robert, Alexandre; Bolton, Mark; Jiguet, Frédéric; Bried, Joël

2015-11-07

Positive covariations between survival and reproductive performance (S-R covariation) are generally interpreted in the context of fixed or dynamic demographic heterogeneity (i.e. persistent differences between individuals, or dynamic variation in resource acquisition), but the processes underlying covariations are still unknown. We used multi-event modelling to investigate how environmental and individual features influence S-R covariation patterns in a long-lived seabird, the Monteiro's storm petrel (Oceanodroma monteiroi). Our analysis reveals that a strong positive association between individual breeding success and subsequent survival occurs only when conditions are favourable to reproduction (in favourable years, in high-quality nests and in nest-faithful breeders). This finding reflects differences in the main causes of breeding failure and mortality under favourable and unfavourable conditions, which in turn lead to distinct patterns of S-R covariation. We suggest, in particular, that resource-related sources of demographic heterogeneity do not generate a strong S-R covariation, in contrast with hidden and unpredictable sources of variation. © 2015 The Author(s).

75 FR 54524 - Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; Acquisition Strategies To Ensure Competition...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-08

...., because the changes are to internal Government organization and operating procedures only. The rule... 48 CFR Part 207 Government procurement. Ynette R. Shelkin, Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations... Life Cycle of Major Defense Acquisition Programs (DFARS Case 2009-D014) AGENCY: Defense Acquisition...

Regulation of phosphate starvation responses in higher plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiao Juan; Finnegan, Patrick M

2010-04-01

Phosphorus (P) is often a limiting mineral nutrient for plant growth. Many soils worldwide are deficient in soluble inorganic phosphate (P(i)), the form of P most readily absorbed and utilized by plants. A network of elaborate developmental and biochemical adaptations has evolved in plants to enhance P(i) acquisition and avoid starvation. Controlling the deployment of adaptations used by plants to avoid P(i) starvation requires a sophisticated sensing and regulatory system that can integrate external and internal information regarding P(i) availability. In this review, the current knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms that control P(i) starvation responses and the local and long-distance signals that may trigger P(i) starvation responses are discussed. Uncharacterized mutants that have P(i)-related phenotypes and their potential to give us additional insights into regulatory pathways and P(i) starvation-induced signalling are also highlighted and assessed. An impressive list of factors that regulate P(i) starvation responses is now available, as is a good deal of knowledge regarding the local and long-distance signals that allow a plant to sense and respond to P(i) availability. However, we are only beginning to understand how these factors and signals are integrated with one another in a regulatory web able to control the range of responses demonstrated by plants grown in low P(i) environments. Much more knowledge is needed in this agronomically important area before real gains can be made in improving P(i) acquisition in crop plants.

Alternation of host plants as a survival mechanism of leafhoppers Dilobopterus costalimai and Oncometopia facialis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, vectors of the Citrus Variegated Chlorosis (CVC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milanez José Maria

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Dilobopterus costalimai (Young and Oncometopia facialis (Signoret are two of the most important species of citrus leafhoppers, vectors of bacterium Xylella fastidiosa which causes the Citrus Variegated Chlorosis (CVC disease. To develop a rearing technique for these species under laboratory conditions, the egg laying preference and nymph development were studied in different breeding systems: Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia and "falso boldo" (Vernonia condensata as host plants. Trials were set up in a randomized block design with three treatments (n=8. Females of D. costalimai had particular preference for ovipositing on Rangpur lime leaves while O. facialis females placed a higher number of eggs on "falso boldo", but it did not differ statistically from the Rangpur lime. The nymphal viability of D. costalimai was null in Rangpur lime and 58% in "falso boldo". For O. facialis the nymphal viability was 25 and 78% in Rangpur lime and "falso boldo", respectively. "Falso boldo" is more suitable as a host plant to rear the two species of citrus leafhoppers. The alternation of host plants seems to be an important survival mechanism of the CVC-vector species, as shown in natural conditions.

Agrobacterium -induced hypersensitive necrotic reaction in plant cells

African Journals Online (AJOL)

High necrosis and poor survival rate of target plant tissues are some of the major factors that affect the efficiency of Agrobacterium-mediated T-DNA transfer into plant cells. These factors may be the result of, or linked to, hypersensitive defense reaction in plants to Agrobacterium infection, which may involve the recognition ...

48 CFR 945.505-11 - Records of transportation and installation costs of plant equipment.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... and installation costs of plant equipment. 945.505-11 Section 945.505-11 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY CONTRACT MANAGEMENT GOVERNMENT PROPERTY Management of Government... plant equipment. The requirements of FAR 45.505-11 apply to plant equipment having a unit cost of $1,000...

ITER Fast Plant System Controller prototype based on PXIe platform

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz, M.; Vega, J.; Castro, R.; Sanz, D.; López, J.M.; Arcas, G. de; Barrera, E.; Nieto, J.; Gonçalves, B.; Sousa, J.; Carvalho, B.; Utzel, N.; Makijarvi, P.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Implementation of Fast Plant System Controller (FPSC) for ITER CODAC. ► Efficient data acquisition and data movement using EPICS. ► Performance of PCIe technologies in the implementation of FPSC. - Abstract: The ITER Fast Plant System Controller (FPSC) is based on embedded technologies. The FPSC will be devoted to both data acquisition tasks (sampling rates higher than 1 kHz) and control purposes (feedback loop actuators). Some of the essential requirements of these systems are: (a) data acquisition and data preprocessing; (b) interfacing with different networks and high speed links (Plant Operation Network, timing network based on IEEE1588, synchronous data transference and streaming/archiving networks); and (c) system setup and operation using EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) process variables. CIEMAT and UPM have implemented a prototype of FPSC using a PXIe (PCI eXtension for Instrumentation) form factor in a R and D project developed in two phases. The paper presents the main features of the two prototypes developed that have been named alpha and beta. The former was implemented using LabVIEW development tools as it was focused on modeling the FPSC software modules, using the graphical features of LabVIEW applications, and measuring the basic performance in the system. The alpha version prototype implements data acquisition with time-stamping, EPICS monitoring using waveform process variables (PVs), and archiving. The beta version prototype is a complete IOC implemented using EPICS with different software functional blocks. These functional blocks are integrated and managed using an ASYN driver solution and provide the basic functionalities required by ITER FPSC such as data acquisition, data archiving, data pre-processing (using both CPU and GPU) and streaming.

Protection of warehouses and plants under capacity constraint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bricha, Naji; Nourelfath, Mustapha

2015-01-01

While warehouses may be subjected to less protection effort than plants, their unavailability may have substantial impact on the supply chain performance. This paper presents a method for protection of plants and warehouses against intentional attacks in the context of the capacitated plant and warehouses location and capacity acquisition problem. A non-cooperative two-period game is developed to find the equilibrium solution and the optimal defender strategy under capacity constraints. The defender invests in the first period to minimize the expected damage and the attacker moves in the second period to maximize the expected damage. Extra-capacity of neighboring functional plants and warehouses is used after attacks, to satisfy all customers demand and to avoid the backorders. The contest success function is used to evaluate success probability of an attack of plants and warehouses. A numerical example is presented to illustrate an application of the model. The defender strategy obtained by our model is compared to the case where warehouses are subjected to less protection effort than the plants. This comparison allows us to measure how much our method is better, and illustrates the effect of direct investments in protection and indirect protection by warehouse extra-capacities to reduce the expected damage. - Highlights: • Protection of warehouses and plants against intentional attacks. • Capacitated plant and warehouse location and capacity acquisition problem. • A non-cooperative two-period game between the defender and the attacker. • A method to evaluate the utilities and determine the optimal defender strategy. • Using warehouse extra-capacities to reduce the expected damage

Short inventory of EU legislation on plant toxins in food

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijs, de M.; Noordam, M.Y.; Mol, H.G.J.

2017-01-01

Plant toxins, secondary metabolites that are not essential for the survival of the organism itself but are toxic to human health, are produced by many plants. Plant toxins can be present as inherent metabolites in daily foods such as potatoes, herbs and spices or in herbal preparations. Plant

Acquisitions Everywhere: Modeling an Acquisitions Data Standard to Connect a Distributed Environment

OpenAIRE

Hanson, Eric M.; Lightcap, Paul W.; Miguez, Matthew R.

2016-01-01

Acquisitions functions remain operationally crucial in providing access to paid information resources, but data formats and workflows utilized within library acquisitions remain primarily within the traditional integrated library system (ILS). As libraries have evolved to use distributed systems to manage information resources, so too must acquisitions functions adapt to an environment that may include the ILS, e‐resource management systems (ERMS), institutional repositories (IR), and other d...

Unraveling the Host Plant Alternation of Cacopsylla pruni – Adults but Not Nymphs Can Survive on Conifers Due to Phloem/Xylem Composition

Science.gov (United States)

Gallinger, Jannicke; Gross, Jürgen

2018-01-01

Plant sap feeding insects like psyllids are known to be vectors of phloem dwelling bacteria (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ and ‘Ca. Liberibacter’), plant pathogens which cause severe diseases and economically important crop damage. Some univoltine psyllid species have a particular life cycle, within one generation they alternate two times between different host plant species. The plum psyllid Cacopsylla pruni, the vector of European Stone Fruit Yellows (ESFY), one of the most serious pests in European fruit production, migrates to stone fruit orchards (Prunus spp.) for mating and oviposition in early spring. The young adults of the new generation leave the Prunus trees in summer and emigrate to their overwintering hosts like spruce and other conifers. Very little is known about the factors responsible for the regulation of migration, reasons for host alternation, and the behavior of psyllids during their phase of life on conifers. Because insect feeding behavior and host acceptance is driven by different biotic factors, such as olfactory and gustatory cues as well as mechanical barriers, we carried out electrical penetration graph (EPG) recordings and survival bioassays with C. pruni on different conifer species as potential overwintering hosts and analyzed the chemical composition of the respective plant saps. We are the first to show that migrating psyllids do feed on overwintering hosts and that nymphs are able to ingest phloem and xylem sap of coniferous trees, but cannot develop on conifer diet. Analyses of plant saps reveal qualitative differences in the chemical composition between coniferous trees and Prunus as well as within conifer species. These differences are discussed with regard to nutritional needs of psyllid nymphs for proper development, overwintering needs of adults and restriction of ‘Ca. P. prunorum’ to Prunus phloem. PMID:29706983

48 CFR 434.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 434.004 Section 434.004 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING MAJOR SYSTEM ACQUISITION General 434.004 Acquisition strategy. (a) The program...

Software engineering for the EBR-II data acquisition system conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schorzman, W.

1988-01-01

The original data acquisition system (DAS) for the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) was placed into service with state-of-the-art computer and peripherals in 1970. Software engineering principles for real-time data acquisition were in their infancy, and the original software design was dictated by limited hardware resources. The functional requirements evolved from creative ways to gather and display data. This abstract concept developed into an invaluable tool for system analysis, data reporting, and as a plant monitor for operations. In this paper the approach is outlined to the software conversion project with the restraints of operational transparency and 6 weeks for final conversion and testing. The outline is then compared with the formal principles of software engineering to show the way that bridge the gap can be bridged between the theoretical and real world by analyzing the work and listing the lessons learned

48 CFR 873.105 - Acquisition planning.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition planning. 873.105 Section 873.105 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT... planning. (a) Acquisition planning is an indispensable component of the total acquisition process. (b) For...

48 CFR 34.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 34... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING MAJOR SYSTEM ACQUISITION General 34.004 Acquisition strategy. The program manager, as specified in agency procedures, shall develop an acquisition strategy tailored to the particular...

48 CFR 3034.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 3034.004 Section 3034.004 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, HOMELAND... Acquisition strategy. See (HSAR) 48 CFR 3009.570 for policy applicable to acquisition strategies that consider...

Technological characterization and survival of the exopolysaccharide-producing strain Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis 193 and its bile-resistant derivative 193+ in simulated gastric and intestinal juices.

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Patricia; Vinderola, Gabriel; Reinheimer, Jorge; Cuesta, Isabel; de Los Reyes-Gavilán, Clara G; Ruas-Madiedo, Patricia

2011-08-01

The capacity of lactic acid bacteria to produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) conferring microorganisms a ropy phenotype could be an interesting feature from a technological point of view. Progressive adaptation to bile salts might render some lactobacilli able to overcome physiological gut barriers but could also modify functional properties of the strain, including the production of EPS. In this work some technological properties and the survival ability in simulated gastrointestinal conditions of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis 193, and Lb. delbrueckii subsp. lactis 193+, a strain with stable bile-resistant phenotype derived thereof, were characterized in milk in order to know whether the acquisition of resistance to bile could modify some characteristics of the microorganism. Both strains were able to grow and acidify milk similarly; however the production of ethanol increased at the expense of the aroma compound acetaldehyde in milk fermented by the strain 193+, with respect to milk fermented by the strain 193. Both microorganisms produced a heteropolysaccharide composed of glucose and galactose, and were able to increase the viscosity of fermented milks. In spite of the higher production yield of EPS by the bile-resistant strain 193+, it displayed a lower ability to increase viscosity than Lb. delbrueckii subsp. lactis 193. Milk increased survival in simulated gastric juice; the presence of bile improved adhesion to the intestinal cell line HT29-MTX in both strains. However, the acquisition of a stable resistance phenotype did not improve survival in simulated gastric and intestinal conditions or the adhesion to the intestinal cell line HT29-MTX. Thus, Lb. delbrueckii subsp. lactis 193 presents suitable technological properties for the manufacture of fermented dairy products; the acquisition of a stable bile-resistant phenotype modified some properties of the microorganism. This suggests that the possible use of bile-resistant derivative strains should be

Age of Acquisition Effects in Chinese EFL learners’ Delexicalized Verb and Collocation Acquisition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miao Haiyan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates age of acquisition (AoA effects and the acquisition of delexicalized verbs and collocations in Chinese EFL learners, and explores the underlying reasons from the connectionist model for these learners’ acquisition characteristics. The data were collected through a translation test consisted of delexialized verb information section and English-Chinese and Chinese-English collocation parts, aiming to focus on Chinese EFL learners’ receptive and productive abilities respectively. As Chinese EFL is a nationally classroom-based practice beginning from early primary school, the pedagogical value and different phases of acquisition are thus taken into consideration in designing the translation test. Research results show that the effects of AoA are significant not only in the learners’ acquisition of individual delexicalized verbs but also in delexicalized collocations. Although learners have long begun to learn delexicalized verbs, their production indicates that early learning does not guarantee total acquisition, because their grasp of delexicalized verbs still stay at the senior middle school level. AoA effects significantly affect the recognition but not the production of collocations. Furthermore, a plateau effect occurs in learners’ acquisition of college-level delexicalized collocations, as their recognition and production have no processing advantages over earlier learned collocations.

Sustaining an Acquisition-based Growth Strategy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Toppenberg, Gustav; Shanks, Graeme

Value creating acquisitions are a major challenge for many firms. Our case study of Cisco Systems shows that an advanced Enterprise Architecture (EA) capability can contribute to the acquisition process through a) preparing the acquirer to become ‘acquisition ready’, b) identifying resource...... complementarity, c) directing and governing the integration process, and d) post-acquisition evaluation of the achieved integration and proposing ways forward. Using the EA capability in the acquisition process improves Cisco’s ability to rapidly capture value from its acquisitions and to sustain its acquisition...

48 CFR 234.004 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 234..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING MAJOR SYSTEM ACQUISITION 234.004 Acquisition strategy. (1) See 209.570 for policy applicable to acquisition strategies that consider the use of lead system...

Does bedding promote pine survival and growth on ditched wet sands?

Science.gov (United States)

Ralph A. Klawitter

1970-01-01

Results from a study of prepared beds for planting slash pine on a wet sandy flat in Florida were inconclusive. Early growth was improved, but survival was not; and differences between a bedded site and an unbedded site were slight.

The COMPADRE plant matrix database: an open online repository for plant demography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salguero-Gómez, R.; Jones, O.R.; Archer, C.R.; Buckley, Y.M.; Che-Castaldo, J.; Caswell, H.; Hodgson, D.; Scheuerlein, A.; Conde, D.A.; Brinks, E.; de Buhr, H.; Farack, C.; Gottschalk, F.; Hartmann, A.; Henning, A.; Hoppe, G.; Römer, G.; Runge, J.; Ruoff, T.; Wille, J.; Zeh, S.; Davison, R.; Vieregg, D.; Baudisch, A.; Altwegg, R.; Colchero, F.; Dong, M.; de Kroon, H.; Lebreton, J.D.; Metcalf, C.J.E.; Neele, M.M.; Parker, I.M.; Takada, T.; Valverde, T.; Vélez-Espino, L.A.; Wardle, G.M.; Franco, M.; Vaupel, J.W.

2014-01-01

Schedules of survival, growth and reproduction are key life-history traits. Data on how these traits vary among species and populations are fundamental to our understanding of the ecological conditions that have shaped plant evolution. Because these demographic schedules determine population growth

Survival strategies of plants during water stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheuermann, R.; Stuhlfauth, T.; Sueltemeyer, D.; Fock, H.

1989-01-01

Fluorescence and gas exchange of bean, maize, sunflower and wooly foxglove were simultaneously measured at 250 μmol quanta/m 2 /s. Under severe water stresses conditions about 40% of the photochemical energy was converted to heat at PS II. This is interpreted as a protective mechanism against photoinhibitory damage when net CO 2 uptake is reduced by about 70%. After 14 CO 2 gas exchange, only in bean was a homogeneous distribution of radioactivity over the leaf observed. In all other plants we found a patchy distribution of regions with either an intensive or a reduced gas exchange. We conclude that CO 2 -recycling (photorespiration and reassimilation) behind closed stomata also contributed to energy dissipation under severe stress conditions

Does personality influence job acquisition and tenure in people with severe mental illness enrolled in supported employment programs?

Science.gov (United States)

Fortin, Guillaume; Lecomte, Tania; Corbière, Marc

2017-06-01

When employment difficulties in people with severe mental illness (SMI) occur, it could be partly linked to issues not specific to SMI, such as personality traits or problems. Despite the fact that personality has a marked influence on almost every aspect of work behavior, it has scarcely been investigated in the context of employment for people with SMI. We aimed to evaluate if personality was more predictive than clinical variables of different competitive work outcomes, namely acquisition of competitive employment, delay to acquisition and job tenure. A sample of 82 people with a SMI enrolled in supported employment programs (SEP) was recruited and asked to complete various questionnaires and interviews. Statistical analyses included logistic regressions and survival analyses (Cox regressions). Prior employment, personality problems and negative symptoms are significantly related to acquisition of a competitive employment and to delay to acquisition whereas the conscientiousness personality trait was predictive of job tenure. Our results point out the relevance of personality traits and problems as predictors of work outcomes in people with SMI registered in SEP. Future studies should recruit larger samples and also investigate these links with other factors related to work outcomes.

Plant innate immunity against human bacterial pathogens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maeli eMelotto

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Certain human bacterial pathogens such as the enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica are not proven to be plant pathogens yet. Nonetheless, under certain conditions they can survive on, penetrate into, and colonize internal plant tissues causing serious food borne disease outbreaks. In this review, we highlight current understanding on the molecular mechanisms of plant responses against human bacterial pathogens and discuss salient common and contrasting themes of plant interactions with phytopathogens or human pathogens.

Antifreeze proteins enable plants to survive in freezing conditions

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2014-10-20

Oct 20, 2014 ... Recent studies have shown that plant AFPs bind to both prism planes and basal ... Abbreviations used: AFP, antifreeze protein; ECP, extra-cellular protein; IAC, ice adsorption ...... This work was partially supported by a grant (BT/PR10799/ ... ity in Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (in Chinese with English.

48 CFR 307.104-70 - Acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition strategy. 307... AND ACQUISITION PLANNING ACQUISITION PLANNING Acquisition Planning 307.104-70 Acquisition strategy... designated by the HHS CIO, DASFMP, the CAO, or the cognizant HCA) shall prepare an acquisition strategy using...

The COMPADRE Plant Matrix Database

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salguero-Gomez, Roberto; Jones, Owen; Archer, C. Ruth

2015-01-01

growth or decline, such data furthermore help us understand how different biomes shape plant ecology, how plant populations and communities respond to global change, and how to develop successful management tools for endangered or invasive species. 2. Matrix population models summarize the life cycle......1. Schedules of survival, growth and reproduction are key life history traits. Data on how these traits vary among species and populations are fundamental to our understanding of the ecological conditions that have shaped plant evolution. Because these demographic schedules determine population...

48 CFR 1845.407 - Non-Government use of plant equipment. (NASA supplements paragraph (a)).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Use and Rental of Government Property 1845.407 Non-Government use of plant equipment. (NASA supplements paragraph (a)). For NASA, the coverage in FAR 45.407, applies to all equipment, not just plant... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 true Non-Government use of plant...

Ecological correlates of seed survival after ingestion by Fallow Deer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mouissie, AM; Van der Veen, CEJ; Veen, GF; Van Diggelen, R

1. The survival and retention of seeds was studied by feeding known quantities of seeds of 25 species to four captive Fallow Deer (Dama dama L.). To test for ecological correlates, plant species were selected to represent large variation in seed size, seed shape, seed longevity and habitat

Functional strategies of tropical dry forest plants in relation to growth form and isotopic composition

Science.gov (United States)

Santiago, L. S.; Silvera, K.; Andrade, J. L.; Dawson, T. E.

2017-11-01

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) undergo a substantial dry season in which plant species must endure several months of drought. Although TDFs support a diverse array of plant growth forms, it is not clear how they vary in mechanisms for coping with seasonal drought. We measured organic tissue stable isotopic composition of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) across six plant growth forms including epiphytes, terrestrial succulents, trees, shrubs, herbs, and vines, and oxygen (δ18O) of four growth forms, to distinguish among patterns of resource acquisition and evaluate mechanisms for surviving annual drought in a lowland tropical dry forest in Yucatan, Mexico. Terrestrial succulent and epiphyte δ13C was around -14‰, indicating photosynthesis through the Crassulacean acid metabolism pathway, and along with one C4 herb were distinct from mean values of all other growth forms, which were between -26 and -29‰ indicating C3 photosynthesis. Mean tissue δ15N across epiphytes was -4.95‰ and was significantly lower than all other growth forms, which had values around +3‰. Tissue N concentration varied significantly among growth forms with epiphytes and terrestrial succulents having significantly lower values of about 1% compared to trees, shrubs, herbs and vines, which were around 3%. Tissue C concentration was highest in trees, shrubs and vines, intermediate in herbs and epiphytes and lowest in terrestrial succulents. δ18O did not vary among growth forms. Overall, our results suggest several water-saving aspects of resource acquisition, including the absolute occurrence of CAM photosynthesis in terrestrial succulents and epiphytes, high concentrations of leaf N in some species, which may facilitate CO2 drawdown by photosynthetic enzymes for a given stomatal conductance, and potentially diverse N sources ranging from atmospheric N in epiphytes with extremely depleted δ15N values, and a large range of δ15N values among trees, many of which are legumes and dry season

Western bean cutworm survival and the development of economic injury levels and economic thresholds in field corn.

Science.gov (United States)

Paula-Moraes, S; Hunt, T E; Wright, R J; Hein, G L; Blankenship, E E

2013-06-01

Western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a native pest of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). Historically, the western bean cutworm was distributed in the western United States, but since 1999 eastward expansion has been observed. In corn, economic impact is caused by larval ear feeding. Information on western bean cutworm biology, ecology, and economic impact is relatively limited, and the development of economic injury levels (EILs) and economic thresholds (ETs) is required for more effective management. Studies during 2008-2011, across three ecoregions of Nebraska, sought to characterize western bean cutworm survival and development of EILs and ETs. Calculations of EILs and ETs incorporated the dynamics of corn price, management cost, and pest survival. The results from the current study demonstrated low larval survival of this species (1.51-12.82%). The mean yield loss from one western bean cutworm larva per plant was 945.52 kg/ha (15.08 bu/acre), based on 74,100 plants per ha. Economic thresholds are expressed as a percentage of plants with at least one egg mass. This study is the first study that explicitly incorporates variable management costs and crop values into western bean cutworm EIL calculations, and larval survival into ET calculations.

Quantification of ant manure deposition in a tropical agroecosystem: Implications for host plant nitrogen acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pinkalski, Christian Alexander Stidsen; Damgaard, Christian; Jensen, Karl-Martin Vagn

2015-01-01

of ant manure may augment the host plants’ acquisition of nitrogen. In this study, we quantified the manure deposited by colonies of the Asian weaver ant Oecophylla smaragdina. We developed a method to estimate the amount of manure deposited in host trees (Mangifera indica) based on the trail activity...

[First language acquisition research and theories of language acquisition].

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, S; Jungheim, M; Ptok, M

2014-04-01

In principle, a child can seemingly easily acquire any given language. First language acquisition follows a certain pattern which to some extent is found to be language independent. Since time immemorial, it has been of interest why children are able to acquire language so easily. Different disciplinary and methodological orientations addressing this question can be identified. A selective literature search in PubMed and Scopus was carried out and relevant monographies were considered. Different, partially overlapping phases can be distinguished in language acquisition research: whereas in ancient times, deprivation experiments were carried out to discover the "original human language", the era of diary studies began in the mid-19th century. From the mid-1920s onwards, behaviouristic paradigms dominated this field of research; interests were focussed on the determination of normal, average language acquisition. The subsequent linguistic period was strongly influenced by the nativist view of Chomsky and the constructivist concepts of Piaget. Speech comprehension, the role of speech input and the relevance of genetic disposition became the centre of attention. The interactionist concept led to a revival of the convergence theory according to Stern. Each of these four major theories--behaviourism, cognitivism, interactionism and nativism--have given valuable and unique impulses, but no single theory is universally accepted to provide an explanation of all aspects of language acquisition. Moreover, it can be critically questioned whether clinicians consciously refer to one of these theories in daily routine work and whether therapies are then based on this concept. It remains to be seen whether or not new theories of grammar, such as the so-called construction grammar (CxG), will eventually change the general concept of language acquisition.

Drought versus heat: What's the major constraint on Mediterranean green roof plants?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savi, Tadeja; Dal Borgo, Anna; Love, Veronica L.; Andri, Sergio; Tretiach, Mauro; Nardini, Andrea

2016-01-01

Green roofs are gaining momentum in the arid and semi-arid regions due to their multiple benefits as compared with conventional roofs. One of the most critical steps in green roof installation is the selection of drought and heat tolerant species that can thrive under extreme microclimate conditions. We monitored the water status, growth and survival of 11 drought-adapted shrub species grown on shallow green roof modules (10 and 13 cm deep substrate) and analyzed traits enabling plants to cope with drought (symplastic and apoplastic resistance) and heat stress (root membrane stability). The physiological traits conferring efficiency/safety to the water transport system under severe drought influenced plant water status and represent good predictors of both plant water use and growth rates over green roofs. Moreover, our data suggest that high substrate temperature represents a stress factor affecting plant survival to a larger extent than drought per se. In fact, the major cause influencing seedling survival on shallow substrates was the species-specific root resistance to heat, a single and easy measurable trait that should be integrated into the methodological framework for screening and selection of suitable shrub species for roof greening in the Mediterranean. - Highlights: • The use of hardy shrub species for roof greening should be increased. • We monitored water status of 11 shrub species growing on shallow green roofs. • Species heat and drought tolerance, growth, and survival were studied. • High substrate temperature significantly affected plant survival. • Root resistance to heat could be used as trait for species selection for green roofs.

Evaluation of severe accident environmental conditions taking accident management strategy into account for equipment survivability assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byung Chul; Jeong, Ji Hwan; Na, Man Gyun; Kim, Soong Pyung

2003-01-01

This paper presents a methodology utilizing accident management strategy in order to determine accident environmental conditions in equipment survivability assessments. In case that there is well-established accident management strategy for specific nuclear power plant, an application of this tool can provide a technical rationale on equipment survivability assessment so that plant-specific and time-dependent accident environmental conditions could be practically and realistically defined in accordance with the equipment and instrumentation required for accident management strategy or action appropriately taken. For this work, three different tools are introduced; Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) outcomes, major accident management strategy actions, and Accident Environmental Stages (AESs). In order to quantitatively investigate an applicability of accident management strategy to equipment survivability, the accident simulation for a most likely scenario in Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plants (KSNPs) is performed with MAAP4 code. The Accident Management Guidance (AMG) actions such as the Reactor Control System (RCS) depressurization, water injection into the RCS, the containment pressure and temperature control, and hydrogen concentration control in containment are applied. The effects of these AMG actions on the accident environmental conditions are investigated by comparing with those from previous normal accident simulation, especially focused on equipment survivability assessment. As a result, the AMG-involved case shows the higher accident consequences along the accident environmental stages

Design of the M&S acquisition support effort of the SANDF GBADS acquisition programme

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Nel, JJ

2007-06-01

Full Text Available (AmADS) GBADS Phase 2 (MobADS) GBADS Phase 3 (LmADS) GBADS Phase 4 (C2 Optimisation) GBADS Phase 5 (MecADS) Figure 1: GBADS Phased Acquisition. The acquisition programme comprises five phases each addressing the acquisition of a specific... element of the GBADS. Phase 1 addresses an Air-mobile Air Defence System (AmADS) utilising man-portable missiles that can also be employed as a component of a Mobile Air Defence System (MobADS). Phase 2 involves the acquisition of the remainder...

Inoculum pretreatment affects bacterial survival, activity and catabolic gene expression during phytoremediation of diesel contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Sumia; Afzal, Muhammad; Iqbal, Samina; Mirza, Muhammad Sajjad; Khan, Qaiser M

2013-04-01

Plant-bacteria partnership is a promising approach for remediating soil contaminated with organic pollutants. The colonization and metabolic activity of an inoculated microorganism depend not only on environmental conditions but also on the physiological condition of the applied microorganisms. This study assessed the influence of different inoculum pretreatments on survival, gene abundance and catabolic gene expression of an applied strain (Pantoea sp. strain BTRH79) in the rhizosphere of ryegrass vegetated in diesel contaminated soil. Maximum bacterium survival, gene abundance and expression were observed in the soil inoculated with bacterial cells that had been pregrown on complex medium, and hydrocarbon degradation and genotoxicity reduction were also high in this soil. These findings propose that use of complex media for growing plant inocula may enhance bacterial survival and colonization and subsequently the efficiency of pollutant degradation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Control and data acquisition of the ITER full-scale ion source for the neutral beam test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luchetta, Adriano; Manduchi, Gabriele; Taliercio, Cesare; Paolucci, Francesco; Sartori, Filippo; Svensson, Lennart; Labate, Carmelo Vincenzo; Breda, Mauro; Capobianco, Roberto; Molon, Federico; Moressa, Modesto; Simionato, Paola; Zampiva, Enrico; Barbato, Paolo; Polato, Sandro

2015-01-01

Highlights: • This paper describes the requirements and architecture of the control and data acquisition system of the ITER full-ion source experiment in the neutral beam test facility. • The system architecture integrates various popular software frameworks. • Slow control is based on the EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) framework. • Fast control is based on the MARTe (Multi-threaded Application Real-Time executor) framework. • Data acquisition is based on the MDSplus framework. - Abstract: The neutral beam test facility, which is under construction in Padova, Italy, is developing the ITER full-scale ion source for the ITER heating neutral beam injectors, referred to as the SPIDER experiment, and the full-size prototype injector, referred to as MITICA. The SPIDER control and data acquisition system (CODAS) has been developed and its construction will start in 2014. Slow control and data acquisition will be based on the ITER CODAC core system software suite that has been designed to facilitate the integration of ITER plant systems with CODAC. Fast control and data acquisition will use solutions specific to the test facility, as the corresponding concepts are not ready-to-use in the ITER design. The ITER hardware catalog for fast control has been taken into consideration. The software development will be based on the integration of MDSplus and MARTe, two framework software packages that are well known in the fusion community, targeting data organization and fast real-time control, respectively. The paper revises the system requirements and the system design and shows the results already achieved in terms of system integration. In addition, the paper will report the experience in the usage of different cooperating software frameworks and in the integration of industrial procured plant systems.

Control and data acquisition of the ITER full-scale ion source for the neutral beam test facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Luchetta, Adriano, E-mail: adriano.luchetta@igi.cnr.it [Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy); Manduchi, Gabriele; Taliercio, Cesare [Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy); Paolucci, Francesco; Sartori, Filippo [Fusion for Energy, Barcelona (Spain); Svensson, Lennart [ITER Organization, Route de Vinon-sur-Verdon, CS 90046 St. Paul Lez Durance (France); Labate, Carmelo Vincenzo [Association ENEA-CREATE, Department of Engineering, University of Naples “Parthenope” (Italy); Breda, Mauro; Capobianco, Roberto; Molon, Federico; Moressa, Modesto; Simionato, Paola; Zampiva, Enrico; Barbato, Paolo; Polato, Sandro [Consorzio RFX (CNR, ENEA, INFN, Università di Padova, Acciaierie Venete SpA), Padova (Italy)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • This paper describes the requirements and architecture of the control and data acquisition system of the ITER full-ion source experiment in the neutral beam test facility. • The system architecture integrates various popular software frameworks. • Slow control is based on the EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) framework. • Fast control is based on the MARTe (Multi-threaded Application Real-Time executor) framework. • Data acquisition is based on the MDSplus framework. - Abstract: The neutral beam test facility, which is under construction in Padova, Italy, is developing the ITER full-scale ion source for the ITER heating neutral beam injectors, referred to as the SPIDER experiment, and the full-size prototype injector, referred to as MITICA. The SPIDER control and data acquisition system (CODAS) has been developed and its construction will start in 2014. Slow control and data acquisition will be based on the ITER CODAC core system software suite that has been designed to facilitate the integration of ITER plant systems with CODAC. Fast control and data acquisition will use solutions specific to the test facility, as the corresponding concepts are not ready-to-use in the ITER design. The ITER hardware catalog for fast control has been taken into consideration. The software development will be based on the integration of MDSplus and MARTe, two framework software packages that are well known in the fusion community, targeting data organization and fast real-time control, respectively. The paper revises the system requirements and the system design and shows the results already achieved in terms of system integration. In addition, the paper will report the experience in the usage of different cooperating software frameworks and in the integration of industrial procured plant systems.

Notes on some Edible wild plants found in the Kalahari

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.E. Keith

1975-07-01

Full Text Available Limited work done on edible, indigenous plants to date, mainly concerns seasonal species. To develop a more reliable guide on food-plant sources for survival conditions in the field, a study directed at a survey of non-seasonal plants is conducted in the Kalahari. Descriptions of six edible non-seasonal plants for the Kalahari are given.

Estimating winter survival of winter wheat by simulations of plant frost tolerance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergjord Olsen, A.K.; Persson, T.; Wit, de A.; Nkurunziza, L.; Sindhøj, E.; Eckersten, H.

2018-01-01

Based on soil temperature, snow depth and the grown cultivar's maximum attainable level of frost tolerance (LT50c), the FROSTOL model simulates development of frost tolerance (LT50) and winter damage, thereby enabling risk calculations for winter wheat survival. To explore the accuracy of this

Availability of thermal power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitsch, D.; Schmitz, H.

1981-01-01

Availability data based on unique uniform, and clearly defined concepts and methods of acquisition have been compiled by the VGB since 1970. The data are published in anual reports. These reports contain availability data of fossil-fuelled units, combined gas/steam units, nuclear power plants, and gas turbine plants in Germany and abroad, listed by unit size fuel type, time of operation, and application. For the purpose of comparison, the data for the years since 1970 are presented as well as data averaged for the whole period under report. The main results for the year 1980 are presented now that the greater part of the plants has been evaluated. The complete evaluation will be published towards the end of 1981. (orig.) [de

Bacterial Endophyte Colonization and Distribution within Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shyam L. Kandel

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The plant endosphere contains a diverse group of microbial communities. There is general consensus that these microbial communities make significant contributions to plant health. Both recently adopted genomic approaches and classical microbiology techniques continue to develop the science of plant-microbe interactions. Endophytes are microbial symbionts residing within the plant for the majority of their life cycle without any detrimental impact to the host plant. The use of these natural symbionts offers an opportunity to maximize crop productivity while reducing the environmental impacts of agriculture. Endophytes promote plant growth through nitrogen fixation, phytohormone production, nutrient acquisition, and by conferring tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Colonization by endophytes is crucial for providing these benefits to the host plant. Endophytic colonization refers to the entry, growth and multiplication of endophyte populations within the host plant. Lately, plant microbiome research has gained considerable attention but the mechanism allowing plants to recruit endophytes is largely unknown. This review summarizes currently available knowledge about endophytic colonization by bacteria in various plant species, and specifically discusses the colonization of maize plants by Populus endophytes.

IT-based Value Creation in Serial Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Yetton, Philip

2013-01-01

serial acquirers realize IT-based value, we integrate and model the findings on individual acquisitions from the extant literature, and extend that model to explain the effects of sequential acquisitions in a growth-by-acquisition strategy. This extended model, drawing on the Resource-Based Theory......The extant research on post-acquisition IT integration analyzes how acquirers realize IT-based value in individual acquisitions. However, serial acquirers make 60% of acquisitions. These acquisitions are not isolated events, but are components in growth-by-acquisition programs. To explain how...

The rare peat moss Sphagnum wulfianum (Sphagnaceae) did not survive the last glacial period in northern European refugia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyrkjeeide, Magni Olsen; Hassel, Kristian; Flatberg, Kjell I; Stenøien, Hans K

2012-04-01

Organisms may survive unfavorable conditions either by moving to more favorable areas by means of dispersal or by adapting to stressful environments. Pleistocene glacial periods represent extremely unfavorable conditions for the majority of life forms, especially sessile organisms. Many studies have revealed placements of refugial areas and postglacial colonization patterns of seed plants, but little is still known about areas of long-term survival and historical migration routes of bryophytes. Given overall differences in stress tolerance between seed plants and bryophytes, it is of interest to know whether bryophytes have survived periods of extreme climatic conditions better then seed plants in northern areas. The haploid and rarely spore-producing peat moss Sphagnum wulfianum is mostly found in areas that were covered by ice during the last glacial maximum. Twelve microsatellite markers were amplified from 43 populations (367 shoots) of this species, and data were analyzed using population genetic diversity statistics, Bayesian clustering methods, and coalescence-based inference tools to estimate historical and demographic parameters. Genetic diversity within populations was low, but populations were highly differentiated, with two main genetic clusters being recognized. The two main genetic groups have diverged quite recently in the Holocene, and the pattern of genetic variability and structuring gives no support for survival in Scandinavian refugia during the last glacial period in this species. The dispersal ability of this plant thus seems surprisingly high despite its infrequent spore production.

48 CFR 970.2301 - Sustainable acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sustainable acquisition. 970.2301 Section 970.2301 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AGENCY..., Renewable Energy Technologies, Occupational Safety and Drug-Free Work Place 970.2301 Sustainable acquisition...

Plant adaptation to temperature and photoperiod

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. JUNTTILA

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Plants respond to environmental conditions both by adaptation and by acclimation. The ability of the plants to grow, reproduce and survive under changing climatic conditions depends on the efficiency of adaptation and acclimation. The adaptation of developmental processes in plants to temperature and photoperiod is briefly reviewed. In annual plants this adaptation is related to growth capacity and to the timing of reproduction. In perennial plants growing under northern conditions, adaptation of the annual growth cycle to the local climatic cycle is of primary importance. Examples of the role of photothermal conditions in regulation of these phenological processes are given and discussed. The genetic and physiological bases for climatic adaptation in plants are briefly examined.;

Acquisitions by EMNCs in Developed Markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rabbiosi, Larissa; Elia, Stefano; Bertoni, Fabio

2012-01-01

Building on an organisational learning perspective, we argue that emerging market firms’ international experience and home-country characteristics are core sources of learning. Furthermore, we argue that these factors constitute important determinants of emerging market firms’ acquisition behaviour...... in developed countries (south-north acquisitions). We test our hypotheses on a sample of 808 south-north acquisitions. The acquisitions were undertaken in Europe, Japan and North America (Canada and the US) between 1999 and 2008 by firms from the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China....... As suggested by the internationalisation process model, our results show that emerging market firms undertake acquisitions in developed countries in an incremental fashion. Acquisition experience in developed markets increases the likelihood of exploitative expansion, while acquisition experience in developing...

Improving Acquisition Outcomes with Contextual Ambidexterity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meglio, Olimpia; King, David R.; Risberg, Annette

2015-01-01

The results of research on mergers and acquisitions often point to a need to improve acquisition outcomes and lessen the organizational turmoil that can often follow integration efforts. We assert that viewing acquisition integration through the lens of contextual ambidexterity may improve...... acquisition outcomes in two ways: by providing an integrated solution to the economic and social tensions in acquisitions, and by enabling managers to effectively confront the competing needs of task and human integration. We also posit that by building on contextual ambidexterity, we can extend...... the possibilities for both research and practice regarding task and human integration in acquisitions. We also emphasize the role of an integration manager and integration mechanisms in enabling contextual ambidexterity for successful acquisition integration. Finally, we identify implications for research...

Plant phenotype - Arabidopsis Phenome Database | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available of organs, tissues, development stages. The vocabulary is defined in Plant Ontology(PO). Qualities: Characte...ristics, attributes of entities. The vocabulary is defined in Phenotype Ontology(PATO). Data file File name:...w/riken_piam_phenome#en Data acquisition method Plant Ontology, Phenotype Ontology Data analysis method - Nu

Acquisition of HPLC-Mass Spectrometer

Science.gov (United States)

2015-08-18

31-Jan-2015 Approved for Public Release; Distribution Unlimited Final Report: Acquisition of HPLC -Mass Spectrometer The views, opinions and/or findings...published in peer-reviewed journals: Final Report: Acquisition of HPLC -Mass Spectrometer Report Title The acquisition of the mass spectrometer has been a

Glomus mosseae enhances root growth and Cu and Pb acquisition of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Aijun; Zhang, Xuhong; Yang, Xiaojin

2014-12-01

A pot culture experiment was carried out to investigate the roles of Glomus mosseae in Cu and Pb acquisition by upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) and the interactions between Cu and Pb. The soil was treated with three Cu levels (0, 100 and 200 mg kg(-1)) and three Pb levels (0, 300, and 600 mg kg(-1)). All treatments were designed with (+M) or without (-M) G. mosseae inoculation in a randomized block design. The addition of Cu and Pb significantly decreased root mycorrhizal colonization. Compared with -M, +M significantly increased root biomass in almost all treatments, and also significantly increased shoot biomass in the Pb(0)Cu(200), Pb(300)Cu(0), and all Pb(600) treatments. AM fungi enhanced plant Cu acquisition, but decreased plant Cu concentrations with all Cu plus Pb treatments, except for shoot in the Cu(200)Pb(600) treatment. Irrespective of Cu and Pb levels, +M plants had higher Pb uptakes than -M plants, but had lower root Pb and higher shoot Pb concentrations than those of -M plants. Another interpretation for the higher shoot Pb concentration in +M plants relied on Cu-Pb interactions. The study provided further evidences for the protective effects of AM fungi on upland rice against Cu and Pb contamination, and uncovered the phenomenon that Cu addition could promote Pb uptake and Pb partitioning to shoot. The possible mechanisms by which AM fungi can alleviate the toxicity induced by Cu and Pb are also discussed.

An automated, high-throughput plant phenotyping system using machine learning-based plant segmentation and image analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Unseok; Chang, Sungyul; Putra, Gian Anantrio; Kim, Hyoungseok; Kim, Dong Hwan

2018-01-01

A high-throughput plant phenotyping system automatically observes and grows many plant samples. Many plant sample images are acquired by the system to determine the characteristics of the plants (populations). Stable image acquisition and processing is very important to accurately determine the characteristics. However, hardware for acquiring plant images rapidly and stably, while minimizing plant stress, is lacking. Moreover, most software cannot adequately handle large-scale plant imaging. To address these problems, we developed a new, automated, high-throughput plant phenotyping system using simple and robust hardware, and an automated plant-imaging-analysis pipeline consisting of machine-learning-based plant segmentation. Our hardware acquires images reliably and quickly and minimizes plant stress. Furthermore, the images are processed automatically. In particular, large-scale plant-image datasets can be segmented precisely using a classifier developed using a superpixel-based machine-learning algorithm (Random Forest), and variations in plant parameters (such as area) over time can be assessed using the segmented images. We performed comparative evaluations to identify an appropriate learning algorithm for our proposed system, and tested three robust learning algorithms. We developed not only an automatic analysis pipeline but also a convenient means of plant-growth analysis that provides a learning data interface and visualization of plant growth trends. Thus, our system allows end-users such as plant biologists to analyze plant growth via large-scale plant image data easily.

Survivorship of adult Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) feeding on indoor ornamental plants with no inflorescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Qualls, Whitney A; Xue, Rui De; Beier, John C; Müller, Günter C

2013-06-01

The international trade of lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana [Asparagaceae]) is responsible for certain introductions of the exotic species Aedes albopictus (Skuse) in California and the Netherlands. Understanding the association of this species with lucky bamboo and other ornamental plants is important from a public health standpoint. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of indoor ornamental plants as sugar sources for adult A. albopictus. If exposed to D. sanderiana, bromeliad (Guzmania spp. hybrid [Bromeliaceae]), Moses-in-the-cradle (Rhoeo spathacea [Commelinaceae]), 10 % sucrose solution, and a negative water control as the only nutrient source, adult female A. albopictus mean survival time was 12, 7, 6, 15, and 4 days, respectively. Mean survival times for adult males were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the females and were 10, 7, 6, 14, and 3 days, respectively. Combined male and female survival times were not significantly different on lucky bamboo compared to survival times on a 10 % sucrose control. Based on our findings, A. albopictus can readily survive long enough to complete a gonotrophic cycle and potentially complete the extrinsic incubation period for many arboviruses when only provided access to lucky bamboo plants or possibly other common ornamentals. Vector control professionals should be aware of potential in-home infestations and public health concerns associated with mosquito breeding and plant tissue feeding on ornamental plants.

Frost resistance in alpine woody plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Neuner, Gilbert

2014-01-01

This report provides a brief review of key findings related to frost resistance in alpine woody plant species, summarizes data on their frost resistance, highlights the importance of freeze avoidance mechanisms, and indicates areas of future research. Freezing temperatures are possible throughout the whole growing period in the alpine life zone. Frost severity, comprised of both intensity and duration, becomes greater with increasing elevation and, there is also a greater probability, that small statured woody plants, may be insulated by snow cover. Several frost survival mechanisms have evolved in woody alpine plants in response to these environmental conditions. Examples of tolerance to extracellular freezing and freeze dehydration, life cycles that allow species to escape frost, and freeze avoidance mechanisms can all be found. Despite their specific adaption to the alpine environment, frost damage can occur in spring, while all alpine woody plants have a low risk of frost damage in winter. Experimental evidence indicates that premature deacclimation in Pinus cembra in the spring, and a limited ability of many species of alpine woody shrubs to rapidly reacclimate when they lose snow cover, resulting in reduced levels of frost resistance in the spring, may be particularly critical under the projected changes in climate. In this review, frost resistance and specific frost survival mechanisms of different organs (leaves, stems, vegetative and reproductive over-wintering buds, flowers, and fruits) and tissues are compared. The seasonal dynamics of frost resistance of leaves of trees, as opposed to woody shrubs, is also discussed. The ability of some tissues and organs to avoid freezing by supercooling, as visualized by high resolution infrared thermography, are also provided. Collectively, the report provides a review of the complex and diverse ways that woody plants survive in the frost dominated environment of the alpine life zone.

Frost resistance of alpine woody plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilbert eNeuner

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This report provides a brief review of key findings related to frost resistance in alpine woody plant species, summarizes data on their frost resistance, highlights the importance of freeze avoidance mechanisms, and indicates areas of future research.Freezing temperatures are possible throughout the whole growing period in the alpine life zone. Frost severity, comprised of both intensity and duration, becomes greater with increasing elevation and, there is also a greater probability, that small statured woody plants, may be insulated by snow cover.Several frost survival mechanisms have evolved in woody alpine plants in response to these environmental conditions. Examples of tolerance to extracellular freezing and freeze dehydration, life cycles that allow species to escape frost, and freeze avoidance mechanisms can all be found. Despite their specific adaption to the alpine environment, frost damage can occur in spring, while all alpine woody plants have a low risk of frost damage in winter. Experimental evidence indicates that premature deacclimation in Pinus cembra in the spring, and a limited ability of many species of alpine woody shrubs to rapidly reacclimate when they lose snow cover, resulting in reduced levels of frost resistance in the spring, may be particularly critical under the projected changes in climate.In this review, frost resistance and specific frost survival mechanisms of different organs (leaves, stems, vegetative and reproductive over-wintering buds, flowers and fruits and tissues are compared. The seasonal dynamics of frost resistance of leaves of trees, as opposed to woody shrubs, is also discussed. The ability of some tissues and organs to avoid freezing by supercooling, as visualized by high resolution infrared thermography, are also provided. Collectively, the report provides a review of the complex and diverse ways that woody plants survive in the frost dominated environment of the alpine life zone.

Acquisition system for the CLIC Module

CERN Document Server

Vilalte, Sebastien

2011-01-01

The status of R&D activities for CLIC module acquisition are discussed [1]. LAPP is involved in the design of the local CLIC module acquisition crate, described in the document Study of the CLIC Module Front-End Acquisition and Evaluation Electronics [2]. This acquisition system is a project based on a local crate, assigned to the CLIC module, including several mother boards. These motherboards are foreseen to hold mezzanines dedicated to the different subsystems. This system has to work in radiation environment. LAPP is involved in the development of Drive Beam stripline position monitors read-out, described in the document Drive Beam Stripline BPM Electronics and Acquisition [3]. LAPP also develops a generic acquisition mezzanine that allows to perform all-around acquisition and components tests for drive beam stripline BPM read-out.

Response of plants to high concentrations of uranium stress and the screening of remediation plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Yongjin; Luo Xuegang; Zeng Feng; Jiang Shijie

2013-01-01

Studies of the resistance and accumulation ability of different plant species to uranium (U) has important influence on the bioremediation of U contaminated soil. The resistance and enrichment ability of high concentrations of U (500 mg · kg"-"1 soil) in fourteen plant species were investigated and evaluated in this study in order to screen remediation plants for governance soil U contamination. The results showed that: (1) high concentrations of U stress had different effects on the emergence and survival of the different plants. The seed emergence of Hibiscus esculentus was reduced by 2/3, but the seed emergence of Gynura cusimbua (D. Don) S. Moore, Chenopodium album L. and Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis Alef were not reduced. Under the contaminated soil, all the sesamum indicum died within a month after the emergence and the survival number of Amaranth and Iresine herbstii 'Aureo-reticulata' reduced by about 80%. But the survival number of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., Chenopodium album L. and Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis Alef were not influenced. (2) The biomass of the plants would be reduced by 8-99% in the uranium-contaminated soil. The anti-stress ability of Phaseolus vulgaris var. humilis Alef was the strongest in the fourteen plants, and Cucurbita pepo L., Sorghumbicolor (L.) Moench, Ipomoea aquatica Forsk, Helianthus annuus, Chenopodium album L. and Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. showed some the anti-stress ability. (3) Significant differences were found in the capacity of plants to absorb uranium between under high-uranium contaminated soil and under the non-uranium contaminated soil were. The plants with higher uranium content in thenon-contaminated soil were Gomphrena globosa, and Cucurbita pepo L., which were 2.249 mg · kg"-"1 DW and 1.620 mg · kg"-"1 DW, respectively. But the plants with higher uranium content in the high uranium contaminated soil were Cichorium intybus L., Amaranth and Ipomoea aquatica Forsk, which

Final Report: N-Acylethanolamine metabolism and the acquisition of photoautotrophy during seedling establishment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapman, Kent

2018-01-29

Research in our labs, supported since 2005 by Basic Energy Sciences, has led to the discovery of a new lipid mediator pathway that influences phytohormone-mediated regulation of plant growth and development—the so-called N-acylethanolamine (NAE) regulatory pathway. This pathway in plants shares conserved metabolic machinery with the endocannabinoid signaling system of vertebrates that regulates a multitude of physiological and behavioral processes in mammals, suggesting that the metabolism of NAEs is an important regulatory feature of eukaryotic biology. Current evidence in plants points to interactions between NAE metabolism, abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and light signaling to modulate seedling establishment and the acquisition of photoautotrophic growth. The proposed research fits well within the mission of Photosynthetic Systems and Physical Biosciences which seek “to understand the processes by which plants, algae and non-medical microbes capture, convert and/or store energy”. The fundamental regulatory processes that govern seedling establishment directly influence the assembly of photosynthetic energy conversion systems in essentially all higher plants. Our main hypothesis is that seedlings coordinate the metabolic depletion of NAEs during seedling establishment through a complex interaction of hydrolysis (by fatty acid amide hydrolase, FAAH) and oxidation (by lipoxygenases, LOX) and that newly-reported oxylipin metabolites of polyunsaturated NAEs help to coordinate seedling development and acquisition of photoautotrophy in response to appropriate environmental cues. Evidence suggests that ethanolmide oxylipins derived from NAEs can reversibly accumulate in seedlings and adjust/arrest seedling establishment and chloroplast development in conjunction with ABA signaling and light-signaling pathways. Our results provide important new information linking the production of small molecule lipid mediators in seedlings to the coordinated development of

First Language Acquisition and Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Cruz-Ferreira, Madalena

2011-01-01

"First language acquisition" commonly means the acquisition of a single language in childhood, regardless of the number of languages in a child's natural environment. Language acquisition is variously viewed as predetermined, wondrous, a source of concern, and as developing through formal processes. "First language teaching" concerns schooling in…

Plant establishment on unirrigated green roof modules in a subtropical climate

Science.gov (United States)

Dvorak, Bruce D.; Volder, Astrid

2012-01-01

Background and aims The application of green roof technology has become more common in the central, northwestern and eastern USA, and is now being employed across the southern USA as well. However, there is little research in the literature that evaluated plant survival on unirrigated green roofs in subtropical climates that experience frequent drought and heat stress. Here, we summarize the results of a study of plant establishment on a modular green roof in south-central Texas. Methodology Fifteen plant species were field tested in 11.4-cm-deep green roof modules on a four-storey building in College Station, Texas, with irrigation limited to the first several weeks of establishment. Climate data, plant growth and species survival were measured over three growing seasons. Principal results Four species survived growing seasons without any losses: Graptopetalum paraguayense, Malephora lutea, Manfreda maculosa and Phemeranthus calycinus. Six species experienced varying levels of mortality: Bulbine frutescens, Delosperma cooperi, Lampranthus spectabilis, Sedum kamtschaticum, Sedum mexicanum and Nassella tenuissima. Five species had no survivors: Dichondra argentea, Stemodia lanata, Myoporum parvifolium, Sedum moranense and Sedum tetractinum. Conclusions The establishment and survival of several plant species without any mortality suggests that irrigation limited to the first few weeks after planting may be an effective approach on green roofs in spite of the more challenging climatic conditions in the southern USA. Since the climate in south-central Texas had been consistently drier and warmer than normal during the study period, longer-term research on these species is recommended to expand knowledge of establishment requirements for these species under a wider range of conditions, including wetter than normal years.

Making Acquisition Measurable

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-30

Corporation. All rights reserved End Users Administrator/ Maintainer (A/M) Subject Matter Expert ( SME ) Trainer/ Instructor Manager, Evaluator, Supervisor... CMMI ) - Acquisition (AQ) © 2011 The MITRE Corporation. All rights reserved 13 CMMI -Development Incremental iterative development (planning & execution...objectives Constructing games highlighting particular aspects of proposed CCOD® acquisition, and conducting exercises with Subject Matter Experts ( SMEs

Plant monitoring and signal validation at HFIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullens, J.A.

1991-01-01

This paper describes a monitoring system for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL'S) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR). HFIR is an 85 MW pressurized water reactor designed to produce isotopes and intense neutron beams. The monitoring system is described with respect to plant signals and computer system; monitoring overview; data acquisition, logging and network distribution; signal validation; status displays; reactor condition monitoring; reactor operator aids. Future work will include the addition of more plant signals, more signal validation and diagnostic capabilities, improved status display, integration of the system with the RELAP plant simulation and graphical interface, improved operator aids, and an alarm filtering system. 8 refs., 7 figs. (MB)

Sparrow nest survival in relation to prescribed fire and woody plant invasion in a northern mixed-grass prairie

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Robert K.; Shaffer, Terry L.; Grant, Todd A.; Derrig, James L.; Rubin, Cory S.; Kerns, Courtney K.

2017-01-01

Prescribed fire is used to reverse invasion by woody vegetation on grasslands, but managers often are uncertain whether influences of shrub and tree reduction outweigh potential effects of fire on nest survival of grassland birds. During the 2001–2003 breeding seasons, we examined relationships of prescribed fire and woody vegetation to nest survival of clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida) and Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) in mixed-grass prairie at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge in northwestern North Dakota, USA. We assessed relationships of nest survival to 1) recent fire history, in terms of number of breeding seasons (2, 3, or 4–5) since the last prescribed fire, and 2) prevalence of trees and tall (>1.5 m) shrubs in the landscape and of low (≤1.5 m) shrubs within 5 m of nests. Nest survival of both species exhibited distinct patterns related to age of the nest and day of year, but bore no relationship to fire history. Survival of clay-colored sparrow nests declined as the amount of trees and tall shrubs within 100 m increased, but we found no relationship to suggest nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) as an underlying mechanism. We found little evidence linking nest survival of Savannah sparrow to woody vegetation. Our results suggest that fire can be used to restore northern mixed-grass prairies without adversely affecting nest survival of ≥2 widespread passerine species. Survival of nests of clay-colored sparrow may increase when tall woody cover is reduced by fire. Our data lend support to the use of fire for reducing scattered patches of tall woody cover to enhance survival of nests of ≥1 grassland bird species in northern mixed-grass prairies, but further study is needed that incorporates experimental approaches and assessments of shorter term effects of fire on survival of nests of grassland passerines.

Survival and growth of epiphytic ferns depend on resource sharing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hua-Zheng eLu

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Locally available resources can be shared within clonal plant systems through physiological integration, thus enhancing their survival and growth. Most epiphytes exhibit clonal growth habit, but few studies have tested effects of physiological integration (resource sharing on survival and growth of epiphytes and whether such effects vary with species. We conducted two experiments, one on individuals (single ramets and another on groups (several ramets within a plot, with severed and intact rhizome treatments (without and with physiological integration on two dominant epiphytic ferns (Polypodiodes subamoena and Lepisorus scolopendrium in a subtropical montane moist forest in Southwest China. Rhizome severing (preventing integration significantly reduced ramet survival in the individual experiment and number of surviving ramets in the group experiment, and it also decreased biomass of both species in both experiments. However, the magnitude of such integration effects did not vary significantly between the two species. We conclude that resource sharing may be a general strategy for clonal epiphytes to adapt to forest canopies where resources are limited and heterogeneously distributed in space and time.

76 FR 68044 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-54; Small Entity Compliance Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-02

... Acquisition Circular 2005-54; Small Entity Compliance Guide AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD), General... Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-54, which amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR... (FAR Case 2009-006) This final rule amends the FAR to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13494, Economy...

75 FR 19179 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-41; Small Entity Compliance Guide

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-13

... Acquisition Circular 2005-41; Small Entity Compliance Guide AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DoD), General... Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-41 which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR... projects where the total cost to the Government is $25 million or more in order to promote economy and...

Indexing mergers and acquisitions

OpenAIRE

Gang, Jianhua; Guo, Jie (Michael); Hu, Nan; Li, Xi

2017-01-01

We measure the efficiency of mergers and acquisitions by putting forward an index (the ‘M&A Index’) based on stochastic frontier analysis. The M&A Index is calculated for each takeover deal and is standardized between 0 and 1. An acquisition with a higher index encompasses higher efficiency. We find that takeover bids with higher M&A Indices are more likely to succeed. Moreover, the M&A Index shows a strong and positive relation with the acquirers’ post-acquisition stock perfo...

75 FR 14057 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-40; Introduction

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-23

... the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council (Councils) in..., consider all the information in FAPIIS and PPIRS when making a responsibility determination, and notify the... appropriate for the official's consideration; and Enter a non-responsibility determination into FAPIIS. The...

75 FR 53127 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-45; Introduction

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-30

... summarizes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rules agreed to by the Civilian Agency Acquisition... Chambers. Cost or Pricing Data. III American Recovery 2009-008 Davis. and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act)-- Buy American Requirements for Construction Materials. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Summaries...

When perception reflects reality: Non-native grass invasion alters small mammal risk landscapes and survival

Science.gov (United States)

Ceradnini, Joseph P.; Chalfoun, Anna

2017-01-01

Modification of habitat structure due to invasive plants can alter the risk landscape for wildlife by, for example, changing the quality or availability of refuge habitat. Whether perceived risk corresponds with actual fitness outcomes, however, remains an important open question. We simultaneously measured how habitat changes due to a common invasive grass (cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum) affected the perceived risk, habitat selection, and apparent survival of a small mammal, enabling us to assess how well perceived risk influenced important behaviors and reflected actual risk. We measured perceived risk by nocturnal rodents using a giving-up density foraging experiment with paired shrub (safe) and open (risky) foraging trays in cheatgrass and native habitats. We also evaluated microhabitat selection across a cheatgrass gradient as an additional assay of perceived risk and behavioral responses for deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) at two spatial scales of habitat availability. Finally, we used mark-recapture analysis to quantify deer mouse apparent survival across a cheatgrass gradient while accounting for detection probability and other habitat features. In the foraging experiment, shrubs were more important as protective cover in cheatgrass-dominated habitats, suggesting that cheatgrass increased perceived predation risk. Additionally, deer mice avoided cheatgrass and selected shrubs, and marginally avoided native grass, at two spatial scales. Deer mouse apparent survival varied with a cheatgrass–shrub interaction, corresponding with our foraging experiment results, and providing a rare example of a native plant mediating the effects of an invasive plant on wildlife. By synthesizing the results of three individual lines of evidence (foraging behavior, habitat selection, and apparent survival), we provide a rare example of linkage between behavioral responses of animals indicative of perceived predation risk and actual fitness outcomes. Moreover, our results

Shigella Iron Acquisition Systems and their Regulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Yahan; Murphy, Erin R

2016-01-01

Survival of Shigella within the host is strictly dependent on the ability of the pathogen to acquire essential nutrients, such as iron. As an innate immune defense against invading pathogens, the level of bio-available iron within the human host is maintained at exceeding low levels, by sequestration of the element within heme and other host iron-binding compounds. In response to sequestration mediated iron limitation, Shigella produce multiple iron-uptake systems that each function to facilitate the utilization of a specific host-associated source of nutrient iron. As a mechanism to balance the essential need for iron and the toxicity of the element when in excess, the production of bacterial iron acquisition systems is tightly regulated by a variety of molecular mechanisms. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the iron-uptake systems produced by Shigella species, their distribution within the genus, and the molecular mechanisms that regulate their production.

Additive negative effects of anthropogenic sedimentation and warming on the survival of coral recruits.

Science.gov (United States)

Fourney, Francesca; Figueiredo, Joana

2017-09-28

Corals worldwide are facing population declines due to global climate change and local anthropogenic impacts. Global climate change effects are hard to tackle but recent studies show that some coral species can better handle climate change stress when provided with additional energy resources. The local stressor that most undermines energy acquisition is sedimentation because it impedes coral heterotrophic feeding and their ability to photosynthesize. To investigate if reducing local sedimentation will enable corals to better endure ocean warming, we quantitatively assessed the combined effects of increased temperature and sedimentation (concentration and turbidity) on the survival of coral recruits of the species, Porites astreoides. We used sediment from a reef and a boat basin to mimic natural sediment (coarse) and anthropogenic (fine) sediment (common in dredging), respectively. Natural sediment did not negatively impact coral survival, but anthropogenic sediment did. We found that the capacity of coral recruits to survive under warmer temperatures is less compromised when anthropogenic sedimentation is maintained at the lowest level (30 mg.cm -2 ). Our study suggests that a reduction of US-EPA allowable turbidity from 29 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) above background to less than 7 NTU near coral reefs would facilitate coral recruit survival under current and higher temperatures.

Savannah River Plant californium-252 Shuffler electronics manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourret, S.C.; Crane, T.W.; Eccleston, G.W.; Gallegos, E.A.; Garcia, D.L.

1980-03-01

Detailed information is presented in this report, an electronics manual for the Savannah River Plant Shuffler, about the electronics associated with the various control and data acquisition functions of the Shuffler subsystems. Circuit diagrams, interconnection information, and details about computer control and programming are included

Use of wild and semi-wild edible plants in nutrition and survival of people in 1430 days of siege of Sarajevo during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995).

Science.gov (United States)

Redzić, Sulejman

2010-06-01

This study is a systematic overview of data on use of wild and semi-wild edible plants in nutrition of people in 1430 days of the siege of Sarajevo during aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995). The author of this study spent all that time in Sarajevo. In 1993, the author prepared a survival program for people that included usage of edible wild plants. In addition, he conducted a detailed survey, including special interviews, on 630 people of average age 37.4 years (55% residential inhabitants, the rest were refuges), 310 males and the rest were females. According to survey, 91 species of mostly wild plants and three species of fungus were used: Küchneromyces mutabilis, Armillariella mellea and Coprinus comatus. Wild vegetables included 49 species, spices 24, wild fruits 16, and 2 species of bread-plants. They belong to 26 plants communities, and grew on 24 different habitats (urban surfaces, river coasts, low forest and scrubs, meadows and rocky grasslands). The 156 plant parts (leaves, young branches, fruit, flower, seed, root and rhizome) from 91 plant species were used. Vegetables were dominant category of use (soups, pottages, sauces) with 80 ways of preparation (30.53%), then salads 41 (15.65%), spices 39 (14.89%), different beverages 38 (14.50%), sweets 21 (8.02%), nutritive teas 15 (5.73%), and other preparations. In order to improve conventional food (war pasta, rice, lentils, old beans) people used spices made from different wild plants.

The foundations of plant intelligence.

Science.gov (United States)

Trewavas, Anthony

2017-06-06

Intelligence is defined for wild plants and its role in fitness identified. Intelligent behaviour exhibited by single cells and systems similarity between the interactome and connectome indicates neural systems are not necessary for intelligent capabilities. Plants sense and respond to many environmental signals that are assessed to competitively optimize acquisition of patchily distributed resources. Situations of choice engender motivational states in goal-directed plant behaviour; consequent intelligent decisions enable efficient gain of energy over expenditure. Comparison of swarm intelligence and plant behaviour indicates the origins of plant intelligence lie in complex communication and is exemplified by cambial control of branch function. Error correction in behaviours indicates both awareness and intention as does the ability to count to five. Volatile organic compounds are used as signals in numerous plant interactions. Being complex in composition and often species and individual specific, they may represent the plant language and account for self and alien recognition between individual plants. Game theory has been used to understand competitive and cooperative interactions between plants and microbes. Some unexpected cooperative behaviour between individuals and potential aliens has emerged. Behaviour profiting from experience, another simple definition of intelligence, requires both learning and memory and is indicated in the priming of herbivory, disease and abiotic stresses.

Perspectives of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vajda, Gy.

2001-01-01

In several countries the construction of nuclear power plants has been stopped, and in some counties several plants have been decommissioned or are planned to. Therefore, the question arises: have nuclear power plants any future? According to the author, the question should be reformulated: can mankind survive without nuclear power? To examine this challenge, the global power demand and its trends are analyzed. According to the results, traditional energy sources cannot be adequate to supply power. Therefore, a reconsideration of nuclear power should be imminent. The economic, environmental attractions are discussed as opposite to the lack of social support. (R.P.)

Developing Acquisition IS Integration Capabilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wynne, Peter J.

2016-01-01

An under researched, yet critical challenge of Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), is what to do with the two organisations’ information systems (IS) post-acquisition. Commonly referred to as acquisition IS integration, existing theory suggests that to integrate the information systems successfully......, an acquiring company must leverage two high level capabilities: diagnosis and integration execution. Through a case study, this paper identifies how a novice acquirer develops these capabilities in anticipation of an acquisition by examining its use of learning processes. The study finds the novice acquirer...... applies trial and error, experimental, and vicarious learning processes, while actively avoiding improvisational learning. The results of the study contribute to the acquisition IS integration literature specifically by exploring it from a new perspective: the learning processes used by novice acquirers...

Calo trigger acquisition system

CERN Multimedia

Franchini, Matteo

2016-01-01

Calo trigger acquisition system - Evolution of the acquisition system from a multiple boards system (upper, orange cables) to a single board one (below, light blue cables) where all the channels are collected in a single board.

Phytoplasmas: bacteria that manipulate plants and insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Hogenhout, Saskia A; Oshima, Kenro; Ammar, El-Desouky; Kakizawa, Shigeyuki; Kingdom, Heather N; Namba, Shigetou

2008-07-01

Superkingdom Prokaryota; Kingdom Monera; Domain Bacteria; Phylum Firmicutes (low-G+C, Gram-positive eubacteria); Class Mollicutes; Candidatus (Ca.) genus Phytoplasma. Ca. Phytoplasma comprises approximately 30 distinct clades based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses of approximately 200 phytoplasmas. Phytoplasmas are mostly dependent on insect transmission for their spread and survival. The phytoplasma life cycle involves replication in insects and plants. They infect the insect but are phloem-limited in plants. Members of Ca. Phytoplasma asteris (16SrI group phytoplasmas) are found in 80 monocot and dicot plant species in most parts of the world. Experimentally, they can be transmitted by approximately 30, frequently polyphagous insect species, to 200 diverse plant species. In plants, phytoplasmas induce symptoms that suggest interference with plant development. Typical symptoms include: witches' broom (clustering of branches) of developing tissues; phyllody (retrograde metamorphosis of the floral organs to the condition of leaves); virescence (green coloration of non-green flower parts); bolting (growth of elongated stalks); formation of bunchy fibrous secondary roots; reddening of leaves and stems; generalized yellowing, decline and stunting of plants; and phloem necrosis. Phytoplasmas can be pathogenic to some insect hosts, but generally do not negatively affect the fitness of their major insect vector(s). In fact, phytoplasmas can increase fecundity and survival of insect vectors, and may influence flight behaviour and plant host preference of their insect hosts. The most common practices are the spraying of various insecticides to control insect vectors, and removal of symptomatic plants. Phytoplasma-resistant cultivars are not available for the vast majority of affected crops.

Whitebark pine planting guidelines

Science.gov (United States)

Ward McCaughey; Glenda L. Scott; Kay L. Izlar

2009-01-01

This article incorporates new information into previous whitebark pine guidelines for planting prescriptions. Earlier 2006 guidelines were developed based on review of general literature, research studies, field observations, and standard US Forest Service survival surveys of high-elevation whitebark pine plantations. A recent study of biotic and abiotic factors...

RNA-Binding Proteins in Plant Immunity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virginia Woloshen

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Plant defence responses against pathogen infection are crucial to plant survival. The high degree of regulation of plant immunity occurs both transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally. Once transcribed, target gene RNA must be processed prior to translation. This includes polyadenylation, 5′capping, editing, splicing, and mRNA export. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs have been implicated at each level of RNA processing. Previous research has primarily focused on structural RNA-binding proteins of yeast and mammals; however, more recent work has characterized a number of plant RBPs and revealed their roles in plant immune responses. This paper provides an update on the known functions of RBPs in plant immune response regulation. Future in-depth analysis of RBPs and other related players will unveil the sophisticated regulatory mechanisms of RNA processing during plant immune responses.

Trait-abundance relation in response to nutrient addition in a Tibetan alpine meadow: The importance of species trade-off in resource conservation and acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Huiying; Li, Ying; Ren, Fei; Lin, Li; Zhu, Wenyan; He, Jin-Sheng; Niu, Kechang

2017-12-01

In competition-dominated communities, traits promoting resource conservation and competitive ability are expected to have an important influence on species relative abundance (SRA). Yet, few studies have tested the trait-abundance relations in the line of species trade-off in resource conservation versus acquisition, indicating by multiple traits coordination. We measured SRA and key functional traits involving leaf economic spectrum (SLA, specific leaf area; LDMC, leaf dry matter content; LCC, leaf carbon concentration; LNC, leaf nitrogen concentration; LPC, leaf phosphorus concentration; Hs, mature height) for ten common species in all plots subjected to addition of nitrogen fertilizer (N), phosphorus fertilizer (P), or both of them (NP) in a Tibetan alpine meadow. We test whether SRA is positively related with traits promoting plant resource conservation, while negatively correlated with traits promoting plant growth and resource acquisition. We found that species were primarily differentiated along a trade-off axis involving traits promoting nutrient acquisition and fast growth (e.g., LPC and SLA) versus traits promoting resource conservation and competition ability (e.g., large LDMC). We further found that SRA was positively correlated with plant height, LDMC, and LCC, but negatively associated with SLA and leaf nutrient concentration irrespective of fertilization. A stronger positive height-SRA was found in NP-fertilized plots than in other plots, while negative correlations between SRA and SLA and LPC were found in N or P fertilized plots. The results indicate that species trade-off in nutrient acquisition and resource conservation was a key driver of SRA in competition-dominated communities following fertilization, with the linkage between SRA and traits depending on plant competition for specific soil nutrient and/or light availability. The results highlight the importance of competitive exclusion in plant community assembly following fertilization and

Genomic organization of plant aminopropyl transferases.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Kessler, Margarita; Delgado-Sánchez, Pablo; Rodríguez-Kessler, Gabriela Theresia; Moriguchi, Takaya; Jiménez-Bremont, Juan Francisco

2010-07-01

Aminopropyl transferases like spermidine synthase (SPDS; EC 2.5.1.16), spermine synthase and thermospermine synthase (SPMS, tSPMS; EC 2.5.1.22) belong to a class of widely distributed enzymes that use decarboxylated S-adenosylmethionine as an aminopropyl donor and putrescine or spermidine as an amino acceptor to form in that order spermidine, spermine or thermospermine. We describe the analysis of plant genomic sequences encoding SPDS, SPMS, tSPMS and PMT (putrescine N-methyltransferase; EC 2.1.1.53). Genome organization (including exon size, gain and loss, as well as intron number, size, loss, retention, placement and phase, and the presence of transposons) of plant aminopropyl transferase genes were compared between the genomic sequences of SPDS, SPMS and tSPMS from Zea mays, Oryza sativa, Malus x domestica, Populus trichocarpa, Arabidopsis thaliana and Physcomitrella patens. In addition, the genomic organization of plant PMT genes, proposed to be derived from SPDS during the evolution of alkaloid metabolism, is illustrated. Herein, a particular conservation and arrangement of exon and intron sequences between plant SPDS, SPMS and PMT genes that clearly differs with that of ACL5 genes, is shown. The possible acquisition of the plant SPMS exon II and, in particular exon XI in the monocot SPMS genes, is a remarkable feature that allows their differentiation from SPDS genes. In accordance with our in silico analysis, functional complementation experiments of the maize ZmSPMS1 enzyme (previously considered to be SPDS) in yeast demonstrated its spermine synthase activity. Another significant aspect is the conservation of intron sequences among SPDS and PMT paralogs. In addition the existence of microsynteny among some SPDS paralogs, especially in P. trichocarpa and A. thaliana, supports duplication events of plant SPDS genes. Based in our analysis, we hypothesize that SPMS genes appeared with the divergence of vascular plants by a processes of gene duplication and the

Evidence acquisition and evaluation for evidence summit on population-level behavior change to enhance child survival and development in low- and middle-income countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Balster, Robert L; Levy, Stephanie; Stammer, Emily

2014-01-01

Recognizing the need for evidence to inform public health officials and health care workers in the U.S. government and low- and middle-income country governments on efficient, effective behavior change policies, strategies, and programs for child health and development, the U.S. government convened the Evidence Summit on Enhancing Child Survival and Development in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries by Achieving Population-Level Behavior Change. This article summarizes the background and methods for the acquisition and evaluation of the evidence used to the achieve the goals of the summit that is reviewed in other articles in this special issue of the Journal of Health Communication. The process began by identifying focal questions intended to inform the U.S. and low- and middle-income governments about behavior change interventions that accelerate reductions in under-5 mortality and optimize healthy and protective child development to 5 years of age. Experts were selected representing the research and program communities, academia, relevant nongovernmental organizations, and government agencies and assembled into evidence review teams. This was followed by the systematic gathering of relevant peer-reviewed literature that would inform the focal questions. Members of the evidence review teams were invited to add relevant articles not identified in the initial literature review to complete the bibliographies. Details of the search processes and methods used for screening and quality reviews are described. The evidence review teams were asked to comply with a specific evaluation framework for recommendations on practice and policy on the basis of both expert opinion and the quality of the data reviewed.

Playing at Serial Acquisitions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.T.J. Smit (Han); T. Moraitis (Thras)

2010-01-01

textabstractBehavioral biases can result in suboptimal acquisition decisions-with the potential for errors exacerbated in consolidating industries, where consolidators design serial acquisition strategies and fight escalating takeover battles for platform companies that may determine their future

Milkweed Matters: Monarch Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Survival and Development on Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species.

Science.gov (United States)

Pocius, V M; Debinski, D M; Pleasants, J M; Bidne, K G; Hellmich, R L; Brower, L P

2017-10-01

The population of monarch butterflies east of the Rocky Mountains has experienced a significant decline over the past 20 yr. In order to increase monarch numbers in the breeding range, habitat restoration that includes planting milkweed plants is essential. Milkweeds in the genus Asclepias and Cynanchum are the only host plants for larval monarch butterflies in North America, but larval performance and survival across nine milkweeds native to the Midwest is not well documented. We examined development and survival of monarchs from first-instar larval stages to adulthood on nine milkweed species native to Iowa. The milkweeds included Asclepias exaltata (poke milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias hirtella (tall green milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias sullivantii (prairie milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias verticillata (whorled milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), and Cynanchum laeve (honey vine milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae). In greenhouse experiments, fewer larvae that fed on Asclepias hirtella and Asclepias sullivantii reached adulthood compared with larvae that fed on the other milkweed species. Monarch pupal width and adult dry mass differed among milkweeds, but larval duration (days), pupal duration (days), pupal mass, pupal length, and adult wet mass were not significantly different. Both the absolute and relative adult lipids were different among milkweed treatments; these differences are not fully explained by differences in adult dry mass. Monarch butterflies can survive on all nine milkweed species, but the expected survival probability varied from 30 to 75% among the nine milkweed species. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf

Continuous emission monitoring systems for power plants. The state-of-the-art

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bamberger, J.A.

1988-01-01

Continuous monitoring of power plant emissions is performed to improve combustion and control equipment efficiency, and in response to various government agency requirements. This paper focuses upon recent developments in Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEM) and Systems (CEMS) for power plants. Topics presented include the perspective of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the states: Continuous Monitoring of Power Plant Emissions - An EPA Perspective; Pennsylvania's Proposed Continuous Emission Monitoring System Data Telemetry Requirements for Municipal, Hospital and Infectious Waste Incinerators; the importance of quality assurance; Continuous Emission Monitoring and Quality Assurance Requirements for New Power Plants; Highlights of Pennsylvania's Continuous Emission Monitoring System Quality Assurance Program; improved system specifications and data acquisition methods; Improved Specifications for Continuous Emission Monitoring; A Microcomputer-Based Data Acquisition System for CEMS; CEMS applications; Expanded Use of CEMS in Acid Rain Control Programs: Opinions of Users, Control Agencies and Vendors; and an innovative measurement technique to assess electrostatic precipitator performance; The Assessment of Pulverized Coal Fly Ash Collection in Electrostatic Precipitators Using an Instrumental Assessment Technique

Genetic Determinants Associated With in Vivo Survival of Burkholderia cenocepacia in the Caenorhabditis elegans Model

KAUST Repository

Wong, Yee-Chin

2018-05-29

A Burkholderia cenocepacia infection usually leads to reduced survival and fatal cepacia syndrome in cystic fibrosis patients. The identification of B. cenocepacia essential genes for in vivo survival is key to designing new anti-infectives therapies. We used the Transposon-Directed Insertion Sequencing (TraDIS) approach to identify genes required for B. cenocepacia survival in the model infection host, Caenorhabditis elegans. A B. cenocepacia J2315 transposon pool of ∼500,000 mutants was used to infect C. elegans. We identified 178 genes as crucial for B. cenocepacia survival in the infected nematode. The majority of these genes code for proteins of unknown function, many of which are encoded by the genomic island BcenGI13, while other gene products are involved in nutrient acquisition, general stress responses and LPS O-antigen biosynthesis. Deletion of the glycosyltransferase gene wbxB and a histone-like nucleoid structuring (H-NS) protein-encoding gene (BCAL0154) reduced bacterial accumulation and attenuated virulence in C. elegans. Further analysis using quantitative RT-PCR indicated that BCAL0154 modulates B. cenocepacia pathogenesis via transcriptional regulation of motility-associated genes including fliC, fliG, flhD, and cheB1. This screen has successfully identified genes required for B. cenocepacia survival within the host-associated environment, many of which are potential targets for developing new antimicrobials.

Genetic Determinants Associated With in Vivo Survival of Burkholderia cenocepacia in the Caenorhabditis elegans Model

KAUST Repository

Wong, Yee-Chin; Abd El Ghany, Moataz; Ghazzali, Raeece N. M.; Yap, Soon-Joo; Hoh, Chee-Choong; Pain, Arnab; Nathan, Sheila

2018-01-01

A Burkholderia cenocepacia infection usually leads to reduced survival and fatal cepacia syndrome in cystic fibrosis patients. The identification of B. cenocepacia essential genes for in vivo survival is key to designing new anti-infectives therapies. We used the Transposon-Directed Insertion Sequencing (TraDIS) approach to identify genes required for B. cenocepacia survival in the model infection host, Caenorhabditis elegans. A B. cenocepacia J2315 transposon pool of ∼500,000 mutants was used to infect C. elegans. We identified 178 genes as crucial for B. cenocepacia survival in the infected nematode. The majority of these genes code for proteins of unknown function, many of which are encoded by the genomic island BcenGI13, while other gene products are involved in nutrient acquisition, general stress responses and LPS O-antigen biosynthesis. Deletion of the glycosyltransferase gene wbxB and a histone-like nucleoid structuring (H-NS) protein-encoding gene (BCAL0154) reduced bacterial accumulation and attenuated virulence in C. elegans. Further analysis using quantitative RT-PCR indicated that BCAL0154 modulates B. cenocepacia pathogenesis via transcriptional regulation of motility-associated genes including fliC, fliG, flhD, and cheB1. This screen has successfully identified genes required for B. cenocepacia survival within the host-associated environment, many of which are potential targets for developing new antimicrobials.

Replacement strategy for obsolete plant computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schaefer, J.P.

1985-01-01

The plant computers of the first generation of larger nuclear power plants are reaching the end of their useful life time with respect to the hardware. The software would be no reason for a system exchange but new tasks for the supervisory computer system, availability questions of maintenance personnel and spare parts and the demand for improved operating procedures for the computer users have stimulated the considerations on how to exchange a computer system in a nuclear power plant without extending plant outage times due to exchange works. In the Federal Republic of Germany the planning phase of such backfitting projects is well under way, some projects are about to be implemented. The base for these backfitting projects is a modular supervisory computer concept which has been designated for the new line of KWU PWR's. The main characteristic of this computer system is the splitting of the system into a data acquisition level and a data processing level. This principle allows an extension of the processing level or even repeated replacements of the processing computers. With the existing computer system still in operation the new system can be installed in a step-by-step procedure. As soon as the first of the redundant process computers of the data processing level is in operation and the data link to the data acquisition computers is established the old computer system can be taken out of service. Then the back-up processing computer can be commissioned to complete the new system. (author)

Survival rates in the Czech Republic of introduced plants known as wool aliens

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pyšek, Petr

2005-01-01

Roč. 7, - (2005), s. 567-576 ISSN 1387-3547 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA526/00/1443 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : wool aliens * survival rate * naturalization Subject RIV: EF - Botanics

Modelling live forensic acquisition

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Grobler, MM

2009-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the development of a South African model for Live Forensic Acquisition - Liforac. The Liforac model is a comprehensive model that presents a range of aspects related to Live Forensic Acquisition. The model provides forensic...

Real-Time Monitoring System for a Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Power Plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno-Garcia, Isabel M; Palacios-Garcia, Emilio J; Pallares-Lopez, Victor; Santiago, Isabel; Gonzalez-Redondo, Miguel J; Varo-Martinez, Marta; Real-Calvo, Rafael J

2016-05-26

There is, at present, considerable interest in the storage and dispatchability of photovoltaic (PV) energy, together with the need to manage power flows in real-time. This paper presents a new system, PV-on time, which has been developed to supervise the operating mode of a Grid-Connected Utility-Scale PV Power Plant in order to ensure the reliability and continuity of its supply. This system presents an architecture of acquisition devices, including wireless sensors distributed around the plant, which measure the required information. It is also equipped with a high-precision protocol for synchronizing all data acquisition equipment, something that is necessary for correctly establishing relationships among events in the plant. Moreover, a system for monitoring and supervising all of the distributed devices, as well as for the real-time treatment of all the registered information, is presented. Performances were analyzed in a 400 kW transformation center belonging to a 6.1 MW Utility-Scale PV Power Plant. In addition to monitoring the performance of all of the PV plant's components and detecting any failures or deviations in production, this system enables users to control the power quality of the signal injected and the influence of the installation on the distribution grid.

Planting Season for Cottonwood Can Be Extended

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey E. Kennedy

1979-01-01

Cottonwood cuttings planted as early as November and as late as May survive and grow well if sufficient soil moisture is available and cuttings are properly handled. About 6 inches or more of well distributed rainfall is needed in September and October to recharge Commerce soil. If these two months are dry, planting should be delayed. In March or later, cuttings should...

Industry Relatedness and Post-Acquisition Innovative Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cefis, Elena; Marsili, Orietta; Rigamonti, Damiana

2015-01-01

This paper examines how characteristics of acquiring and acquired firms influence the curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) relationship between relatedness and post-acquisition innovative performance. Using a relatedness index based on industry co-occurrence in a sample of 1,736 Dutch acquisitions, we...... find that acquirer's internal R&D and acquisition experience, and the small size of acquired firms, help to reach a balance between exploration of novelty and exploitation of synergies in unrelated acquisitions, and to achieve higher post-acquisition performance. However, while the acquirer's R......&D increases flexibility in the acquisition process in presence of deviations from the optimal level of relatedness, acquisition experience may enhance rigidities....

Plant response to biotic stress: Is there a common epigenetic response during plant-pathogenic and symbiotic interactions?

Science.gov (United States)

Zogli, Prince; Libault, Marc

2017-10-01

Plants constantly interact with pathogenic and symbiotic microorganisms. Recent studies have revealed several regulatory mechanisms controlling these interactions. Among them, the plant defense system is activated not only in response to pathogenic, but also in response to symbiotic microbes. Interestingly, shortly after symbiotic microbial recognition, the plant defense system is suppressed to promote plant infection by symbionts. Research studies have demonstrated the influence of the plant epigenome in modulating both pathogenic and symbiotic plant-microbe interactions, thereby influencing plant survival, adaptation and evolution of the plant response to microbial infections. It is however unclear if plant pathogenic and symbiotic responses share similar epigenomic profiles or if epigenomic changes differentially regulate plant-microbe symbiosis and pathogenesis. In this mini-review, we provide an update of the current knowledge of epigenomic control on plant immune responses and symbiosis, with a special attention being paid to knowledge gap and potential strategies to fill-in the missing links. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Drought versus heat: What's the major constraint on Mediterranean green roof plants?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Savi, Tadeja, E-mail: tsavi@units.it [Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste (Italy); Dal Borgo, Anna, E-mail: dalborgo.anna@gmail.com [Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste (Italy); Love, Veronica L., E-mail: vllove1@sheffield.ac.uk [Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste (Italy); Department of Landscape, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S10 2TN (United Kingdom); Andri, Sergio, E-mail: s.andri@seic.it [Harpo seic verdepensile, Via Torino 34, 34123 Trieste (Italy); Tretiach, Mauro, E-mail: tretiach@units.it [Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste (Italy); Nardini, Andrea, E-mail: nardini@units.it [Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste (Italy)

2016-10-01

Green roofs are gaining momentum in the arid and semi-arid regions due to their multiple benefits as compared with conventional roofs. One of the most critical steps in green roof installation is the selection of drought and heat tolerant species that can thrive under extreme microclimate conditions. We monitored the water status, growth and survival of 11 drought-adapted shrub species grown on shallow green roof modules (10 and 13 cm deep substrate) and analyzed traits enabling plants to cope with drought (symplastic and apoplastic resistance) and heat stress (root membrane stability). The physiological traits conferring efficiency/safety to the water transport system under severe drought influenced plant water status and represent good predictors of both plant water use and growth rates over green roofs. Moreover, our data suggest that high substrate temperature represents a stress factor affecting plant survival to a larger extent than drought per se. In fact, the major cause influencing seedling survival on shallow substrates was the species-specific root resistance to heat, a single and easy measurable trait that should be integrated into the methodological framework for screening and selection of suitable shrub species for roof greening in the Mediterranean. - Highlights: • The use of hardy shrub species for roof greening should be increased. • We monitored water status of 11 shrub species growing on shallow green roofs. • Species heat and drought tolerance, growth, and survival were studied. • High substrate temperature significantly affected plant survival. • Root resistance to heat could be used as trait for species selection for green roofs.

Value Creation through Acquisition Strategy: A Study of Volvo’s Acquisition by Geely

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yane Chandera

2012-04-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the value creation on the acquisition of Volvo Car Corp by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The acquisition of Volvo by Geely became an interesting topic to discuss since it was the first time in automotive industry that a Chinese company acquired an international company with a considerably high transaction amount. The paper examines the short term value creation using event study to calculate abnormal returns of each company’s stock during the announcement period and measuring the significance of the cumulative abnormal return. The findings are consistent with previous studies over the years which have shown that most acquisitions fail to add value for shareholders in the acquiring company. The paper discusses the broad managerial implications of the findings this paper discussion on marketing aspect after the acquisition by integrating two different brand perceptions.

Value Creation through Acquisition Strategy: A Study of Volvo’s Acquisition by Geely

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yane Chandera

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the value creation on the acquisition of Volvo Car Corp by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The acquisition of Volvo by Geely became an interesting topic to discuss since it was the first time in automotive industry that a Chinese company acquired an international company with a considerably high transaction amount. The paper examines the short term value creation using event study to calculate abnormal returns of each company’s stock during the announcement period and measuring the significance of the cumulative abnormal return. The findings are consistent with previous studies over the years which have shown that most acquisitions fail to add value for shareholders in the acquiring company. The paper discusses the broad managerial implications of the findings this paper discussion on marketing aspect after the acquisition by integrating two different brand perceptions.

Tree Mortality Undercuts Ability of Tree-Planting Programs to Provide Benefits: Results of a Three-City Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah Widney

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Trees provide numerous benefits for urban residents, including reduced energy usage, improved air quality, stormwater management, carbon sequestration, and increased property values. Quantifying these benefits can help justify the costs of planting trees. In this paper, we use i-Tree Streets to quantify the benefits of street trees planted by nonprofits in three U.S. cities (Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 2009 to 2011. We also use both measured and modeled survival and growth rates to “grow” the tree populations 5 and 10 years into the future to project the future benefits of the trees under different survival and growth scenarios. The 4059 re-inventoried trees (2864 of which are living currently provide almost $40,000 (USD in estimated annual benefits ($9–$20/tree depending on the city, the majority (75% of which are increased property values. The trees can be expected to provide increasing annual benefits during the 10 years after planting if the annual survival rate is higher than the 93% annual survival measured during the establishment period. However, our projections show that with continued 93% or lower annual survival, the increase in annual benefits from tree growth will not be able to make up for the loss of benefits as trees die. This means that estimated total annual benefits from a cohort of planted trees will decrease between the 5-year projection and the 10-year projection. The results of this study indicate that without early intervention to ensure survival of planted street trees, tree mortality may be significantly undercutting the ability of tree-planting programs to provide benefits to neighborhood residents.

Development of knowledge acquisition methods for knowledge base construction for autonomous plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshikawa, S. [Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Engineering Center; Sasajima, M.; Kitamura, Y.; Ikeda, M.; Mizoguchi, R.

1993-03-01

In order to enhance safety and reliability of nuclear plant operation, it is strongly desired to construct diagnostic knowledge base without lacking, contradiction, and description inconsistency. Nowadays, an advanced method Knowledge Compiler` has been studied to acquire diagnostic knowledge, mainly based on qualitative reasoning technique, without accumulating heuristics by interviews. Until now, 2 methods to suppress the ambiguity observed when qualitative reasoning mechanism were applied to heat transport systems of nuclear power plants: In the first method, qualitative values are allocated to the system variables along with the causality direction, avoiding contradictions among plural variables in each qualitative constraint describing knowledge of deviation propagation, heat balance, or energy conservation. In the second method, all the qualitative information is represented as a set of simultaneous qualitative equations. And, an appropriate subset is selected so that the qualitative solutions of unknowns in this subset can be derived independently of the remaining part. A contrary method is applied for the selected subset to derive local solutions. Then the problem size is reduced by substituting solutions of the subset, in a recursive manner. In the previous report on this research project, complete computer softwares have been constructed based on these methods, and applied to a 2-loop heat transport system of a nuclear power plant. The detailed results are discussed in this report. In addition, an integrated configuration of diagnostic knowledge generation system of nuclear power plants is proposed, based upon the results and new foundings obtained through the research activities so far, and the future works to overcome remaining problems are also identified. (author)

Plant operator performance evaluation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ujita, Hiroshi; Fukuda, Mitsuko; Kubota, Ryuji.

1989-01-01

A plant operator performance evaluation system to analyze plant operation records during accident training and to identify and classify operator errors has been developed for the purpose of supporting realization of a training and education system for plant operators. A knowledge engineering technique was applied to evaluation of operator behavior by both even-based and symptom-based procedures, in various situations including event transition due to multiple failures or operational errors. The system classifies the identified errors as to their single and double types based on Swain's error classification and the error levels reflecting Rasmussen's cognitive level, and it also evaluates the effect of errors on plant state and then classifies error influence, using 'knowledge for phenomena and operations', as represented by frames. It has additional functions for analysis of error statistics and knowledge acquisition support of 'knowledge for operations'. The system was applied to a training analysis for a scram event in a BWR plant, and its error analysis function was confirmed to be effective by operational experts. (author)

Soil microbial species loss affects plant biomass and survival of an introduced bacterial strain, but not inducible plant defences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kurm, Viola; Putten, Van Der Wim H.; Pineda, Ana; Hol, G.W.H.

2018-01-01

• Background and Aims: Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains can influence plant-insect interactions. However, little is known about the effect of changes in the soil bacterial community in general and especially the loss of rare soil microbes on these interactions. Here, the influence

Comparative analysis of sterol acquisition in the oomycetes Saprolegnia parasitica and Phytophthora infestans

OpenAIRE

Dahlin, Paul; Srivastava, Vaibhav; Ekengren, Sophia; McKee, Lauren S.; Bulone, Vincent

2017-01-01

The oomycete class includes pathogens of animals and plants which are responsible for some of the most significant global losses in agriculture and aquaculture. There is a need to replace traditional chemical means of controlling oomycete growth with more targeted approaches, and the inhibition of sterol synthesis is one promising area. To better direct these efforts, we have studied sterol acquisition in two model organisms: the sterol-autotrophic Saprolegnia parasitica, and the sterol-heter...

Novel observations of larval fire survival, feeding behavior, and host plant use in the regal fritillary, Speyeria idalia (Drury) (Nymphalidae)

Science.gov (United States)

McCullough, Kelsey; Albanese, Gene; Haukos, David A.

2017-01-01

Speyeria idalia is a prairie specialist that has experienced dramatic population declines throughout its range. Speyeria idalia is nearly extirpated from the eastern portion of its former range; however, populations within Kansas are relatively stable. We made several previously undescribed field observations of late-instar larvae and post-diapause female S. idalia in northeastern Kansas during 2014–2016. We report finding late-instar larvae at locations that were burned within weeks of detection. The observations of larvae shortly following a burn suggests that S. idalia larvae are capable of surviving fire and contradicts our current knowledge of this species. Additionally, we describe a feeding behavior characteristic of late-instar larvae. Larvae observed in the field and lab stripped leaves of host plants leaving only stems. This strip-style feeding behavior provided unique feeding evidence that was valuable to detecting the presence of larvae in the field. Finally, we documented larvae and post-diapause, egg depositing females using Viola sororia. The use of this relatively widespread and common plant by S. idalia populations in the Central Great Plains has only been implicitly documented but may have important conservation implications. These novel observations further our knowledge of the ecology of this imperiled species and provide timely information that may improve research and conservation management efforts directed toward S. idalia populations.

Does plant-Microbe interaction confer stress tolerance in plants: A review?

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Akhilesh; Verma, Jay Prakash

2018-03-01

The biotic and abiotic stresses are major constraints for crop yield, food quality and global food security. A number of parameters such as physiological, biochemical, molecular of plants are affected under stress condition. Since the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture practices cause degradation of soil fertility and environmental pollutions. Hence it is necessary to develop safer and sustainable means for agriculture production. The application of plant growth promoting microbes (PGPM) and mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant growth, under such conditions. It offers an economically fascinating and ecologically sound ways for protecting plants against stress condition. PGPM may promote plant growth by regulating plant hormones, improve nutrition acquisition, siderophore production and enhance the antioxidant system. While acquired systemic resistance (ASR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR) effectively deal with biotic stress. Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) enhance the supply of nutrients and water during stress condition and increase tolerance to stress. This plant-microbe interaction is vital for sustainable agriculture and industrial purpose, because it depends on biological processes and replaces conventional agriculture practices. Therefore, microbes may play a key role as an ecological engineer to solve environmental stress problems. So, it is a feasible and potential technology in future to feed global population at available resources with reduced impact on environmental quality. In this review, we have attempted to explore about abiotic and biotic stress tolerant beneficial microorganisms and their modes of action to enhance the sustainable agricultural production. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Nectar protein content and attractiveness to Aedes aegypti and Culex pipiens in plants with nectar/insect associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhongyuan; Kearney, Christopher M

2015-06-01

We chose five easily propagated garden plants previously shown to be attractive to mosquitoes, ants or other insects and tested them for attractiveness to Culex pipiens and Aedes aegypti. Long term imbibition was tested by survival on each plant species. Both mosquito species survived best on Impatiens walleriana, the common garden impatiens, followed by Asclepias curassavica, Campsis radicans and Passiflora edulis, which sponsored survival as well as the 10% sucrose control. Immediate preference for imbibition was tested with nectar dyed in situ on each plant. In addition, competition studies were performed with one dyed plant species in the presence of five undyed plant species to simulate a garden setting. In both preference studies I. walleriana proved superior. Nectar from all plants was then screened for nectar protein content by SDS-PAGE, with great variability being found between species, but with I. walleriana producing the highest levels. The data suggest that I. walleriana may have value as a model plant for subsequent studies exploring nectar delivery of transgenic mosquitocidal proteins. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moving Plants / Planter i Bevægelse

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

as a focal point for making local and global connections between aesthetic engagements with contemporary ecological issues and practices of concern. This book is a companion piece to the namesake art exhibition, bringing together the exhibited artists with scholars centrally invested in similar plant...... are increasingly insisting that plants are amongst our most important earthly co-inhabitants if we are to thrive and survive in a climatically changing world. As an exhibition, Moving Plants showcases art practices from across the world regions of East Asia and Europe that all centre, one way or another, on plants...

Geothermal environmental studies, Heber Region, Imperial Valley, California. Environmental baseline data acquisition. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1977-02-01

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has been studying the feasibility of a Low Salinity Hydrothermal Demonstration Plant as part of its Geothermal Energy Program. The Heber area of the Imperial Valley was selected as one of the candidate geothermal reservoirs. Documentation of the environmental conditions presently existing in the Heber area is required for assessment of environmental impacts of future development. An environmental baseline data acquisition program to compile available data on the environment of the Heber area is reported. The program included a review of pertinent existing literature, interviews with academic, governmental and private entities, combined with field investigations and meteorological monitoring to collect primary data. Results of the data acquisition program are compiled in terms of three elements: the physical, the biological and socioeconomic settings.

AVLIS Production Plant Project Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The AVLIS Production Plant is designated as a Major System Acquisition (in accordance with DOE Order 4240.IC) to deploy Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) technology at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee site, in support of the US Uranium Enrichment Program. The AVLIS Production Plant Project will deploy AVLIS technology by performing the design, construction, and startup of a production plant that will meet capacity production requirements of the Uranium Enrichment Program. The AVLIS Production Plant Project Management Plan has been developed to outline plans, baselines, and control systems to be employed in managing the AVLIS Production Plant Project and to define the roles and responsibilities of project participants. Participants will develop and maintain detailed procedures for implementing the management and control systems in agreement with this plan. This baseline document defines the system that measures work performed and costs incurred. This plan was developed by the AVLIS Production Plant Project staff of Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in accordance with applicable DOE directives, orders and notices. 38 figures, 19 tables

Survival analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badwe, R.A.

1999-01-01

The primary endpoint in the majority of the studies has been either disease recurrence or death. This kind of analysis requires a special method since all patients in the study experience the endpoint. The standard method for estimating such survival distribution is Kaplan Meier method. The survival function is defined as the proportion of individuals who survive beyond certain time. Multi-variate comparison for survival has been carried out with Cox's proportional hazard model

Distributed computer control systems in future nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, G.; L'Archeveque, J.V.R.; Watkins, L.M.

1978-09-01

Good operating experience with computer control in CANDU reactors over the last decade justifies a broadening of the role of digital electronic and computer related technologies in future plants. Functions of electronic systems in the total plant context are reappraised to help evolve an appropriate match between technology and future applications. The systems research, development and demonstration program at CRNL is described, focusing on the projects pertinent to the real-time data acquisition and process control requirements. (author)

Acquisition Workforce Annual Report 2006

Data.gov (United States)

General Services Administration — This is the Federal Acquisition Institute's (FAI's) Annual demographic report on the Federal acquisition workforce, showing trends by occupational series, employment...

Acquisition Workforce Annual Report 2008

Data.gov (United States)

General Services Administration — This is the Federal Acquisition Institute's (FAI's) Annual demographic report on the Federal acquisition workforce, showing trends by occupational series, employment...

The new real-time control and data acquisition system for an experimental tritium removal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefan, Iuliana; Stefan, Liviu; Retevoi, Carmen; Balteanu, Ovidiu; Bucur, Ciprian

2006-01-01

Full text: The purpose of the paper is to present a real-time control and data acquisition system based on virtual instrumentation (LabView, compact I/O) applicable to an experimental heavy water detritiation plant. The initial data acquisition system based on analogue instruments is now upgraded to a fully digital system, this because of greater flexibility and capability than analogue hardware what allows easy modifications of the control system. Virtual instrumentation became lately much used for monitoring and controlling the operational parameters in plants. In the specific case of ETRF there are a lot of process parameters which have to be monitored and controlled. The essential improvement in the new system is the collection of all signals and control functions by a PC, what makes any changes in configuration easy. The system hardware-PC with embedded controllers is selected, as most cost effective. The LabView platform provides faster program development with a convenient user interface. The system provides independent digital control of each parameters and records data of the process. The system is flexible and has the advantage of further extension. (authors)

Pig slurry reduces the survival of Raltstonia solanacearum biovar 2 in soil

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gorissen, A.; Overbeek, van L.S.; Elsas, van J.D.

2004-01-01

The effect of added pig slurry and solarization on the survival of Ralstonia solanacearum biovar 2 strain 1609 in soil was analysed in soil microcosms and field plots. In addition, the invasion of potato plants by R. solanacearum and the development of disease symptoms were determined, as measures

ROS-mediated abiotic stress-induced programmed cell death in plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petrov, Veselin; Hille, Jacob; Mueller-Rober, Bernd; Gechev, Tsanko S.

2015-01-01

During the course of their ontogenesis plants are continuously exposed to a large variety of abiotic stress factors which can damage tissues and jeopardize the survival of the organism unless properly countered. While animals can simply escape and thus evade stressors, plants as sessile organisms

Meeting forest restoration challenges: Using the Target Plant Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Kas Dumroese; Thomas D. Landis; Jeremy Pinto; Diane L. Haase; Kim W. Wilkinson; Anthony S. Davis

2016-01-01

Meeting forest restoration challenges relies on successful establishment of plant materials (e.g., seeds, cuttings, rooted cuttings, or seedlings, etc.; hereafter simply "seedlings"). The Target Plant Concept (TPC) provides a flexible framework that nursery managers and their clients can use to improve the survival and growth of these seedlings. The...

Multi spectral scaling data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behere, Anita; Patil, R.D.; Ghodgaonkar, M.D.; Gopalakrishnan, K.R.

1997-01-01

In nuclear spectroscopy applications, it is often desired to acquire data at high rate with high resolution. With the availability of low cost computers, it is possible to make a powerful data acquisition system with minimum hardware and software development, by designing a PC plug-in acquisition board. But in using the PC processor for data acquisition, the PC can not be used as a multitasking node. Keeping this in view, PC plug-in acquisition boards with on-board processor find tremendous applications. Transputer based data acquisition board has been designed which can be configured as a high count rate pulse height MCA or as a Multi Spectral Scaler. Multi Spectral Scaling (MSS) is a new technique, in which multiple spectra are acquired in small time frames and are then analyzed. This paper describes the details of this multi spectral scaling data acquisition system. 2 figs

Acquisition Research Program Homepage

OpenAIRE

2015-01-01

Includes an image of the main page on this date and compressed file containing additional web pages. Established in 2003, Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Acquisition Research Program provides leadership in innovation, creative problem solving and an ongoing dialogue, contributing to the evolution of Department of Defense acquisition strategies.

Performance of dryland and wetland plant species on extensive green roofs.

Science.gov (United States)

MacIvor, J Scott; Ranalli, Melissa A; Lundholm, Jeremy T

2011-04-01

Green roofs are constructed ecosystems where plants perform valuable services, ameliorating the urban environment through roof temperature reductions and stormwater interception. Plant species differ in functional characteristics that alter ecosystem properties. Plant performance research on extensive green roofs has so far indicated that species adapted to dry conditions perform optimally. However, in moist, humid climates, species typical of wetter soils might have advantages over dryland species. In this study, survival, growth and the performance of thermal and stormwater capture functions of three pairs of dryland and wetland plant species were quantified using an extensive modular green roof system. Seedlings of all six species were germinated in a greenhouse and planted into green roof modules with 6 cm of growing medium. There were 34 treatments consisting of each species in monoculture and all combinations of wet- and dryland species in a randomized block design. Performance measures were survival, vegetation cover and roof surface temperature recorded for each module over two growing seasons, water loss (an estimate of evapotranspiration) in 2007, and albedo and water capture in 2008. Over two seasons, dryland plants performed better than wetland plants, and increasing the number of dryland species in mixtures tended to improve functioning, although there was no clear effect of species or habitat group diversity. All species had survival rates >75 % after the first winter; however, dryland species had much greater cover, an important indicator of green roof performance. Sibbaldiopsis tridentata was the top performing species in monoculture, and was included in the best treatments. Although dryland species outperformed wetland species, planting extensive green roofs with both groups decreased performance only slightly, while increasing diversity and possibly habitat value. This study provides further evidence that plant composition and diversity can

Performance Confirmation Data Acquisition System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D.W. Markman

2000-01-01

The purpose of this analysis is to identify and analyze concepts for the acquisition of data in support of the Performance Confirmation (PC) program at the potential subsurface nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. The scope and primary objectives of this analysis are to: (1) Review the criteria for design as presented in the Performance Confirmation Data Acquisition/Monitoring System Description Document, by way of the Input Transmittal, Performance Confirmation Input Criteria (CRWMS M and O 1999c). (2) Identify and describe existing and potential new trends in data acquisition system software and hardware that would support the PC plan. The data acquisition software and hardware will support the field instruments and equipment that will be installed for the observation and perimeter drift borehole monitoring, and in-situ monitoring within the emplacement drifts. The exhaust air monitoring requirements will be supported by a data communication network interface with the ventilation monitoring system database. (3) Identify the concepts and features that a data acquisition system should have in order to support the PC process and its activities. (4) Based on PC monitoring needs and available technologies, further develop concepts of a potential data acquisition system network in support of the PC program and the Site Recommendation and License Application

Results from four Pinus patula water planting trials in the summer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Planting with water is used by some forestry companies in South Africa to reduce post-planting water stress. Four trials were implemented to test the response in survival of Pinus patula to water applied at planting. Two trials each were situated in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and Mpumalanga escarpment. The first trial at ...

48 CFR Appendix - Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Index

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Index Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION CONTRACT... (IFMS) Contract clause. FAR Index Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Index Editorial Note: This...

Design and development of a PC based data acquisition system for automating thermal impact reporting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garman, B.K.; Carter, P.B.; Davis, J.A.

1992-01-01

The objective of this paper is to describe the design and development of an automated personal computer (PC) based data acquisition system for reporting the thermal impact of a fossil fueled power plant on its circulating water source. The system's prime functions are to collect and archive data and perform thermal hydraulic calculations necessary for reporting the plant's thermal impact on Waters of the United States to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The main objectives of the monitoring project were to reduce the labor required in the reporting process and to improve the accuracy in determining the circulating water flow rates through each of the station's three generating units. Additional efforts concentrated on enhancing condenser and circulating water pump performance information and providing an interface with the existing plant performance monitoring system

Reinventing the Platform Core Through Acquisition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toppenberg, Gustav; Henningsson, Stefan; Eaton, Ben

2016-01-01

the acquisition and integration of companies presenting innovative technologies of relevance to the platform core. Using a revelatory case study of Cisco Systems, we develop the explanatory notion of ‘coring acquisition’. In this type of acquisition value is created through the acquisition of companies...

The effects of forest residual debris disposal on perennial grass emergence, growth, and survival in a ponderosa pine ecotone

Science.gov (United States)

Darin J. Law; Peter F. Kolb

2007-01-01

Soil surface conditions can have profound effects on plant seedling emergence and subsequent seedling survival. To test the hypothesis that different soil-surface treatments with logging residue affect range grass seedling emergence and survival, 6 alternative forest-residual treatments were established in the summer of 1998 following thinning of mature trees from...

10 CFR 626.4 - General acquisition strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General acquisition strategy. 626.4 Section 626.4 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) SALES REGULATION PROCEDURES FOR ACQUISITION OF PETROLEUM FOR THE STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE § 626.4 General acquisition strategy. (a) Criteria for commencing acquisition. To reduce...

48 CFR 1.102-3 - Acquisition team.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... service. By identifying the team members in this manner, teamwork, unity of purpose, and open... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Acquisition team. 1.102-3... ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM Purpose, Authority, Issuance 1.102-3 Acquisition team. The purpose of defining...

Data Acquisition for Modular Biometric Monitoring System

Science.gov (United States)

Chmiel, Alan J. (Inventor); Humphreys, Bradley T. (Inventor); Grodsinsky, Carlos M. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A modular system for acquiring biometric data includes a plurality of data acquisition modules configured to sample biometric data from at least one respective input channel at a data acquisition rate. A representation of the sampled biometric data is stored in memory of each of the plurality of data acquisition modules. A central control system is in communication with each of the plurality of data acquisition modules through a bus. The central control system is configured to collect data asynchronously, via the bus, from the memory of the plurality of data acquisition modules according to a relative fullness of the memory of the plurality of data acquisition modules.

Root morphology of Ni-treated plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leskova, A.; Fargasova, A.; Giehl, R. F. H.; Wiren, N. von

2015-01-01

Plant roots are very important organs in terms of nutrient and water acquisition but they also serve as anchorages for the aboveground parts of the plants. The roots display extraordinary plasticity towards stress conditions as a result of integration of environmental cues into the developmental processes of the roots. Our aim was to investigate the root morphology of Arabidopsis thaliana plants exposed to a particular stress condition, excess Ni supply. We aimed to find out which cellular processes - cell division, elongation and differentiation are affected by Ni, thereby explaining the seen root phenotype. Our results reveal that a distinct sensitivity exists between roots of different order and interference with various cellular processes is responsible for the effects of Ni on roots. We also show that Ni-treated roots have several auxin-related phenotypes. (authors)

Assets optimization at Heavy Water Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiremath, S.C.

2006-01-01

In the world where the fittest can only survive, manufacturing and production enterprises are under intense pressure to achieve maximum efficiency in each and every field related to the ultimate production of plant. The winners will be those that use their assets, i.e men, material, machinery and money most effectively. The objective is to optimize the utilization of all plant assets-from entire process lines to individual pressure vessels, piping, process machinery, and vital machine components. Assets of Heavy Water Plants mainly consist of Civil Structures, Equipment and Systems (Mechanical, Electrical) and Resources like Water, Energy and Environment

Protective role of anthocyanins in plants under low nitrogen stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Jian; He, Junxian

2018-04-15

Nitrogen (N) is a major nutrient of plants but often a limiting factor for plant growth and crop yield. To adapt to N deficiency, plants have evolved adaptive responses including accumulation of anthocyanins. However, it is still unclear whether the accumulated anthocyanins are part of the components of plant tolerance under low N stress. Here, we demonstrate that low N-induced anthocyanins contribute substantially to the low N tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana. pap1-1, a mutant defective in MYB75 (PAP1), a MYB-type transcription factor that positively regulates anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis, was found to have significantly decreased survival rate to low N stress compared to its wild-type plants. Similarly, tt3, a mutant with severe deficiency in dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), a key enzyme in anthocyanin biosynthesis, also showed much lower survival rate under low N stress. These results indicate that anthocyanins are substantial contributors of plant tolerance to low N stress. Furthermore, a metabolomics analysis using LC-MS revealed changes in flavonoid profile in the pap1-1 and tt3 plants, which established a causal relationship between plant adaptation to low N stress and these compounds including anthocyanins. Our results showed an important role of anthocyanins rather than flavonols in conferring plant tolerance to low N stress. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New KENS data acquisition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, M.; Furusaka, M.; Satoh, S.

1989-01-01

In this report, the authors discuss a data acquisition system, KENSnet, which is newly introduced to the KENS facility. The criteria for the data acquisition system was about 1 MIPS for CPU speed and 150 Mbytes for storage capacity for a computer per spectrometer. VAX computers were chosen with their propreitary operating system, VMS. The Vax computers are connected by a DECnet network mediated by Ethernet. Front-end computers, Apple Macintosh Plus and Macintosh II, were chosen for their user-friendly manipulation and intelligence. New CAMAC-based data acquisition electronics were developed. The data acquisition control program (ICP) and the general data analysis program (Genie) were both developed at ISIS and have been installed. 2 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab

Program design of data acquisition in Windows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Jianxin; Yan Huawen

2004-01-01

Several methods for the design of data acquisition program based on Microsoft Windows are introduced. Then their respective advantages and disadvantages are totally analyzed. At the same time, the data acquisition modes applicable to each method are also pointed out. It is convenient for data acquisition programmers to develop data acquisition systems. (authors)

Studies in Filipino Second Language Acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Teresita V.

Very little research has been done on first or second language acquisition in the Philippines. Most second language learning studies cited in the literature concern acquisition of English in English-speaking communities, and most American studies of Filipino language acquisition are superficial, consisting primarily of morpheme analysis. The…

Enhancement of faba bean competitive ability by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is highly correlated with dynamic nutrient acquisition by competing wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Xu; Bei, Shuikuan; Li, Chunjie; Dong, Yan; Li, Haigang; Christie, Peter; Zhang, Fusuo; Zhang, Junling

2015-01-29

The mechanistic understanding of the dynamic processes linking nutrient acquisition and biomass production of competing individuals can be instructive in optimizing intercropping systems. Here, we examine the effect of inoculation with Funneliformis mosseae on competitive dynamics between wheat and faba bean. Wheat is less responsive to mycorrhizal inoculation. Both inoculated and uninoculated wheat attained the maximum instantaneous N and P capture approximately five days before it attained the maximum instantaneous biomass production, indicating that wheat detected the competitor and responded physiologically to resource limitation prior to the biomass response. By contrast, the instantaneous N and P capture by uninoculated faba bean remained low throughout the growth period, and plant growth was not significantly affected by competing wheat. However, inoculation substantially enhanced biomass production and N and P acquisition of faba bean. The exudation of citrate and malate acids and acid phosphatase activity were greater in mycorrhizal than in uninoculated faba bean, and rhizosphere pH tended to decrease. We conclude that under N and P limiting conditions, temporal separation of N and P acquisition by competing plant species and enhancement of complementary resource use in the presence of AMF might be attributable to the competitive co-existence of faba bean and wheat.

Collection assessment and acquisitions budgets

CERN Document Server

Lee, Sul H

2013-01-01

This invaluable new book contains timely information about the assessment of academic library collections and the relationship of collection assessment to acquisition budgets. The rising cost of information significantly influences academic libraries'abilities to acquire the necessary materials for students and faculty, and public libraries'abilities to acquire material for their clientele. Collection Assessment and Acquisitions Budgets examines different aspects of the relationship between the assessment of academic library collections and the management of library acquisition budgets. Librar

Network survivability performance

Science.gov (United States)

1993-11-01

This technical report has been developed to address the survivability of telecommunications networks including services. It responds to the need for a common understanding of, and assessment techniques for network survivability, availability, integrity, and reliability. It provides a basis for designing and operating telecommunications networks to user expectations for network survivability and a foundation for continuing industry activities in the subject area. This report focuses on the survivability of both public and private networks and covers a wide range of users. Two frameworks are established for quantifying and categorizing service outages, and for classifying network survivability techniques and measures. The performance of the network survivability techniques is considered; however, recommended objectives are not established for network survivability performance.

A review of the latest concepts in molecular plant pathology and applications to potato breeding

Science.gov (United States)

Co-evolution between pathogens and plants has led to the development of a range of constitutive and inducible resistance mechanisms that help plants survive pathogen attack. Different models have been proposed to describe the plant immune system. The most popular current model indicates that plants ...

Considerations for surviving the loss of a main feedwater pump at full power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaydos, K.A.; Calvo, R.; Conroy, P.W.; Klein, C.M.; Mellers, J.E.

1990-01-01

Today's economics dictate that nuclear power operational costs be contained by addressing frequently-occurring trips that might be minimized or avoided via specific upgrades. Much recent attention has focused on the significant percentage of plant trips related to feedwater flow regulation; however, another frequent feedwater-related trip stems from the loss of a single main feedwater pump while operating at high power levels, causing a plant trip on low steam generator water-level. This paper summarizes the results of several plant-specific studies that evaluate a unit's capabilities to consistently survive the loss of a main feedwater pump from full power, and outlines a methodology for analyzing this capability

Survival and growth of wildlife shrubs and trees on acid mine spoil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fowler, D.K.; Adkisson, L.F.

1980-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the survival and growth of selected wildlife plants over a wide range of acid mine spoil conditions and to identify species suitable for surface mine reclamation. A major criterion in selection of study sites was inclusion of a wide range of spoil acidity conditions. The Ollis Creek (Study Area A) and Farrell (Study Area B) coal surface mines located in Campbell and Scott Counties, Tennessee, were selected for study. Seven plant species, all of which had been used in past reclamation demonstrations, were introduced on the 22 plots during March 1972. Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) was included as a control plant. Ten additional plant species were introduced during March 1973. With the exception of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum var.). European filbert (Corylus avellana), and red maple (Acer rubrum), these species had not been used in TVA reclamation demonstrations. To assess the effects of spoil pH on the plants, the plots were grouped into seven pH categories, and mean percent survival and growth for each species were calculated. Results indicate that autumn olive, elaeagnus cherry, arnot locust, sawtooth oak, red maple, and Toringo crabapple are suitable for quick improvement of surface mine habitat over a wide range of spoil acidity in the Appalachian coalfield. Bessey cherry and European filbert need further study before a decision can be made regarding their reclamation utility. Species that are not recommended for quick habitat improvement over a wide range of surface mine spoil pH conditions include bush honeysuckle, barberry, Siberian crabapple, Manchu cherry, American beautyberry, bear oak, blueberry, rem-red honeysuckle, and redcedar.

Plants as green phones: Novel insights into plant-mediated communication between below- and above-ground insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Soler, Roxina; Harvey, Jeffrey A; Bezemer, T Martijn; Stuefer, Josef F

2008-08-01

Plants can act as vertical communication channels or 'green phones' linking soil-dwelling insects and insects in the aboveground ecosystem. When root-feeding insects attack a plant, the direct defense system of the shoot is activated, leading to an accumulation of phytotoxins in the leaves. The protection of the plant shoot elicited by root damage can impair the survival, growth and development of aboveground insect herbivores, thereby creating plant-based functional links between soil-dwelling insects and insects that develop in the aboveground ecosystem. The interactions between spatially separated insects below- and aboveground are not restricted to root and foliar plant-feeding insects, but can be extended to higher trophic levels such as insect parasitoids. Here we discuss some implications of plants acting as communication channels or 'green phones' between root and foliar-feeding insects and their parasitoids, focusing on recent findings that plants attacked by root-feeding insects are significantly less attractive for the parasitoids of foliar-feeding insects.

The costs of treating acute heart failure: an economic analysis of the SURVIVE trial.

Science.gov (United States)

de Lissovoy, Gregory; Fraeman, Kathy; Salon, Jeff; Chay Woodward, Tatia; Sterz, Raimund

2008-01-01

To estimate the incremental cost per life year gained with levosimendan relative to dobutamine in treatment of acute heart failure based on the Survival of Patients with Acute Heart Failure in Need of Intravenous Inotropic Support (SURVIVE) trial. SURVIVE enrolled 1,327 patients (levosimendan 664, dobutamine 663) from nine nations with 180-day survival from date of randomisation as the primary endpoint. Hospital resource utilisation was determined via clinical case reports. Unit costs were derived from hospital payment schedules for France, Germany and the UK, and represent a third-party payer perspective. Cost-effectiveness analysis was performed for a subset of the SURVIVE patient population selected in accordance with current levosimendan labeling. Mortality in the levosimendan group was 26 versus 28% for dobutamine (hazard ratio 0.91, 95% confidence interval 0.74-1.13, p=0.40). Initial hospitalisation length of stay was identical (levosimendan 14.4, dobutamine 14.5, p=0.98). Slightly lower rates of readmission were observed for levosimendan relative to dobutamine at 31 (p=0.13) and 180 days (p=0.23). Mean costs excluding study drug were equivalent for the index admission (levosimendan euro5,060, dobutamine euro4,952; p=0.91) and complete episode (levosimendan euro5,396, dobutamine euro5,275; p=0.93). At an acquisition cost of euro600 per vial, there is at least 50% likelihood that levosimendan is cost effective relative to dobutamine if willingness to pay is equal to or greater than euro15,000 per life year gained.

Technical Characteristics of the Process Information System - Nuclear Power Plant Krsko

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandic, D.; Smolej, M.

1998-01-01

process Information System (PIS) of Nuclear Power Plant Krsko (NEK) is newly installed distributed and redundant process computer system which was built in NEK (Phase I: 1991-1995) to integrate the following main functions: - Signal Data Acquisition from the technological processes and environment - Implementation of the basic SCADA functions on the real time process signals data base - Execution of complex plant specific application programs - Advanced MMI (Man Machine Interface) features for users in MCR - Process data transfer to other than Main Control Room (MCR) locations - Process data archiving and capability to retrieve same data for future analysis PIS NEK architecture consists of three hierarchically interconnected hardware platforms: - PIS Level 1, DAS (Data Acquisition System) Level - PIS Level2, Level for MMI, application programs and process data archiving - PIS Level 3, Level for distribution of process data to remote users of PIS data. (author)

Microcomputer data acquisition and control.

Science.gov (United States)

East, T D

1986-01-01

In medicine and biology there are many tasks that involve routine well defined procedures. These tasks are ideal candidates for computerized data acquisition and control. As the performance of microcomputers rapidly increases and cost continues to go down the temptation to automate the laboratory becomes great. To the novice computer user the choices of hardware and software are overwhelming and sadly most of the computer sales persons are not at all familiar with real-time applications. If you want to bill your patients you have hundreds of packaged systems to choose from; however, if you want to do real-time data acquisition the choices are very limited and confusing. The purpose of this chapter is to provide the novice computer user with the basics needed to set up a real-time data acquisition system with the common microcomputers. This chapter will cover the following issues necessary to establish a real time data acquisition and control system: Analysis of the research problem: Definition of the problem; Description of data and sampling requirements; Cost/benefit analysis. Choice of Microcomputer hardware and software: Choice of microprocessor and bus structure; Choice of operating system; Choice of layered software. Digital Data Acquisition: Parallel Data Transmission; Serial Data Transmission; Hardware and software available. Analog Data Acquisition: Description of amplitude and frequency characteristics of the input signals; Sampling theorem; Specification of the analog to digital converter; Hardware and software available; Interface to the microcomputer. Microcomputer Control: Analog output; Digital output; Closed-Loop Control. Microcomputer data acquisition and control in the 21st Century--What is in the future? High speed digital medical equipment networks; Medical decision making and artificial intelligence.

Genetic diversity and host plant preferences revealed by simple sequence repeat and mitochondrial markers in a population of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Croll, D.; Wille, L.; Gamper, H.A.; Mathimaran, N.; Lammers, P.J.; Corradi, N.; Sanders, I.R.

2008-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important symbionts of plants that improve plant nutrient acquisition and promote plant diversity. Although within-species genetic differences among AMF have been shown to differentially affect plant growth, very little is actually known about the degree of

Knowledge-sharing Behavior and Post-acquisition Integration Failure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gammelgaard, Jens; Husted, Kenneth; Michailova, Snejina

2004-01-01

AbstractNot achieving the anticipated synergy effects in the post-acquisition integration context is a serious causefor the high acquisition failure rate. While existing studies on failures of acquisitions exist fromeconomics, finance, strategy, organization theory, and human resources management......, this paper appliesinsights from the knowledge-sharing literature. The paper establishes a conceptual link between obstaclesin the post-acquisition integration processes and individual knowledge-sharing behavior as related toknowledge transmitters and knowledge receivers. We argue that such an angle offers...... important insights toexplaining the high failure rate in acquisitions.Descriptors: post-acquisition integration, acquisition failure, individual knowledge-sharing behavior...

Chemical Weed Control Increases Survival and Growth in Hardwood Plantings

Science.gov (United States)

Gayne G. Erdmann

1967-01-01

In a plantation of four hardwood species on a silt loam soil planted to 1-0 stock, 4 pounds of active atrazine or simazine controlled weeds effectively without injuring the trees. Chemical weed control was better on plowed and disked ground than on unprepared ground. Yellow-poplar and white ash grew faster on prepared ground. Black walnut and red oak did not respond...

Merging Platform Ecosystems in Technology Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dowie, Jamie; Henningsson, Stefan; Kude, Thomas

2017-01-01

of the merging companies. Given the increasing importance of platforms and value co-creation with third-party providers for companies making technology acquisitions, we complement existing literature by reframing the analysis of technology acquisitions to include the merger of the broader partner ecosystems....... Specifically, we draw on theories of ecosystem governance to analyze how ecosystem tensions unfolded during the ecosystem merger and how the acquirer governed these tensions in SAP SE’s acquisition of the e-commerce provider Hybris AG. Our findings suggest that the governance of ecosystem tensions...... is an important aspect of managing technology acquisitions. We identify the pre-acquisition relation between the acquired company’s ecosystem partners and the acquirer as an important context factor for explaining how a partner company is exposed to the ecosystem tensions during the merger....

IT Consultants in Acquisition IT Integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Øhrgaard, Christian

2016-01-01

strategic IT initiatives and how companies can draw effectively on their services. The paper investigates the use of consultants in relation to one type of major strategic IT initiative: acquisition IT integration. Acquisition IT integration, which is the integration of the acquirer’s and target......’s IT following a corporate acquisition, presents a difficult but crucial IT challenge for the many acquiring organizations. Through a comparative case study of four acquirers, theoretically grounded in the resource-based view of the firm, it is analyzed how acquirers draw on external consultants to realize...... acquisition IT integration. Two complementary and two supplementary roles consultants assume in these projects are identified. Additionally, three characteristics of the acquisition IT integration strategy are identified that influence how the acquirers assign different roles to IT consultants. The resulting...

Automatic acoustic and vibration monitoring system for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tothmatyas, Istvan; Illenyi, Andras; Kiss, Jozsef; Komaromi, Tibor; Nagy, Istvan; Olchvary, Geza

1990-01-01

A diagnostic system for nuclear power plant monitoring is described. Acoustic and vibration diagnostics can be applied to monitor various reactor components and auxiliary equipment including primary circuit machinery, leak detection, integrity of reactor vessel, loose parts monitoring. A noise diagnostic system has been developed for the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, to supervise the vibration state of primary circuit machinery. An automatic data acquisition and processing system is described for digitalizing and analysing diagnostic signals. (R.P.) 3 figs

Discrimination of plant root zone water status in greenhouse production based on phenotyping and machine learning techniques

OpenAIRE

Guo, Doudou; Juan, Jiaxiang; Chang, Liying; Zhang, Jingjin; Huang, Danfeng

2017-01-01

Plant-based sensing on water stress can provide sensitive and direct reference for precision irrigation system in greenhouse. However, plant information acquisition, interpretation, and systematical application remain insufficient. This study developed a discrimination method for plant root zone water status in greenhouse by integrating phenotyping and machine learning techniques. Pakchoi plants were used and treated by three root zone moisture levels, 40%, 60%, and 80% relative water content...

Real-Time Monitoring System for a Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Power Plant

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno-Garcia, Isabel M.; Palacios-Garcia, Emilio J.; Pallares-Lopez, Victor; Santiago, Isabel; Gonzalez-Redondo, Miguel J.; Varo-Martinez, Marta; Real-Calvo, Rafael J.

2016-01-01

There is, at present, considerable interest in the storage and dispatchability of photovoltaic (PV) energy, together with the need to manage power flows in real-time. This paper presents a new system, PV-on time, which has been developed to supervise the operating mode of a Grid-Connected Utility-Scale PV Power Plant in order to ensure the reliability and continuity of its supply. This system presents an architecture of acquisition devices, including wireless sensors distributed around the plant, which measure the required information. It is also equipped with a high-precision protocol for synchronizing all data acquisition equipment, something that is necessary for correctly establishing relationships among events in the plant. Moreover, a system for monitoring and supervising all of the distributed devices, as well as for the real-time treatment of all the registered information, is presented. Performances were analyzed in a 400 kW transformation center belonging to a 6.1 MW Utility-Scale PV Power Plant. In addition to monitoring the performance of all of the PV plant’s components and detecting any failures or deviations in production, this system enables users to control the power quality of the signal injected and the influence of the installation on the distribution grid. PMID:27240365

Real-Time Monitoring System for a Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Power Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabel M. Moreno-Garcia

2016-05-01

Full Text Available There is, at present, considerable interest in the storage and dispatchability of photovoltaic (PV energy, together with the need to manage power flows in real-time. This paper presents a new system, PV-on time, which has been developed to supervise the operating mode of a Grid-Connected Utility-Scale PV Power Plant in order to ensure the reliability and continuity of its supply. This system presents an architecture of acquisition devices, including wireless sensors distributed around the plant, which measure the required information. It is also equipped with a high-precision protocol for synchronizing all data acquisition equipment, something that is necessary for correctly establishing relationships among events in the plant. Moreover, a system for monitoring and supervising all of the distributed devices, as well as for the real-time treatment of all the registered information, is presented. Performances were analyzed in a 400 kW transformation center belonging to a 6.1 MW Utility-Scale PV Power Plant. In addition to monitoring the performance of all of the PV plant’s components and detecting any failures or deviations in production, this system enables users to control the power quality of the signal injected and the influence of the installation on the distribution grid.

Managing IT Integration Risk in Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henningsson, Stefan; Kettinger, William J.

2016-01-01

The article discusses a framework for evaluating risk of information technology (IT) integration in acquisitions. Topics include the use of the experience of serial acquirer Trelleborg AB to show the merits of the framework for managing the risk and to determine low-risk acquisitions......, the importance of managing IT integration risk, and various risk areas for acquisition IT integration....

Unmanned Maritime Systems Incremental Acquisition Approach

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01