KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Workers from cotton mills were exposed to cotton dust during carding in an experimental cardroom. Cotton from different geographical locations with varying amounts of endotoxin were used. Exposure levels...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Tri layer hybrid composites of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and jute fibres was prepared by keeping oil palm EFB as skin material and jute as the core material and vice versa. The chemical resistance, void content and tensile properties of oil palm EFB/Jute composites was investigated with reference to the relative weight of oil palm EFB/Jute, i.e. 4:1, the fibre loading was optimized and different layering pattern were investigated. It is found from the chemical resistance test that all the composites are resistant to various chemicals. It was observed that marked reduction in void content of hybrid composites in different layering pattern. From the different layering pattern, the tensile properties were slightly higher for the composite having jute as skin and oil palm EFB as core ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The metabolism of ¹⁴C-labeled fatty acids and triacylglycerols was followed in intact germinating oil palm seedlings as well as in tissue slices. In the germinating seedling, the shoot contained...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Xylem failure via gas embolism (cavitation) induced by water stress was investigated in the palm Rhapis excelsa (Thumb.) Henry. Xylem embolism in excised stems and petioles was detected...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

(1973). United States Kylstra, CD West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. 25 Apr 1973.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Changes in soil properties and vegetable growth were quantified on a low-fertility tropical soil. Four treatments (two composts, urea, and control) were applied to an Oxisol (Rhodic Haplustox, Wahiawa series) in a field on Oahu, Hawaii. Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa, Chinensis group) and eggplant (Solanum melongena) were grown sequentially as test crops. Soil quality as measured by hot-water-soluble carbon, dehydrogenase activity, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) increased by compost amendments. Total organic carbon or carbon dioxide (CO2) respiration rate did not correlate with the soil amendments. Nitrogen (N) nutrition was the main factor that improved growth and carotenoid content in cabbage. The urea treatment promoted better growth in cabbage, whereas good-quality compost, made of...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A field experiment was conducted during the summer of 1988 to test the hypothesis that water deficit affects the abscisic acid (ABA) and indole acetic acid (IAA) concentrations in cotton (Gossypium...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper reported on a study that evaluated the energy consumption of cotton gins used in Australia. The average electricity use is 52.3 kWh per bale. In practicality, the electricity consumption for different gins is correlated linearly with the bale numbers produced. The cost of electricity is therefore important in cotton ginning operations. The power factor in all the gins monitored in this study was greater than 0.85. The study showed that the use of gas dryers was highly influenced by the cotton moisture and regulated drying temperature. In general, electricity and gas consumption comprised 61 and 39 per cent of total energy use respectively. The study showed that 60.38 kg of carbon dioxide are emitted for ginning each bale of cotton. This paper described a newly developed method for monitoring the energy performance in cotton gins. Detailed monitoring and analysis carried ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Lipopolysaccharides from different bacteria isolated from cotton were purified and chemically analyzed. Their pulmonary toxicity to animals was tested in inhalation tests. Lipopolysaccharides from Agrobacterium...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

... TECHNICAL REPORT ARBRL-TR-02476 SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE ... SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE EXAMINATION OF ...

Science.gov (United States)

Oryctes agamemnon (Burmeister 1847) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) was accidentally introduced in the southwestern oases of Tunisia (Tozeur) around 1980 and spread to the Rjim Maatoug region. In these areas O. agamemnon was specific to date palm trees causing severe damage that can result in potential danger due to collapse of the tree. This study was conducted from April 2004 to March 2006 in 4 sites in the region of Rjim Maatoug. Different levels of palm tree attack were determined, ovioposition sites were identified, and pest damage was described in detail to specify their relative importance and to indicate factors governing palm tree attack. Eggs were individually oviposited in the attacked parts. Dead parts of palm trees were the main target of O. agamemnon including the respiratory roots, tough, trunk bark, dry petiole and the periphery of the crown. The crown itself was not attacked. Feeding by ...

Science.gov (United States)

Direct plating, selective enrichment, and cold enrichment followed by secondary selective enrichment procedures were compared for detecting and enumerating Listeria monocytogenes in chopped cabbage stored at 5 degrees C for up to 64 days. Addition of Fe3+ to solid media enhanced detection of the organism. Cold enrichment (5 degrees C) in nutrient broth and brain heart infusion broth followed by secondary enrichment (48 h, 30 degrees C) in Trypticase soy-yeast extract-antibiotic broth and thiocyanate-nalidixic acid broth and plating on selective agar media (Doyle and Schoeni selective enrichment agar [minus acriflavin hydrochloride, supplemented with 5 micrograms of Fe3+/ml] and McBride Listeria agar) resulted in the detection of highest populations. PMID:3111369

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Climex climate-matching and inferential-modelling was used to examine the naturalisation potential of genetically modified and non-transgenic Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum variety hirsutum) in Australia north of latitude 22degreeS. The Climate-Match (CM) function was used to identify locations in north-east Australia where climate matches (CM Index>0.7) the experimental sites of Eastick [Eastick, R., 2002. The Potential Weediness of Transgenic Cotton in Northern Australia. Northern Territory Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development Technical Bulletin No. 305 (Internet resource: http://cotton.pi.csiro.au/Assets/PDFFiles/TB3051.pdf)] in north-west Australia. Most of Australia north of 22degreeS had climate matching one or more of the sites of Eastick (2002), locations wh...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

... activation analysis aluminium 28 calcium 49 chlorine 38 cotton plants li-drifted

Science.gov (United States)

... power from wood and bagasse as well as convert non-traditional fuel sources such as rice bulls, animal manure, cotton gin trash, straws, and ...

Environmental Research Database

DescriptionThis cross-disciplinary project will combine chemical, ecological and modelling techniques to determine whether cabbages grown under an organic regime differ in terms of pest dynamics and plant chemistry. There is increasing pressure to de-intensify agricultural practice and organic approaches are becoming more popular and widely adopted. However, there are very few, if any, detailed scientific investigations into the claims made about improved pest control, reduced environmental impact and be [continued...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this research, hybrid composite materials were prepared from combination of oil palm Empty fruit bunches (EFB) fibre and jute fibre as reinforcement, epoxy as polymer matrix. This study intended to investigate the effect of jute fiber hybridization and different layering pattern on the physical properties of oil palm EFB-Epoxy composites. Water absorption and thickness swelling test reveal that hybrid composite shows a moderate water absorption which is 11.20% for hybrid EFB/Jute/EFB composite and 6.08% for hybrid Jute/EFB/Jute composite. The thickness swelling and water absorption of the hybrid composites slightly increased as the layering pattern of hybrid composites changed. Hybrid composites are more water resistance and dimensional stable compare to the pure EFB composites. This is...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Conversion of tropical forests to oil palm plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia has resulted in large-scale environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and significant carbon emissions. For both countries to participate in the United Nation's REDD (Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Degradation) mechanism, assessment of forest carbon stocks, including the estimated loss in carbon from conversion to plantation, is needed. In this study, we use a combination of field and remote sensing data to quantify both the magnitude and the geographical distribution of carbon stock in forests and timber plantations, in Sabah, Malaysia, which has been the site of significant expansion of oil palm cultivation over the last two decades. Forest structure data from 129ha of research and inventory p...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundCotton fiber development undergoes rapid and dynamic changes in a single cell type, from fiber initiation, elongation, primary and secondary wall biosynthesis, to fiber...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

During the past 12,000 years agricultural systems have transitioned from natural habitats to conventional agricultural regions, and recently to large areas of genetically- engineered (GE) croplands. This GE revolution occurred for cotton in a span of slightly more than a decade w...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Sulfated zirconia (SO4-ZrO2) catalysts, prepared with three different sulfur loading contents (0.75%, 1.8% and 2.5%) at two calcination temperatures (500degreeC and 700degreeC), were tested for use in the transesterification of purified palm oil (PPO) and the esterification of palm fatty acid (PFA) in near-critical and super-critical methanol. Techniques including BET, XRD, NH3- and CO2-TPD revealed that the sulfur content and calcination temperature strongly affects the catalyst base-acid site, specific surface area, average pore size, phase structure, and thus the catalytic reactivity. The most suitable sulfur loading content was found to be 1.8% and the optimum calcination temperature 500degreeC. The results show that the use of SO4-ZrO2 reduces esterification reaction times, the amount...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundWax esters are important ingredients in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, lubricants and other chemical industries due to their excellent wetting property. Since the naturally...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper reported on a study in which a life cycle assessment (LCA) of cotton production in Australia was conducted to evaluate energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from tillage to export shipping. The study showed that on-farm indirect cotton-farming is the most energy consuming component, consuming nearly 32.36 GJ/ha of energy. On-farm indirect cotton-farming is the most GHG emitting component, emitting about 1.64 tonne of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2})/ha. Energy use and the emissions by off-farm direct cotton-farming were calculated as 5.09 GJ/ha and 0.14 tonne CO{sub 2}/ha respectively. Energy consumed by off-farm indirect farming was found to be 0.036 GJ/ha or 0.002 tonne CO{sub 2}/ha. The total energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions in the Australian cotton farming system were estimated to be 46.43 GJ/ha and 2.42 tonnes CO{sub 2}/ha for on-farm, and 5.13 GJ/ha and ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Two polymeric biosorbents were prepared from cotton stalk (CS) and wheat straw (WS) by the epichlorohydrin-diethylenetriamine-trimethylamine method. Amine-crosslinked cotton stalk (AC-CS) and wheat stalk (AC-WS) were used for the adsorption of phosphate, and their physicochemical properties as well as biosorption properties for phosphate were discussed intensively. Results indicated that the contents of holocellulose in CS and WS corresponded to the distinct phosphate adsorption capacities between AC-CS and AC-WS. Zeta potential and Raman spectra analysis illustrated the electrostatic attraction between phosphate ions and biosorbents. The adsorption of phosphate was not strongly pH dependent when the pH was about 4.0-9.0. The Langmuir isotherm provided the better fit and the maximum adsorp...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In field O{sub 3}-enrichment experiments increased herbivore densities have been reported, which could be due to negatively affected host location behavior of natural enemies. We addressed the impact of doubling background O{sub 3} on the host location of the parasitoid Cotesia plutellae by conducting 24-h trials in an open-air O{sub 3}-fumigation system during two consecutive years. Two circles (radii 1.40 and 4.00 m) of Plutella xylostella-infested potted cabbage plants were placed in the O{sub 3} and ambient plots. Female wasps were released into each plot from the center, and observed 5 times over a 24-h period to assess their host location capability. Thereafter, plants were kept in laboratory conditions until larvae pupation to determine parasitism rates. No significant differences were detected between ambient and O{sub 3}-enriched environments either in the number of wasps found in the field, or in the percentages of parasitized larvae. This suggests that ...

Science.gov (United States)

... feet wide. Tree mulch, cotton gin trash, river sand VC: 11,600 Sulfate: 1,500 to 2,000 mg/L Parsons, 2007b PCE: 3,400 ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Polyploidy is an important force in the evolution of flowering plants. Genomic merger and doubling induce an extensive array of genomic effects, including immediate and long-term alterations in the...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a maternally inherited trait that fails to produce functional pollen grains. The CMS system is widely employed to facilitate the utilization of heterosis in major crops. However, little is known about the CMS associated genes in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The objective of this study was to compare CMS cotton (CMS-D2) with the cytoplasm from G. harknessii and its isogenic maintainer line with the normal fertile Upland cotton cytoplasm to identify CMS-D2 specific gene(s) and to develop CMS-specific sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) markers. Based on Southern blot analysis using 10 mitochondrial gene-specific probes (cob, cox2, atp6, atp9, nad3, cox3, atpA, cox1, nad6 and nad9), three probes (cox3, atpA, and nad6) revealed restriction ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Malate synthase (EC 4.1.3.2), an enzyme unique to the glyoxylate cycle, was purified to homogeneity from cotyledons of 72-hours, darkgrown cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seedlings....Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The concept of using agricultural residues, especially cotton gin trash (CGT), as a fuel for a small cogeneration power plant based on fluidized bed gasification (FBG) requires that three problems be solved: (1) ash must be removed from the low calorific value (LCV) gas prior to combustion; (2) the high NO/sub x/ emissions associated with many biomass fuels must be significantly reduced; (3) a systems analyses of engineering/economic feasibility for potential applications must be developed. This paper addresses current research at TAMU pertaining to these problems.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-38mol%-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-38mol%-3HV)] was produced by Cupriavidus sp. USMAA2-4 in the presence of oleic acid and 1-pentanol. Due to enormous production of empty fruit bunch (EFB) in the oil palm plantation and high production cost of P(3HB-co-3HV), oil palm EFB fibers were used for biocomposites preparation. In this study, maleic anhydride (MA) and benzoyl peroxide (DBPO) were used to improve the miscibility between P(3HB-co-3HV) and EFB fibers. Introduction of MA into P(3HB-co-3HV) backbone reduced the molecular weight and improved the thermal stability of P(3HB-co-3HV). Thermal stability of P(3HB-co-3HV)/EFB composites was shown to be comparable to that of commercial packaging product. Composites with 35% EFB fibers content have the highest tensile st...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The effect of chemical pretreatments using NaOH, H2O2, and Ca(OH)2 on Empty Palm Fruit Bunches (EPFB) to degrade EPFB lignin before pyrolyis was investigated. Spectrophotometer analysis proved consecutive addition of NaOH and H2O2 decomposed almost 100% of EPFB lignin compared to 44% for the Ca(OH)2, H2O2 system while NaOH and Ca(OH)2 used exclusively could not alter lignin much. Next, the pretreated EPFB was catalytically pyrolyzed. Experimental results indicated the phenolic yields over Al-MCM-41 and HZSM-5 catalysts were 90wt% and 80wt%, respectively compared to 67wt% yield for the untreated sample under the same set of conditions. Meanwhile, the experiments with HY zeolite yielded 70wt% phenols.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Effect of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber and poly(methyl acrylate) grafted OPEFB on several mechanical properties of poly(vinyl chloride)/epoxidized natural rubber (PVC/ENR) blends were studied. The composites were prepared by mixing the fiber and the PVC/ENR blends using HAKEE Rheomixer at the rotor speed of 50 rpm, mixing temperature 150degreeC, and mixing period of 20 min. The fiber loadings were varied from 0 to 30% and the effect of fiber content in the composites on their ultimate tensile strength (UTS), Youngs modulus, elongation at break, flexural modulus, hardness, and impact strength were determined. An increasing trend was observed in the Youngs modulus, flexural modulus, and hardness with the addition of grafted and ungrafted fiber to the PVC/ENR blends. However the i...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Lignocellulosic fibers from date palm trees were employed to reinforce an epoxy matrix. Two fiber sizes were used, with the length and diameter in the range of 20-30 and 1.5-3 mm, respectively, for the so-called long fibers, and in the range of 5-15 and 0.25-0.75 mm, respectively, for the so-called short fibers. The morphologies of the resulting composites, as well as their thermal, mechanical, and water sorption properties were evaluated. Strong interactions between both components and etherification reactions may occur between the hydroxyl groups of the fibers and the epoxy groups of the epoxy-amine reactive mixture. These effects are emphasized when decreasing the size of the fibers.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The chemical composition and evolution of formation waters associated with gas production in the Palm Valley field, Northern Territory, has important implications for reservoir management, saline water disposal, and gas reserve calculations. Historically, the occurrence of saline formation water in gas fields has been the subject of considerable debate. A better understanding of the origin, chemical evolution and movement of the formation water at Palm Valley has important implications for future reservoir management, disposal of highly saline water and accurate gas reserves estimation. Major and trace element abundance data suggest that a significant component of the highly saline water from Palm Valley has characteristics that may have been derived from a modified evaporated seawater source such as an evaporite horizon. The most dilute waters probably represent condensate and the variation in the chemistry of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tests with a 61 cm diameter fluidized-bed combustor revealed that raw cotton gin trash could be efficiently burned while satisfying Federal standards for particulate emissions. Certain chemicals within cotton gin trash zone can cause slagging or caking of ash and bed particles in the combustion zone. They can also corrode and accumulate on the heat recovery equipment. These problems are not considered insurmountable and methods of control are being studied. Raw cotton gin trash was also converted into a low Btu gas using fluidized-bed technology. Tests with a 30 cm diameter gasifier revealed that raw gin trash could be converted to a combustible gas, containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The heating value of the gas ranged from 3.65 to 5.29 MJ/m3 and about 50 percent of the heat value of the raw trash was converted to combustible gases. Economic analyses have shown that these techniques can be economically competitive ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Establishment of a continuous population has been prevented over a 24 year period in the San Joaquin Valley, USA, through continuous, daily in-season release of sterile pink bollworms based on an extensive trap monitoring programme. A post-harvest crop destruction ordinance and occasional use of pheromones as disruptants were the only other factors used by programme management, except in 1990. In 1990, the programme used a conventional insecticide on 280 acres (113 ha) out of 1.18 million acres (477,546 ha) of cotton. During the four year period 1986-1989, a management system was explored using a high rate pheromone disruption system and sterile insects. Major reductions in conventional insecticide usage, while maintaining extremely low populations, were evident in this semi-isolated valley of southern California. It is hoped that this will provide a model for a future large scale test on up to 20,000 acres (8100 ha) of cotton. (author). 11 ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Although photosynthetic thermotolerance has been investigated extensively in cotton leaves, reports on the biochemical influence of the pistil in promoting fertilization thermostability are limited. To evaluate the effect of temperature, genotype, and exogenous calcium application on fertilization and pistil biochemistry in cotton, thermosensitive (cv. ST4554 B2RF) and thermotolerant (cv. VH260) plants were grown under control (30/20-C) or high-temperature (38/20-C) conditions during flowering, and exogenous CaCl2 was applied to flowers 1-day prior to anthesis. Measured pistil parameters included fertilization efficiency; protein concentration; glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and NADPH oxidase activities; and ATP and calcium levels. Exogenous calcium had no effec...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In the present study, surfaces of cylinder head, piston, exhaust and inlet valve of a four-stroke, direct injection, single cylinder diesel engine were coated with molybdenum (Mo) by plasma spray method. Thus, thermal barrier characteristic was brought to these parts. Variances in performance and emission values of cotton methyl ester and 2D fuel mixtures were studied in the ceramic coated and uncoated engines under the same running conditions. Performance (6.0% for specific fuel consumption) and emission values (up to 18.0% for CO, 8.0% for smoke density) of the test fuel were improved in the coated engine compared with the uncoated engine. NO_x increase (4.5%) with the increased temperatures expected in the coated engine.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The effect of irradiation on the tensile properties of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) fiber reinforced poly(vinyl chloride)/epoxidized natural rubber (PVC/ENR) blends were studied. The composites were prepared by mixing the fiber and the PVC/ENR blend using HAAKE Rheomixer at 150 deg. C. The composites were then irradiated by using a 3.0 MeV electron beam machine at doses ranging from 0 to 100 kGy in air and room temperature. The tensile strength, Young's modulus, elongation at break and gel fraction of the composites were measured. Comparative studies were also made by using poly(methyl acrylate) grafted OPEFB fiber in the similar blend system. An increase in tensile strength, Young's modulus and gel fraction, with a concurrent reduction in the elongation at break (Eb) of the PVC/ENR/OPEFB composites were observed upon electron beam irradiation. Studies revealed that grafting of the OPEFB fiber with methyl acrylate did not cause appreciable ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fermented oil palm empty fruit bunch, now known as 'Sterifeed' has been characterized by physico-chemical properties. It has also been proven to have an improved digestibility (by in vitro and in-vivo test) over the original material. The remaining important aspect of feed to be examined is the long term effect of feeding this material to animals. The size of fermentation media bags used was 0.5 - 1 kg/bag. In the large scale production of these materials, the numbers of bags were increased. The production at pilot scale level reinvestigated the basic processing parameters for the 1 kg/bag media and also performed a trial run for different sizes of bags. These include: 1) investigation on the growth of fungi on fermentation media subjected to different treatment times and the non treated media, 2) evaluation of the processing rate, 3) trial run processing of 25-50 MT oil palm EFB into feed, and 4) processing of different sizes of bags

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Sustainability of irrigated agriculture in arid and semi arid lands depends, mainly on the level of soil salinity and the quality of irrigation water. Remotely sensed data can provide information about the extent of vegetated irrigated areas. Al-Hassa oasis, Saudi Arabia is probably the largest oasis in the world depends mostly on tapped ground water to irrigate mainly date palm groves for its economic survival. This study tried to investigate the extent of soil salinity and the quality of irrigation water and the relationship with vegetation growth, employing NDVI derived from Landsat satellite imagery.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The chemical composition and evolution of produced waters associated with gas production in the Palm Valley gas field, Northern Territory, has important implications for issues such as gas reserve calculations, reservoir management and saline water disposal. The occurrence of saline formation water in the Palm Valley field has been the subject of considerable debate. There were no occurrences of mobile water early in the development of the field and only after gas production had reduced the reservoir pressure, was saline formation water produced. Initially this was in small quantities but has increased dramatically with time, particularly after the initiation of compression in November 1996. The produced waters range from highly saline (up to 300,000 mg/L TDS), with unusual enrichments in Ca, Ba and Sr, to low salinity fluids that may represent condensate waters. The Sr isotopic compositions of the waters ("8"7Sr/"8"6Sr = 0.7041-0.7172) are ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Plant annexins represent a multigene family involved in cellular elongation and development. A cDNA encoding a novel annexin was isolated from a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) fiber cDNA library and designated-GhAnx1. This gene encodes a 316 amino acid protein with a theoretical molecular mass of 36.06 kDa and a theoretical pI of 6.19. At the amino acid level, it shares high sequence similarity and has evolutionary relationships with annexins from higher plants. The purified recombinant protein expressed in-Escherichia coli-was used to investigate its physicochemical properties. Circular dichroism spectrum analyses showed a positive peak rising to the maximum at 196 nm and a broad negative band rounding 215 nm, suggesting that the GhAnx1 protein was prominently -helical. The fluoresc...

Science.gov (United States)

Progress is reported in several areas of research. The following cellulosic raw materials were selected for study: wheat, barley, and rice straws, rice hulls, sorghum, corn stover, cotton gin trash, newsprint, ground wood, and masonite steam-treated Douglas fir and redwood. Samples were collected, prepared, and analyzed for hexosans, pentosans, lignin, ash, and protein. Results of acid extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis are discussed. Yields of glucose, polyglucose, xylose, and arabinose are reported. Progress in process design and economic studies, as well as pilot plant process development and design studies, is summarized. (JGB)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract A one step method was used to prepare stable aqueous nanocomposite dispersions based on cellulose whiskers extracted from the rachis of the date palm tree and a poly(styrene co 2 ethyl hexylacrylate) copolymer via miniemulsion polymerization. A reactive silane, i.e., methacryloxypropyl triethoxysilane was added to stabilize the dispersion and favor the anchoring of the whiskers on polymer particles. Dynamic light scattering was used to study the effect of the silane and whiskers contents on the average particle size of the polymer. Nanocomposites materials were prepared from these dispersions using a casting/evaporation method. The effect of the silane and whiskers contents on the thermal and mechanical properties were studied using differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic me...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract:- An experimental investigation was carried out to evaluate the quality of-taralli-as a function of the type of oil used in their dough formulation. To this end, 4 types of oil (extra virgin olive oil, olive oil, olive-pomace oil, and refined palm oil) were utilized to prepare-taralli-to investigate on the lipid fraction degradation and evaluate the-taralli-acceptability by consumers. The data obtained pointed out that-taralli-manufactured with extra virgin olive oil were significantly more appreciated than those made with refined oils due to their visual appearance and odor. Moreover, with respect to the other kinds of oil, the use of extra virgin olive oil led to significantly lower values (P-< 0.05) of specific absorption at 232 and 270 nm (K232 and K270, respectively) and of t...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is widely cultivated in Kutch district of Gujarat and the fruits are harvested at immature stage before the onset of monsoon to prevent spoilage. The immature date fruits with less commercial value were used for processing into date juice concentrate. Immature dates were crushed and treated with 0.1% pectinase enzyme for 120 min to obtain maximum juice. Date juice was found to be rich in reducing sugars (16.1%) and total sugars (18.3%). Juice was pasteurized at 85?C to inactivate the enzyme, cooled and centrifuged at 3000 rpm to get clear juice. The juice was concentrated in a thin film evaporator to a total soluble solids (TSS) of 76?Brix in 2 passes. Chemical composition of date juice during different stages of concentration was determined. Date juice conc...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A new heterogeneous catalyst for the esterification of free fatty acids and the transesterification of vegetable oils is reported. The layered compound zinc hydroxide nitrate (Zn5(OH)8(NO3)22H2O) was very effective in the alcoholysis of palm oil and the esterification of lauric acid with m(ethanol), even when hydrated ethanol was used. Over the range of 100-140degreeC, the ester yield was the highest at 140degreeC, while the catalyst concentration had a much greater effect on ester yields than the molar ratio of alcohol to acid did. Total ester contents above 95wt% were obtained in both reactions and 93.2wt% glycerin streams were recovered as a result of methanolysis.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This study quantifies the external water footprint of the Netherlands by partner country and import product and assesses the impact of this footprint by contrasting the geographically-explicit water footprint with water scarcity in the different parts of the world. The total water footprint of the Netherlands is estimated to be about 2300 m^3/year/cap, of which 67% relates to the consumption of agricultural goods, 31% to the consumption of industrial goods, and 2% to domestic water use. The Dutch water footprint related to the consumption of agricultural goods, is composed as follows: 46% related to livestock products; 17% oil crops and oil from oil crops; 12% coffee, tea, cocoa and tobacco; 8% cereals and beer; 6% cotton products; 5% fruits; and 6% other agricultural products. About 11% o...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Most prior climate change assessments for U.S. agriculture have focused on major world food crops such as wheat and maize. While useful from a national and global perspective, these results are not particularly relevant to the Northeastern U.S. agriculture economy, which is dominated by dairy milk production, and high-value horticultural crops such as apples (Malus domestica), grapes (vitis vinifera), sweet corn (Zea mays var. rugosa), cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), and maple syrup (sugar maple, Acer saccharum). We used statistically downscaled climate projections generated by the HadCM3 atmosphere-ocean general circulation model, run with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change future emissions scenarios Alfi (higher) and B1 (lower), to evaluate several climate thresholds of direct relevance to agriculture in the region. A longer (frostfree) growing season could create new opportunities for farmers with enough capital to take risks on new crops ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full - grown pupae of the cotton leaf worm Spodoptera littorals (Boisd.) were gamma - irradiated with low doses of 25,50,75, or 100 Gy for male line and with 50 or 100 Gy for female line . The effects on reproduction, development and sex ratio were the biological aspects studied among P1,F1,F2 and F 3 generations . Also, the effects of dose accumulation applied grown male pupae through two or three filial generations and the retarded influence on their F1,F2,and F 3 progeny were examined. In another trial the histological examinations for ovaries and testes of irradiated parents and for their generation were made . The F1 males were more sterile than irradiated parental males while F1 females were more fertile than their irradiated parental females. Irradiation of P1 males did not clearly affect neither the percentage of mated females nor the average number of spermatophores per mated female among the individuals of P1,F1,F2 and F 3 generations. Irradiation of P1 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Field cage studies were carried out to evaluate the F_1 sterility technique for population suppression of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), in cotton. For this purpose, six field cages (1.8 m x 1.8 m x 1.8 m) were placed over cotton seedlings in the field. Five pairs of laboratory reared, untreated adult moths were released in all six cages during the first week of August. In addition, on the same data 100 pairs of adults, following irradiation of the mature pupae at 100 Gy, were released in two cages and 250 such pairs of irradiated adults in two other cages in ratios of 20:1 and 50:1 (irradiated:normal), respectively. The results of per cent larval infestation in the rosette blooms in different field cages indicated that larval infestation in the flowers was significantly lower (4.93%) in cages where the moths were released at the 50:1 ratio than in cages where moths were released at the 20:1 ratio (6.71%). Larval ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Some crops of important nutritive requirements have been collected from farmlands located in Bitsichi an old tin mining town in north central region of Nigeria. The food crops were analyzed in order to determine trace element concentrations level using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA). The activity concentrations due to natural radionuclides in the food samples and soil samples collected within the root zone of the crops were also determined using gamma-ray spectrometry (GRS). The NAA results obtained showed higher concentration of Potassium among the essential elements in all the crops. Calcium concentration in both maize and Guinea corn was below detection limit and also Zn in Green beans, sweet potato and cassava. The trace elements; Sc, Hf, Sm, and Th, were below detection limit in all the crops except in Green beans. Rubidium (Rb) and lanthanum (La) were below detection limits only in Cabbage. The activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides in the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V) in 28 types of Egyptian common foodstuffs as well as drinking and irrigation water samples were determined using neutron activation analysis (NAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The samples were collected from 74 sites over 13 governorates as well as the Nile river, wells and tap water in the regions of the Nile Delta, Sinai, the east and west desert, and north and south Egypt. These trace elements were chosen according to international references, which show the close relationship of their deficiencies to immunity-related diseases. Calculation values of daily uptake per capita were made with the results of analysis. The results, as calculated per 100 g dry weight, showed that some Egyptian foods are rich in Se including such fish (0.94 #mu#g), sesame (0.88 #mu#g), beef meat (0.48 #mu#g), instant tea (0.42 #mu#g), mushroom (0.34 #mu#g) and eggs (0.3 #mu#g), whereas the vegetables contained less than ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We consider spatially homogeneous (but generally non-isotropic) cosmologies in the recently proposed Horava-Lifshitz gravity and compare them to those of general relativity using Hamiltonian methods. In all cases, the problem is described by an effective point particle moving in a potential well with exponentially steep walls. Focusing on the closed-space cosmological model (Bianchi type IX), the mixmaster dynamics is now completely dominated by the quadratic Cotton tensor potential term for a very small volume of the universe. Unlike general relativity, where the evolution toward the initial singularity always exhibits chaotic behavior with alternating Kasner epochs, the anisotropic universe in Horava-Lifshitz gravity (with parameter lambda > 1/3) is described by a particle moving in a frozen potential well with fixed (but arbitrary) energy E. Alternating Kasner epochs still provide a good description of the early universe for very large E, but the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The simultaneous effects of irradiating full grown pupae of Spodoptera Littoralis with doses 30 and 40 krad followed by topical treatment of adults with methomyl were studied. Gamma rays decreased the toxicity of methomyl against adult moths. The obtained LD_5_0 values for male moths emerging from unirradiated or irradiated pupae with 30 or 40 krad were 7, 9.93 and 10.33 u g/g. b.wt., respectively. F1 larvae (produced from unirradiated females mated to irradiated males) became more tolerant to methomyl by increasing radiation doses from 5 to 30 krad. The toxicity of methomyl to F1, F2 and F3 larvae (whose male parents had been irradiated in the pupal stage with 10 krad) was less than its toxicity to the larvae produced from unirradiated parents. F2 and F3 larvae were more tolerant to methomyl effect than the F1 larvae.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We present a new class of exact solutions of Deser, Jackiw, and Templeton's theory (DJT) of topologically massive gravity which consists of homogeneous, anisotropic manifolds. In these solutions the coframe is given by the left-invariant 1-forms of 3-dimensional Lie algebras up to constant scale factors. These factors are fixed in terms of the DJT coupling constant {mu}m which is the constant of proportionality between the Einstein and Cotton tensors in 3-dimensions. Differences between the scale factors result in anisotropy which is a common feature of topologically massive 3-manifolds. We have found that only Bianchi Types VI, VIII, and IX lead to nontrivial solutions. Among these, a Bianchi Type IX, squashed 3-sphere solution of the Euclideanized DJT theory has finite action, Bianchi Type VIII, IX solutions can variously be embedded in the de Sitter/anti-de Sitter space. That is, some DJT 3-manifolds that we shall present here can be regarded as the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

the cotton leaf worm, Spodoptera littoralis (boisd.) were irradiated with 100,150 and 200 Gy to induce inherited sterility. the effects of the tested doses applied to these pupae through three consequent fillial generations and the retarded influence on their F_1,F_2 and F_3 generations progeny were examined . irradiation of parental male induced damage to their daughter females ovaries. the overioles of females among P_1 ,F_1 and F_2 generations showed that the follicular epithelial cells appeared abnormal beside their limited separation from developing oocytes which became shrinked, semi absorbed or completely absorbed leaving vacuoles. the nurse cells were reduced or absent in some parts. damage was obvious through the first and second generations especially at 150 and 200 Gy. in the third generation, ovaries were not greatly affected

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

For many centuries paper was the main material for recording cultural achievements all over the world. Paper is mostly made from cellulose with small amounts of organic and inorganic additives, which allow its identification and characterization and may also contribute to its degradation. Prior to 1850, paper was made entirely from rags, using hemp, flax and cotton fibres. After this period, due to the enormous increase in demand, wood pulp began to be commonly used as raw material, resulting in rapid degradation of paper. Spectroscopic techniques represent one of the most powerful tools to investigate the constituents of paper documents in order to establish its identification and its state of degradation. This review describes the application of selected spectroscopic techniques used for paper characterization and conservation. The spectroscopic techniques that have been used and will be reviewed include: Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Raman ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this study based on the mass transfer theory, experiments for the evaporation rates depending on various conditions were carried out through the operation of the existing Natural Evaporation Facility in KAERI. Evaporation media were made of the cotton and polyester. Air circulation in the facility was forced by exhausting fans. The evaporation rate and the decontamination factor were calculated by the result of experiment. The evaporation rate increased as the flow rate of air supply, the feed rate of liquid waste, and the temperature of supplied air increased. As for the humility of supplied air, the evaporation rate was getting higher as the humidity was getting lower. As the result of this study, operation conditions of the Natural Evaporation Facility are optimized as follows; The air temperature above 8C .deg., the air humidity below 70%, the air flow rate 1.14-1.47 m/sec, and the liquid waste feed rate 4.6l/hr.m"2. The decontamination factor and the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Immidacloprid is a cyclodiene organochlorine used as an insecticide all over the world and possessing a serous environmental threat. It is mostly used for cotton insects (bollworm, aphid and white fly). For isolation of imidacloprid degrading bacteria, two soil samples were collected from industrial contaminated sites of Kala Shah Kahu district sheikupura, having ten year history of use. Soil samples were analyzed by measuring pH and electric conductivity. The isolation of imidacroprid degrading bacteria was performed by enrichment technique. Eight bacterial strains, S/sub 1-a/ S/2-2-b/ S/2-c/ S/2-d/ S/2-e/ S/sub 2-f/ and S/sub 2-g/ and S/sub e-a/ were isolated on the basis of their colony morphologies. The purified colonies were characterized morphologically, physiologically and biochemically. Gram staining was done and Gram negative strain were confirmed on MacConkey agar and Eosin Methylene Blue. Bacterial strains were also checked for different minimal media in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this study based on the mass transfer theory, experiments for the evaporation rates depending on various conditions were carried out through the operation of the existing Natural Evaporation Facility in KAERI. Evaporation media were made of the cotton and polyester. Air circulation in the facility was forced by exhausting fans. The evaporation rate and the decontamination factor were calculated by the result of experiment. The evaporation rate increased as the flow rate of air supply, the feed rate of liquid waste, and the temperature of supplied air increased. As for the humility of supplied air, the evaporation rate was getting higher as the humidity was getting lower. As the result of this study, operation conditions of the Natural Evaporation Facility are optimized as follows; The air temperature above 8C .deg., the air humidity below 70%, the air flow rate 1.14-1.47 m/sec, and the liquid waste feed rate 4.6l/hr.m{sup 2}. The decontamination factor and the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A new area-wide pest control strategy using the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), genetically transformed with a conditionally lethal gene, is under development. Conditional lethality of several transgenic pink bollworm strains was demonstrated in a series of laboratory rearing experiments. Pink bollworms were transformed with genetic constructs using the RIDL technology (Release of Insects with a Dominant Lethal gene) for development of an autocidal biological control system for possible supplement or replacement of radiation based sterile insect release. LA1124 is a lethal construct controlled by a tetracycline repressible transactivator protein (tTA), in which binding of tTA to its specific target sequence tetO drives production of more tTA. In the absence of tetracycline, this leads to lethality by high expression of tTA. When tetracycline is present, tTA does not bind tetO, and so the positive feedback cycle is not established and tTA ...