Effective spacetime understanding emergence in effective field theory and quantum gravity

CERN Document Server

Crowther, Karen

2016-01-01

This book discusses the notion that quantum gravity may represent the "breakdown" of spacetime at extremely high energy scales. If spacetime does not exist at the fundamental level, then it has to be considered "emergent", in other words an effective structure, valid at low energy scales. The author develops a conception of emergence appropriate to effective theories in physics, and shows how it applies (or could apply) in various approaches to quantum gravity, including condensed matter approaches, discrete approaches, and loop quantum gravity.

Microgravity effects on different stages of higher plant life cycle and completion of the seed-to-seed cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

De Micco, V; De Pascale, S; Paradiso, R; Aronne, G

2014-01-01

Human inhabitation of Space requires the efficient realisation of crop cultivation in bioregenerative life-support systems (BLSS). It is well known that plants can grow under Space conditions; however, perturbations of many biological phenomena have been highlighted due to the effect of altered gravity and its possible interactions with other factors. The mechanisms priming plant responses to Space factors, as well as the consequences of such alterations on crop productivity, have not been completely elucidated. These perturbations can occur at different stages of plant life and are potentially responsible for failure of the completion of the seed-to-seed cycle. After brief consideration of the main constraints found in the most recent experiments aiming to produce seeds in Space, we focus on two developmental phases in which the plant life cycle can be interrupted more easily than in others also on Earth. The first regards seedling development and establishment; we discuss reasons for slow development at the seedling stage that often occurs under microgravity conditions and can reduce successful establishment. The second stage comprises gametogenesis and pollination; we focus on male gamete formation, also identifying potential constraints to subsequent fertilisation. We finally highlight how similar alterations at cytological level can not only be common to different processes occurring at different life stages, but can be primed by different stress factors; such alterations can be interpreted within the model of 'stress-induced morphogenic response' (SIMR). We conclude by suggesting that a systematic analysis of all growth and reproductive phases during the plant life cycle is needed to optimise resource use in plant-based BLSS. © 2013 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Effect of Time and Burial Depth on Breaking Seed dormancy and Germination of Weed Seeds

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marzie mazhari

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Weeds limit crop growth, development and yield through competing. Seed bank of weeds in field is one of the sources which can affect weed management and their control methods. Environmental conditions during seed maturation and following dispersal interact to influence the germination phenology of many species. Disturbance plays a key role in the maintenance of habitat for many plant species, particularly referrals, for example, fire ephemerals, desert annuals, and arable weeds. Seed germination and emergence depend on endogenous and exogenous factors. Viable seeds are dormant when all environmental conditions are appropriate for germination but seeds fail to germinate. Thus, dormancy plays an important ecological role in preventing seed germination, being a major contributor to seed persistence of some species in soil. Buried seeds of annual weeds are certainly subjected to different soil moisture conditions during their dormancy release season (winter according to the annual rainfall pattern and burial depth. Shallow buried seeds are exposed to soil moisture fluctuations that could affect their dormancy status. Laboratory studies showed that desiccation and subsequent re-hydration of seeds could stimulate germination and modify seed light requirements. Seeds buried in deeper layers of the soil would not be exposed to such fluctuations in soil moisture, but would be exposed to different soil moisture environments depending on weather and soil characteristics. The effects of interactions between temperature, and soil or seed moisture, on seed dormancy changes have been reported for several species. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effect of time and burial depth treatments on seed germination and seedling emergence of Aegilops cylindrica, Agropyrom repens, Avena fatua, Bromus dantoniae, Cynodon dactylon, Cyprus rotundus, Setaria viridis, Anthriscus sylvestris, Centurea cyanus. Materials and Methods: In

The Effect of Seed Size on Seed Vigor Indices of Different Wheat Cultivars

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H Tavakoli Kakhki

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Germination and beneficial seedling establishment is affected by different seed vigor indices. In order to study the effect of seed size on seed vigor indices of wheat, a factorial experiment with two factors was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications at the Agricultural Natural Resources Research Center Lab of Khorasan Razavi. The first factor was thirteen genotypes of wheat in three types of growth, containing winter, facultative and spring and the second factor was seed size in four levels including 3, 2.5, 2 and 1.5 millimeter. Germination percentage, germination rate, shoots and root length, seedling growth rate and shoot:root length ratio characteristics were investigated. Analysis of variance showed that the effect of wheat cultivars and seed size on traits was significant (p≤ 0.01 but interaction effect of seed size and wheat cultivar was significant (p≤ 0.01 only for shoot and root length, seedling growth rate and shoot:root length ratio. The highest and lowest seedling growth rate was (15.85 and 8.23 mg dry weight/germinal seedling that they were related to 3 and 1.5mm seed size, respectively. According to these observations the most and least percentage and germination rate was related to these seed size treatments. Correlation coefficient of seed size and seedling growth rate was highly significant (r=0.85 p≤ 0.01. Stepwise regression method indicated that the seed size (x1 and shoot length (x2 as independent variables could be described (r2=0.84 seedling growth rate as a dependent variable in y= -5.000955+(5.128078x1+(0.78494x2 equation. Keywords: Seedling growth rate, Germination rate, Correlation, Regression

Effects of rodent species, seed species, and predator cues on seed fate

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Sivy, Kelly J.; Ostoja, Steven M.; Schupp, Eugene W.; Durham, Susan

2011-07-01

Seed selection, removal and subsequent management by granivorous animals is thought to be a complex interaction of factors including qualities of the seeds themselves (e.g., seed size, nutritional quality) and features of the local habitat (e.g. perceived predator risk). At the same time, differential seed selection and dispersal is thought to have profound effects on seed fate and potentially vegetation dynamics. In a feeding arena, we tested whether rodent species, seed species, and indirect and direct predation cues influence seed selection and handling behaviors (e.g., scatter hoarding versus larder hoarding) of two heteromyid rodents, Ord's kangaroo rat ( Dipodomys ordii) and the Great Basin pocket mouse ( Perognathus parvus). The indirect cue was shrub cover, a feature of the environment. Direct cues, presented individually, were (1) control, (2) coyote ( Canis latrans) vocalization, (3) coyote scent, (4) red fox ( Vulpes vulpes) scent, or (5) short-eared owl ( Asio flammeus) vocalization. We offered seeds of three sizes: two native grasses, Indian ricegrass ( Achnatherum hymenoides) and bluebunch wheatgrass ( Pseudoroegneria spicata), and the non-native cereal rye ( Secale cereale), each in separate trays. Kangaroo rats preferentially harvested Indian ricegrass while pocket mice predominately harvested Indian ricegrass and cereal rye. Pocket mice were more likely to scatter hoard preferred seeds, whereas kangaroo rats mostly consumed and/or larder hoarded preferred seeds. No predator cue significantly affected seed preferences. However, both species altered seed handling behavior in response to direct predation cues by leaving more seeds available in the seed pool, though they responded to different predator cues. If these results translate to natural dynamics on the landscape, the two rodents are expected to have different impacts on seed survival and plant recruitment via their different seed selection and seed handling behaviors.

Seed dimorphism, nutrients and salinity differentially affect seed traits of the desert halophyte Suaeda aralocaspica via multiple maternal effects.

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Wang, Lei; Baskin, Jerry M; Baskin, Carol C; Cornelissen, J Hans C; Dong, Ming; Huang, Zhenying

2012-09-25

Maternal effects may influence a range of seed traits simultaneously and are likely to be context-dependent. Disentangling the interactions of plant phenotype and growth environment on various seed traits is important for understanding regeneration and establishment of species in natural environments. Here, we used the seed-dimorphic plant Suaeda aralocaspica to test the hypothesis that seed traits are regulated by multiple maternal effects. Plants grown from brown seeds had a higher brown:black seed ratio than plants from black seeds, and germination percentage of brown seeds was higher than that of black seeds under all conditions tested. However, the coefficient of variation (CV) for size of black seeds was higher than that of brown seeds. Seeds had the smallest CV at low nutrient and high salinity for plants from brown seeds and at low nutrient and low salinity for plants from black seeds. Low levels of nutrients increased size and germinability of black seeds but did not change the seed morph ratio or size and germinability of brown seeds. High levels of salinity decreased seed size but did not change the seed morph ratio. Seeds from high-salinity maternal plants had a higher germination percentage regardless of level of germination salinity. Our study supports the multiple maternal effects hypothesis. Seed dimorphism, nutrient and salinity interacted in determining a range of seed traits of S. aralocaspica via bet-hedging and anticipatory maternal effects. This study highlights the importance of examining different maternal factors and various offspring traits in studies that estimate maternal effects on regeneration.

Effects of seed pretreatment and seed source on germination of five ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of seed pre-sowing treatment and geographic source of seeds on three germination parameters of five Acacia species (GP = germination percent; GMT = germination mean time (days) and GI = germination index) were studied. Pre-sowing treatment included immersion in concentrated sulphuric acid for 5, 10 and ...

Effect of Numerical Error on Gravity Field Estimation for GRACE and Future Gravity Missions

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McCullough, Christopher; Bettadpur, Srinivas

2015-04-01

In recent decades, gravity field determination from low Earth orbiting satellites, such as the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), has become increasingly more effective due to the incorporation of high accuracy measurement devices. Since instrumentation quality will only increase in the near future and the gravity field determination process is computationally and numerically intensive, numerical error from the use of double precision arithmetic will eventually become a prominent error source. While using double-extended or quadruple precision arithmetic will reduce these errors, the numerical limitations of current orbit determination algorithms and processes must be accurately identified and quantified in order to adequately inform the science data processing techniques of future gravity missions. The most obvious numerical limitation in the orbit determination process is evident in the comparison of measured observables with computed values, derived from mathematical models relating the satellites' numerically integrated state to the observable. Significant error in the computed trajectory will corrupt this comparison and induce error in the least squares solution of the gravitational field. In addition, errors in the numerically computed trajectory propagate into the evaluation of the mathematical measurement model's partial derivatives. These errors amalgamate in turn with numerical error from the computation of the state transition matrix, computed using the variational equations of motion, in the least squares mapping matrix. Finally, the solution of the linearized least squares system, computed using a QR factorization, is also susceptible to numerical error. Certain interesting combinations of each of these numerical errors are examined in the framework of GRACE gravity field determination to analyze and quantify their effects on gravity field recovery.

Massive gravity from bimetric gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baccetti, Valentina; Martín-Moruno, Prado; Visser, Matt

2013-01-01

We discuss the subtle relationship between massive gravity and bimetric gravity, focusing particularly on the manner in which massive gravity may be viewed as a suitable limit of bimetric gravity. The limiting procedure is more delicate than currently appreciated. Specifically, this limiting procedure should not unnecessarily constrain the background metric, which must be externally specified by the theory of massive gravity itself. The fact that in bimetric theories one always has two sets of metric equations of motion continues to have an effect even in the massive gravity limit, leading to additional constraints besides the one set of equations of motion naively expected. Thus, since solutions of bimetric gravity in the limit of vanishing kinetic term are also solutions of massive gravity, but the contrary statement is not necessarily true, there is no complete continuity in the parameter space of the theory. In particular, we study the massive cosmological solutions which are continuous in the parameter space, showing that many interesting cosmologies belong to this class. (paper)

Effect of Artificial Gravity: Central Nervous System Neurochemical Studies

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Fox, Robert A.; D'Amelio, Fernando; Eng, Lawrence F.

1997-01-01

The major objective of this project was to assess chemical and morphological modifications occurring in muscle receptors and the central nervous system of animals subjected to altered gravity (2 x Earth gravity produced by centrifugation and simulated micro gravity produced by hindlimb suspension). The underlying hypothesis for the studies was that afferent (sensory) information sent to the central nervous system by muscle receptors would be changed in conditions of altered gravity and that these changes, in turn, would instigate a process of adaptation involving altered chemical activity of neurons and glial cells of the projection areas of the cerebral cortex that are related to inputs from those muscle receptors (e.g., cells in the limb projection areas). The central objective of this research was to expand understanding of how chronic exposure to altered gravity, through effects on the vestibular system, influences neuromuscular systems that control posture and gait. The project used an approach in which molecular changes in the neuromuscular system were related to the development of effective motor control by characterizing neurochemical changes in sensory and motor systems and relating those changes to motor behavior as animals adapted to altered gravity. Thus, the objective was to identify changes in central and peripheral neuromuscular mechanisms that are associated with the re-establishment of motor control which is disrupted by chronic exposure to altered gravity.

Alleviate Seed Ageing Effects in Silybum marianum by Application of Hormone Seed Priming

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Seyed Ata SIADAT

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Most of the medicinal plants have seed dormancy or poor seed germination. This is due to their natural compounds or their morphological structure. Existence of such mechanisms makes the seeds able to endure harsh environments, stressful conditions or natural ageing. Different seed enhancement treatments were proposed in order to improve seed germination. In this study, it was examined Silybum marianum seed longevity (0, 48 and 72 hour of ageing and the response to seed priming when using different concentrations of cytokinin (50, 200, 350 and 500 ppm and different duration of treatment (8, 12 and 24 hour. Results revealed that ageing could be successfully alleviated using seed priming. Seed ageing significantly affected seed germination and vigour. Application of cytokinin considerably improved seed vigour in aged and non aged seeds. The most effective seed priming treatment was with 500 ppm cytokine, with the duration of 24 hours. In conclusion, it can be recommend the used of plant growth regulators like cytokine, as a good priming agent, to recover losses of seed quality and improve germination characteristics.

Uncoupling the effects of seed predation and seed dispersal by granivorous ants on plant population dynamics.

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Xavier Arnan

Full Text Available Secondary seed dispersal is an important plant-animal interaction, which is central to understanding plant population and community dynamics. Very little information is still available on the effects of dispersal on plant demography and, particularly, for ant-seed dispersal interactions. As many other interactions, seed dispersal by animals involves costs (seed predation and benefits (seed dispersal, the balance of which determines the outcome of the interaction. Separate quantification of each of them is essential in order to understand the effects of this interaction. To address this issue, we have successfully separated and analyzed the costs and benefits of seed dispersal by seed-harvesting ants on the plant population dynamics of three shrub species with different traits. To that aim a stochastic, spatially-explicit individually-based simulation model has been implemented based on actual data sets. The results from our simulation model agree with theoretical models of plant response dependent on seed dispersal, for one plant species, and ant-mediated seed predation, for another one. In these cases, model predictions were close to the observed values at field. Nonetheless, these ecological processes did not affect in anyway a third species, for which the model predictions were far from the observed values. This indicates that the balance between costs and benefits associated to secondary seed dispersal is clearly related to specific traits. This study is one of the first works that analyze tradeoffs of secondary seed dispersal on plant population dynamics, by disentangling the effects of related costs and benefits. We suggest analyzing the effects of interactions on population dynamics as opposed to merely analyzing the partners and their interaction strength.

Effects of gamma radiation in annatto seeds

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Franco, Camilo F. de Oliveira, E-mail: camilo.urucum@hotmail.com [Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria (EMBRAPA/EMEPA), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil); Arthur, Valter; Arthur, Paula B., E-mail: arthur@cena.usp.br [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/USP), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Harder, Marcia N.C., E-mail: marcia.harder@fatec.sp.gov.br [Centro Paula Souza, Curso Superior de Tecnologia em Bicombustiveis (FATEC), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Filho, Jose C.; Neto, Miguel B., E-mail: jorgecazefilho@yahoo.com.br [Empresa Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuaria da Paraiba (EMEPA), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil)

2015-07-01

The annatto bixin has emerged as a major source of natural dyes used in the world notably by the substitution of synthetics harmful to human health and ecologic tendency in obtaining industrial products free of additives with applications in industries textiles; cosmetics; pharmaceutical and food mainly. The aim of this research was to obtain increased of germination rate and dormancy breaking on annatto seeds by gamma radiation. Annatto dry seeds were exposed to low doses of gamma radiation from source of Cobalt-60, type Gammecell-220, at 0.456 kGy/hour dose rate. In order to study stimulation effects of radiation on germination rate and dormancy breaking in the seeds. Five treatments with gamma radiation doses were applied as follows: 0 (control); 100; 125; 150 and 175 Gy. After irradiation the annatto seeds were planted as for usual seed production. According to the results obtained in this experiment we can conclude that the low doses of gamma radiation utilized on the annatto seeds did not presented significantly effect on the germination of plants. But the best dose to increase the germination of seeds was 150 Gy. (author)

Effects of gamma radiation in annatto seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franco, Camilo F. de Oliveira; Arthur, Valter; Arthur, Paula B.; Harder, Marcia N.C.; Filho, Jose C.; Neto, Miguel B.

2015-01-01

The annatto bixin has emerged as a major source of natural dyes used in the world notably by the substitution of synthetics harmful to human health and ecologic tendency in obtaining industrial products free of additives with applications in industries textiles; cosmetics; pharmaceutical and food mainly. The aim of this research was to obtain increased of germination rate and dormancy breaking on annatto seeds by gamma radiation. Annatto dry seeds were exposed to low doses of gamma radiation from source of Cobalt-60, type Gammecell-220, at 0.456 kGy/hour dose rate. In order to study stimulation effects of radiation on germination rate and dormancy breaking in the seeds. Five treatments with gamma radiation doses were applied as follows: 0 (control); 100; 125; 150 and 175 Gy. After irradiation the annatto seeds were planted as for usual seed production. According to the results obtained in this experiment we can conclude that the low doses of gamma radiation utilized on the annatto seeds did not presented significantly effect on the germination of plants. But the best dose to increase the germination of seeds was 150 Gy. (author)

Effect of storage in overcoming seed dormancy of Annona coriacea Mart. seeds

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DAIANE M. DRESCH

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments on overcoming dormancy of A. coriacea seeds. Seeds were processed and stored in polyethylene bags at temperatures of at -18°C (42% RH, 5°C (34% RH, 15°C (60% RH and 25°C (34% RH, during 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days. After storage, seeds were immersed in 350 mg.L−1 gibberellic acid for 144 hours. Sowing was carried out in plastic bags containing Red Latosol + Bioplant®. Moisture content, emergence percentage, emergence speed index, length and dry mass of seedlings, were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial with four replications of 50 seeds each. The seed storage at 5°C and subsequent immersion in gibberellic acid was efficient to reach high percentage, emergence speed and plant growth. A. coriacea seeds showed non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy wherein the physiological component can be overcome after the seeds are storage at 5°C for a maximum period of 53 days and subsequent immersed in exogenous GA (350 mg.L−1 for 144 hours.

Effect of storage in overcoming seed dormancy of Annona coriacea Mart. seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Dresch, Daiane M; Scalon, Silvana P Q; Masetto, Tathiana E

2014-12-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments on overcoming dormancy of A. coriacea seeds. Seeds were processed and stored in polyethylene bags at temperatures of at -18°C (42% RH), 5°C (34% RH), 15°C (60% RH) and 25°C (34% RH), during 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days. After storage, seeds were immersed in 350 mg.L-1 gibberellic acid for 144 hours. Sowing was carried out in plastic bags containing Red Latosol + Bioplant®. Moisture content, emergence percentage, emergence speed index, length and dry mass of seedlings, were evaluated. The experimental design was completely randomized in a factorial with four replications of 50 seeds each. The seed storage at 5°C and subsequent immersion in gibberellic acid was efficient to reach high percentage, emergence speed and plant growth. A. coriacea seeds showed non-deep simple morphophysiological dormancy wherein the physiological component can be overcome after the seeds are storage at 5°C for a maximum period of 53 days and subsequent immersed in exogenous GA (350 mg.L-1 for 144 hours).

Radioprotective effects of ascorbic acid in barley seeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conger, B V

1975-01-01

Experiments were conducted to test the radioprotective effects of a naturally occurring reducing agent, ascorbic acid, on seeds (caryopses) of barley, Hordeum vulgare L. emend Lam. Seeds were soaked either before or after ..gamma.. or fission neutron irradiation in distilled water or ascorbic acid solutions ranging in concentration from 0.01 to 1.00 M. Results are reported as percentage germination, seedling height, seedling growth reduction, and (in one experiment) percent of cells with chromosome aberrations. As evidenced by both reduced germination and seedling growth, ascorbic acid was toxic when seeds were soaked for 1 hr at ambient temperature prior to irradiation and then planted immediately. When seeds were soaked in ascorbic acid before irradiation and soaked after irradiation in air-bubbled water at 0/sup 0/C for 18 hr, the toxicity disappeared, and a protective effect (which increased with increasing ascorbic acid concentration) was observed for ..gamma.. and, to a lesser extent, for neutron irradiation. Additional studies suggested that the protective effect was related to reduced hydration of the embryos of seeds soaked in ascorbic acid. Also, no radioprotective effect was observed when seeds were presoaked for 2 or 16 hr in 0.01 M ascorbic acid solutions buffered at pH 3 or pH 7. A protective effect was observed for seeds of 1.5 percent water content soaked after irradiation in an oxygen-bubbled ascorbic acid solution of 0.5 M but was not observed for seeds soaked in nitrogen-bubbled ascorbic acid. The protective effect against oxygen-dependent damage may be a result of interaction of ascorbic acid with radiation-induced free radicals.

Multisensory integration and internal models for sensing gravity effects in primates.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacquaniti, Francesco; Bosco, Gianfranco; Gravano, Silvio; Indovina, Iole; La Scaleia, Barbara; Maffei, Vincenzo; Zago, Myrka

2014-01-01

Gravity is crucial for spatial perception, postural equilibrium, and movement generation. The vestibular apparatus is the main sensory system involved in monitoring gravity. Hair cells in the vestibular maculae respond to gravitoinertial forces, but they cannot distinguish between linear accelerations and changes of head orientation relative to gravity. The brain deals with this sensory ambiguity (which can cause some lethal airplane accidents) by combining several cues with the otolith signals: angular velocity signals provided by the semicircular canals, proprioceptive signals from muscles and tendons, visceral signals related to gravity, and visual signals. In particular, vision provides both static and dynamic signals about body orientation relative to the vertical, but it poorly discriminates arbitrary accelerations of moving objects. However, we are able to visually detect the specific acceleration of gravity since early infancy. This ability depends on the fact that gravity effects are stored in brain regions which integrate visual, vestibular, and neck proprioceptive signals and combine this information with an internal model of gravity effects.

Effect of planting dates on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184

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Chureerat Satjipanon

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of planting dates on seed yield and quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184 at Khon Kaen Animal Nutrition Research and Development Center, during May 2003 to February 2004. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Experimental treatments consisted of four planting dates spaced at about 30-day intervals from 23 May to 23 August 2003.The results revealed that planting date had a significant effect on seed yields and pure germinable seed yields (PGSY of S. guianensis CIAT 184. Plots planted on 23 July produced the highest seed yield and PGSY of 630 and 601 kg/ha, respectively followed by plots planted on 23 June and 23 May (514 and 501; 443 and 421 kg/ha, respectively. Plots planted on 23 August produced the lowest seed yield and PGSY of 269 and 262 kg/ha, respectively. There were no significant differences in seed purity percentage, germination percentage and 1000-seed weight among planting dates. Based on this research, it was concluded that late- July was the optimum planting date for S. guianensis CIAT 184 cultivation for seed production in Northeast Thailand.

Assessment and Risk Mitigation Strategies for the Atom Interferometer Gravity Gradiometer Seed Lasers

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA GSFC has been working on an ESTO IIP - Cold Atom Gravity Gradiometer (CAGG)/Atom Interferometer Gravity Gradiometer (AIGG) for Geodesy since 2014 (Saif/551 –...

Early planting and hand sorting effectively controls seed-borne fungi in farm-retained bean seed

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Ernest Dube

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Home-saved bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. seed can be hand-sorted to remove discoloured seed, thereby reducing the level of contamination by certain seed-borne fungi and improving seed germination. In this study, the effect of planting date on the infection and discolouration of bean seed by seed-borne fungi was investigated in order to improve the quality of hand-sorted, farm-retained bean seeds used by resource poor smallholder farmers. The germination quality and level of seed-borne fungi in hand-sorted first-generation bean seed harvested from an early-, mid- and late-summer season planted crop was therefore assessed. The highest percentage of discoloured seed (68% was obtained from the mid-summer season planting. Non-discoloured seed from early- and late-season plantings had significantly (p"less than"0.001 higher normal germination (82% and 77%, respectively than that from the mid-season planting date (58%. Irrespective of planting date, unsorted seed and discoloured seed had higher levels of infection by Fusarium spp. and Phaeoisariopsis spp. than the non-discoloured seed. Removal of discoloured seed by hand sorting eliminated Rhizoctonia spp. from all seed lots. Farmers can eliminate this pathogen by simply removing discoloured seed. Non-discoloured seed from the early-planted crop had the lowest level of infection by Fusarium spp. and Phaeoisariopsis spp. The results indicate that planting date is an important consideration in improving the quality of hand-sorted farm-retained bean seed.

Gravity Effects on Information Filtering and Network Evolving

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jin-Hu; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Chen, Lingjiao; Liu, Chuang; Yang, Chengcheng; Wang, Xueqi

2014-01-01

In this paper, based on the gravity principle of classical physics, we propose a tunable gravity-based model, which considers tag usage pattern to weigh both the mass and distance of network nodes. We then apply this model in solving the problems of information filtering and network evolving. Experimental results on two real-world data sets, Del.icio.us and MovieLens, show that it can not only enhance the algorithmic performance, but can also better characterize the properties of real networks. This work may shed some light on the in-depth understanding of the effect of gravity model. PMID:24622162

The oxygen requirement of germinating flax seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Kuznetsov, O.; Hasenstein, K.

Experiments for earth orbit are typically prepared on the ground and often germinated in orbit in order to study gravity effects on developing seedlings. Germination requires the breakdown of storage compounds and respiration. In orbit the formation of a water layer around the seed may further limit oxygen availability. Therefore, the oxygen content of the available gas volume is one of the limiting factors for seed germination. In preparation for an upcoming shuttle experiment (MICRO on STS-107) we studied germination and growth of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) seedlings in the developed hardware. We tested per seed chamber (gas volume = 14 mL, O2 = 2.9 mL) between 4 to 32 seeds glued to germination paper by 1% (w/v) gum guar. A lexan cover and a gasket hermetically sealed each of the eight chambers. For imbibition of the seeds a previously optimized amount of distilled water was dispensed through sealed inlets. The seedlings were allowed to grow for either 32 to 48 h on a clinostat or without microgravity simulation. Then their root length was measured. With 32 seeds per chamber, four times the intended number of seeds for the flight, the germination rate decreased from 94 to 69%, and the root length was reduced by 20%. Experiments on the germination and root length in controlled atmospheres (5, 10, 15 and 21% O2 ) suggest that germination and growth for two days requires about 200 :l of O (1 mL air) per seed. Our2 experiments correlate oxygen dependency from seed mass and germination temperature, and analyze accumulation of gaseous metabolites (supported by NASA grant NAG10-0190).

Experimental Observation of Negative Effective Gravity in Water Waves

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Hu, Xinhua; Yang, Jiong; Zi, Jian; Chan, C. T.; Ho, Kai-Ming

2013-01-01

The gravity of Earth is responsible for the formation of water waves and usually difficult to change. Although negative effective gravity was recently predicted theoretically in water waves, it has not yet been observed in experiments and remains a mathematical curiosity which is difficult to understand. Here we experimentally demonstrate that close to the resonant frequency of purposely-designed resonating units, negative effective gravity can occur for water waves passing through an array of resonators composing of bottom-mounted split tubes, resulting in the prohibition of water wave propagation. It is found that when negative gravity occurs, the averaged displacement of water surface in a unit cell of the array has a phase difference of π to that along the boundary of the unit cell, consistent with theoretical predictions. Our results provide a mechanism to block water waves and may find applications in wave energy conversion and coastal protection. PMID:23715132

Effects of environmental variation during seed production on seed dormancy and germination.

Science.gov (United States)

Penfield, Steven; MacGregor, Dana R

2017-02-01

The environment during seed production has major impacts on the behaviour of progeny seeds. It can be shown that for annual plants temperature perception over the whole life history of the mother can affect the germination rate of progeny, and instances have been documented where these affects cross whole generations. Here we discuss the current state of knowledge of signal transduction pathways controlling environmental responses during seed production, focusing both on events that take place in the mother plant and those that occur directly as a result of environmental responses in the developing zygote. We show that seed production environment effects are complex, involving overlapping gene networks active independently in fruit, seed coat, and zygotic tissues that can be deconstructed using careful physiology alongside molecular and genetic experiments. © 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.

Effect of seed rate and row spacing in seed production of Festulolium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, L C; Gislum, R; Boelt, B

2010-01-01

-type festulolium, Paulita, and in a fescue-type festulolium, Hykor. The objectives were to examine the influence of row spacing (12, 24, and 36 cm) and seed rate (8, 12, or 16 kg ha-1) on plant establishment, development, and seed yield. Observations of autumn and spring in-row plant densities indicated......Festulolium ( Festulolium) is a cross between the two species fescue (Festuca L.) and ryegrass (Lolium L.) and is a promising forage and seed crop. To stimulate the production of Danish organic festulolium seeds a three-year field experiment was performed from 1999 to 2002 in a ryegrass...... satisfactory plant establishment in all combinations of seed rate and row spacing. The number of reproductive tillers was in the range from 800 to 2200 m-2 in Paulita and from 500 to 1300 m-2 in Hykor. Row spacing had an effect on the number of reproductive tillers and in both cultivars the highest number...

Multisensory Integration and Internal Models for Sensing Gravity Effects in Primates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Lacquaniti

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Gravity is crucial for spatial perception, postural equilibrium, and movement generation. The vestibular apparatus is the main sensory system involved in monitoring gravity. Hair cells in the vestibular maculae respond to gravitoinertial forces, but they cannot distinguish between linear accelerations and changes of head orientation relative to gravity. The brain deals with this sensory ambiguity (which can cause some lethal airplane accidents by combining several cues with the otolith signals: angular velocity signals provided by the semicircular canals, proprioceptive signals from muscles and tendons, visceral signals related to gravity, and visual signals. In particular, vision provides both static and dynamic signals about body orientation relative to the vertical, but it poorly discriminates arbitrary accelerations of moving objects. However, we are able to visually detect the specific acceleration of gravity since early infancy. This ability depends on the fact that gravity effects are stored in brain regions which integrate visual, vestibular, and neck proprioceptive signals and combine this information with an internal model of gravity effects.

Measurements and simulations of seeded electron microbunches with collective effects

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K. Hacker

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Measurements of the longitudinal phase-space distributions of electron bunches seeded with an external laser were done in order to study the impact of collective effects on seeded microbunches in free-electron lasers. When the collective effects of Coulomb forces in a drift space and coherent synchrotron radiation in a chicane are considered, velocity bunching of a seeded microbunch appears to be a viable alternative to compression with a magnetic chicane under high-gain harmonic generation seeding conditions. Measurements of these effects on seeded electron microbunches were performed with a rf deflecting structure and a dipole magnet which streak out the electron bunch for single-shot images of the longitudinal phase-space distribution. Particle tracking simulations in 3D predicted the compression dynamics of the seeded microbunches with collective effects.

Gravity effects on reproduction, development, and aging

Science.gov (United States)

Miquel, Jaime; Souza, Kenneth A.

1991-01-01

The effects of various levels of gravity force (obtained by rotation in clinostats or by centrifugation) and the near-weightlessness condition aboard orbiting spacecraft on the fertilization, embryonic development, maturation, and aging of animals are examined. Results obtained from the American and Soviet spaceborne biology experiments are presented including those on mammals, amphibians, fish, birds, invertebrates, and protozoa. Theoretical issues related to the effect of gravity on various physiological systems are discused together with the future research goals concerning human life in space. It is noted that life in space (after adaptation to near-weightlessness) might be significantly prolonged due to a reduction in metabolic rate and a concomitant decrease in oxygen radical reactions.

Effects of gamma radiation on freeze-dried wheat seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajayi, N.O.; Larsson, B.

1975-07-01

The effect of radiation on freeze-dried wheat seeds are reported. The response of the various parts of the seedling to radiation was found to differ from one another. There was no significant modification of the effect of radiation on the shoot and root growth, while the growth of the coleoptile was slightly reduced in the frezze-dried seeds. The change in the shoot growth-absorbed dose relationship reported by others to occur at high doses for oven-dried as compared to air-dried barley seeds was not seen for the control and freeze-dried wheat seeds. The freeze-dried seeds are believed to show only the effect of radiation without any modification due to drying as such. The dose-effect relationships may be splited into functions characterised by different radiosensitivity. The high sensitivty effect is mainly taking place within the first 40 krad of energy absorption, and the low sensitivity is dominating at higher doses. (author)

Comparative Analysis of Biodiesels from Calabash and Rubber Seeds Oils

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J.O. Awulu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Physicochemical properties of biodiesel from vegetable oils depend on the inherent properties of the oil-producing seeds. The purpose of this study is to investigate the physicochemical properties of biodiesels extracted from calabash and rubber seeds oils, as well as their combined oil mixtures with a view to ascertaining the most suitable for biodiesel production. Calabash and rubber seeds oils were separately extracted through the use of a mechanical press with periodic addition of water. Biodiesels were produced from each category of the oils by transesterification of the free fatty acid (FFA with alcohol under the influence of a catalyst in batch process. The physicochemical properties of the biodiesels were investigated and comparatively analysed. The results obtained indicated an average of 1.40 wt% FFA for biodiesel produced from the purified calabash oil, which has a specific gravity of 0.920, pH of 5.93, flash point of 116 0C, fire point of 138 0C, cloud point of 70 0C, pour point of -4 0C, moisture content of 0.82 wt% and specific heat capacity of 5301 J/kgK. Conversely, the results obtained for biodiesel produced from the purified rubber oil showed an average of 33.66 wt% FFA, specific gravity of 0.885, pH of 5.51, flash point of 145 0C, fire point of 170 0C, cloud point of 10 0C, pour point of 4 0C, moisture content of 1.30 wt% and specific heat capacity of 9317 J/kgK. However, results obtained for biodiesel produced from the combined oil mixtures indicated an average of 19.77 wt% FFA content, specific gravity of 0.904, API gravity of 25.036, pH value of 5.73, flash point of 157 0C, Fire point of 180 0C, cloud point of 9 0C, pour point of 5 0C, moisture content of 0.93 wt% and specific heat capacity of 6051 J/kgK. Biodiesel produced from calabash seed oil is superior in quality to rubber seed oil, particularly in terms of its low FFA and moisture contents.

Gravity Effects in Microgap Flow Boiling

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Franklin; Bar-Cohen, Avram

2017-01-01

Increasing integration density of electronic components has exacerbated the thermal management challenges facing electronic system developers. The high power, heat flux, and volumetric heat generation of emerging devices are driving the transition from remote cooling, which relies on conduction and spreading, to embedded cooling, which facilitates direct contact between the heat-generating device and coolant flow. Microgap coolers employ the forced flow of dielectric fluids undergoing phase change in a heated channel between devices. While two phase microcoolers are used routinely in ground-based systems, the lack of acceptable models and correlations for microgravity operation has limited their use for spacecraft thermal management. Previous research has revealed that gravitational acceleration plays a diminishing role as the channel diameter shrinks, but there is considerable variation among the proposed gravity-insensitive channel dimensions and minimal research on rectangular ducts. Reliable criteria for achieving gravity-insensitive flow boiling performance would enable spaceflight systems to exploit this powerful thermal management technique and reduce development time and costs through reliance on ground-based testing. In the present effort, the authors have studied the effect of evaporator orientation on flow boiling performance of HFE7100 in a 218 m tall by 13.0 mm wide microgap cooler. Similar heat transfer coefficients and critical heat flux were achieved across five evaporator orientations, indicating that the effect of gravity was negligible.

SU-E-T-378: Evaluation of An Analytical Model for the Inter-Seed Attenuation Effect in 103-Pd Multi-Seed Implant Brachytherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Safigholi, H; Soliman, A; Song, W [Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, U of T, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Meigooni, A Soleimani [Comprehensive Cancer Center of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada (United States); Han, D [Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, U of T, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: Brachytherapy treatment planning systems based on TG-43 protocol calculate the dose in water and neglects the heterogeneity effect of seeds in multi-seed implant brachytherapy. In this research, the accuracy of a novel analytical model that we propose for the inter-seed attenuation effect (ISA) for 103-Pd seed model is evaluated. Methods: In the analytical model, dose perturbation due to the ISA effect for each seed in an LDR multi-seed implant for 103-Pd is calculated by assuming that the seed of interest is active and the other surrounding seeds are inactive. The cumulative dosimetric effect of all seeds is then summed using the superposition principle. The model is based on pre Monte Carlo (MC) simulated 3D kernels of the dose perturbations caused by the ISA effect. The cumulative ISA effect due to multiple surrounding seeds is obtained by a simple multiplication of the individual ISA effect by each seed, the effect of which is determined by the distance from the seed of interest. This novel algorithm is then compared with full MC water-based simulations (FMCW). Results: The results show that the dose perturbation model we propose is in excellent agreement with the FMCW values for a case with three seeds separated by 1 cm. The average difference of the model and the FMCW simulations was less than 8%±2%. Conclusion: Using the proposed novel analytical ISA effect model, one could expedite the corrections due to the ISA dose perturbation effects during permanent seed 103-Pd brachytherapy planning with minimal increase in time since the model is based on multiplications and superposition. This model can be applied, in principle, to any other brachytherapy seeds. Further work is necessary to validate this model on a more complicated geometry as well.

Cap integration in spectral gravity forward modelling: near- and far-zone gravity effects via Molodensky's truncation coefficients

Science.gov (United States)

Bucha, Blažej; Hirt, Christian; Kuhn, Michael

2018-04-01

Spectral gravity forward modelling is a technique that converts a band-limited topography into its implied gravitational field. This conversion implicitly relies on global integration of topographic masses. In this paper, a modification of the spectral technique is presented that provides gravity effects induced only by the masses located inside or outside a spherical cap centred at the evaluation point. This is achieved by altitude-dependent Molodensky's truncation coefficients, for which we provide infinite series expansions and recurrence relations with a fixed number of terms. Both representations are generalized for an arbitrary integer power of the topography and arbitrary radial derivative. Because of the altitude-dependency of the truncation coefficients, a straightforward synthesis of the near- and far-zone gravity effects at dense grids on irregular surfaces (e.g. the Earth's topography) is computationally extremely demanding. However, we show that this task can be efficiently performed using an analytical continuation based on the gradient approach, provided that formulae for radial derivatives of the truncation coefficients are available. To demonstrate the new cap-modified spectral technique, we forward model the Earth's degree-360 topography, obtaining near- and far-zone effects on gravity disturbances expanded up to degree 3600. The computation is carried out on the Earth's surface and the results are validated against an independent spatial-domain Newtonian integration (1 μGal RMS agreement). The new technique is expected to assist in mitigating the spectral filter problem of residual terrain modelling and in the efficient construction of full-scale global gravity maps of highest spatial resolution.

Effects of gamma radiation in tomato seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiendl, Toni A.; Wiendl, Fritz W.; Franco, Suely S.H.; Franco, Jose G.; Althur, Valter; Arthur, Paula B.

2013-01-01

Tomato dry seeds of the hybrid 'Gladiador' F1 were exposed to low doses of gamma radiation from Co-60 source at 0,509 kGy tax rate in order to study stimulation effects of radiation on germination and plant growth. Eight treatments radiation doses were applied as follows: 0 (control); 2,5; 5,0; 7,5; 10,0; 12,5; 15,0; 20,0 Gy. Seed germination as well as green fruits number, harvested fruit number, fruit weight and total production were assessed to identify occurrence of stimulation. Tomato seeds and plants were handled as for usual tomato production in Brazil. Low doses of gamma radiation treatment in the seeds stimulate germination and substantially increase fruit number and total production up to 86% at 10 Gy dose. There are evidences that the use of low doses of gamma radiation can stimulate germination and plant production thus, showing hormetic effects. (author)

Effect of pre-sowing gamma-irradiation (Cs-137) of alfalfa seeds on fodder and seed yield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Georgiev, Z.; Topchieva, A.; Michev, G.; Simeonova, L.; Stoyanov, S.

1983-01-01

The study was carried out at the experimental base of the Fodder Institute of Feeds, Pleven, with alfalfa cv. Pleven 6 in three field trials. The effect of pre-sowing gamma-irradiation (Cs-137) of air dry seeds at rates of 1000, 1300 and 1600 R on the yield produced was studied in the first trial (1980-1982). The effect of pre-sowing gamma-irradiation (Cs-137) of the seeds on seed production was studied in the second trial. Gamma-ray doses of 500, 1000 and 1500 R and three sowing rates (3, 5 and 10 kg/ha) were tested. The after effect of gamma-irradiation on the progeny was studied in the first trial (1981-1982). It was found that the treatment tested had a stimulating effect on seed production yields. Highest stimulating effect for the period of investigation, on the average, was observed with the 1500 R dose and the 3 kg/ha sowing rate. The same treatment produced highest net income. The gamma-ray doses tested had no radiation after-effect on the plant progeny. Sowing rates had a considerable effect on seed yield. In this respect the 3 kg/ha rate surpasses the 5 and 10 kg/ha rates by 6.00 and 19.64%, on the average. The 1000, 1300 and 1600 R gamma-ray doses had no stimulating effect on fodder yield

Effects of gut passage, feces, and seed handling on latency and rate of germination in seeds consumed by capuchins (Cebus capucinus).

Science.gov (United States)

Valenta, Kim; Fedigan, Linda M

2009-04-01

One of the key measures of the effectiveness of primary seed dispersal by animals is the quality of seed dispersal (Schupp: Plant Ecol 107/108 [1993] 15-29). We present data on quality of seed dispersal by two groups of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) in Costa Rica to test the hypothesis that capuchin seed handling results in effective primary dispersal for some fruit species they consume. We examined seed handling for 27 plant species, and germination rates of 18 species consumed by capuchins. For five of the most commonly swallowed seed species, we determined germination rates and average time to germination (latency) for seeds ingested and defecated by capuchins and compared these to seeds removed directly from fruit and planted. For the same five species, we compared germination rates and latency for passed seeds planted in capuchin feces to those cleaned of feces and planted in soil. For three of five species, differences in proportion of germinated seeds were significantly higher for gut passed seeds than for controls. For four of five species, germination latency was significantly faster for gut passed seeds than for controls. Feces had either no effect on seed germination rate or precluded germination. Data presented here support the hypothesis that white-faced capuchins are effective primary dispersers.

The effect of altitude on breaking seed dormancy and stimulation of seed germination of Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum).

Science.gov (United States)

Salehani, M Khajavi; Mahmoudi, J; Mahdavi, S Kh; Habibzadeh, R

2013-01-01

Persian hogweed is a perennial herb and aromatic plant which has pharmaceutical and fodder values, and the main propagation method of this species is seed. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of altitude on breaking dormancy and stimulate seed germination of this species. The study was designed and carried out using the test of seed analysis. For our purpose, seeds were collected from three different altitudes (1700, 2200, 2700 masl) in Kojoor area. After initial purification, germination percent (GP) and speed (GS) of each elevation were determined by cold stratification compared to control. According to results, control seeds did not germinate, showing that the seeds of this species need to be treated. Statistical analysis of results showed that there are significant differences between GP and GS of each elevation, as seeds of higher elevation had slower and less germination in longer periods. So, changes in elevation are an effective factor on seed germination characteristics of this species and this factor has to be considered in seed preparation and restoration with this species.

Effects of gamma irradiation on chickpea seeds vis-a-vis total seed storage proteins, antioxidant activity and protein profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhagyawant, S S; Gupta, N; Shrivastava, N

2015-10-23

The present work describes radiation—induced effects on seed composition vis—à—vis total seed proteins, antioxidant levels and protein profiling employing two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D—GE) in kabuli and desi chickpea varities. Seeds were exposed to the radiation doses of 1,2,3,4 and 5 kGy. The total protein concentrations decreased and antioxidant levels were increased with increasing dose compared to control seed samples. Radiation induced effects were dose dependent to these seed parameters while it showed tolerance to 1 kGy dose. Increase in the dose was complimented with increase in antioxidant levels, like 5 kGy enhanced % scavenging activities in all the seed extracts. Precisely, the investigations reflected that the dose range from 2 to 5 kGy was effective for total seed storage proteins, as depicted quantitatively and qualitative 2D—GE means enhance antioxidant activities in vitro.

Effects of artificial gravity on the cardiovascular system: Computational approach

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz Artiles, Ana; Heldt, Thomas; Young, Laurence R.

2016-09-01

Artificial gravity has been suggested as a multisystem countermeasure against the negative effects of weightlessness. However, many questions regarding the appropriate configuration are still unanswered, including optimal g-level, angular velocity, gravity gradient, and exercise protocol. Mathematical models can provide unique insight into these questions, particularly when experimental data is very expensive or difficult to obtain. In this research effort, a cardiovascular lumped-parameter model is developed to simulate the short-term transient hemodynamic response to artificial gravity exposure combined with ergometer exercise, using a bicycle mounted on a short-radius centrifuge. The model is thoroughly described and preliminary simulations are conducted to show the model capabilities and potential applications. The model consists of 21 compartments (including systemic circulation, pulmonary circulation, and a cardiac model), and it also includes the rapid cardiovascular control systems (arterial baroreflex and cardiopulmonary reflex). In addition, the pressure gradient resulting from short-radius centrifugation is captured in the model using hydrostatic pressure sources located at each compartment. The model also includes the cardiovascular effects resulting from exercise such as the muscle pump effect. An initial set of artificial gravity simulations were implemented using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Compact-Radius Centrifuge (CRC) configuration. Three centripetal acceleration (artificial gravity) levels were chosen: 1 g, 1.2 g, and 1.4 g, referenced to the subject's feet. Each simulation lasted 15.5 minutes and included a baseline period, the spin-up process, the ergometer exercise period (5 minutes of ergometer exercise at 30 W with a simulated pedal cadence of 60 RPM), and the spin-down process. Results showed that the cardiovascular model is able to predict the cardiovascular dynamics during gravity changes, as well as the expected

Effects of gamma radiation in tomato seeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wiendl, Toni A.; Wiendl, Fritz W.; Franco, Suely S.H.; Franco, Jose G.; Althur, Valter, E-mail: tawiendl@hotmail.com, E-mail: gilmita@uol.com.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Arthur, Paula B., E-mail: arthur@cena.usp.br [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA/USP), Piracicaba, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-01

Tomato dry seeds of the hybrid 'Gladiador' F1 were exposed to low doses of gamma radiation from Co-60 source at 0,509 kGy tax rate in order to study stimulation effects of radiation on germination and plant growth. Eight treatments radiation doses were applied as follows: 0 (control); 2,5; 5,0; 7,5; 10,0; 12,5; 15,0; 20,0 Gy. Seed germination as well as green fruits number, harvested fruit number, fruit weight and total production were assessed to identify occurrence of stimulation. Tomato seeds and plants were handled as for usual tomato production in Brazil. Low doses of gamma radiation treatment in the seeds stimulate germination and substantially increase fruit number and total production up to 86% at 10 Gy dose. There are evidences that the use of low doses of gamma radiation can stimulate germination and plant production thus, showing hormetic effects. (author)

Gravity effects on endogenous movements

Science.gov (United States)

Johnsson, Anders; Antonsen, Frank

Gravity effects on endogenous movements A. Johnsson * and F. Antonsen *+ * Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology,NO-7491, Trond-heim, Norway, E-mail: anders.johnsson@ntnu.no + Present address: Statoil Research Center Trondheim, NO-7005, Trondheim, Norway Circumnutations in stems/shoots exist in many plants and often consists of more or less regular helical movements around the plumb line under Earth conditions. Recent results on circumnu-tations of Arabidopsis in space (Johnsson et al. 2009) showed that minute amplitude oscilla-tions exist in weightlessness, but that centripetal acceleration (mimicking the gravity) amplified and/or created large amplitude oscillations. Fundamental mechanisms underlying these results will be discussed by modeling the plant tissue as a cylinder of cells coupled together. As a starting point we have modeled (Antonsen 1998) standing waves on a ring of biological cells, as first discussed in a classical paper (Turing 1952). If the coupled cells can change their water content, an `extension' wave could move around the ring. We have studied several, stacked rings of cells coupled into a cylinder that together represent a cylindrical plant tissue. Waves of extensions travelling around the cylinder could then represent the observable circumnutations. The coupling between cells can be due to cell-to-cell diffusion, or to transport via channels, and the coupling can be modeled to vary in both longitudinal and transversal direction of the cylinder. The results from ISS experiments indicate that this cylindrical model of coupled cells should be able to 1) show self-sustained oscillations without the impact of gravity (being en-dogenous) and 2) show how an environmental factor like gravity can amplify or generate the oscillatory movements. Gravity has been introduced in the model by a negative, time-delayed feed-back transport across the cylinder. This represents the physiological reactions to acceler

A Combined Gravity Compensation Method for INS Using the Simplified Gravity Model and Gravity Database.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xiao; Yang, Gongliu; Wang, Jing; Wen, Zeyang

2018-05-14

In recent decades, gravity compensation has become an important way to reduce the position error of an inertial navigation system (INS), especially for a high-precision INS, because of the extensive application of high precision inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyros). This paper first deducts the INS's solution error considering gravity disturbance and simulates the results. Meanwhile, this paper proposes a combined gravity compensation method using a simplified gravity model and gravity database. This new combined method consists of two steps all together. Step 1 subtracts the normal gravity using a simplified gravity model. Step 2 first obtains the gravity disturbance on the trajectory of the carrier with the help of ELM training based on the measured gravity data (provided by Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics; Chinese Academy of sciences), and then compensates it into the error equations of the INS, considering the gravity disturbance, to further improve the navigation accuracy. The effectiveness and feasibility of this new gravity compensation method for the INS are verified through vehicle tests in two different regions; one is in flat terrain with mild gravity variation and the other is in complex terrain with fierce gravity variation. During 2 h vehicle tests, the positioning accuracy of two tests can improve by 20% and 38% respectively, after the gravity is compensated by the proposed method.

The Effect of Coriander Sativum Seeds on Performance in Japanese ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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The effect of coriander seed (Coriandrum sativum L.) as diet ingredient on the ... coriander seed, the antibiotic, the 4% and the 0.5% coriander seed. ... of this, aromatic plants and essential oils extracted from these plants have ..... Effect of dietary supplementation with oregano essential oil on performance of broilers after.

Effect of seeding rate on lentil (lens culinaris medik) seed yield under rainfed conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleem, A.; Zahid, M.A.; Javed, H.I.; Ansar, A.; Saleem, N.

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of various sowing rates on seed yield of lentil. Field experiments were conducted for three consecutive years (2001-02 to 2003-04) at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, Pakistan during the lentil growing season. An improved medium-grain size (1000-grain weight. around 25 g) variety Masoor 93 (18-12 x ILLP 4400) was used in these experiments. Eleven seeding rates i.e., 14.0, 21.25, 28.50, 35.75, 43.0, 50.25, 57.50, 64.75, 72.0, 79.25 and 86.50 kgha were evaluated in the study. Results of the three-year study showed that grain yield kept on increasing up to a seed rate of 43 kgha and remained static thereafter with a non-significant difference for any further increase in seed sown. The existing seed rate of 20 kgha in lentil is seemingly not sufficient to obtain optimum yield. On average, about 2-2.5-fold increase in seed rate of lentil under rainfed conditions can be safely recommended. (author)

Effects of seed fermentation method on seed germination and vigor ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The present study was conducted to examine the influence of Lagenaria siceraria seed fermentation method on seed germination and vigor. Three seed fermentation methods (fermented in ambient air, plastic bag stored in ambient or in plastic bag buried) were tested on two cultivars during two years. Seed germination and ...

Effects of seed predators of different body size on seed mortality in Bornean logged forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Hautier, Yann; Saner, Philippe; Philipson, Christopher; Bagchi, Robert; Ong, Robert C; Hector, Andy

2010-07-19

The Janzen-Connell hypothesis proposes that seed and seedling enemies play a major role in maintaining high levels of tree diversity in tropical forests. However, human disturbance may alter guilds of seed predators including their body size distribution. These changes have the potential to affect seedling survival in logged forest and may alter forest composition and diversity. We manipulated seed density in plots beneath con- and heterospecific adult trees within a logged forest and excluded vertebrate predators of different body sizes using cages. We show that small and large-bodied predators differed in their effect on con- and heterospecific seedling mortality. In combination small and large-bodied predators dramatically decreased both con- and heterospecific seedling survival. In contrast, when larger-bodied predators were excluded small-bodied predators reduced conspecific seed survival leaving seeds coming from the distant tree of a different species. Our results suggest that seed survival is affected differently by vertebrate predators according to their body size. Therefore, changes in the body size structure of the seed predator community in logged forests may change patterns of seed mortality and potentially affect recruitment and community composition.

Seed dispersal anachronisms: rethinking the fruits extinct megafauna ate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo R Guimarães

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Some neotropical, fleshy-fruited plants have fruits structurally similar to paleotropical fruits dispersed by megafauna (mammals > 10(3 kg, yet these dispersers were extinct in South America 10-15 Kyr BP. Anachronic dispersal systems are best explained by interactions with extinct animals and show impaired dispersal resulting in altered seed dispersal dynamics. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We introduce an operational definition of megafaunal fruits and perform a comparative analysis of 103 Neotropical fruit species fitting this dispersal mode. We define two megafaunal fruit types based on previous analyses of elephant fruits: fruits 4-10 cm in diameter with up to five large seeds, and fruits > 10 cm diameter with numerous small seeds. Megafaunal fruits are well represented in unrelated families such as Sapotaceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae, Apocynaceae, Malvaceae, Caryocaraceae, and Arecaceae and combine an overbuilt design (large fruit mass and size with either a single or few ( 100 seeds. Within-family and within-genus contrasts between megafaunal and non-megafaunal groups of species indicate a marked difference in fruit diameter and fruit mass but less so for individual seed mass, with a significant trend for megafaunal fruits to have larger seeds and seediness. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Megafaunal fruits allow plants to circumvent the trade-off between seed size and dispersal by relying on frugivores able to disperse enormous seed loads over long-distances. Present-day seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding rodents, introduced livestock, runoff, flooding, gravity, and human-mediated dispersal allowed survival of megafauna-dependent fruit species after extinction of the major seed dispersers. Megafauna extinction had several potential consequences, such as a scale shift reducing the seed dispersal distances, increasingly clumped spatial patterns, reduced geographic ranges and limited genetic variation and increased among

Effect of pre-treatments on seed germination of Parkia biglobosa ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of pre-treatments on seed germination of Parkia biglobosa (Benth) ... There has been emphasis on the use of indigenous tree species to check land ... out to investigate the most effective pre-sowing treatments to break seed dormancy and to ... Matured seeds of P. biglobosa were collected from farmers at Mbalagh ...

influence of gravity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Animesh Mukherjee

1991-01-01

Full Text Available Based upon Biot's [1965] theory of initial stresses of hydrostatic nature produced by the effect of gravity, a study is made of surface waves in higher order visco-elastic media under the influence of gravity. The equation for the wave velocity of Stonely waves in the presence of viscous and gravitational effects is obtained. This is followed by particular cases of surface waves including Rayleigh waves and Love waves in the presence of viscous and gravity effects. In all cases the wave-velocity equations are found to be in perfect agreement with the corresponding classical results when the effects of gravity and viscosity are neglected.

Effect of fertilization on the physiological maturation of sesame seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erivan Isídio Ferreira

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Fertilization and harvest time may influence the formation and maturation processes, as well as the physiological quality of seeds. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of fertilization on the physiological maturation of sesame seeds. The following variables were evaluated: fruit color, dry mass and water content of fruits and seeds, germination, first germination count, germination speed, emergence and emergence speed. No significant fertilization effect was observed on fruit maturation for water content or dry mass. However, there was significance for these variables in the seeds. The harvest time had a significant effect on water content and dry mass of fruits and seeds. For the variables that evaluated the seed viability and vigor, both the fertilization and harvest time influenced the physiological maturation. The physiological maturity of the sesame seeds, whose plants were grown with and without fertilization, was reached between 52 and 54 days after anthesis, when the fruits were classified as yellow-greenish 7.5 Y 8/6 and yellow to yellow-red 10.R 4/6.

Lower dimensional gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, J.D.

1988-01-01

This book addresses the subject of gravity theories in two and three spacetime dimensions. The prevailing philosophy is that lower dimensional models of gravity provide a useful arena for developing new ideas and insights, which are applicable to four dimensional gravity. The first chapter consists of a comprehensive introduction to both two and three dimensional gravity, including a discussion of their basic structures. In the second chapter, the asymptotic structure of three dimensional Einstein gravity with a negative cosmological constant is analyzed. The third chapter contains a treatment of the effects of matter sources in classical two dimensional gravity. The fourth chapter gives a complete analysis of particle pair creation by electric and gravitational fields in two dimensions, and the resulting effect on the cosmological constant

Uptake of seed-applied copper by maize and the effects on seed vigor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Altomani Neves Dias

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Seed treatment is a low-cost and efficacious method to deliver a diversity of compounds to field crops. This study evaluated the uptake of seed-applied Cu by maize and the effect on seed vigor. The treatments were composed of a control (untreated seeds and five dosages of Cu: 0.11, 0.22, 0.44, 0.88 and 1.76 mg Cu seed–1, applied as cuprous oxide and copper oxychloride formulations. Seedling emergence and the speed of seedling emergence were determined in three periods: 1, 60 and 120 days after Cu application. Evaluations of root and shoot dry mass, Cu tissue concentration and efficiencies of Cu uptake and incorporation were conducted with two-leaf stage maize plants. Seed-applied Cu reduces the speed of maize seedling emergence, while the final emergence percentage is not affected. Shoot dry mass tends to increase with the application of Cu, while there is no interference on root dry mass within the dosages tested. Cu tissue concentration of both roots and shoots increases as higher dosages of Cu are applied to seeds, with higher accumulation in roots. Cuprous oxide promotes higher uptake of Cu by maize roots compared to copper oxychloride.

The pleiotropic effects of the seed germination inhibitor germostatin.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Yajin; Zhao, Yang

2016-01-01

Seed dormancy and germination are the most important adaptive traits of seed plants, which control the germination in a proper space and time. Internal genetic factors together with environmental cues govern seed dormancy and germination. Abscisic acid (ABA), a key phytohormone induces seed dormancy and inhibits seed germination through its molecular genetic signaling network responding the seed inherent physiological and environmental factors. Recently, auxin has been shown to be another phytohormone that induces seed dormancy. We have recently shown that germonstatin (GS), a small synthetic molecule identified by high through-put chemical genetic screenings, inhibits seed germination through up-regulating auxin signaling and inducing auxin biosynthesis. GERMOSTATIN RESISTANCE LOCUS 1 (GSR1) encodes a plant homeodomain (PHD) finger protein and is responsible for GS seed germination inhibition. Its knockdown mutant gsr1 displays decreased dormancy. In this report, we show that GS is not an ABA analog and provided 2 other GS-resistant mutants related to the chemical's function in seed germination inhibition other than gsr1, suggesting that GS may have pleiotropic effects through targeting different pathway governing seed germination.

Quantization of the 2D effective gravity in the geometrical formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoyama, S.

1992-01-01

There exist various formulations to discuss the 2d effective gravity: light-cone gauge formulation; geometrical formation; formulation by the constrained WZWN model; and conformal gauge formulation. In the formulations other than the last one, quantization of the 2d effective gravity is not complete in the sense that either the central charges of both sectors are not known, or one of them is known but not the other. In this paper, the authors will provide a thorough argument on quantization of the 2d effective gravity in the formulation. The argument will allow us to complete the quantization in the formation, and establish the relations among the formulations at the quantum level

Effect of GA3 treatment on seed development and seed-related gene expression in grape.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chenxia Cheng

Full Text Available The phytohormone gibberellic acid (GA3 is widely used in the table grape industry to induce seedlessness in seeded varieties. However, there is a paucity of information concerning the mechanisms by which GAs induce seedlessness in grapes.In an effort to systematically analyze the cause of this GA3-induced seed abortion, we conducted an in depth characterization of two seeded grape cultivars ('Kyoho' and 'Red Globe', along with a seedless cultivar ('Thompson Seedless', following treatment with GA3. In a similar fashion to the seedless control, which exhibited GA3-induced abortion of the seeds 9 days after full bloom (DAF, both 'Kyoho' and 'Red Globe' seeded varieties exhibited complete abortion of the seeds 15 DAF when treated with GA3. Morphological analyses indicated that while fertilization appeared to occur normally following GA3 treatment, as well as in the untreated seedless control cultivar, seed growth eventually ceased. In addition, we found that GA3 application had an effect on redox homeostasis, which could potentially cause cell damage and subsequent seed abortion. Furthermore, we carried out an analysis of antioxidant enzyme activities, as well as transcript levels from various genes believed to be involved in seed development, and found several differences between GA3-treated and untreated controls.Therefore, it seems that the mechanisms driving GA3-induced seedlessness are similar in both seeded and seedless cultivars, and that the observed abortion of seeds may result at least in part from a GA3-induced increase in cell damage caused by reactive oxygen species, a decrease in antioxidant enzymatic activities, and an alteration of the expression of genes related to seed development.

Seed Priming with Melatonin Effects on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth in Maize under Salinity Stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, X.; Li, H.; Song, X.

2016-01-01

The effects on seed germination and seedling growth in maize under salinity stress by seed priming with melatonin were investigated. Seeds of maize cultivar Nonghua101 were soaked in 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 mM aerated solution of melatonin for 24 h, and primed seeds were germinated under the condition of 150 mM NaCl with paper media. The results showed seed priming with 0.8 mM melatonin was the best performance of all the treatments to seed germination and seedling growth in maize under salinity stress. Then primed with 0.8 mM melatonin or water for 24 h and unprimed seeds were germination under the condition of 150 mM NaCl with sand media. The results showed seed priming with 0.8 mM melatonin significantly improved germination energy, germination percentage, seedling vigor index, shoot and root lengths, seedling fresh and dry weights, K/sup +/ content, relative water content, proline and total phenolic contents, superoxide dismutase, catalase and phenylalanin ammonia lyase activities; and significantly decreased mean emergence time, Na/sup +/ content, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content compared with untreated seeds under salinity stress. These results suggest that seed priming with melatonin alleviates the salinity damage to maize and seed priming with melatonin may be an important alternative approach to decrease the impact of salinity stress in maize. (author)

Effect of heat treatment on yield and quality of loofah (luffa cylindrica linn.) seed oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akinoso, R.

2015-01-01

Effect of heat treatment on yield and some quality parameters of loofah seed (Luffa cylindrical Linn.) oil was the focus of this study. Central composite rotatable response surface methodology design for two variables was used for this investigation. Fatty acid composition of the un-treated oil was determined. The independent variables roasting temperature were 102, 110, 130, 150, 158 degree C and duration 16, 20, 30, 40, 44 min while oil yield, moisture content, free fatty acid, colour, refractive index and specific gravity of the oil were the dependent variables. All determinations were done using standard methods. Linoleic acid (50.66%), oleic acid (27.66%), palmitic acid (12.28%) and stearic acid (6.44%) were the major fatty acids. Mean oil yield, moisture, free fatty acid, colour, refractive index and specific gravity were 25.9 ± 5.16%, 0.035 ± 0.003%, 5.3 ± 2.47%, 15.23 ± 1.83 mg/100g, 1.47 ± 0.002 ND 40 and 0.913 ± 0.02, respectively. All the parameters were significantly affected by heat treatment (p<0.05). Regression models were not fit to express the relation, thus optimisation using response surface approach was not adequate. (author)

Effect of dates of closing cut on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramphrai Namsilee

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this field research was to investigate the effect of dates of closing cut on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184 at Khon Kaen Animal Nutrition Research and Development Center, during May 2003 to February 2004. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Experimental treatments consisted of five dates of closing cut spaced at about 14-day intervals (27 August, 10 September, 24 September, 8 October 2003 and uncut.The results showed that date of closing cut had a significant effect on seed yields and pure germinable seed yields (PGSY of S. guianensis CIAT 184. Plots closed on 10 September produced the highest seed yield and PGSY (P<0.05 of 564 and 553 kg/ha, followed by plots closed on 24 September and 27 August (422 and 406; 405 and 391 kg/ha. Uncut plots produced low yield and plots closed on 8 October produced the lowest seed yield and PGSY (401 and 388; 365 and 356 kg/ha. There were no significant differences in seed purity percentage, germination percentage and 1000-seed weight among treatments. Among the dates of closing cut studied, forage DM yield and CP yield were subsequently increased as date of closing cut was delayed. Based on this research, it was concluded that early-September was the optimum date of closing cut for S. guianensis CIAT 184 cultivation for seed production in Northeast Thailand.

Effects of Seed Size on Germination and Early Morphorlogical and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of Seed Size on Germination and Early Morphorlogical and Physiological Characteristics of Gmelina Arborea , Roxb. ... African Research Review ... They were grouped into 3 categories as large seed size (LSS), medium seed size ...

Aerodynamic heating of ballistic missile including the effects of gravity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The aerodynamic heating of a ballistic missile due to only convection is analysed taking into consideration the effects of gravity. The amount of heat transferred to the wetted area and to the nose region has been separately determined, unlike A Miele's treatise without consideration of gravity. The peak heating ratesto the ...

Aerodynamic heating of ballistic missile including the effects of gravity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The aerodynamic heating of a ballistic missile due to only convection is analysed taking into consideration the effects of gravity. The amount of heat transferred to the wetted area and to the nose region has been separately determined, unlike A Miele's treatise without consideration of gravity. The peak heating rates ...

Effect of seed rate and row spacing in seed production of Festulolium

OpenAIRE

Deleuran, L.C.; Gislum, R.; Boelt, B.

2010-01-01

Establishment methods have proven to be of major importance for grass seed production. The objective of this research was to test the effect of different sowing techniques on plant establishment and the subsequent seed yield. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is used as the model grass due to its large importance in Danish agriculture. In a three-year trial six different methods of under-sowing of perennial ryegrass in a spring barley cover crop were employed. Perennial ryegrass was e...

Effective Dark Matter Halo Catalog in f(R) Gravity.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jian-Hua; Hawken, Adam J; Li, Baojiu; Guzzo, Luigi

2015-08-14

We introduce the idea of an effective dark matter halo catalog in f(R) gravity, which is built using the effective density field. Using a suite of high resolution N-body simulations, we find that the dynamical properties of halos, such as the distribution of density, velocity dispersion, specific angular momentum and spin, in the effective catalog of f(R) gravity closely mimic those in the cold dark matter model with a cosmological constant (ΛCDM). Thus, when using effective halos, an f(R) model can be viewed as a ΛCDM model. This effective catalog therefore provides a convenient way for studying the baryonic physics, the galaxy halo occupation distribution and even semianalytical galaxy formation in f(R) cosmologies.

Effects of Cultivar and Maternal Environment on Seed Quality in Vicia sativa

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Rong; Chen, Lijun; Wu, Yanpei; Zhang, Rui; Baskin, Carol C.; Baskin, Jerry M.; Hu, Xiaowen

2017-01-01

Production of high quality seeds is of fundamental importance for successful crop production. However, knowledge of the effects of increased temperature resulting from global warming on seed quality of alpine species is limited. We investigated the effect of maternal environment on seed quality of three cultivars of the leguminous forage species Vicia sativa, giving particular attention to temperature. Plants of each cultivar were grown at 1700 and 3000 m a.s.l., and mass, germination, electrical conductivity (EC) of leakage and longevity were determined for mature seeds. Seeds of all three cultivars produced at the low elevation had a significantly lower mass and longevity but higher EC of leachate than those produced at the high elevation, suggesting that increased temperatures decreased seed quality. However, seed viability did not differ between elevations. The effects of maternal environment on seed germination strongly depended on cultivar and germination temperature. At 10 and 15°C, seeds of “Lanjian 3” produced at high elevation germinated to higher percentages and rates than those produced at low elevation, but the opposite trend was observed at 20°C. However, for seeds of “Lanjian 1” and “Lanjian 2,” no significant effect of elevation was observed in germination percentage. Our results indicate that the best environment for the production of high quality seeds (e.g., high seed mass, low EC, high seed longevity) of V. sativa is one in which temperatures are relatively low during seed development. PMID:28861096

Hypolipidemic effects of fenugreek seed powder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abu Saleh M. Moosa, Mamun Ur Rashid, A.Z.S. Asadi, Nazma Ara, M. Mojib Uddin and A. Ferdaus

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenugraecum Linn on serum lipid profile in hypercholesteremic type 2 diabetic patients were studied. Administration of fenugreek seed powder of 25 gm orally twice daily for 3 weeks and 6 weeks produces significant (P<0.001 reduction of serum total cholesterol, triacylglyceride and LDL-cholesterol in hypercholesteremic group but the change of serum HDL-cholesterol was not significant. On other hand, changes of lipid profile in hypercholesteremic type 2 diabetic patients without fenugreek were not significant (P<0.001. The present study suggests that fenugreek seed powder would be considered as effective agent for lipid lowering purposes.

Influence of postradiation moisture alteration on biological after-effect in Crepis seeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atayan, R R; Gabrielian, J Y [AN Armyanskoj SSR, Erevan. Inst. Fiziki

1978-02-01

A series of X-ray exposures was given to Crepis capillaris seeds of different water contents. Cytogenetic changes in the seeds were determined immediately after irradiation and after storage at different relative humidities. The amount of damage that developed during postirradiation storage as well as the initial radiobiological effect decreased as seed water content increased from 2.4% to 7.6 to 12.6%. Differences in postirradiation damage were revealed within four hours of storage and manifest as a fast component to the curve of storage versus damage. In seeds of 7.6 and 12.6% water content, both the amount of biological after-effect and the rate of injury progression did not depend markedly on relative humidity of storage atmosphere. These seeds demonstrated only a slow after-effect, which appeared to be the same at any seed-moisture level, thus indicating that only the fast component is subject to postirradiation modification. With dry irradiated seeds demonstrating fast postirradiation injury progression, the following results were obtained: (a) after-effect in seeds of 2.4% water content decreased with increasing humidity of storage atmosphere; no after-effect developed when the seeds were stored at 100% relative humidity; (b) after-effect in seeds of 6% water content was significantly increased if they were stored at 0% relative humidity. These results are consistent with the pattern expected of a free radical concept.

Plasma treatment of Seeds: effect on growth, spores and bacterial charge

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrico, P. F.; Simek, M.; Morano, M.; Ambrico, M.; Minafra, A.; Prukner, V.; de Miccolis Angelini, R. M.; Trotti, P.

2016-09-01

We report on the effect of low temperature plasma treatment on tomato, basil and tobacco commercial seeds. Seeds were treated in filtered ambient air volume, surface and plasma jet DBD at atmospheric pressure Sterile agar substrate, supplemented with a nutrient and vitamin mixture, was used to allow seeds germination in sterilized sealed plastic containers. The seeds were stored in controlled environmental condition (T = 26C, cycle of 14hrs light/10hrs dark condition). Since all the procedure was performed under sterile conditions, only bacteria and fungi carried by seeds could grow. Plasma treatment significantly reduced the presence of bacterial contamination, while some fungi could resist at shortest exposures Seeds germination was then followed by time lapse photography in sterile water on 3MM Whatman paper in a closed container. The effect of plasma treatment was a faster germination time of seeds and emergence of cotyledons, able to start photosynthesis in seedlings.The plasma treated seeds were also sow in a soil/peat moss mixture. Plants were cultivated for about 40 days, showing that plasma induced a faster growth in length and weight with respect to untreated seeds.Furthermore the effect of plasma on seeds surface was studied by SEM imaging. We acknowledge `SELGE' (Puglia) and TACR (TA03010098).

Gravity Effects on the Free Vibration of a Graphite Column

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ki, Dong-Ok; Kim, Jong-Bum; Park, Keun-Bae; Lee, Won-Jae

2006-01-01

The gravity effects on the free vibration of a graphite column are studied. Graphite block is a key component of a HTGR (High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor). The major core elements, such as the fuel blocks and neutron reflector blocks, of HTTR (High Temperature Test Reactor, Japan) and GT-MHR (Gas Turbine- Modular Helium Reactor, USA) consist of stacked hexagonal graphite blocks forming a group of columns. The vibration of the columns induced by earthquakes may lead to solid impacts between graphite blocks and structural integrity problems. The study of free vibration characteristics of the graphite block column is the first step in the core internal structure dynamic analysis. Gravity force bring a negative stiffness term to the transverse vibration analysis of heavy long column structures, and results in natural frequency reductions. Generally it is not considered in the not so tall structure cases, because the gravity term makes the analysis and design complicated. Therefore it is important to check whether the gravity effect is severe or not

The temperature effect of low-energy ion beam implantation on seed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang Shenghe; Su Mingjie; Qin Guangyong; Wu Yuping; Zhao Haizhen

2005-01-01

The temperature effects of low-energy ion beam implantation on the seed germination were studied. Maize dry seeds were covered with copy paper, aluminum foil and without cover, respectively. Results showed that the germination rate of the seeds covered with paper which was the bad heat transmitter was the highest among three treatments, while that covered with aluminum foil which can transmit heat energy well was the least. The germination rate of the seeds covered with nothing was the second. Temperature affected seeds germination markedly. Generally the temperature of the target room inhibited the seeds' germination. After minus the effects of the temperature in the target room, the germination rates of the seeds were modified in this paper. The modified germination rate curve was also provided. (authors)

Equivalence between the semiclassical and effective approaches to gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paszko, Ricardo; Accioly, Antonio

2010-01-01

Semiclassical and effective theories of gravitation are quite distinct from each other as far as the approximation scheme employed is concerned. In fact, while in the semiclassical approach gravity is a classical field and the particles and/or remaining fields are quantized, in the effective approach everything is quantized, including gravity, but the Feynman amplitude is expanded in terms of the momentum exchanged between the particles and/or fields. In this paper, we show that these approaches, despite being radically different, lead to equivalent results if one of the masses under consideration is much greater than all the other energies involved.

The Effect of Divided Attention on Inhibiting the Gravity Error

Science.gov (United States)

Hood, Bruce M.; Wilson, Alice; Dyson, Sally

2006-01-01

Children who could overcome the gravity error on Hood's (1995) tubes task were tested in a condition where they had to monitor two falling balls. This condition significantly impaired search performance with the majority of mistakes being gravity errors. In a second experiment, the effect of monitoring two balls was compared in the tubes task and…

Irradiation effect on the seed vigor, SOD activity and MDA content in germinating seeds of yellow-seeded and black-seeded rape seed (Brassica napus L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Jixiang; Hu Danhong; Liu Houli

1993-01-01

Seeds of a set of near-isogenic lines (Brassica napus L.) with different seed coat color from yellow to black were irradiated by 60 Co γ-rays of 150 krad. Seed vigor, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in germinating seeds were analysed. In these characters, no significant difference between yellow-seeded lines (YLs) and black-seeded lines (BLs) showed before irradiation. But after irradiation, SOD activity in YLs was lower than that in BLs. While MDA content in YLs was obviously higher that that in DLs. As a result of irradiation, seed vigor of YLs was lower than that in BLs. these results indicated that the irradiation resistance of rape seed was related to the level of SOD as well as protective structure or substances in seed coat and that the radiosensitivity of YLs was higher than that of DLs

State estimation of the performance of gravity tables using multispectral image analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Michael A. E.; Kannan, Ananda S.; Lund, Jacob

2017-01-01

Gravity tables are important machinery that separate dense (healthy) grains from lighter (low yielding varieties) aiding in improving the overall quality of seed and grain processing. This paper aims at evaluating the operating states of such tables, which is a critical criterion required...

Effect of electron beam irradiation on seed germination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Seunghee; Bae, Youngmin [Changwon Univ., Changwon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-07-01

Effect of electron beam irradiation on seed germination was investigated in this research. Electron beam of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kGy was irradiated to the seeds of lettuce, green onion and cucumber, and the irradiated seeds were incubated at 25 .deg. Cn Nitsch medium solidified with 0.2% Phytagel. Germination percentage and the length of the sprouts were determined after 72 hours. Germination percentage of lettuce seeds was greatly reduced by the irradiation, and that of the green onion and cucumber were moderately reduced or unchanged by the irradiation. Although average length of the lettuce sprouts was reduced severely, that of the green onion and cucumber was unchanged or moderately reduced. Conclusively, electron beam irradiation might be a useful way of disinfecting some plant seeds including green onion and cucumber.

Effect of electron beam irradiation on seed germination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Seunghee; Bae, Youngmin

2013-01-01

Effect of electron beam irradiation on seed germination was investigated in this research. Electron beam of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kGy was irradiated to the seeds of lettuce, green onion and cucumber, and the irradiated seeds were incubated at 25 .deg. Cn Nitsch medium solidified with 0.2% Phytagel. Germination percentage and the length of the sprouts were determined after 72 hours. Germination percentage of lettuce seeds was greatly reduced by the irradiation, and that of the green onion and cucumber were moderately reduced or unchanged by the irradiation. Although average length of the lettuce sprouts was reduced severely, that of the green onion and cucumber was unchanged or moderately reduced. Conclusively, electron beam irradiation might be a useful way of disinfecting some plant seeds including green onion and cucumber

The Effect of Fungicides for Seed Treatment on Germination of Barley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vesna Stevanović

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The application of chemicals, such as fungicides for seed treatment, is one of the most reliable and perhaps most efficient measures for integrated preservation of crops, and its practicing has become a legal obligation for all seed producers. This investigation was carried out in the laboratory for seed quality and phytopathology of the Small Grains Research Center in Kragujevac. The objective was to establish the effect of fungicides on germination energy and seed germinability (determined after treatments. Two varieties were tested due to a possibility of specific sensitivities of some varieties, so that the results acquired on one variety would not necessarily be valid for another one. Fungicides based on active ingredients from the triasol chemical group had different effects on the energy of germination of barley seeds. Applying Raxil S040-FS, the average germination of barley seeds was 79.3% for the variety Record, and 91.3% for the Grand variety. The variety Record achieved a lower value than the minimum for barley seed germination (88% stipulated by the Rules on Seed Quality of Agricultural Crops.Regardless of barley type, the product Raxil S040-FS showed a statistically significant effect on the number of atypical seedlings and increase in the number of non-germinated seeds, compared to the control.

Strong Gravity Effects of Rotating Black Holes: Quasiperiodic Oscillations

OpenAIRE

Aliev, Alikram N.; Esmer, Göksel Daylan; Talazan, Pamir

2012-01-01

We explore strong gravity effects of the geodesic motion in the spacetime of rotating black holes in general relativity and braneworld gravity. We focus on the description of the motion in terms of three fundamental frequencies: The orbital frequency, the radial and vertical epicyclic frequencies. For a Kerr black hole, we perform a detailed numerical analysis of these frequencies at the innermost stable circular orbits and beyond them as well as at the characteristic stable orbits, at which ...

Effect of particle inertia and gravity on the turbulence in a suspension

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ooms, G.; Poesio, P.

2005-01-01

A theoretical model is presented for the effect of particle inertia and gravity on the turbulence in a homogeneous suspension. It is an extension of the one-fluid model developed by L’vov, Ooms, and Pomyalov [Phys. Rev. E 67, 046314 (2003)] , in which the effect of gravity was not considered. In the

Cutoff for extensions of massive gravity and bi-gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matas, Andrew

2016-01-01

Recently there has been interest in extending ghost-free massive gravity, bi-gravity, and multi-gravity by including non-standard kinetic terms and matter couplings. We first review recent proposals for this class of extensions, emphasizing how modifications of the kinetic and potential structure of the graviton and modifications of the coupling to matter are related. We then generalize existing no-go arguments in the metric language to the vielbein language in second-order form. We give an ADM argument to show that the most promising extensions to the kinetic term and matter coupling contain a Boulware–Deser ghost. However, as recently emphasized, we may still be able to view these extensions as effective field theories below some cutoff scale. To address this possibility, we show that there is a decoupling limit where a ghost appears for a wide class of matter couplings and kinetic terms. In particular, we show that there is a decoupling limit where the linear effective vielbein matter coupling contains a ghost. Using the insight we gain from this decoupling limit analysis, we place an upper bound on the cutoff for the linear effective vielbein coupling. This result can be generalized to new kinetic interactions in the vielbein language in second-order form. Combined with recent results, this provides a strong uniqueness argument on the form of ghost-free massive gravity, bi-gravity, and multi-gravity. (paper)

Gravity-matter entanglement in Regge quantum gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paunković, Nikola; Vojinović, Marko

2016-01-01

We argue that Hartle-Hawking states in the Regge quantum gravity model generically contain non-trivial entanglement between gravity and matter fields. Generic impossibility to talk about “matter in a point of space” is in line with the idea of an emergent spacetime, and as such could be taken as a possible candidate for a criterion for a plausible theory of quantum gravity. Finally, this new entanglement could be seen as an additional “effective interaction”, which could possibly bring corrections to the weak equivalence principle. (paper)

Deformed special relativity as an effective flat limit of quantum gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girelli, Florian; Livine, Etera R.; Oriti, Daniele

2005-01-01

We argue that a (slightly) curved space-time probed with a finite resolution, equivalently a finite minimal length, is effectively described by a flat non-commutative space-time. More precisely, a small cosmological constant (so a constant curvature) leads the κ-deformed Poincare flat space-time of deformed special relativity (DSR) theories. This point of view eventually helps understanding some puzzling features of DSR. It also explains how DSR can be considered as an effective flat (low energy) limit of a (true) quantum gravity theory. This point of view leads us to consider a possible generalization of DSR to arbitrary curvature in momentum space and to speculate about a possible formulation of an effective quantum gravity model in these terms. It also leads us to suggest a doubly deformed special relativity framework for describing particle kinematics in an effective low energy description of quantum gravity

Zero Gravity Flights as the Most Effective Embryonic Operation for Planned Commercial Spaceport

Science.gov (United States)

Abu Samah, Shamsul Kamar; Ridzuan Zakaria, Norul; Nasrun, Nasri; Abu, Jalaluddin; Muszaphar Shukor, Dato'Sheikh

2013-09-01

Malaysia. Based on recorded zero gravity flights of the fighter jet, an F-5E will be able to produce 45 seconds of zero gravity time, long enough for effective zero gravity experiments. An A300 in operation in Europe is also being considered to be operated bySpaceport Malaysia. Even though this airplane can only produce less than half the zero gravity time produced by F-5E, the A300 has the advantage off passengers to experience zero gravity. Both zero gravity platforms have been promoting Spaceport Malaysia project and suborbital flights to be operational at the spaceport as both zero gravity flights and suborbital flights attract the interest from similar and preferred operators and markets. Therefore based on Spaceport Malaysia as a case study, zero gravity flights are the most effective embryonic operation for a planned commercial spaceport.

Effect of irradiation and extractive solvents on the Thevetia seed oil

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-03-06

Mar 6, 2009 ... Oil of irradiated thevetia seeds was extracted with different solvents. The effect of irradiation dosages on the extracted oils was studied by comparing the TLC chromatography of irradiated seed oil with that of non-radiated seeds. Saponification values were also compared. Key words: Thevetia seed, ...

Effect of different seed treatments on maize seed germination parameters under optimal and suboptimal temperature conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vujošević Bojana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different seed treatments on germination parameters of three maize genotypes under optimal and suboptimal temperature conditions. Seed was treated with recommended doses of three commercial pesticide formulations: metalaxyl-m 10 g/L + fludioxonil 25 g/L, metalaxyl 20 g/kg + prothioconazole 100 g/kg and thiacloprid 400 g/L. Testing was conducted at 25°C and 15°C. Results of the study indicate that there are differences in response of maize genotypes to applied seed treatments, as well as to a specific treatment at optimal and suboptimal temperatures. Some treatments, depending on the mixing partner and temperature conditions, can affect final germination. In other cases, germination rate can be accelerated or prolonged, but with no effect on final germination. In order to provide fast and uniform emergence under different temperature conditions, further examination of the response of maize genotypes to specific seed treatments would be beneficial.

Gravity effects on wind-induced flutter of leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Clemmer, Nickalaus; Kopperstad, Karsten; Solano, Tomas; Shoele, Kourosh; Ordonez, Juan

2017-11-01

Wind-Induced flutter of leaves depends on both wind velocity and the gravity. To study the gravitational effects on the oscillatory behavior of leaves in the wind, a wind tunnel that can be tilted about the center of the test section is created. This unique rotation capability allows systematic investigation of gravitational effects on the fluttering response of leaves. The flow-induced vibration will be studied for three different leaves at several different tilting angles including the wind travels horizontally, vertically downward and vertically upward. In each situation, the long axis of a leaf is placed parallel to the wind direction and its response is studied at different flow speed. Oscillation of the leaf is recorded via high-speed camera at each of setup, and the effect of the gravity on stabilizing or destabilizing the fluttering response is investigated. Summer REU student at Florida State University.

Quantum gravity effects in Myers-Perry space-times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Litim, Daniel F.; Nikolakopoulos, Konstantinos

2014-01-01

We study quantum gravity effects for Myers-Perry black holes assuming that the leading contributions arise from the renormalization group evolution of Newton’s coupling. Provided that gravity weakens following the asymptotic safety conjecture, we find that quantum effects lift a degeneracy of higher-dimensional black holes, and dominate over kinematical ones induced by rotation, particularly for small black hole mass, large angular momentum, and higher space-time dimensionality. Quantum-corrected space-times display inner and outer horizons, and show the existence of a black hole of smallest mass in any dimension. Ultra-spinning solutions no longer persist. Thermodynamic properties including temperature, specific heat, the Komar integrals, and aspects of black hole mechanics are studied as well. Observing a softening of the ring singularity, we also discuss the validity of classical energy conditions

Effect of boiling on the physicochemical properties of Roselle seeds ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of boiling on the physicochemical composition of Roselle seeds (Hibiscus sabdariffa) grown in Mali was shown. Proximate analysis indicated that boiled whole Roselle seeds (BWRS) are potential high protein source. Moreover, the results of lipid analysis indicated that the seeds were good source of unsaturated fatty ...

Effects of graphene on seed germination and seedling growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Ming; Gao, Bin, E-mail: bg55@ufl.edu [University of Florida, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (United States); Chen, Jianjun [University of Florida, Department of Environmental Horticulture and Mid-Florida Research & Education Center (United States); Li, Yuncong [University of Florida, Soil and Water Science Department Tropical Research & Education Center (United States)

2015-02-15

The environmental impact of graphene has recently attracted great attention. In this work, we show that graphene at a low concentration affected tomato seed germination and seedling growth. Graphene-treated seeds germinated much faster than control seeds. Analytical results indicated that graphene penetrated seed husks. The penetration might break the husks to facilitate water uptake, resulting in faster germination and higher germination rates. At the stage of seedling growth, graphene was also able to penetrate root tip cells. Seedlings germinated from graphene-treated seeds had slightly lower biomass accumulation than the control, but exhibited significantly longer stems and roots than the control, which suggests that graphene, in contrast with other nanoparticles, had different effects on seedling growth. Taken together, our results imply that graphene played complicated roles in affecting the initial stage of seed germination and subsequent seedling growth.

Protective effect of pumpkin seed oil against genotoxicity induced by azathioprine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.A. Elfiky

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Pumpkin is a leafy green vegetable; it belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Pumpkin seed oil supplementation can prevent changes in plasma lipids and blood pressure. The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of pumpkin seed oil against cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of azathioprine. Oral administration of pumpkin seed oil either before or after treatment of azathioprine was effective in the reduction of the frequencies of Mn-PCEs, decreased the DNA fragmentation, total sperm abnormalities and significantly increased sperm count, percentage of PCEs, and enhanced the ratio of PCEs to NCEs. However, random amplified polymorphism of DNA (RAPD showed distinct differences in animal groups intoxicated with azathioprine before and after pumpkin seed oil treatment, which reflected a DNA protective effect of pumpkin seed oil. Depletion of glutathione content in the testis was also observed in azathioprine treated mice, which was improved by an oral administration of pumpkin seed oil either before or after treatment with azathioprine.

Effect of mutagens on seed germination in chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhamayanthi, K.P.M.; Reddy, V.R.K.

2002-01-01

Seeds of chilli variety CO-2 (Coimbatore-2) were irradiated with gamma rays ranging from 10 kR to 35 kR at an interval of 5 kR and the effect on seed germination, seedling survival, percent lethality and seedling injury were studied. Lower doses were stimulative, while higher doses had inhibitory effect on seed germination and seedling survival. The highest percentage of seed germination (37.5) and seedling survival (31.3) was recorded at 10 kR as compared to 28 percent of germination and 3.3 percent seedling survival in control. Percent lethality (9.6%) and seedling injury (6.5%) were comparatively low than the lethality percentage and seedling injury of the higher dose treatments. In chemical mutagen treatments, the maximum seed germination (54.5%) and seedling survival (51.2%), seedling lethality (0.97%) and seedling injury (1.37%) were obtained in the treated seeds of EMS at 0.5% concentration followed by 39.5% seed germination and 30.0% seedling survival, seedling lethality (3.8%) and seedling injury (3.06%) of MMS. The stimulative effect of seed germination is more in chemical mutagens than the physical mutagen. There was a proportionate decrease in germination percentage and seedling survival with an increase in dose/concentration of both the chemicals. (author)

The inhibitory effect of the various seed coating substances against rice seed borne fungi and their shelf-life during storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Thobunluepop, Pitipong

2009-08-15

Presently, chemical seed treatments are in discussion due to their directly or indirectly impacts on human health or other living organisms. They may also negatively affect the ecosystem and the food chain. In rice seeds, chemicals may cause phytotoxic effects including seed degradation. Eugenol is the main component of clove (Eugenia caryophillis) oil, which was proved to act simultaneously as bactericide, virocide and especially fungicide. The in vitro study was aimed to compare the inhibitory effect of the following seed treatment substances against seed borne fungi and their shelf-life during 12 months of storage; conventional captan (CA), chitosan-lignosulphonate polymer (CL), eugenol incorporated into chitosan-lignosulphonate polymer (E+CL) and control (CO). The obtained results of fungi inhibition were classified in three groups, which showed at first that CA treatment led to a better, i.e., longer, inhibitory effect on Alternaria padwickii, Rhizoctonia solani, Curvularia sp., Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger than E+CL. Secondly, E+CL coating polymer showed the longest inhibitory effect against Bipolaris oryzae and Nigrospora oryzae compared to CA and CL coating polymer. Finally, both CA and E+CL coating polymer had non-significant difference inhibitory effect on Fusarium moniliforme. The variant of CL coating polymer for seed coating was only during the first 6 months of storage able to inhibit all species of the observed seed borne fungi, whereas CA and E+CL coating polymer were capable to inhibit most of the fungi until 9 months of storage.

Effect of Neem Seed Husk Ash on Concrete Strength Properties ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Neem Seed Husk is a by-product obtained during industrial processing of Neem Seed to extract oil and produce fertilizer. Laboratory tests on Neem seed husk ash (NSHA) mixed with cement were conducted to find its effect on concrete strength and workability. Tests including slump test, compressive strength test, concrete ...

Effect Of Dietary Raw, Cooked And Toasted Mucuna Pruriens Seeds ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A 5-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect or dietary raw, cooked and toasted Mucuna pruriens seeds (velvet bean) on the performance of finisher broilers. Raw Mucuna pruriens seeds contained 30.3% crude protein. At 10% dietary level, raw and toasted Mucuna pruriens seed meals significantly (P ...

The Effect of Osmo and Hormone Priming on Germination and Seed Reserve Utilization of Millet Seeds under Drought Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maasoumeh Asadi Aghbolaghi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of seed priming with osmo and hormone priming on growth and seed reserve utilization of millet seeds under drought stress. Treatments were combinations of 4 levels of drought stress (0, -4, -8 and -12 bar and 3 levels of seed priming and control with 3 replications. Results showed that with increase in drought stress, germination components such as germination percentage, germination index, mean time to germination, normal seedling percentage, seedling length, seedling dry weight, weight of utilized (mobilized seed and seed reserve utilization efficiency decreased, but seed priming showed lower reduction. The highest germination characteristics and seed reserve utilization was obtained by priming in control conditions. It is concluded that priming results in improvement in germination components of millet in drought stress conditions.

The nonlinear effects on the characteristics of gravity wave packets: dispersion and polarization relations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.-D. Zhang

2000-10-01

Full Text Available By analyzing the results of the numerical simulations of nonlinear propagation of three Gaussian gravity-wave packets in isothermal atmosphere individually, the nonlinear effects on the characteristics of gravity waves are studied quantitatively. The analyses show that during the nonlinear propagation of gravity wave packets the mean flows are accelerated and the vertical wavelengths show clear reduction due to nonlinearity. On the other hand, though nonlinear effects exist, the time variations of the frequencies of gravity wave packets are close to those derived from the dispersion relation and the amplitude and phase relations of wave-associated disturbance components are consistent with the predictions of the polarization relation of gravity waves. This indicates that the dispersion and polarization relations based on the linear gravity wave theory can be applied extensively in the nonlinear region.Key words: Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (middle atmosphere dynamics; waves and tides

Irradiation and storage effect on some characteristics of soy seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez Ascheri, Diego Palmiro; Devilla, Ivano Alessandro

2008-01-01

The irradiation has been applied frequently in seeds conservation to obtain reduction of losses caused by physiologic processes, besides reducing the microbial load. However, the irradiation process for X-rays is not a common practice in seeds; for that, it is necessary to study that process, in order to know irradiation effect on the soy seeds quality. The objective of this work was to verify the irradiation effect of X-rays and the storage period on the water, oil and protein contends of soy seeds (Glycine max L.) variety Emgopa 302. The experiment was represented by the combination of two factors: X-rays dosage with four irradiation levels [0, 50, 65 and 70 kV] and storage period in laboratory atmosphere with five levels (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days). The water content, oil and protein in seeds were assayed in the beginning and every 15 days of storage. The results showed the seeds quality stayed unaffected in irradiation function in the beginning of the experience, with alterations after 15 days, was verified a quality decreasing with the increasing of the X-rays dosage. The soy seeds irradiated had reduced quality in elapsing of the storage period. (author)

The effects of Fusarium oxysporum on broomrape (Orobanche egyptiaca) seed germination.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasannejad, S; Zad, S Javad; Alizade, H Mohamad; Rahymian, H

2006-01-01

Broomrape (Orobanche aegyptiaca L.), one of the most important parasitic weeds in Iran, is a root parasitic plant that can attack several crops such as tobacco, sunflower, tomato and etc. Several methods were used for Orobanche control, however these methods are inefficient and very costly. Biological control is an additional recent tool for the control of parasitic weeds. In order to study of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum (biocontrol agent) effects on broomrape seed germination, two laboratory studies were conducted in Tehran University. In the first experiment, different concentration of GR60 (0, 1, 2 and 5 ppm) as stimulation factor for Orobanche seeds germination were experimented. Results showed that concentrations of GR60 had a significant effect on seed germination. The highest seed germination percent was obtained in 1 ppm. In the second experiment, the effect of Fusarium oxysporum was tested on O. aegyptiaca seeds germination. The fungus Fusarium oxysporum were isolated from infested and juvenile O. aegyptiaca ower stalks in tomato field in karaj. Fungus spores suspension in different concentrations (0 (Control), 10(5) (T1), 10(6) (T2), 10(7) (T3) and 3 x 10(7) (T4)) from potato dextrose agar (PDA) prepared and together with 1ppm of GR60 concentration were tested on O. aegyptiaca seeds. Results show that the highest inhibition of seed germination obtained in 10(5) spores/ml. With increasing of suspension concentrations, inhibition percent was reduced and mortality of seeds germ tube was increased. In this investigation, Fusarium oxysporum can be used to inhibit seed germination, stimulate the "suicidal germination" of seeds and reduce the Orobanche seed bank.

Effect of Seed Quality and Combination Fungicide-Trichoderma spp. Seed Treatments on Pre- and Postemergence Damping-Off in Cotton.

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Charles R

2007-01-01

ABSTRACT Good quality seeds of cotton cultivars often escaped pre-emergence damping-off incited by Pythium spp. and Rhizopus oryzae, and they were resistant to postemergence damping-off incited by Rhizoctonia solani. Poor quality seeds, however, were highly susceptible to both phases of seedling disease and required seed treatment in order to survive. Pre-emergence damping-off incited by Pythium spp. and Rhizopus oryzae could be controlled by seed treatment with biocontrol preparations of a number of Trichoderma spp., but these treatments were much less effective in controlling postemergence disease incited by Rhizoctonia solani. Postemergence seedling disease can be controlled by fungicides, but they were much less effective in controlling the pre-emergence phase of the disease. Combination seed treatments of poor quality cotton seeds with fungicides and Trichoderma spp. preparations, followed by planting in pathogen-infested soil, indicated that this technique will control both phases of seedling disease. Seed treatment with either the fungicides or the biocontrol agents alone did not achieve this goal. The optimum combination treatment for disease control was that of chloroneb plus Trichoderma spp., followed by chloroneb plus metalaxyl (Deltacoat AD) plus T. virens strain G-6.

Can modified gravity from extra dimensions explain dark matter effects?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kar, S.; Bharadwaj, S.; Pal, S.

2006-01-01

Observations on galaxy rotation curves and X-ray profiles of galaxy clusters over several decades have shown us that there exists a need for non-luminous (dark) matter. Cosmological observations also point towards the existence of dark components of two kinds - dark matter and dark energy - which, together, seem to be most of what is there the universe. However, for several years, there has been a line of thought which proposes modified gravity as an alternative to dark matter. In this article, we show, how the effective Einstein equations which arise in the context of the currently fashionable warped braneworld models, can explain the effects of dark matter as a manifestation of the consequences of the existence of extra dimensions. Finally, in order to distinguish between the effects of material dark matter and modified gravity, we calculate gravitational lensing in our modified gravity theory and show distinct differences in the deflection angles. If confirmed with observations, our results may shed new light on the existence of extra dimensions and dark matter. (authors)

Effects of Hydration-Dehydration and Iodination on Seed-Borne ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

dehydration (HD) and Iodination (I) treatment to enhance the seed quality as well as protect it\\'s deterioration during aging. The effect of the treatments was investigated on external and internal seed-borne fungi, levels of free-fatty acids, moisture ...

[Effect of decimeter polarized electromagnetic radiation on germinating capacity of seeds].

Science.gov (United States)

Polevik, N D

2013-01-01

The effect of a polarization structure of electromagnetic radiation on the germinating capacity of seeds of such weeds as Green foxtail (Setaria viridis) and Green amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus) has been studied. Seeds have been exposed to impulse electromagnetic radiation in a frequency of 896 MHz with linear, elliptical right-handed and elliptical left-handed polarizations at different power flux density levels. It is determined that the effect of the right-handed polarized electromagnetic radiation increases and the influence of the left-handed polarized one reduces the germinating capacity of seeds compared to the effect of the linearly polarized electromagnetic radiation. It is shown that the seeds have an amplitude polarization selectivity as evinced by the major effect of the right-handed polarized radiation on seeds. An electrodynamic model as the right-handed elliptically polarized antenna with the given quantity of the ellipticity of polarization is suggested to use in description of this selectivity.

Effects of sulphuric acid and hot water treatments on seed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study was carried out to investigate the effects of sulphuric acid and hot water treatments on the germination of Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L). Seeds were placed on moistened filter papers in 28 cm diameter Petri dishes under laboratory condition for germination. 330 seeds of T. indica (10 seeds per Petri dish) with ...

Temperature Effects on Cuscuta campestris Yunk. Seed Germination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marija Sarić-Krsmanović

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Studies of biological characteristics of seeds and conditions for their germination havea major importance for planning and executing rational measures of weed control. Theaim of this study was to investigate the effect of different temperatures on germinationof C. campestris seeds. Three treatments (T1- storage at room temperature; T2 – exposureto 4°C for 30 days; T3 – scarification by concentrated sulphuric acid differing in manipulationwith seeds before germination were tested at different temperatures (5°C, 10°C, 15°C,20°C, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, 40°C, 45°C. Germinated seeds were counted daily for ten days andthe length of seedlings was measured on the last day. The results showed that differencesin germination of C. campestris seeds were very prominent between temperatures, as wellas between treatments T1, T2 and T3. Seeds failed to germinate at 5°C and 45°C in all treatments(T1, T2, T3. Germination ranged from 6.25 at 10°C to 96.88%, the highest percentage,achieved at 30°C.

Effects of sand burial and seed size on seed germination, seedling emergence and seedling biomass of anabasis aphylla

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, T.T.; Chu, G.M.; Jiang, P.; Wang, M.

2017-01-01

Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to test the effects of sand burial (0-2 cm) and seed size (small, medium and large) on seed germination and seedling growth of Anabasis aphylla, which is typically used as a windbreak and for the fixation of sand in the Gurbantunggut desert of Xinjiang, region of northwest China. The results showed that sand burial significantly affected seed germination, seedling emergence, survival and biomass of A. aphylla. The seed germination rate, seedling emergence rate, seedling survival rate and biomass were highest at the 0.2 and 0.5 cm sand burial depths. At different burial depths, different sizes of A. aphylla seed showed a significant difference in the germination and emergence rate. At the same sand burial depth, the seedling emergence rate of the large seeds was significantly higher than that of medium and small seeds. At sand burial depth of 0.2-2 cm, germination of large seeds and seedling survival rates were significantly higher than those at the same sand burial depth for medium seed germination, and the latter was significantly higher than for small seed. We speculate that tolerance to sand burial and diversity of seed size increased the adaption of A. aphylla to this environment, contributing to its dominance in the windy and sandy area of Gurbantunggut desert. (author)

Effect of irradiation and extractive solvents on the Thevetia seed oil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Oil of irradiated thevetia seeds was extracted with different solvents. The effect of irradiation dosages on the extracted oils was studied by comparing the TLC chromatography of irradiated seed oil with that of non-radiated seeds. Saponification values were also compared.

Strong gravity effects in accreting black-hole systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niedzwiecki, A.

2006-01-01

I briefly review current status of studying effects of strong gravity in X-ray astronomy. Matter accreting onto a black hole probes the relativistic region of space-time and the high-energy radiation it produces should contain signatures of strong gravity effects. Current X-ray observations provide the evidence that the observed emission originates, in some cases, at a distance of a few gravitational radii from a black hole. Moreover, certain observations invoke interpretations favouring rapid rotation of the black hole. Some observational properties of black hole systems are supposed to result from the lack of a material surface in these objects. I consider further effects, specific for the black hole environment, which can be studied in X-ray data. Bulk motion Comptonization, which would directly reveal converging flow of matter plunging into a black hole, is unlikely to be important in formation of X-ray spectra. Similarly, Penrose processes are unlikely to give observational effects, although this issue has not been thoroughly studied so far for all plausible radiative mechanisms. (author)

Effect of gamma irradiation on fatty acids of tomato seed oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Sayed, S.A.; Raouf, M.S.; Morad, M.M.; Rady, A.H.

1979-01-01

Since gamma irradiation of tomatoes is investigated as a tool for increasing tomato shelf-lefe, in this study the tomato seed oil produced from irradiated tomatoes was compared with that produced from industrial tomato seeds and with cotton seeds. Fatty acid contents of tomato seed oil, produced from industrial tomato seed waste and from tomato seeds (Variety Ace), were found nearly the same as in the edible cotton seed oil. Hence, both tomato seed oils may be considered as an additional source of essential fatty acids especially linoleic. Gamma irradiation doses ranged from 50-200 Krad had no significant effect on total saturated and total unsaturated fatty acids. 200 Krad led to significant increases in lenolic acid on the account of insignificant decrease in palmatic acid. Essentail and non essential amino acids of tomato seed meal seem to be equivalent to these of cotton seed meal. This suggests the possible use of tomato seed meal in animal feeding

The Effect of Tempering on Strength Properties and Seed Coat ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of tempering on seed coat adhesion strength and mechanical strength of sorghum and millet grain kernels was investigated at different tempering durations. Tempering reduced the kernel breaking strength and had significant effect on seed coat adhesion strength. Tempering the grain for 60 minutes at ambient ...

The Cause of Gravity

OpenAIRE

Byrne, Michael

1999-01-01

Einstein said that gravity is an acceleration like any other acceleration. But gravity causes relativistic effects at non-relativistic speeds; so gravity could have relativistic origins. And since the strong force is thought to cause most of mass, and mass is proportional to gravity; the strong force is therefore also proportional to gravity. The strong force could thus cause relativistic increases of mass through the creation of virtual gluons; along with a comparable contraction of space ar...

Potential effects of arboreal and terrestrial avian dispersers on seed dormancy, seed germination and seedling establishment in Ormosia (Papilionoideae) species in Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, Mercedes S.

2008-01-01

The relative effectiveness of arboreal or terrestrial birds at dispersing seeds of Ormosia macrocalyx and O. bopiensis (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae) were studied in south-eastern Peru. Seeds of both species were either scarified, to represent seed condition after dispersal by terrestrial birds, or left intact, to represent seed condition after dispersal by arboreal birds. Seeds were distributed along forest transects, and germination, seedling development and mortality were monitored to determine the successes of the two groups at producing seedlings. Scarified seeds germinated with the early rains of the dry-to-wet-season transition, when erratic rainfall was interspersed with long dry spells. Intact seeds germinated 30 d later when the rain was more plentiful and regular. Intact seeds of O. macrocalyx gave rise to significantly more seedlings (41.1% vs. 25.5%) than did scarified seeds, in part, because significantly more seedlings from scarified seeds (n = 20) than from intact seeds (n = 3) died from desiccation when their radicles failed to enter the dry ground present during the dry-to-wet-season transition. Also, seedlings from scarified seeds were neither larger nor more robust than those from intact seeds despite their longer growing period. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that dispersal effectiveness of arboreal birds, at least for O. macrocalyx, is greater than that of terrestrial birds. Screen-house experiments in which seedlings developed under different watering regimes supported this result. Numbers of seedlings developing from intact and scarified seeds of O. bopiensis did not differ significantly.

Simultaneous measurement of gravity acceleration and gravity gradient with an atom interferometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorrentino, F.; Lien, Y.-H.; Rosi, G.; Tino, G. M.; Bertoldi, A.; Bodart, Q.; Cacciapuoti, L.; Angelis, M. de; Prevedelli, M.

2012-01-01

We demonstrate a method to measure the gravitational acceleration with a dual cloud atom interferometer; the use of simultaneous atom interferometers reduces the effect of seismic noise on the gravity measurement. At the same time, the apparatus is capable of accurate measurements of the vertical gravity gradient. The ability to determine the gravity acceleration and gravity gradient simultaneously and with the same instrument opens interesting perspectives in geophysical applications.

Organic leek seed production - securing seed quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, Lise Christina; Boelt, Birte

2011-01-01

To maintain integrity in organic farming, availability of organically produced GM-free seed of varieties adapted to organic production systems is of vital impor-tance. Despite recent achievements, organic seed supply for a number of vegetable species is insufficient. Still, in many countries...... seeds. Tunnel production is a means of securing seed of high genetic purity and quality, and organic leek (Allium porrum L.) seed production was tested in tunnels in Denmark. The present trial focused on steckling size and in all years large stecklings had a positive effect on both seed yield...

Organic Leek Seed Production - Securing Seed Quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Deleuran, L C; Boelt, B

2011-01-01

To maintain integrity in organic farming, availability of organically produced GM-free seed of varieties adapted to organic production systems is of vital impor-tance. Despite recent achievements, organic seed supply for a number of vegetable species is insufficient. Still, in many countries...... seeds. Tunnel production is a means of securing seed of high genetic purity and quality, and organic leek (Allium porrum L.) seed production was tested in tunnels in Denmark. The present trial focused on steckling size and in all years large stecklings had a positive effect on both seed yield...

Edge effect on post-dispersal artificial seed predation in the southeastern Amazonia, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Penido, G; Ribeiro, V; Fortunato, D S

2015-05-01

This paper evaluates the post-dispersal artificial seed predation rates in two areas of the southeastern Amazon forest-savanna boundary, central Brazil. We conducted the survey in a disturbance regime controlled research site to verify if exists an edge effect in these rates and if the disturbance (in this case annual fire and no fire) affects seed predation. We placed 800 peanuts seeds in each area at regular distance intervals from the fragment`s edge. Data were analyzed by a likelihood ratio model selection in generalized linear models (GLM). The complete model (with effects from edge distance and site and its interaction) was significative (F3=4.43; p=0.005). Seeds had a larger predation rates in fragment's interior in both areas, but in the controlled area (no disturbance) this effect was less linear. This suggests an edge effect for post-dispersal seed predation, and that disturbances might alter these effects. Even if we exclude the site effect (grouping both areas together) there is still a strong edge effect on seed predation rates (F3=32.679; p>0.001). We did not verify predator's species in this study; however, the presence of several species of ants was extremely common in the seeds. The detection of an edge effect in only a short survey time suggests that there is heterogeneity in predation rates and that this variation might affect plant recruitment in fragmented areas of the Amazon forest. Henceforth, this seed predation should be taken in consideration in reforestation projects, where the main source of plants species is from seed distribution.

The effect of different treatments on improving seed germination ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Creating optimal conditions for germination of medicinal plants seed is essential for their cultivation. Therefore, to evaluate the effect of different treatments on seed germination of two medicinal species, Descurainia sophia and Plantago ovata collected in 2009 from Tehran Province, an experiment with a factorial ...

Superconducting gravity gradiometer for sensitive gravity measurements. I. Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, H.A.; Paik, H.J.

1987-01-01

Because of the equivalence principle, a global measurement is necessary to distinguish gravity from acceleration of the reference frame. A gravity gradiometer is therefore an essential instrument needed for precision tests of gravity laws and for applications in gravity survey and inertial navigation. Superconductivity and SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) technology can be used to obtain a gravity gradiometer with very high sensitivity and stability. A superconducting gravity gradiometer has been developed for a null test of the gravitational inverse-square law and space-borne geodesy. Here we present a complete theoretical model of this instrument. Starting from dynamical equations for the device, we derive transfer functions, a common mode rejection characteristic, and an error model of the superconducting instrument. Since a gradiometer must detect a very weak differential gravity signal in the midst of large platform accelerations and other environmental disturbances, the scale factor and common mode rejection stability of the instrument are extremely important in addition to its immunity to temperature and electromagnetic fluctuations. We show how flux quantization, the Meissner effect, and properties of liquid helium can be utilized to meet these challenges

Antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects of pumpkin seed oil.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Mosallamy, Aliaa E M K; Sleem, Amany A; Abdel-Salam, Omar M E; Shaffie, Nermeen; Kenawy, Sanaa A

2012-02-01

Pumpkin seed oil is a natural product commonly used in folk medicine for treatment of prostatic hypertrophy. In the present study, the effects of treatment with pumpkin seed oil on hypertension induced by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) (50 mg /kg/day) in rats were studied and compared with those of the calcium channel blocker amlodipine. Pumpkin seed oil (40 or 100 mg/kg), amlodipine (0.9 mg/kg), or vehicle (control) was given once daily orally for 6 weeks. Arterial blood pressure (BP), heart rate, electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, levels of serum nitric oxide (NO) (the concentrations of nitrite/nitrate), plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), blood glutathione, and erythrocytic superoxide dismutase activity were measured. Histopathological examination of heart and aorta was conducted as well. L-NAME administration resulted in a significant increase in BP starting from the second week. Pumpkin seed oil or amlodipine treatment significantly reduced the elevation in BP by L-NAME and normalized the L-NAME-induced ECG changes-namely, prolongation of the RR interval, increased P wave duration, and ST elevation. Both treatments significantly decreased the elevated levels of MDA and reversed the decreased levels of NO metabolites to near normal values compared with the L-NAME-treated group. Amlodipine also significantly increased blood glutathione content compared with normal (but not L-NAME-treated) rats. Pumpkin seed oil as well as amlodipine treatment protected against pathological alterations in heart and aorta induced by L-NAME. In conclusion, this study has shown that pumpkin seed oil exhibits an antihypertensive and cardioprotective effects through a mechanism that may involve generation of NO.

[Effects of illumination and seed-soaking reagent on seed germination of Solanum nigrum].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chuan-Jie; Wei, Shu-He; Zhou, Qi-Xing; Hu, Ya-Hu; Niu, Rong-Cheng

2009-05-01

To explore a rapid seed germination method for hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum, a germination experiment with different illumination and seed-soaking treatments was conducted in constant temperature box and greenhouse, with filter as burgeon base. Under illumination, the germination rate was about 5 times high of that without illumination (P seed germination of S. nigrum. All test seed-soaking reagents could significantly improve the germination rate of S. nigrum (P seeds treated with H2O2 had the shortest germination time. The germination rate of seeds soaked but without cleaning was 2-3 times as high as that of seeds soaked and cleaned with water.

Radio-Frequency Illuminated Superconductive Disks: Reverse Josephson Effects and Implications for Precise Measuring of Proposed Gravity Effects

Science.gov (United States)

Noever, David A.; Koczor, Ronald J.

1998-01-01

We have previously reported results using a high precision gravimeter to probe local gravity changes in the neighborhood of large bulk-processed high-temperature superconductors. It have been indicated three essential components to achieve anomalous gravity effects, namely large, two-layer high-temperature YBCO superconductors, magnetic levitation and AC input in the form of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields. We report experiments on RF-illuminated (1-15 MHz) superconducting disks with corresponding gravity readings indicating an apparent increase in observed gravity of approximately 3-5 x l0(exp -5)cm/sq s, above and to the side of the superconductor. In this preliminary study, RF- illumination is achieved using a series of large radius (15 cm) spiral antenna with RF power inputs equal to or greater than 90 W. The observed gravitational modification range is significantly lower than the 2.1% gravity modification. The error analyses of thermal and electromagnetic interference in a magnetically shielded gravimeter with vacuum enclosures, Faraday cages and shielded instrument leads, are outlined both experimentally and theoretically. The nearly exact correspondence between the peak gravity effects reported and the well-known peak in AC resistance in superconductors (2-7 MHz, owing to reverse Josephson quantum effects) suggests that electrical resistance will arise in this frequency range and subsequently any trapped magnetic fields in the superconductor may disperse partially into the measuring instrument's local environment. Implications for propulsion initiatives and RF-heating in superconductors will be discussed.

Protective effect of pumpkin seed oil against genotoxicity induced by azathioprine

OpenAIRE

Elfiky, S.A.; Elelaimy, I.A.; Hassan, A.M.; Ibrahim, H.M.; Elsayad, R.I.

2012-01-01

Pumpkin is a leafy green vegetable; it belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family. Pumpkin seed oil supplementation can prevent changes in plasma lipids and blood pressure. The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of pumpkin seed oil against cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of azathioprine. Oral administration of pumpkin seed oil either before or after treatment of azathioprine was effective in the reduction of the frequencies of Mn-PCEs, decreased the DNA fragmentation, total ...

High voltage electric field effects on structure and biological characteristics of barley seeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khazaei, J. [Tehran Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Agrotechnology, Univ. College of Abouraihan; Aliabadi, E. [Tehran Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Crop Production Horticulture, Univ. College of Aburaihan; Shayegani, A.A. [Tehran Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Univ. College of Engineering

2010-07-01

Electric biostimulation of seeds is a pre-sowing treatment in which an electric field is applied to seeds to increase germination of non standard seeds. This paper reported on a study that examined the effects of AC electric field and exposure time on the structure and biological characteristics of barley seeds. The objective was to determine the potential to accelerate seed germination, plant growth and root development by the electric field strength and exposure time. Makooei cultivar barley seeds were used in this study. The effect of electric field strength (at 2, 4, 9, and 14 kV/m) and exposure time (at 15, 45, 80, and 150 min) on seed germination was studied along with height of seedling, length or root, height of stem, length of leaves, earliness, dry weight and wet weight of seedling. The treated seeds were stored for a month in a refrigerator at 5 degrees C prior to the germination experiments. The initial germination percent of the seed was 81 per cent. The treatment of barley seeds in an AC electric field had a positive effect on all investigated parameters. The germination percent of the treated seed increased to 94.5 per cent . The seeds exposed for long periods of time (45 to 150 min) showed better germination than the seeds exposed to lower exposure times. Dry and wet weights of seedling increased 143.4 per cent and 45.7 per cent, respectively.

Isolation and physico-chemical characterization of Butea parviflora seed oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaki, S.S.; Jabeen, T.; Reddy, J.R.C.; Ram Mohan, M.; Anjaneyulu, E.; Prasad, R.B.N.; Rao, B.V.S.K

2016-01-01

The seeds of Butea parviflora were investigated for oil extraction and the oil was studied for complete physico-chemical properties. The fatty acid profile of the seed oil showed oleic acid (18:1) at 27.5%, linoleic acid (18:2) at 26.4%, palmitic acid (16:0) at 16.1% and behenic acid (22:0) at 14.1% as the major fatty acids. The physico-chemical characteristics of the seed oil were studied for parameters such as free fatty acids (0.71%), iodine value (76.2 g/100g), peroxide value (5.95 ppm), saponification value (177.32 mg KOH/g), unsaponifiable matter (0.82%), phosphorous content (197 ppm), triglyceride analysis, tocols, specific gravity and refractive index following standard procedures. [es

Evaluation of the anti-fertility effect of Garcinia Kola Seeds on male ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In Nigeria, West Africa, Garcinia Kola seed is widely use for social, therapeutic and nutritional purposes. In recent times, there have been reports about its negative effects on male fertility. In view of this, a study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Garcinia Kola seed on male fertility indices. 2Kg of the Garcinia Kola seed ...

Edge effect on post-dispersal artificial seed predation in the southeastern Amazonia, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Penido

Full Text Available This paper evaluates the post-dispersal artificial seed predation rates in two areas of the southeastern Amazon forest-savanna boundary, central Brazil. We conducted the survey in a disturbance regime controlled research site to verify if exists an edge effect in these rates and if the disturbance (in this case annual fire and no fire affects seed predation. We placed 800 peanuts seeds in each area at regular distance intervals from the fragment`s edge. Data were analyzed by a likelihood ratio model selection in generalized linear models (GLM. The complete model (with effects from edge distance and site and its interaction was significative (F3=4.43; p=0.005. Seeds had a larger predation rates in fragment’s interior in both areas, but in the controlled area (no disturbance this effect was less linear. This suggests an edge effect for post-dispersal seed predation, and that disturbances might alter these effects. Even if we exclude the site effect (grouping both areas together there is still a strong edge effect on seed predation rates (F3=32.679; p>0.001. We did not verify predator’s species in this study; however, the presence of several species of ants was extremely common in the seeds. The detection of an edge effect in only a short survey time suggests that there is heterogeneity in predation rates and that this variation might affect plant recruitment in fragmented areas of the Amazon forest. Henceforth, this seed predation should be taken in consideration in reforestation projects, where the main source of plants species is from seed distribution.

Secular effects on inflation from one-loop quantum gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cabrer, J.A.; Espriu, D.

2008-01-01

In this Letter we revisit and extend a previous analysis where the possible relevance of quantum gravity effects in a cosmological setup was studied. The object of interest are non-local (logarithmic) terms generated in the effective action of gravity due to the exchange in loops of massless modes (such as photons or the gravitons themselves). We correct one mistake existing in the previous work and discuss the issue in a more general setting in different cosmological scenarios. We obtain the one-loop quantum-corrected evolution equations for the cosmological scale factor up to a given order in a derivative expansion in two particular cases: a matter dominated universe with vanishing cosmological constant, and in a de Sitter universe. We show that the quantum corrections, albeit tiny, may have a secular effect that eventually modifies the expansion rate. For a de Sitter universe they tend to slow down the rate of the expansion, while the effect may be the opposite in a matter dominated universe

Effects of Telfairia Occidentalis Seed Oil on Female Reproductive ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

S.T Shittu

Summary: The effects of T. occidentalis seed oil on some female reproductive indices were investigated in Wistar rats. The study was ... analysis of fluted pumpkin seed oil showed that it is ..... Akang, E., Oremosu, A. A., Dosumo, O. O., Noronhe, ... Current diabetes reports. ... reducing fat mass: a meta-analysis in humans.

Effect of fungicides on Wyoming big sagebrush seed germination

Science.gov (United States)

Robert D. Cox; Lance H. Kosberg; Nancy L. Shaw; Stuart P. Hardegree

2011-01-01

Germination tests of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young [Asteraceae]) seeds often exhibit fungal contamination, but the use of fungicides should be avoided because fungicides may artificially inhibit germination. We tested the effect of seed-applied fungicides on germination of Wyoming big sagebrush at 2 different...

Effect of Estrogen and Progeterone on seed germination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nirmala

Full Text Available Early pregnancy detection in dairy cattle is an integral part of a successful animal husbandry practice. A simple seed germination technique (Punyakoti test comprises observation of differential seed germination response of wheat seeds to diluted fresh urine samples as reflected by significant inhibition of germination percentage in pregnant cow urine when compared to non pregnant cow urine. Hormone metabolites excreted through urine might affect the seed germination in pregnant cow urine. In the present study an attempt was made to test the effect of hormones (in their natural forms at different concentrations of estrogen (17-ß estradiol and progesterone on wheat and green gram germination. Stock solutions of estrogen and progesterone were prepared in alcohol (1mg/ml and serial dilutions made using distilled water to get the concentrations of T1=10, T2=1, T3=0.1 and T4=0.01 μg/ml respectively in treatment groups. About 15 seeds each of wheat and green gram were taken in sterile Petri dishes into which 15ml of each test preparation was poured. The treatments were compared with distilled water and alcohol controls. The study was conducted for a period of five days during which seed germination was observed after 48 hrs and shoot lengths were also measured by the end of study. The average seed germination and shoot length in treatment groups did not vary significantly (P>0.05 when compared with that of control groups. Thus from the present study, it can be concluded that estrogen and progesterone in their natural form will not affect seed germination and shoot length. [Veterinary World 2008; 1(8.000: 241-242

Vilkovisky-DeWitt effective potential for Einstein gravity coupled to scalars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, H.T.; Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210)

1989-01-01

The Vilkovisky-DeWitt one-loop effective potential is constructed for Einstein gravity coupled nonminimally to scalars, and is proved explicitly to be independent of gauge choice, for a class of covariant gauges. Explicit forms of the effective potential in three cases are given. The first two cases are used to show that the Vilkovisky-DeWitt formalism is not just a gauge-fixed version of the conventional one in general. The last case concerns the possibility of inducing Einstein gravity dynamically in a Brans-Dicke-type model

Effects of animal's rumen juice on seed germination of Vicia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR TONUKARI NYEROVWO

2011-08-22

Aug 22, 2011 ... To help understand the effects of grazing on seed germination characteristics of Vicia angustifolia L., we conducted a ... feed forage seeds or reproduction organs selectively and changes the ... The mean daily air temperature ...

Acetylene Resembling Effect of Ethylene on Seed Germination: Evaluating the Effect of Acetylene Released from Calcium Carbide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kambiz MASHAYEKHI

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Some vegetable seeds need a very long time to germinate. In these kinds of seeds the second phase of germination is very long. As acetylene’s chemical structure is almost similar to the gaseous hormone ethylene, its’ physiological effect on seed germination should be very similar as well. Therefore, an experiment was established in order to enhance seed germination, by treating seeds with acetylene released from interaction of calcium carbide (CaC2 with water (H2O. A simple system was designed for efficient and proper use of gaseous acetylene resulted from the two substrates interaction, which conducted the produced gas obtained inside the interaction chamber into a sealed container wherein seeds were floating in water. This experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of one concentration of acetylene with different exposure periods (between 1 to 8 hours on parsley, celery and Swees chard seeds’ germination (chosen as late germinating vegetables. The effect of acetylene on seed germination speed and percent was investigated. There were significant differences in both percent and speed of germination within the various treatments. By floating for 3, 5 and 3 hours for parsley, celery and Swiss chard respectively, the highest germination rates were observed. The highest germination speed was achieved by 5, 5 and 3 hours floating respectively for parsley, celery and Swiss chard. Based on the results obtained, the current experiment suggests that acetylene has positive effect on enhancing seed germination of named vegetables, and played the role of ethylene, its effects resembling in regard to seed germination process.

Seed harvesting by a generalist consumer is context-dependent: Interactive effects across multiple spatial scales

Science.gov (United States)

Ostoja, Steven M.; Schupp, Eugene W.; Klinger, Rob

2013-01-01

Granivore foraging decisions affect consumer success and determine the quantity and spatial pattern of seed survival. These decisions are influenced by environmental variation at spatial scales ranging from landscapes to local foraging patches. In a field experiment, the effects of seed patch variation across three spatial scales on seed removal by western harvester ants Pogonomyrmex occidentalis were evaluated. At the largest scale we assessed harvesting in different plant communities, at the intermediate scale we assessed harvesting at different distances from ant mounds, and at the smallest scale we assessed the effects of interactions among seed species in local seed neighborhoods on seed harvesting (i.e. resource–consumer interface). Selected seed species were presented alone (monospecific treatment) and in mixture with Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass; mixture treatment) at four distances from P. occidentalis mounds in adjacent intact sagebrush and non-native cheatgrass-dominated communities in the Great Basin, Utah, USA. Seed species differed in harvest, with B. tectorum being least preferred. Large and intermediate scale variation influenced harvest. More seeds were harvested in sagebrush than in cheatgrass-dominated communities (largest scale), and the quantity of seed harvested varied with distance from mounds (intermediate-scale), although the form of the distance effect differed between plant communities. At the smallest scale, seed neighborhood affected harvest, but the patterns differed among seed species considered. Ants harvested fewer seeds from mixed-seed neighborhoods than from monospecific neighborhoods, suggesting context dependence and potential associational resistance. Further, the effects of plant community and distance from mound on seed harvest in mixtures differed from their effects in monospecific treatments. Beyond the local seed neighborhood, selection of seed resources is better understood by simultaneously evaluating removal at

Cosmology in massive gravity with effective composite metric

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heisenberg, Lavinia [Institute for Theoretical Studies, ETH Zurich Clausiusstrasse 47, 8092 Zurich (Switzerland); Refregier, Alexandre, E-mail: lavinia.heisenberg@eth-its.ethz.ch, E-mail: alexandre.refregier@phys.ethz.ch [Institute for Astronomy, Department of Physics, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, 8093, Zurich (Switzerland)

2016-09-01

This paper is dedicated to scrutinizing the cosmology in massive gravity. A matter field of the dark sector is coupled to an effective composite metric while a standard matter field couples to the dynamical metric in the usual way. For this purpose, we study the dynamical system of cosmological solutions by using phase analysis, which provides an overview of the class of cosmological solutions in this setup. This also permits us to study the critical points of the cosmological equations together with their stability. We show the presence of stable attractor de Sitter critical points relevant to the late-time cosmic acceleration. Furthermore, we study the tensor, vector and scalar perturbations in the presence of standard matter fields and obtain the conditions for the absence of ghost and gradient instabilities. Hence, massive gravity in the presence of the effective composite metric can accommodate interesting dark energy phenomenology, that can be observationally distinguished from the standard model according to the expansion history and cosmic growth.

A Model of Gravity Vector Measurement Noise for Estimating Accelerometer Bias in Gravity Disturbance Compensation.

Science.gov (United States)

Tie, Junbo; Cao, Juliang; Chang, Lubing; Cai, Shaokun; Wu, Meiping; Lian, Junxiang

2018-03-16

Compensation of gravity disturbance can improve the precision of inertial navigation, but the effect of compensation will decrease due to the accelerometer bias, and estimation of the accelerometer bias is a crucial issue in gravity disturbance compensation. This paper first investigates the effect of accelerometer bias on gravity disturbance compensation, and the situation in which the accelerometer bias should be estimated is established. The accelerometer bias is estimated from the gravity vector measurement, and a model of measurement noise in gravity vector measurement is built. Based on this model, accelerometer bias is separated from the gravity vector measurement error by the method of least squares. Horizontal gravity disturbances are calculated through EGM2008 spherical harmonic model to build the simulation scene, and the simulation results indicate that precise estimations of the accelerometer bias can be obtained with the proposed method.

A Model of Gravity Vector Measurement Noise for Estimating Accelerometer Bias in Gravity Disturbance Compensation

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Juliang; Cai, Shaokun; Wu, Meiping; Lian, Junxiang

2018-01-01

Compensation of gravity disturbance can improve the precision of inertial navigation, but the effect of compensation will decrease due to the accelerometer bias, and estimation of the accelerometer bias is a crucial issue in gravity disturbance compensation. This paper first investigates the effect of accelerometer bias on gravity disturbance compensation, and the situation in which the accelerometer bias should be estimated is established. The accelerometer bias is estimated from the gravity vector measurement, and a model of measurement noise in gravity vector measurement is built. Based on this model, accelerometer bias is separated from the gravity vector measurement error by the method of least squares. Horizontal gravity disturbances are calculated through EGM2008 spherical harmonic model to build the simulation scene, and the simulation results indicate that precise estimations of the accelerometer bias can be obtained with the proposed method. PMID:29547552

Effect of industrial pollution on seed germination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iqbal, M.Z.; Qadir, S.A.

1973-01-01

The germination behavior of seeds in polluted waters and polluted soil extracts was found to be identical, only a few species behaved differently. Prosopis juliflora, Haloxylon recurvum, Acacia senegal showed best germination in the two conditions but Prosopis juliflora was the most resistant to pollution. In Suaeda fruticosa no germination took place in the control treatment whereas highest germination (70%) was seen in treatment with polluted soil extract of EPLA. Blepharis sindica showed a stimulating effect of polluted water on germination, whereas low germination was observed when their seeds were treated with the soil extract of the same site. 40% germination of Suaeda monoica was seen in polluted water of Carbon and Ribbon Mfg. Co., whereas 30% germination was found in a control treatment. Low percentage of germination was found when the seeds of Cassia holosericea were treated with polluted waters of different industries as compared to soil extract treatments of the same industries. Datura alba showed 50, 30 and 10% seed germination in polluted soil extract of Carbon and Ribbon Mfg. Co., in control and in polluted water of Darbar Soap Works, respectively. 5 references, 1 table.

Interactive effects of pests increase seed yield.

Science.gov (United States)

Gagic, Vesna; Riggi, Laura Ga; Ekbom, Barbara; Malsher, Gerard; Rusch, Adrien; Bommarco, Riccardo

2016-04-01

Loss in seed yield and therefore decrease in plant fitness due to simultaneous attacks by multiple herbivores is not necessarily additive, as demonstrated in evolutionary studies on wild plants. However, it is not clear how this transfers to crop plants that grow in very different conditions compared to wild plants. Nevertheless, loss in crop seed yield caused by any single pest is most often studied in isolation although crop plants are attacked by many pests that can cause substantial yield losses. This is especially important for crops able to compensate and even overcompensate for the damage. We investigated the interactive impacts on crop yield of four insect pests attacking different plant parts at different times during the cropping season. In 15 oilseed rape fields in Sweden, we estimated the damage caused by seed and stem weevils, pollen beetles, and pod midges. Pest pressure varied drastically among fields with very low correlation among pests, allowing us to explore interactive impacts on yield from attacks by multiple species. The plant damage caused by each pest species individually had, as expected, either no, or a negative impact on seed yield and the strongest negative effect was caused by pollen beetles. However, seed yield increased when plant damage caused by both seed and stem weevils was high, presumably due to the joint plant compensatory reaction to insect attack leading to overcompensation. Hence, attacks by several pests can change the impact on yield of individual pest species. Economic thresholds based on single species, on which pest management decisions currently rely, may therefore result in economically suboptimal choices being made and unnecessary excessive use of insecticides.

Thermal effect on gravity waves in a compressible liquid layer over a ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

Abstract. This paper deals with the effect of temperature on gravity waves in a compressible liquid layer over a solid half-space. It has been assumed that the liquid layer is under the action of gravity, while the solid half-space is under the influence of initial compressive hydrostatic stress. When the temperature of the.

Effects of gravity level on bubble formation and rise in low-viscosity liquids

Science.gov (United States)

Suñol, Francesc; González-Cinca, Ricard

2015-05-01

We present an experimental analysis of the effects of gravity level on the formation and rise dynamics of bubbles. Experiments were carried out with millimeter-diameter bubbles in the hypergravity environment provided by the large-diameter centrifuge of the European Space Agency. Bubble detachment from a nozzle is determined by buoyancy and surface tension forces regardless of the gravity level. Immediately after detachment, bubble trajectory is deviated by the Coriolis force. Subsequent bubble rise is dominated by inertial forces and follows a zig-zag trajectory with amplitude and frequency dependent on the gravity level. Vorticity production is enhanced as gravity increases, which destabilizes the flow and therefore the bubble path.

Automated borehole gravity meter system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lautzenhiser, Th.V.; Wirtz, J.D.

1984-01-01

An automated borehole gravity meter system for measuring gravity within a wellbore. The gravity meter includes leveling devices for leveling the borehole gravity meter, displacement devices for applying forces to a gravity sensing device within the gravity meter to bring the gravity sensing device to a predetermined or null position. Electronic sensing and control devices are provided for (i) activating the displacement devices, (ii) sensing the forces applied to the gravity sensing device, (iii) electronically converting the values of the forces into a representation of the gravity at the location in the wellbore, and (iv) outputting such representation. The system further includes electronic control devices with the capability of correcting the representation of gravity for tidal effects, as well as, calculating and outputting the formation bulk density and/or porosity

Artificial gravity - The evolution of variable gravity research

Science.gov (United States)

Fuller, Charles A.; Sulzman, Frank M.; Keefe, J. Richard

1987-01-01

The development of a space life science research program based on the use of rotational facilities is described. In-flight and ground centrifuges can be used as artificial gravity environments to study the following: nongravitational biological factors; the effects of 0, 1, and hyper G on man; counter measures for deconditioning astronauts in weightlessness; and the development of suitable artificial gravity for long-term residence in space. The use of inertial fields as a substitute for gravity, and the relations between the radius of the centrifuge and rotation rate and specimen height and rotation radius are examined. An example of a centrifuge study involving squirrel monkeys is presented.

Effect of External Disturbing Gravity Field on Spacecraft Guidance and Surveying Line Layout for Marine Gravity Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HUANG Motao

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Centred on the support requirement of flying track control for a long range spacecraft, a detail research is made on the computation of external disturbing gravity field, the survey accuracy of gravity anomaly on the earth' surface and the program of surveying line layout for marine gravity survey. Firstly, the solution expression of navigation error for a long range spacecraft is analyzed and modified, and the influence of the earth's gravity field on flying track of spacecraft is evaluated. Then with a given limited quota of biased error of spacecraft drop point, the accuracy requirement for calculating the external disturbing gravity field is discussed and researched. Secondly, the data truncation error and the propagated data error are studied and estimated, and the quotas of survey resolution and computation accuracy for gravity anomaly on the earth' surface are determined. Finally, based on the above quotas, a corresponding program of surveying line layout for marine gravity survey is proposed. A numerical test has been made to prove the reasonableness and validity of the suggested program.

Analysis of datum-instability effect on calculated results of data from Longmen Mountain regional gravity network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun Shaoan

2011-11-01

Full Text Available A statistical correlation method is used to study the effect of instability of the calculation datum (used in traditional method of indirect adjustment on calculated gravity results, using data recorded by Long-men Mountain regional gravity network during 1996 – 2007. The result shows that when this effect is corrected, anomalous gravity changes before the 2008 Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake become obvious and characteristically distinctive. Thus the datum-stability problem must be considered when processing and analyzing data recorded by a regional gravity network.

Thermal effect on gravity waves in a compressible liquid layer over a ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This paper deals with the effect of temperature on gravity waves in a compressible liquid layer over a solid half-space. It has been assumed that the liquid layer is under the action of gravity, while the solid half-space is under the influence of initial compressive hydrostatic stress. When the temperature of the half-space is ...

Effect of space flight factors on alfalfa seeds | Ren | African Journal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. To explore the effect of space flight factors on the early development of alfalfa seedling, dry seeds were placed onboard a satellite for a 15-day flight. After retrieval, the ultra structure of seed coat and the chemical content of seed were tested, followed by tests for germinate ability, seedling growth, and mitotic and ...

Stability of the stimulatory effect of preirradiation of agricultural plant seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seregina, M.T.; Orlov, V.V.; Batygin, N.F.

1982-01-01

Three interrelated and interdependent factors are responsible for stability of the results obtained with preirradiation of seeds, they are: quality of seeds to be sowed, irradiation schedule and postirradiation conditions. Should these factors be taken into account one can obtain a stable stimulatory effect. The harvest increments make 10-30% after preirradiation of air-dry seeds

New effective coupled F((4)R, φ) modified gravity from f((5)R) gravity in five dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madriz Aguilar, Jose Edgar

2015-01-01

Using some ideas of the Wesson induced matter theory, we obtain a new kind of F( (4) R, φ) modified gravity theory as an effective four-dimensional (4D) theory derived from f( (5) R) gravity in five dimensions (5D). This new theory exhibits a different matter coupling than the one in BBHL theory. We show that the field equations of the Wesson induced matter theory and of some brane-world scenarios can be obtained as maximally symmetric solutions of the same f( (5) R) theory. We found criteria for the Dolgov-Kawasaki instabilities for both the f( (5) R) and the F( (4) R, φ) theories. We demonstrate that under certain conditions imposed on the 5D geometry it is possible to interpret the F( (4) R, φ) theory as a modified gravity theory with dynamical coefficients, making this new theory a viable candidate to address the present accelerating cosmic expansion issue. Matter sources in the F( (4) R, φ) case appear induced by the 5D geometry without the necessity of the introduction of matter sources in 5D. (orig.)

Mimicking the effect of gravity using an elastic membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Yecun; Zhu, Changqing; Wang, Yijun; Shi, Qingfan

2014-01-01

Comparing astrospace with an elastic membrane is an interesting analogy but it lacks a theoretical basis and experimental support. We develop a theoretical model that brings to light the relationship between the conceptual model of a gravity well and an elastic deformation equation of a membrane supporting a heavy ball, and further derive the ‘gravitational constant’ for such a small ‘elastic space’. The experimental data obtained are consistent with the prediction of our model, in mimicking the revolution of a small planet. Teaching practice shows that using an elastic membrane is a simple, intuitive and reliable method to enhance the quality of learning about the effect of gravity. (paper)

Using of dimensional analysis to determine the parameters of gravity separator table device to minimize impurities in bulk lentils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H Bagheri

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction Lentil (Lens culinaris medic is an important and highly nutritious crop belonging to the family of legumes. Lentil is cultivated worldwide but competition with weeds is a problem affecting production and can reduce yield by more than 80%. The study on the separation of impurities in bulk lentils (Euphorbia helioscopia weed, Wild oat weed and etc. by a gravity separator has an extreme importance. Since no study has been done to date, in this study, the effects of different parameters of a gravity separator (longitudinal and latitudinal slopes, oscillation frequency and amplitude on the separation of foreign matters in lentil seeds were evaluated. A dimensionless number (v/aω which shows ration of air current velocity blown to lentil to the maximum velocity of table oscillation, was considered in ratio of separation. Materials and Methods In this research, lentil samples were taken from farms in Ardebil Province (Bileh-Savar cultivar. A gravity separator apparatus was also used for separating impurities from lentil seeds. A Laboratory Gravity Separator Type LA-K (Westrup A/S Denmark was used to separate impurities from bulk lentils. In this machine, table settings were as follows; longitudinal slope parameters (1°,1.5°, 1.75°, 2° and 2.5°, latitudinal slope (0.5°, 1°, and 1.5°, frequency of oscillation (380, 400, 420 and 450 cycles min-1, and amplitude of oscillation (5 and 7 mm, these settings were all adjustable. Similarly, the instrument had 5 boxes whereby, through proper adjustment, the heavier material was transferred toward the right side of the table and lighter material moved toward the left side. Through proper adjustment of the main parameters of the instrument, the impurities were separated from bulk lentils. Then using an electronic seed counter, five groups of seed which each group containing 100 seeds were counted and selected. Results and Discussion The results of variance analysis of the factorial design with

UV caps, IR modification of gravity, and recovery of 4D gravity in regularized braneworlds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Tsutomu

2008-01-01

In the context of six-dimensional conical braneworlds we consider a simple and explicit model that incorporates long-distance modification of gravity and regularization of codimension-2 singularities. To resolve the conical singularities we replace the codimension-2 branes with ringlike codimension-1 branes, filling in the interiors with regular caps. The six-dimensional Planck scale in the cap is assumed to be much greater than the bulk Planck scale, which gives rise to the effect analogous to brane-induced gravity. Weak gravity on the regularized brane is studied in the case of a sharp conical bulk. We show by a linear analysis that gravity at short distances is effectively described by the four-dimensional Brans-Dicke theory, while the higher dimensional nature of gravity emerges at long distances. The linear analysis breaks down at some intermediate scale, below which four-dimensional Einstein gravity is shown to be recovered thanks to the second-order effects of the brane bending.

Hypolipidemic effect of seed oil of noni (Morinda citrifolia).

Science.gov (United States)

Pazos, Diana C; Jiménez, Fabiola E; Garduño, Leticia; López, V Eric; Cruz, M Carmen

2011-07-01

Morinda citrifolia, has been reported to posses different biological activities and almost all parts of this have been studied phytochemically. However there are few studies on the seeds of fruit. The objective of present study was investigated the effect to Noni Seed Oil (NSO) on serum lipid levels in normolipidemic and hyperlipidemic induced mice. We find that administration of noni oil causes a reduction in total cholesterol and triglycerides levels in both models. However hypolipidemic effect is higher when hyperlipidemia is presented.

Effects of Accelerated Aging on Soybean Seed Germination Indexes at Laboratory Conditions

OpenAIRE

Zahra RASTEGAR; Mohammad SEDGHI; Saeid KHOMARI

2011-01-01

Reduction of seedling growth is a consequence of seed deterioration. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of duration of seed aging on soybean seed germination characteristics. Experiment conducted as completely randomized design with 4 replications. The seeds of �DPX� line of soybean with 15-16% moisture were incubated for 3, 7, 10, 14, 17 day at 40�C in sealed containers for ageing treatment and non aged seeds were considered as control. Results showed that rapid aging treatm...

Seed dimorphism nutrients and salinity differentially affect seed traits of the desert halophyte Suaeda aralocaspica via multiple maternal effects.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, L.; Baskin, J.M.; Baskin, C.C.; Cornelissen, J.H.C.; Dong, M.; Huang, Z.Y.

2012-01-01

Background: Maternal effects may influence a range of seed traits simultaneously and are likely to be context-dependent. Disentangling the interactions of plant phenotype and growth environment on various seed traits is important for understanding regeneration and establishment of species in natural

Effect of low gamma-ray doses and seeding rates on growth, yield and its components as well as seed quality of lentils (lens Culinaries, med.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dprgham, E.A.

1999-01-01

To study the effect of low doses gamma-rays and seeding rates on growth, yield and its components as well as seed quality, two experiments were conducted during 1993/1994 and 1994/1995 seasons. Each experiment included treatments which were the combinations of three levels of seeding rates (45,60 and 75kg/fed.) and four doses of gamma-rays (15, 25,35 and 45(Gy). The effect of interaction between seeding rates and gamma doses on growth characters was not significant whereas there was a tendency for improvement of growth characters by increasing gamma doses up to 45 Gy. Different gamma doses caused marked increase for lintil's yield components except the number of seeds/plant while high seeding rates (60 and 75 Kg/fed) reduced significantly the number of pods/plant and number of seeds/plant. For yield, various gamma doses showed significant increase for seed straw yield as compared to the control. However, seeding rates of 60 and 75 kg/fed increased significantly seed and straw yield as compared with the seeding rate of 45 kg/fed (control)

Effects of gamma radiation on faba bean seed beetle Bruchus Dentipes Bande

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansour, Mohammed; Al-Bachir, Mahfouz

1993-04-01

Faba bean, Vivia bata, is one of the most important agricultural legume plants in Syria. Like any other crop, it is attacked by several insect pests. The most important of these is the faba bean seed beetle, Bruchus Dentipes Baudi. Infestation occurs only in the field and the major source of infestation is infested seed used for planting. The average infestation rate is about 45% and this reduces the economic value of the seeds to less than 50%. Chemical control in the field is effective but too expensive. Treating seeds in storage with fumigants is not as effective as it used to be, probably because of the pest developing resistance. Biological control has been investigated but their is no practically acceptable biological control agent at present. The lack of an effective biological control agent and/or economically acceptable and environmentally sound chemical control has led us to investigate the possibility of using gamma radiation to disinfest faba bean seeds as soon as possible after harvest when the insect is still in its early development stages. Infested faba bean seeds were treated immediately after harvest with 4 levels of gamma radiation ranged from 30 to 120 Gy with 30 Gy intervals. Treatment was repeated 15 and 30 days later and the effect of gamma radiation on larval survival was evaluated. The results showed that 90 Gy was sufficient to stop larval development and cause a 100% mortality. This dose, however, affected negatively seed germination. These results indicate that it is possible to disinfest faba bean seeds stored for human consumption with 90 Gy of gamma radiation. However, seeds destined for planting can not be treated with this dose. (author). 35 refs., 6 tabs., 2 figs

Effects of glyphosate acid and the glyphosate-commercial formulation (Roundup) on Dimorphandra wilsonii seed germination: Interference of seed respiratory metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Marcelo Pedrosa; da Silva Cruz, Fernanda Vieira; Bicalho, Elisa Monteze; Borges, Felipe Viègas; Fonseca, Marcia Bacelar; Juneau, Philippe; Garcia, Queila Souza

2017-01-01

Glyphosate-formulations are widely used in the Brazilian Cerrado (neotropical savanna) with little or no control, threatening population of the endangered species Dimorphandra wilsonii. We investigated the toxicity of different concentrations (0, 5, 25 and 50 mg l -1 ) of glyphosate acid and one of its formulations (Roundup ® ) on seed germination in D. wilsonii. Glyphosate acid and Roundup drastically decreased seed germination by decreasing seed respiration rates. The activation of antioxidant enzymes, ascorbate peroxidase and catalase assure no hydrogen peroxide accumulation in exposed seeds. Glyphosate acid and the Roundup-formulation negatively affected the activities of enzymes associated with the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), with Complex III as its precise target. The toxicity of Roundup-formulation was greater than that of glyphosate acid due to its greater effects on respiration. The herbicide glyphosate must impair D. wilsonii seed germination by disrupting the mitochondrial ETC, resulting in decreased energy (ATP) production. Our results therefore indicate the importance of avoiding (or closely regulating) the use of glyphosate-based herbicides in natural Cerrado habitats of D. wilsonni as they are toxic to seed germination and therefore threaten conservation efforts. It will likewise be important to investigate the effects of glyphosate on the seeds of other species and to investigate the impacts of these pesticides elsewhere in the world. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Height, Wing Length, and Wing Symmetry on Tabebuia rosea Seed Dispersal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yasmeen Moussa

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The relationship between the vertical drop height and the horizontal distance traveled (dispersal ratio was investigated for a sample of fifty Tabebuia rosea seeds by dropping the seeds from five heights ranging from 1.00 to 2.00 meters. The dispersal ratio was found to be a constant 0.16 m/m for these heights. The effects of total seed length and asymmetry of seed wings on dispersal ratio were also measured using separate samples of fifty Tabebuia rosea seeds. It was found that neither seed length nor asymmetry had a significant effect on the dispersal ratio.

Efficiency of alfalfa seed processing with different seed purity

OpenAIRE

Đokić, Dragoslav; Stanisavljević, Rade; Terzić, Dragan; Milenković, Jasmina; Radivojević, Gordana; Koprivica, Ranko; Štrbanović, Ratibor

2015-01-01

The work was carried out analysis of the impact of the initial purity of raw alfalfa seed on the resulting amount of processed seed in the processing. Alfalfa is very important perennial forage legume which is used for fodder and seed production. Alfalfa seed is possible to achieve high yields and very good financial effects. To obtain the seed material with good characteristics complex machines for cleaning and sorting seeds are used. In the processing center of the Institute for forage crop...

Minimal effectiveness of native and non-native seeding following three high-severity wildfire

Science.gov (United States)

Ken A. Stella; Carolyn H. Sieg; Pete Z. Fule

2010-01-01

The rationale for seeding following high-severity wildfires is to enhance plant cover and reduce bare ground, thus decreasing the potential for soil erosion and non-native plant invasion. However, experimental tests of the effectiveness of seeding in meeting these objectives in forests are lacking. We conducted three experimental studies of the effectiveness of seeding...

The protective effect of Mucuna pruriens seeds against snake venom poisoning.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Nget Hong; Fung, Shin Yee; Sim, Si Mui; Marinello, Enrico; Guerranti, Roberto; Aguiyi, John C

2009-06-22

The seed, leaf and root of Mucuna pruriens have been used in traditional medicine for treatments of various diseases. In Nigeria, the seed is used as oral prophylactics for snakebite. To study the protective effects of Mucuna pruriens seed extract against the lethalities of various snake venoms. Rats were pre-treated with Mucuna pruriens seed extract and challenged with various snake venoms. The effectiveness of anti-Mucuna pruriens (anti-MPE) antibody to neutralize the lethalities of snake venoms was investigated by in vitro neutralization. In rats, MPE pre-treatment conferred effective protection against lethality of Naja sputatrix venom and moderate protection against Calloselasma rhodostoma venom. Indirect ELISA and immunoblotting studies showed that there were extensive cross-reactions between anti-MPE IgG and venoms from many different genera of poisonous snakes, suggesting the involvement of immunological neutralization in the protective effect of MPE pre-treatment against snake venom poisoning. In vitro neutralization experiments showed that the anti-MPE antibodies effectively neutralized the lethalities of Asiatic cobra (Naja) venoms, but were not very effective against other venoms tested. The anti-MPE antibodies could be used in the antiserum therapy of Asiatic cobra (Naja) bites.

A gauge/gravity relation in the one-loop effective action

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basar, Goekce; Dunne, Gerald V

2010-01-01

We identify an unusual new gauge/gravity relation: the one-loop effective action for a massive spinor in 2n-dimensional AdS space is expressed in terms of precisely the same function (a certain multiple gamma function) as the one-loop effective action for a massive charged scalar in 4n dimensions in a maximally symmetric background electromagnetic field (one for which the eigenvalues of F μν are maximally degenerate, corresponding in four dimensions to a self-dual field, equivalently to a field of definite helicity), subject to the identification F 2 ↔Λ, where Λ is the gravitational curvature. Since these effective actions generate the low energy limit of all one-loop multi-leg graviton or gauge amplitudes, this implies a nontrivial gauge/gravity relation at the non-perturbative level and at the amplitude level. (fast track communication)

The Effect of Storage on Some Properties of 3 Different Ground Poppy Seed Fats

OpenAIRE

Maden, Besim; Yalçın, Seda

2017-01-01

Thepoppy seed is a traditional product in Afyon. There are there type poppy seed. Theseare white poppy seed, yellow poppy seed and gray poppy seed. The objective of thisstudy is to investigate the effect of storage at 15-20⁰C for several times (0, 7,15, 30, 45 and 60 days) on some properties of 3 different poppy seed fats. In thisstudy, fats were obtained from white poppy seed (TMO1), yellow poppy seed (TMO2)and gray poppy seed (Afyon-95). Then free fatty acid amount (%), peroxide value(meq O...

Variations in seed traits of castor ( Ricinus communis ) accessions ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The physicochemical analysis showed that castor seed and oil had saponification value of 182.9 mg/g, moisture content of 4.4%, acid value of 3.085 mg/g, viscosity of 110.41 cP, pH of 6.11, iodine value of 8.46 mg/g, specific gravity of 0.962 and refractive index of 1.477˚C. The proximate analysis showed that moisture ...

Induced quantum conformal gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Novozhilov, Y.V.; Vassilevich, D.V.

1988-11-01

Quantum gravity is considered as induced by matter degrees of freedom and related to the symmetry breakdown in the low energy region of a non-Abelian gauge theory of fundamental fields. An effective action for quantum conformal gravity is derived where both the gravitational constant and conformal kinetic term are positive. Relation with induced classical gravity is established. (author). 15 refs

Effects of Osmo- and Hydro-priming on Seed Parameters of Sage

African Journals Online (AJOL)

dastanpoor

2013-03-13

Mar 13, 2013 ... Effects of hydropriming on seed germination and seedling ... through stem cuttings. .... and shoot length, and seedling fresh and dry weights were .... division in all the cells of germinating seeds. .... electric field treatments.

Opiates in poppy seed: effect on urinalysis results after consumption of poppy seed cake-filling.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettitt, B C; Dyszel, S M; Hood, L V

1987-07-01

We report the analysis of poppy seed filling for morphine and codeine content. Concentrations in the range 17.4 to 18.6 micrograms/g (morphine) and 2.3 to 2.5 micrograms/g (codeine) were found in different lots of the filling, which is widely used in baking. The effect of consumption of poppy seed filling on opiate urinalysis results is discussed. Morphine concentrations as high as 4.5 mg/L are reported, with persistence of concentrations greater than 0.3 mg/L as long as 35 h after consumption.

Effects of Gravity and Inlet/Outlet Location on a Two-Phase Cocurrent Imbibition in Porous Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. F. El-Amin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We introduce 2D numerical investigations of the problem of gravity and inlet/outlet location effects of water-oil two-phase cocurrent imbibition in a porous medium. Three different cases of side-, top-, and bottom-inlet location are considered. Two-dimensional computations are carried out using the finite element method. Intensive comparisons are done between considering and neglecting gravity effect on water saturation, pressures of water and oil as well as water velocity. Results are introduced either in curves or as 2D visualization graphs. The results indicate that the buoyancy effects due to gravity force take place depending on inlet location. So, the buoyancy force in the momentum equations of the co-current imbibition model cannot be neglected as done by several previous studies. Also, we note that the 2D zero gravity model has a uniform flow and may be represented as 1D flow unlike the 2D nonzero gravity model showing a nonuniform flow.

Effects of gravity and inlet/outlet location on a two-phase cocurrent imbibition in porous media

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed

2011-01-01

We introduce 2D numerical investigations of the problem of gravity and inlet/outlet location effects of water-oil two-phase cocurrent imbibition in a porous medium. Three different cases of side-, top-, and bottom-inlet location are considered. Two-dimensional computations are carried out using the finite element method. Intensive comparisons are done between considering and neglecting gravity effect on water saturation, pressures of water and oil as well as water velocity. Results are introduced either in curves or as 2D visualization graphs. The results indicate that the buoyancy effects due to gravity force take place depending on inlet location. So, the buoyancy force in the momentum equations of the co-current imbibition model cannot be neglected as done by several previous studies. Also, we note that the 2D zero gravity model has a uniform flow and may be represented as 1D flow unlike the 2D nonzero gravity model showing a nonuniform flow. Copyright 2011 M. F. El-Amin and Shuyu Sun.

Effect of nuclear stars gravity on quasar radiation feedback on the parsec-scale

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiao-Hong; Bu, De-Fu

2018-05-01

It is often suggested that a super massive black hole is embedded in a nuclear bulge of size of a few 102 parsec . The nuclear stars gravity is not negligible near ˜10parsec. In order to study the effect of nuclear stars gravity on quasar radiation feedback on the parsec scale, we have simulated the parsec scale flows irradiated by a quasar by taking into account the gravitational potential of both the black hole and the nuclear star cluster. We find that the effect of nuclear stars gravity on the parsec-scale flows is related to the fraction of X-ray photons in quasar radiation. For the models in which the fraction of X-ray photons is not small (e.g. the X-ray photons contribute to 20% of the quasar radiation), the nuclear stars gravity is very helpful to collimate the outflows driven by UV photons, significantly weakens the outflow power at the outer boundary and significantly enhances the net accretion rate onto the black hole. For the models in which X-ray photons are significantly decreased (e.g. the X-ray photons contribute to 5% of the quasar radiation), the nuclear stars gravity can just slightly change properties of outflow and slightly enhance the net accretion rate onto the black hole.

Drought effects on reproductive and growth characteristics in seed orchards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varol, T.; Ozel, H. B.; Bilir, N.

2017-01-01

Global climate change is one of the most important environmental problems, and it is also known that this change will lead to negative effects such as drought and increase in global temperature. This change is also estimated to increase its episodic effects negatively on growth and reproduction of the forest trees. In order to estimate the episodic or continuous effects of the drought, it is necessary to carry out studies based on long-term data. One of these studies are the investigation to be carried out on seed orchards that are one of the most important seed resources in forestry. Within this context, in this study, we determined to the reproductive and growth responses of the clones to the drought that continued in the most drought season (2012) for 2 subsequent years along with 65-year climate data for Red Pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) and Taurus Cedar (Cedrus libani Rich.). The relationships of SPEI values with seed characteristics and cone production were examined by using Spearman Correlation Analysis. According to the results obtained from this study, it was found that the severe drought was effected the reproductive characteristics of both of red pine and cedar. The effect of drought on the number of cone (r=-0.810, P=0.022) in red pine and on the number of 1-year-old cones (r=-0.40, P=0.027) and on cone moisture (r=-0.715, P=0.022) in cedar was quite evident. These results indicate that approximately 65% of the change in number of cone in Red Pine and approximately 51% of the change in moisture content of the cones in cedar can be explained with the drought. From the data, it is clear that the drought is effective on the cone yield and seed characteristics in seed orchards of both of Red Pine and Taurus Cedar species. (author)

Effect of seed coat on the seed germination and seedling development of Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (Clusiaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valquíria Aparecida Mendes de Jesus

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This work aimed to study the effect of the Calophyllum brasiliense seed coat on the seed germination process. To this end, three experiments were conducted in laboratory, greenhouse and screenhouse. From a total of six treatments, five are related to the seed coat (mechanical scarification; mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water, chemical scarification, hot water immersion and complete seed coat removal and one control. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD. Screenhouse experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design (RBD. We evaluated the total percentage, the speed index and the average time of germination or emergence. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means compared by LSD test, at 5%. Under the conditions of this work, it was possible to infer that, in laboratory, mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water increases the proportion and germination speed index (GSI, in the greenhouse, the complete seed coat removal increases the percentage and emergence speed index (ESI, and in the screenhouse, mechanical scarification followed by 2 hours in water and chemical scarification presented the best results. The average germination time was not significantly different in the three experiments evaluated.

On the covariant formalism of the effective field theory of gravity and leading order corrections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Codello, Alessandro; Jain, Rajeev Kumar

2016-01-01

We construct the covariant effective field theory of gravity as an expansion in inverse powers of the Planck mass, identifying the leading and next-to-leading quantum corrections. We determine the form of the effective action for the cases of pure gravity with cosmological constant as well...... as gravity coupled to matter. By means of heat kernel methods we renormalize and compute the leading quantum corrections to quadratic order in a curvature expansion. The final effective action in our covariant formalism is generally non-local and can be readily used to understand the phenomenology...... on different spacetimes. In particular, we point out that on curved backgrounds the observable leading quantum gravitational effects are less suppressed than on Minkowski spacetime....

A Quick-Test for Biochar Effects on Seed Germination ...

Science.gov (United States)

Biochar is being globally evaluated as a soil amendment to improve soil characteristics (e.g. soil water holding, nutrient exchange, microbiology, pesticides and chemical availability) to increase crop yields. Unfortunately, there are no quick tests to determine what biochar types are most effective at improving soil characteristics amenable for higher crop yields. Seed germination is a critical parameter for plant establishment and may be a quick indicator of biochar quality. We adapted Oregon State University Seed Laboratory procedures to develop a “quick-test” for screening the effects of biochar on seed germination. We used 11.0 cm rectangular x 3.5 cm deep containers fitted with blotter paper. The paper was premoistened with reverse-osmosis water, followed by placement of seeds (25 in a uniform 5 x 5 vacuum-assisted pattern, and biochar mixtures). A Norfolk and Coxville soil series from South Carolina were used. A total of 18 biochars were evaluated that were produced from 6 feedstocks (pine chips, poultry litter, swine solids, switchgrass, and two blends of pine chips and poultry litter); with biochar from each feedstock made by pyrolysis at 350, 500 and 700 ̊ C. Crops were cabbage, cucumber, onion, ryegrass and tomato. Preliminary results from the test indicated differences in seed germination due to soil type and possibly soil x biochar feedstock interactions. Other measurements including shoot dry weight per plate and pH of the soil+ biochar mixtur

Effective flocculation of fine mineral suspensions using Moringa oleifera seeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pickett, T.M. [Bureau of Mines, Reno, NV (United States)

1995-12-31

The purpose of this research was to investigate the feasibility of using Moringa oleifera seeds, or the active components of the seeds, in the clarification of waters containing suspended mineral fines. In comparative testing using a hematite suspension, the flocculating activity of Moringa oleifera seeds was better than alum. Twenty milligrams of seed powder was sufficient to clarify the hematite to near zero turbidity, while the same amount of alum had a minimal effect on turbidity. Extracts were prepared from the seeds in an attempt to separate the proteins. A crude protein extract was enriched by lowering the pH to 6.0. Only 0.08 mg/L of the enriched extract was required to flocculate a minusil suspension. Environmentally friendly protein flocculants could theoretically be produced and enhanced with recombinant DNA techniques as an alternative to chemical flocculants currently used in water treatment.

Cytochrome C effect on gamma-ray efficiency on barley seeds at different metabolic states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yankulov, M.

1981-01-01

Radiobiological studies of the effect of gamma-rays on the barley seeds were performed. It was shown that the different metabolic states of the seeds do not modify the effect of the independent treatment with cytochrome C, while the action of the gamma-rays is markedly modified. With the increase in the preliminary seed soaking time in H 2 O, the total lethality in the case of irradiated treatments rises from 54.10% to 91.00% and that of sterility to 13.13 and 57.44% for 12 and 72 hrs, respectively. The preliminary and post-irradiation treatment of seeds with cytochrome C markedly reduces the effect of gamma-rays, calculated by the criteria of general lethality and sterility, the trend towards an increase in the sensitivity with the increase in the extention of the preliminary soaking time of seeds in water being preserved. Preliminary soaking in the seeds in water also modifies the mutagenic effect of gamma-rays to a considerable extent. (author)

A Cost–Effective Computer-Based, Hybrid Motorised and Gravity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A Cost–Effective Computer-Based, Hybrid Motorised and Gravity-Driven Material Handling System for the Mauritian Apparel Industry. ... Thus, many companies are investing significantly in a Research & Development department in order to design new techniques to improve worker's efficiency, and to decrease the amount ...

Effects of seed priming and water potential on seed germination and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-05-23

May 23, 2011 ... (without seed drying), primed and 12 h drying on seed germination of wheat .... completely with the lower half and the paper were rolled and placed ..... water stress and control of germination: a review. Plant Cell Environ.

Nonsingular universe in massive gravity's rainbow

Science.gov (United States)

Hendi, S. H.; Momennia, M.; Eslam Panah, B.; Panahiyan, S.

2017-06-01

One of the fundamental open questions in cosmology is whether we can regard the universe evolution without singularity like a Big Bang or a Big Rip. This challenging subject stimulates one to regard a nonsingular universe in the far past with an arbitrarily large vacuum energy. Considering the high energy regime in the cosmic history, it is believed that Einstein gravity should be corrected to an effective energy dependent theory which could be acquired by gravity's rainbow. On the other hand, employing massive gravity provided us with solutions to some of the long standing fundamental problems of cosmology such as cosmological constant problem and self acceleration of the universe. Considering these aspects of gravity's rainbow and massive gravity, in this paper, we initiate studying FRW cosmology in the massive gravity's rainbow formalism. At first, we show that although massive gravity modifies the FRW cosmology, but it does not itself remove the big bang singularity. Then, we generalize the massive gravity to the case of energy dependent spacetime and find that massive gravity's rainbow can remove the early universe singularity. We bring together all the essential conditions for having a nonsingular universe and the effects of both gravity's rainbow and massive gravity generalizations on such criteria are determined.

Effects of seed density and proximity to refuge habitat on seed predation rates for a rare and a common Lupinus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Pardini, Eleanor A; Patten, Melissa V; Knight, Tiffany M

2017-03-01

Biotic interactions such as seed predation can play a role in explaining patterns of abundance among plant species. The effect of seed predation will depend on how the strength of predation differs across species and environments, and on the degree to which seed loss at one life-cycle phase increases fitness at another phase. Few studies have simultaneously quantified predispersal and postdispersal predation in co-occurring rare and common congeners, despite the value of estimating both for understanding causes of rarity. We quantified predispersal seed predation on the rare, herbaceous species Lupinus tidestromii (Fabaceae) and its common, shrubby congener L. chamissonis across multiple years in the same community. We experimentally measured postdispersal seed predation at two seed densities and locations near or far from an exotic grass housing high densities of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus ), their primary, native seed predator. The common L. chamissonis had the lowest predispersal seed predation of the two lupine species, potentially because of its height: its high racemes received less predation than those low to the ground. By contrast, the same species experienced higher postdispersal seed predation, and at predators traveled long distances away from refuge habitat to consume their seeds. Across both plant species, mice preferentially predated high-density seed sources. Our results show differences in the magnitude and direction of seed predation between the species across different life-cycle phases. We demonstrated possible roles of proximity to refuge habitat, seed density, and seed size in these patterns. Congeneric comparisons would benefit from a comprehensive framework that considers seed predation across different life-cycle phases and the environmental context of predation. © 2017 Botanical Society of America.

ANTIPROLIFERATIVE EFFECT ON BREAST CANCER (MCF7) OF MORINGA OLEIFERA SEED EXTRACTS.

Science.gov (United States)

Adebayo, Ismail Abiola; Arsad, Hasni; Samian, Mohd Razip

2017-01-01

Moringa oleifera belongs to plant family, Moringaceae and popularly called "wonderful tree", for it is used traditionally to cure many diseases including cancer in Africa and Asia, however, there is limited knowledge on cytotoxic activity of Moringa oleifera seeds on MCF7 breast cancer cell. The present study evaluated antiproliferative effect on MCF7 of the seed. Seeds of Moringa oleifera were grinded to powder and its phytochemicals were extracted using water and 80% ethanol solvents, part of the ethanolic extract were sequentially partitioned to fractions with four solvents (hexane, dichloromethane, chloroform, and n-butanol). Antiproliferative effects on MCF7 of the samples were determined. Finally, potent samples that significantly inhibited MCF7 growth were tested on MCF 10A. Crude water extract, hexane and dichloromethane fractions of the seeds inhibited the proliferation of MCF7 with the following IC 50 values 280 μg/ml, 130 μg/ml and 26 μg/ml respectively, however, of the 3 samples, only hexane fraction had minimal cytotoxic effect on MCF 10A (IC 50 > 400μg/ml). Moringa oleifera seed has antiproliferative effect on MCF7.

Allelopatic effects of some medicinal plant essential oils on plant seeds germination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALI SHOKOUHIAN

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The effect of essential oils from some medicinal plants on seed germination was studied with the aim of assessing their potential use as bioherbicides. The experiment was conducted as factorial based on completely randomized design (CRD with three replications. Seeds of 3 summer crops including lettuce (Lactuca sativa, pepper (Piper longum and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum were exposed to essential oils of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, thyme (Thymus vulgaris and anise (Pimpinella anisum at 3 different concentrations (25 and 50% diluted and undiluted. Treated seeds were grown in a growth chamber at 25°C for 5 days. The number of germinated seeds in each Petri dish was daily counted. After five days seed germination percentage (Ge was calculated. Biplot analysis was performed using genotype plus genotype environment interaction (GGE method. Results showed that the allelopathic effect on Ge was varied among studied plants, which was mainly due to i differences in the composition of the studied essential oils and ii different allelopathic effects of the studied essential oils on Ge. Accordingly, compared to the individual use, combining several essential oils would have a greater inhibitory effect on Ge of weeds.

Effects of seeding date and seeding rate on yield, proximate composition and total tannins content of two Kabuli chickpea cultivars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Ruggeri

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Experiments were conducted in open field to assess the effect of seeding season and density on the yield, the chemical composition and the accumulation of total tannins in grains of two chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. cultivars (Pascià and Sultano. Environmental conditions and genetic factors considerably affected grain yield, nutrient and total tannins content of chickpea seeds, giving a considerable range in its qualitative characteristics. Results confirmed cultivar selection as a central factor when a late autumn-early winter sowing is performed. In effect, a more marked resistance to Ascochyta blight (AB of Sultano, allowed better agronomic performances when favourable-to-AB climatic conditions occur. Winter sowing appeared to be the best choice in the Mediterranean environment when cultivating to maximise the grain yield (+19%. Spring sowing improved crude protein (+10% and crude fibre (+8% content, whereas it did not significantly affect the accumulation of anti-nutrients compounds such as total tannins. The most appropriate seeding rate was 70 seeds m–2, considering that plant density had relatively little effect on the parameters studied.

Effect of some Evaporation Matters on Storability of Sunflower ( Helianthus annuus L.) Seed.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Saidy, Aml E A; El-Hai, K M Abd

This study focuses on finding compounds that are safe to humans and environment, such as propionic and acetic acids that may provide an alternative control of seed-borne pathogens and decrease seed deterioration during storage. The objectives of this study were to reduce sunflower seed deterioration and improve the viability of sunflower seed using environmentally safe organic acids. Propionic and acetic acids were applied on sunflower seed at different concentrations under laboratory conditions during different storage periods. After 6 months storage period, the viability of sunflower seed as well as morphological and physiological characteristics of seedlings were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Laboratory experiment was conducted in a factorial completely randomized design and randomized complete block design for greenhouse experiment. Propionic and acetic acids at different concentrations showed inhibitory effects on the presence of different fungal genera in all storage periods. Propionic acid was most effective followed by acetic acid. Increasing storage periods from 0-6 months significantly decreased germination percentage, germination energy, seedling characters, survived healthy seedlings and seed oil and protein percentages but dead and rotted seeds, as well as rotted seedlings were increased. Treating sunflower seeds with propionic acid (100%) improved germination criteria, seedling characters and seed chemical characters as well as survival seedlings and minimized the dead seeds, rotted seeds and rotted seedlings as compared with the control under all storage periods. Under greenhouse conditions, the maximum growth parameter and physiological characters (chlorophylls a, b, carotenoids and total phenols) were recorded from seed treated with 100% propionic acid after 6 months of storage. It may be concluded that propionic and acetic acids vapors can have considerable fungicidal activity against sunflower pathogens and improve seed viability

Emergence of a classical Universe from quantum gravity and cosmology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiefer, Claus

2012-09-28

I describe how we can understand the classical appearance of our world from a universal quantum theory. The essential ingredient is the process of decoherence. I start with a general discussion in ordinary quantum theory and then turn to quantum gravity and quantum cosmology. There is a whole hierarchy of classicality from the global gravitational field to the fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background, which serve as the seeds for the structure in the Universe.

Forward calculation of gravity and its gradient using polyhedral representation of density interfaces: an application of spherical or ellipsoidal topographic gravity effect

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yi; Chen, Chao

2018-02-01

A density interface modeling method using polyhedral representation is proposed to construct 3-D models of spherical or ellipsoidal interfaces such as the terrain surface of the Earth and applied to forward calculating gravity effect of topography and bathymetry for regional or global applications. The method utilizes triangular facets to fit undulation of the target interface. The model maintains almost equal accuracy and resolution at different locations of the globe. Meanwhile, the exterior gravitational field of the model, including its gravity and gravity gradients, is obtained simultaneously using analytic solutions. Additionally, considering the effect of distant relief, an adaptive computation process is introduced to reduce the computational burden. Then features and errors of the method are analyzed. Subsequently, the method is applied to an area for the ellipsoidal Bouguer shell correction as an example and the result is compared to existing methods, which shows our method provides high accuracy and great computational efficiency. Suggestions for further developments and conclusions are drawn at last.

Radion and holographic brane gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanno, Sugumi; Soda, Jiro

2002-01-01

The low energy effective theory for the Randall-Sundrum two-brane system is investigated with an emphasis on the role of the nonlinear radion in the brane world. The equations of motion in the bulk are solved using a low energy expansion method. This allows us, through the junction conditions, to deduce the effective equations of motion for gravity on the brane. It is shown that the gravity on the brane world is described by a quasi-scalar-tensor theory with a specific coupling function ω(Ψ)=3Ψ/2(1-Ψ) on the positive tension brane and ω(Φ)=-3Φ/2(1+Φ) on the negative tension brane, where Ψ and Φ are nonlinear realizations of the radion on the positive and negative tension branes, respectively. In contrast with the usual scalar-tensor gravity, the quasi-scalar-tensor gravity couples with two kinds of matter; namely, the matter on both positive and negative tension branes, with different effective gravitational coupling constants. In particular, the radion disguised as the scalar fields Ψ and Φ couples with the sum of the traces of the energy-momentum tensor on both branes. In the course of the derivation, it is revealed that the radion plays an essential role in converting the nonlocal Einstein gravity with generalized dark radiation to local quasi-scalar-tensor gravity. For completeness, we also derive the effective action for our theory by substituting the bulk solution into the original action. It is also shown that quasi-scalar-tensor gravity works as a hologram at low energy in the sense that the bulk geometry can be reconstructed from the solution of quasi-scalar-tensor gravity

Gsolve, a Python computer program with a graphical user interface to transform relative gravity survey measurements to absolute gravity values and gravity anomalies

Science.gov (United States)

McCubbine, Jack; Tontini, Fabio Caratori; Stagpoole, Vaughan; Smith, Euan; O'Brien, Grant

2018-01-01

A Python program (Gsolve) with a graphical user interface has been developed to assist with routine data processing of relative gravity measurements. Gsolve calculates the gravity at each measurement site of a relative gravity survey, which is referenced to at least one known gravity value. The tidal effects of the sun and moon, gravimeter drift and tares in the data are all accounted for during the processing of the survey measurements. The calculation is based on a least squares formulation where the difference between the absolute gravity at each surveyed location and parameters relating to the dynamics of the gravimeter are minimized with respect to the relative gravity observations, and some supplied gravity reference site values. The program additionally allows the user to compute free air gravity anomalies, with respect to the GRS80 and GRS67 reference ellipsoids, from the determined gravity values and calculate terrain corrections at each of the surveyed sites using a prism formula and a user supplied digital elevation model. This paper reviews the mathematical framework used to reduce relative gravimeter survey observations to gravity values. It then goes on to detail how the processing steps can be implemented using the software.

Effects of plasma cleaning of the Cu seed layer surface on Cu electroplating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O, Jun Hwan; Lee, Seong Wook; Kim, Jae Bum; Lee, Chong Mu

2001-01-01

Effects of plasma pretreatment to Cu seed/tantalum nitride (TaN)/ borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) samples on copper (Cu) electroplating were investigated. Copper seed layers were deposited by magnetron sputtering onto tantalum nitride barrier layers before electroplating copper in the forward pulsed mode. The Cu seed layer was cleaned by plasma H 2 and N 2 prior to electroplating a copper film. Cu films electroplated on the copper seed layer with plasma pretreatment showed better electrical and physical properties such as electrical resistivities, surface morphologies, levels of impurities, adhesion and surface roughness than those without plasma pretreatment. It is shown that carbon and metal oxide contaminants at the sputtered Cu seed/TaN surface could be effectively removed by plasma H 2 cleaning. The degree of the (111) prefered orientation of the Cu film with plasma H 2 pretreatment is as high as pulse plated Cu film without plasma pretreatment. Also, plasma H 2 precleaning is more effective in enhancing the Cu electroplating properties onto the Cu seed layer than plasma N 2 precleaning

Interpretation of f(R,T) gravity in terms of a conserved effective fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Shabani, Hamid; Ziaie, Amir Hadi

2018-03-01

In the present work, we introduce a novel approach to study f(R,T) gravity theory from a different perspective. Here, T denotes the trace of energy-momentum tensor (EMT) of matter fluids. The usual method (as discussed in the literature) is to choose an h(T) function and then solve for the resulted Friedman equations. Nevertheless, our aim here is, without loss of generality, to reformulate a particular class of f(R,T) gravity models in which the Einstein-Hilbert action is promoted by an arbitrary function of the trace of EMT. The strategy is the redefinition of the equation of motion in terms of the components of an effective fluid. We show that in this case the EMT is automatically conserved. As we shall see, adopting such a point of view (at least) in f(R,T) gravity is accompanied by two significant points. On one hand, h(T) function is chosen based upon a physical concept and on the other, we clearly understand the overall or effective behavior of matter in terms of a conserved effective fluid. To illustrate the idea, we study some models in which different physical properties for the effective fluid is attributed to each model. Particularly, we discuss models with constant effective density, constant effective pressure and constant effective equation of state (EoS) parameter. Moreover, two models with a relation between the effective density and the effective pressure will be considered. An elegant result is that in f(R,T) gravity, there is a possibility that a perfect fluid could effectively behave as a modified Chaplygin gas with four free parameters.

Influence of gravity on inertial particle clustering in turbulence

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, J.; Nordsiek, H.; Saw, E. W.; Fugal, J. P.; Shaw, R. A.

2008-11-01

We report results from experiments aimed at studying inertial particles in homogeneous, isotropic turbulence, under the influence of gravitational settling. Conditions are selected to investigate the transition from negligible role of gravity to gravitationally dominated, as is expected to occur in atmospheric clouds. We measure droplet clustering, relative velocities, and the distribution of collision angles in this range. The experiments are carried out in a laboratory chamber with nearly homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. The turbulence is characterized using LDV and 2-frame holographic particle tracking velocimetry. We seed the flow with particles of various Stokes and Froude numbers and use digital holography to obtain 3D particle positions and velocities. From particle positions, we investigate the impact of gravity on inertial clustering through the calculation of the radial distribution function and we compare to computational results and other recent experiments.

Effect of rosemary extract and TBHQ on the stability of radish seed oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gongling, Z.; Yancheng, G.

2016-01-01

The effects of rosemary extract (RE) and tert-Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) on the storage stability of radish seed oil were studied according to the change of the acid value, peroxide value, tocopherol and sulforaphene in radish seed oil. The results showed that under conditions of accelerated oxidation by (60+-1) degree C, the storage stability of the radish seed oil with antioxidants could be significantly improved, among which TBHQ was better than RE. Besides, RE and TBHQ had a synergistic effect on antioxidation. The compound of 0.01% RE and 0.01% TBHQ had a better antioxidation effect than 0.07% RE and 0.02% TBHQ respectively, which recommended it can be a suitable antioxidant of radish seed oil. (author)

Effect of weed management and seed rate on crop growth under direct dry seeded rice systems in Bangladesh.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharif Ahmed

Full Text Available Weeds are a major constraint to the success of dry-seeded rice (DSR. The main means of managing these in a DSR system is through chemical weed control using herbicides. However, the use of herbicides alone may not be sustainable in the long term. Approaches that aim for high crop competitiveness therefore need to be exploited. One such approach is the use of high rice seeding rates. Experiments were conducted in the aman (wet seasons of 2012 and 2013 in Bangladesh to evaluate the effect of weed infestation level (partially-weedy and weed-free and rice seeding rate (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 kg ha(-1 on weed and crop growth in DSR. Under weed-free conditions, higher crop yields (5.1 and 5.2 t ha(-1 in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively were obtained at the seeding rate of 40 kg ha(-1 and thereafter, yield decreased slightly beyond 40 kg seed ha(-1. Under partially-weedy conditions, yield increased by 30 to 33% (2.0-2.2 and 2.9-3.2 t ha(-1 in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively with increase in seeding rate from 20 to 100 kg ha(-1. In the partially-weedy plots, weed biomass decreased by 41-60% and 54-56% at 35 days after sowing and at crop anthesis, respectively, when seeding rate increased from 20 to 100 kg ha(-1. Results from our study suggest that increasing seeding rates in DSR can suppress weed growth and reduce grain yield losses from weed competition.

Effect of Weed Management and Seed Rate on Crop Growth under Direct Dry Seeded Rice Systems in Bangladesh

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Sharif; Salim, Muhammad; Chauhan, Bhagirath S.

2014-01-01

Weeds are a major constraint to the success of dry-seeded rice (DSR). The main means of managing these in a DSR system is through chemical weed control using herbicides. However, the use of herbicides alone may not be sustainable in the long term. Approaches that aim for high crop competitiveness therefore need to be exploited. One such approach is the use of high rice seeding rates. Experiments were conducted in the aman (wet) seasons of 2012 and 2013 in Bangladesh to evaluate the effect of weed infestation level (partially-weedy and weed-free) and rice seeding rate (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 kg ha−1) on weed and crop growth in DSR. Under weed-free conditions, higher crop yields (5.1 and 5.2 t ha−1 in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively) were obtained at the seeding rate of 40 kg ha−1 and thereafter, yield decreased slightly beyond 40 kg seed ha−1. Under partially-weedy conditions, yield increased by 30 to 33% (2.0–2.2 and 2.9–3.2 t ha−1 in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively) with increase in seeding rate from 20 to 100 kg ha−1. In the partially-weedy plots, weed biomass decreased by 41–60% and 54–56% at 35 days after sowing and at crop anthesis, respectively, when seeding rate increased from 20 to 100 kg ha−1. Results from our study suggest that increasing seeding rates in DSR can suppress weed growth and reduce grain yield losses from weed competition. PMID:25000520

Effect of weed management and seed rate on crop growth under direct dry seeded rice systems in Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Sharif; Salim, Muhammad; Chauhan, Bhagirath S

2014-01-01

Weeds are a major constraint to the success of dry-seeded rice (DSR). The main means of managing these in a DSR system is through chemical weed control using herbicides. However, the use of herbicides alone may not be sustainable in the long term. Approaches that aim for high crop competitiveness therefore need to be exploited. One such approach is the use of high rice seeding rates. Experiments were conducted in the aman (wet) seasons of 2012 and 2013 in Bangladesh to evaluate the effect of weed infestation level (partially-weedy and weed-free) and rice seeding rate (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 kg ha(-1)) on weed and crop growth in DSR. Under weed-free conditions, higher crop yields (5.1 and 5.2 t ha(-1) in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively) were obtained at the seeding rate of 40 kg ha(-1) and thereafter, yield decreased slightly beyond 40 kg seed ha(-1). Under partially-weedy conditions, yield increased by 30 to 33% (2.0-2.2 and 2.9-3.2 t ha(-1) in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively) with increase in seeding rate from 20 to 100 kg ha(-1). In the partially-weedy plots, weed biomass decreased by 41-60% and 54-56% at 35 days after sowing and at crop anthesis, respectively, when seeding rate increased from 20 to 100 kg ha(-1). Results from our study suggest that increasing seeding rates in DSR can suppress weed growth and reduce grain yield losses from weed competition.

Effect of Stirring and Seeding on Whey Protein Fibril Formation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bolder, S.G.; Sagis, L.M.C.; Venema, P.; Linden, van der E.

2007-01-01

The effect of stirring and seeding on the formation of fibrils in whey protein isolate (WPI) solutions was studied. More fibrils of a similar length are formed when WPI is stirred during heating at pH 2 and 80 C compared to samples that were heated at rest. Addition of seeds did not show an

Selected aspects of tiny vetch [Vicia hirsuta (L. Gray S.F.] seed ecology: generative reproduction and effects of seed maturity and seed storage on seed germination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magdalena Kucewicz

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Vicia hirsuta (L. Gray S.F. (tiny vetch is a common and persistent segetal weed. Tiny vetch seeds and pods reach different stages of maturity during the crop harvest season. Some seeds that mature before cereal harvest are shed in the field and deposited in the soil seed bank, while others become incorporated into seed material. The objective of this study was to describe selected aspects of tiny vetch seed ecology: to determine the rate of individual reproduction of vetch plants growing in winter and spring grain crops and to evaluate the germination of seeds at different stages of maturity, subject to storage conditions. The seeds and pods of V. hirsuta were sorted according to their development stages at harvest and divided into two groups. The first group was stored under laboratory conditions for two months. In the autumn of the same year, the seeds were subjected to germination tests. The remaining seeds were stored in a storeroom, and were planted in soil in the spring. The germination rate was evaluated after 8 months of storage. Potential productivity (developed pods and flowers, fruit buds was higher in plants fruiting in winter wheat than in spring barley. Vetch plants produced around 17-26% more pods (including cracked, mature, greenish-brown and green pods and around 25% less buds in winter wheat than in spring barley. Immature seeds were characterized by the highest germination capacity. Following storage under laboratory conditions and stratification in soil, mature seeds germinated at a rate of several percent. After storage in a storeroom, seeds at all three development stages broke dormancy at a rate of 72- 75%. The high germination power of tiny vetch seeds stored in a storeroom indicates that this plant can be classified as an obligatory speirochoric weed species.

On the covariant formalism of the effective field theory of gravity and leading order corrections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Codello, Alessandro; Jain, Rajeev Kumar

2016-01-01

We construct the covariant effective field theory of gravity as an expansion in inverse powers of the Planck mass, identifying the leading and next-to-leading quantum corrections. We determine the form of the effective action for the cases of pure gravity with cosmological constant as well as gravity coupled to matter. By means of heat kernel methods we renormalize and compute the leading quantum corrections to quadratic order in a curvature expansion. The final effective action in our covariant formalism is generally non-local and can be readily used to understand the phenomenology on different spacetimes. In particular, we point out that on curved backgrounds the observable leading quantum gravitational effects are less suppressed than on Minkowski spacetime. (paper)

Effect of Gold Marker Seeds on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of the Prostate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hossain, Murshed, E-mail: Murshed.Hossain@fccc.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (United States); Schirmer, Timo [Global MR Applied Science Laboratory, GE Healthcare, Munich (Germany); Richardson, Theresa; Chen, Lili; Buyyounouski, Mark K.; Ma Changming [Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2012-05-01

Purpose: Magnetic resonance stereoscopic imaging (MRSI) of the prostate is an emerging technique that may enhance targeting and assessment in radiotherapy. Current practices in radiotherapy invariably involve image guidance. Gold seed fiducial markers are often used to perform daily prostate localization. If MRSI is to be used in targeting prostate cancer and therapy assessment, the impact of gold seeds on MRSI must be investigated. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of gold seeds on the quality of MRSI data acquired in phantom experiments. Methods and Materials: A cylindrical plastic phantom with a spherical cavity 10 centimeters in diameter wss filled with water solution containing choline, creatine, and citrate. A gold seed fiducial marker was put near the center of the phantom mounted on a plastic stem. Spectra were acquired at 1.5 Tesla by use of a clinical MRSI sequence. The ratios of choline + creatine to citrate (CC/Ci) were compared in the presence and absence of gold seeds. Spectra in the vicinity of the gold seed were analyzed. Results: The maximum coefficient of variation of CC/Ci induced by the gold seed was found to be 10% in phantom experiments at 1.5 T. Conclusion: MRSI can be used in prostate radiotherapy in the presence of gold seed markers. Gold seeds cause small effects (in the order of the standard deviation) on the ratio of the metabolite's CC/Ci in the phantom study done on a 1.5-T scanner. It is expected that gold seed markers will have similar negligible effect on spectra from prostate patients. The maximum of 10% of variation in CC/Ci found in the phantom study also sets a limit on the threshold accuracy of CC/Ci values for deciding whether the tissue characterized by a local spectrum is considered malignant and whether it is a candidate for local boost in radiotherapy dose.

Effect of Gold Marker Seeds on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of the Prostate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hossain, Murshed; Schirmer, Timo; Richardson, Theresa; Chen, Lili; Buyyounouski, Mark K.; Ma Changming

2012-01-01

Purpose: Magnetic resonance stereoscopic imaging (MRSI) of the prostate is an emerging technique that may enhance targeting and assessment in radiotherapy. Current practices in radiotherapy invariably involve image guidance. Gold seed fiducial markers are often used to perform daily prostate localization. If MRSI is to be used in targeting prostate cancer and therapy assessment, the impact of gold seeds on MRSI must be investigated. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of gold seeds on the quality of MRSI data acquired in phantom experiments. Methods and Materials: A cylindrical plastic phantom with a spherical cavity 10 centimeters in diameter wss filled with water solution containing choline, creatine, and citrate. A gold seed fiducial marker was put near the center of the phantom mounted on a plastic stem. Spectra were acquired at 1.5 Tesla by use of a clinical MRSI sequence. The ratios of choline + creatine to citrate (CC/Ci) were compared in the presence and absence of gold seeds. Spectra in the vicinity of the gold seed were analyzed. Results: The maximum coefficient of variation of CC/Ci induced by the gold seed was found to be 10% in phantom experiments at 1.5 T. Conclusion: MRSI can be used in prostate radiotherapy in the presence of gold seed markers. Gold seeds cause small effects (in the order of the standard deviation) on the ratio of the metabolite's CC/Ci in the phantom study done on a 1.5-T scanner. It is expected that gold seed markers will have similar negligible effect on spectra from prostate patients. The maximum of 10% of variation in CC/Ci found in the phantom study also sets a limit on the threshold accuracy of CC/Ci values for deciding whether the tissue characterized by a local spectrum is considered malignant and whether it is a candidate for local boost in radiotherapy dose.

Hořava-Lifshitz gravity and effective theory of the fractional quantum Hall effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Chaolun [Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics and Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago,Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States); Wu, Shao-Feng [Department of Physics, Shanghai University,Shanghai 200444 (China); Kadanoff Center for Theoretical Physics and Enrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago,Chicago, Illinois 60637 (United States)

2015-01-22

We show that Hořava-Lifshitz gravity theory can be employed as a covariant framework to build an effective field theory for the fractional quantum Hall effect that respects all the spacetime symmetries such as non-relativistic diffeomorphism invariance and anisotropic Weyl invariance as well as the gauge symmetry. The key to this formalism is a set of correspondence relations that maps all the field degrees of freedom in the Hořava-Lifshitz gravity theory to external background (source) fields among others in the effective action of the quantum Hall effect, according to their symmetry transformation properties. We originally derive the map as a holographic dictionary, but its form is independent of the existence of holographic duality. This paves the way for the application of Hořava-Lifshitz holography on fractional quantum Hall effect. Using the simplest holographic Chern-Simons model, we compute the low energy effective action at leading orders and show that it captures universal electromagnetic and geometric properties of quantum Hall states, including the Wen-Zee shift, Hall viscosity, angular momentum density and their relations. We identify the shift function in Hořava-Lifshitz gravity theory as minus of guiding center velocity and conjugate to guiding center momentum. This enables us to distinguish guiding center angular momentum density from the internal one, which is the sum of Landau orbit spin and intrinsic (topological) spin of the composite particles. Our effective action shows that Hall viscosity is minus half of the internal angular momentum density and proportional to Wen-Zee shift, and Hall bulk viscosity is half of the guiding center angular momentum density.

Gravity and Heater Size Effects on Pool Boiling Heat Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jungho; Raj, Rishi

2014-01-01

The current work is based on observations of boiling heat transfer over a continuous range of gravity levels between 0g to 1.8g and varying heater sizes with a fluorinert as the test liquid (FC-72/n-perfluorohexane). Variable gravity pool boiling heat transfer measurements over a wide range of gravity levels were made during parabolic flight campaigns as well as onboard the International Space Station. For large heaters and-or higher gravity conditions, buoyancy dominated boiling and heat transfer results were heater size independent. The power law coefficient for gravity in the heat transfer equation was found to be a function of wall temperature under these conditions. Under low gravity conditions and-or for smaller heaters, surface tension forces dominated and heat transfer results were heater size dependent. A pool boiling regime map differentiating buoyancy and surface tension dominated regimes was developed along with a unified framework that allowed for scaling of pool boiling over a wide range of gravity levels and heater sizes. The scaling laws developed in this study are expected to allow performance quantification of phase change based technologies under variable gravity environments eventually leading to their implementation in space based applications.

The Effect of Salicylic Acid and Gibberellin on Seed Reserve Utilization, Germination and Enzyme Activity of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Seeds Under Drought Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roghayyeh Sheykhbaglou

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Seed priming methods have been used to increases germination characteristics under stress conditions. The study aimed was to determine the effect of salicylic acid and gibberellin on seed reserve utilization, germination and enzyme activity of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. seeds under drought stress. Factorial experiment was carried out in completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor was the seed treatments (unpriming, salicylic acid and gibberellin and the second factor was drought stress (0, -4, -8 and -12 bar. The results indicated that for these traits: germination percentage, germination index, weight of utilized (mobilized seed, seed reserve utilization efficiency, seedling dry weight and seed reserve depletion percentage was a significant treatment Ч drought interaction. Thus priming improved study traits in Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. seeds under drought stress. Also, priming improves enzyme activity as compared to the unprimed seeds.

Effects of gravity and inlet location on a two-phase countercurrent imbibition in porous media

KAUST Repository

El-Amin, Mohamed; Salama, Amgad; Sun, S.

2012-01-01

We introduce a numerical investigation of the effect of gravity on the problem of two-phase countercurrent imbibition in porous media. We consider three cases of inlet location, namely, from, side, top, and bottom. A 2D rectangular domain is considered for numerical simulation. The results indicate that gravity has a significant effect depending on open-boundary location.

Challenges of establishing big sgebrush (Artemisia tridentata) in rangeland restoration: effects of herbicide, mowing, whole-community seeding, and sagebrush seed sources

Science.gov (United States)

Brabec, Martha M.; Germino, Matthew J.; Shinneman, Douglas J.; Pilliod, David S.; McIlroy, Susan K.; Arkle, Robert S.

2015-01-01

The loss of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) on sites disturbed by fire has motivated restoration seeding and planting efforts. However, the resulting sagebrush establishment is often lower than desired, especially in dry areas. Sagebrush establishment may be increased by addressing factors such as seed source and condition or management of the plant community. We assessed initial establishment of seeded sagebrush and four populations of small outplants (from different geographies, climates, and cytotypes) and small sagebrush outplants in an early seral community where mowing, herbicide, and seeding of other native plants had been experimentally applied. No emergence of seeded sagebrush was detected. Mowing the site before planting seedlings led to greater initial survival probabilities for sagebrush outplants, except where seeding also occurred, and these effects were related to corresponding changes in bare soil exposure. Initial survival probabilities were > 30% greater for the local population of big sagebrush relative to populations imported to the site from typical seed transfer distances of ~320–800 km. Overcoming the high first-year mortality of outplanted or seeded sagebrush is one of the most challenging aspects of postfire restoration and rehabilitation, and further evaluation of the impacts of herb treatments and sagebrush seed sources across different site types and years is needed.

Peculiarities of the radioprotective effect of antioxidants during gamma irradiation of wheat seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babaev, U.Sh.

1988-01-01

Bioantioxidant radioprotective action mechanism was studied using wheat seeds. Cobalt-60 was used as radiation source, phenosane potassium salt in aqueous solution in 0.1 and 0.25% concentrations possessing the maximum radioprotective effect - as an antioxidant. Dry seeds irradiated with 100 Gy dose were treated with fresh antioxidant solutions during 20 hours with 0.2, 4.6 an 8 hour interval at room temperature. The number of cells with aberrations at the anaphase stage in the main root apical meristem were counted in germinated seeds. A high radioprotective effect of phenosane antioxidant which represents space-complicated phenols is ascertained. Radioprotective effect is dependent on time interval between seed irradaition and germination and is maximal when this time makes up 4-8 hours

Myrmecochory and short-term seed fate in Rhamnus alaternus: Ant species and seed characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Bas, J. M.; Oliveras, J.; Gómez, C.

2009-05-01

Benefits conferred on plants in ant-mediated seed dispersal mutualisms (myrmecochory) depend on the fate of transported seeds. We studied the effects of elaiosome presence, seed size and seed treatment (with and without passage through a bird's digestive tract) on short-term seed fate in Rhamnus alaternus. In our study, we define short-term seed, or initial, seed fate, as the location where ants release the seeds after ant contact with it. The elaiosomes had the most influence on short-term fate, i.e. whether or not seeds were transported to the nest. The workers usually transported big seeds more often than small ones, but small ants did not transport large seeds. Effect of seed size on transport depended on the ant species and on the treatment of the seed (manual extraction simulating a direct fall from the parent plant vs. bird deposition corresponding to preliminary primary dispersal). Probability of removal of elaiosome-bearing seeds to the nest by Aphaenogaster senilis increased with increasing seed weight.

Gravity Effect on Two-Phase Immiscible Flows in Communicating Layered Reservoirs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Xuan; Shapiro, Alexander; Stenby, Erling Halfdan

2012-01-01

An upscaling method is developed for two-phase immiscible incompressible flows in layered reservoirs with good communication between the layers. It takes the effect of gravity into consideration. Waterflooding of petroleum reservoirs is used as a basic example for application of this method....... An asymptotic analysis is applied to a system of 2D flow equations for incompressible fluids at high-anisotropy ratios, but low to moderate gravity ratios, which corresponds to the most often found reservoir conditions. The 2D Buckley–Leverett problem is reduced to a system of 1D parabolic equations...

The effects of ridging, row-spacing and seeding rate on carrot yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. TAIVALMAA

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Cool, wet spring weather often delays the early growth of carrots (Daucus carota L. in northern Europe. This effect may be partly obviated by sowing in ridges. Many types of ridges are used, but the most suitable for carrot cultivation under the conditions prevailing in northern Europe has yet to be determined. The effects of ridging, seeding rate and sowing system on the yield and visible quality of carrots were therefore studied in the field during three years. The highest yields were recorded for carrots sown in double rows on a narrow ridge. The effect of sowing system on mean root weight differed depending on the ridging regime. The mean weight of roots was higher for carrots cultivated on broad ridges than in other systems. Seeding rate had the most significant effect on mean root weight. For industrial purposes it is recommended that carrots be cultivated on broad ridges in double rows at low seeding rates with irrigation. The optimal cultivation technique for carrots destined for the fresh vegetable market would be narrow ridges sown in double rows at high seeding rates. The ridging system, seeding rate and row spacing did not appear to affect the external quality of roots. More detailed studies should be carried out to establish the effects of abiotic growth factors under different ridging regimes.;

The effects of ridging, row-spacing and seeding rate on carrot yield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanna-Liisa Taivalmaa

1997-12-01

Full Text Available Cool, wet spring weather often delays the early growth of carrots (Daucus carota L. in northern Europe. This effect may be partly obviated by sowing in ridges. Many types of ridges are used, but the most suitable for carrot cultivation under the conditions prevailing in northern Europe has yet to be determined. The effects of ridging, seeding rate and sowing system on the yield and visible quality of carrots were therefore studied in the field during three years. The highest yields were recorded for carrots sown in double rows on a narrow ridge. The effect of sowing system on mean root weight differed depending on the ridging regime. The mean weight of roots was higher for carrots cultivated on broad ridges than in other systems. Seeding rate had the most significant effect on mean root weight. For industrial purposes it is recommended that carrots be cultivated on broad ridges in double rows at low seeding rates with irrigation. The optimal cultivation technique for carrots destined for the fresh vegetable market would be narrow ridges sown in double rows at high seeding rates. The ridging system, seeding rate and row spacing did not appear to affect the external quality of roots. More detailed studies should be carried out to establish the effects of abiotic growth factors under different ridging regimes.

Effects of seed preparation and oil pressing on milkweed (Asclepias spp.) protein functional properties

Science.gov (United States)

The effects of seed cooking and oil processing conditions on functional properties of milkweed seed proteins were determined to identify potential value-added uses for the meal. Milkweed seeds were flaked and then cooked in the seed conditioner at 82°C for 30, 60 or 90 min. Oil was extracted by scre...

Effect of incubation temperature, seed age and scarification on germination and emergence of persian shallot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadi, J.; Sabet, S.A.K.; Golshani, M.; Mortazavi, S.N.; Jafari, F.; Chirani, J.A.O.

2010-01-01

Persian shallot grows as a wild plant in some mountains of Iran, The aim of our research was to study the relationship between different temperatures, seed age and duration of sulfuric acid treatment on Persian shallot seed germination. The interactive effect of incubation temperature, seed age and scarification treatments had a significant effect on the germination and emergence percentage of Persian shallot. It is concluded that suitable condition for Persian shallot seed germination is scarification of one year old seeds with sulfuric acid for 15 min, and stratification at 4 deg. C. In fact Persian shallot seeds need both scarification and stratification for germination enhancement. (author)

Report on seed born diseases in organic seed and propagation material

OpenAIRE

Micheloni, C.; Plakolm, G.; Schärer, H.

2007-01-01

The key questions which will be addressed in this report are: • Are seed born diseases an important factor that prevents seed companies from producing organic seeds and organic farmers from using them? • Which seed treatments are available in organic farming? Which treatments are or will be acceptable? To which degree are they effective? • Are the thresholds for seed born diseases different among Member States? Can this cause unfair competition among farmers and seed producers? • ...

Size, physiological quality, and green seed occurrence influenced by seeding rate in soybeans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Sampaio Ferreira

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The seeding rate influences the intraspecific competition, which might affect the development and quality of seeds in soybean. However, the impact of seeding rate on the physical and physiological qualities of soybean seeds needs to be better elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soybean plant density on the seed size as well as the effects of the interaction between the plant density and seed size on the seed mass, green seed occurence, and physiological seed quality. The experiments were carried out in the growing seasons of the years 2013/14 and 2014/15 in a Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico, under a randomized complete block design, using the NK 7059 RR cultivar with six replications. Four plant densities (150, 300, 440, and 560 thousand viable seeds ha–1 were evaluated. After the classification of seeds into four sizes, using a set of sieves, a 4 ×4 factorial scheme was used for the statistical analysis of the four plant densities and four seed sizes. The seed samples were evaluated for the seed mass, green seed percentage, germination, and vigor. Under thermal and water stress during seed development, an increase in the seeding rate led to a reduction in the green seed occurrence and an increase in the seed size and mass. However, in the absence of thermal and water stress, the seed size and mass were not altered by the seeding rate and, there was no occurrence of green seeds.

Effects of gamma radiations with or without chemical mutagens on rose seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lata, P.

1988-01-01

A preliminary experiment with seeds from 4 diploids, 17 tetraploids, 2 hexaploids and 1 octoploid roses confirmed that seed collection during early autumn under climatical conditions of London, gives a high percentage of viable seeds than those collected during late autumn. Seed stratification for about 100 days enhances germination when carried out under wet, purified sand. Harmful effects of radiations were recorded on seed germination, seedling survival, growth and flowering, after 0-120 Kr exposures of gamma rays. Rose cultivars were found to be more sensitive to radiations than the Rosa spp. The LD50 for diploid R. rugosa typica was between 20-30 Kr and for allo-tetraploid cultivar Aunty Dora, it was 8 Kr. No significant effect of radiations on seedling growth was recorded. Flowering in seedlings, raised from cultivar seeds, produced flowers during the first year of germination as compared with R. spp. seedlings which flowered after 3 to 4 years of germination. Among the chemical mutagens, Hydroxylamine produced least harmful effects on seed germination and survivals than those produced by Ethyl methane sulphonate; used alone or combined with low or high doses of radiations. The average seedling heights and number of leaves per seedlings were not affected. Mutagens were responsible for bringing about a loss in colour intensity which was more frequent when radiations and mutagens were used together. Real flower colour changes were rare and were attributed to the pollinating parent or mutagen or both. Present experiments indicate that although there are initial difficulties with seed germination but the resulting seedlings with increased genetic variability can generously reward a rose breeder in introducing new roses with rare combination of desirable characters which are difficult to accomplish merely by induced somatic mutations

Effects of water level on three wetlands soil seed banks on the Tibetan Plateau.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miaojun Ma

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Although the effect of water level on germination in soil seed banks has been documented in many ecosystems, the mechanism is not fully understood, and to date no empirical studies on this subject exist. Further, no work has been done on the effect of water level on seed banks of drying and saline-alkaline wetlands in alpine areas on the Tibetan Plateau. METHODOLOGY: We examined the effects of water level (0 cm, 5 cm and 10 cm on seed germination and seedling establishment from soil seed banks at 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm depths in typical, drying, and saline-alkaline wetlands. We also explore the potential role of soil seed bank in restoration of drying and saline-alkaline wetlands. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Species richness decreased with increase in water level, but there almost no change in seed density. A huge difference exists in species composition of the seed bank among different water levels in all three wetlands, especially between 0 cm and 5 cm and 0 cm and 10 cm. Similarity of species composition between seed bank and plant community was higher in 0 cm water level in drying wetland than in the other two wetlands. The similarity was much higher in 0 cm water level than in 5 cm and 10 cm water levels in all three wetlands. Species composition of the alpine wetland plant community changed significantly after drying and salinization, however, species composition of the seed bank was unchanged regardless of the environment change. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Water level greatly affects seed bank recruitment and plant community establishment. Further, different water levels in restored habitats are likely to determine its species composition of the plant community. The seed bank is important in restoration of degraded wetlands. Successful restoration of drying and salinization wetlands could depend on the seed bank.

Yield and quality of white mustard seed depending on the seeding dates

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Jevđović Radosav

2000-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of sowing dates and harvest dates on yield and quality of white mustard seed been investigated in this study. During the experiment two sowing dates have been tested the first one based on the crops in March, and the other one when the direct sowing was carried out in late May, after the harvest of camomile crops. The harvest of the seed crops in the first seeding date was performed on 1st July, and the second on 15th September. Seed fractioning extracted the following fractions: large (3mm, medium (2 mm and small (1mm. I he objective of the laboratory' experiments was to observe the effect of the seed fraction size on the most important parameters of its quality (germination energy, total germination and absolute mass according to the stipulated terms. Based on the data obtained in the survey, it can be concluded that the seed yield is significantly affected by the varied seeding dates. Earlier seeding date produced significantly increased seed yield (1920 kg/ha than the later seeding date (1160 kg/ha. According to the seed quality parameters, the best characteristics are found in the seed fraction of 3 mm, in both seeding and harvest dates.

Space mutagenic effects on cistanche deserticola seed viability and parasitic condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Rong; Zhou Feng; Yu Jing; Chen Jun; Sun Suqin; Liu Yougang; Liu Tongning

2009-01-01

The seeds of Cistanche deserticola which from a single plant with fine properties were carried to the space by the recoverable experiment satellite 'Shijian No.8'. After space loading, the seed viability and characters of infrared spectroscopy were analyzed and then planted to observe and investigate the variation and heredity. The results showed that compared to the control group, the seed viability and germination rate increased observably after space loading. As well, the plants grew much healthier at the seedling stage. The results indicated that space loading has obvious promote effects on the seed viability, germination rate and disease resistance of Cistanche deserticola. The analysis results of infrared spectroscopy showed the contents of protein and carbohydrate were increased distinctly and the contents of oil or fat reduced somewhat in the seeds after space loading. The intensity ratio between characteristic absorption peak of protein and characteristic absorption peak of fat (I 1625 /I 1745 ) were increased from 1.07 to 1.16, which could be related to the enhancement of seed viability and the reduction of germination restraint substances. It could be concluded that microgravity and intense radiation in the space caused seed viability and material metabolism change. (authors)

Loading effects on rat craniomandibular morphology: a system for gravity studies

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ranbir; Carvalho, Thais; Gerstner, Geoffrey E.

2005-02-01

Gravity effects on muscle and bone are a major impediment to long-term space travel. We introduce a model for studying these effects, the craniomandibular system. Some advantages of this system include: (1) craniomandibular morphology is determined by epigenetic factors including gravity, (2) relatively light forces can significantly alter its morphology, and (3) soft diet and tooth loss produce effects that are similar to those produced in lower limbs by weightlessness. In the study, implants made either of gold (experimental group) or lightweight acrylic (controls) were attached to adult rats' mandibles. After 13 weeks, the animals' skulls and mandibles were dissected. Pair-wise comparisons indicated that the experimental animals showed significantly shortened and narrowed cranial bases, and significant changes in the posterior zygomatic arch region. These results indicate that simulated macrogravity influences bone remodeling in the adult craniomandibular system.

Internal model of gravity influences configural body processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Barra, Julien; Senot, Patrice; Auclair, Laurent

2017-01-01

Human bodies are processed by a configural processing mechanism. Evidence supporting this claim is the body inversion effect, in which inversion impairs recognition of bodies more than other objects. Biomechanical configuration, as well as both visual and embodied expertise, has been demonstrated to play an important role in this effect. Nevertheless, the important factor of body inversion effect may also be linked to gravity orientation since gravity is one of the most fundamental constraints of our biology, behavior, and perception on Earth. The visual presentation of an inverted body in a typical body inversion paradigm turns the observed body upside down but also inverts the implicit direction of visual gravity in the scene. The orientation of visual gravity is then in conflict with the direction of actual gravity and may influence configural processing. To test this hypothesis, we dissociated the orientations of the body and of visual gravity by manipulating body posture. In a pretest we showed that it was possible to turn an avatar upside down (inversion relative to retinal coordinates) without inverting the orientation of visual gravity when the avatar stands on his/her hands. We compared the inversion effect in typical conditions (with gravity conflict when the avatar is upside down) to the inversion effect in conditions with no conflict between visual and physical gravity. The results of our experiment revealed that the inversion effect, as measured by both error rate and reaction time, was strongly reduced when there was no gravity conflict. Our results suggest that when an observed body is upside down (inversion relative to participants' retinal coordinates) but the orientation of visual gravity is not, configural processing of bodies might still be possible. In this paper, we discuss the implications of an internal model of gravity in the configural processing of observed bodies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of fire on the dormancy break of annual legume seeds

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Fabio Gresta

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Fire is a common phenomenon in the Mediterranean environment and strongly influences vegetal population dynamics through its impact on vegetation and the soil seed bank. Fire is able to break down the seed coat of hard-seeded legumes within the soil and trigger germination. To evaluate the effect of fire on the dormancy break in Medicago ciliaris, Medicago rugosa and Scorpiurus muricatus subsp. subvillosus, the seeds were placed at three different depths (surface, 25 mm and 50 mm and subjected to fires at two different intensities (high and low. As a control sample, a batch of seeds was buried at 25 mm for the duration of the trial and not subjected to fire. Soil temperatures during the fire were compared directly to stubble quantity and indirectly related to soil depth. The two Medicago species survived exposure to 90°C for a few minutes and displayed a significant increase in germination with exposure to high temperatures (over 70°C for several minutes. On the other hand, no germination occurred in Scorpiurus, irrespective of treatment. In conclusion, fire had a significant and positive effect in triggering germination of the Medicago species, but the dispersal strategies of these hard-seeded legumes are only partially interrupted by fire as a large number of seeds (>50% remained non-germinated in the soil.

Criticality in third order lovelock gravity and butterfly effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qaemmaqami, Mohammad M.

2018-01-01

We study third order Lovelock Gravity in D = 7 at the critical point which three (A)dS vacua degenerate into one. We see there is not propagating graviton at the critical point. And also we compute the butterfly velocity for this theory at the critical point by considering the shock wave solutions near horizon, this is important to note that although there is no propagating graviton at the critical point, due to boundary gravitons the butterfly velocity is non-zero. Finally we observe that the butterfly velocity for third order Lovelock Gravity at the critical point in D = 7 is less than the butterfly velocity for Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity at the critical point in D = 7 which is less than the butterfly velocity in D = 7 for Einstein Gravity, v B E.H > v B E.G.B > v B 3rdLovelock . Maybe we can conclude that by adding higher order curvature corrections to Einstein Gravity the butterfly velocity decreases. (orig.)

Criticality in third order lovelock gravity and butterfly effect

Science.gov (United States)

Qaemmaqami, Mohammad M.

2018-01-01

We study third order Lovelock Gravity in D=7 at the critical point which three (A)dS vacua degenerate into one. We see there is not propagating graviton at the critical point. And also we compute the butterfly velocity for this theory at the critical point by considering the shock wave solutions near horizon, this is important to note that although there is no propagating graviton at the critical point, due to boundary gravitons the butterfly velocity is non-zero. Finally we observe that the butterfly velocity for third order Lovelock Gravity at the critical point in D=7 is less than the butterfly velocity for Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity at the critical point in D=7 which is less than the butterfly velocity in D = 7 for Einstein Gravity, vB^{E.H}>vB^{E.G.B}>vB^{3rd Lovelock} . Maybe we can conclude that by adding higher order curvature corrections to Einstein Gravity the butterfly velocity decreases.

A signature of quantum gravity at the source of the seeds of cosmic structure?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sudarsky, Daniel [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico, A. Postal 70-543, Mexico D.F. 04510 (Mexico)

2007-05-15

This article reviews a recent work by a couple of colleagues and myself [Perez A, Sahlmann H and Sudarsky D 2006 Class Quant Gravity 23 2317-54] about the shortcomings of the standard explanations of the quantum origins of cosmic structure in the inflationary scenario, and a proposal to address them. The point is that, in the usual accounts, the inhomogeneity and anisotropy of our universe seems to emerge from an exactly homogeneous and isotropic initial state through processes that do not break those symmetries. We argued that some novel aspect of physics must be called upon to be able to address the problem in a fully satisfactory way. The proposed approach is inspired by Penrose's ideas regarding a quantum gravity induced, real and dynamical collapse of the wave function.

The effect of substrate composition and storage time on urine specific gravity in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinberg, E; Drobatz, K; Aronson, L

2009-10-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of substrate composition and storage time on urine specific gravity in dogs. A descriptive cohort study of 15 dogs. The urine specific gravity of free catch urine samples was analysed during a 5-hour time period using three separate storage methods; a closed syringe, a diaper pad and non-absorbable cat litter. The urine specific gravity increased over time in all three substrates. The syringe sample had the least change from baseline and the diaper sample had the greatest change from baseline. The urine specific gravity for the litter and diaper samples had a statistically significant increase from the 1-hour to the 5-hour time point. The urine specific gravity from canine urine stored either on a diaper or in a non-absorbable litter increased over time. Although the change was found to be statistically significant over the 5-hour study period it is unlikely to be clinically significant.

Effects of seed migration on post-implant dosimetry of prostate brachytherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, M.; Wang, J. Z.; Nag, S.; Gupta, N.

2007-01-01

Brachytherapy using permanent seed implants has been an effective treatment for prostate cancer. However, seeds will migrate after implant, thus making the evaluation of post-implant dosimetry difficult. In this study, we developed a computer program to simulate seed migration and analyzed dosimetric changes due to seed migration at various migration amounts. The study was based on 14 patients treated with Pd-103 at the James Cancer Hospital. Modeling of seed migration, including direction, distance as well as day of migration, was based on clinical observations. Changes of commonly used dosimetric parameters as a function of migration amount (2, 4, 6 mm respectively), prostate size (from 20 to 90 cc), and prostate region (central vs peripheral) were studied. Change of biological outcome (tumor control probability) due to migration was also estimated. Migration reduced prostate D90 to 99±2% of original value in 2 mm migration, and the reduction increased to 94±6% in 6 mm migration. The reduction of prostate dose led to a 14% (40%) drop in the tumor control probability for 2 mm (6 mm) migration, assuming radiosensitive tumors. However, migration has less effect on a prostate implanted with a larger number of seeds. Prostate V100 was less sensitive to migration than D90 since its mean value was still 99% of original value even in 6 mm migration. Migration also showed a different effect in the peripheral region vs the central region of the prostate, where the peripheral mean dose tended to drop more significantly. Therefore, extra activity implanted in the peripheral region during pre-plan can be considered. The detrimental effects of migration were more severe in terms of increasing the dose to normal structures, as rectum V50 may be 70% higher and urethra V100 may be 50% higher in the case of 6 mm migration. Quantitative knowledge of these effects is helpful in treatment planning and post-implant evaluation

Active Response Gravity Offload System

Science.gov (United States)

Valle, Paul; Dungan, Larry; Cunningham, Thomas; Lieberman, Asher; Poncia, Dina

2011-01-01

The Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) provides the ability to simulate with one system the gravity effect of planets, moons, comets, asteroids, and microgravity, where the gravity is less than Earth fs gravity. The system works by providing a constant force offload through an overhead hoist system and horizontal motion through a rail and trolley system. The facility covers a 20 by 40-ft (approximately equals 6.1 by 12.2m) horizontal area with 15 ft (approximately equals4.6 m) of lifting vertical range.

Contrasting Foraging Patterns: Testing Resource-Concentration and Dilution Effects with Pollinators and Seed Predators

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Alexandria Wenninger

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Resource concentration effects occur when high resource density patches attract and support more foragers than low density patches. In contrast, resource dilution effects can occur if high density patches support fewer consumers. In this study, we examined the foraging rates of pollinators and seed predators on two perennial plant species (Rudbeckia triloba and Verbena stricta as functions of resource density. Specifically, we examined whether resource-dense patches (densities of flower and seeds on individual plants resulted in greater visitation and seed removal rates, respectively. We also examined whether foraging rates were context-dependent by conducting the study in two sites that varied in resource densities. For pollinators, we found negative relationships between the density of flowers per plant and visitation rates, suggesting dilution effects. For seed predators, we found positive relationships consistent with concentration effects. Saturation effects and differences in foraging behaviors might explain the opposite relationships; most of the seed predators were ants (recruitment-based foragers, and pollinators were mostly solitary foragers. We also found that foraging rates were site-dependent, possibly due to site-level differences in resource abundance and consumer densities. These results suggest that these two plant species may benefit from producing as many flowers as possible, given high levels of pollination and low seed predation.

Effect of drought stress on growth, yield and seed quality of tomato (lycopersicon esculentum L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pervez, M.A.; Ayub, C.M.

2009-01-01

Plant growth is seriously affected by abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity or temperature. Drought is one of the most important limiting factors for agricultural crops and vegetable production in particular all around the world. Drought stress during vegetative or early reproductive growth usually reduces yield by reducing the number of seeds, seed size and seed quality. To assess the effect of drought stress on seed yield, seed quality and growth of tomato, the experiment was conducted in green house in plastic pots at Pen-y-Fridd field station, University of Wales, Bangor, U.K. during 2003-2004. Tomato cv. Moneymaker was used as a test crop. There were four treatments i.e. early stress (when first truss has set the fruits), middle stress (when fruits in first truss were fully matured and started changing their colour), late stress (when fruits on first truss were ripened fully), whereas in control no stress was imposed. Analysis of data regarding various attributes (fruit weight and shoot dry weight per plant, number of seeds per fruit, total number of seeds and seed weight per plant and vigour of seed) showed that drought stress had non-significant effect on vigour, quality and yield of tomato seed. Plant height, number of leaves and number of fruits per plant showed significant results toward drought stress signifying drought effects on growth of tomato. (author)

On effective spacetime dimension in the Hořava–Lifshitz gravity

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G. Alencar

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In this manuscript we explicitly compute the effective dimension of spacetime in some backgrounds of Hořava–Lifshitz (H–L gravity. For all the cases considered, the results are compatible with a dimensional reduction of the spacetime to d+1=2, at high energies (ultraviolet limit, which is confirmed by other quantum gravity approaches, as well as to d+1=4, at low energies (infrared limit. This is obtained by computing the free energy of massless scalar and gauge fields. We find that the only effect of the background is to change the proportionality constant between the internal energy and temperature. Firstly, we consider both the non-perturbative and perturbative models involving the matter action, without gravitational sources but with manifest time and space symmetry breaking, in order to calculate modifications in the Stephan–Boltzmann law. When gravity is taken into account, we assume a scenario in which there is a spherical source with mass M and radius R in thermal equilibrium with radiation, and consider the static and spherically symmetric solution of the H–L theory found by Kehagias–Sfetsos (K–S, in the weak and strong field approximations. As byproducts, for the weak field regime, we used the current uncertainty of the solar radiance measurements to establish a constraint on the ω free parameter of the K–S solution. We also calculate the corrections, due to gravity, to the recently predicted attractive force that black bodies exert on nearby neutral atoms and molecules.

Combined Effect of Vorinostat and Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

1Department of Medical Oncology, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Cangzhou ... of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) in non-small cell lung cancer ... Conclusion: The combination of vorinostat and GSPs can be an effective and innovative ...

Effect of Crustal Density Structures on GOCE Gravity Gradient Observables

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Robert Tenzer Pavel Novák

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate the gravity gradient components corrected for major known anomalous density structures within the Earth¡¦s crust. Heterogeneous mantle density structures are disregarded. The gravimetric forward modeling technique is utilized to compute the gravity gradients based on methods for a spherical harmonic analysis and synthesis of a gravity field. The Earth¡¦s gravity gradient components are generated using the global geopotential model GOCO-03s. The topographic and stripping gravity corrections due to the density contrasts of the ocean and ice are computed from the global topographic/bathymetric model DTM2006.0 (which also includes the ice-thickness dataset. The discrete data of sediments and crust layers taken from the CRUST2.0 global crustal model are then used to apply the additional stripping corrections for sediments and remaining anomalous crustal density structures. All computations are realized globally on a one arc-deg geographical grid at a mean satellite elevation of 255 km. The global map of the consolidated crust-stripped gravity gradients reveals distinctive features which are attributed to global tectonics, lithospheric plate configuration, lithosphere structure and mantle dynamics (e.g., glacial isostatic adjustment, mantle convection. The Moho signature, which is the most pronounced signal in these refined gravity gradients, is superimposed over a weaker gravity signal of the lithospheric mantle. An interpretational quality of the computed (refined gravity gradient components is mainly limited by a low accuracy and resolution of the CRUST2.0 sediment and crustal layer data and unmodeled mantle structures.

3D quantum gravity and effective noncommutative quantum field theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Freidel, Laurent; Livine, Etera R

2006-06-09

We show that the effective dynamics of matter fields coupled to 3D quantum gravity is described after integration over the gravitational degrees of freedom by a braided noncommutative quantum field theory symmetric under a kappa deformation of the Poincaré group.

Effects of foliar boron application on seed composition, cell wall boron, and seed δ15N and δ13C isotopes in water-stressed soybean plants

Science.gov (United States)

Bellaloui, Nacer; Hu, Yanbo; Mengistu, Alemu; Kassem, My A.; Abel, Craig A.

2013-01-01

Limited information is available on the effects of foliar boron (B) application on soybean seed composition. The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of foliar B on seed composition (protein, oil, fatty acids, and sugars). Our hypothesis was that since B is involved in nitrogen and carbon metabolism, it may impact seed composition. A repeated greenhouse experiment was conducted where half of the soybean plants was exposed to water stress (WS) and the other half was well-watered. Foliar boron (FB) in the form of boric acid was applied twice at a rate of 1.1 kg ha−1. The first application was during flowering stage, and the second application was during seed-fill stage. Treatments were water stressed plants with no FB (WS–B); water stressed plants with FB (WS+B); watered plants without FB (W–B), and watered plants with FB (W+B). The treatment W–B was used as a control. Comparing with WS–B plants, B concentration was the highest in leaves and seed of W+B plants (84% increase in leaves and 73% in seed). Seeds of W+B plants had higher protein (11% increase), oleic acid (27% increase), sucrose (up to 40% increase), glucose, and fructose comparing with W–B. However, seed stachyose concentrations increased by 43% in WS–B plants seed compared with W–B plants. Cell wall (structural) B concentration in leaves was higher in all plants under water stress, especially in WS–B plants where the percentage of cell wall B reached up to 90%. Water stress changed seed δ15N and δ13C values in both B applied and non-B applied plants, indicating possible effects on nitrogen and carbon metabolism. This research demonstrated that FB increased B accumulation in leaves and seed, and altered seed composition of well-watered and water stressed plants, indicating a possible involvement of B in seed protein, and oleic and linolenic fatty acids. Further research is needed to explain mechanisms of B involvement in seed protein and fatty acids. PMID:23888163

Thermal stabilisation of pvc with jatropha seed, khaya seed and rubber seed oils. Effect of barium and cadmium soaps of the seed oils on the thermal degradation of pvc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okieimen, F.E.

2003-01-01

Polyvinyl chloride was mixed with barium and cadmium soaps of Jatropha seed, Khaya seed and rubber seed oils and mixtures of the metal soaps and degraded at 190 deg. C under oxidative and non oxidative conditions. The effectiveness of the additives in stabilizing PVC against thermal degradation was evaluated by comparing (a) the kinetic data measured at 1% conversion for the degradation of PVC in the presence of the additives with the corresponding values obtained in the absence of the additives (b) the intrinsic viscosity and level of unsaturation in the polymer samples degraded for the under graded polymer and (c) the thermogravimetric data obtained for the degradation of PVC in the presence of the additives at a constant heating rate of 10 degree C min/sup -1/ up to 500 degree C. It was found that the additives retarded the rate of dehydro chlorination of PVC (by up to about 50% and 1% conversion) and reduced the extent of decomposition of the polymer by as much as 60%. The mixtures of the metal soaps containing more than 70% (wt) cadmium soap showed marked synergistic stabilizing effect on the degradation of PVC. (author)

The Effect of Method and Germination Paper Substrate on Viability of Eucalyptus Pellita F. Mull Seed

OpenAIRE

Yuniarti, Naning; Megawati, Megawati; Leksono, Budi

2017-01-01

Improper seed handling of Eucalyptus pellita will reduce seed quality, so as to improve the viability of the seed proper handling techniques are needed. To investigate the seed germination potency as a result of seed handling germination seed tests are needed. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of germination method and paper substrate on the viability of E. pellita seeds. Seeds used in this study were from seedling seed orchard in South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, and Riau. ...

The effect of melliferous bee (Apis mellifera carnica poll and mechanical means on seed yield, yield components and quality of alfalfa seed (Medicago sativa L

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jevtić Goran

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Number of alfalfa pollinators in free pollination was investigated as well as effect of measures that promote pollination alfalfa (using sugar syrup and mechanical means. In first year of investigations, with higher precipitation, higher number of others pollinators (80,8 then honeybees (45,6 on alfalfa field was determined. In second year, there were much more honeybees (139,5 then all others alfalfa pollinators (12,37. Pollination improvement with sugar syrup had positive effect on seed yield and seed yield components since by this way more seeds were obtained compare to free pollination and by using mechanical means. Highest seed yield was obtained with sugar syrup (44,90 gm-2, with mechanical improvement of pollination 40,74 gm-2 and in free pollination 30,41 gm-2. As for yield components pollination improvement gave better results compare to free pollination. Pod setting and number of seeds per pod were especially significant compare to control. There were no statistically significant differences between free pollination and improved pollination for seed quality components (mass of 1000 seeds, energy of germination and germination ability.

Effect of free and symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacterial co-inoculation on seed and seedling of soybean seeds produced under deficit water condition

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Hamed Hadi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Effect of free and symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria on seed and seedling produced seeds under deficit irrigation was conducted in laboratory and field experiments in 2006. In laboratory of karaj’s Seed and Plant Research and Certificate Institute an experiment was conducted based on factorial in form of completely randomized design with four replications and in field’s of Islamic Azad University, Varamin Branch were split factorial in form of randomized completely block design with three replications. Treatments included water stress [Irrigation after 50 (Normal irrigation, 100 (Middle stress, 150 (Severe stress mm evaporation from pan class A], Cultivar [Manokin & Williams and SRF×T3 Line] and inoculation [Inoculation with Bradyrhizobium japonicum, Bradyrhizobium japonicum co-inoculated with Azotobacter chroococcum, No seed inoculation]. Results showed that drought stress decreased the uniformity and germination speed and seedling emergence. Bacteria increased leaf dry weight, stem dry weight, leaf area and seedling vigor index but had no effect on emergence. In irrigation levels inoculated treatments had higher seedling length, leaf, stem, seedling dry weight and seedling vigor. Severs stress seeds inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum had higher root dry weight than control. Therefore in seeds which were produced under deficit irrigation conditions, bacteria increased seedlings vigor.

Effect of cutting height and time on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184

OpenAIRE

Pimpaporn Pholsen; Chureerat Satjipanon; Krailas Kiyothong

2002-01-01

The objectives of this experiment were to study the effect of cutting height and time on seed yield and seed quality of Stylosanthes guianensis CIAT 184 in Korat soil series at Khon Kaen Animal Nutrition Research Center, during April 2000 - May 2001. The experimental design was 2 × 4 factorial in randomized complete block design with 4 replications. The treatment consisted of 2 factors: - 1) Two levels of cutting height viz. 20 and 30 cm above ground; 2) Four periods of cutting time viz. at 6...

Mutualism in a Reduced Gravity Environment (MuRGE)

Science.gov (United States)

Haire, Timothy C.

2010-01-01

Mutualism in a Reduced Gravity Environment (MuRGE) is a ground research study to determine the feasibility of assessing fungi-plant (Piriformospora indica-Arabidopsis thaliana) interactions in microgravity. Seeds from the plant Arabiddospsis thaliana (At) will be grown in the presence of Piriformospora indica (Pi) an endophytic Sebacinacae family fungus. Pi is capable of colonizing the roots of a wide variety of plant species, including non-mycorrhizal hosts like At, and promoting plant growth similarly to AMF (arbusuclar mychorrizal fungi) unlike most AMF, Pi is not an obligate plant symbiont and can be grown in the absence of a host. In the presence of a suitable plant host, Pi can attach to and colonize root tips. Interaction visualization is accomplished with strong autofluorescence in the roots, followed by root colonization via fungal hyphae, and chlamydospore production. Increased root growth can be observed even before root colonization is detectable. In addition, Pi chlamydospores generated from axenic culture in microgravity will be used to inoculate roots of At grown in 1g to determine the effect of microgravity upon the inherent virulence or beneficial effects. Based on recent reports of increased virulence of S. typhimurium, P. aeruginosa, and S. Pneumoniae in reduced gravity, differences in microbial pathogenic responses and host plant systemic acquired resistance are expected. The focus of this project within MuRGE involved the development P. indica culture media evaluation and microscopy protocol development. High, clean spore harvest yields for the detection of fungi-plant interactions microscopically was the immediate goal of this experiment.

Effects of gravity in folding

Science.gov (United States)

Minkel, Donald Howe

Effects of gravity on buckle folding are studied using a Newtonian fluid finite element model of a single layer embedded between two thicker less viscous layers. The methods allow arbitrary density jumps, surface tension coefficients, resistance to slip at the interfaces, and tracking of fold growth to a large amplitudes. When density increases downward in two equal jumps, a layer buckles less and thickens more than with uniform density. When density increases upward in two equal jumps, it buckles more and thickens less. A low density layer with periodic thickness variations buckles more, sometimes explosively. Thickness variations form, even if not present initially. These effects are greater with; smaller viscosities, larger density jump, larger length scale, and slower shortening rate. They also depend on wavelength and amplitude, and these dependencies are described in detail. The model is applied to the explosive growth of the salt anticlines of the Paradox Basin, Colorado and Utah. There, shale (higher density) overlies salt (lower density). Methods for simulating realistic earth surface erosion and deposition conditions are introduced. Growth rates increase both with ease of slip at the salt-shale interface, and when earth surface relief stays low due to erosion and deposition. Model anticlines grow explosively, attaining growth rates and amplitudes close to those of the field examples. Fastest growing wavelengths are the same as seen in the field. It is concluded that a combination of partial-slip at the salt-shale interface, with reasonable earth surface conditions, promotes sufficiently fast buckling of the salt-shale interface due to density inversion alone. Neither basement faulting, nor tectonic shortening is required to account for the observed structures. Of fundamental importance is the strong tendency of gravity to promote buckling in low density layers with thickness variations. These develop, even if not present initially.

Catalyst-free growth of ZnO nanowires on ITO seed/glass by thermal evaporation method: Effects of ITO seed layer thickness

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alsultany, Forat H., E-mail: foratusm@gmail.com; Ahmed, Naser M. [School of Physics, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia); Hassan, Z. [Institute of Nano-Optoelectronics Research and Technology Laboratory (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang (Malaysia)

2016-07-19

A seed/catalyst-free growth of ZnO nanowires (ZnO-NWs) on a glass substrate were successfully fabricated using thermal evaporation technique. These nanowires were grown on ITO seed layers of different thicknesses of 25 and 75 nm, which were deposited on glass substrates by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Prior to synthesized ITO nanowires, the sputtered ITO seeds were annealed using the continuous wave (CW) CO2 laser at 450 °C in air for 15 min. The effect of seed layer thickness on the morphological, structural, and optical properties of ZnO-NWs were systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and UV-Vis spectrophotometer.

Combustion of PTFE: The Effects of Gravity and Pigmentation on Ultrafine Particle Generation

Science.gov (United States)

McKinnon, J. Thomas; Srivastava, Rajiv; Todd, Paul

1997-01-01

Ultrafine particles generated during polymer thermodegradation are a major health hazard, owing to their unique pathway of processing in the lung. This hazard in manned spacecraft is poorly understood, because the particulate products of polymer thermodegradation are generated under low gravity conditions. Particulate generated from the degradation of PolyTetraFluoroEthylene (PTFE), insulation coating for 20 AWG copper wire (representative of spacecraft application) under intense ohmic heating were studied in terrestrial gravity and microgravity. Microgravity tests were done in a 1.2-second drop tower at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). Thermophoretic sampling was used for particulate collection. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) were used to examine the smoke particulates. Image software was used to calculate particle size distribution. In addition to gravity, the color of PTFE insulation has an overwhelming effect on size, shape and morphology of the particulate. Nanometer-sized primary particles were found in all cases, and aggregation and size distribution was dependent on both color and gravity; higher aggregation occurred in low gravity. Particulates from white, black, red and yellow colored PTFE insulations were studied. Elemental analysis of the particulates shows the presence of inorganic pigments.

Effects of farmers\\' seed source on maize seed quality and crop ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

determined the seed quality and field performance of farmer-saved seeds of the most popular quality protein maize (QPM) variety, Obatanpa, compared to the ... Une étude était entreprise pour déterminer la qualité de graine et le rendement sur le terrain de semence gardé par l'agriculteur de la variété la plus populaire du ...

Effect of atmospheric plasma treatment on seed germination of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Penado, Keith Nealson M.; Mahinay, Christian Lorenz S.; Culaba, Ivan B.

2018-01-01

Multiple methods of improving plant development have been utilized over the past decades. Despite these improvements, there still exists a need for better planting methods due to the increasing population of a global community. Studies have reported that plasma treatment affects the growth and germination of a variety of plant species, including a multitude of grains which often takes the bulk in the diet of the average human being. This study explores the effect of atmospheric air plasma jet treatment on the seed germination of rice (Oryza sativa L.). The seeds were treated using an atmospheric air plasma jet for 1, 2, and 3 s. The effect of plasma exposure shows a reduction of trichomes on the surface of the seed. This caused a possible increase in wettability which significantly affected the seed germ length but did not affect the seed germination count after the germination period of 72 h.

Weak lensing probes of modified gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmidt, Fabian

2008-01-01

We study the effect of modifications to general relativity on large-scale weak lensing observables. In particular, we consider three modified gravity scenarios: f(R) gravity, the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model, and tensor-vector-scalar theory. Weak lensing is sensitive to the growth of structure and the relation between matter and gravitational potentials, both of which will in general be affected by modified gravity. Restricting ourselves to linear scales, we compare the predictions for galaxy-shear and shear-shear correlations of each modified gravity cosmology to those of an effective dark energy cosmology with the same expansion history. In this way, the effects of modified gravity on the growth of perturbations are separated from the expansion history. We also propose a test which isolates the matter-potential relation from the growth factor and matter power spectrum. For all three modified gravity models, the predictions for galaxy and shear correlations will be discernible from those of dark energy with very high significance in future weak lensing surveys. Furthermore, each model predicts a measurably distinct scale dependence and redshift evolution of galaxy and shear correlations, which can be traced back to the physical foundations of each model. We show that the signal-to-noise for detecting signatures of modified gravity is much higher for weak lensing observables as compared to the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, measured via the galaxy-cosmic microwave background cross-correlation.

Dilaton gravity, Poisson sigma models and loop quantum gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bojowald, Martin; Reyes, Juan D

2009-01-01

Spherically symmetric gravity in Ashtekar variables coupled to Yang-Mills theory in two dimensions and its relation to dilaton gravity and Poisson sigma models are discussed. After introducing its loop quantization, quantum corrections for inverse triad components are shown to provide a consistent deformation without anomalies. The relation to Poisson sigma models provides a covariant action principle of the quantum-corrected theory with effective couplings. Results are also used to provide loop quantizations of spherically symmetric models in arbitrary D spacetime dimensions.

Newtonian gravity in loop quantum gravity

OpenAIRE

Smolin, Lee

2010-01-01

We apply a recent argument of Verlinde to loop quantum gravity, to conclude that Newton's law of gravity emerges in an appropriate limit and setting. This is possible because the relationship between area and entropy is realized in loop quantum gravity when boundaries are imposed on a quantum spacetime.

Effect of Grape Seeds Oil Extracted from Radiation Processed Seeds on Lipid Metabolism and on Antioxidant Activity in Rats Fed Diets Containing Cholesterol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Neily, H.F.G.; El-Shennawy, H.M.

2011-01-01

Grape seeds were separated from fresh grape pomace and dried at room temperature then packed in polyethylene bags and subjected to gamma rays at dose level of 10 kGy. The grape seeds oil was extracted from non and irradiated seeds. The oil quality, fatty acid composition and total phenolic compounds of oil extracted from non or irradiated seeds have been studied. The results indicated that there were significant increases in the acid value, saponification value and peroxide value of oil extracted from irradiated seeds at 10 kGy by 46.2%, 2.5% and 95.2%, respectively, and the total phenolic compounds and total radical trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) were reduced by 22.13% and 10%, respectively, as compared to those of oil extracted from non-irradiated seeds. No degradation of the fatty acids; palmitic, linoleic, linolenic and arachidic acids, were observed for oil extracted from irradiated seeds at 10 kGy. However, significant decrease in oleic acid by 11.35% and increase in stearic acid by 26.22% were recorded corresponding to those for oil extracted from non-irradiated seeds. The effect of grape seeds oils extracted from non or irradiated seeds on lipid metabolism and antioxidant activity was investigated using 60 male Albino rats divided into six groups: (1) Control group: animals fed casein diet. (2) Ch group: animals received casein diet contains 10 g cholesterol per kg diet. (3) RGSO group: animals received diet contains grape seeds oil extracted from non-irradiated seeds (100 g oil per kg diet). (4) RGSO + Ch group: rats received diet contains grape seeds oil extracted from non-irradiated seeds (100 g oil per kg diet) + 100 g cholesterol per kg diet. (5) IGSO group: rats received diet contains grape seeds oil extracted from irradiated seeds at 10 kGy (100 g oil per kg diet). (6) IGSO + Ch group: rats received diet contains grape seeds oil extracted from irradiated seeds at 10 kGy (100 g oil per kg diet) + 10 g cholesterol per kg diet. Animals received

Seed disinfection effect of atmospheric pressure plasma and low pressure plasma on Rhizoctonia solani.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishioka, Terumi; Takai, Yuichiro; Kawaradani, Mitsuo; Okada, Kiyotsugu; Tanimoto, Hideo; Misawa, Tatsuya; Kusakari, Shinichi

2014-01-01

Gas plasma generated and applied under two different systems, atmospheric pressure plasma and low pressure plasma, was used to investigate the inactivation efficacy on the seedborne pathogenic fungus, Rhizoctonia solani, which had been artificially introduced to brassicaceous seeds. Treatment with atmospheric plasma for 10 min markedly reduced the R. solani survival rate from 100% to 3% but delayed seed germination. The low pressure plasma treatment reduced the fungal survival rate from 83% to 1.7% after 10 min and the inactivation effect was dependent on the treatment time. The seed germination rate after treatment with the low pressure plasma was not significantly different from that of untreated seeds. The air temperature around the seeds in the low pressure system was lower than that of the atmospheric system. These results suggested that gas plasma treatment under low pressure could be effective in disinfecting the seeds without damaging them.

Effect of separation in n-pentane on storability of sugar maple seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Clayton M., Jr. Carl

1976-01-01

Seeds in samaras separated in n-pentane have been stored successfully for 5½ years. The seeds in the separated samaras germinated equally as well as the unseparated controls, indicating that there was no detrimental effect from the n-pentane.

Physical Methods for Seed Invigoration: Advantages and Challenges in Seed Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Susana de Sousa; Paparella, Stefania; Dondi, Daniele; Bentivoglio, Antonio; Carbonera, Daniela; Balestrazzi, Alma

2016-01-01

In the context of seed technology, the use of physical methods for increasing plant production offers advantages over conventional treatments based on chemical substances. The effects of physical invigoration treatments in seeds can be now addressed at multiple levels, ranging from morpho-structural aspects to changes in gene expression and protein or metabolite accumulation. Among the physical methods available, "magneto-priming" and irradiation with microwaves (MWs) or ionizing radiations (IRs) are the most promising pre-sowing seed treatments. "Magneto-priming" is based on the application of magnetic fields and described as an eco-friendly, cheap, non-invasive technique with proved beneficial effects on seed germination, vigor and crop yield. IRs, as γ-rays and X-rays, have been widely regarded as a powerful tool in agricultural sciences and food technology. Gamma-rays delivered at low dose have showed to enhance germination percentage and seedling establishment, acting as an actual 'priming' treatment. Different biological effects have been observed in seeds subjected to MWs and X-rays but knowledge about their impact as seed invigoration agent or stimulatory effects on germination need to be further extended. Ultraviolet (UV) radiations, namely UV-A and UV-C have shown to stimulate positive impacts on seed health, germination, and seedling vigor. For all mentioned physical treatments, extensive fundamental and applied research is still needed to define the optimal dose, exposition time, genotype- and environment-dependent irradiation conditions. Electron paramagnetic resonance has an enormous potential in seed technology not fully explored to monitor seed invigoration treatments and/or identifying the best suitable irradiation dose or time-point to stop the treatment. The present manuscript describes the use of physical methods for seed invigoration, while providing a critical discussion on the constraints and advantages. The future perspectives related to

Physical Methods for Seed Invigoration: Advantages and Challenges in Seed Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Susana de Sousa; Paparella, Stefania; Dondi, Daniele; Bentivoglio, Antonio; Carbonera, Daniela; Balestrazzi, Alma

2016-01-01

In the context of seed technology, the use of physical methods for increasing plant production offers advantages over conventional treatments based on chemical substances. The effects of physical invigoration treatments in seeds can be now addressed at multiple levels, ranging from morpho-structural aspects to changes in gene expression and protein or metabolite accumulation. Among the physical methods available, “magneto-priming” and irradiation with microwaves (MWs) or ionizing radiations (IRs) are the most promising pre-sowing seed treatments. “Magneto-priming” is based on the application of magnetic fields and described as an eco-friendly, cheap, non-invasive technique with proved beneficial effects on seed germination, vigor and crop yield. IRs, as γ-rays and X-rays, have been widely regarded as a powerful tool in agricultural sciences and food technology. Gamma-rays delivered at low dose have showed to enhance germination percentage and seedling establishment, acting as an actual ‘priming’ treatment. Different biological effects have been observed in seeds subjected to MWs and X-rays but knowledge about their impact as seed invigoration agent or stimulatory effects on germination need to be further extended. Ultraviolet (UV) radiations, namely UV-A and UV-C have shown to stimulate positive impacts on seed health, germination, and seedling vigor. For all mentioned physical treatments, extensive fundamental and applied research is still needed to define the optimal dose, exposition time, genotype- and environment-dependent irradiation conditions. Electron paramagnetic resonance has an enormous potential in seed technology not fully explored to monitor seed invigoration treatments and/or identifying the best suitable irradiation dose or time-point to stop the treatment. The present manuscript describes the use of physical methods for seed invigoration, while providing a critical discussion on the constraints and advantages. The future perspectives

Physical methods for seed vigourization: advantages and challenges in seed technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susana eAraújo

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In the context of seed technology, the use of physical methods for increasing plant production offers advantages over conventional treatments based on chemical substances. The effects of physical vigourization treatments in seeds can be now addressed at multiple levels, ranging from morpho-structural aspects to changes in gene expression and protein or metabolite accumulation. Among the physical methods available, magneto-priming and irradiation with microwaves or ionizing radiations are the most promissory pre-sowing seed treatments. Magneto-priming is based on the application of magnetic fields and described as an eco-friendly, cheap, non-invasive technique with proved beneficial effects on seed germination, vigour and crop yield. Ionizing radiations, as gamma-rays and X-rays, have been widely regarded as a powerful tool in agricultural sciences and food technology. Gamma-rays delivered at low dose have showed to enhance germination percentage and seedling establishment, acting as an actual ‘priming’ treatment. Different biological effects have been observed in seeds subjected to microwaves and X-rays but knowledge about their impact as seed vigourization agent or stimulatory effects on germination need to be further extended. Ultraviolet (UV radiations, namely UV-A and UV-C have shown to stimulate positive impacts on seed health, germination and seedling vigour. For all mentioned physical treatments, extensive fundamental and applied research is still needed to define the optimal dose, exposition time, genotype- and environment-dependent irradiation conditions. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR has an enormous potential in seed technology not fully explored to monitor seed vigourization treatments and/or identifying the best suitable irradiation dose or time-point to stop the treatment. The present manuscript describes the use of physical methods for seed vigourization, while providing a critical discussion on the constraints and

Effect of the Earth's inner structure on the gravity in definitions of height systems

Science.gov (United States)

Tenzer, Robert; Foroughi, Ismael; Pitoňák, Martin; Šprlák, Michal

2017-04-01

In context of the vertical datum unification, the geoid-to-quasi-geoid separation has been of significant interest in recent years, because most of existing local vertical datums are realized in the system of either normal or orthometric heights. Nevertheless, the normal-orthometric heights are still used in many other countries where the normal gravity values along leveling lines were adopted instead of the observed gravity. Whereas the conversion between the orthometric and normal heights is defined by means of the mean gravity disturbances (i.e. differences between the mean values of the actual and normal gravity) along the plumbline within the topography, differences between the normal and normal-orthometric heights can be described by means of the surface gravity disturbances. Since the normal gravity field does not reflect the topographic masses and actual mass density distribution inside the Earth, the definition of gravity represents a principal aspect for a realization of particular vertical datum. To address this issue in this study, we investigate effects of the Earth's inner density structure on the surface and mean gravity disturbances, and discuss their impact on the vertical datum realization. These two gravity field quantities are computed globally with a spectral resolution complete to a spherical harmonic degree 2160 using the global gravity, terrain, ice-thickness, inland bathymetry and crustal structure models. Our results reveal that both, the surface and mean gravity disturbances mostly comprise the gravitational signal of topography and masses distributed below the geoid surface. Moreover, in polar areas, a significant contribution comes from large glaciers. In contrast, the contributions of anomalous density distribution within the topography attributed to major lakes, sediments and bedrock density variations are much less pronounced. We also demonstrate that the mean gravity disturbances within the topography are significantly modified

Effective seeding strategy in evolutionary prisoner's dilemma games on online social networks

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Bo; Shi, Huibin; Wang, Jianwei; Huang, Yun

2015-04-01

This paper explores effective seeding strategies in prisoner's dilemma game (PDG) on online social networks, i.e. the optimal strategy to obtain global cooperation with minimum cost. Three distinct seeding strategies are compared by performing computer simulations on real online social network datasets. Our finding suggests that degree centrality seeding outperforms other strategies regardless of the initial payoff setting or network size. Celebrities of online social networks play key roles in preserving cooperation.

Internal Gravity Waves in the Magnetized Solar Atmosphere. I. Magnetic Field Effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vigeesh, G.; Steiner, O. [Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Schöneckstrasse 6, D-79104 Freiburg (Germany); Jackiewicz, J., E-mail: vigeesh@leibniz-kis.de [New Mexico State University, Department of Astronomy, P.O. Box 30001, MSC 4500, Las Cruces, NM 88003 (United States)

2017-02-01

Observations of the solar atmosphere show that internal gravity waves are generated by overshooting convection, but are suppressed at locations of magnetic flux, which is thought to be the result of mode conversion into magnetoacoustic waves. Here, we present a study of the acoustic-gravity wave spectrum emerging from a realistic, self-consistent simulation of solar (magneto)convection. A magnetic field free, hydrodynamic simulation and a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation with an initial, vertical, homogeneous field of 50 G flux density were carried out and compared with each other to highlight the effect of magnetic fields on the internal gravity wave propagation in the Sun’s atmosphere. We find that the internal gravity waves are absent or partially reflected back into the lower layers in the presence of magnetic fields and argue that the suppression is due to the coupling of internal gravity waves to slow magnetoacoustic waves still within the high- β region of the upper photosphere. The conversion to Alfvén waves is highly unlikely in our model because there is no strongly inclined magnetic field present. We argue that the suppression of internal waves observed within magnetic flux concentrations may also be due to nonlinear breaking of internal waves due to vortex flows that are ubiquitously present in the upper photosphere and the chromosphere.

Centrifuge in Free Fall: Combustion at Partial Gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Ferkul, Paul

2017-01-01

A centrifuge apparatus is developed to study the effect of variable acceleration levels in a drop tower environment. It consists of a large rotating chamber, within which the experiment is conducted. NASA Glenn Research Center 5.18-second Zero-Gravity Facility drop tests were successfully conducted at rotation rates up to 1 RPS with no measurable effect on the overall Zero-Gravity drop bus. Arbitrary simulated gravity levels from zero to 1-g (at a radius of rotation 30 cm) were produced. A simple combustion experiment was used to exercise the capabilities of the centrifuge. A total of 23 drops burning a simulated candle with heptane and ethanol fuel were performed. The effect of gravity level (rotation rate) and Coriolis force on the flames was observed. Flames became longer, narrower, and brighter as gravity increased. The Coriolis force tended to tilt the flames to one side, as expected, especially as the rotation rate was increased. The Zero-Gravity Centrifuge can be a useful tool for other researchers interested in the effects of arbitrary partial gravity on experiments, especially as NASA embarks on future missions which may be conducted in non-Earth gravity.

Criticality in third order lovelock gravity and butterfly effect

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qaemmaqami, Mohammad M. [Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), School of Particles and Accelerators, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2018-01-15

We study third order Lovelock Gravity in D = 7 at the critical point which three (A)dS vacua degenerate into one. We see there is not propagating graviton at the critical point. And also we compute the butterfly velocity for this theory at the critical point by considering the shock wave solutions near horizon, this is important to note that although there is no propagating graviton at the critical point, due to boundary gravitons the butterfly velocity is non-zero. Finally we observe that the butterfly velocity for third order Lovelock Gravity at the critical point in D = 7 is less than the butterfly velocity for Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet Gravity at the critical point in D = 7 which is less than the butterfly velocity in D = 7 for Einstein Gravity, v{sub B}{sup E.H} > v{sub B}{sup E.G.B} > v{sub B}{sup 3rdLovelock}. Maybe we can conclude that by adding higher order curvature corrections to Einstein Gravity the butterfly velocity decreases. (orig.)

Effect of microwave irradiation on alfalfa seeds germination and nitrogenase activity of endophytic diazotrophs in seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Shuqing; Li Jianfeng; Shi Shangli; Huo Pinghui; Zhu Xinqiang; Zhao Wenhan; Tao Rong

2011-01-01

Various microwave powers were used to irradiate alfalfa seeds with various time to study the effect of microwave irradiation on nitrogenase activity of endogenous azotobacter and germination of seeds. Germination rate, germination speed and nitrogenase activity of pure cultures that derived from seed-carried azotobacter were tested. The results indicate that : 800 W, 20 s and 500 W, 40 s are found with highest germination rate on the 1 st day, which is 122% and 88.9% times higher than the control group (P th day is 29.8% and 41.9% times longer than the control group, and more sensitive nitrogenase activity is found on condition of various time than various powers. Short time treatments on condition of the two irradiation powers can increase nitrogenase activity conspicuously, and the treatments that treated more than 32 s make nitrogenase activity lower than the control group, conspicuously. Nitrogenase activity is found 104.9% times higher than the control group on condition of 24 s. (authors)

Chiral gravity, log gravity, and extremal CFT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maloney, Alexander; Song Wei; Strominger, Andrew

2010-01-01

We show that the linearization of all exact solutions of classical chiral gravity around the AdS 3 vacuum have positive energy. Nonchiral and negative-energy solutions of the linearized equations are infrared divergent at second order, and so are removed from the spectrum. In other words, chirality is confined and the equations of motion have linearization instabilities. We prove that the only stationary, axially symmetric solutions of chiral gravity are BTZ black holes, which have positive energy. It is further shown that classical log gravity--the theory with logarithmically relaxed boundary conditions--has finite asymptotic symmetry generators but is not chiral and hence may be dual at the quantum level to a logarithmic conformal field theories (CFT). Moreover we show that log gravity contains chiral gravity within it as a decoupled charge superselection sector. We formally evaluate the Euclidean sum over geometries of chiral gravity and show that it gives precisely the holomorphic extremal CFT partition function. The modular invariance and integrality of the expansion coefficients of this partition function are consistent with the existence of an exact quantum theory of chiral gravity. We argue that the problem of quantizing chiral gravity is the holographic dual of the problem of constructing an extremal CFT, while quantizing log gravity is dual to the problem of constructing a logarithmic extremal CFT.

Chloroxyanion residue on seeds and sprouts after chlorine dioxide sanitation of alfalfa seed

Science.gov (United States)

The effects of a 6-h chlorine dioxide sanitation of alfalfa seed (0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg seed) on total coliform bacteria, seed germination, and on the presence of chlorate and perchlorate residues in seed rinse, seed soak, and in alfalfa sprouts was determined. Chlorate residues in 20000 ppm cal...

Effect of feeding processed Cassia tora seed based diets on growth ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of feeding Cassia tora seed based diets on the growth performance and biochemical parameters of growing rabbits over a 10 week period was investigated. Four dietary treatments were formulated such that diets 1, 2, 3, and 4 contained 0, 5, 10 and 15% Cassia tora seeds, respectively. Forty-eight mixed breeds ...

Application of Cauchy-type integrals in developing effective methods for depth-to-basement inversion of gravity and gravity gradiometry data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cai, Hongzhu; Zhdanov, Michael

2015-01-01

to be discretized for the calculation of gravity field. This was especially significant in the modeling and inversion of gravity data for determining the depth to the basement. Another important result was developing a novel method of inversion of gravity data to recover the depth to basement, based on the 3D...... Cauchy-type integral representation. Our numerical studies determined that the new method is much faster than conventional volume discretization method to compute the gravity response. Our synthetic model studies also showed that the developed inversion algorithm based on Cauchy-type integral is capable......One of the most important applications of gravity surveys in regional geophysical studies is determining the depth to basement. Conventional methods of solving this problem are based on the spectrum and/or Euler deconvolution analysis of the gravity field and on parameterization of the earth...

Effect of corona discharge plasma jet on surface-borne microorganisms and sprouting of broccoli seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Je-Wook; Puligundla, Pradeep; Mok, Chulkyoon

2017-01-01

Different pathogenic microorganisms have been reported to cause sprouts-associated outbreaks. In order to sterilise and enhance the germination of seeds, non-thermal plasma has been increasingly investigated in the field of agricultural science as an alternative to the traditional pre-sowing seed treatments. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of corona discharge plasma jet (CDPJ) on disinfection of the natural bio-contaminants of broccoli seed and also studied the plasma effect on sprout seed germination rate and physico-chemical properties of sprouts. Aerobic bacteria, moulds and yeasts, B. cereus, E. coli, Salmonella spp. were detected on the broccoli seed surface. After 0-3 min treatment using CDPJ, the detected microorganisms were reduced in the range of 1.2-2.3 log units. Inactivation patterns were better explained using pseudo-first-order kinetics. The plasma treatment of seeds up to 2 min exhibited a positive effect on germination rate, seedling growth. The physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of sprouts were unaffected due to the CDPJ treatment of their respective seeds. Corona discharge plasma jet can potentially be used for microbial decontamination of broccoli seeds. In addition, the plasma treatment of broccoli sprout seeds has enabled a significant enhancement in their germination rate and seedling growth without compromising physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of their corresponding sprouts. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of hormonal priming on seed germination of pigeon pea under cadmium stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LARISSA C. SNEIDERIS

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this work we investigated whether priming with auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, abscisic acid and ethylene, alters the physiological responses of seeds of pigeon pea germinated under water and cadmium stress. Seeds treated with water or non-treated seeds were used as control. Although compared to non-treated seeds we found that the hormone treatments improve the germination of pigeon pea under cadmium stress, however, these treatments did not differ from water. However, we also observed a trend of tolerance to the effects of cadmium in the presence of ethylene, suggesting that the use of this hormone may be an efficient method to overcome seed germination under metal stress.

Effect of Bacillus spp. on seed germination of selected species of the genus Cuscuta (Convolvulaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Hadizadeh

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Species of the genus Cuscuta are annual angiospermic rootless and leafless (achlorophyllous parasitic plants. Bacillus is an example of PGPR bacteria exhibiting plant growth promoting activity. In this study the effects of bacterial suspension on germination of dodder’s seed has been determinated. Seeds of three Cuscuta species were collected from field for evaluating effects of three different Bacillus on its germination. Results show that seed germination of the C. monogyna and C. campestris is inhibited by all three bacterial species. Based on Tukey analysis, the highest inhibitory activity on seed germination of C. monogyna was shown with B. pumilus (68.88%; as well as C. campestris with B. megaterium (95.76% and B. pumilus (91.53%, whilst seed germination of C. europaea was almost identically inhibited by all three bacterial species. This paper reports the variable effects of Bacillus species on the seed germination of selected Cuscuta species.

Gravity Terrain Effect of the Seafloor Topography in Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lun-Tao Tong Tai-Rong Guo

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Gravity terrain correction is used to compensate for the gravitational effects of the topography residual to the Bouguer plate. The seafloor topography off the eastern offshore of Taiwan is extremely rugged, and the depth of the sea bottom could be greater than 5000 m. In order to evaluate the terrain effect caused by the seafloor topography, a modern computer algorithm is used to calculate the terrain correction based on the digital elevation model (DEM.

Genetic effects on seed quality in diallel crosses of popcorn

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo Diego Silva Cabral

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The failure to obtain the ideal stand is one of the causes of decreased crop yields, in this sense it is important to investigate the genetic effects related to seed quality. The aim of this study was to measure the general combining ability (GCA, the specific combining ability (SCA and the reciprocal effects (RE for popcorn seed quality in addition to evaluate the association between germination and vigor tests with field emergencein order to identify hybrids with better germination and vigour. Ten inbred lines were evaluated using a complete diallel cross with reciprocals. Seed quality was measured by germination tests (GT and by modified cold vigour tests (MCV. In the GT, the numbers of strong normal seedlings (SNS, weak normal (WNS, abnormal (AS and ungerminated seeds (UGS were counted. In the MCV, the numbers of normal seedlings (NPC, abnormal (ASC and ungerminated seeds (UGSC were counted, and the plants' dry matter (DM was measured. Analysis of variance for GCA, SCA and RE were significant for all variables. The quadratic components for SCA were higher than those for GCA for the SNS, AS, UGS, ASC and UGSC traits, which indicates higher significance for the non-additive effects. The most favourable GCA estimates, were found in lines P3 and L70. The best hybrids were P1xL70, P3xP6 and P8xL70. The RE results showed that L70 and P3 should be used as the female parent in the P1xL70 and P3xP6 hybrid crosses, respectively. The MCV was the test that was most strongly correlated with field emergence, with a magnitude of 0.667.

The Effects of Lever Arm (Instrument Offset) Error on GRAV-D Airborne Gravity Data

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, J. A.; Youngman, M.; Damiani, T.

2017-12-01

High quality airborne gravity collection with a 2-axis, stabilized platform gravity instrument, such as with a Micro-g LaCoste Turnkey Airborne Gravity System (TAGS), is dependent on the aircraft's ability to maintain "straight and level" flight. However, during flight there is constant rotation about the aircraft's center of gravity. Standard practice is to install the scientific equipment close to the aircraft's estimated center of gravity to minimize the relative rotations with aircraft motion. However, there remain small offsets between the instruments. These distance offsets, the lever arm, are used to define the rigid-body, spatial relationship between the IMU, GPS antenna, and airborne gravimeter within the aircraft body frame. The Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) project, which is collecting airborne gravity data across the U.S., uses a commercial software package for coupled IMU-GNSS aircraft positioning. This software incorporates a lever arm correction to calculate a precise position for the airborne gravimeter. The positioning software must do a coordinate transformation to relate each epoch of the coupled GNSS-IMU derived position to the position of the gravimeter within the constantly-rotating aircraft. This transformation requires three inputs: accurate IMU-measured aircraft rotations, GNSS positions, and lever arm distances between instruments. Previous studies show that correcting for the lever arm distances improves gravity results, but no sensitivity tests have been done to investigate how error in the lever arm distances affects the final airborne gravity products. This research investigates the effects of lever arm measurement error on airborne gravity data. GRAV-D lever arms are nominally measured to the cm-level using surveying equipment. "Truth" data sets will be created by processing GRAV-D flight lines with both relatively small lever arms and large lever arms. Then negative and positive incremental

New effective coupled F({sup (4)}R, φ) modified gravity from f({sup (5)}R) gravity in five dimensions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Madriz Aguilar, Jose Edgar [Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e ingenierias (CUCEI), Universidad de Guadalajara (UdG), Departamento de Matematicas, Guadalajara, Jalisco (Mexico)

2015-12-15

Using some ideas of the Wesson induced matter theory, we obtain a new kind of F({sup (4)}R, φ) modified gravity theory as an effective four-dimensional (4D) theory derived from f({sup (5)}R) gravity in five dimensions (5D). This new theory exhibits a different matter coupling than the one in BBHL theory. We show that the field equations of the Wesson induced matter theory and of some brane-world scenarios can be obtained as maximally symmetric solutions of the same f({sup (5)}R) theory. We found criteria for the Dolgov-Kawasaki instabilities for both the f({sup (5)}R) and the F({sup (4)}R, φ) theories. We demonstrate that under certain conditions imposed on the 5D geometry it is possible to interpret the F({sup (4)}R, φ) theory as a modified gravity theory with dynamical coefficients, making this new theory a viable candidate to address the present accelerating cosmic expansion issue. Matter sources in the F({sup (4)}R, φ) case appear induced by the 5D geometry without the necessity of the introduction of matter sources in 5D. (orig.)

Cosmological footprints of loop quantum gravity.

Science.gov (United States)

Grain, J; Barrau, A

2009-02-27

The primordial spectrum of cosmological tensor perturbations is considered as a possible probe of quantum gravity effects. Together with string theory, loop quantum gravity is one of the most promising frameworks to study quantum effects in the early universe. We show that the associated corrections should modify the potential seen by gravitational waves during the inflationary amplification. The resulting power spectrum should exhibit a characteristic tilt. This opens a new window for cosmological tests of quantum gravity.

Natural inflation and quantum gravity.

Science.gov (United States)

de la Fuente, Anton; Saraswat, Prashant; Sundrum, Raman

2015-04-17

Cosmic inflation provides an attractive framework for understanding the early Universe and the cosmic microwave background. It can readily involve energies close to the scale at which quantum gravity effects become important. General considerations of black hole quantum mechanics suggest nontrivial constraints on any effective field theory model of inflation that emerges as a low-energy limit of quantum gravity, in particular, the constraint of the weak gravity conjecture. We show that higher-dimensional gauge and gravitational dynamics can elegantly satisfy these constraints and lead to a viable, theoretically controlled and predictive class of natural inflation models.

Study on the effect of micro-gravity on bio-functions; Seitai kino eno bisho juryoku no eikyo ni kansuru kenkyu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

The effect of micro-gravity on bio-functions and vital reaction was studied using the facility of Underground Gravity-free Experiment Center Co. On the effect on osteoblast shape and gene expression, although fluorochrome reacting with Ca was well taken into cells, no significant difference in Ca content in cells was observed before/after falling. Expression of genes related to cell propagation was controlled under micro-gravity. Protoplast fusion of Lentinus was unaffected by micro-gravity. The mRNA fragments of gravity sensitive mutant of rice plant were affected by micro-gravity. Paramecium was set swimming in solutions with different specific gravities. The reaction behavior of Paramecium was affected by the difference in specific gravity between cell bodies and solutions. The water content metabolism functions of a mouse with needle stimulus, in particular excretory, were slightly promoted by micro- gravity. The cortisol level in blood of a falling mouse group rose showing strong stress. As the preliminary study on the geotaxis of insects, motion of bagworm was observed. 12 refs., 38 figs., 4 tabs.

Partial gravity - Human impacts on facility design

Science.gov (United States)

Capps, Stephen; Moore, Nathan

1990-01-01

Partial gravity affects the body differently than earth gravity and microgravity environments. The main difference from earth gravity is human locomotion; while the main dfference from microgravity is the specific updown orientation and reach envelopes which increase volume requirements. Much data are available on earth gravity and microgravity design; however, very little information is available on human reactions to reduced gravity levels in IVA situations (without pressure suits). Therefore, if humans commit to permanent lunar habitation, much research should be conducted in the area of partial gravity effects on habitat design.

Effects of seed magnetic fields on magnetohydrodynamic implosion structure and dynamics

KAUST Repository

Mostert, W.

2014-12-01

The effects of various seed magnetic fields on the dynamics of cylindrical and spherical implosions in ideal magnetohydrodynamics are investigated. Here, we present a fundamental investigation of this problem utilizing cylindrical and spherical Riemann problems under three seed field configurations to initialize the implosions. The resulting flows are simulated numerically, revealing rich flow structures, including multiple families of magnetohydrodynamic shocks and rarefactions that interact non-linearly. We fully characterize these flow structures, examine their axi- and spherisymmetry-breaking behaviour, and provide data on asymmetry evolution for different field strengths and driving pressures for each seed field configuration. We find that out of the configurations investigated, a seed field for which the implosion centre is a saddle point in at least one plane exhibits the least degree of asymmetry during implosion.

Phenolics in the seed coat of wild soybean (Glycine soja) and their significance for seed hardness and seed germination.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, San; Sekizaki, Haruo; Yang, Zhihong; Sawa, Satoko; Pan, Jun

2010-10-27

Hardseededness in annual wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. Et Zucc.) is a valuable trait that affects the germination, viability, and quality of stored seeds. Two G. soja ecotypes native to Shandong Province of China have been used to identify the phenolics in the seed coat that correlate with the seed hardness and seed germination. Three major phenolics from the seed coat were isolated and identified as epicatechin, cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, and delphinidin 3-O-glucoside. Of the three phenolics, only the change of epicatechin exhibited a significant positive correlation with the change of hard seed percentages both under different water conditions during seed development and under different gas conditions during seed storage. Epicatechin also reveals a hormesis-like effect on the seed germination of G. soja. Epicatechin is suggested to be functionally related to coat-imposed hardseededness in G. soja.

The effect of seeding with bacteria on biogas production rate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dangoggo, S.M. [Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (Nigeria). Dept. of Chemistry; Aliyu, M.; Atiku, A.T. [Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (Nigeria). Energy Research Centre

1996-09-01

Biogas as a clean and cheap fuel is studied with the aim of determining the effect of seeding with bacteria on its production rate using four different substrates. The seeding with four different digesters was carried out with 5g of digested cowdung sludge obtained from a working digester. Results indicate that of all the substrates used for the studies, ipomea asarifobia produced the highest amount of biogas over a period of 40 days. (Author)

Oak habitat recovery on California's largest islands: Scenarios for the role of corvid seed dispersal

Science.gov (United States)

Pesendorfer, Mario B.; Baker, Christopher M.; Stringer, Martin; McDonald-Madden, Eve; Bode, Michael; McEachern, A. Kathryn; Morrison, Scott A.; Sillett, T. Scott

2018-01-01

Seed dispersal by birds is central to the passive restoration of many tree communities. Reintroduction of extinct seed dispersers can therefore restore degraded forests and woodlands. To test this, we constructed a spatially explicit simulation model, parameterized with field data, to consider the effect of different seed dispersal scenarios on the extent of oak populations. We applied the model to two islands in California's Channel Islands National Park (USA), one of which has lost a key seed disperser.We used an ensemble modelling approach to simulate island scrub oak (Quercus pacifica) demography. The model was developed and trained to recreate known population changes over a 20-year period on 250-km2 Santa Cruz Island, and incorporated acorn dispersal by island scrub-jays (Aphelocoma insularis), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and gravity, as well as seed predation. We applied the trained model to 215-km2 Santa Rosa Island to examine how reintroducing island scrub-jays would affect the rate and pattern of oak population expansion. Oak habitat on Santa Rosa Island has been greatly reduced from its historical extent due to past grazing by introduced ungulates, the last of which were removed by 2011.Our simulation model predicts that a seed dispersal scenario including island scrub-jays would increase the extent of the island scrub oak population on Santa Rosa Island by 281% over 100 years, and by 544% over 200 years. Scenarios without jays would result in little expansion. Simulated long-distance seed dispersal by jays also facilitates establishment of discontinuous patches of oaks, and increases their elevational distribution.Synthesis and applications. Scenario planning provides powerful decision support for conservation managers. We used ensemble modelling of plant demographic and seed dispersal processes to investigate whether the reintroduction of seed dispersers could provide cost-effective means of achieving broader ecosystem restoration goals on

Stochastic Gravity: Theory and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hu Bei Lok

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Whereas semiclassical gravity is based on the semiclassical Einstein equation with sources given by the expectation value of the stress-energy tensor of quantum fields, stochastic semiclassical gravity is based on the Einstein–Langevin equation, which has, in addition, sources due to the noise kernel. The noise kernel is the vacuum expectation value of the (operator-valued stress-energy bitensor, which describes the fluctuations of quantum-matter fields in curved spacetimes. A new improved criterion for the validity of semiclassical gravity may also be formulated from the viewpoint of this theory. In the first part of this review we describe the fundamentals of this new theory via two approaches: the axiomatic and the functional. The axiomatic approach is useful to see the structure of the theory from the framework of semiclassical gravity, showing the link from the mean value of the stress-energy tensor to the correlation functions. The functional approach uses the Feynman–Vernon influence functional and the Schwinger–Keldysh closed-time-path effective action methods. In the second part, we describe three applications of stochastic gravity. First, we consider metric perturbations in a Minkowski spacetime, compute the two-point correlation functions of these perturbations and prove that Minkowski spacetime is a stable solution of semiclassical gravity. Second, we discuss structure formation from the stochastic-gravity viewpoint, which can go beyond the standard treatment by incorporating the full quantum effect of the inflaton fluctuations. Third, using the Einstein–Langevin equation, we discuss the backreaction of Hawking radiation and the behavior of metric fluctuations for both the quasi-equilibrium condition of a black-hole in a box and the fully nonequilibrium condition of an evaporating black hole spacetime. Finally, we briefly discuss the theoretical structure of stochastic gravity in relation to quantum gravity and point out

The perspective effects of various seed coating substances on rice seed variety Khao Dawk Mali 105 storability II: the case study of chemical and biochemical properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Thobunluepop, P; Pan-in, W; Pawelzik, E; Vearasilp, S

2009-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of seed coating substances; chemical fungicide (CA) and biological fungicide polymers [chitosan-lignosulphonate polymer (CL) and eugenol incorporated into chitosan-lignosulphonate polymer (E+CL)] on chemical and biochemical changes of rice seeds cv. KDML 105, which have been studied during storage for 12 months. CA significantly affected the rice seed chemical properties and the associated seed deterioration. After 12 months storage, protein content decreased accompanied by declined of lipid content, increased free fatty acids and activated lipoxygenase enzyme. In the case of biological fungicide coated seeds, the antioxidative scavenging enzymes were ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase and a high antioxidant activity protected them. Moreover, the sugar content was positive correlated with seed germination and vigor. The biological coated seeds were found to maintain high sugar contents inside the seeds, which resulted high seed storability significantly. In contrast, under fungicide stress (CA), those compounds were lost that directly affected seed vigor during storage.

Responses of seed germination, seedling growth, and seed yield traits to seed pretreatment in maize (Zea mays L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yu; Guan, Bo; Zhou, Daowei; Yu, Junbao; Li, Guangdi; Lou, Yujie

2014-01-01

A series of seed priming experiments were conducted to test the effects of different pretreatment methods to seed germination, seedling growth, and seed yield traits in maize (Zea mays L.). Results indicated that the seeds primed by gibberellins (GA), NaCl, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) reagents showed a higher imbibitions rate compared to those primed with water. The final germination percentage and germination rate varied with different reagents significantly (P germination experiment. 15% PEG priming reagent increased shoot and root biomass of maize seedling. The shoot biomass of seedlings after presoaking the seeds with NaCl reagent was significantly higher than the seedlings without priming treatment. No significant differences of plant height, leaf number, and hundred-grain weight were observed between control group and priming treatments. Presoaking with water, NaCl (50 mM), or PEG (15%) significantly increased the hundred-grain weight of maize. Therefore, seed pretreatment is proved to be an effective technique to improve the germination performance, seedling growth, and seed yield of maize. However, when compared with the two methods, if immediate sowing is possible, presoaking is recommended to harvest better benefits compared to priming method.

Effect of dietary supplementation of herbal seeds on carcass traits of turkey poults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darshana B. Bhaisare

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Aim: The present study was conducted to find the effect of four herbal seeds on carcass traits of turkey poults. Materials and Methods: A biological study using Nandanam turkey poults (Meleagris gallapavo for 8 weeks duration was carried out to evaluate the effect of phytobiotics-containing four herbal seeds influence on production performances like biweekly body weight and on carcass traits. 150 poults were randomly subjected to five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with basal diet (T1, 0.5% (5 g/kg level of each seeds thyme (Thymus vulgaris (T2, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum (T3, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare (T4 and cumin (Cuminum cyminum (T5. Carcass traits like blood loss, feather loss, dressed weight, New York dressed weight, ready to cook yield and cut-up parts yield were studied. Results: The body weight at 8th week was higher (p<0.05 in poults fed with thyme; whereas at 6th week, fennel and cumin fed birds had better (p<0.05 body weight. Inclusion of herbal seeds did not affect the blood loss, dressed weight and ready to cook yield but it significantly (p<0.05 affected the feathered loss, New York dressed weight and giblet percentages. Feeding of fenugreek has improved New York dressed weight of poults. Feeding of fennel had depressive (p<0.05 effect on liver and gizzard weights. All the four phytobiotic seeds in feed had significant (p<0.05 reduction in breast weight with a compensatory improvement in drumstick and neck weights. Conclusion: The present study revealed that supplementation of phytobiotic herbal seeds has resulted in numerical improvement of body weight of poults throughout the study period whereas these seeds had negative effect on the yield of breast, with increased proportion of drumstick and neck.

Effect of gravity loading on inelastic seismic response of reinforced concrete structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chowdhury, Rajib; Reddy, G. Rami; Roy, Raghupati; Dutta, Sekhar Chandra

2003-01-01

The effect of gravity loading is not considered in inelastic seismic response to avoid complexity and to reduce the number of influencing parameters. However, the possibility of considerable effect of this factor is indicated in many studies on inelastic seismic behaviour of structures. Hence, it is necessary to study the nature and extent of this effect on inelastic seismic behaviour of structures. The present paper attempts to fulfill this objective by studying the variation of energy dissipation due to presence of various level of axial load. The study is further extended to see the effect of axial force due to gravity loading on the ductility demand of hysteretic energy demand arising in structural elements of a simple one storey structures. The study shows that the presence of axial force may increase the energy dissipation capacity of structure leading to a reduction in ductility demand. (author)

[Non-thermal effect of GSM electromagnetic radiation on quality of pea seeds].

Science.gov (United States)

Veselova, T V; Veselovskiĭ, V A; Deev, L I; Baĭzhumanov, A A

2012-01-01

The seeds with low level of room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) were selected from a lot of air-dry peas (Pisum sativum) with 62% germination. These strong seeds (95-97% germination percentage) in air-dry, imbibed or emerged states were exposed to 905 MHz GSM-band electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The following effects of EMR were observed. Fraction II with higher RTP level appeared in the air-dry seeds. The germination rate decreased 2-3 fold in the air-dry, swollen and sprouting seeds due to an increase in the ratio of the seedlings with morphological defects (from 3 to 38%) and suffocated seeds (from 1 to 15%). We suggest tentative mechanisms to account for the decreased fitness of peas under GSM-band EMR (905 MHz); also discussed is the role of non-enzymatic hydrolysis of carbohydrates and amino-carbonyl reaction in this process.

Effects of processing techniques on oxidative stability of Prunus pedunculatus seed oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Yan

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper investigated the effects of Prunus pedunculatus (P. pedunculatus seed pre-treatment, including microwaving (M, roasting (R, steaming (S and roasting plus steaming (RS on crude oil quality in terms of yield, color change, fatty acid composition, and oxidative stability. The results showed an increase in monounsaturated fatty acid content and oxidative stability of the oils obtained from different processing treatments compared to the oil obtained from raw seeds (RW without processing. The oils, obtained from pretreated seeds, had higher conjugated diene (CD and 2-thiobarbituric acid (2-TBA values, compared to that obtained from RW when stored in a Schaal oven at 65 °C for 168 h. However, polyphenol and tocopherol contents decreased in all oil samples, processed or unprocessed. The effect of pre-treating the seeds was more prominent in the oil sample obtained through the RS technique, and showed higher oxidative stability than the other processed oils and the oil from RW.

Effects of Hydro and Hormonal Seed Priming on Seed Germination of Milk Thistle under Saline Stress Condition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yousef NASIRI

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Salinity is an abiotic stress which has harmful effects on germination of many plants. Therefore, high germination rate and vigorous early growth under salty soils is preferred. Seed priming is a way to increase salt tolerance of plants. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of seed priming on germination of milk thistle under salinity condition. The treatments were 4 levels of seed priming (no priming, distilled water as hydro priming and 0.5 and 1.0 mM salicylic acid and 5 levels of salinity (0, 40 and 80 mM NaCl and 40 and 80 mM CaCl2. The experiment arranged as a factorial in a completely randomized design (CRD with three replications. Results showed that salinity decreased germination percentage and germination rate to about 16 and 32% in 80 mM CaCl2 level compared to control, respectively. The highest mean germination time (5.7 day were belonged to 80 mM CaCl2. Radicle and plumule length significantly decreased by 80 mM NaCl and 40 and 80 mM CaCl2. The lowest seedling weight and seed stamina observed in 80 mM CaCl2. 0.5 mM salicylic acid improved all traits except mean germination time as compared to control.  Salicylic acid (0.5 mM improved radicle length under 0, 40 and 80 mM NaCl salinity levels as well as increased plumule length at the 0 and 40 mM NaCl salinity conditions.

The effect of fire on the dormancy break of three annual legume seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabio Gresta

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Fire is a common phenomenon in the Mediterranean environment and strongly influences vegetal population dynamics through its impact on vegetation and the soil seed bank. Fire is able to break down the seed coat of hard-seeded legumes within the soil and trigger germination. To evaluate the effect of fire on the dormancy break in Medicago ciliaris, Medicago rugosa and Scorpiurus muricatus subsp. subvillosus, the seeds were placed at three different depths (surface, 25 mm and 50 mm and subjected to fires at two different intensities (high and low. As a control sample, a batch of seeds was buried at 25 mm for the duration of the trial and not subjected to fire. Soil temperatures during the fire were compared directly to stubble quantity and indirectly related to soil depth. The two Medicago species survived exposure to 90°C for a few minutes and displayed a significant increase in germination with exposure to high temperatures (over 70°C for several minutes. On the other hand, no germination occurred in Scorpiurus, irrespective of treatment. In conclusion, fire had a significant and positive effect in triggering germination of the Medicago species, but the dispersal strategies of these hard-seeded legumes are only partially interrupted by fire as a large number of seeds (>50% remained non-germinated in the soil.

Reduced Gravity Studies of Soret Transport Effects in Liquid Fuel Combustion

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Benjamin D.

2004-01-01

Soret transport, which is mass transport driven by thermal gradients, can be important in practical flames as well as laboratory flames by influencing transport of low molecular weight species (e.g., monatomic and diatomic hydrogen). In addition, gas-phase Soret transport of high molecular weight fuel species that are present in practical liquid fuels (e.g., octane or methanol) can be significant in practical flames (Rosner et al., 2000; Dakhlia et al., 2002) and in high pressure droplet evaporation (Curtis and Farrell, 1992), and it has also been shown that Soret transport effects can be important in determining oxygen diffusion rates in certain classes of microgravity droplet combustion experiments (Aharon and Shaw, 1998). It is thus useful to obtain information on flames under conditions where Soret effects can be clearly observed. This research is concerned with investigating effects of Soret transport on combustion of liquid fuels, in particular liquid fuel droplets. Reduced-gravity is employed to provide an ideal (spherically-symmetrical) experimental model with which to investigate effects of Soret transport on combustion. The research will involve performing reduced-gravity experiments on combustion of liquid fuel droplets in environments where Soret effects significantly influence transport of fuel and oxygen to flame zones. Experiments will also be performed where Soret effects are not expected to be important. Droplets initially in the 0.5 to 1 mm size range will be burned. Data will be obtained on influences of Soret transport on combustion characteristics (e.g., droplet burning rates, droplet lifetimes, gas-phase extinction, and transient flame behaviors) under simplified geometrical conditions that are most amenable to theoretical modeling (i.e., spherical symmetry). The experiments will be compared with existing theoretical models as well as new models that will be developed. Normal gravity experiments will also be performed.

[Effects of seed priming on physiology of seed germination and seeding growth of Marsdenia tenacissima under NaCl stress].

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Xue-feng; Liu, Li; Guo, Qiao-sheng; Li, Chao; Wang, Ping-li; Yang, Sheng-chao; Hang, Yue-yu

2015-01-01

To offer the reference and method for salt damage in the cultivation of Marsdenia tenacissima, the seeds of M. tenacissima collected from Maguan city ( Yunnan province) were taken as the test materials to study the effects of different priming materials on improving germination and growth under high-level salt stress condition. Four different treatments, which were GA3, KNO3-KH2PO4, PEG-6000, NaCl, combined with ANOVA were applied to test the performance of germination energy, germination percentage, germination index, MDA, SOD, and CAT. The results showed that the seed germination was obviously inhibited under salt stress and the soaked seeds with different priming materials could alleviate the damage of salt stress. Under these treatments, the activities of SOD, CAT the content of soluble protein significantly increased. While the content of MDA significantly decreased. The maximum index was obtained when treated with 1.20% KNO3-KH2PO4, the germination percentage increased from 52.67% to 87.33% and the activity of SOD increased from 138.01 to 219.44 respectively. Comparing with the treatment of 1.20% KNO3-KH2PO4, the germination percentage of treating with 300 mg x L(-1) GA3 increased from 52.67% to 80.67%, while the activity of SOD increased from 138.01 to 444.61.

Active Response Gravity Offload and Method

Science.gov (United States)

Dungan, Larry K. (Inventor); Valle, Paul S. (Inventor); Bankieris, Derek R. (Inventor); Lieberman, Asher P. (Inventor); Redden, Lee (Inventor); Shy, Cecil (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A variable gravity field simulator can be utilized to provide three dimensional simulations for simulated gravity fields selectively ranging from Moon, Mars, and micro-gravity environments and/or other selectable gravity fields. The gravity field simulator utilizes a horizontally moveable carriage with a cable extending from a hoist. The cable can be attached to a load which experiences the effects of the simulated gravity environment. The load can be a human being or robot that makes movements that induce swinging of the cable whereby a horizontal control system reduces swinging energy. A vertical control system uses a non-linear feedback filter to remove noise from a load sensor that is in the same frequency range as signals from the load sensor.

Indirect Effects of Field Management on Pollination Service and Seed Set in Hybrid Onion Seed Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillespie, Sandra; Long, Rachael; Williams, Neal

2015-12-01

Pollination in crops, as in native ecosystems, is a stepwise process that can be disrupted at any stage. Healthy pollinator populations are critical for adequate visitation, but pollination still might fail if crop management interferes with the attraction and retention of pollinators. Farmers must balance the direct benefits of applying insecticide and managing irrigation rates against their potential to indirectly interfere with the pollination process. We investigated these issues in hybrid onion seed production, where previous research has shown that high insecticide use reduces pollinator attraction. We conducted field surveys of soil moisture, nectar production, pollinator visitation, pollen-stigma interactions, and seed set at multiple commercial fields across 2 yr. We then examined how management actions, such as irrigation rate (approximated by soil moisture), or insecticide use could affect the pollination process. Onions produced maximum nectar at intermediate soil moisture, and high nectar production attracted more pollinators. Insecticide use weakly affected pollinator visitation, but when applied close to bloom reduced pollen germination and pollen tube growth. Ultimately, neither soil moisture nor insecticide use directly affected seed set, but the high correlation between pollinator visitation and seed set suggests that crop management will ultimately affect yields via indirect effects on the pollination process. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

EFFECTS OF NATURAL LONG STORAGE DURATION ON SEED ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

lep

2013-04-10

Apr 10, 2013 ... germination and viability, seed vigor index and seed vigor under a 7.3% moisture content when .... containing two disks of Whatman filter papers soaked in distilled water. ..... desiccation tolerance (Review Update). Seed Sci.

Irrigation and cultivar effect on flax fiber and seed yield in the southeast USA

Science.gov (United States)

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a potential winter crop for the Southeast USA that can be grown for both seed and fiber. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of irrigation on flax straw, fiber, and seed yield of fiber-type and seed-type cultivars at different flax growth stage...

Edge effects enhance selfing and seed harvesting efforts in the insect-pollinated Neotropical tree Copaifera langsdorffii (Fabaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Tarazi, R; Sebbenn, A M; Kageyama, P Y; Vencovsky, R

2013-06-01

Edge effects may affect the mating system of tropical tree species and reduce the genetic diversity and variance effective size of collected seeds at the boundaries of forest fragments because of a reduction in the density of reproductive trees, neighbour size and changes in the behaviour of pollinators. Here, edge effects on the genetic diversity, mating system and pollen pool of the insect-pollinated Neotropical tree Copaifera langsdorffii were investigated using eight microsatellite loci. Open-pollinated seeds were collected from 17 seed trees within continuous savannah woodland (SW) and were compared with seeds from 11 seed trees at the edge of the savannah remnant. Seeds collected from the SW had significantly higher heterozygosity levels (Ho=0.780; He=0.831) than seeds from the edge (Ho=0.702; He=0.800). The multilocus outcrossing rate was significantly higher in the SW (tm=0.859) than in the edge (tm=0.759). Pollen pool differentiation was significant, however, it did not differ between the SW (=0.105) and the edge (=0.135). The variance effective size within the progenies was significantly higher in the SW (Ne=2.65) than at the edge (Ne=2.30). The number of seed trees to retain the reference variance effective size of 500 was 189 at the SW and 217 at the edge. Therefore, it is preferable that seed harvesting for conservation and environmental restoration strategies be conducted in the SW, where genetic diversity and variance effective size within progenies are higher.

Simultaneous effect of modified gravity and primordial non-Gaussianity in large scale structure observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirzatuny, Nareg; Khosravi, Shahram; Baghram, Shant; Moshafi, Hossein

2014-01-01

In this work we study the simultaneous effect of primordial non-Gaussianity and the modification of the gravity in f(R) framework on large scale structure observations. We show that non-Gaussianity and modified gravity introduce a scale dependent bias and growth rate functions. The deviation from ΛCDM in the case of primordial non-Gaussian models is in large scales, while the growth rate deviates from ΛCDM in small scales for modified gravity theories. We show that the redshift space distortion can be used to distinguish positive and negative f NL in standard background, while in f(R) theories they are not easily distinguishable. The galaxy power spectrum is generally enhanced in presence of non-Gaussianity and modified gravity. We also obtain the scale dependence of this enhancement. Finally we define galaxy growth rate and galaxy growth rate bias as new observational parameters to constrain cosmology

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and maternal plant sex on seed germination and early plant establishment.

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, Sandra

2015-03-01

• Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi usually enhance overall plant performance, yet their effects on seed germination and early plant establishment, crucial steps in plant cycles, are generally overlooked. In gynodioecious species, sexual dimorphism in these traits has been reported, with females producing seeds that germinate at a faster rate than seeds from hermaphrodites.• Using the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum, I investigated in a greenhouse experiment whether the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal spores affects seed germination and early plant establishment, examining at the same time whether the sex of the mother producing the seeds also influences these parameters and whether sex-specific interactions between these two factors exist.• The presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal spores in the soil decreased seed germination, did not affect plant survival, but did increase plant growth. Moreover, no significant differences in seed traits were detected between the sexes of the plants producing the seeds.• This study demonstrates that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may have contrasting effects for plants during early life stages and that mycorrhizal effects can take place even at the precolonization stage. © 2015 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on seed quality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hampton, John G; Boelt, Birte; Rolston, M P

2013-01-01

production on three seed quality components: seed mass, germination and seed vigour. In response to elevated CO2, seed mass has been reported to both increase and decrease in C3 plants, but not change in C4 plants. Increases are greater in legumes than non-legumes, and there is considerable variation among...... species. Seed mass increases may result in a decrease of seed nitrogen (N) concentration in non-legumes. Increasing temperature may decrease seed mass because of an accelerated growth rate and reduced seed filling duration, but lower seed mass does not necessarily reduce seed germination or vigour. Like...

Combined Effect of Vorinostat and Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To demonstrate the effect of histone deacetylase-inhibitor, vorinostat, on antitumour activity of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Methods: Expression of thymidine phosphorlase (TP) and thymidylate synthase (TS) was measured by real-time PCR and western ...

Effects of the Seed Distance on the Characteristics of the (100)/(100) Junctions of Top-Seeded Melt Growth Processed YBCO Superconductors Using Two Seeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, C.J.; Gee, Y.A.; Hong, G.Y. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea); Kim, H.J.; Joo, J.H. [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea); Han, S.C.; Han, Y.H.; Sung, T.H.; Kim, S.J. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

1999-06-01

The effects of the distance (d) between two Sm{sub 1.8}Ba{sub 2.4}Cu{sub 3.4}Ox seeds on the characteristics of the (100)/(100) junctions of top-seeded melt growth processed YBCO superconductors were investigated. The trapped magnetic field at the grain junction and the levitation force of the top surface decreased with increasing d value. The degradation of the properties is attributed to the presence of the residual melt-forming phases (CuO and BaCUO{sub 2}) at the grain junction, whose amount depends on the d value. (author). 18 refs., 10 figs.

Fuzzy adaptive robust control for space robot considering the effect of the gravity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qin Li

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Space robot is assembled and tested in gravity environment, and completes on-orbit service (OOS in microgravity environment. The kinematic and dynamic characteristic of the robot will change with the variations of gravity in different working condition. Fully considering the change of kinematic and dynamic models caused by the change of gravity environment, a fuzzy adaptive robust control (FARC strategy which is adaptive to these model variations is put forward for trajectory tracking control of space robot. A fuzzy algorithm is employed to approximate the nonlinear uncertainties in the model, adaptive laws of the parameters are constructed, and the approximation error is compensated by using a robust control algorithm. The stability of the control system is guaranteed based on the Lyapunov theory and the trajectory tracking control simulation is performed. The simulation results are compared with the proportional plus derivative (PD controller, and the effectiveness to achieve better trajectory tracking performance under different gravity environment without changing the control parameters and the advantage of the proposed controller are verified.

Dynamical 3-Space Gravity Theory: Effects on Polytropic Solar Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

May R. D.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Numerous experiments and observations have confirmed the existence of a dynamical 3-space, detectable directly by light-speed anisotropy experiments, and indirectly by means of novel gravitational effects, such as bore hole g anomalies, predictable black hole masses, flat spiral-galaxy rotation curves, and the expansion of the universe, all without dark matter and dark energy. The dynamics for this 3-space follows from a unique generalisation of Newtonian gravity, once that is cast into a velocity formalism. This new theory of gravity is applied to the solar model of the sun to compute new density, pressure and temperature profiles, using polytrope modelling of the equation of state for the matter. These results should be applied to a re-analysis of solar neutrino production, and to stellar evolution in general.

MarsSedEx I and II: Experimental investigation of gravity effects on sedimentation on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhn, N. J.; Kuhn, B.; Gartmann, A.

2014-12-01

Sorting of sedimentary rocks is a proxy for the environmental conditions at the time of deposition, in particular the runoff that moved and deposited the material forming the rocks. Settling of sediment is strongly influenced by the gravity of a planetary body. As a consequence, sorting of a sedimentary rock varies with gravity for a given depth and velocity of surface runoff. Theoretical considerations for spheres indicate that sorting is less uniform on Mars than on Earth for runoff of identical depth. The effects of gravity on flow hydraulics limit the use of common, semi-empirical models developed to simulate particle settling in terrestrial environments, on Mars. Assessing sedimentation patterns on Mars, aimed at identifying strata potentially hosting traces of life, is potentially affected by such uncertainties. Using first-principle approaches, e.g. through Computational Fluid Dynamics, for calculating settling velocities on other planetary bodies requires a large effort and is limited by the values of boundary conditions, e.g. the shape of the particle. The degree of uncertainty resulting from the differences in gravity on Earth and Mars was therefore tested during three reduced-gravity flights, the MarsSedEx I and II missions, conducted in November 2012 and 2013. Nine types of sediment, ranging in size, shape and density were tested in custom-designed settling tubes during parabolas of Martian gravity lasting 20 to 25 seconds. Based on the observed settling velocities, the uncertainties of empirical relationships developed on Earth to assess particle settling on Mars are discussed. In addition, the potential effects of reduced gravity on patterns of erosion, transport and sorting of sediment, including the implications for identifying strata bearing traces of past life on are examined.

Effects of Cadmium Stress on Seed Germination, Seedling Growth and Seed Amylase Activities in Rice (Oryza sativa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-yu HE

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Two rice varieties, Xiushui 110 with high cadmium (Cd tolerance and Xiushui 11 with low Cd tolerance were used to study the effects of Cd stress on seed germination, seedling growth and amylase activities. The low cadmium concentration had little effect on seed germination rate. However, cadmium stress could significantly inhibit plumule and radicle growth, especially for radicle growth. Germination index, vigour index, radicle length and amylase activities of Xiushui 11 decreased more significantly with the increasing cadmium level compared with Xiushui 110. The cadmium content in seedlings of Xiushui 11 was higher than that in Xiushui 110 when the cadmium concentration exceeded 5 μmol/L, which caused lower mitotic index in root tips and amylase activities, and more serious cadmium toxicity in Xiushui 11.

EFFECTS OF STORAGE PERIODS AND METHODS OF OVERCOMING DORMANCY IN SEEDS OF PASSIFLORA

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Telma Miranda dos Santos

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of storage period and treatement with hot water at 50ºC or scarification on dormancy break down on Passiflora mucronata seeds. The storage periods were 0, 1, 4 and 12 months. The seeds were sown onto Germitest paper roll and incubated in a germination chamber under 20ºC/8h-30ºC/16h alternate temperature, at 16-h photoperiod (fluorescent light at 32 mol m-2 s-1 irradiance. The percent germination was evaluated, and the seeds germinated on moistened Germitest paper rolls in distilled water at a ratio of two and a half times the paper weight. The seeds were transferred to a germination chamber with alternating temperatures of 20-30º C and photoperiod of 16 h until the end of the experiment at 31 days. The experiment was analyzed as completely randomized designed with four replications, in which each plot was constituted by 50 seeds. The storage periods had significant effect on the variable studied, where the higher germination was obtained at freshly harvested seeds. At the first month of evaluation the germination decreased. After 4 and 12 months of storage, no germination was detected. The treatment with hot water at 50º or scarification favored the germination of the Passiflora seeds stored by one and four months, however even with the stimulus of the treatments, the values of final germination were low. The treatments were not efficient to stimulate the seed germination stored by 12 months.

Gravitational wave echoes from macroscopic quantum gravity effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barceló, Carlos [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC),Glorieta de la Astronomía, 18008 Granada (Spain); Carballo-Rubio, Raúl [The Cosmology & Gravity Group and the Laboratory for Quantum Gravity & Strings,Department of Mathematics & Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town,Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701 (South Africa); Garay, Luis J. [Departamento de Física Teórica II,Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Instituto de Estructura de la Materia (IEM-CSIC),Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid (Spain)

2017-05-10

New theoretical approaches developed in the last years predict that macroscopic quantum gravity effects in black holes should lead to modifications of the gravitational wave signals expected in the framework of classical general relativity, with these modifications being characterized in certain scenarios by the existence of dampened repetitions of the primary signal. Here we use the fact that non-perturbative corrections to the near-horizon external geometry of black holes are necessary for these modifications to exist, in order to classify different proposals and paradigms with respect to this criterion and study in a neat and systematic way their phenomenology. Proposals that lead naturally to the existence of echoes in the late-time ringdown of gravitational wave signals from black hole mergers must share the replacement of black holes by horizonless configurations with a physical surface showing reflective properties in the relevant range of frequencies. On the other hand, proposals or paradigms that restrict quantum gravity effects on the external geometry to be perturbative, such as black hole complementarity or the closely related firewall proposal, do not display echoes. For the sake of completeness we exploit the interplay between the timescales associated with the formation of firewalls and the mechanism behind the existence of echoes in order to conclude that even unconventional distortions of the firewall concept (such as naked firewalls) do not lead to this phenomenon.

Testing effective quantum gravity with gravitational waves from extreme mass ratio inspirals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yunes, N; Sopuerta, C F

2010-01-01

Testing deviation of GR is one of the main goals of the proposed Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. For the first time, we consistently compute the generation of gravitational waves from extreme-mass ratio inspirals (stellar compact objects into supermassive black holes) in a well-motivated alternative theory of gravity, that to date remains weakly constrained by double binary pulsar observations. The theory we concentrate on is Chern-Simons (CS) modified gravity, a 4-D, effective theory that is motivated both from string theory and loop-quantum gravity, and which enhances the Einstein-Hilbert action through the addition of a dynamical scalar field and the parity-violating Pontryagin density. We show that although point particles continue to follow geodesics in the modified theory, the background about which they inspiral is a modification to the Kerr metric, which imprints a CS correction on the gravitational waves emitted. CS modified gravitational waves are sufficiently different from the General Relativistic expectation that they lead to significant dephasing after 3 weeks of evolution, but such dephasing will probably not prevent detection of these signals, but instead lead to a systematic error in the determination of parameters. We end with a study of radiation-reaction in the modified theory and show that, to leading-order, energy-momentum emission is not CS modified, except possibly for the subdominant effect of scalar-field emission. The inclusion of radiation-reaction will allow for tests of CS modified gravity with space-borne detectors that might be two orders of magnitude larger than current binary pulsar bounds.

Effects of Watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus ) Seed on Blood Glucose ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Given the prevalence of diabetes worldwide, with its associated complications, this study is aimed at investigating the effect of citrullus lanatus seed extract on blood glucose concentration and electrolyte parameters. Citrullus lanatus is an antioxidant and has been shown to reduce oxidative stress (Khaki et al., 2013). Effects ...

No slip gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Linder, Eric V.

2018-03-01

A subclass of the Horndeski modified gravity theory we call No Slip Gravity has particularly interesting properties: 1) a speed of gravitational wave propagation equal to the speed of light, 2) equality between the effective gravitational coupling strengths to matter and light, Gmatter and Glight, hence no slip between the metric potentials, yet difference from Newton's constant, and 3) suppressed growth to give better agreement with galaxy clustering observations. We explore the characteristics and implications of this theory, and project observational constraints. We also give a simple expression for the ratio of the gravitational wave standard siren distance to the photon standard candle distance, in this theory and others, and enable a direct comparison of modified gravity in structure growth and in gravitational waves, an important crosscheck.

Effects of Na4EDTA and EDTA on seeded precipitation of sodium aluminate solution

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

吕保林; 陈启元; 尹周澜; 胡慧萍

2010-01-01

Na4EDTA and EDTA were adopted as new additives to intensify the seeded precipitation process of sodium aluminate solution. The effects of the two additives at certain concentrations on the seeded precipitation rate of sodium aluminate solution, particle size distribution (PSD) and morphology of precipitated gibbsite were investigated using titration method, particle size analyzer and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. The results show that the two additives can accelerate the seeded precipitation rate of sodium aluminate solution. At relatively high concentration, the facilitative effect of EDTA on sodium aluminate solution is more obvious than that of Na4EDTA. EDTA makes gibbsite particles thinner than Na4EDTA. The Na+ and H+ result in the different effects on the seeded precipitation rate of sodium aluminate solution in spite of the same EDTA anion in the two additives.

Effects of weightlessness, gravity compensation and radiation on the flour beetle, Tribolium confusum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C.H.; Silver, I.L.; Tobias, C.A.

1975-10-01

Tribolium confusum, the flour beetle; was chosen as a test organism for determination of possible synergistic effects of radiation and space environment in the inertial flight of Biosatellite-II. The organism subjected to weightlessness and radiation during the flight exhibited greater than expected wing abnormalities. However, a postflight vibration control experiment produced anomalous results, and some doubt remained with respect to assigning weightlessness as the sole cause of the increased wing abnormalities. Results are reported from experiments performed on the interaction of gravity compensation, radiation, and Tribolium development. It was found that gravity compensation together with heavy ion irradiation did not cause more wing abnormalities than those caused by radiation alone. However, radiation and gravity compensation plus high temperature did cause an increased percentage of wing abnormalities. Two possible reasons are discussed

Effect of roasting regime on phytochemical properties of Senna occidentalis seeds

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Abiodun A. Olapade

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Senna occidentalis seeds were roasted at varying temperatures of 190, 210 and 230 oC each for 10, 15 and 20 min. Phytochemicals of the roasted seeds were determined using standard methods. The phytochemicals analysed were tannins, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, oxalate and phenolics. Phytochemicals are compounds hypothesized for much of the disease-protection provided by diets high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals and plant-based beverages. This study has clearly shown that roasting time and temperature have significant effects on the seed parameters analyzed. There was an increase in tannin, alkaloid, saponin and phenolic contents and a decrease in the contents of flavonoids and oxalates.

Effect of seeds of heavy charged particles of galactic cosmic radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maksimova, Y.N.

1985-01-01

The experiments were carried out on Lactuca sativa seeds exposed for 20, 66, 123 and 308 days in a biostack also containing physical detectors of heavy charged particles. The yield of aberrant cells and its dependence on the exposure time and the site where particles hit the object were measured. The cytogenetic examination demonstrated a significant difference between the seeds that were or were not hit by heavy charged particles. A significant contribution of galactic cosmic radiation to the radiobiological effect is indicated. The yield of aberrant cells as a function of the localization of heavy charged particles in the seed is established. The most sensitive target is the root meristem

Effect of population, collection year, after-ripening and incubation condition on seed germination of Stipa bungeana.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Rui; Baskin, J M; Baskin, C C; Mo, Qing; Chen, Lijun; Hu, Xiaowen; Wang, Yanrong

2017-10-24

Knowledge of the germination behavior of different populations of a species can be useful in the selection of appropriate seed sources for restoration. The aim of this study was to test the effect of seed population, collection year, after-ripening and incubation conditions on seed dormancy and germination of Stipa bungeana, a perennial grass used for revegetation of degraded grasslands on the Loess Plateau, China. Fresh S. bungeana seeds were collected from eight locally-adapted populations in 2015 and 2016. Dormancy and germination characteristics of fresh and 6-month-old dry-stored seeds were determined by incubating them over a range of alternating temperature regimes in light. Effect of water stress on germination was tested for fresh and 6-month-old dry-stored seeds. Seed dormancy and germination of S. bungeana differed with population and collection year. Six months of dry storage broke seed dormancy, broadened the temperature range for germination and increased among-population differences in germination percentage. The rank order of germination was not consistent in all germination tests, and it varied among populations. Thus, studies on comparing seed dormancy and germination among populations must consider year of collection, seed dormancy states and germination test conditions when selecting seeds for grassland restoration and management.

The effect of seed mass and cotyledon removal on the germination ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Experiments were carried out to determine the effect of seed mass and cotyledon removal on the germination and growth of African fluted pumpkin (Telfaria occidentalis, Hook. F.). The seeds of pumpkin were divided into 3 weight classes A (13.10-13.05 g), B (11.10-11.05 g), C (8.60-8.55 g) and planted in a 1:1 mixture of ...

Effects of carbaryl-bran bait on trap catch and seed predation by ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Fielding, Dennis J; DeFoliart, Linda S; Hagerty, Aaron M

2013-04-01

Carbaryl-bran bait is effective against grasshoppers without many impacts on nontarget organisms, but ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) may be susceptible to these baits. Carabids are beneficial in agricultural settings as predators of insect pests and weed seeds. Carabid species and their consumption of weed seeds have not been previously studied in agricultural settings in Alaska. This study examined the effect of grasshopper bran bait on carabid activity-density, as measured by pitfall trap catches, and subsequent predation by invertebrates of seeds of three species of weed. Data were collected in fallow fields in agricultural landscape in the interior of Alaska, near Delta Junction, in 2008 and 2010. Bait applications reduced ground beetle activity-density by over half in each of 2 yr of bait applications. Seed predation was generally low overall (1-10%/wk) and not strongly affected by the bait application, but predation of lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) seed was lower on treated plots in 1 yr (340 seeds recovered versus 317 seeds, on treated versus untreated plots, respectively). Predation of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale G. H. Weber ex Wiggers) seeds was correlated with ground beetle activity-density in 1 yr, and predation of dragonhead mint (Dracocephalum parvifolium Nutt.) seed in the other year. We conclude that applications of carbaryl-bran bait for control of grasshoppers will have only a small, temporary effect on weed seed populations in high-latitude agricultural ecosystems.

Effect of Cream Formulation of Fenugreek Seed Extract on Some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Erah

Methods: A water-in-oil emulsion cream base without fenugreek seed extract which served as control, ... Results: The results indicate that the effects of the creams on skin mechanical ..... Dreher F, Maibach H. Protective effects of topical.

Dosimetric effects of edema in permanent prostate seed implants: a rigorous solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zhe; Yue Ning; Wang Xiaohong; Roberts, Kenneth B.; Peschel, Richard; Nath, Ravinder

2000-01-01

Purpose: To derive a rigorous analytic solution to the dosimetric effects of prostate edema so that its impact on the conventional pre-implant and post-implant dosimetry can be studied for any given radioactive isotope and edema characteristics. Methods and Materials: The edema characteristics observed by Waterman et al (Int. J. Rad. Onc. Biol. Phys, 41:1069-1077; 1998) was used to model the time evolution of the prostate and the seed locations. The total dose to any part of prostate tissue from a seed implant was calculated analytically by parameterizing the dose fall-off from a radioactive seed as a single inverse power function of distance, with proper account of the edema-induced time evolution. The dosimetric impact of prostate edema was determined by comparing the dose calculated with full consideration of prostate edema to that calculated with the conventional dosimetry approach where the seed locations and the target volume are assumed to be stationary. Results: A rigorous analytic solution on the relative dosimetric effects of prostate edema was obtained. This solution proved explicitly that the relative dosimetric effects of edema, as found in the previous numerical studies by Yue et. al. (Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. 43, 447-454, 1999), are independent of the size and the shape of the implant target volume and are independent of the number and the locations of the seeds implanted. It also showed that the magnitude of relative dosimetric effects is independent of the location of dose evaluation point within the edematous target volume. It implies that the relative dosimetric effects of prostate edema are universal with respect to a given isotope and edema characteristic. A set of master tables for the relative dosimetric effects of edema were obtained for a wide range of edema characteristics for both 125 I and 103 Pd prostate seed implants. Conclusions: A rigorous analytic solution of the relative dosimetric effects of prostate edema has been

Effects of Pomegranate Seed Oil on the Fertilization Potency of Rat's Sperm.

Science.gov (United States)

Nikseresht, Mohsen; Fallahzadeh, Ali Reza; Toori, Mehdi Akbartabar; Mahmoudi, Reza

2015-12-01

Pomegranate has been taken great scientific attention in recent years due to its health benefits. Pomegranate seed oil is a rich source of 9-cis, and 11-trans conjugate linolenic acid. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary pomegranate seed oil on the fertilization potency of rat's sperm. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were divided into four groups. The first group, which served as the control group, received 1 mL of corn oil for seven weeks. Groups II, III, IV served as the experimental groups received 200, 500 and 1000 mg/kg of pomegranate seed oil, for the same period of time respectively. After seven weeks, all of the rats were sacrificed, and their epididymis sperm was collected and added to IVF medium (T6) containing metaphase II oocytes. Almost 21 oocytes had been removed from every female rat oviduct. In this medium, oocyte fertilization, cleavage rates, and embryo development into blastocysts, were evaluated by inverted microscopy. Levels of LD50 in the oral route in male rats were more than 5000 mg/kg body weight. Our data showed that the rates of fertilization, cleavage and embryo development into blastocysts were higher in the groups that had received 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight of pomegranate seed oil. This study demonstrated that pomegranate seed oil had a positive effect on the fertilization potency of male rats. These beneficial effects may be useful in assisted reproductive technology.

Even-dimensional topological gravity from Chern-Simons gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merino, N.; Perez, A.; Salgado, P.

2009-01-01

It is shown that the topological action for gravity in 2n-dimensions can be obtained from the (2n+1)-dimensional Chern-Simons gravity genuinely invariant under the Poincare group. The 2n-dimensional topological gravity is described by the dynamics of the boundary of a (2n+1)-dimensional Chern-Simons gravity theory with suitable boundary conditions. The field φ a , which is necessary to construct this type of topological gravity in even dimensions, is identified with the coset field associated with the non-linear realizations of the Poincare group ISO(d-1,1).

MicroBlack Holes Thermodynamics in the Presence of Quantum Gravity Effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Soltani

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Black hole thermodynamics is corrected in the presence of quantum gravity effects. Some phenomenological aspects of quantum gravity proposal can be addressed through generalized uncertainty principle (GUP which provides a perturbation framework to perform required modifications of the black hole quantities. In this paper, we consider the effects of both a minimal measurable length and a maximal momentum on the thermodynamics of TeV-scale black holes. We then extend our study to the case that there are all natural cutoffs as minimal length, minimal momentum, and maximal momentum simultaneously. We also generalize our study to the model universes with large extra dimensions (LED. In this framework existence of black holes remnants as a possible candidate for dark matter is discussed. We study probability of black hole production in the Large Hadronic Collider (LHC and we show this rate decreasing for sufficiently large values of the GUP parameter.

Effects of Polyphenols from Grape Seeds on Renal Lithiasis

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Felix Grases

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nephrolithiasis is a complex disease that results from a combination of factors related to both urine composition and kidney morphoanatomy. Development of calcium oxalate monohydrate papillary calculi is linked to initial subepithelial calcification of renal papilla. Progressive tissue calcification depends on preexisting injury and involves reactive oxygen species. Many plant extracts that protect against oxidative stress manifest antilithiasic activity. Our study focused on determining the effects of polyphenols on a lithiasis rat model. Rats were pretreated with polyphenols and grape seed extracts, followed by posterior induction of hyperoxalosis via treatment with ethylene glycol plus NH4Cl. The concentrations of calcium and other elements in kidney were determined, along with histological examination of kidney and 24 h urine analysis. Significant differences were observed in the renal calcium content between the control plus ethylene glycol-treated group and the epicatechin plus ethylene glycol-treated, red grape seed extract plus ethylene glycol-treated, and white grape seed extract plus ethylene glycol-treated groups, with reductions of about 50%. The antioxidant activity of polyphenols extracted from red and white grape seeds may be critical in the prevention of calcium oxalate monohydrate papillary calculus formation, particularly if calculi are induced by lesions caused by cytotoxic compounds with oxidative capacity.

The Antibacterial Effect of Grape Seed Extract on Tilapia

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R Golvardzadeh

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction: Medicinal plants are highly taken into consideration due to having natural antimicrobial compounds which Iran can be introduced as one of the richest sources of medicinal plants. Hence, the purpose of this study was to determine the antibacterial activities of grape seed extract on shelf life of tilapia. Methods: The prepared fish were divided into 2 groups: the first group was treated by dipping for 30 min in grape seed extract (1.5%v/v, and the second group was dipped in distilled water as the control sample. The control and treated fish samples were analyzed for microbiological (total count of mesophilic aerobic micro organisms, PTC and sensory characteristictis over a perid of 20 days. Results: The study results indicated the extract treatment group significantly delayed (p<0.05 the spoilage process in comparison with the control group, which the total count of psychotrophic bacteria remained lower than the proposed acceptable limit (7 log cfu/g. According to sensory analysis, the treated fish with grape seed extract represented the highest quality during the storage. Conclusions: The present study findings revealed that grape seed extract seemed to be extremely effective in extending the shelf life of tilapia fish fillet during the refrigerated storage.

Chemical Characteristics of Pumpkin Seed Tempeh From Soybean and Pumpkin Seeds

OpenAIRE

Pujilestari, Shanti; Sandrasari, Diny A; Marida, Rimmaria

2017-01-01

The aim of this research was to find the effect of the combination of soybean and pumpkin seeds on the chemical characteristics of pumpkin seed tempeh. The pumpkin seed tempeh samples were analyzed for its water, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate and crude fiber. Meanwhile, support data were isoflavone and zinc. Sensory hedonic was conducted by 25 untrained panelists for selecting the best formulation of soybean and pumpkin seeds in tempeh. The result shows the formulation of soybean and pumpki...

Attempts to Localize and Identify the Gravity-sensing Device of Plant Seedlings

Science.gov (United States)

Bandurski, R. S.; Schulze, A.; Momonoki, Y.; Desrosiers, M.; Fearn-Desrosiers, D.

1985-01-01

The growth hormone asymmetry develops within three minutes following the initiation of the gravitational asymmetry and radio-labeled compounds being transported from the seed to the shoot also show asymmetric distribution. It is found that the target of the gravity stimulus resides primarily in the permability of the vascular tissue that regulates the supply of hormone to the surrounding tissues. It is hypothesized that the gravitational stimulus induces an asymmetric change in the rate of secretion of the growth hormone, IAA, from the vascular tissue into the surrounding cortical cells. More hormone would be secreted from the vascular stele proximal to the lower side of a horizontally placed plant shoot than from the upper side. This results in more growth hormone in the lower cortical (plus epidermal) cells, and ultimately more growth, such that the plant grows asymmetrically and, ultimately attain its normal vertical orientation. A theory was developed of how plants respond to the gravitational stimulus. The theory is based upon the analytical results concerning the effects of gravity on the distribution of the plant growth hormone, IAA, in both its free and conjugated forms, and upon the effect of the growth stimulis on the distribution of externally applied radio-labeled compounds. Its advantage is that it is testable and that it is built upon solid knowledge of the effects of the gravitational stimulus upon the endogenous growth hormone, IAA, and upon the distribution of externally applied radio-labeled compounds.

Quantum gravity effect in torsion driven inflation and CP violation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choudhury, Sayantan [Department of Theoretical Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,Colaba, 1, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400005 (India); Pal, Barun Kumar [Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics,Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007 (India); Netaji Nagar College for Women,Regent Estate, Kolkata 700092 (India); Basu, Banasri; Bandyopadhyay, Pratul [Physics and Applied Mathematics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute,203 B.T. Road, Kolkata 700 108 (India)

2015-10-28

We have derived an effective potential for inflationary scenario from torsion and quantum gravity correction in terms of the scalar field hidden in torsion. A strict bound on the CP violating θ parameter, O(10{sup −10})<θ

5-dimensional quantum gravity effects in exclusive double diffractive events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kisselev, A.V.; Petrov, V.A.; Ryutin, R.A.

2005-01-01

The experimentally measurable effects related to extra dimensional gravity in a RS-type brane world are estimated. Two options of the RS framework (with small and large curvature) are considered. It is shown that physical signals of both can be detected by the joint experiment of the CMS and TOTEM Collaborations at the LHC

Quantum gravity effect in torsion driven inflation and CP violation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choudhury, Sayantan; Pal, Barun Kumar; Basu, Banasri; Bandyopadhyay, Pratul

2015-01-01

We have derived an effective potential for inflationary scenario from torsion and quantum gravity correction in terms of the scalar field hidden in torsion. A strict bound on the CP violating θ parameter, O(10"−"1"0)<θ< O(10"−"9) has been obtained, using Planck+WMAP9 best fit cosmological parameters.

Effect of acetic acid on rice seeds coated with rice husk ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lizandro Ciciliano Tavares

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Flooded rice cultivation promotes anaerobic conditions, favoring the formation of short chain organic acids such as acetic acid, which may be toxic to the crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of acetic acid on rice seeds coated with rice husk ash. The experiment was arranged in a 2 x 5 x 5 factorial randomized design, with two cultivars (IRGA 424 and BRS Querência, five doses of coating material (0, 2, 3,4 e 5 g kg-1 seed and five concentrations of acetic acid (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 mM, with 4 replications, totaling 50 treatments. The variables first count of germination, germination, shoot and root length, dry weight of shoots and roots were recorded. The results showed that coating rice seeds with rice husk ash up to 5 g kg-1 seed does not influence the performance of rice seeds of cultivars IRGA 424 and BRS Querência when exposed to concentrations of 12 mM acetic acid. The presence of acetic acid in the substrates used for seed germination reduced the vigor and viability of seeds of cultivars IRGA 424 and BRS Querência, as well as seedling development, affecting mainly the roots of BRS Querência.

Zero-gravity movement studies

Science.gov (United States)

Badler, N. I.; Fishwick, P.; Taft, N.; Agrawala, M.

1985-01-01

The use of computer graphics to simulate the movement of articulated animals and mechanisms has a number of uses ranging over many fields. Human motion simulation systems can be useful in education, medicine, anatomy, physiology, and dance. In biomechanics, computer displays help to understand and analyze performance. Simulations can be used to help understand the effect of external or internal forces. Similarly, zero-gravity simulation systems should provide a means of designing and exploring the capabilities of hypothetical zero-gravity situations before actually carrying out such actions. The advantage of using a simulation of the motion is that one can experiment with variations of a maneuver before attempting to teach it to an individual. The zero-gravity motion simulation problem can be divided into two broad areas: human movement and behavior in zero-gravity, and simulation of articulated mechanisms.

Effect of Sowing Date on Some Agronomic Characteristics and Seed Yield of Winter Wheat Cultivars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ganbari

2012-08-01

Full Text Available To evaluate the effect of sowing dates on yield, yield components and some agronomic characteristics of four winter wheat cultivars and also their phenological changes, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was carried out at the Agriculture Research Station of Ardabil (Iran during 2009 growing season. First factor consisted of four wheat cultivars (Azar2, Sabalan, Sardari and Zagros and second factor consisted of four sowing dates (1st, 10th, 20th and 30th of September. The results showed that sowing date had significant effect on the number of spikes, the number of seed per spike, 1000-seed weight, germination percentage, days to spike appearance, days to ripening, growing degree days, biological yield, seed yield and harvest index. The highest and lowest seed yields of wheat were obtained from sowing date of the September the first (4616 kg/ha and sowing date of September 30th (2197 kg/ha respectively. Delaying planting decreased the number of spikes per m2 and 1000-seed weight. Cultivars had significant effect on all of the traits measured, except leaf number, fertile and non-fertilie tillers. The highest and the lowest seed yields were obtained from Sabalan (4750 kg/ha and Zagros (2757 kg/ha cultivars respectively. Interaction of sowing date and cultivar were significant on all of traits measured, except stem height, the leaf number, the number of spikes, 1000-seed weight and seed yield (P

Influence of Rice Seeding Rate on Efficacies of Neonicotinoid and Anthranilic Diamide Seed Treatments against Rice Water Weevil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason Hamm

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Rice in the U.S. is frequently seeded at low rates and treated before sowing with neonicotinoid or anthranilic diamide insecticides to target the rice water weevil. A previous study of the influence of seeding rate on rice water weevil densities showed an inverse relationship between seeding rates and immature weevil densities. This study investigated interactive effects of seeding rate and seed treatment on weevil densities and rice yields; in particular, experiments were designed to determine whether seed treatments were less effective at low seeding rates. Four experiments were conducted over three years by varying seeding rates of rice treated at constant per seed rates of insecticide. Larval suppression by chlorantraniliprole was superior to thiamethoxam or clothianidin, and infestations at low seeding rates were up to 47% higher than at high seeding rates. Little evidence was found for the hypothesis that seed treatments are less effective at low seeding rates; in only one of four experiments was the reduction in weevil densities by thiamethoxam greater at high than at low seeding rates. However, suppression of larvae by neonicotinoid seed treatments in plots seeded at low rates was generally poor, and caution must be exercised when using the neonicotioids at low seeding rates.

Frugivory and the effects of ingestion by bats on the seed germination of three pioneering plants

Science.gov (United States)

de Carvalho-Ricardo, Maria C.; Uieda, Wilson; Fonseca, Renata Cristina B.; Rossi, Marcelo N.

2014-02-01

The dispersion and seedling establishment of pioneering plants can be favoured by the presence of frugivorous bats because the bats usually improve seed germination after ingestion. Although seed germinability is known to vary greatly after ingestion by different bats, the relative contribution of each bat species to seed germination within plant communities is poorly understood. In this study, we first determined the fauna of frugivorous bats in a semideciduous seasonal forest remnant in southern Brazil and subsequently identified the plant species of the seeds passed through their guts. Second, the germination performance (i.e., germination percentage and speed) of the seeds of three pioneering plants (Piper aduncum, Piper hispidinervum and Solanum granuloso-leprosum) ingested by the most abundant bats was compared with that of the non-ingested seeds (seeds collected from fruits). Additionally, the effects on seed germination of different bat species were compared. During one year, five species of frugivorous bats were caught, and the seeds of eleven identifiable plant species (not counting those of undetermined species) were found in their faeces. We found that the germination performance of the seeds of Piper species was significantly enhanced after ingestion by bats, whereas S. granuloso-leprosum seeds had neutral or reduced germinability when seeds in faeces were compared with pulp-removed seeds. Our results revealed that the bat species that were captured exerted different effects upon seed germination; such a disparity is expected to result in different rates of early establishment of these pioneer plants in tropical forests, most likely affecting forest composition and structure, particularly during the initial stages of succession.

Single and Combined Effects of Pesticide Seed Dressings and Herbicides on Earthworms, Soil Microorganisms, and Litter Decomposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Hoesel, Willem; Tiefenbacher, Alexandra; König, Nina; Dorn, Verena M; Hagenguth, Julia F; Prah, Urša; Widhalm, Theresia; Wiklicky, Viktoria; Koller, Robert; Bonkowski, Michael; Lagerlöf, Jan; Ratzenböck, Andreas; Zaller, Johann G

2017-01-01

Seed dressing, i.e., the treatment of crop seeds with insecticides and/or fungicides, aiming to protect seeds from pests and diseases, is widely used in conventional agriculture. During the growing season, those crop fields often receive additional broadband herbicide applications. However, despite this broad utilization, very little is known on potential side effects or interactions between these different pesticide classes on soil organisms. In a greenhouse pot experiment, we studied single and interactive effects of seed dressing of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. var. Capo ) with neonicotinoid insecticides and/or strobilurin and triazolinthione fungicides and an additional one-time application of a glyphosate-based herbicide on the activity of earthworms, soil microorganisms, litter decomposition, and crop growth. To further address food-web interactions, earthworms were introduced to half of the experimental units as an additional experimental factor. Seed dressings significantly reduced the surface activity of earthworms with no difference whether insecticides or fungicides were used. Moreover, seed dressing effects on earthworm activity were intensified by herbicides (significant herbicide × seed dressing interaction). Neither seed dressings nor herbicide application affected litter decomposition, soil basal respiration, microbial biomass, or specific respiration. Seed dressing did also not affect wheat growth. We conclude that interactive effects on soil biota and processes of different pesticide classes should receive more attention in ecotoxicological research.

Long-Term Observation of Small and Medium-Scale Gravity Waves over the Brazilian Equatorial Region

Science.gov (United States)

Essien, Patrick; Buriti, Ricardo; Wrasse, Cristiano M.; Medeiros, Amauri; Paulino, Igo; Takahashi, Hisao; Campos, Jose Andre

2016-07-01

This paper reports the long term observations of small and medium-scale gravity waves over Brazilian equatorial region. Coordinated optical and radio measurements were made from OLAP at Sao Joao do Cariri (7.400S, 36.500W) to investigate the occurrences and properties and to characterize the regional mesospheric gravity wave field. All-sky imager measurements were made from the site. for almost 11 consecutive years (September 2000 to November 2010). Most of the waves propagated were characterized as small-scale gravity. The characteristics of the two waves events agreed well with previous gravity wave studies from Brazil and other sites. However, significant differences in the wave propagation headings indicate dissimilar source regions. The observed medium-scale gravity wave events constitute an important new dataset to study their mesospheric properties at equatorial latitudes. These data exhibited similar propagation headings to the short period events, suggesting they originated from the same source regions. It was also observed that some of the medium-scale were capable of propagating into the lower thermosphere where they may have acted directly as seeds for the Rayleigh-Taylor instability development. The wave events were primarily generated by meteorological processes since there was no correlation between the evolution of the wave events and solar cycle F10.7.

Venus gravity - Analysis of Beta Regio

Science.gov (United States)

Esposito, P. B.; Sjogren, W. L.; Mottinger, N. A.; Bills, B. G.; Abbott, E.

1982-01-01

Radio tracking data acquired over Beta Regio were analyzed to obtain a surface mass distribution from which a detailed vertical gravity field was derived. In addition, a corresponding vertical gravity field was evaluated solely from the topography of the Beta region. A comparison of these two maps confirms the strong correlation between gravity and topography which was previously seen in line-of-sight gravity maps. It also demonstrates that the observed gravity is a significant fraction of that predicted from the topography alone. The effective depth of complete isostatic compensation for the Beta region is estimated to be 330 km, which is somewhat deeper than that found for other areas of Venus.

Quantum gravity effects on scalar particle tunneling from rotating BTZ black hole

Science.gov (United States)

Meitei, I. Ablu; Singh, T. Ibungochouba; Devi, S. Gayatri; Devi, N. Premeshwari; Singh, K. Yugindro

2018-04-01

Tunneling of scalar particles across the event horizon of rotating BTZ black hole is investigated using the Generalized Uncertainty Principle to study the corrected Hawking temperature and entropy in the presence of quantum gravity effects. We have determined explicitly the various correction terms in the entropy of rotating BTZ black hole including the logarithmic term of the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy (SBH), the inverse term of SBH and terms with inverse powers of SBH, in terms of properties of the black hole and the emitted particles — mass, energy and angular momentum. In the presence of quantum gravity effects, for the emission of scalar particles, the Hawking radiation and thermodynamics of rotating BTZ black hole are observed to be related to the metric element, hence to the curvature of space-time.

Complexity growth in massive gravity theories, the effects of chirality, and more

Science.gov (United States)

Ghodrati, Mahdis

2017-11-01

To study the effect of parity violation on the rate of complexity growth, by using "complexity=action " conjecture, we find the complexity growth rates in different solutions of the chiral theory of topologically massive gravity (TMG) and parity-preserving theory of new massive gravity (NMG). Using the results, one can see that decreasing the parameter μ , which increases the effect of the Chern-Simons term and increases chirality, would increase the rate of growth of complexity. Also one can observe a stronger correlation between complexity growth and temperature rather than complexity growth and entropy. At the end we comment on the possible meaning of the deforming term of chiral Liouville action for the rate of complexity growth of warped conformal field theories in the tensor network renormalization picture.

Cytotoxic Effects of Alcoholic Extract of Dorema Glabrum Seed on Cancerous Cells Viability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Bannazadeh Amirkhiz

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: In the present study cytotoxic effects of the alcoholic extract of Dorema Glabrum seed on viability of WEHI-164 cells, mouse Fibrosarcoma cell line and L929 normal cells were compared with the cytotoxic effects of Taxol (anticancer and apoptosis inducer drug. Methods: To find out the plant extract cytotoxic effects, MTT test and DNA fragmentation assay, the biochemical hallmark of apoptosis were performed on cultured and treated cells. Results: According to the findings the alcoholic extract of Dorema Glabrum seed can alter cells morphology and because of chromatin condensation and other changes they shrink and take a spherical shape, and lose their attachment too. So the plant extract inhibits cell growth albeit in a time and dose dependent manner and results in degradation of chromosomal DNA. Conclusion: Our data well established the anti-proliferative effect of methanolic extract of Dorema Glabrum seed and clearly showed that the plant extract can induce apoptosis and not necrosis in vitro, but the mechanism of its activities remained unknown. These results demonstrated that Dorema Glabrum seed might be a novel and attractive therapeutic candidate for tumor treatment in clinical practices.

Seed quality in informal seed systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Biemond, P.C.

2013-01-01

Keywords: informal seed systems, seed recycling, seed quality, germination, seed pathology, seed health, seed-borne diseases, mycotoxigenic fungi, Fusarium verticillioides, mycotoxins, Vigna unguiculata, Zea mays, Nigeria.

Seed is a crucial input for agricultural production.

Effects of diets containing hemp seeds or hemp cake on fatty acid ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Esnart Mukumbo

2018-02-23

Feb 23, 2018 ... (seeds or cake) on milk production, fatty acid (FA) profile, and .... PUFAs, which are rich in two essential FAs, namely LA (18:2 n-6) and ALA. ...... Study on safety assessment and antioxidant function in serum of ... Dietary effect of silage type and combination with camelina seed on milk fatty acid profile.

Polar gravity fields from GOCE and airborne gravity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forsberg, René; Olesen, Arne Vestergaard; Yidiz, Hasan

2011-01-01

Airborne gravity, together with high-quality surface data and ocean satellite altimetric gravity, may supplement GOCE to make consistent, accurate high resolution global gravity field models. In the polar regions, the special challenge of the GOCE polar gap make the error characteristics...... of combination models especially sensitive to the correct merging of satellite and surface data. We outline comparisons of GOCE to recent airborne gravity surveys in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. The comparison is done to new 8-month GOCE solutions, as well as to a collocation prediction from GOCE gradients...... in Antarctica. It is shown how the enhanced gravity field solutions improve the determination of ocean dynamic topography in both the Arctic and in across the Drake Passage. For the interior of Antarctica, major airborne gravity programs are currently being carried out, and there is an urgent need...

Antioxidant effect of poleo and oregano essential oil on roasted sunflower seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Quiroga, Patricia R; Grosso, Nelson R; Nepote, Valeria

2013-12-01

The objective was to evaluate the stability of sensory and chemical parameters in roasted sunflower seeds supplemented with oregano and poleo essential oils; and the consumer acceptability of this product. Four samples were prepared: plain roasted sunflower seeds (Control = RS-C), and sunflower seeds added with oregano (RS-O) or poleo (RS-P) essential oils or BHT (RS-BHT). Consumer acceptance was determined on fresh samples. The overall acceptance averages were 6.13 for RS-C, 5.62 for RS-P, and 5.50 for RS-O (9-point hedonic scale). The addition of BHT showed greater protection against the oxidation process in the roasted sunflower seeds. Oregano essential oil exhibited a greater antioxidant effect during storage than poleo essential oil. Both essential oils (oregano and poleo) provided protection to the product, inhibiting the formation of undesirable flavors (oxidized and cardboard). The antioxidant activity that presents essential oils of oregano and poleo could be used to preserve roasted sunflower seeds. © 2013 Institute of Food Technologists®

The effects of seed size on hybrids formed between oilseed rape (Brassica napus and wild brown mustard (B. juncea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong-Bo Liu

Full Text Available Seed size has significant implications in ecology, because of its effects on plant fitness. The hybrid seeds that result from crosses between crops and their wild relatives are often small, and the consequences of this have been poorly investigated. Here we report on plant performance of hybrid and its parental transgenic oilseed rape (Brassica napus and wild B. juncea, all grown from seeds sorted into three seed-size categories.Three seed-size categories were sorted by seed diameter for transgenic B. napus, wild B. juncea and their transgenic and non-transgenic hybrids. The seeds were sown in a field at various plant densities. Globally, small-seeded plants had delayed flowering, lower biomass, fewer flowers and seeds, and a lower thousand-seed weight. The seed-size effect varied among plant types but was not affected by plant density. There was no negative effect of seed size in hybrids, but it was correlated with reduced growth for both parents.Our results imply that the risk of further gene flow would probably not be mitigated by the small size of transgenic hybrid seeds. No fitness cost was detected to be associated with the Bt-transgene in this study.

Cosmic censorship in quantum Einstein gravity

Science.gov (United States)

Bonanno, A.; Koch, B.; Platania, A.

2017-05-01

We study the quantum gravity modification of the Kuroda-Papapetrou model induced by the running of the Newton’s constant at high energy in quantum Einstein gravity. We argue that although the antiscreening character of the gravitational interaction favours the formation of a naked singularity, quantum gravity effects turn the classical singularity into a ‘whimper’ singularity which remains naked for a finite amount of advanced time.

Study of annealing effect on the growth of ZnO nanorods on ZnO seed layers

Science.gov (United States)

Sannakashappanavar, Basavaraj S.; Pattanashetti, Nandini A.; Byrareddy, C. R.; Yadav, Aniruddh Bahadur

2018-04-01

A zinc oxide (ZnO) seed layer was deposited on the SiO2/Si substrate by RF sputtering. To study the effect of annealing, the seed layers were classified into annealed and unannealed thin films. Annealing of the seed layers was carried at 450°C. Surface morphology of the seed layers were studied by Atomic force microscopy. ZnO nanorods were then grown on both the types of seed layer by hydrothermal method. The morphology and the structural properties of the nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Scanning electron microscopy. The effect of seed layer annealing on the growth and orientation of the ZnO nanorods were clearly examined on comparing with the nanorods grown on unannealed seed layer. The nanorods grown on annealed seed layers were found to be well aligned and oriented. Further, the I-V characteristic study was carried out on these aligned nanorods. The results supports positively for the future work to further enhance the properties of developed nanorods for their wide applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Effect of woodland patch size on rodent seed predation in a fragmented landscape

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Loman

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Predation on large woody plant seeds; chestnuts, acorns and sloe kernels, was studied in deciduous forests of two size classes: small woodlots (<1 ha and large woods (at least 25 ha in southern Sweden. Seeds used for the study were artificially distributed on the forest ground and seed predation measured as seed removal. Predation rate was similar in both types of woods. However, rodent density was higher in small woodlots and a correction for differences in rodent density showed that predation rate per individual rodent was higher in the large woods. This suggests that the small woodlots (including the border zone and their adjacent fields have more rodent food per area unit. A small woodlot cannot be considered a representative sample of a large continuous forest, even if the habitats appear similar. There was a strong effect of rodent density on seed predation rate. This suggests that rodents are major seed predators in this habitat.

Magnetic-seeding filtration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ying, T.Y.; Chin, C.J.; Lu, S.C.; Yiacoumi, S.

1997-10-01

Magnetic-seeding filtration consists of two steps: heterogeneous particle flocculation of magnetic and nonmagnetic particles in a stirred tank and high-gradient magnetic filtration (HGMF). The effects of various parameters affecting magnetic-seeding filtration (HGMF). The effects of various parameters affecting magnetic seeding filtration are theoretically and experimentally investigated. A trajectory model that includes hydrodynamic resistance, van der Waals, and electrostatic forces is developed to calculate the flocculation frequency in a turbulent-shear regime. Fractal dimension is introduced to simulate the open structure of aggregates. A magnetic-filtration model that consists of trajectory analysis, a particle build-up model, a breakthrough model, and a bivariate population-balance model is developed to predict the breakthrough curve of magnetic-seeding filtration. A good agreement between modeling results and experimental data is obtained. The results show that the model developed in this study can be used to predict the performance of magnetic-seeding filtration without using empirical coefficients or fitting parameters. 35 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

The Biological Effect of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields and Vibrations on Barley Seed Hydration and Germination

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Armine Amyan

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The changes of wet and dry weights and germination of barley seed in different periods of its swelling in nontreated (control, extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF EMF –treated, and extremely low frequency vibrations (ELFV–treated cold (4°C and warm (20°C distilled water (DW were studied. The metabolic-dependent seed hydration, dry weight dissolving, germination, and water binding in seed were modulated by preliminary EMF- and ELFV-treated DW. Frequency “windows” for the effect of EMF and ELFV on seed hydration, solubility, water binding in seed, and germination were discovered. These “windows” were different for EMF and ELFV, as well as in various phases of seed swelling. It is suggested that EMF-induced water structure modification has a different biological effect on the process of seed hydration, solubility, water binding in seed, and germination compared to ELFV.

Effect of heavy charged particles of galactic cosmic radiation on seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maksimova, E.N.

1985-01-01

The experiments were carried out on Lactuca sativa seeds exposed for 20, 66, 123 and 308 days in a biostack also containing physical detectors of heavy charged particles. The puppose of the experiments was to measure the yield of abberrant cells and its dependence on the exposure time and the site where particles hit the object. The cytogenetic examination demonstrated a significant difference between the seeds that were or were not hit by heavy charged particles. This is indicative of a significant contribution of galactic cosmic radiation to the radiobiological effect. The yield of aberrant cells as a function of the localization of heavy charged particles in the seed was established. The most sensitive target was the root meristem

Study of the effects of Cobalt 60 gamma radiations on the seeds of two textile hibiscus species. Influence of seed water content on their radiosensitivity. Mutagenic effects on two plantlet generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahama, Adamou.

1980-10-01

This work on textile hibiscus was undertaken for two reasons: to contribute by physical mutagenesis methods to the genetic improvement of these species and especially to obtain the genetic diversity which is seriously lacking in the species sabdariffa var. altissima; to add to research on the effects of mutagenic seed treatments and thus to help towards a better definition of optimum seed irradiation conditions. These two purposes have been fulfilled. The main results may be summed up as follows. - Concerning the improvement of textile hibiscus. Many strains with various new features were selected at the second generation and may lead either to new varieties or at least to interesting precursors for selection programmes. In the second generation derived from Hibiscus saddariffa var. THS 22 some plants were observed with one or more of the following characteristics specific to the edible form: ramified bearing - fleshy calix - smooth leaf. - Concerning the study of mutagenic seed treatment effects. Our experiments showed up the importance of the seed water content and its effect on the response of first-generation plantlets to cobalt 60 γ-ray treatments [fr

Effect of gamma irradiation on some physiological processes during maiz. seed germination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerin, V; Ilieva, T [Vissh Selskostopanski Inst., Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

1976-01-01

The investigation was carried out with the SK/sub 4/ and Knezha 2L-403 hybrids. Dry seeds were irradiated by ..gamma..-rays in doses of 500 R, 750 R and 1000 R radioactive cesium 137. The effect of the individual ..gamma..-ray doses on sprout and root growth, respiration rate and peroxidase activity was followed up. Results showed that seed irradiation by a 500R dose had a stimulating effect on sprout and root growth, while the 750 R and 1000 R did not differ significantly from the ccntrol. Seed irradiation by 500 R reduced the respiration rate of the roots and sprouts, while both treatments with higher doses gave results similar to the control. The changes in the respiration enzyme peroxidase were in correlation with the changes in respiration rate.

The effects of different nitrogen doses on herbage and seed yields of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of different nitrogen doses on herbage and seed yields of annual ... 250, 270 and 290 kg ha-1) of and some agricultural characteristics of annual ryegrass cv. ... doses are observed to be important for all properties of herbage yield and ... It was obtained for the seed production that the highest number of tiller (626 ...

Incorporating seeds in activated carbon pellets limits herbicide effects to seeded bunchgrasses when controlling exotic annuals

Science.gov (United States)

Revegetation of exotic annual grass-invaded rangeland with pre-emergent herbicides is challenging because seeding is delayed until herbicide toxicity has diminished, but at this time, exotic annuals can be re-invading. Incorporating seeds into activated carbon pellets may allow seeding to occur at t...

Effect of Pretreatments on Seed Viability During Fruit Development ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fiifi Baidoo

and petri dishes on moist filter paper, gave 80% germination in variety gabonensis, 20 weeks after fruiting. .... Effect of pretreatments on seed germination of fruits of Irvingia gabonensis plucked from forest ...... A review of the tariff structure and.

Responses of Seed Germination, Seedling Growth, and Seed Yield Traits to Seed Pretreatment in Maize (Zea mays L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Tian

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A series of seed priming experiments were conducted to test the effects of different pretreatment methods to seed germination, seedling growth, and seed yield traits in maize (Zea mays L.. Results indicated that the seeds primed by gibberellins (GA, NaCl, and polyethylene glycol (PEG reagents showed a higher imbibitions rate compared to those primed with water. The final germination percentage and germination rate varied with different reagents significantly (P<0.05. The recommended prime reagents were GA at 10 mg/L, NaCl at 50 mM, and PEG at 15% on account of germination experiment. 15% PEG priming reagent increased shoot and root biomass of maize seedling. The shoot biomass of seedlings after presoaking the seeds with NaCl reagent was significantly higher than the seedlings without priming treatment. No significant differences of plant height, leaf number, and hundred-grain weight were observed between control group and priming treatments. Presoaking with water, NaCl (50 mM, or PEG (15% significantly increased the hundred-grain weight of maize. Therefore, seed pretreatment is proved to be an effective technique to improve the germination performance, seedling growth, and seed yield of maize. However, when compared with the two methods, if immediate sowing is possible, presoaking is recommended to harvest better benefits compared to priming method.

Ameliorative effects of Moringa oleifera Lam seed extract on liver fibrosis in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamza, Alaaeldin A

2010-01-01

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Moringa oleifera Lam (Moringa) seed extract on liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis was induced by the oral administration of 20% carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)), twice weekly and for 8 weeks. Simultaneously, M.oleifera Lam seed extract (1g/kg) was orally administered daily. The biochemical and histological results showed that Moringa reduced liver damage as well as symptoms of liver fibrosis. The administration of Moringa seed extract decreased the CCl(4)-induced elevation of serum aminotransferase activities and globulin level. The elevations of hepatic hydroxyproline content and myeloperoxidase activity were also reduced by Moringa treatment. Furthermore, the immunohistochemical study showed that Moringa markedly reduced the numbers of smooth muscle alpha-actin-positive cells and the accumulation of collagens I and III in liver. Moringa seed extract showed significant inhibitory effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical, as well as strong reducing antioxidant power. The activity of superoxide dismutase as well as the content of both malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl, which are oxidative stress markers, were reversed after treatment with Moringa. Finally, these results suggested that Moringa seed extract can act against CCl(4)-induced liver injury and fibrosis in rats by a mechanism related to its antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory effect and its ability to attenuate the hepatic stellate cells activation. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seeds of hope, seeds of despair: towards a political economy of the seed industry in southern Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Zerbe, N

2001-01-01

The seed industry in Southern Africa has been radically transformed by a policy of liberalisation and privatisation started under structural adjustment. Traditionally under the domain of parastatals, seed research, production and distribution has been criticised for failing to provide modern variety seed to smallholder farmers. However, the private companies which have stepped in to replace seed parastatals in southern Africa have proven no more effective in meeting the demands of smallholders. The Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement, concluded in 1994 as part of the Uruguay Rounds of GATT negotiations, as well as certain biotechnological innovations such as Terminator or Traitor technologies, threaten to further undermine local seed production and consumption by destroying the informal seed sector so central to agricultural production in the region. What alternatives exist? The success of Zimbabwe's maize seed network offers some insight. Resting on a unique relationship between government and nationally based producer co-operatives, Zimbabwe's maize programme was able to provide nearly every farmer in the country with hybrid maize suited for local growing conditions.

The effect of low temperature plasma on DNA damage of maize seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhrin, F.; Ondriasova, K.; Kyzek, S.; Galova, E.; Medvecka, V.; Zahoranova, A.

2017-01-01

It is known that the low temperature plasma shows antimicrobial and disinfecting effects. It also supports the seed germination and it is used in many fields of common life. But there is just a few scientific papers dealing with the genotoxic properties of plasma. In our work, we try to determine the relative rate of DNA double strand breaks formation resulting from the low temperature plasma treatment in the seeds of Zea mays L. using the constant field gel electrophoresis (CFGE). We compared DNA damage in seedlings resulting from plasma and zeocin treatment with seedlings, which seeds were treated just with zeocin. (authors)

Modular Extended-Stay HyperGravity Facility Design Concept: An Artificial-Gravity Space-Settlement Ground Analogue

Science.gov (United States)

Dorais, Gregory A.

2015-01-01

This document defines the design concept for a ground-based, extended-stay hypergravity facility as a precursor for space-based artificial-gravity facilities that extend the permanent presence of both human and non-human life beyond Earth in artificial-gravity settlements. Since the Earth's current human population is stressing the environment and the resources off-Earth are relatively unlimited, by as soon as 2040 more than one thousand people could be living in Earthorbiting artificial-gravity habitats. Eventually, the majority of humanity may live in artificialgravity habitats throughout this solar system as well as others, but little is known about the longterm (multi-generational) effects of artificial-gravity habitats on people, animals, and plants. In order to extend life permanently beyond Earth, it would be useful to create an orbiting space facility that generates 1g as well as other gravity levels to rigorously address the numerous challenges of such an endeavor. Before doing so, developing a ground-based artificial-gravity facility is a reasonable next step. Just as the International Space Station is a microgravity research facility, at a small fraction of the cost and risk a ground-based artificial-gravity facility can begin to address a wide-variety of the artificial-gravity life-science questions and engineering challenges requiring long-term research to enable people, animals, and plants to live off-Earth indefinitely.