Role of Insulin-like growth factors in initiation of follicle growth in normal and polycystic human ovaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Stubbs, Sharron A; Webber, Lisa J; Stark, Jaroslav; Rice, Suman; Margara, Raul; Lavery, Stuart; Trew, Geoffrey H; Hardy, Kate; Franks, Stephen

2013-08-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the commonest cause of anovulatory infertility, is characterized by disordered follicle development including increased activation and accelerated growth of preantral follicles. Data from experimental animals and preliminary results from studies of human ovarian tissue suggest that IGFs affect preantral follicle development. Our objectives were to investigate the expression of the type-1 IGF receptor (IGFR-1) in the human ovary and to determine whether IGFs are involved in stimulating the transition of follicles from primordial to primary stage in normal and polycystic ovaries. We used archived ovarian tissue for protein expression studies and small cortical biopsies for follicle isolation and for tissue culture. This was a laboratory-based study, using clinical tissue samples. A total of 54 women, 33 with normal ovaries and 21 with polycystic ovaries, were classified by reference to menstrual cycle history and ultrasonography. We evaluated expression of IGFR-1 mRNA in isolated preantral follicles and of IGFR-1 protein in archived ovarian tissue samples from normal and polycystic ovaries and effects of exogenous IGF-1 on preantral follicle development and survival in cultured fragments of normal and polycystic ovaries. IGFR-1 mRNA and protein was expressed in preantral follicles at all stages of development and enhanced expression was noted in PCOS follicles during early preantral development. IGF-1 stimulated initiation of follicle growth in normal tissue but had little effect on preantral follicle growth in polycystic ovaries in which, characteristically, there was a higher proportion of follicles that had entered the growing phase even before culture. IGFs are plausible candidates in regulation of initiation of human follicle growth, and accelerated preantral follicle growth in PCOS may be due to increased activity of endogenous IGFs.

The T-ALL related gene BCL11B regulates the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, V L; Luong, A; Li, F; Casero, D; Malvar, J; Kim, Y M; Bhatia, R; Crooks, G M; Parekh, C

2017-11-01

The initial stages of T-cell differentiation are characterized by a progressive commitment to the T-cell lineage, a process that involves the loss of alternative (myelo-erythroid, NK, B) lineage potentials. Aberrant differentiation during these stages can result in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). However, the mechanisms regulating the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation are obscure. Through loss of function studies, we showed BCL11B, a transcription factor recurrently mutated T-ALL, is essential for T-lineage commitment, particularly the repression of NK and myeloid potentials, and the induction of T-lineage genes, during the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation. In gain of function studies, BCL11B inhibited growth of and induced a T-lineage transcriptional program in T-ALL cells. We found previously unknown differentiation stage-specific DNA binding of BCL11B at multiple T-lineage genes; target genes showed BCL11B-dependent expression, suggesting a transcriptional activator role for BCL11B at these genes. Transcriptional analyses revealed differences in the regulatory actions of BCL11B between human and murine thymopoiesis. Our studies show BCL11B is a key regulator of the initial stages of human T-cell differentiation and delineate the BCL11B transcriptional program, enabling the dissection of the underpinnings of normal T-cell differentiation and providing a resource for understanding dysregulations in T-ALL.

The vertical growth of MoS2 layers at the initial stage of CVD from first-principles

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Xiong-Xiong; Feng, Yexin; Chen, Keqiu; Zhang, Lixin

2018-04-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the highly preferred method for mass production of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) layers, yet the atomic-scale knowledge is still lacking about the nucleation and growth. In this study, by using first-principles calculations, we show that, on Au(111) surface, one-dimensional (1D) MoxSy chains are first formed by coalescing of smaller feeding species and are energetically favored at the early stage of nucleation. Two-dimensional (2D) layers can be stabilized only after the number of Mo atoms exceeds ˜12. A vertical growth mode is revealed which accomplishes the structural transformation from the 1D chains to the 2D layers for the clusters while growing. The competition between intralayer and interlayer interactions is the key. These findings serve as new insights for better understanding the atomistic mechanism of the nucleation and growth of TMDs on the surface.

Initial stages of AZ91 Mg alloy micro-arc anodizing: Growth mechanisms and effect on the corrosion resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Veys-Renaux, Delphine; Rocca, Emmanuel; Martin, Julien; Henrion, Gérard

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • The dielectric breakdown occurs for a specific value of capacitance. • Before breakdown, Si is incorporated to the anodic film under MgSiO 3 form. • After breakdown, Si is incorporated to the anodic film also under Mg 2 SiO 4 form. • The presence of Mg 2 SiO 4 in the anodic film provides good corrosion resistance due to sealing of the porosities. - Abstract: In the framework of the new ecological regulations, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) appears as an alternative to usual processes in the field of corrosion protection of Mg alloys. In this work, the initial stages of anodic layer growth in KOH-based electrolytes are studied up to and beyond the initiation of the micro-arc regime. The properties of the first anodized film preceding the occurrence of the dielectric breakdown (corresponding to the start of the micro-arc regime) are mainly determined by the incorporation of additives (fluorides or silicates) in the film, as shown by in situ electrochemical measurements. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and micro-Raman spectroscopy reveal both the change of morphology and chemical state of silicate and fluoride in the anodized layer before and after the micro-arc regime. In terms of electrochemical behaviour, investigated by stationary methods and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in reference corrosive water, the anodic film grown in the silicate medium provides the best corrosion resistance thanks to a thick layer containing Mg 2 SiO 4 , whose degradation products seal the porosities of the coating

Low light intensity effects on the growth, photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant capacity, yield and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at different growth stages in BLSS

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Chen; Fu, Yuming; Liu, Guanghui; Liu, Hong

2014-06-01

Minimizing energy consumption and maximizing crop productivity are major challenges to growing plants in Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) for future long-term space mission. As a primary source of energy, light is one of the most important environmental factors for plant growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of low light intensity at different stages on growth, pigment composition, photosynthetic efficiency, biological production and antioxidant defence systems of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars during ontogenesis. Experiments were divided into 3 intensity-controlled stages according to growth period (a total of 65 days): seedling stage (first 20 days), heading and flowering stage (middle 30 days) and grain filling stage (last 15 days). Initial light condition of the control was 420 μmol m-2 s-1 and the light intensity increased with the growth of wheat plants. The light intensities of group I and II at the first stage and the last stage were adjusted to the half level of the control respectively. For group III, the first and the last stage were both adjusted to half level of the control. During the middle 30 days, all treatments were kept the same intensity. The results indicated that low-light treatment at seedling stage, biomass, nutritional contents, components of inedible biomass and healthy index (including peroxidase (POD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and proline content) of wheat plants have no significant difference to the control. Furthermore, unit kilojoule yield of group I reached 0.591 × 10-3 g/kJ and induced the highest energy efficiency. However, low-light treatment at grain filling stage affected the final production significantly.

Morphological analysis of co-evaporated blend films based on initial growth for organic photovoltaics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shibata, Yosei, E-mail: yosei.shibata@aist.go.jp [Research Center for Photovoltaic Technologies, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan); Taima, Tetsuya [Research Center for Photovoltaic Technologies, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012 (Japan); Zhou, Ying; Ohashi, Noboru; Kono, Takahiro [Research Center for Photovoltaic Technologies, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan); Yoshida, Yuji, E-mail: yuji.yoshida@aist.go.jp [Research Center for Photovoltaic Technologies, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565 (Japan)

2015-11-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Initial growth mode of co-evaporated films was observed. • Balanced crystal growth leads to improvement of photovoltaic performance. • Crystal growth of fullerene during co-evaporation process was restricted. • The power conversion efficiency of 3% was obtained without electron blocking layer. - Abstract: Bulk heterojunction structures composed of electron donor and acceptor molecules for application in high-performance organic photovoltaics studied. To fabricate these structures, the co-evaporation method in vacuum is commonly applied; however, the details of the crystal growth process during co-evaporation have not yet been established. Here, we focused on structural analysis of blend films composed of phthalocyanine and fullerene based on initial growth stage. Similar crystal growth behavior to that typically observed in single-component molecules is obtained for the films. These results suggest that the competitive crystal growth between donors and acceptors occurs during co-evaporation process. The balance of thin film growth among donor and acceptor molecules can be related to improved photovoltaic performance. The homogeneous blend structure leads to improvement of the power conversion efficiency from 1.2% to 3.0%.

Effect of Drought Stress at Different Growth Stages on Yield and Yield Components of Six Rice (Oryza sativa L. Genotypes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharifunnessa Moonmoon

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Drought stress affects plant growth and development and ultimately, reduced grain yield of rice. But stress at different growth stages may respond differently which is still unclear. Therefore, a pot experiment was carried out with six rice genotypes to determine the critical growth stage where drought stress effect on yield reduction and to find stress tolerance mechanism in rice genotypes. Drought stress (control i.e. no stress and 40% field capacity, FC was imposed on Binadhan-13, Kalizira, BRRI dhan34, Ukunimodhu, RM-100-16 and NERICA mutant rice genotypes at maximum tillering, panicle initiation and grain filling stages and discontinued when the specific stage was over. The experiment was laid out in a complete randomized design with three replications. Drought stress affected number of effective tiller hill-1, number of spikelets panicle-1, filled grains hill-1, 1000-grain weight and grain yield. Binadhan-13 produced the highest grain yield and the lowest sterility under drought stress at grain filling stage. Percentage of spikelet sterility increased under drought stress (40% FC especially at the panicle initiation stage resulting low grain yield. Among the tested genotypes Binadhan-13 performed well by reducing spikelet sterility under drought stress condition. For 1000-grain weight and grain yield, grain filling stage was found more crucial. From the current research, drought tolerance mechanism was found in genotypes Binadhan-13 and NERICA mutant. [Fundam Appl Agric 2017; 2(3.000: 285-289

Growth of polymer nanoparticles in microemulsion polymerization initiated with γ ray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Xiangling; Ge Xuewu; Ye Qiang; Zhang Zhicheng; Zuo Ju; Niu Aizhen; Zhang Manwei

1999-01-01

In microemulsion polymerization of styrene, butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate initiated with gamma ray, growth of polymer nanoparticles was observed with photon correlation spectroscopy, and the conversion curve was recorded with a dilatometer. There is some similarity in the growth of polymer particles. The size of polymer particles rapidly increases up to their maximum at the early stage. With the increase of conversion, the large particles supply their monomer to newly formed particles and become smaller. In all these three microemulsion polymerizations, the evidence of continuous nucleation was observed. When monomer is styrene or butyl acrylate, a plateau of polymerization rate emerges. When monomer is methyl methacrylate, no plateau of polymerization is observed

METHODS FOR OVERCOMING SEED DORMANCY AND THE INITIAL GROWTH OF Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. IN DIFFERENT SOILS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JOSENARA DAIANE DE SOUZA COSTA

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Considering the potential and importance of biodiversity of the Caatinga biome, studies on endemic species are relevant to conservation of its natural resources. The objectives of this work was to evaluate seed viability and physical methods for overcoming seed dormancy in juazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. and assess the influence of different types of soil on the initial growth of juazeiro plants. The experiments were conducted in three stages. In the first stage, the viability of seeds from different lots was evaluated using the tetrazolium test. The second stage was conducted in a plant nursery, evaluating the application of physical processes (scarification with sandpaper and hammer in overcoming seed dormancy, and the initial growth of the plants. In the third step, the chlorophyll a and b contents, gas exchange and dry matter accumulation were evaluated in young juazeiro plants in three types of soil (Oxisol, Entisol and Vertisol. The results indicate that the viability of juazeiro seeds is greatly influenced by differences between the progenitor plants and by storage conditions, which enable a longevity of two years when stored at 22°C and 16% of relative humidity. The scarification methods with sandpaper and hammer are not efficient to reduce the time and uniform seed germination. The juazeiro plants have high growth potential in different edaphic environments, adapting well to soils of different textures and chemical compositions.

Effects of growth stage and fulvic acid on the diversity and dynamics of endophytic bacterial community in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuejian eYu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to learn the interactions among the endophytic bacteria, the plant growth, the foliar spray of fulvic acid, and the accumulation of steviol glycosides in the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. Metagenomic DNA was extracted from the Stevia leaves at different growth stages with or without the fulvic acid treatment; and the diversity of endophytic bacteria in Stevia leaves was estimated by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. As results, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were found to be the dominant phyla despite the growth stages and fulvic acid application. Stevia growth stages strongly regulated composition of endophytic community. The genera Agrobacterium (12.3 % and Erwinia (7.2 % dominated in seedling stage were apparently declined in the vegetable and initial flowering stages, while Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium increased in mature leaves at harvest time, which showed that the mature leaves of Stevia preferred to accumulate some certain endophytic bacteria. Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium constituted an important part of the core endophytic community and were positively correlated with the stevioside content and UGT74G1 gene expression, respectively; while Erwinia, Agrobacterium and Bacillus were negatively correlated with the stevioside accumulation. Fulvic acid treatment accelerated the variation of endophytes along the growth stages.

[Initial stages of steel biocorrosion].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhigletsova, S K; Rodin, V B; Kobelev, V S; Aleksandrova, N V; Rasulova, G E; Kholodenko, V P

2000-01-01

Initial stages of corrosion of mild steel induced by Klebsiela rhinoscleromatis BO2 were studied in various media. The effect of the microorganism was detected 8-10 h after inoculation. The number of viable cells were virtually unchanged within one month in all media, but the corrosive activity of the strain decreased. The corrosive activity of microorganisms can be determined by spectrophotometry even only after incubation for 24 h. At a low level of organic substrate, even strong colonization with microorganisms does not inevitably result in a significant damage to metals.

Anaerobic digestion characteristics of pig manures depending on various growth stages and initial substrate concentrations in a scaled pig farm in Southern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wanqin; Lang, Qianqian; Wu, Shubiao; Li, Wei; Bah, Hamidou; Dong, Renjie

2014-03-01

The characteristics of anaerobic digestion of pig manure from different growth stages were investigated. According to growth stage, batch experiments were performed using gestating sow manure (GSM), swine nursery with post-weaned piglet manure (SNM), growing fattening manure (GFM) and mixed manure (MM) as substrates at four substrate concentrations (40, 50, 65 and 80gVS/L) under mesophilic conditions. The maximum methane yields of MM, SNM, GSM and GFM were 354.7, 328.7, 282.4 and 263.5mLCH4/gVSadded, respectively. Volatile fatty acids/total inorganic carbon (VFA/TIC) ratio increased from 0.10 to 0.89 when loading increased from 40 to 80gVS/L for GFM. The modified Gompertz model shows a better fit to the experimental results than the first order model with a lower difference between measured and predicted methane yields. The kinetic parameters indicated that the methane production curve on the basis of differences in biodegradability of the pig manure at different growth stages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Initial Stages of Colliding Nuclei and Hadrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tribedy, Prithwish

2017-01-01

The final day of the Hot Quarks 2016 conference was focused on the discussions of the initial stages of colliding nuclei and hadrons. In this conference proceedings we give a brief overview of a few selective topics discussed at the conference that include latest developments in the theoretical description of the initial state towards understanding a number of recent experimental results from RHIC and LHC. (paper)

Applying a particle filtering technique for canola crop growth stage estimation in Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Abhijit; Tan, Weikai; Li, Yifeng; McNairn, Heather; Jiao, Xianfeng; Hosseini, Mehdi

2017-10-01

Accurate crop growth stage estimation is important in precision agriculture as it facilitates improved crop management, pest and disease mitigation and resource planning. Earth observation imagery, specifically Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data, can provide field level growth estimates while covering regional scales. In this paper, RADARSAT-2 quad polarization and TerraSAR-X dual polarization SAR data and ground truth growth stage data are used to model the influence of canola growth stages on SAR imagery extracted parameters. The details of the growth stage modeling work are provided, including a) the development of a new crop growth stage indicator that is continuous and suitable as the state variable in the dynamic estimation procedure; b) a selection procedure for SAR polarimetric parameters that is sensitive to both linear and nonlinear dependency between variables; and c) procedures for compensation of SAR polarimetric parameters for different beam modes. The data was collected over three crop growth seasons in Manitoba, Canada, and the growth model provides the foundation of a novel dynamic filtering framework for real-time estimation of canola growth stages using the multi-sensor and multi-mode SAR data. A description of the dynamic filtering framework that uses particle filter as the estimator is also provided in this paper.

Flooding tolerance in cotton (gossypium hirsutum l.) at early vegetative and reproductive growth stages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, A.

2014-01-01

Periodic flooding at any growth stage greatly affects growth and yield of crops. In order to develop flooding tolerant cotton cultivar and to identify the most sensitive growth stage to periodic flooding, a field experiment was conducted in which 60-cultivars/accessions/lines were subjected to two week flooding at seedling/early vegetative, flower and boll formation growth stages. Pre- and post-flooding soil analysis was also carried out. Nitrate-N was greatly reduced due to flooding applied at all growth stages, whereas NH4-N increased significantly. Similarly, Fe and Mn were also increased to many folds in flooded soils. Under hypoxic conditions, depletion of nitrates and toxic effects of accumulated NH4, Fe and Mn caused severe damages to cotton plants and even death of plants. Of the three growth stages, early vegetative growth stage is most sensitive to two week flooding. Flooding imposed at the flowering and boll formation growth stages caused a substantial amount of yield penalty. On the basis of survival percentage, the 60-cultivars/accessions/lines were categorized into tolerant (61%), moderately tolerant (31=60%) and sensitive (31%) to short term flooding. At the seedling or early vegetative growth stage, genotypes DPL-SR-2 followed by 124-F and MNH-427 were most tolerant to flooding, while AET-5, N-KRISHMA, LRA-5166, CEDIX and H-142 were ranked as sensitive to flooding stress. At the flowering stage, the genotype NIAB-92 followed by S-14 and MNH-427 were highly tolerant to flooding. At the boll formation stage, genotypes DPL-70010-N followed by GH-11-9-75 and B-2918-2 were highly tolerant waterlogging. More than 50% of the genotypes maintained the degree of flooding tolerance at three growth stages. However, on the basis of survival percentage at three growth stages, genotypes MNH-564, FH-114, MNH-786 and CIM-573 were included in the tolerant group and the genotypes N-KRISHMA, LRA-5166, CEDIX and H-142 were included in the sensitive group. These

Effects of growth stage and fulvic acid on the diversity and dynamics of endophytic bacterial community in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xuejian; Yang, Jinshui; Wang, Entao; Li, Baozhen; Yuan, Hongli

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to learn the interactions among the endophytic bacteria, the plant growth, the foliar spray of fulvic acid, and the accumulation of steviol glycosides in the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. Metagenomic DNA was extracted from the Stevia leaves at different growth stages with or without the fulvic acid treatment; and the diversity of endophytic bacteria in Stevia leaves was estimated by pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes. As results, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were found to be the dominant phyla despite the growth stages and fulvic acid application. Stevia growth stages strongly regulated composition of endophytic community. The genera Agrobacterium (12.3%) and Erwinia (7.2%) dominated in seedling stage were apparently declined in the vegetable and initial flowering stages, while Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium increased in mature leaves at harvest time, which showed that the mature leaves of Stevia preferred to accumulate some certain endophytic bacteria. Sphingomonas and Methylobacterium constituted an important part of the core endophytic community and were positively correlated with the stevioside content and UGT74G1 gene expression, respectively; while Erwinia, Agrobacterium, and Bacillus were negatively correlated with the stevioside accumulation. Fulvic acid treatment accelerated the variation of endophytes along the growth stages and increased the steviol glycosides content. This is the first study to reveal the community composition of endophytic bacteria in the Stevia leaves, to evidence the strong effects of growth stage and fulvic acid application on the endophytes of Stevia, and to demonstrate the correlation between the endophytic bacteria and the steviol glycosides accumulation. PMID:26379644

Weed Growth Stage Estimator Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teimouri, Nima; Dyrmann, Mads; Nielsen, Per Rydahl

2018-01-01

This study outlines a new method of automatically estimating weed species and growth stages (from cotyledon until eight leaves are visible) of in situ images covering 18 weed species or families. Images of weeds growing within a variety of crops were gathered across variable environmental conditi...... in estimating the number of leaves and 96% accuracy when accepting a deviation of two leaves. These results show that this new method of using deep convolutional neural networks has a relatively high ability to estimate early growth stages across a wide variety of weed species....

Behavioral characteristics of Hanwoo ( steers at different growth stages and seasons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Na Yeon Kim

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Objective This research analyzed behavioral characteristics of Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae steers during each season and growth stage to enable measurement of the animals’ welfare level for precision livestock farming. Methods A hundred-eight beef steers were divided into three equal groups at a Hanwoo farm according to their growth stage: growing stage (GS, 8 months; early-fattening stage (EFS, 19 months; and late-fattening stage (LFS, 30 months. Twelve behavioral categories were continuously recorded for 13 day-time hours in each four seasons with three replications. Results Time spent standing was found to be significantly longer in summer at all growth stages (p<0.05. Hanwoos at the GS spent significantly longer standing time in spring and summer than those at the EFS and LFS (p<0.05. Lying time in summer was the shortest for all growth stages (p<0.05. Steers at the LFS spent significantly longer lying time than that at the GS (p<0.05 in summer. For GS and EFS, time spent eating in spring and autumn were longer than in summer and winter (p<0.05. Eating time was the longest for the GS in spring, autumn, and winter, excluding for the LFS in winter (p<0.05. Regarding ruminating, steers at the LFS spent significantly shorter time than those at other stages in all seasons (p<0.05. GS and EFS steers showed the longest walking time in summer compared with other seasons (p<0.05. At GS and LFS, drinking time in summer was the longest of all seasons (p<0.05. Sleeping time was significantly shorter in summer compared with the other seasons (p<0.05. Self-grooming time was the longest in winter for all growth stages (p<0.05. Conclusion Steers were found to have more variable behavioral patterns during summer and the GS and less active behaviors during the LFS, thus extra care seems necessary during the GS, LFS, and summer period.

Effect of temporary drought at different growth stages on snap bean ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

High quality snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) can be produced under rain-fed conditions, provided that adequate moisture is available. However, drought may occur at any stage of growth of snap bean. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of drought stress at different growth stages on pod physical quality ...

Transverse emittance growth in staged laser-wakefield acceleration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Mehrling

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We present a study on the emittance evolution of electron bunches, externally injected into laser-driven plasma waves using the three-dimensional particle-in-cell (PIC code OSIRIS. Results show order-of-magnitude transverse emittance growth during the injection process, if the electron bunch is not matched to its intrinsic betatron motion inside the wakefield. This behavior is supported by analytic theory reproducing the simulation data to a percent level. The length over which the full emittance growth develops is found to be less than or comparable to the typical dimension of a single plasma module in current multistage designs. In addition, the analytic theory enables the quantitative prediction of emittance degradation in two consecutive accelerators coupled by free-drift sections, excluding this as a scheme for effective emittance-growth suppression, and thus suggests the necessity of beam-matching sections between acceleration stages with fundamental implications on the overall design of staged laser-wakefield accelerators.

Characterization of fibrillation process of α-synuclein at the initial stage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tashiro, Mitsuru; Kojima, Masaki; Kihara, Hiroshi; Kasai, Kouki; Kamiyoshihara, Tomoaki; Ueda, Kenji; Shimotakahara, Sakurako

2008-01-01

α-Synuclein is the major component of the filamentous Lewy bodies and Lewy-related neurites, neuropathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease. Although numerous studies on α-synuclein fibrillation have been reported, the molecular mechanisms of aggregation and fibrillation at the initial stage are still unclear. In the present study, structural properties and propensities to form fibrils of α-synuclein at the initial stage were investigated using 2D 1 H- 15 N NMR spectroscopy, electron microscope, and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Observation of the 2D 1 H- 15 N HSQC spectra indicated significant attenuation of many cross peak intensities in the regions of KTKEGV-type repeats and the non-Aβ component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid (NAC), suggesting that these regions contributed fibril formation. Oligomerization comprising heptamer was successfully monitored at the initial stage using the time-dependent SAXS measurements

Phenological growth stages of saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.) according to the BBCH Scale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez-Corcoles, H.; Brasa-Ramos, A.; Montero-Garcia, F.; Romero-Valverde, M.; Montero-Riquelme, F.

2015-07-01

Phenological studies are important for understanding the influence of climate dynamics on vegetative growth, flowering and fruiting on plants and can be used in many scientific subjects, such as Agronomy, Botany and Plant Biology, but also Climatology as a result of the current global interest in climate change monitoring. The purpose of the detailed specific culture descriptions of the principal growth stages in plants is to provide an instrument for standardization of data recording. To date, there was no coding method to describe developmental stages on saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.). Because of the increasing world-wide interest on this crop, a novel growth development code based on the BBCH extended scale is proposed in this paper. Six principal growth stages were set up, starting from sprouting, cataphylls and flowers appearance, plant appearance and development, replacement corms development, plant senescence and corm dormancy. Each principal growth stage is subdivided into secondary growth stages. Descriptive keys with illustrations are included to make effective use of the system. (Author)

[Evaluation of the Initial Stage Career Exploration Inventory (ISCEI)].

Science.gov (United States)

Adachi, Tomoko

2010-06-01

The Initial Stage Career Exploration Inventory (ISCEI) was designed to assess career exploration among students in the early stage of making career decisions. The reliability, validity, and applicability of the ISCEI were investigated. In Study 1, responses on the ISCEI from student participants (n = 294 : 69 men, 225 women) were factor analyzed. The results suggested a 3-factor structure consisting of "self-understanding," "information gathering" and "learning from others." Comparison between the ISCEI and self-improvement motive, vocational decisions, and career decision-making self-efficacy scales from the Career Exploration Survey (CES) indicated that the ISCEI had sufficient construct validity. Study 2 investigated the applicability of the ISCEI. The responses of student participants (n = 859 : 451 men, 408 women) on the ISCEI indicated high "self-understanding," neutral "information gathering," and comparatively low "learning from others" scores, which were similarly related to the CES as in Study 1. These findings indicate that the ISCEI can be used as a tool for understanding career exploration among students in the initial stage of making career decision.

Initial stage of cavitation in liquids and its observation by Rayleigh scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pekker, M [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States of America (United States); Shneider, M N, E-mail: m.n.shneider@gmail.com [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States of America (United States)

2017-06-15

A theory is developed for the initial stage of cavitation in the framework of Zel’dovich–Fisher theory of nucleation in the field of negative pressure, while taking into account the surface tension dependence on the nanopore radius. A saturation mechanism is proposed that limits the exponential dependence of the nucleation rate on the energy required to create nanopores. An estimate of the saturated density of nanopores at the nucleation stage is obtained. It is shown that Rayleigh scattering can detect nanopores arising at the initial stage of cavitation development. (paper)

Catalyst–substrate interaction and growth delay in vapor–liquid–solid nanowire growth

Science.gov (United States)

Kolíbal, Miroslav; Pejchal, Tomáš; Musálek, Tomáš; Šikola, Tomáš

2018-05-01

Understanding of the initial stage of nanowire growth on a bulk substrate is crucial for the rational design of nanowire building blocks in future electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, we provide in situ scanning electron microscopy and Auger microscopy analysis of the initial stage of Au-catalyzed Ge nanowire growth on different substrates. Real-time microscopy imaging and elementally resolved spectroscopy clearly show that the catalyst dissolves the underlying substrate if held above a certain temperature. If the substrate dissolution is blocked (or in the case of heteroepitaxy) the catalyst needs to be filled with nanowire material from the external supply, which significantly increases the initial growth delay. The experiments presented here reveal the important role of the substrate in metal-catalyzed nanowire growth and pave the way for different growth delay mitigation strategies.

Numerical simulation of brain tumor growth model using two-stage ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In the recent years, the study of glioma growth to be an active field of research Mathematical models that describe the proliferation and diffusion properties of the growth have been developed by many researchers. In this work, the performance analysis of two-stage Gauss-Seidel (TSGS) method to solve the glioma growth ...

Hydroxamic acid content and toxicity of rye at selected growth stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Clifford P; Park, Yong Bong; Adam, Frédérick; Abdul-Baki, Aref A; Teasdale, John R

2005-08-01

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is an important cover crop that provides many benefits to cropping systems including weed and pest suppression resulting from allelopathic substances. Hydroxamic acids have been identified as allelopathic compounds in rye. This research was conducted to improve the methodology for quantifying hydroxamic acids and to determine the relationship between hydroxamic acid content and phytotoxicity of extracts of rye root and shoot tissue harvested at selected growth stages. Detection limits for an LC/MS-MS method for analysis of hydroxamic acids from crude aqueous extracts were better than have been reported previously. (2R)-2-beta-D-Glucopyranosyloxy-4-hydroxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (DIBOA-G), 2,4-dihydroxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (DIBOA), benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA), and the methoxy-substituted form of these compounds, (2R)-2-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy-4-hydroxy-7-methoxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (DIMBOA glucose), 2,4-hydroxy-7-methoxy-(2H)-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (DIMBOA), and 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (MBOA), were all detected in rye tissue. DIBOA and BOA were prevalent in shoot tissue, whereas the methoxy-substituted compounds, DIMBOA glucose and MBOA, were prevalent in root tissue. Total hydroxamic acid concentration in rye tissue generally declined with age. Aqueous crude extracts of rye shoot tissue were more toxic than extracts of root tissue to lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) root length. Extracts of rye seedlings (Feekes growth stage 2) were most phytotoxic, but there was no pattern to the phytotoxicity of extracts of rye sampled at growth stages 4 to 10.5.4, and no correlation of hydroxamic acid content and phytotoxicity (I50 values). Analysis of dose-response model slope coefficients indicated a lack of parallelism among models for rye extracts from different growth stages, suggesting that phytotoxicity may be attributed to compounds with different modes of action at

Phenological growth stages of saffron plant (Crocus sativus L. according to the BBCH Scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Horacio Lopez-Corcoles

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Phenological studies are important for understanding the influence of climate dynamics on vegetative growth, flowering and fruiting on plants and can be used in many scientific subjects, such as Agronomy, Botany and Plant Biology, but also Climatology as a result of the current global interest in climate change monitoring. The purpose of the detailed specific culture descriptions of the principal growth stages in plants is to provide an instrument for standardization of data recording. To date, there was no coding method to describe developmental stages on saffron plant (Crocus sativus L.. Because of the increasing world-wide interest on this crop, a novel growth development code based on the BBCH extended scale is proposed in this paper. Six principal growth stages were set up, starting from sprouting, cataphylls and flowers appearance, plant appearance and development, replacement corms development, plant senescence and corm dormancy. Each principal growth stage is subdivided into secondary growth stages. Descriptive keys with illustrations are included to make effective use of the system.

Improvement of Soybean (Glycine max L. Yield with Urea Foliar Application at Growth Stages

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Mahmood Tohidi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available To investigate the effects of nitrogen foliar application at different growth stages of soybean on the yield and yield components this experiment was performed in Shush, north of Khuzestan, Iran, during growing season of 2014. The experiment was in split plot based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Experimental treatments consisted of four levels of nitrogen fertilizer foliar applications as control (no nitrogen foliar application, 25, 50 and 75 kg/ha pure nitrogen from urea source (46% pure nitrogen assigned to the main plots and spraying times in three levels, at vegetative stage, flowering stage and podding stage to the subplots. Results showed that the effects of nitrogen foliar application on traits measured in this experiment like leaf area index, number of pod per plant, number of seeds per pod, thousand seed weight, seed yield, biologic yield, harvest index, protein percent and protein yield and also interaction of different levels of nitrogen foliar application and different growth stages, were significant. Oil percent and yield were only significant under the effect of nitrogen foliar application treatments at different growth stages while the interaction of different levels of nitrogen foliar application and different growth stages, were not significant. In this experiment nitrogen foliar application increased seed yield. The highest seed yield amounted to 2466 kg/ha when 50kg/ha of foliar nitrogen applied at vegetative growth stage and lowest seed yield amounted to 1295 kg/ha in the control treatment at the stage of podding. In general, results demonstrated that 50 kg/ha treatment could be considered as the best management option of nitrogen foliar application for soybean at vegetative growth stage.

Model of unplanned smoking initiation of children and adolescents: an integrated stage model of smoking behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Kremers, S P J; Mudde, A N; De Vries, H

2004-05-01

Two lines of psychological research have attempted to spell out the stages of adolescent smoking initiation. The first has focused on behavioral stages of smoking initiation, while the second line emphasized motivational stages. A large international sample of European adolescents (N = 10,170, mean age = 13.3 years) was followed longitudinally. Self-reported motivational and behavioral stages of smoking initiation were integrated, leading to the development of the Model of Unplanned Smoking Initiation of Children and Adolescents (MUSICA). The MUSICA postulates that youngsters experiment with smoking while they are in an unmotivated state as regards their plans for smoking regularly in the future. More than 95% of the total population resided in one of the seven stages distinguished by MUSICA. The probability of starting to smoke regularly during the 12 months follow-up period increased with advanced stage assignment at baseline. Unique social cognitive predictors of stage progression from the various stages were identified, but effect sizes of predictors of transitions were small. The integration of motivational and behavioral dimensions improves our understanding of the process of smoking initiation. In contrast to current theories of smoking initiation, adolescent uptake of smoking behavior was found to be an unplanned action.

Initial growth of Pterygota macrocarpa Schumann (Sterculiaceae ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: A study on the growth of Pterygota macrocarpa (Sterculiaceae), in the nursery depending on the intensity of the light, was conducted within the Forest Management Unit of Bossematié. The main objective is to seek additional information on the initial growth of Pterygota macrocarpa , an overexploited and ...

Evaluation of rice genotypes to salt stress in different growth stages ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tolerant genotypes were tested in young seedling stage in hydroponic system and then reproductive stage in 2010. Results show that vegetative growth was less affected by salt stress comparison to reproductive stage. Na and Na-K ratio in tolerant genotypes were lower than suspectible genotypes in salt condition in ...

Grain-growth law during Stage 1 sintering of materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Zeming; Ma, J.

2002-01-01

This work investigates the grain-growth behaviour of powder compact during Stage 1 sintering (<90{%} theoretical density). It is widely accepted that grain size is an important state variable in the constitutive modelling in material sintering. However, it is noted that all the existing grain-growth laws proposed in the literature do not incorporate the effect of externally applied stress independently. In this work, a grain-growth law with externally applied stress as a variable was proposed. Alumina powders were forge-sintered at different applied stresses to examine the proposed grain-growth relationship. The proposed grain-growth law was then applied to model the grain-growth process on the sinter forging of tool steel. It is shown that the present proposed grain-growth law provides a good description on the experimental results. (author)

Initial growth and texture formation during reactive magnetron sputtering of TiN on Si(111)

CERN Document Server

Li, T Q; Tsuji, Y; Ohsawa, T; Komiyama, H

2002-01-01

The initial growth and texture formation mechanism of titanium nitride (TiN) films were investigated by depositing TiN films on (111) silicon substrates by using reactive magnetron sputtering of a Ti metallic target under a N sub 2 /Ar atmosphere, and then analyzing the films in detail by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). Two power sources for the sputtering, dc and rf, were compared. At the initial growth stage, a continuous amorphous film containing randomly oriented nuclei was observed when the film thickness was about 3 nm. The nuclei grew and formed a polycrystalline layer when the film thickness was about 6 nm. As the film grew further, its orientation changed depending on the deposition conditions. For dc sputtering, the appearance of (111) or (200)-preferred orientations depended on the N sub 2 partial pressure, and the intensity of the preferred orientation increased with increasing film thickness. For rf sputtering, however, when the film thickness was small (...

A Review of Growth Stage Deficit Irrigation Effecting Sticky Maize Production

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Ha Bui Manh

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The shortage of water resources influences the future sustainability of sticky Maize (Zea mays L. production. Deficit irrigation (DI - a water management strategy - has gained much attention from scientists because of enhanced water use efficiency (WUE. Nonetheless, in reality, when applying this technique, its impact on yield and economic returns should be considered. Through an analytical literature review, this study examined the effect of growth stage DI on Maize production factors, i.e. yield, WUE, and economic returns. The results revealed that Maize’s WUE could be improved with the lowest reduction in yield as water stress was imposed during the vegetative or maturation growth stages. Therefore, the profitable returns could be reached even if the yield was reduced; however, the economic return was sensitive to commodity prices. The present review addressed that the Maize flexible capacities under growth stage water stress presented an opportunity for the optimization of irrigated water and profit preservation by accurately judging the managing time of irrigation implementation.

Initiation and developmental stages of steel corrosion in wet H2S environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Pengpeng; Zhao, Hui; Zheng, Shuqi; Chen, Changfeng

2015-01-01

Highlights: • The initiation and development stages of steel corrosion in wet H 2 S environment were investigated. • Preferential dissolution at the grain boundaries of steel allowed corrosion products to form and accumulate. • The shapes and crystal types of corrosion products at various steel layers differed. • With increasing duration time, the S 2− peak with a binding energy of 161.2 eV gradually decreased. • A model of the formation process of corrosion product films was proposed. - Abstract: The initiation and various developmental stages of steel corrosion in H 2 S environments were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results revealed that grain boundaries corrode at the initiation stage and that corrosion products initially form on both sides of the grain boundary and then accumulate. Corrosion products grew at the interface between the steel and corrosion product layer at the developmental stage. XPS analyses showed the composition and valence states of the corrosion products, and a model of the formation process of corrosion product films was proposed

Efficacy of intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents for stage 4 retinopathy of prematurity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Hui-Chen; Lee, Shui-Mei; Hsieh, Yi-Ting; Lin, Po-Kang

2015-04-01

To investigate the efficacy of intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents for Stage 4 retinopathy of prematurity. Retrospective case series study. The medical records of patients receiving intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents for Stage 4 retinopathy of prematurity from January 2007 to May 2012 in Taipei Veterans General Hospital were reviewed. A total of 13 eyes of 7 patients (3 boys and 4 girls) with Stage 4 retinopathy of prematurity were included. The mean gestational age and birth weight were 27.6 ± 2.6 weeks (range, 24.5-30.5 weeks) and 893.1 ± 293.2 g (range, 550-1422 g), respectively. The mean age at the time of injection was 38.2 ± 1.9 weeks (range, 36.0-41.5 weeks) postmenstrual age, and the mean follow-up period was 37.8 ± 19.5 months (range, 11.0-67.5 months). The active neovascularization regressed rapidly, and the anatomical outcomes were favorable in all patients. One eye developed recurrent retinal hemorrhage with localized retinal detachment 21 weeks after initial treatment, which resolved after a second injection. There were no ocular or systemic complications in these patients. Intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents may be effective as monotherapy or as supplement to failed laser treatment for patients with Stage 4 retinopathy of prematurity without additional surgical intervention. Further randomized controlled trials are necessary to compare the clinical efficacy and safety with other conventional interventions.

Initial stages of high temperature metal oxidation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, C.Y.; O'Grady, W.E.

1981-01-01

The application of XPS and UPS to the study of the initial stages of high temperature (> 350 0 C) electrochemical oxidation of iron and nickel is discussed. In the high temperature experiments, iron and nickel electrodes were electrochemically oxidized in contact with a solid oxide electrolyte in the uhv system. The great advantages of this technique are that the oxygen activity at the interface may be precisely controlled and the ability to run the reactions in uhv allows the simultaneous observation of the reactions by XPS

Integrating Growth Stage Deficit Irrigation into a Process Based Crop Model

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Jose R.; Winter, Jonathan M.; Elliott, Joshua; Ruane, Alex C.; Porter, Cheryl; Hoogenboom, Gerrit

2017-01-01

Current rates of agricultural water use are unsustainable in many regions, creating an urgent need to identify improved irrigation strategies for water limited areas. Crop models can be used to quantify plant water requirements, predict the impact of water shortages on yield, and calculate water productivity (WP) to link water availability and crop yields for economic analyses. Many simulations of crop growth and development, especially in regional and global assessments, rely on automatic irrigation algorithms to estimate irrigation dates and amounts. However, these algorithms are not well suited for water limited regions because they have simplistic irrigation rules, such as a single soil-moisture based threshold, and assume unlimited water. To address this constraint, a new modeling framework to simulate agricultural production in water limited areas was developed. The framework consists of a new automatic irrigation algorithm for the simulation of growth stage based deficit irrigation under limited seasonal water availability; and optimization of growth stage specific parameters. The new automatic irrigation algorithm was used to simulate maize and soybean in Gainesville, Florida, and first used to evaluate the sensitivity of maize and soybean simulations to irrigation at different growth stages and then to test the hypothesis that water productivity calculated using simplistic irrigation rules underestimates WP. In the first experiment, the effect of irrigating at specific growth stages on yield and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) in maize and soybean was evaluated. In the reproductive stages, IWUE tended to be higher than in the vegetative stages (e.g. IWUE was 18% higher than the well watered treatment when irrigating only during R3 in soybean), and when rainfall events were less frequent. In the second experiment, water productivity (WP) was significantly greater with optimized irrigation schedules compared to non-optimized irrigation schedules in

Small-angle x-ray scattering from the early growth stages of zeolite A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, P.; White, J.

1999-01-01

Full text: The work presented here with the use of SAXS (Small-Angle X-ray Scattering) is in attempt to identify a different paradigm to the organic template induced crystallization of zeolites, in particular zeolite 'A'. The reactions have been followed by small angle X-ray scattering from the time of first mixing of the constituents until the final separation of zeolite A crystals. The processes happening during the growth are expected to follow successive transformation of intermediate metastable phases until the formation of thermodynamically most stable phase and scattering signatures from these developments may be useful for extracting interesting information about the processes in situ. The scattering functions from a synthesis system of zeolite 'A' at the initial and final stage of reaction are presented.The different growth processes of zeolite 'A' from different silicate and aluminium sources are found. The differences are attributed to different rate limiting steps in the syntheses

Determining the stages of tillering stage, initiation of primordia, flowering and maturity in the rice plant, with the system S, V and R correlated with the thermal sum at the time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Velázquez

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Temperature is one of the major climatic factors that affect growth, development and yield of the rice crop, and also can reduce the time of change of phenological stages. The beginning stages of tillering, initiation of primordia, flowering and harvest maturity were determined with the S, V and R system recently proposed by Counce et ál. (2000; it consists on counting the number of fully developed leaves; in addition, a correlation was made with accumulated degree days that the plant had at that time, in order to estimate with how many degree days the plant began a phenological stage; this parameter is related to the average daily temperature and a base temperature of 10ºC. For the start of tillering the plant needed 140.9 degree days; for primordium start, 1268.9; for bloom 1746; and completed its cycle with a total of 2333.2 degree days. This allows to conclude that, for a variety of long cycle (130-135 days, when the accumulation of degree days is equal or similar to the previous data, the plant initiates one of the above-mentioned phenological stages; however, each one of the varieties in use by farmers must be calibrated, because there are differences in crop cycle length among them.

After runaway: The trans-Hill stage of planetesimal growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lithwick, Yoram

2014-01-01

When planetesimals begin to grow by coagulation, they first enter an epoch of runaway, during which the biggest bodies grow faster than all the others. The questions of how runaway ends and what comes next have not been answered satisfactorily. We show that runaway is followed by a new stage—the 'trans-Hill stage'—that commences when the bodies that dominate viscous stirring ('big bodies') become trans-Hill, i.e., when their Hill velocity matches the random speed of the small bodies they accrete. Subsequently, the small bodies' random speed grows in lockstep with the big bodies' sizes, such that the system remains in the trans-Hill state. Trans-Hill growth is crucial for determining the efficiency of growing big bodies, as well as their growth timescale and size spectrum. Trans-Hill growth has two sub-stages. In the earlier one, which occurs while the stirring bodies remain sufficiently small, the evolution is collisionless, i.e., collisional cooling among all bodies is irrelevant. The efficiency of forming big bodies in this collisionless sub-stage is very low, ∼10α << 1, where α ∼ 0.005(a/AU) –1 is the ratio between the physical size of a body and its Hill radius. Furthermore, the size spectrum is flat (equal mass per size decade, i.e., q = 4). This collisionless trans-Hill solution explains results from previous coagulation simulations for both the Kuiper Belt and the asteroid belt. The second trans-Hill sub-stage commences once the stirring bodies grow big enough (>α –1 × the size of the accreted small bodies). After that time, collisional cooling among small bodies controls the evolution. The efficiency of forming big bodies rises and the size spectrum becomes more top heavy. Trans-Hill growth can terminate in one of two ways, depending on the sizes of the small bodies. First, mutual accretion of big bodies can become significant and conglomeration proceeds until half of the total mass is converted into big bodies

Crack initiation and growth in welded structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Assire, A.

2000-01-01

This work concerns the remaining life assessment of a structure containing initial defects of manufacturing. High temperature crack initiation and growth are studied for austenitic stainless steels, and defect assessment methods are improved in order to take into account welded structures. For these one, the probability to have a defect is significant. Two kinds of approaches are commonly used for defect assessment analysis. Fracture mechanics global approach with an energetic criterion, and local approach with a model taking into account the physical damage mechanism. For both approaches mechanical fields (stress and strain) have to be computed everywhere within the structure. Then, Finite Element computation is needed. The first part of the thesis concerns the identification of non linear kinematic and isotropic constitutive models. A pseudo-analytical method is proposed for a 'Two Inelastic Strain' model. This method provides a strategy of identification with a mechanical meaning, and this enables to associate each parameter to a physical phenomenon. Existing identifications are improved for cyclic plasticity and creep on a large range of stress levels. The second part concerns high temperature crack initiation and growth in welded structures. Finite Element analysis on plate and tube experimental configuration enable to understand the phenomenons of interaction between base metal and weld metal under mechanical and thermal loading. Concerning global approach, criteria based on C* parameter (Rice integral for visco-plasticity) are used. Finite Element computations underline the fact that for a defect located in the weld metal, C* values strongly depend on the base metal creep strain rate, because widespread visco-plasticity is located in both metals. A simplified method, based on the reference stress approach, is proposed and validated with Finite Element results. Creep crack growth simplified assessment is a quite good validation of the experimental results

Study of initial stage in coal liquefaction. Increase in oil yield with suppression of retrogressive reaction during initial stage; Ekika hanno no shoki katei ni kansuru kenkyu. 1.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uesugi, K.; Kanaji, M.; Kaneko, T.; Shimasaki, K. [Nippon Brown Coal Liquefaction Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1996-10-28

For the coal liquefaction, improvement of liquefaction conditions and increase of liquefied oil yield are expected by suppressing the recombination through rapid stabilization of pyrolytic radicals which are formed at the initial stage of liquefaction. Two-stage liquefaction combining prethermal treatment and liquefaction was performed under various conditions, to investigate the effects of reaction conditions on the yields and properties of products as well as to increase liquefied oil yield. Consequently, it was found that the catalyst contributes greatly to the hydrogen transfer to coal at the prethermal treatment. High yield of n-hexane soluble fraction with products having low condensation degree could be obtained by combining the prethermal treatment in the presence of hydrogen and catalyst with the concentration of slurry after the treatment. This was considered to be caused by the synergetic effect between the improvement of liquefaction by suppressing polymerization/condensation at the initial stage of reaction through the prethermal treatment and the effective hydrogen transfer accompanied with the improvement of contact efficiency of coal/catalyst by the concentration of slurry at the stage of liquefaction. 4 refs., 8 figs.

Stages of use: consideration, initiation, utilization, and outcomes of an internet-mediated intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eysenbach Gunther

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Attrition, or nonuse of the intervention, is a significant problem in e-health. However, the reasons for this phenomenon are poorly understood. Building on Eysenbach's "Law of Attrition", this study aimed to explore the usage behavior of users of e-health services. We used two theoretical models, Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Service Utilization and Venkatesh's Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, to explore the factors associated with uptake and use of an internet-mediated intervention for caregivers taking care of a family member with dementia. Methods A multiphase, longitudinal design was used to follow a convenience sample of 46 family caregivers who received an e-health intervention. Applying the two theories, usage behavior was conceptualized to form four stages: consideration, initiation, utilization (attrition or continuation, and outcome. The variables and measurement scales were selected based on these theories to measure the sociodemographic context, technology aptitudes, and clinical needs of the caregivers. Results In the Consideration Stage, caregivers who felt that the information communication technology (ICT-mediated service was easy to use were more likely to consider participating in the study (p = 0.04. In the Initiation Stage, caregivers who showed greater technology acceptance were more likely to initiate service earlier (p = 0.02. In the Utilization Stage, the frequent users were those who had a more positive attitude toward technology (p = 0.04 and a lower perceived caregiver competence (p = 0.04 compared with nonusers. In the Outcome Stage, frequent users experienced a decline in perceived burden compared with an escalation of perceived burden by nonusers (p = 0.02. Conclusions We illustrate a methodological framework describing how to develop and expand a theory on attrition. The proposed framework highlighted the importance of conceptualizing e-health "use" and "adoption" as

Weed Growth Stage Estimator Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Teimouri, Nima; Dyrmann, Mads; Nielsen, Per Rydahl; Mathiassen, Solvejg Kopp; Somerville, Gayle J; Jørgensen, Rasmus Nyholm

2018-05-16

This study outlines a new method of automatically estimating weed species and growth stages (from cotyledon until eight leaves are visible) of in situ images covering 18 weed species or families. Images of weeds growing within a variety of crops were gathered across variable environmental conditions with regards to soil types, resolution and light settings. Then, 9649 of these images were used for training the computer, which automatically divided the weeds into nine growth classes. The performance of this proposed convolutional neural network approach was evaluated on a further set of 2516 images, which also varied in term of crop, soil type, image resolution and light conditions. The overall performance of this approach achieved a maximum accuracy of 78% for identifying Polygonum spp. and a minimum accuracy of 46% for blackgrass. In addition, it achieved an average 70% accuracy rate in estimating the number of leaves and 96% accuracy when accepting a deviation of two leaves. These results show that this new method of using deep convolutional neural networks has a relatively high ability to estimate early growth stages across a wide variety of weed species.

Numerical modeling of the initial fluctuation condensation stage with charge drops

Science.gov (United States)

Averina, T. A.; Zmievskaya, G. I.

2016-11-01

This paper deals with a mathematical model of the phase transition of the first kind at the initial stage of forming drops in a liquid or in melted state in a volume of steam with a fixed charge on drops. The model of the process is represented by superposition of random diffusion and jump stochastic processes. The algorithms for solving stochastic differential equations (SDEs) of the model of processes, which form the cluster size, allow one to calculate a distribution function of drops according to their size. The kinetic approach makes possible evaluate the role of the Rayleigh capillary instability at the initial condensation stage and to employ the analysis of electrodispersion mechanisms in the production of metal and semiconductor powders.

The assessment of creep-fatigue initiation and crack growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Priest, R.H.; Miller, D.A.

1991-01-01

An outline of Nuclear Electric's Assessment Procedure for the High Temperature Response of Structures ('R5') for creep-fatigue initiation and crack growth is given. A unified approach is adopted for both regimes. For initiation, total damage is described in terms of separate creep and fatigue components. Ductility exhaustion is used for estimating creep damage whilst continuous cycling endurance data are used to evaluate the fatigue damage term. Evidence supporting this approach is given through the successful prediction of creep-fatigue endurances for a range of materials, cycle types, dwell period times, etc. Creep-fatigue crack growth is similarly described in terms of separated creep and fatigue components. Crack growth rates for each component are characterised in terms of fracture mechanics parameters. It is shown that creep crack growth rates can be rationalised on a ductility basis. Creep-fatigue interactions are accommodated in the cyclic growth component through the use of materials coefficients which depend on dwell time. (orig.)

Studying the initial stages of film electrodeposition of magnetic cobalt-tungsten alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rachinskas, V.S.; Orlovskaya, L.V.; Parfenov, V.A.; Yasulajtene, V.V.

1996-01-01

Initial stages of magnetic film electrodeposition by recording potentiodynamic polarization and j c ,t-curves, determination of surface structure of electrolytically deposited films by the method of XPS and study of thin coating properties have been considered. It is shown that at initial stage of electrodeposition of magnetic Co-W-films a sharp decrease in cathode process rate and formation of Co(OH) 2 , WO 3 and/or WO 4 2- occur on Cu-cathode surface. Electrodeposition of metallic magnetic Co-W-alloy, consisting of Co, W and containing basic compounds of co-deposited metals, takes place after a certain time period depending on deposition E c . 6 refs.; 3 figs

Structural Studies of the Initial Stages of Fluoride Epitaxy on Silicon and GERMANIUM(111)

Science.gov (United States)

Denlinger, Jonathan David

The epitaxial growth of ionic insulators on semiconductor substrates is of interest due to fundamental issues of interface bonding and structure as well as to potential technological applications. The initial stages of Group IIa fluoride insulator growth on (111) Si and Ge substrates by molecular beam epitaxy are studied with the in situ combination of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Diffraction (XPD). While XPS probes the electronic structure, XPD reveals atomic structure. In addition, low energy electron diffraction (LEED) is used to probe surface order and a separate study using X-ray standing wave (XSW) fluorescence reveals interface cation bonding sites. Following the formation of a chemically-reacted interface layer in CaF_2 epitaxy on Si(111), the morphology of the subsequent bulk layers is found to be dependent on substrate temperature and incident flux rate. At temperatures >=600 ^circC a transition from three -dimensional island formation at low flux to laminar growth at higher flux is observed with bulk- and interface-resolved XPD. At lower substrate temperatures, laminar growth is observed at all fluxes, but with different bulk nucleation behavior due to changes in the stoichiometry of the interface layer. This new observation of kinetic effects on the initial nucleation in CaF_2 epitaxy has important ramifications for the formation of thicker heterostructures for scientific or device applications. XPS and XPD are also used to identify for the first time, surface core-level species of Ca and F, and a secondary interface-shifted F Auger component arising from a second-layer site directly above interface-layer Ca atoms. The effects of lattice mismatch (from -3% to 8%) are investigated with various growths of Ca_{rm x}Sr _{rm 1-x}F_2 on Si and Ge (111) substrates. Triangulation of (111) and (220) XSW indicates a predominance of 3-fold hollow Sr bonding sites coexisting with 4-fold top sites for monolayers of SrF_2 on Si. XSW and LEED reveal a

Initial Stages of Recrystallization in Aluminum of Commercial Purity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Niels; Bay, Bent

1979-01-01

In commercial aluminum with a purity of 99.4 pct, the formation and growth of recrystallization nuclei were studied by techniques such asin-situ annealing in a high voltage electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy and light microscopy. Sample parameters were the initial grain size (370...... by the FeAl3 particles present in the commercial aluminum as impurities. The nucleation temperatures determined by high voltage electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy decrease markedly when the initial grain size is decreased both after 50 and 90 pct cold rolling; a less pronounced...

Weed Growth Stage Estimator Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teimouri, Nima; Dyrmann, Mads; Nielsen, Per Rydahl

2018-01-01

conditions with regards to soil types, resolution and light settings. Then, 9649 of these images were used for training the computer, which automatically divided the weeds into nine growth classes. The performance of this proposed convolutional neural network approach was evaluated on a further set of 2516...... in estimating the number of leaves and 96% accuracy when accepting a deviation of two leaves. These results show that this new method of using deep convolutional neural networks has a relatively high ability to estimate early growth stages across a wide variety of weed species....

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II

Science.gov (United States)

Robitschek, Christine; Ashton, Matthew W.; Spering, Cynthia C.; Geiger, Nathaniel; Byers, Danielle; Schotts, G. Christian; Thoen, Megan A.

2012-01-01

The original Personal Growth Initiative Scale (PGIS; Robitschek, 1998) was unidimensional, despite theory identifying multiple components (e.g., cognition and behavior) of personal growth initiative (PGI). The present research developed a multidimensional measure of the complex process of PGI, while retaining the brief and psychometrically sound…

Crop yield response to water stress imposed at different growth stages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, M.; Mahmood Shah, M.; Wisal, M.

1995-01-01

Potato requires sufficient soil moisture and fertilization to produce high yields but the present water resoures are limited compared to the cultivable land, field experiments were conduced from 1991 to 1995 to study relationship between yield and crop water use as a function of water stress imposed at different growth stages. The irrigation treatments involved application of full and stress watering s selectively at four growth stages : Establishment , Flowering Tuber formation and ripening. In full watering, full water requirements of the crop were met, i.e., ET sub a = ET sub m whereas in stress watering about half the amount of full watering was applied, i.e., ET sub a < ET sub m. Changes in moisture content of the soil pre files after irrigation were monitored with the help of neutron moisture probe in order to compute ET sub a by the water balance method. The results obtained showed that the tuber yield was produced by full watering ( T 1) and the lowest by continuous stress watering (T 2). A plot of relative yield against relative evapotranspiration deficit revealed that ripening was the lest sensitive whereas early development followed by flowering the most sensitive growth stage to water stress. The crop water use efficiencies were generally higher in the treatments where a combination of normal and stress watering was applied compared to where all - normal watering s were applied. The traditional irrigation practice resulted in wasteful water application with relatively lower yields, hence the results from this project will have high value for the farming community to get this higher yields with scarce water resources. The studies with labelled fertilizer showed that planting and earthing - up were equally important growth stages of potato for applying fertilizer for its efficient utilization. 3 figs; 25 tabs; 12 refs (Author)

Evaluating Changes In Fertility Status Of An Alfisol Under Different Growth Stages Of Cassava Manihot Esculenta Crantz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Osundare

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Evaluating changes in soil nutrient status under different growth stages of cassava makes possible determination of the most critical stage in its vegetative growth phase when its demand for nutrients is highest. Determining the most critical stage in cassava vegetative growth phase when its nutrient demand is highest will enhance properly timed fertilizer application in such a way the application will coincide with the most critical stage in cassava vegetative phase when its demand for nutrients is highest. In view of this a two year field experiment was designed to assess changes in nutrient status of an Alfisol under different growth stages of cassava during 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Ekiti State University Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Nigeria. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The different growth stages of cassava when changes in nutrient status of Alfisol were evaluated included 3 6 9 and 12 months after planting MAP. The results indicated existence of significant P 0.05 differences among the different growth stages of cassava as regards their effects on chemical properties of Alfisol. During 2010 cropping season the significant decreases in soil organic carbon SOC under growth stages of cassava were from 0.96 g kg-1 for ISNSPTC to 0.88 0.80 0.72 and0.64 g kg-1 for ages 3 6 9 and 12 MAP respectively. Similarly during 2011 cropping season the significant decreases in soil organic carbon SOC under growth stages of cassava were from 0.96 g kg-1 for ISNSPTC to 0.80 0.73 0.66 and0.58 g kg-1 for ages 3 6 9 and 12 MAP respectively. During 2010 cropping season the significant decreases in total N under growth stages of cassava were from 0.68 g kg-1 for ISNSPTC to 0.57 0.50 0.43 and0.35 g kg-1 for ages 3 6 9 and 12 MAP respectively. During 2011 cropping season the significant decreases in total N under growth stages of cassava were from 0.68 g kg-1

Assessment of Growth Using Mandibular Canine Calcification Stages and Its Correlation with Modified MP3 Stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Nayak, Reshma; Nayak, Us Krishna; Hegde, Gautam

2010-01-01

Orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning for growing children must involve growth prediction, especially in the treatment of skeletal problems. Studies have shown that a strong association exists between skeletal maturity and dental calcification stages. The present study was therefore taken up to provide a simple and practical method for assessing skeletal maturity using a dental periapical film and standard dental X-ray machine, to compare the developmental stages of the mandibular canine with that of developmental stages of modified MP3 and to find out if any correlation exists, to determine if the developmental stages of the mandibular canine alone can be used as a reliable indicator for assessment of skeletal maturity. A total of 160 periapical radiographs (80 males and 80 females), of the mandibular right canine and the MP3 region was taken and assessed according to the Dermirjian's stages of dental calcification and the modified MP3 stages. The correlation between the developmental stages of MP3 and the mandibular right canine in male and female groups, is of high statistical significance (p = 0.001). The correlation coefficient between MP3 stages and developmental stages of mandibular canine and chronological age in male and females was found to be not significant. The correlation between the mandibular canine calcification stages and MP3 stages was found to be significant. The developmental stages of the mandibular canine could be used very reliably as a sole indicator for assessment of skeletal maturity.

Transcriptome data - Initial stage of dough fermentation - DGBY | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available List Contact us DGBY Transcriptome data - Initial stage of dough fermentation Data detail Data name Transcri...ptome data - Initial stage of dough fermentation DOI 10.18908/lsdba.nbdc00953-002 Description of data conten...ts Gene expression profiles of baker's yeast during initial dough-fermentation were investigated using liquid fermentation...aptation mechanisms of baker's yeast. Results showed the onset of fermentation caused drastic changes in gen...f baker's yeast during dough-fermentation, and will thus help clarify genomic res

Initiation of an early-stage plasma during picosecond laser ablation of solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mao, Samuel S.; Mao, Xianglei; Greif, Ralph; Russo, Richard E.

2000-01-01

Picosecond time-resolved images of plasma initiation were recorded during pulsed-laser ablation of metal targets in an air atmosphere. An early-stage plasma was observed to form before the release of a material vapor plume. Close to the target surface, interferometry measurements indicate that the early-stage plasma has an electron number density on the order of 10 20 cm -3 . The longitudinal expansion of the ionization front for this plasma has a velocity 10 9 cm/s, during the laser pulse. In contrast, a material--vapor plume forms approximately 200 ps after the laser pulse, and it moves away from the target at 10 6 cm/s. The experimental observations of the early-stage plasma were simulated by using a theoretical model based on a two-fluids description of laser plasmas. The results indicate that the initiation of the plasma is due to air breakdown assisted by electron emission from the target

Maternal, social and abiotic environmental effects on growth vary across life stages in a cooperative mammal.

Science.gov (United States)

English, Sinead; Bateman, Andrew W; Mares, Rafael; Ozgul, Arpat; Clutton-Brock, Tim H

2014-03-01

Resource availability plays a key role in driving variation in somatic growth and body condition, and the factors determining access to resources vary considerably across life stages. Parents and carers may exert important influences in early life, when individuals are nutritionally dependent, with abiotic environmental effects having stronger influences later in development as individuals forage independently. Most studies have measured specific factors influencing growth across development or have compared relative influences of different factors within specific life stages. Such studies may not capture whether early-life factors continue to have delayed effects at later stages, or whether social factors change when individuals become nutritionally independent and adults become competitors for, rather than providers of, food. Here, we examined variation in the influence of the abiotic, social and maternal environment on growth across life stages in a wild population of cooperatively breeding meerkats. Cooperatively breeding vertebrates are ideal for investigating environmental influences on growth. In addition to experiencing highly variable abiotic conditions, cooperative breeders are typified by heterogeneity both among breeders, with mothers varying in age and social status, and in the number of carers present. Recent rainfall had a consistently marked effect on growth across life stages, yet other seasonal terms only influenced growth during stages when individuals were growing fastest. Group size and maternal dominance status had positive effects on growth during the period of nutritional dependence on carers, but did not influence mass at emergence (at 1 month) or growth at independent stages (>4 months). Pups born to older mothers were lighter at 1 month of age and subsequently grew faster as subadults. Males grew faster than females during the juvenile and subadult stage only. Our findings demonstrate the complex ways in which the external environment

Growth of Laser Initiated Damage in Fused Silica at 527 nm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, M A; Donohue, E E; Hollingsworth, W G; McElroy, J N; Hackel, R P

2003-01-01

The effective lifetime of optics is limited by both laser-induced damage and the subsequent growth of laser initiated damage sites. We have measured the growth rate of laser-induced damage in fused silica in both air and vacuum at 527 nm. For damage on the exit surface, the data shows exponential growth in the lateral size of the damage site with shot number. The exponential growth coefficient depends linearly on the laser fluence. The behavior at the fluence threshold for growth is contrasted to that observed at 351 nm. The growth rate was not significantly affected by either the wavelength of the initiating fluence or the presence of 10 torr of air as compared to vacuum. When the damage is located on the input surface, it has both a higher threshold for growth and does not grow exponentially

Effect of Aqueous Extracts from Weed Species on Germination and Initial Growth in Raphanus sativus L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anisoara STRATU

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The current paper presents the results of a study on the effects of aqueous extracts from five weed species (Amaranthus retroflexus, Cirsium arvense, Convolvulus arvensis, Echinochloa crus-galii, Setaria verticillata on germination and initial growth in Raphanus sativus L. The following indicators have been analyzed: indices of germination (the germination percentage; the speed of germination; the speed of accumulated germination and the coefficient of germination rate, the length of the root and hypocotyls, the pH of aqueous extracts, the UV-Vis absorption spectra of aqueous extracts. The results of the investigations showed the following aspects: the aqueous extracts reduced the values of calculated germination indices and root growth in the first ontogenetic stages of the test species; the pH of the extracts was slightly acid to neutral. Qualitative spectrophotometric analysis indicated the possible presence of phenolic and organic compounds in the extracts. C. arvense, S. verticillata and E. crus-galii presented the most pronounced effect on germination and growth processes.

Trapping shape-controlled nanoparticle nucleation and growth stages via continuous-flow chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

LaGrow, Alec P; Besong, Tabot M D; AlYami, Noktan M; Katsiev, Khabiboulakh; Anjum, Dalaver H; Abdelkader, Ahmed; Costa, Pedro M F J; Burlakov, Victor M; Goriely, Alain; Bakr, Osman M

2017-02-21

Continuous flow chemistry is used to trap the nucleation and growth stages of platinum-nickel nano-octahedra with second time resolution and high throughputs to probe their properties ex situ. The growth starts from poorly crystalline particles (nucleation) at 5 seconds, to crystalline 1.5 nm particles bounded by the {111}-facets at 7.5 seconds, followed by truncation and further growth to octahedral nanoparticles at 20 seconds.

Trapping shape-controlled nanoparticle nucleation and growth stages via continuous-flow chemistry

KAUST Repository

LaGrow, Alec P.; Besong, Tabot M.D.; AlYami, Noktan; Katsiev, Khabiboulakh; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Abdelkader, Ahmed; Da Costa, Pedro M. F. J.; Burlakov, Victor M.; Goriely, Alain; Bakr, Osman

2017-01-01

Continuous flow chemistry is used to trap the nucleation and growth stages of platinum-nickel nano-octahedra with second time resolution and high throughputs to probe their properties ex situ. The growth starts from poorly crystalline particles (nucleation) at 5 seconds, to crystalline 1.5 nm particles bounded by the {111}-facets at 7.5 seconds, followed by truncation and further growth to octahedral nanoparticles at 20 seconds.

Trapping shape-controlled nanoparticle nucleation and growth stages via continuous-flow chemistry

KAUST Repository

LaGrow, Alec P.

2017-02-06

Continuous flow chemistry is used to trap the nucleation and growth stages of platinum-nickel nano-octahedra with second time resolution and high throughputs to probe their properties ex situ. The growth starts from poorly crystalline particles (nucleation) at 5 seconds, to crystalline 1.5 nm particles bounded by the {111}-facets at 7.5 seconds, followed by truncation and further growth to octahedral nanoparticles at 20 seconds.

Analysis and evaluation of tasty components in the pileus and stipe of Lentinula edodes at different growth stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wanchao; Li, Wen; Yang, Yan; Yu, Hailong; Zhou, Shuai; Feng, Jie; Li, Xiaobei; Liu, Yanfang

2015-01-28

Tasty components in Lentinula edodes pileus and stipe at different growth stages were studied. Mannitol, trehalose, arabitol, and glucose were the main soluble polyols and sugars, whereas succinic acid, malic acid, and citric acid were the main organic acids. Mannitol contents were the highest in the pileus and increased at mature growth stages, although arabitol contents were the highest in the stipe and peaked at stage 5. Succinic acid contents peaked at stage 5 in the pileus and stipe during mature growth stages. Threonine (sweet taste) values were the highest among all the detected amino acids, followed by glutamic acid (MSG-like taste). MSG-like 5'-nucleotide contents could account for nearly 50% of the total 5'-nucleotides. Equivalent umami concentration (EUC) values of stage 5 exhibited higher levels during mature growth stages. Tasty components in the stipe were rich and EUC values were high, which might be useful for further processing and byproduct development of L. edodes.

Dendritic growth forms of borax crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takoo, R.K.; Patel, B.R.; Joshi, M.S.

1983-01-01

A variety of dendritic forms of borax grown from solutions by the film formation method is given. The changing growth morphology is followed as a function of concentration and temperature. The initial, intermediate and final growth morphologies are described and discussed. Influence of evaporation rate and supersaturation on the mechanism of growth is assessed. It is suggested that under all crystallization conditions, borax crystals have dendritic form in the initial stages of growth. (author)

Hungry Cities Initiative: Informality, Inclusive Growth, and Food ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Hungry Cities Initiative: Informality, Inclusive Growth, and Food Security in ... Within this context, the urban food economy is an important laboratory for ... The International Partnerships for Sustainable Societies program is funding this project.

18F-FDG PET/CT for initial staging in breast cancer patients. Is there a relevant impact on treatment planning compared to conventional staging modalities?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krammer, J.; Schnitzer, A.; Kaiser, C.G.; Buesing, K.A.; Schoenberg, S.O.; Wasser, K.; Sperk, E.; Brade, J.; Wasgindt, S.; Suetterlin, M.; Sutton, E.J.

2015-01-01

To evaluate the impact of whole-body 18 F-FDG PET/CT on initial staging of breast cancer in comparison to conventional staging modalities. This study included 102 breast cancer patients, 101 patients were eligible for evaluation. Preoperative whole-body staging with PET/CT was performed in patients with clinical stage ≥ T2 tumours or positive local lymph nodes (n = 91). Postoperative PET/CT was performed in patients without these criteria but positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (n = 10). All patients underwent PET/CT and a conventional staging algorithm, which included bone scan, chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasound. PET/CT findings were compared to conventional staging and the impact on therapeutic management was evaluated. PET/CT led to an upgrade of the N or M stage in overall 19 patients (19 %) and newly identified manifestation of breast cancer in two patients (2 %). PET/CT findings caused a change in treatment of 11 patients (11 %). This is within the range of recent studies, all applying conventional inclusion criteria based on the initial T and N status. PET/CT has a relevant impact on initial staging and treatment of breast cancer when compared to conventional modalities. Further studies should assess inclusion criteria beyond the conventional T and N status, e.g. tumour grading and receptor status. (orig.)

Tomato Yield and Water Use Efficiency - Coupling Effects between Growth Stage Specific Soil Water Deficits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Si; Zhenjiang, Zhou; Andersen, Mathias Neumann

2015-01-01

To investigate the sensitivity of tomato yield and water use efficiency (WUE) to soil water content at different growth stages, the central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was employed in a five-factor-five-level pot experiment under regulated deficit irrigation. Two regression models concerning...... the effects of stage-specific soil water content on tomato yield and WUE were established. The results showed that the lowest available soil water (ASW) content (around 28%) during vegetative growth stage (here denoted θ1) resulted in high yield and WUE. Moderate (around 69% ASW) during blooming and fruit...... effects of ASW in two growth stages were between θ2 and θ5, θ3. In both cases a moderate θ2 was a precondition for maximum yield response to increasing θ5 and θ3. Sensitivity analysis revealed that yield was most sensitive to soil water content at fruit maturity (θ5). Numerical inspection...

Variability of Pinus halepensis Mill. Essential Oils and Their Antioxidant Activities Depending on the Stage of Growth During Vegetative Cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Djerrad, Zineb; Djouahri, Abderrahmane; Kadik, Leila

2017-04-01

The impact of growth stages during vegetative cycle (B 0  - B 5 ) on chemical composition and antioxidant activities of Pinus halepensis Mill. needles essential oils was investigated for the first time. GC and GC/MS analyses pointed to a quantitative variability of components; terpene hydrocarbons derivatives, represented by α-pinene (8.5 - 12.9%), myrcene (17.5 - 21.6%), p-cymene (7.9 - 11.9%) and (Z)-β-caryophyllene (17.3 - 21.2%) as major components, decreased from 88.9% at B 0 growth stage to 66.9% at B 5 growth stage, whereas oxygenated derivatives, represented by caryophyllene oxide (5.4 - 12.6%) and terpinen-4-ol (0.4 - 3.3%) as major components, increased from 7% at B 0 growth stage to 28.4% at B 5 growth stage. Furthermore, our findings showed that essential oil of P. halepensis needles collected at B 5 growth stage possess higher antioxidant activities by four different testing systems than those collected at B 0  - B 4 growth stages. This highlighted variability led to conclude that we should select essential oils to be investigated carefully depending on growth stage, in order to have the highest effectiveness of essential oil in terms of biological activities for human health purposes. © 2017 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

Optimization of ion assist beam deposition of magnesium oxide template films during initial nucleation and growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groves, James R [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Matias, Vladimir [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Stan, Liliana [Los Alamos National Laboratory; De Paula, Raymond F [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Hammond, Robert H [STANFORD UNIV.; Clemens, Bruce M [STANFOED UNIV.

2010-01-01

Recent efforts in investigating the mechanism of ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) of biaxially textured thin films of magnesium oxide (MgO) template layers have shown that the texture develops suddenly during the initial 2 nm of deposition. To help understand and tune the behavior during this initial stage, we pre-deposited thin layers of MgO with no ion assist prior to IBAD growth of MgO. We found that biaxial texture develops for pre-deposited thicknesses < 2 nm, and that the thinnest layer tested, at 1 nm, resulted in the best qualitative RHEED image, indicative of good biaxial texture development. The texture developed during IBAD growth on the 1.5 nm pre-deposited layer is slightly worse and IBAD growth on the 2 nm pre-deposited layer produces a fiber texture. Application of these layers on an Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} starting surface, which has been shown to impede texture development, improves the overall quality of the IBAD MgO and has some of the characteristics of a biaxially texture RHEED pattern. It is suggested that the use of thin (<2 nm) pre-deposited layers may eliminate the need for bed layers like Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} and Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} that are currently thought to be required for proper biaxial texture development in IBAD MgO.

Respiratory ATP cost and benefit of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis with Nicotiana tabacum at different growth stages and under salinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Del-Saz, Néstor Fernández; Romero-Munar, Antonia; Alonso, David; Aroca, Ricardo; Baraza, Elena; Flexas, Jaume; Ribas-Carbo, Miquel

2017-11-01

Growth and maintenance partly depend on both respiration and ATP production during oxidative phosphorylation in leaves. Under stress, ATP is needed to maintain the accumulated biomass. ATP production mostly proceeds from the cytochrome oxidase pathway (COP), while respiration via the alternative oxidase pathway (AOP) may decrease the production of ATP per oxygen consumed, especially under phosphorus (P) limitation and salinity conditions. Symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is reputed by their positive effect on plant growth under stress at mature stages of colonization; however, fungal colonization may decrease plant growth at early stages. Thus, the present research is based on the hypothesis that AM fungus colonization will increase both foliar respiration and ATP production at mature stages of plant growth while decreasing them both at early stages. We used the oxygen-isotope-fractionation technique to study the in vivo respiratory activities and ATP production of the COP and AOP in AM and non-AM (NM) tobacco plants grown under P-limiting and saline conditions in sand at different growth stages (14, 28 and 49days). Our results suggest that AM symbiosis represents an ATP cost detrimental for shoot growth at early stages, whilst it represents a benefit on ATP allowing for faster rates of growth at mature stages, even under salinity conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Influence of the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum as a growth promoter in the stage of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego López

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The quality of the algae Ascphyllum nodosum was assessed as a growth promoter in the breeding stage of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss and its immunostimulant effect with regard to fungal diseases as the Saprolegnia sp. 6000 fingerlings of 77 days of age were used, with an average weight of 0.15 g, distributed under a DCA. For the analysis of the results, it was applied the analysis of variance and separation of averages (Duncan to p<0.05, orthogonal comparisons and chi square. The seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum added as nutritional supplement in the growth stage with a level of 2% and 98% of concentrated food was the one that reached the best zoo technical and economic results: initial weight 0.84 g, daily weight gain 0.30 g, final weight 34.60 g., nutritive conversion 0.19, mortality 4.60%, and the cost of production per kilo of meat is $35.24. Regarding the mycotic challenge (fungus Saprolegnia sp., the administration of the seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum on the percentages of 2%, 2.5% and 3% as nutritional supplement, provided resistance to the fingerlings.

Is bone scintigraphy necessary in the initial surgical staging of chondrosarcoma of bone?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Douis, Hassan; James, Steven L.; Davies, Mark A. [Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Department of Radiology, Birmingham (United Kingdom); Grimer, Robert J. [Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Department of Orthopaedic Oncology, Birmingham (United Kingdom)

2012-04-15

To assess the value of whole-body bone scintigraphy in the initial surgical staging of chondrosarcoma of bone. A retrospective review was conducted of the bone scintigraphy reports of a large series of patients with peripheral or central chondrosarcoma of bone treated in a specialist orthopaedic oncology unit over a 13-year period. Abnormal findings were correlated against other imaging, histological grade and the impact on surgical staging. A total of 195 chondrosarcomas were identified in 188 patients. In 120 (63.8%) patients the reports of bone scintigraphy noted increased activity at the site of one or more chondrosarcomas. In one patient the tumour was outside the field-of-view of the scan, and in the remaining 67 (35.6%) cases, there was increased activity at the site of the chondrosarcoma and further abnormal activity in other areas of the skeleton. Causes of these additional areas of activity included degenerative joint disease, Paget's disease and in one case a previously undiagnosed melanoma metastasis. No cases of skeletal metastases from the chondrosarcoma were found in this series. Multifocal chondrosarcomas were identified in three cases. In two it was considered that all the tumours would have been adequately revealed on the initial MR imaging staging studies. In only the third multifocal case was an unsuspected, further presumed low-grade, central chondrosarcoma identified in the opposite asymptomatic femur. Although this case revealed an unexpected finding the impact on surgical staging was limited as it was decided to employ a watch-and-wait policy for this tumour. There is little role for the routine use of whole-body bone scintigraphy in the initial surgical staging in patients with chondrosarcoma of bone irrespective of the histological grade. (orig.)

Plant and Floret Growth at Distinct Developmental Stages During the Stem Elongation Phase in Wheat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zifeng Guo

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Floret development is critical for grain setting in wheat (Triticum aestivum, but more than 50% of grain yield potential (based on the maximum number of floret primordia is lost during the stem elongation phase (SEP, from the terminal spikelet stage to anthesis. Dynamic plant (e.g., leaf area, plant height and floret (e.g., anther and ovary size growth and its connection with grain yield traits (e.g., grain number and width are not clearly understood. In this study, for the first time, we dissected the SEP into seven stages to investigate plant (first experiment and floret (second experiment growth in greenhouse- and field-grown wheat. In the first experiment, the values of various plant growth trait indices at different stages were generally consistent between field and greenhouse and were independent of the environment. However, at specific stages, some traits significantly differed between the two environments. In the second experiment, phenotypic and genotypic similarity analysis revealed that grain number and size corresponded closely to ovary size at anthesis, suggesting that ovary size is strongly associated with grain number and size. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA showed that the top six principal components PCs explained 99.13, 98.61, 98.41, 98.35, and 97.93% of the total phenotypic variation at the green anther, yellow anther, tipping, heading, and anthesis stages, respectively. The cumulative variance explained by the first PC decreased with floret growth, with the highest value detected at the green anther stage (88.8% and the lowest at the anthesis (50.09%. Finally, ovary size at anthesis was greater in wheat accessions with early release years than in accessions with late release years, and anther/ovary size shared closer connections with grain number/size traits at the late vs. early stages of floral development. Our findings shed light on the dynamic changes in plant and floret growth-related traits in wheat and the

Role of PET in the initial staging of cutaneous malignant melanoma: systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Krug, Bruno; Crott, Ralph; Lonneux, Max; Baurain, Jean-François; Pirson, Anne-Sophie; Vander Borght, Thierry

2008-12-01

To calculate summary estimates of the diagnostic performance of fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomographic (PET) imaging in the initial staging of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), following the new American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging classification on per-patient and per-lesion bases. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases, and reference lists of reviews and included papers were searched, without any language restrictions, for relevant articles published before March 2007. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility and methodologic quality by using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies checklist. A pooled random effect was estimated and a fixed coefficient regression model was used to explore the existing heterogeneity. Twenty-eight studies involving 2905 patients met the inclusion criteria. The pooled estimates of FDG PET for the detection of metastasis in the initial staging of CMM were sensitivity, 83% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 81%, 84%); specificity, 85% (95% CI: 83%, 87%); positive likelihood ratio (LR), 4.56 (95% CI: 3.12, 6.64); negative LR, 0.27 (95% CI: 0.18, 0.40); and diagnostic odds ratio, 19.8 (95% CI: 10.8, 36.4). Results from eight studies suggested that FDG PET was associated with 33% disease management changes (range, 15%-64%). There is good preliminary evidence that FDG PET is useful for the initial staging of patients with CMM, especially as adjunctive role in AJCC stages III and IV, to help detect deep soft-tissue, lymph node, and visceral metastases. FDG PET-computed tomographic imaging seemed to be more precise than PET alone, as suggested by four eligible studies. Further evaluation by using a well-designed prospective study, with clinical outcome-focused measures and cost effectiveness analysis, is needed to clarify the appropriate role of FDG PET in CMM staging. http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/249/3/836/DC

Generation time, net reproductive rate, and growth in stage-age-structured populations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steiner, Uli; Tuljapurkar, Shripad; Coulson, Tim

2014-01-01

examples to show how reproductive timing Tc and level R0 are shaped by stage dynamics (individual trait changes), selection on the trait, and parent-offspring phenotypic correlation. We also show how population structure can affect dispersion in reproduction among ages and stages. These macroscopic...... to age-structured populations. Here we generalize this result to populations structured by stage and age by providing a new, unique measure of reproductive timing (Tc) that, along with net reproductive rate (R0), has a direct mathematical relationship to and approximates growth rate (r). We use simple...

Crack embryo formation before crack initiation and growth in high temperature water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arioka, Koji; Yamada, Takuyo; Terachi, Takumi; Miyamoto, Tomoki

2008-01-01

Crack growth measurements were performed in high temperature water and in air to examine the role of creep on IGSCC growth using cold rolled non-sensitized Type316(UNS S31600), TT690 alloy, MA600 alloy, and Carbon steel (STPT42). In addition, crack initiation tests were performed also in high temperature water and in air using specially designed CT specimen. The obtained major results are as follows: (1) TT690 did crack in intergranularly in hydrogenated high temperature water if material is cold worked in heavily. (2) Cold worked carbon steel also cracked in intergranularly in dearated high temperature water. (3) Intergranular crack growth was recognized on cold worked 316, TT690, MA600, and carbon steel even in air which might be crack embryo of IGSCC. (4) Simple Arrhenius type temperature dependence was observed on IGSCC in high temperature water and creep crack growth in air. This suggested that intergranular crack growth rate was determined by some thermal activated reaction. (5) Vacancy condensation was recognized at just ahead of the crack tips of IGSCC and creep crack of cold worked steel. This showed that IGSCC and creep crack growth was controlled by same mechanism. (6) Clear evidence of vacancies condensation was recognized at just beneath the surface before crack initiation. This proved that crack did initiate as the result of diffusion of vacancies in the solid. And the incubation time seems to be controlled by the required time for the condensation of vacancies to the stress concentrated zone. (7) Diffusion of subsituational atoms was also driven by stress gradient. This is the important knowledge to evaluate the SCC initiation after long term operation in LWR's. Based on the observed results, IGSCC initiation and growth mechanism were proposed considering the diffusion process of cold worked induced vacancies. (author)

Effect of plant-biostimulant on cassava initial growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Emílio de Souza Magalhães

2016-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Biostimulants are complex substances that promote hormonal balance in plants, favor the genetic potential expression, and enhance growth of shoots and root system. The use of these plant growth promoters in crops can increase quantitatively and qualitatively crop production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a commercial biostimulant on the initial growth of cassava. The experiment was arranged in a 2 x 5 factorial design, corresponding to two cassava cultivars (Cacau-UFV and Coimbra and five biostimulant concentrations (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 mL L-1. At 90 days after planting, the characteristics leaf area, plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, total dry matter and dry matter of roots, stems and leaves were evaluated. The biostimulant promoted linear increases in plant height, leaf number, leaf area, total dry matter, dry matter of stems, leaves and roots. The cultivar Cacau-UFV had a higher growth rate than the cultivar Coimbra. The growth promoter stimulated the early growth of the cassava crop.

Study of initiation and growth of stress corrosion cracks. Quantitative characterization and modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peyrat, Christine

1997-01-01

A phenomenological study of Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) cracks initiation and growth was carried out on a Z 2 CN 18.10 stainless steel in a boiling aqueous magnesium chloride solution at 153 deg. C. The characterization method exploits the morphological information (cracks shape and size distribution) available on a specimen after SCC test. This method, independent of any mechanistic hypothesis, led to the analytical representation of the growth rate of a given crack as a function of its depth and of the density of deeper cracks. The presence of this last parameter could be the expression of a 'shielding effect' of mechanical origin, exerted by the cracks of large size. A 'true initiation' rate was calculated by an extrapolation based on the analytical expression of the growth rate. This analytical representation of cracks initiation and growth accounts for the saturation observed in the experimental determination of the 'apparent initiation'. As time goes, the number of cracks deeper than a given threshold depth tends towards a limit which depends very strongly on the chosen threshold. This saturation effect can be interpreted as exclusively due to the way the small cracks propagate, as the 'true initiation' rate can be expressed versus time by a simple power law. In the case of slow strain rate tests, it is shown that the kinetic parameters characteristic of initiation and growth depend on the applied elongation rate. In particular, the initial crack growth rate increases with elongation rate. The validity domains of the proposed expressions have been specified by means of SCC tests carried out under different types of mechanical loading. (author) [fr

effect of temporary drought at different growth stages on snap bean

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ACSS

Based on a work at www.ajol.info/ ... of this study was to evaluate the effect of drought stress at different growth stages on pod physical quality and .... pots on a digital balance, and adding the deficit ...... (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) postharvest life at.

Political Ideonomy of Rostow’s Stages of Economic Growth Theory

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M. Mozafarinia

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The conditions of success and reasons for failure of development strategies and plans, are among the most important “development studies” issues. This has been explained in different ways: for example, there is a strong relationship between the efficiency of development strategies and plans and development theories. Based on paradigmatic-implicative theory, which explains the relationship between development theories and political thought and considers the development theory as one of the practical implications of political thought, a condition for the success of development strategies and development plans can be found to be rooted in the political thought foundation. Therefore, in the present article we explore the political thought supporting Rostow’s Stages of Economic Growth theory, as one of the oldest and most important development theories which in the 1960s resulted in understanding development as “growth”. We use qualitative content analysis method to show that the political foundation of Rostow’s Stages of Economic Growth theory is based on the principle of “the most utility for the most people” in accordance with Bentham’s utilitarian political thought.

Competitive and Allelopathic Effects of Wild Rice Accessions (Oryza longistaminata) at Different Growth Stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Shicai; Xu, Gaofeng; Clements, David Roy; Jin, Guimei; Zhang, Fudou; Tao, Dayun; Xu, Peng

2016-01-01

The competitive and allelopathic effects of wild rice (Oryza longistaminata) accessions on barnyard grass at different growth stages determined by days after sowing (0, 30, 60 and 90 days) were studied in greenhouse pot experiments. Wild rice accession RL159 exhibited the greatest height and tillering. The weed suppression rates of wild rice accessions OL and F1 on barnyard grass were significantly higher than for other rice accessions, with the lowest being O. sativa cultivar RD23. The highest suppression rates of OL and F1 were 80.23 and 73.96% at barnyard grass growth stages of 90 days and 60 days. At a 90 growth stage, wild rice accessions RL159 and RL169 caused 61.33 and 54.51% inhibition in barnyard grass growth, respectively. Under the same conditions, the competitive inhibition rates of OL, F1, RL159, RL169 and RL219 against barnyard grass were markedly lower than their weed suppressive effects, but were relatively similar for RD23. The allelopathic inhibition of OL and F1 on barnyard grass was significantly higher than other rice accessions. The highest allelopathic rates of OL and F1 were 60.61 and 56.87% at the 0 day growth stage. It is concluded that wild rice accessions OL and F1 exhibited the highest allelopathic activity along with moderate competitive ability against barnyard grass; wild rice accession RL159 had the highest competitive ability and moderate allelopathic activity on barnyard grass. Thus, the three wild rice accessions OL, F1 and RL159 could be used as ideal breeding materials for cultivated rice improvement.

Comparative study of initial growth stage in PVT growth of AlN on SiC and on native AlN substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Epelbaum, B.M.; Heimann, P.; Bickermann, M.; Winnacker, A. [Department of Materials Science 6, University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, Martensstr. 7, 91058 Erlangen (Germany)

2005-05-01

The main issue in homoepitaxial growth of aluminum nitride (AlN) on native seed substrates appears to be aluminum oxynitride poisoning of seed surface leading to polycrystalline growth at 1750-1850 C. This is well below the lowest growth temperature appropriate for physical vapor transport (PVT) of bulk AlN, which is about 2150 C. Contrary, heteroepitaxial growth of AlN on SiC is relatively easy to achieve because of natural formation of a thin molten layer on the seed surface and VLS growth of AlN via the molten buffer layer. The most critical issue of AlN growth on SiC is cracking of the grown layer upon cooling as a result of different thermal expansion. Optimization of seeded growth process can be achieved by proper choice of SiC seed orientation and by use of ultra-pure starting material. (copyright 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Arsenic mobility and bioavailability in paddy soil under iron compound amendments at different growth stages of rice.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Huan-Yun; Wang, Xiangqin; Li, Fangbai; Li, Bin; Liu, Chuanping; Wang, Qi; Lei, Jing

2017-05-01

Iron (Fe)-based solids can reduce arsenic (As) mobility and bioavailability in soils, which has been well recognized. However, to our knowledge, there are few studies on As uptake at different growth stages of rice under Fe compound amendments. In addition, the formation of Fe plaques at different growth stages of rice has also been rarely reported. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate As mobility and bioavailability in paddy soil under Fe compound amendments throughout the whole growth stage of rice plants. Amendments of poorly crystalline Fe oxides (PC-Fe), FeCl 2 +NaNO 3 and FeCl 2 reduced grain As by 54% ± 3.0%, 52% ± 3.0% and 46% ± 17%, respectively, compared with that of the non-amended control. The filling stage was suggested to be the key stage to take measures to reduce As uptake. At this stage, all soil amendments significantly reduced As accumulation in rice plants. At the maturation stage, PC-Fe amendment significantly reduced mobile pools and increased immobile pools of soil As. Besides, PC-Fe treatment promoted the transformation of Fe fractions from dissolved Fe to adsorbed, poorly crystalline and free Fe oxides. Moreover, significant positive correlations between soil Fe fractions and As fractions were found. Accordingly, we hypothesized that Fe compound amendments might affect the concentration distribution of Fe fractions first and then affect As fractionation in soil and its bioavailability to rice plants indirectly. The formation of Fe plaques varied with growth stages and different treatments. Significantly negative correlations between mobile pools of As and Fe or As in Fe plaques indicated that Fe plaques could immobilize mobile As in soils and thus affect As bioavailability. Overall, the effect of the soil amendments on reduction of As uptake varied with growth stages and different treatments, and further research on the key stage for reducing As uptake is still required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All

Antecedents of Adolescent Initiation into Stages of Drug Use: A Developmental Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Kandel, Denise B.; And Others

1978-01-01

Predictors associated with adolescents' initiation into three cumulative stages of drug use--hard liquor, marihuana, and other illicit drugs--were investigated. The strongest predictors were prior involvement in deviant behavior (hard liquor); peer influence, and adolescent beliefs and values (marihuana); and relationship to parents, and…

Salvage of relapse of patients with Hodgkin's disease in clinical stages I or II who were staged with laparotomy and initially treated with radiotherapy alone. A report from the international database on Hodgkin's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Specht, L.; Horwich, A.; Ashley, S.

1994-01-01

patients in the International Database on Hodgkin's Disease who were initially in clinical Stages I or II, who were staged with laparotomy, and who relapsed after initial treatment with irradiation alone. Factors analyzed for outcome after first relapse included initial stage, age, sex, histology......PURPOSE: To analyze presentation variables that might indicate a high or low likelihood of success of the treatment of patients relapsing after initial radiotherapy of Hodgkin's disease in clinical Stages I or II who were staged with laparotomy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Data were analyzed on 681...

The Effects Foliar Application of Methanol at Different Growth Stages on Kernel Related Traits in Chickpea var. ILC 482

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N. Naeimi,

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This research was conducted to evaluate the effects of foliar application of methanol on certain kernel related traits at different growth stages of pea var. ILC482 at the Research Station of Faculty of Agriculture in Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch in 2011. The study was conducted in split plot experiment based on Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. Treatments were three levels methanol foliar application at different growth stages (vegetative, reproductive and foliar application at both two stages which considered as main factor, six levels of foliar application of methanol concentrations: (0 [control], 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30% as sub factor. Results showed that the interactions of methanol applications growth stages and its concentrations on grain number per plant, 100 kernel weight, grain yield, grain filing rate and harvest index were significantly different. Foliar application of methanol at reproductive stage decrease kernel related traits, but this application at both growth stages had positive effect on grain production and kernel related traits. This positive effect on number and 100 kernel weight were significant. The highest grain yield (2460 kg/ha was obtained by 20% concentration of methanol at both growth stages that increased grain yield above 13.5% compared to the control condition.

Influence of Cu(NO32 initiation additive in two-stage mode conditions of coal pyrolytic decomposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Larionov Kirill

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Two-stage process (pyrolysis and oxidation of brown coal sample with Cu(NO32 additive pyrolytic decomposition was studied. Additive was introduced by using capillary wetness impregnation method with 5% mass concentration. Sample reactivity was studied by thermogravimetric analysis with staged gaseous medium supply (argon and air at heating rate 10 °C/min and intermediate isothermal soaking. The initiative additive introduction was found to significantly reduce volatile release temperature and accelerate thermal decomposition of sample. Mass-spectral analysis results reveal that significant difference in process characteristics is connected to volatile matter release stage which is initiated by nitrous oxide produced during copper nitrate decomposition.

Effect of Aqueous Extracts from Weed Species on Germination and Initial Growth in Raphanus sativus L.

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Anisoara STRATU

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The current paper presents the results of a study on the effects of aqueous extracts from five weed species (Amaranthus retroflexus, Cirsium arvense, Convolvulus arvensis, Echinochloa crus-galii, Setaria verticillata on germination and initial growth in Raphanus sativus L. The following indicators have been analyzed: indices of germination (the germination percentage; the speed of germination; the speed of accumulated germination and the coefficient of germination rate, the length of the root and hypocotyls, the pH of aqueous extracts, the UV-Vis absorption spectra of aqueous extracts. The results of the investigations showed the following aspects: the aqueous extracts reduced the values of calculated germination indices and root growth in the first ontogenetic stages of the test species; the pH of the extracts was slightly acid to neutral. Qualitative spectrophotometric analysis indicated the possible presence of phenolic and organic compounds in the extracts. C. arvense, S. verticillata and E. crus-galii presented the most pronounced effect on germination and growth processes.

The effect of pushing-off of an impurity by the step at the initial stage of its capture in crystallization from a molecular beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruzaikin, M.P.; Ervie, Yu.Yu.

1996-01-01

A model of impurity capture by a train of growth steps at the initial (nonstationary) stage of doping in molecular-beam epitaxy is suggested. The model takes into account the processes of adsorption, desorption, and surface diffusion of impurity atoms and also their jump over the steps and blocking at the kinks of the matrix material. The exact expression of the thickness, dt of the transition region is obtained. It is shown that at low crystallization temperatures, pushing-off of impurity atoms by a step can give rise to a nonmonotonic (with a maximum) temperature dependence of dt and a decrease of dt with an increase of the growth rate observed experimentally

An in situ XPS study of growth of ITO on amorphous hydrogenated Si: Initial stages of heterojunction formation upon processing of ITO/a-Si:H based solar cell structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diplas, Spyros; Thoegersen, Annett; Ulyashin, Alexander [SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, Oslo (Norway); Romanyuk, Andriy [University of Basel, Basel (Switzerland)

2015-01-01

In this work we studied the interface growth upon deposition of indium-tin oxide (ITO) on amorphous hydrogenated Si (a-Si:H)/crystalline Si (c-Si) structures. The analysis methods used were X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) in combination with in situ film growth with magnetron sputtering. The analysis was complemented with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the deposited films. The sputtering equipment was attached to the XPS spectrometer and hence early stage film growth was observed without breaking the vacuum. It was shown that during early deposition stages ITO is reduced by a-Si:H. The reduction is accompanied with formation of metallic In and Sn at the interface. Formation of Sn is more enhanced on a-Si substrates whilst formation of In is more dominant on c-Si substrates. The reduction effect is less intense for amorphous hydrogenated Si as compared to crystalline Si and this is attributed to stronger presence of dangling bonds in the latter than the former. (copyright 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Correlates of Couples’ Perceived Similarity at the Initiation Stage and Currently

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Susan Sprecher

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Although prior research (Montoya, Horton, & Kirchner, 2008 has indicated that perceived similarity is more important than actual similarity as a predictor of satisfaction and attraction, there is a lack of research on factors associated with couples’ perceptions of similarity in their relationship. In the present study, a sample of couples (both partners provided ratings of the degree to which they perceived similarity in six areas (background characteristics, attitudes and beliefs, leisure pursuits and interests, communication style, personality, and physical attributes for two stages in their relationship: currently and at the initiation stage (viewed retrospectively. The couples perceived greater similarity for the current stage of their relationship than for the beginning stage of their relationship. Factors found to be associated with perceived similarity included positive social network reactions, overlap in social networks (predictor of current perceived similarity only, perceived compatibility, and satisfaction and commitment (examined only for current perceived similarity. Of the various types of perceived similarity considered in this study, similarity in attitudes and beliefs was most consistently associated with the various predictor variables. Implications of these results for enhancing couple relationships are discussed.

Initiation and growth of shoots of Gongronema latifolia Benth stem ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There was significant reduction in number of days to shoot initiation and growth in sawdust medium in the wet season. Sawdust and soil gave a better performance of the cuttings in opening of apical buds, initiation of shoots, percentage of rooted cuttings, number of vines, vine length and number of opposite leaves on vines ...

Organizational Life Cycle and the Growth of Information Technology Stage Theory

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Jamshid Nazemi

2012-10-01

Full Text Available : Organizations have the different patterns of behaviors on management practice and the use of systems during their life cycle and due to rapid growth of information technology, the application of appropriate technologies is becoming an essential part of business, as well. The adaptation of appropriate management systems on different stages of organizational life period will affect on sustainability of the firms and success to move to next stage and alignment and collaboration schema of IS/IT and business requirement affects on management effectiveness at every stage. This research investigated the significance of relationship between management behavior and IS/IT usage and the generic approach selected by companies. The results showed that organizations have chosen different approach during their life cycle and as they faced with unique challenges on each stage, a common practice on using information technology and applications became part of organizational life cycle. A generic model for information technology usage on organization life cycle was also developed that will assist organizations to select and develop IS/IT plans which addresses the requirements for each stage of life cycle.

Maxillofacial growth and speech outcome after one-stage or two-stage palatoplasty in unilateral cleft lip and palate. A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Rajgopal R; Gosla Reddy, Srinivas; Vaidhyanathan, Anitha; Bergé, Stefaan J; Kuijpers-Jagtman, Anne Marie

2017-06-01

The number of surgical procedures to repair a cleft palate may play a role in the outcome for maxillofacial growth and speech. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the relationship between the number of surgical procedures performed to repair the cleft palate and maxillofacial growth, speech and fistula formation in non-syndromic patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate. An electronic search was performed in PubMed/old MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus and CINAHL databases for publications between 1960 and December 2015. Publications before 1950-journals of plastic and maxillofacial surgery-were hand searched. Additional hand searches were performed on studies mentioned in the reference lists of relevant articles. Search terms included unilateral, cleft lip and/or palate and palatoplasty. Two reviewers assessed eligibility for inclusion, extracted data, applied quality indicators and graded level of evidence. Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. All were retrospective and non-randomized comparisons of one- and two-stage palatoplasty. The methodological quality of most of the studies was graded moderate to low. The outcomes concerned the comparison of one- and two-stage palatoplasty with respect to growth of the mandible, maxilla and cranial base, and speech and fistula formation. Due to the lack of high-quality studies there is no conclusive evidence of a relationship between one- or two-stage palatoplasty and facial growth, speech and fistula formation in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate. Copyright © 2017 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Survival analysis of patients with clinical stages I or II Hodgkin's disease who have relapsed after initial treatment with radiotherapy alone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Horwich, A.; Specht, L.; Ashley, S.

1997-01-01

relapse included initial stage, age, sex, histology, number of involved areas, mediastinal involvement, E-lesions, B-symptoms, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, alkaline phosphatase, serum albumin and haemoglobin. As well as presentation variables, we analysed the disease-free interval after initial......To aid treatment choice in early stage of Hodgkin's disease, we analysed patients registered in the IDHD Database with clinical stages I or II Hodgkin's disease who were not staged with laparotomy and whose initial treatment was with radiotherapy alone. The factors analysed for outcome after first...... radiotherapy and the extent of disease at relapse. A total of 1364 patients with clinical stage I or II Hodgkin's disease were treated with initial radiotherapy, of whom 473 relapsed. The probability of survival 10 years after relapse was 63%. For cause-specific survival (CSS), both multivariate and univariate...

A new system for assessment of growth using mandibular canine calcification stages and its correlation with modified MP3 stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegde, Gautham; Hegde, Nanditha; Kumar, Anil; Keshavaraj

2014-07-01

Orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning for growing children must involve growth prediction, especially in the treatment of skeletal problems. Studies have shown that a strong association exists between skeletal maturity and dental calcification stages. The present study was therefore taken up to provide a simple and practical method for assessing skeletal maturity using a dental periapical film and standard dental X-ray machine, to compare the developmental stages of the mandibular canine with that of developmental stages of modified MP3 and to find out if any correlation exists, to determine if the developmental stages of the mandibular canine alone can be used as a reliable indicator for assessment of skeletal maturity. A total of 160 periapical radiographs, of the mandibular right canine and the MP3 region was taken and assessed according to the Dermirjian's stages of dental calcification and the modified MP3 stages. The correlation coefficient between MP3 stages and developmental stages of mandibular canine was found to be significant in both male and female groups. When the canine calcification stages were compared with the MP3 stages it was found that with the exception of the D stage of canine calcification the remaining stages showed a very high correlation with the modified MP3 stages. The correlation between the mandibular canine calcification stages, and the MP3 stages was found to be significant. The canine calcification could be used as a sole indicator for assessment of skeletal maturity.

Effects of the β-Adrenergic Agonist Cimaterol on Growth and Carcass Quality of Monozygotic Friesian Young Bulls at Three Developmental Stages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vestergaard, Mogens; Sommer, Mario; Klastrup, Signe

1993-01-01

of intake. The animals were slaughtered on day 90 of the treatment period. Without affecting feed intake, CIM treatment increased average daily gain (ADG) by 19% (Pcarcass gain, EUROP conformation and longissimus dorsi area were all...... in cuts from the hind region of the carcass. The percentage of carcass saleable meat increased (Panimals. The effects of cimaterol were evident in all three WG. The results show that cimaterol is effective in stimulating overall growth performance and improving carcass leanness......The objective was to investigate the effects of the β-adrenergic agonist cimaterol (CIM) on growth and carcass quality of Friesian young bulls at different developmental stages. The study comprised three liveweight groups (WG) each of four pairs of monozygotic twins. The average initial liveweight...

The role of scheduled second TACE in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma with complete response to initial TACE

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Jung Hee Kim

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background/Aims We investigated the outcomes of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC patients who showed a complete response (CR to initial transarterial chemoembolization (TACE, with a focus on the role of scheduled TACE repetition. Methods A total of 178 patients with early-stage HCC who were initially treated with TACE and showed a CR based on the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST criteria on one month follow-up computed tomography (CT were analyzed. Among them, 90 patients underwent scheduled repetition of TACE in the absence of viable tumor on CT. Results During a median follow-up period of 4.6 years (range: 0.4-8.8 years, mortality was observed in 71 patients (39.9%. The overall recurrence-free and local recurrence-free survival rates at 1 year were 44.4% and 56.2%. In the multivariable model, scheduled repetition of TACE was an independent factor associated with survival (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.56 [0.34-0.93], P=0.025. When stratified using Barcelona clinic liver cancer (BCLC stage, scheduled repetition of TACE was associated with a favorable survival rate in BCLC stage A patients, but not in BCLC 0 patients. Conclusions Scheduled repetition of TACE was associated with better survival for early-stage HCC patients showing a CR after initial TACE, especially in BCLC stage A patients.

Salt stress and temperatures on the germination and initial growth of ‘jurema-de-embira’ (Mimosa ophthalmocentra seedlings

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Narjara W. Nogueira

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of salinity on the germination and initial growth of ‘jurema-de-embira’ (Mimosa ophthalmocentra seedlings at different temperatures. The experiment was installed in a completely randomized design, in a factorial scheme of eight salt concentrations (0; 4.0; 8.0; 12.0; 16.0; 20.0; 24.0 and 28.0 dS m-1 and four temperatures (25, 30, 35 and 20-30 °C in four replicates of 25 seeds under an 8-h photoperiod in Biochemical Oxygen Demand germinators. The variables analyzed were: germination, germination speed index, shoot and root lengths, and shoot, root and total dry matter. Temperature variation influences the response of ‘jurema-de-embira’ seeds to salinity, and the salt stress is intensified by the increase in temperature. ‘Jurema-de-embira’ is tolerant to salt stress in the germination stage, showing satisfactory germination up to the salinity level 20 dS m-1, at temperatures below 30 °C. The initial growth of ‘jurema-de-embira’ plants is satisfactory up to salinity of 12 dS m-1, at temperatures below 30 °C.

Assessment of the effect of salinity on the early growth stage of the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of the effect of salinity on the early growth stage of the common sunflower (Sanay cultivar) using spectral discrimination techniques. H Turhan, L Genc, SE Smith, YB Bostanci, OS Turkmen ...

Initial sintering stage kinetics of CeO2 studied by stepwise isothermal dilatometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Sayed Ali, M.; Toft Soerensen, O.

1985-02-01

The kinetics of the initial sintering stage of CeO 2 is studied by a new dilatometric technique in which the heating of the sample is controlled by its shrinkage rate. By this technique the shrinkage characteristically takes place in 'isothermal steps' which allows both the mechanism and its activation energy to be determined in a single experiment. The basic equations necessary to evaluate the shrinkage data are described, and using these equations on the curves recorded for CeO 2 it it shown that the controlling mechanism for the initial sintering stage for this oxides is grain-boundary diffusion of Ce 4+ -ions with an activation energy of 119.4 kcal/mole (5.2 eV). The corresponding diffusion coefficient is estimated to vary between 8.5 x 10 -17 - 3.1 x 10 -15 cm 2 /sec (1005 - 1099sup(o)C). (author)

The relationship between growth stages and aroma composition of lemon basil Ocimum citriodorum Vis

OpenAIRE

Al-Kateb, H.; DONALD, M.

2014-01-01

Plants produce volatiles depending on the season, growth cycle and time of year. Lemon basil “Ocmium basilicum var.citrodorum” possesses three growth stages; pre-flowering, full flowering and post-flowering. The volatiles of lemon basil infusions either increased or decreased throughout the growth cycle. Oxygenated compounds were the predominant class detected. Volatiles such as citral (neral+geranial), eucalyptol and estragole contribute to the flavor profile and may contribute in the plant ...

[Transformation and mobility of arsenic in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils at different growth stages of rice].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Wen-Tao; Wang, Ying-Jie; Zhou, Hang; Yi, Kai-Xin; Zeng, Min; Peng, Pei-Qin; Liao, Bo-Han

2015-02-01

Speciation and bioavailability of arsenic in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils at different growth stages (tillering stage, jointing stage, booting stage, filling stage and maturing stage) of rice (Oryza sativa L.) were studied using toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) and arsenic speciation analysis. Pot experiments were conducted and the soil samples were taken from a certain paddy soil in Hunan Province contaminated by mining industry. The results showed that: (1) With the extension of rice growth period, pH values and TCLP extractable arsenic levels in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils increased gradually. Soil pH and TCLP extractable arsenic levels in non-rhizosphere soils were higher than those in the rhizosphere soils at the same growth stage. (2) At the different growth stages of rice, contents of exchangeable arsenic (AE-As) in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils were lower than those before the rice planting, and increased gradually with the extension of the rice growing period. Contents of Al-bound arsenic (Al-As), Fe-bound arsenic (Fe-As) and Ca-bound arsenic (Ca-As) increased gradually after rice planting, but not significantly. Residual arsenic (O-As) and total arsenic (T-As) decreased gradually after rice planting, by 37.30% and 14.69% in the rhizosphere soils and by 31.38% and 8.67% in the non-rhizosphere soils, respectively. (3) At the different growth stages of rice, contents of various forms of arsenic in the soils were in the following order: residual arsenic (O-As) > Fe-bound arsenic ( Fe-As) > Al-bound arsenic (Al-As) > Ca-bound arsenic (Ca-As) > exchangeable arsenic (AE-As). In the pH range of 5.0- 5.8, significant positive linear correlations were found between most forms of arsenic or TCLP extractable arsenic levels and pH values, while the Ca-bound arsenic was poorly correlated with pH values in the rhizosphere soils.

A new system for assessment of growth using mandibular canine calcification stages and its correlation with modified MP3 stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gautham Hegde

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: Orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning for growing children must involve growth prediction, especially in the treatment of skeletal problems. Studies have shown that a strong association exists between skeletal maturity and dental calcification stages. The present study was therefore taken up to provide a simple and practical method for assessing skeletal maturity using a dental periapical film and standard dental X-ray machine, to compare the developmental stages of the mandibular canine with that of developmental stages of modified MP3 and to find out if any correlation exists, to determine if the developmental stages of the mandibular canine alone can be used as a reliable indicator for assessment of skeletal maturity. Materials and Methods: A total of 160 periapical radiographs, of the mandibular right canine and the MP3 region was taken and assessed according to the Dermirjian′s stages of dental calcification and the modified MP3 stages. Results and Discussion: The correlation coefficient between MP3 stages and developmental stages of mandibular canine was found to be significant in both male and female groups. When the canine calcification stages were compared with the MP3 stages it was found that with the exception of the D stage of canine calcification the remaining stages showed a very high correlation with the modified MP3 stages. Conclusion: The correlation between the mandibular canine calcification stages, and the MP3 stages was found to be significant. The canine calcification could be used as a sole indicator for assessment of skeletal maturity.

Incidence of WHO stage 3 and 4 conditions following initiation of anti-retroviral therapy in resource limited settings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea J Curtis

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of WHO clinical stage 3 and 4 conditions during early anti-retroviral therapy (ART in resource limited settings (RLS. DESIGN/SETTING: A descriptive analysis of routine program data collected prospectively from 25 Médecins Sans Frontières supported HIV treatment programs in eight countries between 2002 and 2010. SUBJECTS/PARTICIPANTS: 35,349 study participants with median follow-up on ART of 1.33 years (IQR 0.51-2.41. OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence in 100 person-years of WHO stage 3 or 4 conditions during 5 periods after ART initiation. Diagnoses of conditions were made according to WHO criteria and relied upon clinical assessments supported by basic laboratory investigations. RESULTS: The incidence of any WHO clinical stage 3 or 4 condition over 3 years was 40.02 per 100 person-years (31.77 for stage 3 and 8.25 for stage 4. The incidence of stage 3 and 4 conditions fell by over 97% between months 0-3 and months 25-36 (77.81 to 2.40 for stage 3 and 28.70 to 0.64 for stage 4. During months 0-3 pulmonary tuberculosis was the most common condition diagnosed in adults (incidence 22.24 per 100 person-years and children aged 5-14 years (25.76 and oral candidiasis was the most common in children <5 years (25.79. Overall incidences were higher in Africa compared with Asia (43.98 versus 12.97 for stage 3 and 8.98 versus 7.05 for stage 4 conditions, p<0.001. Pulmonary tuberculosis, weight loss, oral and oesophageal candidiasis, chronic diarrhoea, HIV wasting syndrome and severe bacterial infections were more common in Africa. Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection, cryptococcosis, penicilliosis and toxoplasmosis were more common in Asia. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of WHO stage 3 and 4 conditions during the early period after ART initiation in RLS is high, but greatly reduces over time. This is likely due to both the benefits of ART and deaths of the sickest patients occurring shortly

Modelling of the initial stage of the surface discharge development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gibalov, V.; Pietsch, G.

1998-01-01

Computer modelling of the initial stage of the surface discharge was performed by solving numerically the coupled continuity, the Poisson and Townsend ionization equations and taking into account the ionization, attachment and detachment processes. The potential distribution at the dielectric surface and at the boundaries which surround the integration region have been calculated with the charge-image method in a 3D approach. In order to eliminate numerical diffusion effects, the solution of the continuity equation was corrected using a flux correction transport routine. At the positive voltage the development of the discharge channel is determined mainly by the shape of the electrode tip. At the negative voltage the following phases of the discharge may be distinguished: the initial phase, the cathode directed streamer phase resulting in the cathode layer formation, and the propagating phase. The physical processes governing each discharge phase are described in detail. (J.U.)

Breast cancer prevention with Morinda citrifolia (noni at the initiation stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mian-Ying Wang

2013-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTBackground: It has been reported that noni has multiple health benefits for over 2000 years. In this study, the cancer preventive effects of Tahitian noni® juice (TNJ at the initiation stage on DMBA-induced mammary tumorigenesis in female SD rats was investigated.Objective: We took advantage of the DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenic model to study the preventive effects of TNJ at the initiation stage of mammary carcinogenesis in female SD rats by using clinical observation, pathological examination, and 32P-postlabeling assay.Methods: One hundred and sixty female SD rats were divided into eight groups with 20 rats in each group. Three doses of TNJ or placebo was given to the animals at the age of 35 days until the end of the experiment. When the animals were 55 days old, 25 mg/kg DMBA was fed to the animals in the DMBA group, placebo, and TNJ groups. The 20 rats were kept at age-matched controls. Palpable tumors were examined twice a week after DMBA administration in each group by an experienced professional. The size of tumor was measured by a graduated caliper. A piece of tumor, vascularization area, and mammary glands in the thoracic and abdomen areas of each rat were dissected respectively and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for light microscope examination. The DMBA-DNA adduct formation in mammary tissues was detected by 32P-postlabeling assay.Results: The tumor latency in TNJ groups was delayed about 60-90 days when compared with positive controls. The number of palpable tumors per group was significantly reduced by 73%, 72% and 80% in 3%, 5%, and 10% TNJ groups respectively when compared with positive controls at the end of 330 days after DMBA administration. The number of palpable tumors in the placebo groups was slightly reduced in the early stage, but much less than that in the TNJ groups. The multiplicity and malignancy of lesions were significantly reduced and the survival rate of animals in the TNJ groups was

Growth and Physiological Performance of Aerobic and Lowland Rice as Affected by Water Stress at Selected Growth Stages

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Nadzariah Kamarul Zaman

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Aerobic rice technology is still new in Malaysia, and information regarding MARDI Aerob 1 (MA1, the first local aerobic rice variety, is still lacking. Therefore, comparative studies were carried out to determine the physiological performance of aerobic rice variety MA1 and lowland rice variety MR253 under water stress given at the panicle initiation, flowering and ripening stages. This experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design. Stomatal conductance (gs, chlorophyll a fluorescence (Fv/Fm, leaf relative water content (leaf RWC, and soil moisture content (SMC as well as yield component parameters such as panicle number, grain yield and 100-grain weight were measured. Results revealed that gs and leaf RWC for both varieties decreased with depletion of SMC. The correlation study between the physiological parameters and SMC indicated that Fv/Fm was not affected by water stress, regardless of varieties. The yield components (panicle number, grain yield and 100-grain weight for both varieties greatly decreased when water stress was imposed at the panicle initiation stage. This study showed that the panicle initiation period was the most sensitive stage to water stress that contributed to a substantial reduction in yield for both varieties. Under the aerobic condition (control, MR253 produced higher panicle number, 100-grain weight and yield than MA1. Although MR253 is bred for lowland, it is well adapted to aerobic condition.

Bacterial population in intestines of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) under different growth stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Rungrassamee, Wanilada; Klanchui, Amornpan; Chaiyapechara, Sage; Maibunkaew, Sawarot; Tangphatsornruang, Sithichoke; Jiravanichpaisal, Pikul; Karoonuthaisiri, Nitsara

2013-01-01

Intestinal bacterial communities in aquaculture have been drawn to attention due to potential benefit to their hosts. To identify core intestinal bacteria in the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon), bacterial populations of disease-free shrimp were characterized from intestines of four developmental stages (15-day-old post larvae (PL15), 1- (J1), 2- (J2), and 3-month-old (J3) juveniles) using pyrosequencing, real-time PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approaches. A total of 25,121 pyrosequencing reads (reading length = 442±24 bases) were obtained, which were categorized by barcode for PL15 (7,045 sequences), J1 (3,055 sequences), J2 (13,130 sequences) and J3 (1,890 sequences). Bacteria in the phyla Bacteroides, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were found in intestines at all four growth stages. There were 88, 14, 27, and 20 bacterial genera associated with the intestinal tract of PL15, J1, J2 and J3, respectively. Pyrosequencing analysis revealed that Proteobacteria (class Gammaproteobacteria) was a dominant bacteria group with a relative abundance of 89% for PL15 and 99% for J1, J2 and J3. Real-time PCR assay also confirmed that Gammaproteobacteria had the highest relative abundance in intestines from all growth stages. Intestinal bacterial communities from the three juvenile stages were more similar to each other than that of the PL shrimp based on PCA analyses of pyrosequencing results and their DGGE profiles. This study provides descriptive bacterial communities associated to the black tiger shrimp intestines during these growth development stages in rearing facilities.

Growth performance and development of internal organ, and gastrointestinal tract of calf supplementation with calcium propionate at various stages of growth period

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xin; Chen, Wanbao; Zhang, Yawei; Jiang, Yuming; Meng, Qingxiang; Zhou, Zhenming

2017-01-01

To investigate the effects of calcium propionate (CaP) supplementation on performance, the development of the internal organ, and gastrointestinal tract of calves at various stages of growth period, 54 male Jersey calves (age = 7 ± 1 d, body weight(BW) = 23.1 ± 1.2 kg) were randomly allocated to three treatment groups. While control calves were fed basis dietary with no additives (0CaP), other treatment calves were fed basis dietary supplementation with CaP at 50 (5CaP) or 100 (10CaP) g kg−1 dry matter. The experiment lasted 160 d and was divided into three feeding stages: Stage 1 (d 0 to 30), Stage 2 (d 31 to 90), and Stage 3 (d 91 to160). Six calves from each group were randomly selected and slaughtered on days 30, 90, and 160 when at the conclusion of each experimental feeding stage. The BW of calves increased with 10CaP after feeding 90 d, whereas it increased with 5CaP and 10CaP at feeding 120d and 160d compared to 0CaP. The 10CaP group improved average daily gain (ADG) of calves at stage 2, and d120-160 of stage 3 compared with the 0CaP group. The ADG of 5CaP was greater than the 0CaP group only at 120–160 d of stage 3 compared with the 0CaP group. The results of feed efficiency were in agreed with ADG as no dry matter intake difference at all stages of growth period. The 10CaP treatment exhibited the greatest spleen weight among the treatment at the end of the experiment; the liver weight of the 5CaP and 10CaP calves at feeding 90 d and of the 10CaP calves at feeding 160 d and were greater than those of the 0CaP animals. The CaP at the tested doses increased the rumen weight after feeding 90d of Jersey calves, and also improved the development of intestine. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with calcium propionate at the tested doses caused a beneficial effect in the growth performance and gastrointestinal tract traits of Jersey calves, thus to add 10% CaP before feeding 90 days was better and 5% CaP supplementation was expected at the period for

Mapping of QTL for tiller number at different stages of growth in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

... a neighbouring marker interval at Xswes679.1 and Xcfa2129 on chromosome 6D was detected in MTS and ETH. These results provide a better understanding of the genetic factors for selectively expressing the control of tiller number in different growth stages and facilitate marker-assisted selection strategy in breeding.

Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics in Flag Leaves of the C Liangyou Series of Hybrid Rice Combinations at Late Growth Stages

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Wen-bang TANG

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The contents of chlorophyll, soluble sugars, soluble proteins and thiobarbituric acid reaction substance (TBARS, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, net photosynthetic rate as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD and peroxidase (POD of flag leaves at the late growth stages were studied by using C Liangyou series of hybrid rice combinitions as material and Shanyou 63 as control. The C Liangyou series of hybrid rice combinations used in the experiment included C Liangyou 396, C Liangyou 87, C Liangyou 755 and C Liangyou 34, which all used C815S as male sterile line. The contents of chlorophyll, soluble sugars and soluble proteins in flag leaves of the C Liangyou series combinations at the late growth stages were higher than those of the control, whereas the TBARS content was lower than that of the control. The activities of SOD and POD were significantly higher than those of the control on the 7th day after heading, and then decreased slowly. FPSII value and qP value of flag leaves decreased at the late growth stages, and these two parameters in flag leaves of the C Liangyou series combinations were higher than those of the control, while the qN value increased at the late growth stages and was lower than that of the control. The net photosynthetic rate of flag leaves at the late growth stage was higher compared with the control. These results suggest that slow senescence and strong photosynthetic capability in flag leaves at the late growth stages are the physiological basis of the C Liangyou series combinations.

18F-FDG PET/CT in breast cancer: Evidence-based recommendations in initial staging.

Science.gov (United States)

Caresia Aroztegui, Ana Paula; García Vicente, Ana María; Alvarez Ruiz, Soledad; Delgado Bolton, Roberto Carlos; Orcajo Rincon, Javier; Garcia Garzon, Jose Ramon; de Arcocha Torres, Maria; Garcia-Velloso, Maria Jose

2017-10-01

Current guidelines do not systematically recommend 18F-FDG PET/CT for breast cancer staging; and the recommendations and level of evidence supporting its use in different groups of patients vary among guidelines. This review summarizes the evidence about the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in breast cancer staging and the therapeutic and prognostic impact accumulated in the last decade. Other related aspects, such as the association of metabolic information with biology and prognosis are considered and evidence-based recommendations for the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT in breast cancer staging are offered. We systematically searched MEDLINE for articles reporting studies with at least 30 patients related to clinical questions following the Problem/Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome framework. We critically reviewed the selected articles and elaborated evidence tables structuring the summarized information into methodology, results, and limitations. The level of evidence and the grades of recommendation for the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT in different contexts are summarized. Level III evidence supports the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT for initial staging in patients with recently diagnosed breast cancer; the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of the 18F-FDG PET/CT findings is sufficient for a weak recommendation in this population. In patients with locally advanced breast cancer, level II evidence supports the use of 18F-FDG PET/CT for initial staging; the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of the 18F-FDG PET/CT findings is sufficient for a strong recommendation in this population. In patients with recently diagnosed breast cancer, the metabolic information from baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT is associated with tumor biology and has prognostic implications, supported by level II evidence. In conclusion, 18F-FDG PET/CT is not recommended for staging all patients with early breast cancer, although evidence of improved regional and systemic staging supports its use in locally advanced

Morpho-Physiological Responses of Maize to Drought Stress at Different Growth Stages in Northern Semi-Arid Region of Fars

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R. Hemati

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate morpho-physiological responses of hybrid corn KSC750 to water stress at various stages of growth, a field experiment was conducted at the Pasargad region (northwest Fars in 2010. The experiment carried out as a randomized complete block design, with 3 replications. In this study, corn growth period was divided into three phases: the establishment of plant to tasseling (phase I, tasseling to dough development (phase II and dough development to ripening (phase III. Treatments were consisted of control, irrigation cut off after dough development, water stress of 75 percent of FC during vegetative phase and after dough development, water stress of 75 percent of FC during whole growth phase, water stress of 50 percent of FC during vegetative stage and after dough development and water stress of 50 percent of FC during whole growth phase. Results showed that mild drought stress (75% FC at vegetative phase was not significantly effected growth and yield of corn. However, application of drought stress during the whole growth period significantly reduced morphological parameters as well as yield and yield components. Based on these results, flowering and grain filling stages were identified as more sensitive stages to drought stress in corn. Moreover, irrigation cut off after dough development terminated to a satisfactory yield. The results indicated that, overall, under Pasargad region and similar agro climatic conditions, it would be possible to save water to 75 percentage of corn water requirement through application of deficit irrigation after dough development stage.

Growth stage-based modulation in physiological and biochemical attributes of two genetically diverse wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars grown in salinized hydroponic culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashraf, Muhammad Arslan; Ashraf, Muhammad

2016-04-01

Hydroponic experiment was conducted to appraise variation in the salt tolerance potential of two wheat cultivars (salt tolerant, S-24, and moderately salt sensitive, MH-97) at different growth stages. These two wheat cultivars are not genetically related as evident from randomized polymorphic DNA analysis (random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)) which revealed 28% genetic diversity. Salinity stress caused a marked reduction in grain yield of both wheat cultivars. However, cv. S-24 was superior to cv. MH-97 in maintaining grain yield under saline stress. Furthermore, salinity caused a significant variation in different physiological attributes measured at different growth stages. Salt stress caused considerable reduction in different water relation attributes of wheat plants. A significant reduction in leaf water, osmotic, and turgor potentials was recorded in both wheat cultivars at different growth stages. Maximal reduction in leaf water potential was recorded at the reproductive stage in both wheat cultivars. In contrast, maximal turgor potential was observed at the boot stage. Salt-induced adverse effects of salinity on different water relation attributes were more prominent in cv. MH-97 as compared to those in cv. S-24. Salt stress caused a substantial decrease in glycine betaine and alpha tocopherols. These biochemical attributes exhibited significant salt-induced variation at different growth stages in both wheat cultivars. For example, maximal accumulation of glycine betaine was evident at the early growth stages (vegetative and boot). However, cv. S-24 showed higher accumulation of this organic osmolyte, and this could be the reason for maintenance of higher turgor than that of cv. MH-97 under stress conditions. Salt stress significantly increased the endogenous levels of toxic ions (Na(+) and Cl(-)) and decreased essential cations (K(+) and Ca(2+)) in both wheat cultivars at different growth stages. Furthermore, K(+)/Na(+) and Ca(2+)/Na(+) ratios

Root growth in corn and soybeans: effects of cadmium and lead on lateral root initiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malone, C P; Miller, R J; Koeppe, D E

1978-02-01

This study examines the previously reported inhibitory effects of Cd on root growth. In hydroponic experiments, 100 ..mu..g Cd/l effected a 33% inhibition of lateral root initiation of corn. The growth of corn and soybean primary roots was not reduced at Cd concentrations of 1 mg/l, and the number of lateral root initials in soybeans was not reduced at 2 mg Cd/l. The toxic effects of Cd were ameliorated by additions of Zn or by additions of Fe citrate to nutrient growth solutions. While both Zn and Fe additions did result in increased lateral root initiation, the number of initials was significantly lower than the controls. Lead had no effect on the initiation of soybean lateral roots at a concentration of 100 ..mu..g Pb/l. However, 5 mg Pb/l did effect a 21% decrease in corn lateral root initials, but this decrease could not be demonstrated with higher Pb concentrations.

Initial staging of Hodgkin's disease: role of contrast-enhanced 18F FDG PET/CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiaravalloti, Agostino; Danieli, Roberta; Caracciolo, Cristiana Ragano; Travascio, Laura; Cantonetti, Maria; Gallamini, Andrea; Guazzaroni, Manlio; Orlacchio, Antonio; Simonetti, Giovanni; Schillaci, Orazio

2014-08-01

The objective of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography/low-dose computed tomography (PET/ldCT) versus the same technique implemented by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (ceCT) in staging Hodgkin's disease (HD).Forty patients (18 men and 22 women, mean age 30 ± 9.6) with biopsy-proven HD underwent a PET/ldCT study for initial staging including an unenhanced low-dose computed tomography for attenuation correction with positron emission tomography acquisition and a ceCT, performed at the end of the PET/ldCT scan, in the same exam session. A detailed datasheet was generated for illness locations for separate imaging modality comparison and then merged in order to compare the separate imaging method results (PET/ldCT and ceCT) versus merged results positron emission tomography/contrast-enhanced computed tomography (PET/ceCT). The nodal and extranodal lesions detected by each technique were then compared with follow-up data that served as the reference standard.No significant differences were found at staging between PET/ldCT and PET/ceCT in our series. One hundred and eighty four stations of nodal involvement have been found with no differences in both modalities. Extranodal involvement was identified in 26 sites by PET/ldCT and in 28 by PET/ceCT. We did not find significant differences concerning the stage (Ann Arbor).Our study shows a good concordance and conjunction between PET/ldCT and ceCT in both nodal and extranodal sites in the initial staging of HD, suggesting that PET/ldCT could suffice in most of these patients.

What Determines the Growth Ambition of Dutch Early-Stage Entrepreneurs?

OpenAIRE

Ingrid Verheul; Linda van Mil

2008-01-01

This paper investigates the determinants of the ambition to grow among Dutch early-stage entrepreneurs (nascents and young business owners). We use Adult Population Survey data of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) for the Netherlands. Merging cross-sectional data of the years 2002 to 2007, we arrive at a sample of 409 nascents and 336 young business owners. Growth ambition is measured by asking the respondent which statement fits him or her best: (1) I want my company to be as large a...

Fibroblast growth factor-2-induced host stroma reaction during initial tumor growth promotes progression of mouse melanoma via vascular endothelial growth factor A-dependent neovascularization.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsunoda, Satoshi; Nakamura, Toshiyuki; Sakurai, Hiroaki; Saiki, Ikuo

2007-04-01

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 has been considered to play a critical role in neovascularization in several tumors; however, its precise role in tumor progression is not fully understood. In the present study, we have characterized the role of FGF-2 in B16-BL6 mouse melanoma cells, focusing on effects during the initial phase of tumor growth. FGF-2 was injected at the tumor inoculation site of dorsal skin during the initial phase. FGF-2 induced marked tumor growth and lymph node metastasis. This was well correlated with an increase in neovascularization in the host stroma. FGF-2 also recruited inflammatory and mesenchymal cells in host stroma. Marked tumor growth, pulmonary metastasis and intensive neovascularization in tumor parenchyma were also observed after a single injection of FGF-2 into the footpad inoculation site. In contrast, repeated injections of FGF-2 at a site remote from the footpad tumor were ineffective in promoting tumor growth and metastasis. These promoting activities of FGF-2 were blocked by local injections of a glucocorticoid hormone, suggesting that host inflammatory responses induced by FGF-2 are associated with FGF-2-induced tumor progression. In addition, although FGF-2 did not promote cellular proliferation and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) mRNA expression in B16-BL6 cells in vitro, FGF-2 induced VEGFA expression in host stroma rather than tumor tissue, and local injections of a neutralizing antibody against VEGFA inhibited these activities of FGF-2 in vivo. These results indicate that abundant FGF-2 during the initial phase of tumor growth induces VEGFA-dependent intensive neovascularization in host stroma, and supports marked tumor growth and metastasis.

Bacterial population in intestines of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon under different growth stages.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanilada Rungrassamee

Full Text Available Intestinal bacterial communities in aquaculture have been drawn to attention due to potential benefit to their hosts. To identify core intestinal bacteria in the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon, bacterial populations of disease-free shrimp were characterized from intestines of four developmental stages (15-day-old post larvae (PL15, 1- (J1, 2- (J2, and 3-month-old (J3 juveniles using pyrosequencing, real-time PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE approaches. A total of 25,121 pyrosequencing reads (reading length = 442±24 bases were obtained, which were categorized by barcode for PL15 (7,045 sequences, J1 (3,055 sequences, J2 (13,130 sequences and J3 (1,890 sequences. Bacteria in the phyla Bacteroides, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were found in intestines at all four growth stages. There were 88, 14, 27, and 20 bacterial genera associated with the intestinal tract of PL15, J1, J2 and J3, respectively. Pyrosequencing analysis revealed that Proteobacteria (class Gammaproteobacteria was a dominant bacteria group with a relative abundance of 89% for PL15 and 99% for J1, J2 and J3. Real-time PCR assay also confirmed that Gammaproteobacteria had the highest relative abundance in intestines from all growth stages. Intestinal bacterial communities from the three juvenile stages were more similar to each other than that of the PL shrimp based on PCA analyses of pyrosequencing results and their DGGE profiles. This study provides descriptive bacterial communities associated to the black tiger shrimp intestines during these growth development stages in rearing facilities.

[Effects of different water potentials on leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of cucumber during post-flowering growth stage].

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lu; Tang, Yun; Zhang, Ji-tao; Yan, Wan-li; Xiao, Jian-hong; Ding, Chao; Dong, Chuan; Ji, Zeng-shun

2015-07-01

Impacts of different substrate water potentials (SWP) on leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of greenhouse cucumber during its post-flowering growth stage were analyzed in this study. The results demonstrated that -10 and -30 kPa were the critical values for initiating stomatal and non-stomatal limitation of drought stress, respectively. During the stage of no drought stress (-10 kPa gas exchange parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were not different significantly among treatments. During the stage of stomatal limitation of drought stress (-30 kPawater use efficiency (WUEi) and non-photochemical quenching (qN) increased. In this stage, gas exchange parameters changed faster than chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and differed significantly among treatments. During the stage of non-stomatal limitation of drought stress (-45 kPa≤SWP ≤ -30 kPa), with the decrease of SWP, light saturation point (LSP), Rd, CE, Vcmax, VTPU, LS, WUEi, ΦpPSII, Fv/Fm and qp decreased, while CCP, Ci and qN increased. In this stage, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters changed faster than gas exchange parameters and differed significantly among treatments. In production of greenhouse cucumber, -10 and -5 kPa should be the lower and upper limit value of irrigation, respectively. The stomatal limitation of drought stress could be relieved by irrigation before SWP decreased to -30 kPa. While, the non-stomatal injury of drought stress would be unrecoverable once SWP decreased to lower than -30 kPa.

Phosphorus utilization by three rice varieties at different stages of growth in a vertisol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rastogi, A.K.; Mahajan, J.P.; Sinha, S.B.

1981-01-01

A pot experiment was conducted using labelled superphosphate to study the utilization of applied fertilizer phosphorus by three rice varieties, viz., Jaya, Ratna and Sona at tillering, flowering and harvesting stages. Total phosphorus uptake and phosphorus derived from fertilizer increased significantly with increasing level of phosphorus, but per cent utilization of applied phosphorus showed a reverse trend in all the three varieties at all the growth stages. Dry matter yield in general, increased significantly with increasing P levels in all the three varieties. Average soil-p uptake decreased with increasing levels of phosphorus at all the stages. (author)

Evaluation of fox tail millet (Setaria italica forage quality in different growth stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Izadi Yazdanabadi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate the quantitative factors in fox tail millet (Setaria italica L. under three stages of growth, an experiment was conducted in Birjand during spring and summer of 2010. The preliminary objective was evaluation of fox tail physiological characteristics on animals that feed them. Planting of Foxtail millet was performed according to local practices and endemic acknowledge. Sampling was carried out at Vegetative, flowering and seeding stages, then samples transported to laboratory of animal nutrition. After Drying of sampling, dry matter, dry matter digestibility, crude protein, metabolically energy, Acid Detergent Fiber and Nitrogen Detergent Fiber, Ash and some mineral nutrients were measured. The results showed significant differences in measured characteristics in various phonological stages. Forage quality was higher in flowering and seeding stages than in vegetative stage. Dry matter digestibility and metabolically energy were high and NDF and ADF were less in vegetative stage. Because fox tail millet is leafy and palatable by animal at this stage, it’s optimum yield is important. Ability to produce Green fodder by this plant and the possibility of cultivation in different regions and its ability to produce forage for livestocks, its planting is recommended.

An Analysis of Missile Systems Cost Growth and Implementation of Acquisition Reform Initiatives Using a Hybrid Adjusted Cost Growth Model

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Abate, Christopher

2004-01-01

...) data with a hybrid adjusted cost growth (ACG) model. In addition, an analysis of acquisition reform initiatives during the treatment period was conducted to determine if reform efforts impacted missile system cost growth. A pre-reform...

CD200-expressing human basal cell carcinoma cells initiate tumor growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Colmont, Chantal S; Benketah, Antisar; Reed, Simon H; Hawk, Nga V; Telford, William G; Ohyama, Manabu; Udey, Mark C; Yee, Carole L; Vogel, Jonathan C; Patel, Girish K

2013-01-22

Smoothened antagonists directly target the genetic basis of human basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common of all cancers. These drugs inhibit BCC growth, but they are not curative. Although BCC cells are monomorphic, immunofluorescence microscopy reveals a complex hierarchical pattern of growth with inward differentiation along hair follicle lineages. Most BCC cells express the transcription factor KLF4 and are committed to terminal differentiation. A small CD200(+) CD45(-) BCC subpopulation that represents 1.63 ± 1.11% of all BCC cells resides in small clusters at the tumor periphery. By using reproducible in vivo xenograft growth assays, we determined that tumor initiating cell frequencies approximate one per 1.5 million unsorted BCC cells. The CD200(+) CD45(-) BCC subpopulation recreated BCC tumor growth in vivo with typical histological architecture and expression of sonic hedgehog-regulated genes. Reproducible in vivo BCC growth was achieved with as few as 10,000 CD200(+) CD45(-) cells, representing ~1,500-fold enrichment. CD200(-) CD45(-) BCC cells were unable to form tumors. These findings establish a platform to study the effects of Smoothened antagonists on BCC tumor initiating cell and also suggest that currently available anti-CD200 therapy be considered, either as monotherapy or an adjunct to Smoothened antagonists, in the treatment of inoperable BCC.

An Investigation of Pre-Service Science and Mathematics Teachers' Personal Growth Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Büyükgöze, Hilal

2015-01-01

The current paper primarily aims to investigate pre-service science and mathematics teachers' personal growth initiative levels. The second aim of the study is to examine whether participants' initiative levels differ in relation to their gender, grade, department, perceived academic achievement, and willingness to attend graduate education after…

Description and Codification of Miscanthus × giganteus Growth Stages for Phenological Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio D. Tejera

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Triploid Miscanthus × giganteus (Greef et Deu. ex Hodkinson et Renvoize is a sterile, perennial grass used for biomass production in temperate environments. While M. × giganteus has been intensively researched, a scale standardizing description of M. × giganteus morphological stages has not been developed. Here we provide such a scale by adapting the widely-used Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt, CHemische Industrie (BBCH scale and its corresponding numerical code to describe stages of morphological development in M. × giganteus using observations of the “Freedom” and “Illinois” clone in Iowa, USA. Descriptive keys with images are also presented. Because M. × giganteus plants overlap in the field, the scale was first applied to individual stems and then scaled up to assess plants or communities. Of the 10 principal growth stages in the BBCH system, eight were observed in M. × giganteus. Each principal stage was subdivided into secondary stages to enable a detailed description of developmental progression. While M. × giganteus does not have seed development stages, descriptions of those stages are provided to extend the scale to other Miscanthus genotypes. We present methods to use morphological development data to assess phenology by calculating the onset, duration, and abundance of each developmental stage. This scale has potential to harmonize previously described study-specific scales and standardize results across studies. Use of the precise staging presented here should more tightly constrain estimates of developmental parameters in crop models and increase the efficacy of timing-sensitive crop management practices like pest control and harvest.

Evaluation of Spring Wheat (20 Varieties Adaptation to Soil Drought during Seedlings Growth Stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jolanta Biesaga-Kościelniak

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The effect of soil drought (10 days on the growth of plants, the accumulation of water and leakage of electrolytes, gas exchange, the contents of chl a + b and carotenoids in leaves and photochemical activity of photosystem II was studied at the seedling stage by transient fluorescent analysis in 20 of the popular varieties of polish spring wheat. Drought caused a particularly strong reduction in vigor of growth of seedlings, net photosynthesis rate and triggered an increase in electrolyte leakage from the leaves. Certain varieties during the drought demonstrated relatively intense CO2 assimilation at low water loss through transpiration. The varieties tested were significantly different in terms of tolerance to drought of the processes of gas exchange and seedlings development. Photochemical processes in PSII showed high tolerance to drought and at the same time low differentiation among varieties. The results obtained suggested that tolerance of growth parameters to drought and CO2 assimilation at the seedling stage may alleviate consequent depression of final yield of the grain.

The expression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p15, p16, p21, and p27 during ovarian follicle growth initiation in the mouse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bayrak Aykut

2003-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cyclins regulate the cell cycle in association with cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs. CDKs are under inhibitory control of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKIs. Method In this study we tested the expression of CDKIs p15, p16, p21 and p27 by immunohistochemistry to determine the role of CDKIs in the initiation of primordial follicle growth. Ovaries were collected from 60-day-old cycling B6D2F1/J mice (n = 16. Results Expression of p15, p16, p21 and p27 did not vary in granulosa and theca cells by the follicle stage. However, p16 staining was stronger (++ in the oocytes of all primordial, and 57.4 ± 3.1% of primary follicles compared to the remaining primary and more advanced follicles (+. Interestingly, primary follicles with weaker (+ oocyte staining for p16 had significantly larger mean follicle diameter compared to the primary and primordial follicles with stronger (++ oocyte staining (55.6 ± 2.1 vs. 32.0 ± 1.0 and 26.5 ± 0.7 μm, respectively, p Conclusions These preliminary findings suggest that the initiation of oocyte growth, which seems to lead follicle growth, is associated with diminished p16 expression in the mouse ovary. Further studies are needed to investigate the factors that regulate the expression of p16 in the oocyte, which might also govern the initiation of primordial follicle growth.

3-D simulations to investigate initial condition effects on the growth of Rayleigh-Taylor mixing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrews, Malcolm J [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2008-01-01

The effect of initial conditions on the growth rate of turbulent Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) mixing has been studied using carefully formulated numerical simulations. An integrated large-eddy simulation (ILES) that uses a finite-volume technique was employed to solve the three-dimensional incompressible Euler equations with numerical dissipation. The initial conditions were chosen to test the dependence of the RT growth parameters ({alpha}{sub b}, {alpha}{sub s}) on variations in (a) the spectral bandwidth, (b) the spectral shape, and (c) discrete banded spectra. Our findings support the notion that the overall growth of the RT mixing is strongly dependent on initial conditions. Variation in spectral shapes and bandwidths are found to have a complex effect of the late time development of the RT mixing layer, and raise the question of whether we can design RT transition and turbulence based on our choice of initial conditions. In addition, our results provide a useful database for the initialization and development of closures describing RT transition and turbulence.

Influence of Growth Stage and Leaf Age on Expression of the Components of Partial Resistance of Faba Bean to Botrytis fabae Sard.

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A. Bouhassan

2004-12-01

Full Text Available In detached leaf tests on faba bean (Vicia faba L., genotypes partially resistant and susceptible to Botrytis fabae were examined. Expression of four components of partial resistance to a virulent isolate of B. fabae differed depending on the plant age and the leaf age of the genotypes. The incubation period of resistant genotypes at the podding stage was longer than that of susceptible genotypes at the same stage. The area under disease progress curve (AUDPC of the lesion size increased from the seedling to the flowering stage but declined at the podding stage in all genotypes. Differences between resistant and susceptible genotypes for lesion size were significant except on old leaves from plants at the podding stage. The latent period decreased, and spore production increased with increasing growth and leaf age but there was significant interaction with the genotype. These last two components of partial resistance were more clearly expressed at all growth stages on FRY167 (highly resistant but were expressed only at the seedling and podding stages on FRY7 (resistant. The resistant line BPL710 was not significantly different from the susceptible genotypes for the latent period at any growth stage, and for spore production at the seedling and flowering stages. Leaf age affected all genotypes, but with a significant interaction between leaf age and growth stage. Components of partial resistance were more strongly expressed on young leaves from plants at the seedling or flowering stage.

Growth and yield predictions for upland oak stands. 10 years after initial thinning

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Martin E. Dale; Martin E. Dale

1972-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to furnish part of the needed information, that is, quantitative estimates of growth and yield 10 years after initial thinning of upland oak stands. All estimates are computed from a system of equations. These predictions are presented here in tabular form for convenient visual inspection of growth and yield trends. The tables show growth...

Effects of icotinib on early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer as neoadjuvant treatment with different epidermal growth factor receptor phenotypes

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Wang T

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Tao Wang,1 Yang Liu,1 Bin Zhou,1 Zhi Wang,1 Naichao Liang,1 Yundong Zhang,1 Zhouhuan Dong,2 Jie Li2 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, 2Department of Pathology, People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China Purpose: Epidermal growth factor receptor–tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR–TKIs have demonstrated efficacy in treating advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC. Preliminary findings suggested that EGFR–TKIs might also be beneficial in neoadjuvant therapy in treating NSCLC. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant therapy with icotinib in patients with early-stage NSCLC.Patients and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical history of patients who were initially diagnosed with stage IA–IIIA NSCLC and were under icotinib administration before surgery between December 2011 and December 2014. Tumor assessment was conducted between the second and fourth week from initial icotinib treatment. The association between personal characteristics, smoking status, disease stage, EGFR mutation status, and clinical outcomes were investigated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results: A total of 67 patients with NSCLC were reviewed, and approximately half (38/67 of them were identified as having EGFR-mutant tumors. The overall response rate of all patients was 26.7% at 2–4 weeks’ assessment. Multivariate analysis showed that female sex (38.5% versus 10.7% in males, P=0.028 and EGFR mutation status (42.1% versus 6.9% in EGFR wild type, P=0.011 were independent predictive factors. The analysis also showed that the most common adverse effects were rash (43.3% and dry skin (34.4%, which were tolerable.Conclusion: Icotinib induced clinical response with minimal toxicity as neoadjuvant treatment in early NSCLC, especially in patients with common EGFR mutations. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings. Keywords: non-small-cell lung cancer

Experimental investigation on the initial expansion stage of vacuum arc on cup-shaped TMF contacts

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Wang, Ting; Xiu, Shixin; Liu, Zixi; Zhang, Yanzhe; Feng, Dingyu

2018-02-01

Arc behavior and measures to control it directly affect the properties of vacuum circuit breakers. Nowadays, transverse magnetic field (TMF) contacts are widely used for medium voltages. A magnetic field perpendicular to the current direction between the TMF contacts makes the arc move, transmitting its energy to the whole contact and avoiding excessive local ablation. Previous research on TMF arc behavior concentrated mainly on the arc movement and less on the initial stage (from arc ignition to an unstable arc column). A significant amount of experiment results suggest that there is a short period of arc stagnation after ignition. The duration of this arc stagnation and the arc characteristics during this stage affect the subsequent arc motion and even the breaking property of interrupters. The present study is of the arc characteristics in the initial stage. Experiments were carried out in a demountable vacuum chamber with cup-shaped TMF contacts. Using a high-speed camera, both single-point arc ignition mode and multiple-point arc ignition (MPAI) mode were observed. The experimental data show that the probability of MPAI mode occurring is related to the arc current. The influences of arc-ignition mode, arc current, and contact diameter on the initial expansion process were investigated. In addition, simulations were performed to analyze the multiple arc expansion process mechanically. Based on the experimental phenomena and simulation results, the mechanism of the arc expansion motion was analyzed.

Changes in the contents of four active diterpenoids at different growth stages in Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f. Nees (Chuanxinlian

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Pholphana Nanthanit

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The therapeutic activities of Andrographis paniculata are attributed to four major active diterpenoids: andrographolide (AP1, 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (AP3, neoandrographolide (AP4, and 14-deoxyandrographolide (AP6. This study aims to quantify the four active diterpenoids in various plant organs of A. paniculata at different growth stages in greenhouse and field experiments, with a developed HPLC-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD method for simultaneous determination of these diterpenoids. Methods Plants were grown in greenhouse and in field conditions, harvested at different growth stages, and separated into different organs for determination of the four active diterpenoids by an HPLC-DAD method. Results The most abundant diterpenoid was AP6 between seedling and vegetative stages in the greenhouse experiment (13.38 to 23.71 mg/g in 2006 and 10.67 to 24.54 mg/g in 2007. High levels of AP6 were also detected in leaves at the transfer stage in the greenhouse experiment (36.05 ± 0.69 mg/g and field experiment (30.59 ± 1.39 mg/g. The levels of AP6 then decreased as plants matured. The highest content of AP4 was in cotyledons (16.65 ± 4.48 mg/g at the transfer stage. The highest contents of AP1 were detected in leaves at seed-forming stage in greenhouse experiment (24.72 ± 1.89 mg/g and vegetative stage in field experiment (43.16 ± 0.92 mg/g. Flowers of A. paniculata contained high levels of AP1 (21.42 ± 3.74 mg/g. AP3 and AP4 were at low levels in leaves at all growth stages. Conclusion In A. paniculata, AP6 was at the highest level in leaves at transfer stage in both greenhouse and field experiments. AP1 was at the highest level in leaves at vegetative stage and seed-forming stage in field and greenhouse experiments, respectively. The contents of AP3 and AP4 in leaves were low at all growth stages.

Changes in the contents of four active diterpenoids at different growth stages in Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees (Chuanxinlian)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The therapeutic activities of Andrographis paniculata are attributed to four major active diterpenoids: andrographolide (AP1), 14-deoxy-11,12-didehydroandrographolide (AP3), neoandrographolide (AP4), and 14-deoxyandrographolide (AP6). This study aims to quantify the four active diterpenoids in various plant organs of A. paniculata at different growth stages in greenhouse and field experiments, with a developed HPLC-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) method for simultaneous determination of these diterpenoids. Methods Plants were grown in greenhouse and in field conditions, harvested at different growth stages, and separated into different organs for determination of the four active diterpenoids by an HPLC-DAD method. Results The most abundant diterpenoid was AP6 between seedling and vegetative stages in the greenhouse experiment (13.38 to 23.71 mg/g in 2006 and 10.67 to 24.54 mg/g in 2007). High levels of AP6 were also detected in leaves at the transfer stage in the greenhouse experiment (36.05 ± 0.69 mg/g) and field experiment (30.59 ± 1.39 mg/g). The levels of AP6 then decreased as plants matured. The highest content of AP4 was in cotyledons (16.65 ± 4.48 mg/g) at the transfer stage. The highest contents of AP1 were detected in leaves at seed-forming stage in greenhouse experiment (24.72 ± 1.89 mg/g) and vegetative stage in field experiment (43.16 ± 0.92 mg/g). Flowers of A. paniculata contained high levels of AP1 (21.42 ± 3.74 mg/g). AP3 and AP4 were at low levels in leaves at all growth stages. Conclusion In A. paniculata, AP6 was at the highest level in leaves at transfer stage in both greenhouse and field experiments. AP1 was at the highest level in leaves at vegetative stage and seed-forming stage in field and greenhouse experiments, respectively. The contents of AP3 and AP4 in leaves were low at all growth stages. PMID:23320627

Inhibition of the growth of cyanobacteria during the recruitment stage in Lake Taihu.

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Lu, Yaping; Wang, Jin; Zhang, Xiaoqian; Kong, Fanxiang

2016-03-01

Microcystis is the dominant algal bloom genus in Lake Taihu. Thus, controlling the recruitment and growth of Microcystis is the most crucial aspect of solving the problem of algal blooms. Different concentrations (0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 g L(-1)) of tea extract were used to treat barrels of lake water at the recruitment stage of cyanobacteria. There was an inhibitory effect on algal growth in all treatment groups. The inhibitory effect on cyanobacteria was stronger than on other algae. The metabolic activity of cells in the treatment groups was significantly enhanced compared to the control, as an adaptation to the stress caused by tea polyphenols. The photosynthetic activity diminished in the treatment groups and was barely detected in the 0.05 and 0.1 g L(-1) treatments. The levels of reactive oxygen species increased substantially in treated cells with the algal cells experiencing oxidative damage. The effect of tea on zooplankton was also studied. The number of Bosmina fatalis individuals did not change significantly in the 0.025 and 0.05 g L(-1) treatments. These results suggested that the application of tea extracts, during the recruitment stage of blue-green algae, suppressed the recruitment and growth of cyanobacteria, thus offering the potential to prevent cyanobacterial blooms.

Estimating the effect of urease inhibitor on rice yield based on NDVI at key growth stages

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Kailou LIU,Yazhen LI,Huiwen HU

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The effect of the urease inhibitor, N-(n-butyl thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT at a range of application rates on rice production was examined in a field experiment at Jinxian County, Jiangxi Province, China. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI was measured at key growth stages in both early and late rice. The results showed that the grain yield increased significantly when urea was applied with NBPT, with the highest yield observed at 1.00% NBPT (wt/wt. NDVI differed with the growth stage of rice; it remained steady from the heading to the filling stage. Rice yield could be predicted from the NDVI taken at key rice growing stages, with R2 ranging from 0.34 to 0.69 in early rice and 0.49 to 0.70 in late rice. The validation test showed that RMSE (t·hm-2 values were 0.77 and 0.87 in early and late rice, respectively. Therefore, it was feasible to estimate rice yield for different amounts of urease inhibitor using NDVI.

Influence of perforation erosion on multiple growing hydraulic fractures in multi-stage fracturing

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Yongming Li

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, the limited-entry method is widely used to promote uniform growth of multiple fractures. However, this method's effectiveness may be lost because the perforations will be eroded gradually during the fracturing period. In order to study the influence of perforation erosion on multiple growing hydraulic fractures, we combined the solid–fluid coupled model of hydraulic fracture growth with an empirical model of perforation erosion to implement numerical simulation. The simulations show clearly that the erosion of perforation will significantly deteriorate the non-uniform growth of multiple fractures. Based on the numerical model, we also studied the influences of proppant concentration and injection rates on perforation erosion in multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. The results indicate that the initial erosion rates become higher with the rising proppant concentration, but the growth of multiple hydraulic fractures is not sensitive to the varied proppant concentration. In addition, higher injection rates are beneficial significantly to the limited-entry design, leading to more uniform growth of fractures. Thus, in multi-stage hydraulic fracturing enough high injection rates are proposed to keep uniform growths. Keywords: Unconventional oil and gas reservoir, Horizontal well, Perforation friction, Perforation erosion, Multi-stage hydraulic fracturing, Numerical simulation, Mathematic model, Uniform growth of fractures

Variations in Volatile Oil Yield and Composition of "Xin-yi" (Magnolia biondii Pamp. Flower Buds) at Different Growth Stages.

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Hu, Mingli; Bai, Mei; Ye, Wei; Wang, Yaling; Wu, Hong

2018-06-01

Dried flower buds of Magnolia biondii Pamp. are the main ingredient in "Xin-yi" in China, and the volatile oils of M. biondii flower buds are the principal medicinal component. Gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) and microscopic techniques were employed to detect the volatile yields of M. biondii flowers at various growth stages. The volatile oil yields of M. biondii flowers differed significantly at different growth stages and were closely related to flower dry weight, oil cell density and degree of oil accumulation. In February 2016, flower buds had the highest dry weight, the maximum percentage of oil cells at the oil saturation stage and the highest density of oil cells, which coincided with the highest oil yield. In March 2016, flower buds had a lower dry weight, a higher percentage of oil cells at the oil-degrading stage and the lowest oil cell density, resulting in decreased oil yields. The total amounts of the major medicinal components in the M. biondii flower also showed regular changes at different growth stages. In January and February of 2016, M. biondii flowers had a higher dry weight, volatile oil yield and total content of medicinal ingredients, which was the best time for harvesting high-quality medicinal components. Our study reveals that volatile oil content and chemical composition are closely related to the growth stage of M. biondii flower buds. The results provide a scientific morphology and composition index for evaluating the medicinal value and harvesting of high-quality M. biondii medicinal herbs.

Salt-induced effects on some key morpho-physiological attributes of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. at various growth stages

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Huma Lubna Shaheen and Muhammad Shahbaz

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Salinity is a multidimensional stress affecting crop yield and productivity at various levels of plant organization. To assess salt induced adverse effects on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., ten cultivars were grown in sand culture supplemented with full strength Hoagland’s nutrients solutions and different salt concentrations (0, 50, 100 and 200 mM NaCl. Salt stress markedly reduced growth attributes, relative water contents, efficiency of photosystem II, net CO2 assimilation rate (A, transpiration rate (E and stomatal conductance in all cultivars. Reduction was maximum at the highest level of salt stress i.e. 200 mM. However, response of cotton cultivars was variable to various levels of salinity and even at various developmental stages. Cultivars RH-510, BH-118 and MNH-770 were ranked as relatively salt tolerant on the basis of their better growth performance and net CO2 assimilation rate whereas cvs. CIM-496, CIM-473 and FH-901 were relatively salt sensitive. Cultivars RH-510, BH-118 and MNH-770 exhibited high shoot fresh and dry weights, photosynthetic rate (A, and Photosystem II (Fv/Fm efficiency at both seedling and maturity growth stages. Results suggest that selection of plants having high photosynthetic rate and biomass at seedling stage may be a good source of high yield at mature stage of growth.

Effects of growth rate, size, and light availability on tree survival across life stages: a demographic analysis accounting for missing values and small sample sizes.

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Moustakas, Aristides; Evans, Matthew R

2015-02-28

Plant survival is a key factor in forest dynamics and survival probabilities often vary across life stages. Studies specifically aimed at assessing tree survival are unusual and so data initially designed for other purposes often need to be used; such data are more likely to contain errors than data collected for this specific purpose. We investigate the survival rates of ten tree species in a dataset designed to monitor growth rates. As some individuals were not included in the census at some time points we use capture-mark-recapture methods both to allow us to account for missing individuals, and to estimate relocation probabilities. Growth rates, size, and light availability were included as covariates in the model predicting survival rates. The study demonstrates that tree mortality is best described as constant between years and size-dependent at early life stages and size independent at later life stages for most species of UK hardwood. We have demonstrated that even with a twenty-year dataset it is possible to discern variability both between individuals and between species. Our work illustrates the potential utility of the method applied here for calculating plant population dynamics parameters in time replicated datasets with small sample sizes and missing individuals without any loss of sample size, and including explanatory covariates.

Bacterial Community Associated with Healthy and Diseased Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Larvae and Rearing Water across Different Growth Stages.

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Zheng, Yanfen; Yu, Min; Liu, Jiwen; Qiao, Yanlu; Wang, Long; Li, Zhitao; Zhang, Xiao-Hua; Yu, Mingchao

2017-01-01

Bacterial communities are called another "organ" for aquatic animals and their important influence on the health of host has drawn increasing attention. Thus, it is important to study the relationships between aquatic animals and bacterial communities. Here, bacterial communities associated with Litopenaeus vannamei larvae at different healthy statuses (diseased and healthy) and growth stages (i.e., zoea, mysis, and early postlarvae periods) were examined using 454-pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Bacterial communities with significant difference were observed between healthy and diseased rearing water, and several bacterial groups, such as genera Nautella and Kordiimonas could also distinguish healthy and diseased shrimp. Rhodobacteraceae was widely distributed in rearing water at all growth stages but there were several stage-specific groups, indicating that bacterial members in rearing water assembled into distinct communities throughout the larval development. However, Gammaproteobacteria , mainly family Enterobacteriaceae , was the most abundant group (accounting for more than 85%) in shrimp larvae at all growth stages. This study compared bacterial communities associated with healthy and diseased L . vannamei larvae and rearing water, and identified several health- and growth stage-specific bacterial groups, which might be provided as indicators for monitoring the healthy status of shrimp larvae in hatchery.

Bacterial Community Associated with Healthy and Diseased Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei Larvae and Rearing Water across Different Growth Stages

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Yanfen Zheng

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Bacterial communities are called another “organ” for aquatic animals and their important influence on the health of host has drawn increasing attention. Thus, it is important to study the relationships between aquatic animals and bacterial communities. Here, bacterial communities associated with Litopenaeus vannamei larvae at different healthy statuses (diseased and healthy and growth stages (i.e., zoea, mysis, and early postlarvae periods were examined using 454-pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Bacterial communities with significant difference were observed between healthy and diseased rearing water, and several bacterial groups, such as genera Nautella and Kordiimonas could also distinguish healthy and diseased shrimp. Rhodobacteraceae was widely distributed in rearing water at all growth stages but there were several stage-specific groups, indicating that bacterial members in rearing water assembled into distinct communities throughout the larval development. However, Gammaproteobacteria, mainly family Enterobacteriaceae, was the most abundant group (accounting for more than 85% in shrimp larvae at all growth stages. This study compared bacterial communities associated with healthy and diseased L. vannamei larvae and rearing water, and identified several health- and growth stage-specific bacterial groups, which might be provided as indicators for monitoring the healthy status of shrimp larvae in hatchery.

Neglected grass species of Southern Africa: Nutritive value of conserved Hyperthelia dissoluta harvested at different growth stages

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Jacob Gusha

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Native species like Hyperthelia dissoluta have great potential in livestock production but not much has been done to improve their contribution to that sector.  This study examined 2 conservation methods (drying and ensiling and 3 different growth stages, namely: elongation stage (January, early flowering (February and late flowering stage (March of H. dissoluta in terms of nutritional composition and digestibility.  The method of conservation had a significant effect (P<0.05 on nutritive value, with silage having more P and CP than hay.  Stage of growth had an effect (P<0.05 on all nutritional properties of both hay and silage:  Phosphorus, Ca and CP concentrations and digestibility of hay and silage decreased with maturity, while NDF and ADF concentrations increased.  Silage pH value was significantly higher at elongation (5.2 and late flowering growth stages (5.7 than at early flowering (4.4.  Dry matter digestibility of the conserved material reached levels as high as 82% for silage made at the elongation stage with all values at least 60%.  We conclude that H. dissoluta can be conserved as both silage and hay to produce a good quality feed.  Harvesting at the early flowering stage would seem to provide a good compromise between quantity (not measured in this study and quality of harvested forage.  Further studies seem warranted to determine the acceptability and intake of the material by livestock, the advantages of adding fermentable carbohydrates during ensiling and DM yields in different areas and a range of seasonal conditions. Keywords: Air drying, hay, perennial native grasses, plastic bag silo, quality silage.DOI: 10.17138/TGFT(4179-184

Effects of plant growth stage on the bioavailability of cesium and strontium in rhizosphere soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamaru, Yasuo

2006-01-01

The effects of plant growth stage on the bioavailability of Cs and Sr in rhizosphere soil were studied by soybean pot experiments. Soybean seeds were sown into 12 pots and the plants were grown in a greenhouse for 84 d. Three pots were kept unplanted. The concentrations of Mg, K, Ca, Sr and Cs in plants and in soil solutions at different growth periods were measured. The mass flow of the elements from soil solution to the root surface was calculated from the concentrations in the soil solution and daily transpiration of the soybean plant. The concentrations of elements in the soil solution decreased as the soybean plants grew. The decrease of Mg, K, Ca, and Sr was high in planted pots. The differences in Mg, K, Ca, and Sr concentrations between the planted and the unplanted pots indicated that the active uptake of these elements by the soybean plants caused the drop in their concentrations. However, no obvious difference in Cs concentrations was seen between the planted and the unplanted ports. Although the ratio of mass flow to actual uptake of Cs was 1.4 for the vegetative growth stage, it increased to 4.2 for the podding stage. This meant that the Cs mass flow was in excess of what was absorbed by the plants, so the Cs uptake was inhibited near the roots for the podding stage. It was assumed that the increase of Cs sorption due to the K concentration decrease in soil solution decreased the Cs bioavailability in the rhizosphere soil. The bioavailability of Cs and Sr in the rhizosphere was examined in a small-scale pot experiment. The soil-soil solution distribution coefficients (K d ) of Cs and Sr were observed as an index of their sorption level. K d of Cs increased in the rhizosphere soil after cultivation. The decrease of bioavailable fraction of soil Cs was also observed. The exchangeable Cs in the rhizosphere soil clearly decreased. On the other hand, no specific rhizosphere effect was observed for Sr bioavailability. These results showed that the Cs

Investigation of magnesium oxychloride cement at the initial hardening stage

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Averina Galina

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The paper investigates the process of variation of magnesium oxychloride cement deformations at the initial hardening stage depending on the activity of magnesium oxide powder which is determined by the parameters of the source material burning. Investigation is focused on magnesium cements obtained from pure magnesium hydroxide. Source materials were burnt at various temperatures with the purpose to obtain magnesium oxide powder with different activity. Regular content of hydrated phases was determined in hardened magnesium cement prepared on the basis of binders with different activity. The study reveals the influence of magnesium oxide powder activity on the process of deformation occurrence in hardened magnesium cement and its tendency to crack formation.

Study of voltage decrease in organic light emitting diodes during the initial stage of lifetime

Science.gov (United States)

Cusumano, P.

2016-02-01

We report the results of lifetime DC testing at constant current of not-encapsulated organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on Tris (8 idroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) as emitting material. In particular, a voltage decrease during the initial stage of the lifetime test is observed. The cause of this behavior is also discussed, mainly linked to initial Joule self-heating of the device, rising its temperature above room temperature until thermal equilibrium is reached at steady state.

Modeling of thin films growth processes in the early stage for atoms with covalent bonds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tupik, V A; Margolin, V I; Su, Chu Trong

2017-01-01

Computer simulation for obtaining thin film’s growth process at an early stage with the proposed model of atoms with isotropic and anisotropic interactions been considered. Carrying out the procedure for analyzing the problem on the basis of the program being implemented, computer simulation of thin film growth processes has been carried out on several examples. The results of computer simulation of the growth process of thin film on a given substrate and an aggregate in a vacuum condition are shown. Some characteristic distributions of the obtained structure have been carried out to evaluate the proposed adequate model and to reflect the high complexity of thin films growth process. (paper)

An Approach to Mapping Forest Growth Stages in Queensland, Australia through Integration of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat Sensor Data

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João Carreiras

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Whilst extensive clearance of forests in the eastern Australian Brigalow Belt Bioregion (BBB has occurred since European settlement, appropriate management of those that are regenerating can facilitate restoration of biomass (carbon and biodiversity to levels typical of relatively undisturbed or remnant formations. However, maps of forests are different stages of regeneration are needed to facilitate restoration planning, including prevention of further re-clearing. Focusing on the Tara Downs subregion of the BBB and on forests with brigalow (Acacia harpophylla as a component, this research establishes a method for differentiating and mapping early, intermediate and remnant growth stages from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS Phased-Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR Fine Beam Dual (FBD L-band HH- and HV-polarisation backscatter and Landsat-derived Foliage Projective Cover (FPC. Using inventory data collected from 74 plots, located in the Tara Downs subregion, forests were assigned to one of three regrowth stages based on their height and cover relative to that of undisturbed stands. The image data were then segmented into objects with each assigned to a growth stage by comparing the distributions of L-band HV and HH polarisation backscatter and FPC to that of reference distributions using a z-test. Comparison with independent assessments of growth stage, based on time-series analysis of aerial photography and SPOT images, established an overall accuracy of > 70%, with this increasing to 90% when intermediate regrowth was excluded and only early-stage regrowth and remnant classes were considered. The proposed method can be adapted to respond to amendments to user-definitions of growth stage and, as regional mosaics of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat FPC are available for Queensland, has application across the state.

Ammonia Fiber Expansion Pretreatment and Enzymatic Hydrolysis on Two Different Growth Stages of Reed Canarygrass

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Bradshaw, Tamika C.; Alizadeh, Hasan; Teymouri, Farzaneh; Balan, Venkatesh; Dale, Bruce E.

Plant materials from the vegetative growth stage of reed canarygrass and the seed stage of reed canarygrass are pretreated by ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) and enzymatically hydrolyzed using 15 filter paper units (FPU) cellulase/g glucan to evaluate glucose and xylose yields. Percent conversions of glucose and xylose, effects of temperature and ammonia loading, and hydrolysis profiles are analyzed to determine the most effective AFEX treatment condition for each of the selected materials. The controls used in this study were untreated samples of each biomass material. All pretreatment conditions tested enhanced enzyme digestibility and improved sugar conversions for reed canarygrass compared with their untreated counterparts. Based on 168 h hydrolysis results using 15 FPU Spezyme CP cellulase/g glucan the most effective AFEX treatment conditions were determined as: vegetative growth stage of reed canarygrass—100°C, 60% moisture content, 1.2∶1 kg ammonia/kg of dry matter (86% glucose and 78% xylose) and seed stage of reed canarygrass—100°C, 60% moisture content, 0.8∶1 kg ammonia/kg of dry matter (89% glucose and 81% xylose). Supplementation by commercial Multifect 720 xylanase along with cellulase further increased both glucose and xylose yields by 10-12% at the most effective AFEX conditions.

Dental and Chronological Ages as Determinants of Peak Growth Period and Its Relationship with Dental Calcification Stages.

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Litsas, George; Lucchese, Alessandra

2016-01-01

To investigate the relationship between dental, chronological, and cervical vertebral maturation growth in the peak growth period, as well as to study the association between the dental calcification phases and the skeletal maturity stages during the same growth period. Subjects were selected from orthodontic pre-treatment cohorts consisting of 420 subjects where 255 were identified and enrolled into the study, comprising 145 girls and 110 boys. The lateral cephalometric and panoramic radiographs were examined from the archives of the Department of Orthodontics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Dental age was assessed according to the method of Demirjian, and skeletal maturation according to the Cervical Vertebral Maturation Method. Statistical elaboration included Spearman Brown formula, descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient and regression analysis, paired samples t-test, and Spearman's rho correlation coefficient. Chronological and dental age showed a high correlation for both gender(r =0.741 for boys, r = 0.770 for girls, pStage IV for both males (r=0.554) and females (r=0.68). The lowest correlation was for the CVM Stage III in males (r=0.433, pStage II in females (r=0.393, p>0.001). The t-test revealed statistically significant differences between these variables (pstages was determined. The second molars showed the highest correlation with CVM stages (CVMS) (r= 0.65 for boys, r = 0.72 for girls). Dental age was more advanced than chronological for both boys and girls for all CVMS. During the peak period these differences were more pronounced. Moreover, all correlations between skeletal and dental stages were statistically significant. The second molars showed the highest correlation whereas the canines showed the lowest correlation for both gender.

Estimation of winter wheat canopy nitrogen density at different growth stages based on Multi-LUT approach

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhenhai; Li, Na; Li, Zhenhong; Wang, Jianwen; Liu, Chang

2017-10-01

Rapid real-time monitoring of wheat nitrogen (N) status is crucial for precision N management during wheat growth. In this study, Multi Lookup Table (Multi-LUT) approach based on the N-PROSAIL model parameters setting at different growth stages was constructed to estimating canopy N density (CND) in winter wheat. The results showed that the estimated CND was in line with with measured CND, with the determination coefficient (R2) and the corresponding root mean square error (RMSE) values of 0.80 and 1.16 g m-2, respectively. Time-consuming of one sample estimation was only 6 ms under the test machine with CPU configuration of Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2430 @2.40GHz quad-core. These results confirmed the potential of using Multi-LUT approach for CND retrieval in winter wheat at different growth stages and under variables climatic conditions.

Exogenous application of abscisic acid may improve the growth and yield of sunflower hybrids under drought

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussain, S.; Iqbal, J.; Ibrahim, M.; Atta, S.; Ahmed, T.; Saleem, M.F.

2014-01-01

Sunflower genotypes perform differently under different water regimes. Drought stress at various growth stages drastically reduces the growth, development and yield of sunflower hybrids. However, exogenous application of abscisic acid helps in mitigating drought stress by improving growth, development and yield of sunflower. In the present study, three sunflower hybrids viz. DK-4040 (large stature), S-278 (medium stature) and SF-187 (short stature) were exposed to varied irrigation regimes and abscisic acid application schedule i.e. T1: four irrigations with schedule (25DAS, at bud, flower initiation and at achene formation) and with no ABA spray,T/sub 2/: three irrigations with schedule (25DAS, at flower initiation and at achene formation) and with no ABA spray, T/sub 3/: three irrigations with schedule (25DAS, at flower initiation and at achene formation) and with 8 mu MABA spray at bud initiation, T/sub 4/: three irrigations with schedule (25DAS, at bud initiation and at achene formation) and with no ABA spray, T/sub 5/: three irrigations with schedule (25DAS, at bud initiation and at achene formation) and with 8 mu M ABA spray at flower initiation. Experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Design with factorial arrangement having three replications. ABA application at bud or at flower initiation under drought stress helped in mitigating the detrimental effects by improving growth and yield of sunflower hybrids. Enhancement in drought tolerance of sunflower genotypes was better when ABA was applied at bud initiation stage than that of at flower initiation stage under drought. Improvements in head diameter, achenes per head, 1000-achene weight, achene yield, oil yield, biological yield, harvest index, leaf area index and crop growth rate was recorded. Sunflower hybrid DK-4040 showed more improvement in drought tolerance byfoliar application of ABA under water deficit stress than that of the SF-187 and S-278. It is suggested that sunflower hybrid DK 4040

Regulatory T cells predict the time to initial treatment in early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Lukas; Melchardt, Thomas; Egle, Alexander; Grabmer, Christoph; Greil, Richard; Tinhofer, Inge

2011-05-15

Early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia is characterized by a highly variable course of disease. Because it is believed that regulatory T cells (T(regs) ) are potent suppressors of antitumor immunity, the authors hypothesized that increased T(regs) may favor disease progression. T(reg) levels (cluster of differentiation 3 [CD3]-positive, [CD4]-positive, CD25-positive, and CD127-negative) in peripheral blood from 102 patients were analyzed by flow cytometry. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate correlations with clinical data. The relative T(reg) numbers in CD4-positive T cells were significantly greater in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia compared with the numbers in a control group of 170 healthy individuals (P = .001). Patients were divided into 2 groups using a median T(reg) value of 9.7% (the percentage of CD4-positive T cells). Patients with higher T(reg) levels had a significantly shorter time to initial treatment (median, 5.9 years) compared with patients who had lower T(reg) levels (median, 11.7 years; log-rank P = .019). Furthermore, T(reg) levels (the percentage of CD4-positive T cells) had significant prognostic power to predict the time to initial treatment in univariate analysis (P = .023) and in multivariate Cox regression analysis that included the variables Rai stage, immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region gene mutational status, chromosomal aberrations, and CD38 expression (P = .028). Higher T(reg) levels had significant and independent prognostic power for predicting the time to initial treatment in patients with low to intermediate stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 2010 American Cancer Society.

Amateur Hour: Culture, Capital, and the Royal Shakespeare Company's Open Stages Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Molly

2017-01-01

In 2011, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) began a series of collaborations with established amateur theatre groups from across the UK. The initiative now known as Open Stages became one of the most ambitious educational outreach programmes ever run by the RSC, engaging hundreds of amateur theatre practitioners in a process of skills sharing and…

The Methodology of Foreign Language Integrative Teaching at the Initial Stage of Interpreter Training

Science.gov (United States)

Vedishenkova, Marina V.; Mironina, Anna Y.

2016-01-01

The topicality of the research is connected with the modern requirements to the education of future interpreters who are to speak a foreign language within the professional context. For this purpose, it is necessary to focus their language training at the initial stage of learning on forming their professional thinking. This raises the need for…

Transcriptome Analysis of Liangshan Pig Muscle Development at the Growth Curve Inflection Point and Asymptotic Stages Using Digital Gene Expression Profiling

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Jingjing; Liu, Chendong; Wu, Xiaoqian; Pu, Qiang; Fu, Yuhua; Tang, Qianzi; Liu, Yuanrui; Li, Qiang; Yang, Runlin; Li, Xuewei; Tang, Guoqing; Jiang, Yanzhi; Li, Mingzhou; Zhang, Shunhua; Zhu, Li

2015-01-01

Animal growth curves can provide essential information for animal breeders to optimize feeding and management strategies. However, the genetic mechanism underlying the phenotypic differentiation between the inflection point and asymptotic stages of the growth curve is not well characterized. Here, we employed Liangshan pigs in stages of growth at the inflection point (under inflection point: UIP) and the two asymptotic stages (before the inflection point: BIP, after the inflection point: AIP) as models to survey global gene expression in the longissimus dorsi muscle using digital gene expression (DGE) tag profiling. We found Liangshan pigs reached maximum growth rate (UIP) at 163.6 days of age and a weight of 134.6 kg. The DGE libraries generated 117 million reads of 5.89 gigabases in length. 21,331, 20,996 and 20,139 expressed transcripts were identified BIP, UIP and AIP, respectively. Among them, we identified 757 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between BIP and UIP, and 271 DEGs between AIP and UIP. An enrichment analysis of DEGs proved the immune system was strengthened in the AIP stage. Energy metabolism rate, global transcriptional activity and bone development intensity were highest UIP. Meat from Liangshan pigs had the highest intramuscular fat content and most favorable fatty acid composition in the AIP. Three hundred eighty (27.70%) specific expression genes were highly enriched in QTL regions for growth and meat quality traits. This study completed a comprehensive analysis of diverse genetic mechanisms underlying the inflection point and asymptotic stages of growth. Our findings will serve as an important resource in the understanding of animal growth and development in indigenous pig breeds. PMID:26292092

The reliability of dental x-ray film in assessment of MP3 stages of the pubertal growth spurt.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Kader, H M

1998-10-01

The main object of this clinical study is to provide a simple and practical method to assess the pubertal growth spurt stages of a subject by recording MP3 stages with the dental periapical radiograph and the standard dental x-ray machine.

Effects of icotinib on early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer as neoadjuvant treatment with different epidermal growth factor receptor phenotypes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tao; Liu, Yang; Zhou, Bin; Wang, Zhi; Liang, Naichao; Zhang, Yundong; Dong, Zhouhuan; Li, Jie

2016-01-01

Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have demonstrated efficacy in treating advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Preliminary findings suggested that EGFR-TKIs might also be beneficial in neoadjuvant therapy in treating NSCLC. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant therapy with icotinib in patients with early-stage NSCLC. We retrospectively reviewed the medical history of patients who were initially diagnosed with stage IA-IIIA NSCLC and were under icotinib administration before surgery between December 2011 and December 2014. Tumor assessment was conducted between the second and fourth week from initial icotinib treatment. The association between personal characteristics, smoking status, disease stage, EGFR mutation status, and clinical outcomes were investigated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 67 patients with NSCLC were reviewed, and approximately half (38/67) of them were identified as having EGFR-mutant tumors. The overall response rate of all patients was 26.7% at 2-4 weeks' assessment. Multivariate analysis showed that female sex (38.5% versus 10.7% in males, P=0.028) and EGFR mutation status (42.1% versus 6.9% in EGFR wild type, P=0.011) were independent predictive factors. The analysis also showed that the most common adverse effects were rash (43.3%) and dry skin (34.4%), which were tolerable. Icotinib induced clinical response with minimal toxicity as neoadjuvant treatment in early NSCLC, especially in patients with common EGFR mutations. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

On the growth of conversion chromate coatings on 2024-Al alloy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kulinich, S.A.; Akhtar, A.S.; Susac, D.; Wong, P.C.; Wong, K.C.; Mitchell, K.A.R.

2007-01-01

The initial growth of chromate conversion coatings on aluminium 2024-T3 alloy has been investigated by scanning Auger microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The coating initiation is shown to be influenced by the alloy microstructure. In agreement with previously proposed growth models, Cr(VI) to Cr(III) reduction begins on the Al-Cu-Fe-Mn intermetallic second-phase particles, which act as cathodic sites, and then over the entire Al matrix surface. The less noble Al-Cu-Mg second-phase particles demonstrate dual behaviour during the initial stage of coating; some dealloy, with formation of a Cu-rich sponge-like structure, while others show no evidence for etching during the first few seconds and coating deposits on them similar to the situation for the Al-Cu-Fe-Mn particles. XPS measurements show more Cr(III) at the very initial stage of nucleation and growth, whereas the amount of Cr(VI) in the coating increases with the length of the chromating treatment. This is discussed in relation to Raman spectroscopy measurements made in a separate study

Transfer factor of "9"0Sr and "1"3"7Cs to lettuce and winter wheat at different growth stage applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al Attar, Lina; Al-Oudat, Mohammad; Safia, Bassam; Ghani, Basem Abdul

2015-01-01

The effect of clay soil contamination time on the transfer factors (F_vs) of "1"3"7Cs and "9"0Sr was investigated in four different growth stages of winter wheat and lettuce crops. The experiment was performed in an open field using lysimeters. The F_vs were the ratio of the activity concentrations of the radionuclides in crops to those in soil, both as dry weight (Bq kg"−"1). Significant difference of log-F_vs was evaluated using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Basically, F_vs of "9"0Sr were higher than those of "1"3"7Cs, despite of the application stage or crop' variety. Higher F_vs for both radionuclides were observed for lettuce in comparison to winter wheat. F_vs of "9"0Sr showed comparable trends for both crops with enhanced F_vs obtained when contamination occurred in early stages, i.e. 1.20 for lettuce and 0.88 and 0.02 for winter wheat, straw and grains, respectively. Despite the fluctuation noted in the pattern of F_vs for "1"3"7Cs, soil contaminated at the second stage gave the highest F_vs for lettuce and grains, with geometric means of 0.21 and 0.01, respectively. However, wheat-straw showed remarkable increase in F_v for the latest contamination (ripening stage), about 0.06. It could be concluded that soil contamination at early growth stages would represent high radiological risk for the scenarios studied with an exception to "1"3"7Cs in winter wheat-straw which reflected greater hazard at the latest application. - Highlights: • Higher TFs for both radionuclides were observed for leafy plant in comparison to cereals. • Despite the growth stages & plants' variety, TFs of "9"0Sr were always higher than those of "1"3"7Cs. • TFs of "9"0Sr showed comparable trends in both crops and were higher at earlier growth stages. • Fluctuation noted in TFs for "1"3"7Cs in lettuce with higher TFs at second contamination-stage. • High TFs for "1"3"7Cs when contamination occurred at the latest growth stage of wheat vegetative.

Initiation of microporosity from pre-existing bubbles: a computational study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasikumar, Roschen; Savithri, S; Walker, Michael J; Sundarraj, Suresh

2008-01-01

Representation of the pore nucleation phenomenon has been a weak link in models of microporosity formation in castings. Porosity models in the literature use different criteria for the stage at which a pore first appears. Pre-existence of microbubbles in the melt has been proposed by many as the reason for non-classical nucleation of pores at low supersaturations. However, nucleation of pores from pre-existing bubbles has not been explicitly modeled or included in models of microporosity. In this paper we present a model for initiation of hydrogen porosity by diffusion of hydrogen into pre-existing bubbles containing insoluble gas. We find that small pre-existing microbubbles have a quiescent stage of very slow growth until a critical supersaturation is built up, followed by a stage of rapid growth that exhausts most of the built-up supersaturation. After that the growth takes place at a small supersaturation until the end of solidification. The phenomenon is analogous to the undercooling and recalescence that occurs during nucleation and growth of solid grains

The similarity of river evolution at the initial stage of channel erosion

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jiun-Chuan

2014-05-01

The study deals with a comparison study of two types of rocks at the initial stage of channel erosion in Taiwan. It is interesting that channel erosion at different types of rocks shows some similarity. There are two types of rocks: sandstone at Ta-an River, central Taiwan where river channel erosion from the nick point because of earthquake uplifting and mud rock at Tainan, southern Taiwan where rill erosion on a flat surface after artificial engineering. These two situations are both at the beginning stage of channel erosion, there are some similar landform appeared on channels. However the rate of erosion and magnitude of erosion are different. According to the using of photogrammetry method to reconstruct archive imageries and field surveying by total station and 3D scanner at different stages. The incision rate is high both at the Ta-an River and the bank erosion and it is even more obvious at mud rock area because of erodibility of mud rock. The results show that bank erosion and incision both are obvious processes. Bank erosion made channel into meander. The bank erosion cause slope in a asymmetric channel profile. The incision process will start at the site where land is relatively uplifted. This paper demonstrates such similarity and landform characters.

Four-dimensional imaging of the initial stage of fast evolving plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Pengfei; Wang Weimin; Zhang Zhongchao; Chen Long; Zheng Jun; Li Runze; Qian Dong; Li Junjie; Wang Xuan; Cao Jianming; Sheng Zhengming; Zhang Jie

2010-01-01

Using an ultrafast electron probe capable of four-dimensional diagnosis, the initial stage of fast evolving plasmas produced by a 10 14 W/cm 2 laser irradiation of a metal target was investigated in real time with picosecond time resolution. The associated strong transient electric field was identified to have two components, which either focus or defocus the probe electron beam. The effects of this field on the probe electron beam can be reproduced by a self-expanding charge cloud containing about 5x10 7 suprathermal electrons with the outermost layer expanding at an average speed of 1.2x10 7 m/s.

Drought priming at vegetative growth stages improves tolerance to drought and heat stresses occurring during grain filling in spring wheat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Xiao; Vignjevic, Marija; Liu, Fulai

2015-01-01

Plants of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Vinjett) were exposed to moderate water deficit at the vegetative growth stages six-leaf and/or stem elongation to investigate drought priming effects on tolerance to drought and heat stress events occurring during the grain filling stage. Compared......Plants of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Vinjett) were exposed to moderate water deficit at the vegetative growth stages six-leaf and/or stem elongation to investigate drought priming effects on tolerance to drought and heat stress events occurring during the grain filling stage...... of abscisic acid in primed plants under drought stress could contribute to higher grain yield compared to the non-primed plants. Taken together, the results indicate that drought priming during vegetative stages improved tolerance to both drought and heat stress events occurring during grain filling in wheat....

Stochastic modeling of pitting corrosion: A new model for initiation and growth of multiple corrosion pits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valor, A.; Caleyo, F.; Alfonso, L.; Rivas, D.; Hallen, J.M.

2007-01-01

In this work, a new stochastic model capable of simulating pitting corrosion is developed and validated. Pitting corrosion is modeled as the combination of two stochastic processes: pit initiation and pit growth. Pit generation is modeled as a nonhomogeneous Poisson process, in which induction time for pit initiation is simulated as the realization of a Weibull process. In this way, the exponential and Weibull distributions can be considered as the possible distributions for pit initiation time. Pit growth is simulated using a nonhomogeneous Markov process. Extreme value statistics is used to find the distribution of maximum pit depths resulting from the combination of the initiation and growth processes for multiple pits. The proposed model is validated using several published experiments on pitting corrosion. It is capable of reproducing the experimental observations with higher quality than the stochastic models available in the literature for pitting corrosion

Stochastic modeling of pitting corrosion: A new model for initiation and growth of multiple corrosion pits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valor, A. [Facultad de Fisica, Universidad de La Habana, San Lazaro y L, Vedado, 10400 Havana (Cuba); Caleyo, F. [Departamento de Ingenieria, Metalurgica, IPN-ESIQIE, UPALM Edif. 7, Zacatenco, Mexico DF 07738 (Mexico)]. E-mail: fcaleyo@gmail.com; Alfonso, L. [Departamento de Ingenieria, Metalurgica, IPN-ESIQIE, UPALM Edif. 7, Zacatenco, Mexico DF 07738 (Mexico); Rivas, D. [Departamento de Ingenieria, Metalurgica, IPN-ESIQIE, UPALM Edif. 7, Zacatenco, Mexico DF 07738 (Mexico); Hallen, J.M. [Departamento de Ingenieria, Metalurgica, IPN-ESIQIE, UPALM Edif. 7, Zacatenco, Mexico DF 07738 (Mexico)

2007-02-15

In this work, a new stochastic model capable of simulating pitting corrosion is developed and validated. Pitting corrosion is modeled as the combination of two stochastic processes: pit initiation and pit growth. Pit generation is modeled as a nonhomogeneous Poisson process, in which induction time for pit initiation is simulated as the realization of a Weibull process. In this way, the exponential and Weibull distributions can be considered as the possible distributions for pit initiation time. Pit growth is simulated using a nonhomogeneous Markov process. Extreme value statistics is used to find the distribution of maximum pit depths resulting from the combination of the initiation and growth processes for multiple pits. The proposed model is validated using several published experiments on pitting corrosion. It is capable of reproducing the experimental observations with higher quality than the stochastic models available in the literature for pitting corrosion.

Growth of High-Quality GaAs on Ge by Controlling the Thickness and Growth Temperature of Buffer Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Xu-Liang; Pan, Jiao-Qing; Yu, Hong-Yan; Li, Shi-Yan; Wang, Bao-Jun; Bian, Jing; Wang, Wei

2014-12-01

High-quality GaAs thin films grown on miscut Ge substrates are crucial for GaAs-based devices on silicon. We investigate the effect of different thicknesses and temperatures of GaAs buffer layers on the crystal quality and surface morphology of GaAs on Ge by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Through high resolution x-ray diffraction measurements, it is demonstrated that the full width at half maximum for the GaAs epilayer (Ge substrate) peak could achieve 19.3 (11.0) arcsec. The value of etch pit density could be 4×104 cm-2. At the same time, GaAs surfaces with no pyramid-shaped pits are obtained when the buffer layer growth temperature is lower than 360°C, due to effective inhibition of initial nucleation at terraces of the Ge surface. In addition, it is shown that large island formation at the initial stage of epitaxial growth is a significant factor for the final rough surface and that this initial stage should be carefully controlled when a device quality GaAs surface is desired.

Nitrogen side-dress as a strategy to reduce defoliation demages at different growth stages of maize

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Sangoi

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Nitrogen can mitigate damages caused by leaf area reduction due to its influence on cell division. This work was carried out aiming to evaluate the efficiency of side-dressing different rates of nitrogen as a management strategy to maize stem defoliation at different growth stages. The experiment was set in Lages, during the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 growing seasons. The experimental design was a randomized block with split plots. Three defoliation times were tested in the main plot: eight expanded leaves (V8, fifteen expanded leaves (V15 and tasseling (VT, plus a control without defoliation. Four nitrogen rates were assessed in the split-plots: 0, 50, 100 and 200 kg ha-1 of N. Nitrogen was side-dressed at the defoliation day of each growth stage and at V8 in the control. Defoliations performed at V8 did not reduce grain yield, in comparison to the control, regardless of N rate. Side-dressing N rates at V15 increased grain yield, mitigating damages caused by defoliation. Defoliation carried out at VT promoted great grain yield reduction that could not be alleviated with subsequent nitrogen fertilization. The success of nitrogen side-dress as a strategy to minimize maize grain yield losses caused by defoliation depends on the growth stage leaf area reduction occurs.

The blood level of transforming growth factor-beta rises in the early stages of acute protein and energy deficit in the weanling mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Monk, Jennifer M; Woodward, Bill

2010-03-01

Plasma transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta levels are high in the advanced stages of acute (wasting) pre-pubescent deficits of protein and energy. Consequently, this potently anti-inflammatory cytokine may help to sustain the depression of inflammatory immune competence in acute malnutrition. Our objective was to determine if plasma TGF-beta levels rise during the early stages of acute malnutrition and, secondarily, to confirm the elevation reported previously in advanced weight loss. In two experiments, male and female C57BL/6J mice, initially 19 d old, consumed ad libitum a complete purified diet (group C), or in restricted daily quantities (group R) or had free access to an isoenergetic low-protein diet (group LP). TGF-beta bioactivity in platelet-poor plasma was determined via inhibition of Mv1Lu mink lung cell proliferation after 3 d (Expt 1, early stage) or 14 d (Expt 2, advanced stage) of dietary intervention. At 3 d, mean plasma TGF-beta bioactivities were 802 (C), 2952 (R) and 4678 (LP) pg/ml, and after 14 d mean bioactivities were 1786 (C), 5360 (R) and 5735 (LP) pg/ml. At both time points, the malnourished groups differed from age-matched controls (P initiation (and maintenance) of malnutrition-associated immune depression. This investigation contributes new insight into the active anti-inflammatory form of immune competence that appears to prevail in acute pre-pubescent malnutrition.

Multitracer study on the soil-to-plant transfer of radionuclides in komatsuna at different growth stages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambe, S.; Ozaki, T.; Enomoto, S.; Shinonaga, T.

1999-01-01

The selective absorption coefficient, which is a parameter of an uptake model of radionuclides by plants, was determined for various radionuclides by a multitracer technique. Komatsuna, Brassica rapa var. perviridis, was hydroponically cultivated in a nutrient solution containing a multitracer for 1 day. Nutrient concentration dependence of the selective absorption coefficient of various elements from Be to Re was obtained separately for leaves and roots. The selective absorption coefficients of these elements were, in general, found to decrease with an increase in the concentration of nutrient solutions. Regression equations of the power function for the selective absorption coefficients and the concentration of nutrient solutions were obtained for the leaves and roots. The effects of photon flux and growth stage of plants on the selective absorption coefficients were also studied. It was found that the photon flux influenced the accumulation of radionuclides in the roots but had no significant effect on the selective absorption coefficients for the leaves in 1-day cultivation with the multitracer. The selective absorption coefficients of Mn and Zn in the leaves of the plants at the development stage were higher than those at the maturation stage. For the other elements, no significant effects of the growth stage on the selective absorption coefficients were observed. (author)

Determination of specific growth stages of plant cell suspension cultures by monitoring conductivity changes in the medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Hahlbrock, K; Ebel, J; Oaks, A; Auden, J; Liersch, M

1974-03-01

Conductivity changes in the medium of cultured soybean (Glycine max L.) cells were shown to be strictly correlated with nitrate uptake and growth of the cultures. A continuous record of the conductivity was used as a simple and reliable method of determining specific growth stages and concomitant peaks in the activities of nitrate reductase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase.

Game method application efficiency for speed and power capability development of trampoline athletes at the initial training stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfia Deineko

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to prove the effectiveness of using the game method for speed and power capability development of trampoline athletes at the initial training stage. Material & Methods: in the article the materials of the research that was carried out with the help of pedagogical testing of trampoliners of 7–8 years on the basis of the Children and Youth Sports School No. 7, Trampoline Department of Kharkov. Results: conducted pedagogical experiment showed the effectiveness of the developed methodology for the development of speed-strength abilities of trampoline athletes at the initial training stage using the game method. Conclusion: results of the experiment confirm the importance of the use of the game method for the development of speed-strength abilities in the initial training of young trampolines, which further affects the level of their technical preparedness and the effectiveness of competition activities.

Toward an adverse outcome pathway for impaired growth: Mitochondrial dysfunction impairs growth in early life stages of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).

Science.gov (United States)

Bolser, Derek G; Dreier, David A; Li, Erchao; Kroll, Kevin J; Martyniuk, Christopher J; Denslow, Nancy D

2018-07-01

Chemical contaminants present in the environment can affect mitochondrial bioenergetics in aquatic organisms and can have substantial effects on individual fitness. As early life stages of fish are particularly vulnerable to environmental contaminants, they are ideal models for examining the relationship between impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics (ATP-dependent respiration, basal oxidative respiration) and apical endpoints such as growth. Here, early life stages of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), an ecologically relevant North American species, were used to investigate the relationship between mitochondrial bioenergetics and growth following perturbation with model mitochondrial toxicants 2,4-dinitrophenol and octylamine. Fathead minnows were exposed to 2,4-dinitrophenol and octylamine at 3 concentrations for 24 h and endpoints related to mitochondrial bioenergetics were measured with the Agilent Seahorse XFe24 Bioanalyzer. In order to link changes in mitochondrial bioenergetics to growth, fathead minnows were exposed to the same chemical contaminants for 7-14 days and growth was measured by measuring total length on a weekly basis. There was a significant correlation between decrease in average length at 14 days and basal respiration (r = 0.997, p = 0.050, n = 3), as well as maximal respiration (r = 0.998, p-value = 0.043, n = 3) for embryos exposed to 2,4 dinitrophenol. For octylamine, ATP production was highly correlated with average length at 7 days (p-value = 0.1) and spare respiratory capacity and average length at 14 days were highly correlated (p-value = 0.1). These data improve understanding of how mitochondrial toxicants impair growth in fish larvae and may be useful for developing an adverse outcome pathway for growth. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In situ fatigue loading stage inside scanning electron microscope

Science.gov (United States)

Telesman, Jack; Kantzos, Peter; Brewer, David

1988-01-01

A fatigue loading stage inside a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was developed. The stage allows dynamic and static high-magnification and high-resolution viewing of the fatigue crack initiation and crack propagation processes. The loading stage is controlled by a closed-loop servohydraulic system. Maximum load is 1000 lb (4450 N) with test frequencies ranging up to 30 Hz. The stage accommodates specimens up to 2 inches (50 mm) in length and tolerates substantial specimen translation to view the propagating crack. At room temperature, acceptable working resolution is obtainable for magnifications ranging up to 10,000X. The system is equipped with a high-temperature setup designed for temperatures up to 2000 F (1100 C). The signal can be videotaped for further analysis of the pertinent fatigue damage mechanisms. The design allows for quick and easy interchange and conversion of the SEM from a loading stage configuration to its normal operational configuration and vice versa. Tests are performed entirely in the in-situ mode. In contrast to other designs, the NASA design has greatly extended the life of the loading stage by not exposing the bellows to cyclic loading. The loading stage was used to investigate the fatigue crack growth mechanisms in the (100)-oriented PWA 1480 single-crystal, nickel-based supperalloy. The high-magnification observations revealed the details of the crack growth processes.

Biocontrol Ability of Puccinia abrupta var. partheniicola on Different Growth Stages of Parthenium Weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MOHAMAD TAUFIK FAUZI

2009-09-01

Full Text Available A research was conducted to investigate the biological control ability of Puccinia abrupta var. partheniicola infected to parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L. at different stages of growth in a glasshouse. The study also investigated the combined effect of the infection and the competitor plant, i.e. buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L., a pasture species usually found in the weed habitat in Central Queensland. The 2 × 3 factorial experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with six replicates in each treatment. The parthenium weeds were planted with or without buffel grass. The plants were inoculated with P. abrupta var. partheniicola urediniospores either at the rosette, flowering or mature growth stage of development. As controls, an additional six non inoculated plants with and without buffel grass were planted. The results showed that P. abrupta var. partheniicola affected more on the younger plants than on the older ones. Its infection decreased the plant height. A higher reduction in plant above ground biomass was recorded because of the rust when the plants were inoculated at the rosette growth stage of development in the presence of competition. The impact of the rust was greatest on the ability of parthenium to produce seeds.

Method of development force at the young gymnasts on the stages of initial and specialized preparation

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Khudolii O.N.

2010-08-01

Full Text Available The terms of effective development of force are considered for young gymnasts on the stages of initial and specialized preparation. The models of urgent and moved aside training effect of the power loadings are certain for young gymnasts 7-13 years. It is set that the process of power preparation of young gymnasts can be separate on two stages. On the first stage by means of the concentrated power loadings the expressed decline of force of group of muscles is arrived at. On the second stage by means of favourable a display maximal efforts of loadings the increase of force of group of muscles is arrived at. Application of the power loadings of different orientation is given by possibility during 10-12 employments on 30-60% to increase force of group of muscles, shorten time of training on development of force in two times.

Electrical Tree Initiation and Growth in Silicone Rubber under Combined DC-Pulse Voltage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tao Han

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Electrical tree is a serious threat to silicone rubber (SIR insulation and can even cause breakdown. Electrical trees under alternating current (AC and direct current (DC voltage have been widely researched. While there are pulses in high-voltage direct current (HVDC cables under operating conditions caused by lightning and operating overvoltage in the power system, little research has been reported about trees under combined DC-pulse voltage. Their inception and growth mechanism is still not clear. In this paper, electrical trees are studied under several types of combined DC-pulse voltage. The initiation and growth process was recorded by a digital microscope system. The experimental results indicate that the inception pulse voltage is different under each voltage type and is influenced by the combined DC. The initial tree has two structures, determined by the pulse polarity. With increased DC prestressing time, tree inception pulse voltage with the same polarity is clearly decreased. Moreover, a special initial bubble tree was observed after the prestressing DC.

Controlling the Sex of Flowers in Different Stages of Growth and Development of Melon (Cucumis melo var. reticualus L. with Ethephon Application

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K. Arabsalmani

2013-06-01

Full Text Available To investigate the effect of ethephon on control of male flowers in melon, a split plot experiment, with randomized complete blocks design and three replications, was conducted in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center of Varamin, Iran, during 2005-2006. The main factor included three levels of plant growth stage (3-leaf, 6-leaf and early reproductive stage and sub-plots included four ethephon levels (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/L. The appearance time of female flowers, number of male and female flowers (7 and 14 days after application of ethephon, total yield and female/male flowers ratio were evaluated. Results showed that plant response to increasing concentration of ethephon depends on plant growth stage. By using the ethephon concentrations of 100, 200 and 300 mg/L, the emergence of female flowers was delayed 6, 13 and 15 days, respectively, in comparison to control. The highest yield (26430 kg/ha was obtained with spraying of 200 mg/L ethephon in trifoliate plants. In this case, the ratio of female to male flowers was highest (81.5%. A high dose of ethephon (over 200 mg/L was associated with reduced yield and ratio of female to male flowers, at all stages of plant growth, especially in reproductive growth stage. The results this research showed that the beneficial effects of ethephon application is possible only if the right time is chosen with respect to plant growth.

Effect of magnesium ions on the initial oxidation stages of carbon steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subramanian, H.; Subramanian, Veena; Rangarajan, S.; Narasimhan, S.V.; Velmurugan, S.

2012-09-01

Metal Ion Passivation (MIP) is a technique in which passivating ions get into the oxide of structural materials and modifies the oxide in such a way as to reduce the corrosion and corrosion release rates. Magnesium ions are found to be efficient in passivating carbon steel. This study is an attempt to understand the role of magnesium ions during the early stage of film growth on carbon steel. The study reveals that in the presence of Mg, the initial oxide film formed by the application of potential had a different electrochemical property. The microstructure of the parent alloy of steel also interacted differently with Mg during the film formation. The ferrite film was grown on carbon steel by applying 0.1 V (vs SCE) in borate buffer (pH=9, 85 deg. C). The formation and coverage of film on the surface was ascertained by measuring the steady state current density as a function of time. The steady state current density was achieved faster when Mg was present in the solution. The thin film formed was characterized by both by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The formation of a passive film (at 0.1 V vs SCE) was evident in both with and without Mg cases, with total impedance of the system increasing by an order of magnitude compared to the film formed at OCP (∼ - 0.825 V vs SCE). The data was fitted to an equivalent circuit representing a metal covered with a porous film. The fit parameters were significantly different for Mg containing system and the charge transfer resistance at oxide/solution interface was observed to be two times higher. The capacitance of the film was also higher in presence of Mg indicating a thinner film. The thin films on carbon steel were characterized by AFM in semi contact mode. The surfaces were found to be covered with fine oxide. Two morphologically different regions could be identified on the surface and they were assigned as pearlite and ferrite regions. One of the most notable observations was the

The effect of plant growth regulators on callus initiation in wormwood ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Studies were carried out in the Biotechnology laboratory of Plant Science Department of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria to study the effect of some plant growth regulators on the in vitro initiation of callus using the leaves of Chiyong variety of Artemisia annua. The explants were sterilized and incubated on Murashige ...

Microstructure-based approach for predicting crack initiation and early growth in metals.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cox, James V.; Emery, John M.; Brewer, Luke N.; Reedy, Earl David, Jr.; Puskar, Joseph David; Bartel, Timothy James; Dingreville, Remi P. M.; Foulk, James W., III; Battaile, Corbett Chandler; Boyce, Brad Lee

2009-09-01

Fatigue cracking in metals has been and is an area of great importance to the science and technology of structural materials for quite some time. The earliest stages of fatigue crack nucleation and growth are dominated by the microstructure and yet few models are able to predict the fatigue behavior during these stages because of a lack of microstructural physics in the models. This program has developed several new simulation tools to increase the microstructural physics available for fatigue prediction. In addition, this program has extended and developed microscale experimental methods to allow the validation of new microstructural models for deformation in metals. We have applied these developments to fatigue experiments in metals where the microstructure has been intentionally varied.

Simulations of roughness initiation and growth on railway rails

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, X.; Thompson, D. J.; Jones, C. J. C.; Xie, G.; Iwnicki, S. D.; Allen, P.; Hsu, S. S.

2006-06-01

A model for the prediction of the initiation and growth of roughness on the rail is presented. The vertical interaction between a train and the track is calculated as a time history for single or multiple wheels moving on periodically supported rails, using a wavenumber-based approach. This vertical dynamic wheel/rail force arises from the varying stiffness due to discrete supports (i.e. parametric excitation) and the roughness excitation on the railhead. The tangential contact problem between the wheel and rail is modelled using an unsteady two-dimensional approach and also using the three-dimensional contact model, FASTSIM. This enables the slip and stick regions in the contact patch to be identified from the input geometry and creepage between the wheel and rail. The long-term wear growth is then predicted by applying repeated passages of the vehicle wheelsets, as part of an iterative solution.

Effect of Ppd-1 on the expression of flowering-time genes in vegetative and reproductive growth stages of wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitagawa, Satoshi; Shimada, Sanae; Murai, Koji

2012-01-01

The photoperiod sensitivity gene Ppd-1 influences the timing of flowering in temperate cereals such as wheat and barley. The effect of Ppd-1 on the expression of flowering-time genes was assessed by examining the expression levels of the vernalization genes VRN1 and VRN3/WFT and of two CONSTANS-like genes, WCO1 and TaHd1, during vegetative and reproductive growth stages. Two near-isogenic lines (NILs) were used: the first carried a photoperiod-insensitive allele of Ppd-1 (Ppd-1a-NIL), the other, a photoperiod-sensitive allele (Ppd-1b-NIL). We found that the expression pattern of VRN1 was similar in Ppd-1a-NIL and Ppd-1b-NIL plants, suggesting that VRN1 is not regulated by Ppd-1. Under long day conditions, VRN3/WFT showed similar expression patterns in Ppd-1a-NIL and Ppd-1b-NIL plants. However, expression differed greatly under short day conditions: VRN3/WFT expression was detected in Ppd-1a-NIL plants at the 5-leaf stage when they transited from vegetative to reproductive growth; very low expression was present in Ppd-1b-NIL throughout all growth stages. Thus, the Ppd-1b allele acts to down-regulate VRN3/WFT under short day conditions. WCO1 showed high levels of expression at the vegetative stage, which decreased during the phase transition and reproductive growth stages in both Ppd-1a-NIL and Ppd-1b-NIL plants under short day conditions. By contrast to WCO1, TaHd1 was up-regulated during the reproductive stage. The level of TaHd1 expression was much higher in Ppd-1a-NIL than the Ppd-1b-NIL plants, suggesting that the Ppd-1b allele down-regulates TaHd1 under short day conditions. The present study indicates that down-regulation of VRN3/WFT together with TaHd1 is the cause of late flowering in the Ppd-1b-NIL plants under short day conditions.

Non-linear trends and fluctuations in temperature during different growth stages of summer maize in the North China Plain from 1960 to 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cailin; Wu, Jidong; Wang, Xu; He, Xin; Li, Ning

2017-12-01

North China Plain has undergone severe warming trends since the 1950s, but whether this trend is the same during different growth phases for crops remains unknown. Thus, we analyzed the non-linear changes in the minimum temperature (T min ), mean temperature (T mean ) and maximum temperature (T max ) using the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition method during each growth stage of summer maize based on daily temperature data from 1960 to 2014. Our results strongly suggest that the trends and fluctuations in temperature change are non-linear. These changes can be categorized into four types of trend change according to the combinations of decreasing and increasing trends, and 8 fluctuation modes dominated by the fluctuations of expansion and shrinkage. The amplitude of the fluctuation is primarily expansion in the sowing-jointing stage and shrinkage in the jointing-maturity stage. Moreover, the temperature changes are inconsistent within each growth stage and are not consistent with the overall warming trend observed over the last 55 years. A transition period occurred in both the 1980s and the 1990s for temperatures during the sowing-tasseling stage. Furthermore, the cooling trend of the T max was significant in the sowing-emergence stage, while this cooling trend was not obvious for both T mean and T min in the jointing-tasseling stage. These results showed that temperature change was significantly different in different stages of the maize growth season. The results can serve as a scientific basis for a better understanding of the actual changes in the regional surface air temperature and agronomic heat resources.

The free growth criterion for grain initiation in TiB 2 inoculated γ-titanium aluminide based alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Gosslar, D.; Günther, R.

2014-02-01

γ-titanium aluminide (γ-TiAl) based alloys enable for the design of light-weight and high-temperature resistant engine components. This work centers on a numerical study of the condition for grain initiation during solidification of TiB2 inoculated γ-TiAl based alloys. Grain initiation is treated according to the so-called free growth criterion. This means that the free growth barrier for grain initiation is determined by the maximum interfacial mean curvature between a nucleus and the melt. The strategy presented in this paper relies on iteratively increasing the volume of a nucleus, which partially wets a hexagonal TiB2 crystal, minimizing the interfacial energy and calculating the corresponding interfacial curvature. The hereby obtained maximum curvature yields a scaling relation between the size of TiB2 crystals and the free growth barrier. Comparison to a prototypical TiB2 crystal in an as cast γ-TiAl based alloy allowed then to predict the free growth barrier prevailing under experimental conditions. The validity of the free growth criterion is discussed by an interfacial energy criterion.

Effect of Different Growth Stages and Dew Period Length on Disease Development of Alternaria alternata as a Biological Control Agent for Convolvulus arvensis

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E Zeidali

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Field bindweed is an important perinial weed of agricultural crops word-wide. There are plant pathogen fungus which could cause necrotic spots on the leaves and stems of convolvulus arvensis under natural coditions. In order to evaluate the effects of weed growth stage and length of dew period on disease development causes by Aletrnaria alternata and Fusarium sp. two expriments were performed in the greenhouse based on a completely randomized design in factorial arrangement with four replications during 2006-2007. Spore concentration for both experiments was 107 spores per ml of distilled water. In the first experiment, treatments were different growth stages of field bindweed (cotyledon, 4-leaf, 6-leaf, 9-11-leaf stages. Results showed that disease development in the fungus of A. alternata was higher than Fusarium sp. The most susceptable growth stage of field bindweed plants to A. alternata was 2-4-leave stage. The second expriment was performed in order to study the effect of dew period length (6, 12, 24 and 48 hour dew periods on disease development at 4-leaf growth stage of field bindweed. The maximum disease development and minimum weed dry weight were observed with application of the fungus of A. alternata at dew periods of 24 and 48 hour, however, plant damage was also observed with a length of 6 hours dew period.

Observations of the initial stages of colloidal band formation

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yanrong; Tagawa, Yoshiyuki; Yee, Andrew; Yoda, Minami

2017-11-01

A number of studies have shown that particles suspended in a conducting fluid near a wall are subject to wall-normal repulsive ``lift'' forces, even in the absence of interparticle interactions, in a flowing suspension. Evanescent-wave visualizations have shown that colloidal particles in a dilute (volume fractions negative zeta-potentials. Above a minimum ``threshold'' electric field magnitude |Emin | , the particles assemble into dense ``bands'' with cross-sectional dimensions of a few μm and length comparable to that of the channel (i.e., a few cm). The results suggest that the threshold field |Emin | is large enough so that there is a region of ``reverse'' flow, along the direction of the EO flow, near the wall. Visualization of a large segment of the channel (>300 hydraulic diameters) at frame rates as great as 1 kHz is used to determine banding maps for a variety of dilute colloidal suspensions and to investigate the initial stages of band formation over a wide range of flow conditions. Supported by US Army Research Office.

Experimental study of the initial plasma formation stage in a linear theta pinch of inverted field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casin, G.C.; Alvarez, Ricardo; Rojkind, R.H.; Rodrigo, A.B.

1986-01-01

The initial stage of the plasma formation was studied in a linear theta pinch. Experiments were made to determine the machine operating conditions for good shot-to-shot reproducibility. Spectroscopic measurements of electron density and of electron and ion temperature were made afterwards to characterize the plasma at different stages of its heating process. The results obtained indicate that shot-to-shot reproducibility is strongly influenced by the presence of impurities and by the plasma preionization technique used. Under proper operating conditions, excellent reproducibility was observed. The measured values of the plasma parameters are compatible with those determined for similar machines. (Author) [es

Early stage crystallization kinetics in metallic glass-forming alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Louzguine-Luzgin, Dmitri V.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Heterogeneous nucleation may precede the homogeneous one in an alloy. • High kinetic constants and the nucleation rate at the initial stage. • Metallic glasses have heterogeneous nucleation sites which saturate later. -- Abstract: The crystallization kinetics and structural changes of a few metallic glassy alloys were monitored using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning and isothermal calorimetry methods. Microstructural observations were used to estimate the nucleation and growth rates. A clear comparison of the differences in the crystallization kinetics in the metallic glassy samples is observed at the early and later crystallization stages

The relationship between reproduction of the jump’s rhythm and technical score of their execution by gymnasts at the stage of initial training

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Oksana Zaplatynska

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to determine the interconnection between quality of performance of the jumps and reproduction of the rhythm of jumps by gymnasts at the stage of initial training. Material & Methods: to determine the relationship between reproduction of rhythm and evaluation by the quality of technique of the jumps we used expert assessment, check the accuracy of the reproduction of rhythm with the help of computer program "rhythmic", methods of mathematical statistics. Results: the study found the correlation between reproduction of rhythm and summing-up of quality the technique of jumps by the gymnasts at the stage of initial training. Conclusions: the ability to reproduce a predetermined rhythm influences the level of technical readiness of gymnasts at the stage of initial training.

Initial Misdiagnosis of Proximal Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Is Associated with Delay in Diagnosis and Advanced Stage at Presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Swords, Douglas S; Mone, Mary C; Zhang, Chong; Presson, Angela P; Mulvihill, Sean J; Scaife, Courtney L

2015-10-01

Delay in diagnosis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with decreased survival. The effect of an initial misdiagnosis on delay in diagnosis and stage of PDAC is unknown. This study is a retrospective review (2000-2010) from a University-based cancer center of new diagnoses of proximal PDAC. Of 313 patients, 98 (31.3 %) had an initial misdiagnosis. Misdiagnosed patients were younger, 62.8 ± 12.6 vs. 68.0 ± 10.1 (p < 0.001). The most common initial misdiagnoses were: gallbladder disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and peptic ulcer disease. After excluding patients with prior cholecystectomy, 14.2 % were misdiagnosed with gallbladder disease and underwent cholecystectomy before PDAC diagnosis. Misdiagnosed patients had higher rates of abdominal pain (p < 0.001), weight loss (p = 0.04), and acute pancreatitis (p < 0.001) and lower rate of jaundice (p < 0.001). Median time between symptoms to PDAC diagnosis was longer in misdiagnosed: 4.2 months vs. 1.4 (p < 0.001). Median time from contact with medical provider to axial imaging was longer in misdiagnosed (p < 0.001). Rate of stages III-IV disease at diagnosis was higher in misdiagnosed: 61.2 vs. 43.7 % (p = 0.004), with a 1.4 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.12-1.74) higher risk of stages III-IV disease at diagnosis; however, there was no difference in median overall survival in misdiagnosed patients (9.6 months in misdiagnosed vs. 10.3 months in correctly diagnosed, p = 0.69). Initial misdiagnosis of patients with proximal PDAC is associated with delay in diagnosis and higher risk of locally advanced or advanced disease at time of PDAC diagnosis.

Influence of growth conditions on microstructure and defects in ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

and dislocations in the intermediate Si layer are generated due to the development of non-uniform stresses during ... during the initial stages of growth on substrate and reporting ..... Research for financial support for carrying out the present.

The intrusive growth of initial cells in re-arangement of cells in cambium of Tilia cordata Mill.

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Wiesław Włoch

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the cambium of linden producing wood with short period of grain inclination change (2-4 years, the intensive reorientation of cells takes place. This is possible mainly through an intrusive growth of cell ends from one radial file entering space between tangential walls of neighboring file and through unequal periclinal divisions that occur in the "initial surface". The intrusive growth is located on the longitudinal edge of a fusiform cell close to the end, and causes deviation of cell ends in a neighbouring file from the initial surface. Unequal periclinal division divides a cell with a deviated end into two derivatives, unequal in size. The one of them, which inherits the deviated end, leaves the initial surface becoming a xylem or phloem mother cell. This means that the old end is eliminated. The intensity of intrusive growth and unequal periclinal divisions is decisive for the velocity of cambial cell reorientation. The oriented intrusive growth occurs only in the initial cells. For that reason, changes in cell-ends position do not occur within one packet of cells but are distinct between neighbouring packets.

Infection of some cayenne pepper varieties (Capsicum frustescens L.) by Tobacco mosaic virus at different growth stages

Science.gov (United States)

Damiri, N.; Sofita, I. S.; Effend, T. A.; Rahim, S. E.

2017-09-01

This research aimed to study the infection of three varieties of cayenne pepper (Capsicum frustescens L.) by Tobacco Mosaic Virus when they were inoculated at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks old after planting. This experiment was conducted in a green house, at the Plant pests and diseases department, Agriculture Faculty, Sriwijaya University, Indralaya, South Sumatra Indonesia from March to October 2014. The study was arranged in factorial completely randomized design with three replicates. First factor was varieties of cayenne pepper namely green, white and small. Second factor was growth stage. Results of the study showed that TMV inoculated at different growth stages of three cayenne pepper varieties affected the incubation period of TMV symptom, time for flowering and productions. The infection of TMV on various ages affected the disease severity on cayenne pepper variety. The highest disease severity was taking place on small cayenne pepper variety that was inoculated at the early stages of age namely 2 weeks after planting. Inoculation of TMV at younger stages of all Cayenne peppers varieties caused a significant reduction in the number of fruits and its weights. TMV has caused a reduction of more than 50% in weight of cayenne pepper fruits regardless of the variety.

Effect of initial ph on growth characteristics and fermentation properties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xingyan; Jia, Bo; Sun, Xiangyu; Ai, Jingya; Wang, Lihua; Wang, Cheng; Zhao, Fang; Zhan, Jicheng; Huang, Weidong

2015-04-01

As the core microorganism of wine making, Saccharomyces cerevisiae encounter low pH stress at the beginning of fermentation. Effect of initial pH (4.50, 3.00, 2.75, 2.50) on growth and fermentation performance of 3 S. cerevisiae strains Freddo, BH8, Nº.7303, different tolerance at low pH, chosen from 12 strains, was studied. The values of yeast growth (OD600 , colony forming units, cell dry weight), fermentation efficiency (accumulated mass loss, change of total sugar concentration), and fermentation products (ethanol, glycerol, acetic acid, and l-succinic acid) at different pH stress were measured. The results showed that the initial pH of must was a vital factor influencing yeast growth and alcoholic fermentation. Among the 3 strains, strain Freddo and BH8 were more tolerant than Nº.7303, so they were affected slighter than the latter. Among the 4 pH values, all the 3 strains showed adaptation even at pH 2.50; pH 2.75 and 2.50 had more vital effect on yeast growth and fermentation products in contrast with pH 4.50 and 3.00. In general, low initial pH showed the properties of prolonging yeast lag phase, affecting accumulated mass loss, changing the consumption rate of total sugar, increasing final content of acetic acid and glycerol, and decreasing final content of ethanol and l- succinic acid, except some special cases. Based on this study, the effect of low pH on wine products would be better understood and the tolerance mechanism of low pH of S. cerevisiae could be better explored in future. © 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®

Nucleation and growth of polycrystalline SiC

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaiser, M.; Schimmel, S.; Jokubavicius, V.

2014-01-01

The nucleation and bulk growth of polycrystalline SiC in a 2 inch PVT setup using isostatic and pyrolytic graphite as substrates was studied. Textured nucleation occurs under near-thermal equilibrium conditions at the initial growth stage with hexagonal platelet shaped crystallites of 4H, 6H and 15......R polytypes. It is found that pyrolytic graphite results in enhanced texturing of the nucleating gas species. Reducing the pressure leads to growth of the crystallites until a closed polycrystalline SiC layer containing voids with a rough surface is developed. Bulk growth was conducted at 35 mbar Ar...

Perceived Risk Influence on the Consumer Attitude to Private Labels in the Product’s Life Cycle Growth Stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Horvat

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between purchasing risk associated with private labels and consumer attitudes towards private labels in different product categories in the growth stage of the product life cycle. The first part of the paper is devoted to a brief literature review of the relevant constructs. The second part describes the research and summarizes its results. Descriptive research was conducted on the Croatian market relating to private labels in three different product categories in the growth stage of the product life cycle: liquid soap, chocolate and facial care products. The results confirm negative correlation between perceived risk and attitudes towards private labels in all analysed categories.

Corrosion fatigue initiation and short crack growth behaviour of austenitic stainless steels under light water reactor conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seifert, H.P.; Ritter, S.; Leber, H.J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Corrosion fatigue in austenitic stainless steels under light water reactor conditions. ► Identification of major parameters of influence on initiation and short crack growth. ► Critical system conditions for environmental reduction of fatigue initiation life. ► Comparison with the environmental factor (F env ) approach. - Abstract: The corrosion fatigue initiation and short crack growth behaviour of different wrought low-carbon and stabilised austenitic stainless steels was characterised under simulated boiling water reactor and pressurised water reactor primary water conditions by cyclic fatigue tests with sharply notched fracture mechanics specimens. The special emphasis was placed to the behaviour at low corrosion potentials and, in particular, to hydrogen water chemistry conditions. The major parameter effects and critical conjoint threshold conditions, which result in relevant environmental reduction and acceleration of fatigue initiation life and subsequent short crack growth, respectively, are discussed and summarised. The observed corrosion fatigue behaviour is compared with the fatigue evaluation procedures in codes and regulatory guidelines.

INITIAL GROWTHING OF PARICÁ (Schizolobium amazonicum UNDER NUTRIENT OMISSION AND SODIUM IN NUTRITIVE SOLUTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa Cristina Lara Lanza de Sá e Melo Marques

2004-07-01

Full Text Available This paper aimed to evaluate the production of dry matter in leaves, stems and roots, to identify the effect of nutritional deficiencies, and to describe visual symptoms of macro and micronutrients deficiencies in Shizolobium amazonicum Herb. Seedlings were grown in a greenhouse experiment in 13 treatments. The deficiencies due to macro and micronutrients markedly decreased the production of dry matter. The Schizolobium amazonicum showed different responses to treatments. In the first few weeks, the seeds were able to supply P in the necessary amount but, due to fast growth rates, N was the limiting factor at this stage. Nitrogen and Fe were the most limiting and Mg, S, and Cu, were the least limiting to growth. Sodium was also less limiting to growth.

Orientation selection process during the early stage of cubic dendrite growth: A phase-field crystal study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Sai; Wang Zhijun; Guo Yaolin; Wang Jincheng; Yu Yanmei; Zhou Yaohe

2012-01-01

Using the phase-field crystal model, we investigate the orientation selection of the cubic dendrite growth at the atomic scale. Our simulation results reproduce how a face-centered cubic (fcc) octahedral nucleus and a body-centered cubic (bcc) truncated-rhombic dodecahedral nucleus choose the preferred growth direction and then evolve into the dendrite pattern. The interface energy anisotropy inherent in the fcc crystal structure leads to the fastest growth velocity in the 〈1 0 0〉 directions. New { 1 1 1} atomic layers prefer to nucleate at positions near the tips of the fcc octahedron, which leads to the directed growth of the fcc dendrite tips in the 〈1 0 0〉 directions. A similar orientation selection process is also found during the early stage of bcc dendrite growth. The orientation selection regime obtained by phase-field crystal simulation is helpful for understanding the orientation selection processes of real dendrite growth.

Toxicity of vanadium in soil on soybean at different growth stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jinyan; Wang, Mei; Jia, Yanbo; Gou, Min; Zeyer, Josef

2017-12-01

Vanadium(V) is present in trace amounts in most plants and widely distributed in soils. However, the environmental toxicity of V compound in soils is controversial. A greenhouse study with soybean from germination to bean production under exposure to pentavalent V [V(V)] was conducted to elucidate the interaction of plants and V fractions in soils and to evaluate the toxicity of V at different plant growth stages. Soybean growth has no effect on non-specific-bond and specific-bond fractions of V in soils, but V fractionation occurred in more extraction-resistant phases at high V concentrations. High concentrations of V(V) postponed the germination and growth of the soybeans. Bean production was less than half of that of the control at 500 mg kg -1 spiked V(V). For the 0 mg kg -1 spiked V(V) treated plants, the root was not the main location where V was retained. Vanadium in the soils at ≤ 250 mg kg -1 did not significantly affect the V concentration in the shoot and leaf of soybeans. With the increase in V concentration in soil, V concentrations in roots increased, whereas those in beans and pods decreased. From vegetative growth to the reproductive growth, the soybeans adsorbed more V and accumulated more V in the roots, with soil. Meanwhile, the ratio of V concentration in cell wall to the total V concentration in the root increased with the increase in V(V) concentration in soils. Our results revealed that high concentrations of V inhibited soybean germination and biomass production. However, plants may produce self-defense systems to endure V toxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Initial growth of Schizolobium parahybae in Brazilian Cerrado soil under liming and mineral fertilization

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Ademilson Coneglian

Full Text Available ABSTRACT High prices and the scarcity of hardwoods require the use of alternative wood sources, such as the Guapuruvu (Schizolobium parahybae, an arboreal species native to the Atlantic Forest, which has fast growth and high market potential. However, there is no information on its cultivation in the Brazilian Cerrado. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the contribution of mineral fertilization and liming in a Cerrado soil on the initial growth of Schizolobium parahybae. The experiment was set in a randomized block design, with 4 treatments (Cerrado soil; soil + liming; soil + fertilizer; and soil + fertilizer + liming and 15 replicates. The following variables were analyzed: plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, total, shoot, leaf, root and stem dry matter, and root/shoot ratio. The obtained data were subjected to the analysis of variance, Tukey test and regression analysis. During the initial growth, Schizolobium parahybae can be cultivated in a Brazilian Cerrado soil only under mineral fertilization, with no need for soil liming.

Visual binding abilities in the initial and advanced stages of schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parnas, Josef; Vianin, P; Saebye, D

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The study tests the hypothesis that intramodal visual binding is disturbed in schizophrenia and should be detectable in all illness stages as a stable trait marker. METHOD: Three groups of patients (rehospitalized chronic schizophrenic, first admitted schizophrenic and schizotypal...... to schizophrenic patients and to healthy subjects. Furthermore, chronic schizophrenia was associated with a poor performance on cortical tests of SWM, global local and on Raven. This association appears to be mediated by or linked to the chronicity of the illness. CONCLUSION: The study confirms a variety...... of neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia which, however, in this sample seem to be linked to chronicity of illness. However, certain aspects of visual processing concerned with Gestalt extraction deserve attention as potential vulnerability- or prodrome- indicators. The initial hypothesis of the study...

Identification of growth stage molecular markers in Trichoderma sp. 'atroviride type B' and their potential application in monitoring fungal growth and development in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendoza-Mendoza, Artemio; Steyaert, Johanna; Nieto-Jacobo, Maria Fernanda; Holyoake, Andrew; Braithwaite, Mark; Stewart, Alison

2015-11-01

Several members of the genus Trichoderma are biocontrol agents of soil-borne fungal plant pathogens. The effectiveness of biocontrol agents depends heavily on how they perform in the complex field environment. Therefore, the ability to monitor and track Trichoderma within the environment is essential to understanding biocontrol efficacy. The objectives of this work were to: (a) identify key genes involved in Trichoderma sp. 'atroviride type B' morphogenesis; (b) develop a robust RNA isolation method from soil; and (c) develop molecular marker assays for characterizing morphogenesis whilst in the soil environment. Four cDNA libraries corresponding to conidia, germination, vegetative growth and conidiogenesis were created, and the genes identified by sequencing. Stage specificity of the different genes was confirmed by either Northern blot or quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis using RNA from the four stages. con10, a conidial-specific gene, was observed in conidia, as well as one gene also involved in subsequent stages of germination (L-lactate/malate dehydrogenase encoding gene). The germination stage revealed high expression rates of genes involved in amino acid and protein biosynthesis, while in the vegetative-growth stage, genes involved in differentiation, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase similar to Kpp7 from Ustilago maydis and the orthologue to stuA from Aspergillus nidulans, were preferentially expressed. Genes involved in cell-wall synthesis were expressed during conidiogenesis. We standardized total RNA isolation from Trichoderma sp. 'atroviride type B' growing in soil and then examined the expression profiles of selected genes using qRT-PCR. The results suggested that the relative expression patterns were cyclic and not accumulative.

Crack Initiation and Growth Behavior at Corrosion Pit in 2024-T3 Aluminum Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

2014-09-01

concepts of fracture mechanics. Corrosion crack initiation or growth can develop when exposed to continuous or intermittent humid environment during...act as nucleation sites. For many materials of the structure such as Al, steel the growth of fatigue cracks from corrosion pit stands legitimate...critical or rather threshold values below which the nucleation of fatigue crack is not possible [6]. Under certain conditions that prevail on

Automated synthesis of photovoltaic-quality colloidal quantum dots using separate nucleation and growth stages

KAUST Repository

Pan, Jun

2013-11-26

As colloidal quantum dot (CQD) optoelectronic devices continue to improve, interest grows in the scaled-up and automated synthesis of high-quality materials. Unfortunately, all reports of record-performance CQD photovoltaics have been based on small-scale batch syntheses. Here we report a strategy for flow reactor synthesis of PbS CQDs and prove that it leads to solar cells having performance similar to that of comparable batch-synthesized nanoparticles. Specifically, we find that, only when using a dual-temperature-stage flow reactor synthesis reported herein, are the CQDs of sufficient quality to achieve high performance. We use a kinetic model to explain and optimize the nucleation and growth processes in the reactor. Compared to conventional single-stage flow-synthesized CQDs, we achieve superior quality nanocrystals via the optimized dual-stage reactor, with high photoluminescence quantum yield (50%) and narrow full width-half-maximum. The dual-stage flow reactor approach, with its versatility and rapid screening of multiple parameters, combined with its efficient materials utilization, offers an attractive path to automated synthesis of CQDs for photovoltaics and, more broadly, active optoelectronics. © 2013 American Chemical Society.

CAROTENOID-ENRICHED DIET FOR PRE-MATURATION STAGE OF POND-REARED TIGER SHRIMP, Penaeus monodon PART I. THE EFFECTS ON GROWTH, PIGMENTATION AND WHOLE BODY NUTRIENT CONTENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asda Laining

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Carotenoids, besides as a natural pigment, may have vital roles in the growth of crustacean. The aim of this study was to clarify the influence of combined carotenoids given since pre-maturation stage on the growth performances, pigmentation and biochemical composition of the whole body of pond-reared tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Two experimental diets were supplemented with or without carotenoid mixture consisting of astaxanthin, canthaxanthin and other carotenoids contained in Spirulina. The carotenoid mixture was supplemented in the commercial diet normally used as a starter feed for tiger shrimp, re-pelleted and fed to tiger shrimp with an initial body weight of 31.7±1.3 g. Shrimp were stocked in four 1,000 m2 concrete ponds with a density of 1 shrimp/m2 and fed until the shrimp reached maturation stage (broodstock size. Variables observed were growth performances and pigmentation properties during the pre-maturation stage and total carotenoid content in several tissues of the female broodstock after being fed with the diets until maturation stage. After 16 weeks, shrimp fed with carotenoid-enriched diet (PC diet produced significantly (P<0.05 higher biomass than the diet without the enrichment (PO. The color of raw shrimp fed with PC diet was darker with greenish-brown compared to shrimp fed PO diet which was greenish blue. The visual appearances of 3-min steamed shrimp produced the color of red-orange for shrimp fed carotenoid compared to orange-yellow for control PO. The total carotenoid content in the whole body of shrimp fed PC diet were significantly (P<0.05 enhanced compared to control PO diet which was 42.8 ±5.8 and 55.8± 5.1 µg/g for PO and PC diet, respectively. Supplemental carotenoid in the pre-maturation diet increased the biomass production from 23.1±1.9 kg to 30.2 ±0.1 kg and enhanced the color of the shrimp which was in line with carotenoid content in the whole body of pond-reared tiger shrimp.

Health-related quality of life in different stages of chronic kidney disease and at initiation of dialysis treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pagels, Agneta A; Söderkvist, Birgitta Klang; Medin, Charlotte; Hylander, Britta; Heiwe, Susanne

2012-06-18

To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients in different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) up to initiation of dialysis treatment and to explore possible correlating and influencing factors. Cross-sectional design with 535 patients in CKD stages 2-5 and 55 controls assessed for HRQoL through SF-36 together with biomarkers. All HRQoL dimensions deteriorated significantly with CKD stages with the lowest scores in CKD 5. The largest differences between the patient groups were seen in 'physical functioning', 'role physical', 'general health' and in physical summary scores (PCS). The smallest disparities were seen in mental health and pain. Patients in CKD stages 2-3 showed significantly decreased HRQoL compared to matched controls, with differences of large magnitude - effect size (ES) ≥ .80 - in 'general health' and PCS. Patients in CDK 4 demonstrated deteriorated scores with a large magnitude in 'physical function', 'general health' and PCS compared to the patients in CKD 2-3. Patients in CKD 5 demonstrated deteriorated scores with a medium sized magnitude (ES 0.5 - 0.79) in 'role emotional' and mental summary scores compared to the patients in CKD 4. Glomerular filtration rate stages of the disease. At the time for dialysis initiation HRQoL is substantially deteriorated. Co-existing conditions, such as inflammation and cardiovascular disease seem to be powerful predictors of impaired HRQoL in patients with CKD. Within routine renal care, strategies to improve function and well-being considering the management of co-existing conditions like inflammation and CVD need to be developed.

Kinetics of two-stage fermentation process for the production of hydrogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nath, Kaushik [Department of Chemical Engineering, G.H. Patel College of Engineering and Technology, Vallabh Vidyanagar 388 120, Gujarat (India); Muthukumar, Manoj; Kumar, Anish; Das, Debabrata [Fermentation Technology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

2008-02-15

Two-stage process described in the present work is a combination of dark and photofermentation in a sequential batch mode. In the first stage glucose is fermented to acetate, CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2} in an anaerobic dark fermentation by Enterobacter cloacae DM11. This is followed by a successive second stage where acetate is converted to H{sub 2} and CO{sub 2} in a photobioreactor by photosynthetic bacteria, Rhodobacter sphaeroides O.U. 001. The yield of hydrogen in the first stage was about 3.31molH{sub 2}(molglucose){sup -1} (approximately 82% of theoretical) and that in the second stage was about 1.5-1.72molH{sub 2}(molaceticacid){sup -1} (approximately 37-43% of theoretical). The overall yield of hydrogen in two-stage process considering glucose as preliminary substrate was found to be higher compared to a single stage process. Monod model, with incorporation of substrate inhibition term, has been used to determine the growth kinetic parameters for the first stage. The values of maximum specific growth rate ({mu} {sub max}) and K{sub s} (saturation constant) were 0.398h{sup -1} and 5.509gl{sup -1}, respectively, using glucose as substrate. The experimental substrate and biomass concentration profiles have good resemblance with those obtained by kinetic model predictions. A model based on logistic equation has been developed to describe the growth of R. sphaeroides O.U 001 in the second stage. Modified Gompertz equation was applied to estimate the hydrogen production potential, rate and lag phase time in a batch process for various initial concentration of glucose, based on the cumulative hydrogen production curves. Both the curve fitting and statistical analysis showed that the equation was suitable to describe the progress of cumulative hydrogen production. (author)

FE-simulation of the initial stages of rafting in nickel-base superalloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bioermann, H.; Feng Hua; Mughrabi, H.

2000-01-01

In the present work, the model of Socrate and Parks which takes into account the plastic deformation and which applies the method of finite elements (FE) using an energy-perturbation approach will be extended by the introduction of a further contribution to the driving force for rafting, cf. This additional driving force is based on the local variation of the hydrostatic stresses arising from the anisotropic distribution of dislocations after deformation, in combination with the different lattice parameters of the two phases γ and γ'. It is an alternative formulation of the driving force introduced recently. With the present model, the initial stages of rafting and the build-up of internal stresses and strains are determined. (orig.)

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.

Outcome of Early Initiation of Peritoneal Dialysis in Patients with End-Stage Renal Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Kook-Hwan; Hwang, Young-Hwan; Cho, Jung-Hwa; Kim, Mira; Ju, Kyung Don; Joo, Kwon Wook; Kim, Dong Ki; Kim, Yon Su; Ahn, Curie

2012-01-01

Recent studies reported that early initiation of hemodialysis may increase mortality. However, studies that assessed the influence of early initiation of peritoneal dialysis (PD) yielded controversial results. In the present study, we evaluated the prognosis of early initiation of PD on the various outcomes of end stage renal failure patients by using propensity-score matching methods. Incident PD patients (n = 491) who started PD at SNU Hospital were enrolled. The patients were divided into 'early starters (n = 244)' and 'late starters (n = 247)' on the basis of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the start of dialysis. The calculated propensity-score was used for one-to-one matching. After propensity-score-based matching (n = 136, for each group), no significant differences were observed in terms of all-cause mortality (P = 0.17), technique failure (P = 0.62), cardiovascular event (P = 0.96) and composite event (P = 0.86) between the early and late starters. Stratification analysis in the propensity-score quartiles (n = 491) exhibited no trend toward better or poorer survival in terms of all-cause mortality. In conclusion, early commencement of PD does not reduce the mortality risk and other outcomes. Although the recent guidelines suggest that initiation of dialysis at higher eGFR, physicians should not determine the time to initiate PD therapy simply rely on the eGFR alone. PMID:22323864

Ultrafast hydrogen exchange reveals specific structural events during the initial stages of folding of cytochrome c.

Science.gov (United States)

Fazelinia, Hossein; Xu, Ming; Cheng, Hong; Roder, Heinrich

2014-01-15

Many proteins undergo a sharp decrease in chain dimensions during early stages of folding, prior to the rate-limiting step in folding. However, it remains unclear whether compact states are the result of specific folding events or a general hydrophobic collapse of the poly peptide chain driven by the change in solvent conditions. To address this fundamental question, we extended the temporal resolution of NMR-detected H/D exchange labeling experiments into the microsecond regime by adopting a microfluidics approach. By observing the competition between H/D exchange and folding as a function of labeling pH, coupled with direct measurement of exchange rates in the unfolded state, we were able to monitor hydrogen-bond formation for over 50 individual backbone NH groups within the initial 140 microseconds of folding of horse cytochrome c. Clusters of solvent-shielded amide protons were observed in two α-helical segments in the C-terminal half of the protein, while the N-terminal helix remained largely unstructured, suggesting that proximity in the primary structure is a major factor in promoting helix formation and association at early stages of folding, while the entropically more costly long-range contacts between the N- and C-terminal helices are established only during later stages. Our findings clearly indicate that the initial chain condensation in cytochrome c is driven by specific interactions among a subset of α-helical segments rather than a general hydrophobic collapse.

Transfer factor of (90)Sr and (137)Cs to lettuce and winter wheat at different growth stage applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Attar, Lina; Al-Oudat, Mohammad; Safia, Bassam; Ghani, Basem Abdul

2015-12-01

The effect of clay soil contamination time on the transfer factors (Fvs) of (137)Cs and (90)Sr was investigated in four different growth stages of winter wheat and lettuce crops. The experiment was performed in an open field using lysimeters. The Fvs were the ratio of the activity concentrations of the radionuclides in crops to those in soil, both as dry weight (Bq kg(-1)). Significant difference of log-Fvs was evaluated using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Basically, Fvs of (90)Sr were higher than those of (137)Cs, despite of the application stage or crop' variety. Higher Fvs for both radionuclides were observed for lettuce in comparison to winter wheat. Fvs of (90)Sr showed comparable trends for both crops with enhanced Fvs obtained when contamination occurred in early stages, i.e. 1.20 for lettuce and 0.88 and 0.02 for winter wheat, straw and grains, respectively. Despite the fluctuation noted in the pattern of Fvs for (137)Cs, soil contaminated at the second stage gave the highest Fvs for lettuce and grains, with geometric means of 0.21 and 0.01, respectively. However, wheat-straw showed remarkable increase in Fv for the latest contamination (ripening stage), about 0.06. It could be concluded that soil contamination at early growth stages would represent high radiological risk for the scenarios studied with an exception to (137)Cs in winter wheat-straw which reflected greater hazard at the latest application. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expression of ribosomal genes in pea cotyledons at the initial stages of germination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gumilevskaya, N.A.; Chumikhina, L.V.; Akhmatova, A.T.; Kretovich, V.L.

1986-01-01

The time of appearance of newly synthesized rRNAs and ribosomal proteins (r-proteins) in the ribosomes of pea cotyledons (Pisum sativum L.) during germination was investigated. The ribosomal fraction was isolated and analyzed according to the method of germination of the embryo in the presence of labeled precursors or after pulse labeling of the embryos at different stages of germination. For the identification of newly synthesized rRNAs in the ribosomes we estimated the relative stability of labeled RNAs to the action of RNase, the sedimentation rate, the ability to be methylated in vivo in the presence of [ 14 C]CH 3 -methionine, and the localization in the subunits of dissociated ribosomes. The presence of newly synthesized r-proteins in the ribosomes was judged on the basis of the electrophoretic similarity in SDS-disc electrophoresis of labeled polypeptides of purified ribosome preparations and of genuine r-proteins, as well as according to the localization of labeled proteins in the subunits of the dissociated ribosomes. It was shown that the expression of the ribosomal genes in highly specialized cells of pea cotyledons that have completed their growth occurs at very early stages of germination

Effect of Post-Infiltration Soil Aeration at Different Growth Stages on Growth and Fruit Quality of Drip-Irrigated Potted Tomato Plants (Solanum lycopersicum).

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuan; Jia, Zongxia; Niu, Wenquan; Wang, Jingwei; Zhang, Mingzhi

2015-01-01

Soil hydraulic principles suggest that post-infiltration hypoxic conditions would be induced in the plant root-zone for drip-irrigated tomato production in small pots filled with natural soil. No previous study specifically examined the response of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) at different growth stages to low soil aeration under these conditions. A 2 × 6 factorial experiment was conducted to quantify effects of no post-infiltration soil aeration versus aeration during 5 different periods (namely 27-33, 34-57, 58-85, 86-99, and 27-99 days after sowing), on growth and fruit quality of potted single tomato plants that were sub-surface trickle-irrigated every 2 days at 2 levels. Soil was aerated by injecting 2.5 liters of air into each pot through the drip tubing immediately after irrigation. Results showed that post-infiltration aeration, especially during the fruit setting (34-57 DAS) and enlargement (58-85 DAS) growth stages, can positively influence the yield, root dry weight and activity, and the nutritional (soluble solids and vitamin C content), taste (titratable acidity), and market quality (shape and firmness) of the tomato fruits. Interactions between irrigation level and post-infiltration aeration on some of these fruit quality parameters indicated a need for further study on the dynamic interplay of air and water in the root zone of the plants under the conditions of this experiment.

Effect of Post-Infiltration Soil Aeration at Different Growth Stages on Growth and Fruit Quality of Drip-Irrigated Potted Tomato Plants (Solanum lycopersicum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuan Li

Full Text Available Soil hydraulic principles suggest that post-infiltration hypoxic conditions would be induced in the plant root-zone for drip-irrigated tomato production in small pots filled with natural soil. No previous study specifically examined the response of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum at different growth stages to low soil aeration under these conditions. A 2 × 6 factorial experiment was conducted to quantify effects of no post-infiltration soil aeration versus aeration during 5 different periods (namely 27-33, 34-57, 58-85, 86-99, and 27-99 days after sowing, on growth and fruit quality of potted single tomato plants that were sub-surface trickle-irrigated every 2 days at 2 levels. Soil was aerated by injecting 2.5 liters of air into each pot through the drip tubing immediately after irrigation. Results showed that post-infiltration aeration, especially during the fruit setting (34-57 DAS and enlargement (58-85 DAS growth stages, can positively influence the yield, root dry weight and activity, and the nutritional (soluble solids and vitamin C content, taste (titratable acidity, and market quality (shape and firmness of the tomato fruits. Interactions between irrigation level and post-infiltration aeration on some of these fruit quality parameters indicated a need for further study on the dynamic interplay of air and water in the root zone of the plants under the conditions of this experiment.

Improvement of wheat yield grown under drought stress by boron foliar application at different growth stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F.M.F. Abdel-Motagally

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Two field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of boron foliar application and water stress on yield of wheat plant grown in calcareous soil during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons. The highest mean values obtained against boron application time were potential contributor to total grains mass by improving the plant height (99.42 and 98.32 cm, spike length (11.86 and 11.72 cm, number of spikelets m−2 (332.65 and 324.35, grain yield plant−1 (21.56 and 20.26 g, 1000-grain weight (35.2 and 37.4 g and grain yield (1.87 and 1.85 ton fed.−1, which were recorded at normal irrigation level (100% from the amount of water consumption for wheat with boron spraying at booting stage (B1 in the first and second seasons, respectively. Furthermore, boron application significantly enhanced all studied growth traits under water stress levels (50% from the amount of water consumption for wheat compared to B-untreated plants. Boron spraying at booting stage enhances also plant pigments contents recording its highest mean values under normal water level (100% from the amount of water consumption for wheat. The reduction in stress markers (proline and H2O2 and the enhancement of plant pigments content under water stress levels (50% from the amount of water consumption for wheat by B spraying suggests an alleviating effect of boron foliar application to water stress in the test plant. This alleviating effect was more pronounced when B applied at booting stage. Therefore, booting stage was found to be the best time for boron application to get higher grains production and consequently, better economic returns of wheat. Keywords: Wheat, Growth stages, Boron application time, Water stress, Crop yield, Plant pigments, Proline, H2O2

Growth and population dynamics during early stages of the mangrove Kandelia candel in Halong Bay, North Viet Nam

Science.gov (United States)

Thi Ha, Hoang; Duarte, Carlos M.; Tri, Nguyen Hoang; Terrados, Jorge; Borum, Jens

2003-11-01

Quantifying the dynamics of the early stages in the life cycle of mangroves is essential to predict the distribution, species composition and structure of mangrove forests, and their maintenance and recovery from perturbations. The growth and population dynamics of two stands of the mangrove Kandelia candel in Halong Bay (Viet Nam) were examined for 1 year. Growth was highly seasonal, with high growth rates and fast internode formation in the summer, dropping to extremely low growth during January-February, the coldest and driest months in the year. In addition, growth and internode formation rates showed important inter-annual variability during the last decade. The complete reproductive period required 7-8 months. Flower initiation was maximal in June and peak propagule maturity occurred in December-January. Only one mature propagule developed for every 67 and 127 inflorescence buds formed at Site 1 and Site 2, respectively. Kandelia candel propagules begun to sink 10 days after being released, and after 18 days all propagules had negative buoyancy. The propagules developed roots within 19-68 days, depending on whether they were held on the water or sediment, and were capable of long range dispersal, for 15-20% of them dispersed more than 100 m within 1 day. The median age of K. candel plants ranged between 8.7 and 5.6 years, with a density of 1900 and 470 plants ha -1, in Sites 1 and 2. Plant mortality was high, with 64 and 74% of the plants surviving after a year at Sites 1 and 2. Life expectancy (i.e. median age-at-death) of only 2.2 and 2.7 years at Sites 1 and 2, respectively, indicates that mortality of young K. candel plants was specially high. Recruitment occurred in early spring, and did not suffice to balance the mortality within the annual period examined. These results suggest that the K. candel stands in Halong Bay might be maintained by a few years of high recruitment which would compensate for generally high mortality rates.

Dependence of sports results on data of physical development, morphofunctional and special power preparedness of weight-lifters at the stage of initial preparation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugene Bugaev

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: the establishment of nature of the interrelation between sports results of weight-lifters and level of their special physical and morphofunctional preparedness. Material & Methods: 48 sportsmen of group of initial preparation of the first year of training were involved to the experiment. The research was conducted on the basis of the chair of weightlifting and boxing of Kharkov state academy of physical culture and CYSS “HTZ”. Results: the correlation between indicators of morphofunctional, high-speed and power and special (competitive preparedness of weight-lifters is revealed at the stage of initial preparation. The conducted research shows that the result of competitive exercises of the sportsmen, specializing in weightlifting at the stage of initial preparation, depends on power and high-speed and power preparedness. Conclusions: it is established that the correlation between results of competitive exercises and jumps uphill from the place, in length from the place, run on 30 m can demonstrate the interrelation of power and high-speed and power preparedness of the sportsmen, specializing in weightlifting at the stage of initial preparation.

Modeling metabolism and stage-specific growth of Plasmodium falciparum HB3 during the intraerythrocytic developmental cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Xin; Reifman, Jaques; Wallqvist, Anders

2014-10-01

The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum goes through a complex life cycle, including a roughly 48-hour-long intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC) in human red blood cells. A better understanding of the metabolic processes required during the asexual blood-stage reproduction will enhance our basic knowledge of P. falciparum and help identify critical metabolic reactions and pathways associated with blood-stage malaria. We developed a metabolic network model that mechanistically links time-dependent gene expression, metabolism, and stage-specific growth, allowing us to predict the metabolic fluxes, the biomass production rates, and the timing of production of the different biomass components during the IDC. We predicted time- and stage-specific production of precursors and macromolecules for P. falciparum (strain HB3), allowing us to link specific metabolites to specific physiological functions. For example, we hypothesized that coenzyme A might be involved in late-IDC DNA replication and cell division. Moreover, the predicted ATP metabolism indicated that energy was mainly produced from glycolysis and utilized for non-metabolic processes. Finally, we used the model to classify the entire tricarboxylic acid cycle into segments, each with a distinct function, such as superoxide detoxification, glutamate/glutamine processing, and metabolism of fumarate as a byproduct of purine biosynthesis. By capturing the normal metabolic and growth progression in P. falciparum during the IDC, our model provides a starting point for further elucidation of strain-specific metabolic activity, host-parasite interactions, stress-induced metabolic responses, and metabolic responses to antimalarial drugs and drug candidates.

Growth stage of Phalaris minor Retz. and wheat determines weed control and crop tolerance of four post-emergence herbicides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubia Rasool

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Phalaris minor Retz. has evolved multiple herbicide resistance in wheat growing areas in northwestern India. An understanding of the effect of growth stage on herbicide tolerance of wheat and control of P. minor will help in selecting the most appropriate herbicide for different situations. The weed control and crop safety of four commonly used wheat herbicides (sulfosulfuron, pinoxaden, fenoxaprop plus metribuzin and mesosulfuron plus iodosulfuron, each applied at four different wheat growth stages was investigated in field studies for two years. P. minor plants were at 1, 2-3, 3-4 and 7-8 leaf stages when the herbicides were applied at Zadok 12-Z12, Z13, Z21 and Z23 stages of wheat, respectively. Sulfosulfuron application at Z12 and Z13 wheat stages (before first irrigation, provided >80% control of P. minor and produced wheat grain yield (4.5-4.7 t/ha similar to the weed-free check (4.9 t/ha in both years. Pinoxaden, fenoxaprop plus metribuzin and mesosulfuron plus iodosulfuron application at Z12 and Z13 wheat stages recorded significantly lower wheat grain yield (3.62-3.95 t/ha due to poor weed control, crop toxicity or both. All the four herbicides were equally effective on P. minor when applied at Z21 wheat stage. At Z23 wheat stage, pinoxaden gave >90% control of P. minor and the highest wheat grain yield (4.82 t/ha. The results are expected to allow changes in the current recommendation of the timing of post-emergence herbicides for the management of P. minor in wheat.

Evaluation of auxin and thiamine interaction effect on PAL activity and phenolic compounds content in vegetative growth stage of soybean plants

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nazi nadernejad

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Soybean (Glycin max L. is one of the most important oily seeds in the world. This plant is rich in protein and unsaturated fats, and plays a significant role in human health with phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Indole Butyric Acid (IBA is a plant growth regulator that plays a key role in producing phenolic compounds and increasing the antioxidant capacity of the plant. Thiamine is one of the important vitamins in strengthening the immune system and increasing the resistance to environmental stresses in the plant's growth stages. Regarding the effect of hormone auxin and thiamine on the production of phenolic compounds as one of the antioxidant compounds in growth stages, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the two compounds in two stages of soybean growth and compare their effect on phenolic compounds changes in order to Detecting higher antioxidant capacity in environmental stress tolerance. For this purpose, the DPX cultivar of soybean seeds were prepared from Dezful Agriculture Research Center and planted in perlite containing flowers. The plants were planted under factorial design under IBA treatments with three concentrations of 0, 10 and 50 and thiamine with three concentrations of 0, 50 and 200. Extraction and evaluation of phenolic compounds, anthocyanins and pigments in leaves were performed. Data were analyzed using Duncan's test at a significant level of 5%. The results showed that the combined use of auxin and thiamine increased the carotenoid content in both phases and caused a significant increase in phenolic content. Application of auxin alone reduced auxin and thiamine the anthocyanin content significantly in both phases, but did not have a significant effect on phenolic content. The results showed that the PAL activity of the phenolic and anthocyanin content increased significantly in the 9-leaf stage compared to 3-leaf. Generally, the results showed that interaction effect between auxin and thiamine on

The effect of surface modification on initial ice formation on aluminum surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahimi, Maral; Afshari, Alireza; Fojan, Peter

2015-01-01

material of heat exchanger fins is aluminum, this paper focuses on the effect of aluminum wettability on the initial stages of ice formation. The ice growth was studied on bare as well as hydrophilically and hydrophobically modified surfaces of aluminum (8011A) sheets, commonly used in heat exchangers...

Natural growth and diet of known-age pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) early life stages in the upper Missouri River basin, Montana and North Dakota

Science.gov (United States)

Braaten, P.J.; Fuller, D.B.; Lott, R.D.; Haddix, T.M.; Holte, L.D.; Wilson, R.H.; Bartron, M.L.; Kalie, J.A.; DeHaan, P.W.; Ardren, W.R.; Holm, R.J.; Jaeger, M.E.

2012-01-01

Prior to anthropogenic modifications, the historic Missouri River provided ecological conditions suitable for reproduction, growth, and survival of pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus. However, little information is available to discern whether altered conditions in the contemporary Missouri River are suitable for feeding, growth and survival of endangered pallid sturgeon during the early life stages. In 2004 and 2007, nearly 600 000 pallid sturgeon free embryos and larvae were released in the upper Missouri River and survivors from these releases were collected during 2004–2010 to quantify natural growth rates and diet composition. Based on genetic analysis and known-age at release (1–17 days post-hatch, dph), age at capture (dph, years) could be determined for each survivor. Totals of 23 and 28 survivors from the 2004 and 2007 releases, respectively, were sampled. Growth of pallid sturgeon was rapid (1.91 mm day−1) during the initial 13–48 dph, then slowed as fish approached maximum length (120–140 mm) towards the end of the first growing season. The diet of young-of-year pallid sturgeon was comprised of Diptera larvae, Diptera pupae, and Ephemeroptera nymphs. Growth of pallid sturgeon from ages 1–6 years was about 48.0 mm year−1. This study provides the first assessment of natural growth and diet of young pallid sturgeon in the wild. Results depict pallid sturgeon growth trajectories that may be expected for naturally produced wild stocks under contemporary habitat conditions in the Missouri River and Yellowstone River.

Initial growth of Bauhinia variegata trees under different colored shade nets and light conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Bachin Mazzini-Guedes

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Bauhinia variegata and B. variegata var. candida, commonly known as orchid trees, are small sized trees widely used for urban forestry and landscaping. Adult plants grow under full sun; in Brazil, however, seedlings are generally cultivated in commercial nurseries under natural half-shading. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different colored shade nets and light conditions on the initial growth of B. variegata and B. variegata var. candida. The influence of six light conditions (red net with 50% shading; blue net with 50% shading; black net with 70% shading; black net with 50% shading; black net with 30% shading; and full sun on the initial growth of B. variegata and B. variegata var. candida were evaluated along 160 days, and growth relationships were calculated. Seedlings showed more efficiency on the use of photoassimilated compounds when grown under full sun. Such condition is the most appropriate for seedling production of B. variegata and B. variegata var. candida, contradicting what has been performed in practice.

Disruption of Smad-dependent signaling for growth of GST-P-positive lesions from the early stage in a rat two-stage hepatocarcinogenesis model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichimura, Ryohei; Mizukami, Sayaka; Takahashi, Miwa; Taniai, Eriko; Kemmochi, Sayaka; Mitsumori, Kunitoshi; Shibutani, Makoto

2010-01-01

To clarify the involvement of signaling of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β during the hepatocarcinogenesis, the immunohistochemical distribution of related molecules was analyzed in relation with liver cell lesions expressing glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-P) during liver tumor promotion by fenbendazole, phenobarbital, piperonyl butoxide, or thioacetamide, using rats. Our study focused on early-stage promotion (6 weeks after starting promotion) and late-stage promotion (57 weeks after starting promotion). With regard to Smad-dependent signaling, cytoplasmic accumulation of phosphorylated Smad (phospho-Smad)-2/3 - identified as Smad3 by later immunoblot analysis - increased in the subpopulation of GST-P + foci, while Smad4, a nuclear transporter of Smad2/3, decreased during early-stage promotion. By late-stage promotion, GST-P + lesions lacking phospho-Smad2/3 had increased in accordance with lesion development from foci to carcinomas, while Smad4 largely disappeared in most proliferative lesions. With regard to Smad-independent mitogen-activated protein kinases, GST-P + foci that co-expressed phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase increased during early-stage promotion; however, p38-downstream phospho-activating transcriptional factor (ATF)-2, ATF3, and phospho-c-Myc, were inversely downregulated without relation to promotion. By late-stage promotion, proliferative lesions downregulated phospho-ATF2 and phospho-c-Myc along with lesion development, as with downregulation of phospho-p38 in all lesions. These results suggest that from the early stages, carcinogenic processes were facilitated by disruption of tumor suppressor functions of Smad-dependent signaling, while Smad-independent activation of p38 was an early-stage phenomenon. GST-P - foci induced by promotion with agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α did not change Smad expression, suggesting an aberration in the Smad-dependent signaling prerequisites for induction

Prostate cancer staging

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000397.htm Prostate cancer staging To use the sharing features on this ... trials you may be able to join How Prostate Cancer Staging is Done Initial staging is based on ...

Role of peptide growth factors in the rhythm of change hair

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. A. Kubanov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents current data on the role growth factors play in hair physiology. Based on a review of literature, the authors described the role growth factors play for initiating, suppressing the growth and differentiating hair follicles. According to them, each morphologic development stage of hair follicles is characterized by its own factor expression pattern. Referring to experimental and clinical studies, the authors describe the role some growth factors play for mechanisms promoting the development of androgynous and focal alopecia.

Growth Kinematics of Opening-Mode Fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Eichhubl, P.; Alzayer, Y.; Laubach, S.; Fall, A.

2014-12-01

Fracture aperture is a primary control on flow in fractured reservoirs of low matrix permeability including unconventional oil and gas reservoirs and most geothermal systems. Guided by principles of linear elastic fracture mechanics, fracture aperture is generally assumed to be a linear function of fracture length and elastic material properties. Natural opening-mode fractures with significant preserved aperture are observed in core and outcrop indicative of fracture opening strain accommodated by permanent solution-precipitation creep. Fracture opening may thus be decoupled from length growth if the material effectively weakens after initial elastic fracture growth by either non-elastic deformation processes or changes in elastic properties. To investigate the kinematics of fracture length and aperture growth, we reconstructed the opening history of three opening-mode fractures that are bridged by crack-seal quartz cement in Travis Peak Sandstone of the SFOT-1 well, East Texas. Similar crack-seal cement bridges had been interpreted to form by repeated incremental fracture opening and subsequent precipitation of quartz cement. We imaged crack-seal cement textures for bridges sampled at varying distance from the tips using scanning electron microscope cathodoluminescence, and determined the number and thickness of crack-seal cement increments as a function of position along the fracture length and height. Observed trends in increment number and thickness are consistent with an initial stage of fast fracture propagation relative to aperture growth, followed by a stage of slow propagation and pronounced aperture growth. Consistent with fluid inclusion observations indicative of fracture opening and propagation occurring over 30-40 m.y., we interpret the second phase of pronounced aperture growth to result from fracture opening strain accommodated by solution-precipitation creep and concurrent slow, possibly subcritical, fracture propagation. Similar deformation

Initial Stages of GaAs/Au Eutectic Alloy Formation for the Growth of GaAs Nano wires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosnita, M.; Yussof, W.; Zuhairi, I.; Zulkafli, O.; Samsudi, S.

2012-01-01

Annealing temperature plays an important role in the formation of an Au-Ga eutectic alloy. The effects of the annealing temperature on gold nanoparticles colloid and substrate surface were studied using AFM, FE-SEM and TEM. At 600 degree Celsius, the layer of gold colloids particle formed an island in the state of molten eutectic alloy and absorbed evaporated metal-organics to formed nano wire (NW) underneath the alloy. Pit formed on the substrate surface due to the chemical reactions during the annealing process have an impact on the direction of growth of the NW. Without annealing, the NW formed vertically on the GaAs (100) surface. The growth direction depends on the original nucleation facets and surface energy when annealed. When annealed, the wire base is large and curved due to the migration of Ga atoms on the substrate surface towards the tip of the wire and the line tension between the substrate surface and gold particle. (author)

Cytomorphological and autoradiografical studies on the receptacle of the strawberry (Fragaria grandiflora Eherh. in the initial stages of development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Szymański

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The volume of the cortex and pith cells of strawberries from the cultivar Talizman gradually increased until ripening, especially in the cortex. The volume of the nucleus also increased. The nuclei in the pith were smaller then in the cortex. The volume of the nucleolus increased significantly between days 1 and 5 after pollination, after which it remained unchanged. At the end of the growth period, the volume of the nucleolus in cortical and pith cells in the lower and central part of the fruit increased. Endomitotic polyploidization which was responsible for the growth of the fruit, occurred during the development of the receptacle. The intensity of 3H actinomycin binding reached a maximum in the oldest stages. This is proof for the accumulation of active DNA during mitosis. Saturation with this antibiotic occurred in the early stages of fruit development. No dependence between the volume of cells and the number of nuclei binding 3H actinomycin was observed.

Initial ionization stage of FRC formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Commisso, R.J.; Armstrong, W.T.; Cochrane, J.C.; Ekdahl, C.A.; Lipson, J.; Linford, R.K.; Sherwood, E.G.; Siemon, R.E.; Tuszewski, M.

1980-01-01

A Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) is a prolate compact torus that is confined by poloidal fields only. Theta-pinch formation of an FRC employs an initial bias field, B 1 , whose direction is opposite to that of the main theta-pinch field. Some fraction of the flux associated with this bias field eventually constitutes the closed-field-line flux of the FRC. Experimental and theoretical evidence suggest that the longest-lived FRC's are obtained when the closed flux is maximized. Because the initial ionization is done in the presence of the bias field, the actual bias flux available at the time of application of the main theta-pinch field depends strongly on the initial ionization, or preionization, technique used. In this paper we report on experiments characterizing the previously used theta-pinch preionization technique that employed a net field (bias plus preionization) null, or zero-crossing, of the axial component of the magnetic field to break down the gas. We also discuss results of experiments designed to develop preionization techniques in which the gas breakdown is not accomplished by a zero-crossing

Contrasting Strategies of Alfalfa Stem Elongation in Response to Fall Dormancy in Early Growth Stage: The Tradeoff between Internode Length and Internode Number

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zongli; Sun, Qizhong

2015-01-01

Fall dormancy (FD) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) can be described using 11 FD ratings, is widely used as an important indicator of stress resistance, productive performance and spring growth. However, the contrasting growth strategies in internode length and internode number in alfalfa cultivars with different FD rating are poorly understood. Here, a growth chamber study was conducted to investigate the effect of FD on plant height, aboveground biomass, internode length, and internode number in alfalfa individuals in the early growth stages. In order to simulate the alfalfa growth environment in the early stage, 11 alfalfa cultivars with FD ratings from one to 11 were chosen and seeded at the greenhouse, and then were transplanted into an artificial growth chamber. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a split-plot arrangement with three replicates. Plant height, above-ground biomass, internode length, and internode number were measured in early growth stage in all individuals. Our findings showed that plant height and the aboveground biomass of alfalfa did not significantly differ among 11 different FD rated cultivars. Also, internode length and internode number positively affected plant height and the aboveground biomass of alfalfa individuals and the average internode length significantly increased with increasing FD rating. However, internode number tended to sharply decline when the FD rating increased. Moreover, there were no correlations, slightly negative correlations, and strongly negative correlations between internode length and internode number in alfalfa individuals among the three scales, including within-FD ratings, within-FD categories and inter-FD ratings, respectively. Therefore, our results highlighted that contrasting growth strategies in stem elongation were adopted by alfalfa with different FD ratings in the early growth stage. Alfalfa cultivars with a high FD rating have longer internodes, whereas more dormant alfalfa

Upland cotton growth and yield response to timing the initial postplant irrigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steger, A.J.; Silvertooth, J.C.; Brown, P.W.

1998-01-01

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) production in arid and semiarid regions depends on well-managed irrigation systems for optimum yield and production efficiency. Water deficit stress early in the growing season can affect the subsequent growth and development of short-season cotton. A 2-yr field study was conducted in southern Arizona to determine the optimum timing of the initial postplant irrigation for a short-season upland cotton variety based on midday leaf water potential (LWP) measurements, and to evaluate the season-long effects of delayed irrigation on subsequent plant growth patterns. In both years, the short-season upland variety, DPL 20, was planted into a Pima clay loam soil [fine-silty, mixed (calcareous), thermic Typic Torrifluvent] that had received a preplant irrigation of 152 (1993) or 254 mm (1994) approximately 3 wk prior to planting. Treatments, designated T1, T2, and T3, received the initial postplant irrigation when the average midday LWP of the uppermost, fully expanded leaf measured −1.5, −1.9, and −2.3 MPa, respectively. Daily midday LWP measurements were taken using the pressure chamber technique. Soil water was measured at 25-cm depth increments using neutron attenuation. Plant height, number of mainstem nodes, nodes above white flower (NAWF), and canopy closure were measured at weekly intervals. All treatments reached maturity, as measured by NAWF ≤ 5, at approximately the same time during the growing season. Complete canopy closure was delayed in the T3 plots resulting in reduced interception and utilization of available solar radiation early in the growing season. When treatments were initiated, approximately 84% (T1), 62% (T2), and 32% (T3) of the total plant-available water (field capacity less permanent wilting point) was present in the upper 1.5 of the soil profile. Yields were 1263, 1244, and 1110 kg lint ha−1 in 1993 and 1229, 1176, and 1095 kg lint ha −1 in 1994 for T1, T2, and T3, respectively. Lint yields were significantly

METHYL JASMONATE AND STEM BENDING HARDENING AND INITIAL GROWTH OF Cordia trichotoma SEEDLINGS

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Danielle Acco Cadorin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The submission of seedlings to mechanical stimuli and plant growth regulator promote their hardening and can be included in the routine of nurseries, favoring the survival and initial growth in the field. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of applying methyl jasmonate and stem bending in hardening and initial growth of Cordia trichotoma seedlings. Seedlings were subjected to 20 stem bending daily for 4 weeks; 20 stem bending daily for 8 weeks; 50 µmol.L-1 of methyl jasmonate applied weekly for 4 weeks; 50 µmol.L-1 of methyl jasmonate applied weekly for 8 weeks and the control treatment. The design was a completely randomized, with five repetitions of the fourteen seedlings. Seedlings submitted to hardening treatments showed less increment in height, greater increment in stem diameter and less value for strength index. Seedlings of control treatment had greater loss of root tissue electrolytes and less potential for root regeneration. In the field, 180 days after planting, seedlings submitted to eight weeks of stem bending and eight methyl jasmonate applications showed greater increment in height and stem diameter. The results indicate that both stem bending such as methyl jasmonate application for eight weeks are effective in promoting hardening and improve the starting performance in field of Cordia trichotoma seedlings.

Transient surface states during the CBE growth of GaAs

Science.gov (United States)

Farrell, T.; Hill, D.; Joyce, T. B.; Bullough, T. J.; Weightman, P.

1997-05-01

We report the occurrence of a transient surface state during the initial stages of CBE GaAs(0 0 1) growth. The state was detected in real-time reflectance ( R) and reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy (RAS) growth monitoring. At low growth rates, less than 1 μm/h, beam equivalent pressure (BEP) of triethylgallium (TEG) BEPs there was a rapid increase in R at all monitoring wavelengths, followed by a monotonic decay to its pre-growth value. This transient increase in R was accompanied by a change in the RAS signal, the magnitude and sign of which varied with wavelength. The initial increase in R is shown to be associated with the development of a metallic-like surface whereas the changes in the RAS signal are consistent with the formation of Ga dimers.

Phytoextraction of initial cutting of Salix matsudana for Cd and Cu.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wen-Wen; Cheng, Liu Ke; Hao, Jie Wei; Guan, Xin; Tian, Xing-Jun

2016-06-27

Salix species are widely used as vegetation filters because of their flourishing root system and fast growth rate. However, studies have yet to determine whether the root system functions in vegetable filters with mixed heavy metal (HM) pollution or whether initial cutting participates in the phytoextraction of HMs. This study aims to determine the function of the root system and initial cutting as vegetation filters in the absorption and accumulation of Cd and Cu. Thick (>1 cm in diameter) and fine (phytoextraction capacity of plants. The initial cuttings could also absorb and accumulate HMs in the early growth stages of willow without roots. Cu inhibited the plant absorption and accumulation of Cd and promoted Cd transport to shoots. Cd inhibited the Cu absorption of the root system. Our study provided essential data regarding woody species as vegetation filters of HM pollution.

Using low energy x-ray radiography to evaluate root initiation and growth of Populus

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald S., Jr. Zalesny; A. L. Friend; B. Kodrzycki; D.W. McDonald; R. Michaels; A.H. Wiese; J.W. Powers

2007-01-01

Populus roots have been studied less than aboveground tissues. However, there is an overwhelming need to evaluate root initiation and growth in order to understand the genetics and physiology of rooting, along with genotype x environment interactions.

Near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometrics for growth stage classification of cannabis cultivated in a greenhouse from seized seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Borille, Bruna Tassi; Marcelo, Marcelo Caetano Alexandre; Ortiz, Rafael Scorsatto; Mariotti, Kristiane de Cássia; Ferrão, Marco Flôres; Limberger, Renata Pereira

2017-02-01

Cannabis sativa L. (cannabis, Cannabaceae), popularly called marijuana, is one of the oldest plants known to man and it is the illicit drug most used worldwide. It also has been the subject of increasing discussions from the scientific and political points of view due to its medicinal properties. In recent years in Brazil, the form of cannabis drug trafficking has been changing and the Brazilian Federal Police has exponentially increased the number of seizures of cannabis seeds sent by the mail. This new form of trafficking encouraged the study of cannabis seeds seized germinated in a greenhouse through NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics. The plants were cultivated in a homemade greenhouse under controlled conditions. In three different growth periods (5.5 weeks, 7.5 weeks and 10 weeks), they were harvested, dried, ground and directly analyzed. The iPCA was used to select the best NIR spectral range (4000-4375 cm- 1) in order to develop unsupervised and supervised methods. The PCA and HCA showed a good separation between the three groups of cannabis samples at different growth stages. The PLS-DA and SVM-DA classified the samples with good results in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity and specificity for SVM-DA classification were equal to unity. This separation may be due to the correlation of cannabinoids and volatile compounds concentration during the growth of the cannabis plant. Therefore, the growth stage of cannabis can be predicted by NIR spectroscopy and chemometric tools in the early stages of indoor cannabis cultivation.

Immigrants’ initial firm allocation and earnings growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen Ci

2017-05-01

Full Text Available While employers are playing an increasingly important role in immigration selection in Canada, little is known about how firm-level characteristics affect the economic integration of immigrants. Using a Canadian employer–employee matched dataset, this paper considers whether immigrants initially employed in low-paying firms in Canada experienced inferior earnings growth than those initially employed in high-paying firms. The results show that the large earnings differential observed between immigrants initially employed in low- and high-paying firms diminished only slightly over the subsequent 14 years, even when differences in demographic and general human capital characteristics are taken into account. Alors que les employeurs jouent un rôle de plus en plus important dans la sélection des immigrants qui s’établissent au Canada, on en sait peu sur la façon dont les caractéristiques au niveau de l’entreprise influencent l’intégration économique de ces derniers. Au moyen d’un ensemble de données appariées sur les employeurs et les employés, le présent document vise à déterminer si la croissance des gains des immigrants employés initialement au Canada par des entreprises à bas salaires est plus faible que celle des gains des immigrants employés au départ par des entreprises à hauts salaires. Les résultats montrent que l’écart important observé entre les gains des immigrants employés au départ par des entreprises à bas salaires et de ceux employés par des entreprises à hauts salaires ne diminuait que légèrement au cours des 14 années suivantes, même après avoir tenu compte des différences de caractéristiques démographiques et de caractéristiques générales du capital humain.

2-[F-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) PET in the clinical decision making of esophageal carcinoma: Initial staging and re-staging, evaluating treatment response and residual disease and detecting relapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, S.; Nair, N.; Joseph, J.K.; Sharma, S.; Kanhere, H.

2004-01-01

Full text: Accurate initial staging is essential in the management of esophageal carcinoma. The 5-year survival rate is 3% for patients with metastatic disease at the initial assessment, while the same is 42% for patients with nodal disease. 18F-FDG PET is being actively tested regarding its clinical utility at several centers in this malignancy. We at our center are assessing the role of this investigational modality in staging, evaluating treatment response especially after neo-adjuvant therapy and detecting relapse vis-a-vis the other conventionally used modalities e.g. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and the CT scan. The study population consisted of histologically proven cases of esophageal carcinoma who were mainly referred from the department of thoracic surgery of the neighboring Tata Memorial Hospital with few cases from the outside centers. FDG was produced by an automated nucleophilic method based on the Hamacher procedure. Patients were fasting at least for 6 hours. Sixty minutes after injection of 370 MBq FDG, patients were imaged on the dedicated BGO based GE Advance PET scanner (General Electric Medical systems, Milwaukee, WI). Images were reconstructed using the attenuation weighted Ordered Subsets Expectation Maximization (OSEM) algorithm. Axial, coronal, sagittal and 3D images were visually interpreted and foci of increased tracer uptake were considered as disease involvement. The PET scan was interpreted by two experienced nuclear medicine physicians, who were blinded regarding the results of CT scan and EUS except for the location of the primary. The findings of PET were then compared lesion by lesion with that of CT and EUS regarding staging, treatment response evaluation and residual disease evaluation. Till date, the total number of cases of esophageal carcinoma studied was 12, which consisted of primaries in the proximal third (n=1), middle third (n=4) and distal third (n=7). The number of cases assessed for the initial staging purpose was 7

Histological and allometric growth analysis of eye in Caspian kutum, Rutilus kutum Kamensky, 1901 (Teleostei: Cyprinidae during early developmental stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaghayegh Hasanpour

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Fish larvae have several sensory systems that are functional at or soon after hatching and then are developed further during larval and juvenile stages. This study was conducted to investigate development of the eye in Rutilus kutum, based on histological and allometric growth analysis during early developmental stages up to 35 day post hatching with emphasis on retinal morphology. For this purpose, the histological sections were prepared and allometric growth pattern of the eye was calculated. The results showed that the most eye’s structures along with the retina of the newly hatched larvae, as the inner sensory (photosensitive tissue were completely differentiated. Allometric growth pattern of the eye diameter up to the inflexion point (7 dph was somewhat positive and then it became negative. The results revealed that the Caspian kutum is dependence on visual capability as visual feeder during their larval period which itself explains completion of eye structures and the high growth rate of eye before 3 dph i.e. beginning of mixed feeding.

Initial ionization stage of FRC formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Commisso, R.J.; Armstrong, W.T.; Cochrane, J.C.; Ekdahl, C.A.; Lipson, J.; Linford, R.K.; Sherwood, E.G.; Siemon, R.E.; Tuszewski, M.

1980-01-01

A Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) is a prolate compact torus that is confined by poloidal fields only. Theta-pinch formation of an FRC employs an initial bias field, B/sub 1/, whose direction is opposite to that of the main theta-pinch field. Some fraction of the flux associated with this bias field eventually constitutes the closed-field-line flux of the FRC. Experimental and theoretical evidence suggest that the longest-lived FRC's are obtained when the closed flux is maximized. Because the initial ionization is done in the presence of the bias field, the actual bias flux available at the time of application of the main theta-pinch field depends strongly on the initial ionization, or preionization, technique used. In this paper we report on experiments characterizing the previously used theta-pinch preionization technique that employed a net field (bias plus preionization) null, or zero-crossing, of the axial component of the magnetic field to break down the gas. We also discuss results of experiments designed to develop preionization techniques in which the gas breakdown is not accomplished by a zero-crossing.

Dentoalveolar growth of patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate by early two-stage furlow and push-back method: preliminary results.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitagawa, Taiji; Kohara, Hiroshi; Sohmura, Taiji; Takahashi, Junzo; Tachimura, Takashi; Wada, Takeshi; Kogo, Mikihiko

2004-09-01

This study examined dentoalveolar growth changes prior to the time of palatoplasty up to 3 years of age by the early two-stage Furlow and push-back methods. Thirty-four Japanese patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) treated with either a two-stage Furlow procedure (Furlow group: seven boys, eight girls) from 1998 to 2002 or a push-back procedure (push-back group; 12 boys, 7 girls) from 1993 to 1997. Consecutive plaster models were measured by three-dimensional laser scanner, before primary palatoplasty, before hard palate closure (Furlow group only), and at 3 years of age. Bite measures were taken at 3 years of age. In the Furlow group, arch length, canine width, first and second deciduous molar width and cross-sectional area, and depth and volume at midpoint showed greater growth than in the push-back group. In the Furlow group, the crossbite score was also better than in the push-back group at 3 years of age. In comparison with the push-back group, inhibition of growth impediment in the anterior region was observed in the horizontal direction in the Furlow group. In the midregion, it was observed in the horizontal and vertical directions, and in the posterior region it was observed in the horizontal direction. The results demonstrate that the early two-stage Furlow method showed progressive alveolar growth. Therefore, the early two-stage Furlow method is a more beneficial procedure than the push-back method.

Observations of the severity of notch-root radius in initiation of subcritical crack growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuter, W.G.; Eiholzer, C.R.; Tupper, M.A.

1981-01-01

Slow bend tests were conducted on Charpy specimens containing precracks or machined notches of 0.10 or 0.25 mm radius. The test specimens were fabricated from three heats of annealed Type 304 stainless steel. The purpose of these tests was to examine the effects of notch root radius, in very ductile materials, on initiation of subcritical crack growth. In addition, it was intended to establish the critical values of J, COD, etc. for the single-edge notch specimen for comparison with results obtained from specimens containing surface flaws. This paper will briefly describe only those results of the calculation for J. The tests were monitored by acoustic emission to identify the load corresponding to initiation of subcritical crack growth, by a crack-opening displacement gage (COD), by cross-head displacement, and by stop-action photography

FDG PET/CT in initial staging and early response to chemotherapy assessment of paediatric rhabdomyosarcomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eugene, T.; Ansquer, C.; Oudoux, A.; Carlier, T.; Kraeber-Bodere, T.; Bodet-Milin, C.; Corradini, N.; Thomas, C.; Dupas, B.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the impact of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), in comparison with conventional imaging modalities (CIM), for initial staging and early therapy assessment in paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma. Patients and methods: Prior to treatment, 18 patients (age range, 9 months to 18 years) with histologically proven rhabdomyosarcoma underwent FDG PET/CT in addition to CIM (magnetic resonance imaging of primary site, whole body CT and bone scintigraphy). After three courses of chemotherapy, 12 patients underwent FDG PET/CT in addition to CIM. RECIST criteria and visual analysis of FDG uptake were used for assessment of response. The standard of reference was determined by an interdisciplinary tumor board based on imaging material, histopathology and follow-up data (median = 5 years). Results: PET/CT sensitivity was superior to CIM's concerning lymph node involvement (100% versus 83%, respectively) and metastases detection (100% versus 50%, respectively). PET/CT results changed therapeutic management in 11% of cases. After three courses of chemotherapy, the rate of complete response was 66% with PET/CT versus 8% with CIM. Five percent of patients relapsed during follow-up (median = 5 years). Conclusion: This study confirms that PET/CT depicts important additional information in initial staging of paediatric rhabdomyosarcomas and suggests a superior prognostic value of PET/CT in early response to chemotherapy assessment. (authors)

Preoperative radium therapy and radical hysterectomy in the treatment of cervical cancer stage IB, IIA, and initial IIB

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salum, Resalla; Lopes, Edison R.; Souza, Maria A.H. de

1995-01-01

Patients with IB, IIa and in initial IIb cervical cancer were randomized for combined therapy, consisting of one or two radium insertion followed by Wertheim Meigs operation performed 40 days later. We look for the early and late complications of the treatment, residual cancer after radiotherapy and survival without recurrence. The project begin in 1965 and ended in 1986. All the operations were done by one of the investigators and 116 patients were analysed. The age ranged from 21 to 75 years with an average of 4.18 years. During the operations 31 (26.72%) patients needed 1.500 cc or greater amount of blood transfusion and we have 3 iliac veins lesions. Managing the ureters, we do our best to leave the posterior fascia as intact as possible. Post operative complications ranged from minor (fever, localised pelvic infections, temporary popliteal nerve paralysis) to evisceration (3 patients) deep venous thrombosis (3 patients) and two early urinary fistulas. Late complications were seen in patients submitted to sequential teletherapy irradiation. One uretrovaginal fistula occurred 10 month after treatment, another one, 7 years later and the third one 24 years later. One patient develop hydronefrosis and enterocolite after 7.000 rads of teletherapy and another one rectovaginal fistula 13 years after initial therapy. The shortening of the vagina making impossible the intercourse was seen in 7 patients. By the histological examination, the cervix was sterilized in 73.3 % of the patients. Residual cancer was found according the original size of the tumour and the stage of the disease. Studying different combinations between the existence of residual cervical cancer with positive or negative limphnodes and making a correlation with survival, we found the critical points is to have positive cervix and [positive lymphonodes. The five years survival (life table methodology) for stage 1 lesion was 96%; stage II, 67%. At ten years survival was slighted different. With positive

Advanced RHEED Instrumentation for the Analysis of the Initial Stages of MBE Quantum Dot Growth for Semiconductor Lasers

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Lester, Luke

2001-01-01

.... The beam rocking feature in this unit has been critical in establishing the exact angle of incidence needed for clear observation of reconstruction patterns during the growth of bulk and digital...

Metabolic profiles of flooding-tolerant mechanism in early-stage soybean responding to initial stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xin; Zhu, Wei; Hashiguchi, Akiko; Nishimura, Minoru; Tian, Jingkui; Komatsu, Setsuko

2017-08-01

Metabolomic analysis of flooding-tolerant mutant and abscisic acid-treated soybeans suggests that accumulated fructose might play a role in initial flooding tolerance through regulation of hexokinase and phosphofructokinase. Soybean is sensitive to flooding stress, which markedly reduces plant growth. To explore the mechanism underlying initial-flooding tolerance in soybean, mass spectrometry-based metabolomic analysis was performed using flooding-tolerant mutant and abscisic-acid treated soybeans. Among the commonly-identified metabolites in both flooding-tolerant materials, metabolites involved in carbohydrate and organic acid displayed same profile at initial-flooding stress. Sugar metabolism was highlighted in both flooding-tolerant materials with the decreased and increased accumulation of sucrose and fructose, respectively, compared to flooded soybeans. Gene expression of hexokinase 1 was upregulated in flooded soybean; however, it was downregulated in both flooding-tolerant materials. Metabolites involved in carbohydrate/organic acid and proteins related to glycolysis/tricarboxylic acid cycle were integrated. Increased protein abundance of phosphofructokinase was identified in both flooding-tolerant materials, which was in agreement with its enzyme activity. Furthermore, sugar metabolism was pointed out as the tolerant-responsive process at initial-flooding stress with the integration of metabolomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics. Moreover, application of fructose declined the increased fresh weight of plant induced by flooding stress. These results suggest that fructose might be the critical metabolite through regulation of hexokinase and phosphofructokinase to confer initial-flooding stress in soybean.

{sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT for systemic staging of patients with newly diagnosed ER-positive and HER2-positive breast cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulaner, Gary A.; Castillo, Raychel [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Wills, Jonathan [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Information Systems, New York, NY (United States); Goenen, Mithat; Goldman, Debra A. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, New York, NY (United States)

2017-08-15

This study assesses {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT for patients with newly diagnosed estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor-negative (ER+/HER2-) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-positive (HER2+) breast cancer. In this Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective study, our Healthcare Information System was screened for patients with ER+/HER2- and HER2+ breast cancer who underwent {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT prior to systemic or radiation therapy. The initial stage was determined from mammography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or surgery.{sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT was evaluated to identify unsuspected extra-axillary regional nodal and distant metastases. The proportion of patients upstaged overall and stratified by stage and receptor phenotypes was calculated along with confidence intervals (CI). A total of 238 patients with ER+/HER2- and 245 patients with HER2+ who met inclusion criteria were evaluated. For patients with ER+/HER2-breast cancer, {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT revealed unsuspected distant metastases in 3/71 (4%) initial stage IIA, 13/95 (14%) stage IIB, and 15/57 (26%) stage III. For patients with HER2+ breast cancer, {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT revealed unsuspected distant metastases in 3/72 (4%) initial stage IIA, 13/93 (14%) stage IIB, and 13/59 (22%) stage III. The overall upstaging rate for IIB was 14% (95% confidence interval (CI): 9-20%). {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT revealed distant metastases in 14% (95% CI: 9-20%) of patients with stage IIB ER+/HER2- and HER2+ breast cancer, which is similar to upstaging rates previously seen in patients with stage IIB triple-negative breast cancer (15%, 95% CI: 9-24%). The detection of unsuspected distant metastases in these patients alters treatment and prognosis. NCCN guidelines should consider adding patients with stage IIB breast cancer for consideration of systemic staging with {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT at the time of initial diagnosis. (orig.)

Phase transformations in a human tooth tissue at the initial stage of caries.

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Pavel Seredin

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to study phase transformations in solid tissues of the human teeth during the development of fissure caries by Raman and fluorescence microspectroscopy. The study of the areas with fissure caries confirmed the assumption of the formation of a weak interaction between phosphate apatite enamel and organic acids (products of microorganisms. The experimental results obtained with by Raman microspectroscopy showed the formation of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate - CaHPO4-2H2O in the area of mural demineralization of carious fissure. A comparative analysis of structural and spectroscopic data for the intact and carious enamel shows that emergence of a more soluble phase - carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite - is typical for the initial stage of caries. It is shown that microareas of dental hard tissues in the carious fissure due to an emerging misorientation of apatite crystals have a higher fluorescence yield than the area of the intact enamel. These areas can be easily detected even prior to a deep demineralization (white spot stage for the case of irreversibly changed organomineral complex and intensive removal of the mineral component.

Phase Transformations in a Human Tooth Tissue at the Initial Stage of Caries

Science.gov (United States)

Prutskij, Tatiana; Ippolitov, Yury

2015-01-01

The aim of the paper is to study phase transformations in solid tissues of the human teeth during the development of fissure caries by Raman and fluorescence microspectroscopy. The study of the areas with fissure caries confirmed the assumption of the formation of a weak interaction between phosphate apatite enamel and organic acids (products of microorganisms). The experimental results obtained with by Raman microspectroscopy showed the formation of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate - CaHPO4-2H2O in the area of mural demineralization of carious fissure. A comparative analysis of structural and spectroscopic data for the intact and carious enamel shows that emergence of a more soluble phase - carbonate-substituted hydroxyapatite - is typical for the initial stage of caries. It is shown that microareas of dental hard tissues in the carious fissure due to an emerging misorientation of apatite crystals have a higher fluorescence yield than the area of the intact enamel. These areas can be easily detected even prior to a deep demineralization (white spot stage) for the case of irreversibly changed organomineral complex and intensive removal of the mineral component. PMID:25901743

Analysis of crack initiation and growth in the high level vibration test at Tadotsu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kassir, M.K.; Park, Y.J.; Hofmayer, C.H.; Bandyopadhyay, K.K.; Shteyngart, S.

1993-08-01

The High Level Vibration Test data are used to assess the accuracy and usefulness of current engineering methodologies for predicting crack initiation and growth in a cast stainless steel pipe elbow under complex, large amplitude loading. The data were obtained by testing at room temperature a large scale modified model of one loop of a PWR primary coolant system at the Tadotsu Engineering Laboratory in Japan. Fatigue crack initiation time is reasonably predicted by applying a modified local strain approach (Coffin-Mason-Goodman equation) in conjunction with Miner's rule of cumulative damage. Three fracture mechanics methodologies are applied to investigate the crack growth behavior observed in the hot leg of the model. These are: the ΔK methodology (Paris law), ΔJ concepts and a recently developed limit load stress-range criterion. The report includes a discussion on the pros and cons of the analysis involved in each of the methods, the role played by the key parameters influencing the formulation and a comparison of the results with the actual crack growth behavior observed in the vibration test program. Some conclusions and recommendations for improvement of the methodologies are also provided

Effect of crushed mussel shell addition on bacterial growth in acid polluted soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandez Calviño, David; Garrido-Rodríguez, B.; Arias-Estévez, M.

2015-01-01

We applied three different doses of crushed mussel shell (CMS) on two Cu-polluted acid soils to study the effect of these amendments on the growth of the bacterial community during 730 days. Soil pH increased in the short and medium term due to CMS addition. In a first stage, bacterial growth...... was lower in the CMS-amended than in the un-amended samples. Thereafter, bacterial growth increased slowly. The soil having the highest initial pH value (4.5) showed the first significant increase in bacterial growth 95 days after the CMS amendment. However, in the soil with the lowest initial pH value (3...... as an agronomic sound practice for strongly acid soils (pH

Down to Earth Again: The Third Stage of African Growth Perceptions

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Helmut Asche

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Research on African economies has arrived at the third stage of perceptions in recent times – after “Africa’s growth tragedy” and “Emerging Africa,” we have now come back down to earth. An analysis of five stylised facts contributes to the sobering account: per capita income levels rising only moderately; “hyperglobalisation” or “peak trade” in the world economy likely coming to an end; African economies exhibiting limited structural change; employment and labour productivity trends going somewhat in the wrong direction and at the expense of manufacturing; and industrialisation peaking earlier in global development and at lower levels of employment, rendering an industry-led development path for Africa even more difficult than previously thought. By analysing these trends, we are better able to pinpoint the challenges that governments, parliaments, and the private sector will face in terms of defining policies to sustain the impressive record of the growth period in Africa which began in the mid-1990s and continues today. As the continent’s growth was, despite inflated figures on African middle classes, not inclusive enough, sympathy for all sorts of cash transfer programmes, including unconditional transfers, is rising in formerly reticent quarters. Fresh excitement over social subsidies in Africa should, however, not come at the expense of smart productive subsidies, which have the potential to tackle the agro-industrial root causes of the limited structural change recorded.

Growth mechanism of NaClO 3 and NaBrO 3 crystals from aqueous ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

A study of growth rates of NaClO3 and NaBrO3 has been carried out using a small growth cell by in situ observation. Normal growth rates of {100} faces of NaClO3 and {111} faces of NaBrO3 along ⟨ 110 ⟩ direction are measured under relatively high supersaturation ranging from 3–8%. In the initial stages of growth, {100}, ...

Influence of initial sulfur content in precursor solution for the growth of molybdenum disulfide

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, A. L.; Ng, S. S.; Abu Hassan, H.

2018-04-01

This work investigated the influence of initial sulfur content in the precursor solution for the growth of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) films by thermal vapour sulfurization (TVS) with sol-gel spin coating as pre-deposition technique. The early introduction of sulfur shows the presence of grains are uniformly distributed and homogeneous on the surface of the film. MoS2 (002) planes are detected for both films with and without initial sulfur conditions, however, the presence of initial sulfur contents gives slightly higher intensity of diffraction peak. Two phonon modes for MoS2, namely the E2g 1 (in-plane) and the A1g (out-of plane), are well detected from which the frequency difference of Raman peaks between E2g 1 and A1g suggest the grown MoS2 consisted of multi-layers. There is a slight shift of E2g 1 which is caused by the carbon impurities but no shift for A1g. Besides, MoS2 film with the presence of initial sulfur content shows better crystal as indicated by its narrower Raman peaks linewidth. Two broad absorption peaks of MoS2 are detected at 614nm and 665nm. Hence, the early introduction of sulfur content in prepared precursor solution is one way of optimizing the growth of MoS2 films.

Evaluation of insulin like growth factor-1 (If-1) in children with different stages of chronicle renal failure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Derakshan, A.; Karamifar, H.; Razavi, N.S.M.; Fallahzadeh, M.H.; Hashemi, G.H.

2007-01-01

Growth retardation in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is multifactorial that include inadequate protein and calorie intake, persistent metabolic acidosis, calcitriol deficiency, renal osteodystrophy, drug toxicity, uremic toxins and growth factor abnormalities such as insulin- like growth factor (IGF) and IGF binding proteins. In this study, we compare the IGF-1 levels in normal and growth retarded CKD children. Serum IGF-1 levels were determined in 22 children with end-stage renal disease, 26 children, with CKD at different stages, 23 children with normal height and weight for age, and 23 children with constitutionally short stature. Mean serum levels of IGF-1 were 209+- ng/m1 in the ESRD group (group1), 159+-163 ng/m1 in the CKD group (group2), 420+-182 ng/ml in normal children (group3), and 360+-183 ng/ml in children with constitutional short stature (group4). The differences in the levels of IGF-1 in groups 1 and 2 were statistically significant when compared to groups 3 and 4(p<0.0001 and p< 0.02, respectively), while the levels of IGF-1 were not statistically different between groups 1 and 2. No correlation was found between IGF-1levels and glomerular filtrations are height or weight in groups 1 and 2. In conclusion, serum levels of IGF-1 in children with CKD are significantly lower than healthy children. (author)

Microstructural evolution at the initial stages of annealing in a Bi-2223 multifilament tape

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Y.L.; Grivel, J.-C.; Wang, W.G.

2001-01-01

The microstructural evolution at the initial stage of annealing in a multifilament Bi-2223 (2223) tape is studied in quenched samples using XRD, SEM and EDS. The annealing was carried out at 830 degreesC under reduced oxygen partial pressure. Samples were quenched in air upon reaching 830 degrees...... and the size (measured in tape plane) is comparable with the particle spacing indicating a liquid activity on an overall scale and sufficient feeding of Cu and Ca. Consequently, the 2223 develops at a fast rate. After 10 li the liquid amount is decreased, the particle spacing is far larger than the liquid size...

Evaluation of metal ions and surfactants effect on cell growth and exopolysaccharide production in two-stage submerged culture of Cordyceps militaris.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Jian-Dong; Zhang, Ya-Nan

2012-11-01

During the two-stage submerged fermentation of medicinal mushroom Cordyceps militaris, it was found that K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), and Mn(2+) were favorable to the mycelial growth. The EPS production reached the highest levels in the media containing Mg(2+) and Mn(2+). However, Ca(2+) and K(+) almost failed to increase significantly exopolysaccharides (EPS) production. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) significantly enhanced EPS production compared with that of without adding SDS when SDS was added on static culture stage of two-stage cultivation process. The presence of Tween 80 in the medium not only simulated mycelial growth but also increased EPS production. By response surface methods (RSM), EPS production reached its peak value of 3.28 g/L under optimal combination of 27.6 mM Mg(2+), 11.1 mM Mn(2+), and 0.05 mM SDS, which was 3.76-fold compared with that of without metal ion and surfactant. The results obtained were useful in better understanding the regulation for efficient production of EPS of C. militaris in the two-stage submerged culture.

Effect of selectivity of herbicides and plant growth regulators used in sugarcane crops on immature stages of Trichogramma galloi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae).

OpenAIRE

OLIVEIRA, H. N. de; ANTIGO, M. R.; CARVALHO, G. A.; GLAESER, D. F.

2014-01-01

Herbicides and plant growth regulators are often used in sugarcane management. However, the use of non-selective pesticides can cause adverse effects on the efficiency of beneficial insects in integrated pest management. Within this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of such products on the immature stages of the parasitoid Trichogramma galloi. Eggs of Diatraea saccharalis containing the parasitoid at the egg-larva stage and at the prepupal and pupal stages were immersed in test...

Effect of selectivity of herbicides and plant growth regulators used in sugarcane crops on immature stages of Trichogramma galloi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

OpenAIRE

Oliveira, H.N.; Antigo, M.R.; Carvalho, G.A.; Glaeser, D.F.

2014-01-01

Herbicides and plant growth regulators are often used in sugarcane management. However, the use of non-selective pesticides can cause adverse effects on the efficiency of beneficial insects in integrated pest management. Within this context, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of such products on the immature stages of the parasitoid Trichogramma galloi. Eggs of Diatraea saccharalis containing the parasitoid at the egg-larva stage and at the prepupal and pupal stages were immersed in test...

Risk factors for late-stage HIV disease presentation at initial HIV diagnosis in Durban, South Africa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul K Drain

Full Text Available After observing persistently low CD4 counts at initial HIV diagnosis in South Africa, we sought to determine risk factors for late-stage HIV disease presentation among adults.We surveyed adults prior to HIV testing at four outpatient clinics in Durban from August 2010 to November 2011. All HIV-infected adults were offered CD4 testing, and late-stage HIV disease was defined as a CD4 count <100 cells/mm(3. We used multivariate regression models to determine the effects of sex, emotional health, social support, distance from clinic, employment, perceived barriers to receiving healthcare, and foregoing healthcare to use money for food, clothing, or housing ("competing needs to healthcare" on presentation with late-stage HIV disease.Among 3,669 adults screened, 830 were enrolled, newly-diagnosed with HIV and obtained a CD4 result. Among those, 279 (33.6% presented with late-stage HIV disease. In multivariate analyses, participants who lived ≥5 kilometers from the test site [adjusted odds ratio (AOR 2.8, 95% CI 1.7-4.7], reported competing needs to healthcare (AOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.4, were male (AOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2-2.3, worked outside the home (AOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1, perceived health service delivery barriers (AOR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-2.1, and/or had poor emotional health (AOR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.9 had higher odds of late-stage HIV disease presentation.Independent risk factors for late-stage HIV disease presentation were from diverse domains, including geographic, economic, demographic, social, and psychosocial. These findings can inform various interventions, such as mobile testing or financial assistance, to reduce the risk of presentation with late-stage HIV disease.

Residual pathological stage at radical cystectomy significantly impacts outcomes for initial T2N0 bladder cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Isbarn, Hendrik; Karakiewicz, Pierre I; Shariat, Shahrokh F; Capitanio, Umberto; Palapattu, Ganesh S; Sagalowsky, Arthur I; Lotan, Yair; Schoenberg, Mark P; Amiel, Gilad E; Lerner, Seth P; Sonpavde, Guru

2009-08-01

We hypothesized that in patients with T2N0 stage disease at transurethral bladder tumor resection a lower residual cancer stage (P1N0 or less) at radical cystectomy may correlate with improved outcomes relative to those with residual P2N0 disease. We analyzed 208 patients with T2N0 stage disease at transurethral bladder tumor resection whose tumors were organ confined at radical cystectomy (P2 or lower, pN0). None received perioperative chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier as well as univariable and multivariable Cox regression models addressed the effect of residual pT stage at radical cystectomy on recurrence and cancer specific mortality rates. Covariates consisted of age, gender, grade, lymphovascular invasion, carcinoma in situ, number of lymph nodes removed and year of surgery. Residual pT stage at radical cystectomy was P0 in 24 (11.5%) patients, Pa in 9 (4.3%), PCIS in 22 (10.6%), P1 in 35 (16.8%) and P2 in 118 (56.7%). Median followup of censored patients was 55.7 months for recurrence and 52.1 months for cancer specific mortality analyses. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rates of patients with P0/Pa/PCIS, P1 and P2 stage disease were 100%, 85% and 75%, respectively. The 5-year cancer specific survival rates for the same cohorts were 100%, 93% and 81%, respectively. On multivariable analysis the effect of residual stage P1 or lower at radical cystectomy achieved independent predictor status for recurrence (adjusted HR 0.20, p = 0.002) and cancer specific mortality (adjusted HR 0.24, p = 0.02). Down staging from initial T2N0 bladder cancer at transurethral bladder tumor resection to lower stage at radical cystectomy significantly reduces recurrence and cancer specific mortality. Further validation of this finding is warranted.

A comparison of non-contrast and contrast-enhanced MRI in the initial stage of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Harry K.W. [Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Center of Excellence in Hip Disorders, Dallas, TX (United States); University of Texas Southwestern, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Dallas, TX (United States); Kaste, Sue [St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Department of Radiological Sciences, Memphis, TN (United States); St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Department of Oncology, Memphis, TN (United States); University of Tennessee School of Health Sciences, Department of Radiology, Memphis, TN (United States); Dempsey, Molly; Wilkes, David [Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Department of Radiology, Dallas, TX (United States)

2013-09-15

A prognostic indicator of outcome for Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCP) is needed to guide treatment decisions during the initial stage of the disease (stage 1), before deformity occurs. Radiographic prognosticators are applicable only after fragmentation (stage II). We investigated pre- and postcontrast MRI in depicting stage I femoral head involvement. Thirty children with stage I LCP underwent non-contrast coronal T1 fast spin-echo (FSE) and corresponding postcontrast fat-suppressed T1-weighted fast spin-echo (FSE) sequences to quantify the extent of femoral head involvement. Three pediatric radiologists and one pediatric orthopedic surgeon independently measured central head involvement. Interobserver reliability of percent head involvement using non-contrasted MR images had intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.72. Postcontrast MRI improved interobserver reliability (ICC 0.82). Qualitatively, the area of involvement was more clearly visible on contrast-enhanced MRI. A comparison of results obtained by each observer using the two MRI techniques showed no correlation. ICC ranged from -0.08 to 0.03 for each observer. Generally, greater head involvement was depicted by contrast compared with non-contrast MRI (Pearson r = -0.37, P = 0.04). Pre- and postcontrast MRI assess two different components of stage I LCP. However, contrast-enhanced MRI more clearly depicts the area of involvement. (orig.)

Stage specific requirement of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α in embryonic development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Qian

Full Text Available Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα is a cell-surface receptor tyrosine kinase for platelet-derived growth factors. Correct timing and level of Pdgfra expression is crucial for embryo development, and deletion of Pdgfra caused developmental defects of multiple endoderm and mesoderm derived structures, resulting in a complex phenotypes including orofacial cleft, spina bifida, rib deformities, and omphalocele in mice. However, it is not clear if deletion of Pdgfra at different embryonic stages differentially affects these structures.To address the temporal requirement of Pdgfra in embryonic development.We have deleted the Pdgfra in Pdgfra-expressing tissues at different embryonic stages in mice, examined and quantified the developmental anomalies.Current study showed that (i conditional deletion of Pdgfra at different embryonic days (between E7.5 and E10.5 resulted in orofacial cleft, spina bifida, rib cage deformities, and omphalocele, and (ii the day of Pdgfra deletion influenced the combinations, incidence and severities of these anomalies. Deletion of Pdgfra caused apoptosis of Pdgfra-expressing tissues, and developmental defects of their derivatives.Orofacial cleft, spina bifida and omphalocele are among the commonest skeletal and abdominal wall defects of newborns, but their genetic etiologies are largely unknown. The remarkable resemblance of our conditional Pdgfra knockout embryos to theses human congenital anomalies, suggesting that dysregulated PDGFRA expression could cause these anomalies in human. Future work should aim at defining (a the regulatory elements for the expression of the human PDGFRA during embryonic development, and (b if mutations / sequence variations of these regulatory elements cause these anomalies.

Down-regulation of DNA mismatch repair enhances initiation and growth of neuroblastoma and brain tumour multicellular spheroids.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samuel L Collins

Full Text Available Multicellular tumour spheroid (MCTS cultures are excellent model systems for simulating the development and microenvironmental conditions of in vivo tumour growth. Many documented cell lines can generate differentiated MCTS when cultured in suspension or in a non-adhesive environment. While physiological and biochemical properties of MCTS have been extensively characterized, insight into the events and conditions responsible for initiation of these structures is lacking. MCTS are formed by only a small subpopulation of cells during surface-associated growth but the processes responsible for this differentiation are poorly understood and have not been previously studied experimentally. Analysis of gene expression within spheroids has provided clues but to date it is not known if the observed differences are a cause or consequence of MCTS growth. One mechanism linked to tumourigenesis in a number of cancers is genetic instability arising from impaired DNA mismatch repair (MMR. This study aimed to determine the role of MMR in MCTS initiation and development. Using surface-associated N2a and CHLA-02-ATRT culture systems we have investigated the impact of impaired MMR on MCTS growth. Analysis of the DNA MMR genes MLH1 and PMS2 revealed both to be significantly down-regulated at the mRNA level compared with non-spheroid-forming cells. By using small interfering RNA (siRNA against these genes we show that silencing of MLH1 and PMS2 enhances both MCTS initiation and subsequent expansion. This effect was prolonged over several passages following siRNA transfection. Down-regulation of DNA MMR can contribute to tumour initiation and progression in N2a and CHLA-02-ATRT MCTS models. Studies of surface-associated MCTS differentiation may have broader applications in studying events in the initiation of cancer foci.

Crop yield response to deficit irrigation imposed at different plant growth stages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovaks, T.; Kovaks, G.; Szito, J.

1995-01-01

A series of field experiments were conducted between 1991 - 1994 using 7 irrigation treatments at two fertilizer levels. Nitrogen fertilizers used were labelled with 15 N stable isotope to examine the effect of irrigation on the fertilizer N use efficiency by isotope technique. The irrigation were maintained at four different growth stages of maize, soybean and potato( vegetative, flowering, yield formation and ripening ) in 4 replicates. The aim of study was to compare deficit irrigation( i.e. the water stress imposed, during one growth stage ) with normal irrigation practice included the traditional one. Two watering regimes were established : (1) normal watering when available water was within the range of 60 - 90 %, and (2) deficit irrigation, when the AW was at 30 to 60 %. Neutron probe was used for measuring the soil water status and evaporation data were recorded to determine the amount of irrigation water demand. Reference evapotranspiration ( ETo) was calculated according to Penman - Monteith. Crop water requirement ( ETm) were determined in every year. Actual evapotranspiration ( ETa) was computed using CROPWAT: FAO computer program for irrigation planning and management (1992). Every irrigation treatment was equipped with neutron access tubes in two replicates at a depth from 10 to 130 cm. tensiometers were installed at depths of 30, 50, 60 and 80 cm in one replicate of treatments and were measured on a daily basis while neutron probe measurements were used to monitor the soil water table fluctuations. The irrigation method used was a special type of low pressure drop irrigation. There were measured the amount of rainfall with irrigation water supplied and the moisture distribution profiles were drown for the different treatments. Relationships between relative yield decrease and evapotranspiration and also between the crop yield and water use were determined. 9 tabs, 9 refs, ( Author )

Hypoxia and acidification have additive and synergistic negative effects on the growth, survival, and metamorphosis of early life stage bivalves.

Science.gov (United States)

Gobler, Christopher J; DePasquale, Elizabeth L; Griffith, Andrew W; Baumann, Hannes

2014-01-01

Low oxygen zones in coastal and open ocean ecosystems have expanded in recent decades, a trend that will accelerate with climatic warming. There is growing recognition that low oxygen regions of the ocean are also acidified, a condition that will intensify with rising levels of atmospheric CO2. Presently, however, the concurrent effects of low oxygen and acidification on marine organisms are largely unknown, as most prior studies of marine hypoxia have not considered pH levels. We experimentally assessed the consequences of hypoxic and acidified water for early life stage bivalves (bay scallops, Argopecten irradians, and hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria), marine organisms of significant economic and ecological value and sensitive to climate change. In larval scallops, experimental and naturally-occurring acidification (pH, total scale  = 7.4-7.6) reduced survivorship (by >50%), low oxygen (30-50 µM) inhibited growth and metamorphosis (by >50%), and the two stressors combined produced additively negative outcomes. In early life stage clams, however, hypoxic waters led to 30% higher mortality, while acidified waters significantly reduced growth (by 60%). Later stage clams were resistant to hypoxia or acidification separately but experienced significantly (40%) reduced growth rates when exposed to both conditions simultaneously. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the consequences of low oxygen and acidification for early life stage bivalves, and likely other marine organisms, are more severe than would be predicted by either individual stressor and thus must be considered together when assessing how ocean animals respond to these conditions both today and under future climate change scenarios.

Analysis of grain growth process in melt spun Fe-B alloys under the initial saturated grain boundary segregation condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.; Liu, F.; Yang, X.Q.; Fan, Y.; Shen, C.J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: → We compared pure kinetic, pure thermodynamic and extended thermo-kinetic models. → An initial saturated GB segregation condition of nanoscale Fe-B alloys was determined. → The controlled-mechanism was proposed using two characteristic times (t 1 and t 2 ). - Abstract: A grain growth process in the melt spun low-solid-solubility Fe-B alloys was analyzed under the initial saturated grain boundary (GB) segregation condition. Applying melt spinning technique, single-phase supersaturated nanograins were prepared. Grain growth behavior of the single-phase supersaturated nanograins was investigated by performing isothermal annealing at 700 deg. C. Combined with the effect of GB segregation on the initial GB excess amount, the thermo-kinetic model [Chen et al., Acta Mater. 57 (2009) 1466] was extended to describe the initial GB segregation condition of nanoscale Fe-B alloys. In comparison of pure kinetic model, pure thermodynamic model and the extended thermo-kinetic model, an initial saturated GB segregation condition was determined. The controlled-mechanism of grain growth under initial saturated GB segregation condition was proposed using two characteristic annealing times (t 1 and t 2 ), which included a mainly kinetic-controlled process (t ≤ t 1 ), a transition from kinetic-mechanism to thermodynamic-mechanism (t 1 2 ) and pure thermodynamic-controlled process (t ≥ t 2 ).

Initial growth of Eugenia stipitata, Inga spectabilis, and Inga edulis in Napo, Ecuador

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Vinicio Abril Saltos

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Agriculture has been one of the causes of deforestation, causing environmental impact and soil degeneration, which leads to lower income earned by farmers; hence the need to implement agroforestry systems .This research aims to describe fromthe initial growth of Eugenia stipitata, Inga edulis, and Inga spectabilis to 320 days after emergence. The study took place at the Amazon Research and Conservation Center of the Amazonas State University, during 2014 and 2015. The growth process was evaluated in regards to plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, and branch length. Plant height and stem diameter were compared over time applying variance analysis. Precipitation was also compared to analyze whether its variations had a direct influence on plant growth. The linear and polynomial models fitted better for thespecies regarding plant height and sprout diameter. Predominance of green leaves compared to yellow and dry ones, as branch length showed significant differences over all the sampling periods. The two-way analysis of variance showed significant differences in the correlation between age and precipitation over plant height and stem diameter. The outcomes led to conclude that Eugenia stipitata had a lower growth than both Inga edulis and Inga spectabilis. Branch production and growth and the number of leaves were also important elements of the growth process.

Growth Performance and Initial Heritability Estimates for Growth Traits in Juvenile Sea Urchin Tripneustes gratilla

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma. Josefa Pante

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Genetic improvement of performance traits of maricultured species is becoming an important concern. Improvement of performance traits is important for two reasons: it enhances the growth and survival of the animals and it translates to economic gains to the fish farmer. In the sea urchin, Tripneustes gratilla, growth performance of the different families and heritabilities for wet weight, test diameter and test height were estimated from 1,020 offspring from a mating of each of the 15 males with 1 or 2 females. Measurements were done monthly starting at the grow-out stage or four months after hatching. There were significant family differences for the performance traits in sea urchin reared in tanks at the BML hatchery as revealed by ANOVA. Estimates of heritabilities based on the sire component of variance were low for wet weight (0.027, test diameter (0.033 and zero for test height. Heritabilities estimated from the dam component of variance were low for wet weight (0.063, moderate for test diameter (0.286 and test height (0.227. The results indicate that test diameter and wet weight have lowly heritable traits, which means that mass or individual selection may not be the best method for improving the traits for sea urchin populations in Bolinao. Other methods such as family and combined family selection should be explored.

Fostering low-carbon growth initiatives in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Criqui, Patrick; Peytral, Pierre-Olivier; Simon, Jean-Christophe; Valadier, Cecile

2012-02-01

The current debate on climate strategy and low-carbon economy has increased in complexity: negotiations on the international scene are lacking clear prospects, while the world economic context, international governance and growth prospects remain highly uncertain. In spite of these difficulties, contributors to this study consider that there is a major opportunity for Thailand to address climate change mitigation as part of its overall development strategy, within the 11. NESDP (2012-2016). We strongly believe that Thailand could maximize the benefits of proactive strategies to address climate change adaptation and mitigation by strengthening and expanding already substantial efforts and existing policies. It is also considered that climate policy can be seen as a relevant component of both sustainable development strategy and promotion of national competitiveness. Several key points can be stressed here regarding climate change mitigation strategies and policies in Thailand: - A set of existing policies has already been implemented, mostly focused on the energy sector. - Substantial experience of government departments and agencies has built up over the past two decades in identifying options, coordinating exchanges of views and implementing targeted policies. - A national scientific potential is already established, with a diversity of expertise and a capacity for nationwide field work. Coordinated initiatives of the private sector have been diverse and substantial in major sectors of activity. - Growing awareness in civil society, which is nevertheless combined with entrenched attitudes, resistance to change in everyday life, as in most other countries, whether developed or developing. Recent policy debate, backed by a strong corpus of scientific analysis, considers that a national strategy for Green Economy, or Low-Carbon Economy, should comprise both cross-sector policies and targeted sector-oriented policies. A preliminary analysis of the existing policy mix

Creep Crack Initiation and Growth Behavior for Ni-Base Superalloys

Science.gov (United States)

Nagumo, Yoshiko; Yokobori, A. Toshimitsu, Jr.; Sugiura, Ryuji; Ozeki, Go; Matsuzaki, Takashi

The structural components which are used in high temperature gas turbines have various shapes which may cause the notch effect. Moreover, the site of stress concentration might have the heterogeneous microstructural distribution. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the creep fracture mechanism for these materials in order to predict the life of creep fracture with high degree of accuracy. In this study, the creep crack growth tests were performed using in-situ observational testing machine with microscope to observe the creep damage formation and creep crack growth behavior. The materials used are polycrystalline Ni-base superalloy IN100 and directionally solidified Ni-base superalloy CM247LC which were developed for jet engine turbine blades and gas turbine blades in electric power plants, respectively. The microstructural observation of the test specimens was also conducted using FE-SEM/EBSD. Additionally, the analyses of two-dimensional elastic-plastic creep finite element using designed methods were conducted to understand the effect of microstructural distribution on creep damage formation. The experimental and analytical results showed that it is important to determine the creep crack initiation and early crack growth to predict the life of creep fracture and it is indicated that the highly accurate prediction of creep fracture life could be realized by measuring notch opening displacement proposed as the RNOD characteristic.

Effect of growth stages on total phenolics content and antioxidant activity of Fumaria vaillantii L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Mehdizadeh*

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: Plant extracts and their constituents are known to exert biological effects, especially antioxidant activity. Fumaria vaillantii (Fumariaceae has several therapeutic effects in traditional medicine. Antioxidants are able to protect the human body from oxidative damage connected to the reaction of free radicals. Synthetic antioxidants have toxic and carcinogenic effects on human health; therefore, their application has been limited. Thus, there has been an increasing interest in the natural antioxidant compounds to prevent the foods from deterioration. In this study, the antioxidant activity of F. vaillantii extracts at three stages of growth has been evaluated. Methods: The ethanol extracts from the aerial parts of the plants at different phenological stages were prepared and the total phenolics content was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. Also, the antioxidant activity were determined by three methods as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH, ferric-ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP and phosphomolybdenum complex tests. All experiments were carried out in triplicate, and data were subjected to ANOVA according to the SAS software. Results: Total phenolics content of vegetative, budding and flowering stages were 68.38, 71.11 and 56.42 mg GAE/g extract, respectively. Although flowering stage showed the highest antioxidant activity in phosphomolybdenum complex, in DPPH and FRAP methods, it decreased from vegetative to flowering stages. Conclusion: According to the results, the Iranian F. vaillantii extract from vegetative stage was a potential source of natural antioxidants for food and pharmaceutical industries that can be used in different industries.

Geophysical Investigations in the Caucasus (1925 - 2012): Initial, Basic and Modern Stages

Science.gov (United States)

Eppelbaum, L. V.

2012-04-01

The Caucasian Mountains occupy an area of about 440,000 km2. A number of important mineral resources are concentrated there. Geophysical data on the geological structure of Caucasus can shed light on the basic principles of evolution of the Earth, the distribution of minerals and seismic activity. However, geophysical surveys under complex conditions are generally riddled by poor accessibility to certain mountainous regions, the unevenness of observation surfaces, as well as by a great variety and frequent changes of tectonic structures and geological bodies with variable physical properties. These factors either restrict geophysical surveys in difficult environments or confine the scope of useful information drawn from the results obtained. This has led to the development of special techniques in geophysical surveys, data processing and interpretation that draws heavily on the experience accumulated in the specific conditions of these mountainous regions. First applied geophysical observations in the Caucasus region - thermal measurements in boreholes - were carried out by Bazevich (1881) in the Absheron Peninsula. At the same time, start of the initial stage is usually referred to as the mid 20-s of the XX century, when the rare, but systematic geophysical observations (mainly gravity and magnetic) were begun in some Caucasian areas. Somewhat later began to apply the resistivity method. Mid 30-s is characterized by the beginning of application of borehole geophysics and seismic prospecting. The marine seismics firstly in the former Soviet Union was tested in the Caspian Sea. In general, the initial stage is characterized by slow, but steady rise (except during World War II) lasted until 1960. A basic stage (1960-1991) is characterized by very intensive employment of geophysical methods (apparently, any possible geophysical methods were tested in this region). At this time the Caucasus region is considered in the former Soviet Union as a geophysical polygon for

Chinese Fine Art of the 3rd Century: On the Initial Stage of Development of Painting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Prasolova

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The paper summarizes the extant written data on Chinese painting on silk in the initial century of the Period of Disunion (Six Dynasties, Liu chao, III–VI A.D., known as the Sanguo (220–280 and the Western Jin (265–317 epochs. While it is scattered among diverse sources, it is mainly in the Lidai minghua ji treatise of Zhang Yanyuan (ca. 810–ca. 990. An analysis of accounts of individual masters and their creative activities attempts to reconstruct the probable artistic and essential features of pieces of art lost afterwards, offering a novel explanation of the initial stage of the formative process of an important genre of composition in Chinese painting and culture.

Growth initiation processes for GaAs and AlGaAs in CBE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, D.

2002-01-01

The aim of this work was to investigate the nature of the transient period found in reflectance anisotropy (RA) measurements of high III:V BEP ratio growth of gallium arsenide (GaAs) and aluminium gallium arsenide (AIGaAs) by chemical beam epitaxy (CBE). Growth at substrate temperatures between 510-610 deg C with arsine (AsH 3 ) thermally cracked to As 2 , triethylgallium (TEGa), trimethylgallium (TMGa), trimethylaminealane (TMAA) and diethylmethylaminealane (DEMAA) at high III:V BEP ratios reveals that the transition from 'pre-growth' to 'in-growth' reconstructions is not as straightforward as that for lower III:V BEP ratio growth. Instead of the reconstruction changing directly to the usual 2x4 'in-growth' reconstruction over 1-2 seconds it passes through several other transient reconstructions over a period of up to and greater than 60s, firstly the Ga rich 4x2 then several other 2x4 As-stable reconstructions. It has been shown that at the III:V BEP ratios and substrate temperatures used in this work growth is taking place in a transitional area of the phase diagram for 'in-growth' reconstructions. At higher III:V BEP ratio growth the transition is believed to be direct, from the 'pre-growth' reconstruction to a 4x2 Ga-rich 'in-growth' reconstruction. The surfaces grown with any of the precursors are initially saturated with Ga and then as the As coverage gradually increases the reconstructions change until enough As is present on the surface for usual 2x4 'in-growth' reconstruction to stabilise. However unlike for TMGa, GaAs growth with TEGa proceeds by a non-self limiting growth mode and TEGa rapidly dissociates. The result of this is that TEGa decomposes on top of other TEGa molecules, or their fragments and due to the high flux rate this leads to a 'stacking-up' of Ga on the surface. The presence of excess Ga provides a rapid increase of surface reflectance and then its subsequent decay as the excess Ga is incorporated by the increasing As content of the

Two-stage fungal leaching of vanadium from uranium ore residue of the leaching stage using statistical experimental design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gharehbagheri, Hassan; Safdari, Jaber; Roostaazad, Reza; Rashidi, Abbas

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► In this work, the percent of vanadium recovery from uranium mine waste was 44.8. ► Unlike autotrophs, Aspergillus niger is a suitable microorganism to deal with such a resource. ► In the first step of the present work, citric acid was produced more than the other acids. ► When sterilization of uranium ore waste is not economic, two-step bioleaching is an appropriate method. - Abstract: In this investigation, bioleaching of vanadium from uranium ore residue of the leaching stage was studied by Aspergillus niger in a two-step process at 30 °C and 150 rpm. The first step was initiated by growth of fungi in the absence of mine waste. Using response surface methodology, three factors were surveyed for fungal growth: initial pH, sucrose concentration and spore population. Also concentrations of oxalic, citric, and gluconic acids were measured as response in this step. During 30 days, maximum productions of these acids were 3265, 11578, and 7988 mg/l, respectively. Initial pH and sucrose concentration were significant factors for oxalic and citric acid production; however, for gluconic acid production sucrose concentration and spore population were significant. Then, the content of each flask was filtered and mine waste was added to liquor with pulp density of 3%. During 3 days, in the second step, vanadium recovered about 44.8% in the liquor

Presentation of the growth of pulmonary metastases in case of testicle tumors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kriester, A; Kob, D; Hacker, I

1982-08-01

An essential criterium for the suitability of a mathematical approach to represent biologic processes is the possibility to give a sensible biologic description of those proceedings, too, which cannot be directly observed. The authors show that the formula used by Krokowski in order to define the growth of pulmonary metastases is not able to describe in a reasonable manner the initial growth during the pre-clinical stage.

Probabilistic and microstructural aspects of fatigue cracks initiation in Inconel 718

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexandre, F.

2004-03-01

Thermomechanical treatments have been recently developed to produce Inconel 718DA (Direct Aged). This alloy optimisation leads to an increase of the fatigue life but also the scatter. The aim of this study is on the one hand the understanding of the fatigue crack initiation mechanisms and on the other hand the modelling of the fatigue life and the scatter. An experimental study showed that the fatigue cracks were initiated from carbide particles in fine grain alloy. Interrupted tensile tests show that the particles cracking occurred at the first quarter of the fatigue cycle. Fatigue behaviour tests were also performed on various grain size 718 alloys. The last experimental part was devoted to measurements of the low cycle fatigue crack growth rates using a high focal distance microscope. For these tests, EDM micro-defects were used for the fatigue crack initiation sites. This method was also used to observe the small fatigue crack coalescence. A fatigue life model is proposed. It is based on the three fatigue crack initiation mechanisms competition: particle crack initiation on the surface, internal particle crack initiation and Stade I crack initiation. The particle fatigue crack initiation is supposed instantaneous at a critical stress level. The Tanaka and Mura model is used for analysing the Stage I crack initiation number of cycles. The fatigue crack growth rate was analysed using the Tomkins model identified on the small fatigue crack growth rate measurements. The proposed fatigue life model decomposed in three levels: a deterministic one and two probabilistic with and without crack coalescence. (author)

Microstructural modelling of creep crack growth from a blunted crack

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Onck, P.R.; Giessen, E. van der

1998-01-01

The effect of crack tip blunting on the initial stages of creep crack growth is investigated by means of a planar microstructural model in which grains are represented discretely. The actual linking-up process of discrete microcracks with the macroscopic crack is simulated, with full account of the

The effect of a mixture of Lactobacillus strains on silage quality and nutritive value of grass harvested at four growth stages and ensiled for two periods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johan De Boever

2013-03-01

Full Text Available   The effect of adding an inoculant containing Lactobacillus buchneri, L. plantarum and L. casei to wilted perennial ryegrass, harvested at four growth stages and ensiled for either 60 or 150 d on silage fermentation quality, chemical composition, rumen degradability of neutral detergent fibre (NDF and organic matter (OM and in vitro OM digestibility (OMd was studied. Compared to the control silage, more sugars were fermented to lactic and acetic acid with the inoculant, resulting in a lower pH, less dry matter losses and protein degradation and a better aerobic stability. The effects of the additive on fermentation quality were more pronounced after 150 than after 60 d of ensiling, because the quality of the control silage was worse after long ensiling period. The treatment lowered NDF content of grass harvested at the first two growth stages by degrading cell walls to complex sugars, but had no effect on NDF degradability of the silage. The inoculant had no effect on rumen OM degradability nor on OMd after the short ensiling period, but increased the rumen OM degradability for the first two growth stages and OMd for all growth stages after long ensiling period.

Influence of irrigation during the growth stage on yield and quality in mango (Mangifera indica L).

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Junya; Liu, Guoyin; Liu, Debing; Chen, Yeyuan

2017-01-01

Although being one of the few drought-tolerant plants, mango trees are irrigated to ensure optimum and consistent productivity in China. In order to better understand the effects of soil water content on mango yield and fruit quality at fruit growth stage, irrigation experiments were investigated and the object was to determine the soil water content criteria at which growth and quality of mango would be optimal based on soil water measured by RHD-JS water-saving irrigation system through micro-sprinkling irrigation. Five soil water content treatments (relative to the percentage of field water capacity) for irrigation (T1:79%-82%, T2:75%-78%, T3:71%-74%, T4: 65%-70%, T5:63%-66%) were compared in 2013. Amount of applied irrigation water for different treatments varied from 2.93m3 to 1.08 m3. The results showed that mango fruit production and quality at fruit growth stage were significantly affected under different irrigation water amounts. Variation in soil water content not only had effects on fruit size, but also on fruit yield. The highest fruit yield and irrigation water use efficiency were obtained from the T4 treatment. Irrigation water amount also affected fruit quality parameters like fruit total soluble solids, soluble sugar, starch, titratable acid and vitamin C content. Comprehensive evaluation of the effect of indexs of correlation on irrigation treatment by subordinate function showed that when the soil moisture content were controlled at about 65-70% of the field water moisture capacity, water demand in the growth and development of mango could be ensured, and maximum production efficiency of irrigation and the best quality of fruit could be achieved. In conclusion, treatment T4 was the optimum irrigation schedule for growing mango, thus achieving efficient production of mango in consideration of the compromise among mango yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency.

Early Stages of Pulsed-Laser Growth of Silicon Microcolumns and Microcones in Air and SF6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fowlkes, J.D.; Lowndes, D.H.; Pedraza, A.J.

1999-01-01

Dense arrays of high-aspect-ratio silicon microcolumns and microcones are formed by cumulative nanosecond pulsed excimer laser irradiation of single-crystal silicon in oxidizing atmospheres such as air and SF 6 . Growth of such surface microstructures requires a redeposition model and also involves elements of self-organization. The shape of the microstructures, i.e. straight columns vs steeply sloping cones and connecting walls, is governed by the type and concentration of the oxidizing species, e.g. oxygen vs fluorine. Growth is believed to occur by a catalyst-free VLS (vapor-liquid-solid) mechanism that involves repetitive melting of the tips of the columns/cones and deposition there of the ablated flux of Si-containing vapor. Results are presented of a new investigation of how such different final microstructures as microcolumns or microcones joined by walls nucleate and develop. The changes in silicon surface morphology were systematically determined and compared as the number of pulsed KrF (248 nm) laser shots was increased from 25 to several thousand in both air and SF 6 . The experiments in air and SF 6 reveal significant differences in initial surface cracking and pattern formation. Consequently, local protrusions are first produced and column or cone/wall growth is initiated by different processes and at different rates. Differences in the spatial organization of column or cone/wall growth also are apparent

Integrated probabilistic assessment for DHC initiation, growth and leak-before-break of PHWR pressure tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Young-Jin [Power Engineering Research Institute, KEPCO Engineering and Construction, 188 Gumi-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-870 (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Yoon-Suk, E-mail: yschang@khu.ac.kr [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1732 Deogyeong-daero, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-08-15

Highlights: • We develop an integrated approach for probabilistic assessment of PHWR pressure tube. • We examine probabilities of DHC initiation, growth, penetration and LBB failure. • The proposed approach is helpful to calculate rupture probabilities in reactor flaws even in the case of very low rupture probability. - Abstract: A few hundred zirconium alloy pressure tubes in a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) serve as the nuclear fuel channel, as well as the reactor coolant pressure boundary. The pressure tubes are inspected periodically and a fitness-for-service assessment (FFSA) must be conducted if any flaw is detected in the inspection. A Canadian standard provides FFSA procedures of PHWR pressure tubes, which include probabilistic assessment for flaws considering delayed hydride cracking (DHC) and leak-before-break (LBB). In the present study, an integrated approach with detailed stepwise calculation procedures and integration methodology for probabilistic assessment of pressure tube was developed. In the first step of this approach, a probability of the DHC initiation, growth and penetration for single initial flaw is calculated. In the next step, a probability of LBB failure, which means tube rupture, for single through-wall crack (TWC) is calculated. Finally, a rupture probability for all initial flaws in a reactor can be calculated using the penetration probability for single flaw and the LBB failure probability for single TWC, as well as the predicted total number of initial flaw in the reactor.

Integrated probabilistic assessment for DHC initiation, growth and leak-before-break of PHWR pressure tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Young-Jin; Chang, Yoon-Suk

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We develop an integrated approach for probabilistic assessment of PHWR pressure tube. • We examine probabilities of DHC initiation, growth, penetration and LBB failure. • The proposed approach is helpful to calculate rupture probabilities in reactor flaws even in the case of very low rupture probability. - Abstract: A few hundred zirconium alloy pressure tubes in a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) serve as the nuclear fuel channel, as well as the reactor coolant pressure boundary. The pressure tubes are inspected periodically and a fitness-for-service assessment (FFSA) must be conducted if any flaw is detected in the inspection. A Canadian standard provides FFSA procedures of PHWR pressure tubes, which include probabilistic assessment for flaws considering delayed hydride cracking (DHC) and leak-before-break (LBB). In the present study, an integrated approach with detailed stepwise calculation procedures and integration methodology for probabilistic assessment of pressure tube was developed. In the first step of this approach, a probability of the DHC initiation, growth and penetration for single initial flaw is calculated. In the next step, a probability of LBB failure, which means tube rupture, for single through-wall crack (TWC) is calculated. Finally, a rupture probability for all initial flaws in a reactor can be calculated using the penetration probability for single flaw and the LBB failure probability for single TWC, as well as the predicted total number of initial flaw in the reactor

Estimation of metal uptake in plant parts of roadside grown maize at selected growth stages

OpenAIRE

Anongo, M'ember C.; Uyovbisere, Edward O.; Ekong, Nsima J.

2015-01-01

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in roadside grown foodcrops consumed by humans is a very good technique because such assessment would provide information about any threat regarding heavy metal contamination. Plant and corresponding soil samples were collected for trace metal analysis to ascertain potential health risks. The non-significant differences of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) levels among the selected growth stages shows that the levels of Pb and Cd in the foodcrops were not influ...

Initial growth of Costus longebracteolatus and Costus spiralis ‘French Kiss’ under different light conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renata Bachin Mazzini-Guedes

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The Brazilian native Costus longebracteolatus and Costus spiralis ‘French Kiss’, in the family Costaceae, have been used as both cut flowers and cut foliage. It is known that Costus species grow better under partial shade, but studies on the influence of shading or light on plant growth, development, and flower production are still incipient. As this kind of information is essential on planning of planting, production, and agribusiness activities, the objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of different colored shade nets and light conditions on the initial growth of both C. longebracteolatus and C. spiralis ‘French Kiss’. Plants, obtained from cuttings of pseudostems, were cultivated under six light conditions, which comprised six treatments, along 270 days: red net with 50% shading, blue net with 50% shading, black net with 70% shading, black net with 50% shading, black net with 30% shading, and full sun. The initial growth of C. longebracteolatus (up to 270 days is more successful under the blue net with 50% shading, which promoted highest values of pseudostem length and dry matter of aerial part. For C. spiralis ‘French Kiss’ plants, both the red and blue nets with 50% shading implied best results and differed for the other treatments with greater pseudostem length. Plant exposure to full sun inhibited growth and development, and favored early leaf necrosis.

Hydrogen induced crack growth in Grade-12 titanium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahn, T.M.; Lee, K.S.

1984-01-01

Internal hydrogen induced crack growth rates were measured in Grade-12 titanium which is a candidate material for high-level nuclear waste containers. As-received and hydrogen charged samples (5 ppM to 330 ppM hydrogen) were used for slow crack growth measurements at constant loads using a Krak Gauge. The testing temperature ranged from room temperature to 148 0 C. The crack growth kinetics under low to moderate loads are linear, but this linear rate is interrupted by discrete fast crack jump segments with parabolic or cubic type kinetics. These fast jump segments are thought to be associated with the passage of the crack front through the alpha-beta interface phase or with the initial loading sequence. By measuring striation spacings on the fracture surface, most crack growth rates observed are found to be in stage II. The striations are considered to be associated with hydride fracture. The crack path is either transgranular in the alpha phase or interfacial in the alpha phase adjacent to the beta phase. For transgranular growth, crack growth rates are constant and slower than those for interfacial growth which is associated with fast crack growth through a high hydrogen concentration region. Most stage II crack growth rates depend slightly on the stress intensity suggesting the contribution of plastic tearing process to stage II kinetics. The activation energies for crack growth are much lower than the activation energy of hydrogen diffusion through the alpha phase, implying that hydrogen is transported along dislocations, grain boundaries or interfaces. When the temperature is increased, the crack velocity first reaches a maximum and then decreases at higher temperatures. These temperature effects come from lower hydrogen concentration trapped at dislocations or from slower hydride nucleation kinetics, both at higher temperatures

Historical review of quartz crystal growth

Science.gov (United States)

Iwasaki, Fumiko; Iwasaki, Hideo

2002-04-01

The history of quartz crystal growth is reviewed from the origin to the industrialization. The developing process of growth techniques is divided into the following three stages: (1) The fundamental work based on the mineralogical genetic view point, which was performed in Italy during the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th centuries. (2) The works to attempt the industrial application made in Germany and in England during World War II. (3) The industrialization of quartz growth after World War II. These were initiated in England, in USA and independently in Russia. The highest mass production process was developed in Japan. The historical flow is traced by the interview of several persons based on the original references.

Factor-structure of economic growth in E-commerce

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

吴隽; 刘洪久; 栾天行

2003-01-01

In order to analyze the factors having effect on economic growth of E-commerce, the economic growthprocess of E-commerce is divided into three stages; growth stage, stabilization stage and re-growth stage. Thesethree different stages are analysed using several economic growth theories, a set of factor-structure is proposedfor each stage of the economic growth process of E-commerce.

The role of low-volatility organic compounds in initial particle growth in the atmosphere

CERN Document Server

Tröstl, Jasmin; Gordon, Hamish; Heinritzi, Martin; Yan, Chao; Molteni, Ugo; Ahlm, Lars; Frege, Carla; Bianchi, Federico; Wagner, Robert; Simon, Mario; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Williamson, Christina; Craven, Jill S; Duplissy, Jonathan; Adamov, Alexey; Almeida, Joao; Bernhammer, Anne-Kathrin; Breitenlechner, Martin; Brilke, Sophia; Dias, Antònio; Ehrhart, Sebastian; Flagan, Richard C; Franchin, Alessandro; Fuchs, Claudia; Guida, Roberto; Gysel, Martin; Hansel, Armin; Hoyle, Christopher R; Jokinen, Tuija; Junninen, Heikki; Kangasluoma, Juha; Keskinen, Helmi; Kim, Jaeseok; Krapf, Manuel; Kürten, Andreas; Laaksonen, Ari; Lawler, Michael; Leiminger, Markus; Mathot, Serge; Möhler, Ottmar; Nieminen, Tuomo; Onnela, Antti; Petäjä, Tuukka; Piel, Felix M; Miettinen, Pasi; Rissanen, Matti P; Rondo, Linda; Sarnela, Nina; Schobesberger, Siegfried; Sengupta, Kamalika; Sipilä, Mikko; Smith, James; Steiner, Gerhard; Tomè, Antònio; Virtanen, Annele; Wagner, Andrea C; Weingartner, Ernest; Wimmer, Daniela; Winkler, Paul M; Ye, Penglin; Carslaw, Kenneth S; Curtius, Joachim; Dommen, Josef; Kirkby, Jasper; Kulmala, Markku; Riipinen, Ilona; Worsnop, Douglas R; Donahue, Neil M; Baltensperger, Urs

2016-01-01

About half of present-day cloud condensation nuclei originate from atmospheric nucleation, frequently appearing as a burst of new particles near midday. Atmospheric observations show that the growth rate of new particles often accelerates when the diameter of the particles is between one and ten nanometres. In this critical size range, new particles are most likely to be lost by coagulation with pre-existing particles, thereby failing to form new cloud condensation nuclei that are typically 50 to 100 nanometres across. Sulfuric acid vapour is often involved in nucleation but is too scarce to explain most subsequent growth, leaving organic vapours as the most plausible alternative, at least in the planetary boundary layer. Although recent studies predict that low-volatility organic vapours contribute during initial growth, direct evidence has been lacking. The accelerating growth may result from increased photolytic production of condensable organic species in the afternoon, and the presence of a possible Kelv...

Syntactic transfer in the initial stages of adult third language and fourth language acquisition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahbube Tavakol

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper elucidates the articulated proposals for the initial stages of adult third language (L3 syntactic transfer, addressing their application for L3 and the subsequent fourth language (L4 acquisition. The study was set to demonstrate empirical evidence in line with or against the tenets of the models and to indicate if and how syntactic transfer might obtain differently depending on the language being acquired– L3 vs. L4. The models to be tested were Full Transfer/Full Access (FT/FA, L2 Status Factor Hypothesis (LSFH, Cumulative Enhancement Model (CEM and Typological Primacy Model (TPM. Following a principles and parameters framework, six parameters were selected to generate several language pairings and an adult female’s L3 Italian and L4 German’s early spontaneous productions of the selected features were audio-recorded. The accuracy levels with which the features were produced in tandem with the results of error analyses violated the positions of FT/FA as considered for L3/s acquisition and CEM and consistently identified Typological proximity and L2 status as affecting syntactic transfer during the early stages multilingual acquisition.

Presentation of the growth of pulmonary metastases in case of testicle tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kriester, A.; Kob, D.; Hacker, I.

1982-01-01

An essential criterium for the suitability of a mathematical approach to represent biologic processes is the possibility to give a sensible biologic description of those proceedings, too, which cannot be directly observed. The authors show that the formula used by Krokowski in order to define the growth of pulmonary metastases is not able to describe in a reasonable manner the initial growth during the pre-clinical stage. (orig.) [de

Modulated growth, stability and interactions of liquid-like coacervate assemblies of elastin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muiznieks, L.D.; Cirulis, J.T.; Reinhardt, D.P.; Wuite, G.J.L.; Pomes, R.; Keeley, F.W.

2014-01-01

Elastin self-assembles from monomers into polymer networks that display elasticity and resilience. The first major step in assembly is a liquid-liquid phase separation known as coacervation. This process represents a continuum of stages from initial phase separation to early growth of droplets by

Two stages of economic development

OpenAIRE

Gong, Gang

2016-01-01

This study suggests that the development process of a less-developed country can be divided into two stages, which demonstrate significantly different properties in areas such as structural endowments, production modes, income distribution, and the forces that drive economic growth. The two stages of economic development have been indicated in the growth theory of macroeconomics and in the various "turning point" theories in development economics, including Lewis's dual economy theory, Kuznet...

Effects of temperature on growth and photosynthesis in the seedling stage of the sheath blight-resistant rice genotype 32R

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huynh Van Kiet

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The 32R rice genotype is resistant to sheath blight disease (ShB, with a high-yield potential. We examined effects of temperature on the plant responses of 32R in comparison with those of the ShB-susceptible rice genotype (29S and Nipponbare (Nb, a Japonica standard cultivar. The seedlings at the 4th leaf stage of rice genotypes were exposed to 14/14, 19/14, 25/20, 31/26, 37/32 and 37/37 °C (day/night for 5, 10 and 15 days. The dry weight, leaf area, photosynthesis, contents of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco and chlorophyll contents were examined. The dry weight showed lower in 32R than in 29S and Nb at a low temperature, and total dry weight correlated strongly with root dry weight and leaf area. The relative growth rate (RGR correlated strongly with the net assimilation rate (NAR. Rubisco, chlorophyll contents and the photosynthetic rates were limited at a low temperature and showed lower in 32R than in 29S and Nb. The strong correlations between Rubisco and the rates of maximum photosynthesis and initial slope were found in 32R, but not found in 29S and Nb. In addition, RGR and NAR of 32R correlated positively with Rubisco. These suggest that 32R contains traits of cold-sensitive genotypes that are related to limiting Rubisco at a low temperature, thus diminishing photosynthesis and limiting plant growth. Differences of growth among 32R, 29S and Nb were discussed in the relation of genotypes.

Decreased growth rate of P. falciparum blood stage parasitemia with age in a holoendemic population.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinkevych, Mykola; Petravic, Janka; Chelimo, Kiprotich; Vulule, John; Kazura, James W; Moormann, Ann M; Davenport, Miles P

2014-04-01

In malaria holoendemic settings, decreased parasitemia and clinical disease is associated with age and cumulative exposure. The relative contribution of acquired immunity against various stages of the parasite life cycle is not well understood. In particular, it is not known whether changes in infection dynamics can be best explained by decreasing rates of infection, or by decreased growth rates of parasites in blood. Here, we analyze the dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum infection after treatment in a cohort of 197 healthy study participants of different ages. We use both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and microscopy detection of parasitemia in order to understand parasite growth rates and infection rates over time. The more sensitive PCR assay detects parasites earlier than microscopy, and demonstrates a higher overall prevalence of infection than microscopy alone. The delay between PCR and microscopy detection is significantly longer in adults compared with children, consistent with slower parasite growth with age. We estimated the parasite multiplication rate from delay to PCR and microscopy detections of parasitemia. We find that both the delay between PCR and microscopy infection as well as the differing reinfection dynamics in different age groups are best explained by a slowing of parasite growth with age.

Initial stages of Pt(111) electrooxidation: dynamic and structural studies by surface X-ray diffraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drnec, Jakub; Ruge, Martin; Reikowski, Finn; Rahn, Björn; Carlà, Francesco; Felici, Roberto; Stettner, Jochim; Magnussen, Olaf M.; Harrington, David A.

2017-01-01

In-situ surface X-ray diffraction is used to characterize the surface oxides on a Pt(111) surface in 0.1 M HClO 4 . Detailed analysis at two potentials confirms that the surface restructuring in the initial oxidation stages is consistent with a place exchange process between Pt and O atoms, and the exchanged Pt atoms are located above their original positions in the Pt(111) lattice. The (1,1,1.5) reflection is used to dynamically study the surface during cyclic voltammetry. The restructuring associated with the place exchange initiates with the CV peak at 1.05 V, even though multiple cycles to 1.17 V lead to no changes in the CV. The restructuring is reversible below a critical coverage of place exchanged Pt atoms, which we estimate to be between 0.07 and 0.15 ML. Extensive cycling to potentials higher or equal to 1.17 V leads to progressive disordering of the surface.

Study of the initial stages of oxidation of stainless steels in high temperature water; Etude des premiers stades d'oxydation d'alliages inoxydables dans l'eau a haute temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machet, A

2004-06-15

Steam Generator tubes (alloys 600, 690 and 800) are protected against corrosion by an oxide layer. The release of corrosion products into the primary water of the Pressurised Water Reactor is limited by this layer. Activation of these products increases the radioactivity. Breakdown of the passive film can lead to Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC). The aim of this study is to understand the early stages of passivation of these alloys, in high temperature and high pressure water. A new micro-autoclave was developed to achieve short time exposures (from several seconds to 10 minutes). The surfaces were characterised by XPS, NRA, STM and SEM and a kinetic model is proposed for the alloy 600. Longer oxidation times were studied (up to 400 hours). The kinetics obtained for short time oxidations were used to fit the long oxidation time behaviour. This reveals that the initial stages of oxidation are essential in the passive films growth in such conditions. (author)

Rangelands Vegetation under Different Management Systems and Growth Stages in North Darfur State, Sudan (Range Attributes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed AAMA Mohamed

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted at Um Kaddada, North Darfur State, Sudan, at two sites (closed and open for two consecutive seasons 2008 and 2009 during flowering and seed setting stages to evaluate range attributes at the locality. A split plot design was used to study vegetation attributes. Factors studied were management systems (closed and open and growth stages (flowering and seed setting. Vegetation cover, plant density, carrying capacity, and biomass production were assessed. Chemical analyses were done for selected plants to determine their nutritive values. The results showed high significant differences in vegetation attributes (density, cover and biomass production between closed and open areas. Closed areas had higher carrying capacity compared to open rangelands. Crude protein (CP and ash contents of range vegetation were found to decrease while Crude fiber (CF and Dry matter yield (DM had increased with growth. The study concluded that closed rangelands are better than open rangelands because it fenced and protected. Erosion index and vegetation degradation rate were very high. Future research work is needed to assess rangelands characteristics and habitat condition across different ecological zones in North Darfur State, Sudan.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i3.11093 International Journal of Environment Vol.3(3 2014: 332-343

Validation of World Health Organisation HIV/AIDS clinical staging in predicting initiation of antiretroviral therapy and clinical predictors of low CD4 cell count in Uganda.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Baveewo

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: The WHO clinical guidelines for HIV/AIDS are widely used in resource limited settings to represent the gold standard of CD4 counts for antiviral therapy initiation. The utility of the WHO-defined stage 1 and 2 clinical factors used in WHO HIV/AIDS clinical staging in predicting low CD4 cell count has not been established in Uganda. Although the WHO staging has shown low sensitivity for predicting CD4<200 cells/mm(3, it has not been evaluated at for CD4 cut-offs of <250 cells/mm(3 or <350 cells/mm(3. OBJECTIVE: To validate the World Health Organisation HIV/AIDS clinical staging in predicting initiation of antiretroviral therapy in a low-resource setting and to determine the clinical predictors of low CD4 cell count in Uganda. RESULTS: Data was collected on 395 participants from the Joint Clinical Research Centre, of whom 242 (61.3% were classified as in stages 1 and 2 and 262 (68% were females. Participants had a mean age of 36.8 years (SD 8.5. We found a significant inverse correlation between the CD4 lymphocyte count and WHO clinical stages. The sensitivity the WHO clinical staging at CD4 cell count of 250 cells/mm(3 and 350 cells/mm(3 was 53.5% and 49.1% respectively. Angular cheilitis, papular pruritic eruptions and recurrent upper respiratory tract infections were found to be significant predictors of low CD4 cell count among participants in WHO stage 1 and 2. CONCLUSION: The WHO HIV/AIDS clinical staging guidelines have a low sensitivity and about half of the participants in stages 1 and 2 would be eligible for ART initiation if they had been tested for CD4 count. Angular cheilitis and papular pruritic eruptions and recurrent upper respiratory tract infections may be used, in addition to the WHO staging, to improve sensitivity in the interim, as access to CD4 machines increases in Uganda.

FDG-PET in the initial staging of squamous cell oesophageal carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchmann, I.; Schreckenberger, M.; Bartenstein, P.; Hansen, T.; Brochhausen, C.; Kneist, W.; Junginger, T.; Oberholzer, K.

2006-01-01

Squamous cell oesophageal carcinoma is the most common carcinoma of the oesophagus worldwide. The tumour stage as most important prognostic factor determines the clinical management. Aim of this study was to evaluate the value of FDG-PET 1. in imaging the primary tumour and 2. in N- and M-staging of squamous cell oesophogeal carcinoma. Patients, methods: in 20 patients with histological proven squamous cell carcinoma of the upper and middle oesophagus, FDG-PET was performed in standard technique prior to therapy. FDG uptake in the primary was determined by calculation of the SUVmax. NM-staging due to PET findings was performed as designated by the AJCC/UICC group classification and was compared with pathological and clinically based staging. Sensitivities, specificities and accuracies were calculated. Results: in 19 of 20 patients, primary squamous cell oesopohageal carcinoma was detected by FDG-PET findings with a maximum SUV of 12.5 (mean) ± 5.1 (median 11.5; range 4.8-23.8). One carcinoma in situ was missed. The sensitivity of FDG-PET in imaging the primary tumour was 96%. The sensitivities, specificities and accuracies were 20%, 100%, 58% for N-staging, and 60%, 86% and 93% for M-staging. PET findings caused changes of therapy in 5% (1 patient). Conclusions: FDG-PET was excellent in imaging the primary of squamous cell oesophageal carcinoma in stage T1-T4 and was efficient in M-staging. The low sensitivity in N-staging is of inferior clinical importance. The efficacy of FDG-PET seems to be not significantly be influenced by the histological subtype of oesophageal carcinoma. (orig.)

Over expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in correlation to Ki-67, grade and stage of breast cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Harris, Esraah S.; Al-Janabi, Asad A.; Al-Toriahi, Kaswer M.; Yasseen, Akeel A.

2008-01-01

Objective was to assess the significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein over expression in human breast cancer, and its possible correlation with cell proliferation marker (Ki-67), grade and stage of breast cancer. We carried out this study at the Department of Pathology, Kufa University, between November 2006 and September 2007. A retrospective study was employed on paraffin-embedded blocks from 52 female patients with breast cancer. A group of 21 patients with benign breast lesions was included for comparison and 14 cases of normal breast tissue as control group. The investigation designed to employ immunohistochemistry using Avidin-Biotin Complex (ABC) method for detection of both VEGF and Ki-67. A total of 87 samples were included. Vascular endothelial growth factor immunoexpression was considered as positive in 61.5% of malignant and in 19% of benign breast lesions. No over expression sign has been noticed in normal breast tissue (p<0.005). No significant difference in VEGF over expression among different histological types of breast cancer (p<0.05). Vascular endothelial growth factor immunostaining was positively correlated with Ki-67, grade, stage, lymph node metastasis, and recurrence of breast cancer (p<0.05).No such correlation has been seen when the age of the patients has been considered. Vascular endothelial growth factor plays an important role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer evolution and supports the evidence of its role in angiogenesis and cell survival. This study recommended that the blocking of VEGF may be target for blocking angiogenesis and hence improving the efficacy of anti-cancer therapy. (author)

Real-time x-ray scattering study of the initial growth of organic crystals on polymer brushes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An, Sung Yup; Ahn, Kwangseok; Kim, Doris Yangsoo; Lee, Dong Ryeol, E-mail: drlee@ssu.ac.kr [Department of Physics, Soongsil University, Seoul 156-743 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Hyun-Hwi [Pohang Accelerator Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Jeong Ho, E-mail: jhcho94@skku.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nanotechnology (SAINT) and Center for Human Interface Nano Technology (HINT), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-476 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-04-21

We studied the early-stage growth structures of pentacene organic crystals grown on polymer brushes using real-time x-ray scattering techniques. In situ x-ray reflectivity and atomic force microscopy analyses revealed that at temperatures close to the glass transition temperature of polymer brush, the pentacene overlayer on a polymer brush film showed incomplete condensation and 3D island structures from the first monolayer. A growth model based on these observations was used to quantitatively analyze the real-time anti-Bragg x-ray scattering intensities measured during pentacene growth to obtain the time-dependent layer coverage of the individual pentacene monolayers. The extracted total coverage confirmed significant desorption and incomplete condensation in the pentacene films deposited on the polymer brushes. These effects are ascribed to the change in the surface viscoelasticity of the polymer brushes around the glass transition temperature.

Surface-initiated growth of thin oxide coatings for Li-sulfur battery cathodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Kyu Tae; Black, Robert; Yim, Taeeun; Ji, Xiulei; Nazar, Linda F. [University of Waterloo, Department of Chemistry, Waterloo, ON (Canada)

2012-12-15

The concept of surface-initiated growth of oxides on functionalized carbons is introduced as a method to inhibit the dissolution of polysulfide ions in Li-S battery cathode materials. MO{sub x} (M: Si, V) thin layers are homogeneously coated on nanostructured carbon-sulfur composites. The coating significantly inhibits the dissolution of polysulfides on cycling, resulting in enhanced cycle performance and coulombic efficiency of the Li-S battery. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Impact of post-infiltration soil aeration at different growth stages of sub-surface trickle-irrigated tomato plants

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuan; Jia, Zong-xia; Niu, Wen-Quan; Wang, Jing-wei

2016-07-01

Sensitivity to low rhizosphere soil aeration may change over time and therefore plant response may also depend on different growth stages of a crop. This study quantified effects of soil aeration during 5 different periods, on growth and yield of trickle-irrigated potted single tomato plants. Irrigation levels were 0.6 to 0.7 (low level) or 0.7 to 0.8 (high level) of total water holding capacity of the pots. Soil was aerated by injecting 2.5 l of air into each pot through the drip tubing immediately after irrigation. Fresh fruit yield, above ground plant dry weight, plant height, and leaf area index response to these treatments were measured. For all these 4 response variables, means of post-infiltration aeration between 58 to 85 days after sowing were 13.4, 43.5, 13.7, and 37.7% higher than those for the non-aerated pots, respectively. The results indicated that: post-infiltration soil aeration can positively impact the yield and growth of sub-surface trickle-irrigated potted tomato plants; positive effects on plant growth can be obtained with aeration during the whole growth period or with aeration for partial periods; positive growth effects of partial periods of aeration appears to persist and result in yield benefit.

Effects of sintering atmosphere and initial particle size on sintering of gadolinia-doped ceria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batista, Rafael Morgado

2014-01-01

The effects of the sintering atmosphere and initial particle size on the sintering of ceria containing 10 mol% gadolinia (GdO 1.5 ) were systematically investigated. The main physical parameter was the specific surface area of the initial powders. Nanometric powders with three different specific surface areas were utilized, 210 m 2 /g, 36,2 m 2 /g e 7,4 m 2 /g. The influence on the densification, and micro structural evolution were evaluated. The starting sintering temperature was verified to decrease with increasing on the specific surface area of raw powders. The densification was accelerated for the materials with smaller particle size. Sintering paths for crystallite growth were obtained. Master sintering curves for gadolinium-doped ceria were constructed for all initial powders. A computational program was developed for this purpose. The results for apparent activation energy showed noticeable dependence with specific surface area. In this work, the apparent activation energy for densification increased with the initial particle size of powders. The evolution of the particle size distributions on non isothermal sintering was investigated by WPPM method. It was verified that the grain growth controlling mechanism on gadolinia doped ceria is the pore drag for initial stage and beginning of intermediate stage. The effects of the sintering atmosphere on the stoichiometry deviation of ceria, densification, microstructure evolution, and electrical conductivity were analyzed. Inert, oxidizing, and reducing atmospheres were utilized on this work. Deviations on ceria stoichiometry were verified on the bulk materials. The deviation verified was dependent of the specific surface area and sintering atmosphere. Higher reduction potential atmospheres increase Ce 3+ bulk concentration after sintering. Accelerated grain growth and lower electrical conductivities were verified when reduction reactions are significantly present on sintering. (author)

Tolerance and toxicity levels of boron in mung bean (vigna radiata (l.) wilczek) cultivars at early growth stages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasnain, A.; Mahmood, S.; Akhtar, S.; Malik, S.A.; Bashir, N.

2011-01-01

Boron (B) toxicity has been recognized as a serious problem in arid and semi arid regions of the world. This study was aimed to determine critical levels of B by studying phenotypic variation for B-tolerance/ toxicity at the germination and seedling stage in three mung bean (Vigna radiata) cultivars; M-6, M-8 and 96009. Boron levels ranging from 0-20 ppm were applied using Boric acid. Germination, growth and photosynthetic attributes were significantly (p<0.001) influenced by varying B levels. However, the cultivars were significantly invariable for germination, seedling height and leaf number. B levels (5-10 ppm) appeared to be nutritionally critical whereas, 15-20 ppm induced B toxicity. The toxicity was expressed in terms of reduction in plant's growth as well as by visible symptoms which included chlorosis and necrosis of the foliage. The present study also demonstrated variation in B tolerance at the seedling stage in these cultivars. Among the tested cultivars, M-6 and M-8 exhibited better growth responses as compared with 96009. Fresh biomass and shoot: root ratio appeared to serve as selection criteria for B tolerance. The study further suggested screening of cultivars/ accessions on a large scale to explore more diversity of traits as well as the use of biochemical markers for mechanistic understanding of B tolerance. (author)

Mechanism of crack initiation and crack growth under thermal and mechanical fatigue loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Utz, S.; Soppa, E.; Silcher, H.; Kohler, C. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Materials Testing Inst.

2013-07-01

measurements the deformation induced transformation of an fcc-austenite into a bcc α'-martensite was observed in different stages of the specimen lifetime. Plastic zones develop at the crack tips, in which stress and strain amplitudes are much higher than the nominal loading, and enable martensitic transformation in the surrounding of the crack tip. The consequence of this is that cracks grow in the ''martensitic tunnels''. The short and long crack growth behaviours of the steel X6CrNiNb18-10 under mechanical loading at room temperature and T = 288 C were studied for different loading parameters. Moreover, the R-ratio was modified in order to study the effect of crack closure at the crack tip for long cracks. Several FE models of specimens with different geometries and microstructures were created and cyclically loaded according to the experimental boundary conditions. A plastic constitutive law based on a Chaboche type model was implemented as a user subroutine in the FE software ABAQUS. The corresponding material parameters were identified using uniaxial LCF tests of X6CrNiNb18-10 with different strain amplitudes and at different temperatures. These calculations delivered the estimation of stress and strain distributions in the critical areas in which the crack initiation was expected.

Mechanism of crack initiation and crack growth under thermal and mechanical fatigue loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Utz, S.; Soppa, E.; Silcher, H.; Kohler, C.

2013-01-01

measurements the deformation induced transformation of an fcc-austenite into a bcc α'-martensite was observed in different stages of the specimen lifetime. Plastic zones develop at the crack tips, in which stress and strain amplitudes are much higher than the nominal loading, and enable martensitic transformation in the surrounding of the crack tip. The consequence of this is that cracks grow in the ''martensitic tunnels''. The short and long crack growth behaviours of the steel X6CrNiNb18-10 under mechanical loading at room temperature and T = 288 C were studied for different loading parameters. Moreover, the R-ratio was modified in order to study the effect of crack closure at the crack tip for long cracks. Several FE models of specimens with different geometries and microstructures were created and cyclically loaded according to the experimental boundary conditions. A plastic constitutive law based on a Chaboche type model was implemented as a user subroutine in the FE software ABAQUS. The corresponding material parameters were identified using uniaxial LCF tests of X6CrNiNb18-10 with different strain amplitudes and at different temperatures. These calculations delivered the estimation of stress and strain distributions in the critical areas in which the crack initiation was expected.

Effects of rhamnolipid and initial compost particle size on the two-stage composting of green waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lu; Sun, Xiangyang

2014-07-01

Composting is a potential alternative to green waste incineration or deposition in landfills. The effects of the biosurfactant rhamnolipid (RL) (at 0.0%, 0.15%, and 0.30%) and initial compost particle size (IPS) (10, 15, and 25 mm) on a new, two-stage method for composting green waste was investigated. A combination of RL addition and IPS adjustment improved the quality of the finished compost in terms of its physical characteristics, pH, C/N ratio, nutrient content, cellulose and hemicellulose contents, water-soluble carbon (WSC) content, xylanase and CMCase activities, numbers of culturable microorganisms (bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi), and toxicity to germinating seeds. The production of a stable and mature compost required only 24 days with the optimized two-stage composting method described here rather than the 90-270 days required with traditional composting. The best quality compost was obtained with 0.15% RL and an IPS of 15 mm. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

{sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT for systemic staging of newly diagnosed triple-negative breast cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulaner, Gary A.; Castillo, Raychel; Riedl, Christopher C.; Jochelson, Maxine S. [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Weill Cornell Medical College, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Goldman, Debra A.; Goenen, Mithat [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, New York, NY (United States); Wills, Jonathan [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Information Systems, New York, NY (United States); Pinker-Domenig, Katja [Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States)

2016-10-15

National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT, in addition to standard staging procedures, for systemic staging of newly diagnosed stage III breast cancer patients. However, factors in addition to stage may influence PET/CT utility. As breast cancers that are negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor (triple-negative breast cancer, or TNBC) are more aggressive and metastasize earlier than other breast cancers, we hypothesized that receptor expression may be one such factor. This study assesses {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT for systemic staging of newly diagnosed TNBC. In this Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective study, our Healthcare Information System was screened for patients with TNBC who underwent {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT in 2007-2013 prior to systemic or radiation therapy. Initial stage was determined from mammography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or surgery, if performed prior to {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT. {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT was evaluated to identify unsuspected extra-axillary regional nodal and distant metastases, as well as unsuspected synchronous malignancies. Kaplan Meier survival estimates were calculated for initial stage IIB patients stratified by whether or not stage 4 disease was detected by {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT. A total of 232 patients with TNBC met inclusion criteria. {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT revealed unsuspected distant metastases in 30 (13 %): 0/23 initial stage I, 4/82 (5 %) stage IIA, 13/87 (15 %) stage IIB, 4/23 (17 %) stage IIIA, 8/14 (57 %) stage IIIB, and 1/3 (33 %) stage IIIC. Twenty-six of 30 patients upstaged to IV by {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT were confirmed by pathology, with the remaining four patients confirmed by follow-up imaging. In addition, seven unsuspected synchronous malignancies were identified in six patients. Initial stage 2B patients who were upstaged to 4 by {sup 18}F-FDG-PET/CT had significantly shorter survival compared to

Comparing the Effects of Symbiotic Algae (Symbiodinium) Clades C1 and D on Early Growth Stages of Acropora tenuis

Science.gov (United States)

Yuyama, Ikuko; Higuchi, Tomihiko

2014-01-01

Reef-building corals switch endosymbiotic algae of the genus Symbiodinium during their early growth stages and during bleaching events. Clade C Symbiodinium algae are dominant in corals, although other clades — including A and D — have also been commonly detected in juvenile Acroporid corals. Previous studies have been reported that only molecular data of Symbiodinium clade were identified within field corals. In this study, we inoculated aposymbiotic juvenile polyps with cultures of clades C1 and D Symbiodinium algae, and investigated the different effect of these two clades of Symbiodinium on juvenile polyps. Our results showed that clade C1 algae did not grow, while clade D algae grew rapidly during the first 2 months after inoculation. Polyps associated with clade C1 algae exhibited bright green fluorescence across the body and tentacles after inoculation. The growth rate of polyp skeletons was lower in polyps associated with clade C1 algae than those associated with clade D algae. On the other hand, antioxidant activity (catalase) of corals was not significantly different between corals with clade C1 and clade D algae. Our results suggested that clade D Symbiodinium algae easily form symbiotic relationships with corals and that these algae could contribute to coral growth in early symbiosis stages. PMID:24914677

Requirement of vasculogenesis and blood circulation in late stages of liver growth in zebrafish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wohland Thorsten

2008-09-01

, there are three distinct stages: avascular growth between 50–55 hpf, where ECs are not required; endothelium-dependent growth, where ECs or sinusoids are required for liver growth between 55–72 hpf before blood circulation in liver sinusoids; and circulation-dependent growth, where the circulation is essential to maintain vascular network and to support continued liver growth after 72 hpf.

[The characteristics of chemical composition of content of unicameral bone cysts depending on their growth stage].

Science.gov (United States)

Stogov, M V; Luneva, S N; Mitrofanov, A I; Tkachuk, E A

2012-11-01

The article deals with the results of study of chemical composition of solitary cysts and blood serum of 27 patients. The results demonstrated that qualitative composition of f content of unicameral bone cysts is identical to chemical composition of blood serum. The results of analysis of total proteolysis activity and acid phosphatase activity in content of cysts can be used as criteria to determine the stage of cyst growth and to evaluate the effectiveness of applied treatment.

Initial-Stage Primary Intraosseous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Derived from Odontogenic Keratocyst with Unusual Keratoameloblastomatous Change of the Maxilla: A Case Report and Literature Discussion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kentaro Kikuchi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma (PIOSCC is a rare malignant neoplasm derived from odontogenic epithelial remnants in the central jaw bone. Most PIOSCCs originate from odontogenic cysts with a nonkeratinized epithelial lining, especially from radicular/residual and dentigerous cysts. There have been few reports of PIOSCCs derived from the odontogenic keratocyst (OKC, particularly those describing pathological features at the initial stage. The diagnosis of PIOSCC is difficult and based on exclusion of other carcinomas, including metastatic tumors from other primary sites. Here, we report an extremely rare case of initial-stage PIOSCC derived from the OKC with unusual keratoameloblastomatous change of the maxilla.

RETINOIC ACID INDUCTION OF CLEFT PALATE IN EGF AND TGF-ALPHA KNOCKOUT MICE: STAGE SPECIFIC INFLUENCES OF GROWTH FACTOR EXPRESSION

Science.gov (United States)

ABBOTT, B. D., LEFFLER, K.E. AND BUCKALEW, A.R, Reproductive Toxicology Division, NHEERL, ORD, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Retinoic acid induction of cleft palate (CP) in EGF and TGF knockout mice: Stage specific influences of growth factor expression.<...

Additional value of integrated PET/CT over PET alone in the initial staging and follow up of head and neck malignancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishikita, Tomohiro; Oriuchi, Noboru; Higuchi, Tetsuya

2010-01-01

Clinical application of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) in head and neck cancer includes identification of metastases, unknown primary head and neck malignancy, or second primary carcinoma, and also recurrent tumor after treatment. In this study, the additional value of PET/CT fusion images over PET images alone was evaluated in patients with initial staging and follow up of head and neck malignancy. Forty patients with suspected primary head and neck malignancy and 129 patients with suspected relapse after treatment of head and neck malignancy were included. FDG-PET/CT study was performed after the intravenous administration of FDG (5 MBq/kg). Target of evaluation was set at primary tumor, cervical lymph node, and whole body. PET images and PET with CT fusion images were compared. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Results of PET and PET/CT were compared with postoperative histopathological examination, and case by case comparison of PET and PET/CT results for each region was performed. The additional value of CT images over PET only images was assessed. Statistical differences in sensitivity and specificity were evaluated. In the comparative evaluation of 507 targets by PET alone and PET/CT, 401 targets showed agreement of the results. Of the 106 discordant targets, 103 showed a positive result on PET alone and negative result on PET/CT. These results showed a significant difference (p<0.01). Sensitivity of PET/CT was slightly higher than that of PET without statistical significance, while specificity of PET/CT was significantly higher than that of PET alone (Initial Staging: 90.5% vs. 62.2%, p<0.01; Follow up: 97.2% vs. 74.4%, p<0.01). In Fisher's direct probability test, a significant difference was noted in the sensitivity (Initial staging: 91.3% vs. 87.0%, p<0.01; Follow up: 93.9% vs. 91.4%, p<0.01). Combined PET/CT showed improved diagnostic

Crack initiation and growth in welded structures; Amorcage et propagation de la fissuration dans les jonctions soudees

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assire, A

2000-10-13

This work concerns the remaining life assessment of a structure containing initial defects of manufacturing. High temperature crack initiation and growth are studied for austenitic stainless steels, and defect assessment methods are improved in order to take into account welded structures. For these one, the probability to have a defect is significant. Two kinds of approaches are commonly used for defect assessment analysis. Fracture mechanics global approach with an energetic criterion, and local approach with a model taking into account the physical damage mechanism. For both approaches mechanical fields (stress and strain) have to be computed everywhere within the structure. Then, Finite Element computation is needed. The first part of the thesis concerns the identification of non linear kinematic and isotropic constitutive models. A pseudo-analytical method is proposed for a 'Two Inelastic Strain' model. This method provides a strategy of identification with a mechanical meaning, and this enables to associate each parameter to a physical phenomenon. Existing identifications are improved for cyclic plasticity and creep on a large range of stress levels. The second part concerns high temperature crack initiation and growth in welded structures. Finite Element analysis on plate and tube experimental configuration enable to understand the phenomenons of interaction between base metal and weld metal under mechanical and thermal loading. Concerning global approach, criteria based on C* parameter (Rice integral for visco-plasticity) are used. Finite Element computations underline the fact that for a defect located in the weld metal, C* values strongly depend on the base metal creep strain rate, because widespread visco-plasticity is located in both metals. A simplified method, based on the reference stress approach, is proposed and validated with Finite Element results. Creep crack growth simplified assessment is a quite good validation of the experimental results

Factors influencing graphene growth on metal surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loginova, E; Bartelt, N C; McCarty, K F [Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA (United States); Feibelman, P J [Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM (United States)], E-mail: mccarty@sandia.gov

2009-06-15

Graphene forms from a relatively dense, tightly bound C-adatom gas when elemental C is deposited on or segregates to the Ru(0001) surface. Nonlinearity of the graphene growth rate with C-adatom density suggests that growth proceeds by addition of C atom clusters to the graphene edge. The generality of this picture has now been studied by use of low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) to observe graphene formation when Ru(0001) and Ir(111) surfaces are exposed to ethylene. The finding that graphene growth velocities and nucleation rates on Ru have precisely the same dependence on adatom concentration as for elemental C deposition implies that hydrocarbon decomposition only affects graphene growth through the rate of adatom formation. For ethylene, that rate decreases with increasing adatom concentration and graphene coverage. Initially, graphene growth on Ir(111) is like that on Ru: the growth velocity is the same nonlinear function of adatom concentration (albeit with much smaller equilibrium adatom concentrations, as we explain with DFT calculations of adatom formation energies). In the later stages of growth, graphene crystals that are rotated relative to the initial nuclei nucleate and grow. The rotated nuclei grow much faster. This difference suggests firstly, that the edge-orientation of the graphene sheets relative to the substrate plays an important role in the growth mechanism, and secondly, that attachment of the clusters to the graphene is the slowest step in cluster addition, rather than formation of clusters on the terraces.

Development of a Physically-Based Methodology for Predicting Material Variability in Fatigue Crack Initiation and Growth Response

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chan, Kwai

2004-01-01

... of aerospace structural alloys. In this three-year program, physics-based fatigue crack initiation and growth models were developed and integrated into a probabilistic micromechanical code for treating fatigue life variability...

Surface structure deduced differences of copper foil and film for graphene CVD growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tian, Junjun [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Hu, Baoshan, E-mail: hubaoshan@cqu.edu.cn [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Wei, Zidong; Jin, Yan [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Luo, Zhengtang [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Hongkong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon (Hong Kong); Xia, Meirong [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Pan, Qingjiang [Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material Chemistry, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 (China); Liu, Yunling [State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012 (China)

2014-05-01

Highlights: • We demonstrate the significant differences between Cu foil and film in the surface morphology and crystal orientation distribution. • The different surface structure leads to the distinctive influences of the CH₄ and H₂ concentrations on the thickness and quality of as-grown graphene. • Nucleation densities and growth rate differences at the initial growth stages on the Cu foil and film were investigated and discussed. Abstract: Graphene was synthesized on Cu foil and film by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with CH₄ as carbon source. Electron backscattered scattering diffraction (EBSD) characterization demonstrates that the Cu foil surface after the H₂-assisted pre-annealing was almost composed of Cu(1 0 0) crystal facet with larger grain size of ~100 μm; meanwhile, the Cu film surface involved a variety of crystal facets of Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 0 0), and Cu(1 1 0), with the relatively small grain size of ~10 μm. The different surface structure led to the distinctive influences of the CH₄ and H₂ concentrations on the thickness and quality of as-grown graphene. Further data demonstrate that the Cu foil enabled more nucleation densities and faster growth rates at the initial growth stages than the Cu film. Our results are beneficial for understanding the relationship between the metal surface structure and graphene CVD growth.

Water-soluble carbohydrates of root components and activity rhythms at vegetative growth stage of Artemisia scoparia in northeastern grassland of China.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shiyu; Yang, Yunfei; Zhi, Heng

2017-01-01

The root system of perennials is composed of the roots of different growth years. The nutrient storage capacities and activities of roots are an important basis for judging root components and plant senescence. In this research, changes in the contents of water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) were used as indicators of the nutrient storage and activity of roots of different life years. From the early resprouting stage to the rapid growth stage, Artemisia scoparia L. plants of 1-3 age classes were sampled and measured once every 18 days. The nutrient storage capacities and activity rhythms of plant root components of the three age classes were analysed quantitatively. Among the A. scoparia population in northeast China, the nutrient storage capacities of 1a/2a plant root collars and 2-year old roots were generally large, whereas those of 3a plant root collars and 3-year old roots were significantly reduced. As for changes in the WSC content in the root system at the 18 day resprouting stage, the decline rates in the root collars of the 1a and 2a plants were 102 and 109 times those of the 3a plants, respectively. The decline rate in the 2-year old roots of the 1a plants was 1.8 times that of the 2a plants and 29.6 times that of the 3a plants. When nutrients were most active, all root components of the 1a plants entered into the resprouting stage, but the 2/3-year old roots of the 2a plants lagged behind. All the root components of the 3a plants generally lagged. At the vegetative growth stage, the WSC contents in all root components of the 1a plants declined logarithmically. For the 3a plants, the content in the root collars decreased linearly with that in the 3-year old roots. The older root components (3-year old roots) of the 2a plants and all root components of the 3a plants exhibited signs of aging.

Early detection of metastases using whole-body MRI for initial staging and routine follow-up of myxoid liposarcoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gorelik, Natalia; Reddy, Santhosh Mauvva Venkatesh; Powell, Thomas I. [McGill University Health Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Turcotte, Robert E.; Goulding, Krista [McGill University Health Center, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Jung, Sungmi [McGill University Health Center, Department of Pathology, Montreal, Quebec (Canada); Alcindor, Thierry [McGill University Health Center, Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Division of Medical Oncology, Montreal, Quebec (Canada)

2018-03-15

To define the role of whole-body MRI (WBMRI) for initial staging and routine follow-up of myxoid liposarcoma (MLS). A retrospective review of all the patients with MLS who underwent WBMRI for initial staging and routine follow-up at our institution between October 1, 2006, and September 30, 2016 was performed. Patient demographics, clinical presentation, imaging findings, tumor histology, and occurrence and location of metastatic disease were recorded. Thirty-three patients who underwent a total of 150 WBMRI examinations were included in the study. Nine patients (27%) were diagnosed with metastases between 0 and 60 months (median 10; interquartile range, 7-13) from the diagnosis of the primary tumor. The initial site of metastatic disease was extrapulmonary in all patients. Only two patients developed pulmonary metastases, which were diagnosed by CT chest 9 and 29 months after the diagnosis of extrapulmonary metastases. The first metastasis was diagnosed by WBMRI in seven patients (78%), by thoracic CT in one patient, and by abdominal CT in one patient. Eight of nine patients (89%) were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis of the metastases. In seven patients (78%), WBMRI demonstrated metastases included within the field of view of, but occult on a contemporaneous CT scan. Our 10-year institutional experience demonstrates that WBMRI facilitates early detection of extrapulmonary MLS metastases before the onset of clinical symptoms and pulmonary metastases. WBMRI also depicts extrapulmonary metastases that are occult on CT scans. The current surveillance strategies are insufficient for screening for extrapulmonary MLS metastases. (orig.)

Microbiological and immunological diagnostic criteria for initial degree of generalized periodontitis at the stage of pre X-ray manifestations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mashchenko I.S.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The article presents the results of a comparative study of the microbial landscape and violations of local immunity in patients with generalized periodontitis at preclinical-radiological stage of development in 60 patients. It was revealed that appearance of representatives of the major periodontal bacteria in the gum tissue is a precursor of development of initial stage of generalized periodontitis in them. It has been established that the early objective indicators of bone resorptive process in periodontal tissues in patients with generalized catarrhal gingivitis is an overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1.beta and TNF-alpha and the lack of anti-inflammatory IL-4, which persists for a long time during the observation period.

Study on initial stage of diesel spray formation. Effects of the condition inside the nozzle sac; Diesel funmu no shoki keisei katei ni kansuru kenkyu. Sac nai nenryo no eikyo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ishikawa, N.; Tsujimura, K. [Nissan Diesel Motor Co. Ltd., Saitama (Japan); Komori, M.

1996-06-25

To realize clean diesel exhaust, it is very important to clarify the atomization phenomena of the fuel spray. In this study, the initial stage of the atomization process of a diesel injection fuel spray was analyzed with a high-speed image converter camera under the conditions of atmospheric gas pressure and room temperature. As a result, it was found that the initial spray formation was greatly affected lay the condition inside the nozzle sac. In the case in which fuel existed in the sac, pin-like structure spray formation was observed at the initial injection stage. This phenomenon was not observed in the case in which no fuel was present in the sac, and a widely spread fuel spray formation was observed at the initial injection stage. The relatively low-speed fuel spray injected in the initial low-sac-pressure condition was pushed away by the subsequent fuel spray injected in the high-sac-pressure condition. 7 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

Time until initiation of tumor growth is an effective measure of the anti-angiogenic effect of TNP-470 on human glioblastoma in nude mice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kragh, M; Spang-Thomsen, M; Kristjansen, P E

1999-01-01

, 11, or 15 days after inoculation. The time from inoculation until initiation of exponential tumor growth was determined along with the post-therapeutic growth delay and the initial tumor doubling time (TD) for each individual tumor (n=103) on the basis of tumor volume growth curves. We found that: i......) the onset of growth of U87 xenografts was effectively inhibited by concurrent treatment with TNP-470 beyond the first three days after inoculation, ii) this effect was fully reversible upon termination of therapy, and iii) the post-therapeutic growth delay was independent of the accumulated dose...

STATE CONTROL OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS: INITIAL STAGE OF ORGANIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Sakovich

2013-01-01

Full Text Available  The paper considers  the initial stage of organization and development of the first State control organ of the independent Belarus – Control Chamber of the Republic of Belarus on the basis of scientific grounds of control theory of economic systems. Scientific and methodologically considered organizational and coordination approaches to the activity of the Control Chamber have promoted to  higher intensity and efficiency of financial and economic control in the initial period of the activity of new control organ and  the activity of all control organs of the Republic has taken systemized and perfectly oriented character. Such approaches have made it possible to stabilize macro-economic situation in the Republic and strengthen its economic security. The Control Chamber through highly-qualified personal, created and practically introduced methodological principles of control activity, international cooperation experience and finally high efficiency of practical control activity has made its historical contribution in formation of fundamentals of  the State Control in Belarus.13th of March 1992 is the day when the Law “About Control Chamber of the Republic of Belarus” has been enacted by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Belarus and this day is to considered as the Day of State Control foundation in the Republic of Belarus.  

Effect of stocking density on growth, survival and development of asp Aspius aspius (L., ide Leuciscus idus (L. and chub Leuciscus cephalus (L. larvae during initial rearing under laboratory conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarzyna Targońska

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed at determining the effect of stocking density on growth, survival and development of asp Aspius aspius (L., ide Leuciscus idus (L. and chub Leuciscus cephalus (L. larvae, reared under laboratory conditions. Fish larvae were obtained during artificial reproduction. The larvae were fed ad libitum with freshly hatched Artemia sp. nauplii. Eight density variants from 50 to 400 individuals per 1 L (at the interval of 50 individuals L–1 were tested. The initial rearing was carried out for 21 days at 25°C in a recirculation system especially designed for that purpose consisting of 16 tanks with a capacity of 1 L each. The fastest growth rate for all three species, expressed as the greatest average total length, weight and most advanced ontogenetic stage at the end of the experiment was obtained at the lowest stocking density. Fish from other treatments, particularly at densities exceeding 150 individuals L–1, were characterized by similar body sizes and the same ontogenetic stage on the last day of rearing. The recorded differences in the length of larvae among treatments became visible during the first (asp or third (chub, ide week of rearing. No effects of stocking density on larval mortality were found during the experiment.

Progressive loss of sensitivity to growth control by retinoic acid and transforming growth factor-beta at late stages of human papillomavirus type 16-initiated transformation of human keratinocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Creek, K E; Geslani, G; Batova, A; Pirisi, L

1995-01-01

Retinoids (vitamin A and its natural and synthetic derivatives) have shown potential as chemopreventive agents, and diets poor in vitamin A and/or its precursor beta-carotene have been linked to an increased risk of cancer at several sites including the cervix. Human papillomavirus (HPV) plays an important role in the etiology of cervical cancer. We have developed an in vitro model of cancer progression using human keratinocytes (HKc) immortalized by HPV16 DNA (HKc/HPV16). Although immortal, early passage HKc/HPV16, like normal HKc, require epidermal growth factor (EGF) and bovine pituitary extract (BPE) for proliferation and undergo terminal differentiation in response to serum and calcium. However, following prolonged culture, growth factor independent HKc/HPV16 lines that no longer require EGF and BPE can be selected (HKc/GFI). Further selection of HKc/GFI produces lines that are resistant to serum- and calcium- induced terminal differentiation (HKc/DR). HKc/DR, but not early passage HKc/HPV16, are susceptible to malignant conversion following transfection with viral Harvey ras or Herpes simplex virus type II DNA. We have investigated the sensitivity of low to high passage HKc/HPV16 and HKc/GFI to growth control by all-trans-retinoic acid (RA, an active metabolite of vitamin A). Early passage HKc/HPV16 are very sensitive to growth inhibition by RA, and in these cells RA decreases the expression of the HPV16 oncogenes E6 and E7. However, as the cells progress in culture they lose their sensitivity to RA. Growth inhibition by RA may be mediated through the cytokine transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a potent inhibitor of epithelial cell proliferation. RA treatment of HKc/HPV16 and HKc/GFI results in a dose-and time-dependent induction (maximal of 3-fold) in secreted levels of TGF-beta. Also, Northern blot analysis of mRNA isolated from HKc/HPV16 demonstrated that RA treatment induced TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 expression about 3- and 50-fold, respectively

The influence of tethered epidermal growth factor on connective tissue progenitor colony formation

OpenAIRE

Marcantonio, Nicholas A.; Boehm, Cynthia A.; Rozic, Richard J.; Au, Ada; Wells, Alan; Muschler, George F.; Griffith, Linda G.

2009-01-01

Strategies to combine aspirated marrow cells with scaffolds to treat connective tissue defects are gaining increasing clinical attention and use. In situations such as large defects where initial survival and proliferation of transplanted connective tissue progenitors (CTPs) are limiting, therapeutic outcomes might be improved by using the scaffold to deliver growth factors that promote the early stages of cell function in the graft. Signaling by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pl...

Nitrogen side-dress as a strategy to reduce defoliation demages at different growth stages of maize

OpenAIRE

Luis Sangoi; Gilmar José Picoli Junior; Vitor Paulo Vargas; Jefferson Vieira; Amauri Schmitt; Sérgio Roberto Zoldan; Eduardo Siega; Giovani Carniel

2014-01-01

Nitrogen can mitigate damages caused by leaf area reduction due to its influence on cell division. This work was carried out aiming to evaluate the efficiency of side-dressing different rates of nitrogen as a management strategy to maize stem defoliation at different growth stages. The experiment was set in Lages, during the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 growing seasons. The experimental design was a randomized block with split plots. Three defoliation times were tested in the main plot: eight expa...

X-ray photoemission spectroscopy investigation of the early stages of the oxygen aided Cr growth on Fe(0 0 1)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brambilla, A., E-mail: alberto.brambilla@polimi.it [CNISM and Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy); Calloni, A.; Picone, A.; Finazzi, M.; Duò, L.; Ciccacci, F. [CNISM and Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano (Italy)

2013-02-15

We report on an X-ray photoemission spectroscopy investigation of the early stages of growth of ultra-thin Cr films on the oxygen-passivated Fe(0 0 1)–p(1 × 1)O surface. The Cr coverages ranged from sub-monolayer up to a few atomic layers. Cr has been grown either at 380 K or at 570 K. Our investigation reveals that during the Cr film growth oxygen floats toward the free surface. The presence of a metallic Cr signal from the very beginning of film growth is discussed in relation to Cr–Fe intermixing and alloy formation at the interface. Our findings are independent from the growth temperature, indicating that it has a very little influence on the chemical interactions at the interface, at variance with the oxygen-free Cr/Fe interface.

X-ray photoemission spectroscopy investigation of the early stages of the oxygen aided Cr growth on Fe(0 0 1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brambilla, A.; Calloni, A.; Picone, A.; Finazzi, M.; Duò, L.; Ciccacci, F.

2013-01-01

We report on an X-ray photoemission spectroscopy investigation of the early stages of growth of ultra-thin Cr films on the oxygen-passivated Fe(0 0 1)–p(1 × 1)O surface. The Cr coverages ranged from sub-monolayer up to a few atomic layers. Cr has been grown either at 380 K or at 570 K. Our investigation reveals that during the Cr film growth oxygen floats toward the free surface. The presence of a metallic Cr signal from the very beginning of film growth is discussed in relation to Cr–Fe intermixing and alloy formation at the interface. Our findings are independent from the growth temperature, indicating that it has a very little influence on the chemical interactions at the interface, at variance with the oxygen-free Cr/Fe interface.

De novo analysis of Wolfiporia cocos transcriptome to reveal the differentially expressed carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes genes during the early stage of sclerotial growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaopeng eZhang

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The sclerotium of Wolfiporia cocos has been used as an edible mushroom and/or a traditional herbal medicine for centuries. W. cocos sclerotial formation is dependent on parasitism of the wood of Pinus species. Currently, the sclerotial development mechanisms of W. cocos remain largely unknown and the lack of pine resources limit the commercial production. The CAZymes (carbohydrate-active enzymes play important roles in degradation of the plant cell wall to provide carbohydrates for fungal growth, development and reproduction. In this study, the transcript profiles from W. cocos mycelium and two-months-old sclerotium, the early stage of sclerotial growth, were specially analyzed using de novo sequencing technology. A total of 142,428,180 high-quality reads of mycelium and 70,594,319 high-quality reads of two-months-old sclerotium were obtained. Additionally, differentially expressed genes from the W. cocos mycelium and two-months-old sclerotium stages were analyzed, resulting in identification of 69 CAZymes genes which were significantly up-regulated during the early stage of sclerotial growth compared to that of in mycelium stage, and more than half of them belonged to glycosyl hydrolases (GHs family, indicating the importance of W. cocos GHs family for degrading the pine woods. And qRT-PCR was further used to confirm the expression pattern of these up-regulated CAZymes genes. Our results will provide comprehensive CAZymes genes expression information during W. cocos sclerotial growth at the transcriptional level and will lay a foundation for functional genes studies in this fungus. In addition, our study will also facilitate the efficient use of limited pine resources, which is significant for promoting steady development of Chinese W. cocos industry.

Hydrogen-induced strain localisation in oxygen-free copper in the initial stage of plastic deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Yagodzinskyy, Yuriy; Malitckii, Evgenii; Tuomisto, Filip; Hänninen, Hannu

2018-03-01

Single crystals of oxygen-free copper oriented to easy glide of dislocations were tensile tested in order to study the hydrogen effects on the strain localisation in the form of slip bands appearing on the polished specimen surface under tensile straining. It was found that hydrogen increases the plastic flow stress in Stage I of deformation. The dislocation slip localisation in the form of slip bands was observed and analysed using an online optical monitoring system and atomic force microscopy. The fine structure of the slip bands observed with AFM shows that they consist of a number of dislocation slip offsets which spacing in the presence of hydrogen is markedly reduced as compared to that in the hydrogen-free specimens. The tensile tests and AFM observations were accompanied with positron annihilation lifetime measurements showing that straining of pure copper in the presence of hydrogen results in free volume generation in the form of vacancy complexes. Hydrogen-enhanced free-volume generation is discussed in terms of hydrogen interactions with edge dislocation dipoles forming in double cross-slip of screw dislocations in the initial stage of plastic deformation of pure copper.

AFM investigation of effect of absorbed water layer structure on growth mechanism of octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayer on oxidized silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Shaowei; Zheng, Yanjun; Chen, Changfeng

2016-01-01

The growth mechanism of an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) self-assembled monolayer on a silicon oxide surface at various relative humidities has been investigated. Atomic force microscopy images show that excess water may actually hinder the nucleation and growth of OTS islands. A moderate amount of water is favorable for the nucleation and growth of OTS islands in the initial stage; however, the completion of the monolayer is very slow in the final stage. The growth of OTS islands on a low-water-content surface maintains a relatively constant speed and requires the least amount of time. The mobility of water molecules is thought to play an important role in the OTS monolayers, and a low-mobility water layer provides a steady condition for OTS monolayer growth.

Stages of growth in economic development

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kejak, Michal

2003-01-01

Roč. 27, č. 5 (2003), s. 771-800 ISSN 0165-1889 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z7085904 Keywords : growth * human capital * development Subject RIV: AH - Economics Impact factor: 0.690, year: 2003

Dynamic relationship of the epithelium and mesenchyme during salivary gland initiation: the role of Fgf10

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Kirsty L.; Gaete, Marcia; Matalova, Eva; Deutsch, Danny; Rice, David; Tucker, Abigail S.

2013-01-01

Summary Salivary glands provide an excellent model for the study of epithelial–mesenchymal interactions. We have looked at the interactions involved in the early initiation and development of murine salivary glands using classic recombination experiments and knockout mice. We show that salivary gland epithelium, at thickening and initial bud stages, is able to direct salivary gland development in non-gland pharyngeal arch mesenchyme at early stages. The early salivary gland epithelium is therefore able to induce gland development in non-gland tissue. This ability later shifts to the mesenchyme, with non-gland epithelium, such as from the limb bud, able to form a branching gland when combined with pseudoglandular stage gland mesenchyme. This shift appears to involve Fgf signalling, with signals from the epithelium inducing Fgf10 in the mesenchyme. Fgf10 then signals back to the epithelium to direct gland down-growth and bud development. These experiments highlight the importance of epithelial–mesenchymal signalling in gland initiation, controlling where, when and how many salivary glands form. PMID:24167707

DYNAMICS OF HUMIDITY DISTRIBUTION IN CROSS-SECTION OF FLAT MOULDING MASS SAMPLES IN INITIAL DRYING STAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. N. Оsipov

2005-01-01

Full Text Available It is proposed to use an exponential dependence for description of humidity distribution in cross-section of flat clay mass samples of plastic formation in an initial drying stage. Dependences of exponential curve indices on time from drying start-up and size of an «active» zone of clay mass dehydration have been determined. Analytical-experimental methodology for calculation of maximum permissible humidity differential of moulding mass under crack formation conditions has been developed on the basis of thermo-elasticity model. Some regularities for an estimation of thinning agent usage while making-up mixture.

Increased growth in environmental technology - More capital in early stages; Oekad tillvaext inom miljoeteknik - Mer kapital i tidiga skeden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stubelius, Andreas; Axelsson, Helene; Fjaellstroem, Mikael; Agnvall, Dag; Olsson, Erik

2011-07-01

Swedish environmental technology companies has great growth potential. The transition to a renewable and energy-efficient energy systems and greater attention to the ecosystem, creates a growing international demand for products and services. The Energy Agency has received a government commission to develop proposals that contribute to stronger collaboration and increased communication between those involved in environmental engineering with the aim of increasing environmental technology companies access to capital in the early commercial stages, with particular focus on small and medium-sized players. The Energy Agency submits proposals for action that will lead to increased growth of Swedish environmental technology companies

Two stage heterotrophy/photoinduction culture of Scenedesmus incrassatulus: potential for lutein production.

Science.gov (United States)

Flórez-Miranda, Liliana; Cañizares-Villanueva, Rosa Olivia; Melchy-Antonio, Orlando; Martínez-Jerónimo, Fernando; Flores-Ortíz, Cesar Mateo

2017-11-20

A biomass production process including two stages, heterotrophy/photoinduction (TSHP), was developed to improve biomass and lutein production by the green microalgae Scenedesmus incrassatulus. To determine the effects of different nitrogen sources (yeast extract and urea) and temperature in the heterotrophic stage, experiments using shake flask cultures with glucose as the carbon source were carried out. The highest biomass productivity and specific pigment concentrations were reached using urea+vitamins (U+V) at 30°C. The first stage of the TSHP process was done in a 6L bioreactor, and the inductions in a 3L airlift photobioreactor. At the end of the heterotrophic stage, S. incrassatulus achieved the maximal biomass concentration, increasing from 7.22gL -1 to 17.98gL -1 with an increase in initial glucose concentration from 10.6gL -1 to 30.3gL -1 . However, the higher initial glucose concentration resulted in a lower specific growth rate (μ) and lower cell yield (Y x/s ), possibly due to substrate inhibition. After 24h of photoinduction, lutein content in S. incrassatulus biomass was 7 times higher than that obtained at the end of heterotrophic cultivation, and the lutein productivity was 1.6 times higher compared with autotrophic culture of this microalga. Hence, the two-stage heterotrophy/photoinduction culture is an effective strategy for high cell density and lutein production in S. incrassatulus. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Short pulse duration shock initiation experiments plus ignition and growth modeling on Composition B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

May, Chadd M; Tarver, Craig M

2014-01-01

Composition B (63% RDX, 36% TNT, 1% wax) is still a widely used energetic material whose shock initiation characteristics are necessary to understand. It is now possible to shock initiate Composition B and other secondary explosives at diameters well below their characteristic failure diameters for unconfined self-sustaining detonation. This is done using very high velocity, very thin, small diameter flyer plates accelerated by electric or laser power sources. Recently experimental detonation versus failure to detonate threshold flyer velocity curves for Composition B using several Kapton TM flyer thicknesses and diameters were measured. Flyer plates with diameters of 2 mm successfully detonated Composition B, which has a nominal failure diameter of 4.3 mm. The shock pressures required for these initiations are greater than the Chapman-Jouguet (C-J) pressure in self-sustaining Composition B detonation waves. The initiation process is two-dimensional, because both rear and side rarefactions can affect the shocked Composition B reaction rates. The Ignition and Growth reactive flow model for Composition B is extended to yield accurate simulations of this new threshold velocity data for various flyer thicknesses.

Quantitative, molecular and growth analyses of Ulva microscopic propagules in the coastal sediment of Jiangsu province where green tides initially occurred.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Feng; Pang, Shao Jun; Zhao, Xiao Bo; Hu, Chuan Ming

2012-03-01

From 2007 to 2011, large-scale green tides formed by unattached filamentous alga, Ulva prolifera in Ulva linza-procera-prolifera complex, have initially occurred in Jiangsu coasts of China. The real niche or the substrate(s) on which U. prolifera attaches before it starts to float is still under debate. However, great numbers of Ulva propagules would be supposed to exist in the microscopic, overwintering stage for the next spring's bloom in coastal environments. This study was designed to confirm the above prediction and investigate abundance, species composition and growth characteristics of Ulva propagules in the sediments. Quantification result showed that Ulva propagules widely distributed in the sediments and the abundance of these isolates did not change much over a 3-month testing period at low temperature in darkness. Molecular data based on three DNA markers revealed that four Ulva species existed in the sediments, among which green-tide forming alga, U. prolifera, was included. Elevated levels of temperature, irradiance as well as nutrients in seawater greatly facilitated recovery and growth of propagules. Results of this investigation indicated the possibility of microscopic propagules turning directly into floating biomass in season when temperature, irradiance and nutrients together meet the required levels in questioned coastal water area. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tongue Growth during Prenatal Development in Korean Fetuses and Embryos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soo Jeong Hong

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Prenatal tongue development may affect oral-craniofacial structures, but this muscular organ has rarely been investigated. Methods: In order to document the physiology of prenatal tongue growth, we histologically examined the facial and cranial base structures of 56 embryos and 106 fetuses. Results: In Streeter’s stages 13–14 (fertilization age [FA], 28 to 32 days, the tongue protruded into the stomodeal cavity from the retrohyoid space to the cartilaginous mesenchyme of the primitive cranial base, and in Streeter’s stage 15 (FA, 33 to 36 days, the tongue rapidly swelled and compressed the cranial base to initiate spheno-occipital synchondrosis and continued to swell laterally to occupy most of the stomodeal cavity in Streeter’s stage 16–17 (FA, 37 to 43 days. In Streeter’s stage 18–20 (FA, 44 to 51 days, the tongue was vertically positioned and filled the posterior nasopharyngeal space. As the growth of the mandible and maxilla advanced, the tongue was pulled down and protruded anteriorly to form the linguomandibular complex. Angulation between the anterior cranial base (ACB and the posterior cranial base (PCB was formed by the emerging tongue at FA 4 weeks and became constant at approximately 124°–126° from FA 6 weeks until birth, which was consistent with angulations measured on adult cephalograms. Conclusions: The early clockwise growth of the ACB to the maxillary plane became harmonious with the counter-clockwise growth of the PCB to the tongue axis during the early prenatal period. These observations suggest that human embryonic tongue growth affects ACB and PCB angulation, stimulates maxillary growth, and induces mandibular movement to achieve the essential functions of oral and maxillofacial structures.

PAH growth initiated by propargyl addition: Mechanism development and computational kinetics

KAUST Repository

Raj, Abhijeet Dhayal

2014-04-24

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) growth is known to be the principal pathway to soot formation during fuel combustion, as such, a physical understanding of the PAH growth mechanism is needed to effectively assess, predict, and control soot formation in flames. Although the hydrogen abstraction C2H2 addition (HACA) mechanism is believed to be the main contributor to PAH growth, it has been shown to under-predict some of the experimental data on PAHs and soot concentrations in flames. This article presents a submechanism of PAH growth that is initiated by propargyl (C 3H3) addition onto naphthalene (A2) and the naphthyl radical. C3H3 has been chosen since it is known to be a precursor of benzene in combustion and has appreciable concentrations in flames. This mechanism has been developed up to the formation of pyrene (A4), and the temperature-dependent kinetics of each elementary reaction has been determined using density functional theory (DFT) computations at the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory and transition state theory (TST). H-abstraction, H-addition, H-migration, β-scission, and intramolecular addition reactions have been taken into account. The energy barriers of the two main pathways (H-abstraction and H-addition) were found to be relatively small if not negative, whereas the energy barriers of the other pathways were in the range of (6-89 kcal·mol-1). The rates reported in this study may be extrapolated to larger PAH molecules that have a zigzag site similar to that in naphthalene, and the mechanism presented herein may be used as a complement to the HACA mechanism to improve prediction of PAH and soot formation. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

Growth of nacre in abalone: Seasonal and feeding effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, M.I.; Chen, P.Y.; McKittrick, J.; Meyers, M.A.

2011-01-01

The processes of aggregation of mineral and organic materials to the growing surfaces in red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) are analyzed. The flat pearl implantation method is used to observe the transient stages of calcium carbonate deposition, the structure of the organic interlayer, and the steady-state growth of aragonite tiles. The morphology of the organic interlayer is characterized by scanning electron microscopy. These results enable a realistic depiction of the formation of the terraced cones that comprise the principal biomineralization mechanism in this gastropod. In all cases, the growth initiated through spherulites, followed by tile formation. The transient stage with spherulitic formation was shorter at higher temperature; this is indicative of a greater activity of the animal at 21 deg. C. The growth rate in a normally fed gastropod was found to be higher compared with one provided with limited food. The effect of water temperature (seasonal) was also established, with growth proceeding faster in the summer (T ∼ 21 deg. C) than in winter (15 deg. C). The structures of the organic interlayer and of the epithelium are revealed by scanning electron microscopy.

Growth of nacre in abalone: Seasonal and feeding effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez, M.I., E-mail: mil032@ucsd.edu; Chen, P.Y.; McKittrick, J.; Meyers, M.A.

2011-03-12

The processes of aggregation of mineral and organic materials to the growing surfaces in red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) are analyzed. The flat pearl implantation method is used to observe the transient stages of calcium carbonate deposition, the structure of the organic interlayer, and the steady-state growth of aragonite tiles. The morphology of the organic interlayer is characterized by scanning electron microscopy. These results enable a realistic depiction of the formation of the terraced cones that comprise the principal biomineralization mechanism in this gastropod. In all cases, the growth initiated through spherulites, followed by tile formation. The transient stage with spherulitic formation was shorter at higher temperature; this is indicative of a greater activity of the animal at 21 deg. C. The growth rate in a normally fed gastropod was found to be higher compared with one provided with limited food. The effect of water temperature (seasonal) was also established, with growth proceeding faster in the summer (T {approx} 21 deg. C) than in winter (15 deg. C). The structures of the organic interlayer and of the epithelium are revealed by scanning electron microscopy.

Design considerations for single-stage and two-stage pneumatic pellet injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gouge, M.J.; Combs, S.K.; Fisher, P.W.; Milora, S.L.

1988-09-01

Performance of single-stage pneumatic pellet injectors is compared with several models for one-dimensional, compressible fluid flow. Agreement is quite good for models that reflect actual breech chamber geometry and incorporate nonideal effects such as gas friction. Several methods of improving the performance of single-stage pneumatic pellet injectors in the near term are outlined. The design and performance of two-stage pneumatic pellet injectors are discussed, and initial data from the two-stage pneumatic pellet injector test facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are presented. Finally, a concept for a repeating two-stage pneumatic pellet injector is described. 27 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs

Induction stage-dependent expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and aquaporin-1 in diethylstilbestrol-treated rat pituitary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W Zhao

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The anterior pituitary gland undergoes tumourigenic changes in response to oestrogen treatment in several breeds of rats. We administered diethylstilbestrol (DES to female Wistar rats and assessed whether the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF and aquaporin-1 (AQP-1 was altered at different time points following DES administration. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans showed that the mass index corresponding to the mid-sagittal area of DES-treated pituitary was significantly higher than the vehicle-controlled pituitary (p less than 0.01 at three specific time points, accompanied by a significant reduction in body weight. Haematoxylin and eosin (HE staining and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that during early stages of induction, DES increased cell proliferation and sprouting of endothelial cells, and VEGF expression transitioned from a vessel-surrounding pattern to a diffuse pattern. During later stages, angiogenesis was predominant, and VEGF expression decreased. In contrast to the early abundant expression of VEGF, endothelial expression of AQP- 1 increased during later stages. Our data indicated a dynamic scenario of biological alterations in DES-treated pituitary tissue, in which VEGF and AQP-1 exert their functions at different stages of induction, and we provide novel insights into understanding oestrogen-related tumourigenesis in the anterior pituitary gland.

Induction stage-dependent expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and aquaporin-1 in diethylstilbestrol-treated rat pituitary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z Wang

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The anterior pituitary gland undergoes tumourigenic changes in response to oestrogen treatment in several breeds of rats. We administered diethylstilbestrol (DES to female Wistar rats and assessed whether the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF and aquaporin-1 (AQP-1 was altered at different time points following DES administration. In vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans showed that the mass index corresponding to the mid-sagittal area of DES-treated pituitary was significantly higher than the vehicle-controlled pituitary (p<0.01 at three specific time points, accompanied by a significant reduction in body weight. Haematoxylin and eosin (HE staining and immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that during early stages of induction, DES increased cell proliferation and sprouting of endothelial cells, and VEGF expression transitioned from a vessel-surrounding pattern to a diffuse pattern. During later stages, angiogenesis was predominant, and VEGF expression decreased. In contrast to the early abundant expression of VEGF, endothelial expression of AQP- 1 increased during later stages. Our data indicated a dynamic scenario of biological alterations in DES-treated pituitary tissue, in which VEGF and AQP-1 exert their functions at different stages of induction, and we provide novel insights into understanding oestrogen-related tumourigenesis in the anterior pituitary gland.

Water deficit imposed by partial irrigation at different plant growth stages of common bean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calvache, M.; Reichardt, K.

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify specific growth stages of common bean crop, at which the plant is less sensitive to water stress so that irrigation can be omitted without significant decrease in biological nitrogen fixation and yield. Two field experiments were conducted at a University experiments station, Tumbaco, Pichincha, Ecuador, on a sandy loam soil ( Typic durustoll ). The climate is warm and dry ( mean air temperature 16 degree Celcius and mean relative humidity 74% ) during the cropping season and rainfall of 123 mm was recorded during the cropping period. The treatments consisted of combinations of 7 irrigation regimes ( I1 = all normal watering; I2 = all stres; I3 = traditional practice; I4 = single stress at vegetation; I5 flowering; I6 = yield formation and I7 = ripening stages ) and 2 levels of applied N ( 20 and 80 kg/ ha ). Differential irrigation was started after 3 uniform irrigations for germination and crop establishment. Soil moisture was monitored with a neutron probe down to 0.60 m depth, before and 24 h after each irrigation. Biological Nitrogen Fixation was calculated using the N- 15 metodology in the 20 kg N/ ha treatment. From the yield data, it can be concluded that treatments which had irrigation deficit had lower yield than those that had suplementary irrigation. The flowering stage was the most sensitive to number of pods and grain yield. Biological Nitrogen Fixation was significantly affected by water stress at flowering and formation stages. The crop water use efficiency ( kg/ m 3 ) was the lowest at flowering period and the yield response factor ( Ky ) was higher in treatments I2 ( all stress ) and I5 (stress at flowering ). Comparing with traditional practice by farmers of the region, only treatments I1 and I7 had 13 and 10 % higher crop water use effeciency. 15 tabs., 7 refs. ( Author )

Cell-autonomous intracellular androgen receptor signaling drives the growth of human prostate cancer initiating cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Vander Griend, Donald J; D'Antonio, Jason; Gurel, Bora; Antony, Lizamma; Demarzo, Angelo M; Isaacs, John T

2010-01-01

The lethality of prostate cancer is due to the continuous growth of cancer initiating cells (CICs) which are often stimulated by androgen receptor (AR) signaling. However, the underlying molecular mechanism(s) for such AR-mediated growth stimulation are not fully understood. Such mechanisms may involve cancer cell-dependent induction of tumor stromal cells to produce paracrine growth factors or could involve cancer cell autonomous autocrine and/or intracellular AR signaling pathways. We utilized clinical samples, animal models and a series of AR-positive human prostate cancer cell lines to evaluate AR-mediated growth stimulation of prostate CICs. The present studies document that stromal AR expression is not required for prostate cancer growth, since tumor stroma surrounding AR-positive human prostate cancer metastases (N = 127) are characteristically AR-negative. This lack of a requirement for AR expression in tumor stromal cells is also documented by the fact that human AR-positive prostate cancer cells grow equally well when xenografted in wild-type versus AR-null nude mice. AR-dependent growth stimulation was documented to involve secretion, extracellular binding, and signaling by autocrine growth factors. Orthotopic xenograft animal studies documented that the cellautonomous autocrine growth factors which stimulate prostate CIC growth are not the andromedins secreted by normal prostate stromal cells. Such cell autonomous and extracellular autocrine signaling is necessary but not sufficient for the optimal growth of prostate CICs based upon the response to anti-androgen plus/or minus preconditioned media. AR-induced growth stimulation of human prostate CICs requires AR-dependent intracellular pathways. The identification of such AR-dependent intracellular pathways offers new leads for the development of effective therapies for prostate cancer. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Lung growth and development.

Science.gov (United States)

Joshi, Suchita; Kotecha, Sailesh

2007-12-01

Human lung growth starts as a primitive lung bud in early embryonic life and undergoes several morphological stages which continue into postnatal life. Each stage of lung growth is a result of complex and tightly regulated events governed by physical, environmental, hormonal and genetic factors. Fetal lung liquid and fetal breathing movements are by far the most important determinants of lung growth. Although timing of the stages of lung growth in animals do not mimic that of human, numerous animal studies, mainly on sheep and rat, have given us a better understanding of the regulators of lung growth. Insight into the genetic basis of lung growth has helped us understand and improve management of complex life threatening congenital abnormalities such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia and pulmonary hypoplasia. Although advances in perinatal medicine have improved survival of preterm infants, premature birth is perhaps still the most important factor for adverse lung growth.

Titanium zoning and diffusion chronometry reveal dynamic and late-stage quartz growth in the Youngest Toba Tuff, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Tierney, C. R.; Reid, M. R.; Burns, D. H.; Costa Rodriguez, F.; Chesner, C. A.

2017-12-01

The enormous 74 ka Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT) ejected 2800 km3 of compositionally zoned (68-77 wt.% SiO2) ignimbrite and co-ignimbrite ash. Titanium zoning within YTT quartz records a dynamic growth history, and sometimes concludes with a final growth stage under different conditions. We investigated the timescales of quartz growth using diffusion chronometry, and determined whether the last stage of crystallization was the result of a discrete and chamber-wide magmatic event. This work offers insight into the dynamics and timescales of storage and remobilization of voluminous silicic magmas - an important consideration for hazards assessment. High-resolution (1 µm steps) hyperspectral CL was mapped from 5-20 quartz crystals from each of five pumices spanning the YTT compositional spectrum. CL intensity was calibrated to Ti concentration via EPMA, and numerically modeled time-dependent diffusional relaxation curves where fit to concentration profiles across zone boundaries. CL-bright/high-Ti rims are found in quartz from all samples, but become less common and have lower Ti concentrations with increasing host pumice silica content (e.g., 70 ppm vs 50 ppm). Some large crystals contain distinct CL-bright interior zones with similar Ti concentration to the rims. Onset of growth of CL-bright rims commenced between 15 and 100 years before eruption, and interior bands between 30 and 1500 years. Neither rim nor interior ages correlate significantly with host pumice silica. Rim growth on quartz evidently occurred closer to eruption than a previous estimate of several decades to centuries for quartz from a single YTT pumice (Matthews et al., 2012). The similar timing for the onset of high-Ti quartz rim growth across all samples suggests a marked and temporally discrete magmatic event in the years to decades prior to eruption and may be recording the chamber-wide influence of magmatic recharge or remobilization. High-Ti interior zones likely record older recharge events that

Evolution and dynamics of Earth from a molten initial stage

Science.gov (United States)

Louro Lourenço, D. J.; Tackley, P.

2016-12-01

It is now well established that most of the terrestrial planets underwent a magma ocean stage during their accretion. On Earth, it is probable that at the end of accretion, giant impacts like the hypothesised Moon-forming impact, together with other sources of heat, melted a substantial part of the mantle. The thermal and chemical evolution of the resulting magma ocean most certainly had dramatic consequences on the history of the planet. Considerable research has been done on magma oceans using simple 1-D models (e.g.: Abe, PEPI 1997; Solomatov, Treat. Geophys. 2007; Elkins-Tanton EPSL 2008). However, some aspects of the dynamics may not be adequately addressed in 1-D and require the use of 2-D or 3-D models. Moreover, new developments in mineral physics that indicate that melt can be denser than solid at high pressures (e.g.: de Koker et al., EPSL 2013) can have very important impacts on the classical views of the solidification of magma oceans (Labrosse et al., Nature 2007; Labrosse et al., The Early Earth 2015). The goal of our study is to understand and characterize the influence of melting on the long-term thermo-chemical evolution of rocky planet interiors, starting from an initial molten state (magma ocean). Our approach is to model viscous creep of the solid mantle, while parameterizing processes that involve melt as previously done in 1-D models, including melt-solid separation at all melt fractions, the use of an effective diffusivity to parameterize turbulent mixing, coupling to a parameterized core heat balance and a radiative surface boundary condition. These enhancements have been made to the numerical code StagYY (Tackley, PEPI 2008). We present results for the evolution of an Earth-like planet from a molten initial state to present day, while testing the effect of uncertainties in parameters such as melt-solid density differences, surface heat loss and efficiency of turbulent mixing. Our results show rapid cooling and crystallization until the

Effects of rare earth and acid rain pollution on plant chloroplast ATP synthase and element contents at different growth stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Fan; Hu, Huiqing; Wang, Lihong; Zhou, Qing; Huang, Xiaohua

2018-03-01

Combined rare earth and acid rain pollution has become a new environmental problem, seriously affecting plant survival. The effects of these two kinds of pollutants on plant photosynthesis have been reported, but the micro mechanisms are not very clear. In this research, we studied the effects of lanthanum [La(III), 0.08, 1.20 and 2.40 mM] and acid rain (pH value = 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5) on the ATPase activity and gene transcription level and the functional element contents in rice leaf chloroplasts. The results showed that the combined 0.08 mM La(III) and pH 4.5 acid rain increased the ATPase activity and gene transcription level as well as contents of some functional elements. But other combined treatments of acid rain and La(III) reduced the ATPase activity and gene transcription level as well as functional element contents. The change magnitude of the above indexes at rice booting stage was greater than that in seedling stage or grain filling stage. These results reveal that effects of La(III) and acid rain on ATPase activity and functional element contents in rice leaf chloroplasts are related to the combination of La(III) dose and acid rain intensity and the plant growth stage. In addition, the changes in the ATPase activity were related to ATPase gene transcription level. This study would provide a reference for understanding the microcosmic mechanism of rare earth and acid rain pollution on plant photosynthesis and contribute to evaluate the possible environmental risks associated with combined La(III) and acid rain pollution. The effects of La(III) and acid rain on activity and gene transcription level of rice chloroplast ATPase and contents of functional elements were different at different growth stages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neurotrophin Signaling via TrkB and TrkC Receptors Promotes the Growth of Brain Tumor-initiating Cells*

Science.gov (United States)

Lawn, Samuel; Krishna, Niveditha; Pisklakova, Alexandra; Qu, Xiaotao; Fenstermacher, David A.; Fournier, Michelle; Vrionis, Frank D.; Tran, Nam; Chan, Jennifer A.; Kenchappa, Rajappa S.; Forsyth, Peter A.

2015-01-01

Neurotrophins and their receptors are frequently expressed in malignant gliomas, yet their functions are largely unknown. Previously, we have shown that p75 neurotrophin receptor is required for glioma invasion and proliferation. However, the role of Trk receptors has not been examined. In this study, we investigated the importance of TrkB and TrkC in survival of brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs). Here, we show that human malignant glioma tissues and also tumor-initiating cells isolated from fresh human malignant gliomas express the neurotrophin receptors TrkB and TrkC, not TrkA, and they also express neurotrophins NGF, BDNF, and neurotrophin 3 (NT3). Specific activation of TrkB and TrkC receptors by ligands BDNF and NT3 enhances tumor-initiating cell viability through activation of ERK and Akt pathways. Conversely, TrkB and TrkC knockdown or pharmacologic inhibition of Trk signaling decreases neurotrophin-dependent ERK activation and BTIC growth. Further, pharmacological inhibition of both ERK and Akt pathways blocked BDNF, and NT3 stimulated BTIC survival. Importantly, attenuation of BTIC growth by EGFR inhibitors could be overcome by activation of neurotrophin signaling, and neurotrophin signaling is sufficient for long term BTIC growth as spheres in the absence of EGF and FGF. Our results highlight a novel role for neurotrophin signaling in brain tumor and suggest that Trks could be a target for combinatorial treatment of malignant glioma. PMID:25538243

Neurotrophin signaling via TrkB and TrkC receptors promotes the growth of brain tumor-initiating cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawn, Samuel; Krishna, Niveditha; Pisklakova, Alexandra; Qu, Xiaotao; Fenstermacher, David A; Fournier, Michelle; Vrionis, Frank D; Tran, Nam; Chan, Jennifer A; Kenchappa, Rajappa S; Forsyth, Peter A

2015-02-06

Neurotrophins and their receptors are frequently expressed in malignant gliomas, yet their functions are largely unknown. Previously, we have shown that p75 neurotrophin receptor is required for glioma invasion and proliferation. However, the role of Trk receptors has not been examined. In this study, we investigated the importance of TrkB and TrkC in survival of brain tumor-initiating cells (BTICs). Here, we show that human malignant glioma tissues and also tumor-initiating cells isolated from fresh human malignant gliomas express the neurotrophin receptors TrkB and TrkC, not TrkA, and they also express neurotrophins NGF, BDNF, and neurotrophin 3 (NT3). Specific activation of TrkB and TrkC receptors by ligands BDNF and NT3 enhances tumor-initiating cell viability through activation of ERK and Akt pathways. Conversely, TrkB and TrkC knockdown or pharmacologic inhibition of Trk signaling decreases neurotrophin-dependent ERK activation and BTIC growth. Further, pharmacological inhibition of both ERK and Akt pathways blocked BDNF, and NT3 stimulated BTIC survival. Importantly, attenuation of BTIC growth by EGFR inhibitors could be overcome by activation of neurotrophin signaling, and neurotrophin signaling is sufficient for long term BTIC growth as spheres in the absence of EGF and FGF. Our results highlight a novel role for neurotrophin signaling in brain tumor and suggest that Trks could be a target for combinatorial treatment of malignant glioma. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Crack initiation and growth in welded structures; Amorcage et propagation de la fissuration dans les jonctions soudees

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assire, A

2000-10-13

This work concerns the remaining life assessment of a structure containing initial defects of manufacturing. High temperature crack initiation and growth are studied for austenitic stainless steels, and defect assessment methods are improved in order to take into account welded structures. For these one, the probability to have a defect is significant. Two kinds of approaches are commonly used for defect assessment analysis. Fracture mechanics global approach with an energetic criterion, and local approach with a model taking into account the physical damage mechanism. For both approaches mechanical fields (stress and strain) have to be computed everywhere within the structure. Then, Finite Element computation is needed. The first part of the thesis concerns the identification of non linear kinematic and isotropic constitutive models. A pseudo-analytical method is proposed for a 'Two Inelastic Strain' model. This method provides a strategy of identification with a mechanical meaning, and this enables to associate each parameter to a physical phenomenon. Existing identifications are improved for cyclic plasticity and creep on a large range of stress levels. The second part concerns high temperature crack initiation and growth in welded structures. Finite Element analysis on plate and tube experimental configuration enable to understand the phenomenons of interaction between base metal and weld metal under mechanical and thermal loading. Concerning global approach, criteria based on C* parameter (Rice integral for visco-plasticity) are used. Finite Element computations underline the fact that for a defect located in the weld metal, C* values strongly depend on the base metal creep strain rate, because widespread visco-plasticity is located in both metals. A simplified method, based on the reference stress approach, is proposed and validated with Finite Element results. Creep crack growth simplified assessment is a quite good validation of the experimental

Dynamics of unstable sound waves in a non-equilibrium medium at the nonlinear stage

Science.gov (United States)

Khrapov, Sergey; Khoperskov, Alexander

2018-03-01

A new dispersion equation is obtained for a non-equilibrium medium with an exponential relaxation model of a vibrationally excited gas. We have researched the dependencies of the pump source and the heat removal on the medium thermodynamic parameters. The boundaries of sound waves stability regions in a non-equilibrium gas have been determined. The nonlinear stage of sound waves instability development in a vibrationally excited gas has been investigated within CSPH-TVD and MUSCL numerical schemes using parallel technologies OpenMP-CUDA. We have obtained a good agreement of numerical simulation results with the linear perturbations dynamics at the initial stage of the sound waves growth caused by instability. At the nonlinear stage, the sound waves amplitude reaches the maximum value that leads to the formation of shock waves system.

Transcription profiling of human MCF10A cells subjected to ionizing radiation and treatment with transforming growth factor beta-1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGFbeta) is a tumor suppressor during the initial stage of tumorigenesis but it can switch to a tumor promoter during neoplastic...

Initial stages of the ion beam mixing process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Traverse, A.; Le Boite, M.G.; Nevot, L.; Pardo, B.; Corno, J.

1987-01-01

The grazing x-ray reflectometry technique, performed on irradiated periodic multilayers, was used to study the early stages of the ion beam mixing process. We present our first results, obtained on NiAu samples irradiated with He ions. The experimental fluence dependence of the effective diffusion coefficient is in good agreement with a calculation based on a purely ballistic process

Requirement of carbon dioxide for initial growth of facultative methylotroph, Acidomonas methanolica MB58.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitsui, Ryoji; Katayama, Hiroko; Tanaka, Mitsuo

2015-07-01

The facultative methylotrophic bacterium Acidomonas methanolica MB58 can utilize C1 compounds via the ribulose monophosphate pathway. A large gene cluster comprising three components related to C1 metabolism was found in the genome. From upstream, the first was an mxa cluster encoding proteins for oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde; the second was the rmp cluster encoding enzymes for formaldehyde fixation; and the third was the cbb gene cluster encoding proteins for carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation. Examination of CO2 requirements for growth of A. methanolica MB58 cells demonstrated that it did not grow on any carbon source under CO2-free conditions. Measurement of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase activity and RT-PCR analysis demonstrated enzymatic activity was detected in A. methanolica MB58 at growth phase, regardless of carbon sources. However, methanol dehydrogenase and 3-hexlose-6-phosphate synthase expression was regulated by methanol or formaldehyde; it were detected during growth and apparently differed from ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase expression. These results suggested that A. methanolica MB58 may be initially dependent on autotrophic growth and that carbon assimilation was subsequently coupled with the ribulose monophosphate pathway at early- to mid-log phases during methylotrophic growth. Copyright © 2014 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preoperative PET/CT in early-stage breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bernsdorf, M; Berthelsen, A K; Timmermans-Wielenga, Vera

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of preoperative positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) in the initial staging of patients with early-stage breast cancer.......The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic and therapeutic impact of preoperative positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) in the initial staging of patients with early-stage breast cancer....

A 4-m evolvable space telescope configured for NASA's HabEx Mission: the initial stage of LUVOIR

Science.gov (United States)

Lillie, Charles F.; MacEwen, Howard A.; Polidan, Ronald S.; Breckinridge, James B.

2017-09-01

Previous papers have described our concept for a large telescope that would be assembled in space in several stages (in different configurations) over a period of fifteen to 20 years. Spreading the telescope development, launch and operations cost over 20 years would minimize the impact on NASA's annual budget and drastically shorten the time between program start and "first light" for this space observatory. The first Stage of this Evolvable Space Telescope (EST) would consist of an instrument module located at the prime focus of three 4-meter hexagonal mirrors arranged in a semi-circle to form one-half of a 12-m segmented mirror. After several years three additional 4-m mirrors would be added to create a 12-m filled aperture. Later, twelve more 4-m mirrors will be added to this Stage 2 telescope to create a 20-m filled aperture space telescope. At each stage the telescope would have an unparalleled capability for UVOIR observations, and the results of these observations will guide the evolution of the telescope and its instruments. In this paper we describe our design concept for an initial configuration of our Evolvable Space Telescope that can meet the requirements of the 4-m version of the HabEx spacecraft currently under consideration by NASA's Habitable Exoplanet Science and Technology Definition Team. This "Stage Zero" configuration will have only one 4-m mirror segment with the same 30-m focal length and a prime focus coronagraph with normal incidence optics to minimize polarization effects. After assembly and checkout in cis-lunar space, the telescope would transfer to a Sun-Earth L2 halo orbit and obtain high sensitivity, high resolution, high contrast UVOIR observations that address the scientific objectives of the Habitable-Exoplanet Imaging Missions.

Preliminary results on the role of PET/CT in initial staging, restaging, and management of lung cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malamitsi, J. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece): Department of Medical Physics, Medical School, University of Athens (Greece)]. E-mail: j.malamitsi@yahoo.gr; Valotassiou, B. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Iliadis, K. [Thoracic Surgical Department, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Kosmidis, P. [2nd Medical Oncology Department, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Laspas, F. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Vasilaki, M. [Oncologist, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Pipini, E. [Thoracic Medicine Clinic, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Petounis, A. [1st Internal Medicine and Oncology Department, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Gogou, L. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Pagou, M. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Dalianis, K. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Efthimiadou, R. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Andreou, J. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece)

2006-12-20

Aim: To determine true-positive and true-negative rates of PET/CT studies in the staging of lung cancer as compared with conventional imaging (CT and bone scan and occasionally MRI) and the impact of PET/CT on the treatment strategy in patients with lung cancer. Materials and method: Twenty patients (21 studies) with known or suspected lung cancer (14 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), three patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), three patients with solitary pulmonary nodule underwent initial staging (seven studies) or restaging (14 studies) with combined FDG PET and CT scans on a PET/CT tomograph. PET/CT images were evaluated separately by two nuclear medicine physicians and two radiologists specialized on PET, CT, and MRI. Histology results and a more than 6 months follow-up served as the reference standards. Results: Accurate diagnosis was achieved on 16 studies. Site-by-site analysis gave the following results: 16 true-positive sites (seven on histology, nine on >6 months follow-up), six true-negative sites (two on histology, four on >6 months follow-up). On PET/CT, six patients were correctly down-staged, three patients were correctly upstaged and seven patients were diagnosed correctly as being on the same stage (2/7 with increase of extent of disease, 5/7 with the same extent of disease). One patient was falsely upstaged and three patients were falsely down-staged. On the basis of PET/CT results, change of management was induced in six patients, while in 14 patients there was no change induced. In five cases PET/CT was partially accurate: on site-by-site analysis, four sites proved true positive (on histology), one site false positive (on histology), and four sites false negative (one on histology, three on >6 months follow-up). Conclusion: In our early experience, PET/CT contributed significantly to correct staging and management of patients with lung cancer.

Preliminary results on the role of PET/CT in initial staging, restaging, and management of lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malamitsi, J.; Valotassiou, B.; Iliadis, K.; Kosmidis, P.; Laspas, F.; Vasilaki, M.; Pipini, E.; Petounis, A.; Gogou, L.; Pagou, M.; Dalianis, K.; Efthimiadou, R.; Andreou, J.

2006-01-01

Aim: To determine true-positive and true-negative rates of PET/CT studies in the staging of lung cancer as compared with conventional imaging (CT and bone scan and occasionally MRI) and the impact of PET/CT on the treatment strategy in patients with lung cancer. Materials and method: Twenty patients (21 studies) with known or suspected lung cancer (14 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), three patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), three patients with solitary pulmonary nodule underwent initial staging (seven studies) or restaging (14 studies) with combined FDG PET and CT scans on a PET/CT tomograph. PET/CT images were evaluated separately by two nuclear medicine physicians and two radiologists specialized on PET, CT, and MRI. Histology results and a more than 6 months follow-up served as the reference standards. Results: Accurate diagnosis was achieved on 16 studies. Site-by-site analysis gave the following results: 16 true-positive sites (seven on histology, nine on >6 months follow-up), six true-negative sites (two on histology, four on >6 months follow-up). On PET/CT, six patients were correctly down-staged, three patients were correctly upstaged and seven patients were diagnosed correctly as being on the same stage (2/7 with increase of extent of disease, 5/7 with the same extent of disease). One patient was falsely upstaged and three patients were falsely down-staged. On the basis of PET/CT results, change of management was induced in six patients, while in 14 patients there was no change induced. In five cases PET/CT was partially accurate: on site-by-site analysis, four sites proved true positive (on histology), one site false positive (on histology), and four sites false negative (one on histology, three on >6 months follow-up). Conclusion: In our early experience, PET/CT contributed significantly to correct staging and management of patients with lung cancer

Growth and Mortality Outcomes for Different Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Criteria in Children Ages 1-5 Years: A Causal Modeling Analysis.

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Schomaker, Michael; Davies, Mary-Ann; Malateste, Karen; Renner, Lorna; Sawry, Shobna; N'Gbeche, Sylvie; Technau, Karl-Günter; Eboua, François; Tanser, Frank; Sygnaté-Sy, Haby; Phiri, Sam; Amorissani-Folquet, Madeleine; Cox, Vivian; Koueta, Fla; Chimbete, Cleophas; Lawson-Evi, Annette; Giddy, Janet; Amani-Bosse, Clarisse; Wood, Robin; Egger, Matthias; Leroy, Valeriane

2016-03-01

There is limited evidence regarding the optimal timing of initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) in children. We conducted a causal modeling analysis in children ages 1-5 years from the International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS West/Southern-Africa collaboration to determine growth and mortality differences related to different CD4-based treatment initiation criteria, age groups, and regions. ART-naïve children of ages 12-59 months at enrollment with at least one visit before ART initiation and one follow-up visit were included. We estimated 3-year growth and cumulative mortality from the start of follow-up for different CD4 criteria using g-computation. About one quarter of the 5,826 included children was from West Africa (24.6%).The median (first; third quartile) CD4% at the first visit was 16% (11%; 23%), the median weight-for-age z-scores and height-for-age z-scores were -1.5 (-2.7; -0.6) and -2.5 (-3.5; -1.5), respectively. Estimated cumulative mortality was higher overall, and growth was slower, when initiating ART at lower CD4 thresholds. After 3 years of follow-up, the estimated mortality difference between starting ART routinely irrespective of CD4 count and starting ART if either CD4 count <750 cells/mm³ or CD4% <25% was 0.2% (95% CI = -0.2%; 0.3%), and the difference in the mean height-for-age z-scores of those who survived was -0.02 (95% CI = -0.04; 0.01). Younger children ages 1-2 and children in West Africa had worse outcomes. Our results demonstrate that earlier treatment initiation yields overall better growth and mortality outcomes, although we could not show any differences in outcomes between immediate ART and delaying until CD4 count/% falls below 750/25%.

Pre-capacity building in loosely-coupled collaborations: Setting the stage for future initiatives

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Cheryl A. Hyde

2012-08-01

Full Text Available This article examines the benefits and limitations of ‘loosely-coupled’ research collaborations between university faculty and 12 grassroots community-based organisations (CBOs. The authors assert that community-based research projects that develop the knowledge base within CBOs, and can be described as ‘pre-capacity building’ work, can be an important stepping stone to the subsequent development of more formal and strategic capacity-building partnership ventures. However, such projects must be approached carefully with a clear understanding of the ‘threshold dimensions’ that must be met before proceeding with any collaboration. Written as a cautionary tale, the authors identify some of the problems that arise when the threshold stage is poorly executed, and more generally speak to the dangers of initiating even loosely-coupled collaborations in the absence of an explicit and well-established campus commitment to and support for community engagement and partnerships. Keywords: Community capacity-building, community-university partnerships, community research, collaboration

Initiation of growth hormone therapy in idiopathic short stature: do gender differences exist?

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Ben-Ari, Tal; Lebenthal, Yael; Phillip, Moshe; Lazar, Liora

2015-01-01

Growth hormone (GH) registries indicate that boys receive preferential GH treatment for idiopathic short stature (ISS). The aim was to determine whether age, auxological parameters, pubertal status, and target height differ between genders at GH initiation. Review of the computerized files of the endocrine department of a tertiary pediatric medical center identified 184 patients who started GH therapy for ISS between 2003-2011. Data on auxologic parameters, predicted height, parental height, and pubertal status were collected and compared between boys and girls. Boys accounted for a significantly higher percentage of the study group (65.8%, pdeficit, and pubertal status at onset of GH treatment in boys and girls suggests that gender differences do not exist. Male predominance may stem from family preferences to treat boys. Future studies are warranted to assess the psychosocial aspects in the decision to initiate therapy.

Growth and phenology of jerusalem artichoke (helianthus tuberosus L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paungbut, D.; Vorasoot, N.; Patanothai, A.; Jogloy, S.

2015-01-01

A standardized, accurate, and easy system is needed to describe Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) plant development. Therefore, this study was designed to define stages of development descriptions for Jerusalem artichoke. Field experiments were conducted during early rainy season and the post rainy season of 2011 and 2012. Data were collected and uniform growth stage descriptions, based on visually observable events, were developed for the vegetative (V), reproductive (R) and tuberization (T) stages. The V stage was determined by counting the number of developed nodes on the main axis of the Jerusalem artichoke, beginning with emergence of the sprout seedling and ending with the initial visual appearance of the inflorescence. The proposed R stages include R1 (Floral bud formation), R2 (beginning bloom), R3 (flowering), R4 (beginning of anthesis), R5 (seed set) and R6 (seed maturity). The T stage include T1 (stolonization), T2 (tuber initiation), T3 (tuber formation), T4 (tuber bulking), T5 (skin set) and T6 (tuber maturity). The V, R and T stages can be measured separately and concurrently and apply to populations or single plants. The present study revealed that reproductive and tuberization development occurred more rapidly in the post-rainy season than in the early-rainy season. The proposed standard descriptions of Jerusalem artichoke development will help research and extension personnel better communicate results and recommendations related to this crop. (author)

The method shaft projects integrator in the process of forming the teaching mode interdisciplinary performance at the initial stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Páez Rodríguez

2010-06-01

Full Text Available In this article is approached the practical viability of the method of projects for the contribution to the process of formation in the professional, pedagogic and interdisciplinary way of acting in the initial stage of the trainee teachers, which is inserted in the professional formation in the curricular and in the extracurricular field, so that the formation of the student be integral and inside the context.

The big five personality traits and individual job performance growth trajectories in maintenance and transitional job stages.

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Thoresen, Carl J; Bradley, Jill C; Bliese, Paul D; Thoresen, Joseph D

2004-10-01

This study extends the literature on personality and job performance through the use of random coefficient modeling to test the validity of the Big Five personality traits in predicting overall sales performance and sales performance trajectories--or systematic patterns of performance growth--in 2 samples of pharmaceutical sales representatives at maintenance and transitional job stages (K. R. Murphy, 1989). In the maintenance sample, conscientiousness and extraversion were positively associated with between-person differences in total sales, whereas only conscientiousness predicted performance growth. In the transitional sample, agreeableness and openness to experience predicted overall performance differences and performance trends. All effects remained significant with job tenure statistically controlled. Possible explanations for these findings are offered, and theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed. (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved

Comparison of winter wheat growth with multi-temporal remote sensing imagery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiaoyu, Song; Bei, Cui; Guijun, Yang; Haikuan, Feng

2014-01-01

Leaf area index (LAI) is an important index for crop growth monitoring. This paper focused on estimation of winter wheat LAI dynamics in different growth stages based on Landsat TM data. In order to retrieve wheat LAI from remote sensing data, LAI measurements were initiated when Landsat satellite pass over the study region. Three Landsat5 TM images were acquired on April 15, May 17, and June 2, 2009, corresponding to jointing stage, flowering stage and milking stage of wheat. LAI was measured at each stage in thirty wheat fields distributed in Beijing suburb. Based on the TM images, spectral indices including NDVI, MSAVI, SAVI, RDVI, SR, ISR, MSR and NLI were calculated. Univariate correlation analysis was then conducted between LAI data and corresponding TM spectral variables. The analysis results indicated that TM ISR on April 15, TM Band4 on May17, and TM ISR on June 2 were very significantly correlated with LAI, and the coefficient values were 0.736, 0.548 and 0.493, respectively. LAI map of winter wheat for whole study area was produced based on optimal non-linear correlation models. The three LAI maps were used to winter wheat growth analysis and comparison of different growth stages. Study results indicated that from April 15 to May 17, LAI value for 14.88% of winter wheat fields (9131ha) increased less than 1, 64.43 % (39421 ha) increased between 1 to 2, 20.67 % (12685 ha) increased more than 2. LAI decreased from May 17 to June 2. 45.34% of winter wheat fields (27828 ha) decreased less than1, 45.20 % (27738 ha) decreased between 1 to 2, 9.33% (5725.42 ha) decreased more than 2

Silicon treatment to rice (oryza sativa l. cv 'gopumbyeo') plants during different growth periods and its effects on growth and grain yield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.H.; Waqas, M.; Kamran, M.

2012-01-01

Silicon (Si) has been considered a beneficial element for plant growth. We have assessed the effects of Si application on rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth and its grain yield at field level. For this, we performed two experiments. In experiment 1, we applied Si of three different concentrations (liquid Si-10, 25 and 36%) to the seedbed of rice before transplantation into paddy field. The results of this experiment showed that Si application to rice seedbeds did not affected the rice plant height and shoot fresh weight but its application significantly increased the pushing resistance of rice plants from 12.2-16.7% as compared with water applied control plants. The lodging index of Si treated rice plants significantly decreased (13.7% on LS-25) as compared with control. Similarly, Si treated plants had significantly higher yield. Upon Si treatment (LS-36), the grain yield per 10 acre and panicles per plant were 15.1% and 6. 3% higher than the water treated control plants respectively. The best concentration (LS-36%) revealed in the first experiment was foliar applied at 10 days before heading stage, initial tilling stage and panicle initiation stage to the rice leaves and we observed that shoot biomass was not significantly different between control and Si treated plants. However, significantly higher pushing resistance (10.5%-13.8%) and plant height (12.2%-16.7%) were observed while lower lodging index (7.6-7.8%) was recorded for Si treated plants as compared to control plants. Similarly, Si application increased the number of panicles per plant as well as the grain yield per 10 acre as compared to control. In conclusion, the Si application can significantly regulate plant growth and yield if applied at proper time with feasible concentration. (author)

On fatigue crack growth mechanisms of MMC: Reflection on analysis of 'multi surface initiations'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mkaddem, A.; El Mansori, M.

2009-01-01

This work attempts to examine the mechanisms of fatigue when cracks synergetically initiate in more than one site at the specimen surface. The metal matrix composites (MMC) i.e. silicon carbide particles reinforced aluminium matrix composites (Al/SiC p -MMC), seem to be good candidates to accelerate fatigue failures following multi surface initiations (MSI). Closure effects of MSI mechanisms on the variation of fatigue behaviour are explored for various stress states. Experiments were carried out using non pre-treated and pre-treated specimens. Using an Equivalent Ellipse Method (EEM), it is shown that the aspect of surface finish of specimen plays an important role on crack growth. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) inspections have lead to distinguishing the initiation regions from propagation regions and final separation regions. It is also revealed that the total lifetime of specimens is sensitive to heat treatment. Moreover, it is found that the appearance of MSI in cycled materials is more probable at high level of fatigue loads.

Success rates for initial eradication of peri-prosthetic knee infection treated with a two-stage procedure.

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Kaminski, Andrzej; Citak, Mustafa; Schildhauer, Thomas Armin; Fehmer, Tobias

2014-01-01

In Germany, rates of primary total knee arthroplasty procedures and exchange arthroplasty procedures continue to rise. Late-onset peri-prosthetic infection constitutes a serious complication whose management may be dependent upon the spectrum of micro-organisms involved. The aim of this study was to provide a retrospective analysis of the effectiveness of initial eradication measures performed as part of a two-stage procedure. Between 2002 and 2008, a total of 328 patients who had received a first-time diagnosis of chronic peri-prosthetic knee infection following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) subsequently underwent surgery at our clinic. The surgical approach consisted of a two-stage procedure, with the initial procedure consisting of the removal of the prosthesis and radical debridement, followed by insertion of an antibiotic-loaded static spacer. The effectiveness of the procedure was assessed after six weeks, with each patient undergoing a number of clinical and laboratory-based tests, including knee joint aspiration. Staphylococcus aureus strains were responsible for 68% (n=223) of the total number of cases of peri-prosthetic knee infection. 19% of cases (n=62) showed evidence of gram-negative bacteria, while MRSA accounted for 15% (n=49) of cases. Six weeks after completion of the above-named treatment regimen, eradication of infection was considered successful in 289 patients (88.1%). Eradication was unsuccessful in 22% of MRSA infections (n=11) and 7% of MSSA infections (n=23). The treatment regimen outlined in this report is capable of achieving satisfactory results in the management of late-onset peri-prosthetic knee infection, with one exception: patients with infections caused by MRSA showed high failure rates.

Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in females and males in different cervical vertebral maturation stages

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Gupta, Shreya; Deoskar, Anuradha; Gupta, Puneet; Jain, Sandhya

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross sectional study was to assess serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels in female and male subjects at various cervical vertebral maturation (CVM) stages. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 60 subjects, 30 females and 30 males, in the age range of 8-23 years. For all subjects, serum IGF-1 level was estimated from blood samples by means of chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA). CVM was assessed on lateral cephalograms using the method described by Baccetti. Serum IGF-1 level and cervical staging data of 30 female subjects were included and taken from records of a previous study. Data were analyzed by Kruska-Wallis and Mann Whitney test. Bonferroni correction was carried out and alpha value was set at 0.003. RESULTS: Peak value of serum IGF-1 was observed in cervical stages CS3 in females and CS4 in males. Differences between males and females were observed in mean values of IGF-1 at stages CS3, 4 and 5. The highest mean IGF-1 levels in males was observed in CS4 followed by CS5 and third highest in CS3; whereas in females the highest mean IGF-1 levelswas observed in CS3 followed by CS4 and third highest in CS5. Trends of IGF-1 in relation to the cervical stages also differed between males and females. The greatest mean serum IGF-1 value for both sexes was comparable, for females (397 ng/ml) values were slightly higher than in males (394.8 ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS: Males and females showed differences in IGF-1 trends and levels at different cervical stages. PMID:25992990

Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 levels in females and males in different cervical vertebral maturation stages.