Sample records for matter plant orientation
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Towards aspect-oriented functional–structural plant modelling
Cieslak, Mikolaj; Seleznyova, Alla N.; Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Hanan, Jim
2011-01-01
Background and Aims Functional–structural plant models (FSPMs) are used to integrate knowledge and test hypotheses of plant behaviour, and to aid in the development of decision support systems. A significant amount of effort is being put into providing a sound methodology for building them. Standard techniques, such as procedural or object-oriented programming, are not suited for clearly separating aspects of plant function that criss-cross between different components of plant structure, which makes it difficult to reuse and share their implementations. The aim of this paper is to present an aspect-oriented programming approach that helps to overcome this difficulty. Methods The L-system-based plant modelling language L+C was used to develop an aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling based on multi-modules. Each element of the plant structure was represented by a sequence of L-system modules (rather than a single module), with each module representing an aspect of the element's function. Separate sets of productions were used for modelling each aspect, with context-sensitive rules facilitated by local lists of modules to consider/ignore. Aspect weaving or communication between aspects was made possible through the use of pseudo-L-systems, where the strict-predecessor of a production rule was specified as a multi-module. Key Results The new approach was used to integrate previously modelled aspects of carbon dynamics, apical dominance and biomechanics with a model of a developing kiwifruit shoot. These aspects were specified independently and their implementation was based on source code provided by the original authors without major changes. Conclusions This new aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling is well suited for studying complex phenomena in plant science, because it can be used to integrate separate models of individual aspects of plant development and function, both previously constructed and new, into clearly organized, comprehensive FSPMs. In
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Towards aspect-oriented functional--structural plant modelling.
Cieslak, Mikolaj; Seleznyova, Alla N; Prusinkiewicz, Przemyslaw; Hanan, Jim
2011-10-01
Functional-structural plant models (FSPMs) are used to integrate knowledge and test hypotheses of plant behaviour, and to aid in the development of decision support systems. A significant amount of effort is being put into providing a sound methodology for building them. Standard techniques, such as procedural or object-oriented programming, are not suited for clearly separating aspects of plant function that criss-cross between different components of plant structure, which makes it difficult to reuse and share their implementations. The aim of this paper is to present an aspect-oriented programming approach that helps to overcome this difficulty. The L-system-based plant modelling language L+C was used to develop an aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling based on multi-modules. Each element of the plant structure was represented by a sequence of L-system modules (rather than a single module), with each module representing an aspect of the element's function. Separate sets of productions were used for modelling each aspect, with context-sensitive rules facilitated by local lists of modules to consider/ignore. Aspect weaving or communication between aspects was made possible through the use of pseudo-L-systems, where the strict-predecessor of a production rule was specified as a multi-module. The new approach was used to integrate previously modelled aspects of carbon dynamics, apical dominance and biomechanics with a model of a developing kiwifruit shoot. These aspects were specified independently and their implementation was based on source code provided by the original authors without major changes. This new aspect-oriented approach to plant modelling is well suited for studying complex phenomena in plant science, because it can be used to integrate separate models of individual aspects of plant development and function, both previously constructed and new, into clearly organized, comprehensive FSPMs. In a future work, this approach could be further
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Plant cortical microtubule dynamics and cell division plane orientation
Chakrabortty, Bandan
2017-01-01
This thesis work aimed at a better understanding of the molecular basis of oriented cell division in plant cell. As, the efficiency of plant morphogenesis depends on oriented cell division, this work should contribute towards a fundamental understanding of the molecular basis of efficient plant
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Cotrufo, M. F.
2016-12-01
Globally soils contain three times the amount of carbon (C) stored in the atmosphere, and 68% of this is stored in soil below 30cm. Changes to the size of the soil C stocks could significantly impact the net terrestrial-atmosphere CO2 exchange and thus either mitigate or increase concentrations of CO2. Yet we are currently unable to conduct reliable predictions of the direction and magnitude of soil C stock changes, since current soil C models fail to accurately capture the current understanding of how soil organic matter (SOM) forms and persists, and (2) the vertical movement and deep soil processing of SOM. We propose shifting soil C modelling approaches from a turnover-oriented approach to a more functional-oriented approach, where measurable SOM pools with specific function in soils, with respect to their physical structure (soluble versus particulate), microbial accessibility (free versus mineral or aggregate protection) and ability to transfer along the soil profile (through water flow or by mass transport) are represented. We will present experimental evidence from a number of studies conducted in the past few years using stable isotope tracing in support of incorporating a dissolved organic matter (DOM)-microbial path and a physical transfer of particulate organic matter path in SOM models. We will also show how, through the DOM-microbial path, fresh plant inputs quickly result in the formation of new mineral-associated organic matter.
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An object-oriented simulation package for power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Robinson, J.T.; Otaduy, P.J.
1987-01-01
This paper describes the application of object-oriented programming to the simulation of continuous/discrete processes such as nuclear power plants. Systems are modeled using this technique as a collection of objects that communicate by passing messages, which invoke methods that describe the state and dynamic behavior of objects. The objects themselves generally correspond to actual plant components, thus minimizing the representational mismatch between actual and modeled systems and facilitating their validation. Several concepts of object-oriented programming, in particular classes, inheritance, and message passing, have proved to be very useful for simulation. The use of these features are discussed and illustrated with examples
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Import Penetration, Export Orientation and Plant Size in Indonesian Manufacturing
Sadayuki TAKII
2014-01-01
This paper empirically examines differential impacts of globalisation on plant size among plants with different characteristics, including initial plant size, import and export status, and ownership. After accounting for other characteristics, results of this analysis suggest that both import penetration and export orientation do not have differential impacts on the size of larger and smaller plants. This is contrary to fears that only relatively large plants can benefit from globalisation wh...
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Object-oriented simulator of the dynamics of Embalse nuclear power plant
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Boroni, Gustavo A.; Cuadrado, M.; Clausse, Alejandro
2000-01-01
LUDWIG is an object-oriented simulator of the dynamics of the CANDU Nuclear power plant Embalse Rio Tercero. The tool consists in a numerical plant analyzer by means of a model of the plant dynamics during normal operation, and a graphic environment for configuration and visualization of results. The simulator was validated against plant transients occurred in the plant and recorded in the past. (author)
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Why competitors matter for market orientation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sørensen, Hans Eibe
2009-01-01
Purpose - This paper investigates whether it is meaningful to decompose market orientation into customer orientation and competitor orientation and what possible implications this decomposition may have for researchers and business practitioners. Design - Through a review of existing market...... orientation research, two of its salient dimensions, customer orientation and competitor orientation, are theoretically investigated. Then, two symmetric component measures are developed and tested on 308 manufacturing firms in a cross-sectional questionnaire survey, supplemented with census data. Findings...... - Empirical evidence reveals that, while competitor orientation is positively related to a firm's market share, a customer orientation is detrimental to a firm's return on assets for firms in less competitive environments. Research implications and limitations - The study advocates moving beyond ‘global...
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Why competitors matter for market orientation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sørensen, Hans Eibe
2009-01-01
and empirically tests two novel symmetric component measures of customer orientation and competitor orientation. Academicians are provided with insights with respect to the content and symmetry of component measures of the market orientation construct and their relation to firm performance. Furthermore, business...... Purpose - This paper investigates whether it is meaningful to decompose market orientation into customer orientation and competitor orientation and what possible implications this decomposition may have for researchers and business practitioners. Design - Through a review of existing market...... - Empirical evidence reveals that, while competitor orientation is positively related to a firm's market share, a customer orientation is detrimental to a firm's return on assets for firms in less competitive environments. Research implications and limitations - The study advocates moving beyond ‘global...
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Testing of multistep soil washing for radiocesium-contaminated soil containing plant matter
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Funakawa, Masafumi; Tagawa, Akihiro; Okuda, Nobuyasu
2012-01-01
Decontamination work following radiocesium exposure requires a vast reduction in the amount of contaminated soil generated. The current study subjected 4 types of contaminated soil with different properties to multistep soil washing under the same conditions. This study also determined the effectiveness of radiocesium decontamination and the extent to which the amount of contaminated soil was reduced. In addition, the effectiveness of plant matter separation, adsorbent addition, and grinding as part of multistep soil washing was determined using the same contaminated soil. Results of testing indicated that the rate of radiocesium decontamination ranged from 73.6 to 89.2% and the recovery rate ranged from 51.5 to 84.2% for twice-treated soil, regardless of the soil properties or cesium level. Plant matter in soil had a high radiocesium level. However, there was little plant matter in our soil sample. Therefore, plant matter separation had little effect on the improvement in the percentage of radiocesium decontamination of twice-treated soil. Soil surface grinding improved the rate of radiocesium decontamination of twice-treated soil. However, radiocesium in soil tightly bound with minerals in the soil; thus, the addition of an adsorbent also failed to improve the rate of radiocesium decontamination. (author)
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Tract-oriented statistical group comparison of diffusion in sheet-like white matter
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lyksborg, Mark; Dyrby, T. B.; Sorensen, P. S.
2013-01-01
tube-like shapes, not always suitable for modelling the white matter tracts of the brain. The tract-oriented technique aimed at group studies, integrates the usage of multivariate features and outputs a single value of significance indicating tract-specific differences. This is in contrast to voxel...... based analysis techniques which outputs a significance per voxel basis, and requires multiple comparison correction. We demonstrate our technique by comparing a group of controls with a group of Multiple Sclerosis subjects obtaining significant differences on 11 different fascicle structures....
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Risk-oriented management of system configurations during power plant operation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kafka, P.
1991-01-01
The paper explains the purpose, design, and functions of an on-line database called risk monitor, which is developed on the basis of a risk model mapping an entire plant and the functions of the system configurations by a probabilistic and risk-oriented approach in a computerized simulation model. The frequency of occurrence of the various failure modes is computed and specified by fault tree analysis and event tree analysis. The monitoring system is a diagnostic tool for power plant operators. (DG) [de
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Li, Xu; van Zijl, Peter C M
2014-09-01
An increasing number of studies show that magnetic susceptibility in white matter fibers is anisotropic and may be described by a tensor. However, the limited head rotation possible for in vivo human studies leads to an ill-conditioned inverse problem in susceptibility tensor imaging (STI). Here we suggest the combined use of limiting the susceptibility anisotropy to white matter and imposing morphology constraints on the mean magnetic susceptibility (MMS) for regularizing the STI inverse problem. The proposed MMS regularized STI (MMSR-STI) method was tested using computer simulations and in vivo human data collected at 3T. The fiber orientation estimated from both the STI and MMSR-STI methods was compared to that from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Computer simulations show that the MMSR-STI method provides a more accurate estimation of the susceptibility tensor than the conventional STI approach. Similarly, in vivo data show that use of the MMSR-STI method leads to a smaller difference between the fiber orientation estimated from STI and DTI for most selected white matter fibers. The proposed regularization strategy for STI can improve estimation of the susceptibility tensor in white matter. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Effects of clay mineral type and organic matter on the uptake of radiocesium by pasture plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
D'Souza, T.J.
1980-10-01
Studies were undertaken to examine the influence of interaction of clay minerals and organic matter on the uptake of radiocesium by two pasture plants, namely, ryegrass (Lolium italicum L) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L). The clay minerals used were bentonite (2.1 layer type) and kaolinite (1/1 layer type). Mixtures of clay and sand were prepared with 0.5, 10, 20 and 40 per cent clay and treated with organic matter (forest turf) at 0,5 and 10 per cent of the clay-sand mixtures. Results indicated that 134 Cs uptake by plants grown on the kaolinite-clay medium was greater than that on the bentonite-clay medium at a given organic matter level. Increasing the clay content of mixtures resulted in reduction in 134 Cs uptake by both plant species. The plant uptake of 134 Cs increased with additions of organic matter at a given clay content. (author)
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Using Service Oriented Architecture in a Generic Virtual Power Plant
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Andersen, Peter Bach; Poulsen, Bjarne; Træholt, Chresten
2009-01-01
The purpose of this paper is to find and describe a suitable software framework that can be used to help implement the concept of a Generic Virtual Power Plant in the future power system. The Generic Virtual Power Plant concept, along with the utilization of distributed energy resources, has many...... the Generic Virtual Power Plant, an array of different software design principles, patterns and architectures must be applied. Especially Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) can aid in implementing the Generic Virtual Power Plant.......The purpose of this paper is to find and describe a suitable software framework that can be used to help implement the concept of a Generic Virtual Power Plant in the future power system. The Generic Virtual Power Plant concept, along with the utilization of distributed energy resources, has many...... interesting properties that can influence the future shape of power markets. The concept holds many promises including cheaper power to the consumer, a more flexible and responsive power production and the support of a more environment-friendly development. In order to realize a software solution supporting...
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Model for the orientational ordering of the plant microtubule cortical array
Hawkins, Rhoda J.; Tindemans, Simon H.; Mulder, Bela M.
2010-07-01
The plant microtubule cortical array is a striking feature of all growing plant cells. It consists of a more or less homogeneously distributed array of highly aligned microtubules connected to the inner side of the plasma membrane and oriented transversely to the cell growth axis. Here, we formulate a continuum model to describe the origin of orientational order in such confined arrays of dynamical microtubules. The model is based on recent experimental observations that show that a growing cortical microtubule can interact through angle dependent collisions with pre-existing microtubules that can lead either to co-alignment of the growth, retraction through catastrophe induction or crossing over the encountered microtubule. We identify a single control parameter, which is fully determined by the nucleation rate and intrinsic dynamics of individual microtubules. We solve the model analytically in the stationary isotropic phase, discuss the limits of stability of this isotropic phase, and explicitly solve for the ordered stationary states in a simplified version of the model.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Teresa W.-M. Fan; Richard M. Higashi; David Crowley; Andrew N. Lane: Teresa A. Cassel; Peter G. Green
2004-12-31
For stabilization of heavy metals at contaminated sites, the three way interaction among soil organic matter (OM)-microbes-plants, and their effect on heavy metal binding is critically important for long-term sustainability, a factor that is poorly understood at the molecular level. Using a soil aging system, the humification of plant matter such as wheat straw was probed along with the effect on microbial community on soil from the former McClellan Air Force Base.
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THE SPIN AND ORIENTATION OF DARK MATTER HALOS WITHIN COSMIC FILAMENTS
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhang Youcai; Yang Xiaohu; Lin Weipeng; Faltenbacher, Andreas; Springel, Volker; Wang Huiyuan
2009-01-01
Clusters, filaments, sheets, and voids are the building blocks of the cosmic web. Forming dark matter halos respond to these different large-scale environments, and this in turn affects the properties of galaxies hosted by the halos. It is therefore important to understand the systematic correlations of halo properties with the morphology of the cosmic web, as this informs both about galaxy formation physics and possible systematics of weak lensing studies. In this study, we present and compare two distinct algorithms for finding cosmic filaments and sheets, a task which is far less well established than the identification of dark matter halos or voids. One method is based on the smoothed dark matter density field and the other uses the halo distributions directly. We apply both techniques to one high-resolution N-body simulation and reconstruct the filamentary/sheet like network of the dark matter density field. We focus on investigating the properties of the dark matter halos inside these structures, in particular, on the directions of their spins and the orientation of their shapes with respect to the directions of the filaments and sheets. We find that both the spin and the major axes of filament halos with masses ∼ 13 h -1 M sun are preferentially aligned with the direction of the filaments. The spins and major axes of halos in sheets tend to lie parallel to the sheets. There is an opposite mass dependence of the alignment strength for the spin (negative) and major (positive) axes, i.e. with increasing halo mass the major axis tends to be more strongly aligned with the direction of the filament, whereas the alignment between halo spin and filament becomes weaker with increasing halo mass. The alignment strength as a function of the distance to the most massive node halo indicates that there is a transit large-scale environment impact: from the two-dimensional collapse phase of the filament to the three-dimensional collapse phase of the cluster/node halo at
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The Spin and Orientation of Dark Matter Halos Within Cosmic Filaments
Zhang, Youcai; Yang, Xiaohu; Faltenbacher, Andreas; Springel, Volker; Lin, Weipeng; Wang, Huiyuan
2009-11-01
Clusters, filaments, sheets, and voids are the building blocks of the cosmic web. Forming dark matter halos respond to these different large-scale environments, and this in turn affects the properties of galaxies hosted by the halos. It is therefore important to understand the systematic correlations of halo properties with the morphology of the cosmic web, as this informs both about galaxy formation physics and possible systematics of weak lensing studies. In this study, we present and compare two distinct algorithms for finding cosmic filaments and sheets, a task which is far less well established than the identification of dark matter halos or voids. One method is based on the smoothed dark matter density field and the other uses the halo distributions directly. We apply both techniques to one high-resolution N-body simulation and reconstruct the filamentary/sheet like network of the dark matter density field. We focus on investigating the properties of the dark matter halos inside these structures, in particular, on the directions of their spins and the orientation of their shapes with respect to the directions of the filaments and sheets. We find that both the spin and the major axes of filament halos with masses lsim1013 h -1 M sun are preferentially aligned with the direction of the filaments. The spins and major axes of halos in sheets tend to lie parallel to the sheets. There is an opposite mass dependence of the alignment strength for the spin (negative) and major (positive) axes, i.e. with increasing halo mass the major axis tends to be more strongly aligned with the direction of the filament, whereas the alignment between halo spin and filament becomes weaker with increasing halo mass. The alignment strength as a function of the distance to the most massive node halo indicates that there is a transit large-scale environment impact: from the two-dimensional collapse phase of the filament to the three-dimensional collapse phase of the cluster/node halo at
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
1999-01-01
A plant for generation of information indicative of the depth and the orientation of an object positioned below the surface of the ground is adapted to use electromagnetic radiation emitted from and received by an antenna system associated with the plant. The plant has a transmitter and a receive...
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Control oriented concentrating solar power (CSP) plant model and its applications
Luo, Qi
Solar receivers in concentrating solar thermal power plants (CSP) undergo over 10,000 start-ups and shutdowns, and over 25,000 rapid rate of change in temperature on receivers due to cloud transients resulting in performance degradation and material fatigue in their expected lifetime of over 30 years. The research proposes to develop a three-level controller that uses multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) control technology to minimize the effect of these disturbances, improve plant performance, and extend plant life. The controller can be readily installed on any vendor supplied state-of-the-art control hardware. We propose a three-level controller architecture using multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) control for CSP plants that can be implemented on existing plants to improve performance, reliability, and extend the life of the plant. This architecture optimizes the performance on multiple time scalesreactive level (regulation to temperature set points), tactical level (adaptation of temperature set points), and strategic level (trading off fatigue life due to thermal cycling and current production). This controller unique to CSP plants operating at temperatures greater than 550 °C, will make CSPs competitive with conventional power plants and contribute significantly towards the Sunshot goal of 0.06/kWh(e), while responding with agility to both market dynamics and changes in solar irradiance such as due to passing clouds. Moreover, our development of control software with performance guarantees will avoid early stage failures and permit smooth grid integration of the CSP power plants. The proposed controller can be implemented with existing control hardware infrastructure with little or no additional equipment. In the thesis, we demonstrate a dynamics model of CSP, of which different components are modelled with different time scales. We also show a real time control strategy of CSP control oriented model in steady state. Furthermore, we shown different controllers
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Ugurlu, Devran; Firat, Zeynep; Türe, Uğur; Unal, Gozde
2018-05-01
Accurate digital representation of major white matter bundles in the brain is an important goal in neuroscience image computing since the representations can be used for surgical planning, intra-patient longitudinal analysis and inter-subject population connectivity studies. Reconstructing desired fiber bundles generally involves manual selection of regions of interest by an expert, which is subject to user bias and fatigue, hence an automation is desirable. To that end, we first present a novel anatomical representation based on Neighborhood Resolved Fiber Orientation Distributions (NRFOD) along the fibers. The resolved fiber orientations are obtained by generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) and a subsequent diffusion decomposition method. A fiber-to-fiber distance measure between the proposed fiber representations is then used in a density-based clustering framework to select the clusters corresponding to the major pathways of interest. In addition, neuroanatomical priors are utilized to constrain the set of candidate fibers before density-based clustering. The proposed fiber clustering approach is exemplified on automation of the reconstruction of the major fiber pathways in the brainstem: corticospinal tract (CST); medial lemniscus (ML); middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP); inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP); superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP). Experimental results on Human Connectome Project (HCP)'s publicly available "WU-Minn 500 Subjects + MEG2 dataset" and expert evaluations demonstrate the potential of the proposed fiber clustering method in brainstem white matter structure analysis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Jamila, Fakchich; Mostafa, Elachouri
2014-05-28
This document presents the uses of plants in traditional herbal medicines in Oriental Morocco. It also determines the homogeneity of informant knowledge in medicinal plants suitable for different ailment categories and the most preferred plant species used to treat each illness category in the study area. The ethnobotanical information was obtained from 3151 inhabitants who were 20 years and older in five different areas of Oriental Morocco region. The data were analyzed through informant consensus factor (ICF) and frequency of uses (FC). The results indicated that 65.7% of the participants interviewed used medicinal plants to treat 23 ailments. The inventory of medicinal plants is summarized in a synoptic table, which contains the scientific and vernacular names of the plant, the part of the plant and the preparation used and the therapeutic indication. Extensive investigations have brought to light 148 medicinal plants belonging to 60 families; of these, 108 are used for the disorders of the digestive system, 74 for diabetes, 73 for dermatological problems, 66 for allergy, 66 for cardiovascular disorders and 63 for respiratory problems. In this region, the most frequently used plants including Origanum compactum Benth., Trigonella foenum graecum L., Lavandula dentata L., Mentha pulegium L., Nigella sativa L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lippia citriodora L., Tetraclinis articulata Benth., and Atemisia herba-alba Asso. Lamiaceae and Asteraceae are the dominant locally used families. Most medicines were prepared in the form of powder and used orally. Leaves were the most frequently used plant part. Gastro-intestinal ailments have high ICF (0.92) whereas pathologies of the circulatory and ophthalmological uses have low ICF (0.22 and 0.24, respectively). Oriental Morocco boasts an extensive phytotherapy knowledge base and ICF values indicated that there was high agreement in the use of plants in gastro-intestinal ailment category among the users. The frequency use
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Influence of nonuniform magnetic fields on orientation of plant seedlings in microgravity conditions
Nechitailo, G. S.; Mashinsky, A. L.; Kuznetsov, A. A.; Chikov, V. M.; Kuznetsov, O. A.
2001-01-01
Experiments on the spatial behavior of the flax ( Linum usitatissimum, L.) seedlings in a nonuniform magnetic field were conducted on the orbital space stations «Salutå and «Mirå. This field can displace sensory organelles (statoliths) inside receptor cells and such displacement should cause a physiological reaction of the plant - tropistic curvature. Experiments were conducted in the custom-built «Magnetogravistatå facility, where seeds were germinated and grown for 3-4 days in a magnetic field with the dynamic factor grad(H 2/2)≈ 10 7 Oe 2/cm, then fixed on orbit and returned to Earth for analysis. It was found, that 93% of the seedlings were oriented in the field consistently with curvature in response to displacement of statoliths along the field gradient by ponderomotive magnetic forces, while control seedlings grew in the direction of the initial orientation of the seed. This suggests, that gravity receptors of plants recognized magnetic forces on statoliths as gravity, and that gravity stimulus can be substituted for plants by a force of a different physical nature.
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Climatic and geomorphic drivers of plant organic matter transport in the Arun River, E Nepal
Hoffmann, Bernd; Feakins, Sarah J.; Bookhagen, Bodo; Olen, Stephanie M.; Adhikari, Danda P.; Mainali, Janardan; Sachse, Dirk
2016-10-01
Fixation of atmospheric CO2 in terrestrial vegetation, and subsequent export and deposition of terrestrial plant organic matter in marine sediments is an important component of the global carbon cycle, yet it is difficult to quantify. This is partly due to the lack of understanding of relevant processes and mechanisms responsible for organic-matter transport throughout a landscape. Here we present a new approach to identify terrestrial plant organic matter source areas, quantify contributions and ascertain the role of ecologic, climatic, and geomorphic controls on plant wax export in the Arun River catchment spanning the world's largest elevation gradient from 205 to 8848 m asl, in eastern Nepal. Our approach takes advantage of the distinct stable hydrogen isotopic composition (expressed as δD values) of plant wax n-alkanes produced along this gradient, transported in river waters and deposited in flood deposits alongside the Arun River and its tributaries. In mainstem-flood deposits, we found that plant wax n-alkanes were mostly derived from the lower elevations constituting only a small fraction (15%) of the catchment. Informed by remote sensing data, we tested four differently weighted isotopic mixing models that quantify sourcing of tributary plant-derived organic matter along the Arun and compare it to our field observations. The weighting parameters included catchment area, net primary productivity (NPP) and annual rainfall amount as well as catchment relief as erosion proxy. When weighted by catchment area the isotopic mixing model could not explain field observations on plant wax δD values along the Arun, which is not surprising because the large arid Tibetan Plateau is not expected to be a major source. Weighting areal contributions by annual rainfall and NPP captured field observations within model prediction errors suggesting that plant productivity may influence source strength. However weighting by a combination of rainfall and catchment relief also
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Interaction and coagulation of plant-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM) by metal cations are important biogeochemical processes of organic matter in lake systems. Thus, coagulation and fractionation of plant-derived DOM by di- and tri-valent Ca, Al, and Fe ions were investigated. Metal ion-induc...
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Zhang, Lin Lin; Sun, Shi Jun; Chen, Zhi Jun; Jiang, Hao; Zhang, Xu Dong; Chi, Dao Cai
2018-01-01
In order to investigate the effect of different colored plastic film mulching and planting density on spring maize dry matter accumulation and yield in the rain-fed area of the Northeast China, a complete combination field experiment which was comprised by three types of mulching (non-mulching, transparent plastic film mulching and black plastic film mulching) and five densities (60000, 67500, 75000, 82500 and 90000 plants·hm -2 ), was conducted to analyze the water and heat effect, dry matter accumulation and yield of spring maize (Liangyu 99). The results showed that, compared with the other mulching treatments, the black plastic film mulching treatment significantly increased the maize dry matter accumulation and maize biomass by 3.2%-8.2%. In mature stage, the biomass increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing plant density. When planting density was 82500 plants·hm -2 , the biomass was the highest, which was 5.2%-28.3% higher than that of other plant density treatments. The mean soil temperature in prophase of transparent plastic film mulching treatment was 0.4-2.7 ℃ higher than that of other treatments, which accelerated the maize growth process and augmented the dry matter transportation amount (T), dry matter transportation efficiency (TE) and contribution rate of dry matter transportation to the grain yield (TC) of maize stalk and leaf. The T, TE, TC of leaf and leaf-stalk under 60000 plants·hm -2 treatment were the highest. The highest T, TE, TC of stalk were observed under 75000 plants·hm -2 treatment. In heading period, the water consumption and daily water consumption intensity of maize under the treatment of black film mulching were the largest, which were 9.4%-10.6% and 10.6%-24.5% higher than that of other mulching treatments, respectively. The highest water consumption and daily water consumption intensity were both obtained under 90000 plants·hm -2 treatment, which increased by 6.8%-15.7% and 7.0%-20.0% compared with other
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The impact of fibre orientation on T1-relaxation and apparent tissue water content in white matter.
Schyboll, Felix; Jaekel, Uwe; Weber, Bernd; Neeb, Heiko
2018-02-20
Recent MRI studies have shown that the orientation of nerve fibres relative to the main magnetic field affects the R 2 *(= 1/T 2 *) relaxation rate in white matter (WM) structures. The underlying physical causes have been discussed in several studies but are still not completely understood. However, understanding these effects in detail is of great importance since this might serve as a basis for the development of new diagnostic tools and/or improve quantitative susceptibility mapping techniques. Therefore, in addition to the known angular dependence of R 2 *, the current study investigates the relationship between fibre orientation and the longitudinal relaxation rate, R 1 (= 1/T 1 ), as well as the apparent water content. For a group of 16 healthy subjects, a series of gradient echo, echo-planar and diffusion weighted images were acquired at 3T from which the decay rates, the apparent water content and the diffusion direction were reconstructed. The diffusion weighted data were used to determine the angle between the principle fibre direction and the main magnetic field to examine the angular dependence of R 1 and apparent water content. The obtained results demonstrate that both parameters depend on the fibre orientation and exhibit a positive correlation with the angle between fibre direction and main magnetic field. These observations could be helpful to improve and/or constrain existing biophysical models of brain microstructure by imposing additional constraints resulting from the observed angular dependence R 1 and apparent water content in white matter.
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Shi, Zhihao; Li, Jingyi; Huang, Lin; Wang, Peng; Wu, Li; Ying, Qi; Zhang, Hongliang; Lu, Li; Liu, Xuejun; Liao, Hong; Hu, Jianlin
2017-12-01
China has been suffering high levels of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ). Designing effective PM 2.5 control strategies requires information about the contributions of different sources. In this study, a source-oriented Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model was applied to quantitatively estimate the contributions of different source sectors to PM 2.5 in China. Emissions of primary PM 2.5 and gas pollutants of SO 2 , NO x , and NH 3 , which are precursors of particulate sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium (SNA, major PM 2.5 components in China), from eight source categories (power plants, residential sources, industries, transportation, open burning, sea salt, windblown dust and agriculture) were separately tracked to determine their contributions to PM 2.5 in 2013. Industrial sector is the largest source of SNA in Beijing, Xi'an and Chongqing, followed by agriculture and power plants. Residential emissions are also important sources of SNA, especially in winter when severe pollution events often occur. Nationally, the contributions of different source sectors to annual total PM 2.5 from high to low are industries, residential sources, agriculture, power plants, transportation, windblown dust, open burning and sea salt. Provincially, residential sources and industries are the major anthropogenic sources of primary PM 2.5 , while industries, agriculture, power plants and transportation are important for SNA in most provinces. For total PM 2.5 , residential and industrial emissions are the top two sources, with a combined contribution of 40-50% in most provinces. The contributions of power plants and agriculture to total PM 2.5 are about 10%, respectively. Secondary organic aerosol accounts for about 10% of annual PM 2.5 in most provinces, with higher contributions in southern provinces such as Yunnan (26%), Hainan (25%) and Taiwan (21%). Windblown dust is an important source in western provinces such as Xizang (55% of total PM 2.5 ), Qinghai (74%), Xinjiang (59
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Cleide Aparecida Abreu
2012-01-01
Full Text Available The effect of organic matter addition on Ba availability to Helianthus annuus L., Raphanus sativus L., and Ricinus communis L. grown on a Neossolo Litólico Chernossólico fragmentário (pH 7.5, contaminated with scrap residue was evaluated. Four rates (0, 20, 40, and 80 Mg ha−1, organic carbon basis of peat or sugar cane filter, with three replicates, were tested. Plant species were grown until the flowering stage. No effect of organic matter addition to soil on dry matter yield of oilseed radish shoots was observed, but there was an increase in sunflower and castor oil plant shoots when sugar cane filter cake was used. The average Ba transferred from roots to shoots was more than 89% for oilseed radish, 71% for castor oil plants, and 59% for sunflowers. Organic matter treatments were not efficient in reducing Ba availability due to soil liming.
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Organic Matter Application Can Reduce Copper Toxicity in Tomato Plants
Campbell, Brian
2010-01-01
Copper fungicides and bactericides are often used in tomato cultivation and can cause toxic Cu levels in soils. In order to combat this, organic matter can be applied to induce chelation reactions and form a soluble complex by which much of the Cu can leach out of the soil profile or be taken up safely by plants. Organic acids such as citric,…
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Nitrogen concentration in dry matter of the fifth leaf during growth of greenhouse tomato plants
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rattin Jorge E.
2002-01-01
Full Text Available The nitrogen concentration in dry matter of the fifth leaf during growth of a greenhouse tomato crop was determined. Plants of hybrid Monte Carlo were grown in 4.5 L bags, using a commercial substrate, in a plant density of 3.3 plants m-2. A nutrient solution containing, in mmol L-1: KNO3, 4.0; K2SO4, 0.9; Ca(NO32, 3.75; KH2PO4, 1.5; MgSO4, 1.0; iron chelate 19. 10³, was used as reference. Microelements were added by a commercial mixture. The T3 treatment was equal to the reference nutrient solution, whereas in treatments T1, T2, T4 and T5 quantities of all nutrients from T3 were multiplied by 0.25, 0.50, 1.25 and 1.50, respectively. In each treatment, the volume of 1 L of nutrient solution was supplied to each plant once a week by fertigation. Periodically destructive measurements were made from anthesis to ripening of the first truss, to determine dry matter and N concentration in shoot and in fifth leaf tissues, counted from the apex to the bottom of the plant. Five dilution curves were fitted from data of N concentration in the fifth leaf and shoot dry matter accumulation during growth of plants. A general relationship was adjusted between actual N concentration in shoot (Nt and in the fifth leaf (Nf: Nt = 1.287 Nf (R² = 0.80. This relationship could be used to estimate the N status of plants by means of a nitrogen nutrition index (NNI, from analysis of the fifth leaf sap.
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Molecule-oriented programming in Java
Bergstra, J.A.
2002-01-01
Molecule-oriented programming is introduced as a programming style carrying some perspective for Java. A sequence of examples is provided. Supporting the development of the molecule-oriented programming style several matters are introduced and developed: profile classes allowing the representation
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Exploring the under-investigated "microbial dark matter" of drinking water treatment plants.
Bruno, Antonia; Sandionigi, Anna; Rizzi, Ermanno; Bernasconi, Marzia; Vicario, Saverio; Galimberti, Andrea; Cocuzza, Clementina; Labra, Massimo; Casiraghi, Maurizio
2017-03-14
Scientists recently reported the unexpected detection of unknown or poorly studied bacterial diversity in groundwater. The ability to uncover this neglected biodiversity mainly derives from technical improvements, and the term "microbial dark matter" was used to group taxa poorly investigated and not necessarily monophyletic. We focused on such under-investigated microbial dark matter of drinking water treatment plant from groundwater, across carbon filters, to post-chlorination. We tackled this topic using an integrated approach where the efficacy of stringent water filtration (10000 MWCO) in recovering even the smallest environmental microorganisms was coupled with high-throughput DNA sequencing to depict an informative spectrum of the neglected microbial diversity. Our results revealed that the composition of bacterial communities varies across the plant system: Parcubacteria (OD1) superphylum is found mainly in treated water, while groundwater has the highest heterogeneity, encompassing non-OD1 candidate phyla (Microgenomates, Saccharibacteria, Dependentiae, OP3, OP1, BRC1, WS3). Carbon filters probably act as substrate for microorganism growth and contribute to seeding water downstream, since chlorination does not modify the incoming bacterial community. New questions arise about the role of microbial dark matter in drinking water. Indeed, our results suggest that these bacteria might play a central role in the microbial dynamics of drinking water.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Minobu Kasai
2012-01-01
Full Text Available Despite the wide uses of potted plants, information on how pot size affects plant photosynthetic matter production is still considerably limited. This study investigated with soybean plants how transplantation into larger pots affects various characteristics related to photosynthetic matter production. The transplantation was analyzed to increase leaf photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance without affecting significantly leaf intercellular CO2 concentration, implicating that the transplantation induced equal increases in the rate of CO2 diffusion via leaf stomata and the rate of CO2 fixation in leaf photosynthetic cells. Analyses of Rubisco activity and contents of a substrate (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP for Rubisco and total protein in leaf suggested that an increase in leaf Rubisco activity, which is likely to result from an increase in leaf Rubisco content, could contribute to the transplantation-induced increase in leaf photosynthetic rate. Analyses of leaf major photosynthetic carbohydrates and dry weights of source and sink organs revealed that transplantation increased plant sink capacity that uses leaf starch, inducing a decrease in leaf starch content and an increase in whole plant growth, particularly, growth of sink organs. Previously, in the same soybean species, it was demonstrated that negative correlation exists between leaf starch content and photosynthetic rate and that accumulation of starch in leaf decreases the rate of CO2 diffusion within leaf. Thus, it was suggested that the transplantation-induced increase in plant sink capacity decreasing leaf starch content could cause the transplantation-induced increase in leaf photosynthetic rate by inducing an increase in the rate of CO2 diffusion within leaf and thereby substantiating an increase in leaf Rubisco activity in vivo. It was therefore concluded that transplantation of soybean plants into larger pots attempted in this study increased the
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Evaluation of a Generic Virtual Power Plant Framework Using Service Oriented Architecture
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Andersen, Peter Bach; Poulsen, Bjarne; Decker, Morten
2008-01-01
interesting properties that can influence the future shape of power markets. The concept holds many promises including cheaper power to the consumer, a more flexible and responsive power production and the support of a more environment- friendly development. In order to realize a software solution supporting...... the generic virtual power plant, an array of different software design principles, patterns and architectures must be applied. Especially Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) can aid in implementing the generic virtual power plant. An analysis of the Nordic power market has been carried out in order...... to identify potential issues and barriers, henceforth mentioned as challenges, connected with the introduction of the generic virtual power plant concept. In this paper, three use case scenarios will show how each of these challenges can be overcome by the proposed solution framework. The use case scenarios...
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Organic matter and soil moisture content and double cropping with organic matter sourceplants
John Bako Baon; Aris Wibawa
2005-01-01
Double cropping of coffee with organic matter source plants is thought to increase organic matter content of soil. This study examined the effect of double cropping of coffee and organic matter source plants on soil organic matter content and yield of coffee plants. Arabica coffee trees in Andungsari Experimental Station (Bondowoso district), 1400 m asl. and climate type C; and Robusta coffee trees in Sumberasin Experimental Station (Malang district), 550 m asl. and climate type C, were used ...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Majumdar, Sanghamitra [Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 (United States); University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), El Paso, TX (United States); Peralta-Videa, Jose R. [Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 (United States); Environmental Science and Engineering PhD Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 (United States); University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), El Paso, TX (United States); Trujillo-Reyes, Jesica [Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 (United States); Sun, Youping [Texas AgriLife Research Center at El Paso, Texas A& M University System, 1380 A & M Circle, El Paso, TX 79927 (United States); Barrios, Ana C. [Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 (United States); Niu, Genhua [Texas AgriLife Research Center at El Paso, Texas A& M University System, 1380 A & M Circle, El Paso, TX 79927 (United States); Margez, Juan P. Flores- [Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, Departamento de Química y Biología, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Anillo envolvente PRONAF y Estocolmo, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua 32310, México (Mexico); Gardea-Torresdey, Jorge L., E-mail: jgardea@utep.edu [Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 (United States); Environmental Science and Engineering PhD Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Ave., El Paso, TX 79968 (United States); University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC CEIN), El Paso, TX (United States)
2016-11-01
Soil organic matter plays a major role in determining the fate of the engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in the soil matrix and effects on the residing plants. In this study, kidney bean plants were grown in soils varying in organic matter content and amended with 0–500 mg/kg cerium oxide nanoparticles (nano-CeO{sub 2}) under greenhouse condition. After 52 days of exposure, cerium accumulation in tissues, plant growth and physiological parameters including photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), net photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance were recorded. Additionally, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activities were measured to evaluate oxidative stress in the tissues. The translocation factor of cerium in the nano-CeO{sub 2} exposed plants grown in organic matter enriched soil (OMES) was twice as the plants grown in low organic matter soil (LOMS). Although the leaf cover area increased by 65–111% with increasing nano-CeO{sub 2} concentration in LOMS, the effect on the physiological processes were inconsequential. In OMES leaves, exposure to 62.5–250 mg/kg nano-CeO{sub 2} led to an enhancement in the transpiration rate and stomatal conductance, but to a simultaneous decrease in carotenoid contents by 25–28%. Chlorophyll a in the OMES leaves also decreased by 27 and 18% on exposure to 125 and 250 mg/kg nano-CeO{sub 2}. In addition, catalase activity increased in LOMS stems, and ascorbate peroxidase increased in OMES leaves of nano-CeO{sub 2} exposed plants, with respect to control. Thus, this study provides clear evidence that the properties of the complex soil matrix play decisive roles in determining the fate, bioavailability, and biological transport of ENMs in the environment. - Highlights: • Ce translocation to leaves was facilitated by higher organic matter (OM) in soil. • Lower soil OM increased leaf cover area in nano-CeO{sub 2} exposed plants. • Nano-CeO{sub 2} effects on metabolic processes were more
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Steiner, E.K.
1994-01-01
Practice-oriented plant organization takes into account the human spheres of task and responsibility, training and qualification, communication and exchange of experience, setting of targets, management and control as well as motivation and loyalty. It constitutes the basis for meeting the demands on a safe and reliable nuclear power plant operation. This is demonstrated by the organization at the Grafenrheinfeld NPP. (DG) [de
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Susan E. Crow; Kate Lajtha; Timothy R. Filley; Chris Swanston; Richard D. Bowden; Bruce A. Caldwell
2009-01-01
Alterations in forest productivity and changes in the relative proportion of above- and belowground biomass may have nonlinear effects on soil organic matter (SOM) storage. To study the influence of plant litter inputs on SOM accumulation, the Detritus Input Removal and Transfer (DIRT) Experiment continuously alters above- and belowground plant inputs to soil by a...
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Moxie matters: associations of future orientation with active life expectancy.
Laditka, Sarah B; Laditka, James N
2017-10-01
Being oriented toward the future has been associated with better future health. We studied associations of future orientation with life expectancy and the percentage of life with disability. We used the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (n = 5249). Participants' average age in 1968 was 33.0. Six questions repeatedly measured future orientation, 1968-1976. Seven waves (1999-2011, 33,331 person-years) measured disability in activities of daily living for the same individuals, whose average age in 1999 was 64.0. We estimated monthly probabilities of disability and death with multinomial logistic Markov models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, childhood health, and education. Using the probabilities, we created large populations with microsimulation, measuring disability in each month for each individual, age 55 through death. Life expectancy from age 55 for white men with high future orientation was age 77.6 (95% confidence interval 75.5-79.0), 6.9% (4.9-7.2) of those years with disability; results with low future orientation were 73.6 (72.2-75.4) and 9.6% (7.7-10.7). Comparable results for African American men were 74.8 (72.9-75.3), 8.1 (5.6-9.3), 71.0 (69.6-72.8), and 11.3 (9.1-11.7). For women, there were no significant differences associated with levels of future orientation for life expectancy. For white women with high future orientation 9.1% of remaining life from age 55 was disabled (6.3-9.9), compared to 12.4% (10.2-13.2) with low future orientation. Disability results for African American women were similar but statistically significant only at age 80 and over. High future orientation during early to middle adult ages may be associated with better health in older age.
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Cotrufo, M Francesca; Wallenstein, Matthew D; Boot, Claudia M; Denef, Karolien; Paul, Eldor
2013-04-01
The decomposition and transformation of above- and below-ground plant detritus (litter) is the main process by which soil organic matter (SOM) is formed. Yet, research on litter decay and SOM formation has been largely uncoupled, failing to provide an effective nexus between these two fundamental processes for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling and storage. We present the current understanding of the importance of microbial substrate use efficiency and C and N allocation in controlling the proportion of plant-derived C and N that is incorporated into SOM, and of soil matrix interactions in controlling SOM stabilization. We synthesize this understanding into the Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization (MEMS) framework. This framework leads to the hypothesis that labile plant constituents are the dominant source of microbial products, relative to input rates, because they are utilized more efficiently by microbes. These microbial products of decomposition would thus become the main precursors of stable SOM by promoting aggregation and through strong chemical bonding to the mineral soil matrix. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Solar UV exposures measured simultaneously to all arbitrarily oriented leaves on a plant.
Parisi, Alfio V; Schouten, Peter; Downs, Nathan J; Turner, Joanna
2010-05-03
The possible ramifications of climate change include the influence it has upon the amount of cloud cover in the atmosphere. Clouds cause significant variation in the solar UV radiation reaching the earth's surface and in turn the amount incident on ecosystems. The consequences of changes in solar UV radiation delivered to ecosystems due to climate change may be significant and should be investigated. Plants are an integral part of the world wide ecological balance, and research has shown they are affected by variations in solar UV radiation. Therefore research into the influence of solar UV radiation on plants is of particular significance. However, this requires a means of obtaining detailed information on the solar UV radiation received by plants. This research describes a newly developed dosimetric technique employed to gather information on solar UV radiation incident to the leaves of plants in combination with the measurement of spectral irradiances in order to provide an accurate method of collecting detailed information on the solar UV radiation affecting the canopy and lower leaf layers of individual plants. Variations in the measurements take into account the inclination and orientation of each leaf investigated, as well as the influence of shading by other leaves in the plant canopy. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Aquilonius, Karin; Hallberg, Bengt
2005-01-01
Swedish nuclear utility companies are required to assess doses due to releases of radionuclides during normal operation. In 2001, calculation methods used earlier were updated due to new authority regulations. The isotope 14 C is of special interest in dose assessments due to the role of carbon in the metabolism of all life forms. Earlier, factors expressing the ratio between concentration of 14 C in air and in various plants were used. In order to extend the possibility to take local conditions into account, a process-oriented assessment model for uptake of carbon and doses from releases of 14 C to air was developed (POM 14 C). The model uses part of Daisy which has been developed to model the turnover of carbon in crops. [Hansen, S., Jensen, H.E., Nielsen, N.E., Svendsen, H., 1993. Description of the Soil Plant System Model DAISY, Basic Principles and Modelling Approach. Simulation Model for Transformation and Transport of Energy and Matter in the Soil Plant Atmosphere System. Jordbruksfoerlaget, The Royal Veterianary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark]. The main objectives were to test model performance of the former method, and to investigate if taking site specific parameters into account to a greater degree would lead to major differences in the results. Several exposure pathways were considered: direct consumption of locally grown cereals, vegetables, and root vegetables, as well as consumption of milk and meat from cows having eaten fodder cereals and green fodder from the area around the nuclear plant. The total dose of the earlier model was compared with that of POM 14 C. The result of the former was shown to be slightly higher than the latter, but POM 14 C confirmed that the earlier results were of a reasonable magnitude. When full account of local conditions was taken, e.g. as regards solar radiation, temperature, and concentration of 14 C in air at various places in the surroundings of each nuclear plant, a difference in dose between
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ghosh, Geetanjali
1974-01-01
In studies on the effect of three levels of moisture and two levels of organic matter in two alluvial soils, the uptake of P by rice plant both from soil and fertilizer sources was the highest and Eh the lowest under submerged conditions. No marked difference in total uptake of P was observed in upland and alternate submerged condition; organic matter application showed an appreciable effect under submerged condition. (author)
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Development of symptoms-oriented operating procedures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Colquhoun, R.
1984-01-01
Until recently, the formal treatment of control room procedures for upset conditions in nuclear power plants has been event-oriented. This orientation was not so much a reflection of power plant operating practice as it was a reflection of design-oriented thinking - design-basis events, therefore event-oriented procedures. Event orientation is not common in other professions. In the medical profession, for example, the stabilization of vital functions through a symptoms-oriented approach has priority over diagnosis and prognosis. The American nuclear power industry has initiated programs for the development and application of a symptoms-oriented approach for handling upset conditions. Canadian programs have independently paralleled the US programs. This article describes the rationale and current applications of the Canadian programs and identifies the relevance of a generic symptoms-based emergency procedure to current operating practices
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Isis Lima dos Santos
2014-12-01
Full Text Available Cover plants are essential for the sustainability of no-tillage systems in tropical regions. However, information on the effects of these plants and N fertilization on soil organic matter fractions is still scarce. This study evaluated the effect of cover crops with different chemical composition and of N topdressing on the labile and humified organic matter fractions of an Oxisol of the Cerrado (savanna-like vegetation. The study in a randomized complete block design was arranged in split-plots with three replications. Four cover species were tested in the plots and the presence or absence of N topdressing in the subplot. The following cover species were planted in succession to corn for eight years: Urochloa ruziziensis; Canavalia brasiliensis M. ex Benth; Cajanus cajan (L. Millsp; and Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench. In general, the cultivation of U. ruziziensis increased soil C levels, particularly of C in the humic acid and particulate organic C fractions, which are quality indicators of soil organic matter. The C in humic substances and mineral organic C accounted for the highest proportions of total organic C, demonstrating the strong interaction between organic matter, Fe and Al oxides and kaolinite, which are predominant in these weathered soils of the Cerrado.
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Rowe, Ed; Tipping, Ed; Davies, Jessica; Monteith, Don; Evans, Chris
2014-05-01
The recent origin of much dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (Tipping et al., 2010) implies that plant productivity is a major control on DOC fluxes. However, the flocculation, sorption and release of potentially-dissolved organic matter are governed by pH, and widespread increases in DOC concentrations observed in northern temperate freshwater systems seem to be primarily related to recovery from acidification (Monteith et al., 2007). We explore the relative importance of changes in productivity and pH using a model, MADOC, that incorporates both these effects (Rowe et al., 2014). The feedback whereby DOC affects pH is included. The model uses an annual timestep and relatively simple flow-routing, yet reproduces observed changes in DOC flux and pH in experimental (Evans et al., 2012) and survey data. However, the first version of the model probably over-estimated responses of plant productivity to nitrogen (N) deposition in upland semi-natural ecosystems. There is a strong case that plant productivity is an important regulator of DOC fluxes, and theoretical reasons for suspecting widespread productivity increases in recent years due not only to N deposition but to temperature and increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations. However, evidence that productivity has increased in upland semi-natural ecosystems is sparse, and few studies have assessed the major limitations to productivity in these habitats. In systems where phosphorus (P) limitation prevails, or which are co-limited, productivity responses to anthropogenic drivers will be limited. We present a revised version of the model that incorporates P cycling and appears to represent productivity responses to atmospheric N pollution more realistically. Over the long term, relatively small fluxes of nutrient elements into and out of ecosystems can profoundly affect productivity and the accumulation of organic matter. Dissolved organic N (DON) is less easily intercepted by plants and microbes than mineral N, and DON
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Anisotropic diffusion within human white matter
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chenevert, T.L.; Brunberg, J.A.; Pipe, J.G.
1990-01-01
This paper reports on measurements performed to assess the impact of fiber orientation on the apparent diffusion coefficient of human white matter in vivo. Orthogonal section selection pulses and strong motion sensitization gradient pulses were used for localized diffusion measurement along an anteroposteriorly oriented 1 x 1 cm tissue column in the left cerebral hemisphere. This region was selected since white matter fiber orientations are reasonably well defined. Independent acquisitions with motion sensitivity along anteroposterior and right-left directions allowed study of diffusion anisotropy. Motion artifacts were minimized by magnitude summation after one-dimensional Fourier transform of frequency-encoded echoes; consequently, cardiac gating was not required. Five normal volunteers were studied on a 1.5-T clinical MR system
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nicole Wäschke
Full Text Available Plant diversity is known to affect success of host location by pest insects, but its effect on olfactory orientation of non-pest insect species has hardly been addressed. First, we tested in laboratory experiments the hypothesis that non-host plants, which increase odour complexity in habitats, affect the host location ability of herbivores and parasitoids. Furthermore, we recorded field data of plant diversity in addition to herbivore and parasitoid abundance at 77 grassland sites in three different regions in Germany in order to elucidate whether our laboratory results reflect the field situation. As a model system we used the herb Plantago lanceolata, the herbivorous weevil Mecinus pascuorum, and its larval parasitoid Mesopolobus incultus. The laboratory bioassays revealed that both the herbivorous weevil and its larval parasitoid can locate their host plant and host via olfactory cues even in the presence of non-host odour. In a newly established two-circle olfactometer, the weeviĺs capability to detect host plant odour was not affected by odours from non-host plants. However, addition of non-host plant odours to host plant odour enhanced the weeviĺs foraging activity. The parasitoid was attracted by a combination of host plant and host volatiles in both the absence and presence of non-host plant volatiles in a Y-tube olfactometer. In dual choice tests the parasitoid preferred the blend of host plant and host volatiles over its combination with non-host plant volatiles. In the field, no indication was found that high plant diversity disturbs host (plant location by the weevil and its parasitoid. In contrast, plant diversity was positively correlated with weevil abundance, whereas parasitoid abundance was independent of plant diversity. Therefore, we conclude that weevils and parasitoids showed the sensory capacity to successfully cope with complex vegetation odours when searching for hosts.
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Pervasiveness of Entrepreneurial Orientation: Do Engagement and Voice Behavior Matter?
Belousova, Olga; Groen, Aard J; Gailly, Benoit
2014-01-01
A long-standing line of research proves a positive relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance of firms. Still, it is surprising, how little we know about the way entrepreneurial orientation is shaped, fostered, developed and maintained within organizations. Wales, Monsen, and
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Regulation of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in Indian coal-based thermal power plants
Sengupta, Ishita
Air borne particulate matter, in major Indian cities is at least three times the standard prescribed by the WHO. Coal-based thermal power plants are the major emitters of particulate matter in India. The lack of severe penalty for non-compliance with the standards has worsened the situation and thus calls for an immediate need for investment in technologies to regulate particulate emissions. My dissertation studies the optimal investment decisions in a dynamic framework, for a random sample of forty Indian coal-based power plants to abate particulate emissions. I used Linear Programming to solve the double cost minimization problem for the optimal choices of coal, boiler and pollution-control equipment. A policy analysis is done to choose over various tax policies, which would induce the firms to adopt the energy efficient as well as cost efficient technology. The aim here is to reach the WHO standards. Using the optimal switching point model I show that in a dynamic set up, switching the boiler immediately is always the cost effective option for all the power plants even if there is no policy restriction. The switch to a baghouse depends upon the policy in place. Theoretically, even though an emission tax is considered the most efficient tax, an ash tax or a coal tax can also be considered to be a good substitute especially in countries like India where monitoring costs are very high. As SPM is a local pollutant the analysis here is mainly firm specific.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Zeng Fanrong; Ali Shafaqat; Zhang Haitao [Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Huajiachi Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 (China); Ouyang Younan [China National Rice Research Institute, Fuyang 310041 (China); Qiu Boyin; Wu Feibo [Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Huajiachi Campus, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029 (China); Zhang Guoping, E-mail: zhanggp@zju.edu.c [China National Rice Research Institute, Fuyang 310041 (China)
2011-01-15
The experiments were done to investigate the effect of soil pH and organic matter content on EDTA-extractable heavy metal contents in soils and heavy metal concentrations in rice straw and grains. EDTA-extractable Cr contents in soils and concentrations in rice tissues were negatively correlated with soil pH, but positively correlated with organic matter content. The combination of soil pH and organic matter content would produce the more precise regression models for estimation of EDTA-Cu, Pb and Zn contents in soils, demonstrating the distinct effect of the two factors on the availability of these heavy metals in soils. Soil pH greatly affected heavy metal concentrations in rice plants. Furthermore, inclusion of other soil properties in the stepwise regression analysis improved the regression models for predicting straw Fe and grain Zn concentrations, indicating that other soil properties should be taken into consideration for precise predicting of heavy metal concentrations in rice plants. - Soil pH and organic matter content significantly affect heavy metal availability and accumulation in rice plants.
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A STUDY OF LORD BYRON'S THE TURKISH TALES IN TERMS OF ORIENTALISM
GÜLDEREN KRASNIQI/OKUMUŞ, SENİHA/SALİH
2014-01-01
Lord Byron was a significant figure of XIX century English literature. He is well-known for his journey through Orient as well as his writings as a product of this journey. Subject matters used in these writings served as a revelation of the eastern values which now could challenge western world on the stage of morality and courage. He started with Oriental themes in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage and continued with Turkish or Oriental Tales, hence carried the matter to higher level. Subject of ...
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A STUDY OF LORD BYRON'S THE TURKISH TALES IN TERMS OF ORIENTALISM
GÜLDEREN KRASNIQI/OKUMUŞ, SENİHA/SALİH
2014-01-01
Lord Byron was a significant figure of XIX century English literature. He is well-known for his journey through Orient as well as his writings as a product of this journey. Subject matters used in these writings served as a revelation of the eastern values which now could challenge western world on the stage of morality and courage. He started with Oriental themes in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage and continued with Turkish or Oriental Tales, hence carried the matter to higher level. Subject of o...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kim, Bong Chul; Kim, Ji Hyun; Chung, Woon Kwan
2015-01-01
This study examines mutual perceptions between general public and nuclear plant employees on understanding nuclear policy communication applying the co-orientation model. The total of 414 responses were analyzed including 211 of the general public and 203 of plant employees. Results indicate that agreement between general public and plant employees is relatively high, in that general public tends to have negative evaluation to nuclear policy communication, but plant employees tends to have positive one. In terms of congruence, general public perceive that plant employees might have more positive evaluation than themselves, and nuclear plant employees perceive that general public might have more negative evaluation than themselves. Finally, in terms of accuracy, general public accurately estimate how nuclear plant employees perceive on policy communication, whereas nuclear plant employees unaccurately estimate how general public perceive on policy communication
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kim, Bong Chul; Kim, Ji Hyun; Chung, Woon Kwan [Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)
2015-02-15
This study examines mutual perceptions between general public and nuclear plant employees on understanding nuclear policy communication applying the co-orientation model. The total of 414 responses were analyzed including 211 of the general public and 203 of plant employees. Results indicate that agreement between general public and plant employees is relatively high, in that general public tends to have negative evaluation to nuclear policy communication, but plant employees tends to have positive one. In terms of congruence, general public perceive that plant employees might have more positive evaluation than themselves, and nuclear plant employees perceive that general public might have more negative evaluation than themselves. Finally, in terms of accuracy, general public accurately estimate how nuclear plant employees perceive on policy communication, whereas nuclear plant employees unaccurately estimate how general public perceive on policy communication.
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2013-03-05
... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0310; Docket Nos. 50-445 and 50-446; License Nos. NPF-87 and NPF-89] In the Matter of Luminant Generation Company LLC, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Units... Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 (CPNPP), and its Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation Facility...
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Yun-Young Choi; Seung-Ryong Baek; Jae-In Kim; Jeong-Woo Choi; Jin Hur; Tae-U Lee; Cheol-Joon Park; Byung Joon Lee
2017-01-01
Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Korea collect and treat not only domestic wastewater, but also discharge from industrial complexes. However, some industrial discharges contain a large amount of non-biodegradable organic matter, which cannot be treated properly in a conventional biological WWTP. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and biodegradability of the wastewater organic matter contained in the industrial discharges and to examine the fate of the industri...
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Linking Calling Orientations to Organizational Attachment via Organizational Instrumentality
Cardador, M. Teresa; Dane, Erik; Pratt, Michael G.
2011-01-01
Despite an emerging interest in callings, researchers know little about whether calling orientations matter in the workplace. We explore the under-examined relationship between a calling orientation and employees' attachment to their organizations. Although some theory suggests that callings may be negatively related to organizational attachment,…
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2011-12-09
... and 72-3] In the Matter of Carolina Power & Light Company, H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2, H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit 2, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Order Approving Indirect Transfer of Control of Licenses I. Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L, the licensee) is...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1976-01-01
The nature, content and behaviour of the organic matter, or humus, in soil are factors of fundamental importance for soil productivity and the development of optimum conditions for growth of crops under diverse temperate, tropical and arid climatic conditions. In the recent symposium on soil organic matter studies - as in the two preceding ones in 1963 and 1969 - due consideration was given to studies involving the use of radioactive and stable isotopes. However, the latest symposium was a departure from previous efforts in that non-isotopic approaches to research on soil organic matter were included. A number of papers dealt with the behaviour and functions of organic matter and suggested improved management practices, the use of which would contribute to increasing agricultural production. Other papers discussed the turnover of plant residues, the release of plant nutrients through the biodegradation of organic compounds, the nitrogen economy and the dynamics of transformation of organic forms of nitrogen. In addition, consideration was given to studies on the biochemical transformation of organic matter, characterization of humic acids, carbon-14 dating and the development of modern techniques and their impact on soil organic matter research
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Yang, Xiaofang; Zhou, Zhongbo; Raju, Maddela Naga; Cai, Xiaoxuan; Meng, Fangang
2017-07-01
Effluent organic matter (EfOM) from municipal wastewater treatment plants potentially has a detrimental effect on both aquatic organisms and humans. This study evaluated the removal and transformation of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM) in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant under different seasons. The results showed that bio-treatment was found to be more efficient in removing bulk DOM (in term of dissolved organic carbon, DOC) than CDOM and FDOM, which was contrary to the disinfection process. CDOM and FDOM were selectively removed at various stages during the treatment. Typically, the low molecular weight fractions of CDOM and protein-like FDOM were more efficiently removed during bio-treatment process, whereas the humic-like FDOM exhibited comparable decreases in both bio-treatment and disinfection processes. Overall, the performance of the WWTP was weak in terms of CDOM and FDOM removal, resulting in enrichment of CDOM and FDOM in effluent. Moreover, the total removal of the bulk DOM (PCDOM and the humic-like FDOM showed little differences between summer and winter. In all, the results provide useful information for understanding the fate and transformation of DOM, illustrating that sub-fractions of DOM could be selectively removed depending on treatment processes and seasonality. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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Bactrocera (Bactrocera) dorsalis (Hendel)(Diptera: Tephritidae), commonly known as the Oriental fruit fly, is regulated through the Plant Protection Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7701-7772) and relevant Parts and Subparts of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR – Agriculture). Presented herein is a compre...
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Li, Xiangping; Lan, Tzu-Hsiang; Tien, Chung-Hao; Gu, Min
2012-01-01
The interplay between light polarization and matter is the basis of many fundamental physical processes and applications. However, the electromagnetic wave nature of light in free space sets a fundamental limit on the three-dimensional polarization orientation of a light beam. Although a high numerical aperture objective can be used to bend the wavefront of a radially polarized beam to generate the longitudinal polarization state in the focal volume, the arbitrary three-dimensional polarization orientation of a beam has not been achieved yet. Here we present a novel technique for generating arbitrary three-dimensional polarization orientation by a single optically configured vectorial beam. As a consequence, by applying this technique to gold nanorods, orientation-unlimited polarization encryption with ultra-security is demonstrated. These results represent a new landmark of the orientation-unlimited three-dimensional polarization control of the light-matter interaction.
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Interaction of uranium and organic matter in unaniferous sediments
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rouzaud, J N; Oberlin, A; Trichet, J
1980-01-01
Conventional transmission electron microscopy (lattice fringes and dark field techniques) was used for determining the structure and microtexture of some Precambrian organic matter. The samples came from Cluff (Saskatchewan, Canada) and Oklo (Gabon) and contain uranium with organo-metallic bonding (uranium was shown to be present by energy dispersive X-ray analysis carried out in the CTEM). Despite their algal origin, these materials show a high oxygen content. This strong degree of oxidation inhibits the parallel molecular orientation usually produced in carbonaceous products as coalification progresses. Progressive heat-treatment to 3000/sup 0/C produces microporous carbon (50 to 100A). It is, however, partially transformed into graphite in a manner similar to anthracites and non-graphitizable carbons heat-treated under pressure (5 kbars). It is favored by pore flattening, due to pressure, which introduces a long-range, preferred orientation parallel to the flattening plane. Conversely, it is partially prevented by cross-linking due to oxygen. Comparison with materials of higher plant origin (e.g. from Arlit, Niger) suggests a possible mechanism of uranium fixation.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fabrício Henrique Moreira Salgado
2016-12-01
Full Text Available The adoption of biological resources in agriculture may allow less dependence and better use of finite resources. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi native to the Brazilian Savannah associated with the application of mycorrhizal stimulant (7-hydroxy, 4'-methoxy-isoflavone, in the early growth of common bean and soybean. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, in a completely randomized design, with a 7 x 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of five arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species, joint inoculation (junction of all species in equal proportions and native fungi (without inoculation, in the presence and absence of stimulant. The following traits were evaluated: shoot dry matter, root dry matter, mycorrhizal colonization, nodules dry matter and accumulation of calcium, zinc and phosphorus in the shoot dry matter. The increase provided by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the use of stimulant reached over 200 % in bean and over 80 % in soybean plants. The fungi Acaulospora scrobiculata, Dentiscutata heterogama, Gigaspora margarita and Rhizophagus clarus, for bean, and Claroideoglomus etunicatum, Dentiscutata heterogama, Rhizophagus clarus and the joint inoculation, for soybean, increased the dry matter and nutrients accumulation.
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Sobieszczyk, Steven; Keith, Mackenzie K.; Goldman, Jami H.; Rounds, Stewart A.
2015-01-01
The term organic matter refers to the remnants of all living material. This can include fallen leaves, yard waste, animal waste, downed timber, or the remains of any other plant and animal life. Organic matter is abundant both on land and in water. Investigating organic matter is necessary for understanding the fate and transport of carbon (a major constituent of organic matter).
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Haddix, Michelle L; Paul, Eldor A; Cotrufo, M Francesca
2016-06-01
The formation and stabilization of soil organic matter (SOM) are major concerns in the context of global change for carbon sequestration and soil health. It is presently believed that lignin is not selectively preserved in soil and that chemically labile compounds bonding to minerals comprise a large fraction of the SOM. Labile plant inputs have been suggested to be the main precursor of the mineral-bonded SOM. Litter decomposition and SOM formation are expected to have temperature sensitivity varying with the lability of plant inputs. We tested this framework using dual (13) C and (15) N differentially labeled plant material to distinguish the metabolic and structural components within a single plant material. Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) seedlings were grown in an enriched (13) C and (15) N environment and then prior to harvest, removed from the enriched environment and allowed to incorporate natural abundance (13) C-CO2 and (15) N fertilizer into the metabolic plant components. This enabled us to achieve a greater than one atom % difference in (13) C between the metabolic and structural components within the plant litter. This differentially labeled litter was incubated in soil at 15 and 35 °C, for 386 days with CO2 measured throughout the incubation. After 14, 28, 147, and 386 days of incubation, the soil was subsequently fractionated. There was no difference in temperature sensitivity of the metabolic and structural components with regard to how much was respired or in the amount of litter biomass stabilized. Only the metabolic litter component was found in the sand, silt, or clay fraction while the structural component was exclusively found in the light fraction. These results support the stabilization framework that labile plant components are the main precursor of mineral-associated organic matter. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Prabhat Kumar Rai
2016-03-01
Full Text Available Present study was performed in urban forests of Aizawl, Mizoram, North East India falling under an Indo-Burma hot spot region of existing ecological relevance and pristine environment. Phyto-sociolology of invasive weeds has been performed and results revealed that Lantana camara was the most dominant invasive weed. Further, the air quality studies revealed high suspended particulate matter (SPM as well as respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM in ambient air of Aizawl, Mizoram, North East India. Bio-magnetic monitoring through plant leaves has been recognised as recent thrust area in the field of particulate matter (PM science. We aimed to investigate that whether magnetic properties of Lantana camara leaves may act as proxy of PM pollution and hence an attempt towards it's sustainable management. Magnetic susceptibility (χ, Anhyste reticremanent magnetization (ARM and Saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM of Lantana camara plant leaves were assessed and concomitantly correlated these magnetic properties with ambient PM in order to screen this invasive plant which may act as proxy for ambient PM concentrations. Results revealed high χ, ARM, SIRM of Lantana camara leaves and moreover, these parameters were having significant and positive correlation with ambient SPM as well as RSPM. Therefore, present study recommended the use of Lantana camara as bio-magnetic monitor which may further have sustainable management implications of an invasive plant.
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Stable bromine isotopic composition of methyl bromide released from plant matter
Horst, Axel; Holmstrand, Henry; Andersson, Per; Thornton, Brett F.; Wishkerman, Asher; Keppler, Frank; Gustafsson, Örjan
2014-01-01
Methyl bromide (CH3Br) emitted from plants constitutes a natural source of bromine to the atmosphere, and is a component in the currently unbalanced global CH3Br budget. In the stratosphere, CH3Br contributes to ozone loss processes. Studies of stable isotope composition may reduce uncertainties in the atmospheric CH3Br budget, but require well-constrained isotope fingerprints of the source end members. Here we report the first measurements of stable bromine isotopes (δ81Br) in CH3Br from abiotic plant emissions. Incubations of both KBr-fortified pectin, a ubiquitous cell-stabilizing macromolecule, and of a natural halophyte (Salicornia fruticosa), yielded an enrichment factor (ε) of -2.00 ± 0.23‰ (1σ, n = 8) for pectin and -1.82 ± 0.02‰ (1σ, n = 4) for Salicornia (the relative amount of the heavier 81Br was decreased in CH3Br compared to the substrate salt). For short incubations, and up to 10% consumption of the salt substrate, this isotope effect was similar for temperatures from 30 up to 300 °C. For longer incubations of up to 90 h at 180 °C the δ81Br values increased from -2‰ to 0‰ for pectin and to -1‰ for Salicornia. These δ81Br source signatures of CH3Br formation from plant matter combine with similar data for carbon isotopes to facilitate multidimensional isotope diagnostics of the CH3Br budget.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
agus suprapto
2012-05-01
Full Text Available The solar radiation is one of the major criteria to obtaining advantages on peanuts (Arachishypogaea L.. Although various combinations of crops have been reported, but variety association and plant population densities (PPD during the periodically stage of growth on peanuts have yet to be analyzed. Dry matter production (DM, radiation energy interception, and radiation energy conversions were monitored over the growth period of two varieties of peanut. An experiment was conducted in Jambegede Research Farm, Indonesian Legume and Tuber Crops Research Institute, Malang, East Java, Indonesia, from July until October 2011. The experiment was arranged in a Split Plot Design with three replications. Peanut varieties, as the main plot consisted of two treatments: Kelinci andKancil variety. In addition, five PPD variations as sub plot consisted of 8.1, 11.1, 16.0, 25.0 and 44.4 plant m-2 were arranged in a square spacing. The results showed that DM production from high PPD increased gradually to lower PPD in all varieties. Interception efficiency (IE increased in all varieties from early sowing. A plant population density of 25.0 m-2 and 44.4 plants m-2 intercepted more radiation over 11.1 or 16.0 plants m-2. Conversion efficiency of radiation energy (CE to total dry matter production on Kelinci variety (1.52% indicated a slight higher percentage than on Kancil variety (1.41%. Moreover, the CE and IE values indicated a decrease as the PPD increased on maximum DM.
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Boer, de J.; Wester, P.G.; Horst, van der A.; Leonards, P.E.G.
2003-01-01
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been determined in 133 samples of suspended particulate matter (SPM), sediments, sewage treatment plant (STP) influents and effluents, fish and mussels from various locations in The Netherlands, as a part of a large Dutch national study on estrogenic
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Oriented-strand-board- the wave of the future- for the building trade
Linda Ashton
1984-01-01
Move over, plywood. Oriented-strand board is here. It's less expensive. It's as durable. It has as many uses. And it is the wave of the future. "Oriented-strand board is a direct substitute for plywood" said Jerry Buckner, plant manager for the Martco oriented-strand board plant in Lemoyen. OSB, as it is commonly called, is a structural panel made...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1977-01-01
A total of 77 papers were presented and discussed during this symposium, 37 are included in this Volume II. The topics covered in this volume include: biochemical transformation of organic matter in soils; bitumens in soil organic matter; characterization of humic acids; carbon dating of organic matter in soils; use of modern techniques in soil organic matter research; use of municipal sludge with special reference to heavy metals constituents, soil nitrogen, and physical and chemical properties of soils; relationship of soil organic matter and plant metabolism; interaction between agrochemicals and organic matter; and peat. Separate entries have been prepared for those 20 papers which discuss the use of nuclear techniques in these studies
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Task oriented evaluation system for maintenance robots
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Asame, Hajime; Endo, Isao; Kotosaka, Shin-ya; Takata, Shozo; Hiraoka, Hiroyuki; Kohda, Takehisa; Matsumoto, Akihiro; Yamagishi, Kiichiro.
1994-01-01
The adaptability evaluation of maintenance robots to autonomous plants has been discussed. In this paper, a new concept of autonomous plant with maintenance robots are introduced, and a framework of autonomous maintenance system is proposed. Then, task-oriented evaluation of robot arms is discussed for evaluating their adaptability to maintenance tasks, and a new criterion called operability is proposed for adaptability evaluation. The task-oriented evaluation system is implemented and applied to structural design of robot arms. Using genetic algorithm, an optimal structure adaptable to a pump disassembly task is obtained. (author)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chang, Pyung-Hun; Park, Joon-Young
2002-01-01
This paper presents a Task Oriented Design method for robot kinematics based on grid method, widely used in finite difference method and heat transfer/fluid flow analyses. This approach drastically reduces complexities and computational burden due to previous approaches. More specifically, the grid method with a new formulation simplifies the design to a problem of three-design-variable unit grid, which does not require to solve inverse/forward kinematics. The effectiveness of the grid method has been confirmed through a kinematics design of a robot for nuclear power plants. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yun-Young Choi
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs in Korea collect and treat not only domestic wastewater, but also discharge from industrial complexes. However, some industrial discharges contain a large amount of non-biodegradable organic matter, which cannot be treated properly in a conventional biological WWTP. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and biodegradability of the wastewater organic matter contained in the industrial discharges and to examine the fate of the industrial discharges in a biological WWTP. In contrast to most previous studies targeting a specific group of organic compounds or traditional water quality indices, such as biological oxygen demand (BOD and chemical oxygen demand (COD, this study was purposed to quantify and characterize the biodegradable and nonbiodegradable fractions of the wastewater organic matter. Chemical oxygen demand (COD fractionation tests and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the industrial discharge from dyeing or pulp mill factories contained more non-biodegradable soluble organic matter than did the domestic wastewater. Statistical analysis on the WWTPs’ monitoring data indicated that the industrial discharge containing non-biodegradable soluble organic matter was not treated effectively in a biological WWTP, but was escaping from the system. Thus, industrial discharge that contained non-biodegradable soluble organic matter was a major factor in the decrease in biodegradability of the discharge, affecting the ultimate fate of wastewater organic matter in a biological WWTP. Further application of COD fractionation and fluorescence spectroscopy to wastewaters, with various industrial discharges, will help scientists and engineers to better design and operate a biological WWTP, by understanding the fate of wastewater organic matter.
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Impacts of particulate matter pollution on plants: Implications for environmental biomonitoring.
Rai, Prabhat Kumar
2016-07-01
Air pollution is one of the serious problems world is facing in recent Anthropocene era of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Specifically particulate matter (PM) pollution represents a threat to both the environment and human health. The changed ambient environment due to the PM pollutant in urban areas has exerted a profound influence on the morphological, biochemical and physiological status of plants and its responses. Taking into account the characteristics of the vegetation (wide distribution, greater contact area etc.) it turns out to be an effective indicator of the overall impact of PM pollution and harmful effects of PM pollution on vegetation have been reviewed in the present paper, covering an extensive span of 1960 to March 2016. The present review critically describes the impact of PM pollution and its constituents (e.g. heavy metals and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons) on the morphological attributes such as leaf area, leaf number, stomata structure, flowering, growth and reproduction as well as biochemical parameters such as pigment content, enzymes, ascorbic acid, protein, sugar and physiological aspect such as pH and Relative water content. Further, the paper provides a brief overview on the impact of PM on biodiversity and climate change. Moreover, the review emphasizes the genotoxic impacts of PM on plants. Finally, on the basis of such studies tolerant plants as potent biomonitors with high Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Air Pollution Index (API) can be screened and may be recommended for green belt development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Sarsimbayeva, S. M.; Kospanova, K. K.
2015-11-01
The article provides the discussion of matters associated with the problems of transferring of object-oriented Windows applications from C++ programming language to .Net platform using C# programming language. C++ has always been considered to be the best language for the software development, but the implicit mistakes that come along with the tool may lead to infinite memory leaks and other errors. The platform .Net and the C#, made by Microsoft, are the solutions to the issues mentioned above. The world economy and production are highly demanding applications developed by C++, but the new language with its stability and transferability to .Net will bring many advantages. An example can be presented using the applications that imitate the work of queuing systems. Authors solved the problem of transferring of an application, imitating seaport works, from C++ to the platform .Net using C# in the scope of Visual Studio.
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Constituency Orientation in Irish Politics
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kusche, Isabel
2017-01-01
The constituency orientation of Irish politicians is a recurring topic in Irish political science. Its analysis has predominantly focused on TDs. This article uses a content analysis of candidate video statements in the general election 2016 in order to assess the strength of constituency...... this pattern, indicated by the weak constituency orientation in Dublin and Cork constituencies. Results also indicate differences between parties and some political statuses, while the gender of the candidates is of no relevance. Although the material does not permit a clear distinction between effects...... of political culture and short-term considerations, taken together the results indicate that localism in Irish politics matters, but in more complicated ways than usually depicted....
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Seung-Han Hong
2017-02-01
Full Text Available This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of plants to purify indoor air by observing the effective reduction rate among pollutant types of particulate matter (PM and volatile organic compounds (VOCs. PM and four types of VOCs were measured in a new building that is less than three years old and under three different conditions: before applying the plant, after applying the plant, and a room without a plant. The removal rate of each pollutant type due to the plant was also compared and analyzed. In the case of indoor PM, the removal effect was negligible because of outdoor influence. However, 9% of benzene, 75% of ethylbenzene, 72% of xylene, 75% of styrene, 50% of formaldehyde, 36% of acetaldehyde, 35% of acrolein with acetone, and 85% of toluene were reduced. The purification of indoor air by natural ventilation is meaningless because the ambient PM concentration has recently been high. However, contamination by gaseous materials such as VOCs can effectively be removed through the application of plants.
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Hahn, Henning; Hartmann, Kilian; Bühle, Lutz; Wachendorf, Michael
2015-03-01
The environmental performance of biogas plant configurations for a demand - oriented biogas supply for flexible power generation is comparatively assessed in this study. Those configurations indicate an increased energy demand to operate the operational enhancements compared to conventional biogas plants supplying biogas for baseload power generation. However, findings show that in contrast to an alternative supply of power generators with natural gas, biogas supplied on demand by adapted biogas plant configurations saves greenhouse gas emissions by 54-65 g CO(2-eq) MJ(-1) and primary energy by about 1.17 MJ MJ(-1). In this regard, configurations with flexible biogas production profit from reduced biogas storage requirements and achieve higher savings compared to configurations with continuous biogas production. Using thicker biogas storage sheeting material reduces the methane permeability of up to 6m(3) d(-1) which equals a reduction of 8% of the configuration's total methane emissions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Rae, Charlotte L; Davies, Geoff; Garfinkel, Sarah N; Gabel, Matt C; Dowell, Nicholas G; Cercignani, Mara; Seth, Anil K; Greenwood, Kathryn E; Medford, Nick; Critchley, Hugo D
2017-11-15
Structural abnormalities across multiple white matter tracts are recognized in people with early psychosis, consistent with dysconnectivity as a neuropathological account of symptom expression. We applied advanced neuroimaging techniques to characterize microstructural white matter abnormalities for a deeper understanding of the developmental etiology of psychosis. Thirty-five first-episode psychosis patients, and 19 healthy controls, participated in a quantitative neuroimaging study using neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging, a multishell diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging technique that distinguishes white matter fiber arrangement and geometry from changes in neurite density. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity images were also derived. Tract-based spatial statistics compared white matter structure between patients and control subjects and tested associations with age, symptom severity, and medication. Patients with first-episode psychosis had lower regional FA in multiple commissural, corticospinal, and association tracts. These abnormalities predominantly colocalized with regions of reduced neurite density, rather than aberrant fiber bundle arrangement (orientation dispersion index). There was no direct relationship with active symptoms. FA decreased and orientation dispersion index increased with age in patients, but not control subjects, suggesting accelerated effects of white matter geometry change. Deficits in neurite density appear fundamental to abnormalities in white matter integrity in early psychosis. In the first application of neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging in psychosis, we found that processes compromising axonal fiber number, density, and myelination, rather than processes leading to spatial disruption of fiber organization, are implicated in the etiology of psychosis. This accords with a neurodevelopmental origin of aberrant brain-wide structural connectivity predisposing individuals to
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The development of symptoms-oriented operating procedures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Colquhoun, R.
1983-04-01
Until recently the formal treatment of control room procedures for nuclear power plant upset conditions has been event-oriented. The demise of Three Mile Island, Unit 2, caused the American industry to recognize the pitfalls inherent in relying totally on event-oriented procedures, and led to the initiation of a program for the development of a symptoms-oriented approach for handling upset conditions. The U.S. program has been independently paralleled by a Canadian program. This paper describes the development of the Canadian symptoms-oriented philosophy and identifies the relevance of a generic symptoms based emergency procedure to current operating practices
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jardes Bragagnolo
2013-10-01
Full Text Available Variable-rate nitrogen fertilization (VRF based on optical spectrometry sensors of crops is a technological innovation capable of improving the nutrient use efficiency (NUE and mitigate environmental impacts. However, studies addressing fertilization based on crop sensors are still scarce in Brazilian agriculture. This study aims to evaluate the efficiency of an optical crop sensor to assess the nutritional status of corn and compare VRF with the standard strategy of traditional single-rate N fertilization (TSF used by farmers. With this purpose, three experiments were conducted at different locations in Southern Brazil, in the growing seasons 2008/09 and 2010/11. The following crop properties were evaluated: above-ground dry matter production, nitrogen (N content, N uptake, relative chlorophyll content (SPAD reading, and a vegetation index measured by the optical sensor N-Sensor® ALS. The plants were evaluated in the stages V4, V6, V8, V10, V12 and at corn flowering. The experiments had a completely randomized design at three different sites that were analyzed separately. The vegetation index was directly related to above-ground dry matter production (R² = 0.91; p<0.0001, total N uptake (R² = 0.87; p<0.0001 and SPAD reading (R² = 0.63; p<0.0001 and inversely related to plant N content (R² = 0.53; p<0.0001. The efficiency of VRF for plant nutrition was influenced by the specific climatic conditions of each site. Therefore, the efficiency of the VRF strategy was similar to that of the standard farmer fertilizer strategy at sites 1 and 2. However, at site 3 where the climatic conditions were favorable for corn growth, the use of optical sensors to determine VRF resulted in a 12 % increase in N plant uptake in relation to the standard fertilization, indicating the potential of this technology to improve NUE.
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Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science.
Bailey, J Michael; Vasey, Paul L; Diamond, Lisa M; Breedlove, S Marc; Vilain, Eric; Epprecht, Marc
2016-09-01
SummaryOngoing political controversies around the world exemplify a long-standing and widespread preoccupation with the acceptability of homosexuality. Nonheterosexual people have seen dramatic surges both in their rights and in positive public opinion in many Western countries. In contrast, in much of Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Oceania, and parts of Asia, homosexual behavior remains illegal and severely punishable, with some countries retaining the death penalty for it. Political controversies about sexual orientation have often overlapped with scientific controversies. That is, participants on both sides of the sociopolitical debates have tended to believe that scientific findings-and scientific truths-about sexual orientation matter a great deal in making political decisions. The most contentious scientific issues have concerned the causes of sexual orientation-that is, why are some people heterosexual, others bisexual, and others homosexual? The actual relevance of these issues to social, political, and ethical decisions is often poorly justified, however. © The Author(s) 2016.
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EDITORIAL: Optical orientation Optical orientation
SAME ADDRESS *, Yuri; Landwehr, Gottfried
2008-11-01
radiation. The major results of the systematic work on optical orientation, both experimental and theoretical, at the Ioffe Institute and the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris are documented in the book Optical Orientation, edited by F Meier and B P Zakharchenya in the series Modern Problems in Condensed Matter Sciences [4], in which the foundations of optical orientation are comprehensively presented by renowned authors. This book is still the unsurpassed standard work in the field. If one asks what has become new since that publication in 1984 it is obviously the arrival of low-dimensional structures, two-dimensional heterostructures and zero-dimensional quantum dots. It has turned out that the quantum confinement can significantly modify the spin lifetime and the spin relaxation. The experimental work on spin alignment was done by a relative small number of researchers. However, the situation has substantially changed during the last decade. Research on spin-related phenomena has become very popular and the word 'spintronics' was coined. Spin research is no longer considered to be somewhat esoteric, since the replacement of silicon microelectronics based on the electron charge by spin-based electronics is being discussed. Whether these proposals can be realized remains to be seen. But one consequence has been a worldwide increase of high level basic research in spin phenomena. Another line of current research which has contributed to the popularity of spin-related research is quantum computing, based on spin-qubits. To be useful, solid state systems require long spin relaxation times and weak interaction with the environment. This is indispensable for low error rates. The difficulties in achieving these goals have been extensively discussed in the literature. Nowadays, because of the volume and diversity of spin-related work worldwide, a book on optical orientation like that edited by Meyer and Zakharchenya does not seem possible, so in this special issue of
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Lancione, Marta; Tosetti, Michela; Donatelli, Graziella; Cosottini, Mirco; Costagli, Mauro
2017-11-01
The aim of this work was to assess the impact of tissue structural orientation on quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) reliability, and to provide a criterion to identify voxels in which measures of magnetic susceptibility (χ) are most affected by spatial orientation effects. Four healthy volunteers underwent 7-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multi-echo, gradient-echo sequences were used to obtain quantitative maps of frequency shift (FS) and χ. Information from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to investigate the relationship between tissue orientation and FS measures and QSM. After sorting voxels on the basis of their fractional anisotropy (FA), the variations in FS and χ values over tissue orientation were measured. Using a K-means clustering algorithm, voxels were separated into two groups depending on the variability of measures within each FA interval. The consistency of FS and QSM values, observed at low FA, was disrupted for FA > 0.6. The standard deviation of χ measured at high FA (0.0103 ppm) was nearly five times that at low FA (0.0022 ppm). This result was consistent through data across different head positions and for different brain regions considered separately, which confirmed that such behavior does not depend on structures with different bulk susceptibility oriented along particular angles. The reliability of single-orientation QSM anticorrelates with local FA. QSM provides replicable values with little variability in brain regions with FA < 0.6, but QSM should be interpreted cautiously in major and coherent fiber bundles, which are strongly affected by structural anisotropy and magnetic susceptibility anisotropy. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Influence of biochar and plant growth on organic matter dynamics in a reclaimed mine residue
Moreno-Barriga, Fabián; Díaz, Vicente; Alberto, Jose; Faz, Ángel; Zornoza, Raúl
2016-04-01
This study aims at assessing the impact of biochar and marble waste amendment and the development of vegetation in acidic mine wastes on organic matter dynamics. For this purpose, a mine residue was collected in a tailing pond from the Sierra Minera of Cartagena-La Unión (SE Spain), and a greenhouse experiment was established for 120 days. Marble waste (MW) was added in a rate of 200 g kg-1 as a source of calcium carbonate to increase the pH from 3 to 7.5-8 (average pH in the native soils of the area). We added biochar as a source of organic carbon and nutrients, in two different rates, 50 g kg-1 (BC1) and 100 g kg-1 (BC2). To assess the influence of vegetation growth on the creation of a technosoil from mine residues and its impact on organic matter dynamics, the plant species Piptatherum miliaceum (PM) was planted in half the pots with the different amendments. Thus, five treatments were established: unamended and unplanted control (CT), BC1, BC2, BC1+PM and BC2+PM. Results showed that the different treatments had no significant effect on aggregates stability, microbial biomass carbon and the emission of N2O and CH4. So, it seems that longer periods are needed to increase the stability of aggregates and microbial populations, since even the combined use of biochar, marble waste and vegetation was not enough to increase these properties in 120 days. Nonetheless, it was positive that the addition of biochar and the release of root exudates did not trigger the emission of greenhouse gases. Organic carbon significantly increased with the addition of biochar, with values similar to the dose applied, indicating high stability and low mineralization of the amendment. The addition of amendments significantly increased arylesterase activity, while the growth of the plant was needed to significantly increase β-glucosidase activity. The soluble carbon significantly decreased in BC1 and BC2 with regards to CT, while no significant differences were observed among CT and
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Klerisson M. G. Oliveira
2012-04-01
Full Text Available A quantidade de radiação solar interceptada por uma cultura é uma importante variável meteorológica que determina o crescimento e o desenvolvimento de uma cultura agrícola e, dentre os sistemas de produção, a orientação das linhas de plantio poderá ser um componente bastante relevante quanto à interceptação da radiação solar direta (Rd em ambas as faces. Portanto, este trabalho propõe como objetivo um modelo para recomendar a orientação adequada das linhas de cafeeiro na implantação, baseando-se naquela a proporcionar uma uniformidade na quantidade de Rd interceptada e acumulada durante o ciclo agrícola da cultura, em ambas as faces da linha de plantio. Para o teste do modelo, foram coletados dados de produção em uma área experimental de café irrigado por pivô central, na Fazenda São Thomé, em Pirapora-MG, em plantas alinhadas nas seguintes orientações, em relação ao norte geográfico, positivo no sentido horário e negativo ao contrário: -90º, -45º, 0º e 45º. Os resultados indicaram que as melhores orientações para a produtividade foram, sucessivamente, as de -45º e 0º, enquanto o modelo proposto estimou a orientação de -24º 16' como sendo a melhor para o plantio das linhas de cafeeiro.The quantity of solar radiation intercepted by a crop is an important meteorological variable that determines the growth and development of a crop and among the production systems, the orientation of planting rows could be a very important component regarding the interception of direct solar radiation (Rd on both faces. Thus the objective of this study proposes a model to recommend the adequate orientation of the planting rows of coffee in the deployment, based on that providing uniformity in quantity of intercepted and accumulated Rd during the crop cycle on both faces of the planting row. In order to test the model, production data were collected in an experimental area of the coffee crop irrigated by a center pivot
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Edvaldo Sagrilo
2006-11-01
Full Text Available The objective of this work was to study the leaf production pattern and dry matter distribution in cassava during the second plant cycle. The completely randomized experimental design with four replications was used, with five cultivars in the main plots and ten harvest times in the sub-plots. Foliage production was affected by plant age, being higher in hot periods. Leaf blades and petioles dry matter content presented a linear increase due to a progressive decrease in the amount of young leaves and ontogenetic factors. The stems provided, temporarily, carbohydrates to the plant re-growth, delaying the availability and use of storage roots dry matter. The dry matter content in the storage roots was lower during the vegetative and higher during rest period. The storage roots diameter increased considerably when the amount of leaves was higher, indicating the importance of leaf area in the cassava plant production.O experimento foi conduzido de outubro de 1997 a maio de 1999, no Noroeste do Paraná, Brasil, com o objetivo de avaliar o padrão de produção de folhas e distribuição de massa seca em 5 cultivares de mandioca, durante o segundo ciclo vegetativo. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados, com 4 repetições, no esquema de parcelas subdivididas, estando as cultivares nas parcelas e as épocas de colheita nas subparcelas. A produção de folhas foi afetada pela idade das plantas, sendo maior nos períodos de temperatura elevada. Os teores de massa seca nos limbos foliares e pecíolos aumentaram linearmente com a idade das plantas, devido à menor proporção de folhas jovens e a fatores ontogênicos inerentes à planta. As hastes proporcionaram, temporariamente, os assimilados necessários para a reestruturação vegetativa das plantas, protelando a disponibilidade e uso dos carboidratos armazenados nas raízes. O teor de massa seca nas raízes foi menor durante o período de crescimento vegetativo e maior
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Counselor Self-Disclosure: Does Sexual Orientation Matter to Straight Clients?
Carroll, Lynne; Gauler, Andy A.; Relph, Jason; Hutchinson, Kimberly S.
2011-01-01
The present investigation explores the impact of counselor self-disclosure of sexual orientation on self-identified heterosexuals. Two hundred and thirty-eight psychology undergraduate students read a short description of a counselor and one of eight versions of a counseling transcript. Transcripts were identical with the exception of the gender…
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Intense, ultrashort light and dense, hot matter
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
tiphoton and tunneling ionization, the physics of plasma formed in dense matter is .... A typical Gaussian laser pulse of 100 fs dura- .... J range) – and finally it is compressed back to its .... bond-hardening, molecular orientation and reori-.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Luhmann, H.J.
2006-01-01
Usually the safety of nuclear power plants is regarded as a technical question. Thereby humans only as a part of the man-machine system play a safety-relevant role usually. On this picture, the national regulation of this safety, the 'nuclear supervision' is designed. An innovative investigation of the Yale School of Management has concerned with the incidents around the so-called Millstone reactors in Waterford, Connecticut, and the economic collapse of the regional supplier Northeast Utilities (NU). The change of the corporate culture of the operator of the nuclear power station to a shareholder value orientation has released this 'enterprise disaster'. This investigation permits a first insight into the changed requirements on supervision, which goes beyond the nuclear supervision and which includes the price control in view of this change of the corporate culture
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Harfmann, J.; Hernes, P.; Chuang, C. Y.; Kaiser, K.; Spencer, R. G.; Guillemette, F.
2017-12-01
Source origin of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is crucial in determining reactivity, driving chemical and biological processing of carbon. DOM source biomarkers such as lignin (a vascular plant marker) and D-amino acids (bacterial markers) are well-established tools in tracing DOM origin and fate. The development of high-resolution mass spectrometry and optical studies has expanded our toolkit; yet despite these advances, our understanding of DOM sources and fate remains largely qualitative. Quantitative data on DOM pools and fluxes become increasingly necessary as we refine our comprehension of its composition. In this study, we aim to calibrate and quantify DOM source endmembers by performing microbial incubations of multiple vascular plant leachates, where total DOM is constrained by initial vascular plant input and microbial production. Derived endmembers may be applied to endmember mixing models to quantify DOM source contributions in aquatic systems.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chen Xiaoping
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Plants not only improve air quality by adsorbing particulate matter (PM on leaf surfaces but can also be affected by their accumulation. In this study, a field investigation was performed in Wuhan, China, into the relationship between seven leaf traits and the accumulation of three different sizes of PM (PM11, PM2.5 and PM0.2 on leaves. The retention abilities of plant leaves with respect to the three sizes of PM differed significantly at different sites and species. The average PM retention capabilities of plant leaves and specific leaf area (SLA were significantly greater in a seriously polluted area, whereas the average values of chlorophyll a (Chl a, chlorophyll b (Chl b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid, pH and relative water content (RWC were greater at the control site. SLA significantly positively correlated with the size of PM, but Chl a, Chl b, total chlorophyll, RWC significantly negatively correlated with the size of PM, whereas the pH did not correlate significantly with the the PM fractions. Additionally, SLA was found to be affected by large particles (PM11, p<0.01; PM2.5 had a more obvious effect on plant leaf traits than the other PM (p<0.05. Overall, the findings from this study provide useful information regarding the selection of plants to reduce atmospheric pollution.
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Effect of Plant Growth Regulators on Leaf Number, Leaf Area and Leaf Dry Matter in Grape
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zahoor Ahmad BHAT
2011-03-01
Full Text Available Influence of phenylureas (CPPU and brassinosteriod (BR along with GA (gibberellic acid were studied on seedless grape vegetative characteristics like leaf number, leaf area and leaf dry matter. Growth regulators were sprayed on the vines either once (7 days after fruit set or 15 days after fruit set or twice (7+15 days after fruit set. CPPU 2 ppm+BR 0.4 ppm+GA 25 ppm produced maximum number of leaves (18.78 while as untreated vines produced least leaf number (16.22 per shoot. Maximum leaf area (129.70 cm2 and dry matter content (26.51% was obtained with higher CPPU (3 ppm and BR (0.4 ppm combination along with GA 25 ppm. Plant growth regulators whether naturally derived or synthetic are used to improve the productivity and quality of grapes. The relatively high value of grapes justifies more expensive inputs. A relatively small improvement in yield or fruit quality can justify the field application of a very costly product. Application of new generation growth regulators like brassinosteroids and phenylureas like CPPU have been reported to increase the leaf number as well as leaf area and dry matter thereby indirectly influencing the fruit yield and quality in grapes.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Straaten, C.M. van der.
1981-01-01
In order to obtain an insight in the processes governing the macroclimate on earth, a knowledge is required of the behaviour of climates in the past. It is well known that D/H ratio of rain varies with temperature determined by latitude as well as by season. Because land plants use this water during the assimilation process, it is expected that the D/H variations are propagated in the organic plant matter. The D/H palaeoclimatic method has therefore been applied to peat to distinguish between the chemical constituents and trace the stable hydrogen fraction in the organic matter. The relation between the hydrogen isotopic composition of precipitation and climatic factors such as the temperature have also been studied. (Auth.)
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Directional floral orientation in Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia)
Steve Warren; L. Scott Baggett; Heather Warren
2016-01-01
Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia Engelm.) is a large, arborescent member of the yucca genus. It is an endemic and visually dominant plant in portions of the Mojave Desert, USA. We document the unique and heretofore unreported directional orientation of its flower panicles. The flower panicles grow primarily at the tips of branches that are oriented to the south....
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Stereotypes of Intimate Partner Violence: Do Sex and Sexual Orientation Matter?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
María Elena Meza-de-Luna
Full Text Available Abstract This study analyzed stereotypes on intimate partner violence (IPV of heterosexual and same-sex couples. The participants, 232 Mexican college students, evaluated physical and psychological IPV exerted by men and women with different sexual orientations. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. The results indicate that men evaluated women and gay men as having a similar IPV, while men´s perceptions of IPV for these groups were higher than those of women. Women viewed heterosexual men as the most violent and evaluated the other groups with different degrees of IPV. Physical violence is regarded as natural in men, both gay and heterosexual. To conclude, the results suggest that IPV stereotypes are affected by the sex of the evaluators and by their sexual orientation. It is relevant to expand the scope of prevention programs.
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Müllerová, Jana; Brůna, Josef; Dvořák, Petr; Bartaloš, Tomáš; Vítková, Michaela
2016-06-01
Invasive plant species represent a serious threat to biodiversity and landscape as well as human health and socio-economy. To successfully fight plant invasions, new methods enabling fast and efficient monitoring, such as remote sensing, are needed. In an ongoing project, optical remote sensing (RS) data of different origin (satellite, aerial and UAV), spectral (panchromatic, multispectral and color), spatial (very high to medium) and temporal resolution, and various technical approaches (object-, pixelbased and combined) are tested to choose the best strategies for monitoring of four invasive plant species (giant hogweed, black locust, tree of heaven and exotic knotweeds). In our study, we address trade-offs between spectral, spatial and temporal resolutions required for balance between the precision of detection and economic feasibility. For the best results, it is necessary to choose best combination of spatial and spectral resolution and phenological stage of the plant in focus. For species forming distinct inflorescences such as giant hogweed iterative semi-automated object-oriented approach was successfully applied even for low spectral resolution data (if pixel size was sufficient) whereas for lower spatial resolution satellite imagery or less distinct species with complicated architecture such as knotweed, combination of pixel and object based approaches was used. High accuracies achieved for very high resolution data indicate the possible application of described methodology for monitoring invasions and their long-term dynamics elsewhere, making management measures comparably precise, fast and efficient. This knowledge serves as a basis for prediction, monitoring and prioritization of management targets.
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Random packing of colloids and granular matter
Wouterse, A.
2008-01-01
This thesis deals with the random packing of colloids and granular matter. A random packing is a stable disordered collection of touching particles, without long-range positional and orientational order. Experimental random packings of particles with the same shape but made of different materials
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Tinzaara, W.; Dicke, M.; Huis, van A.; Loon, van J.A.; Gold, C.S.
2003-01-01
Three different bioassay methods to investigate the orientation behaviour of the banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), to host plant volatiles and a synthetic pheromone (cosmolure+) were compared. A locomotion compensator was used to separately record walking
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Spatial confinement governs orientational order in patchy particles
Iwashita, Yasutaka; Kimura, Yasuyuki
2016-06-01
Orientational order in condensed matter plays a key role in determining material properties such as ferromagnetism, viscoelasticity or birefringence. We studied purely orientational ordering in closely-packed one-patch colloidal particles confined between flat substrates, where the particles can only rotate and are ordered via the sticky interaction between the patches. For the first time, we experimentally realized a rich variety of mesoscopic patterns through orientational ordering of colloids by controlling patch size and confinement thickness. The combination of experiment and numerical simulation reveals the decisive role of confinement: An ordered state(s) is selected from the (meta)stable options in bulk when it is commensurate with the system geometry and boundary conditions; otherwise, frustration induces a unique order. Our study offers a new means of systematic control over mesoscopic structures via orientational ordering in patchy particles. The system would also possess unique functionalities through the rotational response of the particles to external stimuli.
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Factors associated with students' orientations to nursing.
Vanhanen, L; Janhonen, S
2000-05-01
Factors associated with students' orientations to nursing This paper presents the results of a study focusing on the factors associated with orientations to nursing. Students' orientations to nursing have not as yet been a focus of nursing research. In some other professions, however, professional orientation has been associated with learning motivation and study performance, and has been seen as a predictor of work satisfaction. In this study, students' orientations to nursing were defined in terms of caring, nursing expertise and life orientation. The hypothesis of whether students' pre-educational experiences of nursing, gender, choice of nursing specialty, problems with nursing studies and intention to stay in nursing were associated with different orientations was tested. The extent to which students were orientated to caring, nursing expertise and their own life was also examined. The orientation to nursing measurement tool, which has been developed on the basis of a qualitative study, was used to collect the data. Nurse teachers collected the data from nursing students (n=184) who were studying in three different nursing programmes in Finland. Non-parametric assessments (Mann-Whitney U-test and Kruskal-Wallis test) of the differences between the students' orientations were carried out. A majority of the students were highly life-orientated, and two-thirds had average nursing expertise or caring orientation scores. The results supported the study hypothesis of an association between students' orientations and their gender, choice of nursing speciality, problems with nursing studies and intention to stay in nursing. However, the hypothesis of an association between students' pre-educational nursing experiences and orientation to nursing was not supported. The contradictions between students' orientation to nursing and the philosophy of nursing underlying the study programme may be a source of motivational problems and dissatisfaction with nursing education
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Zhang, Zhi-Dan; Xi, Ben-Ye; Cao, Zhi-Guo; Jia, Li-Ming
2014-08-01
Taking Populus tomentosa as an example, a methodology called elution-weighing-particle size-analysis (EWPA) was proposed to evaluate quantitatively the ability of retaining fine particulate matter (PM2.5, diameter d ≤ 2.5 μm) and atmospheric particulate matter by plant leaves using laser particle size analyzer and balance. This method achieved a direct, accurate measurement with superior operability about the quality and particle size distribution of atmospheric particulate matter retained by plant leaves. First, a pre-experiment was taken to test the stability of the method. After cleaning, centrifugation and drying, the particulate matter was collected and weighed, and then its particle size distribution was analyzed by laser particle size analyzer. Finally, the mass of particulate matter retained by unit area of leaf and stand was translated from the leaf area and leaf area index. This method was applied to a P. tomentosa stand which had not experienced rain for 27 days in Beijing Olympic Forest Park. The results showed that the average particle size of the atmospheric particulate matter retained by P. tomentosa was 17.8 μm, and the volume percentages of the retained PM2.5, inhalable particulate matter (PM10, d ≤ 10 μm) and total suspended particle (TSP, d ≤ 100 μm) were 13.7%, 47.2%, and 99.9%, respectively. The masses of PM2.5, PM10, TSP and total particulate matter were 8.88 x 10(-6), 30.6 x 10(-6), 64.7 x 10(-6) and 64.8 x 10(-6) g x cm(-2) respectively. The retention quantities of PM2.5, PM10, TSP and total particulate matter by the P. tomentosa stand were 0.963, 3.32, 7.01 and 7.02 kg x hm(-2), respectively.
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APE (state-oriented approach) centralized control procedures
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Astier, D.; Depont, G.; Van Dermarliere, Y.
2004-01-01
This article presents the progressive implementation of the state-oriented approach (APE) for centralized control procedures in French nuclear power plants. The implementation began in the years 1982-83 and it concerned only the circuits involved in engineered safeguard systems such IS (safety injection), EAS (containment spray system) and GMPP (reactor coolant pump set). In 2003 the last PWR unit switched from the event oriented approach to APE for post-accidental situations
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Sari, Ihsan
2015-01-01
In recent years, goal orientations have been examined in their relationship with other potential determinants of athletic performance. The relevant research showed that task orientation, compared to ego orientation, is linked to more adaptive outcomes (Behzadi, Hamzei, Nori and Salehian, 2011; Duda and Whitehead, 1998; Roberts, 2001; Biddle, 2001;…
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A knowledge based system for plant diagnosis
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Motoda, H.; Yamada, N.; Yoshida, K.
1984-01-01
A knowledge based system for plant diagnosis is proposed in which both event-oriented and function-oriented knowledge are used. For the proposed system to be of practical use, these two types of knowledge are represented by mutually nested four frames, i.e. the component, causality, criteriality, and simulator frames, and production rules. The system provides fast inference capability for use as both a production system and a formal reasoning system, with uncertainty of knowledge taken into account in the former. Event-oriented knowledge is used in both diagnosis and guidance and function-oriented knowledge, in diagnosis only. The inference capability required is forward chaining in the former and resolution in the latter. The causality frame guides in the use of event-oriented knowledge, whereas the criteriality frame does so for function-oriented knowledge. Feedback nature of the plant requires the best first search algorithm that uses histories in the resolution process. The inference program is written in Lisp and the plant simulator and the process I/O control programs in Fortran. Fast data transfer between these two languages is realized by enhancing the memory management capability of Lisp to control the numerical data in the global memory. Simulation applications to a BWR plant demonstrated its diagnostic capability
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Axon density and axon orientation dispersion in children born preterm
Kelly, Claire E.; Thompson, Deanne K.; Chen, Jian; Leemans, Alexander; Adamson, Christopher L.; Inder, Terrie E.; Cheong, Jeanie L Y; Doyle, Lex W.; Anderson, Peter J.
2016-01-01
Background Very preterm birth (VPT, <32 weeks' gestation) is associated with altered white matter fractional anisotropy (FA), the biological basis of which is uncertain but may relate to changes in axon density and/or dispersion, which can be measured using Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density
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A Four-Component Model of Sexual Orientation & Its Application to Psychotherapy.
Bowins, Brad
Distress related to sexual orientation is a common focus in psychotherapy. In some instances the distress is external in nature as with persecution, and in others it is internal as with self-acceptance issues. Complicating matters, sexual orientation is a very complex topic producing a great deal of confusion for both clients and therapists. The current paper provides a four component model-sexual orientation dimensions, activation of these dimensions, the role of erotic fantasy, and social construction of sexual orientation-that in combination provide a comprehensive perspective. Activation of dimensions is a novel contribution not proposed in any other model. With improved understanding of sexual orientation issues, and utilization of this knowledge to guide interventions, psychotherapists can improve outcomes with their clients. Also described is how dimensions of sexual orientation relate to transgender. In addition to improving psychotherapy outcomes, the fourcomponent model presented can help reduce discrimination and persecution, by demonstrating that the capacity for both homoerotic and heteroerotic behavior is universal.
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Clay-associated organic matter in kaolinitic and smectitic soils
Wattel-Koekkoek, E.J.W.
2002-01-01
The primary source of soil organic matter is plant debris of all kinds, such as dead roots, leaves and branches that enter into the soil and are then biologically decomposed at variable rates. Organic matter has many different important functions on a local and global scale. Soil organic matter is
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Guang Chen
2013-01-01
Full Text Available This paper proposes a sustainability-oriented multiobjective optimization model for siting and sizing DG plants in distribution systems. Life cycle exergy (LCE is used as a unified indicator of the entire system’s environmental sustainability, and it is optimized as an objective function in the model. Other two objective functions include economic cost and expected power loss. Chance constraints are used to control the operation risks caused by the uncertain power loads and renewable energies. A semilinearized simulation method is proposed and combined with the Latin hypercube sampling (LHS method to improve the efficiency of probabilistic load flow (PLF analysis which is repeatedly performed to verify the chance constraints. A numerical study based on the modified IEEE 33-node system is performed to verify the proposed method. Numerical results show that the proposed semilinearized simulation method reduces about 93.3% of the calculation time of PLF analysis and guarantees satisfying accuracy. The results also indicate that benefits for environmental sustainability of using DG plants can be effectively reflected by the proposed model which helps the planner to make rational decision towards sustainable development of the distribution system.
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Koller, Robert; Rodriguez, Alia; Robin, Christophe; Scheu, Stefan; Bonkowski, Michael
2013-07-01
Dead organic matter (OM) is a major source of nitrogen (N) for plants. The majority of plants support N uptake by symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Mineralization of N is regulated by microfauna, in particular, protozoa grazing on bacteria. We hypothesized that AM fungi and protozoa interactively facilitate plant N nutrition from OM. In soil systems consisting of an OM patch and a root compartment, plant N uptake and consequences for plant carbon (C) allocation were investigated using stable isotopes. Protozoa mobilized N by consuming bacteria, and the mobilized N was translocated via AM fungi to the host plant. The presence of protozoa in both the OM and root compartment stimulated photosynthesis and the translocation of C from the host plant via AM fungi into the OM patch. This stimulated microbial activity in the OM patch, plant N uptake from OM and doubled plant growth. The results indicate that protozoa increase plant growth by both mobilization of N from OM and by protozoa-root interactions, resulting in increased C allocation to roots and into the rhizosphere, thereby increasing plant nutrient exploitation. Hence, mycorrhizal plants need to interact with protozoa to fully exploit N resources from OM. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.
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An intelligent dynamic simulation environment: An object-oriented approach
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Robinson, J.T.; Kisner, R.A.
1988-01-01
This paper presents a prototype simulation environment for nuclear power plants which illustrates the application of object-oriented programming to process simulation. Systems are modeled using this technique as a collection of objects which communicate via message passing. The environment allows users to build simulation models by selecting iconic representations of plant components from a menu and connecting them with the aid of a mouse. Models can be modified graphically at any time, even as the simulation is running, and the results observed immediately via real-time graphics. This prototype illustrates the use of object-oriented programming to create a highly interactive and automated simulation environment. 9 refs., 4 figs
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Biogasification of plant waste chopping. Kasvijaetesilpun biokaasutus
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tenhunen, E.J.; Peltonen, P.
1987-01-01
The literature on biogasification of plant biomasses is reviewed. So far it is possible to calculate, the energy potential of Finnish plant-based biomasses is 7.3 petajoules per year. Biomasses not included are, for example, weakly decomposed surface peat and the utilizable part of tree biomass. In laboratory experiments, the decomposition of three plant biomasses, namely, potato haulm, tops of sugarbeet, and tops of jerusalem artichoke, was followed in 35 degrees Celsius. The total dry matter content of the masses in the beginning of the digestion was 20 per cent, the dry matter percentage of inoculum was 0.7 per cent, and in parts of experiments, the dry matter percentage of cattle manure or pig slurry was 19.3 per cent. The plant biomasses were dried before digestion to attain uniform dry matter conditions for the 1 liter bottles. Only potato haulm was really digested without manure addition. For potato haulm and jerusalem artichoke tops, pig slurry addition gave the best results; for sugarbeet tops, cattle manure supported the digestion of plant biomass. Next project combines composting and biogasification of plant biomass in a greenhouse system.
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Goal-oriented functional tree structure for nuclear power plant emergency preparedness
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Calabrese, R.V.; Roush, M.L.
1987-01-01
Guidelines for development and implementation of emergency response plans do not provide the planner/implementer with an adequate overview of the functions to be achieved or a measure of their relative importance. To provide a framework in which this importance can be recognized, understood and quantified, a logical goal oriented tree structure has been developed which integrates and gives a clear visual representation of the functions required to meet the emergency preparedness objective. The tree considers a spectrum of both high and low probability events which may require mitigation both onsite and offsite. The ultimate objective: to Minimize the Ill Effects of a Nuclear Power Plant Incident is satisfied by functions concerned with prevention and mitigation of human injury and property damage. A complete and detailed structure which specifies the subfunctions and success paths which satisfy these functions has been developed. Institutional activities such as planning, training, procedure development, monitoring and decision making do not enter the tree directly. Instead, the logic structure defines the extent to which these activities must be considered and the information systems and decision models required for successful implementation of the plan. The top structure of the tree is presented and a few branches are considered in detail. The impact of institutional activities, information systems, etc. is discussed. Tree quantification is considered
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Steiner, E.K. (Bayernwerk AG, Kernkraftwerk Grafenrheinfeld (Germany))
1994-04-01
Practice-oriented plant organization takes into account the human spheres of task and responsibility, training and qualification, communication and exchange of experience, setting of targets, management and control as well as motivation and loyalty. It constitutes the basis for meeting the demands on a safe and reliable nuclear power plant operation. This is demonstrated by the organization at the Grafenrheinfeld NPP. (DG)
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Schouwenaars, J.M.
1990-01-01
Plant-soil-water models are applied in two case studies. Attention is given to the desired level of accuracy in (agro-)hydrological. research when applied in problem-oriented studies. In the case studies it is shown that when decision criteria are only roughly known and when only
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Biogasification of plant waste choppings. Kasvijaetesilpun biokaasutus; Loppuraportti
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tenhunen, E.J.; Pelkonen, P.
1987-01-01
The literature on biogasification of plant bio masses is reviewed. So far it is possible to calculate, the energy potential of Finnish plant-based biomasses is 7.3 petajoules per yr. Biomasses not included are, for example, weakly decomposed surface peat and the utilizable part of tree biomass. In laboratory experiments, the decomposition of three plant materials, namely, potato haulm, tops of sugarbeet, and tops of jerusalem artichoke, was followed in 35 degrees Celsius. The total dry matter content of the masses in the beginning of the digestion was 20 per cent, the dry matter percentage of inoculum 0.7 per cent, and, in parts of experiments, the dry matter percentage of cattle manure or pig slurry was 19.3 per cent. The plant materials were dried before digestion to attain uniform dry matter conditions for the 1 liter bottles.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Haffmann, E. [GiS Gesellschaft fuer integrierte Systemplanung mbH, Erlangen (Germany)
2000-07-01
This contribution first deals with the duality of mercantile and technical plant management systems. The following aspects are considered: reasons for and history of this duality; different approaches taken by mercantile and technical plant management systems; differences in the standardisability of mercantile and technical tasks. Dissolution of the duality through coordinated interplay. The author then goes on to explain the most important components of technically oriented maintenance management. These include the collection of technical plant data (with maintenance-relevant data and relations); the establishment of recurring tasks, the commissioning method (involving occupational safety, packaging and evaluation), compilation of manuals, reporting and accompanying plant documentation. The following tools are useful for DP-assisted maintenance: depiction of organisational and operational structures (authorisation system + IBFS application); workflow systems; modelling (data and object models); navigators; form and dialogue generators; integration of external software (project planning, CAD and Office); interface to mercantile systems. Some highlights of the C/S-IBFS were demonstrated in practice at the symposium. [German] Das Referat behandelt zunaechst die Dualitaet von kaufmaennischen und technischen Betriebs-Management-Systemen anhand folgender Aspekte: - Gruende und Historie dieser Dualitaet, - unterschiedliche Loesungsansaetze von kaufmaennischen und technischen Betriebs-Management-Systemen, - unterschiedliche Standardisierbarkeit von kaufmaennischen und technischen Aufgabenstellungen, - Aufloesung der Dualitaet durch koordniertes Zusammenwirken. Sodann werden wichtige Bausteine eines technisch orientierten Instandhaltungs-Managements erlaeutert. Dazu gehoeren die technische Anlagenerfassung (mit instandhaltungsrelevanten Daten und Relationen), die Einrichtung wiederkehrender Aufgaben, das Arbeitsauftragsverfahren (mit Arbeitssicherheit, Paketierung und
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Bus-oriented digital control techniques in nuclear power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Salm, M.
1987-01-01
The author states the conservative principles which govern the authorization procedures for nuclear reactor control systems. Using the example of a feedwater supply regulator, employing a digital, bus-oriented control system, he describes how the stigma attached to the word nuclear can be alleviated. (G.T.H.)
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Methods for Determining Organic Matter and Colour in Water
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ramunė Albrektienė
2011-02-01
Full Text Available The article examines different methods for determining organic matter and colour in water. Most of organic compounds in water have a humic substance. These substances frequently form complexes with iron. Humic matter gives water a yellow-brownish colour. Water filtration through conventional sand filters does not remove colour and organic compounds, and therefore complicated water treatment methods shall be applied. The methods utilized for organic matter determination in water included research on total organic carbon, permanganate index and the bichromate number of UV absorption of 254 nm wave length. The obtained results showed the greatest dependence between water colour and permanganate index. However, UV adsorption could be used for organic matter determination during the operation of a water treatment plant and the start-up of plants as easy and fast methods.Article in Lithuanian
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Evaluation of the symbiotic nitrogen fixation in soybean by labelling of soil organic matter
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ruschel, A.P.; Freitas, J.R. de; Vose, P.B.
1982-01-01
An experiment was carried out using the isotopic dilution method to evaluate symbiotic nitrogen fixation in soybean grown in soil labelled with 15 N enriched organic matter. Symbiotic N 2 -fixed was 71-76% of total N in the plant. Non nodulated soybean utilized 56-59% N from organic matter and 40% from soil. Roots of nodulated plants had lower NdN 2 than aereal plant parts. The advantage of using labelled organic matter as compared with 15 N-fertilizer addition in evaluating N 2 -fixation is discussed. (Author) [pt
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Rineau, Francois; Roth, Doris; Shah, Firoz
2012-01-01
chemistry similar to that of brown-rot fungi. The set of enzymes expressed by Pa. involutus during the degradation of the organic matter was similar to the set of enzymes involved in the oxidative degradation of wood by brown-rot fungi. However, Pa. involutus lacked transcripts encoding extracellular...... the mycorrhizal fungi. To capture the nitrogen, the fungi must at least partly disrupt the recalcitrant organic matterprotein complexes within which the nitrogen is embedded. This disruption process is poorly characterized. We used spectroscopic analyses and transcriptome profiling to examine the mechanism...... by which the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus degrades organic matter when acquiring nitrogen from plant litter. The fungus partially degraded polysaccharides and modified the structure of polyphenols. The observed chemical changes were consistent with a hydroxyl radical attack, involving Fenton...
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Schubert, J. (Akademie der Landwirtschaftswissenschaften der DDR, Aschersleben. Inst. fuer Phytopathologie)
1982-01-01
Accumulation of nuclides (/sup 32/P, /sup 14/C), /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ assimilation and /sup 14/C transport were studied in several barley cultivars differing in their resistance to yellow rust. Increased matter accumulation was found in the rust pustules. Mycelium was proved by means of autoradiography. Infection causes changes with regard to /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ assimilation, carbohydrate regime and transport of /sup 14/C assimilation products. Certain relationships exist between these changes and plant resistance to yellow rust. During germination the rust uredospores release substances, particularly amino acids, to be transported in the plant.
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Lettau, Michael; Bendszus, Martin; Hähnel, Stefan
2013-06-01
Our aim was to evaluate the in vitro visualization of different carotid artery stents on angiographic CT (ACT). Of particular interest was the influence of stent orientation to the angiography system by measurement of artificial lumen narrowing (ALN) caused by the stent material within the stented vessel segment to determine whether ACT can be used to detect restenosis within the stent. ACT appearances of 17 carotid artery stents of different designs and sizes (4.0 to 11.0 mm) were investigated in vitro. Stents were placed in different orientations to the angiography system. Standard algorithm image reconstruction and stent-optimized algorithm image reconstruction was performed. For each stent, ALN was calculated. With standard algorithm image reconstruction, ALN ranged from 19.0 to 43.6 %. With stent-optimized algorithm image reconstruction, ALN was significantly lower and ranged from 8.2 to 18.7 %. Stent struts could be visualized in all stents. Differences in ALN between the different stent orientations to the angiography system were not significant. ACT evaluation of vessel patency after stent placement is possible but is impaired by ALN. Stent orientation of the stents to the angiography system did not significantly influence ALN. Stent-optimized algorithm image reconstruction decreases ALN but further research is required to define the visibility of in-stent stenosis depending on image reconstruction.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Skau, Katharina; Bettinger, Carola; Schild, Vernea; Fuchs, Clemens; Beck, Hans-Peter
2015-01-01
In an intelligent energy system, ''smart grid'' and ''smart market'' must go hand in hand (Aichele et al., 2014). Changes to the legal framework, especially the German Renewable Energies Act (EEG), aim at bringing in line the requirement for increased generation of renewable energy with the market and system integration of renewable energies (see Schwarz, 2014). This determines whether the operation of a modern renewable energy plant has both the maximisation of profits (smart market) as well as the easing of the higher-order grid (smart grid) as its goal or whether it is only geared towards one aspect. The agricultural biogas producer is the focus of this interdisciplinary paper. He can either use the electrical energy generated by his plant himself in an economically orientated way or design the supply to the upstream grid in a way that is advantageous for the grid through the increased flexibility of generation and consumption. Through a two-stage simulation of the impact on the grid and the operational performance, the differences with regards to the strain on the grid and the financial losses to the farmer are quantified. If is clearly shown that none of the legislative and regulatory incentive schemes favour a mode of operation that is advantageous for the grid.
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Size Matters — Determinants of Modern, Community-Oriented Mental Health Services
Ala-Nikkola, Taina; Pirkola, Sami; Kontio, Raija; Joffe, Grigori; Pankakoski, Maiju; Malin, Maili; Sadeniemi, Minna; Kaila, Minna; Wahlbeck, Kristian
2014-01-01
Governances, structures and contents of mental health services are being reformed across countries. There is a need for data to support those changes. The aim of this study was to explore the quality, i.e., diversity and community orientation, and quantity, i.e., personnel resources, of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) and evaluate correlation between population needs and quality and quantity of MHS. The European Service Mapping Schedule—Revised (ESMS-R) was used to classify mental health and substance abuse services in southern Finland. Municipal-level aggregate data, local data on unemployment rate, length of education, age of retirement, proportion of single households, alcohol sales and a composite mental health index were used as indicators of population mental health needs. Population size correlated strongly with service diversity, explaining 84% of the variance. Personnel resources did not associate with diversity or community orientation. The indicators of mental health services need did not have the expected association with quality and quantity of services. In terms of service organization, the results may support larger population bases, at least 150,000 adult inhabitants, when aiming for higher diversity. PMID:25153471
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Martins, D.
1987-01-01
To determine the effect of plant incorporated in the soil on the microclimate of plant growth, an experiment was carried out in greenhouse and then under field conditions. Plant residue of C-3 crops δ 13 C = - 27.6 0 /00, was incorporated in the soil. This altered the isotopic composition of the CO 2 in soil air and in atmospheric air of soil layers adjacent to the surface. The soil air CO 2 isotopic composition showed that approximately 79% carbon was from the incorporated organic matter and 50% to 3% in O to 30 cm layers, respectively, in the atmospheric air adjacent to the surface. The isotopic ratio 13 C/ 12 C of plants cultivated in soil with incorporated organic matter was determined and it was noted that the envolved CO 2 was photosynthetically absorved by the plants during growth. CO 2 contribution from organic matter to the isotopic composition of C-4 plants varied from 33% to 13% during growth. Plants cultivated in soil with organic matter had a better development than those cultivated in natural soil. Productivity was on average 50% greater than the control plants. (author) [pt
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Tritium in organic matter around Krsko Nuclear Power Plant
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kristof, Romana; Zorko, Benjamin; Kozar Logar, Jasmina; Kosenina, Suzana
2017-01-01
The aim of the research was to obtain first results of tritium in the organic matter of environmental samples in the vicinity of Krsko NPP. The emphasis was on the layout of suitable sampling network of crops and fruits in nearby agricultural area. Method for determination of tritium in organic matter in the form of Tissue Free Water Tritium (TFWT) and Organically Bound Tritium (OBT) has been implemented. Capabilities of the methods were tested on real environmental samples and its findings were compared to modeled activities of tritium from atmospheric releases and literature based results of TFWT and OBT. (author)
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Schneider, C.
2004-06-15
This report estimates the avoidable health effects of each of a series of alternative regulatory scenarios for power plants, focusing on the adverse human health effects due to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) This report uses the same analytical methods that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency used in 2003 to prepare an analysis of the potential health effects of the proposed Clear Skies Act (EPA 2003). This report conducts an analysis of the impacts in 2010 and 2020 of three policy alternatives to the proposed Clear Skies Act, The Jeffords/Lieberman/Collins 'The Clean Power Act', S. 366, and the EPA August 2001 Straw Proposal (one of several alternatives EPA analyzed prior to the announcement of the Clear Skies Initiative in 2002). The report also examines the health impacts associated with the total emissions from coal fired electricity generating units in 2010. Chapter 2 describes the emissions inventory estimates, and the changes in the emissions associated with each scenario analyzed. Chapter 3 describes the methods used to estimate changes in particulate matter concentrations. Chapter 4 describes general issues arising in estimating and valuing changes in adverse health effects associated with changes in particulate matter. Chapter 5 describes in some detail the methods used for estimating and valuing adverse health effects, and Chapter 6 presents the results of these analyses. Chapter 7 presents estimates of the impact of these alternative policy options on the PM non-attainment status. 117 refs., 21 figs., 32 tabs., 3 apps.
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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.
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Localization and Orientation of Xanthophylls in a Lipid Bilayer
Grudzinski, Wojciech; Nierzwicki, Lukasz; Welc, Renata; Reszczynska, Emilia; Luchowski, Rafal; Czub, Jacek; Gruszecki, Wieslaw I.
2017-01-01
Xanthophylls (polar carotenoids) play diverse biological roles, among which are modulation of the physical properties of lipid membranes and protection of biomembranes against oxidative damage. Molecular mechanisms underlying these functions are intimately related to the localization and orientation of xanthophyll molecules in lipid membranes. In the present work, we address the problem of localization and orientation of two xanthophylls present in the photosynthetic apparatus of plants and i...
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Castellano, Michael J; Mueller, Kevin E; Olk, Daniel C; Sawyer, John E; Six, Johan
2015-09-01
Labile, 'high-quality', plant litters are hypothesized to promote soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization in mineral soil fractions that are physicochemically protected from rapid mineralization. However, the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is inconsistent. High-quality litters, characterized by high N concentrations, low C/N ratios, and low phenol/lignin concentrations, are not consistently stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than 'low-quality' litters characterized by low N concentrations, high C/N ratios, and high phenol/lignin concentrations. Here, we attempt to resolve these inconsistent results by developing a new conceptual model that links litter quality to the soil C saturation concept. Our model builds on the Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization framework (Cotrufo et al., 2013) by suggesting the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is modulated by the extent of soil C saturation such that high-quality litters are not always stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than low-quality litters. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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The Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation on the Performance and Speed of Internationalization
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jörg Freiling
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Abstract Entrepreneurial orientation has emerged as a major construct in entrepreneurship literature. However, existing definitions of entrepreneurial orientation mainly focus on explorative behavior like innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking. Based on the long tradition of research on entrepreneurial functions, we argue that exploitative activities are no less an entrepreneurial endeavor than explorative activities. Following this understanding, we elaborate a broader conceptualization of the entrepreneurial orientation construct. In an empirical study with 346 established companies, we explore its effect on the performance of internationalization. Entrepreneurial orientation in its broader conceptualization positively influences the international performance and the effect is by far stronger than the one observed in existing studies. The reason for this is that both explorative and exploitative dimensions matter and equally drive the international performance. Entrepreneurial orientation positively influences the growth of the international activities as well. However, its effect is much lower. Whereas the explorative dimensions tend to foster the international growth, the exploitative dimensions do not show any effect.
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Dark Matter Reality Check: Chandra Casts Cloud On Alternative Theory
2002-10-01
New evidence from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory challenges an alternative theory of gravity that eliminates the need for dark matter. The observation also narrows the field for competing forms of dark matter, the elusive material thought to be the dominant form of matter in the universe. An observation of the galaxy NGC 720 shows it is enveloped in a slightly flattened, or ellipsoidal cloud of hot gas that has an orientation different from that of the optical image of the galaxy. The flattening is too large to be explained by theories in which stars and gas are assumed to contain most of the mass in the galaxy. "The shape and orientation of the hot gas cloud require it to be confined by an egg-shaped dark matter halo," said David Buote of the University of California, Irvine, and lead author of a report on this research in the 2002 September 20 issue of The Astrophysical Journal. "This means that dark matter is not just an illusion due to a shortcoming of the standard theory of gravity - it is real." According to the generally accepted standard theory of gravity, the hot X-ray cloud would need an additional source of gravity - a halo of dark matter - to keep the hot gas from expanding away. The mass of dark matter required would be about five to ten times the mass of the stars in the galaxy. If the dark matter tracked the optical light from the stars in the galaxy, the hot X-ray cloud would be more round than it is. The flattened shape of the hot gas cloud requires a flattened dark matter halo. An alternative theory of gravity called MOND, for Modified Newtonian Dynamics, was proposed in 1983 by Mordecai Milgrom of the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and has remained viable over the years. MOND does away with the need for dark matter by modifying the theory where the acceleration produced by gravity is very small, such as the outskirts of galaxies. However, MOND cannot explain the Chandra observation of NGC 720. This is apparently the first dynamical evidence that
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Idawati; Haryanto
2002-01-01
Organic matter in soil plays very important roles in agriculture, especially in highly weathered soil like most soils in Indonesia. Inorganic fertilizer which is an instant N source, is still required, to supply plant demand. Combination of organic matter and inorganic N fertilizer would be the best solution to achieve high agricultural product. To study organic matter addition in combination with N fertilizer in upland rice cultivation, two experiments were conducted in The Agricultural Research Station, Citayam. One experiment was a field experiment and the other was a pot experiment conducted in the field in which the field experiment was performed, by installing pots in the center of plot experiment 15N technique was applied in the pot experiment The experiments were designed with Randomized Block Design. Prior to the experiment. N soil was extracted by planting blanket plant. i.e. corn. The treatments for field and pot experiments were the same, i.e.: 0 as Control I (without organic matter, without N fertilizer); N as Control 2 (without organic matter, 45 kg N/ha at planting + 45 kg N/ha a month after planting); GN-I (Gliricidia at planting; 45 kg N/ha at planting + 22,5 kg N/ha a month after planting); GN-2 (Gliricidia at planting + Gliricidia a month after planting; 45 kg N/ha at planting); GN-3 (Gliricidia at planting; 22,5 kg N/ha at planting + 22,5 kg N/ha a month after planting); JN-I (rice straw at planting; 90 kg N/ha at planting); JN-2 (rice straw at planting; 45 kg N/ha a planting + 45 kg N/ha a month after planting); JN-3 (rice straw at planting; 45 kg N/ha at planting + 22,5 kg N/ba month after planting); KN-I(long bean residue at planting; 45 kg N/ha at planting + 22,5 kg N/ha a month after planting); KN-2 (long bean residue at planting; 22,5 kg N/ha at planting + 22,5 kg N/ha a month after planting). Soil N was successfully depleted by blanket plant showed by very low rice production and N uptake of Control I. Result of the pot experiment
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Why Learner-Centered New Faculty Orientations Matter: Organizational Culture and Faculty Retention
Scott, Whitney; Lemus, Daisy; Knotts, Greg; Oh, Janet
2016-01-01
A learner-centered New Faculty Orientation (NFO) can be a powerful way to immediately engage new faculty and develop their organizational identification to the institution and its values. Unfortunately, some NFOs do not model a learner-centered philosophy and miss opportunities to establish a collaborative and celebratory tone. In this paper, we…
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Klatt, M.
2007-12-20
A software-tool was developed, which, with its specially built component library, allows the modelling of availability and dynamic behaviour of large scale power plant units. The requested graphic representation near to the process flow schema required a search for new ways of data and information flow modelling. The large quantity of components of a power plant unit with its most important components thereby requires a block oriented modelling approach based on lumped and distributed lumped parameters. (orig.)
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Evaluation of conservation-oriented management on grayish brown soil
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Consuelo E. Hernández Rodríguez
2015-03-01
Full Text Available Conservation and improvement actions were taken to ensure the soil preservation in agricultural areas affected by erosion on a grayish brown soil of Sarduy farm in Cumanayagua, Cuba. The technology that was used included strip-till, crop rotation, live and/or dead barriers, channel terraces, contour farming and the addition of organic matter and biofertilizers. The implementation of the soil conservation-oriented management had an influence on the yield increase of 10.6% - 20.2%, on the decrease of the erosive processes with a retention of soils to 13.33 t.ha -1, on maintaining the soil pH and on the increment of the assimilable P2O5 contents and soil organic matter.
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Detecting climate-change responses of plants and soil organic matter using isotopomers
Schleucher, Jürgen; Ehlers, Ina; Segura, Javier; Haei, Mahsa; Augusti, Angela; Köhler, Iris; Zuidema, Pieter; Nilsson, Mats; Öquist, Mats
2015-04-01
Responses of vegetation and soils to environmental changes will strongly influence future climate, and responses on century time scales are most important for feedbacks on the carbon cycle, climate models, prediction of crop productivity, and for adaptation to climate change. That plants respond to increasing CO2 on century time scales has been proven by changes in stomatal index, but very little is known beyond this. In soil, the complexity of soil organic matter (SOM) has hampered a sufficient understanding of the temperature sensitivity of SOM turnover. Here we present new stable isotope methodology that allows detecting shifts in metabolism on long time scales, and elucidating SOM turnover on the molecular level. Compound-specific isotope analysis measures isotope ratios of defined metabolites, but as average of the entire molecule. Here we demonstrate how much more detailed information can be obtained from analyses of intramolecular distributions of stable isotopes, so-called isotopomer abundances. As key tool, we use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which allows detecting isotope abundance with intramolecular resolution and without risk for isotope fractionation during analysis. Enzyme isotope fractionations create non-random isotopomer patterns in biochemical metabolites. At natural isotope abundance, these patterns continuously store metabolic information. We present a strategy how these patterns can be used as to extract signals on plant physiology, climate variables, and their interactions. Applied in retrospective analyses to herbarium samples and tree-ring series, we detect century-time-scale metabolic changes in response to increasing atmospheric CO2, with no evidence for acclimatory reactions by the plants. In trees, the increase in photosynthesis expected from increasing CO2 ("CO2 fertilization) was diminished by increasing temperatures, which resolves the discrepancy between expected increases in photosynthesis and commonly observed
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Remote sensing object-oriented approaches coupled with ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Hence the combined use of new generation sensor imagery and the employment of object-oriented image classification techniques provided more accurate information on Melia invasion in the study area. This is an encouraging result given the high degree of intermingling of Melia with other plants at the study site.
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Function-oriented display system: background and first prototypes
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Andresen, Gisle; Friberg, Maarten; Teigen, Arild; Pirus, Dominique
2004-04-01
The objective of the function-oriented displays and alarm project is to design, implement and evaluate Human System Interfaces (HSI) based on a function-oriented design philosophy. Function-oriented design is an approach for designing HSIs where the plant's functions, identified through a function analysis, are used for determining the content, organisation, and management of displays. The project has used the 'FITNESS approach', originally developed by EDF in France, as a starting point. FITNESS provides an integrated display system consisting of process operating displays, operating procedures, alarms and trend displays - all based on a functional decomposition of the plant. So far, two prototypes have been implemented on the FRESH PWR simulator in HAMMLAB. The first prototype focused on the condensate pumps. Three process operating displays representing functions at different levels of the functional hierarchy were implemented. Computerised startup and shutdown procedures for the condensate pumps function were also implemented. In the second prototype, the scope was increased to cover the main feedwater system. The displays of the first prototype were redesigned and additional displays were created. In conclusion, the first phase of the project has been completed successfully, and we are now ready to enter the second phase. In the second phase, the scope of the prototype will be increased further to include the steam-generators and function-oriented disturbance operating procedures. The prototype will be evaluated in a user test conducted later in 2004. (Author)
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Source contributions and regional transport of primary particulate matter in China
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hu, Jianlin; Wu, Li; Zheng, Bo; Zhang, Qiang; He, Kebin; Chang, Qing; Li, Xinghua; Yang, Fumo; Ying, Qi; Zhang, Hongliang
2015-01-01
A source-oriented CMAQ was applied to determine source sector/region contributions to primary particulate matter (PPM) in China. Four months were simulated with emissions grouped to eight regions and six sectors. Predicted elemental carbon (EC), primary organic carbon (POC), and PPM concentrations and source contributions agree with measurements and have significant spatiotemporal variations. Residential is a major contributor to spring/winter EC (50–80%), POC (60%–90%), and PPM (30–70%). For summer/fall, industrial contributes 30–50% for EC/POC and 40–60% for PPM. Transportation is more important for EC (20–30%) than POC/PPM ( 90% in Beijing. - Highlights: • A source-oriented CMAQ was established for primary particulate matter (PPM). • Source and region contributions to EC, POC and PPM in China were quantified. • Residential is major in spring/winter and industrial dominates in summer/fall. • Open burning is more important for southern while dust is in contrast. • Both local and Heibei emissions contribute to PPM in Beijing. - Source and region contributions to primary particulate matter in China were quantified for four months during 2012-2013. Residential and industrial are the major contributors.
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Some Quality Traits of Different Wild Plants
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mustafa AVCI
2009-12-01
Full Text Available This research was carried out to determine quality properties of some pasture plant species. In this research, 10 different pasture plant species were used as materials which were collected from Diyarbakir pasture areas of Turkey. At the end of research, quality properties of pasture plants were ranged from lowest to highest for average dry matter 11.5-30.9%, average crude protein 12.6-26.6%, crude ash 5.5-21.2%, acid detergent fiber 22.0-43.0%, neutral detergent fiber 20.5-56.1%, digestible dry matter 55.4-71.8%, dry matter intake 2.1-5.9% and relative feed value 90.2-327.0. Among the pasture plants studied, higher crude protein level than averages of species following plants may have importance, respectively: Centaurea iberica, Sinapsis arvensis, Convolvulus arvensis, Rumex conglomeratus, Crambe orientalis, Amaranthus retroflexus, Polygonum aviculare, Anchusa strigosa and Malva neglecta. For relative feed value has been remarked: Sinapsis arvensis, Rumex conglomeratus, Amaranthus retroflexus, Crambe orientalis, Centaurea iberica and Hypecoum imberbe.
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Some Quality Traits of Different Wild Plants
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mehmet BASBAG
2010-03-01
Full Text Available This research was carried out to determine quality properties of some pasture plant species. In this research, 10 different pasture plant species were used as materials which were collected from Diyarbakir pasture areas of Turkey. At the end of research, quality properties of pasture plants were ranged from lowest to highest for average dry matter 11.5-30.9%, average crude protein 12.6-26.6%, crude ash 5.5-21.2%, acid detergent fiber 22.0-43.0%, neutral detergent fiber 20.5-56.1%, digestible dry matter 55.4-71.8%, dry matter intake 2.1-5.9% and relative feed value 90.2-327.0. Among the pasture plants studied, higher crude protein level than averages of species following plants may have importance, respectively: Centaurea iberica, Sinapsis arvensis, Convolvulus arvensis, Rumex conglomeratus, Crambe orientalis, Amaranthus retroflexus, Polygonum aviculare, Anchusa strigosa and Malva neglecta. For relative feed value has been remarked: Sinapsis arvensis, Rumex conglomeratus, Amaranthus retroflexus, Crambe orientalis, Centaurea iberica and Hypecoum imberbe.
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Zomeren, van A.
2008-01-01
Natural organic matter (NOM) is the material that is formed after the natural
decomposition and transformation of dead plant and animal matter. The fresh
organic matter (e.g. plant leaves or animal debris) is decomposed and
transformed by microbial activity. As such, NOM is found -
Danish emission inventories for stationary combustion plants
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Nielsen, Malene; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth; Plejdrup, Marlene Schmidt
Emission inventories for stationary combustion plants are presented and the methodologies and assumptions used for the inventories are described. The pollutants considered are SO2, NOx, NMVOC, CH4, CO, CO2, N2O, NH3, particulate matter, heavy metals, PCDD/F, HCB and PAH. The CO2 emission in 2011...... of decreased emissions from large power plants and waste incineration plants. The combustion of wood in residential plants has increased considerably until 2007 resulting in increased emission of PAH and particulate matter. The emission of NMVOC has increased since 1990 as a result of both the increased...... combustion of wood in residential plants and the increased emission from lean-burn gas engines. The PCDD/F emission decreased since 1990 due to flue gas cleaning on waste incineration plants....
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Hydrodynamics of soft active matter
Marchetti, M. C.; Joanny, J. F.; Ramaswamy, S.; Liverpool, T. B.; Prost, J.; Rao, Madan; Simha, R. Aditi
2013-07-01
This review summarizes theoretical progress in the field of active matter, placing it in the context of recent experiments. This approach offers a unified framework for the mechanical and statistical properties of living matter: biofilaments and molecular motors in vitro or in vivo, collections of motile microorganisms, animal flocks, and chemical or mechanical imitations. A major goal of this review is to integrate several approaches proposed in the literature, from semimicroscopic to phenomenological. In particular, first considered are “dry” systems, defined as those where momentum is not conserved due to friction with a substrate or an embedding porous medium. The differences and similarities between two types of orientationally ordered states, the nematic and the polar, are clarified. Next, the active hydrodynamics of suspensions or “wet” systems is discussed and the relation with and difference from the dry case, as well as various large-scale instabilities of these nonequilibrium states of matter, are highlighted. Further highlighted are various large-scale instabilities of these nonequilibrium states of matter. Various semimicroscopic derivations of the continuum theory are discussed and connected, highlighting the unifying and generic nature of the continuum model. Throughout the review, the experimental relevance of these theories for describing bacterial swarms and suspensions, the cytoskeleton of living cells, and vibrated granular material is discussed. Promising extensions toward greater realism in specific contexts from cell biology to animal behavior are suggested, and remarks are given on some exotic active-matter analogs. Last, the outlook for a quantitative understanding of active matter, through the interplay of detailed theory with controlled experiments on simplified systems, with living or artificial constituents, is summarized.
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ESARDA approach to facility oriented safeguards problems
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stewart, R.
1979-01-01
The paper outlines the brief history of a Working Group composed of nuclear fuel plant operators, safeguards research workers and safeguards inspectors who are examining facility orientated problems of nuclear materials control and verification activities. The working program is reviewed together with some examples of various problems and the way the group is collaborating to develop solutions by pooling resources and effort. Work in European low enriched uranium fabrication plants from UF 6 to finished fuel is discussed in connection with mesurement practices, real time accounting, error propagation and analysis, verification and surveillance
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The impact of vegetation on sedimentary organic matter composition and PAH desorption
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie [North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)], E-mail: elizabeth_nichols@ncsu.edu; Gregory, Samuel T.; Musella, Jennifer S. [North Carolina State University, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, 2800 Faucette Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States)
2008-12-15
Relationships between sedimentary organic matter (SOM) composition and PAH desorption behavior were determined for vegetated and non-vegetated refinery distillate waste sediments. Sediments were fractionated into size, density, and humin fractions and analyzed for their organic matter content. Bulk sediment and humin fractions differed more in organic matter composition than size/density fractions. Vegetated humin and bulk sediments contained more polar organic carbon, black carbon, and modern (plant) carbon than non-vegetated sediment fractions. Desorption kinetics of phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and C{sub 3}-phenanthrene/anthracenes from humin and bulk sediments were investigated using Tenax beads and a two-compartment, first-order kinetic model. PAH desorption from distillate waste sediments appeared to be controlled by the slow desorbing fractions of sediment; rate constants were similar to literature values for k{sub slow} and k{sub veryslow}. After several decades of plant colonization and growth (Phragmites australis), vegetated sediment fractions more extensively desorbed PAHs and had faster desorption kinetics than non-vegetated sediment fractions. - Plants alter sediment organic matter composition and PAH desorption behavior.
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The impact of vegetation on sedimentary organic matter composition and PAH desorption
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Nichols, Elizabeth Guthrie; Gregory, Samuel T.; Musella, Jennifer S.
2008-01-01
Relationships between sedimentary organic matter (SOM) composition and PAH desorption behavior were determined for vegetated and non-vegetated refinery distillate waste sediments. Sediments were fractionated into size, density, and humin fractions and analyzed for their organic matter content. Bulk sediment and humin fractions differed more in organic matter composition than size/density fractions. Vegetated humin and bulk sediments contained more polar organic carbon, black carbon, and modern (plant) carbon than non-vegetated sediment fractions. Desorption kinetics of phenanthrene, pyrene, chrysene, and C 3 -phenanthrene/anthracenes from humin and bulk sediments were investigated using Tenax beads and a two-compartment, first-order kinetic model. PAH desorption from distillate waste sediments appeared to be controlled by the slow desorbing fractions of sediment; rate constants were similar to literature values for k slow and k veryslow . After several decades of plant colonization and growth (Phragmites australis), vegetated sediment fractions more extensively desorbed PAHs and had faster desorption kinetics than non-vegetated sediment fractions. - Plants alter sediment organic matter composition and PAH desorption behavior
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High Energy Electron Signals from Dark Matter Annihilation in the Sun
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Schuster, Philip; /SLAC; Toro, Natalia; /Stanford U., ITP; Weiner, Neal; Yavin, Itay; /New York U., CCPP
2012-04-09
In this paper we discuss two mechanisms by which high energy electrons resulting from dark matter annihilations in or near the Sun can arrive at the Earth. Specifically, electrons can escape the sun if DM annihilates into long-lived states, or if dark matter scatters inelastically, which would leave a halo of dark matter outside of the sun. Such a localized source of electrons may affect the spectra observed by experiments with narrower fields of view oriented towards the sun, such as ATIC, differently from those with larger fields of view such as Fermi. We suggest a simple test of these possibilities with existing Fermi data that is more sensitive than limits from final state radiation. If observed, such a signal will constitute an unequivocal signature of dark matter.
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Lin, Huirong; Zhang, Shuting; Zhang, Shenghua; Lin, Wenfang; Yu, Xin
2017-04-01
To understand the relationship between chemical and microbial treatment at each treatment step, as well as the relationship between microbial community structure in biofilms in biofilters and their ecological functions, a drinking water plant with severe organic matter-polluted source water was investigated. The bacterial community dynamics of two drinking water supply systems (traditional and advanced treatment processes) in this plant were studied from the source to the product water. Analysis by 454 pyrosequencing was conducted to characterize the bacterial diversity in each step of the treatment processes. The bacterial communities in these two treatment processes were highly diverse. Proteobacteria, which mainly consisted of beta-proteobacteria, was the dominant phylum. The two treatment processes used in the plant could effectively remove organic pollutants and microbial polution, especially the advanced treatment process. Significant differences in the detection of the major groups were observed in the product water samples in the treatment processes. The treatment processes, particularly the biological pretreatment and O 3 -biological activated carbon in the advanced treatment process, highly influenced the microbial community composition and the water quality. Some opportunistic pathogens were found in the water. Nitrogen-relative microorganisms found in the biofilm of filters may perform an important function on the microbial community composition and water quality improvement.
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Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families: Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter?
Farr, Rachel H.; Forssell, Stephen L.; Patterson, Charlotte J.
2010-01-01
This study, funded by Williams Institute, investigated child development and parenting in 106 families headed by 27 lesbian, 29 gay, and 50 heterosexual couples with young adopted children. Parents and teachers reported that, on average, children were developing in typical ways. Measures of children’s adjustment, parenting approaches, parenting stress, and couple relationship adjustment were not significantly associated with parental sexual orientation. However, several family process variabl...
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Mapping Magnetic Susceptibility Anisotropies of White Matter in vivo in the Human Brain at 7 Tesla
Li, Xu; Vikram, Deepti S; Lim, Issel Anne L; Jones, Craig K; Farrell, Jonathan A.D.; van Zijl, Peter C. M.
2012-01-01
High-resolution magnetic resonance phase- or frequency- shift images acquired at high field show contrast related to magnetic susceptibility differences between tissues. Such contrast varies with the orientation of the organ in the field, but the development of quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) has made it possible to reproducibly image the intrinsic tissue susceptibility contrast. However, recent studies indicate that magnetic susceptibility is anisotropic in brain white matter and, as such, needs to be described by a symmetric second-rank tensor (χ¯¯). To fully determine the elements of this tensor, it would be necessary to acquire frequency data at six or more orientations. Assuming cylindrical symmetry of the susceptibility tensor in myelinated white matter fibers, we propose a simplified method to reconstruct the susceptibility tensor in terms of a mean magnetic susceptibility, MMS = (χ∥ + 2χ⊥)/3 and a magnetic susceptibility anisotropy, MSA = χ∥ − χ⊥, where χ∥ and χ⊥ are susceptibility parallel and perpendicular to the white matter fiber direction, respectively. Computer simulations show that with a practical head rotation angle of around 20°–30°, four head orientations suffice to reproducibly reconstruct the tensor with good accuracy. We tested this approach on whole brain 1×1×1 mm3 frequency data acquired from five healthy subjects at 7 T. The frequency information from phase images collected at four head orientations was combined with the fiber direction information extracted from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to map the white matter susceptibility tensor. The MMS and MSA were quantified for regions in several large white matter fiber structures, including the corona radiata, posterior thalamic radiation and corpus callosum. MMS ranged from −0.037 to −0.053 ppm (referenced to CSF being about zero). MSA values could be quantified without the need for a reference and ranged between 0.004 and 0.029 ppm, in line with
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Atmospheric transformation of plant volatiles disrupts host plant finding
Li, Tao; Blande, James D.; Holopainen, Jarmo K.
2016-09-01
Plant-emitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play important roles in plant-insect interactions. Atmospheric pollutants such as ozone (O3) can react with VOCs and affect the dynamics and fidelity of these interactions. However, the effects of atmospheric degradation of plant VOCs on plant-insect interactions remains understudied. We used a system comprising Brassica oleracea subsp. capitata (cabbage) and the specialist herbivore Plutella xylostella to test whether O3-triggered VOC degradation disturbs larval host orientation, and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Larvae oriented towards both constitutive and larva-induced cabbage VOC blends, the latter being the more attractive. Such behaviour was, however, dramatically reduced in O3-polluted environments. Mechanistically, O3 rapidly degraded VOCs with the magnitude of degradation increasing with O3 levels. Furthermore, we used Teflon filters to collect VOCs and their reaction products, which were used as odour sources in behavioural tests. Larvae avoided filters exposed to O3-transformed VOCs and spent less time searching on them compared to filters exposed to original VOCs, which suggests that some degradation products may have repellent properties. Our study clearly demonstrates that oxidizing pollutants in the atmosphere can interfere with insect host location, and highlights the need to address their broader impacts when evaluating the ecological significance of VOC-mediated interactions.
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Tensorial spacetime geometries carrying predictive, interpretable and quantizable matter dynamics
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Rivera Hernandez, Sergio
2012-01-01
Which tensor fields G on a smooth manifold M can serve as a spacetime structure? In the first part of this thesis, it is found that only a severely restricted class of tensor fields can provide classical spacetime geometries, namely those that can carry predictive, interpretable and quantizable matter dynamics. The obvious dependence of this characterization of admissible tensorial spacetime geometries on specific matter is not a weakness, but rather presents an insight: it was Maxwell theory that justified Einstein to promote Lorentzian manifolds to the status of a spacetime geometry. Any matter that does not mimick the structure of Maxwell theory, will force us to choose another geometry on which the matter dynamics of interest are predictive, interpretable and quantizable. These three physical conditions on matter impose three corresponding algebraic conditions on the totally symmetric contravariant coefficient tensor field P that determines the principal symbol of the matter field equations in terms of the geometric tensor G: the tensor field P must be hyperbolic, time-orientable and energy-distinguishing. Remarkably, these physically necessary conditions on the geometry are mathematically already sufficient to realize all kinematical constructions familiar from Lorentzian geometry, for precisely the same structural reasons. This we were able to show employing a subtle interplay of convex analysis, the theory of partial differential equations and real algebraic geometry. In the second part of this thesis, we then explore general properties of any hyperbolic, time-orientable and energy-distinguishing tensorial geometry. Physically most important are the construction of freely falling non-rotating laboratories, the appearance of admissible modified dispersion relations to particular observers, and the identification of a mechanism that explains why massive particles that are faster than some massless particles can radiate off energy until they are slower than all
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Tensorial spacetime geometries carrying predictive, interpretable and quantizable matter dynamics
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Rivera Hernandez, Sergio
2012-02-15
Which tensor fields G on a smooth manifold M can serve as a spacetime structure? In the first part of this thesis, it is found that only a severely restricted class of tensor fields can provide classical spacetime geometries, namely those that can carry predictive, interpretable and quantizable matter dynamics. The obvious dependence of this characterization of admissible tensorial spacetime geometries on specific matter is not a weakness, but rather presents an insight: it was Maxwell theory that justified Einstein to promote Lorentzian manifolds to the status of a spacetime geometry. Any matter that does not mimick the structure of Maxwell theory, will force us to choose another geometry on which the matter dynamics of interest are predictive, interpretable and quantizable. These three physical conditions on matter impose three corresponding algebraic conditions on the totally symmetric contravariant coefficient tensor field P that determines the principal symbol of the matter field equations in terms of the geometric tensor G: the tensor field P must be hyperbolic, time-orientable and energy-distinguishing. Remarkably, these physically necessary conditions on the geometry are mathematically already sufficient to realize all kinematical constructions familiar from Lorentzian geometry, for precisely the same structural reasons. This we were able to show employing a subtle interplay of convex analysis, the theory of partial differential equations and real algebraic geometry. In the second part of this thesis, we then explore general properties of any hyperbolic, time-orientable and energy-distinguishing tensorial geometry. Physically most important are the construction of freely falling non-rotating laboratories, the appearance of admissible modified dispersion relations to particular observers, and the identification of a mechanism that explains why massive particles that are faster than some massless particles can radiate off energy until they are slower than all
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Effect of organic matter and Si liquid fertilizer on growth and yield of sugar cane
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Djajadi Djajadi
2017-02-01
Full Text Available Sugarcane is known to absorb more Si than any other nutrient from the soil; therefore continuous cropping of the plant at the same soil would bring consequences of more Si and organic matter depletion. Silicon (Si is considered as a beneficial nutrient for sugarcane production while organic matter is well known as soil amendment. Field study was carried out to know the effect of organic and Si liquid fertilizer on growth, Si and N uptake, and yield of cane variety of PSBM 901. The study field was located at Kempleng village, Purwoasri, East Java and the study was done from May 2013 up to September 2014. Split plot design with three replicates was employed to arrange treatments. Organic matter types (no organic matter, Crotalaria juncea and manure were set as main plots while Si liquid fertilizer concentration (0, 15% Si and 30% S were arranged as sub plots. C juncea was planted at 15 days before planting of sugar cane, and after 35 days the C juncea were chopped and mixed into the soil. Manure was added one week before sugar cane was planted. Si liquid fertilizer was sprayed to the whole part of sugar cane plant at 30 and 50 days after sugar cane was planted. All treatments received basal fertilizer of 800 kg ZA/ha, 200 kg SP 36/ha and 300 kg KCl/ha. Results showed that interaction between organic matter and Si liquid fertilizer significantly affected on Si and N absorption, length of stem, yield and rendement of sugar cane. Addition of manure and followed by spraying of 30% Si liquid fertilizer gave the highest value of S and N absorption (869 g SiO2/plant and 720 g N/plant, cane yield (155.74 tons/ha and rendement (8.15%.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Andersson, F
1970-01-01
As a part of an IBP project the productivity of the south Swedish deciduous woodland ecosystems and their secondary successional stages a comparison between the distribution of organic matter in a mixed deciduous woodland dominated by Quercus robur, Tilia cordata, Corylus avellana and Anemone nemorosa and a tall herb meadow with Filipendula ulmaria within the nemoral zone in the southernmost part of Sweden has been made. Estimations of the plant biomass and production in the woodland was made by a dimension analysis applying allometric equations. A total plant biomass of 240 t/ha was found with 201 t/ha and 39 t/ha as above-and below-ground figures respectively. The corresponding figures of the net primary production are 15.6, 13.3 and 2.3 t/ha. A production of 0.77 t/ha is included for the above-ground production of the field layer. The litter fall, fractions less than 50 cm long, during a three year period amounted to 5.28 t/ha with considerable variation between years. Including coarser litter fractions an yearly input to the ground of 6.5 t/ha was found. After estimation of the remaining litter before the leaf fall, 6.1 t/ha, the yearly turnover of the litter layer is calculated to 52%. As the humus fraction amounts to 218 t/ha, the total content of organic matter in the woodland ecosystem thus is 463 t/ha with an almost equal distribution between above-and below-ground portions. In the meadow the distribution of above-and below-ground portions of the organic matter is 1/49, calculated from the following figures: Above-ground biomass 4.7 t/ha, below-ground biomass 13.2 t/ha, surface litter 2.4 t/ha and humus 304 t/ha making the total organic matter of the meadow ecosystem 324 t/ha. The yearly above-ground production is estimated to be 7.2 t/ha and taking this as the yearly litter input to the ground and taking the remaining litter into account a turnover of the litter layer 75% is calculated.
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Spin alignment of dark matter halos in filaments and walls
Aragon-Calvo, Miguel A.; van de Weygaert, Rien; Jones, Bernard J. T.; van der Hulst, J. M.
2007-01-01
The MMF technique is used to segment the cosmic web as seen in a cosmological N-body simulation into wall-like and filament-like structures. We find that the spins and shapes of dark matter halos are significantly correlated with each other and with the orientation of their host structures. The
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Spin alignment of dark matter haloes in filaments and walls
Aragón-Calvo, M. A.; Weygaert, R. van de; Jones, B. J. T.; Hulst, T. van der
2006-01-01
Abstract: The MMF technique is used to segment the cosmic web as seen in a cosmological N-body simulation into wall-like and filament-like structures. We find that the spins and shapes of dark matter haloes are significantly correlated with each other and with the orientation of their host
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Rasheed, Fahad; Dreyer, Erwin; Richard, Béatrice; Brignolas, Franck; Montpied, Pierre; Le Thiec, Didier
2013-01-01
(13) C discrimination between atmosphere and bulk leaf matter (Δ(13) C(lb) ) is frequently used as a proxy for transpiration efficiency (TE). Nevertheless, its relevance is challenged due to: (1) potential deviations from the theoretical discrimination model, and (2) complex time integration and upscaling from leaf to whole plant. Six hybrid genotypes of Populus deltoides×nigra genotypes were grown in climate chambers and tested for whole-plant TE (i.e. accumulated biomass/water transpired). Net CO(2) assimilation rates (A) and stomatal conductance (g(s) ) were recorded in parallel to: (1) (13) C in leaf bulk material (δ(13) C(lb) ) and in soluble sugars (δ(13) C(ss) ) and (2) (18) O in leaf water and bulk leaf material. Genotypic means of δ(13) C(lb) and δ(13) C(ss) were tightly correlated. Discrimination between atmosphere and soluble sugars was correlated with daily intrinsic TE at leaf level (daily mean A/g(s) ), and with whole-plant TE. Finally, g(s) was positively correlated to (18) O enrichment of bulk matter or water of leaves at individual level, but not at genotype level. We conclude that Δ(13) C(lb) captures efficiently the genetic variability of whole-plant TE in poplar. Nevertheless, scaling from leaf level to whole-plant TE requires to take into account water losses and respiration independent of photosynthesis, which remain poorly documented. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
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Danish emission inventories for stationary combustion plants
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Nielsen, Malene; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth; Plejdrup, Marlene Schmidt
Emission inventories for stationary combustion plants are presented and the methodologies and assumptions used for the inventories are described. The pollutants considered are SO2, NOx, NMVOC, CH4, CO, CO2, N2O, NH3, particulate matter, heavy metals, dioxins, HCB and PAH. The CO2 emission in 2008...... incineration plants. The combustion of wood in residential plants has increased considerably in recent years resulting in increased emission of PAH, particulate matter and CO. The emission of NMVOC has increased since 1990 as a result of both the increased combustion of wood in residential plants...... and the increased emission from lean-burn gas engines. The dioxin emission decreased since 1990 due to flue gas cleaning on waste incineration plants. However in recent years the emission has increased as a result of the increased combustion of wood in residential plants....
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Danish emission inventories for stationary combustion plants
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Nielsen, Malene; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth; Plejdrup, Marlene Schmidt
Emission inventories for stationary combustion plants are presented and the methodologies and assumptions used for the inventories are described. The pollutants considered are SO2, NOx, NMVOC, CH4, CO, CO2, N2O, particulate matter, heavy metals, dioxins, HCB and PAH. The CO2 emission in 2007 was 10...... incineration plants. The combustion of wood in residential plants has increased considerably in recent years resulting in increased emission of PAH, particulate matter and CO. The emission of NMVOC has increased since 1990 as a result of both the increased combustion of wood in residential plants...... and the increased emission from lean-burn gas engines. The dioxin emission decreased since 1990 due to flue gas cleaning on waste incineration plants. However in recent years the emission has increased as a result of the increased combustion of wood in residential plants....
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Is a condensed state of nuclear matter possible?
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
D'yakonov, D.I.; Mirlin, A.D.
1988-01-01
Nucleon chiral models naturally lead to the concept of ''generalized'' or ''classical'' nucleons which are characterized by a definite orientation in spin-isospin space. Nucleons and Δ resonances are different rotational states of generalized nucleons. Interaction of two generalized nucleons is sharply anisotropic and at a definite relative orientation leads to very strong attraction. This gives an idea of possible existence of a condensed state of nuclear matter, i.e. of a crystal or Fermi liquid with a short-range order which consists of N and Δ coherent superpositions. The variational estimate shows that at densities a few times that of the standard nuclear density this condensed state may be energetically favourable
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Granberg, Tobias; Fan, Qiuyun; Treaba, Constantina Andrada; Ouellette, Russell; Herranz, Elena; Mangeat, Gabriel; Louapre, Céline; Cohen-Adad, Julien; Klawiter, Eric C; Sloane, Jacob A; Mainero, Caterina
2017-11-01
Neuroaxonal pathology is a main determinant of disease progression in multiple sclerosis; however, its underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, including its link to inflammatory demyelination and temporal occurrence in the disease course are still unknown. We used ultra-high field (7 T), ultra-high gradient strength diffusion and T1/T2-weighted myelin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging to characterize microstructural changes in myelin and neuroaxonal integrity in the cortex and white matter in early stage multiple sclerosis, their distribution in lesional and normal-appearing tissue, and their correlations with neurological disability. Twenty-six early stage multiple sclerosis subjects (disease duration ≤5 years) and 24 age-matched healthy controls underwent 7 T T2*-weighted imaging for cortical lesion segmentation and 3 T T1/T2-weighted myelin-sensitive imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging for assessing microstructural myelin, axonal and dendrite integrity in lesional and normal-appearing tissue of the cortex and the white matter. Conventional mean diffusivity and fractional anisotropy metrics were also assessed for comparison. Cortical lesions were identified in 92% of early multiple sclerosis subjects and they were characterized by lower intracellular volume fraction (P = 0.015 by paired t-test), lower myelin-sensitive contrast (P = 0.030 by related-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test) and higher mean diffusivity (P = 0.022 by related-samples Wilcoxon signed-rank test) relative to the contralateral normal-appearing cortex. Similar findings were observed in white matter lesions relative to normal-appearing white matter (all P test) and lower fractional anisotropy (P Wilcoxon signed-rank test) suggestive of less coherent underlying fibre orientation. Additionally, the normal-appearing white matter in multiple sclerosis subjects had diffusely lower intracellular volume fractions than the white matter in controls (P = 0.029 by unpaired
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Phototropic solar tracking in sunflower plants: an integrative perspective
Kutschera, Ulrich; Briggs, Winslow R.
2016-01-01
Background One of the best-known plant movements, phototropic solar tracking in sunflower (Helianthus annuus), has not yet been fully characterized. Two questions are still a matter of debate. (1) Is the adaptive significance solely an optimization of photosynthesis via the exposure of the leaves to the sun? (2) Is shade avoidance involved in this process? In this study, these concepts are discussed from a historical perspective and novel insights are provided. Scope and Methods Results from the primary literature on heliotropic growth movements led to the conclusion that these responses cease before anthesis, so that the flowering heads point to the East. Based on observations on 10-week-old plants, the diurnal East–West oscillations of the upper fifth of the growing stem and leaves in relation to the position of the sun (inclusive of nocturnal re-orientation) were documented, and photon fluence rates on the leaf surfaces on clear, cloudy and rainy days were determined. In addition, the light–response curve of net CO2 assimilation was determined on the upper leaves of the same batch of plants, and evidence for the occurrence of shade-avoidance responses in growing sunflower plants is summarized. Conclusions. Only elongating, vegetative sunflower shoots and the upper leaves perform phototropic solar tracking. Photon fluence response and CO2 assimilation measurements cast doubt on the ‘photosynthesis-optimization hypothesis’ as the sole explanation for the evolution of these plant movements. We suggest that the shade-avoidance response, which maximizes light-driven CO2 assimilation, plays a major role in solar tracking populations of competing sunflower plants, and an integrative scheme of these growth movements is provided. PMID:26420201
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
mohamad reza asghari poor
2009-06-01
Full Text Available The effect of plant density and nitrogen fertilizer on canopy light interception and on flowering was investigated in hemp (Cannabis sativa L. cv. ‘Kompolti’ Crop grown at initial densities of 50, 150 and 250 plants/m2 at the Mashhad and 30, 90 and 150 plants/m2 at the Shirvan. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied before and 45 days after sowing at a rates of 50 and 200 kg/ha at the Mashhad, and 50, 150 and 250 kg/ha at the Shirvan. Rate of canopy development increased with increasing plant density and nitrogen fertilizer in both sites. At the Mashhad, interception of 90% of light was attained at 380 to 665 degree days (base 2°C from emergence for the crop grown at different densities. At Shirvan, rate of canopy development was slower. Interception of 90% of light was attained at 586 degree days from emergence for the crop grown at 30 plants/m2 and at 712 degree days for the crop grown at 150 plants/m2, probably as a result of cold weather. Nitrogen fertilizer in a similar way as plant density increased light interception. Maximum light interception did not depend on plant density and nitrogen fertilizer and was about 95%. In both sites, the flowering date was later with increasing plant density. Dates of 75% flowering for the initial densities of 50, 150 and 250 plants/m2 in Mashhad and 30, 90 and 150 plants/m2 in Shirvan were, respectively 26 August, 1, 6, 6, 11 and 12 September. Independent of plant density, canopy light interception started to decline at about 150 degree days after flowering, reaching 58 to 75% at about 700 degree days post-flowering. Morphological characteristics at both sites were highly correlated with plant sexual, plant population and nitrogen fertilizer. Highest stem, leaf and inflorescence yield were obtained in Mashhad at 250 plant/m-2 and in Shirvan at 150 plant m-2 when 200 kg N ha-1 in Mashhad and 250 kg N/ha in Shirvan was used. Above ground dry matter increased at both sites with increasing plant density and
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Order-disorder transition of vortex matter in Mg{sub 0.9}B{sub 2}: anisotropic effects
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Oliveira, A A M; Ortiz, W A [Grupo de Supercondutividade e Magnetismo, Departamento de Fisica, Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil); Sharma, P A; Hur, N; Cheong, S-W, E-mail: ana@df.ufscar.b, E-mail: ana@df.ufscar.b [Rutgers Center for Emergent Materials and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, NJ (United States)
2009-03-01
Third-harmonic susceptibility studies have been employed to probe the order-disorder transition of Vortex Matter of a magnesium-deficient sample of MgB{sub 2}. Our results reveal that the measured threshold is anisotropic for different orientations of the applied magnetic field, suggesting that the pinning efficiency of the magnesium-deficient regions depend on the orientation of the penetrated vortices.
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Plant odour plumes as mediators of plant-insect interactions.
Beyaert, Ivo; Hilker, Monika
2014-02-01
Insect olfactory orientation along odour plumes has been studied intensively with respect to pheromonal communication, whereas little knowledge is available on how plant odour plumes (POPs) affect olfactory searching by an insect for its host plants. The primary objective of this review is to examine the role of POPs in the attraction of insects. First, we consider parameters of an odour source and the environment which determine the size, shape and structure of an odour plume, and we apply that knowledge to POPs. Second, we compare characteristics of insect pheromonal plumes and POPs. We propose a 'POP concept' for the olfactory orientation of insects to plants. We suggest that: (i) an insect recognises a POP by means of plant volatile components that are encountered in concentrations higher than a threshold detection limit and that occur in a qualitative and quantitative blend indicating a resource; (ii) perception of the fine structure of a POP enables an insect to distinguish a POP from an unspecific odorous background and other interfering plumes; and (iii) an insect can follow several POPs to their sources, and may leave the track of one POP and switch to another one if this conveys a signal with higher reliability or indicates a more suitable resource. The POP concept proposed here may be a useful tool for research in olfactory-mediated plant-insect interactions. © 2013 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2013 Cambridge Philosophical Society.
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An application of object-oriented programming to process simulation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Robinson, J.T.; Otaduy, P.J.
1988-01-01
This paper discusses the application of object-oriented programming to dynamic simulation of continuous processes. Processes may be modeled using this technique as a collection of objects which communicate with each other via message passing. Arriving messages invoke methods that describe the state and/or dynamic behavior of the receiving object. The objects fall into four broad categories actual plant components such as pumps, pipes, and tanks, abstract objects such as heat sources and conductors, plant systems such as flow loops, and simulation control and interface objects. This technique differs from traditional approaches to process simulation, in which the process is represented by either a system of differential equations or a block diagram of mathematical operators. The use of objects minimizes the representational gap between the model and actual process. From the users point of view, construction of a simulation model becomes equivalent to drawing a plant schematic. As an example application, a package developed for the simulation of nuclear power plants is described. The package allows users to build simulation models by selecting iconic representations of plant components from a menu and connecting them with a mouse. Objects for generating a mathematical model of the system and for controlling the simulation are automatically generated, freeing the user to concentrate on describing his process. This example illustrates the use of object-oriented programming to create a highly interactive and automated simulation environment. 2 figs
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Seaweed: Promising plant of the millennium
Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)
Dhargalkar, V.K.; Pereira, N.
Seaweeds, one of the important marine living resources could be termed as the futuristically promising plants. These plants have been a source of food, feed and medicine in the orient as well as in the west, since ancient times. Although, seaweeds...
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Multi-image screening technique applied to a general orientation training program
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hajek, B.K.; Campbell, T.O.; Evans, A.D.; Hickey, J.M.
1979-01-01
A general orientation and training program is a prerequisite for personnel to have unescorted access to various site locations at a nuclear power plant. A new general orientation and training program is being developed for the Toledo Edison Company to be used at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station. The program is presented in a multi-image and stereo sound format that has the unique capability to present the magnitude and scale of the plant, to arouse and maintain the interest of the viewer, and to instill in him a feeling of importance and pride about his job. Satisfactory completion of the program by individuals is assessed and certified by a machine scored test that is administered as an integral part of the presentation
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gaeth, S.; Schlueter, K.
1998-05-01
In cooperation with the Ad-hoc working group 'Transfer of heavy metals from soil to plant' of the Laenderarbeitsgemeinschaft Bodenschutz (LABO) the significance of mercury evaporation for the deduction of threshold values in respect of the impact via the pathway soil to plant was investigated. Mercury contamination of food- and feeding stuff plants was examined with special emphasis. For these purposes a lab experiment including three different soils with varying initial mercury load (background level, geogenic and anthropogenic contamination) and two different plant species (parsely and spinach) was carried out under defined conditions in closed lysimeters. Mercury uptake via the roots was minimised since the plants grew in isolated customary substrate which showed a low concentration of mercury. Thus, only the surrounding soil evaporated mercury. The concentrations of mercury in the plants in the background level treatment (0.1 mg Hg/kg dry soil) were 0.15 mg/kg dry matter (spinach) and 0.44 mg/kg dry matter (parsely). The treatment with anthropogenic contaminated soil (111 mg Hg/kg dry soil) resulted in concentrations in the two plants of 2.0 and 2.6 mg/kg dry matter, respectively. A comparable order of magnitude was achieved in the geogenic contaminated treatment (34 mg Hg/kg dry soil) with 2.1 mg/kg dry matter. Experiments conducted with radioactive 203 Hg showed in each case recoveries of 20 to 34% in the leaves regarding the evaporated Hg-tracer. Also in the stem and in the roots Hg-tracer could be detected, indicating a translocation within the plant from leaf to root. By means of a comprehensive literature study the state of the art for Hg-evaporation and Hg-uptake of plants was compiled. Comparing the experimental results with data derived from literature, the Hg-concentrations found are confirmed by results of other authors. (orig.) [de
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Saj, S.; Mikola, J.; Ekelund, Flemming
2008-01-01
It is known that plant species can induce development of different soil decomposer communities and that they differ in their influence on organic matter decomposition and N mineralization in soil. However, no study has so far assessed whether these two observations are related to each other. Base...... that plant traits such as competitive ability for soil mineral N were more important for plant uptake of litter-N than those that directly affected the growth of soil decomposers.......It is known that plant species can induce development of different soil decomposer communities and that they differ in their influence on organic matter decomposition and N mineralization in soil. However, no study has so far assessed whether these two observations are related to each other. Based...... on the hypothesis that root-induced growth of soil decomposers leads to accelerated decomposition of SOM and increased plant N availability in soil, we predicted that (1) among a set of grassland plants the abundance of soil decomposers in the plant rhizosphere is positively associated with plant N uptake from soil...
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DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIAGNOSTIC METHOD OF MORAL ORIENTATIONS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Irina Sergeevna Slavinskaya
2015-03-01
Full Text Available The article outlines the developing and standardization of psychodiagnostics test that measures moral orientations for adolescence. The definition of moral orientations as a matter of diagnosis and the justification of chosen stimuli are provided. Respondents evaluate the degree to which 13 values are expressed in the behavior of seven categories of people (from the «native» to the «enemies». Youthful students from 17 to 21 years (N = 330 were used as a standardization sample. Factorial validity of the scales used was tested by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA. A hierarchical structure of the test (including the common scale and three subscales is confirmed by the CFA. Cronbach’s alpha indicated a high consistency between separate items of the test, demonstrating high reliability of the test’s scales. Criterion validity of the scales is assessed on the basis of the socio-demographic characteristics of the sample. The convergent and discriminant validity was assessed by establishing close statistical relations with constructs similar in content. The standards for test’s scales are developed. The results testify the adequacy of this method for the diagnosis of youth moral orientations.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kurd Ali, F.; Al-Chammaa, M.; Mouasess, A.
2012-09-01
A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of silicon (Si) and/or potassium (K) on dry matter yield, nitrogen uptake and carbon isotope discrimination Δ 13 C in water stressed (FC1) and well watered (FC2) chickpea plants using 15 N and 13 C isotopes. Three fertilizer rates of Si (Si 5 0, Si 1 00 and Si 2 00) and one fertilizer rate of K were used. The results showed that: In chickpeas, it was found, for most of the growth parameters, that Si either alone or in combination with K was more effective to alleviate water stress than K alone. Increasing soil water level from FC1 to FC2 often had a positive impact on values of most studied parameters. The Si 1 00K + (FC1) and Si 5 0K + (FC2) treatments gave high enough amounts of N 2 -fixation, higher dry matter production and greater nitrogen yield. The percent increments of total N 2 -fixed in the above mentioned treatments were 51 and 47% over their controls, respectively. On the other hand, increasing leaves dry matter in response to the solely added Si (Si 5 0K - and Si 1 00K - ) is associated with lower Δ 13 C under both watering regimes. This may indicate that Si fertilization had a beneficial effect on water use efficiency (WUE). Hence, Δ 13 C could be an adequate indicator of WUE in response to the exogenous supply of silicon to chickpea plants. Our results highlight that Si is not only involved in amelioration of growth and in maintaining of water status but it can be considered as an important element for the symbiotic performance of chickpea plants. It can be concluded that synergistic effect of silicon and potassium fertilization with adequate irrigation improves growth and nitrogen fixation in chickpea plants.In barley plants, solely added K or in combination with adequate rate of Si (Si 1 00) were more effective in alleviating water stress and producing higher yield in barley plants than solely added Si. However, the latter nutrient was found to be more effective than the former in producing
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hamdia M. Abd El-Samad
2014-03-01
Full Text Available The production of fresh and dry matter of maize, wheat, cotton, broad and parsley plants show a variable response to the elevation of salinity stress. The production of fresh and dry matter of shoots and roots in wheat and broad bean plants tended to decrease with increasing NaCl concentration, salt stress progressively decrease in fresh and dry matter yield of maize plants. The increase in salinization levels induced a general insignificant change in production of fresh and dry matter of both organs of parsley plants. However, salinity induced a marked increase in the values of fresh and dry matter yields of cotton plants grown at the lowest level (-0.3 MPa NaCl and a reduction at higher salinization levels. Leaf area of unsprayed plants was excesivly decreased with the rise of osmotic stress levels especially at higher salinity levels of maize, wheat, cotton, and broad bean and parsley plants. the total pigments concentration decreased with rise of salinization levels in maize and cotton, these contents remained more or less un affected up to the level of 0.6 MPa NaCl in wheat and up to 0.9 MPa in parsley plants, there above, they were significantly reduced with increasing salinity levels. In broad bean plants the total pigments contents showed a non-significant alterations at all salinity stress. Spraying the vegetative parts of the five tested plants with 200 ppm of either GA3 or kinetin completely ameliorated the deleterious effect of salinity in fresh, dry matter, leaf area and pigment contents.
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Iron Availability in Tropical Soils and Iron Uptake by Plants
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Guilherme Furlan Mielki
Full Text Available ABSTRACT Given the increase in crop yields and the expansion of agriculture in low fertility soils, deficiency of micronutrients, such as iron, in plants grown in tropical soils has been observed. The aim of this study was to evaluate Fe availability and Fe uptake by corn (Zea mays L. plants in 13 different soils, at two depths. Iron was extracted by Mehlich-1, Mehlich-3, and CaCl2 (Fe-CC and was fractionated in forms related to low (Feo and high (Fed crystallinity pedogenic oxyhydroxides, and organic matter (Fep using ammonium oxalate, dithionite-citrate, and sodium pyrophosphate, respectively. In order to relate Fe availability to soil properties and plant growth, an experiment was carried out in a semi-hydroponic system in which part of the roots developed in a nutrient solution (without Fe and part in the soil (the only source of Fe. Forty-five days after seeding, we quantified shoot dry matter and leaf Fe concentration and content. Fed levels were high, from 5 to 132 g kg-1, and Feo and Fe-CC levels were low, indicating the predominance of Fe as crystalline oxyhydroxides and a low content of Fe readily available to plants. The extraction solutions showed significant correlations with various soil properties, many common to both, indicating that they act similarly. The correlation between the Mehlich-1 and Mehlich-3 extraction solutions was highly significant. However, these two extraction methods were inefficient in predicting Fe availability to plants. There was a positive correlation between dry matter and Fe levels in plant shoots, even within the ranges considered adequate in the soil and in the plant. Dry matter production and leaf Fe concentration and content were positively correlated with Fep concentration, indicating that the Fe fraction related to soil organic matter most contributes to Fe availability to plants.
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Collective ordering of microscale matters in natural analogy.
Ahn, Sungsook; Lee, Sang Joon
2015-06-01
Collective interaction occurs in many natural and artificial matters in broad scales. In a biological system, collective spatial organization of live individuals in a colony is important for their viability determination. Interactive motions between a single individual and an agglomerate are critical for whole procedure of the collective behaviors, but few has been clarified for these intermediate range behaviors. Here, collective interactions of microscale matters are investigated with human cells, plant seeds and artificial microspheres in terms of commonly occurring spatial arrangements. Human cancer cells are inherently attractive to form an agglomerate by cohesive motion, while plant chia seeds are repulsive by excreting mucilage. Microsphere model is employed to investigate the dynamic assembly equilibrated by an attraction and repulsion. There is a fundamental analogy in terms of an onset of regular pattern formation even without physical contact of individuals. The collective interactions are suggested to start before the individual components become physically agglomerated. This study contributes to fundamental understanding on the microscale particulate matters and natural pattern formation which are further useful for various applications both in academic and industrial areas.
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Future directions in electron momentum spectroscopy of matter
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Weigold, E.
1998-01-01
The development of coincidence spectrometers with multivariable detection techniques, higher energy kinematics, monochromated and spin-polarised electron sources, will usher in a new generation of electron momentum spectroscopy revealing new electronic phenomena in atoms, molecules and solids. This will be enhanced by developments in target preparation, such as spin polarised, oriented and aligned atoms and molecules, radicals, surfaces and strongly correlated systems in condensed matter. Copyright (1998) CSIRO Australia
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Norton, Gareth J.; Adomako, Eureka E.; Deacon, Claire M.; Carey, Anne-Marie; Price, Adam H.; Meharg, Andrew A.
2013-01-01
Arsenic accumulation in rice grain has been identified as a major problem in some regions of Asia. A study was conducted to investigate the effect of increased organic matter in the soil on the release of arsenic into soil pore water and accumulation of arsenic species within rice grain. It was observed that high concentrations of soil arsenic and organic matter caused a reduction in plant growth and delayed flowering time. Total grain arsenic accumulation was higher in the plants grown in high soil arsenic in combination with high organic matter, with an increase in the percentage of organic arsenic species observed. The results indicate that the application of organic matter should be done with caution in paddy soils which have high soil arsenic, as this may lead to an increase in accumulation of arsenic within rice grains. Results also confirm that flooding conditions substantially increase grain arsenic. -- Highlights: ► High soil arsenic and organic matter caused a reduction in plant growth. ► A delayed flowering time was observed in high arsenic and organic matter soil. ► Total grain arsenic increased in high arsenic and organic matter soil. ► Percentage organic arsenic in the grain altered in arsenic and organic matter soil. -- The addition of high amounts of organic matter to soils led to an increase in total rice grain arsenic, as well as alteration in the percentage arsenic species in the rice grains
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Williams, Wendi S.; Chung, Y. Barry
2013-01-01
The authors explored the relationship between academic self-concept and noncognitive variables (i.e., Africentric cultural orientation, academic class level, gender, and involvement in culturally relevant school and community activities) among Black/African college students. Results indicated that Africentric cultural orientation and academic…
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Design of plant safety model in plant enterprise engineering environment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gabbar, Hossam A.; Suzuki, Kazuhiko; Shimada, Yukiyasu
2001-01-01
Plant enterprise engineering environment (PEEE) is an approach aiming to manage the plant through its lifecycle. In such environment, safety is considered as the common objective for all activities throughout the plant lifecycle. One approach to achieve plant safety is to embed safety aspects within each function and activity within such environment. One ideal way to enable safety aspects within each automated function is through modeling. This paper proposes a theoretical approach to design plant safety model as integrated with the plant lifecycle model within such environment. Object-oriented modeling approach is used to construct the plant safety model using OO CASE tool on the basis of unified modeling language (UML). Multiple views are defined for plant objects to express static, dynamic, and functional semantics of these objects. Process safety aspects are mapped to each model element and inherited from design to operation stage, as it is naturally embedded within plant's objects. By developing and realizing the plant safety model, safer plant operation can be achieved and plant safety can be assured
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Bezemer, T.M.; Lawson, C.S.; Hedlund, K.; Edwards, A.R.; Brooks, A.J.; Igual, J.M.; Mortimer, S.R.; Putten, van der W.H.
2006-01-01
1 Plant species differ in their capacity to influence soil organic matter, soil nutrient availability and the composition of soil microbial communities. Their influences on soil properties result in net positive or negative feedback effects, which influence plant performance and plant community
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Prenatal Influences on Human Sexual Orientation: Expectations versus Data.
Breedlove, S Marc
2017-08-01
In non-human vertebrate species, sexual differentiation of the brain is primarily driven by androgens such as testosterone organizing the brains of males in a masculine fashion early in life, while the lower levels of androgen in developing females organize their brains in a feminine fashion. These principles may be relevant to the development of sexual orientation in humans, because retrospective markers of prenatal androgen exposure, namely digit ratios and otoacoustic emissions, indicate that lesbians, on average, were exposed to greater prenatal androgen than were straight women. Thus, the even greater levels of prenatal androgen exposure experienced by fetal males may explain why the vast majority of them grow up to be attracted to women. However, the same markers indicate no significant differences between gay and straight men in terms of average prenatal androgen exposure, so the variance in orientation in men cannot be accounted for by variance in prenatal androgen exposure, but may be due to variance in response to prenatal androgens. These data contradict several popular notions about human sexual orientation. Sexual orientation in women is said to be fluid, sometimes implying that only social influences in adulthood are at work, yet the data indicate prenatal influences matter as well. Gay men are widely perceived as under-masculinized, yet the data indicate they are exposed to as much prenatal androgen as straight men. There is growing sentiment to reject "binary" conceptions of human sexual orientations, to emphasize instead a spectrum of orientations. Yet the data indicate that human sexual orientation is sufficiently polarized that groups of lesbians, on average, show evidence of greater prenatal androgen exposure than groups of straight women, while groups of gay men have, on average, a greater proportion of brothers among their older siblings than do straight men.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mahara, Y.; Kubota, T.; Wakayama, R.; Nakano-Ohta, T.; Nakamura, T.
2007-01-01
We investigated the role of natural organic matter in cadmium mobility in soil environments. We collected the dissolved organic matter from two different types of natural waters: pond surface water, which is oxic, and deep anoxic groundwater. The collected organic matter was fractionated into four groups with molecular weights (unit: Da (Daltons)) of 3 , 1-10 x 10 3 , 10-100 x 10 3 , and > 100 x 10 3 . The organic matter source was land plants, based on the carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C/ 12 C). The organic matter in surface water originated from presently growing land plants, based on 14 C dating, but the organic matter in deep groundwater originated from land plants that grew approximately 4000 years ago. However, some carbon was supplied by the high-molecular-weight fraction of humic substances in soil or sediments. Cadmium interacted in a system of siliceous sand, fractionated organic matter, and water. The lowest molecular weight fraction of organic matter ( 3 ) bound more cadmium than did the higher molecular weight fractions. Organic matter in deep groundwater was more strongly bound to cadmium than was organic matter in surface water. The binding behaviours of organic matter with cadmium depended on concentration, age, molecular weight, and degradation conditions of the organic matter in natural waters. Consequently, the dissolved, low-molecular-weight fraction in organic matter strongly influences cadmium migration and mobility in the environment
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The basis of orientation decoding in human primary visual cortex: fine- or coarse-scale biases?
Maloney, Ryan T
2015-01-01
Orientation signals in human primary visual cortex (V1) can be reliably decoded from the multivariate pattern of activity as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The precise underlying source of these decoded signals (whether by orientation biases at a fine or coarse scale in cortex) remains a matter of some controversy, however. Freeman and colleagues (J Neurosci 33: 19695-19703, 2013) recently showed that the accuracy of decoding of spiral patterns in V1 can be predicted by a voxel's preferred spatial position (the population receptive field) and its coarse orientation preference, suggesting that coarse-scale biases are sufficient for orientation decoding. Whether they are also necessary for decoding remains an open question, and one with implications for the broader interpretation of multivariate decoding results in fMRI studies. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.
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Cozzolino, V; De Martino, A; Nebbioso, A; Di Meo, V; Salluzzo, A; Piccolo, A
2016-06-01
In a greenhouse pot experiment, lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L.) were grown in a Hg-contaminated sandy soil with and without inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (a commercial inoculum containing infective propagules of Rhizophagus irregularis and Funneliformis mosseae) amended with different rates of a humic acid (0, 1, and 2 g kg(-1) of soil), with the objective of verifying the synergistic effects of the two soil treatments on the Hg tolerance of lettuce plants. Our results indicated that the plant biomass was significantly increased by the combined effect of AMF and humic acid treatments. Addition of humic matter to soil boosted the AMF effect on improving the nutritional plant status, enhancing the pigment content in plant leaves, and inhibiting both Hg uptake and Hg translocation from the roots to the shoots. This was attributed not only to the Hg immobilization by stable complexes with HA and with extraradical mycorrhizal mycelium in soil and root surfaces but also to an improved mineral nutrition promoted by AMF. This work indicates that the combined use of AMF and humic acids may become a useful practice in Hg-contaminated soils to reduce Hg toxicity to crops.
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Safety criteria for siting a nuclear power plant
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
2001-01-01
The guide sets forth requirements for safety of the population and the environment in nuclear power plant siting. It also sets out the general basis for procedures employed by other competent authorities when they issue regulations or grant licences. On request STUK (Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland) issues case-specific statements about matters relating to planning and about other matters relating to land use in the environment of nuclear power plants
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Benlahcene, Abderrahim; Lashari, Sana Anwar; Lashari, Tahira Anwar
2017-08-01
An aspect that has been exhaustively researched in the motivation of the higher education discipline is the engineering students’ process of goal-orientation, epistemological beliefs towards intrinsic motivation. However, the focus of those researchers as commonly the influence of goal orientations and epistemological beliefs on intrinsic motivation; they have not combined the two factors and examined relationships among goal orientation, epistemological beliefs, and intrinsic motivation. Therefore, although there is a plethora of research on the matter in related disciplines, the researchers commonly do not have consensus on a term that could be used to discuss how engineering students are motivation. This paper identifies literature whose characteristics have focused on the concept of motivation. Attempts were made to retrieve related lietarure empirically examined motivation, extrinsic motivation, Goal orientation, Epistemological beliefs, and intrinsic motivation to gain insight information. It is believed that the present study may help educators in organizing content, preparing curriculum, and evaluate student tasks, so that students can begin to develop more mature and effective epistemological beliefs and design their proper goals for their learning process.
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Barthlow, Michelle J.; Watson, Scott B.
2014-01-01
A nonequivalent, control group design was used to investigate student achievement in secondary chemistry. This study investigated the effect of process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) in high school chemistry to reduce alternate conceptions related to the particulate nature of matter versus traditional lecture pedagogy. Data were…
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An object oriented framework of EPICS for MicroTCA based control system
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Geng, Z.
2012-01-01
EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) is a distributed control system platform which has been widely used for large scientific devices control like particle accelerators and fusion plant. EPICS has introduced object oriented (C ++ ) interfaces to most of the core services. But the major part of EPICS, the run-time database, only provides C interfaces, which is hard to involve the EPICS record concerned data and routines in the object oriented architecture of the software. This paper presents an object oriented framework which contains some abstract classes to encapsulate the EPICS record concerned data and routines in C ++ classes so that full OOA (Objected Oriented Analysis) and OOD (Object Oriented Design) methodologies can be used for EPICS IOC design. We also present a dynamic device management scheme for the hot swap capability of the MicroTCA based control system. (authors)
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Gender Equality Matters: Empowering Women through Literacy Programmes. UIL Policy Brief 3
UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, 2014
2014-01-01
The third in UIL's current series of policy briefs, titled "Gender equality matters: Empowering women through literacy programmes," offers research-informed analysis and action-oriented recommendations for local and national governments, providers of literacy programmes and educators on how to reduce the gender gap in adult literacy.…
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Plant neighbour identity matters to belowground interactions under controlled conditions.
Armas, Cristina; Pugnaire, Francisco Ignacio
2011-01-01
Root competition is an almost ubiquitous feature of plant communities with profound effects on their structure and composition. Far beyond the traditional view that plants interact mainly through resource depletion (exploitation competition), roots are known to be able to interact with their environment using a large variety of mechanisms that may inhibit or enhance access of other roots to the resource or affect plant growth (contest interactions). However, an extensive analysis on how these contest root interactions may affect species interaction abilities is almost lacking. In a common garden experiment with ten perennial plant species we forced pairs of plants of the same or different species to overlap their roots and analyzed how belowground contest interactions affected plant performance, biomass allocation patterns, and competitive abilities under abundant resource supply. Our results showed that net interaction outcome ranged from negative to positive, affecting total plant mass and allocation patterns. A species could be a strong competitor against one species, weaker against another one, and even facilitator to a third species. This leads to sets of species where competitive hierarchies may be clear but also to groups where such rankings are not, suggesting that intransitive root interactions may be crucial for species coexistence. The outcome of belowground contest interactions is strongly dependent on neighbours' identity. In natural plant communities this conditional outcome may hypothetically help species to interact in non-hierarchical and intransitive networks, which in turn might promote coexistence.
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INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF AÇAÍ PLANTS UNDER SHADE GRADATION
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
ELEANDRO CANDIDO DAPONT
2016-01-01
Full Text Available ABSTRACT In order to evaluate the effect of different levels of shading on açai (Euterpe oleracea Mart. plants development, an experiment was conducted at the nursery of Floresta, Rio Branco, AC. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design with six treatments and four replications of 25 plants, set as full sunlight and 18%, 35%, 50%, 70%, and 80% shading. The evaluation occurred 125 days after transplantation and the variables were stem diameter, root length, length of the aerial part, total length, dry matter of root, dry matter of aerial part, and total dry matter. With exception of root length, there was significant difference between treatments for all variables. The production of açai plants should be performed using 40% shading.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ea Kosman Anwar
2009-05-01
Full Text Available The earthworms are the one of soil fauna component in soil ecosystem have an important role in organic matter decomposition procces. The earthworm feed plant leaf and plant matter up to apart and dissolved. Earthworm metabolisms produce like faeces that mixed with decomposed organic matter mean vermicompost. The vermicompost fertility varies because of some kind of earthworm differ in “niche” and attitude. The experiment was to study the effectivity of earthworm on organic matter decomposition which has been conducted in Soil Biological and Healthy Laboratory and Green House of Soil Research Institute Bogor, during 2006 Budget Year. The three kind of earthworms i.e Pheretima hupiensis, Lumbricus sp. and Eudrellus sp. combined with three kind of organic matter sources i.e rice straw, trash and palm oil plant waste (compost heap. The result shows that the Lumbricus sp. are the most effective decomposer compared to Pheretima hupiensis and Eudrellus sp. and the organic matter decomposed by Lumbricus sp. as followed: market waste was decomposed of 100%, palm oil empty fruit bunch (compost heap 95.8 % and rice straw 84.9%, respectively. Earthworm effectively decreased Fe, Al, Mn, Cu dan Zn.
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Mapping White Matter Microstructure in the One Month Human Brain.
Dean, D C; Planalp, E M; Wooten, W; Adluru, N; Kecskemeti, S R; Frye, C; Schmidt, C K; Schmidt, N L; Styner, M A; Goldsmith, H H; Davidson, R J; Alexander, A L
2017-08-29
White matter microstructure, essential for efficient and coordinated transmission of neural communications, undergoes pronounced development during the first years of life, while deviations to this neurodevelopmental trajectory likely result in alterations of brain connectivity relevant to behavior. Hence, systematic evaluation of white matter microstructure in the normative brain is critical for a neuroscientific approach to both typical and atypical early behavioral development. However, few studies have examined the infant brain in detail, particularly in infants under 3 months of age. Here, we utilize quantitative techniques of diffusion tensor imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging to investigate neonatal white matter microstructure in 104 infants. An optimized multiple b-value diffusion protocol was developed to allow for successful acquisition during non-sedated sleep. Associations between white matter microstructure measures and gestation corrected age, regional asymmetries, infant sex, as well as newborn growth measures were assessed. Results highlight changes of white matter microstructure during the earliest periods of development and demonstrate differential timing of developing regions and regional asymmetries. Our results contribute to a growing body of research investigating the neurobiological changes associated with neurodevelopment and suggest that characteristics of white matter microstructure are already underway in the weeks immediately following birth.
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Entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, and competitive environment
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sørensen, Hans Eibe; Cadogan, John W.
This study sheds light on the role that the competitive environment plays in determining how elements of market orientation and elements of entrepreneurial orientation interact to influence business success. We develop a model in which we postulate that market orientation, entrepreneurial...... orientation, and competitive environment shape business performance via a three-way interaction. We test the model using primary data from the CEOs of 270 CEO of manufacturing firms, together with secondary data on these firms' profit performance. An assessment of the results indicates that customer...... orientation moderates the positive relationships between the competitiveness element of entrepreneurial orientation and market share and return on assets (ROA): the positive relationships between competitiveness and market share and competitiveness and ROA become stronger the greater the firms' customer...
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Biomonitoring of toxic compounds of airborne particulate matter in urban and industriel areas
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Klumpp, Andreas; Ro-Poulsen, Helge
2010-01-01
The toxicity and ecotoxicity of airborne particulate matter is determined by its physical features, but also by its chemical composition. The standardised exposure of accumulative bioindicator plants is suggested as an efficient and reliable tool to assess and monitor effects of particulate matter...
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Zajusz-Zubek, Elwira; Radko, Tomasz; Mainka, Anna
2017-08-01
Samples of PM1 were collected in the surroundings of coking plants located in southern Poland. Chemical fractionation provided information on the contents of trace elements As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se in all mobile (F1-F3) and not mobile (F4) fractions of PM1 in the vicinity of large sources of emissions related to energochemical processing of coal during the summer. The determined enrichment factors indicate the influence of anthropogenic sources on the concentration of the examined elements contained in PM1 in the areas subjected to investigation. The analysis of health risk for the assumed scenario of inhabitant exposure to the toxic effect of elements, based on the values of the hazard index, revealed that the absorption of the examined elements contained in the most mobile fractions of particulate matter via inhalation by children and adults can be considered potentially harmless to the health of people inhabiting the surroundings of coking plants during the summer (HI PM1, approximately four adults and one child out of one million people living in the vicinity of the coking plants may develop cancer.
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Intelligent power plant simulator for educational purposes
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Seifi, A.; Seifi, H.; Ansari, M. R.; Parsa Moghaddam, M.
2001-01-01
An Intelligent Tutoring System can be effectively employed for a power plant simulator so that the need for instructor in minimized. In this paper using the above concept as well as object oriented programming and SIMULINK Toolbox of MATLAB, an intelligent tutoring power plant simulator is proposed. Its successful application on a typical 11 MW power plant is demonstrated
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Klotzbücher, T.; Kaiser, K.; Filley, T.R.; Kalbitz, K.
2013-01-01
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a fundamental role for many soil processes. For instance, production, transport, and retention of DOM control properties and long-term storage of organic matter in mineral soils. Production of water-soluble compounds during the decomposition of plant litter is a
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Design and Construction of Prototype Dark Matter Detectors
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Peter Fisher
2012-03-23
The Lepton Quark Studies (LQS) group is engaged in searching for dark matter using the Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber (DMTPC) at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) (Carlsbad, NM). DMTPC is a direction-sensitive dark matter detector designed to measure the recoil direction and energy deposited by fluorine nuclei recoiling from the interaction with incident WIMPs. In the past year, the major areas of progress have been: to publish the first dark matter search results from a surface run of the DMTPC prototype detector, to build and install the 10L prototype in the underground laboratory at WIPP which will house the 1 m{sup 3} detector, and to demonstrate charge and PMT readout of the TPC using prototype detectors, which allow triggering and {Delta}z measurement to be used in the 1 m{sup 3} detector under development.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Emanuela Garbin Martinazzo
2015-10-01
Full Text Available This work aimed at comparing the growth and partitioning of assimilate in tomato plants cv. Micro-Tom subjected to nitrogen and pyraclostrobin. This substance favors the development of chloroplasts and the synthesis of chlorophyll. Tomato plants were submitted to the treatments: T1, complete nutrient solution without pyraclostrobin, T2, complete nutrient solution + pyraclostrobin, T3, ½ strength nutrient solution without N pyraclostrobin and T4, ½ strength nutrient solution N + pyraclostrobin. Plants were collected at regular intervals of seven days after transplantation throughout the crop cycle, with dry mass and leaf area being determined. From the primary data, growth analysis was carried out to calculate total dry matter (Wt, the instantaneous rates of dry matter production (Ct, relative growth (Rw e net assimilation (Ea, leaf area (Af, production rates (Ca and relative growth of leaf area index (Ra and leaf weight (Fw specific leaf area (Sa the dry matter partitioning between organs and number (Nfr and fresh fruit weight (Wfr. Plants of T1 showed higher Wt, Ct and Wfr compared to those of other treatments. However, the T2 plants exhibited similar Nfr to T1 plants, being superior to others. Also allocated on the total dry matter and at the end of the cycle, a higher percentage of dry matter in the seafood compared to T3 and T4 plants. Also they allocated relative to the total dry matter and at the end of the cycle, a higher percentage in fruits of plants to T3 and T4. The association between nitrogen and pyraclostrobin changes the growth and assimilated partition on tomato plants cv. Micro – Tom, and those submitted to ½ dose of nitrogen have a higher total dry matter and less final percentage of total dry matter in fruits , comparatively to those submitted to the association ½ dose of nitrogen and pyraclostrobin.
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Development and application of emergency operating procedures for nuclear power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lin Chengge
1990-01-01
The development and application of emergency operating procedures (EOPs) is an important measure to assure the operational safety for nuclear power plants. Event-oriented, symptom-, function- and state-oriented EOPs with their structures, interfaces, development procedures and practical application are described. The ideas and approach can be available for the preparation of EOPs for nuclear power plants which are going to be in service
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Localization and Orientation of Xanthophylls in a Lipid Bilayer.
Grudzinski, Wojciech; Nierzwicki, Lukasz; Welc, Renata; Reszczynska, Emilia; Luchowski, Rafal; Czub, Jacek; Gruszecki, Wieslaw I
2017-08-29
Xanthophylls (polar carotenoids) play diverse biological roles, among which are modulation of the physical properties of lipid membranes and protection of biomembranes against oxidative damage. Molecular mechanisms underlying these functions are intimately related to the localization and orientation of xanthophyll molecules in lipid membranes. In the present work, we address the problem of localization and orientation of two xanthophylls present in the photosynthetic apparatus of plants and in the retina of the human eye, zeaxanthin and lutein, in a single lipid bilayer membrane formed with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. By using fluorescence microscopic analysis and Raman imaging of giant unilamellar vesicles, as well as molecular dynamics simulations, we show that lutein and zeaxanthin adopt a very similar transmembrane orientation within a lipid membrane. In experimental and computational approach, the average tilt angle of xanthophylls relative to the membrane normal is independently found to be ~40 deg, and results from hydrophobic mismatch between the membrane thickness and the distance between the terminal hydroxyl groups of the xanthophylls. Consequences of such a localization and orientation for biological activity of xanthophylls are discussed.
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Agethen, Svenja; Wolff, Franziska; Knorr, Klaus-Holger
2016-04-01
Restoration of cut over peatlands in Central Europe is challenging in a landscape overused for agriculture. Excess nutrient availability by excess fertilization triggers uncharacteristic vegetation that is one key driver for carbon cycling. Those nutrient rich systems are often dominated by graminoids, and were often found to emit substantial amounts of methane. Plants grown under nutrient rich conditions provide more labile carbon in rhizodeposition and litter that fuels methanogenesis. Such species often have aerenchyma that facilitates direct CH4 emissions to the atmosphere and therefore impair the climate cooling function of bogs. On the other hand, aerenchymatic tissue supplies oxygen to the rhizosphere, which may reduce methanogenesis or stimulate methane oxidation, as methanogenesis is a strictly anaerobic process. Which of the effects prevail is often unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test the impact of different vegetation on rhizospheric redox conditions and methanogenesis, including aerenchymatic vascular plants that are dominant in restored cut over peatlands. As ombrotrophic peat is poor in inorganic electron acceptors (EAs) to suppress methanogenesis, we analyzed the electron acceptor (EACs) and electron donor capacities (EDCs) of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the rhizosphere to understand the impact of vegetation on anaerobic organic matter degradation. We planted Juncus effusus, Eriophorum vaginatum, Eriophorum angustifolium, Sphagnum (mixture of S. magellanicum, S. papillosum, S. sec. acutifolia, 1/3 each) plus non-vegetated controls; six replicates per batch; in containers with untreated homogenized peat. The plants grow under constant conditions (20° C, 12h diurnal light cycles and 80% RH). Anoxic conditions were achieved by keeping the water table at +10 cm. For monitoring, the rhizosphere is equipped with suction and gas samplers. We measure dissolved CO2 and CH4 concentrations, inorganic EAs (NO3-, Fe(III), and SO42-) and
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kroustrup, Jonas
studies approach the paper acknowledges that management and project management technologies does matter, but comes in many shapes, and is performed differently in various socio-technical settings. The field of STS offers a new ground for a participatory and practice oriented approach to the development......The positivist and managerialist approaches to project management research has historically defined practice as a ‘technical’ discipline. This has recently been challenged by critical project management studies, who advocates for an opening of the field research to also include the social...... and organizational dynamics of projects. Following the topic of the panel this paper will discuss how these two positions, although seemingly different, both places the project manager as an omnipotent subject of control. The consequences becomes either a priori explanations or ideological pitfalls. From a science...
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Investigating Photosensitized Properties of Natural Organic Matter and Effluent Organic Matter
Niu, Xi-Zhi
2013-05-01
The photosensitized processes significantly enhance photolysis of various chemicals in the aqueous system with dissolved organic matter (DOM) as sensitizer. The excitation of chromophores on the DOM molecule further generates reactive species as triplet states DOM, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical, carbonate radical etc. We investigated the photosensitization properties of Beaufort Fulvic Acid, Suwannee River Fulvic Acid, South Platte River Fulvic Acid, and Jeddah wastewater treatment plant effluent organic matter with a sunlight simulator. DOM photochemical properties were characterized by observing their performances in 3DOM*, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical production with indirect probing protocols. Sensitized degradation of 0.1 μM and 0.02 μM 2, 4, 6- Trimethylphenol exhibited higher pseudo-first-order rate constant than that of 10 μM. Pre-irradiated DOMs were found to be depressed in photochemical properties. Photolysis of 5 different contaminants: ibuprofen, bisphenol A, acetaminophen, cimetidine, and caffeine were found to be enhanced in the presence of sensitizers. The possible reaction pathways were revealed. Long time irradiance induced change in contaminants degradation kinetics in some DOM solutions, which was proposed to be due to the irradiation initiated indirect transformation of DOMs. Key Words: Photolysis Dissolved Organic Matter, Triplet State DOM, Singlet Oxygen, Hydroxyl Radical, Contaminants Degradation.
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Mycorrhizal associations of trees have different indirect effects on organic matter decomposition
Melanie K. Taylor; Richard A. Lankau; Nina Wurzburger; Franciska de Vries
2016-01-01
1. Organic matter decomposition is the main process by which carbon (C) is lost from terrestrialecosystems, and mycorrhizal associations of plants (i.e. arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) and ectomycorrhizas(ECM)) may have different indirect effects on this loss pathway. AM and ECM plants differin the soil...
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Hestrin, R.; Lehmann, J.
2017-12-01
Soil microbes play an important role in rhizosphere nutrient cycling and plant productivity. In this study, the contributions of soil microbes to organic matter mineralization and plant nitrogen uptake were investigated using incubation and microcosm experiments. Microbial inocula included arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and microbial communities sampled across a long-term gradient of nitrogen fertilization. Stable isotopes, nanoSIMS imaging, and phospholipid fatty acid analysis were used to track carbon and nitrogen movement from organic matter into microbes, mycorrhizal fungi, and plants. Results show that multipartite relationships between plants and microbes increased plant growth and access to nitrogen from organic matter, and that nitrogen fertilization history had a lasting effect on microbial contributions to fungal and plant nitrogen uptake. This research links rhizosphere ecology and land management with terrestrial biogeochemistry.
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New insights on the matter-gravity coupling paradigm.
Delsate, Térence; Steinhoff, Jan
2012-07-13
The coupling between matter and gravity in general relativity is given by a proportionality relation between the stress tensor and the geometry. This is an oriented assumption driven by the fact that both the stress tensor and the Einstein tensor are divergenceless. However, general relativity is in essence a nonlinear theory, so there is no obvious reason why the coupling to matter should be linear. On another hand, modified theories of gravity usually affect the vacuum dynamics, yet keep the coupling to matter linear. In this Letter, we address the implications of consistent nonlinear gravity-matter coupling. The Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld theory recently introduced by Bañados and Ferreira provides an enlightening realization of such coupling modifications. We find that this theory coupled to a perfect fluid reduces to general relativity coupled to a nonlinearly modified perfect fluid, leading to an ambiguity between modified coupling and modified equation of state. We discuss observational consequences of this degeneracy and argue that such a completion of general relativity is viable from both an experimental and theoretical point of view through energy conditions, consistency, and singularity-avoidance perspectives. We use these results to discuss the impact of changing the coupling paradigm.
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Petrović, Marko D.; Jovanović, Tamara; Marković, Jelica J.; Armenski, Tanja; Marković, Vladimir
2014-01-01
In this article we examine the gender differences among hotel employees in service orientation and job satisfaction. To determine these differences, we used a service orientation scale (SOS), developed by Dienhart, Gregoire, Downey and Knight and a job satisfaction scale developed by Lytle. Our assumptions were that there would be significant gender differences in service orientation and job satisfaction. Our research proved factor structures of the two scales we used. Specifically, we showed...
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Brice, Maximilien
2015-01-01
23 March 2015 - Tree planting ceremony Chemin Auguer, by His Holiness the XIIth Gyalwang Drukpa and CERN Director-General, on the occasion of the event Connecting Worlds: Science Meets Buddhism Great Minds, Great Matters.
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Orientations of the Bronze Age Villa Complex at Vathypetro in Crete
Blomberg, M.; Henriksson, G.
We present the results of our archaeoastronomical study of the villa and the tripartite shrine at Vathypetro. We found orientations to three major celestial events (counting the equinoxes as one): to sunrise at the equinoxes and the winter solstice in the case of the villa and to sunset at the summer solstice in the case of the tripartite stone. The axis of symmetry of the major room of the villa was oriented to sunrise of the 22nd of October in the Late Minoan period. This was also the orientation of the axis of symmetry of the main cult room in the west wing of the palace at Malia. We propose that this orientation marked the time for planting and thus the beginning of the agricultural year. It is unusual that archaeoastronomical studies make contributions to historical debates. However certain orientations dating after Late Minoan I seem to reflect the Mycenaean presence in Crete. The orientation of the tripartite shrine to sunset at the summer solstice is the same as the orientations of the small shrines at Malia and Agia Triada, all of which we argue to have been built for Mycenaeans. We propose that there are two types of orientations in the island: those to the east within the limits for sunrise - made by Minoans, and some to the west - made by (or for) Mycenaeans.
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Survey of Mathematics and Science Requirements for Production-Oriented Agronomy Majors.
Aide, Michael; Terry, Danny
1996-01-01
Analyzes course requirements to determine the amount of required mathematics and science for production-oriented agronomy majors. Reports that mathematics requirements center around college algebra and statistics; science requirements generally include chemistry, biology, plant physiology, and genetics; and land-grant institutions have a…
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Methods of producing compounds from plant materials
Werpy, Todd A [West Richland, WA; Schmidt, Andrew J [Richland, WA; Frye, Jr., John G.; Zacher, Alan H. , Franz; James A. , Alnajjar; Mikhail S. , Neuenschwander; Gary G. , Alderson; Eric V. , Orth; Rick J. , Abbas; Charles A. , Beery; Kyle E. , Rammelsberg; Anne M. , Kim; Catherine, J [Decatur, IL
2010-01-26
The invention includes methods of processing plant material by adding water to form a mixture, heating the mixture, and separating a liquid component from a solid-comprising component. At least one of the liquid component and the solid-comprising component undergoes additional processing. Processing of the solid-comprising component produces oils, and processing of the liquid component produces one or more of glycerol, ethylene glycol, lactic acid and propylene glycol. The invention includes a process of forming glycerol, ethylene glycol, lactic acid and propylene glycol from plant matter by adding water, heating and filtering the plant matter. The filtrate containing starch, starch fragments, hemicellulose and fragments of hemicellulose is treated to form linear poly-alcohols which are then cleaved to produce one or more of glycerol, ethylene glycol, lactic acid and propylene glycol. The invention also includes a method of producing free and/or complexed sterols and stanols from plant material.
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Methods of producing compounds from plant material
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Werpy, Todd A.; Schmidt, Andrew J.; Frye, Jr., John G.; Zacher, Alan H.; Franz, James A.; Alnajjar, Mikhail S.; Neuenschwander, Gary G.; Alderson, Eric V.; Orth, Rick J.; Abbas, Charles A.; Beery, Kyle E.; Rammelsberg, Anne M.; Kim, Catherine J.
2006-01-03
The invention includes methods of processing plant material by adding water to form a mixture, heating the mixture, and separating a liquid component from a solid-comprising component. At least one of the liquid component and the solid-comprising component undergoes additional processing. Processing of the solid-comprising component produces oils, and processing of the liquid component produces one or more of glycerol, ethylene glycol, lactic acid and propylene glycol. The invention includes a process of forming glycerol, ethylene glycol, lactic acid and propylene glycol from plant matter by adding water, heating and filtering the plant matter. The filtrate containing starch, starch fragments, hemicellulose and fragments of hemicellulose is treated to form linear poly-alcohols which are then cleaved to produce one or more of glycerol, ethylene glycol, lactic acid and propylene glycol. The invention also includes a method of producing free and/or complexed sterols and stanols from plant material.
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Velez Ramirez, A.I.; Ieperen, van W.; Vreugdenhill, D.; Millenaar, F.F.
2011-01-01
Continuous light is an essential tool for understanding the plant circadian clock. Additionally, continuous light might increase greenhouse food production. However, using continuous light in research and practice has its challenges. For instance, most of the circadian clock-oriented experiments
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Research on problem solving skills of orienteering athletes in terms of some variables
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Eroğlu Başak
2016-01-01
Full Text Available The aim of this study is to examine the problem solving skills of orienteering athletes in terms of different variables. 157 male and 43 female orienteering athletes, making a total of 200 athletes that joined the 3rd Level of Turkey Championship in 2015 have participated in this study which is in a survey model. The data collection tools were the Problem Solving Inventory and Personal Information Form that were formed by Heppner & Peterson (1982 and adapted into Turkish by Şahin, Şahin & Heppner (1993. In the data analysis, descriptive statics, anova, t test and Tukey test have been utilized. In the line with the findings, it has been determined that the difference between the total mean values (85.55+20.45 that the orienteering athletes got from the problem solving inventory and their age, marital status, sports age, the years of practice in orienteering sports, and the status of being national player is significant (p<0.05. It has been found that male orienteering athletes perform higher evaluating approach compared to the female athletes, and that as the age levels increase, the problem solving skill is affected more positively. Furthermore, it has been determined that the perceptions of the participants that have more experience and sports age in orienteering sports and that do orienteering sports at a national level are more positive in the matter of problem solving skills.
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Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Stone, J.; Ohya, S.; Rikovska, J.; Woehr, A.; Betts, P.; Dupák, Jan; Fogelberg, B.; Jacobsson, L.
č. 133 (2001), s. 111 - 115 ISSN 0304-3843 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z2065902 Keywords : nuclear orientation * Korringa constant Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 0.634, year: 2001
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Strategically oriented project management of the decommissioning of nuclear power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kemmeter, Sascha; Woempener, Andreas
2013-01-01
Due to the politically induced change of the energy sector in Germany, the operators of nuclear power plants had to react and to deal with completely new conditions concerning the decommissioning of their plants on short notice. Therefore the operators have to devise new strategies for controlling their decommissioning and dismantling projects in a short amount of time and most often similarly for several plants. Two fundamental procedures are possible for the successful controlling of these dismantling projects: a centralized or a decentralized management organization. How these project control processes can be realized in an optimal way, is, next to other economic specifications of the dismantling of nuclear power plants, the topic of a new research project of the Chair of Management Accounting at the University Duisburg-Essen. In that process, results and experiences from other research and practical projects concerning general large-scale projects are being used. Selected findings have been compiled and are being discussed in this paper. (orig.)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Loïc ePellissier
2013-12-01
Full Text Available The distribution of plants along environmental gradients is constrained by abiotic and biotic factors. Cumulative evidence attests of the impact of abiotic factors on plant distributions, but only few studies discuss the role of belowground communities. Soil fungi, in particular, are thought to play an important role in how plant species assemble locally into communities. We first review existing evidence, and then test the effect of the number of soil fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs on plant species distributions using a recently collected dataset of plant and metagenomic information on soil fungi in the Western Swiss Alps. Using species distribution models, we investigated whether the distribution of individual plant species is correlated to the number of OTUs of two important soil fungal classes known to interact with plants: the Glomeromycetes, that are obligatory symbionts of plants, and the Agaricomycetes, that may be facultative plant symbionts, pathogens, or wood decayers. We show that including the fungal richness information in the models of plant species distributions improves predictive accuracy. Number of fungal OTUs is especially correlated to the distribution of high elevation plant species. We suggest that high elevation soil show greater variation in fungal assemblages that may in turn impact plant turnover among communities. We finally discuss how to move beyond correlative analyses, through the design of field experiments manipulating plant and fungal communities along environmental gradients.
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Development of A Plant Navigation System
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Furuta, Tomihiko; Nakagawa, Tsuneo; Kubota, Ryuji; Ikeda, Kouji
1998-01-01
A 'Plant Navigation System (PNS)' is under development to assist nuclear power plant (NPP) operators by automatically displaying the plant situation and plant operational procedures on a CRT screen when abnormalities occur. The operation procedures given in a symptom-oriented manual are expressed in a tree - type flowchart (modified PAD). The optimum operation procedure for an NPP is selected automatically using built-in diagnostic logics based on the current status of the NPP. Concerning the plant situation, the PNS displays important information only on the current status of the NPP. A prototype PNS system is being constructed. (authors)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Juçara Terezinha Paranhos
1995-01-01
Full Text Available O experimento foi conduzido em Planossolo da Unidade de Mapeamento Vacacaí, com o ohjetivo de estudar o acúmulo de massa seca nos diversos órgãos da planta de três cultivares de arroz irrigado (EEA 406, Bluebelle e BR-IRGA 409, utilizando-se delineamento de blocos ao acaso com cinco repetições. A massa seca foi obtida em sete estádios fenológicos da cultura. Desconsiderando os grãos e panículas, a EEA 406 possui maior capacidade produtiva de fitomassa, sendo a Bluebelle menos produtiva. Na maturação, a cultivar BR-IRGA 409 apresentou maior massa seca total, demonstrando maior capacidade de alocar assimilados nos grãos e maior eficiência de conversão de energia solar em fitomassa, sendo a Bluebelle menos eficiente. Para as três cultivares, até a floração, o colmo acumulou a maior percentagem de massa seca sendo, a partir daí, substituído pelas panículas e grãos. O máximo acúmulo de massa seca nas raízes ocorreu por ocasião da floração, cerca de 80 dias após a emergência.This experiment was carried out in an Halbaqualf soil to study the dry matter accumulation of three flooded rice cultivars. A complete randomized block design was used, with tive replication. Plant dry matter was measured in seven different growth stages. The cultivar EEA 406 had a higherdry matter accumulation than the cultivar Bluebelle without including grain and panicle. At maturity, the BR-IRGA 409 cultivar showed higher total dry matter. This demonstrate a better capacity of this variety in alocating assimilates into grains a higher effíciency in converting solar energy into plant biomass. The Bluebelle had lower efficiency. The dry matter accumulation increased for the three varieties from seeding to flowering into colm and, from flowering to harvest into panicles and grain. The maximum dry matter accumulation in roots was observed at flowering, eighty days after emergency.
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Command of active matter by topological defects and patterns
Peng, Chenhui; Turiv, Taras; Guo, Yubing; Wei, Qi-Huo; Lavrentovich, Oleg D.
2016-11-01
Self-propelled bacteria are marvels of nature with a potential to power dynamic materials and microsystems of the future. The challenge lies in commanding their chaotic behavior. By dispersing swimming Bacillus subtilis in a liquid crystalline environment with spatially varying orientation of the anisotropy axis, we demonstrate control over the distribution of bacterial concentration, as well as the geometry and polarity of their trajectories. Bacteria recognize subtle differences in liquid crystal deformations, engaging in bipolar swimming in regions of pure splay and bend but switching to unipolar swimming in mixed splay-bend regions. They differentiate topological defects, heading toward defects of positive topological charge and avoiding negative charges. Sensitivity of bacteria to preimposed orientational patterns represents a previously unknown facet of the interplay between hydrodynamics and topology of active matter.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Foster, Randy; Mattsson, Ole; Mundy, John
2003-01-01
Recent work on the fragile fiber mutants of Arabidopsis has identified microtubule-associated proteins that affect the orientation of cellulose microfibrils in cell walls, a major determinant of plant elongation growth. These same proteins are implicated in responses to gibberellin, provoking fresh...
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The use of NPAR [Nuclear Plant Aging Research] results in plant inspection activities
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gunther, W.; Taylor, J.
1989-01-01
The US NRC's Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program is a hardware oriented research program which has produced a large data base of equipment and system operating, maintenance, and testing information. Equipment and systems which have a propensity for age related degradation are identified, and methods for detecting and mitigating aging effects have been evaluated. As plants age, it becomes increasingly important that NRC inspectors be cognizant of plant aging phenomena. This paper describes the NPAR information which can enhance inspection activities, and provides a mechanism for making pertinent research available to the inspectors. 7 refs., 2 figs
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mastral, A.M.; Callen, M.S.; Garcia, T.
1999-01-01
The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and the organic matter (OM) content associated with particulate matter (PM) emissions from atmospheric fluidized bed coal combustion have been studied. The two main aims of the work have been (a) to study OM and PAH emissions as a function of the coal fluidized bed combustion (FBC) variables in solid phase and (b) to check if there is any correlation between OM and PAH contained in the PM. The combustion was carried out in a laboratory scale plant at different combustion conditions: temperature, percentage of oxygen excess, and total air flow. PAH associated on the particulate matter have been analyzed by fluorescence spectroscopy in the synchronous mode (FS) after PM extraction by sonication with dimethylformamide (DMF). It can be concluded that there is not a direct relationship between the OM content and the PAH supported in the PM emitted. In addition, neither PM or OM show dependence between themselves
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mariola Ciszewska-Mlinarič
2012-12-01
Full Text Available The article sheds light on the organizational context enhancing development of relational capabilities and examines the significance of relational capabilities for SMEs’ financial and non-financial performance. The firm relational capability is measured separately in customers’ and suppliers’ networks. The research results reveal that fostering internal social capital coupled with the usage of economic motivators augment a firm relational capability in a supplier network, which in turn is associated with better performance results, both financial and non-financial. The results on relational capability in a customer network with respect to performance are less conclusive, indicating that vertical ties that internationally oriented SMEs develop (with suppliers and customers are not of equal importance.
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Division S-4-soil fertility and plant nutrition
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Norman, R.J.; Gilmour, J.T.
1987-01-01
A portion of anhydrous NH 3 fertilizer applied to soil can be rendered nonexchangeable through fixation by clay minerals and soil organic matter. The plant availability of anhydrous NH 3 fixed by these two soil fractions can be important agronomically if such fixation limits plant uptake of the fertilizer N. In this study, three soils with clay and organic C contents ranging from 120 to 310 and 7.8 to 30.1 g kg -1 , respectively, were injected with 15 N-labeled (2 atom % 15 N) liquid anhydrous NH 3 at a rate equivalent to 245 kg N ha -1 . Soluble and exchangeable N were removed by leaching and the soil was cropped to rye grass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in pots. Soils were analyzed before and after cropping for clay fixed N and organic matter fixed N. Four cuttings (harvests) were made at 3- to 4-week intervals and roots were collected at the termination of the experiment. Above ground dry matter, total N uptake, and fertilizer-derived fixed N uptake (mg N pot -1 ) increased from the first to the second harvest and declined thereafter. Nitrogen recovered in the roots accounted for <11% of the total N and <7% of the fixed N utilized, and root dry matter accounted for 13 to 14% of the total dry matter produced. The ratio of fertilizer-derived fixed N uptake to total N uptake declined with harvest suggesting that the fixed N became less available to the rye grass with time. Fertilizer-derived fixed N recovered in the rye grass ranged from 19 to 26% of that originally fixed by the soil. The percentages of fertilizer-derived clay fixed N removed from the soils during cropping (35-72%) were much larger than those of the fertilizer-derived organic matter fixed N (<12%) suggesting that a majority of the plant uptake of fixed N originated in the clay fraction. Overall, fertilizer-derived fixed N removal from the soils (21-30%) agreed well with plant uptake data
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Kim, Byeong-Uk; Kim, Okgil; Kim, Hyun Cheol; Kim, Soontae
2016-09-01
The South Korean government plans to reduce region-wide annual PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm) concentrations in the Seoul Capital Area (SCA) from 2010 levels of 27 µg/m(3) to 20 µg/m(3) by 2024. At the same time, it is inevitable that emissions from fossil-fuel power plants will continue to increase if electricity generation expands and the generation portfolio remains the same in the future. To estimate incremental PM2.5 contributions due to projected electricity generation growth in South Korea, we utilized an ensemble forecasting member of the Integrated Multidimensional Air Quality System for Korea based on the Community Multi-scale Air Quality model. We performed sensitivity runs with across-the-board emission reductions for all fossil-fuel power plants in South Korea to estimate the contribution of PM2.5 from domestic fossil-fuel power plants. We estimated that fossil-fuel power plants are responsible for 2.4% of the annual PM2.5 national ambient air quality standard in the SCA as of 2010. Based on the electricity generation and the annual contribution of fossil-fuel power plants in 2010, we estimated that annual PM2.5 concentrations may increase by 0.2 µg/m(3) per 100 TWhr due to additional electricity generation. With currently available information on future electricity demands, we estimated that the total future contribution of fossil-fuel power plants would be 0.87 µg/m(3), which is 12.4% of the target reduction amount of the annual PM2.5 concentration by 2024. We also approximated that the number of premature deaths caused by existing fossil-fuel power plants would be 736 in 2024. Since the proximity of power plants to the SCA and the types of fuel used significantly impact this estimation, further studies are warranted on the impact of physical parameters of plants, such as location and stack height, on PM2.5 concentrations in the SCA due to each precursor. Improving air quality by reducing fine particle
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Selenium accumulation by plants
White, Philip J.
2016-01-01
Background Selenium (Se) is an essential mineral element for animals and humans, which they acquire largely from plants. The Se concentration in edible plants is determined by the Se phytoavailability in soils. Selenium is not an essential element for plants, but excessive Se can be toxic. Thus, soil Se phytoavailability determines the ecology of plants. Most plants cannot grow on seleniferous soils. Most plants that grow on seleniferous soils accumulate 100 mg Se kg–1 dry matter. These plants are considered to be Se accumulators. Some species can even accumulate Se concentrations of 1000–15 000 mg Se kg–1 dry matter and are called Se hyperaccumulators. Scope This article provides an overview of Se uptake, translocation and metabolism in plants and highlights the possible genetic basis of differences in these between and within plant species. The review focuses initially on adaptations allowing plants to tolerate large Se concentrations in their tissues and the evolutionary origin of species that hyperaccumulate Se. It then describes the variation in tissue Se concentrations between and within angiosperm species and identifies genes encoding enzymes limiting the rates of incorporation of Se into organic compounds and chromosomal loci that might enable the development of crops with greater Se concentrations in their edible portions. Finally, it discusses transgenic approaches enabling plants to tolerate greater Se concentrations in the rhizosphere and in their tissues. Conclusions The trait of Se hyperaccumulation has evolved several times in separate angiosperm clades. The ability to tolerate large tissue Se concentrations is primarily related to the ability to divert Se away from the accumulation of selenocysteine and selenomethionine, which might be incorporated into non-functional proteins, through the synthesis of less toxic Se metabilites. There is potential to breed or select crops with greater Se concentrations in their edible tissues, which
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Astier, D. [FRAMATOME ANP, 92 - Paris-La-Defence (France); Depont, G. [Electricite de France (EDF/DPN), 93 - Saint-Denis (France); Van Dermarliere, Y. [Electricite de France (EDF/SEPTEN), 69 - Villeurbanne (France)
2004-07-01
This article presents the progressive implementation of the state-oriented approach (APE) for centralized control procedures in French nuclear power plants. The implementation began in the years 1982-83 and it concerned only the circuits involved in engineered safeguard systems such IS (safety injection), EAS (containment spray system) and GMPP (reactor coolant pump set). In 2003 the last PWR unit switched from the event oriented approach to APE for post-accidental situations.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Marcel G. Hermes
2013-12-01
Full Text Available On the nesting biology of Pirhosigma Giordani Soika (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae, with special reference to the use of vegetable matter. The use of vegetable matter in nest building is not widespread among the Eumeninae, and is reported for the first time for the two species of potter wasps Pirhosigma superficiale and P. limpidum. These wasps make mostly spherical mud nests over which they attach small pieces of unmasticated plant matter. Use of plant fragments in this group of wasps is interpreted as camouflage behavior.
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Bars in dark-matter-dominated dwarf galaxy discs
Marasco, A.; Oman, K. A.; Navarro, J. F.; Frenk, C. S.; Oosterloo, T.
2018-05-01
We study the shape and kinematics of simulated dwarf galaxy discs in the APOSTLE suite of Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We find that a large fraction of these gas-rich, star-forming discs show weak bars in their stellar component, despite being dark-matter-dominated systems. The bar pattern shape and orientation reflect the ellipticity of the dark matter potential, and its rotation is locked to the slow figure rotation of the triaxial dark halo. The bar-like nature of the potential induces non-circular motions in the gas component, including strong bisymmetric flows that can be readily seen as m = 3 harmonic perturbations in the H I line-of-sight velocity fields. Similar bisymmetric flows are seen in many galaxies of The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey (THINGS) and Local Irregulars That Trace Luminosity Extremes THINGS (LITTLE THINGS), although on average their amplitudes are a factor of ˜2 weaker than in our simulated discs. Our results indicate that bar-like patterns may arise even when baryons are not dominant, and that they are common enough to warrant careful consideration when analysing the gas kinematics of dwarf galaxy discs.
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Class and ideological orientations revisited: an exploration of class-based mechanisms.
Bengtsson, Mattias; Berglund, Tomas; Oskarson, Maria
2013-12-01
Studies of the relationship between class position and political outlooks still only have a limited understanding of the class-related mechanisms that matter for ideological orientations. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the mechanisms that link class position and left/right and authoritarian/libertarian orientations. Besides main factors such as income, career prospects, job security, education, class origin and class identification, the significance of work-related factors such as work autonomy, working in a team, a physically demanding job and a mentally demanding job is studied. The findings are based on a survey specifically designed for this purpose and collected in Sweden in 2008/2009. A great deal of the association between class position and left/right orientations is explained by socio-economic conditions; different classes sympathize with policies that will benefit them economically. Another important factor is class identification. Work-related factors also have relevance, but the effect of class position on left/right orientations works mainly through the remuneration system. Class position is also related to authoritarian/libertarian orientations. However, this relationship is less explained by socio-economic position per se, but is rather an effect of the educational system and its allocation of the workforce into different class positions. It also turns out that work-related factors do not explain the class effects; however, a physically demanding job shows a unique effect. Overall, our findings suggest that besides factors such as class position, income, education and class identification, we need to consider work-related aspects to derive a more complete understanding of the distribution of ideological orientations in Western societies. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2013.
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Effect of mosaic virus diseases on dry matter content and starch ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
The effect of mosaic virus diseases on dry matter content and starch yield of five local accessions of cassava, “Ankrah”, “AW/17, “Tomfa”, “Dagarti” and “Tuaka” was evaluated. Tomfa showed the highest (95%) incidence of the disease, index of severity of symptoms for all plants (ISSAP) of 3.70, as well as, for diseased plants ...
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Stability of Soil Organic Matter in Alpine Ecosystems: No Relationship with Vegetation
Matteodo, M.; Sebag, D.; Vittoz, P.; Verrecchia, E. P.
2016-12-01
There is an emerging understanding of mechanisms governing soil organic matter (SOM) stability, which is challenging the historical view of carbon persistence1. According to this alternative vision, SOM stability is not directly regulated by the molecular structure of plant inputs (i.e. the historical view), but the biotic and abiotic conditions of the surrounding environment which play a major role and mediate the influence of compound chemistry. The persistence of SOM is thus influenced by ecological conditions, controlling the access and activity of decomposers' enzymes and being ecosystem-dependent. In this study, we investigated differences of (1) carbon content, and (2) stability of organic matter in litter and organomineral layers from the most widespread plant communities at the subalpine-alpine level of the Swiss Alps. For this purpose, 230 samples from 47 soil profiles have been analysed across seven plant communities, along a subalpine-alpine elevation gradient. Both calcareous and siliceous grasslands were studied, as well as snowbed and ridge communities. Aboveground litter and A horizons were sampled and analysed using Rock-Eval Pyrolysis, a proxy-technique commonly used for the investigation of organic matter composition and stability2,3. Results show that the litter layers of the seven plant communities are significantly different in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) content, but slightly variable in terms of stability. The situation is radically different in the organomineral horizons where the amount of organic carbon is interestingly homogeneous, as well as the SOM stability. In mineral horizons, the amount and stability of SOM are mainly driven by the geological settings, and therefore vary in the different plant communities. These results show a clear disconnection between organic, organomineral, and mineral horizons in terms of factors governing soil organic matter stability. Consistent with the recent view of the carbon balance, plant input
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Cerebral sex dimorphism and sexual orientation.
Manzouri, Amirhossein; Savic, Ivanka
2018-03-01
The neurobiology of sexual orientation is frequently discussed in terms of cerebral sex dimorphism (defining both functional and structural sex differences). Yet, the information about possible cerebral differences between sex-matched homo and heterosexual persons is limited, particularly among women. In this multimodal MRI study, we addressed these issues by investigating possible cerebral differences between homo and heterosexual persons, and by asking whether there is any sex difference in this aspect. Measurements of cortical thickness (Cth), subcortical volumes, and functional and structural resting-state connections among 40 heterosexual males (HeM) and 40 heterosexual females (HeF) were compared with those of 30 homosexual males (HoM) and 30 homosexual females (HoF). Congruent with previous reports, sex differences were detected in heterosexual controls with regard to fractional anisotropy (FA), Cth, and several subcortical volumes. Homosexual groups did not display any sex differences in FA values. Furthermore, their functional connectivity was significantly less pronounced in the mesial prefrontal and precuneus regions. In these two particular regions, HoM also displayed thicker cerebral cortex than other groups, whereas HoF did not differ from HeF. In addition, in HoM the parietal Cth showed "sex-reversed" values, not observed in HoF. Homosexual orientation seems associated with a less pronounced sexual differentiation of white matter tracts and a less pronounced functional connectivity of the self-referential networks compared to heterosexual orientation. Analyses of Cth suggest that male and female homosexuality are not simple analogues of each other and that differences from heterosexual controls are more pronounced in HoM. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Matter-antimatter and matter-matter interactions at intermediate energies
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Santos, Antonio Carlos Fontes dos
2002-01-01
This article presents some of the recent experimental advances on the study on antimatter-matter and matter-matter interactions, and some of the subtle differences stimulated a great theoretical efforts for explanation of the results experimentally observed
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CHROMOPHORIC DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER (CDOM) SOURCE CHARACTERIZATION IN THE LOUISIANA BIGHT
Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Mississippi plume region may have several distinct sources: riverine (terrestrial soils), wetland (terrestrial plants), biological production (phytoplankton, zooplankton, microbial), and sediments. Complex mixing, photodegradati...
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The effects of increased phosphorus application on shoot dry matter ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
ONOS
2010-09-06
Sep 6, 2010 ... important to understand how crops with different root architecture would ... while in soils rich in organic matter, it is present as organic ... Plants take up most of the required nutrient elements ... MATERIALS AND METHODS.
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of Effect of different organic materials on plant growth
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
mehrnosh eskandari
2009-06-01
Full Text Available Using organic matter, such as, peat and vermicompost as soil amendment, increases aeration, water infiltration, water holding capacity and nutrients of soil . A greenhouse experiment was performed to study the effect of organic materials on plant growth characteristics, total biomass and grain weight of chickpea with four treatments; 1 Soil + 3% peat (PS, 2 Sterile soil + 3% peat (SPS, 3 Soil + vermicompost (1:6 (VCS, 4 control (C in a completely randomized design with four replications. The results showed that the maximum germination percentage, number of branch and number of pod per plant were observed in SPS treatment due to the avoidance of harmful microbial impacts. Plant height in this treatment reduced, whereas, no significant differences in total dry matter per plant and dry weight of chickpea per plant were observed compared to control. Plant growth consist of plant height, number of branch and number of pod per plant in vermicompost and soil + peat treatment reduced in the early stages probably because of plant - microbes interaction effects. Application of vermicompost increased fresh and dry weight, pod dry weight and single grain weight, probably due to more plant nutrient availability in this treatment when compared with other treatments.
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Compost amendment, enhanced nutrient uptake and dry matter ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
Field trial was conducted to assess the influence of Compost and inorganic fertilizer as well as plant growth stage on growth, nutrient uptake, dry matter accumulation and partitioning in maize crop grown on the battery waste contaminated site. Two types of compost (Mexican Sunflower (MSC) and Cassava peels (CPC) ...
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Understanding voter orientation in the context of political market orientation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ormrod, Robert P.; Henneberg, Stephan C.
2010-01-01
This article develops a conceptual framework and measurement model of political market orientation. The relationships between different behavioural aspects of political market orientation and the attitudinal influences of such behaviour are analysed, and the study includes structural equation...... modelling to test several hypotheses. While the results show that political parties focus on several different aspects of market-oriented behaviour, especially using an internal and societal orientation as cultural antecedents, a more surprising result is the inconclusive effect of a voter orientation...... on political market orientation. This lends support to the argument of 'looking beyond the customer' in political marketing research and practice. The article discusses the findings in the context of the existing literature on political marketing and commercial market orientation....
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chocron, Mauricio; Garcia Rodenas, Luis; La Gamma, Ana M.; Villegas, Marina; Fernandez, Alberto N.; Allemandi, Walter; Manera, Raul; Rosales, Hugo
2000-01-01
Nuclear power plants type PWR and PHWR (pressurized water reactor and pressurized heavy water reactor) have three coolant circuits which only exchange energy among them. The primary circuit, whose coolant extracts the reactor energy, the secondary circuit or water-steam cycle and the tertiary circuit which could be lake, river or sea water. The chemistry of the primary and secondary coolants is carefully controlled with the aim of minimizing the corrosion of structural materials. However, very low rates of corrosion are inevitable and one of the consequences of the corrosion processes is the presence of soluble and particulate matter in the coolant from where several problems associated with mass transfer arisen. In this way radioactive nuclides are transported out of the core to the steam generators, hydraulic resistance increases and heat transfer capability degrades. In the present paper some alternative techniques are proposed for the quantification of both, the particulate and soluble matter present in the coolant and their correspondent composition. Some results are also included and discussed. (author)
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Filamentary superclustering in a universe dominated by cold dark matter
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
West, M.J.; Villumsen, J.V.; Dekel, A.
1991-01-01
The relative orientations of neighboring clusters of galaxies in a universe dominated by cold dark matter (CDM) are examined using N-body simulations. A clear tendency is found for the major axes of neighboring clusters to be aligned for separations up to 10-15/sq h Mpc when all clusters pairs are included. When only those clusters which reside within superclusters are considered, alignments are found over even larger scales, up to about 30/sq h Mpc. The orientations of cluster minor axes also provide supporting evidence of the presence of filamentary rather than sheetlike features in the large-scale mass distributions. These findings agree well with observational results. The results indicate that a CDM-dominated universe can account for many of the observed features of the large-scale structure. 95 refs
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Chromophoric dissolved organic (CDOM) in aquatic environments is derived from the microbial decomposition of terrestrial and microbial organic matter. Here we present results of studies of the spectral properties and photoreactivity of the CDOM derived from several organic matter...
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Iwagami, Sho; Onda, Yuichi; Tsujimura, Maki; Abe, Yutaka
2017-01-01
Radiocesium ( 137 Cs) migration from headwaters in forested areas provides important information, as the output from forest streams subsequently enters various land-use areas and downstream rivers. Thus, it is important to determine the composition of 137 Cs fluxes (dissolved fraction, suspended sediment, or coarse organic matter) that migrate through a headwater stream. In this study, the 137 Cs discharge by suspended sediment and coarse organic matter from a forest headwater catchment was monitored. The 137 Cs concentrations in suspended sediment and coarse organic matter, such as leaves and branches, and the amounts of suspended sediment and coarse organic matter were measured at stream sites in three headwater catchments in Yamakiya District, located ∼35 km northwest of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) from August 2012 to September 2013, following the earthquake and tsunami disaster. Suspended sediment and coarse organic matter were sampled at intervals of approximately 1-2 months. The 137 Cs concentrations of suspended sediment and coarse organic matter were 2.4-49 kBq/kg and 0.85-14 kBq/kg, respectively. The 137 Cs concentrations of the suspended sediment were closely correlated with the average deposition density of the catchment. The annual proportions of contribution of 137 Cs discharge by suspended sediment, coarse organic matter, and dissolved fraction were 96-99%, 0.0092-0.069%, and 0.73-3.7%, respectively. The total annual 137 Cs discharge from the catchment was 0.02-0.3% of the deposition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Holy, Jaroslav
2004-01-01
The methods of human reliability analysis (HRA) form an integral part of probabilistic safety assessment. These methods are currently still under development and there is significant lack of data needed for applications. As a consequence, no unique formal approach for solution of many aspects related to plant staff human performance does exist. In this contribution, some examples of fruitful work are given, which reflect the needs and possibilities specific for HRA field. In the first two examples, methodology, course and results of analysis of concrete matters related to pre-accident errors and shutdown control room crew performance are described. The last example is oriented to one potential human performance related data source-observation of control room crew full-scope simulator exercise. Some conclusions of general validity are presented in the final part of the contribution
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Ouchi, Seiji
2006-01-01
Plant pathology evolved from its mycology-oriented origins into a science dealing with biochemical mechanisms of diseases, along with enhanced crop production through disease control. This retrospective describes first my personal experience from my introduction to plant pathology, to the establishment of the concept of accessibility as a model pertaining to genetically defined basic compatibility induced by pathogens. I then refer to the development of molecular plant pathology from physiological and biochemical plant pathology fostered by the growth in recombinant technology in the second half of the past century. This progress was best reflected by the U.S.-Japan Seminar Series held at 4-5-year intervals from 1966 to 2003 and documented by publications in major journals of our discipline. These seminars emphasized that progress in science has always been supported by the invention of novel techniques and that knowledge integrated from modern genomics and subsequent proteomics should contribute to the progress of basic life sciences and, more importantly, to the elaboration of rational measures for disease control.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Bullard, M.J.; Heath, M.C.; Nixon, P.M.I.
1995-01-01
Photosynthetic area index (PAI), radiation interception (I) and dry matter partitioning between shoots and roots were measured for Miscanthus sinensis‘Giganteus' grown from micro-propagated transplants on a fertile peaty loam soil in eastern England. In the establishment year, Miscanthus plants produced 35 and 70 shoots plant -1 at densities of 4.0 and 1.8 plants m -2 respectively. At the higher density, there were 140 shoots m -2 with the largest reaching a height of 1.8 m; these canopies attained a maximum PAI of 5.45, intercepting 94% of incident radiation. Leaf lamina contributed c. 90% of total photosynthetic area with stems contributing the remainder. At the lower density, maximum PAI and I values were 2.88 and 86% respectively. PAI was related to I by calculating attenuation coefficients (k); these indicated that Miscanthus canopies were more effective at intercepting radiation per unit PAI at the lower density (k= -0.31) compared with the higher density (k= -0.20). Radiation interception was related to dry matter accumulated by calculating conversion efficiencies (e). At 4 plants m -2 , × for shoot dry matter production was 1.17g MJ -1 . Miscanthus partitioned a relatively large amount of total dry matter into below-ground biomass. By plant senescence, c. 30% of total dry matter had been partitioned into root and rhizome; rhizome biomass contributed 80% of below-ground dry matter, × increased to 1.62 g MJ -1 when calculated on a total dry matter basis (shoot + root + rhizome). Total dry matter production was increased 68% by a 2.2-fold increase in plant density. (author)
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Roles of epi-anecic taxa of earthworms in the organic matter recycling
Hoeffner, Kevin; Monard, Cécile; Santonja, Mathieu; Pérès, Guénola; Cluzeau, Daniel
2017-04-01
Given their impact on soil functioning and their interactions with soil organisms, earthworms contribute to the recycling of organic matter and participate significantly in the numerous ecosystem services provided by soils. Most studies on the role of earthworms in organic matter recycling were conducted at the level of the four functional groups (epigeic, epi-anecic, anecic strict and endogeic), but their effects at taxa level remain largely unknown. Still, within a functional group, anatomic and physiologic earthworm taxa traits are different, which should impact organic matter recycling. This study aims at determining, under controlled conditions, epi-anecic taxa differences in (i) leaf litter mass loss, (ii) assimilation and (iii) impact on microorganisms communities implied in organic matter degradation. In seperate microcosms, we chose 4 epi anecic taxa (Lumbricus rubellus, Lumbricus festivus, Lumbricus centralis and Lumbricus terrestris). Each taxon was exposed separately to leaves of three different plants (Holcus lanatus, Lolium perenne and Corylus avellana). In the same microcosm, leaves of each plant was both placed on the surface and buried 10cm deep. The experiment lasted 10 days for half of the samples and 20 days for the second half. Microorganisms communities were analysed using TRFLP in each earthworm taxon burrow walls at 20 days. We observed differences between epi-anecic taxa depending on species of plant and the duration of the experiment. Results are discussed taking into account physical and chemical properties of these 3 trophic resources (e.g. C/N ratio, phenolic compounds, percentage of lignin and cellulose...).
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
F Khatib
2015-09-01
Full Text Available The use of appropriate cultivar and planting date is the most important principles of agronomy; therefore, the aim of the present study was to consider the growth indices of different safflower cultivars and their relationships with seed yield. For this purpose, an experiment was conducted as factorial in randomized block design with four replicates included three planting dates (4 April, 25 April and 16 May and four safflower cultivars (411, Sina, Local Esfahan and Sofeh. The maximum leaf area index (2.33 obtained in the first planting date that it was not significantly different with the second planting date but it decreased up to 70% in the third planting date. In the first planting date, the maximum LAI obtained for Local Esfahan and 411 cultivars. Maximum total dry matter was 124.2 g m-2 for the first planting date that it decreased up to 31 and 78% in the second and third planting dates, respectively. In this planting date Sina and Local Esfahan cultivars had the higher dry matter. Maximum crop growth rate for the first planting date was 38.84 g m-2d-1 that it decreased up to 41 and 66% in the second and third planting dates, respectively. In this planting date, the highest total dry matter obtained for the Local Esfahan cultivar. The results showed that the maximum value of seed yield dedicated to 411 and Local Esfahan cultivars that it had the high correlation with maximum total dry matter. In respect to the present study, it is suggested to use 411 or Local Esfahan cultivars in the first planting date.
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Selenium accumulation by plants.
White, Philip J
2016-02-01
Selenium (Se) is an essential mineral element for animals and humans, which they acquire largely from plants. The Se concentration in edible plants is determined by the Se phytoavailability in soils. Selenium is not an essential element for plants, but excessive Se can be toxic. Thus, soil Se phytoavailability determines the ecology of plants. Most plants cannot grow on seleniferous soils. Most plants that grow on seleniferous soils accumulate plant species have evolved tolerance to Se, and commonly accumulate tissue Se concentrations >100 mg Se kg(-1) dry matter. These plants are considered to be Se accumulators. Some species can even accumulate Se concentrations of 1000-15 000 mg Se kg(-1 )dry matter and are called Se hyperaccumulators. This article provides an overview of Se uptake, translocation and metabolism in plants and highlights the possible genetic basis of differences in these between and within plant species. The review focuses initially on adaptations allowing plants to tolerate large Se concentrations in their tissues and the evolutionary origin of species that hyperaccumulate Se. It then describes the variation in tissue Se concentrations between and within angiosperm species and identifies genes encoding enzymes limiting the rates of incorporation of Se into organic compounds and chromosomal loci that might enable the development of crops with greater Se concentrations in their edible portions. Finally, it discusses transgenic approaches enabling plants to tolerate greater Se concentrations in the rhizosphere and in their tissues. The trait of Se hyperaccumulation has evolved several times in separate angiosperm clades. The ability to tolerate large tissue Se concentrations is primarily related to the ability to divert Se away from the accumulation of selenocysteine and selenomethionine, which might be incorporated into non-functional proteins, through the synthesis of less toxic Se metabilites. There is potential to breed or select crops
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kevin Crist
2008-12-31
As stated in the proposal: Ohio University, in collaboration with CONSOL Energy, Advanced Technology Systems, Inc (ATS) and Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER) as subcontractors, evaluated the impact of emissions from coal-fired power plants in the Ohio River Valley region as they relate to the transport and deposition of mercury and associated fine particulate matter. This evaluation involved two interrelated areas of effort: ambient air monitoring and regional-scale modeling analysis. The scope of work for the ambient air monitoring included the deployment of a surface air monitoring (SAM) station in southeastern Ohio. The SAM station contains sampling equipment to collect and measure mercury (including speciated forms of mercury and wet and dry deposited mercury), particulate matter (PM) mass, PM composition, and gaseous criteria pollutants (CO, NOx, SO2, O3, etc.). Laboratory analyses of time-integrated samples were used to obtain chemical speciation of ambient PM composition and mercury in precipitation. Nearreal- time measurements were used to measure the ambient concentrations of PM mass and all gaseous species including Hg0 and RGM. Approximately 30 months of field data were collected at the SAM site to validate the proposed regional model simulations for episodic and seasonal model runs. The ambient air quality data provides mercury, and fine particulate matter data that can be used by Ohio Valley industries to assess performance on multi-pollutant control systems. The scope of work for the modeling analysis includes (1) development of updated inventories of mercury emissions from coal plants and other important sources in the modeled domain; (2) adapting an existing 3-D atmospheric chemical transport model to incorporate recent advancements in the understanding of mercury transformations in the atmosphere; (3) analyses of the flux of Hg0, RGM, and fine particulate matter in the different sectors of the study region to identify key transport
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Bulf, Hermann; de Hevia, Maria Dolores; Macchi Cassia, Viola
2016-01-01
Numbers are represented as ordered magnitudes along a spatially oriented number line. While culture and formal education modulate the direction of this number-space mapping, it is a matter of debate whether its emergence is entirely driven by cultural experience. By registering 8-9-month-old infants' eye movements, this study shows that numerical…
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Creamer, C. A.; Boutton, T. W.; Filley, T. R.
2009-12-01
Woody plant encroachment (WPE) into savannas and grasslands is a global phenomenon that alters soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics through changes in litter quality and quantity, soil structure, microbial ecology, and soil hydrology. To elucidate the controls upon microbial accessibility to SOM, bulk soils from a chronosequence of progressive WPE into native grasslands at the Texas A&M Agricultural Experimental Station La Copita Research Area were incubated for one year. The quantity and stable carbon isotope composition of respired CO2, plant biopolymer chemistry in SOM, and microbial community structure were tracked. Respiration rates declined steadily over the course of the experiment with 15-25% of the total CO2 respired released in the first month of incubation. Between 8 and 18% of the total carbon was mineralized to CO2 throughout the incubation. After day 84 a significantly (p evidence of enhanced carbon stabilization in these respiration experiments. In fact, a greater proportion of total carbon was lost from the soil of mature woody stands than from young stands, suggesting carbon accumulation observed with WPE may be due to greater input rates or microbial dynamics not captured in the laboratory incubation. A cluster approximately 34 years in age represents a transition point in WPE where respiration dynamics become distinct between grassland and wooded elements. By day 84 of the incubation CO2 respired from all soils was depleted with respect to bulk SOM (1.5 to 5‰) and this pattern remained for the rest of the incubation. As the depletion of CO2 relative to bulk SOM was observed in grassland and cluster soils, we hypothesized the depleted signature resulted from the utilization of depleted biopolymers, specifically lignin, cutin and suberin, as hypothesized by others. Quantitative and isotopic comparisons of these monomers prior to and following the incubation will determine if selective compound utilization is a reason for this depletion. The results
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
NONE
2012-07-01
Within the KRdL expert meeting at 30th October, 2012 in Bonn (Federal Republic of Germany), the following lectures were held: (1) New requirements on biomass conversion plants based on the Federal Nuisance Control Ordinance (Hans-Peter Ewens); (2) State of the art of the operation of biomass conversion plants (Christina Dornack); (3) Implementation of the regulation VDI 3475 sheet 4 (Markus Helm); (4) Handling of constraints of residents in the licensing procedure as well as during operation (Helmar Hentschke); (5) Explosion protection for biomass conversion plants considering the matters of immission control (Michael Faber); (6) Microbiological and epidemic-hygienic aspects of agricultural biomass conversion plants and their fermentation residues (Werner Philipp); (7) Emissions of climatic relevant gases at the biogas production (Jacqueline Daniel-Gromke); (8) State of the art in the biogas processing (Joachim Krassowski).
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Degradation Mechanisms of Colloidal Organic Matter in Biofilm Reactors
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Larsen, Tove; Harremoës, Poul
1994-01-01
-diffusible organic matter in a biofilm reactor. DH depends on the combined volumetric and surface hydraulic loading rate, Q2/(AV). In full-scale wastewater treatment plants, the degradation mechanism presented in this paper can explain important differences between the performance of trickling filters and RBC...
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Liu, Chunlei; Murphy, Nicole E.; Li, Wei
2012-01-01
Diffusion MRI has become an invaluable tool for studying white matter microstructure and brain connectivity. The emergence of quantitative susceptibility mapping and susceptibility tensor imaging (STI) has provided another unique tool for assessing the structure of white matter. In the highly ordered white matter structure, diffusion MRI measures hindered water mobility induced by various tissue and cell membranes, while susceptibility sensitizes to the molecular composition and axonal arrangement. Integrating these two methods may produce new insights into the complex physiology of white matter. In this study, we investigated the relationship between diffusion and magnetic susceptibility in the white matter. Experiments were conducted on phantoms and human brains in vivo. Diffusion properties were quantified with the diffusion tensor model and also with the higher order tensor model based on the cumulant expansion. Frequency shift and susceptibility tensor were measured with quantitative susceptibility mapping and susceptibility tensor imaging. These diffusion and susceptibility quantities were compared and correlated in regions of single fiber bundles and regions of multiple fiber orientations. Relationships were established with similarities and differences identified. It is believed that diffusion MRI and susceptibility MRI provide complementary information of the microstructure of white matter. Together, they allow a more complete assessment of healthy and diseased brains. PMID:23507987
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Quality improvement of oriental melon and watermelon using bioceramics
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Song, H.K.; Lee, K.J.; Ryou, Y.S.
1996-01-01
Oriental melon and watermelon plants were cultivated in the soil treated with bioceramics in a greenhouse during summer season from June 1st to August 20th, 1995. Two application methods were employed, one was a mixed treatment of soil and bioceramics, and the other was a spray treatment of bioceramic solution on the stems and leaves. And two types of bioceramics were also stopped by five levels. In order to analyze the bioceramic effect on oriental melon and watermelon, the growth rate of stems, leaves and fruits were measured in the greenhouse. After harvest, the sweetness of fruits was measured and the freshness of fruits based on the storage period was tested by human taste and smell sense. The results are summarized as follows. 1. The growth rates of stems, leaves and fruits of oriental melon and watermelon were the largest in the bioceramic treatment of No. 3. 2. The density of oriental melon and watermelon was the largest in the bioceramic treatment of No. 3 and No. 2 respectively. 3. The Brix number of watermelon was 10.6 in non-bioceramic treatment and 11.5 in the bioceramic treatment of No. 2, and that of oriental melon was 8.6 in non-bioceramic treatment and 12.3 in the bioceramic treatment of No. 2. 4. The storage duration of watermelon treated with bioceramics was about 50 days in the condition of the ambient temperature of 25∼30°C. (author)
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Scanning probe microscopy with vertically oriented cantilevers made easy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Valdrè, G; Moro, D; Ulian, G
2012-01-01
Non-contact imaging in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is becoming of great importance in particular for imaging biological matter and in general soft materials. Transverse dynamic force microscopy (TDFM) is an SPM-based methodology that exploiting a cantilever oriented in a vertical configuration with respect to the sample surface may work with very low tip to sample interaction forces. The probe is oscillated parallel to the sample surface, usually by a piezoelectric element. However, this methodology often requires complex microscope setups and detection systems, so it is usually developed in specific laboratories as a prototype microscope. Here, we present a very simple device that easily enables a commercial SPM head to be oriented in such a way to have the cantilever long axis perpendicular to the sample surface. No modifications of the SPM hardware and software are required and commercial available cantilevers can be used as probes. Performance tests using polystyrene spheres, muscovite crystallographic steps and DNA single molecules were successful and all resulted in agreement with other TDFM and SPM observations demonstrating the reliability of the device. (paper)
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Strong orientation dependence of surface mass density profiles of dark haloes at large scales
Osato, Ken; Nishimichi, Takahiro; Oguri, Masamune; Takada, Masahiro; Okumura, Teppei
2018-06-01
We study the dependence of surface mass density profiles, which can be directly measured by weak gravitational lensing, on the orientation of haloes with respect to the line-of-sight direction, using a suite of N-body simulations. We find that, when major axes of haloes are aligned with the line-of-sight direction, surface mass density profiles have higher amplitudes than those averaged over all halo orientations, over all scales from 0.1 to 100 Mpc h-1 we studied. While the orientation dependence at small scales is ascribed to the halo triaxiality, our results indicate even stronger orientation dependence in the so-called two-halo regime, up to 100 Mpc h-1. The orientation dependence for the two-halo term is well approximated by a multiplicative shift of the amplitude and therefore a shift in the halo bias parameter value. The halo bias from the two-halo term can be overestimated or underestimated by up to {˜ } 30 per cent depending on the viewing angle, which translates into the bias in estimated halo masses by up to a factor of 2 from halo bias measurements. The orientation dependence at large scales originates from the anisotropic halo-matter correlation function, which has an elliptical shape with the axis ratio of ˜0.55 up to 100 Mpc h-1. We discuss potential impacts of halo orientation bias on other observables such as optically selected cluster samples and a clustering analysis of large-scale structure tracers such as quasars.
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Characterization of organic matter in lake sediments from Minnesota and Yellowstone National Park
Dean, Walter E.
2006-01-01
Samples of sediment from lakes in Minnesota and Yellowstone National Park (YNP) were analyzed for organic carbon (OC), hydrogen richness by Rock-Eval pyrolysis, and stable carbon- and nitrogen-isotope composition of bulk organic matter. Values of delta 13C of lake plankton tend to be around -28 to -32 parts per thousand (0/00). Organic matter with values of delta 13C in the high negative 20s overlap with those of organic matter derived from C3 higher terrestrial plants but are at least 10 0/00 more depleted in 13C than organic matter derived from C4 terrestrial plants. If the organic matter is produced mainly by photosynthetic plankton and is not oxidized in the water column, there may be a negative correlation between H-richness (Rock-Eval pyrolysis H-index) and delta 13C, with more H-rich, algal organic matter having lower values of delta 13C. However, if aquatic organic matter is oxidized in the water column, or if the organic matter is a mixture of terrestrial and aquatic organic matter, then there may be no correlation between H-richness and carbon-isotopic composition. Values of delta 13C lower than about -28 0/00 probably indicate a contribution of bacterial biomass produced in the hypolimnion by chemoautotrophy or methanotrophy. In highly eutrophic lakes in which large amounts of 13C-depleted organic matter is continually removed from the epilimnion by photosynthesis throughout the growing season, the entire carbon reservoir in the epilimnion may become severely 13C-enriched so that 13C-enriched photosynthetic organic matter may overprint 13C-depleted chemosynthetic bacterial organic matter produced in the hypolimnon. Most processes involved with the nitrogen cycle in lakes, such as production of ammonia and nitrate, tend to produce 15N-enriched values of delta 15N. Most Minnesota lake sediments are 15N-enriched. However, some of the more OC-rich sediments have delta 15N values close to zero (delta 15N of air), suggesting that organic matter production is
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Vandecasteele, Bart; Du Laing, Gijs; Tack, Filip M.G.
2007-01-01
Site-specific hydrological conditions affect the availability of trace metals for vegetation. In a greenhouse experiment, the effect of submersion on the metal uptake by the wetland plant species Salix cinerea and Populus nigra grown on a contaminated dredged sediment-derived soil and on an uncontaminated soil was evaluated. An upland hydrological regime for the polluted sediment caused elevated Cd concentrations in leaves and cuttings for both species. Emergence and soil oxidation after initial submersion of a polluted sediment resulted in comparable foliar Cd and Zn concentrations for S. cinerea as for the constant upland treatment. The foliar Cd and Zn concentrations were clearly higher than for submerged soils after initial upland conditions. These results point at the importance of submergence-emergence sequence for plant metal availability. The addition of foliar-based organic matter or aluminosilicates to the polluted sediment-derived soil in upland conditions did not decrease Cd and Zn uptake by S. cinerea. - The effect of a wetland hydrological regime on Cd uptake was similar for Populus nigra and Salix cinerea
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Nitrogen rate and plant population effects on yield and yield ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
STORAGESEVER
2008-12-17
Gan et al., 2003). Nitrogen increases yield by influencing a variety of agronomic and quality parameters. In general, there was an increase in plant height and dry matter accumulation per plant in soybean (Manral and Saxena, ...
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CEZ utility's coal-fired power plants: towards a higher environmental friendliness
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kindl, V.; Spilkova, T.; Vanousek, I.; Stehlik, J.
1996-01-01
Environmental efforts of the major Czech utility, CEZ a.s., are aimed at reducing air pollution arising from electricity and heat generating facilities. There are 3 main kinds of activity in this respect: phasing out of coal fired power plants; technological provisions to reduce emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides from those coal fired units that are to remain in operation after 1998; and completion of the Temelin nuclear power plant. In 1995, emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide from CEZ's coal fired power plants were 19%, 79%, 59%, and 60%, respectively, with respect to the situation in 1992. The break-down of electricity generation by CEZ facilities (in GWh) was as follows in 1995: hydroelectric power plants 1673, nuclear power plants 12230, coal fired power plants without desulfurization equipment 30181, and coal fired power plants with desulfurization equipment 2277. Provisions implemented to improve the environmental friendliness of the individual CEZ's coal fired power plants are described in detail. (P.A.). 5 tabs., 1 fig
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Lin, Boqiang; Du, Kerui
2015-01-01
This paper employs a newly developed non-radial directional distance function to evaluate China's regional energy and CO 2 emission performance for the period 1997–2009. Moreover, we analyze the impact of China's market-oriented reform on China's regional energy and carbon efficiency. The main findings are as follows. First, most of China's regions did not perform efficiently in energy use and CO 2 emissions. Provinces in the east area generally performed better than those in the central and west areas. By contrast, provinces in the west area generally evidenced the lowest efficiency. Second, Market-oriented reforms, especially the promotion of factor market, were found to have positive effect on the efficiency of energy use and CO 2 emissions. Third, the share of coal in the total energy consumption and the expansion of the industrial sector were found to be negatively correlated with China's regional energy and CO 2 emissions performance. Based on the empirical findings, we provide policy suggestions for enhancing energy and carbon efficiency in China. - Highlights: • A newly developed NDDF are applied to evaluate China's energy and carbon performance. • Most of China's regions did not perform efficiently in energy use and CO 2 emissions. • Market-oriented reforms contributed to improving China's energy and carbon efficiency
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Code for plant identification (KKS) key in PC version
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pannenbaecker, K.
1991-01-01
The plant identification system (KKS) as a common development of german plant operators, erection firms and also power plant oriented organisations have decisively influenced the technical-organizing activities of planning and erections as operations and maintenance of all kind of power plants. Fundamentals are three key parts, operation, armatures and function keys. Their management and application is executed by a plantidentification-key code in a PC version, which is briefly described in this report. (orig.) [de
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[Action-oriented versus state-oriented reactions to experimenter-induced failures].
Brunstein, J C
1989-01-01
The present study assessed different effects of action-oriented versus state-oriented styles of coping with failure on achievement-related performance and cognition. In a learned helplessness experiment, students were exposed to an academic failure situation and were then tested on a series of problem-solving tasks, either immediately after the pretreatment or after a delay of 24 hours. Performance and cognitive concomitants were measured during both experimental periods. Results demonstrated that action orientation was associated with self-immunizing cognitions during helplessness training. Action-oriented participants improved their performance level even after repeated failure feedbacks. Moreover, action-oriented students assigned to the delayed test condition responded with increased striving for success and showed performance increments, even in comparison with control subjects. In contrast, state-oriented participants developed symptoms of helplessness and showed impaired performance during failure inductions. In later tests on problem-solving tasks, state-oriented groups responded with increased fear of failure. Independent of immediate or delayed test conditions, they soon lapsed into new performance decrements.
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White matter microstructure in transsexuals and controls investigated by diffusion tensor imaging.
Kranz, Georg S; Hahn, Andreas; Kaufmann, Ulrike; Küblböck, Martin; Hummer, Allan; Ganger, Sebastian; Seiger, Rene; Winkler, Dietmar; Swaab, Dick F; Windischberger, Christian; Kasper, Siegfried; Lanzenberger, Rupert
2014-11-12
Biological causes underpinning the well known gender dimorphisms in human behavior, cognition, and emotion have received increased attention in recent years. The advent of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging has permitted the investigation of the white matter microstructure in unprecedented detail. Here, we aimed to study the potential influences of biological sex, gender identity, sex hormones, and sexual orientation on white matter microstructure by investigating transsexuals and healthy controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Twenty-three female-to-male (FtM) and 21 male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals, as well as 23 female (FC) and 22 male (MC) controls underwent DTI at 3 tesla. Fractional anisotropy, axial, radial, and mean diffusivity were calculated using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and fiber tractography. Results showed widespread significant differences in mean diffusivity between groups in almost all white matter tracts. FCs had highest mean diffusivities, followed by FtM transsexuals with lower values, MtF transsexuals with further reduced values, and MCs with lowest values. Investigating axial and radial diffusivities showed that a transition in axial diffusivity accounted for mean diffusivity results. No significant differences in fractional anisotropy maps were found between groups. Plasma testosterone levels were strongly correlated with mean, axial, and radial diffusivities. However, controlling for individual estradiol, testosterone, or progesterone plasma levels or for subjects' sexual orientation did not change group differences. Our data harmonize with the hypothesis that fiber tract development is influenced by the hormonal environment during late prenatal and early postnatal brain development. Copyright © 2014 the authors 0270-6474/14/3415466-10$15.00/0.
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White Matter Microstructure in Transsexuals and Controls Investigated by Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Kranz, Georg S.; Hahn, Andreas; Kaufmann, Ulrike; Küblböck, Martin; Hummer, Allan; Ganger, Sebastian; Seiger, Rene; Winkler, Dietmar; Swaab, Dick F.; Windischberger, Christian; Kasper, Siegfried; Lanzenberger, Rupert
2015-01-01
Biological causes underpinning the well known gender dimorphisms in human behavior, cognition, and emotion have received increased attention in recent years. The advent of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging has permitted the investigation of the white matter microstructure in unprecedented detail. Here, we aimed to study the potential influences of biological sex, gender identity, sex hormones, and sexual orientation on white matter microstructure by investigating transsexuals and healthy controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Twenty-three female-to-male (FtM) and 21 male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals, as well as 23 female (FC) and 22 male (MC) controls underwent DTI at 3 tesla. Fractional anisotropy, axial, radial, and mean diffusivity were calculated using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and fiber tractography. Results showed widespread significant differences in mean diffusivity between groups in almost all white matter tracts. FCs had highest mean diffusivities, followed by FtM transsexuals with lower values, MtF transsexuals with further reduced values, and MCs with lowest values. Investigating axial and radial diffusivities showed that a transition in axial diffusivity accounted for mean diffusivity results. No significant differences in fractional anisotropy maps were found between groups. Plasma testosterone levels were strongly correlated with mean, axial, and radial diffusivities. However, controlling for individual estradiol, testosterone, or progesterone plasma levels or for subjects’ sexual orientation did not change group differences. Our data harmonize with the hypothesis that fiber tract development is influenced by the hormonal environment during late prenatal and early postnatal brain development. PMID:25392513
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
DeNiro, M J [California Univ., Los Angeles (USA). Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences; Hastorf, C A [California Univ., Los Angeles (USA). Dept. of Anthropology
1985-01-01
The stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of plants extracted from Peruvian archaeological sites, ranging in age from 400 to 4000 years B.P., have been measured. The delta/sup 13/C and delta/sup 15/N values of prehistoric plants that were carbonized prior to deposition are similar to those of modern plants which have the same carbon dioxide fixation or nitrogen assimilation mechanisms. In contrast, the delta/sup 15/N values of prehistoric plants that were not carbonized are generally 10 to 20 per mille and as much as 35 per mille more positive than those of their modern counterparts. The delta/sup 13/C and delta/sup 15/N values of different parts of prehistoric uncarbonized plants differ by as much as 8 per mille and 21 per mille respectively, whereas the same parts of modern plants have delta/sup 13/C or delta/sup 15/N values that lie within 2 per mille of one another. SEM analysis eliminated the possibility that diagenetic alteration of the isotope ratios of the prehistoric uncarbonized plants was caused by the adsorption of particulate soil matter. The results are discussed.
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Gravity response mechanisms of lateral organs and the control of plant architecture in Arabidopsis
Mullen, J.; Hangarter, R.
Most research on gravity responses in plants has focused on primary roots and shoots, which typically grow in a vertical orientation. However, the patterns of lateral organ formation and their growth orientation, which typically are not vertical, govern plant architecture. For example, in Arabidopsis, when lateral roots emerge from the primary root, they grow at a nearly horizontal orientation. As they elongate, the roots slowly curve until they eventually reach a vertical orientation. The regulation of this lateral root orientation is an important component affecting the overall root system architecture. We have found that this change in orientation is not simply due to the onset of gravitropic competence, as non-vertical lateral roots are capable of both positive and negative gravitropism. Thus, the horizontal growth of the new lateral roots is determined by what is called the gravitropic set-point angle (GSA). In Arabidopsis shoots, rosette leaves and inflorescence branches also display GSA-dependent developmental changes in their orientation. The developmental control of the GSA of lateral organs in Arabidopsis provides us with a useful system for investigating the components involved in regulating directionality of tropistic responses. We have identified several Arabidopsis mutants that have either altered lateral root orientations, altered orientation of lateral organs in the shoot, or both, but maintain normal primary organ orientation. The mgsa ({m}odified {g}ravitropic {s}et-point {a}ngle) mutants with both altered lateral root and shoot orientation show that there are common components in the regulation of growth orientation in the different organs. Rosette leaves and lateral roots also have in common a regulation of positioning by red light. Further molecular and physiological analyses of the GSA mutants will provide insight into the basis of GSA regulation and, thus, a better understanding of how gravity controls plant architecture. [This work was
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Nakasaki, Kiyohiko; Marui, Taketoshi
2011-06-01
To monitor the progress of organic matter degradation in a large-scale composting facility, the percentage of organic matter degradation was determined by measuring CO(2) evolution during recomposting of compost samples withdrawn from the facility. The percentage of organic matter degradation was calculated as the ratio of the amount of CO(2) evolved from compost raw material to that evolved from each sample during recomposting in the laboratory composting apparatus. It was assumed that the difference in the cumulative emission of CO(2) between the compost raw material and a sample corresponds to the amount of CO( 2) evolved from the sample in the composting facility. Using this method, the changes in organic matter degradation during composting in practical large-scale composting facilities were estimated and it was found that the percentage of organic matter degradation increased more vigorously in the earlier stages than in the later stages of composting. The percentage of organic matter degradation finally reached 78 and 55% for the compost produced from garbage-animal manure mixture and distillery waste (shochu residue), respectively. It was thus ascertained that organic matter degradation progressed well in both composting facilities. Furthermore, by performing a plant growth assay, it was observed that the compost products of both the facilities did not inhibit seed germination and thus were useful in promoting plant growth.
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Trace elements present in airborne particulate matter-Stressors of plant metabolism
Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Pavlík, Milan; Pavlíková, D.; Zemanová, V.; Hnilička, F.; Urbanová, V.; Száková, J.
2012-01-01
Roč. 79, May 2012 (2012), s. 101-107 ISSN 0147-6513 Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GA521/09/1150 Program:GA Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : Airborne particulate matter * Amino acids * Gas-exchange parameters Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation Impact factor: 2.203, year: 2012
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Basic X-ray scattering for soft matter
De Jeu, Wim H
2016-01-01
X-ray scattering is a well-established technique in materials science. Several excellent textbooks exist in the field, typically written by physicists who use mathematics to make things clear. Often these books do not reach students and scientists in the field of soft matter (polymers, liquid crystals, colloids, and self-assembled organic systems), who usually have a chemical-oriented background with limited mathematics. Moreover, often these people like to know more about x-ray scattering as a technique to be used, but do not necessarily intend to become an expert. This volume is unique in trying to accommodate both points. The aim of the book is to explain basic principles and applications of x-ray scattering in a simple way. The intention is a paperback of limited size that people will like to have on hand rather than on a shelf. Second, it includes a large variety of examples of x-ray scattering of soft matter with, at the end of each chapter, a more elaborate case study. Third, the book contains a separa...
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Modified dark matter: Relating dark energy, dark matter and baryonic matter
Edmonds, Douglas; Farrah, Duncan; Minic, Djordje; Ng, Y. Jack; Takeuchi, Tatsu
Modified dark matter (MDM) is a phenomenological model of dark matter, inspired by gravitational thermodynamics. For an accelerating universe with positive cosmological constant (Λ), such phenomenological considerations lead to the emergence of a critical acceleration parameter related to Λ. Such a critical acceleration is an effective phenomenological manifestation of MDM, and it is found in correlations between dark matter and baryonic matter in galaxy rotation curves. The resulting MDM mass profiles, which are sensitive to Λ, are consistent with observational data at both the galactic and cluster scales. In particular, the same critical acceleration appears both in the galactic and cluster data fits based on MDM. Furthermore, using some robust qualitative arguments, MDM appears to work well on cosmological scales, even though quantitative studies are still lacking. Finally, we comment on certain nonlocal aspects of the quanta of modified dark matter, which may lead to novel nonparticle phenomenology and which may explain why, so far, dark matter detection experiments have failed to detect dark matter particles.
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Inventory of cassava plant protection and development projects in ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
A total of 303 cassava protection and development projects were identified of which about half are plant protection-oriented. Most activities on cassava protection have been centred on biological control and host plant resistance. The least activity has been on chemical control. The applicability of the collected database is ...
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Temperature sensitivity of respiration scales with organic matter recalcitrance
Craine, J. M.; Fierer, N.; McLauchlan, K. K.
2010-12-01
Microbial decomposition of soil organic matter is a key process in determining the carbon sequestration potential of ecosystems and carbon fluxes to the atmosphere. Since microbial decomposition is highly sensitive to short-term changes in temperature, predicting the temperature sensitivity of microbial decomposition is critical to predicting future atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and feedbacks to anthropogenic warming. Fundamental principles of enzyme kinetics, embodied in the carbon-quality temperature hypothesis, predict that the temperature sensitivity of microbial decomposition should increase with increasing biochemical recalcitrance of a substrate. To test the generality of this principle, we measured the temperature sensitivity of microbial respiration of soil organic matter with serial short-term temperature manipulations over 365 days for 28 North American soils. When joined with data from similar studies that represent a wide variety of contrasts, we show that the temperature sensitivity of organic matter decomposition scales with biochemical recalcitrance. With physico-chemical protection likely an important covariate for relating plant and soil organic matter decomposition scalars, biochemically recalcitrant organic matter is highly susceptible to short-term increases in temperature, a key link in predicting the effects of warming on carbon cycling.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Marza Brillas, J.
1995-12-01
Composting is a very effective process in waste treatment. Very good results are obtained in mass and volume loss, moisture reduction, organic matter establization as well as making possible agricultural uses for the final product. Some parameters as nutrients (C/N ratio), pH, temperature and oxygen content are pointed as the most important for the process. Some composting systems are mentioned but finally tunnel system is shown as the best. Its great advantage is that measurements from main parameters are given continuously to the control computer, so process optimization is done at the moment. The Vila-Seca sludge composting plant is described. This plant can treat 30.000 tones/year from three water treatment plants. The expected 50% on organic matter reduction and 70% on dry matter content has been achieved after only 3 months since its starting up. Finally, in september 1995 will start the construction of another sludge composting plant were the same technology, belonging to GICOM and represented by G.T.R. in Spain, will be installed.
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Chromosome segregation in plant meiosis
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Linda eZamariola
2014-06-01
Full Text Available Faithful chromosome segregation in meiosis is essential for ploidy stability over sexual life cycles. In plants, defective chromosome segregation caused by gene mutations or other factors leads to the formation of unbalanced or unreduced gametes creating aneuploid or polyploid progeny, respectively. Accurate segregation requires the coordinated execution of conserved processes occurring throughout the two meiotic cell divisions. Synapsis and recombination ensure the establishment of chiasmata that hold homologous chromosomes together allowing their correct segregation in the first meiotic division, which is also tightly regulated by cell-cycle dependent release of cohesin and monopolar attachment of sister kinetochores to microtubules. In meiosis II, bi-orientation of sister kinetochores and proper spindle orientation correctly segregate chromosomes in four haploid cells. Checkpoint mechanisms acting at kinetochores control the accuracy of kinetochore-microtubule attachment, thus ensuring the completion of segregation. Here we review the current knowledge on the processes taking place during chromosome segregation in plant meiosis, focusing on the characterization of the molecular factors involved.
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Experience on implementing risk-oriented in-service inspection at NPP in USA
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Grebenyuk, Yu.P.; Zaritskij, N.S.; Kovyrshin, V.G.; Kostenko, S.P.
2001-01-01
Experience of implementing risk-oriented in-service inspection (RIISI) of pipelines at the US NPP analyzed. RIISI processes according to the methodologies developed by Westinghouse and EPRI are described and compared. The information is addressed concerning practical matters of RIISI implementing at NPP Beaver Valley and Arkansas Nuclear One. Regulatory activity of the US NRC while implementing NRC at the US NPP. It is shown that using RIISI at NPP is aimed at improvement of examination efficiency, decreasing costs and occupational dose loads while inspecting pipelines
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Transmission and distribution of information in power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pinkernell, H.
1978-01-01
Operation of modern large-site power plants is no longer imaginable without facilities for automatic control. Brown-Boveri Company has developed a promising control system for power plants called Procontrol k. An essential piece of the system is DATRAS k, a digital bus-oriented data transport system for transmitting and distributing signals in power plants. DATRAS will save a large amount of cables and reduce the constructional effect. It offers opportunities for diagnosis and service and by means of continuous monitoring of all system components it will essentially improve plant availability. (orig.) [de
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Market Orientation Capabilities: A Study of Learning Processes in Market-Oriented Companies
Silkoset, Ragnhild
2009-01-01
The literature operates with three perspectives on market orientation. These include market orientation as behavior (Kohli and Jaworski 1990; Narver and Slater 1990), market orientation as a unique resource (Hunt and Morgan 1995) and market orientation as a dynamic learning capability (Sinkula 1994; Day 1994b). A company's level of market orientation will vary with regard to the perspectives, including factors affecting a company’s degree of market orientation and the effect...
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Elements of plant physiology in theophrastus' botany.
Pennazio, Sergio
2014-01-01
For thousands of years the plants were considered only as a source of food and medicine, and as ornamental objects. Only from the fifth century BC, some philosophers of Ancient Greece realized that the plants were living organisms but, unfortunately, their works have come to us as fragments that we often know from the biological works of Aristotle. This eminent philosopher and man of science, however, did not give us a complete work on the plants, which he often promised to write. From scattered fragments of his conspicuous biological work, it emerges a concept of nutritive soul that, in the presence of heat and moisture, allows plants to grow and reproduce. The task of writing a comprehensive botanical work was delegated to his first pupil, Theophrastus, who left us two treatises over time translated into the various languages up to the current versions (Enquiry into plants, On the causes of plants). The plant life is described and interpreted on the basis of highly accurate observations. The physiological part of his botany is essentially the nutrition: According to Theophrastus, plants get matter and moisture from the soil through root uptake and process the absorbed substances transforming them into food, thanks to the heat. The processing (pepsis, coction) of matter into the food represents an extraordinary physiological intuition because individual organs of a plant appear to perform its specific transformation. Despite that Theophrastus did not do scientific experiments or use special methods other than the sharpness of his observations, he can be considered the forerunner of a plant physiology that would take rebirth only after two millennia.
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An equation oriented approach to steady state flowsheeting of methanol synthesis loop
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Fathikalajahi, J.; Baniadam, M.; Rahimpour, M.R.
2008-01-01
An equation-oriented approach was developed for steady state flowsheeting of a commercial methanol plant. The loop consists of fixed bed reactor, flash separator, preheater, coolers, and compressor. For steady sate flowsheeting of the plant mathematical model of reactor and other units are needed. Reactor used in loop is a Lurgi type and its configuration is rather complex. Previously reactor and flash separator are modeled as two important units of plant. The model is based on mass and energy balances in each equipment and utilizing some auxiliary equations such as rate of reaction and thermodynamics model for activity coefficients of liquid. In order to validate the mathematical model for the synthesis loop, some simulation data were performed using operating conditions and characteristics of the commercial plant. The good agreement between the steady state simulation results and the plant data shows the validity of the model
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
seyyedeh samaneh hashemi
2017-08-01
Full Text Available Introduction Amount and vertical distribution of leaf area are essential for estimating interception and utilization of solar radiation of crop canopies and, consequently dry matter accumulation (Valentinuz & Tollenaar, 2006. Vertical distribution of leaf area is leaf areas per horizontal layers, based on height (Boedhram et al., 2001. Above-ground biomass is one of the central traits in functional plant ecology and growth analysis. It is a key parameter in many allometric relationships (Niklas & Enquist, 2002. The vertical biomass distribution is considered to be the main determinant of competitive strength in plant species. The presence of weeds intensifies competition for light, with the effect being determined by plant height, position of the branches, and location of the maximum leaf area. So, this experiment was conducted to study the vertical distribution of leaf area and dry matter of soybean canopy in competition with weeds and cover crops. Materials and methods This experiment was performed based on complete randomized block design with 3 replications in center of Agriculture of Joybar in 2013. Soybean was considered as main crop and soybean and Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L., fenugreek (Trigonella foenum–graecum L., chickling pea (Lathyrus sativus L. and winter vetch (Vicia sativa L. were the cover crops. Treatments were included cover crops (Persian clover, fenugreek, chickling pea and winter vetch and cover crop planting times (simultaneous planting of soybean with cover crops and planting cover crops three weeks after planting of soybeans and also monoculture of soybeans both in weedy and weed free conditions were considered as controls. Soybean planted in 50 cm row spacing with 5 cm between plants in the same row. Each plot was included 5 rows soybeans. Cover crop inter-seeded simultaneously in the main crop. Crops were planted on 19 May 2013 for simultaneous planting of soybean. The dominant weed species were green
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Pashalidou, F.G.; Frago, E.; Griese, E.; Poelman, E.H.; Loon, van J.J.A.; Dicke, M.; Fatouros, N.E.
2015-01-01
Induction of plant defences, specifically in response to herbivore attack, can save costs that would otherwise be needed to maintain defences even in the absence of herbivores. However, plants may suffer considerable damage during the time required to mount these defences against an attacker. This
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Eder, Lucia Muriel; Weber, Enrico; Schrumpf, Marion; Zaehle, Sönke
2017-04-01
The response of plant growth to elevated concentrations of CO2 (eCO2) is often constrained by plant nitrogen (N) uptake. To overcome potential N limitation, plants may invest photosynthetically fixed carbon (C) into N acquiring strategies, including fine root biomass, root exudation, or C allocation to mycorrhizal fungi. In turn, these strategies may affect the decomposition of soil organic matter, leading to uncertainties in net effects of eCO2 on C storage. To gain more insight into these plant-soil C-N-interactions, we combined C and N stable isotope labeling in a mesocosm experiment. Saplings of Fagus sylvatica L. were exposed to a 13CO2 enriched atmosphere at near ambient (380 ppm) or elevated (550 ppm) CO2 concentrations for four months of the vegetation period in 2016. Aboveground and belowground net CO2 fluxes were measured separately and the 13C label enabled partitioning of total soil CO2 efflux into old, soil derived and new, plant-derived C. We used ingrowth cores to assess effects of eCO2on belowground C allocation and plant N uptake in more detail and in particular we evaluated the relative importance of ectomycorrhizal associations. In the soil of each sapling, ingrowth cores with different mesh sizes allowed fine roots or only mycorrhizal hyphae to penetrate. In one type of ingrowth core each, we incorporated fine root litter that was enriched in 15N. Additionally, total N uptake was estimated by using 15N enriched saplings and unlabeled control plants. We found that eCO2 increased aboveground net CO2 exchange rates by 19% and total soil respiration by 11%. The eCO2 effect for GPP and also for NPP was positive (+23% and +11%, respectively). By combining gaseous C fluxes with data on new and old C stocks in bulk soil and plants through destructive harvesting in late autumn 2016, we will be able to infer net effects of eCO2 on the fate of C in these mesocosms. Biomass allocation patterns can reveal physiological responses to high C availability under
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Renata Dobromilska
2012-12-01
Full Text Available The experiments were carried out in 2001-2003 in a high unheated plastic tunnel. The influence of reduction of leaves and application of reflection matter on flowering and fruiting of small-sized tomato was studied. The experiment focused on the following factors: methods of increasing the amount of light in plant tops (reflection matter, cutting leaves, reflection matter + cutting leaves and cultivars of small sized tomato ('Conchita F1', 'Picolino F1'. The cutting of leaves and reflection matter mulching resulted in the increase of the intensity of radiation reaching plant tops and the reflected radiation. The above measures increasing the light access to plant tops significantly increased the number of flowers, germs and fruits. The reflection matter mulching along with cutting leaves resulted in the substantial growth of early yield of small-sized tomato. The 'Conchita F1' cultivar set a relatively greater number of flowers and fruits on a plant and in cluster than 'Picolino F1'.
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Sexual Orientation (For Parents)
... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Sexual Orientation KidsHealth / For Parents / Sexual Orientation What's in this ... orientation is part of that process. What Is Sexual Orientation? The term sexual orientation refers to the gender ( ...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Andréa Beatriz Mendes-Bonato
2006-01-01
Full Text Available This paper reports a case of abnormal spindle orientation during microsporogenesis in an interspecific hybrid of the tropical grass Brachiaria. In the affected plant, prophase I was normal. In metaphase I, bivalents were regularly co-oriented but distantly positioned and spread over the equatorial plate. In anaphase I, chromosomes failed to converge into focused poles due to parallel spindle fibers. As a consequence, in telophase I, an elongated nucleus or several micronuclei were observed in each pole. In the second division, the behavior was the same, leading to polyads with several micronuclei. A total of 40% of meiotic products were affected. The use of this hybrid in production systems needing good-quality seeds is discussed.
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Interacting dark matter disguised as warm dark matter
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Boehm, Celine; Riazuelo, Alain; Hansen, Steen H.; Schaeffer, Richard
2002-01-01
We explore some of the consequences of dark-matter-photon interactions on structure formation, focusing on the evolution of cosmological perturbations and performing both an analytical and a numerical study. We compute the cosmic microwave background anisotropies and matter power spectrum in this class of models. We find, as the main result, that when dark matter and photons are coupled, dark matter perturbations can experience a new damping regime in addition to the usual collisional Silk damping effect. Such dark matter particles (having quite large photon interactions) behave like cold dark matter or warm dark matter as far as the cosmic microwave background anisotropies or matter power spectrum are concerned, respectively. These dark-matter-photon interactions leave specific imprints at sufficiently small scales on both of these two spectra, which may allow us to put new constraints on the acceptable photon-dark-matter interactions. Under the conservative assumption that the abundance of 10 12 M · galaxies is correctly given by the cold dark matter, and without any knowledge of the abundance of smaller objects, we obtain the limit on the ratio of the dark-matter-photon cross section to the dark matter mass σ γ-DM /m DM -6 σ Th /(100 GeV)≅6x10 -33 cm 2 GeV -1
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Rousk, Kathrin; Michelsen, Anders; Rousk, Johannes
2016-01-01
Half the global soil carbon (C) is held in high-latitude systems. Climate change will expose these to warming and a shift towards plant communities with more labile C input. Labile C can also increase the rate of loss of native soil organic matter (SOM); a phenomenon termed ‘priming’. We investig......Half the global soil carbon (C) is held in high-latitude systems. Climate change will expose these to warming and a shift towards plant communities with more labile C input. Labile C can also increase the rate of loss of native soil organic matter (SOM); a phenomenon termed ‘priming’. We...
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Technically-oriented operation management systems in conjunction with commercial DB systems
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lex, M.; Heselmann, B. [GiS mbH, Erlangen (Germany); Eschbach, P. [BASF Consult GmbH, Muenchen (Germany)
2001-07-01
Due to the liberalization of the electricity market, the efficiency and competitiveness of a power plant is increasingly measured at the cost per amount of energy generated. Thus, aspects of market-orientation and clearly cheaper electricity generation are in the foreground. Technically-oriented DP systems are necessary to save operating cost. These systems have structures differing from the mere business-oriented systems, because of the different frame conditions and operators' desire to stand out against rivalling competitors by technical and organizational measures. (orig.) [German] Die Effektivitaet und damit Konkurrenzfaehigkeit eines Kraftwerkes wird mit der Liberalisierung des Strommarktes verstaerkt an den Kosten je erzeugter Energieeinheit gemessen. Fuer den Betrieb ruecken damit Aspekte einer marktgerechten und somit deutlich kostenguenstigeren Stromerzeugung verstaerkt in den Vordergrund. Wer Betriebskosten sparen will, braucht technisch orientierte DV-Systeme, die aufgrund der unterschiedlichen Rahmenbedingungen und des Wunsches aller Anlagenbetreiber, sich durch technisch-organisatorische Massnahmen vom Wettbewerb vorteilhaft abzuheben, voellig andere Strukturen aufweisen als die betriebswirtschaftlich orientierten Systeme. (orig.)
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Reactivity of Organic Matter and other Reductants in Aquifer Sediments
Hartog, N.
2003-01-01
The molecular composition and the carbon isotope signature of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) and indicate that SOM is predominantly derived from higher land plants in sediments of both terrestrial as marine origins. The reactivity of SOM in the aquifer sediments studied is determined by the extent
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Burgess, P.J.; Carr, M.K.V.
1996-01-01
The physiological basis for differences in yields from well-watered and draughted plants of four contrasting clones of tea was studied in terms of light interception, dry matter production and partitioning at a high altitude site in Southern Tanzania where there are marked seasonal variations in rainfall and temperature. The plant dry weights, including roots, were measured eight months after field planting and subsequently at intervals of three to four months, corresponding to the different seasons, during the following two years. Fully irrigated plants of one clone (S15/10) were also harvested after four years in the field. Clones differed in the rates of canopy spread and hence in their capacity to intercept solar radiation. The ‘radiation use efficiency’ (the net total dry matter production per unit of intercepted short-wave radiation) was similar for the four well-watered clones and ranged from 0.40 to 0.66 g MJ −1 , which corresponds closely to values reported for other woody tropical plants. A 16-week drought treatment imposed two years after planting reduced the mean light interception of the four clones by about 25% and the mean radiation use efficiency by 78% to 0.09 g MJ −1 . Clone S15/10, a cultivar from Kenya which produces large yields, partitioned a greater proportion of dry matter to leaves and harvested shoots than the other clones, and correspondingly less to large structural roots. This resulted in a maximum harvest index of 24%, substantially greater than other values reported in the literature. There were seasonal differences in partitioning, with more dry matter being diverted to roots and less to shoots during the cool season. Although the drought treatments had no significant effect on root growth, the amount of dry matter partitioned to leaves, stems and harvested shoots declined by 80–95%. The roots of all four clones extended in depth at similar rates (about 2 mm d −1 ), those of Clone S15/10 reaching 2.8m after four years
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Subcortical orientation biases explain orientation selectivity of visual cortical cells.
Vidyasagar, Trichur R; Jayakumar, Jaikishan; Lloyd, Errol; Levichkina, Ekaterina V
2015-04-01
The primary visual cortex of carnivores and primates shows an orderly progression of domains of neurons that are selective to a particular orientation of visual stimuli such as bars and gratings. We recorded from single-thalamic afferent fibers that terminate in these domains to address the issue whether the orientation sensitivity of these fibers could form the basis of the remarkable orientation selectivity exhibited by most cortical cells. We first performed optical imaging of intrinsic signals to obtain a map of orientation domains on the dorsal aspect of the anaesthetized cat's area 17. After confirming using electrophysiological recordings the orientation preferences of single neurons within one or two domains in each animal, we pharmacologically silenced the cortex to leave only the afferent terminals active. The inactivation of cortical neurons was achieved by the superfusion of either kainic acid or muscimol. Responses of single geniculate afferents were then recorded by the use of high impedance electrodes. We found that the orientation preferences of the afferents matched closely with those of the cells in the orientation domains that they terminated in (Pearson's r = 0.633, n = 22, P = 0.002). This suggests a possible subcortical origin for cortical orientation selectivity. © 2015 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Narapong Sangram
2016-03-01
Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to investigate radial growth patterns and influences of polluting gases and particulate matter on the radial growth of teak plantations surrounding the Mae Moh Power Plant. Twenty-four 32-year-old teak trees were selected from Mae Jang and Mae Moh plantations, which were 5 km and 15 km from the Mae Moe power plant, respectively. Forty-eight sample cores were collected from the 24 trees (two cores per tree. The growth patterns of all the cores were analyzed following the standard methods of dendrochronology. The relationships between the growth pattern and the amounts of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter were measured as average daily rates and then analyzed. The study showed that the best-fit model for the relationship between the radial current annual increment at breast height (CAIdbh and time (Y was an exponential equation. The fitted equations were: CAIdbh = 10.657e(−0.031Y for Mae Moh plantation and CAIdbh = 12.518e(−0.032Y for Mae Jang plantation. The coefficient of determination for the fitted equations was 0.410 and 0.423 for the Mae Moh and Mae Jang plantations, respectively. Moreover, carbon monoxide (CO and sulfur dioxide (SO2 had a statistically significant effect on radial teak growth (RT in the Mae Jang plantation, with a coefficient of determination of 0.69 (RTmj = 0.571 + 0.429(CO − 0.023(SO2.
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Grinstein, A.
2008-01-01
Purpose - One of the strongest convictions in marketing is that market orientation contributes to firms' performance substantially more than alternative strategic orientations such as innovation and entrepreneurial orientations. Still, some studies show that alternative orientations can also
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A logic flowgraph-based concept for decision support and management of nuclear plant operation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Guarro, S.B.
1988-01-01
The architecture of an automated decision support system for nuclear plant operators is presented and discussed. The system is based on the use of 'logic flowgraph' process models and is designed in a hierarchical fashion. Its functionality spans from 'function oriented' plant status and alternative success path information displayed to the plant operators at its higher access levels to 'process oriented' diagnostic and recovery information deduced and displayed at its lowest. The design basis for this architecture is the 'defense in depth' plant safety concept. The decision support system goal is to provide plant operators, in the presence of an unforeseen transient, with the best and safest alternative between plant stabilization after shutdown and recovery of normal operation based on early diagnosis. Examples of the system capability to interpret and diagnose abnormal plant conditions and of the information that it can supply to the operators at its three access levels are presented and discussed. (author)
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Strong orientational coordinates and orientational order parameters for symmetric objects
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Haji-Akbari, Amir; Glotzer, Sharon C
2015-01-01
Recent advancements in the synthesis of anisotropic macromolecules and nanoparticles have spurred an immense interest in theoretical and computational studies of self-assembly. The cornerstone of such studies is the role of shape in self-assembly and in inducing complex order. The problem of identifying different types of order that can emerge in such systems can, however, be challenging. Here, we revisit the problem of quantifying orientational order in systems of building blocks with non-trivial rotational symmetries. We first propose a systematic way of constructing orientational coordinates for such symmetric building blocks. We call the arising tensorial coordinates strong orientational coordinates (SOCs) as they fully and exclusively specify the orientation of a symmetric object. We then use SOCs to describe and quantify local and global orientational order, and spatiotemporal orientational correlations in systems of symmetric building blocks. The SOCs and the orientational order parameters developed in this work are not only useful in performing and analyzing computer simulations of symmetric molecules or particles, but can also be utilized for the efficient storage of rotational information in long trajectories of evolving many-body systems. (paper)
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System safety and reliability using object-oriented programming techniques
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Patterson-Hine, F.A.; Koen, B.V.
1987-01-01
Direct evaluation fault tree codes have been written in recursive, list-processing computer languages such as PL/1 (PATREC-I) and LISP (PATREC-L). The pattern-matching strategy implemented in these codes has been used extensively in France to evaluate system reliability. Recent reviews of the risk management process suggest that a data base containing plant-specific information be integrated with a package of codes used for probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to alleviate some of the difficulties that make a PRA so costly and time-intensive. A new programming paradigm, object-oriented programming, is uniquely suited for the development of such a software system. A knowledge base and fault tree evaluation algorithm, based on previous experience with PATREC-L, have been implemented using object-oriented techniques, resulting in a reliability assessment environment that is easy to develop, modify, and extend
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Influence of the organic matter and soil water deficit on the castor bean absolute growth rate
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lacerda, Rogerio Dantas de; Guerra, Hugo O. Carvallo; Chaves, Lucia Helena G. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UAEAg/UFCG), PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Engenharia Agricola; Araujo, Ester Luiz de; Nascimento, Elka Costa Santos; Barros Junior, Genival [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil)
2008-07-01
Even when under low precipitations conditions, the castor bean production decrease, it constitutes a very good alternative. It has an elevated economical importance, because from the plant it is used their leaves, stem and seeds. From the stem it is obtained cellulose for the paper industry, from the leaves textile products and from the seeds oil and tort. The oil is the only glycerin soluble in alcohol and the base for several industrial products such as the biodiesel. The objective of the present work was to study the effect of different soil water and soil organic matter on the castor bean, BRS 188 cultivar rate growth. The experiment was conducted from April to August 2006 under greenhouse conditions using a randomized block 2x4 factorial design with two soil organic mater content (5.0 g.kg{sup -1} e 25.0 g.kg{sup -1}), four levels of available water (100, 90, 80 e 70% ) and three replicates. For this, 24 plastic containers, 75 kg capacity, were used on which was grown one plant 120 days after the seedling. At regular intervals the plant height was measured and the results analyzed statistically. For the qualitative treatments (with and without organic matter) the treatment means were compared through the Tukey test. For the quantitative ones (water levels) regressions were used. It was observed that both, organic matter and available water for plants proportionated benefit effects to the growth rate of the plant. (author)
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Whole plant senescence of sunflower following seedhead removal
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ho, InSun; Below, F.E.
1989-01-01
This study was undertaken to further clarify the relationship between seed development and monocarpic senescence of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Field-grown plants with and without seedheads were evaluated for rate and duration of accumulation of dry weight, reduced N, and P by whole shoots, and for partitioning of these constituents within the individual plant parts. Concurrent with seedhead removal, [ 15 N]nitrate was applied to the plants in a selected are of the experimental plot. Whole plants (above ground portions) were harvested seven times during the seed-filling period and analyzed from dry weight, reduced N, and P. Although seedhead removal depressed the rates of dry weight, reduced N, and P accumulation by whole shoots, it extended the duration of accumulation of these constituents, relative to headed control plants. As a result, the final whole shoot dry weight and N and P contents at seed maturity were similar for deheaded and headed plants. Seedhead removal also affected the partitioning of dry matter, reduced N, and P but the relative proportions varied as a function of constituent and growth stage. Analysis of 15 N present in whole shoots at physiological maturity showed that similar amounts of nitrate were absorbed during the postflowering period by headed and deheaded plants. These data indicate that the absence of seeds does not affect the total accumulation of dry matter, reduced N, or P, by sunflower plants, but does alter the rates of accumulation and partitioning of these constituents
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Energy Matters, November/December 1999
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ericksen. E.; Sosa-Mallory, M.
1999-12-01
Energy Matters is an Office of Industrial Technologies bimonthly publication on energy efficiency opportunities. This issue's focus is on the future of industrial energy efficiency. The issue also contains articles on seven companies that are to receive cost-shared funding for plant-wide, energy efficiency assessments; submitting proposals to assess energy flow and steam system opportunities; partnering to save energy and money; and root cause failure analysis on AC induction motors. Also a special feature by Don Casada ''Lights that Shine Forever.''
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The Service Orientation and Employee’s Customer Orientation in Public Services Organizations
Andrada Iacob
2015-01-01
This paper explores the relationships between service orientation and employees’ customer orientation in public services organizations. First, we will review the relevant literature on service orientation and employee’s customer orientation. Based on this theory, the research hypothesis is formulated. The research results will be followed by conclusions, limitations and future directions. At the construct level, we found positive direct relationships between service orientation and employees’...
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Non-Host Plant Volatiles Disrupt Sex Pheromone Communication in a Specialist Herbivore.
Wang, Fumin; Deng, Jianyu; Schal, Coby; Lou, Yonggen; Zhou, Guoxin; Ye, Bingbing; Yin, Xiaohui; Xu, Zhihong; Shen, Lize
2016-09-02
The ecological effects of plant volatiles on herbivores are manifold. Little is known, however, about the impacts of non-host plant volatiles on intersexual pheromonal communication in specialist herbivores. We tested the effects of several prominent constitutive terpenoids released by conifers and Eucalyptus trees on electrophysiological and behavioral responses of an oligophagous species, Plutella xylostella, which feeds on Brassicaceae. The non-host plant volatile terpenoids adversely affected the calling behavior (pheromone emission) of adult females, and the orientation responses of adult males to sex pheromone were also significantly inhibited by these terpenoids in a wind tunnel and in the field. We suggest that disruption of both pheromone emission and orientation to sex pheromone may explain, at least in part, an observed reduction in herbivore attack in polyculture compared with monoculture plantings. We also propose that mating disruption of both male and female moths with non-host plant volatiles may be a promising alternative pest management strategy.
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Non-Host Plant Volatiles Disrupt Sex Pheromone Communication in a Specialist Herbivore
Wang, Fumin; Deng, Jianyu; Schal, Coby; Lou, Yonggen; Zhou, Guoxin; Ye, Bingbing; Yin, Xiaohui; Xu, Zhihong; Shen, Lize
2016-01-01
The ecological effects of plant volatiles on herbivores are manifold. Little is known, however, about the impacts of non-host plant volatiles on intersexual pheromonal communication in specialist herbivores. We tested the effects of several prominent constitutive terpenoids released by conifers and Eucalyptus trees on electrophysiological and behavioral responses of an oligophagous species, Plutella xylostella, which feeds on Brassicaceae. The non-host plant volatile terpenoids adversely affected the calling behavior (pheromone emission) of adult females, and the orientation responses of adult males to sex pheromone were also significantly inhibited by these terpenoids in a wind tunnel and in the field. We suggest that disruption of both pheromone emission and orientation to sex pheromone may explain, at least in part, an observed reduction in herbivore attack in polyculture compared with monoculture plantings. We also propose that mating disruption of both male and female moths with non-host plant volatiles may be a promising alternative pest management strategy. PMID:27585907
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A mixing-model approach to quantifying sources of organic matter to salt marsh sediments
Bowles, K. M.; Meile, C. D.
2010-12-01
Salt marshes are highly productive ecosystems, where autochthonous production controls an intricate exchange of carbon and energy among organisms. The major sources of organic carbon to these systems include 1) autochthonous production by vascular plant matter, 2) import of allochthonous plant material, and 3) phytoplankton biomass. Quantifying the relative contribution of organic matter sources to a salt marsh is important for understanding the fate and transformation of organic carbon in these systems, which also impacts the timing and magnitude of carbon export to the coastal ocean. A common approach to quantify organic matter source contributions to mixtures is the use of linear mixing models. To estimate the relative contributions of endmember materials to total organic matter in the sediment, the problem is formulated as a constrained linear least-square problem. However, the type of data that is utilized in such mixing models, the uncertainties in endmember compositions and the temporal dynamics of non-conservative entitites can have varying affects on the results. Making use of a comprehensive data set that encompasses several endmember characteristics - including a yearlong degradation experiment - we study the impact of these factors on estimates of the origin of sedimentary organic carbon in a saltmarsh located in the SE United States. We first evaluate the sensitivity of linear mixing models to the type of data employed by analyzing a series of mixing models that utilize various combinations of parameters (i.e. endmember characteristics such as δ13COC, C/N ratios or lignin content). Next, we assess the importance of using more than the minimum number of parameters required to estimate endmember contributions to the total organic matter pool. Then, we quantify the impact of data uncertainty on the outcome of the analysis using Monte Carlo simulations and accounting for the uncertainty in endmember characteristics. Finally, as biogeochemical processes
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Predicting plant distribution in an heterogeneous Alpine landscape: does soil matter?
Buri, Aline; Cianfrani, Carmen; Pradervand, Jean-Nicolas; Guisan, Antoine
2016-04-01
Topographic and climatic factors are usually used to predict plant distribution because they are known to explain their presence or absence. Soil properties have been widely shown to influence plant growth and distributions. However, they are rarely taken into account as predictors of plant species distribution models (SDM) in an edaphically heterogeneous landscape. Or, when it happens, interpolation techniques are used to project soil factors in space. In heterogeneous landscape, such as in the Alps region, where soil properties change abruptly as a function of environmental conditions over short distances, interpolation techniques require a huge quantities of samples to be efficient. This is costly and time consuming, and bring more errors than predictive approach for an equivalent number of samples. In this study we aimed to assess whether soil proprieties may be generalized over entire mountainous geographic extents and can improve predictions of plant distributions over traditional topo-climatic predictors. First, we used a predictive approach to map two soil proprieties based on field measurements in the western Swiss Alps region; the soil pH and the ratio of stable isotopes 13C/12C (called δ13CSOM). We used ensemble forecasting techniques combining together several predictive algorithms to build models of the geographic variation in the values of both soil proprieties and projected them in the entire study area. As predictive factors, we employed very high resolution topo-climatic data. In a second step, output maps from the previous task were used as an input for vegetation regional models. We integrated the predicted soil proprieties to a set of basic topo-climatic predictors known to be important to model plants species. Then we modelled the distribution of 156 plant species inhabiting the study area. Finally, we compared the quality of the models having or not soil proprieties as predictors to evaluate their effect on the predictive power of our models
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A defense in depth approach for nuclear power plant accident management
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Chih-Yao Hsieh; Hwai-Pwu Chou [Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, TW (China)
2015-07-01
An initiating event may lead to a severe accident if the plant safety functions have been challenged or operators do not follow the appropriate accident management procedures. Beyond design basis accidents are those corresponding to events of very low occurrence probability but such an accident may lead to significant consequences. The defense in depth approach is important to assure nuclear safety even in a severe accident. Plant Damage States (PDS) can be defined by the combination of the possible values for each of the PDS parameters which are showed on the nuclear power plant simulator. PDS is used to identify what the initiating event is, and can also give the information of safety system's status whether they are bypassed, inoperable or not. Initiating event and safety system's status are used in the construction of Containment Event Tree (CET) to determine containment failure modes by using probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) technique. Different initiating events will correspond to different CETs. With these CETs, the core melt frequency of an initiating event can be found. The use of Plant Damage States (PDS) is a symptom-oriented approach. On the other hand, the use of Containment Event Tree (CET) is an event-oriented approach. In this study, the Taiwan's fourth nuclear power plants, the Lungmen nuclear power station (LNPS), which is an advanced boiling water reactor (ABWR) with fully digitized instrumentation and control (I and C) system is chosen as the target plant. The LNPS full scope engineering simulator is used to generate the testing data for method development. The following common initiating events are considered in this study: loss of coolant accidents (LOCA), total loss of feedwater (TLOFW), loss of offsite power (LOOP), station blackout (SBO). Studies have indicated that the combination of the symptom-oriented approach and the event-oriented approach can be helpful to find mitigation strategies and is useful for the accident
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Use of carbon-14 in soil organic matter studies
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Vimal, O.P.; Kamath, M.B.
1974-01-01
Despite a great deal of research work on various aspects of soil organic matter, there are many gaps in the knowledge of the process of humus formation. These limitations arise mainly from the complex and heterogenous nature of soil humus substances, analytical problems in separating the fresh and decomposable materials from the old stabilized true humus substances and the lack of a clear understanding of the chemical structure of the humic acid molecule. During recent years, the use of carbon-14 has helped to trace within soil, transformation of a number of metabolites upto the point where they turn into humus. These studies have changed the concepts of the formation and stability of soil humus substances, their colloidal chemical properties and the uptake of organomolecules by plant roots. The present paper presents a synoptic view of the use of radiocarbon in studying the kinetics of humification, nature of precursors in humic acid formation, turnover of soil organic matter and the direct effects of humus substances on plant growth. (author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hui Wang
Full Text Available Vertical raceme or spike inflorescences that are bee-pollinated tend to present their flowers horizontally. Horizontal presentation of flowers is hypothesized to enhance pollinator recognition and pollination precision, and it may also ensure greater consistency of pollinator movement on inflorescences. We tested the hypotheses using bee-pollinated Corydalis sheareri which has erect inflorescences consisting of flowers with horizontal orientation. We altered the orientation of individual flowers and prepared three types of inflorescences: (i unmanipulated inflorescences with horizontal-facing flowers, (ii inflorescences with flowers turned upward, and (iii inflorescences with flowers turned downward. We compared number of inflorescences approached and visited, number of successive probes within an inflorescence, the direction percentage of vertical movement on inflorescences, efficiency of pollen removal and seed production per inflorescence. Deviation from horizontal orientation decreased both approaches and visits by leafcutter bees and bumble bees to inflorescences. Changes in floral orientation increased the proportion of downward movements by leafcutter bees and decreased the consistency of pollinator movement on inflorescences. In addition, pollen removal per visit and seed production per inflorescence also declined with changes of floral orientation. In conclusion, floral orientation seems more or less optimal as regards bee behavior and pollen transfer for Corydalis sheareri. A horizontal orientation may be under selection of pollinators and co-adapt with other aspects of the inflorescence and floral traits.
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Introduction to the Plant World, Science (Experimental): 5311.11.
Payne, Leonard O.
This unit of instruction was designed as a laboratory-oriented course for very low achievers to show how plants are involved in every aspect of their lives. Detailed practical experience in handling and investigating plants, and the use of films, models, and field trips are combined with basic minimal research to guide the student to a better…
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Soil organic matter regulates molybdenum storage and mobility in forests
Marks, Jade A; Perakis, Steven; King, Elizabeth K.; Pett-Ridge, Julie
2015-01-01
The trace element molybdenum (Mo) is essential to a suite of nitrogen (N) cycling processes in ecosystems, but there is limited information on its distribution within soils and relationship to plant and bedrock pools. We examined soil, bedrock, and plant Mo variation across 24 forests spanning wide soil pH gradients on both basaltic and sedimentary lithologies in the Oregon Coast Range. We found that the oxidizable organic fraction of surface mineral soil accounted for an average of 33 %of bulk soil Mo across all sites, followed by 1.4 % associated with reducible Fe, Al, and Mn-oxides, and 1.4 % in exchangeable ion form. Exchangeable Mo was greatest at low pH, and its positive correlation with soil carbon (C) suggests organic matter as the source of readily exchangeable Mo. Molybdenum accumulation integrated over soil profiles to 1 m depth (τMoNb) increased with soil C, indicating that soil organic matter regulates long-term Mo retention and loss from soil. Foliar Mo concentrations displayed no relationship with bulk soil Mo, and were not correlated with organic horizon Mo or soil extractable Mo, suggesting active plant regulation of Mo uptake and/or poor fidelity of extractable pools to bioavailability. We estimate from precipitation sampling that atmospheric deposition supplies, on average, over 10 times more Mo annually than does litterfall to soil. In contrast, bedrock lithology had negligible effects on foliar and soil Mo concentrations and on Mo distribution among soil fractions. We conclude that atmospheric inputs may be a significant source of Mo to forest ecosystems, and that strong Mo retention by soil organic matter limits ecosystem Mo loss via dissolution and leaching pathways.
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Planck Collaboration; Adam, R.; Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Alves, M. I. R.; Arnaud, M.; Arzoumanian, D.; Ashdown, M.; Aumont, J.; Baccigalupi, C.; Banday, A. J.; Barreiro, R. B.; Bartolo, N.; Battaner, E.; Benabed, K.; Benoit-Lévy, A.; Bernard, J.-P.; Bersanelli, M.; Bielewicz, P.; Bonaldi, A.; Bonavera, L.; Bond, J. R.; Borrill, J.; Bouchet, F. R.; Boulanger, F.; Bracco, A.; Burigana, C.; Butler, R. C.; Calabrese, E.; Cardoso, J.-F.; Catalano, A.; Chamballu, A.; Chiang, H. C.; Christensen, P. R.; Colombi, S.; Colombo, L. P. L.; Combet, C.; Couchot, F.; Crill, B. P.; Curto, A.; Cuttaia, F.; Danese, L.; Davies, R. D.; Davis, R. J.; de Bernardis, P.; de Rosa, A.; de Zotti, G.; Delabrouille, J.; Dickinson, C.; Diego, J. M.; Dole, H.; Donzelli, S.; Doré, O.; Douspis, M.; Ducout, A.; Dupac, X.; Efstathiou, G.; Elsner, F.; Enßlin, T. A.; Eriksen, H. K.; Falgarone, E.; Ferrière, K.; Finelli, F.; Forni, O.; Frailis, M.; Fraisse, A. A.; Franceschi, E.; Frejsel, A.; Galeotta, S.; Galli, S.; Ganga, K.; Ghosh, T.; Giard, M.; Gjerløw, E.; González-Nuevo, J.; Górski, K. M.; Gregorio, A.; Gruppuso, A.; Guillet, V.; Hansen, F. K.; Hanson, D.; Harrison, D. L.; Henrot-Versillé, S.; Hernández-Monteagudo, C.; Herranz, D.; Hildebrandt, S. R.; Hivon, E.; Hobson, M.; Holmes, W. A.; Hovest, W.; Huffenberger, K. M.; Hurier, G.; Jaffe, A. H.; Jaffe, T. R.; Jones, W. C.; Juvela, M.; Keihänen, E.; Keskitalo, R.; Kisner, T. S.; Kneissl, R.; Knoche, J.; Kunz, M.; Kurki-Suonio, H.; Lagache, G.; Lamarre, J.-M.; Lasenby, A.; Lattanzi, M.; Lawrence, C. R.; Leonardi, R.; Levrier, F.; Liguori, M.; Lilje, P. B.; Linden-Vørnle, M.; López-Caniego, M.; Lubin, P. M.; Macías-Pérez, J. F.; Maffei, B.; Maino, D.; Mandolesi, N.; Maris, M.; Marshall, D. J.; Martin, P. G.; Martínez-González, E.; Masi, S.; Matarrese, S.; Mazzotta, P.; Melchiorri, A.; Mendes, L.; Mennella, A.; Migliaccio, M.; Miville-Deschênes, M.-A.; Moneti, A.; Montier, L.; Morgante, G.; Mortlock, D.; Munshi, D.; Murphy, J. A.; Naselsky, P.; Natoli, P.; Nørgaard-Nielsen, H. U.; Noviello, F.; Novikov, D.; Novikov, I.; Oppermann, N.; Oxborrow, C. A.; Pagano, L.; Pajot, F.; Paoletti, D.; Pasian, F.; Perdereau, O.; Perotto, L.; Perrotta, F.; Pettorino, V.; Piacentini, F.; Piat, M.; Plaszczynski, S.; Pointecouteau, E.; Polenta, G.; Ponthieu, N.; Popa, L.; Pratt, G. W.; Prunet, S.; Puget, J.-L.; Rachen, J. P.; Reach, W. T.; Reinecke, M.; Remazeilles, M.; Renault, C.; Ristorcelli, I.; Rocha, G.; Roudier, G.; Rubiño-Martín, J. A.; Rusholme, B.; Sandri, M.; Santos, D.; Savini, G.; Scott, D.; Soler, J. D.; Spencer, L. D.; Stolyarov, V.; Sudiwala, R.; Sunyaev, R.; Sutton, D.; Suur-Uski, A.-S.; Sygnet, J.-F.; Tauber, J. A.; Terenzi, L.; Toffolatti, L.; Tomasi, M.; Tristram, M.; Tucci, M.; Umana, G.; Valenziano, L.; Valiviita, J.; Van Tent, B.; Vielva, P.; Villa, F.; Wade, L. A.; Wandelt, B. D.; Wehus, I. K.; Wiesemeyer, H.; Yvon, D.; Zacchei, A.; Zonca, A.
2016-02-01
The role of the magnetic field in the formation of the filamentary structures observed in the interstellar medium (ISM) is a debated topic owing to the paucity of relevant observations needed to test existing models. The Planck all-sky maps of linearly polarized emission from dust at 353 GHz provide the required combination of imaging and statistics to study the correlation between the structures of the Galactic magnetic field and of interstellar matter over the whole sky, both in the diffuse ISM and in molecular clouds. The data reveal that structures, or ridges, in the intensity map have counterparts in the Stokes Q and/or U maps. We focus our study on structures at intermediate and high Galactic latitudes, which cover two orders of magnitude in column density, from 1020 to 1022 cm-2. We measure the magnetic field orientation on the plane ofthe sky from the polarization data, and present an algorithm to estimate the orientation of the ridges from the dust intensity map. We use analytical models to account for projection effects. Comparing polarization angles on and off the structures, we estimate the mean ratio between the strengths of the turbulent and mean components of the magnetic field to be between 0.6 and 1.0, with a preferred value of 0.8. We find that the ridges are usually aligned with the magnetic field measured on the structures. This statistical trend becomes more striking for increasing polarization fraction and decreasing column density. There is no alignment for the highest column density ridges. We interpret the increase in alignment with polarization fraction as a consequence of projection effects. We present maps to show that the decrease in alignment for high column density is not due to a loss of correlation between the distribution of matter and the geometry of the magnetic field. In molecular complexes, we also observe structures perpendicular to the magnetic field, which, statistically, cannot be accounted for by projection effects. This
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Adam, R.; Ade, P. A. R.; Aghanim, N.; Alves, M. I. R.; Arnaud, M.
2016-01-01
The role of the magnetic field in the formation of the filamentary structures observed in the interstellar medium (ISM) is a debated topic owing to the paucity of relevant observations needed to test existing models. The Planck all-sky maps of linearly polarized emission from dust at 353 GHz provide the required combination of imaging and statistics to study the correlation between the structures of the Galactic magnetic field and of interstellar matter over the whole sky, both in the diffuse ISM and in molecular clouds. The data reveal that structures, or ridges, in the intensity map have counterparts in the Stokes Q and/or U maps. In this paper, we focus our study on structures at intermediate and high Galactic latitudes, which cover two orders of magnitude in column density, from 10"2"0 to 10"2"2 cm"-"2. We measure the magnetic field orientation on the plane ofthe sky from the polarization data, and present an algorithm to estimate the orientation of the ridges from the dust intensity map. We use analytical models to account for projection effects. Comparing polarization angles on and off the structures, we estimate the mean ratio between the strengths of the turbulent and mean components of the magnetic field to be between 0.6 and 1.0, with a preferred value of 0.8. We find that the ridges are usually aligned with the magnetic field measured on the structures. This statistical trend becomes more striking for increasing polarization fraction and decreasing column density. There is no alignment for the highest column density ridges. We interpret the increase in alignment with polarization fraction as a consequence of projection effects. We present maps to show that the decrease in alignment for high column density is not due to a loss of correlation between the distribution of matter and the geometry of the magnetic field. In molecular complexes, we also observe structures perpendicular to the magnetic field, which, statistically, cannot be accounted for by
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Margaret Olin
2011-01-01
Review of: Suzanne L. Marchand, German Orientalism in the Age of Empire: Religion, Race and Scholarship, Cambridge and Washington, D.C.: Cambridge University Press, 2009. This analysis of Suzanne L. Marchand’s German Orientalism in the Age of Empire: Religion, Race and Scholarship reads her contribution in part against the background of Edward Said’s path breaking book Orientalism. Differences lie in her more expansive understanding of the term ‘Oriental’ to include the Far East and her conce...
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The use of activated carbons for removing organic matter from groundwater
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kaleta Jadwiga
2017-09-01
Full Text Available The article presents research results of the introduction of powdery activated carbon to the existing technological system of the groundwater treatment stations in a laboratory, pilot plant and technical scale. The aim of the research was to reduce the content of organic compounds found in the treated water, which create toxic organic chlorine compounds (THM after disinfection with chlorine. Nine types of powdery active carbons were tested in laboratory scale. The top two were selected for further study. Pilot plant scale research was carried out for the filter model using CWZ-30 and Norit Sa Super carbon. Reduction of the organic matter in relation to the existing content in the treated water reached about 30%. Research in technical scale using CWZ-30 carbon showed a lesser efficiency with respect to laboratory and pilot-plant scale studies. The organic matter decreased by 15%. Since filtration is the last process before the individual disinfection, an alternative solution is proposed, i.e. the second stage of filtration with a granular activated carbon bed, operating in combined sorption and biodegradation processes. The results of tests carried out in pilot scale were fully satisfactory with the effectiveness of 70–100%.
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Nuclear plant refurbishment calls for patience. [Construction of radioactive effluent plant
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Henly, Anna
1989-08-01
All nuclear power plants produce a small quantity of liquid effluent from wash hand basins, showers and surface drains on the site. The effluent is termed low-level radioactive waste and under the 'Radioactive Substances Act' can be discharged into estuaries or the sea. Before a controlled discharge can be made the effluent has to be chemically treated and have any radioactive particulate matter removed. The replacing of the radioactive effluent plant at the Berkeley nuclear power station in the United Kingdom is described, with particular reference to the vigorous safety standards and quality assurance programme operated by the Central Electricity Generating Board. (author).
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Matter, dark matter, and anti-matter in search of the hidden universe
Mazure, Alain
2012-01-01
For over ten years, the dark side of the universe has been headline news. Detailed studies of the rotation of spiral galaxies, and 'mirages' created by clusters of galaxies bending the light from very remote objects, have convinced astronomers of the presence of large quantities of dark (unseen) matter in the cosmos. Moreover, in the 1990s, it was discovered that some four to five billion years ago the expansion of the universe entered a phase of acceleration. This implies the existence of dark energy. The nature of these 'dark; ingredients remains a mystery, but they seem to comprise about 95 percent of the matter/energy content of the universe. As for ordinary matter, although we are immersed in a sea of dark particles, including primordial neutrinos and photons from 'fossil' cosmological radiation, both we and our environment are made of ordinary, baryonic matter. Strangely, even if 15-20 percent of matter is baryonic matter, this represents only 4-5 percent of the total matter/energy content of the cosmos...
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Phytochrome, plant growth and flowering
King, R. W.; Bagnall, D. J.
1994-01-01
Attempts to use artificially lit cabinets to grow plants identical to those growing in sunlight have provided compelling evidence of the importance of light quality for plant growth. Changing the balance of red (R) to far-red (FR) radiation, but with a fixed photosynthetic input can shift the phytochrome photoequilibrium in a plant and generate large differences in plant growth. With FR enrichment the plants elongate, and may produce more leaf area and dry matter. Similar morphogenic responses are also obtained when light quality is altered only briefly (15-30 min) at the end-of-the-day. Conversely, for plants grown in natural conditions the response of plant form to selective spectral filtering has again shown that red and far-red wavebands are important as found by Kasperbauer and coworkers. Also, where photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) of sunlight have been held constant, the removal of far-red alone alters plant growth. With FR depletion plants grown in sunlight are small, more branched and darker green. Here we examine the implications for plant growth and flowering when the far-red composition of incident radiation in plant growth chambers is manipulated.
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Phytochrome, plant growth and flowering
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
King, R.W.; Bagnall, D.J. [CSIRO, Canberra (Australia)
1994-12-31
Attempts to use artificially lit cabinets to grow plants identical to those growing in sunlight have provided compelling evidence of the importance of light quality for plant growth. Changing the balance of red (R) to far-red (FR) radiation, but with a fixed photosynthetic input can shift the phytochrome photoequilibrium in a plant and generate large differences in plant growth. With FR enrichment the plants elongate, and may produce more leaf area and dry matter. Similar morphogenic responses are also obtained when light quality is altered only briefly (15-30 min) at the end-of-the-day. Conversely, for plants grown in natural conditions the response of plant form to selective spectral filtering has again shown that red and far-red wavebands are important as found by Kasperbauer and coworkers. Also, where photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) of sunlight have been held constant, the removal of far-red alone alters plant growth. As shown for chrysanthemum, with FR depletion plants grown in sunlight are small, more branched and darker green. We examine the implications for plant growth and flowering when the far-red composition of incident radiation in plant growth chambers is manipulated.
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The effects of plant traits and phylogeny on soil-to-plant transfer of 99Tc
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Willey, N.J.; Tang, S.; McEwen, A.; Hicks, S.
2010-01-01
Assessments of the behaviour of 99 Tc in terrestrial environments necessitate predicting soil-to-plant transfer. An experiment with 116 plant taxa showed that 99 Tc transfer to plants was positively related to plant dry weight but negatively related to % dry matter and age at exposure. Activities of 99 Tc analysed by hierarchical ANOVA coded with an angiosperm phylogeny revealed significant effects, with 55% of the variance between species explained at the Ordinal level and above. Monocots had significantly lower transfer of 99 Tc than Eudicots, within which Caryophyllales > Solanales > Malvales > Brassicales > Asterales > Fabales. There was a significant phylogenetic signal in soil-to-plant transfer of 99 Tc. This phylogenetic signal is used to suggest that, for example, a nominal Tc Transfer Factor of 5 could be adjusted to 2.3 for Monocots and 5.3 for Eudicots.
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Knicker, Heike; de la Rosa, José Maria; López Martín, María; Clemente Barragan, Reyes; Liebner, Falk
2013-04-01
As an important plant nutrient, N that has been removed from the soil by plant growth is replaced mainly by the use of synthetic fertilizers. Although this practice has dramatically increased food production, the unintended costs to the environment and human health due to surplus and inefficient application have also been substantial. Major losses of N to the environment can be minimized if "sustainable" agricultural practices are combined with reasonable fertilization. The latter can be achieved by applying slow N-release fertilizers. Here, the N is incorporated into an organic matrix, which after its amendment to soils, slowly decompose, allowing the liberation of the nutrient. Deriving from organic waste, such an amendment helps to efficiently recycle resources and increases the C sequestration potential of soils. However, in order to turn this approach into a successful strategy, the material has to be bioavailable but still sufficiently recalcitrant to ensure slow and controlled N-release. In the present study, we tested potential slow N-release fertilizers recycled from organic waste for their biochemical stability in soils. They comprised N-rich charred grass residues and N-lignin derived from waste of the pulp and paper industry and enriched in N by ammonoxidation. The substrates were mixed with soil of an Histic Humaquept and subsequently subjected to microbial degradation at 28°C in a Respicond IV Apparatus for 10 weeks. Additionally, soil material without organic amendment and soils mixed with lignin or charcoal both with and without KNO3 were included into the experiment. During the degradation experiment the CO2 production was determined on an hourly base. The degradation rate constants and the mean residence times were calculated using a double exponential decay model (pools with fast and slow turnover). Alterations of the chemical composition of the organic matter during degradation were studied by solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy. First results
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Causality and matter propagation in 3D spin foam quantum gravity
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Oriti, Daniele; Tlas, Tamer
2006-01-01
In this paper we tackle the issue of causality in quantum gravity, in the context of 3d spin foam models. We identify the correct procedure for implementing the causality/orientation dependence restriction that reduces the path integral for BF theory to that of quantum gravity in first order form. We construct explicitly the resulting causal spin foam model. We then add matter degrees of freedom to it and construct a causal spin foam model for 3d quantum gravity coupled to matter fields. Finally, we show that the corresponding spin foam amplitudes admit a natural approximation as the Feynman amplitudes of a noncommutative quantum field theory, with the appropriate Feynman propagators weighting the lines of propagation, and that this effective field theory reduces to the usual quantum field theory in flat space in the no-gravity limit
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Angelo, Joseph A
2011-01-01
Quantifying Matter explains how scientists learned to measure matter and quantify some of its most fascinating and useful properties. It presents many of the most important intellectual achievements and technical developments that led to the scientific interpretation of substance. Complete with full-color photographs, this exciting new volume describes the basic characteristics and properties of matter. Chapters include:. -Exploring the Nature of Matter. -The Origin of Matter. -The Search for Substance. -Quantifying Matter During the Scientific Revolution. -Understanding Matter's Electromagnet
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Encourage student learning of hydraulic matters by the use of Arduino platform
Rodriguez Sinobas, Leonor; Granja García, Javier; Sánchez Calvo, Raúl
2014-05-01
Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for several purposes to anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. The hydraulic matters teach at the Agricultural Engineering School at the Technical University of Madrid deal with practical issues regarding the measurement of variables such as pressure, discharge, temperature and soil water content. Most of the data loggers available in the market for these variables at expensive and not always affordable. On the other hand, current students are eager to manage new technological devices thus, their skills could be oriented not only to the application of an electronic platform as Arduino to build low cost data loggers for different purposes, but to encourage their learning in the hydraulic matters improving their self esteem
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Klotzbücher, T.; Kaiser, K.; Stepper, C.; van Loon, E.; Gerstberger, P.; Kalbitz, K.
2012-01-01
Background and aims Environmental factors such as climate and atmospheric CO2 control inputs of plant-derived matter into soils, which then determines properties and decomposition of soil organic matter. We studied how dissolved organic matter (DOM) in forest floors responded to six years of litter
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ameri, A.A.; Nasiri Mahalati, M.
2010-01-01
Efficient use of radiation for medicinal plants production, might increase flower yield, essential oils and extract yield .A split plot design.was used in a two years (2005 and 2006) field study in Torogh region(36,10° N,59.33° E and 1300 m altitude) of Mashhad, Iran, to observe the effects of different nitrogen application and plants densities on flower dry matter production, essential oils, and radiation use efficiency in a multi-harvested Marigold (Calendula officinalis). The levels of nitrogen fertilizer were 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1 and levels of density were 20, 40, 60 and 80 plant m-2. The combined analysis results revealed significant effects of nitrogen and density levels on flower dry matter production, essential oils, and radiation use efficiency of Marigold. The highest dry flower production obtained by 150 kg ha-1 N and 80 plant m-2 plant population (102.86 g m-2). The higher flower dry matter production caused more essential oils and extract production in high nitrogen and density levels. The amount of essential oils and extract per 100g flower dry matter decreased during the flower harvesting period. The higher amount of essential oil and extract obtained at early flowering season. The essential oil and extract ranged from 0.22 to 0.12 (ml. per 100g flower dry matter) and 2.74 to 2.13 (g per 100g flower dry matter) respectively. Increase of both nitrogen and density caused higher radiation use efficiency. The most radiation use efficiency obtained at 150 kg ha-1 nitrogen and 80 Plant m-2desity treatments. In 150 kg ha-1 nitrogen treatment, increase of density levels from 20 plant m-2 to 80 Plant m-2 caused increase in radiation use efficiency from 1.41 g MJ-1 to 1.44 g MJ-1 respectively
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Applications of the rotating orientation XRD method to oriented materials
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Guo Zhenqi; Li Fei; Jin Li; Bai Yu
2009-01-01
The rotating orientation x-ray diffraction (RO-XRD) method, based on conventional XRD instruments by a modification of the sample stage, was introduced to investigate the orientation-related issues of such materials. In this paper, we show its applications including the determination of single crystal orientation, assistance in crystal cutting and evaluation of crystal quality. The interpretation of scanning patterns by RO-XRD on polycrystals with large grains, bulk material with several grains and oriented thin film is also presented. These results will hopefully expand the applications of the RO-XRD method and also benefit the conventional XRD techniques. (fast track communication)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Einasto J.
2011-06-01
Full Text Available I give a review of the development of the concept of dark matter. The dark matter story passed through several stages from a minor observational puzzle to a major challenge for theory of elementary particles. Modern data suggest that dark matter is the dominant matter component in the Universe, and that it consists of some unknown non-baryonic particles. Dark matter is the dominant matter component in the Universe, thus properties of dark matter particles determine the structure of the cosmic web.
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High diversity of fungi in air particulate matter.
Fröhlich-Nowoisky, Janine; Pickersgill, Daniel A; Després, Viviane R; Pöschl, Ulrich
2009-08-04
Fungal spores can account for large proportions of air particulate matter, and they may potentially influence the hydrological cycle and climate as nuclei for water droplets and ice crystals in clouds, fog, and precipitation. Moreover, some fungi are major pathogens and allergens. The diversity of airborne fungi is, however, not well-known. By DNA analysis we found pronounced differences in the relative abundance and seasonal cycles of various groups of fungi in coarse and fine particulate matter, with more plant pathogens in the coarse fraction and more human pathogens and allergens in the respirable fine particle fraction (<3 microm). Moreover, the ratio of Basidiomycota to Ascomycota was found to be much higher than previously assumed, which might also apply to the biosphere.
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Understanding political market orientation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ormrod, Robert P.; Henneberg, Stephan C.
influences of such behavior. The study includes structural equation modeling to investigate several propositions. While the results show that political parties need to focus on several different aspects of market-oriented behavior, especially using an internal and external orientation as cultural antecedents......This article develops a conceptual framework and measurement model of political market orientation that consists of attitudinal and behavioural constructs. The article reports on perceived relationships among different behavioral aspects of political market orientation and the attitudinal......, a more surprising result is the inconclusive effect of a voter orientation on market-oriented behaviours. The article discusses the findings in the context of the existing literature in political marketing and commercial market orientation....
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Orientation of Germ Tubes of Puccinia hordei on the Hordeum chilense Leaf Surface
Vaz Patto, M.C.; Niks, R.E.
2000-01-01
The directional growth of urediospores germ tubes along the transverse axis of a cereal's leaf is considered to be a response to stimuli from the plant surface. In order to find out if the germ tube growth is directed towards stomata, and if the cuticular wax layer plays a role in this orientated
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Stable isotopes in plant nutrition, soil fertility and environmental studies
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
1991-01-01
The individual contributions in these proceedings are indexed separately. Main topics covered include the measurement of biological nitrogen fixation, studies of soil organic matter, investigations of nutrient uptake and use by plants, studies of plant metabolism and new methodologies in the analysis of stable isotopes. Refs, figs and tabs
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A logic flowgraph based concept for decision support and management of nuclear plant operation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Guarro, S.B.
1987-01-01
In the US the evolution of automated decision support tools for plant operators has spanned from ''event-oriented'' diagnostic systems to ''symptom-oriented'' computer-based emergency operating procedures. A problem common to both kind of systems is in the initial level of effort required for development of the associated models and software. In the following we will discuss some of the general issues that arise in the development and application of these decision-support systems. We will also propose and discuss an approach founded on the application of an event diagnosis and plant stabilization philosophy. This approach is based on the use of logic flowgraph process-oriented models - arranged in a modular architecture and developed with the aid of an expert-system model builder - as a possible means of achieving the development of an automated and integrated plant management system. This approach should allow the developer to achieve a high process recovery and management capability with a focused and controlled expenditure of development time and resources
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In-plant reliability data system (IPRDS) - a utility-oriented data base
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Borkowski, R.J.; Kahl, W.K.
1983-01-01
Currently, there are data from six operating units comprising four nuclear power plants in the data base. There are an additional seven units (4 plants) that are ready for data collection and encoding. Overall, approximately 120,000 maintenance records have been reviewed and 24,000 records of corrective maintenance actions have been extracted. The components for which data encoding has been completed include pumps and valves. The pump data base contains 1468 pumps and 3100 maintenance records on these pumps spanning almost 24 reactor-years of commercial operation. An additional 900 pump maintenance records for years prior to commercial operation have also been entered. The valve data base contains 24,825 valve population records and approximately 5800 valve maintenance records
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
WAHJUNI HARTATI
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Abstract. Hartati, Sudarmadji T. 2016. Relationship between soil texture and soil organic matter content on mined-out lands in Berau, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Nusantara Bioscience 8: 83-88. Post open pit mining may in most cases leave unarable and degraded lands due to heavy soil disturbances and therefore reclamation efforts of such area should be addressed on the revitalization of the soil functions for plant growth. The capability of tropical humid soils, including post open pit mining soils, to support plant growth is largely determined by their organic matter content-nutrient pool, soil aggregation, microbial activity, etc. However, soil organic matter content is, to large extent, governed by the soil clay content which is most likely permanent. This may imply that the soil texture couple with soil organic matter content could be a sound measurement to assess the recovery stages of the mined-out lands in term of soil functions for plant growth. This research was conducted in three sites of reclamation area in Berau, East Kalimantan. Soil texture varied from moderately fine (35-40% clay to fine (40-50% clay and very fine (>50% clay for the BMO, SMO and LMO sites respectively. Soil clay eluviations were found in both of SMO (8 years old revegetation and BMO (>12 years old revegetation sites but not in LMO site. Soil organic matter content ranged from very low (12 and 8 years old revegetation when the organic matter content reaching its maximum. The very fine soil texture does not show clay eluviations process until > 12 years old revegetation even containing the highest organic C content and reaches its maximum at 8-10 years old revegetation.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kevin Crist
2004-10-02
Ohio University, in collaboration with CONSOL Energy, Advanced Technology Systems, Inc (ATS) and Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER) as subcontractors, is evaluating the impact of emissions from coal-fired power plants in the Ohio River Valley region as they relate to the transport and deposition of mercury, arsenic, and associated fine particulate matter. This evaluation will involve two interrelated areas of effort: ambient air monitoring and regional-scale modeling analysis. The scope of work for the ambient air monitoring will include the deployment of a surface air monitoring (SAM) station in southeastern Ohio. The SAM station will contain sampling equipment to collect and measure mercury (including speciated forms of mercury and wet and dry deposited mercury), arsenic, particulate matter (PM) mass, PM composition, and gaseous criteria pollutants (CO, NOx, SO{sub 2}, O{sub 3}, etc.). Laboratory analysis of time-integrated samples will be used to obtain chemical speciation of ambient PM composition and mercury in precipitation. Near-real-time measurements will be used to measure the ambient concentrations of PM mass and all gaseous species including Hg{sup 0} and RGM. Approximately of 18 months of field data will be collected at the SAM site to validate the proposed regional model simulations for episodic and seasonal model runs. The ambient air quality data will also provide mercury, arsenic, and fine particulate matter data that can be used by Ohio Valley industries to assess performance on multi-pollutant control systems. The scope of work for the modeling analysis will include (1) development of updated inventories of mercury and arsenic emissions from coal plants and other important sources in the modeled domain; (2) adapting an existing 3-D atmospheric chemical transport model to incorporate recent advancements in the understanding of mercury transformations in the atmosphere; (3) analyses of the flux of Hg{sup 0}, RGM, arsenic, and fine
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kevin Crist
2006-04-02
As stated in the proposal: Ohio University, in collaboration with CONSOL Energy, Advanced Technology Systems, Inc (ATS) and Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER) as subcontractors, is evaluating the impact of emissions from coal-fired power plants in the Ohio River Valley region as they relate to the transport and deposition of mercury, arsenic, and associated fine particulate matter. This evaluation will involve two interrelated areas of effort: ambient air monitoring and regional-scale modeling analysis. The scope of work for the ambient air monitoring will include the deployment of a surface air monitoring (SAM) station in southeastern Ohio. The SAM station will contain sampling equipment to collect and measure mercury (including speciated forms of mercury and wet and dry deposited mercury), arsenic, particulate matter (PM) mass, PM composition, and gaseous criteria pollutants (CO, NO{sub x}, SO{sub 2}, O{sub 3}, etc.). Laboratory analysis of time-integrated samples will be used to obtain chemical speciation of ambient PM composition and mercury in precipitation. Near-real-time measurements will be used to measure the ambient concentrations of PM mass and all gaseous species including Hg0 and RGM. Approximately 18 months of field data will be collected at the SAM site to validate the proposed regional model simulations for episodic and seasonal model runs. The ambient air quality data will also provide mercury, arsenic, and fine particulate matter data that can be used by Ohio Valley industries to assess performance on multi-pollutant control systems. The scope of work for the modeling analysis will include (1) development of updated inventories of mercury and arsenic emissions from coal plants and other important sources in the modeled domain; (2) adapting an existing 3-D atmospheric chemical transport model to incorporate recent advancements in the understanding of mercury transformations in the atmosphere; (3) analyses of the flux of Hg{sup 0
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kevin Crist
2005-10-02
Ohio University, in collaboration with CONSOL Energy, Advanced Technology Systems, Inc (ATS) and Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. (AER) as subcontractors, is evaluating the impact of emissions from coal-fired power plants in the Ohio River Valley region as they relate to the transport and deposition of mercury, arsenic, and associated fine particulate matter. This evaluation will involve two interrelated areas of effort: ambient air monitoring and regional-scale modeling analysis. The scope of work for the ambient air monitoring will include the deployment of a surface air monitoring (SAM) station in southeastern Ohio. The SAM station will contain sampling equipment to collect and measure mercury (including speciated forms of mercury and wet and dry deposited mercury), arsenic, particulate matter (PM) mass, PM composition, and gaseous criteria pollutants (CO, NOx, SO{sub 2}, O{sub 3}, etc.). Laboratory analysis of time-integrated samples will be used to obtain chemical speciation of ambient PM composition and mercury in precipitation. Near-real-time measurements will be used to measure the ambient concentrations of PM mass and all gaseous species including Hg{sup 0} and RGM. Approximately of 18 months of field data will be collected at the SAM site to validate the proposed regional model simulations for episodic and seasonal model runs. The ambient air quality data will also provide mercury, arsenic, and fine particulate matter data that can be used by Ohio Valley industries to assess performance on multi-pollutant control systems. The scope of work for the modeling analysis will include (1) development of updated inventories of mercury and arsenic emissions from coal plants and other important sources in the modeled domain; (2) adapting an existing 3-D atmospheric chemical transport model to incorporate recent advancements in the understanding of mercury transformations in the atmosphere; (3) analyses of the flux of Hg0, RGM, arsenic, and fine
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Mirror matter as self-interacting dark matter
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mohapatra, R.N.; Nussinov, S.; Teplitz, V.L.
2002-01-01
It has been argued that the observed core density profile of galaxies is inconsistent with having a dark matter particle that is collisionless and that alternative dark matter candidates which are self-interacting may explain observations better. One new class of self-interacting dark matter that has been proposed in the context of mirror universe models of particle physics is the mirror hydrogen atom, whose stability is guaranteed by the conservation of mirror baryon number. We show that the effective transport cross section for mirror hydrogen atoms has the right order of magnitude for solving the 'cuspy' halo problem. Furthermore, the suppression of dissipation effects for mirror atoms due to a higher mirror mass scale prevents the mirror halo matter from collapsing into a disk, strengthening the argument for mirror matter as galactic dark matter
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Choo, Gillian M; Waterman, Peter G; McKey, Doyle B; Gartlan, J Stephen
1981-05-01
The dry matter digestibility of 94 species of leaf was assayed by a simple method involving sequential treatment with pepsin and fungal cellulase enzymes. It was demonstrated that for foliage from rainforest trees of a wide range of dicotyledonous plant families the assay showed high positive correlation with estimates of dry matter digestibility obtained using rumenliquor from a fistulated steer. Both assays were found to reflect negative correlates of digestibility, notably fibre and condensed tannin, rather than the nutritional value of an item. The higher dry matter digestibility of immature leaves relative to mature leaves appeared to be accounted for by their lower fibre content. It is suggested that the pepsin/cellulase assay offers a cheap, quick, routine method of gaining information on the effects of some types of plant secondary compounds (digestibility reducers) on the 'food potential' of different kinds of foliage to herbivores. Its use in studies of herbivory in rainforest areas in relation to analyses for plant secondary compounds and food selection by herbivores is discussed.
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Oxidation-reduction conditions of the plants with reference to their gas resistance
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Krasinskii, N P
1944-01-01
The object of this work was to see if there is any relation between the oxidation-reduction conditions existing in a plant, and its ability to grow successfully in the cities where air contains H/sub 2/S. Oxidation-reduction potential, capacity for its water-soluble and insoluble matter to be oxidized with KMnO/sub 4/ before and after treatment with H/sub 2/S, and finally the effect of the age of the plant were determined for different spp. of several common families of plants. In the majority of the families it was found that in various spp. of the same family these characteristics vary within a narrow and different range. Oxidation with KMnO/sub 4/ of the water-insoluble matter was found to be the best criterion of the sensitivity of a plant to H/sub 2/S.
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Solving the small-scale structure puzzles with dissipative dark matter
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Foot, Robert [ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Terascale, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010 (Australia); Vagnozzi, Sunny, E-mail: rfoot@unimelb.edu.au, E-mail: sunny.vagnozzi@fysik.su.se [The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics, Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, Roslagstullbacken 21A, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)
2016-07-01
Small-scale structure is studied in the context of dissipative dark matter, arising for instance in models with a hidden unbroken Abelian sector, so that dark matter couples to a massless dark photon. The dark sector interacts with ordinary matter via gravity and photon-dark photon kinetic mixing. Mirror dark matter is a theoretically constrained special case where all parameters are fixed except for the kinetic mixing strength, ε. In these models, the dark matter halo around spiral and irregular galaxies takes the form of a dissipative plasma which evolves in response to various heating and cooling processes. It has been argued previously that such dynamics can account for the inferred cored density profiles of galaxies and other related structural features. Here we focus on the apparent deficit of nearby small galaxies (''missing satellite problem'), which these dissipative models have the potential to address through small-scale power suppression by acoustic and diffusion damping. Using a variant of the extended Press-Schechter formalism, we evaluate the halo mass function for the special case of mirror dark matter. Considering a simplified model where M {sub baryons} ∝ M {sub halo}, we relate the halo mass function to more directly observable quantities, and find that for ε ≈ 2 × 10{sup −10} such a simplified description is compatible with the measured galaxy luminosity and velocity functions. On scales M {sub halo} ∼< 10{sup 8} M {sub ⊙}, diffusion damping exponentially suppresses the halo mass function, suggesting a nonprimordial origin for dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies, which we speculate were formed via a top-down fragmentation process as the result of nonlinear dissipative collapse of larger density perturbations. This could explain the planar orientation of satellite galaxies around Andromeda and the Milky Way.
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Solving the small-scale structure puzzles with dissipative dark matter
Foot, Robert; Vagnozzi, Sunny
2016-07-01
Small-scale structure is studied in the context of dissipative dark matter, arising for instance in models with a hidden unbroken Abelian sector, so that dark matter couples to a massless dark photon. The dark sector interacts with ordinary matter via gravity and photon-dark photon kinetic mixing. Mirror dark matter is a theoretically constrained special case where all parameters are fixed except for the kinetic mixing strength, epsilon. In these models, the dark matter halo around spiral and irregular galaxies takes the form of a dissipative plasma which evolves in response to various heating and cooling processes. It has been argued previously that such dynamics can account for the inferred cored density profiles of galaxies and other related structural features. Here we focus on the apparent deficit of nearby small galaxies (``missing satellite problem"), which these dissipative models have the potential to address through small-scale power suppression by acoustic and diffusion damping. Using a variant of the extended Press-Schechter formalism, we evaluate the halo mass function for the special case of mirror dark matter. Considering a simplified model where Mbaryons propto Mhalo, we relate the halo mass function to more directly observable quantities, and find that for epsilon ≈ 2 × 10-10 such a simplified description is compatible with the measured galaxy luminosity and velocity functions. On scales Mhalo lesssim 108 Msolar, diffusion damping exponentially suppresses the halo mass function, suggesting a nonprimordial origin for dwarf spheroidal satellite galaxies, which we speculate were formed via a top-down fragmentation process as the result of nonlinear dissipative collapse of larger density perturbations. This could explain the planar orientation of satellite galaxies around Andromeda and the Milky Way.
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The effect of plant population and nitrogen fertilizer on
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
mohamad reza asgaripor
2009-06-01
Full Text Available Interest has increased towards hemp (Cannabis sativa L. fibre production due to renewed demand for natural fibre in the world. A Study was conducted in 2005 at Shirvan in Northern Khorasan province, Iran, to determine the effects of three plant populations (30, 90 and 150 plant per m2 and three rates of nitrogen application (50, 150 and 250 kg N per ha on final stand, stalk height, basal stalk diameter, total stalk yield as well as fibre content from stalk and fibre yield in male and female plants. A split plot experimental with three replications was used. The result indicated that due to enhanced competition for light at higher population on density and N2 level plant mortality was higher than other treatment Morphological characteristics were highly correlated with plant sexual, plant population and nitrogen fertilizer. Highest stem, leaf and inflorescence yield were obtained at 250 plant m-2 when 150 kg N ha-1 was used. Lowest plant density did not show self-thinning but reduced above ground dry matter. Shoot dry matter increased with increasing plant density and nitrogen supply. Apparently, fibre content was greater at medium density and lowest nitrogen fertilizer, however, fibre yield was greatest at highest plant population and nitrogen fertilizer. In terms of fibre yield, approximate 31.7% of the fibre was located in the bottom parts, 22.4% in the middle and only 9.9% in the top part of the stem. The results suggest that hemp can yield large quantities of useful fibre at Shirvan when planted in proper plant densities and suitable nitrogen fertilizer.
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2011-08-16
...; License Nos. SNM-7003, SNM-2011] In the Matter of USEC Inc., American Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility, and American Centrifuge Plant; Order Extending the Date by Which the Direct Transfer of Licenses Is To... American Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility (Lead Cascade) and American Centrifuge Plant (ACP), respectively...
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Growth and dry matter accumulation in drought resistant maize ( Zea ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
growth, dry matter accumulation and yield characters of maize planted under the same environmental conditions. The trial was conducted during the 2010 wet season at Bagauda the Kano University of Technology (KUST) temporary research farm (11° 39° N, 08° 20° E).The treatments consisted of three sowing dates ...
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Studies on the N mineralization behavior of various plants in soil by means of 15N tracers
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Schulz, E.
1986-01-01
Nitrogen mineralization of different 15 N-labelled plant matter in three soils with different C/sub t/ content was investigated in an incubation experiment (54 days, 25 0 C, 60% maximum water capacity) in the laboratory. Plant matter decomposition was most intensive at the start of the incubation experiment. Between 19 and 29% of the plant nitrogen was mineralized after three days. This seems to be due to an intensified internal nitrogen cycling. The dynamics of the further N mineralization process depends largely on the C:N ratio of the organic primary matter. The critical C:N ratio was found to be about 21. A close correlation exists between the immobilization of released nitrogen and the C/sub t/ content of the soil. (author)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Marsan, M.P.; Muller, I.; Milon, A.
1996-01-01
Sitosterol and stigmasterol, plant sterols, were deuterated at specific positions. Orientation and mobility of the deuterated sitosterol and stigmasterol (and two of their diasteromers) on oriented lipid bilayers were analyzed by deuterium NMR spectroscopy. Orientation and mobility of the side chains was revealed by these studies
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Fatokun, Kayode; Zharare, Godfrey Elijah
2015-09-01
Phytotoxic effect of diesel contaminated soil was investigated on growth and dry matter partitioning in Lactuca sativa and Ipomoea batatas in greenhouse pot experiment at two concentration range (0-30 ml and 0-6 ml diesel kg(-1) soil) for 14 weeks. The results indicated thatwhole plant biomass, stem length, root length, number of leaves and leaf chlorophyll in two plants were negatively correlated with increasing diesel concentrations. The critical concentration of diesel associated with 10% decrease in plant growth was 0.33 ml for lettuce and 1.50 ml for sweet potato. Thus, growth of lettuce in diesel contaminated soil was more sensitive than sweet potato. The pattern of dry matter partitioning between root and shoot in both plants were similar. In 0-6 ml diesel contamination range, allocation of dry matter to shoot system was favoured resulting in high shoot: root ratio of 4.54 and 12.91 for lettuce and sweet potato respectively. However, in 0-30 ml diesel contamination range, allocation of dry matter to root was favoured, which may have been an adaptive mechanism in which the root system was used for storage in addition to increasing the capacity for foraging for mineral nutrients and water. Although lettuce accumulated more metals in its tissue than sweet potato, the tissue mineral nutrients in both species did not vary to great extent. The critical diesel concentration for toxicity suggested that the cause of mortality and poor growth of sweet potato and lettuce grown in diesel contaminated soil was due to presence of hydrocarbons in diesel.
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An intelligent tutoring system for a power plant simulator
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Seifi, H.; Seifi, A.R. [Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran (Iran). Faculty of Engineering, Dept. of Electrical Engineers
2002-07-28
An intelligent tutoring system (ITS) is proposed for a power plant simulator. With a well designed ITS, the need for an instructor is minimized and the operator may readily and efficiently take, in real-time, the control of simulator with appropriate messages he(she) gets from the tutoring system. Using SIMULINK and based on object oriented programming (OOP) and C programming language, a fossil-fuelled power plant simulator with an ITS is proposed. Promising results are demonstrated for a typical power plant.
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Soil-plant transfer factors in forest ecosystems
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Strebl, F.; Gerzabek, M.H.
1995-04-01
Within scope of an extended study about 137 Cs behaviour in forest ecosystems several parameters were found to influence soil-plant transfer factors. TF-values of different plant species cover a range of two magnitudes. This is partly due to variations in rooting depth of plants and specific physiological adaptations of nutrient supply. Perrenial plants like trees (Picea abies) and dwarf shrubs (Vaccinium myrtillus) showed a distinct age - dependency of 137 Cs - transfer factors. In young plant parts caesium concentration is higher than in old, more signified twigs. A correlation analysis of physico-chemical soil parameters and TF-values to forest vegetation showed, that soil organic matter, especially the degree of humification and the ratio between extractable fulvic to humic acids are important influencing factors of 137 Cs transfer from forest soils to plants. (author)
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Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in aquatic environments is derived from the microbial decomposition of terrestrial and microbial organic matter. Here we present results of studies of the spectral properties and photoreactivity of the CDOM derived from several organi...
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Somera, Alexandre F.; Lima, Adriel M.; dos Santos-Neto, Álvaro J.; Lanças, Fernando M.
2015-01-01
Leaf-cutter ants use plant matter to culture the obligate mutualistic basidiomycete Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. This fungus mediates ant nutrition on plant resources. Furthermore, other microbes living in the fungus garden might also contribute to plant digestion. The fungus garden comprises a young sector with recently incorporated leaf fragments and an old sector with partially digested plant matter. Here, we show that the young and old sectors of the grass-cutter Atta bisphaerica fungus garden operate as a biphasic solid-state mixed fermenting system. An initial plant digestion phase occurred in the young sector in the fungus garden periphery, with prevailing hemicellulose and starch degradation into arabinose, mannose, xylose, and glucose. These products support fast microbial growth but were mostly converted into four polyols. Three polyols, mannitol, arabitol, and inositol, were secreted by L. gongylophorus, and a fourth polyol, sorbitol, was likely secreted by another, unidentified, microbe. A second plant digestion phase occurred in the old sector, located in the fungus garden core, comprising stocks of microbial biomass growing slowly on monosaccharides and polyols. This biphasic operation was efficient in mediating symbiotic nutrition on plant matter: the microbes, accounting for 4% of the fungus garden biomass, converted plant matter biomass into monosaccharides and polyols, which were completely consumed by the resident ants and microbes. However, when consumption was inhibited through laboratory manipulation, most of the plant polysaccharides were degraded, products rapidly accumulated, and yields could be preferentially switched between polyols and monosaccharides. This feature might be useful in biotechnology. PMID:25911490
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The continued operation of nuclear power plants contents of the May 2003 O.P.E.C.S.T. report
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Birraux, C.; Bataille, Ch.; Barber, N.
2009-01-01
Their study sought a fair way of handling this matter. They tried to strike a ba-lance between the commercial perspectives of electric companies, consumers' economic interests, technological developments in the nuclear indus-try, and national energy independence, without reducing the high level of nuclear safety requirement. In this document, they advised first, to increase investment for research into materials ageing, second, to orient the ten-year review process towards continuing rather than stopping activity and third, to assert the absolute rule that, for obvious safety reasons, each decision regarding the lifetime of nuclear power plants had to be made on a case-by-case basis. Today they observe that all the necessary improvements have indeed been made On one hand, EDF now benefits from a grant to increase the competitiveness and safety of present-day power plants; on the other hand, the Act of 13. June 2006 organized a more constructive ten-year review process white at the same time it continued to empower the case-by-case rule. This framework fosters the ongoing, progressive replacement of old reactors by the EPR. This is being done with efficient speed and on a non-dramatic basis. (author)
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Extractability of added lead in soils and its concentration in plants
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
MacLean, A J; Halstead, R L; Finn, B J
1969-01-01
The concentrations of Pb in five species of plants were found to increase with proximity of the sampling sites to a well-travelled highway. The Pb content of oats and alfalfa grown in four soils pretreated with PbCl/sub 2/ in pot tests varied inversely with the organic matter content and pH of the soils. The amounts of Pb taken up by the plants were reduced upon addition of phosphate or of lime to the acid soils. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of organic matter, phosphate and lime in reducing Pb in the plants were usually in accord with corresponding reductions in extractable Pb in the soils as measured in 1 N neutral ammonium acetate and 0.1 M CaCl/sub 2/. 11 references, 6 tables.
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Gibson, C. D.; Filley, T. R.; Bird, J. A.; Hatton, P. J.; Stark, R. E.; Nadelhoffer, K. J.
2017-12-01
Pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) produced during forest fires is considered a large sink of stable soil organic matter (SOM) in boreal-temperate forest ecotones, where fire frequency and intensity is growing with changing climate. Understanding how changes in fire regime and predicted shifts in plant taxa will interact to affect PyOM dynamics in soil is imperative to assessing the impact of climate change on SOM maintenance. The stability of PyOM in soil may be co-determined by the physiochemical structure imparted on PyOM during pyrolysis and by its initial taxa-dependent wood chemistry and anatomy. To determine PyOM-C turnover rates in soil, we followed the fate of 13C-enriched wood or PyOM (200, 300, 450, or 600°C) derived from red maple (RM) or jack pine (JP) wood in soil from a recently burned forest in northern Michigan, USA. We found that pyrolysis temperature-controlled physiochemical changes influenced, with threshold dynamics, PyOM stability resulting in mean residence times of 2 (PyOM 200°C) to 450 years for both taxa, confirming that most PyOM (wood taxa did affect PyOM C MRT, in part due to differences in the amount of water soluble C released by PyOM during the initial decomposition dynamics in soil.
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Rusdy, M
2012-01-01
The objectives of this experiment were to determine dry matter yield and competitiveness of alang-alang (Imperata cylindrica) and Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) in intercropping. The experiment was arranged in factorial combinations of four planting proportions, two levels of nitrogen fertilization and three harvesting intervals with three replications. Planting proportions were 0, 33.3, 66.7, and 100% of alang-alang (planting densities of 0, 1, 2 and 3 plants/pot) combined with 100, 66.7, 33...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sukhanova Irina Fedorovna
2015-09-01
Full Text Available The article presents the peculiarities of import substitution in different sectors of the economy. The specific features of the process of import substitution in agriculture is revealed. The objectives and directions of import substitution of foodstuff are highlighted. The authors substantiate the need of separating the agro-oriented territories, as well as donor territories and recipients in the matter of import foodstuff substitution. The criteria of referring regions to agro-oriented territories are revealed, and the conclusion on feasibility of special state support to donor regions providing foodstuff is reasoned. In the present article the authors give the overall characteristics of the Saratov region as an agro-oriented territory, provide the assessment of its food potential, determine the level of food self-sufficiency. The grouping of the main food products is carried out by the authors according to the current level of their self-sufficiency and growth prospects. The comprehensive program of import substitution of food in Russia is developed. The key role in this program is assigned to agro-oriented regions. The main activities of this program are pointed out in the frames of the given research.
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Time machine: scientists smash matter, hoping to elicit the earliest stuff
Loft, Kurt
2007-01-01
"Can we travel back in time, or predict the future? Will we ever know what seeds nature first planted to nurture our world? Such deep thoughts fill the minds of particle physicists who delve into the darkest dimensions of matter, and they've been busy lately." (1 page)
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Angelo, Joseph A
2011-01-01
Supported by a generous quantity of full-color illustrations and interesting sidebars, Solid Matter introduces the basic characteristics and properties of solid matter. It briefly describes the cosmic connection of the elements, leading readers through several key events in human pre-history that resulted in more advanced uses of matter in the solid state. Chapters include:. -Solid Matter: An Initial Perspective. -Physical Behavior of Matter. -The Gravity of Matter. -Fundamentals of Materials Science. -Rocks and Minerals. -Metals. -Building Materials. -Carbon Earth's Most Versatile Element. -S
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Adani, Fabrizio; Salati, Silvia; Spagnol, Manuela; Tambone, Fulvia; Genevini, Pierluigi; Pilu, Roberto; Nierop, Klaas G J
2009-07-01
The quantity and quality of plant litter in the soil play an important role in the soil organic matter balance. Besides other pedo-climatic aspects, the content of recalcitrant molecules of plant residues and their chemical composition play a major role in the preservation of plant residues. In this study, we report that intrinsically resistant alkali-soluble bio-macromolecules extracted from maize plant (plant-humic acid) (plant-HA) contribute directly to the soil organic matter (OM) by its addition and conservation in the soil. Furthermore, we also observed that a high syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio in the lignin residues comprising the plant tissue, which modifies the microscopic structure of the alkali-soluble plant biopolymers, enhances their recalcitrance because of lower accessibility of molecules to degrading enzymes. These results are in agreement with a recent study, which showed that the humic substance of soil consists of a mixture of identifiable biopolymers obtained directly from plant tissues that are added annually by maize plant residues.
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Plant-Polysaccharide-Degrading Enzymes from Basidiomycetes
Rytioja, Johanna; Hildén, Kristiina; Yuzon, Jennifer; Hatakka, Annele; de Vries, Ronald P.
2014-01-01
SUMMARY Basidiomycete fungi subsist on various types of plant material in diverse environments, from living and dead trees and forest litter to crops and grasses and to decaying plant matter in soils. Due to the variation in their natural carbon sources, basidiomycetes have highly varied plant-polysaccharide-degrading capabilities. This topic is not as well studied for basidiomycetes as for ascomycete fungi, which are the main sources of knowledge on fungal plant polysaccharide degradation. Research on plant-biomass-decaying fungi has focused on isolating enzymes for current and future applications, such as for the production of fuels, the food industry, and waste treatment. More recently, genomic studies of basidiomycete fungi have provided a profound view of the plant-biomass-degrading potential of wood-rotting, litter-decomposing, plant-pathogenic, and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) basidiomycetes. This review summarizes the current knowledge on plant polysaccharide depolymerization by basidiomycete species from diverse habitats. In addition, these data are compared to those for the most broadly studied ascomycete genus, Aspergillus, to provide insight into specific features of basidiomycetes with respect to plant polysaccharide degradation. PMID:25428937
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kosmowski, K.T.
1998-01-01
In this paper an integrated approach to the knowledge acquisition and safety management of complex industrial plants is proposed and outlined. The plant is considered within a man-technology-environment (MTE) system. The knowledge acquisition is aimed at the consequent reliability evaluation of human factor and probabilistic modeling of the plant. Properly structured initial knowledge is updated in life-time of the plant. The data and knowledge concerning the topology of safety related systems and their functions are created in a graphical CAD system and are object oriented. Safety oriented monitoring of the plant includes abnormal situations due to external and internal disturbances, failures of hard/software components and failures of human factor. The operation and safety related evidence is accumulated in special data bases. Data/knowledge bases are designed in such a way to support effectively the reliability and safety management of the plant. (author)
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Successful Training Development and Implementation in Plant Modernization Projects
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kuhn, A.; Schoenfelder, C.
2012-01-01
In plant modernization projects, for life extension or power update, the competence development (in particular, job and needs oriented training) of the plant staff plays an important role for ensuring the highest standard of nuclear safety, and for facilitating an economic operation of the plant. This paper describes challenges, methodology, activities, and results obtained so far from an on-going project in Sweden. - - As conclusion, critical factors for a successful staff training in plant modernization projects include a systematic approach to training, a dedicated training management team, and good interfaces between supplier's engineering teams, experienced training providers, and equipment suppliers.
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Duffy, Noah H; Lester, Henry A; Dougherty, Dennis A
2012-10-19
The serotonin type 3 receptor (5-HT(3)R) is a ligand-gated ion channel found in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The 5-HT(3)R is a therapeutic target, and the clinically available drugs ondansetron and granisetron inhibit receptor activity. Their inhibitory action is through competitive binding to the native ligand binding site, although the binding orientation of the drugs at the receptor has been a matter of debate. Here we heterologously express mouse 5-HT(3)A receptors in Xenopus oocytes and use unnatural amino acid mutagenesis to establish a cation-π interaction for both ondansetron and granisetron to tryptophan 183 in the ligand binding pocket. This cation-π interaction establishes a binding orientation for both ondansetron and granisetron within the binding pocket.
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Tikhomirov, Alexander A.; Kudenko, Yurii; Trifonov, Sergei; Ushakova, Sofya
Inclusion of products of human and plant wastes' `wet' incineration in 22 medium using alter-nating current into matter recycling of biological-technical life support system (BTLSS) has been considered. Fluid and gaseous components have been shown to be the products of such processing. In particular, the final product contained all necessary for plant cultivation nitrogen forms: NO2, NO3, NH4+. As the base solution included urine than NH4+ form dominated. At human solid wastes' mineralization NO2 NH4+ were registered in approximately equal amount. Comparative analysis of mineral composition of oxidized human wastes' and standard Knop solutions has been carried out. On the grounds of that analysis the dilution methods of solutions prepared with addition of oxidized human wastes for their further use for plant irrigation have been suggested. Reasonable levels of wheat productivity cultivated at use of given solutions have been obtained. CO2, N2 and O2 have been determined to be the main gas components of the gas admixture emitted within the given process. These gases easily integrate in matter recycling process of closed ecosystem. The data of plants' cultivation feasibility in the atmosphere obtained after closing of gas loop including physicochemical facility and vegetation chamber with plants-representatives of LSS phototrophic unit has been received. Conclusion of advance research on creation of matter recycling process in the integrated physical-chemical-biological model system has been drawn.
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Studies on source sink relationship of composite tea plants using 14C
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Marimuthu, S.; Raj Kumar, R.; Jayakumar, D.; Cox, Spurgeon
2000-01-01
An experiment on sink capacity of grafted tea plants was carried out adopting radiotracer technique under nursery conditions with two different graft combinations besides the un-grafted control plants. Among the control plants, UPASI-3 translocated higher quantum of photosynthates towards the growing shoot followed by UPASI-9 and ATK-I. In order to confirm the sink capacity of axillary shoot of rootstock, shoot arising from rootstock has been removed prior to exposure of root stock mother leaf. This led to a dramatic enhancement in assimilates translocation towards UPASI-3 scions. ATK- I rootstock mother leaves retained higher amount of photoassimilates when UPASI-9 was used as scion. Variation existed in partitioning of dry matter in response to cultivar type used for composite plant product. Axillary shoot of rootstock, ATK-I drained about seven per cent of total dry matter production irrespective of the scions. UPASI-3 scions drew about 40 per cent of total dry matter and it enhanced to 60 per cent on removal of axillary shoot of ATK-I. Results highlight that the removal of axillary shoot of the rootstock should be practiced at nursery level, immediately after initiation of its growth to obtain the balanced shoot : root ratio. (author)
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Hazman Shah Abdullah; Razmi Chik; Rahman Deen
2006-01-01
The study explores the relationship between cultural values and perceptions of the creativity climate. Asian culture is allegedly inimical to creativity and innovation in organizations. High power distance, high femininity, and greater orientation towards collectivity are discordant with the cultural underpinnings of the flatter, fluid, less formal, and networked organization. One hundred and seventy executives and nonexecutives of two steel mills were tested for the value orientation using a...
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Soil Quality of Restinga Forest: Organic Matter and Aluminum Saturation
Rodrigues Almeida Filho, Jasse; Casagrande, José Carlos; Martins Bonilha, Rodolfo; Soares, Marcio Roberto; Silva, Luiz Gabriel; Colato, Alexandre
2013-04-01
The restinga vegetation (sand coastal plain vegetation) consists of a mosaic of plant communities, which are defined by the characteristics of the substrates, resulting from the type and age of the depositional processes. This mosaic complex of vegetation types comprises restinga forest in advanced (high restinga) and medium regeneration stages (low restinga), each with particular differentiating vegetation characteristics. Of all ecosystems of the Atlantic Forest, restinga is the most fragile and susceptible to anthropic disturbances. The purpose of this study was evaluating the organic matter and aluminum saturation effects on soil quality index (SQI). Two locations were studied: State Park of the Serra do Mar, Picinguaba, in the city of Ubatuba (23°20' e 23°22' S / 44°48' e 44°52' W), and State Park of Cardoso Island in the city of Cananéia (25°03'05" e 25°18'18" S / 47°53'48" e 48° 05'42" W). The soil samples were collect at a depth of 0-10 cm, where concentrate 70% of vegetation root system. Was studied an additive model to evaluate soil quality index. The shallow root system development occurs due to low calcium levels, whose disability limits their development, but also can reflect on delay, restriction or even in the failure of the development vegetation. The organic matter is kept in the soil restinga ecosystem by high acidity, which reduces the decomposition of soil organic matter, which is very poor in nutrients. The base saturation, less than 10, was low due to low amounts of Na, K, Ca and Mg, indicating low nutritional reserve into the soil, due to very high rainfall and sandy texture, resulting in high saturation values for aluminum. Considering the critical threshold to 3% organic matter and for aluminum saturation to 40%, the IQS ranged from 0.95 to 0.1 as increased aluminum saturation and decreased the soil organic matter, indicating the main limitation to the growth of plants in this type of soil, when deforested.
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Folan, Jean M.
1982-01-01
At the Irish National Orienteering Championships in 1981 a survey of the injuries occurring over the two days of competition was carried out. Of 285 individual competitors there was a percentage injury rate of 5.26%. The article discusses the injuries and aspects of safety in orienteering.
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Club d'orientation
2015-01-01
Course d'orientation La reprise des courses d’orientation était attendue dans la région puisque près de 150 coureurs ont participé à la première épreuve automnale organisée par le club d’orientation du CERN sur le site de La Faucille. Les circuits ont été remportés par Yann Locatelli du club d’Orientation Coeur de Savoie avec 56 secondes d’avance sur Damien Berguerre du club SOS Sallanches pour le parcours technique long, Marie Vuitton du club CO CERN (membre également de l’Equipe de France Jeune) pour le parcours technique moyen avec presque 4 minutes d’avance sur Jeremy Wichoud du club Lausanne-Jorat, Victor Dannecker pour le circuit technique court devant Alina Niggli, Elliot Dannecker pour le facile moyen et Alice Merat sur le facile court, tous membres du club O’Jura. Les résultats comp...
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Impact of dissolved organic matter on bioavailability of chlorotoluron to wheat
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Song Ninghui [Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No. 1, Building of Chemistry, Nanjing 210095 (China); Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China); Zhang Shuang; Hong Min [Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No. 1, Building of Chemistry, Nanjing 210095 (China); Yang Hong, E-mail: hongyang@njau.edu.c [Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Weigang No. 1, Building of Chemistry, Nanjing 210095 (China); Key Laboratory of Monitoring and Management of Crop Diseases and Pest Insects, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095 (China)
2010-03-15
Chlorotoluron (Chl) is a phenylurea herbicide and is widely used for controlling weeds. While it has brought great benefits to crop production, it has also resulted in contamination to ecosystem. In this study, we investigated accumulation of chlorotoluron (Chl) and biological responses of wheat plants as affected by dissolved organic matter (DOM). Wheat seedlings grown under 10 mg kg{sup -1} Chl for 4 d showed a low level of chlorophyll accumulation and damage to plasma membrane. The growth was inhibited by exposure of chlorotoluron. Treatment with 50 mg DOC kg{sup -1} DOM derived either from sludge (DOM-SL) or straw (DOM-ST) attenuated the chlorotoluron toxicity to plants. Both DOMs decreased activities of catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in Chl-treated seedlings. However, an increased glutathione S-transferases activity was observed under the same condition. Wheat plants treated with Chl in the presence of DOM accumulated less Chl than those treated with Chl alone. Moreover, in the presence of DOM, bioconcentration factor (BCF) decreased whereas translocation factors increased. Analyses with FT-IR spectra confirmed the regulatory role of DOMs in reducing Chl accumulation in wheat. - Dissolved organic matter (DOM) as a soil amendment can reduce herbicide accumulation in crops.
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Understanding transfer modes of radionuclides to plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hurtevent, P.
2010-01-01
This article briefly comments recent works performed by the IRSN in order to better quantify the transfer of radionuclides from the environment to plants. Three major processes have been studied: root transfer or uptake, translocation, and organic matter recycling (or contamination recycling). The first one depends on the plant and on the soil where it grows. As far as translocation is concerned, the aerial contamination penetrates the plant through the leaves. The third one occurs when broken branches and leaves which have been contaminated, fall on the ground. Some measurements performed in forests near Chernobyl are evoked
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Effect of organic matter, irrigation and soil mulching on the nutritional ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
The elevation of soil organic matter level until 5.08% in conjunction with the implementation of 100% of Evapotranspiration (ETc) water depth and the use of mulch on the soil favored the greatest absorption of nutrients and increased the productivity of okra plant. Keywords: Cattle manure, nutrient absorption, management of ...
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Process data validation according VDI 2048 in conventional and nuclear power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Langenstein, M.; Laipple, B.; Schmid, F.
2004-01-01
Process data validation according VDI 2048 in conventional and nuclear power plants is required for acceptance testing, process and component monitoring, and status-oriented maintenance. Once a validation system like VALI III has been certified according to VDI 2048, power plant owners can use the data obtained for efficiency increase. Further, all control variables can be adjusted so as to ensure maximum plant efficiency. (orig.)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhijie Tian
2016-06-01
Full Text Available Salt-alkaline stress generally leads to soil compaction and fertility decline. It also restricts rice growth and phosphorus acquisition. In this pot experiment, two relatively salt-alkaline tolerant (Dongdao-4 and Changbai-9 and sensitive (Changbai-25 and Tongyu-315 rice genotypes were planted in sandy (control and salt-alkaline soil to evaluate the characteristics of dry matter and phosphorus assimilation and translocation in rice. The results showed that dry matter and phosphorus assimilation in rice greatly decreased under salt-alkaline stress as the plants grew. The translocation and contribution of dry matter and phosphorus to the grains also increased markedly; different performances were observed between genotypes under salt-alkaline stress. D4 and C9 showed higher dry matter translocation, translocation efficiency and contribution of dry matter assimilation to panicles than those of C25 and T315. These changes in D4 and C9 indexes occurred at low levels of salt-alkaline treatment. Higher phosphorus acquisition efficiency of D4 and C9 were also found under salt-alkaline conditions. Additionally, the phosphorus translocation significantly decreased in C25 and T315 in the stress treatment. In conclusion, the results indicated that salt-alkaline-tolerant rice genotypes may have stronger abilities to assimilate and transfer biomass and phosphorus than sensitive genotypes, especially in salt-alkaline conditions.
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Transformation Strategies between Block-Oriented and Graph-Oriented Process Modelling Languages
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mendling, Jan; Lassen, Kristian Bisgaard; Zdun, Uwe
2006-01-01
Much recent research work discusses the transformation between different process modelling languages. This work, however, is mainly focussed on specific process modelling languages, and thus the general reusability of the applied transformation concepts is rather limited. In this paper, we aim...... to abstract from concrete transformation strategies by distinguishing two major paradigms for representing control flow in process modelling languages: block-oriented languages (such as BPEL and BPML) and graph-oriented languages (such as EPCs and YAWL). The contribution of this paper are generic strategies...... for transforming from block-oriented process languages to graph-oriented languages, and vice versa....
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Transformation Strategies between Block-Oriented and Graph-Oriented Process Modelling Languages
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Mendling, Jan; Lassen, Kristian Bisgaard; Zdun, Uwe
to abstract from concrete transformationstrategies by distinguishing two major paradigms for process modelling languages:block-oriented languages (such as BPEL and BPML) and graph-oriented languages(such as EPCs and YAWL). The contribution of this paper are generic strategiesfor transforming from block......Much recent research work discusses the transformation between differentprocess modelling languages. This work, however, is mainly focussed on specific processmodelling languages, and thus the general reusability of the applied transformationconcepts is rather limited. In this paper, we aim......-oriented process languages to graph-oriented languages,and vice versa. We also present two case studies of applying our strategies....
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Urpelainen, Johannes
2011-01-01
Why are some countries developing many energy efficiency innovations, while others are lagging behind? I argue that export orientation and electricity at low variable cost from nuclear and hydropower plants have an interactive effect on energy efficiency innovation. Export-oriented countries have strong incentives to invest in energy efficiency innovation, as they are in a position to export these technology innovations for global markets. But if inexpensive electricity is supplied in a country, the domestic demand for energy efficiency innovation is missing, and so the home market cannot serve as a springboard for international commercialization. I test this theory against international patent data on energy efficiency innovation in insulation, heating, and lighting for 22 OECD countries, 1991-2007. The statistical analysis indicates that export orientation has large positive effects on energy efficiency innovation in countries that do not rely on nuclear and hydroelectricity. - Highlights: → Export-oriented countries produce energy efficiency innovations. → Nuclear and hydropower reduce energy efficiency innovation. → Data on international patents from industrialized countries support the argument.
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Increasing harvest maturity of whole-plant corn silage reduces methane
Hatew, B.; Bannink, A.; Laar, van H.; Jonge, de L.H.; Dijkstra, J.
2016-01-01
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of increasing maturity of whole-plant corn at harvest on CH4 emissions by dairy cows consuming corn silage (CS) based diets. Whole-plant corn was harvested at a very early [25% dry matter (DM); CS25], early (28% DM; CS28), medium (32% DM;
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Walmod-Larsen, O.; Starcke, K.
1984-06-01
The Swedish-Danish Barsebaeck committee suggested in June 1983 that a demographic comparison of the Barsebaeck nuclear power plant be made with plants situated near other large cities and national borders. Sixteen other nuclear power plants: 13 in Western Europe, 2 in USA and 1 in Canada were chosen for the comparison. For five discrete distances out to 50 km, the population distributions have been found and compared. In addition the positions, related to the plants, of institutions, administrative centres, communication centres and other plants of public importance within the country or in neughbouring countries are described. Finally, the details of special agreements are given together with negotiations between neighbouring countries or internationally about nuclear power related matters. These include alarm and emergency procedures and agreements about liability in case of an accident in a neighbouring country. (author)
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LENUS (Irish Health Repository)
Colgan, N
2015-10-23
Increased hyperphosphorylated tau and the formation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles are associated with the loss of neurons and cognitive decline in Alzheimer\\'s disease, and related neurodegenerative conditions. We applied two diffusion models, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), to in vivo diffusion magnetic resonance images (dMRI) of a mouse model of human tauopathy (rTg4510) at 8.5months of age. In grey matter regions with the highest degree of tau burden, microstructural indices provided by both NODDI and DTI discriminated the rTg4510 (TG) animals from wild type (WT) controls; however only the neurite density index (NDI) (the volume fraction that comprises axons or dendrites) from the NODDI model correlated with the histological measurements of the levels of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Reductions in diffusion directionality were observed when implementing both models in the white matter region of the corpus callosum, with lower fractional anisotropy (DTI) and higher orientation dispersion (NODDI) observed in the TG animals. In comparison to DTI, histological measures of tau pathology were more closely correlated with NODDI parameters in this region. This in vivo dMRI study demonstrates that NODDI identifies potential tissue sources contributing to DTI indices and NODDI may provide greater specificity to pathology in Alzheimer\\'s disease.
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Oriented Poly(dialkylstannane)s
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Choffat, Fabien; Fornera, Sara; Smith, Paul
2008-01-01
The inorganic (or 'organometallic') polymers poly(dibutylstannane), poly(dioctylstannane), and poly(didodecylstannane) have been oriented by shear forces, the tensile drawing of blends with polyethylene, and deposition from solution onto glass slides coated with all oriented, friction-deposited p......The inorganic (or 'organometallic') polymers poly(dibutylstannane), poly(dioctylstannane), and poly(didodecylstannane) have been oriented by shear forces, the tensile drawing of blends with polyethylene, and deposition from solution onto glass slides coated with all oriented, friction......-deposited poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) layer. Orientation of the polystannanes has been examined by polarization microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy with polarized light, and X-ray diffraction and their direction is found to depend on the length of the alkyl side groups and the method of orientation. Remarkably...
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Quantifying anisotropy and fiber orientation in human brain histological sections
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Matthew D Budde
2013-02-01
Full Text Available Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI has provided unparalleled insight into the microscopic structure and organization of the central nervous system. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI and other models of the diffusion MRI signal extract microstructural properties of tissues with relevance to the normal and injured brain. Despite the prevalence of such techniques and applications, accurate and large-scale validation has proven difficult, particularly in the human brain. In this report, human brain sections obtained from a digital public brain bank were employed to quantify anisotropy and fiber orientation using structure tensor analysis. The derived maps depict the intricate complexity of white matter fibers at a resolution not attainable with current DWI experiments. Moreover, the effects of multiple fiber bundles (i.e. crossing fibers and intravoxel fiber dispersion were demonstrated. Examination of the cortex and hippocampal regions validated specific features of previous in vivo and ex vivo DTI studies of the human brain. Despite the limitation to two dimensions, the resulting images provide a unique depiction of white matter organization at resolutions currently unattainable with DWI. The method of analysis may be used to validate tissue properties derived from DTI and alternative models of the diffusion signal.
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El Labban, Abdulrahman
2014-11-26
(Figure Presented) Alkyl substituents appended to the π-conjugated main chain account for the solution-processability and film-forming properties of most π-conjugated polymers for organic electronic device applications, including field-effect transistors (FETs) and bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells. Beyond film-forming properties, recent work has emphasized the determining role that side-chain substituents play on polymer self-assembly and thin-film nanostructural order, and, in turn, on device performance. However, the factors that determine polymer crystallite orientation in thin-films, implying preferential backbone orientation relative to the device substrate, are a matter of some debate, and these structural changes remain difficult to anticipate. In this report, we show how systematic changes in the side-chain pattern of poly(benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-alt-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione) (PBDTTPD) polymers can (i) influence the propensity of the polymer to order in the π-stacking direction, and (ii) direct the preferential orientation of the polymer crystallites in thin films (e.g., "face-on" vs "edge-on"). Oriented crystallites, specifically crystallites that are well-ordered in the π-stacking direction, are believed to be a key contributor to improved thin-film device performance in both FETs and BHJ solar cells.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Shutian Li
2014-11-01
Full Text Available Glutaredoxins (GRXs are small ubiquitous glutathione (GSH-dependent oxidoreductases that catalyze the reversible reduction of protein disulfide bridges or protein-GSH mixed disulfide bonds via a dithiol or monothiol mechanism, respectively. Three major classes of GRXs, with the CPYC-type, the CGFS-type or the CC-type active site, have been identified in many plant species. In spite of the well-characterized roles for GRXs in Escherichia coli, yeast and humans, the biological functions of plant GRXs have been largely enigmatic. The CPYC-type and CGFS-type GRXs exist in all organisms, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, whereas the CC-type class has thus far been solely identified in land plants. Only the number of the CC-type GRXs has enlarged dramatically during the evolution of land plants, suggesting their participation in the formation of more complex plants adapted to life on land. A growing body of evidence indicates that plant GRXs are involved in numerous cellular pathways. In this review, emphasis is placed on the recently emerging functions for GRXs in floral organ development and disease resistance. Notably, CC-type GRXs have been recruited to participate in these two seemingly unrelated processes. Besides, the current knowledge of plant GRXs in the assembly and delivery of iron-sulfur clusters, oxidative stress responses and arsenic resistance is also presented. As GRXs require GSH as an electron donor to reduce their target proteins, GSH-related developmental processes, including the control of flowering time and the development of postembryonic roots and shoots, are further discussed. Profiling the thiol redox proteome using high-throughput proteomic approaches and measuring cellular redox changes with fluorescent redox biosensors will help to further unravel the redox-regulated physiological processes in plants.
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GARDEN CRESS GERMINABILITY AND SEEDLING VIGOUR AFTER TREATMENT WITH PLANT EXTRACTS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Miroslav Lisjak
2015-12-01
Full Text Available The usage of biologically active and environmentally friendly compounds has increasingly important role in the primary food production. This study was conducted in order to examine the impact of five commercial plant extracts on the seed vigour of garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.. The applied plant extracts significantly increased the germination. The highest fresh weight of seedlings, and also the lowest dry matter accumulation were observed in the treatment KE-plantasalva® without the sea salt addition. Equisetum extract inhibited the root elongation and resulted in the highest percentage of dry matter accumulated in seedlings, but also the lowest fresh weight.
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Practical experience with phaseout-oriented execution of law
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hellenschmidt, J.G.
1991-01-01
The result of two years of experience with phaseout-oriented execution of law is that the original political target of the new head of the authorities - abandonment of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy in Schleswig-Holstein within 2 years on the basis of the law in force - was unachievable despite considerable efforts. This interim result can be seen as positive for the operators of nuclear power plants in Schleswig-Holstein, because despite the stringency of the nuclear supervisory authorities, which could hardly be more severe, no deficits in safety, which would have warranted decommissioning, have appeared to become obvious. (orig./HSCH) [de
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Environmental impact assessment of coal power plants in operation
Bartan Ayfer; Kucukali Serhat; Ar Irfan
2017-01-01
Coal power plants constitute an important component of the energy mix in many countries. However, coal power plants can cause several environmental risks such as: climate change and biodiversity loss. In this study, a tool has been proposed to calculate the environmental impact of a coal-fired thermal power plant in operation by using multi-criteria scoring and fuzzy logic method. We take into account the following environmental parameters in our tool: CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, fly as...
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Integrated approach methodology: A handbook for power plant assessment
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Roush, M.L.; Modarres, M.; Hunt, R.N.M.; Kreps, D.; Pearce, R.
1987-10-01
This handbook is a practical document that provides the principles and steps of a method to help a utility's decision-making process on matters concerning plant safety and economy. It provides a framework for analyzing the manner in which plant equipment and personnel work together to achieve successful operation; also making possible the quantitative evaluation of individual contributors to success in overall plant operation. The methodology does not purport to instruct utilities on the proper way to run a power plant. Rather, it is an analytical tool to aid a utility in using plant data and other hands-on knowledge of its own personnel to solve practical problems
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Plant and fungal biodiversity from metal mine wastes under remediation at Zimapan, Hidalgo, Mexico
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ortega-Larrocea, Maria del Pilar [Departamento de Edafologia, Instituto de Geologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) (Mexico); Xoconostle-Cazares, Beatriz [Departamento de Biotecnologia y Bioingenieria, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Av. IPN 2508, Zacatenco 07360, D.F. (Mexico); Maldonado-Mendoza, Ignacio E. [Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigacion para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR)-Instituto Politecnico Nacional - Unidad Sinaloa, Blvd. Juan de Dios Batiz Paredes No. 250, Guasave, Sinaloa 81101 (Mexico); Carrillo-Gonzalez, Rogelio [Programa de Edafologia, Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agricolas, Campus Montecillo, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, km 36.5, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico 56230 (Mexico); Hernandez-Hernandez, Jani [Departamento de Edafologia, Instituto de Geologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) (Mexico); Garduno, Margarita Diaz [Universidad Autonoma Chapingo, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, km 38.5, Chapingo, Estado de Mexico 56230 (Mexico); Lopez-Meyer, Melina [Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigacion para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR)-Instituto Politecnico Nacional - Unidad Sinaloa, Blvd. Juan de Dios Batiz Paredes No. 250, Guasave, Sinaloa 81101 (Mexico); Gomez-Flores, Lydia [Departamento de Biotecnologia y Bioingenieria, Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Av. IPN 2508, Zacatenco 07360, D.F. (Mexico); Gonzalez-Chavez, Ma. del Carmen A., E-mail: carmeng@colpos.m [Programa de Edafologia, Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agricolas, Campus Montecillo, Carretera Mexico-Texcoco, km 36.5, Texcoco, Estado de Mexico 56230 (Mexico)
2010-05-15
Plant establishment, presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and other rhizospheric fungi were studied in mine wastes from Zimapan, Hidalgo state, Mexico, using a holistic approach. Two long-term afforested and three non-afforested mine tailings were included in this research. Fifty-six plant species belonging to 29 families were successfully established on the afforested sites, while unmanaged tailings had only a few native plant species colonizing the surrounding soils. Almost all plant roots collected were associated to AMF in these sites. The genus Glomus was the most abundant AMF species found in their rhizosphere; however, the Acaulospora genus was also observed. Other rhizospheric fungi were identified by 18S rDNA sequencing analysis. Their role in these substrates, i.e. biocontrol, pollutant- and organic matter-degradation, and aides that increase plant metal tolerance is discussed. Our results advance the understanding of fungal diversity in sites polluted with metals and present alternative plants for remediation use. - Rhizospheric fungi and organic matter encourage plant vegetation of tailings by pioneers and colonizing species.
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Plant and fungal biodiversity from metal mine wastes under remediation at Zimapan, Hidalgo, Mexico
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ortega-Larrocea, Maria del Pilar; Xoconostle-Cazares, Beatriz; Maldonado-Mendoza, Ignacio E.; Carrillo-Gonzalez, Rogelio; Hernandez-Hernandez, Jani; Garduno, Margarita Diaz; Lopez-Meyer, Melina; Gomez-Flores, Lydia; Gonzalez-Chavez, Ma. del Carmen A.
2010-01-01
Plant establishment, presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and other rhizospheric fungi were studied in mine wastes from Zimapan, Hidalgo state, Mexico, using a holistic approach. Two long-term afforested and three non-afforested mine tailings were included in this research. Fifty-six plant species belonging to 29 families were successfully established on the afforested sites, while unmanaged tailings had only a few native plant species colonizing the surrounding soils. Almost all plant roots collected were associated to AMF in these sites. The genus Glomus was the most abundant AMF species found in their rhizosphere; however, the Acaulospora genus was also observed. Other rhizospheric fungi were identified by 18S rDNA sequencing analysis. Their role in these substrates, i.e. biocontrol, pollutant- and organic matter-degradation, and aides that increase plant metal tolerance is discussed. Our results advance the understanding of fungal diversity in sites polluted with metals and present alternative plants for remediation use. - Rhizospheric fungi and organic matter encourage plant vegetation of tailings by pioneers and colonizing species.
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Minca, C.; Ong, C.E.
2017-01-01
Orientalism and Occidentalism are interrelated concepts. Orientalism is defined in three keys ways: (i) as a study of “the Orient”; (ii) as a cultural and aesthetic concern with “the Orient”; and (iii) as a critical approach to understanding the construction of “the Orient” by European and American
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Barthlow, Michelle J.
2011-12-01
A nonequivalent, control group, pretest-posttest design was used to investigate student achievement in secondary chemistry. This study investigated the effect of process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) in high school chemistry to reduce alternate conceptions related to the particulate nature of matter versus traditional lecture pedagogy. Data were collected from chemistry students in four large high schools and analyzed using ANCOVA. The results show that POGIL pedagogy, as opposed to traditional lecture pedagogy, resulted in fewer alternate conceptions related to the particulate nature of matter. Male and female students in the POGIL group posted better posttest scores than their traditional group peers. African-American and Hispanic students in the POGIL group exhibited achievement gains consistent with Caucasian and Asian students. Further studies are needed to determine the value of POGIL to address achievement gap concerns in chemistry.
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Fiber Orientation Estimation Guided by a Deep Network.
Ye, Chuyang; Prince, Jerry L
2017-09-01
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is currently the only tool for noninvasively imaging the brain's white matter tracts. The fiber orientation (FO) is a key feature computed from dMRI for tract reconstruction. Because the number of FOs in a voxel is usually small, dictionary-based sparse reconstruction has been used to estimate FOs. However, accurate estimation of complex FO configurations in the presence of noise can still be challenging. In this work we explore the use of a deep network for FO estimation in a dictionary-based framework and propose an algorithm named Fiber Orientation Reconstruction guided by a Deep Network (FORDN). FORDN consists of two steps. First, we use a smaller dictionary encoding coarse basis FOs to represent diffusion signals. To estimate the mixture fractions of the dictionary atoms, a deep network is designed to solve the sparse reconstruction problem. Second, the coarse FOs inform the final FO estimation, where a larger dictionary encoding a dense basis of FOs is used and a weighted ℓ 1 -norm regularized least squares problem is solved to encourage FOs that are consistent with the network output. FORDN was evaluated and compared with state-of-the-art algorithms that estimate FOs using sparse reconstruction on simulated and typical clinical dMRI data. The results demonstrate the benefit of using a deep network for FO estimation.
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Building organic matter of long-term sugarcane soils in a temperate environment
Mineral soils with a history of sugarcane monoculture cropping contain less soil organic matter (-35%), and plant macro- and micronutrients, including N (-20%), K (-26%), S (-7%), Ca (-8%), B (-33%), Zn (-88%), Mn (-29%), and Cu (-26%), than adjacent non-cultivated soils. Harvesting sugarcane ‘green...
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Particulate matter effect on biometric and biochemical attributes of fruiting plants
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
U. Younis
2015-04-01
Full Text Available Dust accumulation capacity of Ficus carica L. and Psidium guajava L. was investigated from eight different sites of Multan, Pakistan. Leaves of both plants were used for analyzing biometric (leaf area, fresh and dry weights and biochemical attributes (chlorophyll contents, carotenoids and ascorbic acid. Maximum dust accumulation was occurred in the plants growing near road sites, while, minimum dust accumulation occurred in the plants of Bahauddin Zakariya University. Most of the biometric and biochemical attributes of F. carica showed significant response towards dust but it had not significant influence on some attributes of P. guajava. Biochemical traits of P. guajava appeared to be more prone than foliage ones. A positive correlation was foundbetween dust accumulation and foliage attributes in F. carica. On the other hand,in P. guajava opposite was observed, however, the reverse was true for leaf biomass.Biochemical contents had shown an inconsistency as chlorophylls (a, b & total, carotenoid contents declined but ascorbic acid increased with an increase in dust accumulation in both species.
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Object-orientated DBMS techniques for time-oriented medical record.
Pinciroli, F; Combi, C; Pozzi, G
1992-01-01
In implementing time-orientated medical record (TOMR) management systems, use of a relational model played a big role. Many applications have been developed to extend query and data manipulation languages to temporal aspects of information. Our experience in developing TOMR revealed some deficiencies inside the relational model, such as: (a) abstract data type definition; (b) unified view of data, at a programming level; (c) management of temporal data; (d) management of signals and images. We identified some first topics to face by an object-orientated approach to database design. This paper describes the first steps in designing and implementing a TOMR by an object-orientated DBMS.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
N. Muddarisna
2014-10-01
Full Text Available The discharge of small-scale gold mine tailing to agricultural lands at Pesanggaran village of Banyuwangi Regency caused soil degradation as indicated by reduced crop production. This soil degradation is mainly due to the toxicity of mercury contained in the tailing. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of three local plant species, i.e. Lindernia crustacea, Digitaria radicosa, and Cyperus kyllingia for phytoremediation of agricultural land contaminated gold mine waste containing mercury, and its influence on the growth of maize. Six treatments (three plant species, and two levels of organic matter application were arranged in a randomized block design with three replicates. Maize was grown on soil after phytoremediation for 8 weeks. The results showed that among the three plant species tested, Cyperus kyllingia was the potential candidate plant species for phytoremediation of soil contaminated with gold mine tailing containing mercury because of its ability to accumulate mercury from 32.06 to 73.90 mg / kg of soil in 60 days. Phytoremediation of mercury contaminated soil using Cyperus kyllingia using increased maize yield by 126% compared to that the biomass yield of maize grown on soil without phytoremediation. Induce phytoremediation needs to be carried out to accelerate the process of remediation of mercury contaminated soils
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jahanshahi, Asghar Afshar; Brem, Alexander; Bhattacharjee, Amitab
2017-01-01
We examine the relationships between entrepreneurs' values, beliefs and orientations with their firms' engagement in sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial actions, using a sample of 352 newly established businesses from two Asian countries (Bangladesh and Iran). Our results reveal a dual role o...... of sustainable entrepreneurship, by providing answers for recent calls for better understanding which entrepreneurial ventures engage more in sustainability-oriented actions.......We examine the relationships between entrepreneurs' values, beliefs and orientations with their firms' engagement in sustainability-oriented entrepreneurial actions, using a sample of 352 newly established businesses from two Asian countries (Bangladesh and Iran). Our results reveal a dual role...... of entrepreneurs' values, beliefs and orientations when taking sustainability-oriented actions. We confirm that individual differences in the set of values, beliefs and orientations can foster or hinder the sustainability-oriented actions across organizations. Our paper contributes to the growing literature...
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On several computer-oriented studies
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Takahashi, Ryoichi
1982-01-01
To utilize fully digital techniques for solving various difficult problems, nuclear engineers have recourse to computer-oriented approaches. The current trend, in such fields as optimization theory, control system theory and computational fluid dynamics reflect the ability to use computers to obtain numerical solutions to complex problems. Special purpose computers will be used as the integral part of the solving system to process a large amount of data, to implement a control law and even to produce a decision-making. Many problem-solving systems designed in the future will incorporate special-purpose computers as system component. The optimum use of computer system is discussed: why are energy model, energy data base and a big computer used; why will the economic process-computer be allocated to nuclear plants in the future; why should the super-computer be demonstrated at once. (Mori, K.)
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Cotrufo, M. F.
2017-12-01
Mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is the largest and most persistent pool of carbon in soil. Understanding and correctly modeling its dynamic is key to suggest management practices that can augment soil carbon storage for climate change mitigation, as well as increase soil organic matter (SOM) stocks to support soil health on the long-term. In the Microbial Efficiency Mineral Stabilization (MEMS) framework we proposed that, contrary to what originally thought, this form of persistent SOM is derived from the labile components of plant inputs, through their efficient microbial processing. I will present results from several experiments using dual isotope labeling of plant inputs that largely confirm this opinion, and point to the key role of dissolved organic matter in MAOM formation, and to the dynamic nature of the outer layer of MAOM. I will also show how we are incorporating this understanding in a new SOM model, which uses physically defined measurable pools rather than turnover-defined pools to forecast C cycling in soil.
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Effects of shading on dry matter partitioning and yield of field-grown sunflower
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Villalobos, F.J.; Soriano, A.; Fereres, E.
1992-01-01
Crop simulation models require quantitative descriptions of the effects of irradiance on dry matter partition and yield. The objective of this work was to quantify the effects of reduced radiation intensity during different phenological stages on the growth, dry matter partitioning and grain numbers of sunflower (Helianthus annuus, L.). A field experiment was carried out in 1990 with 50 per cent shading treatments. The earliest treatment began at crop emergence while the latest ended at first anthesis. Shading had little effect on plant leaf area growth but reduced biomass and yield. The dry matter: radiation quotient and specific leaf area increased with shading. Grain number per head was decreased by shading, with the greatest effect occurring when shading was applied prior to anthesis. All shading treatments increased dry matter partitioning to stems, decreased assimilate partitioning to the heads and had no effect on the partitioning to leaves. (author)
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Soares, Ana Sofia; Driscoll, Simon P; Olmos, Enrique; Harbinson, Jeremy; Arrabaça, Maria Celeste; Foyer, Christine H
2008-01-01
Whole-plant morphology, leaf structure and composition were studied together with the effects of light orientation on the dorso-ventral regulation of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in Paspalum dilatatum cv. Raki plants grown for 6 wk at either 350 or 700 microl l(-1) CO(2). Plant biomass was doubled as a result of growth at high CO(2) and the shoot:root ratio was decreased. Stomatal density was increased in the leaves of the high CO(2)-grown plants, which had greater numbers of smaller stomata and more epidermal cells on the abaxial surface. An asymmetric surface-specific regulation of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance was observed with respect to light orientation. This was not caused by dorso-ventral variations in leaf structure, the distribution of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) proteins or light absorptance, transmittance or reflectance. Adaxial/abaxial specification in the regulation of photosynthesis results from differential sensitivity of stomatal opening to light orientation and fixed gradients of enzyme activation across the leaf.
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Unconventional Ideas for Axion and Dark Matter Experiments
Caspers, Fritz
2015-01-01
In this contribution an entirely different way compared to conventional approaches for axion, hidden photon and dark matter (DM) detection is proposed for discussion. The idea is to use living plants which are known to be very sensitive to all kind of environmental parameters, as detectors. A possible observable in such living plants could be the natural bio-photon level, a kind of metabolism related chemoluminescence. Another observable might be morphological changes or systematic leave movements. However a big problem for such kind of experiment would be the availability of a known, controllable and calibrated DM source. The objective of this small paper is primarily to trigger a debate and not so much to present a well-defined and clearly structured proposal.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Pflugmacher, S.; Pietsch, C.; Rieger, W.; Steinberg, C.E.W.
2006-01-01
Dissolved natural organic matter (NOM) is dead organic matter exceeding, in freshwater systems, the concentration of organic carbon in all living organisms by far. 80-90% (w/w) of the NOM is made up of humic substances (HS). Although NOM possesses several functional groups, a potential effect on aquatic organisms has not been studied. In this study, direct effects of NOM from various origins on physiological and biochemical functions in the aquatic plant Ceratophyllum demersum are presented. Environmentally relevant concentrations of NOM cause inhibitory effects on the photosynthetic oxygen production of C. demersum. Various NOM sources and the synthetic humic substance HS1500 inhibit the photosynthetic oxygen production of the plant as observed with 1-amino-anthraquinone, a known inhibitor of plant photosynthesis. 1-Aminoanthraquinone may serve as an analogue for the quinoid structures in NOM and HS. Most likely, the effects of NOM may be related to quinoid structures and work downstream of photosynthesis at photosystem (PS) II
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
McIlvaine, C.M.
1994-01-01
The normal operation of a power plant generally releases pollutants to the atmosphere. The objective of this paper is to describe a modeling method to estimate the changes in air pollutant concentrations that result from these emissions. This modeling approach is applicable to coal, biomass, oil, and natural gas technologies. As an example, this paper uses a hypothetical 500 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant, located at a Southeast Reference site in the U.S. and at a Southwest Reference Site. The pollutants resulting from the operation of the power plant may be classified as primary (emitted directly from the plant) or secondary (formed in the atmosphere from primary pollutants). The primary pollutants of interest in this paper are nitrogen oxides (NO x , sulfur dioxide SO 2 , particulate matter and metals
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Forage yield and nutritive value of Tanzania grass under nitrogen supplies and plant densities
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fabrício Paiva de Freitas
2012-04-01
Full Text Available The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the nitrogen and plant density influence on the yield, forage dissection and nutritive value of Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.. The design was of completely randomized blocks with three replications in a factorial arrangement with four nitrogen levels (0, 80, 160 or 320 kg/ha N and three plant densities (9, 25 or 49 plants/m². The plots were cut at 25 cm from soil level when the canopy reached 95% of light interception. The total dry matter forage yield and dry matter forage yield per harvest increased linearly with the nitrogen fertilization. The leaf and stem yield had the same response. The senesced forage yield was quadratically influenced by the nitrogen. The stems ratio in the morphologic composition was high in the high nitrogen levels and in the low plant densities. The leaf:stem ratio showed high values in this trial, but it was increased in plots without nitrogen and high plant density. The pre-grazing height was reduced with the increase in plant density. The nutritive value was favored by the nitrogen fertilization, which increased the crude protein level and reduced neutral detergent fiber and lignin. These factors increased the leaf and stem in vitro digestibility of organic matter. Nitrogen fertilization increases the forage yield of Tanzania grass under rotational grazing. After the establishment, plant density has little influence on the Tanzania grass yield and its forage dissection. The harvest with 95% light interception improves the structure and nutritive value of Tanzania grass pastures.
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Radioiodine uptake by plants from soils
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sabova, T.
1976-01-01
The uptake and accumulation of radioiodine by wheat, maize and peas from various types of soil have been studied. The uptake depends on the type of soil, on its content of organic matter and on the amount of fertilizer. Radioiodine is mainly accumulated in the roots. Accumulation in above-ground plant parts decreases in the following order: wheat, maize, peas. Uptake was highest from humus and clay soils and lowest from black and meadow soils. Application of chloride fertilizer or carrier iodine lead to an increase of radioiodine uptake in the whole plant. (author)
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Application of plant Technology Knowledge Infrastructure to plant engineering and maintenance
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kawanaka, Tsutomu; Tamaki, Yuji; Ota, Yoshimi; Yoshinaga, Toshiaki
2006-01-01
Management and maintenance tools are now greatly available for contributing reduction of maintenance cost and time. These tools surely give us much benefit, but are only for maintaining reliabilities of the equipment. Reliability of the plant depends on the design and actual operating conditions. Accordingly, the matter to do first is to consider facilities in the range of the plant life cycle. This brings the result that 'process property' and 'functional property' are required besides 'equipment property' which has been used for the evaluation index. Because these properties are formed at the designing stage, the beginning of the life cycle, and by applying the equipment function to them, maintenance cost can be reduced without risk increasing. To execute this subject, it is strongly required to accumulate information and data, to build up the Technology Knowledge Infrastructure. This paper reports the system and the way of applying the method to the actual plants. (author)
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The chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility of ...
African Journals Online (AJOL)
The mean IVDMD of maize residues obtained by means of a whole plant maize harvester was found to be relatively high (IVDMD = 55.6±7.0%) while the crude protein (CP) (46±10 g/kg dry matter (DM)) and phosphorus (P) (1.2±0.5 g/kg DM) concentrations were below the maintenance requirement for dry gestating beef ...
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Kojo, Kei H; Yasuhara, Hiroki; Hasezawa, Seiichiro
2014-01-01
Precise division plane determination is essential for plant development. At metaphase, a dense actin microfilament meshwork appears on both sides of the cell center, forming a characteristic cortical actin microfilament twin peak pattern in BY-2 cells. We previously reported a strong correlation between altered cortical actin microfilament patterning and an oblique mitotic spindle orientation, implying that these actin microfilament twin peaks play a role in the regulation of mitotic spindle orientation. In the present study, time-sequential observation was used to reveal the progression from oblique phragmoplast to oblique cell plate orientation in cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning. In contrast to cells with normal actin microfilament twin peaks, oblique phragmoplast reorientation was rarely observed in cells with altered cortical actin microfilament patterning. These results support the important roles of cortical actin microfilament patterning in division plane orientation.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
zeinab shirzadi margavi
2017-10-01
Full Text Available Introduction Distribution of leaf area and dry matter are the effective factors that influence on absorption the radiation, evaporation and transpiration of canopy and eventually dry matter accumulation and grain yield in plants. Plant canopy is the spatial arrangement of shoots in a plant population. In plant canopy, leaves are responsible for radiation absorption and gas exchange with the outside. Stem and branches arrange photosynthetic organs somehow, which gas exchange and light distribution best done. The effect of canopy structure on gas exchange and absorption of radiation in plant communities caused detailed study of the canopy structure to be more important. Materials and methods In order to investigate the vertical distribution of leaf area and dry matter of borage and sweet basil in competition with weeds by cover crops treatments, a field experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with 8 treatments and 3 replications in Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Sari in 2013. Treatments were cover crops mung bean (Vigna radiata L. and Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L. in the rows between the sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L. and borage (Borago officinalis L.. Moreover, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of cover crops to control weeds, pure stand of sweet basil and borage in terms of weeding and no weed controls per replicates were used. Each plot was included 5 rows of medicinal plants. Cover crop inter-seeded simultaneously in the main crop. Estimation of leaf area and dry matter of each plant in different canopy layers (0-20, 20-40, 40-60, 80.100, 100-120 and 120-140 cm were done after 75 planting days, with 1 m × 1 m quadrate per plot. For this purpose a vertical card board frame marked in 20-cm increments was used in the field as a guide to cut standing plants (crops, cover crops and weeds into 20-cm strata increments (Mosier & Oliver, 1995. All samples were transferred to the
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Strategy-oriented display concept to assist severe accident management
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jeong, Kwangsub; Ha, Jaejoo
2000-01-01
The Critical Function Monitoring System (CFMS) is a typical Safety Parameter Display System (SPDS) to assist the operation of Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plants during normal and emergency operation, and SPDS for severe accident is being developed in Korea. When the existing CFMS is used under a severe accident situation, some problems are expected from: (1) different design basis, i.e. prevention of core melt vs. protection of radiation release to environment, (2) different parameters for decision-making, and (3) different domain and depth of information to restore the plant. To resolve the above problems, a concept, 'Strategy-Oriented Information Display' concept, for displaying information for severe accident management is developed in this paper. Whereas the existing SPDS structure is based on the critical safety function, the developed concept is based on the severe accident management strategy. The display for each strategy includes the plant parameters to check the status of plant and component with the logical or graphical views necessary for executing the strategy. As the application of the proposed concept, KAERI is developing a display system, the prototype severe accident SPDS, Severe Accident Management Display System (SAMDIS), to assist plant personnel for executing Korean Severe Accident Management Guidelines. CFMS is developed for a general display suitable to all situations with various displays. On the contrary, SAMDIS provides all the relevant information on one screen based on the proposed concept. The SAMDIS screen shows more extensive area than CFMS and thus plant personnel can recognize the overall plant status at a glance. This concept is quite effective when used with severe accident management guidelines because of the relatively macroscopic characteristics of a severe accident management strategy. (author)
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Duffy, Noah H.; Lester, Henry A.; Dougherty, Dennis A.
2012-01-01
The serotonin type 3 receptor (5-HT3R) is a ligand-gated ion channel that mediates fast synaptic transmission in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The 5-HT3R is a therapeutic target, and the clinically available drugs ondansetron and granisetron inhibit receptor activity. Their inhibitory action is through competitive binding to the native ligand binding site, although the binding orientation of the drugs at the receptor has been a matter of debate. Here we heterologously express mouse 5-HT3A receptors in Xenopus oocytes and use unnatural amino acid mutagenesis to establish a cation-π interaction for both ondansetron and granisetron to tryptophan 183 in the ligand binding pocket. This cation-π interaction establishes a binding orientation for both ondansetron and granisetron within the binding pocket. PMID:22873819
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Chang Soo Sung
2018-02-01
Full Text Available Sustainability and entrepreneurship are often regarded as binary concepts that have a tradeoff relationship, meaning that the higher the social and environmental consideration, the lower the private and economic benefits. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of individual sustainability orientation on opportunity recognition and sustainable entrepreneurship intention, and examine whether it has a tradeoff relationship with entrepreneurship orientation. The result of this study shows that sustainability orientation has a positive relationship with opportunity recognition and entrepreneurship intention related to sustainability. Analysis of the moderating effects of entrepreneurship orientation reveals the positive effect with sustainability orientation but negative effect with opportunity recognition on sustainable entrepreneurship intention. This study would suggest implications to entrepreneurs on how to balance sustainability and entrepreneurship and promote sustainability entrepreneurship.
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The effects of platform motion and target orientation on the performance of trackball manipulation.
Yau, Yi-Jan; Chao, Chin-Jung; Feng, Wen-Yang; Hwang, Sheue-Ling
2011-08-01
The trackball has been widely employed as a control/command input device on moving vehicles, but few studies have explored the effects of platform motion on its manipulation. Fewer still have considered this issue in designing the user interface and the arrangement of console location and orientation simultaneously. This work describes an experiment carried out to investigate the performance of trackball users on a simple point-and-click task in a motion simulator. By varying the orientation of onscreen targets, the effect of cursor movement direction on performance is investigated. The results indicate that the platform motion and target orientation both significantly affect the time required to point and click, but not the accuracy of target selection. The movement times were considerably longer under rolling and pitching motions and for targets located along the diagonal axes of the interface. Subjective evaluations carried out by the participants agree with these objective results. These findings could be used to optimise console and graphical menu design for use on maritime vessels. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: In military situations, matters of life or death may be decided in milliseconds. Any delay or error in classification and identification will thus affect the safety of the ship and its crew. This study demonstrates that performance of manipulating a trackball is affected by the platform motion and target orientation. The results of the present study can guide the arrangement of consoles and the design of trackball-based graphical user interfaces on maritime vessels.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Monique Moultrie
2017-11-01
Full Text Available This article explores how conservative and progressive black Protestants interrogate the theological theme of the sacrality of black life through digital media. The innovations of religious media in black evangelical communities remain an understudied phenomenon in African American religion, making this an apt arena for further discovery. This current intervention into the study of African American Religion examines digital activism through examples of religious media produced by blacks for black audiences. This article begins its interrogation of the sacrality of black life by juxtaposing those who contend that Black Babies Matter as pro-birth-oriented, religiously motivated activists with those religious opponents asserting Black Lives Matter who present an intersectional pro-life approach. The comparison of views relies on womanist cultural analysis as its main methodology to analyze and interpret digital media and explore its ramifications for African American Religion.
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Customer Orientation vs. Customer Orientation Perception : Case J & J Lakkapää Oy Tornio
Angeria, Heli
2011-01-01
Heli, Angeria 2011. Customer Orientation vs. Customer Orientation Perception. Case: J & J Lakkapää Oy Tornio. Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences. Business and Culture. Pages 51. Appendices 5. The objective of this thesis is to study customer orientation with the help of a widely adapted Selling-Orientation-Customer Orientation (SOCO) scale, in order to find out what is the extent to which J & J Lakkapää Oy Tornio and its consumer customers agree or disagree about the company’s cus...
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Simpson, M. J.; Pisani, O.; Lin, L.; Lun, O.; Simpson, A.; Lajtha, K.; Nadelhoffer, K. J.
2015-12-01
The long-term fate of soil carbon reserves with global environmental change remains uncertain. Shifts in moisture, altered nutrient cycles, species composition, or rising temperatures may alter the proportions of above and belowground biomass entering soil. However, it is unclear how long-term changes in plant inputs may alter the composition of soil organic matter (SOM) and soil carbon storage. Advanced molecular techniques were used to assess SOM composition in mineral soil horizons (0-10 cm) after 20 years of Detrital Input and Removal Treatment (DIRT) at the Harvard Forest. SOM biomarkers (solvent extraction, base hydrolysis and cupric (II) oxide oxidation) and both solid-state and solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to identify changes in SOM composition and stage of degradation. Microbial activity and community composition were assessed using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Doubling aboveground litter inputs decreased soil carbon content, increased the degradation of labile SOM and enhanced the sequestration of aliphatic compounds in soil. The exclusion of belowground inputs (No roots and No inputs) resulted in a decrease in root-derived components and enhanced the degradation of leaf-derived aliphatic structures (cutin). Cutin-derived SOM has been hypothesized to be recalcitrant but our results show that even this complex biopolymer is susceptible to degradation when inputs entering soil are altered. The PLFA data indicate that changes in soil microbial community structure favored the accelerated processing of specific SOM components with littler manipulation. These results collectively reveal that the quantity and quality of plant litter inputs alters the molecular-level composition of SOM and in some cases, enhances the degradation of recalcitrant SOM. Our study also suggests that increased litterfall is unlikely to enhance soil carbon storage over the long-term in temperate forests.
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Raphan, T
1998-05-01
This study evaluates the effects of muscle axis shifts on the performance of a vector velocity-position integrator in the CNS. Earlier models of the oculomotor plant assumed that the muscle axes remained fixed relative to the head as the eye rotated into secondary and tertiary eye positions. Under this assumption, the vector integrator model generates torsional transients as the eye moves from secondary to tertiary positions of fixation. The torsional transient represents an eye movement response to a spatial mismatch between the torque axes that remain fixed in the head and the displacement plane that changes by half the angle of the change in eye orientation. When muscle axis shifts were incorporated into the model, the torque axes were closer to the displacement plane at each eye orientation throughout the trajectory, and torsional transients were reduced dramatically. Their size and dynamics were close to reported data. It was also shown that when the muscle torque axes were rotated by 50% of the eye rotation, there was no torsional transient and Listing's law was perfectly obeyed. When muscle torque axes rotated >50%, torsional transients reversed direction compared with what occurred for muscle axis shifts of law is implemented by the oculomotor plant subject to a two-dimensional command signal that is confined to the pitch-yaw plane, having zero torsion. Saccades that bring the eye to orientations outside Listing's plane could easily be corrected by a roll pulse that resets the roll state of the velocity-position integrator to zero. This would be a simple implementation of the corrective controller suggested by Van Opstal and colleagues. The model further indicates that muscle axis shifts together with the torque orientation relationship for tissue surrounding the eye and Newton's laws of motion form a sufficient plant model to explain saccadic trajectories and periods of fixation when driven by a vector command confined to the pitch-yaw plane. This implies
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Mahmoud, A.A.; El-Oksh, I.I.; Farag, S.E.A.
1988-01-01
The Egyptian garlic plants, showed higher percent of weight loss at 17 or 27 days from curing compared to those of Chinese plants. The curing period of 17 days seemed satisfactory for the Egyptian cultivar, whereas, 27 days seemed to be enough for the Chinese garlic. No significant differences were observed between common and shaded curing methods in weight loss per cent. The Chinese garlic contained higher dry matter percentage than those of the Egyptian cultivar. Shaded cured plants of the two cultivars contained higher dry matter percent than those subjected to the common curing methods. Irradiation of garlic bulbs, shaded curing method and sack packaging decreased, in general the weight loss during storage in comparison with other treatments
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Grandy, S.; Jilling, A.; Keiluweit, M.
2016-12-01
Recent research on the rate limiting steps in soil nitrogen (N) availability have shifted in focus from mineralization to soil organic matter (SOM) depolymerization. To that end, Schimel and Bennett (2004) argued that together with enzymatic breakdown of polymers to monomers, microsite processes and plant-microbial competition collectively drive N cycling. Here we present new conceptual models arguing that while depolymerization is a critical first step, mineral-organic associations may ultimately regulate the provisioning of bioavailable organic N, especially in the rhizosphere. Mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) is a rich reservoir for N in soils and often holds 5-7x more N than particulate or labile fractions. However, MAOM is considered largely unavailable to plants as a source of N due to the physicochemical forces on mineral surfaces that stabilize organic matter. We argue that in rhizosphere hotspots, MAOM is in fact a potentially mineralizable and important source of nitrogen for plants. Several biochemical strategies enable plants and microbes to compete with mineral-organic interactions and effectively access MAOM. In particular, root-deposited low molecular weight compounds in the form of root exudates facilitate the biotic and abiotic destabilization and subsequent bioavailability of MAOM. We believe that the competitive balance between the potential fates of assimilable organic N — bound to mineral surfaces or dissolved and available for assimilation — depends on the specific interaction between and properties of the clay, soil solution, mineral-bound organic matter, and microbial community. For this reason, the plant-soil-MAOM interplay is enhanced in rhizosphere hotspots relative to non-rhizosphere environments, and likely strongly regulates plant-microbe competition for N. If these hypotheses are true, we need to reconsider potential soil N cycle responses to changes in climate and land use intensity, focusing on the processes by which
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Composition of hydroponic lettuce: effect of time of day, plant size, and season.
Gent, Martin P N
2012-02-01
The diurnal variation of nitrate and sugars in leafy green vegetables may vary with plant size or the ability of plants to buffer the uptake, synthesis, and use of metabolites. Bibb lettuce was grown in hydroponics in a greenhouse and sampled at 3 h intervals throughout one day in August 2007 and another day in November 2008 to determine fresh weight, dry matter, and concentration of nitrate and sugars. Plantings differing in size and age were sampled on each date. The dry/fresh weight ratio increased during the daylight period. This increase was greater for small compared to large plants. On a fresh weight basis, tissue nitrate of small plants was only half that of larger plants. The variation in concentration with time was much less for nitrate than for soluble sugars. Soluble sugars were similar for all plant sizes early in the day, but they increased far more for small compared to large plants in the long days of summer. The greatest yield on a fresh weight basis was obtained by harvesting lettuce at dawn. Although dry matter or sugar content increased later in the day, there is no commercial benefit to delaying harvest as consumers do not buy lettuce for these attributes. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.
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A modern concept for status oriented vibration monitoring of big turbogenerators
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Herz, F.; Theodor, P.
1997-01-01
The investigation of mechanical vibrations is an excellent method of showing the current condition of a machine. This paper deals with the vibrations monitoring of large turbo-generators. First the general aspects of monitoring, as well as diagnostic strategies and impact on the operation of the installation is discussed. An example of a condition-oriented vibration monitoring is the description of the 'Vibroview' system recently developed and installed in the Leibstadt nuclear power plant. (author) 16 figs., tabs., refs
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Granger, C. L.; Cyr, R. J.
2001-01-01
Arabidopsis thaliana plants were transformed with GFP-MBD (J. Marc et al., Plant Cell 10: 1927-1939, 1998) under the control of a constitutive (35S) or copper-inducible promoter. GFP-specific fluorescence distributions, levels, and persistence were determined and found to vary with age, tissue type, transgenic line, and individual plant. With the exception of an increased frequency of abnormal roots of 35S GFP-MBD plants grown on kanamycin-containing media, expression of GFP-MBD does not appear to affect plant phenotype. The number of leaves, branches, bolts, and siliques as well as overall height, leaf size, and seed set are similar between wild-type and transgenic plants as is the rate of root growth. Thus, we conclude that the transgenic plants can serve as a living model system in which the dynamic behavior of microtubules can be visualized. Confocal microscopy was used to simultaneously monitor growth and microtubule behavior within individual cells as they passed through the elongation zone of the Arabidopsis root. Generally, microtubules reoriented from transverse to oblique or longitudinal orientations as growth declined. Microtubule reorientation initiated at the ends of the cell did not necessarily occur simultaneously in adjacent neighboring cells and did not involve complete disintegration and repolymerization of microtubule arrays. Although growth rates correlated with microtubule reorientation, the two processes were not tightly coupled in terms of their temporal relationships, suggesting that other factor(s) may be involved in regulating both events. Additionally, microtubule orientation was more defined in cells whose growth was accelerating and less stringent in cells whose growth was decelerating, indicating that microtubule-orienting factor(s) may be sensitive to growth acceleration, rather than growth per se.
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Hestrin, R.; Harrison, M. J.; Lehmann, J.
2016-12-01
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associate with most terrestrial plants and influence ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry. There is evidence that AMF play a role in soil nitrogen cycling, in part by taking up nitrogen and transferring it to plants. However, many aspects of this process are poorly understood, including the factors that control fungal access to nitrogen stored in soil organic matter. In this study, we used stable isotopes and root exclusion to track nitrogen movement from organic matter into AMF and host plants. AMF significantly increased total plant biomass and nitrogen content, but both AMF and other soil microbes seemed to compete with plants for nitrogen. Surprisingly, gaseous nitrogen species also contributed significantly to plant nitrogen content under alkaline soil conditions. Our current experiments investigate whether free-living microbial communities that have evolved under a soil nitrogen gradient influence AMF access to soil organic nitrogen and subsequent nitrogen transfer to plants. This research links interactions between plants, mycorrhizal symbionts, and free-living microbes with terrestrial carbon and nitrogen dynamics.
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Feasibility study for objective oriented design of system thermal hydraulic analysis program
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Chung, Bub Dong; Jeong, Jae Jun; Hwang, Moon Kyu
2008-01-01
The system safety analysis code, such as RELAP5, TRAC, CATHARE etc. have been developed based on Fortran language during the past few decades. Refactoring of conventional codes has been also performed to improve code readability and maintenance. However the programming paradigm in software technology has been changed to use objects oriented programming (OOP), which is based on several techniques, including encapsulation, modularity, polymorphism, and inheritance. In this work, objective oriented program for system safety analysis code has been tried utilizing modernized C language. The analysis, design, implementation and verification steps for OOP system code development are described with some implementation examples. The system code SYSTF based on three-fluid thermal hydraulic solver has been developed by OOP design. The verifications of feasibility are performed with simple fundamental problems and plant models. (author)
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Low-temperature nuclear orientation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Stone, N.J.; Postma, H.
1986-01-01
This book comprehensively surveys the many aspects of the low temperature nuclear orientation method. The angular distribution of radioactive emissions from nuclei oriented by hyperfine interactions in solids, is treated experimentally and theoretically. A general introductory chapter is followed by formal development of the theory of the orientation process and the anisotropic emission of decay products from oriented nuclei, applied to radioactive decay and to reactions. Five chapters on applications to nuclear physics cover experimental studies of alpha, beta and gamma emission, nuclear moment measurement and level structure information. Nuclear orientation studies of parity non-conservation and time reversal asymmetry are fully described. Seven chapters cover aspects of hyperfine interactions, magnetic and electric, in metals, alloys and insulating crystals, including ordered systems. Relaxation phenomena and the combined technique of NMR detection using oriented nuclei are treated at length. Chapters on the major recent development of on-line facilities, giving access to short lived nuclei far from stability, on the use of nuclear orientation for thermometry below 1 Kelvin and on technical aspects of the method complete the main text. Extensive appendices, table of relevant parameters and over 1000 references are included to assist the design of future experiments. (Auth.)
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Re-orienting crop improvement for the changing climatic conditions of the 21st century
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mba Chikelu
2012-06-01
Full Text Available Abstract A 70% increase in food production is required over the next four decades to feed an ever-increasing population. The inherent difficulties in achieving this unprecedented increase are exacerbated by the yield-depressing consequences of climate change and variations and by the pressures on food supply by other competing demographic and socioeconomic demands. With the dwindling or stagnant agricultural land and water resources, the sought-after increases will therefore be attained mainly through the enhancement of crop productivity under eco-efficient crop production systems. ‘Smart’ crop varieties that yield more with fewer inputs will be pivotal to success. Plant breeding must be re-oriented in order to generate these ‘smart’ crop varieties. This paper highlights some of the scientific and technological tools that ought to be the staple of all breeding programs. We also make the case that plant breeding must be enabled by adequate policies, including those that spur innovation and investments. To arrest and reverse the worrisome trend of declining capacities for crop improvement, a new generation of plant breeders must also be trained. Equally important, winning partnerships, including public-private sector synergies, are needed for 21st century plant breeding to bear fruits. We also urge the adoption of the continuum approach to the management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture as means to improved cohesion of the components of its value chain. Compellingly also, the National Agricultural Research and Extension System of developing countries require comprehensive overhauling and strengthening as crop improvement and other interventions require a sustained platform to be effective. The development of a suite of actionable policy interventions to be packaged for assisting countries in developing result-oriented breeding programs is also called for.
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Evaluation of trauma service orientation.
Schott, Eric
2010-02-01
Orientation of residents to clinical services may be criticized as cumbersome, dull, and simplytoo much information. With the mandated resident-hour restrictions, the question arose: Do residents perceive the orientation to our trauma service as worthwhile? Residents attend a standardized orientation lecture on the first day of the rotation. Three weeks later, an eight-item, five-point Likert-scale survey is distributed to assess the residents' perceptions of the value of the orientation. Responses to each item were examined. Fifty-four (92%) of the residents completed the questionnaire between September 2005 and August 2006. Most indicated that orientation was helpful (85%), the Trauma Resuscitation DVD was informative (82%), the review of procedures was helpful (82%), and the instructor's knowledge was adequate (94%). Most (92%) disagreed with the statement that orientation should not be offered. Careful attention to orientation content and format is important to the perception that the orientation is worthwhile.
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Organic matter and soil water content influence on BRS 188 castor bean growth
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Lacerda, Rogerio Dantas de; Araujo, Ester Luiz de; Nascimento, Elka Costa Santos; Barros Junior, Genival [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG), PB (Brazil); Guerra, Hugo O. Carvallo; Chaves, Lucia Helena G. [Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UAEAg/UFCG), PB (Brazil). Unidade Academica de Engenharia Agricola
2008-07-01
The castor bean culture has been highlighted due to the several applications of its oil, which constitutes one of the best row materials for biodiesel manufacturing, and the base for several other industrial products. The objective of the present work was to study the effect of different soil water and soil organic matter on the castor bean growth. The experiment was conducted from April to August 2006 under greenhouse conditions using a randomized block 2x4 factorial design with two soil organic mater content (5.0 g.kg{sup -1} e 25.0 g.kg{sup -1}), four levels of available water (100, 90, 80 e 70% ) and three replicates. For this, 24 plastic containers, 75 kg capacity, were used on which was grown one plant 120 days after the seedling. At regular intervals the plant height was measured and the results analyzed statistically. For the qualitative treatments (with and without organic matter) the treatment means were compared through the Tukey test. For the quantitative ones (water levels) were used regressions. The castor bean cultivar height was significantly influenced by the organic matter content only after 80 days. Castor bean height increased significantly with the soil water content after 40 days of growing. (author)
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Jolly, W. M.; Hadlow, A. M.; Huguet, K.
2014-01-01
Live foliar moisture content (LFMC) significantly influences wildland fire behaviour. However, characterising variations in LFMC is difficult because both foliar mass and dry mass can change throughout the season. Here we quantify the seasonal changes in both plant water status and dry matter partitioning. We collected new and old foliar samples fromPinus contorta for two growing seasons and quantified their LFMC, relative water content (RWC) and dry matter chemistry. LFMC quantifies the amou...
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Topical problems of preparation of electric power engineers for nuclear power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Marko, S.; Darula, I.; Simunek, P.
1981-01-01
The principles are discussed of university-level education of future specialists for nuclear power plants. It is based on the unity of practice-oriented education and research. The individual jobs in a nuclear power plant are viewed as a complex man-technology system in which ergonomy as science of the human factor in homotechnical systems is maximally employed. The importance is emphasized of cooperation of universities and colleges with nuclear power plants. (author)
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EFFICIENCY OF PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA (PGPR IN SUGARCANE
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Antonio Morgado González
2015-10-01
Full Text Available Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR are an alternative for promoting sugarcane (Saccharum spp. development. Growth promotion was evaluated in sugarcane vitroplants inoculated separately with twenty-four strains of seven different bacterial species. Total indole synthesis and phosphate solubilization activity were determined in each strain. The experimental unit was one 5 L pot filled with a sterile mixture of farm soil-agrolite and one plant. The experimental design was completely random. Inoculation consisted of 1.0 mL of bacterial suspension (1 × 107 CFU. Plant height, stem diameter, number of shoots, leaf area and dry matter of shoot and root were determined every two weeks. The Ochrobactrum anthropi strains N208 and IMP311 and Pseudomonas luteola IMPCA244 had the highest production of total indoles (116.69, 115.70 and 117.34 µg mL-1, respectively. The Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strains CA158 and 79 exhibited the highest values of phosphate solubilization (222.43 and 216.38 µg mL-1, respectively. In general, plant height increased 27.75%, stem diameter 30.75%, number of tillers 38.5%, leaf area 49%, aerial dry matter 59.75% and root dry matter 59.5%. P. luteola, P. f luorescens, O. anthropi and S. maltophilia exhibited the highest values of the leaf area index, net assimilation, and relative and absolute growth rates. P. luteola IMPCA244, O. anthropi IMP311, Aeromonas salmonicida N264, Burkholderia cepacia N172, P. f luorescens N50 and S. maltophilia 79 promoted the highest values in different response variables throughout the study. Before using these strains as sugarcane biofertilizer, additional studies are required.
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Nitrogen and protein contents in some aquatic plant species
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Krystyna Bytniewska
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Nitrogen and protein contents in higher aquatic plants deriving from a natural habitat were determined. The following plants were examined: Spirodela polyrrhiza (L. Schleid., Elodea canadensis Rich., Riccia fluitans L. Total nitrogen and nitrogen of respective fractions were determined by the Kjeldahl method. Nitrogen compounds were fractionated according to Thimann et al. Protein was extracted after Fletcher and Osborne and fractionated after Osborne. It was found, that total protein content in the plants under examination constitutes 18 to 25%o of dry matter. Albumins and glutelins are the most abundant protein fractions.
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Entrepreneurial Orientation and Internationalisation
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Decker, Arnim; Rollnik-Sadowska, Ewa; Servais, Per
Entrepreneurial orientation is a multidimensional construct that determines the strategic posture of a firm. In this study we investigate a sample of six manufacturing firms which are located both in a remote area and in a transition economy. Through interpreting the construct of entrepreneurial...... orientation as an attitude held by principals we investigate how entrepreneurial orientation affected the behaviour of these firms, specifically in terms of their internationalisation. Despite the fact that all firms have identical roots we find that entrepreneurial orientation held by their principals affect...
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Phytotherapy of hypertension and diabetes in oriental Morocco.
Ziyyat, A; Legssyer, A; Mekhfi, H; Dassouli, A; Serhrouchni, M; Benjelloun, W
1997-09-01
In order to select the main medicinal plants used in folk medicine to treat arterial hypertension and/or diabetes, a survey was undertaken in different areas of oriental Morocco. The patients (370 women and 256 men) were divided into three groups: diabetics (61%), hypertensives (23%) and hypertensive diabetic persons (16%). On average, 67.51% of patients regularly use medicinal plants. This proportion is perceptibly the same in all groups and does not depend on sex, age and socio-cultural level. This result shows that phytotherapy is widely adopted in northeastern Morocco. For diabetes, 41 plants were cited, of which the most used were Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (Leguminosae), Globularia alypum L. (Globulariaceae), Artemisia herba-alba Asso. (Compositae), Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad. (Cucurbitaceae) and Tetraclinis articulata Benth. (Cupressaceae). In the hypertension's therapy 18 vegetal species were reported, of which the most used were Allium sativum L. (Liliaceae), Olea europea L. (Oleaceae), Arbutus unedo L. (Ericaceae), Urtica dioica L. (Urticaceae) and Petroselinum crispum A.W. Hill (Apiaceae). Among the 18 species used for hypertension, 14 were also employed for diabetes. Moreover, these two diseases were associated in 41% of hypertensives. These findings suggest that hypertension observed in this region would be in a large part related to diabetes.
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Danish emission inventories for stationary combustion plants. Inventories until 2008
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Nielsen, Malene; Nielsen, Ole-Kenneth; Plejdrup, M.; Hjelgaard, K.
2010-10-15
Emission inventories for stationary combustion plants are presented and the methodologies and assumptions used for the inventories are described. The pollutants considered are SO{sub 2}, NO{sub x}, NMVOC, CH{sub 4}, CO, CO{sub 2}, N{sub 2}O, NH{sub 3}, particulate matter, heavy metals, dioxins, HCB and PAH. The CO{sub 2} emission in 2008 was 16 % lower than in 1990. However, fluctuations in the emission level are large as a result of electricity import/export. The emission of CH{sub 4} has increased due to increased use of lean-burn gas engines in combined heating and power (CHP) plants. However, the emission has decreased in recent years due to structural changes in the Danish electricity market. The N{sub 2}O emission was higher in 2008 than in 1990 but the fluctuations in the time-series are significant. A considerable decrease of the SO{sub 2}, NO{sub x} and heavy metal emissions is mainly a result of decreased emissions from large power plants and waste incineration plants. The combustion of wood in residential plants has increased considerably in recent years resulting in increased emission of PAH, particulate matter and CO. The emission of NMVOC has increased since 1990 as a result of both the increased combustion of wood in residential plants and the increased emission from lean-burn gas engines. The dioxin emission decreased since 1990 due to flue gas cleaning on waste incineration plants. However in recent years the emission has increased as a result of the increased combustion of wood in residential plants. (Author)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
A. K. Gardezi
2014-02-01
Full Text Available The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of organic matter on the association with Glomus intrarradices and soil contamination on beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.. The study was done under greenhouse conditions at the Montecillo Campus of the Postgraduate College, Mexico. Two soils were used, one irrigated with sewage water and the other one with clean water from a well. Half of the plants were inoculated with Glomus intrarradices. Vermicompost was used as a source of organic matter. There were highly significant increases (p≤0.05 in all the variables recorded due to the application of organic matter, and to the inoculation with Glomus intarradices. The irrigation source of the soils used for this experiment only had a significant effect (p≤0.05 on pod number and nitrogen fixation. The best growth and grain yield occurred with inoculated plants and supplementary organic matter.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Vidkjær, Nanna Hjort; Wollenweber, Bernd; Gislum, René
2015-01-01
Weaver ants (genus Oecophylla) are tropical carnivorous ant species living in high numbers in the canopies of trees. The ants excrete copious amounts of fecal matter on leaf surfaces, and these feces may provide nutrients to host trees. This hypothesis is supported by studies of ant......-plant interactions involving other ant species that have demonstrated the transfer of nutrients from ants to plants. In this 7-months study, a GC–MS-based metabolomics approach along with an analysis of total nitrogen and carbon levels was used to study metabolic changes in ant-hosting Coffea arabica plants compared...... with control plants. The results showed elevated levels of total nitrogen, amino acids, fatty acids, caffeine, and secondary metabolites of the phenylpropanoid pathway in leaves from ant-hosting plants. Minor effects were observed for sugars, whereas little or no effect was observed for organic acids, despite...
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Dotterweich, M.; Böttcher, J.; Krieger, A.
2012-04-01
This paper presents current research and application projects on innovative system solutions which are based on the implementation of a regional resource efficient material flow management as well as utilising "Terra-Preta-Technology" as an innovative system component. Terra Preta Substrate (TPS) is a recently developed substance composed of liquid and solid organic matter, including biochar, altered by acid-lactic fermentation. Based on their properties, positive effects on water and nutrient retention, soil microbiological activity, and cation-exchange capacity are expected and currently investigated by different projects. TPS further sequesters carbon and decreases NO2 emissions from fertilized soils as observed by the use of biochar. The production of TPS is based on a circulation oriented organic waste management system directly adapted to the local available inputs and desired soil amendment properties. The production of TPS is possible with simple box systems for subsistence farming but also on a much larger scale as modular industrial plants for farmers or commercial and municipal waste management companies in sizes from 500 and 50,000 m3. The Terra-Preta-Technology enhances solutions to soil conservation, soil amelioration, humic formation, reduced water consumption, long term carbon sequestration, nutrient retention, containment binding, and to biodiversity on local to a regional scale. The projects also involve research of ancient land management systems to enhance resource efficiency by means of an integrative and transdisciplinary approach.
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Orientation-crowding within contours.
Glen, James C; Dakin, Steven C
2013-07-15
We examined how crowding (the breakdown of object recognition in the periphery caused by interference from "clutter") depends on the global arrangement of target and distracting flanker elements. Specifically we probed orientation discrimination using a near-vertical target Gabor flanked by two vertical distractor Gabors (one above and one below the target). By applying variable (opposite-sign) horizontal offsets to the positions of the two flankers we arranged the elements so that on some trials they formed contours with the target and on others they did not. While the presence of flankers generally elevated orientation discrimination thresholds for the target we observe maximal crowding not when flanker and targets were co-aligned but when a small spatial offset was applied to flanker location, so that contours formed between flanker and targets only when the target orientation was cued. We also report that observers' orientation judgments are biased, with target orientation appearing either attracted or repulsed by the global/contour orientation. A second experiment reveals that the sign of this effect is dependent both on observer and on eccentricity. In general, the magnitude of repulsion is reduced with eccentricity but whether this becomes attraction (of element orientation to contour orientation) is dependent on observer. We note however that across observers and eccentricities, the magnitude of repulsion correlates positively with the amount of release from crowding observed with co-aligned targets and flankers, supporting the notion of fluctuating bias as the basis for elevated crowding within contours.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Shiu, Gary; Wang Liantao
2004-01-01
We study the properties and phenomenology of particlelike states originating from D branes whose spatial dimensions are all compactified. They are nonperturbative states in string theory and we refer to them as D matter. In contrast to other nonperturbative objects such as 't Hooft-Polyakov monopoles, D-matter states could have perturbative couplings among themselves and with ordinary matter. The lightest D particle (LDP) could be stable because it is the lightest state carrying certain (integer or discrete) quantum numbers. Depending on the string scale, they could be cold dark matter candidates with properties similar to that of WIMPs or wimpzillas. The spectrum of excited states of D matter exhibits an interesting pattern which could be distinguished from that of Kaluza-Klein modes, winding states, and string resonances. We speculate about possible signatures of D matter from ultrahigh energy cosmic rays and colliders
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Overestimation of Crop Root Biomass in Field Experiments Due to Extraneous Organic Matter.
Hirte, Juliane; Leifeld, Jens; Abiven, Samuel; Oberholzer, Hans-Rudolf; Hammelehle, Andreas; Mayer, Jochen
2017-01-01
Root biomass is one of the most relevant root parameters for studies of plant response to environmental change, soil carbon modeling or estimations of soil carbon sequestration. A major source of error in root biomass quantification of agricultural crops in the field is the presence of extraneous organic matter in soil: dead roots from previous crops, weed roots, incorporated above ground plant residues and organic soil amendments, or remnants of soil fauna. Using the isotopic difference between recent maize root biomass and predominantly C3-derived extraneous organic matter, we determined the proportions of maize root biomass carbon of total carbon in root samples from the Swiss long-term field trial "DOK." We additionally evaluated the effects of agricultural management (bio-organic and conventional), sampling depth (0-0.25, 0.25-0.5, 0.5-0.75 m) and position (within and between maize rows), and root size class (coarse and fine roots) as defined by sieve mesh size (2 and 0.5 mm) on those proportions, and quantified the success rate of manual exclusion of extraneous organic matter from root samples. Only 60% of the root mass that we retrieved from field soil cores was actual maize root biomass from the current season. While the proportions of maize root biomass carbon were not affected by agricultural management, they increased consistently with soil depth, were higher within than between maize rows, and were higher in coarse (>2 mm) than in fine (≤2 and >0.5) root samples. The success rate of manual exclusion of extraneous organic matter from root samples was related to agricultural management and, at best, about 60%. We assume that the composition of extraneous organic matter is strongly influenced by agricultural management and soil depth and governs the effect size of the investigated factors. Extraneous organic matter may result in severe overestimation of recovered root biomass and has, therefore, large implications for soil carbon modeling and estimations
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Luis Sangoi
1997-03-01
Full Text Available This experiment was conducted in Ames, Iowa, USA, to compare dry matter accumulation patterns of maize genotypes contrasting in height and leafiness, and to test whether reduction in plant height an leaf number through the use of dwarfing genes or earliness can improve grain dry matter allocation. Five plant genotypes were tested: a full season hybrid adapted to central lowa (NK 4525, a short season hybrid adapted to northern Minnesota (C1070, and three dwarf lines (156-A, 302-E and I17- A. The dwarves contained, respectively, the homozygous, independent, recessive dwarfing genes d3, d1 and br2. Each genotype was sown at four plant populations: 25, 50, 75 and 100.000 plants. ha-1. Hybrids had the greatest rates of decrease in total biomass and grain dry matter per plant when population was increased, though they also had larger absolute values of these variables at any given density. Hybrids produced more grain dry matter per unit of leaf area, and a higher harvest index, regardless the plant population used. Reduction in plant height or leaf number did not improve maize efficiency in producing and partitioning dry matter to the grain.Este experimento foi conduzido em Ames, Iowa, Estados Unidos, tendo como objetivos comparar os padrões de produção e distribuição de matéria seca de genótipos de milho contrastantes quanto a estatura e número de folhas, e verificar se a redução nestas características, mediante a utilização de genes para nanismo ou cultivares precoces, pode aumentar a eficiência da planta em alocar matéria seca para a produção de grãos. Cinco genótipos foram testados: um híbrido de ciclo normal adaptado à região central de lowa (NK 4525, um híbrido de ciclo precoce adaptado à região norte do estado de Minnesota (C 1070, e três linhagens anãs (156-A, 302-E and 117-A, contendo os genes recessivos de nanismo d3, d1 and br2, respectivamente Cada genótipo foi semeado em quatro populações, equivalentes a 25
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Radionuclides: Accumulation and Transport in Plants.
Gupta, D K; Chatterjee, S; Datta, S; Voronina, A V; Walther, C
Application of radioactive elements or radionuclides for anthropogenic use is a widespread phenomenon nowadays. Radionuclides undergo radioactive decays releasing ionizing radiation like gamma ray(s) and/or alpha or beta particles that can displace electrons in the living matter (like in DNA) and disturb its function. Radionuclides are highly hazardous pollutants of considerable impact on the environment, food chain and human health. Cleaning up of the contaminated environment through plants is a promising technology where the rhizosphere may play an important role. Plants belonging to the families of Brassicaceae, Papilionaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Poaceae, and Asteraceae are most important in this respect and offer the largest potential for heavy metal phytoremediation. Plants like Lactuca sativa L., Silybum marianum Gaertn., Centaurea cyanus L., Carthamus tinctorius L., Helianthus annuus and H. tuberosus are also important plants for heavy metal phytoremediation. However, transfer factors (TF) of radionuclide from soil/water to plant ([Radionuclide]plant/[Radionuclide]soil) vary widely in different plants. Rhizosphere, rhizobacteria and varied metal transporters like NRAMP, ZIP families CDF, ATPases (HMAs) family like P1B-ATPases, are involved in the radio-phytoremediation processes. This review will discuss recent advancements and potential application of plants for radionuclide removal from the environment.
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Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 3rd quarter, 1994
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Tossavainen, K. [ed.
1995-03-01
Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe nuclear and radiation safety related events and observations which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants and general matters relating to the use of nuclear energy are also reported. A summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment, and tabulated data on the plants` production and load factors are also given. (4 figs., 4 tabs.).
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Operation of Finnish nuclear power plants. Quarterly report 3rd quarter, 1994
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Tossavainen, K.
1995-03-01
Quarterly Reports on the operation of Finnish nuclear power plants describe nuclear and radiation safety related events and observations which the Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) considers safety significant. Safety improvements at the plants and general matters relating to the use of nuclear energy are also reported. A summary of the radiation safety of plant personnel and of the environment, and tabulated data on the plants' production and load factors are also given. (4 figs., 4 tabs.)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. Akbari
2010-12-01
Full Text Available Effects of planting dates and weed control methods on yield and agronomic traits of sunflower was investigated. A factorial experiment based on a complete randomized blocks design with four replications was conducted in 2009. Treatments consisted of three planting date (April 4th, May5th and Juns5th and five weed control methods, Trifluralin (2 Lit/ha + Fokus (1.5 Lit/ha, Trifluralin+Nabu-s (3Lit/ha, Trifluralin, Hand weeding and without control. Results indicated that planting dates and weed control methods significantly affected head diameter, 100 grain weight, seed number per head and grain yield. Harvest index and oil percent was affected only by planting dates. The highest grain yield (630.1 g/m2, was produced in the second planting date (May 5 by using Trifluralin+Fokus. Delaying sowing date (after May 5 significantly decreased grain yield. The most important weeds in the experimental site were common lambsquarter (Chenopodium album, field bind weed (Convolvulus arvensis, bastard cabbage (Rapistrum rugosum, flower-of-an-hour (Hibiscus trionum, cockspur grass (Echinochloa colorum and green bristle grass (Setaria verticillata. It was observed that the dry matter weight sharply varied in all weed species in different planting dates, that is, in the 4th April the dry matter production of common lambsquarter and bastard cabbage, in June 5th planting date were maximum. Dry matter of broad leaf and narrow leaf weeds in the date of May 5th was lower than the other two planting dates. The interaction of planting date ×control methods on head diameter, seed number per head, grain yield and weeds dry matter was significant.
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Gourdji, Shannon
2018-05-28
In urbanized regions with expansive impervious surfaces and often low vegetation cover, air pollution due to motor vehicles and other combustion sources, is a problem. The poor air quality days in Montreal, Quebec are mainly due to fine particulate matter and ozone. Businesses using wood ovens are a source of particulates. Careful vegetation selection and increased green roof usage can improve air quality. This paper reviews different green roofs and the capability of plants in particulate matter (PM), ozone (O 3 ) as well as nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) level reductions. Both the recommended green roof category and plants to reduce these pollutants in Montreal's zone 5 hardiness region are provided. Green roofs with larger vegetation including shrubs and trees, or intensive green roofs, remove air pollutants to a greater extent and are advisable to implement on existing, retrofitted or new buildings. PM is most effectively captured by pines. The small Pinus strobus 'Nana', Pinus mugho var. pumilio, Pinus mugho 'Slowmound' and Pinus pumila 'Dwarf Blue' are good candidates for intensive green roofs. Drought tolerant, deciduous broadleaved trees with low biogenic volatile organic compound emissions including Japanese Maple or Acer palmatum 'Shaina' and 'Mikawa-Yatsubusa' are options to reduce O 3 levels. Magnolias are tolerant to NO 2 and it is important in their metabolic pathways. The small cold-tolerant Magnolia 'Genie' is a good option to remove NO 2 in urban settings and to indirectly reduce O 3 formation. Given the emissions by Montreal businesses' wood ovens, calculations performed based on their respective complex roof areas obtained via Google Earth Pro indicates 88% Pinus mugho var. pumilio roof coverage can annually remove 92.37 kg of PM 10 of which 35.10 kg is PM 2.5 . The removal rates are 4.00 g/m 2 and 1.52 g/m 2 for PM 10 and PM 2.5 , respectively. This paper provides insight to addressing air pollution through urban rooftop greening. Copyright
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Roudier, François; Fernandez, Anita G; Fujita, Miki; Himmelspach, Regina; Borner, Georg H H; Schindelman, Gary; Song, Shuang; Baskin, Tobias I; Dupree, Paul; Wasteneys, Geoffrey O; Benfey, Philip N
2005-06-01
The orientation of cell expansion is a process at the heart of plant morphogenesis. Cellulose microfibrils are the primary anisotropic material in the cell wall and thus are likely to be the main determinant of the orientation of cell expansion. COBRA (COB) has been identified previously as a potential regulator of cellulose biogenesis. In this study, characterization of a null allele, cob-4, establishes the key role of COB in controlling anisotropic expansion in most developing organs. Quantitative polarized-light and field-emission scanning electron microscopy reveal that loss of anisotropic expansion in cob mutants is accompanied by disorganization of the orientation of cellulose microfibrils and subsequent reduction of crystalline cellulose. Analyses of the conditional cob-1 allele suggested that COB is primarily implicated in microfibril deposition during rapid elongation. Immunodetection analysis in elongating root cells revealed that, in agreement with its substitution by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, COB was polarly targeted to both the plasma membrane and the longitudinal cell walls and was distributed in a banding pattern perpendicular to the longitudinal axis via a microtubule-dependent mechanism. Our observations suggest that COB, through its involvement in cellulose microfibril orientation, is an essential factor in highly anisotropic expansion during plant morphogenesis.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Cooper, Richard J., E-mail: Richard.J.Cooper@uea.ac.uk [School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ (United Kingdom); Pedentchouk, Nikolai; Hiscock, Kevin M.; Disdle, Paul [School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ (United Kingdom); Krueger, Tobias [IRI THESys, Humboldt University, 10099 Berlin (Germany); Rawlins, Barry G. [British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG (United Kingdom)
2015-07-01
We present a novel application for quantitatively apportioning sources of organic matter in streambed sediments via a coupled molecular and compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of long-chain leaf wax n-alkane biomarkers using a Bayesian mixing model. Leaf wax extracts of 13 plant species were collected from across two environments (aquatic and terrestrial) and four plant functional types (trees, herbaceous perennials, and C{sub 3} and C{sub 4} graminoids) from the agricultural River Wensum catchment, UK. Seven isotopic (δ{sup 13}C{sub 27}, δ{sup 13}C{sub 29}, δ{sup 13}C{sub 31}, δ{sup 13}C{sub 27–31}, δ{sup 2}H{sub 27}, δ{sup 2}H{sub 29}, and δ{sup 2}H{sub 27–29}) and two n-alkane ratio (average chain length (ACL), carbon preference index (CPI)) fingerprints were derived, which successfully differentiated 93% of individual plant specimens by plant functional type. The δ{sup 2}H values were the strongest discriminators of plants originating from different functional groups, with trees (δ{sup 2}H{sub 27–29} = − 208‰ to − 164‰) and C{sub 3} graminoids (δ{sup 2}H{sub 27–29} = − 259‰ to − 221‰) providing the largest contrasts. The δ{sup 13}C values provided strong discrimination between C{sub 3} (δ{sup 13}C{sub 27–31} = − 37.5‰ to − 33.8‰) and C{sub 4} (δ{sup 13}C{sub 27–31} = − 23.5‰ to − 23.1‰) plants, but neither δ{sup 13}C nor δ{sup 2}H values could uniquely differentiate aquatic and terrestrial species, emphasizing a stronger plant physiological/biochemical rather than environmental control over isotopic differences. ACL and CPI complemented isotopic discrimination, with significantly longer chain lengths recorded for trees and terrestrial plants compared with herbaceous perennials and aquatic species, respectively. Application of a comprehensive Bayesian mixing model for 18 streambed sediments collected between September 2013 and March 2014 revealed considerable temporal variability in the
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Developing Agent-Oriented Video Surveillance System through Agent-Oriented Methodology (AOM
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Cheah Wai Shiang
2016-12-01
Full Text Available Agent-oriented methodology (AOM is a comprehensive and unified agent methodology for agent-oriented software development. Although AOM is claimed to be able to cope with a complex system development, it is still not yet determined up to what extent this may be true. Therefore, it is vital to conduct an investigation to validate this methodology. This paper presents the adoption of AOM in developing an agent-oriented video surveillance system (VSS. An intruder handling scenario is designed and implemented through AOM. AOM provides an alternative method to engineer a distributed security system in a systematic manner. It presents the security system at a holistic view; provides a better conceptualization of agent-oriented security system and supports rapid prototyping as well as simulation of video surveillance system.
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Laser printed nano-gratings: orientation and period peculiarities
Stankevič, Valdemar; Račiukaitis, Gediminas; Bragheri, Francesca; Wang, Xuewen; Gamaly, Eugene G.; Osellame, Roberto; Juodkazis, Saulius
2017-01-01
Understanding of material behaviour at nanoscale under intense laser excitation is becoming critical for future application of nanotechnologies. Nanograting formation by linearly polarised ultra-short laser pulses has been studied systematically in fused silica for various pulse energies at 3D laser printing/writing conditions, typically used for the industrial fabrication of optical elements. The period of the nanogratings revealed a dependence on the orientation of the scanning direction. A tilt of the nanograting wave vector at a fixed laser polarisation was also observed. The mechanism responsible for this peculiar dependency of several features of the nanogratings on the writing direction is qualitatively explained by considering the heat transport flux in the presence of a linearly polarised electric field, rather than by temporal and spatial chirp of the laser beam. The confirmed vectorial nature of the light-matter interaction opens new control of material processing with nanoscale precision.
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The use of NPAR results in plant inspection activities
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Gunther, W.; Taylor, J.
1990-01-01
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program is a hardware oriented research program which has produced a large data base of equipment and system operating, maintenance, and testing information. Equipment and systems which have a propensity for age related degradation are identified, and methods for detecting and mitigating aging effects have been evaluated. As plants age, it becomes increasingly important that NRC inspectors be cognizant of plant aging phenomena. This paper describes the NPAR information which can enhance inspection activities, and provides a mechanism for making pertinent research available to the inspectors
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Zhou Zhongbao; Zhou Jinglun; Sun Quan
2007-01-01
Effect of Human factors on system safety is increasingly serious, which is often ignored in traditional probabilistic safety assessment methods however. A new probabilistic safety assessment model based on object-oriented Bayesian networks is proposed in this paper. Human factors are integrated into the existed event sequence diagrams. Then the classes of the object-oriented Bayesian networks are constructed which are converted to latent Bayesian networks for inference. Finally, the inference results are integrated into event sequence diagrams for probabilistic safety assessment. The new method is applied to the accident of loss of coolant in a nuclear power plant. the results show that the model is not only applicable to real-time situation assessment, but also applicable to situation assessment based certain amount of information. The modeling complexity is kept down and the new method is appropriate to large complex systems due to the thoughts of object-oriented. (authors)
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sauerbeck, D.R.; Helal, H.M.; Nonnen, S.; Allard, J.-l.
1982-01-01
The root tissue which can be isolated from soils represents only part of the total plant carbon incorporation. Between 20 and 40% of the photosynthetic production of plants is expended for root growth and root metabolism. This indicates a striking turnover of energy in the rhizosphere, because relatively litle root-derived organic matter remains there until harvest time. Plant species and variety, soil conditions and temperature were shown to be the most decisive factors governing the assimilate consumption of plant root systems. A special technique is described which enables to study how this extensive turnover affects the surrounding soil depending on its proximity to the roots. Plant-derived carbon can be detected up to 20mm away from the roots. A priming effect has been found on the decomposition of soil organic matter. This explains why, in spite of the rhizo-deposition mentioned, no net-accumulation of carbon in the rhizosphere has been found. (Author) [pt
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Isotopic abundance of 13 C and contribution of eucalyptus biomass to soil organic matter conversion
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Fabiane Figueiredo Severo
Full Text Available ABSTRACT: It has become possible to evaluate the conversion of soil organic matter (SOM in pastures and arboreal crops due to the difference between the photosynthetic cycles of Eucalyptus (C3 and most grasses (C4. The auto analyzer method coupled to the IRMS (Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer in the present study evaluated the 13C content in soil profiles of Eucalyptus plantations of different ages (2, 10 and 21 years, in natural regeneration areas and natural grazing fields, and estimated the SOM conversion of each crop type of. The initial management of all sampled areas was natural pasture. The following profile layers were evaluated: 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-70 and 70-90cm, and the contribution of Eucalyptus biomass over the years of farming was estimated in the SOM conversion process. After 2 years of planting Eucalyptus, the beginning of pasture carbon conversion process occurred in the surface layer (0-5cm. Ten years after planting, the process of converting organic matter by arboreal crops reached the layers up to 20cm. After 21 years of planting and in natural regeneration areas, the entire profile has already been changed by planting Eucalyptus and native tree species.
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Customizable Time-Oriented Visualizations
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kuhail, Mohammad Amin; Pantazos, Kostas; Lauesen, Søren
2012-01-01
Most commercial visualization tools support an easy and quick creation of conventional time-oriented visualizations such as line charts, but customization is limited. In contrast, some academic visualization tools and programming languages support the creation of some customizable time......-oriented visualizations but it is time consuming and hard. To combine efficiency, the effort required to develop a visualization, and customizability, the ability to tailor a visualization, we developed time-oriented building blocks that address the specifics of time (e.g. linear vs. cyclic or point-based vs. interval......-based) and consist of inner customizable parts (e.g. ticks). A combination of the time-oriented and other primitive graphical building blocks allowed the creation of several customizable advanced time-oriented visualizations. The appearance and behavior of the blocks are specified using spreadsheet-like formulas. We...
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Input related microbial carbon dynamic of soil organic matter in particle size fractions
Gude, A.; Kandeler, E.; Gleixner, G.
2012-04-01
This paper investigated the flow of carbon into different groups of soil microorganisms isolated from different particle size fractions. Two agricultural sites of contrasting organic matter input were compared. Both soils had been submitted to vegetation change from C3 (Rye/Wheat) to C4 (Maize) plants, 25 and 45 years ago. Soil carbon was separated into one fast-degrading particulate organic matter fraction (POM) and one slow-degrading organo-mineral fraction (OMF). The structure of the soil microbial community were investigated using phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), and turnover of single PLFAs was calculated from the changes in their 13C content. Soil enzyme activities involved in the degradation of carbohydrates was determined using fluorogenic MUF (methyl-umbelliferryl phosphate) substrates. We found that fresh organic matter input drives soil organic matter dynamic. Higher annual input of fresh organic matter resulted in a higher amount of fungal biomass in the POM-fraction and shorter mean residence times. Fungal activity therefore seems essential for the decomposition and incorporation of organic matter input into the soil. As a consequence, limited litter input changed especially the fungal community favouring arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Altogether, supply and availability of fresh plant carbon changed the distribution of microbial biomass, the microbial community structure and enzyme activities and resulted in different priming of soil organic matter. Most interestingly we found that only at low input the OMF fraction had significantly higher calculated MRT for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria suggesting high recycling of soil carbon or the use of other carbon sources. But on average all microbial groups had nearly similar carbon uptake rates in all fractions and both soils, which contrasted the turnover times of bulk carbon. Hereby the microbial carbon turnover was always faster than the soil organic carbon turnover and higher carbon input
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Worms, Isabelle A.M.; Traber, Jacqueline; Kistler, David; Sigg, Laura; Slaveykova, Vera I.
2010-01-01
The present study addresses the key issue of linking the chemical speciation to the uptake of priority pollutants Cd(II) and Pb(II) in the wastewater treatment plant effluents, with emphasis on the role of the colloidal organic matter (EfOM). Binding of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by EfOM was examined by an ion exchange technique and flow field-flow fractionation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in parallel to bioassays with green microalga Chlorella kesslerii in ultrafiltrate (<1 kDa) and colloidal isolates (1 kDa to 0.45 μm). The uptake of Cd by C. kesslerii was consistent with the speciation analysis and measured free metal ion concentrations, while Pb uptake was much greater than that expected from the speciation measurement. Better understanding of the differences in the effects of the EfOM on Cd(II) and Pb(II) uptake required to take into account the size dependence of metal binding by EfOM. - Colloids isolated from WWTP effluents decrease Cd uptake, but increase Pb uptake by microalga Chlorella kesslerii.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Worms, Isabelle A.M. [Environmental Biophysical Chemistry, IIE-ENAC, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Traber, Jacqueline; Kistler, David; Sigg, Laura [Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, P.O. Box 611, CH-8600 Duebendorf (Switzerland); Slaveykova, Vera I., E-mail: vera.slaveykova@epfl.c [Environmental Biophysical Chemistry, IIE-ENAC, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)
2010-02-15
The present study addresses the key issue of linking the chemical speciation to the uptake of priority pollutants Cd(II) and Pb(II) in the wastewater treatment plant effluents, with emphasis on the role of the colloidal organic matter (EfOM). Binding of Cd(II) and Pb(II) by EfOM was examined by an ion exchange technique and flow field-flow fractionation coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in parallel to bioassays with green microalga Chlorella kesslerii in ultrafiltrate (<1 kDa) and colloidal isolates (1 kDa to 0.45 mum). The uptake of Cd by C. kesslerii was consistent with the speciation analysis and measured free metal ion concentrations, while Pb uptake was much greater than that expected from the speciation measurement. Better understanding of the differences in the effects of the EfOM on Cd(II) and Pb(II) uptake required to take into account the size dependence of metal binding by EfOM. - Colloids isolated from WWTP effluents decrease Cd uptake, but increase Pb uptake by microalga Chlorella kesslerii.
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VALUES-ORIENTED PROJECT MANAGEMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Олександр Михайлович ВОЗНИЙ
2017-03-01
Full Text Available The value-oriented approach to project management of renewable energy based on classification stage of the life cycle of products of the projects, adapted to the goals and objectives of information modeling, which allowed to formulate stricter requirements information models used at different stages of the power plant is proposed. A classification of the alternative energy projects, which highlighting areas for activities is proposed. The list of stakeholders that have an impact on alternative energy projects and presented their classification is defined. The value of alternative energy projects considered from the standpoint of a utilitarian approach, using the concept of utility and on the basis of this concept proposed classification values of alternative energy projects. Criteria values as indicators for assessing the value of alternative energy projects and their weights determined by pairwise comparison. To take into account the changes of the value criteria over time proposed to use the key control points value, assessed value criteria in various key points of control, defined indicator of the total value of alternative energy projects. The classification of risks and tools for value-oriented risk management in alternative energy projects is proposed. Further study authors plan to link the development of mechanisms for harmonization value alternative energy projects for their stakeholders.
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DSNP: a new approach to simulate nuclear power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Saphier, D.
1977-01-01
The DSNP (Dynamic Simulator for Nuclear Power-plants) is a special purpose block oriented simulation language. It provides for simulations of a large variety of nuclear power plants or various parts of the power plant in a simple straightforward manner. The system is composed of five basic elements, namely, the DSNP language, the precompiler-or the DSNP language translator, the components library, the document generator, and the system data files. The DSNP library of modules includes the selfcontained models of components or physical processes found in a nuclear power plant, and various auxiliary modules such as material properties, control modules, integration schemes, various basic transfer functions etc. In its final form DSNP will have four libraries
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Petrus, Auldry Chaddy; Ahmed, Osumanu Haruna; Muhamad, Ab Majid Nik; Nasir, Hassan Mohammad; Jiwan, Make
2010-07-06
Agricultural waste, such as sago waste (SW), is one of the sources of pollution to streams and rivers in Sarawak, particularly those situated near sago processing plants. In addition, unbalanced and excessive use of chemical fertilizers can cause soil and water pollution. Humic substances can be used as organic fertilizers, which reduce pollution. The objectives of this study were to produce K- and ammonium-based organic fertilizer from composted SW and to determine the efficiency of the organic-based fertilizer produced. Humic substances were isolated using standard procedures. Liquid fertilizers were formulated except for T2 (NPK fertilizer), which was in solid form. There were six treatments with three replications. Organic fertilizers were applied to soil in pots on the 10th day after sowing (DAS), but on the 28th DAS, only plants of T2 were fertilized. The plant samples were harvested on the 57th DAS during the tassel stage. The dry matter of plant parts (leaves, stems, and roots) were determined and analyzed for N, P, and K using standard procedures. Soil of every treatment was also analyzed for exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, and Na, organic matter, organic carbon, available P, pH, total N, P, nitrate and ammonium contents using standard procedures. Treatments with humin (T5 and T6) showed remarkable results on dry matter production; N, P, and K contents; their uptake; as well as their use efficiency by maize. The inclusion of humin might have loosened the soil and increased the soil porosity, hence the better growth of the plants. Humin plus inorganic fertilizer provided additional nutrients for the plants. The addition of inorganic fertilizer into compost is a combination of quick and slow release sources, which supplies N throughout the crop growth period. Common fertilization by surface application of T2 without any additives (acidic and high CEC materials) causes N and K to be easily lost. High Ca in the soil may have reacted with phosphate from fertilizer to
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Auldry Chaddy Petrus
2010-01-01
Full Text Available Agricultural waste, such as sago waste (SW, is one of the sources of pollution to streams and rivers in Sarawak, particularly those situated near sago processing plants. In addition, unbalanced and excessive use of chemical fertilizers can cause soil and water pollution. Humic substances can be used as organic fertilizers, which reduce pollution. The objectives of this study were to produce K- and ammonium-based organic fertilizer from composted SW and to determine the efficiency of the organic-based fertilizer produced. Humic substances were isolated using standard procedures. Liquid fertilizers were formulated except for T2 (NPK fertilizer, which was in solid form. There were six treatments with three replications. Organic fertilizers were applied to soil in pots on the 10th day after sowing (DAS, but on the 28th DAS, only plants of T2 were fertilized. The plant samples were harvested on the 57th DAS during the tassel stage. The dry matter of plant parts (leaves, stems, and roots were determined and analyzed for N, P, and K using standard procedures. Soil of every treatment was also analyzed for exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, and Na, organic matter, organic carbon, available P, pH, total N, P, nitrate and ammonium contents using standard procedures. Treatments with humin (T5 and T6 showed remarkable results on dry matter production; N, P, and K contents; their uptake; as well as their use efficiency by maize. The inclusion of humin might have loosened the soil and increased the soil porosity, hence the better growth of the plants. Humin plus inorganic fertilizer provided additional nutrients for the plants. The addition of inorganic fertilizer into compost is a combination of quick and slow release sources, which supplies N throughout the crop growth period. Common fertilization by surface application of T2 without any additives (acidic and high CEC materials causes N and K to be easily lost. High Ca in the soil may have reacted with phosphate from
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Highly oriented poly(di-n-alkylsilylene) films on oriented PTFE substrates
Frey, H.H.; Frey, Holger; Sheiko, Sergej; Sheiko, S.; Moller, M.; Möller, Martin; Wittmann, Jean-Claude; Lot, Bernard
1993-01-01
Highly oriented polysilylene layers have potential applications in electrophotography, nonlinear optics, display fabrication, and microlithography. The preparation of such layers by crystallization on a highly oriented PTFE substrate is reported, and their assessment by optical birefringence,
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Is Treating Motor Problems in DCD Just a Matter of Practice and More Practice?
Schoemaker, Marina M; Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien C M
Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is often called a motor learning deficit. The question addressed in this paper is whether improvement of motor skills is just a matter of mere practice. Without any kind of intervention, children with DCD do not improve their motor skills generally, whereas they do improve after task-oriented intervention. Merely offering children the opportunity to practice motor skills, for instance by playing active video games, did lead to improved motor performance according to recent research findings, but to a lesser extent than task-oriented intervention. We argue that children with DCD lack the required motor problem-solving skills necessary to further improve their performance. Explicit motor teaching with an emphasis on developing these problem-solving skills is a necessary ingredient of intervention in DCD, leveraging the effectiveness of intervention above that of mere practicing.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Forster, G.
1995-01-01
A fundamental question of astrophysics and cosmology is the nature of dark matter. Astrophysical observations show clearly the existence of some kind of dark matter, though they cannot yet reveal its nature. Dark matter can consist of baryonic particles, or of other (known or unknown) elementary particles. Baryonic dark matter probably exists in the form of dust, gas, or small stars. Other elementary particles constituting the dark matter can possibly be measured in terrestrial experiments. Possibilities for dark matter particles are neutrinos, axions and weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). While a direct detection of relic neutrinos seems at the moment impossible, there are experiments looking for baryonic dark matter in the form of Massive Compact Halo Objects, and for particle dark matter in the form of axions and WIMPS. (orig.)
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Wahyu Kusumayanti Putri
2014-09-01
Full Text Available One of the actions in biological control is the use of parasitoid. Some wild plant species can attract those parasitoid. By the fact, the objective of this research are to select some of wild plant species attracting Trichogramma spp. These wild plant were belong to Asteraceae (Eupatorium odoratum, Bidens pilosa, Crassocephalum crepidioides and Mimosaceae (Parkia speciosa, Leucaena glauca, Mimosa pudica. Mass rearing of trichogramma spp. was prepared for those purpose. The selection were conducted by using four armed olfactometer. The percentage of the tested Trichogramma spp. attracted to the wild plant species was noted as well as their orientation duration to select the plant species. The difference of the mean of their orientation duration was analyzed statistically by T-Test. Both of plant familia can attract the parasitoid. This were the plant species that attracted Trichogramma spp. From the most attractive to the lowest one : B. pilosa 22 %, E. odoratum 18.6 %, M. pudica 18.2 %, C. crepidioides 13.8 %, P. speciosa 13.6 %, and L. glauca 13.6 %. For the orientation duration, this are the plant species that can attract the parasitoid from the fastest one to the slowest one : P. speciosa 45.5 seconds, C. crepidioides 46.2 seconds, L. glauca 49 seconds, E. odoratum 50.6 seconds , B. pilosa 53.4 seconds, and M. pudica 55.2 seconds. Keywords : Asteraceae, Mimosaceae, Trichogramma spp.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kim, Jeong Hyeon; Lee, Seung Mu
1989-02-01
This book deals with disposal of waste matter management of soiled waste matter in city with introduction, definition of waste matter, meaning of management of waste matter, management system of waste matter, current condition in the country, collect and transportation of waste matter disposal liquid waste matter, industrial waste matter like plastic, waste gas sludge, pulp and sulfuric acid, recycling technology of waste matter such as recycling system of Black clawson, Monroe and Rome.
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Casas-Zapata, Juan C; Ríos, Karina; Florville-Alejandre, Tomás R; Morató, Jordi; Peñuela, Gustavo
2013-01-01
This study investigates the effects of chlorothalonil (CLT) on chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSFCW) planted with Phragmites australis. Physicochemical parameters of influent and effluent water samples, microbial population counting methods and statistical analysis were used to evaluate the influence of CLT on organic matter removal efficiency. The experiments were conducted on four planted replicate wetlands (HSSFCW-Pa) and one unplanted control wetland (HSSFCW-NPa). The wetlands exhibited high average organic matter removal efficiencies (HSSFCW-Pa: 80.6% DOC, 98.0% COD; HSSFCW-NPa: 93.2% DOC, 98.4% COD). The addition of CLT did not influence organic removal parameters. In all cases CLT concentrations in the effluent occurred in concentrations lower than the detection limit of the analytical method. Microbial population counts from HSSFCW-Pa showed significant correlations among different microbial groups and with different physicochemical variables. The apparent independence of organic matter removal and CLT inputs, along with the CLT depletion observed in effluent samples demonstrated that HSSFCW are a viable technology for the treatment of agricultural effluents contaminated with organo-chloride pesticides like CLT.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia [PRISMA Cluster of Excellence & Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics,Johannes Gutenberg University,Staudingerweg 7, 55099 Mainz (Germany); Slatyer, Tracy R. [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Wang, Xiao-Ping [PRISMA Cluster of Excellence & Mainz Institute for Theoretical Physics,Johannes Gutenberg University,Staudingerweg 7, 55099 Mainz (Germany); Xue, Wei [Center for Theoretical Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States)
2016-12-12
We consider dark matter models in which the mass splitting between the dark matter particles and their annihilation products is tiny. Compared to the previously proposed Forbidden Dark Matter scenario, the mass splittings we consider are much smaller, and are allowed to be either positive or negative. To emphasize this modification, we dub our scenario “Impeded Dark Matter”. We demonstrate that Impeded Dark Matter can be easily realized without requiring tuning of model parameters. For negative mass splitting, we demonstrate that the annihilation cross-section for Impeded Dark Matter depends linearly on the dark matter velocity or may even be kinematically forbidden, making this scenario almost insensitive to constraints from the cosmic microwave background and from observations of dwarf galaxies. Accordingly, it may be possible for Impeded Dark Matter to yield observable signals in clusters or the Galactic center, with no corresponding signal in dwarfs. For positive mass splitting, we show that the annihilation cross-section is suppressed by the small mass splitting, which helps light dark matter to survive increasingly stringent constraints from indirect searches. As specific realizations for Impeded Dark Matter, we introduce a model of vector dark matter from a hidden SU(2) sector, and a composite dark matter scenario based on a QCD-like dark sector.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kopp, Joachim; Liu, Jia; Slatyer, Tracy R.; Wang, Xiao-Ping; Xue, Wei
2016-01-01
We consider dark matter models in which the mass splitting between the dark matter particles and their annihilation products is tiny. Compared to the previously proposed Forbidden Dark Matter scenario, the mass splittings we consider are much smaller, and are allowed to be either positive or negative. To emphasize this modification, we dub our scenario “Impeded Dark Matter”. We demonstrate that Impeded Dark Matter can be easily realized without requiring tuning of model parameters. For negative mass splitting, we demonstrate that the annihilation cross-section for Impeded Dark Matter depends linearly on the dark matter velocity or may even be kinematically forbidden, making this scenario almost insensitive to constraints from the cosmic microwave background and from observations of dwarf galaxies. Accordingly, it may be possible for Impeded Dark Matter to yield observable signals in clusters or the Galactic center, with no corresponding signal in dwarfs. For positive mass splitting, we show that the annihilation cross-section is suppressed by the small mass splitting, which helps light dark matter to survive increasingly stringent constraints from indirect searches. As specific realizations for Impeded Dark Matter, we introduce a model of vector dark matter from a hidden SU(2) sector, and a composite dark matter scenario based on a QCD-like dark sector.
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Postdictive modulation of visual orientation.
Kawabe, Takahiro
2012-01-01
The present study investigated how visual orientation is modulated by subsequent orientation inputs. Observers were presented a near-vertical Gabor patch as a target, followed by a left- or right-tilted second Gabor patch as a distracter in the spatial vicinity of the target. The task of the observers was to judge whether the target was right- or left-tilted (Experiment 1) or whether the target was vertical or not (Supplementary experiment). The judgment was biased toward the orientation of the distracter (the postdictive modulation of visual orientation). The judgment bias peaked when the target and distracter were temporally separated by 100 ms, indicating a specific temporal mechanism for this phenomenon. However, when the visibility of the distracter was reduced via backward masking, the judgment bias disappeared. On the other hand, the low-visibility distracter could still cause a simultaneous orientation contrast, indicating that the distracter orientation is still processed in the visual system (Experiment 2). Our results suggest that the postdictive modulation of visual orientation stems from spatiotemporal integration of visual orientation on the basis of a slow feature matching process.
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Photoperiod and growing degree days effect on dry matter partitioning in Jerusalem artichoke
The effect of photoperiod and growing degree days (GDD) on dry matter and dry partitioning in Jerusalem artichoke was investigated during 2008-09 and 2009-10. Three Jerusalem artichoke genotypes (CN-52867, JA-89 and HEL-65) were planted in 15 day-intervals between with thirteen different dates (Sep...
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Growth responses of maritime sand dune plant species to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mariusz Tadych
2014-08-01
Full Text Available In a pot experiment conducted in a greenhouse, the response of 6 plant species dominating in the succession of vegetation of a deflation hollow of the Łeba Bar to inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF was investigated. The inoculum was a mixture of soil, roots and spores of 5 species of AMF with the dominant species Glomus aggregatum. Except for Corynephorus canescens and Festuca rubra subsp. arenaria, both the growth and the dry matter of above-ground parts of plants of Agrostis stolonifera, Ammophila arenaria, Corynephorus canescens, Juncus articulatus and J. balticus inoculated with AMF were higher than those growing in soils lacking infection propagules of these fungi. Inoculation with AMF decreased the dry matter of root: shoot ratios in 5 plant species. This property was not determined in Festuca rubra subsp. arenaria due to the death of all control plants. The level of mycorrhizal infection was low and did not correlate with the growth responses found. The high growth reaction of Juncus spp. to AMF found in this study suggests that the opinion of non-mycotrophy or low dependence of plants of Juncaceae on AMF was based on results of investigations of plants growing in wet sites known to inhibit the formation of mycorrhizae.
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GRAFT TAKES OF TOMATO ON OTHER SOLANACEOUS PLANTS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
ANDRÉ RICARDO ZEIST
2017-01-01
Full Text Available This paper aimed to assess tomato grafting on different solanaceous species through two grafting methods. Scions were cut from cultivar Santa Cruz Kada seedlings. A fully randomized experimental design was carried out with treatments in a 9 x 2 factorial scheme. As rootstocks, four accessions of mini - tomatoes (0224 - 53, RVTC 57, RVTC 20 and 6889 - 50 - Solanum lycopersicum L; two species of wild tomato ( Solanum habrochaites var hirsutum ‘PI - 127826’ and Solanum pennellii ‘LA716’; other two tomato species [ Solanum, cocona ( Solanum sessiliflorum and physalis ( Physalis peruviana ] and a control with cultivar Santa Cruz Kada (auto - graft rootstocks were used. In addition, two grafting methods were evaluated full cleft and approach graft. Fifteen days after grafting, plants were assessed for graft - take percentage; root length; plant height; leaf number; foliar area; root, stem and leaf dry matter; and ratio between shoot and root dry matter. Based on the results, we may state rootstock and grafting interaction had effect on both graft - take rate and plant development. Overall, the studied plants should be recommended as rootstock, except for 6889 - 50 mini - tomato ( S. lycopersicum L. and S. pennellii . Full cleft grafting was most suitable for cocona and physalis, while the approach method showed better results for the mini - tomato accessions 0224 - 53, RVTC 57 and RVTC 20, as well as for S. habrochaites .
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Abutaha, Anas I.; Sarath Kumar, S. R.; Alshareef, Husam N.
2013-01-01
We demonstrate that the thermoelectric properties of highly oriented Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) thin films can be improved by controlling their crystal orientation. The crystal orientation of the AZO films was changed by changing the temperature
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Column-oriented database management systems
Možina, David
2013-01-01
In the following thesis I will present column-oriented database. Among other things, I will answer on a question why there is a need for a column-oriented database. In recent years there have been a lot of attention regarding a column-oriented database, even if the existence of a columnar database management systems dates back in the early seventies of the last century. I will compare both systems for a database management – a colum-oriented database system and a row-oriented database system ...
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The Effect of paper mill waste and sewage sludge amendments on soil organic matter
Méndez, Ana; Barriga, Sandra; Guerrero, Francisca; Gascó, Gabriel
2013-04-01
In general, Mediterranean soils have low organic matter content, due to the climate characteristics of this region and inadequate land management. Traditionally, organic wastes such as manure are used as amendment in order to improve the soil quality, increasing soil fertility by the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and other plant nutrients in the soil. In the last decade, other anthropogenic organic wastes such as sewage sludge or paper waste materials have been studied as soil amendments to improve physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. The objective of the present work was to study the influence of waste from a paper mill and sewage sludge amendments on soil organic matter. For this reason, soil organic matter evolution was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the derivative (dTG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Thermal analytical techniques have the advantage of using full samples without pre-treatments and have been extensively used to study the evolution of organic matter in soils, to evaluate composting process or to study the evolution of organic matter of growing media.
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2012-02-16
... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2010-0355] USEC Inc. (American Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility and American Centrifuge Plant); Direct Transfer of Licenses In the Matter of USEC INC. (American Centrifuge Lead Cascade Facility and American Centrifuge Plant); Order EA-12- [[Page 9274
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Legal bases for the installation of nuclear power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Faria, N.M. de
1980-06-01
The process of installation of nuclear power plants in the context of the Brazilian legal system is analysed. The structure of the political and administrative system related to the matter and the correspondent legislation are discussed. (A.L.) [pt
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Skau, Katharina [Hochschule Neubrandenburg (Germany). FB Agrarwirtschaft und Lebensmittelwissenschaft; Bettinger, Carola [Univ. Lueneburg (Germany). Inst. fuer Bank,- Finanz- und Rechnungswesen; Schild, Vernea [TU Clausthal (Germany). Inst. fuer Energietechnik und Energiesysteme; Fuchs, Clemens; Beck, Hans-Peter
2015-07-01
In an intelligent energy system, ''smart grid'' and ''smart market'' must go hand in hand (Aichele et al., 2014). Changes to the legal framework, especially the German Renewable Energies Act (EEG), aim at bringing in line the requirement for increased generation of renewable energy with the market and system integration of renewable energies (see Schwarz, 2014). This determines whether the operation of a modern renewable energy plant has both the maximisation of profits (smart market) as well as the easing of the higher-order grid (smart grid) as its goal or whether it is only geared towards one aspect. The agricultural biogas producer is the focus of this interdisciplinary paper. He can either use the electrical energy generated by his plant himself in an economically orientated way or design the supply to the upstream grid in a way that is advantageous for the grid through the increased flexibility of generation and consumption. Through a two-stage simulation of the impact on the grid and the operational performance, the differences with regards to the strain on the grid and the financial losses to the farmer are quantified. If is clearly shown that none of the legislative and regulatory incentive schemes favour a mode of operation that is advantageous for the grid.
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Safety and security aspects in design of digital safety I and C in nuclear power plants
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Ding, Yongjian; Waedt, Karl
2016-01-01
The paper describes a safety objective oriented systematic design approach of digital (computerized) safety I and C in modern nuclear power plants which considers the plant safety requirements as well as cybersecurity needs. The defence in depth philosophy is applied by using different defence lines in the I and C architecture and protection zones in the plant IT environment.
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Safety and security aspects in design of digital safety I and C in nuclear power plants
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ding, Yongjian [University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal, Magdeburg (Germany). Inst. of Electrical Engineering; Waedt, Karl [Areva GmbH, Erlangen (Germany). PEAS-G
2016-05-15
The paper describes a safety objective oriented systematic design approach of digital (computerized) safety I and C in modern nuclear power plants which considers the plant safety requirements as well as cybersecurity needs. The defence in depth philosophy is applied by using different defence lines in the I and C architecture and protection zones in the plant IT environment.